Return to Transcripts main page
Erin Burnett Outfront
Trump Refuses To Allow CNN On Air Force One Amid Crackdown; FlyDubai Suspect New Details; Follow The Money. Aired 7-8p ET
Aired October 01, 2026 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[19:00:21]
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: OUTFRONT next:
Trump heads to Texas trying to save his candidate from losing to James Talarico as the White House again prevents CNN from fully doing its job on Trump's trip, refusing to allow the network on Air Force One. The lawyer representing CNN is OUTFRONT tonight.
Plus, new details about the suspect in the FlyDubai attack as Trump claims Iran could be to blame. We've got the very latest here, some new developments this moment.
And following the money. A CNN investigation reveals that while Jared Kushner is taking the lead in negotiating a Mideast peace deal, his company has a major stake in a firm linked to the Israeli military.
Let's go OUTFRONT.
(MUSIC)
BURNETT: And good evening. I'm Erin Burnett.
And OUTFRONT tonight, the breaking news. The judge in the White House media ban case setting a new court date for the same day that CNN's temporary restraining order against the White House expires. Now, if the judge does not extend that order, CNN, along with other media outlets, could lose their credentials again.
This is Trump prevents CNN today from fully doing its job, refusing to allow the network on Air Force One as part of its travel pool duties. Trump traveled to Texas today to try to help his hand-picked Senate candidate Ken Paxton, giving him this ringing endorsement.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Because he could be a pain in the ass sometimes, I'll be honest. Is he here, by the way? Oh, there he is. Good. I didn't even know if he's here. I don't care.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Paxton is in a very tight race with Democrat James Talarico. Now, of course, Texas you would think of as a red state and with Senator John Cornyn in place, it seemed that it was reliably so. It has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1994, but according to a brand-new Fox News poll that just came out, Paxton is struggling. This is neck and neck, 49 percent, Talarico in the Fox poll up by two points, 51 percent, and that's within the margin of error.
But that's not what you expect in Texas and Paxton is blaming Trump and his midterm convention.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
KEN PAXTON (R), TEXAS SENATE CANDIDATE: So, to be honest with you, the numbers -- when we did that convention -- it dropped our numbers. Everybody's numbers dropped. Right now, yeah, not good.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
BURNETT: And Paxton's problems are with Republicans. Paxton was indicted on charges of felony securities fraud. He struck a deal after being impeached in the Republican controlled Texas House. He was accused of, among other things, bribery and obstruction of justice. He was actually only saved from impeachment by Republicans in the state senate. Paxton also faces disturbing allegations of infidelity.
His candidacy in such limbo that "Axios" is tonight reporting that the GOP just spent a staggering $131 million in 17 days to boost Paxton -- $131 million in 17 days in Texas. In fact, Paxton is reportedly outspending Talarico by nearly five to one.
So, today, Trump was confronted with the fact that Paxton seems to be blaming Trump's convention for his drop in the polls.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REPORTER: If Ken Paxton is telling people behind closed doors that he thinks the convention hurt his poll numbers, why go to Texas?
TRUMP: Well, I'll tell you why. We have to win this election. That convention, you were there. That convention was a tremendous success. We beat the NFL by four times.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: OK. Just as a point of fact, that is categorically untrue. Trump's convention did not beat the NFL by four times. In fact, if you look at the ratings, the NFL rated more than eight times higher than Trump's convention.
The NFL game, the specific game that was on at the same time as Trump's convention speech, so Trump's own speech, right, drew more than 25 million viewers. That's the NFL game. Trump's speech reached about three million viewers.
So, Trump making a baseless claim like that is just a small example of why it is important that CNN is there for the stops that Trump makes and the questions that involve the president of the United States. It's part of our job to hold him accountable. Now, that is something, though, that Trump does not like. In a new
interview with "Time Magazine", Trump is clearly frustrated with questions about the war in Iran, the economy, and projects like the White House ballroom renovations.
He said to the editor and reporter, quote, "You haven't asked me one effing positive question. All of this. What about this? What about that? What about that? What about this? All negative."
Now, Trump's -- "Times" editor-in-chief, I'm sorry, I will join me in just a moment with more on the explosive interview. They spent about two hours total with the president because the question tonight is whether Trump will succeed where his defense secretary Pete Hegseth has.
[19:05:04]
Hegseth has replaced virtually every news organization at the Pentagon with more Trump-friendly outlets, outlets including for MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell's network, outlets which ask questions more along these lines.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REPORTER: Now that your administration -- and congratulations -- have secured peace in Africa to a bloody, horrific war that's caught on for decades and no other president could do it, do you think the mainstream media will finally --
TRUMP: I'm telling you.
