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Vice President J.D. Vance and Other U.S. Representatives Meet with Iranian Officials in Pakistan to Negotiate End to Military Conflict; Israel Continues Launching Attacks into Lebanon as Peace Talks Commence between U.S. and Iran; U.S. Democratic Representative and California Gubernatorial Candidate Eric Swalwell Accused by Former Staffer of Rape; Manhattan District Attorney's Office Launches Investigation into Sexual Misconduct Allegations against Eric Swalwell; Man with Machete Shot by Police After He Stabbed Three People on Subway Platform in New York's Grand Central Terminal; Artemis II Astronauts Successfully Return to Earth from Orbiting Moon; Rory McIlroy Currently Holds Large Lead in Masters Golf Tournament. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired April 11, 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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[14:00:35]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN breaking news.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello everyone, and thank you so much for joining me this Saturday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

We're following two major stories this afternoon. The first involves the high stakes negotiations between the United States and Iran happening right now in Pakistan. We have brand new details on these crucial peace talks.

Plus, U.S. Congressman Eric Swalwell, who is running for California governor, is now facing several sexual misconduct allegations. The Manhattan district attorney now launching an investigation into some of those allegations.

All right, let's begin with the highly consequential talks between the U.S. and Iran underway right now. Vice President J.D. Vance leading the negotiations for the U.S. in Islamabad, Pakistan. Iran's delegation is led by its parliament speaker, according to Iranian media. The direct talks are the first face-to-face meetings between the U.S. and Iran since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, and these talks being mediated by Pakistan.

The United States's 15-point peace proposal is said to include Iran committing to no nuclear weapons, handing over its highly enriched uranium, and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's 10-point proposal includes Iranian control of the Strait of Hormuz, reparations for war damages, and the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the region.

President Trump has warned Iran if a peace deal is not reached, the U.S. will ramp up its military action in the region. We've got team coverage across the globe. CNN's Oren Liebermann is in

Jerusalem. Betsy Klein is at the White House. Let's get started with Clarissa Ward in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Clarissa, what more do we know about these talks?

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, those talks have now been going on for more than five hours. And while we don't know the details of what has been discussed, it appears that they are going reasonably well. Iran's government has reported that the talks have now entered an expert level stage, meaning that technical teams are involved in those face-to-face conversations, those historic face-to-face conversations, and that is potentially an encouraging sign.

Now, it's assumed that these talks could go on well into the night, although we don't yet have a firm timetable as to when they will end or whether they might continue with those technical teams and others might leave. So we're still waiting to get some more information on that.

There was a sort of tense moment earlier in the day that looked like it could potentially scuttle the talks, and that was when it emerged that two U.S. naval destroyer ships had passed through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran originally reporting that it had threatened to shoot at those ships and that they had turned around. But we later learned from United States Central Command that that was not the case, or so it was claimed. It was not the case, and that those two ships had managed to pass through the strait.

The objective, according to this press release from Cent Com, was to clear the mines that have rendered that strait basically impossible to cross, and in order to pave the way for other ships to follow suit. You might remember that the whole premise of these talks was that the Strait of Hormuz would be open, but as of earlier today, just about 30 vessels had crossed through. Compare that to more than 100 on any normal day before this war. And Cent Com is saying that they will be sharing the information of where those mines have been cleared and what route might be safe for other ships going forward now, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: But again, the response coming from Iranian officials is that that's partially true or not true at all

WARD: Initially, they had said that the ships were turned around after they threatened to fire on them. It's not clear yet whether they have issued any kind of response, either directly through those talks or indirectly through their various media channels to Cent Com's claim that they have, in fact, passed through the strait, cleared some mines, and carved out a route for other ships to follow suit.

[14:05:10]

WHITFIELD: All right, Clarissa Ward, we'll check back with you. Thank you so much.

So these high stakes talks are being closely monitored in Washington, D.C. CNN's Betsy Klein is joining us now from the White House. So, Betsy, what are you hearing from the Trump administration as to whether there is an encouragement coming from these many phases of these talks?

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE PRODUCER: Well, Fredricka, you can believe that President Trump is watching all of this incredibly closely. He's just left his golf club on his way back here to the White House. And we might have the opportunity to ask him about this in just a few short hours as he departs the White House for Miami, where he's set to watch a match a little bit later today.

