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ISIS Praises Attackers As "Supporters"; Pakistani ID Indicates Wife's Age As 29; Cameras Capture Police Killing Alleged Robber; Newly Released Police Reports "At Odds" With Video; Dad of Slain Reporter Weighs in on Massacre; Trump Tops Poll with Huge Lead, Comments on Massacre Shooters, Arming People; Some in GOP Worried about Trump. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired December 05, 2015 - 17:00   ET

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

[17:00:00] POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: President Obama's National Security team advised him today that the investigation so far has not turned up any evidence that this couple was part of a larger terrorist web. ISIS, however, did praise Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik as, quote, "supporters," stopping short though of describing them as members. That declaration of support happening on ISIS's own radio station today.

Let's go straight to Stephanie Elam, she's outside the couple's home in Redlands, California. A few critical things here, A, what you saw inside the home yesterday Stephanie when you were in there, and then this image. This image of the wife's Pakistani identification. Why is that important to investigators?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, well, let's start with that I.D., Poppy, and the reason why we are interested in this identification, because this is an I.D. you would get from the state, this is a government issued I.D. from the government of Pakistan of Tashfeen Malik and it was very difficult to locate pictures of her, even inside the house, there's a lot -- especially people looking for pictures of her and none were to be found. But this also shows us, A, she would have been 30 years old next year and on top of it, it also shows that she was in Pakistan it looks like as recently as 2013, which would line up with when we believe her husband, Syed Rizwan Farook, actually traveled from this area where he grew up here in the Redlands area of California and then traveled to meet her and bring her back as his fiance.

So we're learning more about that. What's interesting about this, though, is that we know that there's this Facebook posting that she reportedly posted on Facebook under a different name given her support to the leader of ISIS. This is just before the attacks happened, right before that, and that it was taken down by Facebook, but FBI saying that they believe that she did post that and that's part of the reason now there's more interest in her history in Pakistan before she came to the United States. And giving more weight to this idea that this was a terrorist attack evidence as it is now being called, but also still interest in whether or not since it was at his workplace, whether or not there was a workplace scuffle there, as well, and maybe the two combined, but the issue here is did she radicalize her husband and that's what investigators are looking into -- Poppy. HARLOW: Stephanie, you had this unprecedented look inside the house

yesterday. I can't recall ever having cameras inside of a house of people that the FBI is investigating for terrorism and potential ties to ISIS. As you were in there, what struck you the most?

ELAM: Right, that's true, and it's important to point out that by the time the media was allowed in there by the landlord, the FBI had already summed up their investigation. This was no longer a crime scene, they were done, they had already cataloged and taken out everything that they were interested in. So it was looking at what was left inside there. And what I was struck by, the fact this couple they left behind a six-month-old daughter, so inside the house it looks like a young family. You see toys for the baby, you see a crib, you see all the normal trappings that you would expect to see inside of a house, except for the damage that was done in the chaos that right around when their lives ended. And also the resulting investigation into the property. But what was not there were any signs that this family was doing anything nefarious or that they were doing anything to plot against Americans. And what's striking about that is that it may imply that they were doing a better job of blending in with society here than standing out, as the lone wolves that they turned out to be.

HARLOW: That's what's so scary, there were no red flags at all among law enforcement, and yet they had this cache of weapons and pipe bombs, et cetera. And even the neighbors didn't think there was anything up. Stephanie, thank you, as always I appreciate it.

All right. Let's discuss this investigation now with CNN intelligence and security analyst Bob Baer. Bob, I just want to address what Stephanie just mentioned and that is the blending in, the ability to assimilate so much that even their next door neighbor had no idea there was anything awry.

BOB BAER, CNN INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY ANALYST: Well, Poppy, that's exactly what the Islamic State's always said it wanted to do, to appeal to Muslims in this country, converts, anybody that would support their cause, and they know better than to keep contact with these people. They want to inspire them, they want them to blend in, they want them to go dark, so to speak, they don't want them phone calls to Raqqa back and forth. They want them to look like absolutely normal people, people here legally, even obtained the weapons legally, and so they did everything that they were supposed to that the Islamic State had ordered and over social media.

HARLOW: You know, the Associated Press reporting today that officials were only able to gather two years of phone records instead of five because sort of coincidentally the NSA's bulk surveillance program ended four days before this attack. But Bob, I'm interested in, you know, aside from the political bickering that will happen over this, does that matter from an intelligence perspective, given that the wife was only here for two years?

