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The Brief with Jim Sciutto
New Israeli Strikes Kill Six People In Southern Lebanon; Trump: "Not Satisfied" With Iran's New Proposal; Trump's New Tariff Threat; E.U. Auto Tariff Hike; Pentagon: U.S. Withdrawing 5,000 Troops From Germany; Iranian Strikes Damage 16 U.S. Military Sites In Middle East; Trump Sends Formal Letter To Congress About War Powers; Kentucky Derby Preview. Aired 6-7p ET
Aired May 01, 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]
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR, "THE BRIEF": Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington, and
you're watching "The Brief."
Just ahead this hour, blast the hell out of them or make a deal. President Trump says those are his two options for Iran as he sours onto Iran's
latest proposal. U.S. president also taking aim at Europe. He says he plans to raise auto tariffs on the E.U. to 25 percent. We're going to have a
reaction from a top European trade official who calls those tariffs unacceptable. And a big weekend in horse racing coming up. We've got a
preview of the biggest race of them all, the Kentucky Derby.
President Trump says he is dissatisfied with Iran's latest proposal to end the war without explaining exactly why or what is in that proposal. Sources
say Tehran sent its proposed deal through Pakistani mediators. The president has warned that military escalation remains one of his options.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Do we want to go and just blast the hell out of them and finish them forever or do we want to try and make a deal? I
mean, those are the options.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you want to go blast the hell out of them?
TRUMP: I'd prefer not. On a human basis, I'd prefer not. But that's the option.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: This as the president claims the U.S. has more weapons inventory than ever. The facts seem to belie that. CNN has reported that the Pentagon
has significantly depleted its stockpile of key missiles. Iran's supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is said to have issued a statement as his country
marks Labor Day today, saying that Iran has now emerged as a military power. We should note he has not been seen in public in more than seven
weeks.
Kristen Holmes is live at the White House. And, Kristen, this is, of course, not the first time we've heard the president use language like he
just did there, blast them, end them forever. Who is he talking about? The leadership? The country? What military options do we know are actually on
the table for him?
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, here's what we know. We know that President Trump is using this language, really, for the
first time in the last several days. Remember, he's been asked multiple times, is he going to consider breaking the ceasefire over the course of
the last few weeks? And the escalation in his rhetoric has really started to dwindle until today. And I am told that President Trump was really
disappointed by that Iranian proposal.
We still don't have the details as to what was in it. But two days ago, a senior White House official told me that they were very optimistic, that
they felt like they were on the cusp of some sort of deal. They felt like Iran was coming around. And then, of course, this proposal. And you heard
that from Trump, saying that he was dissatisfied. But it seems as though it goes beyond being just dissatisfied. It seems as though they believed that
they were coming up on some kind of deal. And this fell exponentially short of where they thought they were going to be with this proposal.
Now, when it comes to those military options, from what my understanding is, it is the same military options that have been on the table. It's just
an updating of what they are. Strikes over a day, a period of strikes on certain facilities. President Trump is not talking about wiping out a
civilization. And, in fact, he specifically said that he would not put a nuclear bomb into Iran. But this is the rhetoric he uses, clearly, where
he's frustrated. And he's trying to show Iran that he will be willing to take action if they don't come to the table.
I think this is also very disappointing, because of the leverage they thought they had with the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.
SCIUTTO: No question. Just quickly, Kristen, what is your sense of the president's appetite for further military action? Because the economic
costs of this war are hitting this country, and harder. And the president, of course, has promised that they would disappear quickly.
HOLMES: Well, I think what's interesting is that the president sent this letter to Congress today, even though he's been saying that, you know, the
War Powers Resolution is unconstitutional. He sent this letter to Congress essentially saying that the update of where the war is, is that the strikes
have terminated. That's the actual phrase that they used after a ceasefire was declared, saying that there was basically no longer military action.
[18:05:00]
And that is where the president wants to be. That is where this administration wants to be. They would like to be focusing on the midterms.
they would like to be focusing on the economy. They don't want to be dealing with Iran anymore.
But the question is, how can President Trump extricate himself if he's not getting any sort of leeway or any sort of compromise from Iran? So, where
we end up is still very unclear. This administration, a White House special agent spoke to yesterday telling me that they believe we will be out of
this by November. I know that seems like a long way away, that the way that this is going, it doesn't feel like we could be out of it. But the question
is when and what will actually be the deal that gets the United States out of this war?
SCIUTTO: And by the way, as you all know, November is a heck of a lot longer than the president and his advisers have been talking about up until
very recently.
