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Trump: Negotiations with Iran "Are Proceeding Nicely"; U.S. and Iran Signal Progress in Negotiations to End War; Honoring and Remembering U.S. Military Service Members; Millions Hit the Road as Gas Prices Reach Four-Year High; Protesters Clash with DHS Agents Outside NJ Detention Facility; Tomorrow: Cornyn, Paxton Face Off in Texas Senate Primary Runoff 3-3:30p ET

Aired May 25, 2026 - 15:00   ET

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

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Work in Progress: President Trump says peace talks with Iran are on track. But even if a deal is reached, can the President sell it to the American people? We're following the new details.

Plus, it's the last day of campaigning for the GOP primary runoff in Texas, where the President's preferred candidate, Ken Paxton, is trying to unseat longtime Senator John Cornyn. The ripple effects are being felt far beyond the Lone Star State.

And A.I. takes off, handling key tasks in the cockpit. CNN takes you inside a test flight.

We're following these major developing stories and many more, all coming in right here to CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

We are following some new developments on talks with Iran. Oil prices are sliding as negotiations appear to be edging closer to a deal to end the war. Today, President Trump said talks are proceeding nicely. But like so many positive updates before, he also includes a warning, adding, "It will only be a great deal for all or no deal at all -- back to the battlefront and shooting, but bigger and stronger than ever before."

Keep in mind, we are at this point more than six weeks into the U.S.- Iran ceasefire. And to this point, shipping on the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively shut down. CNN's Kevin Liptak is joining us now from the White House.

Kevin, we've heard these kinds of positive messages from the White House before. Is this different? What are you hearing about how close they are on actually finding a resolution here?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Right. And President Trump insists he's in no rush to get this deal finalized. And when you talk to officials, they do describe a sort of a bogging down at the moment on some of the language, some of the wording that is in this deal -- in this deal.

You know, over the weekend, it seemed at one point like this was very imminent. But today, it does seem as if it will take a little bit longer to get some of this nailed down. Part of the reason for that, according to American officials, is that the supreme leader of Iran essentially has to sign off on any word that has changed in this document. And that can take several days, in part because he's believed to be in hiding.

And so, this could be a process that takes some time longer. But still, you hear a degree of optimism that this could be sort of the final stages.

Now, this memorandum of understanding that's being debated would end the hostilities between the U.S. and Iran. It would lift the constraints that are currently on the Strait of Hormuz. But it would push for later negotiations some of the thornier issues, in particular the future of Iran's nuclear program.

And when you listen to how each side is describing it over the last 24 hours, there are some clashing, sort of, explanations for what has been agreed to here. A U.S. official says that Iran has agreed, in theory, to give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. The Iranians say that details of its nuclear program have yet to be discussed.

So, you see sort of a gap there. The Iranians also want some more specifics about what sanctions will be lifted, what assets will be unfrozen. What American officials say is that any financial relief will have to become after progress is made on some of those nuclear issues. The phrase they're using is no dust, no dollars, referring to the stockpile of uranium.

So, a lot still to be, I think, negotiated and settled. But still, you know, optimism, both from the President, but also from top officials, that this is moving its way through and will be signed sometime fairly soon.

KEILAR: All right. Kevin Liptak, live for us from the White House.

We're joined now by Mark Esper. He, of course, served as secretary of defense under President Trump in his first term. He also serves on the board or as a strategic advisor for a handful of aerospace and defense related companies.

All right, Secretary, the President posting that this deal is the exact opposite of the JCPOA. First off, do you see it as a deal and do you see it as the exact opposite of the JCPOA?

MARK ESPER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, good afternoon, Brianna. The first thing, it's good to be with you on this solemn day when we remember all the service members who've never made it home over the years for our freedom. To your question, look, I think it's too early to measure what this deal is versus the JCPOA.

All that they're talking about now is the memorandum of understanding that would lift the blockade by the United States and the restrictions by the Iranians in the Strait of Hormuz so that we could begin negotiations over these 30 to 60 days. And there, of course, is some conflict, as your previous person said, with regard to what that -- what that is. But I think the details will matter as we get deep into those negotiations. And I think there will be two things by which this agreement, this deal, if it ever comes about, is measured.

