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Erin Burnett Outfront
U.S. Blockade Of Strait Underway With 15 Warships In The Region; Trump Digs In, Says Pope Is "Wrong On The Issues" And Iran War; Swalwell To Resign From Congress Amid Sexual Misconduct Claims. Aired 7-8p ET
Aired April 13, 2026 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[19:00:27]
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: OUTFRONT next:
The breaking news: 15 American warships in the Middle East, the blockade of Iranian ports underway, a new and highly risky showdown with Iran this hour.
And more breaking news tonight, Trump doubling down in his fight with Pope Leo as J.D. Vance, who is Catholic, shrugs off Trump's post depicting himself as Jesus Christ. Our reporter, who is traveling with the pope right now, covering this story from that plane, has a special report.
And more late breaking news, Congressman Eric Swalwell announcing tonight he's out resigning from Congress after CNN reported on the explosive allegations of sexual misconduct against the California Democrat and gubernatorial candidate. Now, an embattled Republican is also stepping down.
Let's go OUTFRONT.
(MUSIC)
BURNETT: And good evening. I'm Erin Burnett on this Monday.
And OUTFRONT tonight, Trump's escalating war with Iran. At this hour, the U.S. military is conducting what may be the most dangerous and complex mission since the start of Trump's war, which is blocking all traffic, entering and leaving Iranian ports.
Now, right now, there could be 15 warships, including an aircraft carrier, which are part of this high-stakes operation for the United States. That's the firepower in the region right now. Satellites, drones, all involved. And those ships not far from an Iranian regime, which tonight is warning that it would, quote, "reveal capabilities the enemy has no idea exists," adding it would also introduce new methods of warfare that opponents would have limited ability to counter.
Obviously, the whole point of this is that there's a lack of clarity on what weapons Iran is referring to, whether this is bluster or bravado or something real. This escalation comes after the peace talks, of course, collapsed in that first round in Pakistan, leaving the Strait of Hormuz still closed.
And Vice President J.D. Vance moments ago talked about the negotiations this weekend. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, it's one of the things we talked about, Bret, is that we need to see the Straits of Hormuz fully open. And this is, frankly, one of the things where the Iranians tried to move the goalposts during the negotiation. We made very clear that that's unacceptable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: The Iranians, though, do not seem to be intimidated at this time. The embassy in South Africa from Iran, and they've been posting from these embassies, many of them African, South Africa, Zimbabwe, South Africa, in this case, calling the Trump administration, quote, the miserable pirates of the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. And that, of course, is where the American military forces are blocking maritime traffic.
And if Iranian tankers defy U.S. orders, American service members may have to board and stop a fully loaded oil tanker not knowing who is on board, what type of weapons, what the entire point of it is. Its obviously incredibly risky for American soldiers' lives, and it is putting American troops dangerously close to missiles, to drones, to Iranian mines, despite this claim from Trump today, where he said Iran has been totally obliterated militarily and otherwise.
Now, of course, he said they were militarily nuclear programs, military obliterated last summer. But then this war is because it wasn't, he said. Iran -- Iran's navy has been obliterated several times as it has continued to strike. And now, even with that obliterated claim, it is important to note from U.S. intelligence assessments that Iran's missile launchers are still intact.
Seth Jones telling us that it would take only 10 seconds for an Iranian supersonic anti-ship cruise missile to hit a U.S. ship in those waters. Ten seconds.
Ten seconds is not enough time to move, right? That's the point of these American lives that are now truly on the front lines. All this talk about ground troops, there are now troops right there, 10 seconds away, and the added danger, of course, exists of Iran's small attack boats, which Trump said today. This he said Iran's navy is laying at the bottom of the sea completely obliterated, 158 ships. But we have not hit are there small number of what they call fast attack ships? Because we do not consider them much of a threat.
Now, again, the use of the word "obliterated". But important to also note this. He did not consider them. Much of a threat is significant because these small and fast attack ships have been what has kept the Strait of Hormuz essentially closed for more than 40 days. So, it's pretty clear that they were a threat. They're fast. They're threats -- their strikes can prove deadly.
Shipping companies with oil tankers. One of them is said to me, that's one of their biggest concerns is those small ships coming and attacking -- attaching missiles, bombs, sorry, to the hulls of some of those Suezmax oil tankers.
Back in October of 2000, of course, we saw what those ships are capable of.
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It was a small al Qaeda attack boat that hit the USS Cole, killing 17 American soldiers and American service members. Tonight, facing that risk. And it is, of course, just American service members, not only American service members who are in harm's way.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REPORTER: Is it your anticipation, Mr. President, that other countries will assist in this effort to blockade Iran and those --
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Yeah, other countries are going to also.
REPORTER: Which countries, sir?
