Sources: Pentagon Considering Ground Troops To Take Kharg Island

25:32But there are islands like this one right here that are major areas where the Iranians do have a military presence, so they use this as a way to cut the sea lane basically off if they choose to do that. So it would require the kind of operations, If they do an amphibious operation at CARG, they could also do the same thing here on this island, Keshem Island. And if they do that, then, of course, it would entail the use of many forces in this particular case. Is this the part of the Strait of Hormuz that the Iranians have really just basically shut down? This narrow, narrow part, 21 miles? Exactly.

26:12It's this narrow part right here. And you have to keep in mind, it's really much narrower than 21 miles as far as the ships are concerned. because the shipping lane is only two miles wide in this area right here. And so that's because it's the deepest part of the strait. And that's why this is a critical area right here, and that's why they can control it so easily geographically close like that. So it's easier for them to weaponize it. All right, Colonel Cedric Clayton, thank you so much. As this war stretches on, a special CNN town hall is going to take place tonight. We're going to bring in experts and take questions from a live studio audience.

26:45My colleague, Dana Bash, is going to moderate this town hall. You can look for this tonight at 9 Eastern right here on CNN, or you can watch it live on the CNN app. Coming up next on The Lead, the man leading FEMA's disaster recovery and response has talked in the past about being teleported. Where to? A Waffle House. What's CNN's K-File uncovered ahead?

27:12Let's have I got news for your ears, the podcast. I am your host, Michael Ian Black. We're going to be talking about the straight of Hormuz, or as I'm calling it, the straight of sin nudes. We're talking, we got all kinds of potpourri. We're talking about the Kennedy Center or the Trump Kennedy Center. We're talking about Brendan Carr threatening to take away your license if you don't ship up and shape up and ship out or shape up and ship ship. And then Jim and Jody are going to be here. And I keep saying we should have guests because they're not funny. but they refuse. Have I Got News for Your Ears releases new episodes every Wednesday.

27:51Don't miss an episode. Follow us wherever you get your podcasts. And so, Greg, why don't you describe the very first time you were teleported? It was scary in a way. I mean, you know, you don't really know. Okay, is this evil? Is this good? What is this? You know, what do I do with this? How do I deal with it? I was on the phone. Oh, my God, what's happening? and I was landed and landed about 40 miles away in a ditch outside of a Baptist church. No, that's not an actor from a low-budget sci-fi movie talking about being teleported to a ditch. Those comments come from the man who's now in charge of leading FEMA's disaster recovery and response across the United States, Greg Phillips on the podcast Onward.

28:43Those comments and other posts were uncovered by CNN's K-File. Let's talk about this and other issues with Chuck Rocha and Ashley Davis are here in my office. I hope the couch is not too uncomfortable. And I promise next time with cocktails. I will say be much more fun. There are at least three and a lot easier to talk about this subject. There are at least three accounts of teleporting, according to the host of Onward. Let's take a more from what Willough's talking about. This time he teleported to a Waffle House. Take a look. I was with my boys one time and I was telling I was going to go to Waffle House and get Waffle House.

29:19And I ended up at a Waffle House. This was in Georgia. And I ended up at a Waffle House like 50 miles away from where I was. They said, where are you? I said, Waffle House. They said, Waffle House where? And I said, Waffle House in Rome, Georgia? I said, that's not possible. He just left here like I wanted to go. So, again, this individual is in charge of the disaster relief response for hundreds of millions of Americans. And he thinks he can teleport to a Waffle House in Rome, Georgia. Any thoughts? Well, this position is not confirmed. And so he didn't have to go to the Senate. I'm assuming that the administration saw these reports.

30:09I mean, they do very good vetting these days because of Susie. She put a very strict vetting thing in place. But I mean, obviously. Is that how we got Joe Kent? Anyway, keep going. Exactly. But I'm just saying, obviously, it's odd. But I mean, I think they knew exactly what they were going. They were getting. And he's obviously very loyal to the movement. If you look at some of the other stuff he's been for. He wasn't a believer in 2020. I mean, we thought the election was stolen and all. Yeah. In fact, take a listen, Chuck, because in addition to his his belief that he can teleport, he has K-File also some dug up, some rather questionable rhetoric he used.

30:46He said this about former President Biden. I would like to punch that bitch in the mouth right now. He is a nasty, shitty, crappy human being and he deserves to die. And I hope he does. K-File also found this 2020 tweet where Phillips falsely suggested that Michigan state officials said that China helped Joe Biden win the state in 2020. Again, this is the guy in charge of disaster relief for hundreds of millions of Americans. I got it. But in his defense, and hear me out, in his defense, I have ended up in a Waffle House and wasn't sure how I actually got there. Okay, but that's because you were drinking.

31:24That's one. Two, I thought that this president said he was going to get rid of waste, fraud, and crazy. That guy's crazy. How he got through, I used to think I could never work at the White House. I'm like, Chuck, you may not be, you're a political hack. You may not be bright enough. This man shows me I could run the White House. How does this happen? I think American people are a little tired of it. So here is the response from FEMA to K-Files reporting. Quote, this is so silly, it's barely worth acknowledging DHS, FEMA, and Mr. Phillips are focused on the critical mission of emergency management and ensuring the safety of the American people.

31:56Many of the comments cited are taken out of context or represent personal, informal, jovial and somewhat spiritual discussions made in the context of barely surviving cancer in a private capacity prior to his current role. I mean, the only comment I do want to make is the fact that this is being covered by a lot of people. I've seen it today. But I think that that just makes the president dig in deeper to support some of these people. I mean, as you know, we've talked about this before, before Kristi Noem was actually finally let go. But like if you're attacking his people, he kind of digs in around them.

