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President Trump Announces U.S. Military Struck Targets on Iran's Kharg Island but Did Not Damage Oil Infrastructure; U.S. Embassy in Baghdad Reportedly Struck; President Trump Calls on Other Country's to Help Open Strait of Hormuz Currently Controlled by Iran; Explosion Occurs Outside Jewish School in Amsterdam; Strikes against Oil Depots Near Tehran Likely to Cause Health and Environmental Damage; President Trump Criticized for Fundraising Message Sent by His PAC Featuring Photo of Transport of Remains of Fallen U.S. Soldier; College Basketball Nears March Madness; Oscars Ceremony Increasing Security Due to Possible Threats Related to U.S. Conflict with Iran. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired March 14, 2026 - 14:00   ET

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

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[14:00:36]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN breaking news.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: All right, hello again everyone, and thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

And we begin this hour with the spiraling conflict in the Middle East. Today Iran is striking back after President Trump says the U.S., quote, "totally obliterated," end quote, military targets on Kharg Island, a key stretch of land handling nearly all of the country's oil exports. And after Iran promised retaliation for the attack, a security official says the U.S. embassy in Iraq was hit by two drones. Video geolocated by CNN shows smoke and flames rising from a building near the U.S. embassy in Baghdad.

And Iran's military says ports and docks in the United Arab Emirates are also in the crosshairs. Photos today showing plumes of smoke pouring out of a major oil hub in the UAE after a drone attack. But as the war enters its third week now, Trump is warning there could be more attacks, threatening to bomb Iran's oil infrastructure if the country continues to block ships from passing through the critical Strait of Hormuz.

I want to bring in now CNN international correspondent Nada Bashir. Nada, just how significant are these U.S. strikes on Kharg Island?

NADA BASHIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, given the fact that the Iranian regime has maintained a very clear message when it comes to its oil infrastructure, that any attack on its energy sector would trigger a fierce response from the Iranian regime and its military. Clearly now this has shifted the playing field somewhat. President Trump announcing that the U.S. had carried out significant overnight strikes on Kharg Island, as you mentioned, a five-mile strip of land just off the coast of Iran. And it's an island which is an oil hub. It handles some 90 percent of Iran's crude exports.

Now, according to the U.S. president, in his words, every military target on Kharg Island was struck by the U.S. military. He described this and characterized this as one of the most powerful bombing raids in Middle East history. Now, we are waiting for further confirmation on the details of the scope and scale of this attack. It is understood that oil infrastructure on the island was not hit, was not targeted. However, President Trump has suggested that this could be next if Iran fails to allow vessels to pass safely through the Strait of Hormuz.

Now, we've heard from Iran's new supreme leader from a purported statement written by him, read out on state TV. They have vowed to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed as a pressure tactic. But of course, this has really caused upheaval in the shipping industry, in the oil market as well. And so President Trump has vowed to push even harder if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened.

Of course, we are also hearing new threats today from the Iranian regime, as you mentioned, with regards to ports in the United Arab Emirates. They have accused the U.S. of using ports in the UAE to carry out such attacks. And as they have previously warned, they have warned their neighbors that any military bases, any assets like ports being used by the U.S. would be, in their eyes, a legitimate target.

WHITFIELD: And then, Nada, what more can you say about these attacks on the U.S. embassy in Iraq?

BASHIR: Well, Fredricka, were still waiting to get more details on the extent of this attack. But according to one security official, the U.S. embassy compound in Iraq was struck by two drones. Now, at this stage, the extent of the damage or possible injuries is unclear. We have seen video which has been geolocated by CNN which appears to show plumes of smoke and fire emerging from a building in the vicinity of the embassy compound. But at this stage, those details around the extent of this attack remain unclear.

WHITFIELD: All right, Nada Bashir in London, thanks so much. We'll check back with you.

