Return to Transcripts main page

CNN This Morning

Republicans Claim Biden Administration Spied on Them; Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-MI) is Interviewed about Flight Delays; DiCaprio Movie Controversy. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired October 08, 2025 - 06:30   ET

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

[06:30:00]

SARA FISCHER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA ANALYST: Happening in a vacuum, Audie. It's happening after all of these new measures have been taken that they feel is threatening the independence of the network.

AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR: That's CNN senior media analyst Sara Fischer.

Sara, thank you.

FISCHER: Thank you, Audie.

CORNISH: Straight ahead on CNN THIS MORNING, GOP senators say their phone records were seized after January 6th. So, is that weaponization or just how an FBI investigation works?

Plus, what happened to Amelia Earhart? How the Trump administration is trying to solve one of America's most enduring mysteries.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:35:12]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIMMY FALLON, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON": Well, I read that the air traffic controller shortage is causing delays at major airports, like Denver, L.A. and Newark. Newark airport said, "oh, you thought things were bad before? Buckle up, princess."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: All right, we're told that staffing has returned to normal overnight at air traffic control towers. But seriously, check your flights this morning.

Good morning, everybody. I'm Audie Cornish. I want to thank you for joining me on CNN THIS MORNING.

It's half past the hour. And here is what is happening right now.

Sick calls plaguing air traffic control towers across the country. The FAA warning on Tuesday that there weren't enough air traffic controllers in Chicago, Houston, Newark, Las Vegas, Boston, Atlanta -- I'm not done yet -- Philadelphia, Dallas and in Nashville, where that airport had to close because of staffing shortages. And all of this blamed on the government shutdown.

A priority request from the Oval Office, find out what happened to Amelia Earhart. The FBI has been ordered to search for files pertaining to her disappearance. She was attempting to become the first woman to fly around the world when her plane went missing in 1937.

And today, James Comey will be arraigned. The former FBI director has been charged with giving false statements and obstruction of a congressional proceeding. Now, if convicted, Comey could face up to five years in prison.

And worse than Watergate. That's how some Republicans are talking about the FBI phone records probe of several GOP lawmakers. They're calling it phone tapping. Here are the facts. The FBI sought phone logs from the period of January 4th to January 8, 2021. So, what's in the middle of that? The January 6th riots, of course. Lawmakers were being pressed over Trump's effort to hold on to power. And at the request of the then special counsel, Jack Smith, the FBI looked at nine Republicans, one House member and eight senators. There's no evidence that the lawmakers themselves were the target of any investigation, but that didn't stop Senate Republicans from making it a focal point of yesterday's hearing with Attorney General Pam Bondi.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): Can you tell me why my phone records, when I'm the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, were sought by the Jack Smith agents? Why did they ask to know who I called and what I was doing from January 4th to the 7th? Can you tell me that?

PAM BONDI, ATTORNEY GENERAL: No, Senator.

SEN. JOSH HAWLEY (R-MO): Tap my phone. Tap Lindsey Graham's phone. Tap Marsha Blackburn's phone. Tapped five other phones of United States senators. Gee, it sure looks like targeting political opponents to me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: Elliot Williams is back with the group chat.

Elliot, I wanted to bring you back because we have talked on this show a lot about the politics of investigation.

ELLIOT WILLIAMS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes.

CORNISH: And it feels like we're at a point where there is no investigative anything that isn't seen through the lens of --

WILLIAMS: Yes.

CORNISH: What is being called lawfare.

WILLIAMS: Without question.

CORNISH: Really? OK. I didn't know if that was just me being biased, or tell me, like, how is this viewed in the legal community like that kind of discussion?

WILLIAMS: Well, how's it viewed in the legal community, the prosecutorial community? People are probably saying, well, look, there are all kinds of reasons why someone's call log information might be swept up by law enforcement. Now, some of them, of course, are sinister. Some. But there are plenty of valid reasons.

Number one, who -- like, was there a particular target of the investigation that every senator was believed to have spoken with, and they're tracking the -- the call activity of that person? Was there a particular subject that they were investigating, that they knew that these people all investigated? There is no evidence that any of these people actually were themselves targets, but people get swept in all the time.

Now that said, it's always a concern when members of Congress, high- ranking officials, are targeted, or at least spoke -- or at least looked at by law enforcement. And that's the kind of thing that Congress, in a closed session, or, you know, the Senate Judiciary Committee can have meetings with the FBI about to try to get to the bottom of. But --

CORNISH: I'm glad you brought up the FBI. FBI Director Kash Patel says he has actually fired several FBI agents who were involved in this. And we know that people left as a result of just being involved in January 6th related investigations.

