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Biden Diagnosed With "Aggressive Form" Of Prostate Cancer; Trump & Putin Hold Phone Call Over War In Ukraine; Investigators Search For Motive In Fertility Clinic Blast. Aired 11-11:30a ET

Aired May 19, 2025 - 11:00   ET

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

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PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, breaking news, diplomatic calls to try to end Russia's war in Ukraine. President Trump is talking to both Ukrainian and the Russian presidents today.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: We want to welcome our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer with Pamela Brown and you're in The Situation Room.

BLITZER: We begin this hour with former President Joe Biden's cancer diagnosis. His office now says Biden was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones.

BROWN: The former president appears to be in good spirits. This morning he posted a photo to X adding, quote, cancer touches us all. Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places. Thank you for lifting us up with love and support.

CNN's Arlette Saenz joins us. So what are we learning about next steps here, Arlette?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, former President Joe Biden is at his home in Wilmington, Delaware with his family, really focusing on what the treatment options will look like going forward. He had received this cancer diagnosis on Friday.

A statement from his personal office says that his doctors assessed that it was an aggressive form of prostate cancer, which has spread to his bones. Now, what we don't know the specific options that he is considering, but medical experts and doctors have said for these types of cancers, it could be things like a hormone therapy, chemotherapy, or possibly a radiation. But certainly this is a very difficult time for the Biden family.

When you think about the arc of their tragic history relating to the losses of their loved ones, including his son, Beau Biden from brain cancer back in 2015, that is something that Biden references in this social media post when he said we are strongest in the broken places and that cancer touches us all.

But the this news of his cancer diagnosis also comes as there has been a renewed scrutiny on his time in office, particularly related to both his physical and mental capabilities while he was serving as commander-in-chief. Our colleague Jake Tapper and Axios reporter Alex Thompson are about -- about to roll out this new book tomorrow, which has detailed some signs of decline in Biden.

[11:05:15]

So this is something that the Biden family has already been grappling with as these revelations have started to come to light. And now on top of that, they're dealing with this cancer diagnosis and trying to decide what to do next for his treatment.

BROWN: That's some really tough stuff right there. Arlette Saenz, thank you. Wolf?

BLITZER: CNN medical analyst Dr. Jonathan Reiner is joining us right now. He's a medicine and surgery professor at the George Washington University here in the nation's capital. Dr. Reiner, thank us -- thanks so much for joining us. First of all, walk us through this diagnosis.

DR. JONATHAN REINER, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: Does anything stand out dramatically to you? Well, the one thing that's that that stands out is that at diagnosis, his prostate cancer is already metastatic to bone. The, you know, the -- the prostate cancer that, you know, lower -- lower grades of prostate cancer typically are confined to the gland itself.

And then treatment decisions are, first of all, the first treatment decision is whether to surveil the tumor, keep watching it for signs of progression. And then if their treatment is deemed appropriate, how to -- how to treat it, including removing the prostate, localized radiation, et cetera. And at that stage, prostate cancer is curable.

But we hear now that President Biden's tumor is a much more aggressive prostate cancer, and it's already spread to the bone. And that makes it no longer curable, but still potentially controllable.

BLITZER: How -- how long is he likely to have had this cancer, Dr. Reiner? And why would it not have shown up during a routine physical, for example?

REINER: Well, that's, you know, that's -- that's an important question, and it -- and it -- it's hard to know. So one of the ways that prostate cancer is caught is both on physical exam and examination of the prostate itself, examining, looking for irregularities in the contour of the gland. And the other way is with a blood test, the prostate specific antigen test, which looks for this protein that is elaborated into the blood from the prostate when -- when it's invaded by tumor.

And it's a bit controversial now as to whether to test older men with the PSA because large randomized trials have failed really to show in men over the age of 70 a convincing a decrease in mortality if you test or you don't test. And in fact, the United States Preventative Services Task Force a few years ago no longer recommended routine screening of men over the age of 70 for prostate cancer. I'll tell you that I reviewed Dr. Kevin O'Connor, President Biden's physician's notes from the last four years, and there really is no mention of a PSA test in any of those. So it's unclear whether the president was -- was tested for it and if he was, what the results were. But the presence of metastatic cancer now does suggest that he's had prostate cancer for some time, certainly while he was still president.

BLITZER: But -- I -- I mean what jumps out at me is he's 82 years old, 82 years old.

REINER: Yes.

BLITZER: And if he hadn't had any PSA tests since the age of 70, that's a long time for potentially for someone, a man his age to develop prostate cancer. And if he had PSA tests, which showed there was some -- something wrong with the blood in related to the prostate, they could have done something, but they clearly missed that opportunity if there had been some symptoms which suggested he was going through prostate cancer.

REINER: Right. So -- so first, we don't know, since PSA was never mentioned in any of the medical reports, it's possible that he simply hasn't been tested for it, you know, based on -- on those guidelines. The second possibility is that he has been tested and prior tests were unremarkable, which is why they weren't mentioned, or prior tests maybe showed maybe some, you know, smoldering, low-grade problem that they were watching. And the third possibility is that, you know, perhaps they -- they did know he had prostate cancer and they were watching it.

