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The Lead with Jake Tapper

Iran-Backed Houthis Capture Key Island At Mouth Of Red Sea; Diesel Fuel Hits Record High; Trump Urges Supporters To Cheat Like Hell In Midterms; Instant Classic Expected In Frances Tiafoe-Ben Shelton Match; Nation Marks 25 Years Since 9/11 Terror Attacks. Aired 6-7p ET

Aired September 11, 2026 - 18:00   ET

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

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[18:00:00]

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Welcome to The Lead on Jake Tapper.

This hour, a fast-moving situation tied to the war in Iran. What was a detour for oil tankers and cargo ships trying to avoid the Strait of Hormuz is now under attack, a threat from Houthi terrorists backed by Iran. The Houthis have already captured a strategic island near the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia is shutting down a pipeline. What we know about their call for help to President Trump, the Saudis.

Plus, ripple effect of all this activity in the region impacting the price that you're paying for gasoline and diesel now hitting a record rate.

Also, President Trump urging his most loyal supporters to, quote, cheat like hell in the upcoming midterms. Was that a joke or an act of desperation?

And the must-see moment in history going down tonight at the U.S. Open and at the historic Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Hello. We start with our World Lead and new problems linked to Iran and the price of oil and gas and potentially much more. Today, the Houthis in Yemen, the Houthis, an Iranian-backed group that the U.S. government has designated terrorist, claim that they captured a strategic island that you've probably never heard of. It's called Perim Island. It's in the Bab El Mandeb Strait, right at the entrance to the Red Sea. It's between the Arabian and Peninsula and Africa. Don't confuse it with the Persian Gulf or the Strait of Hormuz, which are on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula and already are a chokepoint due to the Iran war.

The Red Sea has been an alternative route for oil and cargo ships. That's the important thing you need to understand here, and now that alternative route is at risk. We learned today that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, MBS, called President Trump twice on Thursday asking for the U.S. military to strike the Houthis. President Trump turned him down, which is not to say that the U.S. is not helping Saudi Arabia in different ways. Let's talk about this all and the implications with Nic Robertson, Kylie Atwood, and Brent McGurk -- Brett McGurk. Brett has a new book coming out October 6th. It's called "Brink: Inside the Race to Free the October 7th Hostages", and we'll be talking about that in the days and weeks to come.

Nic Robertson, let me start with you because you have visited Perim Island at the end of August. Let me play a quick part of your report.

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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Not many outsiders make it here. We're the first international journalists they've seen in years, and it looks for all the world like the place that time forgot. It is really stuck out here in the middle of the ocean. Looking out across the ocean this way. Yes. Bab-el-Mandeb. Bab-el- Mandeb. And looking across out there. You can see Africa across there, Djibouti literally just across the sea there.

Vice President Tareq Saleh is a rarity at the moment, a political leader still in Yemen and still fighting the Houthis.

This is Iran trying to put pressure on President Trump.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Exactly.

ROBERTSON: Are you getting any support from the United States?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just talk.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Just talk. Nic, tell us more about the island and your visit there.

ROBERTSON: Yes. Look, it became pretty clear in early August that the Houthis were going to make a land grab for the Red Sea, and that was why we went there. That's why we tried to get there, because all the indications were there. But when we arrived on the island, you really see it's pretty much a -- had a small ragtag force. It was difficult to get there. We went out, set off in a boat to get there, a little Yemeni navy boat, and we had to turn round because the Houthis had drones in the air. I got that from several sources. They actually targeted something just further north from where we were. So, it was already sort of in the danger zone.

But what you realize when you were there, given, as you have said here and explained, the international significance of the Red Sea, the Bab- el-Mandeb Strait, there just didn't seem to be a force on the ground there that was a match for the international importance of the place right now.

And the reality is, when you can stand there and look across and see Africa, and get this, you know, we did a live broadcast, I couldn't get a phone signal from Yemen, but I actually picked up a phone signal from Djibouti. That's how I was able -- we were able to do that broadcast in part. That waterway is so narrow there.

So, look, the Houthis are fast learners. They get their equipment, a lot of it from Iran. Iran has mined the Strait of Hormuz. It's not beyond the wit to realize that the Houthis can very easily close the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait by mining or literally, you know, shooting at passing vessels and shutting it down.

