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U.S. Lost About 25 Percent of its Reaper Drones; Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA) is Interviewed about the Military; Trump's Name to Go Back on Kennedy Center; Trump's Disapproval on Gas Prices; Testimony Resumes Monday in Clancy Murder Trial. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired August 14, 2026 - 08:30   ET

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

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[08:31:09]

DANNY FREEMAN, CNN ANCHOR: There's new reporting this morning on the dwindling U.S. weapons stockpile amid the ongoing war with Iran. According to "The Washington Post," which cites U.S. officials, the military has lost about 25 percent of its MQ-9 Reaper drone fleet during the war. And that comes after CNN reported the U.S. stockpiles of Patriot missiles and THAAD interceptors are severely depleted as well, though the Pentagon has repeatedly denied its supplies are running low.

Joining me now is Tara Copp, one of the "Washington Post" reporters who broke that story on the Reaper drones.

Tara, thank you so much for joining us this morning.

Let's start here for our viewers. Can you remind everyone what are exactly Reaper drones and why this depletion is significant at this point in the war?

TARA COPP, PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT, "THE WASHINGTON POST": Sure. The Reaper -- and we only have about -- before the war started, we only had about 185 of them. They're some of the most in-demand surveillance assets around the world. Our combatant commanders use them to track ships, to track launches, to conduct strikes. They're key surveillance assets. And to have lost about a quarter of the fleet, which U.S. officials told us at least 45, not including the drones that are operated by the U.S. intelligence community, is a big loss to the military.

FREEMAN: Well, can you explain a little bit more how vulnerable this might leave our military since this, as you noted, has been such a widely used tool, specifically in this war with Iran.

COPP: If you look at it in a cumulative picture, as you mentioned, this isn't just the Reaper drone. This is just one weapons system that's been significantly depleted in this conflict. The THAAD batteries that you mentioned, the high-altitude area defense missiles that basically take on incoming ballistic missiles and protect troops on the ground, the Patriot batteries, the drones, the wear and tear to the ships, the reporting that we've seen about the Lincoln, that ship being at sea for 200 days, the wear and tear on the sailors aboard that ship, it's all one big picture of just the enormous cost to the military. And while it can continue to conduct missions right now, you're going to see down the road not only these limited and dwindling stockpiles impacting the president's decisions, but impacting the way the military can respond to contingencies in the future.

FREEMAN: Tara, you noted in your reporting that some of these drones could cost up to $50 million each. So I'm just curious, how or I guess what challenges does the military face trying to perhaps make more of these Reaper drones and build back the supply? Because, again, with some of those other munitions you talked about that have been depleted as well, it can take a long time to rebuild them.

COPP: Sure. The Reaper is going to be phased out. The military's going to look for a smaller, less expensive drone that can swarm, but it's still not on the drawing table. It is not contracted. So, the fact is that they are dependent upon the Reaper until they get a replacement drone.

And like you said, this can take years to field. The THAAD can take up to three years from start to finish to get a new THAAD missile online. So, this is not going to be an easy fix. It's not going to be a quick fix.

And what we're quickly learning is this is going to be a very expensive fix to the U.S. taxpayer. Just the Reaper costs, if they were going to replace them now, would be $1.3 billion. And that doesn't account for any of the other weapon systems that have been depleted so far.

FREEMAN: Wow. And, Tara, is there any concern that, listen, you know, the value of drones is that we don't have to put service members lives at risk up in the air to do some of those surveillance missions. Is there any concern that if our drones start to get depleted seriously, then more service members might have to do some of these dangerous missions?

COPP: The feedback that we got after reporting this article was, you know, thank goodness it was a drone and not a manned aircraft that was shot down --

FREEMAN: Sure.

COPP: Or lost to communication because, ultimately, you're trying to protect service members' lives.

[08:35:05]

But it is an asset that provides needed battlefield intelligence. And the fewer of them you have, the more limited picture you have, increasing the threat across the board.

FREEMAN: All right, Tara Copp, thank you so much for joining us this morning to talk through all that reporting. Really do appreciate it.

Erica. ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Joining us now is Congresswoman Madeleine

Dean, a Democrat from Pennsylvania who sits on the Foreign Affairs and Appropriations Committees.

