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Disney Sues Trump's FCC, Alleges Retaliatory Campaign Against ABC; Critical Primary Races in Florida; Trump-Backed Donalds Faces Crowded Field in Florida GOP Governor's Race; Interview with Rep. Julie Johnson (D-TX): White House Escalates Feud with Jon Ossoff Over His Jab at Trump's Ties to Aide; Iran Lists Demands U.S. Must Meet Before Strait of Hormuz Reopens. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired August 18, 2026 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:00]

COLMAN DOMINGO, OSCAR NOMINATED AND EMMY-WINNING ACTOR: Writer, director, and a producer and an actor. But also, I feel like I don't want to pigeonhole myself, so I'm always challenging myself with different genres. So this acknowledgment is really, it's really beautiful.

It's really, it makes me feel great, you know. Just to get one nomination, please. It's a crowded television landscape, and I know the idea of getting a nomination is huge.

It's a feat these days. And so to get two is extraordinary, and I'm very grateful.

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Coleman actually won an Emmy Award back in 2022 for his role on Euphoria. But before he was an Emmy winner and before he was an Oscar nominee, he has two Oscar nominations, by the way, he was just like any other actor who was struggling to make it work. He started off in the theater, but in our conversation, he told me about his worst audition experience that almost broke him, and he explained why he is working to create spaces for others and to try to make the entertainment industry a kinder place for everyone working in it.

It's a really inspiring conversation, and I really enjoyed sitting down with him. Back to you guys.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Elizabeth, thank you so much. You can watch this and other episodes of "THE COMING UP" series on the CNN app.

A new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: It has begun. Election Day in America. Voters in three states heading to polls for another round of high-stakes primaries.

The president's home state of Florida will be a test for his influence at a time when his approval rating has hit a new low.

And breaking news. Disney is suing the FCC over what it calls the Trump administration's retaliatory campaign against ABC. What we are learning about that legal showdown.

And an alleged drug trafficking operation unearthed at Penn State. Two fraternities now accused of being involved in a cocaine ring at the university.

I'm Sara Sidner with John Berman and Kate Bolduan. This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

BOLDUAN: Breaking news just this morning. Disney is filing a lawsuit against the FCC today over the administration's actions taken against ABC. The lawsuit alleges that the FCC is violating their First Amendment rights and that the White House has -- and here's a quote -- waged a retaliatory campaign against ABC for a single reason. It disapproves of what ABC broadcasts.

The FCC is currently investigating ABC's talks with The View and challenging the licenses held by ABC stations. The chairman of the FCC, Brendan Carr, he has been outspoken in going after Disney and many others and also following the lead of the president himself here.

CNN's chief media analyst, Brian Stelter, has much more on this. What are you hearing about this lawsuit and what does it mean?

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: I've just reread the lawsuit that was filed this morning in D.C. District Court. It opens with some strong words.

It says quote, "Government censorship is deeply un-American."

And that's what Disney is alleging here, that the Trump administration is using the tools at its disposal to pressure ABC to change its content, whether that's late at night on Jimmy Kimmel's anti-Trump late night show, or whether it's during the day on the hit daytime talk show, The View, or whether it's on other ABC programs. The network says it is feeling pressure from the administration and that that amounts to a violation of the First Amendment, not just because of President Trump's words, where he often maligns ABC and degrades the coverage and calls for its licenses to be revoked, but especially and more importantly through the government's actions. Earlier this year, the FCC opened a probe of The View over an alleged equal time violation, and then a couple months later, the FCC called up ABC's station licenses for a highly unusual, almost unprecedented renewal process several years ahead of schedule.

That process is widely seen as a form of retaliation against ABC for not firing Kimmel and not changing the programming in other ways. And Disney's message in this lawsuit this morning is very clear. It says that the Trump administration is bullying ABC, but that the Trump administration will come for all the other media companies as well. Quote, "If the administration gets its way, the message to every media company in the country will be unmistakable: tell only the stories the administration deems favorable or face the coercive machinery of the federal government." So Disney is saying it's suing the administration reluctantly, not trying to get into a fight with the president, but because it needs to defend its stations against the First Amendment threat.

BOLDUAN: Yes, not mincing words there either. You mentioned Jimmy Kimmel, Brian, which we've talked a lot about when this all went down. Rosie O'Donnell, who has a storied history with Donald Trump, is hosting his show this week.

[09:05:00]

What do you think of that programming choice by ABC?

STELTER: Yes, it's a total coincidence that the lawsuit's being filed this. But that choice to have Jimmy Kimmel, have his friend Rosie O'Donnell fill in, knowing that O'Donnell is another outspoken Trump critic, it goes to show what Disney CEO Josh DiMauro said the other day, that his company believes this is about its First Amendment rights, that there are key principles at stake here, that the government does not get to decide what is airing on a television network.

