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Trump Dismisses Concerns over Artificial Intelligence as "A Hoax"; Israeli Strikes Kill 13 in Southern Lebanon; U.S.-Israel War with Iran; SCOTUS Rejects Trump's Plan to Restrict Mail-In Voting; Ukraine and Russia Trade Strikes on Energy Targets; FBI Director Defends Bureau's Use of AI in Capitol Hill Hearing; Gavin Newsom Won't Seek White House in 2028 if Kamala Harris Runs; Trump Administration Removes Climate Protections on Power Plants; U.S. Military Confirms It Has Deployed Weapons in Space. Aired 10- 11a ET
Aired September 15, 2026 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:00:00]
CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Welcome to the second hour of the show. I'm Christina Macfarlane in London.
President Trump dismisses AI alarms as a hoax. He spent Monday angrily rejecting calls from industry leaders for more government regulation on
their cutting-edge models.
Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon killed at least 13 people in one of the deadliest days of Israeli bombardment in recent weeks. Fears of a renewed
Israeli military campaign are now growing.
And this hour, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is appearing before the House Financial Services Committee. He's talking about the state of the
international financial system as the benchmark U.S. 10-year Treasury yield reaches a critical threshold for U.S. economy and global markets.
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MACFARLANE: U.S. President Donald Trump is pushing back hard against dire warnings from tech leaders about the destructive potential of AI.
He called into the All-In Tech Conference in Los Angeles on Monday, once again fully dismissing calls to slow down on the development of artificial
intelligence. Here he is, speaking to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
TRUMP: They're just playing right into the hands of a lot of people that don't want to see it happen. And that could be political people or it could
also be China. And we're not going to let that happen. It's a -- it's a hoax.
The robots will not be taking over. The AI will not be taking over the rest of the world. The whole thing is a hoax
(END AUDIO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Meanwhile, in Washington today, a diverse group is calling for immediate action to rein in AI.
The Pro-Human Assembly has brought together religious leaders, Hollywood stars and lawmakers from different ends of the political spectrum,
including longtime MAGA figure Steve Bannon and left-leaning independent senator Bernie Sanders. Well, CNN AI correspondent Hadas Gold is joining us
now.
So Hadas, as we see both sides of the political aisle kind of getting together on this, what message are AI leaders getting from the U.S.
administration?
HADAS GOLD, CNN AI CORRESPONDENT: Well, the message that is very clearly coming from president Trump is that he is completely dismissing all of
these doomer fears that AI is advancing too fast for humans to catch up.
And that, if not put into check, that it could cause, some people say, the end of humanity, if not some other very serious risks that it could pose to
our day-to-day life. So president Trump is completely brushing those off and saying, in part, that it's all about winning the race and winning the
race against China.
And that seems to be a very big concern of his. And he's not alone in how he's feeling. You heard that from Jensen Huang. You've heard that from
other people, including the leaders of Hugging Face, which is that open- weight model repository that was recently hacked by open AI agents.
So this is a sentiment that does exist. But I do have to say, based off of my conversations with researchers across the industry, is that the vast
majority of them do believe that this technology is advancing so quickly that there needs to be some collective action taken to make sure that it
stays safe.
And what they're particularly concerned about is what's called recursive self-improvement.
This is where the AI models are able to improve and train themselves without human intervention, the fear being that, as these models get so
good at improving themselves, they will do so quickly that humans will have a hard time intervening or even being able to monitor what is being done.
And that the models will actually be able to essentially hide their tracks, cover their tracks of what is actually happening inside the model, very
much a loss of control. That is a big concern.
But over in Washington, president Trump is saying full steam ahead. Keep going. And that is putting him at odds. Politically. It seems with much of
the rest of the public. When you look at polling, the public is incredibly concerned about AI.
When you look at Congress, they are itching. Many of them are itching, both Republicans and Democrats, to do something to show some action on AI. But
it seems if any of the action is going to be coming anytime soon, it's going to be coming from the industry themselves.
[10:05:08]
MACFARLANE: Yes, absolutely. And Donald Trump seemingly resistant to the idea. It's an open question now as to how they will take that action. Hadas
Gold for now, appreciate it. Thank you.
Turning now to the Middle East, where Saudi Arabia is scrambling to restart a key oil pipeline. Last week, Saudi Arabia announced it had shuttered its
East-West Pipeline, blaming drone attacks from inside Iraq. No group has yet claimed responsibility.
But U.S. president Donald Trump has pointed the finger of suspicion at Iran-backed proxy groups operating inside Iraq. As much as 4 percent of the
world's oil supply could be taken offline because of the pipeline's closure.
