Return to Transcripts main page
Isa Soares Tonight
Tulsi Gabbard Announces Resignation From Trump's Cabinet; Thousands Of Cubans Gather In Front Of U.S. Embassy In Havana To Protest Raul Castro's Indictment; Epstein's Former Aide Gives 3 New Names Of Alleged Abusers; Files Show Andrew Not Vetted For U.K. Trade Envoy Role; Protesters Clash With Authorities At DRC Treatment Center; WHO Raises Threat Level To Very High Across DRC; England Coach Thomas Tuchel Announces Squad. Aired 2- 3p ET
Aired May 22, 2026 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
ISA SOARES, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: Hello, and a very warm welcome, everyone, I'm Isa Soares. We begin tonight with breaking news. And just
moments ago, Tulsi Gabbard announced she is resigning from U.S. President Donald Trump's cabinet.
Gabbard has been serving as Director of National Intelligence, the top Intelligence position, by the way, in the United States. And Gabbard wrote
in her resignation letter that her husband suffering from a rare form of bone cancer, and that she wants to be with him for his treatment.
Her tenure was dogged by controversy from the moment she was nominated, if you remember, months ago, an explosive whistleblower complaint claimed
Gabbard was hiding information from Congress.
She has also come under fire for her efforts to prove unrelenting claims that the 2020 election was stolen from Donald Trump. Let's get more on
this. I want to bring in Brian Todd and Beth Sanner. Beth Sanner is CNN's national security analyst and former deputy Director of U.S. National
Intelligence.
Great to see you both. Brian, let me -- let me start with you. Just bring us up-to-date, very latest. What more do we know?
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Isa, this is in the form of a resignation letter that we have here from Tulsi Gabbard to President Trump,
dated today, basically saying this, and I'll read just a little bit of a portion of it for you.
In submitting her resignation, she says, quote, "unfortunately, I must submit my resignation effective June 30th." That's an important component
of this because she's not leaving now for more than a month. "Unfortunately, I must submit my resignation effective June 30th, 2026. My
husband, Abraham has recently been diagnosed with an extremely rare form of bone cancer.
He faces major challenges in the coming weeks and months. At this time, I must step away from public service to be by his side and fully support him
through this battle. Abraham has been my rock throughout our 11 years of marriage, standing steadfast through my deployment to East Africa on a
joint special operations mission.
Multiple political campaigns, and now my service in this role. His strength and love have sustained me through every challenge. I cannot in good
conscience ask him to face this fight alone while I continue in this demanding and time-consuming position."
There's an image of Tulsi Gabbard's husband. His name is Abraham Williams. He is a cinematographer. You know, we can go over some of her more
controversial moments in your analysis there with Beth.
And I have a couple that I can raise with you in just a moment there, but that's the gist of it, Isa. This is a very personal situation for Tulsi
Gabbard. You know, unlike so many of the other situations regarding resignations and firings from this administration, especially in the last
month or month and a half, where it was really due to politics and questions about job performance.
As there obviously have been questions of those things as well with Tulsi Gabbard. This though, is clearly a very personal decision. You see her with
her husband, Abraham there. She is resigning to help him through his fight with a very rare form of bone cancer.
SOARES: Yes, and we wish, of course, her husband and her very well, all the very best. I can't imagine what this moment is like. Brian, thank you very
much. Let me go to Beth. And Beth, we are -- I'm just seeing reaction here on Truth Social from President Trump.
He says "unfortunately, after having done a great job, Tulsi Gabbard will be leaving the administration on June 30th. Her wonderful husband, Abraham,
has recently been diagnosed", as you heard there, "with a rare form of bone cancer.
And she rightfully wants to be with him, bringing him back to good health as they currently fight a tough battle together. I have no doubt", he says,
"that he will soon be better than ever. Tulsi has done an incredible job and we'll miss her.
A highly respected principal deputy Director of National Intelligence, Aaron Lucas will serve as acting Director of National Intelligence." And
then he signed off, Donald J. Trump. And just -- I want to take a step back, and Brian was hinting at this, and you -- I wonder if you could add
more meat to the bones here.
Because she came into the job, from what I remember, Beth, a kind of an unconventional choice, right? From a Democrat and Iraq war veteran and a
long-time critic of U.S. intervention overseas. Was she ever aligned, in your view, you think, with the direction of President Trump's national
security team?
BETH SANNER, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: So, I think that she was aligned with the America first, non-interventionist, no more war part of
the campaign. And, you know, we can remember that this is -- this is certainly what President Trump was campaigning on, was no more foreign
interventions.
