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The Situation Room
Hawaii Governor Calls for RFK Jr. to Resign; Russia's Largest Aerial Attack on Ukraine; Russia Escalates War on Ukraine. Aired 10:30-11a ET
Aired September 08, 2025 - 10:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:30:00]
PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the fallout from that fiery Capitol Hill appearance by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. last week is still lingering this morning, with more calls for Kennedy to resign from his post, leaving the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy, for his part, is defending himself and the recent shakeups at HHS, saying he is cleaning up the agencies and his purview. Hawaii's Democratic governor, Josh Green, is out with an opinion piece demanding Kennedy step down so the United States can, quote, "save lives and rebuild our health care system."
Joining us now to discuss is Governor Green. He is also a physician. Hi, Governor. Thank you for your time. We really appreciate it. I know it's very early there in Hawaii. So, what is it about Kennedy's tenure that concerns you most?
GOV. JOSH GREEN (D-HI): What concerns me most is his antagonism towards vaccination programs, because that will leave us vulnerable and children will die. I mean, that's the most disconcerting part. But also, moving away from science, moving away from the mRNA vaccinations, disrupting the COVID vaccinations, setting research back, that will hurt us terribly in the long-term.
So, there's a lot to be concerned about. Of course, I'm also concerned about the physical attack on the CDC when they agitated others out there who are now antagonistic towards vaccinations. That was part of what happened. And that's tragic and scary for people. So, all of it is a problem. But really undermining the faith in doctors and nurses across our country will do us a great deal of harm. So, he should step aside.
BROWN: I want you to watch what Secretary Kennedy said just yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What would you say is the last great success that our government health -- public health agencies have had?
ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR., HHS SECRETARY: Well, I don't think there have been successes. I think we've seen a 30- or 40-year decline in the agency because, you know, it's been infiltrated by the pharmaceutical companies and they've made a series of bad decisions. (END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: What is your response to that?
GREEN: Well, that's a shameful comment. It's hurtful towards the many extraordinary researchers and doctors, nurses that are out there. There have been so many developments. I did my medical training back in 1993 till 2000. Since then, we've really had a great impact on cancers through research. We've seen vaccinations advance in a way that you couldn't possibly match and we stopped a pandemic in its tracks, basically. I mean, you can't say that about the organization you run and expect to lead it going forward.
You know, he's lost the locker room, so to speak, if I can extend the Buffalo Bills metaphor for you guys over there. And Wolf and my Steeler nation, he's lost the locker room. He can't control his own staff. A thousand of the CDC people want to leave. You want to be supported by your boss. You must be supported by the leadership. And so, he's not doing that. So, Kennedy's lost the locker room. He should step aside for the good of the American people and for the president.
You know, the president is not going to benefit from this chaos either. When you lose people's faith, what will happen in this case is fewer people will get vaccinated, so we'll have outbreaks. We'll have outbreaks of measles and rubella, pertussis, ultimately polio. We will not be able to deal with national security issues.
Imagine, for example, if because we don't do this mRNA research, and he's basically just dissed the entire FDA and all of his colleagues there, imagine if we are unable to compete with China when they do research into advanced treatments for these emerging catastrophic infectious diseases. Are we going to go begging to China to help us, or are they going to, you know, kind of demur and say, well, we've been offended enough, we're not going to help you deal with this catastrophic health problem?
So, there are so many problems. I would really like to humbly ask Mr. Kennedy to step aside, work on something that he has value for the president on, perhaps chronic disease, perhaps pesticides. I believe he's right on those matters, processed foods.
[10:05:00]
But he has torpedoed our faith in the health care system, and he's using, unfortunately, the MAHA movement, many of whom are wonderful people, of course, they care about their children, but he's using that political tool to wedge us on health care for our children. You know, 80 percent of the country plus believes in vaccinations. And now, you see states breaking away because of the failed leadership of Mr. Kennedy. So, please go and work in a place that will help the country and help the president, but not at HHS.
BROWN: Well, Governor, let me just follow up on that, because you're talking about Florida, where the Florida surgeon general is pushing to remove the vaccine requirements for public school students. He spoke to my colleague Jake Tapper yesterday. Let's watch. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. JOSEPH LADAPO, FLORIDA SURGEON GENERAL: Out there that don't have vaccine mandates for school. Sweden is an example of a country like that. The United Kingdom, I believe, is another example. I think Denmark also. And guys, the sky is not falling over there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: So, he is correct, the vaccinations are recommended there, but not mandated in those European countries. So, what do you say to his argument?
GREEN: He's wrong. This guy is taking straight from the playbook of anti-vax sentiment. You know, this is a person who said we shouldn't mask up to prevent the spread of disease. You know, you don't just get vaccinated to protect yourself. You also get vaccinated to protect your loved ones, the elderly individuals in your family, your next- door neighbors. You don't want outbreaks for those purposes, too, because we have a lot of people that are immune compromised in our country because they have cancer. They're on chemotherapy. They have chronic kidney disease. It's shameful that that guy could be called a surgeon general. It's shameful that he would go rogue and take the good people of Florida and put them into harm's way. It's going to hurt Florida. It's going to kill children. It's going to hurt their economy. It's not right.
