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The Situation Room

Tupac Shakur Trial Continues; Interview With Gov. Josh Green (D-HI); Interview With Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY). Aired 11-11:30a ET

Aired August 18, 2026 - 11:00   ET

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

[11:00:00]

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Jeanie must maintain at least a 15 percent ownership stake to be the governor of a team, according to NBA rules.

All right, elsewhere, Serena and Venus taking the court together last night for the first time since 2022. They competed in the doubles at the Cincinnati Open. Looked a little rusty early. They lost 6-2 in the first set to Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearn. But they did battle back, winning the second 6-1, forcing a winner-take-all third set.

In the last set, it was a thriller. Serena and Venus, they were down 6-0, but they battled all the way back. But then, when they were down nine-eight, Venus double-faults, and that would lose them the match.

But afterwards, guys, Serena still said it was a fun night. Now we wait and see what her plans are for New York and the U.S. Open. She has not confirmed whether or not she's going to play yet, but all signs are pointing that she is going to do so, which, of course, would make Flushing Meadows a lot more fun with her there.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: I hope to be there.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: Yes.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: All right, Andy Scholes, thank you very, very much.

SCHOLES: All right.

BLITZER: And the next hour of THE SITUATION ROOM starts right now.

BROWN: Happening now: drastic reduction. New numbers show a disturbing trend of kindergartners showing up for their first day of school without their vaccines.

BLITZER: And, later, an exclusive look at Ukraine's Patriot missile launchers now sitting empty, empty at a time when Ukraine needs them the most.

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. We begin this hour with voters headed to the polls in several states.

In Alaska, there are two Dan Sullivans on the ballot in the Senate contest, and Democrat Mary Peltola hopes to get one step closer to flipping that seat.

Over on the West Coast, voters will replace former Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell in a California special election. Swalwell resigned his post and ended his gubernatorial campaign after CNN and other outlets reported on allegations of sexual assault, which he denied.

BROWN: And, over in Wyoming, there are competitive Republican contests for governor, House and Senate all taking place today. And, in Florida, term-limited Governor Ron DeSantis leaves a crowded race to succeed him.

President Trump's pick, Congressman Byron Donalds, leads the GOP field without DeSantis' endorsement, while former Republican Congressman David Jolly is running as a Democrat.

BLITZER: There is also a slew of other contests in the Sunshine State, including a crowded GOP primary that one operative called a -- quote -- "clown show" and a packed Democratic race shaken up by redistricting.

BROWN: Joining us now to discuss this and more is Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear. He is the chair of the Democratic Governors Association.

Governor, thank you for coming on.

So you're one of a few Democrats representing an otherwise red state. Are you confident at this stage in the midterm cycle that your party is doing enough to address those kitchen table issues to win back control in Washington in November?

GOV. ANDY BESHEAR (D-KY): Well, I know our Democratic gubernatorial candidates certainly are, because I'm about to get a lot of company of Democratic governors in what are perceived to be red states.

Right now, Rob Sand is up in Iowa. Amy Acton would flip Ohio if the election were today. Keisha Lance Bottoms is running a great race in Georgia, Aaron Ford in Nevada. You even look at Florida, where we now see polls that have David Jolly tied with whoever the Republican nominee will be.

And each of our candidates are running to make life a little bit easier and a little bit better. Donald Trump's tariff policy has hammered our American families, making food and back-to-school supplies and everything else more expensive. His war with Iran has skyrocketed not just the price of gasoline, but diesel that every farmer needs and how we ship our goods around this country.

The big ugly bill is shuttering rural hospitals all across America and taking food off the table of hungry families. So, yes, I believe we're going to flip the U.S. House of Representatives. We're going to make a strong run at the U.S. Senate, and we're going to win governor's races in places that people aren't expecting.

BROWN: So you have talked a lot about the impact of President Trump's tariff policies on families and farmers, but not everyone in your party, as you know, is focused on the same sorts of issues.

What would you advise progressive Democratic candidates to emphasize in the lead-up to November so that they win their general election campaigns?

BESHEAR: I think we are all talking about the same challenges to our American families.

Now, some solutions may be different, but I can work with anybody who believes that every American child should have enough to eat, that people should be able to see a doctor when they're sick, that tariff policy needs to be based on sound economic principle and not whether the president is mad about Canadian wildfires or a prosecution in Brazil.

And I think what you see are those candidates generating a lot of energy because people feel like the economy and our federal government are broken, and they're looking for solutions. And we have got to make sure that we can create that economy that works for everyone, bring down food prices, end the war in Iran and bring down the price of gasoline, make sure that people can see a doctor when they're sick.

