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GOP Establishment Declares War On Donald Trump As Race To White House Intensifies; Ben Carson Says He Will Not Attend Thursday's Debate; Mitt Romney Expected To Go After Trump In Thursday Speech; North Korea Fires Six Short-Range Projectiles Off Eastern Coast Of Korean Peninsula; Possible MH370 Debris Found In Mozambique On Its Way To Australia For Analysis; U.S. Justice Department Offers Ex-Clinton Staffer Immunity In Email Investigation; Jordanian Government Claims To Have Foiled ISIS Plot. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired March 03, 2016 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[03:00:00] ERROL BARNETT, CNN NEWSROOM SHOW HOST: Its own Republican establishment declares all-out war on Donald Trump as the race for the White House intensifies.
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN NEWSROOM SHOW HOST: The U.N. Security Council approves the toughest sanctions on North Korea yet. Pyongyang's response puts the South on edge.
BARNETT: And is this another clue? Malaysia says there's a high probability this airplane debris belongs to MH Flight 370.
CHURCH: Hello, and welcome, everyone, our viewers across the globe. I'm Rosemary Church.
BARNETT: And I'm Errol Barnett. Thanks for joining us as we kick off our second hour of CNN Newsroom.
The U.S. Republican presidential candidates are getting ready to meet face to face and yet, another debate, this one in Detroit, Michigan.
CHURCH: And as Donald Trump marches closer to the path his nomination expect a new approach from Ted Cruz. The Texas Senator's chief strategist says Cruz will make an aggressive effort to make himself more attractive to voters.
BARNETT: Now, Republican Ben Carson says he will not attend Thursday's debate. The retired neurosurgeon released a statement Wednesday saying he doesn't see a political path forward though he hasn't said he's officially leaving the race.
CHURCH: The 2012 Republican nominee, Mitt Romney, is expected to go after Trump at a speech in Utah on Thursday. Romney is considered a party elder and has been critical of the celebrity billionaire.
BARNETT: And Romney really is part of a growing movement among establishment Republicans to try and keep Donald Trump from the nomination.
CHURCH: CNN's chief political correspondent Dana Bash has the details.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trump is facing massive lawsuits for fraud.
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DANA BASH, CNN'S CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: This anti-Trump ad is now flooding airwaves in upcoming contest states, Michigan, Illinois, and Florida.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The truth about Trump University, Donald Trump made millions while hard working Americans got scammed.
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BASH: A million dollar super PAC ad by. The result of a Super Tuesday conference call with some 50 GOP donors who are banned to stop Trump as Trump is racking up hundreds of delegates.
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DONALD TRUMP, (R) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Look, I'm a unifier.
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BASH: In any other year with any other candidate the GOP establishment would be starting to rally around a candidate with Trump's momentum. Instead, lawmakers are making unprecedented moves away from him.
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BOB DOLD, U.S. HOUSE REPUBLICAN: I will not support Donald Trump now and I will not support him should he move on.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think what America sees is Donald Trump is a manure spreader.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: It's nothing short of GOP panic.
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LINDSEY GRAHAM, FORMER SOUTH CAROLINA SENATOR: Donald Trump is not a Republican.
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BASH: Senator Lindsey Graham who can't stand colleague Ted Cruz now says he would rather have Cruz as president than Trump.
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GRAHAM: Ted and I are in the same party. Donald Trump is an interloper. I don't trust him.
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BASH: But is this too little too late? Republican strategist Doug Heye wrote an op-ed months ago, calling on Republicans to stop Trump.
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DOUG HEYE, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: There's been a whole mentality of first we couldn't attack Trump because he wasn't serious. Then we couldn't attack Trump because it wouldn't work. Finally we couldn't attack Trump because it's too late. There's one common theme in there and that's allowed him to have a free ride for months and months.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Even GOP candidates now counting on Trump said most of the campaign embracing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: If you think Donald Trump is so apathetical to conservatism what took you so long to say so because you really cozied up to him for the majority of this campaign?
Ted Cruz, (R) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, listen, Dana, for the last couple of months I've been taking Donald on directly. I needed to build my base of support. I needed to take care so that I was on a strong foundation first before I could take him on and that was a natural process.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: Yet, one former rival warns Republicans are attacking Trump at their own peril.
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MIKE HUCKABEE, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Don't pretend that somehow that all of these voters who have gone out and voted for him are stupid. They're not stupid.
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BASH: Trump argues he is growing the GOP.
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TRUMP: We are going to be a much bigger party. Our party is expanding.
