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Six States Set To Hold Pivotal Primary Races This Tuesday; Trump To Host Ceremony After Artists Bail On 250th Anniversary Concerts; Israel Day Parade Underway In New York City, Mayor Skips But Vows Big Security. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired May 31, 2026 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:28]

PAULA REID, CNN HOST: Hello, thanks for joining me. I'm Paula Reid, in for Fredricka Whitfield. We are just two days out from another round of critical primaries that could help shape this year's midterms. On Tuesday, in six states, California, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota all head to the polls to select their candidates for November, which party controls the Senate next year, as well as the nation's most populous state, may ultimately be decided here.

In Iowa, Democrats see an opening to flip a Senate seat being vacated by outgoing GOP Senator Joni Ernst. Voters will decide whether two Democratic state lawmakers, Josh Turek or Zachary Wahls, give the party its best chance, and in California, a volatile race for governor full of twists and turns will come to an inflection point.

Golden state voters will decide whether candidates from a crowded Democratic field, or even a Republican, will advance to two positions on November's ballot.

There is also another marquee race on Tuesday that's getting a lot of attention, who will be the next mayor of Los Angeles? The city's current mayor, Democrat, Karen Bass, is locked in a tight three-way battle for reelection that could force a runoff this November. New polling shows Bass, with 26 percent among likely voters. L.A. Council member Democrat Nithya Raman is at 25 percent and former reality T.V. star, Spencer Pratt, a registered Republican, has 22 percent. Now, those percentages are all within the margin of error.

Now, let's discuss more with "L.A. Times" city hall reporter, Noah Goldberg.

Noah, thanks for being here. Is this race really as close as the polls make it look?

NOAH GOLDBERG, "L.A. TIMES" CITY HALL REPORTER: Yes, I would say it definitely is. I mean, we've seen different numbers from different polls, but they are all sort of within that range. I think I've seen Bass top out a little bit above 30 percent, and you said, it could head to a runoff, but I would say we are certainly going to a runoff in November, because the only way for someone to become the mayor in this primary is to get over 50 percent, and no one is even close to that.

So the real question is, is it going to be Karen Bass or Nithya Raman? Is it going to be Karen Bass and Spencer Pratt, or will Bass, the incumbent, not even make it to the runoff and it will be Raman versus Pratt? Those are really the three options that we have.

REID: Now Pratt has blasted Mayor Bass on a host of issues, including the city's issues with homelessness, drug addiction, crime, wildfire preparedness. How is Bass working to convince voters?

GOLDBERG: Bass is trying to run on her record. She hasn't run the loudest campaign. I think everyone has been hearing the most about Spencer Pratt, especially nationwide, but what Bass is counting on is that her message on what she has done while in leadership will resonate. She has brought down homelessness, 18 percent on street homelessness over the last two years. So she has really been touting that even while Nithya Raman and Spencer Pratt both say that the homelessness crisis is still out-of-control and not getting better.

She has also touted, you know, historic lows in the murder rate in L.A. So, she is trying to go off of numbers, but the real question is whether Angelenos are actually feeling like crime is down or feeling like homelessness is down. It doesn't really matter if you say those numbers, if everyone in the voter pool doesn't believe them.

REID: Well, people, of course, think of L.A. as being a stronghold for Democrats. So what does it say about the state of the city that Pratt, who recently told CNN he is, "aligned with Republicans," has a real shot at upending this race?

GOLDBERG: Well, I guess upending the race is different in the primary than it is in the runoff in November. I mean, four years ago, Bass beat Rick Caruso by ten points, 55 percent to 45 percent. Rick Caruso reregistered as a Democrat to run for mayor. Pratt has acknowledged that he is a Republican. He stresses that it is a nonpartisan race. So he says it doesn't matter if you're a Democrat or a Republican.

But, you know, Pratt making the runoff with 25 percent is still a real difference from becoming the next mayor, which he says he is going to be able to do, but then he would have to figure a way to get up to 51 percent in a runoff with either Bass and Raman.

The poll that you cited, our poll with Berkeley showed that he is behind double digits in runoff scenarios with Raman and Bass. So moving out of the primary and into the runoff, he would have to figure out a way to convince more Democrats, there are obviously a lot of progressive Democrats in the city of Los Angeles to vote for him to swing over to him, something that Rick Caruso, who was more moderate than Pratt, was not able to do in 2022.

