Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

U.S. to Begin Escorting Ships Through The Strait Of Hormuz; Gas Prices Hit War-Time High; New Poll Has Trump Disapproval At Highest Level Of Either Term; Elon Musk Testifies In Battle With OpenAI's Sam Altman; Fashion's Biggest Night Kicks Off At The Met Gala 2026. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired May 03, 2026 - 18:00   ET

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

[18:01:11]

JESSICA DEAN, CNN ANCHOR: You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. Hi, everyone. I'm Jessica Dean here in New York.

And we begin this hour with breaking news as President Trump announcing that in a matter of hours, the U.S. will begin escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz. The president, posting on Truth Social the effort will begin tomorrow, adding, U.S. negotiators are having, quote, "very positive discussions with Iran."

Now, this comes after top White House envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed to CNN the U.S. is, in his words, in conversation with Tehran, and after Iran's Foreign Ministry said the U.S. responded to its newest peace proposal, a response Tehran says it's now reviewing.

Let's bring in CNN's Betsy Klein from Doral, Florida. She can pick it up from there.

Betsy, what more are we learning this evening?

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jessica, it appears that there's been a major shift in these peace talks between the U.S. and Iran. After somewhat of a stalemate, the back and forth exchange of proposals between these two countries appears to be picking back up. But all of this is very fluid.

Let me just take you through the last 72 hours or so. It was back on Friday as the president prepared to depart the White House to come to Florida, that he said that he did not -- he was not happy with the deal that Iran had put forward and that the U.S. might be better off if there is no deal at all. Then on Saturday, as he was preparing to depart West Palm Beach to come here to Doral, he said he had received Iran's latest response a 14-point peace proposal, and would be reviewing it.

But he cast a lot of doubt on that. Really underscored by his post to social media as he was in flight, that he said he couldn't imagine that it would be acceptable in that Iran, in his words, had not yet paid a big enough price for what they have done to humanity. It is not clear what price the president is looking for Iran to pay. But today, according to a spokesperson for Iran's foreign minister, the U.S. had submitted a response and Iran is now reviewing it.

Now, President Trump, with a very different tone in a very lengthy post to social media moments ago, making clear that there has been a shift. I want to read to you part of that. He says, quote, "I am fully aware that my representatives are having very positive discussions with the country of Iran, and that these discussions could lead to something very positive for all."

Now, the president spent hours today at his Doral Golf Club for the PGA Tour, where he was joined by Steve Witkoff, his special envoy, one of the top negotiators in this conflict. And Witkoff told our colleague Peter Morris that we are in conversation with Iran. There is also another major development, and that is that President Trump has announced that the U.S. will begin to help escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

Of course, that is that critical oil thoroughfare in what he says is a humanitarian gesture. He is calling this Project Freedom and says that it will begin Monday. He says the U.S. will be helping guide ships that are from countries all around the world, most of whom are not involved in this conflict at all. Guide them safely out of these waterways so that they can get on with their business.

Now, according to a CNN estimate, there are about 20,000 sailors who for months have been stuck around this strait. And that announcement comes as we are continuing to see major economic impacts from the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The price of gas up about $0.34 over the past week -- Jessica.

DEAN: All right. Betsy Klein with the latest in Florida. Thank you so much for that reporting.

And we're joined now by CNN global affairs analyst and Iran expert Karim Sadjadpour. He's also a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

It is great to have you here with us. We're just getting that report there from Betsy Klein. I'm curious what you think about this idea of there being a shift in these talks. Do you think that's -- would you say that -- is that how you would categorize it as well?

[18:05:02]

KARIM SADJADPOUR, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, Jessica, I think it's clear that both the United States and Iran want to conclude this war, but I think we're still very far apart when it comes to the specific terms. It's not lost -- shouldn't be lost on anyone that markets open tomorrow. And I think over the last weeks, we've constantly heard mixed messages from President Trump and that he wants to signal to the markets that the war is winding down to bring down the price of oil, but at the same time signal to Tehran that if they're not prepared to compromise, the war could return.

