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U.S.-Iran Cease-Fire in Danger?; Interview With Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN); President Trump Hosts Athletes in Oval Office. Aired 11- 11:30a ET

Aired May 05, 2026 - 11:00   ET

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

[11:00:08]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: And we begin this hour with the breaking news.

The fragile cease-fire between the U.S. and Iran remains in place this morning, according to the Trump administration. Just a short time ago, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the four-week-old agreement that has paused combat operations is holding, that despite the U.S. and Iran exchanging new attacks in the Strait of Hormuz just yesterday.

The U.S. has launched what officials are calling Project Freedom to guide commercial ships through the critical waterway. Iran previously warned that such action would violate the cease-fire, but the Pentagon says protecting global trade is a defensive mission.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE HEGSETH, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: No, the cease-fire is not over. Ultimately, this is a separate and distinct project. And we expected there would be some -- some churn at the beginning, which happened.

And we said we would defend it, and defend aggressively, and we absolutely have. Iran knows that. And, ultimately, the president is going to make a decision whether anything were to escalate into a violation of a cease-fire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: All right, so while this is going on, we just heard some remarks from President Trump at the White House about this presidential memorandum he just signed restoring competitive fitness tests to students.

Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: ... athletes. And it's an honor to have everybody. We're thrilled to have so many young athletes here at the White House in the Oval Office on this magnificent spring day.

And it is indeed a beautiful day to celebrate America's athletic traditions and champions in physical fitness and all of those things that I worked so hard at on a personal basis. I work out so much, like about one minute a day max, if I'm lucky.

(LAUGHTER)

TRUMP: I want to thank Secretaries Pete Hegseth, who just gave a great news conference with General Razin Caine. And that was really good. And you're doing very well. They don't like playing games with us. They don't like it at all. You will see that.

As time goes by, you're going to see it. I think you have already seen it. We basically wiped out their military in about two weeks. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who's done an incredible job. Scott Turner that everybody knows, and a legend, Linda McMahon, head of education in our country.

And she's doing a fantastic job. They all are. We're also pleased to be joined by respected sports leaders and members of the President's Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition. We really have some incredible people. It's like a who's who.

Bryson, how many do we have on the council total?

BRYSON DECHAMBEAU, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: Oh, it's got to be upwards of 30 actually.

TRUMP: Yes, lots.

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: And all -- all top.

DECHAMBEAU: Yes, sir.

TRUMP: If they weren't really good, we don't allow them. You have got to be really good, like Gary Player as an example. He won 168 tournaments over a very average career. You know that.

(LAUGHTER)

TRUMP: Think of it. He won 168 tournaments, 18 majors, nine and nine senior. He has more championships than anybody, national championships than anybody.

And I played with him. He just -- he's very proud of it, actually. Played with him on his 90th birthday. He very easily on a tough course from 6,800 yards, he very easily shot a 70. And it was the easiest 70. And normally, if you shoot a 70 and you're 90, you would run around so excited.

Gary's like, all right, let's have a little lunch.

(LAUGHTER) TRUMP: He was the most unexcited human being ever, because he's been

doing it all his life. He's been winning, top three in history, my opinion. I don't think it's my opinion. Just based on the record, Gary is top three.

Jack and Tiger and Gary, greatest golfers. So, thanks for being here.

And, as you know, we have the U.S. Open champion. And he won two U.S. Opens. But that last one was unbelievable. He hit a -- I think, Gary, it's one of the greatest shots ever hit to win a U.S. Open, certainly.

GARY PLAYER, FORMER PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: Yes.

TRUMP: One of the top -- they say one of the top three. I don't know what the other two are. But he hit an unbelievable sand shot, sank a 4.5-foot pot. And he won the U.S. Open. And he's been a great golfer from the day he was born, if you believe in genetics, because I do.

But he won the U.S. amateur years ago, and he won it quite easily. But he's a great person and a great friend of mine, Bryson DeChambeau.

And thank you, Bryson. And you're very much in charge of this whole operation.

DECHAMBEAU: Yes, sir, I am.

TRUMP: He's into sports. He's so much into physical fitness. And all you have to do is take a look at him.

