Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Airman Rescued by Special Ops in Iran; 8 OPEC Nations Agree to Boost Oil Production in May; Orion Spacecraft About to Enter Moon's Sphere of Influence; Zelenskyy Fears Loss of Support as World Focuses on Iran; Artemis II Mission Captivates Americans; Orban Facing Stiff Competition from Pro-European Party; Pope Leo Celebrates Easter, Continues Appeal for Peace. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired April 06, 2026 - 00:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, everybody. Good to be with you again. I'm Polo Sandoval, live in New York, and here's what's coming your way here on CNN NEWSROOM.

[00:00:43]

Another day brings another round of threats from President Trump as we learn new details of the daring rescue of a U.S. airman that was stranded in Iran.

And as the war with Iran rages on, Ukraine's struggle against Russia has -- seems to have fallen out of the spotlight. Hear how Ukraine's president is now trying to turn the situation in his favor.

And happening soon, the Artemis II crew is set to begin their lunar flyby, a crucial test for humanity's eventual return to the Moon.

ANNOUNCER: Live from New York, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Polo Sandoval.

SANDOVAL: Let's begin with U.S. President Donald Trump, after he's issued a new deadline and also new threats against Tehran.

President Trump once again postponing the deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. In a profanity-laced social media post, Trump renewed his threats to target key infrastructure sites if Tehran does not comply by Tuesday.

Iran has since fired back, saying that it will only reopen the vital waterway when financial damages from the war are fully compensated.

We're also learning new details on the daring rescue of a U.S. airman whose F-15 fighter jet was shot down over Iran on Friday. The injured airman, he hid in Iran's mountains for more than a day before being rescued on Sunday.

A source now telling CNN that hundreds of U.S. Special Ops military and intelligence personnel were involved in the mission, as well as the CIA.

President Trump set to brief the press on the operation from the White House on Monday afternoon, in which we learn to -- hopefully, expect to learn more.

In the meantime, Israel faces a new wave of Iranian missile strikes. One of our producers actually captured this video of projectiles traveling above Jerusalem overnight.

And this comes as Israeli media reports that at least two people were killed and two remain missing after an Iranian strike on a residential building in Haifa on Sunday.

To Lebanon now, where at least 11 people, including a 4-year-old boy -- a 4-year-old girl, were killed by Israeli strikes. And this as more than a dozen Israeli far-right lawmakers demand that the IDF expand its plans to destroy villages along the Lebanese border and expel residents there.

Let's get the latest now from CNN's Ivan Watson, following the situation in the Middle East closely from Hong Kong.

Ivan, we mentioned part of Iran's response to this, to the president's escalation threats. What else have we heard from the regime?

IVAN WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. I mean, well, when it comes to that rescue operation, it's fascinating to see the completely divergent narratives, both -- from both. And it makes sense of these warring governments, Washington versus Tehran, where this is being described as a complicated and daring rescue by the U.S. military.

On the Iranian side, it is being described as a victory, where a spokesperson for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps says that Iranian Islamic fighters succeeded in encircling the U.S. rescue effort and that they managed to damage a number of other aircraft.

They're claiming that it involved two C-130 transport planes and two Black Hawk helicopters and saying that the U.S. had to destroy them as they extracted their forces and the downed airman from the area.

Whereas, again, the U.S. military and the U.S. government describing this as a victory and a rescue of an airman to protect him from becoming a hostage of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

When it comes to the threats that are going back and forth, yes, we saw the expletives that President Trump posted in his statement, that he's giving Iran until 8:30 -- 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Eastern Time. Yet another ultimatum for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

And meanwhile, the Iranian Parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, he put out a statement saying, quote, "Your reckless moves are dragging the United States into a living Hell for every single family, and our whole region is going to burn because you insist on following Netanyahu" -- that's the Israeli prime minister's -- "commands. Make no mistake: you won't gain anything through war crimes."

[00:05:09]

Other Iranian officials going on to say that President Trump's use of expletives reflects his desperation and rage.

So, the war very much continues to rage, and the war of words does, as well -- Polo.

