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Hegseth Says Regime Change Has Occurred; Gas hits $4 for National Average; Rep. Julie Johnson (D-TX) is Interviewed about Iran; Son May Take Stand in Father's Attempted Murder Trial; Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA) is Interviewed about Iran. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired March 31, 2026 - 09:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:01:02]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Gas prices soar above $4 a gallon, the highest since 2022. A dollar jump in just a month.

Regime change has occurred in Iran. Those the words from the defense secretary just a few moments ago as the president hints the United States could end the war before opening the Strait of Hormuz.

And a police officer pulls a man from a burning car that flipped right over.

I'm John Berman, with Kate Bolduan and Sara Sidner. This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: And there is breaking news this morning from the Pentagon to the gas pump. Moments ago, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave his first briefing in nearly two weeks with regard to the war with Iran, just as that war is also driving U.S. gas prices above $4 a gallon on average, the highest level of any point in either of Trump's presidencies. Hegseth said that he visited U.S. troops this weekend and also said this about leadership in Iran.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE HEGSETH, DEFENSE SECRETARY: President Trump doesn't bluff, and he does not back down. You can ask Khamenei about that. The new Iranian regime should know that by now. This new regime, because regime change has occurred, should be wiser than the last.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Secretary Hegseth also spoke about, and was asked about, the Strait of Hormuz, that critical shipping channel and oil route, saying that the United States is taking steps to reopen it, but he was, one, not specific and did not also not offer clarity about whether or not the president makes that a requirement of opening the Strait of Hormuz as a requirement, an objective of this war. He's also spoke to and backed up President Trump and his criticism just this morning of European allies, saying that they should do more to help with the war effort. And when he was asked about a potential ground invasion of Iran, Hegseth said, the United States aims to, quote, "be unpredictable" when it comes to having American boots on the ground.

CNN's Alayna Treene is live at the White House.

Now, you were listening to this very closely, along with all of us. What stuck out to you? What questions now will the White House be facing today?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I think a number of points. You've hit some of them, Kate. But I do want to start with his comments on the Strait of Hormuz and remind you what we saw from President Trump earlier today, essentially saying that it's time for European countries to step up and try to help reopen it. His exact words were, and he was referencing the U.K. specifically, saying, "you have to start learning to fight for yourselves. The USA won't be there to help you anymore." He also said that they should go in and take it, saying, "go in and take the oil that you need" from the Strait.

Very much kind of indicating and suggesting here, Kate, that really the United States recognizes, of course, this is a problem. They are working to try and get this straight reopened and have a handle on it. But they don't necessarily view it as solely a U.S. problem. And Hegseth kind of said as much when addressing reporters this morning.

Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE HEGSETH, DEFENSE SECRETARY: I think the president's Truth this morning lays that out very well, that this Strait of Hormuz issue, which we've set the conditions for success, and we will make sure Iran is -- knows that very clearly, is not just a United States of America problem set. We've been willing to lead. President Trump's led the entire time. But it's not just us.

So, ultimately, I think other countries should pay attention when the president speaks. He's proven that when he speaks, he means something. And he's pointing out, you know, you might, might want to start learning how to fight for yourself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TREENE: Now, a couple of things here. From my conversations with people in the White House and throughout the Trump administration, I do know that they are serious about trying to reopen this straight.

[09:05:01]

But at the same time, I think this language that is very precise and careful that you're hearing Hegseth use here, what we're hearing from the president, and also from the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, yesterday is, they do not want to set this as one of the core objectives. I think that they recognize this is something that they don't necessarily want to promise, the reopening of the Strait before potentially declaring mission accomplished or saying that the war with Iran is ended.

But I would also remind our viewers that this is a huge, I'm sure, concerning problem for many United States allies, some of which, of course, or really all of whom did not know that the U.S. was going to strike Israel or, excuse me, strike Iran with Israel when they did, but also weren't consulted on that.

The other quick things I'd note is really you're seeing this new line from top administration officials, like Hegseth, trying to argue that regime change has occurred. You've heard the president and the White House trying to maintain that as well, this idea that perhaps they will be more reasonable now with new leadership in place. We'll have to see. He also said a priority, as of now, is to have some sort of deal, diplomacy, as a top option. But, of course, they are reserving all military options, including ground troops, if diplomacy fails.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: Yes. And at the same time, the secretary of state making clear that they are unclear as to who the leadership really is, though, in Iran, at the very same time.

