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One World with Zain Asher
White House Correspondents' Dinner Shooting Suspect in Court; Royal's First U.S. Visit as Monarchs Following DC Shooting; Suspect's Note Listed Grievances Toward Trump Admin; Gas and Jet Fuel Prices Soar Amid War with Iran; Severe Storms to Continue into Tuesday Across Central U.S. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired April 27, 2026 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: Live from Atlanta. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Welcome to "One World". The main suspect who opened fire at the White House
Correspondents' Dinner is set to make his first court appearance any time now. 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen is accused of rushing a security
checkpoint armed with multiple weapons on Saturday night, he is expected to face federal gun and assault charges.
President Trump was hurried off the stage right after those shots were heard just outside the ballroom. Investigators are examining a note Allen
allegedly sent to his family just minutes before that attack. We're now learning about new White House plans to discuss security protocols
involving the president.
In an interview with CBS the day after the shooting, President Trump said he wasn't worried as that incident unfolded. He told 60 Minutes Host Norah
O'Donnell, he probably didn't make it easy for his Secret Service protection agents. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I was surrounded by great people, and I probably made them act a little bit more slowly. I
said, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Let me see. Wait a minute. So, you know, I'm telling --
NORAH O'DONNELL, 60 MINUTES HOST: Just at that moment where it looks like you go sort of down with the service, you were telling them to wait.
TRUMP: No, what happened is then I started walking with them. I turned I started walking, and then said, please go down. Please go down on the
floor. So, I went down. And First Lady went down also, but we were asked to go down by the agents.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, later in the interview, the president slammed O'Donnell for reading comments the suspected gunman reportedly made about Trump and other
officials in a manifesto. It's worth noting the White House Correspondents Dinner is held to celebrate press freedom.
CNN's Alayna Treene is at the White House, and Katelyn Polantz joins us live from Washington. Good to have you both with us. So, Katelyn, I want to
start with you, but start with you, because this gun man is expected to face court in the coming hours. What sort of charges is he expected to
face, and what more do we know about the manifesto?
KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, this would be the initial set of charges, and we could hear a little bit more about this
supposed manifesto in court, a letter that he would have provided to his family members, according to law enforcement so far.
But it is very likely to be short and sweet, and this is just to keep him behind bars. That is the typical procedure that we would be awaiting. We
haven't seen any charges yet filed by the Justice Department in court, even initial charges. But we have heard from the U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro on
Saturday night saying that at very least, he is expected to be charged with using a firearm during a crime of violence and assaulting a federal officer
using a dangerous weapon.
Apparently, in this exchange of gun fire, he did fire off a shot, and it did hit a Secret Service agent in the chest who was not seriously injured.
But that is just the initial round of complaint charges that would be in court. There would very likely be more to come as the investigation
continues, as evidence is gathered.
And as the Justice Department looks at the law especially related to what he may have said in this manifesto. There is a little bit more out there,
potentially that the Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche addressed in an interview with Dana Bash on Sunday morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TODD BLANCHE, ACTING U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: I expect he'll be charged tomorrow morning in Federal Court with two counts in a complaint we are not
viewing him as cooperating necessarily right now, although, although we'll see what happens going forward.
DANA BASH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, it's possible that later he could be charged with trying to assassinate the president.
BLANCHE: Absolutely. I mean, the way that these charges work. A lot of the charges that he could be charged with depends on us understanding his
motive, his premeditation, what he wanted to do? And that requires us to go through the evidence and develop a case which the FBI is working on now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
POLANTZ: So, Blanche is not getting ahead of what is actually known at this time and what the Justice Department has thoroughly scoured since this
incident on Saturday night. But attempted assassination is always something out there that would be a very hefty charge for any attempted assassination
of a federal official, up to and including the president.
In a previous case where Donald Trump faced a man who was positioned on his golf course with a weapon pointed a gun pointed toward potentially the
president playing golf there that man, Ryan Routh, in Florida, he was sentenced to life in prison after he was convicted of federal charges of
attempting to assassinate Donald Trump, the candidate at that time.
[11:05:00]
So, we will have to see exactly how this case plays out? What the evidence comes together to be? And what happens after today this detention hearing
could be quite short and sweet, very brief, and the possibility of him behind bars as he awaits trial. Cole Allen, in court today, that is what is
on the table for this afternoon Lynda.
