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Iran Claims It Has Prevented U.S. Ships from Entering Strait; United Plane Hits Truck, Light Pole While Landing in New Jersey; New Details About Ex-Congressman Eric Swalwell Emerge. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired May 04, 2026 - 10:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[10:00:00]

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, escalation in the strait. A new U.S. mission is now underway to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz. What the Pentagon is saying right now.

And troubling pattern of behavior, more than a dozen women speaking out for the very first time about uncomfortable interactions with ex- Congressman Eric Swalwell, our new Situation Room special report.

Plus, near disaster over at Newark Airport, a plane collides with a truck just seconds before a touchdown. An investigation is underway into how the incident unfolded.

And deadly outbreak, a rare virus turns deadly aboard a cruise ship. Three people are dead, others sick, and passengers are stranded with no end in sight.

Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer with Pamela Brown, and you're in The Situation Room.

We begin this hour with breaking news. A new standoff is unfolding in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's Navy says it has prevented U.S. military ships from entering the waterway, that according to Iran's state media. Hours earlier, President Trump announced that the U.S. military would, quote, guide stranded vessels through the critical oil shipping route beginning today. And the U.S. military Central Command is denying Iran's claims that its Navy hit a U.S. warship with two missiles, CENTCOM saying no U.S. Navy ship was struck, and that U.S. forces will guide ships through the strait as part of what's called Project Freedom.

We're covering all the late-breaking developments of this very important story. Let's begin over the White House with CNN's Kevin Liptak. Kevin, what are you learning this morning?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Wolf, I think it's clear that the President is looking for a way to break the standoff here. As the talks appear at a stalemate, as the Strait of Hormuz remains in a chokehold, the president clearly looking for a way to drive some of this forward. Now, how exactly the U.S. is going to guide these ships through this critical waterway remains somewhat unclear. A U.S official says that it would be inaccurate to describe it as an escort mission. Instead, what it seems as if these military asset will be used to coordinate with ships that are trying to pass through, to suggest to them the most safe channels to use, and by their presence in the region, to provide a measure of reassurance to shipping companies and to the pilots of these vessels that, in fact, it is safe to transit through.

U.S. Central Command says that this will involve a guided missile destroyers, more than a hundred aircraft, drones, and 15,000 American service members. As of this morning, according to Central Command, two U.S.-flagged merchant vessels have been able to transit through. And perhaps more importantly, they say that U.S. Navy guided missile destroyers are currently operating in the Arabian Gulf after they themselves transited the Strait of Hormuz suggesting that they were able to go through this channel without being fired upon by the Iranians.

Now, earlier today, Iranian state media suggested that, in fact, it had fired on military vessels, American military vessels, that were trying to pass through, Central Command later saying that that was, in fact, false. All of this, I think, raises the prospect that the ceasefire that's currently in place, remember the president extended, it could be breached if the two sides begin exchanging fire.

We did hear earlier today from the treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, who described the situation in the Strait of Hormuz. Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT BESSENT, TREASURY SECRETARY: They're reduced. Their navy is not a navy anymore. It's a band of pirates. They are trying to cut off international freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, and the U.S. is opening that up. This is a humanitarian effort.

It's not only energy that's in there, it's fertilizer, it's food transport, it's LPG for the more than a billion plus people in India used to cook. So, we are saying the Iranians do not have control of the strait. We have absolute control of the strait.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIPTAK: Now, when it comes to the diplomacy, Wolf, we're getting mixed signals, President Trump over the weekend saying that the Iranian response was insufficient but he's also saying that they're having very positive discussions with Iran.

[10:05:10]

BLITZER: All right. Kevin Liptak at the White House for us, thank you very, very much.

I quickly want to go and check out the diplomatic efforts underway right now. CNN's Nic Robertson is in Islamabad, Pakistan. Nic, what's the state of U.S.-Iranian negotiations today?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Right. We heard from the Iranian Foreign Ministry this morning. They said that they are right now considering the proposal that the White House sent to them over the weekend on Sunday. This, of course, was the White House response, formal response to the proposal that Iran put forward Wednesday, diplomacy in track. But I think, you know, the conversations that the ceasefire was supposed to pave the way for what is happening today, the conversations are fading against kinetic activity that's underway.

