Return to Transcripts main page

The Story Is with Elex Michaelson

China, Pakistan Call for "Immediate Ceasefire" and Peace Talks; Volatile Oil Prices Take a Toll on Global Economy; NASA Prepares to Launch Voyage to Orbit the Moon; Tiger Woods Charged with DUI; Trump to Deliver Primetime Address on Iran War; Trump Signs Executive Order to Crack Down on Mail-in Voting; Nowruz Celebrations Muted by War; Dozens of Civilians Killed in Gang Attacks in Haiti. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired April 01, 2026 - 00:00   ET

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

[00:00:00]

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: And that does it for me tonight. "THE STORY IS WITH ELEX MICHAELSON" is next.

ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Elex Michaelson live in Los Angeles. THE STORY IS starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAELSON (voice-over): THE STORY IS in Iran.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: All I have to do is leave Iran, and we'll be doing that very soon. And they'll be come tumbling down.

MICHAELSON: President Trump preparing for a primetime address to the nation to talk about what's next.

THE STORY IS in outer space. We're hours away from the mission to the moon. Retired astronaut Leroy Chiao joins us live.

And THE STORY IS stepping away from golf. Tiger Woods says he needs help. Golf journalist Alan Shipnuck wrote a book about Tiger. He's with us live.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: Live from Los Angeles. THE STORY IS with Elex Michaelson.

MICHAELSON: It is 9:00 p.m. here in Los Angeles, 7:30 a.m. in Tehran. And the top story is President Trump saying that the U.S. could be done with the war with Iran in two or three weeks. The White House says the president will deliver an address to the nation on Wednesday night in primetime in the East, 9:00 p.m. Tehran says it's prepared for a much longer fight.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio telling FOX News earlier that the U.S. can now see the finish line.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, SECRETARY OF STATE: We are going to destroy their air force. We have largely done that. We were going to destroy their navy, which we have largely achieved that. We were going to destroy a significant percentage of their missile launchers. We are well on our way to achieving that, and we were going to wipe out their defense industrial base, meaning the factories that make the drones and the missiles.

We are well on our way. We are on or ahead of schedule on each of those four objectives, and we can see the finish line. It's not today, it's not tomorrow, but it is coming. We are going to get to the point where our military will have achieved all of its objectives in this mission, and they're doing so with extraordinary efficiency.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: On Tuesday, the Pentagon gave its first briefing on the war in nearly two weeks. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the U.S. will not rule out a ground invasion of Iran, despite overwhelming public disapproval of that possibility.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE HEGSETH, DEFENSE SECRETARY: As far as President Trump and boots on the ground, I don't understand why the base, which they have already, they understand, wouldn't have faith in his ability to execute on this. We're not going to foreclose any option. You can't fight and win a war if you tell your adversary what you are willing to do or what you are not willing to do. To include boots on the ground, maybe negotiations work. Or maybe there's a different approach. But the point is to be unpredictable in that. Certainly not let anybody know what you're willing to do or not do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: Meanwhile, U.S. Central Command released new video of what appears to be military operations targeting Iran. CENTCOM says it struck underground military targets, and Israel is still launching new strikes in its multi-front conflict. Explosions could be heard across the suburbs of Beirut overnight.

CNN's senior international correspondent Ivan Watson is live for us in Islamabad, Pakistan, where it is now Wednesday morning.

And, Ivan, you have been monitoring this possibility of peace talks for days. And there's some news when it comes to China and Pakistan. Right?

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. The Pakistani foreign minister, who's also the deputy prime minister, he traveled to Beijing Tuesday to meet with the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and the two officials came out with what they're describing as a five-point initiative basically for peace in the Middle East. And that includes to start peace talks for an immediate ceasefire and for -- during the peace talks. There should be no use or threat of force during these peace talks,

and that both Iran and Gulf States, that's important. They should -- their security should be safeguarded. Immediately stop attacks on all civilian and nonmilitary targets, as in stop attacking civilian infrastructure. Restore normal passage through the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible. And then reiterating primacy for the United Nations.

Now, why is this important? Because China has not exactly been a key integral player in this regional war.

[00:05:00]

There has been a communication going on between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Trump administration. And we heard not only statements from President Trump and the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, that there are these kind of exchanges of messages. But we had a confirmation from Iran's foreign minister in an interview that, yes, he has received direct messages, for example, from the U.S. envoy, Steve Witkoff. And there's been indirect messaging as well.

