The Megyn Kelly Show - Potential U.S. Military Action Against Cuba, Sen. Cassidy Loses, Missing Congressman： AM Update 5⧸18

00:00:00.000 Good morning, everyone. I'm Megan Kelly. It's Monday, May 18th, 2026, and this is your AM

00:00:08.400 Update. I wouldn't tell you exactly what our plan is because I don't want them to know what

00:00:11.740 our plan is, but our plan for Cuba is a prosperous future. New pressure on Cuba's communist regime

00:00:17.120 as U.S. officials, seemingly in partnership with a corporate media outlet, introduce a curious new

00:00:23.660 pretext for potential military action. When you participate in democracy, sometimes it doesn't

00:00:30.100 turn out the way you want it to. President Trump notching another revenge win as one of the Senate

00:00:35.300 Republicans who voted to convict him in the 2021 impeachment trial and a thorn in the side of the

00:00:41.380 Maha movement loses his primary. A New Jersey congressman has not been seen publicly in more

00:00:47.980 than two months due to some mysterious illness, allegedly, with no official word on where he is.

00:00:55.680 And Harvey Weinstein's third New York sex crimes trial ends again in a mistrial.

00:01:01.400 All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM update.

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00:02:17.040 The Trump administration escalating its pressure campaign against Cuba's communist regime,

00:02:23.180 using sanctions, surveillance, legal action, and public warnings to push Havana toward major

00:02:29.000 political and economic change. President Trump has been signaling for months that Cuba could

00:02:34.540 become a major focus of U.S. action in March, openly floating the possibility of direct

00:02:40.000 American involvement. It's a failed nation. They have no money. They have no oil. They have no

00:02:45.880 nothing. They have nice land. They have nice landscape. It's a beautiful island. But I think

00:02:53.080 Cuba's the end. All my life I've been hearing about the United States and Cuba. When will the

00:02:58.260 United States do it. I do believe I'll be the honor of having the honor of taking Cuba.

00:03:06.460 That's a big honor. Taking Cuba. Taking Cuba in some form, yeah. Taking Cuba. I mean,

00:03:11.880 whether I free it, take it, I think I could do anything I want with it. You want to know the

00:03:17.200 truth. They're a very weakened nation right now. They were for a long time. And now Axios out with

00:03:24.440 a new report that could signal the convoluted way the U.S. plans to justify taking military action.

00:03:31.040 Axios, which has been repeatedly used by the Trump administration to front reporting on,

00:03:35.960 for example, the Iran war and its imminent end that turns out not to be true, reportedly viewing

00:03:43.040 classified intelligence showing Cuba has acquired more than 300 military drones from Iran and Russia

00:03:50.180 and is discussing how they could be used against U.S. targets, including the U.S. base at Guantanamo

00:03:56.660 Bay, U.S. military vessels, and possibly Key West, Florida, just 90 miles from Cuba.

00:04:02.960 U.S. officials telling Axios they do not believe Cuba is preparing an imminent attack,

00:04:08.960 but say the drone buildup, combined with the presence of Iranian military advisors in Havana,

00:04:15.160 is changing the way Washington views the threat from the island.

00:04:19.480 Axios conceding, quote, the intelligence could become a pretext for U.S. military action.

00:04:26.420 U.S. Senator from Arizona Ruben Gallego, a Democrat, reacting to the reporting on social

00:04:31.480 media, writing, quote, no country in the current economic and military situation that Cuba is in

00:04:37.920 would ever preemptively strike a superpower like the U.S. This is just propaganda to build a case

00:04:44.940 for an invasion of Cuba. Last night, Cuba's foreign minister pushing back on the Axios report,

00:04:51.040 writing on X, quote, without any legitimate excuse whatsoever, the U.S. government builds,

00:04:56.200 day after day, a fraudulent case to justify the ruthless economic war against the Cuban people

00:05:02.140 and the eventual military aggression. The Post continuing, quote, specific media outlets play

00:05:07.860 along, promoting slanders and leaking insinuations from the U.S. government itself. Cuba neither

