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Trump Says, U.S. Will Bomb the Sh*t Out of Oman if They Interfere With Reopening Strait of Hormuz; Tropical Storm Lala Leaves Widespread Damage in Hawaii; . Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired August 17, 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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PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, the clock has run out. The 60-day pause in the U.S.-Iran agreement expired. This as President Trump issues a new threat to Oman.

Also mounting questions, concerns on the USS Abraham Lincoln. And this morning, a top commander in the Navy is speaking out.

Plus, Hawaii takes a hit. New damage reports coming in. Tens of thousands of people are without power.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: And happening now, diplomacy under pressure. Jared Kushner sitting down with Benjamin Netanyahu. The push for peace facing growing and growing skepticism. Can Kushner break the deadlock?

Plus, a stunning refusal, Todd Blanche declining to pledge independence from the White House. The political firestorm growing this morning.

And Meta in the hot seat, a major trial set for this week. The key question, did its platforms help drive addiction among young users?

Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer with Pamela Brown, and you're in The Situation Room.

New this morning, a new threat for President Trump as a window formally closes in the war with Iran. Today marks the end of the Memorandum of Understanding, as it's called, and its 60-day deadline for peace talks between the U.S. and Iran.

This morning, there are no plans in sight to end the war. And while it's not clear what happens next, President Trump is lashing out. nd one very unlikely target is Oman, a key U.S. ally in the Middle East, and a broker in trying to seek a deal with Iran to try to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. This morning, the president tells Fox News, and I'm quoting the president right now, listen to this, if Oman gets in the way, we'll bomb the shit out of them. Those are the president's words. He also downplays the urgency of a deal, as war-weary Americans deal with high gas and oil prices, and his, quote, once again, I have no time schedule. I'm not in a hurry, end quote. CNN's Betsy Klein is over at the White House for us. Betsy, what are you learning this morning?

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, Wolf, back when the U.S. and Iran had reached that Memorandum of Understanding to stop the fighting, and it would kick-start a 60-day period for technical discussions on some of the thornier nuclear issues, that 60-day deadline has officially expired as of today.

So, where are we? This deal is effectively in shambles. The Strait of Hormuz traffic there in that critical oil thoroughfare is essentially at relative standstill. And the president now issuing this new warning to a key U.S. ally, Oman, that has served as an intermediary in these talks between Iran and the U.S., particularly on the topic of control of the Strait of Hormuz. He says, quote, if Oman gets in the way, we'll bomb the shit out of them, again, the president's words there.

And this appears to be an escalation with one of the U.S.'s most important allies in this region. The president also appeared to undercut top officials, including Vice President J.D. Vance and the press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, who in recent days have suggested that getting oil prices back on track, the price of gas, is just as much of a priority for President Trump as ending this conflict and preventing Iran from having a nuclear weapon. The president posting this to social media earlier today. He says, quote, the number one goal is and always will be that Iran cannot have in any way, shape or form a nuclear weapon.

The president also making clear here that he is not in a hurry to end this conflict. The midterm elections, he says, not factoring into his thinking. Wolf?

BLITZER: Betsy, on another very sensitive international issue, the president announced he's scaling back joint U.S. military exercises with South Korea. And he called out Seoul's lack of assistance with the war involving Iran. What can you tell us about this?

KLEIN: Well, Wolf, this appears to be an olive branch to Kim Jong-un, the North Korean dictator.

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But those planned joint exercises between the U.S. and a key ally, South Korea, have begun. What's not clear is whether they have been significantly pared back at all.

Now, this is a move that the president made back in 2018 when he was trying to get Kim to come to the negotiating table here. And the president met with him three times during that first term. But there has been no known correspondence during his second term.

And since then, we have seen Iran -- or, sorry, excuse me, North Korea significantly scale up its armed forces, as well as their illegal nuclear weapons program. We've seen them getting experience on the battlefield fighting alongside Russia in Ukraine. And some experts have argued that this move lowers coalition readiness and puts U.S. troops at risk. Wolf?

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

BROWN: All right, Wolf, happening now.

White House Envoy Jared Kushner just wrapped up a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that lasted more than four hours. It took place a day after a rare meeting between Kushner and the new leader of Hamas.

Kushner is trying to salvage the Trump administration's 15-point Gaza peace plan. And sources tell CNN Kushner warned Israel not to create obstacles to the deal. Netanyahu has publicly rejected the U.S. plan.

So, let's go live now to Oren Liebermann. Where do things stand after this meeting, Oren?

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Well, it looks like U.S. envoy Jared Kushner very much has his work cut out for him. He went into this meeting, which, as you pointed out, lasted more than four and a half hours, trying to make progress on the 15-point plan that President Donald Trump put forward at the end of last month. Trump called that an historic breakthrough, one that had brought Hamas to agree to disarmament and would push forward a previous 20-point plan from last October.

That had largely stalled. Unfortunately, right now, it looks like the latest plan has also stalled. According to an Israeli source familiar with the discussions between Kushner and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Kushner pressed Netanyahu to, quote, not create obstacles as the Trump administration tried to move forward with the plans.

