Return to Transcripts main page

The Situation Room

Justice Department Nearing Decision on Whether to Charge Ex-FBI Chief Comey; DHS Increases Security at Immigration Facilities After Shooting; Trump Demands Investigation into Alleged Triple Sabotage at U.N. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired September 25, 2025 - 10:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:00:00]

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now, a key abortion drug under the microscope. The new letter from RFK Jr. and what that this means for the future of the medication abortion pill.

Plus, quote, triple sabotage, President Trump now demanding an investigation into the technical mishaps over at the U.N.

And what we're learning about the first federal lawsuit into the deadly midair collision over the Potomac River.

Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer. Pamela Brown is off today, and you're in The Situation Room.

Happening now, the U.S. Justice Department is nearing a decision on whether to charge the former FBI director, James Comey, with perjury and has just days to do that. Sources is familiar with the matter tell CNN that prosecutors are examining whether Comey made false statements to Congress during his 2020 testimony about his handling of the probe into the Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. The five- year statute of limitations on bringing perjury charges is set to expire on Tuesday, this coming Tuesday.

Comey, for his part, has maintained he is been truthful under oath. Comey is a longtime political opponent of President Trump's.

Let's go live right now to see in a Crime and Justice Correspondent Katelyn Polantz, who's working the story for us.

Katelyn, we're learning that Comey would be charged in the Eastern District of Virginia, where the top prosecutor was recently ousted, and display -- and replaced with a White House adviser and former Trump defense attorney with no prosecutorial experience at all. What can you tell us about the timing of this potential move?

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, there isn't much time if indeed the Justice Department wants to bring a perjury case against Jim Comey. That's because the testimony that prosecutors, we understand, were looking quite closely at, occurred on September 30th, five years ago, 2020, and there is only a five-year window to bring a charge like that, a felony perjury charge.

The question there would be, did Comey lie to Congress? That's the question that the prosecutors would ask and that they would ask grand jurors to look at and possibly approve an indictment. We don't know what specific answer they would be zeroing in on in a possible case here, but that deadline is quite important.

And at the same time, Wolf, the other thing that's happening is all of this political pressure from the White House itself, Donald Trump saying over the weekend, what about Comey, writing on social media directly to the attorney general, Pam Bondi. Justice must be served now. And there is that appointee of Trump, Lindsey Halligan, as the top prosecutor now in the Eastern District of Virginia.

It'll come down to her, her decision-making and the decision-making of the attorney general, Pam Bondi, others at the top of the Justice Department, whether they have enough for a case against Jim Comey. And then they would need to go to a grand jury and get approval sometime before Tuesday, if there were to be an indictment of the former FBI director. Wolf?

BLITZER: Yes. Clearly, the days are being counted right now. Katelyn Polantz, thank you very, very much.

Also happening now, security is being ramped up in immigration facilities around the country after yesterday's shooting attack on an ICE detention facility in Dallas. Authorities say the shooter took his own life and sources say he's now identified as this man, 29-year-old Joshua Jahn.

This mug shot from the Collin County Sheriff's Office appears to show him booked for a prior offense back in 2016. The FBI says, the shooter was purged on a nearby rooftop and fired indiscriminately at the facility and the van containing the three victims. One person who was in custody is dead. Two other detainees are in critical condition this morning.

The FBI director, Kash Patel, posted these images of bullet casings found near the shooter. One bullet is inscribed anti-ICE. The FBI is calling the attack targeted, and the administration says it's the latest example of political violence aimed at law enforcement.

[10:05:06]

Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRICIA MCLAUGHLIN, DHS ASSISTANT SECRETARY: Our law enforcement is facing 1000 percent increase in assaults against them. And while this is an open investigation, we are still very much looking at motive. We saw those shell casings with the anti-ICE messages and we saw the monstrous actions of this individual targeting our ICE law enforcement.

This has to stop. The political violence in this country must come to an end before there's further bloodshed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: This shooting is among at least four attacks on threats on ICE or Border Patrol, for that matter, at locations in Texas this year.

Also new this morning, President Trump is now demanding an investigation into what he's calling, quote, triple sabotage during his visit to the United Nations this week. The president posting to social media noting, and I'm quoting him now, not one, not two, but three sinister events. The events he's referencing are a series of technical mishaps, including a stopped escalator and broken teleprompter as he addressed the United Nations General Assembly.

