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The Brief with Jim Sciutto
FBI, Michigan Officials Give Update On Synagogue Attack; MI Synagogue Attacker Identified As Ayman Mohamad Ghazali; Israel Launches New Strikes On Iranian Capital; Judge Quashes Subpoenas Against Fed Chair Powell; Oil Prices Edge Higher Friday; Zelenskyy: U.S. Asked To Postpone Next Round Of Peace Talks. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired March 13, 2026 - 18:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[18:00:00]
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Lynda Kinkade. I want to go straight to a press conference where the FBI and Michigan officials are giving an
update on the attack on the synagogue in Detroit. Let's listen in.
JENNIFER RUNYAN, FBI SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE: -- rather than uncorroborated speculation. The FBI continues to process the evidence we've collected from
the temple, the vehicle, and surrounding locations. At this time, there are no new known threats to the community, and the FBI has no indications that
this attack was connected to the shooting at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.
The FBI has forensically confirmed that the assailant responsible for carrying out this attack was Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, age 41, from Dearborn
Heights, Michigan. He has no previous criminal history and no registered weapons. He also has never been the subject of an FBI investigation.
As for the preliminary timeline of yesterday's events, here's what I can provide. At approximately 9:58 a.m., Ghazali drove his gray Ford F-150 into
the parking lot of Temple Israel. From approximately 10:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., Ghazali remained parked in his vehicle in the parking lot. No other
persons or vehicles were observed associating with him.
At approximately 12:15 p.m., Ghazali starts driving through the parking lot. At approximately 12:19 p.m., Ghazali drives his vehicle into Door 5 in
the southeast corner of the building, hitting a security guard on his way in. At approximately 12:20, Ghazali's vehicle gets jammed between hallway
walls, and he begins firing through the windshield of his vehicle. Ghazali and the first security officer engage in a gunfight through the rear window
of Ghazali's vehicle. At this point, Ghazali is unable to extract himself due to the vehicle being jammed in the hallway.
At approximately 12:22 p.m., a second security officer engages Ghazali in a gunfight from the front of the vehicle. And soon thereafter, Ghazali's
vehicle, his engine compartment catches on fire, and at some point, during the gunfight, Ghazali suffers a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
In the bed of the truck, we found large quantities of commercial-grade fireworks and several jugs of flammable liquid we believe to be gasoline,
some of which has been consumed in the fire. Again, I'd like to commend the teachers and the staff who successfully evacuated the children during this
attack. We realize this is a traumatic event for everyone, and as a result, we have set up a Family Assistance Center to provide victim services,
support, and resources here at the J - Detroit for any individuals affected by this tragedy.
For those looking to recover their personal items that were left at Temple Israel during this attack, you and your family can recover your items here
at the Family Assistance Center at the Old Fitness Area of the J throughout the weekend.
For the public, I continue to ask everyone and anyone, if you have any additional information about the subject or this incident, to submit a
digital media tip at www.fbi.gov/westbloomfieldattack or to call our tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI. We ask that you continue to provide any information
that you deem helpful, no matter how small you think it is.
Additionally, if you or someone you know, a family member, a co-worker, or a friend is exhibiting concerning behavior or making threats towards
themselves or others, please call your local police department or the FBI, once again at 1-800-CALL-FBI. We need the community's help to keep everyone
safe.
I would also like to thank our state, local, and federal partners, along with the Jewish Federation, the Jewish Community Security, and the Temple
Israel Security, as well as the local community, for all of their collaboration as we continue to work this investigation.
Our partnerships and efforts are focused on keeping these communities safe, and we cannot mitigate or fully investigate these incidents without their
tireless support. Lastly, I just want to leave you with this. The FBI will continue in our no-fail mission to defend the homeland against those who
intend to create fear or harm, and I also encourage all of our places of worship to remain vigilant.
I'd like to encourage our houses of worship and schools to work with their local, state, and federal partners to get active shooter training, such as
the FBI's Active Shooter Attack, Prevention, and Preparedness Training to ensure everyone is protected while our first responders arrive to stop
threats.
[18:05:00]
At this time, I'll turn it over to Sheriff Bouchard. Thank you.
SHERIFF MICHAEL BOUCHARD, OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN: First, I'd like to say thank you to everybody that did respond, the state, federal, all of our
partners. There was a total of 605 law enforcement officers that responded to the scene from 42 different agencies. That's the way we work in this
area. You know, time and time again, you see things on television, on TV shows where there's animosity between agencies. We don't see that here. We
have a shared mission, and that's to keep the community safe. It operated seamlessly. Everybody came from wherever they could.
And one of the things that's amazing to me, given that you had 605 law enforcement coming here with breakneck speed, there was only one accident
where one detective on the way here, lights and siren, had an accident, and that person will be OK. So, that's a miracle in and of itself.
