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JD Vance Chosen By CPAC Attendees As 2028 Presidential Favorite; Nationwide "No Kings" Protests against The Trump Underway; Iran-Backed Houthis Enter War Launching Missiles Toward Israel; Nationwide "No Kings" Protests Against Trump Underway; The Signature Will Soon Appear On United States Dollar Bills; Iran's Propaganda Kicks Into Overdrive As War Grinds On. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired March 28, 2026 - 17:00   ET

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

[16:59:46]

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And to think that this is a group that ten years ago was pretty sour on Rubio overall. He was considered an establishment figure. These are more of the conservative base, but he has won over a lot of Trump supporters.

And it's something we heard again and again throughout the week as we talked to CPAC attendees. Take a listen to some of what they told us about.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As much as I would like to say someone like Vance, I just I hate seeing the president and vice president run. I want someone new and different, someone younger.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't really like Vance. I think Pete Hegseth doesn't really know what he's doing. Trump well, he can't run, obviously, but I think Marco Rubio is the only person in the administration that I would support going into 2028.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I voted for Vance.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would go with Vance, too. I like Rubio too. They'd make a good team. Too bad they couldn't co-president, you know.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think Vance is in the position and I don't think it would be wise for Rubio and his supporters to try to jump ahead of Vance, because I don't think -- this is just my opinion -- that Vance, I don't think he'll run for VP again. I mean, he expects to be president and he should be.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CONTORNO: Now, the popular viewpoint among a lot of those people I spoke was that Vance and Rubio should be on a ticket together. And to that point, no one else came close to Rubio and Vance in this poll. Ron DeSantis in third place at just 2 percent -- Omar.

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Well, it's interesting, sort of contrasting what that poll looked like a year ago to what it looked like now, I think dictated by a lot of what we've seen in Secretary of State Marco Rubio's orbit at this point.

Steve Contorno, appreciate the reporting. Thanks for being there.

All right, everybody. The next hour of NEWSROOM starts right now.

All right, everyone. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Omar Jimenez in New York. Jessica Dean has the night off.

And we're following these "No Kings" rallies taking place across the country today.

And as you can see here, for example, demonstrators in Chicago up in droves to protest against President Donald Trump's policies, rising costs, immigration crackdowns and the war with Iran.

It's not just Chicago, by the way. More than 3,000 "No Kings" rallies are happening across the country and throughout the day in major cities, suburbs and small towns. This is the third "No Kings" rally day since President Trump returned to the White House.

You're seeing pictures out of Saint Paul, Minnesota there which is also where we find CNN's Shimon Prokupecz, who has been out there over the course of today. He joins -- he joins us now.

Shimon, what are you seeing on the ground there? Clearly still a lot of people.

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: A lot of people. I mean, Omar, this entire area is just filled with people. Everywhere you go, there are people with -- in the state park here. The state capitol is behind me. And everywhere there are people.

People are starting to leave. They've been here since this morning. But some people, obviously -- One woman I asked said, we're all going because we need to catch the train.

But it's been a day of a lot of motivation and inspiration. We obviously heard from so many of the politicians here. But the words of Bruce Springsteen, who sang that song that he wrote after the death of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis at the hands of immigration officials.

And many of the people we've been talking to have been wanting to come out here just to be together, to be with their community and to stand up to what they feel are just unfair practices, unfair policies by the Trump administration.

I want to bring in Pang. She's a mother here. She's here with her two kids. This is Duncan, who's clearly having a lot of fun today.

Tell me what today has been like and why it was important for you and your kids to be here.

PANG, PROTESTER: Yes, I mean, it's been a trying time for Minnesota and Minneapolis, with everything that's been happening, especially being ground zero for what's been happening with ICE.

So it's really important because my daughter's middle school, they staged, you know, walkouts for ICE. And so I wanted them to experience it firsthand, especially being half immigrants or immigrant -- first generation immigrants. So it's really important for them to be here, experience the solidarity, the community, and just coming together to support everybody as well as, you know, getting our voices out there.

PROKUPECZ: How about -- you guys want to say anything? What was today like for you guys to be here?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was awesome.

