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Survivors of last year's Paris attack at the Bataclan Theater in Paris making an emotional return to the city of lights; Grammys performance have sound glitches; Bernie Sanders, is back in South Carolina; 3:30-4p ET

Aired February 16, 2016 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00] BERNARD WHITMAN, POLLSTER TO MICHAEL BLOOMBERG IN 2009: I mean it literally a reality TV race gone presidential. And I think that the voters are looking at it and saying, you know, if someone got into the race with socially liberal, fiscally conservative views, that took a moderate commonsense approach, it would bring people together, it would build consensus, actually get things done, who has a record and experience of doing that inn the city is large into (INAUDIBLE), that is something that I think voters should really welcome.

And then you look at the Democratic side and this near Specter of a self-avowed socialist actually potentially winning the nomination is incredible. I mean, if you actually looked at what the numbers are in "The New York Times" article out today shows that Hillary win the debate last week that she said the federal government would grow 40 percent under Bernie. She vastly underestimated. He could add $1 trillion, $2 trillion of spending, grow the federal government 50, 50 percent beyond where we are now.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN HOST: So initially, the fact, when this thing first was percolating, and the ether was OK, well, only if Hillary is not the nominee, then he would definitely, you know, throw his hat in the race. Now, by whatever this time table, we may not know if it's either and he will have to make that calculated, you know, decision. (INAUDIBLE), a week before last when I was in New Hampshire, the former spokesperson for George W. Bush, and he was saying to me, Brooke, bring him on. It will be great for the Republicans if Michael Bloomberg ran.

WHITMAN: Well, you know, be careful what you ask for because I'm sure they're doing a lot of polling and I think they're not looking at simply are they going to take more from the Democrats, more from the Republicans, but can they put together a winning coalition to deliver 270 votes in November.

And I think increasingly that opportunity is there. Why? Because the rhetoric on both sides is getting so divisive. And I think that the truth is, a plurality, if not a majority of voters actually espouse viewpoints if the mayor would put forward in his presidential campaign. They want to keep taxes low, but they also want a safety net. They want to raise the minimum wage. There are willing actually raise taxes on the rich to deal with income inequality. They want (INAUDIBLE) strategy, but they also want to put that kind of change. They want to keep guns off the street. So they want to support the freedom for gays and lesbians to continue to marry and for women to be able to choose. These are all policy positions that appeal to the center of country that aren't showing u as much on the right or the left.

BALDWIN: Bernard Whitman on the possibility of a Bloomberg run to be continued.

WHITMAN: Thanks, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Thank you so much.

Coming up next, the Democrats battle for African-American voters. Hillary Clinton delivering a speech this hour on civil rights, specifically in Harlem here in New York. We will listen in.

Also ahead, Bernie Sanders picks up the endorsement of several African-American lawmakers in South Carolina. We will talk to one them live. Stay with me.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:37:17] BALDWIN: Right now, survivors of last year's Paris attack at the Bataclan Theater in Paris making an emotional return to the city of lights. The band, Eagles of Death metal, that rock band from California who is playing at the Bataclan with all these people that slaughtered, they will be headlining the very first show in Paris since that night. It was last November, 90 innocent concert goers were murdered by a group of armed terrorists. The band appeared at a U-2 show in Paris in December. But they say the full performance is to finish what they started. The lead singer, Jesse Hughes, also says the experience to convince him more than ever that more guns in the right hands could have actually saved lives.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JESSE HUGHES, LEAD SINGER, EAGLES OF DEATH METAL: Did your French gun control stop a single (bleep) person from dying? If anyone can answer yes, I would like to hear it because I don't think so. I think the only thing that stopped it was some of the bravest men that I have ever seen in my life charging head first into the face of death with their firearms. Maybe I know people will disagree with me but it just seems like God made men and women that night guns made them equal and I hate it that it's that way. I think the only way my mind has been changed is that maybe until nobody has guns, everybody has to have them. Because I don't want to ever want to see anything like this ever happen again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Wow. CNN's Erin McLaughlin is live outside the Olympia concert help there in Paris for the show has just begun there.

How - I mean, those are some strong comments. Until we have no guns, everyone should have guns? How is that going to go over in France?

ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, people here in France, Brooke, disagree with what he said. They do understand that he comes from' different country, different background. People here in France, in general, very much see the gun control laws, some the strictest gun control laws in the world up here in France that are currently in place as necessary. They rely on police to keep them safe. But that's really not the center of focus here at the Olympia tonight. The focus is on the music. The focus is on bringing people back together for what is going to be very emotional concert. (INAUDIBLE), a CNN.com reporter inside the venue now. She tells me the place is absolutely packed. Some 2,800 tickets sold. It is sold out. Of those 2,800, 900 survivors and relatives of victims from that Bataclan attack over three months ago. They are inside (INAUDIBLE) was telling me that she, at first glance, she is looking at the cloud. You don't see anything out of the ordinary. It looks like an ordinary rock concert, but soon you start to pick up clues that this isn't 100 percent normal, people walking around, carrying white flowers, some shedding tears, some on crutches. There's counselors present to be able to help them through this process.