00:05:13.820 threatens nor desires war. The Axios report coming as the communist government faces one

00:05:20.020 of its most serious internal crises since taking power in 1959. U.S. sanctions, the Trump

00:05:26.560 administration's oil blockade, and decades of economic mismanagement now coming to a head on

00:05:31.420 the island, leaving Cuba dangerously short on fuel and power, leading to widespread blackouts

00:05:37.060 and frequent protests from the Cuban people. Last Thursday, CIA Director John Ratcliffe

00:05:43.000 traveling to Cuba for an unusually public warning to the regime, reportedly telling Cuban officials

00:05:48.640 in a bilateral meeting that the island can no longer be used as an alleged staging ground for

00:05:55.140 America's enemies, namely China and Russia. Ratcliffe demanding the regime shut down Chinese

00:06:01.260 and Russian intelligence stations on the island, outposts U.S. officials say are used by the

00:06:07.880 adversarial nations to capture U.S. communications. Cuban officials saying they used the meeting to

00:06:13.640 argue that they pose no threat to the United States as the island faces crippling repercussions

00:06:18.720 from the U.S. oil embargo. The pressure campaign also going legal, with the DOJ reportedly

00:06:24.780 preparing to indict former Cuban leader Raul Castro, possibly on charges over Cuba's downing

00:06:30.480 of planes run by a humanitarian aid group 30 years ago. Castro was serving as Cuba's defense

00:06:37.480 minister in 1996, when the Cuban military fired on two small aircraft operated by Brothers to

00:06:44.240 the Rescue, a Miami-based group that searched for Cuban refugees stranded at sea. The planes went

00:06:50.620 down over the waters between Cuba and Florida, killing all four men on board, three U.S. citizens

00:06:56.240 and one legal permanent resident. Havana defended the attack by claiming the aircraft had entered

00:07:01.760 Cuban airspace, a claim later rejected by international aviation authorities.

00:07:07.440 The looming indictment is not particularly subtle in its warning for Cuban officials.

00:07:12.720 Earlier this year, the Trump administration using a federal indictment against former Venezuelan

00:07:17.260 leader Nicolas Maduro as the legal justification for the January raid that removed him from power.

00:07:23.940 However, the impending Castro indictment dates back to an event more than 30 years ago,

00:07:28.700 as opposed to the Maduro indictment, which was handed down in 2020 and outlined decades of

00:07:34.800 drug-related crimes. Castro also left power in 2021. Last Thursday, NBC questioning Secretary

00:07:43.020 of State Marco Rubio on whether the administration has a plan for what comes next in Cuba.

00:07:49.040 But is there still a plan for changing Cuba?

00:07:51.040 Sure. I mean, look, the change in Cuba is their economy doesn't function. It's not a functional

00:07:54.820 economy. No, I get that, but what is the U.S. plan? Well, I wouldn't tell you exactly what our

00:07:59.480 plan is because I don't want them to know what our plan is, but our plan for Cuba is a prosperous

00:08:02.820 future. That's what we want. It's in our national interest. And to have a prosperous Cuba, not to

00:08:07.620 have a failed state 90 miles from our shores. U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy's vote to convict

00:08:14.340 President Trump five years ago on impeachment charges, now one of the things leading to his

00:08:19.660 primary defeat Saturday night. The two-term Louisiana Republican losing the GOP primary

00:08:25.840 after the president personally targeted him for defeat. Trump endorsed Congresswoman Julia Letlow

00:08:32.520 finishing first in the race, Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming in second, Cassidy coming in third.

