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The Lead with Jake Tapper

President Trump And FDA Warns Pregnant Women On Acetaminophen; Medical Experts Dispute President Trump And The FDA; Jimmy Kimmel Live Return To ABC; "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Will Be Back Tomorrow; Russia Denies Flying Fighter Jets Over Estonian Airspace; France Joins 145 Plus Countries Recognizing Palestinian State. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired September 22, 2025 - 17:00   ET

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

[17:00:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT F. KENNEDY, JR, SECRETARY OF HHS: Historically, NIH has focused almost solely on politically safe and entirely fruitless research about the genetic drivers of autism. And that would be like studying the genetic drivers of lung cancer without looking at cigarettes. And that's what NIH has been doing for 20 years. As a result, we don't have an answer to this critical question, despite the cataclysmic impact of the epidemic on our nation's children. We are now replacing the institutional culture of politicized science and corruption with evidence-based medicine.

NIH research teams are currently testing multiple hypotheses with no area off limits. We promise transparency as we uncover the potential causes and treatments and we will notify the public regularly of our progress. Today, we are announcing two important findings from our autism work that are vital for parents to know as they make these decisions. First, HHS will act on acetaminophen. The FDA is responding to clinical and laboratory studies and suggests a potential association between acetaminophen used during pregnancy and adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes, including later diagnosis for ADHD and autism.

Sciences have proposed biological mechanisms linking prenatal acetaminophen exposure to altered brain development. We have also evaluated the contrary studies that show no association. Today, the FDA will issue a physician's notice about the risk of acetaminophen during pregnancy and begin the process to initiate a safety label change. HHS will launch a nationwide public service campaign to inform families and protect public health.

FDA also recognized that acetaminophen is often the only tool for fevers and pain in pregnancy, as other alternatives have well- documented adverse effects. HHS wants, therefore, to encourage clinicians to exercise their best judgment in the use of acetaminophen for fevers and pain in pregnancy by prescribing the lowest effective dose for the shortest necessary duration and only when treatment is required.

Furthermore, thanks to also to the politicization of science, the safety of acetaminophen against the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in young children has never been validated. Prudent medicine therefore suggests caution in acetaminophen use by young children, especially since strong evidence also has associated it with liver toxicity. Some studies have also found the use of acetaminophen in children can potentially prolong viral illnesses.

FDA will drive new research to safeguard mothers, children, and families. In addition to a possible acetaminophen connection to autism for pregnant women, infants and toddlers, our research has revealed that folate deficiency in a child's brain can lead to autism. We have also identified an exciting therapy that may benefit large numbers of children who suffer from autism. Peer-reviewed literature has documented that up to 60 percent of folate-deficient children with ASD can improve verbal communications if given Leucovorin.

I have instructed NIH, FDA, and CMS to help doctors to treat children appropriately. (Inaudible) will help tell that story, which started with sound science, the kind that restores faith in government. This announcement also represents a historic collaboration between NIH, FDA, CDC, and CMS. We expect this to be the first of many announcements over the coming years that deliver actionable information to parents on underlying cause of autism and the potential path for prevention and reversal.

Finally, autism is a complex disorder with multifactorial etiology. We are continuing to investigate a multiplicity of potential causes with no areas of taboo. One area that we are closely examining, as the president mentioned, is vaccines. Some 40 to 70 percent of mothers who have children with autism believe that their child was injured by a vaccine. President Trump believes that we should be listening to these mothers instead of gaslighting and marginalizing them like prior administrations.

Some of our friends like to say that we should believe all women. And some of the --

[17:04:57]

ERICA HILL, CNN HOST: If you're just joining us here at the top of the hour, we are following the breaking news. You're hearing the announcement there from Secretary Kennedy. Thanks so much for joining us. I'm Erica Hill in for Jake Tapper today on "The Lead." And in our "Health Lead," a questionable warning and frankly directive from President Trump just moments ago as well as his top health officials from the White House. The president saying, quote, "Tylenol is not good. Don't take it." For a little bit more of what we are hearing on these announcements, let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Effective immediately, the FDA will be notifying physicians that the use of aceto -- well, let's see how we say that. Acetaminophen, acetaminophen. Is that okay? Which is basically commonly known as Tylenol during pregnancy can be associated with a very increased risk of autism. So, taking Tylenol is not good. (END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: The president there just moments ago, as you heard him, alongside him, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as well as CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz and others, all claiming as well there is a link that they say they have found between autism in children and the pain reliever acetaminophen, of course known as Tylenol by its brand name, when used during pregnancy.