I think that's a statement that the vast majority of agree with. But in this polarized political climate, with cries of liberal bias coming from the right for decades, there is a sense from the right, from Trump's supporters and from Brendan Carr's supporters, that the government maybe should use its power to pressure ABC in new ways. And that's what we're talking about here, broadly speaking.

The government using its powers in ways we have not seen in many decades to challenge a media company. And in this case, it happens to be Disney. This morning, free expression groups are cheering this lawsuit, saying someone finally has found a backbone and is standing up to a bully.

But we'll see what happens in court as Disney pushes forward in the coming weeks.

BOLDUAN: Yes. Brian, thank you so much for jumping on. I really appreciate it -- John.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, just moments ago, polls opened in Wyoming, one of three states holding primaries today across the country. In Florida, today's races are putting President Trump's grip on the Republican Party to the test in his adopted home state. Yes, by the way, I should note, he did vote by mail.

It comes at a moment when his numbers have never been lower in the polls. The new Reuters-Ipsos poll has his approval rating at just 33 percent.

Let's get to see it in Steve Contorno outside a polling place in Orlando. A lot of contests down there today, Steve.

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Yes, it's a big day, a big primary day in Florida. And obviously at the top of the ticket on the Republican side is who will be the candidate that will be their replacement pick to succeed Governor Ron DeSantis. Now, the Trump- endorsed candidate in that race is Representative Byron Donalds.

He has been leading in the polls and far away leading in fundraising. And it'll be a question of how much support does President Trump enjoy in his home state and whether any Republican voters use this primary as an opportunity to say, look, I don't want to follow the president and have his hand-chosen candidate to be the future governor of Florida. It's been interesting having conversations with voters early morning outside this polling place.

Obviously, a very small sample. But I have to say quite a few of them have said that the president's endorsement was not a factor for them. And even though they expect Donalds to win, that's not necessarily who they cast a ballot for today.

Take a listen to the senior couple I spoke with just moments ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ED DEVINCENZO, FLORIDA VOTER: The president, I won't even say he strongly influences me. I might consider look at that first, but I look at all the candidates and try to research the whole group of them.

LYN DEVINCENZO, FLORIDA VOTER: I am voting purple whenever I can, voting against an incumbent, even if he's good, because I think career politicians is our biggest problem.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CONTORNO: Now, on the Democrat side, the nominee who will face the Republican is expected to be David Jolly. He's a former Republican who served in Congress representing the Tampa Bay region, and he is now trying to do what Charlie Crist couldn't, which is make that pivot from Republican to Democrat and win a governor's race here. So Jolly is expected in that race.

But there's some other compelling races on the Democratic side as well. And I want to take us down to South Florida, where Representative Debbie Washerman Schultz has been drawn out of her district in this national redistricting fight. And so she is trying to win in Florida District 20.

That's a historically black district. And so she has received some criticism for being a, quote, unquote, carpetbagger and going into that district as a white woman and trying to win it. She will face former Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick.

She was actually representing that area in Congress before she resigned to avoid the results of an ethics committee investigation to her, leading to a vote that could potentially kick her out of Congress -- John.

BERMAN: Yes, a lot going on in that district, a lot going on in the state. Some colorful candidates, to say the least. Steve Contorno, always good to see you.

Thank you very much -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: I was going to say, there's a lot going on in that district.

BERMAN: I mean, you need like a flow chart to follow everyone.

BOLDUAN: And you interviewed one of the candidates yesterday.

BERMAN: I did. It was interesting to hear from him.

BOLDUAN: It was very interesting.

All right, let's turn to this right now. Speaking of elections, but looking far into elections, a potential 2028 contender, a man currently running for reelection himself in a hotly contested Senate race is getting a whole lot of attention from the White House.

President Trump versus Georgia Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff. It started this weekend and has really only gotten hotter, I guess you could say, from there.

[09:10:00]

Ossoff criticizing the president, the president calling him a Pee-wee Herman lookalike. Ossoff even drawing Trump's close aide Natalie Harp into this fight, something he did again last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JON OSSOFF (D-GA): Well, I've heard this particular aide referred to as his security blanket. And I think we could say that about any number of the senior aides in the White House. They're not telling him what he needs to hear.

They're telling him what he wants to hear. And the president, surrounded by enablers in the West Wing, is playing golf, is trading stock and is decorating his ballroom. It's a disgrace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Betsy Klein is at the White House. Betsy, read into your crystal ball where you think this is going next.

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: I could hardly predict that, Kate. But this all started over the weekend when Senator Jon Ossoff, that Democrat from Georgia, invoked this very little known, far from a household name, Trump aide during a rally. I want you to listen to those remarks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) OSSOFF: He doesn't want to do the job. He wants to build his ballroom and travel with Natalie on their apparently defenseless flying palace gifted by the emir of Qatar.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KLEIN: Ossoff there is referring to Natalie Harp. That is President Trump's personal assistant. And that was a very inside baseball reference.

