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Legal Fights Heating Up Over Trump's Efforts to Plant His Name on Federal Buildings and Landmarks; Kennedy Center Says Building Will Be Closed for at Least a Week; U.S. Moving Drones from Africa to South America; Unauthorized Drone on Runway Halts Flights at DCA Airport. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired September 18, 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]

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In that juror deliberation room, but he is coming forward through his attorney and setting the record straight as well. He posted on X, or at least his attorney for him, posted on X this, "I didn't have any doubts as I tried to explain different possible theories during deliberation. I kept getting cut off as if I had doubts based on the evidence presented. Based on all the physical evidence, key witnesses and what the prosecution presented, I thought it was enough proof that she, Clancy, knew exactly what she was doing and planned."

Now, of course, this person trying to come forward in some way saying they're also, as you can imagine, getting a lot of attention, their lawyer even expressing that they will take legal matters into their own hands if they continue to get sort of the reaction to this juror as well -- Brianna.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Interesting. All right, Brynn, thank you for that report.

Supporters of the Kennedy Center plan to protest by forming a human chain around the building as President Trump threatens to tear it down unless his name becomes a permanent part of it. We have details on the upcoming demonstration next.

[14:35:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: President Trump's effort to brand his name on federal buildings and landmarks in Washington is facing another legal hurdle. The U.S. Institute of Peace and its former board members have filed an emergency motion in federal court trying to block the carving of Trump's name into the facade of its headquarters. Trump had his name bolted to the building last December, shortly after he dismantled the independent agency.

KEILAR: In a new court filing, lawyers for the plaintiffs said the administration has quote, "Taken steps to prepare to carve Trump's name and that a formal request for the work has been made and a contractor has been selected." Now, there's also a separate court fight over President Trump's bid to add his name to the iconic Kennedy Center. The judge in the case just ruling that the Performing Arts Venues Board must provide at least 30 days notice before making any major changes to the building, including demolition. Earlier this week, the president warned that the center would, quote, "End up being ripped down without his support."

SANCHEZ: We're joined now by Norm Eisen. He's an attorney representing Democratic Congressman Joyce Beatty, who is suing the Trump administration over its attempted changes to the Kennedy Center. Norm, thanks so much for being with us. So, have you gotten any additional indication from the administration about potential plans to move forward with major changes or a demolition of the Kennedy Center?

NORM EISEN, ATTORNEY FOR REP. JOYCE BEATTY (D-OH) IN KENNEDY CENTER CASE: No, they're reeling from the one-two punch that they suffered this week. First, the judge ruled, yet again, Donald Trump's name cannot go on the Kennedy Center. That's a part of the case that I argued personally, and we succeeded on that a second time.

You shouldn't have to go back twice. Then, in response to the president's tantrum, "If my name can't go on there, I'll tear it down," the judge has put this order in place. Make no mistake, if we get that 30-day notice, we're going to rush to court just like we did when we saw the president in those pictures holding the giant Kennedy Center demolition sign, and we're going to shut down the demolition. That's even more against the law than putting his name on the building.

KEILAR: Do you have confidence that the board will give that notice?

EISEN: I have confidence that the courts will come down like a ton of bricks on the administration if they cheat. So, yes, I do not think that from the president on down, they want to face contempt of court. You know, at Democracy Defenders Action, we have over 300 legal matters against the administration, and we find sometimes, just like with the naming, you have to go back to court again and again, but eventually they do comply.

Here, I am confident that the Kennedy Center is not going to be demolished.

SANCHEZ: Speaking of coming down like a ton of bricks, I asked you yesterday, last night, whether you agreed with the idea that the center would have to be at least temporarily shut down because of safety concerns. The board has argued that there are real safety risks with people walking in public areas. You said that there may need to be some renovations, but it isn't to the degree that they need to actually close the place down.

Do you have evidence that there is no need beyond the $250 million that Congress has already allocated for renovations to go beyond that, as the president has suggested?

EISEN: Well, I have evidence that the Kennedy Center can be renovated with a phased implementation where audiences, visitors, might have to walk a slightly different path and you do it stage by stage because that was the Kennedy Center's own plan until Donald Trump drove the audiences into the ground. He drove the artists away from the building, and now he wants to shut it down to conceal the embarrassment that he's destroyed the beating heart of what is supposed to be a living arts memorial to President Kennedy.

[14:40:00]

KEILAR: The financial situation does seem dire, right? I wonder how you're seeing that. Trustees received a report that said the center would be unable to make payroll and could go into bankruptcy in weeks.

