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CNN International: Gaza Health Min.: At Least 45 Killed In Israeli Strike on Rafah; Spain Announces $1 Billion Weapons Deal For Ukraine; Biden Marks Memorial Day At Arlington National Cemetery. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired May 27, 2024 - 11:00   ET

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

[11:00:00]

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ZAIN ASHER, HOST, "CNN NEWSROOM": All right. Hello and welcome to viewers around the world. I'm Zain Asher in New York.

Coming up on CNN Newsroom, "no place is safe". That is the assessment of the UN Agency for Palestinian refugees, after an Israeli airstrike on a makeshift camp in Rafah killed dozens. Israel says it was targeting a Hamas compound. We are live for you in Jerusalem with the latest. Plus, as Russia continues to pound Ukraine with airstrikes, President Zelenskyy is in Spain to seek the country's military support. We'll look at what that means for a possible weapons deal. And millions of Americans face severe weather threat this Memorial Day. How it might impact those looking to make their way back home this extended holiday weekend?

All right. Welcome, everyone. Israel is facing growing international condemnation this hour over deadly strikes on a camp for displaced Palestinians in Rafah. The attacks in the southern Gaza city sparked fires that swept through tents housing families overnight. The Health Ministry says at least 45 people were killed, a lot of them women and children. Survivors are telling CNN there was no warning, no warning before the attacks. They say they spent the night pulling out charred bodies using flashlights to find some remains. Israel, meantime, says it targeted a quote "Hamas compound and killed two senior Hamas officials" with what it calls precision weaponry. Qatar, a key mediator between Israel and Hamas, says the attacks could hinder truce and hostage talks that are due to resume tomorrow Tuesday in Cairo.

I want to bring in CNN's Jeremy Diamond, joining us live now from Jerusalem. So, Israel is basically saying they went after two senior Hamas commanders. We know that 45 people were killed, Jeremy, though. That includes a lot of women and children. Just walk us through what the Israelis are saying about that.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, in what can only be described as a very rare move, the Israeli military is now actually vowing to investigate this. The Israeli military's top lawyer, less than 24 hours after the strike took place, directing the Israeli military's independent fact-finding mechanism to investigate this strike, saying that no civilians had been expected to be harmed in a pre-strike assessment that the Israeli military carried out, an extremely rare acknowledgement that something seems to have gone terribly wrong.

But, unfortunately, this is not an outlier incident. We have seen other incidents in which dozens of civilians have been killed. And so, it is a sign of just the enormous amounts of pressure that Israel is currently under, that they have taken this step to acknowledge this and to launch an investigation. But, the images coming from this strike last night, absolutely horrendous. You can see women, children, men, all screaming in the fire as it burns in the aftermath of this strike.

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DIAMOND (voice-over): Their blood-curdling screams tell the story of the unfolding horror more than words ever could. But, it is only as bodies are pulled out of the inferno that the scale of this attack becomes clear. At least 45 people were killed after an Israeli airstrike targeted this camp for displaced Palestinians in western Rafah, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Plastic tarps engulfed in flames, sheet metal walls crushed by the blast, a block of makeshift shelters flattened in an instance.

The Israeli military says the strike killed two senior Hamas militants who commanded Hamas' West Bank operations, Yassin Rabia and Khaled Nagar.

[11:05:00]

In a rare move, the Israeli military's top lawyer launching an investigation into the strike, saying civilian casualties had not been expected. "It was assessed that there would be no expected harm to uninvolved civilians. The IDF regrets any harm to uninvolved civilians during combat." Mohammed Abu Ataiwi (ph) is one of those civilians, so badly burned that he cannot even open his eyes. But, there are so many more. So many children writhing in pain. And then, there are the parents desperate to save babies whose cries have been silenced, perhaps forever.

For those who survived, whatever thin sense of safety they still had has now been completely shattered. We were sitting and suddenly there was a big blast and fire. People started screaming, Ranin (ph) says, describing how they spent the whole night pulling charred bodies out of the embers. While hundreds of thousands fled eastern Rafah after the military ordered its evacuation, many others like this man displaced from central Gaza came here to western Rafah, told the area would be safe. And then there are the mourners.

