Return to Transcripts main page
Isa Soares Tonight
Mexican Parents Released from U.S. Custody to See Dying Son; Beijing Rolls Out Red Carpet for Trump; Deadly Attack Palestinian Village. President Trump Touches Down in Beijing to Meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping; U.K. Media Reports that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer May Face a Formal Leadership Challenge as Soon as Thursday; CIA Targets Suspected Drug Cartel Members in Mexico. Aired 2:00-3p ET
Aired May 13, 2026 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
ISA SOARES, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Isa Soares. Tonight, President Trump touches down in Beijing
to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. They'll be talking trade, tech and Taiwan under the shadow of the war with Iran.
We'll be live in Beijing with all the details for you. Plus, U.K. media reporting that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer may face a formal
leadership challenge as soon as Thursday, even as he says he has no plans to step down.
We'll have the details on the political turmoil gripping the U.K. And then for you, new reporting reveals how the CIA is targeting suspected drug
cartel members in Mexico. We have that exclusive CNN reporting and much more coming up later this hour.
We do begin the hour in Beijing where the war with Iran is raising the stakes for what was already expected to be an absolutely critical summit
between the United States and China.
And while the Chinese quite literally rolled out the red carpet, as you can see there for President Donald Trump today, the two delegations will likely
put those niceties aside when they sit down for what will be bare-knuckle negotiations, beginning on Thursday.
President Trump says he'll have a long talk about Iran with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, but insists the U.S. doesn't need China's help to end the
conflict. We heard that from him yesterday, roughly at this time on the show.
Also on the agenda are the four Ts as you can see there, trade, tariffs, tech and Taiwan. With us, our chief U.S. national affairs correspondent
Jeff Zeleny, and CNN's Mike Valerio, who is in Beijing. Jeff, let me start with you, because this isn't exactly, of course, the trip that President
Trump had envisaged with the war in Iran looming large.
The President at this time yesterday said he didn't need any help. Today, he says he wants long talks with Iran. What is he looking for and what
leverage does he have here?
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Isa, good evening. There's no doubt that President Trump arriving in Beijing
with significantly less leverage than he ever would have hoped. I mean, this trip initially was scheduled some six weeks ago.
The President postponed it for a while because of the Iran war. The White House was very confident it would end quickly, so President Trump would
arrive in Beijing for this much-heralded summit in a far different position.
Well, he is in a different position, but it's not one of strength. It simply is not one of a strong posture here. So, there's no doubt that
President Trump is going to be eager to discuss Iran. The bigger question is, is President Xi going to effectively weigh in here and offer a bit of a
hand?
And if so, in exchange for what? There's no doubt that the Strait of Hormuz, the blockage of that has affected a worldwide market. But it's also
affected the ability of the U.S. and the U.S. President to effectively make a strong agreement or have a strong upper hand in these deals.
So, I am just struck by the vast difference of ten years ago. I recall well, being in Beijing with the President Trump on his first visit. He's
arriving in a weaker position. There is no question. And China is strengthened by that. So, it's unclear what will come out of it. But the
leverage, it would seem to me, is resting on President Xi's side, not President Trump's side.
SOARES: Let me pose that question -- stay with us, Jeff, let me pose that question to Mike, because the question of Iran that Jeff was, you know,
posing there and we're trying to get to the bottom of, is one that is going to fascinate us for the next couple of days.
Because sources I've seen, Mike, have been telling us that China views the conflict with Iran, and in fact, the kind of the quagmire it faces --
MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes --
SOARES: As having potentially strengthened his negotiating position with President Trump. What more can you tell us about this? And do we have a
sense of how far that question that Jeff was posing there, how far Xi Jinping will, you know, would go and would like to see in return?
[14:05:00]
VALERIO: I think in return, it's going to be either Taiwan, tech or tariffs. We reduce it to the three Ts here at 2:00 a.m. as we're running
low on sleep in Beijing. But I think that Jeff is exactly right, that really, why the card is so much stronger from Beijing's point of view,
their Trump card, is because of rare earth minerals.
That was the strongest card that Beijing had in the first round of trade negotiations in the nadir of the trade war. But when you think about it,
Isa, and Jeff, you know, what has the United States depleted over the past month? Two months of the Iran conflict, its missiles, its supply of
ammunitions, and that all runs on rare earth minerals.
So, the United States essentially needs that spigot to be open now more than ever. So, it's not just help with the war in Iran and to reopen the
Strait of Hormuz for the sake of global commerce that the Trump administration needs.
But we're also hearing from analysts or people within the corridors of the Pentagon that rare earth minerals as the United States rebuilds its
stockpile of missiles, needs to continue to flow out of Beijing's monopoly over the processing of rare earth minerals.
