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Donald Trump Trailing in Wisconsin Polls; Trump Says $19 Trillion National Debt Could Be Eliminated in Eight Years; Amtrak Train Slammed into a Backhoe on the Tracks Outside Philadelphia; Brussels Airport Reopens. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired April 03, 2016 - 17:00   ET

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

[17:00:08] POPPY HARLOW, CNN HOST: Hi, everyone. 5:00 eastern. I am Poppy Harlow in New York this Sunday evening. So glad you are with us right now.

Presidential hopefuls are focused on one state, and that is the badger state, Wisconsin. The all-important Wisconsin primary is just two days away. Republican front-runner Donald Trump is trailing in Wisconsin polls behind Senator Ted Cruz. The billionaire business man saying earlier today his other rival, Governor John Kasich, should pull out of the race completely. Trump arguing this mathematically. Kasich doesn't have enough delegates to secure the nomination before the convention.

Also, Trump's comments about the U.S. economy, rattling the political universe today. Trump telling "the Washington Post" in a 96 minute interview that the United States is headed for a quote "very massive recession," and that this country is sitting on an economic bubble, a financial bubble.

Comments like that from the Republican frontrunner for president can certainly rattle global markets. And Asia opens in a few hours from now. Despite this gloomy economic view, the New York billionaire says if he is elected president, he alone could eliminate the $19 trillion national debt in eight years.

Jason Carroll is with me in Wisconsin. Trump will hold a rally there in just a few hours. Let's talk first about this economic sort of the doom and gloom outlook. Is he explaining it all on the trail, sort of what's leading him to say this?

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I can certainly tell you that, in listening to Trump's speeches, and being at Trump town halls in the past, he has talked about the economy, the need to improve the economy, the need to create jobs, to renegotiate trade deals with countries like China. Never heard him say the types of things he did to "the Washington Post," about the headed for a recession, and certainly not to invest in the stock market, Poppy.

But, as you know, one of the things you learn when you cover Trump is that when he takes the stage, whenever he does it, much of what he says is off the cuff. I mean, this is what people like about him, right, when he speaks off the cuff. I mean, yesterday (INAUDIBLE), at one point, he was talking about Christianity, and then within the same breath he was talking about NATO.

So, you know, he talks off the cuff. When he speaks here later today, expect him to do more of that. But in terms of predicting what he will say, I think a lot of people at this point have given up on predicting what Trump will do next.

HARLOW: And you already got some reaction from others within the party, right, the Republican Party to his comments specifically on the economy that the U.S. is sort of on the brink, right?

CARROLL: Right. It seems like every other day we're asking for someone within the GOP to give some sort of reaction about what Trump said this time. You know, we have the chairman of the Republican national committee weighing in on what Trump said to "the Washington Post."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REINCE PRIEBUS, CHAIRMAN, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE: Well, certainly people are afraid in this country and they are angry with a president that hasn't delivered. And whether you're on Main Street or whether you're in Milwaukee, Wisconsin or wherever you're from, things have not improved. And so, I think, you know, when people are afraid and when they are angry, sometimes people say things that they regret, but the truth is that people are concerned about the future and every candidate is going to communicate their message differently.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: And Poppy, one thing that's interesting about that, you notice he mentioned the word anger, angry there, a few times in previous statement. And what the Trump campaign has to sort of figure out is going forward how do you tap into that type of anger. Certainly, a number of people waiting here in line are angry, angry about a number of things happening within the country. But how do you tap into that? Do you tap into it by running an aggressive campaign? Will that work in the Midwest? It certainly didn't work in Minnesota. Some saying it is not working here in Wisconsin where he is trailing behind Ted Cruz, trailing by 10 percentage points simply in some polls, Poppy.

HARLOW: Absolutely. Tuesday is a big day in Ted Cruz's camp. Certainly, want to take that state away. And Trump want (INAUDIBLE).

Jason Carroll, live for us there in Wisconsin. Thank you, Jason.

