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The Lead with Jake Tapper

Dad Describes His Children's Experience During Minneapolis Shooting; Disturbing Posts Online As Minneapolis Attack Unfold; CDC In Chaos After Trump Fires Its New Director; Russia Kills 21 In Second- Largest Air Assault Of Ukraine War; Fiery Exchange At U.S. Open Over Rare, Unspoken Rule. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired August 28, 2025 - 17:00   ET

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

KASIE HUNT, CNN HOST: For being here today. Couple tough stories. So really appreciate it.

And of course, if you miss any of today's show, you can always catch up listening to The Arenas podcast. Just scan the QR code below and follow along wherever you get your podcasts. "The Lead" with Jake Tapper is up next. It starts right now.

[17:00:22]

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is CNN Breaking News.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Welcome to The Lead. I'm Jake Tapper. And we start with breaking news in the national lead. We're going to take a live look right now at Minneapolis. We are standing by to hear from the family of one of the 20 victims in yesterday's shooting, 18 wounded, two killed.

This family is expected to give a statement after yesterday's horrific shooting at Annunciation Catholic School where 20 people were shot, most of them children, including the two children who obviously were killed, tragically killed, an eight-year-old and a 10-year-old. The identities of the two who were killed have yet to be released, but of the 18, some are still in critical condition. Perhaps their unknown identities as of now could change after this family statement. We're going to bring that to you when it begins. But first, this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSEPH THOMPSON, ACTING UNITED STATES ATTORNEY, MINNESOTA: More than anything, the shooter wanted to kill children, defenseless children. The shooter was obsessed with the idea of killing children. The shooter wanted to watch children suffer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Those are authorities earlier today describing the pure hatred that the shooter had in yesterday's shooting at the Minneapolis Catholic School. We also learned today that investigators uncovered one hundred and sixteen rifle rounds from the scene of the crime. Two children were murdered, as we said, 18 others wounded, most of them children as well. Meanwhile, we're slowly getting information, more information about the victims. Endre Gunter, for example, is a 13- year-old 8th grader at Annunciation Catholic School and his mother says he was shot in the stomach and has survived surgery.

CNN's Whitney Wild has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was super scary. I thought it was a fire. I went to a preschool. Someone got in.

WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A third grader sharing a horrifying experience no child should ever have to go through. Today she, like so many other students, came with their families to pay their respects to the victims of Wednesday's deadly mass shooting at Minneapolis Annunciation Catholic Church.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It feels good to be back here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why is that?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because this school is just very amazing. It's a very good community. And the police officers that we have around here are very, very brave.

WILD (voice-over): Outside the church, a memorial of flowers, candles and stuffed animals grows along with the heartbreaking messages from classmates. Two white crosses also stand in honor of the victims, ages eight and 10, who were shot and killed in the pews during a before school mass, the community trying to make sense of the shooting that also left 18 others hurt, including 15 kids between the ages of six and 15 and three parishioners in their 80s.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When you walk in the church, the glass was broken from when people got in and when we got out, all of us went to different rooms. My group went to the gym.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TAPPER: All right, let's listen in to the family of one of the victims.

JESSE MERKEL, FLETCHER MERKEL'S FATHER: I'm hopeful that all the wounded are able to make a full recovery and return home to their families. And finally, all the people, and especially the children impacted by this horrific event are able to recover mentally and find strength to live loving, happy and full lives.

Over the past day, I've heard many stories accounting the swift and heroic actions of children and adults alike from inside the church. Without these people and their selfless actions, this could have been a tragedy of many magnitudes more. For these people, I am thankful.

Moving forward, we ask not for your sympathy, but your empathy, as our family and the Annunciation community grieve and try to make sense of such a senseless act of violence. Please remember Fletcher for the person he was and not the act that ended his life. Give your kids an extra hug and kiss today.

[17:05:02]

We love you, Fletcher. You will always be with us.

TAPPER: That was the father of one of the two children killed in the tragic shooting yesterday, the father of Fletcher. CNN's Whitney Wild is there at the event.

Whitney, tell us -- tell us what you witnessed. Hold one second, somebody -- no, OK, never mind. Whitney, tell us -- tell us more.