PROKUPECZ: Yes. What was it like? How about you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You had like, baby --Baby Trump --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We had Baby Trump balloons.

PROKUPECZ: Ok.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. And we let them free in the sky. I bet they're in space by now.

PROKUPECZ: What do you think of just seeing all these people come together? This community, like is it -- how do you find that? Do you find that encouraging?

PANG: Yes, I think it's awesome.

PROKUPECZ: Yes.

PANG: People are amazing.

PROKUPECZ: Ok. Well, thank you for stopping. Thank you for letting me talk to them.

PANG: Ok. Thank you. Thank you.

[17:04:46]

PROKUPECZ: Duncan's having a lot of fun.

PANG: Yes, he is.

PROKUPECZ: All right, all right. Bye, guys. Thank you so much. Nice to meet you.

PANG: You too. Bye-bye.

PROKUPECZ: So a lot of excitement from the kids here certainly. But we have been seeing, Omar, we've been seeing a lot of kids out here, parents with, you know, even babies just in strollers.

But it's for me, you know, I've been covering Minneapolis. You know Minneapolis probably better than many of us at CNN having, you know, having covered it.

It's just been really interesting to see the smiles and just the joy, given everything that has happened here and the courage that they're talking about and the empathy that they're all talking about.

That's what we're seeing out here today. It's been -- it's been certainly interesting to watch. And you could see there's just so much excitement here from people.

JIMENEZ: And it's been a place that's really just been in the spotlight to start the year. And even as --

PROKUPECZ: That's right.

JIMENEZ: -- Operation Metro Surge sort of wound down, I mean, a lot of what people are feeling clearly has not subsided. And you're seeing it there firsthand in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area.

Shimon Prokupecz, really appreciate the reporting.

As I've been mentioning, we've been following what these rallies have been looking like across the country.

This is San Francisco, for example. You can see large crowds gathering amid the palm trees there. Hundreds of thousands are expected to march in the "No Kings" protests across the Bay Area today.

I want to go further south in California though, to Los Angeles. That's where we find CNN's Julia Vargas Jones. So, Julia, we checked in with you earlier, sort of as things we're getting going.

What's happening there now? What are you seeing?

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, more and more people continue to arrive, Omar. And we're seeing groups of people with different kinds of messaging. We're seeing a lot of people opposing the war saying, get the U.S. out of the war with Iran.

But mostly the most common message were seeing here is ICE out of Los Angeles, that just generalized discontentment with the president's immigration policies.

I found another little Baby Trump in a diaper here. It's not many that we see around here, but this is the second one that we've seen.

This is Jimmy, right, who said that he just, like, could not stay home today. That he had to come out and make his voice heard.

What is that? "Darkness cannot drive out darkness. Only light can do that." That also echoing Omar, the message and the protest organizers remain really important for them is for this vibe of positivity and family friendliness.

Staying in these protests. We know that sometimes when people get really heated (INAUDIBLE). This has remained, and just like we saw last time, a very positive and dynamic kind of environment. Yes, there's I think I just saw a dog walking by here. There's a little puppy over here. And kids and strollers and whatnot, but also because it is so Los Angeles.

I cannot tell you -- the smell of bacon wrapped hot dogs is everywhere here. There's got to be, right. There's got to be at least like 10, 15 vendors selling these bacon-wrapped hot dogs. There's taco vendors.

There is salsa music still going on around me. We just saw a drumline walking by. Again, it's this atmosphere that (INAUDIBLE) that these organizers say (INAUDIBLE). They're turning to messages and images like a Baby Trump and funny animals and people dressed up as (INAUDIBLE) of not starting more confrontation, but bringing people together through these rather ludic and playful moment.

JIMENEZ: There's a lot of people in these protests, Julia. We're having a little bit of trouble with your audio, but we could hear most of it and look, clear -- what's clear is a lot of people are out in these cities, and people are clearly ready to stay for a long time if they're cooking and grilling out the way that they are.

Julia Vargas Jones in Los Angeles for us.

And stay with CNN NEWSROOM, we're going to have a lot more on the "No Kings" protests ahead.

Plus, an Iran-backed militant group now fighting in the war, launching missiles against Israel. We're going to talk about how their involvement could throw the world's oil into further chaos.

