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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees

Trump Files at Least $20B Libel Lawsuit Against WSJ Publisher, Reporters; Justice Department Asks Federal Judge to Release Years Old Grand Jury Testimony from Epstein Case Citing Public Interest; RFK Jr. Embraces Psychedelics After FDA Setback; RFK Jr. & Other Trump Officials Embrace Psychedelics After FDA Setback; CBS Cancels Colbert's Top-Rated Show; Trump Applauds CBS Decision To End Colbert's "Late Show". Aired 8-9p ET

Aired July 18, 2025 - 20:00   ET

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

[20:00:33]

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN HOST: Tonight on 360, breaking news in the Epstein saga on two fronts. The DOJ is asking a federal judge to release grand jury testimony from the case and President Trump is now suing "The Wall Street Journal".

Plus, Anderson's report on psychedelics to treat PTSD. He joined U.S. veterans as they embarked on a trip to Mexico for a psychedelic journey. This, as HHS Secretary, RFK, Jr., signals he would like to green light the treatment.

Also, the fallout over CBS canceling the late show with "The Late Show" with Stephen Colbert and the calls for an investigation.

Good evening, Jim Sciutto in for Anderson tonight and a lot of breaking news to get to tonight. We have arrived at a place President Trump likely did not see things heading with the Epstein controversy less than two weeks ago.

It was Monday, July 7th, when the DOJ released a memo essentially closing the book on Jeffrey Epstein, both regarding any so-called client list and any questions about his death. The memo also made clear that, "No further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted". That was then, this is now.

Attorney General Pam Bondi is working on exactly such a disclosure. Late today, the Justice Department asked a federal judge to make public years old grand jury testimony delivered behind closed doors against the convicted sex offender and accused child trafficker. This comes after President Trump posted on social media, in part, "Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein. I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent grand jury testimony, be subject to court approval."

It's unclear what publicity the President is specifically referring to, but his post came just over two hours after this article dropped from "The Wall Street Journal" the headline, Jeffrey Epstein's friends sent him bawdy letters for a 50th birthday album. One was from Donald Trump.

According to "The Journal", the album is from 2003, here's part of the article about then citizen Trump's letter, "The letter bearing Trump's name, which was reviewed by the journal, contains several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman, which appears to be hand drawn with a heavy marker. A pair of small arcs denotes the woman's breasts, and the future President's signature is a squiggly Donald below her waist, mimicking pubic hair." The letter concludes: "Happy Birthday, and may every day be another wonderful secret."

The President's response to that report, "In an interview with 'The Journal' on Tuesday evening, Trump denied writing the letter or drawing the picture. This is not me. This is a fake thing. It's a fake 'Wall Street Journal' story, he said. I never wrote a picture in my life. I don't draw pictures of women, he said. It's not my language, it's not my words." He told "The Journal" that he'd sue them and late today he did just that.

President Trump filing a libel lawsuit against the publisher of "The Wall Street Journal" and the two "Journal" reporters on the byline of that story. He is seeking at least $20 billion. Since the DOJ's attempt to put the Epstein story to rest inflamed MAGA world, even some of the President's staunchest supporters have come out against the administration.

Today, with the President taking on "The Journal," he and MAGA world have found a familiar foe in common once again, the media.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE BANNON, HOST, REAL AMERICA'S VOICE "WAR ROOM": Quite frankly, the Murdochs concocted something last night and thought it'd be a kill shot on President Trump and lo and behold, it's the exact opposite, because President Trump is now on offense. President Trump is best when its attack, attack, attack. This is the deep state, this is the ruling class in America. They're trying to use it to destroy President Trump.

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): The President and I talked about that ridiculous allegation this morning. He said its patently absurd. President is the most maligned and attacked political figure in the history of American politics. There's no question about it but he's also the most resilient. Did you see the language of this bogus supposed communication or card or something I supposedly sent to Epstein? He said, I don't talk like that. I don't think like that. They're literally making things up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Bannon told CNN that "The Journal" article and the President's response to it has once again united his supporters behind him on an issue that, up until just last night, had put him at odds with many members of his base. But Bannon also called the push to unseal that Epstein grand jury testimony, "a good start" though certainly not the end of the Epstein story. For more on this, were joined now by CNN's senior White House

correspondent, Kristen Holmes. Kristen, good to have you. I wonder how White House officials explain the President's 180 on the Epstein materials in less than two weeks?

