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Luigi Mangione in Federal Plea Talks Ahead of Hastily Scheduled Hearing; Progressives Celebrate Win in Minnesota Senate Primary; Shoulder-Fired Missile Threat Prompted Trump Plane Ruse. Aired 12:30- 1p ET

Aired August 12, 2026 - 12:30   ET

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

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[12:30:10]

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT AND ANCHOR OF 'INSIDE POLITICS': Breaking News, now, out of New York with the high-profile Luigi Mangione case. Mangione faces charges in the December 2024 fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO, Brian Thompson.

And now, we're learning that a plea negotiation may be picking up between Mangione and federal prosecutors. This is after the judge hastily scheduled a federal hearing on Friday. CNN's Kara Scannell has been following this, reporting from the trial, from the beginning, I should say.

Kara, what's going on?

KARA SCANNELL, CNN REPORTER: So, Dana, sources tell us that federal prosecutors are in talks with Luigi Mangione about a potential plea deal in connection with the murder of the UnitedHealthcare CEO. But sources stress that this is very fluid, that there might not be a plea deal reached at all. This is sort of the dynamic right now.

Now, what was interesting yesterday, he was in court for his final pretrial hearing in the state case. And just a few hours later, federal prosecutors filed a letter saying that they were writing on behalf of themselves and Mangione's defense team, asking the judge in the federal case to set a hearing. And that judge set one for Friday.

So that has raised a lot of questions about if the deal will actually come together in time. It is something that could potentially be discussed at that hearing. But again, sources just stress this is very fluid and a deal might not be reached.

We might not know what is actually going to happen until we are in court on Friday. But this is the state of play. As it stands now, the state case is set to start on September 8th with the jury selection. That was discussed at the hearing yesterday, the judge saying that will be an anonymous jury. So the timeline here is getting tighter because a federal resolution could impact the state case. Dana?

BASH: And I want to ask you about that. How so? How could a plea deal federally affect the state case? SCANNELL: So in New York, there is a double jeopardy law that says that a defendant can't be tried for the same crime twice. So it would really depend on exactly what Mangione would plead guilty to in the federal case if he does at all and how that could potentially affect the state prosecution. That is something that has hung over the state case as both the state prosecutors and the federal prosecutors were jockeying at one point to see which trial would go first.

So it is an issue that both the defense has raised multiple times in this case. There are concerns about double jeopardy, about Mangione being tried for the same alleged actions twice. But there would be a lot more that will come depending on what happens on Friday, if anything.

And representatives for Mangione declined to comment, as did a spokesperson for the U.S. attorney's office. And I just want to note that Mangione's lawyer had previously said when there were reports, including by CNN in June, that there were some very early-stage plea talks.

They had issued a statement saying that information attributed to anonymous sources is part of a troubling, deliberate pattern by prosecutors and law enforcement to prejudice Luigi, manipulate public opinion, and violate his constitutional rights to a fair trial and impartial jury. And again, they've declined to comment today. Dana?

BASH: Kara, thanks so much for that reporting. Appreciate it.

And up next, Minnesota Lieutenant Governor, Peggy Flanagan won her Senate primary. Wasn't even close. We're going to talk to one of her biggest backers, the woman she hopes to replace in the Senate, about the push to the general election.

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[12:38:03]

BASH: In Minnesota, progressives are celebrating another big win. Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, endorsed by Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, won her Senate primary. She handily beat Congresswoman Angie Craig, a more moderate candidate, by more than 20 percentage points.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PEGGY FLANAGAN, (D) LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR OF MINNESOTA: For months now, I have been telling you that this campaign was about the many versus the money.

(CROWD CHEERING)

FLANAGAN: Well, guess what? The many just won. Minnesota is going to be part of Democrats taking back the Senate, holding Donald Trump accountable, and helping working people before billionaires and corporate special interests.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Flanagan will run in November against former sportscaster, Michele Tafoya, who won the Republican nomination. The winner will replace Senator Tina Smith, who is retiring. And joining me now is Senator Tina Smith.

Thank you so much for being here. You are one of Flanagan's biggest backers. As I mentioned, she was also endorsed by Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren. Angie Craig, her opponent, was backed by more moderate colleagues of yours, Elissa Slotkin in the Senate, the Democratic leader of the House, Governor Abigail Spanberger. How do you read last night's win? Do you think that it shows the party is moving more in your progressive direction?

SEN. TINA SMITH (D-MN): Well, it's so interesting, Dana, because I look first at Minnesota and what's happening in Minnesota. And Minnesota has a long tradition of sort of populist candidates who challenge the status quo, who are independent-minded.

