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Iran Shuts Hormuz Again, Accuses U.S. Of Violating Deal To Reopen It; IDF Implements Gaza-Style "Yellow Line" In South Lebanon; Devastating Damage Reported Across Multiple States After Tornado Outbreak Hammers The Midwest; Wall Street Bets On Iran Talks As Stock Rise, Oil Falls. Lebanon Accuses Israel of Violating Ceasefire Hours After It Took Effect; Trump Says He May Not Extend Iran Ceasefire if No Deal is Reached; Trump Rallies Supporters in Arizona Ahead of Midterms. Aired 6-7a ET

Aired April 18, 2026 - 06:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:00:27]

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: From the CNN This Morning, here's what you need to know today. The ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran is holding for now, but President Trump is raising questions about how much longer it will last.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Maybe I won't extend it, but the blockade is going to remain. But maybe I won't extend it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: The conflicting message is coming from both sides about the Strait of Hormuz ahead of another round of talks on Monday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've got houses down. This is massive. We got vehicles, we got vehicles here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Those ripped through the central U.S. Friday, damaging dozens of homes. That system is now pushing east this morning. Allison Chinchar is tracking that for us.

Plus, Pope versus President, the public feud between the two and whether it could come at a public cost for President Trump.

And excitement is not the only thing on the rise as the World Cup nears. Public transportation prices also up. While it'll cost as much as $150 just to get to the matches.

It is Saturday, April 18th. I'm Victor Blackwell. It is always a pleasure to be with you. We start with the breaking news this morning on the war with Iran.

This morning, Iran's military announced it would reimpose restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz. They alleged repeated breaches of trust by the U.S. regarding the ceasefire. And both countries claim the strait was open on Friday. But Iranian state media warned that agreement would be null and void if U.S. naval blockade continues.

Meanwhile, U.S. and Iranian delegations are set to hold another round of negotiations in Pakistan on Monday to end the war. President Trump said last night, though, that he may not extend the ceasefire if a deal is not reached.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Maybe I won't extend it, but the blockade is going to remain. But maybe I won't extend it. So you have a blockade and unfortunately, we'll have to start dropping bombs again. Thank you very much, everybody. Thank you. I think it's going to happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: CNN's Eleni Giokos is joining us now from Dubai. So what are you learning first about these talks?

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I mean, what we understand right now, these obviously these talks are very consequential and as you heard from President Trump, the blockade and lifting of the restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz is going to be a really important part of whatever is discussed between the United States and Iran.

It's been a sticking point, right, because it's inflicting pain on the global economy. And of course, in the United States, gas prices are rising, jet fuel prices are rising, and you're seeing massive issues in terms of shortfalls because this critical choke point is blocked off.

Now, the Iranian military has put out really important statement. Spokesperson says that all the restrictions are going to remain in place. In other words, this means that vessels are going to have to get authorization from Iranian military to transit the straits, that potentially a toll could still be in place and then importantly, using the Iranian designated route.

So things have escalated quite dramatically over the past 24 hours, frankly, when we heard from the Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi yesterday declaring sort of, you know, the Strait of Hormuz finally open, but also with a caveat that the Iranian designated route needs to be used, you know, it was reading between the lines, is the Strait of Hormuz really open?

Then you had the parliamentary speaker Ghalibaf coming out and saying that you still need authorization from the Iranians and you still need to use the Iranian designated route. So, for shippers out there that I've been speaking to, they say it's mixed messaging and it's very confusing and it's really indicative of what we've been seeing in the strait in terms of movement. If you look at marine traffic right now, around 12 vessels attempted

to cross through the Strait. They then stop and they turn around. Did they receive warning messages from the Iranians? Possibly. But then you also saw around four tankers that have been able to transit without any challenge whatsoever.

We're looking at why. And it seems that these four tankers are part of the Iran Shadow Fleet and two of them have been sanctioned by the United States. So technically they would be hitting the U.S. naval blockade in the Gulf of Oman at some point.

