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Erin Burnett Outfront
GOP Rep Stands Up To Trump As Trump Makes Him New Target; CNN Presses Acting Attorney General On Who Qualifies For $1.8B Fund; NYT: U.S. Plan To Put Ahmadinejad In Power Fails, Ex-Pres Now Missing. Aired 7-8p ET
Aired May 20, 2026 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[19:00:23]
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: OUTFRONT next:
The breaking news, Trump's acting attorney general speaking out about the DOJ's $1.8 billion compensation fund. So, who would qualify for all this money? His answer raising more questions tonight.
Also breaking, a Republican congressman standing up to Trump on his pet projects. And he's Trump's new target. Even people in Trump's own party think the president's revenge tour is going too far. New reporting this hour ahead.
And first OUTFRONT -- from reality TV star to candidate for L.A. mayor, Spencer Pratt speaking out here. So why are billionaires placing their bets on Pratt. Does he have a chance?
Let's go OUTFRONT.
(MUSIC)
BURNETTT: And good evening. I'm Erin Burnett.
And OUTFRONT tonight, not afraid of Trump. There is a Republican congressman tonight who is undeterred by his fellow Republican Tom Massie's loss. Massie became Trump's target and he's out. But now, another Republican congressman facing off with Trump on multiple fronts. And that Republican is Pennsylvania's Brian Fitzpatrick.
He hails from a must win purple district. So, it's purple. And so, he wants to kill Trump's $1.8 billion slush fund that has been set up to aid Trump's political allies and supporters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. BRIAN FITZPATRICK (R-PA): We got to unpack exactly what it is, what the source of the funding is in order to stop it and or reverse it, right?
REPORTER: So, do you want to stop it?
FITZPATRICK: Oh, 100 percent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNT: Do you want to stop it? Oh, 100 percent. He said it. He's not afraid to say it.
And Fitzpatrick is also standing up to Trump's efforts to get $1 billion from taxpayers to pay for the ballroom that Trump said taxpayers wouldn't have to pay a dollar of. Then he doubled the cost and put it on taxpayers.
Here's Fitzpatrick on Trump's ballroom.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FITZPATRICK: Why does anybody want it?
MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I mean, a lot of Republicans say that it's necessary for security.
FITZPATRICK: I don't think it's a good use of taxpayer money.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Okay. Very end, just black and white. I don't think it's a good use of taxpayer money.
Well, as you may expect, things -- saying things like those are a problem for Trump. So, Trump then was, you know, talking to reporters, one of whom happens to be Fitzpatrick's fiancee, FOX News reporter, Jacqui Heinrich.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REPORTER: Did you have a call with Prime Minister Netanyahu?
TRUMP: Well, her husband votes against me all the time? Can you imagine? I don't know what's with him. You better ask him what's with him.
Her husband -- she's married to a certain congressman. He votes -- he likes voting against Trump. You know what happens with that? Doesn't work out well. I don't know why he does.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: You know what happens with that. It doesn't work out well. The obvious threat.
And just to be clear here, according to the conservative Heritage Foundation -- Heritage Action, Fitzpatrick votes with Republicans over about 90 percent of the time. Right? So this is a guy who, policy wise, votes for things Trump wants.
But you heard Trump. It doesn't work out well if you defy him, whether it's the ballroom or the slush fund. And even though Thomas Massie is going to be out, it is not enough for Trump because he is now going after anyone who supported Massie, including Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert.
Here he is calling for someone to primary the woman that he once called incredible and a friend.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: It's a little late in the race, but if somebody comes along, I'd look certainly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: And it's not just lawmakers feeling Trump's wrath. The president is demanding that the Senate Majority Leader John Thune fire the Senate parliamentarian. The parliamentarian is in charge of implementing the rules. And this person just rejected a Republican plan to include money for Trump's White House ballroom in an immigration bill. Right. They said, look, the protocol, the rules. You can't do it in this bill.
Well, today, he says Republicans allow the. Elizabeth McDonoughs of the world to stay in power and brutalize us. Get smart and tough, Republicans, or you'll all be looking for a job much sooner than you thought possible.
Didn't we just hear that when he said that to Brian Fitzpatrick? It's the same threat again and again.
Thune called Trump's threat concerning. But for everyone that Trump is targeting, he is also rewarding loyalists like Ken Paxton, who Trump wants to go up against rising Democratic star James Talarico for the Texas Senate seat. Paxton struck a deal after being indicted on charges of felony securities fraud. He's been impeached in Texas's house, accused of bribery, obstruction of justice and other things. Dodged removal from office after the Senate acquitted him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I believe the Texas candidate who's Ken Paxton, I think he'll win. I think probably he'll win very substantially.
