Return to Transcripts main page

The Lead with Jake Tapper

Sen. Joni Ernst, (R-IA), Senators Question Trump's Pick To Lead DHS About His Temperament, TSA, DHS Funding, War In Iran; Israel Says It "Eliminated" A Third Top Iranian Official; Top U.S. Counterterrorism Official Resigns Over Iran War; Sen. Alex Padilla (D- CA), Is Interviewed About Senate Democrats Fiercely Reject GOP-Led Voter I.D. Bill; House Dems Push For Vote On DHS Funding Without ICE Or CBP; New Guidelines Suggest Cholesterol Treatment For Younger Adults. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired March 18, 2026 - 17:00   ET

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

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- Duke, that's --

KASIE HUNT, CNN HOST: Well, also that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

HUNT: We can agree on that. American agree on that. All right, guys, thank you. I really appreciate it.

You at home, don't forget you can now stream The Arena live. Catch up whenever you want in the CNN app. Just scan that QR code below on your screen. You can also catch up by listening to The Arenas podcast. You can follow the show on X and Instagram at thearenacnn.

Now, Jake Tapper is standing by for the lead. Jake is, thankfully, not agnostic --

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: No.

HUNT: -- on the question of the University of Michigan. Go blue.

TAPPER: Go blue. My daughter goes to Michigan, so obviously I am now a Wolverine.

Kasie, are you anchoring your show today from the deck of the Starship Enterprise? What's going on exactly?

HUNT: You know, we're being hosted by the usual set of "The Source" for the next six weeks while they improve upon the. The studio that we normally are in. So we'll be, you know --

TAPPER: I like it. Are you --

HUNT: I like the Starship Enterprise, you know.

TAPPER: Yes, I think you need Kirk's chair, but we'll figure it out. We'll look more for -- HUNT: We'll ask (inaudible) for that.

TAPPER: Yes. We'll look for more tomorrow in "The Arena."

HUNT: OK. Thanks, Jake.

[17:00:59]

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Hey, are we actually getting congressional oversight today? Did that happen? The Lead starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RAND PAUL (R-KY), CHAIRMAN, HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE: Tell the world why you believe I deserve to be assaulted from behind, have six ribs broken and a damaged lung. Tell me to my face why you think I deserved it. (END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: On Capitol Hill today, Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin facing some tough questions from Senator Rand Paul while trying to separate himself from Kristi Noem, the DHS chief just fired by President Trump. Was the former MMA fighter able to fight back? Plus, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on the ropes, pressed on the underlying evidence, or lack thereof, behind the war with Iran. And also questions of what is an imminent threat and also why she was at that FBI raid of the Fulton County, Georgia election office. And next up this hour, Attorney General Pam Bondi is going to face lawmakers over her handling the Epstein files.

Welcome to The Lead. I'm Jake Tapper. We're going to start in our politics lead. As today, the Department of Homeland Security has been under scrutiny in multiple ways. One, a tense Senate confirmation hearing for Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, Trump's new pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security after Trump kicked Kristi Noem to the curb following her troubling tenure.

And two, those long, long, long lines you're seeing at U.S. airports, all because of the Senate dysfunction and partial government shutdown. It's all over funding for Homeland Security. And millions of air travelers are feeling the impact as TSA workers just missed their first full paycheck since funding lapsed in mid-February. In the most recent government shutdown of several Homeland Security says at least 366 TSA officers have just outright quit and there's no sign that this funding impasse will be over anytime soon.

On Capitol Hill, the Mullin hearing earlier today got fiery over an additional issue non Homeland Security related with Republican Senator Rand Paul saying he will not vote for Mullin because today Mullin refused to apologize for once, saying that he understood why Rand Paul's neighbor violently attacked him in 2017, sending Senator Paul to the hospital with serious injuries.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: You told the media that I was a freaking snake and that you completely understood why I had been assaulted. You went on to brag that you had already told me to my face that you completely understood and approved of the assault. Well, that's a lie. You got a chance today. You can either continue to lie or you can correct the record.

Tell the world why you believe I deserve to be assaulted from behind, have six ribs broken and a damaged lung. Tell me to my face why you think I deserved it. And while you're at it, explain to the American public why they should trust a man with anger issues to set the proper example for ICE and Border Patrol agents.