Now, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps also saying that the restrictions will remain in place in the Strait of Hormuz unless the United States removes its naval blockade and allows free movement of all Iranian-linked vessels and vessels that are emanating from Iran's ports.

[06:05:08]

So this is really significant. But when I've spoken to experts, they say the strait was possibly never really open, despite this grand declaration that we saw yesterday. Because it is contradictory. You're seeing mixed messages. And of course, from the United States front, this is going to be one of the sticking points that we're going to be seeing discussed and negotiated. Victor.

BLACKWELL: All right, Eleni Giokos, thank you very much. Now, the same day commercial traffic was cleared through the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. once again lifted sanctions on some Russian oil. The waiver lets Russian oil already at sea be sold and it applies only to Russian crude and petroleum products loaded as of yesterday. The license runs through May 16th.

Now, Treasury says that the goal is to keep oil available as talks speed up. Oil prices are already moving lower. Brent crude fell more than 9 percent yesterday and settled at a little more than $90 a barrel.

In Lebanon, Israel says that they will impose what they're calling a yellow line in southern Lebanon that will bar Lebanese civilians from returning to areas still occupied by Israeli military. After the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon took effect, videos showed displaced civilians traveling back to their homes in southern Lebanon.

In an address on Friday, the Lebanese president praised the ceasefire and said they would begin working towards a permanent agreement to end aggressions between the two nations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSEPH AOUN, LEBANESE PRESIDENT (through translator): I am ready to bear the full responsibility of these choices and I am ready to go wherever necessary to liberate my land, protect my people and save my country.

Today we negotiate for ourselves and decide for ourselves. We are no longer a card in anyone's game, nor an arena for anyone's wars, and we never will be again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: CNN's Oren Liebermann is with us now. Jerusalem, let's start just talk more about this, the yellow line that Israel is imposing.

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Israel has made clear that it's not withdrawing from the territory it occupies in southern Lebanon. And it is quite a large swath of territory, some 10 kilometers in some places which Israeli forces have seized over the course of the past six or seven weeks here.

The Israeli military is saying they have no intent to withdraw, which means they are effectively occupying territory that holds some 55 Lebanese villages.

Now, the Israeli military says Lebanese civilians will not be allowed to return. It seems that Lebanon is giving different messaging and there will be an opportunity to return. So we need to see how this plays out. But Israel is holding the territory it has taken since the beginning of the war and indicated that it has no plans to withdraw. Now, how long that takes or how long that lasts is unclear.

And it's also unclear where President Donald Trump will weigh in this if he forces Israel's hand and forces withdrawal through simply the leverage he has over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Now, Netanyahu has praised Trump and said he accepted the ceasefire at his request. But when he suggested that there might be some sort of kinetic action if needed, well, Trump was very clear here. Just a short time after that, he said Israel is prohibited from carrying out any more strikes or bombing Lebanon.

So it is very much Trump's force of will that imposed this ceasefire and that is holding it right now. Now, Lebanese authorities did say there was an Israeli strike on Friday afternoon after the ceasefire had gone into effect that killed one person in Lebanon. The Israeli military has not responded to our request for comment.

But for all intents and purposes, the ceasefire is holding as the U.S. tries now to move forward with direct negotiations between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Netanyahu. Trump has said he would host both of them at the White House, but it's unclear exactly when that would happen.

The ceasefire itself is temporary. It lasts 10 days, according to Trump. So we'll need to see if he's able to extend this and where this goes from here. These are key questions in very difficult diplomatic negotiations between two countries that have not had direct talks in decades. Victor?

BLACKWELL: Yes. Oren Lieberman for us there in Jerusalem. Thanks so much. Still ahead this hour, CNN national security analyst Alex Plitsas. He's going to be with us to breaking down the situation first on the Strait of Hormuz and the latest on those pending talks that are coming on Monday.

Let's talk about this rough weather now. More than 50 million people across a thousand miles of central U.S. that were hit by severe storms yesterday. The system produced a tornado outbreak that hit several states.

We're talking Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Ringle, Wisconsin. A tornado ripped the roofs off homes. Look at this. An elementary school badly damaged. Here's a spokesman for a damage restoration company describing what he saw as he drove through that area.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIM SCHULZ, NORTHERSTAR RESTORATION: Oh, my God.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you good?