And we're also hearing that talks between Iran and the Gulf countries seeking to reopen the Strait of Hormuz are now not happening. They've been
postponed indefinitely at the request of Saudi Arabia. CNN's Paula Hancocks has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Saudi Arabia was concerned about some of the wording within the proposal, concerned that this was actually going
to change the status quo.
We know that Tehran would like to be able to charge vessels going through the Strait of Hormuz. We know that they don't want vessels to be using the
southern route through this critical waterway, which hugs the Omani coast and is far away from Iran as possible.
And so there are some concerns among the Gulf nations about exactly what this agreement between Oman and Iran would be. And, of course, bear in mind
the fact that the U.S. was not part of these discussions.
We did hear from three sources that the Trump administration was very keen to be talking about the nuclear program, as well as just reopening the
Strait of Hormuz. So it seems as though there were a number of issues with this meeting. No indication of when it could go ahead.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: Demonstrators have flooded streets across Syria, protesting a 40 percent hike in fuel prices. The Syrian government announced the
increase over the weekend, sparking nationwide anger.
The staggering increase marks the highest fuel price since the Iran war began. Syrian officials say the hike is temporary, fueled by higher oil
costs and Syria's heavy dependence on imports.
Well, Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa is in Dubai and he met with UAE leaders on the sidelines of the Arab Media Summit, where he highlighted
Syria's transformation and new beginnings for the region.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AHMED AL-SHARAA, SYRIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Syria has been reborn following the lifting of sanctions and the path is now ahead of it.
The shackles have been broken. What remains is policies, procedures and making the right and sound choices so that the Syrian vessel may, God
willing, sail toward the safety of the harbor.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Well, the people on the ground in Yemen are bearing the brunt of the Middle East conflict. Thousands of Yemenis are fleeing their homes
as fighting between Houthi militants and Saudi forces intensifies. More than 2,000 refugees have arrived in Djibouti and more are expected as the
fighting escalates.
The U.N.'s migration agency reports the ongoing conflict has now displaced more than 90,000 people across Yemen. The U.N. also says the humanitarian
crisis there could get even worse.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FARHAN HAQ, U.N. DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON: Humanitarian access and movement remains severely constrained due to insecurity. Humanitarian movements into
and within several locations on the West Coast remain suspended, while key roads are restricted or impassable.
We call on all parties to protect civilians, respect the international humanitarian law and facilitate safe and unimpeded humanitarian access so
that urgently needed assistance can reach communities in need.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Lebanese officials say Israeli strikes killed at least 13 people in the southern Lebanon on Monday, including six children.
Fears over a renewed Israeli military campaign in Lebanon are rising, despite a ceasefire in June meant to stop the fighting between Israel and
the armed group, Hezbollah. CNN's Jeremy Diamond is following this all from Jerusalem and he joins us now.
So Jeremy, just walk us through what we know about these latest strikes.
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Yesterday was one of the deadliest days that we have seen in Lebanon in at least several weeks now,
as Israeli strikes targeted the village of Kfar Reman in southern Lebanon.
One strike killed at least 12 people, including six children and three women, who were killed in that attack, according to Lebanon's health
ministry, a staggering toll of civilian casualties for a single strike there in Lebanon.
The Israeli military, for its part, said that it was targeting people that were seen transferring weapons in the area of that town.
[10:10:04]
We cannot independently verify that claim from the Israeli military so far. There was also a separate Israeli drone strike that took place on a
civilian vehicle in that same town that killed a medic, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
We have seen, of course, that, throughout this ceasefire, that technically is in effect in Lebanon, Israel has been conducting daily strikes in
southern Lebanon, oftentimes claiming to be targeting Hezbollah infrastructure.
But we have seen, of course, a number of those strikes resulting in civilian casualties. My team and I were there just last month. And we could
hear and we actually witnessed one Israeli strike that took place in that area.
Lebanese military officials have told us that there have been more than 5,000 Israeli strikes, which they call violations of the ceasefire
agreement, since that agreement was struck back in June, a situation that we're, of course, continuing to monitor and that remains extremely
volatile, despite the fact that there is technically a ceasefire in place.
MACFARLANE: Yes, 5,000 Israeli strikes on Lebanon. And yet talks between the two countries have all but stalled. And the Lebanese people are really
getting clearly getting the brunt of this.
What can we expect next in this fight, Jeremy?
Is there any sense of a return to talks?
DIAMOND: Well, we do expect that today, in fact, the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to the United States, who have been involved in these
negotiations for months now, that they will be meeting at the State Department, according to a source familiar with the matter.
This was supposed to be the week that we saw these parties getting back to the table together in Rome, for which has been the kind of formal location
for talks over the last two rounds that we have seen of negotiations between Israel and Lebanon.
