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One World with Zain Asher
W.H.O. Chief Raises Alarm Over Disease Outbreak; Three Killed in Shooting at San Diego's Largest Mosque; U.S. Senators Grill Acting AG Blanche on Capitol Hill; Results Will Shape Critical November Midterm Elections; Six U.S. States Holding Primary Votes Today; New Graduates Face Uncertain Job Market Amid AI Growth. Aired 11a-12p ET
Aired May 19, 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)
ZAIN ASHER, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: A top health official is raising the alarm over the Ebola Epidemic. "One World" starts right now. We'll look at what
the World Health Organization and others are doing to try to contain the deadly Ebola outbreak.
Plus, it's primary day here in the U.S., and as voters head to the polls, we'll explore how this election is setting up another major test of
President Trump's political power. And new college graduates in the U.S. are getting their first glimpse of a changing job market as the tech
industry pushes for greater use of AI.
Welcome to you. Live from New York. I'm Zain Asher. This is "One World". World Health Organization is raising the alarm over the growing Ebola
outbreak in Central Africa. The virus has now been linked to more than 130 deaths. The Head of the W.H.O. says that he is deeply concerned at how fast
it is spreading.
To try to keep the virus out of America the U.S. invoked a public health law, limiting entry into the country from Central Africa. Any American is
among an American, rather, is among the patients who tested positive for the virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo. An international charity
organization says the doctor Peter Stafford caught it while treating patients. His family is being closely monitored as well. Health officials
are warning this could become a much larger outbreak.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS, DIRECTOR-GENERAL, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: This epidemic is caused by Bundibugyo Virus, a species of Ebola Virus, for
which there are no vaccines or therapeutics. In the absence of a vaccine, there are many other measures countries, of course, can take to stop the
spread of this virus and save lives, even without medical countermeasures, including risk communication and community engagement.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Our Larry Madowo joins us live now from Nairobi with more. So, Larry, there are a few sorts of headwinds when it comes to containing this
outbreak. One of the things that was noted there is the fact that there's no vaccines for this strain.
Also, healthcare systems are relatively weakened in places like the DRC. You've also got the fact that officials were very late to the game,
noticing how rapidly the virus was spreading, and also contact tracing is difficult in certain parts of this region. Just walk us through how this
virus is being contained, Larry?
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDET: In the last few minutes Zain officials in the DRC are addressing another press conference with the health minister
they are giving another update the last one they gave said 133 people have been killed and they are tracking more than 530 cases suspected to be of
Ebola.
In this North Eastern part of the DRC in Ituri, it's a fragile region, it's a mining region, but also there's been some conflict there. So, there's a
huge border traffic, especially between that region and neighboring Uganda.
So, that's part of the concern here, that some people who might have been exposed to Ebola have been interacting with the community, might have
infected other people, the symptoms may not be showing now, but they will show in a few weeks, and that is why these numbers are kind of startling to
many officials.
Over 500 cases, you've seen the two reported cases in Uganda, even though they saw -- they say both were Congolese, one died and was sent back across
the border, one is undergoing treatment. But there's also the remoteness part of this, which means that it's hard to get even medical equipment
available there.
They did have some testing available, but it was largely for the more common Zaire strain of Ebola. The Bundibugyo strain that they're dealing
with is much rarer. They've only seen this twice before, so they were not prepared for it. One World Health Organization official telling CNN in the
region that they only had the capacity to do six tests an hour, that is extremely low.
[11:05:00]
But when the numbers did finally show up, and the officials did determine and declare this an outbreak, the World Health Organization acting quickly,
declaring its public health emergency of international concern. And the Director General saying this is the first time a Director General has had
to do that before convening an emergency meeting, that's now happening.
They may well recommend other emergency measures to support the DRC, but at this point people are watching to see there will be a lot more numbers
coming out of here, Zain.
ASHER: All right, Larry Madowo, live for us there. Thank you so much. Just moments ago, President Trump doubled down on his threats against Iran,
saying the U.S. may have to give them another big hit. His comments come after Iran revealed new details about its latest peace proposal to
Washington, and one of the core elements is Tehran's right to enrich uranium.
Trump announced he postponed a planned military strike on Iran at the request of Gulf allies, while also threatening a full-scale assault if no
deal is reached. Trump also claims that serious talks are taking place, and that include no nuclear weapons for Tehran, and he later said there is a
very good chance of reaching an agreement. So far, Iran has not responded on those on the state of those negotiations.
CNN's Kevin Liptak joins us live now from Washington. So, we've seen this sort of strategy by the U.S. President before, this idea of saying that a
strike is going to be imminent, and then sort of holding off and saying, you know what? I'm going to give them more time. I'm going to be kind and
give them more time.
