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Tropical Storm Batters Hawaii; President Trump Threatens to Bomb Oman; Tupac Shakur Trial Begins. Aired 1-1:30p ET

Aired August 17, 2026 - 13:00   ET

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

[13:00:00]

DANA BASH, CNN HOST: For four decades, when news broke anywhere in the world, Alec brought you there, from the fall of the Berlin Wall, to the Gulf War, September 11, Hurricane Katrina, the earthquake in Haiti, the Sandy Hook massacre.

And that is only a fraction of the history Alec helped put on the air on the CNN special events team. There was also plenty of politics, where I had the good fortune of working with and learning from Alec. From candidate town halls to election night events, inaugurations, State of the Union addresses, Alec was always at the center of our coverage.

And when Alec wasn't bringing the world to CNN viewers, he was at home with his own world, his wife, Debbie, and their beloved children. Our hearts are with them and with the generations of friends, colleagues and mentees here at CNN who love Alec. May his memory be a blessing.

Thank you for joining us on INSIDE POLITICS today.

"CNN NEWS CENTRAL" starts right now.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Threatening an ally. The president says he is in no hurry when it comes to ending the war with Iran, but vows to bomb neighboring Oman if it gets in the way of negotiations.

Plus, 30 years after rapper Tupac Shakur was gunned down in Las Vegas, opening statements are now under way in his murder trial. We will take you live inside the courtroom as we follow every development.

ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: And the tragic death of actress Hayden Panettiere leaving her family, Hollywood and fans in shock.

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

Happening right now, after nearly 30 years after his death, the trial to find out who killed rap icon Tupac Shakur is now under way, opening statements beginning just moments ago in a Las Vegas courtroom. Now, the only person ever charged in this case, Duane Davis, is on trial here for the September 1996 murder.

He's accused of being the mastermind.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BINU PALAL, CHIEF DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY, CLARK COUNTY, NEVADA: You will learn that the defendant was escalating and planning the retribution for the beating of his beloved nephew.

Now, let's be clear. Duane Davis did not pull the trigger. But what he did do was plan the retaliation for the beating of his nephew.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Now, Davis later penned a memoir about Shakur's murder. Details from that book could perhaps help put him behind bars for life.

So just to remind you what happened here, Tupac Shakur was murdered in a drive-by shooting on the Vegas Strip while riding in the passenger seat of a car driven by Death Row Records CEO Suge Knight. The rapper's slaying is the most talked-about murder mystery in hip-hop history. It's expected to last -- this trial is expected to last about a month. Davis has pleaded not guilty.

CNN's Josh Campbell is covering this for us and joins us now live.

So, first of all, opening statements now. What else are we hearing in court right now, Josh?

JOSH CAMPBELL, CNN SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're getting a sense, Erica, of what the prosecutors are going to rely on here as far as the evidence in their charges against Duane Davis, and part of that, his own words.

They just played a video a short time ago. This goes back to several years ago, when Duane Davis was actually interviewed by law enforcement. This was part of a separate investigation involving drugs and drug trafficking. And they essentially gave him immunity to talk to them about what happened that night here in Las Vegas near the Strip back in 1996, whenever Tupac Shakur was murdered.

And what he told him at the time was, he didn't pull the trigger. He's not being charged with pulling the trigger. He's being charged as the so-called shot caller who orchestrated this. He says that, after this brawl that occurred at the MGM Grand hotel, when his own nephew was in this brawl and was essentially beat up by Shakur's entourage, they then are driving near Las Vegas Strip, pull up next to Tupac Shakur's car.

Duane Davis says he handed a firearm to the back seat and that it was his own nephew who then pulled the trigger. Here's the thing. Everyone who was in that car except Davis is now dead. So he is now the only potential person who would be held accountable. And that is interesting.

He may have thought that he had immunity from what he told investigators back then, but he's done so many media interviews since. He even wrote a book talking about that night. It appears that is all fair game that prosecutors are now using. The final point I will note is that we got a bit of an indication in

recent interviews from Duane Davis talking to the media about what his defense will be. He will essentially be claiming, all that stuff I said in interviews, I made it up. All the stuff that was in that book, I made that up. I didn't even write the book.

He said that he told all those stories in order to make money. What is so remarkable now, three decades later, one of the most infamous cold case murder trials, cases involving an entertainment celebrity now goes to trial. Opening statements start right now.

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Of course, this will all come down to, what do the jurors believe? Do they believe what he said then or what he says now? The big question, is there any new evidence that we don't know about yet that prosecutors may lay out that could point to his culpability?

It'll be quite a trial, and as I mentioned, 30 years in the making, Erica.

