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Erin Burnett Outfront
Judge: Trump's Name Must Be Removed From Kennedy Center; Where's Trump Health Report?; Cave Rescuer OutFront. Aired 7-8p ET
Aired May 29, 2026 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[19:00:31]
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: OUTFRONT next:
The breaking news, Trump slapped down with back-to-back legal defeats. A federal judge ordered his name be removed from the Kennedy Center, hours after another judge put a hold on Trump's $1.8 billion fund for his allies.
And more breaking news this hour, the White House not committing to releasing a report on Trump's physical at Walter Reed. If everything is perfect as Trump said, then why not just put it out there?
And more breaking news this hour, the dangerous mission to rescue the men trapped inside a cave for more than a week is about to begin any moment. Our Will Ripley is live, exclusively, on the ground. And a rescuer about to go into the cave that tonight is my guest.
Let's go OUTFRONT.
(MUSIC)
BURNETT: And good evening. I'm Erin Burnett on this Friday.
And OUTFRONT tonight, the breaking news, Trump denied. A judge delivering a humiliating blow to Trump's attempt to attach his name to the Kennedy Center. It was a 93-page memo and in it the judge decimated Trump's attempt to change the center's name, writing in part, "Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name and only Congress can change it."
Now, what's interesting is when you drive up to the Kennedy Center, you notice it, that Trump has already placed his name on the marble of the building. It's all -- it's in there. It's etched in. You can see it, next to John F. Kennedy's.
Trump's legal loss over the Kennedy Center though is coming as another judge blocked a key Trump initiative. A federal judge blocking the president from setting up that $1.8 billion fund to repay Trump allies prosecuted by the Justice Department.
Now, these rulings all coming as Trump's approval ratings are in freefall and more people are publicly standing up to the president. In fact less than 48 hours after Trump's administration announced the lineup for the president's event for the 250th birthday of America more than half the performers are backing out five of the nine, The Commodores, Martina McBride, Morris Day and the Time, rapper Young MC and Poison front man Bret Michaels.
Now, Michaels happens to be a former "Apprentice" winner and he wrote of his decision to back out, quote, "Unfortunately, what was presented to us as a celebration of our country has involved into something much more divisive than what I agreed to be a part of."
Well, perhaps it's things like this which are making some performers uncomfortable -- the $250 bill, supposedly to honor America's 250th birthday was presented with Trump's face on it.
By the way in China, the idea of putting Trump on a $250 bill has made Trump the butt of countless jokes because 250 is the most common and basic insult in China.
So if you look at some of the post China censors are allowing to go viral, it says a lot -- "Trump genuinely wants to be a fool." "Trump is a complete fool." "The commander-in-chief insists on being a complete fool." "Nobody can stop him."
But perhaps for the performers, it's Trump's plan 250-foot triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery That's also supposedly to honor America's 250th birthday. Maybe that's what is making some performers uncomfortable.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's going to be built -- an arch.
REPORTER: For who?
TRUMP: Take a look at the location.
REPORTER: Yeah, I know where it is, but who is it for?
TRUMP: Me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Who's it for? Me.
Or perhaps it's that Trump's name is now on the U.S. Institute of Peace or that his face is hung on massive banners outside the Justice, the Agriculture, and the Labor Department.
Or maybe that it's his images being put on special U.S. passports, also on National Park passes and a commemorative coin. Or maybe it's that here in New York, there have been leaked renderings of the busiest train station in America showing Trump's name etched into the marble.
For a president who loves to say this --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: We put America first now.
I've always put America first.
We have to put America first.
Always put America first. That's what's going to happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: The optics obviously don't match those words.
And on this very issue of optics, Brian Todd is live in Washington near that massive UFC cage which is on the White House front lawn that's being built for the UFC fight happens to be on Trump's birthday, which is Flag Day on the 250th birthday of America.
And, Brian, you're getting some breaking details about the event there. What are you learning?
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, Erin. A lot of anticipation for this event on June 14th, right here in the White House South Lawn, these grounds behind me, you can see where they're setting up all the stands, that archway, that temporary arch. There is a huge lighting stanchion that's being set up. A lot of anticipation for this event.
We're getting new reporting now from our colleagues Zachary Cohen and Josh Campbell that senior Pentagon leaders are making lists of service members who they're going to offer free tickets to this event next month.
[19:05:05]
But according to our sources the tickets will only be given to service members who meet these new military body composition standards. That's according to sources familiar with the process and military memos that our colleagues Zachary Cohen and Josh Campbell have reviewed.
One memo required, it says that recipients are required to meet new DOW, meaning Department of War, standards for waist to height ratio, which is they say it should be less than 0.55.
