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Interview with Rep. George Whitesides (D-CA): Democrats Warn of Catastrophic Risk Posed by AI in Letter to House Speaker; Dems and GOP Lawmakers Split Over Calls to Regulate AI; ProPublica: Putin-Connected Oligarch Helped Pay for Trump Jr.'s Wedding. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired September 14, 2026 - 14:30   ET

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

[14:30:00]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Lawmakers on Capitol Hill demanding action amid concerns about existential threats from AI a group of House Democrats wrote a letter calling on House Speaker Mike Johnson to cancel their upcoming weeks long recess so they can pass guardrails. They cited a catastrophic risk posed by advanced artificial intelligence. The House reconvened today, but there are already plans for a break after Thursday until the November midterms are over.

In their letter, first obtained by Axios, House Democrats offered a grim outlook if Congress fails to step up, saying quote, "To our children who will have read a post apocalyptic history, 'Why Congress Slept' -- likely written by a genetic AI -- our inaction will be inexplicable and unforgivable." With us now, one of the letter signatories, Congressman George Whitesides of California.

Congressman, thanks for being with us. Do you think that these AI companies are asking for regulation in good faith? And speak to what we're hearing from some Republicans who think that this is also a way for them to have less competition if the government regulates.

REP. GEORGE WHITESIDES (D-CA), CONGRESSIONAL ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CAUCUS: Well, Brianna, I think that they're caught in a competitive dynamic where they feel like they need to go as fast as possible. But what they are asking for, what the people inside these companies are asking for. Eleven hundred researchers recently signed a letter saying that they want help from the government to slow down.

It is absolutely clear that what we need is a global AI safety slowdown. Right now, I'm calling for one in a Washington Post editorial tomorrow, because if you look at the risks posed by these systems, they can cause very serious issues across our economy, across. And so that's why we're demanding that Speaker Johnson keep us in session to address these issues.

KEILAR: Should some of these companies be able to create their own body for industry standards?

WHITESIDES: Well, what I am recommending is that we have a stand down for at least one month where all the companies, all the frontier companies stop their activities for development, right? And, you know, I come from an aerospace background. I was NASA chief of staff, and we often had, you know, safety stand downs after we had an accident. We would stop flying and then we would understand what happened. We would write down rules of how we are going to operate safely.

And only then would we start flying again. And that's what we need to do now. We need to write down those red lines with the companies, but also with independent experts and the government about how we're going to operate these things safely.

KEILAR: We have talked with experts, and they do say that having an understanding of AI is really important for regulating AI. We've watched Congress struggle with regulating social media. We've seen there be a lack of understanding when it comes to technology. Is Congress equipped to regulate something that it struggles to understand in AI?

WHITESIDES: It is such a good question. And honestly, as a parent, I see that lack of understanding. Even people who aren't parents don't understand the impact that these systems are having on our kids. We have to help our colleagues.

For those of us who come from technical backgrounds, we have to help our colleagues understand. They're good movies. They're resources.

But we have got to come together because only the Congress can really provide the full legislative backstop for what's happening.

[14:35:00]

KEILAR: David Sacks, who's the co-chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Tech, wrote a long post on social media this weekend addressing Dario Amodei and Sam Altman.

And he said, in part, "... stop pretending the motivation to slow down is purely altruistic. You face massive product liability exposure if your products enable a truly damaging cyber attack."

What do you say to that?

WHITESIDES: Well, look, what we have right now is a shutdown or a slowdown in congressional oversight. What we need is an AI safety stand down. And I believe that if we all come together, the companies, all of whom have already said that they want to do this, if they come together, we can actually set out responsible bipartisan rules of the road to enable us to maintain American leadership in this area while still respecting the safety issues that are very present.

KEILAR: You don't think that they may be trying to buffer themselves when it comes to liability?

WHITESIDES: Well, look, I think the liability concerns need to be addressed. But the number one thing that we need to do now is we need to help these companies do what they want to do, which is to slow down so that we avoid the existential threats that we potentially see from self-improving systems that can escape from their enclosures and affect large parts of our economy.

