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The Situation Room

Status of Iran War?; Interview With Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT); San Diego Mosque Shooting Victims Honored. Aired 10:30a-11a ET

Aired May 20, 2026 - 10:30   ET

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

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JIM SCIUTTO, CNN HOST: Happening now: Rescues and evacuations are underway in Southern California, as multiple wildfires are now spreading. There are more than a dozen fires currently scorching the state, some still at zero percent containment.

So far, four people have been injured. Minnesota is now the first state to ban prediction markets. In response, the Trump administration has now sued the state, trying to block the law from taking effect in August.

CNN has a partnership with the prediction market Kalshi and uses its data to cover major events. However, editorial employees are not allowed to participate in prediction markets, we should note.

And a close call, a very close one, for one driver in Wisconsin. A woman was driving in a tunnel when she felt something hit her car. Turns out it was a three-foot steel beam. Thankfully, it didn't go fully through her car's roof, but she says, quite understandably, she's still recovering mentally.

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JOYCE ROBERTSON-HOYT, WISCONSIN DRIVER: It wasn't until I got actually back in the car that I looked in the passenger ceiling and saw that it was actually sticking about eight inches into the passenger side of the cabin.

Probably need some days maybe of not driving the car, not that I'm driving this car anyway, but just a little bit of time to kind of calm down from everything. But, yes, I will -- we will have to try to figure out how to get a new vehicle and move forward.

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SCIUTTO: Yes, and how that thing fell out of the roof. Officials say they're doing an in-depth inspection into exactly how this happened. Happening now: a community in San Diego honoring the three victims who

died during a shooting at a mosque on Monday at a prayer vigil held yesterday evening. The three victims were praised for their heroism and preventing more deaths.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When we go inside the Islamic Center to pray, he stands at the gate protecting our backs.

If it was not for him sacrificing his own life, the result of this attack would be much worse, much worse.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Remember, there's a children's school there as well.

Also, new overnight, officials say the attackers shared a live video of the shooting, as well as a lengthy written document citing racist, Islamophobic, and antisemitic ideology.

Let's go live now to see CNN senior investigative correspondent Kyung Lah. She's in San Diego this morning.

Tell us about this live video of the shooting. We've seen this before on some mass shootings, just an awful, awful thing to imagine.

KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is terrible, and it is extraordinarily graphic, which is why we're not sharing it with you.

But CNN has reviewed a recorded livestream. It looks like a live video that was pushed out by these two gunmen as they were approaching. So, what does this show? It shows them arriving here at the Islamic Center of San Diego. They are in the parking lot.

You can see them carrying weapons, walking into the Islamic Center, making it into the foyer, and then shooting out towards the parking lot. You do see a victim on the ground.

Now, this is something that we will show you. It is Ring camera that was obtained by CNN in the neighborhood. And this is one of those ordinary Ring cameras. But you see that white vehicle. And the two people, the teenagers who are in that vehicle, are shooting out of the car windows.

Then, I can talk to you a little bit more about this recorded livestream. The video picks up in a different area of this neighborhood. And it is there that you see these two teens basically ending their lives with the weapons they used inside the Islamic Center.

Of interest to researchers here is that the guns had markings on them. That is something we have heard the police talk about. Those markings have references to Nazism. There are runes and codes that reflect Nazism. There is also a 75-page manifesto that CNN did review. It appears to be written by those two gunmen -- Jim.

SCIUTTO: Just awful events.

Kyung Lah, thanks so much.

Well, happening this morning, we are standing by for possible news that the U.S. will indict Raul Castro. Sources tell CNN that federal prosecutors have been looking into charging Cuba's former leader for his alleged role in the 1996 shoot-down of two civilian planes in international airspace. The planes belonged to a Cuban American group called Brothers to the Rescue.

Three Americans were among four people killed. Castro was Cuba's defense minister at the time. The Justice Department has said it will make an announcement today in Miami in conjunction with a ceremony to honor the victims of that shoot-down. The DOJ has not been clear about the details, however.

Joining us now, Congressman Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee.

Congressman, thanks for taking the time.

REP. JIM HIMES (D-CT): Thanks for having me.

SCIUTTO: So, first question.

President Trump has spoken repeatedly of -- quote -- "taking Cuba." Do you believe this indictment might be a step towards regime change or an attempt at regime change in Cuba by this administration?

HIMES: Well, none of us can predict what's going to happen, especially with this president.

But it echoes what happened in Venezuela, right, where everything was teed up to be about Maduro is a criminal and the -- in fact, the military raid to extract him from Caracas was framed as a kind of law enforcement action. Never mind the fact that it involved much of the Pentagon.

