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The Story Is with Elex Michaelson

Trump Insists Iran Will Negotiate Ahead of Potential Talks; Mood in Iran After Weeks of War with U.S. and Israel; Pope Leo Criticizes Authoritarians in Forceful Message; Singer D4VD Pleads Not Guilty to Murdering 14-Year-Old Girl; French Prosecutors Investigate Elon Musk's X, Grok A.I.; French Prosecutors Investigate Elon Musk's X; Pressure on Vance Ahead of More Potential Iran Talks; Many Senate Democrats Support Halting Arms Sales to Israel; Family Struggles to Cope with Mass Shooting of 8 Children. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired April 21, 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]

KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Videos, and his number one hit, and he was just on the cusp of mainstream fame was "Romantic Homicide" and that video pictures a young girl with a striking resemblance to Celeste, and that girl is stabbed in that video by D4vd's alter ego. It's a nod to anime.

It's important to note that art is not a replica for life, and this happened two years before, you know, the relationship with Celeste. So these are important things to know, but that was part of the fascination with social media, Laura.

LAURA COATES, CNN ANCHOR: Kyung Lah, thank you.

And thank all of you for watching. "THE STORY IS WITH ELEX MICHAELSON" is next.

ELEX MICHAELSON, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Elex Michaelson live in Los Angeles. Here's what's ahead on THE STORY IS.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAELSON: THE STORY IS, with the ceasefire deadline approaching in Iran, what are the Iranian people have to say? We have new reporting.

THE STORY IS musician D4vd in court charged with murder. L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman live on our set to make his case.

And THE STORY IS Democrats pushing back on supporting Israel's military. We've got a live debate.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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

MICHAELSON: It is 9:00 here in Los Angeles, 7:30 a.m. in Tehran, and midnight in Washington, D.C., where amid the uncertainty over potential negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, sources say Vice President J.D. Vance is expected to travel to Pakistan on Tuesday to take part in a second round of talks.

But the situation remains fluid, with heated public rhetoric by both the U.S. and Iran ahead of that ceasefire deadline. President Donald Trump, who now says the ceasefire ends Wednesday evening, Washington time, is expressing optimism that Tehran will come to the table. And he warns of consequences if they don't. But Iran's Foreign Ministry says Iran will decide on how to proceed, claiming ceasefire violations and provocative actions by the U.S. are major obstacles to diplomacy. Iran also vowing retaliation for this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Motor vessel Touska, motor vessel Touska. Vacate your engine room. Vacate your engine room. We're prepared to subject you to disabling fire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: U.S. Military there firing at then seizing an Iranian flagged cargo ship it says was attempting to violate the naval blockade of Iranian ports. Night footage later captured Marines boarding the vessel, which remains in U.S. custody. Iran is now calling for the immediate release of that ship.

CNN's Ivan Watson starts us off. He is live in Hong Kong for us.

Ivan, what's the latest?

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're getting a lot of mixed messaging and bluster from both the Trump administration and the Iranian government as the deadline for the temporary ceasefire looms and questions are still up in the air. Will the two governments actually meet face-to-face in the Pakistani capital? President Trump has contradicted himself multiple times on whether or not the ceasefire could be extended.

He's at times complimented the Iranian government, the new leaders, after previous leaders were killed off in the U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign. But then he's also issued dire threats, saying things like, no more Mr. Nice Guy if a deal isn't reached, or all of the bridges and power plants will be blown up. For their part, the Iranians have had different messages. They haven't confirmed whether or not they'll actually attend the new round of talks.

And the leader of the negotiating delegation from the first round of discussions in Islamabad, that's Mohammad Ghalibaf, he put out this statement about five, six hours ago saying, quote, "Trump by imposing a siege and violating the ceasefire seeks to turn this negotiating table in his own imagination into a table of surrender or to justify renewed war-mongering. We do not accept negotiations under the shadow of threats. And in the past two weeks, we have prepared to reveal new cards on the battlefield."

So big questions, will these two governments actually meet face to face in perhaps 48 hours' time? Here is what President Trump's former National Security adviser has to say about Washington's position going forward. Take a listen to John Bolton.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN BOLTON, FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER TO TRUMP ADMINISTRATION: So they're in a situation where, as with the last time they went to Islamabad, they're right up against the deadline.