This war has been very devastating economically for the Iranian regime, in particular, the economic blockade. It's estimated they're losing around $450 million a day. And this is already a regime which is battling 70 percent inflation. I just read some reports today that public sector workers in Iran haven't been paid for more than a month now. And so you can see the impetus on both parties to want to end the war. But I think the negotiations are still probably going to take many months to lead us anywhere.

DEAN: And today, we've had statements from different levels of the Iranian regime. And I'm curious what you make of the process right now, who's calling the shots there, how that's going.

SADJADPOUR: Power in Iran is very diffuse now. If we were having this conversation a few months ago, for 37 years, Iran had been ruled by the same man, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and he had total power, political, military, religious, economic. And now no single individual has that kind of power. His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, has obviously succeeded him, but we haven't seen him. We haven't heard from him since he was named supreme leader.

We know that the Revolutionary Guards are the power behind him, but the Revolutionary Guards are not a monolithic actor either. So I think the battle for power in Iran is a process which will likely take months, if not years. I do think that there is a, you know, a general view within the Iranian regime that they can't fight this war indefinitely. But that battle within the Revolutionary Guards will also play out in the negotiating room.

DEAN: And speaking of the Revolutionary Guard, earlier it claimed it had pushed Washington into a corner and Trump's decision-making window had narrowed. Again, that's what they were saying. In terms of who those messages are directed toward, is that for a domestic audience there in Iran, it's for them to be perceived as powerful and in charge? Is that for people in Washington? Is it a little bit of both?

SADJADPOUR: I think it's a little bit of both. They always want to signal to their adversary, in this case, the United States, that don't think that the pressure is working to bring us to the table. They always want to project defiance because they believe that if you give in to pressure, that's going to actually embolden your adversary to take a step forward.

And obviously, any dictatorship, for any dictatorship, the most important thing is to be feared by its population. And so they're also trying to project to their own population that we're strong, we're not weak. Don't get any ideas to mobilize politically.

DEAN: And Iran's Foreign Ministry says currently the plan does not include any nuclear issues. The Trump administration obviously has made that a core goal of all of this. That is something they want solved, and they want that as part of any sort of deal. What is the likelihood you would say of the Trump administration getting their way? Or do you think the Iranian regime will try to essentially play for time and deal with the Strait of Hormuz first and see if they can kind of drag out the nuclear piece of this?

SADJADPOUR: So Iran's first priority is they want the blockade lifted because, as I mentioned, they're suffering a lot. It's very difficult for them to get their primary revenue generator, which is their oil exports out of the country as a result of this blockade. For President Trump, that's his chief source of leverage. And so he doesn't want to have a piecemeal conversation. He wants to address the nuclear issue.

I think the sequencing, it's going to probably be difficult for Tehran to dictate terms here. At the same time, I think President Trump's hope that this can be a quick negotiation, which will be done in a few weeks, and then he can move on to other issues, is also optimistic.

DEAN: All right. Karim Sadjadpour, thank you for your time. We appreciate it. Nice to see you.

SADJADPOUR: Thank you, Jessica.

DEAN: Yes. Still ahead, gas prices jumping yet again as they steadily increase toward a record high. CNN is speaking with drivers feeling the impact of that. Plus a spirited sendoff. How a different airline jumped in to honor a retiring Spirit Airlines pilot whose final flight was canceled when the company shut down unexpectedly.

[18:10:05]

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DEAN: If you've been putting off filling up your tank due to those high gas prices, AAA says they're not coming down anytime soon. This weekend, the average price for a gallon of gas spiked to $4.45. That is an increase in just one week of about $0.35 and up nearly $1.50 since the start of the war with Iran a little over two months ago.

Let's go to CNN's Gloria Pazmino, who is at a gas station here in New York.

And, Gloria, I know you've been talking with drivers really all week. And throughout this whole conflict, as we've seen these prices go up, how are they feeling today?

[18:15:05]

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Jessica. And, you know, I would say that the primary point of conversation with the drivers today has been a feeling of frustration, but also a feeling of helplessness in a way. You know, many of the drivers we've spoken to here in Queens, especially in this area where a lot of cab drivers, Uber drivers are coming in, they've been telling us that they have to fill up their gas tank because they have to go to work, and even some people who are breaking even, they're still making some money, they were telling us that it's still costing them a lot more money to get everything else.

