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The Situation Room

China Slams Castro Indictment as "Abuse of Judicial Process"; Some GOP Lawmakers Skeptical of $1.8B Fund for Trump Allies; Gas Prices Hit New Wartime High; Case Dropped Against Ex-School Official in Teacher Shooting. Aired 11:30-12p ET

Aired May 21, 2026 - 11:30   ET

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

[11:30:00]

DAVID AXELROD, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: -- to say as a -- in my current incarnation as an analyst on CNN, I think that -- all I will say is this was a huge and foolish distraction within the Democratic Party. We should point -- think that the majority of people who are listening to us right now and the majority of Americans give a rat's ass about the -- or the inter machinations of the Democratic Party, but among activists, it's a big issue.

The big issue by reversing himself and not releasing the report. And now, he's having to do the report anyway because predictably the report leaked. So, it wasn't exactly a triumph of leadership, I'll say that.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Important point. David Axelrod, thank you very, very much.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you so much, David. We appreciate it.

BLITZER: And coming up, a one-on-one interview with the Florida Republican Congressman, Byron Donalds. We'll get his take on the indictment of Cuba's Raul Castro.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:35:00]

BROWN: Happening now, China is criticizing the U.S. for bringing charges against former Cuban President Raul Castro. A foreign ministry spokesperson told reporters that China opposes the abuse of judicial process and that the U.S. needs to stop threatening Cuba with force. The Justice Department formally unsealed charges against Castro yesterday for his alleged role in the 1996 shootdown of two civilian aircraft that killed three Americans.

Joining us now is Republican Congressman Byron Donalds of Florida. He serves on the House Oversight Committee and is also running for the governor of the Sunshine State. Thank you so much for coming on, Congressman.

So, I know you support the Castro indictment, but do you think these charges could also be a pretext for military operations against Cuba, similar to what we saw in Venezuela?

REP. BYRON DONALDS (R-FL), OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE: Look, I don't want to go that far because there's still work to be done. Specific to the indictment, it is the right thing. It took way too long to get done, but thankful to President Trump and to the acting attorney general, Mr. Blanche, for bringing that forward.

I think it's important for the American people to understand that in 1996, there was a nonprofit mission called the Brothers to the Rescue. They were flying on their own dime using private planes to fly over the Straits of Florida to find Cubans who were fleeing Cuba. They were in rafts. They were on tires trying to swim across the Straits of Florida to get to freedom, to escape the totalitarian dictatorship of the Castro regime.

Raul Castro gave the order. Those two planes were shot down. Those two planes carried three Americans and one legal American resident. So, the grand jury is correct. The indictment is correct. We thank the Justice Department for coming forward, and so that's what we got to do. Considering the military action that's for the president to decide, not sure what those plans are going to be.

But let's make one thing perfectly clear, the Cuban regime is flat on its back because they don't have the oil from Venezuela. They don't have the support coming in from Russia like they used to. They're limited on resources, and what is clear is that that dictatorship would rather live high on the hog on the backs of the people of Cuba as opposed to opening up that country so it can be a free society.

BROWN: All right. I want to turn to another issue I know that you are tracking closely, and that is what the Justice Department is doing with this anti-weaponization fund. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche declined to rule out that individuals convicted of assaulting law enforcement on January 6, 2021, will be able to get money from this $1.8 billion fund. Where do you stand on that?

DONALDS: Well, first, let's be very clear. Understand that there were many people that the Biden Justice Department overcharged with respect to what happened on January 6. That is a fact. That's what happened if you look at some of the trials that were conducted during that time period. Number two, that fund, as I understand it, is open to anybody, Republican or Democrat, independent, no matter what your political viewpoints are.

If you were subject to a weaponized prosecution by the federal government, then that fund is available in order to make the necessary payments, quite frankly, for pain and suffering and mental anguish, with your government choosing to persecute you for political purposes. And that list is way long. We can go back to Lois Lerner back in 2014, when that IRS under the Obama administration was targeting Tea Party groups.

