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Republican Party Split Examined; Mitt Romney Working Against Trump; Democratic Contests Discussed; China's Economic Outlook; Snow Brought in to Enable Start of Iditarod Race. Aired 3-3:30a ET

Aired March 05, 2016 - 03:00   ET

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

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[03:00:12] NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: The U.S. Republican Party at war with itself as leading members vow to stop their own frontrunner and more states head to the polls on Saturday.

Will the Democratic contest be over after Saturday's primary?

And we look ahead to China, the economy is in focus at the National People's Congress convenes 4th annual meeting. We'll have a live report.

Here on CNN Newsroom, we're live in Atlanta. Thank you for joining us. I'm Natalie Allen.

It is Super Saturday in the United States, another big voting day in the race for the White House. Hundreds of delegates are up to grabs for both Democrats and Republicans, but this could possibly be a do or die day for some Republicans if they try to stop Donald Trump from securing the nomination. He is leading in the delegate count and 155 more are up for grabs Saturday.

The campaign is getting nastier as the candidates continue to take pot shots at one another following the latest wild debate. Sara Murray is on the campaign trail in Louisiana.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We should go for waterboarding and we should go tougher than waterboarding.

SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: That opinion is changing as Donald Trump backs up his position on torture. The GOP frontrunner releasing a statement saying he understands that the United States is bound by laws and treaties and I will not order our military or other officials to violate those laws.

The slit comes after Trump was pressed and then pledged to target family members of terrorist. A violation of international law.

TRUMP: I'm a leader. I've always been a leader. I've never had any problem leading people. If I say do it, they're going to do it.

MURRAY: And the trail pressing issues like national security are taking a back feet to another topic turn for Trump.

TRUMP: When little Marco has fused his crap about the size of my hands, which are big. Look at that. Those hands can hit a golf ball 285 yards.

MURRAY: Trump still making the case that size matters which might be true if you were talking about the size of his delegate counts. But of course, he is talking about his hands again.

TRUMP: Little hands. Little hands.

MURRAY: Fresh on the hills of a surreal and at times vulgar debate.

TRUMP: He hit my hands. Nobody has ever hit my hands, I've never heard of this but look at those hands, are they small hands? And he referred to my hands that they are small, something else must be small, I guarantee you there's no problem.

MURRAY: A debate that appeared to leave John Kasich looking on in disbelief.

JOHN KASICH, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have never tried to go and get into these kind of scrums that we're seeing here on the stage and people say everywhere I go. You seem to be the adult on the stage.

MURRAY: The candidate they're showing only passing concern, voters might come away revolted.

MARCO RUBIO, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Nothing surprises us anymore. This man is as I told you, I mean, he has injected a level of vulgarity into the political discourse that we've never seen.

MURRAY: Meanwhile, Trump continue to defy political convention, backing out a CPAC, a prominent conservative conference this weekend, instead holding his own political rally. Oh, and Trump's rivals slammed his brand of conservatism.

TED CRUZ, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well politics can tell you he's going to be flexible, that means he's getting ready to speak in two.

RUBIO: He really doesn't belong at a true conservative rally. Donald Trump is not a conservative.

MURRAY: The anti-Trump crowd continue splinter. Struggling to craft a passage 1,237 delegates to wrench (ph) the nomination from Trump's grasp.

RUBIO: His road to that number is hard. Ted Cruz is as hard. Mine is hard. But we'll see how this plays out.

MURRAY: As Ted Cruz warned a contested convention spells disaster.

CRUZ: A brokered convention is the pipe dream of the Washington establishment.

MURRAY: And we'll get a better sense of how voters are reacting to Donald Trump's shift on immigration, on terror, and his rhetoric on the side of a chance when another round of state votes on Saturday night.

Sara Murray, CNN, New Orleans, Louisiana.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: A contestant convention is an extreme rarity in the U.S. presidential race. The last time it nearly happened was 1976, then President Gerald Ford do not have the majority of delegates dated before the Republican convention, but he narrowly defeated Ronald Reagan, winning enough votes on the first ballot to secure his party nomination.

In 1952, it took three ballots before Adlai Stevenson was selected a Democratic Party nominee. And way back in 1932, there were four ballots before Franklin Delano Roosevelt won the Democratic nomination. He of course went on to win the White House.

Republicans are deeply divided over Trump and concern in the party is growing as we get closer to the general election.

[03:05:01] It now appears former U.S. Presidential Nominee Mitt Romney is trying to help block Trump at the convention.

Richard Quest, host of "Quest Means Business" spoke with CNN's Senior Political Analyst David Gergen about that, he is also a former adviser to President Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and Clinton. Here's what he had to say.

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DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: This is a party that needs to pull itself together on the candidate who is more convincing than Trump has become so far. He's likely to get the nomination but I think he is going to have to morph. He's got some change in order if he wants to beat Hillary Clinton in the fall as he does.

