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The Situation Room

DOJ Investigates Jewish Museum Killings as Terrorism; Keisha Lance Bottoms Vows to Take on Trump; U.S.-Iran Underway in Rome; Memorial Day Surge to be Major Test for Air Travel. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired May 23, 2025 - 10:30   ET

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


[10:30:00]

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR:

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Brian Todd, heartbreaking story indeed. Thanks very much for that update.

Wednesday's shooting, by the way, just outside the Capitol Jewish Museum here in Washington comes amid an alarming spike in anti-Semitic incidents being reported throughout the United States. Joining us now, Carole Zawatsky is the CEO of the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. If Tree of Life sounds familiar to our viewers, it's because a gunman attacked the synagogue back in 2018, killing 11 people, wounding six others.

Thanks, Carole, so much for joining us. This terrible attack happened before you arrived at the Tree of Life Synagogue, but does Wednesday's attack here in Washington bring back horrible trauma for so many in your congregation?

CAROLE ZAWATSKY, CEO, TREE OF LIFE, INC.: Thank you, Wolf. Yes. This is a re-traumatization of a community that, as you say, is the site of the most deadly act of antisemitism ever to have happened in America. And here we are, six and a half years later, witnessing the killing in the name of antisemitism yet again.

BLITZER: Yes. I remember when I was with you in Pittsburgh for the reopening of the Tree of Life synagogue, a beautiful ceremony that occurred there. It was so moving just to see what was going on and see some of the survivors, some of the family members who had to go through that horrible, horrible murder operation.

I want to read something you posted on social media in the wake of Wednesday's awful killing just outside the Capitol Jewish Museum here in Washington. You wrote this, "In the United States, antisemitism is especially insidious. It is independent of political ideology and often woven into how people understand the world. It is a threat to the safety and security, not only of Jewish people, but of all Americans," end quote.

What do you think this is? Why do you think this is, I should say?

ZAWATSKY: Where antisemitism is allowed to flourish, as we know, other forms of identity-based hate are allowed to flourish. Antisemitism cannot be solved by Jews alone. It's an American problem. It's all of our problems, and we must work together with our allies to end all forms of hate.

BLITZER: The Anti-Defamation League -- Carole, as you know, the ADL reports, there were a record number of anti-Semitic incidents last year here in the United States and says there's been an increase of nearly 900 percent over the past decade. How do you combat this?

ZAWATSKY: The greatest way to combat antisemitism is to live a strong and joyful Jewish life. The world -- thank you, Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav is a narrow bridge and we must not be afraid. We have to live jubilant, joyous, resilient Jewish lives. And how do we solve this? Community by community, town by town, fifth grader and 10th grader and classroom teacher one at a time.

BLITZER: As you know, much better than I do, Carole, dozens of Jewish organizations all over the country are now calling on the federal government to help pay for much tighter security and law enforcement at various Jewish institutions, whether synagogues, Jewish centers, Jewish schools. Do you believe that's necessary?

ZAWATSKY: What is so sad today as an American Jew is that we pay a tax. We pay a tax to be Jewish in America. We pay for security. There is not one synagogue member who has not received an additional cost in their membership to pay for security. Sadly, yes, I do believe it is necessary that our federal government help support American Jews in our safety.

BLITZER: Well, good luck in Pittsburgh with the Tree of Life Synagogue. Carole Zawatsky, thanks so much for joining us.

ZAWATSKY: Thank you very much.

BLITZER: And up next trying to turn Georgia blue. The former Atlanta mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms, is running for governor in the pivotal swing state. She's here in the Situation Room. We'll discuss. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:35:00]

BLITZER: While the 2026 midterms are still more than a year away, one of the key races in that election is already heating up. This week, the former mayor of Atlanta, Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, launched her campaign to become the next governor of Georgia, pledging to go toe to toe with President Trump. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. CANDIDATE KEISHA LANCE BOTTOMS (D-GA), FORMER SENIOR ADVISER, BIDEN 2024 CAMPAIGN AND FORMER ATLANTA MAYOR: Donald Trump is a disaster for our economy and our country. For thousands of hardworking Georgians who've lost their livelihoods, Donald Trump is no laughing matter. Georgia families deserve far better than what Donald Trump and Republicans are giving us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: And Keisha Lance Bottoms is joining us now in the Situation Room. Mayor, thank you so much for joining us. Last year, Georgia changed course and helped send Trump back to the White House. So, why do you think your message of fighting against President Trump will resonate with Georgia voters?

