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Palestinian Flee Gaza as Israel Intensifies Ground Incursion; Majed Al-Ansari Says Gaza Truce Talks Have "No Validity" Since Israel Targeted Negotiators in Doha; Disney Saw FCC's License Threat as "Real, Serious". Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired September 19, 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]

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, lots of Palestinians are fleeing Gaza as Israel says it has launched an expanded ground assault on Gaza City. The offensive comes despite international condemnation and global concerns about the already very dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Joining us here in the Situation Room right now is Dr. Majed al- Ansari. He's the spokesman for Qatar's Foreign Affairs Ministry and an adviser to the Prime Minister. Mr. Ansari, thank you very much for joining us. Thanks for coming into the Situation Room.

I know that Qatar has been a key intermediary in the Middle East, not only between Israel and Hamas, but all sorts of other elements as well. Will Qatar continue to play a role in the hostage and ceasefire talks involving Israel and Hamas despite Israel's ground incursion into Gaza City that is currently ongoing?

MAJED AL-ANSARI, QATARI FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN AND ADVISER TO THE PRIME MINISTER: Well, first of all, thank you very much for having me. And I must say, you know, we've been involved in this issue since 2006 when the United States asked Qatar to play the role of mediator between Hamas and Israel. We've went through countless mediations throughout the years to secure either hostage releases, prisoner exchanges, or ceasefires.

And as of 2023, after the attacks of 7th of October, we started working very closely with all parties, including the United States and Egypt, our partners in this mediation, to make sure that the mediation succeeds. But the fact that one of the parties decided to bomb the mediator and to bomb the meeting where the Hamas political office were discussing the Trump proposal that was on the table at the time, questions the viability of any negotiations over the release and the seriousness of Israel in having a deal.

BLITZER: You're talking about Israel's decision to go ahead and attack these Hamas officials who were in Qatar trying to work out some sort of ceasefire and hostage release deal.

AL-ANSARI: Yes. And, Wolf, that attack happened in Leqtaifiya. You've been to Doha, you know the country very well. Leqtaifiya is a residential neighborhood with more than 5,000 people, around six schools, 13 embassies are within close proximity to the location. It's a residential area. It's not an isolated place.

And the building is a known fact to everybody. Journalists like yourself have been there conducting interviews with the members of the political office of Hamas. And the meeting was actually one day after the prime minister of Qatar met with the leader of Hamas and delivered the Trump proposal to them and asked them to deliver an answer by Friday. So, the attack was literally on the meeting that was discussing the hostage release and prison exchanges.

BLITZER: I just want to clarify. Israel has, in addition to the United States, asked Qatar to play this mediatory role. Is that right?

AL-ANSARI: Yes, and of course both parties have been engaged heavily in the negotiations. As I said, it was an American proposal on the table, but the Israeli delegations were staying at the (INAUDIBLE) days before the attacks took place. And we're part of the negotiations throughout the years. We've never been asked to stop negotiating on behalf of the parties. We've never been asked by either party to suspend the negotiations at one point.

BLITZER: And the leader of Israel's intelligence community was in Qatar trying to negotiate together with the U.S. and Qatar this new deal and Hamas.

AL-ANSARI: For the past two years, the Israeli delegation -- to the negotiations probably stayed in Doha more than they have stayed in Israel. They've been part of the negotiations, as I said. And as you know, Doha was not placed only to that mediation. We have around 12 mediations going on at the same time between various parties, including what happened today, as you know.

BLITZER: I know you played a very important role with the Taliban and getting the Taliban and the U.S. to work out some sort of deal that allowed the U.S. to withdraw from Afghanistan, the Taliban taking over as a result of that. We don't have to get into that issue right now.

But as you know, Hamas' military wing has now issued its strongest message about the hostages, the Israeli hostages still in Gaza, saying that the incursion by Israel means Israel has lost any chance of getting its hostages out of Gaza dead or alive. What is your response to that?

