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Presidential Candidates Battle for Delegates; Panama Papers Leak Sparks Outrage; Impact of Panama Papers on Chinese Leaders; E.U. Turkish Plan Begins, Migrants Won't Stop Seeking European Dream; Kasich Won't Drop Out of Race; Trump Message Not Working in Wisconsin; Clinton Struggles with Being Likable; Kremlin Reaction to Panama Papers; Webtoons Go Global. Aired 2-3a ET
Aired April 05, 2016 - 02:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[02:01:01] ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome to our viewers here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. This is CNN NEWSROOM.
Voting in Wisconsin's presidential primary begins in just a few hours from now. And Donald Trump is in an unfamiliar position, underdog. The latest Marquette University Law School poll shows Ted Cruz with a 10-point lead. Trump held three campaign events Monday in a last- minute appeal for votes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If we do well here, folks, it's over. If we don't --
(CHEERING)
TRUMP: If we don't win here, it's not over, but wouldn't you like to take the credit in Wisconsin for ending it?
(CHEERING)
TRUMP: Give Wisconsin the credit for ending it. And then we can focus on Hillary instead of these two guys.
SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Today, Donald Trump announced at a rally he predicted a big win here in Wisconsin. Well, that may be true, but I do think the people of Wisconsin are going to decide that. Because if we nominate Donald Trump, he elects Hillary Clinton. He loses by double digits to Hillary Clinton. I beat Hillary Clinton. We are seeing Republicans coming together and standing together. I think it's very encouraging.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Meantime, Democrat Bernie Sanders holds a slim four-point lead over Hillary Clinton in that same Marquette poll. The pair have agreed to a CNN debate April 14th in Brooklyn, five days before the New York primary.
Back in Wisconsin, 42 Republican delegates are up for grabs, 86 for the Democrats.
For Donald Trump, Wisconsin will be his first test after a series of missteps and one admitted mistake during the last week of March.
CNN's Jim Acosta reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Donald Trump knows the stakes all too well. After a bruising week, a big "W" in Wisconsin could change everything.
TRUMP: I've been given the last rites how many times? Like 10? Every week it's the end of Trump. Then they walk in, sir, I don't know what happened, but your poll numbers just went through the roof.
ACOSTA: While he's scrambling to catch Ted Cruz, who is leading in Wisconsin, the GOP front-runner is attacking John Kasich, accusing the Ohio governor of being nothing other than a spoiler.
TRUMP: He's lost like 29 or 30 or 31 times. Whatever the hell it is. Every single state and every single island. He ought to get the hell out. And let me tell you. He hurts me much more than he hurts Cruz.
ACOSTA: Already looking ahead to New York, Kasich's message for Trump, don't hold your breath.
GOV. JOHN KASICH (R-OH), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Donald Trump said I need to get out of the race because I'm getting his voters. I've got news for him. I'm going to get a heck of a lot of his voters.
ACOSTA: Trump is busy mopping up his recent messes, telling "The New York Times" he made a mistake retweeting an unflattering picture of Cruz's wife. But he's still dominating the headlines. The "New York" magazine saying Trump is sweaty and spent after wearing a bulletproof vest at his rallies. And he raised eyebrows when he predicted over the weekend the country is headed toward a massive recession, a comment he tried to clean up today.
TRUMP: What I said is we're going to go into a massive recession, but I also say, if I'm president, that's not going to happen, because I'm going to straighten things out.
ACOSTA: Add to that Trump's furious attempts to clarify his position on abortion after saying last week women who undergo the procedure should be punished if it's made illegal.
TRUMP: Right now, the laws are set. And that's the way the laws are.
ACOSTA: The real estate tycoon's team is lashing out at its critics. One internal Trump memo titled "Digging through the Bull," says, "America is sick of them. Their idiotic attacks remind voters why they hate the Washington establishment. Donald Trump, one, Washington establishment/media, zero."
As for Cruz, he's confident that Trump's stumbles are keeping him in the hunt, especially if the race goes to a contested convention where he wants to hold Kasich to GOP rules requiring candidates to rack up eight wins to qualify for the nomination.