Well, legendary "Washington Post" associate editor, Bob Woodward and "Politico" reporter Robert Costa conducting that 96-minute interview with Trump on Thursday. They described it as highly unusual and extremely candid.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOB WOODWARD, REPORTER, THE WASHINGTON POST: I think the real headline for me was what he said about the economy in a precarious situation that there is a bubble but then we asked about what would be your advice as a stockbroker or somebody who provides tips on the stock? And I was really surprised. He said, it's terrible now. This is not the time to invest in the stock market.

ROBERT COSTA, POLITICAL REPORTER, THE WASHINGTON POST: I was calling some Republican economists following the interview and they said it's very odd for a major party nominee to make this kind of bleak statement about the American economy. In all of your years of reporting have you seen a nominee or a major political candidate say this kind of thing about the economy?

[17:05:11] WOODWARD: No. I mean, what they say is they may criticize the incumbent from the other party and say the economic policies are not working and I have better policies. But what Trump was saying that this is really dreary.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Let's get a reality check on Trump's claims. Rana Foroohar is with me. She is CNN's global economic analyst. Also, assistant managing editor at "Time," the author of that new book, "makers and takers, the rise of finance in the fall of American business." Also with us, CNN political commentator and a Trump supporter, Jeffrey Lord.

Thank you both for being here. This is really, really important when you look at the fact that economy is issue one number for Republicans and Democrats this election cycle.

And Rana, let me begin with you, because in that interview, he said to "the Post" the $19 trillion national debt could be eliminated in eight years if he becomes president. But when you look at how you get there, Rana, you have to cut the $4 trillion annual budget in half, make it $2 trillion. And he is also pushing for what he describes as a very big tax cut. How realistic are these claims?

RANA FOROOHAR, CNN GLOBAL ECONOMIC ANALYST: Totally unrealistic. I think it is absolute fabulism. You know, also, this idea that you are going to somehow really incredibly goose growth by renegotiating trade deals is also fiction.

Now, I am not saying that we don't need to rethink the rules of free trade. I think a lot of people are talking about that right now in both sides of the aisle, but the idea that the U.S. is acting in a vacuum, that there are no other players in this scenario, you know, that China (INAUDIBLE), that you don't have their own agenda, that we can somehow in blanket way make new rules is just, it is fictional.

HARLOW: Jeffrey lord, as a Trump supporter, I mean, you heard Reince Priebus, the head of the RNC say to Jake, sometimes people say things they regret. Do you think that your candidate should walk back these comments at all, should think a little bit more carefully before saying the United States is about to fall into a massive recession?

JEFFREY LORD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: No, I don't think so. I think what the American people, I think it is abundantly evident at this point, that the American people want plain talk from their candidates. I think this is their attraction to Donald Trump, frankly I think it is the attraction to Ted Cruz.

HARLOW: But he is not an economist. He is not an economist. He is not -- he doesn't, you know, he isn't part of the fed.

LORD: But he is a businessman who has made great personal success here. And when you look at the polls repeatedly, people in the polls has said, there was a Gallup poll I was looking at just yesterday that said 64 percent of Republican electorate gave him high marks on dealing with the economy as opposed to I think it was 20 percent for senator Cruz. Time after time after time, they give him these high marks. And they give him high marks because they believe he has got a real competent understanding of the American economy.

HARLOW: I am not questioning his success in business, right? I don't think anyone can do that. What I wonder, though, is do you think for example, I think what stood out to me most is the claim that he could eliminate the national debt, $19 trillion in eight years. Can you do that?

LORD: Well, I think what he is proposing overall is looking at the entire situation differently. For example, when he talks about NATO.

HARLOW: No, no, no. I want to know specifically, Jeffrey, on this. Can he do that?

LORD: I am giving a specific example. When he talks about NATO, he is talking about decreasing our expenses by having other people pick up the slack. That in turn, those monies presumably would be applied to the debt. That's just one small example. And I'm saying, whether it is NATO, whether it is trade, whether it is other issues here, he is talking about a different approach that saves us money that enables us to pay off the debt, which he believes is a serious question that could bankrupt the country.

HARLOW: So Rana, on that point, I mean, there are others even in the opposite party who have said look, the U.S. is putting too much of the bill for a lot of this stuff. But when he talked about the stock market and said look, this stock market is inflated, I mean, he is not the only one saying that.

