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ChatGPT Introduces New Parental Controls For Teens; Hegseth Defends Firing Of Military Leaders, Rips Diversity Efforts; Government Barrels Toward Shutdown Amid Partisan Deadlock; Consumer Confidence Hits Five-Month Low; Friend: Gunman's Hatred For LDS Church Stemmed From Breakup. Aired 3-3:30p ET

Aired September 30, 2025 - 15:00   ET

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

CLARE DUFFY, CNN TECH REPORTER: They say they're working on an age estimation feature that will use A.I. to guess how old its users are and potentially place team users -- suspected team users under those content protections if not linking them to a parent's account automatically. So, it's continuing to work on this, but I do think it's notable that with social media, it took in many cases years for those platforms to roll out teen safety features. OpenAI has moved very quickly to roll out these new parental control features. So, we'll be watching closely to see how well they do work.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Clare Duffy, thank you so much for that update.

The next hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: An unprecedented meeting, one that could lead to major changes for America's armed forces. President Trump and his defense secretary spelling out to the Pentagon's top brass how they want to transform the military.

And time is almost up. A government shutdown just nine hours away now, and President Trump warning that some federal workers could find themselves out of work for good if there's no deal.

And Pfizer cutting a deal with the White House, offering new discounts on drugs as the President unveils a new website for medications, TrumpRx.

We're following these major developing stories and many more, all coming in right here to CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

Calling together hundreds of top military officials to push a, quote, "warrior ethos." That was Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's goal during a remarkably rare gathering at Quantico today. But it was President Trump taking the stage and making headlines when he suggested that some American cities could be used as military training grounds. CNN Senior National Security Reporter Zach Cohen is leading us off this hour.

Zach, the President spoke at length. What were the highlights?

ZACHARY COHEN, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yes, Brianna, President Trump really swerved through multiple topics as he addressed more than 800 senior U.S. military officers that were summoned to Quantico, Virginia for this event. And look, but it was one comment he made about using the military domestically that really stood out given the audience he was addressing. Take a listen to what President Trump said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I told Pete we should use some of these dangerous cities as training grounds for our military, National Guard, but military.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: So, Trump went on to call the issues within these cities as a war with -- a war from within. And that's something that is very likely to make many of those senior military officers that were in attendance today very uncomfortable. The Pentagon has historically really been uneasy about using the military, active-duty military, to do things like quell domestic protests. But it is kind of contradictory to what Donald Trump has expressed over the course of his two terms in office.

We know from his first term that he has floated the idea of using the U.S. military to address issues domestically. And we know during his second term in just the last few months and continuing to today that he has sent the National Guard to various cities like L.A., D.C. and he wants to do so to places like Chicago.

So, this is really something, given who he was speaking to today, that is likely to make many within the Pentagon very uneasy.

KEILAR: Yes, an incredibly political speech to use these general and flag officers as a backdrop, essentially, there is the audience. Also, for the Defense Secretary's comments, Zach.

COHEN: Yes, Pete Hegseth has shown over the course of his tenure as defense secretary that he's willing to push that boundary that has historically existed between partisan politics and the U.S. military. And once again, doing so today at this really unique and, you know, very unlikely sort of setting.

Look, he is the one who we're told came up with this idea to convene all of these military officers in one place. And it was, after the fact, we know, to give this speech about various initiatives that he's trying to implement. We know Pete Hegseth is sort of Donald Trump's culture warrior over at the Pentagon. It's something that has really been his primary focus in that role.

But today he's -- he did lay out several specific initiatives that he wants to implement that are likely going to be controversial. That includes resetting the combat fitness standards to really the historical male only standard. That is something that really could be construed by many women serving in the military. And there are a lot, as you know, Brianna, as an effort to push women out of the military, rather than trying to ease some restrictions that have historically made things more uncomfortable.

We heard from a former fighter pilot though today who put it very bluntly and said, look, when I was in the military, you could either fly an aircraft and land it on an aircraft carrier, or you couldn't. That was the standard. Pete Hegseth though, before he was defense secretary, made very clear on a podcast that he believed that women should not serve in combat roles at all.

