Return to Transcripts main page

CNN News Central

Late Night Hosts Applaud Kimmel's Return After ABC Suspension; Soon, Trump to Address United Nations General Assembly; Closing Arguments in Trial of Man Accused of Trying to Kill Trump. Aired 7- 7:30a ET

Aired September 23, 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]

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: He is back. ABC's late night host Jimmy Kimmel will be back on the air tonight. What caused the about-face and why some Americans still won't be able to see his return?

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Kamala Harris reflecting on campaign missteps and behind the scenes tension at the Biden White House. What she says should have happened before he announced he was running for another term.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: And one of the last things you want to see out of your window after takeoff, what happened next to this plane and the sparks flying off of it.

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

SIDNER: New this morning, late night host spared no time going gaga over Jimmy Kimmel's return. Just six days ago, Disney-owned network, ABC, suspended Kimmel indefinitely. Now, an about-face. Kimmel is returning to late night tonight.

His suspension came amid pressure from the Trump administration after comments Kimmel made about the finger pointing in the wake of the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

This morning, here's a little taste of what his late night competition said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON STEWART, HOST, THE DAILY SHOW: Another ABC News, young Jimmy Kimmel's coming back to television.

That campaign that you all launched, pretending that you were going to cancel Hulu, while secretly racing through four seasons of Only Murders in the Building really won. Congratulations.

STEPHEN COLBERT, HOST, THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT: Our long, national late nightmare is over, because Disney announced that Jimmy Kimmel alive will return to air on ABC tomorrow, Tuesday night. Come on.

Once more, I am the only martyr in late nights.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: All right. Kimmel is expected to address the controversy in his monologue tonight.

But not everyone will be able to see it. In many markets, the local stations are refusing to air it. Why? Because the conservative-leaning Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns dozens of ABC affiliates, said it will continue to preempt Kimmel.

Joining us now is CNN Chief Media Analyst Brian Stelter. First of all, do you have a sense of whether this stinging viewer boycott led to this decision to bring Kimmel back, or was there something else at play here as well?

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: Certainly, many people on the sidelines are speculating that the boycott efforts, that the calls to cancel Disney+ and Hulu did have something to do with it. Kamala Harris, for example, last night said, we saw the power of the people over the past few days, and it spoke volumes.

You know, certainly, Disney did not like seeing free speech protesters outside Disneyland and outside its offices. All of this was an embarrassment for Disney. And I think we can start from the premise that ABC wanted to have Kimmel back on the air. It was not as if ABC was really trying to shelve Kimmel's show, trying to cave to the Trump administration. This was not something Disney CEO Bob Iger wanted to do. It's something he felt he had to do in the moment to bring the proverbial temperature down.

We don't know if those cancelations and boycotts actually had a measurable impact on Disney's bottom line. Keep in mind, Disney is a gigantic company. So, it would've taken a dramatic number of cancelations to really move the needle. But those cancelations, the protests, the boycott calls, all of it did amount to a dramatic and, you know, a level of pressure on Disney. And it shows that there's really a tug of war underway, a tug of war, by the way, that's not going to end just because Kimmel's program is back on the airwaves tonight.

This is a little bit of a proxy battle between liberals and conservatives in the U.S., between pro-Trump and anti-Trump voices in the U.S. going back and forth. And right now, I would say the anti- Trump voice forces have had a little bit of a victory, right? Kimmel's back on the air. Kimmel's an outspoken critic of Trump. But overnight, we're hearing from MAGA media influencers, from Fox commentators, they want revenge against Disney, right? They want to push back. They want to figure out what to do next. And in some cases, yes, they want to use the power of the government to compel and conjole a private speech, in this case speech by a comedian employed by a private corporation.

[07:05:07] Now, I would say this is very much far from over partly because of Sinclair's decision not to air the show tonight. A Sinclair spokesman did not tell me if they're still making demands that Kimmel apologize. Meanwhile, we don't know what Nexstar is going to do. Remember, Nexstar was the other big local T.V. station owner that had threatened to pull Kimmel's show off of its local stations. Nexstar has not commented on what it's going to do tonight.

In some ways, this matters less than ever because with streaming, people can watch the show on their terms whenever they want, as long as ABC airs it nationally. You can watch it on demand. However, this idea that some local stations are boycotting Kimmel, it speaks to a divide in America, a red versus blue fracture. It's another example of how we have fewer commonalities, fewer shows in common, you know, less and less of that as this country continues to have that tug of war back and forth. I never thought a week ago that Jimmy Kimmel will be a part of that tug of war, but that's exactly where we are today.

SIDNER: Yes, we are definitely in a tug of war, but you can also follow the money on these things because there is a deal Nexstar is looking to make by buying another media company in front of the FCC who had threatened Kimmel. So, there's a lot of different threats to this. And, Brian, I know we will get to it in the next coming hours. Thank you so much. I really appreciate it. Kate?