Now broken down what that means is that for a male service member who's five foot nine inches, the maximum waist size for that person if they're going to be admitted to this event would be 37 inches. For a female service member who's five foot four, her maximum waist size should be 35 inches or less if they're going to be admitted to this event.
The Cleveland Clinic lists an average male height in the United States of 5'9", average female height of 5'4".
Now, according to one defense official, it says this sends a very clear message to any attendees who will be at -- who want to come to this event who are interested in attending this event, quote, "no fatties". Another a defense official said senior Pentagon leaders are signaling their preference for military members who will look good on camera and that person said again, basically, no fat soldiers would be admitted to this event, Erin.
That's controversial. But also, even though they're encouraging the military to recruit junior enlisted people and junior officers to come and encouraging them to recruit people from outside the nation's capital, they are making military members who want to come to this event and get the free tickets, they're making them pay their own way to Washington, D.C. for that and as we know, prices for travel, airline, train, whatever, they tend to spike this time of the year so that could be controversial as well -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Brian, thank you very much. New information there.
And OUTFRONT here with me, Democratic Congressman James Walkinshaw. He sits on the House Oversight Committee and he attended today's closed- door interview with former Attorney General Pam Bondi, which I want to get to, Congressman, in just a moment. Obviously, that was very important.
But I want to just begin there with what Brian was talking about. So, some troops are being offered free tickets and they have to meet these specific requirements on size for appearance But you can get the free ticket, but you going to pay your -- pay your way. What's your reaction to all of that?
REP. JAMES WALKINSHAW (D-VA): I mean, one, I wonder if the commander in chief would meet those height to waist ratios or standards that are laid out for the event.
Two, I think the troops who want to attend the event, they should be able to attend the event for free and Trump or his billionaire buddies should foot the cost for them to get there. I mean that seems like a basic simple thing.
BURNETT: Yeah, I mean they're just -- all those details sort of amazing to hear.
Now what I was talking about what these judges said to Trump. So, first of all, on the Kennedy Center, Trump posted this very lengthy message after he got the defeat about his name on social media. It's so long. I sort of call it the drug disclaimer because you got to put it in very -- you know, it's a -- it's a screed. It's quite long.
He said the judge should be ashamed of himself He said the radical left would rather see it die than have President Trump transform it, referring to the Kennedy Center. But then he did say, I'm going to go ahead and transfer it back to Congress.
So do you think that he's really going to give in and just let this go, his name gets ripped off?
WALKINSHAW: He might have lost interest in the whole Kennedy center project quite frankly. I mean, he's driven it into the ground quite frankly. I mean the attendance was -- basically disappeared.
No one was buying. No one was attending. No one was buying tickets. The board was in turmoil. The staff was in turmoil.
I mean, he did -- same thing he did to his casinos and other businesses ran it into the ground. So I hope now it can return to its former pre-Trump glory. I hope he'll move on to other projects and leave it alone. It's an important cultural institution for the country, certainly for the D.C. region that I represent.
BURNETT: Yeah, it's a very important one.
And you know, I was talking about some of the other things that he has done when it comes to his name. His likeness, one of them is the 250 bill, which is -- you know, the treasury secretary's talked about it today and said, oh, well, this is in honor of America's 250th birthday. Okay, well then Trump's face is going to go on it.
Bessent is saying Congress should go ahead and authorize this because Congress has to do that. By the way, it's -- it's not even allowed to have a living person on money. So this does require a change of the law. It would require a simple majority in the House and 60 votes in the Senate.
Now, you're talking about something that I think most people look at this and feel a little funny looking at that to begin with. But do you think that that could happen that there are those votes in the House and Senate?
WALKINSHAW: I don't think there would be 60 votes in the Senate. I can't imagine a single democrat voting to put Trump on the $250 bill. There's a part of me that hopes that Republicans try it. I mean, right now as American people are paying close to five dollars a gallon for gas, price of everything going up, war in Iran unresolved, Trump is focused on putting his own face on the $250 bill.
I think that says everything we need to know about his priorities and congressional Republicans' priorities as we head into the midterm elections, if this is what they choose to focus on.
[19:10:08]
He has a very expensive ego. American people knew he had an ego when some of them voted for him. But now they know they are paying for his expensive ego.
And I think that chicken is going to come home to roost in November.
BURNETT: So I want to ask you because you're here with me, tonight, but you're in Washington obviously earlier today, at the hearing with Pam Bondi.
And you know, you've called for her to testify under oath and you know, so today was an interview with your committee. And you were there.
Now, afterwards, you know, she -- you said she was asked whether Trump knew about Epstein's crimes before they became public, which is a really crucial thing, especially given that they were -- by the accounts of many people who knew both of them that I've spoken to, extremely close friends for a prolonged period of time.
