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Texas Voters Head to Polls in Test of Trump's Endorsement; CNN with Ukrainian Troops Running for Cover as Russian Drones Fly Above; WHO Chief Expected to Visit Congo as Ebola Spreads; Ebola Outbreak Outpacing Response Efforts. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired May 26, 2026 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00]

JEFF LAKE, (R) FORMER U.S. SENATOR FOR ARIZONA: ... It's likely, it's obviously a difficult map for Democrats in the Senate, but in the House, it's likely that Democrats will take control. And then the president really enters lame duck status, and it's more difficult to get his agenda through.

But the problem with Paxton is also, if he does win, and he becomes a senator, that's a difficult thing. He's very compromised. He's got a spotty record, and it will be difficult moving forward for him to hold that seat.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Well, it's notable you say that, because even as he's up against what critics have pointed to as a flawed candidate, Cornyn says he's confident that Texas is going to stay red no matter who wins. Meantime, on the Democratic side, you have Congressman Jake Auchincloss responding to criticism after he told me yesterday that Graham Platner, who's running for Senate in Maine, should be disqualified, given his flawed personal history. Auchincloss has since said that that's not an endorsement of Senator Susan Collins.

But I wonder what you make of that situation? If you see a different approach between the two parties when it comes to seemingly flawed candidates.

FLAKE: Well, in most cases, Republicans got to plug their nose and go with it. In Arizona, as I mentioned, they didn't. Arizona is very red still.

Republicans outnumber Democrats by a big margin, and independents typically go with Republicans. But when you nominate somebody who tries to imitate the president, nobody does it very well. And I think that that's what Ken Paxton will certainly do.

And I still think he'll probably pull through in Texas. Texas is Texas. But it's going to be far more difficult.

And Republicans can never be sure. And that's why they'll have to spend a lot of time and resources there.

SANCHEZ: Senator Jeff Flake, thanks so much for the time.

FLAKE: You bet.

SANCHEZ: Still ahead, CNN goes to the front lines with Ukrainian troops as they dodge numerous drone attacks by Russian forces. Stay with us.

[15:35:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: The Kremlin is now telling foreign diplomats to leave Kyiv as soon as possible as Russia begins, quote, systematic strikes against military facilities. The new threat comes after Russia launched one of its largest bombardments against Ukraine's capital over the weekend, which killed at least four people and hit residential buildings. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh has more from the front lines in eastern Ukraine.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: They call this the road of life, but it's about survival. It is safest on foot, under skies ruled by tiny killer drones targeting any vehicle.

WALSH: This now, pretty much all over the front lines, tiny bits of fiber optic cable used to connect drones to their controller can go on for tens of kilometers, stopping the jamming before.

WALSH: A Russian drone above. The Ukrainians opened fire.

Get in the doorway.

(GUN FIRE)

WALSH: They hit it. That's the impact.

WALSH: And you have to split out because the drone will try and target groups of individuals.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translated text): One, two, three.

WALSH: Sometimes one, two, three, you find.

WALSH (voice-over): We're doing Sasha and Bogdan's usual walk along this road between two Ukrainian positions, but it takes five hours and we are buzzed by attack drones 14 times.

WALSH: The battlefield has completely changed in a matter of a year. Nobody drives cars on this road unless you have to. Nobody drives.

(ARTILLERY BLAST)

WALSH: That's an outgoing artillery. These robots used for resupply up ahead, we can see people repairing the nets, a kind of key protection, but these used to resupply food, ammunition all around the front line.

WALSH (voice-over): The next one is right on top of us.

They hit it. That grey streak. And it falls. Whirling down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translated text): What a good hit.

WALSH (voice-over): But it hasn't detonated. Debris drifts. There's been no blast. So we are alive. It may have been a recon drone but flew like a Russian attacker.

Down the road is the Konstantinovka front, where the Kremlin's advance has been slowed to a crawl at the enormous cost across the front of 35,000 Russian dead and wounded a month, says Ukraine. We arrive at the bunker to rest a moment and see the drone trophies, but we have to get back. As soon as we emerge, they're above us again.

We arrive at the bunker to rest a moment and see the drone trophies, but we have to get back. As soon as we emerge, they're above us again. This is the new warfare.

Hide. Shoot at the sky. Run. Fire drones back.

WALSH: I have to walk in but also walk out.

WALSH (voice-over): The buzz stays with you, ringing in your ears for hours later. No respite. The grey smoke -- perhaps it hit the net.

