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Wendy Sherman is Interviewed about the China Summit; Latinos Shift on Trump; Chris Bambury is Interviewed about High Gas Prices; Bumble Overhauls App. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired May 15, 2026 - 09:30   ET

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

[09:30:00]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Taiwan along the way. He now says that he and Xi discussed Taiwan extensively in their two days of meetings. Told reporters that he has not made up his mind about the multibillion-dollar arms deal to Taiwan, the democratic and self- governing island that Beijing views as part of its territory. A lot of members of Congress wanted to see the president endorse that arms deal.

Here's what the president now says aboard Air Force One.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: What about the arms sales to Taiwan?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'll make a determination over the next fairly short period of time.

REPORTER: You're not necessarily going to go ahead. It was your proposal.

TRUMP: I'll make a determination. I'm going to see. I have to speak to the person that right now is, you know, you know who he is, that's running Taiwan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Xi warned President Trump during the summit that the wrong move on Taiwan could trigger, the way he puts it, clashes and even conflicts between the two superpowers.

Joining me right now is Wendy Sherman. She's a former deputy secretary of state under President Biden.

Ambassador, thanks for being here.

You were point person on China at the State Department for President Biden.

WENDY SHERMAN, FORMER DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE: Indeed (ph).

BOLDUAN: What do you make of hearing that from President Trump now? SHERMAN: Well, I think this was quite an underperforming summit in

many ways. I think this was a time for both leaders to try to size each other up. The president, I hope, we'll get more details. But on Taiwan, there was great concern because, as David Sanger of "The New York Times" pointed out, in 1982, President Reagan came up with a set of assurances for Taiwan, including that we would not discuss arms sales with China. And indeed it appears President Trump did discuss arms sales with President Xi. He now says he will make a decision about it. But it does make us all concerned about what really went on here and whether the president is going to sell out Taiwan over time. I'm hoping, because the Congress is greatly supportive, that the arms sales go through.

The other thing I'd note, Kate, is the president said he was going to talk to the president of Taiwan. That is quite unusual. I was trying to think whether that had ever happened before, at least a public announcement of such a call. On one hand, that's good news. He's affirming that Taiwan has its own leadership. But we have a lot left to see here. We don't really know the details of what happened in this summit.

BOLDUAN: Yes. Much more detail people would like to see coming. We will see on that.

You are also the ambassador, the chief U.S. negotiator, when it came to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. President Trump discussed this quite a bit. I mean he does quite often, but he discussed this quite a bit aboard Air Force One as well.

Let me play what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If I didn't terminate that, Iran would have a nuclear weapon that they would have used it within probably two years ago, three years ago. If I didn't go in with the B-2 bombers nine months ago, Iran would have a nuclear weapon and nobody would be able to talk to them.

By the way, they would have used it already.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: From your perspective, is that the case?

SHERMAN: I don't agree with that assessment. But the president is going to continue to say this. And I think he's doing this, in part because he's pretty stuck right now. He's facing a stalemate. He can either negotiate truly with Iran and probably have to give in to Iran to some extent. He can use more military force, but that comes with enormous risks. Or he can live with this stalemate and try to see what happens.

He said he did not ask President Xi to help out because he'd have to give something in return. And that is indeed the case. But I'm sure he hopes that President Xi is telling Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz. There is -- been reported intelligence that China is surreptitiously

giving weapons, certainly at least dual use materials to Iran to prosecute this war. That is very concerning. I have no idea whether the president raised this.

What I think is interesting, and I know you talked with Congressman Meeks about this, whether the president will now take action on Cuba as a way to show the world that he still has strength, he still can get things done, and try to send a signal, both to Iran and to President Xi, that he's still tough, he's still in charge, his military is great, which it is, even though I believe the president doesn't really have a strategic purpose in what he's doing, even if he's been tactically effective.

BOLDUAN: Ambassador Wendy Sherman, thank you so much for your time. I appreciate you coming in.

Sara.

[09:35:01]

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, thank you, Kate.

Ahead, drivers aren't the only ones lashing out over gas prices. Would you believe gas station owners are as well? What they have to say about what's happened ahead.

And later, a beagle gives a would-be thief a knuckle sandwich, sort of. Those stories and more ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: We've got some new data this morning about shifts within a group that was key to Donald Trump's election victory in 2024. With us now, CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten.

[09:40:01]

Good morning to you, sir.

HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: Good morning.

BERMAN: And we're talking about Latino voters.

ENTEN: Yes.

BERMAN: There was so much discussion leading up to November 2024. Then so much discussion immediately after it. Where are we now?

ENTEN: Yes, where are we now? What a different world. Oy vey, if I'm the president of the United States. Because just take a look here. OK, Latino voters on Trump. He won a record share for a Republican presidential nominee. Forty-six percent of that vote going all the way back since we had the advent of exit polls back in 1972. And look at where he is today. His job approval rating in an average of CNN polls this year, 28 percent. That is an 18-point drop. The bottom has completely fallen out when it comes to Donald Trump and Latino voters. He won record numbers of them back in 2024, and they have abandoned him with the utmost just dislike of what he is doing so far. Just 28 percent. A drop of 18 points.