FAROOHAR: No. And you know, he is essentially mouthing what Carl Icahn said a few months back to the same tune, but it is nothing new. We have known for some time that there's divergence between the stock market and what is happening on Main Street. I just think that Donald Trump is taking a colonel of truth and twisting it in a way that is actually giving us misinformation. I think he is blaming the wrong people for the problem you are talking about easy monetary policy.

Well, one of the reasons the feds had to keep rates so low is that there was gridlock in Congress post 2008 in large part because of some of things done by Republicans which made it impossible to have real fiscal stimulus so we had to have monetary stimulus instead. You know, we do have a stronger dollar in part because of things that are happening abroad that we really can't control as much as he would like voters to believe. I do think, though, that this idea that we are in a weak recovery is

something that both parties have to grapple with, and wage stagnation. The fact that most don't feel that the recovery is as strong as it should be, is something that really, you know, people are wondering about and we need answers to that. Unfortunately, I don't think that we are getting them from Trump.

[17:10:26] HARLOW: I do want to quickly before I let you both go, get both of your takes on this unemployment claim. He also said to "the Washington Post," unemployment is not five percent, it is in the 20 percent somewhere.

If you look at the bureau of labor statistics and you look at the actual numbers, last month it was actually just below 10 percent. Even when you include people that are not looking for work right now but are out of work, so they're not included in the official unemployment rate.

Jeffrey, should he be more careful throwing out numbers like this? Because he also threw out the number 42 percent a few weeks ago.

LORD: Yes. I think, Poppy, we have a lot of people in this country who believe based on their own experience that the unemployment rate is a lot higher than it was. I mean, I happen to know somebody who has been looking for a job for three years and couldn't find one until just the other day, as a matter of fact. There's a lot of anger out there. So I think what you are dealing with here is he is giving voice to a sentiment out there that a lot of people feel based on their experience. And again, that is what is helping fuel the Trump phenomenon, if you will.

HARLOW: Rana, reality check on unemployment?

FAROOHAR: You know, in some ways unemployment actually isn't the problem, it is the wage problem. I mean, we have seen unemployment come down in a really meaningful way. What we haven't seen is wage growth and that's in part due to, you know, a loss of manufacturing jobs, growth in the service sector, you know, complicated reasons that we need to grapple with. Buy no, the 20 percent number is fictional.

HARLOW: Rana Foroohar, thank you so much. Jeffrey Lord, thank you as well. Good to have you both on.

LORD: Thanks, Poppy.

HARLOW: A lot ahead this hour. Let's break it down. Wisconsin down to the wire. The national frontrunners in both parties are both facing potential losses in Tuesday if you believe the polls. Are Clinton and Trump losing their mojo?

Also, a deadly derailment. Frightening moments for hundreds of people on board an Amtrak train outside pf Philadelphia. Part of the train suddenly sliding off the tracks. We will take you live to the scene.

And later, are very own Bill Weir goes west to explore the mighty Colorado River. He will join me with a look at what he found. Stunning report. We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:15:48] HARLOW: Welcome back. We are just two days away from the Wisconsin primary. If the polls are any indication, the frontrunners on both sides are looking at a potential loss in that state. That latest shows Donald Trump trailing Ted Cruz by 10 points. On the Democratic side, it is a tighter race. Hillary Clinton, though, is trailing Bernie Sanders by four points, 49-45 percent.

With me now is Jessica Opoien, the political reporter for "Capital Times" in Wisconsin. Thank you for being with me. I'm from Minnesota. You're from Wisconsin. I hear they call it Wisconsin nice. I thought it was Minnesota nice. But I'll just say they're both nice. Thank you for being with me.

JESSICA OPOIEN, POLITICAL REPORTER, CAPITAL TIMES: Thanks, Poppy.

HARLOW: We will share the nice in a campaign that's not so nice these days.

