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Trump Visits Walter Reed for Annual Physical; U.S. Targets Iranian Missile Sites and Boats in Self-Defense Strikes; Cornyn and Paxton Face Off in Texas GOP Senate Primary Runoff; Worst-Case Blast Threat Eliminated in Chemical Tank Crisis. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired May 26, 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]

PAUL TENORIO, SENIOR SOCCER WRITER, THE ATLANTIC: RFK Stadium with my dad, and we would not have been able to go. It was an entry point for so many American fans, and that's what I hoped this tournament would be, this opportunity to grow the game, you know, at this unprecedented moment in time, which, you know, like I write in the book, this is not going to happen but once every generation. And so for it to be not accessible to the kind of regular person, it hurts the growth of the game in my opinion, and I hope that those ticket prices drop.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: It's a myth, I have to say. But Paul Tenorio, it's great to meet you in person. Always love reading your stuff, can't wait to read the book. Really appreciate it. Go USA.

Brand new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking this morning, Iran strikes back, saying it shot down U.S. aircraft as it vows retaliation after U.S. military carried out strikes on missile launch sites and mine-laying boats near the Strait of Hormuz. This is all as peace talks are still underway.

Also voting has begun in primaries, the runoff happening in Texas, the big race to watch, the Senate race with President Trump putting his thumb on the scale for state AG Ken Paxton over long-time Senator John Cornyn.

And the final season of Hacks, and 30 years since Happy Gilmore, actor Christopher McDonald, a.k.a. Shooter McGavin, joins us to discuss all of it.

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

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, the breaking news this hour, moments ago, President Trump left the White House, departed the White House, looked like a rainy day in Washington, D.C., and he just arrived at Walter Reed Medical Center for his annual physical. This marks the president's third trip to Walter Reed in 13 months. The president's health has been back in the headlines recently, ahead of his 80th birthday next month, with some visible issues renewing health concerns for the president once again.

The White House, though, insisting that President Trump is in excellent shape. CNN's Kevin Liptak is at the White House this morning for us. And Kevin, you have a great new piece out this morning, kind of about all of this, the looking back and the looking forward with the president's health and what has really been back in the spotlight.

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, it really has. You know, this will be his third visit to Walter Reed. It's actually his fourth medical checkup altogether since he came back into office last year.

After each of those, the White House physician said that his health was exceptional, despite some of these ailments that we've seen popping up, you know, the bruising on his hands, which the White House says is a result of a large dose of aspirin and shaking a lot of hands. You've seen the swelling in his legs. The doctor says that that's a result of a common vein issue.

He also has a rash on his neck that he's trying to treat with a cream. And then you've seen these episodes sort of over and over again where the president seems to doze off during meetings. The White House has said that he is just blinking.

But, you know, taken all together, it does lead to amount of concern. And you see that reflected in some polling. You know, when ABC asked Americans last month whether Trump was in good enough physical health to serve effectively as president, only 44 percent of respondents said yes, which is down 10 points from last fall.

When they asked if he had the mental sharpness it takes to effectively serve as president, 40 percent said yes, which is also down from September.

Now, the White House has not disclosed what exactly this checkup will entail, just that it is a medical and dental checkup. We should note that he has been to his dentist in Florida twice already this year. They have not said whether this will include a cognitive test. You know, the president likes to boast about his results on those examinations.

They also haven't said whether the president will be going under any anesthesia for a procedure like a colonoscopy that would require the president handing over power temporarily to the vice president. And so a lot of questions and hopefully we'll get some answers in some sort of results paper that the White House typically puts out.

But we should note, you know, the president is under no legal obligation to release anything about his health. Anything that we do learn will be filtered through the White House and essentially only what the president wants us to know.

And, you know, history has shown that there have been presidents in the past that did conceal pretty large health matters. And so we'll see what the president puts out today. But I don't think anything that he puts out will necessarily tamp down on some of these questions that have been swirling about his health.

BOLDUAN: Yes, it's a great piece, Kevin. Thanks so much for jumping on. Let's see what we do hear from the White House this morning about this -- John.

[09:05:00]

BERMAN: All right, there new signs of pressure on the fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran despite ongoing negotiations? Iran's Revolutionary Guard now claims they shot down an MQ-9 Reaper drone and opened fire on an F-35 jet and another drone that entered their airspace. Iran warns it will retaliate for any ceasefire violations.

