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Trump Addresses United Nations Seven Months Into Iran War; Trump: I Must Decide Whether To "Annihilate" Iran; Trump: Election "Doesn't Even Enter My Mind" In Iran Thinking; GOP Senate Candidates In Michigan, Iowa Say Iran War Should End; Today: Ex-V.P. Harris Hits Campaign Trail With El-Sayed In Michigan; NY Times: Bush, Cornyn Host Fundraiser For GOP Senate Candidates But Exclude Paxton. Aired 12- 12:30p ET

Aired September 22, 2026 - 12:00   ET

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

[12:00:15]

DANA BASH, CNN HOST, INSIDE POLITICS: President Trump defends the war in Iran on the world stage as a new CNN poll shows just one in four Americans approve of how he's handling it.

I'm Dana Bash. Let's go behind the headlines at Inside Politics.

President Trump just finished his first address to the United Nations since the war in Iran began seven months ago. Speaking to the General Assembly of world leaders at the United Nations, he cast himself as a peacemaker and Iran as a bully and issued another threat to drive them into hell if a deal isn't reached.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: I have a big decision to make. Will a deal be made with Iran that lets them rebuild and create a far greater country than it ever was before, maybe one of the greatest in the Middle East or even the world. Or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: And this morning, a newly released CNN poll shows approval for President Trump's handling of the war in Iran fell to 33 percent. This is a war he promised would last for just a few weeks. Instead, it is upending the world.

I want to get right to CNN's chief White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins, who is live at the United Nations. Even though CNN has been banned from the White House, from the presidential pool, we were credentialed by the U.N. to cover President Trump's speech. Kaitlan, this whole message that he had on Iran is quite telling, particularly given the fact that most people in that room did not agree.

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR & CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. It's also just remarkable that he's delivering that speech, acknowledging the war after, of course, when it started back in February, the president and a lot of his senior aides predicted it would only last about four to six weeks before coming to an end, and of course now we are about seven months into that war and the president is facing those tough numbers here at home.

And also addressing these world leaders, a lot of them, Dana, who, as you know, are directly impacted by this war. They're the ones in the region who are facing the attempted drone and missile attacks from Iran that have been happening sometimes intermittently and sometimes regularly over the last several months.

And so as the president is sitting down with those Gulf leaders today, they have real questions about what is going to come next in this war, especially as we're seeing the fighting expand here with the Iranian- backed Houthi rebels that are firing on Saudi Arabia, and the Saudi Arabian crown prince is trying to get the president in the United States to join in those joint strikes, something that the president was considering doing over the weekend, but so far has declined to do.

And I think one of the standout moments as I was listening to the president's speech was talking about what he believes is the choice that he's facing with Iran right now, which is to annihilate Iran, as he put it, or to make a deal with them. And of course, that comes as he's here at the United Nations where the Iranian president is also here, while that war is ongoing with the United States, which in and of itself is just a remarkable dynamic that the president of the United States and the Iranian president, the Iranian leader, are both in the same area, even though officials at the U.S. have not -- in the U.S. have not said whether or not those two plan to sit down.

But Dana, you mentioned those poll numbers and how Americans are feeling about the war. Something that I attempted to ask the president about as he entered the General Assembly this morning. He did not answer that question or address the substance of what's in that poll, but he did address the fact that there is a political aspect to all of this because he said during his speech that he does believe the war will come to an end after the midterm elections, essentially saying that he understands it is affecting his party's chances given the price of diesel and what it's done to inflation here as this is played out.

So, of course, whether or not that actually bears out if it does come to an end after the midterms still remains to be seen, or before then. But it was certainly a key part of the president's speech, as he also touched on other aspects, including artificial intelligence. As he still got a slew of meetings with world leaders here today at the United Nations, though to your point about being credentialed here to cover his speech, the TV camera from a major network will not be in the room for the U.S. side during those one-on-ones with these world leaders because of the president's ban.

[12:05:00]

BASH: Just unbelievable, and we're going to play that the remarks that he made about the midterms in a second. I just also want to say we're glad that you and the rest of our amazing White House team are there doing your jobs as I know that you keep doing. COLLINS: As always.

