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The Source with Kaitlan Collins

Major TV Networks Stand With CNN, Suspend Coverage Of Trump; Trump To Meet Gulf Leaders At UN Summit To Discuss Iran War; States Settle Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery Merger Lawsuit. Aired 9-10p ET

Aired September 21, 2026 - 21:00   ET

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

[21:00:00]

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The news continues. "THE SOURCE WITH KAITLAN COLLINS" starts now.

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, CNN HOST, THE SOURCE WITH KAITLAN COLLINS: We're live tonight from the United Nations, where President Trump is set to hold major meetings with world leaders as he wages his own battle against the free press.

I'm Kaitlan Collins. And this is THE SOURCE.

Tonight, as President Trump is preparing for a series of major meetings on the world stage, here at the United Nations, he'll be behind me in just about 24 hours from now. The TV cameras that have followed his every move for nearly a decade are nowhere to be seen. That's because for the first time in modern history, the President of the United States is without the team of correspondents and photojournalists from one of the five major networks that rotate covering him in what's known as the TV press pool.

Now, this is because after the President banned CNN and two other outlets, the biggest rivals in television news are standing together in response to a president who is trying to pick and choose which journalists get to cover him based on how favorably they do so.

Now, Fox News, ABC, CBS, and NBC, the four other networks that share the responsibility for providing television coverage, with CNN, all agreed to suspend those efforts. And in a statement, the Fox News Bureau Chief in Washington said, Quote, "Effective today, the TV pool will not be covering events designated as pool coverage of the President... There will be no replacement pool put in place."

Now, in solidarity tonight, The Washington Post, The New York Times, the Associated Press, AFP, Reuters, and Getty also did not publish or share any of the images that were taken of the President during his travels today.

Now, the reality of the presidency without a news camera nearby was on display today, as the President held a ribbon cutting for one of his most cherished projects: the installation of a new helipad on the South Lawn. But because the audio technician from one of the five major networks wasn't there, it was actually impossible to know what the President was saying, over the roar of Marine One.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIANCA DE LA GARZA, NEWSMAX HOST: So there is no microphone because -- there's no microphone because the pool cameras aren't there. So, maybe, Tim, this is one example of it backfiring just a little bit

Obviously, the ramifications are right here. Can't hear what the President's saying.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: That's what it looked like as he left the White House today.

But when asked if he agrees with the President's ban, as the President himself referred to it in the Oval Office on Friday, Vice President JD Vance argued that it wasn't one.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JD VANCE (R), U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: He's not banning media outlets. What he's doing is saying we're not going to give you special access to the White House if you engage in what is effectively propaganda.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Now, after the three organizations that were banned filed a lawsuit to restore access. Today, a federal judge set a hearing for this Wednesday.

Now, the President seems to be anticipating a loss and a potential appeal, even though there's been no ruling so far. As he wrote this, quote: They have drawn a great Judge, for them... The Judge's name is Tim Kelly, and he was, sadly, appointed by TRUMP.

Now, those are the words of the President.

And I should say, as it's important to note that as we are covering that major story tonight in the fight for press access, CNN is also still covering all of the other major news that is playing out, including seeking answers from the administration, after an ICE agent shot a Venezuelan man who was working as a DoorDash driver in Austin, in what is at least the third shooting involving immigration agents in Texas since the start of President Trump's second term.

We're also still covering the continued fighting in the Middle East amid the Iran war. Iranian-backed Houthi militants have now captured a swath of the Red Sea coastline and are actually bombarding a U.S. ally, Saudi Arabia, with missile and drone strikes. Now that, along with Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil facilities, are driving the cost of diesel to its biggest and annual increase since AAA started tracking it more than a quarter century ago.

Now on that tonight, and on all of the news here at the United Nations, I'm joined by one of the best-sourced White House and national security correspondents. That is The New York Times' David Sanger.

And David, it's great to have you here.

[21:05:00]

Obviously, we're standing outside the United Nations. A ton of world leaders are making their way here to New York right now, preparing for what tomorrow is going to look like. I mean, as long as you've covered national security and U.S. presidents, what is it going to be like tomorrow, in terms of not having a TV camera from one of the five major networks traveling with the President?

DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL & NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST, WH & NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT, THE NEW YORK TIMES, AUTHOR, "NEW COLD WARS": It's going to be strange. I've covered the White House on and off now for more than three decades. I can never recall a single day, Kaitlan, when there was not a TV pool with them.

And this was all pretty avoidable. The President understands well what the rules are here. The way the Constitution was written, he does not get to choose his news coverage, as you suggested at the beginning.

There's a reason the First Amendment is first. It's first because the Founders understood that one of the greatest checks on power is to make sure that there is a free and unfettered press. Sometimes, that leads to extremes. Often it leads to coverage the President doesn't like. Lincoln hated The New York Times' coverage of the Civil War, right?