I'd also like to say that a total now of 63 law enforcement officers were sent to the hospital as a result of the smoke inhalation, the situation
when the car caught fire. They continued to pour into the building to make sure, A, that the threat was neutralized and there was no follow-on threat,
and, B, the innocent were evacuated.
They accomplished that seamlessly with the great work of not only the security team, but the staff that knew how to marshal these young kids and
get them moving in a way that got them out of the building quickly. I mean, we're talking kids from zero to five. This wasn't a group that knew what to
do or how to do it. They relied on the staff that was there to get it done, and they did it in a great way. So, that doesn't come by accident.
And we talked a little bit about this before, training, training, training. We have all been training together for many, many years. Sadly, we have
responded to multiple similar kinds of events around the county and in Michigan where active shooters were. And it comes from that deep training
and participation and a willingness to help each other to be better prepared to respond to things that, sadly, we have to in today's world.
So, as you saw this play forward, again, it's not a time to make a plan at the door. That's why you have to train in advance, communicate in advance,
and then execute when something like this begins to happen. Security did a great job. Staff did a great job. First responders did a great job. And it
doesn't come without training.
There's been questions about, well, it's kind of coincidental that there was training at the temple fairly recently, and is it connected or was
there something suspected? The answer is no. We're training all the time as agencies with our partners, with our houses of worship, with our schools.
And that was one of those such trainings. There was no credible intelligence or belief that it was about to get hit, but it's ongoing
training throughout the community. And they did a great job executing that training.
Also, I'd like to thank the community at large, who has really poured out their support and affection for everyone involved. The Jewish community,
first and foremost, has been, I think, uplifted and hugged from our community, and that's appreciated and is encouraged. If you know someone in
the Jewish community, tell them you're with them. You stand against anti- Semitism. It's not tolerable on any level anywhere, period.
And also, I'd like to thank, in addition to all of our partners, the Shenandoah Country Club and the Chaldean community, which served a lot of
things, Incident Command Post and Reunification Center. They jumped right in and did everything they could and did that day, and they continue to do
so to this day.
And then finally, everyone here at this facility, where we moved on day two, has been amazing to make the facility and capability and staff
available. It's those kinds of things. When you see the worst in humanity, you see the best, and we've seen the best in humanity respond to that here
in this community. So, I thank everybody for that.
KINKADE: You've just been listening to the press conference in Michigan regarding the attack on the Temple Israel Synagogue last Thursday. It
involved a shootout and a man ramming his car into the synagogue. The suspect died at the scene, as we just heard, from a self-inflicted gunshot
wound. The FBI special agent named him as Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, age 41. He had no prior criminal history, but authorities did say explosives were
identified in his car, and they have called for people to come forward with any information.
[18:10:00]
I want to bring in CNN Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst John Miller who's been listening into that press conference. John, good to have
you with us. Just explain for us what stood out to you from that press conference and what we now know about that attack.
JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: Well, they gave us brand new details about what happened and how it happened. We were
aware of the identity of the alleged suspect, but what they explained to us was not just that he mounted the sidewalk, went around the bollards and
then rammed the doorway, but that as he was driving towards the building, he struck a security officer who was trying to tell him to stop, that that
security officer followed him into the building and fired shots as he drove down the hallway of this school for preschool age children.
And at that point, a second security guard emerged and fired additional shots as he drove down the hallway. And all the while this was happening,
we now know that the suspect, Mr. Ghazali, was firing with a rifle through the window of the truck, through the back window at the first security
guard, through the front window at the second security guard, where at some point the front engine compartment caught fire, trapping him in the car
because the hallway wasn't wide enough for him to open the doors to get out. And at some point, he shot himself.
Now, those fireworks in the back of the vehicle, they ignited during the fire and burned out, which probably contributed to the fire, the smoke and
the things that sent 63 police officers who responded to the hospital as they tried to help clear the school through that acrid smoke.
KINKADE: John, one thing that we've heard a lot regarding these recent incidents involving hate crime is the term sleeper cell. What do agencies
mean when they use that term to describe people carrying out attacks like this?
MILLER: Well, what they're talking about is a sleeper cell is a cell from a terrorist organization or a foreign government that has been imported into
the United States and that has been living under deep cover, waiting for a signal to attack. This appears, with some complication, to be yet another,
a fourth lone wolf attack since the start of this war, where an individual decided to take action by himself.
Now, what was the alleged motive? We have been told by multiple sources that two of his brothers and several of his nephews were killed in an
Israeli airstrike just days ago in Lebanon that was targeting Hezbollah strongholds in that area. We have not confirmed that his brothers were
members of Hezbollah.
