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CNN This Morning
Majority of Americans think Government Corruption is Widespread; "Bloomberg" Writer Randall Williams is Interviewed about the Clippers Punishments; McConnell Still Absent from Senate. Aired 6:30-7a ET
Aired September 03, 2026 - 06:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[06:30:00]
AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR: And it says that, "I don't know when I would let him talk to A.I. but I'd rather be at the late end of what's reasonable than the front."
MEGHAN HAYS, FORMER BIDEN WHITE HOUSE DIRECTOR OF MESSAGE PLANNING: So, I think his --
MIKE DUBKE, FORMER TRUMP WHTIE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: So, why aren't we then taking this time and training teachers on how to utilize A.I. in the classroom?
CORNISH: All right.
DUBKE: I heard none of that out of New York City.
CORNISH: Here's the thing. This is where I'm --
DUBKE: All I heard was somebody bowing down to the teacher's unions.
CORNISH: This is not to be mean, but I just want to say, the A.I. we use today will not be the A.I. we use in a year.
HAYS: That's --
CORNISH: That is delusional. This technology has moved so quickly. The idea that a curriculum that's developed in 2026 will be the one used in 2027 or 2028 is nonsensical, just based on what we've seen in the last two years of A.I.
So, I would argue, giving it a beat, letting regulation come into place, makes far more sense than putting technology in the hands of young kids when, at this moment, Meta is paying a lawsuit settlement because of parents who are angry.
DUBKE: On --
CORNISH: We have learned from the tech industry --
DUBKE: Social media. Different story.
CORNISH: Going to the front of the line --
DUBKE: Different -- social media is different than A.I., it is, in terms of education.
HAYS: But -- OK, but --
ALEX THOMPSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, wait, what you -- what you are seeing here is that a lot of people believe they should have banned social media for kids a long time ago. And there -- and there -- there is, I think, a lot of regret among lawmakers for doing that.
Now, is A.I. the same as social media? No. But there are kids -- I mean, you have seen A.I. addiction with these chatbots, these companions that lead you to some very dark places.
DUBKE: Absolutely.
CORNISH: Also, if you don't --
THOMPSON: And that is actually part of what Mamdani did --
CORNISH: There's algorithmic use in -- like, I don't know how to --
HAYS: So --
CORNISH: OK.
THOMPSON: So, there is concern -- there is --
CORNISH: I -- just, like, that -- this is just giving the tubes.
Straight ahead on CNN THIS MORNING, Americans believe government corruption is a huge problem. Should the White House be worried about a crisis of confidence?
And later on CNN, I have to tell you this news. Remember the Lindsay Clancy trial? The jury is still deadlocked. So, that means they could be headed for a mistrial. We're going to be live from outside the courtroom coming up in the next hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[06:36:35]
CORNISH: So, he promised to drain the swamp. A majority of Americans believe the swamp has actually grown under President Trump. So, we're looking at a new Gallup poll. It's showing that 89 percent believe corruption is widespread in the government. That's up 10 percent from last year. That's up 20 percent from 20 years ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nearly 90 percent of U.S. citizens now believe government corruption is widespread in Washington, D.C. Tell me something I didn't know.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This will kill our democracy. I mean, corruption kills governments.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When it comes to anything that the Trump administration does, they are just making money for them and their friends, right?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: Earlier this year, the president's financial disclosure forms showed that he made $2 billion in the first year that he returned to office. And he made that mostly in cryptocurrency. Last month a Reuters-Ipsos poll found most Americans believe Trump and his family have inappropriately profited from crypto. The White House told "Axios" in a statement, "President Trump has launched an all-out war on fraud across the entire federal government, holding criminals accountable and saving taxpayers billions of dollars."
The group chat is back.
Since I mentioned "Axios," Alex, tell us, what are you guys learning? Because I feel like I could have written this story during the Nixon era. So, what feels different?
THOMPSON: Well, what followed the Nixon era was, you know, the largest, you know, change of laws around ethics and government. And, you know, talk to any Democrats on The Hill, they are preparing a similar sort of set of reforms. And if you are, you know, if Democrats take back the House or the Senate, expect a lot of hearings about how Trump, his allies, and not just Trump and his family, but you have like, you know, Steve Witkoff's son.
