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Senator Ted Cruz Holds Press Conference In Texas; Reports Of Attacks In Syria Today Despite Ceasefire That Went Into Effect Over Weekend; Lady Gaga Gets Standing Ovation At The Oscars. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired February 29, 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] SEN. TED CRUZ (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: So today before the Super Tuesday primary. There are one of two instances. It is either false. And if Donald didn't say that to "The New York Times," then he deserves to have this cleared up and releasing the tape and clear it up. The alternative is that it is true.

That not only did Donald Trump fund the gang of eight Rubio/Schumer amnesty effort, not only did he give over $50,000 to five of the eight members of the gang of eight, but that he actually, now, is telling "The New York Times" editorial board, pay no attention to what I'm saying on immigration because I, Donald Trump, don't intend to do anything. I'm saying I'm just trying, you know, he recently said he loves the poorly educated.

Well, I hope it's not the case that Donald Trump is telling "The New York Times" editorial board that he is deliberately misleading the voters and he has no intention to doing anything he's saying right now. That tape can clear it up. And the voters deserve to know if he says something different when he's talking to "The New York Times" than he does when he's talking to the voters and we deserve to know before Super Tuesday.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE : (INAUDIBLE)

CRUZ: No. And I will say, you know, a contested convention is the great hope of the Republican establishment. It is how they are drowning away their sorrow. If they say, we will have a broker convention and all these crazy voters will go one way and then we will step in with all of our money and we will anoint our white knight to ride in and save the day. That's not going to happen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)

CRUZ: Look. We will see but we are not going to have a broker convention. The voters are going to decide. And it is very clear that the only campaign that has beat Donald Trump and in fact the only campaign that has beaten Donald Trump is our campaign.

Look. Here in the state of Texas, the polling shows we have a considerable lead. I think we are going to have a very good night in the state of Texas. I would note that the other candidate in the race, Marco Rubio, is losing his home state of Florida by 20 points. That's a real problem. You can't beat Donald Trump if you can't win your own home state.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Senator --

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Texas senator Ted Cruz holding a news conference there. This is a man who wants to be the next president of the United States. He is really critical that he wins his home state of Texas tomorrow. Part of Super Tuesday, 155 delegates on the Republican side at stake for these candidates.

Coming up next, it's a provocative question being this, could the military refuse to follow orders under a potential Trump presidency right? The former director of the CIA raising eyebrows with a very candid answer to that question. What he says the military will and will not do. We will bring in two highly respected military minds to discuss that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:37:17] BALDWIN: A definitely noteworthy statement made on late night TV raising a lot of questions today. The former director of the CIA saying if President Donald Trump ordered the things that candidate Donald Trump is suggesting like water boarding, like killing the families of terrorists, that something unprecedented would happen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL HAYDEN, FORMER CIA DIRECTOR: If he were to order that, once in government, the American armed forces would refuse to act.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What? That's quite a statement, sir.

HAYDEN: It's a violation --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought the whole thing was you have to follow orders.

HAYDEN: You cannot. You are not committed. In fact, you're required not to follow an unlawful order. That would be in violation of all the international laws of armed conflict.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Joining me now, Mark Geist, one of the six former elite military operatives who fought back as militias stormed the U.S. consulate in Benghazi just a couple years ago. His story just immortalized on the big screen with the film "13 hours, the secret soldiers of Benghazi." Also with us, Lieutenant General Mark Hertling, CNN military analyst.

Honored to have you both on. Thank you both.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, Brooke.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you very much.

BALDWIN: Mark Geist, to you first. You know, hearing someone as senior as Michael Hayden saying that the U.S. military would refuse to follow orders given by a president Trump, your reaction to that, sir?

MARK GEIST, FORMER CIA CONTRACTOR: Well, what I see is, you know, the country right now or the world right now, we have people out there beheading Christians, killing their children, killing Muslims and indiscriminately who don't agree with how they should believe in the Koran, parading our Americans that are captured in front of TV. You have Iran did that with our sailors. North Korea was just doing that the other day with a 21-year-old who had put something up as graffiti. What we need is someone who is going to be strong and do what's right and listen to his leaders and listen to his military to do what's right and have a strong country.

BALDWIN: So am I hearing you, if you were, let's say, a soldier under a potential Trump presidency, and if a president Trump would order you to water board, would you?

