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U.S. Doctor with Ebola Getting "Comprehensive Exam" in Berlin; Trump: Netanyahu Will Do "Whatever I Want Him to Do" on Iran; Putin Hails Ties with China During Xi Meeting; Russia Threatens Latvia and Baltic States. Aired 11:30-12p ET

Aired May 20, 2026 - 11:30   ET

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

[11:30:00]

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to the Situation Room. Happening now, German authorities say the American doctor infected with the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo is now getting a, quote, "comprehensive examination" at a Berlin hospital. Dr. Peter Stafford, pictured there, was admitted this morning to an isolation unit. Six people who came into contact with him are being taken to Germany and the Czech Republic now for observation.

Earlier today, the World Health Organization said the outbreak in Central Africa likely began a couple of months ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TEDROS ADHANOM GHEBREYESUS, DIRECTOR-GENERAL, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: There are several factors that warrant serious concern about the potential for further spread and further deaths. First, beyond the confirmed cases, there are almost 600 suspected cases and 139 suspected deaths. We expect those numbers to keep increasing, given the amount of time the virus was circulating before the outbreak was detected.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: CNN is covering this global story with our correspondent Larry Madowo in Nairobi, Kenya, and our medical correspondent Meg Tirrell in New York. Larry, I do want to begin with you. Can you tell us what the international response looks like right now and what degree of coordination there is internationally?

LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There's a massive international effort right now to try and make sure that this Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo does not spread. The U.S. has given $13 million, is sending a disaster assistance response team to Central Africa. The European Union just announced 100 tons of medical equipment and supplies they're sending in there.

The Africa CDC is pitching in. The World Health Organization has sent dozens of experts, nearly 20 tons of equipment. The Congolese government has set up three different treatment centers. They're doing isolation and contact tracing to make sure that anybody who might have come into contact with anybody who's infected is receiving treatment. So, right now, everybody's pulling in to make sure that there's no huge outbreak beyond what we're already seeing, Jim.

SCIUTTO: Are we learning more exactly about how the outbreak started? I mean, I see the World Health Organization saying a couple of months ago, but how exactly?

MADOWO: They're still investigating this, the World Health Organization and the Congolese government together, but they suspect it could have come from a death that occurred on April 20th. Two days later, this individual was moved. And then there was a funeral on May 5th that they suspect was a super spreader event. As soon as they learned of this a few days later, they sent testing equipment.

Part of the problem is that this is such a remote part of the Congolese terrain that they don't have medical infrastructure, they don't have testing. And when they were testing, they were testing for a much more common strain of Ebola, the Zaire strain, not the Bundibugyo strain that they're dealing with. So, they had to send samples to the capital in Kinshasa. And that's when the time to detect and confirm what's happened.

SCIUTTO: Larry Madowo in Nairobi. Thanks so much. I want to go now to CNN Medical Correspondent Meg Tirrell. Meg, you just reported that the U.S. is coordinating shipment of an experimental Ebola treatment, but only for use with high use -- high-risk, rather, Americans. Is that a typical restriction when the U.S. supplies such treatments abroad?

[11:35:00]

MEG TIRRELL, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jim, we don't have a lot of information about this treatment or what the supply is of it right now. You know, with the 2014 Ebola outbreak, we did see shipment of experimental antibodies very similar to this approach that was initially used for Americans who had been exposed in that outbreak area. However, they were then expanded into clinical trial use in the outbreak scenario.

And so, what questions we have in now are, you know, is the United States going to also support ramp up of these kinds of medicines for clinical trials in the DRC, which we know are being planned right now? One of the things that's really complicated about this is, as Larry was explaining for the testing, this is a rarer strain of Ebola than we usually see, the Bundibugyo strain. Normally, we see a strain called the Zaire strain, and that is the strain for which we have existing vaccines and therapeutics that were tested in that West Africa outbreak that started around 2014.

Now, we have this antibody treatment. The HHS didn't tell us what it was, but I've been talking with experts who've said there is an antibody treatment from a company called MAP Biopharmaceutical that has shown promising data in animals against this Bundibugyo strain.

And so, that one might be the one that is being shipped and coordinated potentially for experimental use in these high-risk Americans. We also know that's under consideration for a clinical trial in the DRC as well, along with some other antivirals that have been used previously for Ebola and also for COVID. Now, of course, there are questions about vaccine development as well, Jim.

There is an approved vaccine for the Zaire strain. There's consideration about whether that could potentially be used in this outbreak, but there's limited data about how well that could work and also limited data about its safety. We heard this morning from a WHO scientist that the most promising approach is using essentially that same technology but targeting it toward this Bundibugyo strain, but it would take six to nine months to ramp up development even to have doses for human clinical trials.

There is another platform technology approach which could be ramped up faster, but there's less data on that, Jim. So, all of that trying to be coordinated quickly.

SCIUTTO: Let me ask you this, because I get a lot of questions like this and I'm sure you get more. When there are reports about outbreaks like this, much like with hantavirus, friends, family will say, what is the risk to me? So, I suppose the question, it's really two questions. What's the risk for the spreading beyond where it is right now, including in neighboring countries, but how about even more broadly, or is this a low-risk scenario for most people?

