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This Weekend: 5-Year Anniversary Of George Floyd's Death; DOJ Ending Oversight Of Minneapolis And Louisville Police; Jewish Americans Killed In WWII Now Buried Under Stars Of David; Kermit's Advice To The Class Of 2025. Aired 12:30-1p ET

Aired May 23, 2025 - 12:30   ET

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

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[12:31:45]

DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR: Five years ago this weekend, 46-year-old George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who kneeled on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes while Floyd shouted that he couldn't breathe and begged for his mother. His agonizing death was, of course, captured by a bystander on a cell phone, and that video shocked America's conscience.

In the coming weeks, unprecedented demonstrations erupted across the country with an estimated 21 million people of all ages and races joining protests in cities and small towns to demand accountability.

Now, while support for racial justice has reached historic highs, nationwide conversation about police reform and how we talk about race in America has changed, and then maybe it's changing again. The reckoning is one reason President Trump lost the White House in 2020, but four years later, the backlash helped propel him back into the White House.

My panel is here again. Tia, I want to start with you, and just we were talking in the break that, wow, it's five years ago.

TIA MITCHELL, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, THE ATLANTA JOURNAL- CONSTITUTION: Yes. Yes, and it's interesting to see how the tenor and the tone of how we talk about race and race issues has shifted in those five years. After the death of George Floyd, there was a lot of discussion about systemic and institutional racism and what can be done to right wrongs.

And what we're seeing now, particularly under the climate of Donald Trump and his America First Agenda, is that instead of seeing diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, criminal justice reforms as an effort to address what has, again, what -- where America has fallen short, now it's considered themselves the transgressions.

So they're not fixing problems. These fixes are the problem, and therefore, there has been, again, a big shift in rolling back a lot of that. We've seen that with, you know, schools, businesses, and the government. And I think there are a lot of black and brown people who feel like the country is no longer listening to what they say is their lived experiences.

BASH: And that's what is just so amazing when we think back these last five years. The pendulum, the swing from one extreme to another on those issues that you're talking about is just remarkable. And let's just pick up where you left off, just on what the Trump administration's actions are on diversity.

Federal agencies must end all DEI initiatives, prioritize funding to schools that promote a, quote, "patriotic education", prioritize funding to schools where no student feels guilt because of their race, demand universities and private law firms end all DEI initiatives, and ordered a review of monuments taken down since 2020.

And then I just want to show this poll from 2020 versus 2025, and it really is stark. Check out September of 2020. The question was whether or not George Floyd's killing would have an impact to lead to changes. Fifty-two percent said yes. Forty-six percent said no. That's in 2020.

[12:35:06]

Now look at 2025. Only 27 percent said it led to changes. Seventy-two percent said it did not lead to changes.

JAMIE GANGEL, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: Can I just mention three things? One of the things that DEI, as you mentioned, I spoke to so many federal workers in the first couple of months who said to me, we are wasting all of our time scrubbing DEI from, you know, this is DOGE making it more efficient. There really was a personal horror that that's what was going on.

The other thing is just, there's something that got erased in Washington, D.C., and I use the word erase specifically, and that is the street that used to be called Black Lives Matter. And the mayor was forced to repave that and take those words away because that's the cost of doing business with Donald Trump.

ZOLAN KANNO-YOUNGS, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, look, and you said we saw a reckoning, you know, in 2020. And based off of where we're at right now, it seems like that reckoning was short-lived, both in the government, in the private sector. There were a lot of companies that seemed eager in 2020 to come out and announce new measures they were taking to be more diverse and inclusive.

We're seeing that under the threat from the federal government, potential action from the federal government, a lot of placating happening in the private sector. We're seeing a federal government that has tried to expunge all DEI.

By the way, to bring it directly back to police accountability as well, we're also seeing this administration step away from police consent decrees that we're never -- I never really thought to be part of the momentum of 2020. But previous administrations have agreed to go with these agreements between the courts and the police department to agree on measures to increase your accountability. And, by the way, this was after a string of violations --

BASH: Yes.

KANNO-YOUNGS: -- of civil rights and violence --

BASH: Yes, not just George Floyd.

KANNO-YOUNGS: -- against predominantly black residents. Right, not just George Floyd.

BASH: Real quick.