In his interview, which also the Iranian foreign minister said Iran is ready to fight for another six months, he had a lot of kind of bravado, but at the same time, you could dig through this to hear some rooms for -- room for negotiation, such as saying that Iran needs guarantees of security for whatever might come next in the future, and that a U.N., the U.N. Security Council isn't enough. There would need to be something else.

And he said that some friendly countries have some ideas out there of what some of these guarantees could be. He went on to say that the Strait of Hormuz, which has been behind this global energy crisis, that it would need to be managed in a joint mechanism in the future by Iran and Oman. And, you know, Pakistan in this role is one of a number of countries that has been delivering and receiving messages from the embattled Iranian leadership to the wider world and to the Trump administration.

This is still very much in the air. This kind of -- these talks or talks about talks in the meantime, Elex, the war very much continues to rage. The U.S. and Israel have complete air dominance over Iran and bomb that country at will with the rising death toll and damage there. There is a second major front that is still very active and deadly. That's in Lebanon, where the -- Israel has announced that it plans to move in and occupy Southern Lebanon and depopulate areas along its borders. And the death toll continues to rise there.

And then Iran continues to attack surrounding Gulf countries. So -- as well as shipping. So we had a Kuwaiti oil tanker hit by an Iranian drone on Tuesday. Today, reports of a tanker ship north of Doha that was hit on its port side and a raging fire at Kuwait International Airport today after its fuel depots were hit. So some diplomacy is happening as people continue to die and the economic damage continues to mount.

MICHAELSON: Yes, and there was the hope, Ivan, that we were going to see some sort of diplomatic deal with maybe Vice President Vance there over the weekend, where you are in Islamabad. That never happened. So it'd be interesting to see what actually happens going forward as they, as you mentioned, talk about the talks.

Ivan Watson for us in Islamabad. Thank you.

President Trump says that gas prices will come tumbling down once the U.S. leaves Iran. They haven't yet. The national average for a gallon of regular unleaded gas is now $4.02, according to AAA. That's up more than a dollar in the past month. By the way, in California, where we are, it's $5.88, the highest in the country.

Oil prices are still more than $100 a barrel for the global benchmark Brent crude. Right now, Brent crude at $105, down about 2 percent from yesterday. So there's some good news there.

CNN's Richard Quest, who is our man for all things finance, reports on the global impact of all of this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD QUEST, CNN BUSINESS EDITOR AT LARGE: The Straits of Hormuz is obviously where it all begins. And the first area that's truly affected is Southeast Asia and China and all around this area. That is number one. We've been there. They're already feeling the effects. The economic damage is being done. After that, you're talking about Africa and Europe because that's the longer way to get the energy and the oil around. And so that is the second area. We're sort of heading to that danger point now.

Then you come to the United States, which is number three. And the reason is it takes that much longer, 35 to 45 to 50 days to get over there. Now once you get to the United States, the problems become slightly different because there's no shortage of fuel in the U.S. at the moment. What you do have, of course, is input costs. Manufacturing, driving costs, delivery prices. So in the United States, it's all about the price of gasoline.

And that's affected by the international markets, which of course have gone up. So the U.S. may not be directly affected in terms of deliveries, but most certainly is feeling the effects.

[00:10:05]

The longer this goes on, the worse it will get. Remember, you have number one, which is Asia. Number two, Europe and Africa. Number three, the United States. And really, it just depends all on what happens at the Straits of Hormuz.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAELSON: Well laid out. Thank you, Richard Quest.

Look here, in less than 24 hours, NASA plans to launch four astronauts to deep space for the first time in over 50 years. They're going to go right there tomorrow. Artemis II Mission will take 10 days to circle the moon and then come back to earth. It will mark a major test for NASA's rocket and Orion spacecraft systems, with the aim of returning astronauts for a moon landing in a couple of years.

CNN's Tom Foreman tells us what we can expect during Wednesday's big launch.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No matter how many space launches you have seen, you've never seen one like this because the space launch system is a vessel unto itself. This is a beast. Taller than the Statue of Liberty from the base to the tip of the torch, well over 300 feet. It weighs around six million pounds. But that's OK because it can produce about eight million pounds of thrust.

Starting with those two big solid fuel boosters on the side there, they will both burn straight through at the beginning, giving it that extra boost as it gets off the ground, and then they will fall away. They could almost get the job done entirely by themselves, but they will have the help of that big orange core in the middle. It's orange because that is insulation to keep what's inside very, very cold.

Liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, both of which will be flowing down to these four RS-25 engines down below, all together, sending this well up into space with a tremendous amount of power.

So where are the astronauts in all of this? They're up here. That's where you'll find the Orion crew module just below it. The service module that will supply water and oxygen and all sorts of things to the crew up above. And below that another big booster which will send that part into a giant elliptical orbit around the earth before sending it on its way.

One more thing, you'll see that upside down ice cream cone up there? That is an escape module in a sense, a way for the crew to get out. Even when this rocket is going thousands of miles an hour, it could bring them safely back down to earth. Of course, everybody hopes that this doesn't get used, that everything falls off as it should properly. And the Orion crew is on its way on this historic return to the moon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAELSON: Our thanks to Tom Foreman and the CNN Graphics Department. How cool was that?

Joining me now is somebody else who knows a thing or two about cool experiences. NASA astronaut Leroy Chiao, who spent more than 229 days in space. He's the author of the upcoming book "Dinner with an Astronaut: Serving Space Stories Past, Present and Future," which is available for preorder now.

Thanks so much for being with us.

LEROY CHIAO, FORMER NASA ASTRONAUT: Oh, pleasure to be with you.

MICHAELSON: So we've seen live pictures from there. What's going on right now? What are sort of the last minute preps that are happening even late into the night, into the early morning tomorrow?

CHIAO: Sure. Engineers and specialists continue to monitor the vehicle and the rocket to make sure everything is, you know, where it's supposed to be. The crew is asleep by now, I'm sure. And you know, they're getting ready for a busy day tomorrow, getting ready to go up and get suited up, waiting for tanking, waiting to get into the vehicle and finally to launch on their way to the moon, or at least around the moon.

And very exciting because as you pointed out, it's been almost 54 years before the last time we sent astronauts to the moon.

MICHAELSON: So you are one of the very few people on earth that have sat there and been a part of one of these takeoff experiences. So what does it feel like when you're sitting there getting ready for it, and what does that blastoff feel like?

CHIAO: The astronauts right now are very relaxed. They've been training for a long time, many years actually. And you know, they're ready to go. They're eager to go. They're just kind of relaxing and, you know, taking it in. They're going to get excited once they start getting suited up and going out in the van to go to the rocket and get it -- get strapped in. And then, you know, once you get into the vehicle, there's not a whole lot to do.

They'll probably strap in about a couple of hours before launch. They'll start going through some checks, but it won't really get busy until you get closer. You know, down around the 20-minute mark or so. And then it's going to be complete seriousness. Everybody is going to not be talking unless it's operational, unless it's needed. And they'll be totally focused on what's going on.

[00:15:07]

MICHAELSON: But what does that moment feel like when you finally take off? I mean, describe what that feels like just as a human being.

CHIAO: Sure. You know, it might surprise you to find that astronauts generally, I think, I mean, certainly it did for me, but the moment you lift off, you get a sense of relief because you've been training so long, you've been anticipating this once the rockets light, and especially the solid rocket boosters, there's no turning those things off. You're going somewhere and you're on your way. So it's kind of a sense of relief that we're not going to scrub. Everything is great. The vehicle is in good shape and we are going, and it's exciting, but at the same time, you get this sense of relief, which sounds odd to people who haven't been through it.

MICHAELSON: That makes sense. So why aren't they landing on the moon itself this time? Why do they need to go around the moon to prepare for a moon landing?

CHIAO: Yes, the short answer is we don't have a lander yet. We have SpaceX and Blue Origin working on landers. And there's been a new mission inserted to evaluate those landers in low earth orbit hopefully sometime in a year and a half or so. And so this is the first step, if you will, with humans on board. The main task of this mission is to shake out the Orion capsule, test it with humans on board, really put the life support system through its paces, the thermal control system, the communication system.

They're going to be flying farther from the earth than any other astronaut crew ever to date. And we want to make sure that all those things are going to work, right? So once we get that all checked out and especially the heat shield on Orion -- on Artemis I a little over three years ago, the heat shield suffered more damage than was expected when it returned.

And so engineers at NASA and the contractors who have spent that, those three plus years working on fixes, working on changes to the trajectory of coming back into the atmosphere. And they're confident now that they've got their arms around it. But the proof in the pudding is going to see -- be to see how the heat shield performs on this mission.

