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DOJ to Seek Death Penalty for Suspect in Israeli Embassy Shooting in D.C.; Residents in Chicago Apartment Building Raided by ICE to Push to Sue DHS; Trump Kicks Off Unofficial 2028 GOP Presidential Primary. Aired 11:30-12p ET

Aired May 15, 2026 - 11:30   ET

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

[11:30:00]

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, President Trump is headed back to the White House after his historic summit with China's leader, Xi Jinping. Just hours ago, on Air Force One, the President gave reporters insights about what was discussed in those two days of meetings, from trade to the war in Iran and the U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. Trump's saying he's made no commitment on the island and that the future of arms sales is still up in the air. He's still thinking about what to do next.

And meanwhile in Cuba, nearly 10 million people plunged into darkness for up to 22 hours at a time as the island struggles with devastating blackouts. The U.S. has been enforcing an oil embargo on Cuba for nearly four months, and now the government says the country's oil reserves have run dry, further deepening the crisis for the communist regime.

And over in Ohio, new video of a deadly crash. A small plane slammed into a house in Akron, engulfing the home in flames. You see it right here. The family inside ran for their lives as smoke poured through their living room. They made it out safely with their dog. But authorities say people on board the plane have died, two people.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: We're following other breaking news right now. The U.S. Justice Department says it intends to seek the death penalty for the suspect charged with killing two Israeli embassy staff members right here in Washington, D.C. Let's bring in CNN's Katelyn Polantz, who's working the story. What are you learning, Katelyn?

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, this will be only the third death penalty case in D.C. in 50 years. It is not something that happens very often in the District of Columbia's federal court or any court. This is a very significant case both for the Justice Department and just generally because of the high-profile nature of it. It is the case where Elias Rodriguez is accused of killing a young couple as they were leaving the Capitol Jewish Museum last year, and he is accused of shooting them.

In this situation, there is a charge against him of murdering foreign officials because the pair of them, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgram, who were both killed, they worked for the Israeli embassy. And so, this ends up being a very high-profile murder case, and it is one that the Justice Department now wants to test whether they can get a capital punishment sentence for in trying Elias Rodriguez.

Now, the context here is that D.C. juries are very progressive historically. And in the past, the last time there was a death penalty case in D.C., it was Kevin Gray of the gang Murder, Inc. and a co- defendant named Rodney Moore, and they were convicted of double-digit murders. Kevin Gray was convicted of 19 murders. The jury deadlocked on whether to put him to death.

And from then on, the belief in Washington, D.C. is there is no jury that you could see that would actually want someone to be put to death and find in favor of capital punishment, even if they convict the defendant on the actual crimes. It's two parts of the jury.

And so, now, we are going to see quite a test for the Justice Department going forward, and also for a very significant case. The capital punishment trials are very, very lengthy. There's a lot that goes into them. They are not just regular homicide trials.

And so, this case now and how this plays out, now the Justice Department says, we want to seek the death penalty against Elias Rodriguez for the intentional killing of these two Israeli embassy staff members. This is going to be a monumental case of how the justice system responds to something like this in the nation's capital.

BLITZER: And this was an open event at the Capitol Jewish Museum here in Washington, and it had been announced in advance what was taking place. The suspect in this case was staking it out, I assume, right?

POLANTZ: That is part of the allegations against him that he was specifically targeting this. And of course, there is a very clear message in this that it was part of his dissatisfaction, allegedly, with Israeli -- Israel, the State of Israel, and these two, or anyone who was working for the Israeli government at that time. So, it came at a moment of very intense politics. And it's clearly something the Justice Department wants to see and seek the maximum possible sentence in the American justice system against this defendant.

[11:35:00]

BLITZER: Yes. Two people who were killed, young people. Very sad, indeed. All right. Thanks very much, Katelyn Polantz, reporting.

There's other news that's happening now. There are $200,000 reward right now for information on a former U.S. service member accused of spying for Iran. The FBI says it believes the U.S. Air Force intelligence specialist, Monica Witt, defected to Iran back in 2013. She was later charged with revealing a highly classified U.S. intelligence program. U.S. officials say they don't know where she is, but it's likely she's still supporting Iran's, they say, quote, nefarious activities.

BROWN: What a story.

BLITZER: Yes. BROWN: And new this morning, a legal fight is brewing after a controversial immigration raid. More than a dozen residents in one Chicago apartment building are suing the Department of Homeland Security, accusing the agency of using excessive force and targeting people based on their race during an operation last fall. CNN's Omar Jimenez has this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This video was produced by the Department of Homeland Security like a scene out of a movie. Law enforcement rappelling from helicopters and storming a building on the south side of Chicago in September during an immigration raid, resulting in the arrest of 37 people.