So what she said to you is -- tell me if I'm quoting wrong -- I don't know, I'm not certain of the extent of his knowledge.
WALKINSHAW: That's precisely what she said.
BURNETT: Do you believe her?
WALKINSHAW: I was shocked when she responded that way. I expected her to say, no way did Donald Trump know about the crimes that Epstein committed. Trump has said that publicly. He didn't know about the crimes.
I expected her to say I know Donald Trump. I know the kind of man he is. If he knew about Epstein's crimes --
(CROSSTALK)
BURNETT: You thought she would just back him full on, right?
WALKINSHAW: Absolutely.
(CROSSTALK)
BURNETT: This wasn't under oath.
WALKINSHAW: And we gave her the opportunity to do that and she didn't do that, which was shocking to me. And subsequently, she and I have had a back and forth on X, and still, she doesn't say Trump didn't know about Epstein's crimes before they became public.
So what does she know about what Trump knew that she didn't want to discuss?
BURNETT: Right. I mean, because if she's saying that it sounds like what you're saying is okay. She's not under oath but this is a matter of -- first, she may not want to look like she lied or something later on, even though technically this wasn't under oath.
WALKINSHAW: Yeah, though, in the transcribed interview, you're talking to Congress, if you lie to us, it's still a violation of federal law, even though you're not under oath.
BURNETT: Yeah.
WALKINSHAW: So she didn't want to lie perhaps. So perhaps she does have some knowledge to suggest Trump knew about Epstein's crimes before they became public. I don't know. Maybe she'll clarify it in the next 24 hours. I don't think Donald Trump can be very happy with her right now given what she said.
BURNETT: All right. Congressman Walkinshaw. I appreciate your time and thank you very much. It's great to see you in person.
WALKINSHAW: Yeah.
BURNETT: And John Avlon and Alyssa Farah Griffin are here with me now.
So, John, you know when you hear Congressman Walkinshaw, you know, what do -- what do you take away from that?
JOHN AVLON, FORMER CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Pam Bondi is clearly hiding something. She should be put under oath. There should be hearings if people are serious about justice.
But even in that kind of atmosphere of sycophancy in the cabinet, she couldn't bring herself to say, well, of course, he's not that kind of man. I know his character and it's impossible because if you're friends with someone for that long, you've got a degree of common interests, as well of common understanding.
So there should be oaths. There should be hearing if you want to get to the root of the truth and pursue justice.
BURNETT: But it's a shift. It is a shift. I think it sounds like the congressman said I was surprised too that she wouldn't just --
AVLON: Yeah, well, I mean, maybe it is because she was worried about lying in an official investigation. But also as we've known, I mean, members of the cabinet lie every six sentences -- they praise Donald Trump every six sentences, Freudian slip.
BURNETT: Yeah.
AVLON: And instead what we're seeing is maybe if you've been kicked out on the curb, you're unwilling to debase yourself quite that much at legal jeopardy.
BURNETT: Yeah, we'll see what that means, now that there's been more senators and congressmen who have also lost their jobs as a result of Trump.
Alyssa, I want to turn back to some of the breaking news at the top of the show. And this -- just the Kennedy Center, right? So, Trump's -- the judge says you can't add your name to Kennedy Center. No way.
Obviously, you worked in Trump's first administration. So, you know this better than almost anyone, but I listed all the other things, right? There was the bill in the commemorative coin and I didn't even mention the tweets about putting his face on Mount Rushmore. There's his picture hanging outside, three departments in Washington
Why does this matter so much to him that his name and his face be put on so many things?
ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Legacy, legacy, legacy. Listen, and Donald Trump, after his first term, I think he felt like he was kind of in the wilderness. He felt like a lot of -- what he was proud of that he accomplished was torn down because of the aftermath of how he left office.
And now in his second term, he wants to make sure that he is ingrained and institutionalized in American history in a way that he cannot be easily erased. He wants his face in places. He wants his name on dollar bills. He wants his Arch de Trump as I'm calling it.
This is really about solidifying his place in the American history books. He thinks he deserves to be in it as much as George Washington to Barack Obama.
But I also think this is he's -- he's ever the brander. This is the executive producer in chief and he constantly cares about branding. So part of this is also just wanting his name on everything.
You talked about, you know, the UFC fight and these commemorative America at 250 events coming up. He wants those to really be Trump 250 events. He can't help but put his name and his brand kind of first and foremost at all times.
BURNETT: And by the way, John, I should say, you know, the National Parks thing with putting his face on, it was him and George Washington together.
AVLON: Yeah.
BURNETT: So -- just you know that he wants that analogy just like just like Mount Rushmore.