But Netanyahu, according to the source, responded that that would be, quote, problematic, largely because of the Israeli elections that are coming up. Netanyahu is trying to court a right-wing voter base. And because of that, he doesn't want to be seen making any concessions towards Gaza, which would be viewed by the Israeli public as concessions towards Hamas.

Because of that, he said Hamas needs to take steps first. But that's something Hamas has rejected, saying if they're going to move towards disarmament, that has to be sequenced with a halt to Israeli attacks and the beginning of an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. So, very difficult path forward for the Trump-backed peace plan in Gaza.

BROWN: All right. Oren Liebermann, thank you so much for bringing us the latest there. Wolf?

BLITZER: Also happening now, some 120,000 homes and businesses are without power across the Hawaiian Islands. Tropical Storm Lala is churning out to sea after unleashing destructive flooding and very strong winds over the weekend. ne area saw a mind-boggling 43 inches of rain.

Let's go live right now to our Meteorologist Derek Van Dam. He's in the CNN Weather Center for us. Derek, what's the latest from Hawaii?

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, Wolf, the storm now pulling away from the Hawaiian Islands, but the damage has already been done. When you start measuring rainfall in multiple feet, this is the result. Look at this torrent of water. This is normally just a casual waterfall, one of many across the big island, now a torrent of water that obviously trickles down the mountainsides and causes the destruction. Over 100 homes have been destroyed, some of them ripped right off of their slabs, their foundations, because of the force of the water.

Look at the wind gusts. This is high elevation, so Mauna Kea, about 13,800 feet. But when you start talking about wind gusts of 140 miles per hour, a lot of that wind can get extrapolated all the way to the surface. By the way, Mauna Kea saw snow, a rare -- or, excuse me, August snowfall event brought on by a hurricane, nonetheless. Still over 100,000 people without power, many of which reside across the big island of Hawaii.

But the good news here, this is just updated now. All of our flood alerts have actually been allowed to expire across the Hawaiian Islands as Tropical Storm Lala now moves away. There's still a few outer rain bands impacting Kauai and into Oahu, but no significant rainfall like we saw this past weekend.

Notice that Lala never actually made landfall, so this is proof that we don't need a hurricane to make landfall to see the destruction. Fortunately, this storm headed out to sea, nothing more than fish food in the days to come. Wolf?

BLITZER: All right, Derek Van Dam with the latest on that, thank you very, very much for coming. Pamela?

BROWN: All right, Wolf, still ahead, Hollywood mourning the loss of actress Hayden Panettiere. What we're learning about the 36-year-old's shocking death.

BLITZER: And up next, senior Customs and Border Patrol officials will soon be in Texas as backlash grows over construction for a CBP project inside a national park.

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Lots going on. You're in the Situation Room.

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BROWN: Breaking news, the Supreme Court has once again turned away President Trump's long-shot effort to deny a $5.6 million payment he was ordered to make three years ago to E. Jean Carroll.

So, let's bring in CNN's Kara Scannell. What are you learning, Kara?

KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Pamela. So, the Supreme Court denying Trump's second effort to try to get them to hear his appeal of the jury finding that he had sexually abused E. Jean Carroll and defamed her by saying that he didn't know who she was and that she made this up.

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So, now this money is in the hands of E. Jean Carroll unrestricted for her to use as she wishes. This is the end of the road as far as this appeal goes on this case, a long journey for E. Jean Carroll to get her hands on the money that the jury had awarded her three years ago.

So, the road for Trump as far as making further appeals here on this case is done. He is though continuing to try to pursue an appeal of the $83 million judgment that a second jury had awarded E. Jean Carroll finding that Trump had defamed her afterwards after that initial defamation.

So, there is still more of a legal fight ahead for E. Jean Carroll, but now she has this $5.6 million with no strings attached to use however she wants. Pamela?

BROWN: So, bottom line, I mean, at this point, does Trump have to pay E. Jean Carroll the money?

SCANNELL: Well, E. Jean Carroll already has the money. The judge who oversaw the trial required Trump to put it in a court-controlled ESCO account, and when the Supreme Court earlier this summer had denied Trump's petition for cert, that money was transferred to E. Jean Carroll.

Now, Trump's lawyers were trying to continue to fight that. They asked the Second Circuit Court of Appeals to stop her from using that money. But that appeal now seems moot because it was all contingent on the second effort of trying to get the Supreme Court to reconsider their initial denial.

Now, the Supreme Court this morning saying they are not going to hear it, so there is no more legal option for Trump. So, this money is now E. Jean Carroll's to use unrestricted.

BROWN: Kara Scannell, thank you so much. Wolf?

BLITZER: Also happening now, U.S. border officials are preparing to meet with a bipartisan group in Texas over President Trump's very controversial border construction plan. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott will discuss President Trump's expansive reach into Big Bend National Park. The remote region only accounts for 1 percent of illegal border crossing apprehensions. One local official who will meet with Scott spoke to CNN's Ed Lavandera.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'd be all for it if it was necessary, but it's not necessary.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Thad Cleveland is the Republican sheriff in Terrell County. He was also a Border Patrol agent for 26 years.

