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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees

GOP Senators Weigh In, Some Critical Of Media Ban; Deadline Tonight For Justice Department To Media Ban Lawsuit; Trump Says He Faces Choice: Make a Deal or "Annihilate" Iran; Trump Dismisses Call For Global AI Regulation At United Nations; Lawmakers Call For Action After Dire AI Warnings; Deadline Tonight For Justice Dept. To Respond To Media Ban Lawsuit; New Body Camera Video Shows Scene Just After ICE Shooting. Aired 8-9p ET

Aired September 22, 2026 - 20:00   ET

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[20:00:40]

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Good evening from the Newsroom. At this hour, we are still waiting to hear how the Trump administration justifies banning three news outlets, including CNN, from the White House. The Justice Department is facing a deadline tonight to answer CNN, MS NOW, and POLITICO'S lawsuit against the President ahead of a hearing tomorrow.

Already, the President is weighing in, suggesting he'll lose in court. He said that's because the federal district judge in the case, Timothy Kelly, is in the President's words, "not a particularly fair judge," which is quite an indictment considering he was appointed by none other than President Trump himself.

Several Republican Senators are criticizing the media ban tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY (R-LA): I think that you have every member of the media should be treated the same. I think you ought to have to treat everybody the same in terms of their access to government.

Now, the President doesn't have to talk to reporters if he doesn't want to. I try to talk to everybody.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Thom Tillis and John Cornyn, both called it, "inappropriate." Chuck Grassley said the President shouldn't have done it, but insisted, "I'm not saying I disagree with him."

Again, today, there was no network pool crew covering the President and with all this playing out, the President was on the world stage with a message for Iran. Speaking today at the U.N. General Assembly, which we're not showing. He said he was faced with a choice, quoting him now, "Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before? Maybe one of the greatest in the Middle East, or even the world or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again?"

Now, we should point out this is not the first time he's threatened annihilating Iran. In fact, he's mentioned the basic idea a number of times. On April 7th, he warned that, "a whole civilization will die tonight" if Iran did not agree to a deal.

One thing that makes today's threat a little different is that it was made at the U.N., in front of other world leaders. So, he's basically threatening to commit a crime against humanity at the U.N. He also tied his threat to domestic politics, saying that Iran's leaders were, "waiting to see how I do in the midterm election, what they don't realize is that I'm not running."

The President, adding, the Republican Party is running, and I'll be helping them, but I am not running, which is quite a change, given that until now, he was telling anyone who would listen to pretend he was on the ballot. As for what made him suddenly rethink that unclear, perhaps new CNN polling out today, which finds that only 26 percent of Americans approve of how he's handling the situation and 64 percent say the U.S. is not winning the war.

CNN chief White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins asked the President about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN'S CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT AND THE ANCHOR OF "THE SOURCE": Mr. President, two thirds of Americans, two thirds of Americans don't think the U.S. is winning the war with Iran. When will it end?

DONALD TRUMP (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: So, it's an honor to be here. I'm surprised that CNN is here covering me.

COLLINS: The United Nations allowed us in, Sir.

TRUMP: You should not be here covering me. You said you weren't going to cover me. You shouldn't be covering me.

COLLINS: Two thirds of Americans don't think that the U.S. is winning the war with Iran. When will it end?

TRUMP: We're making a lot of progress. Our country is doing really, really well. Thank you very much.

COLLINS: Americans don't think the United States is winning the war with Iran. What's your message to world leaders today? Will you ban oil exports, Mr. President?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: And Kaitlan Collins joins us now. So, Kaitlan, is it clear how the President and White House think his ban on CNN, POLITICO and MS NOW is going?

COLLINS: I mean, it's not really clear the President himself there was saying something that CNN has never asserted about not covering him. We've never said that the President is the one who's trying to dictate how we cover him. And of course, it is still our job to do so. And as I noted to him, the United Nations credentialed us. And that is a position that we are always in, actually, every year at the United Nations, because we always know the President typically stops and speaks with reporters there as he made his way in. And obviously, we had our own CNN camera there.

And so, I think in the wider term of how this is going, I mean, you saw the President having several one on ones with key world leaders today. He's about to have one right now with Venezuela's leader, Delcy Rodriguez, and he had one earlier with President Zelenskyy and the British Prime Minister, many other world leaders.

But one of the cameras from the five major networks was not in the room for that because of the President's ban and because those other networks are standing with CNN and solidarity of that. So, it is affecting the coverage of the President and the way that he likes to see it, which is broadcast on television. And in these key moments where he's speaking with world leaders and answering questions from reporters.