But it's interesting, you know, all throughout the day today and yesterday, we were out on the streets of Beijing as we're sort of making our way from
the second ring road where we are right now into the historic core of Beijing.
People -- you know, to a person, everybody we interviewed do not want China to get involved in this war that the United States and Israel started. We
have some sound we're going to play, and we'll talk about it on the other side.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VALERIO: OK, so what China wants in return, let's talk about Taiwan. They certainly want a change in the United States position from the United
States, not supporting Taiwanese independence, moving the semantics ever so slightly to the United States, potentially opposing Taiwanese independence.
You know, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a couple of days ago, I think two days ago, that that's not going to happen. But this administration is
certainly unpredictable with tech. You know, that last guy that we heard from, he said that he personally has took a major financial hit with his
beauty business, relying on advanced American chips that have been cut off during the first Trump administration from flowing into China.
So, China definitely wants those advanced A.I., especially -- specifically Nvidia chips, to be able to be sold in China. Right now, they can't because
of American export controls, with the administration saying that they want to protect America's A.I. lead that is in place right now.
And tariffs, you know, Jeff certainly knows this. There are a ton of tariffs, section 301 investigations that are still in place from the first
Trump administration, kept in place by the Biden administration. And Beijing wants them out of the picture.
And I think also, people back home in America and around the world should know that President Trump started this first trade war just months after
the first trip to Beijing that he took in November of 2017. There was the visit to the forbidden city, the private dinner, the private tour with Xi
Jinping, Melania was there as well. Everything was great.
So, it seemed in terms of the optics and the pageantry that was on display. And then in January of the following year, in 2018, that was the first
round of tariffs. And then in March, the second round of tariffs, and that's when the first trade war began.
So, a lot to be seen in terms of the pageantry and everybody on their best behavior. But of course, a lot can happen during these next two days and
certainly afterwards.
SOARES: Indeed, let me go back to Jeff, if you don't mind, just for a second, because we were talking about Taiwan, and I think it's important
because I have been seeing Jeff, senators on both sides of the aisle warning about U.S. not changing its position on Taiwan.
Are you getting any clarity on whether -- I mean, semantics matter here in such a way they could destabilize the whole region?
ZELENY: No question. I mean, it really is one of the few things that senators largely find bipartisan agreement on, but it's also one of the
very few things that President Trump almost never weighs in on. If he -- if he's asked about this, and of course, he often is.
It is something that he does not talk or telegraph about it. Something that he simply does not want to talk about. So, there's no indication that
there's a new U.S. position at all. But there certainly is a quiet worry or wonder if that would happen here.
[14:10:00]
So of course, all eyes are on that. But again, it's one of the rare things that President Trump seldom shows his hand or discusses what he's actually
thinking about this. Isa.
SOARES: Jeff and Mike, thank you very much, gentlemen, appreciate it. Well, President Trump has said repeatedly the U.S. has all but wiped-out
Iran's military. But the "New York Times" reports that senior intelligence officials have evidence that the Iranians have restored access to 30 of
their 33 missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz.
And that follows similar reporting from CNN. And as the war stretches on, the economic cost of it keeps rising for American taxpayers. A Pentagon
official on Tuesday put the current price tag at $29 billion. But one military budget expert says that cost could ultimately reach $1 trillion.
And as we noted in a new CNN poll, about 75 percent of Americans say they're struggling right now with higher prices -- we brought you the story
yesterday. President Trump, meanwhile, was dismissive when asked about it on Tuesday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When you're negotiating with Iran, Mr. President, to what extent are Americans financial situation motivating you to make a
deal?
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Not even a little bit. The only thing that matters when I'm talking about Iran, they can't have a
nuclear weapon. I don't think about Americans' financial situation. I don't think about anybody. I think about one thing. We cannot let Iran have a
nuclear weapon. That's all.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. President --
TRUMP: That's the only thing --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Let's get more. U.S. national security reporter Haley Britzky joins us now. And Haley, I mean, that -- that comment yesterday from the
President before he of course, he was leaving to Beijing. I mean, certainly, was an eye opener for many.
How are people reacting to that in light of the fact of your reporting just there of the $29 billion this is costing. And this apparently, it's not a
cost -- this is not adding the damage as I understand to U.S. bases.
HALEY BRITZKY, CNN U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yes, Isa, that's exactly right. I mean, I think those were striking comments that we heard
from the President, certainly in a year when we know the midterm elections coming up in just a few months.
We've -- you know, seen Democrats on social media sort of saying, you know, we'll be seeing this clip a lot over the next few months because it is
something that's deeply impacting Americans. And as you mentioned, a recent CNN polling showing that the majority of Americans believe that the war has
hurt them financially.
