NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Friday, May 22, 2026

Episode Date: May 23, 2026

President Trump’s intel chief Tulsi Gabbard steps down; Firefighters injured in Staten Island shipyard explosion; Pentagon releases newly declassified UFO files; and more on tonight's broadcast Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tonight, Tulsi Gabbard's resignation, the Director of National Intelligence, stepping down in the middle of a war, she says for family reasons, what we're learning tonight. Also breaking the explosion on Staten Island in New York City, more than a dozen firefighters injured, what set it off? The new UFO files released video of a U.S. fighter jet shooting down a mysterious object flying over a Michigan lake are reporting, cracking the case on what the object could have been. scary video of a teen's side swiped by a car while boarding her school bus how she walked away and the punishment that that driver now faces

trapped in a cave a man stuck for hours after his body got wedged in a tight crevice how they got him out and our series great americans ahead of memorial day the medal of honor recipient on camera rescuing members of his unit when they came under fire what he told our tom yamas about why this country is worth serving there is nightly news starts right now. This is NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas. And good evening. That cabinet shake up the fourth of President Trump's second term.

Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, saying she is stepping down just as the president considers new strikes against Iran. Here's Garrett Hake. Tonight, as the president weighs resuming the U.S. war with Iran, his top intelligence official says she is resigning. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, writing her husband, quote, has recently been diagnosed with an extremely rare form of bone cancer, saying, I must step away from public service to be by his side and fully support him through this battle. The president posting that Gabbard has done an incredible job, and we will miss her. An Army veteran and former Democratic Congresswoman, Gabbard broke with her party to endorse Trump in 2024. I invite you to join me in doing all that we can to save our country. And elect president Donald J. Trump.

But as his director of national intelligence, Gabbard never fully mated into the president's inner circle, clashing with administration officials, including the CIA director, and often absent at pivotal decision points. For years, an outspoken opponent of American wars in the Middle East. Going to war with Iran would make the war in Iraq and even Afghanistan look like a picnic. Recently, Gabbard struggled to defend the president's attack. on Iran. You still believe that war with Iran would be so costly and devastating that it would make our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan look like a picnic? Once again, in this role, it is essential that I do not allow any of my personal views on any

issues to color or bias the intelligence reporting. A person familiar with the discussions telling NBC news that Gabbard's allies had pushed her to resign over the war with Iran, but she declined. Earlier this year, the president was asked about his confidence in Gabbard. I would say that I'm very strong in the fact that I don't want Iran to have a nuclear weapon. I think she's probably a little bit softer on that issue, but that's okay. Some people are. Most people are.

And Garrett Hake, joining us now from the White House. Garrett, all of this, as President Trump says, he's considering new strikes against Iran. Well, Sam, he's given this weekend as a loose deadline for potential resumption of airstrikes. And we've just learned that not only will the president not attend his son's wedding, but he's also canceled planned travel to his club in New Jersey and will instead remain at the White House this weekend. Sam. All right, Garrett, with the very latest, thank you very much.

We have breaking news from New York City tonight, an explosion on Staten Island, injuring more than a dozen firefighters. Aaron McLaughlin brings us the very latest. The scene on New York's Staten Island tonight, frightening. Gurney after Gurney after Gurney, with injured firefighters wheeled out of a shipyard. I'm flying space rescue in a fogeyard.

Firefighters, responded to reports of workers trapped by fire in the basement of a metal structure in the rear of the shipping docks. And then minutes later, an explosion, according to fire department officials. Witnesses say the explosion shook the homes in the area. There was a massive explosion, which was like, boom, everything shook. I said, what the heck was that? Initial reports say at least 16 people sustained injuries, 13 of them firefighters. Two of those firefighters and one civilian suffering serious injuries, according to the FDNY.