[11:05:20]

It's time for the U.S. government to start directly negotiating drug prices through Medicaid and Medicare, and then offer that price to every American regardless of their coverage, and to make an aspirational investment in housing that ties those federal dollars to the speed at which you break ground, so we can actually solve this housing crisis.

So I think that there's lots of energy on the Democratic side, lots of candidates that truly want to fight for a better United States of America and to reignite that American dream.

BROWN: So I just -- before we move on to other important issues, I just want to hone in on Kentucky, my home state.

The bourbon industry is obviously an important one there. How worried are you about Kentucky's economy being impacted by these tariffs?

BESHEAR: Well, it it's certainly hurting our bourbon industry, but Donald Trump is hurting us more with his comments and attitude towards Canada especially.

Canada is the Kentucky's number one trading partner, and they have been a good trading partner. But because he has demeaned them, because he has questioned their sovereignty, they have taken Kentucky bourbon off their shelves, which hurts our economy. And, honestly, every Canadian deserves good Kentucky bourbon.

But, in all seriousness, it's his rash approach. It's him saying whatever he feels at any time. Look at what he's talking about with Oman, a U.S. ally, that is really hurting not just bourbon, but our standing in the world and our overall economy.

BROWN: So I want to just talk a little bit, zoom out and just look at the Democratic Party as a whole right now. I know you do not share many of the views of the Democratic Socialists of America, but several of their candidates that have been endorsed by them have toppled establishment-backed Democrats throughout this cycle.

Are you willing to consider that Democratic voters want new voices and different ideas leading the party?

BESHEAR: I think what Democratic voters want is a country that works for them. Right now, they're working hard, they're playing by the rules, but they're not getting ahead.

The average age of first-time homeownership is 40 years old. They can't take their kids on the same vacation that they went on, and they see a federal government with President Trump that is as corrupt as any we have ever seen, enriching themselves at the expense of everyone else.

So I think what voters want is fix the economy, which means bring down prices, end the war in Iran, invest in housing, and they want this government fixed too. So I believe it's time for big ideas, which many of these candidates are throwing out.

I'm in favor of a fix the darn country constitutional amendment. It would outlaw partisan gerrymandering and enshrine parts of the Voting Rights Act right there in the Constitution. It would set term limits, not just for Congress, but for the Supreme Court too, no more gaming those appointments.

It would overturn Citizens United and get corporate dollars out of our politics. And I think it's time for direct election of the president and vice president, so they have got to come to places like Kentucky, earn votes all over the country, and better reflect the country as a whole.

BROWN: Yes, I know you have been out there saying you want to get rid of the Electoral College and so forth.

But just to drill down a little bit more on the DSA, do you believe that this is a blip on the radar for the Democratic Party with these more progressive socialist candidates being elected, or do you think that this could be the future of the Democratic Party and it could be changing before our eyes in the way the Republican Party changed with Trump?

What do you think?

BESHEAR: I think the Democratic Party has to be big tent party, where people can have different ideas on how we solve a problem, as long as we agree that that problem exists.

I mean, right now the media is obsessed with differences in the Democratic Party, when the differences between the Democratic Party and the Republican Party are so stark. Yes, the DSA candidates and other Democrats may disagree on how to address hunger, but the big ugly bill the Republicans passed is causing it.

Now, DSA candidates and other Democrats may disagree on the best way to provide health care, but we all want it to be accessible, while Republicans' big ugly bill is shuttering rural hospitals. And while they passed a tax break for the wealthy, they refused to extend tax subsidies to everyday Americans.

And so I know that the media wants to create this civil war inside the Democratic Party, but the differences, and you see it in the polling right now, between Democrats and Republicans are, Democrats want to make your life easier, and Republicans have made it a whole lot harder.

BROWN: And just to be clear, we're not trying to cause a civil war. It's just trying to get your sense of where Americans are across the country in this moment as Americans grapple with affordability and other issues that are part of this conversation.

I want to talk about the absence of longtime Kentucky Republican Senator Mitch McConnell from Washington due to health reasons. You have been attempting to get updates on his status, and you said in a Sunday interview you have not heard anything back from him.

[11:10:06]

Has that changed in the last couple of days?

BESHEAR: It has not.

And, first, I hope that Senator McConnell gets better. I have known him most of my life. I wish him nothing but better health. But his response to all this is absolutely unacceptable. And it shows how this Republican-run Senate is just broken.

It is a total lack of accountability, the belief that he has no boss and answers to no one. His boss are the people of Kentucky that elect him. And he refuses to do a video for them, to call into your show or anyone else's just to show people that he's OK and capable of doing his job.