So, the President has just got to understand that in great democracies, that's what you put up with, and that's the price we pay for a free press.

COLLINS: What does this say to you, as this is coming, amid what we're seeing playing out here? What the President is going to be talking about tomorrow. I mean, he's sitting down with Gulf leaders, at one point, to talk about the Iran war. Obviously, that's gone on much longer than he anticipated or publicly told the American people that it would. Gas prices are going up. What do you make of that all happening in the background of this press ban that he's carrying out?

SANGER: Well, I think he arrives here, looking a lot more isolated and a lot weaker, than he did a year ago when he was here. The President, a year ago, was fresh off of the very successful bombing of the Iranian nuclear plants, which had set back the Iranian program, nuclear program, by months or years. It was quite effective. And the more we've learned about it, the more effective it looks like.

But then, in the time since, he built on the seizure of Maduro, who, interestingly, is sitting in a detention center just across the way in Brooklyn, a few miles from this, and was convinced that that would be the model for striking Iran. It has clearly not met any of the political objectives that he laid out. Their nuclear program is exactly where it was before this time. Their missile program is being rebuilt and has been used effectively. They have closed the Strait of Hormuz, and their allies are doing a good job, the Houthis, in closing off straits in the Red Sea.

So, the President is going to have to go make the case that, in acting in ways that no other president has, he's somehow succeeded. And my guess is he's going to meet a lot of silence in that hall.

COLLINS: Well, he's also going to be meeting with all of these world leaders on the sidelines of this. Delcy Rodriguez obviously is expected to be one of them, who is now running Venezuela.

SANGER: Yes.

COLLINS: And we'll obviously be watching the highlights of those meetings. What are you going to be looking for in that, in terms of the fact that also, I should note, the President likes having the TV cameras in there. They will not be in those meetings tomorrow.

SANGER: He does. He wants to go and turn on the TV and see and hear himself. Tomorrow, he would have a great opportunity to do that with what he is signing with Denmark about Greenland. He has agreed now to a plan that effectively just extends the 1951 treaty, make sure that the U.S. always has access to Greenland bases, which it did under that treaty. But he is not taking control of Greenland the way he thought he would. He has a moment to explain how he came to a diplomatic solution here that he thinks is good to the United States. You're not going to hear that very much from him.

And then, of course he's going to be meeting these world leaders. The big question is: Is he going to be meeting the Iranian leader who will also be getting here? The sense that I've gotten from administration officials is that while the President would be eager to do this, just as he met Kim Jong Un in his first term, he is unlikely to convince the Iranians that it's in their interest to meet him.

COLLINS: It's remarkable.

David Sanger, we'll be following all your reporting tomorrow at The New York Times and here on CNN. Thank you for joining us.

SANGER: Great to be with you.

COLLINS: It's great to have you as always.

Also joining me tonight is Kentucky's Democratic Governor Andy Beshear, whose new book, "Go and Do Likewise: How We Heal a Broken Country," is out tomorrow.

And thank you, Governor, for being here.

[21:10:00] I want to ask you about what you wrote in this book and this current political moment. But just given the fact that you're a sitting governor, you probably get coverage you don't like from the press corps in Kentucky, I would imagine, from time to time. What's your reaction to the President banning these three outlets?

GOV. ANDY BESHEAR (D-KY), AUTHOR, "GO AND DO LIKEWISE": Well, the President is trampling the Constitution once again. And shame on JD Vance. I certainly hope Yale Law School told him what the First Amendment is and what it means. And this is just a critical core part of the rule of law, and they are absolutely ignoring it.

Yes, we all get coverage that we don't like, but you don't get to take your ball and go home, and/or kick other people out of the game. I mean, this is something that oligarchs do.

Kaitlan, I was banned by Russia, multiple years ago, and that's not quite the same as we're seeing here. But just shame on them. I mean, if you want better coverage, do better things.

COLLINS: You have a legal background. Do you think that this will hold up in court? Or how do you see this?

BESHEAR: Oh, y'all are going to win. I mean, you can't kick just certain channels out of the press room because you don't like the content that they're writing. That's exactly what the First Amendment protects. It's not even a close call.

This is the President ignoring the Constitution. He knows what it says. That's another reason we've got to win in November. A president that is out of control, that doesn't care about the rule of law, that starts a war of choice in Iran, creating the highest diesel prices ever, that is unlawfully taxing the American people through his tariff policy. It is an unmitigated disaster.

COLLINS: Yes, it was notable, the President literally referred to it as a free speech ban on Friday in the Oval.

BESHEAR: Yes.

