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The Source with Kaitlan Collins
Trump To Attend Dignified Transfer For Troops Killed In Iran War; Senate Vote Fails To Rein In Trump's Iran War Powers; Noem Pressed On Calling Good, Pretti Domestic Terrorists. Aired 9-10p ET
Aired March 04, 2026 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[21:00:00]
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, ANDERSON COOPER 360: --want to point out that the Pentagon has identified the remaining two soldiers who were killed over the weekend in Kuwait. We had heard about the four. We've now learned the names of the other two.
One is Major Jeffrey O'Brien. He was from just outside Des Moines, Iowa, who was 45-years-old. Also identified was Chief Warrant Officer Robert Marzan of Sacramento, California. We do not have a photo of him. He was 54. He, and Major O'Brien, and four others died, and 18 more were seriously wounded, when their army reserve logistics unit was hit by an Iranian drone strike. Our thoughts and our prayers are with their families tonight.
That's it for us. The news continues. "THE SOURCE WITH KAITLAN COLLINS" starts now.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, CNN HOST, THE SOURCE WITH KAITLAN COLLINS: Tonight, as NATO is playing defense, and Senate Republicans here in Washington are blocking limits to President Trump's war power, his former Vice President, Mike Pence, is joining me live.
I'm Kaitlan Collins. And this is THE SOURCE.
Tonight, the Pentagon tells us the bombing campaign in Iran is intensifying. As the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff expects the United States to start, quote, Striking progressively deeper into the country. The war has now stretched in the Indian Ocean, which lies just beyond the Gulf of Oman.
And during his joint briefing with General Caine today, we heard from Secretary Hegseth, who told reporters that a U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship in international waters. It's the first time a torpedo launched from a U.S. Navy sub struck a vessel in combat since World War II.
In the middle of this expanding war, American citizens have been trapped and struggling to leave the Middle East. The State Department, just a few moments before we came on air, announced that one charter flight of Americans did leave the region today. That's the first confirmed U.S.-facilitated evacuation flight that we know of, that they are obviously trying to get more people out. At least 3,000 people have asked the administration for help getting out of all of the countries you see here, caught in the middle of all of this.
This comes, as the White House confirmed today that President Trump is going to attend the dignified transfer of the American service members who were killed in that Iranian strike in Kuwait.
The families of those service members are still coming to terms with the reality of what happened. Families like that of Sergeant Declan Coady.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEIRA COADY, SISTER OF DECLAN COADY: I still don't fully think it's real, I didn't think it was real when they told us, because I just remember all of our conversations about what he was going to do when he came back. And so we'll just be sitting and thinking about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: It's heartbreaking to hear his sister reckoning with this and this new update.
And this comes as we heard from the Commander-in-Chief today, providing a brief update on the status of this war with Iran, with the President giving this assessment of how he believes it's proceeding.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: This is very important. And we're doing very well on the war front, to put it mildly, I would say. Somebody said, On a scale of 10, where would you rate it? I said, About a 15.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Even as he gave the war such high marks, as he did there. Today, the President was also back to this reason for why he chose to attack Iran now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I think if we didn't do it first, they would have done it to Israel and give us a shot, if that was possible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: When asked today about the days of conflicting answers that we've gotten from the administration, about why this had to happen now. The White House press secretary said the decision came from the President's instincts.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: This decision to launch this operation was based on a cumulative effect of various direct threats that Iran posed to the United States of America, and the President's feeling based on fact that Iran does pose an imminent, indirect threat to the United States of America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: At the Pentagon, this morning, Secretary Hegseth, while defending the administration's handling of this war, made these two statements just minutes apart in his prepared remarks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE HEGSETH, DEFENSE SECRETARY: Much was made of the volume of missiles Iran was able to shoot in the first few days. And sadly, as we projected, a few got through and killed six of our best who will hopefully arrive home soon. We will avenge them, no doubt.
When a few drones get through or tragic things happen, it's front-page news.
I get it, the press only wants to make the President look bad -- but try for once to report the reality.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: During that White House press briefing today, I asked Karoline Leavitt about those comments.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: You just mentioned that the President is going to attend the dignified transfer for these families.
Given what Secretary Hegseth said this morning, is it the position of this administration that the press should not prominently cover the deaths of U.S. service members?
[21:05:00]
LEAVITT: No, it's the position of this administration that the press in this room, and the press across the country, should accurately report on the success of Operation Epic Fury and the damage it is doing to the rogue Iranian regime that has threatened the lives of every single American in this room. If the Iranian regime had their choice, they would kill every single person in this room.
