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CNN This Morning

Ukraine: At Least 12 Dead In Russian Attacks Amid Prisoner Swap; Zelenskyy: Goal Is To Bring Home All Prisoners Held By Russia; Sources: 100+ Natl. Security Council Staffers Put On Leave. Independent Pharmacies Face Rising Costs, Tariff Threats; Some Senate Republicans Signal Their Opposition To Budget Bill; Children's YouTuber Ms. Rachel Meets Double Amputee From Gaza; Remembering And Honoring Fallen Service Members. Aired 6-7a ET

Aired May 25, 2025 - 06:00   ET

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

[06:00:00]

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VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: Good morning. Welcome to CNN This Morning, Sunday, May 25th. I'm Victor Blackwell.

We're following developing news out of Ukraine, where Russia has launched another deadly aerial assault. Now, people there were forced to shelter in metro stations, as the missiles and the drones targeted the country.

Today marks five years since George Floyd was killed by a former Minneapolis Police officer. How Floyd's family and the community are honoring his memory? That's coming up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MISS RACHEL, YOUTUBE STAR AND EDUCATRO: The idea that caring for one group of children means that you don't care for another group of children is false, and it's so hurtful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: YouTube star and educator "Miss Rachel" has become increasingly outspoken about the war in Gaza and the impact on its children, but she says that has come at a price, online bullying.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES LAPAGLIA, DIGITAL SERVICES OFFICER, DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS: These American heroes deserve to be remembered and their stories to be told, just as any other veteran or service member.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: And meet the group of working folks who are honoring the sacrifice of service members killed overseas and bringing their stories closer to home. Starting this morning with Russia launching a deadly airstrike attack

across Ukraine, targeting the capital of Kyiv, and it's all happening during this three-day prisoner swap. Now, at least 12 people were killed and scores injured overnight, as a barrage of missiles and drones blanketed the region. People sought shelter in metro stations during the damage, as emergency workers responded. The deadly strikes escalated as Russia and Ukraine conducted the second phase of a major prisoner swap to return 1,000 soldiers to each side. Moments ago, Russia and Ukraine announced they have completed the final phase of the exchange.

Let's go now to CNN Correspondent Paula Hancocks. Paula, tell us about the latest attacks.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Victor, it's basically a day of superlatives. We're looking at what was the largest aerial assault from Russia to Ukraine on the same day as we're also seeing this largest prisoner exchange between the two countries.

I want to start on the positive, the fact that more than 300 more soldiers on either side have been released to their respective countries. Now, this was confirmed just within the last hour from Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian leader, saying 303 Ukrainian defenders are home. Now, this was the one positive that came out of that direct meeting between the Russians and Ukrainians last week in Istanbul. It was really the only positive that came out from that meeting. But, we have seen that 1,000 from each side being repatriated, the

biggest number we've seen since February 2022 when the invasion first happened.

But, it does come at a time that we are seeing these deadly assaults. First of all, though, I want to play for you what we heard from the Ukrainian leader yesterday after the second phase of this prisoner exchange. Let's listen.

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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (Interpreted): The task is to bring home absolutely everyone who is currently held in Russia. And this is a joint task for our intelligence services, for our diplomats, for our entire state. Clearly, it's not an easy task, but it must be accomplished. I'm grateful to everyone around the world who is helping us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANCOCKS: But, it does come at a time when we are seeing a deadly weekend across Ukraine, overnight Saturday into Sunday. We understand that there were some 13 regions around the country that were impacted, Kyiv, the capital as well. Air raid sirens were sounding throughout the night. In fact, at one point, officials said to stay in shelters for the early hours of Sunday morning. Now, according to the Air Force, almost 70 missiles, almost 300 drones were targeted against Ukraine. Many of them were intercepted, but those that got through were deadly. We know at least 12 were killed at this point. We know that children were among the dead and the injured as well. We heard from the foreign minister saying it's a difficult Sunday morning in Ukraine after a sleepless night.