[19:05:01]
And I think he'll go on to defeat a very defective candidate, a candidate that believes in six genders. And he takes it to Jesus Christ and he's wearing a mask six months ago was a guy, anybody wearing a mask six months ago doesn't get it. And he's a vegan. He's a vegan in Texas. And you can't get elected as a vegan in Texas.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Okay, so the facts just not sure where the vegan thing is coming from. Talarico says he is not a vegan. Trump's perceived slight comes from Talarico's taco order. I can't believe we have to lay this out, but I guess we do. When he was campaigning with Obama, which included potatoes, eggs and cheese -- not a vegan order, just to be technical. But Trump's decision to back Paxton has some in the Republican Party livid as well.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MICHAEL MCCAUL (R-TX): My biggest concern is that we could lose a Senate seat if Paxton's the nominee.
SEN. SUSAN COLLINS (R-ME): He is an ethically challenged individual.
SEN. LISA MURKOWSKI (R-AK): Supremely disappointed. Supremely.
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): The truth of the matter is probably, with Paxton, it's going to cost more money.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Senator Thom Tillis went even further today, taking issue with the people enabling Trump inside the White House. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. THOM TILLIS (R-NC): Hitting some headwinds now. And we can't let people in the White House who are advising the president advise him on things that make it even more difficult for my colleagues to come back a majority.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: But people in the White House seem to have very little control over Trump. I mean, just take Susie Wiles, the very powerful chief of staff. Last -- last year, she told "Vanity Fair" on the 56th day of Trump's presidency, she said this, quote, "We have a loose agreement that the score settling will end before the first 90 days are over. Now, I do not define loose as where we are now. It is now 485 days in score settling still dominates, and among the MAGA base, it may be working right? I mean, look no further than Trump's victories in the primaries in Louisiana and Kentucky.
But outside that base, the story is different. The latest poll from "Reuters" yesterday shows Trump's approval rating now down to 35 percent. But that did not stop Trump from focusing in last night on exacting revenge.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We won the Massie thing. He was a bad guy. He deserved to lose.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: But from that to celebrating the death of Rob Reiner or Bob Mueller, there is at least one powerful person who sees Trump as more mature and more disciplined than ever before. See who it is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEFF BEZOS, AMAZON FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN: I think he is a more mature, more disciplined version of himself than he was in his first term.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Just to be clear, that was today.
Manu Raju is OUTFRONT live on Capitol Hill.
Manu, what is the latest that you're learning there?
MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: A lot of anxiety, Erin, that Donald Trump is not focused on the issue that Republicans here are begging him to focus on, which is the economy, affordability, cost of living issues. That will be central to this midterm election and putting out things that will force them to be on the defensive, whether it's roughly $1 billion in ballroom security, taxpayer money for that, or for the $1.8 billion weaponization fund, or going after Republican incumbents who they believe either deserve to be reelected, would be easier for them to hold a majority, namely, Senator John Cornyn of Texas.
That has caused enormous concern within the ranks. And a lot of Republicans are urging the president to redirect his focus to the economy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FITZPATRICK: Half the country is living paycheck to paycheck. We shouldn't be talking about ballrooms.
RAJU: And you think this weaponization fund is waste of taxpayer dollars?
REP. KEVIN KILEY (I-CA): I think that would be putting it mildly.
REP. MIKE LAWLER (R-NY): The idea that there's a fund for it, I don't support that.
GRAHAM: I think we'll win Texas no matter what. But the truth of the matter is probably with Paxton, it's going to cost more money.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
RAJU: And that last comment, of course, coming from one of Donald Trump's closest allies, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, bluntly warning about the impact of Donald Trump's decision to get behind Ken Paxton and that all critical Texas senate race. Because if indeed he is the nominee, Ken Paxton, it could cost the party significant amount of money in a state that could cost hundreds of millions of dollars in the general election, meaning that that money could be spent in other battleground states now redirected to Texas, which could impact the Republicans chances of holding on to their majority -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Manu, thank you very much. And everyone is here with me. And Gretchen, as you hear, Manu, look, that there's frustration being
expressed openly by Republicans against Trump on several fronts. Now, look, that's a little bit different than sometimes in the past when that's been expressed behind closed doors. So, Manu may hear it from people, but he doesn't have it on tape. Now we have it on tape. But does that mean there's follow through?
GRETCHEN CARLSON, JOURNALIST AND CO-FOUNDER OF LIFT OUR VOICES: Yeah. Is it percolating or is it going to completely blow up? Look, if I were advising Republicans and I'm not, but they should get in a room after the Texas primary next week, and they should all decide if they want to live or die, because after the primaries, Trump's numbers are 35 percent.
We're still in a war with Iran. The economy is still not doing well. Gas prices continue to go up.
That is not going to do well for Republicans. They need to moderate. They need to distance themselves from Trump if they want any hope or its the kiss of death.
Now, again, I'm not advising them. I'm just saying that primary season and general election for the midterms completely different. I'll add in one more thing. The independents get to vote when it comes to the midterms. They were nowhere present in these primaries.
