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Is A.I. Vs A.I. The Future Of War; U.S. Responds To Tehran's Proposal And Reply Is Under Review; Search Underway For Missing U.S. Servicemembers In Africa; Rising Costs Fueling Stress Ahead Of Summer Travel Season; Pirro: Bullet That Hit Agent "Definitively" Fired By Suspect; Israel Issues New Evacuation Warnings In Southern Lebanon; Trump Says Iran War Has "Terminated" As War Powers Deadline Passes; No Clear Frontrunner In Closely Watched California Governor Race; How Iran-Backed Houthi Rebels Got Hold Of U.S. Assets. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired May 03, 2026 - 14:00   ET

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

[13:59:42]

KATERYNA BONDAR, SENIOR FELLOW, WADHWANI A.I. CENTER, CSIS: And that's why they are moving so fast into technology development and deployment that here in the West, we need to actually make a decision how we deal with this technology, which some experts called a new nuclear bomb.

And I can agree with them because if we achieve this fully-autonomous kill chain, this loop where human doesn't make any decision, that can be really destructive for humanity in the future.

FAREED ZAKARIA, CNN HOST: On that sobering note, Kate, pleasure to have you on.

BONDAR: Thank you.

ZAKARIA: Thanks to all of you for being part of my program this week. I will see you next week.

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Gas prices jumping again up to an average of $4.45 a gallon. We'll tell you what the Transportation Secretary is saying about it today.

Plus, gone are the days when California had a Republican governor, or are they? Why the state's so-called jungle primary could leave Democrats shut out in the state.

And then later, a CNN exclusive, how U.S. equipment ended up in the hands of Iran's allies in Yemen.

All right, everyone. Thanks for joining me. I'm Omar Jimenez, sitting in for Fredricka Whitfield.

As I mentioned, we have a lot of news we're getting to. And we're going to start with breaking news where just moments ago, a spokesperson for Iran's foreign minister said the U.S. has responded to their latest peace proposal, and Tehran is now analyzing Washington's reply.

This comes just hours after President Trump announced he was reviewing Iran's most recent peace proposal.

But in a Truth Social post on Saturday, Trump said he can't imagine it will be acceptable and said that they have not yet paid a big enough price for what they've done.

Now, according to Iranian state media, Tehran's 14-point plan calls for an end to the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, within 30 days. It also calls for the release of frozen Iranian assets and the removal of sanctions.

Iran also wants guarantees against future U.S. military aggression and the withdrawal of U.S. forces in the region. The proposal also includes a new plan for the Strait of Hormuz.

I want to bring in CNN's Betsy Klein, who is with the president in Florida right now. Betsy, just what more can you tell us about this recent development? And does this bear any sort of expectation for what's to come?

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, that's certainly the hope, Omar, but after a relative stalemate, it does appear that the back and forth of activity between the U.S. and Iran is picking up. This is all very fluid.

So let me lay out what we do know here from Florida. Just on Friday, President Trump told reporters that he was not happy with Iran's latest proposal. He also said that the U.S. might be better off if a deal is not reached.

And then I just want to reiterate that Truth Social post that you mentioned, to just give you a sense of the president's headspace, as he said he had received a new proposal from Iran and would be reviewing it.

He issued this post that essentially said he couldn't imagine it would be acceptable in that Iran, in his words, has not yet paid a big enough price for what they have done to humanity. It is unclear what that price would be for President Trump.

But now we are learning, according to a spokesperson for Iran's foreign ministry, that the U.S. has replied to that latest proposal and Iran is now reviewing it.

Now, we don't know exactly what is in that U.S. proposal. We are working to get more details on that, but very notably, the president right now is at Doral, at his golf club, watching the PGA Tour. And we just saw, according to my colleague Peter Morris, who's just down the road from where I'm standing, Steve Witkoff, one of the president's top aides and a key negotiator here, emerge from the presidents viewing stand. So that is interesting to watch.