It's a sort of delayed tactic that the president uses time and time again to buy himself more time, because obviously he doesn't want to be involved
in this war with Iran any more than Iran wants to be involved with a war with the United States. As we talked about yesterday, the economic pressure
on the United States is proving to be a massive problem, Kevin?
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yeah. And it, I think, just reflects the bind that he has found himself in. You know, this is a war
that has caused him enormous political trouble, as much as he wants to downplay it. It's certainly a reality that has sunk in at the White House.
It's something that he promised would end in six weeks, and we are now well past that self-set deadline.
On the other hand, he has not accomplished all of the objectives he laid out, namely that Iran not be able to obtain a nuclear weapon, and he
acknowledged that today. You know, the stockpile of almost 1000 pounds of highly enriched uranium remains buried underground.
So too the missile capabilities in Iran that it has been actually rebuilding and reviving over the course of this ceasefire. And so, he has
found himself at a crossroads here. And neither option that he could choose is necessarily going to be, I think, an appetizing one.
And so, when he was out on the South Lawn today talking about his ballroom, and he was asked about Iran questions about how close exactly he was
towards launching and reviving the war? Listen to what he said on that front.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I was an hour away. We're all set to go. You're talking about yesterday.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
TRUMP: We were going to be striking very -- it would have been happening right now. Yeah, it was all done. The boats, the ships are all loaded,
they're loaded to the brim, and we're all set to start.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIPTAK: Now there are some real questions about how accurate that particular timeline is. You know, there are officials at the White House,
who suggest that perhaps these Gulf nations intervened because they were fearful about Iranian retaliation, as we saw at the onset of the conflict.
Also, some questions about Iran's own capabilities, you know, being able to sort of go after some of these states if the U.S. were to revive this war.
Now the president also laid out a new timeline here. He said he was going to give Iran two to three more days to come up with a deal, nuclear deal
that he would be able to accept. There's nothing to suggest that that limited amount of time is going to be enough to get this agreement across
the finish line.
ASHER: All right, Kevin Liptak, live for us there. Thank you so much. Egypt's Foreign Minister is speaking exclusively to CNN about his country's
role as mediator in the stalled U.S.-Iran peace talks. He sat down with Christian Amanpour and told her the process is slowly moving forward.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN ANCHOR: President Trump's latest is that he is responding, he says, to appeals from his Gulf State allies to not launch
another hot war right now, but who knows what in the future. Where do you stand on that? What do you think is going on in the state of mediation?
BADR ABDELATTY, EGYPTIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: Well, first of all, we commend President Trump's wise policies and decisions in order to give more time
for dialog for de-escalation, that's highly appreciated. And it's indeed very, very important to exert our maximum efforts to push for dialog and
for de-escalation. And I believe that things are moving in the right direction, maybe slowly but steadily.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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ASHER: You can catch that interview in full in the next hour on Amanpour, airing today at Noon Eastern time in the U.S., 05:00 p.m. in London, and
08:00 p.m. here in Abu Dhabi. That's one hour earlier than usual.
We now know the name of the security guard killed in Monday's attack on a San Diego Mosque. Amin Abdullah lost his life protecting those inside the
city's largest mosque. The shooters killed Abdullah and two others. Police describe his actions as heroic and say he undoubtedly saved lives. Those
who know him agree.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAM HAMIDEH, FRIEND OF AMIN ABDULLAH: I truly know my heart from knowing that man, that he was sacrificing his life, and took that bullet, knowing
that I'd rather take it than the kids, and that is what makes me emotional.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Law enforcement officials tell CNN officers found two people they suspect are the shooters a few blocks away dead from self-inflicted gunshot
wounds. Investigators are treating the attack as a hate crime after seeing hate speech scrawled on one of the weapons and reading a suicide note from
one of the shooters.
Mark Morales joins us live now with the details. Mark, what more do we know about what happened? I mean, obviously, so many people are grieving in this
community in San Diego. Just walk us through what we know about what happened?
MARK MORALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're getting a clearer picture as to what happened? But what law enforcement still doesn't know is why the
shooting suspects actually picked this mosque for the violence? So far, this has all the hallmarks of homegrown violent extremism, but this is
really where law enforcement is going to start zeroing in on why did they select this mosque?
Now they've identified one of the shooters, he's being known as Cain Clark, 17-years-old, he's been home schooled the last few years and was part of a
wrestling team. Now friends on the wrestling team say that they never heard him say anything Islamophobic, they never heard him say anything racist.
Family members that CNN has spoken to say that they're also in shock.
So, what you're beginning to see is that the people closest to him didn't really see this coming. And law enforcement didn't see this coming either.