[02:05:23] CRUZ: There are only two candidates who will have met that threshold. The choice will be between me and Donald Trump.
ACOSTA: Cruz is trying to capitalize among Trump's weakness among women, blaming him for a "National Enquirer" story that claimed the Senator was being unfaithful to his wife.
CRUZ: It's completely made-up nonsense. It's simply not true. I have always been faithful to my wife. I love my wife.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: For analysis of how the race is shaping up in Wisconsin, we turn to Professor Larry Sabato, founder and director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics.
We saw in Jim Acosta's piece that Donald Trump is struggling to catch up to Ted Cruz in Wisconsin. How is Trump likely to go there, do you think, and then, of course, in New York?
LARRY SABATO, FOUNDER & DIRECTOR, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA CENTER FOR POLITICS: Well, Wisconsin has turned into a real battle for the soul of the Republican Party, and it is an opportunity for the anti-Trump forces to prevail. It looks like Trump is going to lose. I say that not simply because of most of the polls. They're not completely in agreement. Most of the polls say Trump is going to lose. But also because the key political people on the ground in Wisconsin believe that Wisconsin voters are going to follow their conservative Republican governor Scott Walker, who was once a presidential candidate, and he has endorsed Ted Cruz. Mainly to defeat Donald Trump. There is surprisingly little enthusiasm for Cruz. It's mainly an attempt to stop Trump.
CHURCH: Yeah, and let's go big picture here. How likely is it, do you think, that Trump would get the 1,237 delegates need? Or do you think a contested convention is likely here? We have to ask what role might John Kasich play given he's so far behind in the delegate count and Cruz and Trump both want him out.
SABATO: Take a coin and flip it. And you'll have your answer about the contested convention. It is very, very close. Now if Trump does, indeed, loses Wisconsin and loses the lion's share of delegates there, he's going to have to make up the delegates. He may make it up quickly because in two weeks we have the next primary, the New York primary. And who is the premier New Yorker, at least on the Republican side? It's Donald Trump. And the New York rules are such that Trump may be able to sweep the board. It will be winner take all if he can get over 50 percent. And right now the polls showing over 50 percent. But the key point here is that wherever Donald Trump loses, he is going to have to make up the ground in a subsequent primary. It's clear now this is going to go all the way through the final set of primaries on June 7th, which includes gargantuan California. And that is where we will decide, as a country, whether this goes to a contested convention or not.
CHURCH: It is a battle like no other. On the other side of the political spectrum, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is confident he'll win both Wisconsin and New York.
Want to listen for a moment to what he had to say on that very issue.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The large voter turnout, we will win here. If we win here, we'll have a bounce going into New York State where I think we can win. If we win in New York State, between you and me, I don't want to get Hillary Clinton more nervous than she already is.
(LAUGHTER)
She's already under a lot of pressure.
(APPLAUSE)
SANDERS: So don't tell her this. But I think we win here, we win in New York State, we're on our way to the White House.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Larry Sabato, a very confident Bernie Sanders there. How is he likely to go up against Hillary Clinton in both those states? Will he do as well as he thinks he will?
SABATO: It will be a surprise if Sanders does not win Wisconsin. It is a state tailor made for him. There's a large youth vote there with many college students voting. There also is a strong liberal tradition and even a Socialist tradition in Wisconsin. So he ought to win. And he ought to win handily. We'll see whether he's right and the polls are right. The polls suggest he will win. New York is another matter entirely. Hillary Clinton represented New York for eight years in the U.S. Senate. Bernie Sanders, of course, is a son of Brooklyn, New York. So there you have, in essence, two New Yorkers running against one another. Right now Hillary Clinton has the edge. Most polls have her about 10 points ahead. I think she will be able to win New York.
[02:10:13] CHURCH: And it is worth mentioning that Sanders eventually accepted the April 14 debate date after much resistance due to scheduling issues. Now it comes five days before the New York primary. What impact will that debate likely have, and can Sanders catch up to Clinton overall and give her a run for her money at the summer convention?