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BASH: But congressional Republicans and top races worry Trump at the top of the ticket will drag them down. The Democrat running against John McCain is already out with this ad.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But no matter what Trump said John McCain would support him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Including Donald Trump you would support him?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
TRUMP: She said he's a (muted) I like to punch him in the face, I'll tell ya.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Donald Trump, yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: To be clear, most Republicans here in Washington would prefer Marco Rubio at this point, but many also say they're increasingly skeptical he can actually win the delegates needed. Some who know Florida, for example, they actually like Rubio but they have internal polling that shows he could very well lose his home State of Florida.
And that's a big reason Republicans who told me about six weeks ago, that they prefer Donald Trump over Ted Cruz now say that they've changed their minds mostly because they didn't really think there would ever be an actual choice.
[03:05:00] Now, all of this frantic toing and froing the reaction to Super Tuesday is even more evidence of the deep, deep divide and disconnect between the GOP establishment and the grassroots.
Dana Bash, CNN, Washington.
CHURCH: And joining us once again to help digest the twists and turns in this presidential race is Tharon Johnson, a Democratic strategist and Hillary Clinton supporter alongside, Brian Robinson who is a GOP strategist and Marco Rubio supporter.
So, Brian Johnson -- Brian Robinson, I want to start with bringing up the delegate count. Let's bring up that so that we can just get an idea. And you can see there Donald Trump at 332, and Ted Cruz just a 100 delegates behind that.
Now that's critical. When we consider the GOP elders are terrified about the possibility of a Trump nomination. It's looking more and more likely, but there's a lot of horse trading going on behind the scenes.
They're looking at third party options, they're looking at a Ted Cruz/Marco Rubio joint ticket here. What is the answer and what are we likely to hear from Mitt Romney? He's not going to endorse anyone. He's not going to throw his hat in the ring, but it's possible we're going to hear some breakthrough announcement from him.
BRIAN ROBINSON, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: He's a great example of this coalition forming to stop this train wreck from happening. And there's a pathway here still for Cruz and Rubio. Nobody wants to believe it because it's not as good a story as Trump marching through the fields and crushing everybody before him.
There still is a pathway particularly for Rubio, I know he's in third place now. But if you look at the south, it was Cruz was supposed to just crush everyone and it happened. He had a good night, not an awesome night.
Now the states where Rubio did better, Virginia, Minnesota, they're more reflective of what is to come in the future states. Now for Rubio has to win Florida. He got to won Florida, then get up.
(CROSSTALK)
CHURCH: That doesn't look good, does it? Florida doesn't look for him.
ROBINSON: They believe internally that the polls are much closer than what you're seeing publicly. You know, they're still acknowledging that they are behind Trump and they've got to close hard. But what you're seeing even nationally is late deciding voters breaking to Rubio. So, that could play well for him in his home state. But he's got to win there or it's over. He also needs Kasich to get out.
BARNETT: There is an argument that the Republican establishment in a way deserves this Trump scenario because it has been ignoring the grassroots. And there are questions as to what is it that Donald Trump and his supporters, his passionate supporters really represent.
I want you both to listen to what Donald Trump had to say after his big Super Tuesday wins. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I am a unifier. I would love to see the Republican Party and everybody get together and unify. And when we unify, there's nobody, nobody that's going to beat us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BARNETT: Now let me ask you, what do Democrats make of the increased turnout and Trump winning in many different demographics among Republicans. How do you characterize what's happening?
THARON JOHNSON, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: You got to give Donald Trump credit. I mean, he is basically energized the Republican Party and he's driving the establishment crazy, because you're exactly right. Exit polls show us the reason why people vote for Donald Trump is because they're basically pissed off at the Republican establishment.
And this is a Republican establishment who does everything they can to oppose President Obama when it comes to even putting forth the nominee to replace Justice Scalia. But I want to go back to another option to Brian's point. Now which I think this is absolutely crazy.
You're hearing this rhetoric about a brokered convention, right? Well, I just to let our viewers, now the last time we had a brokered convention in the U.S. was in 1932 for Franklin Delano Roosevelt. And so, this whole like plan, of trying to stop Trump, it is reaching for straws.
CHURCH: But, Tharon, the reality is, of course, all of the drama, the civil war going on within the GOP, it's taking the spotlight off the Democrats for this time at least. It does look more and more likely that it will be Trump and Hillary, but that's not going to be good for Hillary because he's going to go down in the gutter.
JOHNSON: Think about what you saw in the CNN debate on Thursday. It was an absolute circus. I mean, it was personal attacks. They were talking about who has the little ears and little hands. You see Trump's interview after that. I mean, he just basically was on an all- out assault.
So, you're absolutely right. Listen. On the Democratic side we got to continue to talk about the issues that matter most to the American people like jobs, like health care and education.
BARNETT: Brian, let me get you in on this. Is there legitimacy to Trump's argument that he is the reason that turnout is up. That he best channels the feelings of the Republican base because to somehow put a spoiler into the convention or what have you, that would be pretty unDemocratic, especially in the eyes of his supporters?