Let's begin with the Republicans. And you know, it fascinates me because I think a lot of us, a lot of people point to Wisconsin as sort of would be Trump land, right. You have got manufacturing hub, you got a lot of blue collar workers, you think that it is anti-free trade calls would really resonate there. Cruz has the edge in polling, and now he released this new ad clearly targeting Trump on free trade. Let's play it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CRUZ: I'm going to stand up for fair trade and bring our jobs back from China. We will see wages going up. We'll see opportunity again. We'll see a president who will stand with the people of Wisconsin and Americans everywhere.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Do you think that Cruz is picking up some of that sort of would be anti-free trade Trump vote?

OPOIEN: Yes. I think is definitely --that was certainly his intent. And I think that that can work for him here. You know, Trump is making the same play here as in many other states, going after the economy here, going after governor Scott Walker's record, and trying to certainly target people who are feeling like their jobs have been targeted and like their livelihood is on the line. But I think Ted Cruz is kind of coming in here toward the end of a viable alternative and he is making that plea.

HARLOW: What about the evangelical vote. We looked at the exit polling from 2008 and 2012 there in the primaries in Wisconsin, and found that 38 percent of the voters there qualify themselves as evangelical. Is that part of what's tipping in favor of Ted Cruz's corner or do you think that's not as important there? OPOIEN: It's definitely not something we hear about as much here in

Wisconsin but it is a strong -- Ted Cruz has been sort of holding steadily in this sort of 20, 30 percent area over the last few months. But we are seeing him rise up a little bit to the 40 percent polling that we are now as candidates drop out and as there aren't some of the evangelical alternatives that have been there along the way up until recently.

HARLOW: Some have pointed to this as the worst week thus far for the Trump camp. What I think is interesting is we have seen a little bit of a change in his tune, right? He apologized in this interview with Maureen Doud (ph) for tweeting that picture, unflattering picture of Heidi Cruz. He said if I had to do it over again, I wouldn't have done it.

Is there a sense there has been somewhat of a turning away from Trump in your state over the last week?

OPOIEN: I think so. And I don't even know that it is necessarily the last week. But this is really the first exposure Wisconsin has on a really having in frequent basis to some of the rhetoric that when you see it from farther away, and maybe doesn't have as much impact. But when he is coming here, he is saying these things in Wisconsin, and when he is holding rallies and, you know, up until recently refusing to apologize for things like that, it hasn't been sitting very well with people. And Wisconsin has - Wisconsin conservatives is particularly pay attention to talk radio here. It plays a huge part. And talk radio has been very anti-Trump and has been hammering a lot of this stuff, a lot of these things that come across as not particularly civil or nice, and people are not responding very positively.

HARLOW: All right. We'll see what happens Tuesday. Polls tell us one thing, what matters is what actually happens when the primary vote begins.

I know it is going to be can a busy week for you, Jessie. Thank you so much.

[17:20:08] OPOIEN: Thanks, poppy.

HARLOW: Again, stay with CNN for full coverage of the Wisconsin presidential primaries. All day coverage begins Tuesday right here on CNN.

An early Sunday morning, Amtrak ride ended ending in chaos and death. We will have a live report from the scene where a train slammed into a backhoe that was sitting on the tracks. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:24:11] HARLOW: An Amtrak train headed south from New York this morning slammed into a backhoe on the tracks right outside Philadelphia. We know that two construction workers were killed. The Chester, Pennsylvania fire department says 35 of the nearly 350 on board the train were injured in this crash. Our Sara Ganim is there right at the crash site. You know, you think

about these roots. And I think what's perplexing everyone is why was a backhoe just sitting on the tracks knowing the schedule of the trains?

SARA GANIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Exactly, Poppy, that's the question that everyone wants answered today after this accident. We have learned from a source close to the investigation that the two construction workers in or near that backhoe who were killed, they were Amtrak construction workers, which raises the question of how they didn't know that was an active track and how the train didn't know that there was construction going on in this stretch.

We're in between the Philadelphia in Wilmington Amtrak stations. I want you to take a look at the front of this train, Poppy. You can see where the impact happened. Quite a noticeable impact to the front of the train to that engine of that first car. That engine was derailed from the train. And as you mention, 341 passengers on board, 35 of them injured. None of them life threatening. All of the passengers were even taken to hospitals or back to Philadelphia where they were then taken back, you know, given other ways to get to where they were going.