[17:05:04] BAER: No, I don't think it matters at all. This is not an intelligence failure. These people did very well hiding it. And even if you'd had the phone records, you know, been available to the FBI and the National Security Agency, it wouldn't have pointed there was going to be a crime. Those phone records are only good after the crime has been committed. It's very rarely that an algorithm will tell you that some people are ready to act. That's the history of it. Unfortunately, it's not, you know, magic, finding these people.

HARLOW: If this, indeed, is what the White House is saying at this point in time, there's no evidence so far that they are part of a larger terror network, that would be very different than what we saw in the case of the Paris attacks, even if they are both ISIS related, and we have heard officials here say, look, it is the greatest concern right now, sort of these one-off lone wolf attacks. Do you agree with that, Bob, if these are people, again, that aren't part of a bigger web?

BAER: Well, you know, it's a distinction without a difference, whether they were ordered by the Islamic State or not or acted on their own. They can find all the instructions they want on the internet. They know what the goals are, and these are people attack this location behind me in order to drive a wedge between Americans and American Muslims. And so far they've succeeded. They would like the Americans to turn against Muslims in this country. That was their intention and that's why they hit a workplace where they were known to the attackers. They were friends. They had attended, you know, the christening of the baby, not the christening, excuse me on that, but they were there for these people, and so for them to turn against them and shoot them is exactly what the Islamic State wanted.

HARLOW: Wow. Wow. I just had a guest on the other hour who said, do not let this divide us, Muslims in America, and others in America, because that is playing into ISIS' hand, as you're saying. All right. Bob, thank you as always, appreciate it.

BAER: Thank you.

HARLOW: Ahead this hour, police in Florida shooting and killing a man today after he allegedly attempted to rob a bank. All of it caught on camera.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Subject went into the bank, handed over a note, saying he had a bomb and that he was robbing the bank.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: We will show you what happened next.

Also, later this hour, fears are growing within the Republican Party that Donald Trump is well on his way to winning the GOP nomination. We will discuss their playbook, what they want to do next. Also in a new opinion piece, the father of the slain journalist Allison Parker says, he sees the gun prevention landscape changing in this country. Andy Parker will join me live. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [17:11:08] HARLOW: New developments on a deadly police shooting in broad daylight in front of dozens of bystanders in Miami beach today. Cell phone cameras rolling as police gunned down, killed a man that they say had just tried to rob a bank, a man they say was wielding a straight-edged razor. A warning the video we're about to show you is graphic, it is difficult to watch.

I want to take you straight to Miami, CNN Alina Machado is there. All right. I know it's early hours, this just happened. Walk us through what we know at this point.

ALINA MACHADO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Poppy, police say this all started with an attempted bank robbery that happened just down the street a few blocks behind on the other side of where this scene is behind me. That call came in about 10:30 this morning and the caller said that the man had passed along a note to the teller and that he claimed to have had a bomb. Miami Beach police responded to the scene and here's what the police chief says happened next.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF DANIEL OATES, MIAMI BEACH POLICE: He went inside the barbershop, he was urged to come out. After a period of time, he had armed himself in the barbershop with a straight-edged razor and after a period of time he came out. He took his shirt off and he came out. And he was challenged by the officers in the street, at some point during that confrontation, he did raise his hand with the straight- edged razor in it and he was shot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MACHADO: Now, the officer who fired his gun is a six-year veteran of the department. We're also told there is body camera video of the shooting, but they are not releasing that for now -- Poppy.

HARLOW: All right. Alina Machado live for us in Miami. Thank you very much. We'll let you know when we hear more from police and also get some of those other camera angles, you would assume there might be dash cam video, as well. Alina, thank you.

Straight ahead, new police reports on a fatal shooting of a 17-year- old in Chicago. Those reports, according to the Chicago Tribune, revealing a much different account than what you all saw play out on dash cam video released just a few weeks ago.

We'll take you live to Rosa Flores in Chicago, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:16:55] HARLOW: All right. We're following new developments today in the deadly shooting of Laquan McDonald, he is the teenager holding a knife who was shot 16 times by a Chicago police officer. CNN has now obtained newly released police reports from the incident that contain the officer's accounts of that shooting that happened in October of 2014. But those accounts from the officers to the department are dramatically different than what we've now all seen play out on that dash cam video. We want to warn you the video, the images of the shooting are graphic, but it is important to see how they compare to these now released police reports.