All right, also today, CNN has this new reporting outlining just how the White House is scrambling to contain the fallout after its risky decision to attack Iran. CNN's Julia Benbrook is joining us now from West Palm Beach, Florida, near the president's home in Mar-a-Lago, where he is spending the weekend.

Julia, take us into the administration's decision-making process and the efforts to now contain what looks like a lot of fallout from this conflict.

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. New reporting from our CNN colleagues shows that prior to those first attacks, there was intelligence that showed that the supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, as well as his top officials, were going to be meeting.

[14:05:09] And that led the United States and Israel to accelerate plans for the attack in hopes of taking out the regime's senior leadership all at once. Those strikes were successful in killing the supreme leader as well as dozens of high ranking top officials, but could have created a potential issue going forward as some that the administration had eyed as potentially leading Iran in the future were also taken out in those attacks. That's something that Trump addressed publicly as well, saying that many that they had eyed for that potential role were now dead.

Now, when it comes to an exit strategy here, according to several who spoke with CNN about some internal deliberations, the administration does not seem any closer to being able to articulate a defined strategy for bringing this conflict to an end, and this is it grows more and more complicated by the day.

We have heard Trump predict many different timelines in these last couple of weeks, at one point saying it could be two to three days or through the week. Of course, we're past that now. Most recently, he said it would last four to five weeks, four to six weeks, but emphasizing that they'll be there as long as it needs to be, that it will -- whatever it takes, that's how long this will last and involvement will last.

Just last weekend, he was speaking with a group of Republican lawmakers, and he said we've already won in many ways, but added, we haven't won enough. And I did have the chance to press him on that specifically, asking him what his baseline was for bringing this conflict to an end. And he said, in part, when they are not going to be starting the following day to develop a nuclear weapon. He added that they need to be able to look at negotiators, like special envoy Steve Witkoff, and confirmed that they are not going to pursue it.

WHITFIELD: And then, Julia, the president did comment today about the Strait of Hormuz, saying that, quote, many countries will send warships to keep it open. Is that firm or is that wishful thinking?

BENBROOK: Well, in this post, he did this on social media. He said that they will be, he also said he hopes. So we have reached out to the White House for clarification on this post.

But I want to pull up part of it for you now. In it he said this. He said, "Many countries, especially those who are affected by Iran's attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending warships in conjunction with the United States of America to keep the strait open and safe. We have already destroyed 100 percent of Iran's military capability, but it's easy for them to send a drone or to drop a mine or deliver a close range missile somewhere along or in this waterway no matter how badly defeated they are."

He then added that he hopes that China, France, South Korea, and the United Kingdom would be willing to send ships, said the United States would continue bombing the shoreline in the meantime.

WHITFIELD: OK, Julia Benbrook, thank you so much. All right, joining me right now to discuss all of these developments

is Aaron David Miller. He's a former State Department Middle East negotiator and a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Aaron, always great to see you. So what do you make of President Trump's decision to, number one, strike Kharg Island after Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz? Do you think this will force Iran to capitulate and reopen it?

AARON DAVID MILLER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: I don't, Fred. And I think we all need to be extremely sober and realistic about where this is heading. To quote David Petraeus about another conflict, tell me how this ends. And right now, I don't think any anyone who studies Iran or American foreign policy in a serious way could give you a timeline right now, in large part because in a war of choice and discretion, as opposed to a war of necessity, you need really clear goals. Because if the war wasn't critical or imminent, there was no direct threat to American security or prosperity on February 23rd, if you undertake this kind of operation, the largest deployment of American naval and missile power since the Iraq War in 2003, you need to have clear, defined, and achievable objectives. And frankly, even being charitable, the administration has wandered all over the parking lot.

So I think we're due for weeks more of this. If the president is serious about deploying an international coalition, Japan, China, he mentioned, South Korea. We've done this before in 87, 88 in response to a Kuwaiti request to escort tankers through the Gulf.

[14:10:02]

We did it in the Red Sea in 2023 against the Houthis, but this is really complicated, because we're talking about bringing these countries into conflict with Iran, something I don't think any of them want to do.

