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Legal View with Ashleigh Banfield

Trump Rallying Voters; Sanders and Clinton Debate; Somalia Drone Strike. Aired 12-12:30p ET

Aired March 07, 2016 - 12:00   ET

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


[12:00:00] PHIL NOVAK (ph): Saw them together because I was there to see her. But when I had the chance to meet him, I found him genial and funny. And I came back and told my friends that I've never met a funny person who wasn't smart. So, forget the idea that this guy isn't bright.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Phil Novak, thanks so much for sharing your memories. We really appreciate it.

NOVAK: Thank you.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks so much, Phil. And thank you all so much for joining us "AT THIS HOUR."

BERMAN: LEGAL VIEW starts right now.

ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Ashleigh Banfield. Welcome to LEGAL VIEW.

After a fairly rewarding weekend for the top two presidential contenders in both parties and one more feisty Democratic debate, the sprint is on to yet another Super Tuesday. Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and John Kasich all have live campaign rallies today. And right now, we're waiting on Donald Trump to take to the stage in North Carolina. North Carolina votes on March 15th. We're going to listen in just as soon as he gets busy up there on the stage.

Tomorrow, well, let's call it nothing to sneeze at Tuesday. Maybe not a super as last week or not as super as next week, but you can say this, on the Republican side, four state contests offering a total of 150 delegates. That's more than 10 percent of the number that is needed to get that coveted nomination.

Democrats are holding two contests in Mississippi and in Michigan with 166 delegates up for grabs. And as we speak, CNN estimates that Hillary Clinton has 1,147 delegates to Bernie Sanders' 498. Sanders won weekend caucuses in Maine and in Kansas and in Nebraska. Clinton won the Louisiana primary.

Donald Trump, by our count, has 389 delegates after winning the Louisiana primary and Kentucky caucuses on Saturday. Ted Cruz has 302 delegates. He won caucuses in Kansas and in Maine. And Marco Rubio has 149 delegates after his second win of the season yesterday in Puerto Rico. John Kasich, well behind with 37 delegates. And he is pinning his hopes on Ohio for his very first victory in this contest. Frontrunner Donald Trump is set to speak at a rally in Concord, North

Carolina, at any moment. We're bringing you some live pictures right here on the right hand side. CNN's Chris Frates is there right now and he joins us with the very latest.

Chris, set the scene for me today, specifically because this was not the walloping this weekend that maybe Donald Trump was expecting.

CHRIS FRATES, CNN INVESTIGATIONS CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's exactly right, Ashleigh. We saw Donald Trump and he did OK. He picked up two wins. He won Louisiana and Kentucky. But Ted Cruz came roaring back with wins in Kansas and Maine. Donald Trump even hitting Ted Cruz a little bit saying, well, of course Ted Cruz was born in Canada. He's doing to do well in Maine and so far north is basically his home turf. So Donald Trump already taking aiming at Ted Cruz.

But let's not forget, Marco Rubio hanging in there with that big win in Puerto Rico. He won by such a large margin, he takes all 23 votes - 23 delegates, excuse me. and that's important going into Florida. Florida, the big enchilada on March 15th. Marco Rubio trying to win his home state there. All 99 delegates. The establishment looking to Marco Rubio to take that state and slow down Donald Trump.

But Donald Trump, of course, leading in the polls there. And what we're seeing today here in North Carolina is a crowd that is very unhappy with the establishment. I'll tell you, they are - they are cheering against Mitt Romney and they are cheering for Donald Trump, Ashleigh. So I think when you look at the delegates here, that is what's key. Ted Cruz picking up a number of delegates. He did better on the delegate side than Donald Trump did on Saturday, 302 delegates to Donald trump's 389. Ted Cruz really becoming that Trump alternative that Marco Rubio was trying to - Marco Rubio hanging in there with 149 delegates. So half of what Cruz has.