WILD: That was Fletcher Merkel's father, Jesse Merkel, reading a statement. No parent should have to read a statement I am certain he never imagined he would read. He said that Fletcher, like any little eight-year-old boy, loved any sport. He loved cooking, he loved fishing. This was -- you could see it right on Mr. Merkel's face, Jake, how hard this is.

And he asked not for your sympathy but your empathy. All day we have seen people streaming here to Annunciation Church, to Annunciation Catholic School signing two crosses. Some of them, Jake, are children. Children. Just think about this.

Children signing a note to their dead classmate, thinking through what they would say to their classmate who was gunned down while in prayer at a church. This is -- it's an unfathomable tragedy, it is unspeakable, and yet here we are, Jake, as we many times have to talk about it. This community is extremely resilient. I was talking to a mom earlier today who pointed out that this school is more than 100 years old. These are generations of families who know each other who will unite in this moment of pure horror.

Jake, finally we do have some updates on the victims here. We now know that the number of victims has expanded to 18. There are 15 children who were hurt. There are children who are fighting for their lives at this very moment in the hospital. One of those children was shot in the back while trying to shield his friend.

What emergency management officials here have stressed over and over is that there were so many heroes that we don't even know about. And we will continue to learn their stories in coming days. The parents who reacted, the teachers, the students who shielded one another, this is a story that is as much about tragedy as it is about heroism, Jake. And that is one of the messages that the community is hoping people will remember when they think about this tragedy here at Annunciation Catholic Church, Jake.

TAPPER: All right, Whitney in Minneapolis, thank you so much.

We want to bring you the complete statement from Jesse Merkel, the father of one of the two children killed in the horrific shooting in Minneapolis, Fletcher Merkel. So we're going to bring you the whole statement right now. Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MERKEL: Yesterday a coward decided to take our eight-year-old -- year old son Fletcher away from us. Because of their actions, we will never be allowed to hold him, talk to him, play with him, and watch him grow into the wonderful young man he was on the path to becoming. Fletcher loved his family, friends, fishing, cooking, and any sport that he was allowed to play.

While the hole in our hearts and lives will never be filled, I hope that in time our family can find healing. I pray that the other victim's family can find some semblance of the same. I'm hopeful that all the wounded are able to make a full recovery and return home to their families. And finally, all the people, and especially the children impacted by this horrific event are able to recover mentally and find strength to live loving, happy and full lives.

Over the past day, I've heard many stories accounting the swift and heroic actions of children and adults alike from inside the church. Without these people and their selfless actions, this could have been a tragedy of many magnitudes more. For these people, I am thankful.

Moving forward, we ask not for your sympathy, but your empathy. As our family and the Annunciation community grieve and try to make sense of such a senseless act of violence.

Please remember Fletcher for the person he was and not the act that ended his life. Give your kids an extra hug and kiss today.

[17:10:06]

We love you, Fletcher. You'll always be with us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: So that's Jesse Merkel, the father of the eight-year-old who was killed in the horrific shooting at the Catholic school and church in Minneapolis.

Whitney Wild, so difficult, as you noted, not a statement that every -- that any parent wants to give or even has necessarily the wherewithal to give. Although I admire Jesse Merkel's ability to speak and talk about the heroic behavior by some of the people who worked at the school and some of the other children. We heard remarkable stories from kids about slightly older kids, 10 year olds, 11 year olds, jumping on top of them to protect them, helping to guide them out. It is just heartrending, this story and I know it must be difficult to cover it as well.

WILD: It's really hard, Jake. I mean, I have four kids. They are, you know, they're little and we go to a Catholic school, they go to all school mass. I mean this is -- it is really hard. And you've been, you know, in these situations too, just knowing how these parents feel when they send their kids out the door and you know, every day you hope that it isn't your day, and just tragically for these parents, it was the day.

And I just -- my heart just breaks for them. I think what is important in this moment, Jake, is to sort of refocus somewhat on the victims here. Again, you know, there are 18 victims, three of them were adult parishioners, there are 15 children. There are still children fighting for their lives. Some of them have been discharged from the hospital. So that is the good news, Jake.

There are some who are recovering, but there are some who are being described as touch and go. Law enforcement is also refocusing on reminding people that it is difficult when you have something as twisted as this to narrow down a specific motive, but they are working hard to do so, Jake. And to put it plainly and succinctly, they say this was someone who was harboring a lot of hate for a very wide range of groups, Jake.

TAPPER: Yes, thank you, Whitney.

