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Artemis II Astronauts Give First Remarks After Historic Mission; Now: Face-To-Face Peace Talks Between United States And Iran Underway; Vice President Vance Takes On Role As Central Player In Ending Iran War; Trump Threatens To Withdraw United States From NATO Alliance; NYPD: Man Fatally Shot After Stabbing Three People On Subway Platform. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired April 11, 2026 - 17:00   ET

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

[16:59:40]

CHRISTINA KOCH, ARTEMIS II MISSION SPECIALIST: A crew has the same cares and the same needs and a crew is inescapably, beautifully, dutifully linked.

So when we saw tiny earth, people asked our crew what impressions we had. And honestly, what struck me wasn't necessarily just earth. It was all the blackness around it. Earth was just this lifeboat hanging, undisturbingly (ph) in the universe.

So, I may have not learned -- I know I haven't learned -- everything that this journey has yet to teach me. But there's one new thing I know, and that is Planet Earth, you are a crew. Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You guys got it. You guys got it.

JEREMY HANSEN, ARTEMIS II MISSION SPECIALIST: Well, it's been a lot. This isn't helping. But this is the furthest I've been away from Reid in a long time.

Thank you. All right. That's better. Thank you. I think -- yes, thank you -- I think what I'd like to share today is maybe three of the human experiences for us.

And you haven't heard us talk a lot about the science, the things we've learned. And that's because they're there and they're incredible.

But it's the human experience that is extraordinary for us. And it sounds like maybe for you too.

And so I think I'll start with gratitude. Gratitude for my family. Gratitude for NASA for its leadership. Gratitude for Canadian Space Agency. Gratitude for Canadian.

(SPEAKING IN FRENCH)

HANSEN: Reid, Christina, Victor. O, Canada.

Gratitude for -- gratitude for the bravery and the courage for the teams to be no-go when we were no-go and go when we were go. That took a lot.

And I don't think people really ever fully comprehend how well supported and trained we were. It is almost unbelievable.

All right. And as my daughter would say, I'll try and stay locked in here. Ok.

The next one is joy. We have a -- we have a term in our crew that we coined a long time ago, The Joy Train. And you saw, I think you saw, sounds like you saw a lot of joy up there. There was a lot of joy. We're not always on The Joy Train, This crew. There are many times were not on The Joy Train, but we are committed to getting back on The Joy Train as soon as we can. And that is a useful life skill for any team trying to get something done.

And the last one is -- I need your help for this. Come on up here, guys. The last one is love. What you saw was a group of people who loved contributing, having meaningful contribution, and extracting joy out of that.

And what we've been hearing is that was something special for you to witness. And the reason I had them form up here with me is because I would suggest to you that when you look up here, you're not looking at us. We are a mirror reflecting you.

And if you like what you see, then just look a little deeper. This is you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dude, come on.

[17:04:38]

NORMAN KNIGHT, DIRECTOR OF FLIGHT OPERATIONS, NASA JOHNSON SPACE CENTER: Wow. Thank you Reid, Victor, Christina and Jeremy for your leadership, your integrity, for representing the very best of human exploration. You are the tip of the spear, representing all of the ground teams working along your side to make this mission a success.

And by the way, welcome home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: NASA is committed to working with international partners to successfully accomplish our missions.

The U.S.-Canada cooperation for Artemis II marks a historic partnership with Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen, becoming the first non-American to fly around the moon.

And now -- that's the energy. And now it is my pleasure to introduce Canadian Space Agency president, Lisa Campbell.

LISA CAMPBELL, PRESIDENT, CANADIAN SPACE AGENCY: I know it's not protocol, but thank you. Welcome home. Welcome home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you. CAMPBELL: We're so happy to have you back.

Thank you. Hello, everyone.

(SPEAKING IN FRENCH).

CAMPBELL: Everybody's doing well. Excellent.

Reid, Victor, Christina, and Jeremy -- it's wonderful to see you safely back on earth.

For the first time in over 50 years, humanity has returned to lunar orbit and the world was watching.

