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Isa Soares Tonight
Britain's King Charles III Scheduled To Address U.S. Congress; Hakeem Jeffries Calls White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt A "Stone Cold" Liar Over Her Comments That Democrats Are To Blame For White House Correspondents' Dinner Shooting; President Trump And Melania Call For The Firing Of Jimmy Kimmel Over "Expectant Widow" Joke. Aired 2-2:30p ET
Aired April 28, 2026 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:05:00]
CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: Hello, and welcome, I'm Christina Macfarlane in for Isa Soares. Well, you saw King Charles there
walking with Speaker Mike Johnson, and we are getting ready for a rare event this hour on Capitol Hill in just about, well, an hour from now.
At the top of the hour, Britain's King Charles is scheduled to address a joint meeting of Congress. This will be the first royal address to
lawmakers in 35 years. Flanked by troops and dignitaries, U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed the King and Queen Camilla at the White House a few
hours ago.
And the President paid tribute to both countries' shared history, saying the foundation of America was built by the British.
And as you can see here, King Charles and Speaker Johnson are currently in a meeting ahead of that address to Congress. And shortly after this, he's
expected to meet with lawmakers. The congressional big four, as they're known, Speaker Mike Johnson being joined by Hakeem Jeffries, John Thune and
Chuck Schumer.
So, we'll keep an eye out for that. So, the king's speech to Congress is expected to last about 20 minutes we're told. His comments will be closely
watched after newly leaked comments by the British ambassador to the U.S.
He said the U.S. special relationship is with, quote, "probably Israel and not Britain". We're going to get thoughts on that just now. Our team is
covering all the angles out of Washington. And joining us now is royal correspondent Max Foster, as well as senior reporter Annie Grayer.
But Max, let's begin with you, because despite the sort of backdrop of tensions for this trip on the diplomatic front today, we've seen a real --
a load of pomp and pageantry with quite unusual, remarkably disciplined speech from the President.
He does appear to be pulling out all the stops here to make the royals feel welcome. So, do you think we can expect to see that effort reciprocated by
King Charles later?
MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's going to be interesting, I think. Yes, it was -- it was the most honor any foreign visitor seems to
have received here at the White House as pointed out to lots of different members of the military moments where that hasn't been delivered before.
So, that was a real honor for the king, I think. And then they're having their chat inside where they might talk about political problems between
the two countries. But we're never going to see that on camera, which is really part of the king's role to try to help re-establish that
relationship without getting involved in politics.
But when it comes to the speech, it's only the second time a British monarch has been allowed to give a speech like this to both chambers.
And I have got a sense of what's going to be in it, and it is going to be speaking about, you know, the post-World War II political order, which
Charles is going to suggest is one of the great fruits that came out of this relationship and how important Europe is, and actually, how much
defense spending, for example, there has been.
So, speaking to many of the criticisms Trump has made of Europe and the U.K., and trying to address some of those without getting too much in the
nitty-gritty. So, we'll see how the President responds to it.
But I actually think one of these types of speeches for the king, it's actually quite more punchy than I would have expected if you -- if you --
if you go into the details. Is actually saying that the relationship has existed before.
These criticisms of the U.K. was a good one. And actually, the -- you know, it still exists. That very strong relationship.
MACFARLANE: Interesting. Annie, I'm sure you'll have seen there's been, you know, a lot of talk, of course, of the so-called special relationship
between the U.K. and the U.S. today.
But rather embarrassingly, in the midst of this visit, there was also a leaked comment from the U.K., ambassador, from I believe February, claiming
that the only special relationship America has is with Israel. I think we've got that comment. Let's just take a listen to it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTIAN TURNER, BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED STATES: Special relationship is a phrase I try not to utter because it's quite nostalgic.
It's quite backwards looking. And it has a lot of sorts of baggage about it.
I think there is probably one country that has a special relationship with the United States, and that is probably Israel.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[14:10:00]
MACFARLANE: I mean, the timing of all this is very interesting. How is this being received where you are, Annie?
ANNIE GRAYER, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, there is a lot of shock as people are processing these comments. But a foreign office
spokesperson said that the comments were totally informal and private and do not reflect the government's official position.