Now, another notable development, yesterday the president said that the 5,000 troops that the U.S. is withdrawing from Germany is just the start. He said, we're going to cut way down and we're going to cut a lot further than 5,000.

Now, I should note that there are 36,000 active-duty U.S. troops currently stationed in Germany for staging and logistics.

But at its heart, this is all about President Trumps long-simmering feud with the NATO alliance and NATO-aligned countries have not been on board, actively working with the U.S. during this conflict with Iran really intensifying disconnect there.

But something else that is likely on the presidents mind today, those spiking gas prices now up to $4.45 a gallon. We'll see if he weighs in on all of this as he makes his way back to Washington, Omar.

JIMENEZ: Yes, a lot to watch for here. Betsy Klein, appreciate the reporting as always.

But this also comes as we're learning of a new vessel attack in the Strait of Hormuz. Just a short time ago, the United Kingdom maritime trade operations reported that a bulk carrier was attacked by multiple small craft.

[14:04:51]

JIMENEZ: Now, it's unclear who was responsible or which country the attacked vessel is registered with, but the crew is reported to be safe.

And as the stalemate over access to the strait drags on, Pakistani mediators continue to try to negotiate a deal between the United States and Iran.

CNN's Nic Robertson joins us now from Islamabad with more on the details of the latest plan and President Trump's initial response.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, the president certainly presenting the impression there that he is either indecisive or he continues to flesh out the details on what the Iranians have given him.

And I think there was a real sense here in the middle of the night here, so late evening or mid-evening East Coast time, that there was something about to be agreed.

And then that appeared to change. And my understanding from the sources that we have is there is sort of a continual flow of information going backwards and forwards through the mediators.

And that's certainly the impression that's being created in the Iranian media, saying that the Pakistan mediators are continuing to sort of do their job.

So there is a sense here that it's -- there is something that the Iranians put forward Friday. The president's working on it, and it continues to be a flow of testing and seeing what the other side is willing to give on. You know, you might call it a negotiation.

The president had talked about, you know, being -- feeling comfortable about doing this sort of thing by the phone. That appears to be what's happening. At the same time, the Iranians are leaking details of what they say

and their state media, the sort of terms and positions on the on this proposal. And that is 14 points and one of them would be that the United States would have to pull back its forces from the Strait of Hormuz, from being close to Iran.

That fits with what a high-level Iranian official told me just on Friday, saying that if there is, you know, dual synchronized suspension of the two blockades of the Strait of Hormuz, he said, what's to stop -- who's going to guarantee that the United States doesn't go back into the Strait of Hormuz and take control of it? Iran deeply distrusts the United States on this.

So that seems to be a caveat there. Another point on the control of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran continues to sort of build a narrative on, although totally unacceptable.

I'm sure that President Trump and the international community, that countries like the United States and allies would have to pay tolls to essentially to use the Strait of Hormuz. Israel would be banned from using it completely. That's where we seem to be.

But the idea that diplomacy is working behind the scenes, that seems to be the picture the president's still considering. And as you saw and he said, backing off from this perhaps no deal.

JIMENEZ: Nic Robertson, appreciate the reporting.

We also have some breaking news on the search for two missing U.S. service members in northern Africa. U.S. Africa Command says the two went missing in southwestern Morocco after taking part in scheduled multinational military exercises. And the service members were reported missing Saturday near a training area close to the city of Tan Tan (ph).

Now, a coordinated search is now underway on the ground, in the air and along the coast. And officials say the incident is under investigation.

We'll bring you more details as we get them.

But as we've been talking about new data out from AAA brings a lot of bad news for drivers. For example, the national average for gas is up to $4.45 a gallon this weekend, which, if you're keeping up, is an increase of about 34 cents from just last week.

And obviously with Iran war negotiations at an impasse, oil prices continue to climb above $100 a barrel on Friday, and rising fuel costs are putting pressure on monthly budgets with the summer travel season right around the corner.