Through your perspective we saw the earth in its full complexity and interconnection. And through your dedication, our greatest strengths ambition, collaboration, ingenuity took flight once again, bringing humankind further than before.

Jeremy, with you representing us on board and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jenny Gibbons -- Dr. Gibbons right over there.

Supporting the mission on console as Artemis Capcom, Canada's incredibly proud to be part of this endeavor. It's a powerful moment for our partners at NASA, for Canada, and for everyone who believes in what humanity can achieve together.

Our deep and enduring partnership in space, working side by side in the shuttle era through the International Space Station and now through Artemis, all the way past the far side of the moon and back. To our partners at NASA, thank you for this collaboration.

Bold leadership, strategic investment, technological expertise brought together across nations. This is what delivers results and the Artemis program shows us that when we align around common purpose, we can drive prosperity for generations to come.

What's happened today as you said, Administrator, is anchored in decades of leadership and proven expertise. And in Canada, we've invested heavily in robotics in space. So we believe we're well- positioned to deliver sought after capabilities that will support the infrastructure and autonomy needed for a sustained human presence on the moon and you've shown us the way.

Jeremy, over the last ten days, you've represented the very best of what it means to be Canadian. You've exemplified our deepest values, discipline, humility, and hard work.

And the Artemis crew, the four of you embodied what teamworks look like at its very best. It was such a pleasure to connect with you live from Canada even at 3:00 in the morning.

During your mission, it was such a powerful example of unity in action. And we had a full room at 3:00 and 2:00 in the morning.

Together, this historic journey has reminded us that exploration begins with curiosity and that big dreams are worth pursuing and worth sharing. With your safe return to earth, you've completed a new chapter in humanity's return to the moon, and were so proud.

(SPEAKING IN FRENCH)

[17:09:48]

KNIGHT: We are proud to have strong, bipartisan congressional support for the United States space program, and we're honored to be joined by members of Congress here with us today.

Please join me in welcoming U.S. Representative chairman Brian Babin to the stage.

REP. BRIAN BABIN (R-TX): It's hard to know how to follow something like that. It's unbelievable. Just want to say how honored I am to be representing the 36th congressional district of the state of Texas, where all these -- thank you -- where all of this is transpiring.

And it's hard to describe -- I'm a dentist by profession -- not an attorney or a wordsmith. I usually turn to my wife to write my speeches and help me to flower them up.

But you guys have really inspired us. And Christina, when you answered my question the other night, the most inspiring thing that you would like to relive would be the launch. And seeing that eclipse and Administrator Isaacman sent me the picture of that eclipse, which I have on my phone, and which I'm going to blow up and put in my Washington office too. And it is awesome thing. That's all I can say.

You are welcome home. We're so very proud of you. You've inspired not only America and Canada, but the entire world and generations of humans that are going to be coming after you.

We're grateful not only for your courage and your commitment, but also for the sacrifices made by your families. As my wife and I have 17 grandkids, I don't like to be away from them on about 24 hours.

So when you're three-quarters of a million miles away, I can only imagine how you want to get back to those beautiful people over there. So I thank you families as well.

And your team, the team that has made this entire thing possible. It couldn't -- it's not just for folks here. Its tens of thousands and many, many years and decades basically.

Over the past ten days, Artemis II has demonstrated to the world what America is capable of and our international cooperation is capable of. You have traveled farther from earth than any humans have ever gone before.

Pushing the boundaries of exploration, reminding us of the pioneering spirit that defines our great country. And that goes for Canada as well.

Through years of shifting priorities, technical challenges, budgetary pressures, Congress has maintained a steady continuity of purpose, providing the long-term support necessary to keep the Artemis program moving forward and ensuring Americas return to the moon remain the primary objective.

And while we celebrate this extraordinary achievement, we must also recognize what it represents. This mission is a critical step forward in achieving President Trump's vision of returning Americans to the moon in 2028, and doing so before our competitors do.

And there is still much work ahead. But this moment should renew our confidence, and it most certainly has. The United States is ready for this challenge, and we are ready to lead.

And as we lead in space, we carry with us the principles that have always guided us -- freedom, innovation, and opportunity.

