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ABC Pulls Jimmy Kimmel Show Over Charlie Kirk Remarks; United Kingdom Rolls Out Red Carpet for Trump; Satellite Images Show Israeli Tanks on Edge of Gaza City; Federal Reserve Cuts Interest Rates for the First Time Since December; Widow: Lab Tests Show Russia Opposition Leader was Poisoned; Fans Snap Up Crybaby Toys from Labubu Maker Pop Mart. Aired 12-12:45a ET
Aired September 18, 2025 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[00:00:23]
LYNDA KINKADE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome. I'm Lynda Kinkade.
Ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM, late-night host Jimmy Kimmel canceled, pulled off the air indefinitely following remarks he made after Charlie Kirk's killing. Critics say it's the latest assault on free speech in the U.S. under the Trump administration.
And more than a year after his death in a Russian prison, the widow of opposition leader Alexei Navalny says she now has evidence he was poisoned.
Plus, King Charles and Donald Trump celebrate their countries' alliance at a lavish dinner in the U.K. while protests against the U.S. president's visit break out across London.
ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Lynda Kinkade.
KINKADE: We begin this hour with a developing story about the increasing influence of political power on the U.S. media. ABC is pulling late-night show "Jimmy Kimmel Live" off the air indefinitely following pressure from the Trump administration. The network's decision comes after the comedian's remarks on Monday about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST, "JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE": We hit some new lows over the weekend, with the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them, and doing everything they can to score political points from it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: A representative for Kimmel did not respond to CNN's request for comment. A source close to the matter tells CNN that the show has not been canceled, but there's no timeline for its return. Well, the backlash against Kimmel started when two major owners of ABC
affiliated stations said they would preempt the show. The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission said this on a right-wing podcast.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRENDAN CARR, CHAIRMAN, FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION: You know, when you look at the conduct that has taken place by Jimmy Kimmel, it appears to be some of the sickest conduct possible.
I mean, obviously, there's calls for him to be fired. I think, you know, you could certainly see a path forward for suspension over this. And again, you know, the FCC is going to have remedies that we could look at.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Well, after the decision to pull Kimmel's show, the U.S. president took to social media to celebrate it. Donald Trump said in part, quote, "Great news for America. Congratulations to the ABC for finally having the courage to do what had to be done." He then took aim at late-night hosts Jimmy Ffallon and Seth Meyers, appearing to call for their shows to be removed as well.
For more, I'm joined by CNN's chief media analyst, Brian Stelter.
Great to have you on the show. Brian, this is an extraordinary turn of events. Is this a case of another talk show host canceled for political reasons?
BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: This is extraordinary. And it does come as you're alluding to just a few weeks after CBS canceled Stephen Colbert's show, "The Late Show." Remember, CBS said that was for financial reasons, not political reasons. But many of Colbert's fans believe it was because of Trump administration pressure and corporate maneuvering to get a merger approved.
And now here we are again with one of Colbert's top rivals, Jimmy Kimmel, suddenly sidelined. We don't know how long this is going to last, and it's possible ABC is going to try to find a way forward, find a way to bring him back on the air. But right now, this is a dramatic escalation in the Trump administration's pressure against media companies and an example of another media company capitulating under that pressure.
And let's remember, Disney, of course, the parent company of ABC, arguably started this wave of capitulation because it was last December before President Trump was taking office for the second time when Disney agreed to pay his future presidential library $15 million or $16 million in order to settle a lawsuit he had filed against ABC. So we are seeing more of the same waves of capitulation from major media companies in the U.S.
KINKADE: And when we look back on the past week, Brian, on the day of Charlie Kirk's murder a week ago, Kimmel took to social media to express his condolences, and he said that he, you know, on behalf of his family, he wanted to send love to the Kirks, to the children, to the parents, and of course, to any innocent person who falls victim to senseless gun violence.
So what exactly did Jimmy Kimmel say after that that triggered such a strong reaction?
[00:05:01]
STELTER: Right. You know, Kimmel is clearly a liberal comedian, not a fan of Trump, not a fan of Kirk, but he did express his sympathies to Kirk. And then on Monday night, this supposedly offensive segment, Kimmel made a comment about MAGA figures, Trump figures, being focused on proving that the suspected killer of Kirk was not one of their own. He talked about MAGA figures trying to score political points, you know, so he did not directly say anything about the suspect's ideology.