32:31So I don't think this guy will go anywhere because of that. So multiple, this is more from the report by K-File, multiple FEMA officials speaking candidly to CNN expressed initial concerns about whether Phillips was up to the job. But after a few weeks, several of them told CNN that to their surprise, Phillips' hands-on involvement during the spate of storms had softened some of their doubts. One high-ranking FEMA official told CNN, Greg Phillips is FEMA's best hope at this moment. I can't believe I'm saying that. So rising in the job, rising to the moment, perhaps. You know, you took the words out of my mouth about the seriousness of this job.

33:04I make light of it, but in all seriousness, it was Donald Trump who talked about FEMA's shortcomings in North Carolina. And when a storm comes through, my mama lives in Florida, my sister lives there. Like this is big-time stuff, life and death stuff. And when you show that, when American people see that, they equate that to life and death. that's not good for the Republicans. Let's turn to the U.S. Senate race in Texas. Chuck, you know all about it. President Trump talked about the contest in a new interview with MS Now in which he said that Senator John Cornyn, the incumbent Republican who's fighting for his life in a Republican primary, is, quote, definitely trying to push, unquote, for an endorsement from the president.

33:38The president added he still hasn't determined who he will support between him and Attorney General Paxton. Actually, Trump previously said he would endorse and that once he endorsed, he wanted the other Republican to drop out. But the deadline to be removed from the ballot already passed this week. So do you think that that says something? Do you think Trump not having endorsed the incumbent Republican who John Thune wants him to endorse, who everybody thinks actually is the most electable of the two? What's your take on it? Maybe. I mean, Chuck and I've talked about this a lot. There's a couple of things.

34:10One, that the president, that deadline's kind of false. I mean, there's no reason that they had to do that. But Paxton said he wasn't dropping out unless they passed the SAVE Act, which was the Voter ID Act. But number three, I think he doesn't love Cornyn and he would rather have Paxton. He's already making his base a little bit angry because of what's happening with Iran. And so this is just something else that's really going to make them angry. But here's the other thing. And Chuck and I disagree with this because everyone says everyone says that Cornyn is the one that's going to win. And I actually think everything bad about Paxton's out there.

34:48And I think he actually brings out a lot of the base that Cornyn does not. So Chuck is an advisor to the Democratic candidate, Tallarico, state senator or state rep candidate Tallarico. You think that Paxton would be easier to beat or Cornyn? What's your take? There was a poll out today. We released our internal polls and it shows us beating both of them. Here's why the president is upset or this is what makes him nervous. And you know this, Jake. In a Democratic runoff in the middle of May, nobody's going to show up except for the base of the base. And guess who they're with? They're with Donald Trump.

35:20That's why this thing sets up for Paxton, because regular Republicans have no other reason to go vote except for John Cornyn. I think you only have MAGA folks show up, and I think this thing is Paxton's to lose. Does your intern or poll show that Tallarico beats one easier than the other? One by one point, one by two points. That's all within the margin there. But I'll say this also, y 'all. It's important because everybody's like, oh, Beto O 'Rourke in 2018. Beto O 'Rourke never had a poll. Even his own internals, it showed him winning in November. Nobody was bringing up Beto O 'Rourke, but okay.

35:48Ashley Davis and Chuck Broca. Thanks so much. Coming up next, the remains of a missing 14-year-old girl found in a Tesla that belonged to a TikTok superstar. That's a singer-songwriter that goes by the name David with a four for some reason. A grand jury's investigating what CNN uncovered when tracing his ties to the victim.

36:13Some things are just better in person. High fives, hugging your dog, and shopping for Crocs. If you've never been to a Crocs store, you're missing out. Sure, you can find us online, but when you step inside our shop, you'll get it. And your feet will feel fantastic with a fresh pair of classic cloths, or cozy slippers, or beach-ready sandals, or even sneakers. Everything's ridiculously comfy, and you can even pick out Gibbets Charms to personalize your new pair. Go check out your nearest Crocs store. You deserve that in-person moment.

36:45In our Law and Justice lead today, a disturbing mystery hangs over Hollywood. Last September, a missing 14-year-old girl named Celeste Rivas Hernandez was found dead. Her body was found decomposed and dismembered, separated into two bags, stuffed inside a Tesla. Now, that Tesla is owned by a guy named David Anthony Burke. He's a rising music star who first became famous on TikTok. He's known by his millions of fans as just David, but it's spelled D4VD. CNN's Kyung La investigates now the mysterious link between the 20-year-old singer and the dead girl. The ritzy Hollywood Hills, an unlikely place for a murder investigation.

37:27Until last September, when neighbors became suspicious of a parked Tesla. Describe it to me. There was a big dent in the back and in the front. It looked like it had been hit multiple times. The Tesla was towed. Employees at the lot noticed a strange smell and called police. LAPD detectives found a body dismembered and stuffed into two different bags. The victim was a runaway, Celeste Rebus Hernandez. She would have turned 15 the day before. She, for months, most likely months, was stuffed in that Tesla and just left there. Steve Fisher was hired to unearth evidence in the case, which starts here.

38:07A search warrant on the Tesla. The registered owner, David Anthony Burke. This is Burke, better known to millions of fans as the singer David. He spells his name D4VD, has hundreds of millions of views on YouTube, and was the most Googled person of 2025. Prosecutors and court records describe David Burke as a target of a grand jury investigation who, quote, may be involved in having committed one count of murder. David's lawyer did not want to speak with CNN due to the grand jury investigation. The Tesla is owned by him. We have photograph evidence that she was with him over a long period of time.

