Condemnation right now for its use of force against the protesters. From the Trump Administration, a strong statement of support, the white house saying that hamas is responsible for the deaths and israel has a right to defend itself. U. S. Ambassador to the United Nations nikki haley weighed in on this just moments ago. Those who suggest that the gaza violence has anything to do with the location of the American Embassy are sorely mistaken. Rather the violence comes from those who reject the existence of the state of israel in any location. Such a motivation, the destruction of a United Nations member state, is so illegitimate, as to not be worth our time in the Security Council other than the time it takes it denounce it. Yesterdays opening of our embassy in jerusalem is a cause for celebration for the american people. Moving the u. S. Embassy to jerusalem was the right thing to do. Cnns Senior International correspondent ben wedeman is now live for us along the edge of the protests in gaza. Ben is joining me now, what are you seeing there now . Well, actually, today, kate, it seems to be a smaller crowd, im going to step out of the way so you get a better look, much smaller crowd than yesterday. What youre seeing in the background is burning tires, there have been regular overflights by israeli drones that are dropping tear gas canisters on the crowd, but by and large, much smaller. We did hear reports earlier today of one 50yearold palestinian dying. That was apparently if gunshots yesterday. I think after yesterdays death toll of at least 60 people, there is more focus on the fun ra ra funer erals that took place last night. They mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the state of israel. It is important to keep in mind that hamas didnt exist back then and the grievances that drive the people here predate hamas. Hamas certainly has played a role in encouraging people to come out and demonstrate, but given that this is the 70th anniversary of the founding of the state of israel, regardless of whether the u. S. Embassy was inaugurated yesterday in jerusalem or not, there would have been protests probably of this size in this period, in this month of may. Ben, youve been covering this conflict for decades. Does this round, does this moment seem different . Reporter i think it is different in that we are now in a situation where the palestinians issue, the palestinian cause has largely been sidelined. The saudis, for instance, who were traditionally supporters of the palestinian cause made it clear that their main concern in the region is iran. Other arab countries are too busy with their own wars, economic woes, political instability to really provide any even lip service. Thats really much of what it has been over the last decades for the palestinian cause. Palestinians do feel they have been abandoned. You have an administration in washington that has come down very clearly on the side of israel. And many feel that this is the only way to remind the world that this issue has yet to be resolved. Since 1967, there has been a military occupation of the west bank and east jerusalem, that gaza is essentially surrounded by israel, sealed off, some people call it an open arab prison and therefore the grievances are deeply felt and the feeling is among many palestinians is that the world has forgotten them, traditional allies have abandoned them and they have nothing else to do but what you see behind me. Ben wedeman, great to see you, thank you so much. Joining me now to continue the discussion, cnn military and diplomatic analyst, retired rear admiral john kirby, served as spokesman for the state and defense departments under president obama. Great to see you. Thank you for coming in. Lets talk about the u. S. Response here. President s democratic and republicans alike, they have supported israels right s s to defend itself. Do you think this is different. To bens point, they have come down very, very hard on the side of israel, every administration as you rightly pointed out agrees that israel has a right to defend itself. We helped them defend themselve and with good reason. It is a dangerous neighborhood they live in, no question about that. This time around we have so heavily put our thumb on the scale in the favor of israel and this conflict that we removed ourselves from any credible position of trying to help negotiate or be an arbiter for some sort of solution going forward. And ben is right, the palestinians have long felt that they have been completely ignored now and maybe through the protests theyll try to advance some visibility here, but it is very hard to see how we get any where closer to a twostate solution based on what the Trump Administration has decided to do with respect to israel. Where the white house putting all of the blame squarely on hamas, their words, where do you think that leaves palestinians from here . I think it probably further alienates the palestinians. There is no question hamas has an interest here. And although i havent seen the intelligence, i would absolutely have no problem believing that hamas was helping to at least inspire or organize some of this protest activity, certainly within their wheel house and said what they believe their interests are. We have done we, International Community, have done nothing to necessarily try to stem that this angst, the grievances, or try to successfully bring to a close the tension between israel and palestine. And i do believe that israel has a special responsibility to protect its citizens, but also, kate, has a special responsibility to restrain itself and use minimal force when trying to deal with the threats they face. They are clearly the most powerful nation in that part of the world. And thats where the uk and france landed on this. They have been particularly critical of israels use of and uk calling for an independent investigation, independent investigation here. Is that Just Lip Service because is that hikely to go anywhere considering where the u. S. Lands on this . I doubt seriously that it will go anywhere, certainly if they use the u. N. To try to get there, the United States will be no doubt about that. Remember 2014, gaza war, and how aggressively the israelis went after People Living in gaza, under the guise, the community condemned them for that and further isolated israel. If theyre not careful in these protests here, what were seeing now, they could be marching down that exact same road. The only difference would be that the United States would not be among the International Community in terms of condemning them and further isolates even the u. S. From the rest of the world. And these are not easy times. Not the understatement of the year saying that this is not an easy conversation because, of course, in 2014, they also said that hamas was hiding among the population, specifically trying to hiding weapons and hospitals and schools in order to put themselves where the civilians were. Thats exactly right. None of this is an easy conversation. But an important one as we watch the protests play out again. Great to see you. Coming up, well hear from President Trump during a rare trip to capitol hill. Thats to begin any moment now. Well bring you the remarks live as soon as they begin from the president. The president walking in to this very important Memorial Ceremony that is happening on the front of the capitol. Also this were watching at this moment, First Lady Melania Trump recovering from a kidney procedure. The president tweets out when she may be released from the hospital. Dr. Sanjay gupta joins us with the latest on this. At tmobile, we dont just see uniforms. 