Return to Transcripts main page

CNN News Central

Patel Refuses To Say FBI Agents Won't Be At Poll Sites; Kennedy Center Board Votes To Close Main Building Immediately; Families Call On Congress To Improve Aviation Safety; Families Of D.C. Midair Collision Victims Call On Congress To Act; U.S. Military Confirms It Has Deployed Weapons In Space. Aired 3-3:30p ET

Aired September 15, 2026 - 15:00   ET

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

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Breaking news, as the Kennedy Center board votes to shut down the Performing Arts Center for two years, the latest on the vote and the President's profane message to them.

And tipping his hand, California Governor Gavin Newsom talks 2028 with CNN's Jake Tapper, why he may stay out of the race if one prominent Democrat in particular runs.

And "Star Wars" becoming real life, the Pentagon admitting it has put weapons into orbit over our planet. We're following these major developing stories and many more all coming in right here to CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

Today, while testifying on Capitol Hill, the FBI director Kash Patel did little to calm fears that Americans could see FBI agents at polling places during the midterm elections. Multiple Democratic senators asked Patel to confirm agents would not be deployed. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): Would you agree with me that the FBI has no general authority to monitor elections?

KASH PATEL, FBI DIRECTOR: That priority rests with DHS.

BLUMENTHAL: So, you would agree with me that deploying FBI agents to the polls on Election Day would be contrary to law?

PATEL: I don't know that we can't legally do it. I'm telling you, we're going to house our agents and intel analysts in our field offices for election security.

BLUMENTHAL: We'll I'm ...

SEN. PETER WELCH (D-VT): I thought you were going to be sending people to the polls.

PATEL: When did you hear that? It's just another lie.

WELCH: When you answered Mr. Blumenthal.

PATEL: Nope. WELCH: So, you are sending -- you are sending FBI into the poll.

PATEL: We have election crisis coordinators manned at all 56 field offices.

WELCH: All right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: CNN Senior Justice Correspondent Evan Perez joins us now.

Evan, Patel appeared to waver on exactly where these agents are going to be stationed. He didn't want to specify whether they would go to polling places.

EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: You know, sometimes I wish I could go in there and just interrupt and ask the questions myself because ...

SANCHEZ: Yes.

PEREZ: ... I think -- look, there -- there is need for some clarification on this, but you weren't going to get that today, especially with the way those questions were being phrased. Look, the -- what happens in every election is that the FBI stands up these emergency operation centers in every district around the country, 56 field offices, and they have agents there who are watching for any sign of trouble, anything that could be criminal in nature, which is what they have jurisdiction on. And so,, that's what I anticipate is what's going to happen, but Patel is not being specific, and, you know, you can see why, right? The President has been trying to lean in on this idea that anyone who tries to vote illegally will be -- will be caught and will be -- will be prosecuted, which, of course, is the case already.

SANCHEZ: Right.

PEREZ: And so, you know, it's not clear whether DHS is going to have people at -- at the polling stations. There are limits -- and there are legal limits on what they can do, but, you know, again, part of this, the administration is trying to keep this opaque on -- on purpose.

SANCHEZ: It sounds like you -- you might be trying to join the Judiciary Committee, if you want to ask the FBI director for a question.

PEREZ: I mean, I'm -- I'm available. I do not want to stand for election.

SANCHEZ: I do want to ask you about something else that Patel was asked specifically about, and that is the assassination attempt on then-candidate Trump's life in Butler, Pennsylvania, a couple of years ago. Patel was asked about whether there was any indication that the shooter was working with anyone. He said no, but as he was speaking, President Trump posted on social media saying that this was all a Democratic plot. He also said that the former FBI director, Christopher Wray, should pay the price for ...

PEREZ: Should be punished, right.

SANCHEZ: ... mishandling evidence, et cetera. Todd Blanche, the Attorney General, was asked about that during the White House briefing. He said that there was some new evidence uncovered about the shooter, but he didn't say -- he didn't go as far as Trump did in suggesting that they had unearthed a -- a -- you know, a plot or conspiracy by Democratic lawmakers.

