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U.N. Begins as Palestinian State Debate Continues; David Petraeus is Interviewed about Russia; Jeff Corwin is Interviewed about Fat Bear Week. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired September 23, 2025 - 09:30   ET

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

[09:30:00]

STEVE VLADEK, CNN SUPREME COURT ANALYST: Supreme Court also going to let President Trump remove Lisa Cook for what certainly appear to be completely pretextual reasons in a context in which the court might still think he has to have those reasons.

Sara, we have to really pay attention to both of these threads over the next days and weeks.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, it's really important. And I'm just curious, you know, what might that do if the court sides in this case with the FTC official, what that -- might that do to trust in what, you know, would largely and historically been independent agencies and the fallout from that, not just within the country, but around the world, especially when it comes to the Federal Reserve, potentially?

VLADEK: Yes, I mean, Sara, I think we don't have to look very far to see what the direct, immediate, real world implications are of a president who can fire whomever he wants, whenever he wants, and just how much that destabilizes what those agencies are doing and how much it politicizes what those agencies are doing.

I think the real question is, if the Supreme Court is going to carve out the Federal Reserve, which so far it has suggested it is inclined to do, what does that say about the broader theory here? If the Federal Reserve's independence is so important to a majority of the Supreme Court's justices, that they're not willing to let the president hire and fire the board governors at will, why couldn't you tell the same story about the Federal Trade Commission, about the Securities and Exchange Commission, about the National Labor Relations Board, about the Consumer Safety Product Commission, right? That like the real problem here is that the theory that President Trump is pushing, and that the Supreme Court so far is buying, is a theory that should have no exceptions whatsoever. Once you admit that maybe there are some agencies that really have to be independent, and once you see a president whose behavior underscores why that independence is important, it puts a whole lot of pressure, Sara, on how persuasive that theory ever was in the first place.

SIDNER: Right. It sounds like it would fall apart if -- if they -- they make the decision to allow these firings to happen in this particular case. Steve Vladek, thank you so much. That was a great analysis. Appreciate

your time this morning.

Kate.

Oh, John. Hey, buddy.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: I answer to anything. I've been called much worse.

All right, so what do parents do now? Doctors and researchers raising concerns about new advice from the highest political authority on autism.

And the most powerful storm on earth this year, at one point as strong as a category five hurricane, headed straight at tens of millions of people. We'll tell you what they're doing to get ready.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:37:17]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: World leaders gathered right now at the U.N. as the General Assembly is getting underway this morning. President Trump is set to address the room and the world moments from now.

Let's go there. CNN's Kylie Atwood is standing by at U.N. headquarters.

What more are you learning, Kylie, about what's going to happen today?

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, listen, we heard from the White House yesterday that the president is expected to target global institutions. Of course, the United Nations, right behind me, being one of those, because in the perspective of the Trump administration, these institutions have contributed to what they view as the decaying world order.

Now, this also comes as he's going to articulate his vision for the world. That's obviously very broad-based. We'll watch and see if there are any specifics there.

But it comes at this moment, Kate, where the Trump administration is really isolated from the world when it comes specifically to trying to chart a path for Gaza. The way forward to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that is ongoing.

Just yesterday, there was a two-state solution conference here at the United Nations. There were more than 140 of the 193 member nations here at the U.N. who were supporting that two-state solution conference, including recognizing a Palestinian state. The Trump administration has been very clear that they oppose that move right now. They don't think it is the time to recognize a state of Palestine because they believe that that only fuels Hamas to continue the war.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, earlier this morning, was asked if he's concerned at all about the Trump administration being isolated from the world on this topic at this time. Listen to what he said on NBC.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, SECRETARY OF STATE: No, I'm not concerned at all. None of the countries you just mentioned really will play much of a role in bringing about the end of this conflict in Gaza. That's why we continue to be engaged. Everybody continues to come to us to make a difference.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ATWOOD: He went on later this morning to call that two-state solution conference yesterday a vanity project for world leaders that want to be relevant. Really taking a swipe at some of America's closest allies who were involved in that, the president of France. Macron, who was one of the actual co-hosts of that conference yesterday. So, we'll watch and see what the Trump administration, what President Trump has to say about the way forth in Gaza.

We should also note that he will be meeting later today with some leaders of gulf nations, like Saudi Arabia, Qatar. We'll see if they have any progress on the way forward, because as it stands right now on the ground, there just simply doesn't seem to be any momentum towards ending that conflict.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: Kylie Atwood at the U.N. for us this morning. President Trump set to speak and address the body any moment now.

John.

BERMAN: All right, with us now is the chairman of KKR Global Institute, former CIA director and former commander of U.S. CENTCOM, retired Army General David Petraeus.

[09:40:07]

General, always great to see you.

And it does seem like every time I speak with you, you've just come back from Ukraine. And obviously the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a central issue in these U.N. meetings right now.