Those talks are now set to take place in October, with this source citing scheduling changes and a number of logistical challenges that prevented
those talks from actually taking place.
The real question is, what can these talks actually achieve right now, especially before the Israeli elections that are slated to take place in
late October?
So far, the fact that we are now in campaign season in Israel has meant an escalation of Israeli military activity in Lebanon, not only those strikes
that we were just talking about but also Israeli efforts to clear a key Hezbollah position inside what's known as the Ali al-Taher Ridge in
southern Lebanon.
The Israeli prime minister just this week was touting this as a major victory, the detonation of that underground compound that was previously
used by Hezbollah.
There's been far less emphasis in Israel right now on, actually, you know, advancing these negotiations that are supposed to ultimately lead to an
Israeli withdrawal of its troops from southern Lebanon. So far, that does not appear to be on the horizon at all.
And it likely will not even begin to happen until after those Israeli elections are settled at the end of next month.
MACFARLANE: All right, Jeremy Diamond, thank you very much.
Now Iranian air strikes have caused widespread damage to U.S. military bases across the Middle East. And now the Pentagon is revealing the extent
of those losses in a special report.
The Pentagon's inspector general says hundreds of buildings and structures have been damaged or destroyed since the war started in February. The
report says key U.S. munition stockpiles have also been depleted. I want to bring in Davis Winkie. He's the reporter and senior fellow covering U.S.
national security for CNN.
So just walk us through what more we learned from this report.
DAVIS WINKIE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Christina, it's not necessarily what we've learned but about what's been officially acknowledged for the first
time in this report. And that stems from the fact that it's done by the Pentagon's independent watchdog, the inspector general.
As you mentioned in the intro, the hundreds of buildings destroyed on U.S. bases across the region is something that we've been able to identify
through things such as satellite imagery over time. But it's being officially acknowledged for the first time, really, here.
In addition to the military facilities, the report, done in conjunction with the State Department's watchdog, detailed damage to diplomatic
facilities as well.
I want to zoom in real quick on some of the impact and changes to the way the U.S. military operates from this. The report details how, for example,
Army medical evacuation helicopters had to be pulled out from Kuwait and Iraq due to these Iranian strikes.
That's a big departure from how the U.S. military has been accustomed to evacuating wounded troops, for example. And it's because of the fact that
this is an incomplete picture that we're having to learn from small details from that.
[10:15:00]
This is an unclassified report; a classified version of it presumably has more information. We know it's missing some aircraft that were destroyed
during the rescue mission for that downed weapons officer. There's also not a cost estimate in there for the damage to U.S. bases themselves,
Christina.
MACFARLANE: And to your point, I mean, this is the first official report we've really had on the war and we're, what, six, seven months into it?
Why are we only getting these details now, do you think?
WINKIE: Well, the Pentagon has taken an approach of communicating directly to the public rather than going through traditional avenues, such as the
media. And their message has focused mostly on the tactical successes that U.S. military forces have had.
They have not really been acknowledging much in the way of losses. And when they do, such as the story of the downed weapons officer that aired on CBS'
"60 Minutes" over the weekend, it's spun as something where you're focusing on the heroism of those who overcame tough circumstances along the way.
But I want to note that we don't know a lot because there hasn't been a press briefing in months. And, you know, there was confusion over the
summer about casualty figures as well.
So this independent watchdog in the series of reports is going to continue to do -- are going to offer a really valuable window. And we'll keep
taking a look inside. Christina.
MACFARLANE: All right. Well, we appreciate you bringing this to us, Davis. Thank you.
And you are watching CONNECT THE WORLD. Still to come, we're getting brand new reaction from president Trump after the Supreme Court rejected his
controversial plan to change how American voters receive mail-in ballots.
Plus, president Trump says Russia and Ukraine agreed to halt energy strikes. But one day later, the attacks are continuing. A live report
ahead.
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MACFARLANE: New today, president Donald Trump railing against a Supreme Court ruling, rejecting his controversial plan to change how mail-in
ballots are sent to voters across the U.S.
Mr. Trump calling the decision a big loss for Republicans and for America itself. In an unsigned opinion, the justices blocked his plan that would
have given the U.S. Postal Service unprecedented power to withhold potentially millions of ballots.
This comes at a critical moment, with some states already sending out ballots and others mailing theirs out later this week. CNN's Alayna Treene
is live at the White House.
And, Alayna, I mean, the president has been railing against mail-in voting and alleged fraud for years.
So what else are we hearing from him about the justices' decision?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Look, this is a very significant case. One, I think one of the biggest Supreme Court cases we've really seen on
their docket for -- in recent years but, of course, also a very significant loss for the president. As you mentioned, someone who has railed against
mail-in voting for years.
