Good morning, everyone. I'm Megan Kelly. It's Wednesday, May 6th, 2026, and this is your AM Update. I'll be filling in for Caroline today, obviously. So I'll have a brief remarks here, and then we'll get to your questions. Secretary of State Marco Rubio adding another job to his resume, White House Press Secretary. So, are you going to run for president? Who knows? Florida Governor Ron DeSantis appearing to lay the groundwork for another White House run. A top Democrat fundraiser threatening legal action after an outlet reports on her Veterans Day tribute to her grandpa. We'll explain the problem. And dozens of passengers and crew stranded on board a cruise ship amid a deadly virus outbreak. All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM Update. What does it feel like when your clothes actually feel good? This spring, Cozy Earth makes a strong case that what you wear at home matters just as much as what you wear outside of the house. Maybe more. 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Secretary of State Marco Rubio stepping behind the White House lectern yesterday, adding press secretary to his already crowded resume, filling in for Caroline Levitt while she's out on maternity leave. Most of the briefing focusing on Project Freedom, the now-paused U.S. effort to safely guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz. The secretary telling reporters the war, meaning Operation Epic Fury, is over, its goals having been met, and that Project Freedom is a separate mission to rescue thousands of stranded seafarers aboard vessels trapped in the strait. Throughout Project Freedom, which began Monday morning local time, Iran attacking U.S. ships, which caused the U.S. military to sink at least seven Iranian vessels in what the Secretary described as purely defensive actions, Iran retaliating with missile attacks on U.S. ally the United Arab Emirates, all of which was jeopardizing the ceasefire. Just two ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz under Project Freedom, which seems to have ended almost as soon as it began. Hours after Secretary Rubio's briefing, President Trump posting to Truth Social, quote, The fact that great progress has been made toward a complete and final agreement with representatives of Iran, we have mutually agreed that while the blockade of Iranian ports will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the agreement can be finalized and signed. The timeline on reaching an agreement is unclear. Nor is it clear what the president means about the great progress allegedly being made toward a final agreement with Iran. Iranian President Masoud Pazeshkian saying the U.S. expects Tehran to submit to its unilateral demands, which he says is, quote, impossible. Back in the briefing room, Secretary Rubio asked about the political fallout of rising gas prices, now hitting $4.48 a gallon, according to AAA. If Iran had a nuclear weapon and they decided to close the straits and make our gas prices like $9 a gallon or $8 a gallon, we wouldn't be able to do anything about it because they have a nuclear weapon. And a nuclear-armed Iran could do whatever the hell they want with the straits, and there's nothing anyone would be able to do about it. And that's one of the many reasons, apart from like the massive loss of life in a nuclear strike, why Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. Elsewhere in the briefing, Secretary Rubio pressed on his upcoming meeting with Pope Leo XIV, set for Thursday. The planned sit-down following a brief but public flare-up last month, President Trump criticizing the pontiff, who had criticized Mr. Trump's war against Iran, as being, quote, weak on crime and terrible on foreign policy claiming Pope Leo would be okay with Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon Last month Pope Leo attempting to decrease tensions saying he not interested in debating the Trump administration Yesterday, however, the Pope responding to President Trump's comments, reiterating the Catholic Church's longstanding opposition to nuclear weapons. Secretary Rubio, a devout Catholic, was asked whether this meeting is in response to tensions between the two leaders. No, I mean, it's a trip we had planned from before, and obviously we had some stuff that happened. No, look, there's a lot to talk about with the Vatican. I'll give you one example. The Pope just returned from a trip to Africa, where the church is growing very vibrantly. And we have shared concerns about religious freedom, religious freedom in different parts of the world. We'd love to talk to them about that. The topic of Cuba. You know, we gave Cuba $6 million of humanitarian aid, but obviously they won't let us distribute it. We distributed it through the church. We'd like to do more. We're willing to give more humanitarian aid to Cuba, by the way, distribute it through the church, but the Cuban regime has to allow us to do it. They won't allow us to give their own people more humanitarian aid. And we're willing to do it through the church. So there's a lot to talk about. Florida Governor Republican Ron DeSantis on Monday not ruling out another run for the White House. The governor appearing at the Milken Institute Global Conference, a leadership summit in Los Angeles, asked point blank by moderator Charles Gasparino. So are you going to run for president? Who knows? Like, you never know. I'm 40, I'm in my mid-40s, 28, you know, maybe beyond that. I think that there's a lot of runway. I think what I will be able to say just from our party, Republican Party, is who took a state that had more Democrats than Republicans by 300,000 when he got elected and now has 1.5 million more Republicans? Who had a state that had a trillion-dollar economy, now has 1.8 trillion