REPORTER: Will you guys also consider releasing the president's fitness plan? He actually looks healthier than ever before. Healthier than he did eight years ago, and I'm sure everybody in this room could agree. Is he working out with Bobby Kennedy, and is he eating less McDonald's?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: We are in a war. Diesel prices are up. Gas prices are up. There's a lot going on, and that's why real questions matter.
Ed Lavendera is OUTFRONT in Denton, Texas, where Trump just appeared.
And, Ed, just to emphasize here, we've got a few weeks before the midterms. The president of the United States, a Republican, is in Texas. And "Axios" reporting that $131 million spend, all of which would have gone to other traditionally more competitive races than Texas should ever be.
But Texas is competitive. How worried should Paxton be?
ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I don't think there's any question Republicans here in Texas are worried about how things are going to play out over the course of the next few weeks. It is significant and really staggering that the president of the United States, the leader of the Republican Party, would have to come here at this stage in the midterm campaigns to support and campaign for the Republican Senate candidate.
There have been a number of high-profile Republican operatives who have said over the last few weeks that if it was John Cornyn who had been the nominee, this race would not be close at all. But as you mentioned, Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico has been doing well in the polls there. They have been -- they have raised a lot of money.
But we are now starting to see, Erin, Republicans having to send a bunch of money here to Texas for campaign ads trying to go after James Talarico in this race, and that is only going to intensify here in the weeks ahead as we get closer to the midterm campaign.
So, it was really significant. Ken Paxton, as we talked about that that audio recording where he talked about how the midterm convention he feels he was telling donors felt that had hurt his campaign. And so, this was the first time these two men had been in the room together.
We saw Ken Paxton arrive here probably about 45 minutes before the event that he was just off stage with a number of other politicians like Senator Ted Cruz and a number of others and several times throughout the speech this evening, Donald Trump kept urging the crowd to support Ken Paxton.
So, clearly, the president feels and understands the importance of making sure that the Republicans hold on to this seat here in Texas -- Erin.
BURNETT: Yep, yep. Right, a seat that without Trump's involvement would be John Cornyn's to defend.
Thank you very much, Ed Lavendera.
And I want to go now to Ted Boutrous. He's the attorney representing CNN, "Politico" and MS NOW in the case against the White House.
So, Ted, I appreciate your time as everyone's trying to understand what happens here. The White House again today prevented CNN from fully doing its job in covering the president, and a judge has scheduled the next hearing in the case, which is the day that the temporary restraining order runs out.
So, can you just explain what happens if the judge does not extend the temporary restraining order, which has, you know, essentially allowed CNN to do its job?
TED BOUTROUS, JR., ATTORNEY REPRESENTING CNN, MS NOW, AND POLITICO: If the judge does not extend the temporary restraining order, then we would immediately appeal to the D.C. Circuit because that would mean that President Trump's ban on the free press, as he calls it, is back in force. We believe that violates due process, the First Amendment, and we would immediately seek relief.
D.C. Circuit law is very clear on this, and we think that the preliminary injunction is going to be granted.
BURNETT: Okay, so you initially told the court that Trump, quote, "keeps proving our point. He is really our lead witness here." And you said that that was because Trump declared over and over that, quote, coverage was too negative.
Now, that -- I just want to remind you of that in the context of this new "Time" interview because he did this repeatedly and in his interview with "Time". I'll read again one of the operative lines. He said, "You haven't asked me one effing positive question. All of this. What about this? What about that? What about that? What about this? All negative."
How will this play into your argument?
BOUTROUS: This will be featured in our argument significantly. We have a reply brief we'll be filing Monday after the government files its brief tomorrow. If I had been taking the president's deposition and had gotten him to say the things he said in that "Time" interview, I would be popping champagne corks tonight because he made clear he was discriminating against CNN in particular and MS NOW and "Politico" because of their viewpoint.
[19:10:06]
He said it over and over again. He thinks the reporting is too negative. That violates the First Amendment. And he said it over and over again. I think the editor or reporter tried to change the subject to Iran and he came back to it again.
So, it's clear this is First Amendment retaliation.
BURNETT: So he was also asked by time in this interview whether he's ignoring the judge's order. You know, as we talk about CNN instance today, even not being able to fully fulfill its duties.
So, when he was asked about ignoring the order, he said, quote, "I'm not ignoring his order. I'm just saying that when I don't have to go out of my way, these people write only bad stories. When they say orders, what order? I'm not even aware."
So, at that point, Ted, his communications director, steps in and says, quote, "The judge basically ordered them to renew their access back to the White House, but that's different than allowing the pool into the events in the Oval Office or on Air Force One," to which Trump then asks, I guess, to his press attache, "He actually said to the premises of the White House?"