They received that earlier this week. Trump's offered to raise the money necessary, but the report argued he wouldn't be able to fund raise if his name is not on the building. What is your understanding of the current financial situation?

EISEN: Well, you should have seen, Brianna, when the judge raised this. We were in court earlier this week and said, really? To the government?

Are you going to go into bankruptcy? How quickly they backpedaled because, of course, that would open the Kennedy Center up to the proper remedy. It's not bankruptcy for charitable trust of this kind.

The court would have to appoint a receiver. This is an institution that has gotten along --

KEILAR: Meaning that it would then be out of the control of the --

EISEN: Out of the control. That is the classical remedy in trust law, this charitable trust. It's not a corporation where we're going to go into bankruptcy and, you know, sell the chairs in the auditorium for pennies on the dollar. The government immediately backpedaled.

This is an institution that got along just fine for decades until Donald Trump destroyed the customer base and the artist base. That's the source of the financial crisis that it faces. So I think if this foolishness, I'm going to put my name on it, I'm going to tear it down if I can't have my name on it.

If that stops, they're sitting on over $250 million. That is not a small sum.

SANCHEZ: That effort toward receivership is actually being carried out in a separate legal case, right? How do you view that?

EISEN: Well, there's been conversation. There's been no formal request. The judge is the one who raised the question.

Right now, we're focused on getting a assurance that the building is not going to have a snap demolition like we saw with the East Wing. We have that now. We have that court order, and it just reaffirms we -- Boris, we had the court order before we went in this week because there was an order the Kennedy Center may not be closed. Well, I would say demolition is a form of closure, belt and suspenders. You've got to do it with this gang. The judge said, no, do not demolish without notice.

That 30 days is there so we can litigate it, and we will and we would win. It's very clear under the law, no power to demolish. And we wanted to make sure no name on the building.

We got another ruling this week. Somebody counted. There were nine emergency and rush filings this week, back and forth. We're in a good place for now and we're going to litigate the rest of the issues.

SANCHEZ: Norm Eisen, thanks so much for being with us.

EISEN: Thanks, guys.

SANCHEZ: Of course.

So after the break, we have a CNN exclusive why the U.S. military plans to move drones operating over Africa to South America.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Now to some new exclusive CNN reporting. We've learned that the U.S. military is expected to relocate the bulk of its drones stationed in Africa to South America. Sources say the drones are part of a wave of military assets the Pentagon is positioning in that part of the world for expected counter-terror and counter-narcotics operations.

CNN senior national security reporter Haley Britzky is with us now. So Haley, what do these drones do and how are they going to be used in South America?

HALEY BRITZKY, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Yes, Boris. So the MQ-9 Reaper drones, they can collect intelligence. They carry out precision strikes.

And so sources say that moving them from Africa to South America is sort of coming ahead of expected counter-narco and counter-terror operations. Particularly potential operations in Ecuador specifically. And so we've seen a surge of equipment obviously as the U.S. military has really picked up activity in that region over the last year. Particularly with Operation Southern Spear. Going after alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific. But we've also heard senior administration officials like Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth who have praised some of these countries in South America for increasing their partnership with the U.S. military saying they want to be conducting these joint operations against drug cartels in their countries. And so sources saying we could be seeing more of that in the near future.

SANCHEZ: What does this mean for the U.S. military presence in Africa?

BRITZKY: Yes, there's a lot of concerns for what this means for the presence in Africa. We've seen the U.S. military's footprint there really decrease over the last several years. And given that these drones in particular provide sort of that oversight and ability to collect intelligence on groups like ISIS and al-Shabaab in Africa which the U.S. is still very actively going after and conducting strikes on. There are a lot of concerns of what this could mean and the capabilities that the military has there. And of course no military commander ever thinks they have enough assets, right? They always want to have more.

But there has long been concern that Africa has sort of fallen at the last of the list of priorities for the U.S. military and this is sort of reaffirming a lot of people's concerns.

SANCHEZ: Hayley Britzky, thanks so much for the reporting.

Still to come, a close call exposing the risks of the U.S. military's AI push. Some more exclusive reporting ahead.

Plus, scientists think that living on the moon is possible. There is a catch though.

Stay with us. We'll be right back.

[14:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Now to some of the other headlines we're watching this hour. Warren Buffett is stepping down as the chairman of Berkshire Hathaway at the age of 96. In a letter to shareholders, the so-called Oracle of Omaha acknowledged his advanced age, but said he plans to stay on the board as chairman emeritus.