BOTTOMS: Thank you, Wolf, for having me. This is all about these kitchen table issues. What we are seeing in Georgia is a direct hit from the chaos that is coming from Donald Trump and the White House. When you think about our ports of Savannah and Brunswick, there are 600,000 jobs in this state alone that are directly related to those ports. That means when you have these erratic tariff policies and this chaotic way of creating policies, it's directly impacting the people of Georgia and creating a lot of uncertainty and anxiety in our state.

[10:40:00]

BLITZER: How do you extend your appeal mayor to red areas outside of Atlanta, let's say, and convince some of those Republican voters to support you?

BOTTOMS: Wolf, when we talk about the issues that are important to our campaign, we are talking about things like healthcare. Nine rural hospitals have closed in Georgia because we have not expanded Medicaid in this state. We're talking about supporting small businesses, that directly impacts red and blue districts. Also, my plan to eliminate state income taxes for teachers. We have a teacher shortage in this state. Red and blue districts have a teacher shortage in this state. Eliminating those state income taxes for our teachers will help us retain and attract the best and brightest that transcends party affiliation.

BLITZER: My CNN colleague, as you know, Jake Tapper and Axios reporter Alex Thompson, just released a new book, detailing former President Biden's decline. You were a senior adviser on the president's re-election campaign. Were you aware of his decline and did he harm your Democratic party by deciding to run for a second term and deciding to run before he eventually dropped out?

BOTTOMS: Well, I worked with President Biden as a senior adviser in the White House, and I left in '23. That was not my experience while I was in the White House or my experience when I interacted with him on the campaign. Listen. There was a tough election in '24, and what we saw is that the economy was on the table. And right now, people aren't looking back to that election. They aren't talking to me about whether or not I observed any decline with President Biden. Voters are talking about the economy in Georgia. They are talking about lack of access to healthcare in this state, and they're asking me, what will I do as governor to make a difference in their lives? So, people are looking forward, not backwards.

BLITZER: Do you think he harmed your Democratic Party by deciding to initially run for a second term? BOTTOMS: That decision was President Biden's and President Biden's alone. There was a primary, voters had an opportunity to weigh in during that primary. And overwhelmingly, voters decided that President Biden was our nominee. And obviously, there were some historic changes that were made when the president decided to step aside.

So, we can all do an autopsy about what happened last year. But right now, this is about the future and where we are right now with these chaotic policies related directly to Donald Trump and his administration. So, voters have an opportunity whether they thought they got it wrong or right last election cycle. The beauty of our democracy is that you get an opportunity to go and vote again, and that's what I'm focused on in my race for governor.

BLITZER: How do you see the future of the Democratic Party, especially in Georgia?

BOTTOMS: What I see the future of the party is a party that can continues to be focused on economic issues. People want to know how you will deliver for them. We started this segment by your mentioning that Georgia has gone blue, it's gone red, it's gone blue. We even saw a split ticket during the last election cycle where we sent Warnock to the senate and we lost the governor's seat.

People want someone who's going to fight for them. And they don't care about party affiliation. They want someone who's going to make it easier for them to put food on their table, for them to have support of their small businesses, which employ more than 45 percent of the people in this state. We are home to several Fortune 500 companies. They want someone who's going to have stable policies in this state. They want someone who's going to push back against the chaos coming out of Washington, D.C. and I believe I am that candidate.

BLITZER: Before I let you go, Mayor, one final political related question. Democrat Stacey Abrams is reportedly considering another run for governor after losing back in 2018 and 2022. Have you spoken with her? And why should Democrats choose you instead of her?

BOTTOMS: Stacy and I have not spoken yet, but we were actually texting yesterday in our coordinating schedules, getting the opportunity to speak. Every election cycle is a new cycle, and I'm very appreciative for the work that Stacey has done in the state that's helped along with a number of other people who've been on the ground working to get us where we are.

[10:45:00]

But my decision to get in this race was not based upon who was in and who may get in and who's out. My decision was based on what I believe I can do to help fight for Georgians.

BLITZER: Keisha Lance Bottoms is the former mayor of Atlanta. Thanks so much for joining us.

BOTTOMS: Thank you.