So, it's given them a much greater amount of power, if you will, on the international stage, and the leverage they believe in is the leverage that we've seen Iran use, that we've seen the Houthis use against Saudi Arabia.

[18:05:01]

They're striking into Saudi Arabia to put Saudi Arabia off from supporting the internationally recognized Yemeni government force. And it all comes to that focus point on Perim Island, the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. The Houthis just got a whole lot more powerful. The Iranians got more leverage in the region, and the west has a very big problem on its hands now if it wants to open that waterway up.

TAPPER: Brett McGurk what are the implications if the Houthis continue to control Perim Island?

BRETT MCGURK, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: This is- The Bab-el-Mandeb, Jake, it translates as the, the Gate of Tears or the Gate of Grief. And if you're a U.S. policymaker, you're in CENTCOM, that's very apt because this is a gnarly, gnarly problem, and the Houthis have just seized that entire coastal area and apparently this island where Nic -- Nic is always at the right place at the right time, or wrong place at the right time. It's extraordinary.

Look, I think we have to do what we can to try to support the Yemeni government forces, as fledgling as they are, to try to push back here. This is a massive international problem. If we're serious about being a country that stands for freedom of navigation in these choke points, the Bab-el-Mandeb is central.

And I have to say, we kind of took our eyes off this ball. I mean, Yemen became an awful, horrific civil war. But underneath that, and even as we really backed out of this entire mess, Iran continued to arm the Houthis with hundreds of these anti-ship ballistic missiles, and after October 7th, they started shooting them at our ships, and they dealt with this almost every day when I was in the White House.

It's an awful problem, but we can't just keep our, take our eyes off it. And Brad Cooper, the CENTCOM commander, is in Saudi Arabia today. I'm sure they're talking about the situation. This probably has some more twists and turns. Serious development, and this is one thing that Tehran will like to see this.

I mean, they want to -- they want the Bab-el-Mandeb to be a central chokepoint. It's about 10 percent of energy trade, but also importantly about 10 percent of global trade. It connects the Indian Ocean up to the Mediterranean and vice versa. So, if you're buying a car, if you're buying furniture, there's a decent chance that it's going through that strait. The alternative is around the Cape of Good Hope, all the way around Africa, which, of course, raises prices.

TAPPER: Kylie Atwood, tell us more about this call that MBS made, or calls MBS made with President Trump trying to get the U.S. to strike the Houthis.

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes. So, our reporting is that there were two of these phone calls that the crown prince made to President Trump yesterday, on Thursday, urging the United States to actually carry out these strikes.

We should note that President Trump declined to do so, but the U.S. has been providing direct support to the Houthi -- excuse me, to the Saudis in their military operations against the Houthis. So, they have stood up a joint command in Saudi Arabia with the Saudis providing intelligence support and support when it comes to targeting.

But the U.S. does not want to be dragged into further military strikes against the Houthis right now. So, that's really critical. But the other part of this is that, obviously, the Saudis want support in going after the Houthis. But even more dramatically today, they need support not only against the Houthis, but against other Iranian-backed groups.

And this has been a problem for some time for the Saudis, but with this east-west pipeline that has now been struck, according to our sources from drones that originated in Iraq, presumably launched by Iranian-backed militias there, the Saudis are now facing a situation where they have had to shut down that pipeline in order to assess what the damage is there.

So, they're not only facing the Houthi problem in the Red Sea, but they're also now facing, because of these Iranian-backed militia, the possibility of not being able to even get their oil to the Red Sea.

TAPPER: Brett, you just mentioned that the CENTCOM commander is in Saudi Arabia talking with MBS. Multiple sources tell CNN that he's not the only American there. There are about 100 U.S. military advisers, they're called. I never know exactly what that means. But they're there. That seems significant. When -- what are they doing and who are they?

MCGURK: Well, one thing. I mean, we do -- I think the White House is probably trying to draw a line. What is our key interest here is try to keep that freedom of navigation open. That means if CENTCOM were to see a missile launcher or something, that's some -- that would be a viable target. So, I'm sure we're sharing intelligence with the Saudis. We're right now trying to assess the situation of what a- actually is going on.