BANFIELD: Yes. Chris, let me ask you something. You know, we've seen so much bluster from Donald Trump when he comes out of a big win and this was not that. This weekend showed that he's got some chinks in the armor. And I'm wondering if his treatment of anybody along the way has changed. You know, his speeches are different when he doesn't do as well. He tends to treat the media differently than he does in rallies. I mean you guys are all a pin full of pigs, et cetera, in rallies, but then he's more respectful during news conferences. Are you sensing anything today that's different with Donald Trump than, say, oh, last week?

FRATES: Well, certainly the question that we're going to be watching for when he takes the stage is, what is the tone, Ashleigh, because did he lose a little bit and did Ted Cruz gain because Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz ganged up on Donald Trump for the last week. Remember these last few debates, they took Donald Trump on hard, you know, telling voters that he's a con man, hitting him for Trump University, which there's a civil lawsuit against it by former students there saying the degrees weren't worth the paper they're printed on. Donald Trump, of course, saying that that's not true. He's going to win that case, but is that starting to resonate with the electorate? [12:05:24] You know, certainly when you talk to Trump supporters, as I did just this morning, Ashleigh, they are only more embracing of Donald Trump after those attacks. We heard from Mitt Romney. And I talked to voters here who said, look, if the establishment's trying to tell us what to do, we're only with Donald Trump more. So that's certainly not hurting him among his supporters. The question is, is it going to resonate with those independent and undecided voters? And that's really what we have to watch out for.

But we'll see what tone he takes here when he takes the stage, Ashleigh.

BANFIELD: Yes.

FRATES: Does he come out very combative against lying Ted Cruz and lightweight Marco Rubio -

BANFIELD: Yes.

FRATES: As he has in the past, or does he moderate that tone, as you point out, to try to be more unifying. We'll see how hard he took that loss on Saturday with what he says here on the stump today, Ashleigh.

BANFIELD: Yes, don't forget the disgusting reporters part, too, because that's kind of a standard on the stump speech now as well. Nothing personal to you, Chris - Chris Frates.

FRATES: That's a - that's a staple. That's a staple.

BANFIELD: I think you're great. Thank you, Chris Frates.

We're going to continue to watch behind Chris to see when Donald Trump takes to that stage.

By the way, what Chris said and, yes, anti-establishment feeds his supporters. But, listen, there is a swath of negative advertisements that's about to hit the airwaves in Florida and Illinois that does not come from establishment, it comes from veterans. And these things are ugly. You're going to see that a little bit later on in the program. Will his supporters feel the same way when they hear veterans talking about Donald Trump in a negative way as opposed to say a Mitt Romney or other politicians?

In the meantime, the debate last night in Flint, Michigan, common ground in the sense that both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders say that they are disgusted at the political actions and inactions that tainted that city's tap water with lead. Secretary Clinton even reversed her earlier position and called for Michigan's governor to resign or face a recall. But on a world of other topics, the rivals found a whole heck of a lot to argue about, as my colleague, Brianna Keilar, scrambled to keep the notes. Here's her report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It is raining lead in Flint. And the state is derelict in not coming forward with the money that is required.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): With Michigan's primary looming, contaminated water and lost jobs dominated.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Children in America should not be poisoned.

KEILAR: Senator Bernie Sanders and Secretary Hillary Clinton sparring more aggressively than ever before over Wall Street ties and the economy.

CLINTON: I voted to save the auto industry. He voted against the money that ended up saving the auto industry.

SANDERS: If you are talking about the Wall Street bailout, where some of your friends destroyed this economy -

CLINTON: You know -

SANDERS: Through - excuse me, I'm talking.

ANDERSON COOPER, MODERATOR: Let him respond.

CLINTON: If you're going to talk, tell the whole story, Senator Sanders.

SANDERS: Well, let me tell my story. You tell yours.

CLINTON: I will.

KEILAR: Sanders supported a standalone auto bailout bill that failed, but voted against a larger bill that included money to bail out Wall Street and money to bail out the auto companies. Sanders cutting Clinton off a second time to make his point.

SANDERS: You know what I said? I said let the billionaires themselves bail out Wall Street. Shouldn't be the middle class of this country.

