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Erin Burnett Outfront
Sources: Trump Closer To More Iran Strikes Than He's Been In Weeks; Hantavirus Official Has Record Of Pushing Far-Right Conspiracy Theories; Trump Thrashes Dem's Taco Order Amid Talk He Could Flip Texas Seat. Aired 7-8p ET
Aired May 15, 2026 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[19:00:25]
SARA SIDNER, CNN HOST: OUTFRONT next:
Breaking news, Trump just returning from his China trip. And sources tell CNN he's closer to launching more strikes in Iran. We are live at the White House and in Tehran.
Plus, the man carrying out the Trump administration's hantavirus response, our KFILE uncovering he's actually a penile implant specialist with little public health experience. He also has a history of pushing wild conspiracy theories.
Andrew Kaczynski, who broke the news, is here with us.
And Republicans are so desperate to take down a Democratic rising star, they're picking on his breakfast order and accusing him of -- wait for it -- being a vegan.
Let's go OUTFRONT.
(MUSIC)
SIDNER: Good evening to you. I'm Sara Sidner, in for Erin Burnett.
OUTFRONT tonight, breaking news, Donald Trump moving closer to ordering strikes on Iran. Our White House correspondent Alayna Treene has learned this. Sources telling her that before Trump left for Beijing to meet with President Xi Jinping, he was closer to moving ahead with plans to strike Iran than he had been in weeks. Trump arriving at the White House just a short time ago facing pointed questions about where his war in Iran stands after 77 days. Even Trump-friendly Fox News asked this tough question.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRET BAIER, FOX NEWS HOST: So, why are we where we are? Did you underestimate the pain tolerance that Iran has?
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I didn't underestimate anything. We hit them unbelievably hard. Look, we left their bridges. We left their electricity capacity. We can knock that all out in two days. Two days, everything. We left Kharg Island other than I said, hit it. Except for the valves where the oil comes out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: Over the now months of this war, the U.S. has hit Iran hard. According to the Pentagon, more than 13,000 targets were hit. But despite the onslaught, more than 60 percent of Iran's missile launchers are still intact, according to CSIS, and according to "The New York Times". Iran also restored access to 30 of the 33 missile sites it maintains along the Strait of Hormuz.
And when pressed on Air Force One about Iran's resilience, the president turned to insulting reporters, asking the questions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID SANGER, NYT REPORTER: What would the use be of repeating the bombing? You did it for 38 days.
TRUMP: No, we did.
REPORTER: And you did not get the political changes in Iran?
TRUMP: No, I got I had a total military victory. But the fake news, guys like you write incorrectly. You're a fake guy.
I actually think it's sort of treasonous what you write. Who you're with?
REPORTER: BBC for the radio --
TRUMP: Oh, fake BBC. You mean the ones that put A.I. in my mouth?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: Alayna Treene is OUTFRONT live, outside the White House for us tonight.
Alayna, you have breaking news on Trump's current thinking when it comes to the war in Iran. What are you learning?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Sara, look, when President Trump, prior to departing Washington, D.C. for Beijing, I was talking with my sources and they told me that the president had been closer to wanting to move forward with combat operations in Iran than he had been in weeks.
That remind you that throughout the ceasefire, he really had been prioritizing this idea of diplomacy. But he's been so frustrated lately with the Iranians. And what he believes is this division within the Iranian leadership about how to move forward and that really preventing them from coming to the table and agreeing to a compromise.
And so, what happened was, you know, from the conversations I was having with my sources here at the White House and throughout the administration, they said we were willing to give see what happens in China. See, you know, if there's any sort of conversation between the
president, president Trump and Chinese president Xi Jinping that could change this at all. But of course, we are now seeing we just saw moments ago a land back here at the White House, Sara, and it doesn't appear like there was any significant breakthrough when it comes to Iran. You heard the president arguing that, you know, she agrees that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, that they want to have the Strait of Hormuz reopened, but nothing along the lines of having the Chinese talk to the Iranians about trying to make a deal.
And so now, really, the question is going to be whether or not the president is still in the same mindset that he was when he left. And if he is, you know, he has a big decision to make. I will say as well, from the conversations I've been having, there are differing views in the White House about how to proceed here. You know, there are some who believe that targeted strikes in Iran is the right way path, the right path forward to try and find a conclusion to this war.
[19:05:03]
There's also those who believe that diplomacy still deserves more time. And so I think it's going to be very interesting to see now that the president is back in D.C., when he meets with his team and what they decide to do on how to move forward here.
