Return to Transcripts main page

The Brief with Jim Sciutto

CNN International: Putin Meets with Xi in China; Latvia Brushes Off Russian Threats; U.S. Cancels Troop Deployment to Poland; Trump Aides, IRS Barred from Investigating Trump for Past Tax Issues; New Graduates Face Uncertain Job Market; Race to Contain the Ebola Outbreak; Trump Trying to Oust Thomas Massie; Vance: Iran's Negotiating Position Still Unclear. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired May 19, 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 of this hour, Russian President Vladimir Putin visits his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, just days after Beijing hosted President

Donald Trump. Moscow threatens retaliation if Latvia lets Ukraine use its territory to launch drones into Russia. Latvia calls the allegations,

quote, "pure fiction and pure lies." And how recent college graduates are navigating the rise of artificial intelligence and its effects on the job

market. That story and plenty more coming up.

We do begin in China. Russian President Vladimir Putin now in Beijing just days after the U.S. president was there. You can see Chinese Foreign

Minister Wang Yi welcoming the Russian leader. This is Putin's 25th visit to China as Russia's leader. Beijing and Moscow have strengthened their

ties in trade and in security since he took power. Many in the West are urging China to use its leverage with Moscow to end Russia's ongoing

invasion of Ukraine.

Joining me now is Bonny Lin, director of the China Power Project and senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Bonny, good

to have you.

BONNY LIN, DIRECTOR, CHINA POWER PROJECT, CSIS: Thank you, Jim. Really great to be with you today.

SCIUTTO: So, the timing of this is notable, just a couple of days apart. And of course, these schedules are decided with a lot of attention. Is this

a signal to Trump that despite all his praise for Xi claims of friendship, that it is Russia that is actually China's friend?

LIN: So, my understanding, at least from the folks from the Kremlin, is they've been making it very clear that this trip that President Putin is

taking to China was arranged in early February after Xi Jinping had a call with Putin in early February. So, at least from the Russian side, they're

trying to argue that this, that President Putin's trip, it was not intended to be immediately after President Trump. If President Trump has kept his

original schedule, which he was supposed to go in mid-April, there would have been at least a month or so gap in between.

I think it's very important, you mentioned earlier that Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Putin at the airplane, at the tarmac. Compared to that,

President Trump was met by Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, who is more senior in protocol than Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

So, what we really need to see is how Putin's trip will unfold. There's -- according to the Kremlin, he had a pretty packed schedule. We're already

seeing some Russian officials meet with their Chinese counterpart, including, for example, what Chinese vice premier, Ding Xuexiang had met

with his Russian counterpart and discussed bilateral investment. So, we need to see what's going to play out.

But so far, the optics seem to suggest that China is offering the United States at least more symbolism, more display. But again, that doesn't

necessarily mean that the relationship between China and Russia is worse. It could actually be stronger than between China and the United States.

SCIUTTO: Well, by comparison, now that we're a couple days out from Trump's Beijing visit, what concrete was gained from that visit by the U.S.

or by China, for that matter?

LIN: So, the main, I think, gains, as highlighted in the White House statement fact sheet, were a lot on the economic side. If you recall, there

were a number of economic deliverables, 200 Boeing planes, more agricultural purchases. And I think what's really significant, at least

from the Chinese side, in terms of what they brought out of this, was an agreement on both sides of how to characterize the relationship as a

constructive relationship of strategic stability.

And you saw the White House echo that, but they added fairness and reciprocity to it. So, at least were some agreement in terms of how to

characterize the relationship.

[18:05:00]

And I would also argue that this meeting between Trump, President Trump, and Xi hasn't really stabilized U.S.-China relations. But again, we need to

see what might happen in the coming months, including if there will be another U.S. arms sales to Taiwan which could, according to Xi Jinping,

really destabilize U.S.-China relations.

SCIUTTO: Well, what about the state of the Russia-China relationship? It was notable just prior to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine that Xi

and Putin announced their quote-unquote no-limits partnership. Reuters reporting that China trained Russian troops with a focus on drone warfare

to continue to fight the war there, as well as all the technology that China has provided to Russia throughout the war and all the oil that it's

bought. Is that relationship still strong? I would say the relationship is very strong.

LIN: So, one of the reasons why China's interested in hosting Putin now is to definitely reassure Putin that despite whatever you may have seen

between Xi Jinping and President Trump, Russia will always remain and be China's neighbor and always be one of China's closest friends.

Because at the end of the day, I think China and those in Beijing are still wary and deeply distrust the United States, but there is a sense that

Russia is more of a trusted friend, at least at Xi Jinping's level.