So, I guess I'm curious, Ted, when you look at this exchange, are you surprised, first of all, that Trump did not seem to know the actual order that he's supposed to be complying with?
BOUTROUS: I was surprised by that, and one would think that the White House counsel and the Justice Department would make sure he knew the consequences of his ban and the order, and it doesn't sound like he does. BURNETT: So, my second question then, okay, comes back to part of what I read a moment ago from the press attache Stephen Cheung. He said access to the White House is different than access to the Oval Office or Air Force One.
So, Ted, can you just explain, why is it so important for CNN and all the other media organizations to have access to all of those places, places like Air Force One?
BOUTROUS: We think it's extremely important. First of all, there's a long tradition of reporters being on Air Force One. CNN's been part of the pool for 45 years on Air Force One, serving as the eyes and ears of the American people. And same with the Oval Office, number one.
Number two, President Trump has basically turned Air Force One into a flying briefing room where he takes questions and banters with reporters. Reporters ask tough questions. So, it's super important for the reporters to have that access to hold President Trump accountable, to find out what he's thinking, to find out his rationale for what he's doing.
And the bottom line of the First Amendment is it's meant to ensure that the American people get the information they need to govern themselves in a democracy. And by singling out these journalists, that means President Trump could do it to someone else tomorrow. A different president could do it to a different news organization. That's just totally against First Amendment principles and very important to get everybody back in there reporting.
BURNETT: All right, that's certainly the case.
Ted, thank you very much. I appreciate your time.
BOUTROUS: Thanks for having me.
BURNETT: And OUTFRONT now, the editor-in-chief of "Time", Sam Jacobs. He was one of the two journalists who did that interview with Trump. This is his first national interview about it.
So, Sam, I mean, you had a lot of headline, major headline, getting conversation for "Time". And I want to get to that. But I want to read one of the things he said to you again here.
He says to you, "You haven't asked me one effing positive question." And he obviously used the real word. "All of this. What about this? What about that? What about that? What about this? All negative."
How consumed was he about how he was being covered?
SAM JACOBS, EDITOR IN CHIEF, TIME MAGAZINE: This is probably the twelfth time we've interviewed President Trump since he started running for president in 2015. As you know, as your audience knows, the president is fully engaged with his media coverage, has a lot of thoughts and feelings about it.
I think he at the moment was frustrated because he feels like his story is not getting through. You look at the polling numbers, he's at the lowest of his career. You look at, you know, there's a number that came from "The Wall Street Journal" that this is the lowest a president has polled since 1990 ahead of the midterms.
And he thinks part of the reason why those numbers are so bad is because of us. He thinks that the media isn't correctly telling his story. The back and forth of the White House press corps is certainly an example of that.
But the paradox of President Trump is he loves spending time with journalists. We spent two hours with him, walking through the White House grounds, 75 minutes in the Oval Office talking about his presidency. And so, I think he's stuck between wanting to tell his story, knowing that the media is a key part of that, certainly knowing that the media validates him in some ways, being obsessed with his coverage, wanting to be on the cover of magazines, wanting to be seen in newspapers.
And so, while he does get frustrated from time to time, and as you said, uses colorful language to express his frustration, I think he certainly enjoys being in the press.
BURNETT: I mean, that is the thing, right? If -- people think, okay, if you think that, then why spend time with you?
[19:15:03]
Why even bring you in that?
But as you said, two hours together, 75 minutes of an interview, and you've put out the entire transcript because that's a lot, right? You can edit it, you can write articles.
But you wanted everybody to see word for word what he said, which by the way is exactly the kinds of things he says he wants. Show me, show me unvarnished. You did that.
It often reads as disjointed. It reads often as he does not finish his thoughts. He returns to things that are not even under discussion again and again.
What was his demeanor?
JACOBS: Readers can make up their mind, their impression from the transcript. One of the reasons we put it out there is for people to be able to see that and to decide what they think about. Certainly, the president has complained in the past about editing of his comments. And so, we're saying here, look, this is what he said, this is what he was like.
He's running all over the world right now. If you think about where he was over the past week, he was here at the United Nations in New York. He was hosting the Chinese delegation in Washington.
He took in a football game. He took in a golf tournament. He then got home at ten o'clock before our conversation and had dinner with Dario Amodei and his wife. Probably went to bed around midnight, 1:00 a.m. And then as he told us in our interview, was up at 5:00 a.m.
So, I think, by the end of the conversation, I think he was tired, but I think anyone moving that much, working that much would be tired too.
BURNETT: Yeah. So you talk about the covers, okay? And I mean, gosh, I'm trying to think back to the first time I met him. It's over 20 years ago now. And his covers, magazine covers were up in his office, then office at Trump Tower.