However, to add context to that, when Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, the suspect in this case in Michigan, returned to the United States from a trip from
Hezbollah in 2019, he was flagged as he came into the country by federal authorities who had him in a database because he had a number of contacts,
allegedly, with Hezbollah members. They said they scanned his phone and the contacts there upon his arrival and found some of those alleged Hezbollah
members in his contact list. So, he underwent kind of a secondary inspection.
Those are all connections that they're going to have to delve much more deeply into to determine whether or not he had any connection to Hezbollah
other than those alleged associations.
KINKADE: John Miller, great to get your analysis. Appreciate your time today. Thanks so much.
MILLER: Thanks.
KINKADE: Well, there are new Israeli strikes on Iran's capital tonight. We have new video coming in of explosions and smoke in Lebanon as the death
toll from the war is mounting. It's now over 2,000 people killed, according to CNN estimates, as the conflict approaches a third week. Most of those
deaths are in Iran and Lebanon.
But more families here in the United States are now grieving. The U.S. military tanker that had to make an emergency landing in Israel, but
another refueling plane went down in Iraq, killing all six Americans on board. We've now learned that the U.S. is sending a rapid response Marine
unit to the Middle East as a defiant Iran launched more attacks on its Gulf neighbors and Israel. This new video is showing missile debris in the skies
falling over Tel Aviv.
And I want to go now to Tel Aviv, where our Jeremy Diamond joins us now live. Jeremy, we appreciate you being there for us. So, the U.S. and
Israeli bombardment of Iran continues. And as I've just been mentioning, Iran is firing back with missiles and drones. Israel now confirming at
least 12 people have been killed. What more can you tell us?
[18:15:00]
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's exactly right. This war is continuing and it is certainly intensifying. At this hour,
we've been watching the strikes that Israel and United States have been conducting in Iran, as well as the strikes that Israel is carrying out in
Lebanon across both of those conflict zone so far, more than 2,000 people, at a minimum, have been killed, according to the health ministries of both
Iran and Lebanon.
In Lebanon, we know that of the 700-plus people who have been killed, at least 100 have been children. And Israel is intensifying its strikes there.
We're witnessing not only the impact that the strikes are having, but also these evacuation orders that Israel has now issued for about 14 percent of
Lebanese territory, resulting in over 800,000 people who have been displaced so far.
And now, the Israeli government is still actively considering and preparing for the possibility of a ground operation in southern Lebanon. In Iran,
we've witnessed these strikes that Israel carried out in the capital city of Tehran. Amid this pro-regime rally that was taking place there were
several senior Iranian officials attended in what was quite a stunning show of defiance, given the fact that Israeli officials have in the past and are
continuing to target senior Iranian regime officials.
Meanwhile, Iran has been directing its ballistic missile fire here in Israel. Tonight, we saw several impacts as a result of what appears to be
Iran's continued use of cluster munitions. Using cluster munitions over residential areas is a violation of international law, and that is exactly
what Iran appears to be doing.
We've seen several of these munitions, basically they explode in the sky, dropping, you know, two dozen smaller bombs indiscriminately over central
Israel. We saw several fires break out on the outskirts of Tel Aviv. No one was seriously injured as a result of this. But we have seen two people who
were killed last week as a result of one of those cluster munitions.
Yesterday, there was also a direct impact of one of these Iranian missiles. Several people were lightly injured, but no serious injuries there as well.
And Hezbollah has also intensified its rocket fire on northern and central Israel.
So, as we're seeing, this conflict is showing no signs of slowing down, and there doesn't yet appear to be any signs of any kind of diplomatic off-ramp
in the making.
KINKADE: And just quickly, Jeremy, the bodies of American service members will be heading home soon, and now there's six people killed. The defense
secretary simply said bad things can happen. What is the U.S. military saying about what happened there?
DIAMOND: Well, the U.S. military is insisting that this was not the result of any enemy fire nor any friendly fire. They are pointing to a tragic
incident that took place in the skies over western Iraq. Six U.S. service members died as a result of this incident, and the U.S. military now says
it is investigating.
We should note that the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an Iranian proxy, has claimed responsibility for downing this U.S. refueling plane, but there's
no evidence to substantiate that. Instead, what we've seen is an image of another plane that the U.S. military says was involved in this incident, a
second refueling plane that landed safely at Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport. And in the images of that, you can see that the tail
of that plane has been kind of sliced off in what points to potentially some kind of a midair collision.
But again, the U.S. military investigating this incident, and hopefully we'll learn more soon about exactly what caused such a tragic incident.
KINKADE: All right. Jeremy Diamond, for us in Tel Aviv, our thanks to you and the crew there. Please take care.