[10:20:02]
Has tried to argue falsely, I should say, argue that it is rife with fraud, even though the president, I should note, has voted by mail himself, even
just recently in two different times around the midterm elections.
Look, I think because of this, with such a loss, you did see the president respond in a very aggressive way on social media. He did argue that this
opinion is a big loss for Republicans, that it will make it easier for Democrats, in his words, to, quote, "cheat" in upcoming elections,.
Even though there's no evidence of how they would actually do that. And then he went specifically after the Supreme Court justices. And this was
very notable to me. Specifically, he was going after the justices that he helped put on the bench, people like Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett and
Brett Kavanaugh.
This is what the president wrote. He said, there are not -- "These are not the people I interviewed to serve on the United States Supreme Court. They
are merely a shell of their original selves."
He went on to say, "It is the court that will go down as having rendered some of the most destructive, hurtful and damaging decisions in our
country's history."
Now Christina, I'll give you a little bit more of a sense of what actually happened, why the president is so upset about this.
There's been so many twists and turns as this executive order that the president had issued back in the spring, essentially telling the Department
of Homeland Security to make up a list of eligible voters.
And then they would tell USPS, the Postal Service, to only send mail-in ballots to those eligible voters.
Now you heard from a lot of different Democratic states, primarily; you have heard from some Republican election officials as well, saying this
could be very dangerous, particularly so close to the November midterm elections, to have this kind of big change, particularly now, of course, as
we're seeing some of these mail-in ballots already go out.
Concerns of how this could really lead to a lot of disenfranchisement across the United States. Now Supreme Court, in this most recent ruling on
Monday, I should say, it is unsigned but the opinion was really laying down to two fronts why they made this decision.
One was that the merits of this case, they said this is likely unconstitutional. They didn't say it's definitely unconstitutional but
likely unconstitutional, arguing that really it's up to the states to decide how elections are run, not the federal government.
Then the other point that was made -- and we really saw this from justice Kavanaugh, who wrote in a separate opinion, kind of laying out his thinking
here, was, again, at the timing of this, just being so close to the midterm elections.
So look, the president clearly not happy with this but also unclear if they're going to try to challenge this once again, particularly after we
heard the court argue that they're likely to not succeed if they keep pushing this in the courts.
MACFARLANE: Yes. And it was interesting to note by some of the justices -- you mentioned Kavanaugh there. I think Alito was another one -- who
mentioned that this was more of a inflammation -- implementation timing kind of issue ahead of the midterms.
So where does that leave this executive order?
Can we expect it to come back around?
TREENE: We could. I mean, we'll have to see. I think, as you said, completely, both of them -- Kavanaugh, Alito; Alito is actually one of the
two who dissented with this.
Him (sic) and another conservative justice, Clarence Thomas, were the ones who sided with the administration and not with the majority of the Supreme
Court.
But the timing is really one of the key elements that I think led the Supreme Court to make this decision. We could potentially see this come
back up, not for the 2026 midterm elections but perhaps the 2028 presidential election or other future congressional elections.
However, in a sign that isn't great for the administration, this is what the court said.
They said that the administration is, quote, "unlikely to succeed on the merits of its challenge," again arguing that potentially this could be
unconstitutional. But that is not a determination that they have made definitively, in this opinion, Christina.
And so there are questions of whether or not this could come back. I do think, just having covered this president for so long, knowing how a lot of
his top lawyers and advisers feel about mail-in voting, we could see them try to revive this order once the midterm elections are over or even try a
different avenue to try and limit mail-in ballots.
And you could see from the president's lengthy response today, really attacking the Supreme Court over this decision, shows that he doesn't want
to give up on this idea. The question is whether or not they'll try to push ahead with this for future elections or if maybe they'll try to find a
different route.
MACFARLANE: Yes, certainly very personal for the president. We will, of course, continue to watch this space. Alayna Treene, thank you.
And U.S. president Donald Trump has also been saying that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to stop striking each other's energy targets.
But just hours after that announcement was made, Russia struck two gas stations in Kyiv, while Ukraine says it hit a Russian oil refinery. The
attacks come as questions remain over whether the two sides can actually pause strikes on energy targets.
[10:25:03]
Ukraine has been targeting Russian fuel infrastructure for months, damaging refineries and disrupting fuel supplies across the country. Here's more
from Russia's foreign minister.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SERGEY LAVROV, RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translator): We have stated repeatedly that, following the collapse of the Istanbul agreements
due to Western interference, we will not halt the special military operation for the duration of negotiations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: CNN's Clare Sebastian is following the story for us.