SANDOVAL: And with the -- the continuation of that war, Ivan, what have we heard about any renewed strikes in the last few hours?

WATSON: Right. There are several people reported killed in Southwest -- Southwest of Tehran by an airstrike overnight.

Meanwhile, another major front of violence in this conflict, this regional conflict, Lebanon and Israel. Israeli airstrikes killed at least 11 people across Lebanon on Easter Sunday, a very important holiday, religious holiday in Lebanon, which has an important and sizable Christian community.

Some of the people killed were in Beirut, across the street from a public hospital, Rafik al-Hariri public hospital, where Doctors without Borders operates and described at least four people killed there and dozens wounded by an airstrike. With descriptions of wounded people being carried in on people's shoulders at that location.

Meanwhile, reports of a missile strike hitting the Northern Israeli city of Haifa, killing at least two people, with rescue efforts underway to pull other missing people from the rubble of what had been a seven-story apartment building.

Meanwhile, we're hearing that Israeli Parliament members, a number of them, have submitted a level. Eighteen far-right Israeli Parliament members calling for the creation of what they describe as a new security border, calling for a Southern Lebanon along the borders with Northern Israel to be completely depopulated more than ten miles past the Litani River to ensure security for Northern Israel.

That's following on the back of the Israeli defense minister, saying that Israel plans to completely demolish entire villages in Southern Lebanon, close to Israel, to follow the model, as he put it, of what was implemented in Gaza, that Palestinian enclave where entire towns and cities and villages were destroyed, as well as, according to Israeli military estimates, some 70,000 people were killed during more than two years of Israeli military operations there -- Polo.

SANDOVAL: That planned demolition, likely fueling a worsening humanitarian crisis on the ground.

Ivan Watson, grateful for that reporting. Thank you.

Global oil prices, they climbed after President Trump's threat to strike Iranian energy facilities. At the same time, eight OPEC plus countries agreed to slightly boost their oil production in May.

But the wider organization now warning that repairing damaged infrastructure is going to be a costly and also a lengthy process.

We'll give you a look at Brent crude where it stands right now. A little -- closing in on $110 a barrel, an increase of about 66 percent there. And U.S. crude, that jumped as high as $113.

And the price hikes, they are trickling down to the gas pump, as well, where the U.S. national average is currently hovering around $4.11 per gallon. And that's according to the AAA auto association.

But of course, parts of the country seeing prices even higher than that.

A quick look at how Asian markets seem to be faring. You can see their stocks in both Japan and in South Korea seem to be opening slightly higher, as markets are certainly reassessing what was an extremely busy weekend full of developments in the Middle East. And at the same time, probably also assessing Trump's renewed threat to go after civilian infrastructure.

So, we'll see where these numbers stand as the week progresses.

President Trump's fiery Truth Social post also drawing sharp criticism from U.S. lawmakers. In an Easter post on X, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer compared the president to a, quote, "unhinged madman."

And he also said that what the president threatens to do could amount to a war crime.

Former Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene also reacting, saying, quote, "Trump threatening to bomb power plants and bridges hurts the Iranian people, the very people Trump claimed he was freeing."

And all of this is coming as Democrats on Capitol Hill seem to be voicing -- voicing some concern over the White House's request for roughly $1.5 trillion in defense funds for 2027.

The potential 40 percent increase from last year would likely boost military spending to its highest point in modern history.

Some are arguing that the Trump administration already has more than enough resources to do what's necessary amid the ongoing conflict.

Joining me now from Washington is Ali Alfoneh. He's a senior fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute.

Ali, it's always great to have you on with us. Thank you so much for joining.

[00:10:04]

ALI ALFONEH, SENIOR FELLOW, ARAB GULF STATES INSTITUTE: Thank you so much for the invitation.

SANDOVAL: Ali, let me get your immediate reaction to what Americans woke up to on Easter morning: that message from President Trump. What do you make of that escalation from the president threatening only just power plants, but bridges, as well? Do you think it will be effective?

ALFONEH: Well, you know, we are now 37 days into the war, and we still don't know why President Trump chose to attack Iran on February 28. And we have no idea if he has an exit strategy.