WHITFIELD: So when the president posts on social media that he thinks, you know, China, U.K., France would also participate, it sounds like you're leaning that is more wishful thinking. There may not be any real indicators that they would want to do that, they would want to engage in the Strait of Hormuz.

MILLER: Yes. I mean, I think that because that is likely. I mean, this is not 87, 88. The Iranians have much more sophisticated naval mine assets. They've got shortrange ballistic missiles. They have anti-ship missiles.

Look, if I was the head of Japan, South Korea, France, I would ask the administration the question. Fine, you want to open the straits. We get it. But tell me exactly how this is going to end. And is there any alternative to deescalating this? That would be the first set of questions that are responsible head of state of any of these countries would ask. And frankly, I'm not sure what the answer would be on the part of the administration.

WHITFIELD: Do you think this administration thought with these strikes, with the initial strikes of, of Iran going after leadership, that Iran was not going to defend itself? In other words, did the U.S. underestimate the lengths to which it looks like Iran is going to go in the name of defending itself?

MILLER: Absolutely. We misjudged our adversary. And that could be critical. It could be fatal. And I think the president, using Venezuela as the model, became infused and probably intoxicated with the extraordinary will and capacity, which is amazing, of U.S. military, and then thought somehow by bringing all this firepower to bear, an Iranian Delcy Rodrguez would emerge, a more pragmatic, but maybe still ideological leader who would cut some sort of deal.

As my friend, Karim Sadjadpour from Carnegie says, maybe Trump thought he could get a Delcy Rodrguez. He's more likely to get a Kim Jong-un. That's the real problem here, defiance and retribution.

WHITFIELD: This week, Iran announced that the son of the late ayatollah, who was killed in the early days of this conflict, will take over as the supreme leader, that he has not been seen publicly, as far as the world knows, but did purportedly send a message saying the Strait of Hormuz must remain closed and vowed to -- vowed revenge on the U.S. and Israel. What do you anticipate might potentially be next?

MILLER: Again, I think we're in for weeks of what appears to be a standoff, with the United States having ample munitions, and the Israelis, to continue to pound leadership targets, ballistic missiles. Maybe they're considering special ops to try to find where those 900 pounds of highly enriched uranium in 18 to 20 scuba sized tanks, which would give the Iranians a foundation over time to begin to produce enough fissile material for a nuclear weapon.

So, no I'm not sure. Dramatic developments, I think we're in for a long slog. And right now there does not appear to be a strategy for unseating the regime, nor forcing it to capitulate. And the Iranians have identified the prime target of vulnerability, which is not just the straits. It's American military bases in the Gulf and Gulf state infrastructure. So, no I think we're in for weeks more of this without a certain outcome, Fred.

WHITFIELD: When asked about, you know, the end of this war, President Trump says he'll know when he feels it, feels it in his bones. What do you interpret out of that?

MILLER: I mean, that's probably the same response he would have asked had you interviewed him and asked him why are you doing this? I mean, it's not good enough to take America to war and then to look for means to end that war because you somehow feel it in your bones. I mean, I worked for Republican and Democratic administrations and voted for Republicans and Democrats. This was a war of choice based on unproven and false intelligence that Iran had an ICBM that could strike the U.S. The president said repeatedly the Iranians were going to attack the United States, or they had enough fissile material to make a bomb within days or weeks. None of this was true.

[14:15:00] And yet you have this unfolding, which is quite remarkable, a brutal authoritarian, evil regime. The question is, what is the objective? And how does the United States achieve that objective or create an alternative path that leaves it stronger and Iran weaker in the process? I don't think there's an answer for that, or at least I don't have one.

WHITFIELD: Yes. And then how do you interpret the fact that the new supreme leader has not been seen publicly? Yes, there was a statement read on their state television. But how do you interpret that? Do you believe there's injury, or do you believe that just kind of adds to the you know, the enigma of this figure?