He pointed out that pro-Trump figures were trying to say, hey, he's not one of us. He's not one of our own. He's not from the far-right or from the right-wing. So this is something that happened on Monday night on TV. Starting around Tuesday afternoon there was some online attention around this, some conservative Web sites and pro-Trump TV shows starting to complain about Kimmel.
This noise didn't really get really loud until Wednesday when FCC chairman Brendan Carr weighed in. And that was a very, very unusual move by Carr. No past FCC chair in the U.S. waded into politics the way the Carr has in the past six months or so.
KINKADE: So how significant is it that the Trump administration, the FCC, have applied this pressure directly to a major network? And, Brian, what reaction are you seeing to the president's post on Truth Social calling for the removal of two other late-night hosts, Seth Meyers and Jimmy Fallon?
STELTER: Right. Trump takes this very personally. He, you know, talked about retribution before being reelected. And to him, this is a form of retribution. It's a form of revenge. Getting these late-night comedians off the air, whether it's canceling -- CBS canceling Stephen Colbert, or now ABC sidelining Kimmel. And, you know, there's always complications. There's always explanations for why these things are happening.
But when you break it down very simply, it reeks of Orbanism. Referring to Viktor Orban of Hungary. What we've seen in Hungary over the past decade or so is an attempt to control and consolidate the media by making media owners fall in line, by punishing independent outlets, by weakening public broadcasting. And we're seeing some of those exact same moves now applied in the U.S. by President Trump and by his allies.
In this case, trying to pressure private companies into falling in line and doing the bidding of the administration. That is what we are witnessing day after day. Sometimes it's involving CBS parent Paramount. Today it's involving ABC and its parent, Disney. KINKADE: And Brian, what role did affiliate stations like those owned
by Nexstar play in escalating this situation?
STELTER: That's really a key part of the story because ABC does not control all the local stations that air Jimmy Kimmel's show. They actually are owned by different companies like Nexstar and Tegna and Sinclair. These companies that own local stations, they are the ones that have licenses from the government. Now in practice in the U.S., licenses are almost never revoked. It would take something extraordinary for that to happen. Once you have a local TV station license in the U.S., you basically have it forever.
But the Trump administration has made noises about challenging licenses, has threatened to revoke licenses. And so these station owners, they feel that pressure. They are in a fearful position. They have a lot of critics now calling them cowards for caving to the administration. But in this particular case, Nexstar is trying to get a big merger through the Trump administration.
And Nexstar was the first company on Wednesday to fold and say, we're not going to air Kimmel's show. We're concerned about his Kirk comments. We're not going to air the show. Within minutes of Nexstar making that announcement, ABC yanked the show nationwide.
Now, the next steps, those are up to ABC, and those are up to Kimmel. We don't know what Kimmel will do. We don't know if ABC will bring the show back, but for the time being, a real chill in the air for anybody who cares about the role of free speech in the United States. This isn't a case of journalism. It's not about a free press, per se. We're dealing with comedians in this case, an entertainer.
But it still involves the American right to free speech and free expression. And certainly for someone like Jimmy Kimmel, he feels that's under dire threat tonight.
KINKADE: Yes, exactly. Great to have you with us, chief media analyst Brian Stelter. Thanks so much.
STELTER: Thanks.
KINKADE: The U.S. president is calling his second state visit to the United Kingdom one of his highest honors of his life. The remark came during a lavish banquet at Windsor Castle with the royal family, where King Charles spoke of, quote, "the enduring bond between our two great nations." The king also passed what he called Donald Trump's commitment to finding solutions to world conflicts. President Trump then shared a pointed message.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Together, we've done more good for humanity than any two countries in all of history. Together, we must defend the exceptional heritage that makes us who we are. And we must continue to stand for the values and the people of the English speaking world. And we do indeed stand for that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: But just 40 kilometers away in London, there was no such lovefest. Protesters making it clear President Trump is not welcome. Pollster YouGov found only 16 percent of those in Britain have a positive opinion of him.
[00:10:05]
CNN's Max Foster has our report from Windsor.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was a welcome fit for a king. President Donald Trump was trumpeted into Windsor Castle, home to Britain's royal family, at the start of an unprecedented second state visit to the United Kingdom.
Carefully scripted, choreographed photo ops, all far from the reach of the public, but not all went to plan. The president's mugshot, along with photos with Jeffrey Epstein, beamed onto the castle's walls ahead of Trump's arrival.
And crowds of anti-Trump protesters, furious at this unprecedented honor for a president even less appreciated outside the states.
