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Laura Coates Live
Government Shutdown and Federal Firings Hang Over Washington; Laura Coates Interviews Anthony Scaramucci; DOJ Fires Top National Security Prosecutor After Backlash; Afghan Ally Released from ICE Custody After 100 Days; WNBA Star Blasts League, WNBA Commissioner. Aired 11p-12a ET
Aired October 01, 2025 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[23:00:00]
ABBY PHILLIP, CNN ANCHOR AND SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Before we go, a quick programming note. Take a trip with Tony Shalhoub to discover how bread connects us. The new CNN Original Series "Tony Shalhoub: Breaking Bread" premieres Sunday at 9:00 right here on CNN.
And thank you very much for watching "NewsNight." "Laura Coates Live" starts right now.
LAURA COATES, CNN HOST AND SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Good Evening, everyone. Welcome to "Laura Coates Live." No more will they or won't they. They did. And we're nearing day two of the government shutdown. And if you ask the Magic 8 Ball when it will be over, it'll probably tell you to ask again later.
But there's nothing uncertain about what is already happening. Hundreds of thousands of federal workers are already in the process of being furloughed. Others are told they must work without pay and be satisfied by a promise of back pay someday.
The White House says layoffs are imminent. Tonight, we're hearing from President Trump after Vice President Vance weighed in on the mass firings.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Well, there could be firings. And that's their fault. And it could also be other things. I mean, we could cut projects that they wanted, favorite projects. And they'd be permanently cut.
J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We are going to have to lay some people off if the shutdown continues. We don't like that. We don't necessarily want to do it. But we're going to do what we have to keep the American people's essential services continuing to run.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: So, when are these pink slips going out? Sources tell us that the Trump budget chief is telling Republicans they'll come in the next day or two. As for who is being cut, we have no idea. And having been a federal employee during a shutdown who had to work for back pay, the uncertainty is unbearable. The limbo, frankly, cruel.
One thing we seem to be certain of, this shutdown won't end until Friday at the earliest. Now, how do we know that? Well, because senators have left town. And ending this by Friday, I mean, talk about a long shot, since both sides are waiting for the other side to cave. Now, if this sounds like a mess, it's because it is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN FETTERMAN (D-PA): This isn't entertainment. And if it isn't entertainment, this is a really shitty show. You know, it's like we should keep our government open. It's like that's fundamental responsibility here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Do you know who is trying to turn it into a show? I mean, the kind of show that John Fetterman is talking about? Seems the president of United States. I am referring to those racist, AI-generated videos that he has posted of the minority leader, Hakeem Jeffries, in a sombrero himself, apparently a part of a mariachi band behind him. Vice President J.D. Vance claims it's the art of the troll and a joke.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
UNKNOWN: Is it helpful to post pictures of Leader Jeffries in a sombrero if you're trying to have good faith talks with him?
VANCE: Oh, I think it's funny. The president is joking, and we're having a good time. You can negotiate in good faith while also poking a little bit of fun at some of the absurdities of the Democrats' positions and even, you know, poking some fun at the absurdity of the Democrats themselves.
I mean, I'll tell Hakeem Jeffries right now, I make the solemn promise to you that if you help us reopen the government, the sombrero memes will stop.
(LAUGHTER)
And I've talked to the president of the United States about that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Having a good time. Funny. Feels like a strange moment to have a good time or joke when federal workers are missing paychecks or they're facing the prospect of losing their jobs. What was it in the next day or two?
When they're glued to their phones, they're checking and refreshing emails, they're wondering, can I go to the grocery store? Should I pump the gas? Can I buy the clothes for my growing kid? Can I care for an elderly parent? Can I budget for the cost of the medication for myself or for them? Not really a good time. But if the good time is wanting to be had, the Trump administration seems to be the one to have it. They're making sure everyone knows it because the White House played the memes on loop inside that briefing room. And they did it for hours. But for Jeffries, bigger issue isn't the videos. He says it's the shutdown itself.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY): I'm not going to dwell on the president's erratic behavior in terms of the meme or the A.I. deepfake video. The broader problem is it's deeply unserious. And this is a serious moment. We need to reopen the government.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES, CNN HOST AND SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: I'm joined now by a member of the House Financial Services Committee, New York Democratic Congressman Ritchie Torres.
[23:05:01]
Welcome back, congressman. I mean, look, I have to ask about the seriousness of the negotiations and beyond. Republicans, they say that they're willing to talk about the future of Obamacare subsidies. But first, you got to help them reopen the government. Is it naive to think you could agree to temporarily fund the government for a few weeks and then hold the Republicans accountable if they do not negotiate in good faith?