Great to see you, Clare. So president Trump says Russia and Ukraine have agreed to halt energy strikes. But president Zelenskyy says this is just a
proposal, not a firm deal.
What more do we know at this point about this potential truce?
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Look, there is no deal at this point. I think perhaps if the strategy of that post on Truth Social had
been to speak it into being, it hasn't worked yet. The situation is far too complicated for that.
And as you see, the strikes on energy targets have continued. So that is one thing. But look, neither side is shooting down the idea. They are both
trying to placate Trump in some way. Take a listen to how Zelenskyy put it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): There is also now a strong proposal from the United States for a mutual cessation of
strikes against critical infrastructure.
And if this can become the first de-escalatory step, a step toward ending Russian strikes against our critical infrastructure and our retaliatory
strikes and response, then Ukraine is ready to support de-escalation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SEBASTIAN: We've got a slightly more cryptic response from the Kremlin, who said that the idea from Trump was a very good idea, in the words of
Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, but didn't commit to anything and used the opportunity to its full advantage to then blame Ukraine as well
for it.
Said stopping access for oil products onto the global markets by attacking ships and oil tankers and the like, obviously not mentioning their own
attacks on commercial shipping and then calling for sanctions to be lifted, which is something that we hear a lot from Russia. So that's the Russian
side. They didn't commit to anything.
And you hear from Sergey Lavrov there that they are doubling down on their stance when it comes to their goals in Ukraine and their stance on not
stopping the fighting for the sake of negotiations. So that's where we are.
It leaves Ukraine in a bit of a bind, because, of course, they will take any possible opportunity to stop Russian strikes on energy infrastructure
going into winter.
But equally clearly, with a lack of interceptors, their best chance of defense at this point is these deep strikes. And obviously they now have to
balance that with the U.S. president's opposition to hitting oil infrastructure.
So it is a bind for Zelenskyy. But, of course, he has come out and expressed that, you know, this proposal could be workable but only, of
course, if Russia joins it, too. Christina.
Yes. And, Clare, we were speaking last hour with Lithuania's foreign minister about the drone, the Russian drone that was shot down overnight
asking, you know, the status of that investigation. We don't have much to go on yet but what are you seeing?
What are you hearing about what actually happened here?
SEBASTIAN: Yes. We're hearing from the Lithuanian crisis management center that the drone seems to have entered Lithuanian airspace, they say, from
Belarus, potentially just after midnight.
They then scrambled NATO jets. This is part of the NATO Baltic air defense mission. Italian fighter jets shot down that drone. The Italian defense
minister is actually in Lithuania. And he commented today that the drone most probably, he said, originated from Russia. So that is the working
assumption at this point.
There are no injuries. It seems to have crashed into a field. Debris was found, as you see there. The reason this is concerning clearly is because
we've seen a spate of similar instances, drones shot down over other Baltic countries -- Estonia, Latvia. We saw at the end of July, a cruise missile
crashed into a field in Poland.
And just today, Denmark's foreign minister has summoned the Russian ambassador, they say, after a Russian warship fired two emergency flares
toward a Danish military helicopter in the Baltic.
So there is an increasing concern that, number one, Russia could be probing NATO's defenses here and, number two, that, as this air war expands, the
scope for spillover, even if it is unintentional in some cases, is growing with it. So this is a moment of high alert for Europe and especially on
NATO's eastern flank. Christina.
MACFARLANE: Yes, absolutely. Clare Sebastian, thank you very much.
All right. Still to come, U.S. lawmakers grill Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. The questions he's facing over his handling of the bond markets
and the wider economy.
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[10:30:00]
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MACFARLANE (voice-over): Welcome back. I'm Christina Macfarlane in London and you are watching CONNECT THE WORLD. These are your headlines this hour.
U.S. president Donald Trump is standing firm on his ambitions for AI. He unexpectedly called into a tech conference on Monday, telling industry
leaders that fears over AI security were a hoax and that the U.S. would not let China win the race for AI supremacy.
Russia and Ukraine are still trading strikes. Just a day after U.S. president Donald Trump announced a deal to pause attacks on energy
infrastructure, Russia hit two gas stations in Kyiv, while Ukraine says it struck a Russian oil refinery.
Ukraine has been targeting Russian fuel infrastructure for months, damaging refineries and disrupting fuel supplies across the country.
President Trump is lashing out at Supreme Court justices after they blocked his controversial plan to make major changes to mail-in voting ahead of the
November midterms.
In a social media post, quotes -- Mr. Trump, who said they are, quote, "not the people I interviewed to serve on the high court," calling them "a shell
of their original selves."