So, that is something that can't go unaccounted for. And as you mentioned, I mean, the $29 billion estimate that we heard yesterday from Jay Hurst;
the Pentagon comptroller, up 4 billion already from two weeks ago, when we got an estimate of 25 billion.
And he was saying, you know, that's largely due to repair and replacement costs and just keeping troops in theater. Obviously, this conflict that
this tentative ceasefire that we have, we don't see an end in sight, really, at this point. It's very uncertain of the direction this is going
to go.
The military has said they were ready and able to start military operations up again if asked to do so. So, those costs could only continue to grow.
And as you mentioned, all of those estimates do not include the repair of U.S. military installations and bases in the region that have sustained a
lot of damage.
And we heard yesterday from Jay Hurst and these other senior officials who are saying, you know, that they are not totally certain of the cost yet to
repair those bases. And they've also sort of left the door open for a force posture change for the U.S. military in the Middle East, which could impact
how much money they spend repairing certain installations in certain buildings.
But certainly, all of that is very unclear at this point. And with the President sort of saying that he doesn't think about that, we are certainly
going to be hearing that called back to quite a lot in coming months. Isa.
SOARES: I'm sure of it. And while I have you here, let me ask you about this "New York Times" report that we were just mentioning that U.S.
Intelligence believes there's evidence that Iran has restored -- I think it was operation access to 30 of the 33 missile sites it maintains, along, of
course, the Strait of Hormuz.
What is the administration saying, of course, about this reporting? And does it square with what you've been hearing?
BRITZKY: It absolutely does square with what we've been hearing. So, we reported --
SOARES: Yes --
BRITZKY: My colleagues and I reported just a month ago that a significant portion of Iran's missile launchers were still intact, whether they were
usable or sort of buried in these networks of tunnels and caves in the mountains that we know Iran has worked to keep secret and to protect a lot
of their infrastructure there.
We'd also heard that a significant number of missile-launcher capability along the coast was still intact, not to mention thousands of drones,
underwater sea vessels that Iran is operating. So, all of this is very much in line with what we have heard.
The administration obviously continuing to say that Iran is decimated. Their military has been decimated, all of their ships at the bottom of the
sea does not quite square with the intelligence that we have heard about. Isa.
SOARES: Haley, thank you very much indeed, I know you'll stay across the story for us. Well, you could call today the calm before the storm.
[14:15:00]
There are reports that a formal challenge to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's leadership will be launched this week. They say Mr. Starmer's
Health Secretary, that's Wes Streeting, you're looking at him there, has told allies he will resign and call for a leadership vote.
He would need the backing of 81 Labor members of parliament to trigger that vote. The calls for Mr. Starmer to step aside took a bit of a pause today
as parliament heard from King Charles. He delivered the king's speech, which basically outlines the government's priorities moving forward.
The big question is whether Mr. Starmer will be at the head, of course, of that government for much longer. To help us really break down Mr. Starmer's
chances of hanging on, we welcome in Rosa Prince. She's a columnist for "Bloomberg" and a British political analyst.
Rosa, welcome to the show. Look, there is plenty of speculation at this hour surrounding Wes Streeting that he may resign and then kick off that
leadership challenge, potentially as early as tomorrow. What are you hearing?
ROSA PRINCE, COLUMNIST, BLOOMBERG: Yes, similar. I mean, as you say that it was --
SOARES: Yes --
PRINCE: A bit of the eye of the storm today, passing over Westminster as there was a little bit of an abatement in the pressure on Keir Starmer. But
it sounds like it could well be ratcheting up again by tomorrow. And that Wes Streeting would stand down and then challenge Mr. Starmer.
Now, Streeting had always said that he wouldn't be the one to trigger a contest, but I think he probably feels this is his moment now, and that he
just let things drift. The moment may pass and other players who might not be able to take a shot at him now, but will be better placed further down
the line in a few months' time.
Someone like Andy Burnham; the Mayor of Manchester, could kind of steal the match on him if he doesn't go now. So, I think the reason for that
resignation would be that he felt like he wouldn't be kind of breaking the letter of his promise to Keir Starmer if the challenge came once he had
resigned. So, we're not entirely sure that will happen. We're not --
SOARES: Yes --
PRINCE: Entirely sure he has those 81 names he needs to successfully trigger a contest. Yes, we're all in a holding pattern waiting for what Mr.
Streeting does next.
SOARES: Indeed. And my first thought when I was hearing about this, because I was at Downing Street yesterday, is that, you know, we were -- we
were hearing 85, I think, by the time I left Downing Street, 85-plus people, of course, members of parliament calling for the Prime Minister to
step aside.
I would assume that if Wes Streeting is going to go ahead with this challenge, that he will surely would know if he has the 81 votes needed,
right? To back him. How would then Starmer react to this? Because he has been fighting talk, right?
