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L.A. Public Schools Shut Down; GOP Debate. Aired 2-2:30p ET

Aired December 15, 2015 - 14:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:00:36] BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: And here we go, top of the hour. So great to be with you again here on a huge day at - in Las Vegas. You're looking at live pictures here inside where the action will all begin in - checking the countdown clock - now less than four hours officially. I'm Brooke Baldwin. Thank you so much for being with me here on this Tuesday afternoon.

Let me just give you the quick lay of the land. I can tell you that the candidates are arriving here. They are touring the stage. In fact, throughout the next two hours, you will see several of the candidates. We'll catch them on the way in. We'll catch them on the stage seeing exactly the podium spacing, where they'll be going in a matter of hours later this evening. National security likely, of course, to be the top issue with tonight's face-off.

But, meantime, we are following some breaking news today involving the nation's two largest school systems. New York City and Los Angeles. Authorities now investigating e-mailed threats that were made today to both of those school districts. We have heard from the New York Police Commissioner Bill Bratton saying his team is investigating the threat as a hoax, but in Los Angeles a much different story. Officials there taking the unprecedented step of shutting down the entire school district. Translation, that is more than 600,000 students in the midst of finals, a week before winter break, not going to school this morning.

CNN has learned these threats are linked, officials say, the e-mails, New York and Los Angeles received, came from Germany. The L.A. police chief blasted those who criticized their decision to shut down school today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF CHARLIE BECK, LOS ANGELES POLICE: It is very easy in hindsight to criticize a decision based on results that the decider could never have known. It is also very easy to criticize a decision when you have no responsibility for the outcome of that decision. The school district safeguards three-quarters of a million lives every day. When they make a decision, they have to take into account the safety of the children of Los Angeles. I think it's irresponsible, based on facts that have yet to be determined, to criticize that decision at this point.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BALDWIN: President Obama has been informed of the threats and the FBI and ATF are assisting.

Joining me now, CNN national correspondent Kyung Lah, who is live for us in Los Angeles this morning. Also here, CNN national security analyst Juliette Kayyem I believe is joining us as well. So we'll go to Juliette in a moment.

But, Kyung, first to you. Talk to me about this threat. What more do we know at this hour?

KYUNG LAH, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we know from the police chief is that the e-mail threat came in very late last night. He said that it was specific to L.A. Unified School Districts. That's why they decided to close it down. He specified that there were a few things in the e-mail that alarmed the school district. That it appeared to be very specific. It talked about explosive devices. It also referenced assault rifles. It referenced other weapons as well. And that whatever was going to happen was already in place.

So, the superintendent, talking to the school's police chief, not to Charlie Beck but to the school's police chief, they decided that it was prudent to close down all the schools. Brooke, it has been a very hectic day for all those parents. Some 700 - nearly 700,000 students that suddenly have no place to go. They have to go home. All their working parents suddenly have to figure out what to do. But right now at least you heard the police chief certainly playing the defensive saying that this was the prudent choice.

Brooke.

BALDWIN: Yes, I know, I've been watching the coverage all morning. This is a huge, huge deal that, you know, 640,000 students aren't going to class. And to me it's also interesting, this tale of two cities.

And, Juliette, I wanted to just bring you in on that. You know, you've worked in homeland security in Massachusetts. And I'm wondering, you know, when we don't know specifically if these two separate threats are the same threat, but to hear, you know, you juxtapose Bill Bratton and his response in New York with what's happened in Los Angeles, what's your read on the two?

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, I've worked as a state homeland security official and in the federal government, so I've been involved with these decisions, whether it's snow or some threat. These are difficult judgment calls made. So, first of all, with Los Angeles, I thought the mayor, Garcetti, did a pretty good job of maybe trying to calm people down and also at the end of his speech saying, we need to keep engaging because if this ends up being a false alarm, we are going to have a problem that people don't take the real threat seriously.

[14:05:16] And so that gets to the second point and something that you're seeing between New York and L.A. You know, people were sounding really defensive at this press conference. That is not what people want to hear. They kept 600,000 children home with the consequences of parents, offices being closed, businesses being closed. This is a big deal. It is American to criticize if it was the wrong decision. And so, you know, the sort of defensiveness seems to me to be not appreciative of the consequences of closing if the system broke down. In other words, if the L.A. Police Department was not notified, if the protocols were ignored. So if I were the mayor or someone who could look at this and say, look, we need to do a review here because we can't be closing school districts every time an e-mail comes in. It's just - it's not - it's not sustainable.