MACFARLANE: And this hour, watching numerous hearings on Capitol Hill in Washington as Senate and House lawmakers grill some of the nation's highest
officials. For the last 1.5 hours now the FBI director has been facing questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The annual oversight hearing is looking at his handling of the nation's main law enforcement agency. And there have -- and there have been a rash
of firings and resignations since he took charge. And his personal conduct is also under the spotlight. Democratic senator Dick Durbin lambasted Mr.
Patel. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. DICK DURBIN (D-IL), RANKING MEMBER, JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: Mr. Patel is the least qualified and most partisan FBI director in our nation's history.
He does not have the judgment, experience or temperament of Director Mueller.
Before he was confirmed, Mr. Patel falsely claimed in public that the FBI, quote, "was planning January 6th for a year," close quote.
He compiled an enemies list of public servants he called, quote, "government gangsters," close quote, who he promised to target if he was
confirmed as head of the FBI.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACFARLANE: Well, Kash Patel defended his leadership of the bureau, including the scaling-up of artificial intelligence within the FBI
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KASH PATEL, DIRECTOR, U.S. FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION: Artificial intelligence, when used appropriately under the parameters of the law, when
I got to the seat, this FBI had two test use cases for artificial intelligence. We just hit our 140th.
That's a 605 percent increase since I've been in this seat, to process information to triage intelligence, analyze and get this information out to
our local partners.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[10:35:00]
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MACFARLANE: Well, meantime, the House Financial Services Committee is questioning Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. His testimony is part of a
U.S. oversight of the International Monetary Fund.
But he's expected to face a barrage of questions about the broader economy, especially his efforts to calm the bond market, which critics say have not
lived up to their promises. Well, our economics reporter, Elisabeth Buchwald, is on the story and joins me now live from New York.
So Elisabeth, this hearing is obviously happening just one day before the Fed is likely to announce a rate hike due to the inflation concerns. I
mean, there's going to be a range of things on the table today.
But how do you think, in particular, Scott Bessent is going to address that?
ELISABETH BUCHWALD, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: He has to do a bit of a song and a dance here to share that he probably doesn't believe that
inflation is a concern. And then he's also in a difficult position with the Fed, because he's said before that he doesn't want to intervene in their
decisions.
He's said before that it's a sacred jewel box of sorts. And at the same time, his boss, president Trump, does not agree with rate hike decisions,
although he said that he would let Kevin Warsh, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, make these decisions and that he trusts him.
So Warsh has a difficult time right here on Capitol Hill and it's already off to a really hectic start with protesters interrupting secretary Bessent
several times.
MACFARLANE: Yes, we're just looking at the images here as questions have just begun. I mean, Bessent's actions have been aimed at lowering the bond
yields but that obviously has not happened. He's been criticized by key Wall Street players who believe that he's manipulating the markets.
I mean, how do you think Bessent is going to defend those accusations of interference?
BUCHWALD: Yes. It's another one that he kind of has to do some more singing and dancing to get his explanation out there.
But what he's been telling the public throughout this process is that it's more of a recalibration, a small tweak and that he's not really
intervening, that markets aren't really believing what they should be believing, in his view. And he just kind of had to do a little small
tinker.
MACFARLANE: Yes. I mean, there's going to be a lot of maneuvering, one imagines, in the questions to come. But, you know, one thing that perhaps
Bessent can't run away from right now is the state of energy prices as oil prices continue to rise.
How much is he going to be questioned, do you think, on the Iran war and the Iran war and the direct correlation to that?
BUCHWALD: Oh, my God. Yes. It's going to come up many, many times. It already has. And he's actually said that the rise in yields has come from
rising oil prices. And he's also been saying that, you know, the U.S. is doing well in this war with Iran and that he's made progress with China in
terms of isolating Iran further.
But he's definitely going to be asked about this. He's been at the forefront of the economic decisions with regard to the war.
MACFARLANE: Yes. And I'm sure watching on will be perhaps president Trump from somewhere. But we'll continue to follow it. Elisabeth, thank you very
much for now.
And now, a stunning revelation from California governor Gavin Newsom. He says he will not run for president in 2028 if former Vice President Kamala
Harris decides to throw her hat in the ring. The California Democrat spoke to CNN's Jake Tapper while the two were fly fishing together in Montana.
Here's more of their conversation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: How does one even make a decision to, like, run for president?
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): I have no experience in this process, so I'm going through it.
TAPPER: I remember people thinking, oh, he should have run in 2024. I mean --
NEWSOM: I wasn't ready.
TAPPER: You weren't ready?
NEWSOM: No. God, no.
TAPPER: Do you think if you'd taken on Biden --
NEWSOM: I would never -- first of all, I wouldn't do that. And, second, if I did, I would have gotten crushed because I didn't have a why. You don't
have a big enough why, then you don't belong there. I'm not screwing anything up anymore, man.