TRUMP: We don't need other countries, frankly. But they've offered their services. We'll let it -- we'll let it be known probably tomorrow.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: And we'll see what happens. Of course, NATO at this point, American allies have refused to participate in this. So tonight it is only American soldiers. We'll see if that changes tomorrow.
Kristen Holmes is OUTFRONT live outside the White House to begin our coverage.
And so, Kristen, what more are you learning about how far Trump is willing to take this blockade and looking in the reality of this, of how many American lives he is willing to lay down for it?
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erin, I'm talking to White House officials. They say that they are all in on this. As you noted, there's these at least 15 ships, U.S. ships that are in the region that could be part of this blockade.
And when I talk to U.S. officials and Trump administration officials, even allies of the presidents, this was really down the list on things that they were hoping that he would do, is considered one of the best options of a dwindling set of options for the reasons that you just laid out. Of course, American soldiers, they're within striking distance. And also for the economic pain that this could cause on the United States. It does feel as though there is somewhat of a standoff between Iran
and the United States currently happening on who this is going to impact and who can sustain the most amount of economic pain as well, because this is going to hurt both countries' economies. And behind the scenes, I'm hearing about he -- a scramble between these countries in the region who want to see nothing but an end to this. You have, as several of these countries who are trying to close the gaps between Iran and the United States, trying to renegotiate, trying to get another round of negotiations set up.
And we are told that at least within the White House, there are conversations about setting up another round of negotiations, what that would look like. Now, of course, this is still very preliminary. It's not as though this is actually happening. They haven't taken that opportunity yet, but they want to be ready in case this does happen.
And I do want to point to one thing that Vice President J.D. Vance said that I thought was striking during the interview that he just did. He said that the Iranian team that they were negotiating with didn't seem to be able to make a deal on site, that they had to go back to Tehran to essentially run something by someone. He suggested. Perhaps the supreme leader or someone else.
That was something we had reported that because of the structure, because of the shift that we have seen in Iran, were they even negotiating with the right people? And its unclear based on what Vance said, that they were -- at least whoever they were talking to had to go back to be able to actually make a final deal.
BURNETT: All right, Kristen Holmes, thank you very much. Of course, Vice President Vance, interesting, as we bring our panel in here, also said that he himself called the president half a dozen to a dozen times during the negotiations. So, he couldn't do a deal either, going back to Washington, maybe their communications are just a bit more secure.
Okay, everyone's here with me.
Stephen Horrell, retired captain, naval intelligence officer. Let me just start with you. The U.S. has at least 15 warships in the region, as we said. Right? So, we don't know exactly how many of them may or may not be involved, but we know that firepower at least is there to be used, could be being used for this blockade. Eleven destroyers as part of that.
And that -- obviously, the blockade does put them in the line of fire. We're talking Seth Jones, you know, you're seconds away. So that's not enough time obviously to move a ship. Never mind take cover. So, there's a real risk here, right?
CAPT. STEVEN HORRELL, U.S. NAVAL INTELLIGENCE OFFICER (RET.): There is. So, a blockade is going to be a complex operation, 11 destroyers covering the entire coastline of Iran, because again, the blockade is not its not blockading the Strait of Hormuz to all traffic. It is blockading Iranian ports. But that whole coastline, both inside and outside the Strait of Hormuz. So they've got to cover a wide area. But essentially all of the elements of executing a blockade are things that the U.S. navy does.
So, building that maritime picture so you know where every ship is, where they've come from, where they're going to, what cargo they're supposed to be carrying. That's day to day work that we train to visit, board search and seizure if necessary. So they're trained to go on board ships, even up to hostile actions like that.
BURNETT: And that's -- I mean, obviously, Iran making these threats right now, who knows what those mean or don't mean. But I mean, the reality would seem that it would seem reasonable to expect that Iran will test this and that they would have a plan for when the U.S. sailors boarded the ship. That would just seem pretty obvious.
HORRELL: That's very well possible. So probably initial boardings would be at a higher state of alert, more readiness for that. But I think you pointed out earlier, the real threat is those Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, navy fast attack craft. I disagree with diminishing them as not a threat.
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That's always been the craft that are harassing ships, whether military ships going through the strait, any civilian shipping, they want to harass at all.
That's been -- the IRGC and those fast attackers, if they could be crewed, they could be uncrewed, missiles and drones as well, coming by air. So, you're getting inside that threat envelope. Yes, it's going to be risky.
BURNETT: Laura Secor, you're the senior editor at "The Atlantic". I know you've reported on Iran for more than two decades. You spent a lot of time there. So when you hear J.D. Vance say, as Kristen's reporting, that they were moving the goalposts on the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian negotiators, and she also mentioned this whole point about their, their need to go back to Tehran to get approved.