[20:05:29]

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Jim, I'm just not certain that it is a 180. I think what we have to do is really see what happens next. There are a lot of people who I've talked to, and these are MAGA loyalists, people who support the President 110 percent or did until the fallout over these Epstein files, who want to see how this plays out?

Yes, they are very happy that President Trump has asked to unseal this grand jury testimony. However, there are a lot of questions as to what happens if the courts refuse to unseal and why stop at just the grand jury testimony. They want to see more of these investigative files. What they have been pushing for is full transparency, and it's not quite clear that this is what that is at this point.

Now, President Trump did obviously have to do something. We saw him really on defense, as you heard Steve Bannon there and that is not a place where President Trump or his administration or his team operates best. They do operate best on the offensive. And this is how they turn this situation, because as you noted, they now have a common enemy. But here's what to watch for. Where does this go next? Is there more? Is there another turning over of the leaf? Because as we have heard, and as I have spoken to a number of his supporters on, there are still a lot of questions that are not going to be answered, even if the court does eventually decide to unseal this grand jury testimony.

SCIUTTO: Tell us more of what you're' hearing from sources about the libel lawsuit now against the publisher of "The Wall Street Journal" and those two reporters, up to $20 billion now.

HOLMES: We heard that he was going to do this yesterday. He announced that he was going to be suing it. He even told "The Wall Street Journal" but one of the things to really keep in mind here is how quickly they filed that lawsuit, almost --We've never almost seen something happen this fast. And it goes to show you what we've been hearing, which is that President Trump is incredibly angry. He is incredibly angry that they published this. And part of that anger is the fact that he spoke to Rupert Murdoch, somebody he's been very close to, someone he's been spotted with in recent weeks. And he was says that he was told that he was going to take care of it. Murdoch was going to take care of it.

Obviously, that did not happen. So, that's part of the anger here. You can see that also in what the President is posting online. He keeps saying, he can't wait until Rupert Murdoch has to get deposed. He can't wait till he has to testify in this trial. Now, that he sued him, he clearly feels an enormous amount of anger at Murdoch, who again, has been friends with him in the past. We'll see how this plays out in the long run here. SCIUTTO: Certainly not the first time President's been unhappy with

information that comes out that he finds critical or inconvenient. Kristen Holmes at the White House, thank you.

Joining me now, CNN political commentator, former Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger, SEMAFOR White House correspondent, Shelby Talcott, and former federal prosecutor, Jeffrey Toobin. Good to have all of you on you all tonight. Thanks so much.

So, Jeff, just from a legal standpoint, now that the Justice Department has asked the judge to release the grand jury material, how does the judge then decide what gets released and what doesn't? And is it entirely up to the judge?

JEFFREY TOOBIN, AUTHOR AND FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: It's a very unusual situation, this grand jury material is almost always secret and stays secret. There are narrow exceptions for public purposes, but it is unclear whether this applies. That's what the Justice Department is submitting to the judge saying this is an extraordinary circumstance.

But how the judge handles this is really unclear. He may ask for the people who are named in the grand jury testimony, including the people who gave the testimony to ask them to be heard about whether this should be disclosed.

So, this process, even though it's not technically an adversary process, there's no defendant here, may take quite a long time. And it's important to remember also that this is just the grand jury transcripts. There is a lot of other material in a criminal investigation that's not grand jury transcripts and that is not going to be released pursuant to what the court or what the Justice Department did today.

SCIUTTO: Just briefly, Jeffrey, can the Justice Department attempt to get things it finds to the President's advantage released and things not to his advantage not released, or is this entirely the judge's decision?

TOOBIN: Well, the judge can decide about the grand jury transcripts. It's pretty much, I think, in all-or-nothing decision about the grand jury transcripts. But everything else in the investigative material, the FBI interviews, the 302s, the documents that were produced pursuant to subpoenas and search warrants, all the phone records, the documents that were seized, none of that is going to be released according to what the Justice Department did today and that is not going to make the conspiracy theorists happy.

[20:10:05]

SCIUTTO: Shelby, I wonder, is the White House concerned that there could be more reporting other shoes to drop, other evidence of connections between Trump and Epstein that could be revealed at some point?

SHELBY TALCOTT, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, SEMAFOR: Yes, I've certainly talked to administration officials who have quietly wondered whether this is sort of the first thing to happen, but I also, you know, I think we can't underscore how much the administration has wanted this to go away. We have heard Donald Trump talk about it publicly over the past few weeks when I've talked to administration officials privately asking for sort of new commentary on certain issues. A lot of times they've said, you know, were not going to say anything, right? Don't give this oxygen, it goes away.

