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Rep. Ocasio-Cortez Decision to Freeze Her Eggs Sparks Discussion; Trump Demands Compensation From Iran as New Condition for Talks; Heroic Officer Talks Man Off Edge of Bridge. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired August 10, 2026 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Big personal news from Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. She's going public with her decision to freeze her eggs, despite what she calls a political risk in sharing something so personal. The Congresswoman broke the news on Instagram.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-NY): I have made the decision to start freezing my eggs. This is a choice that I am making to feel more in control of my life. And if people want to make assumptions about my decision, let them make those assumptions.

I feel empowered to make this choice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: The New York Democrat posting that announcement hours before telling ABC News she hasn't ruled out running for president.

We're joined now by Dr. Jaime Knopman, who is a reproductive endocrinologist and author of the new book, "Own Your Fertility, From Egg Freezing to Surrogacy, How to Take Charge of Your Body and Your Future." Doctor, thank you so much for being with us.

This is getting so much attention, and I know a lot of people are going to have questions about it. So I wonder how you're seeing this decision, her deciding to freeze her eggs, and being so public about the process.

DR. JAIME KNOPMAN, REPRODUCTIVE ENDOCRINOLOGIST: Yes, thank you for having me. I'm impressed by it. I think it's empowering.

I think she's making a statement by saying my reproductive future is important to me, and I want to take it into my own hands and do everything I can to protect myself down the road.

KEILAR: OK, so what kind of conversations do you hear women having when -- as she points out, you know, obviously this is something women get asked about or have to consider in a way that men don't, perhaps, when it comes to their career and their balancing being a parent, especially considering that egg freezing certainly does give some women more time to have a baby, but it doesn't work for everyone. So how do you balance that?

KNOPMAN: Yes, so egg freezing is not a guarantee, right? We talk to women every day, all day, about their future fertility, and we make sure to say egg freezing is a way to reduce the chance of having fertility struggles down the road, but it doesn't turn that into a zero, right?

But the world of fertility, we've been changed dramatically by the influx of egg freezing because we now can talk about preserving one's fertility rather than just treating infertility.

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So I have these conversations with women all day long about how can we be proactive, how can we take a preventative approach to reduce the chance that we have fertility struggles down the road? And therefore, we can still do things that we want professionally, academically, personally, but not lose the opportunity to also have a child. And sure, it doesn't always work out, but it actually works out more than you would expect if done at the right age.

KEILAR: We'll talk about that because there are different factors that can determine whether someone is successful in freezing their eggs and then later being able to use them to have a live birth, right? So you've got age, genetic factors, environmental factors, and other things. Can you talk a little bit about that?

KNOPMAN: Yes, so I would say, you know, number one, number two, number three, number four is age, right? The younger you are when you freeze your eggs, the better those eggs will ultimately do. Quantity, the more eggs you have, the better chances you have for success, right?

Number three, having the presence of any underlying gynecologic pathology, right? Any diseases that could impact your ability to get healthy eggs or carry a pregnancy. And I would say number four, where you choose to freeze your eggs.

A lot of success, this is not the easiest technology. And so a lot of a woman's success may come from where she elects to freeze her eggs, what fertility clinic.

KEILAR: OK, so talk about the cost here, because you mentioned the freezing and the cost considering you're looking at very likely not just one cycle, maybe two, right? The fact that you're looking to pay rent probably on storing those eggs. And that can sometimes cost more than even a cycle over time if the eggs are frozen when someone is very young.

KNOPMAN: Yes, so cost is definitely an issue. Accessibility, the opportunity to do the technology is not universal. I will say that over the course of my career, what I have seen probably the most dramatic change in is employers who are picking up the tab for fertility preservation.

So it's becoming something that now is offered in a benefits package, right? So we're seeing so many more individuals have the opportunity to freeze their eggs. It is certainly not universal, whether that be financially or geographically, but it has changed dramatically.

KEILAR: OK, so you -- I mean, you espouse, obviously, the positives of this and this giving people more options, even if it's not a guarantee. Are there any situations where a patient might be advised not to freeze their eggs or to consider that this is not a guarantee for them?

KNOPMAN: Yes, I mean, I think we have to have a frank and honest conversation with patients, right? That's the biggest part probably of my day-to-day job is talking about risks, benefits, alternatives. Is this procedure right for you depending on all of those different factors?

And if we feel the risks are going to outweigh the benefits, then we likely will not undergo the procedure. But I think it's an open dialogue. And the best place to start is to come in to have a conversation about it.

What are your options? How are you considering it? How can we best guide you and decide what is the best path forward for your reproductive future?

KEILAR: Yes, it's such an important conversation to have because this is something that's so meaningful. It can be expensive, right? But it can also allow people to consider different options.