It wasn't until Clark's mother called them and said that not only was her son missing, but her vehicle was missing, and the weapons that were in her
home were missing. That, of course, is coming from San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF SCOTT WAHL, SAN DIEGO POLICE: She believed her son was suicidal, and she began to share information that several of her weapons were missing.
Her vehicle was missing, in addition to her son. She also said that she was -- her son was with a companion, and that they were dressed in camo, and
that is not consistent with what we would typically see from some buddy that is suicidal. That began to trigger a larger threat assessment picture.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MORALES: And now, Clark and his partner arrived at the mosque soon after, and that's where they opened fire, killing three that, as he said,
triggered that massive law enforcement active shooter response. They went into the mosque, they cleared the mosque, they went to the surrounding
area, and that's where they found Clark and his partner inside that vehicle with self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
Law enforcement is now digging through. They're executing search warrants. They're trying to find anything that they can find that will help them
understand why this happened, Zain.
ASHER: All right Mark Morales, live for us there. Thank you so much. I want to get more perspective on this tragedy. We're joined by Civil Rights
Attorney Abed Ayoub. He's also the Executive Director of the Arab American Community Trust. Thank you so much for being with us. When something like
this happens, just explain to me how you process it? How the Muslim community processes something like this, both emotionally, psychologically,
and spiritually?
ABED AYOUB, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Thank you. Thank you for having me on, and for covering this. And, of course, our prayers and hearts go out to the
families of the victims, and you know, into the entire community for this horrible, horrible attack.
It's difficult to process. I mean, you know, first you have to make sure that everybody you know is OK. Make sure that those that are on the scene
are OK, and wait for the information to come out, and then you know the grieving process begins.
And that at the same time the process of preparing and making sure that all our other institutions all our other community organizations and venues are
protected, so a lot of things are happening simultaneously.
[11:15:00]
But first and foremost, we do have to keep in mind the well-being of those that were there and the families of the victims that we lost yesterday.
ASHER: Abed, do you think this country takes Islamophobia as seriously as it should, does it take it seriously enough?
AYOUB: Look, I think it depends on who you ask in this country. There is definitely a significant part of this country that does understand
Islamophobia, that does understand the threats that it poses. And then you have individuals who just contribute to it, who contribute to the rhetoric
that leads to Islamophobia.
So, it seems like there are those in this country that don't completely understand how Islamophobia works? How it's fueled? And how the rhetoric
they spew and the things they say add to Islamophobia? A case in point is the Mayor of San Diego, Todd, who, over the past couple years, has engaged
in his own version of Islamophobia.
Now this is happening in his backyard, and the community out there is demanding answers. So, it depends on where in the country, who in the
country you're asking, but there could be a better effort on understanding what exactly it is and how it impacts all of
Us?
ASHER: Right. Because anti-Muslim rhetoric, wherever it's coming from what it does, is effectively normalize it, normalizes hatred towards Muslims,
and we see that not just in the Muslim community, but in other, with other minorities as well. So, for those of us who are not Muslim, how can we show
solidarity from Muslim brothers and sisters at a time like this Abed?
AYOUB: I mean, for those in America, I mean, show it as you would show it to any other community. I mean, the community is grieving, the community is
scared, and the community, at the same time, is demanding answers. So, we're no different than any other American community that's going through a
tragedy.
And show some humanity and some decency, because humanity transcends all religions and all ethnic backgrounds, so it should be simple to call on
your Muslim neighbor or call on your Arab neighbor, see how they're doing, see if they need anything.
And if you're in a city where you have a mosque or you have an institution where there's not a large Arab or Muslim population, call on them to see if
they need support, to see if they need help and protection. I mean, these are things we should be doing for all our neighbors, regardless of
religion. Extend that same courtesy now to your Muslim neighbors.
ASHER: One of the things that tends to happen after a tragedy like this, and God knows we've covered so many, whether it's against Islamic cultural
sites, whether it's against Jewish cultural sites, you have political leaders who come out, and of course, as they should, they condemn these
acts of violence.
But I always sort of read that, and I struggle, because I'm wondering what they can actually do beyond just sort of statements condemning the violence
that it's actually going to stop these sorts of attacks from taking place. What are your thoughts on that Abed?
AYOUB: Look, condemning the violence isn't enough. We need to see action before the violence happens, right? So, I alluded to the Mayor of San
Diego. Over the past couple years, he's engaged in demonizing language, demonizing steps towards the Palestinian, towards the Arab community in his
own backyard, that contributes to Islamophobia.