Well, still to come on "The Brief," a judge quashes the U.S. Justice Department's subpoenas against the Federal Reserve Chairman, what it means
for the Trump administration's efforts to prosecute Jerome Powell.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:20:00]
KINKADE: Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade. A federal judge has now quashed the Justice Department subpoenas against Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Judge
James Boasberg wrote, a mountain of evidence suggests the government served these subpoenas to pressure Powell into voting for lower interest rates or
resigning. He added, the government produced essentially zero evidence to suspect Chair Powell of a crime. A defiant U.S. attorney, Jeanine Pirro,
called Boasberg an activist judge.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEANINE PIRRO, U.S. ATTORNEY FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: By inserting himself and preventing the grand jury from even obtaining, let alone
hearing evidence, he has neutered the grand jury's ability to investigate crime. As a result, Jerome Powell today is now bathed in immunity,
preventing my office from investigating the Federal Reserve.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: It was back in January that Chairman Powell delivered an address claiming the charges were a pretext for not following the president's
wishes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEROME POWELL, U.S. FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIR: The threat of criminal charges is a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our
best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the President. This is about whether the Fed will be able to
continue to set interest rates based on evidence and economic conditions, or whether instead monetary policy will be directed by political pressure
or intimidation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Richard Quest joins me now. This is quite an incredible story, really. Just the fact that it was such a -- just the fact that there was no
evidence, essentially. I mean, what was your key takeaway about what the judge ruled here?
RICHARD QUEST, CNN BUSINESS EDITOR-AT-LARGE AND CNN ANCHOR, QUEST MEANS BUSINESS: Well, I've got a 27-page judgment, or at least ruling. You can
legitimately, as you have here, apply to quash a subpoena if the purpose of the subpoena was improper. And what the judge said here, as you quoted some
of it, let me read a bit more. In the light of all the evidence, the only reasonable inference, the government targeted Powell out of malice or an
intent to harass a fishing expedition. And in those circumstances, as the judge continues, that meant that it was an improper subpoena and had to be
quashed.
Now, here's where it gets tricky, because we now got -- obviously, Powell stays in place. Kevin Warsh is the new Fed chair, supposed nominee, but he
can't move forward because a senator has said he will not allow Warsh's nomination forward until the Powell incident is sorted. Unfortunately,
Pirro has decided to appeal against Boasberg's decision. This is going to rumble on.
KINKADE: It certainly is going to rumble on. I just want to remind our viewers the track record from Donald Trump in terms of his attacks on
Chairman Powell. Let's just play some of that sound. If we have it, do we have that sound?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you expect the Fed to listen to you?
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Yes. If we had a Fed chairman that understood what he was doing, interest rates would be coming down too.
He should resign immediately.
I think he's terrible. I think he's a total stiff.
[18:25:00]
This guy is a numbskull. He keeps the rates too high and probably doing it for political reasons.
Jerome too late He's too late. Nickname is too late.
Sir, please don't fire him. He's got three months to go. Don't fire him. I want to get him out.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: Exactly those quotes, I'm just I got all excited with that, because exactly all those quotes are in the judgment that came out.
KINKADE: Exactly.
QUEST: And Judge Boasberg basically says, this is not even -- you know, it was so obvious that once he couldn't get him out any other way, he uses --
he paraphrases, of course, the phrase, will no one rid me of that troublesome priest. And he says this was a case of will no one rid me of
this troublesome chairman, Powell. And so, that's why this case. But it is being appealed, which means that Warsh's nomination can't proceed. Who
knows what will happen when -- I imagine they'll put an interim in if they can't get Warsh through before Powell's term is up.
KINKADE: It's hard to understand. Imagine what the Justice Department will put forward for their grounds to appeal. What sort of legal arguments will
make in light of this ruling? Well, we will continue to follow it. We'll have to leave it there for now. Richard Quest, as always great to see.
Thank you.
In today's Business Breakout, Wall Street finished Friday's session lower. All three major U.S. indexes fell falling as the war in Iran fuels fears
over higher energy costs, as well as disruptions to the global economy. Now, the tech heavy NASDAQ lost almost 1 percent. U.S. consumer sentiment
down about 2 percent this month, according to the latest survey from the University of Michigan. The latest data suggests that the war with Iran has
begun to take a toll on American consumers.
On inflation, the PCE, the Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index, grew at 2.8 percent in January from a year earlier. It's the Fed's
preferred inflation gauge. Well, the U.S. economic growth is revised down to just 0.7 percent for the last quarter. The GDP was dragged down by the
government shutdown in October and November. Oil prices, though, staying high as supply fears persist over the effective closure of the Strait of
Hormuz.
Brent Crude remains above one hundred dollars a barrel despite the Trump administration's temporary easing of the sanctions on Russian oil.
International benchmark is now at its highest level since July 2022. And here in the U.S., the national average for regular gasoline has jumped to
the highest level of either President Trump's terms. It's now at $3.63 per gallon, according to the AAA.
Now, meanwhile, a senior Iranian official is telling CNN that Tehran is considering allowing a limited number of oil tankers to pass through the
Strait of Hormuz if it's paid in Chinese yuan.