BERMAN: Now, among Latinos, it was Latino men who were driving this movement toward him in 2024. Where are they now?

ENTEN: Yes, you think that this movement is a lot. What about Latino men? Oh, my goodness gracious. OK, Latino male voters. In the 2024 election versus Kamala Harris, look at this, Trump won them by ten points. Look at the net approval rating now, minus 41 points. That is a movement of 51 points. A shift away from the president of the United States. Latino male voters supercharged that record performance that Donald Trump had with Latino voters. And they, like Latino women, Latinas, are moving against the president of the United States, minus 41 points. Again, the bottom has just completely fallen out. And, of course, when you look across that political map, there are so many races that will be involving a lot of Latino voters. And when you see numbers like this, I just go, uh-oh, if I am a Republican running for Congress.

BERMAN: Talk about one of those races in just a moment. But wait, there's more before that. Which is, look, this new CNN poll this week talked about just how people have enormous concerns about the economy and enormous disapproval of the president on it. What are Latinos saying about that?

ENTEN: Yes, OK, I'm going to take two for one here. It's a two for one special here on a Friday -- or a mid Friday morning, I guess. Latino voters on Trump and the economy. Look, one of the big reasons why Donald Trump put on that record performance with Latinos back in 2024 was because the issue of the economy. They trusted Donald Trump by a three point margin against Kamala Harris. But look at his net approval rating on the economy now.

BERMAN: Oh!

ENTEN: Oh, yes. Johnny B. said it best over there. Look at that, minus 46 points. That's, again, another near 50 point movement against the president of the United States on the number one issue. No wonder the bottom has fallen out with Latino voters and Latino men in particular. And you're talking about one of those races, right, Johnny B., one of those races.

Why don't we go to Texas, right. The chance that the Dems win the Texas Senate race. Of course, James Talarico, going to be that Democratic nominee. Look at this, in January, look at this, he had a 19 percent chance of winning. Look at where we are now. A 45 percent chance of winning. That number is up through the roof. And part of the reason that number is up through the roof is because a lot of Latino voters are turning against President Trump and it could be that they've turned against Republican nominees for Congress and for the United States Senate in particular.

BERMAN: President Trump, just speaking about this race on Air Force One on his way back from China, shows you where his focus is. Harry Enten, thank you very much. Have a very nice weekend.

ENTEN: You as well.

BERMAN: We've got a lot more news coming up. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:47:58]

SIDNER: Gas prices are killing our budgets. The national average for gas has risen to $4.52 a gallon. That is $1.33 higher than it was last year at this time.

And you aren't the only one that's frustrated, it turns out. Worried gas station owners say they too are struggling with this.

Joining me now is Chris Bambury, a gas station owner in Sonoma Valley, California. His family has been selling gas in the valley for more than 100 years.

Pretty incredible. That is a very long time. So, I got to ask you first, what are you charging for regular unleaded in California right now?

CHRIS BAMBURY, GAS STATION OWNER: We're about $6.40 a gallon for regular unleaded.

SIDNER: Whew. All right.

Your family has been in the gas business for more than 100 years. That means that you were around during -- your family was around during the gas shortages of the Carter years. Give me a sense of what this gas spike now looks like for you. What it means.

BAMBURY: The most volatile we've ever seen. So, my father lived through that definitely and was operating during the Carter years and the long lines and running out of product and a lot of challenges then. But this has been so volatile with the up and down. You just, you really can't comprehend, you know, where it's going to go. You're -- one day it's coming down. The next day it's back up. So, most volatility we've ever seen in my lifetime in the industry.

SIDNER: Wow. That's saying something for a family that's been through this for 100 years. And you've been around for a bit just watching all this happen.

BAMBURY: Yes.

SIDNER: Look, as drivers, when we -- when we pull up to the gas station, we tend to look at the prices and blame y'all a little bit and say, like, what do these gas stations -- like, what are they doing charging this money? Do you benefit at all from high gas prices?

BAMBURY: No. Our industry fares worse, and we never like high gas prices. Customers really do not like the prices high. They come in. They're much more upset about where the market's at and how much it hurts their pocketbook.

[09:50:05]

Our industry gets even more compressed and competitive when it's higher prices. Just, you know, really for the customers are looking around shopping and just, it's a much, much tougher industry to deal with when prices are high.

SIDNER: What are the margins like for you? Because you have to deal with the -- sort of the wholesale gas price, and then pass some of that on to the consumer, obviously, what are the margins there for y'all?

BAMBURY: They are definitely compressed. Like I said, when the market is high. You know, we, again, see they're much more livable and fair margins when prices are low, but not faring well as -- at all during now with the current high prices.

SIDNER: Just quickly, first of all, I've always wanted to know the answer to this question, so now you're getting it. When you are going to get gas and there are two gas stations right across from each other on the corner, and one is 10 cents higher than the other, how is that decided? Is it the company that you're dealing with, whether it's Exxon or BP or is it something else?

