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67 Dead in Pakistan Bombing; Bernie Sanders Win Three States; Presidential Candidate on Tackling ISIS; Backlash Against Lawmakers in Georgia, North Carolina. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired March 27, 2016 - 16:00   ET

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

[16:00:00] FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. And welcome. Again, I'm Fredricka Whitfield. We begin with breaking news out of Pakistan.

A Taliban group now says it was targeting Christians on this Easter Sunday in an attack at a park in the city of Lahore. At least 63 people have been killed. 315 injured in the suicide bombing in Pakistan and most of the victims are women and children. We are learning the attack was planned specifically for this Easter Sunday.

CNN international producer Sophia Saifi is on the phone for us from Pakistan with the very latest on this. OK. We will try to reconnect with her, actually.

All right. We are also following breaking news out of Europe now. That's where Dutch police have arrested a man suspected of plotting a terror attack. This follows a series of 13 raids this morning carried out by Belgian police where nine people were questioned and four detained.

Also in Belgium police were forced to use water cannons to break up protests at the memorial site to last week's terror attack victims. People who gather to honor victims were confronted by protesters raising their arms in Nazi salutes and shouting anti-immigrant chants.

Let's bring in CNN's Alexandra Field. She is live for us now in Brussels. So what more do we know about these kind of protests and counter protests and the latest arrests involving a Dutch person?

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, a lot of different factors coming together here, Fred. You have mourners here in the square. You have people protesting. Shouting sentiments against immigrants. Speak to some of the anger people that people are feeling in the wake of these attacks.

Police have actually asked people not to gather in the square where the demonstrations happened today and that's because they say they need to devote all of their resources to conducting raids. To (INAUDIBLE) out anyone who is connected to the bombings at the metro station and the airport and also trying to find anyone who had knowledge of those attacks or other attacks.

This is what we are seeing across Europe at this point. To that end we are learning of another arrest made today by Dutch police. This one at the request of French authorities who are in the midst of a terror investigation. They say they had found a Frenchman who they believe was planning terrorist activity. They asked Dutch police to intercept by arresting him.

Dutch police carried out that arrest and they also took three other men into custody. Not clear at this point what they may have been plotting or planning. But the police here in Brussels are again doing the same thing, carrying out these raids, trying to learn more information about the attacks that this city suffered this weekend. Also trying to thwart future attacks. There were at least 13 raids carried out in the city this morning netting nine people being brought into custody. We're told that five have been released. On whether the four remaining will face charges at this point, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: And then to the parents of some of the Americans killed and other family members, they are receiving phone calls from the president of the United States. What do we know about these phone calls and how comforting this might be, particularly at this time?

FIELD: I don't know if there is any comfort at this time, Fredricka, for parents who have lost their children. But it is the condition that two American families now find themselves in. The parents of Justin Schults and his wife, Stephanie Schults, 29 and 30-year-old American couple. They had spent the last two years living here in Brussels. Stephanie's mom was in town for a visit. The couple was dropping her off at the airport when the bombs exploded. That family had no news of their loved ones until just last night when it was confirmed to them that both Justin and Stephanie had been killed in the attacks and frankly there are still more families who are waiting for that confirmation. The words they certainly don't want to hear.

We know at this point is that 31 people died in the two bombings, the metro station, and the airport. Three suicide bombers. 28 victims. 14 in each of the locations. At least 11 were foreign nationals. At least 13 were Belgian nationals. But investigators are telling us that they have yet to identify some of the victims because of the extent of the injuries that were suffered. That means they are looking for DNA confirmation, dental records and information from the families before they can ultimately identify the remaining victims of these attacks, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Alexandra Field, thank you so much from Brussels. Appreciate that.

Let's talk more about these terrorists attacks in Brussels and now in Pakistan and Lahore. I want to bring in Kim Dozier, CNN global affairs analyst and a contributor to the "Daily Beast," also with us CNN contributor Michael Weiss, who has also written the book "ISIS Inside the Army of Terror."

