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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees
Beijing Rolls out the Red Carpet for President Trump; Fired FBI Official Speaks out for the First Time Amit Lawsuit Against FBI, Kash Patel and DOJ; Interview with Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD); NYT Reports Intel Shows Iran Has Access to 30 of 33 Missile Sites Along Strait; Trump Begins Critical Talks With China's Xi Jinping; Court Overturns Alex Murdaugh's Murder Conviction; Minnesota, Washington Join States Monitoring for Hantavirus Symptoms; Princess of Wales on First Solo Overseas Trip Since Cancer Treatment. Aired 8-9p ET
Aired May 13, 2026 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: ... days to get this other PCR test. It's been two days, he's been telling me, hopefully in a few hours, hopefully in a few hours. Does the testing exist that's accurate and timely?
JOSEPH ALLEN, PROFESSOR, HARVARD UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH: So, we have the testing, but he's in the world's best containment facility and it's taking him days. I think that tells you how available it is just for everybody. I don't think the general public needs to have testing, but it tells you even in the world's best facility, it's taking some time.
BURNETT: Right, right, best facility where he was. And of course, as we said, negative test for the American who had tested positive in that unit and hugely significant. Thank your Professor Allen and thanks to all of you. AC360 starts now.
[0:00:37.3]
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, "ANDERSON COOPER: 360": Good evening from the Newsroom.
Topping our CNN Global coverage tonight, the summit in Beijing, just two hours away, delayed by the war with Iran and now could end up being dominated by it with political and economic consequences growing for a President who cannot seem to find a way out on his own.
He arrived some 12 hours ago, accompanied by Elon Musk, Apple's Tim Cook and a host of other business leaders and billionaires when he sits down with Chinese Premier Xi Jinping, the two are expected to discuss tariffs, A.I. and Taiwan, among other subjects. But his big ask, sources say, will be for Xi to push Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a request he'll be making, to borrow a phrase of his, possibly without the cards, to back it up.
Today, as if to demonstrate the leverage that China seems to have with Iran and the President seems to lack a Chinese flag supertanker safely transited the Strait. It took the route that Iran prefers and got through, despite an American blockade in the region. There's other evidence that the President may not have the leverage he might want. Sources tell CNN that the U.S. and Israeli air campaign left roughly half of Iran's missile launchers intact. What's more, according to "The New York Times," today, Iran has restored operational access to 30 of the 33 missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz.
And new reporting "The Washington Post" highlights the edge, a confidential intelligence assessment, says that China is gaining from this war. That analysis, according to "The Post" was produced for a Joint Chiefs Chairman, General Dan Caine. When asked about the finding, the Pentagon chief spokesman told "The Post," "... assertions claiming the global balance of power have shifted toward any nation other than the United States of America are fundamentally false."
For his part, before leaving for Beijing, the President downplayed any need for China's help with Iran.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I don't think we need any help with Iran. We'll win it one way or the other.
REPORTER: Mr. President --
TRUMP: We'll win it peacefully or otherwise.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Well, either way, it is already coming at a cost. A Pentagon official today putting the price tag so far $29 billion that's $4 billion more than a Defense Department estimate to Congress just two weeks ago. The cost to consumers also rising today in the Gulf. The operator of the world's largest natural gas processing facility, says damage from Iranian strikes was so severe that the plant will not be back to full operation until 2027.
The price of oil settled at $105.00 a barrel today. Gas prices ticking back up now at $4.51 a gallon, with diesel approaching an all-time record. And the rising cost of energy lately is reflected in today's producer price numbers, up six percent compared to last year, 1.4 percent higher than last month, almost three times more than Wall Street estimates.
All of this costing the President politically so could remarks he made on his way to Beijing. When asked whether he's motivated by the economic impact on Americans of the war as he tries to find a way out of it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Not even a little bit. The only thing that matters when I'm talking about Iran, they can't have a nuclear weapon. I don't think about American's financial situation. I don't think about anybody.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: The President yesterday. Now today, when asked about that, Vice-President Vance said this,
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I don't think the President said that. I think that's a misrepresentation of what the President said.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Well, keeping them honest, the President did say that. And just to give you a better sense of the context, here's a fuller version of the remarks, including the question and more of the President's answer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REPORTER: When you're negotiating with Iran, Mr. President, to what extent are American's financial situation motivating you to make a deal?
TRUMP: Not even a little bit. The only thing that matters when I'm talking about Iran, they can't have a nuclear weapon. I don't think about American's financial situation. I don't think about anybody. I think about one thing we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon, that's all. That's the only thing that motivates --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: A lot to cover tonight. I want to start with CNN's senior White House correspondent Kristen Holmes, who is in Beijing. So, as we said, President Trump likes to talk about how in geopolitics, certain countries hold better cards than others. Is it clear what cards the President believes he's holding ahead of his meeting with the Chinese leader?