The emergency response to the scene, massive, including more than 200 fire and emergency personnel, fire trucks lining the surrounding streets. It was some kind of accent, I hope. Well, we'll have to wait and see. The injured tonight, all transported to area hospitals as the investigation into what caused the fire and explosion is now underway. Aaron McLaughlin, NBC News. violent weather hitting the south right now and it's just the beginning. Bill Cairns is here with where it's headed next, Bill. This forecast was bad yesterday and somehow it got worse than the last

24 hours. So let's first take you to Alabama. We did have a brief tornado, Tuscaloosa County, and right around Interstate 20, you can see the truck driving by there. It was dancing around, a little bit of debris in the bottom of it. We did not hear about any injuries or any real extreme damage, so that's great. Now as far as the rain forecast goes, and it's going to be rainy for so many. We already have a huge shield of rain from Cincinnati to Washington, D.C. We've been dotting the map with thunderstorms around Atlanta and also down around New Orleans during the day today. Tomorrow, the worst of it, the mid-Atlantic region. That's what we're going to be watching.

Steady, heavy rain. It's going to be windy. Temperatures are going to be in the 40s and the 50s. So if you're driving on Interstate 80 or 70 through Pennsylvania or 95 from New York down the Philadelphia to Baltimore, windshield wipers will be on full the whole entire ride. By the time we get to Sunday, we're still watching some of the. the leftover heavy rain, New York City to Boston, and then down through the southeast, watch out for the potential of flash flooding, especially from Houston to New Orleans,

with numerous rounds of thunderstorms. We might as well say who's going to have some great weather, because there will be some fantastic weather. Chicago to Minneapolis and all of our friends in the West are going to enjoy a really nice weekend. So at least half the country is happy. Bill Cairns. Just not our half. Thank you, my friend. Appreciate it. When we return in 60 seconds, the hunt for extraterrestrial life, the new videos just released by the Pentagon, and this startling snapshot. What did an F-16 shoot down over a lake in Michigan? The answer next.

And we are back now with those new UFO files declassified by the Pentagon today, one of them showing a U.S. military jet shooting a mysterious object out of the sky over Michigan. Courtney Kubi has the video. Tonight, newly released UFO files, like this one in Kazakhstan, a mysterious object lighting up the night sky. Other videos showing pulsing balls of light, flying erratically and seeming to defy laws of physics. Some even appearing to fly in formations. Part of the Pentagon's release of more than 50 declassified videos and firsthand accounts following President Trump's directive to release government UFO files.

The files include audio of astronauts decades ago describing mysterious bright lights and particles. There's a whole bunch of big ones on my weather than are. Just bright. Looks like the 4th of July outrun, my know. And this report from last year. In an encounter that lasted over an hour, a U.S. intelligence officer reported oval-shaped orange orbs coming within 10 feet of a U.S. helicopter, splitting in two and speeding away, leaving military and intelligence professionals speechless. Other videos may have an explanation.

Here a U.S. F-16 fighter jet shoots down an object over Michigan's Lake Huron in 2023. The same day the Pentagon said it shot down a possible time. Chinese spy balloon over that lake. Experts tell us no video release so far proves any extraterrestrial visit. There's nothing in any of these that proves anything about alien life. All it shows you is that there's stuff in the sky that initially can't be explained. This was the Pentagon's second release of UFO files, and they're expected to roll out the next one in the coming weeks.

Sam? Stuff in the sky, but still more theories. Courtney, thank you. We are back in a moment with the driver losing control and striking a 14-year-old boarding a bus how she walked away from this. And the man stuck in a cave for hours, how he was finally rescued. Back now with new developments in the investigation into former Prince Andrew, British police, are urging witnesses to come forward as they look into potential sexual misconduct by Andrew.

Authorities say that they are assessing reports that a woman was taken to an address in Windsor in 2010 for, quote, sexual purposes. This following Andrew's shocking February arrest after the disclosure of unsealed Epstein files, he was later released from custody. Andrew has not been charged with the crime and has denied all wrongdoing. Now, that shocking new video of a car swerving out of control and hitting a 14-year-old girl, terrifying to see this as she was walking to her school bus. It happened in Florida, not far from Fort Myers Beach. You can actually see the driver get out of the vehicle to check on her.

