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Trump: U.S. Will Not "Rush Into A Deal" With Iran; Sources: White House Gunman Described As 21-Year-Old Nasire Best; Interview With Orange County Fire Authority Interim Fire Chief T.J. McGovern; Trump: U.S. Will Not "Rush Into A Deal" With Iran; Massie Speaks Out After Losing To Trump-Backed Challenger; 50M+ People Are Facing Flooding Risks Across The East; Africa CDC: Current Ebola Outbreak Is Second Largest On Record. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired May 24, 2026 - 14:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:00:30]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Gunfire outside the White House. Members of the press corps rushed inside. A bystander struck by the gunfire. The gunman shot and killed.

What CNN has just learned about the shooter's past interactions with the U.S. Secret Service.

Plus state of emergency crews in southern California working around the clock to prevent a toxic chemical disaster. The incident commander is here live.

And later, somber Sunday at the first cup series race since Kyle Busch's death. Fans are remembering the winningest driver in Nascar history. We'll take you to Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me this Sunday.

I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

We begin this hour with President Trump now saying there's no rush for the U.S. to reach a peace deal with Iran as uncertainty surrounds the latest proposal.

Today, he posted on Truth Social that, quote, "I have informed my representatives not to rush into a deal and that time is on our side. The blockade will remain in full force in effect until an agreement is reached, certified and signed," end quote.

On Saturday, the president said an agreement to end the war was largely negotiated, and the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened.

But moments ago, a senior administration official told CNN that no agreement between the U.S. and Iran is expected to be signed today.

Sources tell CNN the proposed deal is expected to unfold in two phases, with the first focused on Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz to pre-war status, and the second phase involving 30 to 60 days of negotiations over Iran's nuclear issues.

But Iran's state-affiliated news agency is disputing President Trump's characterization of the agreement, and says his claims about the strait are, quoting now, "not true", end quote, and are, quote, "inconsistent with reality", end quote.

CNN's Jeremy Diamond is in Tel Aviv covering reaction from the Middle East.

But let's get to the White House and Julia Benbrook. Julia, bring us up to speed on what we know about the status of these peace talks.

JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, a senior administration official tells me that they do not expect the United States and Iran to sign an agreement today. They say that the details, the specifics are still being worked out and that it's unclear at this point if this draft will turn into a final agreement.

And this comes after, though, Fred, President Donald Trump yesterday was expressing some potential momentum toward getting a deal out imminently. In fact, he said that it had been largely negotiated and that he would release details shortly.

Earlier today, though, just a few hours ago, he took to social media, his Truth Social site, to say that he was in no rush to come to an agreement that he believes that time is on his side.

I want to pull up part of that for you now. He said, quote, "The negotiations are proceeding in an orderly and constructive manner. I have informed my representatives not to rush into a deal, in that time is on our side. The blockade will remain in full force in effect until an agreement is reached, certified and signed. Both sides must take their time to get it right."

In recent remarks, Secretary of State Marco Rubio did say that some progress has been made over the last 48 hours. He reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz must be reopened and that Iran must agree not to have a nuclear weapon. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: What is the goal here? The goal here ultimately -- the ultimate goal is that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon.

The president has been clear about that. They will never possess a nuclear weapon, certainly not as long as Donald Trump is president of the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BENBROOK: Now, as far as details of negotiations, where those stand, an administration official tells our colleague Kevin Liptak that Iran has agreed in principle to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and to dispose of its stockpile of highly-enriched uranium as a part of the agreement. How exactly that stockpile would be disposed of is still part of negotiations.

[14:04:49]

BENBROOK: And then when it comes to sanctions relief and unfreezing Iranian assets, that would follow only if the strait reopens and if Iran follows through on its commitment to negotiate curbs to its nuclear capabilities.

Now, we already have a lead here at the White House, which means that we do not expect to see Trump in front of reporters any time today. That doesn't mean he can't make announcements or news, though. As we often see, he does that a lot on social media, so we'll keep an eye out for any updates.

WHITFIELD: All right. Julia Benbrook at the White House. Thank you.

