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Interview with Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO): Democrats Demand Extension of Obamacare Subsidies; Jane Goodall, Who Revolutionized the Study of Primates, Has Died; WNBA Superstar Calls Out League in Scathing Remarks. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired October 01, 2025 - 14:30   ET

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

[14:30:00]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: So it is just day one really hours into this U.S. government shutdown and both sides are slinging blame on Capitol Hill. We're going to discuss with Democratic Congressman Jason Crowe in just moments. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY), MINORITY LEADER: Democrats are holding firm because we're standing up for the healthcare of everyday Americans. We're going to do that today. We're going to do that tomorrow. We're going to do that this week. We're going to do that next week.

[14:35:00]

We're going to do that until this issue is resolved and we address the Republican healthcare crisis because it's crushing the American people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffrey just moments ago, hammering that Democratic message. And with us now is Congressman Jason Crow, who is a Democrat representing Colorado. Great to have you with us.

I do want to ask you because Democrats have told us time and again that Republicans were wrong when they withheld votes and the result was a shutdown. So why isn't it hypocritical for Democrats to do it now?

REP. JASON CROW (D-CO): What's different is that this is not just any other normal bipartisan disagreement about how we spend money a little bit here, a little bit here. There is some something deeper and more fundamental going on here. A massive blow up of the American health care system.

Huge premium increases for tens of millions of Americans. The outright canceling of health care for upwards of 13 million Americans and the shock waves that that would send through the entire health care system for everybody, even if you're on an employer sponsored program.

And on top of it, not only is this a health care shutdown, but I am not going to vote for Donald Trump -- to fund Donald Trump politicizing and weaponizing the Department of Justice to go after his political enemies. I'm not going to fund him to send activity military troops into cities and quote unquote declare war against cities because he doesn't like them. I'm not going to fund his political purges of the Department of Defense.

These are not normal things that a normal president does, and I'm not going to act like it.

KEILAR: Is it possible that Senate Democrats, though, and you the polls show and in a way that you haven't before the Democratic base is on your side but is it possible that Senate Democrats fulfilling that desire of the base, putting on a fight. Maybe doing though damage to the economy and the government because we see that whenever there's a shutdown, why is it worth it?

CROW: Well, first of all, that's their decision. That's Donald Trump and House Republicans decision to just say, hey, don't look at anything we're doing. Don't look at any of the activities of this administration. Don't look at the fact that the Trump administration for the first time ever is taking appropriated money that Congress has specifically said what the money has to be used for and saying they're going to use it however they want to use it, and Congress can't do a darn thing about it.

That that is unconstitutional, it's unlawful, and I'm not going to write a blank check to this administration for them to use however they want. That's how they're deciding to approach it. What Americans want is they want a Democratic Party that's going to be firm, have some courage, and stand up for them. Stand up for their health care. Stand up for our nonpartisan military, defend our troops, defend our cities, and to be unapologetic about it.

KEILAR: I wonder if you have any concerns that it could backfire and and specifically this claim you hear Republicans making. You just heard the vice president making it rather effectively saying the Democrats are trying to give undocumented immigrants health care benefits. It's not true. But Democrats are not batting it down as effectively as Republicans are pushing it.

CROW: Well, that's why I'm here, right? They're lying. They're just outright lying. They're saying things like, you know, we're going to -- we're shutting down the government to fund health care for illegal immigrants. That is not true. It's just a patent lie. So we're out, we're telling the truth. We're fighting for it. We are making it very clear who's on the American people side versus who wants to blow up the health care system to give enormous windfalls, tax breaks to billionaires in the top 1 percent.

I'm not going to be a part of that, and I'm never going to apologize for that. Nor am I going to sit around and take polls and try to see which put my finger in there and see which way the wind is blowing. I'm going to do the right thing. My colleagues are doing the right thing and we're not apologizing for any of it. We are going to fight hard for the American people and that's where this begins, and that's where this will end.

KEILAR: The pressure right now, though, is really on the Senate, right? And in particular, maybe just a few senators, because a few Democrats did go with Democrats -- did vote with Republicans to keep the government open. Republicans are clearly trying to peel some Republic -- some Democratic senators off, and there's another opportunity for them to do that with a vote today.

What is your message to those senators, those Democratic senators who understandably, you're getting nervous because they're hearing from all kinds of voters in their states.

CROW: My message is just people want strength and confidence and leaders who will do the right thing and stand up for them, right?

[14:40:00]

And now is the time to do that, right? What happened in April, where the Senate got rolled and acted like these were normal times, and you had people that voted for something, thinking that everything was going to be normal, and that the administration would abide by the law, would abide by the Constitution, would follow a normal process. Well, guess what? Since April, it's become very, very clear that Donald Trump and this administration will do anything they want to do, period.