You're exactly right. China is the largest purchaser of Russian oil. I think Putin is also coming to China with hopes that there will be more

concrete details from the Chinese offer to buy more Russian gas. I think Putin wants to be able to neck down how much money that will be. This is

the power of Siberia II pipeline that runs through to China from Russia through Mongolia.

And of course, Putin, similar to President Trump, is bringing a number of CEOs with him from the energy industry, from development, Russian banks, as

well as a number of Russian officials. So, there is also a hope to further deepen economic ties.

SCIUTTO: Bonny Lin, thanks so much.

LIN: Thank you.

SCIUTTO: Well, Russia's ambassador to the U.N. claims that Ukraine plans to launch military drones from Latvia and other Baltic states, who, of

course, members of NATO. He warns that their status as NATO members would not protect them from Russian retaliation.

Now, Latvia's foreign minister, Baiba Braze, strongly rejected that claim, saying, quote, "Latvia does not provide airspace for attacks on Russia.

That has been explained several times to Russian representatives."

Here is what Latvia's ambassador to the U.N. had to say in response to those allegations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANITA PAVLUTA-DESLANDES, LATVIAN AMBASSADOR TO U.N.: I will just repeat, lies and aggressive disinformation and threats are a sign of despair and

weakness. And we have seen similar lies addressed against other members of this council in the previous meetings.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Well, in neighboring Estonia, a NATO jet shot down a Ukrainian drone. Kyiv blames Moscow for steering that drone into Estonian airspace.

Joining me now, Michal Kobosko, a Polish member of the European Parliament. He joins me from Strasbourg, France. Michal, thanks so much for taking the

time.

MICHAL KOBOSKO, EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT MEMBER, POLAND: Hi, Jim. Great to be with you tonight.

SCIUTTO: First, I want to begin on this Russian allegation. Do you fear that Russia is manufacturing a threat to justify possible future military

action in the Baltic region? As you know, Russia has a history of this before the invasion of Ukraine, for instance, it accused Ukraine of

carrying out terror attacks. Do you see the same pattern here?

KOBOSKO: Yes, I would say it's a never-ending story. I mean, the same scenario, the same ideas, well, in the past, it was the Soviet Union.

Nowadays, it's the Russian Federation, but they are repeating the same scenarios, using the same tools, provocations, fake news, all kinds of

disinformation, trying to, also, you know, trying to find some divisions among the member states of the NATO and trying to find a way, a reason,

frankly speaking, to prepare some aggressive actions against our countries. So, I'm afraid this is an old Russia that we know and nothing is changing

for better.

SCIUTTO: There are other indications that as Russia threatens, even the possibility of action against NATO, that the war is not going well for

Russia and that Russian officials know that, that Moscow Times is reporting Russian officials are preparing to frame a peace deal with Ukraine as a

victory. I wonder, do you, does the European parliament, does Poland see indications that Russia's, particularly Putin's commitment to this war is

wavering and he might be looking for a way out?

[18:10:00]

KOBOSKO: Well, he might be looking for a way out, but he is in a position in which he, situated himself and that's the position where he promised to

his own people to the people of Russia that he will win this war. Please do not forget he promised his people that he would win this war in three or

four days while this is all this already lasts for over four years and there's no visible scenario for the let's say happy ending from the Russian

side.

So, even though this is a huge problem for him but it would be very difficult to imagine that he would just give up and surrender in a way

because that would be this way it would be seen by the Russian people.

SCIUTTO: I want to ask now about the decision by the U.S. to cancel the deployment of 4,000 soldiers to Poland. You led an initiative in the E.U.

Parliament today to discuss that decision. My first question to you is how do you and your colleagues read that? Do you read that as a weakening of

the U.S. commitment to help defend NATO's Eastern Allies?

KOBOSKO: Well, definitely it's really hard for us to judge the situation and to say whether this is a kind of a scenario which is being materialized

right now and the U.S. administration has decided to withdraw or visibly cut down the military presence in Europe and directly the Central and

Eastern Europe and countries like Poland or whether this decision can be changed. This rotation will finally happen.

We heard some pretty encouraging signals today. There was a phone conversation of Secretary Hegseth with the Poland's minister of defense.

And what we heard from Polish minister was that the secretary assured him that the United States will stay involved and will stay supporting Poland.

So, we should not be discussing the withdrawal of the U.S. troops from Poland.

However, there were recent days and the decision which you mentioned to cancel the rotation took us by surprise. We were pretty shocked surprised

with that. And I would say that the people of Poland are pretty uncertain what's going to happen in the coming days and months.

