Return to Transcripts main page
CNN News Central
Trump's Sliding with His Key Group; Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) is Interviewed about Iran; Man Charged in Sam Altman's Home Attack. Aired 9:30-10a ET
Aired April 14, 2026 - 09:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:32:27]
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: We have been reporting that the president's approval rating is low. Very low. This morning the question is, with whom?
With us now, CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten.
You say, this wall says a key group of the president's supporters. Which key group are we talking about?
HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: Which key group are we talking about? Well, it's the group that helped put him in the White House in 2016 and then again in 2024. The group that shifted tremendously from 2012 to 2016 and put him in the White House. We are talking about non- college white voters. And he is sliding right into the water. This is a ruh row moment, to quote the great Scooby Doo.
Trump's net approval rating with non-college whites. Look at this. In February of 2025, it was plus 32 points. Down it goes. Look at Johnny. Johnny is just shocked by this number.
BERMAN: Really?
ENTEN: And now it is minus two points. That is a 34-point shift.
And I will note, this is an average of polls. This is not just one poll. I've averaged three different polls here. Three big pollsters. And what we see is, Donald Trump actually underwater with non-college whites, who, of course, put him in the White House. A really moment. Yes, really, John Berman.
BERMAN: Yes, again, I have to ask, really. This is a 34 point swing among white voters who didn't go to college, which, again, one of his core groups here.
ENTEN: Core groups.
BERMAN: Why? What issues?
ENTEN: Why? I mean let's talk about the economy. It's the economy, smarty, when I'm talking with Mr. Berman.
Just take a look here. I mean, again, look at this, on the economy, his net approval rating of non-college whites. You go back to February 2025, he was 26 points above water. Look at this shift, minus 15 points. Fifteen points underwater with non-college whites. When it comes to Donald Trump's net approval rating on the economy, that is an over 40 point shift away from the president with a key core group of his. Ruh row.
BERMAN: What about the war?
ENTEN: What about the war? Well, the war ain't helping him because just take a look here. Non-college whites, net approval rating of U.S. military action against Iran, minus five points. You think that's low? Come over to this side of the screen. How about Trump on Iran? Minus 13 points. A very unlucky 13 indeed for the president of the United States with a key core group of his. It turns out he's alienating a lot of folks with this war, not just the pope.
BERMAN: So, one of the ways to look at this is where might this have an impact given that President Trump will never be on the ballot again? We do have midterm elections, some key Senate races here.
Let's talk about one state where there may be a lot of voters here.
ENTEN: Let's talk about a state that Barack Obama won in 2012 and Donald Trump has won easily in 2016, 2020 and 2024. How about the great buckeye state, the state of Ohio, where, of course, Sherrod Brown is the likely Democratic nominee.
[09:35:04]
Take a look here. Chance that the Dems win the Ohio Senate race according to the Kalshi prediction market. On January 1st it was a 37 percent chance. Not too bad. You come over to this side of the screen, up like a rocket, up to 60 percent chance that, in fact, the Democrats win the Ohio Senate race, which, of course, is a state that Donald Trump won by double digits under two years ago. Donald Trump's chances are sliding. The Ohio Senate race for the Democrats, they are rising.
BERMAN: I will say, I have an idea for an assignment going forward. If this is the swing in one of his key groups here, one of the weird sort of reverse questions I have is, how is this number not even lower? What groups is he still doing OK with? That's for another time.
ENTEN: That's for another time. You're writing my segments for me, John Berman.
BERMAN: Harold Enten, thank you very much.
ENTEN: Thank you, Jonathan.
BERMAN: A lot of news. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:40:18]
BOLDUAN: The news this hour, no agreement on new talks yet despite reports that the U.S. and Iran are considering a second round of in- person negotiations, possibly as soon as this week. Iran says that there has been no agreement to meet for a second time, either in Islamabad or any other format. The two sides are currently far apart by all reports on one central issue especially, just how long Iran's uranium enrichment should be suspended. A source says that the United States had put on the table they wanted a 20 year pause on enrichment. Iran responded, renewing their offer of five years.
Joining us right now, Colorado Democrat Congressman Jason Crow. He sits on Armed Services, Intel, also a former paratrooper and Army Ranger.
Thank you for being here. It's nice to have you in studio.
REP. JASON CROW (D-CO): Thank you.
BOLDUAN: So, the first round of talks, they fell apart and now they're looking at getting together, possibly figuring out a way to launch negotiations again before this ceasefire ends. What do you see as a possible pathway now?
CROW: Well, let's actually chart out where we are now and where we used to be. I mean, we have spent over 100 billion or almost $100 billion. Thirteen service members have died, over 300 are wounded. We have left our alliances in tatters. There is a blockade now of their blockade. We have a double blockade going on in the Straits of Hormuz. All to take us back basically to where we were ten years ago under the Obama administration, which had a permanent and verifiable agreement. It was an agreement that, you know, had its flaws, needed improvement, but basically was permanent and verifiable, because all of this comes down to, there has to be a diplomatic agreement. There has to be a consensus. And there has to be a verifiable way to ensure that they don't have enriched uranium.
