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CNN This Morning
Trump Refuses to Give War Timeline as 60-Day Limit Nears; Meta, Microsoft Cutting Jobs as Tech Goes All in on A.I. Aired 6-6:30a ET
Aired April 24, 2026 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DANNY FREEMAN, CNN ANCHOR: -- episode miniseries starring actor Alfonso Herrera and Dolores Fonzi. "The House of the Spirits" streams globally on April 29 -- April 29th, I should say, on Amazon Prime Video.
[06:00:12]
This is going to be a great one. I cannot wait to watch it. Glad it has that Latin American crew and shot on scene.
All right. Thank you all so much for joining us here on EARLY START. As always, I am Danny Freeman, live in New York. CNN THIS MORNING starts right now.
JESSICA DEAN, CNN ANCHOR: Today in the group chat, President Trump refuses to give a timeline for his 4-to-6-week war. Are we headed for a much longer conflict than we were told?
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DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I don't want to rush it. I want to take my time. We have plenty of time, and I want to get a great deal.
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DEAN: At the same time, he says the clock is ticking on Iran. Are they the ones under pressure?
Plus, a DOJ watchdog to investigate the handling of the Epstein files. What could they find?
He gambled on the takedown of a world leader and won big. A Special Forces soldier arrested and charged this morning.
Plus, a developing story right now.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Like the train going through. Sound like a locomotive. I heard the train. (END VIDEO CLIP)
DEAN: A massive and destructive tornado touching down in Oklahoma. And we're getting a firsthand look at the damage.
CNN THIS MORNING starts right now.
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TRUMP: We're going to see.
I could make a deal right now.
I don't want to rush myself, you know, because every story say, oh, Trump is under time pressure. I'm not. No, no. You know who's under time pressure? They are.
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DEAN: A 4-to-6-week war now approaching week eight. The president refusing to be rushed. Is he in political quicksand with the American people?
Good morning, everyone. Great to be with you. I'm Jessica Dean in for Audie Cornish today. And we begin with those new developments in the war with Iran.
A third U.S. aircraft carrier has arrived in the Middle East, the highest number of American carriers deployed to the region in more than 20 years. And in just a few hours, we'll be getting an update from the defense secretary.
But the truth -- with the truth -- truce extended indefinitely, new polling from FOX News showing the majority of independents and Democrats do not approve of how the president is handling this war.
And according to a recent Quinnipiac poll, many think it could last months, even longer. President Trump facing a ticking clock. Next week will mark 60 days since the war began. It's a deadline for when he has to go to Congress for approval.
Republicans divided on what they want to do. In an op-ed, Senator John Curtis writing, "60 days must mean 60 days," and he will not support action beyond that window without congressional approval. Some Republicans seem to agree with that.
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SEN. THOM TILLIS (R-NC): Sixty days is important with respect to the War Powers Resolution, and I'm not quite clear what the strategic objectives are. It's going to be difficult to get my support.
SEN. SUSAN COLLINS (R-ME): It's very likely that I would vote not to authorize further hostilities.
SEN. KEVIN CRAMER (R-ND): He certainly has the opportunity to extend by 30. I appreciate that he's trying to get -- he being the president is trying to find a way out of this before the 60 days is up. But we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
(END VIDEO CLIP) DEAN: Today in the group chat, Elliot Williams, CNN legal analyst and former federal prosecutor; Rob Bluey, president and executive editor at "The Daily Signal"; and Lulu Garcia-Navarro, CNN contributor and host of "The New York Times'" "The Interview."
Good morning, everyone. And now we have arrived at Friday. So that's great news for -- for I think everybody out there.
Let's start first, Rob, with you. I want to go back to -- we're going to go back to where we started, which is the president saying, Don't rush me. We have all the time.
I mean, you think he's using that as a negotiating tool? What do you mean by that?
ROB BLUEY, PRESIDENT/EXECUTIVE EDITOR, "THE DAILY SIGNAL": Yes. I do think that this president is somebody who, as we know from past experiences, does not like to be rushed, likes to do things on his terms, and wants to get the best deal for the United States of America.
At the same time, Jessica, as you saw from that polling, 30 percent of Republicans are not approving of the president's handling of the situation there in Iran.
And I think that that's a number that the president needs to pay close attention to, particularly when he wants to turn out the base to make sure that they vote in the midterm election this year.
And so, the clock is ticking. And the one thing that's on the president's mind, I'm sure, is whether or not he can wrap up this in time to make sure that he's focused on the issues that Americans care about. And largely, those are here domestically at home.
DEAN: And Lulu, to that point, we mentioned this new FOX News polling: 48 percent of Republicans, 72 percent of independents, and 69 percent of Democrats say gas prices are a major issue right now.
Rob's talking about these domestic issues that voters are focused on. How do you think the voters are receiving this -- this message and hearing the president say, Don't rush me. I've got plenty of time?
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LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes. Another winning message from the president. Not.
It's really something that, obviously, Americans are feeling so much financial pressure, not just from gas prices, but from so many different areas.
And so, the president saying, I've got all the time in the world is, frankly, a little bit ridiculous.
The problem here is, is that if it was up to President Trump, this would be wrapped up, right? He doesn't want this to go on. It's -- it's not helping him. It's not helping the global economy.
So, if he could wave a magic wand, I am absolutely sure that he would want to end this.
And I know that the Iranians think the same, because the Iranians have a vote in this. This is what happens when you start a war. You go to unexpected places, and the people on the other side of that war also get to decide how long things last.
And right now, what you have on the Iranian side is a bit of chaos, because you don't really know the leadership that is in control. The Americans clearly don't know who they're negotiating with. And exactly if there's consensus there on the other side. So, this is going to take a long time.
And I think Americans should be told that it's not just up to President Trump, that this is something that they should just understand they're going to be in for the long haul.
DEAN: Right. The -- that saying that I'm paraphrasing here, but the Iranians get a vote in this, as well.
Elliot, we heard from those lawmakers. We're approaching the 60-day mark. And that's -- that has been kind of where some of these Republicans -- some, some -- have been willing to give him some leeway but use that as kind of where they feel like the cutoff is where he does actually have to come to Congress.
Where do you think he is legally on that, and how hard do you think they can push on that?
ELLIOT WILLIAMS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, they can try anything. Now, obviously, the law says what it does, and at a certain point, the president has to go back to Congress.
I would expect a significant amount of pushback from Congress, only because they are hearing from their constituents in terms of how the public feels about what we're seeing here.
I know you talked about the 72 percent of independents on gas prices. The number that struck me was the 77 percent of independents that simply are not behind this conflict generally, or at least have concerns.
DEAN: That is a high number. Yes.
WILLIAMS: That's -- that's a remarkably high number. And, you know, I don't want to reduce a very serious geopolitical struggle or, you know, the fight over nuclear weapons to just gas prices in America. But it's something that touches virtually every American.
You know, you walk down the street, or you drive, and you see this number at every corner, every gas station. And so, people are not only feeling it, but seeing it. And it's something that I am certain they're telling their members of Congress about. So, sure, perhaps the president tries to blow past that 60-day
deadline, but I just don't see Congress, even the president's supporters in Congress, really standing for that.
DEAN: And, Rob, just quickly on that last point, again, going back to that FOX News polling. Shows voters believe Democrats would do a better job on the economy over Republicans. That's the first time Democrats have polled better than Republicans on that issue since 2010.
How serious do you think that is for Republicans?
BLUEY: It's been a strategic advantage that Republicans have had, as you note, for -- for many years. And so, it does need to be a flashing red light for a lot of Republicans who are certainly up for election this November.
And I think it's one of the reasons why they should use an opportunity in Congress right now to use a reconciliation bill, or whatever lever they can, to make sure that they're enacting the Trump agenda and doing the things that the American people have top of mind. As Elliot said, oftentimes, they're gas prices, related to energy and other things of the sort.
DEAN: All right, group chat, stay with us. We've got a lot more to talk about a little later.
Still to come on CNN THIS MORNING, we have more on this developing story. A violent tornado touching down North of Oklahoma City. And now there's a complicated search for survivors happening.
Plus, the attack thwarted. The plan by a former cop to carry out a mass shooting in New Orleans.
And the No. 1 draft pick, ready to prove himself in the NFL.
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FERNANDO MENDOZA, NO. NFL DRAFT PICK, 2026: I'm just looking forward to get to work, prove it at the next level. College was fantastic. I'm so blessed to have that career. But now I step into a great game, the NFL.
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DEAN: Thirteen minutes past the hour now, five things you need to know to get your day going.
And first, a developing story out of Oklahoma, where recovery efforts are underway this morning following a tornado that was on the ground for more than a half hour overnight.
That happened in the city of Enid, leaving behind major structural damage. It injured at least 11 people.
Heavy rains, gusty winds, and flash flood warning are complicating search-and-rescue efforts. Not to mention it's still dark there.
More than 15 other tornadoes were reported across Oklahoma, Kansas, and Iowa.
Two teenagers now under arrest for allegedly plotting to attack a Texas synagogue. Law enforcement officials accusing the teens of planning to, quote, "kill as many Jews as possible" at a temple in Houston.
Police say they also stopped a different planned attack, this one in New Orleans, where officials in Florida -- officials in Florida arresting a former police officer, who allegedly threatened to carry out a mass shooting at a popular festival that was set to begin this weekend.
Two large wildfires are raging in South Georgia. Local fire officials saying more than 34,000 acres have burned, along with dozens of structures.
[06:15:04]
Georgia's governor, Brian Kemp, has declared a state of emergency. And those fires are currently only about 15 percent contained.
Authorities think the $1.8 million Brinks truck heist earlier this week in Philly was an inside job. Investigators saying that armored truck was carrying twice the amount it usually does, and the robbers ambushed the truck at its very first stop.
They also believe the crew was responsible for other smaller robberies around the same area.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Las Vegas Raiders select Fernando Mendoza, quarterback, Indiana.
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DEAN: Fernando Mendoza's great year continues, going No. 1 in the NFL draft to the Las Vegas Raiders. The Indiana Hoosier helping his team clinch their first national championship this past season with that perfect 16-0 record.
After the break on CNN THIS MORNING, tech giants pouring money into A.I. and cutting in other areas. Could that trend backfire?
Plus --
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What the hell is a bailout?
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DEAN: Some Republicans not happy with the plan to bail out Spirit Airlines. They've got some questions.
And good morning, Houston. Some storms rolling through Texas there this morning.
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[06:20:38]
DEAN: Big tech is going all in on A.I., and tens of thousands of U.S. jobs are getting cut to offset that spending.
Meta announcing Thursday it plans to lay off roughly 8,000 workers. That's about 10 percent of its staff. Microsoft also offering buyouts to about 7 percent of its employees.
Lawmakers are warning the job losses could trigger the next financial crash.
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SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA): The impact on our economy is not so hard to see. I know a bubble when I see one. The parallels to the 2008 financial crisis are striking.
Reckless behavior of a few billionaires and big tech CEOs has turned a promising technology into a structural risk for our entire financial system.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DEAN: Lisa Eadicicco, CNN business technology editor, is joining us now. Lisa, good to see you.
This is an interesting moment in time, because we're starting to see the real-world effects of what's been -- what we've heard about, which is that A.I. is going to displace a significant amount of workers.
But -- but tell us first, just what it means that we're seeing companies like Meta, Microsoft laying off large portions of their workforce.
LISA EADICICCO, CNN BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY EDITOR: So, Jessica, I think this is indicative of two trends that we've seen in big tech recently, especially over the past couple of months and in the past year.
One is that companies feel the need to move faster in the age of A.I., because it is evolving so quickly. I think that's why --that's kind of the theme that we saw in the memo from Meta yesterday.
Same thing with Amazon's layoffs from January and October. Block, the financial tech company, also said something similar: that these companies are claiming they can get a lot more done with fewer people. And that reduces layers and allows them to ship things faster. So, I think there's that push that we're seeing, because there's this
belief in Silicon Valley and the broader tech industry that A.I. could be as big and influential as the smartphone, potentially.
And they see, you know, investing billions of dollars into their A.I. services and infrastructure. They're willing to take that risk, because they think missing out on whatever that next big thing might be is just too big of a risk.
So, that's one area that we're seeing.
And then the other is that that money that they're putting towards A.I. has to come from somewhere. These companies are investing massively in A.I.
Meta, for example, in particular, has invested 70 -- roughly 72 billion in capital expenditures just in 2025. And that spending usually refers to data centers and things like that.
And they're expecting that to potentially reach at least 115 billion in 2026. So, that money has to come from somewhere. And, you know, apparently, it looks like that might mean cutting back on -- on staff and open roles.
DEAN: Yes. OK. And so, it sounds like-- and I think this is -- this is important to distinguish. There's the bucket of what you're talking about, which is you have to find that money somewhere. You have to free up that money to spend it on investing in the future somewhere.
And -- and at the same time, we're hearing from somebody like Mark Zuckerberg who said -- and this is a quote -- "We're starting to see projects that used to require big teams now be accomplished by a single, very talented person."
And so, there's the money piece of it. And then it's -- it's the idea that A.I. is now complementing one person doing a big job, versus a whole team of people.
EADICICCO: Yes. And that's something that I feel like, over the past few months, has really ramped up with the launch of new models that can really run A.I. agents that do work for you, you know, unsupervised -- or not unsupervised, but you can give it a task. And it'll be able to accomplish a broad set of tasks rather than one individual goal that you instruct it to do.
So, I think that is also the other theme that we're seeing here.
I've been doing a lot of reporting around the future of A.I. and work, and the consistent thing that I'm hearing is that, especially in tech, it really is changing the way people work.
It's -- A.I. is writing a lot of code now, and that's really changing the job of -- of a software engineer. It's not just about writing the code and reviewing the code, even. It's about being the one that comes up with the ideas and manages the ideas.
[06:25:04]
So, I think that role is shifting.
And to your point of Mark Zuckerberg's quote there, he's not the only one to have that perspective. I -- earlier this year, I spoke with the CEO of AWS, Amazon Web Services, and he said something similar, that after -- you know, they also had massive layoffs.
But he said that his teams are accomplishing a lot more with smaller teams; work that would have taken months or even years in shorter periods of time with smaller teams.
So, I think that's a trend we're going to probably keep seeing. But I do think it raises a lot of questions about the future of work, the future of these roles.
And it's interesting, because this is an industry that, for years, has been viewed as kind of being a golden ticket to a stable, high-paying career. And now, you know, we're seeing the industry and the work involved in that industry shift in a big way.
DEAN: And I think that's -- that's the -- that's the next thing, too, to -- the big one to discuss is what happens with those jobs that had been a sure thing for so many people for so long?
More to come on this. Lisa, thanks so much. We appreciate it.
And straight ahead on CNN THIS MORNING, developing right now in Oklahoma, a dangerous tornado on the ground for more than a half hour. As the sun comes up, we are getting a first look at the damage.
Plus, the U.S. military working on a backup plan for the strait if the ceasefire fails.
And we do have a programing note. Tonight, straight from the nation's capital, comedian and master impressionist Matt Friend kicking off White House Correspondents Dinner weekend. A CNN political comedy special, AMERICA LAUGHS WITH MATT FRIEND, premieres tonight at 11, right here on CNN and on the CNN app.
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