KINKADE: All right. Katelyn, if you can stand by for us, I want to go to Alayna Treene. So, this gun man is 31-years-old. He's from California. He
was able to move through the Washington Hilton Hotel and get dangerously close to the president and other top officials in the line of presidential
succession. Just how was it possible that a suspect could get this close in such a high security event with multiple weapons?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's what the big questions that I think many people in that building behind me, Lynda have
as well. I should note that where the shooter was. He had really run past, hurtled past the magnetometer, those, of course, which the guests had used
to enter to ensure there were no weapons or anything of the such on them.
He had rushed through that. That was just one level above the ballroom where at the time of the shooting, of course, President Donald Trump, the
First Lady, the Vice President, and several other Cabinet officials were all gathered and seated. One thing I want to note as well, I was, of
course, at that dinner on Saturday night.
I was in the room far away from the gunshots. But if that had been, if the shooter had come down roughly an hour or even maybe 30 minutes prior to
that, it would have been a very different scene, given that that was the area where every single guest had to go through in order to access the
ballroom for the speeches that were set to take place.
And there would have been hundreds of people milling about. There had been, actually what they called terraces, where you can go and have drinks on
that level, right where the shooter was and had fired at that law enforcement agent. And so, if this had been a little bit prior, if the
shooter had come down a little bit earlier, this could have been potentially far, far more concerning.
And of course, we could have seen some terrible injuries happen. Thank God that was not the case. But I do want to get into some of the new reporting
we have, because, like I said, the questions you asked are the same ones many people have, and we are now learning, and this is what a senior White
House official tells me.
That the White House Chief of Staff, Suzy Wiles, is going to be holding a meeting early this week with U.S. Secret Service as well as leadership at
the Department of Homeland Security to kind of review what happened on Saturday, that key question of how the gunman was able to get as close to
the ballroom as he did, but also to kind of look at best practices and protocols moving forward.
What I was told from the senior White House official is that the meeting quote, will discuss the processes and procedures that work to stop
Saturday's attempt while exploring additional options to ensure all relevant components are doing everything possible to secure the meaning --
the many major events planned for President Trump.
I should note one of the things this official pointed out to me is that there is currently a lot of planning underway for a series of very large
events that would have the president as well several members of the Cabinet around America's 250th birthday, which is in July.
And so, of course, one of the key things that they're trying to work out is how they can ensure that they are confident in the security for those types
of events in just a couple weeks from now. So, a lot of big questions, of course, that they still have, and all of that hopefully we can report on
once we learn of this meeting or what happens in that meeting with the White House Chief of Staff and Secret Service this week, Lynda.
KINKADE: Alayna Treene and Katelyn Polantz, good to have you both with us and safe. Thanks very much. Well, Gene Rossi is a Former Federal Prosecutor
and Former Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia, and joins us now live. Good to have you with us.
GENE ROSSI, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Well, thanks for having me.
KINKADE: So, I want to start with the charges that this gun man is likely to face, based on what we know, does this meet the legal threshold for
attempted assassination of a president?
ROSSI: Oh, absolutely. Remember, attempt doesn't mean you've completed the crime. It means you have the -- the mental premeditation to commit the
crime. And I think it's fair to say, given his manifesto, Mr. Allen's manifesto, and his actions on a video where he stormed a security barricade
and that he was armed.
And what he had said to people before, Lynda, I think it's fair to say that he was attempting to assassinate President Trump and any other elected
official or appointed official in that ballroom. But for the grace of God and a lot of luck, the Secret Service were able to stop him almost
immediately.
[11:10:00]
And it's very lucky that that secret service agent had a bulletproof vest, or he probably would have perished. So, do I think the charges meet the
requirements of the law and the charges that are presented? Yes, I do.
KINKADE: And Gene, just in terms of that manifesto, that evidence, how critical will that be when proving intent, and could we also see charges
related to domestic terrorism?
ROSSI: Oh, Lynda, absolutely. The best evidence against the defendant is things that he said or wrote before they attempted or committed the crime.
And his manifesto is sort of like he was the writing, like an architect. This is what I'm going to do. This is what I want to do, and here's why I'm
doing it.
That would be like exhibit number one, if the trial were held tomorrow. And this manifesto will be incredibly important evidence against the
allegations that will be brought, either through the indictment or this complaint that will be filed.
I do want to say this, though, Lynda, the first thing that I would do is try to build a case against Mr. Allen. But I would like to know and the
agents are probably pursuing this. Are there any other individuals involved in this? In other words, is there a conspiracy? Are there aiding in a
better 80 aiders and abettors of what he did.
