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New Video: Aircraft Wreckage Site in Iran; Missing Crew Member Rescued; Trump: U.S. Airman "Safe and Sound"; Pope Leo Urges Those Who "Unleash Wars" to Choose Peace. Missing Crew Member Rescued After Jet Shot Down Over Iran; Iran, U.S. Trade Threats Over Strikes, Strait Of Hormuz; Trump: U.S. Airman "Safe & Sound" After Rescue Operation. Aired 7-8a ET

Aired April 05, 2026 - 07:00   ET

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

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[07:00:34]

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning and thank you for joining us on this Easter Sunday. And happy Easter to all of those of you who are celebrating. I'm Erica Hill in for Victor Blackwell.

We are tracking the breaking news at this hour. And the developments just coming into us here. So after a dangerous hours-long search, we do know that at this hour a missing U.S. airman is safe.

President Trump making that announcement just after midnight on Truth Social. The President posting that the military had sent in dozens of armed aircraft to get the airman, whose jet was shot down over Iran on Friday. The President also noting that the colonel was injured but will be OK, according to the President. He also said no other Americans were hurt or killed in this operation.

Iranian media, however, this morning denying the rescue happened at all. Instead airing this video, which Iranian media claims shows the result of Iranian forces destroying American aircraft.

Now it's important to note CNN has not confirmed the aircraft and the wreckage that is in this video in terms of what type of aircraft it is or who it belongs to, also the actions that led up to this moment. The F-15 fighter jet, though, we do know crashed following a strike on Friday.

The crew, of course, ejected. One survived and was rescued fairly quickly. The other remained missing. That is, of course, until being successfully rescued in this operation. So there are very few details that have come out at this hour about the rescue itself. But we do know some sources telling CNN's chief U.S. security analyst, Jim Sciutto, the airman was able to contact the U.S. military shortly after that crash and contacted the military from behind enemy lines.

CNN's Betsy Klein is at the White House with more of these developing details for us. So Betsy, walk us through what we do know at this hour about the operation. BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE PRODUCER: Erica, this video from Iranian state media really underscores some of the outstanding questions at this hour. We are asking the White House and Trump administration officials for more details. What we don't know at this hour is how this happened, where exactly in Iran this happened, what happened to that crew member in the time between when the F-15 went down and when he was rescued, as well as his exact condition.

What we do know at this time is that this was a remarkable military operation after that U.S. fighter jet was downed over Iran on Friday. The first crew member was rescued very quickly, and then there was a very significant effort underway to both track and then ultimately launch this rescue mission, all of this incredibly sensitive, according to President Trump.

The President said in a post to social media overnight, providing some of the only details we have so far, "We got him, my fellow Americans. Over the past several hours, the United States military pulled off one of the most daring search and rescue operations in U.S. history for one of our incredible crew member officers, who also happens to be a highly respected colonel and who I am thrilled to let you know is now safe and sound."

He goes on to say that at his direction, "The U.S. military sent dozens of aircraft armed with the most lethal weapons in the world to retrieve him. He sustained injuries, but he will be just fine." The President goes on to say that the success of this mission signals that U.S. has their dominance over Iran.

We should note, of course, that the Iranians said that this mission failed, and of course we are seeing this video and working to authenticate what exactly it is showing. But while this is certainly a welcome development for the country and for the Trump administration, it comes at such a challenging moment for this conflict that started five weeks ago today. Polling shows that this war is deeply unpopular with Americans.

The President has said he needs just a couple more weeks, but it could intensify before then, and that is because the President has set this deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz. That is that critical oil thoroughfare. And he says if they do not make a deal and open up the strait, that, "All hell will rain down on them."

The President, for his part, is here at the White House this Easter Sunday with no public events on his schedule. We'll be waiting to see if there's going to be a briefing or any more details we can get from the White House.

HILL: All right, and we know you'll keep us posted on all those developments. Betsy, thank you.