[06:10:00]

SCHULZ: All right. OK. We've got houses down. This is massive. We got vehicles, we got vehicles here. Tornado in Ringle. This is absolutely insane. Oh, my God. We've got damage to the school. The school's got damaged. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Look at this. These houses are absolutely shocked. Oh, my God.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Let me take you to Illinois now. Also hard hit. Look at this. A drone video shows the damage. This is Lena about two hours from Chicago. The sheriff says homes, businesses there badly damaged, including one house. You see here, the roof gone. So far, no deaths, no injuries have been reported. CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar is here tracking the threat for more storms today.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, Ness, now it's not going to be as widespread as we saw yesterday in terms of the threat, but the threat itself still remains because that system that caused all of the severe weather yesterday is still ongoing.

Here you can kind of see what's left of it. There's that line of storms kind of sliding through. And the reason I have it starting here is because it's about to be completely covered up. Once I show you all of the storm reports that have come in, you're talking more than 350 total storm reports just in the last 24 hours. That includes tornadoes, winds and even some large hail that we had about roughly the size of tennis balls in a few locations.

So here's a look at where we anticipate this line to continue to go. It's following along that front, so you're going to start to see it slide off to the east. Where we have the only warnings right now is on the south side. So areas right there along the Texas, Oklahoma line, lots of lightning, a lot with these storms as well.

But even farther to the north you still have some of the rain. It may not be severe, but rain and trust me, the last thing Michigan needs right now is any more rain. That just compounds a lot of the flooding issues that they've had over the last several days.

Here are the two different areas that we are looking at for severe storms today. The first one is going to be farther to the north. We do also still have that potential for areas of Central Texas, including San Angelo and Austin, especially late this afternoon.

But the greater threat is really going to be farther north. You're talking just along this area near the Great Lakes, portions of upstate New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and even West Virginia. Damaging winds, yes, even some additional isolated tornadoes and some hail not quite as big today.

Looking at maybe quarter sized hail for the storms today, but still enough damage could be caused from these storms as they continue to slide east through the afternoon and into the evening hours.

BLACKWELL: All right, a lot to watch. Allison Chinchar, thank you.

There's a new twist in this case against the man charged with killing Charlie Kirk. His lawyers want to kick cameras out of the courtroom. We'll explain why and when a judge could make a decision.

Plus, a gruesome discovery leads to the arrest of singer D4vd. He's been arrested in connection with the murder of a 14-year-old girl. We're going to lay out the allegations against him. Next.

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[01:17:37]

BLACKWELL: A judge is expected to rule next month on whether cameras will stay in the courtroom for the Charlie Kirk murder trial. Attorneys for Tyler Robinson want cameras removed. They say media coverage could hurt his right to a fair trial, and prosecutors pushed back on that. They say the cameras should what should show what happens and help stop misinformation.

News outlets, including CNN and Kirk's widow, Erica Kirk also support keeping cameras in court. Robinson is charged with killing Charlie Kirk at a public event last fall in Utah.

The family of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a 14-year-old girl killed last week, will speak publicly on Monday, their first statement since the arrest of singer D4vd. Now the family's attorney says that they will speak after his arraignment.

Celeste's body was found last year inside a Tesla linked to the singer after it was towed from the Hollywood Hills. David Burke was arrested Thursday. He's accused of killing Hernandez. He's 21 years old. He's being held without bail.

The Justice Department has removed the lead prosecutor from the investigation into John Brennan. Sources say that Maria Long, a career Miami federal prosecutor, pushed back on pressure to quickly charge the former CIA director and Trump critic. The Justice Department says the move is routine. The case focuses on Brennan's role in the intelligence finding that

Russia interfered in the 2016 election. CNN has attempted to reach the prosecutor for a comment.