And President Trump sending mixed signals. Now saying the war is not finished, despite repeatedly declaring victory over the last two weeks. We're going to talk to a former Pentagon official next.

[17:08:59]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JIMENEZ: All right. We've been following these "No Kings" rallies at places across the country right now.

This latest one in Fort Worth, Texas as it adds really to the -- to the growing number of cities where people have taken to the streets protesting against President Trump and many of his policies.

We'll continue to watch this one. But we'll also take you to cities across the country as they develop over the course of today.

But I also want to get you updated on some of the other news we're following specifically in the Middle East, where a new series of attacks is adding to tensions across the region. At least ten U.S. service members have been reported injured after an Iranian attack on a U.S. base in Saudi Arabia.

In Yemen, Iran-backed Houthi rebels are now entering the war, claiming responsibility for missiles launched towards sensitive military sites in Israel. And a security source told CNN that the rebels launched a second missile just hours after the first.

And then U.S. Central Command announced that 3,500 sailors and marines have arrived in the Middle East.

I want to bring in CNN chief global affairs correspondent Matthew Chance, who joins us now from Doha, Qatar. Matthew, how are these developments being viewed in the region

[17:14:50]

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Omar, with a great deal of concern. I mean, we've seen repeated and multiple attacks, missiles and drones being fired by Iran at the surrounding Gulf Arab States. I'm talking to you now from one of them, Qatar.

And they've caused an enormous amount of damage. There are scenes, very dramatic scenes from the international airport in Kuwait from earlier today with blazing fires lighting up the skies after that airport was hit for the second time in a week igniting fuel containers and damaging, you know, key radar installations as well.

There were attacks against Gulf states in Oman. You mentioned that attack against the Air Force base, the U.S. Air Force base in Saudi Arabia, the Prince Sultan Base, in which at least ten U.S. service personnel were injured, some of them, we understand quite seriously.

And a U.S. Air Force tanker, you know, a refueling tanker was also damaged in that attack as well. So, a great deal of concern about what's happened and of course, about what the future may hold as well.

Given that there are so many U.S. forces now arriving in the region, there's all that speculation about the United States planning some kind of ground operation against Iran. And what that means in terms of retaliation against the surrounding countries by the Islamic Republic.

And so a lot of concern about what's taken place, but even more fear about what could happen in the future. It could get a lot worse, Omar.

JIMENEZ: And now were seeing missiles launched by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels here. And look, for those that have followed the region, the rebels have played small parts in conflicts before.

But I wonder, what do you make of the significance of this moment with rebels seeming to enter the war here?

CHANCE: Yes. Well, I mean, it's the first time that these Houthi rebels have sort of fired shots in this Iran war. And so that's significant because they've got a pretty formidable arsenal, it seems, of ballistic missiles, and they're prepared to fire them at Israel as we saw today. They fired two missiles is our -- is our understanding.

But there's a -- there's a bigger issue as well, which is because of where they're located geographically, they have the ability to exert control over another really important waterway.

It's called the Bab El Mandeb Strait, which is on the Red Sea. And if they decide to close that off and to make it difficult for shipping to carry oil and gas and other products through that waterway, that would essentially give Iran -- because the Houthis are essentially proxies of Iran -- that would give Iran an even greater stranglehold over global energy and trade transport, you know, kind of routes.

It's already blocked off the Strait of Hormuz, of course, effectively. And so this would sort of amplify that stranglehold that Iran has. And so it's a very negative development potentially.

JIMENEZ: And we had a map up, as you were speaking, showing the Red Sea on the other side of Saudi Arabia there, when, of course, a lot of the attention has been on the Strait of Hormuz to this point.

Matthew Chance, appreciate the reporting and perspective as always.

I want to bring in CNN global affairs commentator and former deputy Pentagon press secretary under the Biden administration, Sabrina Singh.

So, Sabrina, over the past four weeks, I mean President Trump has sent some conflicting signals here over the war in Iran. This was him last night, for example.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's not finished yet. I'm not saying -- it's sort of finished, but it's not finished. It's got to be finished.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: I bring that up because those comments come after he claimed victory in the war numerous times already. And I just wonder, from your perspective, based on where the United States is right now, how do you see the end game here?