I see the tweet earlier today as a mark of his frustration. And the Iranian government is looking at it in the same way.

But they also believe that they have found one of the few weaknesses of the United States and that of President Trump. And that is, as you mentioned earlier in the program, the price of oil.

So, Iran cannot defeat the United States militarily. What they are trying to do is to beat President Trump at the gas station by increasing the price of oil and turning the American voters against the president.

SANDOVAL: And that, perhaps, more dangerous than any weapon, is the control or the influence, great influence over global markets.

What did you make of the language, though, that the president used in his post, and how do you think average Iranians are likely to respond?

ALFONEH: At the time that the war began, there were some Iranians who believed that the enemy of their enemy is their friend.

In other words, if they are not sympathetic to the Islamic Republic, they found President Trump as some kind of a savior, especially because he said, Wait, help is on its way. That was his message to the Iranian protesters.

But increasingly, Iranians are seeing civilian targets being killed by the United States and by Israel. And the kind of language that President Trump is now using is the kind of language that Iranians heard from Genghis Khan, the Mongol, a thousand years ago. Iran was Persia, was destroyed by the Mongol hordes. And now President Trump is doing the same thing.

This is very dangerous and unbecoming for a U.S. president. And I hope that the president remembers that there will also be a day tomorrow and next month and another year. Iran and America have long-standing relations, and these kind of statements do not exactly help the future of relations between the two countries.

SANDOVAL: Ali, I also want to get your thoughts on something else we heard from the president this weekend. He spoke to FOX News, and he said that the U.S. sent weapons to Kurdish forces with the intent of arming Iranian protesters. That essentially confirms some reports that we had earlier here on CNN.

What do you see that -- what do you see as the president's motive in sharing that? Is it perhaps to -- to inspire some sort of a groundswell, some sort of people's revolution inside Iran? ALFONEH: I see this as another mistake of the president's, because the

Islamic Republic was making the argument that the people who protested against the regime in Tehran were American agents. They were paid for and armed by the United States. Nobody was willing to believe the claims of the Islamic Republic.

Now, President Trump is proving the regime right.

The other element, which is also just as bad, is that President Trump chose to arm members of an ethnic minority in Iran, the Kurdish minority, which has a history of separatism. And that makes the average Iranian even more fearful of the U.S. designs for the future of Iran.

Is President Trump actively trying to foment a civil war in Iran, after which there will be partition of the country that they love?

These signals are not particularly helpful for President Trump. I think President Trump would be best served listening to the advice of Vice President Vance, who has been very, very clear throughout the entire war that the United States should be careful and not to entangle itself in forever wars in the Middle East.

SANDOVAL: Ali, I want to close by tapping into your expertise and maybe trying to get your assessment on what could be the Iranian regime's state of mind right now.

And the question of, can we assume that Iran thinks that it's winning at this point, especially when you consider the state of play?

You have the -- the uranium that hasn't been retrieved. The regime seems battered but coherent.

And then one of the possible options that's being discussed right now, according to new reporting, during these indirect talks in Oman, is that Iran is -- potentially, would like to keep a register of the tankers that navigate through the Strait of Hormuz, effectively formalizing its control of that crucial waterway.

So, when you add it all up, I mean, can we assume that at this point?

ALFONEH: For the Islamic Republic, mere survival is victory.

For President Trump, well, we don't know what victory means. And as for the state of Hormuz, the president and Israel have started the game that they don't know how to stop.

Now, Iran appears to be in control of the strait. And even after a ceasefire, this is likely to continue.

[00:15:09]

SANDOVAL: Ali Alfoneh, grateful for your expertise. Thank you so much for your -- for sharing your thoughts.

ALFONEH: Thank you. SANDOVAL: We're going to switch gears after the break. Artemis II, it is getting closer to the Moon as the crew prepares for its lunar flyby.

When we return, an update on the mission, and we'll also speak to a former NASA astronaut. Don't go anywhere.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:19:54]

SANDOVAL: Welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. The Artemis crew, it is just 40,000 miles away from the Moon as they prepare for their lunar flyby on Monday. That's about 64,000 kilometers.