SEN. MARKWAYNE MULLIN (R-OK), HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY NOMINEE: Mr. Chairman, first of all, I didn't know the extent of your damage.

PAUL: Haven't heard I misspoke, and it was heated, and I made a mistake.

MULLIN: I actually wasn't heated, and I'm not apologizing for pointing at your character.

PAUL: Good, good. So you're jolly well fine. And you want the American public and the people up here to vote -- that may or may not vote for you to know that you supported the felonious, violent attack on me from behind?

MULLIN: I did not say I supported it. I said I understood it. There's a difference.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Also in the hearing, Democratic Senator Gary Peters of Michigan pressed Senator Mullin about the fact that he had called killed anti-ICE protester Alex Pretti a, quote, "deranged individual." Though there was no evidence to back that up.

[17:05:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MULLIN: Those words probably should have been retracted. I shouldn't have said that. And as secretary, I wouldn't. The investigation is ongoing. And there is -- like I said, there's sometimes going to make mistake and I own it.

That one, I went out there too fast. I was responding immediately without the facts. That's my fault. That won't happen as secretary.

SEN. GARY PETERS (D-MI), RANKING MEMBER, HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE: So you regret that statement?

MULLIN: I already said that. Yes, sir.

PETERS: Would you want to apologize to the family of Alex Pretti?

MULLIN: Well, sir, I just said I regret those statements.

PETERS: Is that the same as an apology? MULLIN: I haven't seen the investigation. We'll let the investigation go through. And if I'm proven wrong, then I will, absolutely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: The committee is scheduled to meet for a vote on Mullin's confirmation as DHS secretary tomorrow. Democratic Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania has signaled that he is on board with Mullin. So his vote would theoretically be enough to send the Mullin nomination to the floor of the Senate, where Mullin is likely to win the votes for confirmation.

Joining us now, Republican Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa who sits on the Homeland Security and Armed Services Committees.

Senator, good to have you on the program. So you heard Senator Paul accusing Senator Mullin of having anger issues, saying he should have apologized for saying he understood why Paul's neighbor so violently attacked him. Paul says this is part of a pattern of temperament issues and justifying violence. What's your take on it all?

SEN. JONI ERNST (R-IA): Well, I think what you saw demonstrated, Jake, and thank you for having me, is obviously two different, very different personalities going at it in the public space. I have personally witnessed between these two individuals before more private settings, this same type of angst. But what I will say is that what I have witnessed with my -- working with Senator Mullin is that he does try very hard to work across the aisle with Democrats, with Republicans, with people that he disagrees with. And here we know that Rand Paul simply is not wanting to work with Republicans in general. And in this case, this particular nominee. TAPPER: Paul said -- Rand Paul said that Mullin has anger issues.

You've seen Mullin behind the scenes. Does he have anger issues, in your opinion?

ERNST: I don't think he does. And actually, he has been pretty even keel. I think what you can see and what you've seen demonstrated through various committees is a lot of positioning, political positioning. But when he's working with others and seeking information, especially when he's working with Democrats across the aisle working on various legislative issues, he will sit down and have a calm, reasonable discussion, which is why you saw Congressman Josh Gottheimer there today, which is why, you know, we had another fiery moment with the head of the Teamsters, Mr. O'Brien, in one of those committee meetings. Now, they are very tight.

They are close. They have come together, worked through those disagreements and are actually the best of friends now, which is why he also was at the hearing to support Markwayne Mullin. So it's an interesting dynamic. But what we see, Jake, is what we get. Someone that does work very hard behind the scenes.

He is working with the administration, he is working with the House, he is working with the Senate. It doesn't matter R or D, this is a man that is trying to find answers and is willing to work with anyone. Will he have disagreements? Absolutely. But the one great thing, you will always know where you stand with Senator Mullin.

