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Concern Grows Over Long Military Deployments; Midwest Floods; Trump Appeals to Supreme Court Over Ballroom Project; Luigi Mangione Pleads Guilty. Aired 1-1:30p ET

Aired August 14, 2026 - 13:00   ET

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

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BRIAN ABEL, CNN HOST: A guilty plea for Luigi Mangione. The accused killer admits to shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. We will tell you what he said and how this could affect state charges he's facing.

And a flash flood threat across much of the Midwest. Indiana and Illinois are coping with unrelenting storms that are bringing more rain to the region for a sixth straight day. That's the last thing this area needs, as communities struggle with rising waters.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: And a frightening flight. We now know how a problem with a jet engine led to a passenger nearly being sucked out of a window.

We're following these major developing stories and many more all coming in right here at the CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

ABEL: Breaking news, Luigi Mangione pleads guilty to federal charges, admitting before a judge that he stalked UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson before killing him on a New York sidewalk. Mangione saying in court -- quote -- "I shot Mr. Thompson and he died," adding, "I knew what I was doing was illegal."

Thompson's family was in tears and sitting just steps away. They later issued a statement saying: "Today's guilty plea marks an important step toward justice for Brian and for our family. While nothing will ease the pain of losing him, we are grateful that the federal justice system has held the person responsible for this heinous act accountable. Now we look to the court to ensure that sentencing reflects the severity of this crime."

CNN's Kara Scannell was inside court as Mangione entered the plea.

And, Kara, what more did he have to say?

KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brian, it was a really dramatic moment when Luigi Mangione described in his own words the crime that he committed. He chose to sit and read from a piece of paper as he described to the

judge why he committed his crime. He said that, after years of enduring severe back pain for a broken back and issues navigating the health care system, he said: "In November of 2024, I traveled from outside of New York state to Manhattan. I then e-mailed UnitedHealthcare leadership, posing as an investor at a firm managing over $50 billion in assets and requesting information about the conference. Unlike my previous interactions with insurers, I received an immediate response within an hour."

And that is part of what Mangione was describing as his motive here, suggesting that this was all about greed in the health care system, who put, he said, the doctors and the executives and investors above the patients.

So, Mangione said that then he had used a 3-D printer to make part of a gun. He said that he had then gotten a silencer and he traveled to New York, where he shot Brian Thompson in the back twice outside of that investor conference.

And it was at that moment where Mangione had said that he shot Brian Thompson and he died, and saying: "I knew what I was doing was illegal."

The members of Brian Thompson's family who were sitting in the front row, they started to become emotional. I saw his widow wiping tears from her eyes. She was clutching the arm of the person sitting next to her. Several of them were holding on to each other, as Mangione stated in just very clear, direct terms what he had did.

There was no emotion in his voice. There was no sounds of remorse or regret for what he had done. He just stated it as fact for what he had done. And the judge then also asking one of the prosecutors if she -- if he thought that Brian Thompson knew what was happening between that first bullet hitting him and the second, and the prosecutor said he believed he did.

Also, at that moment, I saw his family members reacting, becoming emotional. Otherwise, it was absolutely silent in the courtroom as Mangione admitted that he had committed this crime and was -- is going to be sentenced now in December.

ABEL: And completely understandable, given the circumstances for those emotions from the family.

Kara, all of this now tees up a double jeopardy fight when it comes to Mangione's state charges. What can you tell us about that?

SCANNELL: That's right, Brian.

And Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Mangione's attorney, had exited the courtroom today, and she raised that as one of the first things. She says that the health care system failed Mangione, but that they were going to try to get the state murder charges thrown out. That trial is expected to begin on September 8.

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Here's exactly what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAREN FRIEDMAN AGNIFILO, ATTORNEY FOR LUIGI MANGIONE: It was a single tragic event. Yet he's being prosecuted twice for the same conduct.

As Luigi explained in court today, he endured years of severe debilitating pain following a broken back while struggling to navigate our health care and health insurance systems. Like the thousands of people who have reached out since this tragedy to share their own experiences, he believed that the system had failed him and destroyed his life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCANNELL: Now, Mangione's lawyers are trying to get those state charges thrown out. We have heard from the Manhattan district attorney's office. They said they are committed to get justice for Brian Thompson's family, and they said they're prepared to litigate that motion to dismiss -- Brian.