[14:05:00]
And so, in that vein, she didn't seem so --
SOARES: Yes --
SANNER: Unconventional at the time. But then, of course, since then, we've seen very much, a different kind of administration policy toward
interventions that has put her directly at odds. I mean, we can go back to her campaign for President. She ran for President in 2020, and she
literally sold T-shirts that said no war with Iran. And so --
SOARES: Yes --
SANNER: You know, it does -- it -- you know, I think that, that starkness just became much more prevalent as the administration diverged from its
original statements.
SOARES: And her departure, you know, it is for personal reasons as we've heard there from her letter of resignation. President Trump also posting on
Truth Social. But it does come, Beth, at a moment of multiple crises that, you know, we often follow here on this show, be it Iran, the war with Iran,
Russia, China, even cyber threats.
How disruptive, Beth, is it to lose a director of National Intelligence in the middle of such a volatile international environment?
SANNER: In every circumstance, I think in the last decade, up until now, I would have said that this is a very tragic and difficult decision to have
to make --
SOARES: Yes --
SANNER: And it would be incredibly disruptive. But right now, I would say it would have zero effect, zero effect because DNI Gabbard, you know, had
already been sidelined. She wasn't at meetings. She wasn't playing a large role that I understand from open-source in the coordination of Intelligence
community, policies, approaches.
And, you know, the oversight of all of those things. She wasn't -- she wasn't present. And so, because of that, I don't think much.
SOARES: Yes, and she was sidelined like you said, and as reports suggested on major foreign policy decisions, particularly on the question of Iran.
Beth Sanner, always great to get your perspective, Beth, thank you very much for stepping in on this breaking news story for us.
Now, to a startling new wave of violence in the Ukraine war, while with Kyiv saying it has killed scores of Russians in strikes on occupied regions
over the past 48 hours. A Ukrainian commander says more than 60 people were killed in a barrage of drone strikes on a Russian drone pilot training
camp, and that was in Donetsk.
The Ukrainian President says another set of strikes in the Kherson region killed and wounded almost a 100 Russians. Moscow has also reported a third
attack, saying at least, six people were killed and dozens injured when drones targeted a college dormitory in Luhansk.
And the ongoing war is really testing a NATO alliance already under strain. Speaking after a meeting of NATO, Foreign Ministers in Sweden, the U.S.
Secretary of State, Marco Rubio acknowledged those very tensions and addressed changes to the U.S. military presence in Europe. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARCO RUBIO, SECRETARY OF STATE, UNITED STATES: What's happening now is that any decision that's announced or made is viewed through the broader
context of some of the, you know, the frictions that we've had in recent months.
But at the end of the day, I think it's well understood in the alliance that the United States troop presence in Europe is going to be adjusted,
that work was already ongoing. And it's been done in coordination with our allies.
I'm not saying they're going to be thrilled about it, but they certainly are aware of it. And, you know, we have obligations in the Indo-Pacific. We
have obligations in the Middle East. We have obligations in the western hemisphere. So, this has been an ongoing process. It's not -- shouldn't be
a surprise to anybody.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, Jennifer Hansler has more reaction from the State Department. The irony here, Jen -- and good to see you, by the way, is that there was a
surprise, especially on this side of the pond. There was a sense, I think it's fair to say, of bewilderment over President Trump's announcement this
morning that he would send 5,000 troops to Poland.
What's the thinking about the back-and-forth here? Because there is some confusion with European voices, the back-and-forth and the U.S. position on
troops.
JENNIFER HANSLER, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Well, Isa, there was also confusion here in Washington as well, particularly last week when
we heard that the U.S. was canceling a planned deployment of thousands of troops to Poland.
Capitol Hill sources said that the committees of jurisdiction, the Senate Armed Services Committee, the House Armed Services Committee were not
informed of that decision. We saw some rare bipartisan pushback on that announcement that they were canceling that troop deployment.
Poland is seen, as, you know, sort of the model ally when it comes to dealing with administration. They have stepped up their defense-spending to
almost 5 percent. This is something that Trump has called for from all NATO allies. They have hosted thousands of U.S. troops on Polish soil.
[14:10:00]
So, there was a lot of confusion last week when there was that announcement that they were canceling that deployment. A lot of scrambling between
Polish officials and U.S. officials to try to figure out what was going on there.
There was some visits by Polish defense officials here as well, to try to set the groundwork for figuring out what was going on. And then we saw last
night this sudden announcement from the U.S. President saying that they were going to deploy an additional 5,000 troops to Poland.
So, there has been this just rapid back-and-forth when it comes to that troop deployment. And I think that speaks to the broader confusion and the
broader uncertainty about what exactly the U.S'. commitment is to its troop presence in Europe and to the broader NATO alliance.
Of course, Trump has repeatedly lambasted the alliance, saying that they have not done enough to support the U.S. war against Iran. He has spoken
out against specific members in particular, and we have seen a lot of changes that have seemed to be in response to that frustration.
