WH: Trump Has “No Firm Deadline” for Iranian Peace Proposal

26:45The ones that work, I tell the model, AI, hey, listen, these worked and these didn't. And the model goes, ah, I must have got that wrong or that wrong. Let me design you a next generation. So every night I can make new shots on goal. So by the end of several weeks, I've got a drug. In a separate lab, those experimental drugs are tested on human cells to see how they might work in the body. So these are metastatic prostate cancer cells that are growing. And so they adhere to the plastic here, and you can see they're growing in a certain way. And if I put a drug in, does it stop them from growing?

27:21Does it make them grow quicker? Does it kill them? I can do all of that in here. And then presumably that same drug can act like that in the patient. So the idea that we can game the system with cells before we go into patients becomes game-chamber. That's pretty cool. So just how much faster is AI making the process of creating new drugs? The hope is every year we've got two drugs going into clinical trials over the next many years. I made a drug or helped make a drug for breast cancer that's on the market today. It took me 10 years to make and 7 years to test. Now we're making drugs in months.

27:57Months? Months. So right now you have how many drugs and what status are there? We have two drugs that will go into the clinic in the next year. And that's going to happen in the United States? Yeah. I mean, the testing happens here starting the end of the year as our first drug. And then probably first or second quarter next year, our second drug. We take them into what we call phase one clinical trials, which is we make sure that they're safe. We figure out what dose to use. And then we scale into larger numbers and we show how it works against the disease. But even with the rapid advances from AI, Agus says change in medicine can take time.

28:32It takes a while to make doctors change and adapt to technology. The data is it takes about 12 years for 50 % of doctors to adopt something new. 12 years? Yeah. Wow. So medicine will change, not from the top down, but the bottom up. And that's what excites me. We're in a new era, in a new era where everybody should be pushing for that change. Agus is optimistic about the potential benefits of medical AI, but he remains clear-eyed about the technology in general. A lot of people are fearful of what AI will mean, but the data says to you that it's going to be good stuff for medicine. Yeah, listen, I am fearful about AI.

29:12Don't get me wrong. At night, I have nightmares about what AI can do. The opposite is I know the power of AI to change people's lives today, and it will, and it is happening. And as fast as this technology is moving, even experts such as Dr. Agus say the future of medicine has never been harder to predict. How much do you think you will look back at this conversation and think in two, three years, four years, I didn't even know that this was going to happen? In a profound sense. You know, my entire career in medicine, which I'm old, so it's been decades, I will tell you every year you could say what's going to happen over the next five, six years, and I could tell you, and I'd be pretty darn accurate.

29:54Now I have no idea. Tomorrow in part two of AI, friend or foe, I'm going to talk to the founder of an AI platform built specifically for doctors. It's already being used by more than half of the physicians in the United States, he says, and we're going to put that AI, open evidence to the test with a case very close to my heart. Coming up next, the alcohol abuse screening that House Democrats are demanding of FBI Director Cash Patel after allegations published by The Atlantic and his denial and defamation lawsuit that quickly followed.

30:50Unbelievably Pepsi. Our politics lead now. Today, House Democrats launched an investigation into the allegations that FBI Director Cash Patel has engaged in a steady pattern of alcohol abuse, while FBI Director, the House Judiciary Committee's top Democrat, Congressman Jamie Raskin of Maryland, is leading the charge. He's demanding that the Director of the FBI, Cash Patel, submit to alcohol abuse screening, and demanding that Patel answer a 10-question screening tool that assesses harmful patterns of alcohol consumption. Now, today's probe comes after Patel filed a$250 million defamation suit against The Atlantic, which first published these allegations, and he pushed back on its reporting that claims excessive drinking.

31:40I've never been intoxicated on the job and that is why we filed a 250 million dollar defamation lawsuit. I've answered your question. It's simply as follows. I was never locked out of my systems. Anybody who says the opposite, anyone that says the opposite is lying. Panel joins us now. Scott McFarland, all of this happening just one day after Patel lost a different defamation suit. This one was against a commentator on MS Now who made a glib comment that he's more likely to be seen in a nightclub than in the FBI or something like that. He says it was just hyperbole. How do you see this lawsuit against the Atlantic ending for the FBI director?

32:25Let's see where it begins first with typos, with bad grammar, with the types of things you don't typically see in a federal civil complaint, as if this thing was rushed or expedited versus thought out and methodically put together. It is charitably, Jake, a distraction for the top law enforcement official at the FBI to be mired in a federal civil lawsuit about his own publicity. But this 10-question audit survey the House Democrats have given to Kash Patel, demanding he respond by April 28th, it's a pretty forthright set of questions. Have you ever blacked out? Have you ever had drinks in the morning to overcome drinks you had at night?

33:01Have you ever been intoxicated to the point that you've injured yourself? It's actually a very impactful set of questions to diagnose problem drinking. There's no earthly way, Jakey, responds to this thing. Jasmine, on another matter, Politico is now reporting that members of the House Oversight Committee are split over whether or not a pardon should be offered to Ghislaine Maxwell. That's the convicted co-conspirator of Jeffrey Epstein. That would be an extraordinary move if it pans out. presumably it's in exchange for her testimony, I would think. But what do you make of it? Yeah, I mean, it's a pretty shocking headline.