So, we really are seeing some significant assaults on Ukraine at this point.

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The Air Force saying it's ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, drones that were fired from both ships and planes, leading to that very sleepless night across Ukraine, and in particular in Kyiv, the capital.

Now, we did hear on Friday from U.S. President Donald Trump talking about these prisoner exchanges, saying this could lead to something big, a question mark. Those on the ground say it probably will not. Victor.

BLACKWELL: All right. Paula Hancocks reporting for us. Thank you.

Sources tell CNN that the White House put more than 100 National Security Council officials on administrative leave on Friday. These staffers were given just a few minutes to clear out their desks.

CNN's Julia Benbrook has details.

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JULIA BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: President Donald Trump and his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, who is also his acting National Security Advisor, have ordered a major overhaul of the National Security Council. We've learned that more than 100 NSC staffers have been placed on administrative leave, and among those placed on leave are career officials as well as political hires during the Trump administration. Now, the NSC plays a critical role in the coordination of the President's foreign policy agenda and is staffed by foreign policy experts from various parts of the U.S. government. They have had a diminished role under Trump, though, and that will likely be reduced even more following these overhauls.

Now, according to an administration official, those who are being dismissed received an email on the Friday before the long holiday weekend, around 04:00 p.m., telling them that they had about 30 minutes to remove their things and leave, and if they were off campus at the time, that they could write in and schedule a time to pick up their belongings as well as drop off devices. Now, the headline, the subject line of that email, said your return to home agency, indicating that most of those affected, were detailed to the NSC from various other departments and agencies.

Traveling with the President in New Jersey, Julia Benbrook, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: All right. We're joined now by CNN Military Analyst and retired U.S. Air Force Colonel, Cedric Leighton. Colonel, good morning to you.

So, let's start here with the NSC restructure. We'll call it that. What's the potential impact? Do fewer staffers equate to less secure?

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST, & U.S. AIR FORCE (RET.): Well, that could be the case, Victor. Good morning to you. The big issue here with the NSC is that these people that are actually part of the NSC organization are among the best and the brightest that all of the federal agencies that are represented, and that includes several of the intelligence agencies, as well as representatives from the Treasury Department, Commerce, other departments throughout the government. Those people are truly among the most important folks that are very much in line for promotions within those agencies.

So, that talent pool is one that is, I think, a very select group, and it is also a talent pool that is very hard to come by. The expertise that is grown by these people is, that is represented by them, is something that you don't find anywhere else. So, this is, once again, really part of the war on experts that we're seeing within this administration. So, it could very well equate this curtailment of these employees. It could very well equate to a lack of security, or at least a diminishing of our ability to maintain a secure U.S.

BLACKWELL: It's interesting, and I think she put this in the right framework when Paula said this is a story or a weekend of superlatives, where we seeing the largest prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine, but also the largest phalanx of these drones that are being deployed to attack Ukraine as well. Reconcile those two in this environment.

LEIGHTON: Yeah. This is a really interesting aspect of the war in Ukraine, Victor, because the prisoner swaps have actually been going on almost since the start of this conflict. So, the Russians and the Ukrainians, the one thing they seem to be able to agree on is the fact that they need to and want to exchange prisoners. Now, some of these prisoners, as you can tell when you look at them, have been in Russian captivity for quite some time, and the Russian prisoners that we see here are also -- some of them have also been subjected to captivity for some time.

But, the key thing is this. That is one part of the strategy that Putin is employing in this war. The other part is very much to exercise pressure, to exert pressure on the Ukrainians. And what may be happening here is that the Russians are getting ready to mount some kind of a summer offensive.

