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ABC Pulls Jimmy Kimmel's Show Off Air Over Charlie Kirk Comments; Trump Meets With U.K. Prime Minister Starmer on Final Lega of History Trip; CDC Vaccine Advisers Kick Off Two-Day Meeting. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired September 18, 2025 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:00]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: This morning, who might be next? Disney pulls Jimmy Kimmel off the air after public pressure from the Trump administration overnight. The president said he wants to see others go too.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Ukraine's stolen children, our exclusive bipartisan interview, four U.S. senators sitting down together and announcing they are turning up the pressure on Putin to return the war's youngest victims, and opening up a new front on sanctioning Russia at the same time. What they say is their secret weapon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): If you don't release them now, you're going to be a state sponsor of terrorism under U.S. law. You're going to be radioactive to the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: And the heart-pounding police rescue video after a car crashes and bursts into flames. The drivers survive. What we know about all of this this morning?

Sara is out. I'm Kate Bolduan with John Berman. This is CNN News Central.

BERMAN: This morning, questions swirling about who is next after ABC abruptly pulled Jimmy Kimmel's late night show off the air. The announcement came as Kimmel and his team prepared to tape last night's episode. We're told staffers on the show were left shellshock by the game time decision announced as celebrity guests were already on route outside the theater where the show was taped. Audience members who'd been lined up waiting for an over an hour, they were told the taping was canceled.

All of it came after FCC Chair Brendan Carr criticized ABC over Kimmel's remarks about Charlie Kirk's alleged killer. Carr suggested the FCC could revoke licenses and urged local broadcasters to get involved. And they did. Two broadcast groups announced they would preempt or pull Kimmel's show from 62 television markets or regions nationwide.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRENDAN CARR, FCC CHAIR: President Trump ran directly at these legacy broadcast outlets and he exposed them to these market forces, and a lot of these affiliate groups said, to your point, we're tired of carrying this stuff. Late night shows, something's gone seriously awry there. They went from going for applause, from laugh lines to applause lines. They went from being court jesters that would make fun of everybody in power to being court clerics and enforcing a very narrow political ideology.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: With us now, CNN Chief Media Analyst Brian Stelter.

Again, that was car after the announcement, but before, very publicly, he was putting pressure on media companies.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: That's right. And the pressure from Carr is the key part of this story because there are station owners that have pending business in front of Carr. They need him to approve their mergers and other deals, and that is why the Trump administration pressure is so notable in this case.

Look, this is not just about a single comedian. It's not about Jimmy Kimmel. It's about a cherished American value, free speech. And this morning, there are many charges against Disney, people crying, corporate cowardice.

But let's begin by looking at what Kimmel said on Monday night. This is the clip that went viral on Tuesday that created some controversy on Wednesday and led ABC to bench him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIMMY KIMMEL, COMEDIAN: We hit some new lows over the weekend with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it. In between the finger- pointing, there was grieving. On Friday, the White House flew the flags at half staff, which got some criticism.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STELTER: Kimmel, of course, has been a derided figure on the right for years. You know, he's a liberal comedian. He is a scathing critic of Trump. MAGA media has been out against him for a very long time.

So, when that clip started to gain traction, especially by Wednesday morning, there were conversations inside ABC about addressing it in some fashion. To be clear here, you know, Kimmel was not out saying as a fact that the suspect in Kirk's killing was some MAGA figure, some conservative, but he was saying that there was an attempt to make sure that it was not pinned on the right. So, that controversy erupted really on Wednesday, and ABC did talk about what to do. There were some discussions about having Kimmel go on the air and address the controversy.

[07:05:00]

But as station owners became concerned about the FCC chairman's threats, ABC decided to bench Kimmel before the program could be taped last night.

Of course, President Trump celebrated this on Truth Social during the overnight hours in the U.K. He wrote, quote, great news for America, the ratings-challenged Jimmy Kimmel Show is canceled. Congratulations to ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done. He went on to target the comedians on NBC, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers. He said their reins are also horrible. Do it, NBC.

So, the president's being very clear about his agenda here. He is trying to silence dissent in the U.S., in this case, dissent from late night comedians. And we have heard from many free speech and free expression groups overnight condemning this Trump administration pressure and criticizing ABC's move. For example, here's the ACLU, John. It says, quote, this is beyond McCarthyism. Trump officials are repeatedly abusing their power to stop ideas they don't like, deciding who can speak, write and even joke. The Trump administration's actions paired with ABC's capitulation represent a grave threat to our First Amendment freedoms.

This is one of those situations where everybody in America does have free speech rights, but you either got to use them or you lose them. And now we all wait to see what Jimmy Kimmel might say about this, because, overnight, John, he was silent about this.

