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Sanders Upsets Clinton, Wins Michigan; Who Voted for Sanders and Why; Trump Laughs Off Stop Trump Efforts; Trump Wins Michigan, Mississippi, and Hawaii. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired March 09, 2016 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:38] CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, where Democrats will debate in just a matter of hours.

But first, Bernie Sanders stuns in Michigan and scores what may be the biggest upset of this political season. The Vermont senator capturing the big prize of Super Tuesday two, Sanders barely edging out Hillary Clinton and mocking polls that showed her with a huge lead.

Clinton crushing Sanders in Mississippi. While that state is a smaller prize for Democrats, her victory is so overwhelming that she still raked in more delegates for the day and maintains her big lead on Sanders. Both candidates, though, claiming victory.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I just want to take this opportunity to thank the people of Michigan, who kind of repudiated the polls that had us 20, 25 points down a few days ago, who repudiated the pundits who said that Bernie Sanders was not going anywhere.

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm proud of the campaign that Senator Sanders and I are running.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

CLINTON: We have our differences, which you can see when we debate. But I'll tell you what, those differences pale in comparison to what's happening on the Republican side.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: So what's happening with the Republicans? Donald Trump dominates, winning Michigan, Mississippi and Hawaii. Cruz captures Idaho. Trump pulling farther ahead of the delegate count. Marco Rubio gains nothing on the night and falls even farther behind. The pressure grows on him and John Kasich to win their home states next week, simply to keep their campaigns alive.

Our correspondent, experts and analysts are scattered across the political landscape to break down these latest results and the road ahead to the White House.

Let's begin in next week's battleground state of Ohio, though. Jeff Zeleny in Cleveland.

Good morning, Jeff.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning Carol. Bernie Sanders is hoping his big symbolic victory in Michigan and big delegate victory as well will translate here into Ohio. As you know better than anyone, a key presidential battleground in the general election and over the next five days or so is going to be the center of attention on both sides of the primary fights. On the Democratic side as well as the Republican side.

That Ohio primary next Tuesday along with Florida and the other states will be central to that. But for now Bernie Sanders is relishing in his Michigan victory last night and seeing if he can replicate it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZELENY (voice-over): A surprise upset over Hillary Clinton in Michigan.

SANDERS: What we have done is created the kind of momentum that we need to win.

ZELENY: Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders clinching a narrow win, breathing new life into his campaign. In an expected but sweeping victory in the Deep South, Clinton easily taking Mississippi.

CLINTON: I want to be the president for the struggling and the striving, for people who have a dream.

ZELENY: Expanding her delegate lead after scoring huge with a large turnout of African-American voters. But it's the battleground state of Michigan, Sanders' biggest victory yet, that's keeping the Democratic primary fight alive.

SANDERS: The political revolution that we are talking about is strong in every part of the country. And frankly we believe that our strongest areas are yet to happen.

ZELENY: Secretary Clinton projecting an air of confidence at a rally in Detroit just Monday night.

CLINTON: The sooner I could become your nominee, the more I could begin to turn our attention to the Republicans.

ZELENY: But failing to campaign as aggressively as in other states and looking around the corner to the Republican fight ahead may have distracted her campaign.

As Sanders held massive rallies on college campuses across the state --

SANDERS: If you come out to vote here in Michigan on primary day, we're going to win here in Michigan.

ZELENY: His support from younger voters and his economic message paying off in a big way.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZELENY: Now, Carol, there is no question mathematically Hillary Clinton is still the big leader here in pledge delegates and of course those super delegates but politically speaking Bernie Sanders has a new lease on life and they'll both be heading down to where you are in Miami tonight for another face-to-face debate.

[09:05:01] And you couldn't ask for better timing for a debate tonight. So many issues on trade and other things they will talk about. Then will head into these next set of contest next Tuesday.

But, Carol, I'm headed down to Miami as well. We'll see you down there -- Carol.

COSTELLO: OK. I'll see you there. Jeff Zeleny, reporting live from Cleveland this morning.

Now let's break down the Sanders surge in Michigan that scored him that huge upset. Who voted for Sanders and why?

