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White House-Backed Prayer Event Stirs Controversy; Luigi Mangione in Court. Aired 10:30a-11a ET

Aired May 18, 2026 - 10:30   ET

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

[10:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: We're just getting some video in from the hearing with Luigi Mangione. Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: May I have (OFF-MIKE) please?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Joel Seidemann, Zachary Kaplan, and Kristin Bailey on behalf of the people. Good morning, Your Honor.

KAREN FRIEDMAN AGNIFILO, ATTORNEY FOR LUIGI MANGIONE: Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Marc Agnifilo, and Jacob Kaplan on behalf of Luigi Mangione. Good morning, Your Honor. Good morning, Ms. Berger (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, good morning, everyone.

So, most parties should have received a copy of the decision this morning, which grants the defendant's motion in part and denies it in part and which lays out the findings of fact and conclusions of law.

So, I'm just going to give a brief summary of the conclusions. So, as to the map issues, I find that the search of the backpack at the McDonald's was improper warrantless search, that the backpack was not within immediate control or grabbable area of the defendant.

And, further, the people fail to demonstrate exigent circumstances. Therefore, those items found in the backpack during the search at the McDonald's will be suppressed.

However, the people have established that the subsequent search of the backpack at the station was a valid inventory search, and, therefore, the items recovered at the station will not be suppressed.

So, as to the Huntley issue, I find that the defendant was not in custody until about 9:47 a.m. So, any statements before that will not be suppressed. However, as Miranda warnings were not given until some seconds after 9:48 in the morning, those statements made shortly before that in response to improper custodial questions that were not merely a request for pedigree information will be suppressed.

[10:35:26] The remaining statements will not be suppressed, as they were either spontaneous or a request for pedigree or safety-related questions.

So, those statements will be permitted. So, can you guys come up for a second?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (OFF-MIKE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, come on up first.

Just about your research. Just about your research.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I understand. I think (OFF-MIKE) issue we have to resolve. We need to know this by June 1. We can't...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: All right, I want to bring in CNN's Kara Scannell, who was inside that courtroom.

Kara, right now, we're looking at Luigi Mangione. We just heard from the judge. Help our viewers understand the significance of what we just heard and what's playing out right now.

KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, this was a ruling that was long awaited, because it would come down to what evidence would be able to go before the jury.

And what the judge has ruled here and what you just heard and listened to is, he was saying that one of the searches that was conducted at the McDonald's was illegal. And so that evidence could not come in. There wasn't a warrant.

But he did say that the evidence that was conducted -- the search that was conducted at the station once Mangione was in custody, they had done pursuant to what's called an inventory search, and that was valid and that evidence could come in.

That's why there are two distinct rulings here, the one at McDonald's, where they -- included the ammunition, the cell phone, the passport. That search, they said, was illegal because there was no danger, there was no threat. And if there is a threat to public safety or to the officers, that is something that can get over that hurdle of not having a warrant, but the judge saying here there was no threat.

You could see the bodycam footage. No one was alarmed. Mangione was several feet away from the backpack that the officers had searched at the time.

But the search at the station, which includes the alleged murder weapon, this 3-D-printed gun, including the diary of Mangione's handwriting expressing his thoughts about the health care industry, his frustrations with it, him writing, in fact, that the target is insurance, that can go in, because it was done according to the proper rules of how an inventory search is conducted in Altoona. And so the judge said that that's in. That's kind of why you have this

distinction. But the bottom line is that a large amount of evidence will still come in, key pieces of evidence, including the firearm, including the writings, which go toward motive and his mental state.

That is stuff that the jury can hear. But there will be information that exists, but that the jury will not be able to know about, including, for instance, the magazine or knowing that he had a passport on him or that he had a computer chip. That information cannot go before the jury.

That's kind of the key distinction here. And then, as it relates to those statements, essentially, the judge saying that he wasn't given this warning when he was in custody, and so anything that he was asked, he answered to, including "Why did you lie about your identity?" that stuff can't come in.

But anything he said spontaneously, of which there was a significant amount of testimony during the nine-day suppression hearing in December about, where Mangione was talking to corrections officers while he was in custody, where he had asked about the media coverage, where he was -- he said to them that he had a gun in his backpack, those statements can come in.