Let's go live right now to CNN's Senior White House Reporter Betsy Klein. Betsy, what are you learning?

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Wolf, these may seem like petty grievances by President Donald Trump, but it really underscores his broader complaints about the United Nations and its capacity to solve some of the world's most intractable conflicts. We've seen President Trump re-imagine the role of the U.S. in the world and its alliances. And earlier this week, as he addressed the United Nations, he questioned the role of that body. What is its purpose? He said that very often they send strongly worded letters but there's not much follow up.

And more than 24 hours after that speech, the technical difficulties still top of the president's mind. He wrote and laid all of them out in a very lengthy post to social media that read in part, quote, first, the escalator. It's amazing that Melania and I didn't fall forward onto the sharp edges of these steel steps face first. This was absolutely sabotage, he says, pointing to a story in Monday's London Times that said the U.N. workers had joked about turning off that escalator.

And he says, as I stood before a television crowd of millions of people all over the world and important leaders in the hall, my teleprompter didn't work. It was stone cold, dark. I was told that the sound was completely off in the auditorium where the speech was made, that world leaders couldn't hear a thing. The president going on to say, this wasn't a coincidence. This was triple sabotage at the U.N.

The president then demanding a complete investigation. He says that the Secret Service is involved. And we've heard from the United Nations seeking to show the Trump administration they're taking this seriously. They say there will be an internal investigation and the results will be transparent. Wolf?

BLITZER: All right. Betsy Klein over at the White House for us, thank you very much.

Also new this morning, nearly eight months after that deadly midair collision near Reagan National Airport here in Washington, D.C., a family of one of the passengers on that regional jet has filed the first federal lawsuit in the incident. The widow of Casey Crafton is suing American Airlines and the federal government claiming wrongful death and negligence.

CNN Correspondent Brian Todd is here with me in The Situation Room. Brian, you've been covering this from the very beginning. What is the -- what else is in this new lawsuit?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, Wolf. This, as you mentioned, is the first federal lawsuit filed in connection with that deadly accident over the Potomac River on January 29th, killing 67 people aboard those two aircraft.

As Wolf mentioned, this lawsuit filed by the family of Casey Crafton. He was a passenger aboard American Eagle Flight 5342, killed that night. And, again, as Wolf mentioned, they're suing for wrongful death and negligence. They're suing American Airlines. They're suing the regional carrier, PSA Airlines, and they're suing the U.S. federal government.

Essentially, the lawsuit claiming that all of those defendants knew or should have known that that passenger aircraft was transiting one of the busiest airspace in the entire country that night, and that they knew or should have known that there were safety risks involved in that, including the possibility of a mid-air collision.

Now, the lawsuit claims the Army helicopter was flying too high that night and that the pilots of both aircraft did not meet their responsibilities to see and avoid one another.

But what's also very interesting here is that it levels new allegations against American Airlines. That will be interesting to see how those allegations play out in court. They're accusing American Airlines of manipulating and abusing what they call the arrival rate system at Reagan National Airport, essentially accusing American of continuing to add more and more flights per hour at Reagan, despite knowing that that could be potentially dangerous because of all the air traffic.

Here is Bob Clifford. He is the attorney for Rachel Crafton, the widow of Casey Crafton, speaking yesterday on this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOB CLIFFORD, PLAINTIFFI'S ATTORNEY: And it is known that American had the ability because of their notice of near misses, a massive number of near misses that they nevertheless allowed their customers to be exposed to the dangers associated with those near misses.

[10:10:11]

Even though they sought additional gates, they sought additional landings and takeoffs, and they did everything possible to maximize their ability to shuttle passengers in and out of that airport.

(END VIDEO CLIP) TODD: Now, CNN contacted American Airlines for a response. American issued a statement to us saying that the Army helicopter was, quote, above the published route altitude, and it said this, quote, we continue to support the ongoing NTSB investigation and will defend American and PSA Airlines against any legal action claiming the airline caused or contributed to this accident.

Now, the U.S. Army, we also contacted them for comment, they declined to comment to CNN, citing respect for the families and citing the ongoing investigation.

