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New Developments in Mosque Shooting; Polls Open in Kentucky; Shapiro Flexes Political Power in Pennsylvania; Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) is Interviewed about Primaries; Blanche Faces Questions on The Hill. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired May 19, 2026 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:00]

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Attempted to kill his wife. That intent. But also they must unanimously believe that the intent to kill was influenced by an extreme mental or emotional disturbance. So, that lowers it, right, from a life felony to about 20 years.

I want you to listen to the jury foreperson. It was minutes after they delivered that verdict back in April. She spoke to the media. Listen closely to what she says.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAKALAPUA ATKINS, JURY FOREPERSON, GERHARDT KONIG TRIAL: When it comes down to the definitions that we were given, we didn't see that it -- any -- there was any type of evidence to support that it was a -- he intended to murder her. However, we do understand that she was physically hurt. So, we did want to agree on that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But you did feel he intentionally tried to kill her though, right, but that he had emotional problems that caused it.

ATKINS: The intent to kill is improbable to us based on the evidence presented.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CASAREZ: So, the jury foreperson actually signed a sworn affidavit to this after that, the defense asked her, the court now has it, she said, "I was the foreperson on the jury in Dr. Konig's recent trial. I stand by the statements I voluntarily made to the media after the verdict. The jury did not unanimously believe that Dr. Konig had an intent to kill his wife. I did not believe that Dr. Konig had an intent to kill his wife during the incident on the Pali Puka trail, and I believe that he was not guilty of attempted murder."

Separate and distinct. John, on juror number three, went to our affiliate right after the verdict and said the very same thing.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Be interesting to see how an appeals court looks at this now.

Jean Casarez, thank you very much.

A brand-new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts now.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: New details coming in this morning about the shooting at a San Diego mosque. What we're learning about the two teenage shooters and the security guard being hailed as a hero.

And it is Election Day in multiple states. The focus in Kentucky, will voters stand with Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, or will they vote him out as President Trump wants.

And very soon the acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, is going to be on Capitol Hill and facing questions. One big one, what about this new billion dollar compensation fund for Trump's allies?

I'm Kate Bolduan, with John Berman and Sara Sidner. This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

BERMAN: This morning we learned the name of the security guard who lost his life, but likely saved countless others at the largest mosque in San Diego, Ahmed Abdullah was a father of eight and one of three people killed in a mass shooting at the mosque. There were children inside a school on the grounds when the shooting started. Video shows students holding hands as they were led out to safety. The imam says all the children and teachers there are unharmed. One nine-year-old student says he hid with his classmates as it all unfolded.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ODAI SHANAH, NINE-YEAR-OLD STUDENT AT ISLAMIC CENTER OF SAN DIEGO: I heard like a bunch of bad stuff like gunshots. And -- plus, I went out -- I went inside the closet with my whole class. We heard like 12 or like 16 gunshots. And then the SWATs team said, FBI, open up, and they opened the door. And they went inside. They told us to put our hands up and form a big line. And then we saw a bunch of bad stuff, people laying down and, yes, bad stuff.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Bad stuff. Just nine years old. You want to give that kid just a giant hug.

This morning, the shooting is being investigated as a hate crime. The suspects, two teenagers, 17 and 18, they are dead. Police say they were found dead with apparent self-inflicted gunshot wounds in a car near the mosque.

Just hours before the shooting, the 17-year-old suspect's mother called police saying her son, her car and three weapons were missing. Law enforcement officials tell CNN that hate speech was scrawled on one of the weapons used in the attack, and they say a suicide note was found containing writings about racial pride.

CNN's Kyung Lah is live in San Diego on the scene this morning. Bring us up to speed, what you're hearing, Kyung. KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Well, that

shooter's home that you were talking about, where he lived with his mother, is just about maybe four minutes away from here. We went to that location yesterday, and what we saw was a barricade. It was roped off. Law enforcement was still trying to get a warrant at that time to enter the home, because that is going to be the focus of the investigation. What is it that led a 17-year-old to decide to take this step with an 18-year-old friend.

[09:05:02]

That early tipoff from the mother, two hours before this active shooting began, that is what got San Diego police at least heightened in trying to find this juvenile. They -- there wasn't a specific threat to any particular institution, but they went to the high school. They were looking for this young man when this active shooter -- shooting took place.