And so, we can all be very grateful that we have an administration, and that we have men and women in our armed forces who are willing to sacrifice their own lives for the rest of us in this room and for every American across the country, and for every troop that is based in the Middle East. That's what these--
COLLINS: But Secretary Hegseth was complaining that it was front-page news about these six service members who were killed.
LEAVITT: That's not what the Secretary said, Kaitlan, and that's not what the Secretary meant, and you know it.
(CROSSTALK) LEAVITT: You know you're being disingenuous. There is not -- we've never had a Secretary of Defense who cares more--
COLLINS: He said, When a few drones get through or tragic things happen, it's front-page news. I get it, the press only wants to make the President look bad.
LEAVITT: Yes, but the press does--
COLLINS: As you know, we cover the deaths of U.S. service members under every president.
LEAVITT: The press does only want to make the President look bad. That's a--
(CROSSTALK)
LEAVITT: --that's a fact. Especially you.
(CROSSTALK)
LEAVITT: No. Listen to me. Especially you, and especially CNN.
And the Secretary of Defense cares deeply about our war fighters and our men and women in uniform. He travels all across this country to meet with them, to connect with them. And your network has hardly ever probably reported on that.
You also had the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Chairman Caine, who is a brave patriot, standing alongside the Secretary, at the Pentagon, this morning, again, expressing his condolences to these families.
And I just told you that the President of the United States will be attending their dignified transfer. So please--
COLLINS: But we're going to cover that dignified transfer. That's not making the President look bad.
LEAVITT: So please--
COLLINS: That's showcasing that.
LEAVITT: And we--
COLLINS: As we did in his first term, and we did in Biden.
LEAVITT: --and we expect you to cover that as you should. We expect you to cover that as you should, Kaitlan.
But you and your network know that you take every single thing this administration says and tries to use it to make the President look bad. That is an objectionable (ph) fact.
COLLINS: I don't think covering troop deaths is trying to make the President look bad. LEAVITT: If you're trying to -- if you're trying to argue right now that CNN's overwhelming coverage is not negative of President Donald Trump, I think the American people would tend to agree (ph), and your ratings would tend to disagree with that, as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Needless to say, our coverage of Americans who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country is not about the President, and it's not about CNN either.
It's about the people that you're looking at here. Captain Cody Khork. Sergeant First Class Noah Tietjens. Sergeant First Class Nicole Amor. And Sergeant Declan Coady. It's also for those whose names the Pentagon just released tonight, the other two who were killed, Major Jeffrey O'Brien and Chief Warrant Officer Three Robert Marzan. May they rest in peace, and may their memory be a blessing for their families, their loved ones and their nation.
For the latest on this war, I want to start on the ground in Israel tonight with CNN's Jeremy Diamond.
And Jeremy, obviously, there have been a lot of updates tonight. Missiles -- I mean, sirens been going off constantly, in Tel Aviv, with these targeted missile attacks. What is the latest that you've heard so far on the ground?
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kaitlan, in the last couple of hours, we have had several ballistic missile attacks targeted from the Iranian regime aimed here at Central Israel. Most of those missiles, if not all of them, appear to have been intercepted. We've got no reports of any direct hits.
About 10 minutes ago, we got yet another early warning of a potential ballistic missile attack by Iran. Air raid sirens went off just to our east, east of Tel Aviv, as well as in the Jerusalem area as well.
And this all comes, as we know that the United States and Israel have been increasingly striking Iran's ballistic missile capabilities, inside of Iran. U.S. officials saying that Iran's ability to fire those ballistic missiles is now down 86 percent compared to the first day of the war, and that's in just five days. I've heard similar assessments from Israeli officials as well.
But clearly, as the sirens tonight indicate, Iran still retains some capacity to fire these missiles, although it does seem like they are being fired in fewer amounts, hence Israel's air defense holding up better in the last couple of days than it did in the first couple days of the war, when we saw at least 10 people who were killed as a result of those ballistic missile attacks.
But U.S. and Israel are both ramping up their air strikes inside of Iran, as we heard from U.S. officials, earlier today, indicating that within a matter of days, they believed that the U.S. and Israel will have total dominance over the skies of Iran, giving them the opportunity to use not only missiles that we've seen them fire on Iran, but increasingly bombs that can be dropped from directly above, given the fact that air defense in Iran has been largely destroyed over the course of the last five days.
Kaitlan.
COLLINS: Yes, it's been a huge concern of lawmakers, we've been speaking with here, in Washington.
Jeremy Diamond, on the ground, in Tel Aviv, please stay safe. We'll check back in with you, as we continue to monitor what's happening there.