Now let's reset here with the facts of what we do know and the science. Acetaminophen is currently considered the safest pain relief option for pregnant women. Administration officials now are advising women, however, not to use it early in pregnancy unless they have a high fever. The health secretary saying that at this point there are no other options so that doctors should still use their best judgment, but then went on to warn that they believed as well that this was associated with potential liver toxicity, even claiming it could prolong viral illnesses in children.

The administration as part of this announcement today is also saying that folinic acid, that's a supplement also, you may know it as a Leucovorin, is a way to decrease the symptoms of autism. Secretary Kennedy has of course previously promoted debunked theories which link vaccines to autism. And he was just bringing that up again moments ago as we were coming on the air here at the top of the hour. The secretary, and just pardon me as I look at my notes here, noting that they are now investigating, in his words, multiple areas of causation when it comes to vaccines.

He claims that 40 to 60 percent of mothers who have children with autism believe that there is some link to a vaccination. The secretary also claiming that these women have been gaslit, he says, by the science, which has found that there is in fact not a connection between vaccines and autism. But he is saying now that this is something that he has directed his agencies to look into. Again, he has promoted these theories linking vaccines to autism for some time.

We recall back in April, he pledged that his agency would have answers on the causes of autism this month. He said we would know in September, this announcement already sparking a lot of pushbacks from medical experts. The chief of clinical practice for ACOG, that's the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, telling CNN in a statement, quote, "there is no clear evidence that proves a direct relationship between the prudent use of acetaminophen during pregnancy and fetal developmental issues."

CNN medical correspondent, Meg Tirrell is joining us now. So Meg, I know you've been looking into this for some time, listening as well to what we're hearing here from the administration, from the secretary. What is the science behind this announcement today?

MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I'm not sure if we've actually heard them cite their specific studies, but it had been thought that they might cite an analysis that came out about a month ago that looked at 46 previously done studies kind of analyze the existing data and the result of that was kind of mixed. And what they said was that it appeared from their analysis there was an association potentially between use of acetaminophen or Tylenol during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental disorders like autism or ADHD, but that they couldn't prove a causative relationship there. So you can say --

HILL: That's the key. There's a potential association --

TIRRELL: Exactly.

HILL: -- association but there is not a direct link or cause. And part of that too is because there's so many other things happening. It's not really a control in these studies, correct?

TIRRELL: That's right. And so if you are taking Tylenol for a fever, for an infection, for pain, and then subsequently have a child who's diagnosed with autism. Is it because you took Tylenol? Is it because of the infection, the fever, the pain, or is it because of something else entirely? We should note that autism is thought to be influenced by a lot of genetic factors as well as potentially environmental factors. It's very complex.

There was a lot that we heard from the president that I think had a lot of people kind of taken aback. One thing that I think folks will find potentially problematic is this idea that he suggested Tylenol should only be used during pregnancy for very, very high fevers if you can't tough it out.

[17:10:02]

And it's dangerous to not treat a fever during pregnancy. And so Tylenol is a really important medication to be able to use to treat fever. And so the data don't necessarily support there what we heard from the president.

HILL: So in terms of I -- and just remind us, right? The reason that it is so dangerous not to treat a fever during pregnancy is not just for the woman who is pregnant, it is also for the fetus and the potential damage that could be inflicted upon.

TIRRELL: That's right. Yeah, there can be safety issues if you have a fever during pregnancy for the developing baby.

HILL: So as you talk about, so in terms of -- and you're right, we are hearing a lot. I mean, the president is saying, don't take it, saying multiple -- saying there's no downside in not taking it. That is not accurate based on what we know from the science and from the medical community.

TIRRELL: That's right. It can be dangerous to allow a fever to go unchecked.

HILL: One thing he did say that we do know is true is there isn't an alternative. I mean, Tylenol is considered the safest option --

TIRRELL: Right.

HILL: -- when someone is pregnant, if they are experiencing pain, if they are having a fever. Secretary Kennedy basically saying, we'll leave it up to the discretion of the doctor, but go with as low a dose as possible.

TIRRELL: Well, that's good medical advice generally. I mean, we've had babies. We know when you're thinking about taking a medication during pregnancy, you ask your doctor about everything and it's always recommended, especially during pregnancy. But generally for painkillers, you shouldn't take a higher dose than you need. The smallest dose for the shortest period of time is always the advice in moderation and especially during pregnancy talking with a health care provider.