Currently, they're cruising at about 1,300 miles per hour as they travel through the emptiness of space.

And within the next hour, they will be entering the Moon's sphere of influence. What does that mean? Well, I've been told that that is when they're where the pull of the Moon's gravity is actually greater than the Earth's.

And later on Monday, they'll be looping around the Moon's far side after traveling deeper into space than humans have gone in decades.

On Sunday, the crew actually took a moment to mark the Easter holiday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTINA KOCH, ARTEMIS II MISSION SPECIALIST: We wanted to take a minute to commemorate the holiday that we have. This time of year is something that many religions and many cultures hold dear. It's a time of emotions such as joy, as well as solemness, honoring -- honoring what's going on both in our world and in our religious beliefs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: Back here on Earth, President Trump is proposing cuts to NASA's budget. While the Artemis program would still be funded, other research aspects would not be.

According to his proposal, he would cut NASA's overall budget by 23 percent.

Let's bring in our retired Air National Guard Lieutenant Colonel David Wolf. He's a former NASA astronaut and also the current chief technology officer at Vauxhall Systems.

Lieutenant Colonel, it's wonderful to have you with us.

LT. COL. DAVID WOLF, FORMER NASA ASTRONAUT: Honored to be here.

SANDOVAL: So, just to break down what this means now, what we expect to happen any moment now for the crew to enter the lunar sphere of influence. WOLF: Isn't that cool? This is the spot at which, if you had somewhere

to stand, you could drop a pencil. Say, let go of it. And instead of falling back to Earth, it would go toward the Moon. It's where the Moon's gravity is more effective than Earth.

But the Moon is small, so you have to be much closer to the Moon for that point to be reached. That occurs much closer to the Moon than to the Earth.

SANDOVAL: That's incredible. So, essentially, it took over four days for this crew to finally slip out of the reach of the gravitational pull of Earth.

WOLF: Well, interestingly enough, they're still orbiting the Earth, and so is the Moon, for that matter. So, in some sense, the Earth is still the boss here. It's the big guy on the block here. And -- but it's being influenced by the Moon to some degree.

SANDOVAL: Let's talk about what we expect to happen on Monday afternoon. We understand in a little over 12 hours, integrity will pass the Apollo 13 distance record, but they'll also the crew will begin to reconfigure their cabin for this flyby. So, tell us a little bit more about the preparations that are likely going to happen in the coming hours after -- after they wake up on Monday morning?

WOLF: Well, you know, these space vehicles are interesting in that they can be reconverted from a kitchen, a dinner table, to a science laboratory for biology; to an observation for Earth observations; or in this case, lunar observations.

So, they're getting the cameras out. Several Nikons of, of different kinds of sensors and films. and their checklists. And all configured to capture lots of data as they spend a few hours going by the Moon, outbound, before they get pulled back into the Moon and back to the Earth.

SANDOVAL: Let's see if we can actually put up some of those images also that have been sent back from the crew. They're absolutely incredible when you see their perspective and what they've been able to see out of their window; where you see that, Earth, through the window.

What do you see, though, as the science objectives when it comes time for that flyby? I was -- I was struck by hearing from, you know, hearing from -- listening, I should say, to some of the NASA officials on Saturday night, where they were describing how these astronauts will be able to see parts of the Moon that have never been seen by the human eye.

WOLF: In fact, they've already seen parts since they're coming in somewhat from the side. They're seeing parts of the Moon already that have never been revealed to the human eye in all the millennia of humans, is -- I find that fascinating. This far side of the Moon.

It gets the same amount of light, by the way, as the other side. There's no dark side. There's a far side.

But the science is enormous. It follows up on the Apollo series, but in far more detail.

And now we go to use the resources on the Moon. And to use them to go far further and to move on to Mars very shortly, in fact. This is a learning and test ground for Mars missions. Human Mars missions.

[00:25:10]

SANDOVAL: David, as a former NASA astronaut, your perspective is fascinating. It is unique. Tell us what this means personally for you, as you will be watching that historic moment during that flyby.

