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FBI: "High Powered, Bolt-Action Rifle" Recovered Near Shooting Scene; Interview With Former Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ); Interview With Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA); President Trump Speaks At 9/11 Memorial. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired September 11, 2025 - 09:30   ET

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

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN HOST: Clearly was, you know, as we've -- as we have discussed, hundreds, 200 yards away is what we -- is believed, at least right now.

[09:30:09]

The choice by all of the law enforcement leading this investigation, Andy, to not release the image to the public, saying, I would say going through their process of why not, pretty candidly, they think they are confident if they are unsuccessful, they said in identifying the suspect, then they will come back to the public, to the media, to release that image.

Can you talk to me about that choice, that -- what that means? What that choice in an investigation?

ANDREW MCCABE, CNN SENIOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Yeah, it's an incredibly crucial point, and one that I circled in my notebook when we were when I was watching the press conference.

So, first of all, they are exuding confidence here and their ability to identify this person, which is a good thing. Most of that confidence is probably based upon one thing that you heard the director say, which is that they have technologies that they are going to use to try to identify him.

So, if you think back to the most famous prior case of using kind of crowdsourcing the public to identify somebody from a video, it's of course, the Boston bombing, which is the thing that really turned that investigation around for us. I know it well, having been there in the room with Director Mueller and had that conversation about, is it time to go to the public with these images?

At the time, we had to do it because the public had basically taken over the investigation themselves and people who had nothing to do with the crime were being tormented and their pictures put up on the -- on -- in the press. That was a problem.

Now, today, things are very different. They have very powerful A.I. driven technology that will help you identify someone from a photograph. And that technology can draw on photographic images from across the Internet. So, the scope of potential matching photographs or images is infinitely bigger now. This technology is not without its own level of controversy because there are significant concerns about biases that are built into the algorithmic technology and things like that, but nevertheless, it helps law enforcement in a moment like this, go from a picture of somebody they don't know to a picture that's been identified.

So, clearly, they're going to go down that road first. If it's not successful quickly, I expect we'll see another press conference where the videos themselves or images from them are released.

BERMAN: And as Kate said, they indicated they do believe this was a targeted attack and said they do not believe the community is at risk. What must they know to be so sure of that?

MCCABE: It's a really good question, John, and I'm not sure that we have the answer to that yet. My guess would be that that statement was predicated on the idea that this was clearly a very targeted crime, and it doesn't appear that it is part of a larger effort to assassinate or injure other people. So, thinking like, well, the shooter has -- has done his deed, now he's just trying to get away.

The problem with that is it kind of doesn't -- it ignores the fact that you have a an assassin, a murderer at loose somewhere, maybe in the local community. Maybe they've gone farther away and that person knows that if they are picked up, they face a long prison term or possibly the death penalty. So, if their escape is impeded in any way, I would argue that they still present a significant danger to the community wherever they are.

BOLDUAN : Your background expertise on this, Andy, is so important. Really appreciate it. Thank you so much for sticking around and jumping on with us.

BERMAN: Yeah. Don't go far because these developments are coming in quite quickly.

With us now, former Senator Jeff Flake, who was a Republican from Arizona.

Senator, I really appreciate you being with us.

We'll get back to the investigation in the manhunt in a moment. I think you're perfectly suited to discuss the political environment that we are now in. You worked hard when you were in office, and since you've been in office, to try to change the political discourse.

What do you feel as if we need to hear now from our nation's leaders?

JEFF FLAKE (R), FORMER U.S. SENATOR: Well, we desperately need to turn down the temperature.

I thought Governor Cox's message was just on point, saying, all of us need to look in the mirror and find a better -- better angel in there somewhere. And that's what we need. Republicans, Democrats, conservatives, independents, liberals -- everyone needs to recognize that those across the aisle or on the other side of an argument are not our enemy.

So that's what we need. Turn down the temperature.

BERMAN: I feel like we've known that for a while, though, right? And so, the question is, what makes it so hard to get there?

FLAKE: Yeah, it is. You know, after the shooting of Gabby Giffords here in Arizona there was a time, a short time, where, you know, everybody seemed to come together.

[19:35:06]

You know, we all think back to 9/11 anniversary we commemorate today. I was on those steps where we all sang "God Bless America", everyone.