HILL: So a couple of the other things that we heard and I'm hoping you can help me fact-check this from the president is he was saying that he believes there is no autism in the Amish community talking about there's no Tylenol. He also said that he -- in parts of the world that do not use Tylenol, he specifically said Cuba. He didn't believe acetaminophen was available there, that there was also no autism. Are either one of those statements factual? Are they accurate?

TIRRELL: They -- as far as we know are not. And you know one of the things about the Amish thing, this has come up quite a number of times, that was about vaccines. That often is about vaccines and this idea that the Amish community doesn't vaccinate. That according to data doesn't appear to be true. The Amish community appears to vaccinate. There aren't great data necessarily showing exactly how much, but they do apparently use vaccines.

They do also have rates of autism. The rates that we've seen in studies tend to be lower than the rates for the overall population that we've seen, but there can be genetic differences. There can be other environmental differences that don't explain that and so many studies have shown that there are similar rates of autism among vaccinated and unvaccinated children generally. We didn't necessarily expect to hear vaccines coming up today.

HILL: No.

TIRRELL: We were expecting to hear about acetaminophen or Tylenol. So the fact that that came into the conversation so early suggests that this conversation isn't done. You also heard the president talk not only about mercury, which has been an issue for 20 years and we could go into it, but aluminum is one of the next conversations here with vaccines.

HILL: Absolutely. And we are going to continue the conversation. We are going to fit in a quick break here. Much more what we just heard from the White House now on autism, on Tylenol or acetaminophen, why it is unclear. Joining us on the other side of the break, have our experts here to help as well, along with Meg, an OB-GYN. How will this influence what she tells her patients? Stay with me.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:15:00] HILL: We are back now following the breaking news in our "Health Lead." The Trump administration announcing a link between the use of acetaminophen, which you likely know as Tylenol during pregnancy, and a rise in autism rates. Tylenol's manufacturer responding in a statement that reads, quote, "independent sound science clearly shows that taking acetaminophen does not cause autism. We strongly disagree with any suggestion otherwise and are deeply concerned with the health risk this poses for expecting mothers."

My two medical experts are standing by. Dr. Veronica Gillespie-Bellis, an OB-GYN. Dr. Paul Offit is the Director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. It's good to have both of you with us. Dr. Gillespie-Bell, I want to start with you. So the president also went on to talk specifically, the health secretary, RFK Jr., said, we should leave this up to the doctors. The president, for his part, I just want to play a little bit more of what he said in terms of what women should and shouldn't do. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: For this reason, they are strongly recommending that women limit Tylenol use during pregnancy unless medically necessary. That's, for instance, in cases of extremely high fever that you feel you can't tough it out, you can't do it. I guess there's that. It's a small number of cases, I think. But if you can't tough it out, if you can't do it, that's what you're going to have to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Toughing it out, of course, can have some pretty dire consequences for the woman carrying that baby, for the fetus as well. Two weeks ago, I know you told Jake you stand by the current guidance when it comes to acetaminophen and that it is safe. From what you heard just a short time ago, has any of that changed for you?

VERONICA GILLISPIE-BELL, BOARD CERTIFIED OB-GYN: Nothing has changed in my mind. We know the information from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, as well as the Society of Maternal Fetal Medicine reiterate that the studies show that Tylenol is safe in pregnancy and that there is no study that shows Tylenol causes autism.

HILL: When we look at what we do know, and again, some -- frankly, more surprising comments than I think anybody was expecting from both the president and from Secretary Kennedy. On this, Dr. Offit, in your 2020 book, "Overkill," you did touch on how sometimes people may lean on Tylenol to treat fevers unnecessarily. Is it something that in pregnancy is typically overused in your experience?

PAUL OFFIT, DIRECTOR, VACCINE EDUCATION CENTER, CHILDREN HOSPITAL OF PHILADELPHIA: In pregnancy, it's different. If you have a high fever in your first trimester of pregnancy, that child has a risk of having a variety of possible problems. So you need to treat fever, especially in the first trimester. In fact, there studies showing that if you don't, that you increase your risk of, for example, attention deficit disorder. And so by treating fever in the first trimester, you lower the risk of attention deficit disorder. [17:20:01]

Also, what they didn't reference was a Swedish study that just was published that was a 25-year study, 2.5 million children, where they did the kind of controls that Meg Tirrell just said, which is that you have to control for the mother. We look at the mother who, for example, treated Tylenol in one pregnancy but didn't treat with Tylenol in another pregnancy, the so-called sibling controls. And what you find there is that there is no association with autism.