CLINTON: OK. So -

SANDERS: Wait, a minute. Wait, can I finish. You will have your turn.

KEILAR: Clinton optimistic about growing the economy.

CLINTON: We're going to stop this kind of job exporting and we're going to start importing and growing jobs again.

KEILAR: Only to be slammed by Sanders over a trade agreement she supported two decades ago.

SANDERS: I am very glad, Anderson, that Secretary Clinton has discovered religion on this issue. But it's a little bit too late. Secretary Clinton supported virtually every one of these disastrous trade agreements written by corporate America.

KEILAR: And butting heads again over gun control. SANDERS: And essentially your position is, there should not be any

guns in America, period.

CLINTON: That is not - that is like the NRA's position. No.

SANDERS: Now I understand - could I - can I - can I finish, please?

KEILAR: Post-debate, Clinton's campaign chair telling me Sanders' performance was a disappointment.

JOHN PODESTA, CLINTON CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN: He's repeatedly said he wants to run a positive campaign. In recent days, it seems a little more negative, a little more desperate and I thought - I thought his tone tonight bordered on the disrespectful.

KEILAR: The Sanders campaign dismissing the charge as a distraction.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They don't want to talk about her bad trade record. They don't want to talk about her record of taking Wall Street contributions. They don't want to talk about these things. It was really a bad night for the Clinton people.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BANFIELD: That's our Brianna Keilar reporting for us.

And I want to get some other insights now. Nina Turner is a former state lawmaker in Ohio who supports Bernie Sanders for president, and Peter Daou is a former digital strategist to both John Kerry and Hillary Clinton and he supports Hillary for president.

[12:10:10] To the both of you, I want to play a radio ad fresh cut from the stuff that happened last night. Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign has capitalized on the auto bailout questioning from that stage and has turned it into a radio ad. Let's listen. I'm going to ask you about it on the other side.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): It wasn't long ago the auto industry was on the verge of collapse, major American companies about to be liquidated, millions of jobs at risk. Michigan's economy, teetering. America's auto companies asked for help and President Obama came through. Now, in Sunday's debate, we learn only one candidate for president supported him - Hillary Clinton.

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When it came down to it, you were either for saving the auto industry or you were against it. I voted to save the auto industry.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And she was right. Today the auto industry is thriving and millions of people have jobs who could have lost them. Jobs in manufacturing, technology. Jobs up and down the supply chain. On Tuesday, March 8th, vote for the one candidate who stood up for the auto industry and came through for Michigan when it really mattered - Hillary Clinton. CLINTON: I'm Hillary Clinton, candidate for president, and I approved

this message.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Paid for by Hillary for America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: OK, Nina, that is some powerful stuff. I kept thinking last night, I know the story of Bernie Sanders' voting record when it came to the auto bailout. He actually did support a bill that didn't pass.

NINA TURNER, BERNIE SANDERS SUPPORTER: Yes.

BANFIELD: And then later didn't support it because it also came attached to Wall Street money. But he didn't make that very clear last night on that stage. Why? He had to know this was coming. This was in flint.

TURNER: Well, Ashleigh, I think he did. And you're absolutely right and I do appreciate the fact that you and the reporter previously were being very fair about this. Senator Sanders voted to support the auto industry. That bill did not make it. But what he wasn't willing to do is to trade America, to trade off - trade the working poor and the middle class in this country for Wall Street. And he's made that clear. He has been consistent on that argument. So the Clinton campaign is a little desperate there with that commercial. They know good and well that that - that Senator Sanders has always been supportive of the auto industry. He continues to be. But what he is not supportive of is bailing out Wall Street while we leave main street languish.

BANFIELD: Well, and he was very clear about that today. I want to play a quick piece of something that he was saying today in one of his rallies on the heels of last night. Let's look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I will release all of the transcripts of the speeches I gave behind closed doors or open doors to Wall Street. Here they are.