And it happened here. Here at this mosque. It actually was just right over my shoulder where you see the police vehicle. That is where people here at the mosque say that Brother Amin, he was stationed right outside the school. This is where he would greet young children as they would come and go from the mosque. The school is inside the mosque as part of a community center. People who know him here well say they saw him as a protector, including these children.

And I want you to listen to what a friend of this man had to share with us.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAM HAMIDEH, FRIEND OF SECURITY GUARD KILLED IN MOSQUE SHOOTING: I know that he knew he was sacrificing his life for the kids, because if he didn't take that bullet, they would have easily walked upstairs and then there's just innocent eight and younger and women and, you know, people that couldn't defend themselves.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAH: And he says that he gets to take his children home that night and that his friend could not.

And the San Diego police, John, do say that at a minimum what the security guard did was minimize the situation, at best he absolutely put his life on the line for these children.

John.

BERMAN: A father of eight.

Kyung Lah, thank you so much for being with us this morning.

Sara.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, it is Election Day in America for quite a few states. Right now polls are open in Georgia, Alabama, Pennsylvania and Kentucky, a race with huge stakes and major amounts of money poured into it. President Trump has been putting in the work to unseat Republican incumbent Thomas Massie. The congressman has clashed with the Trump White House over several key issues and pushed for the release of the Epstein files.

We have reporters on the ground following these key races today. Jeff Zeleny is in Covington, Kentucky. Danny Freeman is in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

First to you, Jeff.

So far things have been open for a bit here. A couple hours plus. What are you seeing? What are you hearing?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Sara, good morning.

Yes, voters here have been voting since 6 a.m. here in northern Kentucky. A steady stream of voters. And certainly we have talked to those who are supporting Thomas Massie. They said that they actually like how he stands up to President Trump. And we've talked to voters who are supporting his opponent, Ed Gallrein, saying that it's time for President Trump to have his own Republican congressman in office. So, we will see how this voting goes.

But it's really reflective of this very tight race here. President Trump, I'm told by his advisers, has been fixated on this contest. He, of course, has been trying to unseat Thomas Massie for more than a year or so.

Well, last night we caught up with the congressman to ask him about the nationalization of this race.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENY: This race has been nationalized, as you well know, talking about the revenge tour and the revenge list. Do you think that's how voters here in Kentucky see this race?

REP. THOMAS MASSIE (R-KY): I don't think so. They don't know what happened to Bill Cassidy or to those senators in Indiana. And both of those situations are unique from mine. Bill Cassidy voted to impeach the president. That's something I've never done and I would never do. And his constituents were mad about that, right.

I'm still with my constituents in spite of the billion -- billionaires spending millions of dollars to convince them I'm not. I think most of my constituents know that because I've been at this 14 years. I haven't changed at all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENY: So, that, of course, is an interesting point there. Congressman Massie has long been opposed to spending bills. He's long been a bit of a contrarian. The Republican Party has changed dramatically during this time, of course during the Donald Trump presidency. But this is one of the most, if not the most expensive House primaries ever. More than $30 million spent on the race here. And talking to voters, there's a sense of exhaustion as well.

But, Sara, this is one important point to keep in mind. This is a closed primary. That means only Republicans can vote in this primary. We've talked to several Democratic voters here who said they would have liked to have supported Congressman Massie but he was not on their ballot.

So, that is something to keep in mind as we go through the day here. Only registered Republicans can vote in this congressional primary. But a very close one that the White House is keeping a very close eye on.

Sara.

SIDNER: Yes. I think your reporting's spot on, especially with, people are exhausted. I talked to one Kentucky voter who was like, I just want this to be over at this point, but it will happen today.

Thank you so much, Jeff.

Let's go now to Danny.

Governor Josh Shapiro looking to leave his mark, of course, on Pennsylvania politics with a win today.

[09:10:05]

But he's also trying to, as Donald Trump is, kind of put his finger on the scale, although Trump is doing it for revenge. What are you learning here?

DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, Sara. There are two real big storylines happening in Pennsylvania today. One is some of these swing districts that really the control of the House of Representatives, come November, could flow through here. And then the other is Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's influence on all of that.

Let me start with why we're in Allentown, in this specific district. It's a district you all will become very familiar with, the Seventh Congressional District here in Pennsylvania. It is a swingy district. A Republican Ryan Mackenzie, he won it alongside President Donald Trump during his victory just a few years ago. And now Democrats are trying to take it back.

