Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

U.S. Military: Shot Down Iranian Drones Threatening Hormuz; U.S. and Iran Trade Fire as Talks Show No Sign of Progress; Zelenskyy to Meet Top European Allies; 12 Injured in Shooting at Ohio Festival; Pope Leo's Tour of Spain; Trump to Host A.I. Leaders at the White House; Cuban Protesters Voice Frustration Over Energy Crisis; Protests Continue in Albania Over Trump-Linked Resort. Aired 4-5a ET

Aired June 07, 2026 - 04:00   ET

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

[04:00:00]

JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: -- praying that they do not break our hearts because maybe, just maybe, this one is different.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I do think a lot of his campaign staffers were die-hard believe in the cause fans, and a lot of them do work in the White House right now. That's his legacy, and I think that puts a nice bow on a story that is a big ol' mess.

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers. Joining us here in the United States and all around the world, I'm Lynda Kinkade.

Just ahead, a fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire under further strain, and Israel and Hezbollah continue to exchange deadly strikes despite diplomatic efforts to contain the fighting. We'll have the latest developments on the conflict in the Middle East. Plus, Cuba's energy crisis worsening with rolling blackouts and growing economic pressure as new U.S. sanctions tighten financial restrictions on the island. We'll look at where things stand between the two nations. And the search for an American college student missing in Japan has ended in tragedy. More on the investigation coming up.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN Newsroom with Lynda Kinkade.

KINKADE: The United States is vowing to continue defending against what it describes as Iranian aggression. U.S. forces shot down two Iranian attack drones Saturday that were threatening the traffic in the critical Strait of Hormuz, according to Central Command. And it comes just a day after the U.S. intercepted ballistic missiles and drones fired by Iran towards multiple Gulf nations.

Pakistani mediators have arrived in Iran for a new round of negotiations. A top Iranian official told CNN talks were at a deadlock over the $24 billion of Iranian assets frozen by the U.S. The death toll keeps rising in Lebanon, where Israel says it's targeting Hezbollah strongholds.

The Lebanese health ministry says nearly 3,600 people have been killed since March 2nd. That's despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.

CNN's Barbie Latza Nadeau joins us now live from Rome. Good to have you with us, Barbie. So, the ceasefires are seriously being tested right now. Let's just start with Iran, which, of course, is accusing the U.S. of violating the truce. Where do things stand right now?

BARBIE LATZA NADEAU, CNN REPORTER: Well, you know, there is some optimism with these Pakistani mediators who have arrived in Tehran to start restart these negotiations. Now, we heard from the Iranian officials late last week that they said that the negotiations are at a standstill, at a deadlock. But U.S. President Donald Trump seems to be a little bit more optimistic. Let's listen to what he told NBC News yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You have been saying for months, Mr. President, that Iran is begging to make a deal.

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: True.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They are so desperate to make a deal. Why haven't they made a deal with you yet?

TRUMP: Because they -- it's a very hard thing for them. They've had great independence. They've dealt with very weak and ineffective leadership on behalf of the United States and other countries, frankly, that were -- that allowed them to get away with murder. And I don't -- I think they can't believe they're in the situation where they've been virtually decapitated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NADEAU: And, you know, Lynda, one of the main points of contention here are $24 billion worth of frozen Iranian assets. And we just heard that the Treasury Department said that some of those frozen assets could actually be used to rebuild some of the damage in the Gulf states that -- where it was basically collateral damage after the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.

So, whether or not that's going to be enough for Iran to agree to a deal is yet to be seen. But these Pakistani mediators, certainly their presence in Tehran gives a little bit of hope in what has been an increasingly desperate situation there, Lynda.

KINKADE: Yes, of course. And in southern Lebanon, Barbie, the death toll continues to rise on both sides of the conflict there. What's the latest on the ground?

NADEAU: Well, you know, one of the big issues here is, of course, that the U.S.-backed ceasefire is between Lebanon and Israel, and that the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah is not party to that ceasefire. So, what we're seeing is basically the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel.

Now, we know that just this morning, Israel said that they stopped two projectiles coming from Lebanon, from the Lebanese side. So -- and we've had some deaths of Israeli soldiers there, plus the death toll is rising in Lebanon. And, of course, the people of Lebanon find themselves in a situation that they feel has nothing to do with them.

Death toll continues to rise, you know, evacuations in key parts of the country and in the southern part of Beirut. It's a very distressing situation.

