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U.S. and Iran Trade Shots Near Hormuz Strait; Trump Won't Say if Ceasefire with Iran Still in Effect; Met Monday Disrupted by Bezos Backlash; Nearly 150 People Trapped on Cruise Ship Amid Hantavirus Outbreak. Aired 6-6:30a ET

Aired May 05, 2026 - 06:00   ET

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

[06:00:00]

BRIAN SMITH, CNN ANCHOR: That does it for CNN Headline Express. I'm Brad Smith. CNN This Morning with Audie Cornish starts right now.

AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR: All right. That Middle East ceasefire on fragile ground. Both sides trade shots. Could President Trump make good on new threats to, quote, "blow Iranian forces off the face of the earth?"

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The gas prices is hitting everybody over the head, including me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Gas prices climb, restaurant sales suffer, an airline goes under. The White House says help is on the way. Will it be too little too late?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE ROSMARIN, AMERICAN TRAVEL BLOGGER: All we want right now is to feel safe, to have clarity and to get home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: A floating quarantine zone, hundreds of passengers trapped on a cruise ship, the deadly outbreak on board.

So, this is an explosion at the world's fireworks capital. Rescue crews are still searching for survivors.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Shame on you Jeff Bezoz. The people that need to be being celebrated at the Met Gala are the workers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: The Bezos ball. Amazon workers call out their boss as his wife strutted her way to the top of the steps of the Met. CNN This Morning starts right now.

We're going to talk about that ceasefire. Is it going to hold? These are anxious hours for the Middle East and beyond. Welcome, everybody. Good morning. I'm Audie Cornish.

And if you are just waking up wondering if that truce between the U.S. and Iran still holds, the answer is maybe didn't look good there for a while. President Trump rolled out a plan to guide commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz. And then Iran fired missiles at the U.S. Navy and U.S. helicopters sank six Iranian attack boats. Now, this was the president just a few hours ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HUGH HEWITT, "THE HUGH HEWITT SHOW": Is the ceasefire over, Mr. President? Is it over? We're going to hit them tonight.

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Well, I can't tell you that.

HEWITT: All right. That's fine.

TRUMP: You wouldn't -- if I answered that question, you say this man is not smart enough to be the United States of America.

(END VIDEO CLIP\

CORNISH: So, oil prices have pulled back after hitting the highest price of the year just hours ago. U.S. gas prices are up to $4.48, they're up $1.50 since the start of the war. So, I'm bringing in CNN's Eleni Giokos. And, Eleni, first just getting a sense of what ships were able to make it through on Monday and is -- despite what we saw, the movement back and forth, and are any going to try and make it through today?

ELENI GIOKOS, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's such a good question. And frankly, what we saw yesterday when Project Freedom was announced, it's far less vessels transiting the Strait than what we've seen before prior to that. And, of course, President Trump saying this is a humanitarian mission. It's not a naval escort. It's about helping guide vessels through the Straits.

And now, that we've got two U.S. destroyers in the Persian Gulf, does that change the calculus? What we saw was one LPG carrier with the transponder on transiting the Strait yesterday. And then U.S. CENTCOM says there were two U.S. vessels that transited. I spoke to Kepler and they said they can't track those two vessels because they turned off their transponders. So, in other words, they moved dark through the Strait of Hormuz.

And the sense is that any vessel movement that we'll see now is probably going to be without any tracking data. Right now, according to experts, nothing is happening at this juncture. The question is, how successful will Project Freedom be? I want you to take a listen to retired Lieutenant General Karen Gibson on how this could potentially play out.

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LT. GEN. KAREN GIBSON (RET.), U.S. ARMY: Even though today was a tactical success of getting those vessels out of the Strait, the metric ought to be the return to normal commercial operations. So, the metric ought to be the number of insurers and shipping companies that feel comfortable and safe and are willing to transit the Strait. And, you know, commercial confidence is really the center of gravity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GIOKOS: Yes. And she's right. It is the center of gravity. And if there's any inkling of any type of threat, which we've actually seen yesterday, with a lot of confrontation in the Strait of Hormuz, shippers are going to stay away.

But it is interesting. I spoke to one shipper earlier and they said American vessels are making the transit, clearly under insurance guarantees with, you know, American assurances of safety.

[06:05:00]

Now, the question is, who's going to follow suit? And are we going to see a lot more vessels moving through? But one shipping executive told us earlier that the Strait is still incredibly hazardous. And I expect most ships will continue to avoid transit until both sides come up with something a lot more concrete.