Another wrinkle in this, you know, the UAE was also in Yemen supporting part of the -- a faction that's part of the Yemeni government, Jake, and they left about six months ago. That was part of the UAE-Saudi tension, just adding to how complicated this is. So, I'm sure Brad, Admiral Cooper, who has his hands full, he's trying to wrap his arms around the problem here with the Saudis and others and say, what can we try to do to wrest this territory back? But that's going to be a tough challenge.

TAPPER: What might those military advisers be doing other than sharing intelligence?

MCGURK: I don't think we're in direct combat operations in Yemen. I mean, it's hard to do something like that completely under wraps. And -- but I think we advise the Saudis. We help train them. We help maintain their equipment. So, we do a lot in Saudi Arabia.

ATWOOD: U.S. targeting support presumably is --

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MCGURK: Yes, targeting support, intel support. Look, I think if we can find Houthi targets, and obviously CENTCOM does a very careful job in Yemen of trying to separate civilian targets, we'll share that information. So, but this is going to be going on for some time, Jake.

TAPPER: All right. Kylie Atwood and Brett McGurk and Nic Robertson in London, thanks to all of you, I appreciate it.

As we continue to monitor all this, we should just note diesel prices just hit a record high. I don't mean like a record high in the last month. I mean a record high ever, topping the $6 mark. My next guest says the numbers could go even higher, dramatically higher in the weeks to come.

And then Vice President J.D. Vance's big moment at that Republican midterm convention last night, his remark about Republicans being called racists that's getting some flak today.

Stay with us.

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TAPPER: A stunning new number in our Money Lead. The price of diesel topped $6 a gallon for the very first time ever today, and that's just the average.

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AAA reports that diesel in California now averages $7.98 a gallon, the state producing nearly half of the country's vegetables and even more fruits and nuts. And regular gas, that hit $4.30 a gallon, up 15 cents in just one week, and a far cry from the $2.98 average we had back on February 28th before the first bombs started dropping on Iran.

Let's bring in Tom Kloza. He's chief energy adviser to Gulf Oil. Tom, we're monitoring the Saudi Arabian oil pipeline system hit by projectiles. Do you see that becoming a major factor in the prices we're already paying for petrol?

TOM KLOZA, CHIEF ENERGY ADVISER, GULF OIL: Yes I would stress that we hit $6 without any impact from the East West Pipeline, and that happened really in the last 24 hours. And it was always observed that maybe the Houthis might be a wild card, and, obviously, that wild card is part of the deck right now.

TAPPER: Gas and diesel prices did, of course, start going up well before the pipeline was hit, as you note. What is with this spike then?

KLOZA: Well, diesel is the most active product internationally. We use about 30 million barrels a day across the planet. You know, gasoline's about 26, but every country depends on diesel.

And, you know, here's the problem with it, Jake. We know that when gas prices get up to $4.50 or $5 that people stop driving as much, and we get demand destruction. We don't know really where that will occur with diesel prices.

Is it occurring in California with $8 numbers? Is it occurring in the rest of the country at $6? We may actually go up to numbers that make these prices seem stupid in comparison when we get into the real high- demand season toward the end of the year.

TAPPER: On the diesel record, I want to play this sound from a farmer in Iowa. Diesel is $5.88 a gallon. Obviously, diesel used a lot in the agricultural industry. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEN RIENSCHE, BLUE DIAMOND FARMING COMPANY: Cars, for the most part, are gasoline-powered, and they have the option of burning E15, which was $3.60 at the pump yesterday. But my tractors and my big trucks to haul the harvest out of the field burn diesel fuel, and the tractor fuel is above $5. And the trucks have to burn fuel that have 50-some cents of highway fuel tax on it to pay for our roads.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: So, he's making the case for ethanol in his diesel fuel. Do you see state and federal governments lifting restrictions on this so that farmers can be helped out?

KLOZA: Well, it's not going to happen right now because you need the technology on the engine side to burn it. But John Deere, for example, has got a prototype tractor that can use E99, which is like 99 percent ethanol instead of diesel. You know, the price of ethanol is probably 45 percent of the price of diesel.

Now, diesel has more BTUs, but ethanol is so much cheaper that if you had those vehicles now, you might see the migration to that fuel instead of diesel fuel.

TAPPER: Here's a very basic question on the subject of diesel. Why do trucks and tractors need diesel as opposed to just regular gasoline?