WILLIAMS: Yes.

CORNISH: But here's what he told Fox News about this particular issue.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KASH PATEL, FBI DIRECTOR: Phone records were gathered and subpoenaed through the grand jury process, and it was buried and wormholed with the hope that no one would find it. So, we're just scratching the surface here, but accountability is coming.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: It felt like this was an effective way of seizing attention at this hearing. I'm very cynical because I used to be a Senate reporter and I watched a lot of hearings. So, I know the higher the voices raised, the more they're trying to draw attention to something.

Charlie, what do you think of what's going on?

CHARLIE DENT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ASPEN INSTITUTE CONGRESSIONAL PROGRAM: Well, I think, as Elliot just suggested, that there are all kinds of investigations going on.

[06:40:04] There could be a bad actor out there who calls an elected official. And so that elected official is -- is picked up. Doesn't mean the elected official did anything wrong or illegal, but they do get swept in. But with this, you know, highly charged January 6th investigation, of course, politics enters. And, you know, was there phone tapping and -- and so I think, for the moment, Republicans have a talking point about weaponization. But I don't really think this was actual weaponization. But don't tell the folks who had their calls swept up.

WILLIAMS: Yes. And a big part of this, the -- the backdrop to it all is the shifting narrative on January 6th. If you think back to the -- through the year 2021, there was wide public acceptance of the idea that, OK, this is a valid criminal investigation. And there's all kinds of people, both in and out of government, who we should at least be talking to as law enforcement. Now, that narrative has shifted pretty spectacularly for many people on Capitol Hill, particularly Republicans.

CORNISH: Yes.

WILLIAMS: And I just think, this is far more (INAUDIBLE).

CORNISH: Well, first of all, everyone involved was pardoned, right?

WILLIAMS: Yes. (INAUDIBLE).

CORNISH: So, for the average person who may have been involved, that narrative has changed.

WILLIAMS: Yes.

CORNISH: But to your point, it's no -- they're trying to say that this -- this is not a criminal situation and therefore the investigations into it are actually the weapon.

WILLIAMS: Right.

ANTJUAN SEAWRIGHT, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, yesterday we saw a lot of bojangling (ph) around by Republicans. That was purely a --

CORNISH: What is bojangling (ph)?

SEAWRIGHT: I can't say what it really means.

CORNISH: Oh, OK.

SEAWRIGHT: I can't --

(CROSS TALK)

SEAWRIGHT: I can't say what it really means. So, we say bojangle (ph) instead.

But look, a load-bearing pillar of the modern Republican conservative movement is to simply lie and deny or act as if facts do not matter. The fact of the matter is, Jack Smith presented evidence that eight Republican senators, one House member, secretly (ph) tried to engage in a conspiracy theory to overturn the will of the people in -- in the election.

WILLIAMS: Oh, come on. Come on. That's -- no, that's not accurate, though. It's not that these eight or nine folks were part of a conspiracy. They merely had their call logs subpoenaed by government. That's a big difference than engaging in a conspiracy.

SEAWRIGHT: But what I'm saying is, they were pushing along the theory that the election should or could be overturned because they were following Trump's lead. I mean --

WILLIAMS: Well, but that's the --

CORNISH: Well, I think that was the point of the investigation, to determine whether that is true.

SEAWRIGHT: But that was the point. That's why Jack Smith subpoenaed the -- yes.

CORNISH: We're not going to sit here and litigate that here.

SEAWRIGHT: That's right.

WILLIAMS: Yes.

CORNISH: I think -- yes.

WILLIAMS: I just think it's a sweeping legal claim to say that members of Congress were part of a conspiracy, a criminal conspiracy, that was being investigated.

SEAWRIGHT: I'm saying that's why the evidence was presented. Right. That's -- that's (INAUDIBLE), right?

DENT: I think Lindsey Graham, didn't he vote to certify the election? And he was critical of what happened.

WILLIAMS: Yes.

DENT: So, his phone records were swept up.

WILLIAMS: Yes.

DENT: Doesn't mean he did anything wrong. But he was --

WILLIAMS: Yes, I -- yes, I would just -- I would just be -- I would urge caution in talking about who was involved and how and how we talk about their legal culpability here. Yes, it was -- it was a criminal investigation. And those often involved sweeping in records of people who have done nothing wrong.