dollars? who as a state that had some school choice, now universal, 50-year low in the crime rate. So we've got a good story to tell. Governor DeSantis also scheduled to headline the New York Republican Party's May 19th annual gala at the Plaza Hotel in Manhattan, another sign he's laying early groundwork for a potential 2028 bid. Following November's midterms, the question of who leads the Republican Party next is expected to take center stage, with several big names already in contention. Governor DeSantis set to leave the Florida Statehouse in January 2027, one full year before the presidential primaries begin. The New York Post citing a Republican insider saying, quote, it's not been a secret, he's running. Another GOP operative telling the Post, quote, I think DeSantis totally thinks he can win. He'd be top two in Iowa for sure. Governor DeSantis, a former congressman rising to national prominence during the COVID pandemic, positioning Florida as a model of maximum freedom, reopening schools and businesses earlier than many states still gripped by lockdowns and restrictions. On that momentum, he launched a presidential primary bid, casting himself as a disciplined, results-driven, conservative alternative to President Trump. But when primary voting began, DeSantis failing to break through. A glitchy campaign launch on an ex-livestream and his stilted nature on the campaign trail not helping. Mr. DeSantis trailing in Iowa by 30 points, leading him to drop out and endorse Donald Trump. Despite a bitter early primary season, President Trump publicly praising the governor multiple times since retaking office, here to March shout outs from the White House. Mr. President, do you see a role for Ron DeSantis in the administration? Do you see a role for Ron DeSantis after his term? I don't know, but I would certainly consider him. I think he's doing a good job. Ron DeSantis has been working very hard with us and wherever you may be, Ron. Hi, Ron. and has some great ideas and some great coaches that gave him some great ideas. President Trump coming a long way from the desanctimonious nickname. However, not all on Team Trump appear willing to move on from 2024. A longtime Trump operative telling The Post, quote, Team Trump is chomping at the bit to destroy DeSantis one more time. The Real Clear Politics polling average showing DeSantis facing an uphill battle. Vice President J.D. Vance leading the pack with an average of 45.5 points. Donald Trump Jr. in second with 14.8 points. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in third with 14 points. Governor DeSantis in fourth right now with 7.5. Everyone else trailing in the low single digits. Coming up, a Democrat female fundraiser threatening legal action against an online outlet over its reporting on a Veterans Day tribute to her grandpa. What gives? And dozens of people stranded on board a cruise ship amid a deadly virus outbreak When there are supply constraints on commodities, prices surge. You see it with fuel prices, with everything happening in the Strait of Hormuz right now. And you know what else is a limited commodity? Gold. They mine it out of the ground. And when it's gone, it's gone. Governments cannot just print more of it. And that's why everyone from central banks to savvy savers consider diversifying with gold. If you've been thinking about it for years, like so many, but have still never moved some of your savings into physical gold, consider Birch Gold Group. Now through May 29th, Birch Gold is giving first-time gold buyers a rebate of up to $10,000 on qualifying purchases. For details and a free information kit on diversifying into gold, text MK to the number 989898. Birch Gold can help you convert an existing IRA or 401k into a tax-sheltered IRA in physical gold. Text MK to the number 989898 to see if you qualify for a first-time gold buyer rebate of up to $10,000. A prominent Democrat fundraiser and trial attorney in Michigan threatening legal action against the Washington Free Beacon over its reporting on a Veterans Day Facebook post honoring her grandpa. who she freely admits fought for the Nazis. Kelly Newman, demanding the outlet retract its January 2026 article headlined, quote, meet the proud Nazi spawn raising money for Democrats. Her now-deleted post dated November 11th, 2024, starting out fairly normal, quote, happy Veterans Day to all my family and friends who serve or served. Without you, America would not be here today. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Okay, not bad. But then it goes on, quote, Interesting story. I do not talk about it much, but my grandfather, Albert Newman, was on the German side in World War I and World War II. Oh, you don't say. It continues, quote, He escaped to Brazil with my father after Germany lost in World War II and then made their way to Detroit, where they spoke no English and worked their way up to provide a stable life for their family. The classic American story, a former Nazi hanging out in Motown. But wait, there's more. Quote, my grandfather was one of my best friends. He was one of the first people in my life that accepted me as gay when I was nervous and scared. I'll never forget him embracing me and loving me for who I am. His story is a true testament that people can change and love can win. A tolerant Nazi? Accompanying the post, multiple vintage photos of Grandpa, dressed in what appears to be a Nazi officer's uniform. Across the front of his cap, the Nazi eagle, wings extended, claws clutching, you guessed it, a swastika. The Free Beacon reporting Kelly Newman serves as co-chair of Democrat U.S. Senate candidate Mallory McMorrow's finance committee, holding multiple fundraisers for her. McMorrow's campaign declining to respond to the Free Beacon's request for