RICHARD QUEST, HOST "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS": If Trump is the nominee, all the Democrats have to do is replay acres of Mitt Romney's speech. They just have to replay parts of Rubio and Cruz calling him liars.

GERGEN: It's difficult to remember and I don't think there has been a race in our lifetime when the nominee of a party has so much garbage chipped on him by members of his own party. And I do think it's going to be a -- It's going to make it a bit more difficult for Trump.

What's really happening, Richard, what's very dangerous with Trump is that the narratives sets in that he is not only (inaudible) crew, but he really hasn't -- no, he doesn't understand his policies and by the way, he might be fraudulent. That is a very dangerous narrative.

We -- The biggest argument -- One of the biggest arguments Republicans have against Hillary Clinton is, that people don't trust her. I mean, trust is very important of the presidency as you know. Well, as it turns out that Trump is a more trustworthy to the public in the public's mind than she is, that removes one of the potential advantages that Republicans will have going into fall.

So, these arguments now are not inconsequential. They will have repercussions right through the air.

QUEST: And finally, David you have friends, you have contacts, and all around the world, sir, what are they e-mailing you?

GERGEN: There are an awful lot of folks around the world that are apoplectic and I can tell you they are telling American diplomats around the world that they are very, very nervous. They worry it's going to creep into the markets, they worry about a retreat of American leadership, they worry about an erratic presidency. It's a very time that Europe maybe unraveling, they worry that America will be a disarray as well. And that I think that has consequences in the financial markets, but it's going to have consequences elsewhere.

So, they're very worried. I keep trying to tell them, "Look, there's reason to be very deeply concerned. I don't think the Republicans are going to crumble over this. I think that this is a resilient country, I think you'll see a lot of Americans rise to the occasion.

So, you know, don't go into panic mode over this, let us get through. We're going through a bad patching our politics and in many other aspects of American life right now. What will come out of it, the country is resilient and I think will bounce back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: All right. We appreciate that bit of positivity during these times. Well, on the Democratic side, 109 delegates are at stake on Super Saturday. Democrats will hold caucuses in Kansas and Nebraska in the coming hours. There's also a Democratic primary in the southern state of Louisiana. The Clinton campaign hopes for a victory there after taking several other southern states recently.

Meantime, Bernie Sanders is looking for wins in Nebraska and Kansas following his Oklahoma victory on Super Tuesday. Both Clinton and Sanders are also looking ahead to Tuesday when there will be Democratic primaries in Mississippi and Michigan. The Senior Political Correspondent )____ reports from Detroit, Sanders isn't the only opponent Clinton is taking on in her pitch to voters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hillary Clinton is waging a two-front battle here in Michigan, one against Bernie Sanders of course her Democratic rival as they both make a play for union voters. And then also against Donald Trump with Clinton clearly thinks is going to be the Republican nominee.

HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When I hear people running for president who spent all their time bad-mouthing America, it really upsets me. You know what, we've got work to do. Instead of complaining, let's join hands, let's lift ourselves up. Let's get going together. KEILAR: The Democratic candidates preparing for the CNN debate in Flint, Michigan on Sunday night. They will of course be addressing the water crisis there. But this is also a chance for Bernie Sanders to try to make a splash as Hillary Clinton widens her delegate lead over him. Hillary Clinton is expecting that Bernie Sanders is going to be on offense when it comes to how she's been trying to court union voters. He has been taking her on on her passive court of trade agreements like NAFTA and she's ready to defend herself against that on Sunday night.

Brianna Keila, CNN, Detroit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: And once again, yes, the Democratic debates take place on Sunday 8 p.m. Eastern in New York, it's live from Flint, Michigan Anderson Cooper will moderate and (inaudible) at 1 a.m. Monday, London time.

[03:10:05] The Philippines says it has barred a ship with a North Korean crew from leaving its waters for now. The ship was just registered in Sierra Leone as one of the first ships to be inspected since the U.N. Security Council imposed new and much harsher sanctions on Pyongyang over its nuclear program.

The Philippines Coast Guard says the ship had minor safety violations including faulty, emergency light bulbs and cannot leave until these issues are resolved.

The biggest political meeting in the world is getting underway in China. We'll tell you next the headline from this year's National People's Congress in a live report from Beijing.

Also, after two agonizing years families of those aboard Malaysia Airlines flight 370 hopes new debris may bring some answers. We'll go live to Malaysia for the latest.

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ALLEN: Welcome back to CNN Newsroom. Forensic investigators protesting for potential new findings in the notorious O.J. Simpson murder case from two decades ago.

Los Angeles Police have acquired a knife reportedly recovered from Simpson's former escape many years ago. Apparently a construction worker gave an L.A. traffic officer the weapon. It's unclear why the officer didn't come forward sooner. The police spokesman weighed in on this strange, new development.