MILLER: No, plausible that there was injury, and the secretary of defense added that also that he had been disfigured. Why that was necessary is unclear to me.

Look, six days after the Israelis killed Hassan Nasrallah in October, 2024, the leader of Hezbollah, within six days, Fred, Hashem Safieddine, his successor, duly appointed successor, was killed. So if Mojtaba is incapacitated, wounded, disfigured, or he dies, they'll identify somebody else.

WHITFIELD: All right, we'll leave it there. Aaron David Miller, always a pleasure. Thank you so much.

MILLER: Thank you, Fred. Appreciate it.

WHITFIELD: All right, coming up, officials in Iran are warning about black rain after strikes on oil facilities created a toxic mix that could harm thousands. We'll look at the environmental concerns not just in Iran but around the Persian Gulf.

And an explosion outside a Jewish school in Amsterdam today. The blast comes as Jews in Europe and the U.S. have been targeted this week, putting that community on high alert.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL, AMSTERDAM RESIDENT (through translator): But now I'm walking around in a bulletproof vest. You see, I don't dare go to the synagogue without it because of all the tensions.

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[14:00:00]

WHITFIELD: All right, we're following breaking news out of Amsterdam where an explosive device was detonated overnight at a Jewish school. The blast hit an outer wall and no one was hurt. City officials tell CNN police have images of the person who allegedly set the device off. The city's mayor is calling the blast a, quote, "targeted attack against the Jewish community." One father says he wears a bulletproof vest when going to the synagogue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MICHAEL, AMSTERDAM RESIDENT (through translator): My five daughters went to this school. So I wonder, now, where is the government? Where is the safety? We have very good police in the neighborhood which are doing their best for us. But now I am walking around in a bulletproof vest. You see, I don't dare go to the synagogue without it because of all the tensions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Today's attack appears to be part of a recent wave of antisemitic violence around the globe amid the ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran. And that includes Thursday's terror attack on a Michigan synagogue. The Jewish community there is vowing to keep coming together after a driver rammed a truck filled with explosives and opened fire on Temple Israel. They held shabbat service last night at a nearby location. Law enforcement sources say the assailant had previous links to the militant group Hezbollah, though he was not believed to be a member.

CNN's Julia Vargas Jones is joining me right now with the very latest. Julia, what more are you hearing from the Jewish community there in California?

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, basically, that they are beyond outrage at this point, Fred, that they're just exhausted having to be scared for their lives, and frankly, to also to feel that their community is paying for the actions of Israel that some agree or don't agree with.

Now, we know that in the case of Michigan, the motive is still unknown for that attack on Thursday. But we did hear from the attorney general of Michigan who said that there is a clear nexus between the war in Iran and the increase of these attacks. Now, here in California, the congregants that we spoke to made it very clear that they're just so tired -- even though they do feel safe in their particular synagogues -- of having to go through metal detectors, of having to show their I.D. as they're entering a place of worship, Fred. Take a listen.

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ANN HAYMAN, JEWISH CONGREGATION MEMBER: It's a very, very sad commentary on our world that this type of security is necessary. We're just, you know, the oldest organized religion going around our business and trying to pray on a Friday night, and that this is necessary is just very sad.

JOEL NICKERSON, SENIOR RABBI, WILSHIRE BOULEVARD TEMPLE: People are looking at the headlines every single day, what is happening in what Jewish community. That is not the way people should be waking up and scanning their Instagram to think about, well where's the next attack happening? I mean, that's not the way our Jewish community should be having to wake up or go to sleep every night.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: And I will note, Fred, we spoke to this community last night during -- right before shabbat service. That was before this attack in the Netherlands took place. And it goes to show just how increasingly frequent these have become and how this community just having to come together and heal together.

[14:25:01]

I will note another thing that we heard from them is that the only desire for the way to move forward is for this community to continue to gather, to continue to be proud of their faith and feel less fear in their community together. They say that this is the only path forward that they could see for healing and for progress. One day, they say, this may not happen in the future.