We're also standing by to hear from another father who had two children at that school during yesterday's shooting. His kids are OK, but obviously -- physically, but obviously what a horrific experience for any parent. We're going to talk to him coming up.

Also today, CNN uncovering brand new details about this twisted shooter and clear warning signs of violence. The, the disturbing writings, the videos all posted for the world to see just before we learned of yesterday's horror. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:16:40]

TAPPER: And we're back with more in our national lead. Breaking news, students, families, the Minneapolis community, all trying to process yesterday's horrific shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis where two young children, including eight-year-old Fletcher Merkel and 18 others, two young children were killed and 18 others were injured or wounded.

I want to bring in right now a parent, Aaron Rupar. He and his family just moved to the area. His two kids are students at Annunciation Catholic School. Thankfully, they're safe.

Aaron, we're so glad that your kids are OK and they were not there when the shooting took place. It's so -- I know you're in the news business too, and we cover these horrific shootings. But as a parent and just as a human that can't take away from the shock and trauma that comes with getting a phone call, notifying that there's a school happening at your -- at your children's school, tell us about how you and your family are processing what happened.

AARON RUPAR, PARENT OF ANNUNCIATION SCHOOL STUDENTS: Yes, thanks for having me on, Jake. Certainly the feelings that I felt in that hour or so before we knew that our daughter was safe, we found our son right away when we arrived on campus because he was being taken out a side entrance. He's three, so he's in the kind of preschool area and my daughter's in kindergarten. And, you know, those feelings of kind of anxiety, heart palpitations, you know, nausea. You know, as you mentioned, working in the news business, you cover events like these, but nothing really prepares you for experiencing that.

And, you know, we dropped off our kids at school, got home, which is, you know, only about five minutes away, and then we heard dozens and dozens and dozens of sirens racing down there. But even then I didn't put two and two together until a friend texted me and said, hey, have you heard what's going on in Annunciation? So we hopped in the car right away, got down there, and just the harrowing scene of, you know, hysterical parents, the rumors that were going around. You'll later see kids who were crying themselves, you know, some who were covered in blood. You know, nothing can prepare you for that.

And, you know, the irony is that, you know, we chose the school, you know, which is a fantastic school, because we thought it would be a safe place to send our kids. And, you know, one of the lessons, unfortunately, is that you can't really run and hide from gun violence like this, you know, unless you want to homeschool your kids. You know, this is unfortunately a fact of life in our society these days.

TAPPER: Yes. Do you have any ambivalence about your kids returning to the school and what are you hearing from other parents?

RUPAR: We don't, you know, we haven't really crossed that bridge yet. This is only the third day at this school, so, you know, it's kind of bewildering and we're still kind of in the process of just processing this, but we do, you know, intend to send our kids back because it is a fantastic community, you know, as I'm sure you've covered with, you know, great administrators, great teachers, you know, fantastic parents of other students there. So I'm sure in time this will be something that brings people together. But obviously nothing can replace the loss that the families whose children will never come home are experiencing and will experience.

And so, you know, this creates scars that will last a long time. And, you know, of course, when you have a shooter in a situation like this who is firing through glass windows, you know, it certainly seemed like law enforcement was very prompt in responding, and the school did a good job preparing for worst case scenarios. But you know, unfortunately, this is just a fact of life and it's horrible, but, you know, it's something that we can't become numb to, and we have to realize that there are ways to solve this so we don't have to live like this.

[17:20:12]

TAPPER: Aaron Rupar, thank you so much for sharing your experience with us. And again, we're so glad that your kids are OK. Thanks for joining us.

RUPAR: Thank you.

TAPPER: New video today shows FBI agents approaching a condo in Naples, Florida. This is possibly linked to the mother of the Minneapolis school shooter. Through writings and video, CNN's getting a new insight into the shooter's profile. Who was this person who memorialized such disturbing thoughts apparently for years? As CNN's Kyung Lah reports for us now, the shooter meticulously dropped hints just before carrying out yesterday's deadly attack.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROBIN WESTMAN, ANNUNCIATION CATHOLIC SHOOL SHOOTER: I regret everything I didn't ask for life.

KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The warning signs were there. The shooter and disturbing videos timed to post online as the shooting began, shows off various writings.