And I don't think it's a stretch to understand what is playing out today and President Trump's Project Freedom and the way that's happening sort of on the waterways, if you will, fits very much with Iran's fears, that while they engage in conversations in the track of diplomacy, that, in actual fact, they fear that the United States wants to take military control of the Strait of Hormuz, take away that bargaining power that Iran feels that it has.

And we have reports now of a UAE tanker that was targeted today by two drone drones. And in the last hour, the South Korean government is saying that it appears a vessel -- one of their vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz was actually hit by a projectile in the engine room.

It's not clear if that vessel was sort of making its way through the Strait of Hormuz or if it was actually an anchor waiting to make that move, but this apparent and these appear to be responses by Iran to the United States pressing to open the Strait of Hormuz here, if the kinetic activity begins to dominate, that space for conversation is going to evaporate and will be back to a time again where it seems everyone's waiting on Iran's response, as the White House begins to -- again, begins to feel that there isn't a diplomatic track to be had here.

BLITZER: All right. Nic Robertson and Islamabad watching all of this unfold, thank you very, very much. Pamela?

BROWN: I mean, incredible video into CNN this morning showing that moment a United Airlines plane struck a streetlight and this tractor trailer on the highway as it landed at Newark Airport in New Jersey yesterday. Police say the truck driver sustained non-life threatening injuries, which is pretty incredible. And United says no one on board the flight was hurt and the plane landed normally.

I want to bring in CNN Aviation Correspondent Pete Muntean. How unusual is something like this, Pete? Because I know you've been covering aviation for years. Have you ever seen anything like this?

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: I have never in recent memory, at least, heard of a U.S. commercial flight striking a vehicle on the highway below. It's possible that this is an aviation first.

And I want to sort of walk you through the circumstances here. You have to watch this incredible video of driver Warren Boardley singing along in his bread truck as he was on I-95 there. You can see him look right as he hears the jet engine whine of that 767 United Flight 169 and then, bam, the truck goes onto its side. Warren apparently doing okay, mostly cuts from the broken glass that you see there in the frame.

This plane, a 767, also clipped a light pole there on Interstate 95 and the New Jersey Turnpike. You could see in the spotlight there some of the wing and the landing gear assembly go through the frame of his window there. So, clearly, this was a case of this airplane being too low on the approach path into Runway 29 there at Newark.

Usually, pilots landing here follow guidance from their instruments down to about 400 feet above ground level, then continue solely by looking at the windshield. At that point, it's called a visual approach. But they're cautioned by way of published landing procedures there at Newark that there are obstacles in the way, that there's not much tolerance to be low on what's called the glide path, meaning the descent path down the final approach course to the runway.

There is the satellite view of the New Jersey Turnpike and I-95 just east of Runway 29 there. That's the shortest runway at Newark Liberty International Airport.

[10:10:03]

But it was the runway of preference yesterday because of the strong winds out of the west.

There was also a really interesting exchange from air traffic control in which they detail that the airplane was also damaged, that there was a hole in the plane. We've not seen any video. We've not seen any images from the scene. But I think we have the sound bite here, and I want you to listen now to this exchange.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you get a report for what the issue was?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got different conflictions on the turnpike.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, they felt something over the threshold and there's a hole in the side of the airplane. So, I'm going to get you on the runway here in a moment. They said it was right at the threshold. So, it'll just be a minute.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MUNTEAN: The runway threshold, meaning the very beginning of the approach, end of the runway.

The data here will be really telling. We have the granular data the preliminary data from open source data that shows that this airplane was at about 125 feet over the highway, going about 160 miles per hour at the time of this collision, but that's just preliminary. The real data will come from the flight data recorder onboard the airplane.