TIRRELL: Yes, the WHO actually sort of elucidated its thinking on that this morning and said it's a high-risk for the nation and for the region. So, they're concerned about international spread around the DRC. We've seen two cases that have traveled from DRC to Uganda.

But the risk for the globe for a pandemic potential, according to the WHO, is low. Ebola, we know, spreads when folks have symptoms and through direct contact with bodily fluids. So, it is not a similar pandemic scenario as with COVID, but it is still a very bad situation where it is.

SCIUTTO: Meg Tirrell, thanks so much. Just in, I have some new reporting on a story we've been following all morning. Just received a response from an Israeli government official to President Trump's comments this morning about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's actions in Iran. As a reminder, here's what President Trump said earlier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What have you said to Prime Minister Netanyahu about Iran and how long to hold off on strike?

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: He's fine. He'll do whatever I want him to do. He's a very good man. He'll do whatever I want him to do. And he's a great guy. To me, he's a great guy. Don't forget, he was a wartime prime minister. And he's not treated right in Israel, in my opinion. I'm right now at 99 percent in Israel. I could run for prime minister. So, maybe after I do this, I'll go to Israel, run for prime minister. I had a poll this morning. I'm 99 percent. So, that's good. But no, he's a wartime prime minister. I just don't think they treat him well. (END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: An Israeli government official tells me the following, quote, "The State of Israel is working in coordination with the president of the United States, Donald Trump, in an effort to ensure that Iran no longer poses a nuclear missile or terrorist threat to the United States, Israel, the countries of the region and the entire world. We are monitoring developments and are prepared for any scenario," end quote.

We should note now President Trump is in New London, Connecticut. He's saluting there as he has arrived at the United States Coast Guard Academy, where he will deliver the commencement address. We will have his comments just on the other side of a break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:40:00]

SCIUTTO: Happening now, Russian President Vladimir Putin has wrapped up his talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing. The men signed more than 20 agreements on trade and technology and they seem to signal a united front against the United States, just days after President Trump, of course, had his own talks with Xi.

CNN's Mike Valerio is in Beijing. Mike, beyond the messaging and the pomp and circumstance, did the two leaders agree to anything concrete?

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, we're still waiting on the details. They released 40 documents of agreements, but they really seem to be impressionistic overviews of what they're going to deals. But no -- nothing in our inbox, Jim, that says this company is going to pay X yuan for X product.

[11:45:00]

But really why these two leaders were here today, the main message rather than details on this deal or that deal, was to try to project to the world that both Russia and China could be an alternative counterweight to American and Western leadership on the world stage. And essentially, they're speaking to members of the global South, especially nations throughout the Global Community writ large, who may be trying to partner with the United States on future endeavors and thinking to themselves, if we see how this alliance is being treated or another alliance is being treated, disarray that the White House is engendering on the world stage.

You know, Moscow and Beijing certainly want to try to project to the world that they can be a more stable partner. So, in that front, this is certainly the goal of the meeting. We're going to wait for more details as soon as Vladimir Putin gets to Moscow. And when the sun comes up again, we should have some more details on specifics then, Jim.

SCIUTTO: Still waiting for more details on the Trump chief visit as well. Mike Valerio in Beijing. Thanks so much. VALERIO: That's right.

SCIUTTO: Joining us now is Latvia's minister of foreign affairs, Baiba Braze. Foreign minister, thanks so much for taking the time.

BAIBA BRAZE, LATVIAN FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTER: Thank you for inviting me again.

SCIUTTO: First, if I can ask about that relationship between China and Russia, because as you know, they first announced their no limits partnership. Xi and Putin just weeks before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Do you see China wavering at all in its support of Russia's ongoing invasion, or is that tie still strong?

BRAZE: Remember, it started with the statement of no limits partnership, and it has been going on strong. Currently, Russia has become fully dependent on China for supplies for dual tech, for trade. You know, when we look at the trade balance between them, of course, it's a dependency. So, indeed, China is feeling as a stronger partner in that relationship. We also know that Russia is using all that trade, of course, to continue its war in Ukraine, its aggression, and whether it's chips, whether it's missile technology and all types of stuff. So, there are various elements in that.

We, of course, didn't feel happy that during the U.N. Security Council votes on the Hormuz Strait, and you know, the regulation and return to normal in in Hormuz, is that both Russia and China vetoed that resolution that all the others supported. So, also in the foreign policy, we can see certain trends. But of course, China is a separate actor. It's a huge global, globally significant actor. And Russia tries to be a regional power.

SCIUTTO: Yes. OK. I want to ask you about something that Latvia is very much in the center of, and that is Russia's U.N. ambassador, as you know, accusing Ukraine and Latvia -- well, that Latvia would be used by Ukraine to launch drones into Russia. I know that Latvian officials have flatly rejected that accusation as false. I just wonder if you look at this as Russia laying the groundwork or a justification for attacking Latvia or the other Baltic states.