BALDWIN: There's obviously a lot we don't know, but, Juliette Kayyem, thank you so much.

And, you know, we know that this is the backdrop. Of course, also here in Vegas, thinking ahead to all these candidates on the stage and the theme is national security. And I have to imagine what's happened there at Los Angeles and New York will, you know, be known here in Las Vegas.

We are here in Las Vegas, of course, CNN's special coverage tonight of the final Republican debate of this year, 2015. The anticipation, it is rising as the minutes tick down. We are three hours and 53 minutes away, if you can watch the clock with us here, for this debate. Of course, the undercard debate and then the main stage.

And you will see the candidates, throughout the next two hours, as we're looking here, I don't know if these are live pictures or not of Senator Lindsey Graham. Yes, they are I'm being told, thank you, control room. So these are live pictures. So you'll see, you know, different candidates walking through, being talked through exactly where they'll be standing and in some moments we'll actually catch the candidates coming into the arena hall as well to find out how they've been spending the last couple of hours.

It's the last chance, as I mentioned, the last chance to debate happening tonight. It is happening here in Las Vegas at the beautiful Venetian Hotel. And, listen, this is a town that's all about playing the numbers and they are pretty exceptional when it comes to Donald Trump. Let me throw some numbers at you. A second national poll now shows his support near 40 percent, 38 percent specifically, of Republicans with his closest competitor, Senator Ted Cruz, a full 23 percentage points behind him.

With those kinds of numbers, Trump might feel incredibly strong coming into tonight, but there is another poll, this is a new poll, that could shake some of that confidence. This comes from Monmouth University, which found 52 percent, it's a slim majority, but a majority nonetheless of Republicans do not support banning Muslims from entering the United States. As you well know, this is a proposal that Trump has recently floated calling for a temporary ban. In fact, Monmouth found the only group that backed such a ban was Trump supporters, 61 percent of them want it.

So, let's analyze all of that and so much more, but first let's get to the ground. I have Sara Murray. She is in the spin room for us. And Athena Jones is there at the entrance where the candidates will soon be arriving for those walk-throughs.

So, Athena, let me begin with you. Have you been able to grab anyone so far? How are they spending their mornings here in Vegas?

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Brooke.

Well, we've seen Senator Marco Rubio arrive. Candidates are coming from different directions. It's a huge complex, as you know. Through this entrance we saw Senator Rubio. I asked him how he's feeling heading into night. He said, I'm good. Coming out after his walk- through I asked him how important it was to perform well tonight, and he said he's looking forward to it. It will be great.

And, Brooke, you know, Senator Rubio has performed well in the last several debates. He has reason to feel good. He's done a good job of getting his message across, appealing to voters, and he's benefited in the polls because of it. I spoke with one of his aides before today and he was saying, look, you know, why do we need to fix what's not broken. So they're certainly hoping for another strong night.

But as you mentioned, this is very, very important. It's the last chance for these candidates to make a strong impression heading into the holidays. Senator Rubio, of course, is going to want to make the case that he is very, very knowledgeable on foreign policy. That's something he's talked up in several of the last debates. So we expect him to talk about his plans for defeating ISIS. We expect him to criticize the president's approach to defeating ISIS. And I wouldn't be surprised if we also heard him try to slip in some domestic issues, and that is what one newspaper called his quiet legislative sabotage of the Affordable Care Act, Obamacare. He slipped in a provision to the spending law last year that has undermined that law by limiting the government's ability to reimburse health insurance companies that are losing money as part of that program. So he's got a lot to say tonight to voters and he said he's feeling good about it.

[14:10:05] Brooke.

BALDWIN: Athena, you have a big job. We'll check in with you I'm sure throughout the next two hours as you'll be wrangling some of these candidates as they head into the arena.

Sara Murray is standing by. She is in the spin room. And for - for those who don't understand what the spin room is, this is the room in which, you know, these campaigns, Sara, go straight into after the debates to spin with the media.

SARA MURRAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Brooke. We're actually in the debate hall right now where you see Lindsey Graham is here. He's talking to GOP Chairman Reince Priebus.

But you're absolutely right, later on tonight we will move over to the spin room. That's where these candidates will get an opportunity - hi, Senator Graham. We're live right now. How are you doing? Say hi to -

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We are? Hey, live. Well, at least one of us is live. I'm still pretty sleepy. MURRAY: Yes, you're excited about tonight?

GRAHAM: Yes. Oh, absolutely, yes.

MURRAY: You're still pretty sleepy.