33:35And that comes from an interview they did with James Comer, who oversees that oversight committee. I think a couple of things. First is that it's kind of miraculous that he would say this. Just a week after, two House members resigned over allegations of sexual conduct, one of which were allegations that dated back years, kind of stemming from this idea that there is not really enough accountability on the Hill. Obviously, this question about Ghislaine Maxwell and whether or not President Trump should pardon her has come up time and time again when her lawyer initially made that offer in exchange for her testimony.

34:08I've talked to multiple people around the president who basically have urged him through the press and through others not to pardon Ghislaine Maxwell because it looks bad, because it sends a bad signal. in that interview itself, James Comer, said that he believed it looked bad. So I think we need some reporting on exactly who on that oversight committee is saying that, because it obviously is kind of against this idea that there should be more accountability on Epstein when the survivors say that Ghislaine Maxwell was a part of this whole thing. Hoo boy, try to find a Democrat to vote for that thing.

34:43It's like playing the Powerball. You could win, but you're not going to. You could find a Democrat to support giving her clemency. You will not. So let's start there. This thing is politically cancerous to all who touch it. I can't imagine they're going to find a critical mass to support that toxic idea. But again, they don't need that if it comes down to whether or not President Trump decides to pardon. And maybe it's, maybe he's crazy. Maybe President Trump is thinking about doing it and this is providing cover for him in some way. Like, oh, look, members of the House Oversight Committee want it.

35:12Although we should note, Chairman Comer did not say that he wants it one way or the other. As the country is entangled in war fighting serious issues domestically, Republicans do also remain focused on honoring President Trump. Scott, you made a list of some of the Republican Party in the House's bills include carving Trump's face into Mount Rushmore, declaring his birthday a national holiday, mint a$250 bill with his face on it. The list goes on and on. And Flag Day, his birthday, would be a federal holiday. And they would rename not just Dulles International Airport after Trump, but Palm Beach International Airport after Trump.

35:49This is a mechanism you have to message, especially ahead of a primary. We are there, loyal to President Trump, championing him, declaring him a hero. I don't know if that's a good look at a time of soaring gas prices and what we would call some first world problems here. People don't feel safe. They don't feel economically safe. They want their elected members to perhaps be judicious in what they choose to fight. Trying to get a$250 bill sounds lovely. I actually wouldn't mind one of those, but getting Trump's face on it, maybe not a high priority. And speaking on focused on these real world issues that you talk about, the president earlier today posted on Truth Social about positive ratings that he got for The Apprentice 22 years ago in the year 2004.

36:31I mean, I should note that, yeah, the first season, his ratings were incredible for this TV show that a lot of my staff members weren't even alive when it was on in 2004. Why is he doing it? You cover the White House. Why? Why is he posting about this? Well, we actually mentioned The Apprentice in the newsletter two days ago, so I think that he was reading that. No, but to be serious, I mean, the president has said multiple times when questions have arisen just in the last two months about his use of social media that people send him things and he just posts them. And so this could be the case.

37:01He could be feeling nostalgic. But I think the larger issue here is that at a time when we're at war, at a time where the question about affordability is kind of reigning supreme when it comes to gas prices, higher prices, and things like that, the question of whether or not the president's social media has been purposefully used to advance his agenda and make things better is a question of concern. I mean, just today, Caroline Levitt at the White House was asked whether or not his posts and his interviews with reporters on Iran have made negotiating worse. Now, she said a short answer is no, but I think people around him have started to question whether or not he's been contradicting.

37:39And I think the social media aspect falls into that of whether or not he's using his time appropriately and focused on the things that Americans want to see him focused on. Yeah. And he is also posting about Iran, of course. We should note that one of the things he's posting out, posting about is that an op-ed writer at the Wall Street Journal wrote, Elia Kaufman, the Iranians take Trump for a sucker. There's the opinion piece right now. And he ranted against Elia Kaufman. This is sometime in the last day. Trump claims their entire Navy is at the bottom of the sea. Their air force is gone. Their anti-aircraft and radar is wiped out.

38:12Their nuclear labs and storage areas were obliterated. The Wall Street Journal has lost its way. I mean, we should note, I mean, that's one op-ed writer. It's not the House editorial from the journal. and even if it were, I mean, who cares? Like, why is he posting about this? It's really disorienting not to get cohesive, comprehensive messaging from the White House about a war. I mean, I'm sitting here in CNN where in 1991, you brought a war to America, told them what was happening. We don't have that luxury. I was in college at the time, Scott, so it wasn't me per se, but keep going. The American people wouldn't mind some transparency since they can't watch this thing and get on the ground reporting from the Strait of Hormuz.

38:49It really is disorienting to see him post about 2004 and about op-ed writers. And you know who's upset about it is a lot of House Republicans who want President Trump to be focused on the issues that their voters care about, especially with the midterms coming out. What are you hearing about the Republican strategy for the midterms? I mean, I think it's a big question mark. And that in part is because folks are still trying to nail down exactly where President Trump is. A lot of his focus, yes, it may be on some errant to socials and things like that. But a lot of his focus day in and day out has been on this issue of Iran and it hasn't been on the things that Republicans want to talk about which is affordability.

39:23It hasn't been about things that the Republicans want to talk about which is the one big beautiful bill and the tax cuts that came from that. We had a story that came out. No tax on tips. Yeah no tax on tips. We had a story that came out about Republicans basically begging the president to start talking about it including using the accurate name the working families tax cut which they changed it to because polling said that that was better for American families and so I think you're seeing a large gap for what Republicans want and what they see the president doing. I think by saying no tax on tips, I've now said it more than President Trump has had said it in the last week, at least.