I mean, remember, we're the state that elected Paul Wellstone and Jesse Ventura. And Peggy Flanagan fits right into that mold.

[12:40:00]

You know, she is not an establishment candidate. And I think that that's what Minnesota voters and voters nationally are looking for. And to my mind, it's -- I mean, it's maybe some about left versus right or -- but mostly it's about candidates that look like they're willing to go up against those powers that be and are actually have the capacity to deliver for voters. And I think that's why Peggy won and why she's going to win in November.

BASH: Well, she certainly wasn't an outsider. She's lieutenant governor. So how do you kind of fit that into the analysis that you just gave?

SMITH: Yeah. Well, in this way, I mean, I'm a United States Senator, but I'm also not fighting for the status quo. I'm fighting to change things. And that's what Peggy has always done. Think about this. When she was lieutenant governor and even before that, when she was an organizer, she was fighting to expand paid family and medical leave in Minnesota.

And in the Flanagan-Walz administration -- the Walz-Flanagan administration, she got that done. So it is about whether you are willing to push harder and do more and actually accomplish things as well as what your progressive bonafides are.

And Peggy, I think, has demonstrated to Minnesota voters that that she's got that, that she knows what to do.

BASH: Senator, you also endorsed Abdul El-Sayed over Haley Stevens in Michigan, which is much more of a purple state than yours in Minnesota. There's a lot of documented reluctance among Haley Stevens voters about supporting El-Sayed in November because of his positions, including opposition to Israel. What makes you so sure he can win in Michigan and keep that seat blue?

SMITH: Well, I think that like Peggy here in Minnesota, Abdul is going to do the hard work of bringing the party together, and that's what we have to do after we have these hard-fought primaries. We have to figure out how to come together. It's extremely important.

But just like Peggy in Minnesota, I think in Michigan, Abdul is also, you know, he's a doctor, he's a Rhodes scholar, he is somebody who knows how to get after it and solve big problems. And I think that that's what voters are looking for. And I can say that in Minnesota, I'm so grateful for the graciousness with which Angie Craig has pledged her full support to Peggy.

And we are now, you know, getting at bringing everybody together because we all know that Michele Tafoya is just going to be another rubber stamp for Donald Trump. And that is not what Minnesotans are going to want to vote for.

BASH: I want to get to that in a second. But a very big issue, I don't need to tell you, in your state are the COVID-era fraud scandals that could have cost taxpayers anywhere from hundreds of millions to billions of dollars. Peggy Flanagan was lieutenant governor during that time. And even her fellow Democrat, Angie Craig, who was her opponent, you just said that she's now getting behind Flanagan.

But even Craig said in the race that Flanagan bears some of the blame. Let's listen.

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GOV. ANGIE CRAIG, (D) MINNESOTA SENATE CANDIDATE: The lieutenant governor, even as we sit here today, continues to take absolutely no accountability for any of the fraud issues, and she continues to blame the governor. And I'm going to be honest. It's pissing me off.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: As somebody who is one of Flanagan's biggest backers, knowing that this is going to come at her in the general election, what is your advice to her? Do you think she should more substantively address any role in the fraud scandal?

SMITH: Well, first, I think that Peggy has been really clear, as we all have, that like a dime of taxpayer dollars that we lose, that is stolen by fraud, we have absolutely no -- we cannot put up with that. And I really love what Senator Klobuchar is talking about in terms of fighting fraud. And I think that we all are behind that.

She's talking about doing a top to bottom audit of state government, improving the technology systems in state government, which also make it very hard to figure out exactly what's going on until it's too late. And having really tough penalties for people that are stealing taxpayer dollars. And Peggy has been very clear about that, all the way through this campaign.

And I know that when she comes to the Senate -- yeah, please.

BASH: That's about looking forward. But what about culpability for what has happened?

SMITH: Well, again, I mean, we the -- we have prosecuted dozens and dozens of people on the fraud in Minnesota. And I think also Peggy has not been in their job of leading state agencies, but she has been right after it, pushing for more results. And I think that's what we need.

BASH: You mentioned the Republican Michele Tafoya and you called her a rubber stamp. And that is obviously how she's going to be defined, among other things, in this election. But she's actually somebody who is pro-choice.

[12:45:00]

She's running as a pro-choice Republican, a political outsider. She's not gotten the endorsement of President Trump. She wrote an open letter asking Trump not to run in 2022. Could it be harder to paint her as a rubber stamp for President Trump, given her background?

SMITH: Well, I think we need to unpack some of that. I mean, she says that she's pro-choice, but she's also said that she supports the Dobbs decision, which is the Supreme Court decision that has stripped reproductive rights away from millions and millions of Americans. I've not seen any evidence that she is actually going to challenge the Republican status quo if she were to get into the Senate.