If there is a large turnout, we are going to win here in Michigan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: Peter Daou, I want you to respond to that. He not only stayed on his Wall Street speech transcript, hammering away at that issue about, you know, Secretary Clinton releasing them, but then he went further and he said turnout, we need turnout in Michigan because right now those numbers, if you look at the most recent polling, have Clinton at 55 percent in Michigan and Bernie Sanders at 42. Do you think that Bernie Sanders can make a dent and maybe take Michigan and thereby keep his race alive against your girl if Michigan really comes into play for him?

PETER DAOU, HILLARY CLINTON SUPPORTER: That's a good question. You know, speaking about the numbers, if you take a look at what the voters are saying in response to candidates making their case, Hillary's ahead in the popular vote. She's ahead in the delegate count, the pledged delegate count, the super delegate count. She has won more states. So I tend to judge - I tend to trust the judgment of the public. They've watched the candidates make their case.

We have two amazing Democratic candidates and the contrast with the Republicans could not be more stark. But I really look at what the American people are telling us and they seem to be excited and energized by Hillary's arguments.

BANFIELD: And what about those ads? They're tough but do you think that they're fair, Peter, given the fact that that's not the whole story? He didn't just vote against it. He actually was for the auto bailout when it was in its purest form. And then when the big attachment of the Wall Street bailout came along, he stuck with his guns and said I can't - I can't vote for that. Is it fair to go after him when it's not 100 percent true?

DAOU: You know, by and large having done presidential politics since 2004 when I worked for John Kerry's campaign, that I've seen some very tough campaigns. This one is not nearly as tough as they get in this stage in the process. You know there have been some very personal attacks against Hillary Clinton from the Sanders' campaign as well, you know, that she referenced an artful smear, which is essentially saying that - implying that she's corrupt with these speeches and releasing the transcripts. And, rightfully, Hillary Clinton said it - well, you would say the same about President Obama, who also got a lot of donations from Wall Street.

[12:15:07] In the end, this is the hard-hitting process. What we really need to look to as Democrats are, where are we - where are we headed right now? You know, essentially the math is difficult for Senator Sanders. Hillary's winning. She's - she has energized voters. So the question as Democrats, what do we do to face an extremist Republican Party?

BANFIELD: So, let me -

TURNER: Hey, Ashleigh -

BANFIELD: Let's switch gears a little bit here, Nina. I do want to ask you about the tone of this debate. It seemed to a lot of watcher to take on a more aggressive tone. Bernie Sanders (INAUDIBLE) several times where he pulled a playbook page from Donald Trump. (INAUDIBLE), excuse me, excuse me. And some people took that to be rude. Some people thought it was dismissive. Some people thought it was sexist, although I think you could argue against that as well. If you're up there, you're up there no matter what sex you are. But do you think that that will hurt Bernie Sanders in the long run if he starts getting aggressive? People like him because he's a good guy.

TURNER: Well, Ashleigh, he's still a good guy but has to be aggressive because he wouldn't have been able to get a word in edgewise. I'm going to take a page out of Tom Hanks "A League of Their Own" when he said, there's no crying in baseball. He was trying to get - you know, get his thoughts out and he was being interrupted by the secretary, which, again, was unfair. So let's - let's - let's be real here. They are trying to distract from her record. The real issue here is consistency and who is in the best position, not only to beat the Republicans, but who has the best plan moving forward for Americans? Who is going to lift the working poor and middle class in this country?

And when you talk about a smear, Ashleigh, I mean let us not forget that the Hillary campaign tried to erase all of the great work that Senator Bernie Sanders has done in the civil rights movement. He was arrested as a young man fighting against segregation at the University of Chicago. But what do they do? They try to dismiss his entire record. So both sides have been really playing hard ball in that. I think that's the only thing I agree with Peter on. But - but the way -

BANFIELD: So -

TURNER: But we've got to continue to push this. We are not fighting against the Republicans right now. This is the primary election against two Democrats. And whoever is the winner of that will then go head to head with the Republicans.