Food is more expensive, gas is going up. So they're really having a hard time. I spoke to a guy who told me that if he fills up the tank, then maybe it means that that day he can't have lunch. And another one who told me that he works a sixth and a seventh day in order to try and make sure he can stay afloat. There's also a sense of resignation among some of these drivers. They feel like they have no control over the situation. They know that prices are likely to keep going up, at least until this conflict in the Middle East continues to drag on.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ISMAHEL SOUMHORO, DRIVER: Yes, that's the reason why we have to work now, the seven day. Because when you think about the gas price, you go to the store, you want to buy the food, the grocery, forget it.

JEFF OLSON, DRIVER: He got us getting involved in a stupid war. I think that's had a direct -- obviously a direct effect on the cost of everything here. You know, we're only like putting small amounts of gas in at a time in hopes that the prices are going to come down again soon.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It really sucks. Gas going up every single day now from $3.16, now it's $4.45 and the same price. So it's affecting everyone, not only me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAZMINO: So let's break down the numbers, Jessica. As you said in the beginning, the national average for gas prices right now is hovering right around $4.45, about a 35 cent increase in the past week and a dollar, nearly $1.50 higher than before the war started back in February.

And I want to show you some of the numbers here in New York, because they're some of the highest in the country, $4.45. So trending with the national average right now for the regular gallon here in New York City. And if you get the premium option, you're getting $5.43 significantly higher.

And if you're in California, Jessica, even worse, they're seeing up to $6.10 a gallon there.

DEAN: All right, Gloria Pazmino here in New York. Thank you for that.

Among all the news about Spirit Airlines closing down yesterday, there was this act of kindness from a competitor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The gentleman, Mr. John Jackson.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: That's the greeting Spirit pilot, Captain John Jackson, received from Southwest Airlines employees after they got word Jackson was supposed to fly his last flight into retirement on Saturday. After the sudden Spirit shut down denied him that Jackson boarded a Southwest flight to head home alongside his son, Chris.

So Chris talked to the Southwest pilots, told him about his dad's retirement. The pilots then worked with the ground dispatch to deliver a last day for him that was worthy of his retirement. As Jackson's flight taxied to the gate in Baltimore, he was met with that traditional water cannon salute and the cheering welcome once he got inside.

New polling showing Americans are not satisfied with President Trump in a number of key areas. How his poll results could impact Republicans as we go into primary season.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:23:12]

DEAN: Today marks six months until the midterm elections. Republicans will be defending their majorities in the House and Senate. A new poll is sounding some alarm for them, for the president. According to a "Washington Post"-ABC News-Ipsos poll, President Trump's overall approval stands now at 37 percent, his disapproval at 62 percent, the highest of his two terms in office.

Let's bring in CNN political commentator and Democratic strategist Maria Cardona and Republican strategist and former White House spokesperson in the George W. Bush administration, Pete Seat.

It is good to see both of you on this Sunday. Six months away. It's like an eternity. But we can talk about it anyway because it is this year.

Pete, this poll found a majority disapproving of the war with Iran, disapproving of the president's handling of the economy, disapproving of how he's handled affordability. When do Republicans start to worry about these numbers, or are they?

PETE SEAT, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Well, a couple of points. First, it would be a dereliction of campaign strategy to dismiss these numbers. At the same time, I think it's important to recognize that polling Donald Trump is very difficult because of all the negativity and chaos that surrounds him and the hardened opinions that Americans have 11 years into this Trump era.

So when you ask approve-disapprove, it's really a proxy for, do you like or dislike Donald Trump? Case in point, 95 percent of Democrats said they disapprove. 85 percent of Republicans, 95 percent of MAGA Republicans said that they approve of him. And we also see that we have the ability with Donald Trump to look back on the positives, the results of his policies, and not get caught up in the emotion of the rhetoric as time goes on, which is in large part why he was reelected in 2024 after he left office with really, really low approval ratings.

