Return to Transcripts main page

Inside Politics

Kennedy Sends Letter To 22 GOP Attorneys General Giving Update On Safety Review of Abortion Drug; Concerns Rise Over Potential For New Limits On Abortion Drug; Sources: Bondi, Top Prosecutors Have Concerns About Charging Comey Although An Indictment Could Still Come As Soon As Today. Aired 12:30-1p ET

Aired September 25, 2025 - 12:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

[12:30:27]

DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR: The federal government still plays a role in whether or not women have access to abortion pills. They're used in about two-thirds of all abortions. As President, would you block abortion medication?

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: First of all, the Supreme Court just approved the abortion pill. And I agree with their decision to have done that, and I will not block it.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

BASH: That was President Trump stating he would not block access to abortion medication, Mifepristone, during -- that happened during the June debate against President Biden in 2024. Nine months into President Trump's second term, there is growing concern among some supporters of access to that drug that the FDA could limit access.

Now, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary sent a letter to several Republican attorneys general stating, the FDA is conducting its own review of Mifepristone's safety.

CNN's Meg Tirrell is digging into this. Meg, so RFK Jr., the letter cites a study done by a conservative think tank, and that think tank has ties to Project 2025.

MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, and medical groups have disputed a lot of the methodologies used in that report, but there's been increasing pressure from Republicans to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to take a closer look at Mifepristone. And he talked about this in a hearing just a couple weeks ago. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP) ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR., HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY: We're getting data in all the time, new data that we're reviewing, and we know that during the Biden administration, they actually twisted the data to bury one of the safety signals, a very high safety signal, around 11 percent. So, we're going to make sure that that doesn't happen anymore.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

TIRRELL: Studies have shown that the drug is actually quite safe. One from 2015 looked at 50,000 outcomes from abortion and found a major complication rate for medication abortion of 0.3 percent. This is the most common way that women access abortion in the U.S. It accounts for 63 percent of all abortions.

And so if you look at the safety review they're doing here and the discussion in this letter, there are concerns from folks that this may limit how people can access this form of abortion. Dana?

BASH: And what happens if the FDA changes or even modifies the approval for Mifepristone?

TIRRELL: Well, increasingly one of the ways people have accessed this combination is through telehealth by mail, especially in states where there are strict restrictions on abortion. The FDA expanded that ability to access the drug that way in 2023, and so there are some questions in the reading of this letter is, would they undo that last expansion and take away that ability to access this by mail, which would hamper the ability of women in a number of states with strict abortion rules to be able to access this form of abortion.

BASH: And I would just add, definitely it is used for abortion. It's also used in the case of when a woman has a wanted pregnancy but has a miscarriage as well.

BASH: Thank you so much, Meg. Appreciate it.

And coming up, if Congress fails, you pay the price. I'm going to speak to a top Democratic governor about how the impending shutdown would impact Americans across the country. Josh Stein of North Carolina will be here next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:38:24]

BASH: The Justice Department is nearing a decision on whether to charge former FBI Director James Comey with lying to Congress. The potential indictment comes as President Trump is putting pressure on his Attorney General, Pam Bondi, demanding that his, the President's, perceived political enemies face criminal charges as he says he once was. Sources tell CNN that Bondi and top prosecutors have concerns about the case, but that an indictment could still come as soon as today.

Joining me now is the Democratic Governor of North Carolina, Josh Stein. Thank you so much for being here. I appreciate it.

I know that you don't know specifics about the case against Comey, and to be fair, none of us does, because we're not sure what exactly they're going to do. But I want to ask you to look at this from the perspective of the threats that we've seen and heard from the President, including and especially over the weekend when he did that kind of open letter to his Attorney General.

You, until a few months ago, were the Attorney General in North Carolina. What are your thoughts on the approach that the President is taking?

GOV. JOSH STEIN (D), NORTH CAROLINA: Well, the government has a great deal of power. And the reason we have a Bill of Rights for a Constitution is to protect everyone's individual liberty from when you have a government that is going to be overbearing or misusing that power.

All I know about this case is what I've read, that the President fired or the former U.S. attorney quit. It's unclear to me exactly which happened, and that a number of the attorneys within that office in Virginia concluded that there wasn't probable cause to bring this to a grand jury.

[12:40:10]

I never want to see law enforcement used as a weapon against anybody. We don't want government to misuse its power, whether it's the FCC telling the ABC to get rid of Jimmy Kimmel or this. People in this country should be able to live with liberty without fear of their government.

BASH: And is that happening right now?