And frankly, these public health officials should be encouraging the things that have been most successful, like vaccinations, not discouraging them. But this is obviously out of the playbook to divide us. We should have people that bring us together. We need to heal this country. We need to heal America. We don't need to break it down and harm it.
And I really -- I was really distressed when I saw Jake interview that doctor and that he said those things. This is one of the reasons, actually, that we formed the Western Health Care Alliance with the western states. Many kudos to the three governors of Washington, Oregon, and California for starting that up and having me join it. We're going to have to give science-based, evidence-based responses to this nonsense that's coming out of Florida, that's coming out of, unfortunately, Secretary Kennedy's office. There are better ways to spend our time rather than fighting over preventing diseases.
We should prevent illness. We should do all that we can. And we have a chance to unite on these issues, not divide. So, Mr. Kennedy should really step aside.
BROWN: All right. Governor Josh Green, thank you so much.
GREEN: Thank you.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: And just ahead, massive aerial attack. Russia slams Ukraine in its largest air assault of the war which began more than three years ago. Are peace talks now dead?
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[10:40:00]
BROWN: Well, new this morning, Russia is escalating the war in Ukraine with its largest airstrike since the beginning of the war in February of 2022. Moscow launched more than 800 drones last night, striking a government building in Kyiv for the first time. President Trump says he is, quote, "not thrilled" with what's happening in Ukraine and is signaling he's ready to move forward with his next round of sanctions on Russia. He has, of course, said that before, and nothing happened.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told ABC News during an interview this morning that he's counting on President Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: The most power has White House, and I really count that President Trump will do it with pressure on Putin. And this is only one way how to stop the killer.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: All right. Let's go live now to CNN Chief International Security Correspondent Nick Payton Walsh in London. Nick, what more can you tell us about this onslaught?
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: There had been fears that Russia would launch an aerial assault of such magnitude, 810 drones, nine cruise missiles, four ballistic missiles, that it would essentially overwhelm the air defenses of the capital, Kyiv, well-practiced as they are, that seems to be what happens between Saturday night and Sunday morning.
Three killed, including a child under the age of one. It seems along with her mother. But possibly some outside of the horrors of that, symbolic damage done to one of the key government buildings. The Ukrainian prime minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, stood alongside in a selfie, the ruins behind her, the damage done to a place where she works. Touring, in fact, that building with European and Western diplomats in recent hours to show exactly how far into the heart of government the blasts had finally penetrated.
Unclear if this was deliberate targeting. The mayor of the capital suggesting it may have been debris intercepted that landed there, but ultimately, still a sense amongst those in Kyiv that sharing the view of Trump's presidential envoy to Ukraine, General Keith Kellogg, that Putin is escalating the war, possibly buoyed by the show of support he got by China and India at a key summit in China last week.
Where next? President Trump has said he'll be talking to President Putin soon. He even suggested that he might have European leaders come and visit him today or tomorrow.
[10:45:00] We know that key European sanctions policy boss is meeting with U.S. Treasury officials, the U.S. Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, saying that future potential moves could indeed leave the Russian economy in collapse.
But while Trump has said he's going to implement another wave of sanctions, exactly what they are is utterly key here. Is this hitting the banking sector and any parts of the global economy that deal with that part of Russia's banks? Is it more tariffs against India and China, the key purchasers of Russian hydrocarbons? These details matter. They're currently inside the president's head. We've seen deadlines pass, but we are certainly seeing Russia increasing in the ferocity of these nightly assaults. Pamela.
BROWN: Yes, we certainly are. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh, thank you.
BLITZER: All right. And joining us now to discuss what's going on, CNN military analyst and retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton. Colonel Leighton, thanks for joining us. As you know, Russia launched its largest aerial assault of the Ukraine war. The administration's special envoy to Ukraine, General Keith Kellogg, tweeting, and I'm quoting now, "The attack was not a signal that Russia wants to diplomatically end this war," end quote.
Do you agree? And what do you -- what are these developments, these late-breaking developments, signal about what President Trump is about to do?
COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST AND U.S. AIR FORCE: Yes. Good morning, Wolf. I think one of the key things is that General Kellogg is absolutely right that this is definitely not a move in a diplomatic direction by the Russians. And I think as far as what President Trump is going to do, it seems as if he's almost forced to ramp up the sanction's regime against Russia.
But that could take several different forms. It could take, you know, obviously the economic aspects, you know, more cutting off of oil supplies to -- you know, to Western Europe and other customers of the Russians, perhaps increasing tariffs like they did with India on some other countries that are importing Russian natural gas and Russian oil. Those are the kinds of things that you kind of expect from President Trump at this point. But those moves may not be bold enough to thwart what Putin is trying to do here.