Still, though, the White House is confident Americans will see relief at the pump as soon as ships can travel freely through the Strait of Hormuz.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEAN DUFFY, U.S. TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: Once the strait opens, you'll see prices come down -- come down immediately, and again, there's going to be a tale (ph) to that. It's going to take time to get back to where we were before this conflict began. But you're going to see, I think, immediate relief once the strait opens.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: But once that strait opens -- the question, of course, is when. CNN correspondent Gloria Pazmino is with me now.

So Gloria, look, you've been talking to drivers about the rising prices. What are you hearing from them?

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Omar. You know, I would say frustration, frustration, frustration. But also some resignation and a lot of feeling like people don't have a choice, especially here in Queens, where we are today at this gas station. We've met a lot of cab drivers, Uber drivers, people who have no choice but to fill up their car in order to make a living.

I spoke to a man who told me that he was working a sixth and a seventh day on some weeks in order to just stay afloat. And another one who told me that his gas expenses have nearly doubled since the beginning of the war.

[14:09:52]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Really sucks. Gas going up every single day now from $3, to now it's $4.45 and the same price. So it's affected everyone, not only me.

PAZMINO: Is business also being affected? Do you feel like people are taking fewer cabs.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It does, yes, a lot of people are taking fewer cabs. There is no tourists in general because of Trump policy, that is a lot of people don't want to come to the city. Expenses for flight, everything affects us. It's just like a circle. It's affecting everyone.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's very subjective the way how you feel about it. Probably if I had a big truck, that would have been more difficult, but with just a car working as an Uber, I think it's even though I don't like the price going up, it's not that big of a deal really

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAZMINO: So Omar, even for that last driver who essentially told me that he is just trying to keep afloat, he is essentially breaking even.

He did make the point to me that even if he's making the same amount of money, everything else is also more expensive, not just gas, food, to travel it's more expensive. So that was the point he was making.

Now let's break down the numbers. As you said, the national average right around $4.45. And that is an increase of just 34 cents in the last week and an increase of almost $1.50 since the beginning of the war in February.

And New York, along with California, has some of the highest numbers. California $6.10 a gallon. And let me show you what we're seeing here in Queens. If you get the regular gallon today, you're going to get it at $4.45. So right in line with the national average here at this gas station.

But if you go for the premium option, you're going to be feeling it just a bit more -- $5.43.

And at the beginning you were talking about administration officials who are saying that as soon as the conflict ends, prices are going to come down. But there are experts who warn that that actually isn't going to be as immediate as it sounds.

And while the strait continues to be closed, the oil supply continues to be choked off. That's what's driving the gas prices. And it's possible that even if we see an end to this conflict soon, it's going to take a while for prices to stabilize again, Omar.

JIMENEZ: And as you were talking about, this comes really in the context of prices going up in other categories, too. Gas just happens to be what we're tracking here and seeing that sudden jump in the last few months.

Gloria Pazmino, talking to drivers out there, thank you. Good to see you.

All right. Coming up, more than two months into the war with Iran, and there is still no congressional approval. But we'll tell you why lawmakers may actually hold the key to extending or ending the conflict.

And then questions about the gunfire that erupted outside the White House Correspondents' Dinner. You've seen likely this video at this point, but we'll tell you the reason the lead prosecutor says there is no doubt that a Secret Service agent was shot by the suspect.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEANINE PIRRO, U.S. ATTORNEY: It is definitively his bullet hit at that Secret Service agent. He was -- had every intention to kill him, and anyone who got in his way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[14:13:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JIMENEZ: Today, the Justice Department is pushing back on claims that a federal agent who was shot -- who was shot at during an attack at last weekend's White House Correspondents Dinner, was hit by friendly fire.

Now, you've likely seen some of the video at this point. It shows the moment an armed man, alleged to be 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, ran through that magnetometer at the dinner. The suspect raises his shotgun as he races past them, aiming it at the officer.

And the video was released without sound. It doesn't make clear whether the suspect fired his weapon again just from the video.