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Where exactly that will occur, is the subject of some debate. Some guesses are that it may take place just north of the Kharkiv region, out of the Belgorod region in Russia. That could mean that the Russians are trying to gain territory. It's something that is a goal that has basically been part of their operation ever since their main goal of taking Kyiv was thwarted back at the beginning of this conflict. So, that is one of the key aspects here. On the one hand, prisoners are exchanged because there is basically

not much value that they can gain from them anymore. On the other hand, they are pressuring Ukraine to basically give up as much territory as they could possibly gain on the Russian side, and that is what we're seeing here. We're seeing, in essence, a two-pronged approach that will give the Russians greater efforts, greater possibilities in their effort to gain more territory.

BLACKWELL: And so, when the President, President Trump, posts on social media suggesting that this could lead to something big, that this prisoner swap could lead to some progress, maybe he is grasping at any positive sign, hoping to make progress in these talks with Russia and Ukraine to get to a ceasefire deal. But, it sounds like you're suggesting these two are irreconcilable, and one does not suggest progress toward peace.

LEIGHTON: Yeah. That is correct. Absolutely, Victor. Yeah. These are irreconcilable aspects of the conflict, and we cannot really take the position that this is going to lead to peace, unfortunately. There is a lot more that has to happen in order to get to that point.

BLACKWELL: Colonel Cedric Leighton, thank you.

Five years later, lessons have been learned, but the memories still fresh after the murder of George Floyd sparked a nationwide movement.

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ALFRED FLOWERS JR., MINNEAPOLIS YOUTH COACH: And I remember at that moment the level of excitement that people felt, it sounds crazy, but literally, the excitement that people felt that they were taking the power back from the Minneapolis Police Department.

MEDARIA ARRADONDO, FORMER MINNEAPOLIS POLICE CHIEF: I look back five years, if there is things I would have done differently, I would have pushed harder and sooner at trying to dismantle some of the toxic culture that allowed that indifference to exist.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Across Minneapolis, hundreds of people gathered to remember Floyd's life and reflect on what has changed. CNN Marybel Gonzalez explains what happens next, as the city grows from the tragedy and the controversy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARYBEL GONZALEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With voices raised in song and flowers laid in remembrance, Minneapolis is marking five years since the death of George Floyd and the racial reckoning that followed. Protesters across the country called for an end to police brutality.

GOV. TIM WALZ, (D) MINNESOTA: The change that we want to see has not come. Let's just all acknowledge, progress on the issue of equity and basic human and civil rights, that's kind of a more than nothing proposition.

GONZALEZ (voice-over): Now, new complications. Earlier this week, the Department of Justice halted its oversight of police reform in several cities, including Minneapolis.

MAYOR JACOB FREY, (D) MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: Minneapolis is serious about our commitment to police reform, even if the President of the United States is not.

GONZALEZ (voice-over): Derek Chauvin, the officer responsible for George Floyd's death, is currently serving two concurrent 20 plus year sentences. A state jury convicted him of murder. He pleaded guilty to federal civil rights violations, netting him more than two decades in prison. Some conservatives are calling for a federal pardon.

CHARLIE KIRK, HOST, THE CHARLIE KIRK SHOW: Well, I think the reason that I'm advocating for the pardon is because Derek Chauvin is not guilty.

GONZALEZ (voice-over): President Trump has not indicated he would pardon Chauvin. If it happened, Chauvin would remain in prison on state charges. Still, the idea frustrated Floyd's family, as they struggle to move on.

PHILONISE FLOYD, BROTHER OF GEORGE FLOYD: We need people to hold police accountable. That's the bottom line.

I'm Marybel Gonzalez reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Authorities in Louisiana continue to search for the inmates who escaped from a New Orleans jail, and now they're making more arrests going after people they say helped the escapees. Plus, last week brought explosive testimony in the trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs. What to expect when testimony resumes later this week. And this is Memorial Day weekend. There is a new way to remember service members who are buried overseas.

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BLACKWELL: A San Diego man was one of six people killed when a small jet crashed into a neighborhood on Thursday. Dominic Damien's family confirmed yesterday that he was on board. His longtime jujitsu instructor said he was a black belt with natural talent and a thoughtful person. 24-year-old Kendall Fortner was also identified as one of the victims. A preliminary crash report will be posted on the NTSB website within 30 days. A full report is expected in a year or two.