Right now, we are hosting some 10,000 U.S. boots on the ground in Poland. 4,000 is the number of troops that was supposed to come as a new rotation

to Poland. So, as you see that if this was a real reduction that would significantly limit the U.S. military presence in Poland and the eastern

flank of the NATO. So, this is why we want to make sure that this is not going to happen -- this is not going to change that the U.S. will stay

military involved in the region.

SCIUTTO: But when you piece these decisions together, reduction in forces in Romania last year, reduction in forces in Germany this year, reduction

in forces in Poland this year, you combine those with the president's rhetoric attacking NATO as a paper tiger. I mean, how can you not read that

as a reduction in U.S. support? I mean, do you believe it when Secretary Hegseth says this is there's nothing to see here?

KOBOSKO: Well, we will have to wait. We have no choice. We will have to wait and see what's going to happen next. What you just said is -- these

are facts. I mean, it started last year in Romania first, then you have a number of decisions, and then you have the -- also the announcement of the

national -- two national strategies of the United States showing very visibly that the U.S. is rethinking, reconfiguring its position its global

military posture and a position which might end with a visible reduction of the U.S. military presence in Europe. These are the facts.

What I'm saying is that in a country like Poland has been a very loyal and engaged ally of the U.S. spending by ourselves over 4 percent of the GDP,

one of the top spenders across the NATO alliance. So, we do not understand why we should be in a way a victim of new American decisions. We can

understand and we definitely we see the trends that the U.S. is repositioning its military presence and China, Asia are obviously the key

areas of interests for the -- for American right now.

[18:15:00]

But we still believe that the eastern flank and the place where the real war is taking place, a full-scale war is taking place of Ukraine defending

itself for over four years. This is a real fact and this is also in the interest of the United States to remain, to stay involved in this theater,

in this arena, because you have deter Russia from moving, I would say, even more westwards and thinking, considering aggressive actions against the

NATO members.

SCIUTTO: Just quickly, how do you think Vladimir Putin views these changes? Does he view the U.S. as less committed to NATO and Europe?

KOBOSKO: I'm afraid he might read it this way, and that would be very bad for us Europeans, that would be very bad for the states, because that

might, as I said, encourage Putin to start considering or reconsidering his plan. He has once promised to his own people that he would reinstall, in a

way, what was formerly a Soviet sphere of influence in Europe.

Obviously, we cannot agree to that, and this is why we are asking our American partners to reconsider their thinking about the military presence

in Europe.

SCIUTTO: We'll see if they listen. Michal Kobusko, thanks so much for joining.

KOBOSKO: Thank you very much.

SCIUTTO: President Trump's unprecedented settlement with the IRS now includes new terms highly advantageous to him and his family. According to

those new terms posted by the Justice Department, the IRS will now be unable to audit Trump and his family for any past tax issues.

As announced previously, the deal creates a nearly $1.8 billion fund to compensate people who claim they were unfairly targeted by federal

investigations or prosecutions in the previous administration. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche was asked today on Capitol Hill if that could

include the rioters who attacked the Capitol on January 6th.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CHRIS COONS (D-DE): I heard from a number of law enforcement friends who found it appalling that there was the possibility that folks like the

peace, the Oath Keepers, the Proud Boys who had assaulted Capitol police officers could receive multi-million-dollar payouts from this fund. Will

you commit that no one who has been convicted of assaulting a police officer will receive a payout from this fund?

TODD BLANCHE, ACTING U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: So, I shared the concerns that apparently members of law enforcement gave to you last week, although none

of this was announced last week, so that's surprising, but --

COONS: They had heard rumors there would be a settlement fund.

BLANCHE: OK. But anybody can apply. The commission will set -- the commissioners will set rules, I'm sure.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Well, first known claim is him, filed by Trump ally Michael Caputo, who says he was unfairly targeted in the Russia investigations.

He's asking for $2.7 million, $2.7 million in restitution.

Joining me now, Gene Rossi, former U.S. federal prosecutor, former assistant U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia. Gene, good to

have you back.

GENE ROSSI, FORMER U.S. FEDERAL PROSECUTOR AND FORMER ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY, EASTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA: Good to see you, Jim.

SCIUTTO: So, first, let me ask you about the language in here, which exempts Trump and his family members and all families, trusts, companies,

et cetera, from any investigations existing or previously existing. Have you seen an agreement like this before? And what does it mean when the

elected president of the United States gets that kind of protection?