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's three cards that President Trump really has right now in terms of the U.S. versus China. One of them is Taiwan, and that's likely the biggest card. And that's probably why we saw the Defense Department putting through a small deal to support Taiwan.
This was just a $12 million, one-year contract while President Trump was on the way here. It was a little bit of a flexing of the muscle, something that President Trump could have vetoed because he was on his way to China, but did not.
So, they know, the United States knows that China is interested in getting the U.S. to give less support to Taiwan. So that's the biggest playing card.
[20:05:30]
Now, in terms of A.I. and tech, China does want the U.S. to ease its restrictions on United States technology. They also want more access to A.I. and to that tech. So that's another playing card. Now, this is less of a card and less of an advantage, but it is something we expect President Trump to use, which is the idea that China gets a large amount of oil and gas from Iran. So, this idea of opening the Strait of Hormuz is something that would benefit China as well. But of course, even if you're pitching it like that, President Trump will still be making an ask, which is for President Xi to step in and try to pressure Iran to either make a deal or open the Strait of Hormuz.
COOPER: What's China looking to get from President Trump out of this specific meeting?
HOMES: Well, there's the tangible gains, which were not going to know until after this. We know that they're likely to buy some commercial jetliners. They're likely to make some agricultural deals, and there's going to be a series of tech deals both in the private and public sector. That's why you've seen so many of these tech CEOs, as well as various business CEOs. So, that's going to come through and that's something that both China and the United States want are these kind of business deals. But then there's this larger kind of perception that China is getting out of this meeting.
We've already heard locals here on the ground saying that essentially the fact that President Trump has come to China shows that China won the trade war. So, there's this diplomatic perception that gives President Xi strength within his country and strength on the diplomatic stage.
And then there's also this kind of hoping for more power when it comes to trade deals and hoping to get some kind of understanding that when we look at the tariffs that are already in place, that they'll either stay the same or they'll get lower, or they just won't get any higher than they are. And that's something that China's going to want to have a conversation about as well.
COOPER: Yes, Kristen Holmes, thanks very much.
Joining us now with analysis, CNN senior political and global affairs commentator, Rahm Emanuel. He previously served as President Obama's first chief of staff and as U.S. Ambassador to Japan under President Biden. Also joining us, Randy Phillips, former chief of station in Beijing for the CIA and Chief of China operations for the CIA.
Ambassador, does it seem like President Trump is basically now in the position of having to ask China for help reopening the Strait of Hormuz? And what kind of leverage do you think he has going into this meeting?
RAHM EMANUEL, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL AND GLOBAL AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Well, I take a step back and look at this. They're very different people in different positions. You have a President whose thinking short term. Xi is thinking long term, a President whose thinking about business deals. China is thinking, Xi is thinking about long-term strategic position. President who worries about personal relations. Xi, who worries about geostrategic position of China. And when you say that also, Anderson, is yes, were going to need their help to persuade and pressure Iran because the military and other economic hasn't broken their will. They now figured out they have a nuclear option called the Strait of Hormuz. But China is taking advantage massively of our distraction and our inability to actually plan for ourselves and our own economics.
They lost Europe when they were aligned with Russia. We gave them a back entrance back into Europe. We have actually left our allies in the region where China now is pressuring on the South China Sea, pressuring Japan, pressuring other allies there, and also China looks like a place of stability and economic opportunity and energy independence for all of what is called the global south. So, when you think about it, America is in a much weaker position because of this.
COOPER: Randy, I'm wondering what you think of the ambassador's comments and also, does "The Washington Post" report citing this confidential American intelligence assessment that China has leveraged the Iran war into an edge over the U.S. across multiple geopolitical sectors, including economic, military? Does that sound right to you?
RANDY PHILLIPS, FORMER CHIEF OF STATION IN BEIJING FOR THE CIA AND CHIEF OF CHINA OPERATIONS FOR THE CIA. I don't think it does. And I think that Rahm's points are spot on. That assessment that "The Washington Post" just reported on, I think points out in in several different areas that this is all playing out to China's advantage.
Now, certainly, as Rahm said, in on the diplomatic front and with Europe, other U.S. allies sowing some doubt about the ability of the U.S. to sustain the support. And in and, frankly, the pressure campaign that we had before and some of the concerns with the rivalry with China, we're now offering a backdoor way for China to recover some of its ground. I mean, it's one of those things where China comes out looking like the more factor of stability in the world as compared to the United States. And as we have alienated allies and friends alike, that this is something to China's advantage and they're taking advantage of it right now.
COOPER: Ambassador, I mean, if you're President Trump, what are you looking to convey to the American public during this trip? And do you think he's going to be able to accomplish that?
[20:10:13]
EMANUEL: No, I think the American, Well, he will try to say, here's what I got on soybeans. Here's what I got on Boeing planes et cetera. But that's not going to touch the American people in a sense of what they need out of this visit. And I want to emphasize something that was just said. Look, you got to look at where the American people and the world is. They went through the chaos of COVID and left with massive disjointed, economically, their life, et cetera.