The Department of Justice is suing four cities in New Jersey, Newark, Jersey City, Paterson and Hoboken. Now, the agency says their sanctuary policies for undocumented immigrants break federal law, and a lawsuit filed Thursday claims that these cities make it harder to enforce immigration rules.

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Newark Mayor Ras Baraka called the move absurd. He said that local police should not be used as federal agents and that the courts have already ruled that is not a city's role.

Sources tell CNN, the 10 inmates who broke out of a New Orleans jail used electric hair trimmers with multiple clipper blades to help their way -- break their way through the cell's walls. Authorities have captured five of the escaped inmates who are now being held at the maximum security Louisiana State Penitentiary. Five more are still on the run. And as law enforcement searches for the escapees, they're also tracking anyone who helps them, allegedly. Investigators have arrested seven people so far, but they say that more will likely be taken into custody.

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VOICE OF BRIAN FAIR, U.S. MARSHAL'S OFFICE: Some of the people we're dealing with are acting like it's a joke or a Grand Theft Auto game. It's not. These are dangerous people. Many of them already have convictions of serious nature. Some of them have pending rape charges, murder charges, you name it. I mean, it's -- they're a danger to the community.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Louisiana officials say they are also sending auditors to the Orleans Justice Center to investigate the escape.

The federal sex trafficking and racketeering case against music mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs is on pause for Memorial Day. But, the break -- before the break, I should say, jurors heard key testimony from several witnesses, including the mother of Combs' ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, his former assistant, and rapper Kid Cudi.

CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister has more on what happened in court. Elizabeth.

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ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Victor. It was a big week in the Sean Combs trial. Of course, the first week's star witness, Cassie Ventura, taking the stand for four days. Well, this second week was a lot of witnesses corroborating parts of Cassie Ventura's account. We heard from her mother. We heard from her ex-boyfriend, Kid Cudi, who alleged on the stand that Sean Combs blew up his car and broke into his home because he was jealous when he found out that Cassie Ventura and he were dating for a brief period of time. Now, to back up his testimony, the jury actually saw photos of Kid Cudi's car after this explosion. He says that a Molotov cocktail was thrown into the car. And he said to the jury, he believes it was Sean Combs doing and that it was intentional. Now, we also heard from two former assistants of Sean Combs, one who

worked for Combs Enterprises, another who worked for Bad Boy Records. Now, one of these assistants, George Kaplan, he was on the stand over the course of two days, and he said that even though he learned so much from Sean Combs, still respects him to this day, and it was his dream job. He said that he had to leave the company after two years because he witnessed violence.

He says that he witnessed Sean Combs physically assaulting Cassie. One of those times was on his private jet, and he also said that he witnessed Sean Combs assaulting another girlfriend named Gina. He said that he saw Sean Combs throwing green apples at her, and he said that he was throwing them very hard. He had never seen anything like this, and he didn't want to be associated with this. So, he put in his notice and left the company.

Now, the jury also heard from a hotel worker, who is the manager of a luxury hotel in Beverly Hills called the L'Ermitage. This is a hotel that Sean Combs would frequent throughout the year. And the hotel manager, he was shown by the prosecution a series of hotel logs that gave details from when Sean Combs stayed at that hotel over the years.

Now, I want to read you some of these messages that the jury was read, these notes that the hotel took in real time, as Sean Combs was staying there. One of them says, "Always spills candle wax on everything and uses excessive amounts of oil, place the room out of order upon departure for deep cleaning." Another one says, "Please authorize an extra $1,000 when guest stays with us to cover any room damages." Now, why is this important? Well, the prosecution has alleged that these so-called freak-offs are at the center of their criminal case, and what have they said was needed at these freak-offs, supplies, such as baby oil and candle wax.