MICHAELSON: And real quickly, just to wrap things up, your book is called "Dinner with an Astronaut." What are they eating? What do you eat before you go? And what's the meal like once you're up there

CHIAO: Well, before they go, they're going to be served a meal of course. And it's really personal preference what you want to order, but you know, what I always did was I always ordered with the first early astronauts always had, which was steak and eggs. And that was just kind of a traditional thing that I did. On the mission itself they're going to have a variety of foods, a lot of freeze dried foods that are actually manufactured in the food lab at the NASA Johnson Space Center.

They might have some canned items, you know, but -- and they'll have some meals ready to eat from the military, from the same manufacturer that makes it for the military. And the idea is you don't have a refrigerator on board. And so you need thermostabilized or other stabilized food that you can store in room temperature.

Now they won't have to worry about, you know, keeping it too long because this is a 10-day flight. So but, you know, the food is OK, but it's much better here on earth.

MICHAELSON: Yes, I'm sure that steak and eggs tastes really good.

Leroy Chaio, thank you so much for your service to our country. And we wish them all the best tomorrow. And congrats on the book again as well.

And be sure to tune in next hour. I will be speaking with the father of astronaut, Victor Glover, who will make history as the first black American to travel around the moon.

Don't miss CNN's special coverage of the Artemis II launch live in real time. It starts Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. Eastern, 2:00 p.m. Pacific. You can watch it all live right here on CNN.

Still to come, Tiger Woods had been attempting another comeback, but that's not now on hold after his latest crash. We'll talk about the charges he's facing. The statement he released. What the masters just released, what this means for his career. Leading golf journalist Alan Shipnuck with us live next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:23:34]

MICHAELSON: Tiger Woods has pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence after his latest rollover car crash. According to the latest -- the arrest affidavit, the golf great, who is now 50, failed a field sobriety test and then had opioids in his pocket when he was arrested in Florida on Friday. He's also charged with refusing to submit a lawful urine test that would have detected the presence of controlled substances.

Woods released a statement saying that he understands the seriousness of the situation and will be stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on his health. He also asked for privacy.

Our next guest is the author of a new book about one of Woods' rivals, "Rory: The Heartache and Triumph of Golf's Most Human Superstar." Alan Shipnuck is also a writer-at-large at Skratch. He's written extensively about Tiger Woods over the years. He comes to us live once again from Carmel by the Sea here in California, where we all wish we were tonight.

Alan, welcome back to the show. Are you surprised that Tiger acknowledged that he has an issue? And what are you hearing in terms of the reaction from the golf world tonight?

ALAN SHIPNUCK, WRITER AT LARGE, SKRATCH: I think it's a big sigh of relief that Tiger has accepted the obvious. You know, he's very headstrong, he's very stubborn, but he has bowed to reality that it's just time to get help and to get well, and stepping away is not so much competitive golf. That's mostly been taken away from him from his last car accident.

[00:25:04]

But the business of trying to run the tour, he's taking a break from that. The notion of being the next Ryder Cup captain, that seems like it's been put on ice, and now it's just about Tiger dealing with, you know, the scary truth that he has an addiction and help.

MICHAELSON: And of course, in golf, sort of the most traditional tournament of all is the Masters, which is where all of the old champions usually come back together. They wear their green jackets, they have a dinner together, and the Masters put out a statement. We want to put this up on the screen, because there was a big question about whether Tiger would show up there. They said this, "Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament fully support Tiger Woods as he deals with his well-being. Tiger will be joining us -- not joining us in person next week. His presence, though, will be felt here in Augusta."

What's that going to be like, the Masters without Tiger?

SHIPNUCK: Yes, yes. Absence, not his presence. But you know, the Masters has defined Tigers' career for, of course, breakthrough in '97, changed the entire sport or changing the sports world, you know, career by winning again and again in 2019. That's his final kind of moment as a golfer. And in Cali, you know, not, you know, not to have him there, he's so important to that tournament and that tournament is so important to him.

You know that that is the ultimate inner sanctum of sports world. And Tiger loves that. And it means a lot to him. And I know it's going to be a night for him to be there. But, again, gravity of the situation in a controlled environment like Augusta National with its own artificial reality is a tough place for Tiger to reenter public life. The fans and all the hubbub.

And I think it's the right choice just to go away, away from the limelight and get away from the scrutiny and really just spend time with himself instead. Champions, who are going to be keying and smoking and caring on and it's just probably not the right thing for him right now.

