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Detainee Giving Info on ISIS Chemical Weapons; Sanders, Clinton Both Claim Victory; Trump Laughs Off Stop Trump Efforts; Rubio Pins White House Hopes on Florida; Economic Fears Boost Trump, Sanders; Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired March 09, 2016 - 10:00   ET

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

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

[10:00:28] CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me from the University of Miami. The big Democratic debate will take place here later tonight. But I must begin with breaking news.

Barbara Starr just uncovered this, an ISIS detainee providing vital information about chemical weapons.

Barbara, tell us more.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. CNN has now learned that the U.S. military has completed at least a first round of airstrikes against what it believes is ISIS' chemical weapons capability inside Iraq, mainly around the city of Mosul.

U.S. airstrikes have been under way against sites related to ISIS' efforts to produce and use mustard agent. We should remind people there have been several confirmed attacks by ISIS using mustard agent in both Iraq and Syria in recent months. For the last several days, the U.S. military has been endeavoring to strike these targets. People, vehicles, sites where it believes it has the solid intelligence that ISIS has been undertaking activities related to the production, use and distribution of mustard agent.

How successful those strikes are, whether they really have now been able to take out ISIS' chemical weapons capability is a very open question. That is not a settled question yet. The Pentagon believes they were successful. But it should be remembered, ISIS can make this stuff so there's nothing to say they can't keep going.

How has this information come to light? We reported several days ago that the U.S. military captured a detainee -- captured a senior ISIS operative in Iraq. This information came from him. He was a senior operative in the chemical weapons program.

CNN agreed at the highest levels to withhold reporting that this man was involved in the chemical weapons and that the U.S. had him and was getting intelligence from him on chemical weapons because the U.S. military, the Pentagon made a case to CNN that they wanted to finish the airstrikes first. They were concerned they believe as ISIS figured out, the U.S. had the intel that ISIS might move again with more mustard attacks -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Disturbing information. Barbara Starr reporting live from the Pentagon, thank you.

On to politics now, Hillary Clinton stream rolls in the south but Bernie Sanders stuns in Michigan. The Vermont senator capturing the big prize of Super Tuesday two in what may be the biggest upset of this political season. Bernie Sanders barely edging out Hillary Clinton, mocking the polls that showed her with a huge lead. Clinton crushing Sanders in Mississippi, though. While that state is a smaller prize for the night for Democrats, her victory is so overwhelming that she still raked in more delegates for the day and maintains her big lead on Bernie 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. Senator Cruz captures Idaho. Trump pulling farther ahead in the delegate count, though. Marco Rubio gains nothing on the night and falls even farther behind. The pressure growing on him and John Kasich to win their home states next week, simply to keep their campaigns alive.

Let's begin our coverage with CNN's Jean Casarez. She is live in Detroit. Good morning, Jean.

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. You know, as I spoke to voter after voter yesterday, it was really clear what they saw in Bernie Sanders. They see a simple man, they see a man that is authentic, that really cares about them and they feel he can effectuate change. They like the fact that he's not part of an elitist group, that his money financing comes from those dollars that people are sending in, not to then be indebted to the higher economic areas that are supporting him.

They also really like the free things. They like free education. They liked free medical insurance. And I asked them, well, the country is in debt. How are we going to pay for that? There really wasn't an answer but they replied to me that other countries were able to do this so the United States should be able to do it, too.

[09:05:09] Well, let's listen right now to the candidates themselves as they spoke last night after their defeat and victories.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANDERS: We started this campaign, as many will remember, 10 months ago. We were 60 or 70 points down in the polls and yet what we have seen is in poll after poll, state after state, what we have done is created the kind of momentum that we need to win.

CLINTON: I want to be the president, not for those who are already successful. They don't need me. I want to be the president for the struggling and the striving. For people who have a dream and who are looking for a way to achieve that dream.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CASAREZ: And let's look at a group of voters that Bernie Sanders really captured yesterday. It is the 18 to 29-year-olds overwhelmingly, 81 percent voted for Bernie Sanders, 18 percent for Hillary Clinton.

And, Carol, when you look at Michigan, they have some dire, dire issues. The Detroit public school system, $515 million in debt. The Flint water crisis, and more than anything the auto industry wanting to bring those jobs back.

People on the side of the Democrats believe that Bernie Sanders is the one that can effectuate that change to revitalize Michigan -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. Jean Casarez reporting live from Detroit, thanks so much.

OK. Let's turn our attention now to the Republicans. Senator Ted Cruz rallies his supporters in Miami right now. Cruz unable to gain ground, though, on Donald Trump. He's now focusing on Tuesday's vote here in Florida. His rival Marco Rubio's sagging campaign now -- is now pinning all of his hopes right here.