[14:55:00]

Buffett has been chairman of Berkshire since 1970, building an estimated net worth of $145 billion during his tenure. That's according to Bloomberg. His son Howard Buffett is going to take over as chairman now.

And flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport stopped for about 20 minutes Wednesday night after an unauthorized drone was spotted flying over the runway. Here are some of the calls that pilots made to air traffic control.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PILOT: We saw, like, a drone or something that went flying by, probably halfway down the runway on final.

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: I saw a light that I thought it might me a drone too. I'm obviously holding on the runway 15, it was over November taxiway.

PILOT: Use caution. All aircraft on final report of a drone over the airport. Last reported taxiway November.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Airport operation workers searched for the drone, but they could not find it. The area around the airport is also off limits for drones. Federal charges if you're caught can result in a year in jail and fines of up to $100,000.

And if humans ever settle on the moon, a massive metropolis may not be in the cards. And one reason is water. A new study took a serious look at living the lunar life after Elon Musk said it's potentially just 10 years away.

Although the moon is believed to have trillions of pounds of water, researchers say that's probably still not enough to sustain a major city for very long. They found a city of one million people would likely run dry in just a couple of years. If the water is recycled, it'd last only about a century.

A more realistic goal according to researchers would be a lunar town in some 30 years -- Brianna.

KEILAR: The all new CNN original series, "THE DETOUR WITH DAVID CHANG", follows celebrity chef David Chang as he logs off of social media and finds recommendations the old fashioned way through word of mouth. CNN's Sara Sidner sat down with him at his own restaurant to talk about the most memorable parts of his journey.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: David Chang, your new show "THE DETOUR", it takes us along with you as you're going on road trips across the United States. Did you plan this out very specifically?

DAVID CHANG, CHEF AND RESTAURATEUR: I told them we want to do a road trip. We're going to have an itinerary, but we're really going to do our best not to use it. My intention was to not do any homework whatsoever.

Not look at the phone, not look at any websites, talk to people. It had to be friends or getting recommendations from total strangers.

SIDNER: You start talking about influencers. You're like, I don't want to be influenced. What's wrong with doing that?

CHANG: Nothing's wrong with it, but I think if that's the only way of discovering things, that's not necessarily the best thing. There's a lack of discovery, a lack of personalization of interacting with the world, and I think that's a growing movement of people that want to go back to a time and place where it wasn't fed to you, and it wasn't a consensus.

You know, that's what community was to me, was having different viewpoints about something that wasn't as polarizing as politics. There's nothing wrong with using your phone.

I do it all the time too, but maybe there's a time and place to not use it, and maybe we could make a TV show on that. SIDNER: You end up in Tennessee. What did you discover that lit you

up?

CHANG: The state of Tennessee has always weirdly been a second home to Momofuku because of the things that happen in that area. In Madisonville, Tennessee, we go visit Allen Benton and Benton's smoky country hams.

SIDNER: What is your connection with Allen Benton's hams?

CHANG: The flavors of Tennessee, the flavors of that smokehouse from Allen Benton allowed Momofuku to be Momofuku. It was like a huge unlock. It was so critical to our early success because I just wanted to do things that weren't necessarily Asian.

I wanted to do something that was like a rediscovery of what American food could be.

SIDNER: What are we looking at here? This is your joint.

CHANG: This is a steamed pork bun, and we have some spicy cucumbers, daikon and jalapeno, and some kimchi.

SIDNER: Oh, good. You then take a trip with a buddy named Cord Jefferson, and you two dudes go from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. You made a statement that Las Vegas may be the best food city in America.

CHANG: Yes, maybe. Well, listen.

SIDNER: Why?

CHANG: Las Vegas is an amazing place. You have two million people that are locals, and then you have who knows how many people coming in every day that are transient. They're looking to have a good time.

When people want to spend money and have a good time, that's good for restaurant business. And over the years, casinos have had to attract people. One of the ways that is now the case is food.

SIDNER: You have every kind of food as well.

CHANG: It's also a slice of America. This is amazing.

SIDNER: And congratulations.

CHANG: Appreciate it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: And be sure to tune in the all-new CNN original series, "THE DETOUR WITH DAVID CHANG", premieres Sunday at 9 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, and the next day on the CNN app.

And a new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.

A military close call. Exclusive CNN reporting on how a faulty AI report nearly triggered a U.S. Military operation in the Middle East.

Plus, the DHS Secretary ...

END