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Americans Describe Economy as Poor; Padma Lakshmi is Interviewed about Her Show. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired May 12, 2026 - 09:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[09:30:00]

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Sworn in.

And he is revealing what he saw and what he was asked to do by incoming Trump administration officials. He really got a front row seat to this kind of wave of firings, this seeking of retribution for anybody in the FBI who had worked on cases against President Trump. It began with a phone call from Kash Patel. Kash Patel asking him to come down to Washington headquarters to serve.

Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIAN DRISCOLL, FORMER ACTING DIRECTOR OF THE FBI: He asked if I'd be willing to come down to headquarters to serve. I reflected that I serve at the pleasure of the director of the FBI.

COOPER: Patel told you that as long as you were not prolific on social media, didn't donate to the Democratic Party, didn't vote for Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, that the vetting would not be an issue.

DRISCOLL: Yes. Yes. That's exactly -- it's not funny, but that's exactly what he said.

COOPER: Did that surprise you?

DRISCOLL: Yes. It was shocking. I'm apolitical by nature. But by profession, you must be apolitical. It's a violation of the Hatch Act to express political leanings in a professional environment. There are very strict rules.

COOPER (voice over): The vetting call shocked Driscoll as well. It came from Paul Ingrassia, an attorney and conservative commentator working on the Trump transition team.

DRISCOLL: You know, the first question was, softball. And then it got worse. Who'd you vote for?

COOPER: Had you ever been asked that by anybody in a position of authority?

DRISCOLL: No. No. COOPER: At the FBI?

DRISCOLL: No, no. I explained to him, like, listen, it's inappropriate. You have my resume in front of you, right? And so you know I'm a current FBI agent. It's a violation for me to discuss my own personal feelings on politics, hoping to avoid any further politically charged questions, which it didn't.

COOPER: What was the next question?

DRISCOLL: So, I might be out of order here, but when did you start supporting President Trump? I didn't answer that one either. Then he asked me, do I agree that the agents who stormed Mar-a-Lago, his words, not mine, should be held accountable? I did answer that one with an absolute no. And then I explained to him they were doing their jobs pursuant to a predicated investigation and court order. And that we don't choose what cases we work.

He was like, OK, just tell me if you voted for a Democrat in the last five elections. This conversation's over and concluded the phone call. It's just disgusted and shocked.

COOPER: Why were you disgusted?

DRISCOLL: Because now my fear that there was a political wave coming towards the FBI with vitriol directed at the FBI, it was palpable. And there was a sense of shock that, like, well, I'm really close to this thing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Wow. Wow.

COOPER: Yes. Yes, I mean, he had a front row seat to this and he tried to do as much as he could to try to protect FBI agents who were not accused of anything specifically. The incoming administration essentially just wanted a list of the thousands of FBI agents, all -- anybody who had worked on any case against the president.

BOLDUAN: And before he was fired, he did have some interactions with the now FBI director, Kash Patel. How'd he describe that?

COOPER: Yes, so after Kash Patel becomes the director, Brian Driscoll is reassigned. About six months later, Driscoll has a meeting with Kash Patel to defend an FBI agent, a long serving FBI agent who's being targeted by people, MAGA podcasters, people on social media. Brian Driscoll says targeted incorrectly. What they were saying was not true, or a mischaracterization. Driscoll defends him to Kash Patel, and then several days later he gets a letter terminating him signed by Kash Patel.

BOLDUAN: Yes. I can't wait to hear more of your conversation, Anderson. Thanks for coming on to give us a little preview.

COOPER: Sure.

BOLDUAN: I really appreciate it.

And we will note, Brian Driscoll has sued Kash Patel, the FBI and the U.S. government for wrongful termination and retaliation. The Department of Justice has rejected those claims and filed a motion to dismiss. Now, CNN has reached out to the White House, the Department of Justice, the FBI, Kash Patel and Emil Bove and received no response.

Sara.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, thank you, Kate.

