Return to Transcripts main page

CNN News Central

Police Investigate Deaths of Two Ole Miss Students; Trump to Greet Chinese Leader, Xi With Arrival Ceremony; in Defiant Speech, Iran President Says Tehran Ready for Diplomacy; CNN, MS NOW, Politico in Court Seeking to Lift White House Ban; Dolly Parton's Estate Requests Restraining Order Against Nephew. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired September 23, 2026 - 13:30   ET

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

[13:30:00]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": CNN's Isabel Rosales is with us now on this story. Isabel, what are you learning here?

ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Brianna, there are so many questions about this incident. And in fact, the University of Mississippi just answered one of my emails stating this. We have no additional information to share at this time. But as you mentioned, packaged kratom was found in both of these separate death investigation scenes.

This is why law enforcement is warning students, the overall community, to avoid and stay away from kratom and any other substance that is not prescribed, not from a trustworthy source, not medication. Kratom poisoning can lead to very extreme outcomes, including vomiting, heart attacks, seizures, hallucinations, a lot more, even though it is an herbal extract.

Now, the Lafayette County Metro Narcotics Agency is saying that it is very important to note that it's very early in the investigation. So at this time, it's not clear exactly how these students died. They have no confirmed evidence indicating that these deaths are connected. And they cannot say at this time that kratom or any other substance was a contributing factor to these deaths. Nonetheless, this news deeply impacting, rocking this campus.

Listen to what students, how they were reacting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There being just the wide -- the wide amount of like substance use, you know, on campus and even abuse.

RAVEN TUNSTALL, STUDENT, UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI: We didn't think to come back to like such sad news of losing two classmates. We have so much life ahead of us. You know, college is supposed to be where we grow and like gain new experiences. It is not supposed to be where our lives end.

(END VIDEO CLIP) ROSALES: Now, the students here, the victims have not been identified. The drug, by the way, kratom is not illegal in Mississippi. Anyone 21 and over could purchase kratom in something as easy as a convenience store, a gas station. But it is banned in other cities like Oxford, where this university is located and overall Lafayette County as well.

So it really just depends, Brianna, where you're found, where you're located.

KEILAR: Yeah. Isabel, thank you so much for the latest there. We'll keep tracking that story.

Ahead, the White House is preparing for a welcoming ceremony for Chinese leader, Xi Jinping. What to expect from the state visit, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:36:24]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CO-ANCHOR OF "CNN NEWS CENTRAL": In just a few hours, President Trump will greet China's leader, Xi Jinping at Joint Base Andrews as part of a rare plane-side welcoming ceremony. This will be the first time the two leaders meet face-to-face in the U.S. in nearly a decade. Xi's three-day visit will include a state dinner attended by top tech leaders as A.I. looms large over the summit. The plans, though, drawing criticism from some Republicans in Congress.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. ROGER WICKER, (R-MS) CHAIR, ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: Had the White House asked me for advice, I would have suggested the president not invite Xi Jinping to Washington for such a lavish welcome. Our commander-in-chief should keep in mind that his guest is a brutal, unelected, and oppressive dictator who seeks to dominate his neighbors and whose massive military arsenal is aimed directly at the United States of America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Let's get some perspective from the former Secretary of Defense during President Trump's first term, Mark Esper. He serves on the board or as a strategic advisor for a handful of aerospace and defense-related companies and is a board member and partner at Red Cell Venture Capital. Secretary Esper, thanks for being with us.

Do you agree with the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee that a lavish welcome for Xi sends the wrong signal right now?

MARK ESPER, FORMER DEFENSE SECRETARY UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, he's certainly right, Chairman Wicker that is, with regard to the nature of the regime, of Xi Jinping himself being an authoritarian, and the fact that their military is being built to take us on. We know that he aspires to build a world-class military by 2035 and be able to dominate the region, if not the globe, by 2049.

Now, I also agree, I think we're rolling off the red carpet too much with regard to Xi Jinping. You know, President Trump is going to be there at Joint Base Andrews to greet him. That's somewhat unprecedented. Certainly, Xi Jinping did not do that when President Trump visited Beijing in May.

And so -- and apparently, the Chinese asked for this because they know that when Xi Jinping gets this type of treatment, when President Trump uses some of the language he does that flatters Xi Jinping, this plays really well back in China. Talking about Xi Jinping being a great leader, it promotes him, it gives Xi Jinping credibility, things like that, that the Chinese Communist Party always tries to build and rebuild.

SANCHEZ: I want to ask you more about comparing the military capabilities of both nations. But first, among Wicker's concerns is that China reportedly gave Iran intelligence that led to the deaths of American troops in the Middle East. How should President Trump bring that up with Xi?

ESPER: Sure, that is the accusation that has been out there over the last few weeks or so. It seems credible that that happened because we've seen unprecedented accuracy by the Iranians with regard to targeting Americans, American aircraft, American bases.