Are there people who helped him go from California to the ballroom or near the ballroom in the Hilton Hotel last Saturday? And I just got to say this
as a bit of history; in March of 1981 I remember this like it was yesterday. I was in law school in Washington, DC, and I remember when I
heard that President Reagan had been shot at the same hotel or outside the same hotel. I remember that like it was yesterday.
KINKADE: Yeah, incredible. I have to ask you about, you know, the serious concerns about whether the Secret Service perimeter failed? Whether there
were gaps in security at the hotel, from a legal standpoint, is there any exposure or liability for security contractors if those gaps are found?
ROSSI: Well, I mean, if there were contractors that said they were going to do certain things and they didn't do that, then shame on them. But I got to
say this, a lot of luck was involved here, but the Secret Service is under incredible pressure protecting the president, especially in this day and
age.
And I want to say this, unfortunately, over the many decades, if not centuries, it's not uncommon for a current or former president to be the
victim of an attempted assassination or successful one. Four presidents have been assassinated OK. Teddy Roosevelt, when he was a former president,
was almost killed with a bullet in his stomach.
So sadly, this is not uncommon, but if these acts are intolerable, and so what I want to say to people are watching this show and listening is that
the Secret Service did a great job at that time last Saturday night.
It could have been a lot worse, but they have a tremendous burden when they are protecting a president in today's age where you have Twitter, Facebook,
X and all these social media outlets that just and that get people so riled up on both sides of the aisle, both sides of the aisle, that they want to
take action, and that action is violence.
And Mr. Allen is one of the examples of someone who got so worked up over his hatred, his hatred of President Trump, that he felt compelled to take a
train from California to Washington, DC to try to do what he attempted to do.
KINKADE: It's quite remarkable, isn't it, that he took that train from Los Angeles to Chicago, Chicago to DC with those weapons? I mean that in
itself, raises a lot of questions about the transportation of weapons across state lines.
I'm wondering whether you know how serious the punishment could be if he's found guilty of domestic terrorism, if he's found guilty of attempted
assassination of a president, what sort of punishment could he face?
ROSSI: Well, I'm putting on my prosecutorial hat here. When you take the life of a president or attempt to take the life of a president as a
prosecutor he deserves life. He deserves life.
[11:15:00]
He should not -- he should not leave a prison. And the individual at the golf course that tried to take the life of President Trump when he was a
candidate, he was convicted. He got life. I have no mercy for those people, none.
KINKADE: Gene Rossi, we appreciate your time today. Thanks so much for joining us. Well, the suspect called Tomas Allen will be arraigned in
federal court sometime today. CNN's Brian Todd walks us through the harrowing events as they unfolded on Saturday night.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Chaotic scenes at this year's White House Correspondents Dinner as U.S. President Donald Trump was rushed
off stage after shots were fired in the hotel where the event was taking place. Trump and the Cabinet members who attended are all safe and the
suspect is in custody.
Here's what we know about how the incident unfolded. By 08:00 p.m. the ballroom at the Washington Hilton Hotel was full of guests awaiting the
night's festivities. 16 minutes later, the U.S. President and First Lady took to the stage. So far, so normal. At 08:34 p.m. Trump is seen
conversing with American mentalist Oz Pearlman, who appears to be showing him a magic trick.
And here's where the night takes an unexpected turn. Outside that room at the security perimeter, a man is caught on video charging through a secret
service checkpoint. In the footage, which was later posted to the president's "Truth Social" account, Secret Service members can be seen
drawing their weapons and pointing them off screen in the direction of the assailant.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just maybe three, four or five feet away from me, there's a gunshot, a whole bunch of gunshots, and someone firing.
TODD (voice-over): Back at the dinner as President Trump makes conversation, a loud noise is heard in the background, followed by what
sounds like several gunshots. A look of shock clearly passes over First Lady Melania Trump's face. 11 seconds after the first noise was heard,
security services personnel surround the president.
On the other end of the stage, security reach Vice President, J.D. Vance, who had been seated close to the end, and immediately rush him away.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Seconds later, the Secret Service continues to encircle the president and takes him off stage.
TODD (voice-over): In the moments that follow, members of Trump's Cabinet, including Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Homeland
Security, Mark Wayne Mullen, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, are seen being escorted through the hotel to safety.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Back inside the ballroom the shocked guests sheltered at their tables. CNN's Sarah Schneider, filming this as she did so.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There was a loud noise. There was a very loud bang. We're not sure what it is.