PEREZ: Right, and I think that remains the case. There is nothing that has -- that has been shown to us or to the public that indicates that there is any plot beyond this one person who appeared to be having some kind of mental issues, had appeared to have no friends. He was talking to no one but his -- but his own family.

What we heard from the -- the -- the Attorney General is that the Justice Department and the FBI has produced a number of documents to the Senate that has requested some of those documents, and that may be where the President is getting some of this. It's not clear what the President is talking about. Here is what Patel said when he was asked about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATEL: I think we looked at some 27 devices, exfiltrated all the data off of them, looked for connections to individuals in America and overseas, and we found no evidence that that individual was literally even speaking to any other human being other than his parents who he resided with.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[15:05:01]

PEREZ: And, look, I mean, again, there's 27 devices, so that's what the FBI did investigate. Look, one of the things that was mysterious at the time when we were covering this was that he seemed to be using some encrypted apps that are -- that are -- that are based overseas, and the FBI spent some time trying to make sure that there wasn't a foreign government involved, and they found nothing to support that.

SANCHEZ: Notably, just to put a finer point on it, according to your reporting as -- as part of a team here at CNN, we learned that this shooter had actually been looking at events held by Democratic lawmakers as well. So, on the outside, it appeared that he was just looking for an event to go open fire at -- is that a fair assessment?

PEREZ: Right, and I think that's what the FBI and the Secret Service, all of them, found ...

SANCHEZ: Yes.

PEREZ: ... when they reviewed this, including members of Congress who did do another review, because one of the things he searched was a Democratic convention in Chicago, which was coming up when he was making these searches. So, it's clear he was looking for a big splash, not necessarily just after President Trump.

SANCHEZ: Evan Perez, thank you so much for that reporting.

Breaking news to CNN. The Kennedy Center Board of Trustees has just voted to close the main building immediately. The decision coming shortly after a federal judge blocked the board's latest bid to add President Trump's name to the performing arts venue. These are live images where you see, after a court ruled that President Trump's name should come off, that tarp went up. It has not yet come down.

Kennedy Center officials told the court the institution could face, quote, certain fiscal collapse within weeks if Trump's name isn't on the building. Let's go to CNN's Sunlen Serfaty, who's been following all these twists and turns. She was there the night that protesters were cheering and playing music as Trump's name came down and that tarp went up.

Sunlen, what are you hearing from sources about this?

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Boris, certainly a lot of twists and turns today, as you said, most notably the legal action that happened this morning. But just in the last hour, there was a meeting of the Kennedy Center Board. And this comes after that judge really put his foot down today and said that President Trump cannot have his name on the side of the building. Very clear that President Trump is unhappy with that decision and really focused in the meeting at bringing a lot of anger and calling out specific members of the board today.

According to two sources, he, as chairman of the board, called into the Kennedy Center Board meeting today, along with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and he was angry. He was yelling specifically, according to a source, at Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, of course, the person whose lawsuit has prevented and stood in the way of President Trump's name going to this -- on this front of the Kennedy Center building.

A source with knowledge of this meeting said, quote, "It was effing crazy." So, very clear President Trump unhappy with that decision, which came down only moments before the Kennedy Center Board convened at 12:30 P.M. Eastern time. And notably, the judge again did say that it would violate an earlier ruling if President Trump's name was added to the building.

We have been reporting in recent days how the Kennedy Senate -- or officials have been pleading for them to not only be able to close their doors, but also put President Trump's name to the front of the building. They argue, court Kennedy Center officials, they're arguing that Trump's name will help in fundraising efforts, help revive the institution.

Of course, the plaintiffs and critics against what's happening at the Kennedy Center will argue that it's because of Trump that the fundraising has gone downhill. But again, Boris, one more twist and turn in this ongoing saga. And we did hear from President Trump himself, which just in the last moment posted on Truth Social, again, what we likely would imagine that they will anticipate, they say, an appeal to this decision -- an expedited appeal, that's according to President Trump, who just wrote on Truth Social.

So, very clear the legal maneuvering will continue here. Boris.

SANCHEZ: Ms. Sunlen Serfaty, thank you so much for that.

Still to come, families of the 67 people killed in the midair collision near Reagan National Airport are now demanding change, the safety reforms they want Congress to enact.