We're now getting word of a different explosion on a tanker off the coast of Oman. And this comes as the U.S. military says it carried out strikes in southern Iran targeting missile launch sites and boats allegedly attempting to lay mines around the Strait of Hormuz. But despite all this military action back and forth, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says a deal to end the war could be just days away.

Let's get to CNN senior national security reporter Zach Cohen for the latest on what's happening in the region and then what's happening with discussions because the two don't exactly line up perfectly.

ZACH COHEN, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yes, John, certainly a lot of activity in the region, which speaks to how precarious the current moment is, even though we've seen signs of some progress as far as working toward an interim agreement that could ultimately end this conflict. But U.S. Central Command saying yesterday that it conducted strikes that it's qualifying as defensive in nature, targeting two IRGC boats that they say were attempting to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz and then subsequently destroying missile sites that they say pose a threat to American forces in the region. So all of this to say, there's significant military activity back and forth as negotiators are still trying to hammer out the deal or the details of a potential deal to set the stage for a deal, right?

And it remains to be seen how this military activity might impact those ongoing negotiations. It should be noted that from the U.S. side, there does seem to be an effort to downplay the significance. A U.S. official telling me that these strikes were reactive and not part of some broader planned operation, limited in scope. Even so, though, we're hearing from the Iranian side, as you mentioned, vowing retaliation for any U.S. violation of the current ceasefire as these talks continue. And so we're going to see ultimately what the end result is here.

But Secretary of State Marco Rubio was asked about these strikes while he was traveling abroad. Take a listen to what he said as he highlighted one key issue and the urgency around it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, SECRETARY OF STATE: The Straits have to be open. They're going to be open one way or the other, so they need to open. What's happening is unlawful. It's illegal. It's unsustainable for the world. It's unacceptable. I don't know of any country in the world that doesn't. The Russians are not in favor of a tolling system. The Chinese are not in favor of a tolling system. There's no country in the world that's in favor of a tolling system, except the regime in Iran. So that's not acceptable, that means that cannot happen. The Straits need to be open unimpeded without tolls. And obviously that need to happen immediately, as soon as anything's agreed to it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: So, John, obviously, we've heard from current and former U.S. officials who say that a diplomatic negotiated resolution is required to actually reopen the Strait of Hormuz. And obviously, by this allegation from the U.S. side that the Iranians are actively trying to lay mines in the Strait really betrays the reality that the waterway is not flowing as normal as of yet.

BERMAN: Yes. Meanwhile, the president faces political pressure, some within his own party, asking about what the terms are of this deal that's being negotiated. We're just going to have to wait and see what happens here, Zach.

Thank you very much for your reporting, Sara.

SIDNER: All right, thank you, John. Happening now, polls are open in the Texas runoff elections in key primary races, the biggest among them Republican Senator John Cornyn uphill battle for political survival after more than two decades in office.

He's up against state Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has become the front runner after getting President Trump's endorsement last week. Despite that, the incumbent senator has stayed in the race, touting that he's voted with President Trump ninety nine percent of the time and arguing that a Paxton victory will put the Republican majority in the Senate at risk.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R-TX): President Trump's is certainly very influential and in the Republican Party, particularly the runoff. But the truth is, I've been an ally of the president.

So there's no incompatibility there. And I think my experience gives me a chance to do things for the president and for Texans that a newbie could not do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: That was just last hour. CNN's Arlette Saenz is at a polling site in Plano, Texas. Arlette, what do you see in there?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Sara, Republican voters will soon decide whether they will try to extend Senator John Cornyn's more than two decades in the U.S. Senate or turn to the President Trump preferred candidate in state Attorney General Ken Paxton.

[09:10:00]

Now, Cornyn has spent the final days of this campaign really going after Paxton, warning that he could be a liability to Republicans in Texas on the November ballot if he becomes the nominee. But there has been a lot of momentum around Paxton, who was already popular with the president's MAGA base ever since the president made his endorsement official for Paxton just last week.

Now, today, we've talked to a mix of voters, some saying that they support Cornyn, others saying they support Paxton. But I want you to take a listen to Gina Tatum, who said that ultimately the president's decision to endorse Paxton did sway her vote.