So the social media reaction though in China to the 250. Interesting for a couple reasons. One -- one, that 250 happens to be such an insult. And two, that in a place that is completely censored, Trump is a complete fool is going viral again and again and again and being allowed through. So what does that tell you?
AVLON: It says that Donald Trump is actually running down America's reputation in the world. It says the idea that he was going to make the world respect us more was always a lie because in the first term, he created America's reputation. And Xi started to look good by comparison in many public polls as we're seeing again today.
So the problem is when you see a UFC, you know, championship on the White House lawn, it looks like idiocracy is a documentary. It looks like this is more than just narcissistic branding exercises putting his face on all these buildings. It's actually an authoritarian instinct that is being imposed in diminishing America's -- American democracy's reputation in the world.
So they are laughing at us. They are laughing at him, so when he conflates himself with the country, when he becomes a laughingstock because he's so absurd and narcissistic and self-aggrandizing, that hurts our whole country's reputation.
BURNETT: Alyssa, are you surprised when you hear things like the treasury secretary? Who's obviously an incredibly successful and pedigreed financial leader in this country to go along with this and say yes, I think that you should put Trump's face on a $250 bill? I mean, he's not alone everyone around Trump seems to be aiding and abetting this and you know, putting the pictures up.
But do you really think they all believe in it? GRIFFIN: I mean, listen, I saw this in the first term as well. You
could say the same thing about Steve Mnuchin, incredibly accomplished, incredibly smart, intelligent people, but people who get into Trump's orbit. They drink the Kool-Aid and they are part of it until they leave.
And I think the only way that you have staying power in that world is if you tell the president "yes", and you tell him this is a great idea. You should go forward with it.
And listen, there are die-hard MAGA Trump supporters who will absolutely, if these end up being minted, get the $250 commemorative bills or get the passports with his face on them. But that is such a small fraction of this country and the celebration is supposed to be about all of our nation, regardless of your political stripes. And this seems to be so missed by the White House.
It could be an incredible opportunity. There could be events that they do at the White House that are really unifying and bring people together, but that's just not the reality that we're living in under President Trump.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you both very much. I appreciate it.
And next, there's the mystery around Trump's latest physical. You know, Trump said everything checked out perfectly. And then you know, we were going to get all the information in a day or so. But it hasn't happened yet.
And now, the White House won't commit to releasing the medical report. How come?
And we'll introduce you to a four-time paralympian who's hoping to put an Iowa senate seat in play for Democrats.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSH TUREK (D), IOWA U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE: This is how I won all my state House races, so I've got a lot of experience on stair climbing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: And right now, divers are about to enter that cave to rescue the miners who've been trapped underground now for about 10 days. One of the divers is going in on that dangerous journey will join us live first.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:22:46]
BURNETT: Breaking news, the White House tonight breaking with precedent and not committing to releasing the medical report from President Trump's physical exam at Walter Reed. Now, that was on Tuesday and a White House official on that day said that there would be, quote, a readout in the next day or so. Well, that was Tuesday. Today, of course, is Friday.
And the White House is declining to comment on the record today. The only information the American public has about the physical is from President Trump himself who said, quote, "Everything checked out, all caps, perfectly."
It is remarkable for the White House to be so not transparent about the president's health as questions are growing louder over images like these, right, the swollen ankles, bruising on Trump's hands, a rash that he had on his neck and in meeting after meeting, appearing to doze off.
OUTFRONT now, Dr. Jonathan Reiner the longtime cardiologist for former Vice President Dick Cheney. So spent a lot of time as a White House doctor.
So, Dr. Reiner, I just want to try to understand from you as best we can what could be happening here. On Tuesday, they said they expected to have a readout in the next day or so. That was Tuesday. Today, it's now Friday night at 7:30 Eastern.
And just as a point of reference, the last physical that Trump had we did get results within two days. So what do you make of this delay?
DR. JONATHAN REINER, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: Well, the only reason not to release a health report on the president of the United States after his annual physical, I guess now semi-annual physical, is that there's something in it that you don't want the public to know.
The presidential physical has become a tradition in the United States but the most important piece of information that we get from the president's physician statement comes at the end. And it's a single sentence. And in every one of these documents that we've had since about 1968 when Richard Nixon started to do these basically concludes with a statement that says, "The president of the United States is fit to perform the duties of president and commander-in-chief of the armed forces." And that is essential for the public to know that.
And if the White House does not release a document outlining that the president, is healthy, then the public is not being assured that he is fit to be president of the United States or commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces.
[19:25:12]
BURNETT: And look these questions matter. They matter in part because you have somebody who's posted things like wiping an entire civilization off the map, right? Because those things are extremely unsettling to people, just behaviorally.