GRAHAM: As my time's off.

MURRAY: OK.

GRAHAM: It's beautiful here.

MURRAY: Yes, you like it? You (INAUDIBLE).

GRAHAM: Yes. So you come here, you lose money in (INAUDIBLE) casino that helps the Republican Party and (ph) Israel, so come here and lose.

MURRAY: You know, I heard - I heard that Donald Trump is going to be meeting with Sheldon Addelson (ph) today. What do you make of that?

GRAHAM: I think it - Sheldon will do a lot of listening.

MURRAY: Yes? Yes, you think he has a lot of questions.

GRAHAM: That's a good thing. Yes, two casino owners.

MURRAY: OK, so here is a question for you. You're going to be in the undercard debate. You said before, you know, you don't really think that's a very fair setup.

GRAHAM: Yes.

MURRAY: How do you break out of the undercard debate and get onto the main stage?

GRAHAM: I think what I said four months ago about national security, I've been more right than wrong. Events have proven me right. And hopefully over time the closer we get to voting and the more the world falls apart, people will turn back and say, that Lindsey Graham seems to know what he's talking about. And tonight gives me a chance to make my case that I - the events have proven me right and my critics wrong and there's a way forward to prevent another 9/11, but we've got to change our strategy. So I'm going to really focus tonight on what it takes to defend America and why I've been saying this for two years.

MURRAY: So why when we look at these proposals from Trump, he says, you know, we're going to ban all Muslims and then his numbers go up.

GRAHAM: Yes.

MURRAY: I mean what - what is working with America?

GRAHAM: People think that makes - well, people think that makes us safer. They want to be safe. You have every reason to be afraid because radical Islam is getting stronger, not weaker. But fear is not a strategy. And what he said in terms of banning all Muslims coming to America is the single biggest mistake he could possibly make because this is a religious war between radical Islam and the world -

MURRAY: Right.

GRAHAM: As well as people within the faith itself. So the only way you win the war is partner with people in the Islamic faith.

MURRAY: Right. Right.

GRAHAM: He's made that partnership harder and he's empowered our enemies. He did the single worst thing he could possibly do.

MURRAY: Yes. All right, senator, thanks so much. Appreciate it. Have a good one.

GRAHAM: Thanks. Adios.

MURRAY: All right, Brooke, you saw there Senator Lindsey Graham, excited still for tonight and hoping that this national security conversation could move him up to the main stage for some future debate.

BALDWIN: Yes. Yes. Sara Murray, thank you very much there inside the arena here just behind me at the Venetian.

Let's continue this discussion here ahead of the big debate tonight. With me now, David Brody, chief political correspondent for CBN, the Christian Broadcasting Network. Also with me, CNN political commentator Amanda Carpenter, who used to be the communications director for Senator Ted Cruz.

Great to see both of you. So exciting, I love seeing everyone just sort of rolling through and getting the lay of the land.

As we continue watching them do that, to you first. And let me just be real. I've read so many polls on this whole Muslim ban and it's like there are conflicting numbers. So I just want to like take the polls and chuck them for a second and just ask you straight up, how these other candidates will sort of thread the needle with - with, you know, mindful of this primary Republican audience. We know, obviously, how Trump stands on it. No one else is seconding the ban. But some people obviously in the audience are in favor of it but they don't want to appear discriminatory. How do they draw a line in the sand tonight?

AMANDA CARPENTER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, sure. I mean I think everybody wants to see something done, which is why Donald Trump initially got credit for just saying something and being out there on the subject.

BALDWIN: Yes.

CARPENTER: And now that they've looked at it they say, oh, maybe that presents some problems. And, you know, Ted Cruz has a bill to temporarily stop the refugee program for countries that have large populations of terrorists. I think this is an imminently reasonable approach. We can pinpoint the areas where Muslims may be having radical ties, but we shouldn't be stopping our immigration from countries where there's no threat. We have to keep that open.

BALDWIN: So he'll tout that. He'll tout that. Who - how else will they?

CARPENTER: I think there's always debate to just attack Donald Trump and to not even address the problem that he's raising, which is, I think is a terrible trap for Republicans to fall into. You may disagree with Donald Trump's tactics, you may disagree with his rhetoric, but he is addressing problems that people are very concerned about. To dismiss it outright is a mistake.

DAVID BRODY, CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, CHRISTIAN BROADCASTING NETWORK: I would 100 percent agree with that. And I would just add on, you know, the fact that Donald Trump is resonating to a degree with the core issue, and I think what voters are seeing -

BALDWIN: Being terror and national security number one issue right now?