CORNISH: Yes.
THOMPSON: You have -- you have the commerce secretary's son, there are a lot of people that are going to be called in to testify. And it could be a huge, you know, mess. And there could even be a legal crisis because what happens if people defy subpoenas?
CORNISH: Now, I want to be clear, when you actually look at the data in Gallup, when it comes to Republican voters from 2024, they believe that corruption, well, they still believe in it. They're feeling better, right? That number is a little lower than it started. Independents, though, that's up. And, of course, with Democrats, that is a hill you could ski. It feels as though more people have joined into the movement of government institutions are capable of fraud. And does the president's own profits add to that?
DUBKE: I don't think --
CORNISH: However, he made the money (ph).
DUBKE: I don't think you get to 89 percent of anything without having it be across the board with independents, Democrats and Republicans.
CORNISH: OK.
DUBKE: And I think, you know, this has shown itself to be a general distrust of our institutions. We talked about it earlier. The one -- the one institution in our government that seems to -- people seem to still rally behind is the military. And the other institutions have fallen to the wayside. And the -- and the manifestation of that has been these primaries where incumbent after incumbent has fallen because I think you have distrust in both the Republican and the Democrat constituency.
So, this is a problem. The individual that said, this is bad for democracy, I think he's absolutely right.
CORNISH: The two names that come up, which is really interesting, are the two topics that come up when I hear this online is, one, crypto, because they regulate crypto. So, you're, like, regulating an industry that you're making $1 billion off of. And then, number two, Jared Kushner being head of this wealth fund and partners with the money that has come from the Saudi government to fund it.
[06:40:05]
Those are the things that, to me, I'm surprised that I will see in like the average regular person's podcast episode or TikTok that they, like, are hearing about that and understanding that as corrupt.
HAYS: Well, I think because Jared Kushner doesn't actually work for the government, but yet he is very high level in negotiations for the hostage negotiations, very high level in talking about Iran. And I just think that people see that as a problem. You're not even a government official. We don't even know if you have a security clearance. Yet, you are the face of America out there doing negotiations, high level negotiations, while then making money from these countries for yourself. So, I think that the corruption, it's like a very through line.
CORNISH: Yes.
HAYS: Like, it's not hard to explain. I think the crypto thing, also with the regulation. But I don't think that this is any different than him -- than Donald Trump taking money for the ballroom and people -- you see it, company after company has given money and then all of a sudden their thing passed or didn't -- they didn't get held up in court or --
CORNISH: But do you think the average person more sees it as things are -- let me not say average because there's a k-shaped economy.
HAYS: Yes.
CORNISH: For the person at the bottom of the k and the k-shaped economy, do they see a government that people all around it are clearly profiting, and they're being told, don't worry, it will be fine in a few months?
THOMPSON: I think so. But part of the reason Trump won is because they already thought that before.
DUBKE: Exactly. THOMPSON: And so I think -- I think while you --
CORNISH: So, why did that number go up? You just said that there wasn't a --
HAYS: Because Donald Trump --
THOMPSON: Well --
CORNISH: No, no, but if there -- if there's a plurality, why do you think the number has shifted?
THOMPSON: Well, because it's -- I mean you see the rapid shift among Democrats.
CORNISH: So, they voted for it.
THOMPSON: A shift among Democrats.
CORNISH: And independents. The people who voted for him?
THOMPSON: A little. Yes, yes, yes. Absolutely.
CORNISH: Let's put the graph up again.
THOMPSON: Oh, no, no, absolutely.
HAYS: I mean two things can be true here.
DUBKE: But the ski slope with Democrats, to your point, (INAUDIBLE).
CORNISH: Yes, for sure. For sure. But why are independents just like this, whoop, to 90? They don't need to be up there if they voted for --
HAYS: Well, because I think the point is --
CORNISH: Alex said they voted for this and it's baked in. So, if it's baked in, why is it rising?
THOMPSON: Oh, no, no, no, they didn't vote -- no, no, no, I'm sorry. You misunderstood.
CORNISH: OK. Yes.