Everybody was just getting their footing. And then you had the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. And again, energy prices, food prices, everything getting thrown off, inflation and geostrategic -- and then we go into Iran. So, China, just by being stability, constant, somebody that you can rely on has gained at our advantage. And they've made the most of it. And I think the American people won't think, and especially I've been around rural America a lot, all our tariffs are the one that started off and we've lost market share. Just take soybeans as an example.
When you look at Iowa, you look at Nebraska, you look at other parts of the Midwest. That was all because of the President's policies. We're trying to make up for the ground we lost because of the President's tariffs policies that have cost American not only the grocery store, but markets for our farmers and ranchers. That's what's happening. So, when you say, look what I got you. It was just -- it's a non-goal.
COOPER: Randy, I mean, if that's the case, I mean, that's kind of terrifying that China is this viewed as the stable actor on the world stage now and that the U.S. is an erratic, irrational player.
PHILLIPS: Well, I think that's exactly right. And I think if you look at the visits that have taken place in Beijing prior to President Trump arriving from Canada, from Germany, elsewhere, you have a number of America's closest friends and allies feeling like they need to reach out to Beijing to hedge their bets. And it's not a surprise and it's not an accident that that China had those visit's and orchestrated those type of context in advance of this trip.
They know that the President and the United States right now are in a bit of a box with the Iran war. And that Xi Jinping, he has his own political calendar that he's operating on as well. They're heading towards the 27th Party Congress coming up. He's got to get his own domestic ducks in order, not that he's being challenged in any way, but he's got his own situation that he needs to iron out. This makes him look strong.
With the America's friends and allies, that makes China look like the adult actor in the room, the stable factor and that's all to the detriment of the U.S.
EMANUAL: Yes, just one example, since we're both from the region that I think Japan just did a Navy deal with Australia, we used to be a part of that. We're not part of that. India and the Philippines and Japan did a deal. India has done a deal now also with Japan. We used to be at the center of that. We were the hub of that -- all that military economic ties. We are now out on the sidelines looking for the mezzanine floor.
COOPER: Wow, Ambassador Emanuel, appreciate it. Randy Phillips as well.
Coming up next, in the wake of my exclusive conversation that we aired yesterday with Brian Driscoll, the former acting director of the FBI, who was fired, we are joined by the Senator who asked FBI Director Kash Patel about that report.
Also, what happened when he confronted Patel over allegations the director drinks excessively, which the director denies. Also tonight, a stunning development in the Alex Murdaugh saga. Why a court threw out murder convictions, the killing of his wife and younger son, that and what happens next? Coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:18:15]
COOPER: A 360 follow up regarding my exclusive interview with former FBI Acting Director Brian Driscoll. He was fired in August of last year after speaking up for long-serving FBI agents who were being targeted for firing or forced retirement by DOJ officials, who were demanding from Driscoll a list of thousands of FBI agents who had been assigned to investigations regarding the January 6th attack on the Capitol, or President Trump.
In the course of our conversation, Driscoll, who is widely revered inside the FBI, served for nearly 18 years there, described the demands on him to turn over the names of these FBI employees, and he revealed for the first time the efforts he and others made to ensure that fairness and due process were observed.
Days before he was fired, he met with FBI Director Kash Patel, and Driscoll was defending a longtime FBI agent who'd been the subject of a MAGA podcaster's accusations. Patel, according to Driscoll, wanted the agent fired, which he ultimately was.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIAN DRISCOLL, FORMER ACTING DIRECTOR OF FBI: Patel essentially said that I should know from sitting in that chair that you can't save everybody. I disagreed; I said that this is wrong. You could potentially be deposed for this in the future. And that it's this is worth standing up for and, he essentially reflected that his job depended on him making this happen and that anybody involved in these investigations, that they identify are probably going to get fired as well.
COOPER (on camera): In the complaint, it says. Patel stated that you needed to understand that the FBI tried to put the President in jail, and he hasn't forgotten it. That's a quote.
DRISCOLL: Correct. Well, it was the first time he articulated it that bluntly to me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Well, the complaint refers to the wrongful termination and retaliation lawsuit that Driscoll has filed, along with two other senior FBI officials named Kash Patel, the FBI, the federal government. Now, the DOJ has rejected those claims, filed a motion to dismiss. CNN has reached out to the White House, the Department of Justice, the FBI and Kash Patel. We've received no response.
During Senate hearings yesterday, Maryland Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen asked Director Patel about a report. [20:20:21]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN (D-MD): Have you had a chance to listen to or read about Brian Driscoll's statements about what you said to him and the reasons for his firing?