Also joining me this hour for analysis is CNN political and national security analyst David Sanger and former CENTCOM spokesperson Joe Buccino. Good to have both of you with us this hour. Joe, I want to start with you on what we know here about this mission. Limited details, as Betsy was laying out for us, in these hours now since the rescue operation. The fact that there were dozens of aircraft involved, as the President noted.

[07:05:06]

No one else hurt or killed. An incredibly good sign, of course. What do you make, though, of how quickly this was able to come together, especially because the clock really was ticking, as we know, for this airman in terms of his safety?

COL. JOE BUCCINO (RET.), FORMER CENTCOM SPOKESPERSON: Yes, Erica, what I'm hearing from inside the Pentagon is that this really was a whole- of-government effort here. All aspects of American national security involved in rescuing this service member. The CIA was involved with a deception plan. Special Forces, CENTCOM, communicating with the joint staff, with the chairman.

And so there were all aspects here of national security that came together to rescue this airman who activated his personal locator beacon, climbed, you know, climbed kind of to safety, and then waited for rescue. So all the aspects of search, evasion, rescue, survival were in play here.

HILL: Yes, absolutely. We're still working to confirm some of those details that have been coming out about the operation itself. CNN still working to confirm some of those. David, what's remarkable is what we are seeing from Iran's perspective, right? Putting out this video saying the rescue never even happened, part of the very real concern with this airman and making sure that the U.S. got to him first was concern over how this person could be used potentially as a bargaining chip should Iran have found the airman first. And now we're seeing some of this propaganda play out in real time. What does that change, if anything?

DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITCAL & NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, good morning, Erica. And this has been really a remarkable operation. Just first, just to add a few things to Joe's very good summary. From what we understand, he not only climbed up this sort of 7,000-foot ridge. I don't know how high up he was on it when he landed, but then hit himself in sort of a crevice in the mountains there, did the communications, was very careful with it.

That, as Joe said, the CIA, which has assets in that area, was also in a significant role. And they ran this sort of deceptive ground operation where it looked like they had already picked him up and were driving him out in order to draw the Iranians away from the site where they actually needed to go in to get him. And it sounds like there was some significant fighting around efforts by the Iranians to shoot at the rescue.

Not surprising at all that the Iranians are releasing this film of destroyed aircraft. We don't know what it is yet or whether it goes back to the original F-15 crash or something different. But the Iranians, you know, were out to go find this colonel, that's why this was such a life-or-death run for who would get to him first.

And obviously, had they gotten him, we would be in the middle of a hostage crisis this morning that would have all of the predictable echoes from 1979, 1980 during that time. So the colonel was very lucky, the country was very lucky, and the work done to get him back was pretty spectacular.

HILL: Yes. Absolutely. Stay with us, both of you, because we're going to take a closer look at what this could mean for the war moving forward, the impact as well on the threats from Donald Trump in terms of a deadline and potential negotiations. That's still to come.

Also, Iran, as we look at what is next, not showing any signs of backing down despite that deadline from President Trump to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. So where does the war go from here? That's ahead.

[07:08:55]

Also, Pope Leo just delivering his message to the world on his very first Easter as pontiff, his very first Easter mass. We'll take a closer look at that historic moment and the important messages from Pope Leo.

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HILL: As we continue with the breaking news here, President Trump confirming the second missing crew member whose fighter jet was shot down over Iran, Friday, is now safe and sound after being rescued by U.S. forces. Meantime, President Trump's deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is fast approaching Iran, though showing no signs of backing down.

President Trump warning all hell will rain down on Iran if it does not reopen the Strait. Iran striking much the same tone, saying it would, "Open the gates of hell should the U.S. continue to strike and should it target infrastructure in Iran, including energy plans."

Joining me now, CNN political and national security analyst David Sanger, former CENTCOM spokesperson, retired Colonel Joe Buccino, both back with us. David, as we look at where things stand in terms of talks, if any, does the rescue of this airman change things behind the scenes?

SANGER: I don't think it changes that much, Erica. I mean, obviously it's been, you know, a huge success that the U.S. got it back and a real show of the skills of the special operations forces that went in to go get him. But the overall dynamic of the war, it doesn't change all that much.