THOMPSON: I didn't say they voted for this. I'm saying that they were already disillusioned with the system before they voted for him. So, while they are disappointed and they thought maybe Trump would change, I think there is a disillusionment among a lot of voters that precedes Trump and that he is only reinforcing.
CORNISH: Reinforcing. Hence the shift in numbers.
THOMPSON: Yes. Yes. Absolutely.
CORNISH: I'm trying to figure out why this is a news story. If there's a shift in numbers, they're not --
HAYS: But I -- but I do feel --
THOMPSON: Yes, there is.
(CROSS TALK)
HAYS: I think people are, like, why can't I afford my groceries? And you're making $1 billion over here. Every lawmaker seems to be making money off stating -- trading their stocks, but I can't even afford my gas and groceries and you people don't seem to care and keep cutting health care.
DUBKE: Or prediction markets. I mean, that's another -- it's another thing that's weighed into this.
CORNISH: That's another one that's going to come up.
HAYS: Well, it's all -- it's like us versus them.
DUBKE: It looks like the whole thing is (INAUDIBLE).
HAYS: Yes.
CORNISH: All right, you guys stay with me because remember Mitch McConnell, he's still not back to the Senate. And now one of his allies isn't exactly confident that he is going to return to the Senate. So, we're going to ask, is anyone going to step up and hold basically an aging power broker to account?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[06:46:55]
CORNISH: All right, so the NBA has hit the L.A. Clippers with an historic punishment after allegedly conspiring to get around the league's salary cap rules. The NBA is claiming that the Clippers paid Kawhi Leonard extra money by improperly setting him up with corporate team sponsors for off court endorsements.
So, here's what's going to happen. The team loses five years of first round draft picks. They face a $30 million fine. They will be under strict league monitoring for the next five years. And the team's owner, Steve Ballmer, is suspended for a year.
Leonard reacted, saying he accepts full responsibility, that he regrets the distraction. A lawyer for the Clippers' owner striking a different tone, calling the investigation, quote, "a witch hunt" and says they're exploring legal action.
Joining me now, Randall Williams, senior writer at "Bloomberg."
While we were doing the break, one of our panelists said that maybe the union worked out a deal where Kawhi Leonard sort of gets off a little easier and it all falls on the owners. What are you hearing on the beat? RANDALL WILLIAMS, SENIOR WRITER, "BLOOMBERG": Yes. Kawhi Leonard, he was represented by the players union. And the player's union and the NBA agreed on this punishment. He's going to have to pay $700,000. But that is nothing in compared to the punishment that the Clippers have received.
CORNISH: So, are the Clippers going to appeal, and can they appeal successfully? Like on what grounds?
WILLIAMS: Well, that's what's interesting about this. Because this issue of cap circumvention is collectively bargained, it cannot be challenged through the NBA's collective bargaining agreement. And so, what does that mean for the Clippers and Steve Ballmer? In all likelihood, they would have to pursue that outside of the collective bargaining agreement. Does this mean that Steve Ballmer and the Clippers will potentially try to sue the NBA? They said that they are going to, you know, pursue action in any -- by any means necessary. We're going to find out, but it's not going to happen through the collective bargaining agreement.
CORNISH: So, when I was reading what fans were saying online, quote, "I've been a Clippers fan for 22 years. You think this can hurt me?" Which I found really appreciated. "This is just another Wednesday." "The NBA is punishing Clippers fans too much here. They didn't do anything and now their team is doomed. Ballmer should be forced to sell." And then, "pretty easy to endure the mess when you're used to disappoint."
Can you talk about that, Ballmer forced to sell? Like, at the end of the day, a salary cap circumvention is supposed to benefit, right, the owners. They're trying to, like, find a way for somebody else to foot some of the bill of this player that they want. Is any pressure coming down on him?
WILLIAMS: No, I don't think that he will be forced to sell. If you think about the two situations in which an owner sold a team, it involved racism, racism, allegations. Of course, that was with Donald Sterling a decade ago. And then you had allegations against the Suns' owner, Robert Sarver. While salary cap circumvention is a Grade A felony in terms of the NBA's rules, I doubt that they are going to force him to sell the team.