Plus, an unlikely pair appearing at the same event in Washington, D.C., calling for more restrictions on artificial intelligence, what Steve Bannon and Senator Bernie Sanders have in common.

And later, the Air Force Secretary confirming that the U.S. has deployed weapons into space. What exactly are we talking about?

That and much more coming up on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:13:55]

SANCHEZ: Families who lost loved ones in last year's deadly mid-air collision in Washington, D.C. are speaking out, demanding aviation safety reform.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAURA AUGENDRE, LOST FAMILY MEMBER IN 2025 AMERICAN AIRLINES MIDAIR CRASH: We cannot change what happened that night. But we can and we must change what happens next. Aviation safety is not a left issue or a right issue. It is not and never should be political. Public safety concerns every one of us. Every person who boards an airplane. Every family member waiting for someone to come home. That responsibility belongs especially to those entrusted with the authority to act.

So, whether you are standing with -- with us here today or not, we hope this message -- message is heard. Action is past due.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Remember, 67 people died in January 2025 when an American Airlines passenger jet approaching Reagan National Airport collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River. Aviation leaders, including the NTSB chairwoman Jennifer Homendy, joined the families in calling on Congress to act immediately.

CNN Aviation Correspondent Pete Muntean has been following this story. So, Pete, what specifically are these families asking lawmakers to do?

[15:15:05] PETE MUNTEAN, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: It's a pretty tall order. More than 600 days since that crash. And advocates say plenty of time to make major safety changes that have still not been implemented. The families of those who were on board American Eagle Flight 5342 brought a sobering reminder of the human toll there. This is the U.S. skating jacket that belonged to 16-year-old Spencer Lane. He was one of the six members of a Boston skating club that were killed returning from a training camp.

His father, Doug Lane, also lost his wife, Christine, in the tragedy. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOUG LANE, LOST FAMILY MEMBERS IN AMERICAN AIRLINES MID-AIR CRASH: There are still people and organizations working to make this harder than it needs to be. We see you. We need you to stop. Stop finding reasons to delay. Stop creating confusion. Stop lobbying for loopholes and carve-outs that weaken what we are trying to accomplish.

If you do not believe that the NTSB's recommendations will make us all safer, say so. Say it to our faces. Say it to Chairwoman Homendy and the investigators who worked for a year to develop them. If you think the cost is too high, show us the math. Tell us what a human life is worth to you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MUNTEAN: What the families want more than anything is a greater mandate for in-cockpit technology called ADS-B IN. That shows pilots where other aircraft are in near real time. The NTSB says it could have prevented this crash alerting the crew of the passenger jet 59 seconds before impact. The helicopter crew would have received a warning 48 seconds before impact, but neither aircraft had this technology.

There are two bills that call for changes after the crash. The House bill is called the Alert Act. The Senate bill is called the Rotor Act. Both have passed their respective chambers, but neither have passed the other. The Senate bill, the Rotor Act, is the only bill that would require ADS-B IN on in-cockpit displays.

That is one of the key outstanding safety recommendations made by the NTSB in the wake of the crash. And NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy, in a new letter to the Federal Aviation Administration, said she was disappointed that the agency has not acted. And I asked her if this fight has ever felt hopeless. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENNIFER HOMENDY, NTSB CHAIRWOMAN: Has this ever felt hopeless? I ...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not -- not to Jennifer Homendy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

HOMENDY: I am full of hope.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. We will get this done.

HOMENDY: I am full of hope because we have lots of people, great leaders, safety leaders that you see here in our corner. We have an obligation. We owe it to these families. We owe it to passengers. We owe it to the traveling public. We owe it to cargo pilots and so much more to improve safety now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MUNTEAN: The Union of Airline Pilots says the House bill is only a partial fix. Either way, families now feel like they have an opening with Congress back in session. And this is where Congress comes into -- into play and politics comes into play. The thinking is a lame duck Congress could finally get this over the finish line. Senator Ted Cruz is the chair of the Senate committee overseeing aviation. He said we cannot get to the second anniversary of this crash next January having done nothing.

A lot of political firepower here. About a dozen members of Congress at this rally today. We will see if things change, although more than 600 days or nearly 600 days since this crash, not much has changed.