[00:05:01]

I think if Trump extends the deadline again, the Iranians will really feel they've got the upper hand, that he's so desperate to avoid resuming military action that they just have to keep pressing on him, and they'll come away with a pretty good deal from their point of view. That's why I think this approach was fundamentally flawed. I think the ceasefire itself was a mistake.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WATSON: Of course, John Bolton is famous for being a hawk on Iran for much of his career. Now, the question of shipping is also continuing to loom large, with just a fraction of the ships that used to sail through that strategic waterway, the Strait of Hormuz, passing through in these past couple of days. The Iranian government is still very angry about the U.S. Navy's seizure of this cargo ship, the Touska, on Sunday, and the Iranian Foreign Ministry, not only have officials called it an act of piracy, but they put out a fresh letter demanding the immediate release of, quote, "The Iranian vessel, its sailors, crew and their families."

Elex, this is something I didn't know, that it's not that uncommon sometimes for family members to ride on board some of these cargo ships as they make their long trips around. And in the meantime, the Iranian government, the Fars News Agency, has put out video of what it claims are ships sailing through the Strait of Hormuz with Iran's permission, through what it describes as a safe corridor.

Iran continuing to insist that it is still dictating the terms for vessels to sail in and out of there, even as the U.S. Navy continues to enforce what it says is a blockade of Iranian ports -- Elex.

MICHAELSON: Ivan Watson, starting us off in Hong Kong, of course, John Bolton, not only longtime hawk, but also being investigated by the Trump administration. So there is a lot of backstory and context when it comes to his words on this. Thank you so much.

Joining me now to talk more about Iran here in Los Angeles is Arezou Rezvani, a reporter with NPR who has reported extensively on reactions from Iranians inside Iran.

Arezou, welcome to THE STORY IS for the first time. Great to have you here. You say there's a tangle of emotions inside Iran. What do you mean by that?

AREZOU REZVANI, NPR REPORTER: You know, one of the most striking revelations for me in talking to people inside Iran in the last several weeks is just how complicated people feel in this moment. I spoke with one woman who told me that she wants this war to continue. She wants President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu to continue dropping bombs on Iran. She says it is --

MICHAELSON: Which is something Trump has said. He's quoted people saying just that.

REZVANI: It echoes --

MICHAELSON: Yes.

REZVANI: Exactly. That is exactly what Trump has said in the past. And she said this to me because she says she wants either the regime officials to surrender or be killed. And she feels this way because the economy is in shambles. The security crackdown is so intense against anyone who dares to speak up and out against the government, that people like her, and many people echoed what she had to say, feel that there's just no life worth living under this current environment. And they're willing to risk it all for any chance at a different future.

MICHAELSON: Because, interestingly, the night when this first started, we were live on the air here on THE STORY IS and President Trump came out with this video basically asking everybody to go to the streets, saying, this is your opportunity to take over your country. And that hasn't happened so far.

REZVANI: That's right. That's right.

MICHAELSON: Why hasn't that happened?

REZVANI: There has been a very intense security crackdown since the war started on February 28th, and people have told me that there are increased checkpoints that security officials will check people's telephones, look at the text messages they're sending, the voice memos, the photographs they're taking. They will detain and disappear you if they feel that you might be sharing information with someone as simple as a foreign correspondent. So the crackdown has been intense.

MICHAELSON: And to that point then, how are you doing your reporting?

REZVANI: It's been very challenging.

MICHAELSON: How are you getting information?

REZVANI: Yes, it's been very challenging for two reasons. The crackdown is very intimidating. The cost to pay is very steep. You know, you can be detained, your family can be harassed, your friends can be caught up in the sweep. So that's one part of it. The other part of it is that there's been an intense internet blackout for the last several weeks. Internet watchers say that someone -- something along 1 percent or 2 percent of the population has access to the internet.

So between those two factors, it's very hard to get in touch with people. It's very hard to remain in touch with people. I mean, there are people who I haven't heard from since the opening hours of the war, and you begin to worry and wonder, have they fled and left everything behind? Have they been detained? Have they been injured or killed? One of the many civilians who've been killed in some of these airstrikes.

MICHAELSON: And folks who have been able to get the information out, they use Starlink, which is Elon Musk's technology.

REZVANI: Correct.

[00:10:04]

MICHAELSON: To basically get their own satellite up there. They use sim cards or other ways to get around.

REZVANI: That's right. Which is, by the way, very risky. It's illegal to use Starlink.

MICHAELSON: Yes. Meanwhile, though, something that is legal is the government is putting out what you call the white internet, essentially an ability to speak out as long as you're saying the right message.