ABEL: All right, Kara Scannell for us outside the courthouse in New York.

Kara, thank you -- Boris.

SANCHEZ: Let's dig deeper on this with former federal prosecutor Berit Berger.

Berit, thanks so much for being with us.

What did you make of the fact that Mangione's attorneys and federal prosecutors didn't reach a plea deal?

BERIT BERGER, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Yes, this was interesting.

For all of yesterday, people had been speculating that he was getting a plea deal from federal prosecutors. I said at the time I thought it would be odd if federal prosecutors had cut him any sort of a sweetheart deal, given how aggressively they had prosecuted this case. Today, we got the answer to that.

He didn't plead to any sort of a deal with the government. He simply pled to the indictment, which is the right of any criminal defendant. And that means he pled to the top charges. He's getting no real benefit from the federal government, other than the benefit that he will get some sort of minimal acceptance of responsibility credit at the time of sentencing.

But this was this was an interesting approach. It really shows that this is a gamble from his defense attorneys that if they can resolve this federal court case by means of his plea, they really think that this is their best shot at trying to evade having a second trial in state court now. SANCHEZ: And, in the state case, Mangione faces some different

charges than in the federal case. The trial was set to start on September 8. What's your view of that double jeopardy argument by his defense team? Do you think he winds up going to trial?

BERGER: Yes, this was sort of his best bet at resurrecting these double jeopardy arguments.

Essentially, now he's saying, because he has pled guilty in federal court to essentially the same criminal act, the same transaction, now these state charges would put him in double jeopardy. The New York state statute is pretty favorable to defendants, so the court's going to have to look at, was this actually part of the same criminal act or transaction?

Did any of the exceptions in New York law apply here? My guess is the Manhattan district attorney's office is going to argue that these statutes are both trying to deal with different harms, different evils, and that there's good reason that he should still have the state charges come forward.

They cannot be happy about the fact that this federal plea essentially may take away their right to hold him accountable in state court for this pretty brazen murder. So, look, is it a given that this will go away? Absolutely not. I think this is still somewhat likely that the state charges will continue, but something that we will have to have some motion practice from the courts about and ultimately would depend on what the judge decides.

SANCHEZ: Yes, well, because there was no plea deal, there is no sentencing range set.

What do you think the judge is going to factor when determining what sentence Mangione should face on these federal charges?

BERGER: Yes, so today, in court, the federal prosecutors said what they thought the estimated guideline range could be, which is something that's set by the sentencing commission that would be the same in every case.

Here, though, Judge Garnett, when she sentences him on these federal charges, not only will she look at the conduct in connection with these stalking charges. She can look at all of the conduct that he did that entire day, the days leading up to it, and the days after it.

Federal prosecutors can put forth everything they know about both Mangione and what he's done, and she can take all of that into consideration when fashioning a sentence. I think it is very likely that she would still sentence him to life or something very close to life, even though he has pled guilty here.

So I don't think this is a way for him to escape accountability. I think he's still going to be facing a very long time in jail, regardless of whether those state charges go forward.

SANCHEZ: Berit Berger, thanks so much for sharing your perspective. Appreciate your time -- Brian.

BERGER: Thank you.

ABEL: President Trump wants the Supreme Court to intervene in his battle over the White House ballroom. He's asking the justices to allow construction to move forward after lower courts ruled he must first get approval from Congress for the 90,000-square-foot project.

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CNN's Betsy Klein is following this from the White House.

And, Betsy, what can you tell us about this emergency request?

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, Brian, there are a lot of questions for the White House about what happens to that massive construction site on the South Lawn, as President Trump is taking his ballroom project all the way to the Supreme Court.

The crux of this issue isn't the size or design of this ballroom structure. It's not even that he demolished the East Wing to make way for it. The question is whether he diverted the key processes he needed to follow, namely going to Congress for approval.

And that appeals court earlier last week said that the president did not have the authority to build the ballroom without explicit approval from Congress. They ordered that work stopped until he had done so. And then he gave -- they gave him about 14 days to take this to the nation's highest court.

The Trump administration now doing that in an emergency order that they say is a matter of national security. I want to read to you a little bit from that filing. Solicitor General John Sauer says -- quote -- "The government will suffer extreme irreparable harm because this injunction threatens the security and safety of the president."

