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More Trump Controversy Ahead of Super Tuesday; Trumps Wife Talks Issues Roiling Trump Campaign; Police/Migrant Clash at Greece/Macedonia Border; Missing Hong Kong Book Sellers Reemerge; Last of Clinton E-mails Released; Super Tuesday Can Make or Break Candidates; India Passes China in Population; Celebrities Shine Light on Modern-Day Slavery. Aired 2-3a ET
Aired March 01, 2016 - 02:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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(HEADLINES)
[02:00:35] ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Rosemary Church.
ERROL BARNETT, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Errol Barnett. Thanks for joining our two-hour block. CNN NEWSROOM starts right now.
We're hours away from the biggest day of the 2016 calendar, Super Tuesday. And there's clear leaders emerging in both parties.
CHURCH: The latest CNN/ORC poll shows Hillary Clinton leading her rival, Bernie Sanders, 55 percent to 38 percent.
Among Republicans, Donald Trump has a commanding lead over his rivals, more than 30 points ahead of Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio.
Black Lives Matter protesters interrupted a Donald Trump rally Monday in Radford Virginia. And there was this ugly scene, as a photo journalist, says a Secret Service agent, assigned the Trump, choked him and slammed him to the ground.
BARNETT: The Secret Service says it is aware of the incident and is gathering the facts. Trump's campaign acknowledges that protesters were escorted from the rally but says any questions should go to local law enforcement.
Donald Trump is struggling to explain his support from white supremacist groups, including Ku Klux Klan leader, David Duke.
Sara Murray has the latest on that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER (voice-over): Donald Trump's latest firestorm --
DONALD TRUMP, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & CEO, TRUMP ORGANIZATION: I know nothing about David Duke. I know nothing about white supremacists.
MURRAY: -- adding fuel to the panic that is roiling the GOP as establishment Republicans look for one last hope to stop Trump.
SEN. MARCO RUBIO, (R), FLORIDA & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He's unelectable now.
MURRAY: The celebrity candidate is in the midst of another raucous day on the trail, marred by protesters --
(SHOUTING)
MURRAY: -- and a physical altercation between a photo journalist and a Secret Service agent assigned to Trump. All of this, as some Republicans launch an open revolt, refusing to support Trump if he wins the nomination.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's a real chance that the party splinters if Donald Trump is nominated.
MURRAY: The Republican rift on full display, as Chris Christie and Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions line up behind Trump and argue it's time for others to do the same.
SEN. JEFF SESSIONS, (R), ALABAMA: We need to make America great again.
(CHEERING)
MURRAY: Even before Trump's boisterous rally, he was doing damage control today.
TRUMP (voice-over): When we looked at it and looked at the question, and I disavow David Duke. So I disavowed David Duke All weekend long, on Facebook and Twitter, and obviously it's never enough.
(CROSSTALK)
MURRAY: That's after failing three times to denounce support from white supremacists and former KKK leader, David Duke, in an interview on CNN's "State of the Union."
TRUMP (on camera): I don't know what group you're talking about. You wouldn't want me to condemn a group that I know nothing about. I have to look. If you send me a list of the groups, I will do research on them.
MURRAY: His opponents were quick to bounce.
RUBIO: If you say David Duke, I say racist, immediately. Why wouldn't he condemn the Ku Klux Klan?
MURRAY: Ted Cruz is still hoping to head off Trump in delegate-rich contests on Super Tuesday.
SEN. TED CRUZ, (R), TEXAS & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Tomorrow, Donald Trump will have a chunk of delegates. And we, I believe, will have a big chunk of delegates. And everyone will be behind.
MURRAY: John Kasich is pushing for a campaign beyond insults and outlandish behavior.
JOHN KASICH, (R), OHIO GOVERNOR & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm tired of what I see, the name-calling and childishness, when we are running for president of the United States. This is like every day. It's like a circus.
MURRAY: The absurdity is inspiring John Oliver to unleash on Trump.