BAMBURY: No. No. Everybody independently. You know, we all set our own pricing as independent operators. You can choose to be more competitive, maybe choose to be higher priced slightly and offer more value, you know, more services for your customers, like more staff. So, it's all very, very dynamic. And, you know, really not at all anything as far as setting or, you know, doing any pricing together.

SIDNER: OK. Understood. I know you're going through it. A lot of people are. That $6.40 a gallon was hard to swallow. I think I just got hiccups from hearing that number. And I know it's making you nervous too.

Chris Bambury, thank you so much for coming on and walking us through all that, explaining it.

John.

BERMAN: All right, a close call for Florida deputy after a suspect ambushed him and tried to stab him multiple times in the chest, only to be stopped by the officer's vest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: The deputy was allegedly attacked when he stepped out of his patrol car. Authorities said the suspect then ran into the woods where he was found with two bloody folding knives. He faces charges, including attempted murder.

A car driving on the Long Island Expressway was no longer driving after it fell into a sinkhole. Luckily, no one there was injured. Officials said the sinkhole was about eight feet deep. The incident did cause some traffic problems on the Long Island Expressway, which needs no reason to have traffic problems, but found an extra one here.

So, the Washington Nationals, they are under 500 and can use an infusion of talent. So, today, Natty will make his Major League debut.

BOLDUAN: Oh. Sorry.

BERMAN: He's an eight week old golden retriever and lab mix. For now, Natty will be the team's official dog and train alongside the team for the ultimate goal of being a service dog. And I'm told you can hear directly from Natty, who will make his cable news debut on "THE SITUATION ROOM" later this morning, which is a good booking. I am told the subjects will include the president's trip to China and redistricting.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: I am speechless at that cuteness.

BERMAN: Well, you should stay tuned to CNN because Wolf Blitzer will be talking to that dog later this morning.

BOLDUAN: Serious question. First and foremost, you know he will say, do you know you're in "THE SITUATION ROOM" to the dog.

BERMAN: You know, "THE SITUATION ROOM."

BOLDUAN: The dog will say, bark.

BERMAN: Yes.

BOLDUAN: Should we do this? OK. OK.

The popular dating app Bumble is changing things up. Bringing in Natty. Just kidding. Getting rid of the well-known swipe feature. Bumble's CEO says that people are just feeling exhausted about the constant swiping to find a match, so now they've introduced that -- announced that they -- that it is all getting an A.I. makeover and introducing a new A.I. assistant to act as matchmaker.

CNN's Clare Duffy tracking this one and joining us now.

An A.I. dating concierge. Tell me everything.

CLARE DUFFY, CNN TECH REPORTER: Well, Kate, this is coming against the backdrop, as you said, of people, especially gen z, having real dating and swiping fatigue, moving away from dating apps. In its most recent quarter, Bumble's revenue was down 14 percent year on year. So, Bumble and many other dating apps are trying to change things up and add A.I. into their platforms. In many ways, A.I. has already been a part of dating apps. It is used

to decide the algorithm for what matches will show up in your feed. Many dating apps also use A.I. for safety to root out spammers and negative conversation.

But Bumble is taking this to the next level. They are piloting an A.I. assistant called Bee, which at the start will have onboarding conversations with users, trying to get a better sense of what they're looking for, their communication style. And that will help decide what matches will show up in their feed that they can swipe on. But later this year, Bumble says, at least in some markets, it will be getting rid of the swipe altogether, and that Bee will potentially be setting you up directly with other matches.

[09:55:06]

And in the future, it could also suggest and plan dates.

Now, Whitney Wolfe Herd, the founder and CEO of Bumble, described it this way in a recent interview. She said, "there is a world where your dating concierge could go and date for you with other dating concierges, and then you don't have to talk to 600 people."

And, Kate, this might sound nice for people who are in the swiping trenches right now. I have a couple of questions. What happens when people don't have practice dealing with difficult other people, tough conversations? All of those things can be unpleasant as you're dating, but they also teach you how to deal with other people and how to show up well in your human relationships. And I also have a question about what happens if A.I. makes it easier to catfish people.

Whitney Wolfe Herd was also asked about this in a recent interview. Take a listen to what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WHITNEY WOLFE HERD, CEO, BUMBLE: So, things we will not do, which I think is important for people to hear in the era of A.I., we will not let you falsify who you are with A.I. You cannot have falsified photos with A.I. You cannot use A.I. to, you know, message people that -- we will not be leaning into A.I. as a replacement to human connection. Our goal is to leverage A.I. to make love and connection more human.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Clare Duffy, you are the bomb. This is -- lots of questions, lots of interesting things, but A.I. can just handle it.

BERMAN: But if my --

SIDNER: The human race is over, is what I took from this.

BERMAN: If my --

BOLDUAN: No. It's going to allow for more human connection.

BERMAN: If my dating concierge is talking to your dating concierge and said (ph), how many people are on this date?

BOLDUAN: They will --

BERMAN: I mean, what kind of relationship is this?

BOLDUAN: I mean, let's just put it this way, our dating concierge would say, definitely not happening.

BERMAN: Not happening.

All right, thank you all for joining us. This has been CNN NEWS CENTRAL. "THE SITUATION ROOM" is up next.

BOLDUAN: This is a long, forced marriage.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)