So, in my mind, it should be front and center. I mean, so much of this summit, if you will, is of low expectations, focused on tech and trade. I would put right up there at the top the security issues, beginning with this one. And of course, we have to discuss Taiwan. But the Chinese are already saying they don't want to discuss Taiwan. So, we'll see what comes out of it.

But I think it's a very, very important issue.

SANCHEZ: So, last year, China made up 53 percent of global shipbuilding, while the U.S. effectively did none. All the while, there are serious concerns about munition stockpiles for the U.S. How closely matched are the capabilities of these two superpowers?

[13:40:00]

What does the U.S. need to do to maintain an advantage?

ESPER: Yes, it's a great question and I can go on and on with statistics. But needless to say, they have the largest military in the world, certainly the largest Navy since 2016, the largest army. They have space capabilities, cyber capabilities, and air force.

They have nuclear capabilities. And with regard to shipbuilding, you're right, they have 230 times the capacity that we have in the United States. So our shipbuilding is anemic, if not broken, here in the United States.

Look, I think they also have a stronger defense industrial base at this point in time. I think that's something that myself and others have been calling for is a rebuilding of our defense industrial base, not just traditional spend, but incorporating new technologies, incorporating artificial intelligence, startups, firms such as my own Red Cell where we're trying to get at the cutting edge and give DOD, our warfighters, the tools, the weapons, everything they need to make sure that we maintain the advantage on the battlefield.

Now, that said, we do have the advantage. We are qualitatively better in any number of regards, and our personnel are heads and shoulders above the Chinese soldiers and sailors and airmen. So we have all that. We have combat experience. My money is on us in any fight, but the Chinese are catching up. They're putting a lot of money. They have a lot of industrial capability.

And look, at the end of the day, Boris, if we get into a major war, and certainly one with China, economies ultimately win the war. Your ability to muster your industrial base, to divert it to defense production and things like that is what wins. That's what won in World War II for the United States.

SANCHEZ: Yeah. Before we go, one more question on Iran. As President Masoud Pezeshkian addresses the United Nations, there are questions about whether the Iranian delegation that is at the United Nations carries weight in terms of finding some sort of diplomatic agreement or diplomatic road to an agreement with the United States, because they may not have the confidence of the supreme leader in Tehran.

I wonder if you see these meetings between Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff as a sign toward diplomacy, as a positive sign moving forward.

ESPER: Well, look, it's good that they're meeting. They had apparently three hours of meetings yesterday. Pezeshkian, President Pezeshkian, Masoud is leading this delegation. He spoke today. But he -- moderate is a relative term in Tehran, but he's the most moderate.

He's the one pushing for a deal. He's backed up by the foreign minister who is there as well, Araghchi. But the bottom line is the power all resides with the supreme leader, and more so today than six, seven, eight months ago, the IRGC. And they are not there. And that's where the power is really held in this country.

But look, I think it's good that they talk. Iran is clearly suffering economically. The vise has been tightening on them. More measures are going into place this week. And so I -- look, if we talk, that's a good thing to find a positive resolution to the conflict.

SANCHEZ: Former Defense Secretary, Mark Esper, we'll leave the conversation there. Thanks for the time.

ESPER: Thanks, Boris.

SANCHEZ: Still to come, a federal judge set to hear from the lawyers of the three news outlets, including CNN, suing the Trump administration over access to the White House grounds. Stay with us for an update.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:47:47] SANCHEZ: In just about an hour and a half from now, President Trump's battle with the press will head to court. A federal judge is holding a hearing here in the nation's capital, and this is over the lawsuit that CNN, MS NOW and Politico filed against the Trump administration for blocking access to the White House. The president last week tied the media coverage, or rather the media ban, to coverage of him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: It's really just cumulative stories. Over the last few years, you get sick of it. They purposely write negative news. If they could send themselves out, I'd love it. Look, they're very dishonest people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: In a new court filing responding to the suit, the Justice Department defends the media ban for a different reason, though, saying, "The president has found that plaintiffs have engaged in a number of reporting incidents that have threatened national security. Such reporting directly raises national security concerns."

We're joined now by Jeff Mason, former President of the White House Correspondents' Association. Of note, Jeff, this is not an explanation that the president gave.

JEFF MASON, FORMER PRESIDENT, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS' ASSOCIATION: No. And it's also a go-to explanation that he has been using more and more in the last few weeks and months, including, as we were just talking about, the arch that he's building he's saying is now for security reasons and also the ballroom. So it is becoming at least a rhetorical device or a rhetorical go-to phrase for architecture and policies that are not popular.

SANCHEZ: It's notable that the president himself said that he expected the judge to rule against his ban. So why initiate this in the first place?

MASON: Well, he addressed that a little bit when he first talked to reporters about it in the Oval Office, which was he clearly wants to make a point. And he knows that the legal precedent in the Jim Acosta case goes against him.