[04:05:00]

But there, too, I guess there's hope that some ceasefire situation will hold. But as we see this morning, certainly that's not going to be anytime soon, certainly not today. Lynda.

KINKADE: Yes. Certainly not. Barbie Latza Nadeau, in Rome, thanks very much. Well, the fighting is picking up after an advisor to Iran's supreme leader told CNN that the negotiations with the U.S. are deadlocked. One U.S. national security and Middle East policy expert told CNN the two countries are trying to lock in some gains before more talks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANA STROUL, RESEARCH DIRECTOR, THE WASHINGTON INSTITUTE FOR NEAR EAST POLICY AND FORMER U.S. DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR MIDDLE EAST: I think this is two sides circling and seeing what they can get in the final stages of this initial negotiation. So, what's very clear is that we're really talking about a framework to continue negotiations. There's maybe an open for open. The United States opens its side of the naval blockade and the Iranians open their side of the Strait of Hormuz and allow traffic to resume. And then there are further discussions about the nuclear program and everything else.

But what the Iranians really, really need right now, because their economy is so severely degraded, is that sanctions relief. And so, these reports about the $24 billion in sanctions relief or unfrozen funds that they're asking right now, that is all about them trying to twist the knife and see how much they can get in those final stages of negotiations before people are ready to sign on the dotted line.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Well, family members are mourning the death of a seven- month-old baby, who Palestinians say was shot dead by Israeli troops. The boy was laid to rest Saturday, a day after his family's car was struck by bullets near the West Bank city of Hebron. Palestinian officials say the baby's parents were injured. His father says the shooting was not an accident.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FAHD ABU HAIKAL, BABY'S FATHER (through translator): What happened to us is not a matter of an apology. What happened is not that shots were fired by mistake and led to this tragedy. An apology in this case would amount to clearing a criminal perpetrator. To say it happened by mistake, that I didn't know you were coming here, or that the bullet passed through by accident, no, there is no such thing as by mistake in this case.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Israel's military says the soldiers believe the car was accelerating towards them before opening fire. It also says the incident is under review.

While Russia still holds roughly one-fifth of Ukraine's territory with gains over the past, you described as slow and costly. The war has increasingly shifted towards intense, long-range drone strikes, while formal peace talks remain stalled. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet with top European allies in the coming hours. The leaders of France, Germany and the UK will hold talks on Ukraine in London before they meet jointly with Mr. Zelenskyy.

On the front lines, officials say three people were injured in new Russian strikes on the city of Zaporizhzhia. Saturday's attack damaged at least eight residential buildings and caused two fires. That followed back-to-back Ukrainian drone attacks on or near St. Petersburg this week. The second attack came as Russia was wrapping up its flagship economic forum there, sometimes called Putin's Davos. Ukraine's long-range strikes are increasingly bringing the war home to cities deep inside Russia.

For more analysis, I want to welcome Oleksiy Sorokin, the deputy chief editor of the Kyiv Independent. He's joining us live from Ukraine's capital. Thanks for your time.

OLEKSIY SOROKIN, DEPUTY CHIEF EDITOR, THE KYIV INDEPENDENT: Thank you for having me.

KINKADE: So, Alexei, you're speaking to us from Kyiv after what was another week of major Russian attacks and one of Ukraine's most ambitious drone campaigns inside of Russia. Just give us a sense of the mood inside the capital. Is there a sense that Ukraine has regained momentum?

SOROKIN: Well, kind of, because Ukraine right now is able to attack almost any city in Russia, right? We see what's happening in St. Petersburg right now, and that lifts morale in Ukraine. It shows that Ukrainians can impose their will on the Russians. So, obviously, the mood is better than it was a few months back.

KINKADE: And, of course, Vladimir Putin has rejected Volodymyr Zelenskyy's call for a direct meeting. But Putin continues to reject confidence. You've spoken about the mounting pressure inside of Russia, saying it's more vulnerable than many outsiders believe. What evidence are you seeing that supports that view?

SOROKIN: Well, even the government-sponsored polls in Russia show that Russians are now caring more about the war because they see it happening above their windows, right? They see that Ukrainian drones can hit almost any city in Russia, in the European part of Russia.

[04:10:00] And so, we know that the population in Russia wants some kind of peace settlement. It doesn't mean that they want to see Russia lose this war, they want to see Russia win this war. But they feel that the war is continuing way too long, and there's pressure on the government in Russia, on their military, to maybe seek some kind of settlement.