WESTMAN: Hope you can read that --

LAH (voice-over): I am severely depressed and have been suicidal for years, reads a sentence on the page. A fascination with violence started as a young teenager. In another section that's written in a code language using Cyrillic characters, the shooter wrote, my interest and specifically school shootings started, I think in seventh grade. Westman claims on this page, I got in big trouble for asking classmates if there was a school shooting where would you hide? I got suspended for a week, I think, when I was caught in seventh grade, I don't remember ever talking to a therapist.

WESTMAN: I'm sorry to my family, but that's it.

LAH (voice-over): Westman references family in loving terms multiple times. In this page, writing again in code, I feel like my mom would have seen it coming due to my rocky past with violent threats.

Westman's mother worked at Annunciation Catholic but retired years ago. A yearbook photo shows the shooter graduated the eighth grade from Annunciation in 2017. Later that year, in the fall semester, Westman enrolled in a charter school for two months before attending school at an all-boys Catholic Prep School. The 2018 yearbook from St. Thomas Academy shows then Robert Westman dressed as a cadet for the videography club. It's unclear whether the shooter ever graduated from high school.

A neighbor where the shooter last lived described Westman as polite. Former Annunciation classmates say they never saw any red flags.

WESTMAN: I don't know how I'm going to fill in the rest for you all.

LAH (voice-over): The majority of what's posted online spews hate at virtually every group and religion the shooter could think of and then builds on what other school shooters have done before. But if there's any difference here, it's on this one page where the killer talks about gun control, I think it's horrible that these events happen and I do think it should be harder for people like me to carry out these attacks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAH (on camera): Now, the online posts also detail the planning that went into this. And as police explained in their last news conference, the shooter visited the church before the attack. What's also online, Jake, is really just a window into a twisted mind. So if you're looking for a why, you will likely not find it. But the lesson, like in so many of these others that we report on, is that there are often these warning signs to all of us that those closest to any troubled person may see and should not ignore.

Jake.

TAPPER: It does seem, though, Kyung, through your reporting there, that there was a moment where he said something inappropriate about school shootings at school, got in trouble for it, was not forced to go to counseling. That does seem like a missed opportunity there by his teachers or his parents or whatever.

LAH: Potentially, if he's telling the truth. And that's what's really hard to really understand and to know.

TAPPER: Yes. Kyung Lah, thank you so much for that great reporting.

[17:24:08]

And other big news today, big question for you and your family's health. Who exactly is in charge over at the Centers for Disease Control, the CDC, now that the director was fired and multiple top officials resigned? We're going to take a look at the destabilizing role of HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TAPPER: This just in in our health lead. The deputy secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Jim O'Neill, is expected to serve as the acting director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, according to an administration official and another person familiar with the matter. This is the big question being asked today by top scientists and doctors, are the actions of the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services actually actively making you and your family less healthy? Robert F. Kennedy Jr. who has no scientific degree and has no medical degree, and who for decades has been pushing medical and scientific falsehoods, is today wreaking havoc at the CDC. The former CDC director, Susan Monarez was fired after less than one month on the job.

A person familiar with the situation told CNN that Monarez and Secretary Kennedy quickly ended up at odds after her Senate confirmation over vaccine policies and other matters given her belief in science and medical evidence and RFK Jr.'s long established dedication to fringe, false conspiracy theories about vaccines.

[17:30:05]

Monarez's lawyers say Kennedy and HHS are, quote, weaponizing public health for political gain. Here is what the White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said this afternoon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAROLINE LEAVITT, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Her lawyer's statement made it abundantly clear themselves that she was not aligned with the President's mission to make America healthy again. And the secretary asked her to resign. She said she would. And then she said she wouldn't. So the President fired her, which he has every right to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: There are still more CDC vacancies to address because in the midst of the ousting of Monarez, resignations rolled in from other top CDC officials. In other words, some of the main people responsible for your health, your children's health, your parents' health and America's public health. Today, after being escorted out of the CDC building, three of these top CDC officials spoke to a crowd of supporters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. DEMETRE DASKALAKIS, DIR., NATIONAL CENTER FOR IMMUNIZATION AND RESPIRATORY DISEASES: What makes CDC great are the people that make CDC up, the scientists, everyone that makes this a family. And it's a family that defends our country and the health of our children and the health of adults.