TAPPER: So let's talk about another Department of Homeland Security issue, this partial government shutdown over DHS funding, it's leaving TSA workers without pay. Three hundred sixty-six of them have quit. There are all these long lines for air travelers coast to coast. Today, Michigan Senator Peters said that there is an easy solution. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETERS: If Republicans really do agree with us that TSA and other personnel need to be paid, then they should join us and pass the bills to pay them today. We can do that, while we continue to negotiate needed ICE reforms.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: It does seem as though the Senate is not going to solve these immigration policy disagreements anytime soon. Why not just vote to pay these poor TSA employees and others and give relief to American travelers?

ERNST: Well, we have voted over and over again to open up the government and support DHS, Department of Homeland Security, as a whole appropriations bill. Now, what the Democrats are insisting upon, we're going to parse out this piece and that piece. And if we do that, I guarantee you in the future, if I have an issue with a singular department at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, I'm going to say, you know what, we're not going to fund USDA until we fund or don't fund this particular area. It gets very, very messy. We know that we need to fund DHS.

Let's do it as a whole. These TSA agents, you mentioned the 366, that's on top of the 1,000 TSA agents that quit last year during the Schumer shutdown. So let's come together.

[17:10:12]

There is a way through this and I know there is. We have to sit down, we have to work it out. Katie Britt, Senator Britt, is working this. She is in charge of DHS appropriations in the Senate. Democrats are refusing to sit down with Senator Britt and actually walk through what their demands are.

So we know the White House made a proposal to the Democrats 18 days ago.

TAPPER: Right.

ERNST: Democrats just came back with their demand.

TAPPER: So I want to ask you about the war in Iran because your home state of Iowa is grieving the loss of multiple service members. We've mentioned their names before. I'm going to mention them again.

ERNST: Please. TAPPER: Twenty-year-old Sergeant Declan Coady, 45-year-old Major Jeffrey O'Brien, 54-year-old Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M. Marzan, who -- their -- whose family lives in Iowa. All three killed by an Iranian drone strike in Kuwait. There are questions about whether their talk had proper warning sirens and defenses ahead of the attack. Does that concern you? Have you requested more information on this incident?

ERNST: Well, what I've just heard through the public space, what I know, in talking with various individuals associated with this particular unit, the 130 or 103rd sustainment command expeditionary out of Des Moines, Iowa, they were trying to mitigate the opportunity for such a disaster. They were trying to disperse a number of their operations in different locations which unfortunately, while we lost those six members, perhaps we did save countless others by those types of tactics. I do want the public to know and especially all of our Iowans as we are grieving the loss of these individuals. And there were six total lost in this attack, all in the 103rd Sustainment Command. But what I want those that are grieving to know and understand is that we appreciate their service so much.

This has been a noble endeavor. Thousand -- over a thousand Americans have died at the hands of the Iranians. And we hope that because of these actions we don't see another American innocent life lost at the hands of the Iranians or their proxies.

TAPPER: Yes.

ERNST: So what I have heard, Jake, and I will tell you that I have heard from leaders all throughout that region, both in Israel and Arab nations, and they are saying, keep going, don't let Iran come back. Because they have been a threat to so many in that region as well as to the United States of America. Let's complete this mission. Let's end it.

TAPPER: Republican Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa, thank you so much. Thank you for your service. And please come back soon. We haven't seen you in a while.

ERNST: Yes. Thank you, Jake, very much. TAPPER: Coming up next, the war in Iran. New attacks today on Iranian

gas and oil fields as prices surge worldwide. A key Israeli adviser to Prime Minister Netanyahu is coming up with his assessment. But first, a tough day on Wall Street. The DOW closing down 768 points, hitting its lowest level of 2026. The S&P and NASDAQ also closing sharply down. We're back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:17:09]

TAPPER: In our world lead, it is another day, another Iranian leader targeted and killed by the Israeli military. This time Iran's intelligence chief, whom the Israelis say was responsible for the regime's internal repression and assassination apparatus, Esmail Khatib. The Israelis say that he was eliminated overnight. His death comes as a big crowd turned out in Tehran today for the funerals of two other Iranian leaders recently killed by Israeli strikes.

Ophir Falk, an adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, joins us now to talk about this and the military campaign.

Mr. Falk, why was he targeted?