Well, Benoit Morenne is an energy reporter at The Wall Street Journal, joins us now live. Great to have you with us. So, oil prices surging 35 to
40 percent in the past few weeks because of this Middle East crisis. Beyond the immediate pain at the pump, how much is this going to impact airfares,
shipping costs, food prices and, of course, overall inflation?
BENOIT MORENNE, ENERGY REPORTER, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Well, this is actually going to filter into the economy. Gasoline, diesel prices are the
fuels that move the economy. That's the fuel that people get at the pump to commute. That's the fuel that powers trucks that deliver food, grocery, all
of that. So, you're going to be starting to see those impacts on the economy in the coming weeks. According to folks looking at this data,
that's only going to get amplified.
KINKADE: It's interesting when you hear the president, President Trump, say there appears to be no end in sight. He says this war will end when he
feels it in his bones. He says there's unlimited ammunition. I mean, what could all this mean long term, given that level of uncertainty?
MORENNE: Well, what I think we can say is that just, you know, even just a few days ago, people were somewhat confident that the disruption in the
Strait of Hormuz in the region could be resolved in a matter of days. Actually, if you look back on Tuesday, Energy Secretary Chris Wright
tweeted that the U.S. Navy had successfully escorted an oil tanker through Hormuz. Turned out not to be true.
And, you know, the sigh of relief in the market, you know, the air went out of this balloon real fast. And three days later, analysts are talking about
several weeks of disruption, at least in the Gulf. Goldman Sachs this week said it expects disruptions to last three weeks, up from its previous
forecast of 10 days.
[18:30:00]
So, people are getting used to this new world that we live in where, you know, where the Gulf is in turmoil and the strait could be closed for
weeks, if not months. The regime in Iran has been very clear that it is intent on using that as leverage and wants to scare the U.S. and its allies
with potentially higher oil prices.
A senior Iranian official, if I'm not mistaken, said that prices could, you know, reach $200 a barrel, potentially. So, that's the scenario we're
looking at, unfortunately, which is that there are no fixes in sight.
KINKADE: Yes. And of course, the U.S. has issued a 30-day waiver allowing India to purchase sanctioned Russian oil. What are the implications of that
move, especially in terms of the economic pressure that was being applied to Russia to stop the war in Ukraine?
MORENNE: Well, it's certainly going to be to the benefit of Russia, for sure. The extent to which it's actually going to be beneficial to oil
markets remains to be seen because a lot of that oil was making it to customers anyway. So, you know, some allies are actually doubtful that this
is going to change much, right?
And the same, I think, skepticism applies to other solutions that the administration is looking at, such as releasing from the Strategic
Petroleum Reserve. It's going to be over 170 million barrels, you know, such as waiving a statute that limits crude flows between U.S. ports. I
mean, all that is being described as, you know, a stopgap. It's not going to be replacing, you know, the millions of barrels that are stuck in the
Gulf.
KINKADE: Yes, exactly. Benoit Morenne, we appreciate your time today. Thanks so much for joining us.
MORENNE: Thanks for having me.
KINKADE: We're going to take a quick break. We'll have much more news in just a moment. Stay with us. You're watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Welcome back to "The Brief." I'm Lynda Kinkade. Here are the international headlines we're watching today.
[18:35:00]
The death toll from the Iran war is climbing. It now surpasses 2,000, according to CNN estimates. That includes military personnel and civilians,
including women and children. Most of the deaths have been in Iran and Lebanon. The people in Israel, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the
United Arab Emirates and Oman have also been killed.
At least one person has been killed in Iran's capital after strikes were seen near the annual Al-Quds Day rallies in support of Palestinians. State
media showed demonstrators burning American and Israeli flags and holding portraits of the new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. Iran's spiritual
leader typically gives an address on this day, but Ayatollah Khamenei has not yet been seen or heard from publicly since his selection.
A federal judge has quashed subpoenas the U.S. Justice Department issued against the Fed Chair Jerome Powell. The judge said the government has
produced essentially zero evidence to support Powell of a crime. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized Powell for failing to
lower interest rates.
There are still a lot of questions remaining about the U.S. war in Iran. A big one is what is America's timeline? President Trump telling Fox Radio
earlier that there isn't one.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: When it's over, and I don't think it's going to be long, when it's over this is going to bounce right back so fast.
BRIAN KILMEADE, HOST, THE BRIAN KILMEADE SHOW, FOX: When are you going to know it's over?
TRUMP: When I feel it.