DR. DAN JEMIGAN, DIR., NATIONAL CENTER FOR EMERGING AND ZOONOTIC INFECTIOUS DISEASES: Let's get the politics out of public health. Let's get back to the objectivity and let the science lead us, because that's how we get to the best decisions for public health.

DR. DEBRA HOURY, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER: We haven't been as effective because we've had staff cuts, program cuts and then political interference.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And what about ACIP? Is that --

HOURY: So ACIP coming up is really one of the things that tipped us all. We are concerned about the upcoming recommendations that probably have been made before we have the data and the science.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: So ACIP coming up is really one of the things that tipped us all, said Dr. Debra Houry ACIP is the vaccine panel that develops recommendations for vaccine use for Americans, which this and CDC then uses to create official immunization schedules and recommendations.

Now, ACIP or the panel's upcoming meeting is worrying, if not terrifying, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, including Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who worked as a physician before entering politics.

Kennedy, I mean, Cassidy there, as you may recall, cast the deciding vote to confirm Kennedy as health secretary after receiving assurances directly from Kennedy that he would not dismantle the nation's vaccine safety systems and would not take down government vaccine guidance. And then he would consult with Doctor and Senator Cassidy before any major decision.

But today's Senator Cassidy warned that a September meeting of Kennedy's vaccine panel should not even take place, saying, quote, serious allegations have been made about the meeting agenda, membership and lack of scientific process. These decisions directly impact children's health. And the meeting should not occur until significant oversight has been conducted. If the meeting proceeds, any recommendations made should be rejected as lacking legitimacy, given the seriousness of the allegations and the current turmoil in CDC leadership, unquote.

Now, the fact is that RFK Jr. for decades now says things that are not true to justify extreme positions and actions when it comes to public health. One such example just from today, when RFK Jr. tried to justify getting rid of all these health officials who have actual degrees in their fields of expertise, unlike RFK Jr.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR., HHS SECRETARY: The CDC is an agency that is very troubled for a very long time. The CDC has on its website today that among the top 10 medical innovations, greatest medical accomplishments in history was abortion. This is one of the greatest medical accomplishments because it keeps small families. Go to the website. Look at it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: OK, so you know what? We went to the website. We looked at it. And the word abortion does not appear in either of the two places where the CDC lists the top 10 health accomplishments in history. HHS, when we asked, what gives? The word abortion doesn't appear there, despite what RFK Jr. said. They pointed us to the mention of family planning and contraception as one of the top 10 achievements. And then they referred us to a document going into more detail about that.

But that document talked about the need to reduce unwanted pregnancies, family planning to avoid unwanted pregnancies, to avoid abortions. It did not cite abortions as one of the top 10 health achievements. And it was not saying abortion is part of family planning.

Read the document, Secretary Kennedy. Again, a Kennedy construction built upon a foundation of mendacity. And this is just the latest example of Secretary Kennedy making rash decisions that could impact your health, basing them, these decisions on complete and utter falsehoods.

[17:35:04]

Let's talk about this now with former acting director of the CDC, Dr. Richard Besser. Dr. Besser, from a practical standpoint, tell us how CDC business, tell us how public health could be impacted right now, given all the chaos at CDC and all these experts being shown the door or walking out the door because they say there is no emphasis on science and facts when it comes to Kennedy and the HHS.

DR. RICHARD BESSER, FORMER ACTING DIRECTOR, CDC: You know, Jake, I think about this from -- from two different perspectives. One as a pediatrician, I practice pediatrics for more than 30 years and I relied on the CDC for the recommendations around vaccination that I used to with -- with -- with my patients. And I would say go to the CDC website.

You can understand because that is the -- the best recommendations in terms of what you should do to protect your health, protect the health of your -- your children. I -- I look at it as a pediatrician and say you can no longer go to the CDC website and feel comfortable that you're getting the best information possible.

As someone who worked at the CDC, I worked there for 13 years. I was the acting director for about six months. I ran emergency preparedness for -- for four years. And, you know, I saw the rigor that went into all of the recommendations that came forward to the public around vaccination.

I saw the great depth of talent that kept our nation safe and ready for whatever public health threats came -- came our way. And to see those talented individuals, the director and those center directors leaving the agency because they could no longer function there, is absolutely devastating.