But Vice President J.D. Vance, along with special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, are engaged in these face-to-face, very high stakes talks with Iran in Pakistan, which has emerged as a very key interlocutor. Who is involved in these talks is very key here, because we had learned that Iran was unhappy with Witkoff and Kushner, and they have installed Vance in these talks. Iran, we've reported, believes that he is a more reasonable negotiator. So we'll have to see if that bears out.

But Vance ahead of time had said he would know relatively quickly if Iran was willing to engage in good faith negotiations. And as Clarissa laid out, I think it's a positive sign that these talks have been ongoing for roughly five hours at this point. But Vance, a very high stakes moment for the vice president here, seeking to position himself as a peacemaker on behalf of the Trump administration.

But at the heart of these talks, in addition to reopening the Strait of Hormuz, that critical oil thoroughfare, is this 15-point plan put forth by the Trump administration and reconciling that with the 10- point plan put forth by Iran that we've seen circulating on social media from Iran's state media.

Now, the White House says that some of these plans that have been circulating are fundamentally unserious, but they say that there is a more workable plan that they were engaging with Iran on privately behind closed doors. So we'll have to see what comes of all that. But President Trump's red line, specifically ending uranium enrichment in Iran, remain unchanged, according to the White House. The president making very clear yesterday that if these talks fail to secure a deal, the U.S. will ramp up militarily.

WHITFIELD: All right, Betsy Klein at the White House, thanks so much.

All right, let's go to Jerusalem now, where we find Oren Liebermann. Oren, Israel continues striking Hezbollah as Iran demands a Lebanon ceasefire. So how is the Israeli government reacting to these peace talks that are ongoing between the U.S. and Iran in Pakistan?

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: The short answer, Fredricka, is very, very quietly. Israeli officials have believed basically since the start of the war that the war itself will end, or at least Israel's ability to strike Iran will end when President Donald Trump says so or decides so. And because of that, Israel is unlikely to publicly make a statement in any way denouncing or calling into question the peace talks in Islamabad. Now, that being said, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled

to give a public statement right about now, in fact. So we'll see what he has to say about that. But Israel has been very carefully, publicly, and Netanyahu specifically has been very carefully careful publicly in what he says about the ongoing efforts to get to a ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran. We know behind the scenes, Netanyahu is very much in favor of continuing the war, and reportedly suggested or pressed Trump on, saying that now is not the time to pursue a ceasefire with Iran. And the Israeli military has made clear they have plans for at least a continuation of the war and more targets on their list.

Now, the reason Lebanon is so crucial here is that Iran insists that a Lebanon ceasefire is part of the overall ceasefire, whereas the U.S. and Israel certainly have other plans here. And that's clear in Israel's continued strikes on Lebanon, with more than 200 strikes over the course of the past 24 hours, according to the Israeli military.

So it is Israel's continued fight against Hezbollah and the war against Hezbollah that could derail the talks that are happening in Islamabad if Iran decides to step away because of that. And that's why it's such a crucial aspect here.

Now, Fredricka, there are talks scheduled to happen, direct talks between Israel and Lebanon next week in Washington, but we'll see if those come to fruition, just as we'll see if what happens in Islamabad leads anywhere.

WHITFIELD: All right, Oren Liebermann, thanks so much in Jerusalem.

All right, and here in this country, breaking news related to CNN's reporting about sexual misconduct allegations against Democratic U.S. Congressman Eric Swalwell. The Manhattan district attorney's office now says it is investigating an allegation made by a former staffer for the congressman who accused him of raping her.

[10:10:05]

In our reporting, four women are accusing Swalwell of sexual misconduct. Swalwell is currently running for governor in California. Several prominent Democrats are now calling for him to end that campaign. Late yesterday, Swalwell posted a video denying the accusations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ERIC SWALWELL (D-CA): A lot has been said about me today through anonymous allegations, and I thought it was important that you see and hear from me directly. These allegations of sexual assault are flat false. They are absolutely false. They did not happen. They have never happened, and I will fight them with everything that I have.

They also come on the eve of an election where I have been the frontrunner candidate for governor in California. I do not suggest to you in any way that I'm perfect or that I'm a saint. I have certainly made mistakes in judgment in my past. But those mistakes are between me and my wife. And to her, I apologize deeply for putting her in this position.