The occupation army is a liar. There is no security in Gaza, says this man, whose brother was killed in the strike. Here he is with his wife. They were murdered. They are gone. For one man, a brother, for another, his sister. She was the only one, he says, she was the only one and she has gone.

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DIAMOND: And we do know that over the weekend it appears that those negotiations or at least efforts to try and kick start those negotiations between Israel and Hamas resumed in Paris this weekend. But, so far, there is no clear indication of exactly when those talks will formally get off the ground, and also no clear indication yet of whether the bridge -- the gap between Hamas and Israel has been bridged yet on some of those key sticking points. A ceasefire agreements for now seems like the only way possibly out of this hell that we are currently watching in Gaza.

ASHER: All right. Jeremy Diamond live for us there. Thank you so much.

All right. The death toll is rising after a Russian strike on a large store in Kharkiv. Officials say at least 17 people are dead after the attack on Saturday. Then, on Sunday, heavy Russian shelling killed nine people across three regions in Ukraine, also wounded another 15. On the diplomatic front, the Ukrainian President is in Madrid, where the Spanish Prime Minister has announced a weapons deal for Ukraine worth around $1 billion.

Joining me live now with more on this is Melissa Bell, joining us from Paris. So, Melissa, President Zelenskyy is in Spain. I mean, obviously, this comes as diplomatic meeting comes as Ukraine has repeatedly called for more military assistance, for more air defense systems, as Ukraine continues to -- as Russia, rather, continues to pound the country. Take us through it.

MELISSA BELL, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. We'd heard that rather desperate plea from President Zelenskyy at the site of a printing works that was bombed on Thursday and seeing its gutted remains. We'd heard him a few days ago make this urgent please saying, look, if I had better air defenses, better equipment, Western equipment, this kind of strikes that are taking so many civilian lives day after day would be avoided. And this was, of course, before that strike on the hardware store on Saturday, where we've seen the CCTV images show people milling around the shop before the strike.

What we're hearing is that the death toll is now 17 people confirmed dead, but that's likely to rise much further, because what Ukrainians say that there were hundreds of people milling around that area when the strike happened on Saturday, the immediate aftermath described as hell by Ukrainian officials. And even now, only 30 percent of the rubble has been sifted through, they say. So, it is likely that more bodies will yet be found, and there are still so many unaccounted for.

And as you said, Zain, that pressure being kept up over the course of Sunday as well, not only on Kharkiv and its civilians, but down south in Kherson region and also in Donetsk. And that pressure appears to be yielding gains to Russia, Moscow at least claiming the taking of two small settlements, one in Donetsk region and one in Kharkiv.

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And it is in the context of that pressure all along those fronts that President Zelenskyy has been meeting there in Spain, again, urgently calling for allies to stand firm, Spain's pledge a billion euros worth of aid that will include much -- some of that much needed help with air defenses. But, Ukraine suggesting that this is a desperate need that needs to be met much more urgently than it has so far, Zain. ASHER: All right. Melissa Bell live for us there in Paris. Appreciate it. Thank you.

All right. Today, families and service members across the U.S. are remembering those who lost their lives in defense of their nation. Memorial Day falls on the last Monday in May, with hundreds of services taking place to honor fallen soldiers. U.S. President Joe Biden is about to deliver his Memorial Day address at the Arlington National Cemetery.

Senior White House Reporter Kevin Liptak joins us live now. Kevin, this is President Biden essentially reminding Americans that Memorial Day isn't just about the start of summer, of course, and that freedom isn't free. It is paid for by the countless men and women who have laid down their lives for the United States. Kevin, take us through it.

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yeah. Very much so. It's a solemn day for every American President. I think certainly the weight of the job very much present, and the weight of their decisions on a day like today, and it does sort of unfold with a degree of dignified remembrance. The President hosting Gold Star families here at the White House for breakfast this morning. We just saw him lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington, and he will deliver the address at the memorial amphitheater. I was driving into work today, passed the World War Two Memorial on the mall, and I was reminded, Zain, we're coming up on the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

President Biden will be there in northern France next week, remembering the thousands of U.S. and allied troops who participated in the Normandy landings, all in the name of protecting democracy in Europe, and that is a theme that President Biden has struck on again and again, protecting democracy. We just heard him speak about it over the weekend, when he was speaking to graduating cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, talking about the oath that they take is not to a President or to a political party, but to the U.S. Constitution, and reminding them that protecting democracy is not a guarantee that it requires every generation to defend it, preserve it and choose it, and I think that's a particularly resonant message.