What's the effect of someone like Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez, who's so well-known, being out there and documenting this process in public?

KNOPMAN: Yes, I mean, I give her credit. It's not easy to go public with a personal struggle or a personal process. So I think she runs the risk of everyone sharing their opinions, right?

There will be many cooks in the kitchen telling her, you should have done this, you shouldn't do this, I would have done this, I wouldn't do that. And sometimes I think you just got to turn down the noise and say, this is right for me today. And whether this person thinks it's wrong or this person would have done it differently, that's OK because this is what's important to me.

KEILAR: Yes, it's a very personal decision. Dr. Jaime Knopman, thank you so much for being with us. Really appreciate the conversation.

KNOPMAN: Thank you for having me. Have a great day.

KEILAR: Yes, you too.

Still ahead, some new conditions on Iran. President Trump says he will now seek compensation from Tehran after Iran said the U.S. would be required to pay for damages to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Stay with us.

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(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Just moments ago, President Trump was taking questions from reporters inside the Oval Office, and he was asked about the ongoing war with Iran. Listen to this exchange.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You said this last round of talks was Iran's last chance before decapitation. So what now?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You'll find out.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you still, are massive escalation, is that still on the table?

TRUMP: No, we have that, certainly that ability if we want to do that. Yes, you'll find out.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You said you're low-keying it. You're semi- negotiating. What exactly does that mean?

TRUMP: They asked for reparations, you might say, or they asked for money for the damage that we've done. And I said, that's a good idea. Well, we're going to ask for money for the damage they've done over a 50-year period.

If there's damages to be paid, I think Iran should pay those damages.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Let's discuss with Retired U.S. Army Colonel Peter Mansoor. Colonel, thanks so much for being with us. So CNN is reporting that Trump's top general is looking for an off-ramp from the war. He's acknowledged publicly that air power has its limits.

[15:45:00]

I wonder if you think the U.S. military has done all that it can against Iran from the skies.

COL. PETER MANSOOR, U.S. ARMY (RET.): From the skies, for sure. The naval blockade is certainly having a large affect on their economy and could continue. And then the other element of power, of course, would be ground forces. But I don't see that in the cards, given the significant opposition the president would run into in Congress and among the American people.

SANCHEZ: So given this pivot from hostilities to more sort of financial warfare, if you will, as you put it, with the blockade. I wonder if you think this now will make Tehran more amenable to concessions, or does this weaken the U.S. position when it comes to extracting some form of nuclear deal with Tehran?

MANSOOR: Well, there's a battle being played out in Tehran right now among different parts of the government. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps wants to continue the battle until it gets everything it wants, which is quite an extensive list of demands. The civilians, on the other hand, would see the danger to the Iranian economy, which is already in free fall, and they'd like to cut a deal while one is available to them.

So this has some ways to go yet, and it really is going to be decided in Tehran, not necessarily in Washington.

SANCHEZ: That's a fascinating perspective, because, as you put it, there's some diversion within Iran about what direction to go in. And you have the IRGC, which is perhaps more hardline than even the president of Iran. I wonder if you think that taking the foot off the gas pedal when it comes to actual kinetic warfare would actually get Tehran to offer those concessions that the U.S. is seeking, in part because a U.S. official told Axios that continued fighting actually lets Iran dodge responsibility. Is it realistic to seek the kind of changes that the U.S. has been wanting out of Tehran by just letting things play out this way?

MANSOOR: Well, it's a long shot that Tehran's going to agree to anything short of its maximal demands. However, I think the official from Axios is correct. If you continue to bomb Iran, they will retaliate against infrastructure around the Middle East, and they'll tell their people, hey, look, you know, we can't do anything for you. We're under attack.

If you simply stop the bombing and rely on the economic tool of warfare, the blockade and sanctions, it's going to make it very painful for the Iranian government in the long term. And I think that's actually a better path to a negotiated outcome at this point.

SANCHEZ: How long do you think that that blockade of Iranian ports would have to remain in place for Tehran to offer concessions?

MANSOOR: Months. This is not something that's going to be decided quickly. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps has got to feel the pain.

And the only way they feel the pain is when the Iranian people are so fed up with their leadership and the state of their economy that they pressure the government to come to terms. That's going to take a long time. This war is going to go on for months and hopefully not years, but you never know.

SANCHEZ: Wow. Colonel, before we go, the Pentagon has now given contractors three weeks to submit plans for faster weapons production. They've cited stockpile concerns that we've reported on, others have reported on.

How concerned are you about the military's ability to sustain this fight if the war does drag on?

MANSOOR: Well, this is, I think, another reason that the president has decided to go with the blockade and the economic coercion, because if we continue to bomb and have to face the retaliation, we're running out of air defense weapons. And not just for this fight, but for potential fights with China and Russia. So this is a huge concern. And I know that the Joint Chiefs have expressed that concern to the president, which is probably, again, another reason that he's gone down this different course, which is going to take longer to play out, but probably is the best of a lot of bad options at this point.