BLITZER: What is your recommendation, Dr. Reiner, men 70 and older, should they routinely, routinely get a PSA test?

REINER: I think they should talk to their doctor. And I think that even though these recommendations are population-based, in other words, you're looking for differences based on population studies, everyone's risk is different, and I encourage men, not just over 70, men of all ages, to understand their risk. If there's a family history, that increases an individual's risk.

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African-Americans have a higher risk of prostate cancer. So I -- I think, you know, rather than individuals relying on population studies, I think individuals should have a good conversation once a year with their physician as to all kinds of screening and, you know, particularly for men, prostate cancer screening. So talk to your doctor about this.

BLITZER: Good -- good recommendation as always, Dr. Jonathan Reiner. Thanks very much. Pamela?

BROWN: All right, Wolf, breaking news. President Trump is working the phones this morning, pushing for an end to Russia's war in Ukraine. Minutes ago, he spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. BLITZER: And now we're told he's speaking with the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin. Trump had been expected to start his diplomatic calls with Putin. It's not necessarily clear right now what prompted the change in schedule. Trump is also expected, by the way, to talk to some NATO leaders later today. We're covering all the angles with CNN's Alayna Treene. She's over at the White House for us. And Nick Paton Walsh is in Kyiv. Alayna, how pivotal is this day, this day in President Trump's efforts to try to end this war?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: I think it's incredibly pivotal, Wolf and Pamela, because of what we've now been hearing repeatedly from some of the top key players involved in this from the Trump administration's point of view. And the question now is a direct conversation. Is that enough to determine how serious Vladimir Putin is about actually wanting to agree to a ceasefire deal?

Because it's been very clear to me in my conversations with Trump administration officials, and we've actually been hearing this now from the president himself with a change in rhetoric, that they've been increasingly frustrated with how Russia has been acting on this. Part of this, of course, is just from what we've learned in recent days of how Russia lost -- launched the largest drone attack on Ukraine since this war began.

We also know Putin did not show up last week for a face-to-face meeting with Zelenskyy in Turkey, despite the Russian president being the one to propose that. And so this is now really a question of how real is this idea of trying to achieve peace and getting these two sides to come together to hammer out a ceasefire? And that is really the goal of this call.

We heard Vice President J.D. Vance say things along those lines earlier today, that it's really trying to figure out how serious is he. Because we do know a lot of people who are close to the President, who are closely involved in some of these conversations, believe that they can't be wasting time on this. They either need to make progress or they need to move on.

And so the timing of this is really why this call is so crucial. And of course, hoping to learn more from this, we have been now promised by the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, that we would get a readout. So hopefully we'll have that for you shortly, Wolf and Pam.

BROWN: All right, Nick, I want to bring you in, just given where you are right now in Kyiv, Ukraine. You know, this war has been grinding on more than three years. Russia just launched its biggest drone attack since the war began there. What is the public appetite in Kyiv to strike a deal to end this fighting?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY EDITOR: Look, I think nobody apart from Ukrainians who didn't start this war, were attacked, unprovoked over three years ago, want to see it come to an end. But as they consistently warn, Russia does often not honor its truces or ceasefire or engage in diplomacy sincerely. So the concern here is you hatch a bad piece or you give up small amounts of territory to get a peace and then Russia comes back for you for more.

Remember, this is a 10-year-old conflict, over 10 years. So I think there's a doubt in the Kremlin's sincerity. It's interesting to see President Zelenskyy talk to Trump before Putin. That wasn't the schedule Trump outlined on Saturday. It might suggest that Zelenskyy is trying to put his ideas into Trump's ear prior to the Kremlin phone call. I'm sure if I had to guess, they will speak probably after that call as well.

But it's a key moment, I think, because yes, we've heard repeatedly this concept of is, in the words of President Trump, is Vladimir Putin tapping him along, more ominously from J.D. Vance, the Vice President, the suggestion that this isn't our war. We may get to a point where we don't want to do any more. That might be music, frankly, to Russia's ears, who would desperately love nothing more than the U.S. to step away from diplomacy and from military aid and assistance to Ukraine.

That would be an enormous advantage. And so I think there is a risk here, potentially, that President Trump, who arguably has overpromised since the start of his diplomacy here, ends up with very minimal gains from a Russian president who's brushed aside an original U.S. proposal echoed by the Europeans 10 days ago now for an immediate, unconditional ceasefire, brushed away Trump as an intermediary for face-to-face meetings with President Zelenskyy in Turkey last week, and is now engaged in this direct phone call that Trump potentially has to try and sell minimal progress to his allies as something more than that, and that Putin essentially feels emboldened because he's dragging his heels, and not yet seeing consequences like the massive sanctions, secondary sanctions that have been threatened if he doesn't move along with the ceasefire or further peace negotiations.