It's unclear if his audience really grasped where he was going there. But Ossoff has come under some fire for those comments that some people have perceived as sexist, as well as the insinuation he was trying to make there. And it has caught the attention of the White House, which has really touched a nerve.

We heard that first from communications director Steven Cheung, who called Ossoff in a post to social media, quote, "The biggest cuck loser in politics." As well as spokesman Davis Ingle, who said in the official statement when we asked for a reaction that Ossoff was a feminine theater kid. Then our colleague Kristen Holmes asked President Trump about this directly in the Oval Office yesterday watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yesterday, Jon Ossoff said he'd rather travel with your aid, Natalie Harp, and build the ballroom than do your job as president. What is your response to Jon Ossoff?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You mean Pee Wee Herman? Pee Wee Herman lookalike? No, I would much rather do other things.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KLEIN: Now, this name calling here could have midterm reverberations. It really underscores how closely this White House is watching Ossoff's race. He is running for a second term against representative Mike Collins of Georgia, who is a close Trump ally.

And in a recent Fox News poll back in June, Ossoff was up about 13 points. Experts expect that race to tighten, but it remains to be seen whether this fighting here inspires President Trump or his aligned PACs to insert some additional money into that midterm race -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: Good question, Betsy. It's good to see you. Thank you so much for laying it out for us -- Sara.

SIDNER: All right. Thank you, Kate. Joining me now, Democratic Congresswoman Julie Johnson from Texas.

I want to continue with the Ossoff conversation because we just had it. Do you think that Ossoff's dig, which included Trump's personal assistant, was sexist? REP. JULIE JOHNSON (D-TX): No, I mean, it's just a truthful fact. You know, the reality of it is politics gets in the mud sometimes, and Jon Ossoff is surging. You know, he's ahead in the polls by a significant margin.

He's quickly becoming a presidential contender favorite. He's a huge threat to the White House, and they're going to fight back every way they can.

SIDNER: Do you think that's why there was such a visceral response from the White House, the communications director calling Ossoff the biggest cuck loser in politics, another one calling him a cringeworthy feminine theater kid cosplaying as Barack Obama? Why do you think those have been so visceral against Ossoff?

JOHNSON: Well, yes, that's just the Trump playbook, too, right? I mean, they call everybody names. That's what they do.

They're bullies. They're immature. They resort to the worst of the playground antics in terms of just bullying people and calling people bad names.

But yes, I do think that they're going to start ramping up the pressure against Ossoff because he's surging and he's resonating with the American people. He is really doing a good job of criticizing the Trump administration in a way that's really permeating the whole base of the Democratic Party, and he's really gaining a lot of attention. People are talking about him all the time.

He's everywhere. In all the circles I'm in, everyone's talking about, what do you think of Ossoff? What do you think of Ossoff?

He's really, really surging and gaining a lot of traction. So, of course, the Trump administration is going to perceive that as a serious threat.

[09:15:00]

SIDNER: So then I got to ask you, if this is what people around you are talking about, do you see him as a potential contender for something else, say, I don't know, 2028 presidential candidate?

JOHNSON: Well, you know, a lot of folks are talking about that. And, you know, the field is wide open, and obviously, he's got to get through this election for the Senate. Holding the Senate and retaking the Senate is a key priority for Democrats.

And obviously, him holding this seat is of paramount importance, and he's doing a great job. And because he's doing so well, he's getting a lot of chatter in that presidential circle loop of inherent gossip that happens in political circles. So, you know, I think, obviously, we got to get through the midterms of November, and we'll see where that goes and what he ends up doing in his own space.

It'll be a free shot for him. You know, he's got six years on a term, and so it'll be a free ride if he chooses to make that. But it will certainly turn a lot of heads if he does.

SIDNER: Very interesting. All right, let me ask you about this. Voters are going to the polls right now in primaries across several key states.

There is a serious impact that you have felt the sting of, and that is the Republican-led redistricting efforts that have scrambled congressional maps and created sort of new political fights among Democrats. What worries you the most about Democrats' chances of gaining power?

Is it this redistricting, or there is also this internal battle between establishment candidates and progressive that's come up?

JOHNSON: Sure. Well, the redistricting situation has been wicked, for sure. You know, obviously, they came into Texas first, redistricted a bunch of seats.

It's been a brouhaha battle throughout the country. We're going to see it play out today in Florida with what happens with some of the seats down there, especially with Debbie's seat and some others. You know, it's a tool because Republicans are very scared.

But, you know, it's also very concerning about his attack on the right to vote and their incessant push of the SAVE Act, his relentless assaults on mail-in ballots. It's just an overall picture of their concern about their electoral outcomes in November, because the American people are very frustrated with what the Trump administration has been doing and how they've been doing their job. And so they feel like they have this need to sort of cheat the vote in a way, rig the maps, try to make it really hard for people to vote, and the like.

And as far as the momentum within the Democratic Party, you know, we're a very big tent. We have a lot of ideas, and we have people who disagree on certain things. But what we do care about is health care for everyone, jobs for everyone.

We care about big values. We disagree sometimes on the method of how to go about getting there. But that's part of what robust primaries are about.

And we're going to see what happens today in Florida. There's going to be a challenge in Jared Moskowitz's seat in that regard. And it's going to be interesting to see, because, you know, the DSA has done well in typically Democratic states.

But this is a time we're going to see how they do in a strong Republican state.

SIDNER: Congresswoman Julie Johnson, it is a pleasure. Thank you so much for joining us this morning. Do appreciate it -- John.

BERMAN: All right, new testimony coming in the trial of the man accused of orchestrating the murder of Tupac Shakur. The focus now on the night that he was killed.

The Coast Guard rescues a jet skier more than 12 hours after he went missing.

And this morning, OpenAI launches its new chatbot for teenagers as safety concerns are mounting. What parents can now control and what they cannot.

[09:20:00]

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BOLDUAN: New this morning. A top Iranian official now laying out a list of demands. Demands Iran says must be met by the United States before the Iranian military allows the Strait of Hormuz to reopen. Among the demands, lifting sanctions on Iranian oil and ending all military threats.

This comes as President Trump this morning is focused on the Strait as well, taking to social media to suggest that the key international shipping channel in the Middle East is now or will be a new U.S. territory.

Joining me now, stand political and global affairs commentator Sabrina Singh for more on this. So Sabrina, a list of demands now from Iran and also putting them out so publicly. What do you make of it?

SABRINA SINGH, CNN POLITICAL AND GLOBAL AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Well the list of demands that Iran has announced today are pretty much non- starters for the United States. I think what you saw when the MOU was signed back in June and temporarily existed, Iran was able to sell billions of dollars of oil on the global markets and that did boost their economy. I think Trump's strategy here right now is to continue to basically strangle Iran economically.

So I can't see them lifting sanctions or unfreezing Iranian assets that are now frozen until Iran agrees to one, open the Strait and gives into significant nuclear demands that we know Iran is not willing to do at this point.

BOLDUAN: Well I mean, you know, then Trump's response, Sabrina, again doing it all publicly, posting this map this morning declaring the Strait of Hormuz as a U.S. territory. I mean trolling or not that's also not what the U.S. has been pushing for since this was owned by no one before the president launched the war.

SINGH: That's exactly right. I mean this is an international waterway that was open before the war began. When I saw that post this morning, you know, it's a bit head-scratching.

It was head-scratching when he's attacking our ally Oman or going after our ally in the Indo-Pacific like South Korea. All of this I think leads to the fact that Donald Trump is lashing out. The objectives of this war have largely failed.

I mean, when he went into this war it was about regime change, it was about addressing Iran's nuclear program and now we're really talking about an international waterway that saw a fifth of the world's global oil supply flow through it, that was open before the war effectively shut.

[09:25:00]

And now the president is angry and frustrated, and I think that's why you're seeing posts like this and posts, you know, throughout the days at all hours in the morning, because he's upset and trying to take it out.

BOLDUAN: It does lead to -- when you see the list of demands coming from Iran it feels a little bit -- if, you know, broadly speaking -- kind of like the memorandum of understanding all over again which then leads to -- if they can't get off this starting block, I mean it is, talk about head-scratching, like what where do they go from here? What are the options? It seems opening the Strait of Hormuz and it being controlled in some way shape or form by Iran may be something that the Trump administration will have to consider actually in reality.

SINGH: I do think the list of demands that Iran laid out are just going to be non-starters for the United States. I do also think that there are back-channel conversations happening between Oman and Iran negotiating some type of temporary deal maybe 30 days maybe 60 days to just open the Strait and we don't know exactly if that could include some types of fees or tolling. But I think the United States is supportive of Oman dealing and leading in these negotiations.

But like you said this is completely head-scratching I don't understand what this would even mean in practice. And I think, again, it's just the president lashing out because unfortunately when you look at this war with the Strait being closed, largely the objectives not achieved. And then you also consider the U.S. stockpiles have been depleted and the political implications here at home.

The president has taken a big swing on this war in Iran and it's looking like it's a big miss.

BOLDUAN: Yes, and global oil reserves also being depleted quickly then can be resupplied. It's great to see you Sabrina, thank you so much -- Sara.

SIDNER: All right, thank you Kate. Ahead the search is on this morning for a creepy doll masked suspect terrorizing people, chasing them around in Philadelphia. Asking one woman are you ready to die?

And passengers evacuated after two planes suffered tire damage while landing at O'Hare Airport just hours apart.

Those stories and more ahead.

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