Now, 18 people from the building are claiming in new filings they were victims of an unprecedented militarized raid that resulted in emotional trauma, physical injuries and brutal detention, as well as property damage and loss. Specifically, one man, Jose Miguel Jimenez Lopez, claimed an agent upon pointing his gun at Mr. Jimenez. One agent said to the other agents, here's another one.

And that later, when he presented a city of Chicago I.D. card, the agents falsely claimed his identification was not real and they physically broke the I.D. card in front of him. Another said when he was on the floor and zip tied, agents asked him if he was Aragua. Not everyone is identified by name in these claims.

One six-year-old, IDed simply as J.M., was woken up as the complaint says agents broke down the door to the apartment and entered the bedroom, pointing large guns at J.M.'s family, flashing lights and shouting to get out.

NICOLE HALLETT, ATTORNEY REPRESENTING CLAIMS: It looked like something out of a military action abroad.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): Nicole Hallett is one of many attorneys representing these administrative claims, which are a required prerequisite to a lawsuit against the federal government.

HALLETT: What we're trying to do in this lawsuit is hold the federal government accountable for what it did to them and to try to seek justice for them and make a point that the federal government cannot do this kind of thing without there being consequences.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): Not long after the raid, federal officials defended their tactics.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We had 300 law enforcement officers in and around that five-story apartment going after those Tren de Aragua members. That overwhelming force does keep our agents safe.

JIMENEZ (voice-over): The Department of Homeland Security said Thursday the operation resulted in the arrest of two confirmed Tren de Aragua members, though no one was ever federally charged in that jurisdiction, according to the Northern District of Illinois. Many were detained and eventually removed from the country, Hallett says. But for her, pushing back on the tactics used to detain people that night represents more than just their case.

HALLETT: This is not just about this one particular raid, but it's really about standing up to the government and saying this is not acceptable.

JIMENEZ: And by the way, the two people we mentioned are not part of Tren de Aragua, as their attorneys tell us. Now, we also reached out to the Department of Homeland Security as part of this, who defended this operation, saying in part, this operation was in full compliance of the law. But they also said that the arrest included many with criminal histories. Those who are in the country illegally, though we should note the attorney Hallett, who you just heard from, told us many of their clients were in active immigration proceedings with court dates scheduled in the future.

And then on how things unfolded in particular, DHS said that in a building like this, conducting operations is dangerous business and that people often act erratically in the face of law enforcement. But then when you zoom out in terms of those that are actually bringing these claims, this is just the latest in a number of similar legal efforts happening in places across the country tied to immigration enforcement tactics as they try to get to some form of government accountability.

Omar Jimenez, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And thanks, Omar, for that report. Meanwhile, the 2028 presidential campaign is already underway, at least unofficially. President Trump polled the crowd at a White House event this week about their choice to lead the Republican ticket leading Vice President Jody J.D. Vance to respond to this. Listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Who is it going to be? Is it going to be J.D.? Is it going to be somebody else? I don't know. Who -- does anybody have -- OK. Let's go. You ready? Who likes J.D. Vance? Who likes Marco Rubio? All right. Sounds like a good ticket.

[11:40:00]

J.D. VANCE, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: I just don't think it sounds like the president of the United States to have a televised competition for who would succeed him as his apprentice. I just think that's not at all what you would expect the president to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: And joining us now in the Situation Room, Michael Smerconish, the CNN political commentator. Michael is the host of CNN's "Smerconish" and the Michael Smerconish program on SiriusXM. Michael, thanks as usual for joining us. You've been polling your viewers and listeners about the 2028 upcoming election. What do you think of the Republican choices?

MICHAEL SMERCONISH, CNN HOST, "SMERCONISH": Well, the first thing that I hear from folks is, oh, my gosh, do we have to talk about this already? And then, Wolf, everybody's into it. With regard to the president, I think he loves this. You know, he thrives on controversy. And the vice president made a good point. Of course, this is like the apprentice for him.

But on a serious side, you look at some of the very early polling data and it suggests that Secretary Rubio is rising. There's been a change in terms of how he's perceived among Republicans, maybe because of all the assignments he's been given by the president. I don't think a coronation is a good thing. I think we saw that in 2024 with Vice President Kamala Harris. I always believed that if there had been a mini or a blitz primary, it would have been to her advantage or the advantage of whomever emerged from that process.

So, the only thing I'm secure in saying is I don't think it's going to be that J.D. Vance is anointed by President Trump. It's smooth sailing and he wins the nomination.

BLITZER: President Trump has really put the spotlight on his vice president and his secretary of state this week. But what about Democrats, Michael? What names come to mind?