And what we saw from Secretary Rubio earlier today was him trying to downplay that this is a reaction to that frustration. He's trying to say
that this was a planned response. And so, he was trying to reassure those allies there in Sweden today. Isa.
SOARES: Yes, planned response and an ongoing process, I think, were the words. Thank you very much, really appreciate it, good to see you. Well,
let's stick with the story. Joining me now from Stockholm is former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt, now Co-Chair of the European Council on Foreign
Relations.
Carl, great to have you back on the show. I mean, Carl, we heard there from Jen Hansler in the States saying that Secretary Rubio was trying to kind of
reassure allies, right, about the future of U.S. troop deployments in Europe. Do you think that message landed, and was the U.S. position
actually clear from your vantage point?
CARL BILDT, CO-CHAIR, EUROPEAN COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS: I don't think the position is particularly clear. I think there's been an amount of
confusion in Washington with different messages coming out of Pentagon and coming out of the White House.
That being said, at the end of the day, we probably end up with a situation where there will be for 5,000 more U.S. troops into Poland. That is to be
welcomed, because Poland is a key position when it comes to defense of the east of Europe.
And it's in the east of Europe where we're facing the possibility of the Russians not only doing Ukraine, but going further than Ukraine. So,
whatever the reason, there might be sort of solidarity with Polish, Magyar President or whatever.
Whatever the reason, the end result in this particular case is a positive one. Then there's uncertainty where the rest of the U.S. troop reductions
are going to be.
SOARES: Yes, and there's no clarity. And we are trying to get to the bottom of that as you heard there from our correspondent Jennifer --
BILDT: Yes --
SOARES: Hansler. I mean, Carl, to what extent --
BILDT: Good luck --
SOARES: Do you think is this -- yes, is this really about burden-sharing within NATO or is it a reflection of strategic, if I can call it
overstretch, right? With the U.S. facing simultaneous crisis in Ukraine, the Middle East, tensions with China, of course, now we're talking Cuba,
potentially. Just your thoughts on this?
BILDT: Well, I mean, over time, no question. The U.S. --
SOARES: Yes --
BILDT: Has been talking about redirecting its forces more to the east of Asia. The China threat or challenge or whatever you call it, is going to be
demanding for quite some time to come. Then, there has been, if you look at the national security strategy, for one example, there has been a
deliberate attempt to downplay the Middle East.
Now, I'm not quite certain that, I mean, President Trump has signed the national security strategy, whether he read it is more debatable because
now, evidently, the U.S. is fairly big into the Middle East again, and it's not going to be possible to get out of that.
So, there's going to be this strain on resources. And I think, well, Europeans are sort of building up our defense forces that has to do with
Russia primarily. There's a threat we need to support Ukraine. We need to defend Ukraine.
But we also need to be prepared for what comes after Ukraine. We need a U.S. presence, but in all honesty, there will be a NATO with significantly
less U.S. in the future. But a presence in Poland, I think that is important.
SOARES: I'm glad you brought it back to Europe and indeed to Ukraine. I mean, on NATO, principally here, Carl, I mean, what does all of this mean
for NATO's basic readiness and deterrence posture? I mean, should you now be preparing for a future in which he may need to handle a major security
crisis with the far less support of -- direct support, I should say, from the United States?
BILDT: Yes, I mean, the United States under the Trump administration is somewhat unpredictable and perhaps even unreliable. That means that there
must be a European readiness to handle things on our own.
[14:15:00]
We would hope that the Americans or whatever administration will be with us, but we can't be certain of that. And that is something that it clearly
influences political thinking and military planning in Europe at the moment.
For the moment, of course, the Russians are profoundly bogged-down in an unsuccessful war in Ukraine. But we don't know what comes out of that. We
have a regime in the Kremlin, which is revanchist and aggressive. And from the European point of view, that is a very major security concern looking
ahead.
SOARES: Yes, and Ukraine really is one area, like you point out, Carl, where Europeans are taking on more responsibility. In fact, I was looking
at some data today --
BILDT: Well --
SOARES: And Kyiv, it seems Ukraine has seen some recent battle -- battlefield gains. One U.S.-based conflict monitor, I'm just reading here,
says Ukraine last month captured -- recaptured more territory than Russia seized for the first time since August 2024.
Does that change the political mood in Europe, Carl? And do you sense growing confidence, perhaps, that sustains support for Ukraine can still
alter the trajectory of the war, even though, you know, the -- any sort of ending of the war or diplomatic discussions, it seems to be -- seem to have
stopped for now.
BILDT: That seems to be the case. But I do think it will change the political equation. If you remember going back --
SOARES: Yes --
BILDT: Some months, the message coming out of sort of Trump-J.D. Vance was the Ukrainians are about to lose this particular war, so you better make a
deal with the Russians while you can. That was the explicit message from the White House.
That is not the situation on the battlefield. You could say that the Ukrainians have been gaining, but the frontlines, I would say, are stable.
