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Headline: Iran Still Reviewing Latest U.S. Proposal to End War; Trump Speaks Amid Push for Deal with Iran; Source: U.S. and Iran Closing in on One-Page Memo to End War; Hantavirus-Hit Cruise Heading Towards Spain's Canary Island; ADL: Antisemitic Assaults in U.S. Hit Record High Last Year; Ted Turner, CNN Founder and Philanthropist, Dies at 87; Atlanta Braves Legend Dale Murphy Remembers Ted Turner 3- 3:30p ET

Aired May 06, 2026 - 15:00   ET

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

MICHAEL D'ARCY, OWNER OF SAPPER, USO CANINE OF THE YEAR: It was a big thing to replace my other dog and Sapper filled that void.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Our thanks to Michael D'Arcy and Sapper for today's home front. A new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: A one-page memo that could end a two-month war, a source says the U.S. and Iran are close to an agreement and President Trump is threatening more bombing if Tehran rejects it.

Plus, a race to trace, public health experts trying to figure out who might have had contact with people on board a cruise ship facing a hantavirus outbreak as a fight now builds over the port the ship was just told it could dock at.

And he was a CEO, a sailor, a sportsman and an American icon. CNN founder Ted Turner has died. We'll take a look at his legacy as we follow these major developing stories and many more all coming in right here to CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

We start this hour with breaking news in the Oval Office, here's President Trump taking questions from reporters.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... and refuse to submit. You seem optimistic now that you may be closer to a deal. What's different about this moment now than in other moments where a deal has seemed close?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, why do you say they refuse to submit? You don't know that. You don't know what's going on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They're firing on U.S. ships a few days ago.

TRUMP: And a few days ago, it's a long time ago, you know? In the world of war, a few days ago -- no, they want to make a deal badly. And we'll see if we get there. If we get there. They can't have nuclear weapons, you know? It's very simple, but what's not to submit? So, they had a Navy with 159 ships and now every ship is blown to pieces and lying at the bottom of the water. They had an Air Force, lots of planes, and they don't have any planes. They don't have any anti-aircraft. They don't have any radar left. Their missiles are mostly decimated. They have some. They have probably 18-, 19 percent, but not a lot by comparison to what they had and their leaders are all dead. So, I think we won.

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: Now, it's -- now, it's only a question of, look, if we left right now Iran, it would take them 20 years to rebuild. You would call that we're in good shape, right? We're in good shape and now we're doing well. Now, we have to get what we have to get. If we don't do that, we'll have to go a big step further.

But with that being said, they want to make a deal. We've had very good talks over the last 24 hours and it's very possible that we'll make a deal. Yes, please.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, Mr. President. Good to see you.

What are -- what are the status of these talks? These are very good. (INAUDIBLE) ...

TRUMP: Well, we've had talks and we've had some good talks before, as you know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.

TRUMP: And all of a sudden, the next day, they're like ...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.

TRUMP: ... they forgot what happened. You know, they're proud, like -- like these guys are proud. Nobody more proud than these guys. Sometimes they fight on pride because, you know, they're injured, they're hurt. No matter how great you are, you get hit by somebody else that looks like them, it's -- it's very tough, but they have great pride. These people have great pride. The others do, too. Enemies have great pride.

We went into Venezuela, smart people, great people, a really strong military. We won it very quickly and we have a fantastic -- it's been a great thing for Venezuela. The people are really happy. They're dancing in the streets because they have a lot of money coming in through the big oil companies that are all moving in. I was with Exxon Mobil last night. The chairman was here. And we're talking about Venezuela, along with a lot of them, Chevron, they were all -- they were all here last night. They all want to go there and elsewhere.

We just hit a new high in the stock market, the stock market's highest it's ever been. And I expected that the market would be down 20, 25 percent. I was willing to do that to get rid of a crazy country, crazy -- the people like, you know, you talk about regime change. Their first level leaders are dead. Their second level leaders are dead. Some of their third level leaders are dead. I call that regime change. But I thought we'd be down maybe 20 percent and we're up. The stock market's higher now than when we started this war.

And I thought oil prices would go to $200, $250. It's at a hundred dollars now. And I think you're surprised and I'm surprised. But even if it went to $200, it would have been worth it. I understand that we had just set a record, 50,000 on the Dow, 7,000 on the S&P, a record. And I said, I hate to do this, but we have to make an excursion down to Iran because we can't let them have a -- a nuclear weapon.