Take a listen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GENA TATUM, REPUBLICAN VOTER: Trump backed Paxton and I went with Paxton. Because I remember there was stuff about Cornyn a long time ago, back when he was running, that I didn't like him. There was something in the back of my mind that I remember, not really wanting him in there. And so that's why I went. I listen to Trump. I like Trump.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAENZ: Now, for Paxton's part, he's already trying to turn to general election mode before this Senate runoff is even over. He had pulled his negative ads against Cornyn. His super PAC had also done the same and instead has tried to turn to attacking the Democratic nominee in this race, James Tallarico.

Now, this has been the country's most expensive U.S. Senate primary in history, with more than $30 million spent in this GOP runoff alone. Cornyn has significantly outspent Paxton in this race. But tonight, we will find out whether that has held any sway with Republican voters here or if they will be listening to President Trump, as he has made clear his preferred choice in this race is Paxton. Really highlighting the grip that the president continues to have within the Republican Party, not just here in Texas, but on the national level.

SIDNER: We will see if that grip is as strong in Texas as elsewhere in this Senate race. Arlette Saenz, thank you so much for your reporting there from Plano -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: Joining us right now is CNN political analyst and national political correspondent for Axios, Alex Thompson. It's good to see you, Alex. I mean, how close is this thing, do you think?

ALEX THOMPSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: I can tell you Republicans think it's basically over. And the fact that you have John Cornyn trying desperately to show that he is aligned with even as Trump has endorsed his opponent just shows how powerful Donald Trump is. I mean, I think that voter that Arlette interviewed really said it all is that even though his poll numbers of independents and Democrats are way down, that he is still the largest force in the Republican Party. And him doing this to John Cornyn isn't just about Texas and Ken Paxton. It is about actually the next election cycle in 2028 and making it very clear to every Republican lawmaker that you should comply with Donald Trump's wishes or else the same thing could happen to you.

BOLDUAN: Yes, and Washington Post reminded me this morning of just what John Cornyn has meant for Texas politics. It's just a good reminder of like the then and the now comparison, Alex.

Cornyn, this is how they put it in the Washington Post. "Cornyn has never lost an election in Texas and was a pioneer in the 1990s effort to turn the state red. He was the first Republican elected to be the state's attorney general since Reconstruction and transformed the office into a national force for conservative policy."

And now this. I mean, it's just quite a -- quite a moment.

THOMPSON: Well, Trump has never been really the most nostalgic of politicians and showing appreciation for their decades of work. You know, Donald Trump is, you know, according to people that work them, you know, a day trader. You know, he is always looking for what is good for him now.

And you know, in Ken Paxton, he sees somebody that will be a much more in line vote, cause less problems. Now, I will say Trump doing this has also caused his own problems in the Senate where he only has 53 votes and a lot of Republican incumbents do not appreciate the president sort of turning on one of their own.

BOLDUAN: And we just heard from Arlette who's been talking to voters, as you noted, that they've just been also flooded by ads and money coming in from all sides, which is leaving some of them and seeming to be in kind of in the state of confusion of where they should be. I mean, the numbers are -- the money is pretty wild in this race. I mean, what is $135 million spent so far?

And if Republicans have to try and help push Paxton over the finish line, Leigh Ann Caldwell of Puck was just on and told me that she -- what she's hearing is that Republicans alone may have to spend $200 million more in that general election. I mean, that is pretty bananas.

THOMPSON: Well, and this comes after in the Thomas Massie race that was the most expensive House primary in history. Now you're seeing the most expensive Senate primary. And this is why people like Senate Majority Leader John Thune and many other Republicans kept making the case to Trump to just endorse Cornyn early, even before the runoff, and especially during the runoff, because they knew that all the money.

[09:15:00]

They're going to have to spend to getting Paxton a victory against Tallarico, who has assembled a pretty large, small dollar fundraising base as a Democrat in Texas. And that's money they can't use elsewhere in other competitive Senate races, places like Ohio, places like Iowa, places like Maine. And that is the main concern Republicans have going in.

But you notice that most of them are only telling people like me behind the scenes. They're not willing to say it on the record because they don't want to get it crosswise with Trump and his political team.

BOLDUAN: And the enduring issue endures for many in the Republican Party right now. It's great to see you, Alex. Thank you so much for coming on -- John.

BERMAN: All right, the worst case explosion risk from a chemical tank emergency in California seems over. Still, 16,000 people are still not allowed home. So what danger still remains?

A U.S. senator says he was hit by pepper spray at a protest outside an ICE facility. We've got the latest from the scene.