[15:05:02]

So, maybe some more nuance in his comments today, but still that undertone that could be construed as pushing women out, historically, his predecessors have tried to make it easier for them to serve it.

KEILAR: Yes, he said that less than a year ago, not long before taking this position.

Zach Cohen, thank you so much for that. Boris.

SANCHEZ: With us now is former defense secretary and former CIA director Leon Panetta.

Secretary, thanks so much for being with us.

You obviously once held the role that Hegseth is in now. What did you make of the decision to call in senior military officials from all over the world to deliver this speech?

LEON PANETTA, FORMER DEFENSE SECRETARY: Well, it struck me as a real missed opportunity. You're bringing some of the finest military commanders from around the world to one place. And they're individuals that are part of what I think is the strongest military force on the face of the earth. And it is an opportunity to talk about what they're involved in, which is national defense. To talk about what we need to do to improve our national defense, but also about the threats in today's world that need to be confronted. It should be about National Security, not about other things. And I just think it was a missed opportunity to have all of those great commanders in a room and not really talk about the things they care about, which is National Security.

SANCHEZ: Given all the things that Hegseth did talk about, I wonder what you think about what he said, quote, "If the words I'm speaking today are making your heart sink, then you should do the honorable thing and resign." Do you think that any of the folks at that speech today might be contemplating a resignation?

PANETTA: Well, if I know the military, and particularly the commanders of the military, the people who are the leaders, they're there to do a job. They're there to basically protect our security. And that's what they do. And I think a lot of the talking points that the secretary used are really -- you know, are not what they're involved in on a day-to-day basis, which is to make sure that our warriors and our military are the strongest on the face of the earth. That's what they care about. And so, I think some of the comments, particularly, for example, those

related to the rules of engagement, I mean, the reality is rules of engagement are what the military has used in past wars. It is important to the discipline of our fighting men and women to have good rules of engagement. So, I'm not quite sure that those commanders, or for that matter, that our country would be well-served by getting rid of them.

SANCHEZ: What about his comments regarding not wanting his son serving alongside females who can't meet the same combat arms physical standards as men? Do you have any idea how many people fall into that category, whether it's a widespread problem?

PANETTA: Well, I think we have the strongest military because everyone has the opportunity to serve their country, men and women alike. And that's what makes us strong. We have over 200,000 women that are part of our military, and they're fighting right alongside of their men, and they're both watching each other's back.

And so, to even indicate that there should be a male standard as opposed to just a standard, that frankly, both women and men ought to meet if they're going to serve in combat. This is not a time to move backwards. It's a time to move forwards.

SANCHEZ: Former Secretary Leon Panetta we'll leave the conversation there. Thanks so much for the time.

PANETTA: Good to be with you.

SANCHEZ: Still to come with the government shutdown now just hours away, President Trump is threatening mass layoffs. We'll take you to Capitol Hill in just moments.

Plus, as investigators search for a motive in the deadly Michigan church attack, we're learning how a past breakup may have fueled the shooter's hatred of the LDS church.

And later, a new video showing the moment a strong earthquake rattled an international pageant in the Philippines.

All that and more coming your way in just minutes. Don't go anywhere.

[15:10:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:14:21]

SANCHEZ: With a deadline to avoid a government shutdown now fewer than nine hours away, President Trump is blaming Democrats for a potential lapse in funding, issuing a new warning for those not willing to agree to the Republican funding plan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We can do things during the shutdown that are irreversible, that are bad for them, and irreversible by them, like cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: The federal government officially shuts down at midnight if Congress fails to make a deal. Sources tell CNN that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is telling his members that Democratic leaders will stay in Washington even if the shutdown happens.

[15:15:03]

Let's go live to Capitol Hill with CNN's Manu Raju, who has the latest.

Manu, the Senate is holding a vote at 5:30. What are you hearing from Democrats before that vote happens?

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Democrats are indicating that they plan to block that Republican plan that would -- that has passed the House and that would keep the government open for seven weeks, it does not include any extraneous measures, and Republicans are saying they don't want to include what Democrats are demanding.