KINKADE: Of course, Ukraine has shown it can repeatedly reach targets around St. Petersburg and also strategic military facilities deep inside Russia. Are these strikes changing the military balance? Can you talk to us also about the concerns about potential shortages in air defense systems?

SOROKIN: Well, I guess the problem right now for Ukraine is that it still has less drones and missiles than Russia has, right? And the air defense shortage is actually crucial right now. We see that with every Russian mass missile attack, more missiles actually pass, breach the air defense that Ukraine has, and more targets are hit by Russia.

So, there's definitely the sense that Ukraine is racing around the clock. Can it force Russia into meaningful negotiations? Can it gain air defense systems, air defense missiles from the West in time to defend itself? And right now, the situation is not that clear. So, Russia, in its turn, is thinking that with those attacks, every 10 days, every five days, it can force Ukraine into submission. Right now, it's not happening, but that's what's happening, right?

It's a race against the clock. It's a war of cities now with the front line not moving and both sides trying to penetrate the defenses of the other and force the other side into submission.

KINKADE: And just how does Western military support look as you head into the second half of this year?

SOROKIN: Well, the problem with the Ukrainian side right now is that it still depends on the West, right? Ukraine is still really much dependent on Western air defense, Western missiles, and that's not going to change anytime soon.

So, for Ukraine, for Zelenskyy, he has to continue speaking with the White House, with Europeans, and try to gain as much support as possible. Right now, it's not happening. We see what's happening in the States, right, where there's definitely a desire to support Ukraine. In Congress, we see that the congressmen are passing laws that can help Ukraine, but it's up to the White House to actually bolster support for Ukraine, to provide the missiles. And unfortunately, right now, we don't see that happening.

KINKADE: Well, as always, we wish you the very best. Oleksiy Sorokin, thanks so much for your time. We appreciate it.

SOROKIN: Thank you.

KINKADE: Police in Toledo, Ohio, are searching for suspects after a beloved community event ended in gun violence and chaos. Police say a local festival was upended by two shooters who were likely shooting at each other. Twelve people were hit by bullets in the apparent crossfire, with two in a critical condition. All are expected to survive. Officials say they were shocked by what they saw.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN GERKEN, INVESTIGATIVE LIEUTENANT TOLEDO POLICE: As far as violence, this is over the top, right? So, twelve people being shot, that's the most. I've been to a scene, I've been to a lot of scenes, but this is way over the top.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Investigators are asking community members for any information they may have.

There's a sad ending to the week-long saga of an American college student missing in Japan. Surge and rescue volunteers have located the 20-year-old's body in a mountainous area near Kyoto. CNN's Jenn Sullivan reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JENN SULLIVAN, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): It was supposed to be a celebration, the Higginbotham family traveling from Alabama to Japan to celebrate their youngest son's high school graduation. But the trip turned into a tragedy when their oldest son went missing.

After days of searching, the body of 20-year-old James Weston Higginbotham was found Saturday. His family posting on Facebook, saying in part, our family is heartbroken to share that Weston was found deceased by a volunteer search and rescue group in a mountainous area outside of Kyoto. The grief we feel is impossible to put into words.

Weston was a college student at Auburn University. He disappeared on May 29th after getting into an argument with his mom over the environmental impact of her use of A.I. His mother spoke to CNN's Erin Burnett Friday night before his body was found.

NANCY HIGGINBOTHAM, MOTHER OF JAMES "WESTON" HIGGINBOTHAM: He turned off his location. So, the police were able to track through CCT video that he stopped at the Yamashina station.

[04:15:00]

SULLIVAN (voice-over): The multi-day search involved more than 100 police officers, canine units and helicopters. On Saturday, the family launched their own search efforts with help from local residents and a hired search and rescue team. His family focused their search in a mountainous area because they said Weston loved nature and hiking and thought that's where he may have gone.

HIGGINBOTHAM: He just loves to go outside and go for a walk at a trail or go for a small hike, no matter what time of day, that's just fun to him.

SULLIVAN (voice-over): His family thanking the volunteers who helped them look for him on their Facebook page, closing out their message by saying, thank you for your thoughts, prayers and support. We will need them now more than ever. We will always love you, Weston.

I'm Jen Sullivan reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Ahead, we'll go live to Madrid, where Pope Leo is celebrating mass in a public plaza. We'll have the latest on his ongoing tour of Spain.