I mean, -- there's the -- I know what matters in life. You know, I got four kids. It's the only thing that matters to me. They got to be on board. And
if that's -- forget it if they're not on board, that's a non-starter.
And then you just have to meet the moment. You got to be honest with yourself. Do you represent the zeitgeist of the moment?
Are you wasting everybody's time?
And you just have to -- honestly, you have to feel like you can stand on there on a stage with, what, 30?
TAPPER: It's going to be a lot of people.
NEWSOM: Yes.
TAPPER: It's a lot of Democrats.
NEWSOM: 31 flavors and --
TAPPER: You're not even the only Californian.
NEWSOM: No, right. Yes.
TAPPER: You got Ro Khanna.
NEWSOM: Yes.
TAPPER: Kamala.
NEWSOM: Yes. I don't know if she runs but we'll see.
TAPPER: I know she's called around.
NEWSOM: Yes. But I wouldn't run if she ran.
TAPPER: You -- if she runs, you will not?
NEWSOM: Of course not. Why would I?
I wouldn't do that to her. I wouldn't do it to -- why would I -- I wouldn't do that to you. I wouldn't waste everyone's time.
[10:40:00]
Who needs that?
TAPPER: What do you mean?
That's not going to make sense to me.
NEWSOM: I just -- I wouldn't -- well, no, I wouldn't.
First of all, electorally, it's a gift from God for everybody else. They'd enjoy the hell out of it, mutual assured destruction. It services no
greater good.
TAPPER: I mean, you do whatever you want. I don't care. But my counterargument would be like, you know, she had a shot.
NEWSOM: Yes.
TAPPER: And you've never run and she's run twice.
NEWSOM: Yes. And that -- I mean, that would be the -- that'd be the approach to the campaign, certainly. That would be the case you'd make. A
pretty good one, actually. You know, that's objectively true.
I just -- but I know what that means. I know her base of supporters. I know her friends. The Venn diagram on that is just pure crossover. It's not -- I
wouldn't do that to -- I wouldn't do that to people.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: Fascinating interview by Jake Tapper there, fly fishing. I think we should do more of that.
Now a Department of Homeland Security report is detailing disturbing conditions found at Florida's Alligator Alcatraz.
The report describes how some immigrants were held in small metal cages at the now-shuttered detention facility from several minutes to nearly two
hours. CNN's Priscilla Alvarez has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A new Department of Homeland Security inspector general report reveals disturbing conditions at
Alligator Alcatraz.
ALVAREZ (voice-over): 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 at least two that were outdoors, according to the I.G.
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."
ALVAREZ: 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.
ALVAREZ (voice-over): Now again, this was a visit that took place in January of this year. The facility has since closed. 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.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: Still ahead, a license to pollute: what critics are saying about Trump's latest efforts to remove climate pollution limits.
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MACFARLANE: The Saudi crown prince and Egypt's president are reaffirming the need for freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab-el-
Mandeb Strait. That's according to a statement from the Egyptian presidency.
The two leaders met today in Egypt after Iran-backed Houthi militants launched an offensive to try and take control of the Bab-el-Mandeb, a key
waterway.
Now the Trump administration has finalized a rollback of pollution limits on power plants. It's part of a sweeping effort to dismantle climate and
clean air protections implemented by the previous administrations.
The administrator for the EPA says the move will cut costs and boost American energy production. Opponents have heavily criticized the rollback,
saying it's a license for the fossil fuel industry to keep polluting. CNN's chief climate correspondent Bill Weir is joining us to discuss the
implications now.
And so, Bill, what is this going to mean for climate protections across the board in the U.S.?
BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's just all part of Trump's maximalist approach toward oil and gas and coal. While he tries to
punish solar and wind, just if American power plants themselves were a country, they would be a top five emitter globally.
It's 25 percent of America's emissions come from these power plants. So this rule rollback was expected. Lee Zeldin, the EPA commissioner, at a
meeting of G20 energy ministers in Houston a week ahead of climate week here in New York and basically saying, we're all in on the fuels of the
19th and 20th centuries.
This would eliminate the Biden-era rules that would really force these big power plants to capture the carbon. It hasn't even started yet. But it
would also not only affect heat-trapping gases but smog level, ground level particulate matter, mercury and arsenic regulations have been lessened
under the Trump administration.
So this really just a gift to fossil fuel industries, the big ones, but may not be enough to save industries like coal.
MACFARLANE: Yes.
And will this move do you think, have tangible benefits for the coal industry or indeed the general energy costs?