Now, there are valid questions we will have for eternity about exactly how wrong people's conduct was around January 6th. But I'd be really cautious about saying, you know, about pulling in members of Congress into a conspiracy where, you know, some of them may -- may or may not -- or -- I'm not going to say that people broke the law who did not break the law. And --

CORNISH: Yes. And we should say, Kash Patel says he's going to be looking into this at the FBI.

WILLIAMS: Yes.

CORNISH: Elliot, thank you for coming in and giving us some legal -- legal clarification.

WILLIAMS: Thank you.

CORNISH: Next on CNN THIS MORNING, we're talking about ground stops, delays, air traffic control towers down to bare minimum staffing. We're going to hear from a Democratic congresswoman, Hillary Scholten, next.

Plus --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEN SHAPIRO, HOST, "THE BEN SHAPIRO SHOW": You can make excuses for it, but, basically, the thing's an apology for radical left wing terrorism.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: One battle after another or one MAGA meltdown after another.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:47:49]

CORNISH: All right, so more airports are expected to see short staffing again today. Staffing shortages caused Nashville's air traffic control tower to go dark last night. And it's one of the many airports across the country where the shutdown's impact is being felt. At Chicago O'Hare, flights were delayed by up to 40 minutes yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We knew we were going to be delayed and we didn't know when we were going to get here actually.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On the plane, unfortunately I found that my flight to Cleveland had been pushed back for two and a half hours. So, I'll be here with you a little longer today.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know there's been some instances of planes coming really close to each other or, you know, having to circle or things getting delayed. And I'm on a work trip right now, so it concerns me about being safe and also about getting home.

(END VIDEO CLIP) CORNISH: Joining us now to discuss, Democratic Congresswoman Hillary Scholten, a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Thanks so much for being here.

REP. HILLARY SCHOLTEN (D-MI): Thank you so much for having me.

CORNISH: Now, one thing I'll say is that the transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, he has been out there. He has been on top of this, even going back to some of the flight collisions and things like that.

Here is how he is kind of framing what's going on. I want you to hear it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN DUFFY, TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: And again, Burbank, zero controllers came to work. I don't support that. They should -- they should come to work. They're supposed to come to work. But this is -- they -- they kind of --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They didn't even miss a paycheck yet, so why aren't they coming to work? I mean it's only been six days.

DUFFY: So -- well, the -- the -- the -- the paycheck, the pay -- the -- the pay cycle ended yesterday, right? Their paychecks come next week. And they see what's on the horizon, Brian. They're like, listen, do I see a shut -- do I see a resolution to the shutdown? I don't see it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLTEN: You can tell by the fact that he does not have an answer there. He's stuttering. He's falling all over himself. So, they know they're in the wrong here. This administration needs to reopen the government so that the American people can get back to business as usual.

I flew in yesterday and we experienced delays. The holidays are coming up. This is going to continue to impact the American people.

CORNISH: But is the pain the point for Democrats? Meaning, the more it looks like disarray, the more you are able to say, look, this is their fault.

SCHOLTEN: Absolutely not. This government shutdown is about fighting for a budget that the American people deserve and fighting for health care. You -- the Republicans control all three branches of government.

[06:50:03]

They could reopen the government today if they did one thing that 78 percent of the American people support, and that is continuing to extend the ACA tax credits. You hardly get to a place of unanimity like that among the American electorate, yet 78 percent of the American people support it. So, why wouldn't we fight for something that the American people want.

CORNISH: Do you hear any murmurings of a conversation? We heard the president sort of allude to the idea that Democrats are talking.

SCHOLTEN: What the president said yesterday --

CORNISH: Do you know anything?

SCHOLTEN: They -- I mean, look at what the president said yesterday. He knows this is a big deal. Premiums across the country could go up by as much as 75 percent.

CORNISH: But is there a conversation happening to end this crisis for Americans?

SCHOLTEN: We are at the table. I am literally here in Washington because we were supposed to be voting this week. And I told my constituents, I'm going to continue to show up. But they're not even at the table. This is not going to resolve unless Republicans show up.

You know, respectfully, they're acting like children. I'm -- I'm the mother of two boys, and my kids have better respect for the rules of negotiation, right? They need to be at the table and they need to be talking about the ways that we can get this done.

CORNISH: Does it help to have someone like Marjorie Taylor Greene speak up for health care subsidies?

SCHOLTEN: It helps -- it helps to have anyone speak up for advocating for, you know, affordable health care for the American people.

And certainly, you know, you're seeing them in disarray. They're scrambling. You know, the president is talking about addressing health care. Marjorie Taylor Greene is talking about addressing health care. Seventy-eight percent of the American people are talking about addressing health care. Why wouldn't we do this?