Also, taking a financial stake in A.I., President Trump's latest plan to benefit from the soaring success of major artificial intelligence companies.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:20:00]

KINKADE: This is a live look right now at Madrid as people there celebrate mass with Pope Leo. He is continuing his tour of Spain, drawing a huge crowd as he celebrates mass in one of the city's main plazas. Later today, he'll meet with members of the church's Augustine order and participate in a gathering of Spanish cultural representatives.

CNN Vatican Correspondent Christopher Lam joins us live from Madrid. Pope Leo there, speaking where you are. Good to have you with us. So, the Pope speaking about unity, rejecting polarization. How will his message be received today?

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Lynda, we've seen huge crowds turning out for Pope Leo here in Madrid. Organizers are estimating around 1.2 million are here for the mass. I've been watching Leo process through the streets on the Poma bill, the crowds are waving at him, cheering as a kind of a joyful atmosphere here. I'm about 600 meters away from where the mass is taking place and the crowds have spilled out to where I am as well.

Look, Spain obviously is a country that has undergone a lot of secularization and, you know, the feeling is that people not so connected with the church. However, there has been evidence to show that young people are showing an interest in Catholicism. And, of course, Spain is one of Europe's historic Catholic strongholds.

And the numbers turning out today show that there is real enthusiasm and interest in Pope Leo and his message, which, as you say, is going to be focused around unity in the face of what is a very polarized political climate. Pope Leo will, on Monday, tomorrow, go to address the Spanish Parliament. The first time a pope has done that and he's going to be coming face to face with some of the political divisions that do exist in the country.

But there is a sense that this trip is able to unite the country. There was a big event on Saturday night with young people where around half a million turned out for a prayer vigil. Leo himself seems very at home and happy to be in Spain. We've seen him in a way that's quite animated during his time here. Of course, he's a fluent Spanish speaker. Having spent years in Peru, he's visited Spain many times throughout his life. But there's really a huge crowd and a joyful atmosphere here in Madrid for this mass led by Pope Leo.

KINKADE: It also looks like a beautiful, sunny day there. This, of course, is the first papal visit in about 15 years, and the pope doesn't shy away from difficult subjects. He's also going to address abuse in the church. How will that be handled?

LAMB: Well, the Vatican has confirmed that Pope Leo will be meeting with abuse victims. We don't know exactly when, but Pope Leo has made listening to abuse survivors an important part of his pontificate. He's met with abuse survivors in the Vatican several times. Of course, the abuse crisis has hit Spain in the way it's hit so many countries in the Western world. The commission reported a few years ago that there was a large number of cases and cover-ups. I think Leo will want to meet and listen with survivors and address that question.

And on board the plane from Rome to Madrid, the pope said that abuses are still an open wound in the church. This will also be something he'll want to focus on. Lynda.

KINKADE: Yes. No doubt. Christopher Lamb, we appreciate having you there in Madrid, thanks so much.

Well, the pope also warned earlier about A.I. in what was his first major theological document last month. The Trump administration is considering equity stakes in artificial intelligence companies.

Profit sharing with the American public is on the table as well. President Trump told reporters on Air Force One Friday that he plans to host A.I. leaders in the White House this week. He said he's already been talking to them about partnering with the U.S. government so the U.S. doesn't fall behind China and other countries in the A.I. race.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I will tell you, yes, I have spoken to all of them. There's something very interesting about it where it almost becomes a partnership with the American public. I actually have a meeting scheduled in the very short -- very near future with -- did you know that, with all of the companies. And we're talking about it where the American people can benefit from the success of A.I. And by doing that, they're going to like it better.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Lisa Eadicicco has more.

[04:25:00]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LISA EADICICCO, CNN BUSINESS TECH EDITOR: President Donald Trump said that he plans to meet with A.I. companies next week to discuss his administration, potentially taking a financial stake in them. And he also said he's been discussing ways for A.I. firms and the government to work together to ensure that A.I. benefits the American public financially.

And while we don't have additional details at this time, when you look at what's been happening over the past year in the world of A.I., you can kind of start to understand perhaps why those conversations might be taking place. There's been a lot of questions about how A.I. will impact jobs, how it's going to impact the economy, especially the rate at which A.I. is evolving. And we also know that A.I. has been a major cornerstone of Trump's second term so far.

And companies like OpenAI and Anthropic have also in the past raised a lot of concerns about how AI's impact on jobs will impact the economy and the everyday person and whether our current economic infrastructure is really prepared for that.