I also apologize to you if in any way you have doubted your support for me, but I think you know who I am. For over 20 years, I have served the public as a city councilman, as a member of Congress, and as a prosecutor who went to court on behalf of victims, particularly on behalf of sexual assault victims. That's who I am and have always been. This weekend, I'm going to spend time with my family and friends, and I appreciate those who have reached out to me to show support. And I look forward to updating you very soon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right, CNN's Pamela Brown and her team have spoken with the four women, including a former staffer who went on camera to share her story. A warning, you are about to hear some disturbing and graphic details

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I kept figuring out ways to blame myself. I shouldn't have reached out to him at all. I should have left. I should have done this. Well, Eric shouldn't have raped me.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: This Capitol Hill staffer is coming forward for the first time on camera to talk about her experience with Congressman Eric Swalwell. He is now a leading Democratic candidate for governor of California.

REP. ERIC SWALWELL (D-CA): Let's get together, make the biggest wave this state has ever seen.

BROWN: Swalwell was in his late 30s and married when she joined his office as an intern and became a junior staffer. She's speaking in shadow as she fears professional consequences.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was in 2019 I was again driving him to an event. This was my job.

BROWN: And you were 21 years old.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I was 21 years old. We see some sort of parking lot, and he says to pull over. He pulls out his penis and instructs me to give him oral sex. And I started to. Again, I felt incredibly uncomfortable, and I stopped. And I said to him, this feels really uncomfortable and anyone could see us right now. And he said to me, you're right. It's probably not good for a congressman to be caught with his pants down.

BROWN: Swalwell calls her allegations false. His campaign responded earlier to vague accusations on social media related to his behavior with staffers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you ever behave inappropriately with female staffers?

SWALWELL: No. It's false. And also, some of the allegations I've seen, which is that we've had NDAs in the office. Never. There's never been an allegation and there's never been a settlement. And, you know, I will also just take stock that, look, we're 27 days before an election starts.

BROWN: Did he ask you to send him lewd photos?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

BROWN: And did he ever send lewd photos?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. He would send short snapchat videos of him rubbing his penis through his pants while on the airplane.

BROWN: The staffer says she liked Swalwell attention at first and nervously went along with it, which included sending back nude photos of herself. But in September 2019, she says she and some friends met up with Swalwell after a night of heavy drinking. She says she woke up naked with Swalwell in a hotel room with no memory of what happened.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The five of us were having some drinks. At some point, it was time to go home. I got in an Uber. I was, um, taken to the Aloft Dublin-Pleasanton, where he was staying. And I don't remember what happened that night. But I know that we there was sexual contact because when I woke up in the morning, I could feel that there was. And, he said as much, too.

BROWN: What did he say?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That last night was great. It didn't feel great to me because I didn't remember it.

BROWN: And so you blacked out and you end up in his hotel room and wake up with him?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

[14:15:00]

BROWN: She says another incident occurred in 2024 after this event in New York, where Swalwell gave a speech.

SWALWELL: Some of us are working hard on Capitol Hill.

BROWN: At the time, she no longer worked for Swalwell's office.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I decided to ask him to meet me for a drink, and I did this because I was so far removed from what had happened in 2019. I felt safe because I was established. I had a partner. I felt more secure that I could have a strictly professional relationship with this person. After that bar closed, we went to another. I went to the bathroom, and I don't remember anything after that.

BROWN: You don't remember anything?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I remember the next day. I can see flashes of that evening, of him on top of me, me pushing him off, him grabbing me. It was a lot more aggressive. It was aggressive.

BROWN: Did you say no?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I said no. I said -- in my flash that I can recall I was pushing him off of me saying no.

BROWN: And what did he do?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He didn't stop.

BROWN: He didn't stop. And you woke up the next morning.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I woke up the next morning naked, alone in his hotel room. I for a moment didn't even know I was in his hotel room. That's how intoxicated I was. And I called my mom, the only person I could think that could help me.

BROWN: Her mother confirmed her account in an interview with CNN. CNN also reviewed screenshots of texts she sent to a friend saying she was, quote, "sexually assaulted by Eric." She also shared this note from a physician's assistant, calling her a, quote, "survivor" after she went to get tested for STDs one week later.