TODD (voice-over): Attendees, including CNN's Manu Raju and Brian Stelter, trying to make out what had happened.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's unmistakable. It sounded like gun shots that we heard.
TODD (voice-over): The shooter was stopped on the floor above the ballroom. At 08:52 p.m., this video was filmed by eyewitness Bill Frischling, showing
the suspect lying face down on the ground, shirtless and in handcuffs. Sources tell CNN he has been identified as a 31-year-old male from
California. It's believed he was working alone.
Almost an hour later, a motorcade believed to be carrying President Trump departed the Washington Hilton. Still later, upon returning to the White
House, the president held a press conference praising law enforcement and calling the presidency a quote, dangerous profession.
TRUMP: It comes with the territory, and if you want to do a great job, I really believe that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Our thanks to Brian Todd for that report. Still to come, King Charles and Queen Camilla land in Washington today, while they visit may
seem like just speeches and photo ops, they have an important message for the American people. We'll have the details coming up.
Plus, their religions separated about 500 years ago, but today, the leaders of the Catholic and Anglican faiths came together. The message they shared
with each other coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:20:00]
KINKADE: Welcome back. Well for the first time, the new leaders of the Catholic and Anglican churches have met and prayed together. Sarah Mullaly,
the Archbishop of Canterbury, visited Pope Leo at the Vatican earlier. Both of them are history makers. Mullaly became the first female Archbishop of
Canterbury just last month, and Leo became the first American Pope last May.
Well, our CNN Vatican Correspondent, Christopher Lamb joins us now with the details. Great to have you with us Christopher. So, this is certainly such
a significant moment. Just speak us through the message and the prayer they held together.
CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's really an historic meeting between the first American Pope and the first female Archbishop of
Canterbury. They met in the Vatican. They exchanged gifts, and then they prayed together. So, the Vatican making this an important meeting for the
Pope's calendar today.
Archbishop Sarah Mullay in her remarks, praised the Pope for the way he had spoken out against injustices that he joins. She joined him in his push for
peace. And of course, Pope Leo has faced that extraordinary criticism from President Donald Trump for his stance on the war in Iran. And at the time
that he was facing that criticism, Sarah Mullally, Archbishop Mullally put out a statement saying she backed the Pope.
Now this meeting at the same time does emphasize the differences between the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion over the ordination of
women. Of course, the Catholic Church does not allow for the ordination of women. And in the Church of England, which Archbishop Sarah Mullally leads,
they've had ordinance the ordination of women since the early 1990s.
And Pope Leo, in his remarks, did say that there were disagreements and divisions that have arisen over recent years that have made the pathway to
full communion more difficult. But he did say it would be a scandal if we did not continue to work towards overcoming our differences.
So, Pope Leo's emphasis in his papers, he has been very much on unity, trying to overcome those, those differences. So, I think that was an
important element of today. But I think this just the symbol of a female Archbishop of Canterbury meeting the Pope really does raise the topic and
the question of the role of women in both the Catholic Church and the Anglican Church. So, a very significant and historic meeting in the
Vatican.
KINKADE: Yeah, exactly a remarkable moment. Christopher Lamb, thanks for bringing us the details. Well, the Royal visit to the United States by
Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla will go on as planned. It comes despite Saturday's shooting at the White House Correspondents Dinner.
On Sunday, Buckingham Palace released this statement saying the trip would proceed. The King and Queen hosted President Trump and the U.S. First Lady
in England last September. They're coming not only to celebrate the relationship between the two countries, but also the 250th anniversary of
U.S. independence. CNN's Royal Correspondent Max Foster is at the British Embassy in Washington.
[11:25:00]
Great to have you with us, Max and in DC. So, the King and the Queen arrive in the coming hours. Was there any talk in Britain about postponing this
trip, and has their schedule or the security around their trip changed?
MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it was certainly put on hold yesterday. The whole visit was looked at again. The King needed to be able
to say that he wanted to come. He was very keen to do that. Then the governments needed to confirm that they wanted him to come.
And then this came down to security arrangements. So, the British Royal protection force and the Secret Service going through each event, working
out if they're safe enough. Broadly speaking, they worked it all through. We don't know what arrangements they've come up with, but it's going to
look the same as it originally was.
But there's certainly going to be elements of each visit, each engagement, that might have been changed so, broadly speaking, yes, for a few hours it
was on hold. I don't think they ever considered canceling it, and somehow, they managed to find a way through to make sure the whole program actually
goes ahead as planned.