ROBINSON: I think that Trump supporters would have crawled over nails slammed through a fiery lake to get to the polls yesterday. His people are diehards.
[03:10:08] And you can see that excitement not just in the high turnout here. Here in Georgia, we had 1.2 million people just in the Republican primary, that's a huge turnout. And you're seeing that in the numbers, the ratings of debates. You saw it when he wasn't in the debate how the ratings went down.
And the guy has got celebrity appeal, and that is what we are up against. We are in a celebrity culture. And you know, what's happening in our nation is too serious for a campaign based on Twitter attacks which we have evolved to.
BARNETT: But he's turned it into a campaign where he's won states. He's a legitimate political winner. So, if the Republican establishment does anything to slow his pace in the nomination, wouldn't that be outside kind of the norms of democracy in what this is supposed to be about.
ROBINSON: He's won in states with pluralities. He is yet to really get into the 40s. He's been in the 30s fairly consistently 33, 34 percent. Now the argument is that's where his ceiling is and that the rest of the field is -- the rest of the voters who are divided amongst all these other candidates are dead set against him.
And if that's true, 35, 36, even getting up into the 40s, that's not enough for him to go into the convention with a majority.
CHURCH: Al right. Certainly a great discussion. Of course we could keep going for hours but we have to wrap it up. GOP strategist and Marco Rubio supporter, Brian Robinson, thank you very much. And, Tharon Johnson, a Clinton supporter and Democratic strategist. Thanks to you both for speaking with us today.
JOHNSON: Thank you.
CHURCH: Well, Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton is back on the campaign trail after a strong showing on Super Tuesday. Clinton held a fund-raiser concert in New York Wednesday night with Elton John & Katy Perry and we will look at how her focus is shifting towards the general election later in the show.
BARNETT: A piece of debris thought to be from MH370 will go to Australia for analysis. A tourist found the debris on a beach in Mozambique.
CHURCH: A U.S. official says the piece appears to be from a Boeing 777. The same type of plane as the missing airliner. Our aviation correspondent Rene Marsh has the details.
RENE MARSH, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: New images tonight of debris found along the southern shore of Mozambique. A potential clue for investigators still looking into the mysterious disappearance of MH 370. A source tells CNN it looks like part of a Boeing 777, the same type of aircraft as the missing plane.
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PETER GOELZ, CNN AVIATION ANALYST: They'll take it apart, see if there are any serial numbers on it. They'll be able to confirm whether it's from that plane or not.
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MARSH: The debris appears to be a part of the plane's horizontal stabilizer, a piece of the tail that helps control the motion of the plane's nose. American tourist Blaine Alan Gibson says he made the discovery.
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BLAINE ALAN GIBSON, MOZAMBIQUE TOURIST: The local people told me that stuff tends to wash ashore there from the open Indian Ocean.
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MARSH: The words no step are stenciled on one side often seen on flat surfaces of aircraft. And it appears to be made of fiberglass, consistent with a commercial jet.
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MARSH: You don't see any marine life, no barnacles on the piece. It's almost two years.
GOELZ: Yes. We don't know whether, you know, it was underwater, whether it was floating the entire two years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARSH: It could be the first discovery since July when a piece of a Boeing 777 washed up about 1600 nautical miles away near Reunion Island. Investigators determined that piece, called a flaperon was, indeed, from MH 370. As for the new debris found, Malaysia's transport minister tweeted there is a, quote, "high possibility debris found in Mozambique belongs to a Boeing 777."
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GOELZ: There's no other 777s that have lost this specific part in that area of the world.
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MARSH: It's a fresh clue in the greatest mystery in the history of aviation. But even if the newly found debris does belong to MH 370, it may not make it any easier to find the doomed plane nor the 239 people on board.
What we do want to stress there is no confirmation this is a piece of the missing plane at this point. That said, the tough reality for families of those on board is that they may never get all of the answers. The search for the plane is expected to end this summer.
Rene Marsh, CNN, Washington.
BARNETT: Our senior international correspondent, Ivan Watson joins us now live from Hong Kong with the latest on all of this. Ivan, this is promising considering it's the second piece from a Boeing 777 that's been found. What happens now and does it help narrow the search at all?
[03:15:00] IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the piece will eventually be transferred from Mozambique to Australia which has been running the search efforts thus far. The Australian government put out the statement saying that the location of this debris is, quote, "consistent with drift modeling that the Australian Transport Safety board has commissioned in the past."
Now if it is, in fact, a piece of the plane, it's remarkable that you see the distance that the debris has traveled. The first piece of the wing, which was found on the Island of Reunion last summer. That was located roughly 5600 kilometers west of Malaysia where the plane took off nearly two years ago.