[21:10:00]
Joining me tonight overall and what we're watching from here in Washington, as the President is providing his own update for this war. Former Vice President of the United States, Mike Pence.
And thank you, sir, for being here. It's great to have you because--
MIKE PENCE, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thanks for having me on, Kaitlan.
COLLINS: --you have a wealth of experience with this from serving in the first term. Iran was a huge thing that you reckoned with, with President Trump, during the first administration.
PENCE: We did.
COLLINS: You've praised this move. What would you say to Americans who are watching this tonight, and are worried about how this is expanding and how long this could go on for?
PENCE: Well, first, permit me just to say how proud and impressed I am by our armed forces. The courage, the professionalism, the planning, and the execution of Operation Epic Fury has really been extraordinary.
And I also, I want to commend President Donald Trump for having the guts to pull the trigger on this. But I can't say I was surprised. I was at the President's side in our administration when he made the decision, really, for the first time ever, to strike directly at the Iranian regime, when we took out the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Qasem Soleimani. And last year, I was proud to see the President deploy our forces to degrade and seek to destroy the nuclear capabilities of Iran.
But to any Americans that's concerned about this, I would encourage you, first and foremost, to pray for our troops in harm's way, if you're of a mind. And secondly, understand that we did not start a war on Saturday morning.
I think what the United States, what our ally, Israel, and a growing list of allies across the region, are seeking to do is really end a war that started 47 years ago. From the time this regime came into power, it breathed -- it breathed threats of death and hatred against the United States, and against our cherished ally, Israel.
And whether it's taking of the American hostages in 1979, the Hezbollah attack sponsored by Iran that took the lives of 220 Marines and 20 more service members. I mean, we literally have been at war for 47 years, but we've been fighting, largely, the tentacles of the leading state sponsor of terrorism, whether it be Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, most especially the insurgents that they sponsored, both in Iraq and in Afghanistan.
COLLINS: Yes.
PENCE: Now we're taking the fight directly to the Iranian regime, and I believe it bodes -- it bodes great promise, not only--
COLLINS: But can I ask you--
PENCE: --for the people of Iran, but for the future of the region.
COLLINS: If that's the case, and the United States has been at war with Iran for 47 years. Why didn't this happen the first time that you guys were in office?
PENCE: Well, our administration came in, and if you remember, had inherited the Iran nuclear deal. For eight years, you had witnessed the Obama administration transferring pallets of cash, making Iran and our European leaders come together around a, really, weak hopeless plan.
COLLINS: Yes, but you pulled out of it, of course, during the first term.
PENCE: We got out of that plan. We applied, what we call, the maximum pressure campaign. By the time we left office, in 2021, Iran was more isolated economically and diplomatically than ever before.
Unfortunately, the Biden administration came in and reversed all that, began immediately to reach out to restart negotiations for another nuclear deal. Iran was so confident, as they clandestinely restarted their nuclear program and expanded their ballistic missile program, that they wouldn't even talk to the Biden administration. They required America to deal with the Russians as an intermediary.
That was the circumstances that the new Trump administration inherited, and I witnessed. I'm on the outside, looking in, this time. But I know this president--
COLLINS: I mean, he tried to talk to them too, though. And so, the reason I ask--
PENCE: He did.
COLLINS: Because, I mean, that's what they were doing. That's why Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff were meeting with them.
PENCE: Yes. COLLINS: But the reason I ask, what you say to Americans who might have been surprised, when the United States attacked Iran, over the weekend, when the President first launched this.
The current Vice President, JD Vance, said in 2024, this about the prospect of war with Iran.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JD VANCE (R), U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: Our interest, I think very much, is in not going to war with Iran, right?
TIM DILLON, AMERICAN COMEDIAN AND PODCASTER: Right.
VANCE: It would be a huge distraction of resources. It would be massively expensive to our country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: I mean, that was October 2024.
Some Americans might see that and say, OK, well, that's still how I feel now, and I'm struggling to pay bills, struggling to do that. Why are we at war with Iran?
PENCE: Well, I would say to you, we are at war with Iran because we made it clear in our administration, and had been the policy of the United States for decades, that Iran could never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.
[21:15:00]
But having struck with Operation Midnight Hammer, you witnessed the administration again engage diplomatically, not only on a nuclear program, but also on saying to Iran: You have to end this support for malign influence and terrorism across the region, you have to accept limitations on your ballistic missile and long range missile program. They refused to do that.
And I think -- I think, at the end of the day, the President, history will record that he made the right call. The opportunity presented itself. The President made the decision to unleash our armed forces. And I think it's going to achieve two different things.