And it also matters because just from the reality of life, President Trump is turning 80 in a couple of weeks. And in recent months, we have seen evidence of his age, right, the swollen ankles, the bruising, the rash, the dozing off of all things that just normal parts of aging perhaps. You've called the dozing off those severe daytime somnolence, I'm
sorry if I'm not saying it correctly, but that is a condition that could make it hard to stay awake throughout the day. Do you -- you know, just looking at all those things that are proximate in timing to this actual physical, do you think they're related?
REINER: Well, I don't know if they're all related or they're individual issues. So the bruising on his hand, that may be simply that he's taking too much aspirin. But why is he taking so much aspirin? He's acknowledged that it's more than his doctor wants him to take. So that doesn't make sense.
He's obviously sensitive to it since he covers it with makeup and he covers his hand when he's sitting at his desk. So if he could take less aspirin, he would.
The swelling in his legs -- the swelling in his legs is interesting because one year ago at his last annual physical exam, his doctor said he had no swelling. So, in July, they called it chronic venous insufficiency. But if he didn't have it three months earlier, it's not chronic. It's acute and that's a completely different workup.
And then there is the somnolence, the sleepiness. He almost certainly has insomnia. We know that he's posting on social media in the middle of the night and it's very difficult for him to stay awake if he's not speaking.
So when he is surrounded with a group of people, even if they are speaking directly to him It's now common for him to start to close his eyes. And that's a problem because he needs to be effective during the day. The president of the United States, the commander of the armed forces, needs to be effective. So, we haven't really had a readout on that.
And then finally in October, the president underwent sort of an unexpected battery of what the president's physicians called advanced imaging exams, which turned out to be a CT scan. And we really have had no data on that.
So we really need to have a very fulsome explanation of the president's health at this time
BURNETT: All right. Dr. Reiner, thank you very much. I appreciate you.
And next, the breaking news, the divers, they're about to go back underground deep in that cave to try to rescue the men who have been trapped four levels back for more than a week. Our Will Ripley is on the ground and so are -- is one of the divers who's part of this dangerous mission about to go in. He'll be with me.
And breaking news, Trump emerging tonight from a high-stakes two-hour meeting in the Situation Room about Iran. And then what happened behind closed doors?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:32:15]
BURNETT: Breaking news, the high-stakes rescue operation to save miners trapped in a flooded cave in Laos is about to resume. The clock ticking as divers are racing to rescue them before they run out of air, or before another storm just comes and floods the cave with these flash floods. Now, one person was guided to safety just a few hours ago, which is an incredible feat, going through the water and scuba diving. Two still missing. Others have been fighting for survival for ten days in that cave.
There's a team of divers ready to go back in. And they go in passages so narrow that there's barely enough space for rescuers to even put an oxygen tank. One of them comparing it to, quote, "crawling through a drinking straw".
We're going to speak to one of the divers in just a moment. But first, Will Ripley is OUTFRONT exclusively reporting on scene in Laos.
And, Will, you witnessed the first person successfully rescued, a miracle and a feat of human commitment and ingenuity. Then the operations were put on hold until daytime in Laos. And I just heard the rooster there.
So, it's just daytime now. What's about to happen?
WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The rooster.
BURNETT: Yes.
RIPLEY: Yeah, the divers are getting ready, Erin, to go back into that cave where they begin day two of a very dangerous operation.
It's actually, say, it's day 11 because it's taken 10 days just to get here. And yet there are still four people trapped inside that cave right now. And it's very uncertain what their future will be.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RIPLEY (voice-over): Ten days trapped underground. The first survivor is pulled from a flooded cave in Central Laos. "I'm all right. I'm still strong," he says. An ambulance rushes him away.
But tonight, the rescue is on hold. Another agonizing night for the four known survivors. The fate of two still missing, unknown.
Rescue divers are exhausted. Getting one man out took days of preparation and back-breaking work.
RIPLEY: What was that moment like when you guys got the first villager out?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow, it was, I don't know how to describe it. It was full of action. It was full of emotion, full of everything.
RIPLEY (voice-over): The route to safety winds through 850 feet of narrow, jagged tunnels. Some flooded with ice-cold, pitch-black water. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Firstly, here is very narrow. I think you saw some videos already.
RIPLEY: Yeah, it's terrifying.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's very small. We have to climb out, which we cannot do like that. We have to, like, just a little bit, just a little bit.
They're like 200 meters. We spent 50 minutes.
RIPLEY: Fifty?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fifty, five-zero.
RIPLEY: Wow.
UNIDNETIFIED MALE: Fifty minutes to call in. So that was very small. And then some water trapped around.
[19:35:01]
We have to, like, clean in water. We have to, like, submerge the water sometimes.