So, I think this is a fund that, quite frankly, is long overdue. If you're an American who was prosecuted by this government for political purposes and gone after by this government for political purposes, there should be some ability to compensate you for that. BROWN: Yes. But as you know, people have pointed out that this is primarily going to benefit Trump allies. And to be clear, congressmen, yes or no, should individuals convicted for violence against law enforcement, law enforcement that continues to protect you on a daily basis as a member of Congress, be eligible for compensation from the federal government? Yes or no on that?

DONALDS: Well, no, it's more detailed than that. You're just saying yes or no.

BROWN: How is it? No, they're convicted of attacking a police officer.

DONALDS: Here's why -- and let me explain why. Because if the Justice Department official overcharges in that case, if they decide to then go and do other prosecutions for political purposes, and let's be very clear, that is what the Biden Justice Department was doing, then that, in my view, is not following the equal justice under the law, which is the law of the land here in our country. So, under those circumstances, then yes, this fund like this should be utilized.

[11:40:00]

BROWN: So, you're not ruling this out either, that those convicted of attacking a police officer could be compensated? You're not ruling out that that could -- that should be a possibility? Just to be clear.

DONALDS: Look, I think that's something where you -- hold on, that's something where you have to actually watch the operations of this fund and what moves forward. What you're trying to do is make an assertion where it doesn't even exist today, and that's what you're doing. So, don't come in with a leading question trying to make an assertion that doesn't exist because you're trying to make it a political question.

Let's be fundamentally clear that there have been instances in the history of this country where our government has gone after our people based upon political means. They have overcharged, and it's not even if they brought charges, reckless investigations, trying to bring the abuse of Justice Department officials or other law enforcement officials against the American people.

We can talk about what happened with Michael Flynn, the fact that he was persecuted by this government under the phony Russia collusion scandal, which we all know now is fake and phony. What about him? What about the money he had to put out for his attorneys? What about the anguish on his family? These are the real-life situations that do happen to the American people.

So, what I would say is let's not cheapen it and weaponize it just because we're trying to make a political point. Let's take a step back and understand that we have to have a federal government and a Department of Justice that looks at the law plainly and clearly and does not weaponize it for political means.

BROWN: All right. And I wanted to give you a chance to give your perspective here, but just to be clear, this isn't anything I'm doing. I am a vehicle for what people in your own party, the concerns that they're expressing. You have several Republicans on the Senate side, and also you have on the House side who -- concerns coming from them about who could receive this money, including the January 6th rioters.

In fact, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is meeting with some of them because of those concerns. You are a fiscal conservative, and you're running, as such, for governor of Florida. Is it a fiscally responsible decision for the Trump administration to launch this $1.1 billion fund when Americans, and Floridians in particular, are struggling with high gas prices?

DONALDS: Well, you're conflating issues. Number one, if you want to talk gas --

BROWN: No, I'm not.

DONALDS: Yes, you are.

BROWN: I am not conflating issues. I'm a vehicle for the concerns that come from everyday Americans.

DONALDS: Let's be very clear about gas prices. The reason why oil prices are high on the world market is because the Iranian regime, once again, a theocratic dictatorship, is wanting to force a straight close because they would rather foment terror and have nuclear weapons, and they want to put pressure on the West through oil prices. That's why gas prices are high. That's not because of economic policy in the United States. That's because of the Iranian regime's death grip on power. That's a very different situation than the funds you want to talk about.

BROWN: President Trump launched this war, and then the Iranians shut down the Strait of Hormuz. That is an accurate statement, correct?

DONALDS: You just said what I just said. The Iranians shut down the Strait of Hormuz. Why did they do that? They shut it down because they are trying to inflict economic pain on the rest of the world because they would rather have a nuclear weapon. They would rather put those nuclear weapons on the tips of their ballistic missile systems, which, by the way, they lied to the world. Those ballistic missile systems can go 4,000 kilometers, reaching our allies in Europe, reaching American bases overseas, and they are so hell-bent on having that, they would rather inflict pain on the world when it comes to oil prices. I don't want to see high oil prices.

BROWN: No question. Iran wants to inflict pain.

DONALDS: But let's be very clear. The false lies with the Iranian regime, not with the president of the United States.