KILMEADE:
TRUMP: When I feel it in my bones.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: One person appearing to distance himself from the war in Iran is Vice President J.D. Vance. Here's what he had to say after a reporter asked
him what advice he had given Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
J.D. VANCE, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: I hate to disappoint you but I'm not going to show up here and in front of God and everybody else tell you exactly
what I said in that classified room. Partially because I don't want to go to prison and partially because I think it's important for the President of
the United States to be able to talk to his advisers without those advisors running their mouth to the American media.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Joining me now is former Deputy National Security Adviser Mara Rudman. Appreciate your time today, Mara.
MARA RUDMAN, FORMER DEPUTY NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER AND DIRECTOR, RIPPLES OF HOPE PROJECT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: Thanks, good to be with you.
KINKADE: So, you've noted that the U.S. and Israel have significantly impaired Iran's ability to fight back but certainly not eliminated it. What
does that mean in terms of long-term regional instability and the risk of further escalation?
RUDMAN: Well, I think that's exactly the right question and it's a tough one to answer. So, it's been very clear in terms of the tactical success of
much of the military operations in the United States and Israel, significantly degrading the ballistic missile capability that Iran has had,
weakening its ability to, in the immediate term, to use regional militias and has over the last, the course of the last year, significantly degraded
its nuclear capabilities.
However, on the last, it has not eliminated them. There is a lot of highly enriched uranium still in the country and not clear how the United States
or Israel, but it would be the United States most likely, would go about securing that. And so, still big questions and not at all clear what a
feasible endgame is here.
KINKADE: And even when you listen to President Trump speak about a possible endgame, we're hearing conflicting answers, we're hearing different
rationales for U.S. involvement in this war. And it seems like Congress and the American public are largely unprepared. From your perspective, what are
the risks of this disconnect between leadership and public support?
RUDMAN: Well, before we even go to the disconnect between leadership and public support, which is serious, the conflicting reasons for going into
the war, the conflicting statements about endgame are often coming from one person, the President of the United States. And that is deeply troubling.
That links directly to the lack of preparation from Congress and the American people. And that is because the President really did not spend any
time building the case for what the United States was going to be doing, how they're going to be doing it. And there's an expression that if you
want the American people with you on the landing, you need to have them with you on the takeoff. The landing is often, in these kinds of actions, a
bumpy one. And President Trump made zero attempt to have the American people with him on the takeoff. Congress is just a reflection, generally,
of how the President has engaged with the American people.
KINKADE: Just quickly, Mara, the loss of U.S. service members is growing. Another six people have been killed. How might incidents like that
influence policy decisions going forward?
[18:40:00]
RUDMAN: Well, listen, I think the challenge is that the American people, as with people everywhere, care deeply about the loss of life of those who
give everything for this country. And so, as those casualties go up, frankly, as the president and those around him have been somewhat cavalier
in talking about those casualties, the lack of support for this action is likely to increase.
But even more so, the geoeconomic impacts that Americans and people all over the world are feeling as a result of this conflict also is likely to
impact, I think, is most likely to impact the considerations the president makes about how he tries to get out.
KINKADE: Former Deputy National Security Adviser Mara Rudman, appreciate your time. Thanks very much.
RUDMAN: Thank you.
KINKADE: We want to turn now to Russia's war on Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy telling Ukrainian media that the U.S. wants to postpone
the next round of peace talks because of the war in Iran. Now, these talks had been set to resume next week. Zelenskyy stressing that his team was
still ready to meet. The Ukrainian leader made the comments on a visit to France.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE (voice-over): A show of unity between France's Emmanuel Macron and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy, allies throughout the toughest times of
Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But it's another war and the surprise actions of another ally that's raising new concerns in Ukraine, as well as other
parts of Europe.
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): This single easing of sanctions by America could provide Russia with approximately $10
billion for the war. This certainly does not help peace.
KINKADE (voice-over): The U.S. is temporarily loosening sanctions on the sale of Russian oil at sea to try to bring down oil prices that have surged
since the war in Iran began. An unsettling move for many European leaders who, together with the U.S., have used economic leverage against Russia to
try to end the war in Ukraine.
EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT (through translator): Russia may believe that the war in Iran will offer it a respite. It's mistaken.
KINKADE (voice-over): The U.K. and many European nations are united against the U.S. decision, saying easing sanctions, even on a limited basis, will
help to replenish Russia's war chest.
FRIEDRICH MERZ, GERMAN CHANCELLOR: Russia continues to show no willingness to negotiate. We will and we must, therefore, have to increase the pressure
on Moscow. I want to make this very clear. Easing sanctions now, for whatever reason, is something we believe is wrong.
KINKADE (voice-over): But Russia welcomed the change, saying its oil is badly needed to stop global oil prices from spiraling out of control.
DMITRY PESKOV, KREMLIN SPOKESPERSON (through translator): In this case, we see the United States taking action in an attempt to stabilize energy
markets. In this regard, our interests align.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE (on camera): U.S. President, now speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews, let's listen in.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) about the potential for rising gas prices?
