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U.S. And South Korea Alliance Under Pressure Ahead Of White House Meeting; Protesters Add Color To Orlando's Pulse Crosswalk After Removal; Tommy Fleetwood Wins Tour Championship for First PGA Title. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired August 25, 2025 - 05:30   ET

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

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[05:30:10]

MJ LEE, CNN ANCHOR: In the coming hours U.S. President Donald Trump is set to host South Korean President Lee Jae Myung for their first summit.

The issue of paying for the nearly 30,000 U.S. troops in South Korea is certain to be addressed and so is their mission. The White House wants more flexibility allowing them to shift their focus to China if needed. President Lee says it's not going to be easy to agree to that demand.

And also on the agenda the newly forged $150 billion partnership to "make American shipbuilding great again." South Korea claims the package was instrumental in lowering Trump's proposed tariffs from 25 to 15 percent.

And for more on what is at stake I'm joined now by Jean Lee, former Seoul bureau chief at the Associated Press and presidential chair at the East-West Center. Jean comes to us live from Honolulu. Jean, it is so great to have you joining us this morning.

This is shaping up to be a significant first test on the global stage for the South Korean president. Lee Jae Myung has only been in the presidency for a couple of months, so he's really not had global exposure quite like this.

Set the stage for us a little bit on how President Lee got here following, of course, a period of dramatic political turmoil in South Korea.

JEAN LEE, FORMER SEOUL BUREAU CHIEF, ASSOCIATED PRESS, PRESIDENTIAL CHAIR, EAST-WEST CENTER: Yes, really a significant milestone for him. His first trip to the United States since taking office in early June. His first bilateral meeting with President Trump. And all of this -- the stakes are high because it's coming after months of this political turmoil.

The -- his predecessor, as people may remember, in early December attempted to impose martial law. It was a failure, and it certainly caused a lot of upheaval. He was eventually impeached. It set the country into political paralysis, and it was really distracting. It was very hard for the government to move forward at a time when we had President Trump coming back into office. So at a time when they needed to really start negotiating and getting in -- getting to know the president.

So he was elected in a snap election after a few months of campaigning and didn't have a transition at all, so had to hit the ground running -- and I think had to govern immediately at the same time that he had to try to heal this political division in South Korea. So he's still dealing with that and trying to really make up for lost time when it comes to getting the country back on track in terms of the economy, on national security, and on foreign policy.

And absolutely, I think this is a major foreign policy test for him. We haven't seen him much on the international stage. But what I can tell you is that he seems very well prepared. He's got a strong circle of very experienced diplomats and advisers around him. And he did say that he was going to be reading "The Art of the Deal" on the plane on the way to D.C., so I think he's prepared. He's got a lot of people who have had some experience with President Trump in the first administration.

M. LEE: Hmm. OK, so maybe he'll be very prepared -- but still, Jean, a bilateral meeting with President Trump always has the possibility of going sideways. And I assume that the president's team -- President Lee's team, that is, almost certainly has been trying to prepare for elements of the unexpected.

What do you think President Lee wants the most from President Trump heading into today, and vice-versa, too? What do you suspect President Trump most wants to get out of this summit?

J. LEE: Well, we know that President Trump likes a deal, right? So he is going to want to -- he is going to want to come out of this with a deal of some sort, and I think that he believes that there is a sweet deal to be had here.

You know, we have to remember that South Korea, in a generation, has become what he routinely calls a rich country, right? It's a -- it's a country that has a long relationship with the United States, and I would say that is in great part to the support financially and militarily that the United States has provided. So he's coming into this also wanting to make sure that South Korea is paying for the U.S. troops that are based in South Korea, so that's going to be part of the discussion.

Now as for President Lee, he's coming prepared because in this generation that South Korea has become one of the world's largest economies there are certain assets that he is coming prepared to showcase. One of them is shipbuilding. So that is an area that really meets this intersection between a military asset and an investment opportunity.

Now, China is the world's largest shipbuilder, but South Korea is number two, and they're an ally of the United States. So he's going to be coming prepared to offer a package that is perhaps going to provide the United States with the investment and/or the expertise that the United States might need to get shipbuilding back on track to meet the demand posed by this U.S.-China rivalry, especially in the Indo- Pacific.

[05:35:12]

So that is something -- you know, President Lee is coming with a phalanx of business leaders of some of the biggest conglomerates in the world and they are going to come prepared, I believe, to back up their president with some deals that I think are going to be hard to ignore and are going to make it easier for President Lee to negotiate a -- maybe a bit of a waiver when it comes to the tariffs that are -- that are bond to be coming down the pike.

