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Gas Prices Rise to $3.91 Per Gallon; Ex-TSA Official Fears Terrorists Could Exploit Long Wait Times; Iran Executes Men in First Public Hangings. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired March 20, 2026 - 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: Happening now, the price of gas is up nearly $1 from just a month ago. You see it right here on the screen. According to AAA, the national average price for a gallon of gas this morning is $3.91.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Wow. And Goldman Sachs is now warning that higher oil prices could last all the way through 2027. This comes as mortgage rates have ticked back up to a three-month high as well. And as America's top economist says, he has no idea what's happening with the U.S. economy.

BROWN: All right. So, let's go live now to CNN Business Senior Reporter David Goldman to make it make sense. All right. David, today's question, are we headed for a recession?

DAVID GOLDMAN, CNN BUSINESS SENIOR REPORTER: Well, I don't know and I don't think anyone who says that they know is being honest with you. But here's what we do know. We know that it's getting harder to afford things in this country. And it's getting harder for people to pay down the balances on their loans.

So, I want you to take a look at this because there is a lot of delinquency happening in this country. That means that you're late 90 days or more on your balances. And you can see that it's not just credit cards, it's those student loans that we all started owing again, you know, just a year and a half ago.

And auto loans is the one I really want you to pay attention to because that is the last thing that people give up in the United States. You need your car to get to work. You need it to get your groceries. You need it to take your kids around. That is expense. People are not willing to give up. And if they're more than 90 days late on their car loans, it means that they could have that repossessed. And that means that people are starting to get a little bit desperate.

So, when we look at loans, it's not just what the loan, you know, the balance on the loan, but it's what kind of loan that tells you a lot about what's going on in the economy.

BLITZER: Good point, David. There's also a new report out this week by the Century Foundation, and it says that Americans owe more credit card debt today than at any point in history and that more Americans are falling behind on payments at a rate not seen since the aftermath of the Great Recession back in the 1930s. Why is America's debt problem getting worse and worse and worse?

GOLDMAN: Well, there's a few reasons for it. I mean, first of all, when you look at the just sheer volume of it, about 40 percent of people say that they can't make it work. They can't afford their balance. And that's because credit card loans are some of the most expensive loans that exist in the world. 22 percent is the average rate that you need to pay on your credit card.

If you think about the average loan balance that you have, it's around $6,800, $6,700. So, let's just say you paid a minimum balance of $150 every single month, it's going to take you eight years to pay back that $6,700 balance. And you're going to pay $7,400 in interest to the bank. So, that's on top of the principle.

BROWN: And of course, this is -- we're getting near tax time here, David. President Trump has repeatedly promised that Americans will get larger tax refunds this year, thanks to his big, beautiful bill that he called that. How will the Iran war have an impact on American's tax returns?

GOLDMAN: Well, the average increased tax return we're looking at around $350. So far, that could go up as we get closer to April 15th. But just with the $4 gas that we're paying right now or around $4 for many Americans, that's going to increase your costs if that lasts for six months by $700, according to Moody's. And so, that basically wipes out any gain that you're getting from that tax, that tax refund, the extra tax refund that you got from the big, beautiful bill. That's why so many people are having so much pain right now.

BROWN: David Goldman, thank you so much. And if you, the viewer, would like David to help you make it make sense, just email us your questions or a video of your questions at make it make sense at cnn.com.

BLITZER: Yes, good idea. And just ahead, Pamela, TSA workers on the job, but not getting paid while also dealing with very frustrated passengers. Up next, we'll speak to a TSA union president in Chicago about how his colleagues are doing and what he thinks it will take to get this mess settled. Stay with us. Lots going on. You're in the Situation Room.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:35:00]

BROWN: Happening now, long wait times at airports across the country could pose security risk for travelers. That's according to a former head of the TSA who told this to CNN today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN PISTOLE, FORMER TSA ADMINISTRATOR: From the standpoint of a suicide bomber or a shooter who wants to go in and just shoot up the area of the airport where people have these long queues. So, it's a double problem.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Let's discuss this and more with TSA officer Darrell English. He is the president of the union that represents TSA workers at Chicago's O'Hare and Midway airports. Darrell, thanks for being here.

[10:40:00]

I know this is such a tough time for you and your colleagues. How is the stress of this partial shutdown impacting you and your workers?