And, Audie, this is the reality. We still are worried about those speedboats that Iran has. Even though the U.S. says they were able to sink six of those, it's still asymmetrical warfare. And Iran is still viewing this as a violation of the ceasefire, even though President Trump has not directly declared the attacks on us here in the UAE as a violation. So, we wait to see what happens.

CORNISH: Well, great. That's Eleni Giokos talking to us from the UAE. And there's a lot to follow up on. There was also a strike on an oil facility. So, I'm bringing in the Group Chat. Alex Thompson, CNN political analyst, national political correspondent at Axios. Sabrina Singh, CNN global affairs commentator and former deputy Pentagon press secretary. Mehek Cooke, senior analyst at The Daily Signal and former Trump campaign surrogate. And Maria Cardona, CNN political commentator and Democratic strategist.

I want to unpack just a few things. One, I noticed that when there was that attack on that oil facility in the region, that's the facility people had been trying to, like, divert oil to, right? It was like, oh, the Strait's a problem, so we're going to go here. And then Iran started aiming there. So, are we right back in -- and there's the image of it. Not that we're back to where we started, but this has not become less complex since the proposal from the Trump administration.

SABRINA SINGH, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR AND FORMER DEPUTY PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY: That's right. Even though Donald Trump wants to say that the ceasefire is still holding and he's trying to downplay this attack, that attack is significant because that is where the pipeline that goes around the Strait. It is essentially exactly what you said, it is the pipeline that can get oil out without vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

So, the fact that Iran took a shot at that pipeline in particular, it shows they want to continue to disrupt the global market. And they are willing to incur the cost of it because they don't really care about costs going up for them. They actually, I think, are making the political calculation that because costs are going up for Americans, that's going to force the U.S. hand at the negotiating table. Because right now, what we're talking about, we're not talking about Iran's nuclear ambitions, what we're talking about is the Strait.

CORNISH: Right.

SINGH: And they have used their nuclear option of closing it, and global markets are obviously responding.

CORNISH: Alex, can I just ask you briefly about the White House position on this? And, Sabrina, you may want to jump in because we're supposed to hear from Hegseth, and we're going to talk about that later today. So, I don't know if he's going to come out and say, guess what, this is what a ceasefire looks like, or it looks like more things are changing, or counsel patience, or what.

So, what is your sense that the White House wants to do just in the last 24 hours, given the return to actual what they would call kinetic action?

ALEX THOMPSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST AND NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, AXIOS: Well, we're in week 10 of what they originally said was going to be a four- to six-week war. So, you know, they are very much playing for time, in part because they know that the market reaction, if they make this clear that this could go on, for what some people increasingly believe is going to be several more months of these, you know, not just, you know, energy shocks, but really a supply shock that will reverberate across the world. They are very much trying to play for time, to try to get a real ceasefire. But the fact is that their original expectations of this being over soon have not been correct so far.

CORNISH: All right. So, that's -- let me just bring in the other side of the table, because this is where the American people come in. We're being told to be patient, right? That wars are complicated, that this one has not been very long. It's just been a couple of weeks. And so, far, it's an uphill battle for them in terms of explaining that.

This Washington Post poll, this is just from late April, when people were asked, how do you feel about the president's handling of the war in Iran? Right now, that number of disapprove is high, frankly. And I want to come to you, Mehek, because when I listen to the president talk about polls, here's what he said on Monday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: They give me fake polls. They tell me about polls and this. You know, it's interesting. They did a poll on the war with Iran, and they said only 32 percent of the people like it. Well, when you explain it, like, is it OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon? It wouldn't be 32 percent. But even if you said that, there'd be a 32 percent because the polls are fake.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Now, I frequently hear the president say the polls are fake. What caught my ear about this is him saying, they give me fake ones. Does the president trust the information he's getting from his team?

MEHEK COOKE, FORMER TRUMP 2025 CAMPAIGN SURROGATE: Look, I think what the president's saying today is that war is not easy, and majority of Americans don't want to be in war. We're looking at our gas prices today, and we're struggling. We just got out of a 40-year high inflation under Joe Biden. President Trump was able to turn that corner. Gas prices were $3, and we were celebrating in America.

[06:10:00]

And now, with the Iran war, we're back to square one. But I have to say, this has been 60 days. We've been dealing with the Iran regime for 47 years. You talk about --

CORNISH: But square one, and you're using that phrase. I'm actually sort of surprised to hear that feeling, like, what was accomplished so far?