So, what the prosecution is aiming to do here is paint this picture for the jury that Sean Combs was allegedly engaging in these freak- offs across the years and across different cities and different hotels. Now, of course, what they still have to prove is that these freak-offs were coerced, that he coerced women into them, and that they weren't done voluntary. Of course, Sean Combs' team saying from the very start, these are all consensual relationships, and that he did nothing wrong.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: All right. Elizabeth Wagmeister, thank you very much.

Coming up, some local pharmacies say President Trump's proposed tariffs on prescription drugs could be the final blow for them.

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(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BLACKWELL: Independent pharmacies say they may not be able to survive

the impacts of President Trump's trade war. Now, the tariffs are aimed at bringing drug production to the United States, but they could drive some independent pharmacies out of business.

CNN's Julia Vargas Jones explains why.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SONA KAZANGIAN, PHARMACIST, DISCOUNT MEDICAL PHARMACY: There is not a single bottle that I pull up here that doesn't say made in China or made in India. The generics, I think, probably about 80 percent of it or more is made in other countries.

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The threat of tariffs for this slice of the healthcare industry looms large, but it's just one of many challenges independent pharmacists like Sona Kazangian now face.

KAZANGIAN: It's very difficult for us to survive.

JONES (voice-over): Her father started the business 41 years ago. Now she's fighting to keep it open among razor-thin profit margins in what she calls a broken reimbursement system.

KAZANGIAN: There are drugs that I don't even buy anymore because I already know that there is no plan that reimburses me even at cost, much less at a profit.

JONES (voice-over): That reimbursement is set by pharmacy benefit managers or PBMs, companies that act as middlemen between insurers and pharmacies.

KAZANGIAN: They control, you know, what the patient pays as a co-pay. They control what we as the pharmacy receives as payment. These entities are paying us less than what the drug costs for us to buy it.

JONES (voice-over): This business model is not sustainable for the pharmacies, experts say, but often more profitable for PBMs.

ROBIN FELDMAN, PROFESSOR OF LAW, UNIV. OF CALIFORNIA SAN FRANCISCO LAW: PBMs are paid by the discount they get. So they've learned that if prices rise, they get a better discount and their pay goes up.

JONES: So, can they benefit from higher prices of medication?

FELDMAN: If the prices rise because of tariffs or for any other reason, they will do better.

JONES (voice-over): If enacted, the cost of tariffs on those drugs would be passed down from manufacturer to wholesaler to pharmacy, squeezing these businesses even further.

KAZANGIAN: We don't really know exactly what's going to happen, but I think all independent pharmacies have thought about this issue. If you're acquiring this drug now for X dollars more because of a tariff, the likelihood that the PBM is going to pay me X dollars more to make up for that is probably slim.

JONES (voice-over): But the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association says PBMs generate at least $148 billion in savings for the healthcare system annually and support independent pharmacies through innovative programs to increase reimbursement on prescription drugs. Earlier this month, the National Community Pharmacists Association issued a statement saying that unless the federal government ensures that PBM pharmacy reimbursements are increased to reflect higher costs, the ripple effect of tariffs could be fewer pharmacies, stranded patients and inadequate pharmacy networks for Medicare and Medicaid.

A grim prognosis for institutions that play a vital role in so many communities.

KAZANGIAN: In parts of this country that are very rural or not very accessible, those pharmacies are really the only like medical facilities that exist. So those patients are really going to, they're really going to suffer.

JONES (voice-over): Julia Vargas Jones, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: So, House Republicans celebrated narrowly passing President Trump's so-called Big, Beautiful Bill last week, but Republican senators, they're more cautious. Some of more skeptical.

In order to pass a compromise bill, Republican senators can lose only a few votes.

Joining me now is congressional reporter for The Hill, Mychael Schnell. Mychael, welcome back.