REP. RITCHIE TORRES (D-NY): Well, keep in mind that the Republicans have gutted Medicaid by a trillion dollars. The Republicans are willing to let the government shut down and let four million people lose their health insurance and let 24 million people see premium increases of as much as 75. Republicans cannot be trusted to negotiate in good faith, you know.
So, we cannot trust. We have to verify, and the best form of verification is a bipartisan ironclad agreement that keeps the government open and keeps health care affordable, which Republicans, so far, have rejected.
COATES: So, how do you get there if there seems to be a fundamental distrust for even the prospect of a good faith negotiation?
TORRES: We're asking the Republicans to come to the table. The stakes are simple. Democrats are fighting to keep government open and to keep the health care affordable, whereas Republicans are content to let the government shut down and let everyone's health care expire. And that's -- you know, the choice that we face as Democrats is that we either stand by passively and do nothing or we fight for the health care of the American people. And we've chosen to fight, and that's the right decision.
COATES: I am wondering if you think there is going to be consensus continually with Democrats on that issue. But I first want to ask you about the OMB director, Russ Vought. He has also said that he would make life difficult for Democrats. And he just, as you know, withheld federal funding for two major --
TORRES: Yeah.
COATES: -- transportation projects in New York and also New Jersey. How do you protect these projects while the government is closed?
TORRES: Well, Donald Trump has never needed a government shutdown to defund programs and to fire federal employees en masse. And it's a reminder that Donald Trump is not an adult. He is a juvenile delinquent masquerading as a president. He is willing to delay and derail two of the most important infrastructure projects in the country, Gateway and the Second Avenue Subway, purely out of revenge.
Like what matters to Donald Trump is exacting revenge on his political enemies. And New York has been front and center in the enemies list of Donald Trump. And Donald Trump claims to love New York. He claims to be a friend of New York. But with a friend like Donald Trump, who needs enemies?
COATES: Well, one of his good friends, his right-hand man, of course, his vice president, J.D. Vance, you heard him say that he found those AI-generated memes or videos funny. In fact, I want to play a little bit more of what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
J.D. VANCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Hakeem Jeffries said it was racist, and I know that he said that, and I honestly don't even know what that means. Like, is he a Mexican- American that is offended by having a sombrero meme?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: I don't think I need to define racist for the vice president of United States, but let's pretend I want to play this game for a second. What do you think the vice president is thinking?
TORRES: I mean, the vice president is just simply being cynical. I mean, Donald Trump is offensive, he's outrageous, and he's utterly unserious. And both the vice president and the president are treating this as a game, as a joke.
There's nothing funny. There's nothing funny about the government shutting down. There's nothing funny about four million Americans losing their health care, and tens of millions of Americans receiving premium increases of 75%. None of this is a joke. Like we have to keep health care affordable, we have to reopen the government. The stakes are high. And only one party is serious about governing. And the other party is all about gamesmanship and political drama.
COATES: And, by the way, vice president, you don't -- you need not be a part of the demographic that is targeted to be offended by the antics. Congresswoman Ritchie Torres, thank you so much.
TORRES: Of course.
COATES: So, where do we go from here? I want to bring in Hogan Gidley, former deputy press secretary in the first Trump administration and a senior adviser to House Speaker Mike Johnson. Also here, Ameshia Cross, Democratic strategist and former Obama campaign adviser.
I just want to first address these A.I. videos from both of you. Why -- why give Democrats -- if your goal is to, as they say, owning the libs, why give Democrats this -- this AI-generated video to even address? Why not just focus on the politics and the policy stances Republicans want to say? Why even bother in the mud?
HOGAN GIDLEY, SENIOR ADVISER FOR HOUSE SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON, FORMER TRUMP WHITE HOUSE DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY: Well, he's doing both.
[23:09:59]
I mean, obviously, we're talking about government shutdown caused by Democrats who voted no to keep the government closed so that illegal aliens could get free health care. Republicans did their job. They voted for a nonpartisan bill that these same Democrats voted for 13 times previously to keep the government open. The dichotomy is very clear. People see the difference in the two.
On top of that, Donald Trump is funny. He likes to do funny things, and he will always be who he is. It's his authenticity, quite frankly, that helped him win the election and defeat someone like Kamala Harris who's clearly scripted and doesn't have authentic bone in her body.
COATES: But do you think that -- assuming people do find him funny, do you think that the joke will last throughout the duration of the government shutdown and not be attributed to --
GIDLEY: Oh, no.