GEIST: What I would do is I'd follow the law. Because that's first and foremost. And president Trump would also do the same thing. He is going to talk to his military leaders, his advisers, and he's going to do what's right for this country.

BALDWIN: General Hertling, to you, your response to Michael Hayden's word?

LT. GEN. MARK HERTLING, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: I'm going to take it up a level, Brooke and I have said the exact same things as Michael Hayden said few months ago. What I suggest is every single member of the military takes a beautiful oath upon either enlistment or on commission. And that oath says if we protect and defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic and that we will obey the orders of the president according to regulation and the uniform code of military justice. All soldiers, sailor, airmen, marine take that oath very seriously. And we have had history that we read and rely on that says when soldiers do illegal, immoral or unethical acts, they are held responsible for it. That's what the UCMJ or uniform code of military justice is.

So if a president, any president, were to ask a military member to do something, either illegal, immoral or unethical, they have the moral responsibility to refuse that order. And I think that's what Mr. Hayden was getting at when he conducted that interview the other day.

[15:40:53] BALDWIN: Mark Geist, you are a Trump supporter, how are you so sure?

GEIST: How am I so sure of what? He would follow the rules? Follow the law?

BALDWIN: Yes.

GEIST: Because that's what -- I mean, that's why he is who he is. He's made his business, he's made his career following what has been dictated also by others, as well as the law. You're not going to become as big as he is. He's an intelligent man who has always listened to those who are consultants, those that are advice to him. BALDWIN: But he has been saying, you have heard, you know, he has

been saying kill terrorist's families, you know, torture. These are things candidate Trump has been saying, you know, we the United States should do.

GEIST: I haven't heard him say that. The first time I heard that is from General Hayden. If that's what he's saying, I think it's a more complex issue than just him saying that.

BALDWIN: OK.

GEIST: Just as the general had said.

HERTLING: Yes. I think he has said those things, Brooke. And again --.

BALDWIN: We talked about for those things, general.

HERTLING: Yes, we have. And in fact, we have him on a recording multiple times. I think one of the things we have to relate to, and I was in Germany recently where some of my colleagues in the German army were asking me about what is going on in the United States today. And they said this is -- some of the ways that people that came to power in the 1930s in Nazi Germany.

And, in fact, if you take that one step further and you go to the Nuremberg trials where soldiers obeyed the illegal, unethical and immoral orders of Adolf Hitler, they were all hanged for that, because they were not only violating the law of warfare but they were also violating social custom to relate well and provide dignity and respect for all human beings.

So I think those are some of the things that soldiers study very uniquely. We have to study those things because soldiers are placed in situations where they have ethical conflict and they have to determine based on a value system what they will do in very tough circumstances. And sometimes you do have to disobey orders. So I think that's what Mr. Hayden was talking about.

BALDWIN: Mark Geist, you get the final word, sir.

GEIST: Well, and I would agree with General Hayden there.

BALDWIN: Hertling, yes.

GEIST: General Hertling, I'm sorry. You know, in Benghazi, we had to disobey order, a stand down order that was given to us by our chief of base to do what's right. And I have never seen anything from Mr. Trump that would give me any indication that he isn't going to do what's right for this country. I think we're both saying the same thing here.

BALDWIN: Mark Geist, Mark Hertling, General Mark Hertling, thank you both so much. And thank you both for your service.

HERTLING: Thank you, Brooke. GEIST: Thank you very much.

BALDWIN: You got it.

Coming up next, CNN reports from the front lines of the ceasefire in Syria. Is it holding up? Incredibly rare access next in a live report.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:48:12] BALDWIN: There are reports of attacks in Syria today, despite a ceasefire that went into effect over the weekend. We have some video, I just want to share with you just in to CNN. It shows what appears to be explosions. Syrian activists posted this video on social media. We cannot here at CNN confirm its authenticity.

But I can tell you that a U.N. task force is scheduled to meet right now to evaluate the situation there in Syria. And our senior international correspondent Clarissa Ward has just returned from rebel-held Syria. She was on the ground when the cease-fire began on Friday. She is virtually the only western journalist to have traveled to the heavy-hit area in over a year. Clarissa joins me live from the turkey/Syrian border.

Clarissa, tell me what you saw.