HILL: Thirty years in the making. It also has quite a witness list, right, a very high-profile, a number of very high-profile -- if I could only get this out, Josh -- a number of high-profile people on that witness list.

Walk us through who we may be hearing from.

CAMPBELL: You're right. I mean, some of the names are stunning.

We know that producer Suge Knight, who was in the black BMW with Tupac Shakur that night, he was also struck by gunfire. He didn't die. It was Shakur who died days later. He is on that list as a potential witness who could be called. Interestingly, he's in jail as you and I speak right now in California serving a lengthy sentence for an unrelated case.

He's already said that, if he is called to testify, he's not going to be saying anything, probably not going to be fruitful for either side. He said that -- in one interview, he said that he wouldn't wish prison time on anyone, which is really fascinating to hear now, 30 years later, when the person who was responsible, alleged to have killed his friend is now on trial.

Another big name on that list, Sean "Diddy" Combs, who himself also currently incarcerated. He faced a series of sexual assault allegations, was eventually convicted. It will be quite a logistical hurdle to get either of those witnesses to actually testify, whether that happens in person, whether that happens remotely. That's yet to be seen.

We don't expect all 200 people, obviously, on this witness list to be called. But it is important in this case, because you and I have covered so many trials, Erica, and cases that are more modern, where you have lots of evidence, you have forensic technology, you have CCTV cameras that are now ubiquitous in every major American city; 30 years ago, that wasn't the case.

We don't actually see footage of the actual murder itself. A lot of this will rely on what witnesses actually say. We will see what they say, if there's anything new that could be stunning that we don't yet know about. And, again, as prosecutors build their case, it will ultimately be up to this jury to determine what they believe.

Do they believe that Duane Davis is in fact innocent, he has pleaded not guilty, or does the totality of the evidence presented point to his guilt, Erica?

HILL: Certainly a lot to hear, a lot of questions nearly 30 years later, as we will see what happens at that trial.

Josh, really appreciate it. Thank you -- Boris.

SANCHEZ: Now to a war of words over the Strait of Hormuz.

Today, President Trump is threatening a U.S. ally just hours after that 60-day window for peace talks between the U.S. and Iran expired with no deal to end the war, the president warning Oman to not interfere with U.S. efforts in the strait, telling FOX News: "If Oman gets in the way, we will bomb the shit out of them."

CNN's Betsy Klein is live for us at the White House.

Betsy, Oman no stranger to President Trump's threats, but with the MOU now expired, there are major questions about where this is all headed.

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: That's right, Boris.

When that memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran was signed about 60 days ago, it kick-started this period for the thornier discussions on remaining nuclear issues. That 60-day window has now officially closed as of today.

So, where are we? This memorandum of understanding is effectively in shambles. There is no clear resolution to this conflict. And then traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, that key oil thoroughfare, remains relatively stalled.

So, in that interview with FOX News, the president once more taking aim at Oman, which has been a key mediator in these discussions about the Strait of Hormuz and has consistently been a U.S. ally in this region. Now, this appears to be an escalation.

The president also appears to be undercutting messaging from some of his top aides, including Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and the vice president, J.D. Vance, who in recent days have both sought to frame lowering gas prices as just as much of a priority for this administration as ending this war and preventing Iran from ever getting a nuclear weapon.

Listen to the vice president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: That's goal number one, keep oil and gas cheap for Americans all over our country. And then obviously goal number two is ensure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KLEIN: Now, the president in a post to social media today says: "The number one goal is and always will be that Iran cannot have in any way, shape or form a nuclear weapon."

The president also making clear that he's not in a hurry to end this conflict. He told FOX that the midterms are not factoring into his thinking, Boris.

SANCHEZ: And, Betsy, President Trump is also making news on another key ally, South Korea, after he ordered joint military exercises to be scaled back, the president citing his good relationship with Kim Jong- un.

What are we learning about that?

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KLEIN: Yes, a lot of questions there.

This could be seen as an effort to shake things loose, because, in the president's second term, there has been no known communication between this White House and Kim Jong-un. The president back in 2018 took a similar tactic as he was trying to get Kim to the negotiating table on denuclearization issues.

The president now says they have a very good relationship. But what's happened since then is that we have seen North Korea scale up its armed forces. They have bolstered their illegal nuclear weapons program over the past several years. They're getting experience on the battlefield fighting alongside Russia. They have also been sharing missile technology with Iran.

But some experts have warned that this move to pull the U.S. back from these planned joint strikes, which have already gotten under way today, it's unclear at this phase how pared back they really are. But some experts are arguing that this lowers coalition readiness and could put U.S. troops at risk, Boris.

SANCHEZ: Betsy Klein, live for us at the White House, thank you so much for that.

