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DOJ Launches Criminal Probe into Trump Accuser E. Jean Carroll; CENTCOM Says, Kuwait Intercepted Iranian Ballistic Missile; Rescuers Prepare to Evacuate Five People from Cave, Two Still Missing. Aired 7- 7:30a ET

Aired May 28, 2026 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: We have new reporting this morning on a major CNN exclusive. A jury found Donald Trump liable for sexual abuse. And now there is a new federal investigation of the woman who made those allegations.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: And overnight, a fresh round of strikes between the U.S. and Iran. What does that mean for the ceasefire and the talks to end the war? And why is the president threatening to blow up a key U.S. ally in the Gulf? Big questions today.

And what it looks like, well, it looks like, as you see right there, a chandelier trying to take a walk. It's actually John Berman's best friend, a one-of-a-kind roly-poly robot named Argus, literally designed to face the world in any direction. I wish you could see John's face right now.

I'm Kate Bolduan with John Berman. Sara is out today. This is CNN News Central.

BERMAN: All right. This morning, a CNN exclusive, the Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll, the former magazine columnist who accused President Trump of sexual assault. Not just that, separate juries found him liable for sexually abusing her in a New York department store in the mid-1990s and for defaming Carroll in 2019 when he repeatedly denied assaulting her. This is some of what he said about her.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I have no idea who this woman is. This is a woman who's also accused other men of things, as you know. It is a totally false accusation.

I said, while it's politically incorrect, she's not my type.

I met a woman in front of Bergdorf Goodman, took her up to a changing booth right outside where the cash register is. This is New York City. Why didn't you scream? I was in trauma.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BERMAN: Together, the judgments against the president added up to more than $88 million. Trump is pursuing appeals in both cases.

Now, multiple sources tell CNN the Justice Department is now investigating whether Carroll committed perjury during a 2022 deposition with a statement she made indicating she received no outside funding for her lawsuit. It was later revealed that billionaire Reid Hoffman's non-profit paid some legal fees and expenses. Carroll's team has declined to comment on this new investigation. Kate?

BOLDUAN: Let's talk about this. Joining us right now is CNN senior legal analyst, former federal prosecutor, Elie Honig. Thanks for coming in, Elie. I really appreciate it.

So, as John was just saying, this is now an investigation into E. Jean Carroll, questions about perjury, and gets to the 2022 deposition that Carroll gave. What does the Justice Department need to show or prove, and how serious of a case is this, again?

ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: So, perjury cases are serious. They're punishable by maximum five years in prison, but they're much harder for prosecutors to prove than I think people might realize.

So, what prosecutors will have to show here to have an indictment against E. Jean Carroll is that, A, she gave false testimony about whether she knew where this funding was coming from, B, that the way she was asked the question was unambiguous, that there's no wiggle room, there's no confusion about what the question was or what the answer was. C, that she knew it was false at that time in 2022 at the deposition. And then, D, the prosecutors will have to show what we call materiality, meaning was the thing she allegedly lied about relevant to some substantial issue in the case? It's not enough if it was just some detail or some throwaway.

So, those are the things prosecutors have to show, and, of course, Kate, beyond a reasonable doubt when it gets to a jury, if and when it gets to a jury.

BOLDUAN: The materiality, I think, is one of the questions that people have, is this isn't -- it's not -- and I don't want to say quibble like it's not serious, but it's not a question about her telling the truth regarding a key element of what she has accused the president of. No. This is about just funding for her legal fees. Why does that matter?

HONIG: Right. It has nothing to do with the alleged sexual assault inside the department store. But I think the argument prosecutors will make on materiality is the defense argument, Donald Trump's defense at that civil case, was in part that E. Jean Carroll had fabricated the story about what happened in the department store to take him down politically.

And the argument would be, if she was indeed being funded by Democratic mega-donors, that would be relevant to her motive.

[07:05:02]

So, that'll be the argument.

I actually do think if they can prove she knowingly lied, I do think they will be able to satisfy materiality. The bar, by the way, for materiality is very low. You just have to show that it was relevant to some fact in the case.

BOLDUAN: But -- and another aspect of this is just if you add into -- in the context of this pattern of retribution that we have seen from the Justice Department, from President Trump, especially of recent, how does that add into this?

HONIG: So, this is very relevant legally, and this could overcome the entire case. If there comes a day where E. Jean Carroll gets charged, she will have a very strong vindictive prosecution defense. The textbook definition of vindictive prosecution is somebody asserts their rights, let's say by a lawsuit, and wins, and then gets punished with a prosecution in return. And so she will have a very strong case.

And this, of course, is not happening in a vacuum, Kate. We've seen politically targeted prosecutions that have failed against Letitia James, against Jim Comey, against Mark Kelly, against Elissa Slotkin, an investigation of Jerome Powell, on down the line. So, she'll have a powerful defense to be made, but she can't do it now. She can only do it if and when there comes a day where she gets indicted.

BOLDUAN: Quite. There's a lot that is about to unfold here now with this investigation and what could come.