And this is only the beginning of our journey. America is going back to the moon, and this time we are going to stay.

God bless our astronauts. God bless NASA. And God bless America and Canada. Thank you so very, very much. Appreciate you all. Thank you.

And now I'd like to introduce my friend and colleague, Michael Cloud from the 27th district south of me. He's driven up here today to honor us with his presence. And he's also an appropriator.

[17:14:49]

BABIN: Thank you all very much.

REP. MICHAEL CLOUD (R-TX): Well, I cannot tell you what an honor it is for me to be here.

As a young child, I would look to the stars like so many look to the stars like so many others. And I actually wanted to be an astronaut. I still want to be an astronaut, truth be told. But it is certainly an honor to be here and to be a part of this historic moment.

No doubt of everyone in this room and of the millions watching, perhaps no one feels the gravity of this moment like you do, I'm sure, quite literally.

But thank you for all you've done to inspire us to dream again. You and everyone who has supported you. It is, as a father, I have three kids, and I know you -- some of you do, too. And it's just for them to have something to look to, to dream again, to build again, to achieve again, us as a nation desperately needed this. The world needed this.

We needed to see what could be done, when we could come together again. I'm reminded of the psalmist in Psalm 8. He said, even as we look to the night sky, and as we look at creation, and behold the stars and the moon, we begin to think about what is mankind from God's perspective.

And so this trip gave us a different way of looking at ourselves and the way that you have displayed the best of us has been extraordinary and has given us a perspective as we continue to push ahead into the future.

Your travels, your exploration, the years of work, the dedication for you, for your teams, all the prep that goes into this. And yes, as someone mentioned, thankfully, Administrator for mentioning the taxpayer as well involved in this as well and our job in Congress to steward that.

But this is a noble cause. It's a worthy cause. It's worthy of our best efforts as a nation. And thank you for what you've done.

You've given us something to dream again. You've inspired us and you've given us something that we can build upon for the future. God bless you. Thank you for your work. Thank you NASA and all of you here. God bless you.

REID WISEMAN, ARTEMIS II COMMANDER: Maybe this thing's working. Maybe it isn't. No, Norm, just stay right here. Just stay right here.

I'm going to do a NASA go back. But the whole time that we've been training and when we've been in flight, we have called this a relay race. We, the four of us have batons sitting at our desk. They give us all colors. I'm red. You're gold. Gold, blue and green.

And when you're up there, you end up kind of identifying yourself as red, gold, blue and green. We're kind of we're all colors. So we have those colored batons sitting there. But I just want to tell you and Jared, looking at you and knowing the fortitude that you have and seeing the direction that this agency is going in right now, we would be remiss if the four of us didn't look right there and say, it is time to go and be ready, because it takes courage, it takes determination, and you all are freaking going, and we are going to be standing there supporting you every single step of the way, in every possible way possible. Thank you.

KNIGHT: Thank you Reid. And thank you to all of our representatives. We could not explore the unknown without your support and that's for sure.

What an incredible milestone. Today, we celebrated the successful return of a mission that carried humanity back into deep space, captivating millions, inspiring the next generation, and reaffirming the United States leadership and dominance in both low earth orbit and the journey back to the moon.

To the Artemis II crew, welcome home and thank you for sharing this mission with all of us. To the workforce across NASA and our partners, this achievement belongs to you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

[17:19:45]

KNIGHT: Your dedication, expertise, and passion made this mission possible. And to everyone watching, this is just the beginning. We are entering a new era of exploration, returning to the moon, building a sustained presence there, and preparing for missions to Mars. And we're glad you're on this journey with us. You can continue to

follow NASA and Artemis on NASA Plus and across our social channels.

But before we close, let's bring our crew back to center stage one more time for a big Texas round of applause and a big welcome home.

(END OF LIVE EVENT)

JESSICA DEAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. We were just hearing there from the Artemis II astronauts, their first remarks as they are now back from their historic mission, where they went farther than any humans have ever gone.

Really cool to hear from them. One of them saying it's a special thing to be human. It's a special thing to be back on earth.