Trump appears more focused on Hillary Clinton and her campaign stumble in Michigan. He talked with CNN this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think that, yes, she'll definitely get the nomination. This is just a bump. But losing Michigan is more than a bump in the general because it says the people don't want her. She's not going to bring back trade. You know, Michigan has been devastated by bad trade deals and she's in favor of trade deals. She's not going to bring trade. She's not going to bring back businesses. She's not going to bring back all of the employment that is gone, all the factories that have closed. I've seen those factories and let me tell you, it's disgusting to look. What we've done with our trade deals. And these guys that talk about free trade, they are a bunch of dopes. (END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: All right. CNN's Jim Acosta joins me now to talk all things Republican. Good morning.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. You know yesterday the storyline was what's happening with Donald Trump? He's slowing down. Where's the momentum?

COSTELLO: All these attacks being thrown his way.

ACOSTA: Yes. Donald Trump answered those critics in a decisive way last night. Rolling up big wins in Hawaii, Michigan, Mississippi. At his victory party last night, the GOP frontrunner actually thanked the anti-Trump super PACs from bombarding his campaign with negative ads. He even showed off the line of products from the Trump Organization, from Trump Steaks to Trump Win and Trump Water.

He also attacked his top rivals Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio for failing to slow his momentum. Cruz did win Idaho, edging out John Kasich in Michigan for second place, but it was Rubio who struggled the most last night. He's vowing to fight on.

As for Trump, he is calling on the party to rally behind him, saying it's time to come to grips with reality.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: 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)

ACOSTA: It may not be a softer debate. Ted Cruz is stepping up his attacks on Donald Trump warning that the party will be fractured if this anti-Trump feel stays in place calling it essentially self- destructive. Here's what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

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

(END VIDEO CLIP) ACOSTA: Now, as for Marco Rubio, Carol, a Rubio aide tells me this morning they will soldier on insisting the Florida senator remains focused on winning his state and it's essentially all on the line for Marco Rubio. If he can't win here in Florida and for that matter John Kasich can't win in Ohio, this nomination is probably Donald Trump's now.

[10:10:07] People have to get used to it in Republican Party but it's essentially going to be a very difficult road to hoe for the stop Trump movement if he wins big next Tuesday.

COSTELLO: All right. Jim Acosta, thanks for stopping by. I appreciate it.

Let's talk some more about Marco Rubio. Super Tuesday part two looked very similar to part one with disappointing finishes in several states and now Rubio's campaign rests on Florida where he made this appeal yesterday to voters in his home state.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If you listen to the media, they'll tell you he's an underdog, and you know what I say? I've been an underdog my whole life.

I believe with all my heart that the winner of the Florida primary next Tuesday will be the nominee of the Republican Party. And so you are given an incredible task. You are given an incredible task a week from now and I need your help. I need your vote.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Joining me now to talk more about Marco Rubio's run, Florida Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera. He's a Rubio supporter and is currently running to replace Rubio's seat in the Senate.

Welcome, sir.

LT. GOV. CARLOS LOPEZ-CANTERA, MARCO RUBIO SUPPORTER: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: Thank you so much for being here. I appreciate it.

LOPEZ-CANTERA: Welcome to Florida.

COSTELLO: Thank you. It's beautiful here and the weather is fantastic, let me tell you.

Let's talk about Senator Marco Rubio. Why do you think his campaign is faltering?

LOPEZ-CANTERA: Well, I don't think his campaign is faltering. He's focused on winning Florida on Tuesday. He's proven before that he can win Florida. I'm proud of him that he's resisting all the talk, all the punditry. I mean, in 2010 when Marco was at 3 percent and Charlie Crist is over 40 percent, and everyone was telling Marco, why are you running for Senate? Get out of the way, you know, wait your turn, he ran because he is a man of integrity and principle. And he believes in what he's talking about and what he's doing. And that's why he's running for president of the United States.

COSTELLO: Here's the thing, though. He's morphed into so many different kinds of candidate. I mean, first he was this optimistic guy, right? And then he's sort of like -- well, some people say he stabbed his mentor in the back, which would be Jeb Bush. And then he was accused of being this robotic candidate. And then he turned into this out and out attack dog. So do his constituents even know who he is anymore?

LOPEZ-CANTERA: Marco has always been the optimistic candidate. A lot of the things you just said are things that came from his opponents. So, I mean, of course your opponents are going to label you in an unflattering way but Marco's message has always been consistent and it's been consistent since I met him 20 years ago. He's always talked about how special the United States of America is and how anybody from anywhere can do anything in this country and it's true. I mean, this whole community represents that.

COSTELLO: But he sort of broke from that when he began attacking Donald Trump so viciously, right? So was it a mistake for Donald Trump to do that?