And when John Thune, who's supposed to be in charge of that Senate, is asked to show some leadership and ensure that Mitch McConnell has capacity, he says, not my issue. That's between Senator McConnell and the people of Kentucky.

None of your viewers could not show up for work for two months, not call their boss, not explain what's going on. It is unacceptable. And, listen, the legacy of Mitch McConnell, he wanted it to be the longest- serving majority leader. He wanted it to be, I guess, building up the Republican Party in Kentucky.

It's going to be how he handled this period of time. And I hope that he is one of the reasons that we get term limits. I tell you what. I'd even name the bill after him.

BROWN: All right. Well, just very quickly, he has been calling people. He called Scott Jennings or my -- the CNN contributor here at CNN, who's from Kentucky.

I'm wondering, have you been -- have you tried reaching out to him or what has that been like, the communications?

BESHEAR: Yes, I don't have the ability to reach out to him directly. We don't have each other's cell phones.

But, listen, if he can call and have a 17-minute conversation with Scott Jennings, he can have a two-minute conversation with you. That's one of the reasons that these conspiracies are out there, because it's an absolute refusal to communicate with the public.

But, Pamela, think about this. Rand Paul admitted the other day that, for two months, he hasn't heard from his fellow Republican senator from Kentucky. That's worrisome.

BROWN: All right, Governor Andy Beshear, thank you for coming on the show. We appreciate it -- Wolf.

BESHEAR: Thanks for having me.

BLITZER: Very good interview.

Still ahead: At least one person is dead in Hawaii after Hurricane Lala hit the state with destructive flooding. Tens of thousands of people in Hawaii are still without power. The Hawaii governor, Josh Green, standing by live. We will discuss what's going on in Hawaii. That's coming up next.

BROWN: And then, later: a legal case 30 years in the making. What we expect on day two of the Tupac Shakur murder trial.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:17:13]

BLITZER: Happening now: Recovery is under way in Hawaii after Hurricane Lala swept south of the islands. One person has died, and more than 70,000 are without power.

The storm brought exceptionally high heavy rainfall, over 3.5 feet, to the state's Big Island, triggering landslides and flash floods. The Hawaii governor, Josh Green, says over 100 homes were damaged and parts of a local highway collapsed, cutting critical access to a regional hospital.

The governor, Josh Green, is joining us right now.

Governor, thanks so much for joining us.

What's the latest, first of all, the latest assessment you're getting across the state? GOV. JOSH GREEN (D-HI): Well, thank you, Wolf.

People are struggling, but they're recovering. You're right. The hurricane was brutal, especially for the Big Island, for the southern part of the Big Island. That's called the Ka'u District. That's where it was about 30 miles offshore when it came to its closest point.

We haven't had a hurricane actually touch the Big Island since 1871. So they often skirt the islands just a little bit because of the mountain ranges there. But the flooding was extreme. I went there yesterday with the mayor, who is an extraordinary human being, Mayor Alameda, and we saw mud that had overcome houses.

We saw the road that had partially collapsed, and then there was a little bit of good news. The six bridges that connect the people of the Big Island in that region to the north, where there are more services, don't look like they're tragically damaged.

So, mostly, it's getting water and food to people and getting housing back for people. But we delivered water. I have the National Guard out. We have 240 National Guardsmen helping us across the state, and we will recover.

But I want to humbly thank everyone on the mainland for being so supportive of Hawaii. We know that you're dear to us and we to you, and we usually recover from these crises because you're such good partners.

BLITZER: We all love Hawaii. There's no doubt about that.

And, as you correctly point out, and, to your credit, you have been down to some of those hardest-hit areas, including a clinic you served when you first arrived at Hawaii. What did you see and hear from the people there?

GREEN: Well, that was -- that was heartbreaking. I came to Hawaii with the National Health Corps in 2000, and literally that tiny clinic in the town of Naalehu, which is right where this hurricane hit, was overwhelmed with mud and water.

But we have a new clinic that we built a few years ago, and it is solid. It's going to be able to open up again in the next couple days, when power is restored. But when people are in rural areas in Hawaii and in America and a storm like this hits, a hurricane or a tornado, like has often hit my dear friend Andy Beshear's state, people get isolated.

And so that's why we need response dollars and FEMA dollars, which we will get. That's what we saw there. I actually saw people that I used to care for as a doctor a long time ago. So that was an extraordinary thing too.

[11:20:11]

But they're beginning to heal. We just have to get them the water and power that they use to sustain life in these next couple days. BLITZER: What about additional desperately needed resources,

Governor? Are you in touch, for example, with federal authorities, including FEMA? What do you specifically need?

GREEN: I am.