COATES: -- a Republican problem?
GIDLEY: No, no, no. Understand, this is a serious matter. And the congressman is right about one thing. People's lives are at risk here because there's a lot of funding in the federal government that goes to improve people's lives. All the things with FEMA, for example, we're in the middle of hurricane season. All the things for our veterans. TSA. Other things need to be funded in this government --
COATES: Uh-hmm.
GIDLEY: -- which is very perplexing because we heard the same thing from Democrats at how a shutdown would hurt so many Americans countless times in the past, and for some reason, they're voting no to keep the government closed. It makes no sense politically.
COATES: I want to make sure no one thinks I did not hear the comment about the illegal immigrants, the idea of health care. I want you to address that specific claim because this has been a point of contention and frustration between Democrats and Republicans who say that what you said or that talking point very misleading, inaccurate, and it's not actually what's happening. Can you address it?
AMESHIA CROSS, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST, FORMER OBAMA CAMPAIGN ADVISER: Well, the president and the Republican Party really wants to lobby the ball forward when it comes to anti-immigrant sentiment. What we do know is that federal dollars, be it whether it's health care, housing, uh, you name it, do not go to undocumented immigrants. They just don't. That is not the case.
What they are conflating is that certain localities have set aside money from taxpayers in those localities. That is state money, city money that does serve to support, um, people of various immigrant status. That is not the same as federal dollars. That is not the same pocket of money that goes to Medicaid, Medicare, so on and so forth. That is not the same money that is utilized in HUD.
I think that we have to be very clear when we make these statements because there is a huge difference between funds at the state and local level and funds at the federal level. Federal dollars do not support this.
COATES: You're not in an agreement?
GIDLEY: No. The matches come from the federal government. They go to the states. The state has the money from the federal -- from the federal dollars. We had what? Two and a half million illegal aliens out there getting -- or two and a half million people, excuse me, gaming the system, over $185 billion, a million and a half illegal aliens getting free health care in this country. The American people deserve that health care.
The Medicaid program is set up for the most vulnerable among us: Pregnant women, the disabled, the elderly. When you take that money away from them and give it to people who do not have a right to be in this country at all, that is a serious problem. And the American people know this because the Democrats ran on and lost on an open border policy and giving free health care to illegal aliens, not to mention, and I'll say this lastly, every single Democrat who was running for president stood on that debate stage and said, will you give free health care to illegal aliens? And every single one of them raised their hand because that's what they want.
COATES: Ameshia?
GIDLEY: That's what they've done.
CROSS: And he does his job well. But what this president has done with his Big Beautiful Bill Act and the cuts that he has provided in terms of tax breaks to the wealthiest among us, the wealthiest Americans in this country and some of the wealthiest people on the globe, actually took that money from Medicaid, actually took that money from FEMA, which you were talking about earlier. He cut FEMA dollars and not only during his first administration but also during this administration.
He is utilizing the National Guard in Democratic cities, in cities that have Black mayors purposely, the same National Guard that comes down to actually, you know, sustain communities when they are trying to get out of disasters, when they are trying to be a part of disaster relief services.
This is a president who has shown time and time again that he is absolutely fine cutting the very resources you just spoke of in order to balance -- to balance for the tax breaks that he has given to millionaires and billionaires. He ran on working class values and supporting the working class. And every single thing he has done since he has been in office has been an abject failure and to advance the wealthy. It has not been to protect the workers.
COATES: Before you both go, before you get into it, I -- I'm imagining what it's like behind the scenes on Capitol Hill. I mean, assuming anyone is actually working in Capitol as opposed to going home in some way. But if this is the positions of both parties, how does the federal worker not get a pink slip? What is the way, what is the bridge that needs to be built to keep the government open? Is it going to be a conversation about the election? Is it going to be a conversation about debate stages? What is the move that Republicans need to make and Democrats need to make?
GIDLEY: I think when they come back to town and begin regular order on Monday --
COATES: Monday.
[23:15:00]
GIDLEY: I think -- after -- the Senate will vote again, as my understanding, over the weekend as well. There's a holiday tomorrow for --
COATES: Uh-hmm.
GIDLEY: -- for Jewish people. That will be observed Friday. The Senate will be back in. Chances are they vote again, and again on Saturday, to expose -- again, the Democrats refusing to keep the government open, something Chuck Schumer voted for just a few months ago, by the way, and Democrats did 13 times, as I said before, under the Biden administration.