Why do you feel like it's so important to speak out now?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When I found out there were others who might have been impacted by Eric in different ways, I realized I couldn't be scared anymore because that is how he keeps us quiet, the fear, the shame.

BROWN: In addition to this former staffer, three other women who spoke with CNN also alleged sexual misconduct by Swalwell. One said he kissed her and touched her without her consent. Two of the women said he sent them unsolicited, explicit messages or nude images of himself, something the others say Swalwell did with them as well. One shared this message where he commented on her photo and wrote, quote, "That swimsuit" with an expletive. "You like it?" She responded. "Yes, very much like", he wrote.

In a statement to CNN, Swalwell said, quote, "These allegations are false and come on the eve of an election against the frontrunner for governor. For nearly 20 years, I have served the public as a prosecutor and a congressman and have always protected women."

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is another me out there. There is another young girl who dreams of working in this field and believes in him and could fall into this trap.

BROWN: And that's why you're speaking out.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

BROWN: You want to protect others like you when you were young.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No one protected me. Sorry. No one protected me. And I don't want someone else to suffer because I know what I know. BROWN: A lawyer for Swalwell sent two of the women CNN spoke with

cease-and-desist letters on Thursday, a day after CNN first reached out to his campaign to request comment, according to copies of the letters they provided to CNN. The letters called the women's accounts false, ordered them to retract their statements, and warned of potential legal action if they continue speaking out. The women stand by their accounts they gave CNN.

Pamela Brown, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much, Pamela, for that reporting. And again, the Manhattan district attorney's office now saying today it is investigating an allegation of sexual assault against Representative Eric Swalwell and is urging any other survivors, alleged survivors, to come forward.

All right, still to come, panic at New York's Grand Central. Police say three people were stabbed by a machete wielding attacker on a subway platform. New details on the investigation.

And later, powerful storms flood Hawaii. Some areas get soaked with more than a month's worth of rain in just one day, and more could be on the way.

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[10:24:20]

WHITFIELD: All right, we're following breaking news out of New York, where a man with a machete was shot by police after he stabbed three people on a subway platform in Grand Central Terminal. The victims were taken to a hospital and are expected to survive.

Let's get right to CNN correspondent Gloria Pazmino in New York. Gloria, officials just wrapped up a press conference. What can you tell us?

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Fred. This happened shortly after 9:30 this morning inside the subway platform, inside Grand Central Terminal here in New York City. This is one of the busiest transit hubs in town. Police say that the man was on a train coming into Manhattan from Queens, started acting erratically inside that subway train.

[14:25:05]

He pulled out a large knife described by officials as a machete, injured one of the passengers who was inside that train. He then exited the train onto the subway platform here at 42nd Street and injured two other people.

Now, the victims, as you said, all expected to survive, but they did suffer serious injuries. They range in age from 60 to 80 years old. One of them suffered a skull fracture during the attack. Now, police officers were patrolling the train station this morning.

They were the ones who responded to the incident and the police commissioner really emphasized today that they tried to engage with the suspect. He's been identified as Anthony Griffin, 44 years old. He has three prior arrests but no history of mental health interaction with the police department. And I mentioned that because the police commissioner said that the officers tried to get him to drop the weapon multiple times. They tried to offer him help. When he refused to do so, they said that the officers opened fire, injuring him. The suspect was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Take a listen to Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch talking about the way officers responded.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JESSICA TISCH, NEW YORK CITY POLICE COMMISSIONER: Our officers were confronted with an armed individual who had already injured multiple people and was continuing to pose a threat. They gave clear commands. They attempted to de-escalate, and when that threat did not stop, they took decisive action to stop it and to protect New Yorkers on one of the busiest train platforms in the city. Incidents like this show the reality of this work. Officers step into situations where the risks are immediate and the stakes are high.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAZMINO: Now, subway trains are bypassing this station while the investigation continues. The mayor, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, has been briefed on the investigation. He issued a statement saying he expects that the video captured by the body worn cameras that the officers had when they responded to the incident, will be released as part of the investigation, which is customary in these types of incidents. The police commissioner also emphasizing that while these types of incidents are extremely disturbing and scary to passengers and the public, they continue to be extremely rare. She also said, in the past month, the NYPD has added 175 officers to patrol the subways to make sure that New Yorkers and people who are riding the public transit system can feel safe. Fred?

