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Trump Heads to Ireland to Meet Leaders, Attend Golf Event; U.S. Marks 25 Years Since 9/11 Terrorist Attacks; Saudi Arabia Shuts Down Pipeline after Attack Causes Fires; Putin and Modi Meet in India Ahead of BRICS Summit; GOP Strategy on Midterms; 2026 Emmy Awards. Aired 3- 4a ET
Aired September 12, 2026 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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BEN HUNTE, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Hello. Wherever you are in the world, you are now in the CNN NEWSROOM with me, Ben Hunte in Atlanta. And it is so good to have you with me.
Coming up on today's show, U.S. president Donald Trump is due to arrive in Ireland this hour, where he'll meet with officials and watch some golf.
The United States remembers 25 years since the September 11th terror attacks. We will bring you some moments from the day.
And Saudi Arabia shuts down a key oil pipeline after it comes under multiple attacks, putting further pressure on the world's oil supply.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Ben Hunte.
HUNTE: Welcome. We are waiting for U.S. president Donald Trump to touch down in Ireland. He'll begin a two-day visit that will combine international diplomacy with his famed love of golf. He is expected to land in Dublin soon.
The president's plane took off from Joint Base Andrews just a few hours ago. In Dublin, he'll speak with the Irish prime minister and the president separately. Later, he heads to the west of Ireland for the 2026 Amgen Irish Open, which is being held at his own resort.
But he will likely face some protests. Multiple protests are planned across Ireland on Saturday.
Joining us now is Liam Kennedy. He's a professor at University College Dublin and comes to us from the Irish capital.
Good to see you, sir. So Donald Trump is about to arrive in Ireland.
What do you think that the Irish public makes of this visit? And how much of a mixed reaction is there?
LIAM KENNEDY, DIRECTOR, CLINTON INSTITUTE, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN: Oh, it will be mixed.
(LAUGHTER)
KENNEDY: I have to say that your president is not popular in Ireland. That's not a personal opinion. There are plenty of polls to show us that. But it's a curious visit. It's not really a formal state visit.
Essentially, your president is coming to see a game of golf and having a few political meetings on the sidelines. So there are some bilateral meetings. He will meet briefly the president of Ireland. He'll meet briefly the prime minister -- we call the taoiseach of Ireland.
But then off he'll go to the game of golf. He will be kept at some distance from the Irish public. And really that's because he's not very popular here.
HUNTE: Well, tell me a bit more about these protests, because there are protests planned across the country, with thousands of Gardai or police being deployed.
How visible do you expect that opposition to be, though?
And is Trump likely to actually encounter these protesters?
KENNEDY: No, not at all. There's a huge operation in place, a massive security operation. We calculate something in the region of 4,000 Irish personnel. That's both the guards, the police and the military army.
Maybe up to something like 1,000 security personnel from the United States as well. This is a huge operation. But essentially, president Trump will not come into any kind of contact with the protesters.
Originally when this was being mooted as a visit, there was an idea he would go into the city center of Dublin, where a new U.S. embassy is being built, and that he would, as they say, turn the sod there to christen it.
But that idea didn't fly. And he's now going instead to do these visits that I've mentioned, in a very large park, Phoenix Park, right in the center of Dublin, one of the largest urban parks in Europe.
But that makes the security issue much more straightforward here. And it means that the protesters will be kept at a great distance from him.
HUNTE: OK. Liam Kennedy in Dublin. Thank you. We're going to leave it there for now but I'm looking forward to speaking to you again later this hour when we see that plane. Thank you for now.
President Trump's trip to Ireland comes after he attended a special ceremony at the Pentagon, marking 25 years since the September 11th attacks. First lady Melania Trump was also there.
The president gave a speech about American bravery. He tied the anniversary to the ongoing war with Iran, saying, "we're being tested today." He called the 9/11 attacks a, quote, "moment of immense and horrible evil" that forced the nation to unite against terrorism.
Communities across the world gathered to honor the victims, salute the heroes and reflect on a day that still echoes through history.
[03:05:04]
New York held its annual ceremony on the plaza where the Twin Towers once stood. A new moment of silence was added this year to honor those who have died of health issues related to toxic exposure at the World Trade Center site. At the event, 9/11 families read the names of nearly 3,000 victims.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Emmanuel Akwasi Afuakwah.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Alok Agarwal.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mukul Kumar Agarwala.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Joseph Agnello.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: David Scott Agnes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Joao Alberto da Fonseca Aguiar Jr.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Robert G. McCarthy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stanley McCaskill.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Katie Marie McCloskey.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Juliana Valentine McCourt.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ruth Magdaline McCourt.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Joseph Roberto.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Leo Arthur Roberts.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Michael E. Roberts.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Michael Edward Roberts.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Donald Walter Robertson Jr.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HUNTE: At Ground Zero, a rare gathering of America's living former presidents. George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Joe Biden underscored the historic weight of the day. Vice president JD Vance also joined the ceremony.
