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The Situation Room
Soon, Trump Addresses World Leaders at United Nations; Michigan Sen. Candidate Abdul El-Sayed Campaigns in Detroit; Rarest September Nor'easter Brewing to Strike the East Coast. Aired 10-10:30a ET
Aired September 22, 2026 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, President Trump is about to defend the war with Iran at the United Nations, but brand-new CNN polls show American support for the war is slipping, with many saying he's not doing enough to end it.
Plus, momentum in Michigan. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed blames the president's war for the high gas prices. How he's hoping a familiar Democrat will give him a boost at the polls.
And no wrongdoing, a grand jury declines to bring criminal charges for the death of Nolan Wells. How his family is responding this morning.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Also happening now, media solidarity. News outlets, social media influencers, and free speech advocates are showing support for three news organizations, including CNN, that have been banned by the president. How will the U.S. Justice Department respond to a lawsuit demanding we regain access?
Plus, fighting to stay in America. New information about a man shot by ICE while doing deliveries for DoorDash. Why his lawyers say the bullet is still inside him this morning.
And not in my backyard. A U.S. congressman leading the charge against A.I. is calling out the FAA for wanting to use a new A.I. air traffic control system in his district. He's live here in The Situation Room.
Welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer with Pamela Brown, and you're in The Situation Room.
Happening now, President Trump is about to speak at the United Nations despite the White House barring CNN and other news organizations from the presidential press pool. We do have a live signal of the president's remarks provided by U.N. television. We'll monitor his speech and bring you any newsworthy moments as they happen.
CNN's Chief White House Correspondent, the anchor of The Source, Kaitlan Collins, is at the United Nations, as is CNN's Chief National Security Analyst Jim Sciutto. Kaitlan, what is the president expected to focus on in his U.N. speech? KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, obviously this is a moment where the president typically focuses on his role on the world stage, and certainly that has become under a microscope in the last several months amid the war in Iran, something that CNN polling shows today is deeply unpopular here in the United States with two-thirds of Americans who do not believe the United States is actually winning that war.
And so this is the first time the president is addressing these world leaders, as every U.S. president does, of course, every September here at the United Nations, but this is the first time since that war started in February earlier this year. And as the president entered here right behind me where all the world leaders come in, we watched many members of his cabinet, including Secretary Rubio, Secretary Bessent, and others also enter.
As the president came in, he briefly came over to speak to the reporters, who I should note are here because we are credentialed by the United Nations while being blocked by the White House from covering the president, and we asked him this question about that new CNN polling.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Mr. President, two-thirds of Americans -- two-thirds of Americans don't think the U.S. is winning the war with Iran. When will it end?
DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: Well, it's an honor to be here. I'm surprised that CNN is here covering me.
COLLINS: The United Nations allowed us in, sir.
TRUMP: You should not be here covering me. You said you weren't going to cover me. You shouldn't be covering me.
COLLINS: Two-thirds of Americans don't think that the U.S. is winning the war with Iran. When will it end?
TRUMP: And we're making a lot of progress. Our country's doing really, really well. Thank you very much.
COLLINS: American --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Of course, Wolf, as you and Pamela know, we never said we were not going to cover the president. We will do our best to cover him each and every day.
We were actually positioned in this spot last year when the president was here, long before all of this back and forth over access to the White House began, as it did on Friday, and we will continue to cover the president despite their efforts to block CNN from accessing the White House grounds, as we are currently fighting in court. And as that plays out though, of course, what we are watching here are the headlines from the United Nations when it comes to the president's speech and what he does say about the war with Iran because a lot of these world leaders will be listening closely, especially those Gulf leaders, Wolf, who are going to be meeting with the president on the sidelines of this summit today, and also have been some of the most directly impacted by this war in Iran, as they have fired missiles and drones at several of the United States' allies in the region.
So, all of that is something we'll be watching very closely here at the United Nations today. Wolf?
