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Rubio Attempts to Calm Worried Allies Over U.S. Relations; GOP Backlash Intensifies Over Trump Anti-Weaponization Fund; Sources Say, China May Ramp Up Iran Engagement But Wary of Mediation Role. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired May 22, 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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WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, breaking news, critical meetings with allies. Right now, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is in Sweden meeting with NATO leaders just one day after he slammed that very alliance.

Plus, fund fallout. President Trump is facing very swift backlash from his own party to the so-called anti-weaponization fund, one even calling it, and I'm quoting now, stupid on stilts.

And later, sudden and shocking death, NASCAR driver Kyle Bench dies at 41 just hours after his family said he had a severe illness.

Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer. Pamela Brown is off today. You're in The Situation Room.

And we begin with the breaking news. Just minutes ago, we heard from the secretary of state, Marco Rubio. He just wrapped up a very important meeting of NATO foreign ministers. Rubio's goal is to calm allies who are unsettled by the increasingly strained relationship they have with the United States. And it comes amid President Trump's abrupt shifting of U.S. troops in Europe, and it's the first high- level NATO gathering since President Trump threatened to leave the alliance just a few days ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Well, I've said that to them. I said, if you're not going to pay, we're not going to defend. Even now it's not enough. It's really not enough. They should be paying more.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: The White House has blasted allies for refusing to help the U.S. in the Iran war. And minutes ago Rubio said NATO discussions today included the possibility of peace talks with Iran failing and the combined efforts needed. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MARCO RUBIO, SECRETARY OF STATE: But I'm saying plan B needs to be what if Iran says, no, we refuse to open the straits. Then someone's going to have to go in and do something about it. That doesn't mean we couldn't do it. We could. The United States could do it, but there are countries that have expressed an interest in potentially being a part of something like that if, in fact, we get to that point.

We don't need their help, but they're willing to do it, and I think we should take them up on it if they are. But I don't think there's been any firm commitments or firm asks today. It would be premature. But I just raise the issue that this is something we may need to confront at some point.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: All right. Let's go live right now to CNN Senior International Correspondent Melissa Bell, who's in Paris watching all of this.

Melissa, what can you tell us about today's NATO meeting?

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, this was definitely about smoothing ruffled feathers ahead of the big NATO leaders meeting that'll take place, Wolf, in Ankara in July. These were the foreign ministers really trying to patch up what has become a very testy relationship between the United States and its NATO allies, specifically, of course, because the American administration has been so clear in the fact, and Marco Rubio's repeated it again in Sweden today, of the president's disappointment with allies for not stepping up on the question of Iran.

So, what you just heard there from the secretary of state was the suggestion, and it is an idea that's been floated, that somehow beyond the coalition that is coming together to try and ensure the navigatability and the securitization of Hormuz once hostilities have ended, there is also an idea that NATO might in the end play some kind of formal role with regard to Hormuz.

That would take its 32 members unanimously agreeing to put together this mission, and that's very unlikely, Wolf, simply because many countries, in Europe specifically, are opposed to any involvement on the part of NATO. As the French put it, this is a North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It has nothing to do with the Middle East. So, I'm not sure how confident we can be about what he was just suggesting in the case of plan B being needed if Iran refused to open it. I don't think that's what you're going to see from allies.

Still, this was about also Europeans telling the United States that they were going to step up their spending and try and pacify Washington somewhat. Wolf?

BLITZER: All right. Melissa Bell in Paris for us, Melissa, thank you very much.

Also happening now, there's new fallout over President Trump's very controversial anti-weaponization fund. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche met with Republican senators yesterday, and we're told it was a fairly hostile reception from GOP lawmakers worried about the November midterm elections.

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SEN. SUSAN COLLINS (R-ME): I do not support the weaponization fund as it has been described.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need more information on it.

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY (R-LA): I just don't know how this puppy dog will work.

SEN. THOM TILLIS (R-NC): This is -- I mean, this is just stupid on stilts.