Let me just play that for you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VANCE: I do think that we acquired some knowledge about how the Iranians are negotiating, and this is ultimately why we left Pakistan, because what we figured out is that they were unable -- I think the team that was there was unable to cut a deal, and they had to go back to Tehran, either from the supreme leader or somebody else and actually get approval to the terms that we had set.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: I mean, this is interesting, actually, because I made the point that J.D. Vance himself said he called Trump half a dozen to a dozen times. One would think he would know the difference. I mean, there's a big -- that's a big range, but it's a lot of calls. He couldn't do a deal without Trump's approval. But do you think this is an issue that the people negotiating for Iran
didn't have the authority? Or is it literally a communications issue, right. That they can't talk to supreme leader because that could any kind of a phone call from Islamabad with Americas president could reveal where somebody was. So, you can't actually do those communications.
LAURA SECOR, SENIOR EDITOR, THE ATLANTIC: Right. I think your point is well taken. And it is a communications issue, most likely. I think there is a bit of wishful thinking here that because of these decapitation strikes that, as we know, have killed a lot of senior leaders in Iran, that somehow this means people who showed up in Islamabad are not really in power, and that the power structure has been somehow dismantled.
I think that that is a fantasy, quite honestly. It's a highly institutionalized regime. The institution still stand and I think --
BURNETT: That's a strong word though. I mean, to literally call it a fantasy, that that's the hope, but it's just that unrealistic.
SECOR: I think so.
BURNETT: Yeah.
SECOR: Now it may be the case that, I mean, the, the Iranian system has always had multiple power centers and its always had sort of internal factional divisions, and it has always had parts -- the people who would come to the negotiating table were never the people who were at the right hand of the supreme leader. So, there's -- there's always been some of that, you know, it's a regime that has real politics inside of it.
And we don't know at the current moment, it's a bit of a black box because it's not possible really to report from inside Iran on the status of, of the different players. And we don't yet know who they are and what they represent and where the different power centers are falling. But that doesn't mean that they don't exist.
BURNETT: They don't exist.
So, Barak, you've done extensive reporting, obviously, on the U.S.- Iran negotiations. So, what are you learning tonight?
BARAK RAVID, CNN POLITICAL & GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, I think that first, I don't think that the talks in Pakistan are collapsed. I think they got to a point where it was actually the time to make decisions. And I think that both sides had to sort of go back and reflect. And in order to make decisions, because it is very hard to, you know, get a deal on such complex issues in 24 hours. Okay?
But both parties actually did try to reach some sort of a one pager of broad understandings of where they want to go. And I think that the bottom line was that in order to get an agreement on that, they needed a political decision on both sides. And I think that both sides actually know right now, how a deal would look like they just need to make a decision -- the political decision, if they want to do it.
For example, the two most critical issues, and those are the issues that the -- that will determine if there is a deal or not. Everything else, if those two issues are determined, everything else will fall into place. And this is how long is it going to be a suspend, a suspension of enrichment of uranium in Iran.
Both sides agree that there will be suspension. They disagree for how long. The U.S. wants 20 years. Iran agrees to something between three to seven years. They'll have to decide whether they're willing to get a compromise in the middle.
Second thing, the uranium highly enriched uranium stockpile. The U.S. wants the whole stockpile out of the out of Iran. Iran wants to down blend it in a process inside the country. They will have to figure it out.
If those two issues will be figured out, everything else I think is doable. And this is why I think it's not -- that there are no gaps. There are significant gaps, but it's not -- those gaps are not unbridgeable.
[19:15:03]
BURNETT: So, Captain Horrell, when Trump posts on social media, Iran has been totally -- and he puts "obliterated" in caps -- militarily and otherwise.
Look, the word obliterated from Trump is a meaningless word because he keeps using it when it isn't true. That doesn't mean that at some point it may not be true, right? It just hasn't been true. Every time he's used it up until now. But that's when I get to that recent U.S. intelligence assessment, right?
His own intelligence is saying half of Iran's missile launchers are still intact. And thousands of one way attack drones are there, and they can still manufacture them, which obviously could put U.S. troops right in the line of risk, you know, seconds away on the on those on those ships.
So, what does -- what does all that mean when we talk about the new capabilities that they are threatening? You can blow that off. Or you could say, well, look, they hit Diego Garcia and maybe that means something.
HORRELL: So, I think that's a lot of hyperbole on Iran's part as well.
BURNETT: Yeah. You know, the intelligence community, the U.S., our allies do track that pretty well. So, as you say, the idea that, you know, we've got a pretty good count of the missile launchers and one way attack drones like the Shahed, we know they've got still 50 percent of those fast attack craft. So, we're tracking those things.
Just trying to wrap my head around a threat that we wouldn't understand or have never seen before sounds as much like bluster as obliterated. BURNETT: Yeah. Right. It could be there, the flip side.
And, Laura, what about who is in charge? I know anyone following this sees the daily report, some seemingly more informed than others, about the real state of the supreme leader.