A quarter of a century after September 11th, the shared promise to never forget carries a new challenge. As the attacks pass from lived memory into history, holding onto the stories of that day takes on a new importance. CNN's Tom Foreman looks at what it means to keep those memories alive for generations to come.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People are jumping out the windows. Over there, they're jumping out the windows.
RUDY GIULIANI, FORMER MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY: The situation is that two airplanes have attacked them.
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Nearly 100 million people have been born in the United States since that September morning. One- third of the nation has no real memory of that terrible day.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They made it all the way downstairs. And then, when we were just about to come out of the building, there was another blast.
FOREMAN (voice-over): And sharing the memories is growing more difficult. The greatest number of victims were in their mid to late- 30s, meaning many of their parents have passed away. Many spouses, partners and friends are approaching old age.
AARON BROWN, FORMER CNN ANCHOR: About an hour ago, about 8:45 Eastern time, one plane crashed into the tower, the World Trade Center tower on the right, the first of those towers that you can see behind me.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Some who were front and center are gone, too. And others have slipped from the limelight, including the man who heard the news at an elementary school in Florida, a half-hour from where some hijackers trained.
GEORGE W. BUSH (R), 43RD PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror.
FOREMAN (voice-over): More than 3,000 children lost parents. Eight children died on those planes. The youngest, Christine Lee Hanson, was 2. Her stuffed rabbit is now in New York's memorial, one of several sites tasked with maintaining the nation's collective history of 9/11.
Another is at the Pentagon in D.C. and another in a Pennsylvania farm field, where the last plane came down. The voices of some victims can still be heard there.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. Well, I just wanted to tell you I love you. We're having a little problem on the plane. I'm totally fine. I just love you more than anything. Just know that.
FOREMAN (voice-over): 9/11 led American troops to Afghanistan, hunting terrorists behind the attack. They would stay for nearly 20 years, even as the nation back home moved on in so many ways.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is new for me, this kind of heat.
FOREMAN (voice-over): Consider in September 2001, Tom Brady was in his first season as a starting NFL quarterback. Taylor Swift was 11. The iPod was about to debut. And an Illinois state senator was almost 10 years away from this historic moment.
BARACK OBAMA (D), 44TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of Al Qaeda.
FOREMAN (voice-over): A quarter century after any major event, collective memory starts passing from witnesses to historians, filmmakers and teachers. Yet on this anniversary, people who cannot remember that dark day are still gathering with those who cannot forget -- Tom Foreman, CNN.
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HUNTE: CNN has also learned that top diplomats from the Gulf Arab state are set to meet with Iran's foreign minister in Amman on Monday. A source tells us they are expected to discuss a deal to manage traffic through the largely shut Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has shut down a key oil pipeline after it came under multiple attacks. The country's energy ministry says the pipeline was shut down as a precautionary measure.
A U.S. official says an early analysis found that projectiles struck pump stations along the pipeline. It is not clear who is responsible but the official added the attack is believed to have involved drones coming from Iraq. A number of people were injured.
We're going to be right back in just a moment. Let's go to a commercial break. See you in a moment.
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HUNTE: Welcome back. Let's get back to the developments in the Middle East.
The top developments are that diplomats from the Gulf Arab states are set to meet with Iran's foreign minister in Amman on Monday. A source tells us they are expected to discuss a deal to manage traffic through the largely shut Strait of Hormuz.
[03:15:05]
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has shut down a key oil pipeline after it came under multiple attacks. The country's energy ministry says the pipeline was shut down as a precautionary measure. CNN's Larry Madowo is tracking all of the developments in the region for us and joins us now from Nairobi.
Good to see you, sir.
How significant is this latest development in Saudi Arabia?
And what do you think it tells us about how much this war is now a threat to that country's energy?
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Ben, this is particularly devastating for Saudi Arabia, especially as Yemen and the Red Sea become a second front in the Iran war. We've seen a rapid advance of the Iran-backed Houthis over the past few days, over the past week, especially.
And now they appear to be in control, as of this morning, of Yemen's entire Red Sea coast. And one of the biggest developments came as Saudi Arabia was forced to shut down this East-West Pipeline, where it has been rerouting about 5 million barrels of oil to Yanbu.
That is where it's trying to get this oil to global markets after Iran blockaded the Strait of Hormuz for some time now. But the Houthis have been targeting Saudi tankers for some time and they say they will not be allowed. The freedom of navigation is available for everybody except Saudi tankers. We'll get to that in a moment.
But right now, this Yemeni -- this Houthi advance is especially complicated for Saudi Arabia, that requires access to global markets. Its oil output, its crude output is already at the lowest level since 1990, according to the report they gave to OPEC last month.
And right now, this Houthi advance does not look any good for them. I want you to listen to a spokesperson for the Houthis, talking about what this means for Saudis.
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YAHYA SARE, HOUTHI MILITARY SPOKESPERSON (through translator): The Yemeni armed forces affirmed that maritime navigation is safe for all companies except Saudi vessels, which were previously declared subject to a ban.
They also affirmed that they will continue enforcing the equation of siege for siege, striking Saudi enemy mobilizations and escalating in response to escalation until the aggression stops and the siege on our dear people is lifted.
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MADOWO: So Saudi Arabia is not immediately retaliating here. They believe that this pipeline was attacked by drones from Iraq and the Iraqi leadership have said they will be investigating this. A senior official has been dismissed and they're trying to make sure that they put a stop to it. That coming as Iran announced that the members of the Gulf Cooperation
Council and Iran will meet in Oman on Monday to discuss the future of the Strait of Hormuz.
According to a statement from the foreign ministry in Iran, this meeting will be to promote better understanding among the countries of the region and to help strengthen shared regional security.
The subtext here from the Iranians is that they want to discuss this without external factors. The elephant in the room is the United States.
They say that the future of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz should be discussed by regional partners here, these Gulf Arab states, without the United States, which obviously is the big factor in this.
That Monday meeting will be crucial to see if Iran and Oman, who have already been talking, but if these wider countries in the region can find some way to essentially guarantee more freedom of navigation for vessels to pass through the very crucial Strait of Hormuz.
Especially as the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait is already getting this serious pressure. That puts a huge target on Saudi Arabia's ability to hit the global markets with its oil.
HUNTE: There's a lot going on. Larry Madowo in Nairobi, thank you very much for your time, sir. Appreciate it.
On the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his condolences to the families of the victims.
During a remote interview with CNN, Zelenskyy noted that Ukrainian citizens, including a New York firefighter of Ukrainian descent, were among the people who died on that tragic day.
And he called for support against Russia, the way that NATO allies backed the U.S. after 9/11 by invoking Article V. That states an armed attack against one member of the alliance is an attack against them all.
The BRICS summit gets underway in New Delhi later today but some leaders arrived early to begin their talks. BRICS is a group of emerging and developing economies seeking a greater role in global affairs.
Russian president Vladimir Putin met with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi on Friday, pledging to deepen their country's longstanding ties. The two leaders focused on strengthening the group's economic agenda, while Putin criticized Western influence over global economic competition.
For more on that, let's bring in CNN's Ivan Watson, who is standing by for us in Hong Kong.
Good to see you, sir. India has spent several months trying to steer this pretty diverse group.
So what does India now need to deliver this weekend for people to look back and say that this summit was some kind of a success?
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IVAN WATSON, CNN ANCHOR AND SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think for one, Ben, is some kind of a joint statement or communique from the 11 members.
When the foreign ministers from the 11 countries that make up BRICS met back in May in New Delhi, they failed to come to agreement on a joint statement. And that was largely because of the ongoing war around Iran.
You have Iran, who's represented by the president, Masoud Pezeshkian, in New Delhi this weekend but also member states, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which both host U.S. bases and have been repeatedly targeted throughout this conflict by Iranian drones and ballistic missiles.
So that's a pretty serious divide to try to bridge over the course of this weekend. We'll see if the Indians manage to accomplish that.
Now again, this organization, this group is supposed to basically give a voice and more of a say in international affairs for emerging markets, developing economies. And there are some serious resentments there against the U.S.-led trade system that has dominated for generations.
And perhaps nobody has more resentment than the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, who, you know, 20 years ago, when BRICS was first established, Russia was in a very different place from today, with its grinding war against Ukraine, the tremendous amount of sanctions that have been imposed on Russia by countries criticizing it.
Take a listen to the applause that Putin got speaking to a business forum in New Delhi, when he took a dig at a group of seven G7 countries.
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VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA (through translator): Over the last five years, around 40 percent of the world's GDP has been produced by BRICS countries; whereas the contribution by the G7, the so-called G7 -- I don't know why they call it the Group of Seven -- stands at only 29 percent.
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WATSON: If there is one thing that might unite many of these countries, it's that they've perhaps felt the sting of president Trump's trade war and tariffs. And that arguably is something that creates some unity among this diverse collection of 11 countries, Ben.
HUNTE: OK. Thank you so much, Ivan Watson in Hong Kong. We appreciate it. And now we're going to go for a quick commercial break before we come
back with more on the president's trip to Ireland.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): This is CNN breaking news.
HUNTE: Welcome back. You are looking at live pictures from Dublin, Ireland, where U.S. president Donald Trump is arriving there. He is set to hold a series of meetings with Irish leaders and business figures, too, in the hours after his arrival.
Later today, he will travel to Doonbeg on the country's western coast. The Irish Open is being held at the president's own golf resort there. Let's talk about it. We'll bring in (INAUDIBLE) Dublin and Liam Kennedy, professor at University College Dublin.
Thank you both for being with us. We appreciate it.
Julia, what are you seeing on the ground right now?
And what do we know about president Trump's first movements once he gets off of this plane?
JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the red carpet is out here. And we do expect president Donald Trump to arrive in a little while. This is an anticipated trip. And it's a two-day trip. It's a quick one. And it is not an official state visit.
In fact, this visit is kind of an example of some of the ways that some of his travel has been blurred with some presidential aspects of it but also some personal business endeavors as well.
So he is starting here in Dublin. He's going to have meetings with several Irish officials but then he is going to Doonbeg. That is his golf course there, where the Irish Open is taking place. He'll be the first U.S. sitting president to attend that specific event.
But taking a closer look at his schedule here, we do expect there to be quite a bit of ceremony as the Irish president, Catherine Connolly, brings him in. There's going to be a greeting, a signing of the guest book. And then there will be a bilateral meeting with the taoiseach, Micheal Martin.
They're going to be sitting down, discussing a number of different issues. And Martin has been to the Oval Office a couple of times in the last few years. And most recently, he put out this invite for this trip specifically.
And then we also expect Trump to stop by the U.S. ambassador of Ireland's residence. He's going to speak with some business leaders there. And that's what a U.S. official tells us.
The main focus of these meetings is going to be on international issues, mutual areas of interest, as well as enhancing business. And just some specifics throughout that, again, though, kind -- you -- kind of just a swing by here, as the main focus of this trip will be that golf tournament.
And this comes on the heels of Trump really pushing at this midterm convention that took place in Dallas, saying that he's going to be out on the campaign trail. It also comes with some big issues looming over it, including the conflict in Iran, which has stretched into its sixth month now.
HUNTE: So Liam, as Julia mentioned there, we know that Trump is going to be meeting with President Catherine Connolly. We're expecting that to be taking place at the president's residence later. That's going to be the first stop on this trip.
She has said some very interesting things about president Trump previously and some people are expecting her to say some other interesting things about him.
What are your thoughts on that?
KENNEDY: Well, the first part is true. She has said some very interesting things about president Trump in the past. Amongst those that I can repeat here is that he's volatile, that he's a bully.
And she said she might struggle to call him president Trump. All of that was said during his first administration. Now that she's president, though, Catherine Connolly is a, you know, a seasoned barrister and politician. I think she will respect the protocols of the office. I do not think she is seeking conflict in conversation.
But she will certainly not back away from it, if it --
(LAUGHTER)
KENNEDY: -- if it's offered to her.
HUNTE: Yes, indeed. And staying with you, Liam, this is Trump's first visit to Ireland in a few years now.
What do you think feels different about the relationship between Trump and Ireland this time around?
KENNEDY: That's a really good --
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[03:30:00]
BENBROOK: I think the goals for both --
(OFF MIKE COMMENTS)
HUNTE: All right, Liam, keep going for me.
KENNEDY: Oh, sorry.
I think the first time around the -- there was an element of real surprise in Ireland, if not even shock about his election. And it really took people time to really get accustomed to that.
I think this time around there's a stronger sense of who he is and what he represents. Listen, Ireland has a very strong relationship with the United States with fairly obvious historical reasons.
In your last national census in 2020, 34 million people ticked the Irish ethnic heritage box. That's about 10 percent of the population. So we know there's a deep relationship between the two countries, a lot of affection, I think, on both sides; a lot of familial connection. That's really strong and very important.
But I have to add that this is a president that most Irish people are not keen on. And he seems to represent an aspect or an image of America that's frankly not popular here.
HUNTE: Julia, Trump is traveling on the Boeing (INAUDIBLE) provides to the U.S.
Have the concerns and questions around the aircraft being laid to rest?
Or are there still issues around its use?
BENBROOK: Yes, I think there were a lot of questions leading up to this trip on if he would take this aircraft, because there have been questions about the security of that after there was a decoy plane used and he was coming back on that trip to Turkiye.
Now he has said repeatedly that he believes that this plane is safe, that extra changes and things would take place in the future. But he believes it's perfectly safe for a trip like this. And that's what officials have told us, that it is outfitted for this type of international travel.
HUNTE: Liam, coming back to you, this is obviously a massive security operation for Ireland, with thousands of Gardai or police being deployed across Dublin and County Clare as well.
What does that security picture look like and what's going on around the president?
KENNEDY: It's immense, possibly the biggest in the state's history, although each of the big ones tends to be an American visit. a visit of American president. And that's not surprising, I suppose.
I understand there's something close to 4,000 Irish security personnel operating this week. many in the background that you won't see; perhaps as high as 1,000 American security personnel as well.
We have this major operation that will take the president clearly here from the airport into the center of Dublin, to the very large park, Phoenix Park, where all those meetings will take place.
In some ways, that isn't as bad as it could have been in terms of security. Originally, the idea is you'd go into the city center, to visit the new site of the new American embassy. But that change of plan, I think, has eased the headaches for security personnel.
Cordoning off the public park and keeping the protests at a different -- as a distance have been much more straightforward. And then on top of that, we have a large security operation, again, taking place at Doonbeg around the golf.
HUNTE: Julia, we're going to come back to you. As we mentioned, we know that Trump is expected to meet President Catherine Connolly and taoiseach Micheal Martin later this morning.
What do you think we're expecting from those meetings?
And what are the key issues that they'll be discussing now?
BENBROOK: Specifically, the White House has told us that they're going to just be talking about mutual areas of interest. And so that comes with economic opportunities, business opportunities for both countries.
Trump said, as he got on Air Force One to make this trip, he said that trade would be a part of the conversations as well. And, of course, there is an emphasis on trade pretty much everywhere as Trump has enacted tariffs throughout his second term.
But when he met with Martin back at the in the Oval Office around St. Patrick's Day and Martin extended this invitation for this trip, Trump said repeatedly, we have a good relationship. We work well together.
So we do expect these to be friendly meetings. And I think the goal for both countries going into this is to keep things as steady as possible. This quick trip and then off to the golf course.
HUNTE: Liam, hopefully coming back to ,you after the meetings in Dublin, we know that Trump is heading to his golf course, golf resort in Doonbeg for the Irish Open.
So how much of this trip is really about diplomacy and how much is actually about the president playing golf at his own business?
What do you think?
(LAUGHTER)
KENNEDY: I don't know how to do percentages on that one but I think it was 75 percent golf and maybe even higher. You know, there's an interesting albeit very brief history of presidents visiting Ireland, sitting presidents.
[03:35:05]
It begins in 1963 with President Kennedy. He was the first sitting president to visit. And interestingly, you've had eight presidents visit since. So it's really -- it's quite remarkable, given how small this island is, that so many American presidents start off here for varied reasons. And the reasons are very diverse.
I mean, Kennedy himself had very personal reasons for wanting to stop back in 1963. But it's also something that I think plays out well in the American media, because there's good photo ops to be had.
And, you know, Irish America is not a voting constituency per se but there's a lot of Americans of Irish descent. And it doesn't hurt to have some nice pictures of your president frolicking around the homeland.
HUNTE: And sticking with you there, I -- the Irish presidency is largely ceremonial, while the prime minister is the person responsible for government policy.
So how significant is that meeting with Connolly, compared with the talks that Trump will be having with the prime minister?
KENNEDY: It's more symbolically important, which is to say, perhaps, more important to the media, because there might be a little fire there. I don't think there will be but it has a certain symbolism.
What the president of Ireland represents is the values of the country, not the policy of the country. That's the key distinction. He or she is a figurehead. And in that regard, I think, as I've already said, President Connolly will respect the protocols of the office.
The other meeting, I think, will have some policy edge to it -- probably not too sharp. I think Julia had led those really clearly. The one thing I would mention that hasn't been mentioned is that there's an expectation that Trump will push for Ireland to buy America's liquefied gas.
That is something that was brought up in the meeting on St. Patrick's Day, I understand, and it's something that Trump's people are going to push again on during this visit. It's something the Irish government have --
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HUNTE: Oh, we might have just lost you there.
Julia, I'm going to --
Oh, you're back?
OK. I'm going to come back to you in a moment.
Julia, if I can just come to you now, quickly, what are you seeing at the moment?
Just talk us through what we're witnessing here.
BENBROOK: Right now press are getting ready. There is a lot of excitement for this visit. We know that he has landed. Let me see if we have eyes on him at this moment. But it looks like the steps are down from the plane. And this is a president who likes to talk.
So who knows?
We may even hear from him there on the tarmac before he arrives here. But we do expect there to be a lot of ceremony. He is a president who likes that as well. As he's made international trips, those are often the parts where he seems very engaged, is when there is this big entrance.
And like I said before, there is actually a red carpet rolled out here, waiting for him. And that arrival, that greeting from the Irish president.
HUNTE: OK, I'm going to come back to you, Liam. Trade is expected to be a major part of the conversation with the prime minister.
Can you just talk us through the economic relationship that currently exists between Ireland and the U.S. right now and how much is at stake for Ireland?
KENNEDY: There's a huge amount at stake for Ireland. The Irish economy is humming. It has been for some time. And the key reason for that, as we all know in this country, is foreign direct investment.
And that foreign direct investment is led very much by the United States. Let me give you a stark figure on that.
In the last year, about 47 percent of the full corporate tax rate collected by the Irish government came from just three American companies, just three, you know, Microsoft and Apple and Eli Lilly, the large pharmaceutical giant.
And the full tax coming back from the United States here is close to 70 percent. So foreign direct investment for the United States almost underwrites Irish economy at present. And that makes things quite precarious in some ways. It also means that the Irish government want to play nice with the American president.
HUNTE: Micheal Martin is also expected to raise the war with Iran with Trump.
How difficult is it for Ireland to maintain its close relationship with the U.S. while disagreeing with Washington on issues like this?
KENNEDY: Yes. It's an interesting one. I mean, Ireland's had to do a bit of a diplomatic dance for some time between not just, you know, the views of president Trump and the Irish people but also, you know, the moving views of people in Europe at a very volatile time as well.
Ireland, of course, remains within the European Union at a time when Britain has left. And that has given it a, you know, an interesting status as the leading English-speaking country.
(CROSSTALK) HUNTE: Liam, I'm just going to pause you just there.
[03:40:00]
Because we are seeing president Trump coming down the stairs right now. I'm just going to quickly go to Julia.
Can you just tell us, what are we seeing at the moment?
BENBROOK: Yes, we do see him departing from the plane, starting the process of getting here. And like I said earlier, it's possible that he even talks on the way over. But it was a fairly quiet flight for him.
He, a lot of times, goes back to the press room and will gaggle. We did not see him do that. He did make some brief remarks as he got onto Air Force One.
And when he was there, he spoke about this trip, both going to see Irish officials as well as the golf tournament. He is being greeted. I believe you can see that now. And so this has already started. This visit is taking place. And then he'll make his way here for the primary part of these discussions.
HUNTE: OK, Liam, I'm going to come back to you. So tell me, we're seeing live pictures of the president there shaking hands with some people.
What are Irish people thinking about this trip?
KENNEDY: Well, I have to say that president Trump is not popular here. There are lots of polls that show that. There was a poll a few months ago that showed it well over 60 percent of people did not want him to visit at this time.
So I think that's the case. I don't know that the protest is going to be spectacular. I think a lot of people have come around to a kind of grudging acceptance that he's the president of the United States and he is visiting. But, quite frankly, I think most people in this country would be very happy when he leaves.
HUNTE: Julia, while we're seeing president Trump shaking hands there, what do you think the president wants to get out of this trip, as well as playing golf, of course?
BENBROOK: He has said that trade will be a big part of the conversation. Business will be a big part of the conversation.
But I do think that a lot of this is ceremonial. It is in part a swing-by to have some of these conversations before he heads to the golf tournament.
And so I believe that the main goal here is to touch base, to have some of these conversations about things like trade, about expanding businesses. U.S. officials have told us that will be a part of the conversation as well. But just keeping these relationships as strong as they possibly can.
HUNTE: Liam, come back to you, so Ireland does have a long and complicated relationship with the U.S.
But what is it about this country that has made it such an important destination for American presidents?
As we just see the president get into his car there.
KENNEDY: Well, as I mentioned earlier, that really began in 1963 when President Kennedy made a visit, which was, you know, very successful from various governments' point of view. It helped bring them into the cold. At the time, they were neutral in the Cold War. It was a big moment.
And it was seen as a big moment of recognition by the Irish people, that one of their own, if you like, one of those who had left as an emigrant, was now coming back as president.
So that's been part of that warm relationship between Ireland and visiting presidents for some time. And since then, many of your presidents, sitting presidents, have visited and have usually been well received, I have to say not always, but usually well received; occasional protests.
Ronald Reagan was very well received. Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, all the way through to Joe Biden.
So why did the presidents come when sometimes there isn't a very clear reason for that?
That varies. But I do think that one of those reasons is it plays out quite well on American television and media.
HUNTE: OK, Julia, I can hear a lot of music there. Talk us through what's going on. Tell me what I'm hearing.
BENBROOK: Things are starting. The excitement is starting. So we do see the ceremony starting to take place here. The music is getting ready. So there is some anticipation of when he will arrive now, which makes this fun to watch play out. But yes, I hope you can hear the -- hear the band.
HUNTE: I can definitely hear the band and just tell us, just before we go to a commercial break, Julia, what are we expecting to see within the next couple of hours?
BENBROOK: Within the next couple of hours, he will arrive here. We do expect the Irish president, Catherine Connolly, to greet him. We've heard that they will go in. There will be a part of a signing of the guest book.
We're going to hear the anthems of both countries and, at some point then, they will have a courtesy call, which will be more behind the scenes, a quick meeting between these high-level leaders. Then Trump moves on to that bilateral meeting with Micheal Martin and
they're going to be touching base on, again, as we've been talking about, some of those more specifics related to trade as well as business.
And then we do expect him to go to the U.S. ambassador of Ireland's residence and be speaking with business leaders there. So a really quick round of meetings here this morning.
HUNTE: OK. We'll just remind our viewers that is president Trump arriving in Dublin, Ireland.
[03:45:03]
There for a two-day trip. Julia Benbrook in Dublin; Liam Kennedy, professor at the University College Dublin, thank you both for being with us.
We will go to a break. There is so much more to come here on CNN NEWSROOM, see you then.
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HUNTE: Welcome back.
U.S. President Donald Trump is doubling down on his promise to give out checks for $5,000. He has vowed to pay every American adult if Republicans keep control of Congress after the midterm elections.
But it is still not clear where that money will come from. The president says it will happen because Americans deserve it. It remains unclear if the president's plan will pass muster.
But the midterm convention for the Republicans, staged in deep red Texas, offers some insight into their strategy around the November vote. CNN senior White House reporter Kevin Liptak has the details for us.
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KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: This week's Republican midterm convention in Dallas gave us the best window into President Trump's strategy heading into the midterms. And it is one that puts himself at the very center. He was at the very center of this convention. He spoke for 2.5 hours, spread over two nights.
And even on the evening that was ostensibly meant to feature the vice president, J.D. Vance, it was President Trump who ended the evening alone, center stage as the balloons fell, which really kind of crystallized his view of himself as the best and perhaps the only motivator for Republicans this midterm cycle. And you heard him say it again and again: pretend that I'm on the
ballot, really reflecting his concern and his advisors' concern that those low-propensity voters who have supported him and have gone out to vote for him when he is on the ballot will not turn out this time around.
Now this is a strategy that is not without some risk. President Trump is historically unpopular.
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According to polls, majorities of Americans say that they think the country is heading in the wrong direction. And plenty of Republicans, including those who didn't show up at this week's convention, think that making this election a referendum on his first two years in office is essentially a recipe for disaster.
And that's not the only place where we've seen Republicans split with the president on a critical election issue. The other is this question of a dividend for voters if Republicans keep their congressional majorities. The president unveiled that during his speech, promising a $5,000 check for every American adult.
But you've heard many Republicans say that that could contribute to inflation, that it could inflate the already $40 trillion U.S. debt.
And it's something that virtually no other speaker at the convention mentioned, even after the president brought it up, including the vice president, the Speaker of the House and the president's own son, Donald Trump Jr.
Now nevertheless, the president is promising quite an intensive campaign schedule over the next two months. He says he has 35 races that he's focusing on. In particular, he says he'll be out across the country stumping for Republicans.
That first trip will come next week when he's scheduled to visit North Carolina. Still, when a Fox News interviewer asked him whether he intended to be on the campaign trail at the same intensity level as he was during his own presidential campaigns, the president answered pretty bluntly, saying no -- Kevin Liptak, CNN, the White House.
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HUNTE: President Trump says the U.S. is in a battle with China to dominate artificial intelligence. He dismissed concerns from researchers about AI killing humans and other risks posed by the technology.
In July, some OpenAI agents went rogue, took over controls and hacked third-party content. This week, an Anthropic employee left the company and warned that the technology could kill humans within a decade from now.
And now, a group of Democratic lawmakers just sent this letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, warning of the catastrophic risk of advanced AI and asking to bring Congress back in session to pass AI safeguards immediately.
A Justice Department investigation into some of president Trump's most prominent political foes is facing yet another leadership shakeup. CNN's senior U.S. Justice correspondent Evan Perez reports.
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EVAN PEREZ, CNN SR. JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Joe DiGenova, the top prosecutor overseeing a conspiracy investigation into president Trump's political foes, resigned under pressure from his bosses at the Justice Department.
DiGenova stepped down amid disagreements with top Justice Department officials over the pace of the Florida-based investigation, the case that was intended to pursue possible charges against a swath of Donald Trump's top political foes, including former CIA director John Brennan.
But after months of delays and turnover at the top, no charges have been brought so far. DiGenova's resignation came after a series of clashes with top Justice Department officials, including one in recent days, where officials made clear that he had lost the confidence of his superiors, according to sources, who told this to CNN.
One source we talked to said that DiGenova lacked focus, going down what they called 9,000 rabbit holes instead of pursuing readily available charges. Now in a brief phone interview, DiGenova told me it was an honor and privilege to serve the president and the department. He declined to give further comment.
But back in April, DiGenova took over the case, vowing that he could bring charges in as little as 30 days. He replaced a seasoned career prosecutor in Miami who was removed after she balked at bringing charges more quickly.
The conspiracy probe is examining what Justice Department officials believe are possible crimes associated with various government investigations into Trump, stretching as far back as the 2016 Russian election interference inquiry.
And culminating in the federal charges against the president into January 6th and the Mar-a-Lago classified documents cases. Now with DiGenova gone, charges in a more narrow case could come more quickly, we're told.
It's an investigation being watched closely by president Trump, who would -- who has expressed frustration at how slowly the work has gone -- Evan Perez, CNN, Washington.
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HUNTE: U.S. television's biggest shows and performers will fight for the industry's highest honors on Monday at the primetime Emmy awards. CNN's entertainment correspondent Elizabeth Wagmeister breaks down this year's top contenders and the categories that could still bring some surprising results. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: TVs biggest night is being hosted by one of TVs biggest stars.
[03:55:00]
Mariska Hargitay from "Law & Order" is the host for this year's Emmys.
Now it's going to be a showdown between some of television's biggest series. "The Pitt" leads all nominations with 25 nominations going into the night, "Hacks" not far behind with 24.
But let's first talk about "The Pitt," which is expected to dominate in the drama categories. "The Pitt" won for Best Drama last year and it's expected to win in that category again, as well as its star, Noah Wyle, who, of course, Emmy voters have known and loved since his days on "ER."
Now in his next medical drama, "The Pitt," he won for Best Actor in a drama last year, likely is going to win again. His costar, Katherine LaNasa, who won last year in her category, is also expected to win on Monday night.
Now when we go over to the comedy category, here's where we could get some more surprises. "Hacks" has the most comedy nominations with 24 and this is "Hacks'" fifth and final season. Typically, Emmy voters will award shows that are saying farewell with their final season.
But this year, Apple's show, "Widow's Bay," has been a late-in-the- game hit, drawing a ton of fans both online but also becoming a huge critical darling. So "Widow's Bay" could beat "Hacks" in the big comedy category. But Jean Smart is expected to take her fifth and final trophy for "Hacks" in her category.
Now fun fact: if Jean Smart wins, she will make Emmy history. She will become the only woman to ever win for every single season of the same show. So a lot to come. I will be on the red carpet and I'll be backstage, interviewing the winners all night. So make sure to stick along with us for all of our Emmys coverage. Back to you.
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HUNTE: Exciting stuff, right?
That's all I've got for you. Thanks for joining me and the team. I'm Ben Hunte in Atlanta. There is more CNN NEWSROOM coming up after this break. And I'll be back with you at the same time tomorrow. See you then.