SMERCONISH: AOC gets a lot of attention, Wolf. And it's that old issue. It reminds me of Bernie, because there's passion within the base for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. But then you say, OK, but could she win a general election? And then by way of comparison, I look at the approach of Rahm Emanuel. And Rahm Emanuel is out there issuing policy statements, writing opinion columns, listening. I don't think he's fundraising. Maybe he is. But he's taking a different approach of trying to reach people on a cerebral basis. And I say to myself, that guy might win a general election. But could he win a nomination in this incarnation of the Democratic Party?

So, it's a lot of the same issues. It's the passionate base on both sides. And yet, it's the realism that you can't just win a nomination, you've got to be able to win the general election.

BLITZER: A different story I want to get to, a story that's gone under the radar a lot this week. The CIA director John Ratcliffe's trip to Cuba to meet with Cuban government officials there. Do you see Cuba becoming the next Venezuela during President Trump's term, or could the nation have a different future in store?

SMERCONISH: I think this is sad. I've been to that island twice. They're good people. You know, our mothers told us that sugar was more appealing than vinegar. I like the approach that was begun. Now, if I say this then to the MAGA base, this is the last thing they want to hear. But I thought that President Obama was on the right path in trying to reestablish relationships with Cubans because the embargo benefited the Castro's.

The embargo was a total failure. All it did was prop up the Castro brothers and give them a boogeyman that they could point to for the economic conditions and say we'd be in much better position except for the United States. We ought to be trading with Cuba. And the part that I think is sad is that since we've taken control of Venezuela, they've been literally shut off of oil. And there's desperation, according to all the media accounts and people who are there now. I just -- I wish it were different, and I think there's a better approach.

BLITZER: Yes, good point. Let's turn to another major issue. I know you've been following, a lot of us have been following, the redistricting arms race that's going on in the last few minutes. Long- time Democratic Congressman Steve Cohen of Tennessee actually ended his re-election campaign because he's effectively been drawn out of his seat. What do you make of these latest developments in the various states, especially in the South?

SMERCONISH: I don't like any of it. I didn't like it when Texas started. I don't like that California then followed suit. I thought that California was the model. You know, what had happened under Governor Schwarzenegger and instituting the nonpartisan drawing of boundary lines, I thought they were the model and that they should have been emulated. And then they followed everybody else. So, I'm casting aspersions on all houses.

[11:45:00]

The net effect of this, Wolf, is that I thought this was going to be a wave year for Democrats and that they would surely retake the House. Now, I say it's most likely that Democrats retake the House of Representatives, but by a closer margin than we believed previously.

BLITZER: Yes, excellent point. Michael Smerconish, as usual, thank you very, very much.

SMERCONISH: Thank you.

BLITZER: And to our viewers, be sure to tune in to "Smerconish" tomorrow morning, 9:00 a.m. Eastern, right here on CNN. Excellent show.

And coming up, the nine-week-old stepping up to the bat for his Major League Baseball debut. He's right here in the Situation Room. And Pam, right now, take a look. There she is. She's with Natty. We'll have a live report.

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[11:50:00]

BLITZER: Happening now, my Washington Nationals, my team, they have a new puppy stepping up to the plate, Natty. He's a two-month-old golden retriever and lab mix and the newest member of the Washington Nationals.

BROWN: And at just three baseballs tall, he is growing into his role, but you can bet the rookie will be taking it all in stride. Natty will make his major league debut in tonight's game against the Orioles. BLITZER: And joining us now, the legend himself, Natty, right here in the Situation Room, along with Jason Sinnarajah and the national -- he's the Nationals President of Business Operations. And Debra Dougherty, the Senior Major Gifts Officer for Canine Companions. Jason, tell us about this major decision with Natty.

JASON SINNARAJAH, PRESIDENT OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS, WASHINGTON NATIONALS: Well, you know, who doesn't love dogs, right, Wolf?

BLITZER: Yes.

SINNARAJAH: But we want to bring joy and happiness to all of our fans and having a dog is an extension of that. We have a wonderful partnership with Canine Companions and Eukanuba, and we're excited to have Natty in our Nats family.

BROWN: Well, and she's got her -- he, I should say, got his big debut tonight.

SINNARAJAH: Yes.

BROWN: And also, not just a mascot role, but other role as well, Debra. And I want you to talk to us about that, how you're training him to be a Canine Companion.

DEBRA DOUGHERTY, SENIOR MAJOR GIFTS OFFICER, CANINE COMPANIONS: So, our volunteers are here with us also today, Jackie and Laura. And he is -- they are actually giving him the first 18 months of training of his life. They're going to socialize him and bring him to the National Park to meet all the players, meet all the fans. And they, from there he'll grow until he's 18 months (INAUDIBLE). Hello. You have a lot to say this morning.