I think it is pretty solid that there is no association with the acetaminophen or Tylenol given in pregnancy and autism. This was a dangerously irresponsible thing for President Trump to say when he said tough it out because that only puts children at higher risk, especially with fever in the first trimester.

HILL: This is now the guidance though. So what do doctors do with that? And what do -- frankly, what do patients do with that? Dr. Gillispie-Bell.

OFFIT: I think --

HILL: Sorry.

GILLISPIE-BELL: I think it's very concerning -- I think it's very concerning. I know that patients are going to be scared now. They're not going to know what advice to go after or what to follow. I think even for physicians, it puts us in a very uh difficult predicament. Our professional societies and the science tells us that Tylenol is safe. But when you have the FDA that is saying something different, it puts us in a very, very difficult position.

And I know that President Trump and that Secretary Kennedy said that patients should always consult their physician and this is very true, they should, but they really have left us between a rock and a hard place. Again, for me, I have to follow the science. I went into medicine believing that the science and the evidence is what should guide how I practice. And so for me and for my patients, I will continue to recommend Tylenol.

As has been said, the times that we're recommending Tylenol are usually for fever, for pain, and we don't have a safe alternative, especially for fever, and we know what happens when fever is untreated.

HILL: Can I also just get a couple of fact questions, fact-checking if you don't mind, Dr. Offit. I'm sorry to put you on the spot, but a couple of things that also stood out to me that we heard. The secretary saying that the use of Tylenol could be associated with liver toxicity. Is that a major concern?

OFFIT: Not if taken into correct doses. I mean --

HILL: Okay.

OFFIT: -- there are people who, for example, massively overdosed with Tylenol and sort of seen those patients and they come in with liver toxicity, but not at the correct doses, no.

HILL: He also said that in children, he said it could prolong a viral illness.

OFFIT: So there are about 20 studies showing that when you have a viral infection and you choose to treat the fever, that you can prolong the illness. That is true because fever is really part of our immune response. And so your immune response actually works better at a higher temperature.

HILL: When you look at this, Dr. Gillespie-Bell, you said you're going to stick with your current guidance that you had. There is concern that this is dangerous. What makes it, Dr. Offit, what makes this dangerous?

OFFIT: It was a broadside against vaccines. I mean, they brought up all the anti-vaccine tropes. For example, the hepatitis B vaccine as a birth dose, the notion of aluminum adjuvants in vaccines, mercury, which by the way hasn't been in vaccines for children for the last 25 years, which is the perfect example actually.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has a tortured relationship with vaccines and autism. He believed that the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine caused autism and was the executive producer of a movie "Vaxxed II," which made that claim even though 24 studies have shown that it doesn't. When he says that we are ignoring parents' concerns, we didn't ignore parents' concerns because 24 studies were done.

Then he claimed that thimerosal, this ethylmercury-containing preservative in vaccines caused heart disease. He wrote a book about it called, "Thimerosal: Let the Science Speak," where the science didn't speak at all. It's been out of vaccines for 25 years, given to anybody less than six years of age. And what's happened to the instance of autism? It's gone from one in 150 to more like one in 32. So it's increased while thimerosal has been out of there.

So he gets it wrong again and again. And when President Trump says children get 80 vaccines as a young child, what is he talking about? Children in the first six years of life will get vaccines that prevent 13 different diseases. There was just misstatement of fact there for misstatement of fact. It was like a fire hose with misstatements.

HILL: We really appreciate helping us to walk through a number of those. Dr. Paul Offit, Dr. Veronica Gillispie-Bell, appreciate as always, your expertise. Thank you.

OFFIT: Thank you.

GILLISPIE-BELL: Thank you.

HILL: So in terms of what we have heard earlier this afternoon, it's important to note that both the president and the secretary still speaking. This event is still going on and we are continuing to monitor those remarks. We are also following breaking news out of Disney and ABC announcing just a short time ago that Jimmy Kimmel will return to his comedy show on the network tomorrow night. What we know about the discussions that actually led to this announcement.

And just one day before President Trump's address to the United Nations, another country has now joined in saying it will recognize a Palestinian state. How this becomes an isolation move on the U.S. That's ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:25:00]

HILL: The breaking news in our "Pop Lead." "Jimmy Kimmel Live" will be back on ABC tomorrow night, less than a week after its host was suspended. CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister joining us now with more on this afternoon's announcement along with former "New York Times" media reporter Bill Carter. It's nice to see both of you. So, I was perhaps a little surprised at the timing on this. The two of you though, because you are both so well-sourced, which is why we have you here, maybe not as surprised as the laypeople. Elizabeth, why, how now? What are they saying?