KLOZA: It's all about power, and it's all about torque and power. And until now, you know, diesel is a bigger molecule that's got more BTUs, so you need it for certain industries. But, you know, there is development now of using some other things. You know, another alternative down the road might be propane. Propane has far fewer BTUs than diesel, but it's very cheap, and the United States has an absolute glut of gas liquids coming out of the shale.

TAPPER: President Trump has said for weeks now that the U.S. has total control of the Strait of Hormuz. How do you see it?

KLOZA: Well, I think there's a lot of nonsense out there with the rhetoric, and we've got three geographic hot areas right now. We've got the Persian Gulf, we've got the Red Sea, and we've got the Black Sea in Russia, and that's one of the big problems.

You know, I will say I would not blame him for the fact that drone warfare has inflicted so much pain on global refining that, you know, that's where it's showing up, showing up in prices for gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel, and that's a result of the fact that drones are kind of like the Gatling gun of this century.

TAPPER: The president also has said repeatedly that gas prices are going to go down right after the midterms, that Iran's going to keep the pressure on the Strait of Hormuz through the American elections and then ease up. Do you see that happening?

KLOZA: I don't think so.

[18:20:00]

I think right now we're on a trajectory that's going to keep prices quite high. And, you know, we're talking about probably spending $70 billion more since the war began than we would have otherwise. So, I think it's a difficult problem. It's a difficult problem to solve. And, you know, right now it's an absolute mess because you've got those three areas with just horrific violence being inflicted on the energy infrastructure.

I would say, I would mention also that East West Pipeline, we'll have to watch that. Pipelines can be fixed very, very quickly if it only amounts to a segment of pipeline that needs to be replaced. If the Houthis or Iraq have bombed, you know, electric stations or pumping stations, then it'll be much more significant, and that was a key detour bringing crude oil to the Red Sea.

TAPPER: Tom Kloza, thanks so much. I appreciate it.

Coming up next, the horrific Amazon cargo plane crash this week in Miami. The spouse of one of the five innocent people killed that day is going to join me on what would have been his loved one's 54th birthday.

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TAPPER: In our National Lead, today would have been the 54th birthday of Carlos Acosta Fajardo. Carlos, along with four of his colleagues, were killed on Sunday when that Amazon cargo plane overran a Miami runway and plowed into the van that they were in. In addition to Carlos, the victims are 47-year-old Javiekys Reyes Quevedo, 53-year- old Yoel Rodriguez Naranjo, 55-year-old Rolando Aleman Leon, and 75- year-old Julio C. Pineda. All five men worked for a cleaning company for airlines.

Joining us now is Carlos' spouse, his widower, Nelson Fernandez, as well as Nelson's attorney, Jorge P. Gutierrez Jr. Thank you so much to both of you for joining us. And, Nelson, I am so sorry for your unspeakable loss.

How did you find out about the crash? How did you find out that Carlos was involved?

NELSON FERNANDEZ, SPOUSE KILLED IN AMAZON CARGO PLANE CRASH: I was called by the detectives that if I was a family member of Carlos, and I was hearing that something was wrong with an airplane, but I, never in my mind I thought that Carlos would be involved in it. When they told me they wanted to come and speak to me, then I just popped and find out that he's dead. I was asking if he's alive, is he in the hospital or -- and he said no, he's dead.

And I went off. My mind just went to shock, because he left in the morning kissing me goodbye, and he was going to call me when he gets to work, as we usually do, and he was going to supposed to be back home around 1:30, 2:00. I never heard from him since.

And today is his birthday. Instead of celebrating his birthday, I'm mourning him.

TAPPER: Yes, he would've been 54 today. What do you want people to know about him?

FERNANDEZ: Oh, what I want people to know about him, that he was a special being, a special soul, those that comes through once in a lifetime, that is impeccable. A good friend, a good son, super son. He support his family in Cuba. A good brother, good companion at work, and a good spouse. He would take care of me when I'm sick, and he would just take care of the house and take everything over so I wouldn't do anything and get recuperated.

So, he was very special. Honest, very honest, hardworking. He loved plants, animals. He loved his friends, friendship. He was a very happy person. He would -- to mow our lawn, he would put music and dance first in the middle of the yard before he start pushing the lawnmower. And I miss all that.

TAPPER: Yes. He sounds like an amazing guy.