WEIR: Well, it doesn't look like it. The economic forces right now, actually more coal production has been retired under Donald Trump than any
other president, just because natural gas is cheaper, solar and wind is now cheaper than natural gas.
So the alternatives are just so much more economical. The production decreased about 4 percent since last year. It's expected to keep going down
MACFARLANE: So I mean, as I mentioned just before we came to you, seeing a lot of opposition to this rollback, what steps are opponents taking at this
point to try and keep those protections in place?
WEIR: Well, like so many others, Christina, this will end up in court. In the first term the National Resources Defense Council won about 90 percent
of their cases against the Trump administration. Now there's about 50 different actions that are in process.
But they'll be suing the Sierra Club (INAUDIBLE) what's interesting is that a lot of municipalities are suing big oil companies for their role in the
climate crisis. This would hurt Big Oil's cases because they use the Clean Air Act to say, look, the Clean Air Act should police us.
Now the Trump administration wants to get rid of the Clean Air Act entirely, which complicates things but it will all end up in a long, long
trial
MACFARLANE: Yes and it's worth remembering, isn't it?
This just come off the heels of the hottest summer on record. So I mean, yes, somewhat depressing. Bill Weir, thank you very much.
WEIR: You bet.
MACFARLANE: All right, let's get you up to speed on some of the other stories that are on our radar right now.
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MACFARLANE (voice-over): U.S. senator Mitch McConnell returned to Congress on Monday after a three-month absence.
The 84-year old arrived in a wheelchair, looking noticeably thinner. He had been recovering from a fall and other health issues. McConnell announced
last year he would not run for reelection.
U.S. military officials have confirmed that it has deployed weapons in space. Air Force secretary Troy Meink said Monday the weapons will defend
American forces against potential threats.
[10:50:06]
It's unclear when the military put the weapons into orbit or what types of weapons it deployed.
Just days into the U.K.'s new academic year, Prince Harry and Meghan are switching their children's school. The couple's spokesperson tells CNN it's
for security practicalities.
The Duke and Duchess of Suffolk moved back to Britain last month with their children after living in California for six years.
And we are back after a quick break. Stay with us.
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MACFARLANE: Television's biggest stars took to the stage at the 78th Emmy awards last night, where Apple TVs "Widow's Bay" was the night's biggest
winner, taking home more awards than any other show, including Outstanding Comedy Series. CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister has more on the ceremony from Los
Angeles.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: I'm backstage at the primetime Emmy awards, where it was a big night for "Widow's Bay," "The
Pitt" and "DTF St. Louis," topping the three major categories of the night.
But the biggest winner was "Widow's Bay," walking away with the most trophies from the Emmys, winning in Best Comedy and also winning for many
of its stars, Matthew Rhys, Stephen Root and Kate O'Flynn.
Now Matthew Rhys was one of the history-making actors tonight at the Emmys. He becomes the first actor to win for two leading roles in the same year.
He won for "Widow's Bay" and also for Netflix's "The Beast in Me."
Now another history maker, Jean Smart, who won for the fifth and final season of "Hacks." She became the first woman in Emmy history to win for
every single season of a series.
Now Allison Janney, she was a surprise winner, of course, well deserved but even she herself was shocked. I spoke to her backstage after she won for
her role in "The Diplomat" and she told me that she did not think at all that she was going to win.
This became her eighth Emmy. Now she is tied for the most acting Emmys, along with other actresses like Cloris Leachman and Julia Louis-Dreyfus and
also Jean Smart.
Now Mariska Hargitay was the host of the night. She had a ton of outfit changes. You could tell that she had a ton of fun and, of course, she had
to bring some of her famous friends along. Of course, she's probably the most famous fan of the Knicks these days and Jalen Brunson made an
appearance, as well as her friend Taylor Swift.
Now Taylor was not actually here but she had pre-taped a fun skit that was in the theme of "Law & Order SVU," Mariska Hargitay's show. But Taylor
Swift was actually a little busy at her husband, Travis Kelce's, game. The Chiefs had their first game of the season tonight, so she was a little
busy. It was a great night here at the Emmys. Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MACFARLANE: Very pleased for Allison Janney. Great stuff. And Jean Smart as well. Now "Star Wars" fans will have a chance to own a piece of
franchise history. But that nostalgia won't come cheap.
An exhibit in Japan offers a preview of what organizers hope will be a record-breaking sale for the Star Wars memorabilia. Among the props and
costumes on display is a lightsaber used by Darth Vader in "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi."
The last time it was sold at auction, it sold for $3.6 million. The exhibit runs through next month, with the auction set for November.
I think I'll be getting mine on Amazon.
And that is it for us here at CONNECT THE WORLD from me and the team. Do stay with us. "ONE WORLD" is coming up after the break.
END