SABRINA SINGH, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Well, I think that's the remaining question. I mean, this has really been a true messaging debacle I think from the beginning.

We don't have a clear set of mission goals of what success looks like in this war. And that's why you see so many comparisons to Iraq. The idea that we went in under these pretenses but the reality is, is that we ended up staying for so long because there was not this defined goal.

And so the administration's continuing shifting on messaging. You know, the president, the Secretary of Defense have said we've obliterated their navy, we've obliterated Iran's air force, we've obliterated their capacities, their military capabilities.

[17:19:44]

SINGH: And yet, today you saw U.S. Central command put out a statement that the U.S. military has hit over 11,000 targets. So if we've hit over 11,000 targets, what is the actual end goal? And,

and one of the things that I'll just mention is something that the president said back in February when he launched this war, was that this was about the Iranian people being able to take power and take control of their country.

And that messaging we don't hear echoed from this administration anymore. So it's really hard to decipher what exactly the end goal here is, both for U.S. military and just the broader political strategy of this administration.

JIMENEZ: You know, one of your chief roles when you were press secretary is messaging and one of the things that -- that we saw even really at the outset of this war was there was some mixed messaging over how this began. Whether it was to completely obliterate the nuclear capabilities, whether it was over a reported preemptive strike or a warning of a preemptive strike.

And even in this moment, we're seeing the mixed messaging that I played a little while ago. How does that dynamic impact the support for the war from even Trump allies?

SINGH: Well, it makes it certainly confusing, I think, for allies in the MAGA base, which you're seeing fracture again and again. I mean, at CPAC, I know you've been reporting on people within the MAGA base feeling really disillusioned with this war.

But it's also sending a message to our allies. I mean, the United States and President Trump has said, you know, we want allies to get in and help us open, the corridor, the strait that has now been shut. And yet we also don't need your help, but we do need your help.

The reality is that we do need allies help right now. When I was in the Biden administration, I know you were just talking to Matthew earlier, you know, we did have the Houthis attacking our ships that were transiting the Red Sea. And we did have to escort tankers and different commercial ships through the Red Sea and through the Bab El Mandeb.

And that was not a U.S. effort alone. That was a joint coalition under Operation Prosperity Guardian. And that took a lot of time to build and bring coalition partners to the table.

And we have not seen that from this administration. And so when you don't have the discipline of a coherent message, a coherent end game, that's going to make allies really scared to enter, this fight and this war with the United States.

JIMENEZ: Well, and because of that dynamic on the Red Sea, a lot of these shipping companies have already had to reconsider what routes that they take because of what we've previously seen from these Houthi rebels.

Now today, those rebels said that they had launched ballistic missiles against Israel for the first time since this conflict began. And I just wonder, how could their involvement in this particular moment impact Middle East oil exports and shipping?

SINGH: Well, the Houthis have deep capabilities. I mean, we were able to degrade some of that during the Biden administration. But they are a pretty forceful proxy group.

And I would say that this is something that we just did not want to see. We did not want to see the Houthis enter this fight because they have the capacity and capability to potentially close off that Red Sea-Bab El Mandeb transit area, which would once again be a chokehold for not only oil and gas to get out of that region, but just think commercial shipping.

I mean, when I was -- when I served in the Biden administration, the Houthis hit a commercial tanker that had a massive oil spill in the Red Sea. There are not just impacts that are going to happen to the global economy. There's also environmental impacts that are still being felt in that region.

So the Houthis entering this war, it's not only widening the war. I'm not seeing where the escalate -- the de-escalation ramp is.

I mean, hopefully there are negotiations that go forward and some type of third-party indirect conversations between the United States and Iran. But I think both sides right now see that they're winning which makes it very dangerous to see where the de-escalation ramp is and where there's time for diplomacy. I'm just not seeing where that starts right now.

JIMENEZ: Well, on that, on that possibility, however faint it may be in this moment, I guess the question is, you know, well, one of the goals the Trump administration has seemed to have is not, not explicitly saying topple the regime, but also wanting a regime change of leadership here, as we've seen.