OPHIR FALK, NETANYAHU FOREIGN POLICY ADVISER: Thank you for having me, Jake. Well, our objective in this operation is to remove the existential threat posed by the Ayatollah regime. The best way of doing that is to remove the Ayatollah regime. Another way of doing that, obviously, is to degrade their capability, to degrade their military capability back to the Stone Age, more or less. And that's what we're doing.

Those are two parallel lines. At the end of the day, we're creating the conditions for the Iranian people to do the right thing at the right time.

TAPPER: So I want to ask you something about domestic politics here, because Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center in the Trump administration, he resigned yesterday, and his letter said, quote, "Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation," meaning the United States. And "It is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby." He goes on to say that Israeli leaders and members of the American media deployed a misinformation campaign, in his view -- in his words, that wholly undermined your America first platform. What's your take? What's your response?

FALK: I don't want to -- I don't want to speculate on American politics. I've never heard of this Joe Kent guy. But what I can say is that it's ludicrous to say that somebody could pressure President Trump to do anything, certainly not to make a decision to go to war. President Trump made the decision for the best of the American people and for the free world in that -- in that -- in that -- for that regard, and we're grateful that he has. And he's saving the free world right now by doing what he's doing.

TAPPER: He also said that what happened with Iran was, quote, "the same tactic the Israelis used to draw us into the disastrous Iraq war that cost our nation the lives of thousands of our best men and women." And then he went on to write that his then wife, Shannon, who was a naval officer, killed tragically by suicide bombers, ISIS suicide bombers in 2019 in Syria. He called that war against ISIS in Syria. He called it a, quote, "war manufactured by Israel. What do you make of all this?

[17:20:00]

FALK: Well, that's factually wrong, 100 percent wrong. And again, I don't want to speculate about these internal politics. I've never heard of this Joe Kent guy. And I'm sure that -- I'm sure, 100 percent sure that President Trump is working for the -- for the American people. He made the absolutely correct decision because what Iran was doing, it was burying their ballistic missiles underground. They were building it at record speed. It was an imminent threat. Anybody with an above average IQ could understand that. And they were digging -- they were bearing these missiles underground to a point where they would be immune. That's one.

Two, there was high concern that they would attack first. So we hit them before they hit us. And we're going to -- we're going to finish the job.

TAPPER: Iran says that Israel and the U.S. attacked Iranian gas and oil facilities today. A U.S. official denies that the U.S. took part in such an attack. Clearly there are photographs, video of something burning. Do you know what happened?

FALK: What we are doing for the past 20 days, we've been hitting regime targets. We've been hitting regime targets, and we're degrading the regime's capability. On the other hand, the regime is targeting civilians, Israeli civilians and civilians around the Gulf. That's the main difference between us and this death cult regime in Iran. They target civilians directly and through their proxies.

They've been doing this for 47 years. For 47 years, they've been saying, death to America, death to Israel. And I think the rational people should believe it. Not only have they called that, they've killed thousands of Americans, they've killed thousands of Israelis, and they've slaughtered tens of thousands of Iranian people on the streets of Tehran. We're make -- we're putting an end to all of that and we're creating the conditions for the Iranian people to do the right thing.

TAPPER: Ophir Falk, thank you so much. Appreciate your time today, sir.

FALK: Thank you, Jake. Thank you for having me.

TAPPER: Ahead, a shocking report from the New York Times. Sexual assault and rape allegations against the late Cesar Chavez, one of the most influential labor leaders in U.S. history and the most famous Latino civil rights hero in American history. The rush to cancel events in light of this reporting that's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:26:41]

TAPPER: Our national lead now. Celebrations of the most prominent Latino civil rights leader in American history, Cesar Chavez, have now been canceled in many places amid shocking new sexual misconduct and rape allegations. The New York Times says its reporters spent more than five years and spoke with more than 60 people for an investigation that detailed stories from women who say they were as young as 12 years old when Chavez first began molesting and sexually abusing them. Quote, "Many of the women stayed silent for decades, both out of shame and for fear of tarnishing the image of a man who has become the face of the Latino civil rights movement, his image on school murals and his birthday a state holiday in California." Among the accusers is Dolores Huerta, who cofounded United Farm Workers alongside Chavez.

Let's bring in CNN Stephanie Elam from our California bureau.