And you say, why is he even doing this? Because I think, if you didn't work out at all, you would still look almost like you do right now. But you are doing great. And everybody respects Bryson. He's the longest hitter in golf, and he's straight. And, frankly, maybe the best part of his game, Gary, is, he's a great putter.

PLAYER: Absolutely.

[11:05:07]

TRUMP: You played with him, right?

PLAYER: And an asset to the game.

TRUMP: And he's a great asset. And he's a great person.

And we have, along with the University of Florida's basketball coach, Todd Golden.

Todd? Where's Todd?

TODD GOLDEN, HEAD BASKETBALL COACH, UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA: Right here.

TRUMP: Todd. Hi, Todd.

GOLDEN: Great to see you, Mr. President. TRUMP: And what a job. By the way, what a job you have done. I see that. I'm a little busy to watch the games, but I always see your team is right up there.

GOLDEN: Yes.

TRUMP: You're doing a fantastic job, as a young guy.

And American hockey hero, T.J. Oshie, who's one of the best hockey players in the world. T.J., it's good to be.

T.J. OSHIE, PROFESSIONAL HOCKEY PLAYER: Mr. President, thanks for having me.

TRUMP: How's your golf game? The hockey players -- Bryson was saying, the hockey players seem to be the best of the athletes, seem to be the best golfers, yes.

OSHIE: It's the greatest game.

TRUMP: Yes, it's great.

OSHIE: Unquestionably.

TRUMP: And he's a good golfer. His three handicap, maybe better, right? That's very good.

OSHIE: Got to work on the putting, right, Gary?

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: But stick -- right. But stick to hockey, right?

OSHIE: Yes.

(LAUGHTER)

TRUMP: As a three, he has to stick to hockey.

(CROSSTALK)

(LAUGHTER)

TRUMP: ... Bryson. That's great.

What a career you have had too at a young age. And professional baseball pitcher Noah Syndergaard, sometimes referred to as Thor. And he looks like Thor to me.

(LAUGHTER)

TRUMP: That's some -- where is he? It's very hard to -- you look great.

NOAH SYNDERGAARD, PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL PLAYER: Thank you, sir.

TRUMP: That is a man. I wouldn't want to get into a fight with him, I can tell you. That would not be a good situation, Gary.

(LAUGHTER)

TRUMP: This year, we celebrate 250th anniversary of our country. And it's our nation's founding. It's a big deal. In addition, we have the World Cup, and we have -- which is just now starting. And we have the Olympics. I got them both.

And I was very proud of myself. I tried to say I got the 250th also, but nobody -- that didn't work out too well. But I did get both the World Cup and I got the Olympics. And I was very proud of that. But I was very sad, actually, because I got them in my first term, and I said, oh, wow, I'm not going to be able to go as president because they were in six years.

So I wouldn't be president. I thought I'd easily win the election, which, by the way, I did. And, unfortunately, bad things happened. It was a rigged election. And I said, well, I will do it again. I had the ultimate poll. I did so well. And I had the ultimate poll.

And we won in the landslide. We won every single swing state. We won the popular vote. We won everything you can win. We won 87 percent of the counties in the United States. And I ended up with the Olympics, and I ended up with the World Cup.

And, very importantly, maybe the most important is we have the 250th anniversary. On June 14, we're going to have the UFC and the biggest fight they have ever done by far. It's the hardest ticket I have ever been involved with. And they're building a 5,000-seat stadium right in the front of -- right by the front door of the White House.

And then they're going to have anywhere from 75,000 to 100,000 people on the park right past the White House with eight tremendous screens. And then we have Roger Penske. So that's Dana White's dream, what that is. It's going to be amazing.

And then we have Roger Penske, who's going to have a big championship Indy around the Capitol and the Indy racers. And he's been trying to get it here for 25 years. And he said, I came to Washington exactly 121 times and I was never able to get it. I came once to see you and we had it done in a half-an-hour.

And he's fantastic. He's won 20 Indianapolis 500s. Can you believe that? Other countries -- and I say it all the time. I gave him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, like I gave to Gary too, because of his career. And then Roger went -- on his 18th, I called him. I said, come on. I want to give you the President -- you won 18.