And it hasn't quite happened, at least to this point, as it seems to be more of the same of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, sort of still leading things in Iran.

And I just wonder, is there any place for major reform in Iran that you're seeing, whether it comes in the form of regime change or not? Because if this just continues, the question is, at some point something has to -- has to change one way or another

SINGH: It's going to be very difficult to change the regime and the structure within Iran if you do not have U.S. military boots on the ground.

[17:24:45]

SINGH: The reality on the ground in Iran is the IRGC and the Basij still hold control over that population. I mean, they literally control the guns.

So who is going to go in and take those from them? I think this administration and President Trump sort of banked on the idea that people would rise up and topple the government. But how are they supposed to do that if they don't have protections in

place that they can do it safely?

And you don't hear this administration talking about that anymore. You don't hear this administration talking about you know, spreading democratic values within Iran. You hear them more talk about the military strategy.

So again, to what end does this work come to a conclusion? What are the defined goals of what does success look like? Every day, it seems like there are more questions than we get answers, which is, of course, very frustrating not only to the American people, but I think our military also is feeling that as well.

JIMENEZ: Sabrina Singh, appreciate the time and perspective. Thanks for being here.

SINGH: Thanks, Omar.

JIMENEZ: All right. We're continuing to track these "No Kings" protests happening in places across the country, including here in Chicago, as we've been tracking them.

They were -- they were -- they were in one place at first. And now you see them marching right past Trump Tower in the middle of Downtown, Chicago.

We'll keep you posted on some of these updates.

More than 3,100 demonstrations happening across the country. We'll bring you some of them next.

[17:26:08]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:30:38]

JIMENEZ: All right. We are continuing to follow breaking news. And by that, I mean, the No Kings rallies by the thousands across the United States, this one in particular in Los Angeles. But we've been showing places from across the country over the course of the day. We'll continue to show you them as they pop up. We'll get you to some right now, as we have been following, I mentioned Los Angeles. We have had people on the ground in some of these places.

Shimon Prokupecz is in St Paul, Minnesota for us, as well, as people rally against President Trump's policies, including his immigration enforcement tactics and his decision to go to war with Iran.

Shimon, you've been talking to people over the course of the day, what have you been hearing?

PROKUPECZ: So, I have -- so, I've been talking to people, trying to talk to them as they are leaving, and just, you know, just what a day this has been for them to be here. And I just met Seanne (PH), and I -- how are you?

SHAWN: I'm great. Thank you.

PROKUPECZ: So, tell me about today, and you are from Minneapolis.

SEANNE, ACTIVIST (PH): I am. Yes.

PROKUPECZ: To you have really experienced.

SEANNE: Yes, absolutely. No, and today has been awesome. Obviously, over the last month or few months, so many people have been afraid to be inside, and so, it's really incredible to have an opportunity for everyone to be out together. I mean, the solidarity just among the community has been incredible as it pertains to providing people food, providing people resources, doing everything we can to make sure that everyone in the community feels safe. And so, in a lot of ways, even though this is about solidarity and it's about protesting, what we are frustrated about, it's also feels like a celebration and coming together. Yes.

PROKUPECZ: Some of -- some of the frustrations that, you know, certainly, the immigration stuff. What else is -- what else has been on your mind, on the mind of your neighbors, and the people you know?

SEANNE: Yes. I mean, obviously, the immigration piece has been the most pertinent, because, like, all of it has a face to us. It's a real person that we know. But obviously, in this we are concerned about keeping our children safe. We are concerned about billionaires getting more rich.

We are concerned about Mark Zuckerberg. We are concerned about corruption in the White House. I mean, honestly, the list goes on and on and on. We could go on forever to talk.

PROKUPECZ: Your daughter, right?

SEANNE: Yes.

PROKUPECZ: Jay?

SEANNE: Yes.

PROKUPECZ: Right? 4 years old. You said, this is not her first march, yes?

(CROSSTALK)

SEANNE: It's not. No, it's not.

And I think for us, it's really important as a family, for her to know if there is something that she's not happy about, that she has a voice and that she can stand up for what she believes in as well.