BRODY: Right. And also, honestly, you know, for evangelicals especially, forget evangelicals, but, you know, dealing with radical Islam, really dealing with some of the tenets of Islam is a (INAUDIBLE) issue for evangelicals in this country. And so when he comes out and says, ban all Muslims or at least temporarily, there are a lot of folks that don't hear necessarily the words that he's saying but the core of what he believes. And I think there's a difference between the -

[14:15:03] SEN. TED CRUZ (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Just getting ready. Spent a little bit of time reading the Bible and just - just relaxing and focusing on the challenges facing the country right now.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: It's a different moment for you, right?

CRUZ: Well, it is - we may see a few shots come in our direction and I suppose in a sense that's a backhanded compliment.

ZELENY: Thank you. All right, good luck tonight, senator. Take care.

BALDWIN: OK. So, in and out, that's how we're just going to be, Senator Ted Cruz, your former - you know, you used to work with standing there. Let's - let's actually stay on him and let me stay with you as I'm looking at you and thinking of evangelicals. And when you look at how well Cruz has risen in Iowa specifically, and especially among evangelicals, you know, what was it, the last or the second to last Republican debate we're all sitting here talking about Carson and how great Carson was doing with evangelicals. What do you think changed for Cruz?

BRODY: Well, there a couple of things. First of all, he got the Iowa trinity, if you will. In other words, Steve Daze (ph), that radio talk show host in Iowa, Steve King, the congressman as well, and now Bob Vanderplatz (ph) in the pro-family sector in Iowa. And that really - BALDWIN: So the trifecta helped him.

BRODY: But - the Iowa trifecta I think helped him a lot. But beyond that, I mean, look, he is organized - and Amanda can speak to that - he's organized very, very strongly in Iowa. And not just Iowa, in many other places in the world. And he has a - he has an actual message that is resonating with what I like to call the teavangelicals (ph). You know, the Tea Party, the Evangelicals. You put them together and they're teavangelicals. And Ted Cruz has a path here, there's no doubt about it.

Also, though, however, Donald Trump is around and there's a reason he's around because he has a path too. Think about it for a moment. If Ted Cruz wins Iowa, OK, everybody will say, wow, Ted Cruz won Iowa, but Donald Trump, second place potentially in Iowa, that's huge for Donald Trump. I know he doesn't - second place is for losers. I can just hear him saying that now.

BALDWIN: Nice impression there, Dave.

BRODY: Thank you so much. I do impressions.

BALDWIN: Yes.

BRODY: But beyond that, if he comes in second in Iowa, I mean that's huge because everybody thought, a, he'd be out of the race and, b, there's no way he would play well in Evangelical heavy Iowa.

BALDWIN: He's (INAUDIBLE) if he wins Iowa, he's going to (INAUDIBLE) the table. We'll wait and see if that's even possible. We'll see. David Brody and Amanda Carpenter, thank you both so much.

And, coming up next here, one of Trump's biggest supporters joins a conservative who says you're a fool if you support Trump. The face-off before this debate.

This is CNN's special live coverage here from Las Vegas.

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[14:20:36] BALDWIN: All right, you're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin. Coming up on live pictures, as we will for the next two hours here, as we're looking at Texas Senator Ted Cruz standing next to a couple of our folks here at CNN, looking at which podium behind which he will be standing in a matter of hours. Of course, he will be, and this is a first for him in this particular debate. We know Donald Trump, the front-runner, will be center stage and he will be flanked, as he has been in recent debates, by Dr. Ben Carson. But this is the first time that Ted Cruz will actually directly be standing to Trump's left.

So, getting the lay of the land. And we will continue to see additional candidates coming and going. And this is a potentially huge night for him. Let me just bring in Michael Medved, conservative radio talk show host and political commentator. You know, it's so - it's amazing timing and just how much can change

debate to debate to debate. I feel like I was sitting here, you know, last time in Vegas we were talking about Democrats, but the Reagan Library talking so much about Carson and Trump, Carson and Trump, and now it's the - it's the Cruz thread and the fact that he is doing so well, not just in Iowa, but, you know, number two in some of these national polls. What do you think has changed?

MICHAEL MEDVED, CONSERVATIVE RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Well, what's changed has been the emphasis on national security and what happened in Paris and what happened in San Bernardino, what happened today in Los Angeles for goodness sake.

BALDWIN: Right.

