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Trump Rejects Warnings On AI Dangers As "A Hoax"; ProPublica: Putin-Connected Oligarch Bankrolled Trump Jr.'s Wedding; Whistleblower Sounds Alarm About Effort To Find Non-Citizen Voters; New Report Details Cramped Conditions At "Alligator Alcatraz"; EPA: Rollback Will Cut Electricity Prices, "Unleash" America's Energy; Fashion Icon Bob Mackie Dies At 87; Jean Smart Wins 5th Straight Best Actress Award For "Hacks". Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired September 15, 2026 - 07:30   ET

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

[07:30:00]

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D), CONNECTICUT: Using mail-in balloting. So the word has to go out now that there will be no Postal Service screening. There's no legal authority on the part of the President, let alone the Postal Service, to in effect censor ballots and prevent them from being counted. And people should trust in mail-in balloting despite the confusion that may have been created by the President's unconscionable pursuit of this anti-democratic assault on democracy.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN HOST: Senator, you got a busy day. You have the hearings with Kash Patel coming up, the FBI director, and I understand you're also speaking at the Pro-Human Assembly, which is this AI- centered event. Senator Bernie Sanders is going to be there, Steve Bannon, the President's former adviser. What are your concerns about AI? And of course, President Trump, just yesterday in a whole barrage of social media posts, said that people questioning the safety of AI, said it's a giant hoax?

BLUMENTHAL: I've been concerned for some years. In fact, we held hearings, bipartisan hearings, Senator Hawley and I, and we have proposed a Artificial Intelligence Risk Evaluation Act that would, in effect, require developers to come to an agency, department of agency, for review and oversight to determine what the dangers are.

And my concern are about the dangers of the autonomous rogue AI bots that may deceive and disregard their developers. Those kinds of models need to be reviewed before they are deployed generally. I'm also concerned about the displacement of workers, possible unemployment, and about the other kinds of what is called recursive self- improvement, which is the potential power of these agents to improve themselves.

But bottom line here, we need some review, and it can't be voluntary on the part of Big Tech. I'm way past the "trust me" on the part of Big Tech. And a number of Big Tech leaders are now saying there should be some governmental review to make sure we achieve the promise of AI. There is a lot of potential benefit, but also avoid the perils which are deeply disconcerting to say the least. It's no longer science fiction. It's real. It's now. And the reports recently of those rogue agents invading Hugging Face and other possible abuses that we don't even know right now are really pretty scary.

BERMAN: President Trump says that these fears are a hoax, that people saying that there is reason to be alarmed, that it's all a hoax, and he says the only guardrails that are needed are a high IQ President, which he says he is.

BLUMENTHAL: Even with a high IQ president, I have some question about whether President Trump is one, there would still be a need for some governmental oversight. The President of the United States simply can't be the overseer or reviewer of new AI models. This technology's developing so quickly, and we are in competition with other countries.

We need to make sure that the review is international in scope. Fortunately, the Chinese are recognizing the potential dangers to their regime from any sort of unregulated or un-overseen AI. So Americans ought to be deeply concerned and disconcerted by the pace and the possible perils of this technology, but there is a model here.

The FDA, Food and Drug Administration, reviews pharmaceutical drugs to determine whether they are safe and effective. I have to tell you, I don't understand all the technology of pharmaceutical drugs, but I understand that a team of scientists and reviewers can determine whether a new drug is going to be safe and effective. And, by and large, that system has worked. It could work better, and maybe we ought to draw some lessons from the FDA review.

BERMAN: Senator, yesterday we had a ProPublica reporter on talking to us about their report that a Russian oligarch, Umar Kremlev, paid for fireworks and a party at Donald Trump Jr.'s wedding, something that no one seems to deny. Donald Trump Jr. put out a statement on this, said that, you know, it was a gift from a friend. Of course, this appears to be a gift from a friend who may have ties to Vladimir Putin to the tune of tens and tens of thousands of dollars there.

What concerns might you have about this, and what do you see the role that Congress might have in asking questions about this, if not now, then after the midterm elections?

[07:35:00]

BLUMENTHAL: Well, we're asking questions about it now, John. We had a forum yesterday. Representative Garcia, the ranking member on the House Oversight Committee, and I as the ranking member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations in the Senate held a spotlight forum yesterday. And the bankrolling of Donald Trump Jr.'s wedding, renting private islands and providing for fireworks figured prominently.