WOLF: Well, I see it as -- I know these people. They were younger astronauts when I left and when I moved onwards. And I love seeing them stand on the shoulders of -- of the -- us to -- to go further and, carry the -- the program to where it's going to go, which is a high ground Moon base making fuel, making energy, using the Moon as a resource and, and as a really a part of the Earth-Moon system.

A day will come where we'll wonder how we ever operated without the Moon as part of our system.

SANDOVAL: If you could finally, for me, if you could transmit one or two sentences to your fellow astronauts out in space, what would it be?

WOLF: Keep making us proud.

SANDOVAL: I love it. David Wolf, thank you so much for your time, for -- for sharing your story. And along with you, we'll be watching closely as these astronauts make history. They already have.

WOLF: Thank you, Polo, very much.

SANDOVAL: Thank you.

And still to come here on CNN NEWSROOM, Ukraine's president offering military expertise to Middle East allies as the U.S. war with Iran ramps up. But he's also hoping that the world will not turn away from Ukraine's existential fight against Russia.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:31:37]

SANDOVAL: Ukraine's president is warning that a long conflict in the Middle East could have a deadly consequence for his country's war with Russia.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke during his tour of the Middle East, where he's currently offering Ukraine's military expertise to allies in the region.

On Sunday, he met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus and agreed to increase their country's security cooperation.

Earlier this weekend, Mr. Zelenskyy raised the alarm about Ukraine's need for U.S. Patriot air defense missiles. He told the Associated Press that, quote, "We have to recognize that we are not the priority for today. That's why I'm afraid a long war will give us less support." The president referring to the conflict with Iran.

Joining us now is CNN contributor Jill Dougherty, adjunct professor at Georgetown University and former CNN Moscow bureau chief.

Jill, it's always great to see you.

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Hey, Polo. Glad to be here.

SANDOVAL: So, Jill, before we really focus on the impacts of the war in the Middle East when it comes to the war with Ukraine, just remind our viewers overall what the status of negotiations to end Russia's war in Ukraine. I mean, have those essentially stalled?

DOUGHERTY: They are actually they were postponed twice. And at this point, they seem to be dead in the water. Nothing much is happening.

You know, you have to remember that the people who are negotiating for the United States on Ukraine are the same people who are negotiating and -- or at least dealing with the war in Iran. So, I'm sure it must be very difficult to do both. And at this point, there's really no progress.

SANDOVAL: Yes. No doubt. The fact that much of the world's attention right now is aimed at the war in the Middle East, probably one of the main reasons why.

So, the question is, how does President Zelenskyy come to terms with the idea that Ukraine is basically sidelined at the moment? I mean, as you've previously pointed out, even Zelenskyy himself, he's been brutally honest and said that his country is currently not the priority.

DOUGHERTY: Yes. And that is, I think, the brutal reality for him. I mean, he really does realize that.

And for him, he says that essentially would mean that, if it's a longer war, that's less support for Ukraine. So, it is a problem.

But I think, you know -- and we can talk about this in more detail -- but I think what you've got is he is turning to the places where he can, No. 1, make the case that he is still there. Ukraine is still there. And also get the help that he needs.

So, this is why he's been going to the Middle East. He is bringing with him, ideas and possible working together with countries in the Middle East on drones, which of course, Ukraine has developed to a very high degree. And also, the technology for that.

So, he's actually been to UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Syria, and Turkey. So, he is all over the Middle East and apparently getting, you know, quite a lot of feedback.

Because the countries that he's visiting, many of them do not, especially in the Gulf, do not have any type of drone protection. That's really the type of war that we're dealing with.

[00:35:06]

SANDOVAL: So, basically, we have, you know, as you point out, the negotiations that have is either postponed or stalled often.

There's President Zelenskyy making his rounds and speaking to world leaders, European leaders there, especially.

But the reality is, on the ground, this war continues to cost lives.

DOUGHERTY: It does. And this, again, is the fact that Zelenskyy has to deal with. Because Russia well, we should say, concerning Easter that President Zelenskyy actually did offer some type of, you know, ceasing the fire for at least the holiday.