Number one, the way we are striking Iran today, I think, is designed to degrade or destroy their ability to project force in the region, to threaten the United States and to work violence against their own people, which they demonstrated in recent months, again, a willingness to do, murdering tens of thousands of protesters.
But the second thing I think that's going to happen is we have the opportunity, after that disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. Where, a year later, Russia invaded Ukraine. A year after that, Hamas launched the worst terrorist attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust, on October the 7th. I think the United States of America, with our allies in the region, has the opportunity to restore deterrence across the region, and, frankly, send a message--
COLLINS: What about--
PENCE: --to other nations around the world that the United States is going to defend our nation and defend our interests.
COLLINS: But what about inside Iran? Do you think the United States now has a responsibility for what happens inside of Iran?
PENCE: I think what the administration is doing, from my vantage point, is seeking to create the conditions, where the brave Iranian people, who long for freedom and democracy, can step forward again, as they did in the Green Revolution in 2009--
COLLINS: But have they done that so far?
PENCE: --how they did in the early months.
COLLINS: John Bolton, who was there when you were there.
PENCE: Yes.
COLLINS: He supports this too. He's in agreement with you. He told me he wished they'd done it when he was there.
But he's worried that there's no plan. There's no working with any opposition leaders in Iran. There's no efforts to help up -- prop up the protesters there. I mean, there's questions -- they don't have -- they don't have own weapons. So, what are they supposed to do with the IRGC?
PENCE: You know, I've had, opportunities to spend time with the Iranian diaspora around this country. It's a proud Iranian American community. And the Iranian diaspora in Europe, Kaitlan, I can tell you, there are people who are prepared to move immediately in, to establish a free and democratic and nuclear-free Iran.
And the United States, though, I think -- I think our obligation is to create the conditions, where the people of Iran can do that without fear of being slaughtered in the streets by the mullahs in Tehran and their security forces.
COLLINS: Two final questions for you. Do you believe the President knows when to get out of Iran?
PENCE: I don't know that I would say that we're in. We're taking the fight to Iran right now. But I understand the concern the American people have.
But look, this regime in Tehran has the blood of American soldiers on their hands, some 2,000 American soldiers that were killed by--
COLLINS: Yes.
PENCE: --by explosive devices that were provided by the IRGC during the Iraq War, and also in Afghanistan. Make no mistake about it, Iran has breathed hatred and death to America for nearly 50 years--
COLLINS: Yes, no one's defending Iran--
PENCE: It's absolutely in our interest--
COLLINS: --and Iran's leadership.
PENCE: It's in our interest to create the conditions where the people of Iran can reclaim their freedom.
COLLINS: I have to ask you, because you have a family full of service members, your son, your son-in-law--
PENCE: Thank you.
COLLINS: --who have made such a great commitment to this country. I know you're so incredibly proud of them, and you often remark on their service.
When you heard what the Secretary -- Secretary Hegseth said today, about the coverage of the U.S. troop deaths. How does that sit with you?
PENCE: Well, let me say, my heart goes out to the precious families of all six of the service members that were struck down, since the initiation of hostilities, and we prayed for their families.
And I will tell you, having been to Dover Air Force Base too many times, during my four years as Vice President. And I'm also very, very grateful that the President will be on that tarmac when our heroes come home. We deserve them -- nothing -- nothing less than honor to be there for their families and to assure them that their names will be enshrined in the hearts of Americans forever.
[21:20:00]
COLLINS: But do you think those comments were fair? I mean, I've never heard a Defense Secretary say, There's too much coverage of troop deaths--
PENCE: I--
COLLINS: --and that they're trying to make the President--
PENCE: Yes, I don't want to get in between--
COLLINS: --look negative, I believe.
PENCE: --you and the administration arguing about media. What I will tell you is--
COLLINS: It's not about the media. It's about--
PENCE: I--
COLLINS: --it's about these service members. PENCE: I would tell you that, I think the attention that is being paid, the honor that is being shown to our fallen heroes, is altogether fitting and altogether proper.
And I think it's also altogether fitting for us to continue to see folks, like you, report on the extraordinary success and professionalism and courage being demonstrated every day by our airmen, our soldiers, our Marines, our Navy -- naval aviators, that are doing -- I have to tell you, by all accounts, in open source, Kaitlan, I just couldn't be more proud of the job our armed forces are doing on the ground.
And I think we have an opportunity for a new beginning for freedom, for the people of Iran, for the region, and for greater security for the American people and the world.
COLLINS: Former Vice President, Mike Pence, thank you for joining us tonight. Really appreciate it.