So, it's great that he can go up there and he can condemn, and he can say this shouldn't happen. But he has to own up to what he said, and he's done
in the way he's contributed, and other politicians are doing the same. And let me make it clear, this is not about one party or another.
We're seeing it from both parties, right? You're seeing from staunch Democrats to Republicans, and everybody in between. And just last week,
there was a hearing on Capitol Hill about Sharia law and Islam and Muslims, that again paints us in a negative way, that some out there, like these
shooters, can look at this and maybe justify their actions, justify killing, justify shooting up mosques, going after children.
And this has been used, this playbook has been used against other communities, this dehumanizing of the Arab community, Muslim community has
been happening since the start of the genocide in Gaza, there's been a number of politicians who've gone overboard in trying to dehumanize us, and
the Mayor of San Diego is one of them.
I mean, just a few years ago, they kicked a -- they removed a Palestinian advocate from their Human Rights Commission simply because he was speaking
out on behalf of Gaza and on behalf of Palestinians. So, did San Diego has not been immune to Islamophobia and to anti-Arab rhetoric. It's actually
been a hotbed of spewing the Islamophobic rhetoric, and this is the result of that.
So, if these politicians want to stand up there and condemn, then maybe you should take a bit more action prior to that, and don't put yourself in a
situation where you have to condemn a shooting of a mosque. The mayor has had multiple opportunities throughout the years to walk back things he
said, to stop engaging with people that he's engaging with, folks that dehumanize us regularly.
And instead, he's welcoming them into the city, and to that we say, this is the result of your work. This is the result of contributing to Islamophobia
and contributing to the rhetoric that dehumanizes an entire community, an entire large part of your constituency.
[11:20:00]
And he was warned multiple times. Something like this would happen, and here it is going on. So great, they can condemn, but they got to wake up to
what their words are doing and what their actions are doing, so we don't get back to this point in the future.
ASHER: What do you say to people, sort of Muslim families, those who have kids, who are now going to be apprehensive as I would as honestly as I
would be, and nervous about going to mosques or going to Islamic cultural sites the morning after, the day after, the weeks after something like this
has happened?
AYOUB: I mean, it's OK to be apprehensive, it's OK to be scared, but we also do need to understand that there are many more people in this country
and many more leaders in this country that are there to protect and there to ensure that something like this does not happen.
So, we can't let this one incident throw us off from our daily routines and from fulfilling our religious and community obligations. We have to move
forward. We have to prepare ourselves, and we have to understand the realities that we face.
But the last thing we want to see is not go to the mosques or not go to schools. So, it's also incumbent our community leaders to ensure they have
the proper security measures in place to ensure that there's communication happening with law enforcement now, whether or not you get along with law
enforcement in your area or your backyard, you need to set that aside and you need to make sure that they are there to protect you in the event
something like this happened.
Thank God for that security guard. Thank God for Amin that he was there and he put himself and sacrificed himself and his life to save countless other
lives, right. So, have a security-measures in place, having to mean in your mosque, having to mean your institution to protect you in the unfortunate
event that this does happen.
And take advantage of the laws that are there that other communities are using. Have armed security, have these measures in place, make sure your
constituency is comfortable. And open up your suggestions from your constituency, from your membership, have them come in and say what they
feel should happen.
What should would make them comfortable, and try to implement those. So, it's something other communities have gone through, the playbook is there,
but the last thing we want to do is not engage with our mosques and not engage in our religious obligations.
ASHER: I mean, the actions, I'm so glad that you brought up Amin Abdullah, because his actions likely saved so many lives, just in terms of protecting
worshipers, protecting children, you know, warning people to lock their doors. I mean, just incredible.
And stories like that that are really inspiring, you know, especially at a time of so much despair. Abed Ayoub, thank you so much for being with us,
and for sharing your perspective today. Thank you. We appreciate it.
AYOUB: I appreciate it.
ASHER: All right, still to come: heated moments on Capitol Hill. Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche having to answer for the Trump
Administration's controversial new fund. Those details ahead. Plus, he's fighting for his political life. Thomas Massie stands defiant as Donald
Trump's revenge tour focuses on the Kentucky Congressman.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:25:00]
ASHER: All right at this hour, all eyes on Capitol Hill. Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche is in the hot seat, as you see there. It
comes just one day after the Department of Justice said it is creating a nearly $1.8 billion fund to pay compensation to Trump's allies with
grievance against the department. Critics accuse Trump of using the power of his office to divert taxpayer dollars into a vast piggy bank for
supporters. Take a listen to Blanche's response.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. SUSAN COLLINS (R-ME): First, has the DOJ ever used amounts in the judgment fund to pay claims that have yet to be brought against the United
States government based on the settlement of a completely unrelated case.