COLLINS: But on diesel prices and just what Americans are paying overall. This is a question that the administration gets asked almost every time they are in front of a camera.

And this is what the Vice President JD Vance said today when he was asked about how Americans -- how long Americans should expect to pay these high prices.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VANCE: We're very cognizant of the fact that because the Iranians are terrorizing international shipping, energy prices are elevated. We're doing everything that we can to, one, try to tamp down on those prices, but give the American people some relief in the interim. One of the things the President has talked about is encouraging some of the states to give Americans relief from the gas taxes. (END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Now, you tried that back in May. You temporarily reduced the gas tax by $0.10, I think, in Kentucky. Do you agree with the Vice President there that other states should try the same thing?

BESHEAR: Well, I did temporarily reduce the gas tax. I figured I would rather my state budget take a hit than my family's budgets.

But you know what happened? My supermajority Republican House and Senate threatened all of our local leaders that if they went along with me and requested an extension, that they would take away their road projects. The party of Donald Trump that follows him in everything that he does went against me trying to save my people money and prevented us from doing it any further.

But I tell you what, JD Vance doesn't have to call on the states to do it. The federal government can do it. There is a federal gas tax. They control the House. They control the Senate. If the President does have this almost unlimited control, he could deliver relief right now.

But you know how else he could deliver relief? By ending this war. By actually sending dedicated foreign service workers to the table who understand every nuance of an Iranian negotiator, instead of sending a developer buddy and his son-in-law that have no real experience doing this. He could reduce his tariffs or undo them and save Americans what, about $4,500 a year? The reason that Americans are suffering is because of this President and Vice President.

And JD Vance, I get it, he doesn't understand diesel because he pretends he's from rural America and he ain't. In rural America, all your farm equipment runs on diesel. A lot of your trucks run on diesel. It is what powers goods across America. And so, it's not just hitting farmers that are wondering, are we even going to plant crops this year? It's so expensive. It's making every other good in America that much more costly.

COLLINS: I mentioned you have this new book that's out tomorrow. And in it, you write, of President Trump, quote, "When you divide the world into Us and You People, there is no common ground, no room for compromise, no way to come together to work for the common good."

Today we saw the President and the New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani today. They were talking about collaborating on affordable housing. Obviously, the Mayor had invited the President to the governor's or -- to the mayor's mansion, to Gracie Mansion here today.

If the President comes back to Kentucky, would you invite him? Would you meet with him?

BESHEAR: Well, if the President wants to come to Kentucky with an investment in housing, yes, I will. Because in the end, my job is to help the people of my state.

When I disagree with him, it's not because I'm a Democratic governor and he's a Republican president. It's because his actions are hurting the people of Kentucky and the United States of America.

[21:15:00]

And so, he has a one-day meeting with someone from the other side. But you know what he does? He spends the rest of his time calling Democrats, the enemy from within, saying, your neighbor hates America, as opposed to loving your neighbor as yourself. He told people that if they don't vote, they go to hell. Presumably, if they don't vote for Republicans.

This is the divider-in-chief. Until he offered $5,000 if he won the next set of elections when he became the briber-in-chief. To me, he doesn't get a cookie for having one meeting or doing one thing with someone from another party. When he constantly tries to pit us against each other, wants to tell Americans the threats are the person living next to you.

No, the threats are outside America, the countries that want us to fail, and Donald Trump is making it easier for that to happen.

COLLINS: You also write about your own party, and you say this: Unfortunately, listening hasn't always been the Democratic Party's strongest suit. The Left has been guilty far too many times of acting like they know what's best for people and imposing "solutions" without ever asking those our policies will impact if this is what they need or want.

What exactly do you believe Democrats need to do differently?

BESHEAR: Well, we need to show up in places that we haven't been in far too long. We need to show up in coal mining communities, in farming communities, and listen to the needs of people.

I show up in those communities because those are the people of my state, and they want to feel heard and not judged. To actually talk to and to listen to instead of talk at or lecture. To actually have a real conversation, where you don't start by judging people by who they voted for in the past, but you actually listen to their needs.

Because right now, whether you're Democrat, Republican, or Independent, no matter where you live in America, you're getting crushed by the extra costs of tariffs. Gas is way too expensive. Your health care is going up too fast. Your utility bill costs too much.

These are common problems, and people are willing if someone will step up and actually propose policies that will bring those down, or even just commit to fighting for them. After a president who promised to make life easier has made it that much harder, I think people are willing to vote different and are going to this November.

COLLINS: A lot of politicians who write books seem to be potentially considering a presidential run. Your fellow Democrat, Democratic governor Gavin Newsom said he will not run in 2028, if Kamala Harris does choose to run again for president.

Is there anyone that could run that you would not run if they are -- if they are doing so?