PENCE: Thank you.
COLLINS: And obviously, thinking of your family at this time.
Up next. I should note, as we've been talking about the President's ability here and this debate that's been playing out on Capitol Hill. Senate Republicans just blocked an effort by Democrats to limit President Trump's war power in Iran. What that looks like. And what Senator Adam Schiff's thoughts are for Democrats in Congress and where they go from here.
Also, the Homeland Security Secretary, Kristi Noem, was back on Capitol Hill today for another round of tough questions, including one that she said was tabloid garbage.
[21:25:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: We're covering the breaking news tonight and closely monitoring escalating strikes across the Middle East, as the United States says it's accelerating the military operation and will only strike deeper inside Iranian territory.
Here in Washington, Senate Republicans tonight have struck down a resolution that would have demanded President Trump go to Congress to get approval for any future U.S. military action in Iran. Republican senator, Rand Paul, voted with Democrats on this measure. And Democratic senator, John Fetterman, joined Republicans to reject the War Powers push.
My next source was a co-sponsor of the resolution. Senator Adam Schiff of California.
And thank you, Senator, for being here.
Because, we talked to your fellow Democrat, Senator Chris Murphy, this week, who was warning, his concern was that if this failed, this effort to restrict Trump's war power, that then the President would feel that he has Congress' support for what he's doing in Iran. Do you agree with him?
SEN. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): I understand the concern that Chris has. But no, I think there's a big difference between a War Powers Resolution meant to bring about an end to the conflict, or require the President to come before Congress and seek an authorization, and actually have a -- having a vote on an authorization, on a war powers authorization. So, I think it's a very different kind of a vote, and we have to make that case to the American people.
The Republicans really don't want to vote on a war authorization. They, frankly, didn't want to vote on the measure we put forward, because they understand we are at war now with Iran. There's no mistaking it. The President calls it a war. So does his Secretary of Defense or Secretary of War, and others in the Cabinet. We have lost service members tragically, including one Californian.
There is no doubt about this being war. And I think Republicans both don't want to own it themselves, because they know this could go very badly. But at the same time, they're not willing, at least at this point, to stand up to the President.
So, I think it's incumbent on us to do everything we can and -- knowledgeable or knowing of the fact that the President may try to spin it as he will. But we're going to keep at this. We're going to keep holding their feet to the fire, because, frankly, the President misled the country, when he said he wouldn't embark on new wars of regime change. And there are the needs of millions and millions of Americans that are being ignored, and resources that could be used to help them afford their life are being squandered over Iran right now.
COLLINS: Your other colleague, Brian Schatz said today that the War is costing a billion dollars a day. He said, In one effing month we will spend more over there than we needed to save healthcare.
Have you heard that estimate that this is going to cost, or this is costing, a billion dollars a day, Senator?
SCHIFF: I have heard that estimate. I don't know that I can corroborate at this point. But we're undoubtedly spending a fortune every day on this.
And if you add up what we're spending already on this Iran war, and you add it to our military efforts in Venezuela, and you add it to the first Iran war, which administration officials have now taken to calling the 12 Days War, it is billions and billions of dollars.
That means no more hospitals that could have been built with that money, no more schools that could have been built with that money, no more investment in American people that could have been made with that money. There is a real cost here.
The most important cost, of course, is the loss of six American lives, six American service members. But we're also spending away the savings of the American people, vast amounts of taxpayer dollars, in a way the President promised he wouldn't, and that the American people don't support.
COLLINS: When the President was asked about this today, when he was at an economic event, he said, I have to leave because I'm monitoring the war. I've got to go check on the war.
Why do you think there are Republicans on Capitol Hill who are still hesitant to call it a war?
[21:30:00]
SCHIFF: Because I think they recognize that the moment they do call it a war, they're acknowledging their unwillingness to do the constitutional duty, because only Congress has the power to declare a war. And it's not just about the declaration itself or the name that's given. Far more important, the Founders gave us the power to essentially make war. And yes, the President directs that war, but not without the approval of Congress.
So, the minute they acknowledge that, is the same minute they have acknowledged that they have really fallen down on the job, one of the most important responsibilities, along with the power of purse they are simply advocate -- abandoning, abdicating to this President.
If under these circumstances, where we have lost service members, where we are mounting one of the largest military campaigns in decades, they still don't think it requires a vote in Congress? They are essentially saying to this president, and any future president, that they can make war, wherever they want, whenever they want, however they want, and Congress will not disturb them.
And that is a really dangerous proposition for the country. The Founders understood that. They didn't want to put that much power in an executive that they feared would grow too fond of war. And if there's anything we've seen over the last year, it's that this president has grown very fond of war.
