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Government to Shut Down at Midnight if No Spending Deal Reached; Next Hour, Hegseth Convenes Top Military Official for Rare Meeting; New York Times Reports, Friends of Michigan Church Gunman Say He Had Grudge Against Mormons. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired September 30, 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: Shut down showdown. This morning, no sign of a deal as the clock ticks down to the midnight deadline. Republicans are standing firm and blaming Democrats. Democrats making it clear they're not interested in a short-term fix.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: This morning, hundreds of top military brass are going to hear from their commander in chief and an unprecedented gathering, being described as a pep rally for warrior ethos with the Washington Post reports some military leaders are sounding the alarm.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: And that did not go exactly as planned. A rocket explodes on the launch pad before takeoff. So, what went wrong besides the explosion?

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

SIDNER: This morning, time is running out to make a deal to keep the government open. And unless lawmakers can reach a last minute agreement, it appears the federal government will shut down tonight for the first time in nearly seven years. Today, the Senate is expected to vote again on a Republican backed bill extending funding for seven weeks. But that vote is expected to fail, and there is already plenty of finger pointing as to who is to blame.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): It's unfortunate if Republicans decide that they want to shut the government down because of their unwillingness to deal with the healthcare crisis that they themselves have created.

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): It's up to the Republicans whether they want to shut down or not.

REP. MIKE JOHNSON (R-LA): If the Democrats make the decision to shut the government down, the consequences are on them, and I think it's absolutely tragic.

SEN. JOHN THUNE (R-SD): This is purely and simply hostage-taking on the path on behalf of the Democrats.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: The blame game is afoot. Congressional leaders there speaking after meeting with President Trump at the White House yesterday, a meeting that ended with no progress.

But after the meeting, the president then did this. He posted a racist, A.I. generated video of Democratic Congressional Leaders Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer falsely claiming that Democrats want to give free healthcare to undocumented immigrants. Democrats have said they want a spending plan that extends Obamacare subsidies and includes a rollback on Medicaid cuts made under the president's so- called one big, beautiful bill.

CNN's Arlette Saenz is on Capitol Hill for us. There is no sense this morning. I understand, that they are any closer to a deal.

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, there isn't, Sara. And efforts to avert a government shutdown are really coming down to the wire. And I can tell you in talking with lawmakers over the last 24 hours, there does not appear to be an immediate resolution in sight.

President Trump's meeting with Congressional leaders yesterday did not result in a breakthrough and really hardened both sides in their position. Senate leadership does expect this afternoon to bring up a vote on that short-term funding bill to fund the government through November 21st, but Democrats have said they will not get on board unless there are concessions from Republicans when it comes to healthcare. One of the key points that Democrats are still pushing is having an. Extension of the Obamacare subsidies, which are set to expire at the end of the year.

Now, top Democratic leaders left that meeting with President Trump yesterday believing that he might be willing to negotiate on those subsidies. But Republicans up here on Capitol Hill have said that any talk, any negotiation over those expiring tax credits should only be done if the government is kept open.

Here is how Senate minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Vice President J.D. Vance described the standoff.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCHUMER: But it's now in the president's hands. He can avoid a shutdown if he gets the Republican leaders to go along with what we want. And if they don't, the American people are going to know they had a partisan bill that the president's in charge.

J.D. VANCE, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: You don't put a gun to the American people's head and say, unless you do exactly what Senate and House Democrats want you to do, we're going to shut down your government. So, I think we're headed to a shutdown because the Democrats won't do the right thing. I hope they change their mind, but we're going to see.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAENZ: Now, if lawmakers cannot reach an agreement, there will be a shutdown at midnight tonight.

[07:05:01]

This would have widespread impacts across the federal workforce. There's tens of thousands of federal employees who would be furloughed, many more who would be working without pay. Think about members of the military, people working for TSA, air traffic control. There are also concerns about this threat from the White House that a government shutdown could prompt mass layoffs among the federal workforce. That adds another layer of anxiety to federal workers as the Trump administration has already worked to pare down the government since Trump took office.

Now, a few things to watch this afternoon, the Senate is expected to hold a vote on that short-term funding bill. It's not expected Democrats will get on board and then the question is what comes next. Republicans have signaled that they will continue bringing up that bill for a vote if the government shuts down as they see it's the only way out and Democrats think the Republicans need to come to the table on the issue of healthcare.

SIDNER: Yes. I think there's anxiety all around, including economically, people worrying what this might mean to the country.

Arlette Saenz, thank you for your reporting this morning from Capitol Hill. Kate?

BOLDUAN: Also happening this morning and that unprecedented meeting of hundreds of top U.S. military generals and admirals, all of them summoned from around the world now set to gather -- now set for a gathering that will get underway next hour at Marine Corps Base Quantico, in Virginia.