SABATO: You can't ever rule out an embarrassing gaffe by one candidate or the other so that it could have an impact. Generally, though, we've had so many debates and town halls, I find it difficult to believe that one more will make all that much difference. I tend to think here it's a question of organization and also spending. And there is an advantage for Bernie Sanders. He is actually raising more money than Hillary Clinton. And he's raising it in small contributions which are renewable. So he has an advantage there. I have to stress again, though, that in terms of winning the nomination, Hillary Clinton is very, very likely to be the nominee. But the real question is, will she win that nomination from an enthusiastic convention or will she have a problem reunifying the party because the Sanders delegates are unwilling to join behind her? That is yet to be determined.
CHURCH: Yes, still a lot of unanswered questions there.
Larry Sabato, always a pleasure to chat with you. Thank you so much.
SABATO: Thank you.
CHURCH: And later this hour, we will look at why conservatives in Wisconsin are not gravitating towards Donald Trump the way they have in other states.
A massive leak from a Panamanian law firm has sparked outrage, embarrassment and investigations. The so-called Panama Papers claim to reveal a secret network of offshore shell companies allegedly used by some of the world's most influential leaders. Crowds in Iceland's capitol demanded their prime minister's resignation when he was mentioned in the papers. France, Spain and Australia are among the countries investigating whether their nationals are involved.
Nina dos Santos has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Their names read like a who's who of the world's elite, heads of state and officials of soccer's governing body FIFA, netted in a massive leak in the tax haven of Panama. The files on 240,000 archives from the firm Mossack Fonseca. The leak made public by the international consortium of investigative journalists is more than 1,500 times larger than WikiLeaks in 2010.
Among the documents, the names of 12 current or former leaders, as well as 128 other politicians. The associates of Vladimir Putin said to have funneled billions through banks. Allegations his aides describe as, quote, "fibs." Argentina's new president, Mauricio Macri, denied he owned an undeclared stake in a Bahamas' based firm. And Iceland's prime minister under fire for failing to disclose ties to an off-shore company owned by his wife. When pressed on the matter, he stormed out of this interview with Swedish TV.
With so many allegations, some governments say they will now investigate. With the U.K., France, Australia and Mexico looking at tax evasion.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's hugely significant. I think it's going to have impact for months and possibly years to come. And hopefully it will cause governments, particularly the United States and the U.K., to sort of reassess how they deal with these offshore secrecy zones.
DOS SANTOS: Also in the spotlight, FIFA, dismissing allegations of links between a member of its independent ethics committee and three men already indicted on corruption charges by U.S. authorities.
(on camera): Setting up an offshore firm is relatively easy and entirely legal. There are some legitimate reasons for doing so, especially in the case of international businesses, and families that operate across many different tax jurisdictions.
But it's the secret nature of these shell companies that has raised concerns about tax evasion and other criminal activities.
In a statement, the law firm Mossack Fonseca said, "We have formed more than 240,000 companies. The vast majority for legitimate purposes." It, of course, goes on to say, "There are some being used for illegitimate activities but that is not our responsibility."
(voice-over): With journalists poring over mountains of data, there may be more revelations to follow.
Nina dos Santos, CNN Money, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: And a spokesman from the Mossack Fonseca law firm in Panama insists his offices were hacked and that the firm did nothing wrong. Here's what the firm's director had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[02:15:14] RAMON, FONSECA, DIRECTOR, MOSSACK FONSECA LAW FIRM (through translation): We are a firm in existence of nearly 40 years. We have formed more than 250,000 anonymous corporations throughout our history. And we take care only of the legal part. We do not participate in the activities of the companies, nor do we have any responsibility over what the company does. We are not responsible for the activities of the 240,000 companies we have established throughout our history.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: CNN's Will Ripley is in Beijing with more on the Panama Papers' global impact.
Will, as we've been pointing out, a massive leak of documents affecting many leaders across a number of nations and also involving their relatives. What are we learning about the mention of family members of China's leaders? And how is China responding to these leaked documents?
WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The allegations are that at least seven relatives of China's political elite are named in this new leak from the ICIJ. Of course, that is being the response here in China, this story breaking on a national holiday, so no official government response yesterday. There is a press conference in 45 minutes where we expect to learn more details.