He cares about covers. He cares a lot about "Time" covers, okay, specifically. And I believe if I'm correct, that your cover that you're just doing now with him is a record setter. It's the 56th time that he has appeared on the cover of "Time Magazine".
Now, that's more than any other person with Trump surpassing Richard Nixon. People can think about that, they will, but Nixon was the other one. And he cares, right? And he brings it up. I mean, I've actually heard him in conversations bring up being on "Time".
Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: To be on the cover of "Time Magazine" as the Person of the Year is a tremendous honor.
I've been on the cover of "Time Magazine" a lot lately.
"Time Magazine" did a cover story with me this week. It's one of the best stories I've ever read about myself, and it's really not about -- it's true. But it's really not about myself. It's really about you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: How much did he care about the cover?
JACOBS: You'd have to ask him, but you have his own words there to answer your question. He's certainly someone who has always wanted to be on the cover of "Time Magazine".
We go back and I reread the first time he was on the cover in 1989. And what's remarkable is that his voice is the same. The way that he talks about himself, the way that he describes how he works in the world. This is the same person.
And "Time" is a publication that cares very much about influence, about leadership. Eight of the top 10 people who have been on the cover of "Time" more often than anyone else are United States presidents. One of the top 10, of course, is Jesus.
So, Trump wants to be in the company of these great leaders, and I think he sees "Time" as a validation of that.
BURNETT: I don't know. You just put Jesus, Richard Nixon, and Donald Trump on the same list of "Time". I don't know what to make of that. But there is an exchange among many in here, but this one getting a
lot of attention. You asked Trump or he regrets picking the Supreme Court justices he picked, given that there have been certain crucial moments where they have not voted in his favor, he says to you quote, yeah, yeah, what can I do? I put them in. They voted against me too often.
I was very -- I gave them the position of a lifetime and they vote against me often. They vote for me too.
The Democrats stick like glue. Those three they virtually never vary. You can come up with the worst thing in the world, and they'll vote as a group. And while I don't like it, there's something I admire about it. There's loyalty.
What does that say about his current mindset?
JACOBS: I think that's pure Trump. I think it is absolutely true, and I don't think he's hiding his views on this.
He prizes loyalty. He expects from the people who he puts in position of power to be thinking about him first and foremost. And so, I think it's upsetting to him, as you hear, that the Supreme Court justices haven't voted with him as he sees it every single time.
BURNETT: All right. Well, Sam, thank you very much. And I hope, as I said, that everyone really want -- 75 minutes is a long conversation, and I hope they read the whole the whole transcript so that they can make their mind up. Thank you so much.
JACOBS: Thank you.
BURNETT: And next breaking news, CNN obtaining heart-stopping new video showing what happened seconds after passengers stormed the cockpit of the FlyDubai plane.
Plus, a CNN investigation into what could be a major conflict of interest when it comes to the man leading Trump's efforts to strike a Middle East peace deal. CNN traced the investments of just one company that Jared Kushner's firm has a large stake in and found links to the Israeli military.
And "The New York Times", sifting through hundreds of pages of emails, texts, and interviews from Cornell University's investigation into the alleged gang rape, what did the young woman known as Jane Doe, say about that night? The reporter who broke that story is OUTFRONT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:24:13]
BURNETT: Breaking news, CNN obtaining dramatic new footage showing the seconds after passengers entered the cockpit and seized control of the FlyDubai plane yesterday. Just listen to some of this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sit down!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do we have any doctor on board?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I need to help him, I need to help him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: All right, that video coming as President Trump said this when asked if the suspected attacker is linked to the government of Iran.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: I would say the answer based on what I'm hearing is yes, but we're working on it right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was too early to say if the attacker has ties to Iran.
Jeremy Diamond is OUTFRONT.
And, Jeremy, what do we know about the suspected attacker at this point where he is?
[19:25:04]
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, this suspected attacker is now in Emirati custody after he was extradited from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates. This not only puts the investigation now in Emirati hands, but will also presumably give Israel a closer look and role into this ongoing investigation, given the close security partnership between Israel and the UAE.
And they have their work cut out for them, because investigators and intelligence agencies across this region are still working to piece together the exact motivations that drove the copilot of this flight to seemingly attempt to hijack the plane and perhaps to try and carry out what Israeli officials have described as an attempted terrorist attack.
Now, the Israeli prime minister, he has said that the attacker underwent radical Islamist indoctrination, but he hasn't provided any details for that, and he's also said that the exact motives remain unclear.
Then enter President Trump, who, as you just saw there, has suggested that this attack may be linked to Iran. Netanyahu is saying that it's too early to tell.