This is a -- a brain drain of -- of, you know, astronomical proportions. I worked with Dan Jemigan on many different outbreaks. He's an incredibly brilliant epidemiologist. Demetre is extremely talented and did such incredible work to help develop the science behind the decisions for COVID vaccine, for other respiratory vaccines.

You know, to see the head of the immunization center say that he can no longer work there because the politicians aren't listening to the advice, to the recommendations of the nation's brightest scientists is absolutely shocking and -- and frightening because we know there will be future public health emergencies. There will be future pandemics. And the idea that someone like Secretary Kennedy is in charge during one of that is -- is -- is absolutely chilling.

TAPPER: I want to read a tweet from today from Dr. Atul Gawande. I know you know who he is. He's a surgeon and one of the best health writers in the country. He's a public health researcher as well. This is not a guy prone to histrionics, but this is what he wrote, quote, medicine and public health had added three decades to the human lifespan. Vaccination alone produced 40 percent of the reduction in child deaths. And now a disturbed and unqualified man driven by crackpot theories is destroying the foundations of this work, including CDC, unquote. Do you agree?

BESSER: Fully. You know, the -- the one -- the one piece of news today that -- that gave me some hope was what you reported about Senator Cassidy and his statements about the September meetings, because if -- we need Congress to step up and provide the oversight function to call out what is taking place, because these -- these actions by Health and Human Services, the decimation of CDC, it's -- it's also the decimation of state and local public health, because most of the dollars that come to CDC go out to states and public health departments to provide the support for what takes place in communities.

Every community is going to be impacted. People in rural communities are going to be -- be impacted even further because they rely so greatly on governmental public health, lower income individuals, people with disabilities. You know, Senator Cassidy in his role can play a very important part of the holding accountable of -- of this administration.

I think as well that, you know, when you -- when you think about it, you know, the White House, when there is a public health crisis, people are going to hold the President and this administration accountable. And I think it may take that. It may take a rise in vaccine preventable diseases.

Unfortunately, it may take children experiencing infections that could be prevented from vaccine for this administration to say, you know what, we cannot stand behind these kind of -- of absurd theories from this secretary that are going to put us at -- at such great risk.

TAPPER: Dr. Richard Besser, thanks so much. It's always good to have you here.

[17:39:58]

New video from a woman in Ukraine showing her apartment in shambles hit by a drone on yet another sign that Russia is nowhere near ending its reign of terror. So why the bizarre comment from the Kremlin in the midst of this attack? We're going to bring you that comment next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TAPPER: Our World Lead now, four Ukrainian children are among the 21 people killed in Russia's overnight strikes on Kyiv, the second biggest aerial attack since the beginning of the war. Remember, this is what President Trump said almost two weeks ago in Alaska when asked if there would be consequences if Putin didn't agree to the ceasefire that he was trying to get at the summit in Alaska.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[17:45:07]

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There will be consequences.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sanctions? Tariffs?

TRUMP: There will be, I don't have to say. There will be very severe consequences.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: That was a couple of days before he went to Alaska. Yet as CNN's Melissa Bell reports, Russia continues to kill innocent -- innocent Ukrainians.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Kyiv under attack once again, with Russia unleashing over 600 air attack weapons on the Ukrainian capital in what appears to be the second biggest aerial attack since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Footage from the ground shows families huddling for safety as missiles fall on buildings across the city. Search teams still digging through the rubble around buildings hit in the strike. With the full extent of the damage still being assessed, families are still searching for their loved ones.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): When I came out, everything was covered in dust and smoke. I looked up, the roof was gone, and the floors from the fourth to the first were completely destroyed. As of now, my wife hasn't been found.

BELL (voice-over): Some of those damaged buildings belonged to the European Union and the British Council. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calling the strike a clear response from the Kremlin to calls for ceasefire talks and for diplomacy between the two countries. Russia says it is still interested in peace talks, but its so-called special military operation is still ongoing, a conflict that continues to shake Kyiv residents.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): God forbid anyone ever has to go through this. You know, my world view has changed. You realize that you survived, that you're alive, and that alone is already something.

BELL (voice-over): Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TAPPER: And our thanks to Melissa Bell for that report.

Next, we're going to go inside that confrontation at the U.S. Open that is likely lighting up your social media feeds. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:51:16]

TAPPER: In our Sports Lead, no love lost after that dramatic confrontation at the U.S. Open in New York. It happened yesterday between underdog Taylor Townsend and Latvian superstar Jelena Ostapenko.