BESHEAR: Well, I haven't made any decision on that.

But I will say, I didn't -- I didn't write this book for anything in the future. I wrote this book because I was tired of people hijacking faith to hurt people instead of to help people.

I wanted to reclaim faith, which is something so important in my life, which teaches us to be good as something that can actually move our country forward, not pit people against each other, but maybe even have a real conversation between people who disagree and heal some of these differences and division in our country.

I saw a president, using faith to divide people in the most important moments that our country has faced. He talks about hating his enemies instead of loving his neighbor.

And I wanted to make sure that there was another voice out there that said, you know, the fishes and the loaves calls on us to make sure every child has enough to eat. That when Jesus said a doctor is for the sick, it means they ought to be able to see a doctor in their own community. That government can be a force for good if we have the right principles, if we're doing it for the right reasons.

COLLINS: Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, thank you for joining us tonight.

And as I mentioned, his new book, "Go and Do Likewise: How We Heal a Broken Country," is out tomorrow.

Thank you, Governor.

Up next for us here at the United Nations. The President is here in New York. He met with New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani today. A political odd couple. What they agreed on.

Also, we're outside the United Nations, as you can see here. Coming up this hour, the President's Ambassador to the United Nations will join me live.

[21:20:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: In the face of legal opposition, the President is now offering a new justification for that proposed 250-foot arch that he's building in Washington, D.C. As he was arguing, the structure will double as a, quote, "Top grade Military Complex/Triumphal Arch." The President claimed it will house, store, and have the rapid ability to use large numbers of drones, plus Snipers, on both the roof and plaza areas, as well as, quote, "Hold large quantities of sniper ammunition in storage."

Now, several sources working with the administration on the arch, said that the President's argument that it would double as a military complex actually caught them by surprise. If the argument there that you're hearing sounds familiar, that's because it's the same one that he has also used in his push for the White House ballroom.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Now the military is building a big complex under the ballroom.

The top of the ballroom is a what they call the drone gallery.

The drone building capacity. Some of that takes place right down here. You can see the very large piping.

The building is drone-proof. It's missile-proof as much as something can be missile-proof. It's totally bullet-proof.

This will be the greatest military complex/ballroom anywhere in the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: My political sources are here with me outside the United Nations, including:

Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.

And former Trump campaign manager, Bill Stepien.

[21:25:00]

Bill, what do you make of the President's argument? Do you think this is going to be a military complex?

BILL STEPIEN, FORMER TRUMP CAMPAIGN MANAGER: Look, you're hearing natural criticism from Democrats, preservationists who don't like anything to happen, but even some Republicans.

We're in year two of the second term. There's a good chance Democrats take control of Congress, maybe the Senate in the fall. Talk to me when there's a shovel in the ground.

COLLINS: So, you're not really sure that there will be an arch?

STEPIEN: Time will tell, but I'm not very optimistic.

COLLINS: I guess one question is if it is going to be this military complex, would you want to disclose that publicly that it's going to house ammunition?

BILL DE BLASIO, (D) FORMER NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: Yes, it seems counterproductive to say the least. Like, just give the roadmap to any potential enemies.

But beyond that, the amazing thing is that Donald Trump loves to talk about Washington, D.C. His entire brain is inside the Beltway. And that's not why he won in 2024. He won because he actually seemed to be connected to the American people. He was out there with the rallies and sounded like he cared about people's day-to-day lives. He has lost that plot entirely.

So, when it's ballroom, when it's arch, when it's banning the press corps, it's all just inside baseball and it doesn't make sense to the American people at this point.

COLLINS: And obviously, one of the biggest questions, as Democrats are making their arguments, is whether or not they'll succeed in November. If they will actually win back control of Congress.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was successful in running on affordability and focusing on those issues. He met with the President today, here at Gracie Mansion. I think this was the first sitting U.S. president to go to Gracie Mansion since Ronald Reagan went in 1981.

And Mayor Mamdani sat down with my colleague, Christiane Amanpour, afterwards, and said this about what he told the President in that meeting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR ZOHRAN MAMDANI, (D) NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK STATE: Well, what I said is that I believe in a free press, and I believe in the importance of engaging in questions from all, no matter whether they are based in a compliment or on a critique.

And even in our press availability today, you saw that we spoke to representatives from CNN, from MS NOW, from Politico, from Crain's, from The City Reporter, from a wide variety. And that is something that will continue under my administration because, I believe it's a critical part of the fourth estate being able to do its job.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: As someone who worked for the President before, I mean, what do you make of what's playing out right now?

STEPIEN: Well, you hear a lot about the First Amendment today. You didn't hear as much when he was banned by Twitter and banned by Facebook, clearly trampling his free speech rights.

