Return to Transcripts main page

CNN News Central

Potential for Second Round of Talks; U.S. Blockades Iranian Ports; Rep Johnny Olszewski (D-MD) is Interviewed about Iran; DOJ Targets Biden Administration; Husband of Missing Woman in Bahamas Speaks Out. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired April 14, 2026 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:00]

CHRISTOPHER LAMB, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Majority country.

But you do get the sense that Pope Leo wants to continue to speak out though on matters that President Trump has criticized. And he issues a message today saying that "democracy only remains healthy when rooted in the moral law. Otherwise, it can be taken over by tyrannies and elites."

So, I think probably he will continue to speak out despite this -- that huge kerfuffle that happened at the beginning of the trip.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Very much seem to have a pope who does not intend to back down on the things that he finds important.

Christopher Lamb, thank you very much.

A brand-new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Another attempt at peace. The Trump administration is discussing possible plans for a second round of in- person talks with Iran. New word in from Iranian state media now just this morning about that.

Also new this morning, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche making his first major move in the new role. Why he's targeting the Biden -- yes, Biden administration.

And President Trump weighs in on a high-ranking FEMA official's talk of teleporting multiple times throughout his life, even to a Waffle House.

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

BERMAN: This morning, rumblings that maybe the United States and Iran could maybe end up possibly in a new round of talks, though Iran's state media is reporting that no decision has been made yet.

Vice President J.D. Vance says the ball is now in Iran's court. He left the talks in Islamabad with no deal. As for those talks, the source says the U.S. proposed a 20-year pause

of Iran's enrichment of uranium. A U.S. official said Iran responded by offering five years. The United States said no to that. If the two sides do find a path to a deal, maybe somewhere in between those two numbers you're seeing there. Some Democrats are asking whether it was worth it.

This was Rhode Island Congressman Gabe Amo.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. GABE AMO (D-RI): The choice to go to war has inflicted a ton of harm on the world, including the American people. We've lost 13 service members and we're seeing gas prices at a daily average of over $4. So, again, was it all worth it? Did this need to be the path forward? It doesn't seem to me that that is the case. And that's why this war needs to end as soon as possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: In Washington today, Secretary of State Marco Rubio due to take part in the first direct talks between Israel and Lebanon in more than 40 years. The U.S. and Israel say that Lebanon and Hezbollah, Iran's Shia proxy there, are not part of the Iran ceasefire deal, though Iran swears they are.

CNN's Clarissa Ward is following all of this in Riyadh, in Saudi Arabia.

We're going to start with Alayna Treene at the White House for the latest on the notion of maybe new talks.

Alayna.

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, look, I mean, from what I was told, John, in my conversation with a source familiar with some of the discussions happening around this, is that they are hopeful, the Trump administration, that a second round of in-person, face to face talks between U.S. officials, that would include the same delegation I'm told that we saw on Saturday, the vice president, J.D. Vance,, Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoff, and then Iranian officials could take place.

Now, they want this to happen before this ceasefire expires next week on April 21st. I'm told that they are internally going over potential locations, potential dates.

But really one of the key things they need in order for that to happen is to have far more preparation and pre-work going into kind of the contours of what they are looking to achieve. We saw that marathon session of talks in Islamabad on Saturday. It actually stretched far longer, I'm told, than many Trump officials had predicted. But they essentially left, and I know that this is at least on the U.S. side, feeling that perhaps some of the negotiators needed more buy-in from other Iranian leaders back home. And essentially we heard the vice president say as well that they had put their best and final offer on the table.

Now, of course, we did hear from the Iranians saying that no decision has been made yet on a second in-person meeting. But that is clearly what we know at least the Trump side is hoping to gain before this ceasefire expires.

To give you a little sense of the sticking points as well that they still need to work out as they prepare for a potential second meeting. One is this idea of uranium and, you know, a pause in enriching uranium, how much time that would be. We were told the U.S. put forward a 20-year pause on enriching uranium. The Iranians came back with a five-year pause. So, that's, obviously, something they need to figure out the scope of when they -- if they head back for these second talks.