SIDNER: Alayna Treene, great reporting from you tonight there from the White House.
And now I want to take you live to the ground in Iran for a rare look inside the country. CNN operates in Iran with the permission of the government. But maintains full editorial control of the reports.
Matthew Chance is there, and he got a firsthand look at some of the destruction on the ground.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A rare glimpse of the tightly controlled Islamic Republic. We drove out of Tehran, the bustling but still tense capital, past anti-American slogans daubed along the route, to the town of Karaj and one painful scar left by the latest US-led war.
When finished, the B1 Bridge was meant to be a symbol of Iranian engineering prowess, the tallest in the region. But for now, it's become a battered monument to ruthless American air power.
CHANCE: Wow. Well, you really get a sense of the incredible destructive force that was at play with these U.S. airstrikes that smashed this concrete look and twisted all this reinforced steel. Let's take a look so we can get closer, a bit closer to the edge.
I mean, look at the concrete pylons that have been absolutely shattered. And down here, I mean, it's a huge drop of 450 feet. This was, as I mentioned, the highest bridge in the Middle East. And there were people down below who were caught up in this and killed. CHANCE (voice-over): And the Iranian official who was sent to show us around insisted this targeting of infrastructure and the killing of innocent civilians was a war crime that should be punished. It's an allegation U.S. officials categorically deny.
CHANCE: The Americans say that this was a legitimate military target, that this bridge would have been used for the transport of drones and missiles, and therefore it was fair game. How do you answer that?
DR. ALI SAFAR, IRANIAN LOCAL OFFICIAL (through translator): That's a false narrative from President Trump. This bridge hadn't even opened. Not a single car had driven over. It was built for the use of our people and was just called a military target so it could be bombarded, demolished, and destroyed.
CHANCE (voice-over): Back in April, Trump posted video of the attack on his Truth Social platform, urging Iran to make a deal before it's too late.
Now, after his state visit to China, there's still no deal, and Trump is raising the issue again amid concerns the fragile ceasefire with Iran could soon break down.
TRUMP: We haven't knocked out other than one bridge, and we did because they misbehaved, but we have bridges we could knock out. We could knock out their bridges and their electrical capacity. Within two days, we could knock out the whole thing.
CHANCE (voice-over): It's a terrifying possibility, but one that doesn't seem to be giving Iran much pause.
CHANCE: Why is it important for this country to rebuild the bridge now, when there's the possibility that the Americans could strike it again in the near future? Why now?
DR. SAFAR (through translator): We're not thinking about that. Our focus is on the reconstruction of our bridge. It was designed and built by our engineers, despite many difficult years of sanctions.
CHANCE (voice-over): And amid growing tensions with the US, Iranian officials insist this symbol of the Islamic Republic will rise again.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHANCE: Well, Sara, those remarks by President Trump that he could easily destroy Iran's bridges and its electrical capacity, obviously raising tensions with the Islamic republic. Iranian officials have appealed to China to use their diplomatic influence to try and bring a solution to this. But I can tell you the sense tonight in Tehran, the Iranian capital, is that fragile ceasefire with the United States could quickly fall apart.
Back to you.
SIDNER: Evermore fragile -- Matthew Chance, thank you so much for your live reporting there from Tehran. OUTFRONT now, former commerce secretary and former U.S. ambassador to
China, Gary Locke, and Evelyn Farkas, former deputy assistant secretary of defense.
We'll start with you, Secretary Locke. Thank you for being here this evening.
We heard Alayna Treene's new reporting at the top of the show that Trump may be moving closer to new strikes on Iran. What would this accomplish in your mind?
GARY LOCKE, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO CHINA: Well, certainly it would create more devastation, casualties within Iran, but also could lead to a wider conflict throughout the entire gulf region, and certainly would, send oil prices skyrocketing and really hurt the economies and the jobs of people around the world, not just here in America, where were facing high gas prices, but really affect the industries and the jobs of people throughout the world.
SIDNER: Evelyn, would new strikes actually go towards ending the war or trying to end it quicker, or would it potentially prolong this?
EVELYN FARKAS, FORMER DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR RUSSIA, UKRAINE & EURASIA: Sarah, I don't think new strikes would bring an end to the war. And I -- it's interesting to me that nothing came out of China, because that tells me the Chinese actually aren't even trying to dissuade us from using force. Or at least I didn't hear anything along those lines. That tells me that the Chinese think it might be a bad move for the United States, for the United States to use military force because it won't work, and the Chinese will be happy to watch us make a bad move.