Now, Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth and the president of the United States himself are expected to speak to the group with cameras in the room. The Washington Post is reporting, though, some of those very military leaders that will be sitting in there are voicing concern over the abrupt changes that Secretary Hegseth is planning.

CNN's Natasha Bertrand is live at Quantico this morning with more. So, what is expected? What are you hearing?

NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kate. Just to give you a sense of the ambiance here, these generals and admirals, they have been arriving behind me by the busload. And so this is really an unprecedented gathering. We are going to see the entire top U.S. military command here in the same room with the president and the secretary of defense, which some people are calling pretty much a security nightmare.

But what we expect to hear from Secretary Hegseth is an outline of his vision for the military moving forward, a speech we're told about the, quote, warrior ethos and the new direction of the U.S. military under President Donald Trump. And Trump, as you said, is also expected to be speaking here this morning to this gathering.

But just to give you a sense of how unprecedented this is, all of these generals and admirals were told just last week that they essentially had to drop everything and come here to Virginia to sit in this room and listen to Secretary Hegseth. President Trump decided just a couple days ago that he also wanted to join, and they were not told exactly why they were being summoned here to Quantico.

Many of them had to travel from all over the world in order to be here. And several of them, of course, have raised questions about why they actually needed to be here in person given that this speech by Hegseth and by President Trump is going to be live streamed. Many times when there are important announcements to be made to the U.S. military, it's done by a secure video conference, for example. And so several of them have questions, how much this is going to cost to get everyone here, and, of course, what is being neglected perhaps around the world in terms of, you know, operations and overseeing those operations while these generals and admirals are sitting in this room here having to gather here in Virginia starting from yesterday, of course, because this is starting so early today.

So, again, this is a really unprecedented moment and I think that we are expecting to hear from Hegseth and from President Trump their kind of vision for a new direction of the military that focuses more on, quote, lethality, which is something Secretary Hegseth likes to underscore, and also less of an emphasis on the kind of diversity, equity and inclusion programs that Hegseth and Trump have said for too long have previously defined the U.S. military. Kate?

BOLDUAN: It's pretty remarkable seeing, as you said, by the busload, the buses continue to arrive behind you as this is going to be getting underway next hour. We're going to have coverage of this Natasha's there's for us.

Thank you so much, Natasha. John?

BERMAN: All right. A years-long grudge against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, new details this morning about the man who killed four people during Sunday services.

Long awaited A.I. protections, we're standing by ChatGPT to roll out brand new safety control so parents can safeguard their teenage users.

And how do you catch a renegade alligator at a McDonald's drive through? Well, one, very carefully, and, two, duct tape, obviously.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The dude pulls up with some duct tape and the shoe string.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:10:00] BERMAN: This morning, we are learning new details about the man accused of killing four people in an attack on a church in Michigan. A close friend of the shooter says he, quote, harbored unkind feelings towards certain groups and had a longstanding grudge against people of the Mormon faith. The New York Times reports that his friends say that hatred stemmed from a breakup with a religious girlfriend more than a decade ago.

Let's get to CNN's Michael Yoshida who's in Grand Blanc, Michigan. Good morning, Michael.

MICHAEL YOSHIDA, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John. You mentioned the search for that motive continues as right now there still remains that police presence, those barricades up blocking the road that leads up to the Michigan church where Sunday's deadly shooting and fire happened. We know the FBI leading this investigation in that search for answers.

They've interviewed more than a hundred witnesses and victims so far as they try to answer that question as for why this happened.

[07:15:06]

You mentioned that New York Times reporting. We also know that the suspected shooter, 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford, based on his history, we know he was an Iraq war veteran, that he did as a result die in that shootout following Sunday's violence here at this church, and that investigators say that he had been arrested in the past for burglary and OWI, all pieces to the puzzle as they're trying to figure out what led to this violence.

We also know the White House press secretary spoke yesterday about some of the conversations she's had with the FBI director, talking about how while the motive does remain under investigation, it appears potentially the attack may have been motivated by religious hatred.

And in that search for answers, we also have heard from a city council candidate from a nearby town where the shooter was from. He actually spoke to the suspected shooter a few weeks ago. Take a listen to how that conversation went.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KRIS JOHNS, BURTON, MICHIGAN CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE: He asked me about, what do you think about guns? And I said, I support the Second Amendment. And that was really where the end of that was. And after that, it really took a very sharp turn into -- he goes, the next question was, what do you know about Mormons? It's an extremely odd question. I mean, I've hit probably close to 7,000 doors so far, and we -- there's people out there who have very sharp views, right or left. Those are expected. But religion has really been a topic that's not been addressed down the doors, and especially a very pointed question like that.