39:57Thanks to both of you. Really appreciate it. Coming up, the baseless claim from President Trump about last night's election results in Virginia. I'm going to talk about the results with both a Republican from the Commonwealth and a Democrat from the Commonwealth. Plus, the spotlight now on Florida as the fight for Congress, the control of Congress turns up a notch and gets closer to November. Stay with us.

40:21Welcome to The Lead. I'm Jake Tapper. This hour President Trump now says there is, quote, no time frame for ending the war with Iran, despite his promise he could end the conflict in four to six weeks. That was more than six weeks ago. So what does this mean for the U.S. service members who are in the region and the serious impacts Americans are feeling here at home and people are feeling around the world? Plus, voters in the Commonwealth of Virginia handing Democrats a midterm boost. They approved new maps that could help flip the House from Republican control to Democratic control in November.

40:52We're going to get reaction from both a Virginia Republican and a Virginia Democrat. Both of them held some of the top jobs in the Commonwealth. Also, someone else who knows what it's like to battle over maps, Texas Senate candidate James Tallarico is here. He's got a new proposal that could save drivers money at the gas pumps, he says. How realistic is it, though? And which Republican does he think he'll end up facing later this year. And President Trump may dislike the idea of a mega merger between American Airlines and United Airlines, but his administration may be about to bail out an altogether different airline.

41:24But we're hearing tonight about a possible deal with Spirit Airlines and how that could affect you, the American flyer.

41:35Ali, tonight President Trump says he's in no rush to end the war with Iran and then there's no quote time frame to make a deal. The comments coming in a new interview with Fox where Trump also denied that November midterms are driving his decisions at all. Meanwhile, tensions are rising in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran fired at several ships, seizing at least two Panama flagged vessels just hours after President Trump extended the truce, the ceasefire with Tehran. The White House saying Trump does not view the seizure of these ships as a violation of the ceasefire. These were not U.S. ships. These were not Israeli ships.

42:10These were two international vessels. These two ships were taken by speedy gunboats. Iran has gone from having the most lethal navy in the Middle East to now acting like a bunch of pirates. Meanwhile, Iran's president is accusing the United States of inconsistency, calling the U.S. blockade and threats, obstacles to genuine negotiations. CNN's Nick Robertson is live for us in Pakistan, where these talks were supposed to be going on right now. Nick, what more do we know about the ships that Iran attacked? Yeah, container ships. One was headed towards Sri Lanka. Another one was headed towards India.

42:48And there was another vessel involved in an altercation, it appears, with the IRGC as well. That one was heading from the UAE to Saudi up the Red Sea. Look, what Iran is doing here, it seems to be taking a military attitude to highlight the point that they want to make after President Trump's truth social that gave them a ceasefire extension. Number one, they came back and said they didn't ask for a ceasefire extension. And they doubled down on that point today from their foreign ministry saying, we don't have a response yet, an official response to a ceasefire extension. What they keep insisting, they want the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz to be lifted.

43:26What are they doing to highlight that? They're attacking vessels on the Strait of Hormuz. I think that's where the response is focused. Is there some diplomacy in the background? Yes, there is. Then there's also the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. How is that ceasefire? It looks fragile. It certainly is something that's going to cause the Iranians concern. It doesn't seem to be top of their list right now. I think they thought that had been nailed down. But if that does unravel and escalate and there is that potential, everyone thought going into it, that it was hastily agreed and not something that would stick long.

44:10If that unravels, that will be another issue that will potentially keep the Iranians from the table and keep the mediators here in Pakistan up at night again. They thought that they kind of done a good job, got the Lebanon ceasefire in place, got a concession out of Iran over the Strait of Hamur's Iran initially, lifting its own blockade there. So yeah, all these things are interconnected. If the talks can't be landed here quickly, there are any number of issues that could unravel seeing us get to a position of face-to-face talks again quickly. Nick Robertson in Pakistan for us. Thanks so much.

44:47The war may be on the other side of the world, but Americans are certainly feeling the economic impact. Average national gas prices are currently$4.02 a gallon for regular unleaded. It's a stark difference from how much gas was when the war started in February. Only$2.98 a gallon. The war also now hitting major airlines even more than before. United Airlines now says it's going to have to raise its summer fares as much as 20 percent because of fuel costs. Let's bring in Republican Congressman Mike Lawler of New York and Democratic Congressman Sam Liccardo of California. You two are working on legislation that I want to talk about in a sec.

45:22But first, Congressman Lawler, how long can your constituents endure the financial strain caused by this war? Well, obviously, Jake, we want to ensure that prices come down quickly at the pump, which means you need to see a resolution in short order. The fact is the kinetic activity lasted almost exactly six weeks. During these two-week period of a ceasefire that the president has extended, the objective has been to negotiate an end to the hostilities, but specifically on key issues. Number one, obviously, reopening the strait in full. Number two, ending Iran's financing of terrorism. And number three, getting the enriched uranium that, as CBS News reported over the weekend, they, based on what they currently have, could produce nine to 11 nuclear bombs.

46:17And so that is paramount. And that is what the objective of these conversations and negotiations are. But the reality is, given the fact that the Ayatollah, the clerics, the leadership of the IRGC were killed at the onset of this war, the leadership that is remaining cannot make a decision. And they are trying to figure out who is actually empowered to negotiate and to make a decision. And that is something that all of us are waiting on. I've spoken with numerous ambassadors of the Gulf states. and in the region over the last week and a half. And their intelligence, their understanding is similar to ours.