WHITFIELD: Yes, the power of coming together. All right, Julia Vargas Jones, thank you so much.

All right, coming up, a warning from the U.S. government to citizens in Iraq -- leave the country now. The latest in the war with Iran after the U.S. embassy in Baghdad was attacked.

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[14:30:09]

WHITFIELD: All right, major fallout in the Middle East today after last night's strikes on Iran's main oil export hub. The U.S. military says it destroyed dozens of mine and missile storage sites on Kharg Island while avoiding oil infrastructure. And this comes as strikes hit several major oil depots around Tehran. Massive fires have sent thick plumes of smoke and chemical pollutants into the atmosphere, raising fears about the spread of toxic particles. The World Health Organization says burning crude oil can release dangerous chemicals that linger in the air and pose risks to breathing and long-term health.

CNN investigative reporter Katie Polglase looks at the environmental fallout from those fires, and it could last well beyond the fighting.

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KATIE POLGLASE, CNN INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER: Israel struck multiple oil depots across Tehran last weekend. They say these sites are fueling Iran's military, but the strikes are also spreading polluted air across the city, and it's made worse by these mountains that trap toxic fumes in the region.

Environmental and legal experts told us that Israeli military planners would or should have known that targeting oil facilities right next to a city of millions would have a catastrophic impact on human health and daily life. So we began analyzing the strikes and their consequences, using public data and imagery.

Getting air quality data is difficult due to the communications blackout, but various monitoring platforms show a huge surge in pollution in Tehran on March 7th, around the same time as the strikes on oil depots. The pollution level later drops as the pollutants settle, but experts say the health risks remain high.

This is the southern Tehran oil depot. Millions of people across the city rely on it for power. Two days after the strikes, the depot looked like this. Fires are still burning. The Conflict and Environment Observatory told us this black smoke indicates high levels of black carbon, which can cause respiratory disorders. This blackened ground is likely spilled oil, which could seep into the soil and contaminate crops and water supplies, they said.

You can even see it from NASA's satellites, smoke from this same oil depot stretching for miles and reaching other nearby towns. We saw similar black smoke at Shahran oil depot in the north and Aqdasiyeh in the northeast of Tehran. Environmental experts say this pollution mixes with chemicals released by other bombed buildings in the city, forming what they describe as a cocktail of pollutants.

The Israeli military have publicly stated their objective in targeting these oil depots to incapacitate Iran's military, but the question under international humanitarian law is whether it is proportionate to the harm inflicted on civilians and the environment.

CNN reached out to U.S. Cent Com and the Israel defense forces for comment on these strikes and their proportionality. U.S. Cent Com referred us to the IDF. The IDF told us that these strikes were deepening damage to Iranian military infrastructure, and they would continue to operate with determination to remove threats to the state of Israel.

Katie Polglase, CNN, London.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, let's continue this conversation now with this is CNN chief climate correspondent Bill Weir. Great to see you, Bill. So what is the big picture environmental impact as you see it?

BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: Well, it really depends on how long those pits burn, how big that plume gets. It could drift as far as Pakistan. It's interesting. There was black rain 35 years ago in Tehran from the Kuwaiti oil fires set by Saddam Hussein's army hundreds of miles away, so regionwide. And even if, a sad irony is there's a drought in Iran right now. Some of the reservoirs are down to like 10 percent. But it rained while this smoke was billowing, which is the worst-case scenario because it creates acid rain, the sulfur in that fuel. So it's just a whole host of problems, and another reminder that war is hell, but oil wars are even more hellish because the ramifications last, you know --

WHITFIELD: Those images are amazing. And then I wonder, you know, is there any chance that this war and the oil price shock could push the U.S. and other developed countries to accelerate the development of alternative energy sources?