And the National Transportation Safety Board, of course, wants that along with the voice recorder, which could be very telling here. Were the pilots realizing that they were too low on the approach? Was there any interplay between them saying, hey, maybe we add power and change our descent profile? So, some pretty key details here yet to come out on the National Transportation Safety Board arriving on the scene today. Of course, they'll also want to interview the pilots in this case as well, and may be Warren Boardley once he's finally out of the hospital.

BROWN: I'm so glad he's okay.

MUNTEAN: Yes.

BROWN: Wow. Pete Muntean, thank you so much. Wolf?

BLITIZER: Also happening now, the former New York City mayor, Rudy Giuliani, is in a Florida hospital, and we're told his condition is critical. A spokesperson for the 81-year-old tell CNN he's stable, but they're not saying what put him in the hospital in the first place.

Giuliani was just seen hosting his streaming show called America's Mayor Live on Friday, where he did mention his voice was, quote, and I'm quoting him now, a little under the weather.

President Trump posted about Giuliani on social media, calling him a true warrior and the best mayor in the history of New York City. Pamela?

BROWN: Still ahead here in the Situation Room, we have a Situation Room special report, more than a dozen women speaking out for the very first time about uncomfortable interactions with ex-Congressman Eric Swalwell, the new reporting on the alleged troubling pattern of behavior.

BLITZER: And massive trades, perfect timing and major U.S. security moves. The suspiciously well-timed bets before major Iran war announcements that may amount to billions of dollars in illegal profits.

Stay with us. You're in The Situation Room.

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[10:15:00]

BROWN: From overly friendly to strange and predatory, more women are speaking to CNN after our exclusive reporting of sexual misconduct claims against Eric Swalwell. Their accounts, none of which have been previously reported, add new depth to a portrait of troubling behavior. CNN found that it unfolded as Swalwell ascended the Democratic ranks, even supporting women's causes.

He dropped out of the California governor's race and resigned from Congress last month after a former staffer told CNN and the San Francisco Chronicle that he raped her. An attorney for Swalwell said in a statement that he, quote, categorically and unequivocally denies each and every allegation of sexual misconduct and assault. More now in this Situation Room special report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: So, for the last few weeks, we've been digging into the sexual misconduct allegations against now former Congressman Eric Swalwell after CNN reported a former staffer accused him of rape. Swalwell denied the allegation, but resigned from Congress and dropped out of the California governor's race.

We wanted to know how far back Swalwell's questionable behavior went and how extensive it was. Now, more than a dozen other women have come forward and told us about how interactions with Swalwell, both online and in-person, left them uncomfortable.

So, their stories suggest a pattern of Swalwell using social media to contact young women, including Congressional staffers, and eventually escalating into flirting or inappropriate messaging. One woman described him cornering her as a young intern and slipping his private phone number into her back pocket. He then sent her flirtatious messages on Snapchat.

Another told us about Swalwell initiating contact with her on LinkedIn after she briefly served him at a restaurant when she was 19. All of this was allegedly happening as Swalwell built a public persona in politics as a fierce defender of women's safety.

FMR. REP. ERIC SWALWELL (D-CA): I will always stand not only with the women in my family, but every woman in America to make sure they're always free from violence.

BROWN: But throughout his years in office, Swalwell was different behind closed doors from behavior described by younger women, as weird and inappropriate to his behavior with his Capitol Hill staffer who said he raped her.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No one protected me. I'm sorry. No one protected me and I don't want someone else to suffer because I know what I know.

BROWN: Swalwell's alleged behavior runs in stark contrast to his work in office where he pushed for transparency on members of Congress sexually harassing staff.

SWALWELL: I think we should unseal the names of anyone who conducted themselves this way, to protect every woman who works on the Hill, from working in one of these offices.

[10:20:07]

BROWN: In 2018, he voted to ban sexual relationships between members of Congress and their staff. And when TIME Magazine honored the women of the Me Too movement, as the 2017 Person of the Year, Swalwell praised the decision, good choice, TIME, he wrote in a Facebook post, touting his work to combat sexual harassment in Congress.