But also, of course, they want some firm commitments from the Iranians as well and a promise to never develop a nuclear weapon.

[09:05:04]

Now, I'd also say that what we saw with this blockade of the Strait of Hormuz by the U.S., that is really another point of leverage that the Trump team thinks that they have here. They're hoping that this would be another economic chokehold for the Iranians that could push them to agree to more of the terms that the Trump administration is laying out. We'll see if that's actually how this works out.

But all in all, I think one of the big points I want to bring you from all of the conversations I'm having with people in the White House is that the president personally does believe a deal is to be had, and he wants a diplomatic solution. There is very little appetite within the Trump administration to continue military attacks and operations. They want this deal to work. The question is whether or not they can actually get there. And if the Iranians want that as badly as they do.

BERMAN: Alayna Treene, at the White House this morning.

Let's go to Clarissa Ward in Riyadh, in Saudi Arabia.

Clarissa, we're about 23 hours and five minutes into this U.S. blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. Any sense of what has happened during those hours, how it's going?

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's interesting, John, because from what we can make out, at least two ships with connections to Iran have successfully passed through the Strait since that blockade began. That's sort of raising the question, I guess, as to how exactly the U.S. plans to enforce this blockade, whether there will be repercussions for those two vessels. One of them, the Elpis (ph), was sanctioned back in 2025.

And from what we're seeing in satellite imagery, John, it appears that there are another roughly 20 vessels along Iran's coastline that have turned off their transponders in an attempt presumably to avoid detection. So, no sense yet of whether they will try to run the gantlet, as it were, and cross the Strait. But certainly, from what we can see, at least two ships have managed, since that blockade began, to pass through the Strait.

Now we heard Vice President J.D. Vance basically challenging the Iranians, saying two can play that game in terms of holding the Strait hostage. The question now becomes, how does Iran respond? So far, it's been pretty circumspect. There have been a number of threats issued by certain parts of the security apparatus in particular, but we haven't seen anything in the form of retaliatory strikes. Of course, the fear here in the gulf particularly had been that there might be strikes on the ports here after an Iranian threat yesterday, basically saying, if our ports are threatened, then all ports throughout the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman will be under threat.

But I think, broadly speaking, John, there is a sense, as you just heard Alayna say as well in terms of the White House perspective, that across the board people do want to see a deal happen. There are eight days left on the clock of this ceasefire. Iran's state media saying nothing is set in stone for further Islamabad talks later this week. But still all hopes are for more talks and a resolution to this crisis, John.

BERMAN: All right, our thanks to Clarissa Ward in Riyadh with the latest from there.

With us now is Congressman Johnny Olszewski, a Democrat from Maryland. He is on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Congressman, good to see you.

How optimistic are you about the prospect of a new round of talks? When you hear Iran say nothing is set yet, that is certainly sort of opening the door to the possibility.

REP. JOHNNY OLSZEWSKI (D-MD): Yes, I welcome the door being open, John. This is the first time since 1979 we've had this level of, you know, high level talks with Iran. And so, we need to keep the conversations going during this fragile ceasefire. And I think it speaks to the point that your folks just made, that this is a president who is desperate for an off ramp, for a war that he entered into with absolutely no plan. And were paying the price as a result, literally, with the cost of our soldiers lost, the price at the pump, the price on surcharges on Amazon and, you know, hundreds of billions of dollars of cost of the war.

So, I'm hopeful we get there through continued conversations here.

BERMAN: So, the other reporting is that the United States, in these negotiations in Islamabad, offered basically a 20-year ban on any uranium enrichment by Iran, any nuclear activity. The Iranians responded saying, hey, how about five years? The United States rejected that.

But look, so you have 20 years. You have five years. Do you have any hope of a possible solution somewhere in between there? And what would you think about that?