CORNISH: Well, you're making it sound easy, but we're still at a standstill. So, just --

SCHOLTEN: We -- we certainly are, but -- but, you know, Republicans, again, you know, I wish we had as much power as they -- they think we have and are trying to hand over to us, but they control all three branches of government. Under what iteration of the facts, you know, are we responsible for opening the government?

CORNISH: Yes.

SCHOLTEN: It's just simply a matter of fact.

CORNISH: OK.

I want to turn to something else because there's another reason I wanted to talk to you. You're an immigration attorney by trade.

SCHOLTEN: Yes. CORNISH: You're also from Detroit and there --

SCHOLTEN: Grand Rapids.

CORNISH: Grand Rapids, sorry, Grand Rapids.

SCHOLTEN: But -- but Michigan. Yes, with -- yes, impacted by what the president is threatening in our state, for sure.

CORNISH: So, getting to those threats, right. We are seeing Chicago, Portland, other places that are concerned about this. You've got leading figures in Michigan, Senate candidate Mike Rogers, who has actually urged Trump to send troops there. He said, "the numbers don't lie. Detroit has become a hub for violent crime. The mayor of Detroit should be on the phone with the president now calling for that backup."

I wanted to get your response to that because there are ways to somehow cooperate, right.

SCHOLTEN: Yes.

CORNISH: Muriel Bowser here in D.C. had conversations.

SCHOLTEN: Sure.

CORNISH: What do you think about this?

SCHOLTEN: First and foremost, our troops are not getting paid right now. They are working without the certainty of a paycheck. So, let's prioritize the things that they should be doing. And that is not doing the personal bidding of the president of the United States. And going into places where the governors and the leaders of those states are saying, hey, wait a second, we don't want you here, right?

But I do absolutely think, if -- if there is a long term conversation to be had about how we can use the National Guard in our cities for -- for mayors and governors who want that to happen, then absolutely.

But cooperation is key. And prioritizing the best use of our troops right now, especially while we're asking them to work without pay.

CORNISH: I want to ask you about one more thing. One of your colleagues. Congresswoman Maxine Dexter, has called for protesters to back away from ICE facilities. Here's a bit more of what she said. She said, "I would argue that being down there, taking a risk, that you become a player in this reality TV vision that Donald Trump has," and in this case in Portland, "is a mistake."

And I want to ask you about that. You were an immigration attorney. Does it help or hurt for people to go and protest around ICE when the government is saying, leave these ICE guys alone?

SCHOLTEN: Yes. You know, I mean, I think that it is very important for the American people to make their voices heard about what they feel is happening, right. Protest is patriotic. Everyone has the right to make their voice heard. So, I'm certainly not going to say, you know, people shouldn't be protesting. But the manner in which you do it and where you do it, you have to make sure that, you know, not only, you know, individuals can do their jobs unimpeded, but you have immigrants who are going to these facilities, you know, whether it's a detention facility or a hearing facility, and many have said that they feel afraid showing up to their appointments because there is, you know, so much activity and the potential for violence. So, you know, consider the fact that --

CORNISH: But do you think that the protests exacerbates that potential?

SCHOLTEN: Not the protest inherently, right, but the potential for a conflict could be created there. So, you know, if people are going to show up and peacefully demonstrate, that is well within their right. And right now we --

CORNISH: Are you concerned of how the administration would treat people who are peacefully protesting?

SCHOLTEN: Oh, absolutely.

[06:55:00]

I mean, we have already seen it. We've seen children in, you know, zip ties. We've seen people thrown to the ground.

But, at the same time, we can't allow ourselves to be intimidated by this administration. So, I think people need to think about how to thoughtfully and peacefully make their voice heard in this moment. But the answer can simply not be to -- to be silent in the face of what we see are such unconstitutional abuses of power.

CORNISH: All right, Congresswoman Hillary Scholten, thank you so much for being with us.

SCHOLTEN: Thank you.

CORNISH: Hope -- we hope to have you back again.

SCHOLTEN: Thank you. Thank you so much.