BLITZER: It's really amazing, the United Nations open up -- opens up the door to all the news organizations covering the president who's in New York today for this U.N. speech even as the White House bars news organizations from covering the president of the United States.
[10:05:04]
I want to go to Jim Sciutto right now. Jim, this morning, the Trump administration is saying it's open to meeting with Iranians at the U.N. General Assembly. Here's what the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, is saying. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARCO RUBIO, SECRETARY OF STATE: The president said he's -- he has said that he's open to meeting with anybody. This is a president that will meet with anybody for the most part because he believes that engaging with people is important if you're going to solve problems. Doesn't mean you're going to end up agreeing with them, but it's important.
So, we're open to that. I don't think anything is scheduled at this point, but we're certainly open to something like that especially if it has the prospects of leading to something positive and ultimately achieving the goal of what this is all about, and that is the fact that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. They just simply can't.
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BLITZER: All right, Jim. The president has repeatedly said that Iran is anxious to make a deal. Do you see any evidence of that right now?
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, I don't think you or I certainly the leaders of the nations assembled here see any urgency on Iran's part, given that they have not been pressured to go to the table yet by the combination of military strikes the blockade and other economic pressure.
It doesn't mean that they won't be, and it is notable that in town today, the Iranian president, Pezeshkian, as well as the foreign minister, Araghchi, they are here. So, if Rubio and Trump decide they want to meet face-to-face, they will have the opportunity.
But the difficulty they'll face is one that has plagued these negotiations since the beginning, and that is that while the president and foreign minister of Iran might very well be open to sitting down and negotiating, there are different factions in Iran, harder line factions, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards that have held the line to some respects.
And you've heard the president, you've heard Rubio reference that, saying, you know, there are divisions there, and we know that some Iranians want to negotiate and others are standing in the way. But that dynamic has not changed. So, you could perhaps see a meeting here but whether that changes that fundamental dynamic is a different question. And the administration seems to be betting on increased economic pressure making the difference for this regime.
And we know that increased economic pressure is at least exacting a price, right, because Iran has not been able to get its oil out, and that's how it gets its money. But whether that will change the calculus of those -- of the whole range of Iranian leaders is an open question.
The final note I'll make is this, Wolf, is that when this war started seven months ago, I am sure that President Trump did not expect to be in a position seven months later where the war is still going on and he has to, in effect, make the case for it. Not just to the American people, who don't seem to, by CNN's polling, be buying that case, but also to world leaders assembled here to say that the war that he ordered, a war of choice alongside Israel, would accomplish all these goals. I'm certain he did not expect to have to be defending it all these months later.
BLITZER: I think you're right, for sure. Jim Sciutto and Kaitlan Collins, both at the United Nations for us today, and we'll stay in close touch with both of you as any news develops. Thank you very, very much. Pamela?
BROWN: And, Wolf, as President Trump addresses the United Nations and meets with Gulf leaders over the future of the Iran war, CNN has a brand-new poll out this morning that finds just 29 percent of Americans approve of how the president is handling foreign affairs. That is a new low in CNN polling across both of his terms as president.
Joining us now is CNN Washington Bureau Chief and Political Director David Chalian. So, give us some more context on these numbers, David.
DAVID CHALIAN, CNN WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF: Yes. So, you know, we asked, do you think the United States is winning the war in Iran? This is the finding that Kaitlan was just asking the president about, what you just saw there. Nearly two-thirds, 64 percent, in our poll say, no, the U.S. is not winning the war in Iran. Two-thirds of Americans say that.
How is Trump handling the war in Iran? I think this is the worst number in the poll for him. Only 26 percent approve of how Donald Trump is handling the war in Iran, and I want to say something about that number. That was 33 percent back in March. This has never been a popular war, Pamela, but it's down seven points here overall, largely driven by Republicans abandoning the president on this issue. He's down 13 percentage points in Republican approval of his handling of the war. This war is nothing short of a political disaster for Donald Trump.