But today, this was all about making Donald Trump feel special. It was flattery by numbers. The largest ever Guard of Honor for a visiting leader. The famous red coats of the British Army's oldest, most storied regiments. A festival of pomp and ceremony, the special sauce the British royal family does so well.
The best of Britain, sweetened with a touch of Americana. Red, white and blue from Britain's Red Arrows, and the great British weather fouled hopes of an historic first fly-past with American Air Force jets.
A sigh of relief then here at Windsor Castle, after a successful, embarrassment-free day. Tomorrow will be more complex as the political talks begin. Trade talks. You've got Ukraine, the future of NATO, all topics very high on the agenda on both sides of the Atlantic.
(Voice-over): Great Britain pulled out all the stops to woo Donald Trump.
KING CHARLES III, ENGLAND: The ocean may still divide us, but in so many other ways, we are now the closest of kin.
FOSTER: Many, in the corridors of power at least, will hope that pomp and ceremony will keep the U.K. in Trump's heart and out of his crosshairs.
Max Foster, CNN, Windsor, England.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: The European Union's foreign policy chief says the bloc is looking to send a strong message over the ongoing war in Gaza and is now proposing new trade sanctions on Israel, as well as far-right Israeli ministers. There would also be sanctions on members of Hamas. If the measures are approved the E.U.'s free trade agreement with Israel will be partially suspended and Israel would lose its preferential access to the E.U. market.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAJA KALLAS, E.U. FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF: I want to be very clear. The aim is not to punish Israel. The aim is to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza. All member states agree that the situation in Gaza is untenable. The war needs to end.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: But certainly there is no sign of the war stopping. Nearly 100 Palestinians were killed across Gaza in less than 24 hours, according to local hospitals. And Israeli tanks are said to be stationed on the edge of Gaza City. And while the Israeli military says the ground operation has begun, eyewitnesses and satellite images reveal tanks have not yet entered the enclave's largest urban areas.
Palestinians continue to flee Gaza City and on Wednesday, the Israeli military posted details of a new route that civilians can take until midday on Friday.
CNN's Jeremy Diamond has the details from Tel Aviv.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Israeli tanks are surrounding Gaza City as the Israeli military says its offensive to conquer and ultimately occupy that city is very much underway. Two divisions of Israeli troops, or some 20,000 troops, have been mobilized for this operation, but we've yet to actually see those Israeli tanks moving into the heart of Gaza City, where hundreds of thousands of people are still living.
The military has been stepping up its aerial bombardment of the city in the meantime, though. Striking some 150 targets over the last two days according to the Israeli military. And we've seen that in Gaza on Wednesday dozens of people in Gaza City alone have been killed so far. One of those Israeli bombardments actually struck a children's hospital. The Rantisi, Al-Rantisi Hospital in Gaza City was bombed three times actually overnight, while dozens of patients were inside. Hospital officials rushing to get those patients including children out of that facility very quickly.
The Israeli military is trying to get more Palestinians to leave Gaza City at this moment. They've already estimated that some 350,000 have been displaced from Gaza City.
[00:15:01]
But they're now opening a second temporary evacuation route, not the coastal one that we've already seen be opened, but this one coming from the center of the city, heading south, encouraging people over the next two days to use that route to get out of the city.
But it's important to know that even as the Israeli military says, it wants to get civilians out of harm's way, it is facing accusations of ethnic cleansing and of carrying out the mass forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza once again. And so many Palestinians have seen that before, when evacuation routes have been outlined, those routes have also been struck by the Israeli military or gunfire has been directed at people along those routes.
For other Palestinians, they simply don't have the means to get out of Gaza City, or they may be too ill, injured to actually get out of the city on foot. A multi-hour journey in order to get to Southern Gaza. And so the Israeli government is coming under growing international condemnation over this major new offensive in Gaza City. The latest news on that front is from the European Commission, which is proposing new trade sanctions targeting Israel and far-right Israeli ministers.
This would need to be approved by E.U. member states, but it could lead to a partial suspension of the European Union's free trade agreement with Israel and the E.U., it's important to know, is Israel's biggest trading partner, accounting for some 32 percent of Israel's total trade in goods. That could have an impact if it moves forward.
Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Tel Aviv.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Israel's finance minister is describing Gaza as a potential real estate bonanza after the war ends. Far-right minister Bezalel Smotrich says that Israel and the U.S. are discussing how to divide up Gaza, including sharing profits from land sales. He claims there's a business plan sitting on President Trump's desk.