Stephanie, CNN has not independently verified these stories. What more are we learning about these troubling allegations?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, they're truly shocking, Jake. And when you listen to what Dolores Huerta has to say, this is a woman who says that she sat on the secret for some 60 years. She is a labor leader. She is a civil rights icon in her own right. She is still alive.

She is about to be 96 years old. And she put out a statement today because of this New York Times article. Let me read to you part of it. In which she says, "As a young mother in the 1960s, I experienced two separate sexual encounters with Cesar. The first time, I was manipulated and pressured into having sex with him, and I didn't feel I could say no because he was someone that I admired, my boss and the leader of the movement I had already devoted years of my life to. The second time I was forced against my will in an environment where I felt trapped."

She goes on to say that both of those sexual encounters led to pregnancies. She managed to hide both of those pregnancies, delivered the children and gave them to families that she said could give them stable lives. She said no one knew the full truth of that until they were of their conception until a few weeks ago. She goes on to say in the statement, "I carried this secret for a long -- as I did because building the movement and securing farmworker rights was my life's work. The formation of a union was the only vehicle to accomplish and secure those rights and I wasn't going to let Cesar or anyone else get in the way."

She goes on in the statement to say that she was sickened by this New York Times reporting to learn that children, that young girls, had been affected because of Cesar Chavez's actions. And in that article, the New York Times profiled two women, both of them are 66 years old now, but they go through, and they went through looking at documents, e-mails, talking to people related to them who knew their relationship with them at the time. Ana Murguia said she was molested by Cesar Chavez when she was 13 and he was 45. She said dozens of encounters happened over four years. And then there was also Deborah Rojas, who said that she was fondled by him when she was 12 and had to have sex with him when she was 15.

She said that he was very good at grooming and should have won an Academy Award for that. Now, I need to just tell you quickly, Jake, that Cesar Chavez's family did put out a statement saying that they're not in a position to judge these claims. And as a family, they are steeped in the values of equity and justice. We honor the voices of those who feel unheard and who report sexual misconduct. They said these allegations are deeply painful to our family. Jake?

[17:30:10] TAPPER: A shocking story, amazing reporting and a horrible, horrible story. Stephanie Elam, thank you so much.

More reaction next from a California senator who filed legislation last year to name and build a national park after Cesar Chavez.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TAPPER: And we're back with the Politics Lead, California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom reacting in real time to "The New York Times" investigation detailing sexual misconduct allegations against civil rights icon, Cesar Chavez. Ahead of the state holiday named for Chavez, the holiday coming up on March 31st.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[17:35:07]

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Would you consider changing the holiday name to reflect the movement instead of --

GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): Yes, look, I would. Yes, no, I appreciate it. And look, yes, I'm open. Obviously, these are brand new conversations. So we're having conversations in a very public way right now. But those are important conversations. I think we need to have those conversations. I think that's the right thing to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Let's bring in Democratic Senator Alex Padilla from California. Senator, I know you want to talk about the SAVE America Act, and we'll talk about that in one second. But I do want to ask you about this because you're from California. You've already issued a statement about the shocking news about Chavez, saying that you stand with survivors.

But you also last year introduced legislation to create the Cesar Chavez and the Farmworker Movement National Historic Park. And I'm wondering, is that legislation going to go forward? Are you going to maybe rename it just the Farmworker Movement National Park? What's your thinking?

SEN. ALEX PADILLA (D-CA): Yes, well, I appreciate the question, Jake. And look, yes, we're going to rework that piece of legislation, not just for the name and the title of the legislation, but the substance of it as well, to better reflect the Farmworker Movement.

As it pertains to today's reports that we've all read in "The New York Times," let me just say, it is heartbreaking, these horrific accounts of abuse. And so, yes, first and foremost, like so many of us, we stand with the victims. They deserve to be heard. They deserve to be supported. They deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.

We have to demand accountability whenever there's an instance of exploitation, abuse of minors, the stuff that we're learning about in real time. And I think the best way to honor the Farmworker Movement and the values that it represents, justice and dignity for all, is to not shy away from these very painful conversations that we're having in real time across the country, but to also lean in to the true values of the movement and demand accountability whenever we hear of these instances of abuse.