OpenAI actually earlier this year released a set of policy recommendations. And in that document, it describes a public wealth fund that would entail the government and policymakers working with A.I. companies to cede a public fund that would benefit ordinary citizens, even if they are not invested in the back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Our thanks to Lisa. Well, there's a serious heat wave building across much of the central and southern U.S. Temperatures will be about 10 to 15 degrees above normal from Texas all the way to the Canadian border. But first, some areas have to get through a lot of rain and storms. Meteorologist Melissa Nord has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA NORD, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Strong storms move out of the northeast for your Sunday, but we're watching the northern plains for more storms to generate ahead of this low-pressure system with damaging winds, large hail and even an isolated tornado can't be ruled out there. But we'll be watching rain and storms, more garden variety producing heavy rainfall there across the southeast, the southern Plains as well. Plenty of moisture coming off the gulf, producing some heavy rain over the next seven days there through the midsection of the country.

The other big weather story is going to be the heat. We've got a big heat wave building moving east throughout the week. Look at all these circles on the map. This is for Tuesday, representing potential record high temperatures through the central plains by Wednesday, moving into the Midwest. But then as we head towards the end of the week, Thursday and Friday, expanding eastward, a lot of those records in jeopardy by the end of the week, moving back into the northeast after seeing close to record high temperatures on Saturday.

So, what does this mean for some cities? Well, let's talk about the southern plains. Look at some of these numbers. Amarillo, Texas, 97 Sunday, 100 degrees the century mark on Monday. That is a solid 12 degrees above the normal high of 88 this time of year. Lubbock, 97. Even Dallas, plenty of days up in the 90s coming in. And Memphis looks like that heat is going to peak there by Tuesday.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: As the U.S. continues its pressure campaign against the Cuban government, residents are taking to the streets to protest the ongoing energy crisis. When we return, we speak to a expert about Cuba's potential options as its citizens grow fed up.

And the latest on the protests in Albania over a land dispute connected to President Trump's family. Why demonstrators say they're taking to the streets yet again.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:30:00]

KINKADE: Welcome back to CNN Newsroom. I'm Lynda Kinkade coming to you live from Atlanta. Well, as the U.S. ramps up pressure against the Cuban government, residents are again protesting the ongoing energy crisis. People living in this Havana neighborhood banged pots and pans to protest the power going out frequently.

In recent weeks, the U.S. has increased its pressure campaign and blockade of oil deliveries to try to force changes in the Cuban government. On Thursday, the Trump administration imposed new sanctions on top of Cuban officials, including President Miguel Diaz- Canel. The U.S. also indicted 95-year-old former Cuban President Raul Castro for charges linked to the downing of two planes back in 1996. The country's president responded to the indictment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIGUEL DIAZ-CANEL, CUBAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Raul Castro means heroism, dignity, and he is a moral shield. He means having defeated several attempts to assassinate him because his courage and his loyalty made him from very early on a target of enemy intelligence services and of the mercenaries trained and financed by them. Raul is Cuba, and Cuba is not to be messed with.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: I want to welcome Emily Morris. She is an honorary senior research fellow for the Institute of the Americas at the University College London. Thanks so much for your time.

EMILY MORRIS, HONORARY SENIOR FELLOW, INSTITUTE OF THE AMERICAS, UCL: Thank you for inviting me. Thanks.

KINKADE: Emily, foreign companies are pulling out of Cuba at scale now, including major hotel operators due to the new U.S. sanctions. Cuba has also suspended Visa and MasterCard transactions, further isolating its financial system. How would you describe the current phase of the Cuban crisis?

MORRIS: Well, I mean, clearly there's a very severe economic crisis, and it affects every part of people's lives, as you saw there. You know, power cuts are the important thing, but the transport industry, they're all affected. So, they're suffering enormously.

And I mean, interestingly, the protests are about the power cuts, and they're not particularly aimed at the government, which is kind of, I mean, clearly, they're aimed at the power company. But there's also a clear understanding that the U.S. oil blockade is the main cause of this problem.

KINKADE: Yes, exactly. And what is, you know, the suspension of international payment systems like Visa and MasterCard mean in practical terms for ordinary Cubans?

MORRIS: Well, I mean, they've had this problem for a very long time since Cuba -- well, very long time, for decades. But since Cuba's been on the state sponsors of terrorism list, it's been very difficult for businesses or individuals to make payments. So, they've found ways around, and so there are some mechanisms.