CNN's Rosa Flores live with me from Chicago. A dramatic difference and not just a difference of one police officer's account, but six officers' accounts a year plus ago and then what we all saw play out on the video.

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's the big headline, Poppy, and my producers and I have been going through that report page by page and we counted all of the accounts, and that is what is shocking. Not only does Jason Van Dyke's account not match what the video is saying, but five other officers, including a sergeant who recovered the video and reviewed all the witness accounts. He says that everything matches, but, you know, let me take you through it detail by detail. If we look at this video like Poppy mentioned, it's graphic, so you've got to be careful if you're at home and there are children around, but let me take you through this. You see Laquan McDonald walking on the street. And you can see that officers respond to the scene and on the left-hand side of your screen you can see there are two officers with guns drawn.

One of those officers is Jason Van Dyke. Now, we know that six seconds after arriving on scene he starts shooting his weapon. Now, let me take you through the police report. Here is what Jason Van Dyke said, and I'm going to quote here, he was swinging, he's referring to McDonald, he was swinging the knife in an aggressive, exaggerated manner, he goes on to say, McDonald raised the knife across his chest and over his shoulder pointing the knife at Van Dyke and attempting to kill Van Dyke. Now, here's his reaction, in defense of his life, Van Dyke backpedaled and fired his handgun at McDonald to stop the attack. Now, if you see the video, you can see that Laquan McDonald is walking away from officers and then falls to the ground.

HARLOW: Right.

FLORES: The actual angle of the camera changes so you don't see the police officers anymore, but here is what, according to the police report happens, McDonald fell to the ground but continued to move and continued to grasp the knife, refusing to let it go. Now, we know that the officer continues shooting. Here's what he says, he says McDonald appeared to be attempting to get up, all the while continuing to point the knife at Van Dyke. If you listen to those accounts and you listen -- go ahead, Poppy.

HARLOW: And just -- I want to talk to the control room, because for some reason we're not seeing the video play out as you're describing it to us, it's just these still frames and I'm going to have them tell me as we continue to talk if that's -- if we're able to roll the actual video, because that's so important to see the actual video play out to play that and then describe what you've said. So, as we rerack that, here you go, let's just look at this. This is not the correct video. This is actually at a fast food restaurant, so we don't have the right video, I'm so sorry, Rosa. But let's talk more about what he was doing before he was shot. Just sort of the back story here that's very important. FLORES: Yes, definitely so. So the back story here is that according

to police reports, Laquan McDonald was meandering, that he had punctured the tire of a police cruiser, that he had a knife in his hand, and, indeed, according to authorities, that knife was recovered with the three-inch blade and that he had that blade and that he punctured the tire of a police cruiser. And so that's why you see this response. We know that eight officers, at least eight officers, responded to the scene and were at that scene. Now, like you mentioned, now that we get to see the police reports, the accounts of six of those police officers don't jive with what we're looking at when we look at this dash cam video, which raises a lot of questions -- Poppy.

[17:21:33] HARLOW: Sure, and I think Rosa what makes it all so just so much more sort of perplexing is the fact that the city of Chicago settled with the McDonald family for $5 million before anyone in the public had seen that video. But, obviously, they had read the statements of the police officers. I mean, how does that affect this investigation as it moves forward?

FLORES: You know, we should mention that this community has been protesting, hundreds of people have marched the streets asking for the release of this video before it was released. There was a lot of outrage, and now we kind of understand why, because there was this sense that the full story was not out there. Now let me give you the chain of events. After this shooting, the family settled with the city for $5 million. We checked court records, we were trying to find court documents, to find out more information. There are none because they settled before filing a lawsuit. Now, after that the city fought for months not to release that video. It took a journalist fighting in court and getting a civil judge to decide in his favor for this video to be released, and that's why we're seeing the video more than a year after that shooting happened -- Poppy.