The Chinese censors are blocking our coverage. I'll show you CNN's signal here just went to black. Any time the Chinese viewers hear us talking about potential ties to China's political elite and secretive offshore financial money flowing into hidden accounts, well, we get blacked out. The same is true online as well. When you type in a search and do any of China's popular search engines in English, you get this error message. There is one result that comes up when you type in a search in Chinese. It's on editorial in the Chinese newspaper, claiming the Western media, a powerful force, is behind these allegations trying to make non-Western leaders look bad. They talked specifically about Vladimir Putin. No mention of Chinese President Xi Jinping or any of the other Chinese political elite.
But what's interesting here, Rosemary, is that China claims to be launching its own corruption crackdown. They have arrested thousands of government officials that they've accused of corruption, but a lot of observers note these are often lower-level observers. Those at the highest level remain untouchable.
CHURCH: Interesting response there. We have seen it before.
Will Ripley reporting live from Beijing. Many thanks to you.
We'll have much more on the Panama Papers later this hour, including a closer look at what the papers appear to reveal about high-level Russian officials.
Plus, the contentious migrant deal between the E.U. and Turkey starts to take effect. We'll hear from the migrants themselves on what it means for them.
We're back in a moment.
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[02:22:00] CHURCH: A helicopter crashed in the U.S. state of Tennessee while it was on a sightseeing tour killing five people on board. The crash engulfed a hillside in flames and sent a huge plume of smoke into the sky. Police say there is not much left of the chopper. The federal aviation administration will investigate the cause of the crash.
The E.U.'s controversial One In, One Out plan is starting to take effect. Monday saw the first migrants deported from Greece land on Turkish soil as well as the first Syrian refugees from the program arrive in Germany.
Germany's foreign minister praised the exchange as a big first step.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRANK-WALTER STEINMEIER, GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER (through translation): That is an important step and a part of the agreement with Turkey. We hope the agreement is proven effective in the coming months. This meaning that many refugees will be helped but also the number of refugees we have seen coming in, in the left year, will clearly be reduced.
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CHURCH: Meanwhile, Turkey is maintaining its stance that Europe should have been doing a lot more much sooner. Turkey's president chided many E.U. nations for not doing enough on the migrant crisis.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, TURKISH PRESIDENT (through translation): Turkey took in three million Syrian refugees. But it's obvious how many countries tried to send them away. Just look how many refugees these countries have taken, countries with a much higher income than Turkey.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: The E.U. deal gives Turkey financial compensation and visa- free travel in Europe for Turkish citizens.
And CNN witnessed the first buses taking migrants to the port of Lesbos in Greece to board the ships for Turkey.
Our Erin McLaughlin spoke to a few migrants still in Lesbos. They won't stop pursuing their dream of a new life in Europe, even if they're deported.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Under the cover of darkness, the buses arrive full of disappointment and disbelief. These are the first migrants to be deported from Greece back to Turkey, part of a deal meant to discourage migrants from making the deadly sea crossing that's wreaked havoc on Europe's borders.
Authorities are taking no chances. There's a heavy police presence. One border officer for every migrant. Some migrants even handcuffed.
For now, they are deporting men. Not a woman or child to be found. From places from Pakistan and Afghanistan. Migrants looking for a better life.
A sad end to a journey once fueled by hope.
They were bussed in from the detention center. Here, morale is at an all-time low. After all, these people face a similar fate. Migrants aren't allowed to leave. And journalists aren't allowed in. We talked to them through a wire fence.
(on camera): So that's your number? UNIDENTIFIED MIGRANT: Yes.
MCLAUGHLIN (voice-over): This Afghan migrant sold all of his possessions in Kabul towel fund his trip from Turkey.
UNIDENTIFIED MIGRANT: I think it's better to go back to Turkey or Afghanistan.
MCLAUGHLIN: These men say they'll get to Europe no matter what the price.
(on camera): Will you try to come back to Europe if you get sent to Turkey?
UNIDENTIFIED MIGRANT: Yes, we'll come back to Europe if they deport us.
[02:25:14] MCLAUGHLIN (voice-over): Authorities intervene to stop us from talking further. We are asked to leave.