MICHAELSON: Well, let's hope he gets that help that he needs and that he is able to come back. And when he does, I think he would be welcome with open arms and the golf world would go crazy for him. He's 50 years old now. He's able to play on the champions' tour. He's able to play with a golf cart if he's able to get healthy. But the most important thing is that he's able to get healthy.

Alan, thank you for joining us. Sorry for the audio problems that some people may have heard, but I think we got the most important words that we heard from you and got the main point. And we wish him well. And we wish you best of luck with the new book as well.

Still ahead, a federal judge halts construction of President Trump's new White House ballroom. We'll look at the legal issues at the crux of that case and the president's reaction to it next. Plus, why is he showing up to the Supreme Court tomorrow for the first time in history? Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MICHAELSON: President Trump is lashing out at the federal judge who halted his White House ballroom project, calling the decision so wrong.

[00:33:07]

The judge, appointed by former President George W. Bush, blocked any further work on the massive new $400 million ballroom where the White House East Room [SIC] -- Wings once stood.

Tuesday's ruling stated that the president needs congressional approval for the project, which he never got.

The Trump administration says it will appeal the ruling. But the president did applaud part of the ruling, which allows work to continue on the areas deemed critical to the personal safety of the president and staff.

Let's bring in our panel. Lots to talk about in the political world tonight. Republican strategist Matt Klink, owner and president of Klink Campaigns Inc.; and political consultant Elizabeth Ashford, who has worked for governors Brown and Schwarzenegger here in California, was Kamala Harris's chief of staff, and now works for the speaker of California's Assembly.

Welcome to you both. Good to have you here.

Let's start with tomorrow at 9 p.m. Eastern, 6 p.m. here on the West Coast. President Trump is going to deliver a primetime address, talking about -- with the war with Iran. Matt, do we have any idea what he's going to say?

MATT KLINK, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: No. And I think that that is giving some people heart palpitations on the East Coast.

I would imagine he will try to accomplish two things. He'll try to say that the war itself is going well, which if you look at a number of factors, it is. We are clearly superior to what's left of the Iranian military, and they have no leadership.

But he also needs to address the fact that gas prices are higher. And we know that, when gas prices rise, everything else rises, because everything else relies on that gas to get there.

So, he needs to address the foreign policy aspect, but he has to touch on why American people are paying more. And hopefully, when we're going to get out.

MICHAELSON: Because we never got a primetime address when he went in.

ELIZABETH ASHFORD, POLITICAL CONSULTANT: We did not get that. And I think, you know, my instinct on this is that he really thought this was going to be a lot more like Venezuela.

There was going to be a clean entry. He was going to get the bad guy out. And then we were going to sort of have our hands more deeply in how oil moves around the world.

[00:35:05]

And that has not panned out. And so, he really is in a very sticky situation.

We have -- ballots are starting to go out. The midterms are on the horizon. And as everybody in California knows, high energy prices are a political killer. You know, you can get kicked out of office if the -- if energy prices are too high. We've seen it here. And so --

MICHAELSON: That's how your old boss, Arnold Schwarzenegger, got in there. Yes.

ASHFORD: That's -- that's how -- that's how he got in.

And so, you know, Trump is in a really sticky political situation. And you know, what he says tomorrow is going to matter a lot.

MICHAELSON: I mean, it's interesting if you sort of read the tea leaves of what he said today and sometimes what he says changes. But he said we're going to be out of there in 2 or 3 weeks. And as soon as we're out of there, then the gas prices are going to go down. They're going to plummet.

So, that would not sort of give the indication that maybe he's talking about an escalation of the war or ground troops. At least that's what he said today.

KLINK: Yes. I mean, it's hard, because journalists ask him questions; and he neither confirms nor denies. And then the journalists report, Donald Trump refused to say that they won't put ground troops in.

MICHAELSON: Yes.

KLINK: So, it'd be kind of -- it's kind of like they're always chasing each other.

I think Elizabeth nails it, though. It's a sticky political situation. Trump needs to give a level of certainty. The person to listen to is Marco Rubio. He's the one who speaks the truth.

MICHAELSON: He is, of course, the secretary of state. And right now, sort of the most respected and best polling member of Donald Trump's cabinet. He got unanimous approval when he was up for Senate confirmation.

Interesting. The other thing President Trump was talking about today was this executive order that he put out when it comes to mail-in balloting.

He blames mail-in balloting for his loss in 2020 to Joe Biden. And he keeps talking about that over and over again. He put out an executive order. I want to put this up on the screen, some of the aspects of this.