I want to bring in Jackie Wattles. She's there in Houston, and she was listening to all of these remarks. And Jackie, it was -- it was so special to hear from them.

It's kind of surreal just thinking about the idea that they were in space not that long ago -- what, just a few hours ago? And now they're sitting in this room talking to people.

But really, what a great -- just a great moment for humanity, for this program, for those people, for all the people supporting them. And really the antithesis to so much about what we talk about here.

This was just a lot of joy and a lot of, you know, hope. What did you take away from being in the room?

JACKIE WATTLES, CNN WRITER, SPACE AND SCIENCE: Yes, absolutely. I mean, you couldn't be more spot on there. You could hear that kind of disbelief from the crew. They were talking about having just ridden this fireball through the sky yesterday, going more than 30 times the speed of sound. And now all of a sudden they're back home in Houston, just talking to their families. A lot of surreal feelings there.

And Christina really brought the room to tears, you know, talking about that experience of viewing the earth from so far away.

You hear this term thrown around a lot called the overview effect. It's a term coined by Frank White, a philosopher and a science author in the 1980s. And that term really talks about how astronauts get this very unique vantage point of viewing the earth, kind of in its cosmic context against that cosmic expanse, the great black beyond. And it really drives home how special our home planet is.

And yes, she was talking about just how incredible it is to be part of a crew and look back at earth and realize we're all crew here on earth. I know that moment really got a lot of folks.

So yes, definitely a lot of jubilation. It's very loud in this room, a lot of excited voices, but just an incredible moment. And great to see those astronauts back.

DEAN: Yes. No kidding. And just so much work going into that. Everything had to be so precise. Just it is truly an incredible feat.

All right. Jackie, thank you so much. We really appreciate it.

I want to bring in Miles O'Brien, our CNN aerospace analyst and former NASA astronaut Mike Massimino. Good to see both of you here as well.

Miles, let's start --

(CROSSTALK)

DEAN: -- let's start first with you. Just hearing from Jackie kind of talking about just the surreal nature of them now being at a press conference after being on this mission, just not that long -- splashing down, just not that long ago.

But it is really striking. Two things -- I think so many people were really nourished by the excitement, the purity of this, that we're all in this together, talking about what it's like that we all share and humanity and living here on earth. And there's that piece of it.

And there's also the piece that we heard from so many people that this is just the beginning, that this is, in their words, a new era of exploration.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN AEROSPACE ANALYST: Yes, I guess were all crewmates now, right --

DEAN: Yes.

[17:24:44]

O'BRIEN: -- Jessica. So welcome to the crew.

You know, it makes me wish everybody could have the experience that they had. And what Mike Massimino has had to be up there and see the world that way because --

MIKE MASSIMINO, FORMER NASA ASTRONAUT: I do.

O'BRIEN: -- it has a profound effect on human beings. And when you look at how tight knit this crew is and how much they can reach into the deep poetry of the soul to describe what it means for a human to look back on this tiny little oasis in the void where we live and appreciate what it is to be human and understand that so much of what divides us is really kind of irrelevant when you're -- when you're a quarter million miles away.

That ability to put words on that is something that, you know, frankly, actually Massimino has done a pretty good job, but there have been several astronauts who have fallen short in this category, frankly.

They frequently over the years hired for their technical and science acumen. And they speak that language. And in a lot of cases, aren't able to communicate the way this crew has. A lot of that has to do, I think, with how tight they are as a crew

and also, you know, maybe, maybe it's a little bit of a new generation. Maybe it's the tremendous moment that they are a part of.

But the fact that they appreciate it and can articulate that for all of us who may or may not care about orbital mechanics is really, I think, what sets this crew apart.

DEAN: Yes, it is, it is quite unique. And mike, as we just noted, you've been in space, you've seen our earth from far, far away. You know what that's like.

Help people understand what these astronauts are feeling, what they feel like kind of to that -- to that emotional end, but also physically what it's like to be back here now.