And so, it's been really great to bring her here.

PROKUPECZ: What did she say to you were telling me? SEANNE: Yes.

PROKUPECZ: What did she say to you when we --

(CROSSTALK)

SEANNE: Yes.

PROKUPECZ: When you guys were in there earlier?

SEANNE: Yes. As we were walking up, she was like, this is a big justice March, isn't it? This is a really big one. And I'm like, absolutely.

PROKUPECZ: It's amazing how much kids understand the real -- yes.

SEANNE: I know. I mean, she gets it. As we talk about it. You know, she understands when we -- it is hard to explain some of the things going on to a 4-year-old. But when we say, like, do you want your friends to feel safe? Do you want your friends to know that they belong here? Her answer is always yes. And so, I think to convince her to come out is not hard at all, because she is like, I do want everyone to feel safe. I'm going to bring my sign.

PROKUPECZ: Well, thank you for stopping and talking to me.

(CROSSTALK)

SEANNE: Yes, absolutely.

PROKUPECZ: Thank you, Jay.

JAY, DAUHTER OF SEANNE (PH): Thank you.

PROKUPECZ: See you. See you later, OK? Thank you. Have a good day.

SEANNE: Say bye.

JAY: OK.

PROKUPECZ: OK. Bye, bye.

Thank you so much. Appreciate it.

And so, this is the thing, Omar out here. I think, you know, she said it best that the fear that people have been faced with, have been dealing with, and then, coming here and seeing such large crowds. Again, I just think, this is -- this is a day for people to be together and to feel like they are together in solidarity, and to voice their concerns. And that's what we are continuing to see out here.

JIMENEZ: And as you all were talking, we were showing some images of how many people were there, especially, a little bit earlier today too. Just to see the massive people on the streets here. They have been doing so pretty consistently over the course of this year. Shimon Prokupecz, doing great work for us on the ground. Appreciate it as always.

I want to stay in the Midwest here, because there are protests over in Chicago, a city which has also been, by the way, through a high- profile immigration enforcement crackdown.

CNN's Veronica Miracle is in the crowd for us. And Veronica, we saw some pictures. Everybody was walking by Trump Tower a little bit earlier. What are you seeing and hearing now?

VERONICA MIRACLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. This is kind of the tail end of the protest, but there is still a lot of people who have come by. You know, this is a focal point in the protest. You mentioned it earlier. It comes -- every protested it here in Chicago kind of comes by this big monument, Trump Tower here.

[17:35:07]

And you see a lot of people stopping, taking photos. And in fact, that's where we caught up with Nicholas and Christopher Holly (PH).

So, you are a veteran father son, first protest together.

That's right.

MIRACLE: So, tell me, why this protest? Why? Why stop here? What was so important for you to be -- why was it so important for you to be here today together?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I see the injustices going on, in my opinion, what's happening to the people in our nation. And I wanted to be here to voice my dissatisfaction with them, and I wanted to celebrate with my son, hopefully, bring in a change of a new government one day, and just be a voice for the people.

MIRACLE: And you come from a family of people who fit in the military. What do you think is about what's happening over in Iran and the war, as somebody who served for us?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I understand Iran and a concern about the nuclear weapons, but I think that they lost focus. They are not working on just getting in nuclear weapons, it had to be dealt with. But again, I want to reiterate that nothing has been proven yet.

The president said six or seven months ago that everything was completely obliterated. So why are we back there? And why are not the Israelis and the Saudis stepping up to help us more, if we have to put groups on the -- boots on the ground, which I think is going to happen.

MIRACLE: So, you have concerns, another reason why you are here. Tell me, what has it been like marching with your father for the first time?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it's a great experience, and I think we look forward to doing many more together. It's been a unique experience. I don't think we were really expecting this high of a turnout, but we have made some great friends today. It feels good to be connected to the community, both on a national and a local level.

When you see things going wrong in the community, when you see your fellow citizens being attacked, it feels good to give a voice and to speak up.

MIRACLE: All right. Well, thank you, gentlemen, so much. Thank you for your service. Thanks for stopping to talk to us. We really appreciate it.