ROSSI: Jim, I worked for the Department of Justice Tax Division for 11 years. I did civil and criminal cases. This action by President Trump

through his personal criminal defense attorney, now acting AG, is beyond unprecedented. It hearkens back to what Nixon did when he would send a list

to the IRS, the so-called enemies list, and ask the IRS to investigate people. This is sort of an amendment of what Nixon used to do. Instead of

investigating other people, Mr. Trump is asking his Justice Department and the IRS indirectly to stop investigating him, Donald Trump, and his family.

I can't fathom how much of a conflict of interest this is in abuse of power.

I will say this. Under Title 26, 7217, Todd Blanche does have the power to do this. But just because you have the power to do this, Jim, doesn't mean

you should. And there's an appearance and an actual conflict in having audits killed, killed involving the president and his family. It's just

beyond -- it's beyond description to me as a former tax division trial attorney for 11 years.

[18:20:00]

SCIUTTO: Let me ask you this, could a succeeding administration turn this around? The new president in 2029, say actually well they did break the law

or we're going to have the IRS investigate whether they did.

ROSSI: Well, I got to go back to what Justice Alito said during an oral argument on one of the worst opinions issued by the Supreme Court, the one

in July of 2024 that gave absolute immunity to the president. Justice Alito, he rightly said what would happen if a new administration comes in

and wants to take revenge and retribution on the prior president of another party.

Could that happen, Jim? Of course, it could. A new president using the historical precedent set by Trump could investigate Trump and his family

for new audits, new returns, new return violations. They could possibly do that and also could investigate for crimes that aren't protected under

absolute immunity.

What I do want to say is this about what I call the 1776 slush fund is that instead of setting up a slush fund, they should appoint a special counsel

if you will to decide these issues as to whether there was unfair prosecutions or weaponization of the Justice Department. I'm not so much

angry as sad that my great former employer the Department of Justice has simply lost its moral compass, lost its moral compass.

SCIUTTO: Let me ask you this because this is taxpayer money that $1.776 million and that's 1776. There's a reason for that figure. Is it illegal to

just do this without Congress, right? I mean, my, you know, layman's reading of the Constitution said you need an act of Congress to spend

taxpayer money.

ROSSI: Well, I'm going to invoke the words of Jamie Raskin who was a constitutional law professor at American University Law School, my old alma

mater, and he was on TV probably this program, CNN, and he said that it's unconstitutional to set up what I call the 1776 slush fund. You can't do

that. You're using funds that Congress can only appropriate. The president can't just set up a fund to pay off his buddies who stormed the Capitol and

beat -- violently beat -- this is the kicker, violently beat up police officers and were justly and rightly convicted and sentenced. They should

not get reimbursement for their crimes. End of story.

SCIUTTO: And as we know, the president pardoned even those attackers who attacked police officers. Gene Rossi, good to have you on.

ROSSI: Thank you.

SCIUTTO: Coming up, this year's college graduates are entering a job market transformed by A.I. How the uncertain economy will impact the class

of 2026 and beyond, that's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:25:00]

SCIUTTO: Welcome back. In today's Business Breakout, U.S. stocks fell across the board Tuesday as bond yields climbed further. The S&P 500 lost

ground for a third straight session. Inflation fears pushed the 30-year U.S. Treasury yield to 5.2 percent. That's the highest level since 2007,

right before the global financial crisis.

Checking some of today's other business headlines, U.S. retail giant Home Depot says consumers are pulling back on spending amid rising inflation.

Home Depot sales rose about five percent in the first quarter. It says consumers remain resilient, but it says many are scaling back on their home

improvement projects.

Starbucks is apologizing after a controversial marketing campaign launched by its South Korean affiliate, Starbucks Korea, triggered an uproar after a

Tumblr promotion evoked memories of a bloody military crackdown in South Korea in 1980. The head of Starbucks Korea has been fired. Starbucks Global

says it will start company-wide training to make sure something like this doesn't happen again.

Financial giant Standard Chartered is the latest global firm to announce A.I.-related job cuts. The company says it will lay off more than 7,000

workers over the next four years as it ramps up spending on A.I.

Speaking of A.I., this year's college graduates are growing increasingly concerned over what it will mean for the jobs market. Lynda Kinkade spoke

with students and faculty at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LYNDA KINKADE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A computer science degree at Georgia Institute of Technology is considered a golden ticket to secure

a position at a major tech company like Google, Meta and Amazon. But after tens of thousands of layoffs and a rapid shift towards A.I., students are

entering a job market that looks very different.

KINKADE: So, with all the mass layoffs in tech, how are you feeling approaching graduation?

HUNTER RICHARDSON, GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY GRADUATE: I won't lie. We -- my friends and I have been a little bit scared about entering the

workforce.

KINKADE (voice-over): But this year, more than 100,000 jobs were cut in the tech sector according to industry trackers. LinkedIn shows entry-level

hiring has fallen about 6 percent year over year.