Great to see you, Alayna. Thank you so much.

John.

BERMAN: Breaking this morning, the national average for a gallon of gas is higher than $4. This is the highest in nearly four years. Higher than any point during the president's two terms. West Texas crude oil prices, the U.S. benchmark, they settle at their highest point in four years. And you can see they're actually up from what they closed at last night, which I said was pretty high already.

Let's get to CNN senior reporter Matt Egan, who is here with us.

And this $4 a gallon, I mean, this is a benchmark, a pretty big psychological barrier.

MATT EGAN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Yes, a huge psychological barrier. And one, John, that was unthinkable when the year started, right? $4 a gallon gas in March. But here we are. So, the new national average, $4.02. That is well above the $2.98 a gallon before the war started, significantly higher than $3.17 at this point last year. And analysts warn that the national average could approach, or even take out, the all-time high of $5 a gallon that was set four years ago after Russia invaded Ukraine.

And look, drivers in some parts of the country, they're already facing significantly higher prices, right? $4.20 a gallon or higher in Illinois, Utah, Arizona, above $5 in Washington state, approaching $6 in California.

Now, obviously, this is all about the fact that the war has set off this epic supply disruption, right? Bigger than after Russia invaded Ukraine. Bigger than the first gulf war, the second gulf war. That's why oil prices have skyrocketed. As you mentioned, U.S. crude topping $100 a barrel, settling above that level for the first time in four years yesterday, and trading above there today as well.

The problem is that the market just cannot function if the Strait of Hormuz remains shut down. And overnight, we had another fully loaded oil tanker off the coast of Dubai that was struck by what Kuwaiti officials have blamed on an Iranian drone attack. And the investment bank, Macquarie (ph) out of Australia, they're warning that if this war continues and it lasts through June, and the Strait of Hormuz remains shut, you could see far higher prices. Oil could hit $200 a barrel. John, that does not equate to $5 a gallon gas or $6, but something like $7 a gallon gas.

Now, I know $200 oil, it sounds kind of crazy, but some of the oil analysts that I'm in touch with, they're not dismissing this, right? Veteran analyst Bob McNally, he told me that high 100 or even, yes, $200 is possible if this crisis continues to drag on. And McNally, you know, he said the market has just stopped listening to Trump. He said they're not buying it anymore. Earlier in this crisis, the market kind of believed the president's comments around a quick ending to this war. But now there's a lot more skepticism, John.

And so, look, I think the bottom line is the Strait of Hormuz, right? If it can reopen, then you could see oil prices crash back to earth. But if not, then this pain at the pump could get worse before it gets better.

BERMAN: And look, we'll see how they react to the news from the president that he's considering, or hinting at the fact that the United States may end its efforts there without reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

EGAN: Yes.

BERMAN: That will be interesting.

Matt Egan, I have to say, welcome back.

EGAN: Thank you, John.

BERMAN: It's great to see you again. Now, a father multiple times over. Good luck to you.

EGAN: Thank you, John. I need it.

BERMAN: Sara.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, thank you so much. And welcome back, Matt.

Joining me now is Democratic Congresswoman Julie Johnson of Texas. She serves on the House Foreign Affairs and Homeland Security Committees.

Thank you for being here. Look, we just listened to a briefing from the Pentagon. Secretary of

Defense Pete Hegseth says that they have achieved regime change in Iran.

[09:10:01]

So, I guess the question to you is, is it time to leave now if that is the case?

REP. JULIE JOHNSON (D-TX): Well, I don't believe they've actually effectuated regime change. You know, the Iranian national guard is still in place. I mean, all their leadership has actually gotten more conservative than what it was before. I don't think that there's (ph) actually had regime change. I think somebody compared it to when John F. Kennedy died. You know, we didn't have regime change in the United States. And so, I don't think the regime change has happened at all. In fact, the Iranians have -- if they've demonstrated anything, they've demonstrated that they have more strength than I think the U.S. anticipated. And, you know, President Trump has repeatedly said we've attacked them, we've disarmed them, we've annihilated them. And that hasn't been the case at all.