Coming up, Tiger Woods' DUI case returns to court today. Why the prosecution and defense are fighting over the golfer's prescription drug records.

Also, why two police officers are now suing Ben Affleck and Matt Damon over the duo's latest film they say was too realistic.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:39:03]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, just moments ago, a big jump in inflation, rising at the fastest rate in three years. This and a new CNN poll finds that 73 percent of Americans describe economic conditions in the country as poor.

With us now, CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten.

So, with a poll showing the president facing 70 percent disapproval on the economy, surely that same poll would show Democrats with a big advantage in the race for Congress.

HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: You would think. But I think this poll serves as a big-time reality check for Democrats. And that is, it ain't over yet, especially with the redistricting when we look ahead to the 2026 race for Congress. You would have thought that the Democrats' lead would expand on the generic congressional ballot. It didn't happen.

Look, in March, Democrats were up by six points. Look at this now. Democrats are up by three points. And I want you to note the yellow lettering, no clear leader. It is within the margin of error. So, despite all of the talk about Donald Trump's unpopularity, the fact is, Republicans very much remain in the game when it comes to the congressional midterms, which are occurring in, what, six or seven months at this point?

[09:40:11]

BERMAN: Yes. And don't call me Shirley.

So, a lead --

ENTEN: Ah. BERMAN: A lead of three points in the generic ballot test here. Does that get the job done?

ENTEN: No. No. It might not actually get the job done. And I love any reference to "Airplane," I will say, and Leslie Nielsen.

Look at this. OK, take a look here. Democrats in the national House vote margin. According to my estimate, what they need for control with redistricting in terms of the national popular vote is somewhere of a win between three and four points. What's CNN's current poll with no clear leader? It's a three-point advantage. If this were in fact the actual result come election day, the race for Congress, the race for the House would be basically a toss-up. And that is why the redistricting efforts that have been happening are so important. Because before the redistricting happened, Democrats essentially just needed to win the national House popular vote in order to win control of the House of Representatives.

But now, with the redistricting, their ladder, they have to climb ever higher. And a three-point win may very well not do it. This is well within the realm of possibilities. It could be Democrats take back the House, you know, if Democrats outperform the CNN poll by a few points they take it back, but they could underperform as well. And that would be big time trouble. As I said at the start here, this game is most certainly not over. Republicans very much in the race for the House of Representatives are in that game.

BERMAN: All right, and I was saying, you know, the president's approval on the economy. The president is just 30 percent, 70 percent disapproval. Those are, I think, the worst numbers he has ever had. But if his numbers are so bad then, why aren't Democrats benefiting?

ENTEN: Yes, that's exactly it, Johnny B. Look, we talk about, you know, economic approval rating for the president. We talk about the net approval rating. Among registered voters, if we look among registered voters, the net approval rating, he's 36 points under water. You go, there's no way. There's no way Republicans could possibly hold on to the House.

But look at this, which party is trusted more on the economy? It's a tie among registered voters. Just because Donald Trump is unpopular doesn't make Democrats popular. And when you match Democrats against Republicans, all of a sudden it is a dead heat.

BERMAN: Oftentimes Republicans enjoy an advantage on the economy, though, so tide may not be great for them, but still a huge disparity there between these two numbers.

All right, we're talking about Democrats' chances, maybe not as big as they were a few weeks ago. You know, what are the chances -- a few weeks ago I think we were saying Republicans, they could get blown out.

ENTEN: Yes, exactly right. And that's, I think, the other thing. Even if Republicans don't hold on to Congress, look, the chance of a blowout, that has shrunk considerably. Look at the Kalshi prediction market. Chance that the GOP wins under 193 seats. You need 218 for control in the 2026 midterms. A month ago it was a 48 percent chance they won under 193 seats. Now it's just 19 percent. So basically, Republicans have shifted the playing field. They're in the game. And the chance of a Democratic blowout, that is way, way down.

BERMAN: A much different environment today than it was just a few weeks ago.

Harry Enten, thank you very much.

ENTEN: Thank you, Johnny.