TAPPER: Maybe Dolores Huerta can replace those statues and street names to honor the movement. Anyway, let's move on to the debate playing out this week over the so-called SAVE America Act, the Republican-led voter I.D. bill.

There's a lot of political messaging from both sides around the bill. Republicans say this would make voting safer, keep out illegal voters. Democrats say it puts up more roadblocks to legitimate voters. Here's what the bill actually says would be acceptable proof of citizenship for voting under this law.

A real I.D. card, a valid U.S. passport, an official U.S. military I.D. card along with a record of service showing a U.S. birthplace, a government-issued photo I.D. card showing a U.S. birthplace, or paired with a birth certificate, an adoption decree, report of birth abroad, naturalization certificate, or American Indian card.

I understand this bill includes a lot more than just the documentation requirements, but a lot of Americans might hear that list and think, that's a lot of options, and wonder, do Democrats have an issue with voter I.D. in general or just this specific voter I.D. bill?

PADILLA: Yes, well, I think just the sheer description of this bill as a voter I.D. bill is a bait-and-switch. Because, look, as you've laid out, most people's common I.D. isn't enough to be able to vote under the language of this bill. Most people have as an identification maybe a driver's license or a state I.D. Not a real I.D. That's why the Trump administration is charging you $45 to travel if you want to board a plane without a real I.D., because a lot of people haven't taken the step of getting a real I.D.

Half of Americans don't have a current valid passport, and so the effect would be them not being able to access the polls and cast their ballot. And, really, who has their original birth certificate readily at hand to find your birth certificate? Most people have to crawl through the attic or the basement or the garage or maybe call their parents, hoping somebody knows where it is.

So it's very problematic, and it's not insignificant that, aside from the I.D. provisions of the bill, it would eliminate most voter registration opportunities as we know it. No online voter registration, no registration drives in communities, on colleges. Even the ability to register to vote when you go to the DMV, which Congress on a bipartisan basis called for in 1993, would be eliminated.

And last but not least, Jake, for DHS to acquire not just voter rolls, but the personal information of every voter in America. Why? To supercharge their voter purge agenda. It's not theoretical. It's happening in demonstration cases already with 12 states that have succumbed to Trump MAGA pressure.

TAPPER: Democratic Senator Alex Padilla of California, thank you so much, sir. Appreciate it.

[17:40:03]

Coming up, what the Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said today about popping up at that FBI raid on an elections office in Atlanta, Georgia, and how that testimony contradicts the President. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TULSI GABBARD, DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: I did not participate in a law enforcement activity, nor would I, because that does not exist within my authorities.

SEN. MARK WARNER (D-VA), VICE CHAIRMAN, INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: You were present on the scene.

GABBARD: I was at Fulton County.

WARNER: Are the photos of you on the scene false?

GABBARD: I was at Fulton County, sir, at the request of the President, and to work with the FBI to observe this action.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[17:45:03]

TAPPER: So in our Politics Lead, that is the Director of National Intelligence, former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, saying that she was at the FBI raid on a Fulton County election office in Georgia at the request of President Trump. It doesn't exactly square with why President Trump has said she was there. Here now is our panel.

So take a listen, guys, to what the President said last month at the prayer breakfast about Tulsi Gabbard being in Atlanta that time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: She took a lot of heat because she went in at Pam's insistence. She went in and she looked at votes that want to be checked out from Georgia. They say, why is she doing it? Right, Pam? Why is she doing it? Because Pam wanted her to do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: So did Pam Bondi want her to do it or did President Trump want her to do it?

BRYAN LANZA, FORMER SENIOR ADVISER, TRUMP 2024 CAMPAIGN: I think it's pretty clear President Trump wanted her to do it. It is what it is. But yes, listen, he clearly can't get over 2020. He clearly, you know, sees Fulton County has some issues. He's going to continue to invest resources and time. The same with Arizona. I wish the President would focus on the economy more, especially that that's what voters care about. But this is a bone he can't let go of.