46:59And that's what we're waiting on, frankly, for Iran to put together a team that actually can negotiate on their behalf. Congressman Liccardo, speaking of intelligence, a source tells CNN the Pentagon officials briefed lawmakers this week on an assessment that found that the Strait of Hormuz could be closed for at least six months. What's your reaction? Well, I think the good news for Congressman Lawler's constituents is nothing enables them to forget the painful impact of Trump's tariffs, like$4 a gallon gas, and it's only going to go up. Look, we all know this strait was open before the war. It's closed now.

47:36As Congressman Lawler mentioned, a decapitation strategy has clearly not been effective in enabling this country to come to its knees and negotiate. We've got a real mess on our hands. And it's just illustrated by the fact that this country just committed an act of war and taking two ships in the Gulf. And Trump said, oh, that's actually no violation of any ceasefire. We'll just pretend that didn't happen. Clearly, the situation's unraveled and he's not in control. I would just note gas under Joe Biden was well over$5 a gallon. And many of my Democratic colleagues praised that. But Iran and this regime were a threat for 47 years.

48:16They are responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans. Action had to be taken, and President Trump actually took it, unlike President Biden or Obama. So, on another note, you guys just introduced a bipartisan bill aimed at stopping states from seizing Americans' dormant financial accounts. Congressman Liccardo, a lot of Americans out there might be thinking, what are they talking about? Dormant financial accounts get seized. How widespread of a problem is this? Well, it's a big problem if you consider the fact Michigan study showed that 80 % of us in our later years invest in these long-term retirement accounts without ever trading at any time in a two-year period of time.

48:56And so if a state decides that these accounts are dormant, they can and do seize the money. And we're literally seeing grandma's retirement seized in order to build sports stadiums, as we saw, for example, in Cleveland. We know this is no way for anyone to govern. And that's why Mike and I partnered together on a bill to establish federal standards for what we call achievement. That is the taking of these assets. That's hideous. Congressman Lawler? No question. And Sam's entirely right. You have states across the country that rely on these funds to balance their budgets, to spend other people's money on projects that they deem appropriate.

49:39But the fact is they are not taking the steps necessary to make sure in fact that the person is not deceased or that the person is just unaware. And so we are setting forward national standards to make sure that every state adheres to it and that Americans are not being fleeced of their retirements or investment accounts that they otherwise would be able to benefit from. Congressman Mike Lawler, Republican of New York. Congressman Sam Liccardo, Democrat of California. Thanks to both of you. Appreciate and appreciate the bipartisan work there. Democrats are celebrating an election victory in Virginia.

50:16New maps that could help them take back control of the U.S. House of Representatives. But is Florida about to enter the redistricting wars and potentially give Republicans some more seats. That's next.

50:34Breaking news. We're learning that the Secretary of the Navy is leaving his position effective immediately. John Phelan's abrupt departure from the Pentagon is coming as the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz continues. Let's get right to CNN's Zach Cohen. Zach, Why is the Secretary of the Navy leaving? Yeah, Jake, that's really the key question at this stage, given the timing of this. As you mentioned, Secretary Phelan, his imminent departure announced as the U.S. Navy is carrying out this blockade during the ceasefire with Iran. It's playing a significant role in those combat operations the U.S.

51:11had been carrying out against Iran at the time. And now its leader, a Trump appointee, John Phelan, is departing. that was announced this evening by the Pentagon, chief spokesman for the Pentagon, Sean Parnell, writing on X saying, quote, on behalf of the Secretary of War and Deputy Secretary of War, we are grateful to Secretary Phelan for his service to the department and the United States Navy. We wish him well in his future endeavors. Going on to say that his deputy will now become the acting Secretary of the Navy. So the natural line of succession will continue there. But again, Jake, the why of this all remains very unclear.

51:46We do know from sources and just having reported around the Pentagon and these senior leaders during the course of the second Trump administration that there was tension that existed between John Phelan and Pete Hegseth, the secretary of defense. We also know that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has clashed with other service secretaries. In addition to Phelan, the one that comes to mind immediately is Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, a source of constant and persistent tension existing between those two. So Phelan, his departure coming at a time that's really going to raise more questions than answers.

52:17He came into this role really with no experience in the Navy. He was a businessman. In part, that's what President Donald Trump liked about him and why he was appointed to this role. It remains to be seen, though, what more we'll learn about why he is leaving and why he's leaving now. All right, Zach Cohen with the breaking news. Thanks so much. Appreciate it. Let's turn it back to our politics lead. Democrats celebrating an election victory in Virginia, where voters approved an aggressively gerrymandered U.S. House map. The map takes the 6-5 Democrat majority in terms of representation in the U.S.

52:48House from Virginia and turns it into a 10-1 Democratic majority, so 6-5 to 10-1. The map could still face some legal hurdles. The Virginia Supreme Court has unresolved litigation to consider, giving Republicans some hope that the decision might not ultimately stand. It's a blatant abuse of power to disenfranchise millions of Virginia voters. And hopefully the Supreme Court of the state will not allow that to happen. Democrats are already looking forward to what might be the next redistricting battle. This one is in Florida, where the state's Republican-controlled legislature meets next week. Some of the lawmakers have signaled they could target as many as five seats in Florida, now held by Democrats.