But the comments come at a very tenuous time between the relationships between the two countries. And President Trump has been very critical of
the U.K. for not being supportive, as he feels being supportive enough in the U.S. war with Iran.
But King Charles is here not as a political figure trying to rise above that fray and hoping that in his speech today, he can give a speech of
unity and solidarity.
But there are a lot of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle who are going to be looking to see how the king tries to smooth the tensions and smooth
the waters here, as the ambassador's comments today are just the latest example of how tense things really are between the two countries.
MACFARLANE: Yes, and Max, in the midst -- in the midst of this visit today, some of the Epstein survivors convened for a press conference, I'm sure
you'll have seen. I mean, there's been some criticism here in the U.K. that the king and queen are not planning to meet with any of the Epstein
survivors, especially given the queen's, you know, extensive work on violence against women.
And earlier today, we heard from Ro Khanna, who's been working with the Epstein survivors, suggesting that the king may actually move to address
that or them in his speech today. Have you heard anything about that?
FOSTER: I just don't think he's going to go there simply -- for the simple reason that his brother is being investigated in the king's name, because
he's the symbolic head of the legal system in the United Kingdom.
If he were to address the Epstein scandal in any way, he could be accused of prejudicing that investigation, which would then undermine his entire
role. So, I think genuinely, he's stuck on that one. There might be a reference to victims in the speech today, but not on any way referencing
Epstein.
I think the way they're really reflecting this is, you know, we saw yesterday in the garden party, the queen meeting charities that work with
domestic abuse survivors, something that she's always worked on. But we're actually going to see that twice more during this visit.
So, I think they are addressing it in a tangential way by basically reiterating that victims always come first. And that's probably as far as
they feel they'll go. But obviously, it's a big talking point, and a lot of people asking, why won't he just meet Epstein survivors?
I think, you know, there's a -- you know, that's a legitimate argument. But I think from the palace side, he could cause more harm than good when it
comes to actual investigations, which are live right now.
MACFARLANE: OK, Max, Annie, we'll look ahead to this speech in about 15 minutes time. Thank you both for now. Now, global energy markets are
already reeling from the war with Iran, are now absorbing a new shock today.
The abrupt announcement that the United Arab Emirates is leaving OPEC later this week. The UAE is one of the world's top oil producers, and its
departure will be a blow to the oil cartel as well as its de facto leader, Saudi Arabia.
OPEC's members coordinate oil output to influence global supply and prices. Leaving will free the UAE from production limits. The country says it will
also leave OPEC plus, which includes Russia, the UAE's Energy Minister spoke earlier with CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SUHAL AL MAZROUEI, ENERGY MINISTER, UAE: This is not a political decision. This is a pure policy position. And repositioning us to be in the front of
the world, taking the right decision at the speed that we aspire for.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Well, CNN's Eleni Giokos is following developments from Dubai. And Eleni, this really was a bombshell announcement today. I mean, we heard
from the Minister there, but --
ELENI GIOKOS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes --
MACFARLANE: Has there been any indication yet as to why the UAE have done this, be it a political or economic decision?
GIOKOS: Yes, and it's a really important point that you mentioned, because the timing here is absolutely crucial. The UAE, like other gulf countries
that have, you know, been thrust into the realities of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, that, of course, is constricted the flow of oil.
We've seen major strikes on critical energy infrastructure across the region, including here in the UAE, and has created a new energy reality not
only for us here, but also for the rest of the world. The UAE says, and this is in the press statement that they released earlier today.
They say that during our time in the organization, we've made significant contributions and even greater sacrifices, they say, for the benefit of
all. And now they say they want to focus on national interests.
[14:15:00]
And I think it's very telling in terms of the line of the sacrifices that they've made. And it really comes to -- down to the amount of oil that
they've been able to sell on the international market. The UAE has production capacity of almost 5 million barrels of oil per day.
But under the quota system that OPEC has put in place since April 2025, the UAE has only been allowed to sell around 3.5 million barrels of oil per
day, so much lower than the actual capacity. The UAE has been very clear about its ambitions to increase oil production, and now they say that after
the war, this is the plan.