The Republicans are really smart here, though. What they did was they gave something clean. They didn't put any gimmicks on it. They didn't put any of the things they wanted on it. They said, we're going to keep the same funding levels that you guys voted for in the past, and we're going to dare you to vote against it. And they voted against it now three times. And I bet they vote against it more.
And so, going into next week, when everyone comes back after hearing from their constituents, this pain starting to ratchet up, you'll miss a couple of paychecks. This is going to be a problem. I bet within a week, we're coming back to the table to have a conversation.
COATES: What's the Democratic bridge? Taking it?
CROSS: No. I think that for Democrats, they've got to hold out. They've got to hold out because the Republicans are presenting them in a no-win situation in many ways, in large part because they're going to continue running a campaign that is anti-immigrant. That's the only thing they care about right now. They do not care about ensuring that American --
GIDLEY: It's for Americans. It's not anti-immigrant.
CROSS: When you don't want to provide and you cut the budget for Americans' health care, which they have done time and time again and again, they just passed a very large Big Beautiful Bill Act that literally moves money away from health care and will close down rural hospitals that will affect pregnant women, that will affect those who are, you know, who work, who need to receive cancer treatments. They don't give a damn.
GIDLEY: Gave $50 billion to rural hospitals in the Big Beautiful Bill and Democrats are trying to take that away in their continuing resolution. It makes no sense.
COATES: I guess we see why the government shut down. Sorry, federal workers. I have been pregnant and a federal worker, asked to work with the potential of back pay. I'm sorry you hear it. Thank you both, Hogan, Ameshia.
So, what role will the president play and how all of these ends? Anthony Scaramucci has a very specific prediction on this, and he'll share it with me next. And later, did he mean to talk about this? The shock statement from Howard Lutnick about Jeffrey Epstein that has House Oversight Democrats wanting to call him and testify.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOWARD LUTNICK, UNITED STATES SECRETARY OF COMMERCE: This guy was the greatest blackmailer ever. Blackmailed people. That's how he had money.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[23:20:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COATES: All right, so, look, Trump is no stranger to shutdowns. I mean, he has presided over two before. But even before he became president, you know he was never shy to talk about what it takes to end a shutdown. In fact, here he is back in 2013 giving some let's just say unsolicited advice.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, FOX NEWS HOST: We're having a hell of a time trying to negotiate here in Washington. So, tell me, if you were president, what would you do? TRUMP: Well, very simply, you have to get everybody in a room. You have to be a leader. The president has to lead. He's got to get Mr. Boehner and everybody else in a room. And they have to make a deal. And you have to be nice and be angry and be wild and cajole and do all sorts of things, but you have to get a deal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Well, Hakeem Jeffries said today there has been zero talks in the White House since that Monday meeting. So, optimism for a deal, and then good. The betting markets have this thing lasting about 11 days, which is the equivalent of one Scaramucci.
And would you look at who is with me now? The man himself, Anthony Scaramucci, the former Trump White House communications director and founder of SkyBridge Capital. So glad that you're stopping by. This is a crazy time yet again here in Washington, D.C. And I would love to hear your take on this because you know Trump in this space better than most people.
When Democrats met, Anthony, with Trump on Monday, Jeffries was apparently surprised at how much listening, he said, that Trump did. And sources, they said that he was even encouraged that Trump might eventually cut a deal. I wonder what your take of that moment would have been. Do you think Trump wants to be the one to make the deal that ends this?
ANTHONY SCARAMUCCI, AUTHOR, FOUNDER AND MANAGING PARTNER FOR SKYBRIDGE CAPITAL, FORMER TRUMP WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Yeah. Listen, I -- you know, they're -- they're pushing to get rid of Obamacare. They -- they tried to get Obamacare eradicated in 2017. Of course, you and I remember --
COATES: Uh-hmm.
SCARAMUCCI: -- the thumbs down from Senator John McCain. Now, they don't say that they're trying to get rid of Obamacare. They're just slowly doing it. They're sort of boiling the frog.
And so, the president wants to squeeze these guys for a deal that they don't like. And so, he's not going to get everything that the Republicans want in terms of the full elimination of 22 million people off the insurance rolls.
But I think he's going to get a pretty big deal from the Democrats because, you know, they don't want to go into the midterm narrative being part of this problem. If the Democrats are going to take the House, which I think is still likely, Senate probably less likely, they've got to their narrative together, they've got to get it organized.
And so, I think they'll play their hand for a little while and eventually cut a deal with Donald Trump that they don't necessarily like, but is way better than what Trump is actually even looking for, you know, because I actually -- because -- you asked me what I think about the president. He's more in the middle on the healthcare stuff than these hard-right Republicans. So, he's playing along with them.