00:08:39.820 Letlow taking in about 45 percent of the vote, Fleming capturing about 28, Cassidy 25. With no

00:08:46.440 candidates surpassing 50%, the top two will advance now to a runoff next month, the loss

00:08:52.280 making Senator Cassidy the first GOP senator to lose renomination since 2012. Mr. Cassidy,

00:08:59.560 one of just seven Senate Republicans, to vote to convict President Trump after January 6,

00:09:05.180 2021, putting him in President Trump's crosshairs. Since Mr. Trump returned to office,

00:09:11.420 Senator Cassidy largely backing his agenda, voting to confirm several of his nominees,

00:09:16.840 including HHS Secretary RFKJ, despite significant reservations. But more recently,

00:09:22.800 the senator drawing anger from the Maha wing of the party. Cassidy, a medical doctor and chairman

00:09:28.660 of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, coming under fire from

00:09:33.300 Kennedy allies who blame him for blocking a committee vote on Dr. Casey Means' nomination

00:09:38.760 for Surgeon General. The senator also remaining publicly skeptical of Secretary Kennedy's push

00:09:44.620 to revamp the federal vaccine recommendations. President Trump slamming Senator Cassidy on the

00:09:50.420 morning of the primary, writing on Truth Social, quote, Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana is a

00:09:55.840 disloyal disaster. Bill Cassidy is a sleazebag, a terrible guy, who is bad for Louisiana. And the 0.91

00:10:03.100 president following up after the results were in, quote, his disloyalty to the man who got him

00:10:08.180 elected is now a part of legend. And it's nice to see that his political career is over. Senator

00:10:14.800 Cassidy taking a thinly veiled swipe at the president in his concession speech. I've had

00:10:20.540 the privilege of representing the state of Louisiana for 12 years. I've been able to

00:10:25.160 participate in democracy. And when you participate in democracy, sometimes it doesn't turn out the

00:10:31.960 way you want it to. But you don't pout. You don't whine. You don't claim the election was stolen.

00:10:38.900 You don't manufacture some excuse. You thank the voters for the privilege of representing

00:10:44.420 the state or the country for as long as you've had that privilege. And that's what I'm doing

00:10:49.300 right now. Congresswoman Letlow addressing her supporters after Saturday's win. I am so excited

00:10:55.800 And most importantly, I want to say thank you to a very special man who you all know the best president this country has ever had, President Donald Trump.

00:11:08.260 When he endorsed me in January, I knew this was going to be a tough race.

00:11:13.540 But tonight, Louisiana sent a clear message that they want a candidate to represent them in the Senate who will always put America first

00:11:22.880 and never turn her back on Louisiana voters.

00:11:27.800 The runoff set for June 27th.

00:11:30.960 Senator Cassidy's defeat marking another win

00:11:33.400 in President Trump's effort to punish Republicans

00:11:35.880 who have crossed him.

00:11:37.500 Earlier this month, AM Update reporting

00:11:39.260 on the president's successful effort

00:11:41.000 to oust Indiana state lawmakers

00:11:43.320 who defied Mr. Trump's demands

00:11:45.360 to redraw the state's congressional districts.

00:11:48.180 The next test set for tomorrow.

00:11:50.600 Congressman Thomas Massey of Kentucky.

00:11:52.880 one of President Trump's fiercest Republican critics in the House facing a Trump-backed

00:11:58.160 primary challenge, one also pushed by pro-Israel groups who have been pouring money into defeating

00:12:04.280 Massey over his non-interventionalism and his objection to U.S. aid going to foreign nations,

00:12:10.900 including Israel. Coming up, a New Jersey congressman misses months of votes,

00:12:17.300 disappears from public view, and now cancels a scheduled appearance as questions grow

00:12:21.760 over where the heck he is. And a Manhattan jury deadlocks again in Harvey Weinstein's

00:12:28.000 latest rape trial. What does it mean for the convicted felon?

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00:13:37.760 The father of missing U.S. Congressman Thomas Cain Jr. of New Jersey speaking out to CNN

00:13:44.160 in an effort to calm concerns about his son's absence from the public eye,

00:13:48.600 but his comments only adding to the mystery.

00:13:51.580 57-year-old Congressman Cain, a Republican representing New Jersey's 7th District,

00:13:57.140 has not cast a vote since March 5th, missing dozens in the weeks since.

00:14:02.200 On April 27th, a statement posted to the Congressman's ex-account, reading,

00:14:05.760 I want to thank my constituents and colleagues for their patience as I address personal medical issues.

