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Kimmel Defends Free Speech in Emotional Return to Late Night; Trump Threatens ABC Over Jimmy Kimmel's Return; Soon, Ukraine's Zelenskyy Addresses U.N. General Assembly. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired September 24, 2025 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Jimmy Kimmel's emotional return to late night, the jokes and his sober message after the controversy that pulled him off the air for a week. Why now President Trump is threatening new legal action over his comeback.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Robots going to the show. Major League Baseball votes to use robot umpires for balls and strikes. At least one fan thinks it's one of the best changes in years.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: And it looks like -- I wonder who. And it looks like a movie stunt, but it is not. Police dash cam capturing a stolen car, jumping a partially raised bridge, the crazy footage, and what happened next.

I'm Sara Sidner with John Berman and Kate Bolduan. This is CNN News Central.

BOLDUAN: Breaking overnight, Jimmy Kimmel is back. The late night host making an emotional return to ABC after a nearly week long suspension and pulling no punches when it comes to what he calls President Trump's attacks on free speech.

And here, there Kimmel walking out to a long, loud standing ovation from the crowd to deliver his first monologue. Since he was pulled off the air, he was suspended under pressure from the Trump administration. After comments that he made about the finger pointing that ensued in the wake of Charlie Kirk's murder, fighting back tears.

I want to play for you what he had to say about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST, JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!: I've been hearing a lot about what I need to say and do tonight, and the truth is, I don't think what I have to say is going to make much of a difference. If you like me, you like me. If you don't, you don't. I have no illusions about changing anyone's mind. But I do want to make something clear because it's important to me as a human, and that is you understand that it was never my intention to make light of the murder a young man.

I don't think there's anything funny about it. I posted a message on Instagram on the day he was killed, sending love to his family and asking for compassion, and I meant it, and I still do. Nor was it my attention to blame any specific group for the actions of what it was obviously a deeply disturbed individual. That was really the opposite of the point I was trying to make, but I understand that to some that felt either ill-timed or unclear, or maybe both. And for those who think I did point a finger, I get why you're upset. If the situation was reversed, there was a good chance I'd have felt the same way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: He also had a special guest to join him for a sketch. Actor Robert De Niro playing a fictional mob style boss of the FCC.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIMMEL: Is this how things are going to go from now on?

ROBERT DE NIRO, ACTOR: We also got a new motto at the FCC. Sticks and stones may break your bones.

KIMMEL: And?

DE NIRO: And what?

KIMMEL: Well, the rest of that is but I think, but words can never harm you.

DE NIRO: Well, well, they can harm you now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Kimmel also had some defiant words for President Trump and what he called un-American threats to the First Amendment.

Joining me right now as CNN's Chief Media Analyst Brian Stelter. Late night for you, early morning for you, Brian. Thanks for coming back in. What kind of reaction are you seeing from Kimmel -- to Kimmel's return and his message last night?

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: Well, television critics, First Amendment experts, they're raving about this monologue, which has already gained many millions of views on YouTube and other platforms. So, the live broadcast, well, from a few hours after the taping, the live broadcast, and now overnight and into the morning, the on-demand viewership of this episode is quickly becoming a moment for American free speech rights with so many people grateful to Kimmel for speaking out, and also grateful to Disney for making sure he is back on the air.

Of course, with every reaction, though, there's a counter-reaction. We've already heard from some MAGA media influencers denouncing Kimmel this morning.

It was notable that Jimmy Kimmel kept trying to make it about more than just his show. He, for example, talked about NBC's Jimmy Fallon saying he hopes that his own fans will defend Fallon if Trump tries to come for NBC next. And Kimmel also talked about the state of American journalism, warning against recent threats against the press. Here's part of what he said.

[07:05:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIMMEL: And it's not just comedy. He's gunning for our journalists who -- he's suing them, he's bullying them.