TODD BLANCHE, ACTING U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: Thank you, Senator. So, the short answer is yes. I mean, we have done this in the past. This was done
during the Obama Administration, something almost identical in structure to what we announced yesterday.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: I am joined now by CNN Senior Political Analyst Ron Brownstein, who is an Opinion Columnist at Bloomberg as well. Ron, good to see you. It's
been a while. So, just in terms of this $1.8 billion fund, I mean, I think what it goes to show, and we're going to be talking about the primaries a
little bit later on the show with Thomas Massie, is that the one thing that matters to Trump more than anything, I think, beyond the midterms, beyond
what's happening with Iran, beyond what's happening with Americans' finances, is loyal, loyalty, that is what matters to him more than
anything?
And he consistently has this sort of strategy of separating friends from foes, and that is a political strategy. I just want you to explain how that
benefit? Have this idea of dividing people by those who are loyal to me and those who oppose me, and if you oppose me, I'm going to punish you, and I'm
going to seek revenge. How does that benefit Trump politically?
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yeah. You know, President Trump has been distinctive in his political strategy from day one. He is
really more than any president we've had, uninterested in speaking to the majority of the country. He really does divide the country into those who
are with him and those who he perceives are against him.
And, as I've written, he's transformed the federal government to an extent even Richard Nixon did not dream about during the depths of Watergate into
a vast machine for rewarding allies and punishing those he views as adversaries.
So, you know, not only does he pardon the January 6th rioters, but now with this fund he creates a mechanism to actually shovel taxpayer dollars toward
potentially people who rioted at the Capitol on January 6th, even as the Justice Department works overtime, sometimes on the most spurious of
grounds, to indict or investigate those he perceives as his enemies.
You know, politically, for any Republican who is running outside of a core red district or state, I mean, this is extremely problematic. You have a
majority of clear majority of Americans saying they're having trouble making ends meet. Clear majorities opposing the cuts that they made into
Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.
And yet here is the president saying, I can't afford to do much about any of that, but I can send money to people who attack the Capitol. I mean,
that is going to be a tough thing to defend in October.
ASHER: I think one thing that I find troubling is that I think 10 years ago this would have been headline news. I mean this would have been talked
about consistently for days, if not weeks. This idea that the U.S. President is trying to start some kind of $1.8 billion fund to reward his
allies.
But what's happened with Trump 2.0 is that the news comes so thick and so fast, and the changes and the strategies of this administration. I mean,
you're basically being waterboarded by so many different things that this administration is doing, that something like this that should be headline
news gets lost, that is also a strategy to Ron.
BROWNSTEIN: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, you know, the shattering -- what we've learned in the entire Trump era, but especially in the second Trump
term, is that many of the kind of what we thought were ironclad limits that protect the basic structure of American democracy, really, are norms that
depend on people in the institutions to uphold them.
[11:30:00]
And all of the constraints that limited Trump in his first term, whether it was internal in the administration, where he had to appoint people from
other wings of the Republican Party that were somewhat skeptical of him, a Congressional leadership that in his first term was Mitch McConnell and
Paul Ryan, even a court that wasn't tilted as far in his direction, 5-4, when he arrived with Anthony Kennedy as a legitimate swing vote on the
justice.
All of that has collapsed, and he is now as unbound as any president we have ever seen. But we've also seen Zain that is far from an unmitigated
and unalloyed benefit for him and for the Republican Party. I mean, he has driven his approval rating lower than at any point, really, in his first
term, except for the January 6th attack itself.
Simply, and I think that the two are directly related. I mean, he is constantly pushing, and without boundaries, Trump pushes in a direction
that makes most Americans uneasy more often than not. And you know there's obviously a lot of structural barriers to that being fully expressed
electorally.
But the fact that his disapproval rating is nearing 60 percent on average in polls is a pretty big red warning light on the dashboard for Republicans
in November.
ASHER: Absolutely, we'll be talking about the primaries with you a little bit later on in the show, it'll be like 10 minutes or so from now. Ron
Brownstein, maybe less than, stand by for us. We do have so much to tackle with you, including, as I mentioned, voters are heading to the polls in
several states for primaries.
The results will shape the critical November midterm elections, as Ron and I were just talking about. We'll have details on that ahead as well.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: All right, welcome back to "One World". I'm Zain Asher in New York. Here are some headlines we're watching today. The Head of the World Health
Organization says that he's deeply concerned by the rapid spread of the Ebola outbreak in Central Africa. More than 130 deaths have now been linked
to the epidemic.
Health officials are saying it could grow much larger, as there are no recognized treatments or vaccines for this particular strain of Ebola.