Law enforcement and Trump administration officials have previously stopped short of definitely -- definitively, essentially, saying whose gunfire struck the officer's bulletproof vest.

But the official in charge of the case, District of Columbia U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, says the bullet that hit the agent quote, "definitively belonged to the suspect".

Just take a listen to what she told our own Jake Tapper earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PIRRO: We now can establish that a pellet that came from the buckshot from the defendant's Mossberg pump-action shotgun was intertwined with the fiber of the vest of the Secret Service officer.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: So it's definitively his bullet.

PIRRO: It is definitively his bullet. He hit that Secret Service agent. He was -- had every intention to kill him. And anyone who got in his way, on his way to killing the president of the United States.

This was a premeditated, violent act calculated to take down the president and anyone who was in the line of fire. And you and I were both in that combat zone.

TAPPER: Yes.

PIRRO: And we know what it was like. It was a very dangerous situation. And but for law enforcement and their quick reaction, this thing could have been much worse.

TAPPER: The surveillance video we have seen shows one vantage point, the one that you just alluded to with his gun going off. The suspect and several officers then run out of frame. Is there additional surveillance video of what happens down the hall? And is that going to be released too?

PIRRO: Well, as we go forward, there will be more that will be released. But at this point, we've released everything we needed for the detention. We will be going into the grand jury May 8th as a preliminary hearing scheduled.

[14:19:49]

PIRRO: But as things become more public, we are more than happy to be transparent --

TAPPER: Is there more video?

PIRRO: -- with the public.

There will be more video.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: So as you've heard, there will be more video. When? We will see. As of now, Allen faces multiple charges, including attempting to assassinate President Trump.

All right, coming up for us, the Israeli military has issued urgent evacuation warnings for multiple towns across southern Lebanon. We're going to take you live to Jerusalem next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JIMENEZ: New today, Israel issued new evacuation warnings across parts of southern Lebanon, renewing doubts about whether diplomacy can actually move forward here.

[14:24:47]

JIMENEZ: Despite a ceasefire that's been in place for more than two weeks, Lebanon's health ministry says more than 2,600 people have been killed in Israeli strikes since March 2nd, as we've also seen threats in northern Israel as well.

I want to bring in CNN's Oren Liebermann in Jerusalem. Now, Oren, look, today's evacuation orders included a larger portion of southern Lebanon. But what could this indicate about Israeli strategy here?

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM CHIEF: Omar, Israel has made clear what its goals are. The disarmament of Iran's proxy Hezbollah, either through a broad ceasefire agreement or, as we're seeing, through the use of what is very much escalating military force, and the removal of the threat from Hezbollah to the communities in northern Israel.

We're seeing that play out or attempt to play out in real time. The Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon, the rising death toll here, as you pointed out. The Lebanese ministry of public health says more than 2,600 people have been killed over the course of the past two months in Israeli strikes, and the Israeli destruction of homes and facilities in southern Lebanon.

But that has in many ways closed off, as has Hezbollah firing drones and rockets, the path for diplomacy. The ceasefire agreement itself that President Donald Trump extended a couple of weeks ago was between Israel and Lebanon.

But it's not Israel at war with the Lebanese army. It's Israel in an open conflict, perhaps a war with Hezbollah. And that is what has sort of derailed the diplomacy here, even as it has at least nominally- remained a priority for the Trump administration. J4; At this point, I mean, as you laid out, I mean, this has gone on.

It's not just about Lebanon and Israel. It's Hezbollah as well, despite Lebanon sort of representing the area, I guess, in diplomatic efforts.

But what needs to happen to get to a more durable deal here?

LIEBERMANN: At the end of the day, it might just be Trump himself exerting more pressure. Aoun, the Lebanese president, Joseph Aoun has made clear that he wants to see a real ceasefire in place before he's willing to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in what would be a landmark meeting under the auspices of Trump.