[15:05:24]

But that said, Bass is much, much less popular than she was back then. Her favorability ratings are like more than 50 percent of people think the city is on the wrong track, and that Bass is not doing a good job. So, there is an opening with a much less popular mayor for him, but he still has to convince Democrats to vote for him.

REID: Well, that is definitely going to be a race to watch over the next few months. Noah Goldberg, thank you.

GOLDBERG: Thanks for having me.

REID: And in the swing state of Georgia, Senator Jon Ossoff is hoping Democratic unity and a direct contrast with President Trump will be his path to reelection.

Today, Ossoff will campaign alongside the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, Keisha Lance Bottoms. CNN's Rafael Romo joins us in Atlanta, where the rally is about to begin.

Rafael, the Democrats see this as an opportunity to present a unified message, to court Independent voters while Republicans in both the Senate and gubernatorial races in the State face runoffs. What can you tell us.

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, for sure, Paula. That's an excellent point and that's why he has invited the former Atlanta mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms, to be here with him. Jon Ossoff's campaign is calling this rally the first major event of this reelection campaign following the May 19th primary here in Georgia.

Democratic Senator Ossoff, who is running for reelection in November, will be joined, like I told you before on this stage by former Atlanta mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms, who won the Democratic primary to run for Georgia governor along with Jamal Bryant of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church.

According to Ossoff's campaign, his speech is going to focus on what they call the Trump administration's attacks on Georgia's skyrocketing health care premiums, pocket books and voting rights. On the Republican side, Paula, Congressman Mike Collins, who owns a trucking business, and Derek Dooley, an attorney and former head football coach at the University of Tennessee, won the right to run against each other in Georgia's runoff election on June 16th after the state's primary on May 19th.

In a way, the Republican race for Senate is a fight between two factions of Republicans in Georgia. Those, like Congressman Collins, who are perceived as Trump loyalists and those like Dooley, who are allied with the popular Georgia governor, Brian Kemp. Georgia looms as potentially one of the most competitive midterm races.

Senator Ossoff, the incumbent, is the only Senate Democrat standing for reelection in a state carried by Trump in 2024.

Ossoff has been posting blockbuster fundraising numbers, pulling in $12 million in the fourth quarter of last year and reporting more than $25 million in cash on hand back in April. At another rally in College Park, Georgia, earlier this year, Senator Ossoff spoke about voting rights and strongly criticized Trump for attacking former President Barack Obama.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JON OSSOFF (D-GA): Many of you are here because you just can't stand what is being done to our country. You're seeing what I am seeing, right?

(PEOPLE answer "yes.")

OSSOFF: The President posting about the Obamas like a Klansman at 1:00 A.M.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMO: "The Atlanta Journal-Constitution" reported recently that Ossoff has been highlighting what he sees as Republican weaknesses on things like the proposed nearly $1.8 billion in taxpayer funding for people who say they were politically persecuted.

Paula, now back to you.

REID: Rafael Romo, thank you.

A concert series celebrating America's 250th anniversary is on shaky ground after many of the musicians slated to perform backed out. Now, President Trump says he will host the opening ceremony for the Great American State Fair next month.

Performers like The Commodores, Martina McBride and rapper Young M.C. have withdrawn from the event. CNN correspondent, Julia Benbrook joins me now live from outside The White House.

Julia, these artists claim they were misled by this performance opportunity. How is The White House responding?

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, as you mentioned, President Donald Trump now says that he is going to host the opening ceremony for the Great American State Fair event expected to take place on the National Mall.

But that was not always the plan. He made this announcement after several artists backed out of a planned concert series.

[15:10:10]

And for some context here, there are a couple of groups organizing events related to America's 250th birthday. There is the nonpartisan commission created by Congress America 250, and then there is The White House organization created by executive order, Freedom 250, which was putting on this specific event, and as those artists backed out, Trump lashed out on social media.

He wrote this in part, "... we should have a giant Make America Great Again rally for 250, instead of having overpriced singers who nobody wants to hear, whose music is boring and yet who do nothing but complain." Adding, "Cancel it."