He also says: "The threat landscape against the president has evolved and become increasingly volatile and dangerous since this case was submitted."

Now, above-ground construction on this project began back in April. It's made considerable progress. And I have spent a lot of time talking to sources about what might happen next here. The Supreme Court could take up the case, and the president could be given the permission to proceed and go forward with it.

Alternatively, because this court's conservative supermajority has been a little bit divided, it's possible that, A, they don't take up the case at all, or, B, they do not rule in Trump's favor. And that is where this becomes very complicated, because the president would then need to go to Congress and get that approval.

And that's going to be very challenging with that slim Republican majority, made even more unlikely if Democrats control either chamber of Congress after those midterm elections, so a lot to watch here. President Trump, who believes that this is part of his legacy, also watching this very closely, Brian.

ABEL: We will see where it goes next, and you will be following it along the way.

Betsy Klein for us at the White House.

Betsy, thank you.

Still to come: scenes of destruction in the Midwest, as storms drench the region for a sixth straight day. Water rescues are under way.

Plus, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth responds to reports that some sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln have considered suicide amid their record-breaking deployment. Hear from a father whose son is currently deployed on that carrier.

And, later: It's a murder case that brought down a Southern dynasty. We are following a key hearing in the retrial of Alex Murdaugh.

That and much more coming up on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

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SANCHEZ: Severe storms are intensifying a flash flood emergency across large swathes of the Midwest. Now six straight days of torrential rain have effectively turned communities into lakes, forcing water rescues and mandatory evacuations, these images coming to us from Yorktown, Indiana, where a once-in-a-1,000 year rainfall has sent rivers over their banks, floodwaters pouring into homes.

The owner of this home, a father of six, says that escaping with his children was a panic. Now he's left to pick up what remains.

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TIMOTHY HICKS, FLOOD VICTIM: It's all waterlogged, probably trashed. Everything I have worked for my whole life is just washed the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) away. I don't know. It just crushes me. And my kids' house is gone.

I mean, it's not really gone, but all the stuff in it is going to take months to get it back together, probably.

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SANCHEZ: Many roads right now are impassable. You see how high the water is. Hundreds of people have been forced from their homes. Millions more across the region remain under flood watches, as more severe weather is on the way.

Let's go to CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar.

Allison, what's in the forecast? What are you watching for? ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Unfortunately, more rain. I know

it's the last thing these areas need, especially when you see video like this out of Indiana.

But Indiana also isn't the only state that's been impacted. I think that's the key thing here is, there have been so many states dealing with flooding. You still look at where a lot of these flood watches are in effect. You have got portions of Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, Indiana, again, so many states where we anticipate even more rain on top of what they have already had, and it's been a lot of rain.

You see the wide swathe here of orange and red colors across many of those states, indicating they have picked up at least half-a-foot of rain. The pink area right here, now you're talking 10, 12, even 14 inches of rain just since Monday. For many of these areas, that is several months' worth of rain in just a few short days.

Now the rain comes, and that can go away pretty quickly, except for river flooding. That is a much more delayed effect in terms of having that water recede. And you have over 50 rain gauges that are at or above flood stage. So, that again is going to be more of a delayed effect. We may not see improvement there until early next week.

Here's a look at where we have the active warnings. You can see several flash flood warnings right now across portions of Indiana and Illinois as that line of heavy showers continues to slide east. The rain will continue through the evening hours tonight, even looking at Saturday morning.

Again, look at all of the heavy rain across Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, some of the same areas that have been hit so hard by all of this rain. By late Saturday, that starts to slide into portions of the mid-Atlantic, where we then could be looking at new states looking at the potential for flooding, so, again, multiday event here.

For the remainder of the day today, we do have that moderate risk. The red color you see on the map, that's a level three out of four, again, for portions of Iowa and Illinois, but even areas like Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Chicago, not only looking at the threat today, but also Saturday as well, before we will finally start to see some of those rain chances go down.

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SANCHEZ: And relief that can't come soon enough.

Allison Chinchar, thank you so much for that.

Up next: Amid reports of worsening conditions aboard the USS Lincoln, CNN has learned that, on a separate ship in the same strike group, a sailor recently went overboard. President Trump was just asked about the Lincoln, and he answered a reporter's questions. We have got the details and his comments.