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He loved the polls when he was up, hated the polls when he was down and now donald trump feels it turns up exactly the same, it appears, about leaks. Happy to tout them when they help. This just came out, wikileaks, i love wikileaks. Another one came in today, this wikileaks is look a treasure trove. I will tell you this, russia, if youre listening, i hope youre able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing. But then just as happy to trash and discount them when they dont help him. I think it is very, very unfair what has happened to general flynn, the way he was treated and the documents and papers that were illegally, i stress that, illegally, leaked. Very, very unfair. And now to the president s tweet du jour. It is like a mixed metaphor wrapped up in a walking contradiction. The socalled leaks out of the white house are a massive overexaggeration put out by the fake news media. We will find out who they are. In summary, hes going to hunt down the very people behind the leaks even though what theyre leaking is not real. We have got it. So, where do they go from here . Cnns Kaitlan Collins is joining me from the white house. You have some new reporting on this very issue and how it happens in the white house, leaks. Reporter thats right, kate. The white house is trying to frame this mccain remark as a leaking problem inside the white house. But as we have reported, extensively over the last 16 months, the Trump Administration has gone to Great Lengths to stop these leaks from happening to no avail. One of those efforts is from the chief of staff john kelly who instituted this personal cell phone ban back in january. In a memo, letting staffers know about this ban, john kelly said this was not to prevent them from speaking to reporters, but to for the National Security reasons, of course, most staffers inside this white house did not see it this way. The way theyre carrying out this ban is they have installed lockers at entrances into the west wing where staffers put their phone in a locker, lock it up and leave it there, for the remainder of the day. Sources inside the white house tell me you can often see staffers huddled around the lockers, checking their phones and when the staffers arent there, these lockers are constantly buzzing and chirping with alerts from the staffers cell phones. This is not a ban based on the honor system. They have two men dressed in suits who periodically will go throughout west wing, conducting a sweep to find unauthorized nongovernment issued phones throughout the west wing. These devices, that these men have going from room to room too to room have been described to me as largely accurate and can detect what kind of cell phone it is in the room, apple iphone or samsung galaxy, whatever. That is how theyre trying to find people who have their personal phones throughout west wing because they think it is going to be a way to tamp down on the leaks. But, of course, as is evidence by kelly sadlers remark, the stopping the use of personal cell phones in the west wing is not stopping staffers from telling reporters what is going on behind closed doors. Now, this has been a source of great frustration lately here in the white house. Of course, the president tweeting yesterday he believes leakers are traitors and Kellyanne Conway saying she believes people will be fired over this. Some leaks exist to hurt, i guess, colleagues. Some leaks exist because they disagree with the policies that are being put forth. But none of them are helpful. It is not so much leaking as using the media to shiv each other. You expect personnel changes as a result . I do. Actually, yes, i do. Reporter so the white house is framing this as a leaking problem. But the bottom line is dozens of senior white house officials who work in this white house behind me talked to reporters throughout the day. The president himself even talks to reporters and it is a way that reporters find out whats going on behind closed doors in the west wing to tell the american people. Kaitlan, great reporting, thank you so much. Keep your cell phone close. Were going to remind everyone, were keeping our eye on capitol hill. President trump is set to speak at a ceremony any minute now. The president will after this ceremony, that well be bringing you his remarks live. After that, hell be walking, making the short walk into the capitol, staying there to have lunch with Senate Republicans. When he does, republicans, it sounds like, have a lot to say. It has been six days since the white house staffer mocked their Senate Colleague senator john mccain over his health and the white house refusing a public apology. Sunlen serfaty joins me now. Some republicans arent mincing words at this point when it comes to how the white house handled all of this. Reporter thats right, kate. Theyre not happy and theyre being very vocal in their criticism of the white house over this. The fact this is a long time colleague of theirs, theyre fiercely loyal of somebody notably battling brain cancer, some many coming to mccains defense and offering up fierce criticism of the white house. You have multiple senators, notable, many members of the Senate Republican leadership, openly saying that the white house should make sure that President Trump apologized, saying this language is appropriate, senator thune saying that. It would have been nice if the white house nipped this earlier and it came out and offered a public apology rather than letting this faster for now. Six days we heard from senator collins who talked to my colleague, manu raju this morning, he said she said, look, the responsibility here is on President Trump, he should come out and say this is not acceptable rather than just criticizing the leaker as kaitlan said there, a lot of emphasis from the white house, and the fallout over this controversy has been on the leaks and not over the specifics of the criticism. This meeting is behind closed doors, interesti ing to see how forceful the republicans call out President Trump when hes actually in the room with them. I think a lot of the sentiment we will hear today from those republicans is, like is, look, this is someone who deserves our respect and despite differences you have with him, we should make that clear. Well see if there are any changes from the white house. Youre also reporting that republicans plan to push the president on another issue, what he really means when he tweets out that he wants to help the Chinese Company zte get back into business. What are you hearing about that . Reporter a lot of questions and concerns about the president ial tweets. A lot of senators demanding to know more about what exactly President Trump means when hes tweeting about these easing of restrictions. We heard from senator cornyn yesterday who said ill ask about this at the lunch immediating tode imeeting today. They were not aware of it. They want clarity and a lot of ratcheting up the alarms from senator rubio saying it would be a mistake and he says this runs counter to every conversation hes ever had with President Trumpclearly a lot of questions from the president s own party today. Well be watching that and bring it to you when it begins. Joining us now, editor at large, Chris Cillizza and Julie Hershfield Davis of the new york times. What is in a leak . A leak by any other name would smell so sweet. Traitor, my friend. I dont remember that going that way in my english class, but well roll with it, kate. Yeah, look, yo