CLARISSA WARD, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brooke, you know, in the days leading up to the cessation of hostilities, we witnessed for ourselves with our own eyes with our own cameras a Russian air strike on a crowded fruit market in a small town filled with civilians. We visited courthouses and hospitals that had been leveled to the ground. And we talked to people who have basically lived under constant bombardment. All of which really gives you a sense of why it is that many people in these areas simply don't have much support for and are very even skeptical of this ceasefire. Take a look at this report from inside.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WARD: We are in the heart of rebel-held Syria, and this entire area has seen some of the most intensive bombardment in the past few months. And we have been traveling all around here for nearly a week now and certainly, it is fair to say, that since the cessation of hostilities began, there has been a dramatic decrease in the number of air strikes.

Now, having said that, earlier, we visited a town called Dart Ezza (ph) on the outskirts of Aleppo and people there told us about 30 hours after the there was an air strike on a house. We were able to capture some video of the aftermath of the air strike. There have also been reports of clashes in other parts of the country, but certainly it does feel quite a bit quieter here.

Now, what's interesting is that you won't find anybody here celebrating about the ceasefire, and that's for a number of reasons. Firstly, in the run up to cessation of hostilities, there was a dramatic increase in Russian aerial bombardment. Secondly, the people that live in rebel held territory simply don't trust the regime of Bashar al-Assad. They see the cease-fire as a trick or ruse designed so that the regime can take more territory. And for that reason many people we have spoken to are, in fact, actually against the cease- fire.

Just a few days ago, we attended a protest where people were carrying signs that said this cease-fire is a betrayal of our martyrs, of those who have died for the cause. They were chanting over and over again we must keep on fighting and we must unite. Even the imam, in his weekly sermon, was urging people not to heed the cease-fire and to continue fighting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WARD: Obviously, Brooke, I should emphasize most people in Syria do want peace. It is not that they don't want peace, but what you are seeing is a fundamental disconnect between people who are fighting on, dying on the ground inside Syria and the people in Geneva, and Munich and other European cities who are brokering these deals. And the people on the ground in Syria do not feel their needs are being represented and that their voice is being heard, Brooke.

[15:51:49] BALDWIN: Some important to hear these voices from all the way on the other side of the world.

Clarissa Ward, phenomenal reporting. Please stay tuned to CNN for more of Clarissa's full series of exclusive reports inside Syria. Thank you.

Coming up next, the moment that brought so many in the Oscars audience to tears. The inside story behind Lady Gaga's emotional performance.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:56:23] BALDWIN: Lady Gaga's Oscar nominated song about sexual assault didn't win the award at the Oscars, but her performance of "Until it happens to you" brought the audience to tears before brought them to their feet and a standing ovation.

The power of the moment, it was hats with survivors of sexual assault joined Gaga on stage. Here it was.

(LADY GAGA PERFORMING)

[15:58:08] BALDWIN: Goosebumps. That song is getting that kind of reaction since released online back in September. And just within a couple of days of that, appearing on You Tube, it had more than seven million views. And I had the honor of speaking of the song's co- writer, Diane Warren first week after the release. We talked about the song and the tremendous response. It was (INAUDIBLE).

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: It is an emotion of can it possibly get better, there's eventually a glimmer of hope. But it is vulnerability that just hits you in (INAUDIBLE).

DIANE WARREN, GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING SONGWRITER: Right. To me it's interesting because it is - that's kind of like three parallels. The movie is like that, these girls start out, you know, as victims. They become survivors, and they become activists. Gaga's performance, she starts out very vulnerable, and as it is going, she gets more and more pissed to at the end of that performance, it is like it is so victorious.

And the same with the video, where you are seeing them as victims and you are seeing them with their friends or, you know, people helping them, pulling them out. And at the end, you just see them walking down the hallway victorious. And we are not taking this anymore. No, no, we are not victims any more. So to me the song and it all parallels. And I think it is really -- I mean, people are really responding. I never had this kind of response to a song I have ever written.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Diane Warren. Again, that song, "until it happens to you", didn't win the Oscar last night but has reached the massive audience with the message that cannot be denied that sexual assault is unacceptable.

A quick programming note for you. Join CNN for the next Democratic debate live from Flint, Michigan. Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders come face to face after Super Tuesday. That is Sunday night at 8:00, only here on CNN. Do not miss that.

Thank you so much for being with me here in New York. I am Brooke Baldwin. We will be time, same place here tomorrow.

In the meantime, we will send you to Washington. "THE LEAD with Jake Tapper" starts now.