From him in the last kind of 24 hours as we heard from him in the cabinet meeting. Is he up for a challenge, do you think?
PRINCE: Yes. Well, you know, just to go back a step, I think you're right. He probably would know more or less how many names he had. But these things
are never clear. We've been around the block quite a few times with leadership challenges.
SOARES: Yes --
PRINCE: More on the conservative side, but often, MPs will say they'll support you. And then when it comes to it, they don't want to, you know,
going public against a sitting Prime Minister is quite a good thing. It's the old Lyndon Johnson thing of you've got to count in politics, you've got
to be able to count.
So, I think that's probably what's happening tonight in the Streeting camp. Back at the Starmer camp, well, he has been pretty clear in saying that he
is not going to go down without a fight.
SOARES: Yes --
PRINCE: I think over the weekend, it was thought after those terrible election results, local and regional elections that really triggered this
current crisis, that perhaps he would want to bow out with some dignity.
We saw some of his cabinet members saying to him, look, why don't you set out a timetable, perhaps say you'll go before the next election, which
still doesn't have to be for three years, perhaps say you'll go by the end of the year. And he really has not gone along with that narrative.
SOARES: Yes --
PRINCE: He gave an interview at the weekend where he said, he wanted to serve for ten years. That would be another eight years. He's making clear
that if there is a contest triggered by Wes Streeting, he will be a contender. He will fight for his life in Downing Street.
SOARES: So, if there is a timeline that is slightly on the longer side, that potentially would benefit Andy Burnham, of course, because he's not a
member of parliament. But the timetable, Rosa, for -- if for the leadership contest, if it's short, do you see -- do you think we'll see MPs coalescing
around other candidates? I'm thinking here, Angela Rayner, Ed Miliband.
PRINCE: It's going to be so interesting what happens with that timetable? It's kind of all got a bit tetchy and niche if you're a real political
nerd, but it's very much about what is the timetable going to be. Now, the people who will determine that is the NEC, the National Executive
Committee, at the moment that's largely controlled by Keir Starmer.
So, he can probably pick the timetable. Now, I'm -- it's not clear whether he'll think, you know what? I'll go for a short contest. I can cope with
facing Wes Streeting and avoid that long contest which, as you say, Andy Burnham could enter, but only if he can get another MP to stand down in his
favor.
[14:20:00]
We're hearing he might have managed that. He'd still have to fight a by- election and beat Reform U.K. --
SOARES: And do we know --
PRINCE: Who we know are doing very well --
SOARES: Do we know -- sorry to interrupt, Rosa. Do we know who that -- do we know what area, who that MP who may give up may -- because it's
speculation, may give up their seat for Andy Burnham. Do we know?
PRINCE: No, we're all assuming, it would be in the north west of England, because --
SOARES: Yes --
PRINCE: Thats his kind of stronghold. Andy Burnham, as I said, he's the mayor of Manchester. Some possible contenders were approached by the media
over the weekend, and they all ruled themselves out. So, it's a bit of a mystery who this person, if they even have got a person, is.
But yes, going on to other contenders, would Angela Rayner throw her hat into the ring? She still has those issues around her taxes hanging over her
head.
SOARES: Yes --
PRINCE: I think it would certainly be the case that someone from the left would want to participate. Perhaps Ed Miliband; the Energy Secretary,
although he's been leader before and didn't do that well, he lost the general election. So, it's really such a state of flux with this contest
that still hasn't even been triggered.
SOARES: Yes, hasn't even been triggering -- important to point out that yesterday more than 100 MPs, of course, were backing the Prime Minister
too. So, we'll see how that goes. Rosa Prince, really appreciate you coming on the show. Thank you, Rosa, get a glass of water. Thank you. Good to see
you.
And still to come tonight, sources tell us the CIA is carrying out lethal operations in Mexico. CNN's exclusive reporting after this short break. And
then later this hour, racing against time for one final reunion. A judge intervenes to allow Mexican parents in U.S. custody to see their son just a
day before he died.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Well, an exclusive reporting. CNN is learning about secret and deadly operations carried out by the CIA inside Mexico. Now, sources tell
us, the targets are alleged drug cartel members. For its part, Mexico's government is denying our reporting, and Natasha Bertrand -- Natasha
Bertrand joins me now.
Natasha, we'll talk about how Mexico and Mexican President, Claudia Sheinbaum is reacting to this. But first, this explosion, from what I
understand, was targeting an alleged cartel operative, a part of the Sinaloa Cartel.
And from what I understand, it was facilitated by CIA operation offices, right? Can you clarify? Were these officers inside Mexico or was it carried
out with the help of Mexican officers?