And, I mean, you sort of look at this in a -- in a wholesome view. The Clippers will have spent ten first round draft picks. Remember, you know, Kawhi Leonard wanted to play with Paul George.
[06:50:02]
The Clippers traded for him. And that deal involved five first round picks. Now they're being penalized another five first round picks. This punishment is massive. And Steve Ballmer has invested billions of dollars into the team. I doubt that he's now going to pull the plug so soon.
CORNISH: One other thing before I let you go. We've talked in the past about what's going on, on the college level, right, with the name, image and likeness rules --
WILLIAMS: Sure.
CORNISH: Encouraging a bigger marketplace for finding ways to pay off students that you want to get. Is this also sending a message, right, the NBA saying, we don't like this, trying to let folks know, you know, down in the lower age groups?
WILLIAMS: I think so. I think it's more so a message to other NBA owners. I mean Steve Ballmer is by far the richest owner in the NBA. And for him to receive a $30 million fine, which I believe is the largest in NBA history, it's sending a message across the board to owners who don't -- who aren't worth $173 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaire's Index, that if they were to try to do something similar, that they will receive a similar punishment.
CORNISH: OK. Randall Williams, as always, appreciate you getting up for us. Thank you.
WILLIAMS: Thank you.
CORNISH: All right, this week, lawmakers are back in town. The Senate's about to return to D.C., but will Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell, because it's now been 80 days since he was rushed to the hospital. Since then, his office has released two pictures of him. Both are from July. He is now back home recovering. He has not been seen in public since June, in this photo. He has not cast votes. Even his closest confidants are worried that he may not return to the Capitol.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I haven't spoken to him for several days, just to be clear. I know he's at home. I know he's still doing his recovery. And the Senate goes back in on the 14th of September. I know they're fighting to get him back to work. I know he wants to go back to work. And I know he wants to finish his term. And it's his intention to do so.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CORNISH: Group chat is back.
Is this a big deal in any way or given, a, like if you want to pass anything, but, b, just, the speculation has gone on all summer.
THOMPSON: I mean, it's a big deal if you're a constituent in Kentucky and you want a fully functioning senator to be there, even if it is the last six months, I don't think anyone would argue that Mitch McConnell is even close to the top of his game, or really doing much of the work a senator usually does. And there are lots of little things that a senator can do. You know, constituent services and everything else. Now, there is a staff for that. But, you know, there's also a lot of hypocrisy with the Republican Party when it comes to Mitch McConnell, given all the things they said about Biden in 2022, 2023, 2024, about how he was not up to the job. And now -- and now they are --
CORNISH: So, this feels like deja vu for you, given what you've written about Biden?
THOMPSON: I mean, in many ways, including like the sensitivity, like, I think people feel uncomfortable about saying you're just too old. You saw it with Democrats with Dianne Feinstein. You saw it with Democrats and Joe Biden. And I think you're seeing a similar thing play out here.
CORNISH: The person who's been playing on it politically, Governor Andy Beshear. Here he is just a week or two ago. This is mid-August.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. ANDY BESHEAR (D-KY): His response to all this is absolutely unacceptable. And it shows how this Republican run Senate is just broken. It is a total lack of accountability. The belief that he has no boss and answers to no one. His boss are the people of Kentucky that elect him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAYS: I mean, I think the problem on top of what Alex said, I agree with it, we have a problem telling people they're too old to serve or that they're not -- even -- I mean there are people who are probably younger that probably also shouldn't be serving. It's -- Mitch McConnell and the Republican Party have voted against a lot of things that he is benefiting from, like paid leave and health insurance and all these other things that they have taken away from the average American person, and yet he is -- he is being able to benefit, to not show up to work. And I think that is a huge problem that we should look at because it is creating a system that what I do is -- I am allowed to do it, but I'm not going to have you do it and you are not able.
CORNISH: I am curious about -- you've written so much about the Biden thing. And Republicans did talk about it a lot. There a picture of an auto pen in the White House instead of Biden's face. So, how do you now look at McConnell and gin up a bunch of, well, actually, well, actuallys? Like, what is the kind of defense of this?