Talking to a regime insider -- we did have an interview with someone from Tehran the other day when I asked that question. It was a terse response. It was, I cannot talk to that. Which I actually interpreted to be that the person had no idea as opposed to was hiding it, right? What are you hearing?
SECOR: Similarly, rumors. I don't think we do know for sure what his status is. It is really a curious thing that we haven't seen live footage of him. And yeah, there is entirely there is certainly a possibility that he's incapacitated. There is clearly some kind of closely held circle around him.
And you know, under Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the IRGC, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has consolidated a tremendous amount of power in the country. You've heard this reported 100 times, but its really sort of it can't be overstated that what he did was expand its reach, not just through the political sphere and the military, but also in the economy and in the intelligence and security operations of the regime.
So, we can certainly, you know, we can certainly surmise that there is a heavy IRGC presence at the upper echelons.
BURNETT: Right. The economy obviously controlled by them. Thank you all very much.
And next, the breaking news. Congressman Eric Swalwell resigning from Congress after CNN spoke to a former staffer who accused the California Democrat of assault. And just moments ago, a Republican who is also facing allegations of sexual misconduct, announced he is stepping down.
And breaking, in the face of a crushing defeat for close Trump ally Viktor Orban, Vice President J.D. Vance is defending his decision to go to Hungary during the war and to appear at a campaign rally for Orban.
And President Trump tonight is trying to explain away the post that he put online, depicting himself as Jesus Christ. Gretchen Carlson and Jamal Simmons are next.
So, what do they make -- what do you make of Trump saying he had no idea anybody could think this was Jesus Christ, he thought that this guy was a doctor?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:22:51]
BURNETT: The breaking news Trump is digging in on Pope Leo attacks, telling CBS News tonight, quote, "He's wrong on the issues. I don't think he should be getting into politics."
It comes as Vice President J.D. Vance, who is a devout Catholic, was just on Fox News a few moments ago with Bret Baier shrugging off this image that Trump posted, appearing to depict himself as Jesus Christ.
Now, J.D. Vance said that that -- I'm sorry. I'm trying to get the exact quote of what he said, but said that it was a joke that Trump was making.
All right, we got -- we got him now. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VANCE: I think the president was posting a joke. And of course, he took it down because he recognized that a lot of people weren't understanding his humor in that case. I think the president of the United States likes to mix it up on social media. And I actually think that's one of the good things about this president.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: It's interesting. There's a whole lot of detail there that Vance has given, but I think its important to just be clear here that Trump did not try to say it was a joke. That was not his excuse at all. In fact, he said he was a doctor in the picture, not Jesus Christ.
Our Christopher Lamb was with Pope Leo on his trip, where he condemned the war and was asked about Trump's attacks. Chris begins our coverage OUTFRONT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The U.S. president and a U.S. pope in a very public war of words.
POPE LEO XIV, CATHOLIC CHURCH: Welcome aboard.
LAMB (voice-over): Leo XIV, responding to an extraordinary broadside against the Chicago-born pontiff by President Donald Trump.
Speaking on board the papal plane to journalists covering a major 11 city visit to Africa, the first American pope made it clear he won't be intimidated.
POPE LEO: I have no fear of either the Trump administration nor speaking out loudly about the message of the gospel. And that's what I believe. I am called to do what the church is called to do.
LAMB (voice-over): The pontiff insisting the mission of the church is to build bridges, not engage in politics.
POPE LEO: We're not politicians. We're not looking to make foreign policy, he calls it, with the same perspective that he might understand it. But I do believe that the message of the gospel, "Blessed are the peacemakers". LAMB (voice-over): Leo has repeatedly spoken out against Trump's
actions in Iran. President Trump fired back on Sunday night, lashing out at the pope over his criticism of the U.S. and Israel's war involving Iran.
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TRUMP: We don't like it. We don't like a pope that's going to say that it's okay to have a nuclear weapon. We don't want a pope that says crime is okay in our cities. I don't like it. I'm not a big fan of Pope Leo.
LAMB (voice-over): On Truth Social, Trump went further, calling the pontiff weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy, even saying he prefers the pope's brother, Louis Prevost, who has shown his support for MAGA.
Upping the ante, Trump also posted an A.I. image on Truth Social, depicting himself as a Christ-like figure, healing a sick person with American flags and eagles in the background. The image was later deleted.
TRUMP: I did post it and I thought it was me as a doctor and had to do with Red Cross as a Red Cross worker there, which we support, and only the fake news could come up with that one. It's supposed to be me as a doctor making people better.
LAMB (voice-over): Trump also claimed the pope was only elected last year because he is American, suggesting the church chose him to better deal with his presidency.
Pope Leo has repeatedly condemned the use of religious language to frame the military operation in Iran.
