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CNN This Morning
Trump Denies Writing Epstein Letter Which Bears His Signature; Trump Issues New Guidance on Prayer in Public Schools. Aired 6-6:30a ET
Aired September 09, 2025 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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HOWARD STERN, RADIO HOST: Sirius XM and my team have been talking about how we go forward in the future.
[06:00:08]
And by the way, I'm absolutely flattered that anybody even cares whether I re-sign, so I mean, in a way, it was confirmation that I matter. Way it was confirmation that I matter.
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BRIAN ABEL, CNN ANCHOR: Howard Stern and some serious business.
And finally, some cool-looking canines hit the waves this weekend for a surfing competition in Southern California. The annual event raises money for a local animal center.
The dogs were judging how long they stayed on the board, the size of the wave, and other fun factors. A dog named Faith took first place.
Thank you for joining us here on EARLY START. I'm Brian Abel in Washington, D.C. CNN THIS MORNING with Audie Cornish starts right now.
AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR: The infamous Jeffrey Epstein birthday card revealed. But what does it prove? CNN THIS MORNING starts right now.
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DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I don't do drawings. I'm not a drawing person.
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CORNISH: Is that Donald Trump's signature? The Epstein saga takes a troubling twist for the White House.
ICE targets what it calls the worst of the worst in cities like Boston and Chicago. The congressman from Southie joins us live.
And a conservative on the court who dares to defy Trump. Why Amy Coney Barrett says she's nobody's justice in a new book out today. And the dramatic end of a real-life succession drama. Which Murdoch
won the billion-dollar family fight?
And Trump versus Gump. Why is Donald Trump taking shots at Tom Hanks over a military award?
It's 6 a.m. here on the East Coast. Here is a live look at New York City as the sun is rising. Good morning, everybody. It's Tuesday, September 9, and thank you so much for waking up with me. I'm Audie Cornish. And here's where we begin.
A birthday note and a denial from the White House. More documents from Jeffrey Epstein's estate are revealed publicly for the first time.
The House Oversight Committee released a trove of documents Monday night, including this 50th birthday note to Epstein, bearing the name and signature of Donald Trump.
The letter, which is from 2003, seems to have a drawing of a naked woman's silhouette.
At one point in the letter's message, Donald Trump says, quote, "We have a lot in common, Jeffrey." The letter ends with a final wish: quote, "May every day be another wonderful secret."
It is then signed Donald.
The White House calls it a hoax. Trump's press secretary on X writes, quote, "It's very clear President Trump did not draw this picture, and he did not sign it," continuing the denials, which started shortly after "The Wall Street Journal" first reported about the letter back in July.
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TRUMP: I don't do drawings. I'm not a drawing person. I don't do drawings. Sometimes people would say, Would you draw a building? And I'll draw four lines and a little roof, you know, for a charity. So, but -- but I'm not a drawing person. I don't do drawings of women. That I can tell you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you maintain you did not write a letter for Jeffrey Epstein's birthday book?
TRUMP: I don't even know what they're talking about. Now, somebody could have written a letter and used my name, but that's happened a lot.
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CORNISH: Joining me now in the group chat, Susan Page, Washington bureau chief for "USA Today"; Chuck Rocha, Democratic strategist; and Ashley Davis, former White House official under President George W. Bush. Welcome, everybody.
Susan, since you're new, we'll haze you. So, usually, the conversation is about two things. One, just the existence of this note, which was under kind of conversation when "The Wall Street Journal" first reported it.
And then the way the president has handled it in the context of other questions about Epstein.
So, what do you see in how the White House is responding, which is basically just to say we didn't -- this is nothing to do with him?
SUSAN PAGE, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, "USA TODAY": Not -- has not worked so far. You know, the White House has been, I think, stunned by the inability to put the Epstein issue behind them. And it just keeps getting bigger.
And the release of this drawing and the debate over whether that's really his signature and did he really write it? You know, that's just more fuel on the fire.
It's the one issue we've seen so far that has really created problems for Trump with his core supporters.
CORNISH: OK. So, I want to play some -- some tape for you here. Tim Burchett, who is a representative who's always saying lively things, was asked about this and here's what he had to say.
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REP. TIM BURCHETT (R-TN): I've never known Trump to be much of a -- of an artist either, so I'd kind of draw that into question.
MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There's a history of him drawing stuff.
BURCHETT: Thing is, it's -- it's been there for four years, and now it's just come out. I just don't buy it.
RAJU: So, you think someone might have just forged this somehow and sent this to the Epstein --?
BURCHETT: Somehow. It's so easy to do. I just -- I just don't buy any of it right now, because it's -- we have an administrator -- prior administration that's had a history of dishonesty. And they bring something like this out now. Why wouldn't they bring it out during the campaign?
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CHUCK ROCHA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: This is a story that will not go away, and it is driving them nuts. Every day that we're not talking about immigration or law enforcement and all the things that Donald Trump wants to talk about is losing.
And he is -- it's his own fault, because as a political consultant, we all remember -- and we covered this -- about how the right is -- is just rampant over this issue, because they fed this machine and now this machine wants something in return. And they're like, not our Donald.
CORNISH: Would it have cured things to have said -- and I'm not saying --
ROCHA: Sure.
CORNISH: -- he's denying it's his. Would it somehow have cured things to say, this is a letter. Our relationship is broken, which we know it was. He did not have a relationship with Epstein after a time. And would that have made this not an issue now?
ASHLEY DAVIS, FORMER WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL UNDER GEORGE W. BUSH: Well, I first of all, I -- if he didn't do it, he survived so many scandals over the years. This is like this.
I mean, if he made a drawing and signed his name, in my mind, this is not the worst of what he's been accused of over the years.
So, that's why I'm having trouble with this story of did he do it? Did he not do it? And -- and you're exactly right. The more he denies it, if he really did do it, the longer the story is going to last.
And by the way, the reason the base is so out there is, yes, they were the ones that were saying there was so much more about the conspiracy theory. But two, I don't know if the base cares if you made the drawing or not.
CORNISH: Right.
DAVIS: They just want to know if there's more out there.
CORNISH: This gets to the argument from Jasmine Crockett, Texas Democrat, who's of course, always willing to jump in there and make a point. Here's what she said on Monday.
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REP. JASMINE CROCKETT (D-TX): I think the biggest issue is the fact that he cannot be honest about it, right? Like, the -- why lie? Because it doesn't implicate. Right? But the fact that you're lying makes it look like what else are you lying about?
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ROCHA: That piece right there is the most important piece for the midterm elections.
CORNISH: You think so?
ROCHA: I do, because -- and Susan's covered this. Everybody's talking. Midterm elections are not presidential elections. Not everybody votes. And it's motivation. And he needs his base to show up in a big way to win back Congress for the Republicans, because he knows he's got a big problem if Democrats take control of that. CORNISH: But no one's going to stay home over this. Do you think that?
DAVIS: No.
ROCHA: There's people on the right who -- I'm not saying they vote Democrat. Nobody's saying that at all here. I'm just saying that there's enough people that could be frustrated by this, because they fed this machine, that they could be aggravated enough to stay home.
DAVIS: But that's why House Republicans are bringing out the documents, because that's what they're frustrated about, is the fact that Trump said he wasn't going to release him, or Pam Bondi said he wasn't going to release him, not about if he was part of it.
CORNISH: Yes. So, you think this is letting air out of the balloon somehow? This -- I mean, it's this trickle-trickle is not helping.
DAVIS: The conversation is just, like, I mean, like it keeps coming back.
PAGE: You're so -- you're so right that Donald Trump has survived crises and scandals that we thought would fell any politician.
This one, I think, is different because his opponents, the Democrats, actually don't believe there's anything there. It's his supporters who believe there's something there.
CORNISH: And that.
PAGE: And I think it's unlikely that this Justice Department, and this Congress, this Republican Congress, will be able to come out with enough information that satisfies the people who believe there is some big scandal there that is just waiting to occur.
CORNISH: OK. You guys stay with me. We've got a lot to talk about this hour.
Coming up on CNN THIS MORNING, a man on trial for trying to kill the president acts as his own lawyer in court. What he told potential jurors.
And Apple's sleek new iPhone 17 launches today. But will its A.I. features be enough to catch up with the competition?
And video you've got to see. Good Samaritans rescue a deputy hanging from an overpass.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We just saw it, hauled (EXPLETIVE DELETED) over here. We got our ladder. It's the only thing We could do is just grab it and help out as best we can.
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CORNISH: It's almost 15 minutes past the hour, and here is your morning roundup.
Jury selection continues today in the trial against the man accused of trying to assassinate Donald Trump in Florida. Ryan Routh is representing himself.
During jury selection yesterday, he apologized to potential jurors, saying he was sorry for bringing them all there.
A doctor who psychologically evaluated Routh after his arrest determined he had, quote, "mixed personality features" but also determined he was competent to stand trial.
The Trump administration's Make America Healthy Again report is expected to be out today. According to a draft obtained by CNN, the commission, led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., stopped short of cracking down on pesticides and ultra-processed food.
And Apple's biggest iPhone redesign in years is expected to debut today. The new iPhone 17 will be ultra-thin, feature upgraded cameras and a sleek titanium aluminum frame.
But Apple faces pressure to catch up in A.I., where critics say it's lagging behind its rivals.
Its most recent earnings report indicated users are upgrading less frequently, so pricing will be important. Good Samaritans rescue a sheriff's deputy dangling from an overpass in Lubbock, Texas.
So, this happened after a crash on the interstate involving a patrol car and a semi. Two deputies were inside the patrol car. Both were taken to the hospital in serious condition. They are expected to survive.
And after the break on CNN THIS MORNING, President Trump wants to protect prayer in public schools. Is his push reshaping the meaning of religious liberty?
Plus, a major revision to U.S. jobs data could wipe out hundreds of thousands of reported gains.
And good morning, Jacksonville, Florida.