It's good to see you, Elie.

HONIG: Thank you.

BOLDUAN: Thanks so much for coming in. John?

BERMAN: All right, we do have some breaking news this morning. CENTCOM just confirmed moments ago that Iran did launch a ballistic missile toward Kuwait. CENTCOM says it was successfully intercepted by Kuwaiti forces. And this came hours after they say Iranian forces launched five one-way attack drones.

Let's get right to CNN's Kevin Liptak at the White House. So, I got to say, a lot of military activity, though I'm sure the administration will say the ceasefire still holds.

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, I mean, CENTCOM, I think, is using pretty notable language here, calling this ballistic missile that was fired towards Kuwait an egregious ceasefire violation. I think all of it evidence that this is really heating up despite the administration's claims that it continues to try and negotiate a deal here and that this truce remains, in fact, in effect.

And just to give you a little bit of the TikTok of how all of this unfolded last night, the U.S. detected Iran firing one-way drones towards a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. It took down those drones, and it also targeted a ground facility that it says was about to fire an additional drone. Iran responding, retaliating, now we understand that it was retaliating using a ballistic missile fired towards Kuwait in what CENTCOM is calling this egregious ceasefire violation.

You're right, officials up until now had insisted that the ceasefire was holding despite you know, ample evidence that the firing had not in fact ceased. It actually appears to be accelerating. You know, this is the second skirmish that we've seen just in this area this week alone. This happened on Monday as well. It raises a lot of questions, I think, about the missile and drone capabilities that Iran has actually retained along the Strait of Hormuz despite President Trump's claims to have completely obliterated Iran militarily.

When you talk to officials behind the scenes, they do say that some of the missile sites that Iran has been able to reconstitute along the strait is of major concern to them. You know, it all complicates the negotiations that are still underway over this potential deal.

We heard from President Trump yesterday sounding very reluctant to seem overeager to try and reach a deal. He said he, quote, doesn't care about the midterms, insisting he is under no pressure to try and get this all concluded, and also making this remarkable threat against a U.S. ally, the Gulf state of Oman, saying that if they enter into an agreement with Iran to control the Strait of Hormuz, he would blow them up. John?

BERMAN: All right. Kevin Liptak, a flurry of new developments. I had not seen the CENTCOM release the wording of it. Interesting, as you say, that they do say it was an egregious violation of the ceasefire because that would be a bit of a new area than we've seen in the last few weeks. Kevin Liptak, terrific reporting from the White House, thank you very much. Kate?

BOLDUAN: Clearly much more to come on that, for sure.

We're also standing by. Any minute, the five people trapped more than 1,000 feet deep into a cave could be rescued after a week, remember. New video in this morning from inside. We're going to bring it to you.

Also today, the Trump administration is launching an investing app for the so-called Trump accounts millions of children are eligible for. What you need to know as a family.

And a medieval manuscript more than 700 years old featuring the tales of King Arthur and the quest for the Holy Grail, it's up for auction. How much could it go for? It seems something like a king's ransom.

We'll be right back.

[07:10:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: So, there's new video in showing rescuers in Laos reaching the five villagers for a second time as they are still stuck inside that flooded cave. And there are new plans now in the works for how they're going to try to get these men out safely, just as rescuers are also still urgently working and getting supplies in, like headlamps and food.

Showing you video of how tight a squeeze the 1,000-foot tunnel really is. I mean, remember, it's just 23 inches, less than two feet wide in some spots. An incredibly dangerous rescue effort for everyone involved. And crews are also still looking for the two other members of the group who are still missing.

CNN's Mike Valerio is following this one for us. He joins us now. And, Mike, what are you learning about kind of the latest rescue plan and how it's coming together?

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kate, essentially, what they want to try to do is pump out as much water from there as possible because the rescuers in Laos figure, hey, they got in there before the rain.

[07:15:07]

Let's pump out all the rainwater, and in theory, they could get themselves out of there.

But as you said, 23 inches, 63 centimeters, you know, this is it. I personally could not fit through this, and what's so stunning is to hear these rescuers say that they have to exhale, Kate, as much of their oxygen as possible so they can squish into spaces like this and take off their gear as well.

But I'll tell you, Kate, the most harrowing moment came from a Thai rescuer who's a veteran of the 2018 Thai soccer team rescue, Norrased Palasing. We can show you the video. He sees the five men on that ledge for the first time. He uploads the GoPro video to his Facebook page, and he tells all of them, quote, there are people here to help you now. The important thing is that you're alive. It's okay. It's okay. You've done really well. Don't cry.

Understatement of the evening here in Asia right there, one of the people who's trapped responds with a message to his mom, everybody can relate to that, saying, quote, mom, don't worry. The rescue team has reached us now. We're safe. I miss mom and dad so much. We'll probably get out today or the day after tomorrow.

That is certainly the plan, but easier said than done because there are pockets of hydrogen sulfide that are in this cave system. And what that does, I'm not sure if you remember from high school or university chem, hydrogen sulfide essentially in big enough quantities can shut down your respiratory system. It makes it completely inefficient for your body to process oxygen. So, they need to install oxygen tanks throughout this cave system while still looking for the two people who are missing.