Congresswoman, it's good to see you this morning.

I'd just like to first get your reaction to that reporting about these Reaper drones and the fact that 25 percent are now gone.

REP. MADELEINE DEAN (D-PA): Well, it's staggering and yet not surprising. After all, we're in a war of recklessness by this administration. Mr. Hegseth is over his head and is proving every day that he is not up to this task. Even as the military is so exquisite and excellent.

So, supplies are very important. I'm an appropriator. I'm a member of the Appropriations Committee. So, military supplies and readiness is something that we're paying close attention to.

I have to tell you, as we talk about the Lincoln, the Abraham Lincoln and the deplorable and deteriorating conditions there, I had the chance just a month ago to be a part of a bipartisan codel to take a look at RIMPAC exercises over in the Pacific. We were literally on the USS Teddy Roosevelt, an extraordinary ship with 5,000 members of the Navy and the Marines doing exquisite work in preparation, along with many other countries, for what could be conflict in that region. What I have to tell you is -- and I'd never been on an aircraft carrier before. We were there with Admiral Paparo, the captain of the Teddy Roosevelt, and these unbelievably, very young members of the military who are doing extraordinary work. And I think of that, and I think of the Lincoln and the 5,000 members of the military there under such stress and duress. They deserve much better. And what it shows me is we have military excellence and civilian incompetence.

HILL: I should point out, Secretary Hegseth was asked about some of this new reporting in terms of what has happened on board the Lincoln, concerns that families raised just last week, of course, at a town hall with the acting secretary of the Navy and other senior officials. So, he was asked about some of this more recent reporting. I just want to play what he had to say in response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE HEGSETH, DEFENSE SECRETARY: Completely misrepresented. Listen, we make sure at every ship, every crew, every captain has everything we can provide them at every single moment. Some deployments are longer than others, and I have more respect and gratitude for those sailors than anybody.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Some deployments do go longer, and service members know that when they sign up. To be clear, these are not reports of sour grapes, right? These are -- these are genuine concerns about mental health. The Navy also saying to CNN in a statement that there have not -- "has not been an uptick in suicidal ideation or attempts." That being said, what do you see as the appropriate course of action here to follow up on these claims?

DEAN: Well, we should never have gotten to this point. And I think Mr. Hegseth's claims are rather cavalier in the face of where we are. There is a reason that rotation should be approximately -- I know it can go longer or shorter -- approximately six months. It's not only for the health and safety and readiness of the men and women who are on that ship, it's also for the equipment itself. But when you have family members coming forward and complaining on behalf of those who are on these ships,

And as I say, when I was there, I can't tell you the commitment. Some people as young as 18, 19 years old, given tremendous responsibilities. The commitment they have to doing this work. We traveled all around the ship. If you're up in the air wing, as apparently one of the folk -- the gentleman, the person who went overboard was part of the air wing, that is some extraordinarily precise, dangerous and difficult work. So, it is important that we take care of our service members.

I think about it, Erica, and I think, we expect our adversaries to neglect or even abuse members of the military, but this kind of neglect, where people don't have adequate hygiene, food, water and rest in a port, that -- we have a solemn duty to do much better. And I know our military want to always do much better.

HILL: I do want to ask you, on another point, about the Reapers. You, of course, as you noted, serve on the Appropriations Committee. I spoke last hour with Sabrina Singh, who, of course, was at the Pentagon during the Biden administration.

[08:40:02]

She told me she found the loss level, in her words, very high and concerning. She also noted the surprise in the Biden administration when Houthis were able to shoot those down early on

Given that the Pentagon would have had that knowledge about what happened during the Biden administration and the loss level we're looking at, does that raise new questions for you about the planning heading into this war?

DEAN: It sure does. And ,of course, for those of us who are in Congress, who have the awesome responsibility and duty to declare war or not to declare war, which, of course, this administration has ignored, we saw no planning, Erica. None whatsoever. And do you know how many briefings we have had as members of Congress? One telephone briefing by Secretary Rubio and Mr. Witkoff about the MOU. That's it. That's the briefings we, as members of Congress, have had. It's staggering.