And so, in terms of how it's going politically, I mean, you heard what Republican Senators are saying on Capitol Hill. That is a group that doesn't very often disagree with the President and when they do so, they often do so in the kind of language that you were hearing earlier from people like Chuck Grassley saying that he doesn't agree with the ban, but saying he doesn't disagree with the President or he wasn't breaking with the President.

In terms of the legal aspect, obviously, they're waiting to see what happens tomorrow. The President was asked about what happens. Should the judge at the first hearing tomorrow rule against his ban against these three outlets from accessing the White House.

And he talked about that and there seems to be a reality inside the administration that this ban is not going to have legal muster and legal standing when it comes to a judge evaluating it tomorrow, and that likely things will return to the way they were before the President announced this on Friday. But also, I think a key part of the focus here has been on what the President himself said in his speech today on Iran, because the point of the question that he didn't answer earlier was how Americans are viewing this war, Anderson.

And the new CNN polling shows that not only is it widely unpopular, as it has always been since it started. The opposition is hardening among Americans. They don't approve of the way the President is handling it. They're not approving of the way he's handling foreign conflicts overall.

And so, obviously, when it comes to how they're judging the President's leadership, how that means they're going to judge Republicans in November, that has been a key through line of the Presidents trip here to the United Nations. He mentioned the Midterms in his speech today.

COOPER: Kaitlan Collins, thanks so much. We'll see you at the top of the hour for "The Source".

Joining us now, CNN political commentator S.E. Cupp, former federal prosecutor Berit Berger and former White House spokesman for George W. Bush administration, Pete Seat.

Berit, we're waiting for the government to file its response here. For the sake of the argument. What do you expect their legal rationale to be?

BERIT BERGER, FORMER U.S. FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: I actually don't know. It's very hard to articulate the argument that they would make because the law is really well settled. The plaintiffs here moved on two different constitutional grounds.

The first is the classic First Amendment, that argument basically goes that there's not a guaranteed right for reporters to enter the White House but if the White House opens up certain spaces, like the press briefing room to reporters, they can't then get rid of some of them because they don't like what they write about. It's called viewpoint discrimination. It's one of the classic things you can't do under First Amendment, jurisprudence.

The second argument they made is probably the one that will have even more success, which is they have a Fifth Amendment right to be there. Once you have something like a press pass that now has value, it becomes essentially a property interest. And so, the government can't take that away without going through due process, without having some kind of articulated standard, some process. That's actually the same grounds that the White House lost back when they were fighting over a press pass with Jim Acosta. So, that really has a strong likelihood.

These are two very sound constitutional arguments. it's actually hard to think about what the white house is going to be able to put together to counteract that.

COOPER: As he does, I mean, do you think the President gets anything out of this ban? Is there any upside for him at this point?

S.E. CUPP, CNN, POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I don't think so. These tricks sometimes work to gin up his base, but I think actually this really comes from a place of weakness. This is happening at a time where his poll numbers are abysmal. He slipped into the 20s this week. And this is all a result of his bad decisions. It's almost as if ignoring and in fact, exacerbating the problems that people told you they cared about during the 2024 election is having an impact on voters. And we are we are just covering that. I think this makes him look incredibly weak. And we know that because he's not suing us. The things he's describing, calling us, purposefully and in a coordinated way, writing about lies and fiction. Theres a word for that, it's defamation. He's describing the definition of actual malice. If he really believed we were doing that, he'd sue us, he's not. Because this isn't about the law. It's about his feelings.

And he is feeling back against the wall. He is in a bed of his making with, like I said, terrible political decisions and his own voters are telling him they were terrible. He doesn't know what to do, so he's lashing out. I don't think this will last, and I don't think it will help him.

COOPER: Pete, in the George W. Bush White House, there were plenty of times, obviously, that administration was unhappy with media coverage. I think back to Hurricane Katrina in particular. Would a would a media ban like this personally issued by the President himself, ever have happened when you worked for George W. Bush of course?

PETE SEAT, FORMER WHITE HOUSE, GEORGE W. BUSH ADMINISTRATION: Of course, it wouldn't have happened. You know, I actually for a period of time, Anderson managed the press hard pass list in the George W. Bush White House.

So, I was in charge of deciding which passes were renewed and which were not renewed. And we did have a standard criteria for renewals that we worked in consultation with the United States Secret Service on, and I believe it was two visits, maybe three visits a month, as long as you were coming to the White House grounds, even if it was just badging in and badging out very quickly to check that box, you would get your renewal.

We didn't want, as a matter of security, a bunch of passes to be floating out there because that would put potentially the White House at risk. These passes allow unfettered access to the grounds.