SIDNER: I do want to also ask you about some reporting we're seeing from "The Wall Street Journal," where some aides are saying that President Trump wants to get out of Iran, even potentially leaving the Strait of Hormuz the way it is, which at the moment is pretty much closed. And we're also seeing this Truth Social following that. He has not denied that. But he's saying -- he said this this morning about the countries who are not getting involved so far with trying to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, saying, "all of those countries that can't get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, I have a suggestion for you. Number one, buy from the U.S., we have plenty. Number two, build some delayed courage, go to the Strait and just take it." He starts to say, "you'll have to start learning how to fight for yourself. The USA won't be there to help you."

Does this indicate to you that, a, Trump is thinking about getting out of this war even with the Strait closed, and, b, that he's also thinking about getting out of NATO potentially?

JOHNSON: Well, Trump has been the most reckless president we've had with respect to our relations on the world stage. You know, I think Trump realizes that this war is very unpopular here at home. We do not want to send boots on the ground. Republicans, Democrats alike do not favor sending their sons and daughters to Iran. And it's just something that is very, very unpopular.

And so, I think that he knows that he's now trying to backpedal and swim his way out of this disaster that he created. And so, the Strait of Hormuz is critical. It's critical to the world's oil and gas supply. It's critical to our markets, having some -- a stable space. But American troops don't want to go and fight for it. So, now he's backpedaling and trying to tell the rest of the world, we created this mess, we started this mess, but now you're going to have to go clean it up for us. SIDNER: I want to ask you about something else Pete Hegseth said. He

said, as far as Iran's defense industrial base goes, that it is nearly completely destroyed. Is there anything about this war that you do agree with?

JOHNSON: Well, you know, I don't believe anything Pete Hegseth says. I mean, if you recall, you know, we attacked Iran several months ago and they said that we destroyed all of their capabilities then. That obviously was a lie. That was not true. They have said consistently over the last month, oh, we've destroyed them. We've we decapitated them. And they continue to fight. They, what, sunk an oil tanker in Kuwait just recently. You know, they're demonstrating that they have military might. I just think Pete Hegseth and the Trump administration did not have accurate intelligence as to the strength of the Iranian army. And they put us into a war without thoughtful process, without really understanding the risk, without any exit plan, without any achievement strategy at all. And it's just reckless and irresponsible.

SIDNER: I do want to ask you this because we are in a war where we are also seeing Americans suffering with the price of gas, and we're seeing the amount of jet fuel go up. So that also means flights. And then we saw this picture, this video that was put out by Kid Rock showing a U.S. Army helicopter hovering for at least a minute. You're seeing it there. This was reposted or posted by Kid Rock himself. Very proud of the fact that they came to say hi to him. What do you think about this?

JOHNSON: It is -- it's just crazy. You know, why Kid Rock is having any participation in our national security narrative is just unbelievable to me. He's one of the most irrelevant people in terms of our foreign policy.

But to your point earlier about gas prices, you know, the problem is, I -- you know, I hear all the time from constituents, the squeeze that they're feeling. And all Trump has done, and all Republicans have done, is this entire administration, starting with tariffs, starting with cutting the Affordable Care Act, starting with health care prices, now oil prices, everything has become more expensive for the American people. And rather than focusing on bringing the cost of living down, all they have done is made everything more expensive.

[09:15:05]

And people are really, really feeling the squeeze.

And gas prices over $4 a gallon and probably going to exceed that. That's just going to make the cost of everything go through the roof. And people cannot afford it. They're already struggling. They're already at their wits end. And this is just another assault on the attack of the American people just being able to make it day to day, just get through their day to day life. And it's just really hard for people out there.

SIDNER: Congressman Julie Johnson, we are waiting for the markets to open, which they will in the next 15 minutes. We'll see how high oil is trading. And, obviously, that coincides with how much people are paying for gas. But it is now above $4 a gallon on average. Hard for a lot of people to make ends meet.

Thank you so much for joining us this morning. I do appreciate it.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: A son is set to testify against his father today. A murder trial where that man, that father, is accused of trying to kill his wife while on a hike in Hawaii. Much more on that ahead.

Plus, why the Army is now investigating this video. An Apache helicopter flying by Kid Rock's home.