53:31Here's what House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said about that today. Our message to Florida Republicans is F around and find out. If they go down the road of a DeSantis dummy mander, the Florida Republicans are going to find themselves in the same situation as Texas Republicans, who are on the run right now. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis responded to Jeffries this afternoon. Please be my guest. I will pay for you to come down to Florida and campaign. I'll put you up in the Florida governor's mansion. We'll take you fishing. We'll do all this stuff. There's nothing that could be better for Republicans in Florida than to see Jeffries, Hakeem Jeffries everywhere around this state.

54:25We're going to get a Virginia Republican to respond to all this in a second, but let's start with a Democrat, Virginia's former Democratic Governor Terry McAuliffe. Governor, good to see you. We should know, and off the bat, you have an interest in this, not just as a former governor, but your wife is running in one of the newly drawn districts. I know Democrats are excited about the victory, but the final margin was more narrow than Democrats hoped. It was less than Kamala Harris's nearly six-point margin of victory in 2024, not even close to the 15-point margin, the blowout from now Governor Abigail Spanberger in November.

55:04Are you worried at all the Democrats are losing steam? First of all, this was a huge win. We in Virginia have never had an April initiative like we had on the ballot. No candidates. And 3 million people showed up to vote in this election. That's historic for us. It's almost a general election turnout. And it was a great effort. It was led in the House and Senate in Virginia by Senator Louise Lucas and our Speaker Don Scott, signed by our Governor Spanberger. Our senators got involved in this thing. I want to give a shout out to President Obama, who really leaned in hard. and Hakeem Jeffries gave us$50 million.

55:42But if we're talking about, and I saw your earlier segment, I get such a kick out of these Republicans. If you look at all the states who have done this process, it is only the Democratic states that has actually taken it to the voters. Did the voters of Texas get to determine their redistricting map? No, it was done by the legislature. We in California and in Virginia, we let the voters decide. And three million people showed up to vote. I will also say, listen, Jake, you and I have talked about partisan redistricting. I think it's a lot of the problems we have in our country today. But you cannot get a Republican to vote to end it.

56:18We have had bills in Congress, the Freedom to Vote Act, which I remind you would have ended partisan gerrymandering in America. Every Democrat came out and voted for it, Joe Manchin, Kyrsten Sinema. Not one single Republican came out to vote. We can end partisan redistricting. But Trump started this process. He called the governor of Texas, get me five seats. The voters didn't go to it. And Trump is the gift that keeps giving here in Virginia. When he won in 16, record wins in 17 in Virginia. When he won in 24, record wins in 25. He is so disliked. He is the most unpopular president in Virginia history.

56:59The doge cuts, the government shutdowns, all the federal contractors being cut. This is all about Trump. So and blacks, Asians and Hispanics were the decisive victory for us last night. Some news just in a judge in southern Virginia ordered the results of yesterday's vote to not be certified on several grounds, including that state lawmakers did not follow their own rules in passing the redistricting referendum. What's your reaction to that and the idea that Virginia Supreme Court is still going to have to consider some unresolved litigation over all of this? Well, you know, I went to Georgetown Law School.

57:39I was full time day. I didn't go to class much, but I did pass a bar. So I don't want to weigh in what our Supreme Court will do. But my thought process would be the court had this before. Would you now step in and have three million people actually vote? And now you're going to come out and disenfranchise. This is a frivolous, politically motivated lawsuit. It's in Tazewell County, a small county where, I don't know, 12, 13000 people voted in this referendum. So that will be put aside. But I just remind you, this is all about Trump. This is about Trump trying to do a power grab. And I don't think in his wildest dreams he ever thought Democratic states, Jake, would then go to the voters, change their constitutions.

58:18And overwhelmingly in April to have three million sixty thousand people show up is truly historic for us. So we're excited here in Virginia and it's going to be a great year for us on the ballot box. I do, as I say, want to thank our next speaker to me, Hakeem Jeffries, for the work he did, President Obama and everybody in Virginia who worked their hearts out for this. This is a huge win. But we need to end partisan redistricting. I agree with that. We have had bills. Nancy Pelosi at H.R.1. Now, one Republican voted to end partisan redistricting. All right, Governor Terry McAuliffe, thanks so much.

58:51Here now to respond, former Virginia attorney Ken Cuccinelli. He's a Republican. Ken, good to see you. So first, I guess let's get to the breaking news. This judge in southern Virginia ordering results to not be certified. The judge called the ballot language flagrantly misleading. What's your reaction? Well, it certainly was flagrantly misleading, but my basic reaction is that I appreciate lower court wins, but the Virginia Supreme Court is going to decide this. And to Terry's point about, well, hey, if they didn't decide it before, there's a reason the Supreme Court held off until after the vote.

59:26Over 100 years, the Virginia legal precedent says that the vote in a referendum is part of the legislative process. It's analogous to a governor signing a bill. You don't sue on a bill that hasn't passed yet. So what they've done here in terms of timing is very much in keeping with the Virginia legal history. What isn't in keeping with Virginia legal history is how this General Assembly has so blatantly ignored the requirements of the Constitution to amend the Constitution. So I think it's highly likely that this will be overturned probably in May. So CNN's Manuraju pressed Speaker Johnson today about some of the criticism from Republicans that the party, the Republican Party, did not spend enough money to fight the Democratic measure.

1:00:20Take a listen. Republicans have spent more money. Trump didn't barely touch his super PAC money. Should you guys have spent more money? We don't know the final result, but the The president's team spent a lot. We put in tens of, overall tens of millions of dollars on that ballot initiative. I mean, given the fact that the margin was much more narrow than a lot of Democrats anticipated, what do you think? Did Republicans miss a chance here? Well, there's no question that the three or four to one spending difference was the margin. You know, when all the votes are counted, this will be about a two or three point win for the yes side.

1:00:57That is, it's hard to say that money didn't make that difference, but now they have to win four constitutional challenges, state constitutional to clarify, challenges, and they have to win all four of them to hold on to this referendum. them. I just don't think they can do it. There's some very basic processes in the Constitution for amending the Constitution that they ignored. And now they're going to say, just like Terry did, well, you know, 3 million people voted and you can't ignore the will of the people. Well, they were ignoring the will of the people and how they brought this forward. And now we're going to have it decided by the Virginia Supreme Court.

1:01:43I wouldn't be surprised to see a 7-0 ruling throwing this out. All right. To be continued, former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, thank you so much. We should note that the current state attorney general in Virginia, Democrats, says his office intends to immediately appeal that judge's ruling on yesterday's election results. Democrats are also hoping to flip the U.S. Senate in November. That would be nearly impossible if they can't win the open seat in Michigan. We're going to discuss the messy Democratic primary battle next.

1:02:17In our politics lead, tensions in Michigan's Democratic Senate primary were on full display this weekend at the party's spring convention in Detroit. Polls indicate that the three candidates seen here are in a virtual dead heat, but you wouldn't know that they're drawing equal support given how one candidate, Congresswoman Haley Stevens, was received versus her rivals. Take a look and listen to this video shot by freelance journalist Andrew Roth.

1:02:58Congresswoman Stevens was being booed there, we believe because of her support for Israel in its war against Hamas. Joining us now to discuss is Democratic Congresswoman Kristen McDonald-Rivett from the great state of Michigan. So what was your, were you there? I was there. What was your reaction to it? I was absolutely there. I mean, first, let me say I am the only Democrat in Michigan to win a district that Donald Trump won. So I know a thing or two about swing voters, and I know a thing or two about how we motivate people. People are really frustrated right now. And going into that convention, there was all kinds of energy.

1:03:31That's a good thing, right? Yeah. But the way that it was harnessed was turned into name calling and bullying, shouting over people, just the very worst kinds of behaviors. And really, honestly, I think makes it much, much harder for us to get to a majority, not just in the U.S. Senate, but to win races up and down the ballot. So there are Democrats in Michigan and also nationwide in something of an internal debate about the Bernie Sanders wing and harnessing energy, young voters, new voters, maybe people who are very critical of Israel as part of this coalition versus more moderate candidates.

1:04:11And one of the things that I hear people talking about when talking about your state and the Michigan Democratic Party is Abdul Syed, one of the leading Senate candidates, campaigning with Hassan Piker, who's obviously very controversial. And then obviously also at the convention, Michigan Democrats defeated a sitting regent for the University of Michigan. And they nominated a candidate who literally has praised the terrorist group Hezbollah. Yeah. And literally has retweeted very inflammatory posts by Candace Owens, though he has since deleted those retweets. Are you concerned? What do you make of that all?

1:04:50Is that upsetting? When you talk about those swing voters, you think it could hurt the party? Oh, I am concerned. Let me just say that we can have a debate of ideas. We can hear from, you know, Abdul has a number of different things that he wants to talk about. So do the other two candidates. Medicare for all. We should we should be debating these. I mean, we know, honestly, what most people in Michigan are worried about is the ability to pay their bills, not being able to afford groceries at the end of the month. That is the overwhelming issue that people are talking about. So when we look at trying to build a coalition that's going to get us over the finish line and actually build a durable majority, we can't create a table where people aren't invited and voices are shut down and identities are attacked.

1:05:38Have an idea. Raise it. Let's talk about it. Let's have a civil conversation about it. But that is not what we saw over the weekend. And it's really concerning. Well, beyond the booing, which obviously is rude but not unheard of in politics, are you worried that some of the characters that are part of this primary, in terms of Hasan Piker or others, will turn off people and hand the Senate seat to Republican Mike Rogers? I think there are many things to worry about. Listen, Hasan Piker, I don't agree with a lot of what he says, and I don't think he should be a leader of the party. But it's okay for us to have conflicting views on issues.

1:06:20But when you start down this road of anti-Semitism, we start down a road of Islamophobia, that is a real problem. And that is actually what's being elevated. I love the idea of bringing young people into politics. I have five adult kids and they are very turned off by politics because this is what they see. So when we bring them to the table and we harness their energy, and what we do is turn that energy into kind of weaponized hate, that is actually no better than what we see and speak out against when we're looking at the MAGA movement. We need to be better than that. Have you endorsed any of the candidates, whether Abdulazizad or McMorrow or Haley Stevens?

1:07:00I've actually served with two of the members. I actually think that they all are very interesting. I'm not going to to endorse. Do you think, is there one of them that you think would do better, have a better chance against Mike Rogers than the other? I think that it's really important that we have a pragmatic leader who is working to bring more people to the table. A farmer should be welcome at the table. People who I pray next to in mass every weekend, they should be welcome at the table. And I'm actually really watching to see who has the leadership characteristics to actually do that instead of say they do that.

1:07:35All right, Congresswoman Kristen McDonald-Rivitt, thank you so much for being here. Thank you. I really appreciate it. New concerns tonight about what could happen to the more than 1 ,000 Afghans who served alongside U.S. forces. That's next.

1:07:54In our world, leave the future of more than 1 ,000 Afghan nationals who worked alongside U.S. forces in Afghanistan before the Taliban takeover in 2021. is very much unknown right now. These Afghans and their families have been living at Camp Asalia, a former U.S. Army base in Qatar, while being vetted. But the New York Times is reporting that they might be resettled in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This is part of the ongoing debate within the Trump administration over not allowing Afghans who helped American forces at risk of their own lives permanently settle in the U.S., instead sending them to other countries.

1:08:30With me now, Sean Jamshidi, born in Afghanistan, came to the U.S. at age four, served as a U.S. Marine for 10 years, including in the Democratic Republic of Congo. And his brother, Masoud, is right now at Camp Asalia in Qatar. So your brother worked as a security contractor and a translator for the U.S. mission in Afghanistan starting in 2010. What are you hearing? What is he hearing about where he and his family might be sent if it's not the U.S., as so many of them had been promised? Well, the word keeps changing overnight, but the last we've heard through the media is that they're going to be sent to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

1:09:08And when I heard that for the first time, I said, absolutely not. I served there in uniform, and it's been probably one of the worst places that you could live in. It's unstable. They're currently dealing with their own civil unrest, and there's crimes there higher than any other country in Africa. What would you say to President Trump if he was watching right now in terms of this idea that they might send these thousand Afghan allies who are being vetted right now to come here to the U.S. might send them somewhere else other than the U.S.? What I would say to President Trump is President Trump, Mr.

1:09:38President, these Afghan allies, they stood beside us. They fought with us. They gave their life for us. And we need to do the right thing. We gave them a promise that we're going to give them to safety, and that is to the United States of America. So the U.S. government was due to close Camp Asali at the end of March due to security and safety threats in the region, obviously the war in Iran. What does your brother tell you about conditions at the camp? So I've been to the camp myself and the condition is not great. Camp Aselia was not there for them to be there for long term. It was there for transit to be able to come to the United States.

1:10:09And the condition is not great. It affects their mental health because they can't leave the camp and they can't see family. And in the same time, we lost my father while he was on the camp. So it's not the greatest conditions. What has it been like to watch this unfold? I mean, you are a Marine. You served our nation honorably. Your brother worked as a security contractor and translator for the U.S. mission in Afghanistan. Emotionally, what's it like to see the U.S. turn its back on your brother? It's deeply heartbreaking for me and my family. It's something that we can't wrap our heads around because, again, I served the Marine Corps.

1:10:48My brother served the U.S. mission. He was along the mission as much as anyone else was in Afghanistan at the time. And my entire family served indirectly or directly through the U.S. government. So it's something that's heartbreaking for us, something that we can't understand. And we're hoping that the administration will allow these individuals who served us and supported us to be able to come to the United States. All right, Sean, Jim C.D., thank you so much for your time and thank you for your service. Thank you so much for having me. Really appreciate it. Texas Senate candidate James Tallarico is here next as he tries to succeed where so many Democrats in recent years have failed, flipping a ruby red Senate seat to blue.

1:11:25Why is he confident this year might be different? Stick around.

1:11:34Americans in the last election voted for two things, to end the forever wars and to make life more affordable. But the people in power have done the exact opposite. Texans need relief. Americans need relief. And it's why today I'm proposing that we immediately suspend the federal gas tax and the federal diesel tax. In our politics lead, that's Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Tallarico calling for a pause for the federal gas tax and diesel tax in an effort to try to combat the surging fuel prices caused by the ongoing war in Iran. And State Representative Tallarico joins us now to discuss.

1:12:13Thanks for joining us, sir. So incumbent Republican Senator John Cornyn, one of your two possible Republican opponents in November, he was asked about your proposal to suspend the federal gas tax and whether it would help Texans. Take a listen to what he said. What that will do is explode the deficit and debt. And right now we're spending more money on interest on the national debt than we are on defense, which is an unsustainable situation in the time of more and more danger around the world. So I think that's a short-sighted solution. So what's your response to Senator Cornyn? John Cornyn said my plan to lower taxes for working Americans would explode the deficit.

1:12:58My question to Senator Cornyn is, were you worried about the deficit when you gave$1 trillion in tax cuts to the top 1 %? Were you worried about the deficit when you started spending$1 billion a day on this new war in Iran? John Cornyn is never worried about the deficit when it comes to billionaire tax cuts or new foreign wars. But when we start talking about lowering gas prices for working people, suddenly he's a deficit hawk. We should lower the deficit and we should do it by closing billionaire tax loopholes and ending this disastrous new war. John Cornyn has had 40 years in public office. That's longer than I've been alive.

1:13:40And under his leadership, Texans are drowning. The only people doing well are billionaires and defense contractors. John Cornyn has had 40 years to lower the cost of housing, to lower the cost of health care, to lower the cost of groceries and utilities and gas. What's the holdup? This this is the broken, corrupt political system that we're running against. And I think in November we're going to beat it. So even if those taxes were to be suspended, the odds are that prices are going to stay high if the Strait of Hormuz remains essentially closed. Or even if not, even if it were to reopen tomorrow, it would take months and months probably for the fuel supply to stabilize.

1:14:21Is there a long term plan that you might have beyond the short term relief of a suspension of the gas tax? Yeah, and I acknowledged when I rolled out this plan that this is just the beginning. We have to do so much more to lower costs for people. And you're absolutely right. The only long term way to lower gas prices is to end this disastrous war in the Middle East that no one was asking for. I mean, this has been a foreign policy blunder of epic proportions. And the only way we're going to get gas prices down for working people is to finally end this war and ensure that our foreign policy has some sanity in it again.

1:14:58You've been open about your faith as a Christian, but you were also a vocal opponent of Texas state law requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in public classrooms. On Tuesday, a federal appeals court ruled that the Texas law does not violate the Constitution. Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, your other possible opponent this November, he said, quote, This is a major victory for Texas and our moral values. The Ten Commandments have had a profound impact on our nation, and it's important that students learn from them every single day, unquote. But what's your response to Ken Paxton there?

1:15:31Well, I'm not sure if Ken Paxton is in a place to lecture us on moral values. You know, my granddad was a Baptist preacher in South Texas. And when I was real little, he told me that Christianity is a simple religion, not an easy religion, he would always clarify, but a simple religion. Because Jesus gave us two commandments to follow, love God and love neighbor. and there was no exception to that second commandment. My faith teaches me to love my neighbor as myself, not just my neighbors who look like me, not just my neighbors who vote like me, not just my neighbors who pray like me. I'm called to love all of my neighbors the way I love myself.

1:16:12That includes my Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, agnostic, and atheist neighbors. I don't want anyone forcing their religion down my throats. I certainly don't want the government forcing a religion down my throat. And so why would I do that to any of my neighbors? In the Texas House of Representatives, I have been a vocal critic of Christian nationalism. I'm a Christian, but I know that the most dangerous form of government is theocracy, because the only thing worse than a tyrant is a tyrant who thinks they're on a mission from God. And I've also been the most vocal defender of the separation of church and state.

1:16:52I was raised to believe that that separation in our First Amendment, in the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause, is a sacred boundary that doesn't just benefit the state, doesn't just benefit democracy, but it also benefits the church. because when the church gets too cozy with political power, it loses its prophetic voice. So I think this is an unconstitutional decision. I also think it's a deeply unchristian decision because we are supposed to be loving all of our neighbors, particularly our neighbors of other faiths. Right now, Senator Cornyn and Attorney General Paxton are focused on fighting one another.

1:17:30But the National Republican Senate Committee is already highlighting comments that you've made as a state representative. For example, they're highlighting this. God is both masculine and feminine and everything in between. God is non-binary. What is your response to them using that and explain what you were talking about? Well, I understand that that comment is a little provocative. I said it on the House floor when the extremists in the Republican legislature were picking on school kids who were different, but I don't think it's controversial theologically. Most Christians would acknowledge that God is beyond gender.

1:18:18In fact, the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Galatians said that in Christ, There is neither male nor female. And so if someone's got a problem with that statement, they shouldn't take it up with me. They should take it up with the Apostle Paul. Before we go, we should note things got pretty heated on the Democratic side before you won your primary. Have you talked to Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett or Congressman Colin Allred about teaming up on the campaign trail? Well, primaries are always contentious. their intra-family fights, and it's our job now to bring that coalition back together so we can win in November.

1:18:56I have deep love and respect for Congresswoman Crockett. She and I have exchanged messages, and I hope to get her to join me on the campaign trail at some point this cycle. She is a fierce campaigner and a talented communicator, and I would be honored to have her join me on the trail. What about Congressman Allred? Same. I think we need as many of our leaders in Texas to be joining this fight because this is the best shot we've had in 30 years to end one party rule in Texas and elect a senator who's going to fight and deliver for working people in our state. Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Tallarico, thanks so much for being here.

1:19:36We appreciate it. We should note we reached out to the two Republican candidates in the race. Senator John Cornyn declined our invitation. We didn't hear back from Ken Paxton. They're, of course, welcome to come on the show anytime. Nothing wrong. Just questions, conversation. Is the Trump administration about to hand Spirit Airlines a lifeline ahead of the busy travel season? That's next.

1:20:00Our last lead start in our money lead. Spirit Airlines close to getting a$500 million bailout from the Trump administration. According to a source, he says the deal is expected to include the federal government taking a stake in the airline. The deal could be announced as soon as late tonight or tomorrow, we're told. And our law and justice lead at the Supreme Court sided today with an army specialist who was injured in a suicide bombing at a U.S. military base in Afghanistan. Winston Hensley is trying to sue the military contractor for failing to supervise the Afghan employee who carried out the attack.

1:20:30The bomber, identified as an Afghan national hired by the contractors, was working at a vehicle maintenance yard before the 2016 bombing. Also in our money lead, the CEO of Truth Social's parent company is leaving amid financial losses and dropping stock prices. Former Republican Congressman Devin Nunes of California served in the role for four years. He oversaw the launch of Truth Social. Truth Social's long-term viability is also in question as it has failed to gain broader use outside of President Trump's followers. Good luck to Devin Nunes. You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, threads, ex-blue sky, and on the TikTok at Jake Tapper.

1:21:07You can follow the show on X and Instagram at EliteCNN. If you ever miss an episode of Elite, you can watch the show on the CNN app. Our good friend Erin Burnett picks it up right now with her show, Erin Burnett, Out Front. See you tomorrow.

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