But you can see a very active scene here. You see police here. The NTSB is arriving on scene. Amtrak is investigating. They want to know how this could have happened, and why there was construction like this going on on an active track. Something of note some passengers that CNN has talked today described moments leading up to the crash where they could see out the window, that it was incredibly dusty. One described it as like a dust storm, that it felt like they were riding over gravel. He said that was before the train came to an abrupt stop when clearly the accident happened.

Another passenger who was farther back on the train, a 15-year-old, Linton Holmes, told one of our affiliates about his experience. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[17:26:25] LINTON HOLMES, PASSENGER: The train was like rumbling, then we got off track I guess. Then it was just a bunch of dust. Just dust everywhere. And then the train conductors, they were running to the front. There were some people, they were pretty bloody from the - because it was an explosion. We got off track, then there was like a big explosion, then a fire, then window burst out. Some people were cut up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GANIM: And Poppy, as you can see, this has been happening all day long. You might be able to see now that this train is coming through. Well, for a while today service was shut down completely on this route. About an hour or so ago, they began to let trains come back through. It is limited service they say, and no word yet on what kind of impact this may have on tomorrow's Monday morning commute. You know, there are 750,000 people who ride the Amtrak trains on the northeast corridor route daily. This crash actually happened to train, train number 89 on the Palmetto route. It was headed to Savannah, Georgia. But this route is a key part of many people's Monday morning commute. So it will be interesting to see what Amtrak says and NTSB when they hold a press conference in a few minutes on whether or not the train tracks will be opened up for tomorrow morning, Poppy.

HARLOW: All right. Sara Ganim, again, two deaths, 35 injuries. And the press are about to begin. We will get more from you next hour.

Sara, thank you so much.

Straight ahead, back to politics and the back and forth over big oil. Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders tossing accusations at one another over how much money they may have taken from the fossil fuel industry. All of this ahead of the critical vote in Wisconsin on Tuesday. What Sanders told our Jake Tapper, next.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi. I'm (INAUDIBLE) in Miami. When you are in Miami, you definitely want to check out the views from the water. And experience it like a local.

Set up as a semi private VIP type experience. Customized to the ultimate tour in the city. We start out in downtown, Miami. We show bay side a lot of different landmarks. We go from Star Island, which a lot of people refer to as millionaire's row, see the celebrity homes, and then we actually make our way it from one island to the next which is nice we have a fast boat to be able to cover a lot of ground.

That's when the fun kicks in. We drop the hammer and kick it in gear. You want to be holding on. People think it for granted that it is just about the flash and glamor. But there's really a lot of history for the city. It has been through a lot of ups and downs and besides just the sheer beauty of it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:32:33] HARLOW: Right now, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are locked in a pretty nasty back and forth over who got one money from the fossil fuel industry and lobbyists or individuals who work in the industry. Sanders insisting 43 lobbyists for the fossil fuel industry gave maximum contributions to the Clinton camp. Clinton pointing to Sanders as saying they both got money from individuals who work for the industry but not the companies themselves.

Let's talk about this with our CNN political commentators Bill Press, host of the "Bill Press Show" and a Bernie Sanders supporter. Also with me Maria Cardona, Democratic strategist and Hillary Clinton supporter.

Thank you both for being here. Let me point out that "the Washington Post" did a very comprehensive fact check of Sanders' claims. And let me read you part of that. It says the Sanders campaign is exaggerating the contributions that Clinton has received from the oil and gas industry, in the context of her overall campaign, the contributions are hardly significant. It is specially misleading to count all of the funds raised by lobbyists with multiple clients as money, quote-unquote "given by the fossil fuel industry."

They rated it, Bill, three pinocchios. And here is how Sanders responded when Jake asked him about it this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Let the voters decide whether paid lobbyists who represent the fossil fuel industry, 43 of them, give maximum personal contributions to the Clinton campaign and whether or not these same people are out in some cases bundling, trying to bring in even more money. I don't think that we are distorting reality. That's the simple reality.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Bill, I know you are a Sanders supporter. But is that a sufficient enough answer when "the Washington Post" says these are three examples where this has been exaggerated, and he said let the voter decide?