I think, you know, the Cubans are actually quite used to finding ways around. It will reduce the volume of remittances. It will further hamper international trade. But, you know, this is the conditions that Cuba's been living with for a very long time.

KINKADE: Historically, of course, sanctions have had very limited success in changing Cuban's political structure. Could it be different this time?

[04:35:00]

MORRIS: Well, I don't, I can't see how, actually, to be honest. So, what's happened is the sanctions have obviously put the Cuban government under pressure. It's put the economy under pressure with no finance, with limited trade. All of those things make everything more difficult to manage. And so, the economy has been performing badly for a long time, worse than it would otherwise perform.

So, you know, have they brought about political change? No, not at all. In fact, I'd probably argue that they've had the opposite effect in sense of slowing down reforms and slowing down political change.

KINKADE: Recent reporting suggests that the U.S. has built up Caribbean military assets and contingency plans ranging from airstrikes to leadership-targeted operations, similar to what we saw in Venezuela. You've suggested that Cuba's only viable path is a deal with Washington. What would that deal realistically include today?

MORRIS: Well, I think, you know, what they're talking about now in the U.S. is, you know, economic reforms. Now, there is room for discussion about economic reforms. You know, certainly the Cubans are in a process of economic reform, and they have, you know, they've got private companies now, and they're talking about, you know, improving the conditions for private companies. And foreign investment has been, Cuba's been open to foreign investment, but of course it's been hampered by U.S. sanctions for all these years.

So, you know, there's plenty of room for talking about opening the Cuban economy to the U.S. economy. So, you would have thought that, you know, it would actually be possible. The Cubans are still saying that they will negotiate.

The trouble really is the kind of the ramping up of the rhetoric. So, what you have is, you know, increasing threats. And so, you know, it seems to me that the U.S. government is really aiming the rhetoric at the audience in Miami who want really tough rhetoric. They would like an invasion and so on. Also, in a way of projecting U.S. power, we can do what we like with Cuba. We can take it when we want and so on.

And then, on the other hand, trying to tell -- persuade the Cubans that they're trying to help them. And, you know, there's a complete conflict between those two. And so, you know, how can you have cool heads when the rhetoric is going like that? So, obviously, you saw the clip then just now from Diaz-Canel talking about how important Raul was, what a hero he was.

So -- and they're obviously preparing for whatever might come next in terms of, you know, some kind of intervention from the U.S. side.

KINKADE: And just quickly, speaking of intervention, what is likely? Could the U.S. invade or is it likely that they will, you know, carry out a similar operation to what we saw in Venezuela and take out top leadership?

MORRIS: Yes, well, I'm not a military strategist. I mean, they've got options. They could come in and take the leadership. They could have air attacks or they could do an invasion, I mean, broadly. The question is what you do afterwards. What does that achieve?

You know, if you actually believe, as a lot of people I think in Miami possibly do believe, that the Cuban population would rush out and welcome a U.S. force, you know, then that would be a solution. But from what I've seen, I don't think that would be the case. Cubans are very deeply nationalized.

There's a long, long history of fighting for their independence. So, you know, I think that there's a kind of, there's a huge gap in terms of perceptions of the reality of Cuba, and therefore to overcome that is really difficult, and that the ramping up of rhetoric is a sign of that.

KINKADE: Emily Morris, we appreciate your time. Thanks so much for joining us.

MORRIS: Thank you.

KINKADE: Well, thousands of protesters took to the streets of Albania's capital Saturday, part of ongoing demonstrations against a planned luxury resort tied to President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump. Demonstrators across the country are calling for political resignations over the land sale, arguing that the $1.6 billion project threatens a protected coastal wetland. The results developers say the project will move forward responsibly, but protesters insist Albania is not for sale.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TEUTA ZILJA, DEMONSTRATOR (through translator): I am against the resort. I am against construction. And I am against the sale of Vlore. I live in Vlore. They are selling Vlora. And this resort they are telling us is development, is nothing but destruction. It is the sale of Albania. And the moment a fence is put up here, there will be no place left for Albanians.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KINKADE: Up next, meet the groypers, fans of the far-right streamer Nick Fuentes. Hear them defend his inflammatory rhetoric as they speak with our Donie O'Sullivan.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:40:00]

KINKADE: The far-right American live streamer Nick Fuentes is known for loudly proclaiming offensive beliefs, which are often racist, misogynistic, and anti-Semitic. Well, now he seems to be growing in popularity and political influence, especially among many young men that he calls groypers.