And of course, this isn't going to happen immediately. This is not going to have an impact on oil supply globally and importantly, on the oil market.
But for the day after this is the plan. They also say that they're going to be driven by responsibility when it comes to the overall energy market.
You've got to remember that OPEC, since its creation, has been able to influence oil prices by managing global output by major oil-producing
countries. In fact, it's been called a cartel, and it's been able to see if oil prices are very high.
They're basically able to, you know, put in more oil into the market to try and temper oil prices. When you see a drop in oil prices and profitability
coming under pressure, they're able to restrict what we see in terms of output.
So, this is a really significant move because the UAE has been a member for almost 60 years. So, this is definitely an end of an era. You know, people
in energy market are questioning what the world is going to look like after this war.
This is going to be one of the things that is going to definitely shake things up quite significantly, but also importantly, people are asking the
fate of OPEC. After this, are we going to see other countries wanting to withdraw from this alliance? It remains to be seen.
But for now, though, Christina, this is definitely one of the biggest announcements we've seen coming through from the UAE as we still continue
at a time of massive uncertainty because of the closure of the Strait.
MACFARLANE: Yes, it's a -- it's an important question. Where will this leave other members, you know, who may also want to follow suit?
GIOKOS: Yes --
MACFARLANE: We'll continue to follow it, Eleni, thank you. And we're going to take a short break. Stay with us, we'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:20:00]
MACFARLANE: Sources say Iran will submit a revised peace proposal to Pakistani mediators in the next few days, with the Iranian Foreign Minister
expected to consult with regime leaders. Those sources point out that the process is likely to be a slow one because of the difficulty of
communicating with the supreme leader, who is being kept in a secret location.
U.S. President Donald Trump claims Iran has told Washington it's in a state of collapse. The President wrote online that Tehran wants the Strait of
Hormuz open as they try to figure out their leadership.
Nic Robertson is joining us for this from Islamabad. So, Nic, we know the President is said to be unhappy with Iran's proposal to strike a deal on
the Strait of Hormuz while setting aside the issue of nuclear enrichment. So, what are you hearing about where this revised proposal could go next?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, and I think really, that sentiment that the President, President Trump is expressing
there that, you know, why they try to figure out their leadership, which he goes on to say, which I think they can do.
You had sort of another expression of that from Secretary of State Marco Rubio last night as well, where he was suggesting, you know, what is the
access to the Ayatollah? You know, we haven't heard him speak.
Is he -- is he able to speak with authority, all those sorts of questions, which seems to sort of point towards, as you were mentioning there, the
ball appearing to be in Iran's court here to come up with a new move.
But how long is it going to take to get that? How credible will it be when it comes? Is it going to be the sort of the more moderates, the sort of
politicians, the Foreign Minister, the speaker of parliament, these sorts of figures, or is it going to be the more hardline IRGC speaking?
So, it sort of removed that sort of question, if you will. The bigger picture, it seems to be for President Trump, what was portrayed by Iran as
parking the nuclear issue to the end, which actually, if you do that looks like resetting to before the war.
Which means if President Trump was to settle for that, besides opening the Strait of Hormuz, obviously freeing the oil -- freeing up the oil, all of
those things. But it would seem that he has not dealt at all with that key issue.
The enriched uranium, Iran's aspirations for nuclear deal. But if we go back two weeks, two-and-a half weeks to the talks here, there was a sense
that the talks were close, that some of those issues were sort of being dealt with.
So, is there -- are there some smaller steps on the nuclear issues that Iran can deal with? Is that what President Trump is waiting for? We don't
know. But I think he and both the Vice President are signaling that the wait might take a little time because of the access to the supreme leader.
But I think at the moment, the anticipation is that this is a not a last chance for Iran, if you will. But if they're not moving forward on this,
maybe, you know, the expectation that there can be an agreement, I think the sort of -- the hope for that is going to subside. And there is hope
right now that it can be achieved.
MACFARLANE: Nic, where are you seeing or hearing that there is room for maneuver on the small steps you mentioned towards those nuclear issues?