This is bad policy, it's bad timing, and it's bad politics

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: In fact, the backlash is so strong, Senate Republicans have left on their holiday break without voting to fund tens of billions of dollars for ICE and Border Patrol.

CNN Senior White House reporter Betsy Klein is joining us right now. Betsy, how is the Trump administration handling this growing Republican revolt, at least among these lawmakers?

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, Wolf, we have seen President Trump maintain a remarkable level of power and control over Republican lawmakers until now. Senate Republicans are openly in revolt after the Justice Department unveiled this $1.8 billion anti- weaponization fund, and now a major legislative priority for this White House is hanging in the balance.

The Justice Department announced this fund that it says will allow allies of the president who they say were unfairly targeted by the Justice Department to seek compensation using taxpayer funds.

Senate Republicans now lashing out, they did not get a heads-up on this. You saw a number of lawmakers taking aim at it. We heard from Senator Mitch McConnell, who described it as, quote, utterly stupid and morally wrong.

The White House seeking to do some cleanup, deploying acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to Capitol Hill yesterday, where he got an earful, by all accounts, an incredibly tense meeting.

And there's so much frustration with the weaponization fund being tied to this broader immigration package. This is tens of millions of dollars for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, along with Border Patrol, and it's unclear at this point whether they are going to have the 60 votes needed to pass this in the Senate. But for now, Trump administration officials are not planning to make any major changes to this fund imminently, according to two sources familiar with the matter, hnd President Trump reinforcing that in a post to social media moments ago. He says, quote, I gave up a lot of money in allowing the just-announced anti-weaponization fund to go forward. I could have settled my case, including the illegal release of my tax returns and the equally illegal break-in of Mar-a-Lago, for an absolute fortune. Instead, I am helping others who were so badly abused by an evil, corrupt, and weaponized Biden administration receive, at long last, justice.

Now, all of this comes as President Trump has taken aim at incumbent Republican senators in recent days, and we've seen that as Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana lost a primary over the weekend, and then the president opting against endorsing Senator John Cornyn of Texas in his competitive primary set for later this month.

Republicans are also standing up to Trump on the issue of his ballroom, which is a top priority for this president. We had expected millions of dollars to be included in that broader immigration package, but as of now, it is expected not to be included in that bill. Wolf?

BLITZER: All right, Betsy Klein reporting from the White House for us, thank you very much.

Still ahead, mourning the loss of a NASCAR legend. What we're learning right now about the passing of Kyle Busch, dead at just 41 years old.

And Memorial Day travel expected to reach record levels this weekend. CNN's Vanessa Yurkevich is watching the roads for us. Vanessa?

VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf, a record 45 million travelers expected this Memorial Day weekend. 39 million of those hitting the road, filling up at gas stations across the country, just like this one here in New Jersey. I spoke to drivers. Some say they're not going to be traveling this weekend. Another is saying they're just going to bite the bullet to have a great Memorial Day weekend. That coming up after the break.

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BLITZER: Breaking news, consumer sentiment here in the United States dropping massively this morning. The University of Michigan released new numbers just moments ago which show a 14.2 percent drop in how consumers are feeling about the U.S. economy from one year ago.

Take a look at this. Consumers are feeling less and less confident about the state of the economy despite these new numbers. The Dow though is soaring this morning, hovering above 50,000 points. We'll update you on all of that. That's coming up.

Also happening now, sources telling CNN that China may look to ramp up diplomatic engagement with both the U.S. and Iran on the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, but they say China is unlikely to serve as a mediator in the crisis provoked by Iran's effective closure of the critical waterway during the war. American officials have openly advocated for China to do more to push Iran to end the conflict, although President Trump previously said he does not need Chinese leader Xi Jinping's help.

And joining us now to discuss all of this and more is John Bolton. He previously served as national security adviser during the first Trump administration and as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under President Bush. Ambassador, thanks so much for joining us.

First of all, what's your view of this new reporting on the Chinese government's thinking at least when it comes to the Iran war?