RICHARDSON: How's your finals going?

KINKADE (voice-over): Hunter Richardson is graduating with a job already lined up.

RICHARDSON: A few years into my degree program, I added accounting as a second major to be able to apply the things I learned in computer science.

KINKADE (voice-over): Hunter represents one side of the story, students who took steps to adapt early, combining technical skills with business

experience and internships.

RICHARDSON: What I think excites us, particularly at Georgia Tech, is how we are being equipped to work with A.I. tools in a way that is unique and

keeps us on the, you know, the forefront of being able to work with these tools. And as things are evolving constantly, we're ready to change.

KINKADE: What's one piece of advice you're giving students as they navigate this A.I. disruption?

OLUFISAYO OMOJOKUN, ASSOCIATE DEAN, COLLEGE OF COMPUTING, GEORGIA TECH AND GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY: Yes, certainly is to not skip the

fundamentals. Things can change over time because of A.I., but the fundamentals are going to always be important.

KINKADE: Which are?

OMOJOKUN: Well, we have this whole notion of computational thinking that's part of our curriculum. Being able to look at large problems and break them

down into smaller pieces and understand the patterns and processes that make a solution.

KINKADE (voice-over): Professor Olufisayo Omojokun is the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education in the College of Computing.

KINKADE: Do you worry about preparing students for jobs that might not exist in five years' time?

OMOJOKUN: Not necessarily, because our goal is to create computational thinkers. We have 97 percent, at least last year, of our students landing a

career placement within six months of their graduation. And we're doing the same survey this year and we're hoping for even better. We're the only

computer science program, at least in the top 25, that has its own career services unit for its computing students. We're having or asking students

to broaden their horizons. There's a whole space of companies that aren't big tech, but are looking for students to hire.

KINKADE (voice-over): Goldman Sachs estimates that gen A.I. could affect 300 million jobs worldwide, though less than 7 percent are at risk of full

displacement. In other words, most jobs are being reshaped, not eliminated.

KINKADE: So, how do the number of jobs being lost compare to those being created?

ANDREW MCCASKILL, CAREER EXPERT: I mean, I think if you look at the jobs numbers from the last few months, we are not creating jobs at the numbers

that we traditionally have.

[18:30:00]

KINKADE (voice-over): Career expert, Andrew McCaskill, says the numbers reflect a reset, not a collapse.

KINKADE: Andrew, when you look at white-collar jobs over the next 18 to 24 months, what does the landscape look like?

MCCASKILL: 2026 is going to be one of the most competitive job markets that we've seen in years. Think about it like this. Right now, 36 percent

of the people who are unemployed in this country hold college degrees. So, there's a lot of competition in the marketplace right now.

KINKADE: So, you're saying the key is to pivot, to adapt. What does that mean in real terms?

MCCASKILL: Yes, the reality of the marketplace is not optimal, but you don't panic, you pivot. You adapt, get as many data points as you possibly

can about where people are hiring.

KINKADE (voice-over): According to the World Economic Forum 2025 report, key growth areas include artificial intelligence and machine learning. Data

and digital infrastructure, cyber security, robotics, healthcare and biotech.

MCCASKILL: One of the fastest growing industries right now is utilities as the entire grid gets changed in advance of the A.I.- assisted workforce.

KINKADE (voice-over): For decades, a tech-based degree promised certainty. In 2026, it offers something different. Opportunity, but most likely only

for those ready to adapt.

Lynda Kinkade, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: Maybe a message for all of us still to come on "The Brief," the race to contain the deadly Ebola outbreak in Central Africa.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCIUTTO: Welcome back to "The Brief." I'm Jim Sciutto, and here are the international headlines we're watching today.

U.S. President -- Vice President J.D. Vance says Washington is trying to reach a deal with Tehran, but he's uncertain about the prospects for

negotiations. He defended President Trump's comment last week that the war's economic impact on Americans is not a consideration for the

president. Vance says that Trump's words were misrepresented and taken out of context by the media. You could see those words for yourself online.

They were not taken out of context.

Authorities are questioning the families of two teens suspected of attacking an Islamic center in San Diego. Three people were killed. Police

say the suspects died of self-inflicted gunshots.

[18:35:00]

The FBI says the two teens were radicalized online. The search of their homes turned up more than 30 guns, 30 guns and a manifesto. Officials

hailed all three victims as heroes who kept the gunmen from entering the mosque and perhaps killing more people, including children. There was a

school there.

And this just in, the U.S. Senate has advanced a measure that could at least force a vote on limiting President Donald Trump's war powers. That

measure would require congressional approval for any future military action against Iran. The vote was 50 to 47.