And you know, you have the baseball shooting. I was on that field. You know, for a few days afterwards, everyone seems to want to get along and not to demonize each other.

But it comes back, and we have to find a way to make it last. That's the real challenge here.

But we've just got to get to a place where we don't see each other as enemies and we don't use rhetoric that denotes that, and gives people license to do what they think they can do.

So, it's -- this is tough. I was on that campus, a UVA campus the day before this happened, giving a speech and then meeting with students. So, it just -- it really hits home to all of us.

BERMAN: I didn't even know that. That's -- it makes you really think --

FLAKE: No, I have a home just a few miles. Yeah.

BERMAN: You were standing right there. What gives you hope, Senator?

FLAKE: And that's a -- well, to hear some of the comments now, and I think, you know, at some point, everyone has to recognize that that we need to do better, that we need to treat each other as friends and people who have strong disagreements, and I think as people have mentioned, Charlie Kirk was a good example of that, going around to debate. And when we're debating, you know, we're often not fighting.

And that's what we need to do. We can have heated debates, but we need to do better.

BERMAN: All right. Former Senator Jeff Flake, we appreciate you being with us. You've always been in the middle of the effort to get people to listen. So, we appreciate everything you've done.

Let's go to the Pentagon now. This is the memorial for the attacks on September 11th.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: By many that day and by many more in the years of war that resulted. For those who grieve, we pray in the sentiment of Abraham Lincoln that you, o Lord, would assuage the anguish of their bereavement and leave only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride for those who have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.

For those of our day who have taken up the cause to secure our homeland, to wield the sword in righteousness, to protect our neighbors, grant prudence to execute justice with honor, always mindful we are under your divine gaze.

Grant the blessing of wisdom and insight for our leaders that they may be guided to do your will. Grant humility throughout our land, acknowledging your goodness to us.

And finally, we offer supplications for those who currently are deployed under way or on duty for our nation. Surround them with the protection of the angels and the joyful reunion with faithful, loved ones in your most holy name. Amen.

Please join me for a moment of silence, for that minute of impact 24 years ago today.

(MOMENT OF SILENCE)

(BAND PERFORMED "TAPS")

[09:40:34]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: A lot of new detail just revealed by Utah law enforcement and the FBI on the ground investigating the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Officials saying that they are still working to identify and find the killer, but they have made big progress since yesterday. They have been able to track the movements of the gunman arriving to the campus, getting on the roof, to the shooting location and then fleeing into the woods after the shooting.

[09:45:05]

The FBI also saying just moments ago that they do have good video of the suspect, which they are not releasing at this time as they are working to identify him. The FBI says that they have recovered also what they believe is the weapon that the shooter used, a high powered, bolt-action rifle along with shoe impressions and palm prints and a forearm print of the gunman.

A lot happening as that manhunt continues.

Joining me right now is Democratic Congressman Seth Moulton.

It's good to see you, Congressman. Thank you so much for your time.

REP. SETH MOULTON (D-MA): Good to see you, Kate. BOLDUAN: We just learned a lot about as their (ph) -- this manhunt is still underway after the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. What is your reaction to his -- what is a politic -- what the governor says is a political assassination and law enforcement saying that it's ver -- it was a targeted killing?

MOULTON: Well, first of all, we should all be condemning political violence. It's become a scourge in America, and it's completely unacceptable.

And on a personal level, as the father of two little girls, I'm thinking about his family, you know, and what they're going through right now that really hits home to me. And I know to a lot of other people around here, that that -- that's I think what we're all thinking about right now.

BOLDUAN: That is at the forefront. And it also is sparking an important conversation from -- from the White House to the halls of Congress to Utah, about -- about rhetoric, about political violence, about the temperature then and where -- where the environment is and has been for quite some time.

I want to play for you what the governor of Utah said really eloquently yesterday, talking about how we need to stop hating our fellow Americans.

Let me play this from the Utah governor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. SPENCER COX (R-UT): Nothing I say can unite us as a country. Nothing I can say right now can fix what is broken. Nothing I can say can bring back Charlie Kirk.

We desperately need our country. We desperately need leaders in our country. But more than the leaders, we just need every single person in this country to think about where we are and where we want to be, to ask ourselves, is this -- is this it?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Congressman, what do you do as a leader with such a big voice and a platform with that question? How do you answer that question?