They want to pick and choose what the news is. I know that's not as interesting as muzzling a comedian, but it's so important to have a free press, and it is nuts that we aren't paying more attention to it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STELTER: I think Kimmel was showing that he's going to be using his late night platform to draw attention to these free speech threats. He's going to be using his platform to continue to call out President Trump. The message from his monologue was that he is not going to waver. He's not going to weaken his dialogue. He's not going to soften his criticism of President Trump just because of the suspension last week. If anything, he is now emboldened and stronger because he has ABC's very explicit backing and he knows he has many millions of viewers watching.

BOLDUAN: And, Brian, you also have, even before he took -- he got on air, before it aired, the president angry about it, suggesting there could be more to come, saying, we may test ABC on this. Where is this ABC, Nexstar, Sinclair saga go next?

STELTER: Yes. I'm not sure what's it called because we've very rarely seen this in American broadcast history. There's a few --

BOLDUAN: It looks like some technical issues with Brian there. We'll get back to Brian Stelter. He'll be back with us shortly.

BERMAN: He controls the airwaves.

BOLDUAN: I was going to make a joke, and I was like, this is not the right time. But thank you, J.B., you took it anyway.

BERMAN: Sorry. I don't have the filter.

How did the president respond to the defense of free speech from Jimmy Kimmel? As you just heard, he issued new threats to ABC even before the show aired.

Let's get Kevin Liptak at the White House for the latest. Kevin?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes. And the timing I think was pretty notable here. The president waited more than a day to weigh in on Disney's decision to bring Kimmel back, which was kind of a conspicuous silence. He waited until an hour before this show aired, essentially trying to preempt whatever Kimmel was going to say. And the president's message was one, both of disbelief, but also intimidation.

And just to take it piece by piece, the president saying the White House was told by ABC that his show was canceled, something happened between then and now because his audience is gone, and his talent was never there. So, the president saying there for the first time that the White House was somehow involved in these discussions about ABC, and suggesting that they were told something completely different from what Disney was saying publicly, which was that this was a suspension.

Now, the president goes on to write, he is yet another arm of the DNC, and to the best of my knowledge, that would be a major illegal campaign contribution. I think we're going to test ABC on this. Let's see how we do, and then pointing to the $16 million settlement that he received from ABC in their defamation lawsuit last year.

And so it is this threat of action that's so striking here. He's not exactly explicit about what that would entail, whether this is legal action or some kind of punishment by the government, whether through the FEC for some kind of campaign violations or through the FCC. And, remember, the president said just last week, the networks that are overwhelmingly critical of him might have their broadcast license polls.

Either way, the president does seem out on a limb here. Remember, some of his own supporters have said he's gone too far, whether it's Ted Cruz, who said that he was being reminiscent of a Mafioso, Joe Rogan, the podcaster, yesterday saying that the government should not be involved in dictating what a comedian can and cannot say. Even the president's own defenders last week were trying to say that this was essentially just a business decision and that the government wasn't involved at all.

Now, that argument never really held a lot of weight because you heard the FCC chair threatening ABC beforehand, but now the president sort of completely pulling the rug out of that argument all together.

BERMAN: That's right, a new threat coming overnight. Kevin Liptak at the White House, thank you very much,.Sara?

SIDNER: All right. Ahead, we're standing by for Ukraine's President Zelenskyy to speak at the United Nations after President Trump posted an opinion about Ukraine that we have never heard before, a complete U-turn. The Kremlin though responding this morning.

And we're getting new details from inside the courtroom detailing the moment the man convicted of trying to assassinate President Trump tried to stab himself after the verdict.

And we'll take you live to Hong Kong. Look at this, a wall of water blasting through the windows of a hotel lobby as the biggest storm to hit the planet this year makes landfall.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:10:00] SIDNER: Just hours from now, Ukrainian President Volodymry Zelenskyy will address the United Nations General Assembly, this as President Trump signaled support for Ukraine like we have never seen before, posting online that Ukraine is capable of winning back all its land from Russia and calling Moscow a paper tiger. A Kremlin spokesperson responding to that post overnight, saying Russia is associated with a bear. There are no paper bears.