HARLOW: All right. Rosa Flores, Rosa, thank you very much for that reporting. Again, a big contrast between those police officers' statements in the wake of the shooting and what you saw play out on dash cam video. Let's dig deeper and get some analysis from CNN legal analyst and criminal defense attorney Philip Holloway joining us now from Atlanta. Philip, I'm sorry I can't show our viewers that dash cam video in full, because it is important for context, a lot of people have already seen it, you can go to CNN.com and see it there, as well. But the fact is, what you see is him running down the street, then veering a little bit to the right, not going at police officers when he is shot 16 times in 15 seconds, but then you have six police officers giving a radically different account in the wake of the shooting. One of them saying, as you heard Rosa report, that their life was in danger, that he had the knife up against pointing it towards one of the officers. What's the most troubling discrepancy to you?

PHILIP HOLLOWAY, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: I don't really know where to begin. You know, Poppy, police reports have to be accurate, they've got to be complete, and they've got to be reliable, otherwise we cannot have any faith in the accuracy of the end result of any investigation, let alone one that's this complex. There are lots of discrepancies, for example, one of the officers who was on scene and wrote a report said that three of them had been battered, okay, by the deceased. And that, obviously, did not happen. We didn't see that on the video. And when a police investigator has access to all these other officers' reports and has access to the video and they write in their conclusionary statement essentially that everything matches up and now we see right before our eyes that it doesn't match up, that is extremely troubling.

The question is, why did this happen? Was this a situation where these other officers and perhaps the investigators were trying to circle the wagons in defense of their comrade, or was it perhaps they simply got it wrong, they were inaccurate, they had inaccurate perceptions, or what, we just don't know, but we need to get to the bottom of that question.

HARLOW: Absolutely, and this investigation certainly does continue. That officer now charged with first-degree murder. Philip Holloway, thank you very much for that. We'll stay on this story for you. I appreciate it.

Coming up next, he's had to come to grips with the death of his daughter, an unbelievable tragedy, now Andy Parker says he is hopeful change is coming when it comes to curbing gun violence in America. Andy Parker is with me, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:28:24] HARLOW: Today, the families of 14 innocent people still trying to come to terms with the unthinkable pain of losing their loved one in a senseless tragedy like what we saw in San Bernardino, California, this week. Emotions too familiar -- far too for Andy Parker, he is the father of television reporter Alison Parker, who was brutally shot and killed on live television by a deranged former co- worker. In an opinion piece this week he writes, "While my emotions were still raw, I vowed on national television to do whatever it takes to end gun violence. What does it mean? It means speaking out for sensible gun laws, it also means standing up for political leaders willing to do the right thing and calling out the ones that don't."

Andy Parker joins me now. Andy, thank you for being with me.

ANDY PARKER, DAUGHTER KILLED ON LIVE TELEVISION IN AUGUST: Thanks, Poppy. One of these days we're going to have happier things to talk about.

HARLOW: I hope so. How are you doing, how's your family doing in the wake of Alison's death?

PARKER: Well, you know, we're hanging in there, but every time you see a tragedy like this and, you know, I just realize that it wasn't even a week ago that, well, I guess it was a week ago, that the Planned Parenthood shooting happened, and then you have the San Bernardino shooting happen, and it just -- it's like a wound that just won't heal. It brings back terrible memories and I know exactly what those families are going through. They are now members of a club that no one wants to join. HARLOW: You're right. You wrote in this op-ed that the needle on gun

violence prevention is turning, and that struck me, because I thought, wow, for him to write that and feel that, even in the wake of the Colorado shooting, the Planned Parenthood shooting, this shooting, what are you seeing, Andy, what's changing?

PARKER: You know, well, I'll give you a good example. I mean, with the help of my Governor Terry McAuliffe, who has been the champion on this issue, we elected a gun sense candidate in Jeremy McPike in the Virginia Senate in a typically Republican district. We narrowly lost in a very heavy Republican district running a candidate that was a gun sense candidate, too, so we're getting closer.

[17:30:00] HARLOW: You wrote in this op-ed that "the needle on gun violence prevention is turning," and that struck me, because I thought, wow, for him to write that and feel that, even in the wake of the Colorado shooting, the Planned Parenthood shooting, this shooting. What are you seeing, Andy, what's changing?

PARKER: You know, well, I'll give you a good example. With the help of my governor, who's been a champion on this issue, we elected a gun sense candidate in Jeremy McPike in the Senate in a typically Republican district. We narrowly lost in a very heavy Republican district running a candidate that was a gun sense candidate, too, so we're getting closer. I think we're very hopeful, and I think that people, you know, if you just look at The New York Times for the first time in 100 years, their op-ed, their opinion page, was on the front page of The New York Times yesterday. People had enough, and I think the needle is moving and you can see it. I can feel it, and it's going to happen, but it's still -- it's still a marathon, not going to be a sprint, but it will happen.