Then, in a statement to CNN, a Freedom 250 spokesperson, Danielle Alvarez, she confirmed that Trump is going to be kicking off this event at an opening ceremony on Wednesday, June 24th.

A number of those artists, most of those artists that were slated for this concert series taking place late June, early July, suggested that they were misled about the event's political affiliations.

Country singer, Martina McBride, she said that she would not be performing. She wrote, "I was presented with an opportunity to perform at a nonpartisan event, but that turned out to be misleading." In a statement on Instagram, rapper, Young MC shared a similar statement, writing in part, "... the artists were never told about any political involvement with the event."

Earlier today, CNN's Dana Bash spoke with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, and she asked him about this.

Here is part of his response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOUG BURGUM, U.S. SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR: The American -- the Great American State Fair, running 15 days here on the mall, starting in late June and going through July 10th, is a celebration of all 50 states and all territories.

There was a plan -- there is a planned event for the opening of that and of course, I , with a smile on my face, I can't say -- I can't wade into the politics of musicians because, you know, some musicians want to play music for everybody and some musicians seem to have segmented their audiences the same way politicians have.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENBROOK: Well, a good number of artists have dropped out of this event, not all of them have and it will be interesting to see how this plays out with Trump now saying that he wants a Make America Great Again rally using his own campaign slogan to talk about what will be taking place there on Wednesday, June 24th.

REID: Julia Benbrook, thank you.

And up next, hurricane season begins tomorrow. Why forecasters now believe a key atmospheric pattern could help reduce the number of storms this year.

Also, rescue teams and even our CNN crew on the ground were stunned as miners trapped inside a cave walked out on their own this weekend. A look at what many are describing as a miracle.

Plus, a UFC fight right on The White House Front Lawn, live pictures where you can see construction going up right now.

Later this hour, a look at President Trump's idea to host the fight.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:17:51] REID: For the past few hours, thousands of people have been lining the streets of New York City to celebrate the Annual Israel Day Parade. Now, the event is usually a must attend for local, state and national politicians, as New York City is home to America's largest Jewish population.

But this year, New York City's mayor is breaking with tradition and not attending the parade because of his support for Palestinian rights. But the mayor is promising a robust police presence.

Now we have team coverage of this parade. CNN's Mark Morales is covering the security angle for us. But let's begin with Gloria Pazmino.

Gloria, what are you seeing there on the ground and what are people telling you about the mayor's decision not to attend?

GLORIA PAZMINO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Paula, you know, speaking to people who have been gathering here all day, the focus is really on what today's celebration is about, right? That it is a celebration of Israel, of Israeli culture. That's what is on a lot of people's minds here.

But I did speak with some who told us that they were frankly glad that the mayor wasn't here today. Mamdani made it very clear early on during the campaign that he wasn't going to be attending this parade. He is a strong supporter of Palestinian rights. He has said he doesn't believe the state of Israel should exist in its current form.

So, it is not exactly a surprise that he is not here today. Some people have certainly noticed it. We have seen some signs of people calling out the mayor for not being here. But for the most part, this has been a very joyous, happy celebration, as I said, of the state of Israel, Israel culture and Israeli pride throughout the day.

There are thousands of people along Fifth Avenue; flags of blue and white as far as the eye can see, and people told us that they were also thinking about the situation back home. They want to make sure that they know that they want to see peace in the region.

I believe we have some sound from some of the revelers earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEBRA LIBREMAN, PARADE ATTENDEE: Because I really wanted to support Israel. I feel like Israel really needs our support right now and it is great. It really is nice. And I appreciate all the security, but it is great to be able to see the parade.

[15:20:10]

WENDY SCHWARTZ, PARADE ATTENDEE: We are a peaceful people. We all want peace, and I think the world needs to know that all we want is peace and we are here to show our support for peace and love and democracy.

We are a people of love, we are a people of unity, and we are a people that want to see everyone living happy together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAZMINO: And Paula, I should mention, there have been no disruptions throughout the day. There is a heavy police presence, as you mentioned in the beginning, the NYPD is certainly out in force. A large security perimeter.

So things have gone so far as exactly as planned, despite the mayor's absence -- Paula.