HOLMES: Four to six weeks. Yes, exactly.
SCIUTTO: Exactly. Kristen Holmes, thanks so much. Well, joining us now is Aaron David Miller, former U.S. State Department negotiator for the Middle
East, now senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Aaron, always good to have you on.
AARON DAVID MILLER, FORMER U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT MIDDLE EAST NEGOTIATOR: Thanks, Jim.
SCIUTTO: I wonder in the midst of this, because Iran doesn't seem to be in a great hurry to please the president here, sending back a proposal the
president's disappointed with. Who has the upper hand in this, in these negotiations right now, but in this military standoff?
MILLER: I mean, look, the reality is, Jim, there's no real finality or determinative ending to this. This is just another round in a 47-year
conflict struggle between the United States and Iran. At times it's military, political. At times there's accommodation. Now, there's
confrontation.
If I had to call this round, and that's exactly what it is, Jim, it is a round. It is not going to end with a different regime. It's not going to
end with a comprehensive deal that will allay all of our concerns about Iran's nuclear program. It's not going to end with Iran breaking its ties
with its billion-dollar proxy, Hezbollah, or the limited ties it has with Hamas.
And right now, it looks like it might end, Jim, with some degree of influence, leverage, or sovereignty over the straits. So, if I had to call
this round, not even on points, I'd give this to Iran because they have achieved the three objectives that they set out for themselves. Number one,
regime survival. Number two, regime cohesion. And number three, they've deployed geography as a weapon to make the security and stability of the
Gulf states fundamentally insecure and to do the straits.
I don't think, Jim -- I know it's a shocker. I'll take a flyer here. I don't think that Iran is going to give up control of the straits. I don't
know what the outcome will be, whether there's a balance between what the West wants, what the U.S. wants, what Trump wants, and Iran's newfound
efforts to turn the straits into their own Panama Canal. But if I were looking at the future, I'd start making arrangements to try to find
additional supply routes and pipelines, bypass the straits of because I think unfettered oil flow, that's gone the way of the dodo.
SCIUTTO: Wow. Notable. OK. The White House keeps saying it's not exactly sure who's in charge, right? Who the actual leaders are? We do talk about
understandable lack of clarity from the Iranian side, status of the supreme leader, perhaps some factions inside the government. But is it clear to
Iran what the U.S. proposal is? Because I've heard from the president and others in the administration, sometimes different descriptions as to what
the U.S. is willing to settle for.
MILLER: Yes. I mean, this is one of the problems of relying on cell phones, intermediaries. And we've had this conversation where you can't do this
stuff on the back of a cocktail napkin. You can't do it on a cell phone. You can't do it with 21 hours of meetings led by the vice president. If you
want a deal that deals with enrichment, highly enriched uranium, some compromise on the straits, it's going to involve long and arduous
negotiations. It must directly between the United States and Iran, between delegations who have the capacity to make decisions and have the know-how
and understand the issues.
We haven't seen anything like that. And if someone's in the White House said it's November, you know, I think we're talking about a war that's not
ending anytime soon. And it is a war, even though there's a ceasefire.
SCIUTTO: Yes. Well, Aaron David Miller, good to have you. I'm sure it's not the last time we talk about it.
MILLER: Great to see you, Jim. Take care.
[18:10:00]
SCIUTTO: Well, Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon are now intensifying, threatening to shred what's left as a practical matter of what they call a
ceasefire. Lebanon's health ministry says six people in the town of Habbouch were killed on Friday, including a woman and a child. Lebanese
state media say these Israeli strikes came less than an hour after Israel had warned residents to evacuate.
Hezbollah is also keeping up its own attacks on Israeli targets, again, despite the claimed ceasefire announced last month. The U.S. embassy in
Beirut says that Lebanon is now urging Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to meet with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. Oren Liebermann
reports from Jerusalem.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Well, the U.S. is still trying to push forward a diplomatic track here, as difficult as that is to see
from where we're sitting now. And that's exactly because of the ongoing fighting between Israel and Iran's proxy in Lebanon, Hezbollah. And we have
seen continued strikes from the Israeli military going after Hezbollah and a rising civilian death toll as a result of those strikes, as well as
continued Hezbollah strikes.
We saw, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, a strike in the Lebanese town in southern Lebanon of Nabatieh al-Fawqa killed two
people and injured 10 others, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health. It is in that district, the Nabatieh district, that on Thursday we
saw Israeli strikes, according to the ministry, kill at least 14 others.