CNN's Danielle Sullivan met two of Fuentes' fans in Miami. But it's what happened after the CNN interview that was a surprise. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICH: I broke up with my last chick. She was a pain in the ass, so.

DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): So, I've come to Miami to meet Rich and John. They're both groypers, the nickname given to fans of the far-right streamer Nick Fuentes.

RICH: Like we don't hate women. We just find feminism annoying.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): Fuentes is known for his sexist, racist and anti-Semitic rants.

JOHN: So, when I first heard of him, I was actually in 2022 when him and Kanye went to visit Trump.

O'SULLIVAN: They had dinner at Mar-a-Lago.

JOHN: They had the dinner Mar-a-Lago. And I heard he's just like this white supremacist Nazi. I was always skeptical of those accusations because I'm like everyone gets called that nowadays.

O'SULLIVAN: What is it about Nick do you think that makes him so appealing to particularly young men?

RICH: There's a side of comedy like there's politics and it's kind of like Trump, you know, Trump is just genuinely funny. He's a funny guy. And that's very attractive.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): Fuentes fans try to write his hate off as humor.

JOHN: And sure, maybe he does stuff to be edgy and make jokes. But we're young, we just want to have fun. And with these older people, we want to get a rise out of them, especially these mega Fox News boomers. Like we want to get a rise out of you.

NICK FUENTES: I would just take away the right to vote for tons of people. Women, for sure.

O'SULLIVAN: How do you know when he's joking and how do you know when he's not? Because he says like women shouldn't vote. But that's not a joke, right? He means that.

RICH: Yes, it's still a joke, though. It's like, we're not going out of our way to repeal the 19th. You know what I mean?

JOHN: Trying to get on people's skin.

[04:45:00]

O'SULLIVAN: But you're saying you don't believe that Fuentes believes that women shouldn't vote?

JOHN: No, I think he does believe that.

O'SULLIVAN: You think he believes that they shouldn't vote?

JOHN: Yes.

O'SULLIVAN: Do you think that?

RICH: He probably does, deep down.

O'SULLIVAN: So, he's not joking?

RICH: Yes, but he wouldn't do anything about it.

JOHN: But we know that's not really in the cards.

RICH: We're not trying to change that.

FUENTES: When I say women's rights, what do we obviously need to do? Take them away. This is just what everyone knows needs to be done.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): It seems that even among the groypers, it isn't always clear when Fuentes is joking and when he's not.

JOHN: I think women should only be allowed to vote if they're married, because I think if they were married, they would vote with their husband.

O'SULLIVAN: Rich, do you think women should vote?

RICH: Sure. Let them vote. I don't have an issue with it.

O'SULLIVAN: You don't? RICH: No. Let them vote.

O'SULLIVAN: You're charting some heads here, guys.

JOHN: That's for sure.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): Rich is 23. John is 25. Both came of age during the rise of Trump, COVID, the MeToo movement, and what many young men like them view as the excesses of cancel culture.

JOHN: We're going to an Orthodox church tomorrow.

RICH: I don't know where the nearest one is.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Orthodox?

RICH: I'm Orthodox. Are you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, but I'm Catholic, but all my friends are Serbian.

RICH: Maybe we'll go to a Catholic church tomorrow.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I can send you some if you want.

JOHN: Oh, really? What's your number?

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): These men have come to see themselves in Nick Fuentes. His cancellation across social media platforms for his spreading of hate they view as part of a broader attack on men like them. JOHN: And you look at his audience, they feel like they can relate to him because they're young men. A lot of them can't get girlfriends. A lot of them are struggling financially.

They're not going to have the life their parents had, their grandparents had.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Shut the f-- up. Nobody cares. You're not him, bro. You'll never be him. Just kill yourself.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): Soon after I left Miami, pictures John posted of our interview on social media got Fuentes' attention, and he wasn't happy his followers had spoken to CNN.

FUENTES: How about that CNN thing? Oh, my gosh. These like two absolute chuds. Look at us. We're in our Nick Fuentes t-shirt and hat.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): In online audio chats, groypers began to turn on Rich and John.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't wait for this guy to be dodged and have his life ruined forever.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): Rich and John did not want to be interviewed again.

JOHN: How's everyone doing tonight?