BILL PRESS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, first of all, I don't really know what the confusion here is this is a matter of public record. The campaigns report their contributions. And if you look which I did yesterday at the reports from the Clinton campaign, they report in different categories. I can go through them if you want. A total of $4.5 million received from either lobbyists or people that work for the fossil fuel industry, to the campaign or to the super PAC supporting Hillary Clinton. Bernie Sanders got $37,000. So did she get the money or not? Yes, she reported it.

[17:35:04] HARLOW: To compare apples to apples - let me just to compare apples to apples for our viewers, right. Because how you look at the money, what people work for what company. The Clinton camp received $308,000 from individuals who work for the fossil fuel industry, and the Sanders camp got $54,000. And these are from individuals. It is against the law for companies themselves to give to the candidate.

PRESS: You know what, after Citizens United, I am not an expert in this. I don't think that's any longer the case, Poppy. But if you add up --

HARLOW: It is. They give to super PACs under Citizens United, not to the candidate.

PRESS: So the Super PACs, right. So 11 lobbyists, just go through the list right, bundled $1.3 million for the Clinton campaign. The super PAC got $3,250,000 from fossil fuel industry, again, all reported. And as Bernie said on that tape, 43 lobbyists gave the max, 2700. So there is the fact. The fact is they took it or not, you can't deny

she took the money. And it is not illegal. There's nothing with it. She took fossil fuel money.

HARLOW: All right. You say there's nothing wrong with it. Your candidate is saying there is something wrong with it. He is pointing his finger at her. Got to get in Maria Cardona in here.

Maria, your response.

MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: And here is the problem with it. That Senator Sanders campaign I saying that she took significant money from oil and gas industry, and that is absolutely false and in fact, it has been debunked, not just by "the Washington Post" in giving him three Pinocchios, but by "The New York Times" fact checkers, NPR fact checkers and others.

The amount of money she took from individual workers in the oil and gas industry, and you said this, Poppy, $308,000, amounts to two- tenths of one percent of the $159.9 million she has raised overall. So Sanders claimed she raise significant money from the oil and gas industry, it is completely false and categorically untrue.

PRESS: Let's start in the beginning.

HARLOW: I am going to jump in here, right. The point the Sanders camp is making, they are saying look, my opponent is beholden to this industry, and I am not, OK. That's the point. But let me ask you guys this. Because the Clinton team has said Sanders' camp is desperate quote-unquote "desperate" for doing this. But let's look back. In 22008, I mean, Clinton went after then senator Obama for taking the same donations, even this ad from 2008 points that out. Let's play it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You've seen the ad.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't take money from oil companies.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No candidate does. It has been against the law for 100 years. But Barack Obama accepted $200,000 from executives and employees of oil companies, every gallon of gas takes over three bucks from your pocket. But Obama voted for the Bush-Cheney energy bill that put $6 billion in the pocket of big oil. Hillary voted against it. She will make oil companies pay to create new jobs and clean energy America needs.

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am Hillary Clinton.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Here is what else we know from the 2008 campaign. Let's pull up the numbers. The Clinton camp then took 309,000. The Obama camp took 222,000 from employees of fossil fuel industry. So Maria, given this, how effective do you think can she be really in

this fight against Sanders on this particular issue?

CARDONA: I think she can be very effective. And if you're going to compare what happened in 2008, we can say what she tried to do, which is what Sanders is trying to do to her didn't work. It is not going to work this time around when Sanders is trying to do it to her because the fact of the matter is that the money that she took from individual employees, not companies, is not significant in the overall scheme of things.

And by the way, if you are going to criticize your opponent for not being pure on an issue, you better be darn sure you are pure. And Bernie Sanders is not pure on this having taken $54,000 from the same types of employees he criticizes Hillary Clinton for taking money from.

PRESS: Poppy?

HARLOW: Bill Press?

PRESS: Poppy, give me a shot, will you, please. OK, thank you.

Number one, let's see where this all started. It started when Greenpeace went to all three then Democratic candidates and said will you sign a pledge not to take any fossil fuel money. Bernie signed it, Martin O'Malley signed it, Hillary Clinton refused to sign it, number one.