I was speaking to one survivor prior to the concert. He was telling me that tonight for him is a test to see if he can return to normalcy. Others saying that it's simply too soon. They're choosing to stay home. Over three months is just not enough time to be able to go through another concert again.

[15:40:39] BALDWIN: Yes. It is pretty extraordinary that they are already back in Paris. I will never forget seeing that vigil in front of Bataclan, days after. I have never seen anything like it.

Erin McLaughlin there in Paris for us tonight. Erin, thank you.

Meantime, moments ago, back here at home, on the trail, Donald Trump bringing up two men from his crowd at this rally. He was just holding at South Carolina after a heckler interrupted and started speaking out. We will tell you what happened there. We'll show it to you.

Also, happening now, Bernie Sanders speaking at a town hall in Charleston, South Carolina, as his rival, Hillary Clinton, gets ready to deliver a speech on grace relations back here in New York and Harlem. Stand by for that. Lots to talk about on this Tuesday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:45:15] BALDWIN: She has the voice. She has the record crushing album. And she had one of Grammy night's most anticipated performances. So what went so wrong for Adele last night? Watch for yourself.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYING)

BALDWIN: Yes, don't have to adjust your volume. That is what happened. As part her performance been she took to twitter to try to explain this audio glitch, tweeting the piano mics fell on the piano strings. That's what the guitar sound was and made it sound out of tune. Glitch happens. Because of it, though, I'm treating myself to an in and out so maybe it was worth it.

NPR TV critic Eric Duggans joins me now.

So just for second, on Adele. And listen, I have seen her several times live. She kills every time. My heart went out to her.

ERIC DUGGANS, TV CRITIC NPR: Well, and what was sad and sort of infuriating is that was not the only audio problem of the night. The audio engineer seemed to struggle throughout the broadcast. There were times when vocals, particularly if you listened to the Lionel Richie tribute, you know, vocals weren't loud enough and things like that. So I was really surprised that CBS struggled so much with audio problems throughout actually the length of the Grammys. Adele got it the worst. And she reportedly suffers from stage fright. So I think maybe it threw her off a little bit and her performance was off throughout because of that early mistake.

BALDWIN: She's amazing though. But you could just sort of see it in her eyes, perhaps some frustration. To me, though, the performance was Kendrick Lamar. If folks at home haven't seen it, roll it.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYING)

BALDWIN: I mean, first of all, I'm watching you. I mean, I'm watching you. Listen, walking out in chains, backup musicians behind cell block bars. The African dancers at the very end were confident. Sort of superimposed on the continent of Africa. What did you think?

DUGGANS: Well, I thought this was an amazing performance. And certainly one of the highlights of the night, if not the highlight of the night. Taking this imagery, showing black men in chains. And then transforming it to an image of early African and African centered garb is a powerful message. And to bring that at the Grammys where you sort have the mainstream of music entertainment watching, you know, over 20 million people tuned in and to see Kendrick join our roster of artists including Beyonce who are taking this imagery at the heart of black culture and bringing it to their work to try and add some powerful questions about policing and how black people are treated and what it taking to survive as a black person in America today this is powerful stuff. And it is the lyrics of his songs. That's why, you know, he's been such a powerful artist. And to see him translate that visually to the Grammys. I mean, it really woke up a broadcast that had been kind of sleepwalking up until that point.

BALDWIN: I have sort of watching the cuts from Kendrick Lamar, you know, to this audience, wondering how they were feeling, if they were getting it, you know. So then you have this Kendrick Lamar, this racially charged very intelligence performance. And then you had -- you mentioned Beyonce, the "formation" video, imagery of hurricane Katrina, police brutality, the kid dancing in front of the line of police officer. Then you have coming up Chris Rock hosting the Oscars.

Is this, Eric, I don't know, part of a movement? Is that giving it too much credit? Are we just going to talk about it for a minute and move on? What's happening?

DUGGANS: No, I think we have reached a point in pop culture and in mainstream culture where some of these issues of institutional prejudice, institutional racism, are on the table in a way that we have not seen before. And it started in nonfiction. It started in news coverage. The coverage of Michael Brown. The coverage of Tamir Rice. The coverage of Eric Garner. And now it's reached a point where we're talking about it in terms of pop music and in terms of Oscar nominations, in terms of, you know, world class comics like Chris Rock and Satirists, you know, using this, talking about this.