PETE HEGSETH, DEFENSE SECRETARY: Rescued on Sunday, flown out of Iran as the sun was rising on Easter Sunday, a pilot reborn all home and accounted for a nation rejoicing. God is good.
POPE LEO (through translator): Jesus is the king of peace who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war. He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war but reject them.
LAMB (voice-over): A Vatican official, Father Antonio Spadaro, saying Trump is attacking what he cannot control. A moral voice on the global stage.
Trump does not argue with Leo. He implores him to return to a language he can control. But the pope speaks another language, one that cannot be reduced to the grammar of force, security or national interest.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAMB: Well, Erin, I was on board the papal plane with Pope Leo, and it's clear he's going to continue to speak out. But it does all point to a very tense relationship between the Trump administration and the Vatican. This latest row coming after the revelation of an unprecedented meeting between the former papal ambassador to the United States and the pentagon, a meeting that was described as a tense encounter.
BURNETT: A tense encounter.
And, you know, we've heard a lot about that when obviously, you know, all so fascinating in the context of Trump's battle with Pope Leo, as you see these record numbers of Americans joining the Catholic Church. Okay?
Jamal Simmons and Gretchen Carlson are OUTFRONT with me now.
And, Gretchen, I mean, this is fascinating because one in five people who voted for Trump were Catholic, okay. And it's very curious when we talk about these new numbers and people flocking to the church for a variety of reasons. Okay? But one of those reasons is an American pope. You know what this is going to mean?
Why do you think Trump is digging into these attacks against Pope Leo? I mean, that thing that he posted took a I mean, that was a lot there was a lot of passion in that, that he typed up all of that.
GRETCHEN CARLSON, FORMER FOX NEWS HOST: The first thing that came to me was because the pope is more popular and in fact, today right here on CNN, you showed a poll where the approval rating of Pope Leo in America is very high, and the disapproval rating of Donald Trump currently is low. And that is sort of what makes Trump click on a daily basis is he tends to take his ill feelings out on people who are more popular or who he deems to be having more success at the time.
With regard to getting into religion, do I think it's going to have any impact? Probably not. In normal times, I would have said for sure --
BURNETT: Yeah.
CARLSON: But he's gotten away with so much else. He makes fun of disabled people. He makes fun of people with autism. He made fun of Michelle and Barack Obama as apes. I'm actually surprised he took the post down.
BURNETT: Right. Well, this is interesting, right? He didn't obviously take his post over the weekend down right when he had an easter weekend. Okay. But then this post where he was Jesus, he did take down, Jamal.
So let me play again, part of Trump's explanation for the post. And I will say you're the son of a methodist preacher. So that's -- I mean, , everybody has a right to have a view on religion, but you also --
JAMAL SIMMONS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Called a source today.
BURNETT: Called your source today.
CARLSON: And I'm a granddaughter of a Lutheran minister. So, Jamal and I, we've taught a lot of Sunday school, I think. BURNETT: And I'm Catholic. So here we go.
All right, so let me play the -- when Trump's explanation for why he posted himself as Jesus Christ, Jamal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I did post it and I thought it was me as a doctor and had to do with Red Cross as a Red Cross worker there, which we support. And, only the fake news could come up with that one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: I sometimes struggle to say, because my first thought is, come on, that's one of the most ridiculous things he said.
[19:30:05]
Of course, that's not true, but that's a ridiculous thing to say. I don't know anybody who didn't look at that and think he just posted himself as Jesus Christ. What's your reaction to this?
SIMMONS: Yeah, so I did call my dad. I wanted to check in with him, get the pastoral view of this, you know, his sense about this, which I think has some weight is that it just shows that Trump really doesn't have the feel for religion at all, that he really is sort of an, a religious sort of person, because anybody who has any idea or sense about religion would know that one thing you do not do is have, you know, compare yourself to God and bear false witness or have a false idol or any of those things. And that's what Trump was sort of setting himself up as -- as he's the -- he's the one.
Now, what appears to me also is that he's being transactional. He's always sort of used faith as a way to transact with his followers, but he's not spending as much time with his followers these days. And so, to me, I think its high ego and I think its low touch. He just doesn't have the same feel for the audience that he used to.
BURNETT: And -- well, it's interesting, you know, Megyn Kelly was calling it blasphemous tonight. I mean, you're hearing these words and Megyn Kelly. Of course, along with others who have been instrumental in his election, have been very, very vocally against him in in this war and with these religious posts.
Gretchen, I'm also curious, though, just about the Trump state of mind, why he would choose to do this. It was -- last night, he posted all night long. He posted all night long. Okay.
He started off with things about golf, right? We're in a war. We started with golf. But then I'm just going to go through, 9:49. That was the Jesus. He posted himself as Jesus, 9:50, a golden Trump Hotel on the moon. Okay. 10:10, a meme.