CAPT. ANDY NEIMAN, LOS ANGELES POLICE: I would think that an LAPD officer, if this story is accurate as we're being told I would know that anytime that you are -- you come into contact with evidence, that you should and shall submit that to investigators.

So, I don't know what the circumstances are, why that didn't happen or if that's entirely accurate, or if this whole story is possibly bogus from the get-go.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: While the forensic team is going to study the knife and then announce its findings.

We turn now to China where one of the world's biggest political meetings kicks off in Beijing. This weekend the annual session of the National People's Congress brings together thousands of delegates from across the country. Other major role economy will be awaiting Beijing's plans for the future. This year's gathering particularly important given China's slow down in its economy.

For more, let's bring in our Asia Pacific Editor Andrew Stevens, he is following the meeting there from Beijing. What is the headline so far, Andrew?

ANDREW STEVENS, ASIA PACIFIC EDITOR: I think the headline, Natalie is that China has officially announced that the growth in 2016 will be lower than what they have expected the growth to be the year before. So they are acknowledging that this is the economy the world's second biggest now that is slowing.

[03:14:59] So, what they've done, as they do every year, is announce a target for growth. And this target is between 6.5 percent and 7 percent, last year so that was seven to say that actually came at a 6.9 percent. What they've done also this year is announce more details of the five-year plan. This is an economic strategy which they released to give the world and their own people obviously a better understanding of how they are going to take the economy to the next level if you like.

So they are talking about growth of at least 6.5 percent a year from 2016 right through to 2020. And if they achieve that they will also achieve their goal of doubling the GDP, doubling personal income of every Chinese in the country by the year 2020 based on the 2010 levels.

So that is what this drive into and they've given sort of a roadmap if you like, Natalie of how to get there. It is data but it's still fairly broad, I mean, it's like sort of more technology in the industrial process leading innovation to help industry getting consumers to spend more those sort of a big headline sort of ideas, but not a lot of detail behind of it this stage.

ALLEN: But they are wanting to modernize perhaps, step away from the traditions of the old manufacturing since that is not helping their economy these days.

STEVENS: Yes, you're absolutely right. And this has been the mantra of the Beijing leadership for about 13 years now. In fact that they need to rebalance the economy away from, as you say, this old style of investment and big heavy machinery manufacturing and exports to a more consumer-led country and a smarter, smarter industrial base if you like. Moving up the value added chain. Interestingly, Li Keqiang who is the economic leader and the man who delivered a two-hour long speech this morning to about 3,000 party- faithful (ph) here in Beijing. He said that 50 million jobs will be created over the next five years including 10 million this year alone. This gives you an idea of the scale of things.

So, he doesn't say how that's going to happen but a lot of that he's hoping will be through technology, through higher value added services, smarter services if you like. But, again, the devil is in the details. He's got to make this happen now in against not only his own country's economy slain but slaying globally economy as well. And a bit melting as we've been talking about that China already has.

So, it's a tough-tough scarcity faces and it is going to be a very rocky road if you look at what's happened just over the past 12 months or so with the Chinese economy. So, this is going to be very, very closely watched. Natalie.

ALLEN: And yes, quite a rocky road, presidential season here in the United States as well, so quite interesting times. Andrew Stevens for us there. Thank you Andrew.

Well, for nearly two years relatives of the 239 people aboard Malaysia Airlines flight 370 have been looking for answers to no avail for the most part. The plane disappeared on its way to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur at Malaysia. The official searching for the Boeing 777 in the Indian Ocean hope this piece and debris may give them some clues.

Now Malaysian and Australian experts will examine it. It was found by an American tourist along the coast of Mozambique. Our Saima Mohsin joins us live from Kuala Lumpur with more on these developments and this time and what it could bring. Saima, hello.

SAIMA MOHSIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Natalie, hello. I've been speaking to the Director General of the Department of Civil Aviation here in Kuala Lumpur and he's told me that a three-member team has now been dispatched overnight to local time Friday into Saturday to arrive in Mozambique and they will conduct an immediate inspection of this debris that's been found off the coast ashore on Mozambique.

Now, and that team comprises a member of the Department of Civil Aviation crucially someone from Malaysia Airlines and another member of the team is from the specialist investigation unit that is focusing solely the disappearance of MH370. He told me that they expect to conduct STAT inspection on Saturday and hopefully try and establish whether it is or isn't a part of MH370.

Immediately, if they can't they'll bring it back to Kuala Lumpur and if they can't still, they will send it to Australia to the ATSP there for further testing. Natalie.

ALLEN: Well, the other piece of this airplane took quite awhile, did it not to be confirmed from Reunion Island that it was part of MH370.

[03:19:59:] MOHSIN: Yes, that is right. That was the flaperon, you remember that part that's the part on a wing that goes up and down as planes come in to land or take off. Now, the flaperon was found in July, it was sent to France, I was there at the time in Balma in Toulouse for inspection by experts. The Malaysian team flew in then as well to inspect it.