BURNETT: No. And you know what's interesting, Jamal, like when you -- that this point about the independents, what Trump is hearing from recently is the loyalists in his base that are delivering him victory after victory. And on that front, I don't know if you heard this, but I was -- NPR did a piece on voters who had voted for Trump in Georgia, some of whom still supported him, some didn't. One does still. And he said he's so pro-Trump. People just don't even understand. He gave him an A++. Okay, this is a Georgia voter.
But then he said he's struggling financially because of Trump's war with Iran, so much so that it's hard to buy food and groceries. And I wanted to play exactly how he put it, Jamaal. Here he is.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
TRUMP VOTER: I just try to do the cutting back that I could do to -- in order to try to, you know, survive until we make it through it. It's like anything else. It's a -- it's a season.
Cook, fast. Me and my wife, have been, you know, fasting. And it's like a lot of benefits, including one of those benefits is saving money on groceries.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BURNETT: I mean, it's stunning. I can't stop thinking about it. That fasting is the solution. How do -- how do Democrats combat that sort of loyalty?
JAMAAL BOWMAN (D), FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE: I mean, thankfully, Trump's approval numbers continue to go backwards. So, this benefits the Democrats tremendously. But that sound bite right there captures what the majority of the American people are feeling.
Do you know how hard it is to be working class and afford rent or mortgage utilities, transportation, childcare, food, and forget about if your child needs tutoring in school or wants to participate in extracurricular activities. This is what the majority of the American people are dealing with.
Trump ran on the economy. He's failed in that regard. We're in a war we shouldn't be in. He's backtracked on the Epstein files. This is all why his numbers are in the tank. And Democrats have been pouncing, but hopefully we can finish the job for November.
BURNETT: I will note to your point, by the way, average mortgage rates are now up to 6.56 percent. It's absolutely stunning. And that is preventing people from being able to buy homes. A separate point, but to something you mentioned.
All right. And stay with me. We have more breaking news here. I want to bring in Paula Reid because she just finished an interview with Todd Blanche, who, of course, is the acting attorney general and also President Trump's former personal attorney.
And it is incredible interview. Moments ago, Reid pressed Blanche about the Justice Department's new $1.8 billion compensation fund that I just mentioned, right, that would go to people who have been persecuted by the Justice Department. And she asked him, who could qualify for these payments?
Let me play their exchange.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TODD BLANCHE, ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL: There's nothing that's not transparent about this process. One of the factors the commissioners have to consider is what the claimant did, the claimant's conduct. Okay.
So, in the hypothetical you just described, the claimant would have to say, I assaulted a cop and I want money. So, whether the commissioners will give that person money, that that claimant, it's up to them. But that's one of the factors they have to consider for the very reason that was raised yesterday, which should be which should be raised, which is that President Trump, this Department of Justice does not stand for assaulting law enforcement. And the kind of fake outrage at this because there's a handful of folks who might apply.
By the way, nobody received money. Nobody's applied yet. We don't even have commissioners. So we're talking about a hypothetical scenario that hasn't even presented itself yet, except for the fact that the agreement makes plain that the commissioners have a bunch of factors they have to consider -- expenses, how much money they want, what the claimant did, the claimants conduct.
And so that's something that we will pick good commissioners, and that's something that they will take into account.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: All right. Paula Reid is here with me now.
And, Paula, I mean, in your conversation with him, I know you also asked him about just point blank. Did people who assaulted police officers, right, who were convicted of that? Will they receive some of this money? What did he tell you?
PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: That's exactly right, Erin, because here, as part of the settlement, the justice department has put forth roughly $1.8 billion, a lot of money, but they don't have a lot of details. And that has created a lot of questions, a lot of confusion, a lot of controversy.
So when I sat down with him, I pressed him to try to get more details so people understand how this will work and how they're going to prevent this from becoming a so-called slush fund. Now, another big question out there is, of course, whether individuals who are convicted of assaulting police officers, whether they can get money. This is something he was asked yesterday. The vice president was asked.
I gave him a chance to clarify because as of yesterday, it seemed like that was a possibility. Let's take a listen to what he said today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REID; You're the nation's top law enforcement official right now. Would you be okay with people who were convicted of hurting police, getting taxpayer money?
TODD BLANCHE, ACTING ATTORNEY GENERAL: Just to be clear, people that hurt police get money all the time. Okay? Theres a process where -- where if you are -- if you are, if you believe you have your rights violated, you can -- you can apply for funds, you can sue, you can file a claim, you can go to court. And some of those cases, the state, the government, the federal government settles those cases. It's abhorrent to ever, ever touch a law enforcement officer, which is why anytime anybody does that and it's a federal officer will prosecute them.
But that's a completely different question with whether an individual is allowed to apply for a claim, whether they'll get a claim, who -- it depends. I can't -- it's not -- it would not be appropriate for me to talk about absolutes, like absolutely not. Under no circumstances. I mean, we can talk about hypotheticals until we're blue in the face, but that really wouldn't be fruitful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
REID: Now he really doubled down, insisting not only is this legal, but this is something he says that taxpayers would support because they would want people who had been unfairly treated to be compensated. But, Erin, you and I have been in this business a long time. Nobody who's ever been investigated by the justice department or by authorities has been happy or thought it was fair.