BROWN: OK. You can make that argument, but let me follow up on that.

DONALDS: It's not an argument. It is an empirical fact. It is not an argument.

BROWN: It is also -- DONALDS: It is what is happening on the ground.

BROWN: -- a fact that the U.S. and Israel launched the war, and then the Strait of Hormuz became an issue. So, President Trump was asked about this and said, as you're negotiating, should you factor in, is it weighing on you, Americans' financial situation, such as the gas prices? And he said, quote, "I don't think about Americans' financial situation." He later doubled down on that comment, calling it a, quote, "perfect statement. I'd make it again." Do you agree with that?

DONALDS: I think when the president is trying to figure out how to bring this Iranian conflict to an end, he is thinking about making sure that the Iranians do not have a nuclear weapon. And let's be very clear. The president is well aware that the Iranians closed the strait to rise oil prices on the world because they're using it as an economic weapon against the people of America and, quite frankly, the people of Europe as well.

So, when he's having to negotiate, he's got to play hardball with people who do not care about your rights, who do not care about your fundamental liberties, who only care about a radical, theocratic, sharia-law-driven regime that does not care about women, does not care about anybody else except what they feel that they want.

And so, when you're dealing with somebody like that, you've got to play hardball. You can't do model U.N. negotiations because that's how you get beat at the negotiating table.

[11:45:00]

Quite frankly, that's how former President Obama got beat at the negotiating table when they sent $150 billion in cash to the Iranians in the dead of night --

BROWN: OK. Let me just follow up with you.

DONALDS: -- the Iranians said that they weren't going to do anything, and look at what they did. They enriched uranium.

BROWN: Let me follow up with you, Congressman.

DONALDS: You know it and I know it.

BROWN: As you know, these two things are not mutually exclusive. The Iran war and American financial situation. Right now, gas is over $4 in every single state. Before the war, it was $2.98 per gallon. What are you telling your constituents in Florida who are really concerned and who are hurting because of the prices at the pump and elsewhere?

DONALDS: What we say is this is a temporary situation, because it is. When this conflict comes to a close, the Straits will be back open. But when the Straits are back open, global oil prices will tumble, and they will see that relief at the --

BROWN: But it will take a while. This isn't an overnight fix. DONALDS: Hold on. That's actually not true. Once ships are actually allowed to move through the Straits freely, you will see the future price on oil tumble in the overnight markets. That's what will happen. And then when the future price plummets, you will see that show up in gas pumps. They'll go right back down to $3 like they were before.

One other thing that we should add into this conversation. The reason why gas prices were plummeting in this country is because of Donald Trump's economic policies. They actually brought those gas prices down because we already remember what happened under the previous administration. Prices across the board in the United States were up radically because of terrible Democrat economic policy. So, that's the actual fact basis that we need to have this conversation on.

BROWN: And there was also the Ukrainian war as well then.

DONALDS: I want this conflict to come to an end as well. I want this conflict to come to an end like everybody else does, but it has to be done appropriately. The Iranians cannot have a nuclear weapon, period, full stop.

BROWN: All right. And to be clear, we've spoken to many economists on this, and they're not all in agreement on everything that you laid out, and they say that gas prices rise a lot quicker than they come down. So, we'll have to wait and see how this plays out, but Congressman Byron Donalds, thank you for your time. We'll be right back.

DONALDS: Thank you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:50:00]

BLITZER: Breaking news, a judge has dismissed criminal charges against a former assistant principal who faced multiple counts for a shooting at her school. Ebony Parker was accused of ignoring warnings that a six-year-old student at that school had a gun before he shot and injured his teacher back in 2023.