So, Donald Trump has created this mess all to take us back to where we were before his first term.
BOLDUAN: I want to ask you about that. But on the blockade, the latest that we have heard today from our teams in the region is that at least two vessels connected to Iran have passed through, been able to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. The circumstances around which, unclear. But it does beg the question, do you know if the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports is being successful?
CROW: Well, my question is, is what does success look like? Because Iran was already blockading the Straits of Hormuz.
BOLDUAN: Yes.
CROW: Plus, they mine the Straits of Hormuz and don't know where all the mines are. So very few ships are going through there anyhow. And let's actually ask ourselves the question of what a blockade is going to achieve for the American people. Already gas prices are up and we're paying $500 million more a year -- more a day rather, Americans, per day for energy, right? And the blockade is only going to make that more expensive.
And you know who the real winner of a blockade of the Straits of Hormuz is, is Russia. Because Russia then has to go in and they can be -- they'll be able to sell more of their oil.
So, all of this, again, is a mess. There's no strategy here. That's the biggest problem. There's a series of short term tactical decisions. Every two or three days the Trump administration rolls out a new idea, a new tactic. But there's no strategy, there's no end game, and we're just going to continue to spin our wheels until they can create some kind of long term plan.
BOLDUAN: When it comes to what a long term plan and solution could look like here. If the U.S. says 20 years, Iran says five years. I mean, you're getting -- kind of getting to what "The New York Times" headline was today, which is, "U.S. is Negotiating an Iran Deal that Would Buy Time, Again."
And the question is, what, to you, is an acceptable outcome when it comes to the nuclear program? A -- when it comes to uranium enrichment. And add into it, as I was talking with Barak Ravid, to the stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
CROW: Right.
BOLDUAN: Like, what is acceptable for you if a solution must be found?
CROW: Right. I really want two things. I want a permanent and verifiable agreement that will prevent Iran from having a nuclear weapon, not unlike the one we had under the Obama administration that Donald Trump came in and tore up, right? There are improvements that could be made to that. But like every diplomatic agreement, there are improvements.
Second thing is, I want out of war in the Middle East, right? Americans are done with this. $5 trillion to $8 trillion has been spent over the last 20 years. Seven thousand American lives have been lost. Tens of thousands of Americans have been wounded. We have lost time, blood, treasure and credibility at the same time as our bridges are crumbling, our schools don't have funding, people can't afford their health care, they can't afford their rent and mortgages. We want out of the Middle East. I want out of war in the Middle East. This must come to an end.
BOLDUAN: you are going to be heading back to Washington. You guys are going to be back in session today. You had two members of the House just announced yesterday, within an hour of each other, that they are resigning.
[09:45:00]
You've got Eric Swalwell. You've got Tony Gonzales. A Democrat. A Republican. Both of them facing allegations of sexual misconduct. I want to play for you what Senator Elizabeth Warren actually said
when asked about Eric Swalwell, because she seems to be summing up the view of so many.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA): What surprises me is how these guys keep doing this over and over. He's not the first, and he probably won't be the last, that they get into positions of authority and they think they can have whatever they want. And, ultimately, it's good to see a little accountability.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BOLDUAN: What do you make of this?
CROW: Yes, I agree with Senator Warren. I mean, these are terrible allegations. They need to be investigated. You know, it is a good thing that they decided to resign from Congress because they clearly have a lot of issues that they need to work out. Those investigations need to continue. And --
BOLDUAN: Before -- before -- before that, were you going to vote for expulsion if it came to that?
CROW: I wanted to see an actual investigation, right?
BOLDUAN: Yes.
CROW: There had to be an investigation. Any time there are allegations like this, they have to be taken seriously, and they need to be investigated. So, that process actually initiated at the beginning of the week. That was -- that was going to move forward. I think, now that they have resigned, that process will stop because there won't be jurisdiction by the House Ethics Committee. But there will be other investigations, I'm sure.
BOLDUAN: There are two more members that when this all started being discussed, especially at the beginning of this week, there are two other members who have faced investigations. Cory Mills over allegations of, I think, sexual abuse and assault. Then you have a Democrat, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, with a different set of allegations, I believe connected to campaign finance.
Do you see -- do you think two more members should face expulsion when it comes to this? Because when it comes to -- there have been investigations into these two.
CROW: Well, when you're in public service, the standard is higher for you, not lower. I mean that has always been the essence of serve (ph) and leadership.
BOLDUAN: Some would argue that is not the case anymore.
CROW: Well, that's the problem, right? That is the problem with public service and with Congress, right? The bar has been lowered. BOLDUAN: Yes.