All right. Let's go now to Tel Aviv. Jeremy Diamond is there. Jeremy, what is Israel saying about this possible deal or this juncture in this possible dealmaking? And how is Iran responding?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Well, listen, it's been no secret that the Israeli prime minister, you know, privately urged President Trump to return to war against Iran. This is not the outcome that he was seeking.

But today, on social media, the Israeli prime minister is giving his first official reaction to this news of a budding agreement between the United States and Iran that would extend the ceasefire, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and essentially punt all issues regarding Iran's nuclear program to negotiations over the next 30 to 60 days.

But in this post on social media, the Israeli prime minister is trying to minimize any notion of daylight between him and the U.S. president, saying that both of them agreed that any final agreement with Iran, quote, "must eliminate the nuclear danger".

He also said that his and President Trump's policy remains unchanged, that Iran will not have a nuclear weapon.

And then, as it relates to the issues regarding Lebanon and Israel's freedom to operate against Hezbollah, the Israeli prime minister says that President Trump reaffirmed Israel's right to defend itself against threats on any -- on every front, including Lebanon.

That issue of Lebanon is one of a series of disagreements about how this budding agreement is being portrayed, both by the White House on one hand, and the Israelis, as it relates to this issue specifically. And then by Iran, mostly through Iranian state media and semi-official media.

We have seen a host of other different characterizations as often happens with these types of agreements, about some of the key points here.

One of them, as it relates to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media still indicating that the reopening of the strait would still be under Iranian supervision.

One Iranian source is also telling CNN that coordination with relevant Iranian authorities would still need to happen under the reopening of the strait that President Trump is talking about here.

Then there are other disagreements as it relates to the nuclear program. You just heard Julia talking about assurances that the White House says that they have had regarding the future of Iran's nuclear program from the Iranians.

Iranian semiofficial media saying Iran has made no commitments regarding nuclear facilities or material.

There are also disagreements about the release of blocked Iranian assets. Those billions of dollars of funds that Iran is really looking for as a key lifeline here.

The Iranians are insisting that this be a first step, but the U.S. is indicating that those assets will only be released once the Strait of Hormuz is reopened.

So as you can see, these are some of the issues that are still being negotiated -- hashed out.

And perhaps if there is an agreement, even then, we may see differences in interpretation and in the statements from both sides. As both sides try and characterize this deal ultimately as a win to move forward with a ceasefire. The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and eventually these very thorny nuclear negotiations, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Indeed.

All right. Jeremy Diamond, thank you so much in Tel Aviv.

All right. Back in this country today, we're learning more about a man who was killed after exchanging gunfire with U.S. Secret Service near the White House. Sources say the gunman has been identified as 21- year-old Nasire Best.

Best, a Maryland resident, approached a security checkpoint at the complex on Saturday evening while President Trump was inside. Best then took a gun out of a bag and opened fire on agents before he was shot and killed.

Signs of the deadly encounter still present today, new video shows apparent bullet holes on buildings near where the shooting took place.

CNN's Brian Todd is on the scene with more on this tragedy, including the suspect's previous encounters with law enforcement.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, it appears the processing of evidence at the scene here has been completed, because the streets around the White House have been reopened.

I'll step aside so our photojournalist, Christine Leon, can train her lens down Pennsylvania Avenue. Now, Pennsylvania Avenue over here had been closed in the hours right

after the shooting. As you can see, there's a vehicle going down there now. It has since been reopened to traffic.

Pointing the lens right down there, that point straight down the block, one block away, is where the shooting occurred at 17th and Pennsylvania Avenue's northwest.

[14:09:50]

TODD: That could have been the spot where the gunman possibly got as close as he could to the White House complex, because Lafayette Square Park is to the left and the walking plaza at the White House, right in front of the White House is straight ahead.

Those have been closed down for the last several months because of construction, so you can't even walk around there even under normal circumstances right now.

That place right there, the point of the shooting at 17th and Pennsylvania, may well have been the closest point that the gunman could have gotten.

That gunman, of course, as we've been reporting, was struck by gunfire from Secret Service, uniformed officers, and later died at a local hospital.