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One is do we -- does the Strait of Hormuz return to the status quo ante? And number two, does whatever nuclear deal that comes out of this look better, is better than the JCPOA? And like I said, it's too early to tell right now.

KEILAR: Well, on the Strait, let's talk about that, because for the Strait to reopen, the framework includes gradually ending the American blockade of Iranian ports. But Iran says that it would still require payment for passage of the Strait, but it would be for navigation and environmental protection services. I think that is seen as kind of semantics by people who are on the American side of this debate. Would that make the situation with shipping through the Strait actually worse than it was before the war?

ESPER: Yes, of course, that's a nonstarter. Iran cannot control by any means or form the - the flow of commerce throughout the Strait of Hormuz or manage it for that matter. So, we've got to get back to where it was, which was freedom of navigation through that strait. And it's not just because it's this strait and the 20 percent of the world's energy flows through it and Iran can control it. But we have to worry about other waterways throughout the world where countries may try to control it.

And I get most concerned about the South China Sea, where China is trying to assert itself every single day with regard to its control of that body of water. So, no, that is unacceptable and I think that would be seen as a -- as a major setback if the Iranians were ever allowed to control the Strait. And that would be seen as a setback not just by us, but by our European allies, by our allies in Asia, by the Arab states. So, no, that - that would not be -- that would be a bad thing.

KEILAR: I asked you if this actually is kind of looking like a deal at this point, because the U.S. has obviously been looking for firm commitments when it comes to Iran's nuclear ambitions, that it will dispose of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, that it won't pursue a weapon. And U.S. officials said on Sunday that Iran had agreed in principle to those points. Iran says, though, the nuclear program isn't part of discussions at this stage. It's a pretty big disagreement. What does that tell you?

ESPER: Yes, look, I -- I agree. They -- they -- first of all, the Iranians have been saying for years that they wouldn't pursue a nuclear weapon and the ayatollah, the previous one issued a fatwa saying to the same. And look, you can't believe those. Those words aren't worth the paper they're written on.

In my mind, if we're going to go back to how this conflict began in late February, we walked away from the table because we couldn't get an agreement on core things. And in my mind, this means all the enriched uranium out, not just the 60 percent of 960 pounds, but -- but the other enriched uranium, which measures somewhat like 10 plus tons.

Secondly, we've got to get the inspectors in. And then third, we got to get degrade all the infrastructure. And what that would look like in comparison to the JCPOA is, of course, the JCPOA allowed the Iranians to retain some enriched uranium. It allowed them to retain some centrifuges in a lot of other things as well.

So, I think the key things are what I just outlined with regard to what we got to get out of this deal if we go back to the reason why we started this war in the first place.

KEILAR: You mentioned off the top this solemn day. It is, of course, Memorial Day. This is a nation at war. Thirteen service members have died in action in this war. Fourteen total. There are tens of thousands deployed overseas. What are you reflecting on today?

ESPER: You know, of all things, I thought a lot, not just about all the service members who haven't returned home and many times during my tenure as secretary of the Army and later Secretary of Defense, I had to go to Dover and - and spend time with the families and welcome -- welcome our deceased service members home. But I'm particularly reflecting on my West Point classmates who I graduated with in 1986, who never made it home as well and thinking about their families, because, of course, I share so much history with them. And so, that's -- that's the most poignant for me right now.

KEILAR: Mark Esper, thank you so much. Thank you for sharing that thought with us on this very important day. We appreciate it.

ESPER: Thanks, Brianna.

KEILAR: Still to come, it is the unofficial start of summer and millions of Americans are traveling this long weekend. How they're coping with sky high gas prices next.

Plus, the latest on the race to cool down an overheated chemical tank in Southern California. Officials say the threat of a catastrophic explosion is over, but the danger here is not completely over.