Six states are holding primary elections ahead of November's midterms today. In Kentucky, President Trump is hoping Republicans will rid him of

Republican lawmaker Thomas Massie. He was co-author of the bill which required the Justice Department to make the Epstein files public. Massie is

one of the few Republicans in the House who criticized the war with Iran. Voters also casting ballots in Oregon, Idaho, Alabama, Georgia and

Pennsylvania.

Jeff Zeleny is in Kentucky where the polls have just closed. Listen, a lot going on today. Let's begin if we can in Kentucky there because this is of

course a test for one of the few Republicans in the House willing to challenge President Trump. How is it looking for him in that primary?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, Jim, supporters of Congressman Thomas Massie have begun to fill in behind

me here at his headquarters, but it is of course too early to know if this is a victory party or a party of a different kind.

I mean, this has been a bruising campaign, the most expensive House primary race ever, about $32 million spent on this race, largely by concerns

completely outside of Kentucky, many about the war that you were just talking about. Of course, Congressman Thomas Massie, a strong opponent of

the war, he has questioned the U.S.'s relationship with Israel. That has really opened the floodgates for considerable contributions.

So, that is something that's not necessarily top of mind for the voters we've been talking to, but the fallout from the Iran war certainly is. I

mean, the economy front and center in this race, as we've been spending some time here, obviously the price of diesel and gas is a central concern,

but the war is as well.

And for all of the criticism from President Trump and the White House about the obstructionism in their view that Thomas Massie has done, many voters

see it as standing up for them and being willing to sort of go against the grain, in the words of one voter. Here's a small sampling of why Massie's

supporters were backing him and why one was not.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY BRANDSTETTER, KENTUCKY REPUBLICAN VOTER: I don't like him voting to impeach Trump. I didn't like him not voting on the tax cut, and he just

tries to seem to disrupt things. I just don't think he represents this district.

JOE HICKS, KENTUCKY REPUBLICAN VOTER: I like Massie. I know there's a lot of pressure to vote for Ed, but I don't know. I feel like Massie is more

for the Constitution. So, that's what I'm going with.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENY: So, look, the Constitution obviously is front and center in much of what Thomas Massie talks about. He's a libertarian, a contrarian

Republican as well, but really came of age in the Tea Party movement, which is not really the driving force of today's Republican Party.

So, there's no doubt that President Trump has been infuriated by Congressman Massie. He is the top Republican. He is hoping to unseat. We'll

see what the voters here have to say about this, Jim.

But certainly, this campaign playing out as the Iran war has gone on and on, nearing, of course, it's the end of its third month. Voters have

noticed that, and it's made Trump's strength certainly less than it's been during any point of his presidency.

SCIUTTO: Indeed, though the record of those who've challenged this president, not great in Republican primaries. Jeff Zeleny in Kentucky,

thanks so much.

The head of the World Health Organization says he is now deeply concerned over the scale of the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Central Africa. Officials

in the Democratic Republic of Congo report more than 130 deaths now linked to that outbreak, more than 500 suspected cases so far. Our Larry Madowo

reports from Nairobi.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The concern from public health experts in the region is that there's a likelihood that many people could be have

could have been exposed to Ebola. They're just not showing symptoms yet. It might take until three weeks before that begins to happen.

This area in Ituri, Northeastern DRC, which is the epicenter of the outbreak, has a lot of insecurity. About 100,000 people are displaced. It's

a mining town. There's a lot of border traffic between this area in Bunia to Uganda across the border.

[18:40:00]

So, even though Uganda says there's no local infections in the country, the two people who are confirmed were Congolese, one died and was sent back

across the border, and the other is receiving treatment, the people move back and forth. Some may be asymptomatic right now, but in a few days or a

few weeks, they might begin to show symptoms, and they might have come into contact with a lot of people.

We've seen the numbers rise to more than 513 suspected cases, more than 130 deaths associated with Ebola. So, as they do more lab testing, contact

tracing, and surveillance, the numbers might as well skyrocket. And that affects a huge number of people within these countries, Uganda, the

Democratic Republic of Congo, and possibly South Sudan as well. And you've seen these reported even in Kampala, which is a few hundred kilometers

away.