COLLINS: Your Governor, Gavin Newsom, made a comment, obviously, about Israel. This has been in coordination with Israel, as the White House has been talking about how they did this with them. About the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
I want you to listen to what Governor Newsom said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): But the issue of Bibi is interesting, because he's got his own domestic issues. He's trying to stay out of jail. He's got an election coming up. He's potentially on the ropes. He's got folks, the hard line, that want to annex the West -- West Bank. I mean, Friedman and others are talking about it appropriately -- sort of an apartheid state.
JON FAVREAU, AMERICAN SPEECHWRITER, PODCASTER: Do you think, looking down the road, that the United States should consider maybe, you know, rethinking our military support for Israel?
NEWSOM: It breaks my heart, because the current leadership in Israel is walking us down that path where I don't think you have a choice about that consideration.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Do you agree with Governor Newsom?
SCHIFF: Well, I agree with some of the characterization of Netanyahu. I don't agree more broadly with those comments. In this sense.
First of all, I was glad, frankly, the President corrected the record that his Secretary of State was making, when Rubio was trying to claim that we went to war because Israel was going to go to war, and therefore we had to go to war because Iran would respond by attacking us. The President said, No, if anything, he forced Israel's hand.
I'm glad we're not blaming Israel for our own decisions, because that's a cop-out, among other things. Israel is going to act in what Israel believes is its defense and its national security interests.
I don't agree with Netanyahu about the policies of that government at all. I think they're making Israel a lot less safe, but that's a decision for Israel to make. It's our decision what we believe is in the national security interest of the United States, and I do not believe it was in our national security interest to go to war with Iran.
So, strongly disagree with anyone taking responsibility for this, but ourselves. But I do concur that the talk about annexing the West Bank, and I led a broadly-supported Democratic letter in opposition to that idea. His own -- Netanyahu's own policies and problems and legal problems at home. A lot of the actions of the Netanyahu government, I think, have been deeply counterproductive.
But they make their own national security decisions, and we cannot, essentially, either relegate, delegate, our national security to Israel, nor can we blame Israel for the actions we take. We make them ourselves, and we got to hold ourselves accountable for them.
COLLINS: Senator Adam Schiff, thank you for joining us tonight.
SCHIFF: Thank you.
COLLINS: Up next. We're going to speak to one of the lawmakers who questioned Homeland Security Secretary, Kristi Noem, today during a fiery hearing on Capitol Hill.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JAMIE RASKIN (D-MD): Based on what you know today, were Renee Good and Alex Pretti domestic terrorists?
KRISTI NOEM, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: There's ongoing investigations. And so I cannot-- RASKIN: So you still don't know? You think that's an open question?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[21:35:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's return to Capitol Hill today resulted in a clash over her attacks on those two U.S. citizens who were killed at the hands of federal immigration officers, in Minneapolis, earlier this year.
And this is what Secretary Noem said following the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, and then what she testified before lawmakers today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NOEM: This appears as an attempt to kill or to cause bodily harm to agents, an act of domestic terrorism.
This individual who came with weapons and ammunition to stop a law enforcement operation of federal law enforcement officers committed an act of domestic terrorism. That's the facts.
RASKIN: Based on what you know today, Madam Secretary, were Renee Good and Alex Pretti domestic terrorists?
NOEM: Congressman, what happened in Minnesota, in those two incidents, was an absolute tragedy. And I offer my condolences--
RASKIN: Were they domestic terrorists, as you said to the country?
NOEM: --I offer my condolences to their families, because I know that their lives will never be the same after that happened.
RASKIN: Is that an apology for what you said?
[21:40:00]
Based on what you know today, were Renee Good and Alex Pretti domestic terrorists?
NOEM: There's ongoing investigations. And so, I cannot--
RASKIN: So you still don't know? You think that's an open question?
NOEM: I would think you would want there to still be investigations going into these situations--
RASKIN: Well, you stated the conclusion two hours after they were killed, that they were domestic terrorists.
(END VIDEO CLIP) COLLINS: During that same testimony, Noem was also confronted with questions about reports about her relationship with her chief adviser, the former Trump campaign adviser, Corey Lewandowski.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RASKIN: Apparently when your special blanket, your blankie, was left on one of the government jets and not transported over to the new one, your special government employee, Corey Lewandowski, chivalrously stepped forward to fire the pilot, mid-air.
REP. SYDNEY KAMLAGER-DOVE (D-CA): Secretary Noem, at any time during your tenure, as Director of Department of Homeland Security, have you had sexual relations with Corey Lewandowski?