MASSIMINO: Yes. The -- what you see in space is, is truly amazing. Words can't really describe it. So what I try to do and I think what this crew has done too, is try to convey their feelings. You know, what the thoughts through their, through their minds and my thought of looking at the earth when I really had a chance to just soak in the view from a spacewalk where you're not encumbered by a window. And you look, you see the planet and you look in the other direction and you can see the stars and whatever else is out there in the blackness.

And, the thought that went through my mind was, it's a -- it's a -- first it was, I thought I had a heavenly view. This is a view from heaven.

And then that was replaced by another thought, which was, no, it's more beautiful than that. This is what heaven must look like. And I felt like I was looking into an absolute paradise. I can't imagine any place being more beautiful than our planet earth.

And it also gives you a sense that this happened to me more toward the end of my of my last flight, my final spacewalk taking those last looks where I looked at the planet and I realized that that's really what home is.

And I grew up just outside New York City in Franklin Square. That was my home. And then New York, I felt, was my home. As I got older, a New Yorker and then an American when I was an astronaut.

But now when I think of home, I think of earth and it's a place we all share. And that's kind of what I've taken out of my flight experiences in addition to all the technical work.

But I think that this crew really conveyed it well. And I know them all. This is a special group of people.

You know, Miles said in that not all astronauts are able to convey their feelings really well. I think this crew really does. You know, Victor and Reid and Christina and Jeremy, they all are close. They had a mission that obviously -- I don't know if it's obvious, but it really was bigger than them. You know, it's bigger than -- space exploration is bigger than any of

us. You're part of something that's bigger than you when you're a part of the space program. And they felt that closeness not only within their crew, but also to the ground team, you could tell the professionalism and respect and kindness and love they had for their team, helping them along as they were, especially that day when they were doing the flyby.

And they were able to convey that as well as anyone I've ever met who is an astronaut who went to space. So I think that is a very unique crew.

And as far as how they're feeling, I think it's similar to the way that we felt after our shuttle missions. I was up for 12 days and 14 days. They were up for ten days, although they went a lot further than I did away from the planet.

They, you know, they were there in zero gravity for about the same amount of time. And I'm not surprised they were able to walk, you know, it's not like they were gone for six or eight months, like some of our station crews are.

And I was kind of counting on them doing a press conference today. People say, oh, they're going to be -- you're not going to hear from them for a month. I'm like, yes, no, I think so.

I figured they were going to be in pretty good shape, like right away. I'm not surprised that they walked off, that they were able to stay on camera. No one fainted. No one was wobbly, to the point where they couldn't walk and they were able to convey their thoughts today.

So their bodies are going to recuperate, I think, pretty quickly. Their balance is probably a little off. They're not going to be able to fly a car -- fly a car -- no one can fly a car.

(CROSSTALK)

DEAN: They won't be flying a car.

[17:29:46]

MASSIMINO: They're not going to fly a car -- but they're not going to be able to drive or fly a car probably -- fly a car again.

They're not going to be able to drive a car or fly an airplane -- help me, Miles. They're not going to be able to drive a fly an airplane.

(CROSSTALK)

[17:30:00]

O'BRIEN: Everybody wants a flying car, Mass. Everybody wants a flying car.

MASSIMINO: Maybe that's what I need to work on. But they're not going to be able to do anything that requires, you know, a lot of hand-eye coordination and balance for a couple days. And --- but they'll be just fine.

DEAN: Yes. Listen, I just think you can see the joy and the wonder in their eyes and you hear it in their words, to your point, and I think, that's just done such a tremendous -- it's had such a tremendous effect on people and bringing them into this. And I think making the -- making it relevant to so many of us who are just back here on Earth, watching them and cheering them on.

Miles, last thought I would did want to get from you, though, is as we head into this new era of exploration and we have this renewed focus on the space mission. Do you think this kind of feeling will continue?

O'BRIEN: Well, it's hard to sustain it, right? You know, a lot of people, when Apollo 13 had its incident and explosion in space and CBS cut into, I believe it was "Gunsmoke" or one of those shows, the switchboard lit up because nobody wanted to hear about space anymore.