So, that is why the WHO and many other experts say this could be much deeper of an outbreak than they currently know. And it could have already

been spreading for a few weeks in the community before it was detected and confirmed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: Of course, CNN will continue to follow developments regarding the Ebola outbreak. Please do stay with me. I'll have more just after the

break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCIUTTO: Vice President J.D. Vance says he is, quote, "not certain" about the prospects for a deal with Iran, but has just enough optimism to keep

working at it. He said that Tehran, its negotiating position remains unclear, which he says reveals a fractured Iranian leadership.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

J.D. VANCE, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: We have an opportunity here, I think, to reset the relationship that has existed between Iran and the United States

for 47 years. That's what the president has asked us to do. And that's what we're going to keep on working at.

But it takes two to tango. We are not going to have a deal that allows the Iranians to have a nuclear weapon. So, as the president just told me, we're

locked and loaded. We don't want to go down that pathway, but the president is willing and able to go down that pathway if we have to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Not now, though. President Trump playing a geopolitical kick-the- can-down-the-road game. He told reporters he was, quote, "an hour away" from launching new strikes on Iran until several Gulf nations convinced him

otherwise.

Joining me now, Sanam Vakil. She's director of the Middle East and North Africa program at Chatham House. Thanks so much for coming on.

SANAM VAKIL, DIRECTOR, CHATHAM HOUSE'S MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA PROGRAM: Thank you for having me.

SCIUTTO: So, you hear that Vance, Trump has done this as well. Other administration officials lean heavily into, well, we might have a deal if

the Iranian leadership wasn't so fractured here. Last time we spoke, you said the administration just doesn't really understand the psychology of

this regime.

[18:45:00]

Are they making a mistake here? Are they misreading where the regime's position is on negotiations?

VAKIL: Well, I think that they want to see Iran as weakened and fractured to sort of justify why the system in Iran hasn't submitted to President

Trump's terms and conditions. And that this conflict, effectively, in its 80th day, doesn't really have an end in sight. And both sides have very

maximalist positions. And so, I think that's part of the problem. They need to put their minds into the sort of psychology of the regime in order to

then be able to pressure them adequately, but also perhaps incentivize.

SCIUTTO: So, the president, as he does in virtually every negotiation, tries a lot of pressure. I mean, multiple times he said he's going to burn

the whole country down. He punted this week, but he says, oh, maybe next week or in a few days, et cetera. Does Iran buy those threats at this

point?

VAKIL: Well, I think what they are signaling is that they, too, are ready to go back to military conflict and that they still have tricks up their

sleeve. Their capabilities are not as degraded as what is presented by the Pentagon. At the same time, though, they do need a deal. They have been

militarily weakened.

You know, let's not forget the protests in January. They're looking for sanctions relief. But the problem is sequencing. They're not going to give

everything up front. The president wants something quick and, you know, wants to move on to the next issue on his long laundry list of issues.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

VAKIL: So, they need a framework and they need a bit of patience. And they don't trust President Trump at the end of the day.

SCIUTTO: I mean, it's interesting because his negotiations style is repeated in a whole host of standoffs, whether they be trade or

geopolitical. I mean, if you look at the Gaza ceasefire, yes, there's a ceasefire, but the core issues still haven't been addressed. If you look at

the many trade disagreements with allies and adversaries, you have, you know, one-page agreements, supposedly, but they're not binding here. I

mean, is that pattern able to solve this problem, given the number of issues on the table?

VAKIL: Maybe for a short-term deal, but nothing sustainable.

SCIUTTO: Right.

VAKIL: I mean, Vice President Vance is suggesting, I think, and perhaps signaling to the Iranians, again, reminding them that there is a

possibility of doing something bigger that could unlock the relationship. But the Iranians are worried about five points on the back of a napkin. And

they have noticed, like everyone else, that the Board of Peace and the Gaza ceasefire is not really progressing into a political process.

And that's the problem with politics today. It's become very transactional, and it hasn't really resolved the core issues. We band aid them, but we

don't translate them into a political settlement.

SCIUTTO: So, of course, one of the core issues is Iranian nuclear enrichment and the existing 400 kilos or more of enriched uranium. Vance

did not rule out Russia taking possession of that enriched uranium currently in Iran. And if I remember correctly, that sounds a lot like the

JCPOA.

VAKIL: Yes.

SCIUTTO: I mean, what is the administration position? Are they starting to inch in that direction?

VAKIL: You know, it's very hard to say, because they have not really put out their clear terms and conditions. The president has said zero

enrichment, 20-year moratorium. We're negotiating over these details right now.

What President Trump needs is something better than the JCPOA. So, locking Iran out of enrichment for a prolonged period of time. And it's worthwhile

reminding everyone that they haven't been enriching since last summer's 12- day war anyway. So, that, in a way, could be resolved. Where they send their enriched uranium, I think, can also be debated. It can be downgraded.

And that's what the Iranians also offered in Geneva before the war began.