So, it's still a little unclear how they're going to prevent a feeding frenzy of taxpayer funds here. But they have about 30 days to select the members for this committee and lay out more ground rules for how they're going to vet this influx of claims.
BURNETT: All right. Paula, thank you very much. Just that that last exchange there, really incredible.
Ryan Goodman, let me just ask you.
So basically, Todd Blanche tells Paula, it's terrible when anyone assaults a police officer, but then doesn't proceed to say that the people who assaulted police officers on January 6th shouldn't get money. His answer there is people who hurt police get money all the time. So, he sort of sounded like it's a bad thing if you do it. But these people -- but maybe these people get paid out.
Is that what he's saying?
RYAN GOODMAN, FORMER SPECIAL COUNSEL AT DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE: He seemed to contradict himself in the second thing he said was that these kinds of things happen. It's not unprecedented. He seems to be laying the groundwork for that result to take place. And I do think there's every expectation. I would imagine the lawyers for January 6th people who are convicted for these crimes are thinking they're kind of first in line. And the reason I think that they think they're first in line on January 20th, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order said ending the weaponization of government. One of the very first things ever done by the Justice Department was to fire FBI agents who worked on January 6th cases, and they said the authority for that was the weaponization of government executive order.
In other words, those are the very people that would qualify first, one would think, and you would hope that the acting attorney general would say instead, no, of course those people would not qualify. But he's leaving it, the gates wide open.
BURNETT: He's also saying, okay, in 30 days. I mean, is this thing really going to be up and running in 30 days and funded? I mean, is there anything anybody can do about it or that this is -- this is full steam ahead, we're done?
GOODMAN: There will be additional cases filed. I'm sure. There was one filed today by former capital officers. And that case, I don't think is the strongest just because the plaintiffs aren't the right plaintiffs. But they've got good legal arguments, legal arguments, including that this fund that was set up by congressional statute is to pay people who actually have cases. There's no nexus between the January 6ers and all the others. And the actual case here, which was President Trump suing over the IRS.
BURNETT: I mean, they also, of course, the fund, I believe, was $1.776 billion, right? I mean, the whole point was a January 6th patriotism, 1776, Jamaal, but is this just become a free for all where anyone who's in power says, well, I'm just going to take a bunch of taxpayer money for people who, you know, I believe were wronged politically and pay them out?
BOWMAN: I mean, yes, I mean, this is the United States of Donald Trump and this is how the Trump administration has operated from the very beginning. It's -- forget about the Constitution. Forget about working with Congress. I have these ideas. I have these things I want to implement. And this is what I'm going to do.
I mean, listen, we need criminal justice reform in our country. There are many people who are incarcerated right now who should not be in unjustly so, most of them working class, most of them black or brown, disproportionately. So, we can have that conversation.
But this fund seems to feel a little iffy to me. And again, we need more details. But first, you pardon the January 6th insurrectionists, many believe that those people got jobs with ICE. And now you have this fund that maybe many of them will be able to take advantage of.
[19:20:01]
I mean, again, those who have been loyal to Trump, the sycophants are benefiting from his administration and the billionaire class continues to benefit from his administration.
BURNETT: And, Ryan, I cut him off at the very end. But he also mentioned, you know, the IRS, right? Which is now as part of this, you get this fund. You also have, as part of it, some deal where nobody can ever investigate Trump or anyone.
CARLSON: Which I believe is the whole reason for this whole thing to begin with.
BURNETT: Yeah.
CARLSON: I think the slush fund is a little bit of a distraction, as bad as it is. But I think this whole thing was to get the audits off their back of the Trump family.
But back to the commission, five members, that Todd Blanche is going to pick himself. So, this is not going to be a fair process. And they're also not going to disclose to the American public who they award the money to or how much it is. So, we may never know.
So where does this rest? This rests with Congress. And now you have -- it could come full circle with Bill Cassidy, the senator that Trump wanted to get rid of, and Senator John Cornyn, who may or may not lose the primary next week in Texas. How are they going to vote? Because Cassidy is already saying that he's going to probably vote no. And then you have Thom Tillis, who's retiring, and you have Collins, Murkowski.
You had today on your own air, the senator from Utah, Curtis, questioning it. You have Kennedy. You have John Thune.
So, is this going to go for a vote before Congress? And back to what we originally talked about start of the segment, are Republicans going to grow a spine and actually stand up for what's right? BURNETT: And this is the test. This is the test. This and the
ballroom.
CARLSON : Many other things have been the test.
BURNETT: Right, right. But right now.
CARLSON: Currently, this is the test.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you all very much.