Despite his professional reputation, young women were seeing a different side to Swalwell through his use of social media.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There was the Eric that I would staff, and most of the time, business is normal. And then there was the Eric that I would talk to on Snapchat, and that was a different person completely.

BROWN: Early in his career as a congressman, Swalwell earned praise for his savvy use of social media to connect with young voters. In 2016 media outlet dubbed Swalwell the Snapchat king of Congress, an app where messages disappear after they're read.

But beyond the professional work, he used the app to add young women and send them personal messages from his verified account, some of those messages which CNN reviewed.

Ally Samarco described a similar playbooks wall while used with her on Snapchat where she says he wants her a photo of his genitals.

ALLY SAMMARCO, ERIC SWALWELL ACCUSER: The conversation started out professionally. We were talking about how I could work on the hill. He told me to send over my resume. From there, the messages shifted to much more personal, much more inappropriate and crossing a line.

BROWN: And while all this was happening, Democratic leadership was elevating his status in Congress. He eventually launched a bid for governor of California.

One through line we learned in our reporting is that a lot of these young women were in the early stages of their careers in Democratic politics, and Swalwell would often offer to help move them up the ladder, highlighting the power imbalance that some of these women felt in their interactions with him.

A lawyer for Swalwell said he doesn't deny having extramarital contact, but that he does categorically and unequivocally deny each and every allegation of sexual misconduct and assault that has been leveled against him.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROWN: And in the wake of Swalwell's resignation, the women he interacted with say that they're struggling to understand how he ascended in politics at the same time they say he continued pursuing them in private.

If you or someone close to you has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline 24/7 by phone or online, call 1-800-656-HOPE or visit hotline.rainn.org. Wolf?

BLITZER: And just ahead, conspiracy theories about the attack at the White House Correspondents' Dinner are now running rampant online. Why these false flag theories are taking off, that's next.

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[10:25:00] BLITZER: Breaking news, the American military says that two U.S.- flagged merchant vessels have successfully transited through the Strait of Hormuz. This development just one day after President Trump vowed to guide ships through the embattled waterway, as Iran threatened to attack any foreign military force trying to approach or enter it.

Joining us now, Republican Congressman Marlon Stutzman of Indiana. Congressman, thanks so much for joining us.

A quick question, what do you -- and I know you're a supporter of the Trump administration in this war, what do you say to critics who point out that the standoff over the Strait of Hormuz was not an issue before this conflict began and that Iran now has leverage it did not previously have?

REP. MARLON STUTZMAN (R-IN): Yes, Wolf, great to be with you.

You know, I would say to those critics, obviously, you can point to the gas prices. I totally understand that. But what I think, you know, needs to happen is that, as the Trump administration works through this, that there be a broader international coalition. None of us, whether you're in Europe, whether you're in China or anywhere else around the world, none of us should want to leave one country, particularly Iran, with the IRGC in place, let them be in complete control of the strait. We want to make sure that that's a gateway for, you know, people in Europe to be sure that they're going to get their gas and oil, that folks in China are going to get their gas and oil. When that's shut off, that limits about 20 percent of global supply.

And, you know, my belief is, is we got to come together as an international coalition and say, we're going to be sure that we control this together, whether it's through the U.N. or some other international agency, because Iran can't have this much power by shutting down the strait.

BLITZER: Yes, about a billion people in India alone rely on that oil and gas coming from Iran, and that's in trouble right now.

According to the latest CNN poll of polls average, Congressman, nearly two thirds of Americans right now, 64 percent, disapprove of the way president's job -- President Trump, I should say, is handling his job, while just 35 percent say they approve. How concerning is that for you as a Republican seeking to hold onto control of Congress in the upcoming midterm elections in November, just six months away?

STUTZMAN: Yes, it's definitely concerning. Of course, you know, if you look at the polls, those are -- seem to be working against us. But I'll tell you, I was at a town hall breakfast meeting last Saturday. And it always -- it's interesting, older folks who remember 1979 say, finish the job.

[10:30:00]

Iran has been a problem for us for far too long.

Younger people, you know, I can see it in their body language or they shake their heads, they don't like it.