JOHN OLIVER, HOST, LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER: If you are thinking of voting for Donald Trump, stop and take a moment and feel that you have just met a guy, a serial liar, with a string of broken business leaders, with a Klan leader who he can't decide whether or not to condemn.
MURRAY (on camera): After a day of jumping controversy to controversy, Donald Trump made no mention of them as he rallied a crowd of thousands here in Valdosta, Georgia. Looking ahead to Super Tuesday, where he is going to be campaigning in Ohio and Louisville. He will be campaigning in Florida. This is the home state of Marco Rubio. That's where he will be when the returns come in.
Sara Murray, CNN, Valdosta, Georgia.
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[02:05:07] CHURCH: Larry Sabato is the director for the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. He joins me now to talk about the infighting within the GOP in the lead-up to Super Tuesday.
Thank you, sir, for being with us. It appears to be war between Trump and Rubio. But the latest CNN national poll shows Trump leading the GOP pack by more than 30 points. So is it all over for Rubio and, indeed, Ted Cruz?
LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: It's too early to say it's over. But Donald Trump is in a commanding position. And Marco Rubio or Ted Cruz has to do something to change the dynamics drastically and quickly.
CHURCH: A number of top conservatives are speaking out about Trump, including sitting Republican Senator Ben Sasse. Let's listen to what Ben Sass had to say to CNN's Jake Tapper.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BEN SASSE, (R), NEBRASKA: I'm not going to vote for Hillary Clinton. And given what we know of Donald Trump, I can't vote for that guy either. I believe in the Constitution. I've taken an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution. And if you got to a place where those are the two major party nominees, and I hope that they're not, I would have to look for a third-party option.
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR, STATE OF THE UNION & CNN ANCHOR, THE LEAD: Do you have somebody in mind? Is there somebody you would --
SASSE: No. But I believe there will be more candidates if the only choices we get are two dishonest New York liberals.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Larry Sabato, refusing to support the nominee is unusual. How likely is it that we will see this third-party scenario play out?
SABATO: I think Senator Sasse is correct that it is possible. There could be more than one. Republicans are so divided, they may not be able to agree on just one candidate. You may have a third party, like the Constitution Party nominating one ticket of Republicans and an Independent ticket of real Republicans, mainstream Republicans, as they would call themselves, filing, as well.
CHURCH: If that happens, what impact does that have on the outcome?
SABATO: That nearly guarantees Hillary Clinton's election. She's the likely Democratic Party nominee. Even in a two-way race, she would be favored over Donald Trump. The reason they want to do that, not simply because Republicans would want someone to vote for that they felt more comfortable with, it's also to create millions of additional votes that might save the Senate for the Republicans.
CHURCH: Larry, Marco Rubio and others are calling Trump's delay in disavowing the KKK's David Duke a disqualifying moment. How damaging was that moment for Trump? And has it rattled him?
SABATO: It is damaging in a general election. I don't know that it hurts Trump at all with his constituency, which is the most energized and which is dominating the Republican field during this primary session.
CHURCH: And I want to talk about Marco Rubio, too. He was very buttoned-down, in all of the Republican debates, until now. He unleashed on Donald Trump in the last debate. And he hasn't stopped since on the campaign trail. That might be working with some. But there's some Republicans saying, what's going on here?
SABATO: I think Senator Rubio has been given very bad advice. He has decided to descend into the gutter, in terms of his campaign tactics and language, to match Donald Trump. Maybe fighting fire with fireworks in some context. In this context, it cheapens Rubio and makes people question what the alternative is.
CHURCH: Larry Sabato, thank you so much for joining us. Appreciate it.
SABATO: Thank you, Rosemary.
BARNETT: In the Democratic race, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are going after Donald Trump in the final pitches before Super Tuesday. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) HILLARY CLINTON, (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: I personally believe America is and always has been great.
(CHEERING)
CLINTON: What we need to do together is to make America whole again.