One of Townsend's winning points resulted from what's known as a net cord shot, whereby sheer luck the ball hits the top of the net and then falls on the opponent's side, making a return virtually impossible. Now, typically, the scoring player in such a situation is expected to raise a hand and offer something of an apology. It's a polite tradition.

Townsend did not do that. And after her win, Ostapenko went courtside and took a verbal shot at her.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TAYLOR TOWNSEND, TENNIS PLAYER: She told me that I have no education, no class, and to see what happens if we play each other outside of the U.S. And I said, you know, I'm excited. Bring it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Joining us now to try to decipher all this, tennis host and producer, Andrew Krasny. Andrew, to an outside observer, the reaction from the Latvian superstar, the anger, seems a little overblown. How common is this unspoken rule of an apology for that happening?

ANDREW KRASNY, HOST AND PRODUCER, WTA/ATP TENNIS: Well, Jake, the interesting thing is usually a net cord wins you the point instantly, and that's not what happened in this case. It fell over the net. Jelena got to the ball, was able to hit it back over the net, and then Taylor won the point.

So it wasn't your traditional net cord, but it might be an unspoken rule. But in the heat of competition, especially at the U.S. Open, to not raise your hand and say you're sorry is not that unusual. And by the way, here's a little secret. No one means it when they say they're sorry anyway.

TAPPER: Right. It's -- it's inherently insincere. Do you -- do you think that the response from Jelena Ostapenko was justified?

KRASNY: I don't. And listen, I'm a big Jelena fan. I tend to remain as neutral as I can when covering tennis tournaments. I'm a fan of both of them. First and foremost, I want to say that I think Taylor handled this incredibly well. She took the high road. Let her racket do the talking. I think Jelena in the heat of the moment, which she's known for having a temper, was a bit out of line, and she picked the wrong girl to -- to do it with, if you want to know what I think.

TAPPER: And give us a little more background, because most of us aren't the tennis maven that you are, in terms of who Taylor Townsend is, other than -- than an underdog in this match, and who Jelena Ostapenko is.

KRASNY: Well, first of all, Jelena Ostapenko has been ranked the highest number five in the world. She won Roland-Garros in 2017. On paper, she should have beaten Taylor, but in the last couple times they played, she hasn't beaten Taylor. So she's gone into the match with a little bit of a -- of a grudge, for lack of a better word. Taylor Townsend is the first mom in the history of the WTA to become number one in the world in doubles.

She's won two Grand Slams. She -- they're both incredibly talented girls. This should be a conversation where we're celebrating Taylor. Taylor's success is unheard of, what she's done in her career, the fact that she just had a baby four years ago. She's become number one in the world in doubles, as I just said. I think it really is in the heat of the moment, like we saw with Daniil Medvedev a couple days ago. A lot is on the line at the U.S. Open. U.S. Open is where we want stars to shine. We don't want to -- we don't want to dim their light.

So this is one of those conversations where I wish I was just talking about the accolades of these players, as opposed to a heat of the moment mistake. And -- and I don't think we should cancel Jelena in this moment. I -- I believe that she regrets what she said. She's trying to justify it, but the more she talks, the more it's not working in her favor.

TAPPER: All right, Andrew Krasny, thanks for the insights. Really appreciate you having me on the show.

KRASNY: Thanks, Jake.

[17:54:59]

TAPPER: Just moments ago, we talked about President Trump firing the CDC director. He also fired Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, or is trying to anyway. She's pushing back today with a lawsuit. Next, we're going to discuss how his actions set up a legal showdown over his presidential powers. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TAPPER: Welcome to The Lead. I'm Jake Tapper. This hour hearing has now been set for tomorrow morning. A legal hearing over whether President Trump can actually fire a Federal Reserve governor for the reason he is citing. This is the latest chapter in a legal battle with major implications for the Fed, for the interest rates that you pay and for the power of the presidency.

Plus, an 11-year-old girl speaking to CNN today about surviving that horrific mass shooting at the Minneapolis Catholic School yesterday. Hear her account of sitting in the church just moments before gunfire erupted and how she and other children ran into a nearby room, piled furniture in front of the door.

[17:59:56]

Also, did Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard reveal the identity of an undercover CIA officer? What sources are telling CNN tonight about a recent memo made public by DNI Gabbard and how her office is --