But I don't know that any decisions have been taken. Obviously, yet another military adventure by a president who has forgotten his constituency and the American people. It would be a terrible idea. But, no, it's very possible that that's what we're seeing happen here.

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SCIUTTO: Given that this might be following a Venezuela model here, would you support Castro's indictment first and removal later, if the administration were to support that?

HIMES: Well, I would say this. Legal accountability is critical.

And, by the way, the Trump administration people may think about that as they undertake illegal wars and illegal actions, for example, the double-tap strike on the two individuals, the drug runners who were clinging to a sinking boat. Accountability is important for everybody. We care about justice. And so, in fact, if there's a case to be made against Raul Castro, let the facts play out.

What is not OK is us deciding that we are going to use the military to enforce global laws. That's not what the military is for. And so, again, the president has talked for a very long time about going after Cuba. It is possible that Raul Castro undertook criminal activities, not a concept that would be entirely foreign to the occupant of the Oval Office himself.

But the use of American military force is not OK, and it is certainly not OK when it is not approved by the United States Congress, as the Constitution demands.

SCIUTTO: Let's talk about the other war still under way, and that is the U.S. war with Iran.

There have been multiple us assessments indicating that Iran retains a significant missile capability. Without revealing classified information, given your position on the House Intelligence Committee, do you believe the Trump administration has exaggerated the success of the Iran war?

HIMES: Well, of course they have, right?

I mean, you need look no further than the fact that, nine months ago, the nuclear program, in the words of the president, was obliterated. And now every time he opens his mouth, the next thing we're going to do is to make sure that this program that he obliterated nine months ago doesn't allow them to ultimately build a bomb.

So it will surprise nobody to know that Donald Trump, whenever he opens his mouth, massively exaggerates. What is really problematic here, though, is that, look, we have done grave military damage to Iran. The president is right when he says that the navy is at the bottom of the ocean. They don't have a lot of planes.

But they still retain the capability to do an immense amount of damage to the energy infrastructure in places like the UAE and Qatar. They retain the capability to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed, and therefore to force Americans to pay $1.75 more for a gallon of gas.

So, yes, the navy may be at the bottom of the ocean, but make no mistake about who is in the driver's seat with respect to having the leverage in an ultimate negotiation.

SCIUTTO: "The New York Times" is reporting that the regime change plan for Iran, including reinstalling Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as leader, as you know -- and I spent a lot of time in Iran when he was in charge.

He expanded Iran's nuclear program during his leadership. He threatened the existence of Israel, the right of Israel to exist. Was that a wise or practical regime change plan for Iran?

HIMES: Well, let me use the right word, which I think is insane, right, for at least two reasons. There's probably 20 reasons, but there's two obvious reasons.

Number one, you're exactly right. For the American people who may not remember who Ahmadinejad was, he was a vicious extremist when he was president of Iran. He was leading the chants on "Death to America," absolutely vicious. So the idea of putting him in place as a moderate leader, that's bananas.

The second thing is, oh, my God, I mean, look around the world and name for me a substantive regime change that the Americans pulled off. Did we do it in Afghanistan? No, we did not. Were we able to do it in Vietnam? No. I mean, and just the -- the idea that you can actually effect a regime change using nothing but airpower is belied by every single historical fact in the last 100 years.

SCIUTTO: Before we go, as you know, Putin is meeting Xi Jinping in Moscow right after President Trump went to China and claimed a great friendship with the Chinese leader.

Given the messaging we're hearing from Putin and Xi about an unprecedentedly high level of relations immediately following the Trump summit, is that a deliberate message from China as to who China's real friend is and that Trump's claims of a special relationship with China just don't have basis?

HIMES: Well, I think that both Russia and China are watching us exhaust ourselves in the Middle East, which is not unique to Donald Trump. We have been exhausting ourselves in the Middle East now for a generation.

And so, behind closed doors, you want to know what the first thing Putin and Xi are going to say to each other? Isn't it amazing that the United States doesn't have nearly the military capability that it had in Hawaii because he had to move so much stuff to Iran? The Russians are going to say, yes, amazing, lots of weapons that aren't going to fight us in Ukraine.

So the president's decision to focus first on Venezuela and then on Iran, nobody benefits militarily more than China and Russia from that decision, something to bear in mind as Americans are paying $1.50 or $2 more a gallon of gas for that war.

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SCIUTTO: And even more for diesel.

Congressman Jim Himes, thanks so much for joining.

And we will be right back.

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SCIUTTO: Breaking news: a new lawsuit filed to block the Trump administration from creating a fund for the president's allies.

Nearly $1.8 billion of taxpayer money would be set aside to compensate people who claim they were targeted by a weaponized legal system. It is largely expected to benefit who? Allies of President Trump, possibly including those who were charged for their role in January 6.