[07:14:59]

And here the President finds himself, I think, a bit boxed in right now. The closing of the Strait was not a condition that existed prior to this conflict. It was the Iranian reaction to the conflict. So if he can get it open, and certainly that would be great for the world economy, all that does is put us back where we were at the beginning of the conflict.

Doesn't solve the nuclear problem, doesn't solve the repression of the Iranian people by their own government. And there the President's effort to get a negotiation going has clearly not worked. I mean, we were expecting to see Vice President Vance meeting with the Iranian negotiators.

The Iranians have refused and basically said at this point that they would rather continue on the conflict than give in at this moment. So I think the President's going to be searching for a new strategy here.

HILL: He could potentially push that deadline, as we have seen in the past. Joe, when we look at where things stand, though, in terms of reopening the Strait, there's been a lot of talk about reopening it by force and a lot of concern about what would come with that. Because even if there were some sort of military operation there, the reality is what Iran does still have in its arsenal could be incredibly damaging just with a drone.

BUCCINO: That's right, yes. You've got the coastal batteries, the drone sites along the coast. You've got the ballistic missile sites along the coast. And then, of course, you've got the mines. You know, so you've got an element of psychological warfare there where -- you know, we're unsure, the tankers are unsure where these mines are, if they're there, how many are there, moored mines, drifting mines that are at the surface of the sea. And so you've got a couple of different elements here.

And militarily, you'd really have to first start with the coastal batteries, the ballistic missile batteries there on the coast, the short-range missiles, and then the drone sites along the coast, and then the mines along the Strait of Hormuz. So militarily, there's a lot to do to clear the Strait of Hormuz before you can get those ships through.

HILL: Which is important to take note of all of that. There are concerns that what comes next in this war could be far worse, is what I'm hearing from some analysts overnight. David, there's also this reporting that Egypt has held calls with Steve Witkoff, as well as Iran's foreign minister, other regional counterparts, in an effort to figure out some sort of an off-ramp. How powerful could Egypt be in that role, as we're seeing, you know, there was a lot of hope for Pakistan just days ago.

SANGER: Right. Well, first, just to finish up on something that Joe pointed out I think was so important. The President has set a two- week, maybe a little more, time frame when he wants to be out. That's what he said in the speech just on Wednesday.

Now, as you pointed out, Erica, he's entirely capable of changing his own deadlines. But the message of that was we're not going to be in a prolonged conflict here. And yet the operation that Joe just described, just the complexity that he took you through there, that's, you know, keeping the strait open is the work of months or years and would require probably an international force escorting those ships over that time, even if you got past all of the lists that we just went through.

So, you know, there's a disconnect here between the President's insistence that the active phase could be over soon and this. But on Egypt, you know, it's great that they're coming in as others in the region have. But the Pakistanis, the Egyptians, they don't have a huge amount of leverage right now over the Iranians.

And the Iranian basic view is that the United States and Israel started this attack and that they're going to sit there and take it for a bit, knowing that the more that time goes on, the more politically painful it is for the President.

HILL: And it is deeply unpopular, as we know, with the American people, which has been confirmed by our most recent polling over the last week. To your point, David, too, and Joe, I'll bring you in on this for just the last point here. The President may want this to end in the next couple of weeks, but the reality is the United States is not the only player in this conflict. And so even if the United States says, hey, we're done, that doesn't mean it ends, Joe.

BUCCINO: That's right, Erica. And you think about, you know, there's two wars happening in parallel right here. There's the military war, which Iran is losing. There's the information war, which Iran is decidedly winning. And, you know, President Trump talks in absolutes. He obliterated the nuclear program nine months ago. He's already said the war is over a couple of times.

He said they have no air defense systems. That's not helping here. And putting this deadline of Monday to open the Strait of Hormuz, that's not helping here. Iran is taking the Ho Chi Minh approach, right? They win by not losing. And the longer they can protract this, they see the unpopularity inside the United States. They see the gas prices inside the United States. The longer they can keep this going, the longer they feel they're winning.