BLITZER: President Trump said over the weekend he's ready to move forward with additional sanctions against Russia. Do you think that's going to happen?
LEIGHTON: I think it's more likely now than it was, say, a week ago. But I don't think that it is going to be a measure that is going to be strong enough to really keep Putin from doing these kinds of -- from conducting these kinds of attacks. I think what needs to happen at this particular point, Wolf, is that we really need to move forward in a military sense, where we start talking about instituting a no-fly zone over Ukraine, potentially even deploying troops even before a ceasefire. Those would be the kinds of things that would really get Putin's attention, and I don't see that happening either by the U.S. or by the Europeans at this point.
BLITZER: All right. Colonel Cedric Leighton, thanks as usual for joining us.
LEIGHTON: You bet, Wolf.
BLITZER: All right. Pamela.
BROWN: All right. coming up right here in the Situation Room, why are young men turning to what's known as the manosphere? My latest Situation Room special report just ahead.
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[10:50:00]
BLITZER: The final home opener for my Buffalo Bills Highmark Stadium was one for the ages. If you're like me, you stayed up very late last night and witnessed a truly thrilling contest. This was by victory post at 11:56 p.m. Indeed, my Bills scoring 16 points in the final four -- yes, final four minutes for a stunning, a truly stunning 41-40 victory. Pam, let me ask, did you stay up late and watch the game?
BROWN: Wolf, I'm sorry. I did not stay up until midnight.
BLITZER: What time did you go to sleep?
BROWN: Well, you know, a little earlier than that. I don't want to admit it. I feel bad because you actually stayed up last week to watch my Tar Heels.
BLITZER: Yes, I did.
BROWN: And I didn't stay up for you. I'll make it up to you somehow. But I'm so happy for you, and I was thrilled to wake up and find out the Bills won.
BLITZER: Yes, I was thrilled too, obviously.
BROWN: So, let's talk about this with a former Bills player. That would be Coy Wire. Walk us through this incredible game.
COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Pamela, do not feel bad. Thousands of Buffalo fans left the stadium early. Some at home --
BROWN: Oh, wow.
WIRE: -- turning off their TV, thinking it was over, got to get up at 4:00 a.m. What was I thinking? Well, Lamar Jackson and the Ravens, they were rolling, right, Wolf? Star running back, Derrick Henry, the human wrecking ball. What were you thinking when he was rushing for 169 yards and two touchdowns?
BLITZER: I was nauseous. I was very upset. But I always had confidence that my Buffalo Bills could come back, and they did. WIRE: They did. I mean, Lamar Jackson was amazing, 70 yards rushing, three total touchdowns. Ravens were up 15. But, Wolf, your thoughts when Ed Oliver forced that fumble on Derrick Henry?
BLITZER: You know, it's one of those moments that you watch, you learn from it, you're excited, you're depressed sometimes. But you watch a game like this, and it underscores why you're a real professional football fan. Because it's really amazing what that one big, beautiful bill, Josh Allen, did last night.
WIRE: Yes, four total touchdowns for that big, beautiful bill, Josh Allen. And that incredible throw to Josh Palmer brought it within eight. And then, comes Matt Prater. Less than 100 hours in Western New York, he kicks a field goal from 32 yards out for the win. He doesn't even know all of his teammates' names yet, Wolf. And Buffalo, as you mentioned, scoring 16 points in the final four minutes to pull off this unbelievable comeback.
BLITZER: Yes.
WIRE: Incredible stuff, Wolf. You probably weren't able to fall asleep last night.
[10:55:00]
BLITZER: It took a while for me to fall asleep. I was so excited. Every one of my friends and family members, they were texting me, calling me. They know I'm a Buffalo Bills fan. It was very exciting. And let me ask you this question, Coy, as you're a former Buffalo Bill. When you played for the Buffalo Bills, were you also a big, beautiful bill?
WIRE: Oh, yes, with a big, beautiful do. Look at that thing. And look at that neck. I have a huge head, and that tells you how big my neck must have been back then. That's scary. That is scary stuff. Why do we do this to ourselves, Wolf? I mean, unpredictable nature of every single game. Any given Sunday, you're at the lowest of lows, the highest of highs. It's a roller coaster that we willingly strap ourselves into. Football's back. Go, Bills.
BLITZER: It's so exciting, I must say. And as I say, every year at this point, we could go all the way.
WIRE: Let's go.
BLITZER: Yes, let's go, guys.
BROWN: This could be the year. All right.
BLITZER: And Pamela, I want to hear you say these words. Go, Bills.
BROWN: Go, Bills.
BLITZER: All right.
BROWN: All right. Coy Wire, always great to see you. WIRE: You too.
BROWN: That was a lot of fun. Thanks so much.
BLITZER: And coming up in the next hour, one-on-one with Andrew Cuomo. I'll speak live to the former governor of New York about why he thinks he's the best pick to become the next mayor of New York and how he plans to navigate President Trump.
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[10:30:00]