Now there's also questions about the weapon that was used in this attack there's been suggestions that it was a knife others have suggested it could have been the crash ax that would have been inside of that cockpit of the plane. I spoke to a woman tonight who was taking her daughter to the bathroom as this began to unfold. And when that door flung open, she tells me that she saw that copilot with a knife in his hands stabbing the captain of the plane. But again, there are different accounts of that.
And of course, lastly, we're still waiting to learn more about the copilot, the attacker in this case himself. So far, all we know from Israeli officials is that he's an Omani national, but his identity has yet to be publicly disclosed -- Erin.
BURNETT: Jeremy, thank you very much.
And OUTFRONT now, Chris Swecker, former assistant director of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division.
And Chris, I'm grateful for you being with us.
So, I guess it's unclear whether Iran is involved in this or not. We obviously don't have enough information. You're kind of hearing one thing and another. But if Iran is behind it, from what you saw happen and who's involved at this early stage, is that a sign of more or less organization from Tehran than you'd expect?
CHRIS SWECKER, FORMER FBI ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIVE DIVISION: I mean, at this point I think we would have some indication that it was an organized event, and I think Iran would actually be taking credit for it. So, we're at early stages in the investigation.
I don't think Trump's statement was very definitive, and I think Netanyahu was probably more candid in saying that there's some evidence that, and I've heard what that evidence is, is something about having some animus towards Jews, that this would have been at least presumptively right now a lone wolf terrorist attack.
But there's a lot of work to be done. He had to have a car at the airport somewhere. They're going to tear apart his social media, his contacts, his financial transactions. They got to do international checks with other, you know, other -- between intelligence agencies.
So, there's a lot of work to do here, and I think within a day or two, we'll have a pretty clear picture.
BURNETT: So, you know, FlyDubai is obviously a very well-known airline with a big network, right, in the Middle East and beyond. But there are questions, serious ones, about how the attacker evaded any kind of a vetting process, right?
The Israeli intelligence agency Shin Bet is supposed to vet any airline personnel who fly into the country from the UAE. And, you know, again, as you point out, we don't yet know what's -- what's going to show up on social media and everything else. But how do you think that that this individual got through?
SWECKER: Yeah, I think it was a mistake. I think it was a big miss. For one thing, Omani pilots cannot fly into Israel. There's no
diplomatic relationships between the two countries. But, you know, I've read some and I looked at some information that that may not have been enforced very strictly and that they left it up to the airlines to make that determination.
But clearly, the intelligence services, Shin Bet or the Mossad should have been checking on, if they have that prohibition in place, they should have been checking. And I also think the Civil Transportation Authority had the primary responsibility to do the background checks.
So, there's supposed to be some vetting there, but I don't think it was done. I think it's a gaping vulnerability.
BURNETT: Yeah, certainly. And you think about it, right, 10 flights a day, usually just on that airline alone on that particular route. Chris, thank you very much. I appreciate it.
SWECKER: Thank you, Erin.
BURNETT: Okay, and next, a CNN investigation uncovering that Jared Kushner's company has ties to a firm linked to the Israeli military, a military currently fighting in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran, the same wars that Trump has sent Kushner to do the peace deals for.
[19:30:04]
Plus, "The New York Times" obtaining more than 1,000 pages of material from Cornell University's investigation into the alleged gang rape. What it tells us about that night and what was said afterwards.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: Breaking news, a CNN investigation revealing Jared Kushner tasked by Trump to negotiate peace in Gaza, also with Iran, owns a company with a major stake in a firm linked to the Israeli military. Kushner's private equity company, Affinity Partners, has held the largest stake in an Israeli firm backing businesses involved in Israel's military campaigns.
And as Kushner has acted as front and center, the diplomat, his company has profited handsomely in the hundreds of millions of dollars from its investment in that Israeli firm.
Katie Polglase is OUTFRONT.
[19:35:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATIE POLGLASE, CNN INVESTIGATIVE RESEARCHER (voice-over): Jared Kushner, president Trump's son-in-law, often seen acting as America's unofficial peace envoy to the Middle East.
JARED KUSHNER, UNOFFICIAL U.S. MIDDLE EAST PEACE ENVOY: Why can't the world be better? Why can't there be peace? Why can't there be more prosperity?
POLGLASE (voice-over): But he's also a billionaire private investor.
KUSHNER: The fund is doing great and we've got a great team, great portfolio.
POLGLASE: And a CNN investigation has now found that his firm, Affinity Partners, is the largest shareholder in an Israeli financial giant, backing businesses that provide equipment to the Israeli military equipment.