Now, the Malaysian analyze (ph) team was able to identify it pretty quickly, Natalie. They were certain but it was the French authorities that took up to a month to confirm that that was indeed the first and so far only piece of debris that have been identified and found to be a part of MH370.

It takes a long time, Natalie, they have to match up serial numbers from -- not just the airline but of course these aircraft drones have a lot of engineering work and updates and so they have to check the serial numbers and updates against the engineers and engineering companies, but also that tends to the aircraft, Natalie.

ALLEN: All right. We'll wait and see what's their initial response is here just days before the two-year anniversary of the plane that disappeared.

And Saima Mohsin for us there in Kuala Lumpur, thank you.

Donald Trump's opponent have all been accused the Republican frontrunner of acting like a child, but would do actual children think of him? We'll hear from a few as we push on here on CNN Newsroom.

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ALLEN: A famous sled dog race, the Iditarod it's about to start. It's been 44 years that's been going on, Derek Van Dam is here to tell they have a problem from the starting gate.

DEREK VAN DAM, CNN WEATHER ANCHOR: Just a little minor problem. You know, this snow sled race, Natalie apparently needs snow in order to start and they don't have any in Anchorage, Alaska at the moment. This is where the ceremonial plump circumstances going on that as we speak it's actually about to take place at 10 a.m.

But guess what they did, Natalie, they went north in Alaska, all the way to Fairbanks, took a train with them, some heavy duty machinery and decided, "Hey, we got plenty of snow here we might as well track it down to the starting line in Anchorage for that ceremonial start.

They did have to shortened that ceremonial start because they just didn't have enough snow and enough trains and enough heavy duty machinery to bring the snowfall over. It went from 17 kilometers to 5 kilometers. This is the second time they've done this in 25 years. It took -- There it is, seven rail cars of snow brought to the starting line here in Anchorage.

ALLEN: They'd better start mashing before it melts.

VAN DAM: I agree. I know. It's only a matter of time, right? Well, take a look at this, fascinating photos and interesting story to go along with it as well. This is from 2011 when the snow happened to fall. By the way, last year, the Iditarod actually had the least amount of February snowfall ever recorded in Anchorage, this year it's about the seventh least amount of snow.

[03:25:06] Now this is the path of the entire Iditarod from Nome to Willow Lake, that's the full extent of the race. There's about 85 teams racing, I should say or mashing this particular event and just to put this into perspective for our international viewers that's 1,600 kilometers, that's basically traveling from Berlin to Moscow or Adelaide to Brisbane if you're in Australia.

Now, they've had a couple of obstacles they've had to get over and not being well, above average temperatures, about 6 degrees Celsius higher than where we should be this time of year and very little snow. In fact, 2015, again, very little snow for that region 2016 has seen a seventh low snowfall on record. There is not much more snow in the forecast. We only have zero centimeters on the ground, that wasn't coated well for anybody looking to slide over that snow in a sled. There's the forecast going forward to a little bit of snow as of course as we go through further north in Alaska.

ALLEN: Well, we wish them well.

VAN DAM: What do we do in America? We truck snow from one point to the other.

ALLEN: The show must go on.

VAN DAM: That's right.

ALLEN: Unless the dogs won't want to do it. Thanks Derek.

All right, we're going to turn back to politics for a moment. One of the biggest takeaway from this presidential campaign so far is that Donald Trump supporters love him no matter what. No matter if he acts like the school yard bully or a brat, it has been said he acts like a child, so we decided to ask children, what do they think of Donald Trump's behavior?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: And Marco you just got that flipping (ph) mouth but a lot of times it doesn't work under pressure.

I have never ever met a person that lies more than Ted Cruz.

And Marco is sweating, he's pouring down and then he repeats himself once, twice, three times.

I think Ted's a very unstable guy. I watch him, I see him, and I always say he's a good debater but he can't talk.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love Donald Trump.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And we have leaders that don't know what they're doing. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Like yourself.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's talking about himself, thank you for understanding me Trump.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He is a nice guy but the other people are rude to him, they don't let him talk.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But my dad gave me a million dollar alone.

TRUMP: No, he didn't. But a million dollar isn't very much compared to what I look.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It hasn't been easy for me but I'm filthy rich.

TRUMP: Who do we -- Rosie O'Donnel.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That is so rude.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If he is going to be rude to ladies, he shouldn't be a president. He speaks his mind and don't really care what people think. But sometimes the thing that's not presidential is what's on his mind.

TRUMP: Tremendous potential. Let's make America great again.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Feeling great. And you're just going to make it worst.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: Straight from the kid's mouth. So he got a list of them.

Thanks for watching, I'm Natalie Allen. We'll be right back.

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