RIPLEY (voice-over): The most dangerous section is a flooded passage roughly 100 feet long. Divers describe near zero visibility, sharp rocks, and no room for mistakes.
Rescuers spent days pumping water out of the cave, installing guide ropes, securing an evacuation route. The cave entrance plunges underground at a 45-degree angle.
Food, water, and medicine have finally reached the men, but days spent in the dark are taking a toll. Doctors are now reporting health problems among those still trapped, skin infections, digestive issues, and growing exhaustion.
Those still inside the cave struggling to breathe rancid air wonder if they're running out of time.
"If we're still here after another two days, we'll be dead," he says. "I'm completely exhausted. If I don't get out of here, I'm going to die."
The cave sits in one of the most remote regions in Southeast Asia. Satellite images show a makeshift access road bulldozed through the dense jungle in a matter of days.
RIPLEY: Head directly below us is where this cave rescue is unfolding as we speak.
RIPLEY (voice-over): The drive from the Laos capital takes between eight and ten hours. CNN reached the site by helicopter, then four- wheel drive, then on foot.
We found families anxiously waiting.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's still trapped inside. He said he's very exhausted now.
RIPLEY: What's the first thing you're going to say to him when you see him?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What should I say? I'd be happy to see my husband again. I'm grateful to people from other countries that came to help us. Thank you.
RIPLEY (voice-over): Families are celebrating the first rescue, wondering if the others will make it out alive.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
RIPLEY: One of the keys to getting those villagers out to safety is to keep the conditions inside the cave calm and controlled, but one thing they can't control is the weather, Erin, and there is more heavy rain in the forecast for today. It held off yesterday, but if the caves flood again today, if there's another storm, that could change the entire dynamic of this already very dangerous rescue operation.
BURNETT: Will, thank you very much.
I want to go now to Josh Richards. He's in Laos and he's about to go into the cave to help with the rescue.
Josh, you are -- it's early in the morning, obviously. You're about to go in.
Can you tell me exactly what you're going to be doing in this first attempted rescue of the day?
JOSH RICHARDS, DIVER ABOUT TO ENTER CAVE FOR RESCUE OPERATION: So, obviously, we'll be trying to get four miners out. We're still trying to find the other two that are missing, but the team have all got different roles.
We'll have the lead folks, folks like Mikko, and Vince who -- and Mr. Kim, who will be in the fourth chamber with the actual miners themselves. And then you're going to have folks like me who will be in there as well. But I'll be rather than speaking to the miners or dealing with the miners. I'll be there trying to expand the tunnel to make it wider so that when we do pull them out through the water, there's a lot less risk involved.
BURNETT: And how do you do that? I mean, I know we've heard some of the descriptions here of just incredibly narrow passageways that most people can't fit through. You'd have to go sideways and suck in to even get through there.
How do you -- how do you get in there and how do you widen that without being worried more could collapse?
RICHARDS: I suppose that's part of the reason why I'm here. I know that notorious or at least known for leading a cave exploration team based out of Australia called the Socky Wombats. And we kind of like to see ourselves as digging animals occasionally. Sometimes in order to find and discover new caves underground, it does involve moving things around a little bit, digging away a little bit.
And so I have a reasonable amount of experience with that and how to do that safely. So the tunnels here are incredibly tight. They're extraordinarily tight.
Luckily, for most of the cave that we're dealing with, it's above the waterline. But there is obviously this one particular 20 to 25 meter section that is still incredibly tight and completely submerged. And that's the area that I need to focus on.
BURNETT: All right. So, you know, that that area you're talking about underwater and you're talking about how incredibly tight it is. You're about to go in.
I know that there have been some divers, obviously, who have been in and out of the cave already. Have they warned you about anything specifically in terms of the most difficult parts?
[19:40:01]
RICHARDS: We know, actually, one of the worst parts is right at the entrance. So there is a series of chambers and where the miners are trapped at the moment is the fourth chamber. And there is a -- there's a sump -- there's a submerged tunnel between chamber four and chamber three. On the way out from there, there's no -- there's still water.
But in fact, one of the biggest risks we're dealing with is right at chamber one. Getting to chamber one is quite tight. It's incredibly tight. And there's a little bit of water that's in the bottom of it as well, along with all the communication cables, all the pumping tubes, all the different equipment that we're needing in order to support people who are inside the cave. That actually starts to block the way on as well.
So it's a -- it's a double edged sword. We need all of those pieces of equipment down there. But it's also blocking the passageway in as well. So it makes it very challenging.
BURNETT: So, you know, you're trying to, you know, in this race against time, really, Josh, I know with you trying to widen those passageways, right, because you're -- it's not just that they're incredibly tight by any measure. You're also going to be bringing out people who've been trapped for 10 days or desperate and starving. They have health problems. You know, their ability to maneuver, it could presumably be incredibly limited at best.