What do they want?

They want to reverse healthcare cuts that were enacted as part of Donald Trump's signature domestic policy achievement, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. They also want to deal with an extension of expiring subsidies under Obamacare. Those subsidies help to pay people, have their health insurance help them pay for that. That is set to expire at year's end.

They also want to restrain Donald Trump's ability to cut federal spending without the consent of Congress. Republicans say they will not agree to any of that, at least not right now. They say keep the government open. We can negotiate that later.

I ask Democrats, why not negotiate these issues over the next seven weeks and agree to some short-term spending bill in order to avoid a very painful government shutdown. And many of them say they are willing to fight for their position.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: Are you worried that if you guys block this bill tonight and the government shuts down, that Trump will take actions into his own hand and go even further on the things that you're concerned about?

SEN. RUBEN GALLEGO (D-AZ): I mean, Trump has essentially, you know, broken already the government. The idea that he has any limits is, you know, ridiculous. This is an opportunity for us to make sure that 20 million Americans get affordable health insurance.

RAJU: Why not negotiate these issues on health care later and just keep the government open for seven weeks?

SEN. MARK KELLY (D-AZ): Costs are going up for people.

RAJU: Could this make it worse? Could a shutdown make all those issues worse?

KELLY: We can fix this problem today. This fight right now is about the cost of people's health care, and we can fix that in the next 12 hours.

RAJU: I mean, how worried are you about all these federal workers who could get fired now?

KELLY: Of course, we're concerned. They're firing people already. I mean, DOGE has fired 10s of thousands of workers.

RAJU: But they could go even further, potentially.

KELLY: They're going further all the time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: And that is a real concern, is that once the government is shut down, that not only will the hundreds of thousands of workers be furloughed, but many could be fired from their position as well. That's been warned -- the White House has warned that it could go that far. Now, the question is, what's next? The Republican leaders in the Senate plan to put this bill to keep the government open for seven weeks with nothing added to it. They want to put it on the floor, again, on Wednesday and have more votes, hoping that more Democrats will come to their position.

Remember, they'll need at least eight Democrats to vote to break a filibuster to advance the bill. The question is, how long can Democrats sustain that kind of pressure? The Senate Majority Leader John Thune just told me moments ago they would not negotiate with Democrats if the government is shut down. They say, if the government is shut down, reopen it, then we'll negotiate. We'll see which side decides to blink first. Guys.

SANCHEZ: Manu Raju live on the Hill, thank you so much. Brianna.

KEILAR: The economy is flashing some troubling signals. Consumer confidence is at a five-month low, due in part to a slowing labor market. And with all eyes on jobs data, there's a lingering question. Will this month's job report come out this Friday as it routinely does? And that's because if the government shuts down, the report could be delayed. Let's turn to CNN's Matt Egan for the details on all of this.

All right, Matt, how much did consumer confidence drop?

MATT EGAN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Yes, Brianna. Look, the mood on Main Street remains pretty gloomy. Consumer confidence falling during the month of September by another 4 percent to a reading of just above 94. So, for some context, that is the lowest since April, the month when financial markets were going haywire as investors freaked out over the President's tariff plans.

Consumer confidence is significantly lower than back in January when the President started his second term. And look at this. If you look back at this point in the calendar of the President's first term, back in September of 2017, consumer confidence was clearly much higher. So, why are people feeling down on this economy?

Well, the consumer confidence report came up with a couple of different readings in -- that were concerning, including present situation, how people are feeling about the current situation on the ground. That fell significantly. Also, how people are feeling about their family finances, in particular, how they're feeling about their current financial situation.

That fell sharply, as well as how available consumers believe jobs are, right? That is a reflection of some disappointing jobs reports that we've had in the last few months. So, you put it all together. I mean, why do we care about consumer confidence? Because this economy is driven by consumer spending. And the worse people are feeling, the less likely they are to go out to eat, go buy a car or take a vacation.

[15:20:04]

So, that's why we got to pay very close attention to these low consumer confidence numbers.