Wall Street ended the week with traders betting the war in Iran is nearing an end. Iranian sources say that talks with the U.S. are expected Monday in Pakistan. And President Trump says the sides are close to a deal. The news lifted stocks sent oil prices lower. Sherrell Hubbard has more on what this could mean.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHERRELL HUBBARD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): U.S. stocks surged and oil prices dropped sharply Friday. This as developments unfold around the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has declared the key global shipping channel will be, quote, completely open to all commercial vessels for the remainder of the 10 day Israel, Lebanon ceasefire, which began Thursday. Despite the claim only a hand ships cross the strait on Friday.

PATRICK DE HAAN, HEAD OF PETROLEUM ANALYSIS, GASBUDDY: There's certainly a lot of optimism, but the real truth is going to be over the next 48 to 72 hours as we watch the strait and we watch how ships maneuver through or remain anchored.

[06:20:00]

HUBBARD (voice-over): After Israel and Lebanon declared a 10-day ceasefire, the U.S. oil benchmark WTI crude dipped below the $90 mark. Oil prices are trading at their lowest levels since early March, but still remain higher than their pre-war cost of $67 a barrel. Experts warn it may be a while before things return to normal.

NATHAN SHEETS, GLOBAL HEAD OF INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS, CITI: I think that certainly we've seen enough damage that the next six weeks or so could be pretty rough.

HUBBARD (voice-over): That damage likely hindering 2026 summer travel plans due to the stalemate in the Strait of Hormuz jet fuel supplies are down. The global average jet fuel price has more than doubled since the war began.

MICHAEL STOPARD, PRINCIPAL, STOPPARD ENERGY: Price will be the arbiter. Price will decide. Price will go through the roof until people have to cut flights anyway.

HUBBARD (voice-over): Travelers on the road are also feeling the war's impacts. AAA reports the average cost of regular gas is down to 4.07, but up from an average of $2.98 before the war started.

I'm Sherrell Hubbard reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: And ahead in the next hour, we'll talk more about oil and gas prices and what this means for summer travel. We've got more on our breaking news as well. Iran says it is now reimposing restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz.

Plus, President Trump addresses a Turning Point crowd and drums up GOP support ahead of the midterms.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: If you want a rich and strong and a country that you're going to be proud of, America, you must go out in the midterms and vote Republican.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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[06:26:00]

BLACKWELL: The breaking news this morning, restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz are back. An Iranian military spokesperson said the country was reimposing its control of passage along the key waterway. He said it's due to the US's quote, repeated breaches of trust.

Now, negotiators are arriving tomorrow in Pakistan for the next round of peace talks. They're set to be Monday between the U.S. and Iran. But President Trump is already putting a time limit on them. And he says it may not extend the ceasefire if an agreement is not reached by Wednesday.

Yesterday, the president claimed Iran had agreed to ship its stockpile of enriched uranium to the US. Senior Iranian officials disputes that, calling it alternative facts. Here's how President Trump positioned the nuclear stockpile issue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We're going with Iran and we will take it together and we will bring it back 100 percent of it back to the United States. If we don't do that, we will get it in a different form in a much more unfriendly for.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: With me now to discuss the CNN security analyst and director of the counterterrorism program at the Atlantic Council, Alex Plitsas. Alex, good to see you again.

Let's start with the Strait because, I mean, yesterday there was so much optimism that the strait is open, President Trump said, completely open. But this morning, restrictions again because of, quote, breaches of trust. Can you put some meat on that bone of what the Iranians, according to your sources, determined are these breaches of trust by the US.

ALEX PLITSAS, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: So the public statements that have been released are counter to what some of the Iranians believe The terms were, and this is the problem with trying to do this type of a serious negotiation via post or tweet, which the Iranians have said that they were weary of after the 12 day war, that they wanted some sort of document to eventually come together to codify exactly was that had been agreed to.

And this is not the first time we've seen this over the last couple of weeks where statements from both sides appear to be in direct contrast to one another other. And now we're at a point where the straits are being reimposed in terms of closure at a pretty critical time when oil supplies are starting to dwindle in certain places, which is why we saw sanctions relief on the Russians to provide additional oil on the market for the Asian countries that are suffering right now from a lack of oil.