I think the President has misfired here royally. You know, there's always tension between the press and the President. I talk about this in my course on the American presidency at the University of Arizona. But it can also be a mutually beneficial relationship.

The President wants to get a message out, and the press wants to act as a proxy for American voters. People can't just walk off the street, go into the Oval Office and ask about gas prices. It works for everyone if it's handled well, and I don't think the President right now is handling this well.

COOPER: The President has already vowed to appeal. I mean, is there grounds for, do you think this would end up at the Supreme Court?

BERGER: It may, I mean, again, we're not even there yet. We don't have a decision from the District Court level yet and we know that the D.C. circuit has been critical, at least of, you know, this idea of barring the press generally from areas like the briefing room. Does it go up to the Supreme Court? Maybe this would really be a very strong First Amendment case for the Supreme Court to weigh in on. I don't know that this is one they would take, though, because it does seem so obvious.

COOPER: I also wonder, I mean, one, it's odd that the First Lady's office credentialed CNN and POLITICO to cover some of her events. I also wonder if the President is going to miss just the ability to insult female reporters to their face as much as he did before. Like if he will actually feel -- he misses the absence of people.

CUPP: Yes, unfortunate as it is and unfortunately our female reporters are often the target, including Kaitlan Collins. He does enjoy tussling with reporters and he does get something from that.

COOPER: He clearly thinks that is --

CUPP: --is helpful.

COOPER: Right?

CUPP: Yeah, because it does gin up the base. You know, he has made the press the enemy, all of his followers believe that. And so, there is that back and forth that helps him. Unfortunately, I think right now, if he was hoping to gin up the base, the base was mad at him. The base is the voters who are saying, where was lowering inflation? Why did you get us into a war? You promised us you wouldn't?

He's having to answer for that. We're not the problem here for shining a light on his bad decisions and the way it's impacting voters. It seems like there was no rhyme or reason to this, right? He didn't explain why these three outlets were targeted. We don't know why Melania credentialed us for this.

It's again, this isn't serious, this is about his feelings. And it reminds me of a great quote, that says, "if you want to offend a strong man, tell him a lie. If you want to offend a weak man, tell him the truth."

That's what it feels like is going on here.

COOPER: The President, Berit, the President also said today that these outlets, their coverage presents a threat which seems a novel argument.

BERGER: Well, that potentially is the only argument he could make, because if there actually was some sort of a National Security threat, that could be a legitimate basis to take somebody's press away. If you had, for example, a reporter that couldn't pass a security check, that would be a neutral basis that you could take away, not because you find their reporting offensive.

COOPER: Yes, Pete Seat, Berit Berger, thank you. S. E. Cupp as well, Thanks so much, appreciate it.

Coming up next, more on the President's new threat to annihilate Iran, as well as the collapse in public confidence in his handling of the conflict with midterm elections just six weeks away.

And later in the week, the Presidents defense of A.I. at the U.N., well talk to a U.S. Senator who spoke out himself today about the dangers of it. As he sees it, and is sponsoring legislation to cushion the effects of it on workers. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:18:42]

COOPER: We mentioned this at the top of the broadcast, in his speech to the U.N. general assembly today, the President said he has a, "big decision to make whether or not to annihilate the Islamic Republic of Iran."

It's the kind of tough talk he often returns to, whether or not it leads to a deal ending the conflict remains to be seen. U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, reportedly met with Iran's foreign minister in New York to discuss conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The President later described a, "very good meeting" between members of his administration and the Iranian delegation whether they actually have the power to make decisions is unclear.

A new CNN poll finds that only 36 percent of Americans believe the U.S. is winning the war. We mentioned that overall approval for the Presidents handling of the conflict now sits at just 26 percent, down from 33 percent in March. Much of the erosion in support actually comes from Republicans.

I want to get perspective now on all this from former Trump White House communications director Alyssa Farah Griffin and CNN global affairs analyst Brett McGurk, who's also the author of the forthcoming book "Brink: Inside the Race to Free the October 7th Hostages".

So, we mentioned this decline in support 73 percent in March approved. Now it's 60 percent. How do you explain that shift?

ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: The President the White House have done absolutely nothing to sell this war to the American public. I'm fairly hawkish. I'm somebody who could be convinced that it was right to overthrow the Ayatollah. It would be right to overthrow this regime. And Iran, of course, should never have a nuclear weapon. But the actions after that, in selling what the process is, what victory looks like, what the timeline is that's never been articulated.

And it feels similarly to the President's speech to the General Assembly. It felt a little tired and a little bit lazy. You owe it to the world community, the international community, but also to your domestic voters to explain to them what victory actually looks like, what we've achieved, and they're not doing that. They've made virtually no effort to sell this to the public.