[07:20:15]

HILL: David Sanger, Joe Buccino, really appreciate the insight from both of you this morning. Thank you.

BUCCINO: Thanks, Erica.

HILL: Still ahead here, we are live in the Middle East as we take a closer look at the regional reaction to the news of the successful rescue of a U.S. airman who was shot down over Iran on Friday. That's still to come. Going to fit in a quick break here. Stay with us. You're watching CNN.

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[07:25:01]

HILL: As we follow the breaking news this morning, President Trump confirming a daring rescue mission. In his words, has now successfully recovered a missing U.S. Air Force colonel from inside Iran. The President says the colonel is safe and sound after that high-stakes operation involving, according to the President, dozens of aircraft.

We also have new video, which has been geolocated by CNN, that appears to show the wreckage of several aircraft in southern Iran. So you see this large field of smoldering debris, destroyed aircraft parts. It's important to note, it's not clear exactly which type of aircraft we're looking at here, nor who owns those aircraft.

CNN is still working to confirm some of those details. We'll continue to bring you those updates if we have them. CNN's Eleni Giokos is following all of the developments for this out of the region, joining us now from Dubai this hour. So what more are you hearing? And also, what is the reaction across the region to this rescue this morning, Eleni? And what it could mean for the war moving forward?

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: So this, I mean, this was an extraordinary rescue mission after the fighter jet was downed on Friday. And, you know, everyone was waiting to see what would happen, specifically because it was a race between Iran and the United States to find this U.S. crew member that was clearly trapped in Iranian territory in mountainous, treacherous areas.

So we heard from Israel the finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, saying that Israel is filled with joy after this rescue operation. According to President Trump, went very well. And importantly, that the service member is injured but is doing well and he'll be just fine.

But, you know, we're showing these images that CNN has been able to geolocate. And it's also important to note that Iranian state media is categorically denying the rescue mission and then posting as well images as well as this video that we're seeing right now, CNN geolocating this. And it does appear to show what we see, a burnt out wreckage of aircraft. We don't know what aircraft it is.

We have no idea who it belongs to. According to Iranian state media, it's a U.S. aircraft, specifically two Black Hawk and one C-130. But importantly, again, President Trump in social media posts this morning saying that there was no aircraft losses, no loss of life. No one was injured. But these images also telling some kind of story.

And, of course, we've reached out to U.S. military to find out exactly what that means. Importantly, this is in southern Isfahan that CNN was able to geolocate. And Iranian military saying that U.S. forces used an abandoned airstrip to conduct this operation. CNN geolocation services and analysis showing the image does show that it was close to some kind of airstrip.

For the Iranians, the rescue of this U.S. crew member would be an embarrassment. This is in Iranian territory. Military analysts tell me that this shows that the United States has air superiority, that it was able to breach Iranian missile air defenses. And, importantly, that Iranian ground troops were not able to locate the U.S. crew member. So we're waiting for a little bit more detail, Erica. But this was an extraordinary rescue mission conducted by U.S. Special Forces.

HILL: Yes, absolutely. Eleni, really appreciate it. Thank you.

Also with us this hour, Rich Kolko, who's a former Navy pilot, former supervisory special agent with the FBI. Rich, it's great to have you with us this morning. So you were trained here in the art of avoiding capture, what to do if you were ever involved in a crash. Can you walk us through this training that you had and that an airman would have had, right, this colonel here, and what you are taught to do in these moments, because each moment there is critical, as we know.

CMDR. RICH KOLKO (RET.), FORMER U.S. NAVY PILOT: Thanks, Erica. Yes, that's exactly right. All aviators go through the SERE school, which is the survival, evasion, resistance, escape. And that's exactly what had to happen here, is at least those first two steps. It's one of the toughest training courses I went through.

It's been a lot of years, but I tell you, every time I bump into one of my buddies, it's still something we talk about. Everybody's got a story from the SERE school. And what happened is this colonel punched out. As soon as he is under his canopy, as soon as that parachute is deployed, he is starting those procedures.