Only Trump can exert that kind of pressure on Israel to force them to get to that point, and it's unclear if he's willing to do so. The U.S. embassy in Beirut tweeted just a couple of days ago that if there were direct talks, it could lead to Lebanon's territorial integrity and a ceasefire, U.S. help for reconstruction.

But it's not clear that Israel is going to go that far for a meeting. And it's not clear that Hezbollah would abide by that agreement, either. It's a very difficult situation on all sides, Omar.

JIMENEZ: Yes, Oren Liebermann staying on top of it, as always. Thank you for the reporting.

Meanwhile, more than two months into the conflict in the Middle East, congressional patience here in the United States is wearing thin as President Trump notified lawmakers on Friday that the war in Iran has, quote, "terminated", which is a crucial term here that the White House is trying to make, marking a new effort by the White House to again squash or squelch the fight over the need for Congress to approve the conflict.

So I want to talk about this more with Princeton University historian and professor Julian Zelizer. Thank you for taking the time.

He's also the author of the new book, "The Presidency of Joseph R. Biden".

So Julian, thanks for being here. One, I just want to start with how we began this segment that President Trump has -- had 60 days to get congressional authorization for the war. The deadline was Friday. What do you make of the White House's reasoning here, saying the war has been, quote, "terminated"?

JULIAN ZELIZER, HISTORIAN AND PROFESSOR, PRINCETON UNIVERSITY: Well, he's trying to get around the War Powers Resolution of 1973, which is what set the deadline and just arguing that this isn't happening anymore.

I think many members of Congress will disagree. They can see what's happening in the region. They can see the budget request that's been made to finance this.

But this is his way to stay within the boundaries of the law, but argue for a reality that allows him to continue with the current operation.

JIMENEZ: Well, and as we talked about in part of the show, that the Strait of Hormuz is not open to the point where oil and global industry feels comfortable moving through there.

You know, last week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that the ongoing ceasefire constituted what he called a pause in this 60-day period.

I just want you to listen to how the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee responded to that this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JACK REED (D-RI): The language of the statutes is -- does not provide for time-outs like in a football game. It -- from the day you began 60 days, the president has to comply with the law. There can be a 30-day extension to 90 days but that has to be requested by the president. We have to be notified.

No such notification's come through. The president ignoring the law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: And look, presidents of both parties have routinely bypassed the War Powers Act. You know, Libya's brought up back in 2011 or so.

[14:29:46]

JIMENEZ: But why is that? Why is this a relatively, not unprecedented dynamic?

ZELIZER: Well, the intention of the War Powers Resolution is very clear and I think that member is correct. It's not about time-outs. It's not about a president claiming that somehow the operations are not in effect. It's to allow a president to deploy troops when necessary. And really in times of crisis, was the intention. And then they have to come to Congress for that authorization if there had been no time to do that.

This is a major operation. The instigation for this really starts with a decision from the White House. And now the president doesn't want to go back to Capitol Hill and ask for the authorization that the War Powers resolution clearly requires.

And so I think that's why many Democrats and privately, a few Republicans feel this is a dangerous precedent for the expansion of executive power beyond what we already have.

JIMENEZ: And obviously, that's how that is a debate that I think we can expect to play out in the coming weeks. But looming over all this politically is we have the midterm elections coming up in the fall. And I just wonder, do you think we could see more Republicans start to come out and oppose the president's actions in Iran? Because, politically speaking, it's more than just a military consideration the longer that this goes on. ZELIZER: That's exactly right. Follow the politics, so to speak,

meaning the more that the prices are pressuring American consumers, the more that there's a sense of ongoing crisis overseas. You will have pressure on Republicans, especially after the primaries are all done. And some might express their opposition. It's unclear if they'll go further than that. I'm dubious. They're not going to threaten the president with the budget or anything.

But those pressures will increase as Republicans are looking to November and more are seeing the possibility of losing their seats and losing their power.

JIMENEZ: Julian Zelizer, historian, author of the new book "The Presidency of Joseph R. Biden" -- appreciate you being here. Thanks for your time and insight.

ZELIZER: Thanks for having me.