CNN's Jean Casarez is live in Detroit. Hi, Jean.

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, good morning. You know, the polls were wrong, the experts were wrong. But the will of the people right here in Michigan, that is what won the night last night. And as I spoke to voter after voter the formula was really clear. They feel he is down to earth. They feel he is for the people. They feel that grassroots approach. Not succumbing to money from the elitists is what will help this state in Michigan.

Let's show some exit poll results that CNN gained to really break it down to show who voted for Bernie Sanders and why. First of all by gender. White men. We show that 63 percent voted for Bernie Sanders, 36 percent voted for Hillary Clinton. Worried about the U.S. economy. Very worried about the U.S. economy. Bernie Sanders got 56 percent of the vote to Hillary Clinton 41 percent.

And finally feelings about the federal government. Voters are angry about the federal government. Overwhelmingly 60 percent voted in Michigan for Bernie Sanders, 40 percent voted for Hillary Clinton. And that is the feel that I got through the day yesterday, as more people were telling me they were voting for Bernie Sanders than Hillary Clinton.

And last but not least, Carol, let's not forget. Bernie Sanders came to Michigan several times. Went to universities around the state talking to the students.

COSTELLO: It made a real difference. Jean Casarez reporting live from Detroit this morning. As you heard Jean say, younger voters helped propel Bernie Sanders to

that stunning win in Michigan turning out in droves to push Sanders ahead of his rival Hillary Clinton and now Sanders is making it his mission to go after even younger voters. His campaign is now suing the state of Ohio accusing it of quietly changing voter laws and barring 17-year-olds who would be 18 in time for November's general election from voting in the primary.

So let's talk about that. I'm joined by CNN senior political analyst and senior editor for the "Atlantic," Ron Brownstein and former executive director of the Congressional Black Caucus Angela Rye.

Welcome to both of you.

Jim Acosta is with me, too, by the way. He's covering the Trump campaign. We'll get to Jim in just a second. But let's go to Ron and Angela right now.

Hey, Ron, first question for you. The polls showed Clinton leading Sanders by 20 points in Michigan and she lost. What gives?

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes. I mean, that is as big a polling failure as we have seen. I mean, look, he proved much more competitive among African-American voters in Michigan than he did in the south. That was one of the core expectations of the Sanders campaign. They've been talking about that for weeks. They've argued that they would be more competitive with black voters outside of the south. But inside the south she still won them by 2-1 but he won 30 percent of African-American voters compared to only about 10 percent at the same time in Mississippi.

And that I think all bodes well for him in the other Midwestern states. If you look at Ohio and Missouri, which will be voting next week, they are likely to be an even more white electorate than Michigan was. And so the advantage among African-American voters won't weigh as heavily for Hillary Clinton. On the other hand, Illinois, Florida, North Carolina all likely to be more diverse and thus the challenge that Bernie Sanders is faced throughout the south will recur in those states next week.

COSTELLO: OK. So let's keep on the subject of young voters. Angela, this question for you. Sanders of course needs young voters. His camp is actually suing in Ohio to allow 17-year-olds to vote. Is that the way to go?

ANGELA RYE, POLITICAL STRATEGIST: I think it is very smart for two reasons. One is from a general election strategy standpoint there is a candidate that is still in the race that happens to be the governor of Ohio. And this is just one example of the many things that John Kasich has done to suppress the vote in Ohio. So it is a huge problem and it was a brilliant strategy on behalf of Bernie Sanders.

Millennials have overwhelmingly said that they feel disenchanted and frustrated with not only the election process but the government writ large and Bernie Sanders continues to appeal to these folks who are generally antiestablishment and don't see themselves fitting in or benefitting from any advocacy by the federal government whatsoever. So it is actually very, very smart.

The challenge is he's not necessarily who needs the help. Hillary Clinton does. She is getting beat hand over fist with millennial voters. We see time and time again Bernie Sanders 80 percent to Hillary Clinton's 20 percent. Her message hasn't changed. She continues to say, I'm going to still fight for you even if you don't vote for me. That message is not working and she has to close that gap, just like Bernie Sanders has to continue to close the gap with African-American voters and Latino voters.