(CHEERING)
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS, (I), VERMONT & DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We can win the Democratic nomination.
(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)
SANDERS: And if that happens, there is nothing more than I would love to do than run against Donald Trump.
(CHEERING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Later in the show, we will look closer at the Democratic race. And whether the new questions about Hillary Clinton's credibility may hurt her chances on Super Tuesday.
[02:10:07] BARNETT: As Donald Trump heads into Super Tuesday, facing racial controversy, his wife is speaking out about the issues facing his campaign.
CHURCH: Melania Trump spoke candidly with CNN's Anderson Cooper, Monday, admitting she doesn't always agree with her husband. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MELANIA TRUMP, WIFE OF DONALD TRUMP: He is what he is. He is following. And people agree with him because they are tired of Washington and politics in Washington. They don't do much. He's a doer. He does things. He's not just talking it. He will have things done for the states, for America, for American people.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR, A.C. 360: You watch a lot of news. He watches a lot of news, too, and he's tweeting. Do you ever get bothered by how much -- I mean, he must be up late at night tweeting, watching television. Do you get bothered by that?
MELANIA TRUMP: I don't get bothered by that. We are both very independent. I let him be who he is and he lets me be who I am. And --
COOPER: You don't try to change him?
MELANIA TRUMP: He's an adult. He knows the consequences. And so I let him be who he is. I give him my opinions, many, many times. COOPER: You do?
MELANIA TRUMP: Yes. And I don't agree with everything he says. But that's normal. I'm my own person. I tell him what I think. I'm standing very strong on the ground, on my two feet, and I'm my own person. And I think that's very important in the relationship.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Mrs. Trump says her role in the campaign may change. But for now, her focus is on taking care of their young son.
BARNETT: Just ahead, a new chapter in a baffling case. This Hong Kong book seller and four others who vanished last year reemerge all of a sudden on Chinese television. Details on where they say they've been when we come back.
CHURCH: Plus, chaos on the border. Stranded refugees lash out in a European migrant town. We're back with that and more. Stay with us.
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[02:16:00] CHURCH: The cease-fire in Syria is now well into its fourth day but there are conflicting reports about how effective it is.
BARNETT: Despite fighting in some parts of the country, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says the peace is holding for the most part and he's hopeful the remaining violence can be contained.
CHURCH: But rebel groups say air strikes against them are still ongoing. And those attacks, they say, may unravel the truce.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry promises an investigation into the reported cease-fire violations, to ensure that any attacks are against ISIS and other terrorists.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN KERRY, SECRETARY OF STATE: We're going to track down each alleged violation and work even more now to put in place a construct which will help us to be able to guarantee that missions are, indeed, missions against Nusra or missions against Daesh.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BARNETT: The war in Syria has forced tens of thousands of refugees into Europe. They often find themselves stranded with other asylum seekers in camps.
CHURCH: On Monday, frustrations boiled over at a camp on the Greek/Macedonian border. As Atika Shubert reports, their show of anger was strong, but the
response by police was stronger.
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(SHOUTING)
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Thousands camped on the border between Greece and Macedonia demanding a way into Europe. Protesters managed to briefly ram down the border fence and tried to push their way through. But they were stopped by tear gas and border police in riot gear. Dozens were injured in the chaos, including a number of children.
(SHOUTING)
SHUBERT: This is what Greece has been warning other E.U. states. That borders close and Greece is left on its own, the refugee crisis will reach a boiling point.
On Sunday night, German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned the E.U. must not abandon Greece or it will face disaster. "What has happened is what we feared," she said, "that a country is left alone with its problems. And we cannot allow that."
Greece is the doorway to Europe. A short boat ride from Turkey, it is the easiest way for asylum-seekers, especially from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, to cross into Europe through the Balkan states.
But the staggering number of arrivals has led individual states to crack down, as pressure builds to accommodate asylum seekers.