comment. Newman's social media pages show her frequently photographed with high-ranking Dems, including former President Joe Biden, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. In her professional capacity, Newman runs the Newman Law Group, specializing in personal injury cases and, in some ads, seeking out new clients who may have been injured by ICE agents. Newman's own lawyer, Eugenie Erdly, reportedly sending a letter to the Free Beacon demanding a formal retraction of the article, referring to one of its statements as, quote, false and defamatory. The outlet responding, quote, Eardley accuses the Free Beacon of describing Newman's grandfather as a member of the Schutzdafel, the Nazi paramilitary group that played a central role in the Holocaust. That's false. We described him as a former Nazi soldier who fought for Hitler, which is true. Erdly reportedly providing the Free Beacon with records from a German military institute confirming her grandpa served in the Wehrmacht, meaning the Unified Armed Forces of Germany, during the Nazi regime. The letter did not contain evidence regarding Grandpa Newman's party affiliation. One could serve in the Nazi army without being formally registered in the Nazi political party. Erdly going a step further, accusing the Free Beacon of invading her client, Ms Newman privacy for reporting on her public Facebook post arguing she had made it quote in her private capacity as a granddaughter Good luck making that case Newman A nightmare scenario for about 150 passengers and crew including 17 Americans stranded on a cruise ship off the coast of West Africa after a deadly Hantavirus outbreak. Three passengers dying so far and several more believed to be infected. Hantavirus spreads primarily through contact with infected rodent waste. In rare cases, particularly with the strains suspected here, it can pass between humans. The virus drawing national attention last year after Betsy Arakawa, wife of actor Jean Hackman, died from a hantavirus infection at her home in New Mexico. It causes flu-like symptoms and carries a fatality rate of about 40%. With no known cure, treatment focuses on managing symptoms. That's the concern on the Dutch-flagged ship MV Handias, which departed early last month on a weeks-long expedition, stopping in, quote, remote and ecologically diverse parts of the Atlantic Ocean, offering passengers the opportunity to explore some of the most isolated ecosystems on the planet. On April 6th, a 70-year-old Dutchman developing fever, headache, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, Days later, on April 11th, he died on board of respiratory distress, according to the World Health Organization, or WHO. His 69-year-old wife then transported to South Africa on April 26th, where she collapsed at the airport, later dying at a nearby hospital. She tested positive for hantavirus. Her husband's status never officially confirmed. Dr. Maria von Kirchhoff, director of Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness at the WHO, speaking at a press conference yesterday addressing the suspected origin of the outbreak. The initial case and his wife, they joined the boat in Argentina. And with the timing of the incubation period of Hantavirus, which can be anywhere from one to six weeks, our assumption is that they were infected off the ship, perhaps doing some activities there. This was an expedition boat and many of the people on board were doing birdwatching. They were doing a lot of things with wildlife. So our assumption is they were infected off the boat and then joined the crews. We do believe that there may be some human-to-human transmission that's happening among the really close contacts, the husband and wife, people who've shared cabins, etc. So that's why we are operating and working with the ship to make sure that anyone who is symptomatic, you know, anyone caring for patients is wearing full personal protective equipment. A third victim, a German National died on board the ship on Sunday. Her cause of death remains unconfirmed but is being treated as suspected hantavirus. One passenger evacuated from the ship on April 27, becoming the second confirmed case after testing at a medical facility in Johannesburg. Oceanwide Expeditions, the company operating the cruise, releasing a statement yesterday indicating plans are being made to medically evacuate two more crew members requiring urgent care as well as another passenger. The remaining passengers advised to stay in their cabins. Can you imagine? Once the evacuations are complete, the ship will continue on a three-day journey to its planned final destination, Spain's Canary Islands. Travel influencer Jake Rosemarin, a passenger on the ship, posting a video about the experience. I normally wouldn't make a video like this, but I feel like I need to say something, so I wrote a few things down. I am currently on board the MV Hondias, and what's happening right now is very real for all of us here. We're not just a story. We're not just headlines. We're people, people with families, with lives, with people waiting for us at home. There's a lot of uncertainty, and that's the hardest part. All we want right now is to feel safe, to have clarity, and to get home. So if you're seeing coverage about this, just remember that there are real people behind it and that this isn't something happening somewhere far away. It's happening to us right now. According to Dr. Van Kirkhove, risk of an outbreak to the general public is low. Quote, this is not a virus that spreads like flu or COVID. And that'll do it for your AM update. I'm Megan Kelly. Join me back here for the MK Show, live on SiriusXM's The Megan Kelly Channel, 111 at noon east, on youtube.com slash megankelly, and on all podcast platforms.