On Memorial Day, at a moment of fraught international tensions, the President confronting two grinding wars in Ukraine and Gaza. He has committed to not deploying American troops to those conflicts. And in fact, he reemphasized that commitment at West Point over the weekend. But, the risks for U.S. troops are not small. The U.S. has been dragged into the fray. It was only in February that the President traveled to Dover Air Force Base to be with families, as the remains of their loved ones came back after being killed in a drone strike in Jordan. And I think on that day and today as well, certainly the weight of this job, a searing reminder for the President of the consequences of his decisions on Memorial Day. Zain.

ASHER: All right. Kevin Liptak live for us there. Thank you so much.

All right. I want to bring you some quick news just into CNN. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff says that North Korea launched an unidentified projectile off the west coast of the Korean Peninsula. This comes out of Pyongyang notified Japan of its intention to launch a satellite sometime in the coming week. Japan is ordering residents of Okinawa to take cover in light of the launch. We are working to get more details for you and we'll bring you them as soon as we get them.

All right. As Kevin Liptak was just saying that it is a day of remembrance in the U.S, but the Memorial Day holiday also marks the unofficial start of summer and its crushing travel records this year. We'll break down the numbers for you ahead. Plus, severe storms leave a trail of destruction across several American states, and the danger is not over just yet. We'll get you a live look at some of the damage, and we'll explore. It's coming next.

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ASHER: All right. At least 19 people are dead across four American states after a wave of severe storms, and the threat still persists. 120 million people are under severe weather warnings with that risk especially high towards the East Coast. There is also an ongoing tornado emergency issued for Kentucky. That's where this video you see on your screen was taken on Sunday. The Governor of Texas confirmed storms in his state killed at least seven people and injured about 100. The storms have knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of people, and they may impact travel in major hubs like Atlanta and New York.

CNN's Ed Lavandera joins us live now from Cooke County, Texas. I see the debris. I see what some of this weather has actually left behind, behind you. And of course, on this Memorial Day holiday, people are cleaning up. They're cleaning up the debris. They're looking for their belongings. Just take us through what people are experiencing right now.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. This is -- like, the shock has s kind of worn off, and now people are coming to the reality of what they're dealing with after this tornado ripped through this subdivision in North Texas Saturday night, just before 11 o'clock at night, and has just completely shattered and changed lives here. The families that you saw behind me there just a moment ago, there were four of them inside this home. The top of it just completely blown off.

But, somehow, the little closet they were in stayed intact, and they were able to survive and walk away, which is terrifying because what they came out to discover, saying is when they -- another family, the remnants here in front of these cars that you see is actually the remnants of another home that had been blown more than 100 yards and just laid out there was a family of four. It was -- the mother and two children were dead right there on the scene. So, that is what these other family members came out to discover. As you mentioned, in this area, seven people killed, four of those victims were young children. So, just devastating stories that people are coping with here this morning.

But now is the cleanup. As you can see in the distance here, using heavy equipment just to pile up all of the debris in these -- in this subdivision, that is really the best that many of these people can do at this point, because right now, they're trying to figure out what the future is going to look like, and the need for temporary housing, and the need for clothing is what's going to get them through the next couple of days and weeks. But, this is going to be a long-term ordeal for them to deal with.

There were more than 100 people also injured in this particular area. The American Red Cross told us that the storm system that blew through North Texas kind of left a trail of destruction over 150 to 250 miles in the state. This is clearly one of the most severely hit areas in that storm system, but just simply devastating scenes and stories everywhere we look here.

ASHER: Unbelievable what I'm looking at behind you. I mean, it's just crazy. I mean, for lack of a better word, it's crazy what people are experiencing right now, shocking images. Ed Lavandera live for us there. Thank you so much.