CROW: We need to raise the bar again. It has to be a higher standard. People need to hold themselves to a higher standard. So, those investigations must continue. At the end of the investigations, we'll see what the facts are. And if the facts show that there was illegal activity or unethical activity, then I'll vote accordingly.
BOLDUAN: But, McCormick, I mean, she, I think it was, committed 25 ethics violations related to using millions of improperly paid -- I mean --
CROW: Yes. Very serious allegations, which, again, are being investigated. And that investigation is underway right now. And we'll see what the facts show at the end of it.
BOLDUAN: Yes. Thank you for coming in. It is good to see you.
CROW: Thank you.
BOLDUAN: Thank you.
Coming up for us, homes destroyed after tornadoes ripped through eastern Kansas. More severe weather is on the way for huge parts of the country, like from the Texas/Mexico border, all the way through the great -- all the way through the Great Lakes. The threat is going to continue throughout the week, and we've got the very latest on that.
And there's also new video of the moment four astronauts, the hatch opens after splashdown in a historic moon mission.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[09:52:25]
BERMAN: New video just in from the moment that the NASA astronauts were met inside their capsule after splashing down.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ike, welcome home. Christina, welcome home.
CHRISTINA KOCH, NASA ASTRONAUT: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jeremy -- absolutely -- welcome home, brother.
There it is. (INAUDIBLE) What's up? Welcome home, brother.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: The crew made history as the humans who went the furthest from the earth when they traveled all the way around the moon and then back. So, a surprise for runners who had finished the Milwaukee Marathon.
This is the medal they got. It said "MKE" in the middle there, which is Milwaukee's airport code. But then it also said this. It was supposed to say Milwaukee Marathon around it, but you can see it flashing there. The problem is the word "marathon" is missing one of it's a's, so it just says Milwaukee marathon. The race organizers say they will not issue a new middle -- medal. And here's the thing. It's well-known that if your medal is misspelled, the entire marathon doesn't count. It's as if you never ran it at all, Kate.
BOLDUAN: Wait, serious -- you're joking. I'm being gullible again? I hate you.
BERMAN: Twenty-six point two miles down the tubes, as if you never did.
BOLDUAN: J.B., get over here.
We are seeing new images this morning showing the suspect who threw a Molotov cocktail at the home of Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI. He now faces charges of attempted murder and arson. And now they're talking about the motive they think was behind it. FBI calling the attack planned and targeted.
Hadas Gold has much more on this. She's here with us now.
What are you learning, Hadas?
HADAS GOLD, CNN A.I. CORRESPONDENT: Yes, so this happened in the early hours of Friday morning in San Francisco. The 20-year-old suspect, Daniel Moreno-Gama, was accused of allegedly going to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's home, throwing a Molotov cocktail at his house before then going to OpenAI's offices, where he tried to break open these glass doors with a chair. And then he actually told a security guard there that he wanted to kill everyone inside. And when police arrested him there on site -- you can see the pictures of him there at Sam Altman's home. When they arrested him at the site of OpenAI's offices, he was actually holding what they called an anti-A.I. manifesto of sorts, warning about the risk that A.I. poses to humanity, and also writing about how he needs to go out and kill the CEOs of these A.I. companies, as well as their investors. He has now been charged with attempted murder and arson. And now authorities are also saying that he could potentially be facing charges related to domestic terrorism.
Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATT COBO, ACTING SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE, FBI SAN FRANCISCO: The defendant is alleged to having traveled across state lines with the intent to go target an individual and a major technology company. This was not spontaneous. This was planned, targeted and extremely serious.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[09:55:05] GOLD: Now, we've been seeing a rise in anti-A.I. sentiment. People are worried about data centers, as you heard earlier from Harry. People are worried about A.I. taking jobs. People are worried about the effect of A.I. on mental health.
And we've actually had another incident of violence related to A.I. Just last week a council member in Indianapolis said his home was shot at 13 times. A note was left on his doorstep saying, "no more data centers." He had been supportive of a data center being built in Indianapolis. And there's a lot of fear around A.I. And now there's also fear that these sort of -- the fears around A.I. and what it's going to do to our society are spilling over now into violence.
Sam Altman posted a photo, actually, a rare photo of his family, saying that he hopes it will help dissuade people from attacking him next time. We -- I don't know if we've ever seen a picture of his baby before.
He also wrote, "the fear and anxiety about A.I. is justified. We are in the process of witnessing the largest change to society in a long time and perhaps ever. We have to get safety right, which is not just about aligning a model, we urgently need a society-wide response to be resilient to new threats."
The suspect in the case about his home, he will face an arraignment this afternoon. We'll hear his plea.
BOLDUAN: Quite a statement and quite a situation they're dealing with there.
Hadas, thank you.
BERMAN: That's something to look at certainly.
All right, this has been CNN NEWS CENTRAL. "THE SITUATION ROOM" up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