So, yes, absolutely, they are -- both sides are going to be ready for a discussion that covers a lot of really thorn issues in terms of the military -- an agreement that goes back decades -- but also looking for ways that South Korea now given its economic might can play a role both in terms of helping to secure supply chains and helping the U.S. military get to where it wants to be in terms of its naval strength.

M. LEE: All right, Jean Lee. We'll see if those intensive preparations pay off for President Lee. So good to see you this morning. Thank you.

J. LEE: Thank you so much.

M. LEE: And the state of Florida has painted over this rainbow crosswalk memorial honoring the victims of the mass shooting at an Orlando nightclub. Coming up we'll show you how protesters are attempting to restore its color.

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[05:41:10]

M. LEE: The site of one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history is now a point of political tension between the state of Florida and the Orlando community. This after the state painted over a rainbow crosswalk outside the city's Pulse nightclub. The rainbow was a memorial for the 49 people killed at the LGBTQ-friendly club in 2016. Protesters used chalk, as you can see there, this week to add color back to the crosswalk.

The removal is part of an effort by the state and the Trump administration to cover up what they call asphalt art. They justified their actions as a safety measure to remove distractions from roads.

CNN's Rafael Romo has the latest.

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RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The effort to remove pavement surface art traces back to at least June when the Florida Department of Transportation issued a memo prohibiting crosswalk markings, including rainbow crosswalks and others. The memo said that pavement art that is "associated with social, political or ideological messages or images and does not serve the purpose of traffic control" would be prohibited.

CNN affiliate WESH, in Orlando, witnessed the moment Wednesday night into Thursday morning when Florida state workers removed the rainbow crosswalk in Orlando outside the Pulse nightclub. The rainbow crosswalk was painted to commemorate the 49 people killed at the LGBTQ-friendly nightclub in 2016. Orlando marked the ninth anniversary of the tragedy only two months ago.

Orlando officials and members of the LGBTQ community in the area have condemned the state's actions. One of those criticizing the move is Florida State Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, the first out LGBTQ Latino elected to the Florida legislature.

CARLOS GUILLERMO SMITH, FLORIDA STATE SENATOR: They illegally vandalized city property without providing the city of Orlando notice or getting their approval to remove this rainbow crosswalk that was painted here not only to remember the lives of the 49 mostly LGBTQ people of color who were murdered here.

ROMO: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis responded directly to the senator's post on X saying the following. "We will not allow our state roads to be commandeered for political purposes."

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer also condemned the removal of the rainbow crosswalk. "This callous action of hastily removing part of a memorial to what was at the time our nation's largest mass shooting, without any supporting safety or discussion, is a cruel political act," he said.

This weekend, people opposing the removal of the rainbow crosswalk converged at the site and symbolically colored it again using sidewalk chalk. And then on Sunday, Florida Highway Patrol troopers were photographed at the crosswalk. A state elected official told CNN they were there to deter people from using chalk on the crosswalk. We reached out to the Highway Patrol but there has been no response so far.

The removal of pavement art seems to be part of a national directive from the Trump administration. In June, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sent a letter to governors in all 50 states saying intersections and crosswalks should be kept free from distractions.

Rafael Romo, CNN, Atlanta.

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M. LEE: Still to come, President Trump is threatening to reopen an old investigation into former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. We will have those details ahead.

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[05:49:10]

M. LEE: Welcome back. I am MJ Lee. Here are some of the stories we're watching today.

At least 14 people have been killed in Israeli strikes on the Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, according to hospital officials. Officials there say at least four journalists are among the dead. The Palestinian Health Ministry says the first strike hit the fourth floor of the medical complex in Khan Yunis followed by a second attack that hit ambulance crew and emergency responders.

A spokesperson for the U.S. National Guard Joint Task Force tells CNN troops assigned to Washington, D.C. are now carrying weapons. The Pentagon originally had said they would only be armed if the situation warranted, but Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth authorized the change last week.

[05:50:00]

And President Trump has threatened to revoke federal funds allocated to fix a collapsed bridge in Maryland. The president and Maryland's governor have been in a feud since Trump referred to the city of Baltimore as "out of control and crime-ridden." Governor Wes Moore invited the president to walk the city streets with him -- an invitation the president appeared to find offensive.

And FBI agents spent hours Friday searching the home of the office of President Trump's former national security adviser John Bolton. Sources tell CNN it's part of a renewed investigation into whether Bolton disclosed classified information in a book he released in 2020. Trump previously threatened to jail Bolton after the release of his book.

And California Sen. Adam Schiff weighed in on the FBI's search on NBC's "MEET THE PRESS."