[20:20:26]

COOPER: I mean, the President, Bret, is certainly not of the Teddy Roosevelt school of, you know, walk softly, carry a big stick. He's repeatedly talked about annihilating Iran, he did it again today. I mean, A, there's the question, how does that play in front of the U.N.? Is it wise to do that in front of the U.N.? But how is the war itself from your perspective going?

BRETT MCGURK, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: I think we're at a point now where we're trying to get talks moving again. I think the President uses that kind of setting up this choice. You have a choice around either, you know, going to have hell to pay, which he says sometimes or do a deal. I think he thinks that's helpful in the negotiation.

I don't think, I think the Iranians have tuned that out. I think what is helpful to the U.S. position in this negotiation is the central command has a basically a quarantine, a blockade on all Iranian oil and energy trade that is really starting to bite. That gives you some leverage.

But, Anderson, I've been here at the U.N. General assembly as an official. There's always drama with Iranians even back when Obama was here, might he meet with President Rouhani, end of the day, it doesn't happen often. There is no real substance to what actually gets done.

COOPER: Are these the decision makers who are here?

MCGURK: Well, that's the problem.

COOPER: Where's the Revolutionary Guard, though?

MCGURK: There are two problems, number one, Steve Witkoff put out a statement just recently that the talks they had today were actually mediated talks. So, we're in one room. Iran's in another room. Messages go back and forth. That is so inefficient. Ive done those types of talks.

And secondly, the decision makers, as we've been talking on your program for many months now, are in Iran. It's the Revolutionary Guards, they've seized control of Tahiti and these guys, and whether Araghchi, the Foreign Minister or Pezeshkian the President, who's a much more pragmatic guy, would be able to do a deal here with the U.S. side. I think is highly doubtful.

So, I do not think much will come out of these talks. But were trying to get some diplomacy going. But were pretty much stuck. Anderson.

COOPER: Alyssa, what did you make of the President's speech?

GRIFFIN: It felt low energy and like a missed opportunity. This is a chance both to sell his perspective in the war. This is not a room that's fully in disagreement with him. The Gulf states don't believe that Iran should have a nuclear weapon. Many of our European allies are aligned with him. Theres an opportunity to sell what victory can look like.

COOPER: Did he sound energized about the war itself or?

GRIFFIN: He didn't sound energized about anything, to be honest. And it turned into a campaign speech, which is not just inappropriate. It's kind of bizarre for the setting. Like, I don't know that I've ever heard the Republican party mentioned in the U.N. General Assembly. It's usually much more about world affairs, our values, our goals.

And it felt like the greatest hits. And this is something that the President is descending back into. I think he feels a little bit out of control heading into the midterms. I think he sees where his support is going. And he just kind of defaulted back to the greatest hits.

COOPER: Do you see any kind of lifting of the naval blockade? I mean, in the cards that the U.S. --?

MCGURK: So right now, the U.S. side is basically we'll lift the blockade and allow ships to go through the Strait of Hormuz, and well get to other issues later. The Iranians are putting out statements that they are still back in their same position they were in back in the summer, massive sanctions relief, release of frozen assets, something on Lebanon.

So, it seems like Iran is in the same spot they've been, despite this real pressure. I don't think Iran will do a deal before the midterms, I think the Iranians believe after the midterms, the dynamic can change. But I think they're wrong about that.

Actually, President, whatever happens in the midterms, President still has massive power in foreign affairs. I've seen this with presidents in the past. They get wiped out in the midterms. And yet in foreign affairs, they can still make some strong moves. So, this has ways to play out, Anderson. I don't see any breakthrough in the cards.

COOPER: The President does keep saying, Alyssa, that it will be decided after the midterms. I mean, everything is after the midterms. Do people buy that?

GRIFFIN: I don't think that works with the American public. I think that's what he has to say. You know, gas prices have remained stubbornly high. And this is a huge issue for voters. And they tie it to this unpopular war in Iran. So, I think it's his way of saying, stick with me and give them some hope. But, I mean, you know this better than anyone.

The Iranians are notoriously tough negotiators. I don't think they're waiting for a political moment in the United States. They're waiting until they're so economically pressured that they have to come to the table and that could be much longer from now than the midterms.

COOPER: The President said, Bret, while meeting with Gulf leaders, we may have to blow up another one. Pickaxe Mountain, referring to suspected Iranian nuclear site. Is the U.S. in a strong position to carry out that kind of operation now?