KINKADE: And of course, the King is expected to address the joint meeting of Congress, the first time we've seen a British Monarch do that since
1991. What are the expectations for what he will say?
FOSTER: So very broad, talking about the historic links between two countries, staying away from any current political tensions between the two
countries, because he can't get involved in that. And his job is to come here, really, and talk about how this is a very long, lasting relationship,
and don't look at the current ups and downs, because over time, it's been very positive.
The King is on his way over right now. He's on time. I'm told he's looking at the speech again, and you can assume from that that he's going to make
some sort of reference to Saturday night there, which, again, you know, does play into this, because the King wants to show that the UK is shoulder
to shoulder with the U.S.
And by canceling this trip, it wouldn't have given that message, of course, so showing that the solidarity with the president as a representative of
the American people, and being very thankful that he's safe and that the security services did their job very effectively on Saturday.
KINAKDE: Yeah, it looks like you've got some beautiful weather there in DC for the first day of this four-day trip. Max Foster for us. Great to see
you as always. Thank you. Well, right now, efforts to arrange fresh talks between Tehran and Washington are at a stalemate.
Sources telling CNN, President Trump is expected to meet with his national security officials today and on the weekend here, abruptly canceled plans
for his envoys to fly to Pakistan, where a first round of talks took place. Trump appears unwilling to dispatch his team without a clear picture of
Iran's concessions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We're not doing this anymore. We have all the cards. If they want to talk, they can come to us, or they can call us. You know, there is a
telephone. We have nice secure lines, although I'm not sure any telephone line is secure, frankly, but we have secure lines, and if they want, we can
talk.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, according to Iranian state media, Tehran has given Pakistan a list of its red lines to be conveyed to the United States. Iran's
leadership has repeatedly said it will not negotiate while the U.S. is blockading its ports. New data shows most ships that transit at the Strait
of Hormuz recently have taken a route designated by Iranian authorities. Iran's top diplomat is in St. Petersburg today to meet with Russian
President Vladimir Putin.
Still ahead, the president and other top officials are rushed to safety after a gunman tried to storm a gala in Washington, DC. We'll have a closer
look at security at the White House Correspondents Dinner when we return.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:30:00]
KINKADE: Welcome back to "One World". I'm Lynda Kinkade, live in Atlanta. Great to have you with us. These are some of the headlines we're watching
today. The suspect in the shooting of the White House Correspondents Dinner will appear in a U.S. Federal Court in the coming hours.
31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen is expected to face charges involving the use of a firearm and the assault of a federal officer. He's seen here after
being taken down by law enforcement on Saturday night.
King Charles and Queen Camilla are due in the U.S. later today for the King's first visit to America as Monarch. The trip will mark the 250th
anniversary of U.S. independence, and includes a White House State Dinner and an address to Congress. Buckingham Palace decided to let the trip go on
following security discussions between the U.S. and British officials following Saturday's shooting.
Earlier Pope Leo met with the first female Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally. It was a symbolic moment for the leaders of the Catholic and
Anglican Church. The two denominations have clashed for centuries over religious doctrine. Their relations have grown closer in recent decades.
Two billionaire tech giants face off in court this week. Elon Musk is suing OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman. Musk, who helped co-found OpenAI, claims it
defrauded him by abandoning its original non-profit mission. OpenAI says Musk left because he couldn't assume total control. It says the lawsuit is
motivated by jealousy.
I want to get back to our top story right now. The White House operations team will meet Secret Service and Homeland Security officials this week to
discuss security protocol, that's according to a senior White House official.
Meantime, the suspect in the shooting at the White House Correspondents Dinner appears in a federal court later today. 31-year-old Cole Tomas
Allen, a part time teacher from California, is expected to face at least two charges. Officials say he was carrying a rifle, a handgun and knives.
Investigators are combing through a message he allegedly sent to family members before the attack, expressing political anger. Senior Justice
Correspondent Evan Perez joins us now from Washington, DC. Evan, great to have you with us. So, just talk us through what federal prosecutors are
prioritizing right now, ahead of his court appearance.
EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR U.S. JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: One of the things they're doing is going through evidence, including that those writings, a
letter that he had left for or sent to some of his family members. And those family members, by the way, called the police just minutes before
this attack actually unfolded at the Washington Hilton here in DC.