WEIR: Well, that is what the U.N. secretary general was urging this week. You know, one of the great things about solar and wind energy, not only is it levelized as cheapest in the world right now, but the sun, you know, hitting solar panels in Iowa or the wind going through the turbines in Texas doesn't go through the Strait of Hormuz, and an ayatollah or a Russian president can't shut them down with a surprise attack.

But here's the bitter irony is that we're already seeing mortgage rates go up as a result of this Iran war. And so if lending gets more expensive, that applies to solar projects and next generation geothermal or nuclear sort of.

[14:35:08]

So everything is connected. But, you know, as Jimmy Carter back in the 70s, he put solar panels on the roof of the White House, you know, to sort of strike a blow against the oil addiction during those price shocks. The difference now is that that solar is so expensive -- or inexpensive, and those communities that rely on it. Here's the other thing. The United States is 40 percent more reliant their economy on fossil fuels than China. Europe is 50 percent less reliant. So, you know, places that have heat pumps and E.V.s are going through these months with a lot less expense and stress.

WHITFIELD: Interesting. There have also been reports of attacks on desalination plants in this war. You may remember when Iraq intentionally released hundreds of millions of barrels of oil into the Persian Gulf, made reference to that, as an act of environmental terrorism. What are your concerns about that now?

WEIR: This is a huge concern. There was a time when even bitter rivals in the Middle East, Palestine, Israel wouldn't go after each other's water. In fact, their water managers would talk, because a thirsty enemy is that much more desperate. There was this one attack, the drone attack on the thing in Bahrain. It might have been an accident. A lot of times desalination is next to other infrastructure. But that is the technology that giveth and taketh away. I mean, they basically use all their oil energy to turn seawater sweet. And 90 percent of the country lives off of that. But you shut those things down and things will get desperate quick.

So it's something to keep an eye on right now. But again, a reminder that in these big, sprawling, million, tens of millions of people living in these deserts depending on this infrastructure that is so vulnerable at times like this.

WHITFIELD: All right, Bill Weir, always great to have your voice. Thank you so much.

WEIR: You bet.

WHITFIELD: All right, as the price of oil remains near $100 a barrel, Americans are seeing no relief at the gas pumps. The national average rose again overnight to $3.68 per gallon, according to AAA. That's compared to a month ago, when it was just $2.93 per gallon. California being hit especially hard. A price of regular is $5.49. That's nearly a dollar higher than it was just a month ago.

All right, pumps are out of commission and damage is being assessed today at the Michigan gas station after high winds sent an awning crashing to the ground. Witnesses say they heard a big thump down the block from the Detroit area gas station. Seventy mile per hour winds, in fact, inflicted power outages and damaged parts of southeast Michigan. Very severe weather.

And then let's talk about some sports, shall we? Selection Sunday is just one day away, and you can feel the excitement building in so many places. We're almost ready to dive in and start filling out those brackets, at least a lot of us. Not me because I need Don Riddell here to school me on what's up, what's down. It's March Madness. So many teams, you know, coming in hot. And it's always such an exciting time.

DON RIDDELL, CNN HOST, WORLD SPORT: Yes, it is. We could do with a distraction with all the chaos happening in the world.

WHITFIELD: Yes, and inspiration. I love seeing these young athletes who are just, you know, pushing the limits.

RIDDELL: March Madness is fun.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

RIDDELL: It is usually pretty mad. So yes, I think as you were just saying there, Selection Sunday coming up, and after that that's when we can all fill out all of our brackets and we can do it just by closing our eyes and putting a pin in the page or go and ChatGPT, or some of us know what --

WHITFIELD: I'm going to be doing the eenie, meenie, miny, moe, because I haven't been paying attention. I've been a little distracted, but I'm going to get with it now.