WALSH: That was close, loud. You could hear the shrapnel landing on the tarmac, clearly targeting that armored vehicle.

WALSH (voice-over): It is hard to see how this grind is a win, but it is. Ukraine on foot, robots in support, automation replacing scarce troops, holding ground. The drones never stop, but neither does Ukraine, adapting, learning, engineering this new warfare and hoping any edge sustains long enough to put Russia in reverse.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Druzhkivka, Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Now to some of the other headlines we're watching this hour. A brutal heatwave shattering records across Europe. The UK enduring its hottest day in May ever on Monday, with temperatures soaring to 94.6 degrees Fahrenheit, breaking the previous record by more than three degrees. In France, a government spokesperson says there have been seven deaths directly or indirectly linked to the record-breaking heat there. The heatwave is being caused by a powerful heat dome, a high-pressure system that traps hot air. Heat domes have become more frequent and intense because of human-caused climate change.

And jazz legend Sonny Rollins has passed away at the age of 95. A spokesperson telling the Associated Press that Rollins died at his home in New York on Monday. She didn't cite any specific cause of death, but said Rollins had been housebound over the past couple of years because of various physical problems.

Rollins' bold, distinctive tone kept him on the cutting edge of jazz for more than 50 years. He was revered for his improvisational skill and was one of the last living greats of the bebop era.

And victory today at the French Open for defending champion Coco Gauff. She rallied into the second round with an emphatic 6-4-6-love win over fellow American Taylor Townsend. Up next, for the fourth- ranked player in the world, Mayar Sherif of Egypt. Gauff is trying to become the first American woman to successfully defend her French Open title since Chris Everett in 1986, 18 years before Coco was even born.

Still ahead, a stark new warning as cases of the Ebola virus rise in Central Africa, why some experts think the growing outbreak could soon get worse.

[15:45:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: As cases of the Ebola virus continue rising in Central Africa, the head of the World Health Organization is expected to visit the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is the epicenter of this growing outbreak. A humanitarian group says Ebola is spreading faster than response efforts. There are more than 900 suspected cases and at least 220 confirmed deaths.

And experts warn that without urgent action, the growing outbreak could become the deadliest on record. Let's bring in former CDC official Dr. Fiona Havers. And first off, doctor, what are you watching for in treatment and development -- treatment response and development, I should say, like the use of monoclonal antibodies and potential vaccine development?

DR. FIONA HAVERS, FORMER CDC OFFICIAL: Well, this strain of Ebola that's spreading doesn't have any current approved vaccines or treatments that are specific for the strain of the virus. I think those will probably be in clinical trials within a couple of months, but that is not going to be what is going to stop this outbreak. I think it's spreading very quickly and they are going to be having to use all of the tools that have been used in past Ebola outbreaks of contact tracing, isolating symptomatic people, using safe burials so that Ebola doesn't spread at funerals.

This is going to require a huge on the ground community efforts before we even are talking about treatments or vaccines. It is unfortunate that there is not a vaccine available for this virus ready to go as we've had for the last 10 years for the Ebola outbreaks caused by the Zaire strain. But I think that it is going to be a massive international effort to slow the spread of disease before we are able to get anything resembling effective treatment or a vaccine for this virus.

KEILAR: Yes, you were on the ground in Liberia during the 2014 outbreak and based on what you saw then, how does the shuttering of USAID and broader international aid cuts, because it's not just USAID, right? We've seen this kind of globally, these cuts, how is that hampering the response on the ground right now?

HAVERS: I think it's definitely hampering the response on the ground because the U.S. pulling out -- pulling all of its development aid out of the Democratic Republic of Congo and also pulling out of the WHO and its hundreds of millions of dollars that it was giving to the WHO, meaning that there aren't the community structures that were in place. Like when I was in Liberia in 2014, there had been USAID funded non- profit organizations working in the community doing other public health related things that they were then able to pivot and mobilize those people who have been working in a clinic, for example.

[15:50:00]

And they would be able to be mobilized in the community to do contact tracing, to be trained as safe burial teams. Also having USAID supply chain set up and funding set up and people on the ground that know the community, know who the community leaders are and can be trusted in the community are critical to having -- to controlling this outbreak. And I feel like gutting the infrastructure that had been developed over decades by the U.S. in the Democratic Republic of Congo and other countries has really hampered the efforts and let this outbreak spread.