Russia did not go along with that. So, the fighting continues.

And the Russians have really, Polo, shifted their techniques. You know, a lot of the attacks used to be, at night, but now they've shifted to the daytime. And that's when people are out in the streets going to work and doing things.

So, it's been a very, you know, a brutal shift to that technique.

And then also, I think it's important to say that both of these wars, you know, Iran and Ukraine, come together in kind of an odd nexus now. Because we were just talking about the drones.

Well, remember at the beginning of the full-scale invasion four -- four years ago and counting, the -- Iran supplied drones because they had a lot of them. They were sophisticated. Supplied them to Russia, which used it during the initial attacks.

And now, Russia is producing its own drones that are essentially like Iranian drones, but perfected, made more lethal, et cetera. And they are helping the Iranians in this war, especially as has been widely reported, for intel. And, that, that type of thing. And drone warfare.

So, this odd circle -- and then you have Zelenskyy in the Middle East also dealing with drones. So, the two wars are coming together, in some ways.

SANDOVAL: So, given the incredibly difficult position that Zelenskyy -- President Zelenskyy finds himself in, and considering what you just mentioned right now of how Ukraine was offering help to some of its partners when it comes to the war in the Middle East, I guess my last question, Jill, is, what else can Ukraine do to offer?

You know, what else can Ukraine offer the conflict, especially so it continues to -- to at least hold on to a bit of the world's attention? DOUGHERTY: Yes, it is very complex. I mean, attention is one thing,

but really, I think what Ukraine is worried about is the actual help that it will be getting.

Now, the United States already has said it cannot supply any more weapons, for the most part. So, they have to come through the European allies of the United States.

And there is now a problem, because the E.U. has been looking at a package to help Ukraine, which is being blocked, actually, being blocked by a couple of countries, Hungary being one of them.

And this is a big problem, because if the United States is not helping. And legitimately you do have Patriots, which are very important, Patriot missiles now being used a lot in the Middle East by the United States.

So, if Ukraine cannot get that aid and help from Europe, this is another very serious problem.

SANDOVAL: The importance of keeping shared focus on multiple wars that continue at this hour. Jill Dougherty, thank you so much. Really appreciate the conversation and the insight.

DOUGHERTY: Thank you, Polo.

SANDOVAL: Artemis II getting closer to its mission goal: the Moon's far side. When we return, how the mission is being viewed by Americans. Don't go away.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:43:51]

SANDOVAL: It is 12:43 a.m. here on the East Coast. And a milestone moment in the Artemis II mission.

According to NASA, the crew has just now entered the Moon's sphere of influence, and that's where the Moon's gravitational pull is greater than Earths. The crew is currently about 40,000 kilometers or so from the Moon. That's about 64 -- I should say earlier. That's about 40,000 miles, which is actually about 64,000 kilometers.

They will soon be farther from Earth than anyone has ever gone before, surpassing the record originally set by Apollo 13. That was back in 1970.

After looping around the Moon's far side, later on Monday, the crew will then slingshot back to Earth, as you see here, this graphic.

The historic element of this mission, it is capturing the attention of many Americans.

CNN's Harry Enten runs us through the numbers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: Look, with Artemis up and away, a lot of folks are wondering, when are we finally going to go back to the Moon? And there's a lot of interest in doing so, in part thanks to Artemis.

Just take a look here. Look at these Google searches, literally up like a rocket. Hello. You know, I had to say it. Look at this: up 669 percent versus last month. That is the highest ever. The highest ever for a month.

[00:45:05]

We are in it right now, higher than at any point since 2004, since we were doing Google searches.

And I think that the interest level we're seeing right now in Google will translate over to the actual polling data. Because if we look at the polling data before Artemis went up in the sky, look at this.

Should -- should be going to the Moon -- should going to the Moon be a priority? Fifty-seven percent, the majority of Americans said yes.

But look at this. A very sizable portion, 41 percent, said no. Now, I will note one of the things that is so interesting about going to the Moon and basically all of this travel up into space is it's bipartisan. It's bipartisan in an era in which we really don't have much bipartisanship.