In total now, over the course of the last two months, Israeli strikes, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, have killed nearly
2,600 people. And that number continues to rise as we see Israel not only issue evacuation warnings, but also carry out more of these strikes.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah has ramped up its drone attacks using not only the drones it has had, but also newer fiber optic drones that are incredibly
precise. One soldier killed and several others wounded in several Hezbollah drone strikes in southern Lebanon and northern Israel on Thursday. The
Israeli military says they intercepted a number of other drones on Friday as well, while others hit open areas.
As I said, the U.S. is trying to push forward diplomacy here. Still, the U.S. embassy in Beirut said in a post in social media, as it pushed for a
meeting between the Israeli prime minister and the Lebanese president, that a direct meeting between President Aoun and Prime Minister Netanyahu,
facilitated by President Trump, would give Lebanon the chance to secure concrete guarantees on full sovereignty, territorial integrity, secure
borders, humanitarian and reconstruction support, and the complete restoration of Lebanese state authority over every inch of its territory,
guaranteed by the United States.
The problem is it's not clear that Israel would fully withdraw based on a simple meeting, landmark though that meeting would be, and it's not clear
that Hezbollah would abide by the ceasefire anyway. So, it's very difficult to see a diplomatic track forward as we see that ceasefire getting more and
more fragile.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: Yes, a ceasefire without ceasing fire. Still ahead, President Trump's new trade threat against Europe. He says he's going to raise
tariffs on E.U. vehicles next week. A top European trade official calls that move unacceptable. I'm going to speak to him live next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:15:00]
SCIUTTO: Welcome back. In today's Business Breakout, another record- breaking day on Wall Street. They seem to come pretty much every day these days. The S&P 500 and NASDAQ hit all-time highs once again on the first
trading day of this month. Apple, an out-performer, its shares rose more than 3 percent after the release of strong quarterly results. Oil prices
fell with Brent Crude settling down 2 percent.
Turning now to President Trump's newest trade threat against allies in Europe. He says that he will hike tariffs on cars and trucks from Europe to
25 percent from 15 percent, arguing that Europe should make those vehicles here in the U.S. instead. Trump says he is making the move because the
E.U., in his view, has failed to comply with the trade agreement the U.S. hammered out with the E.U. last year. The E.U. has not yet finalized that
deal. Europe's main auto association is urging final passage as soon as possible, though.
Today's move follows Trump's threats this week to pull U.S. troops from Germany, Italy and Spain due to tensions over the Iran War, specifically
that, well, those countries didn't join his war against Iran.
Joining me now is Bernd Lange. He is the chair of the European Parliament's International Trade Committee. Bernd, good to have you back.
BERND LANGE, CHAIR, EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT'S INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMITTEE: Hello, good to see you, Jim.
SCIUTTO: So, tell me your reaction to these new tariffs.
LANGE: Jim, as you know, the situation is that we are not really can be reliable on anything we are seeing from the United States. So, it's totally
unpredictable. And now, we see after one year, with a lot of breaking of the deal from Scotland on the U.S. side, so the so-called derivatives are
still on 26 percent, we have this green and coercive pressure and so on, and now another breaking from President Trump. That's totally unacceptable
for a fair partnership.
SCIUTTO: How will the U.S. respond? Do you have any leverage in your trade posture towards the U.S.? Might you retaliate with tariffs?
LANGE: We will discuss this next week, no doubt about in a democratic way, because we as a Parliament, we are a little bit different organized than
the situation in the White House at the moment. We will look deeply into our obligation for the Scotland deal and perhaps take additional measures.
The target is quite clear. We want to have a stable relation with the United States, but we need, of course, certainty from the White House.
SCIUTTO: This happens, of course, the same day as we're learning that President Trump's going to reduce U.S. forces in Germany, and I'm told that
the U.S. is considering reducing forces in other European nations that did not join the war against Iran. Do you see these moves as potentially
connected, that in effect President Trump is punishing Germany and other European nations for not taking part in the Iran War?
LANGE: I'm sure that it is. So, it is not based on economic developments. We are not doing any unfair trading practice. This is really linked to,
let's say, some angry mood he has against specifically Germany and, you know, also the discussion about his relation with my Chancellor in Germany.
I'm sure that this attack against the Scotland deal is linked to his perspective to Germany and other European countries.