So, let's start here. The House Republicans are asking, in some case, warning Senate Republicans, do not water down the bill. The Senate Republicans are already, some of them not on board with the Medicaid reform. They're not on board with some of the state and local tax deduction caps.

So, walk us through the most contentious points here and where this likely goes.

MYCHAEL SCHNELL, CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER, THE HILL: Yes. Hey, Victor, good morning. I think the two most contentious points are the ones that you just mentioned right there, Medicaid and the state and local tax deduction cap.

Starting with Medicaid, we know that there are a bunch of moderate Republicans in the Senate and even not so moderate, people like Josh Hawley, who have been warning for months now that if you significantly change Medicaid and kick a number of people off the social safety net program, we are going to vote against this. Hawley has been one of the most outspoken voices against significant

Medicaid cuts. Well, while the House bill did not go extremely far in some of the changes it could have done, and I'm talking about changing, for example, the amount of federal funds the government gives states for Medicaid, it did implement a pretty significant beefed up work requirements, ones that the Congressional Budget Office is predicting could kick off millions of Americans off of Medicaid. So that is likely to be a very fierce fight once this bill actually starts getting looked through in the Senate.

And then there's that other issue you mentioned, the state and local tax deduction cap. It's known as SALT. This is an issue that's really important for a number of Republicans from high tax blue states, think places like New York, New Jersey, California, to let folks increase their deduction off their taxes.

Well, the Republicans in the House had cut a deal with Speaker Johnson to quadruple the state and local tax deduction cap. Those Republicans are hoping that stays the case once it hits the Senate. The only problem is, Victor, there are no Republicans from those high-tax blue states in the Senate.

[06:35:12]

So really, SALT has no Republican champions in the Senate, which means likely we're going to see something watered down in that area.

BLACKWELL: And so what -- to what extent does the president have influence over Senate Republicans that we saw him exercise over the House Republicans if he needs to pull a few people along?

SCHNELL: I think that we'll have to see what that exactly looks like. Really, we know that the President has extreme sway over House Republicans. In fact, earlier this week, Republicans were saying they were planning to vote against this bill.

President Trump came to Capitol Hill. He spoke to House Republicans one-on-one. A number of them, both hardline conservatives and moderates, still said they were planning to vote against the bill.

What it took was a very intimate meeting between the President and a number of those hardliners on Wednesday to actually get them over the finish line and get them to vote for this bill. Will that sway be the same in the Senate? We're just going to have to see.

We did get a good indication that there is a handful of Senate Republicans who are willing to buck President Trump's call when we are looking at nomination votes. Remember Mitch McConnell, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski. Those are folks who are willing to vote against some of Trump's nominees. Will that be the same with his agenda package and how do some of these negotiations go down? We're going to have to see, but absolutely the President's sway is going to be a significant factor in this entire conversation.

BLACKWELL: Speaking of nominations, retiring Democratic Senator Dick Durbin says that he is placing a hold on the President's nominee for U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida. And he says he's just following the example set by then Senator J.D. Vance, who did the same thing during the Biden administration.

Is it clear why and is it going to be limited to just this nominee?

SCHNELL: I think we're still going to have to see that.

Look, we do oftentimes see senators from both parties use procedural tactics to their advantage when we're talking about different political issues and depending on who is in the White House. So, we're going to have to see if this does expand and what Dick Durbin's true reasoning behind this is.

But I will note that this is something that we've seen both parties do. We've seen it go back and forth depending on who's in political power. And it's just sort of something that's often done in the Senate.

BLACKWELL: Let's talk Harvard now. The President posted on social media at about 1:00 a.m. this morning. Why is it Harvard saying that almost 31 percent of their students are from foreign lands? He puts in all caps. We want those names and countries.

Well, the State Department issues the student visas, so they've got the names and the countries. The government has the ICE runs the student and exchange visitors program. So, they know the percentage of students at Harvard who are international students.

Are congressional Republicans as animated by this fight with Harvard as the President appears to be?