Of course, they didn't care to learn from previous experience. The preparation, as I say, the civilian side, Mr. Hegseth, Secretary Hegseth, he's incompetent. He's over his head. And they should have listened, in a greater way, to the military leadership. We wouldn't be in this bind. And what is very staggering is what I think about the folks on the

Lincoln and where else in the theater, or in other theaters, they don't have a clear sense of mission. So, it's hard to be out at sea for months on end without a port call, without a clear mission. We have asked too much of these folks. And what I ask is for the civilian leadership, Mr. Hegseth should resign, and for the civilian leadership to listen much more to the military leadership.

We had the chance to be briefed by Admiral Paparo of the Pacific Fleet, a Delaware County boy, that I'd like to raise just extraordinary excellence, readiness, preparedness, intelligence. If Mr. Hegseth would only come in under some of that excellence, we'd be in much better shape, as would these terrific Sailors and Marines.

HILL: Congresswoman Madeleine Dean, appreciate you joining us this morning. Thank you.

Danny.

FREEMAN: So, the question is, will we see President Trump's name on the Kennedy Center once again? Big questions this morning after the Trump appointed Kennedy Center board voted to close the center for renovations and add back President Trump's name to the facade.

However, this time the wording would, quote, say, "restored and renovated by President Donald J. Trump." Now, the reworked facade, apparently an effort to get around a judge's ruling that the center may only bear the name of President Kennedy.

CNN's senior White House reporter Betsy Klein is tracking all of this for us.

Betsy, tell us, what are you hearing about this Kennedy Center new area of naming?

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, Danny, President Trump's loyalist-stacked board of trustees had to come up with a plan after a federal judge ruled back in June with two key components to this very scathing ruling. Number one, he said that President Trump's name could not be on the signage or any other promotional materials. The board, he said, violated the law when they renamed it for President Trump.

And then, number two, he said that the center could not fully close for that two year renovation. So, the board now appears to be in open defiance. During that meeting yesterday, they voted to now add an inscription bearing President Trump's name. It will say, quote, "restored and renovated by President Donald J. Trump." And then they voted to close for two years for that renovation but to keep a small part of the complex, known as the reach, which is brand new, it has smaller-scale concerts and other types of programing, open during that time.

We heard from Senator Sheldon Whitehouse. He's a Democrat who serves as an ex-officio (ph) member of the board. He weighed in on that inscription, which he said was a surprise. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. SHELDON WHITEHOUSE (D-RI): In these meetings, you sort of step into a bit of an odd fairyland in which a resolution comes forward. In this case, it was not on the agenda. No one was given prior notice. And suddenly there is a vote. As I said, no legal opinion to show that this -- we're not doing another illegal vote on the same subject. So, they kind of live in a fairyland of irresponsibility, where things like complying with court orders don't matter.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KLEIN: Now, our colleague, Sunlen Serfaty, spoke with a member of the plaintiff's legal team who told her that the board's actions amounted to an effort to evade the court's justice and that they plan to challenge this in court, Danny.

FREEMAN: Yes, this story is certainly not over yet.

All right, Betsy Klein, good to see you. Thank you so much for that reporting.

Erica.

HILL: Officials inside the Energy Department's forecasting department say travel through the Strait of Hormuz will likely remain limited for the rest of this month.

[08:45:00]

And all this comes as energy and gas prices continue to fluctuate, as you've likely noticed. Just over two months to go, of course, until the midterm elections, so an extra focus on those prices.

CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten joining us now.

Reporting for duty, sir.

HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: Hello.

HILL: Where does -- where do things stand in this moment, right, Trump's standing when it comes to gas prices?

ENTEN: You know, I, very much like you, Erica Hill, but the American people very much dislike, I dare say, hate President Trump when it comes to gas prices. In fact, no president has been hated more when it comes to gas prices.

Look at these numbers. OK, highest disapproval rate of --

HILL: Wow.

ENTEN: Yes. Highest disapproval ratings on gas prices. Erica Hill said it best, wow. Look at this. Seventy-nine percent, 79 percent in an average of polls. That is the highest disapproval rating for any president on record. Joe Biden wasn't liked on gas prices, but he only reached 72 percent. Barack Obama wasn't well liked back in 2011, but he only reached 68 percent. Even George W. Bush back in 2006, he reached 75 percent. I remember the gas prices being quite high back then, but he only reached 75 percent. Donald Trump takes the cake as these $4 plus gas prices continue to have give us pain at the pump. The American people are taking their anger out on president of the United States.