[18:20:00]
SCIUTTO: What does that mean for negotiations going forward? If you're saying that the U.S. president is punishing you out of a fit of insults and
that you can't trust deals negotiated between the E.U. and the U.S. under President Trump, what does that mean for negotiations going forward? I
mean, is there any resolution to this? I mean, is there any resolution to this?
LANGE: It's really complicated. So, still, we want to have clarity. So, on the previous breaking of the Scotland deal, specifically the so-called
derivatives, these products containing steel and aluminum, a lot of machinery, a lot of agricultural technique and so on, they have to be
covered by the deal. And yes, we want to make clear that if there is no possibility for a stable relation, then of course we have to take also
measures which are of course based on our economic strengths.
I want really to avoid any escalation, but if this will happen day by day, that we are punished, that we are really in a coercive situation by the
White House, then of course we are forced to do that. This is not my first choice, no doubt about it. We need stability for trade and investment.
SCIUTTO: Does this last only through the Trump administration, or do you see longer-term damage to Europe's relationship with the U.S. that will
last beyond whatever happens in the next election?
LANGE: I think so. I am sure that the economic perspective in the United States shifts a little bit from the multilateral rule-based trading order
more to a protective, I call it a little bit, yes, a little bit, a nice very homeland economy. And this is really the main issue beside some
concrete actions from the White House at the moment, that this is a little bit really undermining the trade relation we had so far.
And we as Europeans have to really respect that, that there is a shift, and we have to reorganize our trade relation to the United States, but also in
the context of other middle powers where we are working quite well, like the Mercosur countries together with.
SCIUTTO: Well, Bernd Lange, we appreciate you joining the program again and sharing your thoughts.
LANGE: It's always a pleasure, Jim. Thanks a lot.
SCIUTTO: Well, checking some of today's other business headlines, time is running out for bankrupt Spirit Airlines. President Trump says he is
looking into a taxpayer-funded deal to save the carrier, and that there could be an announcement soon. Spirit is reportedly at risk of liquidation
due in part to the rising cost of jet fuel driven by the war in Iran.
America's two largest oil companies, Chevron and ExxonMobil, reported a sharp drop in quarterly profits Friday, despite the recent spike in oil
prices. Exxon prices fell 46 percent, Chevron's 37 percent, much of that due to financial hedging that did not pay off. Analysts believe that
profits will rebound later this year.
Well, the Pentagon has announced that it is striking artificial intelligence deals with eight big technology firms. The Pentagon says
SpaceX, Amazon, OpenAI and other tech firms will work on classified defense networks. Noticeably absent from the list, Anthropic, labeled a supply
chain risk by the Pentagon. Why? Well, Anthropic refuses to let its A.I. model be used in autonomous weapon systems or on mass surveillance of
Americans.
Well, now to PureGym, the U.K.'s largest fitness chain, as it eyes an expansion here in the U.S. The 2025 earnings report for the firm came out
this week showing a 23 percent revenue gain driven by developing into international markets. Richard Quest spent some time working out the
reasons for this with the company's CEO.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICHARD QUEST, CNN BUSINESS EDITOR-AT-LARGE AND CNN ANCHOR, QUEST MEANS BUSINESS: Beam me up, Scotty.
CLIVE CHESSER, CEO, PUREGYM: Rowing and talking is --
QUEST: And you're doing most of the talking.
CHESSER: 50 classes a week.
QUEST: Lose it over here. I'll declare the conflict of interest. I actually work out in this very gym, so I'm familiar with it.
CHESSER: Delighted to hear it.
QUEST: Do you spend a lot of money on this gym.
[18:25:00]
CHESSER: We spend a lot of money on all our gyms.
QUEST: And you reconfigured this with a particular purpose. Explain.
CHESSER: The big macro trend is towards strength training, towards functional training, and some of that coming away from cardio into this
area. So, we make sure that we create the right amount of space in all of our gyms, give our members what they're looking for.
Are we walking or running? You've just sped up again.
QUEST: Well, no. I was just --
CHESSER: Let's walk.
QUEST: Let's have a fast walk.
CHESSER: OK.
QUEST: International expansion.
CHESSER: Yes.
QUEST: Where are you - where's your focus?
CHESSER: So, the core part of our -- the biggest part of our business is here in the U.K. We've got 460 gyms in the U.K. We opened one a week last
year. We'll open one a week this year. So, we've got still very big growth potential across the U.K. We acquired businesses in Denmark and Switzerland
around six, seven years ago. Good growth in Switzerland in particular.
QUEST: Is the U.S. the biggie?