BANFIELD: I have to - I have to wrap it here. But I'm going to give this one to you, Nina, only because you were able to evoke no crying in baseball. Anybody who can get that on television.

TURNER: Thank you, Ashleigh.

BANFIELD: Peter, you're going to have to come back with a baseball reference just as good. Thank you, both.

DAOU: I'll work on that. Thank you.

BANFIELD: Nina Turner and Peter Daou, it's good to have both of you. I do appreciate it.

TURNER: Thank you.

BANFIELD: I have some breaking news I want to bring your way, if I can, right now. It's about a U.S. drone strike on terrorists. I'm going to tell you who was targeted and exactly what happened and where just ahead. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:21:27] BANFIELD: Breaking news to bring you right now. The Pentagon has just told CNN that a U.S. drone strike in Somalia is suspected to have killed 150 fighters, terrorists belonging to the organization al Shabaab. Officials say this was a move to stop what the military claims was an imminent threat against U.S. troops.

Barbara Starr joins me live now from the Pentagon.

There has been a lot of activity in Somalia, Barbara. I'm wondering if this is in direct response. There was an explosion at an airport. Luggage apparently with hidden laptops that were bombs. We had that flight out of the airport in Somalia that blew up because a laptop exploded and sucked the bomber out the side. There's been a lot of al Shabaab claims of responsibility for this kind of terrorist action. Is that what this is following?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, it certainly is following it, Ashleigh. There have been a number of very resurgent attacks, as you say, by the al Shabaab group in Somalia in recent weeks. What the Pentagon announced to reporters a short time ago is that on Saturday they did a drone strike against a suspected al Shabaab camp north of Mogadishu and they say there were about 200 fighters there and they were in the final stages of an imminent attack against U.S. troops and African peacekeeping troops in Somalia. The U.S., very well know, keeps a small number of troops at an airport in Mogadishu and they go other places in the country to conduct some assistance efforts, working with the African forces there. So that presence is very well known.

What the imminent threat was against those U.S. troops, the Pentagon isn't saying, but they are saying this was a drone attack, unmanned drones firing missiles at a training camp killing, they believe, 150 on the ground. This would be very unusual and rather striking. Drones carry precision missiles that go against very pinpoint targets. Training camps tend to, as you know better than anybody, to be dispersed. Personnel, out in the open, moving around or sleeping in very dispersed areas. So it's not at all clear in this very initial report from the Pentagon how they used drones to kill 150 people at a dispersed training camp.

We hope to learn more about this, but al Shabaab, it's a real signal that the U.S. believes al Shabaab is a target that they do have to go after, that it does pose an imminent threat in this case to U.S. troops in Somalia.

Ashleigh.

BANFIELD: Yes, I mean, a lot of attacks they've claimed responsible for, the far east, south of Israel as well, Egypt, et cetera. They have been a force.

Barbara Starr, let us know when you find out more. Thank you for that.

And while we are waiting for Donald Trump to take to that live microphone that we showed you earlier, the guy way over on the far right, and I don't just mean in the pictures, Ted Cruz gaining momentum. He had a heck of a showing this weekend. It was not the Trump trouncing everyone thought. But what about Marco Rubio? He picked up his second state. Does it mean he's still alive, or is there a big message fomenting for him to drop out? We're going to get you all caught up on everything after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:29:06] BANFIELD: Just moments ago, the president met with financial regulators on the implementation of consumer protection and financial stability rules. I know that's a lot to take in, but he spoke to reporters right after that and had some very poignant comments about Nancy Reagan's passing. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: But, you know, I had the opportunity to meet Mrs. Reagan once. Obviously she was already advanced in age, but could not have been more gracious and more charming to myself and Michelle when we first came into office. You know, I think it's been well documented the extraordinary love that she had for her husband, and the extraordinary comfort and strength that she provided him during really hard times. As somebody who's been lucky enough to have an extraordinary partner in my life, as well, I know how much she meant, not just to President Reagan, but to the country as a whole. He was lucky to have her.