Jorge --

FERNANDEZ: He is.

TAPPER: -- one of the victim, one of the other victim's widow filed a wrongful death lawsuit earlier this week. Do you have any plans to file any similar lawsuit on Nelson's behalf?

JORGE P. GUTIERREZ JR., ATTORNEY FOR NELSON FERNANDEZ: Well, Jake we're going to be mourning him this weekend, and we're going to have services for him in, you know, the coming days of next week is when we plan on filing a lawsuit to respect the process and the grieving process. But that is certainly coming in the next couple days.

TAPPER: Jorge, a spokesperson for Amazon said the company is committed to supporting families. What kind of support are you expecting or do you think Nelson deserves from Amazon?

GUTIERREZ: We haven't received any calls or any concerns to -- in any regard. So, I don't know anything about that at this point.

TAPPER: So, it's just words at this point. Jorge P. Gutierrez, Jr., Nelson Fernandez, thank you both. Nelson, again, our deepest condolences, may Carlos' memory be a blessing.

FERNANDEZ: Thank you.

TAPPER: President Trump making waves in Dallas last night again, this time when he urged his supporters to, quote, cheat like hell in the midterm elections, which are coming up in just 53 days.

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He also said this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: You know what happens if you don't vote? You go hell. You know that, okay?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Is anyone really listening to this? The panel's next.

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TAPPER: In our Politics Lead, President Trump needs to drive big, big turnout among his base for Republicans to hold onto Congress. That's clearly top of mind. But speaking of Trump's mind, one has to wonder what exactly may have been going through it when he said this last night at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Please raise your right hand. I pledge to the greatest president in the history of the United States that I will go out with my family, my friends.

[18:35:00]

I'll do it anyway. I don't care if I'm registered or not, I'm going to try and cheat like hell like they do. I am going to go out and I'm going to get my friends and my family, and we are going to vote on November 3rd.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Okay, that last part made sense, but everything before it, I don't know. My panel's back with me.

Okay, Ashley.

ASHLEY DAVIS, FORMER HOMELAND SECURITY OFFICIAL, GEORGE W. BUSH ADMINISTRATION: Okay, well, you -- we're doing exactly what he wanted, which was to talk about it. I keep saying --

TAPPER: The president calling for his supporters to cheat?

DAVIS: Okay, but he's making fun of the Democrats on that because he thinks that they cheated. Obviously, we all know that. But I think --

TAPPER: And we also know that it's not true.

DAVIS: Okay, yes. The -- I agree with you. But he also, even with the $5,000 payments that everyone is, you know, obviously up in arms about, all the different ways of how it's not going to work, the bottom line is it doesn't matter, we're all talking about it. And so like 99.9 percent of this country just heard that they may get $5,000.

TAPPER: In keeping with that, let me also play this moment. The Republicans resurrected this bizarre video and played it on the jumbotron last night at the Dallas convention. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And on June 14th, 1946, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, I need a caretaker. So, God gave us Trump. God said, I need somebody willing to get up before dawn, fix this country, work all day, fight the Marxists, eat supper, then go to the Oval Office and stay past midnight at a meeting of the heads of state. So, God made Trump.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: So, I don't think that -- I think they mean that. That's not him joking around. I think they mean it. What's your take on this, Corbin?

CORBIN TRENT, FORMER COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ: He does get up by noon, I think. Yes, I mean, he's famously sleepy lately.

You know, it's bizarre to me that this is where they're trying to do with it. You know, Trump's down by 13 points in Florida right now, you know? They're --

TAPPER: Remember when Obama had Greek columns at the Denver convention in 2008, and everybody thought that was insanely egomaniacal.

TRENT: Or the brown suit. You know, it's like he's got terrible fashion sense. Like, yes, there's this idea that this guy gets to be this megalomaniac, right? He is completely self-obsessed narcissist, and we have to just pretend like it's kind of normal, you know? Like he's put his name on everything, he's writing checks. You know, he's got his signature on checks. It's bizarre. TAPPER: What about the cheat like hell comment? What'd you make of that?

TRENT: I mean, I agree, actually. It's just him. That's what he does, is he trolls, right? So, there you go. You're giving him a pass even --

DAVIS: Why give AOC a pass?