CHESSER: U.S. is the biggest fitness market in the world by some margin. So, I think it is the -- oh, hang on a minute. OK.
QUEST: Just -- you know.
CHESSER: OK. As we start talking about the U.S., I get faster.
QUEST: Yes, there you go.
CHESSER: And yes, it's the biggest market in the world. We acquired a business called Blink Fitness in New York. This is verging on the running
territory here.
QUEST: Yes, let's go down.
CHESSER: Yes, yes. And we bought -- we've got about 60 clubs currently in the U.S. Fitness penetration in the U.S. is very strong. There is a huge
amount of white space. And we think the products and the quality and the value that we're bringing to the market out there, we're really confident
that that can prove to be a winning proposition.
QUEST: On to the next machine.
CHESSER: OK.
QUEST: I'm exhausted.
CHESSER: I didn't notice you slowed down there. Yes.
QUEST: Many British companies, M&S or, you know, Midland Bank years ago, you and I are old enough to remember some of the great failures of our
time. Why are you going to succeed there when others have failed?
CHESSER: Fundamentally, because the quality of the proposition that we're bringing to the market, we're very confident that that will prove to be
popular in what is a very competitive market. And, you know, we absolutely have huge respect for our competitors that we're up against in every
market. And we're new to New York, so extra humility. And --
QUEST: That's important --
CHESSER: Yes.
QUEST: -- in a market like that.
CHESSER: I think it is. And the reason that I'm confident we're going to succeed is we've had an opportunity to learn from the business that we had
for a few years down in Washington, D.C., only three clubs. We've taken our time. We bought the business about a year and a half ago now. And we've
taken our time to talk to the members, to listen, to go and test some things. And --
QUEST: I'm exhausted.
CHESSER: Yes, yes.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: We do have this news just in to CNN. The Pentagon has just announced it will withdraw some 5,000 troops from Germany. That move
expected to take place over the next six to 12 months. The news comes just days after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that Iranian negotiators
were humiliating the U.S. in talks to end the two-month-old war. President Trump had threatened to pull U.S. troops not only from Germany, but also
Spain and Italy amid an ongoing and growing rift between the U.S. and Europe, not just over the war, but also over the president's continuing
criticism of European nations and NATO.
Coming up on "The Brief," President Trump claims that U.S. hostilities against Iran came to an end before the 60-day War Powers deadline, even as
he's threatening new military action against Iran. Joining me next, Senator Richard Blumenthal with his reaction.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:30:00]
SCIUTTO: The Pentagon says the bill for the Iran War stands at $25 billion, but sources tell CNN that is very much a lowball figure. It does not
include the cost of repairs to multiple U.S. military bases damaged in the war in the Mideast. A new CNN investigation reveals that Iranian strikes
damaged at least 16 such sites. That is a majority of U.S. bases in the region. Tamara Qiblawi reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TAMARA QIBLAWI, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER/WRITER (voice-over): Camp Buehring, Kuwait. American soldiers enjoying a karaoke night at one of the
biggest U.S. military hubs in the Gulf. That was then. This is now. A once bustling American micro city in the desert, nearly empty and heavily
damaged after a week's long barrage of Iranian missiles and drones. One of many U.S. military facilities in the oil rich Arabian Peninsula targeted by
Iran even as the U.S. and Israel pummeled the Islamic Republic's large arsenal.
So, what impact have Iran's strikes had on America's footprint in the Middle East? A CNN investigation found evidence of unprecedented
destruction. We can reveal that strikes damaged at least 16 U.S. installations across eight countries. According to our analysis and
sourcing, that's the majority of American military positions in the region, and some of them are virtually unusable now.
A U.S. source familiar with the situation told us that they'd never seen anything like this at American bases, that these were rapid, targeted
strikes using advanced technology. Iran's main targets, multimillion dollar aircraft like this Boeing E-3 sentry, which gave the U.S. a huge amount of
visibility over the Gulf. It's out of production. And in today's money, it's worth nearly half a billion dollars. Critical communications
equipment.
Look at these giant golf balls. They're known as radomes, and they protect satellite dishes vital for data transmission. In this space alone, Iran
destroyed all but one of the radomes less than a month into the war, and crucially, radar systems, highly sophisticated, expensive, difficult to
replace and critical to air defense.
A second U.S. source, this one a congressional aide familiar with damage assessments, described these as the most cost effective of the targets. Our
radar systems, they said, are our most expensive and our most limited resource in the region.
