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Prosecutor to Seek Death Penalty Against Kirk Shooting Suspect; Hollywood Icon Robert Redford Dies at 89; Glen Close Remembers "The Natural" Co-Star Robert Redford; Trump Set to Arrive in UK for Official State Visit. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired September 16, 2025 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00]

SEN. PETER WELCH (D-VT), JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: We've got momentum, because we've got a lot of Republican support, and that includes Republicans who don't want to do anything that they see would interfere with the Second Amendment. I disagree with them.

But there's a lot of agreement. Senator Blackburn has been a leader along in the Senate with Senator Blumenthal. When I was in the House, I worked with her. There's Senator Graham who wants to get rid of the blanket exemption from liability, Section 230 that gives the tech companies total immunity, no matter how abusive their algorithms are.

So I'm seeing an immense amount of leadership from my Republican colleagues on trying to do something to protect our kids from the sewer and the dangers of this media explosion promoted by algorithms.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Senator Peter Welch, we have to leave the conversation there. We appreciate your time.

WELCH: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Soon, we'll go back to Provo, Utah, to see what the next steps in the investigation of Charlie Kirk's death will be. That's after a quick break.

This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL. Stay with us.

[15:35:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: We are staying on top of the breaking news out of Utah, where we are now just about 90 minutes away from the first court appearance of Charlie Kirk's suspected assassin. Just last hour, Utah County's attorney read the seven counts that the 22-year- old is now facing and says that he will be seeking the death penalty.

CNN's Ed Lavandera was inside that news conference. He had a question, in fact. Ed, what's next here in this investigation?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, obviously pointing to this 3:00 o'clock Mountain Time appearance, which will be brief and essentially a presentation to the judge and to 22 year old Tyler Robinson that these are the criminal charges that he will be facing.

So by all accounts, it's going to be a brief hearing. There also be some question about whether or not he already might already have an attorney or if one will be appointed for him. We haven't gotten a clear indication yet on what the legal representation will be, so hopefully we'll get a little bit more clarity on that moving forward.

And then the county attorney says that in the weeks ahead, there will be a preliminary hearing, which will involve probable -- establishing probable cause, and the judge will determine if there is enough evidence to continue. This is all part of the routine legal process.

But, you know, Brianna, one of the questions that we had, and I don't think we got a clear answer. I'm going back to listen to what the county attorney said, but it's the question of the federal criminal charges and that -- and how that might affect how all this continues to play out in the months ahead in terms of the state criminal charges.

So that, I think, is one question to look at that could complicate things for local prosecutors and and get into kind of like turf issues there. So we'll see how that plays out. He was asked -- the county attorney was asked about what the federal investigators are doing. And I don't think we got a clear answer as to exactly where that is headed. Still probably too early to tell, but that could be a situation to watch closely as you know, many people want to have the chance to prosecute the suspect -- Brianna.

KEILAR: All right, Ed, thank you for the latest there from Provo.

And another story that we have been following today, Hollywood mourning the passing of iconic actor Robert Redford. One of his legendary co-stars, Glenn Close, will be joining us for a look back at his life and his legacy next.

[15:40:00]

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KEILAR: Today, Hollywood is mourning the death of legendary actor and director Robert Redford. His publicist says the 89-year-old died at his home in Utah, surrounded by loved ones. Redford starred in iconic films like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President's Men before becoming an award-winning director. His credits in that role include A River Runs Through It and Ordinary People in 1980, which earned him his first Oscar.

SANCHEZ: And then, of course, there's Redford's portrayal of baseball player Roy Hobbes in The Natural. Our next guest co-starred with Redford in that 1984 film. Here's a clip.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GLEN CLOSE, ACTOR, THE NATURAL: I love you so much. ROBERT REDFORD, ACTOR, THE NATURAL: I want you to marry me. If you do, I want to send for you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Joining us now is a silver screen legend in her own right, Glenn Close. Ms. Close, thank you so much for sharing part of your afternoon with us. I wonder what your reaction was to hearing that Robert Redford passed away?

CLOSE: I think I'm still in a bit of shock and denial, frankly. Yes, I was -- I'm over in Germany preparing to start a movie. And I was sitting in the makeup chair when I heard somebody say, Oh, Robert Redford died. And had to leave the room for a bit.

He, yes, he was a great friend. And I learned a lot from him. I think he had the heart and soul of an artist, true artist. And he was always very, very authentic in his passions, which was Native Americans and their art, the environment, and the Sundance Institute.

In fact, after The Natural, he invited me to be on the board of Sundance, which I was on for 16 years. And he came every single summer to those workshops. working alongside new talent, new voices. And in an industry that is labeled as selfish and self-serving, he was a man who put his money and his life into what he believed in, which was giving back and giving new voices to young artists. And I think we owe him a huge debt.

And I think also he was kind of a stealth actor.

[15:45:00]

In watching All the President's Men, it's Dustin Hoffman who has the really flashy part. But if you watch it again, watch what Redford does, because the two of them together made that movie what it is. And rather than being, you know, he was true to character. not demanding, you know, what wasn't written on the page. And I just found him charming and fantastic human being.

KEILAR: We spoke to Barry Levinson earlier in the show, and he said that Robert Redford was an eccentric in the best definition of the word, which I loved. I loved how he said that. You all worked together on The Natural, which is just an amazing film that I think so many people -- you know, it just is -- it's a special film for so many people. What was that like? Talk to us a little bit about that.

