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Strait Could be Closed for Six Months; GOP Midterm Message; Republicans Question Redistricting Push; Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D- CA) is Interviewed about California Governor Race. Aired 6:30-7a ET
Aired April 23, 2026 - 06:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR: All right, good morning, everybody. I'm Audie Cornish. I want to thank you for joining me on CNN THIS MORNING.
It's half past the hour. And here's what's happening right now.
In just a few hours the U.S. is going to host a second round of talks between Israel and Lebanon. Representatives from both countries will be in Washington, D.C. We expect Lebanon to ask for a one month ceasefire extension.
And then there's a new report showing Covid vaccines dramatically decrease emergency room visits and hospitalizations. That report has reportedly been blocked by the CDC. Now, sources say the agency declined to include that study in its flagship journal, even though it had been cleared in internal reviews and was scheduled for publication.
And the 2026 NFL draft kicks off in Pittsburgh tonight. The Las Vegas Raiders hold the number one pick overall. And Indiana quarterback and Heisman trophy winner Fernando Mendoza is expected to go first. He led his team to an historic perfect 16-0 season.
[06:35:03]
And it could take up to six months to fully clear the Strait of Hormuz of mines. That's what defense officials told lawmakers this week, according to a source. And if the Strait is closed that long, the Pentagon said it would be unacceptable. It could be a worst-case scenario for the economy. Jet fuel prices up 105 percent from this time last year. You've got supplies of aluminum, plastics, rubber, they're all under threat. And it's impacted everything from the price of fertilizer and food, to paint, and, yes, condoms.
I want to bring in CNN correspondent Eleni Giokos in Dubai.
And, Eleni, we had talked about this as a choke point for fuel, right? Twenty percent of the world's fuel supply.
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes. CORNISH: Can you talk about what it means for the broader economy if the closure goes six months?
GIOKOS: Yes. It's such an important question. And I think we've been talking about just how significant this oil and energy crisis supply chain disruption is over the past month. You know, when I look at the time frame that President Trump was giving from the start of this, he was saying four to six weeks. Well, guess what? We're almost in the eighth week and there's no end in sight.
And that, you know, report and reporting from CNN around taking up to six months to clearly -- to fully clear the Strait, Audie, I mean that's a reality check because that means that we won't see traffic resuming to pre-war levels any time soon. And you're talking about jet fuel prices. You're talking about fertilizer. Anything to do with plastics.
We're already living in this severe scenario that the IMF has been warning for quite some time. The European Union has also spent an additional $28 billion on energy needs since the start of the war.
I want you to listen to what the European commissioner had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAN JORGENSEN, EUROPEAN UNION ENERGY COMMISSIONER: The European Union is so closely connected. Our economy is so closely connected that if things go bad in one country, they go bad in all countries. What I really fear is that this will lead to a economic crisis. And, by the way, if that happens, then that's not isolated to Europe. This will be a global economic crisis that none of us wish for.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GIOKOS: The damage has already been done. I mean, it's very clear at this point. And Kpler data came out with a very stark warning. And they say, "the blockade has disrupted the oil machine, but has not broken it." In reference to Iran.
Now, we know that Iran is continuing to produce oil, has storage capabilities, even though the energy secretary, Chris Wright, had said that Kharg Island, where Iran exports some 80 percent of its oil, is going to be reaching full capacity at some point. But we know that some Iranian vessels are actually even breaching that initial checkpoint of the U.S. naval blockade in the Gulf of Oman. But, of course, the enforcement applies to anywhere in the seas.
And just another sort of reality check. United Airlines CEO said that higher fares are going to be a reality, and they're going to remain intact for quite some time. And that also passengers are paying 20 percent more for every mile they fly compared to a year ago. And to unwind that, Audie, is going to take a long time.
CORNISH: OK, that's Eleni Giokos doing the math on that for us.