With this added twist of Russian drones being shot over -- shot down over Poland, where you just were. Russian jets with an incursion over Estonia, a NATO nation, right now. What is this moment -- what are the key issues surrounding this moment for Ukraine?

GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS (RET.), FORMER CIA DIRECTOR: Well, I think this is the moment, really, because of the catalytic effect of these various incursions against, again, Poland, Estonia, some other incidents as well where they've penetrated airspace, to get on with the sanctions package that the E.U. Commission is putting together. And, of course, President Trump, I believe, will meet with E.U. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and also reportedly will meet with President Zelenskyy.

In -- in my view, we have tried everything we could. The president gave the red carpet treatment to Vladimir Putin, tried to use all of the power of his relationship with him, and Putin has responded by sending the most drones and the most missiles ever on consecutive nights into Ukrainian cities. He's also continued his demand for the -- the requirements that would bring this to an end that are absolutely unacceptable. The maximum demands. And then, of course, these incursions.

And I think it's time that the E.U. and the U.S. together embark on a three pronged effort. First, would enable the Ukrainian war machine even more to protect better against the attacks from the sky and to halt the Russians cold on the front lines. And one of the ways that President von der Leyen is working to do this is to provide about $250 billion of Russian reserves in the form of Euroclear bonds, actually, which will go to Ukraine. They don't have to pay them back until Russia starts paying them reparations. That would be an enormous boost for Ukraine. It would enable them to make far more than the 3.5 million drones they're already making. So, that's package number one, to enable the Ukrainian military even more than we have. And that's very doable.

Number two is to crush the Russian war economy once and for all. The E.U. is working to do this. The president asked the E.U. to stop buying gas and oil. There are still a couple of countries that do that. She, again, Ursula von der Leyen, is working on that. But also to go after the enablers of that economy. Those who actually provide all of the components, the parts, the chips and everything else, and other countries that buy the gas and oil, do that in a thoughtful, pragmatic way.

And then third is to issue very credible, ironclad, if you will, snapback guarantee kind of further sanctions promises if Russia continues the aggression and so on. Only if this is done will I -- do I think there's the possibility of some kind of meaningful negotiations and a durable end to this fighting.

BERMAN: General, we have right now up pictures on the screen, President Trump due to arrive at the United Nations any minute to give his first address of this new term before the General Assembly. One of the things that happens during the United Nations General Assembly, you know, a couple of weeks every year is we see world leaders that we just never see here in the United States. And you've been right in the middle of one such instance that takes that to an even higher level. You interviewed the new president of Syria, who not that long ago was a leader sort of on a U.S. target list. What was that like for you? What stood out?

PETRAEUS: It was a bit surreal, candidly. He was in detention during the time that I was commanding the surge in Iraq and for good reasons. And the path that took him from being in our care and feeding, if you will, for as much as five years, to being the individual who builds, who trains, recruits and develops this force that is capable of taking down the murderous Bashar al-Assad regime and end 50 years of that family's brutal rule of that country, to being the interim president of it right now and guiding, trying to bring together a country that has just about all of the ethnic, sectarian and tribal fault lines of the Middle East running through it. His answers, I thought, were very impressive.

Again, I didn't shy away from asking, you know, what -- what were you doing back in the past with all these different groups you cycled through before you built that force and are now the head of the country?

We had a business roundtable with him prior to the actual public interview as well, and I was again impressed by his mastery of telecommunications requirements, business and so forth. And I hope -- you know, President Trump met with him, of course, in Saudi Arabia when he was in his trip to the gulf states and lifted as many of the sanctions as he could with executive action.

[09:45:05]

But there are still a number of sanctions that only Congress can lift because they were imposed by Congress. And these include, in the construction and financial sector, the ones that we're all trying to hope that there can be substantial help from governments and also from the private sector. His mastery of these details was really quite impressive.

And again, someone very soft-spoken, thoughtful, pragmatic. Yes, he was in detention, but he is now the leader of a country that we want to see succeed. Literally, his success is our success in this case, because this denies Iran the route that it had through Iraq, through Syria, and down into the southern Lebanon to rebuild Lebanese Hezbollah.

So, a very positive development, but a very fragile situation right there because of all the different elements that he's going to have to bring together, convince to support the new Syrian government over the course of the years that they attempt to build it.

BERMAN: Diplomacy and security can be a very fluid, evolving thing, to be sure.

General David Petraeus, always a pleasure to speak with you. Thank you very much.

Sara.

SIDNER: All right, ahead, something to have a little fun with. New Jersey, look what it's doing, setting a new world record. And we have Yogi Berra, by the way, to thank for it. The details, ahead.

