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New York Governor to Give Cornell Investigation Update; Trump's Numbers on Inflation; New York Governor Kathy Hochul Speaks Bout the Cornell Investigation. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired October 02, 2026 - 09:30   ET

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

[09:30:00]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: She lost faith that he could oversea the situation fairly.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, CNN's Brynn Gingras is here with the latest.

There has been a lot of consternation about how the D.A. went forward, did not investigate, made a decision on a six-page summary from police.

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes.

SIDNER: And now we're learning there is so much more to this case.

GINGRAS: Yes. And look, both sides are kind of saying, hey, this is what I did. And it was fair. And this is what I did and it was fair. And so that's what this attorney general, Letitia James, allegedly is going to get to the bottom of that, what was fair, what sort of investigation was done on both sides from Cornell's perspective and also the district attorney's perspective? As you said, John, Kathy Hochul says she's lost faith in the district attorney in that county and is basically appointing Letitia James to oversee this entire investigation.

And I have to be quite honest, I don't -- maybe you guys know, but I don't recall a time where she's completely moved the district attorney to -- out of the jurisdiction, to the side, and said, you have no more authority to do anything with this case. I certainly saw her appoint Letitia James to oversee an investigation into former Governor Cuomo in the sexual misconduct allegations that were against him. But she just basically, at that point, put out a review.

This is -- she can actually prosecute the case if she wants to. She can take all her information to a grand jury. She can collect evidence. She can conduct interviews. So, she has a pretty wide breadth of what she is able to do. And I'm sure we are going to hear more about that once this news conference convenes.

But certainly, yes, look, there is so much more that we are learning about in this case. A lot of it coming also today from "The New York Times," from that bigger -- I'm losing my breath. BERMAN: Title IX.

SIDNER: Title IX. title.

BERMAN: The Title -- look, there's so much new here and there's so many different threads of information.

GINGRAS: Yes. There is. I'm like -- yes.

BERMAN: Part of it was the Title IX investigation --

GINGRAS: Right.

BERMAN: That took place at Cornell University, which "The New York Times" now has an inside look at.

GINGRAS: Right. Exactly. So, that Title IX investigation, "The New York Times" has got its hands on it. Thousands of pages. And in that, we know they've done a ton more interviews with also the men that were accused as part of this fraternity, which lets go back to that D.A. What he did and did not do for this investigation. No one even talked to these men in the D.A.'s office.

So, that's one big question I know we certainly have had for quite a while. But "The New York Times" reports, as part of these documents, that they interviewed a lot of these fraternity members after the fact and said that four fraternity members said it was actually consensual, this -- what took place in that October night inside that fraternity home. And three deny any sort of sexual contact with Jane Doe at this point.

And we're told one of the victims actually told investigators that he was a victim because he was too incapacitated and he was -- went through -- basically had no consent for the sexual misconduct that he says happened to him.

So, a lot of differing stories. Even "The New York Times" says that the men's accounts differed, contradicted each other, and were certainly contrary to Jane Doe's statement.

SIDNER: We're also seeing some statements from Jane Doe herself, not just in the weeks after, but in the hours after all this happened.

GINGRAS: Yes.

SIDNER: What are you learning there?

GINGRAS: Yes, we're hearing that she was, in some cases, texting at least one of these fraternity brothers saying that, you know, I actually enjoyed what happened between us. There are some -- I hate to say it's messy, but it is. There's a lot of information out there that's so not clear. And that's, I think, how everybody sort of feels about this is, let's get to the bottom of it. Where is all the information? Where does it exist? And what actually happened?

So, we're seeing this. Some of the men are also arguing that, you know, one fraternity brother said he walked into the room that night and he actually asked Jane Doe and another gentleman, are you guys OK? And they consented and said, yes, we're OK. We're all -- and he actually -- one of them said that Jane Doe said, we're all consenting adults here. I mean, there's a lot of statements that go on both sides of the coin of this story. And again, let's -- the issue here is, let's get to the bottom of it.

BERMAN: We're going to hear, again, very shortly what the attorney general and governors say they plan to do next, because up until this moment, that's not exactly clear.

GINGRAS: Yes.

BERMAN: Much more right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:38:46]

BERMAN: All right, President Trump just set a new record. But what record? And will he be happy about it?

With us now, CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten.

So, what record, and will he be happy about it?

HARRY ENTEN, CNN CHIEF DATA ANALYST: He will not be happy about it at all. I feel like Donald Trump is the modern incarnation of Britney Spears because, oops, he did it again.