Good to see both of you. So while these are two separate incidents perhaps there is some shared ideology when you have ISIS claiming responsibility in Brussels and you've got a Taliban-related group claiming responsibility in Lahore. And perhaps the tactics are similar, too. Because we are talking about suicide bombings. I wonder, Kim, you know, these would happen in such close proximity on the calendar. Do you see any other common denominators about these attacks that have taken place and why now?

[16:05:19]

KIM DOZIER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Sadly in Pakistan, these attacks are fairly regular. Every couple of months, you've got some sort of spectacular explosion. Usually aimed at government figures or areas near to the border with Afghanistan. Near to where the Taliban is still fighting that the Pakistani branch of the Taliban is still fighting the Pakistani military there.

But in this case, this looks like one of those other branches of attacks that happens a lot within Pakistan aimed at the tiny Christian community. Just about a year ago around this time, Pope Francis denounced another attack on a couple of Christian churches. Believe that was about a year ago. And so this community does feel under siege there.

The government says it's doing the best it can to protect its citizens. But it is also under siege on all fronts. Every once in a while these things pop up and militants get through.

WHITFIELD: Michael, how do you see what has happened in Pakistan, is there a way in which to assess this is about relevance, not much has been said about the Taliban or at least the use of the Taliban as it relates to, you know, terror attacks? And when you hear this terror group related to Taliban saying, this is to show them, meaning the government that, they are still in power and in control.

MICHAEL WEISS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes, it wasn't so long ago we were hearing reports that Taliban was undergoing this PR to present itself as the moderate opposition in Afghanistan. They are waging a campaign against an ISIS reliant or province that propped up in the country since the declaration of the so-called caliphate.

Also I would remind you that the Brussels attack was scheduled to occur when? On Easter Sunday. The reason it happened last week is that the ISIS terrorists in Brussels accelerated their plans as result of a capture of Abdesalam and the killing of you know, the main coordinator of the Paris attacks, senior operative.

Look, what we are seeing now unfold across the globe is a kind of, a jihadi competition or cold war, if you like. They're trying to one-up each other in bloodshed and this is the way that they announce they are still the going concern. The vanguard fighting force. Also with respect to Pakistan, I mean, there have been protests in the last few days on behalf of the assassination of the (INAUDIBLE) who is the governor of Punjab who was killed five years ago for standing up for the rights of the Christian minority population.

So this is the way that the Taliban and its jihadi affiliates basically say we haven't gone anywhere. Don't think that just because the world is in ISIS that we somehow are the JV team.

WHITFIELD: And so Kim, if this is terror groups trying to one-up, one another of course then the concern and fear is what potentially is next. ISIS has been getting all of the attention so to speak, globally, now you have the Taliban which what is also trying to reassert its presence. How do, countries, you know, who are constantly under threat use this kind of information to their advantage to potentially thwart what could be next.

DOZIER: Well, I have to say, you know, we, in the west, in the United States, tune into this ongoing battle. Every once in a while when there's a spectacular explosion. But this is some thing that's been going on in Pakistan for more than a decade. Within Afghanistan next door, you do have this new battle back and forth as Michael have mentioned, between ISIS that is trying to take root there and the Taliban that wants to be the only legitimate militant group in town.

What it does encourage various different international bodies, different countries to do, is share more information to look at the people who are traveling back and forth. The nexuses they use through which to finance these operations. It really helps sort of encourage in Europe for instance where we have seen a lack of information sharing that they really have to speed up, tearing down their bureaucratic system that has stopped information sharing and start getting that information out there.

WHITFIELD: All right. Kimberly Dozier, Michael Weiss, thanks so much to both of you. Appreciate it.

Coming up, next. Politics, Bernie Sanders saving a clean sweep of the west yesterday scooping up victories in three states. But as he heads east and into Clinton territory, what does the senator have to do to keep the momentum going?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:13:00]

WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back. Bernie Sanders swept democratic races in three crucial states, winning big over Hillary Clinton in Hawaii, Alaska and WAshignton state.

And on "CNN's State of the Union" this morning, Sanders said he is looking forward to November.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BERNIE SANDERS, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think every vote is pivotal. We are now winning in state after state. The Latino vote, we're doing better now that we're out of the south with the African- American vote. We're doing extraordinarily well with young people and we think we do have a path toward victory.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. Let's go to CNN correspondent Chris Frates now with more on this. What's the strategy for him.

CHRIS FRATES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fred. Well, I tell you these are really must win states for Sanders and they go give him enough momentum and delegates to keep him in the hunt for president. He swept Hillary Clinton by a wide margins in Washington, Hawaii and Alaska.

Remember those delegates, they are awarded proportionally. So, despite losing Clinton was still able to put points on the board yesterday.

So let's figure out where things stand and go to the numbers. Going into yesterday's contest.

Sanders trail by about 300 pledge delegates and even with those big sweeping wins yesterday, Sanders, he still lags by about 240 delegates. So even with the big wins, he couldn't lead by about 60 delegates.

Now there are still unaccounted for delegates that will likely go to Sanders' column but he's not going to make any more huge crowns from those winds.

So going forward, Sanders needs to continue to put up huge wins. He has to win 75 percent of the delegates left in the nominating contest to clinch the nomination. That's 75 percent a really high bar. Clinton for her part, she needs just 35 percent of the delegates remaining to become the nominee. And remember, she still holds a really big commanding lead with those so-called Super delegates. Those are the party big wigs. They get to choose whoever they like.

Sanders' campaign, of course, arguing if they keep winning the power brokers are going to come around to their side. Clinton, of course, she's trying to keep enough wins in her column at the pledge delegates that they never even consider and the super delegates stay with her, Fred.

[16:15:08]

WHITFIELD: Then there is New York, that primary right around the corner, April 19th, how crucial is New York, a win, particularly for Bernie Sanders?

FRATES: Yes. This is another important test. And it is one where Sanders is really trying to challenge Clinton in her adoptive home. Remember, she represented New York in the senate and with 250 delegates almost 250 delegates at stake, it could really be a game- changer.

Just today Sanders was calling on Clinton to debate him in New York. He is also planning on barn storming across that state and he's already polling to find out which messages will be most effective against Clinton. And Sanders' strategy goes a little bit like this, Fred. He wants to win in Wisconsin next week and upset Clinton in New York later in April.

If Sanders can surprise Clinton, the race could go until June. But if Clinton can fend off Sanders it will make it more difficult for Sanders to continue. Now, of course, Clinton, she wants to shut the door as soon as possible so she can work to unite the party behind her, continued taking on the Republicans. That's really what we've been seeing from Clinton in these last few weeks. She's been trying to pivot to the general election and focus her fire on Republicans instead of Sanders. But let's keep in mind here, Fred, 247 delegates. That's an eye-

popping number. Second only to California. So New York, Fred, it could really end up as the nastiest democratic night fight we've seen so far this season.

WHITFIELD: Wow. All right. We almost went dark for a minute. But again, Chris Frates, to help us see the light. Thank you so much.

FRATES: You're welcome.

WHITFIELD: All right. Take care.

All right, terror has become a hot topic on the campaign trail and today the candidates laid out their plans to take on ISIS and terror around the world where here we are going to hear what they had to say, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:20:25]

WHITFIELD: Terrorism and foreign policy are big topics for the presidential candidates especially now after the recent terror attacks in Brussels and today's attack in Pakistan. Well, this morning, four of the five presidential hopefuls weighs in with their thoughts on how they would fight ISIS and extremism.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. JOHN KASICH (R-OH), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We are going to have to have intimate communication and coordination with our friends in the Muslim community. There is no question about it. In order to find out about the radicalized friends and neighbors or people that you may not even know at all, who you observe doing things, this has to be a coordinated effort worldwide.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We should readjust NATO. And it's going to have to be either readjusted to take care of terrorism or we're going to have to set up a new coalition. A new group of countries to handle terrorism. Because terrorism is out of control.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This ISIS is a barbaric organization. I agree with King Abdul of Jordan who says many months ago that the fight going on there is the fight for the soul of Islam. At the end of the day, it'll be Muslim troops on the ground. And we're beginning to see some success there. I will do everything that I can to make sure that the United States does not get sucked in to perpetuate warfare in the Middle East.

SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We need our law enforcement to engage and to fight this enemy which is Islamism, it's different from Islam. Islamism is a political and theocratic philosophy that commands its adherence to engage in jihad, to murder or violent convert infidels, which they mean anybody else, all of us and to force us to live under Sharia law. We got to fight Islamism at every level. This administration is not doing that and that is why we are seeing the rise of radical Islamic terrorism all over the globe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. So let's talk more about the strategies to fight terrorism that these candidates are calling for with our CNN military analyst Lt. Col. Rick Francona.

Colonel, good to see you again. So a lot of different ideas there. Let's begin with Ted Cruz who says the fight against Islamism has to happen at every level, particularly he says in the level of law enforcement. What does that sound like to you?

LT. COL. RICK FRANCONA, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, yes, that has to happen. And what we're seeing here is something we've really never dealt with before is where our foreign policy and our law enforcement, our domestic policy, are really co-mingled now. Because we have people going to the Middle East and coming back.

While they are overseas, there is an intelligence problem. When they come back, there are internal security problem. We need to be able to track them. The two organizations have to work together. And in the past that has not happened. Ever since 9/11, we have been trying to break down the barriers between intelligence and law enforcement. We have some success but we're not there yet. He's identified a key problem that we have to overcome. That's good thing.

WHITFIELD: OK. Donald Trump wanting to readjust NATO or start a new coalition. Is that possible and plausible?

FRANCONA: I don't think it is necessary. NATO con function in various capacity. We have seen it do that. We have worked closely with NATO post 9/11. We worked with them in Afghanistan. We worked with them in other operations. They were involved in peacekeeping operations and in the Balkans.

So what we need to do is take advantage of the existing structure of NATO and gear it toward counterterrorism operations. I think we have been doing that, not quite as well as we should, but we are and I think maybe just a refocus. I don't think we need a new organization. We don't need more bureaucracies. We need to streamline the ones that we have.

WHITFIELD: And John Kasich says more Muslim troops on the ground. Do you see that?

FRANCONA: Yes.

No, I don't. Every time I talk to different military commanders in different countries in the Middle East, many of them are willing to commit forces but they want an American presence as well. It's most like when you send your troops we'll send ours. As we have talked before, the Muslim countries that are willing to fight really aren't capable of doing this and the ones we might get convince to fight are not going to be able to overthrow ISIS. It is just a problem where we're going to need some American leadership.

So I think Muslim troops on the ground is a great idea but you're going to have an increased American presence to guide that.

WHITFIELD: And Bernie Sanders, I mean, he echoed that same kind of sentiment at the same time saying a lot is already being done under this administration. But more, you know, can be invested. To what degree would you pick?

[16:25:06]

FRANCONA: Well, I think that Mr. Sanders is saying the right things. It is just that I think that he is being simplistic about it. I know King Abdullah has said that it's got to be - this is an inter-Muslim struggle. They have got to solve this with inside Islam, that's true. But putting Muslims troops on the ground won't in itself work. We're going to have to have a worldwide solution because ISIS is fast becoming a worldwide problem.

WHITFIELD: All right. Lt. Col. Rick Francona, thank you so much.

FRANCONA: Sure thing.

WHITFIELD: All right. Tuesday night, the three Republican candidates will appear in CNN for a town hall in Wisconsin. It comes just one week before the primary there. Town hall airs Tuesday night, 8:00 Eastern, right here on CNN. And we will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Welcome back. Thanks so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. We are continuing to follow breaking news out of Pakistan. A Taliban group says it was targeting Christians on this Easter Sunday in an attack at a park in the city of Lahroe. At least 67 people now have been killed, 315 injured in the suicide bombing. Most of the victims are women and children and we're now learning that the attack was planned specifically for Easter Sunday.

CNN international producer Sophia Saifi is on the phone for us now, from Pakistan with the very latest on this. Sophia?

SOPHIA SAIFI, CNN INTERNATIONAL PRODUCER (on the phone): Well, fredricka, it's almost 1:30 in the morning here in Pakistan and to give you some context, this attack took place at 6:00 in the evening near a children's park on Easter Sunday. So it's been over six hours and the death toll continues to rise.

The hospital (INAUDIBLE) Lahore are in the state of emergency. There has been a claim of responsibility from a Taliban faction group which is based in the northwest of Pakistan.

[16:30:00] They are condemning this attack but as of right now, there is still a lot of grief and misery (INAUDIBLE) people react and try to understand what has actually happened in Lahore.

Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: All right, Sophia Saifi, thank you so much. All right, and now to the terror attack in Brussels, this afternoon President Obama calling the parents of Justin and Stephanie Schults, two Americans killed in the airport attacks. They were working in Brussels and were expected to move back to the United States next year. The president said the couple epitomized all that was good about America and that their tragic deaths have touched the hearts of all of us. CNN affiliate WATE spoke to Justin Schults's uncle in Tennessee.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DALE BRANAM, UNCLE OF AMERICAN KILLED IN BRUSSELS: All I can do is cry.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What would you miss most about Justin?

BRANAM: His beautiful smile and outgoing spirit. And the way he -- he hated no one. He would befriend anyone in the world. I mean, he was just that kind of person that he would -- he's met you for the first time, you would think he had been your friend your whole life. I just miss his beautiful smile. Sorry.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And among the Americans injured in Brussels were a group of Mormon missionaries from Utah. The parents of one injured young man spoke with CNN's Siama MOHSIN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAIMA MOHSIN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT FOR PAKISTAN: Proud parents show me a photo of their families. Tears of relief and worry. Their oldest, Joseph Drusdin (ph), was at the airport check-in exactly where the bomb went off.

AMBER EMPEY, BRUSSELS BOMBING VICTIM'S MOTHER: He is the oldest of five kids. He's just been my buddy since he was born, you know, from the time his little foot stepped up and taking care of all of us, you know. He is responsible and kind and loving.

MOHSIN: Joseph called his parents from hospital. His voice was calm and then he sent them these photos.

A. EMPEY: It was devastating.

MOHSIN: He's being treated for second degree burns to his hands, face and head with surgery for shrapnel wounds on his legs.

A. EMPEY: It's a long trip. Yeah.

MOHSIN: And when you first saw him?

COURT EMPEY, BRUSSELS BOMBING VICTIM'S FATHER: I said, you're beautiful. You can see through all the burns and all of his injuries but it's still the same soul and heart in there and we can give him time to rehabilitate and heal on the outside and I'm sure with his emotions as well.

A. EMPEY: Eyes and his smile. He's got bandages all around his face, you know, but he's got these pretty blue eyes, and just thankful an excited to see us.

MOHSIN: Joseph was just a few months away from the end of his two-year missionary tour to Europe when the bombing happened. He described the scene to his parents.

C. EMPEY: It was horrifying what he went through. He remembers the blast, it knocked him out and he -- he was very scared and hiding and then he went into helping those around him looking for his three missionary colleagues to help them.

MOHSIN: I asked them what they thought of the terrorist.

C. EMPEY: I don't understand it. I just know that there's so much more good and love in the world that it will always win.

MOHSIN: Joseph has more surgery and treatment to go through. His family can't take him home yet where his brothers and sisters are anxiously waiting to see him again. Saima Mohsin, CNN, Brussels.

WHITFIELD: All right, so many families still recovering after that horrible blast in Brussels. All right, coming up next, more on the road to the White House. If you ask Donald Trump, things are looking pretty good for his campaign right now. But if you look at the delegate math, there's a long way to go to that GOP convention. We will talk about that next.

[16:35:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back. Growing protest and growing backlash in this country against lawmakers in Georgia and North Carolina, who are accused of trying to weaken anti-discrimination laws. We're covering all angles of the story, CNN Money correspondent Cristina Alesci is taking a look at the economic impact. Massive corporations are threatening to pull their businesses from both states and also Nick Valencia with a look at what these bills are trying to change. First to you, Nick.

NICK VALENCIA, NATIONAL CORRESPONDETN FOR CNN: Well Fred, if you talk to advocates of this legislation, they'll tell you that they believe Christian morals and values are under attack in this country. They will tell you that they are the ones that are being discriminated against and say this legislation doesn't push forward further discrimination but keep them from being discriminated against. Of course, advocates for LGBT groups say that is nonsense and many major companies throughout the United States, well, they seem to agree.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All these people are upset. They are angry. They have been left out of the democratic process.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This week, outside of the governor's mansion in North Carolina, protests and arrests. The demonstrators are opponents to a newly-passed state law that they say is devastating to the civil liberties of transgender people. The law strikes down a recently passed ordinance in Charlotte. It would have protected trans people and allow them to select the rest room of their choice based on how they identify.

BILL BERGER, REPUBLICAN U.S. SENATOR: The adoption of the ordinance by City Council of Charlotte was just crazy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Republican lawmakers like Senate Pro Tem Bill Berger were furious at the legislation.

BERGER: It allows grown men to share bathrooms and locker facilities with girls and women.

[16:40:00] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In a special session, solely to consider the bill, republican lawmakers pass the Public Facilities Privacy and Securities Act. It means transgender people in the state of North Carolina must use the rest room related to the gender on their birth certificate. North Carolina's bill signed into law Wednesday is the latest in a string of states attempting to pass similar anti-LGBT legislation.

MIKE CRANE, GEORGIA STATE SENATOR: In the courtrooms, you are seeing folks get their religious beliefs persecuted against.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In Georgia, controversial bill passed by the state house and senate is called the Free Exercise Protection Act, one of the several religious liberty bills that have surfaced across the country. Governor Nathan Diehl has until May to sign in the law. Senator Mike Crane is one of the bills most adamant supporters.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is this legislation a direct result of what the Supreme Court did last year in legalizing same-sex marriage -- gay marriage?

CRANE: I think it's a result of many things but that was just another catalyst I believe.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But many blue chip businesses around the nation say there will be major financial consequences to republican efforts in Georgia and North Carolina. Disney and Marvel Studios have threatened to abandon production in Georgia if the governor signs the bill into law. The NFL says it could have an impact on whether Atlanta is selected as the host of the 2019 Super Bowl. And in North Carolina, the NBA says because of the new law, it may pull the All-Star game from Charlotte next year.

Up here in Georgia, six major conventions including a global convention are considering relocating if the governor signs this bill into law. North Carolina is seeing the same backlash back here in Georgia. According to the Atlanta Conventions and Visitor's Bureau, they say it could cost the state between $3 billion and $6 billion, Fred?

WHITFIELDM: And then what do we understand is behind any action by Governor Diehl?

VALENCIA: Well, the governor could have vetoed this weeks ago. We reached out to his office and a spokeswoman said the governor has maintained that he will not sign into law anything that he sees as discriminatory. He has in further such thinking that this bill is discriminatory. Speaking to Mike Crane, who we profiled there in that piece, he believes that the governor is waiting so that republican lawmakers who have pushed forward this bill can go back to their constituents and save a little bit of face and say we tried to stand up for your morals, for your values and governor got into our way. The governor is not up for re-election. A lot of these lawmakers are so, it's a little bit of a balancing act here for the governor.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much. Nick. So, Cristina Alesci is also been digging further into the financial impact attached to these kinds of bills. Cristina, which companies are taking a stand against this kind of legislation?

CRISTINA ALESCI, CNNMONEY CORRESPONDET: Well, it's all brands of the American people know. To be frank, in North Carolina, you have big companies, like Bank of America and Dow Chemical coming out against this bill. In Georgia, a coalition of 500 companies, again big brands like Coca-Cola and Home Depot saying this is crazy. We can't have these kinds of laws and attract the kind of work force that we want in the states that have what is consider -- what many consider discriminatory laws.

Now, in Georgia specifically, Nick mentioned this, that you know, the state has gone to great lengths to attract Hollywood by giving lots of studios breaks -- tax breaks, on filming in the state and Disney said, listen, we're going to put our money where our mouth is and we will just pull filming from the state, which would be a huge loss for Georgia because again, it spent years building up a relationship with Hollywood.

WHITFIELD: And the Cristina, some these companies have been very public and vocal about rejecting the laws and at the same time there have been some who have been rather quiet about it. What's the concern?

ALESC: Well, look, brands know that they have to appeal to the millennial base and the millennial base of consumers is overwhelmingly against these kinds of laws. So, they have to represent the values. There's not that much down side for these companies coming out and, you know, opposing these measures.

They also say -- the companies say look, we need a diversified work force and if we're operating in a state that seems not friendly to the LGBT community, then we can't get the kind of work force that we need. And so it's really important for these companies to stand up for these kinds values.

WHITFIELD: All right, Cristina Alesci and Nick Valencia, thanks so much to both of you. Appreciate it.

All right, for 10 years CNN has been recognizing people who make a difference in the world. Anderson Cooper explains how you can nominate someone you believe you think we should call a CNN hero.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANDERS ON COOPER 360 HOST: Just go to cnn heros.com on your laptop, tablet or your smart phone. Click nominate, fill in the form, and tell us what makes your hero extraordinary. And be selective. Those honored as CNN Heroes are truly dedicating their lives to serving others. When you're finished, click submit. You'll see this message that confirms we received it.

[16:45:00] WHITFIELD: And while you're on the CNN Heroes site, you can also learn more about people who have already been nominated. And we will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back. Donald Trump's presidential bid could have a major influence over the future of the Republican Party. An article from the Atlantic details the party's thoughts on the front-runner's commanding lead saying, "the risks to the GOP if Trump wins its nomination but then falters a rapidly compounding Senate races increasingly following presidential results and Republicans defending seven senate seats this year in states that twice backed Obama, a Trump defeat could easily cost the GOP the upper chamber.

Let's talk about it more with the man who wrote that article, CNN senior political analyst and senior editor of the Atlantic, Ron Brownstein. All right, Ron, good to see you.

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Hi, Fred.

WHTFIELD: So, even if Donald Trump falls short of the 1237, you write, that the party really has to defer to him getting that nomination. It would be a real problem if he were to be denied the nomination even if he falls short in delegates. Why?

[16:50:00]BROWNSTEIN: Well, I don't think that they do have to defer to him. What I do believe is that they face a fracture either way. I mean, either that or the one thing we know, I think it is certain, is that Donald Trump is going to arrive in Cleveland with more delegates than any of his rivals, probably by a fairly wide margin. But he may or may not get over the 1237 magic number. And if he doesn't, and the nomination is pulled away from him at the very last minute, there's no question he is not going to go quietly.

On the other hand, if you go ahead and you do nominate Trump, you face the very real possibility of a fracture in the party from the other direction. Today, in a Time -- poll out in "L.A. Times," one quarter of California republicans said they would not vote for Donald Trump if he is the nominee. So republicans are in this very difficult position with either path they take is most likely to lead to some kind of internal fissure.

WHITFIELD: Well, does this sound like there's a fracture no matter what?

BROWNSTEIN: Yes, absolutely.

WHITFIELD: And then what?

BROWNSTEIN: And that is why -- yeah. And that is why -- look at everything that is at stake in this election and why the stakes are so high for republicans. First of all, Fred, we are living in an era when there is a much tighter correlation between the way states vote for senate and the way they vote for president. Twenty six state voted both times for President Obama, democrats have 80 percent of those senate seats. Twenty two states voted both times against him.

Republicans have 90 percent of those senate seats, and what that means is there is less spit ticket balloting. And as you noted, this fall, republicans have to defend seven of the seats they hold in the states that voted twice for Obama. And if the top of the ticket is weak, they face a very real risk of losing most of those which would take control of the senate to the democrats at a time when the control of the Supreme Court is also at stake in the senate majority. So, there could not be more on the board for both parties, but certainly for the republicans in this extraordinary situation that they are in right now.

WHITFIELD: And then everyone has been trying to figure out, you know, the Donald Trump supporters and then you write that his supporters, his most passionate supporters were are not reliable voters and that while they may be fired up now for the primary season, they may not be there in November.

BROWNSTEIN: Well he is facing, look, it's a very different dynamic in the primary versus the general. In the primary, he is in essence riding a wave, which is the growing influence of blue collar white voters, working class rights, in the Republican Party as they have re- aligned from the democratic to the Republican Party. When you look at the general election though, these working class white voters who have been the foundation of his support, who are giving him huge numbers, about 45 percent in a crowded field as opposed to only about 30 percent among the college-educated republicans.

When you look to the general election, those voters are declining as share of the electorate. They have declined as a share of the electorate and every election since 1980 except one. So, the risk for Donald Trump will be even if maxes -- if he enhances the republican performance among those voters but loses ground among the groups that are growing in the electorate, millennial's, minorities and college- educated whites, especially women, he could be facing some very daunting math.

WHITFIELD: Hmm, and you know, those backdoor or backroom kind of conversations within the GOP have to be very interesting right now because you've got those who represent, you know, the establishment who were saying, wait a minute, you know we wanted to have better control over who potentially the nominee is. We want to at least like that person. At the same time, you kind of got a more new age kind of approach to the republican party, the GOP, who says you know what, the voting public is telling us something and we have to listen and respond.

BRWONSTEIN: Well, the voting public is telling then something but the dog that isn't barking is pretty loud too. Normally by this point in the process, somebody would've won the states that Donald Trump had won, would see his vote moving toward 50 percent and would see party leaders consolidating around him.

In fact, at this point in 2008 John McCain topped 50 percent in 10 straight contests. I don't believe -- Donald Trump has not reached 50 percent in any race. He has kind of plateaued in that 35 to 40 percent range in most states. And he has not -- he is a plurality front- runner. He has a bigger piece of the party than any of his rivals, no question, but he does not really have a majority of the party with him.

And if you look at the numbers in terms of the general election and the groups that are growing in the electorate, as I said, millennials, minorities, college-educated whites, he is looking at an unfavorable (ph) ratings that are really (inaudible) 75-80 percent in some cases, and that's why you have so many republican leaders nervous about what he would mean not only for the White House but as we said, also in a kind of ripple effect for the Senate and the Supreme Court.

WHITFIELD: All right. Ron Brownstein, good to see you. Thank you so much. Appreciate it.

BROWNSTEIN: Thank you, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, so this Easter Sunday, the Pope weighs in on Isis, his message, denouncing terrorism.

[16:55:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, today Christians around the world celebrate Easter and security was heightened to an unprecedented level at this morning's outdoor mass at the Vatican. Just five days after Isis attacks in Brussels, Belgium. And Pope Francis condemns the terrorism afflicting Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

POPE FRANCIS, POPE OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH (TRANSLATED): Jesus our peace, by his resurrection, triumphed over evil and sin. May he draw us closer on this Easter feast to the victims of terrorism. That blind and brutal form of violence which continues to shed blood in different parts of the world. As we see in the recent attacks in Belgium, Turkey, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and the Ivory Coast. May he water the seeds of hope and prospects for peace in Africa.

[END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Pope Francis also asked the world to pray for migrants in the Middle East and all those in Syria on this Easter Sunday.

All right, that's going to do for me today. Thanks for much for being with me this afternoon. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Much more NEWSROOM is straight ahead with Poppy Harlow.