Look, and this is very simple. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon because as tough as they are, we want to keep them alive. We want to keep all of you alive. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon and they won't. And they've agreed to that, among other things. Yes.

[15:05:08]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. President, you've had some recent back and forth with Pope Leo, I understand, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is going to meet with the Pope tomorrow. What message do you hope he delivers to (INAUDIBLE) ...

TRUMP: Well, I can tell you this, that as far as the Pope is concerned, it's very simple, whether I make him happy or I don't make him happy, Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. And he seemed to be saying that they can. And I say they cannot, because if that happened, the entire world would be hostage and we're not going to let that happen. That's my only message, okay?

So, they're going to go out now and they're going to have some great pictures taken. And we'll see you guys on June 14th. But I know in your case, you're going to see a lot more. We'll see you probably tomorrow.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of all the (INAUDIBLE) ...

SANCHEZ: Listening to President Trump in the Oval Office, surrounded by MMA fighters taking questions from reporters, the President specifically speaking about the deal with Iran, saying we're in good shape, that Tehran wants to make a deal badly. Also adding that Iran probably has 18- to 19 percent of their missile capacity left. The President also there with a message to Pope Leo.

KEILAR: That's right. He said, I can tell you this, it's very simple, whether I make him happy or not, Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. And he said that Pope Leo seemed to be saying that Iran can and they cannot. The Pope, for his part, has pushed back on that idea that he is saying he supports Iran having nuclear weapons.

Let's go to CNN's Nic Robertson, who is live in Islamabad, Pakistan, where negotiations have been taking place. What a tall order at hand right now for these two countries. So much to work out with this memorandum kind of -- of understanding, as we just heard from the President there, Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, he's talking, again, hitting on those key terms that are important for him. The economy is not doing as badly as people predicted, a necessary detour. We've heard that before. Gas prices are not where they could have been. Again, sort of saying what has happened, the gas prices have gone up. Not as bad. It's a positive, not a negative. We had to do it. All of that, doubling down on the framing that Iran can't have its nuclear weapon.

The -- the -- I sort of struck slightly that the President wasn't -- you know, he has the opportunity always to be really tough and forward-leaning in his language. And -- and he kept it pretty plain and straightforward. And -- and the momentum that he talked about the past 24 hours, I think if -- if Iran is going to stay committed to that momentum and there is going to be a movement towards this memorandum of understanding, I'm not saying that they're there. In fact, we're waiting for the Iranians to respond at the moment. That's what their foreign ministry spokesman says. Their foreign ministers on the way back from Beijing. So, expect to get a readout, you know, at the earliest, probably tomorrow morning.

But the language that he's using isn't inflaming Iranian tensions too much. And I think the sort of takeaway here that the Iranians are buying into, their hard-aligned IRGC side, they say, look, we've -- we've forced them to back down in the Strait of Hormuz. That's their position, that the Epic Fury is gone, Project Freedom, that's now on a pause.

They're reading that as a win, or they're trying to sell it as a domestic win and saying, for that reason, we're willing to engage. And, of course, the trick is going to be the closer we get, how does it look and what is said about what has to be talked about and how quickly they have to arrive in agreement. But I think what we're hearing from the President is really, you know, pushing forward on that path and not inflaming the Iranians too much. That was one of the things I took away.

KEILAR: All right, Nic, very interesting. He obviously wants a deal very much.

Nic Robertson live for us in Pakistan. We appreciate it.

A big update this hour is we're following the deadly hantavirus outbreak on a luxury cruise liner. This is a ship that is carrying more than a hundred passengers. This includes 17 Americans. And it has now departed Cape Verde off the coast of Africa. It's now heading towards Spain's Canary Islands.

SANCHEZ: Remember, three people who have fallen ill have already been evacuated, as three others have died. The World Health Organization confirms that human-to-human transmission likely happened. Let's get more now from Pau Mosquera, who is live for us in Madrid.

Pau, there's been some pushback in Spain about this ship coming to the Canary Islands.

PAU MOSQUERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's it, Boris, because the situation has created some tension between the regional government of the Canary Islands and the Spanish government.