Of course, with this "Wall Street Journal" last night, this is sort of a new explosive allegation. The President has denied it, but it brings it back into the news cycle. And it brings all of this back up. And so, this is not the direction that the administration wants to go, even though the end result of this "Wall Street Journal" article is that all of those base supporters who were turning against the President are now back on his side.

SCIUTTO: Are you surprised by that, Adam Kinzinger, that, I mean, it was 24 hours ago you still had some of the Republican Party and the GOP or MAGA world who said, we want all this stuff out there. And now the President has started this familiar back and forth with the media, and it seems MAGA is back on his side. Did you expect that?

ADAM KINZINGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Oh, this was inevitable. I mean, it's this always was going to happen. So, what you have is these people that put themselves kind of in a box on the Epstein stuff. They had to be a little outraged about it, but they were begging for a reason to come back. And this happened to be the reason. So this gives them an excuse now to say, well, I'm with the much maligned President.

I got to tell you, Jim, I've never seen anybody that can gaslight as quickly as Donald Trump can. Let's keep in mind, Justice Department made the announcement. There was outrage on the right about the lack of the Epstein stuff. And then Donald Trump launches his screeds on Truth Social, which were unhinged and blames Democrats for inventing the Epstein file. And now all of a sudden, he's on the receiving end, gaslighting America to believe that somehow this was a conspiracy against him when they came into power on this. This has been a religion to the right since 2019.

SCIUTTO: I mean, and he's not the only one gaslighting. I mean, J.D. Vance was all for releasing the materials. Charlie Kirk, you had other voices and you're hearing something quite different today.

So, Jeff, of course, the other issue, the President is suing "The Wall Street Journal" here for libel to the tune of $20 billion. I imagine that's a figure that, you know, somewhat manufactured out of the blue. Is this a case with legal substance?

TOOBIN: You know, to use a technical legal term, Jim, read that "Wall Street Journal" article was lawyered up the wazoo. I mean, it is quite clear they were concerned about a lawsuit and they did everything possible to make themselves bulletproof from a lawsuit.

Donald Trump is a public figure. This is a matter of public importance. Unless "The Wall Street Journal" made up this book from scratch, which, knowing "The Wall Street Journal", I think is impossible, there is no chance that this lawsuit can succeed.

If it gets to depositions, which I doubt, I think it will be dismissed before then. But if it gets to depositions before then, Donald Trump is opening himself up to a sworn deposition about the extent of his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, something I imagine he probably doesn't want to get into. But I think in a perverse way, it will be helpful to him that this case is thrown out at its beginnings because under the libel law as it exists today, that is surely what's going to happen.

SCIUTTO: Shelby, might the administration's intention or hope here be to get a settlement? I mean, you've seen other news organizations settle to the tune of many millions of dollars.

TALCOTT: Right. This is not the first time we have seen Trump go after the media. The difference here is, of course, he's in office, right? So, it's extremely notable that this is happening. It's extremely notable how quickly it happened. We knew that this sort of story was in the works for a few days. The administration knew that it was in the works for a few days.

It's entirely possible that he is looking for a settlement here, but it is also, intentionally or not, I'll go back to the fact that this has all united his base and one of the really big frustrations that the Trump administration was having was that this was sort of the one issue that they could not get the base back on, and it was really the first time in this administration and in the first administration over the past nearly decade, that Trump had sort of failed to wrangle back in some of his most diehard supporters because this Epstein issue is something that they've really cared about, they've really focused in on.

And so, you know, intentionally or not, that's the end result of this.

[20:15:34]

SCIUTTO: Adam Kinzinger, I spoke to Democratic Congressman Stanton today who said that there's still a bipartisan effort to call for the release of these documents here. But do you see Republicans sticking behind that any more than, they say, stuck behind demands for, I don't know, saving some money in the most recent budget or do you expect them to fold?

KINZINGER: Oh, I think eventually they'll fold. But look, I mean, by the way, quick point, today the Trump administration could release everything besides the grand jury testimony from what I understand, and they're not -- they can. They're going to try to blame the judge, you know, if he says no. But look, the bottom line on this is there may be a few Republicans, you know, like, I think if Tom Massie and some of those that will that will stick to their guns on this, but ultimately listen, they are begging for an excuse to walk away from this fight.

I've been in these positions. I know these folks. They're kind of like in a corner now and they're begging for it. And "The Wall Street Journal" article, which well said was lawyered up and I think is very solid. "The Wall Street Journal" article was just the excuse they could use. It would have been something else if that article didn't come out.