As far as survival, he's assessing, you know, am I safe in the parachute? What's on the ground? Is anybody shooting at me? Have I deployed my seat kit, which is his rescue equipment? And where is he going to go first? Because you don't want to stay there under your chute on the ground any longer than you need to when there could possibly be people there.

But we need to back up to the pre-flight. Before they took off, they would have had an extensive brief on what to do if you're shot down, where to go, what communication devices you're going to use, everything. It may change, but you still want to have a plan in your mind.

So as soon as he landed, he started that second phase, that evasion phase that he was talking about.

HILL: You talk about that pre-flight brief, pre-mission brief that they would have had. I want to hone in, if we could, on the communications and just the type of information that they would have had about the terrain that they'd be flying over.

[07:30:02]

Because those two are going to be key in this evasion phase. As you talk about, you're talking about SERE school, the evasion, because the airmen needed to, of course, let the U.S. military know where he was without, though, hopefully being detected by any Iranians, Iranian military, or others in the area. And as helpful as some of these beacons that communication devices can be, they also bring with them a challenge.

CMDR. RICH KOLKO (RET.), FORMER U.S. NAVY PILOT: They do, but we don't see the whole what's called CSAR, Combat Search and Rescue package, actually exists. Let's remember, there were AWACS planes in the air at the time. They knew exactly where these F-15s were.

When the pilots were briefed on their attack, whatever they were -- what their targets were, there would've been ingress and egress routes. They would've known what type of land they're going over. The intelligence officer would've briefed them. Exactly like this. You're flying over this. If you go down, this is where you're going to be. As soon as he punched out of that airplane, there's a beacon in his seat. So, that's already starting to send a signal to a satellite to let them know where that is. Then when he got on the ground, he's got a specialized radio. All the aviators do, and he can -- attracts him satellite wise, when it's on. He can turn it on and off for security. He can -- has a GPS. He can even secure text. So -- and then they would've had a communications plan. That would've been part of their brief. You know, head towards the water, you know, climb the mountain, whatever the plan was, the initial plan.

And then part of that evasion was -- typically you're trained to move at night, not during the day, or easier to spot during the day. I mean, you look at some of that video I'm seeing now, it looks wide open. So, if you see a person walking across, easier to spot. So, you know, try and lay low, maybe move at night. And then a communications plan, whether it's contact, every hour, every 15 minutes, whatever it is, start to gather information, share information.

But as we heard the president say they were tracking this pilot or this WSO or weapon system officer since the beginning. So, we didn't know that and we shouldn't have known that in the public what was going on. But that package, that CSAR package, that Combat Search and Rescue package that was operating, which is satellites, aircraft ships, maybe people on the ground, all kinds of elements always exist to help protect our aviators. And you can see all these men and women involved in that will take any risk necessary to bring that aviator back. It's really amazing and America's really amazing when it comes to this.

HILL: It is a remarkable turn of events and certainly, exactly what everyone was hoping for and to know too, that no one else was hurt or killed in this rescue operation. What's also coming out, as we learn some of these details, that this is really, as it was described by one person, a whole of government approach, if you will. So, you have the military component, but also the intelligence here is key and the way those different factions frankly, work together. Just walk us through how critical this partnership is.

KOLKO: It is critical, and I don't want to say this one's special because they do this for every flight, every day that they -- that there's a mission that goes on, those intelligence agencies are doing their job. This time they just had to go steps farther once the plane was shut down. But there's stories I saw in the news that even the CIA was involved, certainly National Security Agency, Cyber Command, it's not only looking for these pilots, but you want to monitor any communications that the Iranians are having, what they may be talking about, hey, we thought he was over there. That would be a lead for U.S. forces. Things like that, you know. Or things that would deflect them from looking at a certain area.

So, it's very complex. It's very complicated. And then you think of the helicopters that are coming in to rescue him, the A-10s or other low aircraft that provide support -- ground support while the helicopters are coming in. We know the helicopters took fire in the first -- when they rescued the first pilot. And then the AWACS that are in the air, Navy ships that are off the coast. It's just on and on how big this effort is.