00:14:12.020 My doctors continue to assure me that my recovery will be complete and that I will be back to the

00:14:18.120 job I love very soon. I expect to return to a full schedule and be at 100 percent.

00:14:24.600 Mr. Cain's social media accounts regularly posting updates regarding district business,

00:14:29.560 though no new photos of the congressman have been released. The New York Times pressing Cain's

00:14:34.720 chief of staff, Dan Scharfenberger, on why the congressman has not been seen publicly in either

00:14:40.240 his district or D.C. Scharfenberger saying, quote, he's dealing with a personal health condition

00:14:45.460 and he'll be back soon. But when asked why no one has seen Cain, Scharfenberger offering a line

00:14:51.200 that did little to quiet the questions, saying, quote, there's no cameras where Tom is. Now Cain's

00:14:57.740 father, former New Jersey Governor Tom Cain Sr., is also attempting to offer assurances without

00:15:03.260 providing specifics. Cain Sr. telling CNN his son is recovering from a serious, albeit

00:15:09.580 yet temporary illness. Quote, he's hopefully coming back soon and he's under the care of a

00:15:15.380 doctor. The former governor saying multiple doctors have evaluated his son and quote,

00:15:20.360 they all agree he's going to be fine. Adding quote, it took a real illness to knock him out.

00:15:26.100 This won't linger. It's not some kind of disease that's going to incapacitate him in the future.

00:15:31.980 The consensus is that he will be 100% okay. Kane Sr., declining to elaborate on the specific

00:15:38.640 illness, saying that decision remains up to his son. Cain is currently the only Republican on the

00:15:44.200 June 2nd primary ballot, and his staff maintains he has no plans to drop out. House Speaker Mike

00:15:49.900 Johnson last Thursday pressed by CNN on Cain's absence. Do Tom Cain's constituents deserve to

00:15:55.960 know what's going on with him? Tom Cain has a medical issue, and that's all I know about it.

00:16:02.380 It's all I can say about it. You haven't spoken to him about it? Have you spoken to him? I have

00:16:05.760 spoken to him about two weeks ago. I'd reached out to him to check on him. And he called me

00:16:12.800 and we had a short, very positive conversation. He sounded great. He said he was out on a

00:16:19.080 medical issue and he'll be back as soon as possible. Can you run for re-election? Can

00:16:22.520 you run for re-election? Of course he can. Of course he can run for re-election. He's

00:16:27.660 been an extraordinary representative for his district. And he comes from a great long line

00:16:32.680 of public servants who have an extraordinary reputation in that state, and he's going to do

00:16:36.980 a great job. So like everyone, sometimes things happen that are out of our control. We have

00:16:41.120 medical issues. We've got to deal with them. So that's what this is. But even as Cain's staff,

00:16:45.700 family, and Republican leadership all insist he will be back on the job soon, his return does not

00:16:51.180 appear to be immediate. The Morris County Chamber of Commerce now amending the program for a May 28th

00:16:57.640 breakfast on Washington policy, saying Representative Kane will no longer appear as

00:17:03.260 scheduled. Harvey Weinstein's third New York sex crimes trial ending in a mistrial Friday,

00:17:11.660 after jurors failed to reach a verdict on a rape charge involving then-aspiring actress

00:17:16.920 Jessica Mann. On Friday, after more than two days of deliberations, the jury of four women and eight

00:17:23.300 men telling Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Curtis Farber that they were unable to reach a verdict.

00:17:29.200 This now marks the second time that a Manhattan jury has been unable to reach a verdict

00:17:33.600 on this charge. For those who have lost track of Harvey Weinstein's tangled legal history,

00:17:38.740 this case was first tried in 2020, with Weinstein convicted of sexually assaulting

00:17:44.200 former production assistant Miriam Haley and of third-degree rape involving man.