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SEN. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA): What the president is trying to do here is very systemic and systematic, and that is anyone who stands up to the president, anyone who criticizes the president, anyone who says anything adverse to the president's interests gets the full weight of the federal government brought down on them.

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M. LEE: Meanwhile, President Trump went on the attack on Sunday against another one-time ally, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. Trump posed on Truth Social after Christie criticized him during an interview on ABC News. The president hinted a reopening the investigation into a scandal known as "Bridgegate," saying Christie never took responsibility for his part in it.

Back in 2013, members of Christie's administration were accused of needlessly ordering lane closures on the George Washington Bridge and creating traffic delays in an effort to make political retribution. Christie was not charged with any wrongdoing at the time.

And state police have released the names of the five passengers who were killed on Friday in an Upstate New York bus crash. The youngest was a 22-year-old student from China studying at Columbia University. Some of the 52 passengers were ejected from the bus while others were trapped until emergency services arrived.

CNN's Leigh Waldman has the latest details out of New York.

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LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Dozens of people are still recovering after that tour bus crash on Friday in western New York.

But we're starting to hear stories from Good Samaritans who jumped in to help, like Robert Glinski. He tells me that he saw the bus starting to sway from one lane to the other, then he started to see it roll. That's when he saw people flying out of the bus -- being ejected. Other people, when it finally came to a rest, being trapped underneath.

He said he parked his truck and ran to go help. Take a listen.

ROBERT GLINSKI, WITNESSED BUS CRASH: I looked at her arm. Her arm was just a mess. So I had a shirt on -- an Under Armour shirt. I took that off and I tied a tourniquet up under her armpit as tight as I could. And I had her sit down and I just started talking to her as far as like take deep breaths, encouraging her that everything is going to be OK.

Once I could call the hospital and see if she can have visitors, I'd like to go up and show my face and say, "I told you so."

But, I mean, it's -- they need -- they need help at this point, right now, because it was pretty tragic.

WALDMAN: You can hear the emotion in his voice as he remembers what he saw and experienced firsthand on Friday. He also wants to make sure people praise the first responders who got there and had level heads to help the people who desperately needed it.

We know there's an ongoing investigation to figure out what exactly happened. Driver impairment has been ruled out. Maintenance issues with the bus has been ruled out.

The NTSB is helping alongside the New York State Police and the state Department of Transportation Motor Carrier Compliance Bureau with its investigation. They have a team who specializes on human performance. They'll look at the driver's qualifications and whether or not he was fatigued or distracted.

In New York, I'm Leigh Waldman, CNN.

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M. LEE: And we'll be right back.

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[05:58:13]

M. LEE: And here's a feel-good sports headline. Tommy Fleetwood won the Tour Championship to capture his first PGA Tour victory on Sunday in Atlanta. The world number 10 shot a two under 68 in the final round to finish 18 under, securing the $10 million prize and the FedEx Cup's playoffs title.

It's been a long road to this moment. He has competed in 164 PGA tournaments without ever lifting at trophy until now.

And in more sports news, there was absolute chaos on the tennis court at the U.S. Open on Sunday. It started when a photographer walked onto the court in the middle of a match which, of course, is a big no-no. You can see him there in the upper right of your screen.

Former world one Daniil Medvedev was facing Benjamin Bonzi. Bonzi was about to start his second serve but because of this distraction the umpire put Bonzi back on his first serve, and that appeared to make Medvedev furious. He stormed the -- towards the chair, yelling at the umpire. Take a look.

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DANIIL MEDVEDEV, U.S. OPEN: And it's the first serve. He wants to go home. He wants to go home, guys. He doesn't like to be here. He gets paid by the match, not by the hour. Yeah.

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M. LEE: Oh. The play was paused for six minutes because of Medvedev's outburst and boos from the crowd, as you can hear. And eventually, Bonzi did win the match.

The U.S. Tennis Association says the photographer was escorted out of the stadium and his tournament credentials were revoked.

And finally, Netflix's "KPop Demon Hunters" is the number one movie leaping from streaming sensation to theatrical smash hit.

[06:00:00]

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Clip from Sony Animation/Netflix "KPop Demon Hunters."

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M. LEE: The animated musical blends KPop stardom with demon-fighting fantasy -- a genre-bending mix that captivated fans worldwide. It's already Netflix's most watched animated original, spending weeks at the top of the platform. And this weekend marked its first theatrical release, a sing-along that packed theaters pulling in an estimated $18 million in just two days.

Its success isn't just on screen. The soundtrack is climbing in the charts as well. I'm MJ Lee in Washington, and "CNN THIS MORNING" starts right now.