REID: Gloria Pazmino, thank you.

Now let's go to CNN's Mark Morales, who is covering parade security for U.S.

Mark, of course, antisemitism has been on the rise amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. So how are they securing today's parade?

MARK MORALES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTER: Well, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said last week that this was going to be the most comprehensive security plan that they've ever put together for this parade. And so far, that's worked.

There has only been one small incident. There were some demonstrators that were around 53rd Street at the very beginning of that parade. We are talking about somewhere in the neighborhood of a dozen, but that was quickly dispelled, and this is exactly what they were planning and hoping for.

But what does that mean the largest security plan actually put together for this parade? We are talking about the most officers ever deployed for this parade, the most heavy weapons teams ever deployed for this parade. We are talking about ramped up screenings for spectators. They are even going so far as to check the porta potties to make sure that nobody sneaks anything in there.

So this is about the most secure that this parade has ever been and that's really in response to the heightened threat environment that we've seen starting from October 6th, going all through to the war in Iran, and even most recently with all the attacks that have happened in Europe.

And just two weeks ago, federal authorities arrested a man who they said, an Iraqi national, who was already planning to attack a synagogue in New York City. So this is all part of the heightened threat environment and when you look at this parade and you look at how security has been deployed, this is actually going to be a model for some of the other major events that we have coming up.

There is obviously the July 4th celebration, the World Cup is right around the corner, and in less than 10 days, you'll have the NBA finals for the first time at Madison Square Garden for the first time since 1999. Now, the threat environment has changed considerably since then. I mean, we are talking about a pre-9/11 world to now. And so what we are seeing today is that law enforcement officials are very much concerned with a lot of these different styles. We are talking lone wolf attacks, homegrown violent extremism, even ramming attacks like we saw in New Orleans on New Year's Eve not too long ago.

But the hallmarks of what the security plans are going to be and they are still being finalized are going to be what you're seeing here today, a combination of federal, state, local authorities, a heavy police presence, and counterterrorism teams and intelligence sharing.

I mean, you can be rest assured that there is a small army of NYPD officers that are watching every single camera that's zoomed in on this parade right now.

REID: Mark morales, thank you.

And up next, scientists say the Dead Sea is dying and the warning signs are impossible to miss. What is causing it? And if there is still time to save it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:27:56 ]

REID: Tomorrow is June 1st, and that means Atlantic Hurricane season kicks off.

NOAA's team of experts is predicting a slightly below average season this year. CNN meteorologist, Allison Chinchar explains why.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Tomorrow is the official start to Atlantic Hurricane season, and it is actually forecast to be a little bit slower than usual, which is fantastic news.

The official forecast from NOAA calls for about a 35 percent chance of a near normal season, but a more than 50 percent chance of a below normal season.

Now, what exactly does that mean in terms of numbers?

On a normal season, you would have about 14 total named storms, seven of which would reach hurricane strength, three reaching major hurricane strength, which is a category three, four or five level storm. This season in particular, the forecast calls for eight to 14 total named storms, so we could end up getting up to what would be considered a near normal threshold, but it is more likely we will have that number be a little bit lower.

Same thing for hurricanes: The total number there, expected is three to six total hurricanes. Now, the biggest factor in this forecast has been the upcoming anticipated El Nino event. Now, typically in an El Nino year, what this really does is it increases wind shear right here in this red zone, portions of the Caribbean and the Atlantic and that just inhibits further tropical cyclone development. In addition to that, you also get fewer storms that come off the coast of Africa, which often in turn become tropical systems several days later.

Now, peak hurricane season, you can see really kind of ramps up right through here in September, but it really ranges from, say, August 15th to about October 15th. This is important because that is when we really anticipate seeing that El Nino begin to ramp up as well.

In fact, when you look at the forecast here, we may end up being in a strong El Nino come September, October and even into November of this year.

So certainly something to keep a close eye on as we get further and further into hurricane season.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

REID: Allison Chinchar, thank you.

And scientists say an ecological disaster is unfolding at the Dead Sea. They say the lowest point on Earth has been shrinking about four feet every year for decades. The cause, climate change and man mining.