[09:10:05] COSTELLO: And, Ron, something that Bernie Sanders kept saying over and over that really resonate. I mean, he was really hammering Clinton over their differences over trade. And that certainly seemed to pay off in Michigan. Right? So does she have to change tactics?

BROWNSTEIN: Absolutely. Look, Michigan may be the state most uniquely sensitive to that issue but it's certainly part of the equation in other places particularly across the Midwest. I mean, Carol, part of what we saw in Michigan was a continuation of one of the major successes for the Sanders campaign, which is that he started as the classic wine track candidate, relying almost entirely on young voters and socially liberal white collar whites.

But more than previous candidates in that, more candidates like Bill Bradley or Gary Hart or Paul Saunders, he has shown he can compete for working class white voters. He won almost 60 percent of them in Michigan. And if he can continue that while holding down Hillary Clinton's advantage among African-American voters that formula that worked in Michigan last night could also work in Missouri and Ohio. But as I said it's tougher when you look at the other diverse states that will be voting, Illinois, North Carolina, Florida. He's going to have to do better I think than he did among minority voters last night in Michigan in order to keep those out of her column.

COSTELLO: And Angela, I want to ask you about the minority vote before I have to go because Bernie Sanders seemed to do better with minority voters in the state of Michigan and that seems to signal like maybe Clinton's firewall when it comes to minority voters is starting to crack.

RYE: Well, I think it's a little bit different than that. Right. I think that he does not do well with southern black folks. And I think what it demonstrates, Carol, is that the black vote is not monolithic. It is nuanced and it changes just like the white vote. Just like the brown vote. And so you have to speak to the issues that are familiar with the folks and you have to go talk to the people. As you mentioned in your lead, Bernie Sanders was on the ground not only speaking to students but speaking all throughout Michigan.

We cannot afford for any of the candidates on the Democratic side to look towards the general and forget about the states that are immediately before them. They've got to talk to the voters on the issues that resonate to them. And black voters overwhelmingly are issue voters. So Bernie Sanders was smart. He hit all of the issues that were important. It's the sixth largest state with union representation in the union. It's very, very important for her to know who her audience is and everything that she's talking about in the south doesn't necessarily resonate in the northern states.

COSTELLO: All right. I have to leave it there. Ron Brownstein, Angele Rye, thanks so much for being with me this morning.

Thanks to the shakeup in Michigan tonight's Univision Democratic debate from Miami more important than ever, starts at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. You can catch it here on CNN.

And tomorrow night it's the Republicans turn, also from Miami. Moderated by Jake Tapper. The only place to see it right here on CNN. Starting at 8:30 p.m.

All right. So Clinton gained the delegates even if Sanders gets the headlines. But on the Republican side Donald Trump gets almost all of the spotlight to himself.

This morning on CNN he said he is ready to become the nominee and unite his party.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am a uniter but I have to finish off the project. You know, I can't all of a sudden stand there and let people -- you know, Marco was very, very nasty to me. I have to tell you. He was very, very nasty to me. And I guess he made a mistake because I was more nasty to him.

You have to finish off what you have to finish off. I can't say all of a sudden, you know, let them make statements. Now I do think this. I think the debate tomorrow night will be a softer debate. I really do. I believe it's going to be a softer debate. I hope it's going to be a softer debate. I can tell you that I go in much more as the uniter than as a -- yes, I think the wins last night were very, very big wins and very decisive wins.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: They were indeed. CNN's Jim Acosta is with me here in Miami.

You're covering the Trump campaign.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right.

COSTELLO: And I've never seen anything like it. He was peddling, what, wine and even had Trump Steak.

ACOSTA: Right. Yes. Donald Trump is sizzling like a Trump Steak this morning, Carol.

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: Oh, Jim. ACOSTA: He racked up some big victories last night, won three out of

the four states that were up for grabs and now it's the stop Trump movement that seems to not be able to get started.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TRUMP: Only one person did well tonight, Donald Trump.

ACOSTA (voice-over): It was another election night victory lap for Donald Trump. Serving up some red meat to the crowd in the form of Trump Steaks, along with Trump Wine and Trump Water, the GOP frontrunner laughed off the stop Trump forces out to destroy his campaign.