KASH PATEL, U.S. FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION DIRECTOR: No, I have not, sir.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: The two also clashed several times during questioning over reports alleging Director Patel drinks to excess, which he denies.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VAN HOLLEN: Are you willing to take test that it's called the audit test that members of our active-duty military and others take to determine whether they have a drinking problem?
PATEL: I'll take any test you're willing to take.
VAN HOLLEN: I will take it, Director Patel. I'll take it. You ready to take it?
PATEL: Let's go.
VAN HOLLEN: Yes or no?
PATEL: Let's go, side by side.
VAN HOLLEN: I'll take it. All right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Early today, Senator Van Hollen posted his test. You see it there? And we should point out it is a self-test. The senator reporting he drinks two to three times a week, has one or two drinks when he does, and recorded no other factors suggesting he has a problem with alcohol. Senator Van Hollen joins us now.
Senator, thanks for being with us. What do you make of the allegations by Brian Driscoll, that Director Patel essentially told him, anybody associated with the investigations into President Trump needed to be fired or might be fired, as well as Driscoll's claims that he was asked political questions when he was vetted for the acting director role. The DOJ is obviously disputing these claims in the lawsuit.
VAN HOLLEN: Well, Anderson, it was a very revealing interview, and it revealed our worst fears about what's happening inside the FBI, which is that the director, Director Patel, who has awesome powers and awesome responsibilities, is not using them to protect public safety, but he's using them to pursue these political vendettas and try to use people like Brian Driscoll, an 18-year veteran, as someone who had received awards from the FBI to do his political dirty work.
And so, it should worry every single American that the head of the FBI is spending his time involved in political retribution and vendettas on behalf of the President, instead of protecting the people of the United States.
COOPER: What do you make of just of his testimony, his behavior while testifying yesterday? I mean, I've seen a lot of FBI directors testify. I've never seen somebody, so, I mean, obviously, maybe he's speaking to an audience of one. He thinks, you know, being pugnacious is what the President wants to see. But it's, it was a surprising look for an FBI director.
VAN HOLLEN: Anderson, he totally lost it in the hearing. And I think all of us want an FBI director who's going to be cool under pressure, somebody who can deal with very important issues and threats any time of day or night. And what we saw there from the director was somebody who's completely unhinged, right?
In addition to, you know, stating provable falsehoods and lies, he just completely lost it. And so, he's the opposite of the kind of person we want under pressure, you know, somebody who, we want people who can be cool under pressure, think things through. Not somebody who, not a hothead like we witnessed yesterday.
COOPER: I want to play some more of what you said to Director Patel in that hearing yesterday about reports in the media that he drinks to excess.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VAN HOLLEN: Director Patel, I don't care one bit about your private life, and I don't give a damn about what you do on your own time and your own dime, unless and until it interferes with your public responsibilities.
Being the director of the FBI is an awesome responsibility. And when your private actions make it impossible for you to perform your public duties, we have a big problem.
I cannot imagine ever having to worry about former FBI Directors Wray or Mueller spending multiple weekends drinking heavily at the Poodle Room in Las Vegas.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: I just want to play some clips of what Kash Patel himself has said about drinking in the past before he was FBI director.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENNY JOHNSON, "THE BENNY SHOW" HOST: All right, okay.
PATEL: Let's do it. Can I be the first one to say that if I ever go before Senate confirmation, they're going to call me an alcoholic because I was drinking freedom out of a punisher seal team six koozie. And I went to Devin, and I told him that in the morning, he goes, dude, if you're going to start drinking at 9:00 A.M., get out of my office.
Sunday nights would roll around and the President would try to find me. Sir, I am on call every day, including Sundays, except the very late evening, where Sundays are for God, hockey and beer. Not in that order and I will resurface back on very early Monday morning.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: So, Director Patel has strongly denied any accusations about excessive drinking, including to you yesterday at the hearing, saying they're not credible. Do you think his job is secure with the President?
[20:25:34]
VAN HOLLEN: I don't think, Anderson, that it would be secure. Certainly, if the President witnessed any of that display yesterday. And I said it then, and I'll say it again now. I really don't give a damn about what Director Patel does on his own time, whether he drinks or not, until and unless it begins to compromise his ability to do his job on behalf of the country and exercise those awesome responsibilities that he has and there are multiple credible reports that he's not able to function at certain times. And those reports are coming from inside the FBI.
People who say that, you know, he was so incapacitated that they had to forcefully knock down his door to wake him up. And so, the, you know, the clips you were just playing, this is a guy who's supposed to be on duty and on call, whether it is 3:00 P.M. in the afternoon or 3:00 A.M. in the morning, because you never know what threats will arise against the United States and the public, and when they will arise.
So, look, he can joke about it. But, you know, when we asked him about it, my final question to him was whether he recognized that it was a criminal offense to lie to Congress. And he wouldn't answer that question.
COOPER: Senator Van Hollen, I appreciate your time, thank you.
VAN HOLLEN: Thank you.