All right. Some areas are seeing these dangerous storms on top of extreme heat conditions. Heat alerts are stretching across parts of Texas and Louisiana. The heat index is expected to exceed 110 degrees Fahrenheit. That is about 43 degrees Celsius.

Joining me live now from Houston, Texas, is Rosa Flores. Rosa, how hot is it where you are right now? I mean, when you think about these numbers, 43 degrees Celsius for people in Europe, I mean, that -- those are scorching temperatures.

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Just take us through how people are keeping safe.

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, not only is it extremely hot, it's also extremely dangerous, Zain, when you bring all of these factors together. I want to start by giving you a big picture. Take a look at this map that shows the heat risk in the United States, and you can see that it's shaded from coast to coast from light tan, which is minor risk to deep, deep red, which is extreme risk, and you see that in South Texas. Now, this can be deadly. And this is something that the Biden administration has taken very seriously. The Biden administration is expecting to release a new set of regulations in the coming months to protect workers who are forced to work in these conditions, some people don't have another option, but to work outside. And so, to protect those individuals, we're expecting some regulations in the coming months.

Now, one of the factors that the Biden administration is looking at is the number of deaths that are related to the heat. Now, the numbers that I'm about to share with you are not just work-related, but overall for the United States. And these numbers are staggering. Take a look. In 2021, the number of deaths were about 1,600 in the United States. In 2022, that number grew to about 1,700. And in 2023, last year, there was more than 2,300 deaths in the United States. And again, these are heat-related.

Now, all of this doesn't stop people from working out. You can see that people are out, working out here in Houston behind me. We talked to some of them of some of the precautions that they are taking. Take a listen.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hydration, that's the most important thing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I make sure that I drink water, and then I walk for about 30 minutes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So, I always make sure that I use sunscreen. I put on bug spray because mosquitoes are for real out here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FLORES: Now, some of the hottest temperatures are going to be felt here in the state of Texas, where I am. Take a look at some of these temperatures. Now, these are some cities in Texas that are going to be breaking records, including Del Rio at 110, Laredo at 109. You can see, Zain, towards the bottom there, Houston at 98. I got to tell you, even though the temperature is 98, you add the humidity and the heat index that's expected here in Houston is between 108 and 113. So, what people are doing today, Zain, is drinking a lot of water because it is extremely hot outside. And again, that's just to keep safe while doing normal activities, because those normal activities could turn dangerous when the right conditions are in the environment and if you don't have water. I will send it back to you.

ASHER: I note you are wearing a jacket as well. I'm so impressed that you have a jacket on despite --

FLORES: It's a light layer, Zain. It's a light layer.

ASHER: I was like, why has she got a jacket on? So hot. My God. OK. I love you, girl. Rosa Flores live for us there. Thank you so much.

FLORES: Me too.

ASHER: OK. Appreciate it.

All right. Whether it's planes, trains, or automobiles, AAA projects around 44 million Americans have been traveling this extended holiday weekend. Friday, it was literally the busiest day at U.S. airports ever. The Transportation Security Administration set a new record with more than 2.9 million screenings.

All right. I'm being told that President Biden is speaking now. Let's listen in.

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: 160 years ago this month, in the midst of the Civil War, the first American soldier was laid to rest at these hallowed grounds. Private William Chrisman, a farm worker in Pennsylvania, had enlisted just seven weeks before. There was no formal ceremony to consecrate this new sanctuary. No fan for -- fanfare. It came at a turning point in the war. As fighting shifted east, the casualties quickly mounted in the bloody grinding campaign.

Over the next year, William will be joined in death as he was in life by his brother in arms in his final resting place. These hills around us would be transformed from a former slave plantation into a national shrine for those American heroes who died for freedom, who died for us.

[11:25:00]

My fellow Americans, Jill, Vice President Harris, the second gentleman Emhoff, Secretary Austin, General Brown, most importantly the veterans and service members' families and survivors, we gather at this sacred place at this solemn moment to remember, to honor, honor the sacrifice of the hundreds of thousands of women and men who've given their lives to this nation, each one, literally a chain -- link -- a link in the chain of honor, stretching back to our founding days, each one bound by common commitment, not to a place, not to a person, not to a President, but to an idea unlike any idea in human history, the idea of the United States of America.