HARLOW: Andy, some numbers here that have gotten a lot of attention certainly right now, over 2,000 times the government accountability office is now reporting between 2004 and 2014 suspected potential terrorists, people who are on the terror watch list, have successfully, legally purchased guns from licensed dealers in America. These are people that are on the no fly list, the president, President Obama today calling that, quote, "insane." But a bill, a bill to stop that failed in the Senate this week. A bipartisan proposed bipartisan bill, do you think both parties will get behind blocking folks on that list from buying guns?

PARKER: I think at some point they are going to have to. I go beyond calling it insane, frankly, if you are -- what you're doing and what Mike McCaul, who is the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, he voted right along with the NRA to allow these potential terrorists to be able to purchase guns. They can't get on an airplane, but they can buy guns. And someone -- the definition to me of treason, well, the definition of treason is giving aid and comfort to an enemy. And we don't know -- I don't think we know exactly yet that this is a terrorist attack in San Bernardino, but, you know, even if it's not, if you're allowing suspected terrorists to obtain weapons, to me that's treason.

HARLOW: Let me ask you this, there are -- I know where you fall politically on this, but we also heard some Republicans, we heard the House speaker this week come out, Paul Ryan, and talk about mental health and that's not getting enough of a focus. Obviously, that, you know, was, obviously, a contributing factor in the murder of your daughter, with this deranged coworker. Republican Tim Murphy of pennsylvania, psychologist, has been pushing for years and has a lot of bipartisan support behind this bill focusing on mental health in terms of funding, in terms of assessment, in terms of family members having knowledge of what's going on with their loved ones who are suffering from this. Do you want to see more on that front, as well, Andy, along with gun legislation?

PARKER: Well, I've always, you know, any opportunity I've had, I've said it's one piece of the puzzle. It is like treating cancer. There's not one, you know, typically isn't one treatment that's going to cure it. And certainly, the mental health aspect is a key component, but as I've always said, we don't have the market cornered on mental illness in the world, but we do have the market cornered on people that are disturbed and mentally ill that have the ability to have access to firearms. And that's the low hanging fruit, you know, do universal background checks, close the gun show loopholes, it's not going to save every life, but it's going to save a lot. And that's something that we have to do. Absolutely we have to pursue these mental health issues, but what Paul Ryan and his colleagues are not talking about and won't talk about, but are going to, is that we have to do something to address the gun issue. Bob Goodlatte, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, has 100 bills on gun legislation that he will not address, and told me to my face he would not hold hearings on them. So, you know, that's going to change.

HARLOW: Andy, as we go to break, I'd like to show our viewers some more photos of your daughter, Alison, just to remember her, that smile, that face, that life. I'm so sorry for your loss, Andy. She's in our hearts.

Thank you.

[17:34:59]PARKER: I know she is. Thank you, Poppy.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: All right, to politics now. Republican front-runner, Donald Trump, left the stage just a short time ago after speaking to cheering crowds in Iowa, pumping up his supporters with less than two months to go before the all-important Iowa caucuses. This week, he defied his skeptics, extended a significant lead in the latest CNN/ORC poll. Look at that. He is 20 points now ahead of his closest rival, which is now Senator Ted Cruz. That is a national poll.

I want to bring in national correspondent, Sunlen Serfaty, on the ground in Davenport, Iowa.

The reaction there from people, I know that he did talk specifically about family members of the San Bernardino shooters at that speech in Davenport. What did he say, how did the crowd react?

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Poppy. Donald Trump was really making the broader point that he thinks the government needs to better monitor the families of suspected terrorists that could be in the United States, and he really went after the mother and the sister of the shooter more strongly than he has in the past, really insinuating that things that the sister said he thinks shows that she knew the plans and intentions of the shooters ahead of time.