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: No, no, I mean, that was going to be my point. I just remember being there in the midst of, you know, being in the streets during the Black Lives Matter protests here in D.C. and covering that. And then flash forward to just last year being on the campaign trail with the president, so much was, you know, law enforcement officers who were there, he'd bring them on stage saying, this is what it's about.

We are bringing the power back to law enforcement. And I do think, I mean, you mentioned the pendulum swinging, I think that was a big reason why the president won now.

BASH: Yes.

TREENE: But of course, that was why Biden won back again.

BASH: Yes, and he's --

KANNO-YOUNGS: I've also covered law enforcement. I've covered police departments. And not every police officer thinks that a police consent decree is suddenly going to prevent them from doing that.

TREENE: Oh, absolutely.

KANNO-YOUNGS: Even as well.

TREENE: It's a major generalization.

KANNO-YOUNGS: Right, right. But also politics in play, too. Grievance politics. And also specifically trying to portray himself --

BASH: Yes.

KANNO-YOUNGS: -- as a protector of --

TREENE (?): Exactly.

KANNO-YOUNGS: -- the forgotten, honestly, white American. And playing to that white grievance is a central part of the political identity here.

BASH: Everybody stand by. Coming up, they were killed fighting the Nazis more than 80 years ago and laid to rest under grave markers that didn't reflect their faith. In honor of Memorial Day, I'll take you to an American cemetery in Italy where that is finally being corrected.

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[12:43:01]

BASH: They made the ultimate sacrifice. Jewish American soldiers killed while fighting Nazis during World War II. But for more than 80 years, they were mistakenly buried beneath Latin crosses. I went to an American cemetery in Italy with the non-profit Operation Benjamin as those inadvertent errors were corrected and as we honor America's fallen heroes this Memorial Day weekend.

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BASH (voice-over): In this cemetery outside Rome lay more than 7,800 Americans killed in battle liberating Italy during World War II, now buried alongside rows of beautiful Roman pines.

RABBI JACOB J. SCHACTER, PRESIDENT, OPERATION BENJAMIN: Faith in each other --

BASH (voice-over): And on this day, families of three soldiers traveled to Italy from the U.S. to honor their sacrifice.

SCHACTER: Today we are setting the historical record straight. We will give them the marker that is appropriate for their faith.

BASH (voice-over): More than 80 years after they died, correct inadvertent errors. Burial beneath Latin crosses instead of Jewish stars.

SHALOM LAMM, CHIEF HISTORIAN & CO-FOUNDER, OPERATION BENJAMIN: We're all here in some way to honor those who have rested here for all of these many years under an incorrect identity.

BASH (voice-over): All thanks to the non-profit Operation Benjamin, which works with the American Battle Monuments Commission. Shalom Lamm is chief historian.

BASH: Many of the servicemen who are buried under crosses, even though they're Jewish, it's because they didn't want to show that they were Jewish on their dog tags.

LAMM: Right. There was a real fear of being captured. And if you were captured by the Germans in particular, that was really terrifying. These are not purposeful. These were true errors. America really tried to get it right, but they naturally missed some.

And our job is to come back through all these decades and find those guys. It has happened again and again and again that I introduce people to someone who's just a shadowy figure in their memory. They were real flesh and blood human beings. And we know that story. BASH (voice-over): Stories like that of technician fourth grade Ben Bernstein.

[12:45:02]

His nieces and nephews finally learned details of their uncle's sacrifice. A member of the elite first special service force killed by a Nazi grenade on December 3rd, 1943 in the Battle of Monte la Difensa.

BASH: Your name is Ben.

BEN SHERIDAN, NEPHEW OF BEN BERNSTEIN: Correct.

BASH: You are named for your uncle.

SHERIDAN: He was a hero. He was always a hero in everybody's eyes. But we knew so little. We knew he stormed a hill in Italy and died. We knew he was a paratrooper. We knew he volunteered for force. That's about it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking in Foreign Language)

BASH (voice-over): Now they are here giving their uncle a proper burial.

BASH: This is the gravesite of Second Lieutenant Sheldon Finder, who was shot down and killed on August 16th, 1943 during World War II. As you can see here, he was Jewish and he's laid to rest beneath a Jewish star.

Well, the only other person to die in that very same mission in August of 43 was Paul Singer. He was also the only other Jew in that mission. He's under a cross. That's going to change.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In death, they are 9 feet apart. In life, they were 3 feet apart. One was the navigator. One was the bombardier.

SCHACTER: Paul, on behalf of the members of your family, and on behalf of the Jewish people, we welcome you home.