Macedonia has closed its borders to all but Syrian and Iraqi refugees. And anyone coming through must have valid photo I.D., something that few have. That has left many stranded in Greece, many of them from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Morocco and other states.
At the border, police have brought in reinforcements and restored the border fence. There's now an uneasy calm.
Still, as long as the gates to Europe remain locked, the frustration and anger of thousands will continue to grow.
Atika Shubert, CNN, Berlin.
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BARNETT: Clashes also erupted in a migrant town in northwest France. Authorities there began tearing down structures and evicting hundreds of people. This happened in Calais in the huge migrant camp known at the Jungle.
CHURCH: The migrant is marked for partial demolition because of horrific conditions. Right now, there's almost 4,000 people living there. Many hope to make their way to the United Kingdom. BARNETT: Five missing Hong Kong book sellers have reemerged after
vanishing late last year. They all appeared on Chinese television and four of them appear to have admitted to what they called "illegal book trading."
CHURCH: Our Ivan Watson joins us now from Hong Kong.
Ivan, what did the book sellers say about the disappearance? And what happens to them now?
[02:20:07] IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's a pretty confusing story, Rosemary. You have five book sellers, people affiliated with a publishing company here in Hong Kong, that published books that were critical of the Chinese leadership. And many of the books were poorly sourced. And months after these men disappeared and were believed to have been in Chinese police custody in mainland, China, they are appearing in the interviews where they are confessing, effectively, to committing crimes, and also claiming that they have voluntarily gone to mainland China to participate in an investigation, with the Chinese authorities.
Part of the thing is that the disappearance of these men triggered protests in Hong Kong, questions from the U.S. government, the British government as to whether or not the Chinese agents had captured or kidnapped the men and taken them across borders.
One of the book sellers, Lee Bo (ph), he stepped out. Listen to what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEE BO (ph), BOOKSELLER (through translation): I have made it clear through the Hong Kong police and my wife that I had voluntarily come back to the mainland to cooperate with the investigation. It was my personal act. I have never been kidnapped or have been missed. Nor have I been coerced or bribed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON: This is confusing here. This man told the interviewer that he illegally crossed the border from Hong Kong to mainland China, to participate in a Chinese police investigation. And in that interview, he called on the Hong Kong police to stop searching for him, to stop the missing persons case that had been opened by his wife.
And he also, strangely, renounced his British residency, while also trying to call on everybody to stop searching for him or investigating his case.
The Hong Kong police say they will continue to pursue this and the other book sellers who have reappeared in police custody in mainland China -- Rosemary?
CHURCH: It is certainly puzzling. So, what happens?
WATSON: That's a good question. At the crux of this, the real crime that seems to have been possibly committed, according to Chinese law, is that these men were publishing books that were critical of the Communist Party in China. And some have been trying to smuggle the books into China. All of the circle and the concern about jurisdiction and possible kidnappings or illegally smuggling oneself into China, China sensors books. You try to travel from Hong Kong to China, it is not unusual for China customs to confiscate books that the government deems threatening to Chinese rule of law. And that seems to be what is at the heart of this strange scandal involving these missing men and their strange televised confessions -- Rosemary?
CHURCH: Very odd.
Our Ivan Watson. We'll continue to follow this story and bring us the details with that live report from Hong Kong. Many thanks to you, Ivan.
BARNETT: Apple has scored a win in a New York courtroom. A central judge ruled on Monday that the U.S. government cannot compel the tech giant to give federal agents access to an iPhone linked to a drug case.
CHURCH: This is separate in one in which the FBI wants Apple to hack the iPhone of a terrorist in San Bernardino. In that case, a different court delivered a conflicting decision saying Apple must unlock the phone.
Elsewhere in tech, Google admitted that one of its self-driving cars was at least partly responsible for a collision with a city bus. In fairness, the car was not flying. It scraped the bus at about three kilometers per hour. Google said it has made changes to the software to avoid future accidents like this.
BARNETT: Just blame the software, huh? Google's driverless vehicles have already been involved in 17 minor accidents. The company claimed that none of them were the car's fault, until now.