Japan, Germany, all these countries, they spent billions and billions of dollars, and they don't -- it's very hard for them to win. They don't win very, very much. They spend all that money and Roger just wins it all the time. So I gave it to him on the 18th win.

And since then, he's won -- that was four years ago. Since then, he's won two more. So he's going to be here with the Indy cars, and it's going to be their biggest race maybe ever. And they're going to be circling the Capitol. We have Pennsylvania Avenue closed down.

And I said: "Do you like the course?"

He said: "I love the course."

He -- I said: "Pick the best course. We will get it for you. Don't go the easy way. Pick the best roads. I don't care. It doesn't matter."

And he picked a perfect -- he's said it's as good as you can get. And, unfortunately, he picked the most important roads in the city, which is a little tougher. But we got it done for him quickly. And that's going to be in August.

So we have a lot of really exciting things happening. So, today, I sign a proclamation recognizing national youth sports and fitness. And I will also sign the very first copy of the new revitalized Presidential Fitness Test Award, a certificate and recognition of achievement of the gold standard of physical fitness.

[11:10:08]

And this is something that Bryson DeChambeau wanted to do very badly. Bryson is amazing. I mean, I say he's somebody that can put on 25, 30. At one point, I guess he put on almost 50 pounds. You remember, he looked like a linebacker for the...

DECHAMBEAU: I was very heavy.

TRUMP: ... for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

And he...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: All right, we're going to continue to monitor the president of the United States meeting at the White House with a bunch of young kids and others, signing a presidential memorandum restoring what's called the Competitive Fitness Test for Students.

It's part of his push to -- quote -- "make America healthy again." We will continue to monitor that.

I want to bring in our White House correspondent, Alayna Treene.

Alayna, you're listening very closely. I thought it was a little unusual, to put it mildly, that he opens up talking about the war in Iran with all those little kids standing right around him.

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it was a bit unusual, Wolf, particularly given that this event is, of course, to revive the Presidential Fitness Test, something that used to exist for children.

I remember, back when I was in school, I had to participate in it. So he has all these kids there. He was referring to them as young athletes. But then he opened talking about Iran. He referenced the press briefing held by the Pentagon this morning, and essentially saying that the U.S. military has wiped out the Iranian military, before pivoting back to the event.

Now, he kind of went all over the place. The president likes to call it the weave, but he's been kind of touching on a number of different topics with all of these children surrounding him, one of them being something we know he cares a lot about, touting the fact that he gets to be the president who oversees some of the biggest sporting events in the world.

That includes the Olympics, of course, which are taking place in Los Angeles in a couple years, and then also the FIFA World Cup. He also talked about hosting a major U.S. -- UFC fight here at the White House and the plans for an IndyCar street race, but, yes, a little bit off topic here as he welcomes what he's calling these young athletes to the White House to revive the Presidential Fitness Test, Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Alayna, thank you very, very much.

I want to bring in CNN senior military analyst retired U.S. Admiral James Stavridis. He's the former NATO supreme allied commander.

Admiral, thanks so much for joining us.

As you know, the U.S. and Iran, over the past day or two, they have been firing at each other, Iran launching an attack on the United Arab Emirates, a U.S. ally, including U.S. military facilities in the UAE. So when is a cease-fire no longer a cease-fire?

Because we heard the defense secretary suggest that, yes, the cease- fire continues.

ADM. JAMES STAVRIDIS (RET.), CNN SENIOR MILITARY ANALYST: Either side can declare a cease-fire over at any time.

One could make the argument that Iran is doing that by launching these attacks, including a very significant attack against Fujairah, a UAE port, actually. And then, secondly, one could make the argument that a blockade, Wolf, as you know, is an act of war.

So, bottom line, a cease-fire is in the eye of the beholders. Either side could declare it over. At the moment, at least, both seem to be hewing to it, with some attacks, some blockading. We're in kind of uncharted waters here overall, but, bottom line, I think a tenuous cease-fire is holding.

BLITZER: It's interesting. The defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, said this morning that the operation to get ships moving through the Strait of Hormuz is temporary and separate from the main operation against Iran.

Is that a distinction right now without a difference for the U.S. military?