Just take a look at this. A new record low on inflation. The worst net approval rating on inflation or the cost of living in AP-NORC's poll yesterday. Look at this, 65 points underwater. Way under there. Under the Titanic. Jacques Cousteau could never get to these levels. It's a record low for Trump or any president ever. He's done it again.

BERMAN: Ever.

ENTEN: Ever. Ever, ever, ever, ever, ever. And indeed, Johnny B., look at this. You think this minus 65 low. Just look at this. President's net approval rating on inflation. The 20 worst polls ever on inflation of the cost of living, they are all Donald John Trump since April. He's not only the first president to ever be 60 points underwater on inflation, the cost of living. He's the first president ever to be 50 points or lower on the cost of living. He is lower than Joe Biden, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, any president you can think of. All of them.

[09:40:01]

He is the lowest ever. And not only is he the lowest ever, John, he holds the 20 worst polls ever. No one is even close to him.

BERMAN: If you were to ranking them, it'd be like Trump, Trump, Trump, Trump, Trump, Trump, Trump. ENTEN: It would -- it would literally be you would do a Trump. Then

you would just go, woo! And then you'd have to go, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo.

BERMAN: All right. That's --

ENTEN: Until you hit a Biden.

BERMAN: That is a lot of woo. How about with independents?

ENTEN: How about with independents? This is the name of the game. Just look at this. OK. Trump's net rating on the cost of living. Among independents in the AP-NORC poll. You know, back in 2024, they asked a retrospective question, did back Trump in your first term help or hurt your cost of living. Among independents hurt slightly outran help by two points.

But look at this now. Look at his net approval rating on the cost of living among independents. It's minus 74 points, minus 74 points. That is a drop way down there. We're talking about a drop of 72 points in the wrong direction among independents. They are what is driving it. But the truth is, Donald Trump is underwater when you look at these polls among Democrats, independents and Republicans as well.

BERMAN: The cost -- the cost of living, when we're talking about the cost of living, gas prices are such a big part of that.

What are the prediction markets now saying about that?

ENTEN: Yes. OK. So, you know, I was watching earlier on, Stephen Moore, the economist, was on, saying, you know, the -- you know, gas prices really hurting President Trump. And, obviously, Stephen Moore ain't a Democrat. And you can just look at this. Take a look at here, chance that the gas prices on Election Day are above $4 a gallon, look at this, a month ago, according to the Kalshi prediction market, it was a 32 percent chance. Look at it now. It's well more than doubled. We're talking about a 79 percent chance. This is what's going to be on voters' minds when they are casting ballots. We've seen this in poll after poll after poll. The cost of living, inflation, the number one issue. Gas prices ain't helping. And this is the types of numbers, if in fact gas prices are above $4 a gallon, that pretty much guarantee a House majority for Democrats and may very well lead to a Senate majority as well with Democrats winning in a lot of states that Trump won by double digits back in 2024.

BERMAN: All right, Harry, thank you very much.

We're going to go to New York City right now. Kathy Hochul talking about the Cornell investigation.

GOV. KATHY HOCHUL (D-NY): Last night, I signed an executive order appointing Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor in the sexual assault case at Cornell University. I want New Yorkers to understand what prompted that decision.

Earlier this week, I called on Cornell to conduct an independent investigation led by outside counsel. I spoke directly to the university president who agreed to take those steps. But what we learned yesterday raised even more troubling questions about what was done and not done after this young woman came forward.

She spoke to the police. She sat for hours and told them exactly what happened to her. And according to new reports, she could not have been clearer that she was 100 percent confident that she had been raped. Yet, shockingly, those words never made it into the account that the Cornell police sent to prosecutors. The attorney general then declined to pursue charges after reviewing that incomplete account and never interviewing her.

Think about that. In what world would the police learn from a victim that she'd been literally gang raped while intoxicated by five men in a fraternity house and not elevate those allegations to the district attorney? In what world does the district attorney not even interview her or anyone else involved, or even request the full transcript?

This woman, this young woman, had already endured something that is utterly unspeakable. And then at every turn, she was failed by people and institutions with an obligation to protect her.

When the Tompkins County District Attorney announced that he was reopening the case, he pointed to Jane Doe's statement and said it did not establish that a crime had occurred. But new reporting raises serious questions about the information his office relied upon when it made that decision. And that's why I believe this case demands a special prosecutor who will provide a fresh and thorough review of all the facts, including the information that has recently come to light.

And that is why I'm invoking the power conferred to me as the governor of the state of New York, to enlist Attorney General James as an independent special prosecutor in this case. She'll follow the facts. She'll examine the evidence and go wherever it leads. And if the evidence supports criminal charges, she will pursue them.