Number two, OK. Maria keeps talking about this $308,000. No. The total according to her reports, the candidate's reports, according to center for responsive politics is $4.5 million. Now, you mentioned this insignificant, I think it is not. And finally --

CARDONA: You have to differentiate that.

PRESS: If I can just finish my point. The question that senator Sanders raises is I think it is a legitimate one. Can you take money from an industry and then vote against them or not be influenced by them? That is a very serious question that all Americans should be asking today.

[17:40:01] CARDONA: I agree Bill. It is a very serious question. And Hillary Clinton can absolutely say she can stand up to this industry. Because first of all, she doesn't take a significant amount of money from them. And secondly, she has a stellar record on fighting climate change, and on fighting drilling and on fighting all of the other priorities of the oil and gas industry.

PRESS: And she supported the keystone pipeline. The keystone pipeline was Hillary's baby.

HARLOW: I have to jump in to be clear for viewers, Bill Press, she came out and said in 2010 as secretary of state I am inclined to support the keystone pipeline, but she was not a senator then.

CARDONA: That's right.

PRESS: Can't have it both ways, Maria.

HARLOW: Maria, to you. In 2005 she voted for a bill approving more offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. So we are going to leave it there. Going to take a break.

CARDONA: Actually denied, for 125 years, drilling rights to the same industry.

PRESS: Can't have it both ways.

HARLOW: We are going to take a break. We are going to keep talking about this, guys. You can keep fighting during the commercial. Feel free. You will be back with us next hour.

Bill Press, Maria Cardona, on a very heated and very important issue. Thank you both.

CARDONA: Thank you, Poppy.

HARLOW: Coming up next, a new beginning at the Brussels airport. The recovery and reopening after that tragic, deadly terror attack that ripped through the airport. We will have a report from Brussels next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:44:58] HARLOW: For the first time since terrors bombs the Brussels airport, planes are now taking off and landing there.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYING)

[17:45:09] HARLOW: You hear a round of applause. There was a huge praise and a lot of excitement today watching the first plane take off since the attacks. Those planes started departing and landing this morning. The airport as you know has been closed since the suicide bombers blew themselves up inside departure hall on March 22nd. It was part of a widely coordinated terrorist attack on the Belgian capital that killed 32 people.

Alexandra Field is in Brussels this evening -- Alex.

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Poppy, it is a big step forward and no doubt an emotional step forward for a lot of people, especially those who work here, who are here day after day. This is the first time that they are letting passengers into the terminal. That it was the first day back on the job also for people who work at (INAUDIBLE) airport in Brussels. And when they arrived here, they were met by a heavy layer of security. There were police, members of the military, canines on the property, all ensuring that this reopening would be safe for passengers, safe for employees. First priority, of course, for everyone.

There were just three flights actually that departed from the airport. And this is an airport that usually handles about 600 flights a day with 60,000 passengers. So the beginning, the next few days here, they will be operating at a much lower capacity. They built temporary installations where people can go through check-in and then go through security. But airport officials have said that they need to keep that the crowd small for now in order to make sure that everyone is safe here. They will continue to build up the capacity. They will continue to add more flights and routes in the coming days. But airport authorities are saying that in order to do the full repair work that is needed on that terminal where those bombings happened just 12 days ago, they need some more time. It could be the end of June or even beginning of July when this airport is fully reopened and operating again at maximum capacity - Poppy.

HARLOW: Good sign to see it open.

Alexandra Field, thank you so much for that.

Coming up next, switching gears, our Bill Weir goes west for the next episode of the "Wonder List" which airs tonight. You will see him tackle the mighty Colorado River. A very personal story for Bill, coming up next.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IAN SOMERHALDER, ACTOR: A number of years back I was staying in Zimbabwe in the bush at this incredible conservation institute with a young orphaned elephant, both her parents were killed by poachers, unfortunately. I wish people had the experience that I had to hug this beautiful, intelligent, loving creature.

BILL WEIR, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): That encounter inspired the actor to help save elephants from the deadly ivory trade.