BROWN: CNN's Brian Todd has been closely following this case. He joins us here in the Situation Room. So, you covered the shooting when it happened. Walk us through how we got to this point, Brian.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Guys, this is an extraordinary, dramatic ending to an unprecedented case. As Wolf and Pamela just mentioned just moments ago, Virginia Circuit Judge Rebecca Robinson dismissed the case against former Richneck Elementary School assistant principal Ebony Parker that came after the defense had made the argument that the prosecution basically had not made its case. The judge essentially agreeing with the defense there. Here's a quote from Judge Robinson. Quote, "The court is of the legal opinion that this is not a crime," end quote. Here is the moment in court when the judge announced the case and Ebony Parker's response to that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All eight counts of felony child abuse and endangerment under indictment CR with indictment number 24999541- 01208. So, those matters are dismissed. I want to add my ruling today is based upon legal principles only. It is inappropriate for me to give my personal thoughts or express sympathy or concern, but it's understanding what happened that day was awful, that can't be agreed upon by all. The criminal matter before me does not call for me --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TODD: And an official familiar with the case telling CNN that this case was dismissed with prejudice, that means that it cannot be brought to trial again. Ebony Parker had faced eight counts of felony child abuse and disregard for human life, eight counts, one count for each bullet that was in the child's gum that day. She had faced up to five years in prison on each count. The prosecution in this case had called 16 witnesses, including educators, law enforcement officers, and parents.

Several educators testified that they told Parker about suspicions they had that day that the child had a firearm at school and that basically she ignored them. According to testimony, she directed one educator to search the child's backpack that day before the shooting, but she recommended against searching his person until his parents came to school. That was a critical decision, guys, because shortly after she made that call, the shooting occurred. But again, none of this constitutes a crime, according to Judge Rebecca Robinson. Pretty dramatic.

BLITZER: All right. Brian Todd, very dramatic indeed. And we'll be right back.

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[11:55:00]

BROWN: Happening now, it is graduation season. Students across the country are celebrating as they cross the stage and turn their tassels.

BROWN: Yesterday, I had the honor, great honor, of speaking to graduates at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, also known as CICE. My alma mater, I graduated from the school back in 1972 before my journalism journey began. CNN founder Ted Turner was a huge part of that journey. He recently passed away, so I wanted to honor him during my commencement address and share the lessons he taught me along the way.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: He was truly an amazing man who not only changed my life by giving me this most incredible opportunity, but he also changed the world. He helped make it a better place. People around him were naysayers. All the time they were telling him, you can't do that, you can't do that. When people said it couldn't be done, Ted would not take no for an answer. So, my message and challenge to you today, all of you are very smart and informed people in international relations, is to continue to prove the naysayers wrong and to show that Ted was right. Take advantage of everything you have learned here at CICE and go out and make some positive change around the world. And don't be shy. Go for your dreams and make it happen. That's what I did and it's worked out. The world, and I say this honestly, the world needs you now. When the odds say no, say yes and go for it. Be like Ted. So, so important.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: After delivering the commencement address, I had the honor of shaking hands with all 600 graduates. And I also received an honorary doctorate from Johns Hopkins University, the school's highest recognition. But don't worry, you don't have to call me Dr. Blitzer Wolf, Pamela. It's just fine.

BROWN: Yes, I was wondering that. OK, we can still call you Wolf. Good to know. Well, congrats on that.

BLITZER: Thank you very much.

BROWN: And I was so honored to be in California to receive a Gracie Award earlier this week for my coverage of the devastating Texas floods last summer. The award is presented by the Alliance for Women in Media. And I was so inspired to be in that room with so many accomplished women in the entertainment and journalism worlds, including my CNN colleagues, Abby Phillips, Susan Chun, and Haley Thomas. The awards belong to the people who led us into their lives, oftentimes at the worst moments of their own. Here's some of my speech.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Word right here. It really belongs to the people of the Hill Country in Texas who opened up their hearts to us to tell their stories in their darkest hours, in their most vulnerable moments in their lives. I'll never forget interviewing one woman. She was covered in mud from head to toe. And she was so emotional because she had lost so many people in the floods. And I felt such a privilege to be there and to receive her story and to be a vessel for that story.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: So, it's true. We were just a vehicle for the stories of those devastated by the floods. And the award really belongs to them, especially those little girls who died at Camp Mystic and the Heaven's 27 families. I am so grateful to their families who have joined us on this show to keep their memories alive and the fight to ensure something like this never happens --

[12:00:00]