TRUMP: I don't think I've ever had so many horrible, horrible things said about me in one week.

ACOSTA: And the super PAC ads bombarding him on the airwaves.

TRUMP: I want to thank the special interests and the lobbyists because they obviously did something to drive these numbers.

ACOSTA: To his top rival Ted Cruz --

TRUMP: Lying Ted. He holds the bible high. And then he goes down, he puts the bible down and then he lies.

ACOSTA: And Marco Rubio, who failed to slow his momentum.

TRUMP: Hostility works for some people. It doesn't work for everybody.

ACOSTA: John Kasich ended up neck-and-neck with Cruz for second place in Michigan, bolstering his case that he should stay in this race.

[09:15:06] GOV. JOHN KASICH (R-OH), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The people are beginning to reward a positive campaign. Next week, we are going to win the state of Ohio and it --

ACOSTA: Cruz won Idaho, managing to perform better than Marco Rubio who had another rough night. The Florida senator is still holding out hope for his home state.

SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R-FL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I believe with all my heart of the Florida primary next Tuesday will be the nominee of the Republican Party.

ACOSTA: As Cruz again is making the argument he's the GOP's best candidate to stop Trump.

SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What Donald Trump wants is he want us divided. If we are divided, he wins the nomination and Hillary becomes president. If we unite, that ain't going to happen.

(END VIDEOTAPE) ACOSTA: Now, Marco Rubio will have to recover quickly to lay the groundwork for a come back win in Florida next week. It looks like a tall order if you look at our latest CNN/ORC poll. But a Rubio aide tells me this morning, there is no talk whatsoever inside the campaign of him dropping out.

They say they are in it to win the state of Florida. That's been their strategy since the beginning of this month. They are sticking to it. He even said that any talk of Marco Rubio dropping out at this point is, quote, "stupid".

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: But even in the state of Florida, there is a new CNN/ORC poll out this morning that shows Trump with 40 percent. Rubio far behind with 27 percent.

ACOSTA: It's incredible and I think if Donald Trump really destroys Marco Rubio in this state, I think that's it. I think it's over for Rubio. And if Donald Trump also wins in Ohio, the margin is a little closer there in Ohio over John Kasich. I think at that point it might have to be a hug Trump movement, not a stop Trump movement inside the GOP, because there are going to be a lot of Republicans who say, OK, this is our guy.

COSTELLO: They're going to have to hold their noses, and give them that hug.

ACOSTA: They might have to do it.

COSTELLO: All right. Jim Acosta, many thanks.

ACOSTA: OK.

COSTELLO: Still to come in THE NEWSROOM: so Trump says he's a unifier now. How about when it comes to his critics? We'll talk about that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:21:14] COSTELLO: It appears there is no stopping Donald Trump, and he knows it, opting again to hold a press conference after his big wins instead of following tradition and giving that rousing victory speech. It could be part of an effort to seem more presidential. After all, Trump says he's more presidential than anybody.

But it's clear he intends to this is how he responded when he was asked about the reporter about his use of profanity.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Oh you're so politically correct. So beautiful. Oh look at you. Oh I know. You've never heard a little off language. I know you're so perfect. Aren't you perfect? Aren't you just a perfect young man? Give me -- hey, give me a break.

(END VIDEO CLIP) COSTELLO: Trump is quick to fire back out his critics. The campaign cracking down on rally protesters, sometimes kicking them out after rallies even begin.

"Politico" is reporting "Trump" has even started plain clothed guards to scour the crowds for potential disruptions.

With me now to talk about this, CNN political commentator and senior contributor for "The Daily Caller", Matt Lewis. I'm also joined by Matt Schlapp, he's a former political director for George W. Bush. He now serves as chairman of the American Conservative Union.

Welcome both of you.

MATT SCHLAPP, AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE UNION: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Welcome, Matts.

MATT LEWIS, THE DAILY CALLER: Yes.

COSTELLO: Matt Lewis, I'll start with you. Trump is not giving those rousing victory speeches. Instead, he's holding these press conference, almost presidential in nature. Why is he doing that?