38:48He is late, I tell you, David. David was on the cusp of global fame. Celeste just beginning her troubled trail as a runaway. But she didn't seem to be hiding. This is David's Twitch stream, dated January 2024, about a month before Celeste is first reported missing. She's 13 here, and it's after 3 a.m. People on the stream even mention her name. David and Celeste Island trip? Public statement from David's girl. Delete everything. Delete everything. February 15th, the next month, Celeste is reported missing for the first time. Days later, a person close to Celeste sends this email shared with CNN.

39:30It's sent to David at Mogul.Vision. MogulVision is David's management company. There's been talk that the artist David possibly has something to do with the disappearance of 13-year-old Celeste Rivas. If that statement holds any merit, please do the right thing and take her home. She arrived back home. She came back home. After that email was sent. The person who shared that email with us didn't want us to say who they were, fearing for their safety. Celeste's hometown, Lake Elsinore, California, sits 75 miles from Hollywood. And we've learned David made that drive. We uncovered this photo, taken in early 2024 in Lake Elsinore.

40:11That's David. We were able to track the exact location of this photo to this parking lot here in Lake Elsinore. It's about a third of a mile from Celeste's home. And looking at the construction and the background of this photo, we're able to determine that this photo was taken sometime between January and March of 2024. It's like a small town. You're not really like celebrities just coming over here chilling, you know. Ethan Maldonado posted the photos. He says he got them from a classmate. One photo shows David with other young people, but CNN cannot verify why this meeting happened. Here's why it matters.

40:49The photos were taken some time in the months of Celeste being reported missing. The last time was on April 5th, 2024. But is she really missing? This photo from May 2024 shows Celeste among family. CNN confirmed the time and place using geolocation to a relative's graduation. She is missing. When she's having contact with the family, which the first thing that you're supposed to do is call the detective or call 911 and say, listen, she's here. We knocked on door after door in Lake Elsinore. No one, including Celeste's family, talked to us on camera. After Celeste's body is identified, David's online fandom erupts, partly because of something in his own music videos.

41:38Violence. Romantic Homicide, released in 2022, includes a dead girl. And then, in one more dance, David puts his own body in a trunk. Let's be very clear, though, because we are talking about art. There's no proof that he did this simply because he produced this art. People should be allowed to freely live out whatever kind of fantasies they want in the art that they create. I think at the very least, it should sort of like, you know, cause us to call into question the series of events. and start to at least look into it further. She was 14 years old and stuffed in that trunk. I just don't know how anybody, even if you weren't involved, if you had any knowledge that she was in that car, how you could live with yourself and not report it.

42:28It's now a little more than six months since Celeste's body was found in Burke's Tesla. So far, there have been no arrests for her death, But the grand jury is continuing to hear from witnesses. And we did reach out to Mogul Vision, David's management company, but did not hear back. And Jake, there is much more to this story. We have an extended video story on this case, which is now streaming for subscribers at CNN.com slash watch. Jake. Well, it was fun while it lasted, but I'm being beckoned back up to the actual studio for the second hour of the lead. from an oil refinery hitting Kuwait to drone attacks in Saudi Arabia.

43:07Ahead, we're going to look at the war in Iran being felt across the entire Middle East. CNN is live on the ground there. That's next.

43:20Welcome to The Lead. I'm Dick Tapper. This hour, what officials are warning about airport security wait times this weekend as TSA workers go another day without pay and call out of work in near record numbers? Is Congress even talking about ending this partial government shutdown? Is there any effort going on at all? In the last hour, we heard from the Transportation Secretary coming up. I'm going to ask a House Democrat. Plus, federal judges warn of more violent threats against them. Several even spoke up to share threats they've personally received. I'm going to speak with U.S. District Court Judge Esther Salas, whose son was killed in a targeted attack on her.

43:56We're going to talk to her about the growing threat. But first, the main story, the war in Iran. President Trump says he is not looking for a ceasefire as the Pentagon and White House officials are currently weighing putting troops on the ground, according to CNN sources. Where would those troops go?

44:15The lead tonight. Sources tell CNN that the Pentagon is considering sending U.S. troops to take Karg Island off the coast of Iran. Karg Island is an economic lifeline for Iran. It handles roughly 90 percent of the country's crude exports. This as thousands more U.S. Marines and sailors are deploying to the Middle East as the war with Iran nears its fourth week. A short time ago, President Trump told reporters that he believes the U.S. won the war with Iran, but he added he does not want a ceasefire. His comments coming just hours after he lashed out against NATO allies, calling them cowards for not helping the U.S.

44:51secure the vital strait of Hormuz. The strait's closure has, of course, caused oil prices to stay in the triple digits per barrel. Goldman Sachs now suggests higher prices could last all the way through 2027. Meanwhile, a fresh wave of Iranian strikes in Jerusalem and against U.S. Gulf allies, as many Muslims in the region were celebrating Eid, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan. CNN's Nick Robertson is in Saudi Arabia for us with all the latest. Nick? Yeah, Jake, I've got to say, we woke up this morning. The city here looked pretty serene. holiday, Eid, very few vehicles on the road go to the cafes and restaurants here over lunchtime.

45:32There were families there, grandparents, parents, children all dressed up, handing each other bags of gifts, traditional at Eid time. But the darker side of what's been happening in the Gulf was still playing out. Iranian missiles still coming in. In Saudi, by the end of play today, more than 30 drones fired mostly into the east towards the oil facilities there. In Kuwait to the north, 25 drones fired there. 15 intercepted, eight landed in open area. But the two that got through, they hit an oil refinery and took part of that big oil refinery offline. Bahrain earlier in the morning got ballistic missiles, got drones, most intercepted, but something got through, set fire to a warehouse.