And next, new details on how the United States and Israel reportedly planned to put a former Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad -- remember him -- back in power. It was a jaw-dropping plan, really, an absolutely stunning plan that anyone would even contemplate it. It went deeply awry. And now, Ahmadinejad is missing. The reporter who broke this story with all the details is next.
And new information tonight on the condition of the American doctor who's being treated right now for the deadly Ebola virus. As we hear from someone who was near death after contracting Ebola. Tonight, he's alive, here to tell the story.
And then Elon Musk just revealing a plan that could make him the world's first trillionaire.
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[19:26:53]
BURNETT: Tonight, the most unlikely puppet in Iran. Stunning new details tonight breaking about a U.S.-Israeli plan to install the former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad back in power. He, of course, is a hardliner.
Now, "The New York Times" is revealing the existence of this plan, which played out like an action movie, even reporting that Ahmadinejad himself was consulted about it.
Now, Ahmadinejad was under house arrest as the war began. I mean, he was a hardliner who called for the end of Israel, but he had fallen out of favor with Iran's powerful regime circles. He was under house arrest.
Now then, Ahmadinejad gets injured at an Israeli strike near his home on the first day of the war. I don't know if you remember that. Wow. They're going for him to know. The strike was designed to kill the revolutionary guard soldiers who were holding him under house arrest.
And Ahmadinejad's current whereabouts now are unknown. He has not been heard from since that strike, which raises major questions to state the obvious of where is he? Who controls him?
This comes as today, Trump says the war will resume, quote, very quickly if Iran doesn't reach a deal.
OUTFRONT now is Mark Mazzetti, investigative reporter for "The New York Times", who broke this story on Ahmadinejad.
And, Mark, I mean, it really is incredible reporting. As I said, you know, it reads like it's out of some sort of a thriller, except for this is real life. Your reporting that Trump and Israel wanted to install a person as ruler of Iran who was a fierce supporter of Iran's nuclear program and had vowed to wipe Israel off the map. That was then, though now he was under house arrest, and they felt he could be sort of like Delcy Rodriguez.
MARK MAZZETTI, WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT, THE NEW YORK TIMES: Yeah. So, I think most people's remembrances of Ahmadinejad go back some time, as you discussed, the Holocaust denying and the promoting Iran's nuclear program. And he got lampooned on Saturday night live. And that was the image of Ahmadinejad, who over time did, as you said, become a regime critic so much that they began to question his loyalties. And that's why he was under house arrest for the last period of time.
Now, sometime during before the war, he was in contact with, we believe, Israeli and American officials, primarily Israeli officials. He had contacts to basically sign off on this idea that if a war were to begin and he were to be freed, he would be part of the regime change plan.
As you said, it's quite shocking that this was part of the plan. And then even more shocking that on the first day of the war, an Israeli strike hits the guard tower of his house, but also injures him. And then he becomes sort of disillusioned with the whole plan. And it's seemingly out of the picture for the moment.
BURNETT: Okay, so let me read something else from your reporting about that strike, which Iranian news outlets initially reported killed Ahmadinejad. I remember that. I remember that day just, you know, sort of stunned at what, what the scope of this. You write Mark, the strike did not significantly damage Mr. Ahmadinejad's house at the end of a dead-end street.
[19:30:04]
But the security outpost at the entrance of the street was struck. Satellite images shows that building was destroyed. In the days that followed, official news agencies clarified that he had survived, but that his bodyguards, in actuality, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members who were guarding him and holding him under house arrest were killed. And then obviously, we can see the destruction in the before and after satellite images of his house.
But okay, so as part of this, you're saying, well, then he'd been talking to Israeli officials. I mean, just to even think about the implications of that within the Iranian regime. Now, his whereabouts are unknown.
So, I mean, I can think of a lot of conspiracy theories here that suddenly become possibilities, Mark. I mean, did you, you know, have any sense of where he might be or what the extent of his injuries are or what's happening there? MAZZETTI: Well, in terms of his injuries, we have been told by me and
my colleagues who were reporting the story heard that he did not sustain life-threatening injuries, that they were light injuries, that he is alive. But in terms of his whereabouts, we don't know. We don't know where he is. We don't know whose custody he is in, his safety, the safety of his associates. These are some of the questions we still have and are continuing to report out.
BURNETT: Yeah. I mean, I'm just thinking back, you know, in the war in Israel, where I was at the time, you know, people discussing certain senior members of the regime. And at the time they were all conspiracy theories, obviously, about whether they were in Tel Aviv or what might be. I mean, this is all just stunning to even -- to even think about what this opens the door to.
Now, Trump and his top advisors, Mark, as you know, have been really mixed about regime change in Iran. And whether that was part of this, although obviously by taking out the supreme leader and everyone around him, it's pretty obvious that -- that it is what it is. But Trump has denied regime change as a goal of the war several times. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Regime change was not our goal. We didn't do this for regime change. We went in for a very simple reason and not regime change.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: So with the chaos that has ensued since the war started, Mark, how much did Trump -- did Israel count on this Ahmadinejad plan coming to fruition? Did they think they had sort of a bird in the hand, they had a Delcy and ready to go?