And then later, a stark message from Pope Leo in his first major encyclical to fellow Catholics, why he says A.I. is fueling world conflicts and must be reined in. We'll have that and much more coming up on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

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KEILAR: On this Memorial Day, travelers are paying significantly more for gas as they head back home. And these elevated prices could stretch deep into the summer. Right now, the national average for a gallon of regular is $4.51. This time last year, the price was $3.18 a gallon. CNN's Ryan Young is at a gas station in Atlanta.

And Ryan, I'm sure drivers are just thrilled and definitely giving you a -- a piece of their minds.

RYAN YOUNG, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A lot of them have, but what's funny about this is some people, one guy says, you're not going to put me on TV being -- talking about being broke today. I understand that. I also expect you to say pack your patients because that's what we say every holiday.

But look, you can't with this -- and these gas prices right now. People have been telling us, look, especially the lower end, $3.97, that's not too bad. But the premium folks have almost been yelling at us in terms of how high these prices are.

[15:15:07]

But when you walk back this direction, this is nonstop, it's been busy all day long. One of the reasons why is gas is one of the things you can't go without. So people have been saying, hey, even though I'm cutting back on other things in my budget, they're still stopping here to get some gas. In fact, somebody just filled up 13 gallons cost them $63. I was talking to someone who was headed back to Florida and they were telling me now on the way back, they're starting to shorten how much money they spend because they spent more money on hotel and more money on food than what they were expecting.

I want to show you this video from above. This is a drone video that we just shot of one of the interstates here in Atlanta. Not too packed right now. The rush hour for people heading home should be within the next hour or so. So, we're going to start seeing the bulk of travelers getting on the road. Thirty nine million people expected to hit the highways this holiday season. That's despite all the heavy gas prices. We also know a tremendous amount of people are going to hit the airways at Hartsfield Jackson. They were expecting over two million people. But this is all part of it.

When you get to a gas station, you don't just buy gas, you go inside and you want to make sure your family has something to drink. Hey, how are you guys doing? So we've been in here all day long. Thousands of people have been stopping. And the one thing that we hear over and over again is how high the prices are for just daily things like chips.

We want you to see two other videos from I-4 and Vegas. Those are D.O.T. cameras where traffic has been light so far, where Orlando has been the number one destination so far for people doing this travel season. So, we should see that highway packed in the near future. Brianna.

KEILAR: Yes, it does get in the way of your Cool Ranch Doritos budget. You know, and that's unfortunate for people who have specific ...

YOUNG: I mean, it's real, right?

KEILAR: ... chip flavors that they like. Ryan Young, thank you so much. Yes, there you go.

YOUNG: (INAUDIBLE) ... KEILAR: Ryan, thank you.

Chaos erupted outside an immigration detention center in New York, New Jersey. Here was the scene.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) ...

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KEILAR: Video showing protesters clashing with masked people wearing vests marked ICE and ERO. That stands for Enforcement and Removal Operations. It happened last night outside the Delaney Hall detention facility where a reported hunger strike is happening. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill says she's trying to get inside the facility. The Department of Homeland Security reporting more than 100 people were blocking the entrances and exits. CNN's Gloria Pazmino ]with us now.

Gloria, what are you learning about these confrontations there outside Delaney Hall?

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Brianna, it escalated early this morning in the overnight hours after demonstrators, as you saw in that video, tried to block a vehicle that was moving a detainee that was being held inside this facility, Delaney Hall.

This is not the first time that we're seeing skirmishes between protesters and federal officials at this facility. In fact, this is the same facility where a few months ago we saw Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Congresswoman Monica McIver were taken into custody when they were trying to get access into the facility.

Now, this was all in response to a hunger strike that's been taking place over the past several weeks by the detainees inside of Delaney Hall. Many of their family members have been protesting outside, and the hunger strike is in response to conditions inside Delaney Hall, lack of medical care.

We've heard from local lawmakers who have tried to get access into the facility, including the Governor of New Jersey, Mikie Sherrill, who was there early this morning trying to get access. She was denied access into the facility, and she told reporters and those who were gathered there today that she would try to gain access again.

I want to read the statement from the governor in part, which said that the people inside Delaney Hall are fathers and mothers, sons and daughters and members of our community.