WHITFIELD: And then Gloria, was there a response to any questions about whether there's a link to terrorism? What's being said.

PAZMINO: Yes, that was an initial question going into this, but we were told by law enforcement they do not believe this has any link to terrorism. They emphasized the suspect's past criminal history, as well as the fact that he was acting erratically. They believe that this is more likely related to mental health and not terrorism.

WHITFIELD: All right, Gloria Pazmino, thank you so much in New York.

All right, and hours from now, the Artemis astronauts are expected to speak for the first time since their historic return to earth. How the findings from their record setting mission around the moon will set the stage, possibly for future, the future of space exploration.

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[14:32:50]

WHITFIELD: All right, we're continuing to follow todays ongoing peace negotiations in Pakistan between the U.S. and Iran. Iran, according to a new post on social media, says talks have entered the, quote, "expert level stage", end quote. Economic, military, legal, even nuclear groups consisting of representatives from both sides are meeting right now to finalize what's being described as technical details. Iranian state media says officials have exchanged written outlines of key issues, marking the highest level of face-to-face talks between the U.S. and Iran in years.

And right now, the Artemis II astronauts are headed back to Houston, where they will reunite with their families. They're also undergoing medical evaluations after their tremendous 10 day mission around the moon. The four-member crew splashed down just off the coast of San Diego last night, hurling more than 30 times faster than the speed of sound.

Joining me right now with more perspective is CNN aerospace analyst and PBS Newshour science correspondent Miles O'Brien. Miles, great to see you. I mean, that was something else, to witness that splashdown. I think everyone was glued to the television set. So, you know, we are expecting to hear from the crew and a couple of hours. Describe what today just might be like for them as they, you know, address the public, they see their family members after undergoing all kinds of medical evaluations and, you know, lookovers.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN AVIATION ANALYST: Yes, they're going to be poked and prodded and feel a little bit like guinea pigs for a while. That's part of the drill. A big part of what they were doing was some biomedical research while they were in deep space for 10 days. One of the things they want to find out about is exposure to radiation when you go beyond the protective shield that we have around our planet we call the Van Allen belts. So those are things that are forward work. But of course, the first thing on their mind is to reorient their inner ear to gravity. I hope they're moving slowly and not tilting their head quickly, moving around too much. And of course, most importantly, the embrace of loved ones I think will go a long way to alleviating any physical problems they might be enduring.

[14:4:00]

I was watching them coming off that capsule into that little raft, and then the rotor wash from the helicopter. It was like reaching to --

WHITFIELD: There was a lot going on.

O'BRIEN: I was about to adjust the rabbit ears on my TV. It seemed so retro, you know.

(LAUGHTER)

WHITFIELD: Right.

O'BRIEN: I don't know why they can't come up with an easier return to earth for them, you know?

WHITFIELD: I know that looked really kind of rough. It did. And it took a long time before, you know, opening that hatch and getting them, you know, hoisted helicopter and all that and that. Wow, what an adventure it's all been. Can't wait to hear their details on that.

So we also understand the astronauts, you know, while they were up there, they saw parts of the moon that have never been seen before by human eyes. And they were likely taking some photographs. And I think it was also described by one of the engineering experts who said instead of it looking all gray, as I think most people customarily think it will look, that apparently these astronauts saw some brilliant colors. What are we expected to learn about what they witnessed on about the moon surface?

O'BRIEN: Well, you know, it's basically an upgraded version of what happened in 1968, I suppose, with better, better resolution cameras. And what, you know, if you think about it, if you've ever seen a lunar eclipse, the moon has a distinctly different color. It's kind of got a brownish hue. And there's some greens in there as well if you look hard.

You know, part of the problem is most nights it's so bright that we can't make out anything but kind of a monochromatic take on it. And there's a little more to it. So that's good.

And I wouldn't say this is going to be a, you know, a scientific eureka moment, breakthrough kind of mission. But these images in many respects, did something else I think for all of our psychology here on earth in a, in a very difficult time for the planet in general, to be able to look up there and see what humans can do in a positive way when they work together. I thought that was really special. And those pictures kind of symbolize all of that in a very meaningful way. And it's a keepsake for all humanity to remind us that we do terrible things to each other, but we can do good things.