(SHOUTING)
MCLAUGHLIN: That determination we saw at the detention center still evident in the waters off Greece.
(on camera): NATO boats patrol these waters. Those efforts are not enough. Dotting the coastline you still see life jackets from migrants who just arrived.
(voice-over): On this day, more life jackets than the number of migrants deported. That's a problem for E.U. and Turkish officials. Their deal depends on stopping that flow.
As the first boat loads leave for Turkey, the Greek Coast Guard arrives. New migrants on board, ready to take their place.
Erin McLaughlin, CNN, Lesbos, Greece.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: America's airline industry is undergoing another merger. Alaska Air Group has agreed to buy Virgin America in a deal totaling some $4 billion. It will create the fifth-largest U.S. airline. Shares of Virgin America jumped by 41 percent after the deal was announced Monday. The deal came on the same day Virgin America was named America's best airline for the fourth consecutive year.
The NCAA men's basketball final lived up to its March Madness billing. Villanova beat the University of North Carolina in an instant classic draining a three-pointer as time expired just seconds before the Tar Heels almost sent the game to overtime with a clutch three-pointer of their own. The Wildcats had the last word at the buzzer. It's their program's first title in 31 years. How about that?
One of the things that's gotten Trump this far in the presidential race may not help him with voters in Wisconsin. Just ahead, how they are receiving his message ahead of the primary there.
And despite her strong political resume, Hillary Clinton is facing persistent likability problems of her own. That story still to come.
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[02:30:30] CHURCH,: Republicans Donald Trump and Ted Cruz are telling John Kasich he should drop out of the U.S. presidential race, but Kasich is having no part of it.
He spoke Monday with CNN's Anderson Cooper.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KASICH: I think I heard today that Senator Cruz has to get like 102 percent of the remaining delegates. That's kind of impossible. This is what he's been saying about me. Look, Anderson, everybody needs to chill out. I'm in New York. We're going to do well here. I'm going to Pennsylvania. We're excited about that and going to an open convention where kids are going to learn more about picking presidents than they do just on SnapChat.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, A.C. 360: You called Senator Cruz a smear artist. He's running an ad about your ties to a corporation that got tax breaks in Ohio. I saw a quote from the Ohio ethics commission saying you had made what he called a "clean break" from that company. Do you believe that attack is part of a broader strategy by the Cruz campaign to try to take you down?
KASICH: Oh, yeah. He is Senator Smear. People seem to be pointing things out. I am not a pin cushion or marshmallow. He smeared Ben Carson. He smeared Marco Rubio. He smeared Donald Trump. Now he's smearing me. And "the Wall Street Journal" even pointed out that he smeared me in an editorial last week. This guy plays that kind of politics. It's down, it's dirty, it's negative and not uplifting. But that's what we deal with. And we'll put one foot in front of the other and keep going with a positive vision. But I've got to tell you, Anderson, don't push me around. You think you can push me around and get away with it, but you're wrong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: Ted Cruz is leading Donald Trump in a respected Wisconsin poll going into Tuesday's primaries there.
CNN's Martin Savidge went to the U.S. state to see if Trump's message is appealing to voters or turning them off.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Something is weird in Wisconsin. What's worked for Donald Trump elsewhere may not be working here.
TIM FELSKY, WISCONSIN RESIDENT: I'm with local union 998 here in Milwaukee. SAVIDGE (on camera): How long you been doing that?
FELSKY: About six and a half years.
SAVIDGE (voice-over): Tim Felsky, Republican, white, middle age, a blue collar worker, a veteran. Every demographic so far pro-Trump, not here.
(on camera): Where do you stand politically?
FELSKY: Definitely a staunch conservative. Absolutely. I voted for Ted Cruz.
SAVIDGE: Why?
FELSKY: I like the fact that he's not some type of fanatic, like a Donald Trump or something.
SAVIDGE (voice-over): Trump still has his fans here.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He doesn't need all the lobbyist money. He has his own so he can stand up for the people.
SAVIDGE: Even they can see where Trump may have messed up in Wisconsin.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's not appealed to the Walker supporters. There's a strong Walker base in Wisconsin.