CLOSE: It was really, it was really fun. It was, you know, it was an early movie for me. I think it was my second film. But I remember Bob, he would say to use long shots to rehearse. Because I came from the stage, so I thought every take has to be perfect. But he kind of knew the rhythm and the language of film, and so I learned a lot from him.

The first scene I had with him was when he's in the hospital and I go visit him. My wig hadn't arrived, so I had a Darnell wig on, and I happened to have a huge pimple on my forehead. So that was my first scene with Redford, but I had a hat on. But he was wonderful. I don't know what to say. He was a soulmate. What else did I write down about him?

My first movie was with George Roy Hill as director, and Bob did three movies with George. He did Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and The Sting, and The Great Waldo Pepper. And so, George had a lot to say about Bob, about the wonderful, crazy friendship he had with Paul Newman. They would do big, big practical jokes on each other.

And he also said, you know, said that Bob could be very eccentric. But, you know, it made him a very interesting person.

The other thing that I loved learning about Bob is that he got a very important national art prize when he was 16 years old. And he told me that when he was -- had started out, and even before he became an actor, he would get in a car and just go wherever the spirit took him with a sketchbook. And when he -- I think it must have been after Butch Cassidy, he did it because he wanted to get away from all the noise. And he drove and, you know, down Wood Road, down a Ruther Road, found a little cafe and stopped in it, and within 15 or 20 minutes, crowds had started to gather because word got out that Robert Redford was in that little cafe, and he couldn't do that anymore. But that was what his spirit was to explore.

SANCHEZ: I bet not. Ms. Close, there's a question that Brianna wants to ask you, that we were kind of wondering how we should frame it, but --.

KEILAR: Well, I'll frame it in that you said -- you once said that Robert Redford was your best on-screen kiss, which I think people watching movies, I think they do appreciate -- maybe not always, but that must be very difficult. Chemistry -- we know as audience members that chemistry is something we appreciate, and it frequently doesn't deliver. But you see that with you two in The Natural. That's something he always really delivered. How do you think he was able to kind of create that?

CLOSE: Trust, I think. I think you work with an actor and you get a sense that you can trust them and you can -- what that trust means that you can create together the belief in the audience that you are deeply in love with each other. And it demands trust because that's not true. And you have to be able to go there, but able to come back and respect that person, respect whoever they have their relationship with or whatever.

I also think that, personally, that less is more. I think we see so much today of people just ripping their clothes off and eating each other, basically, that it doesn't mean anything anymore. But yes, I think we've become inured to that. And what's most powerful is sometimes the simplest.

SANCHEZ: Amen to that. Glenn Close, thank you so much for sharing your time with us, and we're so sorry for your loss, but thank you for sharing with us your experience of Robert Redford.

CLOSE: I just want to say that I'm thinking of his family as they're gathered, and what a great legacy he has left, and a truly great man, great American. SANCHEZ: Robert Redford was 89 years old. Glenn Close, thank you.

Stay with CNN. We'll be right back.

[15:55:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are about to arrive in the U.K. for a historic second state visit, a two-day trip that includes a day with the royal family at Windsor Castle and another with the British prime minister at his country estate.

CNN White House reporter Alayna Treene is live for us in Windsor, England, awaiting the president's arrival. Alayna, two-term presidents typically honored -- typically are not honored with a second state visit. How important is this trip and what's on the agenda?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, look I think there's no question Boris that President Donald Trump is completely enamored by the Royals he has often remarked when talking about this trip that this has never been done before. He recently said no one does the pomp and circumstance like the Royals.

And so really we are going to see the red carpet rolled out tomorrow for this state visit in a huge way. I know from our conversations with people on the ground here that it's going much bigger, actually, some of the pomp and circumstance that they have planned than it had been in the past.

And look, I think this is, of course, a strategy that is not lost on people at the White House. What the people here in the UK are trying to do. They know that the president loves to attend some of these events. I should note that we're going to see the Prince and Princess of Wales, Princess Kate and Prince William being a big part of this.

We're going to see Melania Trump, the first lady who often, you know, doesn't engage in some of these type of events. She's going to have a major role in all of this tomorrow. One White House official was telling me that she's been planning her outfits for the state banquet dinner tomorrow night for months now.

And again, a big part of this is because we really are seeing the U.K. try to make sure that their relationship with the U.S., but specifically the president and the Trump administration, is very strong at a time when his relationships with a lot of other allies has been really rocky. We know that the tariffs are going to be discussed primarily on Thursday when the president goes to Chequers, to the prime minister's country estate and has a joint press conference and meeting with him.

A lot of the policy will be on Thursday. Tomorrow's really, again, a lot of that ceremony from the royals. But this is something these -- the royals are really some of the few people that the president has had unwavering respect for. He continues to be enamored. That is the word I continue to hear in my conversations with people at the White House by the royals. And we'll see if it does have the effect that people in the U.K. want, which is to try and sweeten the deal for the president to make sure as they head into some of these other negotiations that the president remains in a good place and more favorable to working on those deals.

SANCHEZ: Alayna Treene in Windsor, England for us, thank you so much. We'll of course continue to follow the president's trip overseas.

"THE ARENA" with Kasie Hunt starts after a quick break.

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