STEIN: Well, I'm very concerned based on what I've read. Again, I don't know the specifics of the Comey case, but it is wrong when the government is used as a tool, as a weapon against people for having beliefs or for doing certain acts that are lawful.

BASH: Governor, I want to turn to a looming government shutdown here in Washington. A major sticking point here is healthcare. Your fellow Democrats here in D.C. are demanding that Republicans extend Obamacare subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year using the looming shutdown as leverage. Are you on board with the Democrats withholding support for federal funding over this?

STEIN: Healthcare is critical to all of our lives. What we don't want is for people to get a sudden diagnosis of cancer, but be unable to get the treatment, treatment that could save their lives or save their loved ones' lives, just because they don't earn enough money to be able to buy on their own health insurance. That's why we have these subsidies.

This is a real issue in North Carolina. In fact, we've got about 1 million people who benefit from the subsidies who, if they are not extended, will either lose their coverage altogether or have their premiums at least doubled. So, yes, Congress has to absolutely extend these subsidies.

In fact, I've written our congressional delegation arguing that. We also have to keep government open because it's an important partner as we rebuild Western North Carolina. We need the National Park Service. We need FEMA. We need the EPA. We need HUD.

So they have to be able to do both things at the same time because it is really important. We're seeing something similar in North Carolina. We're one of only two states in the country that does not have a budget. And we're the only state in the country where the chambers and the legislature are of the same party.

But they can't come together on a budget. And at the same time, they have just, by missing out on an opportunity last week to fully fund Medicaid, they're taking about $1 billion, $1.5 billion out of our health care system as we speak, which is going to be devastating to rural health care providers. So people in our bodies, whether it's in Congress or North Carolina's General Assembly, they need to be able to do two things at the same time.

BASH: Well, yes. And on that note, you say you're concerned about the impact of a government shutdown on your state for lots of reasons, including FEMA and other programs. Those health care benefit, the subsidies, they don't expire till the end of this calendar year.

This is a seven-week extension that Republicans have on the table. So isn't it possible that you can have the health care subsidies and just negotiate it after or as this bill to fund the government is in place without shutting the government down? Would you encourage your fellow Democrats here to take that deal?

STEIN: I would encourage Congress to get their act together, work with the administration, come up with a solution to both these issues because they're both necessary. What I am focused on as governor is making sure that my people are protected.

We need these subsidies extended. We need Medicaid fully funded in North Carolina. We need Congress to restore the trillion dollars in cuts that they've taken out of Medicaid over the next decade, the consequence of which is $50 billion and lost money here in North Carolina.

We have the second largest rural population in the country. Only Texas has more rural residents than North Carolina. We run the risk of having a devastated rural health care system because of an abandonment by Congress against our people here in North Carolina.

BASH: I want to ask about something that happened earlier this week in North Carolina. The state legislature passed Iryna's Law, a criminal justice package named for the Ukrainian refugee who was murdered on Charlotte's light rail system last month. The bill would limit bail, ensure more defendants undergo mental health evaluations and notably could help restart executions.

The bill is on your desk, Governor. Will you sign it? STEIN: Well, I'm reviewing it as we speak. It's a complicated bill. But here's the thing. That young woman was a light. I met with her family. She was a special person. She was friendly to everyone she came into contact with.

[12:45:02]

She loved animals. She loved art. She was hardworking. She was really making a life here. She came three years ago from war-torn Ukraine trying to come to a peaceful place where she could have that brighter future. And she was really happy here.

Her death is an absolute travesty. Horrific. What we need to do is make sure that in response, we are going to take measures to keep our community safer. We need a lot more police who are well-trained in our communities, proactively on the ground, engaging with people to promote safety. We need them on the transit system, but we also need them throughout our communities.

I have a proposal to our legislature that would help us to address a large number of vacancies that exist in law enforcement, whether it's local or state. We need to address pre-trial issues to make sure that people who are repeat offenders and engaged in violence are held if they pose a risk to society. And we really need to do a lot of work on mental health.

BASH: In the meantime --

STEIN: We need to have the ability to --

BASH: Go ahead. Go ahead.

STEIN: Yes. People need a place to go when they're having a schizophrenic attack.

BASH: Yes.

STEIN: If they are a risk to themselves, if they're a risk to other people, we need some place for them to go. And one thing this bill doesn't do is provide any funding --

BASH: Yes.

STEIN: -- to help us address that issue.

BASH: Yes, that definitely makes sense. In the meantime, you do have this bill on your desk. If you don't sign it or veto it, either one, it would just automatically go into law. Are you considering doing that, or will you either sign it or veto it? Will you take your pen out no matter what?