You know, what do what do all of you do if they start panicking on the way out?
RICHARDS: At the end of the day, this is about reducing the risk of that happening. So all the different steps, all the things that we're doing is about trying to reduce the risk of panic. We are dealing with folks who haven't scuba dived before. They're being introduced to the concept in a pretty horrendous environment. And so, yeah, trying to keep them calm is our primary concern.
That is part of the reason why I'm going to be in there modifying the tunnel as much as possible so that it isn't such a squeeze. The challenge isn't quite as much. It'll be bad enough that they're having to breathe underwater for the first time.
But to then be having to squeeze through something that an experienced diver -- I've been -- I've been diving for about 30 years. And these places that we're going into are incredibly challenging for someone like myself. So the idea that you'd be doing it as part of your very first scuba dive is pretty scary. So we're -- we're taking every step we can to reduce the risk of panic.
BURNETT: Well, Josh, I hope that we'll be able to speak with you soon. And there will be good news about some of those miners inside that you'll be able to get them out. And as I said, how miraculous that people like you exist and are out there at this moment in this place to do this work. Thank you so much.
RICHARDS: Thank you.
BURNETT: And next, meet the paralympian turned Senate candidates hoping to flip Iowa for the Democrats.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TUREK: Not everyone can win the genetic lottery. Certainly I didn't. And -- but I played the hand I was dealt the best that I could.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: And Trump wrapping up a two hour meeting in the Situation Room. He said he'd have a final announcement on Iran after the meeting, but it didn't happen. Silence. What's going on?
Kareem Sadjadpour, top Iran expert, is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:47:48]
BURNETT: Breaking news, President Trump ending a two hour meeting in the Situation Room without making a final decision on Iran. He had insisted earlier, you know, before it started that he was going to make a final determination about a deal. And we've learned a lot about that deal, that it would, in the first instance, have unrestricted navigation on the Strait of Hormuz, which, of course, was the status quo before the war started.
Now, of course, the world knows that Iran can close the strait whenever it wants and is willing to do so, which is a permanent impact on global oil markets. Another thing we learned about the deal was that it would open another 60-day negotiation on Iran's nuclear program. So that was unresolved. But none of that was even confirmed after this two hour meeting in the Situation Room.
Karim Sadjadpour, our global affairs analyst and Iran expert, is OUTFRONT now. He's got his latest article that has just posted, headlined "The War Trump Can't End" in "The Atlantic". And I hope you'll read it because I literally just posted a little bit ago here, Karim.
But I think your headline says it all, "The War that Trump Can't End".
KARIM SADJADPOUR, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: You know, Erin, the Islamic Republic of Iran, since 1979, has been committed to resistance against America. That's part of their identity. It's not just a policy.
And President Trump is now in a dilemma of his own making because he pulled out of the Obama nuclear deal. He called it the worst deal ever. And he's now stepped into a situation in which he may be forced to provide Iran some pretty significant sanctions relief if he wants to reach at least a near term resolution.
BURNETT: Yeah, yeah. And I know even some of these things, you know, you can't put the genie back in the bottle about the Strait of Hormuz, right? Always had been a threat. Now it's a reality. That's -- that's permanent.
I know you've got new information about something at the very core of this, right? Iran's ability to build nuclear weapons, right? Trump had said last summer after the strikes that that ability was obliterated.
Then, of course, this war began. And here we are now. But you have new information on that. What have you learned?
SADJADPOUR: So when you speak to people inside Tehran now, I think it's pretty clear that they've reached almost an internal consensus that the regime needs nuclear weapons as a cloak of protection. It doesn't take a grand strategist to look at the world and say the countries that gave up their nuclear programs, whether that was Saddam Hussein's Iraq or Gadhafi's Libya or post-Soviet Ukraine, they all made themselves vulnerable to external intervention.
[19:50:12]
North Korea has nuclear weapons. It has this kind of cloak of immunity.
So the danger here is that Iran has what they call these missile cities, which are potentially even deeper underground than some of their nuclear sites. And so any oral commitment Iran gives to not pursuing nuclear weapons is not something we can believe. And so, we're going to have to stay incredibly vigilant about their clandestine activities. BURNETT: Which is pretty incredible, because prior to this, not only did every leader of Iran always say that they don't want a nuclear weapon because it was against the supreme leader. But they would give all sorts of details on this. The fact that you're saying that there is a universal consensus that they need one would appear to be maybe not a full shift from all, but from some, a shift.
SADJADPOUR: They're not going to admit that publicly, but I think internally, they realize that -- there's obviously profound mistrust with the United States. On two occasions while we were negotiating, they were attacked.