HILL: So, that's the broad number. What about when you break this down by party?

ENTEN: Yes, what happens when you break it down by party? Well, you don't get to 79 percent just by Democrats hating you, President Trump. You get to it by the fact that we see it across the board. Look at this.

HILL: Wow.

ENTEN: Yes, wow again, 96 percent of Democrats, 85 percent of independents and even a majority of Republicans, 52 percent, that loyal Republican base who has been through thick and thin with Donald John Trump, even they have turned against the president of the United States on gas prices. You get the rare trifecta. And in the case of President Trump, a very painful trifecta indeed.

HILL: So, let's break this down, if we could then, by voters. And I'm thinking specifically working class voters. This is a group that really broke well for President Trump. How is -- how is his approval with them right now?

ENTEN: Yes, I think a lot of them are having some regrets when -- at least when it comes to gas prices, right. President Trump, historically strong for a Republican president, Republican candidate among the working class, among those making less than $50,000. But look at these numbers. Disapprove of Trump on gas prices. All -- look at this, 86 percent.

HILL: Yikes.

ENTEN: Eighty-six percent. I mean, what is that? We're talking about more than six in seven. I don't even know when we get the fractions that high. My goodness gracious.

Among Republicans we're talking -- look at this, we're talking two in three Republicans -- two in three Republicans, independents, 90 percent, Democrats, 93 percent. I mean, you just don't ever see numbers like these. These are just atrocious numbers among the working class. A trifecta indeed. And a very clear trifecta of the working class turning against President Trump regardless of party identification.

HILL: Harry Enten, thanks for the good news on a Friday morning.

ENTEN: I know. Thanks for the good -- the good news is I get to be with you. HILL: This is always a pleasure, my friend.

ENTEN: There we go.

HILL: Thank you.

A jogger escaping after she says a man dragged her into the woods, tried to assault her. How her bravery actually helped police to track down the suspect.

And we're standing by for accused CEO killer Luigi Mangione, set to head back to court today, possibly pleading guilty to federal charges. We have those new developments coming up for you as well.

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[08:52:48]

HILL: Jurors in Lindsay Clancy's murder trial will return to court on Monday for day 14 of testimony. Clancy's defense says she was suffering from postpartum psychosis when she strangled her three young children in 2023. This week, jurors have been hearing about her mental state, also about her Google searches and writings in the weeks leading up to the killings.

CNN's Jean Casarez is joining me now.

So, we were just discussing in the break, another emotional week of testimony.

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, it was.

HILL: Bring us up to speed in terms of where things stand now as we -- as we move into the end of this week.

CASAREZ: We're still in the prosecution's case in chief. Let's see what next week holds. I mean, could they rest and the defense presents their case?

But yesterday was so emotional. And also important to the prosecution's case, Massachusetts State Police forensic analyst took the stand. And the first one had analyzed the computer of Patrick Clancy. Found in August of 2022, August, signed in, someone signed in to Lindsay Clancy's Facebook account and looked up methods to commit suicide. The defense really pushed back. They did not want the jury to believe that she researched this in August.

Next, Massachusetts State Police, the analysis of her cell phone. In the notes section of her cell phone, she had written copious notes about herself, her life, her children, how she felt. Listen to a little bit of that testimony read by the Massachusetts state forensic analyst.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was feeling so depressed last evening when Cora and Dawson came home from school. I know (INAUDIBLE) runs off on them, so we had a pretty rough evening. I want to feel love in connection with all my kids. I'm also probably having a bit of an internal conflict because my whole life I've wanted to have a lot of kids. I still don't want Cal to be our last, but I have a lot of figuring out to do before I have another. I'm on the fence about starting a new medication for anxiety/depression. I just want to feel happy. I want to be able to relax and take care of my kids. And that when -- and when they go to bed at night, I want to deeply relax and hang out with Pat and then fall into a deep sleep for eight hours.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CASAREZ: And there was also video that was shown to -- for the jury yesterday. I think we have some of that. It was from the Museum of Science.