BLITZER: And we'll be right back.

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BLITZER: Happening now, the next round of talks between the United States and Iran over its nuclear program is underway in Rome. Iran is expected to strongly object to the U.S. position that it must give up its uranium enrichment program. The foreign minister of Iran calling it a red line.

[10:50:00]

CNN's Senior International Correspondent Fred Pleitgen is joining us from Tehran where there is growing skepticism. Fred, the Iranian foreign minister, threw a lot of cold water on the prospect of a deal even before these latest talks began. What's the latest?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, he certainly did. And I think there's several things that the Iranians have said to have really angered them about the way the Trump administration basically has conducted themselves. And one of them was too much public messaging, they said, and then they said too much back-and-forth messaging about where exactly the Trump administration stands on this.

And you're absolutely right. The big issue for the Iranians is the Trump administration's stance on uranium enrichment. Of course, President Trump himself has not really said publicly where exactly he stands on it, but Steve Witkoff, his negotiator, has said that the U.S. does not want Iran to be allowed to enrich uranium.

The Iranians are saying that for them that is an absolute red line, and that's also something that the Iranian foreign minister said as he was going to these talks in Rome today. He publicly tweeted in a post on X saying, if there are no nuclear weapons. We have a deal. No uranium enrichment, he said, there is no deal. That's what it boils down to for the Iranians. The Iranians say.

But they do say that they are willing for much more verification on their part. Much more transparency as far as Iran's nuclear program is concerned. They, of course, are insisting, Wolf, and have always insisted that their nuclear program is for purely civilian purposes.

But there are two sources here in Tehran that I've spoken to who say they are growing ever more skeptical of these talks. And they say this latest round of talks for them is more to verify whether or not the Trump administration is serious about a deal than for any sort of breakthroughs they might expect, Wolf.

BLITZER: Any reaction, Fred, in Tehran, where you are, to these reports here in Washington that the Israelis are considering some sort of military operation to deal with Iran's nuclear program?

PLEITGEN: Yes, you know, lots of reactions actually, Wolf. In fact, the foreign minister himself, Abbas Araghchi, also -- he also posted on X that he's written a letter to the secretary general of the United Nations demanding that they take action against this. The Iranians saying that they took -- could take up measures to protect their nuclear facilities.

Here on the ground, people that we've spoken to also (INAUDIBLE) that there will be strong measures taken if indeed there was an attack from Israel, Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. Fred Pleitgen in Tehran for us. We'll stay in close touch with you. Thank you very much.

Coming up, a major test for us air travel as millions are heading to the airports for Memorial Day weekend. What you could expect as you kick off your summer travel. Stay with us. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:55:00]

BLITZER: It's Memorial Day weekend here in the United States. The unofficial start of summer and the first major travel holiday of the year. AAA projects more than 45 billion people will travel at least 50 miles from home this weekend, and that would be a record.

Meanwhile, Newark Airport is being put to the test right now. The FAA has limited the number of flights there after weeks of delays. CNN's Brynn Gingras is over at the Newark Liberty International Airport for us. Brynn, how are things looking there right now?

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Wolf. You know people entering New York airport, knocking on wood, hoping that their flight isn't delayed or canceled, and hopefully, they're not getting here and finding out it's canceled.

So, far so good. We actually moved to where all the big boards are, so you can get a check, a look at all the terminals A, B, and C here at Newark Airport. And you can see some delays, but really not much. Certainly not as much as we saw a couple weeks ago when Newark Airport was really getting bogged down with those technical failures, with the shortage and air traffic controllers, with the runway closed, all of those issues, as you mentioned, the FAA limiting the number of flights coming in and out of this airport.

Still, there were some travelers that we've met, that we've talked to that said they either decided that they were going to roll the dice or they even changed their flight to go to a different airport in this area of the tri-states. But here's some advice that we got from some travelers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GINGRAS: Any tips?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Airport bar. No. I would say don't keep checking your phone every two seconds. And whatever happens is going to happen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whatever happens. And get here early.

(END VIDEO CLIP) GINGRAS: Now, Wolf, you mentioned 45 million travelers just expected over this long holiday weekend. A majority of those are going to be hitting the roads, of course. Can't head to a bar in that case, but certainly, pack your patience. Wolf.

BLITZER: All right. Brynn Gingrass, thank you very much. And we'll be right back.

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