And certainly, when Minnesota was experiencing the horrors of Operation Metro Surge, I mean, there was no indication -- I saw nothing from her that would suggest that she was going to go up against Donald Trump. I think it's more that she's likely to do what Republicans have been doing in the Senate and in Congress, for the most part, is they end up caving to him.

And we cannot afford that right now in Minnesota, and really across this country. We cannot afford another Senator that is going to maybe go tsk-tsk, but not stop Trump from his lawless behavior.

BASH: Senator, there are currently two females representing Minnesota, you and Senator Klobuchar. And we were talking before coming on that it's, you know, pretty interesting that there are two female candidates for Senate --

SMITH: Yeah.

BASH: -- and two female candidates for governor. So no matter what happens, there will be a woman in each seat. Obviously, you want the Democrat, but it is a moment.

SMITH: It is a moment, the first time ever in Minnesota history that we've seen four women for the Senate and governor. First time that we've nominated a woman for the role of governor in Minnesota. So it's an exciting time, and I think it does kind of get at this issue that people are also looking for candidates that they think are actually going to deliver and not just talk about it.

BASH: Senator Tina Smith, thanks so much for being here. Appreciate it.

SMITH: Yeah, thank you, Dana.

BASH: Coming up, President Trump speaks out for the first time about hiding in a catering truck, sneaking onto a secret plane. There's new CNN reporting revealing why officials went to such extreme measures. Stay with us.

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[12:51:50]

BASH: Now to new reporting on what set off that extraordinary scramble to hide President Trump in a catering truck to get him on a secret flight out of Turkey. Source tells our colleague, Kevin Liptak, that it was a specific threat to Air Force One by a shoulder-fired missile that prompted the switch to this plane that you see here in the distance. The source says the threat was so specific that officials feared the president's life would be at enormous risk aboard either the legacy Air Force One or the Qatari-gifted jet.

And Alayna, the president said last night when he confirmed this that he just did with the Secret Service and the military told him to do. There's so many questions, one of which is it's not as if he just left reporters or, you know, some junior staff which would have been questionable enough. He left really senior members of his administration on the plane that they thought was being targeted. The Secretary of State, Marco Rubio; the Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent among them.

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yeah, a lot of senior staff and this entire saga is just so mind-boggling to me. I think too it's the secrecy of this. But I think the biggest thing that when we first learned about this story and this reporting was that how serious they believed this threat was.

It had to be a very, very serious threat from Iran. Now we know it's, you know, a shoulder-fired missile that could potentially threaten the most secure plane in the entire world, the older version of Air Force One. It's that and then also, I think raises a lot of questions as well about the capabilities that Iran has in order to do that.

But the secrecy around this is just truly unprecedented. The idea that he would get on the plane to fool reporters, get back on the plane to walk out to make it seem that way.

BASH: Yeah. It's secrecy but also using --

TREENE: Reporters.

BASH: Well, yeah, and his secretaries of State and Defense who, by the way, are in the line of succession --

TREENE: Totally.

BASH: -- as a decoy, basically, which is just -- the screenwriter of the 1997 thriller Air Force One, Andrew Marlowe, said this to our friend Peter Baker over at The New York Times, now real life isn't a movie but given the circumstances, I'm not sure I could ever script a moment like that for a heroic main character. If the threat were that great, it's hard to imagine the audience rooting for any character who would trade his own safety by treating the remaining civilians on board as potential sacrificial lambs, especially without their informed consent.

By the way, I highly recommend Air Force One and check out the Chief of Staff to the Vice President.

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DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR & WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF: I knew you would give a plaque (ph).

BASH: Well, thank you.

(LAUGH)

CHALIAN: I would just notice what the president said last night on the tarmac as well when asked by Nancy Cordes of CBS about this and whether or not he was putting people in danger.

He said, you know, I was the bigger threat on the other plane. Like, I'm the one that's being targeted, so I think it was more dangerous. But then it begs the question, well, then why the whole ruse? And my other question around this is, when did Secret Service assess that the threat was over?

[12:55:00]

Because when Bill Clinton flew to Pakistan on a plane that nobody knew about, or I guess the White House Correspondents' Association President at the time, Susan Page knew about, she revealed after 25 years of secrecy this week. But when he arrived, he, on camera, came out of the other plane.

BASH: Yes.

CHALIAN: So like, everybody was able to see instantly what had happened.

BASH: Right.

CHALIAN: Was the threat not over? Why did the ruse continue once he was safely on the ground? I would love an answer to that question.

BASH: So many unanswered questions. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you for joining "Inside Politics" today. "CNN News Central" starts after a quick break.

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