COOPER: Coming up next, with the President hoping the road to ending the war with Iran may go through Beijing. A CNN report from inside Iran, what our Nic Robertson is hearing on the ground there.
And later today, some stunning reversals of the murder convictions against Alex Murdaugh in the killings of his wife and youngest son. The court found, "shocking jury interference." We'll tell you what happens next in the case.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:31:22]
COOPER: With the president of Beijing looking for Chinese help in ending the war with Iran, CNN's Matthew Chance is now inside Iran. CNN is operating there with the permission of the Iranian government, as required under local regulations.
It's obviously a challenging environment to work in, and our team's movements are watched by the government. With that, here is Matthew's report.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're on a long drive towards the Iranian capital, but we've had to stop because we've come to a bridge that was struck by a U.S. or an Israeli airstrike during the recent bombing campaign.
You can see a whole section of it has fallen into the river, and if you look round over here, all the cars and trucks have had to go round on this detour. When you consider all the other roads and bridges that have been hit, it's added hours to the journey time. Well, before we arrived in Iran, some Iranians told us, don't go in, it's too dangerous, the war could resume at any time, especially amid growing tensions over the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the failure of the U.S. and Iran to reach a compromise over nuclear activities.
But with President Trump on that state visit to China, both the U.S. and Iran seem to be looking to Beijing as a possible way out of their deadlock. China is Iran's major trading partner, China buys most of Iranian oil, has a shared interest with Washington in getting the energy supplies unblocked. Meanwhile, here in Iran, we're glimpsing how the country is being shaped by the conflict and the pressure it is under.
From crowds of Iranians at the border we've just been to, hauling cooking oil across from Turkey where it's much cheaper, an acute cost of living crisis, remember, sparked nationwide protests late last year that ended in horrific violence. To the words of one Iranian father who told me that what he called Trump's war had silenced people and made the Iranian government stronger, in his words, at least for now.
Matthew Chance, CNN, on the long road to Tehran.
COOPER: Matthew, thanks for returning to that reporting. We touched on at the top, the New York Times citing classified assessments suggesting that Iran retains substantial missile capabilities. This squares with other CNN reporting, but not with what the administration is saying publicly.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE HEGSETH, UNITED STATES DEFENSE SECRETARY: Last June, Operation Midnight Hammer obliterated their nuclear program to rubble.
DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We've degraded just about everything. They have very few missiles.
J.D. VANCE, (R) VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Their nuclear programs, such as it is, the enrichment facilities that they had before, they've been destroyed.
TRUMP: Their military is gone. Their missiles are largely depleted.
We've knocked out their missile production.
Their missiles are mostly decimated. They have some. They have probably 18 percent, 19 percent, but not a lot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Some perspective now. Joining us is CNN National Security Analyst, Alex Plitsas.
So what do you make of the administration's claims, obliterated, degraded everything, military gone, missiles mostly depleted? If Iran retains the ability to resume full-scale military strikes, I mean, do you think we've knocked out their facilities as much as the administration is saying?
ALEX PLITSAS, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: It sounds like some of it actually may have been recovered as well. Some of the entrances to the tunnels to underground facilities and caves or things of that nature have been struck. The Iranians have been able to dig some of that and get access to things that were buried.
Even with the missiles, it's a question of how many launchers they have left, right? So they've got 6,000 to 8,000 missiles, but they've only got a couple hundred launchers. That's a strategic choke point.
[20:35:00]
But it's clear the Iranians have been able to recover since then. And also, I mean, when speaking to Central Command and asking about battle damage assessments, even at the beginning they said, look, it's very difficult for us to get there. It's going to take a little time for us to figure this out.
So I think there's been a little clarity after action there. I think the Iranians have recovered some, but it is quite clear that they retain substantive military capabilities at this point.
COOPER: So would Central Command have anticipated this, I mean, that the Iranians could dig out so relatively quickly?
PLITSAS: I mean, the fact that the campaign stopped when it did was also a political decision, right? So I don't think that they anticipated, you know, that potentially, I mean, obviously the reality could have happened, but in terms of the timing of when it happened, what would be left, how long that would last, would the Iranians have the ability to dig out? Those are all factors that wouldn't have been really weighed into military planning, but they're a reality of the battlefield at the moment.
COOPER: Do you think President Trump is going to ask China for help regarding the Strait of Hormuz? I mean, actually sort of having them be the power broker over the Strait? Because that would be, in some ways, a great victory for China.
PLITSAS: It would be, and so the Chinese have been, you know, largely hands off the Middle East for a long time, but they've gotten more involved in recent years. They had a pretty big diplomatic coup not that long ago in which they were able to broach the rapprochement between the Iranians and the Saudis before the conflict kicked off, and there was a desire to potentially get involved in the negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians, particularly over Gaza, but they were kind of pushed out.