JIMENEZ: All right. Coming up, we are less than a month away from the California gubernatorial primary, and there's no clear frontrunner with both Republicans and Democrats at the top of recent polls. We're going to take a look at this heated contest ahead of a big date -- a big debate and date if -- depending on what you're doing Tuesday night, hosted here on CNN this week.

Plus, U.S. funded gear ending up with Iran-backed fighters. We'll track how it ended up in hostile hands.

Stay with us

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:37:02]

JIMENEZ: The field of candidates running in the very closely watched race for California's next governor has no clear frontrunner right now. Republicans are criticizing Democratic leadership of the state, while Democrats worry the crowded field could actually split the vote.

Now, the race was recently upended by the exit of embattled former Congressman Eric Swalwell over sexual misconduct allegations. Now, in a recent debate, the candidates voiced frustrations over a wide range of issues facing the state.

Take a listen.

(BEGN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE HILTON (R), CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: We've had the same people in charge for 16 years now. They can't do anything except blame Trump.

XAVIER BECERRA (D), CALFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: The first thing we have to do is stop Steve Hilton's daddy, who has endorsed him and said, that's what we got to do from becoming the next governor of the state of California. We need someone who's going to fight Donald Trump.

TOM STEYER (D), CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: The truth is, no one else on this stage wants to talk about revenue because we're short of revenue.

KATIE PORTER (D), CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: You pay the lowest tax rate on this stage, and yet you made the billions that you're using to fund your campaign off fossil fuels.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: So a lot to talk about here. I want to bring in politics reporter for "The San Francisco Chronicle", Sophia Bollag.

So, Sophia, you have been interviewing the leading candidates for California governor. Let's just start with what are you hearing.

SOPHIA BOLLAG, POLITICS REPORTER, THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE: Yeah. So I would say the main issue in this race that all the candidates are talking about, Republicans and Democrats is really affordability. California is a really expensive state to live. And so that's really been the focus for most of their campaigns.

JIMENEZ: And to your point, I mean, a lot of what that mirrors a lot of what people have been talking about across the country, and we were talking about gas prices and California gas prices, you know, way above the national average. But just one of, of course, a number of factors that Americans are dealing with.

Now, one of the interesting things in this race in particular, I was just talking about a second ago, is you've got Democratic support scattered across several candidates. There's a chance Democrats could actually be shut out of the general election entirely, like leaving voters to choose between two Republicans in November, right? Talk about that scenario a little bit.

BOLLAG: Yeah. So California has a unique primary system. It's sometimes called the jungle primary. So, all of the candidates run in the same primary. And then the top two vote getters, regardless of party affiliation, advance to the general.

There's a lot more liberal voters in California than conservative ones. But there's of the top eight candidates, the eight leading candidates, there's just two Republicans, and there's six major Democrats. And so that means that the liberal vote has been split into essentially six pieces, while the conservatives are really divided between two candidates.

So this has been a big concern for Democratic Party leaders in the state in the last few months. And I would say the prospect of two Republicans advancing to the general really dimmed recently when President Donald Trump endorsed one of the Republicans, former Fox News host Steve Hilton.

[14:40:07] Now that Hilton has that endorsement, I think it will be harder for his leading Republican rival, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, to get the votes that he needs to advance out of the primary. But at this point, it's still a very real possibility. And so you could absolutely see a scenario where there are two Republicans or two Democrats who advance out of the primary.

JIMENEZ: Well, and you talked about that, that Trump endorsement at this point. Correct me if I'm wrong. We haven't seen an endorsement from California Governor Gavin Newsom, for example, or someone like Speaker Nancy Pelosi. I'm just thinking of prominent California politician names on the Democratic side. But those two in particular haven't endorsed a candidate.

Is there any indication what theyre waiting for at this point?

BOLLAG: Yeah. So I would say at this point, its not clear to me that either of them will endorse before the primary. It's certainly possible. They have about a month to do so. And they were under a lot more pressure to, I would say, before the president endorsed Steve Hilton, making the prospects of two Republicans advancing out of the primary just much less likely.