And that's really the marquee race on the ballot here is which Democrat is going to step up and try and unseat this Republican incumbent. The Democrats are Bob Brooks, Ryan Crosswell, Lamont McClure and Carol Obando-Derstine. And the key thing here is that one of those candidates, although it's really a toss-up at this point, one of those candidates has gotten the endorsement of Governor Josh Shapiro.

You see plenty of ads here in Pennsylvania as well. Bob Brooks is that candidate. He's a firefighter in this area. And he -- you cannot see an ad without him and also Governor Josh Shapiro. That influence by the popular Democratic governor in the state really is on display here.

So, those are the two storylines that we're going to be watching if that candidate, Shapiro's chosen candidate, really can end up running up the scoreboard here.

But, meanwhile, Sara, when it comes to the voters here, they're really still laser focused on just those issues of affordability. I want you to listen to one voter I spoke with who's a small business owner here in Allentown, and she's thinking about how hard it is for her young staff.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEFENIE SAWYER, PENNSYLVANIA DEMOCRATIC VOTER: I think when you look at how expensive everything is for them, just to even get started, I feel a sense of responsibility to provide, not just a great place to work, but a great place to make a living. And that is a real challenge right now, to watch young people want to build a future that they're unsure of.

FREEMAN: And does it feel like D.C. is helping that right now?

SAWYER: No, not at all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREEMAN: You can hear right that -- right there, Sara, that voter, Stefenie, she's out here voting because things are really expensive and hard.

I passed by a gas station here in Allentown, $4.89 a gallon. Those are the issues that are really bringing voters out here.

But again, keep your eye on the Seventh Congressional District in Pennsylvania. It could be incredibly important when it comes to control of the House come November.

Sara.

SIDNER: A lot is at stake for a lot of people. Thank you to you, Danny Freeman, and also to our Jeff Zeleny. Appreciate it.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: Joining us right now to talk about all of this is Democratic Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois.

Congressman, thanks for being here. I appreciate it.

I want to focus in on Kentucky, as that's one of the, obviously, the states that's facing this -- primaries today, but also the big question of Donald Trump's political influence on the party. Do you hope that Republican Thomas Massie wins today? REP. RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI (D-IL): Yes, I do. I think that he has been

kind of a colleague who has spoken his mind on a number of issues. And two of them in particular have been ones that I've paid very close attention to and worked with him on, including the Epstein investigation, as well as, you know, the Iran War. And I think that we need more people like that, you know, in order for us to get things done, but also to make sure that the president is held accountable for what he's doing as well.

BOLDUAN: And so what do you think when the president puts out a video basically -- I mean, this is basically a quote, calling Thomas Massie one of the worst members of Congress ever?

KRISHNAMOORTHI: I think that's a reason to vote for him at this point. I think anything that the president says, you know, in that regard, with regard to an individual, to me, is usually a sign that we should take a closer look at that person. In this particular case, he clearly is continuing his revenge tour and he's hopeful he can displace Massie. I hope that Massie survives because we need more voices like that, especially on the other side right now.

BOLDUAN: And then you have Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, who lost his primary this weekend, because President Trump ran against him. So, he's reached the end of his road. And one of the questions on a lot of people's minds is, what is an -- what does this -- these next months mean for Bill Cassidy, an unconstrained Bill Cassidy now?

You recently ran in a primary and did not win because you were running for a Senate seat being vacated. How is that new reality changed things for you? I mean, what would you expect then to see from Cassidy in these final months?

KRISHNAMOORTHI: I think and I hope, you know, Bill Cassidy is going to continue to do what's in the best interest of his constituents, but also I think he's going to be unplugged, so to speak.

[09:15:11]

I actually worked with him on a very important piece of legislation with regard to college transparency and the cost of college being fully transparent to parents, as well as the outcomes related to pursuing a certain major at an individual college so that, you know, people can shop for college in effect. And I'm hopeful that he will work with me on that and other pieces of legislation that have a lot of bipartisan support, but special interests oppose. And I am hopeful that he will continue to pursue, you know, passage of that type of good legislation for the best interest of the American people.

BOLDUAN: Bill Cassidy and Raja Krishnamoorthi, unplugged. The world will not be the same, I will just say that. You guys are oh so wild.

Let me ask you this. On The Hill today is the acting attorney general, Todd Blanche. He's going to be testifying before the Senate. But this also comes just after yesterday his agency announced this nearly $1.8 billion compensation fund to compensate the allies of President Trump, who believe that they have been unjustly investigated and prosecuted by previous administrations, especially and specifically the Biden administration.