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, so this did not come as a huge surprise to me just because my sources have been saying all along that Disney was very hopeful to bring Jimmy Kimmel back. This was never intended, Erica, to be a cancellation. Jimmy Kimmel certainly was not fired for ratings or a lack of talent as President Trump has suggested, but let me read you here the statement that the Walt Disney Company put out.

[17:30:01]

They say, quote, "Last Wednesday, we made the decision to suspend production on the show to avoid further inflaming a tense situation at an emotional time for our country. It is a decision we made because we felt some of the comments were ill-timed and thus insensitive. We have spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations we reached the decision to return to the show on Tuesday."

So this is a really interesting statement to come from Disney, which of course is a family-friendly company. They are condemning Kimmel's comments in a way. They are addressing that they understand that his comments did upset many in the country and they're explaining that that is the reason why they did temporarily take the show off the air.

But as you heard there from Disney's statement, he will be back on his show tomorrow and that lines up with everything that my sources have been saying. They always intended to come back. My sources said that they just needed to take down the temperature and not inflame the situation, which they felt last Wednesday if Jimmy Kimmel did take the stage and did go ahead with his prepared monologue, which I was told was going to take aim at MAGA and going to take aim at "Fox News," that would have further inflamed the situation.

HILL: So Bill, what are you expecting them come Tuesday? If they were worried about inflaming the situation a week ago, which the situation I think we could say was -- was inflamed, certainly in terms of public reaction, not perhaps there were people upset about Jimmy Kimmel, but also a lot of people upset about the way "ABC" and Bob Iger handled this.

BILL CARTER, FORMER NEW YORK TIMES MEDIA REPORTER: Yes, I think obviously it's going to be interesting to see what Jimmy has to say. I know Jimmy very well. I don't think he's going to be a guy to back down. I think he made some conciliatory comments, but he's going to continue to make jokes about Donald Trump because he feels that's his right.

I also think Disney had an interesting position here. They were backed into a corner by the FCC's threats, and they could have folded, and they folded unfortunately in the whole Stephanopoulos situation when they paid off that lawsuit. But here, they -- they -- I don't think they had an option because if they gave in again to bullying and pressure, I think they would have lost respect in the entertainment community and really respect as an American corporation that stands up for values because this was an intimidation tactic, and I think it was always in the cards to me that they would not give in. I -- I think that was absolutely impossible for them to do and go on.

HILL: How much do you think the public backlash, and even the letter that we saw signed by I think it was 400, you know, different professionals, the fact that you have even Senator Ted Cruz coming out calling this a mafia move, how much do you think that impacted the timeline here in terms of this announcement and the plans for Jimmy Kimmel to be back tomorrow night?

CARTER: In my opinion, that helped "ABC" a lot because it gave them a little cover to do the right thing. I mean, clearly it was getting to be widely rooted about that this was the wrong thing to do, to give up and to be bullied again. So and -- when even Ted Cruz and -- and "The Wall Street Journal" editorial page are saying this is just wrong, you can't interfere with free speech this way, I think it gave them protection to do what they knew they wanted to do, which was to stand by Kimmel.

HILL: All right, we'll be watching for all of it. I know you'll both keep us posted. Thank you.

[17:33:18]

Still to come here, the headlines crossing on T.V. from the Kremlin, what Moscow was saying about Russian jets violating NATO territory.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HILL: In our World Lead, global leaders including President Trump will be in New York City this week for the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Separately, members of the U.N. Security Council met today in an emergency session, listening to blistering complaints from NATO member, Estonia, which says that Russian fighter jets violated its airspace.

CNN's Fred Pleitgen is in Moscow, where the Russians insist they did no such thing. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Kremlin-controlled T.V. ripping into the U.S.'s NATO allies after NATO said Russian jets violated member state Estonia's airspace late last week. This time, it wasn't drones, but Russian aerospace forces aircraft that caused the panic, the anchor says.

Three of our MiG-31 fighter jets allegedly flew into Estonian airspace and remained there for 12 minutes. While the Russian military denies its planes crossed into NATO territory, analysts hear warning of escalation.

There has to be some way out of this crisis, he says, and the symptoms indicate that some form of military conflict will be inevitable.