[14:25:00]
NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Our understanding, Isa, is that these CIA operations officers are on the ground in Mexico as
we speak. They were also involved -- those officers who were on the ground in Mexico, in this operation to assassinate this mid-level Sinaloa Cartel
member back in March.
It's unclear at this point who exactly put the bomb in the vehicle. But what we do know from the state Attorney General's office in Mexico is that,
there was an explosive device that was placed inside the car. And we do actually have video of that incident.
There is video showing here. You can see an explosion on the screen. That is the car carrying that Sinaloa Cartel operative. And you can see the car
kind of drifting off the highway there. It was a very precise explosion, appeared very professional, according to analysts that we -- that we spoke
to.
And it was very contained. And, you know, all of this kind of signals as well that there was a professional element to this. Now, the Mexican
government, as you said, is denying this and saying that there was no direct participation by the CIA in this particular operation, and that they
tend to work together with Mexican authorities whenever possible to conduct these kinds of, you know, law enforcement operations.
But, you know, at the same time, we know based on what the Mexican President has said just last month, that the Mexican federal government is
not always fully aware of the CIA's whereabouts inside the country to include that incident just last month.
Where two CIA operatives were killed in the state of Chihuahua in a car accident, something the Mexican government said they knew nothing about.
SOARES: Let me play the President -- let me hear what we heard from the President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, like you said, she called this
report false and truly sensationalist. I want to play because I think it is important. I'll get you to pick up after that. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM, PRESIDENT, MEXICO (through translator): The prosecutor of the state of Mexico explained yesterday that what is stated in the
article is false. Just think about it. I mean, CNN is supposedly a recognized international media outlet. It publishes a truly sensational
article.
Whose objective, what is it to say, just imagine that there are CIA agents operating on national territory, even to kill, eliminate a person. Imagine
the extent of the hyper false construction of a news report.
Well, I was even surprised because it turns out that even the CIA spokesperson came out to say it was false. I didn't even know the CIA had
spokespersons, but the CIA's own spokesperson came out to say the article was false.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: So, Natasha, I mean, what are you hearing from the CIA, if anything at all on this? I doubt they will say anything.
BERTRAND: Well, actually, it's a very interesting sequence of events. So, CNN actually reached out repeatedly to the CIA to discuss the article with
them, and there were no surprises there. We presented an extensive detail what we were going to report.
And ultimately, the CIA declined to comment. However, after we published our story, the CIA came out and said that the story was false. Now, I'd
also note that similarly, we went to the Mexican President's office for comment well before publication, as well as the prosecutor's office, as
well as the Foreign Affairs office.
And neither -- none of them replied to our request for comment. And so, you know, clearly, they had plenty of opportunity to refute this reporting
prior to its publication, and they decided not to. But it's also worth noting, just in the broad scheme of things, how sensitive this topic is
between the U.S. and Mexico.
The Mexicans have said repeatedly that they will not tolerate any violations of their sovereignty, and that foreign agents need to be
registered and conducting approved activities on Mexican soil in order for them to be keeping with the law and under the Mexican constitution.
But the United States has said repeatedly, including President Trump, that they're willing to go at this alone, because they don't believe that the
Mexican government is doing enough to confront the cartels. And President Trump said just last week, that there is a land force inside Mexico that is
doing just that.
And so, it is a very sensitive and politically-charged topic that both the CIA, of course, and the Mexican government have a large incentive to
refute, Isa.
SOARES: Such important context. Natasha Bertrand, great reporting, thank you very much indeed. Now, a bittersweet story about a teenager with
terminal cancer who got his final wish to see his parents one more time before he died.
Eighteen-year-old Kevin Gonzalez spent the final weeks of his life fighting against time, trying to reunite with his mother and father, who were locked
up in U.S. custody. They are Mexican nationals, and he was a U.S. citizen.
When Kevin was diagnosed, his parents tried to enter the U.S. and were detained by ICE. They eventually reunited in Mexico just one day, one day
before he died.
Well, Kevin Gonzalez is being buried today. He wanted to wear the Club America uniform and have two teddy bears, as we were showing you earlier,
by his side.
I want to bring in CNN's Valeria Leon to tell us more about the reunion that really allowed Kevin's parents to tell him they loved him at one last
time. Incredibly moving, a story that really captured international headlines.
VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Isa, and this story has triggered a strong emotional reaction, both in the U.S. and here in Mexico, after this
18-year-old, Kevin Gonzalez, a terminal cancer patient born in Chicago, finally reunited with his parents in the Mexican state of Durango, where he
was spending his final days at his grandmother's house.