Because this is the key point. You know, if they're to move forward, you know, is the -- are we going to see a deal emerge here that looks somewhat
similar to the recent or the previous JCPOA, which Trump did away with in 2018? I mean, where are you seeing that potential for progress?
ROBERTSON: Yes, I think to be pretty blunt about the situation that a JCPOA-type deal, the one that took several years before, is in everyone's
best estimation, still over the horizon. I think really the focus has been to try to get this deal now that will reopen the Strait of Hormuz,
permanently end the war, lift the sort of blockade, both the U.S. and Iranian blockade.
And, of course, Iran has been demanding that they would -- that they would have sort of some kind of additional legal authorities or spoils of war, if
you will, over the Strait of Hormuz. That's clearly not going to work for the United States, not going to work for the international community.
But that's -- yes, that's where the focus is, to try to sort of get the global economy back on an even keel. So, the JCPOA, the nuclear deal,
there's so much detail in there, and it really kind of blew up, catastrophically almost.
In the process of the talks a couple of weeks ago when the deal seemed to be closed, President Trump said Iran had agreed to hand over its highly-
enriched uranium, the nuclear dust, as he called it. He said that they'd agreed not to have enrichment.
[14:25:00]
And of course, Iran came back out, their top political figures came out and said, that is absolutely not true. That is a lie. So, there was a level of
mistrust that was created around that issue. So, you've got to repair that and then try to move forward to what it is, is going to satisfy the United
States and satisfy Iran.
And the Iranians are very astute negotiators on that. And I think everyone seems to accept that's just not going to be quick. So, the hard answer, I
think to your question is, realistically months, let's see. I mean, it's hard to see it being done quicker.
MACFARLANE: Yes, all right, Nic, we'll continue to follow it. Thank you. Now, in the wake of the weekend shooting at the White House Correspondents
Dinner, Donald Trump is once again turning his anger on one of his frequent targets, comedian Jimmy Kimmel.
Both the President and the first lady are calling for "ABC" to fire Kimmel because of a comment he made two days before the shooting. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMY KIMMEL, COMEDIAN: And of course, our first lady Melania is here, look at Melania, so beautiful. Mrs. Trump, you have a glow like an expectant
widow.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Again, that widow joke came days before the shooting, and Kimmel says he was merely commenting on the 24-year age gap between the
President and the first lady.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIMMEL: It was a very light roast joke about the fact that he's almost 80, and she's younger than I am. It was not by any stretch of the definition, a
call to assassination. And they know that. I agree that hateful and violent rhetoric is something we should reject.
I do, and I think a great place to start to dial that back would be to have a conversation with your husband about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Well, now it appears Trump's regulators are getting involved in all this. CNN has learned that the FCC plans to file paperwork calling for
a review of "ABC's" broadcast license at several stations it owns.
The FCC has not filed an early renewal order in decades. And if it happens, it would mark a significant escalation in tensions between "ABC" and the
Trump administration, centered around First Amendment Rights.
And there is more fallout from Saturday's shooting in Washington. It pits House Minority leader Hakeem Jeffries against White House Press Secretary
Karoline Leavitt. Jeffries was unusually angry on Monday as he responded to Leavitt's claim that the shooting was caused by Democrats' anti-Trump
rhetoric. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): And this so-called White House Press Secretary wants to lecture America and lecture us about civility. Get lost. Clean up
your own house before you have anything to say to us about the language that we use.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Well, a trial over the future of OpenAI got underway today with lawyers representing two of the company's Co-founders, Elon Musk and Sam
Altman, making their opening statements. Musk was in court today.
He's accused -- accusing the maker of ChatGPT of deceiving him and betraying OpenAI's original non-profit mission. He's demanding a reversal
and billions in damages. OpenAI argues Musk supported the change, and that he's only suing because he failed to get control of the company.
The case could be existential for OpenAI, and has the potential to reshape the booming artificial intelligence industry. And that is it for us here
tonight. Stay with CNN. Special coverage of the king's address to Congress is up next with Jake Tapper.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