BERMAN: We got a lot of news. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:47:34]

SIDNER: This morning, some new video for you. It shows the suspected gunman exchanging fire with police officers after shooting at multiple cars along a busy roadway in Massachusetts.

(VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: Good grief.

It happened Monday near Harvard University. Police said they received reports of a man acting, quote, "erratically" and carrying a rifle. Investigators say the suspect, later identified as Tyler Brown, damaged at least a dozen vehicles, but two people were injured in all of that, including the driver of a public transit bus and a man who was driving by, minding his own business, in his car. Brown was eventually shot by a state trooper but survived, and a retired Marine, that state trooper as well, was licensed to carry. This morning, he faces charges, including armed assault with intent to murder.

John.

BERMAN: This morning in Florida, attorneys for Tiger Woods will fight a subpoena for Woods' prescription drug records. Prosecutors want access to them following his DUI arrest from back in March. But Woods' attorneys say the request violates his right to privacy. Woods has pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence. Police say they found two pain pills in his pocket during his arrest, and that he showed signs of impairment.

Two south Florida police officers are taking Ben Affleck and Matt Damon to court, alleging their new-ish Netflix movie is too real. The defamation lawsuit claims that the fictional crime action thriller "The Rip" used too many real life details of officers who allegedly inspired it, causing harm to their personal and professional reputations. Now, parts of the film were loosely based on a 2016 Florida case, and Affleck and Damon did spend time with Florida officers to prepare.

In Michigan, south of Detroit, after crashing into a cannabis store, an attempt to set it on fire went terribly wrong when the suspects ended up on fire themselves. Pro tip, when you spill gas everywhere, don't spill it on yourself as well. Now, officials say the car, which had been stolen, was still lodged inside the store when they arrived on the scene, police. Despite the incident, the shop does say it is still open, and they joked that they do not have a drive thru.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: What began with 16 of the most elite decorated chefs in the country has now come down to the absolute very, very best, best.

[09:50:06]

The top three chefs are set to face off in the season finale of "America's Culinary Cup," an invitation only competition show with a top prize of $1 million. And now it's time to make it or bake it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can take 30 minutes from one chef or 15 minutes from two chefs. It's up to you.

Playing the strategy right could be the difference between winning $1 million or just going home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm feeling a little salty.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, boy. I don't know if I like that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If I was Chris, I would take 30 minutes away from Matt, because he's the biggest threat.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm pregnant.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've never won once. So, just saying.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Regardless of her saying anything, the woman's in her second trimester running around and making food. I'm not going to steal time away from her. My mom would slap me upside the head.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Use whatever advantage you can. There is strategy, suspense, and, as someone once put it, it is unlike any competition you have seen before. That someone is actually Padma Lakshmi, the show's creator, host, and executive producer who is here with us now.

It's good to have you.

PADMA LAKSHMI, HOST AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, "AMERICA'S CULINARY CUP": Nice to be here. Thank you.

BOLDUAN: Thank you. I really appreciate it. So, you're wrapping up this first season of "America's Culinary Cup."

What's it -- this is kind of your return to the kind of competitive cooking show world. What's it like to be back in the world?

LAKSHMI: You know, it's interesting because the show is so different from my other shows. And I didn't know what it would be like. But the nice thing is, I got to create it.

BOLDUAN: Yes.

LAKSHMI: So, I had a hand in everything that you see. So, if you love it, thank you. If you don't, it's my fault. So --

BOLDUAN: I was going to give you another, blame somebody else. But, blame the other ones.

LAKSHMI: But it was great. I mean it was fun to be on set again. It was fun to see what these chefs do. I think $1 million brings out a lot of excellence from the woodworks that, you know, a lot of chefs that would never dream of cooking on TV or competing like this, for $1 million, they will come out. That's a meaningful amount of money for anyone.

BOLDUAN: And isn't it like the largest culinary prize like ever? Like --

LAKSHMI: Oh, yes.

BOLDUAN: Tell why.