[08:55:02]

And this is fairly close in time to when all of this happened. And this video is actually -- it's from the museum. But the Clancy family is on the left. And the circles show the Clancy family. At one point Patrick Clancy leaves with their son Dawson, and she stays there. But here's the point I think from the prosecution. There were exhibits that the children could work. She had to explain to them and help them of how the exhibits would be able to be used by them in the museum. So, someone of sound mind, right?

HILL: Yes, that she was able to do that and recognize that they needed her help in that moment.

CASAREZ: Exactly.

HILL: Yes.

CASAREZ: One last thing.

January 20, 2023. So, it was four days before she killed her children. There was a search on her phone, can you treat a psychopath?

HILL: Wow. It is -- I mean, I feel like I say this every day, but quite a day of testimony. And we see, as you noted, we'll see what next week brings.

Jean, appreciate it. Thank you.

Danny.

FREEMAN: Some stories now on our radar.

First up, pop star and actress Selena Gomez is facing a lawsuit over her mental health startup. Several investors are suing Wondermind, claiming they were misled about the company's success and her involvement in it. Wondermind launched back in 2021 with Gomez as co- founder, chief impact officer and head of marketing. Well, the investors claim the company, quote, "quietly collapsed" without any notice, and they're suing Gomez, her mother, and their former business partner for fraud and for breach of contract.

And to this story now. A Florida man is in custody after he allegedly attacked a woman going for a jog. Authorities say the 22-year-old suspect grabbed the victim and dragged her into the woods, then forcibly tried to remove her clothing. He fled the scene after the victim fought him off, but officials caught up with him within half an hour. Officials also believe there could be other victims.

And to this now in Atlanta. Police body cam video shows officers right here, look at this stunning video, chasing a suspect across a busy highway. Police are responding to a report of a theft from a vehicle. This video, provided to police by the victim, allegedly shows the suspect -- look at that right there -- in the act of stealing landscaping tools from the victim's work truck. Police tracked down the suspect's vehicle, as you can see, not the best getaway, and then chased him when he fled on foot. It all ends with the suspect's grudging acceptance.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got his (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, sir, you got me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got you, man.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Y'all got me, sir.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREEMAN: "Y'all got me, sir," he told the officers.

And this. Meet Gertie, a two-month-old bison and his best friend, Penny, a one-year-old kangaroo. The pair have formed, let's say, an unexpected friendship at Six Flags Park in New Jersey. Staff there say they've become inseparable after spending time together at the vet and now Penny even grooms Gertie almost every day. Look at that, friends.

HILL: I love Penny.

FREEMAN: We love it.

HILL: Penny -- wait, Gertie and Penny. They're the cutest.

FREEMAN: Again, how can you not love it.

Erica, back to you.

HILL: Can they be our mascots for I don't know what.

FREEMAN: Yes.

HILL: Yes. Let's go visit them. We'll have a field trip.

Danny, thanks.

More than a third of women who are released from prison end up back behind bars within five years.

CNN Hero Susan Burton understands that all too well. She was also caught in that cycle. But when she finally managed to break it, she really wanted to pay it forward. She established A New Way of Life. It's a nonprofit that helps women rebuild their lives after prison. We're highlighting just how far Susan's mission has come now as we celebrate 20 years of CNN Heroes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUSAN BURTON, CNN HERO: I was in a revolving door of incarceration. I would walk out the gates, and I would end up going back to prison over and over again. Finally, I found help, and that led me to a different path.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR (voice over): For almost three decades, Susan Burton and her nonprofit have helped women rebuild their lives after prison.

BURTON: At A New Way of Life we provide a house. We treat people with dignity, respect, and we shower them with resources. And that makes a difference.

We have a 94 percent success rate.

COOPER (voice over): After she was honored as a CNN Hero in 2010, Susan expanded her organization from five homes in California to 12. She also wrote her autobiography and shared her story with women in dozens of prisons.

BURTON: And those women stood up, with tears in their eyes, saying, we don't have anywhere to go after incarceration. So, I created SAFE to train other women on A New Way of Life's model. Ninety percent of the people who are replicating our model are formerly incarcerated.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She literally gives you all the tools you need to hit the ground running.

[09:00:02]

Also, she gives everybody a $50,000 grant

BURTON: Lilac House is a hand up for people