BLACKWELL: Yes, what we heard from each side last night, I want to focus specifically on the blockade of the Iranian ports because the Iranians said that they will allow passageway but the U.N. continue the ceasefire, but the U.S. has to eliminate the naval blockade. The President said that the naval blockade will stay on until there's a deal. It seemed like they were talking past each other publicly throughout the day.

PLITSAS: That's entirely accurate. Your characterization is exactly what I've been hearing from regional mediators and folks that have been in touch with Tehran that they believe that this was supposed to be open for everyone as part of the agreement.

There was also another statement particularly tied to the opening of the straits, that it was from an Iranian perspective tied to Israel's ceasefire, Lebanon specifically, because Israel was targeting Hezbollah pretty heavily, one of Iran's main proxy forces and one of the last remaining levers that Iran really has to apply pressure on Israel and the United States.

So once again, a mismatch in terms, no formal document and now the Iranian ports remain blocked and that's to prevent Iran from getting any more revenue. The President wants to put pressure on them to come to a final deal.

But the Iranians are responding from what they believe is an existential threat to the existence of their regime. So they're willing to go broke Hungary and have the half the country destroyed in terms of military infrastructure if necessary to guarantee survival. And that's the difference at the moment.

BLACKWELL: I heard you tell one of my colleagues that this was a win for Iran. A week ago at the start of the ceasefire, there was a disagreement over whether Lebanon was part of the ceasefire. The U.S. said no, Israel said no, Iran said yes.

And now making the future of the Strait depended upon the continuation of the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire seems to not only make it part of the deal, but every other element is contagion upon that ceasefire holding in Lebanon.

ALEX PLITSAS, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Yes, precisely, and that's why if the Iranians are allowed to call the shots in terms of whether or not Israel is able to go after a designated terrorist organization that's continued to attack the country, and determine whether or not the straits are open or closed, or as they've done today, reimpose closure by risk of the straits at any time of their choosing.

That is something that hadn't been done prior to the war. So, at that point, yes, that would be a win in Iran's corner if that's the case. And so, the United States has to get that under control if that's going to be the outcome that they're all looking for.

BLACKWELL: OK, ahead of the talks on Monday, and the President says that maybe he won't extend the ceasefire if there's no deal by the end of the -- by Wednesday. Let me play here for you what the Vice President said -- of course, this is a dynamic situation, but this is what his statement was after the failed first wrong -- first round of talks last week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES DAVID VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: If that was the sticking point, and Iran says that their uranium enrichment is not for the purposes of weapon. Are they any closer to giving the U.S. what the Vice President identified this week than they were last week?

PLITSAS: You know, that part is unclear because the President, again, had put out some messaging that Iran was going to give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. They're said to possess some 440 kilograms of highly enriched uranium, enriched to about 60 percent.

You really need close to 90 for weapons grade. And then also, whether or not they were going to give up domestic enrichment or the ability to enrich uranium domestically. If I could take about 90 seconds, if you don't have the time, just tell me.

But just to sort of explain what we're talking about, because it's kind of confusing especially with the language that was used in the prior run up to 12-day war this Summer. And now, in terms of how close Iran really is to building a bomb.

Basically, uranium is found as a natural element in the ground. It's a stone, right? So, when you take it out, you grind it up into a powder, and it literally looks like yellow cake batter mix that you buy at the grocery store. So, if you remember in 2003, Saddam was allegedly looking for yellow-cake in Africa.

That's what they were talking about. You then heat that up into a gaseous state, right? And then, put that into a centrifuge. So, if anybody's gone to the beach or the pool and you put water in a bucket, and you spun that in a circle, the water sucks to the outside of your bucket, right? You have the vortex of air in the center, like we've all done as kids,

very similar concept. So, once that uranium is inside the centrifuge and it's calibrated to spin at the right RPM, it sucks the uranium U- 238, which is heavier, because it's found in a concentration of about 98.25 percent U-238, and only about 1.75 percent U-235.

The U-235 is what you need to make a weapons grade fuel. So, you basically do that inside of a centrifuge and you cascade from one to the next until you increase the purity of that U-235. Iran got to about 60 percent for 440 kilograms, or what's about for 11 weapons.