TAPPER: Yes. Let's turn to day 33 now of the partial government shutdown. Democrats filed a petition today to fund TSA, FEMA, the Coast Guard and other non-immigration DHS agencies. Here's House Democratic leader, minority leader, Hakeem Jeffries.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY), MINORITY LEADER: It's time for Republicans to stop holding the American people hostage to their extreme immigration agenda and to put the American people first. It's time to pay TSA agents and it's time to pay them now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: So Democrats in the House would need four Republican signatures to force this onto the floor for a vote. Earlier this month, we should note, the House did pass a bill to fund the entire department, including the parts that Democrats don't want funded until there are changes in immigration policy. Do you think any of the Republicans are going to sign on, especially in those swing districts?

MO ELLEITHEE, EXECUTIVE DIR., GEORGETOWN INSTITUTE OF POLITICS & PUBLIC SERVICE: I mean, if they're looking at polling right now and they're looking -- and they're worried about re-election in any of those swing districts, they should, right? Because this makes sense. People want to see ICE reform. People don't want the entire Department of Homeland Security shut down. Democrats have put forward a plan that would allow the TSA, FEMA, other DHS agencies to move forward while they work to reform ICE.

It's pretty simple math. If they can't get four Republicans to sign on to that, that tells us a whole lot about where that center of gravity is in the Republican Party.

TAPPER: The issue is really in the Senate, not the House. And DHS, the full funding bill has passed the House. And the Democrats won't allow a vote on it in the Senate until these changes are made. Congressman Don Beyer of Virginia, a House Democrat, is starting to question his party's strategy on this. He told Axios, "It's not forcing any change," meaning this partial shutdown. "In the meantime, we're making people hurt. The long lines, that can't make us more popular. We're on the right side on ICE, but not on the rest."

LANZA: I mean, listen, elections are about change. You know, what the Democrats are trying to do is they're trying to circumvent an election and try and force a government shutdown to change policies that were decided on elections. You know, this is the typical approach. They want to stop deportations. They've given the opportunity to go back to open borders.

So we should be very clear what the Democrats want with their policy changes. They want open borders and they want no deportation and they want sanctuary cities all over America. Trump and his side is saying no, and they're going to fight for that. And they asked a policy to change without an election. It's just unprecedented. And it will come back to bite them.

ELLEITHEE: I have a hard time believing that this ICE policy, that what people saw on the streets of Minneapolis is what they voted for on election day. They voted to shut the border, but they did not vote for that kind of militarized interior action that resulted in the death of American citizens.

LANZA: Sure. But --

ELLEITHEE: And so that's what the Democrats are trying to force. They're trying to force simple reforms that would make ICE more accountable, not to abolish it, to make it more accountable. I think that's going to resonate.

LANZA: Listen, ICE should absolutely be more accountable. Customs and borders should be accountable too. But let's be clear what the Democrats are trying to do. They're trying to stop deportation policy. That's what they're trying to do. And yes, some of the process was chaotic. We had some very tragic steps.

Those things happen. Those get things get changed. But what shouldn't happen is you shouldn't have a Democratic Party say, hey, we are going to ignore the last election and say, no, we need to keep these illegals here. We need to expand that voter base.

ELLEITHEE: This is the great -- this is the debate we should be having right now in Washington. So I ask Republicans open up the rest of DHS, as Democrats have suggested, so we can have that conversation. There's no need to anchor down the rest of it because of this disagreement.

[17:50:14]

TAPPER: Let's turn to another issue because today Vice President J.D. Vance went to Michigan to rally Republicans at a manufacturing plant outside Detroit. Here's what the Vice President said about rising gas prices.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The President said this, and I certainly agree with it. This is a temporary blip. OK. What happened under the Biden administration is the gas prices were high for four years. Gas prices are higher right now. And frankly, they're not even as high as they were during certain parts of the Biden administration because of what's going on in the Middle East. It's not going to last forever. We've got a rough road ahead of us for the next few weeks, but it's temporary.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Gas prices are now the highest on average since September, 2023. How much patience do you think Americans have? And do you think it really is just a blip you're in the economic world? LANZA: I think ultimately it will be a blip, but I also think Americans don't have any patience when it comes to gas. We're coming, you know, I, this morning, you know, I spent 5.25, a gallon to fill up my car. Two weeks ago, it was 3.75, you know, I think that will have a dramatic impact, you know, two weeks, a month out.