NOEM: Mr. Chairman, I am shocked that we're going down and peddling tabloid garbage in this committee today.
REP. JARED MOSKOWITZ (D-FL): I know you said it's garbage, and it may be. But I really think you need to say the word, No, into the record, so that you can clear that up.
NOEM: I think the ridiculousness of this and the tabloids that you are quoting and referencing are insane. And this has been--
MOSKOWITZ: So that's a no?
NOEM: --something that I've refuted for years--
MOSKOWITZ: Is that a no?
NOEM: --and I continue to do that.
MOSKOWITZ: So, it's a no?
NOEM: What I would tell you is with regards to what you're doing--
MOSKOWITZ: We can move on. Hold on. That's a no -- we can move on. I'm not going to belabor it if it's a--
NOEM: This is -- this is what you do.
MOSKOWITZ: Hold on. I'm not -- I'm not doing anything--
NOEM: Socialist, liberal left--
MOSKOWITZ: OK.
NOEM: --is you go off and you attack conservative women--
MOSKOWITZ: I was--
NOEM: --and you say that we're either stupid--
MOSKOWITZ: I haven't said anything.
NOEM: --or we're sluts.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: My source tonight is the Ranking Member on the House Judiciary Committee that you just heard from a few moments ago. Democratic congressman, Jamie Raskin of Maryland.
Congressman, just overall, what did you make of that hearing today?
RASKIN: Well, in terms of my line of questioning, I was very disappointed that the Secretary did not completely recant the defamatory lie that Renee Good and Alex Pretti were domestic terrorists who somehow set out to kill law enforcement.
That was just defamatory. It was propaganda. It was disinformation. And her acting ICE Director has already withdrawn that, and said he had no reason to believe it. But she seems to be taking a page from Donald Trump and refuses to apologize. It's one reason why the vast majority of the country now no longer has any confidence or trust in her.
She obviously tried to skew the interpretation of the facts before there was any investigation. And now that it's perfectly clear to the country that these people were not domestic terrorists, they didn't belong to any extremist group, like the Proud Boys or the Oath Keepers or the Ku Klux Klan or what have you. Alex Pretti was a Boy Scout and he was an ICU nurse with veterans. And Renee Good was a mom of three and a poet. Well, why couldn't she just retract what she had said? So, I found that very disappointing.
But in general, over the last couple days in the House and the Senate, both, there was tremendous anxiety reflected about her inability to respond, efficiently, to natural disasters in the country, emergencies in the states, to get FEMA money out.
Lots of concern about how she transferred and reassigned thousands of people who were actually working on national security, cybersecurity, terror financing, including by the Iranians, and shifting them all over into her mass deportation campaign, with the predictable results we have seen, of completely overzealous and lawless enforcement, of kindergartners being arrested, of American citizens being shot and killed, of permanent residents lawfully here being taken out of their homes in their pajamas, and so on.
So, there's tremendous concern about what she's done to Homeland Security. I mean, the most precious possession we have--
COLLINS: Yes.
RASKIN: --outside of our people, is our Constitution, our freedom, and she's been trampling it.
COLLINS: Yes, and obviously they push back on why the 5-year-old was detained with his father.
But can I ask you, just in terms of the administration overall, and the relationship with Congress, how that's been handled. Because it wasn't just Democrats asking tough questions. Republicans also had tough questions for her yesterday.
Something else extraordinary happened on the Hill today, which was the House Oversight Committee has voted to subpoena the Attorney General, Pam Bondi, during its congressional investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. That included Republican congresswoman, Nancy Mace, forcing the vote with four other Republicans, all the Democrats on that committee.
I mean, what should we be reading into? What do you read into the fact that they voted to subpoena the Attorney General?
[21:45:00]
RASKIN: Well, there's a massive, nationwide, bipartisan, multi- partisan, non-partisan consensus that we need the absolute truth to come out about the Epstein network of child sexual abuse all over the country, all over the world.
And that's why, number one, the Oversight Committee subpoenaed the complete Epstein file from the Department of Justice. And number two, we passed a federal law, the Epstein Files Transparency Act, to compel the disclosure of all the documents.
Well, what did we get from the Department of Justice? There are 6 million documents, and they released half of them. And then, of those half, hundreds of thousands of pages were completely redacted. So, they're playing hide-and-go-seek here, it's like it's a game.
So, it doesn't surprise me for one minute, as the former Ranking Member of the Oversight Committee, to see that the frustration is boiling over, on a bipartisan basis, and I believe that it was Nancy Mace, the Representative from South Carolina who advanced this.