Now, the lawsuit also faults the FAA for allowing that congested airspace to exist that night and also faults the FAA for the conduct of air traffic controllers. CNN contacted the FAA for response. The FAA issued this statement to us, saying this, quote, our hearts go out to the families who lost loved ones on that tragic January evening. Since the accident, Secretary Duffy and the FAA have acted decisively to make the skies over our nation's capital safer. We will continue to work closely with the NTSB to ensure that no family has to suffer this pain, again.

FAA also sending us a list of actions that it has taken since that accident, including establishing procedures to eliminate helicopter traffic near Reagan National Airport, shutting down that one helicopter route that that that Black Hawk helicopter used that night. We also have to say, Wolf, the NTSB has not yet established probable cause for that accident, that final report to be issued probably early next year.

BLITZER: And for those of us who live in the Washington, D.C., area and fly in and out of Reagan National Airport all of the time, it's really important that they have now banned military helicopters from flying over that airspace.

TODD: Anybody flying into and out of Reagan, you see it when you come in. It's just like when you see -- we have all seen helicopters flying around there. Everybody for years has seen and noticed that this could be potentially dangerous. And unfortunately took this horrific accident.

BLITZER: No more helicopters, right?

TODD: No, not for the, not for the moment. Now, they're examining whether to possibly let them fly at certain times. And, of course, they have to halt flights when the president leaves for his helicopters coming out of the White House, those very rare exceptions there.

BLITZER: All right. Brian Todd reporting for us, Brian, thank you very, very much.

Also new this morning, a potentially seismic change to the reproductive healthcare access available for American Women, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says that the FDA is now collecting new data in a safety review of Mifepristone, a common pill used in medication abortions. Reproductive rights advocates say this move could lead to significant restrictions on the most common abortion method nationwide used in nearly two thirds of abortions, and is the primary way abortions continue in states where the procedure is now banned after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade back in 2022. Mifepristone came to market back in 2000, and the FDA approved the generic version in 2019.

Let's go live right now to CNN Medical correspondent Meg Tirrell. Meg, the FDA approved this medication some 25 years ago, and it has long been shown to be very safe and effective. So, why the review now?

MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, well if there's been a lot of pressure from some Republicans on this administration to take action on abortion and medication abortion in particular. And, in fact, Secretary Kennedy was asked about this at a hearing earlier in September, and here's what he said about the review.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR., HHS SECRETARY: We're getting data in all the time, new data that we're reviewing. And we know that during the Biden administration, they actually twisted the data to bury one of the safety signals, with a very high safety signal, around of 11 percent. So, we're going to make sure that that doesn't happen anymore.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TIRRELL: And we should note that there have been many studies on the safety of medication abortion, and one from 2015 found that the major complication rate was 0.31 percent for using medication abortion.

As you noted, this is the most common way that people access abortion in the United States, 63 percent of all abortions through the tracked healthcare system were through medication abortion. This is given as a combination of two different drugs. Mifepristone is the one really in focus here. The other one is called Misoprostol.

And as you noted, this was originally approved by the FDA in the year 2000. And over time, it has become easier to access. So, in 2016 they extended the approval for use up to ten weeks of gestation from seven weeks previously.

[10:15:03]

And in 2023, they enabled by-mail dispensing. And, Wolf, that is an expectation of what they may be targeting to change here, which would hamper access for a lot of people in the United States. Wolf?

BLITZER: All right. Meg Tirrell with that the latest developments, I appreciate it very much.

Still ahead, the former director of ICE under President Obama joins me in the situation room as the FBI investigates a, quote, targeted act of violence at an ICE facility in Texas.

Plus, a bold new message from the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to Russia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: First of all, they have to know where the bomb shelters are. If they will not stop the war, they will need it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:20:00]

BLITZER: This morning, we're getting a new look at the 29-year-old man suspected of yesterday's shooting attack on the ice detention facility in Dallas. Sources say his name is Joshua Jahn.

This mug shot appears to show him booked for a prior offense back in 2016. The FBI says he was perched at a nearby rooftop and fired indiscriminately at the building and the vehicles on the property. One person who was in ICE custody is dead. Two other detainees are now in critical condition.

The FBI director, Kash Patel, posted these images of bullet casings found near the shooter. One bullet is inscribed, quote, anti-ICE.

Joining us now is Sarah Saldana, a former director of the Immigration Enforcement Agency during the Obama administration. Sarah, thanks very much for joining us.