LAKSHMI: It is true.

BOLDUAN: I mean I love a big -- I love a go big or go home, but like, tell me more.

LAKSHMI: Well, I mean, I think the only other prize was half the amount from what I know.

BOLDUAN: Wow.

LAKSHMI: But. yes, it's the largest culinary prize in television history.

You know, look, I'm on CBS. And the other shows, the other are run by men and they get $1 million. And I wanted our show to have the same. I didn't want to -- I didn't want to be the little sister who got less. And thankfully, I had the support of my network, and it shows.

BOLDUAN: You've made a point in your body of work, in shows and books and your writing to showcase kind of how interwoven the culinary experience, the immigrant experience, culture, all of it is just so connected. Why is that so important for you kind of throughout?

LAKSHMI: I mean, I think food is the language that people are used to me speaking publicly or on television. And that's where the body of my work comes from. But these are issues that I think about even when I'm not working with food. I'm an immigrant to America. I feel very patriotic. This country gave me so much. And I feel like it's my part to use the language and weapons that I have to convey what I think is important about this country. And everybody -- every creature on the planet eats, you know, to survive. And food is woven into every cultural ritual of our society.

BOLDUAN: Yes.

LAKSHMI: And so, it has a lot of emotional implications. It has a lot of heritage tied to it. It has agriculture, environment, economy, all of those things can be seen in our food systems. And so, its' a beautiful metaphor and background to talk about so much else that's important to all of us.

BOLDUAN: Absolutely. You know, the many chapters of people's lives, you know, personal life, work life, I always find it very fascinating. You've had more than one. And of recent I was -- I've been tracking you. You have also taken up stand-up comedy, which, tell me everything, Padma.

LAKSHMI: I mean it's -- I -- listen, I'm still nascent. I have very dear friends who are great world class comics. So, I don't call myself a stand-up comedian. But I have --

BOLDUAN: But even putting yourself out there to do it, I think is like, you've already won the marathon in my book.

LAKSHMI: I mean -- I -- yes. You know, after I left "Top Chef," I really wanted to challenge myself creatively and intellectually. And doing stand-up, even in the small way that I have been starting to do it, is excruciating, terrifying, but also exhilarating.

You know, I studied theater. I did a lot of improv. And the cooking stuff was sort of my version of waitressing. And then it just took off. And I thought, OK, you know, who am I to not take these opportunities?

[09:55:00]

So, I'm very thankful for the wonderful career I'm fortunate enough to have in food, but I missed being on stage. I missed performing in that way with a live audience. And I miss writing my own material. And that's what it came from. And when it's just you and that mic and a bare stage, it activates a part of your brain that I think can be cut off a lot because of our own egos and how we edit ourselves when we write. I mean, you know, I consider myself a writer first and I'll always be a writer. And this is just another way to hone my writing skills for me.

BOLDUAN: I love it. What a fun chapter. I think that thing it unlocks in your brain is just terror and survival instinct.

LAKSHMI: Totally. You know what? Like, you do live television.

BOLDUAN: Yes. LAKSHMI: I started in live television. I co-hosted an Italian live show on (INAUDIBLE) television in the late '90s. That's how I started. And there's such a wonderful electricity about live television.

BOLDUAN: There's something different to it. Y Es.

LAKSHMI: And I really miss that. And being on stage doing stand-up gives me that.

BOLDUAN: You can do it with me any time.

It's great to see you.

LAKSHMI: Lovely to see you. Thanks for having me.

BOLDUAN: Thank you. Thank you so much.

And the season finale of "America's Culinary Cup" airs tomorrow night on CBS. It's very fun. Very, very fun.

SIDNER: She is gorgeous.

BOLDUAN: Yes.

SIDNER: I'm just saying it.

BOLDUAN: Oh, yes, there's also that.

SIDNER: Good. (INAUDIBLE).

BOLDUAN: Thank you so much for joining us. This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL. "THE SITUATION ROOM" is up next.

SIDNER: Nothing from you, John?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)