Here's what he told the crowd here moments ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[17:39:56] DONALD TRUMP, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & CEO, TRUMP ORGANIZATION: They've got all sorts of bombs, pipe bombs, all sorts of crap all over the apartment. Oh, I didn't see. I watched the sister of the guy last night on television, right, and I'm pretty good at this stuff, and I watched her, she had the veil, the whole thing, she's talking about the brother. First of all, her brother was killed a few days ago, she's talking like -- in fact, I think she said I think I have to go now, my time's up. Right? So matter of fact. I thought she was lying so much. I'm good at this. I thought she was a total liar. I watched her being interviewed last night, right? She lied about him. She didn't know he felt this way. She knew. And a lot of other people knew, too. And we better be vigilant.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERFATY: Now you heard the crowd there reacting. There was definitely some applause at times when Donald Trump specifically mentioned the sister's comments, of course, comments that she's made that she did not know anything, had no reason to suspect this ahead of time.

Also interesting today, Poppy, Trump also used the issue of fiance visas that have been held under more scrutiny since the shooting. Of course, the female shooter originally coming to the United States honored that fiance visa. Trump saying he would not rule out eliminating this type of visa altogether, and in the coming week, will make a formal statement specifically about this visa program.

HARLOW: How did people react, Sunlen, when he said essentially arming those county workers who were murdered in that office event, would have prevented this or certainly led to less causalities, how did the crowd react to that?

SERFATY: This is a crowd where that sort of argument works very well. People here come to see Donald Trump, many who are very pro gun rights and believe very strongly in the second amendment and believe that that sort of argument is one that they want to potentially see in a president. So it got a good reception here. That is an argument Donald Trump has been making since Paris attacks, saying imagine if people in that crowd, just three people in that crowd had had guns, that they could defend themselves. So certainly Donald Trump thinks this is a winning argument, especially to this sort of crowd here in Iowa -- Poppy?

HARLOW: Sunlen, thank you very much. Again, less than two months away from those critical Iowa caucuses. Appreciate the reporting tonight.

Straight ahead, you saw it right there, Donald Trump on a roll nationwide and particularly in Iowa after yet another poll has him far ahead of his rivals.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: And about what happened to us just now with the two sleaze bags that did what they did, where they killed 14 people, probably end up being more than that by the time it's over with because people are in very, very serious shape.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: But some in the GOP worried about what it means for the party. We will talk about it with Ben and Marc, next. Stay with me.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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[17:48:26] HARLOW: Donald Trump on a roll in Iowa and nationwide, cheering crowds gathering in Iowa today, greeting the Republican front-runner. Less than two months to go before the Iowa caucuses, Donald Trump extending his significant lead over his fellow Republicans. Look at this. This is the latest CNN/ORC poll showing Donald Trump at 36 percent, his closest competitor, Ted Cruz, 16 percent.

Let's bring in our CNN political commentators, Marc Lamont Hill, a professor at Morehouse College; Ben Ferguson, host of "The Ben Ferguson Show." They don't agree on much, sometimes they agree on some things, and don't agree on Donald Trump.

Let's talk about the long-term game plan here, guys. If Trump wins the nomination, these numbers have been steady and rising for months and months now. Anyone that wrote him off certainly is looking at these and saying, we were wrong. Former Republican governor, Robert List, telling CNN, quote, "Let me read this to you here, people are reluctant to take him on because he lashes back like is." That is a quote.

Ben, why are Republicans such as that governor so turned off by Donald Trump? The people are supporting him. Can he do anything to win over sort of the establishment?

BEN FERGUSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: No, but that's probably a good thing. I mean, the establishment, many people have not been excited about the establishment. Remember, this is the same establishment that's against Ted Cruz, same establishment that's against Ben Carson, this is the same establishment that's against Carly Fiorina, so there is an outsider time right now in the GOP, and you have the old guys that are holding on for dear life. I think the other thing and the reason why you're seeing Donald Trump expand his lead is he is a complete polar opposite of what we are seeing from the president, from the White House, specifically on issues like ISIS and dealing with Muslim extremism and terrorism in this country this week. And so when you have things like Paris and you have things like San Bernardino and you have someone that's as blunt as Donald Trump, even if some of the things he's saying, A, unrealistic, or, B, extreme, the fact that he's willing to admit there's an enemy that's declared war on us has made him incredibly popular and why his numbers are where they are right now.