So, what am I saying here? The Iranians will make a deal if we give them something they want. And that's about diplomacy.
SIDNER: Secretary Locke, you heard Trump just a few minutes ago tell Fox News, "I did not underestimate anything when it comes to Iran." Do you think he did underestimate Iran's ability to take this?
LOCKE: I think he very much -- I think he very much did underestimate because in the first few days of the war, in late February, he said it was over. And that it would just be a matter of days before he would accomplish all of his goals. Yes, he took out the top leadership of Iran, and they had over 13,000 military strikes. And when you add the number of strikes by Israel, it's over 30,000 military strikes. And yet here we are, the Strait of Hormuz is closed. Theres a blockade of Iran by the United States. And nothing has really changed.
SIDNER: Ellen, you just alluded to this, that it appears that Trump wasn't able to convince China to do anything to help stop this war with Iran. And we know U.S. allies in Europe haven't been willing to help. So, this war has sort of created even more distance between Trump and some of Americas closest allies. And that context. Let's play something the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, said today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) FRIEDRICH MERZ, GERMAN CHANCELLOR (through translator): I'm a great admirer of America, but my admiration is not growing at the moment. I wouldn't recommend that my children go to the U.S. today, get their education there and work there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: What do you think this says about Americas standing in the world at this point, that a U.S. ally would say something like that?
FARKAS: It's so low that inside these countries, for the chancellor, for the leader of a major German political party, the one that's still in power right now, that's struggling to stay in power, it's politically smart to say bad things about America and to dissuade his people from thinking positively about their number one ally, historically. So -- or in recent history.
And so, Sara, it tells me that he's not afraid to insult us or President Trump because he believes that its in his political interest, domestically. And right now, I just want to tie it back to Iran. We need those European allies.
At the end of the day, this is only going to be solved through diplomacy. And we need the Europeans for that because they have the other economic leverage required to give Iran something which is -- which is relief from sanctions.
SIDNER: Secretary Locke, what's your take on all of this
LOCKE: Well, certainly, I think world leaders recognize that President Trump is very unpopular in the United States, that people are very concerned about the impact of the war in terms of gas prices and energy prices. And people are wondering whether or not they can really trust President Trump.
And so, attacking him making sarcastic comments about the United States is actually in their political best interest. But quite frankly, we need to resolve this crisis, this war. We need to settle it. We need to make sure that Iran does not enrich its uranium and develop a nuclear weapon. But we can't do it alone.
SIDNER: Gary Locke, Evelyn Farkas, I do appreciate your time this evening. Thank you so much.
FARKAS: Thank you, Sara.
SIDNER: OUTFRONT next:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think I know your order.
JAMES TALARICO (D), TEXAS SENATE CANDIDATE: We have breakfast tacos. That's right. I come here a lot.
BARACK OBAMA, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: I could tell. (END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: That order from Democrats, a rising star in Texas is now the focus of attacks by Republicans. Even Trump himself. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
Also, a member of Congress sharing with OUTFRONT the disturbing antisemitic voicemails that he's getting, threatening voicemails. He says they're more frequent and disturbing than ever.
And he's an official leading the hantavirus response in the U.S.
[19:15:00]
Yet our KFILE uncovering. He has a little experience when it comes to public health. Instead, he's a specialist in penile implants and hosted a podcast called "Erection Connection". KFILE is next with this exclusive report.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SIDNER: Tonight., we have a CNN exclusive. KFILE uncovering new details about one of the Trump administrations top public health officials who led the federal response this week on hantavirus. Dr. Brian Christine stood before reporters, promising a response grounded in science and grounded in transparency.
[19:20:02]
But before joining the administration, Christine was an Alabama urologist with little experience in federal public health. He specialized in penile implants and once hosted a YouTube show called the Erection Connection on his procedures. KFILE also found a history of far right commentary and conspiracy tinged remarks, including comparing the Biden administration to Nazi Germany, questioning the 2020 election and suggesting the COVID vaccine did little to stop the pandemic.
CNN's Andrew Kaczynski of KFILE is OUTFRONT with us now.
Andrew, what did you learn?
ANDREW KACZYNSKI, CNN KFILE SENIOR EDITOR: Well, that's right. Christine is one of the most important public health jobs in the country, as the assistant secretary of public health. His office deals with infectious disease policy, women's health, family planning, and the U.S. public health service commissioned corps, which makes him a four-star admiral in charge of the more than 5,000 uniformed public health officials who deploy during emergencies.