BROWN: And how do Americans view Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth?
CHALIAN: You know, I mean, if you look across the war cabinet overall none of them are doing well. I think it's the weight of the president. I mean, you see Marco Rubio is at 40 percent approval, J.D. Vance at 36 percent. Pete Hegseth is down at 34 percent approval in our poll.
By the way, I should note all three of these folks are mentioned as potential 2028 Republican presidential candidates. And their current approval ratings are really dramatically upside down.
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You've got, I mean, for Hegseth, who scores the worst here, two-thirds of Americans disapprove of his performance as secretary of defense.
You know, again, the president's weight of unpopularity hangs over his entire administration and, quite frankly, the Republican Party.
BROWN: All right. David Chalian, thank you so much. I appreciate it.
BLITZER: And still ahead, no charges. What a grand jury just decided in the death of Nolan Wells, the Mississippi teenager who died on a 4th of July boating trip with friends.
BROWN: We'll be right back
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BLITZER: Happening now, the Michigan Democratic Senate candidate, Abdul El-Sayed, hitting the campaign trail this morning. Soon he's set to be joined by former vice president and 2024 presidential candidate Kamala Harris. This morning, El-Sayed held a news conference and said this about rising gas prices in Michigan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ABDUL EL-SAYED (D), MICHIGAN SENATE CANDIDATE: This really is a crisis for Michiganders, Detroiters. Seeing that number at the gas pump is the difference between being able to afford the groceries you're going to buy or not. It's the difference between being able to pay your car note or pay your rent or not.
You may not pump diesel, but diesel pumps you. And the way that diesel pumps you is that you got to pay for the price of everything that gets shipped to the places that you buy it in. So, when you look at that loaf of bread, or you look at that gallon of milk, that loaf of bread, that gallon of milk is more expensive because the diesel that it took to get that to you, you are now paying the price of.
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BLITZER: According to AAA the national average price for a gallon of gas, regular gas, is $4.48. In Michigan, it's about 40 cents higher, $4.88. But President Trump said on social media this weekend, and I'm quoting him now, gas prices were much higher under Biden than under Trump, so were almost all other prices.
BROWN: And we should note that gas prices did spike under President Biden in June of 2022, but diesel prices today are at an all-time record high. Here's what President Trump said about the Iran war on Friday.
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TRUMP: I think most people, if they had a vote on lower gas prices or letting Iran have a nuclear weapon, I'd be willing to vote that it would be a massive landslide. People don't want to have Iran have a nuclear weapon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: So, this comes as a new CNN poll out this morning shows that an overwhelming number of voters say that the toll of the Iran war is not worth it.
Let's go live now to CNN Correspondent Arlette Saenz. Arlette, former Vice President Kamala Harris is set to join Abdul El-Sayed on the campaign trail this afternoon. Tell us more about her appearance.
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Pamela, Abdul El-Sayed spoke to reporters a short time ago as he tried to highlight those high gas prices and the need to drive them down, a key issue of concern to voters here in a battleground state like Michigan. But he also fielded a lot of questions about his appearance later today with former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Harris is returning to Michigan, a state that she lost two years ago, to campaign with El-Sayed, even as the wounds, there are still the fresh political wounds from 2024, people frustrated with the way that it turned out here in the state as well as some of those in the more progressive lane of the Democratic Party who wish that Harris would've taken a more firm stance on the conflict in Gaza.
El-Sayed was questioned about that today, saying that he had clear differences with the position that she took back in 2024, but he believes that the party needs to move forward and focus on finding areas of common ground.
Now, Harris and El-Sayed a bit later today will be hosting a round table on black maternal health. That's an issue that Harris promoted as a senator and as vice president, and one that could hold sway with black voters. And here is what El-Sayed had to say about Harris' appearance and the way that she could help turn out voters in this election.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) EL-SAYED: 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 in November.