Today, we bear witness to the price they pay, every white stone across these hills, and every military cemetery and churchyard across America, a father, a mother, a son, a daughter, a brother, a sister, a spouse, a neighbor, an American, to everyone who has lost, who loved someone in the service of our country, to everyone, the loved ones still missing or unaccounted for, I know how hard it can be. It can reopen that black hole in the middle of your chest, bringing you back to the exact moment you got that phone call, heard that knock on the door, or held the hand when the last breath was taken. I know it hurts. The hurt is still real, still raw.

This week marks nine years since I lost my son Beau. Our losses are not the same. He didn't perish in the battlefield. He was a cancer victim from a consequence of being in the Army in Iraq for a year next to a burn pit, major in the U.S. National -- Army National Guard, living and working like too many besides that toxic burn pit. And as it is, for so many of you, the pain of his loss is with me every day as it is with you, still sharp, still clear, but so is the pride I feel in his service, as if I can still hear him saying, it's my duty, Dad. It's my duty, duty.

That was the code my son lived by and the creed all of you live by, the creed, the generation of servicemembers who have fallen in the battle on the grounds around us by fallen heroes from every major conflict in history, to defend our independence, to preserve our union, to defeat fascism, build powerful alliances, forged in the fires of two World Wars. Members of the greatest generation, well, 80 years ago next week, took to the beaches of Normandy and liberated a continent and literally saved the world. Others who stood against communism in Korea and Vietnam, and not far from here in Section 60 (inaudible) 7,054 women and men made the ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan and Iraq, who signed up to defeat terrorist, protect our homeland after 9/11. Decade after decade, tour after tour, these wars were fought for our

freedom and the freedom of others, because freedom has never been guaranteed. Every generation has to earn it, fight for it, defend it in battle between autocracy and democracy, between the greed of a few, and the rights of many. It matters. Our democracy is more than just a system of government. It's the very soul of America. It is how we've been able to constantly adapt through the centuries. It's why we've always emerged from every challenge stronger than we went in, and it's how we come together as one nation united. And just as our fallen heroes have kept the ultimate faith with our country and our democracy, we must keep faith with them.

I've long said, we have many obligations as a nation, but we only have one truly sacred obligation, to prepare those we sent into the battle, (inaudible) take care of them and their families when they come home, and when they don't. Since I took office, I've signed over 30 bipartisan laws supporting servicemen, veterans and their families and caregivers and survivors. Last year, the VA delivered more benefits and processed more claims than ever in our history. And the PACT Act, which I was proud to have signed, has already guaranteed one million claims, helping veterans exposed to toxic materials during their service, one million. For too long, after fighting for our nation, these veterans had to fight to get the right healthcare, to get the benefits they had earned, not anymore.

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Our nation came together to ensure the burden is no longer on them to prove their illness was service-related, or there (inaudible) or toxic waste to ensure they protected them. They just have to protect the United States because it's assumed that their death was a consequence of the exposure.

On this day, we came together again to reflect, to remember, but above all, to recommit to the future they fought for, a future grounded in freedom, democracy, opportunity and equality, not just for some, but for all. America is the only country in the world founded on idea, an idea that all people are created equal, deserved to be treated equally throughout their lives. We've never fully lived up to that. But, we've never, ever, ever walked away from it. Every generation, our fallen heroes have brought us closer. Today, we're not just fortunate heirs of their legacy. We have a responsibility to be the keepers of their mission, that truest memorial of their lives, the actions we take every day to ensure that our democracy endures the very idea of American doors.

Ladies and gentlemen, 160 years ago, the first American soldier was laid to rest on these hallowed grounds. There were no big ceremonies, no big speeches, no family members to mourn their loss, just a quiet grief of the rolling green hills surrounding them. Today, we join that grief with gratitude, gratitude to our fallen heroes, gratitude to the families left behind, and gratitude to the brave souls who continue to uphold the flame of liberty all across our country and around the world.

Because of them, all of them, that we stand here today. We will never forget that. We will never, ever, ever stop working (inaudible) perfect union, which they live and voice they died for. That was their promise. That's our promise. Our promise today to them. That's our promise always. God bless the fallen. May God bless their families, and may God protect our troops. Thank you.