The last -- the last the last protest here, there was about 250,000 people. Oh, it looks like we're getting told to keep moving.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's the end of the march.

Yes, we are moving. Sorry, guys.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please get off the street.

MIRACLE: All right.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's the end of the march.

MIRACLE: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please get off the street.

MIRACLE: All right. Just on live on -- on-live television.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's the end of the march, please get off the street.

MIRACLE: All right. I am --

JIMENEZ: All right.

MIRACLE: Trying to wrap this on. I'm just going to send it back to you, guys. Thank you.

JIMENEZ: Yes. All right. Veronica, look, it's always a moving --

(CROSSTALK)

MIRACLE: All right. Thanks, Omar.

JIMENEZ: Moving scene when you are in protests like that. A lot of things happen in the moment. Veronica Miracle staying on toes there for us in Chicago.

We are going to have a lot more on the No Kings protests, straight ahead as we track them in places across the country,

Plus, President Trump becoming the first living president to have his signature on U.S. currency. We are going to take a closer look at all the name branding taking place at the White House.

We'll talk about it on the moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:42:36]

JIMENEZ: Here is a look at Houston this afternoon. You are seeing a blown-up version of the Constitution right there, starting with the preamble: We, the people. It's been one of many things we have seen at the more than 3,000 No Kings demonstrations that have been happening across the country today.

And organizers expect millions of people to take part in them. And what they are really protesting is against President Donald Trump's policies, the higher cost of living and the war with Iran. We are going to continue taking you from city to city. This was Houston earlier today.

Now, meanwhile, President Trump recently added his name to the Kennedy Center. And now, his signature is going to soon appear on newly printed dollar bills, a first, for a sitting president. And the treasury department says the move is in honor of the country's 250th anniversary.

CNN's Tom Foreman has more.

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Omar, this has never happened before for a sitting president to have his signature on currency. And yet, this does seem to be a real thing.

Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, says he is thrilled about it. Believes it's a wonderful tribute to the 250th anniversary of the United States founding. And it's certainly in keeping with what Trump has pursued so far, having his name put on the Kennedy Center and on the Institute for Peace, on a commemorative coin. That is coming out on TrumpRx, the drug program out there, on these new gold visas that people can pay a bunch of money for to get into the country. Those are called Trump cards as well -- Trump visas. He wants his name on a series of battleships are out there.

That was announced they would be Trump class battleships, and who knows what will happen with this ballroom and all of that.

Trump likes seeing his name on things. He always did in his personal life, not just Trump Tower, but Trump water and Trump steaks and Trump University, all those things. He thinks it's one of his biggest assets. But almost all of this is being done either by just fiat, by him deciding he wants it done, or by small groups very close to him, doing it, which means a future Democratic president might undo it just as fast. And some Democrats are taking shots.

Among them, California Governor Gavin Newsom, who posted, yes. Well, now, people can look at their gas bills and their food bills and their rent bills and their health care bills, and say, why is it so high? And they can look at their money. And know who to blame. That's how he sees it. Omar?

[17:45:00]

JIMENEZ: All right. Tom Foreman, appreciate the reporting.

All right. Meanwhile, this weekend, go inside the relationship between the late Robert Mueller and President George W. Bush, following the 9/11 attacks.

And the CNN Original Series, "STANDOFF: THE FBI POWER AND PARANOIA. Here is a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GARRETT GRAFF, AUTHOR, THE THREAT MATRIX: At 8:00 a.m. Tuesday, September the 11th, Robert Mueller is sitting in his first briefing on al-Qaeda. It's interrupted by someone who comes in and says, a plane has crashed into the World Trade Center.

DOUGLAS BRINKLY, PROFESSOR OF HISTORY, RICE UNIVERSITY: And George W. Bush was in Florida in a school reading a book to children.

GEORGE W. BUSH, 43RD PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you all so very much for showing me your reading skills.

GRAFF: Andy Card, the White House Chief of Staff steps forward and informs him of the second attack on the World Trade Center.

Bush finishes reading the book. He doesn't want to cause a panic in that moment. And one of his first telephone calls is to Robert Mueller at the Hoover Building in Washington.