REZVANI: Correct. Since 2016, Iran has been working on this big project, essentially an intranet. It's a closed internet system that allows for people to talk within the country. But outside of that, you cannot access Web sites that you and I can normally access. However, if you are aligned with the government and you are interested in putting out what the government has to say, that narrative, they will give you access to everything you want.

You can get on Facebook, you can get on Twitter, you can get on Instagram, and you can espouse the very opinions that the government holds. And so that drowns out the opinions of every door, every day, ordinary people, but it elevates and allows the government to control and dominate the narrative.

MICHAELSON: So there's no surprise that when people look at what people are saying in Iran, it looks really pro-government right now because literally that's the only way to get a message out.

REZVANI: That's right.

MICHAELSON: Yes.

REZVANI: That's right.

MICHAELSON: Well, you were doing great reporting at NPR, which of course does such important work. And we appreciate you being here and sharing your perspective and sharing their voices, which is the most important.

Arezou Rezvani from NPR, thanks so much.

REZVANI: Thank you. Pope Leo is wrapping up his visit to Angola. In a few hours, the

pontiff will travel to Equatorial Guinea, the final leg of his marathon tour of Africa.

CNN's Vatican correspondent Christopher Lamb has been traveling with the Pope.

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Pope Leo in Angola criticizing authoritarian leaders who exploit their people. Another forceful speech from Leo during his trip in Africa. He has been more strong in his criticisms of leaders who. He said in Cameroon are ravaging and exploiting their people now.

Leo has been clear that despite his strong speeches in Africa, they have not been aimed at President Donald Trump, who has, of course, criticized the Pope during the first part of his visit to Africa. Leo telling reporters on board that he's not trying to debate President Trump and that his message is broader than just one individual.

Now, Leo is -- has finishing his trip to Angola and will be heading on Tuesday to Equatorial Guinea, the final stop on his four-country tour of Africa. This has been the longest trip of Leo's pontificate. He's kept up a hectic pace, but he seems at a relatively -- as a relatively young Pope, aged just 70, that he's able to keep up that pace. He's been received well in Africa so far. This is a continent where, of course, around 20 percent of the world's Catholics live, and the Pope, of course, having been a missionary in the global south in Peru seems very much at home in this continent.

So Leo will begin the final part of his Africa tour on Tuesday.

Christopher Lamb, CNN, Luanda.

MICHAELSON: Christopher, thank you.

Now to this story, singer David Anthony Burke, known by his stage name D4VD, was in an L.A. courtroom on Monday pleading not guilty to all charges in connection with the death of a 14-year-old girl. Burke is charged with first-degree murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez after her remains were found in the trunk of his Tesla last September. The car appeared to have been abandoned.

D4VD, who is 21, is also charged with continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 and mutilating human remains. An official cause of death has not been released, but prosecutors accused Burke of a gruesome murder with a deadly weapon after Rivas Hernandez threatened to expose his alleged criminal conduct and harm his music career. If convicted, Burke could face a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole or even the death penalty.

Burke's attorneys say they will vigorously defend his innocence and are pushing for the earliest possible date to hold a preliminary hearing. He's currently being held in jail without bail.

Standing by live right now is the District Attorney Nathan Hochman. But first, to CNN's senior investigative correspondent Kyung Lah live in our L.A. newsroom.

Kyung, you were there. What happened today in court?

KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Well, the charges were basically leveled. It is an arraignment. He was told what he is being charged with. And then we heard from his attorneys, his attorneys putting in a plea of not guilty. And it's important to note here that beyond just seeing him face to face in court, his attorneys were there to defend him.

[00:15:00]

But it was Celeste's family who was also there. His -- her mother, her father and her sister, they were sitting right before the media. They really didn't flinch or move as he walked in. It was very difficult to see him, but certainly you could sense and feel their sadness because what we're talking about here is a young girl, a 14-year-old girl who was killed here, Elex.

MICHAELSON: And Kyung, you have been digging into this particular case for months with lots of exclusive reporting. Talk to us about some of what you found.

LAH: I want to start with what the Los Angeles district attorney said in a news conference. He said that there has been so much forensic and digital evidence, and in part, you can actually track that through open source materials, through available video, and information and pictures that we could find that CNN was able to dig through and find on our own, because that's the age that we live in.

I want to first turn to this Twitch video. It's dated January 11th, 2024. It was streamed live, but we were able to recover it. And I want you to listen very closely. You're going to see D4VD and Celeste together. They are inside the rental home that he is in, and they are joking. But I want you to listen to what Celeste says.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

D4VD, SINGER ACCUSED OF MURDER: I media trained you. That's controversial.