Plus, a U.S. ally says it's thwarted a Russian plot to kill an American citizen abroad. What we know about the target and the alleged assassin -- when we come back.

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ABEL: More families of sailors on board the USS Abraham Lincoln are speaking out amid reports that conditions aboard the ship have led some sailors to consider or even try to jump overboard.

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It's been more than 200 days since the USS Lincoln crew have been able to leave the ship, and even longer since they first set sail. The father of a service member currently on board spoke to CNN today about the record -long deployment.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's obviously terrifying. And because they're in a combat zone, communication is not regular. So you always wonder.

Every one of those sailors, and I didn't realize this, they kind of become like your own child. I think it makes us want to take a hard look at how this generation of sailors is being prepared. As time goes on, generations change. And perhaps we need to reanalyze how we're training or preparing them or the timeline for deploying them.

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ABEL: CNN's Brian Todd is here with us now.

And, Brian, CNN just learned that a sailor deployed on a separate ship, not the Lincoln...

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right.

ABEL: ... but within that same strike group, went overboard back in April?

TODD: Correct. That's right, Brian. This is brand-new reporting from our colleagues Pamela Brown, Shoshana Dubnow, and Haley Britzky.

They're citing a senior -- excuse me -- a sailor currently serving on the USS Abraham Lincoln and two U.S. officials as saying that a second sailor deployed to the Middle East as part of the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group went overboard last spring.

Now, that crew member, according to one official, was serving on the USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. That's a destroyer that's part of the Lincoln strike group. The official said that incident occurred on April 12. The sailor who spoke to CNN said that crew member was rescued, then brought on to the USS Lincoln for medical treatment before being flown off the carrier for further care.

One important note, it is not immediately clear if that crew member jumped into the water or fell in. That's an important piece of information when we get it. This is the first man overboard incident reported on any of the other ships in the Lincoln strike group. As we have been reporting yesterday and today, there was another

sailor who officials said jumped into the water off of the USS Lincoln early this month during what we're told was a mental health incident.

The Lincoln crew member also described -- excuse me -- the Lincoln crew member who described the rescue of that sailor from the Petersen that we just talked to you about, well, that crew member said that he also witnessed the incident on the Lincoln this month, saying he -- quote -- "saw the sailor run and jump off with my own eyes."

It's just chilling. He described that sailor who jumped off the Lincoln as removing his life vest and boots while he was treading water. That sailor, as we have been reporting, was also rescued. CNN has reached out to the Navy and CENTCOM about the incident on the USS Frank Petersen. We have not yet received a response.

We have some sound -- a sound clip of President Trump just a very short time ago asked about these incidents. Take a listen.

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QUESTION: Family members of U.S. service members are concerned about the conditions on board the USS Lincoln.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, no, that ship is moving. No, they're not.

That ship is moving right now, or very shortly, and it's being replaced with another very similar ship.

QUESTION: Have the deployments gone on too long?

(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: ... mental health?

TRUMP: No, no, no, not nearly long enough.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TODD: And he mentioned another carrier strike group replacing the USS Abraham Lincoln. That is the USS George Washington that is en route to the Middle East right now to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln.

Now, yesterday, the Navy sent CNN a statement regarding the reports of sailors going overboard on the Lincoln. And this is the quote from the Navy -- quote -- "We have not observed an increase in suicidal ideations or attempts aboard the ship. We take every service member's well-being seriously and have religious, medical, and mental health professionals available to assess and address concerns as they arise."

One U.S. official told CNN that the Navy's own internal tracking of reports of suicidal ideation on the USS Abraham Lincoln had actually gone down in recent months.

But, Brian, the new information we're getting, one in April, one in August, same carrier strike group, and that carrier strike group, according to Senator Richard Blumenthal, has gone more than 200 days without a port call. That's almost -- that's more than six months. It's just nuts.

ABEL: And regardless of the circumstances leading up to these incidents, it is certainly concerning.

TODD: Absolutely.

ABEL: And we are absolutely hoping that all service members are getting the mental health support that they need.

TODD: Yes.

ABEL: Brian Todd, appreciate you. Thank you.

Next: Russia has long been accused of targeting its enemies abroad, but, for the first time ever, Vladimir Putin allegedly plotted to kill an American citizen in another NATO country.

The details right after this.

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