But to your point, that would kind of give them some power in this case, and the president didn't want that to be the primary part of the agenda. He's bringing 30 top CEOs within the country. He wanted this to be trade-focused.
It pretty much would hand this over to Xi Jinping to help solve, which would empower the Chinese, and especially in the region. So it puts him in a Catch-22.
COOPER: When you talk to people behind the scenes, how much does what they assess things, does it align with what the administration is saying publicly?
PLITSAS: You mean about the state of the military?
COOPER: Yeah.
PLITSAS: It's more along the lines of what we're now hearing that's sort of coming out publicly when I'm speaking to folks. They are recovering some of their military capabilities they had, trying to get more accurate assessments as to where they stand. It's clear that the initial assessments for how many missile launchers were left missiles could have been off, and then, again, between that and the recovery, the percentages are actually, it seems, higher than what the administration had been quoting.
COOPER: Alex Plitsas, appreciate your time. Thanks so much.
Alex Murdaugh wins his appeal. A court tosses out his murder convictions in the killings of his wife and younger son. We'll have more on that. And we're going to check in again with the American who was a passenger on the Hantavirus-hit cruise ship and is now in quarantine in Nebraska.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:41:53]
COOPER: Tonight, there are stunning developments in a case that captured the nation's attention first as a mystery, then as a murder trial. The South Carolina Supreme Court has now overturned the double murder conviction of Alex Murdaugh, ordered a new trial over the 2021 killings of his wife Maggie and their youngest son Paul.
Now the justices sided with Murdaugh's defense team, which argued jurors were tainted by the actions of the court clerk during the trial. The latest tonight from Randi Kaye, who's been covering the case from the beginning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALEX MURDAUGH, ACCUSED OF MURDERING HIS WIFE AND SON: I need the police and ambulance immediately. My wife and child have been shot badly.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What is your name?
MURDAUGH: My name is Alex Murdaugh.
RANDI KAYE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When former South Carolina lawyer Alex Murdaugh was convicted in 2023 of killing his wife Maggie and 22-year-old son Paul, he was given two life sentences. Case closed. Until the county clerk from Murdaugh's trial suddenly made news.
BECKY HILL, FORMER COLLETON COUNTY CLERK OF COURT: There is no excuse for my mistakes. I am ashamed of them. And I will carry that shame with me for the rest of my life.
KAYE (voice-over): Former Colleton County Clerk of Courts, Becky Hill, later wrote a tell-all book about the trial. Murdaugh's attorneys argued she improperly influenced jury members during the trial by telling jurors to watch his body language the day Murdaugh took the stand, implying guilt. Some jurors confirmed they'd heard those comments in affidavits and testimony.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Was your verdict influenced in any way by the communications of the clerk of court in this case?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, ma'am.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And how was it influenced?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She made it seem like he was already guilty.
KAYE (voice-over): Hill pleaded guilty in December to the charges against her, including perjury and obstruction of justice. Murdaugh's attorneys, earlier this year, told the state Supreme Court that her comments had violated their client's right to a fair trial and requested a new trial.
DICK HARPOOTLIAN, MURDAUGH DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Nobody wants to do this again less than we do. What is Alex Murdaugh guaranteed to under the Sixth Amendment?
KAYE (voice-over): In its unanimous ruling granting the new trial, the South Carolina Supreme Court said Hill placed her fingers on the scales of justice, thereby denying Murdaugh his right to a fair trial by an impartial jury.
Murdaugh was a prominent lawyer whose trial captivated the nation. Disturbing details were revealed about his own alleged suicide-for- hire plot, financial fraud, drug addiction, and the murders of Maggie and Paul. MURDAUGH: They did check them? It's official that they're dead?
SGT. DANIEL GREENE: Yes, sir. That's what it looks like.
KAYE (voice-over): Murdaugh admitted lying to investigators about his whereabouts just prior to the killings, but he's always insisted he did not kill his wife and son.
JAMES GRIFFIN, MURDAUGH DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Did you take this gun or any gun like it and blow your son's brains out on June 7th or any day or any time?
MURDAUGH: No, I did not. Mr. Griffin, I didn't shoot my wife or my son any time.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Randy joins me now. This is a stunning development. I mean, I was obsessed with this case, this trial. I mean, he defrauded --
KAYE (on camera): So many clients.
COOPER: -- poor people, his own clients, who he was supposed to be representing.
[20:45:00]
KAYE (on camera): Yeah. He kept insurance money from clients when they settled and said they hadn't settled. I mean, he definitely --
COOPER: So what happens now to him?
KAYE (on camera): Well, he's had his two life sentences vacated, but he's still going to be in prison for a very long time because separately he pleaded guilty to dozens of those financial crimes. So he was sentenced and he's serving concurrently state and federal sentences of 27 and 40 years. So he's going to be in prison well into his 90s if he survives those sentences.
