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CNN Headlines: Federal Judge Will Hear Arguments To Restore White House Access For CNN, MS NOW & "Politico"; Trump Considers Choice To Make A Deal Or "Annihilate" Iran; Chinese Leader Set To Arrive In Washington For Meeting With Trump. Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired September 23, 2026 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:00:30]
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: A late night response from the U.S. Justice Department over President Trump's media ban as the fight over White House access heads to court today.
In his United Nations General Assembly speech, President Trump says he could annihilate Iran if no deal is reached. And today, Iran's president gets his turn at the podium.
Plus --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Nolan is loved. He is cherished. He is honored and he did not deserve to have his life taken away so suddenly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: The family of Nolan Wells is vowing to keep fighting for answers after a grand jury in Mississippi found no evidence to support charges in his death.
Good morning, everyone. I'm Fredricka Whitfield, and this is CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS. Glad you're with us this morning.
Let's get started.
Today, a federal judge will hear arguments from CNN, MS NOW and "Politico" supporting their lawsuit to restore their access to the White House. And we're learning more about the government's argument. In a late night filing from the U.S. Justice Department, it argues the president can shut reporters out of the White House at will or protect or to protect national security.
But President Trump has already admitted the judge overseeing the lawsuit will probably rule in the media's favor. President Trump's trip to the United Nations has not received the treatment it normally would. That's because major television networks are standing in solidarity with CNN amid the White House media ban, declining to replace the president's pool coverage. However, First Lady Melania Trump is taking a different approach. Her
office approved CNN's and "Politico's" press credentials for an event on the sidelines of the U.N. yesterday.
CNN's crime and justice correspondent Katelyn Polantz has more details on the Justice Department's filing and what we can expect later on today.
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KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: This is an astonishing filing on a lot of different fronts. One, the Justice Department is arguing that 50 years of court precedent should be overturned. The type of precedent that was guaranteeing that reporters just didn't have press credentials revoked without a formal process, due process, that would be -- that would be undermined by the Constitution.
That was set 50 years ago. They say that it's time to throw that out. That's one argument were getting here.
The other one that is truly astonishing in how the Justice Department is trying to set this up in court. They have the press secretary from the Pentagon. They say the press secretary from the Department of War saying that it is a national security risk because of reporting. CNN, MS NOW and "Politico" have done about the White House and specifically about the White House complex, the ballroom that Donald Trump tore down, that becomes, they say, a national security risk. And that is grounds for the president to decide based on that reporting alone, based on his dislike of those stories being published, that should be grounds to throw out those organizations from the White House press corps.
We have not seen this sort of argument before in other cases like this, where the press credentials were revoked of individual correspondents, or where outlets like the associated press lost their ability to cover the president in private spaces like Air Force One because they refused to call the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America. That did happen. And courts are still looking at aspects of that case.
Ultimately, "The Associated Press" in that situation was not purged entirely from the building. And the court said that press outlets couldn't be purged entirely from the White House. In this case, the Justice Department is going far further than that in these arguments.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Even away from the White House, President Trump is continuing his fight with the press. At the United Nations, the president sparred with CNN's chief White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins, as she questioned him about the future of the war with Iran.
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KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Mr. President, two thirds of Americans, two thirds of Americans don't think the U.S. is winning the war with Iran. When will it end?
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DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, it's an honor to be here. I'm surprised that CNN is here covering me.
COLLINS: The United Nations allowed us in, sir.
TRUMP: You should not be here covering me. You said you weren't going to cover me. You shouldn't be covering me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: We'll have much more on this developing story throughout the day and in our next half hour, more from the first lady's event.
The United Nations General Assembly is gearing up for a second day of headline making speeches. In the coming hours, the leaders of two nations currently at war are set to address the gathering. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to speak in the morning, followed by Iran's president later on in the day.
Iran's president arrived in New York Tuesday ahead of his address. Meanwhile, President Trump's special envoy says the U.S. and Iranian delegations held lengthy talks through mediators about the agreement to end the war. This happening on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly yesterday.
Meanwhile, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is warning the U.S. against any new attacks on the country, according to state media. The IRGC spokesperson says Washington would gain nothing but failure if they did. It comes as President Trump says he is weighing two critical options regarding Iran, with one being total annihilation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: But I have a big decision to make. Will a deal be made with Iran, or do I annihilate the Islamic Republic and do it quickly, never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again? Do I drive them into hell with no chance of survival and no hope of future greatness or generations? But I believe we'll make a deal right after the election.
