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One World with Zain Asher

Trump: $5,000 to every U.S. Adult if Republicans Hold Congress; Crude Oil Prices Surge Past $100 Per Barrel on Iran Worries; Oil Price Rise as Global Stockpiles Continue to Fall; Bayeux Tapestry goes on Display at British Museum. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired September 10, 2026 - 11:00   ET

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

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ZAIN ASHER, CNN HOST, ONE WORLD: All right, coming to you live from New York. I'm Zain Asher. Bianna is off today. You are watching "One World". A

highly unusual promise from an unpopular president amid growing Republican anxiety about the midterm elections.

Donald Trump says that if Americans keep his party in power this November, each adult in the U.S. will receive $5,000. Trump is set to take the stage

again on the second night of the Republican midterm convention in Dallas, but it's what he said on Wednesday night that is getting the most

attention.

Trump didn't offer any details on how he would fund his pledge, that would cost, by the way, more than $1 trillion. Earlier, however, the vice

president suggested it could be paid for by U.S. tariff revenues. It's worth noting the president has also talked about a DOGE dividend and

separate tariff-based payouts that actually never materialized.

It comes as the national debt topped $40 trillion for the first time last month. Let's bring in CNN's Steve Contorno, joining us live now from

Dallas. So, Steve, there are a whole host of problems with this, aside from the fact that it is essentially bribery.

You literally have the fact that there is no clear way in which the president could pay for this, and also whether or not Americans would even

believe him, given that previous promises in terms of financial bonuses haven't panned out.

All right. It looks as though we are having issues getting Steve Contorno's live shot up. We will try him after this short break. We'll take a short

break, and then we'll come back on the other side. Try him again.

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ASHER: Thank you so much to Pamela Brown for that report on the 25th anniversary of 9/11. We did have some technical issues here, but we are

back now. I want to take you back to our top story at this hour. Donald Trump says that if Americans keep his party in power this November at the

mid-10s, every single adult here in the United States will receive $5,000.

Let's try our Steve Contorno again, joining us live now from Dallas, where the Republican midterm convention is happening. Not sure if you heard me as

I was asking that question before the break. But just in terms of the sort of sheer brazenness of this, I mean, it is extraordinary to have an

American president essentially bribe Americans, saying that you know if our party remains in power at the midterms, every single person will get

$5,000.

That aside, I mean, whether or not Americans will believe him, whether or not it moves the needle, whether or not the U.S. can even afford this,

there's so many issues with this. Just take it away. Just walk us through what happened here, Steve.

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Yeah, and the other question is, if why can't he just do this now? If this is a priority for him, he has a

Republican House and has a Republican Senate. He doesn't need these midterm elections if that's what it takes. So why do we have to wait until November

for this?

It just shows that there is -- this is clearly an incentive he is dangling in front of voters. And speaking to the real problems that Republicans and

President Trump have getting their base excited about this election and getting the American public back on their side.

President Trump's approval rating is at about 35 percent with American adults, it's slowly shrinking, even among Republicans. And they have a real

concern that Republicans who have supported him in past elections aren't going to show up for him in these midterm elections. But he did have a

message to those people last night: vote like you're voting for me. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: So, I'm asking you to pretend that I'm on the ballot. I'm on the ballot. I'm on the ballot.

Just one more time, because if we lose, you're going to lose your border. You're going to lose your tax cuts; you're going to lose your safety and

security. You're going to lose your wealth. Our country is going through hell.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CONTORNO: Now, the program here in Dallas will continue this evening. Tonight, we'll hear from Vice President J.D. Vance as well as other members

of Trump's cabinet. We will also hear from his son Donald Trump Jr.

And as they sort of close out this event that has been designed for Trump by Trump to celebrate Trump, but also to try to build up some enthusiasm

for Republicans and present the united front as they try to, you know, hold on to their majorities in the House and Senate coming out of these

midterms, they have 54 days to make their case.

Trump will be on the road quite a bit. He has made that clear. We're told that there are about 30 to 35 races he intends to target, and so this will

not be the last that people hear from Donald Trump. And I imagine that $5,000 check that he is dangling in front of voters will be a big part of

that pitch in the coming days. Whether it ever materializes, though, remains to be seen.

ASHER: Yeah, and it's interesting that he's sort of telling voters pretend as though I'm on the ballot, which could actually backfire, given that the

president is quite unpopular right now. All right, Steve Contorno, live for us there. Thank you so much.

Right now, to the control of a crucial waterway in the Red Sea, which is vital to international shipping and is an alternative to the Strait of

Hormuz. The information minister for Yemen's internationally recognized government tells CNN that Iran-backed Houthi rebels have taken control of

the Red Sea Port of Mocha.

The move would bring rebels closer to the Bab Al-Mandab Strait, which links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil

exporter, has increasingly relied on the Red Sea to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.