COOKE: Well, we've accomplished a lot. When I said square one, it's the gas prices. We're back to higher gas prices in the 60 days. But when we talk about accomplishments, we've actually kneecapped Iran. When you think about it, Iran is now using -- they can't use proxies. We've tried to work with Hezbollah and Lebanon to make sure that there's at least a ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel.

So, we're actually looking at the Strait of Hormuz today, and we have not backed down. Even with this small attack, we were able to not only respond immediately, but actually take the waterways and the navigation.

CORNISH: Although the argument -- I mean, on the first day of Project Freedom took a setback, let's put it that way. How do Democrats talk about this? Especially since Democrats don't exactly argue, actually, Iran was fine. We shouldn't have done nothing. They're really talking about how the war was prosecuted.

MARIA CARDONA CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR AND DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Sure. And what Democrats talk about is that we shouldn't have retreated from the original Iran nuclear deal in the first place, because we are way worse off today than we ever were during that deal. And so, what Democrats talk about is that, yes, no one is applauding Iran.

Everyone has always, you know, believed that they should not have a nuclear weapon. No one loves the regime. But the way that this has been executed has been horrendous. They've never explained to the American people what it was they were doing, why, what the strategy is, what the end game is, and how we're going to get out.

CORNISH: Well, we're going to have another chance today, because Hegseth is coming to the podium.

CARDONA: Right.

CORNISH: Yes.

CARDONA: And I guarantee you that we're not going to get any of that, which is why the polls are so low, because this is not what Americans voted for. They voted for exactly the opposite.

CORNISH: Well, we're going to get into more of this, because we have more detail on the polling. And as we said, we're going to hear from the defense secretary.

I want to turn to this, though. You could feel this for miles. This is a massive explosion at the world's fireworks capital in China. And then we're going to turn to the glitz, glamour and controversy. The Met Gala had that and more. And Vegas says goodbye, Dolly. Why, Dolly Parton says she is stepping back from the stage.

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DOLLY PARTON, SINGER: This thing for me is like an old classic car that once restored can be better than ever.

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CORNISH: It's now 16 minutes past the hour. Here are five things to know to get your date going. Now, right now, two people are confirmed dead, several others injured after a car ramming attack in Germany. Now, this car drove into a crowd on a busy pedestrian-only shopping street. A 33-year-old suspect is in custody, and officials say he may suffer from mental health issues.

And at least 26 people have died after an explosion at a fireworks factory in China. Dozens more injured. This happened in a region of China known as the world's fireworks hub since it produces about 60 percent of the world's supply. The cause of the explosion is now under investigation.

And the Broadway musical, "The Book of Mormon," cancels two performances this week after a fire broke out at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre. This sparked off in an electrical room and engulfed two floors before reaching the roof.

And that legal battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni's production company is finally over, just weeks before the trial. The two sides reached a settlement over Lively's complaints of wrongdoing by Baldoni during the filming of "It Ends With Us." The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

And celebs became the canvas at last night's Met Gala with the theme Fashion is Art. Beyonce made her return after a 10-year hiatus. Other stars unrecognizable. Heidi Klum dressed as a statue. Bad Bunny as elderly. And the glitz and glam came under a cloud of controversy. Billionaire and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos sponsored the event for the first time. Protesters weren't happy about it. Pointing to Bezos' Trump-friendly, ice-packing, mega-rich ideologies.

Amazon workers joined activists in a, quote, "ball without billionaires," calling out the wealth disparity they say Bezos perpetuates in a fashion show largely featuring immigrant designers.

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LISA ANN WALTER, ACTRESS: How did an event that's supposed to celebrate creativity, artistry, and fabulousness in all genders end up revolving around this Temu Lex Luthor who profits off of pushing working people to their very brink?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: OK. Group chat is back. We have to talk about it because, A, this is the first time I've really seen a proper protest of the -- you know what I mean? Not like your Etheridge, but a dress because you're in it. Like a proper -- your workers are out there saying what are you doing here? This is an example of that, you know, trying to counter spectacle with spectacle.

CARDONA: It is amazing.

CORNISH: And then we all still looked at the dresses here. Which is terrible.

CARDONA: I think it was brilliant that Temu Lex Luthor, ouch.

CORNISH: I hadn't heard that one yet. Coming in hot from Abbott Elementary.

CARDONA: That was right on target.

CORNISH: Did you actually have a favorite dress?

SINGH: I did. I mean, actually, I liked a lot of looks. I loved Beyonce's look. I thought it was very glamorous. I thought it was dramatic.

CORNISH: We should also say she was co-chair this year.

SINGH: Yes.

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CORNISH: She wasn't just coming back, she was coming back with a job to do.