MAZZETTI: Well, first off, when the first act of the war is killing the supreme leader of Iran, I think that raises questions about just the extent that you wanted regime change. And certainly, you were trying to change the leadership. Right. And to your point about the just how where Ahmadinejad fit in, it seems that they saw him as someone who could be sort of running the bureaucracy, running the machinery and a more pliable leader to do what the United States and Israel wanted.
It's not wholesale change of everyone at, you know, on all levels of leadership, but is someone who they had been potentially grooming who could basically the Delcy model in Venezuela could be someone who would be more pro-Western.
So, the -- as much as American officials want to say that they do not care that they're not goal of regime change, Iran certainly saw this as an existential war. And the -- you know, changing the leadership was certainly central to the mission of the war.
BURNETT: All right. Mark Mazzetti, thank you very much for sharing all of that reporting from you and your colleagues. Thank you.
MAZZETTI: Thank you.
BURNETT: And next, former reality star Spencer Pratt getting a nod from Trump in his bid to become the next mayor of Los Angeles.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I heard he's a big MAGA person. He's doing well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: So, when the president says that about you, what does that do to you in Los Angeles? Spencer Pratt speaks out right here.
Plus, our Fred Pleitgen right now outside the German hospital where an American doctor is right now battling Ebola. What are his symptoms right now? Another doctor who nearly died after contracting the deadly virus is our guest tonight OUTFRONT.
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[19:38:16]
BURNETT: Breaking news new details about the condition of the American doctor who has tested positive for Ebola. Dr. Peter Stafford's charity organization, revealing that he's battling fever, dizziness, nausea that he had previously needed help walking.
Now, at this hour, we do understand he's in stable condition and a special isolation ward at a hospital in Berlin, Germany. Two other American doctors, including his wife, are also being monitored for Ebola now, as countries around the world are scrambling to stop a rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak that has killed at least 139 people. And the extent of it is still terrifyingly quite unknown.
Fred Pleitgen is OUTFRONT to begin our coverage in Berlin.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): A heavily protected convoy of special ambulances carrying American Peter Stafford to Germanys top infectious disease hospital in the middle of the night, the medical doctor working in eastern Congo confirmed to have contracted a strand of the highly contagious and deadly Ebola virus.
The Serge missionary charity that sent Dr. Stafford and his family to Congo for medical work, telling CNN they're concerned but hopeful he'll pull through.
MATT ALLISON, SERGE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: He's in a state of mind and of health that he's able to communicate with us. He continues to have a fever, dizziness, lightness of head and some nausea, which is fairly typical symptoms for Ebola.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): The infectious disease ward at Berlin's Charite Hospital is known as one of the best in the world. Peter Safford's wife Rebecca, and their four children also isolated
here, even though they remain asymptomatic. Another U.S. doctor, Patrick LaRochelle, who had contact with Peter Stafford while in Congo, flown to the Czech Republic for isolation and observation.
[19:40:07]
PLEITGEN: The sign that you see behind me says restricted area, danger of infection. This is as close as we can get to the actual isolation ward, where the hospital says the American patient is getting the best care possible.
ALLISON: He's getting like a monoclonal antibody treatment. He's in a center of excellence for Ebola care with doctors who have treated Ebola before. You know, a day ago, he needed assistance to even walk into the containment unit for his air evac. And so, we see some progress and we're really encouraged.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): But encouragement is hard to come by in the areas affected by the Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo, Uganda, and possibly South Sudan. A vicious strand of the virus for which no vaccine exists that causes severe pain, internal and external bleeding and bruises, often ending in death.
The World Health Organization now classifying this outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern. Dozens already killed by the virus and the number of infections rapidly rising, the WHO says.
TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS, DIRECTOR-GENERAL, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: We expect those numbers to keep increasing, given the amount of time the virus was circulating before the outbreak was detected.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): Ebola's mortality rates are extremely high, but German health officials say their doctors are well-equipped to give the U.S. citizen they're treating the best chance of survival and recovery.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PLEITGEN: And, Erin, one of the other things that we're finding out tonight is that Dr. Peter Stafford was not only helping people, treating people there in that part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, but he was actually also training surgeons there in a part of the world that, of course, lacks trained physicians. And so, they say that they hope that he fully recovers and recovers quickly, but also that that region, that part of the Democratic republic, overcomes that Ebola outbreak as fast as possible so that they can all get back to the important work that they were doing -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much. And work, of course, had already been impacted by so many funding cuts related to cuts from, among others, the U.S. government and DOGE and USAID.
OUTFRONT now, someone who can share his own story of surviving Ebola and who's been on the ground, Dr. Kent Brantly. He contracted the virus while treating Ebola patients in West Africa in 2014 outbreak. He was flown to Atlanta for treatment. He was one of the Ebola fighters the "Time Magazine" named its person of the year, as you can see him there on the cover.