And so I think this is a challenge which is going to be with us beyond President Trump's presidency.
BURNETT: Are you surprised? Two hours in the Situation Room, he said there'd be an announcement. Nothing?
SADJADPOUR: I'm not surprised because unfortunately, the president thinks of himself as this world class dealmaker. And there are no great deals here. If you want to resolve this issue, he's likely going to have to provide Iran sanctions relief for the unfreezing of assets, things he criticized President Obama for.
BURNETT: Yeah. All right. Kareem Sadjadpour, thank you very much.
And next, meet the paralympian in what's becoming one of the hottest Senate races. Could he give Democrats a shot at taking back the Senate? We'll go inside the race.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:55:37]
BURNETT: Tonight, Democrats are now seeing control of the Senate within their reach as they are hoping to flip several U.S. Senate seats in the states you see across the country, right? So there's a bunch at stake.
And Jeff Zeleny is OUTFRONT with a look at one of the hottest races of the year. And this one is in Iowa.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TUREK: This is how I won all my statehouse races. So I've got a lot of experience on stair climbing.
There's nothing, nothing like face to face interaction. And especially, I mean, like you've got a guy in a wheelchair that crawls up the stairs to get your vote. It means a lot.
I was born with a condition called spina bifida. I had 21 surgeries before I was 12. So also in a very deeply personal way, I understand the importance of affordable and accessible health care.
What are the issues you care the most about? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a long list of --
TUREK: Grievances?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That aren't going to plan, you know?
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: So most U.S. Senate candidates don't go door to door like this, knocking on every door. But in Turek's first race, he won it by only six votes. That's why he believes every single vote here counts.
TUREK: I'll give you a hug.
THERESA WEEKS, IOWA VOTER: I love you so much. I was just watching your commercial today.
TUREK: Oh, excellent.
WEEKS: Saying what a wonderful person you are.
TUREK: It's feeling good. Iowans are ready for change.
WEEKS: I get emotional. I really do, you know? I mean, it's just -- it's our life.
ZELENY: You remember when Iowa was not that uncommon for a Democrat to win. Obviously, hearken, Obama won it twice here. But President Trump won the last three times.
Has the state changed, do you think? Or is this year going to kind of determine that?
WEEKS: I'm hopeful that there is this quiet sentiment of change that will erupt and that we will see that change come to fruition. I don't know. I'm on a tightrope. I'm on pins and needles as to what our future holds.
TUREK: Good morning. Good to see you. This isn't like a gun show. This is legitimately my day.
My goal in my life was always just to try to represent my country in a Paralympic Game and to win a gold medal. And I was able to represent in four Paralympic Games and won back-to-back gold medals.
You know, not everyone can win the genetic lottery. Certainly I didn't. And -- but I played the hand I was dealt the best that I could.
ZELENY: It's cool to be a jock, but, I mean, do you want that person to be your son?
TUREK: That wasn't the hard part. The harder part was there's a stigma associated with individuals with disabilities, that if you have a physical disability, I think that there's an automatic assumption that there is some level of intellectual disability as well. Trump's first midterm, we win three of the four congressional races.
There's much more energy now than even then. Then you've got open Senate race, open governor's race. I say I really do believe, not hyperbole, that Iowa is -- oh, gracias.
ZELENY: So do you think this opportunity is presenting itself a bit more for Democrats because of the president's policies?
TUREK: Certainly, the president's policies that they've had on Iowans. Yeah. The Medicaid cuts have really hurt us, especially in an older state, a state with a growing cancer rate.
The tariffs have absolutely decimated rural communities. The word that I hear the most when I'm in rural communities with farmers is betrayal.
ZELENY: Yeah. But at the same time, you all know tribal politics is such that some people will vote Republican anyway.
TUREK: For sure. But we don't have to win this 100-0. But in a state like Iowa, where you've got 35, 37 percent of the voting bloc that are going to be independents, they're the kingmakers in the process.
ZELENY: And you know the Democratic brand is not so hot.
TUREK: Yeah. I -- which is why I'm out there calling myself a common- sense prairie populist.
And I think that that's the way forward.
Thank you for coming. Sir, thanks for coming. Josh, nice to meet you.
The amazing opportunity that people would have thought would have been blasphemous to talk about a year ago is to flip the U.S. Senate, we need four seats. But we know what those four seats are. We've got a roadmap.
North Carolina, Maine, Ohio, seat number 51, it's right here. It's Iowa, and this isn't pie in the sky.
ZELENY (voice-over): Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Des Moines.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BURNETT: And thanks so much to all of you for joining us on this Friday night. Have a good weekend. We'll see you Monday.
"AC360" starts now.