KEILAR: And talk to us about the new data that's out today on jobs -- job openings. Because obviously people have a view on job availability. What's the reality?

EGAN: Well, the reality is they're not imagining it, Brianna. Job openings, they did inch higher during the month of August to 7.23 million. July was revised higher as well. This was better than expected. But it's really just a small step in the right direction. Because when you look at the trend for job openings, going back to 2019, you can see there's been this significant decline. This peak, there were more than 12 million jobs available back in late 2021 and early 2022. That was during the Great Resignation, right? I mean, that was not sustainable. It felt good, but it probably wasn't the healthiest thing for the economy. So, this was always going to come down, but it has come down very significantly.

The other way to look at this is back during the peak, there were two jobs for every unemployed person. Now there's just under one. And one industry to call out in particular, construction. Job openings in the construction industry plunged during the month of August. And we know that industry has been hurt by tariffs, by immigration crackdown, and also by all the trouble in the housing industry.

Now, normally we'd be looking ahead to the much more important monthly jobs report from the government. That's scheduled to come out on Friday. But if the government shuts down, the Bureau of Labor Statistics is not expected to release that report. Also in doubt, we have two other reports coming out in just over two weeks on consumer prices and on producer prices. These are two closely watched inflation reports.

But if the shutdown's still going on, the BLS is not going to be collecting the data that it needs on these prices, let alone releasing it. So, we may not get those either, which could mean that when the Fed meets at the end of the month, they may not be armed with their full amount of information that they need when they have to make this decision. In some ways, they could be kind of flying blind.

It may not change the ultimate outcome here of what the Fed does, which is expected to be another interest rate cut, but it's clearly not ideal that they may not be operating with all of the information on the jobs market or on inflation. Brianna?

KEILAR: Yes, flying blind seems like a very bad idea. Matt Egan, thank you so much.

EGAN: What could go wrong?

KEILAR: Yes, what could go wrong?

EGAN: Thanks, Brianna.

KEILAR: Some things, I'll tell you that.

Still to come, new details about the Michigan church shooter's past as investigators are searching for a motive.

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[15:27:22]

KEILAR: New details are emerging about the gunman in the deadly Michigan church attack that killed four people and injured 11 others. A childhood friend tells CNN the Marine veteran would often discuss his hatred for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, frequently referred to as the Mormon Church, and that he would make disparaging comments about its members.

The friend also tells us that the shooter's resentment stemmed from a breakup with a woman who was in the LDS church, which had happened more than a decade ago. Juliette Kayyem is a CNN Senior National Security Analyst and the former Assistant Secretary in the Department of Homeland Security.

I wonder, Juliette, what you make of that, just the grievance stemming from a breakup so long ago.

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Yes. And there's going to be a lot of information in between that breakup, his presence in Utah, where most Mormons in the United States live, as well as his service, any mental issues that he may have had. There was talk of PTSD. So, that combination may help explain anger, but what breeds violence, we still don't have that tie yet. Like what was it that triggered it. And exactly what you said, the breakup was a long time ago. Why this particular Church of Latter-day Saints? So -- but, you know, now that we have this information, some things

are making more sense. The FBI's taking over the case. It's focused on -- this was a targeted killing and then trying to figure out what the motive specifically was. And it was clearly an anti-religious, anti- Church of Latter-day Saints motive.

KEILAR: Yes. And what did you think about how this was carried out? The perpetrator ramming his truck into the church, setting it on fire, shooting at worshipers. There were these IEDs that were found at the scene. There was a lot that went into this. And obviously he had a big objective here.

KAYYEM: Yes. And part of it, I worry a little bit about sort of the copycat and ratchet up. So, they're following similar active shooters, a sniper, an active shooting, but then they have to ratchet it up because so much of what they're doing is also performative. That's what we're seeing in this day and age, is that they, you know, they -- they essentially want this captured. And so -- so -- and it shows, secondly, that it was obviously pre-planned pretty well.

[15:29:59]

And that's where, as an investigator, you're going to want to look at this stage. There's a concept called leakage in an investigation, which is between the time that he thought about this heinous act.