SAVIDGE: Scott Walker is Wisconsin's governor. You may best remember him for this --
(CHANTING)
SAVIDGE: In 2011, Walker took on state unions in a bitter battle over right to work legislation, and won. In 2015, Walker, beloved by Republicans in his state, decided to run for president, and lost.
(SHOUTING)
SAVIDGE: Pushed out, the experts say, by Trump, something Trump likes to brag about in his Wisconsin rallies while at the same time bashing Walker's record.
TRUMP: I wouldn't say that your governor loves me.
SAVIDGE: He's right. Walker endorsed Cruz.
But Trump said he doesn't need Walker's supporters anyway. He's counting on Democrats.
TRUMP: You can cross over. I think I'm going to have a big Democrat crossover. And I hope I do.
SAVIDGE: The head of the Milwaukee teachers union thinks that Trump is wrong again about Wisconsin. He's heard of crossovers in the past, but --
UNIDENTIFIED MILWAUKEE TEACHERS UNION DIRECTOR: In this election, no. I have not heard that. I think it may have something to do with the slate of candidates on the Republican side.
SAVIDGE: Wisconsin voters have been politically engaged for five straight hard years. They know the issues, and they are no Trump pushovers.
FELSKY: The voters are well informed here. He doesn't play real strong with us because we're not as susceptible to his wild man ways, his raucous rhetoric and things of that nature. I don't think that plays well with a lot of folks.
SAVIDGE: Martin Savidge, CNN, Milwaukee.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: On the Democratic side of the presidential race, Bernie Sanders could pick up yet another primary win in Wisconsin. But Hillary Clinton's campaign is telling supporters not to worry because her delegate count -- delegate lead over Sanders is "insurmountable," their word. Even so, Bernie Sanders is predicting a big win.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[02:35:15] SANDERS: We have won six out of the last seven caucuses and primaries.
(CHEERING)
SANDERS: If there is a record-breaking turnout here in Wisconsin, we are going to win here as well.
(CHEERING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHURCH: Hillary Clinton's supporters expect her to be the Democratic presidential nominee. No other candidate can match her political resume and experience. So why does Clinton seem to struggle with being likable?
CNN's Jonathan Mann reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She doesn't seem very warm. She doesn't seem very genuine.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She has a lot of baggage. She doesn't appear honest. People haven't liked her for years.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I hate to say it, but it's just her personality, which is just not a fair thing to say, because she's a woman, and she comes off as kind of serious. You hear a lot on the news about her yelling.
JONATHAN MANN, CNN HOST, POLITICAL MANN (voice-over): They are impressions that barely scratch the surface of Hillary Clinton's decades in public life. But they're deep-seated, and for Clinton, they are a problem.
Hillary Clinton has been many things. A middle class girl from the north side of Chicago, a Yale scholar, the first lady of Arkansas and then the first lady of the United States. After a tumultuous eight years in the White House.
(SINGING)
MANN: She'd go on to serve as Senator from New York, the only first lady to ever hold the post.
(CHEERING)
MANN: And then in 2007, she became a candidate for president herself.
She has worn many hats, and famously many pantsuits, and she is judged for her clothes, her hair, her marriage, her integrity, and something much more basic, her likability.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You're likable enough, Hillary.
HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thank you.
MANN: A CBS/"New York Times" poll found that 52 percent of voters have an unfavorable view of her. Donald Trump, perhaps the most polarizing politician in America today, is disliked by only slightly more voters, 57 percent.
There have been questions, scandals, investigations about a land development deal from her days in Arkansas known as Whitewater. About the deadly attack on a U.S. diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, Libya, when secretary of state. About her decision to handle her government communications on a private e-mail server. What do all the episodes have in common? No wrongdoing was ever proven, but she was never able to wash away the stain of scandal.
MARGARET HOOVER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: The problem with Hillary Clinton isn't the substance. The problem is the style. The problem is, is she the person you want to have a beer with?