MOULTON: First of all -- first of all, the -- first of all, the governor is absolutely right. And we start by condemning violence on all sides.

And you know what? That's what Speaker Johnson, a Republican who's leading the House right now, is doing. He's saying that we need to tone down the rhetoric, and he's calling out what he calls major outlets. Some of these groups that are out there on the Internet or maybe even on TV actually calling to up the political violence. We're hearing that a lot from the right, right now. Democrats across the board are saying we need to come together. We need to turn down the rhetoric. We need to stop this political violence.

It's shocking to me that so many Republicans are not doing that, not following the lead of Speaker Johnson, but actually following the lead of Donald Trump, who's just trying to, you know, call out extremist left wing groups, blame this on Democrats. We heard that from my colleague Nancy Mace before we even know who the shooter is.

That's not a way to solve this problem. If the president is serious about stopping political violence, then maybe he should start by rescinding the pardons for all the domestic terrorists who came to the Capitol on January 6th to kill cops, to kill Speaker Pelosi, to kill -- to kill Vice President Pence.

Let's have an honest conversation about the origins of this political violence and why it has risen so dramatically since Donald Trump's first term. We need to have that conversation if we're serious about stopping it.

BOLDUAN: And we had -- John was talking to a Republican congressman, Warren Davidson, earlier, who also said that Democrats are also responsible for this as well. I think you are agreeing with this on some level, which is speaking of fascists and racists and the terminology, the heated terminology used by -- by people on the liberal left, towards the right is what Warren Davidson was calling out and speaking to earlier in the show.

Which leads me to kind of the bigger question, which gets to what the governor said -- going forward, not looking back -- going forward, do you think it can be achieved of bringing down the temperature, lowering, you know, kind of -- just being less hateful and angry between Democrats, Republicans, and Donald Trump?

[09:50:02]

Do you think it can be achieved?

MOULTON: Only if we all look ourselves in the mirror. And I'm happy to stand here as a Democrat and absolutely condemn the violence on the left. I have no hesitation in doing so.

But people like Warren Davidson and Donald Trump need to condemn the violence on the right as well. Not defend the attackers on January 6th, not lower the flag across the nation for conservative activist Charlie Kirk, but refused -- refused to lower the flag when a Minnesota lawmaker was murdered in her home, refused to go to the funeral, refused to acknowledge it.

There are people who are trying to polarize us further, divide our nation further and just blame the left, even while those of us on the Democratic side are, by and large, saying we all need to turn down the rhetoric.

So, let's be serious about where this violence is coming from. Of extremist violent attacks in America, extremist violence -- violent murders, 76 percent are from right wing extremists, 4 percent are from left wing extremists.

I condemn that 4 percent. But we also need to be honest about, as a nation, about where this violence is coming from. And oh, by the way, it's probably an appropriate time to talk about guns, too.

You hear a lot of conservatives saying, hey, the only thing we need to do here is get more guns on the street. That's not going to solve this problem. That's going to make it worse.

BOLDUAN: Also, it's a somber -- somber day on so many levels. It being 9/11, it is always noteworthy. Your military service, how you served the nation after 9/11 and for many years after that.

We're going to be hearing from the president very shortly, speaking at the Pentagon. It just -- it puts the spotlight once again, not only on the lives lost, but also on those who serve.

And what a time it is in terms of U.S. foreign policy and what we're looking at overseas on two major fronts with what has happened just this week, with Israel attacking Hamas inside of Qatar, and the reaction to that. And also, you have Russia invading Polish airspace 19 times with drones, forcing NATO to scramble jets.

And now -- and Poland now saying there's going to be a special U.N. Security Council meeting over all of this.

It is quite a time to be looking at just the danger overseas. Do you see progress on either of those fronts in a way that you would like to see it? With ceasefire talks with Israel and Hamas, or bringing the Ukraine war to an end? It seems that both took a big step back this week.

MOULTON: No, things are getting worse. Things are getting worse under President Trump, and it's quite a contrast to think about the Republican president who was in -- who was leading the country after 9/11.

You know, I didn't vote for George Bush. I was very critical of the Iraq war. And yet the way that he brought our country together after that tragic day, the way he stood united with our allies, including NATO allies across the globe, that showed strength and determination to our enemies.