CNN Chief National Security Analyst Jim Sciutto at the United Nations covering all this for us. I think the big question that, that lands on a lot of people here is whether or not the president's stance in that post is going to amount to anything to help Ukraine.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: For sure. And, listen, I think when Ukrainians came to New York, if they had a wish list from this president, he ticked off two major things.

[07:15:05]

One, saying that Ukraine can win back all its territory, which is an extremely sensitive issue for Ukrainians, it's their land and it's their people, remember that territory has people living on it, and then the second, the president reiterated that the U.S. would offer some security guarantees to Ukraine in any ultimate peace deal.

But the first piece is most significant because the Trump administration has been consistently saying that to end this war, it's just a fact, it's a fait accompli that Ukraine's going to have to give up some of the eastern part of the country. And I should note, Sara, that that feeling, while not as public or not as advertised, actually goes back to the Biden administration. Because Biden administration officials told me that, hey, listen, at some point, they're going to have to acknowledge they can't win back all their territory.

So, this is a big shift. The question is, does the shift stay, right? Because as we know this, president's positions on this war can change from time to time and Ukrainians are aware of that. And I spoke to several of them after the president's comments and they said, this is great, let's see if it lasts.

And I imagine we're going to hear from President Zelenskyy in a short time. He will certainly welcome those comments. I expect him to thank President Trump for his support. He did so yesterday, I'd expect him to do it again. And the proof though will be in the pudding, right? Does this commitment last over time?

And on those security guarantees as well, Zelenskyy did say we don't have specific things yet, details on paper. Remember, a security guarantee is all about the specifics, right? How far will the U.S. go? How long, et cetera.

The final point I'll make, Sara, if I can, is that Europe right now is on pins and needles, because Russia is testing Europe. It's testing the alliance with these repeated air incursions, drones over Poland, fighter jets over Estonia, drones over civilian airports as well shutting down flights. And to hear President Trump say yesterday, hey, if that happens again, NATO aircraft can shoot at Russian aircraft, that's quite a big change as well. But it's also a nervous time in Europe because the risks of escalation, if that were to happen, are very real.

SIDNER: You know, some of the European nations, as we talked about yesterday, telling their citizens, prepare, start stockpiling just in case war breaks out.

Jim Sciutto, thank you so much. Great reporting there from the U.N. Kate?

BOLDUAN: So, chaos erupted in the Florida courtroom when President Trump's would-be assassin tried to stab himself just moments after the jury found him guilty on all counts. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN GROUSE, WITNESS: I saw him try and stab himself in the neck with a pen, and then he was tackled by the marshals, taken out of the courtroom. The daughter was crying out for him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: So, a sketch artist who was in the court's front row said that Ryan Routh had no emotion when the verdict was read. Jurors deliberated for less than three hours after two weeks of testimony, 41 witnesses hundreds of exhibits. And, remember, Routh decided to represent himself throughout this trial.

President Trump congratulated prosecutors afterward, posting in part that this was an evil man with an evil intention, and they caught him.

Now, Routh will be back in court for sentencing in mid-December. He could get life in prison.

Still ahead for us, the president claiming in Cuba there's virtually no autism because they can't afford Tylenol. Now, Cuban doctors are speaking out to say that is news to them.

America's favorite pastime is getting a bit more futuristic. What we know about robot umpires come into the Major Leagues.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:20:00]

BERMAN: High drama in the American League with six teams vying for five playoff spots, most importantly, the Red Sox won last night. It's my understanding other teams might have too.

Let's get right to Andy Scholes for the latest on this. Good morning, Andy.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Hey, good morning, John. Yes, I knew when I woke up that you would be the most excited about talking about the Yankees heading back to the postseason. Not so much, right? But two more playoffs spots in the American League are now spoken for. And the Yankees, they were actually down a run entering the ninth last night with two outs. Brandon Eisert air mails this pitch, Anthony Volpe comes in to score to tie the game. Then the very next batter, Jose Caballero, pinch hitting comes through with a single, the center. Aaron Judge is going to motor around a score. Yankees winning a walk off 3-2. They clinched their eighth postseason spot the past nine years. Yankees just a game back of the Blue Jays for the A.L. East.