If you continue that process in an array of centrifuges, you eventually get to 90 percent. The last deal, the JCPOA, which was the Iran nuclear deal, allowed Iran to keep the technology to do that enrichment inside the country at any time of their choosing.

They could have broken out and basically got to weapons grade, which is what happened after we pulled out of the deal. So, the President said, hey, we don't want you to have domestic enrichment. That is one of the major sticking points, because the Iranians believe that, that technology and the ability to do so is part of their scientific right of achievement.

That's still a major sticking point from what we're hearing. Although, there was some discussion about a 20-year moratorium. So, we still don't know where that's going to land.

BLACKWELL: Ninety seconds well spent. Alex Plitsas, we always need the context and explanation. Thank you. Ahead of the midterm elections, President Trump is rallying voters across the U.S., his message to Arizonans is things are going great. CNN's Steve Contorno has the latest from the Board of State.

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN REPORTER: Victor, President Trump spoke in Phoenix, Arizona, where he tried to rally conservatives in this key battleground state ahead of this year's midterm elections. He painted a very rosy picture about his return to Washington D.C. in his first year back in office, declaring victory in various culture wars.

Saying he had stopped the border crisis that he had tamed. He had tamed inflation, and that he had won this war with Iran, which he continued to call an excursion. But he also painted a very alarming picture for Republicans ahead of this year's midterm election, suggesting that the party in office often faces losses.

[06:35:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: For some reason, a President, Republican, Democrat, the party does poorly in the midterms. It doesn't make sense. I'm still trying to figure it out. We'll go out, I think probably hire a couple of psychiatrists. What the hell is going on in your mind? How does that happen?

(END VIDEO CLIP) CONTORNO: I talked to a number of people in the audience here, and

they are hoping that with Trump suggesting that this war with Iran is winding down, that he will refocus his efforts back on domestic policy. There are a lot of concerns among Republicans here that he has been too distracted by foreign confluence -- conflicts that this war with the pope and other priorities.

Then they would like to see him instead focused on mass deportations and this affordability crisis that continues to plague so many Americans without tackling those problems. They are concerned Republicans will be in a poor position here and across the country heading into these midterms. Victor?

BLACKWELL: Steve Contorno, thank you. We are seeing this continued public clash between the President and the Pope. We're going to break down the possible political fallout that this feud could have.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:40:00]

BLACKWELL: Next hour, Pope Leo will be on his way to Angola. It's the next stop on his ten-day Africa tour. Earlier this morning, he celebrated mass in Cameroon, and on Friday, a huge crowd turned out as he called on people to reject violence and corruption.

Now, the pope is on a marathon visit, traveling to four countries as he faces attacks from President Trump. Over the past week, President Trump has called Pope Leo weak and terrible. He doesn't want a pope who criticizes the President of the United States.

He added that he's not a fan of the pope. He's also wrongly accused the pope of being OK with Iran having nuclear weapons. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Louis --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why are you fighting with him then?

TRUMP: I'm not fighting with him. The pope made a statement. He says Iran can have a nuclear weapon. I say Iran cannot have it --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He didn't say that --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Yes, he never said that. Pope Leo has appeared to have called out the Trump White House in other ways. He said that he does not, quote, "think that the message of the gospel should be abused, as some are doing."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT PREVOST, POPE, ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH: Blessed are the peacemakers, but woe to those who manipulate religion in the very name of God for their own military, economic or political gain. The world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants, yet it's held together by a multitude of supportive brothers and sisters.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Now, the pope's comments are defining him as the most visible international counterweight to the President, and setting up an unprecedented clash between the first American pope and the U.S. President. Joining me now, Susan Reynolds; Associate Professor of Catholic Studies at Emory University.

Unprecedented, maybe not. And let's get back to that. But first, the comments from Pope Leo. How pointed often are these speeches? Because that was a speech, not a sermon nor anything from the pope. He didn't use the President's name, but the message was clear.