But before taking this role, we found his experience was not in public health. He was a urologist in private practice in Alabama, where he specialized in penile implants and was a conservative anti-abortion activist and former Republican candidate for state senate. He also hosted a YouTube show, as you mentioned, aimed at fellow urologists called the Erection Connection. And we also found a podcast that he started when running for office
called Common Sense. It focused on everything from abortion, COVID restrictions, transgender rights, the 2020 election, and what he called wokeism in medicine and government.
For instance, in one episode we found, he argued, the pandemic had been used to control Americans and influence the 2020 election. He urged listeners to watch "2,000 Mules". That was the debunked election conspiracy film, whose distributor later apologized and pulled it from circulation. Take a listen to him here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. BRIAN CHRISTINE, UROLOGIST, ALABAMA STATE SENATE CANDIDATE: This is probably the most important thing that's happened during the pandemic is that there is no question that the pandemic was used to influence the outcome of the 2020 elections. Just watch "2,000 Mules". We know that there have been people who have died from that, but we also know that most people who get infected aren't going to die. Most people who get infected aren't going to get sick. But the government on the left have used the pandemic to control people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KACZYNSKI: Now, in another episode, Christine suggested that this vaccine did little to stop the global pandemic and arguing against COVID-19 mandates. Listen to him here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINE: We were being forced and pushed -- attempted, forced. I mean, some people stood their ground, but being forced to take a vaccination that didn't prevent a disease, didn't prevent transmission of a disease, a vaccine that was really not vetted as other vaccines have been, simply because we haven't had it as long.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: Now, Andrew, you also uncovered comments where Christine talked about abortion. He compared the Biden administration to Nazi Germany. What did he say exactly?
KACZYNSKI: Well, that's right, Sara. In multiple podcast episodes and social media posts, Christine took hard line positions on abortions. And he also invoked these comparisons between the Biden administration and Nazi Germany.
On abortion, he defended Alabama's near-total ban. He explicitly argued there should be no exceptions for rape or incest. Take a listen to him here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINE: Now that causes the pro-abortion side of the argument to get really upset that we don't exclude rape and incest. But just because the pregnancy occurs through an act of violence, that doesn't mean the unborn child doesn't have the right to life. And we recognize and we believe that another act of violence and an abortion is an act of violence.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KACZYNSKI: Now, in another podcast episode, Christine compared what conservatives were experiencing in the United States under Joe Bidens presidency to conditions in Nazi Germany. Listen to him here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINE: There are things that are similar that were going on in Germany that are going on in the United States right now. There aren't concentration camps in the United States, but there's no question that conservatives feel threatened. Theres no question that conservatives like myself and others feel like the government is being weaponized against us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: All right. Andrew, I'm sure you reached out to HHS. What did they say to you?
KACZYNSKI: So, Andrew Nixon, that is the assistant secretary for media relations at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, told CNN this: he said, Assistant secretary for health, Admiral Christine, remains focused on executing President Trump and Secretary Kennedy's agenda to make America healthy again and deliver on president Trump's executive order to protect our children against chemical and surgical mutilation.
SIDNER: Andrew Kaczynski, thank you for that really interesting story. I know a lot of people are reading it. Appreciate it.
OUTFRONT next, Trump defending his statement that he doesn't think about Americans financial situations when dealing with Iran. He's calling his comments a perfect statement.
Plus, taco gate.
[19:25:01]
Republicans and Trump appear to be so concerned about the Senate race in Texas, they're turning to Democrat James Talarico's taco order, accusing him of being a -- oh my goodness, a vegan when he's not. Jamal Simmons and Charlie Dent are here to discuss, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:30:06]
SIDNER: Tonight, President Trump has found a new target to trash Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico. He's a rising star in his party, and the president is now seizing on his taco order. Yes, you heard that right.
It all stems from this moment while Talarico was campaigning with Barack Obama and ordered tacos in Texas.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think I know your order.
JAMES TALARICO (D), TEXAS SENATE CANDIDATE: We have breakfast tacos. That's right. I come here a lot.
BARACK OBAMA, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: I could tell.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: That exchange prompting President Trump to say this on Air Force One.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: The Democrats have a weird -- a weird candidate. He was a vegan. Now, all of a sudden, he's not. Texas doesn't like vegans. I think he's a pathetic candidate, especially for Texas.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: I think he means vegan there. He is not.
And the right is wasting no time seizing on this, though.