MCGURK: Pickaxe Mountain is a deeply, it's deeper than fordo the strike that you covered so well a year ago, it's very difficult military target. And it begs the question, why haven't we done that now? Weve had basically there was a war last year, there's been a war on going this year, but it's a big problem.

If we see indications, I don't know what's in the intelligence. If we see indications, the Iranians are actually starting to use that site to try to refurbish their nuclear program, that's a big problem.

My understanding is the nuclear program has been set back significantly. That's one, that's been a fairly successful military operation.

COOPER: It is though, I mean, he keeps using these words obliterate and annihilate and obliterate is what he said happened to the nuclear facilities before they were completely obliterated. Now, he's talking about obliterating the country. It just feels like after a while, these words lose value.

[20:25:19]

GRIFFIN: I do wonder if at some point the Iranians are watching and they're saying, "Trump TACO". He speaks, you know, very strongly. He does these threats. He's issued them many times. We're going to wipe out an entire civilization and then actions don't follow that.

Now, I want to be clear, they're very aware of the power of the U.S. Military and what were capable of. But I think they see a President who seems to lack resolve in this moment and feels like he got himself in, you know, for something he wasn't prepared for.

COOPER: Yes, Alyssa Farah Griffin, thank you, Brett McGurk as well.

MCGURK: Appreciate it.

COOPER: Congrats on the book.

The President today said he's called A.I. superintelligence or he's calling it superintelligence now because he said that sounds better, but he's still dismissing the potential dangers of it.

Coming up next, Arizona Senator, former astronaut, Mark Kelly joins us. He's comparing that to sitting in a cockpit with warning lights flashing, but doing nothing about the danger.

Also, what new video could reveal about the ICE involved shooting that left a man with a bullet still in his back days after it happened.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:30:27]

COOPER: Today at the U.N., the President told the world, quote, "Welcome to the world of superintelligence." He said it sounds much better than calling it AI. He also again rejected calls for regulation while vowing to, quote, "keep it very, very straight and very strong."

On Capitol Hill, meantime, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly introduced legislation to cushion the technology's impact on workers using a fund that AI companies would pay into. He also took aim at the President and House Speaker Johnson, who sent members home two weeks early instead of tackling the issue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MARK KELLY (D), ARIZONA: While the people inside the industry discuss catastrophic damage and the chance that AI, and I quote, "will kill us all by the end of the decade," the White House is actively lobbying against regulation. Our President calls Americans' fears a, quote, "hoax" and a sick conspiracy.

He says that we don't need new guardrails. And Speaker Johnson says that Congress isn't qualified to make them. Instead, he wants a summit someday. But in the meantime, we'll revisit it after a seven-week recess.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: And Senator Mark Kelly joins us now. So why do you think there's not more of an appetite in Congress to regulate AI or even kind of meet about it and figure something out?

KELLY: Well, Anderson, I think the appetite is there in Congress. I mean, the place it's lacking right now is in the White House. And across the country, certainly Democrats, Republicans, Independents all think that, you know, this is getting to the point where we need to act and act soon. Even the CEOs of the AI companies, the frontier, the big companies that create these large language models are asking for regulation.

I mean, they typically don't want to do something unilaterally because they have competition. They'd like to see the government act. Anderson, I put out this AI for America plan about a year ago. And since then, this technology has moved a lot faster than we thought it should over the last 12 months or thought it could for that matter.

And it is time. I mean, this -- I think about this is, you got the master alarm light flashing in the spacecraft right in your face. It's time to come up with a plan. And what I am -- I'm introducing Thursday is part of this plan and I think a significant piece of it.

COOPER: And it's centered on protecting workers?

KELLY: Protecting workers, but also the centerpiece of this is the AI Horizon fund, which will collect money from big tech in three ways, with three different taxes, a usage tax, a digital advertising tax and what's essentially an excess profit tax. And then that revenue can be applied. So people who lose their jobs will have options on things that they could do.

They could decide to go to community college and get additional training. They could go to a national service program that would end in some kind of certification. They could get help starting a small business.

There's also enhanced unemployment insurance as part of that if somebody needs that. So it collects the revenue from these companies that will eventually be generating, if things work out like they think it will, a lot of excess profits, a lot of revenue. So this fund will fund these programs so people can get back on their feet.

We could have a lot of job disruption. And for that, we need a plan. It seems that everybody understands that except possibly the President and the people around him.

COOPER: Why do you think the President is so opposed to slowing down the pace of advancements in AI? Obviously, one of the arguments is this is an arms race and he wants the U.S. to win.

KELLY: Hey, I want us to win, too. You know, I think this is a competition with the Chinese, but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't have guardrails in place. The way I think about this is when there is something out there that could be catastrophic and the AI companies are saying this could have catastrophic results. Certainly, if it's very likely to have catastrophic results, you have to act.