LOPEZ-CANTERA: No. Marco's been consistent on being optimistic and of talking about how special the United States of America is. And his -- he's been running one of the most serious policy-driven campaigns of this cycle. I mean, he's talking about re-embracing the American free enterprise system, making our military stronger, making the United States of America a leader around the world again. Not only in the Middle East but around the entire world. So he has been consistent on that message.

COSTELLO: Do you think Jeb Bush will give Marco Rubio his endorsement?

LOPEZ-CANTERA: I don't know. I think that's up to Jeb to decide. We'll see what happens between now and Tuesday.

COSTELLO: Should he?

LOPEZ-CANTERA: That's up to Jeb. I can't speak for Jeb.

COSTELLO: Do you know if the two men are even talking?

LOPEZ-CANTERA: I know that they have spoken. I've seen reports that say that. But whether or not Jeb decides to wade into the primary before Tuesday, I don't know.

COSTELLO: How much would a Jeb Bush endorsement help Marco Rubio in the state of Florida?

LOPEZ-CANTERA: Well, conventional wisdom would tell you that it would be helpful but this has not necessarily been a conventional wisdom year, has it? COSTELLO: No, it has not. And my last question to you, because what

I think is happening is Marco Rubio may have a great message, right? But John Kasich appears to be appealing to the liberal end of the Republican Party and Ted Cruz is appealing to the very conservative end of the Republican Party and Marco Rubio is somewhere in the middle, and people don't know what that mushy middle is. Is that part of the problem?

LOPEZ-CANTERA: I wouldn't call him a mushy middle, I'd call him the one that can unite the entire party. I mean, he's a Florida Republican, just like I am. Here in Florida we've proven that conservative policy works. I mean, we're leading the nation in job creation. We've cut taxes 50 times. We have a million new jobs since the recession. We've been investing in infrastructure and education and making policy changes that make a difference. And so Marco's focused on getting results. Here in Florida, we're focused on getting results and the results on Tuesday will show Marco is going to win the primary and he's going to win the nomination.

COSTELLO: Thanks, Lieutenant Governor.

LOPEZ-CANTERA: Thank you, Carol.

COSTELLO: Nice meeting you.

LOPEZ-CANTERA: Thank you.

COSTELLO: All right. Still to come in the NEWSROOM, we know anger is fueling votes for Trump and for Sanders and now it looks like their wallets are, too. We'll talk about that, next.

[10:14:45]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It is still the economy, stupid, after -- some 24 years after Bill Clinton rode that phrase to his first term in the White House. Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders are winning over voters who say the U.S. economy is losing.

Christine Romans, though, has another report on the economy. Hi, Christine.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, there, Carol. You know, it's a yearning out there right now, a yearning that is anti-trade, anti-establishment, the idea that only an outsider can fix America's economy.

What about falling gas prices, what about low unemployment, what about recovering home prices? That is not what these voters say they are feeling, Carol. They are overwhelmed, they are worried. In the GOP, it's anxious, angry voters who favor the billionaire businessman. They say he's the only one who can save them. Bernie Sanders is promising free health care, free college, breaking up the bank, higher taxes and fix an economy that he says is rigged against the little guy. So let's start in Mississippi where 80 percent of Republican voters,

80 percent, say they are worried, very worried about the economy. Mississippi has the highest unemployment rate in the country. So no surprise there. Almost 7 percent unemployment. Those very worried voters, who do they break for? Donald Trump. Ted Cruz was a distant second there.

[10:20:02] Let's go to Michigan. The jobless rate 5.1 percent. Economic worries there also driving voters just like in Mississippi. Specifically there in Michigan, deep anxiety over years of trade deals. 55 percent. 55 percent think those trade deals are killing American jobs and Donald Trump, Donald Trump grabbed 45 percent of those voters who think that trade is a job killer.

It was the same story for Democrats. 81 percent say they are worried about the economy. 81 percent. Most voters also said the economy favors the wealthy. 85 percent of Michigan voters say it's the wealthy who get the best deal in the economy and those voters, they broke for Bernie Sanders -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Fascinating. Christine Romans, thanks so much.

I want to throw a few more numbers at you just to show that the economy really is improving and why these exit poll results are so surprising. Gas prices were down 63 cents over this time last year. The Dow Jones is up nearly 40 percent over the last five years. The unemployment rate is at an eight-year low. So why are so many people feel -- why do so many people feel the economy is doing so poorly?

Let's talk about this. I want to bring in two of our CNN political commentators, the "Daily Beast" editor-in-chief John Avlon and Morehouse professor Marc Lamont Hill.

Welcome to both of you.

MARC LAMONT HILL, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Good to be here.

JOHN AVLON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: OK. Good morning. So, John, the economy is actually improving. I mean, it's pretty good right now. So why are so many voters worried about the economy?