KEILAR: I want to ask you about something completely unrelated and kind of fun, and that's about a thing that you're launching. It's a show. It's kind of like a Hot Ones style show where you eat progressively spicier hot wings with your fellow Democrats.

"Capital Heat." There it is. And it seems like maybe some members of Congress are faring better than others.

Tell me about what you're hoping to achieve here.

WHITESIDES: Well, look, one of the frustrations that I've had as a freshman member of Congress is the fakeness of so much communication that we have. You know, we record these videos and we put them out to the public, but people want more authenticity. And my hope is with this show that we get to show the sort of the behind the scenes character of the people who are trying to help our country move forward, and particularly some of the folks in the House.

KEILAR: Yes, you can see your member of Congress blow their nose because the food is so spicy. Are you going to have Republicans on?

WHITESIDES: Absolutely. We hope to have a broad spectrum of people because, you know, if we're going to help fix this country, whether it's AI or climate or costs, we've got to work together.

KEILAR: You like spice.

WHITESIDES: I do.

KEILAR: Right. All right, so, I mean, you kind of have a leg up.

WHITESIDES: So to speak.

KEILAR: All right. Congressman George Whitesides, thank you so much.

WHITESIDES: Thanks.

KEILAR: So still to come, a new report says a Putin linked Russian oligarch helped bankroll Donald Trump Jr.'s wedding. And now the newlywed couple is responding.

[14:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Today, Donald Trump Jr. and his wife, Bettina, are responding to a new report from ProPublica about their wedding being partially paid for by a Russian oligarch. The investigative outlet says that that oligarch, who has close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, secretly bankrolled much of the event in May, including hundreds of thousands of dollars in expenses. The report identifies the oligarch as Umar Kremlev, who attended the intimate wedding in the Bahamas.

Today, Trump Jr. and his wife defending the lavish gift in an Instagram post, writing, "Our dear friend Umar very generously, hosted two incredible nights of celebrations for us after our wedding. It was an extraordinarily generous wedding gift from a friend and something for which we were and remain incredibly grateful." The couple adding, "It's unfortunate that something so personal and happy can be recast as something political or sinister simply because of who someone is or where they come from."

Let's talk about this now with Julia Ioffe. She's the founding partner and Washington correspondent for Puck. She was born in Moscow, and she is the author of the book "Motherland, a Feminist History of Modern Russia From Revolution to Autocracy."

All right, Julia, what questions does this report raise for you?

JULIA IOFFE, FOUNDING PARTNER AND WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT, PUCK: So many, but the first of them is, is what is Umar Kremlev going to ask for or expect in exchange for this very lavish wedding gift? Because while Russians are known to be quite generous with their gifts, gifts like this from a person like this who is very well connected to the Kremlin and it's kind of strongman wing, don't tend to just give out hundreds of thousands of dollars to the son and daughter-in-law of the American president. There is most definitely strings attached and I wonder where those strings lead and when they're going to be pulled.

KEILAR: What kind of strings would you be talking about? I mean, what are the concerns about the kind of thing that a Russian oligarch with connections to Putin might be looking for in general? I mean, not necessarily this individual, but if a Russian oligarch connected to Putin gives a gift to the tune of a better part of a million dollars or, you know, what might they be expecting?

IOFFE: A whole number of things. I'm not sure in detail.

[14:45:24]

I would just be speculating, but more broadly, if you look at the broader picture, when Donald Trump came into office the second time, Putin and the Kremlin were hoping to just get the war in Ukraine done with, over with, so that they could then normalize relations with the U.S., which would then open up billions, trillions in direct investment, in the lifting of sanctions on Russian oligarchs and members of Vladimir Putin's inner circle, who, let's be honest, you know, as one Russian source once said to me, these people aren't oligarchs. They just work as oligarchs. A lot of them hold money for Putin.

Nobody's money is really their own in Russia, ultimately. And so this, I think, looks like part of a broader effort to kind of grease the wheels and keep Donald Trump and his administration on Russia's side. It's, I think, interesting that this is coming -- this report is dropping just a couple days after Donald Trump and Jared Kushner basically said they're leaning on Ukraine again in the negotiations, which seems like, you know, we're back to square one.