The MiG-31 fighters involved in the incident are some of the fastest in the world, and able to carry Russia's hypersonic nuclear-capable ballistic missile, the Kinzhal. It's the latest in a string of events increasing tensions between NATO and Russia, coming just days after Poland said it had to scramble jets to shoot down more than a dozen Russian drones that violated its airspace. Still, the Kremlin accusing America's allies of stirring up confrontation.

We consider such claims to be empty, the Kremlin spokesman said, unfounded and part of a completely reckless campaign to escalate tensions and provoke a confrontational atmosphere.

But while the Russians are verbally beating up on the U.S.'s NATO partners, Moscow is pushing a key incentive for President Trump. All this just days after Russia put on large-scale naval drills, launching cruise missiles from nuclear-powered subs.

Russian President Vladimir Putin offering President Trump another olive branch. Saying, Russia is willing to extend a nuclear arms treaty between Washington and Moscow. Naturally, this would require conditions for its full-scale resumption and take into account the entire range of efforts aimed at normalizing bilateral relations and resolving fundamental security contradictions.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[17:40:12]

PLEITGEN (on camera): Some key words there, Erica, coming from Russian President Vladimir Putin. And certainly one of the things, of course, that the Russians have been saying for a very long time, that to them this whole process that's going on right now, the whole thaw between the U.S. and Russia is only in part about solving the crisis in Ukraine, but first and foremost for the Russians about a normalization of relations between the U.S. and Russia. Erica?

HILL: Fred Pleitgen, appreciate it, from Moscow.

As we return to this big announcement now from "ABC," the ladies of "The View" also weighing in about their network just hours before we learned of Jimmy Kimmel's late-night return. That's ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:45:00]

HILL: We are back with the breaking news in our Pop Lead, which intersects frankly with the Politics Lead. Jimmy Kimmel will be back on the air hosting his late night show tomorrow night. In a statement, a spokesperson telling CNN, "we've spent the last days having thoughtful conversations with Jimmy, and after those conversations, we reached a decision to return to the show on Tuesday." Now the move comes just hours after the hosts of "The View," which of course also airs on "ABC," broke their silence on Kimmel's suspension.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WHOOPI GOLDBERG, HOST, THE VIEW: Did you all really think we weren't going to talk about Jimmy Kimmel? No one silences us.

ANA NAVARRO, HOST, THE VIEW: I don't understand how in this country where the First Amendment made to the constitution was to guarantee freedom of the press and freedom of speech. The government itself is using its weight and power to bully and scare people into silence.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: Let's jump in with our panel. So Whoopi Goldberg had said to today, you know, they basically wanted to wait a beat to see how things played out. It's interesting though, it was a long beat because of course we had a Brendan Carr was on Scott Jennings radio show, I believe it was on Thursday, talking about his thoughts on "The View" after the Kimmel debacle. I just want to play a little bit of that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRENDAN CARR, FCC CHAIRMAN: And I think it's worthwhile to have the FCC look into whether "The View" and some of these other programs that you have still qualify as bona fide news programs and therefore exempt from the equal opportunity regime that Congress has put in place.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: What do you -- what do you make of the statements we heard from the ladies on "The View" today and the decision to do it today?

JAMAL SIMMONS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Oh, I think they absolutely have the right to do this. We are in the middle of a free speech test. And the question is, as a society, are we going to have a society where people have access to the best information to make the best choices? And that includes people who are watching television or online or in schools, or they go to museums and they have exhibits of whether or not there are pictures of slavery in museums.

We ought to be able to have the best information or else we're going to have a population that's not equipped for a world that requires us to be smarter, faster, and more agile than ever before. And that's what makes me nervous, is that we are dumbing down America at a time we have to be our most competitive.

HILL: It's been interesting to see, though, how the -- the concerns of the dumbing down, but also how we're seeing this unite people. I mean, you have Ted Cruz warning about this being sort of a mafia, "The Wall Street Journal" calling it perhaps his finest hour. You're seeing a lot of people who would never in a million years agree with anything Ted Cruz said, uniting behind him, saying, hey, this is really a bridge too far. And he's not the only Republican. How much of that message do you think is getting through to the administration?

JOE BORELLI, REPUBLICAN COMMENTATOR: Well, look, I don't think anyone wants the FCC to regulate specifically what things are permitted to be said on television versus -- versus what they're not. But let's look at the big picture of what happened today. Jimmy Kimmel was allowed back on air.

The posture of the FCC has not changed. Their interest in regulating licenses has not changed. Maybe this was all really about the fact that someone named Jimmy Kimmel said things that were distasteful, untrue, and disgusting about a person who was murdered while exercising his own free speech.