BASH: Your cousin, Paul Singer, died 82 years ago, and he's been under a cross until today. What did it mean to you to be here and to be a part of the ceremony to honor his Jewish faith?

JODI REFF, COUSIN OF PAUL SINGER: We are very committed Jews. It's so special to have something from your religion that's now and that's connected families.

BASH: He was orphaned at 16. He was an only child.

REFF: Right.

BASH: It's probably why it took so long to have this changed.

REFF: Right, because they were trying to contact these aunts of his, but right, you know, there wasn't any other family. So it's nice to be able to be here and represent the family to be able to do this.

BASH (voice-over): Sheldon Finder's family feels the same way.

BASH: So this is your uncle.

JONATHAN FINDER, NEPHEW OF SHELDON FINDER: That's my uncle, Sheldon. I have a great picture of my father and my uncle as children.

BASH: Did your dad talk about him?

FINDER: Very little. Very little. I feel like by being here today, I honor his quiet grieving for his entire life.

BASH: Until now, there was never a proper funeral.

FINDER: No, as a matter of fact, I don't think anyone in my entire family has ever been here before.

BASH (voice-over): The two families met here in Italy for the first time.

REFF: I knew the name and I knew he was buried here. I didn't know he was buried this close, but then to meet them is really incredible.

RICKY REFF, RELATIVE OF PAUL SINGER: It puts a lot of meaning to this whole experience. That it's not just about one person, it's about all of these individuals.

BASH (voice-over): Headstones in military cemeteries can only be changed with approval from soldiers' families. Shalom Lamm does the research.

LAMM: The amount of proof we're required to deliver it to the American Battle Monuments Commission is really huge. It's really tough and it should be tough. We're changing something for eternity.

BASH (voice-over): The stone from the cross that's removed never leaves the cemetery.

SCHACTER: We lower our heads in gratitude and respect to these silent civil sentinels who have so majestically stood guard over these young men for all of these decades. How magnificent is it that these men here on these grounds were comrades in arms against a common foe, good on one side and absolute evil on the other.

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BASH: May their memories be a blessing. And this Memorial Day weekend, we honor Ben Bernstein, Paul Singer and Sheldon Finder and all of the American service members who've made the ultimate sacrifice fighting for freedom around the world.

We'll be right back.

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[12:53:58]

BASH: It's not easy being green or giving a commencement address, but Kermit the Frog nailed it. Or you might say he made a big splash last night at the University of Maryland with this advice to the class of 2025.

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KERMIT THE FROG, GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING SINGER/SONGWRITER: If you're with your people and you won't have to do it alone because life is not a solo act. No, it's not. It's a big, messy, delightful ensemble piece, especially when you're with your people.

As you prepare to take this big leap into real life, here's a little advice if you're willing to listen to a frog. Rather than jumping over someone to get what you want, consider reaching out your hand and taking the leap side by side because life is better when we leap together.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

BASH: And my panel is back. I mean, he looks pretty good for 70.

GANGEL: Yes.

BASH: What do you think of the message?

GANGEL: He's -- I'm a big Kermit the Frog fan.

BASH: Who isn't?

[12:55:02]

GANGEL: And he got a standing ovation and the kids loved him. And I was talking to two students last night who actually said, can he run for president?

MITCHELL: I thought it was like a perfect graduation speech and like, and he was like, OK, so you have a memorable celebrity. He made sure to have like touches that showed he knew the university and knew the ties with Jim Henson. But he kept making references, you know, to the mascot and things like that.

But also, he had a short, snappy --

BASH: There you go.

MITCHELL: -- interesting speech. He didn't go on too long.

BASH: Well, she's biased. She's a Muppetologist.

MITCHELL: I love the Muppets. But I thought it was a good -- you know, he had some points to, you know, motivational points. So I thought he really hit the mark.

KANNO-YOUNGS: The length is so important (INAUDIBLE) too, right? You can't have it go too long. Then you have students --

BASH: Yes.

KANNO-YOUNGS: -- falling asleep.

BASH: Yes.

KANNO-YOUNGS: You know, you wake up, you see a photo of yourself in a newspaper and you're asleep at graduation. That didn't happen to me, though, by the way.

BASH: Rainbow Connection will go down as one of the best songs of all time.

Thank you all. Have a meaningful Memorial Day weekend. Same to you out there.

CNN News Central starts after the break.

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