There was a bystander who was struck. That bystander, we believe, remains in critical condition. Still not clear if the bystander was struck by the gunman's initial shots or whether the bystander was struck in the ensuing crossfire.

Our sources now identifying the suspect as 21-year-old Nasire Best. According to one source, he had previous encounters with the Secret Service, including in June of 2025, when he blocked an entry lane at the White House. And in July of 2025, when he was arrested for attempting to enter a White House complex driveway.

He had also made several statements on social media, including at least one where he voiced a desire to harm President Trump and the president also responded to this shooting with a post on Truth Social, thanking the Secret Service officers for their response, but also saying this, quote, "This event is one month removed from the White House Correspondents Dinner shooting and goes to show how important it is for all future presidents to get what will be the most safe and secure space of its kind ever built in Washington, D.C. The national security of our country demands it."

That is an apparent reference to the White House ballroom complex. As you recall, after the White House Correspondents Dinner shooting last month, the president came out and said that in his mind, it really speaks to the need to have a secure ballroom complex in place to hold those events there, rather than a hotel like the Washington Hilton, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Brian Todd, thank you so much. All right. Coming up, emergency crews are racing to prevent a chemical

tank from exploding in southern California. What firefighters discovered when they went up close to inspect the tank.

And Nascar remembers driver, Kyle Busch. We'll go live to Charlotte Motor Speedway where he was set to race before this untimely death.

[14:12:08]

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WHITFIELD: All right. We're learning new details about a compromised tank storing a toxic chemical in southern California that is at risk of exploding. Right now, about 50,000 people across parts of Orange County are spending the holiday weekend in emergency shelters or hotels as authorities race to cool down the tank.

Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in Orange County to mobilize resources for local responders. And this morning, EPA administrator Lee Zeldin told my colleague Jake Tapper about what they're learning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEE ZELDIN, EPA ADMINISTRATOR: We're being told that the tank will fail, but there are different scenarios as to what that means.

The most catastrophic scenario being an explosion that results in other tanks to explode. That's the reason why you see such a big evacuation that's been done in the surrounding areas.

I'm being told this morning that the most likely scenario is one of a low volume release, where the local authorities are going to be able to monitor, neutralize and contain the threat.

The Orange County Fire Authority is working to keep the temperature of the tank down. That is very important, keeping it under 85 degrees is key.

And right now this is an emergency response. This isn't yet an environmental response. And the scale of that environmental response will be determined based off of what happens when that tank fails.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. For the latest on the emergency response, I want to bring in interim fire chief T.J. McGovern with the Orange County Fire Authority.

Chief, great to see you.

So your department just shared an update about a positive intel from an operation last night. What was found?

T.J. MCGOVERN, INTERIM FIRE CHIEF, ORANGE COUNTY FIRE AUTHORITY: So what we initially heard from the plant and the product facility was we had no options. There's nothing we can do. It's either going to completely leak or blow.

Up in the fire service, those are never options for us. So what we did, we assembled a very specialized team with subject matter experts from L.A. City Fire, L.A. County Fire, San Bernardino County, and Long Beach Fire and OCFA with OAS. We specialize this team, and we came up yesterday with a plan.

We briefed out on it. We looked at it. We made sure it was sound. We tested it out. And what we did last night is we did an operation last night. It was a late-night operation, very kind of behind-the-scenes.

And what we did is we were able to take our SMEs, subject matter experts, from our hazmat teams and actually go in and get to the tank. We had drone footage initially, but what occurred was we weren't getting good angles.

So after last night when we had our firefighters in there and get visualizations, we noticed a potential crack towards the top. And what that showed us was that it could not be as high pressure as we thought we could (INAUDIBLE) crack.

[14:19:44]

MCGOVERN: So we also had trigger points to pull our members out due to safety concerns. We had a reading where one of the triggers went off, so we had to abort the mission.

But what we got was significant intel for us to come back and vet and validate that information on that operation we did last night.

It was a very high risk, low frequency operation, but we got positive info.

What we're doing right now is we are vetting and validating that information, and we're pretty sure that it's going to come back and it's going to change (INAUDIBLE).

And our strategy of how we're going to attack this emergency incident.