And that's why the prediction markets have it at one Scaramucci because that's not going to go 35 days. There is no way they're going into Thanksgiving with this. Their approval ratings will fall. The economy is shakier if you look at the economic data than all of them wanted to be. And the president has, whether we like him or not, good political instincts. He will get tarred and feathered with the economy by the end of the year, Laura.
[23:24:58]
COATES: I mean, what you said really piques my curiosity because for the reasons you lay out as to why Republicans would not want to go Thanksgiving and beyond and possibly tarred and feathered if this were to continue because of the negative consequences, that might be precisely the reason Democrats are unwilling to come to the table and help them get out of that. They might be betting in their own way that the longer Republicans and Democrats and the American people are involved in the shutdown, the odds are that eventually, Republicans will hold the proverbial hat.
SCARAMUCCI: Okay, I would accept that argument if they were more conjoined. I would accept that argument if it looked like they had a unfractured coalition and they had demonstrated real good leadership here and a great narrative, if they had gone to the American people over the last three or four weeks or the two months since the big beautiful spending bill and said look, they're trying to take your health care away, and they went into every county and every district and they told Democrats and Republicans don't like that, call their congressman and flood those phone lines. But they're not doing that. They're fighting with each other, Laura.
So, to me, I think because of that fracture in the party and sort of this sort of coalition scattering, if you will, I think they're going to cut a deal. They're going to cut a deal more quickly than other people think, you know.
COATES: Well --
SCARAMUCCI: But I hear you. It's a good point you're making. I just don't think they've got it together.
COATES: Well, hopefully, for the federal employees and all the Americans that are impacted by a shutdown, this will not be gamesmanship for the sake of gamesmanship. Anthony, I want to turn quickly as well to listen, I'm sure you heard this by now, what the commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, had to say on a podcast today about at a time like this, of all things, Jeffrey Epstein. He describes going to Epstein's home, quickly leaving after being, well, essentially grossed out by Epstein. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LUTNICK: I say to him, massage table in the middle of your house?
(LAUGHTER) How often do you have a massage? And he says, every day. And then he like gets like weirdly close to me.
UNKNOWN: Hmm.
LUTNICK: And he says, and the right kind of massage. My wife and I decided that I will never be in the room with that disgusting person ever again. That's what his M.O. was. You know, get a massage, get a massage. And what happened in that massage room, I assume, was on video. This guy was the greatest blackmailer ever. Blackmailed people. That's how he had money.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Hmm. I mean, stomach-turning details aside, on a scale of 1 to 10, how angry do think Trump is to have Lutnick possibly give more oxygen to the one issue he does not want to be talking about?
SCARAMUCCI: It's more than 10. You know, knowing the president well, he wants that issue to go away in the worst possible way. And let me just put a grenade in every Democrats' mind. So, if this guy is a disgusting individual, why is your boss all over these files to the point where he won't release them? And why is your boss in countless pictures? And what about the thing that he's denying, which we all know they actually put together because it was done in 2002, the birthday card letter?
So, to me, it's a terrible look for Howard. He didn't think this through. And that's a sign of little bit of overconfidence. Look, I know the president well. Three things. Okay? If he calls you President Lutnick, you're in trouble. If he says you're getting more famous than me, you're in trouble. And then the third thing, if you're crossing him and getting in his stage light, you're in trouble.
And he just committed the trifecta right there. You know, that was a little bit too arrogant and a little bit too forward. And, you know, there's no going back from that. One other thing about words, you can't just like rush out with your hand and grab them and put it back in your mouth. So, he's in a hard -- he's in a hard spot now. I don't think he realizes how bad that gaff was until he has re-rolled the tape or people in White House coms have called him and said, you know, wow, I mean, that was really bad, Howard.
COATES: Do you want to hear about that word blackmail, I'm sure, if you're investigating this more and more for all parties. Anthony Scaramucci, thank you.
SCARAMUCCI: Good to be on. Thank you.
COATES: Breaking news. Just tonight, the top national security prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia has been fired. We've got the reporting on this, and we'll have it for you next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[23:30:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COATES: The breaking news, just in tonight, the Justice Department has fired a prosecutor who has been falsely tied to former FBI Director James Comey's indictment.
Michael Ben'Ary was chief of the national security section in the Alexandria, Virginia-based office. A right-wing activist posted on X, accusing Ben'Ary of being part of the -- quote -- "internal resistance to the Comey indictment." And just hours later, the administration fired him.