AL-ANSARI: I must say, we've -- through the mediations we've done in the past two years, we've gotten 148 hostages out, including 119 Israelis out of Gaza. We've shown that mediation, that negotiation is the way to get the hostages home, is the way to create peace and offer some sort of peace to the Palestinians in Gaza. But sadly, Prime Minister Netanyahu has decided not to be part of that.

And, you know, we're working very closely with other parties around the world right now. You know, the two British hostages that were freed in Afghanistan today, the talks between Colombia -- or talks Colombia and in Doha, all of this is happening at the same time, and it's producing results. And we urge the parties of all conflicts around the world to consider mediation because it has proven itself very useful. And Qatar has always been able to work as a trusted mediator to bring results to the table.

[10:35:00]

BLITZER: As you know, Qatar condemned Israel's September 9th missile strikes on Doha, targeting these Hamas officials who were in Doha trying to negotiate some sort of ceasefire and hostage release deal. Did that attack also strain Qatar's relationship with the United States and with President Trump?

AL-ANSARI: You know, right after the attack happened, Wolf, President Trump called on His Highness, the Emir. He condemned the attack immediately and he told him very clearly that this will never happen again because the United States will make sure it never happens again. We're working very closely with our allies and the United States for the new defense agreement.

BLITZER: Do you think the U.S. can control Israel on an issue like this?

AL-ANSARI: I mean, Prime Minister Netanyahu has proven that he has become unhinged when it comes to international law and international norms and the actions in the region. You know, in the weekend that he attacked Qatar, he also attacked seven other nations around the region. So, it's a very dangerous situation.

I think we need to work together with the United States, of course, and with the International Community. This is why we went to the Security Council, to the Human Rights Council in Geneva. We are working now with the ICC and the ICJ to make sure that there are consequences to the actions of Prime Minister Netanyahu.

BLITZER: In addition to what you just mentioned, does Qatar plan to take any other sort of diplomatic or military or legal steps to punish Israel for that strike?

AL-ANSARI: You know, we -- right after the attack, we hosted the Islamic and Arab leaders in Doha, and the OIC and Arab League Summit that took place with 57 countries attending. More than 30 world leaders were there to voice solidarity with Qatar and to voice their concern at the actions of Prime Minister Netanyahu and the destabilization of the region that he is involved. And you know, Prime Minister Netanyahu has said that he wanted to reshape the Middle East, well, apparently, he wants to reshape the Middle East in his own image of chaos.

But this will not deter Qatar from being an active member of the International Community. It will not deter us from being a mediator in so many conflicts.

BLITZER: Here's what I don't understand as someone -- I've been to Qatar several times. I was there with the U.S. military central command, which has huge headquarters at the Camp Asilia ground base and the Al Udeid air base, the largest U.S. air base in the entire region. I don't understand why Qatar didn't do what other Gulf states like the UAE and Bahrain did and accept the Abraham Accords and establish full diplomatic relations with Israel.

AL-ANSARI: You know, before the Abraham Accords, the API was always on the table, the Arab Peace Initiative. We always believed that this is an Arab question that has to have an Arab-Israeli answer. And therefore, we have always said that, unless we have a solution to the Palestinian issue, it will be very difficult to assume a general peace in the region. This is exactly what happened.

Today, we have seen the statement by the GCC putting in question the future of the accords and the agreements in the region. Even the United Arab Emirates has hinted to that in so many statements. It's very clear, peace in the region is not a bilateral issue, it's a regional security architecture that, in the nucleus of it, is solving the Palestinian question.

BLITZER: Yes. And basically, what I hear you saying is that Qatar's position. as far as the Abraham Accords and full diplomatic relations with Israel, is very similar to Saudi Arabia's position, because Saudi Arabian officials there have told me many times they will only accept Israel after there is an agreement on a Palestinian State.

AL-ANSARI: Yes, and I think you'll find that opinion very prominent in the Arab world right now, especially after what is happening right now in the region. We want a positive for peace in Israel, but the question is, do we have one?

BLITZER: Majed Al-Ansari, thanks very much for joining us. Thanks for all your good work. Appreciate it very, very much.

AL-ANSARI: Thank you for having me.