Yesterday's shooting, as you know, is among at least four attacks or threats on ICE or Border Patrol locations in Texas this year alone. Are you worried this violence is escalating?

SARAH SALDANA, FORMER ICE DIRECTOR UNDER OBAMA ADMINISTRATION: Of course. And thank you for having me. It is very disturbing. Law enforcement, and particularly with respect to ICE, the Homeland Security agents and the removal officers have always been subject to scorn and dislike. I know a little bit about that myself. I could not make either side happy, either the left or the right. It's a very controversial subject, but I've never seen anything of this ilk before, certainly not while I was the director of ICE. And since then, it's just escalated further and further. I'm very concerned for the safety of these law enforcement officers.

BLITZER: Yes, we all are very concerned. The FBI director, Sarah, Kash Patel, says a bullet recovered from the scene was inscribed with the words anti-ICE. Investigators are still searching for a motive. But what does that tell you potentially about the investigation?

SALDANA: Well, it certainly says that somebody -- it may point to motive. But I would not jump to any conclusions just yet. And I'll tell you just my experience, and I'm sure the experience of most of your viewership, is that there is no explaining disturbed people who believe that guns will solve their concerns or resolve a political question. Getting into the mind of these folks is very difficult. I doubt that they're activists in their own if they have a party even, or if they're just disturbed people.

And that's the problem with the ramped up rhetoric is, you don't know who you audience is and there could be a disturbed person who ends up doing something like this.

BLITZER: Despite the motive in this case not yet being clear, the president, President Trump, almost immediately blamed what he called radical left Democrats and Vice President J.D. Vance declared it politically motivated. What does that say about today's political climate?

SALDANA: Well, it speaks to the failure of our leadership, particularly in the administration and in both houses of Congress to really address the true problem here. Immigration is such a hot button issue, and we have nobody really coming to the table in good faith and saying, we need to resolve some of these issues that are rankling the American public, either one way or the other.

And it's horrific to turn at a time like this to a political and partisan rhetoric. I think Ted Cruz was on, took to the podium at the Dallas Police Department press conference and talked about how harsh words can lead to tragic consequences, but then proceeded just to highlight those that were taken -- actions taken against people in the right.

This is not a partisan issue. This is a very important bipartisan matter. And whether it's Nancy Pelosi's husband or the Congress person in Minnesota, we should be at a podium together, not just one side or the other. But I would love to see two senators take to the podium and say, this has got to stop.

BLITZER: It certainly does. Today, federal authorities are tightening security at immigration facilities all around the country. Given how huge and widespread President Trump's immigration operation is right now, how challenging is that new mission?

[10:25:02]

SALDANA: Well, it is very challenging. You could try to speak to those people on the inside trying to carry out the work as has been defined. And, of course, that is one of the ironies here is, for example, in this instance, this gunman turning their attention randomly to the people at this ICE facility when it's not the removal officers or the staff in that building who are shaping policy. It's the administration.

And so I would suggest that we do our best to try to ramp down that conversation. The mission should be defined. It has an extraordinary national security and public safety mission. The women and men who are there are dedicated to their mission.

And, you know, there's something so ironic here. Both the immigrants who are turning up at our border, who are seeking asylum or turning to this country for help, are doing so because they want to feed their families and have a living wage. The, the women and men at ICE are doing the same thing. They have a job to do. It is defined by the administration, and they are doing their best to make their own living.

There's so many parallels between the two groups. To me, it truly turns up the irony in what is going on right now.

BLITZER: The former ICE director during the Obama administration, Sarah Saldana, thank you so much for joining us.

SALDANA: Of course.

BLITZER: Also new this morning, the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, delivering a very blunt message to Russia, Zelenskyy saying, if Moscow doesn't end the war, then Ukraine is ready to begin attacks within Russia.

He spoke with Axios while in New York City for the United Nations General Assembly. Listen and watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENSKYY: First of all, they have to know where their bomb shelters are. If they will not stop the war, they will need it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: This comment also comes amid a shift in tone from President Trump who has indicated that Ukraine can win the war and also retain its sovereign territory.

Coming up, with President Trump now ramping up pressure to prosecute political foes, is there a case to indict former FBI Director James Comey on perjury charges? We'll ask a legal expert. That's next.

Stay with us. You're in The Situation Room.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:30:00]