RIDDELL: All right, yes. Pay attention. Anyway, look, there's still a few more games to go before we know who is even going to be in or out of that bracket before it has even started. Already seeing some madness in the conference tournaments. Iowa State and Arizona producing an absolute thriller in the Big 12 semifinals last night. With under 20 seconds to go, Tamin Lipsey tied the game up for the Cyclones at 80, but the Wildcats had the ball and a chance to win, and Jaden Bradley came through in the clutch with the fadeaway at the buzzer. Just incredible. His teammates all mobbed him. Arizona taking it by 82 to 80. They will play Houston later on Saturday for the Big 12 title.

Meanwhile, we found ourselves once again going up against our neighbors to the north. The U.S. beat Canada in both men's and women's ice hockey for gold medal at the Olympics, so we couldn't let them get their revenge in the World Baseball Classic. Men's Olympic hockey hero Jack Hughes sending an inspirational message to the team ahead of the game. The U.S. able to jump on Canada early. Bases loaded here for Alex Bregman. He hits it between third and short. Abraham Toro tries to make a play but throws it into the dugout. That made it three -- nothing in the third.

A huge moment in the seventh with the score now five-three. Canada had second and third, no outs. [14:40:00]

But David Bednar got out of it by striking out to Owen Casey to end the inning. The U.S. all pumped up. Mason Miller then came in and closed the door in the ninth, striking out the side. U.S. wins and is now heading to the he side U.S. wins and is now heading to the semifinals in Miami.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE CROW-ARMSTRONG, TEAM USA OUTFIELDER: I think we know what we have in this clubhouse And, I mean, we got guys like Betty that are going to go shut innings down like they did tonight. But I think it's just most important that when it's not always the easiest or the cleanest, we're still getting the job done some way, somehow. So we're looking to really wake up one of these days soon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIDDELL: Team USA will have ace Paul Skenes on the mound for the semis against the Dominican Republic. The D.R. with another impressive performance here. Check out the slide by Juan Soto on that play, somehow avoiding the tag, getting his finger to the plate to score the run. Then in the seventh, Austin Wells with a three-run homer. And in the WBC you can get run ruled. So that was a walk off. The Dominican Republic beating Korea by 10 to nothing. Their game with the U.S. is tomorrow in Miami at 8:00 p.m. eastern time.

WHITFIELD: That was good. I'm glad we had that slo-mo replay, because you had to see that again.

RIDDELL: Right.

WHITFIELD: That was crazy.

RIDDELL: So you'll be watching the final tomorrow and doing your bracket at the same time.

WHITFIELD: Yes, I'm going to give it a go. I don't know. If eenie, meenie, miny, moe doesn't work, then ChatGPT with me, with you, too. We'll see.

RIDDELL: Give it a try.

WHITFIELD: All right, Don Riddell, appreciate it, thank you.

Okie-dokie, coming up, a new fundraising email from President Trump drawing sharp criticism. It uses this photo from a ceremony honoring fallen U.S. troops while promising donors access to his private national security briefings?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:46:25]

WHITFIELD: All right, a new CNN investigation by KFile has uncovered an email from President Trump's political action committee where it uses a photo from last Saturday's dignified transfer honoring six fallen U.S. service members. The image shows a flag draped transfer case, which is used to transport soldiers' remains. The email promises access to the president's private national security briefings.

Andrew Kaczynski from CNN's KFile is joining us right now. Andrew, what more can you tell us about this email and what kind of reaction are you receiving?

ANDREW KACZYNSKI, CNN KFILE SENIOR EDITOR: So this email was sent by Trump's political action committee. It's called Never Surrender Incorporated. It's now what uses that address for his former campaign, DonaldJTrump.com. This email went out on Thursday night, and it has received quite a bit of backlash online because of exactly what you said. It's a fundraising email for Donald Trump's campaign using a photo from that dignified transfer ceremony in which he is saluting the casket of one or, I'm sorry, the transfer case of one of those fallen soldiers. When you see right there, it's between two links that say "Claim your spot" for what they claim are national security briefings you can sign up for. And when you click that link, it actually takes you to a fundraising page for Donald Trump's PAC.