And so that's why I want to turn to this. Republicans banking on this message for a midterm strategy, Democrats would be worse.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES BLAIR, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF, POLITICAL ADVISER: It's not about making it a referendum on the president or not. It comes down to the policies that President Trump and the Republicans have put in place.
Every Democrat in Congress is on record for a $4 trillion tax hike. Every Democrat in Congress is on record for zeroing out funding for border patrol, period. Zeroing out all immigration enforcement. They are out of the center of the electorate. And I believe when that's litigated for the voters, they will choose Republicans.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: OK, so that's James (ph) Blair of the White House. Here's what Republicans would have to talk about, navigating an unpopular war, gas being above $4, and approval for Congress basically at an all-time low. What they do have on their side is internal polling showing that they have a trust advantage over Democrats.
The group chat is back to dig in.
I want to start with you, Mike, to talk about this messaging thing because at a certain point it's just your economy. It's just your war. It's just your gas prices. And at the start of that interview, we didn't play it, he talked about what they had inherited from the Biden administration in terms of inflation. And I just thought, I feel like that's too --
MIKE DUBKE, FORMER TRUMP WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Well, the farther --
CORNISH: Too far in the past for people to buy that.
DUBKE: Yes, the farther -- the further away you get from the Biden administration, the less salient that talking point is going to be.
I do think Republicans have some good things to talk about of what they passed last summer. You know, the no tax on tips, no tax on overtime. The -- basically what Blair mentioned in that -- the tax hike that would have been if they hadn't continued the Trump tax cuts.
But forget all of that. We talked about vibes earlier. We got bad vibes going into the midterms because the oil -- because oil prices are going up, because inflation is still with us.
CORNISH: Yes.
[06:40:04]
DUBKE: So, at some point --
CORNISH: And a shifting explanation. Can I play for you Chris Wright, secretary of energy, just because it'll support your point, when he was asked of --
DUBKE: Oh, I love that then.
CORNISH: When he was asked on Sunday about, hey, what's the deal with fuel prices?
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CHRIS WRIGHT, ENERGY SECRETARY: I don't know. That could happen later this year. That might not happen till next year. But prices have likely peaked and they'll start going down. Certainly with a resolution of this conflict, you'll see prices go down.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: I mean it doesn't help, but Democrats don't seem to be picking up the slack, right? They haven't been able, when we talk about trust, they haven't been able to convince the voters, oh, you're in a bad mood, you should come to us.
MEGHAN HAYS, FORMER BIDEN WHITE HOUSE DIRECTOR OF MESSAGE PLANNING: I think this is like the 40/40/20. Forty percent of each of the parties are going to crawl over glass to vote for their own party. It's the 20 percent that live in the middle. And those people don't care if you're a Democrat or a Republican. They care how high their gas prices are. They care how expensive food is. They care that they cannot go on summer vacation anymore because they can't afford a plane ticket or afford to put gas in their car.
CORNISH: Yes, but that's when they just stay home. That's what's happening.
HAYS: They -- well, they could opt -- they could stay home or they're going to have -- they're going to vote and it's going to be an anti- incumbent vote in the midterms, which I think is --
DUBKE: Across the board.
HAYS: Which -- and that is that Democrats are --
DUBKE: Yes.
HAYS: And I think that you're seeing that, what's happening in California right now.
DUBKE: Yes.
HAYS: And I think that that is a real risk for Californians. But -- or, sorry, for Democrats in general.
But I do think that most people do not understand why gas prices are so high, because they do not have a clear explanation of why we are in Iran, and they're not doing anything to solve it. You know, first it's, Vance is going to Pakistan to have talks. Now he's not. Then he's going again. And it's just this -- all this very confusing stuff.
CORNISH: Yes.
HAYS: We're firing the secretary of the Navy, which I understand is a procurement office realistically.
CORNISH: Right.
HAYS: That's not what the American people are seeing.
CORNISH: Can I bring in Betsy here? Because we do have the president calling in to an awful lot of places, right? Like, giving his message directly to reporters here and there. Are they focused on this?
BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: They are keenly aware of the impact that this is having on their strategy. I mean, it is taking the focus off of that affordability message. The president was supposed to be on the road every week. And he did last week go to Nevada and Arizona, but he is not focused on this because he is worried about the war. He is about to go to China to meet with President Xi. Really distracting from their message.
And by the way, you know, our party is OK, but the other is worse is not like a great organizing principle.
CORNISH: That hasn't worked in the past of just like --
DUBKE: Well, sometimes it does.
CORNISH: Could be worse.
DUBKE: It could be worse. Yes.
CORNISH: Yes. Welcome back to it could be worse with Audie Cornish.
DUBKE: Oh, I love that.
CORNISH: All right, I want to turn back to one other story, because it's related to this midterm strategy. So basically Republicans thought, or the White House thought, look, we should have some midterm redistricting. And it's not worked out so well. So, there's like a blame game in full swing. You got fingers being pointed every which way, mainly after this big redistricting fight loss in Virginia.
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REP. DON BACON (R-NE): You got to play chess. You got to think two or three, four moves. And when you have an adversary or an opponent, a political opponent, you got to always think, what are they going to do in response? So, I think this is foreseeable.
REP. TROY NEHLS (R-TX): There's a lot of people saying, you know, what the hell? Were we asleep at the wheel? Can't disagree with that.
We should start putting money where it needs to go because, you know, losing the House here because of a potential, you know, now going to ten to one in Virginia is not a good thing. (END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: And yet --
DUBKE: And yet here we are.
CORNISH: And yet here we are.
DUBKE: Yes.
CORNISH: You know, at a certain point it feels like Democrats were actually able to win this, so to speak, in that they've learned how to gin up their voters. I mean, am I wrong about that? Like, you got the gears going and you're turning out voters to have this conversation. And on top of that, Republicans aren't gaining massive seats doing it.
DUBKE: Meghan has heard me say this before. When -- we're now living in a world where two wrongs make a right. We shouldn't have been in this fight in Texas to begin with. We wasted a lot of money. I guess the broadcasters are happy, but everybody else is upset.
CORNISH: Yes.
DUBKE: We wasted a lot of money. This Virginia, whatever, referendum is a vote that goes against two previous elections in which Virginians chose to have a nonpartisan commission set this up.
This is just a terrible place for us to be.
CORNISH: Yes.
DUBKE: That having been said, we do this every ten years. So, we shouldn't really be, you know, my gosh, there's gambling here.
CORNISH: Isn't that the point, we do it every ten years, not every five?
DUBKE: Well, I don't know that that --
CORNISH: I mean that's how we got into this problem.
DUBKE: I don't know.
CORNISH: Yes.
DUBKE: But, Audie, I don't know that that makes it better.
CORNISH: OK.
HAYS: I just -- I just think the administration drastically miscalculated it --
DUBKE: Yes.
HAYS: The political risk here. And I think that they just thought Democrats would be asleep at the wheel. And then when Gavin Newsom and then Jeffries started fighting back, they're like, oh, wait, we actually might not come out ahead here. And then you had Blair yesterday on that interview with Dana saying -- trying to defend that no one was spending money on the Republican side in Virginia. And so it's just -- it's a really interesting --
DUBKE: I think they're just --
CORNISH: A ton of money floating around. There is money.
HAYS: But that like MAGA Inc. and all --
DUBKE: There is money.
HAYS: And a lot of the Republican money that they're sitting on top of, they didn't put into that race. And he's having to defend that. So, this is a massive political miscalculation.
CORNISH: Let me bring you in, especially about DeSantis, because now he's being leaned on to draw up some kind of House map that could somehow net some more districts. And just to show you a tweet from Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader, when -- he's keeping his own scorecard there of all the places where he's like, look, we got this ballot measure.
[06:45:09]
We blocked this. We blocked that. And the last line I want to show you, "maximum warfare everywhere, all the time."
What does this mean for Florida?