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The new lawsuit comes from former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn -- that's him there -- and a current member of the D.C. Metro Police Department. They both defended the Capitol during the insurrection. They claim the so-called anti-weaponization fund is against the law and unconstitutional.

Happening now as well, new comments from President Trump about the Iran war and the Israeli leader's willingness to hold off on resuming strikes. Have a listen.

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QUESTION: What have you said to Prime Minister Netanyahu about Iran and how long to hold off on strikes?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He's fine. He'll do whatever I want him to do. He's a very, very good man. He'll do whatever I want him to do. And he's a great guy.

To me, he's a great guy. Don't forget, he's a wartime prime minister. And he's not treated right in Israel, in my opinion. I'm right now at 99 percent in Israel. I could run for prime minister. So, maybe, after I do this, I'll go to Israel, run for prime minister.

I had a poll this morning. I'm 99 percent. So that's good. But, no, he's a wartime prime minister. And I just don't think they treat him well.

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SCIUTTO: Joining me now, CNN political and national security analyst David Sanger.

David, it's interesting. Why would the president feel the need to say Netanyahu will do whatever he wants him to do? Does that -- is that an indicator that the two leaders disagree on new strikes on Iran?

DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, it could be.

I mean, I think the first, Jim, is the sensitivity that the president must have that Israel, by some accounts, pushed him into the attacks to begin with by promising that it would be quick, that they would achieve regime change. You mentioned earlier the story my colleagues did about this plan to place former President Ahmadinejad back in power.

So, I think they had unreasonable early expectations. I think the second is that he wants to show that he's in control of the relationship now.

SCIUTTO: Has the president decided what he's going to do next? Because, I mean, he's threatened further military action multiple times and moved his own deadline multiple times. Does that indicate to you that he really does not want to continue this war?

SANGER: I think he's quite hesitant.

I think he's concerned, rightly so, that, if he goes ahead with the attacks and the Iranians attack oil infrastructure in the Gulf, that the $5-a-gallon gas you're seeing is going to go significantly higher, and that it might demonstrate that they still don't have control over countering Iran's missile capability.

We won't know until it happens. There are many arguments to believe that, ultimately, he will strike, because it's hard to imagine the Iranians giving up right now on the two things that give them the most leverage, and that is, of course, keeping the strait controlled or closed...

SCIUTTO: Yes.

SANGER: ... and, second, keeping control of the stockpile of nuclear material that's largely at Isfahan.

SCIUTTO: I want to talk about the further reduction of U.S. deployments in Europe, the latest being the cancellation of this brigade of 4,000 to go to Poland.

So, now you have got three. You have got the reduction in Romania last year, you have the reduction in Germany, and you have this. And I know that there have been some public comments from Polish officials saying, oh, we have received assurances from the Defense Department, et cetera. And you hear from the Defense Department saying that, oh, these are just moving things around, we're back to previous levels.

But the math is clear here. Is there any other message then the U.S. is reducing its defense commitment to Europe?

SANGER: Well, I think the first issue, Jim, is not necessarily what these numbers are, but how it was done, which is to say that the Poles got very little notice.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

SANGER: In fact, some of this rotation was already under way when Secretary Hegseth canceled it.

So that suggests to you that the normal process here, which would be consultation, explanation, even the explanation that we heard from Vice President Vance yesterday when he was doing the briefing at the White House that they may want to put those troops elsewhere, they didn't put out at the time.

They're sort of making them up after the case. Maybe they're legitimate explanations, but the Poles certainly felt blindsided. I think the Germans have felt that it's been retaliation for things that Chancellor Merz has said about the absence of strategy in Iran and the fact that the U.S., in Chancellor Merz's view, had been humiliated by the Iranians.

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So, each of these seem more driven...

SCIUTTO: Yes.

SANGER: ... by an emotion to show -- to come back than by a rationale.

SCIUTTO: And, we should note, Poland has done everything the administration has wanted, in fact, well ahead of many NATO allies, big defense commitments...

SANGER: That's right.

SCIUTTO: ... actual battle-ready units, et cetera.

David Sanger, thanks so much.

SANGER: Great to be with you, Jim.

SCIUTTO: Here's what's coming up all new at the top of the hour: escalating threats. Russia says that NATO member Latvia risks retaliation if it lets Ukraine launch drones from its territory. That's something that Latvian officials deny is a possibility. I'm going to speak to the foreign minister of Latvia ahead.

Plus: Who's responsible when a 6-year-old brings a gun to a school and shoots and severely injures his teacher? That is the key question in a Virginia courtroom, with a former school official now on trial there.

And a growing Ebola outbreak. How concerned should you and I be? We're going to bring you the very latest.

That's all new next hour.

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