WHITFIELD: Yes, this is a big high point. I mean, a collective excitement, you know, and energy, I think was felt and witnessed by all.

All right, Miles O'Brien, see you again soon because again, I'd love to have your points of view on what we hear from these astronauts as we are all poised to hear from them for the first time now that they are back and reuniting with their family members. Thanks, Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right, see you in a bit.

WHITFIELD: OK.

All right, coming up, a Manhattan district attorney says it is investigating a sexual assault allegation against Congressman Eric Swalwell, who is running for California governor. How he is responding and what this could mean for his political career next.

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[14:42:05]

WHITFIELD: All right, more now on the breaking news that the Manhattan district attorney's office now says it is investigating an allegation that Representative Eric Swalwell sexually assaulted someone a day after CNN reported the investigation now, coming a day after CNN reporting that a former staffer for the Democratic congressman accused him of raping her. Swalwell, who is running for California governor, is denying reports of sexual misconduct given to CNN by these four women.

So prominent Democrats are now calling for Swalwell to end his campaign. Washington bureau chief for "The Atlanta Journal- Constitution" Tia Mitchell is joining me right now to discuss this, as well as some of the other, you know, political, political related developments taking place. Let's zero in on Congressman Swalwell. These allegations, he is denying them. He came out in a video and said, you know, none of this is true. Now, the Manhattan district attorney's office is investigating at least one of the allegations. What does this mean for him, as he is a sitting member of Congress, as well as his pursuits for the seat of governor for California?

TIA MITCHELL, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, "ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION": I mean, I don't think it looks good because what we know, what is provable, per CNN's reporting, is already troubling, that he was a married man, a member of congress. So he's in a position of power. And at the very least, he was having, you know, sexual conversations with young women, perhaps sending them inappropriate pictures, having these conversations that I think, again, what the screenshots and the things that CNN says it's reviewed are already problematic on their face even before you get to the more serious allegations.

So I think it's becoming a part where, you know, you have to separate what may or may not be found criminal, right, versus just the perception, the fact that people want their elected officials to be people of good character and high morals. And some of the behavior that has been alleged does not exhibit that. And now he has colleagues, close colleagues, who are saying --

WHITFIELD: From Hakeem Jefferies to Nancy Pelosi, I mean, you know, household Democratic leadership names who are saying it is time for you to step down, step out of the race for governor. Is that kind of the nail in the coffin when you lose that kind of support?

MITCHELL: I think so, because I don't think -- I mean, even some groups that were supporting him, helping to raise money spend on his behalf are already stepping away. Could he still win? Yes, because we've seen people accused of very bad things continue to be elevated and celebrated in American culture. But I think it's going to be tougher for him to win. Of course, all of his opponents, most of his opponents have asked him to step down. It's going to be a big theme on the campaign trail.

[14:45:00]

But I think it becomes a conversation about who do we want representing us. And again, I think there may be a lot of California voters who say someone who is accused of these types of things and someone who, again, if you just on the surface, what seems to be the consistent message is, outlines a pattern of questionable behavior.

WHITFIELD: And another, switching subjects, but still talking about a congressional seat. Georgia's 14th congressional seat, this was Marjorie Taylor Greene's seat before she vacated it. There was a runoff election. Now the outcome is here, you know, and Taylor Greene has actually weighed in on her thoughts about what this means for Georgia politics and beyond, that it was such a tight race, a runoff election between a Democrat and a Republican. The Republican, you know, ends up winning, but she is voicing concerns that the Democrat in the race, Shawn Harris, did indeed put a dent, you know, on the election. What is your analysis of this?

MITCHELL: Yes, I do. I'm in Georgia to cover the runoff. And I do think that Democrats had a good night. They exceeded expectations. Even when I spoke to Republicans who support Clay Fuller, they were hoping he would have a bigger margin of victory. And the fact that Shawn Harris did even better than he did in 2024 when he was on the ballot. Now, yes, the election was different, and you can't read into how this runoff, these runoff results could, you know, foreshadow what will happen. But --

WHITFIELD: Because they will, this race will, I guess, resume, if you will, in the midterm elections.

MITCHELL: Right.

WHITFIELD: So Clay Fuller, he won this, but he's got it for about five months. And Shawn Harris says he's going to continue to run.

MITCHELL: And Clay Fuller has a primary.