So it's a kind of technical ruling, but a real key ruling in how this case will play out as it heads to trial.

BROWN: And it's key that, even though some of the evidence can't be admitted, some crucial evidence can be, this alleged murder weapon, the notebook, as you pointed out, where he allegedly was ranting about the health care industry.

This seems to be a pretty big blow for the defense here, Kara.

SCANNELL: Yes, I mean, they would have wanted this to go the other way. They have won some other significant rulings here, including getting terrorism charges thrown out.

But they will not be able to get the gun out or his diary and his writings. And that is what is going to be a key part of the prosecution's case. They need to prove intent. They will be able to point to his writings. They can have this -- the alleged murder weapon, which they have said in court filings links to the crime scene.

And in addition to the items that we're talking about here that were subject to this challenge, there were also other items, including prosecutors have said that they found Mangione's DNA on certain pieces of evidence at the crime scene.

[10:40:01]

There is the surveillance videos that are also fair game and can come in, so the defense here only getting some small slices thrown out of this case, but the bulk of it, the most potentially incriminating evidence, the biggest hurdles for them will remain in this case, which includes the gun that authorities say they can tie to the crime scene, as well as his writings, which really go to his state of mind.

And that is going to be a key piece of evidence for the prosecution here and a big hurdle for the defense.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Kara, when did the law enforcement give him his Miranda rights, the right to remain silent?

SCANNELL: So, they had given him his Miranda rights after they had spoken with him initially at the McDonald's.

But what the judge is saying, that they then did that after they had already asked him a few questions. When, initially, it was just two officers who approached him, this had -- Mangione had no reason to think he was in custody. He was eating breakfast. He was approached by them. And so there wasn't a need to have given the Miranda rights.

But once there were now eight or nine officers in the McDonald's, that they were kind of surrounding him, if -- when -- if you remember the bodycam footage that showed them all standing around him while he was sitting at a table in the corner, that that, at that point, he needs to have his Miranda warnings to know that he was going to be in custody and questioned by the authorities.

And so anything that he was asked then, they said that that's out. But anything that Mangione volunteered, that's in, because he wasn't being asked by the authorities. It was something that he was putting forward himself.

BROWN: And, if you would, as we watch this video that's come in, Kara, bring us inside that courtroom. What was it like, I mean, being so close to Luigi Mangione as this judge was conveying this and looking at his defense team, looking at him?

Just kind of bring us inside.

SCANNELL: I was seated about three rows right behind Mangione.

And when he was walked into the courtroom, he was shackled with his hands in front of him. He's wearing the suit and the shirt, as you can see there. And it's a very short walk. He comes out of that side door that is just off the side of his table.

So he really only walks a very short distance to the table. It's a pretty packed courtroom. Most of it is press. They have about two rows in the back reserved for the public. There were a number of supporters of him there, people wearing shirts.

One person was wearing a shirt that was reflecting statements Mangione made at a prior hearing. They have a "Free Luigi" T-shirt another person was wearing. It's predominantly young women who show up here in support of him.

And then, otherwise, it's mostly media and officers in the courtroom, as you can see. And Mangione, as he was today and as he has in these other hearings, he is very interactive with his lawyers. He's often looking at them. But, as you can see, there's not much time for him to actually

understand from them what is in and what is out, because the judge kind of conveyed the top lines of it. But until you read the decision, you don't know exactly what might be in or might be out.

So, he will have to get a fuller debriefing from his attorneys at some point once he's there. But then he was very quickly escorted out of the courtroom. He never at once during this hearing looked into the galley, looked at the audience.

He has at times looked to see who's there. He seemed, though, to kind of just walk straight out with the officer, straight into that holding cell on the other side of the door of the courtroom. And then he will have an opportunity to be briefed by his lawyers afterwards and they discuss the case or whatever happens next.

The judge also said that they will have a scheduling hearing that will be virtual in just a couple of weeks, as they figure out jury selection and the timing of that, with this trial now scheduled to start on September 8 -- Pam.

BROWN: And remind our viewers what he's facing, Kara.

SCANNELL: So, if Mangione is convicted of the charges he's facing, which includes a second-degree murder charge, as well as other firearm and related offenses, if he's convicted of that second-degree murder charge, he could face a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison, so a serious charge he's facing here.