00:17:50.880 New York's highest court later reversing the conviction, saying jurors should not have heard

00:17:55.500 testimony about other alleged encounters that were not among the charges Weinstein was actually

00:18:00.980 facing. Judge Farber then ordering a retrial. In the new trial last year, jurors convicting

00:18:07.160 Weinstein on the charge relating to Miriam Haley, but there, as here, deadlocking on the rape charge

00:18:14.620 involving Jessica Mann. That deadlock prompting a separate retrial on Mann's allegation.

00:18:20.140 This latest trial running for four weeks involving five days of testimony from Mann,

00:18:25.160 Mann telling the court she was visiting New York and had planned to meet Weinstein and

00:18:29.340 others for breakfast when, over her objections, the powerful producer arrived early and booked

00:18:35.100 a hotel room. Mann testifying that she went with Weinstein to the room and once inside,

00:18:40.780 he injected himself with a performance-enhancing drug before allegedly raping her. A key focus of

00:18:47.760 cross-examination, a note Mann wrote in her phone two days after the alleged rape, quote,

00:18:54.100 do I love him or the idea of him? With him, easy. The idea of expanding that, fulfilling.

00:19:02.280 Hmm. Mann also writing she let herself, quote, become emotionally attached to someone. The note

00:19:08.460 did not mention rape or name Weinstein, though when pressed by Weinstein's attorney, Mann did

00:19:13.340 not deny that she was writing about him. Mann testifying to maintaining a complex relationship

00:19:19.460 with Weinstein over the next several years after the alleged rape that did at times involve

00:19:25.100 consensual sexual encounters. Now Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg must decide whether to try for a 0.77

00:19:31.160 fourth time to convict Weinstein on this charge. Bragg's office releasing a statement thanking the

00:19:36.580 jury for its time, adding, quote, we will consider our next steps in consultation with Ms. Mann

00:19:42.000 and in consideration of Harvey Weinstein's pending sentencing following last year's trial

00:19:47.520 conviction for forcibly sexually assaulting Miriam Haley. The sentencing for that conviction

00:19:53.460 is not yet set. Weinstein faces up to 25 years in prison on that charge. He is appealing the

00:19:59.100 conviction. Mann releasing a statement reading in part, quote, I submitted myself to the highest

00:20:04.220 standards, transparency, and accountability in coming forward through the justice system,

00:20:08.900 choosing integrity even when the process flayed me open.

00:20:13.740 Some of the jurors speaking to reporters on Friday after the trial ended.

00:20:18.360 Nine not guilty and then three guilty and it was all men.

00:20:22.740 Three men thought guilty.

00:20:24.580 We feel kind of upset that we couldn't come up with a verdict.

00:20:27.900 I think that ultimately they just didn't prove it beyond reasonable doubt.

00:20:33.180 I think the general consensus is that she, the witness, there was a lot of contradictions

00:20:40.740 in her statements. When it came time for the prosecution, a lot of people felt that she had

00:20:49.400 incredible memory. When it came time to the defense, a lot of people felt she forgot a lot

00:20:54.500 of things. And so it kind of spoke a little bit to her credibility. Weinstein attorney Mark

00:21:01.220 Agnifolo Friday also addressing reporters outside the courthouse. There is an entire legal knot that

00:21:07.780 needs to be untangled, and we're going to start untangling that knot strand by strand with the

00:21:14.480 New York case first and then the California case. So this really is just a first step.

00:21:20.660 The mistrial does not mean that Weinstein is leaving custody. He remains held in New York

00:21:25.560 while also facing a separate 16-year sentence from a Los Angeles conviction, now under appeal.

00:21:32.360 He is 74 years old.

00:21:36.940 And that'll do it for your AM Update. I'm Megan Kelly. Join me back here for the MK Show,

00:21:41.880 live on SiriusXM's The Megan Kelly Channel, 111 at noon east,

00:21:45.640 on youtube.com slash megankelly, and on all podcast platforms.

The Megyn Kelly Show - May 18, 2026

Potential U.S. Military Action Against Cuba, Sen. Cassidy Loses, Missing Congressman： AM Update 5⧸18

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