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): But John posted a 30-minute video on social media where he tried to defend his groyper honor.

JOHN: I consider myself a groyper, and I know everyone's saying I'm not a groyper, and giving me death threats, and telling me to kill myself, and that they're going to rape me. And that's fine. I don't really care.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): Even though Fuentes was mocking them.

FUENTES: Spilling to the CNN journalist he's going to make them look like complete idiots.

O'SULLIVAN (voice-over): Here was John, still trying to placate the hate.

JOHN: To anyone that, you know, I might have offended or thought that I was trying to sabotage the movement, I am sorry.

O'SULLIVAN: And you hear a lot of this sort of defense from people who support people like Fuentes where they try to write off hate as just jokes, that people are just joking around. But as you saw there, it's not so funny when that hate is turned back on you. There's a lot of young men out there like Rich and John. Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Our thanks to Donie O'Sullivan there. Well, tennis stars are leaving it all out on the clay as the French Open comes to a close. Still ahead, have a look at the fast-paced women's final and today's men's title match.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:50:00]

KINKADE: Welcome back. The Las Vegas Golden Knights edged the Carolina Hurricanes in a nail-biting game 3 of the NHL Stanley Cup Final. The slap shot by Shea Theodore lifted the Knights to a 5-4 win in double overtime after Las Vegas blew a four-goal lead during regulation. Vegas now leads the series two games to one, skating into Game 4 on their home ice on Tuesday.

It was a history-making day in upstate New York as Golden Tempo won the 158th Belmont Stakes. The horse captured 2 of the 3 Triple Crown races, winning the Kentucky Derby just 5 weeks ago. The team opted not to race in the Preakness Stakes. Golden Tempo's trainer, Cherie DeVaux, became the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner and the second to train a Belmont Stakes champ. The Belmont Stakes returns to its traditional home next year after Belmont Park renovations are complete in suburban New York City.

In just four hours, German tennis star Alexander Zverev will face off against Italy's Flavio Cobolli at the French Open's highly anticipated men's final. On Saturday, the women's final pitted two young opponents, each eager to lock down their first Grand Slam title. Despite an impressive run through the qualifying and tournament rounds, Poland's Maja Chwalinska was quickly beaten in straight sets by Russia's Mirra Andreeva. CNN's World Sports' Patrick Snell has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: So, a women's champion is crowned on this Saturday at the French Open in Paris. A never to be forgotten weekend for the Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva. The superstars out in force this weekend as well at famed Roland Garros for the women's singles final. Is that Brad Pitt in the house? I think it is.

Andreeva facing Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska who can be so proud of all she's accomplished at this event this year. Both players breaking serve, early doors in this one before the 19-year-old from Siberia finally taking control to take the opener by six games to three.

You know, winning that first set was absolutely huge because it swung the contest Mirra's way. Remember she burst onto the scene as a 17- year-old two years ago when she reached the semis here.

[04:55:00]

By this point there was just no stopping the Russian player. She powers her way to the title by winning the second 6-2. And there's the moment there Andreeva a major champ for the very first time. What this must mean to her and her family as the team there we saw her slumping to the ground in the tear by two.

And now, sharing the moment with those who mean the most to her. Her coach is in there Conchita Martinez. And how about this a special hug for a special canine pal as well. Mirra Andreeva a Grand Slam champion for the first time ever.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIRRA ANDREEVA, 2026 FRENCH OPEN CHAMPION: I want to thank myself for believing in myself. Always giving my 100 percent even when it's tough. Trying every day to be better as a person and as a player. Believing that I can do this fighting so many demons inside of me. Only I know how tough it was for me and how nervous I was throughout these two weeks. So, also thanks to myself for working so hard and giving my best.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SNELL: And up next it's all eyes on Sunday's men's final. As German star Alexander Zverev looking to end his Grand Slam major drought. Zverev taking on the Italian player Flavio Cobolli. And with that it's right back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KINKADE: Our thanks to Patrick Snell there. Well, hundreds of people in Mexico City trying to break a world record for the largest human wave. It marked the 40th anniversary of the first so-called Mexican wave during the 1986 World Cup. But there's some controversy as American crowds also claim to have started that very tradition. What's not disputed is that Mexico will be the first nation to host the World Cup three times. The tournament kicks off June 11th.

Well, thanks so much for your company. I'm Lynda Kinkade. I'll be back with another hour of CNN Newsroom in just a moment. Don't go anywhere.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:00:00]