And we showed a photograph of the wedding party with this Russian oligarch, Umar Kremlev, highlighted in the photograph. He was there, even though he wasn't fully visible. And here's my concern. This man actually is involved in an organization that provides for reeducation of abducted Ukrainian children, tens of thousands of them.

In my 11 trips to Ukraine, I've met with some of these children. It is absolutely stomach-churning. Kidnapping, abducting children. This man is bankrolling the wedding of the President's son. And as we all know, there's no free lunch. There's always a quid pro quo.

And the President and his family are going to owe him something. He's closely tied to Vladimir Putin. He's an oligarch in Russia. It is deeply dangerous, in fact, a peril to our national security, that the President's son has allowed this man to, in effect, put him beholden to the Russian oligarch who may be tied closely to President Putin.

BERMAN: Senator Richard Blumenthal from Connecticut, thanks for your time this morning.

Sara?

SARA SIDNER, CNN HOST: All right, thank you so much, John.

This morning, a new whistleblower has come forward saying federal agents may have broken state laws as they take part in a Homeland Security effort to find non-citizen voters with just weeks to go before the midterm elections. The push began late last month when agents were told to look at non-citizens and naturalized U.S. citizens who may have registered or voted before they were naturalized.

Now, the whistleblower alleges the process has relied on dubious data, and agents are kept in the dark about where the data comes from. Training materials also instruct agents to use state voter registration portals to obtain information, potentially violating state law. Senate Democrats have demanded that DHS stop this operation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. ALEX PADILLA (D), CALIFORNIA: They're doing this to build cases against individuals at the rate of five cases per hour. That's their charge. That's their quote. One case every 12 minutes. That's not exactly a lot of time in which to conduct a thorough investigation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: CNN Legal Analyst and Criminal Defense Attorney, Joey Jackson, joining us now to talk us through this. Now, give us some sense of what this whistleblower is alleging that these federal agents are up to.

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes. Good morning to you, Sara. So this could be problematic for a number of reasons, right? Certainly, the federal government does have an interest even though elections are administered by state and local law enforcement. But this is an operation that ICE, or Homeland Security Investigations rather, is doing to make an assessment as to whether non-citizens are voting.

Not to suggest that they can't do it, but you have to be careful with respect to the tactics employed. How are you doing this? And so, how are they? The allegation is, in addition to what we just heard, which that they're rushing through this and trying to do too much in too little time, but specifically, they are identifying themselves in a material false way.

In some instances, according to this whistleblower, they are giving the indication, the investigators are, that they are in fact the voter, right? That's number one. Or number two, they're indicating that they got the lawful authority from the voter. That's a no-no because you have these privacy laws in place.

And let's make no mistake about it, federal officials need to follow the law. And if they don't follow the law, then they certainly can be held accountable as well. So they have to tread lightly with respect to getting the information they need, but getting it in a lawful, proper way that's authorized by law.

What exactly can the state do to respond to this? Because this whistleblower is intimating that they may have already broken some state laws. And what does it mean for the voters?

JACKSON: Yes, I think we're seeing state pushback in a number of ways, right? Just taking a step back from that. We're seeing state pushback with respect to the states even cooperating in terms of handing over information to the federal government, right?

Yes, the federal government, as I noted, has an interest in investigating, but sending out blanket information saying, "We want this data," it's been blocked, right? The -- you have states that have refused to provide it. You have lawsuits that, by the federal government saying, "No, you're going to give it to us," that have been dismissed. So we're seeing the pushback on that level, not even giving them the information.

[07:40:02]

Now, with regard to investigators who are actually doing this, I think you could see local officials, state officials who investigate themselves and push back in the way of viable prosecutions. The fact is, is that federal government, right, has a significant, as we know, right, Justice Department and everything else, and they have all kind of tools. But you cannot just, Sara, because you believe, you believe, and there's no widespread indication --

SIDNER: Right.

JACKSON: -- this is the case that there's all this fraud -- employ whatever tactics you want, even though they're offensive to state law. And so I think you could see local prosecutors get involved. This is a big deal, and it's happening very close to the midterms. And of course, there are those other implications, non-legal but more political, voter intimidation, suppressing voter turnout, and doing all those things which, hey, by the way, they matter. Because at the end of the day, you may not get, you know, the information you're seeking or be able to block it, but if people stay home, did you not win anyway? SIDNER: Right. And if they're using unreliable information and they hurt a voter who was legally able to vote, there's all kinds of huge repercussions from that, depending on the numbers and on the individual voter.