SCHNELL: I think it depends on how you look at it. And I will note this latest example of the President's, you know, sort of crusade against Harvard. We haven't really gotten the chance to get too much congressional reaction because Congress has been out of session since that happened. And these lawmakers don't like to post the reactions to something unless it's a controversial thing that they don't want to be pressed on.

But I will note sort of the sparring with Harvard dates back a lot to what happened on Capitol Hill. It was back in 2023 when Elise Stefanik had that really viral moment now where she was questioning the university presidents from Harvard and other elite universities about anti-Semitism on their campuses, which ended up in the resignation of a number of those presidents, including from Harvard.

So, we do know that Republicans on Capitol Hill have been very critical of Harvard, the way that Harvard's, you know, led its campus and in different ways. But President Trump has sort of kicked that up a notch with these different tax things that he's done with them and now going after foreign students there.

We're going to see how far this goes and how, you know, how much longevity this issue has. But certainly on Capitol Hill, I'm sure that it will, you know, it will excite some Republicans, but also likely see some moderates pump the brakes and say this may be going a little bit too far.

BLACKWELL: Also, important to point out that the President was very supportive of highly skilled immigrants during the campaign and has now turned that around by trying to keep these students out of Harvard University or off the campus.

Mychael Schnell, thank you so much.

Still to come, YouTube star Ms. Rachel is using her fame to help the youngest refugees of the Gaza war and opens up about the online bullying she suffered because of it.

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BLACKWELL: YouTube star and children's educator, Ms. Rachel says that she faced backlash for supporting children in Gaza and other war zones.

She's a popular social media creator and she recently met with a three-year-old double amputee evacuated from Gaza. At that meeting, just part of Ms. Rachel's push to help children, a campaign that she says has sparked online bullying.

CNN's Meena Duerson reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MS. RACHEL, POPULAR CHILDREN'S YOUTUBER: Let's go back to sleep, Rahaf. We're so tired.

MEENA DUERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is Ms. Rachel hanging out with her new friend, Rahaf.

[06:45:05]

MS. RACHEL: Can you nod, yes?

DUERSON (voice-over): And Rahaf is a 3-year-old double amputee from Gaza. She lost her legs when her home was bombed, and months later was medically evacuated to the U.S.

(FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

DUERSON (voice-over): Ms. Rachel saw a video of the little girl, now living with her mom and a host family in Missouri, watching her show.

MS. RACHEL: She's just so precious. She was hopping like a bunny, and, you know, she was kind of hopping on the couch.

DUERSON (voice-over): And arranged to have Rahaf come visit her in New York.

Rahaf is part of a new group of fans Ms. Rachel discovered last year. Refugees of the war in Gaza. MS. RACHEL: I was tagged in a video of a toddler and a brother and a sister watching in a tent. And I saw the toddler swaying, and the little girl smile, and I was just so touched that I could bring a little bit of joy to them during unimaginable circumstances.

DUERSON: Did you know that you had this audience?

MS. RACHEL: No, I was completely surprised. Someone wrote, this made me realize that these kids are like mine, and like ours.

And I know so many parents that enjoy our show feel the same way. They say as a mom, I just think about, I see my babies.

All children are worthy --

DUERSON (voice-over): She's posted more and more about Gaza as the war has gone on. Highlighting the humanitarian crisis, and launching a fundraiser for kids. She's gotten supportive comments, but there's also been backlash.

MS. RACHEL: The bullying is so bad. It's so bad. But I can handle this.

DUERSON: You seemed very emotional about the bullying that you said you'd gotten for speaking out.

MS. RACHEL: The idea that caring for one group of children means that you don't care for another group of children is false. And it's so hurtful, because I care so deeply for all kids.

DUERSON (voice-over): In April, an advocacy group called Stop Anti- Semitism called her a mouthpiece for Hamas. A group accused you of essentially acting as a foreign agent, and asked the attorney general to investigate you for spreading propaganda.