QIBLAWI: For U.S. allies in the region, there's a dilemma. In some ways, Iran's show of force makes the U.S.'s presence in the region even more
necessary to Gulf security. But there's a new reality here, which is that U.S. military installations previously seen as formidable fortresses have
turned into sitting targets.
[18:35:00]
As a Saudi source told me, the war has shown Saudi Arabia that the U.S.'s longest standing Arab ally, that the alliance with the U.S. cannot be
exclusive, and it is not, in their words, impregnable.
QIBLAWI (voice-over): To get a sense of just how vulnerable U.S. facilities have become, have a look at this. It's the war room at Qatar's Al-Udeid Air
Base. The theater command and control hub for U.S. air power across 21 nations struck not just once, but twice and according to a U.S. source,
causing significant damage. The base had been largely evacuated at this point, and no casualties were reported.
Iran's visibility over its targets has never been clearer. In 2024, according to "The Financial Times," Tehran secretly acquired a Chinese
satellite known as the TEE-01B, a massive upgrade from its satellites. That means that Tehran went from looking at images of this quality to this. This
is the first time America has fought an adversary with satellites that capture high-res imagery, almost as detailed as its own.
As the scale of the damage comes into focus, many will wonder whether America's presence, once a protective shield in the Middle East, has turned
into its Achilles heel.
Tamara Qiblawi, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: Responding to CNN's investigation, a Pentagon official said the Defense Department does not discuss damage assessments, but that U.S.
forces remain fully operational with the same readiness and combat effectiveness. CNN also understands from its sources that the vast majority
of U.S. troops evacuated their positions in the Middle East, with many working from the relative safety of hotels and apartments in the Arabian
Peninsula.
Well, it has now been 60 days since the U.S. and Israel launched the war on Iran. President Trump has sent a letter to Congress arguing that the war is
effectively over because of a ceasefire. That letter reads in part, quote, "There have been no -- there has been no exchange of fire between the U.S.
-- between U.S. forces and Iran since April 7th. The hostilities that began on February 28th have terminated."
Under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, the president has 60 days to conduct hostilities in response to an imminent threat or attack on the U.S.
without consent of Congress. Many lawmakers say today is day 60, others arguing the ceasefire should not count against that deadline. Joining me
now, Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal. Senator, thanks so much for taking the time.
SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): Thanks for having me.
SCIUTTO: So, I found it notable that the same day that the president says that hostilities are paused and therefore the deadline doesn't apply, he
threatened additional military action against Iran to, I believe he said, blow the hell out of them. I mean, can both those things be true?
BLUMENTHAL: Trump's claim that hostilities have terminated is patently absurd. It's a false distraction in a war of delusion. The blockade itself
alone is an act of war that indicates continuing hostilities. And Trump's own statements obviously belie his claim, as you just said. But also, he's
accomplished none of his objectives, contradictory and shifting goals, either to change the regime or secure the enriched uranium or degrade
completely the Iranian missile and drone capacity.
And so, if he's terminated hostilities, he in effect is surrendering. I don't think Donald Trump is claiming to surrender. On the contrary, as you
just indicated in his quote he's actually talking about escalating. The ongoing war is an ongoing war, and he can't obey his constitutional
responsibility, as well as under the War Powers Resolution, to come to Congress for approval and consent.
SCIUTTO: As you know, the Senate has repeatedly rejected measures to limit Trump's War Powers six times, I believe. Do you see any Republicans
changing their tune on this? Because, of course, you would need Republican votes to do so. Are they buying this argument that the ceasefire resets the
clock?
BLUMENTHAL: They are not buying, in the least, that there is a pause button in the Constitution, that a ceasefire somehow ceases an ongoing war. And I
think you're finding that Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski changing their votes on the War Powers Resolution vote yesterday. You're right, it's the
sixth time. So, far, Republicans have lacked the backbone to stand up to Donald Trump.
[18:40:00]
But colleagues like Josh Hawley of Missouri and John Curtis of Utah are saying that they're increasingly having reservations about this ongoing
conflict and war without congressional approval. So, I think there are canaries in the coal mine for Trump's war.
SCIUTTO: A CNN investigation you may have heard in the lead-in has found that 16 U.S. bases in the region, the majority of them, bases and
positions, sustained damage in the war. Has the administration been honest with Congress and the American people as to the true extent of U.S. losses
in this war so far?
BLUMENTHAL: The administration has been anything but honest. In fact, downright disingenuous. And your report, I think, is profoundly important
because it shows the extent and breadth of the destruction of United States assets in the region, not to mention the other costs in terms of munition
drawdowns, very dangerous, depleting our stocks of the long-range artillery munitions and other supplies, as well as the maintenance costs. The USS
Ford is in maintenance right now. Tremendous costs there.