MEDVED: People are looking for someone who can handle the job of the presidency. And this is the challenge for Ted Cruz. There was an editorial today in the "USA Today" that said that he's simply too divisive. What he has to show is that he is the one person who can unite the Republican Party, beat Hillary, then unite the free world to beat ISIS.

BALDWIN: How does he do that, though, because, on the flip side you can look at Ted Cruz., who's only been in office for, what, since 2012.

MEDVED: About 10 days. No, I think -

BALDWIN: He's come in, he is the person who stood up there, you know, on the Senate floor and filibustered for 21 hours and read his kids "Green Eggs and Ham" as we were watching on CSPAN.

MEDVED: Yes, he's affectionately known as Teddy (INAUDIBLE).

BALDWIN: There you go. And so from the government shutdown, we all were there in Washington and covered that, to being this, you know, sort of head of the Tea Party. How does he then move ahead if he were to be the nominee, to nominate the party? What does he do to get the establishment behind him?

MEDVED: Well, first of all, people have short memories. And, second -

BALDWIN: Do we, though?

MEDVED: We do. And if you'll remember the last debate, now we should be able to remember that, Ted Cruz got enormous traction by the fact -- actually, the CNBC debate.

BALDWIN: He did.

MEDVED: He was the one who defended all the other candidates. I am guessing that Ted Cruz, who's a very, very smart political operator, tonight is going to come across sweetness and light. He won't attack Trump. He won't attack Christie. He won't attack Rubio. He is going to be Mr. Positive, unite the Republicans, because I think really this is the moment, particularly with the Christmas season, where people are looking for a message of bring us together so we can win. And Republicans want more than anything else to win. And I think that's why a lot of people are attracted to Trump. And right now people are beginning to get the idea that either Rubio or Cruz might be a much better bet for actually uniting the party and bringing people together and winning enough independents so you can win the election.

BALDWIN: I think the headline is we keep talking Trump/Cruz. I think it's going to be tomorrow Cruz/Rubio. Michael, thank you so much.

MEDVED: I hope you're right, actually.

BALDWIN: Thank you.

Well, my next guest says, watch out, Donald Trump supporters, he is going to break your heart. He debates a loyal Trump supporter next here live in Vegas.

Plus, any moment now, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and then Carly Fiorina, Senator Rand Paul, they will all be touring the stage here at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas. Do not miss a beat. We'll be right back.

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[14:28:21] BALDWIN: All right, you're watching CNN here on this Tuesday afternoon, I'm Brooke Baldwin live here in Las Vegas.

You know when the Republican candidates take to the stage in mere hours here at the Venetian Hotel, controversial frontrunner Donald Trump will be front and center, as he has been on so many of these debate stages past, even though the rank and file seem to love him for his anti-establishment stance. Listen, this guy is definitely not within the beltway in terms of his philosophy. My next guest says Trump is just going to break their hearts. The man who said this is conservative commentator and columnist you see often on this show, Mr. Kurt Schlichter. And joining me also is Trump supporter Andy Dean.

So, gentlemen, wonderful seeing you both in the flesh.

ANDY DEAN, TRUMP SUPPORTER: Nice to be here.

KURT SCHLICHTER, CONSERVATIVE COMMENTATOR AND COLUMNIST: Thank you. Thank you.

BALDWIN: Nice to see both of you.

So I read your piece several times over and was a little - was a tad tickled by the first graph. So if I may, a reading by Kurt Schlichter on -

SCHLICHTER: Well, thank you, Brooke. I'm trying to keep my teeth from chattering.

BALDWIN: OK.

SCHLICHTER: As a young man, I learned that sometimes that hot chick you're dating is also completely crazy. And as much fun as it is to go out with her, it's going to end badly. That's Donald Trump. The super hottie of the "I hate the GOP establishment so much I am now insusceptible to reason (INAUDIBLE). He's sexy. He likes to party and he absolutely puts out in the sense that he gives it to the rhinos good and hard.

But let's put that troubling metaphor aside for a minute. The point's still valid. Donald Trump is not a keeper. He's not the one you want to marry. He's never going to make you happy. He's going to break your heart.

BALDWIN: Andy, he's not a keeper. He's going to break their hearts. How do you respond to this (INAUDIBLE)?

[14:29:55] DEAN: I would say the goal here isn't to sleep with Donald Trump, We're electing a president of the United States. And you want somebody who's tough, who's going to win the war against ISIS and you want somebody who's actually run a business before, signed the front side of a paycheck and knows what middle class, small business owners are going through. You know, this isn't about taking them out to the drive-in and trying to make out with them.