CELESTE RIVAS HERNANDEZ, VICTIM: It's controversial of raping kids?

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAH: And clearly she thinks that this is all a joke. But I do want to point out that he's being charged in a second count of sexual abuse of a minor, not raping children. That was a moment that she was joking there in the video.

We were also able to track a couple of photos. In about 2024, around the time that Celeste was reported missing, D4VD was, excuse me, that was June 2024. This is D4vd's show at the Fonda Theater. And the picture that you see there at the very bottom right standing backstage is Celeste, and she's wearing a hoodie. And that I.D. was positively identified to us by a person who knows her very well and asked to be anonymous.

Then we were able to turn to Lake Elsinore, and through geolocation and by looking at the trees and the polls, we were able to track D4VD and this black Tesla in Lake Elsinore. This is very close to where Celeste's family home is. So all of these movements, this, you know, their relationship is something that we could track over many months. We don't know what the district attorney has as far as their investigation, but we know what is available out there, Elex.

MICHAELSON: I will literally ask him in a moment. But first to you, in terms of what D4vd's attorney is telling us tonight, what are we hearing from her?

LAH: Well, I reached out to D4vd's attorney a few months ago, just to ask initially what is happening here because there was a grand jury investigation that, you know, grand juries, by definition are secret. And she declined to speak to us, saying that she simply can't, that it would be something that she couldn't do, given the nature of the grand jury. But then when he was arrested, she had a very strong statement that he was not guilty.

That -- and then today we learned a little bit more that they don't feel that they've seen enough evidence, that they will vigorously defend him in court, and that the evidence will show that he did not commit this crime, Elex.

MICHAELSON: There is that statement up on the screen right now.

Kyung Lah, thank you for your reporting live here in Los Angeles.

Joining me now live on our set is L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman, whose office is prosecuting the case against D4VD.

District Attorney Hochman, welcome to THE STORY IS for the first time. So D4VD was walking around for seven months free. And then all of a sudden, these three counts, including murder with special circumstances. Why the sudden change? Why now?

NATHAN HOCHMAN, LOS ANGELES COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: So on September 8th, 2025, we found the remains of Celeste. She was found dismembered, badly decomposed in two bags inside of a Tesla's front trunk that was registered to David Burke, also known as the singer D4VD. After that moment in time, LAPD robbery homicide along with the district attorney's office conducts a very comprehensive and rigorous investigation.

Because you got to figure out who, what, when, where, and how, and you don't have eyewitness testimony to show what happened the night of the murder, which we estimate to be April 23rd of 2025. So we had to go through tons of digital and forensic evidence. We had to speak to witnesses, both who were cooperative and uncooperative, in order to assemble the totality of evidence that led to the charges today.

[00:20:00] MICHAELSON: I mean, you gave a specific date for both the date of death and the date of dismemberment. How do you know what those dates are?

HOCHMAN: So the date of murder, we tracked the date in which Celeste came over as alleged in the complaint, came over to Mr. Burke's house in the Hollywood Hills and has never been heard from again. The date of September 8th is when the remains of her body were found, and then from September 8th until today, April 20th of 2026, that investigation involved this, again, this very rigorous analysis to go through what will amount to terabytes of information in order to arrive at the charges today.

MICHAELSON: According to D4vd's attorney, the grand jury did not come back with an indictment, yet the LAPD arrested him anyways. What prompted that?

HOCHMAN: So that is the mistaken belief of the grand jury system here in California. There's actually two different types of grand juries. An investigative grand jury that actually takes documents. You can subpoena documents to it, live witness testimonies can occur in this investigative grand jury. And then the indictment grand jury, in which an indictment will be returned.

The investigative grand jury does not return an indictment. And while the records of the investigative grand jury have not been ordered unsealed at this point, hypothetically, if an investigative grand jury was used to obtain this type of different testimony, at no point would that grand jury have returned an indictment.

MICHAELSON: We just heard some sound from D4vd's Twitch stream appearing to show him sitting next to Celeste. Let's hear that one more time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

D4VD, SINGER ACCUSED OF MURDER: I media trained you. That's controversial.

CELESTE RIVAS HERNANDEZ, VICTIM: It's controversial of raping kids?

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: So you say that she was aware of the investigation into him. Is that what you're referring to? Is there more than that?

HOCHMAN: No. The charge, the way that came to play out is that we have charged first-degree murder with three different special circumstances. And the reason that type of charge is very important is that if you just charge first-degree murder without special circumstances and someone gets convicted, they're looking at 25 years to life. But that's with the possibility of parole.