The Mariners, meanwhile, also clinching a spot. They beat the Rockies 4-3 and are on the verge of clinching the ALS for the first time since 2001. Seattle remains the only Major League team to have never made the World Series. Mariners won 15 of 16, certainly getting hot at the right time.

But no one is hotter right now than the Guardians. Cleveland, they beat the Tigers last night, 5-2. They've now won 17 of 20 and have taken over first in the A.L. Central due to owning the tie break. It's just an incredible turnaround. On July 9th, the Tigers had a 15.5 game lead on the Guardian. Detroit has now lost seven in a row.

And here's how things look in the A.L. now with five games left to go, Red Sox, Guardians, Tiger and Astros fighting for three playoff spots. Right now, Houston is the odd team out after losing to the A's last night.

All right, next season managers will not have to argue balls and strikes. Major League Baseball announcing yesterday that the robo umpires will officially be in place for the 2026 season. Hitters, pitchers, and catchers can tap their head to challenge a ball or strike call. They've been testing the system in the minors for years and it was in place during spring training and the all-star game this season.

[07:25:00]

All right, believe it or not, the NBA season, it's right around the corner with teams already reporting to training camp. Now, the Celtics will be without Jayson Tatum to start this season after he tore his Achilles in the playoffs back in April. But I caught up with Tatum yesterday and I asked him if he has a return date circled on his calendar.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAYSON TATUM, 2024 NBCA CHAMPION WITH CELTICS: It's one that's in my mind, but most importantly is like making a full recovery. I think, you know, that's the most important thing.

SCHOLES: If the Celtics are in the mix in the east come March and your recovery is going well, do you see yourself getting back on the court?

TATUM: Anything is possible, right? You know, making a full recovery is most important. I haven't ruled off that, you know, I'm not playing a season, but I will say I'm not rehabbing six days a week for no reason. (END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Yes. I know, Berman, your Celtics, you know, there wasn't much optimism coming into this season, but talking to Tatum yesterday, he certainly sounded like he is going to play at some point this season.

BERMAN: Yes. All the buzz up there has been that he's way ahead of schedule, that he looks great, that he's walking without a limp or any boo. He's been at, you know, Patriots games and practices. His skill hasn't rubbed off on them, but he's been there looking quite good. Hopefully, look, as long as he stays healthy, let's get him back as soon as we can.

Andy Scholes, great to see you, my friend. Great discussion with one of the NBA's best there.

BOLDUAN: Okay. That was a lot on that. Can we go back to robot umpire?

BERMAN: Yes.

BOLDUAN: You're a fan of this?

BERMAN: It's a challenge thing.

BOLDUAN: I think Andy's with me on this.

BERMAN: It's not making every call.

BOLDUAN: The fighting is the fun.

BERMAN: It's not making every call and you only get two for a game. And what it will do is end these massive screw ups. I mean, there're so many bad calls that decide games, get rid of a couple of them. It's worked really well in the minors. It worked really well in spring training. Let's --

BOLDUAN: I mean, it's just part of the fun is the --

BERMAN: It's actually --

BOLDUAN: -- the rage and anger that comes the back call.

BERMAN: I guarantee you'll still see rage and anger.

BOLDUAN: Andy, you're on my team on this. Stop nodding when Berman's talking.

SCHOLES: I will say I will definitely miss managers running out there and being irate about missing calls. But in a big spot, Kate, I don't want to see a game decided by a bad strike call.

BOLDUAN: Yet again, Kate's a woman alone.

BERMAN: Yes. On the side of rage and anger, there's a shock right there.

BOLDUAN: No. I could take this off set.

Still ahead, Jimmy -- perfect. Still ahead -- Brad, hold the steady, steady -- Jimmy Kimmel back on air and calling it out. Why he says one lesson from this week's long controversy is that the president can't take a joke, either can I.

And a police chase ends with the driver jumping over an open drawbridge. What happens next?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:30:00]