Doesn't matter what the law says, doesn't matter what the Constitution says, doesn't matter what the Congress says. And it's time for us to acknowledge that fact and not operate as if we are in normal times.

So this is the time for leadership. This is a time for courage. You took an oath to this country, not to your job, not to a political party, and it's time to fulfill it.

KEILAR: Speaking of leadership, looking at Leader Schumer, in March, he voted to keep the government open. Now he's supporting not voting to keep the government open. So he has made a change. You've heard the vice president, other Republicans saying he's doing this because he's worried about a primary on the left from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who's may very well be preparing for running for higher office in 2028.

What does that do if voters get a sense that his personal politics may be at play? Could they take that out on other Democrats?

CROW: You know, I just don't like the whole idea of, like, viewing this through a political electoral lens. You know, I did three combat tours, as you know, Brianna, for this country. I've known people that have given their life for this country. You know, generations of Americans have given their lives and sacrificed a lot for this nation and for this democracy to bring us to the moment we're in.

And I just don't give a damn if someone loses their job or doesn't get reelected for doing the right thing and doing what needs to be done in this moment. Leadership is about sacrifice. So when you're at a pivotal moment in our nation's history, as we are right now, that's going to take some sacrifice.

I'm not asking someone to storm the beaches of Normandy, but I'm asking them to do the right thing and to stand up for their constituents that they took an oath to defend and to protect. And if you lose your job or if you take a political hit, so be it. That shouldn't be that hard.

KEILAR: Congressman Jason Crow, thank you so much for being with us.

CROW: Thank you.

KEILAR: And ahead, Jane Goodall, the conservationist whose work revolutionized the study of primates, has died. We'll have a look at her legacy next.

[14:45:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Breaking news to CNN, Jane Goodall has died. She is, of course, the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees whose life's work living with them and studying them for 60 years broadened our understanding of animal behavior and emotions. She was 91 years old.

Joining us now to discuss is Ron Magill. He's the communications director at Zoo Miami. Ron, you got to know Jane Goodall. I'm sorry for your loss. I wonder what she meant to you.

RON MAGILL, COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, ZOO MIAMI: You know, she meant a lot to everybody. You know, it's a very sad day that we've lost her. But the flip side, what a life well lived. What I remember most about Jane Goodall was that first of all, she broke that glass ceiling. She went into a field dominated by men at the time, and she brought compassion and emotion and empathy into that field.

You know, in the scientific community, there was a time in zoos when we were told, don't give animals names. You don't give them human emotions, let's be anthropomorphic. Jane broke that and she said, no, no, animals have personalities. They have emotions.

She would speak -- you know, we hosted here at the zoo, and I remember speaking there. She always spoke with a little plush of a chimpanzee on the podium to connect to children. There's an old saying that says, in the end, you protect what you love, you love what you understand, and you understand what you're taught. Jane had this very beautiful way of connecting with children to teach them that animals had emotions, that they had similar feelings to our own, and that created that bond, that connection that wanted people to save them.

SANCHEZ: And specifically with primates. It sort of illuminated a different way of looking at our cousins, right?

MAGILL: Absolutely. You know, she saw the parallels in the emotions. She would tell this beautiful story about a chimpanzee that lost his mother. And he became so, so distraught, so depressed that he actually died. And she said verbatim, he died of a broken heart.

You know, before Jane would speak that way about animals, scientists would never say that. You know, you never saw -- you never saw her go up and show a bunch of graphs and a bunch of statistics. She showed beautiful images of these animals and their natural habitat. There's that iconic image of that young chimp with his finger just reaching out to her head. She made that real emotional connection.

She understood how important it was to connect people to this wildlife through their hearts and how primates -- these primates, our closest living relatives, were so much like us.

SANCHEZ: Maybe not cousins necessarily, but relatives. You got what I meant. I do wonder what you think that her legacy will be --

MAGILL: Sure.

SANCHEZ: -- looking forward into the future, because a lot of young people, especially given, as you noted, her savvy use of media, a lot of young people look up to her and want to follow in her footsteps.

MAGILL: Listen, she quote unquote worked. It wasn't -- she would always tell you it's not work. It's her love, it was her passion. So just a few days ago, I think she made a public appearance, sharp as a tack, looking incredible. So this is somewhat of a shock.

But at the same time, her legacy is in all these children that she has planted the seed into that has grown into this tree of passion that they have for wildlife. This generation that is passing that on.

[14:50:00]

That's her legacy. Her legacy is bringing that empathy, that passion, that emotion to animals to make them realize it's more than just, you know, something out of sight, out of mind that we're all connected. And once she got people to understand that, especially children, you know, there's an old saying, you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but you can teach the puppies. And she was teaching those puppies, knowing that we as parents, nothing's more important to us than our kids, and our kids will teach us the right thing to do.