So, people do get bored, and they do move on. Some of that actually, frankly, can be good if it becomes routine to do this, that there is something nice about that as well. But I think it's incumbent upon NASA and its crews to continue to speak to the public the way this crew has, to keep them engaged.

Resist the temptation to make it seem like it's routine, because it's not. Resist the temptation to drift into the lexicon of rocket science, if you will, and bring people along the way this crew does. And people, people will -- that's a good story for people to follow. And I think -- I think, if they keep that in mind, people will stay more engaged.

DEAN: All right. It is so great to have both of you here with us. Miles and Mike, thank you to both of you. What a great day for all of us to watch, and certainly for the astronauts and that those entire teams down there in Houston.

Stay with CNN. We are following "BREAKING NEWS", as President Trump just addressed the ongoing talks with Iran to end the war.

We are going to have more on that topic when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:36:52]

DEAN: All right, turning now to our other "BREAKING NEWS" that we are following this hour.

U.S. delegation led by Vice President J.D. Vance is currently talking -- taking part in direct talks with Iranian officials in Islamabad Pakistan. A new round of trilateral talks just began a short while ago. That's according to Iran's state media. Pakistani sources telling CNN the overall tone and outcome of the talks has remained largely positive so far. But a stalemate persists over control of the Strait of Hormuz.

These are the highest-level face-to-face negotiations between Washington and Tehran since the founding of the Islamic Republic back in 1979, and they come as the fragile cease fire between the two nations has the Middle East and the world on edge.

Threatening the cease fire, Israel strikes across Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah and Iran-backed paramilitary group. There is disagreement over whether Lebanon is part of this current cease fire agreement. Both Israel and Hezbollah continued exchanging attacks today.

And joining us now is CNN's Julia Benbrook, who is in Miami, where President Trump is attending a UFC event today.

Julia, what are we hearing from the president on these talks? I know he spoke just short time ago.

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. President Donald Trump, he is on his way to Florida for the weekend. This is where he has spent many of his weekends, almost all of them since the beginning of Operation Epic Fury. But he did send a team, a delegation, to negotiate there in Islamabad. That group is led by Vice President J.D. Vance, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, as well as Trump's son in law, Jared Kushner. Our latest update is that those talks are still ongoing at this point.

Now, Trump did say that they have been going on for a while, that he has been getting updates throughout that process, but essentially that it doesn't matter how the talks end up, because he believes the United States has already won. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We win, no matter what. We have defeated their military. They have no navy. 158 ships are underwater, under the sea. All of their mine sweepers and all of their -- they call them mine droppers. Can you imagine, a country has 28 mine droppers? Do you think that's nice?

With all of that being said, they are all defeated, by the way. They are all at the bottom of the sea.

Now, with all of that, they have no navy, they have no radar, they have no air force, their leaders are all dead. With all -- Khamenei is gone. For many years, he ruled. He is gone.

With all of that, let's see what happens. But from my standpoint, I don't care.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENBROOK: So, you hear him say there, from his standpoint, he doesn't care how these negotiations go. So, that's the latest update that we have from the administration. Prior to these talks, Vance said that he believed that they could be positive and that Trump had given him and the rest of the negotiating team some clear guidelines to go on.

There are a lot of questions if these two sides can find any common ground here. Now, as Trump announced the two-week cease fire just a few days ago now, he said that the Iranians, they sent over this 10- point proposal, and that it was a workable basis on which to negotiate.

[17:40:10]

But as some details came out about some of the things that could be included in that plan, there were some things the United States simply could not agree to, including reparations for war damages and acknowledging its control of the Strait of Hormuz. And as you pointed out, Jessica, that is one key area that is no doubt being discussed right now.

It was at a near complete stop during much of this conflict, and that was a demand for Trump during the cease fire to see movement in that strait. Again, according to U.S. Central Command, two Navy missile destroyers had begun clearing mines. Those are the first U.S. vessels that we have seen going through the Strait since the beginning of this conflict.

DEAN: All right. Julia Benbrook for us there in Florida. Thank you so much for that.