JOHN BOLTON, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.: Well, the Chinese obviously have a lot at stake given their purchases of oil, not just from Iran, but from the Saudis and the Emiratis as well. I don't think it would necessarily be helpful to us though because with Trump just after his meeting with Xi Jinping making arm sales to Taiwan a bargaining chip, I hate to see other elements come into play here that would affect our position in the Pacific.

I think, ultimately, the only way to deal with the Iranian regime, certainly in the question of oil and opening the Strait of Hormuz, is for the U.S. and the Gulf Arabs to force it open.

BLITZER: No, let's use the military force, that's what you're saying, right?

BOLTON: I think that's the only way to restore deterrence against Iran turning access to the strait on and off like a light switch. This idea that they and the Omanis are negotiating what toll rates will be and the like is unacceptable. The other Gulf Arab states have rejected that this morning. And I think it shows the huge range of difference that still exists between Iran on the one hand, and I think not just the Gulf Arabs, but the U.S. on the other.

BLITZER: And would that include U.S. boots on the ground, American troops getting directly involved on the ground?

BOLTON: Well, I think if the operation were limited to pushing back drone launching sites, going after fast boat protected harbors and that kind of thing, a fairly limited boots on the ground, yes, I think that might well be warranted. I think if we could relieve the tension on the international economy by providing access for Gulf Arab oil back out into international markets while keeping the blockade on Iranian oil, that could go a long way toward pressuring the regime in Tehran, but eliminating the pressure on the global economy.

BLITZER: Ambassador, CNN is also learning that Iran has already restarted some of its drone production during the six-week ceasefire and is reconstituting its military much faster than initially estimated. How concerning is that to you, and how would you advise President Trump to address this specific issue right now?

BOLTON: Well, if these reports are accurate, I think it's very concerning. The six weeks of ceasefire, I think, have benefited only Iran. They enabled them to pick themselves up off the ground, dig out some of the arsenals and storage facilities that we had closed off, perhaps indeed begin significant new manufacturing of drones and perhaps ballistic missiles as well.

It tells you what this regime is all about. Even deep down into the layers of the Revolutionary Guard, they see their primary mission not as benefiting the people of Iran, but maintaining the regime. So, that's why, ultimately, I think the ceasefire will -- looking back on it, we'll see was a mistake.

BLITZER: These latest U.S. intelligence assessment that CNN is now reporting on, they seem to stand in stark contrast to what the U.S. military CENTCOM commander, Admiral Brad Cooper, told lawmakers earlier this week. Cooper testified on Tuesday that Iran cannot reconstitute a lot of this for many years rather than months. How do you read this seeming disconnect?

BOLTON: Well, there certainly is a seeming disconnect and I think it's very hard without access to the data. But I think, ultimately, American interests should be dictated by reality. And if it turns out that we didn't get as much as we thought we did, we should keep that in mind, because if we allow the regime to get up, if we declare this operation over, they will go back to doing exactly what they were doing before, as they seem to have already started. Not just on the drones, the ballistic missiles, the nuclear program, the terrorist network, and repressing their own people.

It would be a tragedy if five years from now we look back at what we've just gone through and say it was all to no avail because we left the regime in place.

BLITZER: So, you oppose the ceasefires because you make the point that only Iran is benefiting from these ceasefires, they can regroup and rebuild its military during a ceasefire. Is that right?

BOLTON: Yes. Look, I mean, I don't know what Trump's objectives are. I think it's been unclear for three months. I think the, the most justifiable objective is regime change. And I do think the regime has suffered significant damage, both in terms of material, weapons, weapons production, the economy, and in terms of its own leadership. And I think pulling back now really risks losing all the gains that we have made.

BLITZER: A final question, Ambassador, before I let you go. President Trump just announced that the United States will send an additional 5,000 military troops to Poland, an apparent reversal of some recent moves by his own Pentagon. And this has already been a topic of focus for Secretary of State Marco Rubio during his current NATO meetings in Sweden. What do you think is going on here?