BOLDUAN: This morning, President Trump is set to address the United Nations General Assembly, this, for the first time since his reelection, an organization that we know, he has long criticized as ineffective and has even pulled us funding.

From today's address, according to the White House, will focus on American strength around the world and provide his, quote, straightforward and constructive vision for the world. He'll take to the podium with two -- at least two complex conflicts demanding world leaders' attention right now, of course, Russia's war on Ukraine and also central, as we've seen just in the past day, Israel's ongoing military operation in Gaza against Hamas.

CNN's Jim Sciutto at the U.N., where it is. All security is tight and it's all getting underway, as we speak. Jim, what is going to happen today?

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: You know, Kate I think you could boil Trump's message, planned message to the UNGA today, down to his argument, in effect, that his approach to the world works better than the U.N.'s or the approach of many of the world leaders who will be assembled listening to him today.

The trouble is, the basis of his argument is not yet borne out by the facts. He'll claim to have ended seven wars. The trouble is, if you look, for instance, at India, Pakistan, their clash, they don't give him the credit that he claims. Our own Larry Madowo reporting from Congo sees the war still raging there despite Trump's claims. And to your point, the two biggest conflicts right now in Ukraine and Gaza, two conflicts that Trump claim to have the influence to end quite quickly, they're raging and arguably expanding. And then on trade, while it is certainly true that he has upended the international trade system with his tariffs and the ongoing trade wars, even with many U.S. allies, the economic effects of those tariffs still not clear and genuine concerns about the effects on global growth or even economic growth in this country. And we're seeing some troubling signs in job numbers, in inflation continuing.

But the approach of those leaders to Trump, that has certainly changed. I remember being here in 2018 when Trump got laughed at from the podium. He made a claim about his accomplishments. There were some titters from the audience, which he even referenced. At this UNGA, world leaders are courting him, flattering him. It's a measure of really the new world order, at least in terms of how they handle Trump.

One final point, I'll say, Kate, is that on the issue of a Palestinian state, the U.S. and Israel are now effectively on a shrinking island as being countries that have not recognized the state. You now have more than 145 countries assembled here today that will have recognized a Palestinian statehood, and that includes some of America's closest allies now, right, France, Canada, Australia, the U.K. That is a major rift quite apparent here in New York. Kate?

BOLDUAN: It is such a great point, Jim, from your experience of just one of the big differences between, you know, last term and this term is how world leaders work with, deal with, respond to publicly President Trump. That'll be a very interesting element to watch today, for sure.

It's great to see you. Thank you, Jim. Jim's at the U.N. all day for us. John?

BERMAN: All right. Closing arguments set to begin this morning in the trial of the man accused of attempting to kill President Trump at his Florida golf course.

What are parents supposed to do now? The new statements on autism being blasted by some doctors and scientists.

And get your brackets done.

[07:10:00]

The most anticipated celebration of acceptable animal fat shaming is upon us. Fat Bear Week is here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: All right. Very shortly, the jury is set to be hearing closing arguments in the trial of the man accused of trying to assassinate then candidate Donald Trump last September at his Florida golf club. The defendant who is representing himself rested his case without testifying in his own defense.

CNN's Randi Kaye is down there following all the twists and turns in this trial. So, he didn't testify exactly. What did he do then? Who did he talk to?

RANDI KAYE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: He actually called three witnesses, John, and it was late in the day that he finally told the judge he was not going to testify.

[07:15:01]

We had all been waiting and wondering whether or not he was going to do so, but now the jury in this case could get the time to deliberate in just a matter of hours after learning that Ryan Routh was not going to testify.

And the judge asked him when he told her his decision, have you had enough time to decide? And his response was a year. That's because, John, he has been in custody now this month for one year. But before resting, he did call those three witnesses, including a former Marine sniper. And he seemed to be trying to lay the groundwork that the assailant, whoever it was, was either incompetent or lacking intent because he asked this Marine sniper, would you use a scope for 40 yards? And the witness responded, most scopes are intended for longer distances. Routh also asked, would you ever mount a scope to a rifle with clamps, glue, and tape? And the witness said, no. That Marine sniper also said that he had test fired the SKS rifle, John, that was found at the scene and that it jammed after only firing once. The prosecution says their witness was able to fire it just fine.

He also called those two character witnesses and one described him as a very good parent, but the prosecution saw an opening there and used that time to remind the jury that they say that Ryan Routh also tried to purchase an RPG and Stinger missile and put a bounty of $150,000 on Donald Trump's head.

But his daughter, Sarah Routh, has been in court every day, and she spoke to the media after court about her father's decision not to testify, and here's what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARAH ROUTH, RYAN ROUTH'S DAUGHTER: After seeing how rigged it is why would he put himself at that -- in that position? You know, that would be stupid. He is the best man I've ever known and he is done everything, every day of his life to help anybody and everybody and his community and his children.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE: His daughter, Sarah, and his son, Adam, have been in court every day watching this trial.