The Russians have been trying to mount a one-offensive operation after that without succeeding.
And the likelihood that they will succeed militarily is diminishing more or less by the day as things are now. So, and what we've also seen is that
with the Hungarian election being important, Europeans are --
SOARES: Yes --
BILDT: Really taking over all of the support, the American support is more or less gone in financial terms. It's all Europe and others, Canada, Japan
and others that are supporting Ukraine but with resource. It's not that you can sort of, defeat Russia, but you can certainly make certain that the
Russians have no possibility of winning this particular war.
And that is profoundly important for the security of Europe. And I would say globally important.
SOARES: Yes, being squeezed, it seems, from all fronts. That is fundamental. Carl Bildt, always great to get your analysis. Carl --
BILDT: Yes --
SOARES: Great to see you. Thank you very much indeed.
BILDT: Thank you.
SOARES: We're going to leave Ukraine and NATO and turn our attention to Cuba, because thousands turned out to protest the U.S. pressure, and to
support the island's former leader. We've been talking about this week, Raul Castro.
This was the scene outside the U.S. Embassy in Havana. Look at that. Cuba's Foreign Minister is accusing the U.S. of trying to incite military
aggression. This, after comments like these from America's top diplomat. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUBIO: The President's preference is always a negotiated agreement that's peaceful. That's always our preference. That remains our preference with
Cuba. I'm just being honest with you, you know, the likelihood of that happening, given who we're dealing with right now, is not high.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, earlier this week, the U.S. indicted former Cuban leader Raul Castro on charges including murder. The charges come from an incident 30
years ago when the Cuban government shot down two private planes. Four people were killed, three were Americans.
Our Havana bureau chief, Patrick Oppmann is in Cuba with the very latest on those tensions.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN HAVANA BUREAU CHIEF (on camera): So, the location for this demonstration the Cuban government has put on could not be more
telling. We're in front of the U.S. Embassy in Havana. We've heard officials outraged that Raul Castro is now facing federal charges in a
Miami courtroom.
They say they will never turn him over, that he's not going anywhere. You hear people who are supporters of the government, of course, come out here
that Raul Castro was like a family member to them. They say he's like a grandfather.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): No one will capture him. I can assure you. Not him, not anyone. Here, we are ready to fight imperialism.
We are a small, poor country, but with combat experience against the U.S. imperialism.
OPPMANN: Of course, this is very serious. The Trump administration is raising the stakes here by charging Raul Castro. There are Cubans you talk
to, who say they're very concerned that the next step could be some sort of military attack, like we saw in Venezuela, that now the U.S. has some kind
of legal veneer to take action against Cuba.
[14:20:00]
And that would be incredibly disruptive for an island where the electricity is now off most of the time most days. And so, people are suffering under
the consequences of their government's economic mis-choices, and the energy blockade that the U.S. has put on this island.
So, increasingly, despite the government's defiance in the face of U.S. action, you do hear Cubans who say they are worried that we're not getting
any closer to a deal between Cuba and the U.S., and the next step could be some kind of military intervention. Patrick Oppmann, CNN, Havana.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And still to come tonight, asking the public for help. How British police may be broadening their investigation of former Prince Andrew. That
is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Well, the White House is refusing to back down in the face of a rare revolt from Republican lawmakers. At issue is the nearly $1.8 billion
fund the Trump administration has set up to compensate allies of the President who claimed they were victims of government weaponization.
Republicans are outraged that U.S. taxpayers could be forced to pay violent rioters convicted in the January 6th insurrection on the Capitol. One
senior Republican senator called it morally wrong, and another said it's stupid on stilts. We brought you that breaking news yesterday.
While top Democrats, meanwhile, are calling the fund outrageously corrupt. I want to bring in our Annie Grayer with them -- with more on all of this.
So, Annie, just give us a sense of what you're hearing privately from these Republican lawmakers.
ANNIE GRAYER, CNN SENIOR REPORTER: Well, this is a really rare moment, particularly for Senate Republicans, who for the most part of Trump's
second term, have really followed along with the President's wishes, have been in lockstep with him.
And yesterday was, I think the first time that they really stood up and said, enough is enough. We will not go along -- we will not go along with
this. And I was standing outside the room where acting Attorney General Todd Blanche was meeting with these Republican senators to try and convince
them to get on board to support this Anti-Weaponization Fund.
And I'm told that the senators in the room just were not having it. And that is -- it's just a really significant moment. And I think it can't be
lost here the context of what else had happened this week, in that President Trump endorsed the opponent to sitting Republican --
SOARES: Yes --
GRAYER: Senator John Cornyn. And Cornyn has been in Senate Republican leadership, and he has helped get a number of current Republican senators
elected. And I think seeing the President back a -- back an incumbent Republican senator here, really set things off on the wrong foot this week.