(END VIDEO CLIP) YOSHIDA: And as the investigation continues, we are learning more about those who were injured in this attack. We know the ages ranging from just 6 years old to 78 years old. We also know it wasn't just those in the church and in this neighborhood impacted. There were actually medical residents at the hospital where victims were taken to. They knew some of their friends and family members who they were treating there as a result of this attack, again, another example of how this small close-knit township impacted by this violence and how they're trying to heal, and like so many around the country now waiting for the answer as to what led to this horrific violence. John?

BERMAN: Yes, just devastating to see the pictures of the church now burned to the ground.

Michael Yoshida in Grand Blanc, Michigan, thank you for your report this morning. Sara?

SIDNER: All right. Ahead, smuggling murder and more. A cartel leader talks to CNN about recruiting American teenagers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not bad. I'm not a bad person. You?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You don't think you're a bad person?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not a bad person, but I do what I have to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: How the cartel is using social media.

And video captures the moment a rocket explodes during testing. You'll have to check this one out.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:20:00]

BOLDUAN: Yes, my friends, it's time for some sports. We had a double header on Monday Night Football. And in Miami someone had to win finally, as the winless Dolphins hosted the winless Jets.

CNN's Andy Scholes has it all. Andy, tell me everything.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Well, good morning, Kate. So, if you know any Mets, Jets fans, send them a nice message of his encouragement today. Maybe pat them on in the back, maybe even give them a hug because it's been a rough last couple of weeks for them. The Mets collapsed, not make the playoffs. The Jets are now 0-4.

Now, the Dolphins, they were wearing their new dark water rivalry uniforms last night on Monday Night Football. It looked pretty slick. Tight end Darren Waller, big first game for the Dolphins. He caught two touchdowns. Waller, he retired after the 2023 season, but looks like he may have returned to his pro bowl form. Now warning, Tyreek Hill suffered a gruesome knee injury in this game. It happened right here as he made this catch in the third quarter. Hill sustained a dislocated knee. He was carted off the field. He was smiling and waving to the crowd as he left.

Now, ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting Hill tore multiple ligaments in his knee, including his ACL. The Dolphins will win the game 27-21, but now look like they have lost Hill for this season.

All right, in the other game last night, the Broncos just put a beat down on the Bengals. Cincinnati scored the first three points of the game, but it was all Broncos the rest of the way. Bo Nix threw two touchdowns and ran for another. The Broncos, they had 512 yards of offense to the Bengals' 159. Cincinnati had more penalties than first down, 11-9. Denver just dominant, 28-3 win.

Baseball's postseason set to begin today with the wild card round. Tigers and Guardians are going to get getting started at 1:00 Eastern. Then you got the Padres at the Cubs at 3:00. The night cap, it's the Reds at the Dodgers. And it doesn't get any bigger than the Yankees versus the Red Sox in the postseason. These two foes set to add another chapter to their rivalry. This is the sixth time they've met in the postseason. The Yankees won in the ALCS in '99 and 2003. Then everything changed with the Red Sox epic comeback from down to 0-3 in that 2004 ALCS. Boston won that series and then they beat the Yankees in 2018 and 2021. So, Boston leads the postseason matchups 3-2. All- time though postseason record between these two, dead even, 12 wins, 12 losses.

Kate, the wild card round, it is the best two out of three. And all these games are going to be at Yankees Stadium if they in fact need all three games. I see Berman's ready to go.

BOLDUAN: I was giving him the cold shoulder on purpose. Little did I know he was bringing the fashions today. I can't -- I'm having a hard time even making fun of the Red Sox when he looks that fancy. What do you do with the necklace?

SCHOLES: The neck's going to hurt if he wears that all day.

BOLDUAN: I mean, that's --

BERMAN: A lot of bling, a lot of bling.

BOLDUAN: A lot of bling. But did you hear the intake? The Yankees and the Red Sox, they're just as good as the other. No one is better than the other because they're tied.

[07:25:00]

BERMAN: Yes. But, morally, the Red Sox are better. I mean, come on, let's just be honest about that.

BOLDUAN: Andy Scholes always creating strife in this New York City studio, thank you so much.

BERMAN: We're not going to both sides.

BOLDUAN: The entire crew are Yankees fans.

BERMAN: We're not going to both sides the Red Sox, Yankees. There's only one --

BOLDUAN: I'd both sides this.

BERMAN: All right.

BOLDUAN: This little. By the way guys, it's foam. This is actually heavy.

BERMAN: It's not bad, right?

BOLDUAN: No.

BERMAN: All right. Your food, your medication, your flights, your weather reports, what gets affected and what doesn't if and when the government shuts down at midnight.

And what exactly is a kitchen appliance showgirl? A mixer tries to wrangle its way into the frenzy of the new Taylor Swift album.

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[07:30:00]