No institution gets to protect its reputation at the expense of a young person seeking justice. No public official gets to look the other way when the system breaks down and fails our young people. And as governor, I will not allow anyone to sweep this case under the rug.

[09:45:04]

We are ensuring that all the facts of this case are brought into the light.

This case has also exposed another problem we need to address. A gap in state law. If someone is too intoxicated to consent, it should not matter whether they chose to use drugs or alcohol. Voluntary intoxication is not a license for sexual assault or gang rape, period.

I support closing this loophole and will work with the New York state legislature to accomplish this. But at the heart of all this is one young woman and what she deserved from the very beginning. Every parent who sends their child off to college expects them to be safe. And if something terrible happens, the student deserves to know that the people they turn to will listen to them, protect them, and fight for them. That is the bare minimum.

This brave, young woman deserved that in 2024, and she deserves it now. And I'm going to use every part of my power, do everything I possibly can to make sure that she finally gets it.

With that, I'll turn it over to our attorney general, Tish James.

LETITIA JAMES, NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL: Thank you.

I want to thank Governor Hochul for her leadership of this great state. The governor has entrusted my office with this investigation. And we do not take that responsibility lightly.

Every New Yorker deserves to know that when they report a crime, it will be investigated fully and fairly. That they will be seen and heard. That is the promise of our justice system.

I stand ready to lead a process guided by the facts and the law. In the coming months, my office will dutifully carry out the responsibilities the governor has conferred upon us in this executive order. We will review the facts, gather evidence, interview witnesses, and, if warranted, pursue prosecutions.

I know that you want answers. I do too. A comprehensive investigation of this nature takes time, but my office is committed to seeing it through.

This is now an active criminal investigation led by the Office of the Attorney General. And though we are limited in what we can share, we will provide updates as they become available.

Again, I want to thank Governor Hochul for her leadership, and I thank you, New York, for your trust.

HOCHUL: All right, guys, we'll be taking on topic questions.

REPORTER: Attorney General, on your Facebook page three days ago you wrote, "what this young woman has been forced to endure as horrific and unacceptable. I'm holding her in my heart and in my prayers. To her and to all survivors, you're not alone. We stand with you."

Why did you affirm her allegations as fact without doing your own fact-finding investigation?

And to the governor, why did you appoint an official who made a public statement affirming those allegations as fact, as someone who's supposed to be doing an investigation?

HOCHUL: I will answer that. I have every confidence in our attorney general to do what she has always done, look at the facts, examine the record, and draw the proper conclusions. That's exactly what's going to happen in this case.

REPORTER: Attorney general, please.

JAMES: I will not comment on the Facebook post. REPORTER: Governor, can you clarify what made you lose faith in the

Tompkins County District Attorney's office? Was it because you believe there was enough evidence in that six-page police statement to move forward with a prosecution? And for the attorney general, how can you assure a transparent and faithful investigation when so many have already made a judgment about this case?

HOCHUL: Let's start at the very beginning. I'm deeply disturbed at Cornell University's police and how they handled this. They're the first ones to be able to interview and have their questions answered. And yet this young woman tell her story. Them sending a partial record over is, in my judgment, a failure. We'll have the attorney general and others find out if this was actually the case of what happened.

But somebody knew more than they were letting people know. And this is what shocks me so much, not just as the governor, but as a mother.

[09:50:02]

A mother who dropped her own daughter off for college at one point in our -- my life. If you have the courage as a young woman to go and tell your story to campus police who are charged with protecting you, they are deputized by the sheriff's office of Tompkins County to enact what -- to follow the full force of the law. For them to send a partial record over the district attorney.

But when the district attorney receives something, and it has information about allegations that have happened with an encounter with five people at a fraternity, and you don't take the time to interview this young woman and ask more questions and rely on a partial record, this is what I'm talking about. This is exactly why we're here today and why I took the action last night.

We don't know enough. But what is coming out beyond what was -- everyone was told initially, we're four years -- two years ago, it is very contradictory and conflicting. And I want the truth. I think every parent in this state, every New Yorker wants the truth in this case. And that is why Attorney General James will be the one who puts a spotlight on this case and says, who knew what when? What did they do wrong? Why didn't they come forward? How is this woman denied justice? And we anticipate that will come out over the right period of time. I have every confidence in her to get it right.

REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE), CBS News.

Governor, you said you were going to work with the legislature. Does that mean you're going to call a special session of the legislature to change the law that would close the loophole? And do you have any comments about how the university itself also shields itself behind the confidentiality of a Title IX investigation?