BERMAN: What will Jimmy Kimmel say? What will President Trump say? He's expected to speak shortly in the United Kingdom. What more might Brendan Carr say about other people who are on T.V. and their statements?

Brian Stelter, thank you so much for being with us this morning. Kate?

BOLDUAN: Also, this morning we have seen the pomp in pageantry. Now comes the policy and the politics. President Trump meeting with the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the final hours of his second state visit to Great Britain. The topics on the table, likely tariffs, tech, the wars on Ukraine and in Gaza.

This morning, President Trump said farewell to King Charles after that massive and lavish state banquet at Windsor Castle last night. The president calling that dinner one of the highest honors of his lifetime.

CNN's Alayna Treene is traveling with the president. She joins us now. And as John was just getting to, we're expecting to hear from the president this morning, Alayna.

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: That's right. So, currently, Kate, the president is meeting behind closed doors for a bilateral meeting with the British prime minister, Keir Starmer. But then shortly after, I mean, they are a little bit behind schedule, but hopefully within the next hour we'll get a chance to actually see the president have reporters ask him questions. I know many of them are eager to do so since we really didn't have an opportunity yesterday around all of the royal events. He was kept away from the press. So, we'll have that opportunity when he convenes and participates in a business roundtable. And then a number of CEOs are expected to be their, tech CEOs, different, you know, finance moguls, kind of finance leaders are going to be part of this as well.

Many of the people actually we saw last night, including Apple CEO Tim Cook, Larry Fink, NVidia's. CEO, all of them expected to be a part of that. Because a big part of what today is about as well is investments and technology deals. And we know that a lot of these U.S. businesses are going to be making investments in the U.K. The U.K. is also expected to have some companies making investments in the U.S. Something, of course, that we've seen really be a big priority for the president around a lot of these foreign trips.

But I think hopefully we will get to see him during right ahead of that business round table, ask some questions, and then of course later he will have a press conference with Keir Starmer. So, stay tuned for that.

But, look, I think today, as you mentioned, it's really about the policy and the politics and getting into the nitty-gritty around a lot of that. Yesterday was about the pageantry, but that was a key part of setting it up for today. I think a big goal of the United Kingdom was to use the royals to kind of sweeten the president up, make sure he headed into today in the right mind, you know, mind frame and all of that.

And I think they got their wish. If you listen to what the president said last night, he was very complimentary of the royals. Listen to what he said during his speech at the state banquet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KING CHARLES: The ocean may still divide us, but in so many other ways, we are now the closest of kin.

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: It's a singular privilege to be the first American president welcomed here and the -- if you think about, it's a lot of presidents, and this was the second state visit, and that's the first. And maybe that's going to be the last time. I hope it is, actually. But this is truly one of the highest honors of my life, such respect for you and such respect for your country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TREENE: So, Kate, a lot of flattery there saying it's one of the highest honors of his life. Again, really, the goal of that yesterday, we know that the president is very enamored by the royals.

[07:10:01] And so, hopefully, he's heading into, at least on the part of the Brits, hope heading into today with that mindset and believing that the U.K.-U.S. alliance is really strong as they get into a lot of these tough issues, as you mentioned, Ukraine, Gaza, so much more that will be on the agenda for these talks.

BOLDUAN: Yes, warming them up for the talks today. It's great to see you, Alayna. Much more to come from Alayna Treene overseas next hour. John?

BERMAN: All right. The future of childhood vaccines in the United States could hang in the balance today. Health Secretary Robert Kennedy's handpicked panel meets their recommendations could radically alter vaccine policy.

Three police officers dead, two more injured. We've got new reporting this morning about the deadly shootout.

And if you have ever won the Publisher's Clearing House sweepstakes, boy, have we got news for you, expensive news.

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[07:15:00]

BOLDUAN: Well, later this morning, the CDC'S vaccine advisers will be kicking off a two-day meeting on the agenda recommendations on a slate of vaccines and the childhood vaccine schedule. This panel is getting new attention now from healthcare providers to insurance companies and Capitol Hill because Robert Kennedy Jr. fired basically the existing panel and replaced it with his own self-selected members, leaving some experts concerned about the changes that could be coming to childhood vaccine policy, and does it -- is it going to make these vaccines harder to come by.

Ousted CDC Director Dr. Susan Monarez told Congress just yesterday that Kennedy had warned her changes were coming, just as he also told her she needed to get on board.

CNN's Meg Tirrell joining us now, tracking all of this. Let's start with these meetings. What could happen here?

MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL ANALYST: Yes, Kate. So, we've seen the agenda for this two day meeting and they're only set to discuss three vaccines, the measles, mumps, rubella and varicella or chickenpox combination vaccine, the hepatitis B vaccine with a specific focus on the birth dose, that dose that's given to babies in the hospital of the hepatitis B vaccine. And then tomorrow, all day, they're slated to discuss COVID-19 vaccine recommendations. And on all three of these topics, they are scheduled to take votes.

And this panel is incredibly influential, even though before COVID and before all of this, most of us had never heard of it, they always deliberated and they did all of their work. And like most of public health, a lot of people just didn't know that it was happening. But they are so influential because their recommendations can become CDC policy if the CDC director accepts the recommendations. That influences insurance coverage and also influences which vaccines are purchased for a program called Vaccines for Children, which provides vaccines to low income kids for free and is a very important way that a lot of lower income children access vaccines in this country. And so those are the three topics we are expecting to hear about with today being those first two influencing kids vaccines in particular. Kate?

BOLDUAN: Also, we got a bit of a preview of what could be coming and the debate that we could be seeing from the CDC -- former CDC director yesterday, right?

TIRRELL: We did. So, in that hearing, of course, this was foreshadowing this two day meeting, and so much of that hearing around the CDC director was that she says that she was pressured to accept the recommendations of this committee before even seeing them. We saw a debate between two Republican senators about the hepatitis B vaccine that might sum up a lot of what we're going to be hearing today. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RAND PAUL (R-KY): What is the medical scientific reason and proof for giving a newborn a hepatitis B vaccine if the mom is hep B negative?

SEN. BILL CASSIDY (R-LA): Now, fewer than 20 babies per year get hepatitis B from their mother. That is an accomplishment to make America healthy again. And we should stand up and salute the people that made that decision because there's people who would otherwise be dead if those mothers were not given that option to have their child vaccinated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TIRRELL: We should note those two senators also both doctors, Dr. Cassidy, Senator Cassidy, they're a liver specialist, so hepatitis B, something he knows quite a lot about. And the reason that folks give for this birth dose is that sometimes testing can be imperfect. And the safety profile of this is very good. We'll see it all today. Kate, back to you.

BOLDUAN: We will see it all today. Meg, thank you so much. We're going to need your help on this one throughout the day.

Coming up for us, a small Pennsylvania community totally shaken after a man hiding in a cornfield ambushes and kills three police officers. What we're learning about all of this tragedy.

And keep your eye on Wall Street this morning as we wait for the opening belt. How are the markets going to react to the Fed's rate cut and the Fed chairman's message around all of it?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:20:00] BERMAN: This morning, an investigation is underway after three officers were shot and killed in Southern Pennsylvania. A late night processional was held for those officers killed in the line of duty This morning, two other officers remain hospitalized.

Let's get right to CNN's Gabe Cohen in York County, Pennsylvania, Gabe, for the latest on how this happened here.

GABE COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And, John, as you can imagine in this rural community here in York County, is still railing this morning from this tragedy. Five officers shot, three of them killed right here by this property behind me.

And overnight we're learning much more about how this unfolded, a source telling CNN that the alleged shooter was the ex-boyfriend of a woman who lives here who had seen just a couple days ago that man lurking here in this nearby cornfield. She reported it. Police issued an arrest warrant. And when they came to do a follow up on Wednesday, that, according to this source, is when the shooter emerged in camouflage from this cornfield and opened fire, again, killing three of those officers, two of them still in the hospital this morning.

We spoke with a neighbor who was driving by as it unfolded, witnessed so much of it. Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVE MILLER, LIVES NEAR SHOOTING LOCATION: I heard the gunfire and I stopped and pulled off the side of the road and just couldn't believe what I was hearing. And then I saw a body on the road. I pretty much saw it hit the ground.

It seemed like a war zone. It sounded like a war zone.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: And, John, still so many questions this morning as to the motive here. We are also still awaiting the identities of the three officers who were killed, as well as the identity of that alleged shooter. We are hoping to get more information in the hours ahead.

BERMAN: That's just terrifying. And to think of that person emerging from that cornfield shooting at those officers there who are just so unsuspecting.

Gabe Cohen for us in York County, Pennsylvania, thank you so much for your report this morning.

All right, new revelations from former Vice President Kamala Harris, who she really wanted to pick as her running mate and why she didn't.

And Meta says its new A.I. glasses will stop you from looking down at your phone and improve your memory, but I forget why.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BERMAN: All right. This morning, new questions about what is next in television after the unprecedented decision by Disney's ABC to pull Jimmy Kimmel's late night show off the air. The network said Kimmel's show will be off indefinitely.

Now, this abrupt decision came after FCC Chair Brendan Carr threatened to pull affiliate licensing over Kimmel's remarks about Charlie Kirk's alleged killer --

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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