BROWN: He's got a lot to say. A lot to say here.

DOUGHERTY: Are you saying hello?

BLITZER: He is excited, Natty, and he's excited about the big game tonight too.

DOUGHERTY: Absolutely.

BLITZER: Is he starting? Is he -- you know, he's going to be a starter, right?

SINNARAJAH: He may be coming on the bullpen, but no, we have a great -- you know, we have a game tonight against Baltimore, a big crowd, and Natty's going to make his Major League debut today.

BLITZER: It's a big rivalry, the Nationals and the Orioles.

SINNARAJAH: It is a big rivalry. We'll have a lot of fans, but hopefully, we'll have more fans wearing Nationals Navy tonight.

BLITZER: And Natty's a Nationals fan, obviously.

SINNARAJAH: Oh, yes.

BLITZER: Yes.

DOUGHERTY: Absolutely. He's all ready.

BLITZER: He's a Nationals fan.

BROWN: On that note, what is Natty's origin story? Where was he born? How did he make it here to Washington, D.C. to become the Nationals mascot, Debbie?

DOUGHERTY: So, he was born in Santa Rosa, California, which is where our National Headquarters are located. And he stayed there for about eight weeks in the home of what we call a breeder, caretaker, volunteer. And then he was selected to come here with one of his siblings, who's also in the area. And Natty, it will be -- yes, he'll be working with the Nationals and helping them and just giving them some goodwill and motivation, maybe, and feel good before the games start.

BLITZER: Natty's going to be famous after appearing here in the Situation Room.

SINNARAJAH: Yes. Well, yes, he's already famous. He's done a lot of media in the last few days.

BLITZER: He's talking right now.

SINNARAJAH: He's got his own social accounts.

BROWN: He really had media training.

SINNARAJAH: He's got his social accounts. A lot of people are really interested in this.

BLITZER: You know, Pamela's got a little -- a cute little dog, too, you know.

SINNARAJAH: Oh, yes.

BLITZER: Named -- well --

BROWN: The team was kidding with me. They said, last time we had a puppy on set for the Puppy Bowl, I adopted the puppy, Lucy Blitz. But I don't think Natty's up for adoption. So, tell us what's going to happen with Natty after he completes his canine companions training and fulfills his role as a mascot.

DOUGHERTY: So, he will come to our Regional Training Center in New York. He will come to the Regional Training Center in New York with all his basic commands that our wonderful volunteers are going to give him. And then he'll be assessed for temperament, health-wise, go through a battery of tests to ensure he's in optimal health. And then he'll start his service training, his more advanced commands with our professional instructors. And then he'll be matched with somebody who is on our wait list, somebody with a disability in the area between Maine and Virginia. And he will train with them and then go off and work with them and enhance their independence and confidence.

BLITZER: If people want to help canine companions, what should they do?

DOUGHERTY: There are several ways. They can -- through the website, everything they can find is on the website canine.org. They can volunteer to raise a puppy. They can volunteer to help us with fundraising because we do not charge for these dogs. And we invest a minimum of $50,000. Oh, hello.

BLITZER: I think Natty wants to join me.

BROWN: Oh, my God. I was saying.

BLITZER: Natty keeps saying, where's Wolf? Here I am. All right. Natty, it's you and me.

SINNARAJAH: Oh, there you go.

BLITZER: Look at that camera and say hi. OK. Let me hear from you, Natty.

SINNARAJAH: Go Nats, go.

BROWN: I have to say, after holding Natty in the green room, Natty has such a calm temperament for a puppy.

BLITZER: Yes, she's got some pounds.

DOUGHERTY: Yes.

BLITZER: Yes. He's got some pounds.

BROWN: He's got some -- we've got to get her --

BLITZER: Natty wants to kiss me.

BLITZER: Very sweet. And Natty will probably be resting after this for the big debut tonight, right?

[11:55:00]

SINNARAJAH: Yes, getting his rest for the game tonight, and we're excited to show him off.

BROWN: OK.

BLITZER: And I'll leave you with these words. Go Nats.

SINNARAJAH: Go Nats. Absolutely.

BLITZER: All right. Let's hope for the best.

SINNARAJAH: Thank you.

BLITZER: We're not shy about that. Jason and Debra, thanks very, very much. And to our viewers, thanks very much for joining us this morning. And, Natty, thanks to you as well.

BROWN: Thank you, Natty. Inside Politics with our friend and colleague Daba Bash starts right now.

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