BOLTON: Well, I think this is just incoherent. We had 5,000 withdrawn from Germany, then the 4,000 men deployment to Poland called back, now 5,000 going to Poland.

[10:20:01] You know, we need to have a functioning alliance. You need to have coherence and stability. That not what we see in evidence here.

There are good arguments to redeploy NATO forces from time to time. I think deployments to Poland and other states closer to where the real threat is from Russia makes sense, but it ought to be done strategically, not out of the personal pique of some foreign leader criticizing the U.S. or something other than a legitimate military reason.

BLITZER: Important point, Ambassador John Bolton. Thanks so much for joining us.

BOLTON: Thanks for having me.

BLITZER: And coming up, bombshell testimony from Jeffrey Epstein's former assistant. What she told the House Oversight Committee about being labeled a potential co-conspirator and other alleged abusers in the sex offender's network.

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BLITZER: Happening now, tens of millions of Americans, they're hitting the road or the skies this Memorial Day weekend. AAA is projecting 45 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home this holiday weekend, with the large majority expected to drive. But as people look to mark the start of summer with a weekend road trip, gas prices are hitting historic highs across the country.

CNN's Vanessa Yurkevich is reporting from Richfield, New Jersey. She's on the New Jersey Turnpike right now. Vanessa, what are drivers facing this weekend as they look to fill up their gas tanks?

YURKEVICH: Well, Wolf, AAA is projecting a record Memorial Day in terms of how many people are going to be traveling, 45 million, 39 million of those people traveling by road, by car, filling up at gas stations around the country.

The average here is $4.62 for a gallon of regular gas. That is a bit higher than the national average, which is 4.55 a gallon, but that's up more than 50 cents from a month ago and up more than $1.50 since the war broke out with Iran at the end of February. The last time we saw such high prices heading into Memorial Day weekend was in 2022 when the average was $4.61. So, we're seeing the second-highest Memorial Day gas prices on record.

I've been speaking to drivers all morning, some saying that they're not going to be driving this Memorial Day because they want to save money, some saying that they're just going to bite the bullet, and some saying that they're going to be making changes as they set out this Memorial Day.

Listen to what some of them told me earlier.

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KEVIN OFFEMARA, NEW JERSEY RESIDENT: Yes. We just filled up half a tank. It was $40. So, I can imagine like $80 for a full. So, it's a lot.

YURKEVICH: So, today you made the choice to take the hybrid on this trip, not your car?

JEMMIE WILLSON, TRAVELING TO NANTUCKET FROM MARYLAND: Yes. Actually, my car is bigger, and we decided to leave it at home. The kids are really excited about that part, being crammed in the back of the smaller car.

LEO ADAMS, TRAVELING TO NANTUCKET FROM MARYLAND: My knees always hurt. My knees always hurt in the car. I don't like it.

YURKEVICH: Yes.

ADAMS: I like being in the bigger car.

YURKEVICH: But are you okay with your parents downsizing in the car to save a little bit of money?

ADAMS: Definitely, yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YURKEVICH: So, people making changes as they set out this Memorial Day. We saw a lot of drivers actually just filling up $15, $40, $50 just to see how far it would get them, Wolf.

Wolf, and across the country, every state now is seeing an average of more than $4 a gallon. In seven states, we're seeing prices above $5 a gallon as the average. And looking forward through the rest of the summer, GasBuddy estimating that if the war continues, if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, if oil prices stay elevated, we're looking at an average of $4.80 a gallon from Memorial Day to Labor Day. That is not near the record of $5, but, certainly, Wolf, creeping up there for Americans. Wolf?

BLITZER: Yes, some places around the country, in California for example, it's getting closer and closer to $6 for regular gasoline.

All right, Vanessa Yurkevich on the New Jersey Turnpike for us, thank you very, very much.

And just ahead, the intensifying battle between states and the Trump administration over whether you should be able to bet on online prediction markets.

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