SUSAN REYNOLDS, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF CATHOLIC STUDIES, EMORY UNIVERRSITY: The message was clear because he was preaching the gospel. And I think what we often forget is that the gospel is provocative. Blessed are the peacemakers. Woe to those who wage war.

It's the gospel, and it's a provocation, right? There's a reason why Jesus didn't die of happy old age in His bed, surrounded by friends and family, right? He was executed. Obviously, blessed are the peacemakers, upset people then, it upsets people now, especially those people who wield power through violence and inflicting suffering on innocent people.

BLACKWELL: What role do you think this controversy, this feud between the two, I don't even know if it's a feud from the pope's side. He's just -- as you said, delivering the gospel. The variable of him being the first American pope plays into this.

REYNOLDS: I think that's crucial. This has really gotten under President Trump's skin. Right, of course, we could play back many moments in which popes have said things that, you know, flew in the face of American policy. But I think for Donald Trump, somebody who is very invested in this idea of America first, the idea that we have a pope who is born on the south side of Chicago.

And yet doesn't have an America first papacy, which is something that wouldn't even make sense, but nevertheless. I think that's what Donald Trump finds so offensive and impossible to calculate in his mind.

BLACKWELL: Yes, let's talk about a previous clash between President Trump and the Pope. Now, this was before the 2016 election a decade ago. Pope Francis was critical of the Trump administration's plan to build a wall. Here's what he said then.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JORGE MARIO BERGOGLIO, LATE FORMER POPE OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH: And then a person who thinks only about building walls wherever they may be located, and not building bridges is not Christian. This is not in the gospel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: And Trump replied with if and when the Vatican is attacked by ISIS, which, as everyone knows is ISIS' ultimate trophy, I can promise you that the pope would have only wished and prayed that Donald Trump would have been President, because this would not have happened.

Even after that, Trump went on to win Catholics and Protestants and Mormons and other Christians as well. There may not be an upside, but is there a consequence as you've seen of these feuds?

[06:45:00]

REYNOLDS: I think there's something about this particular moment that seems to have shaken people awake a little bit. You're exactly right that I think Catholics, non-Catholics, we become a little bit numb to the offensive, often very bizarre things that the President says with respect to the Church and with respect to political life in general.

But I think the combination of that Easter tweet threatening genocide against Iran, coupled with the remarks against the pope, coupled with, you know, that A.I. image of Trump as Jesus, coupled with Pete Hegseth really offensive use of Christian language --

BLACKWELL: Yes --

REYNOLDS: To talk about the ongoing war coupled with J.D. Vance cautioning the pope to be careful when he speaks about theology. All of this, I think has coalesced into this moment that for Catholics and non-Catholics, just feels particularly absurd.

BLACKWELL: Yes --

REYNOLDS: And I think it's that absurdity that is causing people to finally take a step back and say, there's really a kind of emptiness morally at the heart of this administration --

BLACKWELL: Let me add something to this as well, because we're hearing from the President's supporters in which there is kind of like this anointing of this messianic president. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And Mr. President, no one has paid the price like you have paid the price.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So true --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It almost cost you your life. You were betrayed and arrested and falsely accused. It's a familiar pattern that our Lord and savior showed us, but it didn't end there for him, and it didn't end there for you.

REP. TROY NEHLS (R-TX): I believe that Donald Trump is better than sliced bread. I think he's almost the second coming in my humble opinion, I think he's done a fantastic job. PETE HEGSETH, SECRETARY OF DEFENSE, UNITED STATES: In the passage,

Jesus entered a synagogue and healed a man with a withered hand. The pharisees came to watch, but their hearts were hardened. They were only there to explain away the goodness in pursuit of their agenda.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: And then comparing the press to the pharisees. I mean, how problematic is that for doctrine, for Christians.

REYNOLDS: It's problematic on a number of levels. It's problematic for Christians. Its problematic for Jews, right? There's something kind of inherently anti-Semitic by calling someone a pharisee --

BLACKWELL: Yes --

REYNOLDS: Particularly your opponent, but it's also in an obvious way, deeply offensive to Christians. This sort of anointing of the President as this Christian nationalist messianic figure.