ASHER: All right. President Biden there speaking at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, honoring those who died essentially for America's freedom, the hundreds of thousands of American men and women who have paid the ultimate price and laid down their lives. He talked about the fact that freedom in the United States has never been guaranteed, that every generation has had to earn it, every generation has had to fight for it. And this is a personal issue for President Biden as he touched on at the end. That's because his son, Beau Biden, died in 2015 as a result of a brain tumor, that President Biden has always believed was linked to toxic burn pits that he was exposed to when he served in Iraq.

All right. We'll have much more news after this quick break. Don't go away.

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ASHER: All right. Welcome back. You are watching CNN Newsroom. I'm Zain Asher in New York.

All right. In two days, South Africa will hold a critical election that could see the greatest challenge to the ruling African National Congress. The party of Nelson Mandela is trying to extend its 30-year hold on power. But, for the first time, it could lose its parliamentary majority over concerns of corruption, joblessness and crippling power cuts. If so, the ANC could be forced to form a coalition with opposition parties such as the EFF, MK, or the Democratic Alliance.

Let's go to Johannesburg now and bring in CNN's David McKenzie. So, after 30 years of dominance, right, since 1994, the ANC faces its toughest election yet. And you think about some of the things that are ailing South Africa right now, crime, corruption, unemployment. I mean, the list goes on and on. Walk us through what is likely to happen on Wednesday, David.

DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Zain, it's anyone's guess what's likely to happen, to be honest, because you've looked at the polls, and they've made very significant swings. I think what is widely agreed upon is that the ANC does, as you say, face its stiffest electoral challenge yet after 30 years in power, something that would have been unthinkable 10, even five years ago. You've had opposition parties holding significant rallies over the weekend, showing the power base that is growing. And there are many in this country who think maybe it's time for a change because of the issues that you described, the issues of unemployment, inequality and the promise of freedom that hasn't really come for many, many millions of South Africans.

Still, the ANC is a dominant force. We take a look at their prospects.

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MCKENZIE (voice-over): IT worker Mmeli Mbatha knows how to gin up a crowd. He has volunteered for the ANC since he was just 15. But now, it's crunch time.

MMELI MBATHA, ANC YOUTH LEAGUE: We want to show the support to the ANC because ANC has been supporting us.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): The party of Nelson Mandela needs their voices, and it really needs their votes. 30 years in power, and the party that has defined South African politics faces its strongest challenge yet.

MCKENZIE: This could be the most closely contested election since the dawn of South Africa's democracy, and many believe that the ruling ANC could lose its majority. But, their supporters say, don't count them out yet.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): The ANC can fill stadiums, yes, but it also has a formidable ground game, spending vast sums on this campaign, getting right into neighborhoods with senior leaders.

THULI GWALA, ANC SUPPORTER: Voting for ANC until now.

MCKENZIE: Why do you still want to vote for the ANC?

GWALA: I want to vote because my ANC went for me.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): Millions of South Africans like Thuli Gwala depend on modest government social grants to survive. For decades, these grants have been the party's trump card. But, South Africans want more, breathtaking unemployment, sustained electricity blackouts and stark inequalities have left many feeling betrayed by the promises of the ANC.

HERMAN MASHABA, LEADER, ACTIONSA PARTY: -- so that all the --

MCKENZIE (voice-over): Once loyal supporters are abandoning the ANC, even forming their own parties. They are more than 50 on the national ballot.

MASHABA: I voted for the ANC twice. All these people here before, majority of them used to vote for the ANC. Look at the ANC's electoral support. Every year, it is going down.

MCKENZIE: The ANC government has presided over huge allegations of corruption, and there is a very significant problem with unemployment. Why should people this time vote for this party given that record?

FIKILE MBALULA, ANC SECRETARY GENERAL: We are a party that have made strides in terms of renewal and fighting the stigma, so to say, often associated with corruption.

[11:40:00]

MCKENZIE: Is it enough to win this election? Are you feeling confident?

MBALULA: The elections will be won on the basis of the work we do among our people. And as we -- you can see, we are not idling.