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SAENZ: Now, this is Harris' first appearance on the campaign trail this fall for the 2026 midterm elections, but, of course, there are questions about what she plans to do in 2028. So far, Harris has said she has not decided whether she will pursue a run. And so -- but having her visit a battleground state like Michigan, of course, will spark some intrigue.
Michigan is not just an important Senate race, but it will be a consequential state in the general election in 2028 and in the Democratic primary process. This is a state that will actually be one of the early states to decide who the Democratic presidential nominee will be in 2028.
Now, Harris is campaigning here in Michigan today. She has a few other campaign stops on her agenda in the coming months. That includes out in Nevada to campaign for the Democratic candidate for governor, Aaron Ford, and down in Georgia to campaign for Senator Jon Ossoff.
But one place we are not seeing Harris really campaign in is in those red-leaning states, which could determine control of the U.S. Senate come November.
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But all eyes will be on Michigan today and whether Harris offers any clues about her plans for 2028.
BLITZER: Arlette Saenz reporting for us, thank you very, very much. Pamela?
BROWN: All right. Coming up here in the Situation Room, a rare early season nor'easter is brewing right now, threatening to bring seriously messy and dangerous weather to millions of people. Derek Van Dam has the forecast. Derek?
DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, Pamela. We are monitoring a powerful early season low pressure system off the East Coast that will bring a whole host of hazards. Of course, the devil's in the details in this track. I'll break it down for you after the break.
Stay tuned.
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BROWN: Happening now, a rare and powerful September nor'easter is brewing and could hit this week. Officials are bracing for the most severe impacts. Coastal flooding, wind damage, and rain to hit Friday in parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
BLITZER: Let's go live right now to our meteorologist, Derek Van Dam. He's over at the CNN Weather Center. Derek, explain why a storm of this enormous strength potential is so unusual for this time of the year.
VAN DAM: Well, it's forming in kind of the shoulder months, right? We think of nor'easters basically in the winter, a winter phenomenon across the Northeast. But because it's impacting the East Coast on middle of September, middle of the second half of September, this powerful, that is a rarity.
So, let's talk about what's unfolding. Right now, we have more of a direct onshore flow, not even associated with the developing nor'easter, and I'll highlight that in just a moment. But anywhere from basically Toms River through the Chesapeake Bay, the Delmarva Peninsula to the Outer Banks, has a coastal flood watch that is in effect through Thursday.
Several river gauges across this region are forecast to reach major flood stage with this pressure squeeze. We've got a very powerful high pressure to the north and a developing low pressure, and that puts the squeeze on the isobars, or the pressure, the lines of constant pressure, funnels it into the Mid-Atlantic. That's why we have our ongoing flood threat along the coastal areas here that I just highlighted. But going forward in time, we're going to see this storm evolve and strengthen.
There's a couple of different computer models. The GFS, or the American model, keeps it a little further offshore, less impacts. The European model, which has been performing pretty well this summer and into the early fall, that has it closer to the coast. So, if we take that consideration, look at how this storm evolves and how it moves a little to the north and west as we head into the course of the weekend. This is just one computer model.
But that would put a long fetch of these winds pushing right into the Long Island Sound, into, let's say, the coastal areas of Massachusetts. There is a lot of potential coastal hazards with this, including large waves, the potential for coastal erosion. And then on top of that, Pam and Wolf, the astronomical high tide will only exacerbate these high tide levels as we head into the weekend.
So, all of these kind of working together for this developing nor'easter.
BROWN: All right, bracing for this. Derek Van Dam, thank you so much. Wolf?
VAN DAM: You're welcome.
BLITZER: A grand jury decision in the death of Nolan Wells, the teen who was found dead after a boating trip with his friends. Omar Jimenez has the latest.
OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: In a few moments, we're going to take you through the grand jury report and tell you what the district attorney said in very direct terms as this report was released.
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