[14:25:00]
And then, when Republican senators were not at all involved in or consulted in the creation of this weaponization -- Anti-Weaponization Fund, and we're
just told essentially that they were going to have to support this to be able to pass this massive package that was going to provide tens of
millions of dollars more to border patrol and immigration enforcement.
That was just, I think, too much of a pill for Republicans in the Senate to swallow. And, you know, I think the big question now is, where do Senate
Republicans go from here? They clearly made their stance that they were not going to move forward with this Anti-Weaponization Fund. They also are
against money to protect Trump's ballroom in a lot of ways. They worry that --
SOARES: Yes --
GRAYER: That sends mixed messaging especially so close to the Midterm elections. But now, I think Republican senators were going to all be home
in their home states for the next, you know, couple of days and will have time to reset.
And then how do -- how does the party pick this back up in early June? As we know, the White House does not seem to be moving from this Anti-
Weaponization Fund, they say they intend to keep it as it is. But with this blockade in the Senate, I mean, I don't really see a path for how this
stays -- how this legislation can move forward.
It's really just an eye-opening moment I think for so many Republicans in the party.
SOARES: Yes, especially when we hear from the President and the White House saying it has no plans, right, Annie? To make changes to this fund.
Appreciate it. Annie Grayer there for us. Thank you. Well, staying in the U.S., there are three new names not made public yet of alleged abuses
linked to Jeffrey Epstein.
The convicted sex-offender's long-time assistant provided the identities to the House Oversight Committee. Sarah Kellen also says she was a victim of
Epstein's abuse. Her closed-door testimony is being called a promising lead in the ongoing investigation to reveal the full extent of Epstein's
network.
Committee Chair James Comer says he expects the three names to be released soon. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JAMES COMER (R-KY): She gave us three names of people that were involved in abuse. These were new names for us. So, we'll be releasing the
transcript as quickly as possible.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you share the names of those abusers now?
COMER: We'll get them as quickly as possible. And it's still going on, so, I don't want to do that. But you'll find out very soon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, staying on the Epstein files fallout, police here in the U.K. say they may investigate the king's brother for allegations of sexual
misconduct. The ex-Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested and released, if you remember, in February.
But at the time, the case centered around allegations of misconduct in public office. Now, Thames Valley Police want anyone with information to
come forward. They say they've contacted the lawyers for a woman who said she was taken to an address in Windsor for sexual purposes.
For his part, Mountbatten-Windsor has not been charged and denies all allegations of wrongdoing. Our Max Foster joins me now. So, Max, it does
seem to me that the police are kind of broadening their investigation. I think they called it complex. Just bring us up-to-date with the very
latest.
MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's about misconduct. They're saying it hasn't been broadened. It's been broad throughout. But this is
the first we've heard about how broad it is. So, initially, it was about whether there was any file-sharing going on between Andrew and Epstein.
But now we're told by the police that it is broader than that. They're looking at sexual misconduct as well, pointing out that there was a case in
2010 where a woman claimed to have been taken to an address in Windsor for, as you say, sexual purposes.
Now, they've reached out to the lawyers for this woman, but currently she's not a witness and she isn't speaking to the police. The police clearly,
though, want people to be aware that they are looking at sexual misconduct, and encouraging any witnesses to come forward.
They say it's complex because they've clearly got hold of, you know, computers and some sort of paperwork, perhaps they've got a lot of
information to go through. So, I think in a way, it has broadened as they've gone through this because it's so large.
But they were always looking at a pretty broad investigation because this misconduct in public office actually covers quite a broad spectrum of
things. But a mystery, Isa, about who this woman is. We know it's not Virginia Giuffre who's made -- who obviously made some very severe sexual
allegations against Andrew because she sadly passed in 2025.
She died by suicide. So, it's another woman we didn't know about, but she hasn't come forward to speak to the police.
SOARES: We shall see where this go. I do want to ask you, we didn't have a chance yesterday because of breaking news, about the documents that were
revealed yesterday, right? Related to Andrew, and that revealed that he was not vetted prior to his appointment, I think, as trade envoy in 2001.
Just explain to our viewers, is this normal? Is this to be expected?
[14:30:11]
MAX FOSTER, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Well, I guess it's the way the British establishment has always worked. and we're getting some light on
that with these documents. So, it shouldn't have been made public. Andrew very keen to have that envoy role, which eventually is what linked him to
Epstein, of course.
We saw from these documents that were released that no one else was considered and there were questions asked about his experience because he
had been in the navy but had no experience of trade. I think the crucial point here is that the queen got involved, Queen Elizabeth, and made it
pretty clear that she wanted him to have this job, so it was pushed through. So, lots of questions about whether he was qualified to do this
job.