BLITZER: And we'll have much more news right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:40:00]

BLITZER: Turning back to our top story today, President Trump suggesting that the federal government could revoke broadcast network's licenses if they are negative coverage of him. Earlier this week, ABC suspended "Jimmy Kimmel Live" just hours after the FCC chair, Brendan Carr, publicly pressured the network to punish Kimmel over his comments about the Charlie Kirk shooting.

CNN Senior Legal Analyst Elie Honig is joining us right now. He's here in the Situation Room. He's also the author of a very important brand- new book entitled "When You Come at the King." Eli, we'll talk about the book in a moment, but what is the president's language here? Does it violate the First Amendment when he's making these threats?

ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST, FORMER ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY, SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK AND FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR AND AUTHOR, "WHEN YOU COME AT THE KING": Absolutely. They should print this in future legal textbooks. What the president is doing here is two things. One, he's policing content, which is squarely against the First Amendment. And two, the Supreme Court just reaffirmed this principle last year. He's using government coercion, threatening to use the power of the government to punish speech he does not like. You cannot think of -- I cannot think of a more paradigmatic example of conduct that violates the First Amendment.

BLITZER: So, what can be done about that?

HONIG: Well, for Jimmy Kimmel's situation, it's a little more complicated, right, because he's been suspended by a private employer, ABC. He might have a lawsuit against them if they violated his contract. The way this would really make it into the courts is if an organization like ABC refused to capitulate, and then the government took some action, then ABC could say, that violates my First Amendment right. And I think any media organization would win that claim.

BLITZER: And it would go all the way, presumably, to the Supreme Court?

HONIG: Could well, absolutely. I mean, it's a core constitutional issue.

BLITZER: All right. We'll see what happens on that front. I want to talk about your excellent brand-new book, "When You Come at the King: Inside the Department of Justice's Pursuit of the President from Nixon to Trump." Let's talk a little bit about this. You spoke to a lot of folks who have been involved in this issue over many, many years. What's your bottom-line conclusion?

HONIG: It was so interesting. I mean, I talked to people back from the Watergate team all the way up through Jack Smith and Donald Trump. My main conclusion here is no president likes to be investigated. I mean, you covered Bill Clinton through much of the Ken Starr case.

BLITZER: He was investigated big time.

HONIG: He did not like it, right?

BLITZER: Yes.

[10:45:00]

HONIG: But he allowed that investigation to play out. In fact, that investigation, I argue in the book, ran wild, completely off the rails. Nixon didn't like it. Even Donald Trump, during his first term, undermined, obstructed. But they all understood that this is an important institution. Now, in Trump 2.0, there will be no such investigation, and I argue in the book, it's too important. We have to have some meaningful means of accountability.

BLITZER: I covered that. All the Bill Clinton federal government investigations on a day-to-day basis. I was the White House correspondent for CNN, and I remember that vividly. And you do an excellent job in reporting all of that in your book. I'm very proud of you for that.

HONIG: Thank you.

BLITZER: The law has, though, changed over these years. Have there been any improvements?

HONIG: We -- so, because of the Ken Starr debacle, that law, the independent counsel law, was allowed to lapse. Both parties agreed, we don't want this anymore. We want it to be done differently. Since 1999, we've had a set of regulations, and that's what's governed Mueller and Jack Smith and Robert Hur in all the recent cases. I argue in the book that, look, there's no perfect system. These cases are too difficult. But in the book, I set out a proposal for a way we can do this in a way that will be more fair, more even-handed, but also ensure accountability. I'll leave that one as a surprise.

BLITZER: So, if the federal government is going to investigate a president, should it always be done with a new special counsel or some official for the attorney general wants who's already around?

HONIG: So, I think we need someone who's politically accountable. I think we need someone who's nominated by a president and then confirmed by a Senate. But it should be sort of akin to what the FBI director role was supposed to be before Trump started firing them, which is a nonpartisan person who can garner political support from both sides with a permanent staff, a permanent job security and status with a set year of terms, could be five or 10, that would cross over presidential administrations. And I think that would help us with some of the problems with over-pursuit of presidents, with the perception and sometimes reality of politically driven prosecutions.