Joey Jackson, thank you so much.

JACKSON: Of course, yes.

SIDNER: I do appreciate you walking us through that.

JACKSON: Thank you.

SIDNER: Appreciate you. Kate?

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN HOST: So Senator Mitch McConnell is back on Capitol Hill. And, yes, that is news because he's not been there for three months now, an extended absence that sparked a lot of speculation about his ability to serve. He is 84 years old, and he has said that he was hospitalized in June after a fall, and then faced a setback after, from a bout of pneumonia.

McConnell was noticeably thinner and frail as he was moving about the Hill yesterday in a wheelchair, and he spoke briefly with reporters there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R), KENTUCKY: I'm glad to see you. It's time to get back to work and finish the job for this Congress.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Now, Mitch McConnell has already said that he is not running for reelection, and he admits that he is still not back to 100 percent. He put out also an additional statement saying, in part, that, "My recovery has been a long and often frustrating process. The lingering effects of childhood polio haven't made it any easier."

Also this, there are new findings coming out this morning about the now shuttered Florida immigration detention facility that was known as Alligator Alcatraz. A federal watchdog report is out and revealing that nearly 80 immigrant detainees were locked inside small metal enclosures, cages just 18 square feet of space. Florida officials called them calming areas. Inspectors called the practice unprecedented and inhumane.

CNN's Priscilla Alvarez has much more on what's coming out now.

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A new Department of Homeland Security Inspector General report reveals disturbing conditions at Alligator Alcatraz. That was a facility that was quickly erected in Florida last year and then closed in June of this year.

Now, this was a visit that the inspectors took in January, where they found cramped conditions among detainees, as well as lack of access to clean water, among other concerns. But perhaps most revealing was the small metal enclosures that they observed while on their visit. Those enclosures, according to facility staff, were used as, quote, "calming areas."

They also said that some detainees chose to be in those enclosures. Now, again, there were enclosures, according to this report, that were indoors as well as the -- as at least two that were outdoors, according to the IG. What was stunning, however, about this observation, they say, is that it is a practice unlike any they have seen before.

Now quoting here from one part of the report where they say, "The use of such restrictive spaces is highly unconventional and does not align with standards for humane treatment." Now, we asked the state of Florida about this report as well, because they, according to the Department of Homeland Security, were charged with daily operations of the facility.

And they said, quote, "The left-wing media wants to focus on a confinement area for violent criminal aliens who have proven they cannot remain peaceful while awaiting deportation. While it adheres to all federal standards for criminal confinement, we'd make it even smaller if we could."

Now, I will note that it is the inspector general that highlighted the small metal enclosures in its report, and it also noted concerns about what standards Florida was complying with in holding ICE detainees and trying, and rather the inspectors trying to track down what exactly they were using to base the standards of living on in this Alligator Alcatraz facility. Now, again, this was a visit that took place in January of this year. The facility has since closed.

[07:45:04]

The Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, had said previously that the facility was only meant to be temporary, but these concerns add to those that had already been expressed by Democratic lawmakers, detainees, and family members about what detainees experienced while they were held at this facility.

Priscilla Alvarez, CNN, Washington.

BERMAN: All right, new questions this morning after a major rule change on climate protections. President Trump's EPA announced it will no longer limit the planet-heating pollution that power plants produce, arguing that changing the regulations will help lower electricity bills for millions of Americans.

CNN Chief Climate Correspondent Bill Weir is here. This is a big change.

BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: Yes. We'll get to the electricity bill part of it --

BERMAN: Yes WEIR: -- but we should, just for context, know the Trump administration, one of their first acts was to set up a portal for big polluters to get exemptions to the Clear Air Act, right? And ever since then, they've really been trying to dismantle the Clean Air Act entirely. This is all part of Project 2025. It was laid out, but we'll put it up on the screen.

This rolls back these Biden-era pollution rules, which would have not only helped contain climate crisis, as we know it, the climate change, it's we're seeing the impacts of now, but also human health at the ground level. It wants to eliminate this for the next administration and beyond, going forward.

The new rules, of course, are intended to prop up coal plants and gas- fired power plants, and they say this will lower electricity bills. But any energy expert will tell you that in industrial scale, utility scale, clean energy, solar power, wind, and battery storage is now cheaper than coal and gas across the world really.

And now these new rules will add about 6 gigatons of carbon dioxide to the blanket in the sky by 2050. So every one gigaton makes the disasters we've been seeing that much worse. This adds a whole lot more.