As his campaign manager, and still today, there is no president more accessible to the press than President Trump. And to me, that's my biggest problem with today. That the reality of that's trampled by the banning of these outlets.

I used to really dislike when he would walk to the back of the cabin on Air Force One and talk to you guys. Stop on the South Lawn and talk to you guys. Take your calls at 10:00 p.m. Very accessible. Including a lot of the outlets he banned today. Today's news really stomps on that optic and that reality.

COLLINS: You think it's tough to argue -- I mean because, that is something that you always hear from his aides. He's the most accessible president. I mean, can they really make that argument now that he's banned three outlets?

STEPIEN: It's really hard.

COLLINS: Ban--

DE BLASIO: And also it doesn't -- you know, it does not project strength, to say the least. If you believe what you're doing is right, if you believe you can justify it to the American people, then bring all comers, right? Like, take the tough questions.

And I give him credit, actually, in a funny way, he has been so accessible. But then when you say, Well, I'm scared of those questions. He's not using those words, but that's what actually he projects to people.

And one of the things he has done over the years is projected a certain strength. Whether I agree with it or not, like it or not, this just looks like weakness, and I think it fits, unfortunately, this moment where his fortunes are declining.

COLLINS: Mr. Mayor. Bill Stepien. Thank you both for joining us here at the United Nations tonight. Appreciate you coming with us to class outside.

As I mentioned, the President is set to meet with Gulf leaders here and tomorrow at the United Nations, about what's next when it comes to the Iran war. My next source is the President's U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz. We'll be right back, after this.

[21:30:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: President Trump will be here where I'm standing, tomorrow morning, as he addresses the United Nations General Assembly. This comes, as there is fighting in the Middle East that is expanding. As the President is going to sit down with several world leaders tomorrow, face-to-face, including Gulf leaders as well, to talk about the region.

My next source will be playing a key role in all of the week's important meetings here. That is the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz.

And thank you, Mr. Ambassador, for being here.

MIKE WALTZ, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: Yes.

COLLINS: We talked at the beginning about what's going on with the Houthi-backed rebels, Saudi Arabia trying to get the United States to join them in joint strikes. The United States did sign that defense pact with them, last year. Why did the President decide not to move forward with those joint strikes with Saudi Arabia this week?

WALTZ: Well, first, the strikes from the Houthis are nothing new, unfortunately. If you remember, in Trump's first term, he declared them a foreign terrorist organization. And unfortunately, the Biden administration, in its first weeks, lifted that designation and said they're not terrorists, even though they were launching at navy ships and international shipping.

The Houthis are not a new problem. They are backed by Iran. And unfortunately, Iran has now equipped them with sophisticated drones, cruise missiles, and all kinds of other weaponry.

We will stand and do stand with Saudi Arabia. They are a non-NATO ally. They do have an increased defense pact that we announced last year. But I'll leave it to the President, Secretary Hegseth, Secretary Rubio, in terms of the actual engagement that we do or don't decide to do, against the Houthis.

COLLINS: But do you know why--

[21:35:00]

WALTZ: Yet again, as we know, we hammered them last year, during Operation -- not Midnight Hammer, but Rough Rider, just before that.

And so, look, there's a lot to take into account, in terms of trying to de-escalate what's going on in the Middle East right now, and I'll leave that to the President. Those conversations are ongoing. And I expect them to be part of the GCC, the Gulf Cooperation Councils that we have -- meetings that we'll have tomorrow.

COLLINS: Is he wary of expanding -- of just more fighting in the Middle East? Is that part of why he did not want the United States to join with Saudi Arabia in those strikes?

WALTZ: Well, I think you're -- Kaitlan, you're probably referring to some, I don't know, New York Times, or Wall Street Journal, or whatever reporting that's out there. But the conversations with the Saudis and with our allies are ongoing in terms of how to deal with the Houthi problem that, again, didn't just start in the last couple of months; have been going on for many, many years.

COLLINS: A lot of these Gulf leaders he's going to be sitting down with tomorrow. They have been the most directly impacted by this war. Obviously, they've been fending off attacks and attempted attacks on their countries. What are your expectations, and what does the President want to get out of those meetings, that meeting with the Gulf leaders tomorrow?

WALTZ: Well, we're going to continue to, frankly, have our foot on the neck of the Iranian economy. Their currency is tanking. Their foreign reserves, foreign currency reserves, are near zero. Inflation is at record highs, and no Iranian oil is getting out. Meanwhile, as the Commander of CENTCOM, our Central Command, just announced, over a billion barrels of Gulf oil has gone out to the global economy.

So, it's about maintaining the blockade, maintaining Operation Economic Fury, maintaining Operation Economic Outcast.

And one way or another, the President has been clear, and I expect our allies to continue to be with us, that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.