[18:25:13]

But very quickly, there's also a lot of nuance beneath the top lines here, particularly when it comes to the Iran war. A lot of people, very high percentages, say it was a mistake. But when you ask them if it's been successful or unsuccessful or too early to tell, the too early to tell number is pretty high and significantly high. People are holding their powder and waiting to see how it all plays out.

DEAN: And I do think that, look, there's more -- to your point, there's always more if you keep looking through here to kind of illuminate.

One thing that stuck out to me, Maria, was when you looked at independent voters, which swung toward Donald Trump in 2024. At this point, 25 percent of independent voters say they approve of the job that the president is doing. And when you look at the generic congressional ballot, Democrats have a five-point advantage right there. So that's just across the board.

MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Right. Right.

DEAN: When you look at it among independents, that widens out to almost 20 points that Democrats have among independents. So if you're a Democrat and you're looking at this that I would think seems like an opportunity. But how do Democrats convert that -- those numbers into actual wins and convincing people to vote for them?

CARDONA: Democrats have already been doing that, Jessica. And, you know, to Pete's point, he did a great job trying to spin these dismal numbers for Donald Trump and Republicans. It is a snapshot. And Democrats cannot take anything for granted. And they aren't. And you're seeing that across the board in all of the elections that are taking place, even ever since Trump took office.

And it's not just the elections that took place for governor of Virginia and New Jersey last year, where the Democratic candidates just trounced their Republican opponents but it's been happening across the board. In fact, yesterday, Democrats won a deep red mayorship in Texas, and this has been happening again in legislative seats. Democrats have flipped over 30 legislative seats recently from red to blue. Republicans have flipped zero.

So I think what these numbers show is the trend, which is what Republicans need to be really concerned about. Americans have had it. They have had it with the betrayal of Trump and Republicans who promised they would bring down the cost of groceries, of gas, of rent, not to get into any forever wars. And they have done exactly the opposite, Jessica. And that is what Democrats are going to continue to run on.

They're going to say that it's Democrats are the ones that are going to fix the affordability crisis. They're going to focus on the issues that their voters really care about. And that's why Democrats have been winning. And if they continue to do that for the next six months, and they will, I believe that Democrats are going to have a terrific midterm election in November.

DEAN: Pete, what do you say to those independent numbers?

SEAT: Well, what I say to Maria's point is the Democrat brand is toxic. Their favorability rating, according to a poll conducted by and released by CNN exactly one month ago today, had them 10 points below where Donald Trump sits today. Their brand is worse than Donald Trump's brand. And why is that? Lack of vision, lack of direction, no agenda other than Trump is bad. Yes, they probably will do well --

(CROSSTALK)

CARDONA: But then why are we winning, Pete?

SEAT: They probably will do well in November based on that, but we're still at a loss for what they actually believe in other than everything they're against whatever Donald Trump is for. The only thing we know Democrats want to do is put us through yet another impeachment rodeo. And that's not going to serve the American people. They may be successful. History says they probably will be successful in November, but their brand is really, really bad right now. They don't have much to stand on.

CARDONA: But if that were true, Pete, then Democrats would not be winning the historic elections that we have been winning thus far in deep red, ruby red states where they have no business even being competitive. So while you're right, and I say this every single day to my party, we cannot take anything for granted. And we have to talk about what we are for and what we will do for voters, not just talk about how horrific Donald Trump and Republicans have been.

But the fact is, is that voters are sick of this administration, of their high costs, of their abuse of power, of their chaos, of their corruption, and sick of Republicans who have been nothing but cowardly because they have absolutely have had no gumption in standing up to Donald Trump and standing for what their voters want.

[18:30:18]

And that's why they're in so much trouble. And as long as Democrats continue to point that out and talk about what they will do for voters, we're going to have a great midterm election, take over the House and very possibly the Senate as well.

DEAN: Pete, I do want to ask you, just because you are a former spokesperson for the Indiana Republican Party, they are having a primary coming up this week. Obviously, that state resisted pressure from the Trump administration to redraw its congressional map. That then resulted in Trump endorsing several challengers in various state races. So I'm curious just what you're watching for as we head into this primary Tuesday.

SEAT: What's been so fascinating to me, Jessica, is redistricting was the recruitment tool. That's what got most of these challengers to run against entrenched incumbents. But the campaigns have not been about redistricting, which I think goes to the point the incumbents have been making all along, which is their constituents reached out to them and said, don't vote for these new maps.

The campaigns instead have been what you expect in a Republican primary. The incumbents are insufficiently conservative. They don't stand with Donald Trump enough, yada, yada, yada. What will happen, I don't know, it will probably be a mixed bag. I think in the cases that challengers win, it certainly is because Donald Trump backed them, endorsed them. Money flowed into these campaigns.

But in the instances that incumbents prevail, I don't think it's a rebuke of Donald Trump as much as it is an illustration of Hoosier sensibilities. We pride ourselves on cutting through the noise and not doing what people tell us to do, especially when those people come from Washington, D.C. but I'm curious, 48 hours away from polls closing, it's going to be a wild night.

DEAN: Yes. And, Maria, I'll let you have the last word. Just generally, too, on the thoughts. And I know you're saying a lot of these primaries and special elections, you feel like are giving us, you know, some tea leaves to read as we head into the midterms.

CARDONA: Yes, I think that's exactly right. But, again, I will repeat, Democrats cannot take anything for granted, but the numbers should make Republicans really nervous. And I'm going to be curious to see what Republicans from here up until election day, if they get any backbone to try to separate themselves from the incredibly unpopular policies that Donald Trump is putting out there, almost as if he doesn't give a crap about what happens to Republicans during the midterm elections.

And this whole redistricting thing I think is another thing that will be a negative for Republicans. This huge power grab that they are focusing on just tells voters how desperate they are to keep power at any expense, lying, cheating, stealing, to make sure that Donald Trump and Republicans continue to stay in power. And that is a huge turnoff for voters. And they want Democrats, they want candidates to fight for them, not to fight for themselves to stay in power.

DEAN: All right, Maria and Pete, we got to leave it there. But I do appreciate both of you. Good to see you.

CARDONA: Thank you, Jessica.

DEAN: We will see you what the weeks -- this week brings us and the weeks to come. Thank you to both of you.

And be sure to catch a CNN special event hosted by Kaitlan Collins and Elex Michaelson. It is the California governor primary debate live from Los Angeles. That's happening Tuesday at 9:00 p.m. Eastern, 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time here on CNN. You can also watch it on our app.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:38:16]

DEAN: Elon Musk is warning A.I. could kill us all. Musk and Sam Altman due to face off in a federal courtroom in California tomorrow after the Tesla CEO testified for three straight days last week. Musk is suing OpenAI for shifting from primarily being a nonprofit lab to a for-profit company overseen by a nonprofit foundation, saying the company lied to him and betrayed their mission.

CNN contributor and technology journalist Jacob Ward is joining us now.

Jacob, thanks for being here with us. Break down this case for us. What do you see as the biggest takeaway or development so far?

JACOB WARD, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I guess I would say, Jessica, that this is a, you know, it's a battle between two of the most powerful people in the world for credit. I mean, fundamentally, I think that's what it is. Right? Elon Musk, I think, is used to being the figurehead of, you know, transformative company after transformative company. And in this case, he was at one time at the top of this company alongside Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, the president of OpenAI.

And at that time, he was asking for literally, according to court documents, quote-unquote, "unequivocal control" of the company. And he said eventually it would dilute because he'd have investors. But, you know, at the time, he was looking for more than, you know, a full majority control of the company. And then eventually, because they wouldn't give him that in the long term, he seems to have fallen out with Sam Altman and Brockman.

And that is, I think, fundamentally at this point, why it is he's suing the two of them and trying to implicate Microsoft, which OpenAI went on to partner with, Jessica.

DEAN: Yes. And I know you were in the courtroom during some of the trial this week. What was that experience like? Help us understand kind of the atmosphere in that room, kind of what stuck out to you.

[18:40:00]

WARD: Yes. Well, I mean, you know, there's the -- there's all the courtroom shenanigans themselves. And it's funny, you know, to be there with the world's richest man 40 feet away, you sort of, you know, you're starstruck for a few minutes and then after about 15 minutes, you go, oh, man, I wonder what we're going to have for lunch. And I wonder if that was how the jurors were feeling as well.

There's also, you know, I would just say, what's so great about court in the United States is that it doesn't matter that you're the richest man in the world. You don't get a green room. There's no like VIP bathroom. There's no velvet ropes. I mean, you got to use the restroom in the same way everybody else does. I had to stand in line waiting for the restroom with Sam Altman at one point.

There's just something wonderfully sort of equalizing about it all. And the judge, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, you know, when she spoke to Elon Musk and said, listen, I need you to answer these questions more simply. We got to move it along here. Literally the richest man in the world, a man whose GDP, you know, whose personal wealth equals the GDP of more than 150 countries, he turns to her and he says, yes, your honor.

And so to see these guys really having to play by the rules that everybody has to play by was kind of an amazing experience.

DEAN: Yes, you make a great point. There's nowhere to really to hide there. It's everybody gets treated the same.

All right, just quickly before we go, what else are you looking -- what are you looking for now as we go back this week?

WARD: Well, this week we're going to hear from Sam Altman. So we'll hear his side of the story. Musk says that Altman and Brockman betrayed the early principles. I'm sure Altman is going to get on the stand and say, you know what? We tried to keep him in there. We just wouldn't give him unequivocal control. And fundamentally, I think it comes down to vibes a lot of the time for juries.

And Musk, I would say, presented a pretty hostile guy, a guy clearly used to getting his way. Altman is famously a little smoother than that, and so we'll see if he's able to be that smooth in front of the jury the way he's going to need to be -- Jessica.

DEAN: We certainly will. Jacob Ward, good to see you. Thanks for your time.

WARD: Appreciate it.

DEAN: One superstar drew crowds of more than two million people to the popular Copacabana Beach in Rio. More on that next.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:46:30]

DEAN: This weekend, superstar Shakira hitting the beach.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHAKIRA, SINGER: (Speaking in foreign language)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DEAN: An estimated two million fans gathering on Rio de Janeiro's Copacabana Beach, according to city officials, for a free concert Saturday night. They dance on the beach just like similar past free shows held there by Madonna and Lady Gaga, while skywriting drones flew overhead, spelling out "I love you, Brazil" in Portuguese. The show is part of Shakira's "Women No Longer Cry" world tour, named after her 2024 album.

Tonight, two brand new episodes of Eva Longoria's "SEARCHING FOR FRANCE," she's going to take viewers on a journey from the golden slope in Burgundy to the mountains of Alsace, a region known for its mixed German and French identity. And I talked with Eva about the cuisine, but also the painful legacy from World War II that still shapes the culture and living memory of the region today. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: You travel to Alsace and it sits right at the border of France and Germany. What does that geography mean for the sense of place?

EVA LONGORIA, CNN HOST, "EVA LONGORIA 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 II, 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, their 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 II, 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 they're born in Alsace.

I went to Auberge de l'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 II and they had to rebuild it. And I said, oh, my gosh, the Nazis bombed the inn? 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, it was too much dynamite, and it destroyed their inn. Today is the rebuilt one after World War II.

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

LONGORIA: Yes. 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 whole 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)

[18:50:06]

DEAN: Be sure to tune in two new episodes of "EVA LONGORIA SEARCHING FOR FRANCE" air tonight at 9:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific only here on CNN.

Gearing back -- gearing up for the biggest night in fashion after the break, it's a preview of what to expect on the Met Gala red carpet from one of the biggest fashion names in the industry.

You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:55:04]

DEAN: Tomorrow night, the biggest names in fashion will show off head turning looks at the Met Gala in New York City. French luxury brand Yves Saint Laurent is known for dressing celebrities in bold pieces in the event.

CNN's Jason Carroll spoke with the brand's creative director to preview tomorrow's gala, including this year's theme, "Fashion is Art."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hours to go, last-minute preparations are underway. Some crowds have already started to gather to try to get a look at the red carpet, which is poised to reveal just who wore what at this year's Met Gala. The event held here at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which is located just blocks away from another location.

(Voice-over): We caught up with the man so many have turned to for the big night.

Emotionally where are you at this point now that we're just hours away from the Met Gala?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm excited. I was like kind of nervous last week.

CARROLL (voice-over): Meet Anthony Vaccarello. He's the creative director at famed French fashion house Saint Laurent, one of this year's sponsors of the Met Gala.

ANTHONY VACCARELLO, CREATIVE DIRECTOR, SAINT LAURENT: Now I'm more like relaxed and excited. I have the feeling I project over that image of someone very calm and very controlled, but inside it can be like boiling. But this time it's fine.

CARROLL (voice-over): Previous galas have featured eye catching themes exploring religion, camp or so-called sleeping beauties. This time, the theme is costume art. The dress code, "Fashion is Art." So if one thinks that means Vaccarello will recreate that 1965 Yves Saint Laurent Mondrian painting art dress, think again.

VACCARELLO: I freak out when stylists of celebrities start sending the Mondrian dress. I don't like the dress.

CARROLL: OK.

VACCARELLO: I have the feeling that with the years, people want to look more like a costume and like to get buzz and to get like --

CARROLL: Clicks.

VACCARELLO: Clicks. And it's not my -- it's not my thing. So I prefer like the woman and the man be like beautiful and feel confident in their clothes rather than putting like, you know, like things on their head.

CARROLL: Is fashion art?

VACCARELLO: No. Because we have to do collection every six months. And for me, art is something that, to do like a piece of art, something that have to be done that have to take 10 years, 15 years, 20 years, something that you really, really came from your gut.

CARROLL (voice-over): Typically, there's talk about the hits and misses on the carpet. This year already controversy, not just about the clothes, but about the billionaires who will be wearing them. Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez Bezos are gala co-sponsors. Thanks to the efforts made by Anna Wintour, former editor-in-chief of Vogue and the million-dollar fundraising force behind the gala. This has angered critics who have accused the couple of buying their way into culture, among other critiques.

Talks about boycotting, talks about people not showing up or, you know, people not buying tickets. Do you have any concerns that that will overshadow what you're trying to do?

VACCARELLO: No, I really came here for Anna. I came here for the Met, to support the Met and also to celebrate the 10 years I'm doing at Saint Laurent. So I'm really here for that with doing. Yes.

CARROLL: I'm sure it was sort of like in private circles people are saying, Anthony, oh, my gosh, this year there's all this craziness surrounding the Met. How do you respond? How do you --

VACCARELLO: To be honest, from Paris, we don't have the same political thing. I mean, we don't have the same perception that you have here. So I'm really here like just to celebrate.

CARROLL (voice-over): Despite all that is happening off the red carpet, Vaccarello says he's focused on what he's sending down the carpet. He's tasked with dressing nearly a dozen A-listers for the evening. VACCARELLO: What I pay attention since my arrival at Saint Laurent is

to really pay attention at every person looks very personal and different. That's why I don't dress everyone. I like to dress people that I know, I admire and I love. So I know all those different persons kind of good to know what's the best for them.

CARROLL: So is that collaborative or do you come to them with an idea and they come to you with an idea?

VACCARELLO: It depends. It's like sometimes they kind of lost and want to have like a direction.

CARROLL: Yes.

VACCARELLO: But I like a woman with strong personality. And I have the feeling that this year they all knew what they want to wear.

CARROLL (voice-over): He has years of experience designing while also managing strong celebrity personalities at Saint Laurent. As this year marks Vaccarello's 10-year anniversary as creative director.

Does it feel like 10 years has been 20 years?

VACCARELLO: It's crazy. It was like a blink and at the same time it was intense, but it went fast. It's such a beautiful job. It's such a beautiful, it's such a privilege to do that.

CARROLL (voice-over): Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: All right. Jason, thanks for that.

Tonight, a look at one of the most powerful and influential people in the fashion industry, "BEHIND THE BOB: VOGUE'S ANNA WINTOUR," tonight at 8:00 Eastern and Pacific on CNN. You can also watch on the CNN app.