SANCHEZ: Wow. Colonel Peter Mansoor appreciate the perspective. Thanks for joining us.

MANSOOR: Thanks for having me on.

SANCHEZ: Ahead, an incredible story you have to see. We're going to talk to the Nashville police officer who used compassion and trust to keep a man from jumping off a bridge and taking his own life. That story is next.

[15:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: So much of a police officer's job is responding to disaster after it's happened. But in a new video, a police officer in Tennessee can be seen preventing the worst from taking place.

KEILAR: Late last month, Lieutenant Mike Hotz was called to Victory Memorial Bridge in Nashville amid reports that a man was livestreaming his plans to jump. And this, what happened next, was caught on Hotz's body camera.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LT. MIKE HOTZ, METROPOLITAN NASHVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT: Hey man, my name's Mike. Can I just holler at you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I ain't shit y'all to tell me right now, man.

HOLTZ: OK. I hear you're frustrated. I just want to help you talk through this bad, this worst day of your life. And I know it is.

I just want you to know that you're a good man and I don't think you're a bad man.

[15:55:00]

I just want you to feel like you are loved here because you are. Can I come shake your hand?

I'm not going to try nothing crazy. I'll step right back when I'm done. I promise you.

To the Lord himself. Can I shake your hand? And I'll step right back.

You good? I love you. I love you. It's going to be all right. It's going to be all right.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: Unbelievable, right? Lieutenant Mike Hotz is with us now. And Lieutenant, I know we can hear you.

I think we're having an issue with seeing you in our signal, but we can see this video of you, which I think is the most important thing here, which is unbelievable. Tell us more about how this unfolded and how you approached this as this, obviously went in a direction that we all would hope it would go.

HOLTZ (on camera): This individual was on a social media platform live streaming and several citizens called in out of concern because he was making statements that he was going to commit suicide. And we were dispatched. And after a couple of minutes, we were able to pinpoint his exact location.

And as it happened, I was the first vehicle that rolled up on scene.

SANCHEZ: And what was your approach going in? What was going through your mind as to how you wanted to connect with him? Because obviously you're trying to use compassion and empathy within yourself to convince him to not do the unthinkable, right?

And I imagine at that moment, he is feeling a lot of strain and frustration, and you were able to connect with that. I wonder how.

HOLTZ: I just wanted to empathize with him, let him know that I was there to listen, let him know that we cared and that he wasn't in any kind of trouble, that we just wanted to help him through the worst moment of the worst day of his life.

KEILAR: And I know you're a combat veteran. Obviously, there's such a mental health crisis and also a suicide crisis that's happening with our veterans that demands so much of our attention. Did that inform your approach to him at all as you were thinking maybe about other people that you'd served with?

HOLTZ: It absolutely did. My experience in the military definitely informed some of the actions I took. We veterans are disproportionately affected by suicide and mental health issues and combat veterans doubly so, if not more.

And I've encountered several individuals, several of my brothers and sisters who have gone through crisis moments. And I just wanted to draw upon those moments and focus them all on this individual at this specific time, at this day, and bring about a safe resolution to the situation.

SANCHEZ: You certainly did that. I wonder what you hope that people watching take away from your actions and the outcome you got that day.

HOLTZ: Well, I'm very proud of the department that I work for. They offer exceptional training and I have exceptional officers and sergeants that work with me. And it was a team effort that day but just know that suicide is such a permanent thing and know that tomorrow can always get better if you just take the one step of reaching out for help.

And if anybody ever gets the opportunity to be there for someone who needs that help, be a listening ear and just be willing to be empathetic, compassionate, and just be human to one another.

KEILAR: Yes, that openness that you approached him with was just incredible. I think in just validating his worth, you could hear in how he responded to you how much that mattered. We see your fellow officers approach.

We see them pat him on the back as well. I mean, how did you all fare after this and sort of talk about what you all had addressed here?

HOLTZ: Our department is uniquely situated. We have a very innovative program called Partners in Care where we have a licensed clinical social worker partnered with a patrol officer to respond to mental health and other crisis situations.

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And here are the individual that we were going to be able to put them in touch with our Partners in Care car and get them to a place that would be able to help them and get them the help they need.

SANCHEZ: Well, that gentleman and the rest of the community is lucky that you were there and that you are there. Lieutenant Mike Hotz, thank you so much for being with us.

HOLT: Thank you all very much.

SANCHEZ: Of course. And remember help is available if you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters, just call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988. Help is out there and you are not alone.

"THE ARENA" with Kasie Hunt starts right now.

END