Equipment that has been used in Israel's wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran, the same wars Trump sent Kushner to resolve. His Israeli investment is the latest in a series of examples where Kushner has blurred the lines between business and politics. The dual roles have drawn sharp criticism from some but Kushner has wholeheartedly embraced it.
KUSHNER: When you get an Arab and Israeli together and they start talking about a business opportunity, they forget about everything else.
POLGLASE (voice-over): It all begins back in January 2021. President Trump leaves office. The next day, Kushner sets up a firm that would become Affinity Partners with financial backing later coming from the Saudi state and then later Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Fast forward to July 2024, Affinity buys a stake in Israeli financial institution Phoenix Financial. Then, in January 2025, days before Trump returns to the White House, Affinity doubles its stake in Phoenix, making it the largest shareholder.
By October 2025, Kushner is publicly involved in politics, standing in Tel Aviv, celebrating the release of the hostages after weeks negotiating a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
POLGLASE: This is perhaps one of the most prominent moments when Kushner is performing both roles as a businessman and a diplomat at the same time.
Here he is, negotiating a peace deal for Gaza while also holding an investment in an Israeli company that is backing some of the very businesses linked to the war in Gaza.
And thanks to Israeli transparency laws, we can see what some of those businesses are.
POLGLASE (voice-over): CNN went through thousands of financial records and amid the hundreds of companies Phoenix invests in. We identified at least nine supplying military equipment for Israel.
Affinity doesn't directly hold a stake in the nine companies CNN identified but it does stand to reap rewards when Phoenix makes a profit from such investments. All nine companies saw their stock market value rise last year. And many said they've seen a material increase in business as a result of the war in Gaza. Phoenix shares in these companies are worth more than $456 million. One of the nine companies was Elbit Systems --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): The IDF also made operational use of the Lahav launcher.
POLGLASE (voice-over): -- Israel's largest arms manufacturer.
We've previously traced Elbit weapons to multiple Israeli strikes that have killed civilians. We also found Israel shipyards on Phoenix's books. They supply warships to the Israeli navy, ships that have repeatedly fired on Gaza.
Further companies include one making gearboxes for Israeli tanks and another making electronic fuses for shells used in Gaza.
POLGLASE: An attorney for Kushner told us Kushner is not involved in Phoenix's decisions on where to invest. He's not on their board and he's never held a management role at the company.
But we found Kushner's relationship with Phoenix is actually a bit more complicated.
POLGLASE (voice-over): He told "Forbes" in September last year he had a very active dialogue with Phoenix, meeting with their team every few weeks.
And an attorney for Kushner told us this was true at the time and that Kushner regularly spoke with Phoenix about the company, broader market trends and potential strategic opportunities.
Here he is talking about how he's encouraged Phoenix to invest in the Gulf.
KUSHNER: Phoenix, which is a monster company, is now looking at investments in Saudi Arabia, investments in UAE.
POLGLASE (voice-over): This encouragement, in fact, goes both ways.
KUSHNER: My investors from the Middle East are now looking at Israel and they're saying, wait a minute, maybe there's a benefit to having these wars done. And they're seeing a good example there.
POLGLASE (voice-over): Around the same time this podcast published, Kushner was working on Trump's 20-point Gaza peace plan. Kushner's attorney told us that Kushner has significantly reduced his interaction with Phoenix management since becoming substantially more engaged in volunteer public service and diplomatic efforts.
Nevertheless, Kushner's held this Israeli investment amid his diplomacy.
In July this year, Kushner's firm cashed in a quarter of its stake in Phoenix for more than $340 million, a return of more than five times its original investment. Kushner's firm, Affinity, still remains Phoenix's largest shareholder. (END VIDEOTAPE)
POLGLASE: Well, Phoenix Financial declined to answer CNN's questions, but a spokesperson did say that the company is regulated and that shareholder value is derived primarily from operating performance rather than investment returns. None of the nine companies we identified commented for this report, and a spokesperson for the White House said that Jared Kushner's personal business activities have nothing to do with his diplomatic engagements -- Erin.
[19:40:03]
BURNETT: Katie, thank you very much. Incredible and powerful reporting.
I want to go to Stephanie Grisham OUTFRONT now, the former Trump White House press secretary.
So, Stephanie, Jared Kushner has said in the past, and I quote, "What people call conflicts of interest, I call experience and trusted relationships." Is that what this is?
STEPHANIE GRISHAM, FORMER TRUMP WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: No, you know, none of this surprises me. I recall back in our Trump administration he had his hands in everything. And another thing in thinking about this story, I remember he used to bring Bibi up as if it was just like an old guy he plays basketball with. He would drop his name so casually.