Before that happened, there was a lot of pressure, particularly on Governor Newsom, to endorse somebody. He's been asked about it repeatedly and has made it pretty clear he's not interested in endorsing in the race. But he acknowledged that if there was a real possibility, if it was looking likely that or that Democrats rather would be shut out of the general election, that he would weigh in.

So we'll see where the polling goes over the next month before the primary at the start of June. If it starts looking likely that there won't be a Democratic candidate in the general, I think you would start to see Newsom and Pelosi and other party leaders really starting to, to make endorsements in the race.

JIMENEZ: Something to watch for, for sure.

Sophia Bollag, I really appreciate you being here. Thanks for -- thanks for the time.

BOLLAG: Thanks for having me.

JIMENEZ: And we'll continue watching for this dynamic at the CNN special event hosted by Kaitlan Collins and Elex Michaelson. The California governor primary debate live from Los Angeles Tuesday at 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. on the West Coast here on CNN. Or you can watch on the CNN app.

And then, in case you missed it, history at Churchill Downs, Cherie DeVaux became the first female trainer ever to win the Kentucky Derby and did it in incredible fashion.

Her horse, Golden Tempo, ran a race like a movie script. You can see the horse there. He was all the way in last place in the final turn before making a huge kick down the stretch to take the big win right at the end for an incredible comeback.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHERIE DEVAUX, FIRST FEMALE TRAINER TO WIN KENTUCKY DERBY: I started my career here 22 years ago as a bright eyed, bushy tailed exercise rider, and I would not believe that I would be sitting up here today. Never in my life did I think I would. Being a woman or my gender has never really crossed my mind in this journey of mine

I have to say everyone -- the racetrack is a tough place. It's a tough place, if you're a man. It's a tough place, if you're a woman.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: What a win. But we are still waiting to find out if her horse will run in the Preakness Stakes in two weeks, which is, of course, the next leg in the quest for the horse racing's triple crown. We will see. We're back in a moment with more news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:48:17]

JIMENEZ: New today, after the Pentagon announced plans to withdraw roughly 5,000 troops from Germany, President Trump now says he plans to cut a lot further, telling reporters in South Florida as he boarded Air Force One, quote, "We are going to cut way down," end quote.

The drawdown set to be completed within a year, follows sharp criticism from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the war with Iran. Now, the German leader said U.S. officials entered the conflict without a clear strategy and were being, quote, "humiliated by Iran".

Now, there are new questions today about how thousands of dollars in U.S. assets were seized by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.

CNN's Jennifer Hansler looks at the connection to the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Aid.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JENNIFER HANSLER, CNN SENIOR REPORTER, NATIONAL SECURITY: This seizure of these U.S. funded assets was a consequence of how quickly U.S. aid was dismantled, as well as the suspension of this foreign aid in such a sudden manner. They said that typically, if the U.S. was cutting funding to a humanitarian partner, they would work with USAID to develop what's called a disposition plan. This was to ensure that any materials that were purchased with U.S. taxpayer money were either donated to another organization or disposed of properly.

Now, this did not happen in this case when that funding for Yemen was suddenly cut almost overnight in these former officials words, back in April of 2025, the organizations were not given guidance on what to do next. And the former officials said that those who were still left working at USAID, who had not been put on leave or furloughed at that point, were not even allowed to provide any sort of guidance to those partners on the ground, nor were they given guidance on what they should tell them.

[14:50:06]

Now, this was especially complicated in northern Yemen, where the Houthis, this Iranian-backed group, was in control, is in control there.

Now, according to one of these former officials. They described the organizations on the ground as being really, really scared, particularly because the Houthis have kidnapped, tortured and killed U.S. government. U.N. and NGO workers in the past. And now that there were assets at play, the Houthis began to come in and start taking items by force.