BRAZE: We have said that publicly yesterday, and myself said that that's a Russian disinformation operation. We have said it last week, we have called Russian representative here, the charge of the embassy to the foreign ministry. We have passed that information and requests through our services to the Russians to stop distributing the disinformation.

Yesterday at the U.N. Security Council, it was our ambassador who brought it up because it was Russia's external intelligence, foreign intelligence service statements that, again, distributed this information. Plus, basing on its own lies, they also started threatening other countries. So, that's a double sort of crazy, crazy statements that he was making. So, we unmask that. Yesterday, we will continue doing that. Why Russia is doing that? Two reasons.

One, they are trying, the real reason, of course, blame somebody else for the fact they can't defend against Ukrainian precise strikes with long-range drones. Ukraine has been very successful in really implementing what they call long-range sanctions and hitting Russian production capacity and so on and so forth of oil and gas.

[11:50:00]

Second part, while they are doing that -- they are trying to undermine the wish of the Baltic states and other members of the E.U. to support Ukraine by trying to figure, sort of create some type of disillusion that it's because of Ukrainian drones that these situations are created where the drones fly into our airspace. So, what it leads to is just more resolve and more strength to continue supporting Ukraine, because Ukraine stands in the right and Russia is wrong.

But second, also clearly seeing that Russia is not succeeding. So, we will be strong. We will continue working with our NATO allies, with the E.U. And you've seen many public statements denying this, including SACEUR, NATO's highest military commander, denying these Russian accusations.

SCIUTTO: OK. Foreign Minister Braze, thank you very much. We -- the president has just begun speaking at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut. Let's listen in.

TRUMP: I'm thrilled to become the first president to ever give a second keynote address to this storied institution. I am very proud of that honor. We'll have to try it a third time. We're going to have to try it maybe a third time, too, to keep that record intact.

And a few moments from now, every graduate in the field will go forth with a even greater honor, one of the highest distinctions anyone can attain. You'll become commissioned officers in the United States Coast Guard. And our country is hot. This is a great time. Our country is hot. I hate to say it, but I will. A year ago, a year and a half ago, two years ago, the last administration, we were a dead country.

Right now, we're the hottest country anywhere in the world. We're respected all over the world. You saw that with China just recently. You saw that in Venezuela. You saw that right now in Iran. Everything's gone. Their navy is gone. Their air force is gone. Just about everything. You know, the only question is, do we go and finish it up or are they going to be signing a document? Let's see what happens.

But we're a hot country with the hottest country, hottest country anywhere in the world, with the strongest, most powerful military anywhere in the world. And there's nobody close.

I want to thank our new Secretary of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin, a fantastic man for the introduction, along with Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Kevin Lunday. And he is, he is something. He's a special guy. You know, when you get to that position in the Coast Guard, you're very something. I don't have to ask, gee, how good is he? Hey, they have to be very good. It goes with the territory.

And the president of the Republic of Palau, Surangel Whipps Jr. I want to thank you very much. And you're here and we appreciate you being here. Thank you very much.

Over the past four years, this class has been mentioned by an exceptional team of professors and coaches and military professionals who have shaped you into leaders. You came, you came with very good quality, but they've shaped you nevertheless. And warriors who revere honor and really honored duty. You honor duty like very few others can even think about it. So, let's give a big round of applause to the entire faculty and staff that made this possible.

And I especially want to thank Academy Superintendent Rear Admiral Greg Rothrock. Come on, get up here, Greg. Come here, come here. He does a hell of a job. You don't want to mess with him. Don't mess around with him. Thank you very much, Greg. Fantastic.

Also, your assistant superintendent, Captain Jess Razioks.

SCIUTTO: We've been listening to President Trump as he delivers the commencement address at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy category in New London, Connecticut, repeating in his comments there a phrase he has often used, which is to say that the U.S. is the hottest country in the world right now.

Our Betsy Klein has been traveling with the president here. Messages that the president repeats again, claiming the U.S. intelligence assessments contradict this, that all of Iran's military has been effectively destroyed. Do we know what the rest of his message is planned to be today? I imagine taking some credit for primary election results last night.

BETSY KLEIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: We'll have to see if he gets into the primary election results from last night.

[11:55:00]

Obviously, this is a moment to honor the 250 or so cadets that will soon become ensigns in the U.S. Coast Guard Academy just a few moments from now. But the president just now repeating what he has said in the past about Iran, but with a little bit of a different spin.

I just want to read to you from my notes. The president said of Iran, are we going to be finishing it up or signing a document? Let's see what happens. You know, the president yesterday told reporters that he believed that he was giving Iran a couple more days. He put a timeline on it. He said it could be a little bit later this week or as soon as next week that he would potentially proceed with military attacks on Iran, waiting for a peace deal to play out. But we'll see what he says in the rest of these remarks, Jim.

SCIUTTO: Yes, of course, those deadlines, whether it be with Iran or Russia, have often proven to be fluid. I think we could say with experience. Betsy Klein there in New London with the president.

Thanks so much to all of you for joining us this morning. Inside Politics with our friend and colleague Dana Bash starts right after a quick break. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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