SINGH: Right.

CORNISH: As you can see, she understood the assignment. SINGH: She did. I thought she looked just incredible. And just that, that large cape or, you know, train behind her was beautiful. And then I really did, like Sabrina Carpenter's looks in the Dior and then she had the designers had taken strips of the "Sabrina" movie.

CORNISH: Yes. The film --

SINGH: And obviously, like -- you know, I'm slightly biased. My namesake as well. But I thought she looked very --

CORNISH: Is that the only reason you picked out Sabrina, Sabrina?

SINGH: I'm not going to lie --

CORNISH: You are also --

SINGH: I've been inspired by this.

CORNISH: This is bias in the extreme.

SINGH: It is. It is. But I thought she looked glamorous. I -- but, you know, there were so many great --

CORNISH: Alex, do you have a favorite? I don't want to leave you out just because you're a man.

THOMPSON: Thank you. I really appreciate that.

CORNISH: Yes.

THOMPSON: No, I really actually liked Kylie Jenner. She was wearing sort of skip rally. And I just recently saw a huge exhibition of skip rally, and I just thought it was gorgeous.

CORNISH: I was intrigued. Lauren Bezos was wearing a dress that alluded to a past socialite who also was criticized by the public. And so, the dress looks very simple on the outside and there's a lot history there. All you art history nerds, go look.

In the meantime, I'm going to turn to this and honestly, it's really sad. There are a lot of people stranded on this cruise ship. There's a deadly virus outbreak. Nearly 150 people are waiting to go home.

In the meantime, the treasury secretary assures Americans that help is on the way when it comes to the economy because people are talking about the way they're struggling to pay for gas.

In the meantime, good morning from the harbor in Baltimore. We'll be right back.

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CORNISH: All right. We want to talk about those 17 Americans who are among the nearly 150 people trapped on a cruise ship off the coast of West Africa. Now, a suspected outbreak of the rare and deadly hantavirus has already claimed three lives. The vessel is essentially a floating quarantine zone. Despite urgent medical evacuations for the symptomatic, there's still no plan to disembark the other people on the ship. Now, there's a U.S. travel blogger who is among that group.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE ROSMARIN, AMERICAN TRAVEL BLOGGER: There's a lot of uncertainty, and that's the hardest part. All we want right now is to feel safe, to have clarity, and to get home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: OK. Following this for us, CNN's Salma Abdelaziz. Now, we just heard him sounding afraid, and I want to get a sense from you what authorities are doing, meaning, like, why can't they dock, for instance?

SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the simple answer to that is because Cape Verde, which is the archipelago that they are off of currently, has not granted permission for them to dock there. Instead, they're having to wait on Dutch authorities, who are working right now with the World Health Organization, to facilitate that evacuation.

Now, this has to happen in two parts, Audie, because you need to, first of all, get those who need treatment to treatment. We understand that there's at least two crew members on board who are symptomatic and one other individual who needs to be evacuated as well. That's going to be extremely complicated. They're going to need two specialized aircraft with specialized medical equipment and medical teams on board. No clear timeline on when that's going to happen.

Now, what is hantavirus? What is this disease? Well, it's an illness that is extremely rare and is generally spread through rodents, but it can be extremely deadly if and when contracted. The CDC says up to 39 percent of those who contract hantavirus may die of it. But the World Health Organization says this is not yet a public health threat.

I want you to take a listen to what the World Health Organization said just about an hour ago about this outbreak and how it may have spread.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARIA VAN KERKHOVE, DIRECTOR FOR EPIDEMIC AND PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS, WHO: The point being, regardless of which virus it actually is, we do know that some of the cases have had very close contact with each other and certainly human to human transmission can't be ruled out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABDELAZIZ: Now, you heard the fear in that travel blogger's voice, as you mentioned, and that's because there's three people who have died of hantavirus among those who were on board that cruise ship. Again, it's usually spread among rodents. So, for many of these epidemiologists, it's simply unclear where this outbreak originated. And again, it's about that timeline. How quickly can they get those who need treatment to hospitals to care? And then for the rest of the passengers, there's going to be a part two where they're going to have to find another location, another port that might be willing to accept them. And there might be further isolation because the time in which this virus can remain in a person's body can be up to eight weeks.

CORNISH: OK. That's Salma Abdelaziz. We're going to keep following this today as those cruise passengers remain on that ship.

And straight ahead on CNN This Morning, good morning to you in Ohio, Indiana and Michigan, because it's your Election Day. The national impact of these key states. Plus, what we could hear from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth this morning in his latest update on the Iran war.

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