[15:30:10]

Here is CNN's Jeremy Diamond.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Jake Benzaken is one of the only people licensed to operate a boat on the Dead Sea. And for the last 12 years, that's what he's done.

DIAMOND (on camera): So you know it well?

JAKE BENZAKEN, LICENSED TO OPERATE A BOAT ON THE DEAD SEA: Yes, I got to see all the faces.

DIAMOND (voice over): Giving him an unparalleled view of one of Earth's natural wonders, and the fast moving environmental disaster threatening its existence.

BENZAKEN: So every year we get about new 7.5 meters of new shoreline because the sea is dropping.

DIAMOND (voice over): The Dead Sea is dying. Its surface area has shrunk by about one third in the last 50 years. Its salt-encrusted shores now stand as a testament to the rapid pace of change.

BENZAKEN: This is last year, two years ago. Every step, it's a year.

DIAMOND (voice over): Each step shows how much the sea level has dropped from one year to the next, at a rate of about four feet per year, like nothing else in the world.

Dr. Yael Kiro has been studying the Dead Sea for over a decade.

DIAMOND (voice over): There's no other place on earth like the Dead Sea.

DR. YAEL KIRO, GEOCHEMIST, WEIZMANN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE: no, no.

DIAMOND (voice over): To understand why it is shrinking and what can be done about it.

KIRO: The main reason is because of the utilization of the water resources around the Dead Sea. This contributes around 60 percent of the drop. And then there is the Dead Sea factories, both the Jordanian and the Israelis, that pump directly the brine and evaporate it in order to extract minerals and they contribute about 40 percent for the lake level drops.

DIAMOND (voice over): Israel's Dead Sea works and Jordan's Arab Potash Company pump tens of billions of gallons of water out of the Dead Sea each year, evaporating much of that water to extract potash and magnesium, key fertilizer ingredients.

Some who want to save the Dead Sea have proposed building a pipeline and pumping water in from the Red Sea. Others advocate for replenishing the Jordan River, allowing the water to flow naturally into the Dead Sea.

But while ideas abound, government action is still missing. The impact isn't just environmental, it's also financial. This graveyard of palm trees and graffiti buildings was once a thriving beach resort. The road leading to it explains why it's been abandoned.

DIAMOND (on camera): Tourists used to take this road all the time to get to the Dead Sea, but now sinkholes like this one line its path, and the whole area has been abandoned. And the concern is that more sinkholes will continue to happen as the Dead Sea drops and tourism will be severely impacted.

DIAMOND (voice over): These sinkholes are caused by an underground layer of salt that is now dissolving.

DIAMOND (on camera): This sinkhole is a direct result of the Dead Sea water levels dropping?

KIRO: Yes, since the lake level started to drop, this salt layer, instead of being exposed to the Dead Sea brine, it is exposed to more fresh water, and then eventually you get collapse.

DIAMOND (voice over): Aboard his boat, Benzaken says he sees new evidence of the Dead Sea's man-made decay every day, the uncertainty it spells for its future and his own.

DIAMOND (on camera): What do you call all of this? I mean, what we're witnessing, the way in which it's sinking, how do you qualify all of it?

BENZAKEN: You can say an ecological disaster, you know, because it is. And it's also a demographical disaster because it is, and it's also one of the wonders of the world, because it is, you know, I qualify it as home.

DIAMOND: Jeremy Diamond, CNN, the Dead Sea.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:38:39]

REID: Dive teams continue to search for two men still trapped in a cave in Laos. Now, they went in before the other villagers, who have been recovered alive from the flooded cave.

CNN's Will Ripley and his team were the only international journalists on the scene as four of the men shocked rescuers and the world when they walked out on their own, 11 days after getting stuck inside the cave and one day after another villager had been rescued.

Will Ripley recounts the operation to get them out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I didn't see this coming. When I was chatting with the rescue divers here in Central Lao, they told me it would be a miracle if all five villagers made it out alive and then a miracle happened.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Okay.

(UNIDENTIFIED MALE speaking in foreign language.)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Okay.

RIPLEY: I get goosebumps thinking about it.

The rain stopped for just long enough and the pumps worked just well enough, and the men inside the cave were just brave enough to go for it and they did it.

They crawled and climbed their way out.

And shocked everybody, it shocked me.