But now, the South Carolina Attorney General, Alan Wilson told CNN in a statement that while he respectfully disagrees with the high court's decision, he does plan to aggressively seek to retry Alex Murdaugh. And he plans to do that as soon as possible.
It's also worth noting, Anderson, that the high court in its ruling said that there was more than 12 hours of testimony about Murdaugh's financial crimes in the first trial. So they said if the state plans to bring that in again in the second trial, they need to do so more efficiently because that was how the state laid the groundwork for his lies and deceit to try and build up to that murder conviction.
COOPER: All right, Randy Kaye, thanks very much. Appreciate it. We have more Breaking News.
Minnesota and Washington are joining several other states monitoring residents for Hantavirus symptoms. Those impacted were either on the ship hit by the virus or had contact with someone who was. The number of people who are currently infected remains at eight and there were three deaths.
Also, the CDC says the exposed passengers at medical facilities in Atlanta and Omaha, Nebraska are encouraged to stay there for 42 days of monitoring. Among them is Jake Rosmarin, a travel influencer, who has a longstanding relationship with the cruise line, who was aboard posting in collaboration with the company. He joins me again tonight from his quarantine room.
Jake, how are you feeling tonight? We talked to you last night. Any updates from health officials? How was your day?
JAKE ROSMARIN, TRAVEL CONTENT CREATOR QUARANTINED IN NEBRASKA: It was a good day. I'm feeling good today. It was a pretty relaxed day again. I started the day with a temperature check and then I had a call with one of the doctors in the morning just about when the time comes, the process of how I'll get home after my quarantine is up.
And then in the afternoon, I got news that, as I told you yesterday, I had blood work done and I found out that my PCR test was negative. So that just means that yesterday, when they took my blood, there was nothing in the system, in my system. That doesn't mean that something may not happen, but I'm going to take that as a win for today. And we also had a town hall today and that was about it for the day, but it was a good day.
I got a lot of packages today, trying to make this place feel like home for the next month and a half. Got some new bed sheets, got a new comforter, new pillows, some snacks, nice body wash, shampoo, conditioner, which I haven't had.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: Do you have like a Netflix account or like a Max account or are you able to watch stuff?
ROSMARIN: Yes, I have a bunch of streaming services. I feel like I've just been a little busy with different things, but I think once I get into a normal routine, I'm going to start watching some shows, finish some things, start getting on that -- the bike that I have in the room and really get into a good routine for the day.
COOPER: I've had one of those bikes sitting around in my apartment for quite some time now and I haven't gotten on it. So I'm curious to see if you actually end up using it.
ROSMARIN: I think I will. When I'm at home, I go to Orange Theory a lot and I like going on the bike at Orange Theory.
COOPER: OK.
ROSMARIN: So I'm sure I will use the bike here.
COOPER: And are you -- I mean are there -- how often do you have interactions with -- like do you have human contact with nurses and doctors? I know you put on a mask in order to give your temperature reading to the nurse I saw in one of your posts.
ROSMARIN: So my interactions are just when they're coming for something, garbage collection, getting my laundry, food delivery, and it's all that same kind of interaction. They stay on their side of the door. I stay on my side of the door.
I put on that normal medical mask. They're in a mask, a face shield and a garb to protect themselves. That's why I only really need to put on that medical mask for the little bit of time that I'm opening the door.
But other than that, I'm not really interacting with people too much.
COOPER: And your -- you plan to stay for the whole 42 days of monitoring. You were saying that's the best decision for you, for the safety of your family, your loved ones. Do you think you may -- if you decided to reassess that a week from now, you're going stir crazy or two weeks from now, would you be able to change that?
ROSMARIN: I think I would, but I really don't foresee myself changing that decision. I think it's something that I'm very strict upon standing by. I know it's the right decision. I know that I can make it through this. I have a lot of support on the outside and it's really helping, and I know that I'm going to be OK in the long run.
COOPER: Well, Jake, we wish you the best. We'll continue to check in with you. Thanks so much.
ROSMARIN: Thank you. Thank you, Anderson.
COOPER: Coming up next, emergency room physician, Dr. Craig Spencer, who survived Ebola. He joins us.
[20:50:00]
Also, loud cheers greeting Catherine, Princess of Wales, as she arrived in Italy for her first official overseas visits since undergoing cancer treatment. Details of her trip, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Before the break, you heard from Jake Rosmarin, now in quarantine in the Hantavirus outbreak. He said he just tested negative again. For more now on the bigger picture that he's a part of, joining us is emergency room physician, Dr. Craig Spencer. He's a Professor at Brown University School of Public Health and survived Ebola in 2014.
Dr. Spencer, we mentioned that CDC, in its first briefing since the Hantavirus outbreak began, which is kind of amazing, said that exposed passengers are encouraged to stay at medical facilities for 42 days monitoring. Do you think that's the right call to make, to make it optional?