Mozambique is another 2,000 kilometers further west. The Malaysian transport minister has come out with a series of statements via Twitter in which he said, quote, "Based on early reports, high possibility debris found in Mozambique belongs to a Boeing 777. It's yet to be confirmed and verified. The director of civil aviation working with Australian counterparts to retrieve the debris. I urge everyone to avoid undue speculation as we are not able to conclude that the debris belongs to MH 370 at this time."
So, there's clearly still some more research and forensic work to be done on this piece of debris. Errol?
BARNETT: Now because this has been such an unusual story, the search has gone on for two years now, it's the type of thing that has global interest. The tourist though, who has found the debris is apparently obsessed with MH 370. Explain that to us and what should we make of that?
WATSON: I think we can describe him as an amateur investigator of the MH 370 mystery. His name is Blaine Gibson. He's originally from California, according to a close family friend and he's an ex-patriot who lives in Laos.
Now if you follow his blog, Mr. Gibson has been studying the MH 370 mystery for the better part of a year. And in fact, traveling to countries like Myanmar to the Maldives, and now evidently to Mozambique in search of more information about this missing plane.
The fact that he now has appeared in Mozambique and found this piece of what appears to be part of the horizontal stabilizer of the tail of a Boeing 777, it's really remarkable that he of all people could have found this piece that could, in fact, come from this missing plane.
While he's doing his own amateur search, there is a much more serious search underway that's being led by the Australians. They have so far have four ships that have searched thousands of kilometers of the bottom of the Southern Indian Ocean and they still have tens of thousands of kilometers of the ocean floor to search.
Again, for this plane it's nearly two years since it disappeared and the family members of the 239 passengers and crew are going to be holding a memorial service in Kuala Lumpur in two days in honor of these missing passengers and crew.
BARNETT: And considering all of those resources, and that effort has turned up nothing. It would be unbelievable for a private amateur investigator to find something but, as you say, it is remarkable. We'll continue to watch this closely. Ivan Watson, live in Hong Kong.
CHURCH: We'll take a very short break here. But still to come, North Korea is firing back in the face of new crushing sanctions being brought by the international community. We will have a live report on the show of force Pyongyang unleashed just hours ago.
BARNETT: Plus, the European Union has announced an unprecedented plan to prevent a humanitarian disaster within its borders. That story next.
[03:20:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT REPORTER: Hi, there, I'm Patrick Snell with your World Sport headlines. Starting off with another dramatic night in the English Premier League
because neither the Spurs nor Arsenal could take advantage of Leicester's slipup on Tuesday night. Tottenham who would have gone top with a win had West Ham suffering a 1-0 defeat to the Hammers and Spurs.
Northland arrival Arsenal also getting beat and the guys were leading at home to Swansea. Four goals and from Wayne Routledge and Ashleigh Williams gave the Swansea a crucial three points and really dented the Gunners title hopes.
French prosecutors have confirmed that their investigation into corruption in athletics has expanded to include the bidding and voting process around the hosting into 2016 and '20 Olympics. Authorities there have been investigating the former president of world athletics, the IAAF over allegations that he took payments for deferring sanctions against Russian drugs chief.
But an official from the prosecutor's office has confirmed they now were looking at the events which were awarded to Rio this year and Tokyo for 2020.
Major League Baseball will return to Cuba in March for the first time in 17 years. It will be a pretty high profile found in these fans, too. The Tampa Bay Rays will travel to play the Cuban national team in an exhibition game on the 27th of this month with U.S. President Barack Obama expected to be in attendance.
Thanks so much for joining us. I'm Patrick Snell with a CNN World Sport update. Do stay with CNN.
BARNETT: South Korea says Pyongyang fired six short range projectiles just hours ago off the East Coast of the Korean Peninsula.
CHURCH: Now this latest show of force came less than a day after the United Nations Security Council voted to impose harsh new sanctions against North Korea. More now from CNN's Richard Roth.
RICHARD ROTH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No sooner had the Security Council unanimously approved more sanctions on North Korea than the question arose, will they work? Some ambassadors were hopeful calling this resolution unprecedented in toughness.
U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power acknowledges there are loopholes that North Korea could drive a truck through but she reminded her fellow ambassadors of the risks if the sanctions and more pressure do not work.
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SAMANTHA POWER, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS: With each nuclear test and launch using ballistic missile technology, the DPRK improves its capability to carry out a nuclear missile attack not only in the region but also a continent away.
That means having the ability to strike most of the countries sitting on this council. Think about that. North Korea is the only country in the entire world that has conducted a nuclear test in the 21st century. In fact, it has conducted not one nuclear test but four.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROTH: North Korea will still be able to buy oil. China, its main trading partner, says it doesn't really favor sanctions but hopes this resolution will finally bring North Korea into the mode of dialogue.