If any one of the three different special circumstances lying in wait, committing this murder for financial gain, or murdering a witness to the crime, or actually proven to the jury and found by the jury, that actually can transfer that into life without the possibility of parole and makes it this case death penalty eligible.

MICHAELSON: Of course right now we have a moratorium on the death penalty in California. In terms of, you say that this case is any parents' worst nightmare, you spoke with her parents. What did you say to them? What did they say to you?

HOCHMAN: You know, I did have the opportunity to speak to Celeste's parents. In this case, as a parent, I'm a parent of three children, is a worst nightmare. Your daughter goes missing on April 23rd, 2025. You know, the hours go by, then the days go by, then the weeks go by, over four months go by. You don't know if she's alive or she's dead until you get the horrific news that her body has been found and it's all caught up in someone's trunk.

And then you want to find out who did it and get justice for that murder. That has taken a number of months to get to that point because we wanted to make sure we were thorough in looking at all the evidence. And now we've identified that murderer, and that murderer is David Anthony Burke.

MICHAELSON: And lastly, real quick, because we're out of time, there's a preliminary -- injunction or, sorry, a preliminary hearing scheduled for 10 days from now, which is about as fast as this thing can go. Are you going to be ready for that?

HOCHMAN: Any defendant has a right to ask for a preliminary hearing within 10 days of an arraignment. And so far, that's what's been asked for. We will absolutely be ready to go on on that 10th day. However, we're also in the process of turning over terabytes of discovery. So often the defense counsel wants to go through the discovery before a preliminary hearing happens. However, if they don't waive their time, we'll be going through a preliminary hearing 10 days from today.

MICHAELSON: Nathan Hochman, thanks for coming in and sharing your perspective. We really appreciate it.

And still to come, it is the end of an era for Apple. Tim Cook announces he's stepping down as CEO. Ahead, what's next for the company and who's taking charge of the tech giant.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:29:00]

MICHAELSON: Apple CEO Tim Cook is stepping down after more than a decade leading that company. His replacement will be John Ternus, Apple's senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. Ternus is a 25- year veteran at Apple and has played major roles in new product lines, including the Mac, AirPods, and the iPhone. But of course, he's got some big shoes to fill.

During his tenure, Cook oversaw Apple's growth into a $4 trillion company. That's with a T. He's credited with helping make Apple significant player beyond its tech products into areas including entertainment and health. The leadership change will go into effect on September 1st, and Cook will be moving into the role of executive chairman of Apple's Board of Directors. More on that in our next hour.

Elon Musk's social media platform X is facing growing scrutiny from governments and regulators around the world. Authorities are concerned about its algorithm, A.I. tools, content moderation, and how the company handles user data. In France, that scrutiny has evolved into a full scale criminal investigation.

CNN's Melissa Bell has more..

[00:30:03]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: No sign of Elon Musk in Paris today after being asked by French authorities for a voluntary interview.

BELL (voice-over): This as part of an investigation into X that has, over the course of the last more than a year now, expanded and deepened every step of the way and included, at one point, a raid on the offices of the company here in Paris.

French authorities are looking into, initially, an investigation that was kicked off because of allegations of algorithmic manipulation. It was then expanded to look into allegations around the A.I. chatbot Grok and allegations of the dissemination of Holocaust denial material and child abuse material.

And it has gone so far now as to explore the possibility that X may have been complicit in the dissemination of sexual abuse material.

Now, despite the gravity of the accusations and the expansion of that probe, X has so far very little cooperated with investigators, even though the company has continued to deny any wrongdoing.

Elon Musk himself has repeatedly tweeted about the fact that he believes that this is an investigation that is politically motivated. He has, by choosing not --

BELL: -- to be in Paris on Monday, left these investigators now with a question of what they do next.

Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAELSON: Staying in Europe, the British prime minister is apologizing to lawmakers over the scandal involving Peter Mandelson, the former U.K. ambassador to the U.S.

Keir Starmer insists he did not know that Mandelson failed a security vetting before he was appointed. The prime minister addressed Parliament on Monday as he heads off growing criticism and calls for him to resign.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEIR STARMER, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: This is information I should have had a long time ago, and it is information that this house should have had a long time ago. It is information that I and the house had the right to know.