And what prosecutors and the FBI are looking at is what additional charges they can sustain with the evidence at hand, and those writings are going to
be key if, indeed, as the acting Attorney General indicated, they're looking at a possible assassination charges against the President of the
United States.
Now, in those writings, he is definitely angry. He's against -- he's against the administration. He calls the president a traitor, and says he's
disgusted, essentially, by the actions of this administration. And the way this attack unfolded really has shaken the Secret Service.
[11:35:00]
And they're going to have to take a look at whether there is need for additional changes. Now the fact is, this attacker didn't actually get into
the ballroom where this event was taking place. 2600 guests, and, of course, the President of the United States and all, pretty much all the top
people in the cabinet.
The order of succession for the U.S. government, was all gathered in that room, which is really what raises the concern here. Among the things that
are being looked at is whether perhaps guests of the hotel should have been screened for firearms to going through a magnetometer, not just the guests
who were going into the ballroom.
That's because this suspect allegedly checked into the hotel just a day before he allegedly carried out this attack. And so, he was not detected by
a screening that is done by the Secret Service. According to the FBI, and according to the two law enforcement officials we've talked to, he really
wasn't on anyone's radar as someone who would have been a threat against some of these writings and some of his anger to the administration would
not necessarily have shown up in some of the backgrounds that were done before this event.
You can bet, though, that among the procedures are going to be looked at again is, is whether every -- whether such a dinner should have every
member of the cabinet essentially gathered in one place, the President, the Vice President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, all of the top
officials gathered in one location at the same time.
And whether there is -- there needs to be additional measures to make something like this not happen again. And so that review is going to be
ongoing in the coming weeks. Back to you.
KINKADE: So many questions. Evan Perez, great to have you with us from DC. Appreciate it.
PEREZ: Thanks.
KINKADE: Well, still to come, your vacation could cost a lot more this summer. Up next, why you can expect to see higher prices for those airline
tickets?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Global oil prices are hitting a three-week high amid the war with Iran. And the U.S., national average for
a gallon of gas has climbed to $4.11 according to AAA. Those rising prices are sending air fares higher during the busy summer travel season. Jen
Sullivan reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEN SULLIVAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The ongoing war with Iran is now nearing the two-month mark, and there's no end in sight.
[11:40:00]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think we're very far away from a negotiated deal.
SULLIVAN (voice-over): Among those caught in the middle are consumers. Since the war began February 28th U.S. gas prices have shot up more than 30
percent. As of Saturday, the national average for a gallon of regular gas was $4.09 according to AAA, a far cry from the $2.98 drivers were paying at
the pump before the war broke out.
It originally President Donald Trump said the spike in gas prices would be short lived, but when asked again on Friday, he said, this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Does that mean Americans should anticipate spending more on gasoline for the foreseeable future.
TRUMP: For a little while.
SULLIVAN (voice-over): The ongoing war has severely impacted maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Before the war, roughly 20 percent of
the world's oil supply traveled through this key waterway. The violence has caused a massive disruption in the world's oil supply, sending gas in jet
fuel prices soaring.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jet fuel is particularly under pressure right now because of the Strait of Hormuz being closed.
SULLIVAN (voice-over): Domestic airfare costs are up 18 percent for summer travelers. International flights up almost 8 percent compared to last year
according to going.com.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People should sort of expect them to stay more expensive, at least as long as fuel prices stay at this level.
SULLIVAN (voice-over): Several international airlines announced they're cutting summer flights to save on costs in advance leaving travelers with
fewer flight options. Other domestic carriers are now charging passengers more for checked bags to help offset the cost of rising jet fuel prices.
All this happening ahead of the busy summer travel season. I'm Jen Sullivan reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: For more on the impact of the war with Iran and how it's impacting summer travel. I'm joined by Simon Calder, Travel Correspondent for The
Independent. Good to have you with us Simon.
SIMON CALDER, TRAVEL CORRESPONDENT, THE INDEPENDENT: Yeah, Lynda. Interesting to hear Jen's report there, because, of course, she was talking
about the price of gas going up 30 percent. Well aviation fuel, I've just come out of a big meeting with one of the bosses of Wiz Air, which is the
top three low-cost carriers in Europe.
He says that basically the price of aviation fuel has doubled, and that is obviously going to be feeding through to airfares. The big difference
actually here in Europe, is that most of the big airlines are hedge that means they are locked into a lower price. And so, passengers here are
getting this year's summer flying at last year's fuel prices, which is good news at least until about September or October.