STAVRIDIS: I think it is as follows. Certainly, one of the principal military objectives at this point is to open the Strait of Hormuz. The other one is to recover the highly enriched uranium, which is kind

of parked off to the side in these negotiations. In terms of the strait, as you know Wolf, I have sailed it dozens of times as a warship commander, and it is tricky navigation even when you're not in the middle of a war.

So, for the U.S. to take on this task is going to require at least one nuclear aircraft carrier, 80 combat aircraft on that, 100 or so from land base, Air Force, Army helicopters, A-10s, all of our cruisers, destroyers, frigates, maybe a dozen. It's a very big operation.

To my eye, it looks very much a part of the overall Epic Fury. Call it Operation Project Freedom or whatever you will. It's still part of the overall military effort.

BLITZER: Yes, it was interesting. At the Pentagon briefing, both the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, both went out of their way to praise the 82nd Airborne Division, which has been activated and has been deployed to the region. They have a specific role right there.

[11:15:13]

What does it say to you that the 82nd Airborne Division is now directly involved?

STAVRIDIS: It is a very big deal. The 82nd, as we all know, is one of our legendary, storied paratrooper units, air-mobile, extreme lethal force.

And let's not forget, from my own beloved Naval services, there are not one, but two Marine expeditionary units, another 5,000-plus Marines available. So, you put all that together, it's a very significant ground force. And, to my eye, it could be used to help open the strait.

You could put them ashore on the northern part of the strait and knock down the Iranians' ability to go after that shipping.

BLITZER: Yes, I remember, when I was a Pentagon correspondent during the first Gulf War, and I reported that the 82nd Airborne Division had just been activated, a lot of top military officials were telling me, this is the beginning of the end for Saddam Hussein and Iraq. And, clearly, the 82nd Airborne Division had a major role in that war as well.

Retired Admiral James Stavridis, thanks very much for joining us.

STAVRIDIS: Thanks, Wolf.

BLITZER: Pamela.

BROWN: All right, Wolf, still ahead, we're talking with Tennessee Congressman Steve Cohen, the state's only Democratic congressman. We're going to ask him about this new effort to get rid of his seat by redoing the state's congressional maps. And it was a golden comeback for Golden Tempo at the Kentucky Derby.

Up later, we're going to talk with the winning horse's trainer, Cherie DeVaux, about making history as the first woman to prepare the race's winner.

You're in THE SITUATION ROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:21:30]

BROWN: Happening now: Tennessee's Republican governor is calling for a special session of the legislature to review the state's congressional maps. Eight of Tennessee's nine U.S. House districts are represented by Republicans.

And the lone Democrat, Congressman Steve Cohen of Memphis, is now the target of the GOP's latest redistricting efforts. This is all part of a nationwide push by both parties to redraw their maps to boost their chances in the midterm elections.

The Supreme Court's recent decision limiting the Voting Rights Act has set off a Republican scramble to make even more changes before November, especially in the South.

So, Congressman Cohen joins us now to talk a little bit more about this.

What do you see coming out of this special session in Nashville, Congressman?

REP. STEVE COHEN (D-TN): I don't see much good.

I think that the Supreme Court has allowed Jim Crow to rise again in the South. I feel the ugly fingers of George Wallace and Ross Barnett coming out of hell and ripping my arm and saying, son, we're sending you back. Your district is not going to be what it used to be and Memphis is not going to have congressional representation.

And we can fight it, but we can't beat the Supreme Court. They knew what they were doing. They were giving Donald Trump an additional congressional seat. They're trying to give him additional congressional seats throughout this country without any consideration of how it affects a large, great city like Memphis.

This is a devastating blow to Memphis not to have a congressperson. And Memphis was not a VRA voting rights suit case. We were never a VRA case. We had a compact district with people who had similar interests in one district that happened to be majority African-American. That's the majority population, but it wasn't done so as to give them anything they wouldn't have had through normal redistricting that they have had for over 100 years.

This is just a blatant and dismal political blow for Donald Trump to get one congressional seat and to help destroy one of America's great cities. BROWN: So it sounds like you believe this is a foregone conclusion.

COHEN: I think it is, but I think we have a chance to put it off until 2028 because of the fact that the elections have started. We already had our filing deadlines March the 10th, a withdrawal deadline March 17, and three opponents of mine and myself, we have been campaigning now for several months.