And then it went all the all the way overnight. It was at 2:00. It was at 3:00 all the way till 4:10 a.m. okay. Where he had a New York post article about his stance on Iran. What do you make of that? I mean, he didn't sleep.
CARLSON: I make that nobody's in charge, okay? Nobody's in charge of his social media, although they should be. And also, keep in mind his own spiritual advisor just a couple of weeks ago, actually deemed him to be Jesus. And so, he never even admonished that. I mean, I'm not so sure that he doesn't totally think that he is not some sort of a really, really important figure.
BURNETT: Messiah-like figure?
CARLSON: Right. And maybe he, to your point, had no understanding that it would have this kind of backlash.
SIMMONS: I just got to say, for a country that's at war and has been at war, it could be back. It is disconcerting to have a national leader who's in charge of our defense, security posting this stuff. He hasn't. I mean, we've talked about this before. He hasn't been sort of telling us what were really up to in Iran. Now.
We're going into the -- to the Straits of Hormuz. We're not. It all just seems really disconcerting, like they're making it up as they go. And we really need people to be more thoughtful than this.
BURNETT: Yeah. Well, and some sort of I mean, just I'm just saying very, very practical, basic perspective. Being up all night, whatever you're posting is not good for your judgment, for your reaction time, for any of it.
All right. Thank you both very much.
And next breaking news, Congressman Eric Swalwell says he's resigning from Congress amid allegations of sexual misconduct. And Vice President J.D. Vance is defending his decision to go to Hungary and campaign for Viktor Orban at a rally after Orban suffered a stunning defeat in Hungary.
Was that loss a repudiation of Trump or not?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:37:43]
BURNETT: The breaking news on Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell. He's resigning from Congress after multiple allegations of sexual assault and misconduct, first reported by CNN and "The San Francisco Chronicle".
Swalwell announcing his decision just hours after the House Ethics Committee opened an investigation into the claims. As more and more members of Swalwell's own party, Democrats were calling on him to go.
Swalwell had already suspended his campaign for California governor. And frankly, all of this happened when it appeared to many that he was going to win that and he was going to be governor of California. Well, that was just a few days ago. He was also facing a very real possibility after these allegations, that there would be a vote on the House floor to expel him.
We are covering this story with Elex Michaelson in Los Angeles and Manu Raju on Capitol Hill.
First, Elex, a remarkable political unraveling. I mean, he has a seven term Democrat who by many was seen as sort of California governorship was his. And now, wow.
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wow, indeed, Erin.
As you mentioned, because he is leaving this House ethics investigation stops because former members are not investigated by the House Ethics Commission. So that's one thing that happens. The expulsion, though, was looking increasingly likely with some of his own best friends in Congress saying that they were going to vote to kick him out. It's not clear exactly when he's going to resign, but we know now that he will indeed resign.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON (voice-over): Eric Swalwell is resigning from Congress, saying I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make and, quote, "It's wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties."
It represents one of the fastest and most dramatic falls from grace in recent political history.
REP. ERIC SWALWELL (D-CA): These allegations of sexual assault are flat false.
MICHAELSON (voice-over): Oon Friday night, Swalwell posted this while facing sexual assault allegations.
SWALWELL: I have certainly made mistakes in judgment in my past, but those mistakes are between me and my wife.
MICHAELSON (voice-over): By Sunday night, Swalwell suspended his campaign for California governor after a former Capitol Hill intern and junior staffer spoke to CNN's Pamela Brown about interactions with the congressman in 2019. She was interviewed in shadow out of fear, she says of professional consequences.
[19:40:01]
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He pulls out his penis and instructs me to give him oral sex.
MICHAELSON (voice-over): In September 2019, after a night of heavy drinking, she says she woke up naked with Swalwell in a hotel room with no memory of what happened.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know that we -- there was sexual contact because when I woke up in the morning, I could feel that there was.
MICHAELSON: Why do you want to be governor of California? MICHAELSON (voice-over): Last November, Swalwell gave me the first TV
news interview of his campaign for governor.
SWALWELL: I want to be its fighter, protector.
MICHAELSON (voice-over): The former presidential candidate, House impeachment manager and frequent online trolling of President Trump --
SWALWELL: Dum, dum, dum. He's got it wrong again.
MICHAELSON (voice-over): -- quickly became a favorite on betting markets like Kalshi and Polymarket.
SEN. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): Let me say how proud I am to support you, Eric.
MICHAELSON (voice-over): Senator Adam Schiff and nearly two dozen members of congress endorsed his campaign, all of them swiftly and publicly asked for Swalwell to drop out after allegations came to light on Friday.
ELIAS DABAIE, ERIC SWALWELL'S ATTORNEY: The congressman categorically denies any misconduct took place.