DUBKE: Well, I think part of the defense of this and part of the conversation should be that the Senate is not in session right now and is not coming back to session until September 14th. So, let's have this conversation on whatever that --
CORNISH: September 15th.
DUBKE: Thursday morning is.
CORNISH: Yes. OK.
DUBKE: Well, no, we can wait till Thursday morning because then Meghan and I are on.
CORNISH: Yes, yes, you'll be back. Yes.
DUBKE: For that week.
But I do think part of this is a backlash against where the news media was on Biden, who was, at the time, running for re-election. And Alex well knows this.
So, I mean, this is -- this is an unfortunate situation. We also need to remember that he is not running for re-election.
[06:55:01]
His term is up at the end of this period of time. And this is also a gentleman who has had health issues in the past, in the very far past, with polio and other things, and is private about it. So, I -- look, I think all of this is fair.
CORNISH: I mean, just, devil's advocate, what you guys are calling a backlash, we also can interpret as a more informed public on the topic. The public has now rendered a verdict on being too old, being incapacitated, being unavailable. There are some people who have not met that bar, and the public is fine with them. A Bernie Sanders, doing great. No one's telling him to go anywhere.
HAYS: Chuck Grassley (ph).
CORNISH: But when you're sick all the time, when you disappear, the public now has a different view of that. And should we allow them to have that view and speak it publicly or dismiss it as a backlash?
THOMPSON: I mean -- well, I don't think -- I don't view it really as a backlash. I think they're using the example of Joe --
CORNISH: Like, we have new metrics now.
THOMPSON: Yes, we have -- we have new --
CORNISH: We have a new way of deciding this.
THOMPSON: And we have new ways of talking about age. And -- but what is happening -- what's -- based on all the reporting I've done, what is happening is that Mitch McConnell has served for a long time. He has a lot of people that have been with him for a long time. And they just want to let him see it through to the end. And they are using -- but again, that does not matter if you are a constituent in Kentucky and want a senator at the top of his game, which Mitch McConnell is not.
CORNISH: OK.
HAYS: The hypocrisy just in like he doesn't get to -- have to show up to work and everybody else has to show up to work, I think is going to also play -- impactful here. He's not up for re-election. And I -- and that -- I don't think he would win re-election based on this.
CORNISH: Yes. But, yes, you are correct, it helps that Congress is not doing anything.
HAYS: Yes.
CORNISH: All right, so, let's talk about what is in your group chat.
Meghan.
HAYS: OK. I talk about this every year. The lack of understanding when pumpkins should enter the chat is not in August and September. Also --
DUBKE: Pumpkin spice.
HAYS: Pumpkin spice, I'm sorry.
CORNISH: Pumpkin spice.
DUBKE: Pumpkins as a whole --
HAYS: Pumpkins can come in.
CORNISH: Puree (ph).
HAYS: Yes. Yes. Pumpkins spice.
DUBKE: Yes, pumpkins can come in at any time.
HAYS: That's right.
CORNISH: It's called puree (ph).
DUBKE: Pumpkin spice --
HAYS: It's pumpkin spice. They -- it comes too early. It also does not need to be in everything.
CORNISH: I know.
HAYS: I'm not sure we need pumpkin spice tea and cookies. I just --
CORNISH: It's how I feel about the Halloween stores popping up.
DUBKE: CNN has pumpkin spice water. Did you have -- did you not enjoy that today?
HAYS: I mean -- no. No, I will start in October.
DUBKE: OK.
HAYS: It is not something that you have now.
CORNISH: I like it.
HAYS: So --
CORNISH: Definitive.
HAYS: Yes.
CORNISH: I appreciate it in these modern times.
HAYS: Yes.
THOMPSON: We need principles.
HAYS: Yes.
DUBKE: Yes.
CORNISH: Yes, we need principled stance that matter.
HAYS: Standards. I agree (ph).
DUBKE: So, you're in modern times. I'm going back 6,000 years. And my group chat, and it's, again, I've got this fixation --
CORNISH: Is this a man group chat about the Roman empire?
DUBKE: Well -- yes. Well, kind of.
CORNISH: OK.