MCKENZIE (voice-over): Never idle, not during campaign season. But, on Election Day, will voters be singing a different tune?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCKENZIE: On a practical level, if ANC dips below 50 percent, they'll be forced to form a coalition government, something that's never happened here in South Africa before. And Zain, there are many important elections across the globe this year. I think one of the most closely watched will be here in South Africa. Zain.

ASHER: All right. David McKenzie live for us there. Thank you so much.

All right. It's not the type of reception that Donald Trump is used to. We'll talk about why he was heckled during a speech over the weekend. Plus, we are at a critical stage of the former President's criminal hush money trial. What can we expect in court starting tomorrow? We will talk about that next too.

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DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Now, I think you should nominate me or at least vote for me and we should win together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: All right. Loud boos and jeers greeting Donald Trump at the Libertarian Party's nominating convention over the weekend. The former President left the stage after giving a 34-minute speech, one of the shortest, actually, of his campaign. The raucous atmosphere was marked by a lot of confrontations between libertarians and Trump supporters as well. The reception Trump received was a lot different on Sunday at a NASCAR race in North Carolina. He met a local police officer who was injured last month in a shooting that killed four of his fellow officers.

All right. Tomorrow, Donald Trump will be back in a New York courtroom as his criminal hush money trial reaches a critical point. Let me walk you through what we can expect. The much anticipated closing arguments from prosecutors and the defense are set to begin on Tuesday. Jury instructions may follow on Wednesday, and jurors could begin deliberations soon after that. Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. He has pleaded, of course, not guilty.

Our Senior Crime and Justice Reporter Katelyn Polantz has been following this trial from the very beginning, and joins us live now. So, let's talk about closing arguments. How tough is it going to be, Katelyn, for prosecutors sort of weave everything together and make the case that Donald Trump was essentially in on this hush money payment to Stormy Daniels? He knew exactly what it was full when he signed that check.

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: Well, prosecutors have a lot of evidence, and a lot of testimony from 20 witnesses over the course of this trial to work with.

[11:45:00]

And a talented prosecutor in the courtroom really can be quite convincing before a jury, but there is a lot that they have to prove here. In this case, Zain, the prosecutors are likely going to tell the members of the jury that they should find Donald Trump guilty, as charged on these falsification of business records charges, because they are able to show the payments that were made to Stormy Daniels by Michael Cohen, Trump's personal attorney, that there was testimony from Michael Cohen that he was working at the direction of Trump, and that there is testimony from many others in this case knowing and saying to the jury that, yes, they understood Donald Trump wanted to keep things quiet these negative stories about women in 2016 because he feared that it would hurt his campaign. All of those elements would need to come together.

But, the defense, they're going to get to make their summations as well and get to argue to the jury that there is not enough evidence here, and that guy, Michael Cohen, shouldn't be trusted on the witness stand, that he lacks credibility, a point that they had tried to make over and over and over again throughout the trial. These closing summations, Zain, they are likely to take much of the day, if not the whole day in court tomorrow for this first criminal case against Donald Trump to go to the jury, and then the jury will be instructed by the judge on what they need to do, what they need to be able to find under the law, and then we will be into jury deliberations in this seventh week of the hush money trial against Donald Trump in New York State.

ASHER: Going to be a momentous week, if we get a verdict. Katelyn Polantz live for us there. Thank you so much.

All right. Let's delve deeper on the legal front now. Let's bring in CNN Legal Analyst Norm Eisen, who joins us live now. Norm, good to see you. I think it's important to really underscore to our audience that in order to prevent a conviction, the defense team essentially just needs to convince one juror, just one juror that Donald Trump is not guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. And of course, beyond a reasonable doubt, that clause is key here. If they're able to do that, it is highly likely that they could be a mistrial. Just give us your expectations of how this week is going to go.