Mike Lindell of MyPillow fame, he's already said that he expects to get paid something, get paid out, if you will. Does Congress have any oversight over this money, where it goes, who gets paid?

KRISHNAMOORTHI: Absolutely. You know, that would be a violation of the appropriations clause of the Constitution for them to just set up this kind of fund, I call it a slush fund, to, you know, pay their allies. And I think -- I expect a lot of legal action. And Congress is going to join in the fray.

But I just want to say one other thing about this fund. You know, the more that you compensate people like Lindell or those insurrectionists or others who were, you know, rightly prosecuted by DOJ as part of January 6th and as having been someone who lived through that day, the more January 6ths you're going to have, the more insurrections you're going to have, the more violence you're going to have.

And so, I'm deeply disturbed by this move. In Congress we have to do everything we can to restrict this funding and to prevent it from happening. But I just want to ask people to raise their voice against it as well from the public.

BOLDUAN: Congressman, thank you so much for coming in. I appreciate your time. And, I mean, I think we all -- I can speak for everyone here, we are looking forward to seeing the unplugged Raja Krishnamoorthi for the next few months. Thanks so much.

John.

BERMAN: Brace yourself for that.

BOLDUAN: I mean, brace. Brace.

BERMAN: All right, we are standing by for Acting Attorney General Tom Blanche to testify just after the news that he's going to oversee a $1 billion fund to compensate people who were investigated during past administrations, some likely political allies of the president.

Thousands of homes at risk as a fast-moving wildfire burns through California. The wind is shifting in the wrong direction.

And breaking developments in the mission to recover the bodies of divers killed exploring an underwater cave.

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[09:22:34]

SIDNER: All right, we're giving you a live look from Capitol Hill. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche in the hot seat today over a settlement with the president to create what Democrats are calling a slush fund, paid for by you, the American taxpayer. Senators will no doubt ask about the nearly $1.8 billion fund the Justice Department announced to compensate President Trump's allies who claim they were wrongfully targeted by federal investigations. Those who could apply include January 6th rioters.

Joining me now is CNN chief legal affairs correspondent Paula Reid.

Paula, what are you expecting to see on The Hill today?

PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Sara.

Look, this is one to watch because this is the acting attorney general's first appearance before Congress since taking the reins at the Justice Department. And on paper, this is a standard budget, appropriations hearing. All attorneys general have to do this. But as you noted, this appearance comes just one day after he personally announced the establishment of this $2 billion fund. Taxpayer money that anyone who feels that they have been wrongly investigated by the Justice Department can apply for.

Now, in announcing this yesterday, Blanche said the machinery of government should never be weaponized against any American, and it is this department's intention to make right the wrongs that were previously done while ensuring this never happens again.

But Democrats and others have already seized on this fund, criticizing it, including Senator Coons, who is on this committee. They're questioning the legality, the lack of oversight. So, he's definitely going to face tough questions about this fund.

But, Sara, I'm also looking to see if Republicans have questions for him about the size of this fund and the lack of oversight.

Now, I'm told Blanche would like to focus in this hearing on his efforts to reduce violent crime. Fentanyl use, his efforts to combat fraud, and his efforts to reduce the overall caseload for immigration cases. Now, that is something that has really vexed this Justice Department. But I've been covering these hearings for over a decade, and I can tell you, it's an occupational hazard. The attorneys general rarely get to focus on what they want to talk about because, as the nature of this job, you're at the center of every major controversy.

Lastly, we're going to be watching for how Blanche comports himself during this hearing because we saw his predecessor took a now famously combative approach.

[09:25:04]

Former Attorney General Pam Bondi was very aggressive in her last appearance before Congress. She became a meme, really, because of the way she conducted herself. That's something that the boss, President Trump, really likes to see in his officials. Todd Blanche is naturally, I think, a more combative person than Bondi was. And he is vying to be the attorney general, to get the permanent position. So, a lot to watch for today. But I think most of the focus today is going to be on that enormous fund that could primarily benefit the presidents' allies. SIDNER: Yes, get ready for some fireworks and some pointed questions

about that fund, which we cannot say enough, is paid for by the American public. Your taxpayer money.

Paula Reid, thank you so much. I know you'll be watching this. Appreciate it.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: We have new details coming in, guys, in the deadly shooting at a California mosque. Authorities are investigating it as a hate crime. The mayor of San Diego is our guest. That's coming up next.

And a rising tide trapped eight people inside a cave on the California coast. None of them knew how to swim. The amazing rescue story, coming up.

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