He wants to create a nationwide list of verified, eligible voters, ban the U.S. Postal Service from sending absentee ballots to those not on each state's approved list.

Also, ballots must secure envelopes with unique barcodes for tracking.

And this flies in the face of, you know, the states, which traditionally control elections, which is kind of written into the Constitution. And a lot of states, including Republican states, including Florida, do mail-in balloting, which Donald Trump just participated in a few weeks ago.

ASHFORD: Absolutely. I mean, he -- he was -- he just mailed in his own ballot. Why? Because it's an accepted and safe way to vote. We do it in huge numbers here in California. I think that, you know, Donald Trump is happiest when he's sort of

poking at and messing with the systems --

KLINK: Yes.

ASHFORD: -- that make America America. Right?

MICHAELSON: Yes.

ASHFORD: And so, this is a really, like-- this is a -- kind of a -- a very easy space for him to be in. He's like, I'm worried about the elections. I'm concerned about how they're going to turn out. And so, I'm going to try to put my finger on that scale everywhere I can, you know.

And redistricting didn't work out for him, right?

MICHAELSON: Yes.

ASHFORD: Redistricting didn't work out. And so, now he's got to sort of mess with this. And I think --

KLINK: Didn't it? I don't know if redistrict -- we don't know yet --

MICHAELSON: We'll see. We'll see.

KLINK: -- if it's going to work out.

MICHAELSON: It worked out in Texas. It worked out in Florida. We'll see.

ASHFORD: It worked out -- didn't work out for him in California.

MICHAELSON: We'll see what happens on that front.

But -- but do you think this works out for him legally? Even Trump today kind of admitted that this thing's going to be challenged. And it might not pass muster.

KLINK: Well, the states -- the states control the elections. Look, he does control the --

MICHAELSON: So, you think this is the wrong thing, as a Republican?

KLINK: I think it is the wrong thing.

MICHAELSON: You think this is the wrong thing?

KLINK: The state -- or the federal government does heavily influence the United States Postal Service.

I think Trump is going to get a win for the -- from the Supreme Court that election day ends on election day. And we don't have this ridiculousness of ballots being counted a month later in California.

That will help a lot, because it's the perception of delay that makes people say, what is going on? That's going to help. But no, wrong thing. This is a -- it's a -- it's a focus on something that doesn't matter.

MICHAELSON: Yes. Different states sort of receive their ballots at different times. Here in California, they can be received up to seven days after, as long as they were postmarked on election day.

KLINK: Which is ridiculous.

MICHAELSON: That's not the way they do it in a place like Florida.

KLINK: Correct.

MICHAELSON: So, there's going to be a very interesting historical moment tomorrow.

ASHFORD: Yes.

MICHAELSON: President Trump says that he is going to show up to the Supreme Court of the United States as they argue this idea of birthright citizenship. Never in the history of the United States has a president of the United States shown up for oral arguments. What do you make of that political move?

ASHFORD: I mean, how -- I don't even know how the diplomacy of the moment works. Like, where does he sit?

MICHAELSON: Right.

ASHFORD: You know, like, where --

MICHAELSON: Does he take a number? Does he stand in line?

ASHFORD: Does he take a number? Right.

KLINK: Get in line early, because the queue forms, right?

MICHAELSON: Right. Because that's how it's been. I've been there before. You've got to wait in line.

ASHFORD: Again, you know, he's -- he -- he likes, you know, doing things very differently. And I think he's there to sort of, you know, try to move the needle.

I mean, that -- that -- it's very much -- you don't show up in person and stare down the people who are listening unless you want to see a certain outcome. I think he's trying to put his finger on that. He's been real vocal about the court when they haven't done what he's wanted in the past.

[00:40:04]

MICHAELSON: I mean, because traditionally, there's been a separation of powers in the past, like Barack Obama was criticized for even commenting on --

ASHFORD: Right.

MICHAELSON: -- the Affordable Care Act case before there. I mean, this idea of showing up. And he's very frustrated with the justices that he appointed who ruled against him on tariffs.

KLINK: I mean, it's amazing. You know, Elex, you -- you -- you appoint smart people who have their own minds and think critically. And they don't always follow direction the way you want them to do it.

So, Donald Trump, look, the fact that he can do it doesn't mean that he should do it. And this case alone of birthright citizenship is so incredibly politicized already. It's already at a level ten. This puts it at, like, at a level 12.

And it's one of those decisions he's probably going to lose on it anyway.