And new reports coming in of a deadly collision between a school bus and a train.

[09:20:00]

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SIDNER: All right, a new update for you out of Southern California this morning. Officials say the worst threat from the chemical tank emergency has now passed. Further inspection determined the chance of an explosion has become quite slim, but still not at zero. Evacuation orders in Orange County for about 30,000 people have been canceled. But there are still about 16,000 people who are not allowed to return home yet.

The fears of a catastrophic explosion in Orange County grew in recent days as the temperature and pressure rose in a tank full of thousands of pounds of a toxic chemical known as MMA. Officials seem to be breathing a sigh of relief now while still on alert as the risk remains of fire, potentially a spill or a smaller explosion.

With me now is TJ McGovern. He is the interim chief of the Orange County California Fire Authority. Thank you so much for being here. I see you're in your vehicle this morning, early bird at six o'clock in the morning there.

Can you give us just an update on what the status of the chemical leak is and where we are right now?

TJ MCGOVERN, INTERIM CHIEF, ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA FIRE AUTHORITY: Sure, thanks for having us. So on any big emerging incident, there's a point you're looking for. It's called kind of when we turn the corner. And after yesterday, we did turn the corner on this event. And the key was to eliminate the threat of that BLEVE, which we did.

So right now, where we're at, we still do have a fire potential and also a spill potential. So throughout the night, once again, the crews are really working on to mitigate those two scenarios. So we're still doing the cooling measures on the tank to keep that temperature down. We do have good readings on it, some very low 90s, and we're not seeing spikes on it. So that tells us that it could potentially be stabilizing. Another operation that we've been doing is there's two other tanks in question, and they have product in there as well.

So another part of the operation is to neutralizing, getting those other two tanks and starting to neutralize those products in those tanks. So that's underway. As far as a spill potential, we definitely have dikes, catch basins in place, flood control channel mitigation factors.

So crews worked all night. And what we're going to do again this morning, we're going to vet and validate all the information we received last night. We have a lot of data on the increased temperatures that we're watching. They appear to stabilize.

So later this morning, we will have a strategic meeting. And based off our findings last night and the operations done, we will assess our next steps. And that is, is the potential still there?

Should the potential again be reduced because of the fire, then we will look at those new evacuation zones. But as of right now, we're not ready to make those commitments. But it's definitely -- we are definitely looking at that.

Because like I've always said, we definitely want our people back in their homes in a state of normalcy. But we're not going to do that until it's safe to do.

SIDNER: Yes, that makes total sense. You have about 16,000 people who in and around Garden Grove, who are still being told to stay evacuated. I do want to get some sense of what the danger is.

For example, what would these chemicals do to the human body that people need to understand why it's so important that they still stay away from their homes for right now?

MCGOVERN: Yes, so one of our unified commanders is Orange County Health. We have Dr. CK, and she's been monitoring that. So really for the potential for a fire, right?

So that's a safety concern. But it's the respiratory. Should there be a fire and get those toxics out there?

There is a respiratory concern. So why we have the evacuation zones right now is initially with the BLEVE, we had we did specific data and schematics of if there is a BLEVE blast, how many people would be threatened. So that's why we had a large evacuation zone.

[09:25:00]

But now we took that we did the same schematics. If we had a fire or a spill, what would those evacuation zones? So as the threats come down, we're reducing it.

So yesterday it was based off there's no more BLEVE, so there's a threat. So let's reduce those zones. So anyone who is still within the zone, that's why we're keeping them out. But right now, the biggest thing for them is kind of the respiratory.

But what we're doing, and we've done it from the get go, and we're going to continue is air monitoring. We do not have a leak. All the air monitoring that we're doing continuously is within normal limits.

So it's completely safe right now, as we said.

SIDNER: Yes, I mean, that is the good news, that there are thousands of people that are being allowed back into their homes, that at this point in time, you're testing to see there really isn't a danger for your respiratory systems. And you're just keeping an eye on this. And we're hoping that it all gets solved in the end.

TJ McGovern, thank you so much for walking us through that this morning. Appreciate it -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: President Trump is at Walter Reed Medical Center now for his annual physical. His health back in the headlines again just weeks before his 80th birthday. We have an update for you on this.

And a tornado just rips across part of Alabama, destroying homes. There's a look now this morning at some of the damage that they are picking through and cleaning up. We'll be back.

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