And a big rig loses control, nearly smashes into a home. You can see what happened in the aftermath and how everyone's doing. We've got an update on that as well.

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[09:20:53]

BOLDUAN: Today in the trial of a man accused of attempting to murder his wife while on a hike, his son could take the stand to testify. Also in the spotlight today, new DNA evidence from the day of the alleged attack.

There is a lot going on here.

Let's bring in CNN's Jean Casarez. She's got the very latest.

What are you expecting and what's happened?

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, the prosecution is close to resting. And in their opening statements, they spoke of a witness who would take the stand, who would be the son of the defendant, a son testifying against his father. But in opening statements, the prosecution said that after this all happened, this birthday celebration that turned into now an attempted murder case, that Gerhardt called his older son from his first marriage, 19 years old at the time. And according to the opening statement, said, I tried to kill Ari, but she got away. And Arielle is the alleged victim. She is the victim that had her blood-soaked head because on the Pali Puka Trail that we learned was so steep and so treacherous, just a little bit out of Honolulu. They lived in Maui, where he was an anesthesiologist. She was a nuclear engineer. Two young children. But they went on this birthday celebration. And after a strained and very hard year for them, because she had had an emotional affair with a coworker and he couldn't forgive her, but that is the culmination. You see Arielle right there, and that's after two nurses who were hiking found her screaming for help, saying, he's trying to kill me.

And then after that, there was a manhunt. That is what they called it in court. And the defendant was actually apprehended.

But it was the DNA that was front and center the last time they held court, which was on Friday. And what it showed was the attempted murder weapon. And that's it. It's the rock. That rock, Arielle testified that at least ten times it was just bludgeoned to her scalp and to her head. The emergency room physician said that the skull was exposed when she got to the emergency room and there was so much rock and debris between the tissue and the skull they were afraid that there was going to be infection.

But the defense case should begin this week, if not shortly. And it's believed the defendant's going to take the stand because he is claiming self-defense. That I didn't intend to do anything to her. She started this. The cliff was there. It was myself or her. Somebody was going over the cliff. And with this imminent threat of death to myself, I had to respond. And that's the result of those injuries.

BOLDUAN: Gosh. I mean, as I said, there is so much going on with this.

CASAREZ: And look for him to take the stand, because when it's self- defense, you have got to explain your story.

BOLDUAN: That is huge in any case, especially something like this, with the charges he's facing.

Thank you so much, Jean, so much.

CASAREZ: Thank you.

BOLDUAN: I really appreciate it.

Sara.

SIDNER: All right, ahead, a dramatic rescue. A police officer smashes through the sunroof of a vehicle engulfed in flames. See what happens after that.

And skiing legend Mikaela Shiffrin, she is going to join us after winning her third Olympic gold medal and a record tying sixth World Cup title. Can't wait for this.

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[09:28:29]

BERMAN: This morning, U.S. gas prices are now above $4 a gallon. And President Trump is hinting at the possibility the U.S. could end its efforts in Iran without opening the critical Strait of Hormuz. The president wrote in part this morning about U.S. allies. "All of these countries that can't get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, I have a suggestion for you. Number one, buy from the U.S. we have plenty. Number two, build up some delayed coverage, go to the Strait in just take it." He added, "the USA won't be there to help you anymore."

With us now is Congressman Rich McCormick, a Republican from Georgia, a member of the House Armed Services Committee.

Congressman, always great to see you.

How would you feel if the United States ended its efforts in and around Iran and the Strait of Hormuz was still effectively closed?

REP. RICH MCCORMICK (R-GA): Well, there's a lot of options on the table. Obviously, you have Marines. You have the 82nd Airborne. People were worried about him going in on the ground, and people were worried about him leaving. This is one of the amazing things about President Trump is you don't know what he's going to do. And some people get frustrated with that. But I was very critical of other administrations when they announced everything they were going to do, which is really bad when the -- when the enemy is planning to oppose you.

If I'm in the military, I want you guessing. I want you wondering what we're going to do next. And I think this is more to play in that because, as you know, he's announced not just one plan, but probably several.

[09:29:58]

BERMAN: We are quite aware that he's offered several plans, sometimes in conflict with each other. But what I'm asking is what you think. Would you be satisfied with the end of U.S. efforts if the Strait of Hormuz was still closed?