TRENT: I mean, that's true, I am. I mean, I don't -- you know, the funny thing is -- or it's not that funny, like I've heard Democrats come out and say, oh, they think that 2024 was rigged. And I'm like, guys, no. The system actually functions. You know, believe it or not, of all the problems we've got, actually, we're still good at counting ballots. That actually functions, you know? There are some problems with elections, but it's mainly before you vote, not after.

TAPPER: So, let's -- can we just turn to -- from 2024 to 2026 to 2028? Vice President Vance, they're really pushing him to be the heir apparent. He opened for Trump last night with this message. We're going to play some more of what he says, but this is getting a lot of attention. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

J.D. VANCE, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: And we were tired of being called racists for noticing that our country was becoming dirtier and poorer and less safe and less prosperous.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Well, I mean, that does sound a bit racist, Ashley.

DAVIS: Yes. But here's what I have to say about, and I've just seen clips of his speech, I didn't watch the whole thing. He was a good speaker, and I think that he set himself up for clearing the field potentially.

There's a lot of time, like does Rubio jump in? Does Ted Cruz jump in? Ted obviously really wants to. I love him. But he riled the base almost as Trump -- as good as Trump.

TAPPER: Well, I'll play I'll play that some more of that in a second, not just this controversial part. But what do you make of it?

TRENT: I mean, that's what we were saying about Zohran and AOC earlier. You got to also be aware, like, that's a strange sentence to string together, you know? I'm called racist because I'm talking about how dirty and poor and, you know, well, how were you called racist for that? What were you saying that made that comment racist? It's -- if it was because of Black and brown people was your assessment of why we've become poor, why we're dirty, then that probably is racist.

TAPPER: Well, that's what the comment sounds like he's saying.

TRENT: That's exactly what it sounds like he's saying. TAPPER: Like even in the defense.

TRENT: I don't know what you would --

TAPPER: All right. Let's move on to some of the stuff that Ashley was talking about in a more positive light. Here is some more of the vice president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VANCE: It's pretty cool to hear a crowd that is this fired up chant your name, so go ahead and do it again.

My friends, we got to take stock of what we've accomplished. When we came into office --

Can we please? We got to take care of business this November, then we'll worry about what comes next. Wait.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[18:40:00]

TAPPER: J.D. 48, meaning J.D. Vance being the 48th president. I mean, Ashley's right that he seems to be doing okay with that crowd. What do you think?

TRENT: I mean, he's definitely connecting with the Trump base. I'm, you know, I'm from Appalachia, where he claims to have been from, which I would argue with that. But anyway, you know, and definitely people are connecting with him, you know?

TAPPER: Yes.

TRENT: They are connecting with him. They feel that he is a -- I think a move forward even from Trump in a way, you know, that he's got some of the Trumpian ideas and some of the Trumpian swagger, but also is a little more strategic maybe in what he says when he says. Well, we thought until we just heard that clip, right?

TAPPER: Right. He's also half his age, like literally.

TRENT: There's that.

TAPPER: Half his age.

DAVIS: There's a long time left. I don't know. I mean, it will be much more interesting if we have other candidates in the race. You'll have like 50.

TRENT: Oh, man, I hope so. It'd be a debate, wouldn't it?

TAPPER: Do you think that if J.D. Vance runs that, really, that this clears the field? That the -- because --

DAVIS: If Trump endorses him with the MAGA money backing, I think it does.

TAPPER: Really? And you think that the hopes of a Ted Cruz or a Pete Hegseth or a Marco Rubio or whoever is waiting in the wings, and a lot of Republicans.

DAVIS: Unless you --

TAPPER: You still have Nikki Haley, you still have Ron DeSantis, you know?

DAVIS: Yes. I mean, I would love Nikki to run again. But I think that let's see what happens after November if Republicans feel they can start being -- speaking their mind a little bit more with some of the Trump policies because there won't be an election, and see how popular he is, like, going into that.

TAPPER: We are seeing a lot of stories in especially in The New York Times, there's a great one by Maggie and John Swan and somebody else about J.D. Vance the skeptic of the Iran war. There's a lot of that out there that you got to feel -- I've -- yes, well, somebody's leaking it.

TRENT: Right.

TAPPER: Somebody's talking to reporters about, hey, J.D. Vance is skeptical of this.

