Tulsi Gabbard Resigns, Fed’s New Era, Trump Jr.’s Wedding and more - CNN 5 Things - Podcast on CNN Podcasts

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We bring you 5 stories that will get you up to speed and on with your day. Updates every weekday morning, midday and evening. Plus, 5 Good Things and One Thing on the weekends.

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Tulsi Gabbard Resigns, Fed’s New Era, Trump Jr.’s Wedding and more
CNN 5 Things
May 22, 2026

We start with another top official leaving the Trump administration. We have an update on a case against a man wrongly deported to El Salvador last year. President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Federal Reserve has officially been sworn in. We’ll explain Trump’s surprise announcement to send more troops to Poland. Plus, the president confirms whether he’ll be attending his eldest son’s big day.

Episode Transcript
Ifeoma Dike
00:00:01
Hey, from CNN, I'm Ifeoma Dike with the five things you need to know for Friday, May 22nd.
Ifeoma Dike
00:00:08
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard says she's resigning at the end of June, citing her husband's cancer diagnosis. On Truth Social, President Donald Trump said Gabbart has done, quote, an incredible job and we will miss her. He added that Principal Deputy Director of national intelligence Aaron Lucas will be her temporary replacement. Here's CNN political and national security analyst David Sanger.
David Sanger
00:00:31
People in Washington believed it was only a matter of time before she was forced out, so this may have avoided a confrontation that was coming. She never really got her arms around this job, I think was the sense. In the discussions over Iran and before that Venezuela, she was rarely in the room. It is also interesting to note that this is the fourth woman to leave the administration in the past few months. I was just making a little list here before. Kristi Noem, of course, left as the head of the Department of Homeland Security. Pam Bondi was removed as attorney general, and Laurie Chavez de Rimer as the secretary of labor amid a number of investigations.
Ifeoma Dike
00:01:23
When we come back, a new era for the Fed.
Ifeoma Dike
00:01:29
'A federal judge has dismissed criminal charges against Kilmar Abrego-Garcia. The judge cited a, quote, tainted investigation by now-acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. Abregao-Garcia was wrongly deported to El Salvador last year despite a judge's order barring his removal to the country. After officials announced Abrego-Garcia's return to the U.S., Blanche said on Fox News the same day that the DOJ began looking into him after a federal judge determined he was wrongly deported. When Abrego-Garcia was transported back to the U.S. Last year, he was immediately charged for allegedly transporting unlawful migrants in 2022. His attorneys fought the charges, saying they should be dismissed because they were selective and vindictive because of the administration's public missteps in deporting Abrego Garcia.
Fed Chair Kevin Warsh
00:02:16
And while I'm not naive about the challenges we face, I believe, Mr. President, these years can bring unmatched prosperity that will raise living standards for Americans from all walks of life. And the Fed has something to do with it.
Ifeoma Dike
00:02:32
'President Trump's pick to lead the Federal Reserve, Kevin Warsh, was sworn in today at the White House. And it comes at a time when consumer sentiment is at an all-time low, according to the latest survey from the University of Michigan. Americans are feeling worse now than they did during Bors, 9-11, the Great Recession, COVID-19 pandemic, and the inflation surge afterward. And that's because of the US-Israeli war with Iran, oil supply crunch, and price shocks. Puts Warsh under immediate pressure to signal how the Fed will respond to economic tensions. Trump said he wants Warsh, quote, to be totally independent. But Trump was famously and openly critical of former Fed Chair Jerome Powell for not lowering interest rates the way Trump wanted.
President Donald Trump
00:03:13
Thankfully, unlike some of his predecessors, Kevin understands that when the economy is booming, it is, that's a good thing. We don't have to go crazy, just let it boom. We wanna stop inflation, but we don't wanna stop greatness.
Ifeoma Dike
00:03:28
'So President Trump says the US will send 5,000 more troops to Poland. Trump said the decision was based on his good relationship with the country's right-wing populist president, Carol Navrosky, who thanked Trump in a post on X. It's unclear where the troops will come from or how it'll change troop numbers in Europe, but it creates more uncertainty about the US posture in the continent after Trump criticized NATO allies who spoke against the Iran war or failed to provide what he sees as sufficient help. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio weighed in after a NATO foreign minister's meeting in Sweden today.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio
00:04:02
What's happening now is that any decision that's announced or made is viewed through the broader context of some of the, you know, the frictions that we've had in recent months. We have obligations in the Middle East, we have obligations in the Western Hemisphere. So this has been an ongoing process, it shouldn't be a surprise to anybody.
Ifeoma Dike
00:04:19
The Pentagon referred questions to the White House. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ifeoma Dike
00:04:25
'Up next, high-profile wedding plans with one notable absence.
Ifeoma Dike
00:04:33
President Trump says he won't attend his eldest son's wedding this weekend. On Truth Social, he said he wanted to go, but has to stay in Washington. Two sources tell CNN Donald Trump Jr. Is tying the knot with Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson on a small island in the Bahamas. Records found in Palm Beach County, Florida show Trump Jr got married yesterday. But the couple is celebrating this weekend, the sources said the guest list is being kept small, less than 50 people in total. One of the sources told CNN that Trump was long expected not to attend in part because of the couple's desire to have an incredibly private ceremony. CNN has reached out to the White House and a representative of Trump Jr. for comment.
Ifeoma Dike
00:05:13
Well that is for us, tune in tomorrow for a new episode of 5 Good Things.