So, what we see is majorities of Democrats and Republicans actually said that going to the Moon should, in fact, be a priority.

And I've got to admit, that's not so much of a surprise to me necessarily, because, again, in this era in which we have such deep polarization, my goodness gracious. I mean, we talk about it all the time here. You and I talk about it. Look at this.

What is the event that created the most America pride, the most pride in being an American? CBS News polled this back at the end of the last decade. And you know what? Even 50 years after we went up and we went to the Moon, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, the event that was No. 1 was the Moon landing. The Moon landing was still number 1, 50 years after the fact.

And again, I think we need national pride so much. Levels of pride are so low. Going back to the Moon may, in fact, be just that antidote in order to recreate that pride that we had back in 1969.

Of course, there is that question of who will actually go to the Moon. And many Americans, including myself, kind of want to pass the buck a little bit because take a look here. Do you yourself want to go to the Moon? Just 32 percent. One in 3 Americans say, yes, they are the ones. They themselves want to go to the Moon compared to -- look at this -- two in three who say, you know what? Nah, we're good. We'll stay on terra firma.

And you know what? I kind of feel that, as well. I kind of like terra firma.

And I'll note that majorities, just as we were looking at the majorities of both Republicans and Democrats, say it should be a priority to go to the Moon. Majorities of Democrats and Republicans say, nah, we're good here on terra firma.

But look, Artemis is creating a lot of national pride. A lot of folks are asking themselves, when are we going to the Moon next? And I think that is a question that is going to be asked as we continue to watch those astronauts be up there, way beyond the clouds.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: Harry Enten, thank you.

And still to come here on CNN NEWSROOM, next week Hungarians will be going to the polls in a parliamentary election. And the results could have big consequences, not just for Hungary, but for Europe as a whole. We'll break that down, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANDOVAL: Serbian officials say that they discovered explosives capable of -- or at least of, quote, "devastating power" near a pipeline that carries Russian gas to central and Eastern Europe.

Serbia's president says the two backpacks full of explosives with detonators were found near the section of the TurkStream pipeline close to Serbia's border with Hungary.

He also said that he informed Hungary's prime minister about this discovery.

Serbia and Hungary both maintain close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin and rely heavily on Russian energy supplies.

[00:50:08]

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban denouncing what he called a sabotage operation and indirectly blamed Ukraine.

And this comes as Orban faces the toughest challenge to his 16-year rule. Next week, Prime Minister Viktor Orban, he and his pro-Russia Nationalist Party, they will be facing off against Peter Magyar, who's pro-Europe party hopes to bring Hungary close to the E.U. -- closer to the E.U.

Most opinion polls right now, they show that party's center-right actually potentially winning next weekend's parliamentary election.

CNN's Clare Sebastian showing us what Orban is up against.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Pub owner Sandor Toth has been serving up pints for 43 years in this small village in Hungary.

And it's from behind the bar he says he's witnessed a lot of history in the country, including the fall of communism and later, four victories in a row by Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his Fidesz Party.

SANDOR TOTH, PUB OWNER (through translator): People who come here chat about which party says what, and I believe that generally here, people vote for Fidesz, as they help pensioners, but also young people.

SEBASTIAN (voice-over): Toth says he voted for Fidesz each time. And Orban and his nationalistic and socially conservative politics have a lot of support in this town of about 450 people.

Rural areas are traditional Orban strongholds, but that could be changing.

In the upcoming election, Orban faces one of his toughest challenges yet: Peter Magyar, a former Fidesz insider and current leader of the center-right Tisza Party, which is surging in popularity, especially with voters under 40 and people in urban areas.

MARIA JUHASZ, HUNGARIAN VOTER (through translator): I would like to see change very much indeed. I will obviously vote for Tisza. We must change this regime. So yes, to them.

SEBASTIAN (voice-over): Magyar is trying to tap into voter concerns about domestic issues like health care and food prices, knocking on doors in Orban's heartland to try to win new voters.

And he's promised to realign Hungary with the European Union.

PETER MAGYAR, TISZA PARTY LEADER (through translator): Those who choose Tisza will choose a working, humane, European, proud, peaceful, and a serene Hungary.