WHITFIELD: Ok, so two things there. One, you thought it was safe enough to send a human in to make that kind of observation as opposed to the drones.

But then this discovery of the crack, does that tell you that this tank is that much more vulnerable because of this crack, or does it mean that it helps release some of the pressure so that that lessens the potential of an explosion?

How do you assess the value of that crack -- the value of discovering the crack?

MCGOVERN: Sure. It lessens the potential. It's a positive impact for us. Now we're more of a low pressure than a high pressure. So that was a positive enhancement. With that crack we're knowing that the pressure is not there that was initially thought. So that was a positive thing for us. Your first question about getting our firefighters in there. So we did

a complete risk assessment. We looked at the drone footage and we saw avenues, opportunities to go after it.

We evaluated those. We did our risk assessment, like I said, and we were able to come up with a plan to go in safely based off our SMEs experience and what they were seeing to make that assessment.

WHITFIELD: Ok. Can we zero in on --

(CROSSTALKING)

WHITFIELD: Yes, go ahead. Let's zero in on that crack again. Does that mean that there is leakage that also comes from that crack or even vapors released from that crack.

MCGOVERN: We do not have any leakage right now and we do not have any vapors coming out. We have constant air monitoring going on right there. And it's all within normal limits.

Early on, it was venting like it should, but nothing is coming out of that crack at this time. It's just showing us that the pressure has potentially been relieved. And that's what we're vetting and validating right now.

WHITFIELD: All right. So pressure is one thing that you're monitoring, also the temperature because yesterday the temperature inside the tank was reaching into the 90s. We hear that the optimal is more in the 50s.

But what's the latest you can tell us about the inside temperatures, if you're able to moderate them? If they're exceeding the 90s right now? What can you say?

MCGOVERN: So from the get go, we were flowing copious amounts of water on there. And the temperature gauge, we weren't able to see it because we couldn't get in there. We had no visualization of the internal temperature.

All we could do is look at the external temperature of the tank, and we're monitoring that. But now since we went in, we were able to get a visualization of the internal temperature.

Well, there's still some concerns we got to look at because is the product now in a solidified state? Has it hardened in there? And how much of it is hardening?

But last night when we went in, the gauge maxes out at 100 degrees and that gauge was completely at 100 degrees. So we don't know if it was 105. We know it was over 100 degrees internally.

WHITFIELD: Ok. Already thousands have been evacuated. Many are staying in shelters, hotels this holiday weekend.

Do you anticipate to widen the evacuation area? Do you see that more people, somewhere in the circumference of this chemical plant would be evacuated in the coming days?

MCGOVERN: I do not see that. In fact, I see the opposite. We're going to know more once we can vet and validate. We have a team doing that right now.

With that crack that is decreasing the risk, I think you could potentially see a reduction in the evacuation zones, but we're not going to say that yet. We're still validating it. I do not see an increase.

WHITFIELD: All right. All this is very helpful. Thank you so much, Chief T.J. McGovern. Appreciate it. Continue to be safe, you and your crews out there.

MCGOVERN: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Coming up, a look at the key sticking points in an emerging peace deal under negotiation right now between Iran and the U.S.

[14:24:30]

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WHITFIELD: All right. We continue to follow breaking developments in the efforts to end the U.S. war with Iran.

Today, President Trump saying the U.S. is in no rush to reach a deal with Iran, and says the Strait of Hormuz will stay closed until an agreement with Tehran is reached and signed.

Some Republicans have been critical of this emerging deal, and others say it will require congressional approval.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. THOM TILLIS (R-NC): There are a lot of things that need to be explained, and as I've said before, any agreement with Iran that isn't subject to ratification by congress is going, I think, going to be doomed to fail, just like the agreement we're trying to replace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: With me now to talk more about these latest developments on the peace talks with Iran is Joel Rubin. He is a former deputy assistant secretary of state and the author of the book "Saving Democratic Foreign Policy" and "The Briefing Book". He is there on Substack as well. Great to see you, Joel.

[14:29:52]

JOEL RUBIN, FORMER DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE: You too, Fred. Thanks so much.