[20:35:07]

But as a former test pilot and astronaut, even the stuff that's low probability with a catastrophic result, you got to come up with some mitigation for that and try to prevent it from happening. And I think about this the same way. But for some reason, I don't quite understand it yet.

The President just wants us to go, you know, full speed as fast as we possibly can. And don't consider the negative side of this. Hey, I want this to work. I think there's huge benefits for the American people. But at this point, especially on the job loss piece of this, I want to see these big tech companies chip in and I want to see the government put in the -- put the guardrails in place so we don't have a catastrophic outcome.

COOPER: I do want to ask you about the President's ban on CNN, Politico, MS NOW from the White House. I'm wondering what message you think it sends to America's allies and adversaries.

KELLY: Well, I think, you know, our allies, it just pushes them further away as this President pushes this country further away from democracy. It concerns concerns them. Obviously, Americans are losing constitutional rights and liberties.

President went after me. I mean, I said something he didn't like. He said I should be hanged, executed. He tried to prosecute me and others just because he didn't like what we said, which was in the law. Now he's going after the freedom of the press.

It doesn't help our relationship with other democracies. I think for, I mean, something like -- somebody like Vladimir Putin or President Xi of China, I mean, they look at this and they see fractures in our democracy. And for them, they probably perceive this as a very good thing.

This is weakening our nation. It's dividing us. It's just really pulling and fracturing the fabric of what holds us together and makes us a strong nation. So there are certainly autocrats out there that are -- they like what they see. And I think it really concerns our allies. I know that for a fact because I've spoken to them about it.

COOPER: Senator Mark Kelly, I really appreciate your time. Thank you.

Up next, we have breaking news on the ICE shooting over the weekend in Texas. New video of the incident and the aftermath and new information on the condition of the Venezuelan DoorDash driver who was in custody.

And later, an update on a scene and investigation on a Six Flags roller coaster, allegations of brain injuries from it. Attorneys have launched three lawsuits this week, say more than 100 people plan to sue. Details ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:42:23]

COOPER: There's more breaking news tonight. We have new information on the condition of the Venezuelan DoorDash driver who was shot by an ICE agent over the weekend in Texas. A warning, what you're about to see is graphic.

This is new video released this afternoon from the Austin Police Department is from an officer's body camera showing first responders checking the man's gunshot wound on his back. Police have also released new video of the shooting itself.

CNN's Ed Lavandera joins us now from Austin with more. Can you walk us through this new video?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is interesting because we've been trying to piece together what happened in the moments leading up to the shooting, which took place underneath this highway overpass behind me. Video released by Austin police today shows a video from a dash cam of an off duty police detective who happened to be driving by the area.

The video captured about just 200 years -- 200 yards off to our side here. A brief glimpse of two unmarked dark SUVs with ICE officers standing next to Wilbur Garces Perez's car. This happened about 10 minutes before the shooting. It's a quick video.

But then there is this about this 10 minute window, as I mentioned, where there was some sort of pursuit throughout the streets of the area surrounding us here. And then it all ends up back here, Anderson, at the intersection behind me where the shooting took place.

Now, we still don't know exactly in the moment that the shots were fired, what led up to that, what caused the ICE officer to make those decisions. But we do know that that ICE officer is now on administrative leave. We've learned, according to a source, that he is a recent hire to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and that he was not wearing a body camera at the time of the shooting. Anderson?

COOPER: And what's the latest information on the man's condition?

LAVANDERA: Well, we learned also today that this 28-year-old immigrant from Venezuela as was -- has been in and out of the hospital several times. He was taken to a South Texas detention facility on Sunday afternoon, just hours after the shooting. His lawyer said that the bullet is still lodged in his body.

As you saw in that video, he was shot in the back. He was then released from the hospital and turned over to ICE agents. He was taken to the detention facility. Then yesterday he was taken to a hospital. But we understand that he was returned back to the South Texas detention facility after around midnight last night.

And his lawyers say that he's still complaining of extreme pain, that he has not received a pain medication. The Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin pushed back vehemently on that, saying that this man has received the best medical care of his life after this shooting.

[20:45:06]

COOPER: Ed Lavender, appreciate it. Thanks very much.

I want to tell you about a follow up now on a CNN investigation. It's an investigation into the X2 rollercoaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Southern California. Attorneys filed three lawsuits just this week and say more than 100 riders plan to take legal action, claiming they have suffered brain injuries on it over the last two years.

CNN's Kyung Lah has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL WILK, INJURED ROLLERCOASTER RIDER: It's not about the lawsuit.

KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's hard for Michael Wilk to comprehend how so many people like him say they were injured at Six Flags Magic Mountain on a rollercoaster called X2. He suffered a severe brain bleed and had to give up his lifelong career as an attorney.

WILK: I truly hope that by coming forward, changes will be made. That's my -- that's why I'm here today.

LAH (voice-over): Wilk's lawyers announced more than 100 people plan to sue Six Flags. Three have already been filed, but many more say they were seriously injured on this ride.

GARY DORDICK, ATTORNEY FOR RIDERS' FAMILIES: We were contacted by more than 300 people injured on the X2 ride. We couldn't take all of the cases. Some were past the time limits in California, which is two years.

LAH (voice-over): A CNN investigation first reported two women collapsed right after riding the X2 rollercoaster at Magic Mountain this summer. They ended up in the same hospital the same week, and both women underwent emergency surgery for similar brain hemorrhages.

Pam Guillen was at Magic Mountain with her daughter Camille, celebrating her 16th birthday on July 5th.

PAMELA GUILLEN, INJURED ROLLERCOASTER RIDER: It was seconds. You go in as yourself, and then when you come back, you're a medical emergency.

LAH: This was from a rollercoaster.

GUILLEN: Exactly.

LAH (voice-over): Six days later, then 25-year-old Naomi Greer- Wilkinson got on the X2 rollercoaster. She collapsed after she got off the ride and was rushed to the hospital where Pam Guillen was being treated. Doctors who treated both Naomi Greer-Wilkinson and Pam Guillen say the severe brain injuries were the result of a traumatic rapid acceleration-deceleration event experienced while on the X2 ride.

ARTEMIS GREER, MOTHER OF HOSPITALIZED RIDER: I do remember one of the surgeons storming through the ER and yelling, how many is it this month? They've got to shut that ride down. He was furious.

Naomi should have never, ever in a million years even had the option to get on that ride. It's absolutely insane.

LAH (voice-over): Here's what Six Flags says that makes the X2 rollercoaster different. The seats spin 360 degrees forwards and backwards independently around the track. Riders plummet 200 feet at speeds of up to 76 miles per hour with two so-called raven turns or half loops that turn into sheer drops.

In three lawsuits filed against Magic Mountain, riders say the park deliberately hid evidence from the public and riders like them.

CHRISTOPHER BULONE, ATTORNEY FOR RIDERS' FAMILIES: It's the design of this ride that makes it inherently dangerous and makes it dangerous in a way that no reasonable rider would expect. Time after time, innocent people are coming off the ride with permanent brain damage.

LAH (voice-over): Wilk stood next to Pam Guillen and Naomi Greer- Wilkinson's parents at the news conference filled with regrets. He was hurt just months before Naomi and Pam.

WILK: I cannot help but feel if I had reported it, maybe, maybe something would have happened. Maybe it's -- Magic Mountain would have taken it more seriously and they would not have been injured.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: Kyung, what is Six Flags response to this been?

LAH (on-camera): Well, we did reach out to Six Flags multiple times and we got a very short answer saying that they simply will not comment about pending litigation. Six Flags did say, though, that the X2 rollercoaster at Magic Mountain is now no longer running. It has stopped running since Naomi Greer-Wilkinson was hurt, that second woman, a 25-year-old woman. The park, though, did not explain why it stopped running. And one other thing, Anderson, Six Flags is bracing for all of those lawsuits. Those lawyers you saw in the story, they say that they will be filing approximately 100 separate lawsuits representing each and every single one of these victims who has a -- some sort of traumatic brain injury.

COOPER: And what about the state of California?

LAH (on-camera): Yes, you know, that's the big question that we've had throughout all of this, because California is known for regulation and this is no different. Cal/OSHA does oversee amusement parks. They did oversee what's happening here at Magic Mountain.

[20:50:05]

But what you're seeing here, this video, this is very new technology. This is sort of the state of the next wave of thrill rides that you're going to see not just in California, but in other parks. And so Cal/OSHA's technology, what they oversee, according to these lawyers, is simply outdated. Anderson?

COOPER: Kyung Lah, thanks very much.

Up next, my conversation with Hollywood Superagent Ari Emanuel on what it was like growing up in a family that seemed destined for success, includes his brother Zeke, a world famous oncologist, and Rahm Emanuel, former mayor of Chicago and chief of staff of President Obama. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:55:20]

COOPER: If you ever watched the HBO series "Entourage," you'll remember Ari Gold, the hard charging agent. Well, that character is based on a real life superagent named Ari Emanuel. His brother is Rahm Emanuel, former mayor of Chicago and President Obama's first chief of staff. His other brother is Zeke, a world famous oncologist and health policy expert.