In terms of the vetting, perhaps a bit of a red herring. I mean, members of the royal family on royal engagements are already vetted and they do get
involved with trade. But there wasn't the full vetting procedure. I think, you know, we're talking about that, Isa, obviously, because Peter Mandelson
had a major vetting issue as well, but that's slightly different I think because he was going into a very different type of role.
SOARES: Indeed. Max, I appreciate it. Thank you very much. Max, will be back in what? Let me just check the clock. Less than 30 minutes or so.
Thanks, Max.
And still to come tonight, as a threat of Ebola grows in the Democratic Republic of Congo, so too does distrust in local communities. We're live in
the region next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Welcome back everyone. There is growing unrest in the Democratic Republic of Congo as Ebola continues to spread. The World Health
Organization is raising the threat level from the virus to very high in the DRC. At least 177 deaths are now thought to be linked to the disease while
about another 750 cases are suspected.
We brought you these pictures as you remember yesterday of protesters setting fire to an Ebola treatment center demanding the return of a body.
The head of the WHO describing the level of misinformation circulating in local communities as deeply worrisome. He also warned the violence is
impeding the Ebola spread -- response pardon me.
[14:35:25]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS, DIRECTOR-GENERAL, WHO: There is also significant distrust of outside authorities among the local population.
Just yesterday, there was a security incident at a hospital in Italy where tents and medical supplies were set on fire. Building trust in the affected
communities is critical to a successful response and is one of our highest priorities.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, let's get more on this. Our Larry Madowo is in Nairobi with the very latest for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LARRY MADOWO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Tensions ran high at this hospital treating Ebola patients in the Eastern Democratic
Republic of Congo. This local politician was on the scene.
LUC MALEMBE, CONGOLESE POLITICIAN (through translator): I'm at Rwampara Hospital. We're locked down here. Look at the protesters. They're angry.
They're setting fire to the tents of Ebola patients because they want to forcibly retrieve the bodies.
MADOWO (voice-over): Residents grew angry after health authorities refused to hand over the body of a young man who died from Ebola, this father says.
LEOPOLD KATABUKA, WAMPARA RESIDENT (through translator): We came to bury my son and then we saw these people coming in numbers asking for the body of
someone called Eli. They started throwing stones and set fire to the tents and my son's body was left burned there. I don't know what to do.
MADOWO (voice-over): Police were quickly called in to control the scene after protesters set fire to tents where patients suspected to have Ebola
were being isolated according to eyewitness accounts. And while health workers have been working hard to fight off the virus, a second battle has
also been underway. The fight against disinformation.
MALEMBE (through translator): This lack of communication, this absence of communication from the health authorities in the province is what allowed
rumors to take over and it is what continues to this day.
MADOWO (voice-over): The key tension seeming to lie between the sanitary protocols put in place by authorities and the wishes of the local community
to uphold traditional burial rights.
MADOWO: The community wants to bury the dead with dignity. But Ebola often spreads at funerals. It's still under investigation, but even this current
outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is believed to stem from a super spreader event, a funeral on May 5th. That's because some people
touch the corpse of the dead as a fin of farewell.
The fluids from the body of Ebola patients are still infectious. And that's why authorities in Ituri, the epicenter of this outbreak, have now said all
funerals have to be carried out with strict protocols and they've banned all wakes.
MADOWO (voice-over): In the region's capital, residents have been calling on their neighbors to take the virus more seriously.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Yes. The message I would like to convey now to those listening to me right now, we are in the town of Bunia
and this affects us too. We feel it. So, what I tell people wherever they are is to know that they have to protect their families, to protect those
close to them because if I become infected, that means my family is infected too.
MADOWO (voice-over): The World Health Organization also raised the alarm once again on Friday.
GHEBREYESUS: We're now revising our risk assessment to very high at the national level, high at the regional level, and low at global level.
MADOWO (voice-over): The WHO warning that a potential vaccine may still be as far as nine months away. News that is sure to deal another blow to
communities struggling to come to terms with so much loss already.
Larry Madowo, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Well, let's stay with the story. I do want to bring in Dr. Abdou Sebushishe, the senior global health adviser with International Medical
Corp based in Goma in the eastern DRC.
Doctor, thank you very much for taking the time to speak to us. Just first, you heard there from our reporters just situation so dire right now with
WHO of course raising that threat level to very high across the DRC. Just your reaction first of all and what you are hearing on the ground.
DR. ABDOU SEBUSHISHE, SENIOR GLOBAL HEALTH ADVISER, INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL CORPS: Thanks for having me. The situation on the ground remains serious.
Just in this week we have passed from four health zone affected to 11. And the cases that are being identified are geographically far apart which
means that the transmission of the spread of the disease is going beyond the Ituri province that was initially affected and now affecting more
provinces that we have in total three and 11 health zone.