In New Jersey, we believe this is the rule -- in the rule of law and that everyone deserves to be treated with basic dignity. We have a duty to safeguard the rights, health and well-being of everyone within our borders. Now, I've spoken with some of the advocates who are on the ground.

Brianna, they told me that in the last hour or so, police and federal officer presence has increased. There are buses that are on the site. So, they believe that's a sign that these transfers are going to continue. And they believe that the reason that's happening is for -- because of retaliation as a result of this hunger strike. So, we'll be monitoring activities there at that facility where, as I said, we've had clashes between law enforcement and protesters before.

KEILAR: All right, we know you'll stay on it, Gloria. Thank you so much.

15:20:03]

And ahead, what voters in Texas are telling us in the final day of campaigning in the state's hotly contested Senate GOP primary runoff. Stay with us for that.

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KEILAR: Today is the final day of campaigning in Texas ahead of tomorrow's highly contentious GOP Senate primary runoff. Over the weekend, President Trump doubled down on his support for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over incumbent Senator John Cornyn. In a Truth Social post, Trump said, "Ken Paxton was a GREAT Attorney General, probably the best in the Country. He was also very loyal to your favorite President, Me."

For his part, Cornyn has kept up his warnings that the scandal-plagued Paxton would be a liability for Republicans in November. CNN's Arlette Saenz is on the campaign trail in Texas for us. Arlette, set the stage for what we can expect tomorrow.

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brianna, Republicans here in Texas are set to deliver their final verdict in this showdown between Senator John Cornyn and State Attorney General Ken Paxton. Both men are off the campaign trail today, though Cornyn has been holding a sendoff ceremony for students who are heading to military academies next year. And he told reporters ahead of that event that he does believe that Paxton carries a lot of political baggage heading into a November faceoff against Democrat James Talarico.

Now, Cornyn has said that he still hopes that voters will come to his side in tomorrow's election. But President Donald Trump's endorsement of Paxton is expected to hold heavy sway with some Republican voters. Cornyn has argued that he believes Texans are an independent breed and they will make up their own minds.

But in talking to voters here in McKinney earlier today, we've really heard from a mix of voices, some who are sticking with Cornyn and others who are with Paxton through and through. Take a listen.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) RANDY MARSHALL, REPUBLICAN VOTER: I'm going to stay with Cornyn and vote for him. I think stability is the name of the game right now. Country's in upheaval and so, I'll put my money on him.

MISTY, REPUBLICAN VOTER: We were going to vote for Ken Paxton even if Trump hadn't have endorsed anyone. So, we just think he's more honest and wanting to protect the people, the Americans that were born and raised here and he wants to prevent some of the stuff that's being taken over here.

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SAENZ: So tomorrow, Texas voters will decide whether they want to put a longstanding senator back at the top of the GOP ticket or if they will go with Trump's favorite choice, Paxton, in this runoff election.

KEILAR: The Democrats have already picked the candidate nominating Texas state lawmaker James Talarico, and Republicans have started targeting him with a messaging blitz. Tell us about that, Arlette.

SAENZ: Yes, Republicans have been very quick to try to paint James Talarico as a radical Democrat. Paxton actually has stopped airing campaign ads against Cornyn and his -- training his fire against Talarico. He has been at his campaign events testing out these nicknames for him, like Tofu Talarico or Tallafrico (ph). Even President Donald Trump has tried to argue he's a vegan.

Now, James Talarico had made past comments when he talked about limiting meat consumption, but he is not a vegan and he has playfully pushed back on some of those vegan accusations. His campaign even posting a photo of him biting into a turkey leg. But this is something that Republicans have tried to throw his way as Talarico for Democrats has presented a real hope for them as they have some belief that he could potentially turn this state blue.

Democrats especially feel that if Paxton is the Republican nominee, that will better their chances in November, setting up potentially a major clash in this fight, not just for the Senate in Texas, but also the majority control in the Senate come November.

KEILAR: All right, Arlette Saenz live for us in Texas, thank you.

And coming up, 10s of thousands of people are still under evacuation orders in Southern California, where officials say they have avoided the worst case scenario with an overheated chemical tank that is there, but they are not out of danger yet.

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