[11:50:34] HARLOW: It's interesting, you've got this big lead, Trump seems to be switching gears, possibly preparing for how he will exactly take on Hillary Clinton if she is, indeed, a Democratic nominee. I want you to listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: She -- I know her. Did you ever notice, she goes out, she goes out, and makes an appearance it's brutal. I don't negotiate. Whatever they ask me, I do whatever, she'll come to Iowa. She'll do a couple minutes in Iowa, meaning a short period of time and you don't see her for five or six days. She goes home. She goes to sleep. I'm telling you. Hillary, you ever notice, you don't see her for four or five days and puts on her panel suit and goes out and does a press conference.

(LAUGHTER)

(CHEERING)

TRUMP: She throws on the old pantsuit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Why are we talking, Marc, about what people are wearing?

MARC LAMONT HILL, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Because we're Donald Trump. He did the same thing Carly Fiorina. I think it's one thing to make fun of Ben Carson and make fun of Jeb Bush, those are candidates who don't have the political p political maturity or strategy if he makes it to the general election or comments like that occasionally, very tough time winning not just female voters but over the majority of the American people. They find comments awkward, crude, disgusting, and unworthy of a presidential candidate.

HARLOW: I want to talk about this leaked memo from Senate Republican strategist saying that Trump is winning because voters believe he is authentic, he is independent, and that the Senate candidates should intimidate that but avoid controversies.

Ben, can you do that? Can you be truly authentic and avoid controversies? You're going to make someone mad.

FERGUSON: No, I don't think so. This is one of the things the Republican Party has gotten wrong. Sometimes you have to allow candidates to be who they are. The same reason why Bernie Sanders is doing so well consistently early on when he did not have the network Hillary had. He said I'm Socialist and earned it and explain what he meant by it. Not necessarily popular but people saw him as a real person and they rallied behind him and I think that's something that these political wonks, you know, within each party need to get their heads out of their rear end and realize being this perfect candidate or not taking chances is not what people want. That's what they hate in Washington and hate about Congress and hate about typical politicians. And I think you see Donald Trump saying, I might offend you and say things you can't stand but I promise you'll get a real candidate and person, and nobody is going to control me.

HARLOW: I got 30 seconds, Marc, and then I got breaking news, go.

LAMONT HILL: Being a real candidate it's important to be yourself. But once we find out who you are, if that authentic self is a jerk or an idiot, not talking about Donald Trump, but, for example, if you're any of those things, you probably shouldn't be president. At some point, voters will say, we know it's really you, Donald Trump, thanks for letting us know, but no thanks.

HARLOW: Marc, Ben, thank you both.

(CROSSTALK)

HARLOW: And breaking news just into us here at CNN.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

HARLOW: Following more breaking news in the shooting in San Bernardino, California. Law enforcement telling us at CNN police conducted a search at home of a man who originally purchased some of the guns that were used by those two killers.

I want to go straight to Stephanie Elam, live for us in California.

Stephanie, what do we know?

[17:55:00] STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, Poppy. We understand this has to do with two rifles used in the shooting. They weren't purchased just recently but what we understand is that there has been a warrant that was filed to look into the House of the person who did buy these two guns. The search was conducted early this morning. Of course, it was filed under seal so we do not know if anything was taken away from the House or what they may have found there, but this relating back to the person who originally purchased these two rifles used in the shooting. We know that being awhile ago but finding information and looking into perhaps if there was any connection there, the latest development -- Poppy?

HARLOW: Important, too, because as we've been reporting, it's believed all the rifles were bought legally. We'll see what that turns up.

Stephanie, thank you. Appreciate it.

I'm Poppy Harlow. And I'll be back and we'll be back with you live, 7:00 p.m. eastern, 4:00 p.m. pacific.

"SMERCONISH" begins right after a short break. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:59:24] MICHAEL SMERCONISH, CNN HOST: I'm Michael Smerconish. Here we go again. That's what my colleague, Brooke Baldwin, said here on CNN Wednesday as the latest news started trickling out of San Bernardino. She meant semiautomatic weapons, innocent victims, lockdown, manhunt, shootout, fear, outrage. But here we go again sadly also applies to what came after. Politicians immediately suited up in their usual jerseys and resorted to the same old playbooks. Republicans again said it was time to pray. "The New York Daily News" ran a controversial cover noting that "God wouldn't fix this." Democrats again made calls for gun control. "The New York Times" tried something different, putting an editorial on the front page of this morning's newspaper, the first time they have done that since 1920, calling for the outlawing of civilian ownership of weapons capable of mass killing.