SANCHEZ: There seems to be unanimity that something needs to be done. So what is the holdup?

MUNTEAN: There are special interests at play here. There's so much at play here. And even the families today took direct aim at the airlines, saying that they try to increase shareholder value all the time. And they say that safety is their bottom line, but they have not essentially put their money where their mouth is. They say that the airlines can do this essentially on their own, and some have. American Airlines has begun putting ADS-B IN and in-cockpit displays in some of its airplanes. But others are essentially waiting for a mandate. Aviation is really expensive, and airlines are essentially waiting for Congress to do something here.

The big question is, will the FAA do something on its own? They could unilaterally mandate something here. That came up in a Senate hearing today with FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford. He was asked pretty point- blank about that. He sort of evaded the question. So, we'll see what happens here as time goes on.

Of course, there's so much passion around this. The families really need something to be done.

SANCHEZ: Yes, it was heart-wrenching to hear them yet again after what happened last year. Pete Muntean, thank you so much.

MUNTEAN: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Still ahead, for the first time, the U.S. military confirming it has weapons in space that it will use if necessary. What we know about them when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:24:14]

SANCHEZ: The U.S. military has deployed weapons into space, and will use them to defend the country against any kind of threat. That's the message from the Air Force Secretary while speaking at an air, space, and cyber conference in Maryland.

Troy Meink said the U.S. now has an on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the joint force against hostile adversary action. CNN's Brian Todd is here with more.

So, Brian, why the announcement?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's extraordinary, Boris. It's -- it's extraordinary because it's the first time they've ever acknowledged that they've had weapons in space. Why? I think it's to send a direct message to China and Russia, which we're going to get to in just a moment. But as Boris mentioned, as you saw the video there from that conference, Troy Meink, the Air Force Secretary, acknowledging in a conference there in Maryland that the U.S. has deployed weapons in space and will use them to defend American forces.

[15:25:05]

He said they have, quote, "On-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the joint force against hostile action." Here's more of what Troy Meink had to say about the rationale for using those weapons.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TROY MEINK, AIR FORCE SECRETARY: There have been many who are developing -- developing capabilities to -- to take those away from us, to threaten those things. So, it is critically important that we maintain -- we maintain our dominance not only in the air but in space so that we've -- we've had to take steps to make sure that -- that when we're threatened, we can take care of that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TODD: When he's talking about the forces that are challenging the U.S. in that regard, he is referring to Russia and China, which we're going to get to in just a moment. But what is critical here is that Troy Meink Troy Mink did not give any specifics as to what kinds of weapons are in space. He didn't give any other details when he was pressed. He refused to give any details on that.

He was vague possibly because there are treaties in place that prevent the placement of certain types of weapons in space, including the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which specifically bans nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction from being in orbit. It does not ban the use of conventional weapons in space. Also not known here is when those weapons were deployed. CNN has reached out to the Space Force for comment. Boris, there is just a lot we don't know about what's up there that the U.S. has, how they're going to use it and when they put them up there. SANCHEZ: That secrecy, obviously, an advantage for the United States.

TODD: Yes.

SANCHEZ: But I wonder what weapons Russia and China have or -- or are developing that they were alluding to.

TODD: Well, from what U.S. officials have been saying, Boris, some weapons that seem pretty alarming when they're described. The U.S. military has repeatedly warned that China and Russia are testing new offensive space capability. One of those systems as they refer to as the Russian satellite constellation training missions, which could demonstrate, attack and defend tactics in combat in space. So, they're -- they're developing some kind of combat capability in space, which is fascinating.

Also, U.S. officials saying that China is developing what they call a nuclear-capable partial-orbit hypersonic missile. Now, that sounds terrifying.

SANCHEZ: Yes.

TODD: And whether the United States has something like that in space, whether the United States can defend something like that in space, none of that is known right now.

SANCHEZ: Yikes. Out of science fiction.

TODD: Right.

SANCHEZ: Brian Todd, thank you so much ...

TODD: Sure.

SANCHEZ: ... for that.

Still ahead, the push to ban artificial superintelligence. We're going to discuss with one of the co-authors of a bill before Congress that would do just that. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)