SCIUTTO: Fair point, Adam Kinzinger, Shelby Talcott, Jeffrey Toobin, thanks to all of you.

Coming up, how President Trump seemed to misread the moment with the Epstein controversy and his MAGA base. And if he's now turned the page on fighting with some of his most loyal supporters.

And later, the Trump administration seems ready to possibly fast track psychedelics as a treatment for PTSD. Anderson's report on a group of veterans and their psychedelic journey that's ahead on 360.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:21:37]

SCIUTTO: After nearly two weeks of trying to suppress outrage from MAGA supporters and the right wing media sphere, "The Wall Street Journal's" report about an alleged letter, President Trump sent to Jeffrey Epstein for his birthday decades ago could prove to be advantageous for the President.

Several right wing figures rallied behind Trump today in response to that story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHARLIE KIRK, FOUNDER, TURNING POINT USA: This thing was obviously a hit job. Obviously a drive by shooting, trying to go after President Trump.

BANNON: They come after Trump and last night they tried to actually destroy him with what looks like a phony and fake letter. President Trump has put them on blast.

JACK POSOBIEC, CONSERVATIVE ACTIVIST: MAGA hat stays on, all right. The MAGA hat stays on. The MAGA hat is fully on. We're locked in.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: As we mentioned, this also comes as Trump's Justice Department is now trying to release grand jury testimony in the Epstein case. My next guest has done extensive reporting on why this story has such a strong hold among MAGA supporters. Joining me now, "The Bulwark" senior reporter Will Sommer. Will, good to have you.

WILL SOMMER, "THE BULWARK" SENIOR REPORTER: Thanks for having me.

SCIUTTO: You've made the point that Donald Trump was, in fact, friends with Epstein for a long time. So, I wonder in Trump world tonight, following this "Wall Street Journal" story, is there concern that there might be other shoes to drop -- other revelations showing a connection between the two of them? SOMMER: Yes, I mean, I've heard from people within Trump world that

there is a panic. I mean, there certainly was leading up to "The Wall Street Journal" report, and there's still concern. Who knows? I mean, this is a guy that Trump knew for over a decade. Clearly, he had commented multiple times about young women and Epstein. And so, it remains to be seen but I think there is still concern.

SCIUTTO: Now, you wrote that the right wing reaction initially, "... was an example of the most unfathomable spectacles -- the best media manipulator in all of politics, fundamentally misreading the media landscape before him".

Now, that was before you had like we were showing their MAGA world uniting around him. Has he successfully exited this dangerous period?

SOMMER: You know, I think for the short term, he sees a way out. And clearly it's this release of the grand jury transcripts, or at least, you know, Donald Trump not typically the guy who holds judges in the highest esteem now saying it's just up to the judges at this point.

But I think long term, I think this could continue to be an issue. I think for Trump supporters, this was maybe like number one or number two issue for them, justice for the Epstein case. I mean, they thought like top Democrats were going to be on this list and I think they're going to keep asking questions.

I mean, it's possible that the judge could rule, no, we're not going to release the grand jury testimony. It was meant was meant to be in secret, at which point I imagine that might present Trump with another punching bag in this case and say, hey, I wanted it out, but the judge didn't want it out.

SOMMER: I mean, he could say, well, now we really have to move on. But of course, as we know, the grand jury transcript is just one of many possible sources of documents in this case.

SCIUTTO: I spoke to Adam Kinzinger just a few minutes ago, and he said that this was predictable in that world, that the loyalty is such that there was going to be something that would unite MAGA with Trump again. Do you see that as lasting? I mean, because the Epstein files were such a rallying cry for MAGA world. And by the way, the Vice- President and others in the President's circle, do they abandon that? I mean, it was supposed to be evidence of Deep State conspiracies. You know, Democratic ties to Epstein, et cetera.

SOMMER: I think it's a challenge for them. I mean, certainly I think the congressman is right that they wanted an out here, and this was an uncomfortable position for people like Steve Bannon or Charlie Kirk.

On the other hand, I mean, there has been years of build up to this. Do I think the audience is really going to buy suddenly that they're like, all right, well, we just got to move on. Particularly when suddenly there's a Trump connection to a new Trump connection to Epstein. I don't think so.

SCIUTTO: That'll be the open question. Are there other shoes to drop and then what the reaction is, of course. Will Sommer, thanks so much.

SOMMER: Thanks for having me.

[20:25:24]

SCIUTTO: Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. supports psychedelics. These are illegal substances such as LSD to help those battling PTSD and other ailments. He's now trying to get the FDA to embrace it after rejecting it last year.