46:15And just to give you a sense of how on edge everyone here is, even And even when it's Eid and people are celebrating, when the government in Bahrain wanted to do what it normally does at Eid, which was fire celebratory shots in the air, they made sure they told everyone well in advance so no one thought that the country was coming under attack at that moment. Of course, they're all too familiar with being under attack, as they were again in Abu Dhabi today. I think there are four ballistic missiles, 26 drones incoming, some hitting in the middle of residential areas or targeted in the middle of residential areas.

46:52So it's been for some a day to try to relax and enjoy what's supposed to be a peaceful day. But the reality is that the Straits of Homos remain closed. The oil facilities continue to be targeted, some of them taken offline, and no end in sight. And the recognition here that this could go on now a long time. Jake. All right, Nick Robertson in Saudi Arabia, stay safe. Thank you. Let's bring in Axios Global Affairs correspondent, Barak Ravid, who is also a contributor to CNN. Barak, what are your sources telling you when it comes to potentially sending U.S. troops to take Karg Island? Well, what I hear from both U.S.

47:36officials, Israeli officials, people who are dealing with this issue outside of the Trump administration, this is definitely a key issue that is being discussed by the administration, by the Pentagon, by the White House, as an option for a ground operation. You see the U.S. military sending more and more troops to the region. There are, I think, three different Marine expeditionary units on the way to the region. You're going to have, I think, within two weeks, maybe something like 7 ,000 Marines in the region. You have 50 ,000 U.S. soldiers in the region already. And I think what the Trump administration wants to do is twofold.

48:25First, take this island because then you take control of Iranian oil. The Iranians cannot export without this island. And second, try and use it as leverage in a future negotiation with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz and over, let's say, rules of engagement for the future between Iran and the region and Iran and the world. So you had a very compelling story in this morning in Axios that you co-wrote with Marco Puto. and in it a senior Trump administration official told you, quote, we've always had boots on the ground in conflicts under every president, including Trump. I know this is a fixation in the media and I get the politics, but the president is going to do what's right, unquote.

49:13The senior official added that no decision had been made yet. I don't know that this is a fixation of the media. I would say it's more a concern and a red line or significant inflection point for the public and also for members of Congress. We've had on several Republicans who say if there are going to be boots on the ground, they need to come to Congress and get an authorization. Are those concerns a factor at all for the administration? Well, first, I have several other people who had concerns about putting U.S. boots on the ground in the Middle East. One of them is called Donald Trump. Second one is called J.D.

49:55Vance. They are currently the president and vice president of the United States. This is why the fact that Trump reached this point, that he considers doing that, shows you the quagmire he's in. On the one hand, he cannot end this war without opening the Strait of Hormuz. On the other hand, opening the Strait of Hormuz by force means sending U.S. troops to Iran, which is a huge escalation, a huge risk, and goes against everything Donald Trump and J.D. Vance believe. This is why I think this is a huge dilemma for the president. I don't think he made the decision. I think the president looks at the option of Karg Island as, let's say, sort of like a minimal boots on the ground option, but it is still very, very risky.

50:50Well, this is the conundrum of going to war. it's not necessarily the first decision whether or not to attack. It's the second, then the third, then the fourth, and then it keeps going. And it ends up, it's all a bunch of bad decisions, all a bunch of horrible options. Sources tell CNN that the Pentagon is also considering to potentially attempt, potentially attempt to extract or to retrieve or to further bury all that highly enriched uranium that the U.S. Intelligence Committee believes is under the facilities that the U.S. bombed last June. What are you hearing about that internal debate? So, you know, the Trump administration and the Israelis have been discussing for weeks the possibility of conducting some sort of ground operation, commando operation with special forces to try and get this highly rich uranium out.

51:45But it's not that simple. This is something that means taking over big parts of Iranian territory and staying there for two, three, maybe four weeks to conduct this operation. It is very risky, not because it's in hostile, only because it's in hostile territory, but because this is, you know, nuclear material you're talking about here. So trying to conduct more airstrikes to bury this material even deeper is definitely a safer alternative. But leaving Iran, ending this war with this material still inside the country, this will mean that a key objective of this war for both U.S. and Israel has not been achieved.

52:40All right, Barack Ravid, thank you so much. Always great to have you on. Thank you. With your excellent reporting. Later tonight, look for a special CNN town hall, The War with Iran, with experts taking questions from a live studio audience. CNN's Dana Bash will moderate that discussion. This is tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern, live on CNN and on the CNN app. Just into our law and justice lead, a federal judge has just voided some parts of a restrictive press policy rolled out by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth last year. U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman says the policy from Hegseth tramples on the constitutional rights of reporters who try to cover the U.S.

53:16military from within the Pentagon. The judge writes, quote, that principle has preserved the nation's security for almost 250 years. It must not be abandoned now, unquote. It's a huge blow to Hegseth's effort to try to control press coverage and how the war is covered. CNN has reached out to the Pentagon for comment. Since being appointed, Iran's new supreme leader has yet to give a statement on camera or an audio statement. Today, we did get a second written message purportedly from him. What that message says about the recent strikes in this ongoing war, that's next.

53:57In our world leader, a new statement attributed to Iran's supreme leader, Moshtaba Khamenei called recent attacks on Oman and Turkey false flags aimed at creating division between Iran and its neighbors. The statement, which did not include either video or audio, proving that it was actually him, well, it further fuels doubts about the Supreme Leader's abilities or the question of whether or not he's alive. Joining us to discuss actress and activist Nazanin Bonyadi, who is born in Tehran, raised in London. And if she looks familiar, it's because She's been in a million amazing works of entertainment, movies and TV shows.