BASH: As always. Kaitlan, good to see you. Thank you so much for that reporting. I'm joined by a terrific group of reporters on our panel today, and let's get right to what the president specifically said at the United Nations about how the midterm elections relates to the Iran war.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We'll make a deal right after the election because it doesn't make sense for them not to. They're waiting to see how I do in the midterm election. What they don't realize is that I'm not running. I did that already and won in a landslide. We won in a giant landslide, and I'll be here for two and a half years. The Republican Party is running and I'll be helping them. But I am not running. I gave absolutely no credence and will not give credence to the election when it comes to Iran. It doesn't even enter my mind.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Asma Khalid that was just a remarkable statement by the president, not only because of where he said it at the United Nations, but obviously what he said, laying out there in a way that -- I don't think we've heard before that he thinks that Iran is keeping this going through the midterm elections, understanding that the Strait of Hormuz and what is happening there and the conflict which continues is hurting America -- not only people around the globe but also for his political purposes at home, people in the key states that are going to the polls in six weeks.

ASMA KHALID, CO-HOST, THE GLOBAL STORY PODCAST, BBC: Yeah. And we've heard, you know, the president refer a couple of times here to the midterms and the Iranians' desire to wrap things up after the midterms. I've heard that, and every time he says it, it does really confound me because ultimately the president had also promised the American public that this would be a quick operation. His timeline keeps stretching out.

And what I have on my mind, Dana, is ultimately whether or not the Iranians have a timeline. The American public does have a timeline. We have consistently seen polling that suggests they are frustrated, majority, not all, by this war, and they are frustrated by the high cost of gas. And you see that -- you see that in polling, you see that in gas averages. And so, I think the conundrum for the president is maybe he's articulating what the Iranian timeline is, but the president does have to work with the American public's timeline.

And right now, I think that there has been added pressure on him to wrap up this war, primarily at the outset from Democrats. But as you suggest, some of the polling that we saw just now from CNN suggests that that is also dwindling support we're seeing from Republicans as well.

BASH: Yeah. And let's look at that exact figure here, Marc Caputo. This new poll that came out this morning in March, the president's approval of handling of Iran, all adults 33 percent, Republicans 73 percent. Now, everybody is just 26 percent, but it's really the Republican number that's one to watch. Down 16 percentage points since March, members of his own party, Marc?

MARC CAPUTO, SENIOR POLITICS REPORTER, AXIOS: Well, yeah, because the price of gas has gone up and there's no great mystery here. Americans don't really pay a lot of attention to Iran. They never really have. One of the complications of launching the war was Trump didn't sort of prepare the intellectual, the informational battle space of saying to the American public, here's why we need to do this and here's why we're going in.

In fact, he started to kind of do that today, when he mentioned that Iran had this conventional and unconventional ballistic missile shield they were building and that they could then hide behind that and then build their nuclear capabilities. That's a message that I think, if he had an opportunity to go over again and prepare the information space, that would have been drilled in a little more.

But even so, there's only so much appetite Americans have for foreign wars when they start hurting their pocketbooks. And there's a daily scoreboard, where every day people drive by the gas station, even if they have a Tesla, and they can see the cost of gasoline, and they know even if they have a Tesla or an electric vehicle that while I might not be paying that, other people are and that's filtering through the economy. It's causing inflation to spike and it's problematic.

[12:10:00]

BASH: Yeah. And of course, that's just part of it. The other part is the way that the ramifications of the high cost of gas, diesel is affecting people in their jobs. Let's just take Iowa, for example. This is a place that Donald Trump, as we've said before on the show, and I'll repeat again because it's so important has done so well in for the last 10 years. It was a purple state that he pretty much turned red.

Ashley Hinson, who is the Republican candidate for Senate, trying to keep this seat red, released a statement saying the following. Iowans are being squeezed and shouldn't have to foot the bill at the pump or the checkout line for the war in Iran. We need to use every option at our disposal to provide some relief from high prices. She went on to say these actions to lower costs are needed ASAP and the war needs to be brought to a successful and immediate end. So, this last part, successful and immediate end.