For "60 Minutes," Anderson, went to a psychedelic retreat in Mexico for U.S. Military veterans facing PTSD. His report just ahead.

And later, new fallout after Stephen Colbert shared that his late show on CBS is being pulled from the air for good next year.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR & CHIEF U.S. SECURITY ANALYST: Recently, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy junior told members of Congress that he is working, quote, "very hard" to get what are now illegal psychedelic drugs, such as LSD and ecstasy approved for use in clinical settings to help Americans battling trauma and depression.

The new FDA chief is calling MDMA and other psychedelics, quote, a "top priority." This comes after the Veterans Administration announced it would be funding its own clinical trials using two psychedelic drugs. Even if those trials are successful, it would be years before the VA could prescribe them.

Thousands of veterans who are suffering aren't waiting. Desperate for help, they're attending psychedelic retreats in countries where those drugs are illegal today. For "60 Minutes," Anderson was invited to join nine veterans who traveled to a remote village in Mexico, and here's his story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR, ANDERSON COOPER 360 (voice-over): They came to Mexico from all over the United States, a group of nine veterans -- with invisible wounds that are hard to heal. Their destination: a remote village near Puerto Vallarta for a week-long psychedelic retreat. It was a voyage into the unknown, but a risk worth taking for TJ Duff, a former Navy sailor.

COOPER (on-camera): Are you optimistic?

TJ DUFF: Being optimistic is hard for me. Because I've been through a lot of therapy, a lot of different treatments. And not a lotta success.

COOPER (voice-over): Duff was 18 when he joined the Navy. Months into his first deployment aboard the USS Cole, he says he narrowly escaped death, when two suicide bombers attacked the ship in Yemen, killing 17 sailors.

DUFF: Everyone around me was killed. There's bodies, alive and dead, being piled up in the midships. And-- I think that's really where I just started holding everything in.

RANDY WEAVER: Don't have it where I'm jumping in ditches when I hear loud noises. My PTSD's-- is kind of a self-destructive form.

COOPER (voice-over): Randy Weaver is a police officer in New York. A former staff sergeant in the Army, he was diagnosed with PTSD in 2007, after returning home from tours in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan.

WEAVER: It's the constant, you know, what if I had done this? What if we did that, you know?

COOPER (on-camera): Are those things you want to revisit while you're taking the psilocybin?

WEAVER: Yeah. If I could revisit them-- and see them maybe from a different perspective like, not where I failed somebody.

COOPER (on-camera): Is there a particular incident that you feel that you failed somebody?

WEAVER: Yeah. So-- March 18th, 20 years ago.

COOPER (voice-over): In 2004, Weaver's platoon was caught in a firefight in an Afghan village. Two soldiers were killed, one of them his friend, Staff Sergeant Anthony Lagman. Weaver's worn this bracelet with Lagman's name on it since coming home.

COOPER (on-camera): You've been wearing that for 20 years.

WEAVER: Yeah. Every day.

COOPER (voice-over): Weaver says he's tried nearly every treatment for PTSD the VA offers including talk therapy, exposure therapy, meditation, and antidepressants.

WEAVER: You get to a point where you're so mentally exhausted and you've created so much destruction that you -- your demons tell yourself that these -- your family would be better off without you and when those demons tell you those things every day, it's something hard to ignore.

COOPER (on-camera): Will this help with that?

WEAVER: I hope so.

COOPER (voice-over): The retreat was organized and paid for by the Heroic Hearts Project, a nonprofit that's helped more than 1,000 U.S. veterans with combat-related PTSD access psychedelics.

ED GLOVER: I came home-- super angry, super anxious, hyper-vigilant. You know, that led to-- a pretty nasty divorce.

COOPER (voice-over): Ed Glover was in Afghanistan with the Marines. He's been a firefighter for 22 years.

GLOVER: I feel like one or two traumatic events you may be able to recover from, but kind of seeing it day in, day out really takes its toll.

COOPER (voice-over): As the vets talked it became clear, some of their struggles began long before they joined the military.

MICHAEL GIARDINA: My family life was just always this constant conflict.

COOPER (voice-over): Navy vet Michael Giardina had an emotionally abusive father who killed himself 16 years ago. His sister died by suicide five months before he came here.

[20:35:00]

GIARDINA: My daughter asked my ex-wife if I was going to kill myself and I'm not. I just want to get better.