KLEIN: Yes, well, Florida is next up. In the next couple of days we are going to see them release their maps. But this is an incredibly risky proposition because it can draw court challenges, which we do expect. And, b, it risks putting incumbents in danger that are in lean Republican districts.
CORNISH: Yes. People are calling it a dummy-mander (ph). Why? Like it just won't be all that effective?
DUBKE: Well, it's going to be a wash at the end of the day.
CORNISH: OK.
DUBKE: I mean let's not forget that we've also got court cases in Virginia that still have to be played out. And so, who knows where this is going to be. But probably, at the end of the day, it's a total wash.
HAYS: And voters have agency. Just because they redistrict doesn't necessarily mean --
DUBKE: Exactly.
HAYS: That people are going to vote for the party that now they think that they have gerrymandered it too. Like, voters actually have agency. And actually it shows, over time, they go back to what their district was originally.
DUBKE: What does D plus four really mean? It's like that.
HAYS: Exactly. Exactly.
CORNISH: Yes. But what it does mean is the voter is now much more well versed in redistricting as an idea.
HAYS: That's right.
CORNISH: They see it as something being taken from them. And they're starting to vote accordingly. We don't know what that means going forward. But, stay with me. We have a couple more things to talk about.
Next on CNN THIS MORNING, the candidates for California governor, like they were on the debate stage just a few hours ago. Four of them are Democrats. We're going to talk about who might emerge on the left. And we're going to have Democratic Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove, she's from California, next to talk about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. CORY MILLS (R-FL): People resign when they go to an ethics investigation because they know they're going to be found guilty.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: So, Cory Mills is adamant that he's not leaving. And it's bringing up the question of due process in the halls of Congress.
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[06:51:03]
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KATIE PORTER (D), CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: Mr. Becerra, you have all these lovely plans, but there are never any numbers, any revenue plan, any details, anything that pushes on the status quo. It's just all do, but the how, the why, the how much, it's all missing.
XAVIER BECERRA (D), CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: That's very rich to hear from someone who's never had to actually run a government.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: For Democrats, two Republicans squared off in a California governor's debate last night, the first since Eric Swalwell left the race amid accusations of sexual misconduct. Now, even though Swalwell wasn't on stage, Democrats are still facing questions about what they knew and when they knew it, about the allegations against him. Former Health Secretary Xavier Becerra was asked about the rumors that he had heard back when he held a Democratic leadership position in Congress. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
XAVIER BECERRA (D), CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE: You hear rumors all the time about all sorts of things. Rumors are not facts. And the caucus, the Democratic caucus, is not a place that adjudicates those things. It's law enforcement that does. If someone had come forward, we could then have investigations. Rumors are one thing, but getting the facts really gets you to move. And I -- let me just applaud those courageous survivors who stood up and told America what the truth was. And today, Eric Swalwell is facing accountability.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: And joining us now in the group chat, Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Democrat of California.
I have to say, it's sort of a political opinion here, this looks like a hot mess, honestly. I mean California's a huge state. There could be all kinds of Democratic options here. And should Governor Newsom step in and at least endorse, try and put his finger on the scale?
REP. SYDNEY KAMLAGER-DOVE (D-CA): Most people are asking him to do so. I do think it's wise that he stay out and let the California voters decide.
People don't know this, but there are 52 people running to be governor in California. So, my hope is that, well, what we must make sure happens is that no Republican ends up in that top seat. But this is an opportunity for voters to continue to --
CORNISH: Mike is laughing.
KAMLAGER-DOVE: I heard. I heard.
DUBKE: No, I'm not laughing. It's the only joy I find in this whole debate is that you might have two Republicans in this. You want to talk about a gerrymandered system.
CORNISH: Right.
DUBKE: That's the election -- that's the California primary. Sorry.
CORNISH: Well, California has a top two system. A huge field.
DUBKE: Apologize.
CORNISH: No, don't apologize because it's a good point. See the delight there --
KAMLAGER-DOVE: I know.
CORNISH: That Republicans feeling like, look, Democrats could end up splitting the vote. Them having to talk about Swalwell and all these things could turn off voters and you could end up in a way worse position than you started. KAMLAGER-DOVE: We could, but it's highly unlikely. It's a low
probability. I think at the -- I mean, and I don't even want to talk about the Republican candidates that are running. I think we do have qualified candidates on the Democratic side. This is an opportunity for voters to hear their platforms, see how they feel, respond to the vibe that they're getting, and then we will be victorious come June and November.
CORNISH: When Becerra answered that question about Swalwell, he said something interesting where he said, rumors are not fact. And it really gets at something that's been very interesting in this Congress, which is the number of lawmakers facing expulsion. Swalwell was one of them. Another is Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick. She resigned just before the Ethics Committee was going to have a little conversation about her. But she said this, "we should be very careful about the precedent we are setting. In this country, we do not punish people before due process is complete. We do not allow allegations alone to override the will of the people. That is a dangerous path and one that should concern every American, regardless of party."
KAMLAGER-DOVE: I agree with Sheila. These are challenging times that we are in, in Congress. It is a dangerous precedent that we're setting. You don't know if people are authoring these articles of expulsion because of partisanship, if we're weaponizing this process. This has only happened six times in the history of Congress with the House of Representatives. Two of those folks that were expelled were because they supported the confederacy. At the end of the day, it is about due process. And folks are resigning based on allegations without having the court system, the legal system go through its process.
[06:55:06]
CORNISH: But is that easier to say with someone like her, who's dealing with like a campaign finance question, versus someone like Cory Mills, a lawmaker who is facing allegations in his past about domestic violence, or Swalwell, who had so many people come forward with allegations. He didn't go to court either, and Democrats were like, he needs to go.
KAMLAGER-DOVE: So, I applaud the survivors who came out. And we should be holding the Congress accountable. We should be looking at the ethics investigations, how they happen. We should be asking for reform.
Having said that, you cannot be subjective when it comes to due process. It is a right that every single person has. And when you start sort of divvying it out arbitrarily, you end up in choppy waters.
CORNISH: I want to ask you what reforms you think might be needed for ethics. Do you think that system is broken?
KAMLAGER-DOVE: I do. It's very slow. There were real questions about why this one time, would they have a public hearing with regards to Sheila? And it hasn't happened before. CORNISH: With all the other ethics questions that have been raised,
yes.
KAMLAGER-DOVE: With all the others. Exactly. I have concerns about how many members it takes or doesn't take to enter articles for expulsion. And then I do seriously question the motivations of those who are bringing some of these things forward. I -- you know, now we see a tit for tat with Cory Mills and Nancy Mace. It's incredibly ugly.
And at the end of the day, it is politics, right? I mean, we're looking at a laser thin margin between Republicans and Democrats. And you wonder, are they using this to weaponize to help their case?
CORNISH: Yes, that's sort of a good point. Like maybe Mike Johnson wouldn't even entertain any of this if it wasn't a one for one.
DUBKE: He currently has a supermajority for this Congress with four members either passing away or resigning in the last nine days.
CORNISH: Yes.
DUBKE: I mean this is -- this is --
CORNISH: So, basically, if you were the fifth member to have a scandal, congrats.
DUBKE: Yes.
CORNISH: This Congress is not interested because it will mess up the numbers.
DUBKE: Right. Yes.
CORNISH: I want to ask you something else still in the realm of ethics, but in the executive branch,
Kash Patel. I know you have been interested in what's been going on in the reporting on the FBI director, allegations of unexplained absences, other conduct coming from "The Atlantic." He is suing over those allegations.
Do you believe he's fit to be FBI director?
KAMLAGER-DOVE: Well, you started this segment talking about a hot mess. I would attribute that comment and statement to Kash Patel. There are serious questions that we have about his competency, about his qualifications, how he is showing up, how he is leading his team. I think if you are trying to sue a reporter who is doing her job reporting on what is happening, and then you sort of follow up by investigating her, you're asking the FBI to investigate the reporter who is doing her job. I want to see you in my hearing immediately, ASAP.