54:33So I want to start, Naz, by noting that it's Norhuz today, the Persian New Year. What would normally be a time of celebration in Iran, even under this horrific regime, but now there's a war. People probably are even afraid to go outside their homes. What are you hearing from loved ones and friends in Iran? Well, the thing about Norhuz, Jake, is that it's lasted more than 3 ,000 years and it's overcome every invasion, every occupation that Iran or Persia has experienced, from Alexander the Great to the Arab conquest, the Mongolian conquest. And for the past 47 years, a regime that has really tried to eliminate Iranian culture and identity and replace it with Islamism has failed.

55:19And Nowruz has remained in the hearts and minds of people, and they've consistently celebrated it. And even now, the word Nowruz means new day. It's, It's, of course, the start of a spring equinox, and it marks renewal and rebirth and resilience because it's lasted more than 3 ,000 years. So it's a meaningful day today, and I think a lot of people inside Iran are holding on to the hope of what that new day might look like. And it's got to be tough because just yesterday the regime executed three men, including a 19-year-old, for participating in the protests in January. Human rights groups said the trial was just a sham.

55:55It was ridiculous. us. Are activists in Iran scared to speak out right now because of what the regime is doing? If you speak out, you might actually just get killed. Yeah, I mean, there's a reason why the internet has been blocked for more than 400, what is it, 400 hours or whatever. It's a very long time since it definitely goes back to the mass protests in January and the internet blackout is designed to cloak the mass atrocities that have happened. Of course, thousands of death, killings, 7 ,000 documents, 6 ,500 documented, up to upward of 30 ,000 by credible reports. And that's why they do it.

56:39They silence people because they know that if the voices of the people reach us, what that shows is that they don't want this regime. And they are more afraid of their own regime than the bombs falling on their heads. Somebody reached out to me five days ago. We have sporadic connections by satellite, of course, because there's an internet shutdown. And she said, this is a prominent dissident who told me that even now, with the bombs falling over our heads, my children are afraid of the bombs. I'm afraid for their future if this regime survives. Yeah. And I wonder, on February 28th, when the bombs started dropping from the U.S.

57:15and Israel, there was such hope among the Iranian people, both in the country and especially from the diaspora, people like you and others. And I wonder if that hope still exists, because it seems like the regime is still showing no signs of going away. And it does seem as though Israel wants regime change, but the U.S., that doesn't seem to be a goal anymore. I mean, to me, it looks like the only people who want democracy are the people of Iran. I mean, who have a clear, what I was told from this dissident who contacted me five days ago is, I don't think President Trump quite understands that we've tried the reform route.

57:56So if he's looking at a Venezuela model, we've already tried that from 1997 to 2019. We tried reform. We tried finding the guy in the regime who might be able to have good relations with the outside world and maybe stabilize the country, ease repression. It just cannot happen under this system. So what they're telling me is you can't just bomb these guys out of power. You have to have a holistic political approach that increases the cost of repression on the Iranian people. That's what needs to happen is whatever plan is in place right now needs to ensure that the democracy and the will of the Iranian people prevails.

58:37Nazanin Boneyadi, thank you so much. It's always such a pleasure to have you here. Really appreciate it. Hoping for better days for the Iranian people. Last hour here on the lead transportation secretary, Sean Duffy warned that the U.S. airport situation is about to get a whole lot worse. So is there any pressure in Congress to end this partial government shutdown that is causing this problem with TSA workers calling out sick because they're not getting paid? We're going to talk to a Democrat next.

59:06And our national lead as the TSA lines at airports keep growing and growing. Let's look at the reality of what TSA agents are dealing with. TSA agents have already missed their first full paycheck due to this partial government shutdown. and could miss a second one if Congress doesn't figure out how to do their jobs by next Friday and fund the agency. On average, TSA agents make about$46 ,000 to$55 ,000 per year, which in many cases means there is really not much disposable income there to float them through any sort of hardship. Officials say at least 366 TSA agents have left their jobs altogether.

59:43And let's remember, this is the third time in the past six months, The third time the TSA agents have had to go without pay. One young TSA agent in Atlanta told CNN he's had to ask for both his rent and car payments to be pushed back. Let's discuss this with Democratic Congressman James Walkinshaw of Virginia. Congressman, you and your colleagues are still getting paid on salaries that are roughly four times as much as the average TSA agent's salary. What's your message to the TSA agents? you probably have a bunch of them in your district, who may not really care about the politics behind the shutdown.

1:00:20They just simply want to be able to put food on the table. That's right. Look, it is absolutely outrageous that our TSA agents and our FEMA workers and our cybersecurity workers are not getting paid right now. And that's why I and other Democrats have put forward legislation to fund all of those DHS agencies except for ICE and CBP so we can continue those negotiations. Look, Donald Trump's immigration agenda, the mass deportation agenda is out of control. The American people want it to be reined in. We need to make that happen. But we shouldn't be holding our TSA agents hostage while those negotiations continue.

1:00:59We should vote tomorrow to pay them. And Democrats have put forward that legislation so far in both the House and Senate. Republicans continue to block it. Right. Because they say they want to fund the entire Department of Homeland Security budget. And they also note that ICE is, you know, ICE is funded through 2029 because of the big, beautiful bill, so-called big, beautiful bill from last year that you're not actually you and you and other Democrats. You're not actually stopping ICE from doing what it does because they're funded well through the next few years. Yeah, look, that's exactly my argument.