So I have been in touch constantly with Secretary Mullin. He's been very supportive of us. as you know, we had a huge flood in March, and we are still recovering from that. We had two trillion gallons of water hit the islands, and that flooded a large part of Oahu and Maui and the Big Island. We lost schools on the Big Island quite near to where this hurricane hit.

But they are helping. I have maintained a very even keel with the administration. It probably works a little bit better for Hawaii because we have such a large military presence. And I have taken the approach that I will work with President Biden or President Trump or anyone who's in office if it's going to be good for my people.

And so they are in touch with me. They text me constantly. They put me in touch with White House personnel, and I ultimately will need a major disaster declaration or a federal disaster declaration from the president, in all likelihood, because one school is completely destroyed, and then several of those bridges will need help.

The road is not cheap, and there will be a couple hundred houses which lost their roofs. And even, of course, it costs us two loved ones. We lost one elderly woman in a field during the storm, and there was a terrible car accident during the height of the hurricane which also took a loving soul.

So we will ask for help.We will humbly do it. We also ask people to reach out to those that they have met in the years that they visited Hawaii and support them with some kind of generosity, because we are the most isolated landmass on the planet, Hawaii is, though maybe the most loved place to visit in America.

So, if you can, reach out. Go to the Hawaii Community Foundation or the Red Cross. They're doing incredible work to keep people sustained. But, yes, I get help from the feds. I get help from the state and county. I use our National Guard when we need them.

And, really, I use the -- this kind of sense of aloha that we have with people all across the globe, because, when we had the wildfire in 2023, hundreds of millions of dollars came to Hawaii, and donations of support and work helped us rebuild Lahaina.

It's happened, of course, on the North Shore a couple months ago when we had that flood, and now it seems to already be happening on the Big Island just two or three days after this hurricane. So we love you guys very much. We will be here if you help us heal, and you always do. So that's how we're approaching this.

BLITZER: I'm sure the people will indeed help.

Hawaii Governor Josh Green, good luck to you. Good luck to all the wonderful people in Hawaii. Thank you very much for joining us. Aloha.

GREEN: Aloha.

BLITZER: Pamela.

BROWN: Up next, Wolf: It's the defense's turn in the Lindsay Clancy trial, as they try to prove the Massachusetts woman killed her children because she was experiencing postpartum psychosis.

We will be back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:27:47]

BLITZER: Next hour, day two of the Tupac Shakur murder trial is set to get under way.

On Monday, prosecutors called Shakur's 1996 killing, and I'm quoting now, "an act of revenge," and accused Duane Keith Davis of orchestrating the killing in retaliation for an assault on his nephew. Meanwhile, the defense argued there is a lack of facts in the case and said the work of a former detective who was assigned to the case was -- quote -- "biased, sloppy, and incomplete."

CNN correspondent Jean Casarez is here with me in THE SITUATION ROOM.

Jean, what stood out to you, first of all, on day one?

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think what stood out is, 30 years has gone by, and we heard testimony that we have never heard before. There's been rumors, there are stories, but this is evidence. This is the testimony.

And there was one woman, and she was young at the time 30 years ago, Ingrid Stokes, and she and her girlfriends went from Southern California to Las Vegas for the Mike Tyson fight. So they're in their car after the fight, they're driving around, and they suddenly see that they're next to Tupac Shakur and Suge Knight.

And her girlfriend actually knew Suge Knight, so they roll down the window, they start talking, and Tupac is just very sort of solemn there, sitting in the passenger seat. So a little bit later, they're in this traffic, it's not moving. Ingrid Stokes testifies what happened next. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: While you're waiting at that light, does anything happen?

INGRID STOKES, WITNESS: Well, me and Chilane (ph) were going to change seats. I was going to drive. I'm the more aggressive driver after what -- she was nervous with them coming back in front of us so much.

So I -- me and Chilane were literally head down, taking our seat belts off when we heard the gunshots, when it's -- all hell broke loose.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And, to be fair, you didn't see those gunshots?

STOKE: No. No, no, no.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CASAREZ: And the most important thing she said, she identified a white car right there in the line of traffic, and that is the car that it's believed the shots came from.

Well, the police went to the scene, because, obviously, there was a drive-by shooting. And the first officer that got there was actually on a bicycle. His name is Garry Dale. And he was with Tupac, and he stayed with him, and he went into the ambulance with him, and they started having a conversation.

Listen to this testimony.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GARRY DALE, FORMER LAS VEGAS METROPOLITAN POLICE OFFICER: He was still talking. And I was trying to -- I was trying to convince him to tell me the name of whoever his assailants were.

(END VIDEO CLIP)