NORM EISEN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST, & FMR. HOUSE JUDICIARY SPECIAL COUNSEL IN TRUMP'S FIRST IMPEACHMENT TRIAL: Zain, I've been in court for every one of those 20 days of testimony and I'll be there tomorrow morning, as first, the defense, most likely Todd Blanche, Trump's lead counsel, and then the prosecution in the form of their most experienced and talented, very talented prosecutor, Joshua Steinglass, takes turns, arguing to that jury. It is not easy to get a hung jury. Just five or so percent of all trials end in a hung jury. And here, the prosecution has put together a case that does not depend on Michael Cohen alone. In a sense, the unifying theme of those 20 days has been the corroboration and support from Michael Cohen, as he answers two key questions.

And as prosecutors have answered them, number one, did Donald Trump participate in a criminal conspiracy to influence the 2016 presidential election by making that hush money payment to avoid another damaging scandal after Access Hollywood? And number two, in 2017, did he create false documents to cover up that criminal conduct alleged in 2016? In my view, this is a jury that will listen closely to the judge when he tells them, you must apply the facts and the law. I think the prosecution has the stronger case here. But, the defense has points that they will make as well about the credibility of Cohen. And we will find out either this week or the following week, in my view. I wouldn't be surprised if the jury took their time to wrestle with these three key issues.

ASHER: I mean, you bring up Michael Cohen. Obviously, a key element here is, whether or not the jury ends up believing what Michael Cohen says here? I do want to ask you, how do you think the Memorial Day holiday break will affect how jurors interpret the closing arguments, especially after, what is it, three, four days away? What are your thoughts on that?

EISEN: They've had a full -- we broke on Tuesday and they've had a full week of R&R.

ASHER: Yes.

EISEN: Zain, jurors, in my experience of more than 30 years of going to court, don't tend to seize on particular moments.

[11:50:00]

They get a big picture, a gestalt of how a case looks. And I think that that week has given that large view a chance to settle in. They will need to be reminded of each of the puzzle pieces, the tiles in the mosaic that make up that big picture, and that's what the closings will do. The jury will come back fresh after that break and ready to take this seriously. I watch them closely every day. And I do think you have a jury that is as educated as any jury I've ever seen, two lawyers, and that will really pay close attention to the closings, and then wrestle with the CCCs, Cohen's credibility, number one, conspiracy in 2016, number two, and cover-up in 2017, number three. And the prosecution does have the upper hand, in my view, in making that case to the jury, but it's no slam dunk.

ASHER: There is a sort of a stark disagreement at the center of the trial. That shouldn't technically matter. But, I want to get your thoughts on whether it will matter, this idea of whether or not Stormy Daniels had sex with Donald Trump near Lake Tahoe in 2016. She, of course, says that they did. And Trump's legal defense team is saying, no, she made it all up. Will that actually matter to the jury? It shouldn't matter, right, because that's not what's at issue here. But, will it matter?

EISEN: I thought the defense made a mistake in squandering their scarce political capital in flailing about at different points in this trial, not that the prosecution was perfect either. And the art of trying a case, nobody is perfect. But, one of the mistakes the defense made was to go after Stormy Daniels and challenge the question of whether that relationship happened or not. I don't think it matters to the jury. I think that Stormy was actually stronger under cross in defending herself. She made herself more credible.

But, in the end of the day, this is really about Cohen's credibility, about the 2016 conspiracy, whether or not Trump participated in it or not, and the 2017 cover-up. Whether or not he really had that relationship, it doesn't matter. What matters is what I think the prosecutor proved that there was a lot of fear in the Trump campaign after the Access Hollywood tape and the scandal that created about another sex scandal. And in a sense, when Stormy testified, everybody on the jury got to see what a mess that would have been for the campaign. I think the prosecution was more effective in her testimony.

ASHER: Right. We will wait and see what comes next. Norm Eisen live for us there. Thank you so much.

EISEN: Thanks, Zain.

ASHER: All right. Up next, we're going to leave you with one more thing, how Americans are marking the long holiday weekend honoring members of the armed forces who died serving their country in war.

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ASHER: The PBS National Memorial Day Concert took place on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol Sunday night, a host of performance and -- celeb performance, rather. Celebrities took part in the annual event which builds itself as a national night of remembrance. The concert honors U.S. service members, their families and all gave their lives for their country.

And that wraps up this hour of CNN Newsroom. I'm Zain Asher in New York. I'll have more news next on One World. Don't go away.

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