1:01:35Why does ICE need another 20, 30 billion dollars on top of the money that they got from the so-called Big Beautiful Bill that came out of Americans' health care? What we need to do is put some reasonable restrictions on ICE so we can end the masking required judicial warrant before they can smash down the doors of American citizens. That's all we're asking for. And while we negotiate around that and hopefully achieve that, we should be paying our TSA agents, our Coast Guard folks, our FEMA workers and all of that. And we put forward that legislation. Republicans keep blocking it. I don't know why they're blocking it, but they continue to block it.

1:02:11Last hour, I asked Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy about what he thinks will happen if TSA agents miss their next payday. He said smaller airports might be forced to shut down. Take a listen. Second paycheck is due a week from today as they're going to miss that. If they do, if a deal isn't cut, you're going to see what's happening today look like child's play. These are going to be good days compared to what's going to happen a week from now as America tries to travel. Now, as you know, Republicans are not on board with the Democrats' proposal to fund TSA separately from the rest of the Department of Homeland Security.

1:02:49So if both sides just refuse to blink, this is going to get worse and worse and worse, not only for TSA agents, for local economies. Smaller airports will shut down. We had a senator on the show the other day, a Republican senator, I think Joni Ernst, who said that Katie Britt, the Republican senator from Alabama who often tries to work through a lot of these issues with negotiations, the Democrats aren't even meeting with her. Well, my understanding is the White House put forward an offer. Democratic leaders have rejected that. The White House is considering sending over another offer. But look, I listened there to Secretary Duffy and what he's facing, what President Trump is facing the next couple of weeks as we head into the spring break travel season.

1:03:37Americans are going to be staring down the face of four dollar a gallon gas prices because of Donald Trump's war in Iran and four hour waits at TSA lines because of Donald Trump and the Republican shutdown. I think the president is going to start to feel a lot of pressure as we head into that spring break travel season. I hope that will help help a breakthrough, create a breakthrough for a deal. You have so many federal workers in your district. You represent, for people who don't know, you represent Northern Virginia, a lot of Northern Virginia. Yeah. Do they, when you see them, when you meet them, these federal workers who, you know, every few months now because of these shutdowns have to, like, go into food banks, have to sleep at work because they can't afford gas.

1:04:23Do they say keep fighting for changes on the immigration stuff? I mean, what do they say to you? What federal workers say to me, and this is DHS and across the board is, look, they have faced down 15 months of attacks and assaults from the Trump administration. Thousands of firings, retirement benefits not coming through when they're supposed to come through, verbally assaulted by the OMB director and the president himself. So they have endured a lot of abuse on top of the shutdown. So they are frustrated and fed up, no question. But they understand that at the end of the day, Donald Trump and Republicans have been shutting down DHS and other agencies for 15 months.

1:05:06This shutdown makes it worse and we need to bring it to an end. But it's been 15 months of frustration and abuse that they've endured on top of the shutdowns. Democratic Congressman James Walkinshaw from the great Commonwealth of Virginia. Thank you, sir. Good to see you. Thanks, Jake. A federal judge says she was once told that she would lose her life by lunchtime, and she's not the only judge who has faced this kind of threat. Why judges felt the need to share these alarming messages. That's next.

1:05:40In our Law and Justice League, federal judges are warning of a dangerous increase in violent rhetoric against them. The warnings come as President Trump and many of his allies continue to harshly criticize Supreme Court justices and judges for rulings against the administration. As seen as Paula Reid reports for us now, judges are taking more and more precautions. We apply the law. We aren't making political decisions. Judges speaking candidly about the reality they face in the current political climate. The person said, I know where you live and I know where your children go to school. In a recent online forum, several shared some of the shocking threats they've faced.

1:06:25I hope you lose your life by lunchtime, you worthless whore. The best way you can help America is to eat a bullet. When the Supreme Court ruled against some of President Trump's tariffs last month, he immediately attacked the justices, including two he appointed. They're very unpatriotic and disloyal to our Constitution. I think it's an embarrassment to their families, you want to know the truth, the two of them. Over the past 10 years, Trump has repeatedly attacked the bench. This judge is giving us unfair rulings. Now I say why. I have a Trump-hating judge with a Trump-hating wife and family.

1:07:00We cannot allow a handful of communist radical-left judges to obstruct the enforcement of our laws. It's absolutely out of control. His inflammatory statements have been followed by a surge of threats against judges appointed by both political parties. The U.S. Marshals report a record 564 threats against federal judges last year. That number has roughly doubled since 2021. The situation has become so dire that Chief Justice John Roberts has weighed in twice in Trump's second term, most recently just this week. Judges around the country work very hard to get it right. And if they don't, their opinions are subject to criticism.

1:07:44But personally directed hostility is dangerous and it's got to stop. Judges are increasingly taking precautions. In his year-end report, the administrator for the federal courts wrote that about 80 percent of all sitting federal judges have requested the removal of personally identifiable information from the Internet. About three-quarters of judges have enrolled in a program that provides up-to-date home intrusion detection systems. Nationally, 63 facilities are undergoing courthouse hardening projects. But the risk is now something that comes with the robe. Unfortunately, it's sort of become the order of the day.

1:08:31Until recently, judges were barred from speaking out about their concerns by the Judicial Code of Ethics. But just last month, they actually changed the rules to give judges more leeway to discuss their concerns about threats and attacks. Of course, Jake, that's important because this is not just about protecting judges, but also they say about protecting the integrity of the rule of law. All right, Paula Reid, thanks so much for that report. Let's talk about this with U.S. District Court Judge Esther Salas. You might recall Judge Salas was targeted at her family home in 2020 when a gunman came to her home, opened fire, killed her son Daniel, and wounded her husband Mark.