BERMAN: Yes, and again, this is long-term impact we're talking here. We did just have the hottest summer on record, yes?

WEIR: Yes, and it's just going to keep going up. This is just the opening attractions for that, not counting the El Nino that's layered on. But when this was announced, the Biden administration said this will just save -- because two things come out of a smokestack, right?

There's the carbon pollution that heats up the life for everybody, and then there's the ground-level smog, the particulates, the arsenic, the mercury, that this rule would've prevented 1,200 deaths by the year 2035 alone, would've saved $120 billion in health benefits through 2047 there. So this costs in big ways and small ways, near term, long term right now.

And again, the Trump administration just paid nearly $4 billion to European wind companies not to build wind energy. That energy would've brought electricity bills down. It's now more expensive to run a coal fire power plant in 2026.

BERMAN: Major, major changes. Again, Bill Weir, thank you very much --

WEIR: You bet.

BERMAN: -- for reporting on all this. Sara?

SIDNER: All right, thank you so much.

Do not look down. The daring cliff rescue after a hiker fell 700 feet, and you see where he landed, injuring himself. And the winners, the history makers, and the person dressed as the actual statuette. We have all the big moments from the primetime Emmy Awards. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:52:49]

SIDNER: On our radar for you. A terrifying drop from a sheer cliff in California. A rock climber recovering from injuries. He was then rescued from a 700-foot cliff in the Sierra National Forest. Body cameras captured this dramatic rescue as crews were able to hoist the climber finally to safety.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's ready to go. Easy right to center. Easy right to center.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here we go. Load three, two, one. Load is on positive rate of climb.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Power's good.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, normal departure. Sending the basket up, hoisting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: That gives you the heebie-jeebies. Officials say the climber did suffer injuries and was taken to the hospital for those injuries.

Also, a massive 85-foot drilling rig crane collapsed in the middle of a Miami neighborhood. Four people were hospitalized because of it, including the rig operator who jumped out right before the crash. The rig hit three cars, causing one of the vehicles to catch fire. An investigation is underway as to how that happened.

And new video released by the NTSB showing exactly what happened during a helicopter crash in Utah, oof, back in May. You see that terrifying moment there. An investigation has determined that it was a flight instructor's failure to maintain control of the helicopter while adjusting its engine. The governor that led to this bizarre, horrifying-looking crash there.

You can see it here, the helicopter striking the ground, bouncing and spinning out of control. Remarkably, both people on board, the flight instructor and the student he was training, somehow only suffered minor injuries there.

And the world just got a little less fabulous. Fashion icon Bob Mackie has died. The designer was known for his bold designs, especially for Cher, including that iconic bodysuit in the "If I Could Turn Back Time" music video.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SINGING) (END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: He dressed music royalty, including Diana Ross, Dolly Parton, and Tina Turner, and more recently Sabrina Carpenter and Miley Cyrus. Those creations earned him nicknames like Sultan of Sequins and Guru of Glitter. Mackie won nine Emmys and was nominated for three Academy Awards for his costume design work. He died at 87 years old.

And I'm sure, John, you probably have an outfit. You're not going to show us, but you'd look good. You'd look good in one of those sparkly numbers.

BERMAN: Yes, a body sleeve. I wear it almost every day to deliver the news, Sara. Thank you very much for that.

Holy wow, Patrick Mahomes, torn ACL, no problem. Patrick Mahomes was so good right out of the bat last night. With us now, Andy Scholes.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes.

BERMAN: I mean, the fact that he ran for a touchdown as one of his first plays after getting surgery.

SCHOLES: I mean, and Berman, apparently you can just, you tear an Achilles or an ACL, and now it's just six months.

BERMAN: Yes.

SCHOLES: You know, it used to be a year and a half, now it's just six months. Science is great, right? But, you know, last season, you know, ended the run of seven straight AFC championship games for Mahomes and the Chiefs. You know, was the dynasty over, or was it just a blip on the radar? Based on last night, may have just been a blip.

Tom Cruise, he was in the house for this one, sitting with Taylor Swift for the first half of the game. How would Mahomes look in his first action since tearing that ACL back in December?

BERMAN: This is crazy.