Apparently, those two people, Kate, went in before the five individuals, so the five who were found, they said, we don't know the other two, and we don't know where they are. But to give you some perspective, as you said in the intro to the story, the cave system, more than 1,000 feet long. That's essentially from the street level of Fifth Avenue as you make your way up to the observation deck of the Empire State Building. So, it takes about an hour as they're going as fast as possible to get in there. We're going to be following this hour by hour, hoping for a miracle that all of them get out of there. Kate?

BOLDUAN: All right. It was such good news to find this group alive. They have still a lot to go to get them out safely, as you very well are describing it. So, it is really something still unfolding as we speak.

Mike, thank you so very much.

Still ahead for us, an expert says that A.I. is hitting the job market like an atomic bomb now, not only changing jobs, as we know it, but also changing the entire hiring process. We've got more on that.

And an MLB rookie just did something no other player has since 1901.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:20:00]

BERMAN: The former Hartford Whalers one step closer to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Let's get to CNN's Andy Scholes for all the hockey action. Good morning to you.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Good morning, guys. It's been a minute since they were the Hartford Whalers, but the Carolina fans certainly excited as they're on one great run right now. The Hurricanes 11-1 so far in these playoffs, and a game away from the Stanley Cup Final. No team from Canada has won the Stanley Cup since the Canadians did it back in 1993, and that drought looks like it's going to continue because Carolina jumping on Montreal in the first period, Sebastian Aho scoring here on the power play to make it 1-0 Hurricanes.

And Carolina would then quickly add two more goals. The Hurricanes scored three goals in a span of 2 minutes and 47 seconds, completely sucked the air out of the building there in Montreal. Canadians would only take 18 shots. The Hurricanes just dominated game four, 4-0 was the final. The Hurricanes can close out that series tomorrow night.

Now, speaking of dominating, Shohei Ohtani was doing it all once again for the Dodgers last night. Bottom of the first, Ohtani with the leadoff home run, his ninth of the season. Now, he was also pitching in this one. Second straight in a row for him that Ohtani hit a leadoff home run, and on the mound just continued to be unreal, pitched six no-hit innings.

Ohtani a little unhappy with the walks afterwards, but his ERA is now 0.83, which is the lowest through nine games in Dodgers history. L.A. won that one 4-1 over the Rockies.

A big night, though, for Japanese stars across baseball last night. White Sox rookie slugger Munetaka Murakami homering yet again. This was his 20th of the season. He now has the most home runs by a rookie before June since 1901. White Sox whacked the Twins in that one by a final 15-2.

Novak Djokovic, meanwhile, he beat the heat and Valentin Royer to move on to the third round at the French Open. So, it was the fourth straight day the temperature was above 90 degrees there in Paris, Djokovic putting ice all over his head and face between games and sets. And he did hit one cold shot in the fourth set. Look at this one, around the net. Royer couldn't believe how good that shot was. Djokovic, he would win in four and the 39-year-old was in a dancing mood afterwards.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. You can't beat that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: We'll see what kind of run Djokovic can go on this time around in Paris, John. He said after that one, he's played two matches, he's felt like he's played for two weeks. So, you know, at 39 years old, not getting any easier for him.

BERMAN: Seeing that dancing, I will say it's a good thing that he plays tennis well, and that he has a career to fall back on if the dancing doesn't work out there. But he is phenomenal.

SCHOLES: I thought those moves weren't bad. I thought they were pretty good.

BERMAN: I mean, it's okay. For a 39-year-old guy, it's okay. It's okay. It looks like -- he's like, dancing like an old man dancing at a wedding.

Andy Scholes, thank you very much.

SCHOLES: All right.

BERMAN: All right. New this morning, former First Lady Jill Biden now says she was scared that her husband was having a stroke during his disastrous debate performance. So, why did she continue to support his candidacy?

And the robot leg race is on.

[07:25:01]

This morning, a new robot has 20 legs, and the big question this morning is when will they get to 25?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BOLDUAN: So, starting today, the Trump Accounts app will officially go live, giving parents the opportunity to create IRA-style savings accounts for their children. The federal government will also be putting $1,000 into every account, and this is for children born between January 1st, 2025, December 31st, 2028. The accounts will officially open for investment starting on July 4th. So, what do you need to know now?

CNN's David Goldman has all the information for you. What happens today when this goes live?

DAVID GOLDMAN, CNN BUSINESS SENIOR REPORTER: Well, the app is going live, but you can't invest, as you mentioned, until July 4th. But you can get a sense of what you can do.

So, think, we've been talking about Trump accounts for a while. It's good to just remember who is eligible, what you can do with it. So, if you have a kid who was born between, you know, January 1st, 2025, and, well, this expires in '28.

[07:30:04]

We'll see if that, you know, gets renewed.

BOLDUAN: Yes, good point. Yes.

GOLDMAN: We'll see. But if you have a kid who was born.