Tom Foreman is OUTFRONT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OBAMA: I hear the tacos here are okay.
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was a photo op set for success. Former President Barack Obama with gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa and U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico at a popular Austin eatery.
Then, Talarico ordered.
TALARICO: Breakfast tacos. That's right. Yes, that's right. Two. I come here a lot.
FOREMAN (voice-over): You heard it. Potato, egg, cheese and no meat.
In this state stacked with ranchers, the Republican governor pounced, "Homey is not beating the vegetarian allegations" echoing past and persistent GOP claims that the popular young Democrat is vegan, including by Senator Ted Cruz, who once posted this, "Freak wants to ban barbecue."
To be sure, people here have opinions about tacos.
MANDO RAYO, PODCAST HOST: They do. They do.
FOREMAN (voice-over): But Mando Rayo, host of the "Tacos of Texas" podcast, says his fans instantly pushed back on the idea that a meatless taco means anything.
RAYO: And they're like, what are you talking about? We eat this. We've been eating this since the '70s. You know, my mom and my grandma would make these all the time.
TALARICO: Politics shouldn't feel this way.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Some years ago, Talarico suggested Americans should eat less meat but --
TALARICO: Because this is a very serious allegation to make in Texas, I deny all accusations of veganism.
FOREMAN (voice-over): His campaign even responded to the new dustup by posting a photo of him tearing into a turkey leg.
But on Air Force One, President Trump roasted him anyway.
TRUMP: He was a vegan. Now, all of a sudden, he's not. Texas doesn't like vegans.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Food is tricky for politicians. Trump was once skewered himself for eating fried chicken with a fork and knife. Former New York Mayor Bill de Blasio caught heat when he did the same with pizza. Former President Barack Obama drew scorn for reaching over the barrier at Chipotle.
Former Secretary of State John Kerry was mocked for ordering a Philadelphia cheesesteak with Swiss cheese. And people are still giggling about how late President Gerald Ford tried to eat a tamale with the corn husk on 50 years ago.
But a taco with meat, a taco without -- is that really an issue?
RAYO: Why can't we have both?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOREMAN: Two things you have to keep in mind about this. One, yeah, this is probably a sign of how much the Republicans have had an iron grip on Texas for a long time, are worried that a charismatic Democrat like Talarico, with the president's unpopularity, might be able to break that grip just a little. And the second thing, Sara, there is a job in Texas talking about tacos.
SIDNER: Of course, there is. Have you been to Texas? I mean, it's a real thing. There's battles going on with tacos.
FOREMAN: I have to go put in an application.
SIDNER: Absolutely, Tom. I'm there with you. Thank you so much. Great reporting from you. Thank you.
Jamal Simmons and Charlie Dent are both here with me to discuss.
Jamal, look, you heard you heard Tom sort of talking there. Is this an indicator that the Republicans are very worried, actually, about this kind of rising star in the Democratic Party, that they're suddenly focused on this tall order that, by the way, anyone who spent time or lived in Texas, I mean, that is a normal thing, taco, to have. You don't always have meat in it. It's a completely normal thing.
JAMAL SIMMONS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yeah. I'll trust you on that. I do think that eggs and cheese count as meat products. So I don't believe that --
SIDNER: Not vegan.
SIMMONS: That it's vegan when that happens.
So, listen, this tells me that they don't want to talk about the Epstein files. They don't want to talk about the war in Iran. They don't want to talk about gas prices. So they're looking for something else to talk about when it comes to James Talarico and what the Republicans cannot do is to allow a Democrat who talks so openly and so convincingly about his faith to become normal.
And that is what James Talarico is to a lot of people in Texas.
[19:35:01]
He's just becoming normal.
SIDNER: Charlie, look, you heard Tom lay out some of the other -- I don't even want to call them flubs, but there were some criticism of other past politicians and their decisions on how they dealt with food.
Everybody remembers this. Donald Trump and Bill de Blasio, both criticized as New Yorkers for using a fork to eat their pizza. President Ford tried to eat that tamale with the husk on the outside there when he was visiting the alamo. And then you had John Kerry ridiculed during the 2004 presidential campaign for ordering a Philly cheesesteak and asking for Swiss cheese instead of Cheez Whiz. I mean, you got to have the Cheez Whiz, y'all.
But don't forget President Obama reaching over the sneeze guard at Chipotle. Oh, my. Look, in this instance, should Talarico just lean into the joke and just let it let it play out?