Now let's go up a little further north to Mike Rogers and listen to his language, which my colleague John Berman pointed out this morning is very similar. He said the war in Iran needs to end to bring costs down, but Michigan families can't afford to wait. Here's what we can do, place a temporary embargo on diesel exports. American energy should provide relief to American families first.

So, Ayesha, you see these Republican candidates who recognize that this is a huge drag on their candidacy, trying to find ways to, in some cases, kind of gingerly separate themselves from the president, but also, Mike Rogers coming up with at least some idea that he can hang his hat on.

AYESHA RASCOE, HOST, NPR "WEEKEND EDITION SUNDAY" AND "UP FIRST": Well, they have to do something, right? They've been dealt politically a bad hand. Whatever you think of the Iran war, this is a very difficult thing for them to have to deal with. And I think that it's interesting. You've had Trump, you know, constantly saying, oh, I'll annihilate Iran. I'll -- and those words are very serious.

But at the end of the day, it seems like I think people, even in his own party, are like, OK, listen, if you're going to end this war, end it. Or are you selling wolf tickets, as they say where I'm from? Basically, are you just talking? If this is going to end, why not just end it? But the fact of the matter is, is that Iran has a say in this too, and it doesn't seem like the U.S. actually can just end it.

BASH: Right, because the Strait of Hormuz is still, despite what they're saying, not fully open. We're going to take a break, but as we go to break, I just want to show one other data point from CNN's new poll, which is quite telling and its approval of Trump's handling of foreign affairs. In March of 2025, beginning of the term, it was 42 percent. Before the war, 39 percent. Look at it now, 29 percent. That is what the president is facing as he's at the United Nations today.

Don't go anywhere. Coming up, Kamala Harris is back on the campaign trail, trying to help Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan. He tells CNN why he wants her there, next. And plus, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says in politics you often only get one shot. Is 2028 hers? The new interview that is fueling fresh White House buzz.

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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BASH: In some big Senate races, Democrats are telling Kamala Harris, stay away. Others want her help. Like in Michigan, where Abdul El- Sayed will campaign with the former vice president this afternoon at a maternal health event in Detroit. This morning, El-Sayed told our Arlette Saenz why he wants her there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ABDUL EL-SAYED, (D) MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATE: We've got to bring as many folks in as we possibly can to take on the challenges that we face, and even where there had been disagreements in the past, the things that unite us as Democrats are so much bigger. I think her presence here, speaking to communities that were really empowered by her voice throughout her political career. I think will help us to continue to bring our coalition together and build the broadest possible coalition to defeat Mike Rogers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Ayesha, what is your take on this -- on this visit and what it means and what it says about what El-Sayed really needs?

RASCOE: I think, El-Sayed needs to shore up his support with the black community, and I think that's part of the reason why you have someone like Kamala Harris out in the forefront. I believe that he needs like that, you know, that is such a big part of the base, and he needs to get people fired up. And I think that you're seeing that now.

But I also think that in having Harris come out, you're kind of seeing that there's this identity crisis happening with the Democratic Party, and who are they? Yes, they're saying they're united, but you have Harris, who was painted as this very liberal Democrat, but also, I mean, but in many ways was more of a moderate and then you have El- Sayed who is, you know, a very progressive, and they're out there campaigning together. But who is the face of the Democratic Party, and I think that's a question.

[12:20:00]

BASH: Yeah. That is a question. But I think that you're right that in this situation, it's about making sure that the base at least gets -- takes a look at El-Sayed, the base that he did not get in the primary against Haley Stevens because he lost four of the Michigan counties that have the largest African American populations.