I should not have appointed Peter Mandelson. I take responsibility for that decision. And I apologize, again, to the victims of the pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, who were clearly failed by my decision.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: Mandelson was fired last September when the extent of his ties to Jeffrey Epstein came to light. He's now under police investigation for possibly leaking government documents to the late sex offender.

Just ahead, Vice President J.D. Vance faces what could be the biggest test yet of a possible second round of Iran talks. Our panel here live to break down all the big political headlines, from Capitol Hill to right here in California. John Iadarola, Caroline Sunshine next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:37:27]

MICHAELSON: I'm Elex Michaelson. Thanks for watching THE STORY IS. Let's take a look at today's top political headlines.

U.S. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-Deremer is stepping down. The White House says she is taking a job in the private sector, but the secretary was also facing an internal investigation into possible misconduct and allegations of inappropriate behavior.

She's now the third cabinet member to leave the Trump administration in recent weeks, all of them women.

FBI Director Kash Patel has filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against "The Atlantic." The magazine cited more than two dozen colleagues and sources who described Patel's alleged excessive drinking and unexplained absences.

The lawsuit claims the author knew the statements were false and showed reckless disregard for the truth. "The Atlantic" calls the suit meritless.

Another Democrat has dropped out of the California governor's race. Former state controller Betty Yee announced Monday that she was suspending her campaign.

Her decision comes just days after fellow Democrat and former U.S. Congressman Eric Swalwell left the race following sexual assault allegations that he denies.

If elected, Yee would have been California's first female governor.

We have a lot to unpack tonight with our political panel. John Iadarola is host of "The Damage Report" on the Young Turks Network. You can see his show on YouTube every day.

And Caroline Sunshine was a communications aide for Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign. Welcome to you both. Also served in the first Trump administration, as well.

You've been on our show. You have not been a huge fan of the war with Iran.

You, obviously, not a big fan of the war with Iran either.

We're now at a really interesting moment and a real interesting test for J.D. Vance. Reports are, Caroline, that he's heading to Pakistan to try to lead negotiations to end a war that he may not have -- had agreed with in the first place.

CAROLINE SUNSHINE, FORMER DEPUTY COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR TRUMP'S 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN: You know what? I am glad to see J.D. Vance headed over there rather than 5,000 more U.S. Marines. So, we are headed on the right track if that's what we're doing.

I think Vance might be doing this for politically motivated reasons. I'm OK with that. I think it's interesting that we haven't heard from Marco Rubio.

Marco Rubio was in front of every single camera at the beginning of this war, making sure he could get his face on every interview, every talking point, all the way out there. Where is he? He's at the UFC.

Now that this war has turned politically toxic, Marco Rubio isn't being sent to go do negotiations. He's no longer wanting to be optically involved in it.

So, I'm all for Vance getting involved in these negotiations.

MICHAELSON: Or maybe the Iranians, we hear, were the ones actually requesting Vance, maybe because he so publicly had been skeptical of this.

SUNSHINE: I would -- if the Iranians want to negotiate with J.D. Vance, I, as an American, would rather the Iranians negotiate with J.D. Vance than Marco Rubio, because I think Marco Rubio would continue to escalate this conflict.

[00:40:07]

I also think Vance is optically aware of-- you know, there's been a lot of -- I -- I've not understood the backlash against this podcast audience on the right, people being very dismissive of the podcast audience.

I can tell you who's not dismissive of the podcast audience: J.D. Vance. He knows that this audience does not support this war. They never have. And he knows that his path for 2028 goes right through that audience.

So, I think there's also a little bit of smart reading of the tea leaves on Vance's part here that the rest of the conservative movement in the White House should read, as well.

MICHAELSON: Your thoughts?

JOHN IADAROLA, HOST, THE YOUNG TURKS NETWORK'S "THE DAMAGE REPORT": Yes, I don't disagree about that path, which is why I also think that, yes, he's facing a test right now in the negotiations. But I also think he failed the fundamental test, which is that I think he should have resigned in protest, probably with Tulsi Gabbard, when the war was launched.

I think they could have come out with a joint statement, maybe with Joe Kent behind them, and say, you know, we -- we wanted Donald Trump to succeed. We always suspected that there was a streak of neoconservatism, and we hoped to tamp it down, but we weren't successful.

And then he could do a high-profile and, likely, more successful version of what Marjorie Taylor Greene is trying to do, setting herself up as an outsider.

I think he could have done that. I think it would have shown backbone. It would have shown values. But that's just not who J.D. Vance is, unfortunately.