And in the middle of the war with Iran, the president is also slamming NATO. We'll have more on that piece when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:45:23]

Vice President J.D. Vance taking a central role in U.S.-Iran negotiations today. A White House official, saying President Trump personally asked Vance to lead these renewed talks. And while the Vice President in the past has been an outspoken critic of foreign wars and has previously expressed reservations about striking in Iran, multiple people familiar with the situation tell CNN he has been working behind the scenes for weeks toward a lasting deal.

We are joined now by White House correspondent for Bloomberg, Jeff Mason. Jeff, always good to see you. Thanks for being here with us.

JEFF MASON, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, REUTERS: Thank you.

DEAN: Let's start first about Vice President Vance's role in all of this. What's the message the White House is giving? Obviously, putting him in this very prominent position, talk us through the thinking on this.

MASON: Well, it is very prominent, and it is really very unusual to have the vice president of the United States lead any kind of negotiation, let alone the first negotiations with Iranian officials in decades.

So, it's certainly a big deal. It carries political upsides for Vance and political risk, for the vice president, as well as for the president. But let's start with Vance. The upsides, of course, are this is someone who reporting has shown was opposed to the war, or at least skeptical of it. So, if he is able to come away from Islamabad with a deal, or the outlines of a deal, he can say, I may have -- I was opposed to this war, and I found a way to end it.

The risks, of course, are coming home without something, and then, not having something that he can deliver to the president and to the American people, which puts him in a difficult position as well, because that's going to have to lead to another decision by President Trump, whether to bring back some of the threats that he was making last week or this week, I should say. Earlier this week.

DEAN: Right. And so, to that end, we heard from the president just a bit ago, and he kind of appeared to downplay the need for a deal in this iteration of his remarks and his thoughts on this. What the -- what the -- what's your reporting indicating about his thinking right now?

MASON: I'm smiling just because that's an example of the president going back and forth with his messaging.

(CROSSTALK)

DEAN: Right.

MASON: I was in the Oval Office speaking to him the day before his primetime address, when he also said, we don't need a deal. And then, he has vacillated and come back, and said, we need to have a deal or else the shooting starts again.

So, it's just hard to say. I think, the president is trying to, in some ways, politically, play both sides so that he has got cover. If they don't come back with a deal that is acceptable to him, in case he still doesn't want to continue with the war.

DEAN: Yes. And also, responding to a question from CNN, the president said China is going to have, in his words, big problems if it ships arms to Iran. Obviously, the president is set to meet with Xi Jinping next month. How has this war complicated that meeting that's been planned for a while and moved around, and also just the broader relationship with China?

MASON: You know, there are so many aspects of the U.S.-China relationship, certainly, economy -- the economy, tariffs, but also the fact that they are the two global superpowers. And you are absolutely right to say that the Iran war has hung over that relationship in the last a. six weeks. It led to the delaying of the trip, which you're right to say is now scheduled for the middle of May. It will almost certainly be a topic of conversation and could, and I'm just speculating here, but it could affect the trip or delay the trip again, depending on how long this war continues and whether or not this peace deal ends up coming into effect.

DEAN: And we also saw this week the president's continued attack -- attacks against NATO after the Secretary General Mark Rutte, visited the White House, leaving NATO, which the president has threatened, requires Congress. But the president does have some options. He has some things he can do. I know you've done some reporting on this. What are you hearing?

MASON: Well, he has been upset with NATO, you know, at a -- at a pretty high level, since the beginning of this war, but he's also been upset with NATO, really, since he's come into public office. He is been a critic of the Alliance during his first term. He has again during his second term. That threat of potential withdrawal has hung over the relationship, and that's one reason that Mark Rutte, I think, has really prioritized the relationship with President Trump.

They had that meeting. He heard out what the president had to say. The president did not conclude it by saying, we are withdrawing, but he is going to keep the criticism up. And that is just another example of a pretty tense relationship now between the United States and what are traditionally the U.S.'s main allies in Europe.

[17:50:04]

DEAN: Yes, our closest European allies.

All right. Jeff Mason, good to see you as always. Thanks so much for your time.

MASON: You too.