I do believe in a Higher Power, and I feel like I felt that power standing there watching this incredible community of people from Laos, from Thailand and all over the world come to this remote place in the middle of the mountains, come together in a feat of engineering, technology, willpower.

Congratulations!

[14:40:05]

And the monsoon rains that held off just long enough to make this possible.

We traveled a long way, many hours to come here, and I feel like it was a blessing and a privilege to witness this miracle here in Laos.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

REID: :Thanks to Will Ripley for his extraordinary reporting.

Coming up, after weeks of signaling a breakthrough, the Iran Deal isn't done yet. President Trump has sent the proposed agreement back with revisions extending high-stakes negotiations into another week.

We will break it all down when we return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:45:17]

REID: New today, officials are telling CNN that President Trump sent back changes to a proposed deal with Iran. Trump made the move after meeting with his advisors in the Situation Room on Friday. Now, while the details haven't been made clear, the President has insisted on tougher language for both the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear obligations.

With us now is Tina Fordham, she is the founder of her own geopolitical strategy company and the author of a book due out later this year, "Mad World: A Geo Strategy Survival Guide for Leaders."

All right, Tina thank you for being with us.

Now, if President Trump is looking for tougher language on key issues, is he likely to get it?

TINA FORDHAM, GEOPOLITICAL STRATEGIST: Thanks, Paula. I don't think Trump is likely to get a response from Iran that will meet his needs, because what he has been after from the beginning is, first of all, total and complete capitulation, which is not in the playbook of the IRGC. And then secondly, vindication for Operation Epic Fury and that is not forthcoming either.

REID: Now, Iran's powerful Speaker of the Parliament was quoted by state-run media as saying, "The soldiers of the diplomatic battlefield have no trust in the words and promises of the enemy. What matters to us is tangible achievements that we must obtain in exchange for which we will fulfill our commitments." How would you translate that? What exactly are they saying?

FORDHAM: They are talking about trust and decline in trust, decline in the U.S. reputation is not a factor only in these negotiations, it is also a wider global trend. I am talking to you from London, where Europe and other historic U.S. allies are also wondering if the U.S. means what it says and if it will respect preexisting agreements declining trust and reputation are big factors in coming to an agreement. And this agreement for Iran is really existential. So it is going to, to want, you know, ironclad guarantees and remember that that they recall very clearly that they were in the middle of active diplomatic negotiations brokered by Oman when the U.S. started to attack. That's not really the done-thing in diplomacy.

REID: Now related issue, we are about to begin the trading week with oil around $87.00. How much patience do investors have right now for a ceasefire to be sorted out? And where is oil likely headed?

FORDHAM: Well, in my view, oil is headed higher because even if you know the agreement was signed tomorrow, the MOU, you'd still be looking at a period of weeks before the backlog was overcome, but we are not there yet.

So markets have really reacted. The strongest on President Trump's words, they are focused on other things and A.I. and other trades, and the disconnect is really pronounced. We are possibly heading toward an energy shock if the, you know, IAEA and other agencies are to be believed and the market continues to price in a deal, and we don't have one.

REID: So is there something Trump can do to shake the Iranians into agreeing to his terms?

FORDHAM: Well, you know, Iran, they are masters at playing for time and one of the things they are banking on is timing and the fact that they believe the United States needs a deal, you know, faster and more than they do with U.S. midterms coming up in November and the kind of long standing concern about higher oil prices and prices at the pump heading into U.S. elections, they are experts at stalling and at stonewalling.

And that's why I think that, you know, this movie that we've seen since Operation Epic Fury launched in February is going to keep going and going to mess up every Sunday for me and a lot of other Iran watchers, as well as people in the region who would like to see closure and stability return.

But what instead we are likely to see is a stalemate with the risk of protracted episodic kinetic incidents.

REID: But it seems that there are really few specifics about how to relieve Iran of its enriched uranium. Trump says it will be unearthed, but Iran appears to be saying it isn't going anywhere. So how does that part of all of this get resolved?

[15:50:10]

FORDHAM: Well, if we, you know, think back to February and the original rationale for Operation Epic Fury, it was to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons capability. And of course, that has been a major geopolitical goal for every U.S. president going back some decades.