DARRELL ENGLISH, TSA OFFICER AND PRESIDENT OF UNION REPRESENTING CHICAGO TSA WORKERS: It's impacting the workers here in our airports very drastically. I've been with TSA for over 21 years. And this is the worst I've seen officer's morale been since I've been with TSA. Officers are now faced with foreclosures, for losing their custody of their children and also for evictions. So, this is something that's never happened on a wide scale that we're facing today.

BROWN: There have been past shutdowns. Why is this one having such a dramatic impact compared to past ones?

ENGLISH: This is having more of an impact because we just, in October, faced the same situation in October. Officers had to lean into their retirement pensions, had to find a second job, face disciplinary actions with their employer. And so, just getting over that hump and still having problems with that, now we run into another one.

They can't go back into their TSP to get another loan because they're locked out of it now. The eviction notices that was -- or the legacy they gave them before, landlords and property owners are not giving them a second chance now because they gave them that one before. So, now it's a more drastic situation that these officers are in. And it could become more of a detrimental for the agency if it's not corrected.

BROWN: And Homeland Security says more than 10 percent of TSA agents didn't show up to work on Wednesday. Where you are right now, tell us more about how the shutdown is affecting travelers who are arriving there at airports in the Chicago area.

ENGLISH: Well, travelers here in the Chicago area are still very patient. The lines have increased. It's not as bad as the other areas, but I can guarantee you that as this goes on, it will be just as bad as the other areas. Up and coming as we have people at the beginning of the month, they have their rent that's due. Those that have mortgages are due. All those things are due at the beginning of the month.

And this will be the second month that TSA officers will be unable to pay those critical bills. And I can guarantee you again that there will be more call-offs in the future in the Chicagoland area.

BROWN: Well, and this is all coinciding with spring break, right? A lot of people are traveling right now. You heard that warning from the former head of TSA. How concerned are you that these shorting staffages and the lines we're seeing could harm security in the airport and in the skies?

ENGLISH: Well, whenever you have a loss of staffing with TSA, there's always securities concern. So, I can understand exactly what they're talking about, because when you're losing, when you don't have the staffing you need, you leave holes in your security. So, this is another importance that we need to face and realize where we're at as a flying public. The airlines depend on TSA and we depend on them.

So, when we have these situations, especially today, like they have with TSA, it is a drastic concern because those lines will get longer and those officers that would like to be at TSA to work don't have the resources to get to work.

BROWN: What is your message to Congress, Darrell?

ENGLISH: Well, I would love for the Congress people to get together to come up with some conclusion or resolution to this. TSA should not be the middle ground or ponding piece to be able to negotiate something that fundamentally should be something that should be the main focus of this government. We have a war that's happening in the Middle East. These things should not even be on the table as far as security. So, our main concern is to get this open, get officers paid, and back on the job.

BROWN: Darrell English, thank you so much. Best of luck.

ENGLISH: Thank you.

BLITZER: And thanks from me as well. Coming up, Cuba going dark. Just how far should the Trump administration go to oppose the regime in the country? I'll speak with Republican Congressman Carlos Gimenez. He's standing by live. You're in the Situation Room.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:45:00]

BLITZER: We're following news that Iran has executed three men, including a 19-year-old wrestler, in connection with nationwide protests that took place in January. Human rights groups describe their trials as shams, and the hangings are thought to be the first carried out in public by Iran in relation to the protests. President Trump had previously warned Iran against such hanging executions.

Joining us now to discuss this and more, Republican Congressman Carlos Gimenez of Florida. He serves on the House Armed Services Committee as well as the House Homeland Security Committee. Congressman, thanks so much for joining us. Do you think President Trump should take any direct action to punish Iran for these executions?

REP. CARLOS GIMENEZ (R-FL), ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE AND HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE: Well, he warned Iran that he was going to do something about that if Iran did just what they just did. And I think you've got to carry out your threats. I mean, if not, they're empty threats. And so, yes, I do think that the president has to do something about this, especially since it's so public.

I mean, we know that the Iranian regime, we think that the Iranian regime may have killed up to 50,000 people during those protests. People simply asking for regime change, people simply asking for freedom. And that's what this Iranian regime does. And that's why it's so dangerous. It's dangerous to its own people. It's dangerous to the Middle East. And it's dangerous to the rest of the world.