A source tells CNN Ben'Ary had nothing to do with the Comey case. The DOJ and Eastern District of Virginia have not responded to requests for comment.
You will recall that Comey was indicted by a grand jury on two felony counts after Trump fired his own nominee to lead the EDVA and installed his own former personal attorney, Lindsey Halligan.
Joining me now is former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani.
[23:35:01]
Neama, welcome back. I mean, this is not some low-level prosecutor here. He was the chief of the national security section. There's a lot we still do not know, including the direct calculus in the firing. But what is your impression hearing this news tonight?
NEAMA RAHMANI, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR, PRESIDENT OF WEST COAST TRIAL LAWYERS: Laura, you're right, this wasn't rank and file civil servant or prosecutor, this was the chief of the national security section. But this is really par for the course right now for the Trump administration and Attorney General Pam Bondi. Just recently, in Sacramento, the interim U.S. attorney was fired for telling border patrol to follow the law related to immigration enforcement here in California.
So, I don't know if Ben'Ary was or was not involved in the decision to initially not prosecute, then prosecute James Comey. But it's pretty clear, if you're not loyal and you're not following orders, it doesn't matter where you are in the pecking order at the DOJ, you're going to be let go.
COATES: Or if that is the impression somebody, perhaps, has of the work you're doing. We're not sure, again, what his involvement and why the firing.
But, by the way, we talk about him not being a lower-level prosecutor. I mean, he was going to be the lead prosecutor in the Abbey Gate terrorism case. That's an extremely significant matter that even the administration had been following quite closely, boasting about the prosecution of this in honor of those who'd lost their lives. I'm wondering if that prosecution could now suffer with the removal of him from the helm, let alone the office. RAHMANI: There's no question in EDVA, one of the most prestigious districts in the country, of course, where the FBI headquarters is, and they handle some of the biggest counterterrorism cases. So, certainly, a loss. And when it comes to the DOJ, they really do attract the best and the brightest. I'm not just saying because you and I work there, Laura, but we know these are very competitive jobs to get hundreds, sometimes thousands of applicants for each position. So, there's certainly a significant loss.
Here in Los Angeles, where I am, last I counted, more than 80 of the 240 prosecutors had left because they were concerned that they would be let go, too. So, we're really seeing a perjurer.
And I'm not saying that what happened to Ben'Ary is anyway justified or right or even based on any real facts whatsoever, but what we're seeing is pretty consistent with how the DOJ is handling personnel issues throughout the country, unfortunately.
COATES: Prosecution with an eye towards fear. Not sustainable if you want justice in this country. Neama Rahmani, thank you.
RAHMANI: Thanks, Laura.
COATES: Up next, a "Laura Coates Live" exclusive. It's a story you've been following quite closely right here on the show. An Afghan ally who says he helped American troops detained by ICE for more than 100 days. Well, tonight, we have a major update to share. He is now free. He's going to join me next for his first interview.
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[23:40:00]
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COATES: We have an update tonight to a story you've been following right here on "Laura Coates Live." It involves Afghan national Sayed Naser. He has said that he worked for and alongside U.S. troops in Afghanistan and came to this country seeking asylum after the war ended. But then, on June 12th, he was detained by ICE as part of their deportation efforts.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAYED NASER, AFGHAN ALLY WHO HELPED U.S. TROOPS RELEASED FROM ICE DETENTION: I work for the U.S. Military. Just tell them.
UNKNOWN: You can come with us, sir. You can come with us.
NASER: Provide the warrant.
UNKNOWN: You can come with us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Sayed says he was granted lawful parole through the CBP One app back in 2024. ICE detained him while he was attending a mandatory immigration hearing at a San Diego federal courthouse. But now, after three and a half months in ICE detention, he is out. And last week, a judge granted his release, saying that ICE violated his due process.
Back in June, DHS told us -- quote -- "There's nothing in his immigration records indicating that he assisted the U.S. government in any capacity. All of his claims will be heard by a judge. Any Afghan who fears persecution is able to request asylum."
You know, I interviewed Sayed's attorney at the time, and he refuted DHS's claim. He told us Sayed had submitted documentation of his work alongside the U.S. Army in Afghanistan, and that his entry into the United States was lawful.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIAN MCGOLDRICK, SAYED NASER'S ATTORNEY: One of the things he said to me was, I never thought I would come to America and be put in a room where I have to sleep in the same room I go to the bathroom.
COATES: Hmm.
MCGODLRICK: He's -- he's just totally disgusted by what has happened.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Joining me now for his first interview since his release is Sayed Naser and Shawn VanDiver, the president of AfghanEvac. Thank you both for being here. Sayed, we've been following this story a long time. Can you walk us through what the last three and a half months have been like for you?