Ari is a legend in Hollywood, one of the original founders of the talent agency Endeavor, and he's represented huge names like Oprah Winfrey, Martin Scorsese, Mark Wahlberg and The Rock -- Dwayne The Rock Johnson. He now adds author to his resume and his new book is a fascinating and fun rollercoaster ride through Hollywood's highs and lows. It's called "Roll the Calls: A Memoir." It's on bookshelves now.

I spoke to Ari Emanuel just before air.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: You begin this book with rage, which I love because I am filled with rage, but I suppress it and have suppressed it my entire life. You have given vent to your rage in the most constructive of ways.

ARI EMANUEL, AUTHOR, "ROLL THE CALLS": Do you think it's healthy?

COOPER: No, it's completely not. And I think actually your method -- I mean, I think it's -- but it's also interesting where it comes from.

EMANUEL: Well, it's also evolved over time. So it's on the business side, it's strategic. It's my reputation has preceded me at times, so I don't -- I don't have to use it as much. But it came from a place being dyslexic, people not thinking you're smart.

I have two really smart brothers and my family of grades --

COOPER: For those who don't know, Rahm Emanuel is your brother --

EMANUEL: Yes.

COOPER: -- Zeke Emanuel, I mean, you come from a very accomplished family.

EMANUEL: Thank you.

COOPER: I can only imagine the cauldron that that was created --

EMANUEL: That we were very competitive, but love each other. And so when you get into the house and your grades go up on the refrigerator, because that's what my mom did and you got A plus, AAA plus and schmuck, as my father would say, not in a bad way, in a loving way. You know, you get pissed off because you want an identity.

And it was a smart one. My brother Zeke, the artist, my brother Rahm, and then the last one. And when I got into business, I had found something I really loved. I didn't have a plan B and I went for it.

And anybody that once I got to the place where we started our agency in '95, we were the small agency amongst very big players. You couldn't compete on price, meaning how much you charge clients. And so you just had to work harder, be more creative, and you had a fight.

I get so many parents who come up to me and say, my child has dyslexia. I have people -- now I had a most -- mild form of dyslexia early on. You had a very real case of --

EMANUEL: Yes.

COOPER: -- dyslexia, and it is inspiring for so many people out there to know what you're able to accomplish. How did you -- is it -- did you figure out workarounds? Was it -- some people have called it, you know, Malcolm Gladwell has famously written about it as kind of being a superpower for some people like Gary Cohn and --

EMANUEL: I think it is. I mean, this book is for those parents. A parent just came up to me. I was doing another one of these. And he had two twins and he's dyslexic, they're dyslexic. And he was very -- getting very emotional.

And I said to him, one of the things that it does for your kids, as hard as it is for a parent to let their kids have to suffer through reading and learning how to read. I went to Lindamood-Bell. My brother gave his his Gabriella, his daughter, who's a Rhodes scholar. She had dyslexia and she went to Lindamood-Bell.

And I sent my kids and it's brutal on them. But here's what comes out of it. And this is what I wanted. Parents, one of the things, that if you let them get the emotional endurance of learning how to read and going through that trauma, they come out of it and they're free thinkers. They're not linear thinkers because of the words.

And that is such an advantage. And also they learn how to organize differently with people because they have to ask for help. So they trust a lot more in their business opportunities. And I hope it gives a roadmap to parents to say, you know, something have some relief.

You're doing the right thing, as hard as it is seeing your kids suffer. And the other reason for the book is this is my journey. Here's what I did. Here's what it takes from my perspective. If you want to win, if you want to get an entity -- an identity, if you want to get agency, my journey.

For people starting out in business, there's a phrase, you know, Thomas guide ways. This is for me, my way to teach them. Everybody's got to take their own path. But I just want them to know it's not easy. You -- if you want to be successful, success is not a straight line, it's all over the place.

You have to sacrifice your personal life. You have to sacrifice sometimes your health. But if you want it enough, you do it. And I hope that gets through to young kids as they're starting out in business. And it gives them emotional endurance.

COOPER: Ari Emanuel, thank you.

EMANUEL: Thank you very much.

COOPER: Appreciate it.

EMANUEL: Appreciate it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: "Roll the Calls" is the book. It's a fascinating read.

You can stream the show live or watch any CNN program On Demand, in addition to getting original programming as well anytime on any screen or mobile device. All you need is an all access subscription. Scan the QR code on your screen or go to CNN.com/Watch to learn more.

That's it for us. The news continues. The Sources with Kaitlan Collins starts now. See you tomorrow. See you tomorrow.