I think that's why the contrast between the Pope and the President feels so poignant, because the pope speaks with the kind of humility and the kind of gentleness that I think if we -- if we read the gospels, we see reflected in the life and the ministry of Jesus Christ. The idea that someone could claim a kind of a victim -- Christ-like victim status --

BLACKWELL: Yes --

REYNOLDS: While persecuting innocent people is absurd.

BLACKWELL: Susan Reynolds, always good to have you in. Thank you.

REYNOLDS: Great to be here.

BLACKWELL: Soccer fans facing soaring costs ahead of this Summer's World Cup. It's not only the ticket prices, but also an upcharge on transportation. How fans in New Jersey are reacting next.

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[06:50:00]

BLACKWELL: World Cup soccer fans are facing another surge in costs that probably some of them did not factor in the high price of public transportation to and from the stadiums. Now, most people expected the high-priced tickets to the games, but the trip to get to the game has also spiked.

In one case, more than 12 times higher than the usual fare. And this is even roughly after $100 million in transit funding went to help those cities. Here's CNN's Brynn Gingras.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): World Cup excitement is at fever pitch.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: USA!!!

GINGRAS: With less than two months until kickoff, fans more and more feeling sticker shock.

(On camera): You had a big reaction when I said --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes --

GINGRAS: Over a 100.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, because that's insane.

GINGRAS (voice-over): Hundred and fifty dollars, that's not the price of a ticket to a match in New Jersey, that's how much it will cost to get there and back from New York City, the price tag announced today by state officials.

KRIS KOLLURI, PRESIDENT & CEO, NJ TRANSIT: This is no ordinary event. In order to move 40,000 people and to pay for the cost of $6 million, we have to charge $150.

GINGRAS: Normally, the ticket for that 9-mile ride is about 13 bucks. Officials say because of heightened security, there will be no parking for fans at the stadium. So, public transit will be the best way to get to the games, and partly why the cost is so high.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As a consumer, it will push people away from going, and I don't think it's fair to overcharge for that reason.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One of the reasons we have public transportation to be able to go to these things without having to pay extra.

GINGRAS: New Jersey's governor taking out her own frustrations on FIFA, the governing body of the World Cup.

GOV. MIKIE SHERRILL (D-NJ): FIFA is providing $0 for transportation to the World Cup. Zero.

GINGRAS: Promising to not let everyday commuters shoulder the cost. In a statement, FIFA responded, saying in part, "FIFA is not aware of any other major event previously held at New York-New Jersey stadium where organizers were required to pay for fan transportation."

(On camera): There are other options for fans, but again, not cheap. A shuttle bus from New York City will cost $80, and you see MetLife Stadium there, well, we're across the street at the American Dream Mall, where there will be a number of parking spots reserved if you must drive, but they'll cost at least $225.

[06:55:00]

And that price, well, it's expected to also go up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And you pay another $100 for your popcorn and your hot dog as well. So, it's going to be expensive. But I think ticket is expensive. That is.

GINGRAS (voice-over): It is. Right now, a top tier ticket for one of the seven qualifying games at New York-New Jersey stadium start at $1,800. The final, that's pricing out at more than $16,000 per ticket.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's not even worth it to me, because if I can't get into Penn Station, how am I going to get to -- and you can't drive to the Meadowlands, so what am I going to do? And I also like the ticket prices, so, it's just not even worth it.

GINGRAS: You're not even looking?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

GINGRAS (on camera): There are other host cities like Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Kansas City that aren't jacking up their transit fares. And New Jersey officials say that's because those stadiums are really within city limits. Therefore, fans have more transportation options. In East Rutherford, New Jersey, Brynn Gingras, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: All right, Brynn. Thank you. Ahead in the next hour, more on Iran's decision to reimpose restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz. We'll have live team coverage on this and negotiations to end the war with Iran scheduled for Monday.

Also, tomorrow night, you can watch Dr. Sanjay Gupta's reports "WEED 8: WOMEN & WEED", that's at 8:00 p.m. right here on CNN and the next day on the CNN app.

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