The girl's grandmother told our local station there that she is being treated. for whiplash, but amazingly that she's doing well. The driver received a citation for reckless driving and had to pay a fine. Also tonight, new images of a man who got stuck inside this cave for six hours. This happening in Canaan, New York, where forest officials say that the man got trapped while he was just exploring with friends. His body was wedged into the tight space, and he was starting to become hypothermic. Rescue teams broke him free with a hammer drill. And in Southern California, a family was reunited with cherished heirlooms after their home was destroyed by the sandy fire. The Ventura County Fire Department sifting through the

ash to find a wedding ring and other precious mementos that the Boyle family worried were gone. That fire is now about 40% contained. Love, of course, is stronger than fire. When we come back on this Memorial Day weekend, the latest in our series profiling Great Americans. Meet the military hero whose moment of tenderness inspired us all and helped to earn him the Medal of Honor for his braver. Finally, as we enter this Memorial Day weekend, our weekly series about Great Americans, where we talk with those who have achieved so much and helped so many about their life and this country. Tonight, Tom spoke with a Medal of Honor recipient who received the medal for his bravery in Afghanistan. Our Great American this week, Lieutenant Colonel William Swentz.

What do you love about America? The indelible, most important thing about this country is our freedom to choose who we are. It's our nation's most prestigious military decoration, the Medal of Honor, recognizing the bravery of American war heroes, bravery that Army Lieutenant Colonel William Swenson showed in September of 2009, serving in Afghanistan. He and his unit were ambushed, and while under direct enemy fire, Swenson administered life-saving aid to a sergeant. He responded to the Taliban's demands for surrender by throwing a hand grenade, then repeatedly returned to the enemy's kill zone to rescue members of his unit and recover the fallen. One of the men he went back to save, Sergeant First Class

Kenneth Westbrook. He was my direct soldier. He and I had been working for the better part of that year. He was deeply involved in the mission. He loved being with the troop. He loved training soldiers. He loved passing on his experience. Were you guys friends too? Absolutely. I mean, We had such a close working relationship. And the most important thing about it was he didn't need to be there. He had done a full career. He had a proud family that had all served. There was nothing more he needed to do for this country.

But he believed in the mission. The powerful moment he got Westbrook and put him into a Medevac helicopter captured on camera. That Swenson kissing the forehead of his wounded comrade, a symbol of brotherhood that would inspire the world. Do you know why he did that? You know, looking back, I would say to some degree, Westbrook didn't want to leave the battlefield.

He wanted to stay. And getting him onto that helicopter at that point, he'd lost so much blood, the wounds were, the wounds were catastrophic. I think that at some point, I just had to say, thank you, you've done your job, love you, get in. And the next act was to push him in the helicopter, and off they went. Westbrook died a month later. In 2013, Swenson was awarded the Medal of Honor.

I had the families of the fallen there, which is why I was so emotional. And I think one of the proudest things that I get to do in the position that I have as a Medal of Honor recipient is I get to tell their stories. I get to tell their names. I get to say on Memorial Day that Westbrook, Keneffick, Layton, Johnson, and Johnson are not forgotten, that their stories will never be forgotten as long as I can help it. The most important thing for me that day was the families of the fallen. My story is their story. And I cannot speak for them, but the reason I was, wanted them to be there was because they owned a portion of that. They owned a portion of that ceremony. They needed that recognition. And to have them in front of the president, that's a very

powerful statement. An American patriot determined to share the stories of those who made the biggest sacrifice. Out of the corner of our eyes, there's an American flag waving right now. When you see the flag, yeah, pretty incredible. When you see the flag, what do you think? You know, here we are 250 years on. Nobody would have guessed it. But when you look at that flag, this is something that has been a remarkable testament to what a group of people from around the world, immigrants, natives, can come together to do as a teen. A beacon of hope representing the best of America and uniting us all. We have so much more in common than we have a part. And still, we have this core identity as Americans, no matter where you go.

That's what I love most about this country. And putting others' lives above your own. That is heroism. And that is also nightly news for this Friday. I'm Sam Brock. For all of us here at NBC News, have a great holiday weekend, and good night.