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Well, I think the gas prices, as soon as that's over, are going to come tumbling down along with everything else. I
think it's going to be -- you're going to see a very big decrease in the price of gasoline, gas, anything having to do with energy as soon as this
is ended. But we have to end the nuclear threat in the Middle East and throughout the world, and we will have done that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. President, do you still expect unconditional surrender? What does that mean?
TRUMP: Well, to me, it means very simply that we are in a position of dominance that nobody has ever seen before. And whether or not they're able
to say the words, or whether or not they're able to even fight. Their Navy is gone, their Air Force is gone, most of their military is gone, their big
threat is gone in every way. They have no radar, they have no anti-aircraft weapons. For the most part, weapons import, and definitely they have no way
of determining what they call visibility.
So, just about everything is gone, and you'll see that. But today, we've had some very, very big hits, very powerful hits.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. President, when will the Navy start escorting tankers to the Strait of Hormuz?
TRUMP: It will happen soon.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE).
TRUMP: I have, and we're discussing a couple of different things, but not only that, but other things.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. President, on the SAVE Act, if Leader Thune cannot whip up the Republican support to either nuke the filibuster, reopen the
government, and pass the SAVE Act, or somehow --
TRUMP: It's not called the SAVE Act, it's called the --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: SAVE America Act, you're right, sir. Do you think -- if Leader Thune can't accomplish that, do you think the Senate needs a new
leader?
TRUMP: Well, it's certainly a very popular thing. I don't think there's ever been a bill that's more popular than the SAVE America Act. It's voter
ID, it's proof of citizenship, it's things that are so popular. No men and women's sports, no transgender mutilization of our children, so many
different things. It's so good.
[18:45:00]
No running around with the mail-in ballot nonsense that's gone on for so long that no other country does. No other country. We're going to clean up
our elections. I don't think I've ever been involved in anything that's had the support of the SAVE America Act. So, we'll see what happens.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) are you speaking with Prime Minister Netanyahu? And are your objectives the same in terms of ending the war?
TRUMP: Well, I think they might be a little different, I guess. You know, they're a different country than we are. But he will tell you there's never
been a power like the power of the United States. I built our military in my first term. Continue to do so. But I built our military and rebuilt it.
It was in bad shape, just like the wall, just like the border, just like everything else in our country. It was all in bad shape. But I rebuilt the
military in my first term, and we're using it in this term, you know, really for the sake of good, for the sake of peace, and for the sake of
safety and good.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you speak with Netanyahu?
TRUMP: I speak to him a lot.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How long now do you think the war is likely to last?
TRUMP: I can't tell you that. I mean, I have my own idea, but what good does it do? It'll be as long as it's necessary. They've been decimated.
Their country is in bad shape. The whole thing is collapsing. If you read some of the fake news, it's like, oh, they're doing wonderfully. They're
not doing wonderfully. They're doing the opposite. They're doing as bad as you can have. I would say this. I won't give you a time, but we're way
ahead of schedule.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And can you comment on --
TRUMP: Militarily, we're way ahead of schedule.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE).
TRUMP: I can't tell you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sir, you made a post about Claudia Sheinbaum refusing your help in Mexico. What's your plan with Mexico?
TRUMP: Well, she should not have refused my help. I offered to get rid of the cartels in Mexico, and for some reason, she doesn't want to do that. I
like her very much, but she should get rid of the cartels because the cartels are -- whether we like it or not, the cartels are running Mexico.
We can't have that. Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, sir.
KINKADE: You've just been listening there to President Trump as he departs Maryland for the weekend, heading down to Mar-a-Lago in Florida. He was
asked quite a few questions there about the war in Iran and, of course, about oil prices. He said oil prices will start tumbling down as soon as
the war is over, but he couldn't give any indication about when that would be. He said the war will continue as long as necessary. He added that he
believes they are ahead of schedule, and he said the U.S. is in a position of dominance.
He claimed that in his first term in office as U.S. president, he rebuilt the military, and this term, he is using it for peace. He couldn't give any
indication on when there'll be military escorts for tanks in the of Hormuz, although he did say it will happen soon. We are going to continue to follow
this story closely.
We're going to take a quick break. I'll have much more news in just a moment. You're watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:50:00]
KINKADE: Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade. It is almost time for Oscars, the biggest and most glamorous night in Hollywood, and preparations are well
underway for the 98th Academy Awards. It'll take place this Sunday in Los Angeles at the Dolby Theatre.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm (INAUDIBLE) over this world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: "Sinners" is seen as a frontrunner for Best Picture, and star Michael B. Jordan is up for Best Actor. The movie has received a record 16
Oscar nominations. And not far behind is "One Battle After Another" with 13 Oscar nods. It's also a favorite for the top prize. Both movies are from
Warner Brothers, which shares the same parent company as CNN.