COLLINS: Yes.
RASKIN: It was a Republican who said, We need to go ahead--
COLLINS: Yes.
RASKIN: --and bring her in.
COLLINS: Yes, we'll see what that looks like, and how the Justice Department responds.
Jamie Raskin, Congressman, thank you so much for joining us tonight. Really appreciate your time.
RASKIN: You bet.
COLLINS: And up next. I have a source with new reporting on messages that the Iranians have been sending to the Trump administration in recent days, and how, if at all, the United States is responding. Barak Ravid is here, right after this.
[21:50:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Just a couple of moments ago, Saudi Arabia's Defense Ministry said that it has intercepted three incoming drones, the latest instance of this war and how it's expanded in the Middle East. This comes as U.S. and Israeli officials have said that the military campaign against Iran is only going to intensify over the next couple of days.
Also tonight, Axios is reporting about a moment this week, when the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, called the White House, after learning or hearing that officials might be communicating with Iran. According to Axios, the Prime Minister wanted to know, from White House officials directly, if talks about a potential cease fire were underway.
Axios' Barak Ravid, who broke the story and is one of the best-sourced reporters in the region, joins me now.
Barak, what did the White House have to say to Netanyahu? Why was he concerned about this?
BARAK RAVID, CNN POLITICAL & GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST, GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT, AXIOS: Good evening, Kaitlan.
Well, Netanyahu was concerned about this, because Netanyahu is always concerned. That's really one of his main characteristics.
And I think that when he saw some one bit of intelligence that suggested that there might be any direct or indirect talks between the U.S. and Iran, earlier this week, after the war already started, the first thing came up to his mind is, this might be happening.
And I think that it showed you how concerned the Israelis are that at some point, Donald Trump will decide: You know what? I had enough, I want to end this war. And that this will happen before the Israelis ended up achieving all of their objectives.
So, Netanyahu called the White House and said, Are you doing this?
And White House officials told him that it's not the case, and they said, We're not working with the Iranians behind your back. We're not talking to them, either directly or indirectly. Don't worry about this.
So, I think this was -- and, by the way, they were not lying. Because, the Iranians have sent the White House several messages, in several channels, since the war started. And most of those messages, if not all, were answered with a shrug. So, at least for now, what I hear from U.S. officials is that they're not responding to any Iranian messages.
COLLINS: Yes, which checks out, given they've said this is only intensifying, that they're just getting started here. Barak, what else stands out to you now that it's Wednesday, the questions that the Pentagon is facing, that the White House is facing, about where this stands, and just how the region is responding.
RAVID: So first, I think we see how this conflict expands.
We saw the Iranians firing missiles at Turkey, something that I personally never thought I would see such a news flash on my phone.
And you see the U.K. sending ships to the region, opening its bases to the U.S. The French sending ships to the region. Greece sends fighter jets to protect Cyprus from Hezbollah drones.
The Houthis are getting very, very close to resume their attacks from Yemen against Israel, maybe against Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
So, I think this conflict is still expanding.
And another thing I think we're going to see is that the kinetic phase is now in its fifth day. We're going to start seeing less kinetic things, less military and more intelligence operations. And I think what might happen with the Kurds on the Iraq-Iran border could be the next phase of this war.
COLLINS: Yes, and we've obviously been watching that very closely.
Barak Ravid, as always, excellent reporting. And thank you for joining us tonight.
RAVID: Thank you.
COLLINS: And we'll continue to follow Barak Ravid's reporting.
Also here in Washington, we just heard from the embattled Republican congressman, Tony Gonzales, who is now responding directly to accusations he had an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide.
[21:55:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Tonight, Republican congressman, Tony Gonzales, is acknowledging that he did have an affair with a member of his staff who later died by suicide after she set herself on fire.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. TONY GONZALES (R-TX): And I had a lapse in judgment, and there was a lack of faith, and I take full responsibility for those actions.
Since then, I've reconciled with my wife, Angel, I've asked God to forgive me, which he has, and my faith is as strong as ever.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[22:00:00] COLLINS: That's notable, because it comes hours after the Congressman was forced into a primary runoff to keep his House seat, and also a House Ethics panel launched an investigation into these allegations of sexual misconduct. He had previously denied that he had an affair, when the allegations first emerged.
And tonight, he's vowing to still stay in that Texas runoff. That means he's going to face off again with the conservative activist, Brandon Herrera. That will happen on May 26th.
Thanks so much for joining us here on THE SOURCE tonight.
"CNN NEWSNIGHT WITH ABBY PHILLIP" is up next.