He's also being charged by federal prosecutors just around the corner...

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: OK, Kara, we're going to dip back in because the judge is now speaking. And so we're going to listen into what the judge says.

[10:45:09]

OK, so Kara -- Kara, I'm sorry. I was told the judge was speaking, but, clearly, that's not happening right now. We're going to continue to monitor this.

But again, if you would, just remind our viewers what Luigi Mangione is facing.

SCANNELL: In the state charges, he is facing a sentence of potentially 25 years to life in prison if he's convicted of the second degree murder charge.

If he is -- he's also, though, facing federal charges. And, in that case, he's facing charges of stalking related to the same alleged murder for the murder of the UnitedHealthcare CEO. Those -- in the federal case, though, he was also at one point facing the death penalty, but the judge threw that out and took that off the table. But, there, he would face life in prison if convicted. So, in either

instance, he's facing serious consequences if he is convicted of these charges. The state trial will go first. It will then be followed by the federal trial. A lot at stake for Mangione.

BLITZER: Any notion that this trial could be accelerated? Because, right now, jury selection isn't supposed to start, what, until September, right?

SCANNELL: That's right, Wolf.

This -- the trial date in this case and the federal case has shifted several times. So, I would not take anything off the table. But this judge had moved it to September, after initially setting it for July. So this was a case that has already been postponed back.

So I would anticipate that he will keep that trial date. He said he was on trial right now, so they cleared us out of the courtroom pretty quickly, because he had the jury coming in for the trial that he is overseeing right now. So they will have to still do a number of things.

There will still be the process of jury selection, putting together the questionnaire. This case undoubtedly has international public attention. There is a whole Web site set up for Mangione. Usually, a number of supporters are here for him dressed up in "Free Luigi" clothes.

So they will have to have a comprehensive questionnaire. There will be a lot of back-and-forth between the defense and the prosecution on that. And so all of that will take some time. So, I expect we will see the trial date stick, although it has changed several times, so anything is really possible.

BLITZER: All right, we will see what happens. Looks like they're taking a break in that proceeding right now.

We will stay on top of it. We will stay in close touch with you, with Joey Jackson as well. To both of you, thank you very, very much.

BROWN: We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:52:04]

BROWN: Happening now: Advocates of the separation of church and state are voicing alarm about an all-day prayer event on the National Mall yesterday.

The gathering is part of a series commemorating America's 250th birthday and featured addresses from President Trump, members of his Cabinet, along with high-profile politicians.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin."

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): Above all, Lord, grant us the courage in your favor to preserve this republic. Instill within us the same devotion that compelled 56 men to pledge their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to this grand experiment in self-governance.

PETE HEGSETH, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: Let us pray as he did. Let us pray without ceasing. Let us pray for our nation on bended knee.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: The event was backed by the White House through a mix of taxpayer funds and private donations.

And while organizers invited Americans of every background to attend, the list of faith leaders who went consisted largely of evangelical Christians.

Joining us now is Robert P. Jones, the president and founder of the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute.

And you were actually there. And, by the way, this is your book, the new book, "Backslide: Reclaiming a Faith and a Nation After the Christian Turn Against Democracy."

You were actually there. So I want you to give us your assessment, having been there. And you were talking to folks. And I wonder if you thought that this was an appropriate expression of faith by public officials or constitutionally questionable.

ROBERT P. JONES, PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER, PUBLIC RELIGION RESEARCH INSTITUTE: Yes.

Well, yes, I went really because I'm a religion scholar and I wanted to see what this event was about and see how it was presented. And what I would say is, when you walk down the Mall -- this was held on the National Mall between the U.S. Capitol and the Washington Monument, so in a very public kind of place associated with the government.

What was striking to me was that, before you heard any content that you just displayed, was the set. And that set, you saw a picture of it a minute ago, but it had these fluted columns reminiscent of like the Supreme Court or a government building on the front of the set.

And then inside the set was this projection of a stained-glass window with a cross in the middle. It wasn't a crucifix. It was a Protestant cross, an empty cross, which is used by Protestant circles.

And so, from the get-go, before you got any content, what you saw was literally the church inside the structure of the state on this thing. And then, as you said, what alarmed me, I think, is mostly that the -- it was such a narrow -- it was explicitly partisan.