MANN: Then there was Monica Lewinsky, her husband's relationship with a White House intern that nearly brought down his presidency.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's important to remember that Bill Clinton is still one of the most popular living American politicians. But the down side is those scandals. And to the extent that mentions of Monica Lewinsky dredge up memories people would not like to relive.
MANN: There may be something else. Maybe many Americans are just uncomfortable with a woman as successful and fiercely ambitious as Hillary Clinton.
Years ago, she identified the problem.
CLINTON: I suppose I could have stayed home and baked cookies.
HOOVER: She has already competed in a presidential primary eight years ago. She's been the secretary of state of the United States. By the way, the third female secretary of state of the United States. At this point, I don't think it's sexism.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hillary!
MANN: Supporters insist Clinton is still judged unfairly.
DONNA BRAZILE, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: This will be a big test for the country and whether or not we're able to look past all of these cultural, social and media biases and look at the person, the individual, the leadership traits and what they bring to the conversation. That's the big test she'll have to pass.
MANN: Compare her to some of the most important men in her life today. Clinton is not credited with Bernie Sanders' honesty, Donald Trump's candor, or her husband's magnetism. But she is doggedly working towards the Democratic presidential nomination, and as she approaches the general election, she will at some point have to convince Americans that she can be the first female president of the United States, whether they like her or not.
Jonathan Mann, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: The U.S. Supreme Court has spoken ruling unanimously in a key voting rights case. The justices held that a state may count all of its residents when it's drawing voting districts. Two plaintiffs from Texas had argued their vote was being diluted and sought to have districts drawn based on eligible voters, not the total population. Civil rights groups watched the case closely. They worried that a ruling for the plaintiffs might shift power from urban areas and their higher percentage of non eligible voters to more rural areas that would more likely favor Republicans.
[02:40:13] CHURCH: Millions of leaked documents point to an alleged secret web of offshore companies and some of the world's most powerful people. We'll have the Kremlin's reaction to the Panama Papers. That's still to come.
Plus, this isn't your traditional comic book. You'll meet the artist behind the webtoons craze that's letting avid fans read their "Star Wars" adventures online.
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CHURCH: More now on the Panama Papers. The massive document leak that claims to reveal secret offshore accounts and shell companies being used by some of the world's top leaders. In all, 11.5 million documents were leaked or hacked from a law firm in Panama. They name at least 12 current or former leaders from around the world and at least 128 other politicians and public officials are mentioned.
Now some of the people mentioned in the papers are Russian. President Vladimir Putin is not one of them. But a musician named Sergei Rodugan is. He's a life-long friend of Mr. Putin.
A Russian journalist, who combed through the papers, explains what that might mean.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED RUSSIAN JOURNALIST (through translation): Asset turnover in these companies amounts to billions of dollars. The most important detail here is that Rodugan is a musician. So we understand he could not manage this business on his own. Supported by many documents is that he kept it for someone else and we suppose he did so for the head of state.
We see the way his companies are financed and that it violates the law because money obtained from equity trading by Russian state companies was transferred there. But in reality, this equity trading never took place. The deals were backdated. We see that he secretly owned assets in Russia's strategic industries.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[02:45:31] CHURCH: The Kremlin has dismissed the Panama Papers as a series of fibs meant to discredit President Vladimir Putin.
Matthew Chance has more on the reaction from Moscow.
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MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The Kremlin says this is a case of what it called "Putinophobia," a phase to describe what he says is the West's inability to say anything positive about Russia or its leadership. The Kremlin's spokesperson saying these reports were to target Vladimir Putin with the intention of undermining the Russian leader ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled to be held later this near in September.
The reports, the leaks don't just mention Vladimir Putin. In fact, they only mention people close to him. But a whole range, dozens of politicians and world leaders are identified as being implicated in these offshore shell companies. That's the first problem. So it's not specifically about Russia.
Secondly, the impact this is going to have on Vladimir Putin's election chances, or his party's election chances in September are likely to be negligible. Not least because the Russian public have become immune to the allegations almost constantly circling the Kremlin and the inner circle of Vladimir Putin about corruption. They've heard it all before. And it doesn't seem to have, in the past, dented Vladimir Putin's popularity. It still stands at something like 85 percent. And there's no indication, so far, that these latest allegations are going to be any different.