Google's vehicles have piled up more than one million miles of autonomous driving. But a new survey by AAA shows three of four U.S. drivers are afraid to ride in a self-driving car.
CHURCH: It also found that drivers with vehicles already equipped with semiautonomous features are 75 percent more likely to trust the technology than those completely unfamiliar with it.
[02:25:13] BARNETT: Those Google cars are small and humble.
But here's one vehicle you might insist on a professional driving, Bugatti's newest supercar, which will likely become the world's fastest car when it rolls out later this year.
CHURCH: I like the look of that. Until now, the French carmaker has only made variations of its famous line. But this is a whole new animal, which the luxury brand is calling the Chiron. Its top speed is yet to be seen. But the 420 kilometer per hour they're capping it at on for consumers on the road is not bad.
BARNETT: Cool.
Many more stories coming up this hour. People in 12 U.S. states and one territory are heading to the polls Tuesday to pick the nominees for the next U.S. president. Why Super Tuesday is so important in this race for the White House.
CHURCH: Plus, celebrities are marking big red "Xs" on their hands as part of an effort to stop slavery. More on this story ahead.
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CHURCH: And a warm welcome back to you all. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Rosemary Church.
[02:29:44] BARNETT: I'm Errol Barnett. We're a half an hour in.
Let's update you on our top stories.
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[02:30:22] BARNETT: Donald Trump is expected to win big in the Super Tuesday primaries and caucuses. The latest CNN/ORC national poll shows him with 49 percent support. That's more than 30 points in front of his closest rivals. Ted Cruz is winning polls in his home state of Texas.
CHURCH: And in the Democratic race, Hillary Clinton is still going strong after a landslide in the South Carolina primary.
BARNETT: Democrats nationwide favor Clinton 55 percent to 38 percent over Sanders. However, Sanders tops Clinton by 23 points in that survey when it comes to honesty.
CHURCH: This comes as the U.S. State Department releases the last of Clinton's work-related e-mails from her time as secretary of state. Clinton has faced scrutiny after revealing she used a private server for official government business.
BARNETT: CNN political analyst, Josh Rogin, is here to discuss the state of the race of the Democrats.
Josh, always good to see you.
JOSH ROGIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Thanks, Errol.
BARNETT: Thanks for joining us today.
The narrative is that Hillary Clinton has shown to be more popular among diverse groups of Democrats. And it's about to pay off on Super Tuesday. But her believability has proven to be her Achilles' heel. How has the latest dump of her e-mails by the State Department changed that?
ROGIN: This is the last of the e-mails to be released from secretary of state. Most of the revelations are out. They are over 1,500 e- mails that were subsequently marked as classified or having sensitive information. There's questions about her aides and whether or not they committed errors in sending her the e-mails. But Bernie Sanders has been clear that he does not believe this to be an issue between him and Hillary Clinton in the primary campaign. This is something that is a focus of a general election contest, something that the Republicans are sure to hone in on. This is largely a partisan attack against her.
BARNETT: Bernie Sanders, he is struggling to get the national support among the groups. If you look at his biggest stump speech, he wants Clinton to release transcripts of her Goldman Sachs speeches, where he was paid more than $200,000. He didn't care about her, quote, "damn e-mails." Is this a mistake?
ROGIN: Democratic voters are not likely to buy into the narrative that her e-mail server is a big political problem. At the same time, because of the number of other issues, including the speeches you mentioned, her marks on honesty and trustworthiness are way down. That's something the Sanders campaign is trying to capitalize on. But they're running out of time. As we head into Super Tuesday, the Sanders campaign is down in every state that votes. They're down right now, in Massachusetts, next to Sanders' home state in Massachusetts, in Vermont. No matter which way you cut it, the Sanders campaign is out of options and out of resource. So, they will continue to focus on the transcripts. That's a way to highlight the lack of transparency. Right now, they're pulling out owl of the stops.