HOCHUL: That is a national law. Yes, Title IX applies to all universities. And that is why it is crystal clear to me that a university that gathers information about a case like this and the law says you cannot disclose this information, this is deeply flawed. Deeply flawed. But here in New York, we'll work with the legislature. The timing will be resolved. But at minimum, I would say this is something we can easily take up early in the session. There's legislation that has passed one of the houses. We can take a look at that, talk to the sponsors. But find out, in light of what we've learned, are there any other glaring deficiencies in state law?

This is critically important to me. As someone who spent over a year as lieutenant governor, traveling the state of New York on the issue of sexual assault on college campuses, making recommendations to the state about training young people, making sure they knew the signs, what a -- what a bystander should do to be an upstander when they see or become aware of information. So, we changed the laws before. But clearly this is still a gap that needs to be addressed.

REPORTER: You mentioned that you spoke to Cornell's president. Do you have some early information or indication that the Cornell police did give the declarative 100 percent statement to the D.A., and he omitted it? And is that why you have lost confidence in the D.A.?

HOCHUL: I spoke to the president about my desire, my insistence that there be outside, independent counsel examining what happened on the civil side, what the university did, what they knew when, how they handled it. That is appropriate. We don't have the results of that yet. So, these are all the questions I have that still will be answered in due time.

REPORTER: Thank you. Governor, for you, what did you learn specifically, if anything, in addition to what's been publicly reported in your conversations with the university? And will you call for the university president to resign?

And for you, Attorney General, we've stopped hearing from the Tompkins County district attorney in the past two days. Have you spoken to him? And what can you say for the public to know about what immediate first steps you'll be taking in the investigation?

HOCHUL: My conversation with the university president was exactly as I just disclosed. It was -- it was forthright. It was concerning and conveying my deep concern here. And they had an immediate willingness. In fact, they're having a board meeting. They had immediate willingness to go out and find what I've asked for. Outside counsel to conduct a fully independent investigation. I'm waiting for those results. So, we don't have enough information to draw any other conclusions at this time. I don't have enough information to draw any further conclusions at this time.

(CROSS TALK)

JAMES: Yes, I haven't spoken to the Tompkins District Attorney.

REPORTER: Yes, Governor, will this investigation, or maybe the attorney general will answer this, will this involve looking at what the D.A.'s office did and how they handled this investigation and review call for the D.A. to step down?

[09:55:03] HOCHUL: I don't have enough information at this time. Again, this is very early in the questioning. I'm not going to draw conclusions until I have the full picture.

JAMES: Our investigation is a criminal investigation based upon all of the facts. And so, at this point in time, we will not be focusing on the actions of the district attorney.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Great. Thank you, guys. That's all we have time for today.

HOCHUL: All right, thanks, everyone.

REPORTER: Governor, is a woman saying --

SIDNER: All right, we were just listening to Governor Kathy Hochul and New York Attorney General Letitia James. It's been made very clear now what is going to happen going forward on this case, where a Jane Doe has accused seven men of a gang rape at a fraternity in Cornell University. We are now learning that this -- all this case, the investigation, the witness interviews, everything is going over to the A.G.'s office, and they will be the ones now investigating this case because, as the governor said, she lost confidence in the D.A. in the work that he did not do, according to her, in this particular case. What did you hear?

GINGRAS: Yes, and I think we said this before is, I don't know if this has ever happened in the state of New York where she has given this full authority to sort of sweep aside a jurisdiction that the attorney general comes in and takes over.

It was interesting, I think it was our Gloria Pazmino, who asked the governor, did she talk to the district attorney? And I don't think she answered that question. So, I'm curious to see how this is going behind the scenes.

But certainly this is what people have been asking for. Like every day we've had a trickle of information come out. So, you can imagine being a victim in this or even someone accused of it for that matter and wanting to know, let's get to the bottom of this. Fine.

And, honestly, let's bring up the fact that like, you had talked about possibly the question of whether or not you're under oath in a Title IX investigation. I think it's a fair question. I mean, we don't have an attorney here at the table, but it sounds like you're not.

BERMAN: Right.

SIDNER: No. Right.

GINGRAS: So, how does that change Letitia James' investigation when she is able to put people under oath and it's also two years after the fact? It's a very valid question on how this investigation is going to go.

BERMAN: Maybe a whole new investigation two years later. GINGRAS: Exactly.

BERMAN: Brynn Gingras, thank you very much for being with us.

That is all for us on CNN NEWS CENTRAL. "THE SITUATION ROOM" up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, demands for accountability. The Cornell rape investigation is now in the hands of the state's attorney general, as new reporting reveals one of the men allegedly involved claimed that he was a victim of sexual misconduct.

[10:00:06]

We'll talk with Jane Doe's attorney, coming up.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: And there's