CORNISH: All right. It seems like MAGA is fighting one battle after another in the entertainment industry. First, Bad Bunny, then Zach Bryan, now it's Leonardo DiCaprio's new film "One Battle After Another."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEONARDO DICAPRIO, ACTOR: Know what I'm doing here, is I'm creating a closed circuit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: So, the film hits all the hot topics, immigration, border security, and ICE. It opens with a raid on an ICE facility to free detainees. And it's an adaptation of a 1990s novel, but it actually mirrors what's happening in many big cities across the country today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEONARDO DICAPRIO, "ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER": To be a part of a film like this, that really feels like a lightning rod moment, and holding a mirror up to society now, like, the divisive nature of where we're at, the extremism, but all with this great satire and epic scope, it was just -- we're all going to say yes to that opportunity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: OK, so the reviews from the political class are in. The "National Review" calling it "the year's most irresponsible movie." And it's a thumbs down from conservatives to.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEN SHAPIRO, HOST, "THE BEN SHAPIRO SHOW": You can make excuses for it, but, basically, the thing's an apology for radical left wing terrorism. That's -- that's what it is. And any attempts to paint it as more complex than that, I think, are -- are overdoing it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CORNISH: All right, we should note here that the film is produced by Warner Brothers, parent company of CNN.

I'm bringing back the group chat. And we're going to start with the person who has actually seen the film, just like me, to talk about it because --

CATHERINE LUCEY, WHTIE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, "BLOOMBERG NEWS": I can confirm.

CORNISH: It is, in fact, one of those films that depicts a radical left group, which, coming out of the '70s, we all remember, was an issue for this country and was depicted in pop art. So, what did you see that would be inflammatory for the politics were hearing?

LUCEY: Well, certainly. Yes. And I think the filmmakers and DiCaprio talked about this. I think there are certainly some elements of like the weather underground and some of those groups in the '70s that were violent and the movie, it's a long movie, as you know.

CORNISH: Yes.

LUCEY: But the -- the -- the first stretch of the movie is about a revolutionary group. And Leonardo DiCaprio's character is making explosives. And we see -- and there is a lot of political action and political violence. It tells a bigger story than that. And I think -- I think that's why it's an interesting movie.

CORNISH: Yes.

LUCEY: I mean you see -- you see the consequences of some of these actions for the characters. It's a movie that has action and drama and comedy, and one of the best chase scenes I've ever seen.

CORNISH: Yes.

(CROSS TALK)

LUCEY: But it certainly does have --

CORNISH: Yes.

LUCEY: It is a movie about political activists and political revolution and political violence.

CORNISH: So, one of the things I'm curious about is, is it also upset because of the way the movie depicts military action by the U.S. government against citizens. There is long extended scenes of a militarized ICE essentially going after migrants in cities. And is there a nervousness that audiences will see that and think that looks familiar?

DENT: Well, since I haven't seen the movie, I can't pass judgment.

CORNISH: Yes.

DENT: But --

CORNISH: But why would political -- you know what I mean?

DENT: Yes.

CORNISH: Like, why would they be freaking out about this?

DENT: You know, maybe -- maybe it hits a little too close to home for some. And maybe it spins a narrative that today Republicans just don't like, or many Republicans don't like. So, I suspect that's it. But, you know, it's just Hollywood.

CORNISH: Yes.

DENT: You know, it's just Hollywood. I think people ought to just relax.

CORNISH: Like every few years there's a movie that people are like, this is going to be the bad thing. I remember that with "Joker," right? It was like, this is --

DENT: Oliver Stone (ph) movies. Yes, I remember (INAUDIBLE).

CORNISH: Yes. What do you think, Antjuan?

SEAWRIGHT: Conservatives in this moment want a reason to be mad about anything that does not cater to what they believe. I mean if it's a TV show, if it's a comedy show, whatever it is, I think Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl, whatever it is, I think they want a reason to be mad. And that's not the traditional grand old party that I'm used to. Allow free speech to happen, allow Hollywood to do its thing, and let's just separate what's real and what's not. It's a movie. I can think of a million movies who, at some point, I would have a reason to be mad at something in that movie. But I'm not like -- I'm not making a crusade about it.

CORNISH: But isn't that point, for a time people -- the backlash during the height of wokeness, air quotes, did do that, right? It was, like, oh, the "Joker" is going to cause in cell rise up. Like, aren't -- aren't they -- aren't they just doing what they have seen being done over the last couple of years?

[07:00:01]

SEAWRIGHT: Sure. However, if we were -- we can -- we can look at video games. We can look at songs. There are a million things we can point to as examples of things to be upset by, or that could literally set someone off, news programs on certain networks, some of the language being used. So, at the end of the day, I think we just have to take a step back and allow Hollywood to be Hollywood, let entertainment be entertainment, and let's call it out for what it is.

DENT: All these influencers out there, they need something to talk about. This is something to talk about. They got to kill time.

SEAWRIGHT: Or something (ph) to be mad at.

CORNISH: We don't know anything about that in this group chat.

I want to thank you all for waking up with us. I'm Audie Cornish. and "CNN NEWS CENTRAL" starts right now.