Asked about those comments, a White House official says, quote, "President Trump has long promoted solutions that would help the people of Gaza rebuild. However, Hamas must first agree to disarm and give up rule in Gaza."
Well, dozens of celebrities are coming together to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Together for Palestine.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For Palestine.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Palestine.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Palestine.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Palestine.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Palestine.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Palestine.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Palestine.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Palestine.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Palestine.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Palestine. Palestine.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Together for Palestine.
BRIAN COX, ACTOR: We have to tell the truth on behalf of the people of Palestine.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's always been the artist's role in society to speak out, to risk speaking truth to power.
GROUP: Together --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We know that the leaders of this country are complicit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KINKADE: Oscar winner Cillian Murphy, artist Billie Eilish and dozens of other celebrities made the call on a video ahead of a benefit concert on Wednesday. The "Together for Palestine" concert in London aimed to raise funds for Palestinian aid groups.
The U.S. Federal Reserve announced its first interest rate cut in months. How this could impact the wallet of Americans, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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KINKADE: The U.S. stock market closed in mixed territory on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve made its first interest rate cut since December. The central bank lowered its benchmark lending rate by a quarter point.
And CNN's Matt Egan reports there could be more cuts to come.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATT EGAN, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: This was one of the more unusual Fed meetings in recent memory, both because of the confusing economic situation, but also because of the political controversy swirling in the background. In the end the Fed opted for the quarter point interest rate cut that was widely expected. This is the first interest rate cut of the second Trump administration.
But it's not happening because the Fed feels like inflation has been defeated. It hasn't been. It's happening because Fed officials are increasingly concerned about the state of the job market, and they're trying to act now to prevent this hiring slump from turning into something more serious. And Fed officials, they're signaling they're not done yet. They're penciling in a total of three cuts this year. That's a shift from June, when the Fed had been penciling in a total of two interest rate cuts.
Still, though, Fed officials, they did acknowledge that inflation remains elevated and Fed chair Jerome Powell, he talked about how tariffs do seem to be driving up the prices of some goods. But he said that this pass through of tariffs to prices, it's been slower and smaller than had been anticipated. And he sounded hopeful that it's just going to be a temporary increase in prices.
Now one surprise here is how the votes landed. We've been bracing for some historic levels of dissension. We didn't get that. This was a nearly unanimous decision, 11 to one in favor of this quarter point cut, including Fed governor Lisa Cook, who the president has been trying to fire. The one dissent was the Fed's newest member. That's Stephen Miran. Perhaps not surprisingly, the Trump loyalist and White House economist, he voted in favor of a bigger interest rate cut of half a percentage point.
The big picture, a quarter point cut, it's not going to be a silver bullet for this economy. Interest rates do remain elevated, but the Fed is starting to take its foot off the brake a bit. And this decision does make clear that in the eyes of the Fed, the number one concern right now is the state of the job market. But inflation it remains too high for the Fed to cut interest rates any more aggressively, at least not yet.
Matt Egan, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[00:25:04]
KINKADE: Well, still ahead, the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny says she now has proof that her husband was poisoned in prison.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KINKADE: Welcome back. I'm Lynda Kinkade.
Let's take a look at today's top stories.
ABC is pulling the late-night show "Jimmy Kimmel Live" off the air indefinitely after pressure from the Trump administration.
[00:30:09]
On Monday, the comedian said MAGA groups are trying to score political points after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
However, on the day of his death, he sent condolences to the Kirk family in a message on social media.
U.S. President Trump is now calling for Seth Meyers and Jimmy Fallon to be removed, as well.
More high-tech weapons made in the U.S. will be headed to Ukraine. President Zelenskyy says his military will be getting another batch of HIMARS rocket launchers and Patriot air defense systems.
Those will be among the first weapons supplied to Ukraine under a new financing program agreed to by the U.S. and NATO.
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been diagnosed with an early type of skin cancer. Doctors say two lesions tested positive for squamous cell carcinoma, but it showed no signs of spreading.
Bolsonaro was discharged from a hospital on Wednesday after feeling unwell.
The widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny says she has evidence that he was murdered. Navalny died in a Russian prison last year.
At the time, officials suggested his death was the result of a vague medical cause. Navalny's family was denied access to his remains for days, and his widow now says there was a reason for that.
CNN's Melissa Bell reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
YULIA NAVALNAYA, ALEXEI NAVALNY'S WIDOW: Same conclusion. Alexei was killed. More specifically, he was poisoned.