[15:10:00]

The President of the regional government, Fernando Clavijo, has claimed over the day they have never been informed or consulted regarding the decision to move the cruise ship to the Canary Islands, and also adding that they believe that this decision does not follow any technical or health-related criteria from the Spanish government's side. They have denied it, and they said that they are carrying it out because the World Health Organization has officially requested to do so, and they will comply with the international law and show some humanitarian spirit.

So, the latest we know, Boris, Briana, is that the MV Hondius has already set sail to the south of Tenerife, and the ministry of health estimates that the duration of the journey will be around three days and 12 hours. So, if everything goes as planned, this means that the cruise ship will get to the port of Granadilla de Abona on Saturday.

Now, once the cruise gets to this port, they will then deploy a controlled sanitary circuit on where they will directly transfer all the passengers and crew members from the port to the airport south Tenerife, which is located just 10 minutes away. And they have chosen this port because it's very close to the airport, and also because it enables them to ensure that while they are being transferred, they will avoid any contact with the local population.

So, all the passengers and the crew members that are from other countries, they will be directly repatriated. But those are from Spain, 14 people. They will be taken here to Madrid to this military hospital that you can see behind me. Here they will be quarantined for some days. And in case any of them show any hantavirus symptoms, then they will be transferred to one of the high-level isolation units that they have inside of the hospital.

Now, it is also important to highlight, Boris, Briana, that this morning you may remember that three passengers that were with symptoms of hantavirus were being transferred to the Netherlands. Well, one of the aircrafts had to refuel in Morocco, but the country didn't grant the permission for the aircraft to land. So, they have to divert the flight to the Gran Canaria's airport to then refuel.

But once they landed, one of the physicians on board reported the failure of one electrical life support that was giving support to one of the patients. So, what they had to do is to connect the system to one of the electrical supplies from the airport. And we knew that the aircraft is still on the runway, waiting for another aircraft to get to the airport and then transfer the patient to this new one. Boris, Briana.

KEILAR: That is dire and very interesting to see the measures that Spain is taking as they plan to move people there to Madrid. Pau Mosquera, thank you very much for that report.

Still to come, the latest on the manhunt in Tennessee for a special forces veteran accused of shooting his wife. SANCHEZ: And later, antisemitic assaults on the rise in the United

States. The alarming new report from the Anti-Defamation League. That and much more coming up on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:17:45]

KEILAR: A new report finds that physical assaults against Jewish people in the U.S. have reached a 46-year high. According to the Anti- Defamation League, more than 6,200 antisemitic incidents were reported in total last year. That is 17 every day, ranging from harassment to assault. CNN Correspondent Brynn Gingras has been digging into this new data.

What are you seeing in it, Brynn?

Brynn Gingras: Yes, Brianna, so that 6,200 number that you just referenced, that number is actually down from the previous year. However, what you also highlighted with those assaults, that's the scary number here. That's what the ADL in their annual report really was focusing in on. Because what they're seeing is a number they haven't seen since 2022, and that is deaths on U.S. soil of people, you know, as a result of an antisemitic attack. They actually pointed to three incidents that happened last year. If you remember, there was that couple that was killed outside the Capitol Jewish Museum, and it was also that 82-year-old woman who died as a result of her injuries from being firebombed at a walk in Boulder, Colorado.

So, those are the numbers that are super alarming. Overall, though, those numbers are down. Again, the number of incidents in totality, but also historically much higher than the ADL has seen in previous years of total antisemitic incidents. I want you to hear from Jonathan Greenblatt as he sort of laid out all of these numbers that they're seeing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JONATHAN GREENBLATT, ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE CEO: As if we have two eras, pre-October 7 and post-October 7. And in this new era, again, up 70 percent on 2022. American Jews report feeling unsafe in the communities where they've lived for generations, even centuries.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GINGRAS: And two big takeaways, Brianna, that I was noting as they were going through this report. One, that there are antisemitic incidents happening in every single state in the United States, including D.C. That is a new number that they are putting out there. Also, we heard from some survivors of incidents, one of just vandalism, all the way up to someone who survived that attack in Boulder, Colorado, and the lasting feeling they feel as a Jewish person in this country after an attack has happened.