WHITFIELD: All right. So how did it go from largely negotiated yesterday to the president now saying no rush. [14:30:06]

RUBIN: Yeah. The schizophrenic president that we have is essentially negotiating in public once again. He needs to stop doing that. He needs to let his negotiators actually come to some level of agreement and then review it and then share it with our allies in the region and elsewhere. I believe with our European allies, quite frankly, even though they're on the side in this case and to get a firm agreement that he can then promote.

But he's not doing it. He's afraid of the temperature politically. He gets a couple of comments thrown at him on Twitter, and then he decides, maybe its not so good after all, when he hears some people who are not in that negotiating room. So it makes me very concerned that he's creating a diplomatic quagmire on his own.

WHITFIELD: The president just posted about his patience on social media. But then earlier, the U.S. secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said, I'm quoting now, "some good news," end quote, is coming in hours.

What does this say to you?

RUBIN: Not on the same page. Not at all. And you know, Fred, this in many ways has been the sort of Achilles heel of this whole policy going back to early January, when the president was thinking about using military force against Iran. He chose that as his tool, but he didn't incorporate a diplomatic program or political program and get our allies on board so that we could have a very robust engagement.

And so, he did the military. He didn't like the results. Clearly, he's trying to get out of this, but he does not have his team on board. And they weren't -- they weren't empowered to do the kind of work that we needed to do comprehensively to have a success.

So right now, theyre improvising. I'm very concerned that even if they do get a framework agreement, which process wise is the appropriate next step, but even if they get that, that there's no confidence anywhere that theyre going to be able to negotiate a fuller, comprehensive deal in that period.

WHITFIELD: And in some sort of deal, we know that among the things Iran wanted was, you know, U.S. money to help rebuild what was damaged from the U.S. and Israeli strikes. Do you see that as a concession the U.S. would ultimately make?

RUBIN: Boy, well, you know, it would be something, wouldn't it, if President Trump were to hand over tens of billions of dollars in cash after having spent years attacking the Obama administration for handing over sanctions relief in order to get a firm nuclear deal with Iran back a decade ago. But that may very well be where he's heading. We have to remember that sanctions are very powerful. Their comprehensive ones on Iran are blockading the Strait of Hormuz as well, is having a very significant impact on their financial situation as well. So I would counsel him to lift those sanctions carefully and do it in

a calibrated manner. Only if there is performance on the agreement, only if they clearly are going to pull back from the strait of not charge illegal taxes and fees on transiting ships, as well as make commitments on the nuclear program that show that they will permanently a never have a nuclear weapon.

WHITFIELD: Well, let's zero in on that because this White House has said that it wants Iran to give up nuclear weapons program, the ability to manufacture them, plus reopen the Strait of Hormuz. You know, deals are about compromise.

Does Iran maintain most of the leverage to get more of what it wants in any proposed peace deal?

RUBIN: So, you know what President Trump is now confronting is what President Obama confronted. And what, of course, prior to him, President Bush, even in those negotiations, confronted as well, which is that at some point, a president has to decide if they're willing to live with some level of nuclear capacity inside of Iran to get a deal that's firm, that prevents nuclear weapon.

Now, President Obama had one. President Trump pulled out of that in 2018. He's now trying to get that deal back, but in a stronger way. President Biden couldn't even restart that deal. It's very difficult.

And so, yeah, there is a lot of leverage all to go around. And for President Trump, he has to decide will he be willing to live with some level of nuclear capacity inside of Iran that can verifiably be certain that there's no weapon? And I don't think he's agreed to that yet. But I think he has to realize after this whole military action, we can't physically, militarily take that program out at the current status in how we're engaging.

WHITFIELD: All fascinating. Joel Rubin, thank you so much.

RUBIN: Thanks, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. New today, one of the White House's top GOP foes is speaking out after being defeated in President Trump's ongoing revenge tour.

Congressman Tom Massie of Kentucky, who lost his primary last week to a Trump-backed challenger, telling NBC News that he has zero regrets after breaking with the president on numerous issues, including the Epstein files and the war with Iran.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. THOMAS MASSIE (R-KY): I think the biggest crime I committed against the swamp, Kristen, was showing the American people that somebody on the right could join somebody on the left and get something done, which is releasing the Epstein files that everybody knew needed to be done.