Some of these organizations were no longer receiving funding for their warehouses, for example, where they were storing hygiene kits, for example, that had been paid for by the U.S. taxpayer. This particular instance of the $122,000 in U.S. assets that were seized, this included vehicles, according to the USAID watchdog, who released a summary in early April of this year. They said that the organization turned these things over to the Houthis for fear of their staff and their safety. Now, they also said in this OIG report that U.S. aid officials had tried to do the right thing in terms of trying to develop disposition plans here, and they were not able to do so.

Now, of course, the kicker in all of this is that these cuts at USAID, the dismantlement of that agency, were done because the Trump administration said they were trying to cut back on waste, fraud and abuse. But according to these former officials, it was precisely these cuts that led to these taxpayer-funded materials ending up in Houthi hands.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JIMENEZ: All right. Jennifer Hansler, appreciate the reporting.

Coming up, a new poll reveals Americans are not satisfied with Trump's handling of the war in Iran. We're going to take a look at what that could tell us about who is motivated to turn out for the midterms.

Stay with us.

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[14:56:39]

JIMENEZ: Journey across France with Eva Longoria as she discovers its rich history and influence.

She sat down with CNN anchor Jessica Dean to talk about one of the most unique regions in all of France -- Alsace.

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JESSICA DEAN, CNN ANCHOR: You travel to Alsace, and it sits right at the border of France and Germany. What is that geography mean for -- for the sense of place?

EVA LONGORIA, CNN HOST, "SEARCHING FOR FRANCE": Historically, it's been a highly disputed territory because it was Germany, it was France, it was Germany again. During World War Two, there were some families that had two sons, one fighting on the German side, one fighting on the French side, depending on the year they were born. But what I loved about Alsace was they're not French or German. They're Alsatian. They really have their own regional identity.

The French Rieslings in that area are so different than German Rieslings. They're not sweet. They're much drier. They have German influence in the food. They're sausages and pork. Their bread is different. Their pastry is different.

The birthplace of the brasserie is Alsace, and during this time, after World War Two, the concept was taken to Paris and it exploded in Paris. They loved this idea of a brasserie. And so that's why Paris is really known for brasseries, but theyre born in Alsace.

I went to Auberge de I'lll, which is a four generation inn where their great grandmother used to just fish in the river and serve it to the people who were staying at the inn, all the way to today, which has been one of the longest Michelin star holding restaurants in France.

Interesting story with that inn, it was bombed during World War Two and they had to rebuild it. And I said, oh my gosh, the Nazis bombed the enemies? And he said, no, the French by accident.

DEAN: Oh, no!

LONGORIA: Blew up a bridge near them so that the Nazis wouldn't cross the river. And the dynamite -- was too much dynamite, and it destroyed their inn. Today is the rebuilt one after World War Two.

DEAN: There's also this moment where you share a meal with one of the oldest Holocaust survivors.

LONGORIA: Yeah, in Strasbourg.

DEAN: What was that like?

LONGORIA: It was really an honor to hear her story, to be a witness to her experience that is so vivid in her mind. She's over 100 years old and remembers everything that happened.

She, of course, had the numbers tattooed on her arm, had tremendous loss in her family. You know, her mother, her brother, her father, everybody died, gas chamber or labor. They just didn't make it back. So she's made a life in memory of those family members.

We got to cook a Shabbat dinner, and that was an honor to really not only experience that peace and unity of a Shabbat dinner, but to share it with her.

DEAN: She's living history.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JIMENEZ: You can watch two new episodes of Eva Longoria searching for France tonight at 9:00 p.m. on CNN, and tomorrow on the CNN app.

(MUSIC)

JIMENEZ: All right, everyone. Thanks for joining me. I'm Omar Jimenez, sitting in for Fredricka Whitfield.

We got a lot of news to get to, including new developments in the ongoing back and forth negotiations aimed at ending the U.S. war with Iran. This afternoon, a spokesperson for Iran's foreign minister said the U.S. has responded to their latest peace proposal, and Tehran is now assessing Washington's reply.