SANCHEZ: Ron Magill, thank you so much for sharing a bit of Jane Goodall's life with us. We appreciate the time. Jane Goodall, a world- renowned primatologist and conservationist, passing away of natural causes at 91 years old.

[14:55:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: The WNBA finals are set, but instead of celebrating the big matchup, the league is mired in a very public clash with its players. Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier, who's also vice president of the Players Association, lashed out yesterday during an interview at WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and the league. She accused both of being about control and power and not about collaboration or valuing its players.

Collier's scathing remarks also included details of a private conversation that she had with Engelbert, where the commissioner allegedly made controversial and disparaging remarks about Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NAPHEESA COLLIER, MINNESOTA LYNX/WNBAPA VICE PRESIDENT: We have the best players in the world. We have the best fans in the world. But right now, we have the worst leadership in the world.

At Unrivaled this past February, I sat across from Cathy and asked how she planned to address the officiating issues in our league.

Her response was, Well, only the losers complain about the refs.

I also asked how she planned to fix the fact that players like Caitlin, Angel, and Paige, who are clearly driving massive revenue for the league, are making so little for their first four years.

Her response was, Caitlin should be grateful she makes $16 million off the court, because without the platform that the WNBA gives her, she wouldn't make anything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Commissioner Engelbert did respond in a statement that says, in part, I am disheartened by how Napheesa characterized our conversations and league leadership, but even when our perspectives differ, my commitment to the players and to this work will not waver.

We have Christine Brennan with us. She's a CNN sports analyst and USA Today Sports columnist, and she's also the author of On Her Game, Caitlin Clark and the Revolution of Women's Sports.

This clash, oh my gosh, just bursting out into public view. It is Engelbert's job at risk here.

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: Absolutely. And when you have players of this magnitude speaking out and not only Collier, but then so many who followed up saying yes, I agree with her even into the playoff game last night that all almost all the big names. Caitlin Clark was silent and obviously that's what she would want to do. And no comment from the according to Indiana Fever.

But everyone else talking about Cathy Engelbert, she's lost the room, she's lost the league, she's lost the players. And this is chaos at the moment that they should be celebrating moving into the finals. Obviously a year without Caitlin Clark mostly, but still good TV ratings. Instead, a league that has descended into absolute chaos and acrimony.

Yet also Brianna, very surprising -- not surprising at all -- as you said, I've written this book -- you could see this coming a mile away. The league was completely unprepared to have the greatest thing that ever happened to it. Caitlin Clark arrive. They've been fighting it for two years instead of embracing this incredible moment. And now here we are.

KEILAR: It's really interesting. Could we see a lockout? Could this extend into the next season?

BRENNAN: The collective bargaining agreement is is is open and that is at the end of the month that something needs to happen. An agreement lockout strike. I think anything is on the table. The question will be will Cathy Engelbert, who's had a fine career and a lot of financial success within the WNBA. Obviously a new TV deal, 6 new franchises. A lot of great things are happening with the WNBA.

The question will be, can Cathy Engelbert even survive to this point. Can she negotiate? Will the NBA, which owns 60 percent of the WNBA, will the NBA step in and say no, you're out. We're going to be involved with the negotiations.

KEILAR: So Caitlin Clark, as you alluded to, she missed the end of the regular season, all the playoffs with an injury. And she's not the only, you know, top player who hasn't been playing. How is that affecting the league?

BRENNAN: Well, it's certainly what could be with the TV ratings has not happened. Last year, the highest rated playoff game, 2.5 million, going up to a peak of 3.4 million for Caitlin Clark's second and last playoff game a full year ago. This year, they're in the one millions, one and a half. They're not going to reach 2.5 million. Caitlin Clark had she been playing last night in game five of that series, which Las Vegas did beat Indiana. That could have been four or five million, even going up against the baseball playoffs. Caitlin Clark is it. She is by far the economic rocket ship of that league.

As soon as a leader and the players admit that, understand it and frankly embrace it, why would you have trouble with it? Obviously, racial issues. There's a lot going on. As soon as they figure that out, then they will be able to move forward.

KEILAR: Is there someone who stands out to you as a leader who could kind of harness that in the way that you think and others think it needs to be harnessed?

BRENNAN: Certainly, you know, well, some of the players like Collier gets it now Collier, by the way, is represented. The agent is the same as Caitlin Clark's. So when you look at what collard Collier did yesterday, it's the same age and you know, and Caitlin, we have no idea of the connection or not in that. But you wonder.

Players need to stand up and say it's Caitlin. You know that yes, we're all important, but Caitlin Clark is the one that brings all the TV ratings and all ...

END