[14:35:12] That's probably the only bill that's passed Washington, D.C., in the last 10 years that lobbyists haven't written. It was written by me and Ro Khanna, and we used the pressure of the American people to cross the aisle and get things done. That's when they decided I had to be taken out, that I was becoming effective. So they wanted to eliminate me.

And by the way, they couldn't buy my vote in 14 years. So they bought this seat. This was the most expensive race in congressional primary history. And at the end of this race, we were spending more per day, my side and the opposing side, we were spending more per day than most entire congressional races are spent for the entire cycle.

I'm worried that in November, this is going to cost the party a lot. But for me, it was completely worth it. And I've got seven more months to keep going against the grain, which means voting for principles and for people over party.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Massie's Kentucky opponent, Republican Ed Gallrein will face off against Democrat Melissa Strange this November.

All right, coming up, millions of Americans may need to keep their umbrellas handy this memorial day weekend. A powerful storm system is bringing heavy rain and travel headaches across the country.

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[14:41:06]

WHITFIELD: All right. Millions of people across the east are facing a flood threat as the chance for heavy rain stretches from New York to Florida.

CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar is tracking who needs to watch closely.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLISON CHINCHAR, CNN METEOROLOGIST: More than 50 million people are at risk of flooding today, across the eastern half of the country. That's due to several different low pressure systems that are really just going to continue to bring rain to some of these areas that have already had days in a row of rain showers.

They will continue through the evening, and you'll notice by about 10:00, 11:00 tonight, we've almost got this long line stretching from New York all the way back to Florida with some very heavy bands and even some strong thunderstorms kind of mixed in along that line. It will continue to spread off to the east as we go into Memorial Day with some of the heavier rain, at least in the morning hours across portions of the Northeast and the mid-Atlantic.

By the afternoon, more of those showers and thunderstorms fire up across the southeastern region of the country. The best potential for flooding exists kind of right through here in the Ohio Valley, stretching down to the Tennessee Valley, all the way down to the Gulf Coast. That's for today. But when we push into tomorrow, you'll notice it's a lot of the same states yet again, that have the potential for that flooding.

Overall, most of these areas expected to get about one to two inches of rain. Some could pick up three, four, or even five inches of rain. Keep in mind, this is on top of what some of these areas have already had, not just the last 24 or 48, but last 72 hours. So that ground is already saturated. It's really not going to take all that much to cause flooding, even simply one to two inches could be enough to cause some pounding on the roadways and things like that across many of these areas.

Now, all of those rain showers, all of the extra cloud cover is also keeping temperatures much cooler than they normally would be. Take New York, for example, high today, only in the mid 50s. The average is 73. Even Philadelphia only going to top out in the low 60s, they would normally be in the mid to upper 70s. D.C., Boston, Syracuse also looking at temperatures anywhere from five to 15 degrees cooler than they normally would be for this holiday weekend.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Yeah. Don't put away those jackets just yet.

Allison Chinchar, thank you so much.

All right. Up next, thousands of fans are packing Charlotte Motor Speedway today. We'll take you live to the track as NASCAR honors all time great Kyle Busch after his sudden death just days ago.

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[14:47:59]

WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back.

The Ebola outbreak is the second largest ever on record. The World Health Organization says at least 177 deaths are believed to be linked to the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and there are at least 750 suspected cases so far. Three Red Cross volunteers are believed to be the earliest fatalities after reportedly contracting the virus on a humanitarian mission back in March.

Efforts to prevent the spread of the virus have been hampered by a growing public backlash, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where a second Ebola treatment center was set ablaze on Saturday. Eighteen suspected Ebola patients are now unaccounted for after fleeing during the attack.

Here's CNN's Ben Hunte with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BEN HUNTE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Under armed guard, an ambulance transfers an Ebola victim to a cemetery in the DRC to be buried. Family members grieve at a distance as health workers in full protective gear lower the casket into the ground.

The Red Cross says it's carrying out what it calls safe and dignified burials, but these aren't the goodbyes that many families want. And at times, they've turned volatile.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Arriving at the health care structure, we experienced a lot of difficulties, including resistance from young people and the community. So, we were forced to alert the authorities that they could come to our aid just for safety.