Dr. Brantly, there's so much I want to ask you about. But just as we hear Fred's report, I know that Dr. Stafford's story reminds you in many ways of your own. And you were frightened -- you were near death with Ebola when you were fighting the virus.
Can you just tell us more about -- you know, because it seems so terrifyingly unknown to people what the symptoms are like?
DR. KENT BRANTLY, AMERICAN WHO CONTRACTED EBOLA WHILE TREATING PATIENTS IN 2014: Thanks for having me on, Erin.
Ebola, really, it starts like so many other febrile illnesses, which makes it hard to detect when you're not in a known outbreak. Starts with fever, muscle pain, fatigue, but it progresses to a rash and red eyes and hemorrhaging, maybe vomiting blood, lots of diarrhea. And it's a really miserable and frightening disease.
BURNETT: Now, I know, Doctor, you spent 19 days at Emory Hospital before you were declared free of the Ebola virus and you were discharged. And obviously, you had incredible medical care. You know, in this outbreak. It went, as we just heard, the director of the WHO say, it went quite a while without being detected. And so, it's much worse than the numbers right now indicate. But they don't know how much worse. So, we know 139 deaths are thought to be linked to it, but we don't know how many more, 600 other cases suspected, at least of what they know, you know.
But as someone who beat Ebola is there any advice that you would give to Dr. Stafford right now? He's obviously in that isolation ward and we know he went in really unable to walk, but that they are talking about some tentative improvement here.
BRANTLY: First of all, I am praying for Dr. Stafford and his family for his other teammates there in Congo, but especially for his community there at the hospital. I know that they have other health care workers, Congolese health care workers who are sick, maybe even some who have already passed away from this outbreak. And so, my thoughts and prayers are with them.
Ebola is not universally fatal. This strand, the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, has a mortality rate of somewhere between 30 to 50 percent. That means about half of the people infected with good supportive care may survive. And that supportive care is really the backbone of treatment of Ebola, especially in a case like this where we don't have any vaccines or targeted therapeutics that we know to be effective against this.
BURNETT: So, when you think about because you've been in these, these incredibly remote areas and, and also, you're talking about areas with a lack of government control. You're talking about war-torn areas. If you get into South Sudan, right? Just incredibly chaotic and horrible places for disease to spread.
You mentioned that this particular strain of Ebola has no treatment, no therapeutics. It has no vaccine. And, we're way behind on identifying it in part because of so many of these cuts. You know, when you think about what this means on the ground, how much worse do you think this outbreak could get?
BRANTLY: It really reminds me a lot of the outbreak in West Africa in 2014. It's occurring in a place near the borders of three countries in a very mobile society. There's a lot of mining business that happens in that area, a lot of cross-border traffic. And like in 2014, we didn't have vaccines or therapeutics for Ebola. So, in that way, it reminds me a lot of the 2014 outbreak.
The difference, though, is that DRC and Uganda have experience treating Ebola containing outbreaks and breaking chains of transmission. So, I think what is needed now is for the international community to provide a robust, compassionate response to come alongside the governments of DRC, Uganda and provide the resources that are necessary to bring an end to this outbreak.
BURNETT: And we'll see, of course, if that happens. As I said amidst the backdrop here of so many deep funding cuts to health assistance in Africa.
Thank you very much, Dr. Brantly. I appreciate your time.
And next, former reality villain Spencer Pratt speaks out about his campaign to become the next mayor of L.A., a campaign that is catching on with the president and some billionaire donors.
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SPENCER PRATT, L.A. MAYORAL CANDIDATE: Why I'm resonating is because people have eyeballs.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Plus, SpaceX about to make history, as we are learning new details about one of the most secretive private companies in history.
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[19:51:32]
BURNETT: Tonight, Trump claiming, quote, had Jesus Christ counted the votes in California, he would have won the state in 2024. The president launching into that rant when a reporter asked him about Spencer Pratt, a former reality TV star running as a Republican for L.A. mayor. Take a listen for yourself.
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REPORTER: Spencer Pratt, do you see yourself in him at all? A former reality TV star?
TRUMP: No. I'd like to see him do well. He's a character I don't know. I don't know him.
I assume he probably supports me. Does he support me?
REPORTER: I think so.
TRUMP: I think so. Yeah, I heard he does. I heard he's a big MAGA person. He's doing well.
I don't know -- if you have a rigged vote out there. That's the problem. The votes are rigged. You have a really rigged vote in California. You have all the mail in ballots, everything else. Very hard to win because the elections are very dishonest.
If we had Jesus Christ come down and count the votes, I would have won California because I do great with Hispanics.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Pratt is challenging Mayor Karen Bass and just sat down with our own Elex Michaelson. And Elex is OUTFRONT.
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PRATT: Everything I'm saying is, is common sense. We've just lost it in Los Angeles.
ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Spencer Pratt says if he doesn't win, mayor of Los Angeles, America's second largest city, is doomed.
PRATT: Four more years. L.A. is cooked. Cooked. Is Karen Bass targeting fire victims?
MICHAELSON (voice-over): Pratt's aggressive social media videos reaching millions around the world.
PRATT: Why I'm resonating is because people have eyeballs.
MICHAELSON (voice-over): Some of his supporters see the one reality show villain as a sort of superhero, including one fan who created this A.I. video reposted by Pratt.
PRATT: They know I'm not a politician. They know if they didn't burn my house down, I wouldn't be running for mayor.
MICHAELSON (voice-over): Pratt's home was among the almost 7000 structures that burned during the Palisades fire last January. Twelve people died. Pratt blames L.A. Mayor Karen Bass for mismanaging the response.
MAYOR KAREN BASS (D), LOS ANGELES: It wasn't just the city, the entire county was not prepared for this.
PRATT: He should have resigned. You should have admitted to your failures.
PRATT: This is where Mayor Bass lives.
MICHAELSON (voice-over): In a recent ad, Pratt visited Bass's official residence, and then his burnt out lot.
PRATT: This is where I live. They let my home burn down.
MICHAELSON (voice-over): But TMZ reports that Pratt hasn't ever lived in that airstream behind him, and often stays at the pricey Hotel Bel- Air or at a family home in Santa Barbara County.
PRATT: I don't live at the Hotel Bel-Air, and I don't live in Santa Barbara. I live in that dirt, and that's my fight.
I had to take a minute to run for mayor.
MICHAELSON (voice-over): Spencer mocked the TMZ story in a parody of Will Smith's "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" opening theme.
In terms of L.A.'s homelessness crisis, he vows to enforce the laws already on the books.
Pratt says many on the street are addicted to drugs. He'll create a homeless center that would include treatment, workforce training and be located on federal land outside of Los Angeles.
PRATT: It's going to be somewhere where people go and they go, thank God for Spencer. This is the greatest thing in the United States of America.
MICHAELSON: Who pays for that?
PRATT: I have literal billionaires. I've met with 30 of them lined up, not to mention my plan.
MICHAELSON: They have to pay for it themselves.
PRATT: They will -- they are ready to go.
MICHAELSON: Totally funded.
PRATT: It doesn't need to be all privately funded.
MICHAELSON: But you know there's going to be all sorts of pushback. There's going to be people in the city council that pushes back. There's going to be folks that are homeless advocates that are pushing back.
PRATT: You know, the bigger system that's going to push back even harder, the communities that are being destroyed.
MICHAELSON (voice-over): Pratt has been sharing out A.I.-generated videos created by his fans on his own social media.
[19:55:05]
MICHAELSON: What is the thought process for you in terms of what you share out and what you don't share out?
PRATT: I will -- if somebody says, vote for Spencer Pratt, he'll say, that's a repost. You know, obviously I could vet things more.
MICHAELSON (voice-over): One A.I. video shows residents throwing tomatoes at Bass.
BASS: It is absolutely 150 percent fiction, but what's worrying me now is, is that his social media is now taking on a violent turn.
PRATT: Which is the funniest thing I've ever heard coming from the lady who allowed 12 people to burn alive, and she's worrying about A.I.
MICHAELSON: So, can Spencer Pratt actually win as mayor of Los Angeles? Clearly, there are signs of support for him all over Pacific Palisades. The challenge is Palisades is a relatively small part of the massive city of Los Angeles. Nearly 4 million residents and an estimated two thirds of them are Democrats. Pratt is a registered Republican.
PRATT: Everyone that supports me is a Democrat. Democrats do not want naked drug addicts in front of their kids at the park and school, period.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAELSON: Pratt is downplaying any connection to Trump and focusing on local issues. We sat down with him for almost an hour. He spoke extensively about his plans for L.A. and why he's a Republican. We'll have a lot more of that tonight on "The Story Is" at midnight Eastern, 9:00 Pacific -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Elex, thank you very much. I want to hear all of that.
And next, we are learning new details about Elon Musk's SpaceX that have, up until now, remained a total mystery
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BURNETT: And now, SpaceX about to make history. Elon Musk's rocket and satellite company just revealing long awaited plans to go public. And that means knowing what's happening inside it. It is expected to be the largest IPO in history. It's been many years since I've been able to say that it could make Musk the world's first trillionaire, and it comes -- as this was one of the most secretive private companies in history. Nothing's really known about its board, its profits, how it does business.
Today, we're learning more, though, because of this possible IPO. Last year, they say SpaceX brought in $18.7 billion in revenue. That's stunning. But so is this that they still lost nearly $5 billion on that. But as we said, expected to be the biggest IPO in history.
And on one final note earlier on the program, we discussed Trump's IRS settlement. And just to be clear, the settlement refers to past tax returns, not future ones.
Thanks for joining us.
Anderson starts now.