And the fact that there are more healthcare workers who are infected with this virus, it's quite alarming and I think that that's one of the reason
why the WHO have increased the level of risk to very high at country level. We -- I agree that assessment.
[14:40:24]
SOARES: And geographically far apart. That is concerning as well in trying to of course contain this from spreading further. I know you were involved,
Doctor, in the Ebola response in DRC. I think it was in 2025. I think it was last September from according to my team which was declared over what
after 42 days without new cases.
From your experience on the -- on the ground, Doctor, what kind of lessons you think were learned from that outbreak that could potentially help
contain this one more effectively and indeed quicker?
SEBUSHISHE: One of the big lessons is that the community engagement if it's done early then the effort to contain the outbreak locally also is high.
Another lesson learned in that is that the -- if the response team managed to contain the transmission of the outbreak within health facilities and
within the community through the infection and prevention control measures. This helped a lot in controlling the outbreak.
And I think those lessons we are we are applying now in this outbreak and we hope that they will produce effect. Although the situation is different,
the outbreak last year happened in a remote area which was hard to reach. However, this one has already reached some urban areas with a lot of
population but also in humanitarian settings where we have internally displaced population and mining activities which complicate further and
make the context different from the other one.
However, the lesson learned from that are applicable for this outbreak as well and we are applying them.
SOARES: Yes, I mean it is it is concerning especially when you talk about it spreading and now it's reaching kind of urban area and displaced
populations.
You talked about community trust. Our reporter Larry Madowo was also talking about this because I was listening to a politician yesterday in DRC
and he appeared in that report. But he said -- I'm just going to read out what he said, Doctor, yesterday. The population is not sufficiently
informed or made aware of what is happening. To members of the most remote communities, Ebola is a white man's invention. It doesn't exist.
I mean, how -- just how damaging are those kinds of perceptions during an outbreak? And how difficult you think, Doctor, is to get people to report
symptoms, to isolate, even accept any sort of treatment when there is that kind of level of potentially mistrust here?
SEBUSHISHE: So, the Ebola outbreak involve a lot of misinformation especially that most patient who are affected have to be isolated from the
community while receiving treatment which limit access for their relative to visit them and see how they are progressing every day. So, when they in
isolation and if they pass away, there are lots of information and rumors that are being spread.
That's why it's very important to intensify the communication with the community and get them involved at the early stage of the outbreak
planning, monitoring, but also in the design of the different activities that are being conducted as part of the response. And that is one of the
key area where the responders here on the ground are trying now to focus on to ensure that the community is involved in the planning phase of the
response but also the implementation.
SOARES: Doctor, I really appreciate. I think his signal is frozen. If you can still hear me, doctor, thank you very much for taking the time to speak
to us. That's Dr. Abdou Sebushishe joining us there from Goma in Eastern DRC.
We're going to take a short break. We will see you though on the other side.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:46:53]
SOARES: Well, this week as part of "K EVERYTHING," a CNN Original Series with Daniel Dae Kim, we are exploring the global rise of Korean food,
including high-end cuisine. It can take months to book a table at Mingles in Seoul. It is currently South Korea's top-ranked restaurant on the
world's 50 best list. Daniel and Korean American chef Corey Lee are lucky enough though to have the place to themselves. Have a watch.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANIEL DAE KIM, HOST, K EVERYTHING (voice-over): 20 years ago, Korean fine dining wasn't a thing anywhere. Now, there's places like Mingles.
MINGOO KANG, CHEF, MINGLES: Welcome to Mingles.
KIM (voice-over): Chef Mingoo Kang says his tasting menu tells the story of a country rapidly changing.
KIM: This looks delicious.
KIM (voice-over): Like bite-sized locally sourced flounder topped with caviar.
KIM: I love that texture.
COREY LEE, KOREAN-AMERICAN CHEF: Damn, that's good.
KIM (voice-over): Thinly sliced hanwoo beef on persimmon. Hanwoo is Korea's premium beef.
KIM: Whoa, that's like a burst of flavor.
KIM (voice-over): Steamed (INAUDIBLE). Lightly cooked clam and sliced pear with that fiery mother sauce, gochujang.
KIM: That's so light and refreshing. And the clam is so soft.
LEE: This is the kind of dish that I think is about. It's delicious and satisfying just in the most basic level, right? But it really does feel
like an original flavor.
KIM (voice-over): The growth of this kind of cuisine is one of the most dramatic changes I've seen here, overseas too. In 2010, there were no
Korean restaurants with Michelin stars. By 2025, there were 31, firmly establishing Korean as one of the world's great cuisines alongside French,
Japanese, or Italian.
KANG (text): There have been many changes in the past 20 years. I believe that Korean food culture, Korean chefs and this fine dining culture have
been able to grow more quickly thanks to pioneers, like Chef Corey Lee who have set an example and paved the way.