Polarization, division that does not show strength to the enemies of the United States. And I think that when Russia and China look at our country and see that were led by a -- by a president who continues to try to divide us, who takes a tragic day like yesterday and turns it into an attack on one political party, that does not show strength to the rest of the world. It invites further aggression against America.

So, these things are connected, and as a Democrat, as someone who disagreed a lot with George W. Bush, I'm proud to stand here today and say there was an American president, even though he was a Republican from a different party than myself, who did the right thing after a tragic day.

We need to see that kind of leadership from Donald Trump. He should look at the example of George Bush after 9/11, and try to be that kind of unifying leader, not the divisive leader that he's been for two terms so far.

BOLDUAN: No matter what has happened in the past, today is definitely an opportunity for everyone to do their part in trying to be a unifying agent today.

Congressman Seth --

MOULTON: We've got to move forward. We've got to bring America together, and we've got to do it.

BOLDUAN: Congressman --

MOULTON: We've got to do it all together.

BOLDUAN: I'm so sorry to interrupt. I'm so sorry about that. I really appreciate your time. Thank you so much for coming on.

As we see, let's go to the Pentagon right now. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth just wrapping up, speaking in here is President Trump.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you. Thank you very much, everybody. Thank you very much.

Before we begin, let me express the horror and grief so many Americans at the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk have felt.

Charlie was a giant of his generation, a champion of liberty and an inspiration to millions and millions of people. Our prayers are with his wonderful wife, Erika, and his beautiful children. Fantastic people they are.

We miss him greatly. Yet I have no doubt that Charlie's voice and the courage he put into the hearts of countless people, especially young people, will live on.

I'm pleased to announce that I will soon be awarding Charlie Kirk posthumously the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The date of the ceremony will be announced, and I can only guarantee you one thing. That we will have a very big crowd. Very, very big.

Thank you, my fellow Americans. Eighty-four years ago, this morning, the banks of the Potomac were filled with the clamor of construction workers who broke ground on the building now known as the Pentagon. On September 11th, 1941, at the time, it was the biggest building ever built.

From that moment forward, this structure stood as a monument to American strength, power and cherished American freedom.

Exactly six decades later, on September 11th, 2001, those same walls built with the sweat and muscle, blood of our parents and grandparents were scarred by flame and shaken by terror, as our country came face to face with pure evil. On that fateful day, savage monsters attacked the very symbols of our civilization.

Yet here in Virginia and in New York and in the skies over Pennsylvania, Americans did not hesitate. They stood on their feet and they showed the world that we will never yield. We will never bend. We will never give up. And our great American flag will never, ever fail.

That terrible morning 24 years ago, time itself stood still. The laughter of schoolchildren fell silent. The rush of our traffic came to an absolute halt. And for 2,977 innocent souls and their families, the entire world came crashing down so suddenly.

In the quarter of a century since those acts of mass murder, 9/11 family members have felt the weight of missed birthdays and empty bedrooms, journals left unfinished, and dreams left unfulfilled. To every member that still feels a void every day of your lives, the first lady and I unite with you in sorrow.

And today, as one nation, we renew our sacred vow that we will never forget September 11th, 2001. Amid the horror of that morning, some used cell phones and office lines whisper their final words to those who mattered most. They whispered, indeed.

At 8:59 a.m., aboard United Flight 175, Brian Sweeney called his wife, Julie. He told her, "Do good. Go have good times. I totally love you. I'll see you again. I'll meet you up there." Four minutes later --

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Wolf Blitzer with Pamela Brown. We're here in THE SITUATION ROOM. Youve been listening to President Trump speaking at the Pentagon to observe 24 years since the September 11th terror attacks. A hundred and eighty-four people were killed at the Pentagon on that day.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: And shortly, there will be a moment of silence in New York, observing the time when the south tower of the World Trade Center fell. Less than an hour earlier, hijacked United Airlines Flight 175 had crashed into it. Let's pause for that moment of silence.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hopefully, our government will enable us to get the justice our loved ones deserve. Our government shows its strength on the world stage, and we are confident those responsible for the attacks will be brought to justice. In 2001, the world echoed "Never Forget". In my opinion, the victims will have died in vain if those responsible are not held accountable as --

(APPLAUSE)