So, Jared had a way of, you know, making it seem like he was this mover and shaker and don't worry, he'll fix everything. So, you know, I mean, after first Trump administration, as you guys probably know, Affinity Partners was committed $2 billion from Saudi Arabia, and now I believe its assets are around $6 billion.
Meanwhile, he's calling himself a volunteer. I mean, that's great volunteer work if you can get it, I guess, and I don't mean to be glib, but the reason he's a volunteer is because you don't have to then claim and show a lot of the money that you do -- that you make during the time as a temporary public worker.
BURNETT: It's an important point. Now, Trump, as we talk about the money and the money flows, Trump has made more than a billion dollars from his crypto portfolio, Stephanie. And he launched that just days before his second inauguration, right? All these things happening right around that date. But this was just days before.
And now, the firm behind the Trump meme coin is promoting a new contest. They say, Stephanie, that the top 185 Trump meme coin holders the people who purchase the most of Trump's cryptocurrency will be invited to a, quote, "once in a lifetime experience", which is an exclusive dinner with the president of the United States at his private club in Washington, D.C.
So, you know, basically, you know, if you're one of the top 185, you put all this money into Trump, you'll get dinner with him. I'm curious, Stephanie, does Trump believe that there will be any
consequences to this sort of behavior?
GRISHAM: Well, certainly not. Again, you know, he's -- he's pushing the envelope, pushing the envelope to see what he can get away with. And again, I don't mean to be glib, but I'm glad he's so focused on our war in Iran and the economy and the fact that people cannot afford to pay for some of the most basic necessities.
It's tone deaf. People can't afford gas and it's really frustrating, but I would say the scale of the money that has been made by the entire Trump family is it's astounding between real estate event -- investments, crypto as you said, documentaries that Melania did. You've got foreign deals that Trump has done.
I mean, I think the number is around $2 billion that the whole family has made. It's staggering, but again, no one's doing anything about it. The congressional part of our government has ceded all control and you know, as long as they can get away with these things, they're going to continue.
BURNETT: Stephanie, I appreciate you and thank you very much.
GRISHAM: Thanks.
BURNETT: And next, "The New York Times" going through 1,000 pages of documents in the Cornell University alleged gang rape investigation. And tonight, we're learning what the young woman's roommate told investigators. It's changing the story. The reporter who broke all of this is next.
And a humiliating defeat for Trump's Justice Department, who accused the former U.S. Olympian, remember this, of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool. There's a development on this tonight.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:48:16]
BURNETT: Tonight, the New York Times obtaining more than 1,000 pages of material from Cornell University's investigation of the alleged gang rape at a fraternity house. The trove of documents shedding important new light on a case that has captured the nation's attention and international attention. The documents reveal the 20-year-old student referred to as Jane Doe told her roommates about the alleged incident right after it happened. OK? So that is October of 2024.
Right after it happened, she tells them one reportedly saying, quote, "I'd have conversations and she would describe a part of what happened and I would tell her that that is what could be classified as rape." "The Times" says the report shows that Jane Doe was grappling for days with what happened the night of the incident to try to process it, going from shame and blaming herself to recognizing that she believes she was assaulted, according to the report.
The report also reveals Jane Doe was planning to go back to the frat house for a Halloween party after the incident. She ultimately did not attend because the fraternity president told her not to go for her own good.
By November 3rd, about two weeks after the alleged rape, she reportedly texted one of the fraternity members, quote, "Let's be clear that 90 percent of what happened that night was not consensual. I was given more ketamine than I can remember, and I know that I told you I felt uncomfortable, and I didn't know anyone in the room."
The contents of "The New York Times" report were corroborated to CNN by Jane Doe's attorney, who made it clear, quote, We were not responsible for leaking these documents.
Debra Kamin is OUTFRONT now. She is the investigative reporter for "The New York Times" who broke this story.
And, Debra, you know, you get 1,000 pages of documents. You and your team are going through them for, I don't even think it's been 24 hours to go through all of this.
So, hundreds of pages of emails. This is emails. This is text. This is interviews, right? This is the full -- the full shebang.
[19:50:03]
I know that you're saying one of the things that really stands out to you is that she describes, Jane Doe describes the moment that changed her perception of the night, right? I mean, it was a traumatic event. It takes time to process. How do I feel about this? What happened?
And that's what happened to her. And she's looking at an online forum about a week after it happened, and she sees a post about the fraternity where someone writes, they do drugs and gang raped a sophomore. Report them.
DEBRA KAMIN, INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER, THE NEW YORK TIMES: Yes.
BURNETT: That moment was the moment for her?
KAMIN: It was one of the moments. If you look at the documents and you put them together and you trace them, her interview with investigators from the school, plus text messages that she exchanged with her friends and with guys, and then also interviews with the women who were around her that she was confiding in, you can see this arc where her understanding started to change and that moment when she saw that post was a key moment.