Still to come: Attorney General Todd Blanche doing one of the very things that Republican senators said they were worried about when they voted against his confirmation. Hear what he is now refusing to commit to.

Plus, CNN learns a U.S. Navy destroyer spent four days without working toilets, kitchen equipment or A.C. in the blistering heat of the South China Sea last month. It's the latest military ship to experience problems amid the ongoing conflict with Iran.

And, later: Prepare to pay up. Why you could soon spend more for strawberries.

That much more heading your way on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

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SANCHEZ: Newly confirmed Attorney General Todd Blanche is refusing to pledge independence from the White House, the very concern that led some Republicans to oppose his confirmation.

Listen to what Blanche said this weekend when asked if the Justice Department on his watch will always act independently of President Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TODD BLANCHE, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: No, I'm not going to pledge that. And no attorney general should ever pledge that.

The president -- I mean, if I were to pledge I will be independent of the White House, what that means is that if President Trump says, I want the Department of Justice to go after every violent criminal in this country, which is what he has said, what you're saying to me is I should say, no, sir, I'm not going to do it.

KRISTEN WELKER, MODERATOR, "MEET THE PRESS": Well, I guess, big picture, if the president asks you to do something that you feel crosses an ethical or legal line, would you do it?

BLANCHE: The president will never ask me to do something unethical or legal -- or illegal. He never has. He never will.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Blanche was confirmed by just one vote after Republican Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski refused to support him, citing concerns about White House meddling in DOJ matters.

Let's bring in Dave Aronberg. He's a former state attorney of Palm Beach County, Florida.

Dave, great to see you, as always.

So, during his confirmation hearing, Blanche repeatedly responded to questions about DOJ independence by noting that the department is part of the executive branch. Does he have a point, constitutionally speaking?

DAVE ARONBERG, FORMER PALM BEACH COUNTY, FLORIDA, STATE ATTORNEY: Boris, on that, he does. And in the past, we have seen President Obama appoint Eric Holder. Eric Holder referred to President Obama as his wingman. JFK appointed his own brother, RFK, to be attorney general. So having a close attorney general is not that rare. And, here, what

Blanche is saying is that he's allowed to discuss policy with the president. Correct. The attorney general is not independent of the president on policy, but he needs to be independent of the president when it comes to personal grudges.

Nobody's asking Todd Blanche to declare complete independence from the executive branch. In fact, they should go after fentanyl and human trafficking, things that the president wants. All we're doing is asking him to declare independence from Donald Trump's enemies list. There's a difference.

SANCHEZ: Well, it's interesting because Blanche says that Trump doesn't pick up the phone and call him every day asking to go after some of his political enemies, though, obviously, what we saw with his predecessor, Pam Bondi, the president was putting out on social media demands that she go after people like Letitia James, Adam Schiff, et cetera.

Do you trust what Blanche is saying here, that the president isn't getting in his ear or in his D.M.s to suggest that he go after some of these folks?

ARONBERG: The thing about Trump, Boris, is that Trump says the quiet part out loud. You don't have to have a private conversation with him. He will put a tweet out, like he did with Pam Bondi.

SANCHEZ: Right.

ARONBERG: He sent a message to the world saying, Pam, you ought to go after my enemies here, and Lindsey Halligan is a great prosecutor who will do it, if you don't do it, essentially.

And this is why Todd Blanche has this job, because if today Letitia James or James Comey woke up in a jail cell, then Pam Bondi would still be attorney general. That's why she's not there anymore. And so, of course, Donald Trump is going to expect Todd Blanche to go after his enemies, and that's a problem.

You're not supposed to direct a prosecution. That's something we have not seen before, at least not in the post-Watergate era.

SANCHEZ: What about the argument from Senator Cassidy, who decided to back Blanche's nomination? He actually cited Bill Barr, so I guess that's the origin of the argument, that, as the president's former attorney, Blanche would be uniquely qualified to be able to check Trump and to sort of suggest to him that some of his impulses, some of his ideas perhaps are not great ones?

Do you see that happening?

ARONBERG: Not yet.

Todd Blanche needs to know that his client used to be Donald Trump, but now his client is the United States of America, and there is a difference. The scary thing is not that Trump can call the attorney general. The Constitution does give the president a lot of authority over the DOJ. This Supreme Court has expanded executive power.

The safeguard, however, is that the attorney general has had the backbone to say, Mr. President, you set policy, but prosecutors follow the facts and the law. And, so far, with the prosecutions of Trump's enemies that we have seen under this Department of Justice, including when Todd Blanche was acting A.G., we have seen President Trump's enemies get targeted.