CORNISH: Do you agree with those who are saying he should undergo some sort of substance abuse screening? KAMLAGER-DOVE: Yes, I think he should take some tests. I think he
should show up. He should answer questions that we are asking as the House Judiciary Committee.
I would like him to resign. I don't think he is qualified. And hey, look, you know, these are allegations. But I remember the videos and the photos that I saw of him when he traveled to Italy. He looked like he was partying pretty hard.
I've read the allegations that he is asking the Secret Service to --
CORNISH: Yes.
KAMLAGER-DOVE: You know, take care of his girlfriend and shuttle her around. He used taxpayer dollars to go on dates, and he hasn't repaid the taxpayers for the use of the plane.
CORNISH: Yes. But as you said, all allegations right now?
KAMLAGER-DOVE: Come and -- if you have nothing to hide, you have everything to share. So, I would think he would want to come and talk to us immediately.
CORNISH: So, we're talking also about what's in our group chats. Yours is always busy, I know, because I see you on social media. You are out there. What are people you know talking about? What are you interested in?
KAMLAGER-DOVE: So, the people that I know are talking about "Vogue" renaming the afro, the cloud bob. And I --
CORNISH: The cloud bob. I have a cloud bob?
KAMLAGER-DOVE: You have a cloud bob.
CORNISH: You -- what?
KAMLAGER-DOVE: According to "Vogue."
CORNISH: Yes.
KAMLAGER-DOVE: So, if you have -- if you rock 4C curls, then somehow they have co-opted the afro and are changing the name. So, that's what the sisters have been talking about.
CORNISH: Honestly, this is breaking news. I'm really into it.
DENT: OK, I need -- as somebody who does not have curls.
CORNISH: Yes.
DENT: What is a 4C curl.
CORNISH: Oh, curly hair.
DENT: But four -- four -- where does the 4C stand for? CORNISH: I -- we were just talking about afros, Dubke. I mean, do the
math.
DENT: Yes, I know.
CORNISH: What are we doing here?
DENT: Well, four curls per inch?
HAYS: Keep it up, Dubke.
CORNISH: I think you're --
DENT: No, what does 4C mean? Four curls? I get it.
HAYS: Oh, God.
CORNISH: You can get there. A leap and a jump.
HAYS: OK. We're going to --
DUBKE: I'm really not getting this.
HAYS: No, it's like -- let me just --
KAMLAGER-DOVE: It's texture. It's the coilieness (ph) of the curl.
CORNISH: Let's just move on. Let's just move on.
Who else has a good group chat?
HAYS: I have a really great group chat. It's Bravo related. I know everyone is shocked by this.
CORNISH: Do it. Get it.
HAYS: Ciara -- this is a really hot take.
KAMLAGER-DOVE: Save him.
HAYS: Ciara should be thanking West and Amanda because now she's on "Dancing With the Stars" where she is going to make a lot of money. So, she should be thanking them for creating all this drama at the 'Summer House." And I look forward to the reunion taping coming up.
CORNISH: One thing, I don't know a ton about these things, but what I do like every once in a while is to see how a reality star breaks into the mainstream, and suddenly people do know who they are.
[07:00:01]
HAYS: Yes.
CORNISH: And it's always like an interesting tipping point moment.
What's in yours? KLEIN: For me it is "The Devil Wears Prada Two." We've seen the
costumes. They're incredible. And they are going to be auctioning them off to support the Committee to Protect Journalists. And this week, when we're celebrating press freedom, I think that is just great.
CORNISH: Oh, I appreciate that.
KLEIN: It's awesome.
CORNISH: Good note. Thank you.
Congresswoman, thank you, as always.
KAMLAGER-DOVE: Thank you.
CORNISH: Wonderful to have you. Appreciate it.
I'm Audie Cornish. I want to thank you for being with us. And the headlines, they're going to be next.