TRENT: Absolutely. And I think that they're -- you know, they're seeing the problems of the Trump administration right now. They're seeing the, you know -- and you can tie so much of the inflation, so much of the cost that we're seeing right now skyrocketing straight to the Iran war. That's why we're seeing the plumbing. And, you know, yes, and I think he's trying to distance himself in a very smart way from decisions of the Trump White House, not Trump himself.

The question, though, is going to be does Trump come out of this midterm with as much influence over the MAGA base as he had before? I'm assuming he does. Like because, you know, I mean, there's just this sort of almost unshakable love in the cult of MAGA.

DAVIS: Let's see what -- let's see if Rubio steps down in January or shortly after.

TAPPER: To make some money as is rumored, right?

DAVIS: Well, to make some money or to run because I think but also Rubio is not tied to this war as much as anybody else.

TAPPER: Even though he's the secretary of state.

DAVIS: No, he's -- I mean, do you see him involved as much?

TAPPER: Well, they said -- no, but J.D. Vance is the one that, you know, set up the peace deal that didn't do very well.

DAVIS: But also Trump made him do that. So, I just -- I'm sure that Trump's playing his Machiavelli and --

TAPPER: You know, strange things can happen in midterms. Remember the 2022 midterms weren't as bad for Democrats as it was anticipated.

TRENT: It was going to be a red wave.

TAPPER: And so President Biden decided he was going to run for re- election. So, you never --

TRENT: Well, we've heard there may be a guy running for a third term.

TAPPER: That's what I'm saying.

TRENT: We keep hearing that over and over.

TAPPER: That's what I'm --

TRENT: Right? You're hearing.

TAPPER: Thanks.

DAVIS: You're going to change the Constitution.

TAPPER: Thanks everyone, I appreciate it.

Coming up Sunday on State of the Union, I'm going to talk to House Speaker Mike Johnson. That's Sunday at 9:00 and noon Eastern on CNN.

Coming up, two friends, two champions, but only one chance to be king of the court tonight at the U.S. Open. We're back with our Sports Lead next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:47:26]

TAPPER: In our sports lead tonight, a historic all-American semifinal matchup at the U.S. Open. Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, two competitors with a close friendship off the court, will face off for the fifth time in their careers. And no matter who wins, an American man will compete in Sunday's final and get the chance to end a 23-year grand slam drought.

Joining us to discuss, CNN contributor Cari Champion.

Cari, before we get into what this could mean for the final, let's talk for a second about the significance of this semifinal match itself. For the first time, two American men, two black American men, will face each other in a U.S. open. Men's singles semifinal. Why is it so important? What does this moment mean for American tennis to have these two black American men facing off?

CARI CHAMPION, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, it's interesting because we have been working on a series recently on a show that I am doing about what it really means to be a rival in American tennis, and to see Frances Tiafoe and Bill -- and Ben Shelton going head to head is really special in so many ways, because one, there has been a conversation around America's men's tennis about how competitive they are, if in fact they can compete with the Rafa Nadals of the world and the Novak Djokovic and Roger Federers, all those who have been number one for so long.

And what we're seeing is what the USTA has put out, these great American tennis players, we miss the Pete Samprases and Andre Agassis of the world. So to watch these two American players come head-to-head in this special way means that not only is tennis on the rise for American men, but also we're watching the rise of what it looks like and how exciting it is.

Arthur Ashe even lamented that we needed some more players on the American side for men that had this very brash personality that could play in your face, I could tell you who they were and be unapologetic. And we're finally seeing that.

So sadly, we have to watch these two players go head-to-head, but it speaks volumes about where American tennis is going and what it looks like for what it could be.

TAPPER: Tennis fans say this is the best they've seen Tiafoe compete in a major this year. You wouldn't know that he had right hand surgery just last month, but Shelton, he just beat Carlos Alcaraz and has won four titles on tour this year. So -- so who do you thinks going to win?

CHAMPION: You know, I have been asked this question, jake, so many times and it's such a tough question. But okay, so let me just indulge me for a second here.

TAPPER: Okay.

CHAMPION: I describe who they are in terms of their personality. So when I look at Ben Shelton and I look, he was in college in Florida.

[18:50:03]

He left college to play.

When I look at Frances Tiafoe, his way was a different way. But they both have been coached by family members and people who know their personality and they -- and they love each other. First of all, they really do get along so well, which I love to see. They both have girlfriends who played professional sports or sports in college, and they have that competitive edge and that drives them.