But he still wants to highlight for himself and for his supporters that he doesn't like his coverage and that he's doing something about it. But it doesn't seem like it matters to him that the court may rule against him. I'm sure that they also have a plan if the court does rule against him.

And you might see that with an example of that and how they dealt with the news wires, who also, including the two that I have worked for, Reuters and now Bloomberg, got kicked out of the pool when the AP declined to call the Gulf of Mexico the "Gulf of America."

[13:50:00] And we are still invited in occasionally, but not always as we used to be, and that could be where he's going with these news organizations as well.

KEILAR: OK, explain how that might work with the understanding that there is a considerable expense --

MASON: Yeah.

KEILAR: -- to covering and being part of the pool.

MASON: Sure.

KEILAR: -- especially on the television side of things. There's kind of a lot of logistical infrastructure that comes with it, so I mean --

MASON: Absolutely.

KEILAR: -- what might that look like?

MASON: Well, just for viewers to know, the press pool was set up decades ago by the Correspondents' Association, basically to create a way to get reporters in and coverage in when the president is holding events in a small space.

So you can't get the whole press corps into the Oval Office. You can't get the whole press corps onto Air Force One. So there are 13 journalists who travel as part of that permanent pool, and within that group of the press pool, there's the T.V. pool, which rotates amongst the five major networks.

And they and the others who go in the pool spend a lot of money to do that, and there's a reason that it's often these bigger news organizations, because they have the money and they have the staffing to fulfill the responsibilities, and there are responsibilities of coverage.

SANCHEZ: On the idea that this is a message that the president wants to send, especially to his supporters, some Republican lawmakers don't think it's a great one. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. THOM TILLIS, (R-NC): I think it's a mistake. The better approach to tough questions is a good answer.

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY, (R-LA): I agree with the diagnosis. I don't agree with the cure. Every member of the media should be treated the same.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: I mean, heading into a midterm election that is going to be difficult for a lot of Republicans given the price of gas, given the climate around the country, given history and how incumbents do during midterm cycles, how do you think this plays with voters? MASON: Well, it doesn't seem like they're happy with it from those quotes in terms of the lawmakers' reaction. And I don't think it's unusual for lawmakers or any of the presidents that I've covered to not always like their coverage. But it's part of democracy. It's part of the game.

It's part of what you sign up for when you're in public life. And again, it's also protected by the First Amendment. Our forefathers saw this as a value. And that's why they enshrined it in the Constitution and made it part of U.S. law.

KEILAR: Jeff Mason, thank you so much for being with us.

Coming up, Dolly Parton's estate accusing the legendary singer's nephew of threatening violence and trying to destroy her legacy. We'll have details ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:57:12]

KEILAR: Fallout after the death of one of the most beloved personalities in the music world and beyond. Dolly Parton's estate is requesting a temporary restraining order against the music icon's nephew, Bryan Seaver, accusing him of threatening to commit violence and destroy Parton's legacy.

Seaver, who is seen here in that video that you probably saw announcing her death, owns a company that provided Parton's security detail, and he was handpicked by his aunt to reveal her passing to the world. CNN Senior Entertainment Reporter, Lisa Respers France is following this story. Lisa, what's going on here?

LISA RESPERS FRANCE, CNN SENIOR ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: Yeah, what's going on is a lot of messiness, Brianna. So, Mr. Seaver not only was a beloved nephew of Dolly Parton, she said back in 1993 that he actually inspired her song, "Romeo." But he was her security for over two decades, and he was relieved of those duties and released last week because the company, "She's Alive," which oversees Miss Parton's estate said that, you know, it became untenable.

They're claiming that even before Dolly Parton passed away at the age of 80 after battling cancer back in August, on August 25th, that he already had been aggressive. They're claiming that he was trying to extort money from them, that he has been violent, claiming ties to the military and access to weapons. And they filed this restraining order, this temporary restraining order, and in the documents, they had a few of what they said were text messages that came from him in which they alleged that he was, you know, causing, making violent statements towards them.

We have one of those text messages that they allege came from him, and it says, according to this text message, they're alleging that Mr. Seaver said, "I'm going to set up a podcast dedicated to ruining Dolly's brand partnerships and telling the violations these people have done to own us. It's going to be great, or blanking pay me." And Mr. Seaver has said to the New York Times that these text messages that they're sharing were taken out of context, and he is denying all of these allegations, and it just is, you know, something, Brianna, that I'm sure Dolly Parton would be horrified by because she was extremely close to her family, and she also was very much about her business.

As we know, she was worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and her corporation, her legacy goes on, everything from her music to, of course, the many businesses that she had, including her theme park. So it's just gotten very messy, and I guess we'll just have to wait and see how it all shakes out in the court, Brianna.

KEILAR: Yeah, we'll be looking for that. Lisa Respers France, thank you so much for the report.

A new hour of "CNN News Central" starts right now.

SANCHEZ: The world's biggest economic --