When you think it is one airplane, two aviators out there, but the -- not just dozens, but hundreds of people behind the scenes that are working to keep them safe.

HILL: Yes, absolutely. Rich, really appreciate your insight here. It is critical this morning. Thank you.

KOLKO: Of course. Thank you.

HILL: Still to come here. Pope Leo's message of peace in his first Easter mass is pontiff. We'll take a look at the historic moment and also a closer look at that message for the world.

If you are heading out this morning, just a reminder, you can stream our show from anywhere in the United States on the CNN app. Just go to cnn.com/watch for more.

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HILL: New this morning, Pope Leo offering his first Easter message at St. Peter's Square since his election nearly a year ago. A message focused on hope on this Easter Sunday. As he also urged people and leaders in particular to reject violence amid global conflict.

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POPE LEO XIV (through translator): Let those who have weapons lay them down. Let those who have the power to unleash wars, choose peace. Not a peace imposed by force, but through dialogue. Not with the desire to dominate others, but to encounter them.

We are growing accustomed to violence. Resigning ourselves to it and becoming indifferent. Indifferent to the deaths of thousands of people. Indifferent to the repercussions of hatred and division that conflicts so.

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HILL: Joining us now, CNN religion commentator Father Edward Beck, and the pope -- the biographer for Pope Francis, Austen Ivereigh, also with us. Nice to see both of you and a happy Easter on this Easter Sunday morning.

Father Beck, as you reflect on the message that we heard from the Pope earlier today, what do you take away from that? Especially in this moment as he was talking about the rise in global violence and also the need for hope. [07:40:00]

FATHER EDWARD BECK, CNN RELIGION COMMENTATOR: What struck me, Erica, was this whole Holy Week has like been a moral campaign of Pope Leo. Not only a one Sunday message. I mean, from Palm Sunday through the Easter vigil, the Pope ran this sustained anti-war argument that he rooted in the liturgy itself. I mean, he talked about hands of blood, quoting Isaiah. And then he said that this is not, it's an imperialist occupation that we're looking at. And that Easter brings down the mighty. I mean, like this didn't seem to me just a one message for peace. It was this week-long prophetic statement culminating in this morning's Urby et Orbi.

And so, I think what he's trying to do is say, this is Easter message, right? This is what we're celebrating. Yes, there is suffering, but there has to be hope in this. And the message of Jesus is one of lasting peace. And so, I think it's been a really profound week of him putting forth what a central theme of this papacy is.

HILL: Austen, how do you think that is playing out? Not just among the faithful, among Catholics of the world, but among non-Catholics as well, as they hear from this Pope in terms of his approach and the way that he is speaking to the broader world.

AUSTEN IVEREIGH, BIOGRAPHER OF POPE FRANCIS: Yes, happy Easter to you both. I think he's really striking a very necessary chord at the moment, which is to say that this war has no justification in the gospel, in Christian teaching and in Catholic teaching as it's evolved over the centuries.

I think what he's doing actually more importantly here is laying the basis for a new world order. We are at the moment in a world disorder. And I think he's laying the foundations here for something new to emerge after this war, which is to say that war itself cannot be used as a means to secure any kind of good outcome. It can be a necessary evil last resort self-defense, but it cannot be used in the way it's being used at the moment to kind of reshape the world.

And by concentrating on the impact of this on the victims, on the suffering that's involved and to, I mean, really what he did this Easter is to say, what is the Easter message? What is the heart of the gospel? Is God, of course, demonstrating a kind of power that is not a power of domination, it is a power that is far greater than violence precisely because it doesn't seek to dominate, it seeks to work with people and it seeks to build up.

So, it seems to be very, very important that he's presenting, if you like, the heart of the gospel in this way, in contrast to other Christian leaders, particularly around President Trump, who are giving a very, very different message and using the gospel in a very different way. And I think that's striking a chord.