COLLINS: And--

WALTZ: That said, he's always open to diplomacy. He's always open to negotiation.

COLLINS: Well--

WALTZ: If the Iranians come to the table in good faith, and we know that they're actually speaking for the Ayatollah, which has been a very mixed picture, then the President's open to that.

COLLINS: Is he going to meet with the Iranian President?

WALTZ: Look, I'll tell you, he's always open to it.

Really, that's a question I wish you could ask the Iranians, is, will they sit down directly with us, and who is speaking for the Ayatollah? That's been a continuous issue.

COLLINS: But I mean, just given this rare moment where they're both here in the same city, is that something that's on the schedule for tomorrow?

WALTZ: I could tell you, the President's open to it.

COLLINS: OK. So, he's open to it.

Can I ask you because he is also set to meet with President Zelenskyy tomorrow, and he posted about the war in Ukraine right now.

Today, he said: Russia has unfortunately lost control of its Diesel Oil Industry due to its War with Ukraine. A large number of their Diesel refineries have been blown up and are, at least temporarily, out of commission.

Why is that unfortunate? Isn't that Russia's fault that they've lost control of those refineries?

WALTZ: Well, Russia was a next -- net exporter of diesel. And diesel is in tractors, it's in trucks, it's in obviously our airlines and shipping fleets. We are not a -- we are not a farm to table country. We are a farm to truck to table country. And one of the drivers for inflation around the world is diesel.

Now, I do think there could be some opening or some discussion of both the Ukrainians and the Russians pulling back on attack on infantry -- on energy infrastructure, and also on grain infrastructure. Especially in East Africa, there are over a half a billion Africans that are going to go from bad to worse situation because of the attacks on food and the attacks on energy infrastructure that we're seeing both sides. It's one of the reasons, Kaitlan, is that the President has been clear: the war has got to end.

COLLINS: But you're saying both sides.

WALTZ: It's affecting the entire world.

COLLINS: Russia started the war.

WALTZ: Sure.

COLLINS: So, shouldn't they stop attacking Ukrainian -- I mean, they're hitting schools, apartments, hospitals. They hit everything in Ukraine.

WALTZ: Sure.

COLLINS: So, shouldn't they stop first since they started the war?

WALTZ: Well, we would love the Russians to stop. We'd love the Ukrainians to stop. At the end of the day, the war needs to stop.

COLLINS: You mentioned yesterday -- or you mentioned the diesel prices and what they're at. They're up 83 percent this year. And the Vice President says that they're doing everything they can to try to lower those for Americans.

I think a question is: six months into this war, if it keeps going on, what's going to bring those diesel prices down, short of ending the war in Iran?

WALTZ: Well, it's the war in Iran, as we just talked about, it's the attacks on refineries around the world. And what we're really seeing is the need, thank God, for expanded energy infrastructure here at home.

[21:40:00]

The President's drill, baby, drill kind of campaign mantra that we're seeing. We're expanding now exports from Venezuela. Guyana, next door to Venezuela, has some of the largest undiscovered or unexplored reserves in the world. What we're seeing is an all-of-the-above energy approach to meet world demand, and that is energy addition.

What we've seen the last four years, and especially in this place in the UN, is this, you know, this kind of attack on fossil fuels, this energy transition mantra that hasn't worked, won't work, and is not going to meet global demand.

COLLINS: Obviously, the President is meeting with a lot of world leaders tomorrow. How do you think those world leaders see the President's ban of three outlets that are covering him because he doesn't like their coverage?

WALTZ: Oh, I think he -- I think when they actually unpack American jurisprudence, Supreme Court precedent, in multiple cases, in the 60s, 70s, and as recently as a few years ago. Absolutely, we have a First Amendment, your right to publish, your right to -- your right for free speech.

But what you don't have an inherent right to is to have access to any government institution that you want. In particular, Kaitlan, like the corrections that go on, the false reporting, the anonymous sources, are a real disservice, I think, to the American people. COLLINS: But how does that -- I mean, what's the message to world leaders, if he's banning coverage because he doesn't like what the reporters are reporting?

WALTZ: I think the message to world leaders is we need an open, free, and fair, and objective press corps.

COLLINS: But how do we have an open--

WALTZ: And that's not what we're seeing right now.

COLLINS: How do we have an open and free and fair press corps if he's saying, Well, this outlet I don't like, so they can't come into the Oval Office, but other outlets can still go--

WALTZ: But you just ignored what I just said. You don't have an inherent right to any government facility that you want, whether it's Langley or the White House, and that has been determined by multiple Supreme Court cases, the 60s, 70s, as recently as a few years ago.

COLLINS: But actually, that case found--

WALTZ: That's a -- that's an important distinction.