NASER: Hello to everybody. I can say 100 days were my hardest days of my life, when I was in detention.
[23:45:01]
And I thought the time had stopped. And I never imagined that I would be in detention in the United States of America. So that's why I left my country, because I was afraid to be detained in my home country. And I can say 100 days were my hardest days of my life.
COATES: And, thankfully, you are now released. We have the video of you walking out of detention, hugging your brother. Shawn was there, too, as well. Can you describe what that release was like for you?
SAYED: When I heard that I would be released, I was so excited and happy. And I was waiting to -- that my name be called by officers for release. And I was so happy. I didn't believe that I would be released.
COATES: Shawn, can you talk to us about the lengths that you and others went to, to get Sayed released?
SHAWN VANDIVER, PRESIDENT, AFGHANEVAC: Sure. Laura, thank you so much for having us today. Um, look, I didn't know Sayed when he was detained right here in San Diego where I live. Um, his video came to me with an ask that, can we help people, help the American public, see what's happening? So, we did. We sent it to you. We sent it to others.
But I got to know Sayed after that, right? I went to go to visit him at the Otay Mesa detention facility. I talked with my battle buddy, Kyleanne Hunter, over at Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, and Sayed's story inspired battle buddies, which is a nationwide movement of more than a thousand veterans who are now showing up at immigration appointments and court with our wartime allies.
We did everything we could. We told his story. We went out and collected the stories of others because Sayed is not alone. Sayed is not the only Afghan ally who stood with us, was following all the rules, and then, as a thank you, was thrown into a lockup, where he had to go to the bathroom in the same room that he slept.
COATES: What do you want people to know about what this experience has been like for you, knowing that you left your home country, hoping for protection here?
NASER: Exactly. You know, first time, it was hard to leave my country. And I came to America to be protected. And that's why I left my country. The moment that I left my country, that was the hard time of my life. You know, it's hard to live for a family back. And I came here to be protected. I expected to be treated fairly. I expected to be treated like allies.
COATES: Shawn, you have said that Sayed's detention is indicative of a much larger betrayal by the government. Can you explain why?
VANDIVER: I sure can. And look, here's the problem, is that we made these promises. Veterans went down on range. Diplomats, intelligence officers went down on range. They talked to local nationals. Said, hey, if you stand with us, we'll stand with you. Serve with us for a year or two, and you can come be an American. And we sold them on this idea of an American dream. And now, in our country, they're being rounded up, sucked up in the wash of this broader immigration crackdown, which is unfair.
And here's what we need to happen. We need three different groups of people to get their crap together. Congress needs to remember that they're in charge, that they're co-equal. They're not some junior partner in this. They're in charge and they need to legislate about this.
Number two, companies, the titans of industry need to be speaking up. Titans of industry benefit from immigration. I hear from folks all the time how much they want more Afghan workers. Well, if we're doing this to our wartime allies, how are we going to keep doing it?
And we need everyday citizens to stand up and make their voices heard. Share it on social media. I know that it's really scary in this climate that we're in right now to make your voice heard because it does seem like the administration is a little bit punitive, right? But those of us who are safe, American citizens who are not in danger of being deported, we need to be making our voices heard, saying that these guys paid their dues. They did what they needed to do to be able to come here. And we need to follow through on that promise. Anything less puts our national security at risk and puts our country at risk.
COATES: Sayed Naser, Shawn VanDiver, thank you both for being here tonight.
NASER: Thank you.
VANDIVER: Thank you so much, Laura.
COATES: Still ahead tonight, shock and turmoil at the WNBA.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NAPHEESA COLLIER, WNBA PLAYER: We have the best fans in the world. But right now, we have the worst leadership in the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: One of the league's stars going off on the head of the league. It reveals private conversations that are now sparking calls for that commissioner to resign. Cari Champion with reaction, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[23:50:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COATES: Tonight, there are growing calls for WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert to resign. This after Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx publicly called her out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLLIER: We are the best players in the world. We have the best fans in the world. But right now, we have the worst leadership in the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: She serves as the Women's National Basketball Players Association vice president. And she also brought up a conversation that she had with Engelbert earlier this year when she pressed her about issues with referees and how low the salaries are for even star players.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COLLIER: At Unrivaled this past February, I sat across from Cathy and asked how she planned to address the officiating issues in our league. Her response was, "Well, only the losers complain about the refs." I also asked how she planned to fix the fact that players like Caitlin, Angel, and Paige, who are clearly driving massive revenue for the league, are making so little for their first four years.