So, there are details, but it's very much about having a sequenced walking back from the brink, opening the strait, lifting the blockade. And it's

going to take time and confidence-building measures. Big picture. If you go to Europe, if you speak to folks in Europe, if you speak to folks in the

region, who do they believe won this war?

VAKIL: Well, they do right now see things very much as a draw. And, you know, they're hot takes that Iran has won. And here in Washington, everyone

thinks that the U.S. has won. But --

SCIUTTO: Well, I'm not sure everybody. But -- yes.

VAKIL: But, you know, it's only going to be a victory for both sides if they can translate this into a meaningful deal.

SCIUTTO: Sanam Vakil, thanks so much for joining us.

VAKIL: Thank you.

SCIUTTO: Coming up on "The Brief," Arsenal winning the Premier League title for the first time in more than two decades.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:50:00]

SCIUTTO: In English football, Arsenal has just secured its first -- or 14th rather top flight title with one game remaining first in 20 years.

This after Manchester City drew at Bournemouth. It's Arsenal's first title, I should say, in 22 years. There are reports that Man City manager Pep

Guardiola could soon be leaving the club. He's expected to take charge of the team for the final time this Sunday. Under him, Man City have won 15

major trophies, including six Premier League titles and their first ever title.

CNN World Sports Don Riddell is with me now. A lot going on over there.

DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: For sure.

SCIUTTO: Good for the Gunners.

RIDDELL: Yes, absolutely. They're delighted. You know, Guardiola's future remains in question, but it could be the end of an incredible era for

Manchester City. And as you say, a wonderful day for Arsenal, who are celebrating what has been a rather elusive Premier League title.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIDDELL: Champions for the first time since their team went unbeaten throughout the season. That was in 2003, 2004, and it arrived on Tuesday

without them even having to kick a ball. Here's why. For some time this season, Manchester City have been the only team who could stop the Gunners

and they had to win their penultimate game on Tuesday. Otherwise, the challenge was over. City away at Bournemouth. Bournemouth, one of the

hottest teams in the league right now. And it was the Cherries who took the lead shortly before halftime with a terrific strike from Eli Junior Kroupi.

Great celebration too.

City's domestic success has meant a pileup of fixtures. They won the League Cup, they won the FA Cup on Saturday, but now they needed two goals. And

although there was a late flurry of excitement as Erling Haaland thundered an equalizer in off the post, that was all they could muster. So, one-all

the final score. Man City will finish second in the table.

Arsenal's players and fans celebrating in North London. And the question now turns to Pep Guardiola's future. The City manager was rumored this week

to be leaving. But he's not exactly confirming or denying those rumors.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PEP GUARDIOLA, MANCHESTER CITY MANAGER: Listen, I have one-way contract. This is different. I will not tell you here, because I have to talk with my

chairman, with my players, with my staff. Because when we play for the FA Cup, when we play to -- before the Champions League, we play for the

Premier League, it's just one thing in my mind and focus, just try to bring the team in the highest point. That's all we have done.

I'm the happiest man on the planet to be in this club. This club is just extraordinary. So, there is a moment, of course, the season is over for us.

So, we won't arrive in the last game with our fans. But I know they will come, because I see the intense season really good in many, many moments.

And that is what we have to do until the end.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIDDELL: So, as Arsenal celebrate, the other half of North London is sweating profusely, because the relegation battle is going right down to

the last day of the season. Tottenham have enjoyed a pretty miserable campaign, but they could have saved themselves with just a point at

Chelsea, but it wasn't to be. That was a wonderful opening goal from Enzo Fernandez.

[18:55:00]

And Chelsea doubled their advantage midway through the second half, through Andre Santos. That seemed to be it for Tottenham, but they grabbed a

lifeline with a goal from Richarlison 16 minutes from time. But in the end, it proved only to be a consolation 2-1 Chelsea. So, Tottenham will have to

wait until the final day on Sunday to learn their fate.

Spurs will be at home to Everton. West Ham at home to Leeds. The Hammers have to win that game. Whatever happens, a draw would do it for Spurs, but

it is going to be a very uncomfortable day for all concerned. Back to you.

SCIUTTO: Don Riddell, thanks so much. Sticking with football, Cristiano Ronaldo is set to make history at this year's World Cup. The striker has

just been selected by Portugal for his sixth World Cup. You read that right. Six World Cups at the ripe old age of 41. It will make him the first

player to feature in six World Cups. Argentina's Lionel Messi could also reach that record if he's selected, and I think it's a pretty good bet.

Thanks so much for joining. I'm Jim Sciutto in Washington. You've been watching "The Brief." Please do stay with CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:00:00]

END