Bush basically says, buckle up. This is what we pay you for.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: Truly remarkable moment in that classroom. Two new episodes air tomorrow night, starting at 9:00 Eastern and Pacific only on CNN.

All right. Still to come, a call to arms in Iran, as the country's regime lowers the recruitment age to include 12-year-old children. We'll have a look inside Tehran. Next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:51:11]

JIMENEZ: New tonight in Yemen, Iran-backed Houthi rebels announced they entered the war by launching two missile strikes toward Israel. And according to an Israeli security source, both Houthi missiles were intercepted, and no injuries or damage were caused. But the Houthis joined the war as Iran's propaganda machine works to rally support for the regime.

CNN's Jomana Karadsheh has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): They call them the lionesses, and they are ready for American troops, they say.

This is the sort of propaganda the Iranian regime has been rolling out on state media. They claim they have more than a million troops organized to join the battle against U.S. forces to create a quote, historic hell for U.S. troops on Iranian soil.

KARADSHEH: Part of this so-called wave of enthusiasm to protect Iran was a disturbing clip we saw on state media. A Revolutionary Guard Corps official announcing, they have decided to lower the recruitment age for the security forces to 12.

RAHIM NADALI, CULTURAL OFFICIAL, IRGC TEHRAN BRANCH (text): Given the ages of those coming forward and requesting to participate, we have lowered the minimum age to 12. Now, even 12 and 13-year-old children are asking to take part.

KARADSHEH: Now, they don't say kids will take part in active combat. It sounds more like manning checkpoints and other support roles for now.

But it's worth remembering the regime has previously used child soldiers. International law bans the use of kids in armed conflict. It's something that could amount to a war crime. Independent sources estimate that Iran has 600 to 650,000 active-duty forces.

But as U.S. threats ramp up and an escalation is looking more and more likely, we will probably be seeing more of this kind of rhetoric and propaganda to rally more than just the hardline regime supporters around the flag.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JIMENEZ: All right. Jomana Karadsheh, appreciate the reporting.

Now, as the war drags on, a lot of Americans are not happy about it. And Harry Enten is going to join us, straight ahead to run the numbers on the president's new polling. Stay with us. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:58:01]

JIMENEZ: All right, everybody. The NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament has reached its Elite Eight. And while most brackets might feel busted, three of the four top seeds are still alive. One of them, Arizona, will be playing later tonight.

My bracket holding on by a thread.

I want to talk about all of this with CNN Sports Anchor Patrick Snell, who joins us now with more on March Madness. What should we be looking for out there?

PATRICK SNELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL SPORTS ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Omar. Yes. Sorry about your bracket. Yes. Don't give up hope just yet.

Look, we are going to be finding out half of the Final Four later on this evening. Some great games ahead. First up though. Do want to look back at Friday Night action? Head coach Dan Hurley has UConn back in the Elite Eight. For the third-time now in four years, the Huskies had a 19-point lead on Michigan State in this one.

But the Spartans battled all the way back, I will say, under two to go.

Alex Karaban hitting a huge, huge three for the Huskies that put them up for Jeremy Fierce Jr, answering for Michigan State. His three made it a one-point game, closing second. Spartans with the free throw line down three, they missed the second one, and Tarris Reed grabbing a rebound for UConn. That pretty much seals it as the Huskies hold on to win it, 67-63.

They will now face Duke in the Elite Eight. The Blue Devils getting a huge lift from Caleb Foster's return. The Duke guard fracture. This is incredible. He fractured his foot. 20 days ago, underweight surgery, a day later, and he comes off the bench to score 11 second half points against St. John's.

The Blue Devils head coach, Jon Scheyer, saying he was stunned by Foster's performance, calling it incredible. And no stats can measure just how big his heart is for what he did. Duke winning 80 to 75 as they are now a win away from back-to-back trips to the Final Four.

Tennessee now also back in the Elite Eight for a third straight season. The ball pulling away in the second-half to beat Iowa State 76-62, while they keep making the Elite Eight, they've never actually got past it. Will this finally be the year? Rick Barnes gets them to their first ever Final Four.

[18:00:04]

They will play Michigan, who beat Alabama on Sunday.

So, how is it all looking?