[15:20:04] And that's really what the ADL is pointing at, is how Jewish people right now feel. Even if the numbers are down, the feeling of how, you know, walking around thinking something could happen to you because of your faith, that's still very high, of course, and -- and concerning.

KEILAR: And -- yes, certainly. And Brynn, just this week, several synagogues and homes in Queens were vandalized with images of swastikas. What do we know about that investigation?

GINGRAS: Yes. So, look, they're still looking for people. Earlier this week, I was on your show, guys, and we showed some video that was given to us from one of those buildings that you can see a swastika was spray-painted on that building. Well, the NYPD and their Hate Crimes Task Force, which is investigating these -- these incidents in Queens that happened overnight, Monday, they released video, and that video actually, much better quality. They actually can zoom in on the actual faces of these people, and they have put that out there to the public, hoping that they can actually find these individuals responsible.

Again, this is a community in Queens, historical Jewish community, and it's -- you know, some people might look at it and say it's just vandalism, but the -- pointing again to now this is a community in fear of where they live because they're being attacked for their faith. Brianna.

KEILAR: Yes, certainly. All right, Brynn, thank you so much for the very latest there as we continue to follow that story.

GINGRAS: Yes.

KEILAR: Ahead, we're remembering CNN founder and media pioneer Ted Turner. He passed away at 87.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:26:10]

SANCHEZ: Today, CNN lost the visionary who created the network more than 40 years ago. Ted Turner was 87 years old. And the broadcasting pioneer didn't just build the first 24-hour news network. He launched the modern experience of watching history happen live around the world and beyond from the Gulf War to humankind traveling to the far side of the moon. Here's Turner with more on what drove him to create CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TED TURNER, CNN FOUNDER: He said, set your goals so high that you can't achieve them in your lifetime. I don't know how to quit. It's not in my genes. I -- I worked till 7 o'clock. And when I got home, the -- the news was -- was over. So, I missed television news completely. And I figured there were lots of people like me. It was more than just a company to me. It was a -- it was a way of life.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SANCHEZ: CNN is far from the only major organization paying tribute today. Turner also owned multiple sports teams, including the Atlanta Braves, when they won the World Series in 1995, and the Braves posted this on social media, saying, quote, "Our good friend and former owner Ted Turner was one of a kind -- a brilliant businessman, consummate showman, and passionate fan of his beloved Braves. Ted's visionary leadership and innovative approach to broadcast television transformed the Braves into America's team. Under his stewardship, the ball club experienced one of the greatest runs of sustained excellence in MLB history and brought a World Series championship to Atlanta in 1995." It goes on to say that Ted was also a legendary philanthropist and that he will be missed.

We're joined now by one of the MVPs of the Atlanta era, Dale Murphy, a former Braves all-star, is with us. He's also a two-time National League MVP.

Dale, thank you so much for being with us.

Tell us about your experience with Ted while playing for the Braves and what it was like under his ownership.

Dale Murphy: Well, I think all of us that got to play under Ted's ownership are very grateful. He was -- as we learned from his experience in sailing, he was -- he got the nickname "Tenacious Ted." And he passed that on to us. He expected us to be tenacious in every way. He took care of us as players. He wanted to beat the Yankees and George Steinbrenner. He wanted to beat the Carpenters and the Phillies. And it was a personal thing to him.

I think, you know, we recognized early on that he was going to change -- things were changing as far as viewership was concerned. He put us on every night, no blackouts, even in Atlanta. And as a result of that, created America's team, as you mentioned. And it just -- formed a whole generation. And beyond his baseball, their love of the Braves from -- from -- from grandparents to parents to kids, it's just continued to -- to grow and develop.

But in those early days of -- of TBS, we could tell that something special was happening. And now you can see the result of it. Everywhere I go in this country, there are Braves fans, because Ted put them on TBS, and -- and there we were. So, we were -- we were very fortunate to be there in the early days.

SANCHEZ: Yes. And -- and before those huge runs in the '90s, things weren't as great on the field, right? There was a 16-game losing streak at one point. And Ted actually appointed himself manager, even though it -- it only lasted a day. What do you remember from that?

MURPHY: Well, I was actually -- I was actually in AAA at the time. I got called up after that.

[15:30:04]

But I remember Phil Niekro telling me that -- that Ted came up to him before the game, that he was going to manage ...