Matthew Chance, CNN, Moscow.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: We will, of course, have more on that story.
Also, a South Korean artist is turning "Star Wars" comics digital. We'll look at the webtoon craze that's set to go global. We're back in a moment.
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(WEATHER REPORT)
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[02:51:27] CHURCH: Severe flooding in northwest Pakistan has taken dozens of lives over the past several days.
Our Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri joins us with more on this tragic story.
Pedram, how long before this flooding starts to subside?
PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: That's a fantastic question. This is going to be a multiday event. The rains have stopped. Certainly that's not how it works when it comes to flooding in certain parts of the world because of the nature of the topography, how the water flows down stream. And the Indus River in Pakistan among the most flood-prone areas on our planet. You look at the perspective of folks dealing with the floodwater and the tremendous rain that's led to nearly 50 fatalities across the area. In Pakistan, a lot of people are surprised to learn it's among the most populated nations on our planet. It's the sixth most populated. About a quarter of its population lives along the Indus River. How long since this event is going to come through? This is the Hindu Kush Mountains. Rain up here flows downstream toward the Arabian Sea. That's a multiday event. With a quarter population of the country living along that river. Several weeks before it subsides. You look at the population at risk in terms of country when it comes to flooding. India, nearly 4.8 million people, as far as how many are exposed every year. Pakistan, over 700,000 people exposed to flooding every year. Incredible population and incredible numbers. 100 to 200 millimeters, that's 4 to 8 inches. We appreciate you staying up. Look at San Francisco. The rainfall that came down in Patna, northern effort Pakistan in two days is comparable to four to five months of rainfall in the city of San Francisco. And this really shows you the intensity and severity of what's happening across that region.
Some good news, Rosemary, is the weather will be quiet but the rain and water that's already fallen will still need to work its way downstream. So we'll follow this -- Rosemary?
CHURCH: Thanks so much for keeping an eye on that, Pedram. We appreciate it. We'll talk again next hour. JAVAHERI: Thanks.
CHURCH: Time for a happy story. Comic books are taking on a new modern form in South Korea. Millions of people are hooked on webtoons, Internet-based comics you can watch on your Smartphone. Now it looks like the craze is going global.
Paula Hancocks has that for you.
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ANNOUNCER: "Star Wars".
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, a multibillion-dollar franchise was born. Seven movies. Four decades later, there's a new take on the trilogy that started it all, a digital take, seen through the eyes of a young Luke Skywalker. This is a webtoon.
ANNOUNCER: Darth Vader.
HANCOCKS: An online version of a comic book that South Koreans love reading on their mobiles.
It starts with a stroke of a pencil. An artist's interpretation of a hallowed story, with the freedom to create new scenes not in the original films.
The job of "Star Wars" fan and Korean comic artist, Hon Jaka. Drawing up to 30 pictures a day, he says the only time he's not at his desk is when he's sleeping or eating.
"When I went to the Star Wars celebration, I suddenly realized how big this was and felt under pressure. Fans fight over different versions of the stories so I realize I will never be able to please everyone."
The struggling comic industry in the early 2000s led to the creation of South Korea's webtoon, now a $360 million market. It's expected to double within two years.
[02:55:17] (on camera): And this is the end product, your "Star Wars" webtoon on your phone, tablet, computer, wherever you want to watch it. It's already very popular here in South Korea, in the top 10. And just a few months ago, they translated it into English to tap into the global market.
(voice-over): The company behind that translation exported the "Star Wars" webtoons to the United States last October. Its other webtoons are already read in a number of Asian countries, including China.
One in three Koreans reads a webtoon almost every day. A cultural mania fueled by a fast Internet and obsession with Smartphones. They hope this can become a global obsession.
ANNOUNCER: May the force be with you.
HANCOCKS: Paula Hancocks, CNN, Seoul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHURCH: That's a lot of drawing in one day, for sure.
I'm Rosemary Church.
Next hour, more on the fallout over the so-called Panama Papers. I'll speak with an Icelandic lawmaker who is calling for the resignation of the country's prime minister.
We're back in a moment.
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