OLSZEWSKI: Absolutely, John. The fact that we have two numbers specifically on the table, I think, shows that there is a path forward somewhere between five and 20 years. What's concerning for me, though, is Americans are paying the price of this war, and we may be entering a deal that actually resembled the one that President Trump ripped up as soon as he took office that was in place under President Obama.

[09:10:09]

So, I know we can't undo what's already been done. I think that's important context. But to your point, the fact that we have two specific numbers, any number of years with stopping enrichment by Iran is a good thing. They should not be able to have a nuclear weapon. And so I'm supportive of efforts to make sure we get this done one way or another.

BERMAN: During the Obama administration, one difference was there was a low level of uranium enrichment allowed. Presumably on this deal there would be none, either for five years or 20. But there would be an end date, right? Either at five or 20 or at some point. Do you think that giving Iran an end date, after which they could go back to enriching uranium, would be a good deal?

OLSZEWSKI: I think having a deal to stop both the war and to stop the enrichment of uranium is a good thing for America. It's a good thing for the world. It will also get the Strait of Hormuz open back up ostensibly.

And so, I support a deal. Obviously, the longer the better. And what we can do is have provisions in any agreement that we will reassess as we approach the end of that term to go back and say, OK, how have you acted Iran? What is the status of your program? Do we need to extend it? And what might we do in exchange for that?

If this administration had started with diplomacy, we may have been able to avoid the war that got us back to this place in -- you know, where we are now. But again, we are where we are, and I'm hopeful that we can find some solution to put an end to the conflict and to stop the enrichment of uranium.

BERMAN: So, you are in Annapolis, in Maryland, headed back to Washington, I presume, by tonight for votes in the House after two weeks away. There are going to be two few -- fewer members of the House of Representatives pretty soon. Republican Congressman Tony Gonzales announced he's resigning. Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell announced that he is resigning. Both of them facing sexual misconduct allegations. Four women coming forward and accusing Eric Swalwell. One including accusing him of rape. He denies those allegations.

But what questions do you have here? If they both resign, as they say they are, do you -- what do you think should happen next in terms of ethics investigations, in terms of other questions being answered?

OLSZEWSKI: Well, both men are right to resign. The allegations in both cases are credible. They are deeply disturbing. And the resignations need to happen and they need to happen immediately. I will say, this speaks to a larger problem that I've seen as a member

of the House of Representatives over the ethics process. Ethics reviews take far too long. They're far too opaque. I think in a lot of these cases we should be taking days or weeks, not months or years, to find conclusions so that we can take action, whether it's censuring a member or expelling them, as would be the case I think here had they not taken the act to resign.

So, I'll be pushing for reforms to how we conduct ethics so that we both have quicker reviews, to have the public regain trust. This is one of many places where I think, if you add in the stock bans, that's not happening. If you add in what the Trump administration is doing with these predictive markets, these are all -- this is all part of why Americans distrust government and why they're so frustrated, not only with Congress, but with politics and politicians in general.

BERMAN: Given the number of accusers who have come forward regarding Eric Swalwell, how likely is it that you think that no one else knew in Congress?

OLSZEWSKI: Well, I'm a new member and did not know Representative Swalwell very well. Did not have any social interactions with him. So, I don't want to speak to what others may or may not have known.

I will say, to the extent people did know and didn't speak up, that too is deeply concerning and deeply troubling. But again, I think it speaks to the need to reform our processes so that people and that those who are survivors of instances like this feel more comfortable speaking up and coming forward. And that's what we need to be doing as members of Congress, is creating the processes that people feel safe and heard in these processes.

BERMAN: Congressman Johnny Olszewski, thanks so much for being with us this morning. We appreciate your time.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: So, the first big move by the new acting attorney general of the United States and what it has to do with targeting and pursuing former officials with the Biden administration.

And President Trump asks CNN, "was he kidding?" What the president is now saying when he learns of a top FEMA official who has claimed that he's teleported multiple times.