BLITZER: Any chance that's going to be approved, that proposal?

HONIG: If they -- if people read my book and take it seriously and they're persuaded and I've done my job, then yes, I'll maintain optimism. I don't pretend that that's going to happen during the remainder of the Trump administration, but I am optimistic. And while these stories have a varied history and some of them are stories of courage and triumph and other are stories of abuse of power, I do believe in our systems. I do believe we can continually improve and evolve our systems and that's why I wrote this book.

BLITZER: Congratulations. "When You Come at the King," it's really an excellent, excellent book.

HONIG: Thanks, Wolf.

BLITZER: I learned a lot, even though I covered so much of this over the years. You did a great job.

HONIG: Reliving history with you all.

BLITZER: Yes. Thank you so much.

HONIG: Thanks.

BLITZER: Elie Honig, appreciate it very, very much. And coming up, it was a record night for the Buffalo Bills quarterback, Josh Allen, in the Bills' win against Miami. We'll have some highlights. That's coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:50:00]

BLITZER: I am happy once again, and I think many of you know why. My hometown Buffalo Bill is led by what I call the big beautiful bill himself, Josh Allen, and his three passing touchdowns. They took care of business, defeating the Miami Dolphins 31-21.

Let's go to CNN Sports Anchor Andy Scholes, who's joining us right now. Andy, I was nervous for much of this game. The Dolphins did a lot better than I thought they would, and it looked close to me. But run us through some of the highlights. In the end, a win is a win.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes, a win is a win, Wolf. And the Dolphins, they hung in there. But I tell you what, their fans certainly don't like seeing your big beautiful bill. Josh Allen, he has just dominated the Dolphins in his career. He's 12 and 2 against them now, winning the last seven matchups. But it was your 2-0 Bills against the 0-2 Dolphins to kick off week three.

Second quarter, the game was tied when Allen kind of does a Brett Favre impression here, flicking the ball to Jackson Hawes for that touchdown. Now, Miami, though, as I mentioned, hanging tough in this game. They would not go quietly. Tua there to Tyreek Hill for the touchdown. Look at Hill's celebration. Nice backflip right there.

This game was tied once again, though. Bills drive right down the field. Allen to Khalil Shakir for the touchdown. Allen, three passing touchdowns in the game, under four to go. This is the big play. Tua gets picked off. Bills would go on to win 31-21 to improve to 3-0. And here was Allen after the win.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSH ALLEN, BUFFALO BILLS QUARTERBACK: Still a lot to learn from, a lot to grow. A lot of room for growth in this group. A lot of young guys. But guys are stepping up. There's been some guys down with injuries, and guys are stepping up and making some big-time plays for us, especially on the defensive side of the ball. It's a close unit that's, you know, gelling together really well right now. And I've got to keep finding ways to win football games.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: All right. So, the Dolphins, they drop to 0-3, and, well, that is not good. Because if you fall to 0-3, it basically means you have no shot at making the playoffs in the NFL. Only six teams have ever dug out of an 0-3 hole to make the playoffs, the Texans in 2018, the only team to do it since 2000. So, if you see your team on this screen, that means you're 0 and 2. You've got nine teams right now facing a must-win situation this weekend in Week 3. Wolf, including Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, they're at the 0-2 Giants.

And, you know, Wolf, we're only in mid-September, but that Sunday night football game is basically a playoff game because both of those teams really need a win.

BLITZER: Yes. We'll watch Sunday night football, watch Sunday afternoon football. Thursday night football, it's huge right now. Enjoyed the game last night. Stayed up late, even though I have to get up early for a morning show. But it was very, very good for me to see my Buffalo Bills win. And it was close, but they did win. Andy Scholes, thank you very, very much. And we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:55:00]

BLITZER: Happening now, hosts hit back. Jimmy Kimmel's fellow late- night comedians rallying to defend him after ABC pulled his show, warning of the First Amendment implications. But President Trump and his FCC chairman are both signaling this is just the beginning. And they say they could target other shows or even whole networks.

Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer. Pamela Brown has the day off. And you're in the Situation Room.

[11:00:00]