KINKADE: Wow. So, a market still underestimating the true supply risk?
CALDER: Look, actually am hearing the opposite. I'm hearing that because of the high price of aviation fuel, there are many, many more sellers who are
coming forward and saying, particularly to Europe, particularly to Asia, which are dependent very much on what's coming out of the Strait of Hormuz,
saying, look, we've got alternative source.
And there are tankers speeding right towards the U.S. at the moment, I understand in order to pick up more supplies. And it might be that,
although absolutely we are hearing warnings from energy chiefs in Europe that shortages don't materialize. One reason for that, and you alluded to
this, is cancellations.
If airlines are canceling enough flights, they are not going to need so much fuel. And we've had Lufthansa cancel, the German Airline, canceling
20,000 flights so far for the summer spell, and there will be more Lufthansa says to come add that to the many thousands on other European
airlines, and of course, U.S. carriers as well. And the demand for aviation fuel is actually dwindling.
KINKADE: And it's not just Lufthansa. We saw KLM, SAS have also canceled thousands of flights. If you're saying that the jet fuel issue isn't going
to be as bad as some are suggesting this summer, do you think they might, you know, reschedule some of those flights?
CALDER: No, they're very much enjoying this. So those big, so-called legacy carriers are really able to cancel a lot of flights without losing too much
revenue. And certainly Lufthansa, and they've made no secret of this, have gone straight for the flights where it knew at low aviation fuel prices,
they were marginally profitable.
Now they are completely unprofitable, so they cut those out of the market, and as Jen Sullivan's report said, that means that there are fewer seats
around. And so, you are seeing upward pressure on prices. But actually, here in Europe, it's still a buyer's market. I am seeing fares as low as
$60 round trip from Birmingham in the Midlands of England across to France.
[11:45:00]
And that is for August, so peak summer month as well. So, with fares like that around, people are, I think going to be rewarded with lots of good
travel opportunities this summer. People who may not be are those who hold back, because they might find that actually so many flights have been
canceled, there are so few seats left, either there's no tickets at all, or the ones that remain are extremely high priced.
KINKADE: And that's the risk, right? And depending on how this war plays out, if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, obviously, and we've already
seen some airlines add price increases to checked baggage fares, right? So, you know, if this war continues, what do you think we'll be seeing come
August, September?
CALDER: Well, certainly, once you get into September, you are likely to see very large-scale cancelations, because it's beyond the summer peak, and
airlines will be faced with, do we keep this aircraft on the ground, or do we fly it at a loss? And guess which one they will choose.
But we will also see, yeah, you will see the airlines adding fuel surcharges, which they are doing, of course, right across the world. But
the trouble is that they depend on how much the market is willing to sustain? In other words, Lynda, how much you and I are prepared to pay for
travel?
And if we're not prepared to pay what they are asking and we say, no, I'm going to stay home. Thanks very much, then they are going to be in a bit of
a pickle, and they are going to have to cut their fares. So, at the moment, I'd say that the traveler still has the upper hand, but come the autumn,
come fall, then I think the roles could reverse.
KINKADE: I like your positive spin, quite the opposite of what we heard from the United Airline CEO. But we will continue the conversation and
continue to follow this story. Thanks so much Simon Colder.
Still to come, the shooting at the White House Correspondents Dinner is raising fresh concerns about security and political violence in the United
States. What lawmakers are saying next?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: I'm Lynda Kinkade. I want to turn to our top story now in the wake of that weekend attack at the press gala. Both Democratic and Republican
lawmakers are speaking out against what many see as the rising tide of political violence here in the United States.
[11:50:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): Here in America, we can have strong disagreements, but it's important for us to agree to strongly disagree
without being disagreeable with each other. And it is certainly the case that violence is never the answer, whether it's targeted at the right, the
left or the center.
We have issues that we have to work out amongst each other that's embedded in the First Amendment that was being celebrated last night. But what is
also embedded in the First Amendment is the right to peacefully protest and to petition the government peacefully.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, politicians are also raising questions about security protocols at the event on Saturday night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MICHAEL MCCAUL (R-TX): The thing that really takeaway I got was that the line of secession. You had the President and the Vice President at the
head table, both of them together, and the Speaker of the House had an explosive device gone off, you would have knocked out the President, Vice
President, Speaker, the three in line of succession.
BASH: Are you saying they shouldn't be in public together?
MCCAUL: Well, I think the Secret Service needs to reconsider having both the President, Vice President, together, like something like that you know.