HUNTE (voice-over): Anger is growing in some communities. An Ebola treatment center was set on fire by angry residents on Saturday, just days after another Ebola facility was burned down after family members were not allowed to retrieve the body of a loved one. Health care officials say the virus can still be transmitted even after death, and funerals can be super spreader events.

Ituri province, where most of the cases in the DRC are centered, has banned funeral wakes and gatherings of more than 50 people.

[14:50:03]

But with no vaccine for this strain, and the virus likely circulating for weeks before the outbreak was declared, Africa's CDC is warning of more misery to come. It says without urgent action, there could be anywhere from about 2,000 to 9,000 cases by day 100 of the outbreak. It also says funding can help to stop the spread.

DR. JEAN KASEYA, DIRECTOR, AFRICA CDC (through translator): We need $319 million to support the countries that are here and the at-risk countries in order to stop this epidemic. And we said that more than 75 percent of this money is for the DRC and Uganda.

HUNTE (voice-over): The U.N. Population Fund says women make up a large percentage of the cases, not only because of their work as nurses and midwives, but because of their role in the home.

LYDIA ZIGOMO, REGIONAL DIRECTOR, EAST AND SOUTHERN AFRICA, UNFPA: Women actually are representing more than 60 percent of the infections in this outbreak. And mainly that's because they're frontline responders at the home level. They're the ones nursing sick people. And they also are participating in traditional high-risk washing and burial practices.

HUNTE (voice-over): Africa's CDC says this Ebola outbreak is the second largest on record, which likely means many more burials, where safety and containment takes precedence over tradition and grief.

Ben Hunte, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: Thank you so much, Ben.

All right. Coming up, taking time this Memorial Day weekend to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Hear from Boy Scouts who spent this weekend honoring 130,000 veterans and their families.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:56:41]

WHITFIELD: On this Memorial Day weekend, CNN looks back at a group of World War Two veterans among the last survivors of the greatest generation who took part in D-Day. Their journey back to the French beaches of Normandy for the 80th anniversary of the historic landing was documented in a new CNN film, "Why We Dream". Here's a sneak peek.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I came home from the war. Never thinking I'd ever get married and meet the love of my life. Her name was Lola. Whatever Lola wanted, Lola got. I just loved her.

We had two boys and a girl. I got nine grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren. My kids were raised quite differently than I was raised. My dad never picked us up and played with us. He didn't know what love was. I never hesitated in telling my children I loved them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were so grateful to be alive. I guess we were all trying to make up for what happened during the war. More babies were born in the years right after the war than any other time in American history.

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WHITFIELD: Wow. Incredible to hear those voices. The CNN film, "Why We Dream: The Last Living Heroes Go Back" premieres tomorrow on Memorial Day at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, and the next day on the CNN app.

This Memorial Day weekend, as we pause to remember our fallen heroes, By Scouts in Oregon placed flags on 130,000 graves at Willamette National Cemetery. Every veteran resting there is being honored by scouts and service members from across Oregon. The project is the biggest of the year for the young scouts.

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GAVIN BAURAS, SCOUTS OF AMREICA WEBELOS: It's really cool, actually. It's just like its just like a bunch of red and blue and it's just so much. And it's just like overwhelming a little bit because like, there's just like so much.

ASA NAJDEK, YOUNG ADULT LEADER, SCOUTS OF AMERICA: I think it's a really good way to give back to the community, specifically veterans who do so much for us.

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WHITFIELD: Organizers of the event say this is a great opportunity for the kids to pay tribute this Memorial Day.

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WHITFIELD: Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me this Sunday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

Just moments ago, President Trump insisted that any peace agreement between the U.S. and Iran will be a good one, adding, he doesn't make bad deals.

Earlier today, in another Truth Social post, the president said, quote, "I have informed my representatives not to rush into a deal and that time is on our side. The blockade will remain in full force and effect until an agreement is reached, certified and signed."

On Saturday, the president said an agreement to end the war was largely negotiated, and the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened.