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Legal View with Ashleigh Banfield

Is Trump Responsible for Rally Violence?; GOP Miami Debate Examined; Clinton-Sanders Contest Discussed. Aired 12:30-1p ET

Aired March 11, 2016 - 12:30   ET

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

[12:30:02] DAVID GERGEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Does he bear responsibility, Donald Trump?

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: The answer is, it depends upon the circumstance, always. And then the event that he tells them to do it, then absolutely.

(CROSSTALK)

GERGEN: But if you set the tone and then it happens.

JACKSON: The fact is ...

ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well the environment that he provide is not a safe ...

JACKSON: Well here's what, we could argue about the tone that he sets and, again, whether it is appropriate. But at the end of the day when you talk about crimes and criminality, we are responsible for our independent actions.

And we have to bear that responsible individually. Have you ever heard the expression, you know, if someone told you to jump off a bridge would you do it?

BANFIELD: Would you do it. You know, I just want to draw your attention. If you're like me, I have a 10-year-old child. I tweeted out yesterday that I was having trouble with my son's language that he was using, and it's, loser, that he was using.

And then, all of a sudden, in the New York Times, there's a piece today, in case you're interested, if you have children at home, the parent-child talk that so many dread making sense of Trump's behavior in terms a 10-year-old can understand.

I'm sorry that we're even having to have this conversation, but it's great that you're here with your expertise, David Gergen and your legal expertise, Joey, always have been valuable to us. Thank you so much.

JACKSON: I appreciate it.

BANFIELD: I appreciate both of you.

I need to take a big breath. Viewers of past Republican presidential debate might have thought they've happened on to C-Span when they turned on the last night's debate in Miami.

And after the break, we're going to show you what happens when the issues, Trump the insults.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:35:47] BANFIELD: Last night, the four remaining Republican presidential candidates got to pitch their messages at CNN's Debate live in Miami.

Prior showdowns involved plenty of firework and a lot of dirty insults. But this time, now, the tone was different, it was more tame, it was civil, there were fewer attacks, there was no name calling this time.

The candidates actually got down to the issues. So, here's some of the highlights.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Last night, you told CNN, quote, Islam hates us. Did you mean all 1.6 billion Muslims?

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I mean a lot of them. I mean a lot of them.

There's tremendous hatred and I will stick with exactly what I said to Anderson Cooper.

MARCO RUBIO, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, let me say, I know that a lot of people find appeal in the things Donald says because he says what people wish they could say.

The problem is presidents can't just say anything they want. It has consequences, here ad around the world.

TRUMP: You can say what you want and you can be politically correct if you want. I don't want to be so politically correct.

RUBIO: I'm not interested in being politically correct. I'm not interested in being politically correct, I'm interested in being correct.

TED CRUZ, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: One concern I have with Donald is that although his language is quite incendiary, when you look at his substantive policies on Iran, he has said that he would not rip up the Iranian nuclear deal.

I think that is a mistake. The Ayatollah Khomeini wants nuclear weapons to murder us.

JOHN KASICH, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The people who represent radical Islam, they want to destroy everything that we're about and other Muslims who don't share their view

But at the end of the day, we've got to bring the world together, the civilized world. And all speak with one voice to make sure that people who sit on the fence understand what civilization is, and we represent it, and equality and hope for everybody.

CRUZ: And for the people at home, if you are one of the 65, 70 percent of Republicans who recognizes that if we nominate Donald Trump, Hillary wins. That's why the media wants him to be the nominee so much.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: So, now the candidates are looking at the math again because five states are voting next Tuesday, two of which are critical. They are winner-take-all. Take a look at your map. There's the biggies.

The 99 is Florida. The 52 is Ohio, big time.

Marco Rubio focusing on his home state of Florida, just the last hour, in fact, his communications director said something odd.

He told CNN that Rubio supporters in Ohio should go out and vote for, John Kasich. Yes. He said, Rubio supporters should vote for John Kasich. It is the latest twist in a wild campaign season.

I want to break it all down with our panel. Joining us, Ron Nehring, is the national spokesperson for Ted Cruz's campaign, also with us, CNN's political commentator and Trump's supporter, Kayleigh McEnany. And then there's Trent Duffy who is the spokesperson for John Kasich's campaign and Jason Roe who is a senior adviser for Marco Rubio's campaign.

And you know Jason that I'm coming at you first.

I had to do a double take, a triple take, I even had to get John Berman to clear this up for me. And in fact, it is true. It's exactly what your campaign is now telling your voters, Rubio voters in Ohio, please choose the other guy. Please choose John Kasich. This sounds crazy.

JASON ROE, RUBIO CAMPAIGN SENIOR ADVISER: Well, Ashleigh, the ultimate goal is making sure we elect a Conservative and we make sure we stop Hillary Clinton.

And I think what was said earlier on the program, if you vote for Donald Trump, you are effectively electing Hillary Clinton.

And so, if that's what we care about as Conservatives, we've got to look at the map and how this plays out. And unfortunately, we've got to do whatever it takes to stop Donald Trump from winning Ohio and stop his march to the nomination.

BANFIELD: All right. Let's try on the Kasich route. And will we be having, Trent Duffy, John Kasich's voters being implored to vote for Marco Rubio in Florida?

TRENT DUFFY, KASICH CAMPAIGN SPOKESMAN: Well, I just want to say that we welcome the supporters of Rubio campaign. BANFIELD: I'm sure you do.

DUFFY: But I don't think I would. Absolutely. And we'll welcome it more in the days to come because I think that Senator Rubio and John Kasich share that commitment to make America better. John Kasich is focused on Ohio.

Look, we're not going to be presumptuous to tell voters what they should do. They should vote their consciousness.

[12:40:00] John Kasich asked for their vote and he hopes to get it. And he hopes to be the nominee because, again, poll after poll shows he is the best one to carry that Conservative ...

BANFIELD: But you didn't answer my question. And I really do want you to answer that question. Is your campaign going to implore your Kasich voters in Florida to not vote for John Kasich and instead to vote for Marco Rubio? Is that going to happen?

DUFFY: I'll say it again. I'll say it again. Voters don't want to be told what to do.

BANFIELD: I know that. Are you going to do it any way?

DUFFY: ... to instruct our voters. Now, they should vote. The voters should vote their conscious. They should vote for the best person they think is best able to lead our country.

BANFIELD: So, that's a no?

DUFFY: We believe that man is John Kasich in everywhere across the country.

BANFIELD: That's a no?

DUFFY: We believe the voters should decide and vote their conscience.

BANFIELD: OK. I'm going to say -- I'm going to put it on the record, is that, I'm not going to do what the other guy just did.

All right Trent I'm going to let you ...

DUFFY: Well, look, Ashleigh, I mean, you know, it's not up to staffers to tell voters what to do.

BANFIELD: No, Marco Rubio did it too. He actually stood in front of a microphone only about 20 minutes ago and said the same thing. So I'm not talking about staffers. I'm talking about your man doing exactly what Rubio just did and asking for the other guy's voters to switch over.

DUFFY: Well, I'll defer to my boss on that one when I'm sure he would be before the microphones later today.

And he can answer that directly. But right now, I'm saying thanks for the support and we appreciate it but voters need to vote their conscience.

BANFIELD: OK. Kayleigh McEnany, you can see what is going on here. Essentially, the other guys can't stand your guy so much. They can't stand Donald Trump so much that they're prepared to actually do this.

Well, I'm not going to say they're, I'm going to say, Rubio is prepared to do this. But this has got to be -- I mean, I keep saying to the looking glass but this is pretty somewhat astounding to you, isn't it?

KAYLEIGH MCENANY, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes. It's desperation and it is rather astounding because here's the thing, Donald Trump said it last night, there's a mathematical possibility of two candidates achieving the nomination. And that is Donald Trump and that is Ted Cruz.

So for Rubio's campaign to advocate for John Kasich winning Ohio, they are in fact advocating for a brokered convention.

And let's be very clear, to advocate for a brokered convention is to advocate for the fracturing of the Republican Party and the election of Hillary Clinton.

It is completely uncalled for, it is wrong. And if Rubio cares anything about the Republican Party and Hillary Clinton not getting in the White House, he would be the first to say, yes, let's get behind Donald Trump.

This is the time, especially if he loses Florida. You should not be going out there trying to gerrymander his way to a brokered convention.

BANFIELD: OK. Ron Nehring, your turn. There just so much to talk about, I don't know even know what to throw your way.

But I'll throw a few things your way if I can. Your guy was at the debate last night. He was there. Go ahead.

RON NEHRING, CRUZ CAMPAIGN'S NATIONAL SPOKESMAN: No, I was hoping you would ask me the question about what we are telling our voters to do because, well, I'm just watching what -- well, we're telling voters to for Senator Cruz.

We're welcoming those candidates to or those voters who have been supporting other candidates. So, either any of the candidates who dropped out so far or people who are favoring John Kasich or Marco Rubio, we just held a great event here in Orlando in the State of Florida this morning.

And we are, you know, and we're watching what is going on here. It is really presumptuous to assume that a staffer or a candidate is going to be able to tell voters to vote for, you know, someone else.

The better approach is to say, we welcome people to support Ted Cruz. And Ted Cruz accurately is one of only two candidates who at this point could win the Republican nomination. We are not for a brokered convention. This decision in terms of who the standard bearers of the Republican Party should be determined by the voters at the polling place, not by Washington insiders and some type of brokered convention.

And this type of scheme to get voters in state to vote this way and voters -- and another state to vote another way, really represents a kind of arrogance on the part of candidates.

And we need candidates who have a degree of humility who come before voters and offer their leadership, offer themselves and ask for their support. And that's what Senator Cruz is doing.

And that's why people like Carly Fiorina have come onboard. Utah's Senator Mike Lee ...

BANFIELD: OK, speaking of endorsement.

NEHRING: ... endorsing Sen. Cruz.

BANFIELD: OK, let's speak of endorses, we had another big public endorsement. Kayleigh, I'm going to throw this one to you. You're standing beside Ron there.

And Ben Carson has endorsed Donald Trump. And this is not long after Donald Trump called him pathological and equated him to a child molester, I mean this almost in the same breath in this endorsement was saying.

And I think he's great for education in our country. How are you going to fend this off in the job you do every day, going on television and basically having to spin the things that come out on television from Donald Trump himself?

MCENANY: Here's the thing, comment tapping during the campaign trail, things get heated between all of the candidates.

They got heated between Ben Carson and Donald Trump. But it speaks hugely of Donald Trump that Ben Carson came out today and said, this man has a Christian heart. I see it.

I'm behind him because this is who the American people want. And it's worth mentioning, Donald trump has pulled in two very different types of endorsements. He has the Chris Christie endorsement, the Northeastern Republicans, leading Democrat, I would argue.

[12:45:07] He also has this staunch Christian evangelical Conservative in Ben Carson. That's a big deal. He stood on the stage, he sparred with both of these people and both of them are saying, this is the man for the job despite everything that is happen. That is a very big deal.

BANFIELD: Kayleigh McEnany, appreciate your time. Ron Nehring also, thank you to you. Trent Duffy and Jason Roe, thank you both as well. It just keeps getting more exciting. I can't wait to talk to you next week as well. MCENANY: Thanks Ashleigh.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you Ashleigh.

BANFIELD: All right. Boy, they have a hard job, all of them.

Let's go to the Democratic side. This is live folks.

The Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders in a rally, in rally, a rally, in rally in North Carolina, how about that? We're going to hear from him live on CNN in just a moment.

First, however, we're also going to take you live to the West Coast. You know that three days ago, remember says for Nancy Reagan began leading up to the services today in Simi Valley, California. The nation is going to say its final farewell to former first lady Nancy Reagan coming up later this afternoon at the Reagan Library where the service will begin a little over an hour from now.

A lot of very important people are arriving, a private guest list of about a thousand. We're going to tell you who and what the layout is for these remembrances in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:50:49] BANFIELD: Any moment now Donald Trump is getting set to appear at a rally in downtown Saint Louis and remember Missouri is a primary state on Tuesday. Chris Frates is live there.

Wow, that was a quick trip from Florida to Saint Louis. How is the crowd?

CHRIS FRATES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, that's no surprise really. We saw him make some news in Florida with Ben Carson's endorsement saying he doesn't want to do more debates then he's coming here to Missouri, both of course a big primary state on Tuesday. Donald Trump is trying to get supporters riled up to go to the polls on Tuesday.

We are seeing a bigger protest outside of the venue than we had at some other Trump events, Ashleigh. That's really no surprise. We're only about 25 minutes from Ferguson Missouri, of course the cradle of the black lives movement.

We have seen other Black Lives Matters protesters disrupt Donald Trump rallies in the past, so we're watching to see if that happens today. We can tell you that Saint Louis police have arrested one protester so far outside and we did witness one scuffle with a protester who tried to takedown some fencing. He was let off by law enforcement.

So, a little shouting back and forth but the cops are saying nothing is violent, nothing is hurting, you know, in any kind of -- and no huge disruption here as we wait for Donald Trump. And I think, you know, the big point here thought, Donald Trump is going to come to the stage and try to rally this crowd.

We've been looking for disruptions. There have been many disruptions. They have private security throughout this venue for the last week or so. We've seen private security throughout these rallies Ashleigh and they maybe challenged getting the protesters out quickly today. It's very tight in here and say it kind of an opera house feel where the seats are packed tightly.

So if there are disruptions down the front and center, well, we'll keep an eye on that to see ...

BANFIELD: OK.

FRATES: ... if they do in fact are able to get them out quickly or if we see some violence as we have in the past. So, we're going to keep our eyes peeled right here Ashleigh. Back to you.

BANFIELD: OK Chris. Thanks. I hope its, OK. There was a Black Lives Matter protester was beaten and kicked at one of these rallies and I just don't want that to happen again today.

Chris Frates live for us. Thank you.

I want to take you live now to Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders who's live speaking at a rally -- in rally in North Carolina. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BERNIE SANDERS, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This campaign is listening to women.

The women are telling me, why is it that when they get a job in an office or a company they end up making 79 cents on the dollar compared to men.

And frankly, the only answer that I know of is that, that is a part of old-fashioned sexism and together we're going to end that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: A busy time. He's been bringing them in by the thousands. His message to women, it clearly to try to get some of those voters away from Hillary Clinton, he's strong with the women. He's not as strong with them. He's not as strong with the minorities either. That's where he's focusing.

I want to give you a programing note as well. There's the big town hall that's coming in a pivotal state for this presidential race that's happening Sunday night 8:00 Eastern Time.

Ohio Democratic Presidential Town Hall, CNN and T.V. One are going to host this town hall at the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. Bernie sanders and Hillary Clinton will take questions from voters in that state just two days ahead of the big primary there. Remember set your TIVO if you need to. 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time right here on CNN.

I want to switch gears here if I can for a moment because there's something big happening later today. The former first lady Nancy Reagan is going to be buried and of course she'll be buried next to the love of her life at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.

This ends what can only be called a story book relationship that took this couple from the glamour of Hollywood to the pinnacle of power in the White House.

[12:55:09] There are about 1,000 guests invited to this private ceremony in Simi Valley, California, including the First Lady Michelle Obama, the Former President and Mrs. George W. Bush and Former First Ladies Hillary Clinton and Rosalynn Carter. A lot of celebrities too have been invited, Tom Selleck, Anjelica Huston, Larry King, Tom Brokaw, Mr. T.

A very special relationship with Mr. T, he sent out from pretty delightful tweets actually just this week as well, a lot of media celebrities and personalities and also the Hollywood celebrities.

Mrs. Reagan was intimately involved in planning this. Believe it or not she planned this from the guest list right down to her very own Paul Bearer and really, a lot of it recently, too. This is going to include the personal memories from two of her children. The Reagan children Patti and Ron are going to be eulogizing her.

CNN is going to have a live coverage. They've allowed this to be a public ceremony. So it will be broadcasting to you. The arrivals also will be happening throughout the afternoon. So make sure you stay tuned to CNN for this very poignant moment in history.

That's for watching everyone. Wolf starts after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)