COOPER (voice-over): To qualify for this retreat, they had to work with their doctors to wean off any antidepressant or anxiety medication they might be taking because of how it could interact with the psychedelics. They also had to have a medical screening, and no family history of psychosis or schizophrenia. When we were there, a local doctor was on site but no mental health professionals.

JESSE GOULD: I appreciate you guys for putting the faith in me, the faith in us coming here.

COOPER (voice-over): Jesse Gould, a former Army ranger, founded the Heroic Hearts Project in 2017 after he tried another psychedelic, ayahuasca, at a retreat in Peru. Gould says psychedelics can help veterans revisit traumatic moments in ways they may be unable to with other therapies.

GOULD: The value of what we're finding with psychedelics is it's a very individualistic journey. You know it comes at you. It brings up the emotions. It heightens your senses. And so you're having to face it. And so that's why you see such big revelations because it's giving you the tools to actually get there.

COOPER (on-camera): Do you worry that some who see this as sort of a last hope may end up disappointed?

GOULD: I worry that we're at the situation where people are having to go to other countries for their last hope that indicates a major flaw in the system.

DUFF: The orange one? Ok

COOPER (voice-over): Heroic Hearts hired traditional healers to conduct three psychedelic ceremonies. The first two with psilocybin, a psychoactive compound found in some mushrooms. It's been used as medicine by indigenous communities in Mexico and elsewhere for centuries.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You don't need to be strong. All we need for this experience and to receive the healing is humbleness.

COOPER (voice-over): The healers stirred ground up mushrooms into a tea. The vets drank it, put on blindfolds to shut out distractions, and lay down.

At first it seemed like the group might have traveled thousands of miles for a midday nap. But then about an hour in, we saw Michael Giardina raise his hand for help. His foot soon started to shake, followed by his whole body. By hour three, it was clear the psilocybin had kicked in.

Randy Weaver and TJ Duff barely seemed to move. While firefighter Ed Glover appeared caught between rapture, and deep sorrow. Five hours later, when the psilocybin began to wear off, the vets removed their eye masks and found the heat of the afternoon sun.

The next day the group gathered to discuss what they'd gone through.

GIARDINA: It literally felt like an exorcism. My foot was going crazy, and I could kind of feel like my body was convulsing.

GLOVER: I felt like I was taking-- every last breath of any victim, patient, or friend that I had lost. So I really struggled to breathe yesterday.

RANDY WEAVER: I've never done anything like that before.

COOPER (voice-over): Randy Weaver appeared to find some of what he traveled all this way for.

WEAVER: One thing that I remember very vividly was flying back with the guys that-- that we lost like being on that medevac, even though I wasn't there in the real world. I was there -- spiritually with them.

COOPER (voice-over): TJ Duff however, found it unsettling and at times scary.

DUFF: I've heard a lot of you guys stories and I did not get as immersive as you guys did. I'm kind of glad I didn't, honestly, because I was kind of afraid of that.

COOPER (voice-over): That night Duff took part in another psilocybin ceremony, but the next day he left. He later told us the whole experience caused a dangerous decline in his mental health. He's now back on antidepressant medication.

The last ceremony of the retreat was with 5-MeO-DMT, a powerful and fast acting psychedelic secreted from a toad. After returning home, the vets had several virtual meetings with a Heroic Hearts Project counselor.

GLOVER: I think my biggest takeaway was making sure I make the time to take care of myself.

COOPER (voice-over): The Veterans Administration warns against "self- medicating" with psychedelics or using them as part of a self- treatment program. But in December, when we spoke to its top doctor Shereef Elnahal, he was enthusiastic about their potential.

[20:40:00]

COOPER (on-camera): Do these retreats concern you?

DR. SHEREEF ELNAHAL: They can concern me because there's no way to monitor certify-- make sure that they're actually safe environments. They're seeking these therapies because they do not see our current options for them to be effective enough, and they're in a state of desperation. And that, in and of itself, them seeking this type of unauthorized therapy is just another indication on why we need to study this further, and get it to a safe and effective medical environment

COOPER (voice-over): In August, the FDA rejected a pharmaceutical company's application to use the psychedelic MDMA in combination with therapy as a treatment for PTSD, after an FDA advisory panel said there wasn't enough evidence it was safe or effective.

The VA is now conducting 9 clinical trials using MDMA and psilocybin to treat PTSD, depression and addiction. Dr. Elnahal told us, a small phase two trial by the VA using MDMA and therapy to treat PTSD, completed last year showed real promise.

ELNAHAL: 45 percent have gone into complete remission, which is essentially a "normal emotional state." That is unheard-of with prolonged exposure, cognitive processing, and certainly SSRIs, the current standard-of-care options.