Richard Roth, CNN, United Nations.
CHURCH: And CNN's Paula Hancocks is in Seoul, South Korea, watching the latest developments on the Korean Peninsula. She joins us now live.
So, Paula, those six short range projectiles from North Korea were, of course, in response to the new tough U.N. sanctions. Let's look at them, just how wide ranging they are and the likely impact they may have on North Korea.
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rosemary, they've been described as unprecedented and ground breaking by the United States. They also said that they marked a seismic shift in the way the U.N. Security Council is dealing with North Korea.
[03:25:01] So, that's certainly stronger than we have seen in a couple of decades is the way they're being advertised. There will be inspections, mandatory inspections on all cargo going in and out of the country. There will also be a complete ban on small arm sales.
The expulsion of diplomats who are caught carrying out illicit activities. Also, a wider ban on luxury goods, things like, ski jets, and more expensive snowmobiles. Obviously a reaction to the ski resort Kim Jong-un has opened up.
There will be a ban on aviation fuel, rocket fuel included in that and limits on its sales of coal and iron ore. Now that's a very important one, that last one, because coal exports alone account for about $1 billion in annual income for North Korea, a significant amount of money and certainly if this is implemented fully, then that will be a significant dent in North Korean finances. Rosemary.
CHURCH: And North Korea's main ally China signed onto these wide ranging U.N. sanctions. So, what role would China likely play going forward in terms of enforcing and policing the sanctions?
HANCOCKS: Well, it will mostly be up to China to police these sanctions, mainly the fact that -- the geographical fact that they share a large border with North Korea. It's about 1500 kilometers long, almost 900 miles and it is where Pyongyang mostly gets its goods. It's the main smuggling route if you like and has been for many years.
So, certainly it is up to China whether or not these sanctions will be completely successful. If they are fully implemented, then officials say they could well have a strong impact on North -- the North Korean regime, that they could have a severe dent into the amount of money that can be put through to that missile, the nuclear program and could have an effect.
But, of course, it will be very interesting to see just how closely Beijing is policing that border, how much they do make sure that the implementation of the sanctions goes ahead. And experts say it could be many months before we have an indication of that. Rosemary?
CHURCH: All right. Our Paula Hancocks continuing to monitor the situation there on the Korean peninsula. Many thanks to you for that live report.
BARNETT: Hillary Clinton's campaign is now focused on the general election after a strong finish on Super Tuesday. But, Bernie Sanders' camp says, not so fast. More on that after this.
[03:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BARNETT: For those of you watching from around the world, we want to give you a warm welcome back. This is CNN Newsroom. I'm Errol Barnett.
CHURCH: And I'm Rosemary Church. It is of course time to check the main stories we've been following this hour.
North Korea fired six short range projectiles on Thursday. South Korean defense official says it happened off the East Coast of the Korean Peninsula. The move came less than a day after the U.N. Security Council voted to impose harsh new sanctions on North Korea.
BARNETT: Officials in Australia will analyze a piece of debris from on Mozambique's Coast. A U.S official says it's likely came from a Boeing 777. That's the same type of plane as the missing Malaysian airline, the MH 370. It vanished nearly two years ago while flying to Kuala Lumpur.
CHURCH: The U.S Republican presidential hopefuls will debate in Detroit on Thursday with one less candidate among them. Ben Carson says he does not see a political path forward and will not take part in the debate.
Meanwhile, Ted Cruz's chief strategist says Cruz will make an aggressive effort to make himself more attractive to voters.
BARNETT: U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has a large delegate lead after a significant Super Tuesday wins.
CHURCH: But Bernie Sanders says he's staying in the race until the Democratic convention.
CNN's Jeff Zeleny reports.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON, (D) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am so delighted to be here with in Florida!
(CROWD CHEERING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Hillary Clinton is eyeing the Florida primary in just two weeks as one of the key contests that could wind down the Democratic campaign.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: What a Super Tuesday!
(CROWD CHEERING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: A big night sending seven states and more than 500 delegates Clinton's way. Bernie Sanders' path may be narrowing, but after winning four states Tuesday night, he said any talk of Clinton locking up the nomination is premature.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BERNIE SANDERS, (D) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is not a general election, it's not winner take all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: But the Democratic race is sounding more and more like just that, a general election fight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: America never stopped being great.
(CROWD CHEERING)
We have to make America whole.
(CROWD CHEERING)
Fill in what's been hollowed out.