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BROWN: All right, Nick Paton Walsh, Alayna Treene, thank you both.

BLITZER: And still ahead, the FBI declares the deadly blast in Palm Springs, California an act of terrorism and asks for help in the investigation. The city's police chief standing by to join us live.

BROWN: And the Trump administration's new warning to U.S. trade partners about tariffs will bring that to you just ahead, live in The Situation Room.

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BROWN: All right, now an update to one of our top stories this morning. Investigators have identified a 25-year-old man as the suspect in the California Fertility Clinic explosion. He was the only person killed in Saturday's blast.

Forensic testing will be needed to fully identify the body. Authorities believe the suspect wrote about his, quote, anti-pro-life views and planned to livestream his attack. The company that runs the fertility center said that none of the eggs and embryos at that facility were harmed, fortunately.

With us now is Palm Springs Police Chief Andrew Mills. Thank you so much for being here with us. First off, where do things stand with this investigation right now?

CHIEF ANDREW MILLS, PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA POLICE: Well, first of all, thanks for having me, Pamela. This is an ongoing, very complex investigation in multiple locations, and the FBI has done a fantastic job working this case. Our detectives are helping them search not only here but in another county where we are collecting evidence and making sure that we have a complete and full understanding of what took place and who may or may not have been involved.

BROWN: So you say who may or may not have been involved. How confident are you that the suspect acted alone?

MILLS: I'm very confident that the suspect acted alone at the scene of the blast. However, we want to make sure that through social media, that others did not help him in any way. And, you know, my mantra is, if you see it, you own it. There were people in chat rooms, there were people who are connected to him who had to have known, in my opinion, that -- that he was up to nefarious deeds. And that should have been brought forward. And -- and anybody -- anybody out there who has a loved one who's Googling mass casualties or active shooters, bomb- making materials, people have to speak up.

That's how this country works. We just can't be in everybody's social media 24/7. People who have knowledge need to speak up. So if they see it morally, they own it.

BROWN: Yes, I mean, sadly, you've seen with other tragic events that there's a track record on social media, sort of warning signs there. And no one spoke up. And in this case, tell us a little bit more about what you've learned in terms of the warning signs he was putting out on his social media and other people who may have been involved in those conversations.

MILLS: I think what we're learning is being widely reported in the open media. And -- and one thing I can say is that the media, including CNN, have been such carefully, have reported this so carefully. It's really appreciated that people have gone on facts, not fear. And -- but what we're seeing is that he was chatting with people in online groups and online forums, as well as posting stuff on YouTube where he was experimenting with different types of explosive materials. That should have been reported.

And if people were aware of that, that's when the police can intervene, prevent these attacks, but also get the person help. And that's what our ultimate goal would be.

BROWN: Do you foresee any more arrests for like aiding and abetting that kind of thing?

MILLS: No, that'll have to be up to the FBI, who is the lead on this investigation. And my partner, Akil Davis, assistant director in Los Angeles, has just been an absolute champion. And I can't speak highly enough of the relationship that we have, local law enforcement with our FBI partners.

BROWN: How concerning is it to you that someone in your community was able to gather enough materials to set off an explosion of this size?

MILLS: Well, to be clear, he was about an hour away from our city, but it is concerning that someone could, excuse me, gather enough explosive material to be able to drive it into a city, go to an IVF clinic where people have hope of building families and detonate that bomb.

We are so fortunate that it happened when it did, in the manner in which it did, that -- that there weren't more casualties other than him.

BROWN: As I mentioned earlier, none of the eggs or embryos at that clinic were harmed. You commended first responders for helping with that. That's just so extraordinary too, right?

MILLS: Yes, you know, on social media, Facebook and Instagram, I put out that after I learned of this, of course, they told us after the fact, not before the fact, that they went into buildings that were completely compromised in order to ensure that the electricity was still running so that the incubators were still working, that the cryogenic holding cells were still operational also and not damaged.

[11:25:05]

And then they went into the building that was completely collapsed. I think you showed drone footage of it earlier. It was literally completely collapsed. They went in there to retrieve the records of people who are having IVF treatments this week for the doctors. Completely hazardous, completely unsafe, but they did it because they realized the importance of giving these families hope that they could build a family that could be productive members of society and really help our communities in the future. So my hat is off to Special Agent Chris Meltzer and Deputy Fire Chief Greg Lyle for -- for putting their heads down, going in there and taking a huge risk personally. Both of them have families to -- to be able to give other families hope. I mean, that's incredible.

BROWN: Yes, they deserve major kudos for that. Chief Andrew Mills, thank you so much. Best of luck with the investigation. Wolf?

BLITZER: And still ahead, within the past hour, President Trump has been holding two critical phone calls on trying to end the war in Ukraine. But how could Russia's ongoing strikes on Ukraine impact the peace negotiations? We'll have more on that. We'll be right back with more in The Situation Room.

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