1:09:08And I see that beautiful picture of Daniel behind you, Judge Salas, and I know he's an inspiration to you to keep up the fight to preserve law and order in this country. we're thinking about him and we're thinking about your loss right now. Do you think that law enforcement is taking the threats against judges seriously enough, specifically as law enforcement? You know, I do think that the men and women who serve the U.S. Marshals are doing everything they can to protect judges. It's their number one priority. So I do think the U.S. Marshals are very concerned about these threats. And, you know, I would like to believe that the Department of Justice is as well taking it seriously.

1:09:51I haven't seen the attorney general or the deputy attorney general come forward and really talk about denouncing these acts of threats against judges. But I know the men and women of the U.S. Marshals and I have no doubt there. it's it's probably impossible generally speaking to draw a direct line from politicians attacking judges or supreme court justices with their words saying they're unpatriotic they should be embarrassed they're un-american etc etc and the threats that judges get um and in fact there's even a term for it stochastic terrorism right but like do you agree with the idea that a lot of your fellow judges have said that the more that there is rhetoric from political leaders and media figures against judges and justices, the more the threats happen.

1:10:46Wholeheartedly. I wholeheartedly agree that the inflammatory and dangerous rhetoric is exacerbating these threats and we're getting those threats from the top down. And to see our Chief Justice just this week really talk about the dangerous rhetoric and say it has to stop. I thank him. I thank our Chief Justice for coming forward and really, you know, asking everyone involved to stop this dangerous rhetoric. I thank him. I thank the four judges that were on Speak Up for Justice and who had the courage to speak up and speak out against these attacks. I thank And of course, I thank you because we have to continue to shed light, not heat on the situation and really demand more of ourselves and of our leaders.

1:11:41when we're talking about being civil to one another and when we're talking about, you know, criticizing opinions on the merits and not taking these personal shots at us that I think are directly in some respects to blame for this spike in attacks against judges. We saw Judge Meyer in Indiana shot recently. I mean, this is serious stuff. And someone, I really do fear the worst here, Mr. Tapper. You can call me Jake. Judge Esther Salas, thank you so much. And may Daniel's memory continue to be a blessing. We'll have you on again soon. And I think about Daniel all the time. Thank you so much for being here.

1:12:27Thank you and have a good night. President Trump has called Republican Congressman Thomas Massey a disaster for the Republican Party. Now the congressman has a few choice words of his own about the candidate that Trump endorsed to get Massey out of office.

1:12:48We've got to have the largest mass deportation effort in history. We're going to have the largest deportation in the history of our country. We are going to start the largest mass deportation in the history of our country because we have no choice. And our politics lead, that was President Trump before the 2024 presidential election. but the way he sells his immigration policies could sound different ahead of the 2026 midterms. The Wall Street Journal is now reporting, quote, Trump has become convinced that some of his administration's deportation policies have gone too far, and voters don't like the term mass deportation.

1:13:23The president has told them he wants to see more attention on arresting bad guys and less chaos in American cities, according to people familiar with the matter. That's according to the Wall Street Journal. Let's talk about this. So Ramesh, if that's accurate and if he commits to it, I mean, he's not wrong. A Washington Post-ABC News Ipsos poll last month showed only 40 percent of the public approves of President Trump's handling of immigration. Fifty eight percent disapprove. That is a change for public approval on him or disapproval. Trump obviously fired Kristi Noem as DHS secretary. Do you think that we're going to see a change not only in how he talks about this, but how ICE and CBP actually go about their jobs?

1:14:06It's an open question. I think it's clear that after months of polling, the public has reacted very negatively to the way the administration has carried out its immigration policies. And there does need to be a change in those policies. But whether that is shared throughout the administration or you're still going to have infighting with the sort of maximally hawkish members of the administration insisting on a confrontational approach, I don't know if we're going to see them change. I guess the question is, how much is Stephen Miller still going to be running the show, right? That's one of the president's top advisers, if not the top adviser on domestic policies.

1:14:42And he loves the mass deportation. Yeah, that's right. He does love mass deportation. And has Trump gone and told Stephen Miller to stop mass deportations? Doesn't seem like it. We still continue to see them. Has he directed ICE to stop mass deportations? No. There was a DACA recipient that was just detained on his way to go visit his daughter in the NICU just earlier this week. We also have them going after legal immigration, people who have legal status, who follow the rules, who went about the process with the federal government, and the federal government didn't uphold their end of the bargain and now stripping their legal status away.

1:15:19A lot of Afghan allies. A lot of Afghan allies. There's Ukrainians. There's Venezuelans. And so that's hundreds of thousands of people. And so if he was really worried about that and he wanted the change, he would rescind those EOs. And there's birthright citizenship that's going to be actually up in the Supreme Court on April 1st. He could rescind that EO if he wanted to kind of stop this sort of mass deportation and go after violent criminals and not people like innocent families. Yeah. I mean, I think nobody disagrees with the idea, like, about the bad hombres, as he called them once. Go ahead, do that.

1:15:52That's not... And I think Democrats would praise him for securing the border and going after the bad guys. It's all the other stuff where he doesn't want to take the victory lap. Do you want to deport the worst or deport the most? Yeah. That's been the tension in the administration from the beginning. Yeah. Excellent way to put it. Let's turn to the fact that President Trump has endorsed a primary challenger. to Republican Congressman Thomas Massey of Kentucky because he feels Massey has been disloyal. Massey's out with a brand new ad about his opponent. Take a look. Woke Eddie left the Republican Party right after President Trump won the Republican nomination.

1:16:27Just check his voter registration. Guess when he finally changed his registration back to the Republican Party. That's right. Only after President Trump was no longer in office and Joe Biden had become president, woke Eddie Gowron, not just a Trump hater, a Trump traitor. A Trump traitor endorsed by Trump. You think this might work? I don't actually think it's going to work. I think it's a sign of desperation. By Massey. By Massey. I think there is plenty of time for voters in the district to learn the truth, which is that Trump is now a certified hater of Massey and that his more recent comments on him have included the word moron and the worst.

1:17:11So I think that trying to make this basically dishonest plea that I'm the Trump guy, the other guy's the not Trump guy, it's just not going to work. Yeah, he's trying to stop the bleeding in a place like Kentucky. When you have the president of the United States in a place like Kentucky essentially coming out and saying that you're the worst, that is not great for a district like that. And so he is essentially trying to muddy the waters and see what he can. He's like grasping at straws here. I agree with you. I don't think it works. So there is this big government shutdown when it comes to TSA employees.

1:17:41It's affecting them and it's affecting the Coast Guard and others. It's affecting a lot of American travelers with these long, long, long lines. In the last hour, we heard Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy come on the show, warning the travel chaos is only going to get worse if this partial DHS shutdown drags on. Today, Senate Republicans are specifically blaming Democratic Senator John Ossoff of Georgia, who's up for re-election. Surprise, surprise. They posted, quote, The Atlanta airport is in total chaos, hours-long wait times, TSA agents working without pay, spring break travelers missing their flights.

1:18:12All because Georgia Democrat John Ossoff refuses to fund TSA and DHS. Now, obviously, it's not just because of John Ossoff, but it is true that Senate Democrats are refusing to pass the DHS bill because they want immigration changes. They have offered fund TSA, fund Coast Guard, but Republicans say no. Do you think this can be successfully pinned on Democrats? Right now, I don't think so. But I also don't think it's causing any political pain to Republicans. That's why it's gonna persist, I'm afraid, for a while because we're in the situation, neither party's actually getting anything out of this shutdown, I think, but neither party's actually feeling some pain over it.

1:18:51If anything, maybe slightly more on the Republican side because it adds to the sort of ambient chaos that is part of the critique of Trump right now that people didn't want. But I just don't think it's enough to actually force action on the part of either party. Do you think the Democrats, I mean, look, the Democrats, it's their shutdown. I get all the arguments and we, but they're the ones that refuse to fund the DHS bill. Are they feeling any pain for this at all? Well, I think that what Democrats, I think their strategy has been really clear. And I mean, frankly, I think it's smart. Listen, ISIS funded until 2029, and they have made that clear.

1:19:28I think they could probably say that a bit more. Now, and the fact that they put on the table that, you know, fund TSA, fund CISA, fund all of these other parts of DHS, I think is important. I agree that I don't think that people are feeling the pain as you would a larger government shutdown. I do think that when you're talking about affordability and if you have these stories of TSA personnel out there not being able to afford basic things, then I think it will hurt Democrats. But at the end of the day, I think Republicans control everything. And I don't think your average voter understands that Democrats would be responsible for something like this when they don't control anything.

1:20:05I think one point, though, that has to be made, it is crazy that TSA workers are having to pay the price for an immigration fight that has nothing to do with them. Absolutely nothing. It's also crazy that members of Congress continue to be paid. I agree. Even when they would take away paychecks from people who work, make$45 ,000 a year. And if any politician out there wants to come on the show and propose legislation to stop their own salaries during shutdowns, I will vote for that in addition to give you airtime. Thanks to both of you. Appreciate it. Coming up next, a message just in from former President George W.

1:20:38Bush on the sudden passing of a legend in Texas, actor and martial artist, Chuck Norris. Our last lead start in our national lead where evacuations are in order for northern Oahu, Hawaii. A dam is at risk of, quote, imminent failure. Flash flood warnings are in effect as water levels in the dam rise. Heavy rain and flash floods have destroyed homes and forced rescues on the northern shore of the island. Officials urged residents to continue evacuations in the area. Sad news in our pop culture lead today. Action movie star Chuck Norris is dead at the age of 86. Norris was a military veteran who started training in the martial arts when he was sent to Korea, eventually earning a black belt and becoming six-time world karate champion.

1:21:22Encouraged by, among others, actor Steve McQueen, Norris segged into acting. His first memorable part was in 1972's Way of the Dragon. Throughout the 70s and 80s, Norris made a name for himself as a rugged action hero in films like Good Guys Wear Black. Norris then made the switch to TV, starring in the long-running popular series Walker, Texas Ranger.

1:21:51Norris was also a prominent supporter of conservative politicians and causes. And in fact, just a few minutes ago, former President George W. Bush released a statement about Chuck Norris's passing, which said in part, he was a legend in Texas and beyond. It was said when Chuck Norris entered a room, he didn't turn the lights on. He turned the dark off. Chuck Norris died Thursday in what his family calls a sudden passing. May his memory be a blessing. Two big programming notes. Look for the special CNN town hall on the war with Iran this evening. My colleague, Diana Bash, will moderate the conversation that includes U.S.

1:22:26Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz and national security experts. And they're going to take questions from a live studio audience. That's tonight at 9 Eastern and on the CNN app. And then, of course, that's Friday night, coming up Sunday on State of the Union, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democrat of New York, and Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Michael Leiter. That's Sunday at 9 a.m. at noon Eastern on CNN and the CNN app. I hope you enjoyed our experiment, the first hour of the show in my office. Will we do it again? Stay tuned. You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram threads, blueskyx, and on the TikTok at JigTapper.

1:23:05You can follow the show on X and Instagram at The Lead CNN. If you ever miss an episode of Lead, you can watch the show on the CNN app. Download the CNN app. Aaron Burnett, Upfront Starts Now.

1:23:18Thank you.