KEILAR: Yes, so let's talk, I think there's also questions about, OK, well, how long have they known each other? Right. That's important. And Kremlev's press office told ProPublica, in part, that he's a businessman and philanthropist and that he and Trump Jr. have had a friendly relationship. They first met a couple of years ago and that Mr. Kremlev has never discussed political matters with any of his American friends and acquaintances, including Trump Jr. The somewhat newness of their relationship. Does that raise questions?

IOFFE: Look, it could, but also it doesn't matter, right, when they met. They could have met 10 years ago, and it would still be incredibly suspect because we know that the Kremlin, the FSB, turned people, right?

So he could have met them 10, 15 years ago and not had have had anything to do with the Kremlin, which is doubtful, given what he was doing 10 years ago. And then they could have turned him a couple of years ago. Again, this is all speculative, but again, nobody's money is really their own in Russia anymore.

And the fact that, you know, whether he met them two years ago, whether they were their best friends or acquaintances, obviously, if he met them more recently and they're mere acquaintances and he's now giving them hundreds of thousands of dollars, that's even more suspect. But the whole thing would have stunk even if they were bosom buddies going back to their college years, which they're not. So it's even more stinky.

KEILAR: So you mentioned Jared Kushner. It's of note. Jared Kushner was in attendance at these events.

He's one of the U.S. envoys, obviously, who is trying to negotiate between Russia and Ukraine. He did not respond to ProPublica's request for comment. So what kind of conflicts could that raise as you're looking at what he is now demanding on behalf of the Trump administration of Ukraine?

IOFFE: Yes, well, I'd want to know, what did they talk about at the wedding? And again, even if they didn't talk about Ukraine, even if they didn't talk about politics, just the mere, you know, any intelligence professional or counterintelligence professional can tell you that it's just in the early stages about establishing these inroads and these relationships so that later you can ask for something. Again, you know, the Russian expression in America, you say there's no free lunch.

The Russian expression is even more colorful. It's that the only free cheese is in a mousetrap. And I think it would be wise of the Trump administration to remember this.

On the other hand, I really don't think they care. I think they're just happy to take the money. And I think part of the problem is that early on in this administration, Trump, Witkoff, Lutnick, everybody around Donald Trump announced basically we are open for business.

The Russians, the Qataris have heard this loud and clear, and it has made their job of influencing government of American government officials much, much easier for all these foreign intelligence services and the heads of these foreign governments.

KEILAR: It obviously raises a lot of questions. And Julia, great to speak with you about them. Thanks for being with us.

IOFFE: Thanks. And you know what, Brianna, I am wondering why you did not pay for my wedding.

KEILAR: I only wish that I had several hundred thousand dollars to just give to you for your wedding, Julia.

IOFFE: I thought you were a generous friend. But you know.

KEILAR: Alas, I'm on the up and up, Julia, thank you so much.

So now to some of the other headlines that we're watching this hour. A Russian drone strike narrowly missed former CIA Director David Petraeus while he was at a train station in Ukraine. This happened about a mile from the border with Poland on Sunday. Ukrainian Railways says the drone struck a passenger train while Petraeus was actually traveling on a separate train.

[14:50:00]

The rail line also says another diplomatic train carrying former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and other foreign dignitaries had passed through the station shortly before the strike. Russia has ramped up its attacks near the Polish border here in recent weeks.

Also, Turning Point USA says it will restore its statue of Charlie Kirk that vandals damaged over the weekend with red paint. The piece was erected last week outside the Phoenix headquarters to recognize the one year mark since Kirk was assassinated. A nearby poster with an image of the conservative activist also defaced, as you see here in this picture. Kirk's widow posting online saying quote, "They think spray paint can obscure his legacy, but it will only spread it further."

And dramatic Coast Guard video showing the helicopter rescue of a 70 year old hiker. Craig Berg went missing on a remote island in Lake Superior on September 5th. And after a weeklong search, crews located him over the weekend. They say that he was injured.

He was suffering from hypothermia, but he's now being treated in the hospital.