[23:55:02]
Her response was, "Caitlin should be grateful she makes $16 million off the court, because without the platform that the WNBA gives her, she wouldn't make anything."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Cathy Engelbert responded by writing, "My focus remains on ensuring a bright future for the players and the WNBA, including collaborating on how we continue to elevate the game. I am disheartened by how Napheesa characterized our conversations and league leadership, but even when our perspectives differ, my commitment to the players and to this work will not waver."
Joining me now is CNN contributor Cari Champion. Cari, I'm so glad that you're here. I mean, look, Collier claims the league is not about collaboration. They're about control, and they're about power. And the WNBA is not receptive to change. Does she have a point?
CARI CHAMPION, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I think she clearly has a point based on the people's reaction. A lot of players stood by her and said, I stand with Phee because what she said was what they have wanted to say for so many years.
Covering the league, I know I've interviewed players who have quietly talked about things that they can't really say out loud or at least they thought they couldn't say it out loud. And what she did yesterday was a watershed moment. Every league, every sport has it. Napheesa Collier really truly stood on business and essentially said, we are tired of this. And I'm glad that she did because it takes so much courage to stand against an entire entity that says you don't matter.
And she knows she has leverage. So, she's using that leverage to say, we will not stand for this any longer.
COATES: Let's talk about that leverage because the players association, they're in negotiations with the WNBA for new contracts. Does this give more leverage? It has, obviously, given a great deal of attention.
CHAMPION: Well, you know, people will say no. But this is how I look at it. The league in itself doesn't pay the players well. We know about that. But what Napheesa Collier has done with her husband and with Breanna Stewart has created a competitive league, a rival league, if you will, called Unrivaled. It's where the players go during the off season. They get paid more money during their off season playing here at home based on a league created by players for players.
She also gives them an incentive in sense of she allows some of these players -- her and her husband have created a paradigm in which some of these players have the opportunity to have ownership in this league.
COATES: Uh-hmm.
CHAMPION: She has been getting calls nonstop from players saying, thank you for this opportunity. So, she's not only saying, guess what, things need to change. She is the actual change she wants to see. That's the leverage that she's using. I've created something better than you've done within the last 25 years. So, please, change what's happening here.
COATES: Frankly, it's inspirational to think about that and what she has been able to accomplish. And even given her extended statement, as long as it was eloquent, it was pointed, in response, there was that shorter written statement by the actual commissioner. I want to play for you what Stephen A. Smith had to say about Engelbert's response. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHEN A. SMITH, ESPN HOST: Let me say for the record, um, you should resign. You need to resign. Period. Reason I say that, Doggie (ph), is because when a player, any player, but especially one of that magnitude, attacks you publicly like that, that weak-ass statement Commissioner Engelberg gave is not good enough.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Does she need to resign on the statement alone?
CHAMPION: Absolutely. Not even on the statement alone. She's tone- deaf. And it's clear that she's tone-deaf. She's not even talking about the issues that matter. This is not the first time she has done this. She has a history of doing this.
And if you go back and look at what the players are saying within this league, they currently will tell you that, unfortunately, what she has said, at least private conversations to feed, was typically disgusting.
And also, she's not listening. She's focused on business, and I guess that's what they want her to do. But when you have a league full of women who are in their -- in their own right advocates, they want someone to hear them and see them. That's their biggest complaint. And what she did was simply ignore the issue at hand and did not pay attention to what they were asking for.
These are well-respected player. People understand that she cares. It's bigger than basketball for her. It's about the humanity of it all. And she doesn't see their humanity, Laura. And that is the problem. And that is why, in my opinion, yes, I agree, she needs to resign.
COATES: Cari, I was going to say, and quickly on this, one big issue that Collier mentioned was the referees, was the idea of not feeling as though they were safely protected with timely calls about violence on the court, aggressive plays and beyond.
[00:00:00]
That wasn't addressed. Why? CHAMPION: You know, that's always going to be a very contentious issue between, obviously, officials in the league and the players. In the NBA, they complain about officiating any sport. They complain about officiating. I think that's something they really need to work on.
And I -- for me, I'm going to always lean towards what the players say because they're out there doing the work day in and day out. But I'm sure if you hear from the league office, they say, no, here are the stats, we're doing everything right. But the fact that, to your point, she did not even address it, that she does not care.
COATES: Cari Champion, thank you. Nice to see you, my friend.
Hey, thank you all so much for watching. "Anderson Cooper 360" is next.