BARNETT: We'll see how the next chapter unfolds.
Josh Rogin, joining us from D.C. Good to see you. Thank you for your time.
ROGIN: Thanks, Errol.
CHURCH: CNN's Jonathan Mann explains that Super Tuesday has the potential to make or break presidential campaigns.
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JONATHAN MANN, CNN HOST, POLITICAL MANN: The simplest way to explain it is this. Until now, the presidential campaign has been one state at a time. Tuesday, that changes because there's so many primaries and caucuses crowded into one day, it's going to be the biggest prize of the entire campaign for both parties' nominations.
(voice-over): Super Tuesday is a chance for candidates to get a large number of delegates to the Democratic and Republican nominating conventions. 12 states will have elections or caucuses. Half of them are in the south, which is why you'll also hear this called the SEC primary, taking that nickname from the southeast conference, and association of southern universities that may be best known for its football rivalries. No football tie-in there, but the U.S. territories of American Samoa will also hold its caucus on Super Tuesday.
[02:35:16] There are more delegates up for grabs on Super Tuesday than any other day of the calendar. That one day offers nearly half, 48 percent, of what's needed to win for Republicans, more than one- third, 36 percent, for Democrats.
Super Tuesday will probably not decide the race for Republicans, though, because of the number of candidates still in the race. They split the vote too many ways for a clear, fast win.
But it could have a significant impact on the Democratic race between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.
When it comes to delegates, not all states are created equal. This map shows the number of delegates available in each Super Tuesday state. Look at Texas. For Republicans, it holds 155 delegates, far and away the biggest prize. Georgia is second with 76 delegates. The Super Tuesday map looks different for Democrats, but Texas remains the big state, 222 delegates. Several other states also have large numbers, Georgia, Virginia, Massachusetts.
(on camera): Super Tuesday, March 1st, won't end the campaign. But take my word, March will be the month to watch.
Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BARNETT: Thanks for that, John.
And stay with CNN for coverage of all of the primaries and caucuses. We'll bring you the latest from the candidates and the voters throughout the day and the results throughout the night. Watch on your TV or online.
CHURCH: Let's turn to our weather segment now. A Greenpeace study finds that India has surpassed China as the most polluted country in the world.
Our Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri has been following this.
Pedram, this is pretty extraordinary.
PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: It is. This is something we talk about so frequently when it comes to China, the air quality issues the experience across that part of the world.
But this study released on Monday talks about the 21st century in particular. Satellite data now indicating India is more polluted as a whole than China.
Geography has a lot to do with it. Heavy industry has a lot to do with it. The Himalayas drop this to India. If you look at the top-10 most polluted cities, 13 of them are in India. More than 20 air quality sites report 70 percent higher than the national standard, as far as air quality concern. Widespread across India.
Talk about pollution levels, they have been on the rise. In places like China, we've seen a recent tapering off at the top of the levels. We know that renewable energy is being looked at. Driving restrictions for license plate numbers in recent years across portions of Beijing
In Delhi, they tried that a couple of months ago. But people were violating it and taking the 2000 route, $30 fine and making their ways on the roadways regardless of their license plates. Restrictions are seeing the trend peaked out. Wonderful news. But when you think of India in particular, the heavy smog across this portion of the world, is trying to taint the pictures. The Taj Mahal, some experts say that the air is staining it, changing the color to a yellowish-brown color. Half of the agriculture industry there is impacted by the pollutants that are suspended in the air. This backs major implications. You look at pollutants. A micron diameter grain of sand is about -- that's the width in diameter. The human hair, 50 to 70 microns in diameter. Take a combustion particle that gets into your lungs and airways and cause cancer, those are 28-times smaller than an average diameter of a human hair. Millions of these are suspended across India from burning fossil fuels. That's why life expectancy in parts of India is dropping as much as three years for the general population. It's an incredible finding for this part of the world -- guys?
CHURCH: That's a wake-up call, for sure.
JAVAHERI: Yeah.