MICHAELSON: But, you know, there's an argument -- and this was a lot of the argument during the first term that you heard while you were there, I'm sure, that you'd rather be there, making your point in the room, than being outside the room sort of screaming and having nobody listen to you.

IADAROLA: Has anyone listened to J.D. Vance during all of this? Maybe. Maybe we'll read a book in a couple of years. And he did actually help them to dial it back a little bit. Maybe they were going to go on Kharg Island, I don't know.

They've blown up everything they can blow up. They've sunk everything they can sunk; 1,500-plus dead civilians, 150 schoolgirls.

Threats constantly to, you know, commit a war crime by destroying civilian infrastructure or end the entire civilization.

If the brakes are being pumped behind closed doors, it's not filtering through to the public eye in any way that I can see, which I imagine, eventually, will frustrate those podcasters that you're talking about. They're going to want him to have achieved something on the inside.

MICHAELSON: I mean, but of course, the counter to that is fans of the war say that Iran has been really, really bad for a long time; that they're a murderous regime; and that this is, potentially, stopping them from getting a nuclear weapon, which would be a threat to Israel, a threat to the region, and a threat to the United States. SUNSHINE: That's true. But the question that they haven't effectively

answered is, how does that impact the everyday American? How is that in our national interest?

Because if we're going to go off of that logic, that -- that much of a direct threat to Americans, why haven't we gone to war against Mexican cartels that kill 70,000 Americans on U.S. soil every single day?

It's one thing to chant "Death to America." It's another thing to directly cause the deaths of 70,000 U.S. citizens every year.

And just this past year, the Trump administration changed the designation of cartels to be foreign terrorist organizations, meaning those cartels now share the same designation as Hezbollah and Hamas.

MICHAELSON: They dropped some bombs on them out in the ocean, though, that we saw.

SUNSHINE: Out in the ocean.

MICHAELSON: But -- but, you know, it's interesting also that that it seems that Israel has wanted this war for many, many years; that Benjamin Netanyahu was publicly and privately advocating to make this happen.

And now there's real frustration from Democrats in the Senate against Israel. There was a vote last week where 40 Democrats voted against the concept of selling arms to Israel, which is a huge change from where we were a decade ago.

And Jake Sullivan, who was the national security advisor to President Biden, was on "Real Time with Bill Maher" this weekend, agreeing with those Democrats. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE SULLIVAN, FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR UNDER PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: If you are not wanting to support the U.S. and Israel continuing the war in Iran, you shouldn't be voting to send more weapons to Israel. I think that that is a -- the right approach for those 40 Democrats to take.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELSON: Your thoughts on that and where the Democratic Party is when it comes to Israel.

IADAROLA: I think that those senators are fairly belatedly following where a lot of the party has gotten to over the past few years, particularly younger Democrats.

And I think a lot of them are seeing what 2028 is likely going to shape up to. I don't think that unquestioning support for endless funds, another $100 billion, is -- is going to be waiting in 2028.

I think that a lot of people are frustrated with what they see as just never-ending Israeli aggression against all of their neighbors, which is very different than, I think, justifiably wanting them to be protected.

Israel has an incredibly capable and well-funded and well-trained military. They've been supported by hundreds of billions of dollars from the United States. They have their own domestic arms industry. They're fully capable of defending themselves. Hell, they're capable of prosecuting wars on multiple fronts, basically throughout the entire region.

What is the case that they need our defense? And particularly, if they're drawing us into conflicts, which it seems like they did in this case.

MICHAELSON: But we're selling them weapons. They're not -- we're not giving them weapons. And they're our strongest ally in the region.

[00:45:03]

SUNSHINE: Yes. Although I am supportive of always being allowed to question the motives and positioning of our allies. We do that with NATO all the time. Anybody that's an ally or adversary of the United States, it's my right as an American and the right of the political leadership of my country to always question our allies' motives and if they consistently align with the goals of the United States.

I don't think it's an antisemitic position to question Benjamin Netanyahu. I think he specifically, as a leader, has done great damage to his country's reputation with Americans under 40.

And the divide there, you're going to see the two of us, who I'm sure we don't agree on much, but the divide on this issue is young versus old, not necessarily right versus left.

You have a lot of people under the age of 40 on the American right who are questioning, you know, Hey, why is it that when the president has to go on Truth Social and tell Israel to knock off their actions in Lebanon? Shouldn't an ally just be able to take their cues from the American president without the American president needing to tell you otherwise? Those are valid things.

Or the image we just saw come out this past week from an IDF soldier, you know, smashing a Christian statue. And the IDF has come out and addressed that.