WHITFIELD: In the fall.

MITCHELL: Next month.

But I think that Democrats can say if we can replicate what Shawn Harris did, if we can learn lessons from what Shawn Harris did, if the trajectory of Democrats being more enthusiastic about voting than Republicans can continue, then maybe we can have some statewide wins in Georgia. So it's not predictive, so to speak, but maybe it's prescriptive, and it can show them, give them some things that they could follow into the midterms.

WHITFIELD: All fascinating. Tia Mitchell, always great to see you and always great to have you right here on the sofa.

MITCHELL: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Thank you so much.

And we'll be right back

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[14:52:10]

WHITFIELD: OK, the leaders for the Masters golf tournament are just now teeing off for the start of the third round. Rory McIlroy, the defending champion, begins weekend play with a commanding lead. He caught fire on the back nine of Thursday's round, finishing with a six shot lead going into todays play. And now it's a race to see if anyone can catch the reigning champ.

CNN's Andy Scholes is joining us now from Augusta where it's ever so picturesque there. All right, so bring us up to speed on where things stand right now and how this weekend is getting underway.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, I mean, the story out here in Augusta today is can anyone catch Rory McIlroy? He is about to tee off as we speak, but he comes into this third round with the largest 36 hole lead in Masters history, because he just absolutely caught fire yesterday in the second round. He birdied his last four holes, six of his last seven, including this incredible, an incredible chip shot on 17 that held the whole gallery just absolutely going wild.

Rory, he's trying to join Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods as the only guys ever to win back to back green jackets. And right now it looks like he could run away with it. A much different path than last year and my colleague Don Riddell, well, he asked Rory about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DON RIDDELL, CNN HOST, WORLD SPORT: What for you would be more fun, eking out a victory by the skin of your teeth or potentially running away with it and lapping the field?

RORY MCILROY, GOLFER: What do you think?

(LAUGHTER)

MCILROY: Look, I've built up a nice cushion at this point. Um, you know, and I guess my mindset is just trying to keep playing well and, um, you know, keeping, keeping my foot on the gas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Now this is the craziest stat of the Masters this year so far. So there were 91 players in the field, the golfer that finished 91st and missed the cut was dead last when it came to driving accuracy. The player who is 90th in driving accuracy is Rory McIlroy. That's how good he has been after his tee shot so far in this tournament. We'll see if he can keep it up today, Fredricka.

But other than Rory McIlroy, the star of the Masters thus far has been this guy. This is the Garden Gnome. And yes, so it's the most coveted item in the golf shop. You know, patrons line up for hours before the doors open at 7:00 a.m. for this guy, and it sells out really quickly. It costs $60, goes for way more online. But did you know this gnome? He exists in real life. Meet Kenneth Locke. He's in Augusta native. He grew up just down the road from the course. And I caught up with him this week and asked him, how did he come to life as the gnome?

WHITFIELD: Gosh.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[14:55:00]

KENNETH LOCKE, AUGUSTA NATIVE: We put it together, my wife and I did, and she's the backbone of it. So we just try to match it up every time and it's down to the. She painted the shoes. I mean everything to the tee.

SCHOLES: When did you figure out you looked exactly like the gnome?

LOCKE: Probably about three years ago. Then the next year was the vest, and that's actually when I went on the on the site and the National took a picture of me and got on their site, and it went crazy and it went viral.

SCHOLES: What's your favorite part of doing this?

LOCKE: Seeing people smile and laugh and asking for selfies. You know, come around. But I love it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Yes, and Fredricka, as I was talking to Kenneth, I mean, people walking by, they were just like, whoa.

WHITFIELD: The gnome!

SCHOLES: It's the gnome!

(LAUGHTER)

SCHOLES: Yes, Kenneth is certainly a celebrity here in Augusta.

WHITFIELD: Oh, I love it. That's great. And I love that you got one of the collectors' items. That's part of the whole experience, right? Just trying to get your hands on something Masters-like.

SCHOLES: Yes.

WHITFIELD: All right, Andy Scholes, thank you so much.

All right, still ahead, an investigation has been launched now into the Democratic U.S. congressman and front runner for the California Governor race Eric Swalwell after exclusive CNN reporting that a former staffer for the congressman accused him of rape. Our Pamela Brown spoke to that woman exclusively and joins us next.

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