HILL: It certainly, and it's striking in and of itself. And, Father Beck, as you were noting, this is a sustained message, right, that we are hearing from the Pope. And I can't help but think back to his message on Palm Sunday, which certainly struck a chord with many here in the U.S. when he said that Jesus doesn't listen to the prayers of those who wage war. That and the fact that he told our Vatican correspondent, Christopher Lamb, just on Tuesday, he really hopes that President Trump can find an off-ramp here.

How does this, I guess, more public in many ways, message from this Pope, how is that sitting with folks who you talk to, with those who you minister to? How is it sitting with them, the words that they're hearing from the Pope?

BECK: I think some Catholics that I've talked to were a little cautious in the beginning because this Pope seemed so different from Pope Francis. He seems much more staid, less willing to go off script. He was kind of a lot more formal in his liturgy. And they thought, well, he's not going to make much news on stuff.

But now a year -- I mean, remember Pope Francis died Easter Monday. So, this is Pope Leo's first Easter. A year in, he's really becoming this prophetic voice in very stark terms against this war, naming specific politicians and aides of politicians. And what they're saying is not of the gospel, that they can't use Christian language to justify what they are doing or saying.

So, I really think Catholics are saying, oh, OK, maybe we misjudged this Pope a bit. And even though he's a bit more formal, he is going to be speaking out very forcefully just in his own way. So, I think that's what I've been seeing Catholics say, OK, Pope Leo, this is going to be the year of Leo. 2026, he's going to come into his own even more.

HILL: Yes. And, Austen, as a biographer of Pope Francis, there was much made about how Pope Francis really did connect with the people. How do you see Pope Leo building on that in some ways based on the legacy that Pope Francis left behind?

IVEREIGH: Well, I think that's exactly the right question because when the cardinals elected Pope Leo, they were very conscious that Francis had broken new ground. We were in a new era and they wanted to carry on with that. They wanted that to continue, but they wanted it to be consolidated and they wanted bridges to be built.

[07:45:00]

And so, aware, particularly of the context in which we're now in, this new world disorder, they elected a person who is very different from Pope Francis, as Father Beck was saying, in his temperament, in his way of operating, in his quietness, in the peace that he embodies. But I think that was a very deliberate choice.

And of course, Leo has clearly identified with Pope Francis his priorities, and is all about consolidating and embedding those. And it's in a way every pope brings a special charism, a special gift. And you can see from the very beginning with Leo from his balcony address that peace was going to be the hallmark, not just of what he said, but how he acted and what he did.

And I think we are seeing this, I think it's very effective precisely because it goes completely against, if you like, the noise that dominates so much of our politics. I think he's embodying in the way he is how to build peace.

HILL: Yes. Father Beck, Austen Ivereigh, appreciate you both sharing part of your Easter morning with us. Thank you.

BECK: Happy Easter.

HILL: Happey Easter. Well, this year's final four, it is in the books. The two teams left standing. We're going to take a closer look at Saturday's winners and what that sets up for the NCAA tournament championship games ahead. Let's go, UConn Huskies.

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[07:50:00]

HILL: College basketball fans packing Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, for the men's final for this weekend. And the very lucky Coy Wire was there. He's got all the details.

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COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: The national title game is set. Michigan and UConn with Michigan steamrolling their way back to the title game for the first time since 2018. Fab Five in attendance and on the call. The Wolverines thrashed the number one overall seed, Arizona Wildcats.

Michigan had an early injury scare to All-American Yaxel Lendeborg. Sprained MCL, but he returned in the second half, hit a three, and the fans went wild. From there, it was all Aday Mara dunks and Trey McKenney threes as the Wolverines rolled to a 91-73 win. Fab Five and Michigan student section all smiles.

Dusty Mays' Michigan looking for their first title since 1989. Here's what the Wolverines had to say after their blowout win.