But those are things that are optically changing things not just on the American left, but on the American right, as well.

MICHAELSON: It -- this whole thing is sort of changing and shifting politics, and it could be for generations to come.

Caroline Sunshine, John Iadarola, thank you so much for sharing your perspectives. We appreciate it.

And we'll be back with more of THE STORY IS right after this.

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[00:51:15]

MICHAELSON: The city of Shreveport, Louisiana, came together earlier Monday for a vigil honoring the lives of eight children killed in the nation's worst mass shooting in more than two years.

Community members offered prayers and sang worship songs in an attempt to strengthen the family of those involved.

CNN's Isabel Rosales has more on the tragedy and how the survivors are doing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TABATHA TAYLOR, SHREVEPORT CITY COUNCILWOMAN, DISTRICT A: This is real, and this is the result when someone snaps. So, I'm going to ask the community, along with prayer, with every mental health consultant, counselor that is out here, this family and this community needs you. I need you, because how do we get through this?

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Deep grief in Shreveport, Louisiana, as the details unfold in a horrific domestic attack in this community.

It happened in the early morning hours of Sunday. Just after 6 a.m., police received a call that someone had entered a home where nine people lived and shot everyone inside.

Minutes later, police received another call reporting a shooting at a nearby house. Authorities say they quickly realized the two incidents were connected.

Police say the shooter then carjacked a vehicle. They chased him into the next parish, where officers fatally shot him.

(GUNSHOT)

ROSALES (voice-over): CNN obtained video showing police closing in on the gunman after he fled the scene.

In total, police say 31-year-old Shamar Elkins killed eight young children, ages 3 to 11. Seven of the kids were his own. The eighth, a cousin.

He also shot his wife and another adult woman. Both have serious injuries.

The shooter's brother-in-law, Troy Brown, says he doesn't know how to make sense of it all.

TROY BROWN, BROTHER-IN-LAW OF SHAMAR ELKINS: I don't know how to feel. I don't know how to act.

ROSALES (voice-over): He said the shooter, who served in the Louisiana Army National Guard until 2020, was struggling with his mental health and had sought help at the V.A. Hospital for something personal. He didn't elaborate.

BROWN: He seeked [SIC] help. He got help. He came home. Everything was good. A couple of weeks ago, a couple of weeks to a month, everything, like, to him was falling apart.

ROSALES (voice-over): An uncle, Lionel Pugh, says it's very hard to cope right now.

LIONEL PUGH, UNCLE OF VICTIMS: It was devastating because, I mean, I got here; and all I could see is just, you know, yellow tape, you know, a crime scene.

ROSALES (voice-over): Both Pugh and Brown told CNN that the shooter's wife wanted a divorce, and Brown said that they were due to appear in court today to sign the papers.

A neighbor who lives across the street tells CNN he witnessed the aftermath of the shooting.

FREDDIE MONTGOMERY, SHAMAR ELKINS' NEIGHBOR: I opened my curtain and looked out the curtain. And it was. It was the Shreveport Police Department. They were making entry into the side door, going into the house.

ROSALES (voice-over): He said he saw the shooter just yesterday.

MONTGOMERY: I waved, just being neighborly. And he actually waved back. And the children were playing in the yard. And so, I just went home, and -- and 12 hours later, this.

ROSALES (voice-over): Brown says the family is struggling but resilient.

BROWN: I'm not OK. I'm not going to be OK for a while. These were eight babies, precious babies. So, no, I'm not OK.

And yes, I am going to seek help for myself as well as my child, my wife and my sister-in-law. We're all going to go to counseling.

Yes, it's going to take a while, but we're going to make it.

ROSALES: There's been an incredible show of support from the community. Parents, everybody of all ages coming out here, leaving teddy bears, candles, balloons, notes of encouragement to this family that has gone through so much.

Troy Brown, by the way, told me that his son died up there on that roof, trying to get away from the gunfire. His daughter survived by jumping off the roof. She was mostly uninjured, he told me.

[00:55:08]

But her aunt was shot nine times. She's out of surgery. The family tells me she is awake. She is aware, and she is talking.

Back to you. (END VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAELSON: Feel for that family. Isabel Rosales, thank you for that.

We'll continue our coverage of the high-profile murder case against singer D4VD in our next hour. I'll be speaking with attorney Dina Doll about the charges D4VD is facing in the death of a 14-year-old girl whose body was found in the trunk of his Tesla.

Plus, more from our conversation with the district attorney, Nathan Hochman.

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