AVLON: Look, it's one of the most fascinating things going on with the populist anger right now and you're right to point it out. In many ways, nationally the economy is improving dramatically. Let's look at a state like Michigan, where the unemployment rate has been cut in half in the last six years and usually the anger and sort of demagogues like Donald Trump will do particularly well in economic downturns but that has not been the case. Why? I think the answer lies in the persistent income inequality and the regional improvements that result in a lot of anxieties on the folks who -- folks who feel that the largest trends from globalization to global trade to simply the inequality in their own communities has left them feeling powerless in terms of driving their own economic fate. Those folks will gravitate either to a Donald Trump who's the tough

guy businessman who's going to come in, renegotiates everything he says and bring jobs back, or Bernie Sanders who says, no, the answer is to strengthen the social safety net. That I think accounts for what would otherwise be a situation we don't see very often in American politics and -- economy but increased populist anger.

(CROSSTALK)

HILL: I'm glad that John --

COSTELLO: So, Marc, the bloc of voters -- well, let me ask you this, Marc, because I want to ask you about angry white men because I just think it will be kind of fun.

(LAUGHTER)

HILL: That's my expertise.

COSTELLO: That bloc of -- that bloc of voters, Marc, they're gravitating toward both Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. Why?

HILL: And I think that's an important question and in connection with John is saying, and I'm glad John made that distinction between Bernie Sanders' economic vision and Donald Trump's because sometimes we lump them in together and say they're both economic populist, they both want to get rid of these bad trade agreements. But Donald Trump is a free market fundamentalist. At the core he still believes in the free market. He still believes in a particular conception of free trade. He still believes in privatization. He still is pro-corporate. He still wants to slash taxes in -- rather slash taxes in a certain kind of way to invest in business.

Bernie Sanders, as John said, wants to expand the social safety net. But both narratives resonate with voters who are tired of seeing Wall Street greed prevail over everyday people. Both are tired of seeing CEOs make out like fat cats while other people don't get bailed out. They both appeal to it. Then on the Donald Trump side, there's also the white male component to this, Carol, which you point out. There's a sense that we are losing our country. There's a sense that not only trade deals with Mexico but also Mexicans themselves are the problem.

There's a sense that, you know, ever since we got a black president and a rise and expanded amount of opportunity for black people and brown people that somehow we're losing our country and that we as white people and more specifically white males, and so Donald Trump's narrative of we're going to make America great again in some ways is we're going to make America white again. And that resonates with people and it's a wicked mix of xenophobia and economic populism.

COSTELLO: John, do you agree with that?

AVLON: Yes. Look, I do think, and I've written for a while now, that one of the things that's driving politics particularly on the far right is the rise of what might be called white minority politics, or white identity politics, something we haven't seen before, that does -- when you interview folks especially in early -- in early Tea Party rallies as I did was stark. They would talk about how many generations their families have been here, in the way they felt forced out. I think it's underneath a lot of the claims of take our country back.

But I think there's an important distinction to draw because I don't think most Americans, we're not only having a debate about privatization in this country, we are having a debate about there is commonality between both of them having a more protectionist approach to free trade. But also in this era, there's anger at both big business and big government, not one or the other. And that sets up a very different dynamic where both Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders, for all their diametric differences, personally, professionally, politically, I think if you listen to their rhetoric, a lot of their anger is saying, look, guys, the system is rigged.

[10:25:12] Big money is rigged in the system politically. That's causing the inefficiency, it's causing your anxiety. So there is flow through beneath their populist field that I think we need to focus on as well.

HILL: No. I agree. But I think the devil is in the --

COSTELLO: So is the --

HILL: The devil, Carol is in the details, though, right? If we don't nuance that thing out and understand that protectionism is a key issue when we talk about global trade policy, how we negotiate trade treaties is significantly important to deciding whether Bernie Sanders' economic vision or a -- and I know you don't disagree, John, those nuances get alighted in the political discourse, and then the worst part is it's not a Democrat or Republican thing because most Democrats are also on the neo-liberal train. They're also obsessed with the market, they're also obsessed with free market fundamentalist solutions to our economic and social crisis.

Bernie Sanders is an outlier. He's one of the few people on either side of the aisle saying, let's fix this through expanding the social safety net instead of beating up on the poor.

COSTELLO: All right. I have to leave it there. Marc Lamont Hill, John Avlon, thanks to both of you.

And thanks to the shakeup in Michigan, Tonight's Univision Democratic debate from Miami is more important than ever. It starts at 9:00 Eastern. You can catch it on CNN. And tomorrow night, it's the Republicans' turn. Also from the University of Miami. It will be moderated by Jake Tapper. The only place to see it is right here on CNN starting at 830 p.m.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, Donald Trump just got one step closer to clinching the GOP nomination but Ted Cruz says he still has a chance.

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