Well, let's get right to The Hollywood Reporter's Scott Feinberg, who joins us from Los Angeles, and will of course be at the Oscars this Sunday. Great
to have you with us.
SCOTT FEINBERG, EXECUTIVE EDITOR OF AWARDS, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: Thanks for having me.
KINKADE: So, it was interesting reading your piece in The Hollywood Reporter. You differentiate between who will win and who should win. How do
you make that distinction, and what does it say about the way voting patterns happen at the Academy?
FEINBERG: Well, luckily, I only have to do the will wins because that's sort of my thing of the prognostication as part of my job. But our film
critic David Rooney did the should win, so we just kind of have it out.
But we are -- you know, it's all in the eye of the beholder as far as the should wins. And then what I do with the will wins is trying to look at the
statistics and the precursor awards, which offer some clues about how the Academy may vote.
KINKADE: So, let's go through those. Who do you think you're going to win, you know, best picture, best director, best actress? Because I understand
Jessie Buckley seems to have swept most of the awards in the lead up to this. Does that help?
FEINBERG: I think so. I mean, Jessie Buckley seems to be the one big race that is pretty clear cut. She, as you say, has won everything. The Actor
Awards, formerly the SAG Awards, the BAFTA Awards, the Critics' Choice, Golden Globe, on and on. So, that one you can pretty much take to the bank
that she'll win for "Hamnet."
But then the other major categories, picture, director, actor, supporting actor, supporting actress, are all at least two horse races, which is very
unusual this late in the game. There's usually some consensus. At this point, it looks like "Sinners," as you mentioned, the most nominated film
ever with 16 nominations, is in a very tight race with "One Battle After Another," which has dominated until the Actor Awards when "Sinners" won
Best Cast.
It is likely to still be "One Battle After Another" for picture and director. But then the star of "Sinners," who plays multiple characters in
it, Michael B. Jordan, may have sort of passed Timothee Chalamet at the -- with his Actor Award win to be the favorite for Best Actor. And then the
supporting acting categories are -- there are "Sinners" contenders there, too, with Delroy Lindo and Wunmi Mosaku. But I think the odds are, at this
point, Sean Penn for "One Battle After Another" and Amy Madigan for "Weapons."
KINKADE: And of course, K-pop "Demon Hunters," the frontrunner animation of the year. It feels like this film's been around a lot longer than a year,
the way it's been played in my house with my three little girls. What factors --
FEINBERG: I bet you've also heard the song, which is "Golden," which is likely to win --
KINKADE: Oh, my gosh, nonstop. Nonstop.
FEINBERG: -- best song. Yes. So, that film, which is now, you know, the most watched original film ever in the history of Netflix, thanks to your
children and others, is likely to take home those two wins.
KINKADE: Yes, no doubt. And of course, you know, there's international features, there's original and adapted screenplays. Most people tend to
focus on Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director. But in terms of original and adapted screenplay, what signals to you whether the Academy tends to
lean towards mainstream appeal versus the more artistic option?
FEINBERG: This year, it's really interesting because those two frontrunners for Best Picture that I mentioned are each in different of the screenplay
categories. So, it's likely that "One Battle After Another," which was arguably the more artsy of the two, will win adapted screenplay. And then
the more commercial of the two, "Sinners," looks like it's going to win Best Original Screenplay.
So, in some years, when the two frontrunners, if there are two, are in the same screenplay category, you might get a little hint at things to come
from that. But this year, I don't think they're going to be very helpful in cluing us into how the big one's going to go at the end of the night.
[18:55:00]
KINKADE: And just quickly, Paul Thomas Anderson is widely regarded as being overdue for a Best Director Oscar. How often does the Academy take reward
longevity or career achievement into account?
FEINBERG: Very often. And, you know, in his case, that's a great example. He's now accumulated 14 nominations, hasn't yet won. Now, that's between
directing and other categories, but 14 and never having won. So, I think that's going to play in his favor. And it may also hurt somebody like
Timothee Chalamet in the acting category, where he's still very young. And there's a sense, at least with young men, as opposed to the younger women
in the Best Actress category, that they tend to make them wait a little longer.
So, Chalamet is only 30 years old, and there's sort of a thinking that he'll have many more chances, whereas even someone only a decade older,
Michael B. Jordan, that could play to his advantage.
KINKADE: Yes, exactly. We will be tuning in on Sunday, and we are streaming part of our coverage here on Sunday night. Great to have you with us, Scott
Feinberg. Enjoy the Oscars on Sunday night.
FEINBERG: Thank you very much.
KINKADE: And thanks so much for your company. I'm Lynda Kinkade, coming to you live from Atlanta. You have been watching "The Brief." Stay with CNN.
We have much more news coming up, and I'll see you same time Monday.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:00:00]
END