MICHAELSON (voice-over): Swalwell's lawyer joined me exclusively Friday night to respond.
MICHAELSON: Is he saying that he cheated on his wife but didn't do anything illegal?
DABAIE: I'm not going to get into the details of that.
MICHAELSON (voice-over): Over the weekend, Swalwell's own staffers urged him to drop out of the race, some urging him to resign. He did both.
This is a look at polling in the California governors race before the Swalwell scandal broke. The race to lead nation's most populous state is now upended, and the previously lower polling candidates hope voters will give them a second look.
Super PAC supporting San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan says it raised $10 million this weekend.
MAYOR MATT MAHAN (D), SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA: The Democratic Party has got to lift up people of high integrity who have a track record of results.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: So, there's not much time left in that race. Ballots are mailed out to every single registered voter by May 4th. On May 5th, CNN will host a debate with the leading candidates. Kaitlan Collins and myself moderating that. And all ballots must be returned by June 2nd -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Elex, thank you very much.
I want to go to Manu Raju on Capitol Hill.
I mean, Manu, what more are you learning about this decision tonight? Obviously, this is not what Swalwell calculus included, even after the stunning fall from grace, he thought getting out of the gubernatorial race would be enough.
MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, he'd become a pariah within his own party, Erin. And the very likelihood nature that this vote to expel him could have succeeded in the House. It would require two thirds majority in the United States house to be for Swalwell to become the seventh member in the history of the United States house, to be kicked out from his seats by his own colleagues.
That would have put Democrats in particular in a difficult spot. Several of them were uncertain if they would vote yes, but felt compelled perhaps to do so because of the seriousness of these allegations. But I talked to a number of senators tonight, Erin, and many of those Democrats said it was time for Swalwell to go and that he made the right decision.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN HICKENLOOPER (D-CO): I felt like we just took a giant step backwards. I felt, maybe wrongly, that we were evolving.
RAJU: Were you surprised when you when you saw this, you ran against him in 2020? You know --
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA): What surprises me is how these guys keep doing this over and over. He's not the first and he probably won't be the last that they get into positions of authority and they think they can have whatever they want. And ultimately, it's good to see a little accountability.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RAJU: And just within minutes of Swalwell's decision to resign came news of Tony Gonzales, the Republican from Texas, also announcing his resignation, facing his own sexual misconduct allegations.
Now, Gonzalez had denied for some time that he had an extramarital affair with an aide after news reports said that he did. That aide later died by suicide. Then, Gonzales admitted to having that extramarital affair, and it is a blatant violation of House rules to have any romantic relationship with an aide. But he now is announcing that he will no longer will be a member of the House, saying on X tonight there is a season for everything and God has a plan for us all. When Congress returns tomorrow, I plan to file my retirement from office.
But the decision here, Erin, for him to step aside and Swalwell to step aside means that speaker mike Johnson can still only afford to lose one Republican vote on any party line vote in the narrowly divided GOP House -- Erin. BURNETT: Just incredible to think about what these decisions coming
out of nowhere can change the calculus. Thank you so much, Manu Raju.
And OUTFRONT next, the crew of the Artemis II mission opening up after their historic journey around the moon.
And J.D. Vance breaking his silence, defending his decision to go and campaign for Hungary's Viktor Orban days before Orban's massive loss.
[19:45:01]
David Pressman, the former American ambassador to Hungary, is our guest next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: Breaking news, Vice President J.D. Vance defending his decision to travel to Hungary to campaign for a top Trump ally during the Iran war. That was Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. And it came, of course, right ahead of Orban's crushing defeat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VANCE: I think that Viktor Orban is a great guy who's done a very good job. I think that his legacy in Hungary is transformational. We didn't go because we expected Viktor to cruise to an election victory. We went because it was the right thing to do, to stand behind a person who had stood by us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[19:50:03]
BURNETT: All right. Well, J.D. Vance talking about it on Fox News tonight.
Trump, though, has not uttered a word about Orban's loss, which of course, was made all the more humiliating for the White House after Vance's highly public trip right during the Iraq war. And Trump calling in to a crowd of supporters in Hungary during that trip.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I love Hungary, and I love that, Viktor. I'll tell you, he's a fantastic man. We've had a tremendous relationship.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: David Pressman is OUTFRONT now. He is the former U.S. ambassador to Hungary under the Biden administration.
And David, I appreciate your time.
You know, when you try to look at this and there are a lot of layers to it as to why Orban was defeated by Peter Magyar and do you see Orban's defeat, though, especially when we look at J.D. Vance there, Trump calling into the rally just last week, in part as a repudiation of Trump and what Trumpism stands for in Europe?