(CROWD CHANTING)
We have to make strong the broken places, re-stitch the bonds of trust and respect across our country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: The patriotic cheer showed that Donald Trump can fire up Democrats, too. She didn't mention his name, but he's already invoking hers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I watched Hillary's speech. She wants to make America whole again, and I'm trying to figure out what is that all about.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: Before any Clinton/Trump match takes shape, she has Sanders to contend with. He's pledging to stay in the race until the convention with friendlier contests coming up in Kansas and Nebraska, Maine and Michigan.
(CROWD CHANTING)
ZELENY: The Clinton campaign released a memo today saying its rival might win more states, but called it mathematically impossible for Senator Sanders to catch up. It's a delicate dance for Clinton, who, eight years ago, bristled at calls for her to step aside.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: People say to me all the time, well, are you going to keep going. Well, yes, of course, I'm going to keep going.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: Most presidential candidates either leave when their support or money dries up and neither applies to Sanders. He arrived in Maine today making a long-term argument of his own. He's the better candidate to take on Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANDERS: We want to beat Trump because the American people understand that our job is to bring people together.
(APPLAUSE)
And togetherness, Trumps divisiveness.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: Donald Trump seems to be at the center of all campaign arguments. Hillary Clinton saying she would take him on the strongest. Bernie Sanders is making a similar argument. But of course, they have to both win the Democratic nomination first and he, of course, has to win the Republican one. But on the Democratic side this contest is about to head into a critical phase. Contests again this weekend in Kansas, Nebraska, Louisiana, and Maine.
[03:35:01] Bernie Sanders holds advantages all going into the primary in Michigan next week. Bernie Sanders is trying to regain some of those delegates that he lost on Super Tuesday.
It could all boil down to the race in two weeks here in Florida when Hillary Clinton has a strong advantage. She believes that is the day that she could put this nomination away.
Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Miami.
CHURCH: Well, the U.S. Justice Department has offered immunity to a former Clinton staffer who helped set up her private e-mail server. In return, Brian Pagliano will speak with federal investigators.
BARNETT: Now for months, the FBI has asked them to cooperate as they reviewed thousands of Clinton's e-mails from her time as Secretary of State. Clinton's campaign said she's encouraged everyone to be transparent with investigators.
CHURCH: And for more on the U.S. presidential race you can head over to cnn.com/politics and see the latest news about each candidate.
BARNETT: And some other big stories we're following. The Jordanian government says it foiled a plot from a group linked to ISIS that was planning to attack civilian and military targets. Government officials say at least 13 people were arrested during raids in a city near the Syrian border.
CHURCH: After those arrests, seven militants wearing suicide bombs were killed while trying to attack Jordanian security forces. Jordan is part of the U.S.-led coalition fighting ISIS in Syria.
BARNETT: CNN is learning new information about a special unit of elite American troops that recently began fighting ISIS in Iraq.
CHURCH: U.S. officials are keeping many of the details secret, but we now know that the operations include targeting and capturing ISIS personnel. Here's our Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr.
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: U.S. Special Operations Forces have secretly held an ISIS operative in Iraq for days after capturing him on a raid. The Pentagon's new targeting force, commandoes with order to capture or kill top ISIS personnel carrying it out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOSH EARNEST, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: At this point I can't discuss the details of any missions, particularly when it comes to risking operational security.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STARR: U.S. officials tell CNN additional operations are in the works. The man whose identity has not been disclosed is being held in Irbil in Northern Iraq. The mission to get him led by the army's elite Delta Force.
He is talking to U.S. interrogators, officials say, and has unique information about ISIS personnel and networks, but officials will not reveal whether the interrogation has yielded specific intelligence about ISIS operations or attack plots. The head of U.S. military intelligence chose his words carefully describing operations on the ground.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VINCENT STEWART, DIA DIRECTOR: You may have noticed an uptick in special operations intended to capture, interrogate, and gather materials that will give us greater insights into the network.
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STARR: The new effort puts the military back into the business of holding and interrogating suspected terrorists, but U.S. officials say there will be no water boarding or so-called enhanced interrogation and no detainees will be sent to Guantanamo Bay. The plan, instead, is to turn them over to the Iraqis eventually.
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EARNEST: Any detention of ISIL leaders in Iraq would be short term and coordinated with Iraqi authorities.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STARR: So far, U.S. officials are refusing to specify what skills and intent this man had that caused them so much concern.
Barbara Starr, CNN, the Pentagon.
BARNETT: Some American war veterans are fighting a new battle at home. Tracking down child sex predators. How one man uncovered thousands of illicit images and rescued several children, next.
[03:40:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BARNETT: The European Union has announced an unprecedented plan to prevent the humanitarian disaster within its borders. If approved, more than $700 million will be allocated to provide emergency aid to migrants.