BARNETT: You wonder how to protect yourself, if the particles are so small.
(CROSSTALK)
BARNETT: Pedram, thanks very much. We'll see you next hour.
JAVAHERI: Thank you.
[02:40:50] BARNETT: Still to come this hour on CNN NEWSROOM, we'll hear from Australian actor, Nate Buzolic, about his involvement in a movement to help free an estimated 27 million modern-day slaves.
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CHURCH: Celebrities and people around the globe are standing up to say modern-day slavery must end. Last week, the "End It" movement launched a campaign to make their voices hard.
This movement is run by a coalition of nonprofits who want to free the estimated 27 million people enslaved today. Their global call to end slavery is getting some results.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARNETT (voice-over): A single red "X" shared on social media. This is how the "End It" movement promoted "Shine a Light on Slavery Day." Celebrities, from L.L. Cool J to Kathy Lee Giffords to professional golfers showed off the red "Xs."
Australia actor, Nate Buzolic, has been at the forefront of the campaign since 2014.
NATE BUZOLIC, ACTOR: We were hoping that people would draw a red Xs on their hand and start discussing what's going on in this world.
BARNETT: Politicians have been encouraged to do more. Last week, Senators John McCain and Bob Corker continued to push Congress was pushed to act.
SEN. BOB CORKER, (R), TENNESSEE: We can end this. That's what today is about. The Foreign Relations Committee has passed a bill to end modern slavery and put the resources together.
BARNETT: The movement says it has raised $4 million, money supporting projects like health care clinics, rescue operations and education for victims.
It shares testimonies from women like Janita (ph), who was rescued after being forced into sex trafficking.
UNIDENTIFIED FORMER SEX SLAVE: Just raise a lot of awareness and help these organizations that helped me. I just want to say thank you. Let's keep shining the light on slavery.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[02:45:27] BARNETT: We're fortunate because Nate Buzolic drove to join us here in Atlanta to discuss this issue.
Nate, thanks for coming in.
BUZOLIC: Thank you for having me.
BARNETT: You've been with the organization from the beginning. What can you tell us?
BUZOLIC: First of all, it tells us that human trafficking is also happening here at America. They think slavery has been abolished. And it hasn't. It's in the shadows. That's what the "End It" movement is all about. We're trying to bring this to light. And the other thing about her story, is it's about restoration. There are lives that need to be saved. And if it wasn't for our partners, she wouldn't have those resources and that possibly of seeing that life change.
BARNETT: Let's talk about the time in Hollywood. You have a huge online following, more than 600,000-plus on Instagram, 400,000-plus on Twitter, 350,000-plus on Facebook. Do you feel a responsibility to use the access, the following, to do something good? Is that why you're so passionate about this? BUZOLIC: Yes. It's great when global influences that have that type
of following can use their voice for something good. But what's the most important thing, we have a world we interact with. You don't need to be a global influence to make a presence. You have to affect the people you are surrounded by every day. We had our nation day, the 25th of February, just past, and it was less about my Instagram postings that about connecting with the people I see every day to information them that slavery is real. It's worse than we've seen in history. It's estimated there's 27 million slaves in the world in 167 different countries. And most people don't know that. We need everybody to talk about it and be informed. It's about awareness. That's what "End It" movement is all about.
BARNETT: What do you say to some critics -- I've noticed there's a lot of young people getting behind this. It's popular on college campuses. You have criticisms saying this is social media activism, #activism, and it isn't effective. How do you respond to that?
BUZOLIC: I say do the organizations that we work with. These are the organizations on the front lines fighting slavery every day. It will take about 10 minutes to see really faces and real stories and real people that have been rescued from this atrocity that's happening in our world. That's really important. Most people can say, 27 million people, how are we going to stop it. I may not be able to change the world but I can change the world for one person. If I do that one person at a time, we can make thing.
BARNETT: It's an incredible effort you're undertaking. And CNN has the Freedom Project. Where should people head if they want to participate?