CHARLIE DENT, FORMER U.S. CONGRESSMAN: Absolutely. Absolutely, he should lean into the joke. I mean, hell, every one of those -- those faux pas you just showed, I violated every one of them. Except I didn't eat the husk.
I was going to being from -- being from Pennsylvania. I know you don't put Swiss cheese on a cheesesteak cheese whiz. Okay, but I've made all these mistakes, too. But look. Hey, it's merciful. They didn't call him a thespian instead of a vegan.
But look, look, this is a total distraction. If I'm Talarico, you know, I'd have a -- I'd have an event. Come on. Carnivores, omnivores, herbivores. You're all welcome. Let's have a good time and just make a joke out of it.
Because, as Jamal said, you know, Republicans are having a tough time with economic issues right now and the economy and the price of everything. And so they're trying to create a diversion. So, try to create a cultural issue. If you can try to find a way to make him seem like he's really weird off beat and attack him for that, because the attacks on the economy aren't going to be very effective right now.
SIDNER: Yeah. I mean, look in Spanish, its huevos queso, like I noted in English and Spanish, that's how much -- how normal it is in Texas.
Jamal, President Trump just defended his widely criticized comments where he says he doesn't think about Americans financial situations as he's dealing with this war and thinking about the war. I want you to hear what he just said to Fox News.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BAIER: You were asked on the -- when you were leaving.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REPORTER: What extent are Americans financial situations motivating you to make a deal?
TRUMP: Not even a little bit. The only thing that matters is when we're talking about Iran. They can't have a nuclear weapon. I don't think about Americans' financial situation. I don't think about anybody.
I think about one thing. You cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. That's all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: That's right. That's a perfect statement. I'd make it again.
BAIER: You can imagine how many people stopped the sound bite at --
TRUMP: No, no --
BAIER: -- I don't think about America, their financial situation. So what's your response to that framework?
TRUMP: It's very simple. When people hear me say it, everybody agrees. Short term pain, it's going to be short term pain, but the pain is much less than people thought.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: He's doubling down on this. I mean, is this messaging going to work as people see $4.52 a gallon of gas on average across the country?
SIMMONS: It's going to work for the Democrats. I mean, the Democrats are going to take these statements and they're going to cut them up, and they're going to put them in the ads. And everybody running in a state where Donald Trump is under 40 percent is going to have to see the president of United States say he doesn't care about what happens to your family's economy, and he doesn't care about the short term pain. It's not that bad.
Everybody else in America who is watching gas prices every day when they drive past that gas station in their neighborhood, they watch that gas price the way Donald Trump watches stock prices. And they see that price going up. And it's not great. And it's true also for all the goods in the grocery store.
SIDNER: Charlie, you have talked about this answer the first time. How difficult will this be for Republicans? Because of course, they're not just going to use it against Donald Trump. They're going to use it against the party at large, correct, the Democrats.
DENT: Well, yeah. You're -- of course, Republicans are freaking out over that comment about not being concerned about Americans financial situations. Hell, if I wanted to lose an election, I would start an unpopular war without any congressional support or public support. I would make a statement like that about not being concerned about Americans financial situations. At a time when the price of everything is high. And I would obsess on a -- on a -- on a ballroom, a gilded ballroom that again, that is -- this seen as a great Gatsby moment.
All this is just bad, bad optics. It's bad politics. So, there's nothing good here. So I -- you know, the only strategy Republicans have going forward right now is to basically discredit their opponents because they're not going to be able to they're going to have to counter this narrative that has just been handed to the Democrats on a silver platter.
SIDNER: I'm curious, though, what you think, Charlie, about, you know, the president being able to kind of handpick people in Indiana who beat the incumbents. And that was voters making that decision saying, yeah, we want, we want people that are going to back him and back MAGA. How do you explain that?
[19:40:00]
DENT: Well, look, the president -- yeah, he is -- he is king of a dwindling empire, okay? He did win in Indiana, although one of the incumbents won. I think the other one is leading. And there's a third seat by which the Republicans are going to probably lose. I mean, so, okay, you won the primary, but you're going to lose the seat to the Democrats. So, is it really winning? And again, this doesn't change the fundamental dynamics of the midterm election, which is really about the party in power.
This is Indiana. I get it, the president has sway within the party, but it's a diminished empire and it's not going to help anybody in a general election. Its these swing districts that matter. And these types of primary fights are unhelpful. They wasted a whole pile of money fighting over state senate races in Indiana that could have been better spent elsewhere. They didn't put any money into the California referendum. They didn't
put any money into Virginia, which didn't matter in the end. But the -- but that's -- but -- it's a waste of resources.