Maybe the most obvious answer and the most obvious explanation of what happened is just the truth, that this company realized that they had a problematic host of a show whose ratings are in decline. His Nielsen rating is a .35. To give you an idea of what that means, that means that there were probably more people in the Charlie Kirk Memorial inside the stadium than there are in the entire Mountain Time Zone who watched Jimmy Kimmel at night. That's the bigger problem. So when -- when --

SIMMONS: It's not the bigger problem.

BORELLI: It is the bigger problem.

SIMMONS: The bigger problem is the government of the United States threatening private companies to say, we could do this the easy way or the hard way. That's not the way our government is supposed to --

BORELLI: But they didn't feel threatened. They just put Jimmy Kimmel back on, didn't mention anything about the FCC. They don't feel -- they didn't say they were intimidated by the FCC, and they're going forward. Again, this goes back to a show that's losing, by some estimates, $40 million and what they're going to do to recover their audience. I think they have a real -- I think they have a real problem with recovering an audience after the distasteful comments he made.

HILL: It's also, I mean, look -- look, television is in decline as someone who, you know, makes a living in television, sadly, I have to admit to that. But the reality, too, is we are talking about free speech, right? And you may not have liked the comments that he made that were not directly about Charlie Kirk. It's important to state the facts here, right? He wasn't making a comment about Charlie Kirk. He was talking about the response to it. And it is important to note -- it is important to note that he did put out a statement initially, right, expressing his condolences and his sympathies for Erika Kirk and for their children, which I would hope everyone would feel that way.

But when we talk about where we are as a nation and when we talk about the right to free speech, it did strike me, right, the number of people who talked about an overreach, all of this happening as you have the Secretary of Defense saying, hey, I want to crack down on reporting at the Pentagon.

Even President Trump was asked about that. And President Trump was asked if this is the right move. Should we limit what reporters can do and say? Should we make them sign a 17-page pledge to say we're not going to get information or report on information, basically, unless it's clear by the President, by the Pentagon, rather.

[17:50:00]

The President, Joe, said, no. He said, I don't think we should do this. Reporters are going to get the information they're going to. Why is it that Secretary Hegseth is so concerned about reporters and information in the Pentagon?

BORELLI: Look, I think Trump did pull back on what the Secretary of War did say. I think there's no question about that. But if you look at some of the document, right, to quote from the document, he was trying to limit, quote, unlimited unprofessional conduct that sought to disrupt Pentagon operations and, quote, attempts to -- to improperly gain information, right? That doesn't seem reasonable to people who have this notion that the Pentagon should be a secure place.

When I came here to CNN, I'm a guest. I got a badge. I have to follow rules. I wasn't able to just walk around --

HILL: Reporters at the Pentagon, too. I mean, that's what our colleagues have to do at the Pentagon. They have to wear their badges. They can't just walk around freely.

BORELLI: But let's also be honest why they're there. You -- you guys, CNN, other networks, send reporters there to build relationships --

HILL: Yes.

BORELLI: -- with people in the Pentagon in attempts to get information. You can't say he's mad about what reporters are trying to do when reporters are actually trying to do that. I don't blame them for trying to regulate, establish some order. Again, no one is saying that these reporters, that CNN has to say whatever they want to say about -- about the Department of War. They're not saying you don't have a right to say what you want to say. They're saying that if you want to come to the building, follow the rules, wear a badge, and that's that.

SIMMONS: Well, the -- the Secretary of Defense wants to do one thing, which is we'll limit the number of people who have access to information. But the truth is the way Americans find out what the Defense Department is doing that are uncomfortable is because someone whispers to a reporter or someone hands them a document and says, oh, this may not be classified, but you should just know where we are in the schedule.

This is something that the American public needs to know in order to be able to make qualified judgments about its government. And if we tell reporters that they can't participate, they can't talk to individuals inside the building without permission, that's just going to limit the information that Americans have to know what the elites are up to.

HILL: What is interesting is that both of these instances have really sparked quite the conversation, right, which -- which if we're talking about Venn diagrams of pop culture and politics, it certainly is spanning also across the political spectrum. Great to have both of you with us. Appreciate it. Thank you.

SIMMONS: Thank you.

BORELLI: Thank you.