SOMERHALDER: If people had the chance to make that connection, to touch their tusks, then I think people will really feel different about what it means to kill these beautiful animals.

WEIR: Ian partnered with wild aide for its year of the elephant campaign.

SOMERHALDER: While it is our goal - it is all of our goal to make this the year of the elephant. Where more elephants were born, than killed by poachers.

WEIR: According to Wild Aide, 33,000 elephants are killed every year for their ivory. And within seven years, the African elephant could be extinct.

SOMERHALDER: This whole thing is about really just getting people to come join the herd. Stop the senseless slaughter of these beautiful animals. Because when the buying stops, the killing will stop.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:52:23] HARLOW: On tonight's episode of "WONDER LIST," our Bill Weir travels along with in soundly become really the vanishing Colorado River where civilization's impact is becoming more and more apparent.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WEIR (voice-over): A mile on two later Jack turns from raccoon tour to rower.

Here we go. Train coming overhead. Awesome. Good timing. They call it rapid pin ball or all boats that bounce off the train tussle.

Here is the tricky part. Wow, look at this. Go, Jack! Yes!

It tells me that if it weren't for this train, the federal government might have damned the stretch of the Colorado. So he is grateful. But he worries about derailments and dam failures and the kind of toxic mine leak that turned the nearby animus river bright orange.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Those are kind of worst case accident type, Bill. But the thing that I worry about is the death from a thousand cuts. You know, taking a little bit more water and Denver water takes another 10 percent. That's the kind of thing that would kill the river slowly.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: Bill Weir is with me now. And it's a beautiful episode and very personal episode for you. We'll get to that in a minute. But the fight over water, right, is something I never thought of.

WEIR: No. It goes back to the old west, you know. Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting. Because in the old days whatever miner or rancher put that water to use, the compact, the rule of the river is they can use it forever. So you have ranchers out west whose water is more valuable than their land. And exploding suburbs, either from Denver to Albuquerque to Salt Lake City, to San Diego, if you live in those places, the water is coming out of the Colorado River and there is every year more and more people fighting over each precious drop.

HARLOW: And there is also a huge fight to build resorts when you talk about the Grand Canyon part of all of it to build trams. To me that seems impossible. You say no.

WEIR: No. I mean, in the '60s, we almost dammed the Colorado River. It made sense then. Or in the Grand Canyon especially. The jewel of our national park system. And I asked some of the guys down there, could it happen today and they say, you know, politically it might if we get to a point where we really need that water. So, yes, it goes back to when teddy Roosevelt was trying to set aside these places. There is minors, there is tourist interest. Everybody wants a piece of the pi pie.

[17:55:11] HARLOW: And let's talk about it for you, personally. This is so personal, the episode ends with you talking about your father. And you say he gave me a mountain.

WEIR: Yes. So my dad was a cop in Milwaukee who loved the mountains. He wanted to be a cowboy. So in his 30s, he quit, moved there. Lived in this beautiful little valley in a mobile home and that is where he taught me to love nature. And when he passed away, he asked that I spread his ashes on top of top of (INAUDIBLE) which is I'm up and used to climb. So this is a love letter to him. It is a love letter to our planet, the American west. But you know, more than anything, he is the guys who inspired the wonderness. He taught me to pick this way about our precious places.

HARLOW: The whole series?

WEIR: The whole series, yes. And then we said one day we are going to float the Colorado River before he is gone and now is my chance and this one is for him.

HARLOW: Beautiful episode. Tonight 10:00 eastern, only right here.

Thank you, Bill. Appreciate it. Good to have you on.

WEIR: Thank you, Poppy.

HARLOW: Quick break and we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:59:52] HARLOW: Hi, everyone. Top of the hour. 6:00 p.m. eastern. I'm Poppy Harlow in New York. So glad you are with us.

Right now, Presidential hopefuls are laser focused on one state, Wisconsin. The Democratic and Republican primary is there in just two days. Senator Ted Cruz will soon rally supporters in Wisconsin. Some Republicans believe a Wisconsin victory for Cruz. He is currently leading in the polls there. Could redefine this race on the Republican side. The front-runner though --