SIDNER: Jamal, last word to you. How do you see it?
SIMMONS: Sara, prices are going up and the presidents going to take tax money from American citizens and put it into a ballroom at the White House. There's a report today. The president is going to settle a suit with the federal government, and he's going to give some of that money to January 6th protesters. American tax money is going to go to January 6th rioters who attacked our Congress.
I don't think this is going to really work for the American people. While the American people are suffering, they're watching the president use their tax money to accomplish his personal goals.
SIDNER: It is the old adage, it's the economy, stupid. And we'll see how it plays out. Thank you both, gentlemen. Appreciate it.
OUTFRONT next. A member of Congress sharing threatening voicemails with CNN. They are so disturbing. He says he needs 24/7 security. Congressman Jared Moskowitz is next.
Plus, what do politicians do when they're in a pickle?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMY KIMMEL, COMEDIAN: Can you open this jar of pickles? This has not been tampered with. This is. Oh.
(CHEERS)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: Harry Enten is here to tell us something we didn't know.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:46:40]
SIDNER: Tonight, hate in plain sight. A Jewish member of Congress sharing with CNN for the first time a flood of antisemitic death threats that have been coming into his office. Florida Democratic Congressman Jared Moskowitz, the target of these threats, says the voicemails he received are another example of the dangerous rise in antisemitism, antisemitic assaults, reaching a record high in the U.S. last year.
I want to warn our viewers right now what you're about to hear is deeply disturbing.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The U.S. government needs to kill Jews. You kill these (EXPLETIVE DELETED) nasty Jews. Kill every single (EXPLETIVE DELETED) Zionist scumbag. Zionism is treason to we the people in our U.S. constitution. Kill Israel.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
SIDNER: OUTFRONT now, Congressman Jared Moskowitz.
Congressman, thank you for being here. That's just a small portion of just one of the hateful, antisemitic death threats that you shared with us.
Does this make you afraid for yourself and your family's safety?
REP. JARED MOSKOWITZ (D-FL): Well, thanks for having me. Thanks for letting me talk about this. Yeah. This has been going on really since I started serving in congress. Mostly started after October 7th and, you know, ramps up every time I go on television.
I have police outside my house now 24 hours a day ever since one of my constituents had an assassination plot to try to kill me and is serving 25 years in jail. You know, I had to go to the speaker of the House along with other members, to get him to put a security package together for members so that we could get private security when were home in our districts because of the death threats, myself and others receive, but also voicemails, voicemails like this.
So, we seem, Sara, to have passed a Rubicon now with these antisemitic threats. It used to be once in a while you'd see a swastika on a building once in a while, you know, someone would say something online. Now it's every day, all the time on podcasts, online, in the media, in the halls of Congress.
And they're trying to get Jews. This is not about Israel. You can criticize a government. You can criticize their leader, but you see how quickly, you know, they go from Zionism to Jews, Israel to Jews. It's in a blink of a -- blink of an eye.
And so, they're trying to get us to be quiet. They're trying to get us to feel like another try to make us uncomfortable in communities. And I'm not going to be deterred by this, but we have to talk about what's happening in America.
SIDNER: To your point, this is another of those angry, hateful messages that are so disturbing that your office received. Let's listen.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey you Zionist, Jew (EXPLETIVE DELETED) pig. How about no more money for Israel. Funding Israel, stealing more of our money for Israel? (EXPLETIVE DELETED) Israel. Let them burn to the ground. You're going down too, sir. When you're found guilty, there's consequences.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
SIDNER: Now, you just said that you're not the only member of congress that are dealing with these kinds of antisemitic threats, and that is causing some fear on Capitol Hill. What is your sort of message as to how this needs to be dealt with at this point? Because you're saying this is increased manyfold since the first time you were in office.
[19:50:00]
MOSKOWITZ: Yeah. I mean, we need good people not to be quiet, right? I mean, there are people out there. They may disagree with U.S. policy. They may not like the leader of a country, but they shouldn't be allowing antisemites into their movement. They should not be embracing this sort of behavior because they're trying to win some sort of political point.
It should be obvious. Listen, if you don't like Netanyahu, great. Go out and criticize him all day long. But don't let people into your tent that you know are threatening to kill my family or my kids. My kids read this stuff. And a lot of members are getting this in Congress.
Obviously, there are plenty of members that are pro-Israel in Congress, but it's the Jewish members that are specifically targeted. It's the Jewish kids that are specifically surrounded on college campuses. It's the -- it's the temples and synagogues. It's the delis that are surrounded.