[10:50:00]

BLITZER: And I think we have a picture of the 19-year-old Iranian Olympic wrestler, his name is Saleh Mohammadi. Yes, there he is over there. And it's just so, so sad that someone who simply protests a little bit gets executed in a public hanging by the Iranian regime. It's just awful.

As you know, Congressman, President Trump is now expected to ask Congress to spend as much as an extra $200 billion to fund the Iran war in the coming weeks. Do you plan on granting that request?

GIMENEZ: I've got to see what the request is all about -- you know, what it's going to. But, you know, I'm inclined to vote for it, because we have to finish this war off. I mean, we have to finish this regime. Look what they just did. And that's just a small fraction of the people they've actually killed. This regime has to go. And so, I support the efforts of the president.

I know that the president is looking at, you know, decapitating the ability of Iran to have a nuclear weapon and to debilitate it militarily. The Israelis are more intent, I think, on decapitating the regime. I think that we've got to get both done in order to have a secure world.

BLITZER: Yes. I think you're right on the Israeli versus the U.S. ultimate ambitions right now.

GIMENEZ: Yes.

BLITZER: On Cuba, another very sensitive issue, obviously very close to South Florida and Miami, especially the island nation of Cuba is preparing to receive its first shipment of Russian oil this year, even though the U.S. Treasury Department has said Cuba won't be allowed to take deliveries of Russian crude. What would you like to see the Trump administration do about this?

GIMENEZ: Maximum pressure. Keep doing what they're doing. Every day, the protests in Cuba grow louder and louder. I'd also like to see the president issue a warning to the Cuban regime that he's not going to tolerate wholesale slaughter of the Cuban people in order for them to stay in power, which is what they do. They -- whenever they have -- look, back in 2021, July 11th, we had, you know, these massive demonstrations across Cuba. The Cuban regime went down, cracked down on folks, killed hundreds, and then imprisoned over 1,400 -- they have 1,400 political prisoners right now. The Cuban people just want freedom like everybody else. I mean, they're demanding it. The Cuban government is a failed government. They can't provide electricity, food, medicine, basic necessities. This is what communism does. You know, it always brings down -- it brings a country to its knees. And this regime is at its weakest point it's been in its entire history. Just keep the pressure on. The Cuban people are starting to rise up.

But then again, like I said, you know, it should have some kind of a warning from the president not to take oppressive action against its own people.

BLITZER: We'll see what happens on that front. There's a huge, as we all know, Cuban-American community in South Florida, especially in Miami. And you know that community well. What are you hearing from Cuban-Americans where you live, Congressman? What do they want the Trump administration to do?

GIMENEZ: They want -- look, the Cubans here -- I mean, I'm Cuban- American. I was born in Cuba, all right? We've always felt that Cuba was a threat to the national security of the United States and also that the only reason that that communist regime stayed in power was through its own power and abuse of power. And we would have loved the United States to take a little bit more aggressive action, but we understood why it did not.

But right now, the Cuban people are starting to rise. The right policies are in place, which is maximum pressure. Continue with maximum pressure. This regime cannot stand on its own. It's always going to need help from the outside, like it did with Venezuela or Russia or China. It's always -- you know, because it can't provide for its own people without subsidies, like the secretary of state said.

And so, right now, if we deny those subsidies from the outside world, I think that the regime will collapse on its own. And then Cuba will finally be able to move on to a free and democratic Cuba, a Cuba that is not a threat to the United States and a Cuba that can be rebuilt. It once was the crown jewel of the Caribbean. It once had the second highest standard of living in the Western Hemisphere, and look what it is now. Its standard of living is actually below that of Haiti.

BLITZER: Wow. Congressman Carlos Gimenez of Florida, thanks so much for joining us. We'll continue this conversation down the road, to be sure.

GIMENEZ: Thank you. Thank you, Wolf. Have a good one.

BLITZER: And thank you. And coming up in our next hour, we'll speak to the attorney for Liam Canejo Ramos, the family, as they fight to stay in the United States. Stay with us. Much more news coming up after a short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:55:00] BROWN: Dire warning: oil and gas prices are still trending in the wrong direction as a new wave of strikes across the Persian Gulf since energy prices on the rise, and now analysts are warning those rising costs, well, they could be here to stay for a while.

BLITZER: Plus, travel trouble. Frustrated and desperate flyers also finding themselves stuck as security lines stretch on and on and on. And now, the transportation secretary has a new warning about the funding fight that has so many TSA workers calling out sick.

Welcome to 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.

[11:00:00]