BUZOLIC: Yeah. You can jump on the "End It" movement website, enditmovement.com. We have links to all of our coalition partners. We would be happy for people to get involved throughout the year. You can donate, buy merchandize there. You can go straight into the conversation about modern-day slavery and how we're going to try to end it.
BARNETT: I appreciate you coming in to talk about this. Thanks for your time.
BUZOLIC: Thank you so much.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: A truly worthy cause there.
Another day of insults on the campaign trail has some asking, who would be the best name caller in chief?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MARCO RUBIO, (R), FLORIDA & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: His pores are clogged from the spray tan he uses.
(LAUGHTER) Donald is not going to make America great. He is going to make America orange.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:53:35] CHURCH: There is no denying the race for the U.S. Republican nomination has turned into a mud-slinging, name-calling free-for-all.
BARNETT: And if it wasn't a contest to pick the leader of the country, it might be funny.
Still, here's Jeanne Moos.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SEN. MARCO RUBIO, (R), FLORIDA & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He's always calling me Little Marco.
DONALD TRUMP, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & CEO, TRUMP ORGANIZATION: Little Marco Rubio --
RUBIO: Have you seen his hands? They're like this.
TRUMP: Little mouth on him. Bing, bing, bing. Bing, bing, bing, bing.
RUBIO: You know what they say about men with small hands.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: In recent days, the race for the U.S. presidential nomination has been a free for all. It's been a guilty pleasure.
SESAY: If it wasn't a contest to thank the leader of the free world, it might be funny.
VAUSE: Still be funny.
SESAY: Here's Jeanne Moos.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Which of the following is not an actual 2016 campaign insult?
RUBIO: Make sure his pants were wet.
TRUMP: A guy like Rubio is a baby.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Are you going to cry now? Come on, cry, baby, cry for me.
MOOS: The answer is "C," though the electorate should be crying over what's become --
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Watch it, jerk.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Shut up, idiot!
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Moron!
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Scab eater.
MOOS: A school boy fight for the presidency.
TRUMP: I call him Little Marco. That's what he is. He's Little Marco.
RUBIO: He's always calling me Little Marco.
TRUMP: Little Marco Rubio.
RUBIO: Have you seen his hands? They're like this.
TRUMP: Little mouth on him. Bing, bing, bing. Bing, bing, bing, bing.
RUBIO: And you know what they say about men with small hands. You can't trust them.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Who started this?
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: I don't' know. You started it.
MOOS: But instead of flinging mud --
TRUMP: It's Rubio!
MOOS: -- the Donald is slinging water bottles imitating a dry-mouth Rubio with a tendency to sweat bullets.
TRUMP: I looked at the puddle on the ground and said, what is that? What is it?
RUBIO: He doesn't sweat because his pores are clogged from the spray tan he uses.
(LAUGHTER) Donald is not going to make America great. He's going to make America orange.
[02:55:05] MOOS: Some compare the race to mean girls --
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: You're plastic, cold, shiny hard plastic.
MOOS: What's next? Will the bitter rivals start rapping their insults?
(SINGING)
MOOS: The candidates may hate the press, but they're starting to sound like "Anchorman."
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Your hair looks stupid.
RUBIO: But he's flying around on Hair Force One --
MOOS: At least Rubio and Trump aren't whacking each other with antennas.
(SHOUTING)
MOOS: Yet.
Jeanne Moos, CNN --
RUBIO: Donald Trump likes to sue people. He should sue whoever did that to his face.
MOOS: -- CNN --
TRUMP: He was putting on makeup with a trowel.
MOOS: -- New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Some republican voters are a little nervous right now.
BARNETT: With good reason.
CHURCH: Much more on the campaign and Super Tuesday, next hour here on CNN NEWSROOM.
BARNETT: Don't forget, keep in touch with us online, Twitter and Instagram. But keep the insults to a minimum.
(LAUGHTER)
We'll the back after a short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