So I think this is a cultural moment that's with us, that's with us to stay, and it's interesting to see these exciting young artists of color turn this conversation into really potent songs and art, and I can't wait to see where we go from here.

[15:50:07] BALDWIN: Agreed. Final note, Taylor Swift, she won album of the year, you know. And there's a bit of backstory. If you don't know what has been going on, you know, Kanye just came out with this new album and the song famous, you know. There's a lyric or two about he basically saying I made, you know, Taylor Swift famous. And so, she reacts with this acceptance speech, you know, I don't know if we have the sound bite but we do, actually. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TAYLOR SWIFT, SINGER: There are going to be people along the way who will try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments or your fame. But if you just focus on the work and you don't let those people side track you, someday when you get where you're going, you'll look around and you will know that it was you and the people who love you who put you there. And that will be the greatest feeling in the world. Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: What did you think of that message?

DUGGANS: Well, it was certainly very interesting because, of course, Kanye had --

BALDWIN: Interesting.

DUGGANS: -- had a track out that he previewed he seemed to take credit for her fame, him jumping up at MTV music video wards in 2009 and snatched the mike from her made her famous. And so, she reclaimed that ground to say no, wait a minute, you know. I didn't get the first woman to win two, you know, album of the year awards, you know, by accident.

And so, what you have clashing here - and in weird way she was -- she started out as sort of collateral damage to Kanye West contention that black artists were being given short shrift by the Grammys. And now, their feud has sort of taken center stage in an odd way. I sort of wish we could get back to talking about, you know, more important issues because these are both great artists and, really, they make great art in their own way. And I'm not sure that there's a lot of value to these guys sniping at each during acceptance speeches and during their -- in their work. BALDWIN: Yes. I hear you. Politics and in music lately.

Eric Duggans, thank you so much for now. I appreciate you coming on and talking Grammys with me.

Meantime, moments from now, I should remind all of you. President Obama will be holding a news conference as this bitter fight is really about to break out over filling Justice Antonin Scalia's empty U.S. Supreme Court seat. How will they address Republicans who were saying there is no way working from your pick? Stand by for the president.

Also, see what happened moments ago at the Donald Trump rally when another heckler started speaking out. Who are these guys who Trump invited on stage? That's ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:57:02] BALDWIN: We have some live pictures here, live from Harlem, Hillary Clinton expected to step behind that podium momentarily and speak on civil right. There she is, just over the shoulder there. By the way, her rival, Bernie Sanders, is back in South Carolina. He talked at faith leaders' prayer breakfast this morning and he will end the day in Atlanta at the historically black Morehouse College.

I am joined now by a Sanders' supporter. He is South Carolina state representative and pastor, Joe Neal.

Sir, welcome.

JOE NEAL, SUPPORTING BERNIE SANDERS: Thank you.

BALDWIN: I understand that you introduced senator Sanders at that faith breakfast this morning. I'm just curious, what about him drew you to him or what is it you don't like about Hillary Clinton?

NEAL: It's not about what I don't like about Hillary. She has a record that stands on its own. But I look at what senator Sanders had been talking about this in platform, about the things that are happening in this country, that are so critical, about the middle class that's under attack in this country. But when I looked at his call for increased access to healthcare, increased access to higher education, when he talked about reversing mass incarceration in this country, all of those were things that resonated with me. And I think with much of what is happening in the African-American community, and as a result, I decided to throw my support to him. He has a vision. And that vision, I think, is something in this country needs.

BALDWIN: You know, the leader of your party in the state house, minority lead and Clinton supporter, (INAUDIBLE). He said a bit about senator Sanders. He said that he is a Johnny come lately to race issues, in 60 seconds, sir, how would you respond to that?

NEAL: Actually, I would say, first, he doesn't know Bernie Sanders. Bernie Sanders was chairman of the Congress of racial equality in Chicago in 1960s, long before Hillary Clinton was ever involved with issues pertinent to our community. Bernie Sanders marched with Martin Luther King when he gave his "I have a dream" speech. He was one of the 100,000 plus people out there at a time when a white man marching for black rights was a dangerous thing to do. So he certainly is not Johnny come lately.

BALDWIN: OK. Representative Joe Neal, South Carolina state representative and pastor, Sanders supporter, thank you so much for your voice. It's important to hear from all voices on these different candidates as we are moving farther and farther into this election season. Thank you so much.

And before I let all of you go, let me just remind you one more time, huge, huge week here on CNN. We will be holding the town halls in South Carolina. Keep in mind, Saturday is South Carolina Republican primary, Wednesday night and Thursday. You see graphic on your screen, three candidates directly answering questions from South Carolina voters Wednesday and then Thursday night, both night 8:00 eastern here on CNN. Do not miss that.

I'm Brooke Baldwin. Thank you so much for being with me.

"The LEAD" starts now.