HILL: A new point of isolation for the United States as it stands with Israel today, despite Israel's actions in Gaza, what does that mean moving forward? That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HILL: In our World Lead, this afternoon at the United Nations, France joining more than 145 other countries and formally recognizing a Palestinian state. Now, the United States notably is not one of those countries. Several other key allies, though, including the United Kingdom and Canada, announcing they too will now recognize a Palestinian state.

[17:55:13]

The shift playing out as a humanitarian crisis in Gaza intensifies and as Israel tightens its grip on Gaza City. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisting there will be no Palestinian state and that these countries are, "giving a massive prize to terror." Joining us now from outside the U.N. is the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon.

It's good to have you with us, Mr. Ambassador. Prime Minister Netanyahu has said that he is preparing for Israel to enter what he calls an era of isolation. What exactly does that look like for Israel?

DANNY DANON, ISRAEL AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: Well, we just saw what happened in the General Assembly. You know, we saw the hypocrisy, the theater, countries coming and demanding -- demands from Israel, ignoring the reality of what's happening on the ground, the fact we have still 48 hostages in Gaza. But we are determined. We are determined to finish the job and to bring back all the hostages.

You know, I -- I listened very carefully to the speeches today. Many leaders said we expect Hamas not to be part of the equation in the future. But no one actually explained how it's going to be accomplished, because they know it's only on our shoulders. It's not the duty to make sure Hamas will be out of the game. So, we will continue. We will finish the job. And we will create a better opportunity, not only for Israelis, but also for the Palestinians in Gaza.

HILL: In terms of creating better opportunities, as you know, a short time ago, Emmanuel Macron of France announced that his country will officially recognize the state of Palestine. He said that this is, in his view, the only solution that would actually allow Israel to live in peace. And when it comes to Hamas, over the weekend, in an interview with "CBS," he said he believes this move will actually help to isolate Hamas. Here's a little bit more of what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EMMANUEL MACRON, FRENCH PRESIDENT: Hamas is just obsessed by destroying Israel. But I recognize the legitimacy of so many Palestinian people who want a state, who are the people, they want a nation, they want a state, and we should not push them towards Hamas. If we don't offer them a political perspective and such a recognition, the unique answer will be security, and they will be completely trapped by Hamas as the unique option.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: So, as you hear him arguing there, when it comes to the Palestinian people, he's saying this is an important alternative to make sure they don't turn to Hamas and go with Hamas. Are you concerned moving forward here? And he points out he believes the continuing surge of Gaza could actually drive people to become not only more anti-Israel, but drive them to support Hamas. What is the plan to make sure that doesn't happen for Palestinians?

DANON: Well, I think it's exactly the opposite, you know, I think that what we are seeing, it's like virtual reality. You know, President Macron, he doesn't know the facts. You know, only yesterday, Hamas put a statement thanking him for convening this show at the U.N. and basically telling him that that's the continuation of October 7th. So, when Hamas is praising you, one should know that there is a problem with what he is doing.

And basically, what we saw here was support for terrorism, not for peace. You know, we are a peaceful nation. We sign peace treaties with so many countries. But in order to do that, you have to sit down and negotiate, not to come to the U.N. and have empty declarations. And I would add my point. In one of the interviews, President Macron mentioned that there is no Hamas in Judea and Samaria.

You know, he's wrong again. Unfortunately, Hamas is there, and they are active there. And even the P.A. can acknowledge that they have issues dealing with radicals in Judea and Samaria. So, maybe he has like different aspirations for the region, but he has to face reality. We are there. We know what's happening on the ground. That's why we are committed to make sure that Israel is a safe place and Hamas is not there.

HILL: Sundown tonight, of course, will mark the beginning of the Jewish New Year. Hamas today released a propaganda video of a 24-year- old hostage, Alon Ohel, urging the U.S. to stop supporting Netanyahu's decisions. Now the family has asked the media not to show that video. What is your message tonight to hostage families as they mark Rosh Hashanah, as they welcome in a new year without their loved ones?

DANON: We are praying for the hostages. You know, we know two years, it's a very long time. We know that the physical condition of the hostages, you know, we cannot describe the details, unfortunately. And you mentioned the videos that we receiving. You know, they want to hurt the families, but we are committed to bring them home. And I hope that this year, this Jewish New Year, will bring with it a new message that the hostages will come home. And we want to finish this war. Don't be mistaken. We have no desire to stay in Gaza or to prolong this war. We want to finish with it. But what we saw here at the U.N., it's actually supporting Hamas. It doesn't support ending of the war.

[18:00:02]

HILL: Ambassador Danny Danon, we need to leave it there. Thank you.

DANON: Thank you very much, Erica.