And Asma, I just want to put up on the screen for our viewers just how critical the black vote is really everywhere for Democrats, but especially in Michigan. In 2020, Joe Biden won with 92 percent of the vote in Michigan. In 2024, Kamala Harris got 87 percent. It's a huge percentage, but it diminished, and we know that she did not win in 2024 there. And then, as it relates to El-Sayed, this is a poll from CNN last month that looks at likely black Michigan voters. The favorable is 66 percent, unfavorable only 2 percent, no opinion 32 percent. So, a third of these voters didn't yet have an opinion of El- Sayed, and that is what Kamala Harris is trying to change.

KHALID: Yeah. I mean, at 32 percent, I'll say, Dana, is higher than I would have expected, and I would argue that if you are Abdul El-Sayed, that's a better position to be in than those who have an unfavorable opinion because at least there's room for growth with that and that's what they are anticipating Kamala Harris could help do.

Look, I mean, I agree with Ayesha that I think in many ways, midterms are often seen as a referendum on the president in power, and no doubt this midterm election is that. But I think what is unique to me about this midterm race that feels really different than 2018 is that it is also a midterm race in which we are seeing tensions in the Democratic Party to figure out who they are and what type of party they want to be as we inch closer to 2028.

Look, I'll also say that I think that some would make the case that this is mutually beneficial for Kamala Harris and Abdul El-Sayed. She -- as she thinks about maybe what she's going to do in the future, needs to boost her progressive bona fides, her progressive credentials. And I would argue that some of the primaries this cycle have shown us that the war in Gaza was a frustration for some Democratic voters, and she did face, you know, opposition in terms of the uncommitted vote and that is something I reported on in Michigan that cycle.

At the same time, Abdul El-Sayed, as we heard, really does need to boost support amongst African American voters, and maternal health is an area where they agree upon. But I will agree with everyone here and say that I do think that the African American vote is key. I mean, we looked at those last two election cycles. I can go back to 2016 and reporting on Hillary Clinton's loss in the state. You really need black voters as a Democrat to do well in the state.

BASH: And that is a demographic that Mike Rogers has been trying to reach out to. He said desperate times call for desperate measures. Conman Abdul is so desperate, he's bringing Kamala Harris to Michigan to save his campaign after leading the uncommitted movement, which you mentioned, Asma, against her in 2024.

Marc, though, I do want to change tack here and talk a little bit about what's going on way further south in Texas because the fact that former President George W. Bush, a Texan, and John Cornyn, a senator whom Ken Paxton, the now Republican nominee for Senate beat. They are having some fundraisers, and they are raising money. This is -- I'm going to put it up for the New York Times, without raising money for Paxton. They're intentionally leaving him out of their -- of their efforts. Now with Cornyn, OK, kind of makes sense. It was a very bitter race, and he really still wants to be senator. The Bush of it all is fascinating.

CAPUTO: Well, yeah. Let's remember that George W. Bush's nephew, Governor Jeb Bush -- former Governor Jeb Bush, my former governor here in Florida. George P. Bush ran against Ken Paxton and lost in a rather bitter primary for attorney general. For those of us who have covered the Bushes for a while, this doesn't come as that much of a shock. And the reality is, is that there is still an old line of Bush community of conservatives in Texas, a little more business oriented.

BASH: Absolutely.

CAPUTO: And just they don't like the scandal and the tawdriness that surrounds Ken Paxton. Now the fact is, is that Ken Paxton is probably not going to have that much of a money problem. The president of the United States did that in Texas, but what we're seeing throughout the nation is that, while Republicans are banking on this big cash advantage to small Democrats, it's running up against the financial realities people are experiencing at the pump, which we referenced in the last segment.

[12:25:00]

And Paxton has an additional problem, which again is this sort of scandal-plagued nature. And also, he's not that great of a campaigner. I mean, even President Trump, when he talks about Paxton, just delights him talking about what a slobby looks like, how he dresses badly, he looks kind of odd. So that's also not great. And when you're the Bushes and you're looking at this like, do you really want to help out? And I think they've answered that question. No.

BASH: All right, guys, stand by. Coming up, could the Ohio voters who kicked Sherrod Brown out of the Senate just two years ago. Vote him right back in. We'll get some inside scoop from someone who's covered Ohio politics for decades. Stay with us.

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