During the president's nearly two hours speech last night, the U.S. President defended his unpopular war in Iran that has sent gas prices

soaring. Donald Trump said that he believes that Tehran is near collapse and will end the conflict immediately after the midterm elections. But he

also acknowledged that prices at the pump are unlikely to fall before then.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Food prices and almost every other item are rapidly going down, and by the way, oil will be going down as soon as we win the war with Iran,

which is taking place right now. We'll win it. We're winning it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: President Trump may be right about oil prices. Take a look at these numbers. Not pretty there both the U.S. global benchmark and Brent Crude

are trading above $100.

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You have Brent Crude there at $105 a barrel. WTI at $100 a barrel. Matt Eagan is joining us live now to break down these numbers. It's interesting

because you don't really hear the president talk that much about oil prices, given how much of a political thorn in his side, it actually is.

But you have a whole host of reasons why oil prices are elevated right now. Not least because obviously no one knows when this war is going to end.

There is simply no end in sight. But you also have the attacks on shipping, and you also have Houthi rebels in Yemen essentially targeting energy

infrastructure in Saudi Arabia as well. Walk us through what these prices show, Matt.

MATT EGAN, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Well, Zain, something else the president has said is that he believes that oil prices are going to plunge as soon as

the midterms are over because he believes the war with Iran is going to be over. And yet we're getting some new analysis out today from S&P Global,

where they're saying that they don't think that that's necessarily the case, right?

They actually believe that we're settling into this new normal that's going to be defined by persistent disruptions to energy and by an unresolved

conflict, right? So, S&P they now think that for the first time, really since the war started, they no longer are expecting that Middle East oil

production is going to return to pre-war levels by the end of next year.

They don't think that's the case anymore. They think the Middle East is still going to be exporting about 10 to 16 million barrels of oil per day

next year, which is a lot, but that's actually significantly below the pre- war average of 20 million. And that's because S&P says that one, they don't think that this war is going to necessarily have a conclusive ending by the

end of next year.

They don't think the Strait of Hormuz is going to return to normal. And they are concerned about these disruptions to the Red Sea. So, they think

that we could see high prices between 80 and 100 sticking around through the end of next year. Now we were just talking about live oil prices with

Brent above $105 a barrel for the first time since May. WTI, the U.S. benchmark, also in triple-digit territory.

Now, if anything, though, these prices, while they're really high, they actually might understate the severity of the situation a bit because

analysts say that prices would be even higher if not for the fact that there's been a shortage of refineries around the world, right? Because of

the war with Iran, because of the Russia-Ukraine war, because of export restrictions in China, there's just not enough refineries right now to turn

all that crude into fuel.

And so, what we've seen is that fuel prices have just gone higher and higher, right? The national average for regular gasoline in the U.S. is up

$0.13 in just the past two days. $4.28 a gallon. That's a fresh three-month high for gas prices. It's the highest that gas has ever been during the

month of September.

And it's not just gasoline. Diesel, which obviously a lot of reviewers overseas use to fill up their car, but also, it's used to power trucks and

trains and boats and tractors. Diesel prices have gone from below $4 a gallon before the war started to look at that, just $0.2 away from $6 a

gallon. This isn't just the highest price for diesel at this time of the year.

That is an all-time high, and of course, that is driving up the cost of living as well. So, Zain, I mean, whether it's because of the war with Iran

and the Strait of Hormuz, whether it's because of the Red Sea situation, we're seeing higher and higher energy prices. And some analysts are warning

that we might just have to get used to it because this may just be the new normal. Back to you.

ASHER: Yeah, and just you touched on this already, but just in terms of what this means for ordinary Americans? I mean, when oil prices go higher,

as you know, Matt, it affects the price of everything. I mean, because obviously transportation affects the prices of goods.

And of course, there is this fear that retailers, for example, will pass on those higher prices to ordinary Americans. What will it mean for the cost

of living in this country over the next year or so?

EGAN: Well, Zain, I mean, the higher oil prices go, the more it chips away at people's paychecks, right? Those paychecks are just not going as far as

they used to because they're paying more, not just at the gas pump, but they're also paying more elsewhere, including at the grocery store, right?

The fact that diesel prices have skyrocketed, and fertilizer has skyrocketed too. That is starting to drive up food prices, and that is

something that analysts expect will continue in the coming months. Because not only are you getting the supply disruptions from multiple wars, but

you're also getting the climate impact from El Nino, and that is also expected to shrink some of the supply of food around the world.

So, you put it together, and you do have a situation where inflation is elevated, and the latest energy price move suggests that inflation could

continue to go higher. And so now the question, Zain, is what is the Federal Reserve going to do with this, right? Because we had a hot

inflation report on a wholesale level from the U.S. today, expecting consumer prices to come out tomorrow. That's also expected to be elevated.