Chuck Grassley would be the president had they all been taken out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: World leaders are also reacting to Saturday's shooting. Many are expressing shock relief and unease at the violence. CNN's Clare Sebastian
reports.
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Western Leaders were united in their condemnations of the shooting at the White House Correspondents Dinner.
Despite recent tensions over the Iran war, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was quick to show his support, especially, of course, ahead of King
Charles's planned state visit to the U.S. on Monday.
Expressing his best wishes to President Donald Trump in a phone call Sunday Downing Street, said Starmer also used the opportunity to discuss the
quote, urgent need to open the Strait of Hormuz. French President Emmanuel Macron also offered his quote full support to Donald Trump in a post on X.
And many, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, nearly two months, of course, into a joint war with the U.S. against Iran, expressed
relief that the President and First Lady escaped unharmed. Netanyahu addressed the incident at a Cabinet meeting Sunday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: My wife and I were shocked, as you were, to hear about this repeated attempt to assassinate President
Trump and his wife. We were glad that both of them, along with senior members of the U.S. administration, came out unharmed. There is no place
for violence, not against political leaders and not against anyone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SEBASTIAN: Although Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche says the suspect appeared to be targeting members of the administration, there's no word yet
on whom. Mark Carney of Canada offered support for those quotes, shaken by this disturbing event. Many international journalists also, of course,
attend the White House Correspondents Dinner.
And Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also weighed in such violence has no justification; he wrote on X and must have no place in a democratic
society. Clare Sebastian, CNN, London.
KINKADE: Two people are dead after severe storms tore through North Texas this weekend, causing widespread structural damage around the Dallas Fort
Worth area, leading to a number of injuries. Storms generated these rare twin tornadoes, Sundays spotted by storm chasers in Oklahoma.
They look dangerous, but so far, no confirmed injuries or significant damage has been reported. Unfortunately, this severe weather threat isn't
done quite yet. CNN Meteorologist Allison Chinchar has the latest forecast.
ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: There were numerous severe storms across much of the Central U.S. over this weekend. Here you're looking at
damage from Springtown, Texas, that is just west of the Dallas Fort Worth area. But they weren't the only one.
They've had kind of an ideal weather set up for severe thunderstorms, and that is going to continue as we go through not only Monday, but also
Tuesday of this week. You've got that warm, moist air coming up from the Gulf, along with that cooler air coming down from Canada. The clash of
those temperatures, that's what's really fueling that potential for severe storms.
Now it's going to be two separate areas for the next few days, but both have just as good of a threat of those strong to severe thunderstorms.
Monday, the main focus is really over areas of the Midwest. This does include places like Chicago, Milwaukee, down through St. Louis and Memphis.
Tuesday, the main threat really stretches from Dallas all the way up to about Louisville and Cincinnati.
So again, similar threats, it's just going to be slightly different areas. So, the timeline of this Monday morning, you can see it's really kind of
focused here, across portions of Missouri and Iowa that spreads eastward, hitting places like Chicago, Indianapolis, as we head into the late
afternoon and into the evening hours.
But you still have some of those thunderstorms for a second round on the back edge there of a lot of the places that still got those storms in the
morning. So, for some areas, it's not one round. It's going to be two rounds of those thunderstorms. Then we start to see everything kind of
congeal into this long line here very late Monday, as it slides even farther off to the east into states like Michigan, Ohio, farther into
Kentucky and Tennessee.
[11:55:00]
It will continue that way into the overnight and into the very early hours of Tuesday. So, this is certainly going to be something that kind of
continues over the next few days. And this is typical for this time of year. In fact, April is when we really start to see tornadoes begin to ramp
up across the U.S. They peak in May, before starting to come back down as we head throughout the summer.
KINKADE: Our thanks to CNN Meteorologist Allison Chinchar for that report. Well, finally, before we go coffee cake and a cherry on top, a new world
record. In London, 100 Italian pastry chefs prepared the world's longest tiramisu stretching nearly 1500 feet. That's more than four football
fields. That's 19,000 eggs, 128,000 lady fingers and a heck of a lot of mascarpone and espresso.
Well, when it was all done the masterpiece broke the Guinness World Record. Cheers erupted when a record was announced with chefs and supporters
celebrating with the Italian national anthem, yum. I want some tiramisu right now. Thanks so much for joining us for this edition of CNN. I'm Lynda
Kinkade. There is much more "One World" with my colleague, Bianna Golodryga after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