And I don't think it's a temporary, I do think it's a temporary, but once we find a fix to the war, once we find an exit plan, I do think prices will eventually return.

TAPPER: Mo, 10 seconds.

ELLEITHEE: We need a plan before we can have an exit plan. And look, we've seen this, the secondary, the fed refusing to cut interest rates. This costing billions and billions of dollars to the treasury. I don't think Americans have very much patience at all.

TAPPER: Thanks to both of you. There were other contradicting testimony moments from DNI Gabbard, including her apparent evolving views on what constitutes an imminent threat. That and more next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:56:01]

TAPPER: Our Health Lead now, we're paging Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Dr. Gupta to answer your questions on high cholesterol and why some of our younger viewers might want to start paying attention to their cholesterol. Sanjay, our first question comes from Juan in Palmetto, Florida. He asks you, "Will doctors begin to incorporate testing LPA levels for their patients?"

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm so glad we're getting questions about LPA. A lot of people asking about this Lp(a), lipoprotein (a) or LP little a get to know this term, because I think this is going to become just as important as just talking about cholesterol overall. So this is another type of cholesterol particle, Jake, but a couple of interesting things about it.

It's largely genetic, meaning that it's going to be pretty stable over someone's lifetime. It doesn't really respond to lifestyle changes like a diet or exercise. It's not going to go up or down in response to diet or exercise. And about 20 percent of the population has elevated levels of this. So you only need to get it checked once, but if it's high Jake, that means potentially you have to, if you're sort of borderline high on your cholesterol and you have a high Lp(a), that's going to tip the scales more likely in, in terms of taking statin drugs. So get it checked once. I think that's going to be the advice.

TAPPER: Sanjay, Ryan from diamond bar, California wants to know, "How common do each of the side effects from statins occur?"

GUPTA: Yes. Another really important question. First of all, I just want to say broadly speaking, Jake, as we've talked about these guideline changes, pretty big deal. But if you think about it, you might have millions more people starting to take these medications earlier in life. And for many of them, they may be taking it for decades, if not the rest of their life.

I think that's probably the biggest concern overall. That's going to be a lot more medications in society overall. And I think, you know, that makes some people obviously nervous, but in terms of specific side effects, I don't know if you can see this, this wheel, Jake, you don't have to pay attention to the words or anything there, but this is how you sort of scientists look at side effects.

Sixty-six different potential side effects were reported with statins. They go and they explore each one, which of these are directly related to statins, which are not. And they find that there are four that are most common muscle aches and pains, about 5 to 10 percent of the population, sometimes severe enough that people stop taking the statin medications, liver abnormalities.

You'll typically get a blood test, checking your liver function tests before you start taking statins. And then again, a few months into it. And then there are things like elevating your blood sugars as well. So things like that, they pay attention to, but pretty, pretty low side effect profile overall.

TAPPER: Yes. I take a statin and I haven't seen any side effects. Sanjay, Takbir takes a statin, he wants to know, will I need to use it for life or until bringing the cholesterol to lower limits?

GUPTA: You know, most people are going to be on these medications for a long time, if not for life. I think you separate it really into two categories. People who are taking it for primary prevention, people were taking it for secondary prevention. Primary prevention means you haven't had any kind of heart problem. You're taking it to prevent that from happening.

Those people may be able to get off statins. Still pretty unlikely, but more likely than if you're taking it for secondary prevention, meaning you've had some sort of heart problem. Now you're on the statin, you're trying to prevent a secondary problem. But you know, one, according to studies I read last night, one in 77 people roughly come off of statins. The vast majority, once you start taking it, you're probably going to be on it for the rest of your life.

TAPPER: All right, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, thanks so much.

GUPTA: Got it.

TAPPER: Welcome to The Lead. I'm Jake Tapper. This hour, was there or was there not an imminent threat from Iran when the U.S. carried out military strikes? The director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard dodged on this question today, claiming it's the President's job, not hers, to make that call. But shouldn't the nation's top intelligence chief be able to answer that.

[18:00:08]

Plus, right now --