And this emotional reunion took place inside a small bedroom, where Kevin's mother immediately hugged her son and began crying, while his fa- father
also stood by his side. And Kevin's brother was also there after the family spent weeks desperately trying to see him again. And this is part of what
his father shared after this reunion. Let's listen to it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ISIDORO GONZALEZ, FATHER OF KEVIN GONZALEZ (through translator): We are so proud of my son. He was a warrior. He fought against all odds. I am so
proud of him. He was a very strong warrior. He had the strength to endure what he felt, the pain, but he endured it. He had the intention, his last
wish, to see his parents. A judge granted my son that wish.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEON: But the story goes back to April 14th when Kevin's parents, desperate to see their dying son, tried to cross illegally into the U.S.
They were detained near the Arizona border and spent weeks in ICE custody while Kevin's health continued to worsen.
One of Kevin's doctors wrote letters pleading for their release and warning that Kevin was running out of time. Kevin had been battling stage four
colon cancer and fearing he might die before seeing his parents again. Kevin eventually left the hospital in Chicago and returned to Durango,
Mexico.
Finally, on Friday, a judge ordered Kevin's parents' release from immigration custody, and they were deported back to Mexico. That same day,
they raced nearly 800 miles, traveling overnight by bus trying to make it in time to see him, and they did. But less than 24 hours after reuniting
with his parents, Kevin died.
Now, this case is reigniting debate in the over- immigration enforcement policies and humanitarian exceptions. Isa, with advocates arguing this
family should never had to spend Kevin's final weeks separated in the first place.
SOARES: Yes. So many weeks of anguish. Valeria Leon, thank you very much. Our thoughts and prayers with his family. Thank you, Valeria.
And still to come tonight, Beijing rolled out the red carpet for the U.S. president, but Mr. Trump needs more than this summit than President Xi
does. That is according to my next guest. We'll discuss what could come out of that meeting.
And then later, an Israeli human rights group says settlers in the West Bank coordinated an attack on a Palestinian village with the IDF, leaving a
teenager dead. Both those stories after a very short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:35:00]
SOARES: More now on our top story this hour as the world closely watches longtime rivals Donald Trump and Xi Jinping prepare for a Beijing face-off.
The U.S. president received a warm welcome ceremony, replete of course with pomp and pageantry for the start of a visit carrying global consequences.
The two-day summit marks Mr. Trump's first overseas trip since he took office. Xi Jinping has been a key player in China's waging war in the
Middle East, and the stakes, of course, couldn't be higher.
China holds a unique position, as we've been telling you at the top of the show, being the biggest buyer of Iranian oil, as well as Tehran's strategic
partner. The two leaders will kick off talks Thursday morning, local time, with a host of thorny issues on the table, including those four T's we were
telling you at the top of the show. That is trade, tariffs, tech, and Taiwan.
Let's break them all down for you. Joining me now is Jeremy Chan, a senior analyst for China and Northeast Asia at Eurasia Group. Jeremy, great to
have you on the show. Look, as we were showing our viewers just now, it is started, this trip being replete with pomp and pageantry, of course, on
this first day, but putting aside those pleasantries, what do you realistically expect to come out of this trip, be it on trade, be it on
Tehran?
JEREMY CHAN, SENIOR ANALYST OF CHINA AND NORTHEAST ASIA, EURASIA GROUP: Thanks for having me. It's a good question. We're looking at a summit that
will probably be the first of four meetings between the leaders in 2026.
And so, we're sort of expecting the two to level set a bit their relationship, reestablish a rapport that was rekindled in South Korea in
October of last year, and to try to essentially provide greater ballast or stabilization to the bilateral relationship on issues like, you said,
trade, tech, and Taiwan, but not major deliverables coming out of this particular summit. That's our expectation, at least.
SOARES: Let's start then, let's focus. We were talking about those four Ts, Jeremy. Let me start with Iran or Tehran, because sources have been
telling CNN that China basically believes the war in Iran and the whole quagmire around it that the U.S. faces has potentially strengthened China's
negotiating position. How may Xi Jinping, you think, use that leverage, you think?
CHAN: That's a good question. I think from Beijing's perspective, Trump is coming into this meeting a bit weakened and a bit distracted, both
strategically by what's going on in the Middle East and by the need to find an off-ramp as soon as possible.
Now, insofar as Trump and broader Washington think that Beijing and presidency have the power or the influence over Tehran to bring about that
outcome, that increases China's leverage vis-a-vis these bilateral talks.
SOARES: And, you know, I was speaking to our reporter to the White House, Jeremy, and just at the top of the hour, we were talking about one thing
that came out in terms of the concessions was Taiwan, right? Whether President Trump, whether he would want President Trump's language of
support for -- you know, on Taiwan on this. Let me just play the clip from one of the senators, Senator Shaheen, who have been warning about the need
to protect Taiwan. Just have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JEANNE SHAHEEN (D-NH): I think it's absolutely critical that we make it clear that the United States policy with respect to Taiwan has not
changed.