LEE: Yes, but you know, I think Mingoo is being very humble about a lot of this and I saw Mingoo bring some of that culture from what he experienced
abroad and bring it back to Korea. He started inviting chefs from abroad so they could experience Korean food and Korean culture and learn from them,
expose Korean diners to foreign food. That was something that wasn't happening before.
I just saw how he was trying to create and cultivate this restaurant culture and industry in a way that has been really positive, I think, and I
think everyone's benefit from that.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: So, from street markets to fine dining, Daniel Dae Kim sees, smells, and indeed as you can see there, tastes all the food Korea has to
offer in the CNN Original Series "K EVERYTHING' in the new episode airing this Saturday right here on CNN. And you can also stream the full series in
the U.S. on the CNN app and globally on HBO Max.
And still to come tonight, World Cup squads are taking shape. Many countries have revealed their rosters, but some big names will not be
competing. We'll discuss those surprising snubs next.
[14:50:08]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Well, the World Cup is just weeks away. I am excited and I'm ready for it. And teams such as France, Scotland, and Brazil have announced who
has made the squad. But for England, it's just as much about who isn't on the team as who is. Those who didn't make the cut include Phil Foden, Cole
Palmer, or Harry Maguire. Those who made it include Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, and Declan Rice.
Manager Thomas Tuchel explained his decision on ESPN U.K. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THOMAS TUCHEL, MANAGER, ENGLAND MEN'S NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM: I can assure every fan in the country that we have 26 100 percent committed players in
camp with us who know their role, who are ready to buy into their role on and off the pitch, and who are ready and committed to the idea of team
spirit and being unselfish.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Interesting. Well, joining me now to break down the teams is our World Sports Don Riddell. Don, good to see you. Look, as you can imagine,
this was a huge topic of conversation in our newsroom today. More importantly, who didn't make the cut, right? These were some bold choices
from the manager there. What -- from the coach there. What did you make?
DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORTS ANCHOR: You know, it is a thankless task being a World Cup manager or coach. I mean, Tuchel, you know, he had a long
list of 55 names and he had to get that down to 26. So, a lot of people are going to be really, really disappointed. So, that was a hard thing to do.
And he basically said, it's not my job to take the best players, it's my job to take the best team.
I tell you one thing they did get right was this video to release the names of the players who were on the squad. There's nothing more English than the
Beatles, right? So, they used one of the Beatles tracks and it was very artistic and very stylish how they kind of revealed the names of the
players who be on the squad.
At one point you see Declan Rice's name written on a pair of cowboy boots and Morgan Rogers's name is on a badge on a -- I think on a waitress's
denim shorts. So, I mean very cool, very creative. But if you were one of the players not on the squad, you'd have had to watch this thing several
times to make sure you weren't on it.
And they are disappointed. You mentioned Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, Harry Maguire -- his mom went on social media to say that she was disgusted with
the decision, which is a little bit embarrassing for him. But this is still going to be the most experienced World Cup squad that England have ever
taken if you look at games played in previous World Cup tournaments. And there are some really exciting opportunities for some of the young kids
like Elliot Anderson and Jarell Quansah.
And you know some players have had great seasons in the Premier League. They maybe are not established at the international level but they're on
form and they will be hoping to bring it to this World Cup. And you know what? Nobody will be complaining if England do well in this tournament.
It's only now.
SOARES: No, exactly. That --
RIDDELL: You know, it's only now. It's like, oh, you had -- you must bring this guy. No, it's just -- that's the way it always goes.
[14:55:29]
SOARES: You read my mind. This is exactly what I said to the crew just during the break. If they're winning, everyone will be happy. Let me ask
you about Neymar because this is another whole topic of conversation with my children because they've got the Panini book and Neymar wasn't obviously
in that. What a surprise for him too, right?
RIDDELL: Isn't that fascinating? Yes. Like, Panini have to put their sticker albums together way before the coaches name their teams and so yes,
there's going to be some misalignment. Neymar injured his ACL in what, October 2023 when he was playing in Saudi Arabia. He has not been on the
Brazilian team since. He hasn't played for the national team since, but he is in the squad. And you've got to see this video that was filmed as he was
listening to the announcement being made. And clearly, he didn't know if he was going to be on the team or not.
Now, remember, he is Brazil's leading scorer. I think he scored 79 goals for Brazil. He's played in three World Cup tournaments before. This was the
moment he realized. He talked about how emotional it was, how grueling this kind of like recovery from injury has been for him, but now he's going to a
fourth World Cup. And that video just -- it just tells its own story, doesn't it?
SOARES: Good news for some. Yes, good news for some at least. Don, great to see you as always. Thank you.
That does it for us for tonight. Do stay right here. "WHAT WE KNOW" with Max Foster is up next. Have a wonderful weekend. I shall see you on Monday.
Bye-bye.
END