DR. CRAIG SPENCER, PROFESSOR, BROWN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH: Well, I'm really glad that we got to hear from one of those passengers, and I'm really glad that the facility that they're in is able to care for them.
[20:55:00]
And I'm also really, really glad that we have a network of these facilities all around the U.S. A lot of people don't recognize that they exist partly because of infections like my own that came back to the U.S. that were treated here and the recognition that we needed a sustained, ever-ready, well-funded and resourced network of places just like this, always ready to go just for things like the Hantavirus or anything else.
Now, when it comes to what decisions they should make, I am glad that the CDC is finally telling us what they're thinking. I want to make sure that we respect the wishes of these passengers who have been through a lot. And I can only imagine, I actually quite well know what it's like to be in isolation. I was in for 19 days. I can't imagine 42.
When it comes to making sure we're making the right decision, if some of these folks decide to go home, we need to make sure we have the right resources. So local public health departments, which unfortunately have had a lot of their resources cut over the past year, need to be well-resourced, make sure they can do this work, contact tracing. We need to make sure that folks are hopefully close to one of these centers of excellence with specialists who can take care of high-consequence pathogens.
And we need to make sure that they're able to get tested. Right now, the only place in the country where people are able to get tested for this strain of the Hantavirus is in Nebraska itself. So those things would all need to be in place before I think folks would want to feel comfortable leaving that facility and going anywhere else.
COOPER: You also wrote an op-ed today, which was alarming because you said that this is a wake-up call, and you said normally, the U.S. would be two steps ahead on an outbreak like this. Instead, it feels as though we're two weeks behind. Last time we talked, I mean, you detailed the decimation of the CDC, the firings, the forced retirements, the people quitting that has gone on throughout our public health infrastructure. It's really alarming.
SPENCER: Yeah, but I also hope that this is a wake-up call, and I hope that everyone all across the country, whether you're Democrat, Republican, whether you thought the COVID response was great or horrible, I want everyone to recognize right now, just like the investments we made in the University of Nebraska Center, the Center at Bellevue where I was treated, Emory where others are at now, and many other centers around the U.S., we made sustained investments that work in the background that you don't always see working, but all Americans are happy to know that they're there.
COOPER: Yeah.
SPENCER: We need the same thing in all of our other public health departments around the country.
COOPER: Yeah, Dr. Spencer, I appreciate you being with us.
To Italy next in a very public comeback from serious illness, a massive crowd welcoming Catherine, Princess of Wales. She is back on the global stage, arriving solo for a two-day visit. It's going to focus on early childhood education. Max Foster has more, traveling with the princess.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Chants echoing of "Ciao Kate" as the princess starts her comeback tour in northern Italy. Her first official overseas trip since undergoing cancer treatment. Thousands cramming into the piazza at Reggio Emilia to welcome her.
FOSTER: Princess greeting all the well-wishers that have turned out here in Italy. A princess coming to town doesn't happen every day, so much excitement about that. She has been in recovery, of course, from her cancer treatment, so this is a huge moment for her. The palace saying she's trying to balance her public work with her recovery.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It has been an honor to meet her.
FOSTER: What was your reaction when she came over?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She's amazing. I can't believe it's my eyes.
FOSTER (voice-over): The princess is here to learn about the internationally recognized Reggio approach, a philosophy of early childhood education built around creativity, relationships and hands- on discovery.
FOSTER: What did you just talk about with the princess?
MARWA MAHMOUD, COUNCILOR FOR EDUCATIONAL POLICIES, MUNICIPALITY OF REGGIO: I talk about Reggio Emilia approach. I talk about our integrated, inclusive public system.
FOSTER (voice-over): Palace aides described this trip as an important step in the princess's recovery journey, adding that she takes great joy from this work. The visit also marks Catherine's first official trip to Italy, a country she previously spent time in before university, though she admitted she needed to do work on her Italian.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The way she's approached the city and the experience shows a real interest, not just something a facade, but something deep, which is incredible.
FOSTER (voice-over): The princess believes early learning should be creative and prioritized in the same way as climate change.
CHRISTIAN GUY, ROYAL FOUNDATION CENTER FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD: She wants to point people to the importance of those first five years and to work with others to make this a truly global, urgent issue. So it's on a par with climate because --
FOSTER: Yeah.
GUY: -- unless we tackle this properly, we'll always be playing catch-up.
(APPLAUSE)
FOSTER (voice-over): This is a global mission for someone coming back to the world stage with renewed vigor after a life-changing health event.
FOSTER: This was a tentative step back onto the global stage for the Princess of Wales. Her team are wary of overstretching her when she is still in recovery, but I'm told she had an absolutely great day.
[21:00:00]
So it probably will be more likely that she will make more international trips, though no one will be drawn on whether the United States is on that list. Anderson?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Max Foster, thanks so much. The news continues. "The Source with Kaitlan Collins" starts now. I'll see you tomorrow.