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And so, the question is whether or not Fed Chair Kevin Warsh decides to do an interest rate hike, something the Fed hasn't done in three years. And if

they do, I think it would show that they mean business when it comes to fighting inflation. It's going to be fascinating to see how all this plays

out in the next week or so.

ASHER: Yeah, I mean that's such an important point. I mean the effect of these oil prices on inflation, just because it has a knock-on effect on

raising the prices for everyday Americans, that is an important point and something the Fed has to consider. All right, Matt, you can live for us

there. Thank you so much.

EGAN: Thanks Zain.

ASHER: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is meeting Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in Western Canada. These are pictures from moments

ago. The spotlight will be on Ukraine's air defenses as its military prepares for what could be another extremely tough winter.

Meantime, Russian forces have been chipping away at the so-called fortress belt. This is a string of four industrial cities that form the backbone of

Ukraine's eastern defenses. A great conversation. That is how President Trump describes his latest phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir

Putin.

While the U.S. has been focused on the Iran war for much of the year, U.S. Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner renewed diplomatic

efforts over the weekend. On Wednesday, the president was asked about the holdup in reaching a deal.

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TRUMP: We had a great conversation. He is wanting to make a deal, and if Zelenskyy is wanting to make a deal, that'd be very nice.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is the hold up?

TRUMP: The hold up is two people that hate each other.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: Meantime, Moscow is once again stepping up aerial attacks on Kyiv and other cities. Russia appears to have used a jet-powered drone to hit a

petrol station in the capital Thursday. Kyiv has struggled to repel attacks amid a shortage of air defense system. Four people were injured.

The Mayor of Kyiv says that such attacks have no military objectives and are meant to terrorize and intimidate civilians. This follows some 300

attacks in recent months on gas stations near Ukraine's front lines.

All right, we are now hearing from the former AI researcher who quit over growing concerns involving artificial intelligence. Jacob Coxon, a former

researcher at Anthropic, posted on social media Tuesday saying the people building earnestly AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the

end of the decade. He recently spoke with CNN about his blunt admission. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACOB COXON, FORMER ANTHROPIC RESEARCHER: Sounds like something that's not real, but I think it is frighteningly real. And it's easiest to understand

it if you think about real things that happened two months ago. So, two months ago, OpenAI agents, AIs, hacked into third-party infrastructure

entirely of their own accord.

And this was like a concentrated hacking spree that they carried out of their own volition. And I think that if you extrapolate into the future the

level of capabilities of these AIs with the same independent volition, they could cause extreme havoc. For example, hacking critical infrastructure,

building extinction-level bio weapons.

There's a lot of ways that the AI could actuate itself in the world. I think it's really important to just look at the rate of progress and say,

for example, in areas like coding or math. A couple of years ago, these AIs were just about helping humans a little bit. They could give you

suggestions.

Now they're close to replacing them. We still need humans at the moment, but quite plausibly, within a year, we'll no longer need humans for doing

research in many areas. Only on Tuesday, OpenAI solved a Millennium problem, one of the biggest unsolved open problems in mathematics, purely

autonomously using an AI.

And I think what's most scary is if AI is used to make itself more intelligent. Right now, there's no risk of extinction. The current models,

the worst they can do is maybe hack into something, potentially cause a lot of damages in infrastructure, but there's no -- they're not intelligent

enough to outsmart us at the level that would lead to extinction.

I think what's just crazy is to look at the rate of progress, and there is a very real possibility that in the immediate future, these are years that

like next year, the year after, recursive self-improvement will happen, and we'll enter the phase of Evan's post where he argues that there's a chance,

we could all die. Like that, that is coming soon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: Coxon went on to say that he believes AI companies are being genuine when they call for more regulations in their industry. A new study finds

that drinking scalding hot drinks like coffee and tea could significantly increase your risk of getting cancer of the esophagus.

The UK study of nearly a million people found that drinking very hot beverages tripled your risk of getting the most common form of esophageal

cancer. The researcher's advice is simple, let your drink cool down before sipping. The findings were published today in the International Journal of

Cancer.

[11:25:00]

All right, a nearly 1000-year-old piece of history is taking center stage in Britain. The Bayeux Tapestry is now on display at a British Museum after

making a highly secretive journey from France in July. Crowds flocked to see the masterpiece that depicts the story leading up to the Battle of

Hastings. Initial tickets to the nine-month show sold out within hours, breaking a museum record with $3.2 million in sales in just 24 hours.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I really enjoyed it. It's fantastic. The Tapestry beautifully displayed the full length of it. Amazing, 70 meters. The

lighting is very good. You can get very close to it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean, it's amazing that the color is so still so vivid. I know it's been fiddled around with in places, but it's amazing it

survived so well and so long. And it was just good to see it again. It just feels like a little bit of home here. That's for the first time in 950

years, whatever.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: All right, see with CNN there is much more "One World" in about 30 minutes. But "CNN Creators" is up next.

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