And I don't want immigration law to be written by executive order. Get Congress to pass a law that is durable, that's going to last. We deserve that.

And Congress needs to get its act together and do it, not by President Trump writing an executive order that the next president can change.

MICHAELSON: Well, it's so interesting, because Nancy Pelosi always says, don't call a vote unless you know that you're going to win, and don't call a vote until you have the votes.

And the fact that he would show up for this one when it's not clear that he has the votes, and most likely is going to lose, and could lose unanimously, nine-nothing, on this one.

ASHFORD: Yes.

MICHAELSON: This is going to be the time to show up, is an interesting choice by President Trump.

Last word.

ASHFORD: I mean, the last word on it is that, you know, being born here and being an American is what America is. You know, we -- there are people who trace themselves back to the people who got off the Mayflower in this country.

And so, you know, the point is, is that, you know, when you're when you're born in the United States, we all agreed to this. And it's in the Constitution.

KLINK: As of 1898 we agreed to it --

MICHAELSON: Yes.

KLINK: -- when times were a lot different. So --

ASHFORD: Times change. But I think this is a very intrinsic part about what this actually means to be an American. And I really think the court is going to do the right thing. I really do believe that.

MICHAELSON: We'll see. Elizabeth, Matt, great to see both of you.

KLINK: Thank you.

MICHAELSON: Thanks for sharing your perspectives.

ASHFORD: Thanks.

MICHAELSON: Still to come, many Iranian Americans had hoped that the U.S. war with Iran would spark a democratic revolt and an overthrow of the Islamic regime.

But as the war drags on, many say they are feeling despair for the future. We spoke to many of them. Nick Watt's report ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:47:09]

MICHAELSON: Welcome back to THE STORY IS. I'm Elex Michaelson. Let's take a look at today's top stories making headlines.

U.S.-based new [SIC] organization AL-Monitor is calling for the safe and immediate release of American journalist Shelly Kittleson. She was kidnapped in Baghdad on Tuesday.

Sources tell CNN Kittleson had been warned about the threat of being abducted or killed by an Iranian proxy. She had also reportedly been warned to leave Iraq multiple times in recent weeks.

Buckingham Palace says King Charles will make a state visit to the U.S. in April. That trip planned to mark the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence from Britain.

But it comes as the British government's relationship with the White House has been strained over Prime Minister Keir Starmer's reluctance to get involved in the war with Iran.

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday that aims to crack down on mail-in voting. That order instructs the Postal Service to only send ballots for states that have provided the federal government with a list of eligible voters.

The order comes despite the president recently voting by mail in a Florida special election.

Pope Leo tells CNN that he hopes that President Trump is looking for an off-ramp to end the war. He spoke with CNN's Vatican correspondent Christopher Lamb, and the pope called on world leaders to engage in dialogue to reduce the violence in the Middle East.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POPE LEO XIV, LEADER OF CATHOLIC CHURCH: I'm told that President Trump recently stated that he would like to end the war. Hopefully, he's looking for an off-ramp.

Hopefully, he's looking for a way to -- to decrease the amount of violence of bombing, which would be a significant contribution to removing the hatred that's being created and that's increasing constantly in the Middle East and elsewhere.

So, I would certainly continue to give this call to all leaders of the world to say, come back to the table to dialogue. Let's look for solutions to the problems. Let's look for ways to reduce the amount of violence that we're promoting. And that that peace, especially at Easter, might reign in our hearts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: Pope Leo there to CNN.

Iranians around the world have been marking the Persian New Year. It's a 3,000-year-old holiday featuring cherished rituals, delicious food, family gatherings to welcome the renewal of springtime.

But this year, with the U.S. and Israel raging [SIC] war with Iran, the situation's complicated. Nick Watt shows us how Iranian Americans are coping.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHANI MOSLEHI, IRANIAN AMERICAN: This is going to go down in history as probably one of the darkest Nowruzes we have celebrated.

NICK WATT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Last year, Shani Moslehi hosted this sold-out party for 3,000 people in Newport Beach.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Happy Nowruz!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Happy Nowruz!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Happy Nowruz!

WATT (voice-over): This year, canceled. Instead of all this, her chamber of commerce is holding mental health sessions with a local clinic.

[00:50:01]

MOSLEHI: We don't know how to feel. As an Iranian-American, I don't know what's happening next. I am stressed; I am depressed.

WATT (voice-over): Nina Barber runs that local mental health clinic.