I have since October. And my -- one of my opponents before (INAUDIBLE) and another one for whatever time it is.

BROWN: So, I want to follow up on that Supreme Court case you mentioned. It threw out the black majority district created in Louisiana.

And it has certainly made it harder to challenge redistricting plans as discriminatory. But, as you know, Congressman, Democrats have also been redrawing their maps for partisan advantage in places like Virginia and California. Is your party just as culpable here?

COHEN: No.

Our party did it because Donald Trump called Texas and said, get me four or five votes. And he got them. Gavin Newsom said, OK, I'm going to get five votes back to make it equal. And then Donald Trump got Missouri to do to Congressman Cleaver just as they did to me and his district and my district. And they have taken Kansas City and drawn it about 150 miles out into Missouri and turned it into -- be a Republican district.

Emanuel Cleaver is a great congressman. He shouldn't have been done like that. But the Republicans started it. The Republicans have continued it. What they have done in Florida is despicable. This has turned all of our electoral politics -- I mean, redistricting is supposed to be done by compactness of districts, people who have commonality of interests.

That was the rule. That's what Tennessee had -- has right now. That will end. And Kansas City had it too. They had a district there that was predominantly Kansas City. Kansas City people have a commonality of interests and it was a compact district.

[11:25:10]

But they changed it all for Donald Trump. And Donald Trump couldn't care less about America's great historic cities or people in those cities. The House of Representatives has always been known as the people's house. Now it will be Trump's house.

BROWN: Right.

And all of this is happening not necessarily tied to the census, which it typically is when it comes to redistricting. And I understand your argument that President Trump began this redistricting battle, but what do you say to people skeptical of this push by both parties, who simply feel two wrongs don't make a right? COHEN: Well, I don't know about two wrongs not making a right.

I have had a bill since 2011. It's called the John Tanner-Jim Cooper law that would create national bipartisan independent redistricting committees. And many Democratic states have those. New York state has one. California has one.

And that's why they had to go -- and California went to the courts to change it. And they vowed to return it after 2030. These are emergency times. We are looking at fascism, looking down the throat of fascism and the end of democracy and the rule of law around the world, but in America particularly.

And so it's necessary to respond to this fascist attack with these actions. And I'm proud of our Democrats who have done it, changed their districts in response to what Trump has done.

Trump cannot have a two -- last two years where he doesn't have oversight from a Democratic Congress that can expose his corruption, the most corrupt president in the history of this country, taking billions of dollars in crypto money, taking billions of dollars violating the Emoluments Clause, and taking millions and millions of dollars with pardons that he sells.

BROWN: Well, the White House would dispute...

COHEN: This is the corruption of our whole system. And all of our founding fathers would be turning over.

BROWN: Right. The White House would dispute that.

But, really quick, I want to get to another political story, because we're running out of time. We're following the California gubernatorial debate. The state holds a jungle primary, meaning that the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, will advance to the general election.

Do you have any concerns that Democrats could split their votes and two Republican candidates could end up at the top of the ticket?

COHEN: That's certainly a concern. And the two Republican candidates aren't -- it's not like it's people from the past, Christopher or even Arnold Schwarzenegger.

These are -- one of them is a -- I think a radio talk show guy who is an extreme right-winger. And the other guy is a sheriff who likes to lock people up. They don't have their best candidates going forward. And one -- they both could end up in the run-off and the Democrats get shut out.

It's just part of what happened with Eric Swalwell and the fact that we didn't have a specific candidates that we could have. I just -- again, it may be necessary that the wealthier man run, spend more of his money and win this for the Democrats, but win this for California and win this for good government.

BROWN: You're talking about Steyer.

All right, Congressman Steve Cohen of Tennessee.

COHEN: Yes.

BROWN: Thank you so much.

And don't miss CNN's California governor primary debate tonight. Live coverage starts at 9:00 Eastern and 6:00 Pacific -- Wolf.

BLITZER: And up next: investigated for attending a vigil.

CNN's exclusive new reporting on the Department of Veterans Affairs investigating employees who honored Alex Pretti, the VA nurse killed by federal immigration officials in Minneapolis.

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