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WHITFIELD: Trump also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday. Zelenskyy called the talks positive and productive, but said there was no clear answer over the U.S. providing more interceptors to defend against Russian attacks. Trump again said he believes the two nations can reach a deal to end the war, though he has offered no details. Zelenskyy says Ukraine is ready for peace talks and would stop targeting Russia's energy infrastructure if Moscow does the same.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: We spoke about energy ceasefire for us. We don't want to go to details. We are ready for energy ceasefire, it doesn't matter, if they will not -- if they don't want us to attack their diesel and refineries and et cetera. So we are ready if they will not attack our energy system, our electricity heating system, water supplies.
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WHITFIELD: All right. The hopes for an end to the war are coming amid a fresh round of overnight Russian strikes targeting a shopping center in southeastern Ukraine and petrol stations and transport companies in Kyiv, according to Ukrainian officials. At least five people were injured, according to authorities.
All right, happening today, Chinese Leader Xi Jinping is expected to arrive in Washington for a summit with President Trump. It's unclear whether he will also appear at the U.N. General Assembly. The two are expected to discuss artificial intelligence, trade and national security. China's ambassador to the U.S. is also warning that Taiwan and human rights are, quote, "red lines that should not be crossed during the talks".
The visit is drawing criticism from some lawmakers who question the decision to host the Chinese leader at a state dinner amid tensions between the two countries.
All right. Brand new CNN polling is out this morning on the upcoming midterm elections. Now, just 41 days away.
When asked if their vote would be to support or oppose President Trump, our polling finds 44 percent of midterm voters say their vote is to oppose Trump. And among registered voters, 49 percent say they would prefer Democrats to control Congress. Eight points ahead of Republicans.
And with less than six weeks to Election Day, President Trump's approval on the economy stands at just 27 percent. Nearly three out of four people polled disapprove of his handling of the all important issue, the economy.
This morning, brand new video from the ICE agent involved shooting over the weekend in Texas. This is new video released from the Austin Police Department. It's from an officers body camera showing first responders arriving on the scene, then checking the mans gunshot wound on his back. There's also new surveillance footage showing the man being followed by SUVs and police vehicles ahead of the shooting near where the shooting occurred. The videos provide a clearer picture of the timing of the shooting, considering the ICE officer was not wearing a body cam at the time of the shooting.
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Here is CNN's Ed Lavandera.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is interesting because we've been trying to piece together what happened in the moments leading up to the shooting, which took place underneath this highway overpass behind me. A video released by Austin police today shows video from a dash cam of an off duty police detective who happened to be driving by the area. The video captured about just 200 years -- 200 yards off to our side here, a brief glimpse of two unmarked dark SUVs with ICE officers standing next to Wilber Garces Perez's car.
This happened about 10 minutes before the shooting. It's a -- it's a quick video, but then there is this about this ten minute window, as I mentioned, where there was some sort of pursuit throughout the streets of the area surrounding us here. And then it all ends up back here at the intersection behind me where the shooting took place.
Now, we still don't know exactly in the moment the shot -- the shots were fired. What led up to that? What caused the officer to make those decisions? But we do know that that officer is now on administrative leave.
We've learned, according to a source, that he is a recent hire to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and that he was not wearing a body camera at the time of the shooting.
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WHITFIELD: We're also getting an update on the condition of Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, the Venezuelan man who was shot. His attorneys say that he has been released from the hospital for the second time, and returned to an ICE detention center. The bullet is still lodged in his back and he does not have any movement on his left side.
In a different incident on Sunday, police in Illinois say ICE agents mistakenly detained a man and left him injured on the ground. Surveillance video shows the moments a struggle started between them in Evanston. Witnesses say the man was left with injuries to his head, neck and teeth. Authorities say he is a U.S. citizen and was taken to the hospital.
In a statement, homeland security said the man resembled someone that they were looking for and that he was not cooperative and refused to identify himself.
Lots more to come here on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS. Theme park Six Flags facing lawsuits after people claim that they suffered brain injuries from riding on one of their roller coasters.