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And it doesn't help the DOJ, by the way, because then there are claims of selective prosecution. And these kinds of claims win for the defense. And that's why they have been unsuccessful in locking up Trump's enemies, and I can only predict more of the same.

SANCHEZ: So, one story that we will be watching closely to see how the DOJ moves forward on this, and perhaps the Supreme Court, Blanche says that the administration, despite losing this case multiple times in lower courts, they might ask the Supreme Court to weigh in on whether the administration can access state voter rolls ahead of the midterms.

Do you think the court would rule in the administration's favor?

ARONBERG: The courts have not ruled so far in the administration's favor, including judges appointed by Trump himself, but the Supreme Court is different.

They have this unitary executive theory. They have given so much more power to President Trump than we have ever seen before. They didn't do so much with President Biden, by the way. Student loan debt and other things he wanted to do, no, no, no power there. But, for Trump, he gets immunity and all these other things other presidents have not received.

So I think the Supreme Court will weigh in. Which way will they go? Well, it will be up to Chief John Roberts and Amy Coney Barrett. The two of them are the swing justices.

But keep in mind this. Election integrity is a legitimate goal. Todd Blanche is right about that. But election integrity is not a magic phrase that creates statutory authority that Congress has never given you. That's the question here. Congress has never given them the authority to do this. It's up to the Supreme Court now to sort it out.

SANCHEZ: Dave Aronberg, always appreciate the perspective. Thanks for being with us.

ARONBERG: Thank you, Boris.

SANCHEZ: Of course.

So, tens of thousands are now without power, and more than 100 homes have been destroyed after Tropical Storm Lala lashed Hawaii. We have a live report. And, later, we're learning more about the death of the actress Hayden

Panettiere after the 36-year-old was found unresponsive in her South Carolina home.

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:26:23]

HILL: Right now, Tropical Storm Lala is moving away from Hawaii, but not before leaving behind widespread damage as it skirted the island as a Category 1 hurricane this weekend, the strong winds and torrential downpours triggering life-threatening flooding.

Now, at its worst, Lala had dumped about three feet of rain in some areas. More than 100,000 customers are still without power at this hour. More than 100 homes are damaged or destroyed, people understandably at this point in recovery mode as they try to salvage whatever they can.

Listen as one man describes what happened to his 75-year-old mother- in-law's home when Lala lashed the Big Island.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRANCIS SOUZA, HAWAII RESIDENT: The whole roof of the half of the house went and just flipped right over to out of side. The wind came up the gully and just pushed that roof right over.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam joining us now.

So, Derek, give us a sense of what the conditions are like right now.

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, Erica, even though the storm is pulling away from the Hawaiian Islands, the damage has already been done, as you have clearly seen.

But when we're talking about multiple feet of rain from a tropical system, this is the result, rainfall totals there exceeding 40 inches in some of those higher mountainous regions. Of course, that water has to funnel down to the lower elevations below. That's where we have the problems. That's where the population lives, right?

And we talk about the wind associated with this. You saw the man's roof taken off, right, or his grandmother's roof. That's just incredible. At the top of Mauna Kea, that summit, which is about 13,800 feet in the air above sea level, 140-mile-per-hour wind gusts. Closer to the ground level, where you and I would reside, we're talking about hurricane-force gusts over 80 miles per hour.

So that was responsible for knocking out the power for over 100,000 people, many of which resided across the Big Island, which is located right here. That's where our power and infrastructure issues still are. Further to the north and west, Oahu, they still have some power outages, but far less than what we have experienced across the Big Island.

Here's the radar. We're pulling away from the Hawaiian Islands, Tropical Storm Lala, still some outer rain bands impacting other locations across the far northwestern parts of the island chain. And this is interesting as well. You're following the exact track of the hurricane this weekend.

Notice it never made landfall? So that's proof that you don't need a landfalling hurricane to cause the destruction. That's why we need to take these storms so seriously. It interacted with terrain there and caused the flash flooding that we experienced across the island.

It could actually restrengthen across the central Pacific, not a threat to land, but that's fascinating in itself, right, that the storm will garner some additional strength heading into the next five days. Nonetheless, we still have isolated pockets of one to two inches of rain from those outer feeder bands from this departing tropical system.

Erica, this -- I'm going to end with this video because this is what one gentleman's looked -- his balcony looked like as he stepped outside from his house in Maui County. That's terrifying. That's normally a trickle of water coming down. Now it's a torrent.

HILL: Wow. Yes, that is really something.

All right, Derek, appreciate it. Thank you.

U.S. sailors aboard a Naval destroyer in the South China Sea recently spent four days without working toilets, kitchen equipment, A.C. We will tell you what more CNN is learning about that incident last month. That's next.

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