And this morning, closing arguments will get underway at 9:00 A.M., John. Each side gets an hour and 45 minutes, including rebuttal, and then the case will go to the jury for deliberations. If Ryan Routh is convicted, he is facing life in prison. John?

BERMAN: we'll see how quickly this all takes place. It could be a very interesting day there. Randi Kaye, great to see you. Thank you very much. Sara?

SIDNER: All right. Spirit Airlines is furloughing roughly one third of its flight attendants as it struggles to stay in business. The bankrupt budget carrier is laying off about 1,800 crew members by December 1st is part of the broader restructuring effort following two bankruptcy filings this year. The company is beginning with voluntary furloughs, but wants to cut costs really fast, which will include slashing a hundred million dollars in annual spending on pilots.

All right, ahead, today, former Vice President Kamala Harris, releasing her new book and weighing in about what she regrets about her whirlwind presidential campaign.

And say, cheese, an American makes history and competitive cheese at the Cheesemonger World Cup. I missed it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:20:00]

BOLDUAN: One of the burning questions today, what happened on Monday night football after we all went to sleep, right? Detroit dominated. That's one thing that happened.

CNN Sports Andy Scholes has got it all. I have one happy husband this morning. I can tell you that.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Oh, I bet. Lions 90 points in the last two weeks, I'm sure he has been really happy with their performance of late. You know, the Ravens, they'd only given up one 95-yard touchdown drive in Baltimore since 2001. The Lions had two last night of a 98-yard drive and a 96-yard drive.

The creativity was just off the charge for this Lions offense. Fourth quarter, it was a tie game, Goff, he hands it off to Amon-Ra St. Brown, but then he flips it to Jahmyr Gibbs for the touchdown. That made it 28-21.

Then later in the fourth, a big play from the Detroit defense, Aidan Hutchinson punches the ball out of Derrick Henry's arm for the fumble. Lions recover. Henry quite upset for himself, as that was his second fourth quarter fumble of the season, third of the year. Lions, they got a field goal from that drive.

They got the ball back up seven, fourth in two, Dan Campbell going for it right there. Big play, Goff to St. Brown, converts the huge first down. David Montgomery would then ice the game of the 31-yard touchdown run. The lions, they sacked Lamar Jackson seven times in this game as they win a big one in Baltimore, 38-30.

The Padres, meanwhile, are heading back to the postseason. San Diego clinching a playoffs spot last night with a walk-off win over the Brewers. The Padres, they still got a chance to win the N.L. West as their two and a half games back of the Dodgers. But we have some great post-season races in this final week of the season. Five spots from the National League are already spoken for, the Reds, Mets and Diamondbacks. They're separated by just one game as they fight for that final spot now.

In the American League, meanwhile, only the Blue Jays have clinched. You got six teams fighting for five spots. Huge series starting tonight in Cleveland between the Guardians and the Tigers, the Red Sox, they are at the Blue Jays. It certainly looks like the race in the A.L. It's going to come down to the final day of the season on Sunday.

All right, and, finally, college football, it's great for so many reasons. One of them is because it's a real life soap opera. So, Lane Kiffin's 13th ranked Ole Miss Rebels, they have a huge game against fourth ranked LSU on Saturday. Well, Lane's daughter, Landry, decided this week was a good time to launch on social media that she's dating LSU star linebacker Whit Weeks. This pic of the couple took off on social media last night. And Lane who always has a good sense of humor posted on X saying, take the over, insinuating his Rebels are going to score lots of points on week's Tigers on this Saturday.

[07:25:04]

It's so great, Kate. I want to know who Landry's rooting for on Saturday.

BOLDUAN: I mean, that is hysterical and I'm so here for this. That is amazing.

Andy Scholes, bringing the fun this morning, thank you. And the Dan Campbell bite them in the knees, Tigers -- Lions, I mean, and Tigers and Bears.

BERMAN: And Bears.

BOLDUAN: Well, I have to root for all of the big cats because I married into this family, okay?

BERMAN: That's absolutely.

BOLDUAN: The Lions, that's football.

BERMAN: Yes.

BOLDUAN: The Tigers, that's baseball. And then I also have to root for the Wolverines.

BERMAN: Which is?

BOLDUAN: Football.

BERMAN: You got all the sports games right.

BOLDUAN: I win it all.

BERMAN: Kate Bolduan, ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much.

BOLDUAN: I'll drop this. Not my team, Sara.

BERMAN: All right. The most powerful storm on earth this year takes aim at tens of millions of people daring rescues already underway.

And look at those sparks fly. The problem, they're coming from an airplane after takeoff. We'll show you what happens next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:30:00]