KEILAR: Doctor, on Sunday, there was a group of young men who actually stormed a hospital in the Ituri province and they were demanding the bodies of their two relatives. It's the third attack in a week on facilities that are treating Ebola patients. The WHO director general talked about distrust of outside authorities in the context of these security incidents.

How do you combat that? What needs to happen?

HAVERS: I think, again, it goes back to building trust within the communities and enlisting trusted community leaders to help spread information. In past Ebola outbreaks, Ebola survivors who come from the community have been very effective messengers. But I think we're talking about an area of the Democratic Republic of Congo that has had a lot of armed conflict.

There's a lot of mistrust of authorities. There's a lot of false information being spread about Ebola and who's causing it. And then also sort of an understanding of the cultural importance of things like burial practices and sort of how to communicate about that, I think, is very important. But this is a challenging situation.

And I think it's also critical to remember before we talk about treatments and vaccines that the healthcare workers that are being exposed to the virus are putting their lives on the line to serve their communities. But right now, they don't have enough personal protective equipment to protect themselves. And I think there needs to be a huge international response to make sure that the people who are responding on the ground have the equipment that they need.

KEILAR: Yes, definitely. They're so at risk. Dr. Fiona Havers, thank you so much for being with us.

HAVERS: Thank you so much for having me on.

KEILAR: Ahead, investors are breathing a sigh of relief as the U.S. and Iran make progress on a potential deal to end the war. But analysts warn $5 gas is still a real possibility. Stay with us.

[15:55:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: It has been a roller coaster of a day as global oil prices react after U.S. strikes on southern Iran.

SANCHEZ: Investors, though, seem somewhat relieved that progress is being made on a potential deal to end the war. CNN Business Senior Reporter David Goldman is here. So, David, what does this all mean?

DAVID GOLDMAN, CNN BUSINESS SENIOR REPORTER: Yes, it's been a roller coaster of a day, that is for sure. Stocks are reacting pretty much favorably to the idea that we might be getting out of this war pretty soon. I mean, look at this.

We're just having another record day on the S&P 500. We are up eight weeks in a row. Also, just a special shout out.

Happy birthday to the Dow. 130, 130 years today for the Dow Jones. Not such a great day. It's OK. But, you know, listen, it doesn't look a day over 129.

The Nasdaq, though, that's the thing. This is a huge gain today. And this is all because of Micron, because of AI pushing this stock higher, pushing the entire index higher. A good day basically ignoring everything that's going on in the world.

And a lot of this has to do with greed. So, we measure the stock market in two emotions, fear and greed. And we have been solidly in the greed end of the spectrum over the last, I don't know, about three or four weeks.

Basically, just forgetting that the Iran war is even happening. Earnings are propelling this. AI is propelling this.

The stock market feels good about what's going on right now. What's going on with oil, though? Oil is the thing that we're worried about. Still really, really high. So, we actually came back up just a little bit today after it seemed like there might be a snag in some of these talks. And we're getting pretty close to $100.

This was down closer to $90 yesterday. WTI, this is U.S. oil, that's having a little bit of a better day. But this is the thing that people need to worry about because look at that. That is gas prices. This is how much they've spiked. Everyone knows -- you've seen it at the pump.

It's been very, very painful. And we are almost where we were in 2022 when we hit that all-time high. Still feeling a lot of pain at the pump today.

KEILAR: Yes. And if you want to know what you get the Dow for its birthday, perhaps some emotional counseling. Because moving away from fear and greed, perhaps towards some gratitude. You know, I want to see that gratitude index next time we talk to you, David. In the meantime, though, there does appear to be some red flags on the global bond market. What's shaking investors here?

GOLDMAN: Yes, I love that. I'm going to get it for the Dow. The bond market could use a little help, too.

Look at how high the 30-year is. This was almost at -- well, this was at a 19-year high. We're pretty close to that now.

And this affects your mortgage rates. That's why we care about this. Almost back to 7 percent.

KEILAR: All right. Not too bad.

SANCHEZ: Well, David Goldman, appreciate you bringing that down for us.

KEILAR: I was being positive and practicing gratitude.

SANCHEZ: Sometimes --

KEILAR: A little fear, a little fear over here.

SANCHEZ: Sometimes it's hard to practice gratitude. Nevertheless, we're grateful that you joined us this afternoon.

THE ARENA with Kasie Hunt starts right now.

END