And still to come, a first time U.S. Open champion celebrating his breakthrough victory. His reaction to finally lifting the trophy of Flushing Meadows.

[14:55:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: Ben Shelton had the home crowd behind him at Arthur Ashe Stadium Sunday, but his quest to become the first American in 23 years to win the U.S. Open men's singles title came up just short. CNN's Don Riddell is with us now. And Don, Alexander Zverev was simply too much for Shelton on this one.

DON RIDDELL, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Yes, absolutely. And you could see that there was a real sort of gulf in experience because Zverev is already a major champion. He was playing in his third consecutive Grand Slam singles final.

Whereas Shelton, I mean, he'd never been this far before. And he did seem to be a little bit out of his depth in the first couple of sets. But fair play to Shelton.

He's a showman. He showed tremendous courage by getting back into this match by winning the third set, but this was where it all came to an end for him. But what was amazing, just look at Zverev's response here.

He had no idea that he'd won the tournament. It's not that long ago that he was begging to become a major champion. On this occasion, he found himself as the last man in the stadium to know that he'd actually done it.

Afterwards, CNN Sports Patrick Snell caught up with him and asked him about that rather strange moment.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATRICK SNELL, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Well, many congratulations. You are holding a magnificent piece of silverware. But let's start with the moment you clinched it.

You appeared to not initially realize you'd won the title. What was going through your mind at that moment?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV, U.S. OPEN CHAMPION: I thought it was 5-1. I thought it was 5-1 instead of 6-2. So I thought I have one more game left.

So I was quite focused. I was quite calm, but then I was luckily on the side of my team and they're all screaming that it's over. So I'm very happy that it was.

SNELL: They confirmed it for you.

ZVEREV: Yes, they confirmed it for me.

SNELL: What a moment that was. What a year it's been for you, Sascha. You win the French Open, now the US Open.

At the start of the year, though, would you ever have dreamt it possible that you would go on to win not just one, but two Grand Slam singles titles?

ZVEREV: Yes, of course. That's what you work for. But definitely, if you would have given me a paper at the beginning of the season for one Grand Slam title, I would have signed it.

That's for sure. But standing here with two is absolutely amazing and I couldn't be happier. SNELL: You've spoken before about the scar tissue over the years, the doubts that creep in. Would you ever win a Grand Slam singles title, a major? How do you reflect back on that now? And how high is the bar moving forward?

ZVEREV: Yes, it's funny. The scar tissue started here six years ago. But yes, I mean, I definitely had tough moments, especially, I think in Paris, I had a lot of stress in me.

But here I was just enjoying my time on the court because I won in Paris already. So it was much more enjoyable. I had a lot of fun on the court and I'm definitely happy with how I played.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RIDDELL: So Aleksandr Zverev wins two of the four Grand Slam titles this year. Very similar story in the women's game, because Elena Rybakina has also won two of the four. She was the Australian Open champion.

She won here on Saturday. In both finals, she beat Aryna Sabalenka and she really did win it all in New York because during the tournament, by making the semifinals, she also took Sabalenka's world number one ranking from her. So what a fortnight it has been in the Big Apple for Elena Rybakina.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELENA RYBAKINA, U.S. OPEN WOMEN'S SINGLES CHAMPION: That's a proof that you can achieve so many things just if you believe and yes, you do the right things, you work hard. And yes, that's amazing and still doesn't feel real for now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIDDELL: Well played Elena Rybakina, and it kind of feels as though she's taken over the women's game almost by flying under the radar. She's not made much noise by doing it, but she's now three quarters of the way towards the career Grand Slam. And Brianna, Sabalenka must be just absolutely sick of the sight of losing kind of everything to her this season.

And if you're a fan of Game of Thrones, you'll know about the song of Fire and Ice. That's kind of how these two players are. Sabalenka is kind of brilliant, but brittle.

She's so combustible. Rybakina is just the ice queen. She's just so calm and she just gets it done and nothing seems to faze her at all.

KEILAR: Yes, amazing to watch that. And well put, Don. Thank you so much.

RIDDELL: Yes, all right.

KEILAR: A new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.

END