COLLINS: I remember, you said that to Dana Bash on Sunday. That case found that--

WALTZ: I just quoted one case. I mean, there's been several.

COLLINS: But that case -- the case that you're referencing has found that reporters don't have carte blanche access to everything, but you can't just ban outlets based on their viewpoint or their reporting.

He's not saying, no reporters can come in the Oval Office saying--

WALTZ: He's not saying don't go out and report. Heck, we're talking right now.

COLLINS: He's saying, these three reporters can't come in the Oval Office.

WALTZ: I mean, we're talking right now. I'd hope we talked about the reforms that we're going to do at the United Nations, an important international institution. But if we want to spend the entire time talking about this, fine. What is--

COLLINS: We just talked about Iran and Russia and also of these other issues.

WALTZ: Yes, what we haven't talked -- but what we haven't talked is this institution that we're actually trying to reform that many people thought he'd walk away from. We haven't talked about the billion dollars of cuts that we've imposed here, that the American people are going to benefit from, the 3,000 employees, UN bureaucrats that they're now firing, the 25 percent of peacekeepers.

COLLINS: But isn't that because the President banned three outlets on the verge of coming to the United Nations--

(CROSSTALK)

WALTZ: Kaitlan, I'm standing here, talking to CNN, and you just referenced when I was on CNN on Sunday morning. That is very different than you have access to any government institution that you want. I mean, those are two separate and distinct facts.

COLLINS: The President is making an argument now that it's a national security threat. He did not make that argument on Friday or Saturday or Sunday.

WALTZ: I think when we have outlets--

COLLINS: How is reporting on the President a national security threat?

WALTZ: --when we have outlets that are relying on anonymous sources and talking about the levels of ammunition we have in the middle of conflict, when we're talking about vulnerabilities that the United States have, when in fact, we're talking about deployment orders for our soldiers, our navy, our air force that are highly classified. That's absolutely a national security threat and should be investigated and prosecuted.

COLLINS: Well, that's not what the President cited when he banned CNN and the two other outlets.

But on the munitions. That was in the inspector general's report from the Pentagon, talking about shortages. I mean, that was a -- that is--

WALTZ: There is a -- those are two -- there is -- there is--

COLLINS: --legally obligated to give that report to Congress, right?

WALTZ: I mean, you know, I hope we have a lot of airtime to talk about this. There's an investigative report, but there's also been a whole slew of anonymous sources.

And we know, our adversaries pay attention to headlines. And when you're essentially signaling to the world that the United States is out of ammunition, when in fact that's not true, that's a legitimate concern, and it certainly is a threat to our national security.

COLLINS: But the I.G. report talked about munition shortages, did it not? From the Pentagon.

WALTZ: The I.G. report is talking about shortages in our defense industrial base, that in fact, if you go back to the cuts under the Obama administration and sequestration have built up, to this point in time, when we were overly focused and bogged down in Middle East wars, then we weren't putting the munitions in place that we need now for these types of high-end conflicts. That's what the I.G. report was talking about. That's very different than anonymous sources on Secretary Hegseth's deployment book.

COLLINS: What's the President's message going to be on Iran, in his speech tomorrow? Obviously, this is the first time he's addressing the United Nations since the war started earlier this year.

[21:45:00]

WALTZ: Well, I expect the Iran -- I expect the President to reiterate what he has very clearly said. And it's not just a U.S. position.

There have been multiple UN Security Council resolutions for the last 20 years, saying Iran cannot and should not have a nuclear weapons program. There is no reason, there is no country on earth that enriches to the level that they enrich to, without then breaking out to a nuclear weapon, much less burying it, not one, but four hidden and highly protected underground facilities for a supposedly civilian nuclear -- for a civilian power program.

So, look, the President -- I'd say this, Kaitlan. Good presidents keep this generation safe. Great presidents do something for the next generation and their safety.

And what we cannot have and should not have is what we experienced in the 90s, when we had a breakout moment in North Korea, and they're off and running with a nuclear program. We cannot allow that with Iran.

COLLINS: Ambassador Mike Waltz, thank you for joining us here tonight.

WALTZ: All right.

COLLINS: Outside the United Nations.

WALTZ: Thanks.

COLLINS: Appreciate your time.

Up next. The media mega merger that is back on as Paramount is now making a deal with the states that were suing to stop its takeover of parent company for CNN, Warner Bros. Discovery.

Brian Stelter will join us with his latest reporting, right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[21:50:00]

COLLINS: Tonight, 12 state attorneys general suing to block Paramount's acquisition of CNN's parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, have now reached a settlement, which means that merger will close within weeks. The new merger will soon place Paramount's film and TV studios, the CBS network, CBS News, and the Paramount+ streaming service, under the same umbrella as Warner Bros. massive studios, HBO, and other cable networks, including yes, us here at CNN.