COOPER (on-camera): Almost half of the people who came in with PTSD and did MDMA therapy at the VA were cured?

ELNAHAL: Yes.

COOPER (on-camera): So you have no doubt that this works?

ELNAHAL: We need to do larger Phase III clinical trials. That's the best way, scientifically, to understand what the true adverse events are and whether we can reproduce these results in larger populations of veterans. I'm very optimistic we will be able to demonstrate that.

COOPER (on-camera): How long do you think it'll be before veterans can go to the VA and get this therapy

ELNAHAL: It could be another couple of years. The incoming administration is going to take, you know, a pretty bold stance on this

COOPER (on-camera): What makes you optimistic that the new administration is going to be a believer in this? ELNAHAL: We've heard the nominee for HHS, Robert F. Kennedy, Junior, talk about what he thinks the potential breakthrough therapy is. We'll see what that stance is of other health officials, but that's really promising.

COOPER (voice-over): Nearly a year after that retreat in Mexico, we checked in with the nine veterans who attended. Eight of them told us their symptoms had improved and called their experience with psychedelics "life-changing."

Ed Glover said he felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

COOPER (on-camera): How are you doing?

GLOVER: Very well.

COOPER (voice-over): Shortly after coming home from the retreat, he decided to retire as a firefighter.

GLOVER: Prior to the retreat, I thought about takin' my life just about every day. I had a very close call. You know, the note, the gun. That is no longer the case.

COOPER (on-camera): You haven't had thoughts of killing yourself since then?

GLOVER: Not one.

COOPER (voice-over): And Randy Weaver says his suicidal ideations have stopped as well.

WEAVER: I don't have any of those thoughts since going through this journey.

COOPER (on-camera): That's remarkable.

WEAVER: I would say yeah.

COOPER (on-camera): You had told the group afterward that you had visualized people on a medevac helicopter that you had served with.

WEAVER: Yeah.

COOPER (on-camera): What was the impact of that?

WEAVER: In combat things happen quickly. One minute you're talking to your friend and the next minute, you know, he's -- you're putting him in a body bag. That causes a gap in your psyche so to be able to revisit those incidences, you know, seeing those helicopters come back with friends it brings a little peace to you, yeah.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: Since Anderson's report first aired in February, former firefighter Ed Glover suffered a setback in his decades-long battle with PTSD and has since sought conventional mental health care. And the new head of the Veterans Administration, Secretary Doug Collins, says he supports more research for psychedelic therapies.

Up next on "360," the new action taken after the surprise decision to end "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" next year.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:45:00]

SCIUTTO: There are new questions about the shocking CBS decision to cancel the top rated "Late Show with Stephen Colbert." The network maintains it was a purely financial decision, but some observers wonder about the timing as Colbert is a frequent critic of President Trump whose administration is currently overseeing a merger of CBS's parent company with Skydance Media.

The Writers Guild of America, which represents writers on the Late Show, is asking New York Attorney General Letitia James to launch an investigation of that move. Their statement reads in part, "Cancellations are part of the business, but a corporation terminating a show in bad faith due to explicit or implicit political pressure is dangerous and unacceptable in a democratic society."

Also not buying the official explanation, Democratic Senator Adam Schiff, who was a guest on yesterday's taping of the Late Show, the senator posted on social media, quote, "If Paramount and CBS ended the Late Show for political reasons, the public deserves to know and deserves better."

President Trump made no attempt to hide his feelings on the matter, writing on social media just this morning, "I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings. I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next, has even less talent than Colbert!"

[20:50:00]

Political pressure or not, the bottom has been falling out of late night television's business model for years now. CNN's Chief Media Analyst Brian Stelter has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID LETTERMAN, AMERICAN TELEVISION HOST AND COMEDIAN: That's pretty much all I got. The, only thing I have left to do for the last time on a television program, thank you, and good night.

BRIAN STELTER, CHIEF MEDIA CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When David Letterman handed off to Stephen Colbert.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How does it feel?

STEPHEN COLBERT, HOST, THE LATE SHOW: It feels pretty good.

STELTER (voice-over): The Late Show entered a whole new era.

COLBERT: The Late Night Wars are on.

STELTER (voice-over): Thanks to Dave, the show was already an American institution.

LETTERMAN: Late Night's top 10 words that almost rhyme with P's.

STELTER (voice-over): And Colbert brought even more energy.

COLBERT: We will try to honor his achievement by doing the best show we can and occasionally making the network very mad at us.