There were -- all the high-profile speakers were from one political party. It was also sectarian, IN that it wasn't even broadly representative OF Christianity in the country, much less other religions. Overwhelmingly, it was evangelical Protestants.

[10:55:00]

That group, white evangelical Protestants makes up 13 percent of the country and only 20 percent of Christians. So, I think the narrowness, both in terms of partisanship and sectarian nature, and this very explicit targeting of the separation of church and state, I think, was quite striking.

BROWN: And I wonder what you say to those who were there who say, we're just trying to bring our nation back to one nation under God?

JONES: Yes.

BROWN: And some of them argue, including the speaker, Mike Johnson, that separation of church really means keeping government out of the church, but not the other way around.

And what -- I wonder what you say to that.

JONES: Yes, well, that's really not what the founders mostly said.

They said both of these things, right, that it had to go both ways, in the founders. But I think what was notable to me is that, when you listen to the full prayer of Pete Hegseth, for example, who you had praying there, he gave a fictitious account of George Washington that historians say isn't true. And then...

BROWN: An apocryphal, right...

(CROSSTALK)

JONES: Yes, apocryphal story about Washington kneeling in prayer at Valley Forge. It's a painting you'll see all over Christian nationalist sites.

But what's notable there is that he prayed -- he said, as Washington did, in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, right, so this very, again, sectarian thing. That was the thing over and over. It wasn't just God bless America, a more general sense of God or a kind of theocratic reference.

It was really this very specific claim to our lord and savior Jesus Christ, which is like one evangelical formulation of Christianity. And so you ask, well, how does this affect the 28 percent of Americans who are not religiously affiliated at all? How does it affect Buddhists or Muslims or Jews?

Like, those sentiments don't resonate. I think that was the thing that was striking to me. It wasn't just a sort of God bless America kind of event. It was really a reclaim the country for this one sector of Christianity kind of event.

BROWN: Of Christianity.

And, as you know, I've covered Christian nationalism extensively.

JONES: Yes.

BROWN: I did a documentary on it. I've covered Pete Hegseth and the way he's used faith as the leader of the Pentagon.

And I wonder, in your sense, how he has influenced his tenure leading the Pentagon, just what his -- how that has impacted DOD in a way that historically we haven't seen before.

JONES: Yes, well, it's quite striking.

And he's a member of a denomination that -- whose leader, Doug Wilson, who you interviewed...

BROWN: Yes.

JONES: ... right, has explicitly said he's a Christian nationalist, right?

And the idea is that Christians will exercise dominion over all areas of the country, and, further than that, that Christianity would exercise dominion over the entire world. I mean, that is the vision of this world.

And Pete Hegseth has been very deliberate about putting that -- he's had Doug Wilson come preach at the Pentagon. So, just saying that, that he had him preach at the Pentagon, that's not something that usually happens, right, in the Pentagon.

But that vision, you'll hear him even talking about the war in Iran, right, as a kind of cosmic war between good and evil, and we are the Christian nation fighting the Muslims, right...

(CROSSTALK)

BROWN: Yes.

JONES: ... this kind of crusader motif from the Middle Ages.

He's very comfortable using that language. It is unprecedented to have our Department of Defense talking about that, because it really takes politics -- takes us out of the realm of politics and it takes it into this kind of cosmic world of battle of good and evil with God on our side.

That becomes a very dangerous game to play, particularly when you're head of the most powerful military in the world.

BROWN: All right, Robert P. Jones, thank you so much. We're glad to have you back on the show..

JONES: Thank you, yes.

BROWN: Thank you.

BLITZER: Thanks from me as well. Appreciate it very much.

And here's what's coming up right at the top of the hour. Republican Congressman Don Bacon will join us live right here in THE SITUATION ROOM. We'll ask him about President Trump's fight to push his Republican critics out of office and what that potentially could mean for his Republican Party.

Plus, CNN's new one-on-one with CEO of Volvo, how he says his company is handling the ripple effects caused by the war with Iran.

And we're also following the breaking news on Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing a health care CEO, the big decision a judge just made on his upcoming state murder trial.

All that, that's coming up in the next hour.

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