And a huge swathe of the country is preparing for a new round of dangerous storms that could bring more tornadoes, more hail, more flooding.

We'll be back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:19:09]

BERMAN: New this morning, President Trump reacting to a CNN KFile report about a top FMEA official who claims he once teleported to a Waffle House in Georgia. Again, the history here is Gregg Phillips, the number three at FEMA, has long talked about supernatural encounters and conspiracies.

This is how he described it on a podcast.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GREGG PHILLIPS, FEMA'S OFFICE OF RESPONSE AND RECOVERY: The car lifted up and took me where I was going. And I ended up at a Waffle House like 50 miles away from where I was. And I was at a Waffle House in Rome, Georgia. I said, that's not possible, you just left here like a moment ago. And -- but it was possible. It was real.

Teleporting is no fun.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Teleporting is no fun.

So, CNN's Andrew Kaczynski, the czar, that generalissimo of KFile, called President Trump about this to ask, hey, what about this FEMA official, the number three guy with a very important job who says he was teleporting?

[09:20:10]

The president's response was, quote, "was he kidding?" When Andrew said, no, the president said this, quote, "I don't know anything about teleporting. It just sounds a little strange, but I know nothing about teleporting or him, but I'll find out about it right now."

So, after the KFile report on the teleportation claims, sources say the White House urged the Department of Homeland Security to either remove Phillips or keep him out of the public eye.

CNN reached out to Phillips, FEMA and DHS for comment. None have responded.

Kate.

I don't know where you go. If you're going to go find out more about teleporting, I'm not sure what the right source is there in general, but I imagine there are good sources out there for research.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: The things -- it's like a Mad Libs of things you wouldn't think we'd have to talk about on TV, and then you get teleported to a Waffle House.

BERMAN: I do think that if you are going to teleport somewhere, a Waffle House is a completely reasonable destination.

BOLDUAN: Well, because it's open all the time.

BERMAN: All the time.

BOLDUAN: And remember, it doesn't close unless, well, until the hurricane's getting bad. And then when the Waffle House closes, you know it's serious.

BERMAN: Then you teleport somewhere else where there's not a hurricane.

BOLDUAN: There you go. That's -- I mean, hence -- but it's -- but teleporting's not fun.

BERMAN: Yes.

BOLDUAN: Which, I mean, I want to be like, your definition of fun, because I'm telling you.

BERMAN: What's your definition of fun.

BOLDUAN: Sounds pretty fun to me.

BERMAN: Andrew should ask that follow-up next question.

BOLDUAN: That's -- there's part two. Should I move on now?

BERMAN: Yes.

BOLDUAN: Anyone? Potentially.

We are getting a first window into the priorities and focus of the new acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, looking to possibly do what Pam Bondi seemingly failed to do, pursue the president's perceived political enemies successfully.

On that, CNN has new reporting today about DOJ leveling new accusations against the Biden administration.

CNN's Paula Reid has this reporting. She's joining us right now.

Do not worry, Paula, I'm not going to ask you about teleporting. I am going to ask you about your great reporting.

PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: I'm here for it, Kate. I have answers.

BOLDUAN: Oh, you have answers to everything.

What are you learning?

REID: All right, so this is significant because this is the first report from the so-called Weaponization Working Group at the Trump Justice Department. Now, this was much hyped at the beginning of the Trump administration. Pam Bondi established this group to look at what they alleged were examples of the Biden Justice Department being weaponized. So, they said that they wanted to look at the January 6th prosecutions, the Jack Smith investigations. They want to look at Letitia James, in addition to some other issues, including how abortion rights opponents protests are handled when it comes to the FACE Act.

Now, this is something that Republicans have been really focused on for a long time. And it's notable that this is the first report that has come out of this group, because this group has been in existence for well over a year. We reported earlier this year that they were under a lot of pressure to come up with something. I've learned that they've been meeting weekly, and this is their first report.