The problem now is that The White House also has to contend with the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which was functioning fine just before Operation Epic Fury. So in other words, Iran has more negotiating leverage. It has got more cards, if you want to use The White House terminology and just depriving it of that capacity to possess nuclear weapons capability has been a huge and protracted subject of diplomatic negotiations for many years.

Of course, that's how we got the Obama era JCPOA and it is why I am pessimistic that there is likely to be a deal that President Trump will be happy with.

REID: Tina Fordham in London, thank you.

And coming up, all new next hour, U.S. leaders say they destroyed Iran's military might, but CNN's new investigation reveals as crews clear debris around missile facilities targeted during the war.

Plus, a daughter made a promise to free her father from Alligator Alcatraz and after months of fighting, she did just that.

And it sounded like an explosion, some thought it was an earthquake. The shock wave that rocked parts of New England.

((VIDEO CLIP PLAYS))

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:56:27]

REID: Troops looking to score free tickets to President Trump's White House UFC fight have to pass a waistline check first.

An internal Pentagon memo reveals troops are being screened for strict body composition standards to ensure they look good on camera.

CNN's Kaitlan Collins has more on how The White House UFC fight is coming together.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF CORRESPONDENT: That massive structure that is dwarfing the White House behind me isn't part of President Trump's large scale renovation of Washington that's been underway now for months, but is instead only temporary, and is what UFC has actually dubbed "The Claw."

It's being erected on the South Lawn of the White House ahead of the UFC fight that is scheduled to be held here on June 14th on the South Lawn, which happens to be President Trump's birthday, and is part of the events leading up to the celebration of America's 250th birthday.

COLLINS (voice over): It's an idea that UFC President, Dana White, says President Trump suggested to him last summer.

DANA WHITE, UFC CEO: We're literally at a fight, and I can't remember if it was New Jersey or Miami, and he looks at me in the middle of the fight and says, "You know what, we should do a fight at The White House." And I'm like, "Yes, we should do a fight at The White House."

COLLINS (voice over): That fight, a first in the nation's history to ever be hosted on the White House South Lawn.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: All people invited. Our country is invited to this. It's free.

COLLINS (voice over): The renderings for the event, UFC Freedom 250, showcase a massive display, including a fighting cage known as the Octagon, just outside the President's bedroom window. A huge red, white, and blue lighting structure, dubbed The Claw, towers overhead. And there will be massive T.V. screens and seating for a watch party on The Ellipse that can accommodate approximately 85,000 fans.

TRUMP: And a 100,000 people in the back, where they're putting up eight or 10 very big screens.

COLLINS (voice over): There will be a press conference at the Lincoln Memorial, and weigh-ins will take place at The Ellipse the day before.

TRUMP: UFC is going to be here. Dana White, the great Dana White, he's building a -- literally a stadium, a 5,000-seat arena right outside the front door of The White House.

COLLINS (voice over): The administration is calling the mixed martial arts event a showcase of American greatness.

TRUMP: This will be the greatest show on earth.

COLLINS (voice over): But critics argue, it's out of touch, with California Governor Gavin Newsom sarcastically writing, "Thank God they are focused on the priorities of all Americans."

Asked about who is paying for all of it, The White House responded to those questions on social media with three letters: "UFC."

There is one thing that the UFC's CEO, Dana White, is worried about: The weather.

WHITE: I hate outdoors. Outdoors is just way too unpredictable. If it rains, we're going. If it snows, we're going. The only thing that will stop us is lightning.

COLLINS (voice over): Dana White is a longtime friend of the President's, speaking at the last three Republican National Conventions, while praising his early support for the UFC.

WHITE: Donald was the first guy that recognized the potential that we saw in the UFC and encouraged us to build our business.

COLLINS (voice over): Now, White will be by Trump's side when the South Lawn is filled with fans.

A White House official told CNN that a third of the tickets are reserved for military members and their family, a third for White House staff and their family, and a third for VIPs. TRUMP: I have never seen anybody want anything so much as people want those tickets. It's a one of a kind.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

REID: Kaitlan Collins. Thank you.

And on Tuesday, don't miss key primary races across the country, including that crowded governor contest in California. Get election results all night Tuesday on CNN and the CNN app.

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