DUBKE: Kind of. Because it has to do with bison, I call them buffalo, being reintroduced to Britain.
CORNISH: Yes. Yes.
DUBKE: And what they are doing for the ecology. And another way to look at how we treat the land and what, you know, species do to help, you know, regenerate and help other species on the land.
So, I am fascinated by this reintroduction of bison to Britain, mainly because I didn't know there were any buffalo in Europe.
CORNISH: There are. And, in fact, there are some native communities who are doing something similar in the U.S.
DUBKE: Yes.
CORNISH: To the mid plains, basically.
DUBKE: Absolutely. And I think it's fantastic. I mean the fact that we hunted these creatures out of existence in the late 1800s and that the buffalo we have now are all from the Bronx Zoo. I don't think most people realize that.
CORNISH: No, they're all --
DUBKE: No, that was the -- that was the --
CORNISH: No, no, there are a few that actually survived. I'll send you a podcast episode on it.
DUBKE: They did. OK. I want to listen to that podcast. CORNISH: Yes, no, I'm serious. It's a thing.
OK, go on.
THOMPSON: All right. So, I originally was going to talk about the Los Angeles Clippers and really and really rub it in. But I changed --
DUBKE: And then you wanted to talk about Mitch McConnell.
THOMPSON: As a Los Angeles Lakers fan, I just, you know, I think that, you know, (INAUDIBLE).
CORNISH: Fair. Fair. Fair.
THOMPSON: But actually, I also want to talk about another movie that is coming called --
CORNISH: I get it.
THOMPSON: Called "Inc," which is like the Rupert Murdoch origin story, about his creation of "The Sun." It's by this British playwright called James Graham. It has Guy Pearce. It has just like a great cast that comes out. And the trailer came out yesterday. So, a bunch of -- a bunch of like my movie friends were all talking about this. Sort of a talkie play about journalism and --
CORNISH: I was about to say, is that really a thing people want to see? I feel like journalism movies are like, it's 50/50.
THOMPSON: I do. Well, it's not just -- it's not just journalism.
CORNISH: Say more.
THOMPSON: It's a tabloid movie.
CORNISH: Oh.
THOMPSON: It's about the creation of the Murdoch tabloid empire and how, you know, sort of the tagline of the -- of the show is, they broke the news, with like the double on contract (ph).
CORNISH: Oh.
DUBKE: So, what's the studio? Is it 20th Century Fox putting this out?
THOMPSON: Netflix.
CORNISH: It's Netflix. Needless to say.
DUBKE: I just wanted to make sure it wasn't like --
(CROSS TALK)
THOMPSON: I don't -- I would say, based on what I know about it, it's more portrayed as a villain origin story rather than a Rupert Murdoch -- CORNISH: Yes. Yes.
(CROSS TALK)
CORNISH: And after all the mergers, I'm not sure 20th Century Fox exists anymore.
DUBKE: Well --
CORNISH: Because they were --
THOMPSON: Well, Disney bought it.
DUBKE: Yes.
CORNISH: Yes. But, I mean, they're not still putting out films under that imprint (ph) because, hash tag mergers.
THOMPSON: Yes. Exactly.
DUBKE: Yes.
CORNISH: I want to -- oh, you have more?
DUBKE: I was just going to say, the other news, though, movie news that I heard is that the "Mandalorian" is no longer -- the voice of the Mandalorian has changed.
CORNISH: From?
DUBKE: From -- from, what's his name?
HAYS: I -- don't look at me. I don't know anything.
(CROSS TALK)
CORNISH: Pedro Pascal?
THOMPSON: Pedro Pascal.
DUBKE: Yes. Thank you very much. That has changed.
[07:00:01]
And now, for the new Lego version of this, we have a new voice over.
THOMPSON: I heard they got a new Baby Yoda, too.
CORNISH: I just want to say, the Lego versions are canons (ph).
DUBKE: Are you a Baby Yoda? Are you breaking that?
CORNISH: So, that means everything has changed.
You guys, thank you for being with us on this Thursday. We've got a lot of good headlines for you, so please stay with us. I'm Audie Cornish. See you tomorrow.