DEAN: And still to come, combating random acts of violence at one of the nation's busiest transit systems with the NYPD is doing after a machete attack injured three people. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

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[17:55:03]

DEAN: A very scary scene in New York City today, a man carrying a machete shot and killed by police after they say he stabbed three people on a subway platform in Grand Central Station this morning. Authorities have identified that man as 44-year-old Anthony Griffin. They said he called himself, Lucifer, and was ordered to drop his weapon more than 20 times before officers -- before approaching officers with that knife extended.

Let's bring in CNN's Gloria Pazmino, who has been following the story, obviously Grand Central Station, incredibly important and obviously central to New York City and its transit systems. What a scary moment, Gloria. What more can you tell us?

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN NEWSOURCE NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Certainly, Jessica. It was a very scary morning for a bunch of commuters here in New York City.

This happened at the 42nd Street subway stop, which is inside Grand Central Terminal, and as you mentioned, a very busy public transportation site here in New York City. This happened shortly after 9:30 this morning, when a man boarded a train from Queens, on his way to Manhattan. They said that while he was in that train, he began acting erratically. He pulled out a weapon, a big knife, a machete, police official said, and he attacked one passenger that was inside of that train.

Once he arrived here at 42nd Street, he got off the train, and then, attacked two other passengers, who were on the platform. Three people were injured. The victims ranging in ages from 60 to 80 years old. They suffered serious injuries, including a fracture to the head, but they are expected to survive.

Now, you mentioned the role of the police officers who responded to this scene. They had been patrolling the station here at 42nd Street, they responded to the incident, when they saw and heard the commotion that was going on. They engaged with the suspect multiple times. They told them to drop the weapon. They said that they would get him help. And when the suspect failed to drop the weapon, after multiple requests, police opened fire. The suspect was shot and was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

As you said, he is been identified as Anthony Griffin, 44-years-old. Police officials here today also said, Griffin had an extensive criminal history, including several arrests in where he had been previously accused of attacking people and slashing his victims.

Now, we heard from the Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch earlier today, sort of emphasizing both how scary these types of incidents are, but also, how rare they are. And the fact that the police department has increased officers in recent months to boost security and help passengers feel safe. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JESSICA TISCH, POLICE COMMISSIONER, NEW YORK CITY: Anyone can be a victim of a random act of violence, and that is why it is so important for New Yorkers to understand that the NYPD has recently upped our presence in the transit system, including right here in Grand Central Station.

And the job and the mission of all the officers assigned to the transit system is to keep the millions of New Yorkers who use our transit system safe.

And unfortunately, when incidents like this happen, they respond immediately.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAZMINO: Mayor Zohran Mamdani also released a statement earlier today, saying that the incident is under investigation, as it is customary with incidents involving police officers discharging their weapons. We also were told that the entire interaction was captured on the officer's body worn camera. That video is expected to be released following the investigation as well. Jessica?

DEAN: All right. Gloria Pazmino in New York City. Thank you so much for that.

A flood watch is in effect for Hawaii's powerful multi-day storm lashes the islands. The National Weather Service extending the alert for all Hawaiian Islands through Monday evening. The state is already been hit with over a month's worth of rain, leaving some areas extremely vulnerable.

One resident says some neighbors are still traumatized by the worst storm they have ever seen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TAMRA ESCORZON, RESIDENT, WAIALUA: Not just with water, mud that came up through our pipes, our plumbing, fill the tub through the yard. High enough that it left mud actually inside of our mailboxes.

And when the floods came, I've lived here over 20 years in this house alone, and never seen anything like it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: Now, this is the third major storm to slam Hawaii since mid- March. The second triggered the state's worst flooding in two decades, and as you would imagine, a lot of areas still recovering from that.

Also new tonight, construction on President Trump's White House ballroom can continue for now. A federal appeals court said construction can move ahead until at least Friday, April 17th, as a judge considers the project.

[18:00:00]

The legal battle center centers around whether the president has authority to build the ballroom on the site of the former East Wing without express approval from Congress. The case now back in the hands of the federal judge who initially ruled against it.