They want to put in vehicle barrier in a lot of this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir.

LAVANDERA: In his office, he showed us a map of where the plan in his county is to put about 160 miles of steel vehicle barriers along the Rio Grande. There's only one problem.

And these are places where it's physically impossible to drive a car through.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 100 percent.

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BLITZER: All right. Let's go live to CNN Correspondent Priscilla Alvarez, who's here with me in the situation room right now. Priscilla, federal contractors already broke ground for what's being described as an access road. So, what are locals calling for instead of a border wall?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, for that reason, tensions on the ground have been escalating because now they are seeing the construction take place in this very remote sector along the U.S.- Mexico border that, as you heard from there, it is already incredibly difficult terrain for anyone to pass through.

Now, this is a quarter. It takes up a quarter of the U.S.-Mexico border. Apprehensions are very low because of the terrain. But CBP, Customs and Border Protection, has plans, and those plans are approximately 200 miles of patrol roads and detection technology, 17 miles of vehicle barriers in strategic locations. And there is no plan to build a 30-foot bollard wall in the park.

Now, the bollard wall is what someone may think of when they think of the border wall as it is in other parts of the section. That's not the plan here. But the point that locals are making is that it is still destructive to the environment for these vehicle access roads to be built, along with some of these other plans.

Now, for the Department of Homeland Security, to do this, they have waived environmental laws and other wildlife preservation laws in this sector, as well as other sectors, because the administration is dead set on making this border wall happen. The Commissioner Rodney Scott, who is going to meet with officials tomorrow, is the same person who, earlier this year, said that he plans to have the border wall done and the promise he's made to the president to have it done by the end of 2027.

And different from the first Trump administration, where sections were built, they want to have it completely done by the end of this Trump administration, which means they're accelerating all of this effort, including in the Big Bend region.

Now, the sheriffs, including Republicans, say they don't want this. They prefer other types of technology than construction in this region. Those are all of the criticisms and concerns that the commissioner will be hearing from tomorrow.

BLITZER: We'll continue to follow this story for our viewers.

Thank you very, very much, Priscilla Alvarez. Pamela?

BROWN: All right. Coming up here in The Situation Room, Wolf, landmark trial, Meta in court over child safety that could cost the social media giant more than a trillion dollars. CNN's Clare Duffy has more.

CLARE DUFFY, CNN HOST: Pamela, Meta is facing thousands of these social media addiction lawsuits. It has already lost two and settled another.

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But this trial, which opening statements start tomorrow, could have the biggest consequences yet for the company. And if Meta loses, this could fundamentally reshape how social media operates.

More after the break.

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BROWN: Happening now, Meta prepares for its biggest legal crisis yet. Tomorrow, a landmark multi-state federal trial kicks off as dozens of states take on the social media giant. They argue that Meta deliberately built its platforms to addict children for financial gain.

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At stake, as much as $1.4 trillion in damages and massive redesigns of Meta's platforms.

So, let's go live now to CNN Tech Reporter Clare Duffy for all the details. So, Clare, this lawsuit follows a string of court losses for Meta this year. What makes this trial significant and how is Meta responding?

DUFFY: Yes, Pamela. I mean, the stakes in this trial are just so huge. Opening statements begin in this trial in Oakland tomorrow. This is part of a consumer protection lawsuit that was brought by 29 state attorneys general. This case will be argued by four of those states, California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey.

And in addition to claiming that Meta has intentionally designed its platforms to be addictive and harmed children, these states are also arguing that Meta misled the public about the risks from its platforms and also that it illegally gathered data on children.

Now, they are seeking in this case $1.4 trillion in damages. That is nearly as much as Meta's valuation on Wall Street. They are also seeking changes to how Meta operates its platforms. So, if Meta were to lose this case, we could see really significant changes to the social media experience. Throughout this trial, we could hear from Meta executives as well as former Meta employees, also potentially researchers who study social media's impact on children.

And as you said, Pamela, Meta has faced thousands of these social media addiction cases. It has already lost two of them in New Mexico and Los Angeles. It's on the hook for around a billion dollars in damages in those two cases alone.

Now, Meta has called the claims in this state attorneys' general case unsubstantiated. A spokesperson for the company told CNN, the A.G.'s offer no proof anyone in their states was misled, claimed benign features like having an additional Instagram account somehow harmed their residents and attempts to penalize Meta for industry-wide challenges like age verification, rather than sticking to the facts of the law, the states have instead decided to chase an outlandish payout.

And, Pamela, a jury will soon have the opportunity to consider those arguments. This trial is expected to last around seven weeks.

BROWN: All right. Clare Duffy, thank you so much. We appreciate it. Wolf?

BLITZER: And just a new comments from the head of the U.S. military's Central Command after visiting the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier. What Admiral Brad Cooper now says about the mental health of the sailors on board.

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