[14:40:00]
And I'm very worried about what the president is going to say on Taiwan, because we know that that's something that President Xi wants.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: How much do you think, then, Jeremy, that Beijing will push on this, on the question of Taiwan?
CHAN: So, that's a good question. I think from, obviously, Beijing's perspective, Taiwan is the core of core issues, right? They're the reddest
of red lines. But there's two fundamental asks from China. One is that the U.S. at least delay, if not postpone indefinitely, future arms sales to
Taiwan. And the other one is to change official language about how the U.S. positioned towards Taiwanese independence to officially oppose Taiwan from
declaring independence in the future. I think both those asks will be made of Trump in some capacity, and the real wild card in all this is what
President Trump's reaction would be to those two requests.
SOARES: Yes, and at this point, it's not clear. Obviously, they have a policy. We've heard it from the White House, but it's so unpredictable that
it's not clear exactly that it will go the way that we have been told from the White House, of course.
Perhaps easier wins for him, Jeremy, maybe rather than -- you know, other than Tehran and the Strait of Hormuz, would potentially be trade. And we
have already seen some of these top business leaders join the president on this trip. I think it was the CEOs of Apple, of Tesla, Boeing, and NVIDIA
among them. And this, of course, as the overall amount of trade between the two countries has been falling in recent years. What do you expect to see
on this side? Because President Trump keeps saying, you know, that the U.S. is buying more goods from China than it actually sells.
CHAN: That's right. I mean, there is a tremendous trade imbalance that continues between the two countries, even though it has shrunk as Chinese
exports to the U.S. have declined in 2026 as well. I think that the size and the composition of the CEO delegation speaks to what will probably be
the principal deliverable or outcome of this meeting, which is increased Chinese purchase commitments of things like U.S. agriculture, soybeans, and
beef, as well as U.S. aircraft. The CEO of Boeing, for example, is part of the delegation.
And potentially, U.S. energy exports, things like liquefied natural gas. That will probably be the headline achievement from this particular summit.
But of course, with an eye towards President Xi's reciprocal visit to the United States, likely to take place in the fall.
SOARES: Right. OK. That's interesting. So, mostly focused on trade, rather than, of course, the geopolitics, which is what this president says. He
doesn't need helpful, but wants a long chat -- a long conversation with Xi Jinping on this. Jeremy, appreciate it. Thank you very much for your
analysis, Jeremy Chan there.
Now, an Israeli human rights group says a settler attack on a West Bank village today was coordinated with the Israeli military. B'Tselem and
multiple Palestinian officials say a Palestinian teenager was shot dead during a raid by settlers accompanied by Israeli troops. Witnesses tell
CNN, settlers drove into two towns north of Ramallah, stealing sheep and assaulting residents.
One video shared with CNN shows military vehicles blocking the street to clear a path for settlers. Some driving behind them for protection. The IDF
says it acted to prevent confrontation when settlers entered the town. It says, quote, "violent riot developed," including stone throwing, so
soldiers opened fire toward what it called instigators.
And this attack comes amid a dramatic surge in settler violence. It often happens with impunity. UNICEF spokesperson James Elder recently visited the
West Bank, meeting an eight-year-old boy who had been beaten in the head by settlers. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES ELDER, UNICED SPOKESPERSON: March 2026 saw the highest number of Palestinians injured by settler attacks in the last 20 years. And we're
seeing attacks become increasingly coordinated. So, documented incidents include children shot, stabbed, children beaten, and children pepper
sprayed.
Now, these are not isolated incidents. They point to a sustained pattern of the worst kind of violations against children, as well as attacks on
children's homes, on their schools, and on the water that they rely on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: James Elder of UNICEF. While more than 100 Nobel laureates are debating the urgent, unconditional release of Iranian activist Narges
Mohammadi, she was recently granted bail and transferred to a hospital in Tehran. The laureate says she has serious cardiac symptoms, and we've been
reporting on this.
In fact, speaking to her brother as well, if you remember. And she has also severe weight loss and faces irreversible harm without specialized medical
care. They are also demanding all charges against her be dropped. Mohammadi won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023 for a decades-long work campaigning for
human rights in Iran. We are staying, of course, across that story for you.
We are going to take a short break in the meantime, but we'll see you on the other side.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:45:00]
SOARES: Welcome back. Kim Eun-sook is one of Korea's most prolific screenwriters, responsible for series like "The Glory and Mr. Sunshine."
For the latest edition of CNN's "K-Everything series," she sat down with Daniel Dae Kim to explain the art of creating a compelling love story. Have
a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANIEL DAE KIM, HOST, K-EVERYTHING: What is the secret to a good love story?