SEBASTIAN (voice-over): Orban has close ties with Russia and has frequently clashed with the E.U., especially over its support of Ukraine. Most recently, he blocked a $103 billion loan package for Ukraine. And he says the opposition would drag Hungary into the conflict.

VIKTOR ORBAN, HUNGARIAN PRIME MINISTER (through translator): You, Tisza, are pushing the courage of the Ukrainians. And you are not standing with the Hungarians. You want a Ukraine-friendly government, and you want to take the money of the Hungarians to Ukraine. This is the truth.

SEBASTIAN: The vote is being closely watched around the world, not only for the impact it will have on the E.U., but what it could mean for right-wing populist politics. Orban is a close ally of U.S. President Donald Trump.

And on Tuesday, Vice President J.D. Vance will visit Hungary to try to drum up support for Orban. Both the U.S. and Hungary have aggressive policies on immigration,

with Orban famously building a border fence in 2015 to keep migrants from illegally entering.

Magyar says he'll maintain the fence if he's elected, but will restore an independent media and judiciary, which have been eroded under Orban's rule.

He'll also limit prime ministers to two terms.

Polls say, for now, Magyar's Tisza Party is in the lead, but analysts say it could still be an uphill battle to unseat Orban.

ROBERT LASZLO, "POLITICAL CAPITAL": The gerrymandered constituency map, the high proportion of the out-of-country voters, and the minority representation in Hungary. These are the three factors that helps Fidesz to counterbalance a potential Tisza lead.

SEBASTIAN (voice-over): Voters in Hungary will decide on April 12th if they want another round of Orban's brand of populist politics or something new.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I don't know yet. We will see. We will decide inside the polling booth.

SEBASTIAN (voice-over): Clare Sebastian, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: During his first Easter services as pontiff, Pope Leo reiterated his calls for peace. He once again urged world leaders to reject division and war and instead seek dialogue and understanding.

CNN Vatican correspondent Christopher Lamb has more from Rome.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, thousands turned out in St. Peter's Square to listen to Pope Leo's first Easter Sunday message.

LAMB (voice-over): And the first American pope underlined once again the need to end the conflict taking place around the world. He insisted that the Easter message is one of nonviolence.

LAMB: And this is what he had to say from the balcony of St. Peter's.

POPE LEO XIV, LEADER OF CATHOLIC CHURCH (through translator): Let those who have weapons lay them down. Let those who have the power to unleash wars, choose peace. Not a peace imposed by force, but through dialogue; not with the desire to dominate others, but to encounter them.

[00:55:10]

We are growing accustomed to violence; resigning ourselves to it, and becoming indifferent, indifferent to the deaths of thousands of people, indifferent to the repercussions of hatred and division that conflicts so.

LAMB (voice-over): So now we've seen, during these last few days, Pope Leo really step into the role of being pope. He's been very outspoken during this Holy Week and Easter about the war going on in Iran.

He said to me that President Trump needs to find an off-ramp to end the conflict. And also saying on Palm Sunday that God does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war. Very pointed remarks, which some took as responding to U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has sought to frame the U.S. intervention in Iran as divinely supported. Now, Pope Leo is pushing back against that.

We also saw Leo carry the cross for the first time for the entirety of the stations of the cross. That's the first time that's happened in decades. And that was also a powerful symbol.

Leo, on Easter Sunday, celebrating a mass. Then, of course, delivering his Easter Sunday message. And then circulating around the square.

We saw him just drive by us. And, you know, there was cheers and people waving at the pope. There's a sense that Leo can offer some hope. Hope during difficult and turbulent times.

There was a banner raised up that said, "Pope Leo, we are with you. Guide our future."

Leo, the first American pope, celebrating his first Easter since election with a message of peace and hope at Easter.

LAMB: Christopher Lamb, CNN, Rome.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: We certainly hope that you had a wonderful Easter weekend. Thank you so much for joining me the last hour of news. I'm Polo Sandoval. I'll be back with more of your headlines in a moment. Don't go anywhere.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)