What I like about this matchup is what you'll see as we are showing these photos of them, is that these are two friends who appreciate their greatness. They are two friends who are excellent in both of their sports and have different ways of approaching.

Ben is a grinder. We watch that in that five-hour match against Carlos Alcaraz, and I think he caught Carlos in a way where he still had that energy, and he wanted it more. And I know that his way of playing is very much just keep going, keep going. Never give up.

Francis does that as well. So what we're seeing is two bulls and one has to tire out. So, if you were to ask me who could possibly win this, it's the one who's going to be exhausted after it goes five sets. And if you think that that match went till 3:30 the other morning with Frances -- excuse me, Shelton and Carlos Alcaraz, this one might be just as long because they are going to grind and grind and grind. And if I had to pick just right now because you put me on the spot, I am going to give it to Frances Tiafoe. I just -- that's just the spirit that I have right now in terms of energy.

I feel like Carlos Alcaraz might have really took the best out of Ben Shelton. And I -- you know, I really couldn't call it, but I'm just saying only because that match that they had was so excruciatingly long. And it also required so much energy from Ben.

TAPPER: Yeah.

CHAMPION: So I hope -- I don't know how much energy, how much time he had to turn around and get ready.

TAPPER: We won't hold you to it. I put you on the spot. I made you pick one. And I appreciate that you did.

Cari Champion, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

CHAMPION: Of course.

TAPPER: Twenty-five years after 9/11, memories fade, survivors pass away. When we come back, CNN's Tom Foreman has the lesson we all need to remember. Never forget.

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[18:56:41]

TAPPER: Finally, from us in our national lead on this 25th anniversary of September 11th, what once was our common experience of shock, trauma, and grief is something that tens of millions of younger Americans can't possibly remember.

CNN's Tom Foreman now reflects on the persistence of memory and its absence.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People are jumping out the windows over there. They're jumping out the windows.

THEN-MAYOR RUDY GIULIANI, NEW YORK CITY: The situation is that two airplanes have attacked.

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Nearly 100 million people have been born in the United States since that September morning. One third of the nation has no real memory of that terrible day.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We made it all the way downstairs. And then when we were just about to come out of the building, there was another blast.

FOREMAN (voice-over): And sharing the memories is growing more difficult. The greatest number of victims were in their mid to late 30s. Meaning many of their parents have passed away. Many spouses, partners and friends are approaching old age.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: About an hour ago. About 8:45 Eastern Time, one plane crashed into the tower. The World Trade Center Tower on the right, the first of those towers that you can see behind me.

FOREMAN (voice-over): Some who were front and center are gone too, and others have slipped from the limelight, including the man who heard the news at an elementary school in Florida a half hour from where some hijackers trained.

GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror.

FOREMAN (voice-over): More than 3,000 children lost parents eight children died on those planes. The youngest, Christine Lee Hanson, was two. Her stuffed rabbit is now in New York's memorial, one of several sites tasked with maintaining the nation's collective history of 9/11. Another is at the Pentagon in D.C., and another in a Pennsylvania farm field where the last plane came down. The voices of some victims can still be heard there.

LAUREN GRANDCOLAS, FLIGHT 93 PASSENGER: Okay. Well, I just wanted to tell you, I love you. We're having little problem on the plane. I'm totally fine. I just love you more than anything. Just know that.

FOREMAN (voice-over): 9/11 led American troops to Afghanistan hunting terrorists behind the attack. They would stay for nearly 20 years, even as the nation back home moved on in so many ways.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is new for me. This kind of heat.

FOREMAN (voice-over): Consider in September 2001, Tom Brady was in his first season as a starting NFL quarterback. Taylor Swift was 11. The iPod was about to debut, and an Illinois state senator was almost ten years away from this historic moment.

BARACK OBAMA, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: The United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda.

FOREMAN (voice-over): A quarter century after any major event, collective memory starts passing from witnesses to historians, filmmakers and teachers. Yet on this starts passing from witnesses to historians, filmmakers and teachers.

Yet on this anniversary, people who cannot remember that dark day are still gathering with those who cannot forget.

Tom Foreman, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TAPPER: "ERIN BURNETT OUTFRONT" starts now.