Now, of course, it's being released under the power of Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. He is effectively auditioning to keep that job and become the attorney general. And of course, we know the number one thing the president wants out of his Justice Department is for him -- for it to pursue who he perceives are his political enemies.

Now, what's interesting about this is this report lays out how the Trump Justice Department alleges that the Biden department was biased in their use of the FACE Act in terms of arrest tactics, investigations and prosecutions.

And in a statement, the former head of the Civil Rights Division, Kristen Clarke, in the Biden administration, she issued a statement saying that they "brought law enforcement leaders, crisis pregnancy center representatives, faith leaders and reproductive health care staff together to address the real violence, threats of violence and obstruction that too many people face in our country when it comes to reproductive health care." She insists that they "enforced the law even-handedly."

Now, at the end of this report, it says that they have made some referrals based on this because this report doesn't have any legal weight. They've made referrals.

Now we've asked, OK, who did you refer? The attorney general? The former deputy attorney general? Other top officials? And the Justice Department declined to comment on who exactly was referred here, though we do know that roughly four prosecutors who worked on these cases have been fired.

But it's important to see this report in the larger context of what the Justice Department has been trying to do since day one. But now the challenge that the acting attorney general has, if he wants to keep this job.

BOLDUAN: Yes. And the priorities and focus of the Department of Justice today.

It's good to see you, Paula. Thank you so much. Great reporting, as always.

John.

BERMAN: All right, this morning, we're just getting brand-new comments from the husband of the Michigan woman missing in the Bahamas. Brian Hooker tells CBS that he wants to believe his wife is alive.

Now, what's important about Brian Hooker is that he had been in police custody, and he was just released without charges.

[09:25:05]

He was in custody for nearly a week for questioning in connection with his wife's disappearance.

Let's get right to CNN's Dianne Gallagher for these new comments made out loud, apparently, by Brian Hooker.

What is he saying?

DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, so Brian Hooker didn't comment to reporters when he was leaving the police station on Monday night. But CBS is out this morning reporting that they have spoken with Brian since he was released. They say he told them, quote, "I won't be able to stop looking" for his wife, adding that, quote, "someone with more authority" will have to tell him to stop.

When asked if he believes that Lynette is still alive, CBS says that Brian responded, "I want to," adding, "of course you think about alternatives to that, but I'm not really capable of just turning away from this."

Now, the 58-year-old American was taken into custody on Wednesday evening in connection with the disappearance of his wife, Lynette, who he told police that had fallen overboard their dinghy when they were in route to their sailboat in rough waters more than a week ago. He was questioned multiple times over the five days that he was detained, but was never charged. And Brian Hooker has maintained his innocence throughout this entire ordeal.

Now, police say that the Department of Public Prosecution recommended no charges be filed at this time pending further investigation.

As soon as we got word that Brian Hooker was going to be released, I reached out to Lynette's daughter, Karli Aylesworth. She tells me, quote, "as long as there has been a thorough investigation into all the facts, then I'll have to live with the fact that it's an accident, but I don't think this is the end."

Now, she tells me that all she wants is the truth and closure. She herself is heading to the Bahamas a little later this week because, again, Lynette Hooker is still missing. They have not found her. That is something that Brian's attorney sort of hit multiple times when talking about the questioning that police were doing for him at that time. Lynette's family still says they don't feel like his story adds up. Police in the Bahamas are asking anybody who has information about what may have happened to Lynette Hooker on the night of April 4th to reach out to authorities.

BERMAN: Yes, meanwhile the family back in the U.S. has questions. And the investigation, we just can't tell where it is or where it's going next.

Dianne Gallagher, thank you so much for that reporting, that update.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: Yes.

So, in what world would you be able to bring together Phil Collins and Wu Tang Clan? The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is here to help you.

And new video is in this morning showing the moments four astronauts emerged from the Artemis II mission. The capsule opens just after splashdown. We'll bring you that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)