DAVID PRESSMAN, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO HUNGARY: Well, look, it's a repudiation of lies. And to the extent it's also a repudiation of Trump and Trumpism, then yes. But let me just begin, if I could, Erin, by saying, you know, were now 30 hours after the results of this election became clear. And while the vice president is on Fox News defending a trip, its very odd that the Russian federation has issued statements welcoming and acknowledging the new prime minister-elect of Hungary and the United States government has yet to say anything about it.
BURNETT: When Orban, of course, was a Putin acolyte.
PRESSMAN: Indeed.
BURNETT: So --
PRESSMAN: And so --
BURNETT: So they've -- they've congratulated. But Trump and the White House have not.
PRESSMAN: Right. And so -- and so, just as the most recent U.S. ambassador to Hungary, I just want to acknowledge the extraordinary, extraordinary development that came out of -- came out of Hungary yesterday where Hungarians demonstrating such bravery in a system that is so coercive, delivered a strong repudiation of the propaganda that Prime Minister Viktor Orban has used to control this country for so long.
So in answer to your question, though, I think it's a repudiation of lies. I mean, Viktor Orban, when I was ambassador, would always describe how if Trump were President, there would be peace. If Trump is elected, money will flow to Hungary. It will save Hungary's economy.
And Trump was elected. And there's not peace. In fact, there's more war. Trump was elected, and the money that was purportedly pledged never materialized in Hungary.
BURNETT: Yeah.
PRESSMAN: And so I think there was a little bit of a shell game.
BURNETT: You know, Vance reacting to Orban's loss, he didn't mention Peter Magyar by name. You know, he said he'd work with the new president, but didn't mention him by name. That also is actually very interesting to not mention the name?
PRESSMAN: It's beneath the United States. The United States and Hungary are allies. And our relationship with allied countries should be bigger than any president or any prime minister or any vice president. And we rely upon each other. And were supposed to have shared values and shared interests, and we need to begin to act like that. BURNETT: Orban had become a hero among MAGA, okay, for a while, and
that was in part because of Trump. I mean, CPAC, right, with the big dc meeting had actually started having a CPAC in Budapest over the past several years, right? That there had been this incredible tie.
I remember, of course, back when Tucker Carlson was a supporter of Trump's. But, you know, he took his whole show on the road there to talk about how great Hungary was and how that was a model for MAGA. I mean, here are some of the MAGA leaders talking about Orban.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE BANNON, HOST, "WAR ROOM"; FORMER TRUMP WHITE HOUSE ADVISER: One of my heroes in the world today, in addition to President Trump, is Viktor Orban.
KARI LAKE, TRUMP ALLY: I had the opportunity to talk to Prime Minister Orban, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that our conversation changed my life.
REP. ANDY HARRIS (D-MD): Hungary has become one of the most successful models as a leader for conservative principles and governance.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Okay. Orban had stature among certain important people in MAGA. Does that mean that there are ripple effects, that there are domino effects of his stunning, dramatic and very obvious loss?, right? There was no way to sugarcoat it. There was no way to fig leaf it and try to say it was close and steal it. There wasn't.
Does that have an implication for MAGA and for Trump here?
PRESSMAN: Well, I think it raises big questions about what this relationship was in the first place, because fundamentally, all of those people who you heard speaking and adoring Prime Minister Viktor Orban, they viewed him as this sort of civilizational warrior who was fighting these culture causes and defending sovereignty and defending Hungarian-ness from an imperialistic and degenerate West.
But the reality, and I think the election results speak to this, is that Viktor Orban was presiding over a corrupt country with the poorest economy in the European Union. And the propaganda that he continued to transmit, while it may have convinced Kari Lake, it didn't convince the Hungarian people.
BURNETT: No. And the corruption, of course, was a huge reason for Peter Magyar's victory, including his stature to fight for Ukraine and to stand up to Putin.
All right. Thank you so much, David Pressman.
And next, one astronaut from the Artemis II crew getting -- well, I mean, is there any better welcome than this from her dog after she came back from the moon?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:59:13]
BURNETT: And finally tonight, the Artemis II astronauts back home sharing deeply emotional moments of return. Astronaut Christina Koch back on Earth, reunited with her joyful dog Sadie. A special welcome from Sadie.
Koch wrote on Instagram, "I'm still pretty sure I was the happier side of this reunion. Sadie taught me everything I needed know about being an emotional support animal. Didn't expect that would come in handy."
And then the moment of the two of them on the beach is Sadie sprinting through the sand. Just to imagine what that feels like for Christina.
And then Victor Glover returning home to Texas. A hero's welcome there for him. An entire neighborhood turned out he had essentially a parade to welcome him back.
A powerful reminder that is remarkable as these missions are, nothing beats coming home. As all of them said when they were there on the far side of the moon, and that emotional mission that we heard from Christina herself saying, with all the choices that you have. And when they look out there, they choose Earth and choose to come home.
Well, thank you so much for joining us.
"AC360" starts now.