Now I've never seen something like this. I don't know if I've ever seen something like this before in which I've seen, you know, fallen soldiers from one of these ceremonies being used for fundraising. We reached out to the White House to ask about this. We didn't hear back from them, but it is receiving a lot of comments from former national security officials, Democratic senators, Democratic members of Congress, who are outraged that Trump would use this solemn ceremony in a fundraising pitch. And that fundraising pitch from the PAC is addressed to his supporters as being from President Trump.

WHITFIELD: Wow. It is an unusual sight, and obviously the reaction that it's eliciting, people seem to concur. All right, Andrew Kaczynski, thank you so much.

Up next, security is tight ahead of Sunday's Academy Awards after a series of recent attacks around the globe. Up next, we're live in Hollywood with what to expect on Oscars night.

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[14:53:29]

WHITFIELD: All right, increased security across Los Angeles ahead of tomorrow's highly anticipated Academy Awards. Earlier this week the FBI reportedly sent a memo to local law enforcement that Iran, quoting now, "allegedly aspired to conduct a surprise attack." "The L.A. Times" is reporting that federal and local agencies are working with the joint terrorism task force to prevent any security incident. Officials told them that the warning was cautionary and that no credible threats have been made against the Oscars.

And it is expected to be a tight race inside the Dolby Theater. "One Battle after Another" and "Sinners" are top contenders for best picture. Joining us right now, CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister, getting all warmed up on the red carpet, or whatever color that is back there. Still trying to figure it out. All right, so what is going on, Elizabeth?

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: It is very warm here on the red carpet. We are having a heat wave in Los Angeles, Fred. But as you see, I am on the carpet. It's a bit of a construction zone still getting ready. But as you said, tomorrow night is going to be a tight race. And that's exciting because usually we have a better idea of who is going to win. But other than Jessie Buckley, who seems to be a lock in the best actress category, every single other race is wide open.

When it comes to best picture, it seems it's going to be a showdown between "Sinner", which has the most nominations this year with 16, and also "One Battle after Another." It will likely be one of those two walking away with the big prize.

[14:55:02]

When it comes to best actor, that is the race that everyone has their eye on this year, because you may have heard of a little controversy with Timothee Chalamet. He made some comments about ballet and opera that have upset people. Everyone is wondering, he was the frontrunner. Is that going to upset his chances? Probably not. Why? Well, because voting had closed by the time his comments went viral. But still, there seems to be a lot of momentum for Michael B. Jordan from "Sinners." So that is really the race to have your eye on for tomorrow night.

WHITFIELD: OK. And then our host Conan O'Brien is back. Do we expect current events like the war with Iran possibly to end up in his script?

WAGMEISTER: You know, with Conan, he is a fairly apolitical comic, compared to someone like Jimmy Kimmel, who of course hosted for so many years. Kimmel always brought up politics, and he always brought up President Trump. With Conan, we're not really sure what tone he'll take. But this week, during a press conference with the Oscars producers, he did acknowledge everything that's going on in the world. Let's take a look at what he said.

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CONAN O'BRIEN, ACADEMY AWARDS HOST: It is a dance. It's a dance that goes on up until the show begins. And it's still evolving because we live in a very fast paced world. So jokes we thought of two months ago are irrelevant now. And there might be things that happen this week that will find their way into the show.

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WAGMEISTER: Now, final point, Fred. The in memoriam segment, I am told, is going to be the moment of the show tomorrow night. So many huge stars lost this year, everyone from Diane Keaton to Robert Redford, while Barbra Streisand is expected to sing to honor Redford. And also of course, Rob Reiner. Billy Crystal is expected to lead a tribute to him with tons of stars from his films. I am told yesterday in rehearsal from a source familiar there was not a dry eye in the house.

WHITFIELD: Oh my gosh, I'm getting chills already. Just the mention of those names. Elizabeth Wagmeister, thank you so much.

And of course, don't miss "Hollywood and the Oscars, Still Golden?" Watch on the CNN app.

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