CHURCH: Most refugees trying to enter Europe go through Greece which is expected to be the first country to receive some of the funding.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTOS STYLIANIDES, EUROPEAN HUMANITARIAN AID COMMISSIONER: The number of refugees continues to rise sought to that humanitarian need. All of this is happening inside Europe. I'm sure you all would agree that this needs to change. We must address the humanitarian needs now within our borders.
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BARNETT: Now more than 129,000 migrants and refugees have crossed the Mediterranean so far this year. The International Organization for Migration says that's much faster than last year's pace when it took seven months to reach that level.
CHURCH: And Alexander Betts joins us live from Oxford, England. He is the director of the Refugee Studies Centre at the University of Oxford.
Thank you, sir, for being with us.
So, we just reported there more than 120,000 migrants and refugees have already crossed the Mediterranean this year. The numbers are shocking. What is the solution to this problem as so many European nations struggle to deal with this flow of immigrants?
ALEXANDER BETTS, UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD REFUGEE STUDIES CENTRE DIRECTOR: The numbers are very significant. They're higher than at this time last year. But we need to unpack what those numbers are. The overwhelming majority are coming through Greece. About 75 percent of them are Syrians that are fleeing conflict and crisis in that country.
The next highest numbers are from Iraq and Afghanistan. So, these are predominantly refugees or people leaving refugee producing countries. And so as long as there is conflict in Syria and that we don't address the underlying causes and as long as we fail to provide adequate, sustainable protection in host countries like Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey, desperate people will continue to move to Europe.
CHURCH: Now NATO's top general in Europe has revealed to lawmakers that violent extremists are likely infiltrating these migrant groups and lurk in the daily flow of refugees that head for Europe. That is a real concern and plays right into the narrative of critics across the globe who have warned about this very problem and insist they don't want to have these migrants and refugees.
What's your response to what he had to say and what impact will this likely have, do you think, going forward on nations currently taking in refugees?
[03:45:00] BETTS: But this is a very real security concern across Europe, but I think we also have to get that in perspective. We have to realize that most of the people coming to Europe are fleeing violence that's partly cause by those terrorists.
People coming to Europe are fleeing because of Islamic state violence. But of course, we are seeing isolated example of people who are linked to ISIS crossing the border from Syria into countries like Turkey. And so, we have to be vigilant and ensure that our intelligence services, recognize people who maybe a threat.
We also have to ensure that as under international law, people who are terrorists who that are involved in organized crime do not get refugee status. But because people are abusing that system doesn't mean that we shouldn't protect the very people who are fleeing the same sources of threat, persecution, and violence. We have to uphold our values that include refugee protection and asylum for those in need.
CHURCH: And we are seeing the images daily, aren't we, problems at the Greek/Macedonia border. We just saw some live shots there from that very location as well. Then of course, the French City of Calais and other areas of Europe. The E.U. is pledging money to help. We reported on that just now. But how much of a difference will this emergency aid make do you think?
BETTS: A lot of the tragedy we're seeing is a politically manufactured crisis. Europe could have addressed this much more easily, but we're seeing a breakdown in international cooperation in Europe.
The tragic scenes we witnessed at the Macedonia border, of tear gas being used against migrants, are people stuck at the border, are the results of pressure being put on Macedonia by European countries to stop people entering the European Union.
People are stranded in Greece because Greece is geographically isolated. The border closures we're seeing in Macedonia. The quotas introduced by Austria are symptomatic of a race to the bottom in standards across Europe.
Next week, we're going to see an important meeting on the 7th of March in Brussels between the European Union and Turkey. And that's a crucial meeting to build capacity in countries like Turkey to provide more adequate protection and a more sustainable response. The problem is that there's a real risk that we won't achieve the kinds of cooperation that we really need.
CHURCH: All right. All right. Good to talk with you, Alexander Betts shedding some light on this incredible problem, of course, in parts of Europe. Many thanks to you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BARNETT: This week we've been highlighting a group of elite U.S. war veterans trying to protect America's children from predators.
CHURCH: One man, Toni Whaley, is already making a big difference rescuing children just months into the job. Sara Sidner has this story.
SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There is a crisis in America, a form of widespread violence which rarely makes the news.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GRIER WEEKS, PROTECT DIRECTOR: This is over 300,000 suspects out there trafficking in child pornography. Less than 2 percent will be even investigated due to sheer lack of resources.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: The startling map shows the number of personal computers downloading images of children being sexually assaulted in one month. It's part of what inspired Grier Weeks at the National Association to Protect Children to think of ways he could help shield America's most vulnerable.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WEEKS: Fifty five percent or more of these people, anybody who possesses these images, is known to be a hands-on offender. That means over half of these dots will lead you to the door of children waiting to be rescued and these predators don't just prey on one child, they'll have many victims over the years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: So, how can the U.S. combat this problem? One way, enlisting America's returning war veterans. Two dozen members of the military's elite Special Forces units are undergoing an 11-week boot camp in counter child exploitation and digital forensics. When they're done, they'll join the nearly 100 combat veterans who have been placed into homeland security offices around the country to go after child predators.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TONI WHALEY, WAR VETERAN: You can see the helplessness. It's terrible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: With his training and steely determination, Toni Whaley is one of the last guys a child predator will ever want to see. Less than a year into his work the retired army ranger recently discovered key evidence that took a child offender off the streets. Whaley was able to uncover 6,000 previously deleted images.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WHALEY: And out of that 6,000 or so, I found about 13 images which didn't look like the rest. And from that data because I was actually able to find out the time and location in which those pictures were taken.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: That information led to an arrest and the rescue of three children. For Whaley, every single dot represents another chance to serve.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[03:50:00] WHALEY: You can see the children. They'll look at the camera like is anybody out there? You know, is anybody out there, you know, looking to help us? And, you know, on the other side, this is us, you know, actively trying to find them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: The hope is these men and women who protected their country on a foreign battlefield will soon be the next heroes in the life of an American child being exploited.
Sara Sidner, CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: And thank you for choosing CNN.
This is ski watch. I'm Pedram Javaheri.
Watching a couple of storm begin to push in around the Northeastern U.S.. It is going to be very quick moving storm system. I don't see much in the way of significant snow accumulating with this. But at least some snow are coming in towards this region.
For your Thursday going into Friday, cloudy conditions across the area. Temperatures is going to be really flirting with the freezing mark, places like Lake Placid dropping but just below freezing across this region. And notice the trails about a half to slightly above half of the trails considered open in places like Killington, Vermont, Okemos.
It will be about 70 percent of the trails open but everyone dealing with machine groomed conditions across that region of the United States. But working your way back towards the western sides of the United States, even portions of British Columbia. Not only is it going to be getting pretty wet across this region but also very snowy over the next couple of days.
That's going to cool off. Eventually, we get tremendous snow of this forecast across portions of D.C. And some of the models indicating a potentially for at least 10, maybe, 15 centimeters.
Whistler starts the party right with about a degree or so for your high temperature. Working your way towards Sunapee, but it is still a little too warm for Thursday. But notice base depths in this region and trails almost all a go across part of Canada. I think of about 12 centimeters of fresh snow across portions of Whistler and powdery conditions to go around across that region as well.
Quick glance to the south, we are watching some snow showers still across the Rockies but, again, limited in nature.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BARNETT: Now it may have been Donald Trump's moment, but all eyes were on Chris Christie during his former rival's Super Tuesday victory speech.
CHURCH: Jeanne Moos has the stare down that caught the internet attention.
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was hard to look at an alpha politician like Chris Christie hovering behind Donald Trump.
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TRUMP: It's abysmal.
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MOOS: Abysmal describes Christie's expression as if in a hostage video mock social media. Governor Christie blinks twice if you're in trouble. Dear God, what have I done endorsing Trump tweeted The Daily Show.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Chris Christie looks like a guy who suddenly isn't sure if he turned the stove off before he left for work.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: A Washington Post opinion writer said of Trump's remarks, it was impossible to hear him over Chris Christie's eyes.
[03:55:02] Christie spent the entire speech screaming wordlessly. And yes, someone put that wordless scream to music from psych "I like people who weren't captured," walk one poster echoing the Donald's line about John McCain.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I like people that weren't captured, OK?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: Even Chris Christie's tie is trying to escape tweeted a Tonight Show producer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Seven, eight, nine...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: Governor! Governor! Come on, snap out. Snap out of it. Please, class.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Tennessee, Virginia.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: Now governor, don't curb your enthusiasm. One joker explained the governor's fixed stare is a food fixation. But there's nothing easy about making your face seem natural when you're stuck on camera listening to someone. Be it the State of the Union or the union between Anthony Weiner and his wife.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTHONY WEINER, FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE: I have apologized to my wife, Huma.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: Or even when the Donald basked in Sarah Palin's endorsement. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SARAH PALIN, FORMER ALASKA GOVERNOR: The ramification of that betrayal of the transformation of our country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: Take heart, Governor Christie, when things looking this down, there's nowhere to go but up.
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
CHURCH: He looks like he's with the head master.
BARNETT: Oh, no.
CHURCH: That's what it came.
BARNETT: Oh, boy.
CHURCH: Oh, dear. Well, thanks for joining us. Remember, you can catch up with us any time you like on Twitter and Instagram. I'm Rosemary Church.
BARNETT: And I'm Errol Barnett. We will see you back here at the same time next week. Thanks so much for your company. Until then. The news continues here on CNN.
[04:00:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