NINA BARBER, CEO, NOROOZ CLINIC FOUNDATION: We try our best to bring people together to express those feelings through these groups that we're having.

WATT: And that's cathartic. Just --

BARBER: Yes.

WATT: -- just sharing?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

WATT (voice-over): Here's the issue. Many welcomed the bombing, like this guy at a rally in L.A. on day one.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My reaction of this attack is excitement and hope for the Iranian people, for freedom and democracy in Iran.

WATT (voice-over): But many Iranian Americans also now fear for their families back home bombed from the air for weeks by the U.S. and Israel, as well as brutalized on the ground by the remnants of the regime.

BARBER: We want people to be OK with having both conflicting feelings. They feel -- they fear the future, of course, but at the same time, people are still feeling hopeful. And I think that's really important to really talk about it during the Nowruz, the Persian, Persian New Year, is because it's all about hope.

It's all about moving forward. A new day, a new beginning.

WATT (voice-over): Before the bombing started, thousands gathered in L.A. February 14th to protest the Iranian regime slaughtering protesters on Iranian streets.

MOSLEHI: People were holding different flags, but everybody was united. Everybody was loving the moment.

WATT: United by what?

MOSLEHI: By hating the Iranian regime.

WATT: OK.

MOSLEHI: By wanting the regime gone.

WATT (voice-over): Many old Iranian flags from the shah's time at those demos. The late shah's son is now a totem for many.

MOSLEHI: The people that follow the -- the prince are still very optimistic. And they do hope and pray that the change will happen. They do count on President Trump to do the right thing.

WATT: And the right thing would be?

MOSLEHI: Get rid of the mullahs. We are all against the Islamic Republic, and we want them gone.

WATT: Now, of course, the Persian American community is not a monolith. There are plenty of Persians who do not want the shah's son to take over.

But here's the thing. If you are Persian and you live in the USA, the chances are you do not really like the Islamic regime. And you may well have been hoping during Nowruz, during this time of renewal and rebirth, that maybe that would have happened back home.

Nowruz is nearly over and it hasn't really happened yet -- Elex.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAELSON: Nick Watt here in Southern California, which has so many Persian people, it's sometimes referred to as Tehrangeles. Nick, thank you.

Up next, we'll bring you the latest from Haiti, where gang violence against civilians is surging across the West of the country.

Plus, our top stories. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:52:31]

MICHAELSON: Deadly gang violence against civilians is surging in Haiti. This right here is a map of Haiti. The latest attacks, which began on Sunday, have mainly targeted the West of the country, and they come ahead of the expected arrival of an international gang suppression force this coming month.

CNN's Rafael Romo has the latest in this report, which contains some disturbing images.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The streets have emptied in this farming village, and gunshots break the silence --

(GUNSHOT)

ROMO: -- as violent gang attacks surge in Western Haiti.

These and other videos, verified by CNN, show gang members launching attacks across Artibonite, Haiti's major agricultural region, where armed groups stormed communities, opened fire on civilians, and set homes ablaze.

So far, dozens of civilians have been killed, according to estimates by local rights groups. Many more have been displaced. As gang members moved in, footage shows civilians fleeing across farmland, some with children in tow.

One clip shows large plumes of smoke emanating from Jean Denis, one of the villages targeted.

The extent of the damage remains unclear, but heat signatures analyzed by CNN show large fires across at least three communities in the region, each appearing just hours after armed men were seen there.

STEPHANE DUJARRIC, SPOKESPERSON FOR THE U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL: This attack underscores the gravity of the security situation faced by the Haitian population. He urges Haitian people -- Haitian authorities, to conduct a thorough investigation.

ROMO (voice-over): Just four miles East, additional footage shows a familiar scene as gang members swept through more nearby villages. Young men armed with rifles fire indiscriminately into the air, standing in the center of the town.

HAROLD ISAAC, INDEPENDENT JOURNALIST IN HAITI: This has been really the culprit of the gang issue in Haiti, is the firepower where, essentially, you're awashed [SIC] with -- with the arms smuggling in Haiti, which has led to increased firepower on the side of the gangs, and which is creating, really, a challenge, even, especially for a legitimate authorities that are really struggling to quell this surge of violence.

ROMO (voice-over): Now, these farming communities, far from Haiti's capital, are left to deal with rising gang violence in anticipation of a new U.N.-backed security force. But previous efforts to fight the gangs have failed.

For now, dozens of families are left to mourn and remain exposed as attacks continue.

Rafael Romo, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)