MS. RACHEL: Obviously, that's not true. I care deeply about all children, Israeli, Palestinian, Jewish, Muslim, Christian. I wouldn't be Ms. Rachel if I didn't speak up for them, and speak up for all of them.

This is a prayer for all the children, please stop hurting them --

DUERSON (voice-over): Ms. Rachel has also used her platform to express grief over the deaths of Israeli children, and said she's met with the family of hostages still in captivity.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She's keeping the walker with her.

DUERSON (voice-over): Here in the U.S., Rahaf was fit for prosthetics, and has learned how to walk again.

A group called Palestine Children's Relief Fund helped her and her mom get out. But her dad and two brothers are still in Gaza.

(FOREIGN LANGUAGE) MS. RACHEL: Anything is possible for Rahaf. She has healthy food, and she has clean water, and she has wonderful medical care. This girl is thriving.

We have to do this for all kids, because they all deserve that.

DUERSON (voice-over): Meena Duerson, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Still to come this Memorial Day, the VA has a new project to ensure that those service members who were buried overseas are remembered back home.

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[06:53:11]

BLACKWELL: The nation's preparing to honor and remember service members tomorrow. And there's a new partnership between the VA and the American Battle Monuments Commission.

This is helping to tell the stories of veterans buried far from home. They've created an online memorial where families can add photos and mementos and keep a veteran's memory alive.

CNN's Karen Kaifa breaks down how it works.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm walking towards the grave of Ellen Ainsworth. She's buried here in Plot C.

KAREN KAIFA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The final resting place of U.S. Army Second Lieutenant Ellen Ainsworth is far from her hometown of Glenwood City, Wisconsin.

But the World War II Army nurse still draws visitors at Sicily-Rome American Cemetery.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, as we take this sand and rub this across her name, for a family member it creates this physical and emotional connection.

KAIFA (voice-over): Sicily-Rome American Cemetery, about 40 miles south of Rome, is one of the cemeteries administered by the American Battle Monuments Commission, which maintains monuments to more than 200,000 of the nation's fallen heroes outside of the United States, including the sites like Paris and Normandy.

BEN BRANDS, HISTORIAN, AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMENTS COMMISSION: They are powerful sites of remembrance that are an incredible place to visit and honor the dead of World War I and World War II. However, our audience is the American people, and many Americans will never get the chance to physically journey to one of our cemeteries. KAIFA (voice-over): The American Battle Monuments Commission has now partnered with the Department of Veterans Affairs to bring the stories of these service members closer to home using the VA's Digital Veterans Legacy Memorial.

JAMES LAPAGLIA, DIGITAL SERVICES OFFICER, DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS: These American heroes deserve to be remembered and their stories to be told just as any other veteran or service member.

KAIFA (voice-over): Launched in 2019, VA Program Officer James LaPaglia says the digital database is intended to make the stories of every U.S. veteran more interactive, more vivid, and more accessible.

[06:55:05]

LAPAGLIA: We wanted to take the cemetery experience beyond the confines of a gate or a cemetery wall.

KAIFA (voice-over): With their data, the VA has created online memorial pages for more than 10 million U.S. service members in VA and VA grant-funded cemeteries, Department of Defense cemeteries like Arlington National Cemetery, and other sites like the cemeteries abroad.

Family members, friends, and the public can submit photos and mementos to populate each page and share a veteran's story.

Like Ainsworth's, which ended in February 1944 in Italy. While her hospital was under attack, she moved her patients to safety and died from her own injuries days later.

A story Mark Ireland (ph), superintendent of the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery, says still inspires.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That idea of fighting to the very end, not giving up.

KAIFA (voice-over): And is just one of many to be honored by generations to come.

In Washington, I'm Karen Kaifa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: All right, there's much more ahead on the next hour of "CNN This Morning Weekend."

A grim milestone will take you to George Floyd Square, five years after the death that sparked nationwide protests.

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