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TRUMP: We're defending our rights and restoring our identity as a nation under God. We are one nation under God, and we always will be.
(END VIDEO CLIP) CORNISH: A special edition to the Museum of the Bible. President Trump donated his own copy while hosting mostly Christian leaders at the meeting of the new religious Liberty Commission.
The group, which includes TV personality Phil McGraw along with faith leaders like Paula White and Franklin Graham, is focused on how to better incorporate religion into American life and protect the faithful from discrimination.
Since taking office, the president has signed something like 200 executive orders, many of them focused on religion. He's established a task force aimed at combating anti-Christian bias.
He's also allowing federal workers to promote their religious beliefs to colleagues.
And now he has another newly-announced order he's calling the America Prays Program.
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TRUMP: I'm pleased to announce this morning that the Department of Education will soon issue new guidance protecting the right to prayer in our public schools. And this total protection.
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CORNISH: Joining me now to discuss is Reverend Paul Brandeis Raushenbush. He's the Interfaith Alliance. Reverend, thank you so much for being here.
REV. PAUL BRANDEIS RAUSHENBUSH, INTERFAITH ALLIANCE: My pleasure.
CORNISH: So, we heard from a commission member yesterday that the decline of prayer in schools led to decline in morality. Can you respond to that and this new effort by the administration?
RAUSHENBUSH: Well, let me first say I'm a Baptist minister. I believe in prayer. I think it's very important.
I also think prayer should not be outsourced to our public schools. I have two kids in public schools. I want them to know about religion. I want them to be able to pray. You can already pray in school.
What they're suggesting and what they're promoting is uniform prayer that actually represents one tradition over all else, other traditions. And that's what we need to object to.
Religious freedom means that there should be freedom for all prayer, all kinds of meditation to flourish. What they are suggesting, and what this religious commission actually -- committee actually represents, is a kind of push towards one prayer, one idea of what kind of religion matters, instead of understanding that we have a diversity of religious communities in America, all of whom should have equal rights, instead of having one kind of prayer forced on all of the population. So, I actually think that prayer is important, but it shouldn't be
dictated --
CORNISH: Yes.
RAUSHENBUSH: -- by one group of people to the rest of Americans.
CORNISH: Now, the commission is also supposed to have been established to defend the First Amendment. And you did hear some of the members yesterday giving their view about faith and what they think its role should be. Here's an example.
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ERIC METAXAS, CONSERVATIVE RADIO HOST: You cannot have America, you cannot have a self-governing nation without a robust expression of Christian faith among its citizenry. That is not possible.
Our founders understood that. They all understood it, every single one. Don't let anybody tell you, Oh, they were deists. Baloney.
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CORNISH: There was a lot of conversation like this, not just about the protection of rights, but also about the role of Judeo-Christian ethics in our history. Can you address that?
RAUSHENBUSH: Listen, that is absolute baloney, himself. Our founders specifically did not establish this country with religion.
Our founders said there will be no establishment of religion in America, which is why religion has flourished; which is why we have such great diversity of religion.
What this is, is part of an agenda. It's a Christian nationalist agenda.
It's worth noting that this commission is made up of 12 very right- wing Christians and one Orthodox Jew. That is not representative of our diversity in America.
And so, what they're trying to do is create religion and use it, wield it as a political force. It should be understood as part of the broader authoritarian aims of this administration and Donald Trump, who yesterday said that God wanted him to be elected.
And he's used frameworks like, if you're against our agenda, you're against God. This is what is dangerous.
We actually have to be protected. Those of us who care about religious liberty need to be protected from this administration, which has gone after Catholic bishops, which has gone after the Lutheran church, which has gone after the Quakers, which has gone after congregations, sending ICE in to take away congregations.
This is a dangerous commission that is using religion to consolidate power and to impose their idea of what their version of Christianity is on all the rest of the citizenry.
And that is what is so dangerous. Religious freedom is a fundamental right, and it means for everyone in this country, not just for these Christians who want to dictate it to the rest of us.
CORNISH: OK, that's Reverend Paul Brandeis Rauschenbusch of the Interfaith Alliance. Thank you for your time this morning.
RAUSHENBUSH: Thank you for having me.
CORNISH: Straight ahead on CNN THIS MORNING, the Supreme Court just gave ICE the green light for controversial patrols in California. Why there are concerns over constitutional rights.
And President Trump downplays domestic violence as a lesser crime. Why he says it should not be counted in crime stats.
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CORNISH: Good morning, everyone. I'm Audie Cornish. I want to thank you for joining me on CNN THIS MORNING. It's half past the hour, and here is what's happening now.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics is releasing a major jobs revision today, one that could show up to 900,000 fewer jobs were added over the past year.
The routine benchmarking process has drawn controversy after President Trump fired the BLS commissioner, claiming that the data was rigged.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore officially announced a bid for reelection next year, and it comes as speculation was swirling about a potential presidential bid.
But he ruled that out during an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press."
The Supreme Court clears the way for federal immigration agents to resume controversial roving patrols in Southern California. The justices sided with the Trump administration, reversing lower court rulings.