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DUSTY MAY, MICHIGAN HEAD COACH: I give our guys a lot of credit. They've taken a back seat when they've needed to. They've stepped up when they've needed to. And they just -- it's a group that's very bright and they have great self-awareness. And when you have a first- team All-American potential player of the year that just wants to be one of the dudes, it helps everyone else fall in line and just accept their role. And our glue guys were awesome tonight.

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WIRE: Now, in the early game, Illinois playing their first Final Four in 21 years. UConn winners of two of the last three titles and the Huskies were in total control. Inside center, Terrence Reed Jr. dominating with a team high 17 points. Outside, sharpshooter Braylon Mullins continuing his hot tournament shooting spree with some key three-pointers. UConn wins 71-62. Coach Dan Hurley now 11-0 in the Sweet 16 and beyond looking to become the first coach to win three national titles in four years since Wooden's UCLA dynasty in the '60s and '70s. Here were the Huskies after the win.

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DAN HURLEY, UCONN HEAD COACH: For us, it's not, you know, a game that we're just running around in uniforms, throwing the ball around, hoping it goes in. That's not what we're doing out there. You know, we're fighting. It's a life-and-death struggle for us to get to Monday night for the opportunity to win a championship and then just to be able to prolong this season with each other.

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WIRE: All right. We have one game left after weeks of buzzer beaters and bracket-busting chaos. It'll be Dan Hurley's UConn facing Dusty Mays Michigan in the final. That's Monday night right here in Indianapolis.

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HILL: Coy Wire, many thanks for that. In the women's tournament, top- seeded South Carolina will face UCLA in the title game. That happens later today. The Gamecocks chasing their fourth NCAA championship with the Bruins seeking their first.

Well, this holiday weekend turning out to be a bit of a soggy one for lots of folks across the country. CNN Meteorologist Allison Chinchar is tracking that lovely band of wet weather for us, but you know, April showers bring May flowers, right?

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, I'm pretty sure the Easter Bunny is waterproof, right? I feel like it.

HILL: Definitely, yes.

CHINCHAR: Yes, absolutely. And we are dealing with a lot of showers up and down the East Coast, stretching from Maine all the way back down to the Gulf Coast. This heavy line of rain is really focused again right there along that cold front. Now, a lot of the cold air has really been pushed into Canada. So, most of the snow and ice component that we had yesterday, that is now limited to pretty much just Maine.

Further down to the South, it's all rain. Heavy at times, a few rumbles of thunder, especially the closer you get to the Gulf Coast, like New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and down through Brownsville, Texas. The big concern for severe thunderstorms today is really going to be focused from New Jersey down through South Carolina. So, this includes Raleigh, Richmond, Norfolk, D.C., even up through Atlantic City.

The timeline for a lot of those showers is through the afternoon hours and continuing into the evening. Once we get to say about 10:00, 11:00 tonight, that entire system is moved out, but colder air is moving in behind it. That means when this next system comes in on Monday, it's going to be in the form of mostly snow for areas of the Midwest, Great Lakes, and even into the Northeast. But even that moves out relatively quickly as well. HILL: Oh, the April snow. That is a bit cruel. Allison, appreciate it. Thank you. Thanks to all of you for joining us this morning on CNN This Morning Weekend.

[07:55:00]

There's much more of our breaking news coverage ahead on the U.S. airman who was rescued from Iran overnight. Inside Politics with Manu Raju, of course, is up at the top of the hour.

But before we leave you on this Easter Sunday, I wanted to share a message from Victor Glover. He's the pilot aboard the Artemis II rocket heading toward the moon. It's a really beautiful reminder, as frankly, this entire mission has been that there is far more that unites us. For all of those who are celebrating, a very Happy Easter to you and to your family. Here's that message from Victor Glover.

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VICTOR GLOVER, NASA ASTRONAUT: In all of this emptiness, this is a whole bunch of nothing, this thing we call the universe. You have this oasis, this beautiful place that we get to exist together.

I think as we go into Easter Sunday thinking about, you know, all the cultures all around the world, whether you celebrate it or not, whether you believe in God or not, this is an opportunity for us to remember where we are, who we are, and that we are the same thing and that we got to get through this together.

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