LEWIS: I think exactly why you say, because they are almost presidential in nature. And I think he wants to create the image. He's obviously very astute in terms of public relations. Interestingly, there is a tie in, last night, reportedly Michelle Fields, who's a reporter for Breitbart, tried to ask Donald Trump a question which maybe plays into this whole thing, reportedly Corey Lewandowski, the Trump campaign manager, grabbed her. And this whole control --

COSTELLO: Now that you bring her up I have a quote. You're right. This reporter, Michelle Fields, she was attempting to ask Trump a question as he exited the press conference. Secret Service was starting to clear a path when Fields was forcibly ground on the arm by Trump's campaign manager and he apparently moved her out of way and nearly brought her down to the ground.

That's what a source tells "Politico" who witnessed the situation.

LEWIS: And this is what they go to friendly media outlets, like Breitbart, which has been very pro-Trump. I think this is indicative of a larger point. It is not just controlling protesters. It is controlling the media.

It is Trump sort of exerting his alpha male authoritarian status. And that, you know, we're going to see more of this. Because I think he stokes this. And this mentality is concerning, especially if you are concerned about journalism.

COSTELLO: So, is this unusual, Matt Schlapp, that you would get plain clothed security to throw out dissenters before they begin dissenting?

SCHLAPP: The way it usually works is you get Secret Service protection when you get to a point in the race. Donald Trump has Secret Service protection but he's also kept his previous detail. So he's got both, plain clothed security detail and his Secret Service detail. I wonder how they work with each other.

And the one thing you do have to give Trump a lot of credit for is he is answering a lot of questions. Look it a juxtaposed to Hillary Clinton. You know, the rope lines and pre-screened questions from kids in schools.

Trump is the opposite of that. He's spontaneous and willing to take all of these questions. But it is rough and tumble. It's raucous.

LEWIS: A potential for something to happen, because we saw a couple of weeks ago, there was a Secret Service agent who allegedly choke slammed an "A.P." photographer for daring to go outside of the press pen.

[09:25:00] So, there is an environment I think that is happening. I wonder, if there's a contested convention in Cleveland, and Donald Trump is denied the nomination, as John King said the other night, bolt the chairs to the floor.

COSTELLO: I read in the local Cleveland newspaper that the police there have already requested riot gear just in case.

SCHLAPP: Usually, there are tear gas outside conventions. We might need inside our convention if it goes that way.

COSTELLO: We're all laughing, but it is disturbing, isn't it?

SCHLAPP: It is. We're at a very politically raw time. Emotions are really exposed, I think really even in both parties, but definitely on the Republican side.

And that is the message from the voters. It's a blunt message to people in Washington. And a lot of people in New York, too -- we're tired of this. We want it to stop and shake it up. And Donald Trump is who they are turning to shake it up.

LEWIS: And in a way, it plays into Donald Trump's narrative. When he says, get them out of here, get them out here again those protesters, the crowd loves it. He is standing in for them as somebody who's not going to tolerate, you know, political correctness, not going to tolerate leftists interrupting his events. He talked about how Bernie Sanders had a Black Lives Matter protester take over one of his rallies. Never going to happen here. Get them out of here.

That actually reinforces what they like. I have to say, there was a great "Vox" article the other week that showed the biggest predictor as to whether or not you like Trump is your propensity towards authoritarianism. And that is what we're seeing.

COSTELLO: What, really?

LEWIS: Absolutely. Google it. SCHLAPP: Let me give you a counter to that. I think there are a lot of folks who's been in Republican politics for a long time. Who aren't like the in-crowd, who like the fact that Donald Trump is taking on all of these sacred cows, even in the Republican Party and he's knocking them over, including people, leadership in Congress and everything else. So, that is kind of like antiestablishment and against authority, against the ruling authority and that is very appealing to people.

COSTELLO: OK, I have to leave it there, Matt Schlapp, Matt Lewis, thank you.

LEWIS: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Thank you, Matts.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, Donald Trump says he's a good Christian and apparently voting evangelicals agree with him. Franklin Graham, though? Well, he may not. He joins me next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)