[11:35:00]
Divers recovered two more bodies from underwater caves in the Maldives Tuesday. Five Italians died while exploring the caves last week. Two bodies
have yet to be brought out. Expert divers from around the world have been called in to help retrieve the bodies, which are tens of meters under
water, deep in the caves.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Beijing to meet with Chinese Leader Xi Jinping. The state visit comes less than a week after Xi
rolled out the red carpet for President Trump. Both Beijing and Moscow looking to seize on Trump's upending of traditional U.S. foreign policy to
advance their own vision of world order.
And concerns of a global oil surprise are bringing together two other world leaders as well. In South Korea, President Lee Jae Myung is meeting with
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Both nations expected to secure financial support to build an oil stockpiling system.
All right, it is primary election day in the United States, and polls are now open in six states, including Georgia, Alabama, and Kentucky. The
results could shape the crucial November midterms and possibly change the balance of power in Washington.
The races in Kentucky, is being closely watched. That's where Donald Trump is trying to oust Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, opposed parts of
Trump's agenda and help lead the drive to force the release of the Epstein files. For President Trump, it is all about revenge.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We're in the Oval Office, and we're in a fight against the worst Congressman in the history of our country. His name is Thomas Massie. He's
from Kentucky. I hope you're going to put him out of business.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: CNN's Jeff Zeleny joins live now from Kentucky. I mean, this is part of the president's strategy of basically purging the Republican Party of
anyone that he finds or deems to be disloyal. And what's interesting about Kentucky in this particular race is just the amount of money that's being
spent in trying to unseat Massie, Jeff?
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Zain, it's really extraordinary. More than $32 million has been spent in this House
primary race alone, most of it by allies of the president, because they have quite frankly called in the cavalry here for about a year.
President Trump has identified Massie as the Republican that he most wants to beat. So that is how this race has played out. They recruited a
candidate along the way named Ed Gallrein. He is on the ballot, he's a farmer and former Navy SEAL, but make no mistake about it. This race is
between Donald Trump and Thomas Massie.
You can see that in the advertising that you're watching. But as we've been talking to voters here in Northern Kentucky, people are making up their own
minds based on their loyalty to Donald Trump or their like for Thomas Massie. And there is certainly support to be found on both sides for both
candidates.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: Why did he vote for Thomas Massie?
ROB BARKLEY, KENTUCKY REPUBLICAN VOTER: Voted because he's pretty much against. He's on the Republican side, so he does have a conservative
mindset, but he's not as far-leaning right as the Trump politics, and basically voting against Trump honestly.
ZELENY: You voted against Trump?
BARKLEY: I did not vote for Trump in the previous election. I voted for him the first time, and then I went against them the second time, but on this
one is predominantly around just his stuff he does.
ZELENY: Who did you support today?
LARRY BRANDSTETTER, KENTUCKY REPUBLICAN VOTER: Gallrein.
ZELENY: Why?
BRANDSTETTER: Well, I don't like Massie's policies. I don't like him voting to impeach Trump. I didn't like him not voting on the tax cut, and he just
tries to seem to disrupt things. I just don't think he represents this district.
ZELENY: Is that one of the reasons that you supported Ed Gallrein as well to support the president?
BRANDSTETTER: Well, I support the president, but I would have voted for Ed Gallrein either way, because of his power.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: Look, so Thomas Massie says he does not believe that he should be on this retribution tour list, if you will. So, despite what that voter
said, Massie actually did not vote to impeach Donald Trump. He's voted with the president some 90 percent of the time, but in voting to release the
Epstein files and voting against some of the president's top spending priorities, that has gotten him in the crosshairs of the White House.
There's no doubt this is a loyalty test of the highest order. Polls are open until 06:00 p.m. here in Kentucky, Zain.
ASHER: All right. Jeff Zeleny live for us. Thank you so much. Let's bring back CNN Senior Political Analyst Ron Brownstein. So, literally, as you
were saying, the most important thing to this administration to Donald Trump is, of course, loyalty.
So, explain to us what this achieves. When you focus, I mean, there's only a few months left until the midterms. When you focus so heavily on just
trying to unseat anybody who is disloyal to you, anyone who disagrees.
I mean, Jeff Zeleny was saying that Thomas Massie has voted with the president some 90 of the time it's the fact that he really went against the
president in one of the things that he cared about the most, which was, of course, the Epstein files, that really sort of riled him.
[11:40:00]
But how does that -- how does this sort of retribution tour help the president come November?
BROWNSTEIN: Yeah, first people should have a benchmark to understand this. There has been no president who has spent as much effort trying to purge
his party of people who oppose him in primaries since Franklin Roosevelt in 1938 and Roosevelt mostly failed to oust conservative southerners who were
voting against the new deal.