Our deeply-sourced Chief Media Analyst, Brian Stelter, who has been following all of this very closely, joins me now.

And Brian, obviously, these 12 attorneys general had sued to stop the merger. We've had the one leading the charge from California, Rob Bonta, here on the show, several times, to talk about this. What are the terms of the settlement that we know of?

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: Well, Paramount is staying put in California, after weeks of buzz about a possible relocation out of the state. So, Bonta can call that a win. He's also highlighting Paramount's film commitments. But even Bonta said today that he's not giving a vote of confidence to Paramount by settling. He seems a bit disappointed.

And today, I spoke with sources in some of the other state A.G. offices who said they were deeply disappointed by this outcome. For example, the State of Connecticut wanted Paramount to be forced to spin off both CNN and CBS News, divest out of the news business. That was a non-starter for Paramount. But there will be something called an editorial independence board, made up of journalists who are there to ensure ethical coverage and editorial freedom. What that'll look like and whether it'll work is anybody's guess tonight, Kaitlan.

COLLINS: So, on this mention of as, you know, CNN, MS NOW, and Politico are all suing the administration over the White House ban. When it comes to that, as you're following a lot of breaking news tonight, what is the latest that you're hearing from sources on that tonight?

STELTER: Well, number one, as it relates to Paramount, you might think about this CNN lawsuit as one of the first tests for the incoming owners.

Now, you mentioned this deal will take effect in the next couple of weeks. So, Paramount's CEO, David Ellison, will be among the many other things he will be acquiring. He will be acquiring this lawsuit unless it is somehow resolved between now and the end of the month.

So, that's interesting to keep in mind because CBS and all the other networks, as you've been saying, Kaitlan, have been showing support ever since CNN was announced to be banned, last Friday. CBS has been out in front showing support. So, that might be a promising sign when you think about this expected merger.

But more broadly, I am just struck by how much solidarity there has been. I have not been able to keep up. I've got a list going on my computer, and I'm running out of space. All of the different outlets, all the different newsrooms, all the different organizations, the congressional press corps, all the different groups that are coming to CNN and MS NOW and Politico's defense. This is different, Kaitlan, from all the other episodes we've seen, all the other eruptions during Trump's second term, all of his other infringements on press freedom, those were serious.

But there is something just substantially different this time, and I think it's that all these other members of the press corps fear or know that they might be next. So, they are trying to draw a line right now and say that what Trump is doing is just unacceptable.

COLLINS: Yes, I think that's a good point, Brian. Just in terms of obviously this affects the TV coverage of the President, as we noted. There's no TV camera from any of the major networks with him tonight. But also, the photographers who said we're not going to distribute photos of the President in their coverage of him today until at least midnight. NPR says they're not going to be using the audio from the events. I mean, that in and of itself is not a given.

STELTER: No, not at all. I mean, this is a little bit of a tortured analogy, but we all know about NATO and Article 5 and the idea that an attack on one is an attack on all. Well, that's a very hard concept to have in a competitive environment, like the news media, where there are so many rivalries, where newsroom bosses are competing for talent and for traffic and for stories and for scoops.

But today has a feeling a little bit like Article 5, where a ban of one is being treated like a ban of everyone. So, when you have still photographers not distributing their photos, when you have NPR not airing the audio, when you have the TV pool not filling in for CNN, something has changed today, and I think it's going to be this way tomorrow as well, Kaitlan.

COLLINS: Especially for a president who prioritizes being on television.

[21:55:00]

Brian Stelter, thank you for that reporting and for all of that throughout the day. Great to have you here.

Up next. It is time for Source Code. We give you a number at the center of a story in the news. Can you figure out what that story is before we get back from break? Tonight's Source Code is five. I'll be right back to tell you what it is.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COLLINS: Tonight's Source Code is five. Because that's how many airports experienced ground stops and massive delays here in the Northeast today, after both an aging air traffic control circuit and its backup system totally failed.

Now, flights have resumed. But if you're watching from an airport right now, you know that for hours, from Philadelphia to New York, planes sat at their gates, as officials were trying to reconnect those broken lines. Newark Airport had more than 300 flights that were canceled as of tonight.

[22:00:00]

Now there's still delays. The outage could not have come at a worse time, of course. There are hundreds of diplomats, some world leaders who are trying to travel to where I am standing right now, ahead of the United Nations General Assembly. Even Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's arrival to New York City was delayed, and his office says he's going to miss events tonight because of that travel meltdown. Hopefully, it gets resolved.

Thank you so much for joining us here on THE SOURCE tonight.

"CNN NEWSNIGHT" starts now.