Nobody knows what their Israel policy is. But of course, it's jews. It's people wearing a Jewish star.
And so, it's quite obvious what's happening in this country. We have to stop pretending what's going on. This is absolutely history repeating itself. Listen, this is a free country. Criticize a government, criticize its leader. Lord knows I do that here with our current government.
But I love this country. And you know, people who love this country have to realize this is some of the most un-American stuff. You know, this is a country that saved my grandparents from the Nazis, saved my grandparents from the Holocaust. Right? This is a country that people want to come to. This is not a country that, you know, starts embracing the tactics of the Nazis from the 1940s.
SIDNER: Congressman Moskowitz, thank you. Thank you for taking the time and sharing that with us.
MOSKOWITZ: Thank you.
SIDNER: OUTFRONT, next, on that sobering note, we want to bring you something a little lighter. When politicians are in a pickle, they sometimes turn to actual pickles. Harry Enten is here to tell us something we don't know, and I'm told he's bringing some refreshments.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:56:38]
SIDNER: We end this Friday on a desirably sour note. It's International Pickle Day tomorrow, and Americans tend to either love or despise the crunchy, tangy, acidic delight. There's not really any in between. And for decades, when politicians got into a pickle, they turned to pickles.
Hillary Clinton in 2016, for example, using one as a prop to push back on conspiracy that she was in poor health but hiding it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIMMEL: Can you open this jar of pickles? This has not been tampered with. This is. Oh.
(CHEERS)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: And you may not remember this one. President Ronald Reagan, in the middle of a recession, turning to pickles as a way to convince Americans to save money on school lunches. And many Americans bought into that message.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You could take pickle relish, and that would count as a vegetable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: Okay, Harry Enten is here to tell us something we don't know. Okay. You didn't like that one.
All right. Politicians starting to pickles when they're in a pickle. How popular are pickles?
HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: Yeah. No wonder that politicians turn to pickles. Because you know what? We have had two. The last two presidents haven't been too hot to trot, right?
Joe Biden, Donald Trump, their favorable ratings are way down. They're in the basement in the 30s, right? But pickles, my dear friend pickles should run for president because take a look at this.
The popularity of pickles, 72 percent twice as popular as Donald Trump, is more than twice as popular than Joe Biden is.
I say that on the ballot come the 2020 election, we should have a Republican Party, a Democratic Party, and then a pickle party. That's what I say.
SIDNER: All right. That's the third-party option. Interesting, Harry.
So, this just gives you an idea. Does it bring us together? Do they delight us and unite us?
ENTEN: They delight us, unite us. And I relish how popular pickles are. Yes, every pun in the world I will be using in during this segment, Sara Sidner. Look, in a world in which we are so divided, Democrats and Republicans
both enjoy pickles. I mean, the popularity rating. Look at this, 71 percent among Democrats, 74 percent among Republicans.
Honestly, when you look at the polling data, the only other thing that I can find, basically that is as popular besides apple pie is Dolly Parton. So maybe a -- we could -- we could get a nice ticket of Dolly Parton, and maybe the VP can be pickles.
SIDNER: That is a sweet deal. I take any day. I love me some dolly.
All right, so what are we doing? Tomorrow's pickle day. Pickle day?
ENTEN: So what we're doing here, and I'll tell you something that you don't know, is were about to try pickle smoothies, you and I, here we go, here we go. There it is.
Sara Sidner and I are going to try this pickle smoothie. I have no idea. Neither of us have tasted this. Right.
SIDNER: Okay. Is there milk in this?
ENTEN: I have no idea what is in this except for pickles. Lets go. No milk.
SIDNER: Oh. That's fine. Oh.
ENTEN: Is it?
SIDNER: I liked it.
ENTEN: Hold on.
SIDNER: Oh, no. We're dividing America because you don't like it at all.
ENTEN: No. I like pickles. You know what? A little bit more on it. It's sour to start off with. But then as a creamy texture.
SIDNER: It's the banana.
ENTEN: It's the banana. So pickles comes in, gives you sour. And then you have a little sweet banana at the end. Maybe that's a new ticket for you. Bananas and pickles, Sara Sidner.
SIDNER: It's bananas. We like the pickle smoothie.
ENTEN: Here we go.
SIDNER: Cheers to you. Happy Pickle Day, America.
Harry Enten, thank you.
And thank you for joining us.
"AC360" starts right now.