KIM EUN-SOOK, SCREENWRITER: Methodologically, it's about connecting good characters. A man with a certain conviction, a woman with a certain
conviction. How the male and female protagonists overcome adversity, make sacrifices, face pain, but ultimately, the journey to the kiss in the final
scene, that's all there is to it. It's all about writing that in a fun and fresh way.
KIM: Only a kiss. Korean dramas are very innocent that way. Even holding hands is a big deal, right? So, if you kiss, that's the happy ending.
EUN-SOOK (through translator): After about three days, a kiss scene will appear.
KIM: I see. There's a time frame. I see.
EUN-SOOK (through translator): Before, kissing was only allowed at the ending, as if legally mandated, but now I've pushed it a bit earlier, so
Korean now accept kissing after three episodes or so. After building up emotions.
KIM (voice-over): The popularity of K-drama stories has been translating to audiences outside of Korea since the mid-1990s, with hits like "Winter
Sonata" and "What Is Love" in places like the U.S., Australia, and the Middle East. Kim's show "The Glory" was in the top 10 most-watched Netflix
series with over 600 million hours of viewing in 2023. All of that in just three decades.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): Oh, you're finally here. It took you a while.
KIM: You told me a secret before. Tell me the secret of why Korean culture is where it is now.
EUN-SOOK (through translator): Working hard. People with talent can do things quickly. So, that's a certain Korean nature or tenacity. We're a
people who always like to have laughter around us. It's in our blood. I think that's why we've reach a point where we laugh among ourselves and
make the world laugh.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[14:50:00]
SOARES: A kiss only after three episodes, that is something. Well, Daniel Dae Kim goes behind the scenes of Korea's film as well as TV industry in
the CNN original series "K-Everything" with a new episode this Saturday on CNN. You do not want to miss it. It's really, really good.
And still to come right here on the show, the princess of Wales is in Italy on her first official overseas visit since being treated for cancer. Our
Max Foster will join us live from Italy with all the details. That is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Well, Catherine, the Princess of Wales is in Italy right now. This is the first official overseas trip for the British Royal since her
treatment for cancer. It's part of a two-day visit with the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood. It's an initiative Catherine
launched in 2021 to increase awareness on the importance of early childhood education and age. The Princess says the visit is an important step in her
cancer recovery.
Joining me now is Mark Cunningham, who joins me from Northern Italy. And, Max, he's in Reggio Emilia, a beautiful city. I've been there. It's
absolutely stunning. And, Max, I was looking at videos just now of the Princess. She looked right at home conversing, speaking to those children.
Does she speak Italian? Do we know? Is she conversing in Italian?
MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: She did a bit because she spent some time in Florence between school and university and she was trying. And
then, she -- the sentence ended with, I need to work harder at my Italian. So, she was getting there. She gave it a go.
The square was -- I have to say, Isa, there's thousands of people here and thousands more wanted to get in, but, you know, there ended up being the
obvious security issues. And there was a huge cheer when she arrived. Ciao, Kate, people were chanting. So, there was an element of, you know, don't
have a princess coming to town every day and seeing her.
And she always wows people in real life. And she threw herself straight, interestingly, into walkabouts, meeting kids, meeting the crowd, grabbing
flowers, spent loads of time doing that. She seemed on really good form.
But when you speak to her office, they say it's a careful balancing act. You know, two years ago, she had this cancer diagnosis. She went out of the
public eye. She's now coming back onto the global stage and they're trying to balance work with that recovery, which continues. But also, because it
was a life-changing moment, she realized she wanted to work even harder at her core causes when she could. And this is it.
[14:55:00]
It's early learning, it's preschool education. She feels that there's lessons to be learned from the approach taken here. She actually thinks,
Isa, it's as important as climate change. So, this is essentially a global mission she's launching at this point.
SOARES: Yes. And then, this is a solo trip. So, give us a sense on that part of it. Your last point, we've got about a minute or so, Max, on what
she's looking to get out of this. What is she trying to learn from this trip?
FOSTER: Well, she calls it a fact-finding mission. So, all of the work she's been working on, outdoor learning, creative learning back in the
U.K., she found similar things here. She's going to keep doing trips like this. And she wants to create a global coalition, really pushing this issue
up the agenda. She feels that most of the brain is formed before the age of five years old. If we get that form of learning wrong, which is often just
teaching kids things instead of letting them explore things, then it does have repercussions throughout people's lives. She's linked it to addiction,
for example.
SOARES: I will talk more about this in the next hour. Max, good to see you. Well, you and I will talk. Max will be back, so will I, for "What We
Know" after this very short break. So, do you stay right here with CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