Trump's success at this is really, I think, unprecedented. I mean, there you look at polling, there are some cracks in his support among
Republicans, maybe his approval is down to 80 percent that has implications for turnout in November, but it's not enough to save almost, you know, the
vast majority of candidates he's targeting.
There is a tangible benefit for him in this that you see every day, and the reluctance of Congress to confront him on almost any front. I mean, look at
the slush fund that he is establishing, the weaponization fund, or all of the other issues that you might have expected Congress to stand up for its
institutional prerogatives. Very few Republicans will do that.
The flip side, though, is as we talked about before, this is not an unmitigated benefit for the party, because what you are seeing is that even
in blue leaning and swing districts or states where Trump is unpopular, Republicans feel no leeway to differentiate themselves from him, and that
ultimately is going to cost them, I think, in some of these competitive races in states where his disapproval rating is scraping 60 percent.
ASHER: Yeah, I mean, as you point out, one of the ways in which this benefits him is that it silences anyone who sort of even thinks about
questioning him, it silences them completely. You think about Marjorie Taylor Greene, even Lauren Boebert has been in the firing line recently,
obviously Thomas Massie, the list goes on, Liz Cheney, for example, there's so many people who have fallen by the wayside because they have the courage
to stand up to this president.
I want you to explain that to our international audience, how a president who is quite unpopular when you look at polling and approval rating right
now has so much power over the Republican Party, even when it means that many people believe that they're going to fail disastrously in the
midterms?
BROWNSTEIN: Yeah, I mean it really is the contrast between his standing among Republican voters and his standing with the country overall. You
know, even as his approval rating has fallen consistently now below 40 percent into the real danger zone for a president looking at a midterm
election.
It's remained, as I said, quite high among Republicans. Even there, it is slipped, maybe 80 to 85 percent but especially because of the polarization
of the country. You know, one of the --one of the impacts of this gerrymandering that we are living through, this redistricting is that the
primaries are often more important than the general election for many of these members of Congress.
So, you've got Thomas Massie running in a district that Trump won by 36 points in 2024 and if you know if the guy who won by 36 points is
campaigning against you, that's a pretty big hill to overcome. Same thing in the Senate, you know, 50 of the 53 Republican Senators are from states
that voted all three times for Donald Trump.
And you know what you see if you're Bill Cassidy, say, who kind of sold his soul, the Senator from Louisiana to vote for RFK Jr., as HHS Secretary,
even though, as a physician himself, he clearly felt this was the wrong thing to do, only to see Trump turn against him anyway in the primary.
That is part of the dynamic here is that so many Republican legislators are representing deep ruby red places where Trump is incredibly powerful, but
yet there aren't enough of those to guarantee the majority. So, what you get are Republicans running in places like New Jersey and Virginia Governor
last year who would not differentiate themselves from Trump for any reason, even in states where he was unpopular, we're going to see that again this
fall, and it's going to be a cost for Republicans in swing states.
ASHER: Ron Brownstein, always good to have you. And I always enjoy your perspective. Thank you. We'll be right back with more after this short
break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[11:45:00]
ASHER: All right, war has disrupted global supply chains, and the United Arab Emirates has been on the front lines. But it's taking action to
address those challenges. In today's Marketplace Middle East, we take you to the "Make it in the Emirates Conference", where self-reliance is the
order of the day.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): For five years, entrepreneurs and businesses have brought their boldest ideas to make it in the Emirates, but
this year the stakes could not be higher, as the Middle East conflict continues to reshape global supply chains. The UAE's mission is clear:
reduce the dependence on imports and accelerate local production.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Direct domestic investment in the national economy is not an option, but a priority, because it is an investment in our
stability, our economic sovereignty and the future of our generations.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): From pharmaceuticals to food security to robotics, these industries are now at the center of a much bigger national
strategy. At the end of April, the UAE launched a new national resilience program, a push to secure critical food, medical, and industrial supplies.
With the Strait of Hormuz closed for more than two months, the world has been reminded just how fragile global trade routes can be. Oil is making
the headlines, but food, fertilizer, and industrial supplies also came under pressure. For the UAE, a country that imports up to 90 percent of its
food. This is now a real-time test of a strategy years in the making.
DHAFER AL QASIMI, GROUP CEO, SILAL: The United Arab Emirates have decided to diversify at its source of incomes and not to heavily rely on the oil
and gas sectors. Today we are seeing obviously the other sectors booming, it's a need, it's a necessity.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (Voice-over): At Silal that long-term investment is already taking root. The Abu Dhabi-based Agri-Tech company, founded in 2020
is growing fruit and vegetables in desert conditions. Silal's mission is straightforward: grow more at home, import less from abroad, and help
secure the UAE's food supply for the long term.