And here's what we try to do. In classified settings, I'll be very blunt, as well as in open hearings, like yesterday, with Secretary Hegseth and
Chairman Caine, I have asked repeatedly, what is the cost? All we know is it was $11 billion in the first six days of the war, at the rate of
approximately $2 billion a day. Now, they say it's $25 billion. That figure is a half, a third, probably less than the total cost, because they are
low-balling Congress. They're concealing the fact they're refusing to provide any kind of details, as they did yesterday. The comptroller said he
wouldn't get back to us.
This hearing was on their budget. They should have come prepared with numbers. They are deceiving the American people.
SCIUTTO: Before we go, I want to ask about your interaction with the Defense Secretary in the hearing on Ukraine specifically. You asked him if
he believes, as the President has said, that Ukraine has been, quote, "militarily defeated," which is something I know that when I speak to not
just Ukrainian officials, but European officials, they say quite the opposite. He didn't directly respond to your question. Why? What's the
administration's actual position, in your view?
BLUMENTHAL: He refused to respond to my question, because he knows that the president's claim that Ukraine has been, quote, "militarily defeated,"
remember, he made that claim after talking for about an hour and a half to Vladimir Putin the day before yesterday, is absolutely false.
I know it from my nine trips to Ukraine, when I've met with our generals, our military, as well as Ukraine's, and we know it as well from the map,
because they are actually making gains now. They are leading the world in military technology, in drone production, producing a thousand a day, as
compared to our maybe a hundred, few hundred, or slightly more in a year. Ukraine is becoming a world superpower.
And we are on the wrong side of history there, because Ukraine's fighting our fight for freedom and democracy. Putin will come after our allies, and
under Article 5 of the NATO Treaty, will be responsible for putting troops on the ground if Putin conquers Ukraine. But the reason for the secretary
of defense avoiding the question is, he knows that Trump is confused or is prevaricating on this issue, and he doesn't want to get on Donald Trump's
wrong side.
SCIUTTO: Yes, and now of course the U.S. and others are asking Ukraine for its help with drone technology. Senator Richard Blumenthal, we appreciate
you joining.
BLUMENTHAL: Thank you.
SCIUTTO: And we will have more news just after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[18:45:00]
SCIUTTO: Some U.S. school districts are now testing whether small drones could help respond to threats, including active shooters. Those drones can
stream live video to first responders and maybe even help stop a threat. Pete Muntean takes a closer look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. Pilots, good to go.
PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Here in this Austin, Texas middle school, we're seeing how to stop a school shooting with a
swarm of tiny drones. It's a new idea ripped from the world of indoor drone racing, placing a nest of drones inside hallways.
MUNTEAN: So, what do you guys call this?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've just been calling it the box.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): And launching them remotely the moment a lockdown begins.
JUSTIN MARSTON, CO-FOUNDER, CAMPUS GUARDIAN ANGEL: So, in a school shooting, most of the death happens in the first two minutes, and it's
really hard to get an effective response there in that first two minutes.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): Justin Marston is the founder of Campus Guardian Angel, the Texas startup that envisions drones mounted on the wall of every
school nationwide waiting for an emergency.
For now, the system is still in trials here in Texas with a pilot program launching in Florida and lawmakers in Georgia considering it next.
MARSTON: As soon as people see it, it becomes really obvious and compelling.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): To prove it, I got to watch a test live.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bye.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): For this demonstration, the drone operators are right at our side instead of in a control room where they navigate using a 3D
scan of the school's interior.
Part one, speed, the drones ripped through halls scanning for a threat and feeding point of video back in real time.
BILL KING, CO-FOUNDER, CAMPUS GUARDIAN ANGEL: As soon as I can find him, five seconds later, I can be flying.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): Bill King is a former Navy SEAL and co-founder of Campus Guardian Angel. Live drone video can be relayed to police giving
them a clearer picture before they move in.
MUNTEAN: So, we've moved on to a different part of the demo now that apparently requires safety glasses.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): The team here has now pulled out a stand-in shooter. His name --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Silent Bob.
MUNTEAN: Silent Bob?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, because he never complains.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): Even as he is pelted with pepper spray balls, enough to stop a real shooter. Even an unarmed drone can still pack a punch and
can subdue a shooter by ramming into them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nice.