And the family of Nolan Wells is speaking out after a district attorney declines to bring charges in the drowning death case. More on that coming up
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[05:17:06] WHITFIELD: All right. The family of Nolan Wells is vowing to keep fighting for answers after a Mississippi grand jury failed to find evidence to support charges in the 18-year-old's death. You remember Wells body was found after a Fourth of July trip with friends off the Gulf Coast. The Wells family says it's hard to believe that no one knows anything.
More now from Candace McCowan with our affiliate WSB.
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CANDACE MCCOWAN, WSB REPORTER (voice-over): Christine Wells Wonsley says, like everyone, she got word that a Mississippi grand jury would not pursue criminal charges in the death of her son, Nolan Wells, on Facebook.
CHRISTINE WONSLEY, NOLAN WELLS' MOTHER: To me, that action showed a lack of empathy and a need to get this case done and over with.
MCCOWAN (voice-over): Eighteen-year-old Nolan Wells went boating with friends off a Horn Island off the Mississippi Coast on July 4th and never returned. His body was found two days later. The partially redacted grand jury report said. The evidence is consistent with drowning and saying there was no credible evidence of criminal activity.
The grand jury said Wells was never in a fight that day, and that the bruise on the back of his head was not what killed him. Wells family has raised questions about the actions of his friends and whether race played a role. The district attorney addressed those claims in a video posted online.
ANGEL MYERS MCILRATH, JACKSON COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: There is absolutely no evidence to support the allegations that Nolan's disappearance and death were racially motivated.
BEN CRUMP, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: I don't know if race was a factor in Nolan's death. I do know that we can't accept. Well never know as his appetite.
WONSLEY: Elmore and I do not believe that Nolan simply and accidentally drowned and nobody saw anything and no one knows anything.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right, we have a follow up on a CNN investigation into the X2 roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in southern California. This week, attorneys announced three lawsuits against the theme park. They say more than 100 people plan to take legal action, claiming that they have suffered brain injuries after riding the roller coaster over the last two years.
One of those riders is Pamela Guillen. She says she suffered a severe traumatic brain injury after riding the X2.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAMELA GUILLEN, UNDERWENT EMERGENCY BRAIN SURGERY AFTER RIDING X2: I went to Magic Mountain that day to celebrate my daughter's 16th birthday. I expected to go home that night with memories of her sweet 16. Instead, I woke up weeks later after emergency brain surgery. That was not part of the plan. I'm incredibly grateful that I survived.
But surviving is not the end of this. I'm still recovering. I'm still rebuilding my life.
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WHITFIELD: Two of the lawsuits filed Monday detailed the accounts of riders featured in CNN's investigation. They allege six flags officials had ample notice of the alleged dangers of the ride and never should have allowed it to keep running.
[05:20:04]
Six Flags would not comment on the pending litigation. The X2 ride has been closed since July.
All right, still to come on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, putting guardrails on A.I. One member of congress is trying to do just that with new legislation details coming up.
And a popular and controversial streamer is arrested and facing a very serious charge. Details on the case of the looksmaxxing influencer ahead
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[05:25:01]
WHITFIELD: The FBI is investigating an apparent breach of its networks after a prolific cyber criminal group claimed it hacked the agency. That's according to sources familiar with the matter. The hacker group is known as ShinyHunters. They claim they stole the personal data of thousands of FBI agents because they were offended by an FBI advisory that described the hackers alleged extortion tactics. The group is demanding the bureau remove or revise that advisory, and they claim they're not financially motivated, in this case.
All right. Staying in Washington, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly introduced legislation to cushion the impact of artificial intelligence on workers. It would be paid for by a fund. A.I. companies would pay into. In a speech to Congress, Kelly took aim at the president.
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SEN. MARK KELLY (D-AZ): The White House is actively lobbying against regulation. Our president calls Americans fears a, quote, hoax and a sick conspiracy
(END VIDEO CLIP) WHITFIELD: President Trump has dismissed global calls to regulate A.I. or slow down its development, even as leaders at top artificial intelligence companies warn of rapid growth in the industry.
All right, ahead on CNN HEADLINE EXPRESS, Kamala Harris, back on the campaign trail, this time for a Michigan Senate candidate. What she said when asked if she will make a third run for the president.
Plus, drama over the estate of Dolly Parton involving a family member who also was head of her security. That story coming up.
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