MELISSA BELL, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The allegation by Alexei Navalny's widow is not new. What is, says Yulia Navalnaya in a video released on her X account, is the proof.
NAVALNAYA: In February 2024, we were able to obtain samples of Alexei's biological material and securely smuggle them abroad. Labs in at least two countries examined these samples independently of each other.
BELL (voice-over): How the samples were obtained and smuggled out of Russia is not explained, but Navalnaya does share images of her late husband's prison cell in Russia's Arctic Circle with visible vomit on the floor.
Also suggesting in the video that the labs, located in two unnamed countries, would not provide the full toxicology reports for political reasons.
NAVALNAYA: I demand that the labs that conducted the analysis publish their results. Stop pandering to Putin on account of so-called higher considerations. While you remain silent, he doesn't stop.
BELL (voice-over): For nearly a decade, Navalny was Vladimir Putin's most persistent domestic critic. In 2020, he was poisoned with the nerve agent, Novichok, but recovered, speaking with CNN shortly afterwards. ALEXEI NAVALNY, RUSSIAN OPPOSITION LEADER: It's impossible to believe
it. It's kind of stupid, the whole idea of poisoning with a chemical weapon. What the (EXPLETIVE DELETED)?
This is why this is so smart. Because even reasonable people, they refuse to believe. Like what? Come on. Poisoned? Seriously?
BELL (voice-over): Yet he returned to Moscow in 2021, where he was immediately arrested. After three years in a brutal Siberian jail, the 47-year-old died, with Russian investigators blaming a sudden spike in blood pressure and chronic diseases.
Thousands attended Navalny's funeral in Moscow, despite the crackdown on public dissent that followed Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Now, his widow says she wants the truth, despite the inconvenience it might represent to those countries now hoping for peace.
NAVALNAYA: Alexei was my husband. He was my friend. He was a symbol of hope for our country. Putin killed that hope. We have the right to know how he did it.
BELL (voice-over): Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: We're going to take a quick break. We'll be right back with more news.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:38:42]
KINKADE: Welcome back. Well, look out for Labubu. The popular plush toys now have some serious competition coming from the same Chinese company behind both viral collectibles.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE (voice-over): These plush dolls are cute, pouty, and full of expression. Meet Pop Mart's Crybaby. With their dramatic teardrops, these adorable characters celebrate vulnerability and remind us that it's OK to cry.
Originally launched in 2022, Crybaby is quickly becoming one of the Chinese-based toy company's fastest growing collectibles, second only to Labubus, Pop Mart's monster series.
SYENNHI NTUYEN, SHOPPER FROM GERMANY: I was looking for a Crybaby, because I think this could be the next trend, besides from Labubu. And as I was already slow for Labubu, I thought maybe I'd catch the next trend earlier.
And as I noted, this is popular in Japan. So, I thought this could be a good catch in the U.S. next. KINKADE (voice-over): The Labubu craze is fueling its boom, pushing
Crybaby from a minor line to one of the company's top five revenue earners.
According to Pop Mart's latest mid-year financial report, Crybaby revenue surged nearly 250 percent in just one year.
EMILY BROUGH, HEAD OF IP LICENSING, POP MART AMERICAS: For Crybaby, we're seeing that the I.P. is very much resonating with customers. I think because of that emotional storytelling.
[00:40:02]
We're seeing a lot of exciting growth with Crybaby, and that's been fairly steady over the past couple of years.
KINKADE (voice-over): Besides their sheer cuteness, part of the appeal of these toys lies in the thrill of unboxing: ripping open the box to discover which character is inside.
NTUYEN: I think the excitement is different when we actually get what you wish for, because every box looks obviously the same, but you don't know what's inside.
So, when you open it, it's exactly what you wish for. So, you feel like the luck is on my side or I deserve that. Maybe it's good karma or whatsoever.
And for the Crybaby, I mean, like, look at them. The tears are so big. It's so cute. Right? And it looks unordinary, right? Like nothing that looks normal in that state. So, I really like that. I have this on my car, actually. So, I got the B already.
KINKADE (voice-over): Whether Crybabies reach Labubu level popularity or not, Pop Mart will be smiling, not crying.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KINKADE: Whatever floats your boat.
Thanks so much for watching. I'm Lynda Kinkade. Stick around. WORLD SPORT is next, and I'll have much more news at the top of the hour.
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(WORLD SPORT)