It wasn't the only moment. Nothing is ever that simple in cases like this. But after she saw that post, she later told investigators, I have it in front of me.
BURNETT: Yeah.
KAMIN: She said, "That was the first time I'd ever heard the narrative change that I wasn't a whore and that I was assaulted." And she told investigators that when she saw someone else describe what happened to her as a gang rape, it appears when you put the pieces together that she finally allowed herself to consider, wait, was it a gang rape? And then grapple with what that might mean and what she would have to do with that knowledge.
BURNETT: And this is something that as you read this, you realize you can understand that that's how a person would respond, right? When you go through trauma, that it is in a black and white right after it, that it takes the time that you have to think, you have to -- I mean, all of this.
You're also learning about the morning right after it happened, which obviously is prior to the realization that you just spoke about there, but the morning after. What did her roommates tell investigators about that?
KAMIN: So, it's very interesting to read these interviews. She has two female roommates. She also has a big sister, like a mentor at her sorority who was also interviewed.
And they all told investigators, they were talking with her about the events of the night of October 19th. And for these three women who hadn't been through this traumatic event and who all had had their own bad experiences with men in their lives, they understood, or at least they told investigators, they understood that she was not being honest with herself about what had transpired.
One of them said it seemed like she was in shock. She was not really understanding the gravity of what she was saying. So, she was describing the sex acts.
She was describing the ketamine intoxication, the men, but she wasn't putting it together to say wait, maybe I didn't actually consent. Maybe I couldn't consent. She wasn't able to get to that point yet.
BURNETT: Right. And this is the morning after, right? That they, not having gone through the trauma, are able to see it more clearly in that moment than she was.
So, in the documents, you've also got texts from one of the fraternity members days after the alleged rape. So, in this case, he says, I just want to apologize for how things went down the other night. And you report that he and another one of the fraternity members both felt terrible for being -- for being too under the influence of drugs and alcohol to shut it down and kick people out before it got way out of hand.
Jane Doe replied and reassured him, at the end of the day, none of the sexual stuff was. illegal and then now I want you to put all that in context because there's a lot of back and forth but there's also what I mentioned at the beginning of our conversation about the Halloween party that she was going to go back for a Halloween party ultimately didn't because the attorney president said not a good idea he is not one of those alleged to have been involved I think it's important to say that but can you put all this in context?
KAMIN: Yeah, I mean what is so important about this story I think one of the reasons it's hit such a nerve is this is a story that shows that consent is something that can be given but then also taken away in the midst of the same event. So, she's texting with these two guys that she was friendly with and it appears from the documents that she went willingly to have sex with one or two of them and actually was consenting and was OK.
But then as the night went on, there are now questions about whether or not she was able to consent to what happened after and in these initial texts where there those two guys are chatting with her and she's saying it's OK. Nothing was illegal. She's understanding her feelings about the first part of the evening, but her feelings about the second part of the evening continue to evolve as the days go on, and she has conversations with friends and then things around her happen where she starts to see the way she's being talked about on campus and that also affects her understanding.
BURNETT: And I'm sure I can only -- so what did the fraternity brother say to her in their interview?
KAMIN: So, also, the documents we received are really interesting because six of the seven men were also interviewed and we have the text of those conversations. And none of them say, yes, this was a rape or yes, this wasn't consensual, but also none of them really say clearly that they had the strong understanding what was happening.
The investigation that was done at school asked really specific questions about things like how much alcohol was in the cup and also where were you in the room for these sexual acts. But there's very few questions that are like, did you think she could consent? Were you aware that perhaps she was at a place where she couldn't? Those questions were not asked in the initial interviews.
[19:55:01]
And the questions that remained after with her and with the D.A., perhaps that gives us a window into why.
BURNETT: Yeah, why. And that's crucial that those questions were not asked.
KAMIN: Yes.
BURNETT: All right, Debra, thank you very much. Just incredible work, Debra and all of her team going through, as I said, the thousand pages that they've received.
And next, a blow to Trump who wanted his Justice Department to charge an Olympian for allegedly vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool. Remember that? The update, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: Finally, tonight, President Trump's Justice Department permanently blocked from charging former U.S. Olympian David Hearn in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool case. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro admitted when she dropped the vandalism charges against Hearn that it was the government's contractor who was responsible for the damages, but Trump still threatened to bring new charges. Federal Judge Todd Edelman, though strongly scolding the DOJ when announcing the dismissal of the charges, saying, quote, "The government shot first and asked questions later."
Thanks so much for joining us tonight.
"AC360" begins right now.