And if you like them big, if you like them chunky, today is your day. It is almost time for you to vote for your favorite fat bear. I said that right. Let's see who wins here, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [09:51:05]

SIDNER: Some call them fat. That's rude. They're husky. They're lovably chunky. Or shall we say, big boned. Today is officially the kickoff of a tradition now spanning more than a decade, Fat Bear Week. At Alaska's Katmai National Park, brown bears, they don't know it, but we are judging them. We humans vote on them in sort of a March Madness style bracket. But it's not just for size alone. It's also for spirit and survival. Reigning champ 182 Grazer is back to defend her crown, while newcomers like Bear 602, affectionately dubbed Floatato, is making waves. Votes run through September 30th, when the winner will be declared.

Joining me now is wildlife and conservation expert Jeff Corwin.

It sounds like a hilarious week, but the truth of the matter is, is that the bigger the bear, the longer they could hibernate comfortably, right?

JEFF CORWIN, WILDLIFE AND CONSERVATION EXPERT: Yes, Sara. And I'm so tired of all the judgmental-ness.

SIDNER: Me too.

CORWIN: I would say they are -- I would say they are Rubenesque. Very Rubenesque.

But it is -- it is all about survival. So, this is the time that these bears, Sara, are capitalizing on these resources. This is summer. The salmon are in. These bears go into a state called hyperphagia, where essentially they want to eat, and they're going to do that all day. One bear is eating anywhere from 60 to 90 salmon. One of these brown bears, Sara, is packing on about 160,000 calories a day.

SIDNER: Wow. That's a serious keto diet right there. It's just salmon after salmon after salmon.

Can you give us some sense of -- of how the brown bear population is doing? And as you see, we were just watching some video of the salmon sort of, you know, going upstream, as they do, and jumping, unfortunately for them, right into the bear's mouth.

CORWIN: Yes, it's a suicide leap for those salmon. But for the salmon. Sara, it's a game of numbers.

SIDNER: Yes.

CORWIN: They're returning to the natal waters where they hatched out three to five years ago. And, you know, they're playing the lottery. Many of them will not survive. But when they come into that ecosystem, they're refusing the energy. They're making the blueberries blue and fat. They're feeding all the wildlife. And the salmon exploit this.

What's really cool about these bears is that they're essentially a gigantified (ph) grizzly bear. They're the same species. But because they have that luxury of that incredible resource, which allows them to survive the austere summer -- excuse me, winter, is why they are so big.

But they're doing this not out of gluttony, but out of necessity because for six to eight months they will have no food. They will be hibernating in their dens, which is why these bears will be packing on upwards to 150, to some cases, more than 300 or 400 pounds per bear. These are the largest bears in the world. They can be up to 1,500 pounds in size. They can stand ten feet tall. I have been with these bears, literally studying them, putting collars on them, fly fishing next to them. They are focused on one thing, and that is salmon.

SIDNER: Food. And it turns out that me and my lovely colleagues here are also focused on that very same thing most of the days.

Jeff Corwin, thank you so much. Do you lastly have a bear that you think is going to win this thing for, you know, its Rubenesque-ness.

CORWIN: Oh, my gosh, I -- you know what, I don't have any skin in the game here. I'm rooting for them all. Again, it's just such a cool event. These bears are doing well. They're thriving. And it is because of this resource. Salmon is what makes Alaska.

[09:55:01]

In fact, the forest they live in, the Tongass Forest, means the salmon forest.

SIDNER: Are people actually betting on these bears? Is their money --

BERMAN: See, now I'm interested.

SIDNER: That is exactly why I asked, John.

BERMAN: Now you got me.

SIDNER: Are -- are -- is there betting? Are we raising money? Or are we just, like, ogling at these -- at these poor creatures who are hungry as heck?

CORWIN: Well, I don't -- my wife doesn't give me access to my wallet, so I wouldn't know how you bet it, you know, if I was allowed to. But --

SIDNER: John can teach you, by the way.

CORWIN: But I'm just allowed to go -- go into the wilderness and catch animals and talk about them. But nothing to do for this financially.

SIDNER: It makes sense.

CORWIN: But I think there's a lot of people rooting for these bears.

SIDNER: Yes.

CORWIN: I think what's so cool about them is, you know, we think of grizzly bears and brown bears as being this powerful, tenacious, potentially aggressive bear. Because they have such a bounty of food to eat, they are literally focused on just eating. I've actually experienced what is known as cub dumping, where a mom will leave her cubs with you while you're fishing so she can go feed and then come back and pick up her cubs.

BOLDUAN: Oh, it's like teen babysitting. I love it. Big bear nannies.

CORWIN: It's like (INAUDIBLE).

SIDNER: John, do you ever think about cub dumping?

BOLDUAN: What everyone needs.

BERMAN: No. If the show went squiggly (ph), we might.

BOLDUAN: Here we go.

SIDNER: Moving along.

"THE SITUATION ROOM" is up next.

BOLDUAN: You were actually turning red.

BERMAN: No, I'm just saying, I got to go quickly.

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