QASIMI: Since the crisis has anchored, we're still showing our resilience, the resilience of the manufacturing in UAE, and showing you as well that
the supply has not been disrupted in UAE, even though that is threat Hormuz has been shut down.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): But food isn't the only supply chain now under scrutiny. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed how dependent many countries
were on imported medicine. Now, with the global trade routes under pressure again, the UAE is pushing to expand drug manufacturing closer to home.
DR. SHAMSHEER VAYALIL, FOUNDER, CHAIRMAN & CEO, BURJEEL HOLDINGS: Not many people know that we are into manufacturing, but we have got the flavor of
manufacturing on the ground with a large capacity of production lines, which we have probably utilized only 25, 30 percent till today.
[11:50:00]
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (voice-over): Around the world, nations are rethinking where growth really comes from. The UAE's answer is clear from within.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: As many tech companies push further into AI, while slashing jobs, new college graduates are entering an uncertain workforce. CNN's Lynda
Kinkade spoke with students and faculty at the Georgia Institute of Technology about how the class of 2026 is preparing for the challenges
ahead?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): A computer science degree at Georgia Institute of Technology is considered a golden ticket to secure a
position at a major tech company like Google, Meta, and Amazon. But after tens of thousands of layoffs and a rapid shift towards AI students are
entering a job market that looks very different.
KINKADE: So, with all the mass layoffs in tech, how are you feeling approaching graduation?
HUNTER RICHARDSON, GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY GRADUATE: I won't mind. We, my friends and I, have been a little bit scared.
KINKADE (voice-over): This year more than 100,000 jobs were cut in the tech sector, according to industry trackers. LinkedIn shows entry-level hiring
has fallen about 6 percent year-over-year.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How's your finals going?
KINKADE (voice-over): Hunter Richardson is graduating with a job already lined up.
RICHARDSON: A few years into my degree program, I added accounting as a second major to be able to apply the things I learned in computer science.
KINKADE (voice-over): Hunter represents one side of the story. Students who took steps to adapt early, combining technical skills with business
experience and internships.
RICHARDSON: What I think excites us, particularly at Georgia Tech, is how we are being equipped to work with AI tools in a way that is unique and
keeps us on the, you know, the forefront.
KINKADE: What's one piece of advice you're giving students as they navigate this AI disruption?
OLUFLSAYO OMOJOKUN, ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION, COLLEGE OF COMPUTING, GEORGIA TECH: Yes, certainly, is to not skip the fundamentals.
Things can change over time because of AI, but the fundamentals are going to always be important.
KINKADE: Which are?
OMOJOKUN: Well, we have this whole notion of computational thinking that's part of our curriculum, being able to look at large problems and break them
down to smaller pieces and understand the patterns and processes that make a solution.
KINKADE (voice-over): Professor Oluflsayo Omojokun is the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education in the College of Computing.
KINKADE: Do you worry about preparing students for jobs that might not exist in five years' time?
OMOJOKUN: Not necessarily, because our goal is to create computational thinkers. We have 97 percent at least last year, of our students landing a
career placement within six months of their graduation. And we're doing the same survey this year, and we're hoping for even better. We're having, or
asking students to broaden their horizons.
KINKADE (voice-over): Goldman Sachs estimates that Gen AI could affect 300 million jobs worldwide, though less than 7 percent are at risk of full
displacement.
[11:55:00]
KINKADE: So, how did the number of jobs be lost compared to those being created?
ANDREW MCCASKILL, CAREER EXPERT: I mean, I think if you look at the job's numbers from the last few months, we are not creating jobs at the numbers
that we traditionally have.
KINKADE (voice-over): Career Expert Andrew McCaskill says the numbers reflect a reset, not a collapse.
KINKADE: Andrew, when you look at white collared jobs over the next 18 to 24 months, what does the landscape look like?
MCCASKILL: 2026 is going to be one of the most competitive job markets that we've seen in years.
KINKADE: So, you're saying the key is to pivot, to adapt. What does that mean in real terms?
MCCASKILL: Yes, you pivot, you adapt, get as many data points as you possibly can about where people are hiring, location? What industries are
hiring? One of those fastest growing industries right now is utilities, as the entire grid gets changed in advance of the AI-assisted workforce.
KINKADE (voice-over): For decades, a tech-based degree promised certainty. In 2026 it offers something different opportunity, but most likely only for
those ready to adapt. Lynda Kinkade, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: Stay with CNN. I'll have much more "One World" in about an hour or so with my colleague Bianna Golodryga. Amanpour is on at a special time in
about five minutes from now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