STELTER (voice-over): Well, mission accomplished. Colbert's show has been critically acclaimed, but the broadcast world has been crumbling beneath his feet. One source telling CNN that ad revenue has been, quote, "cratering," making the show unprofitable. So even though he beat the competition, the show was unsustainable. But that's not the fault of any comic. Late night as we know it is fading away, or maybe we should say dozing off.

BILL CARTER, FORMER MEDIA REPORTER, THE NEW YORK TIMES: They made sense economically for a long time.

STELTER (voice-over): Johnny Carson and other stars were cash cows for their networks. And Letterman was an icon, leading 6,000 wacky and wonderful episodes in his late night tenure on NBC and CBS.

LETTERMAN: So if I see this stuff on eBay, I'm coming after you.

COLBERT: Can you do me a favor? It's my lunch break, and I haven't had a chance to get anything to eat. Can I ask you to get me a little something to eat?

STELTER (voice-over): He inspired generations of comedians, and Colbert has too. But now media has splintered into a million viral video pieces. And network executives under pressure to invest in streaming say late night is becoming a bad business.

COLBERT: The network will be ending the Late Show in May.

STELTER (voice-over): And many observers are left asking if politics played a part in the decision.

COLBERT: Here he is celebrating his birthday. That is one sad sack of potatoes.

STELTER (voice-over): Now it's unclear who will get the last laugh.

CARTER: Let's face it. Even if CBS says Trump had nothing to do with it, Trump thinks he did. He's already come out and celebrated.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: Brian Stelter joins me now. So, of course, there are business pressures, no question, but there is also a potential merger that CBS's parent company is currently seeking here. What more are you learning about the status of that deal and federal approval for that deal?

STELTER: Right. This merger, it's like been the merger from hell. You know, these executives have been trying to get this done for many months, and it's been held up by the Trump controlled FCC.

Historically, Jim, the FCC is a kind of boring government agency that regulates TV and radio licenses. It has historically been an independent agency with a lot of autonomy. But in Trump's second term he has wielded more control over the FCC.

And the chairman there, Brendan Carr, has been taking a lot of steps that seem right in sync with President Trump's desires. One of those involves CBS. There's an open pending news distortion complaint about that 60 Minutes segment that was not distorted at all.

So what we know is that earlier this week, the wannabe future head of CBS, David Ellison, was in Washington meeting with Brendan Carr trying to get this deal done. That meeting actually happened on Tuesday. It turns out Colbert learned he was being canceled on Wednesday.

There is no indication that these events are connected. But, you know, if you are Stephen Colbert, if you are on his staff, if you are one of his fans, you can't help but wonder about the politically charged backdrop of this decision.

SCIUTTO: And it's not in isolation. Right? Because you had a CBS News settlement. You had pressure on 60 Minutes as well in the midst of all this.

STELTER: All this comes down to a key question, fight or fold? Do these media companies stand up to the President or do they fold? And how, as of tonight, The Wall Street Journal's the latest asking that same question.

SCIUTTO: Brian Stelter, thanks so much. Coming up next, how some of the biggest names in music are now using their star power to bring intention to an important mission.

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[20:55:00]

SCIUTTO: Some of the biggest names in music are bringing attention to one of our planet's biggest challenges, climate change. On Sunday night, the whole story returns with Bill Weir's report, "Change Amplified: Live Music and the Climate Crisis." You'll hear from several musicians, including Billie Eilish, Bonnie Raitt, and Jack Johnson. Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL WEIR, CNN ANCHOR, CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: That's cool. That's how I love crayfish.

WEIR (voice-over): The tunes we love come from both person and place. And without this place, without the sun and soil, waves and wonder of Oahu's North Shore, Jack wouldn't be Jack.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think growing up here, there's this really slow rhythm that you don't realize you're taking in, which is the sound of waves hitting the shore. And usually, that's about twelve seconds, fourteen seconds apart.

[21:00:00]

WEIR (voice-over): But while plenty of places have an ocean rhythm, Jack was also raised on Aloha, the humble respect for nature and neighbor passed down from the very first Hawaiians.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: Fun story to shoot. Don't miss Bill's report in an all new episode of the whole story with Anderson Cooper. Sunday, 8:00 pm Eastern and Pacific, only here on CNN.

And tonight, the news continues. "The Source" with Kaitlan Collins starts right now.

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Tonight, President Trump is turning to the courts to accomplish what he has not been able to thus far, quiet the fury when it comes to the Jeffrey Epstein files.