STEIN: I'm -- as I said, I'm reviewing it really as we speak. It was the last meeting I had before I got on the call with you.

BASH: OK. Real quick, we are a year out from the devastating Hurricane Helene making landfall in your state, killing more than 230 people. Just tell us how your state is doing and how concerned are you since it is hurricane season again?

STEIN: Yes. Well, we're always concerned in North Carolina. We've had three 500-year storms in the last decade. So we, unfortunately, have all too much familiarity.

I have to tell you, as you go out in Western North Carolina, I am filled with a sense of inspiration because people out there have been working their tails off to get back on their feet. Small businesses like Josh Copas (ph) has this old Marshall Jail in the town of Marshall. Matt Banz, Michelle Banz have this Riverwatch restaurant in Chimney Rock.

They just worked every day, all day, to get their stores, their restaurants, their bars reopened to serve customers. And by the way, if folks out there watching are looking for somewhere to enjoy the fall foliage, nowhere is prettier than Western North Carolina.

BASH: I love it. I love it.

STEIN: It's been inspiring, and what I want to make -- I want to make sure that we meet their urgency in government.

BASH: All right. I love it. I love -- you're more than welcome to come here and promote tourism in North Carolina anytime.

Thank you so much, Governor. Appreciate it.

STEIN: Thank you.

BASH: Much more on Inside Politics. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:52:35]

BASH: It turns out having Mitch McConnell's office on your resume is not a badge of honor in the Republican race for his Senate seat. His former proteges found out it is a bullseye. Check out these ads against Andy Barr and Daniel Cameron.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Andy Barr, groomed by Mitch McConnell as an intern.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My mentor, leader Mitch McConnell.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Then a never-Trump politician, funded by Mitch and Liz Cheney. And now the student has become the teacher.

NATE MORRIS, BUSINESSMAN: When McConnell voted against RFK Jr., he betrayed President Trump and the MAHA agenda. Andy Barr and Daniel Cameron are Mitch's boys.

I'm Nate Morris, and I approve this message, because I'm a Trump guy, not a McConnell boy. (END VIDEOCLIP)

BASH: My colleague David Wright has new reporting you want to check out on three ex-McConnell interns, all vying for his Senate seat. McConnell's retiring. All of them are turning on him in attempt to get that seat.

My panel is back. I have to say, OK, this is maybe I'm going to be showing my age. But, like, I -- it wasn't that long ago when Mitch McConnell ruled the roost in the Senate, ruled the roost in the GOP. And the fact that he -- these people are running in a Republican primary.

This isn't like Democrats running against a Republican. To me, it says how much. Not Mitch McConnell has changed. The Republican Party has changed.

SHAWN MCCREESH, WHITE HOUSE REPORTER, THE NEW YORK TIMES: It's such a delicious story. And it just does underscore there, it's all about Trump. There's no history before Trump. There's nobody else but Trump. The entire thing revolves around this one man. And it makes you sort of wonder what it's going to be like when he's gone in a few years.

BASH: Yes. And for people who don't have history before Trump, let's give them some. One of the many things that Mitch McConnell did and caught a lot of harpoons for it was stack the courts with conservatives. I mean, he spent years and years and years doing that. And that includes the United States Supreme Court.

If you just look at this, just one example. Remember when he blocked Merrick Garland from even getting a hearing when he was appointed by Barack Obama, that sort of -- was a domino effect, which ended up with Donald Trump's Supreme Court the way it is now.

MARIANNA SOTOMAYOR, CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER, THE WASHINGTON POST: Absolutely. He basically laid the groundwork for the administration to do what it's been able to do. And the Supreme Court obviously giving a lot of power to the executive in many different ways in a number of rulings that they've had over the past year.

[12:55:06]

It is incredible that there is short term memory because McConnell has been so instrumental in forming the Republican Party. But to your earlier point, this is Trump's party. And after January 6th, that is when the rift between McConnell and Trump started.

It has only continued as McConnell has voted against tariffs, for example, and also a number of cabinet officials. So that's what the MAGA base and a lot of the political operation remembers.

DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Yes. I would just say, you know, Donald Trump would not have the immunity from criminal prosecution that he has, that he really enjoys, if it were not for Mitch McConnell. Now, obviously, you can't be a Republican in Kentucky coming up in the last couple of decades and not having some association with Mitch McConnell. That's just the reality.

So, of course, all these folks interned for McConnell or have some association. But in the Trump era, they are all going to seek to distance themselves from him. It's astonishing.

BASH: It really is. Thank you all. Appreciate it.

Thank you for joining Inside Politics today. CNN News Central starts after a short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)