RICK GOODRICH, BOERNE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT: Anything that causes that distraction, anything that takes their attention away from potential
victims is a win.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): Rick Goodrich is the chief of safety and security for a school district near San Antonio.
GOODRICH: When a drone enters the room, it's the only thing you're thinking about.
MUNTEAN (voice-over): Campus Guardian Angel admits this system will not be cheap, costing schools about as much as a school police officer's salary
and benefits. This technology is still in its early phases and has never been used in an actual school shooting. But the hope is this can be an
emerging tool in a fight with no easy answers.
MARSTON: If we see somebody murdering children, we want to stop them murdering children.
MUNTEAN: We're about to see how this works beyond just a demonstration. Florida's first pilot program officially launches Friday at a high school
in Deltona. But not everyone is convinced this system is a game changer.
[18:50:00]
Some critics argue it may not offer much more than what security cameras already provide, and question whether it's the best use of already tight
school budgets. So, as this rolls out, the real test won't just be how it works, but whether drones in schools are worth it. Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: Drones turning up in a lot of places these days. Well, just ahead, the fastest two minutes in sports. We're going to give you a preview of
this weekend's Kentucky Derby, including the favorite to win it all.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCIUTTO: So, put on your fascinator and mix up a mint and tulip. It's about time for the Kentucky Derby. The fastest two minutes in sports will take
place on Saturday, first Saturday in May, for the 152nd time. Renegade is the favorite, but he drew the number one post position. That's a tough one.
No horse has won from the rail since back in 1986.
Joining me now, Cameron Drummond, sports reporter for the Lexington Herald- Leader in Kentucky. Good to have you, Cameron. This is close to home for me. My mom's from Louisville. So, I've been watching the derby since I was
a little kid. There's a favorite, but you say it's actually kind of a wide- open race.
CAMERON DRUMMOND, SPORTS REPORTER, LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER: Certainly, yes. I think there's four, five, maybe even six different horses that could
actually emerge as the favorite once they're loaded into the starting gate tomorrow night at Churchill Downs.
You referenced Renegade, who is the morning line favorite. He started off at four to one odds following the post-position draw this past weekend. But
the problem, as you alluded to, is that Renegade drew the one post, and that's absolutely not where you want to be if you want to win the Kentucky
Derby.
You referenced the last winner from that post, which was Ferdinand, all the way back in 1986. The problem with the one post is that there's 19 horses
immediately to your right, so you're going to get absolutely squeezed into the rail. That completely changes the strategy that Renegade, his team,
will have going into the race, and so that opens things up for a lot of the other horses who have had really strong prep seasons ahead of this derby.
The likes of Commandment, Further Ado, Chief Wallabee, The Puma. There's a ton of other horses that are getting live action money right now, moving up
the odds chart. So, I wouldn't be certain that Renegade is going to be the favorite when the race actually goes off tomorrow night at Churchill Downs.
SCIUTTO: Temperatures predicted to be pretty cold, right? Unusually cold. Does that affect conditions, and could that affect, I mean, which horses
have better chances?
DRUMMOND: Well, it's certainly better than rain, and I've covered my fair share of derbies over the last couple years, and specifically last year's
race, which was actually run over a sloppy track because of how much rainfall there was in Louisville ahead of the race. I don't think the
temperature, while it will be unseasonably cold and while it is on pace to potentially be the coldest derby since the late '80s, I don't think that
will necessarily have too much of a factor in the actual race outcome itself.
[18:55:00]
It may have an impact on some of the outfits that are worn and potentially anybody who purchased their derby dresses or suits a bit too early before
checking the forecast.
SCIUTTO: You're going to be wearing a fascinator or --
DRUMMOND: I'm a bolo tie guy. I'm from Dallas, Texas. Originally, I got rid of my roots on that one.
SCIUTTO: Cameron Drummond, look forward to watching tomorrow. Thanks for joining.
DRUMMOND: Of course. Thank you, guys.
SCIUTTO: In today's Good Brief, street artist Banksy has confirmed that he is behind the mysterious new statue that appeared in the heart of London
this week. The sculpture shows a suited man marching off a pedestal, his face covered by a flag, apparently depicting blind patriotism. Banksy took
credit by posting a video online showing the installation under the cover of night. Authorities say the statue will remain on display for the public
for the time being, calling it a striking addition to the Capitol's public art scene.
Thanks so much for joining. I'm Jim Sciuto in Washington. You've been watching "The Brief." Have a good weekend. Please stay with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:00:00]
END