SCHOLES: Yes, answered the question on the 10th snap of the game, scrambling for a 15-yard touchdown. Took some hits too, but that gave the Chiefs a seven-nothing lead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATRICK MAHOMES, CHIEFS QB PLAYED 1ST GAME SINCE KNEE SURGERY IN DECEMBER: Running, like I said, I wasn't going to, and then going for the end zone, it kind of gave me that confidence that I can go out there and be myself.

I just wanted to play. Like, it -- I'd done so much rehab and so much work to kind of put myself in this position. I just wanted to get out there and play. Like, you -- this is what you do it for. And that was definitely the moment physically to kind of say that I, like, all this work's paid off. Like, I didn't feel anything. (END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Yes, it looked like the doctors did a great job on that surgery. Now, this game was reigning Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker's Chiefs debut. And boy was it a good one. Third quarter on fourth and one, he busted to the outside, 60 yards for the touchdown. Walker finished with 173 yards rushing, also caught a touchdown too.

And later in the quarter, Mahomes finds his buddy, Travis Kelce. He sheds a tackle. He goes 59 yards. This is his longest reception since 2021. And that had his wife Taylor jumping up and down in the suite. It was a fun night in Kansas City for the Chiefs. They crushed the Broncos, 31 to 10.

All right, meanwhile, here in New York, Pete Alonso taking on the Mets for the first time in his career. He got a hero's welcome to Citi Field. Fans were chanting his name. They gave him multiple standing ovations every time he came up to the plate.

Alonso played in New York for the first seven years of his career. He's the team's all-time leader in home runs. He went hitless in the Orioles 2-1 win. He's one home run shy of 300. It'd be pretty cool if he's able to do it tonight or tomorrow while he's playing the Mets.

All right, and finally, Aaron Judge. He came back last week after missing the entire summer with that rib injury, and last night finally left the yard again. This was Judge's first home run since May 24th. The Yankees beat the Twins 8 to 3, and in the process clinched their record 61st post-season berth, ninth in 10 years.

And then the champagne party was on in the clubhouse afterwards. And Berman, I know, one of your favorite things in the world is watching the Yankees celebrate. I thought we were going to play that video for the rest of the hour for you, but --

BERMAN: I just have some more stats for you here. Do you know that it's been 16 years since the Yankees won a World Series? It's their second longest drought ever. I mean, it's got to be just humiliating.

SCHOLES: -- 2009. I mean, I can't imagine the feeling. Yes, I -- well, I actually talked to Aaron Boone last week and he said, you know, he does feel the pressure that --

BERMAN: Yes

SCHOLES: -- that they have not won a World Series title since 2009.

BERMAN: That emptiness.

SCHOLES: I like to see the big smile on your face. How many have the Red Sox won since 2009?

BERMAN: Two.

SCHOLES: Yes, two. BERMAN: Yes. I mean, two really great ones. No, and then they won two right before that also, which makes four this century to the Yankees' one. I'm just saying.

SCHOLES: I think you're counting.

BERMAN: I mean, who's counting? Andy Scholes, it's great to see you in person.

SCHOLES: Yes.

BERMAN: Come back any time with more on this.

SCHOLES: All right, you got it.

Kate?

BOLDUAN: Let's go to this. History was made during last night's primetime Emmy Awards. TV's biggest night brought Jean Smart her fifth straight win for Best Actress in a Comedy for her role in "Hacks." She is now the only actress to have ever won for every single season of a show.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEAN SMART, WINNER, BEST LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY: OK, just the men stay standing. The girls get to sit down. I'm serious. No, I'm serious. Every time this happens, I think of the girls are going, "Oh, I just got comfortable." "Why did she have to -- oh my God." You got your Spanx and your corset and your tape and your thing (ph), the shoes that are cutting your toes off. You're going, "Oh, my God, she's not that good." "You just stood up 'cause she's old."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Smart and Allison Janney also made history. Each actress won their eighth award, tying the all-time record for most acting wins. But the biggest winner perhaps of the night was Apple TV's shows -- Apple TV's show "Widow's Bay," the wild horror/dark comedy set in New England.

The show picked up 14 trophies, including Best Actor for Matthew Rhys. He also won in the limited -- for the limited series, "The Beast in Me," making him the first man to win two lead actor categories in the same year. HBO's "The Pitt" also took home Best Drama Series, and actor Noah Wyle took home Best Lead Actor in a drama. No man, though, got a bigger standing ovation than Michael J. Fox, who accepted the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award for his work in, for, in Parkinson's research. He thanked the crowd for being so open to him continuing to act as he battles the disease.

A new hour of CNN Central starts now.