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Trump, Cruz Wage Battle for N.Y.; Carson: There Are Better GOP Candidates than Trump; What Super Delegates Mean for Party Conventions; Video Shows Brussels Attackers' Escape; Living under ISIS Rule in Iraq. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired April 07, 2016 - 13:30   ET

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


[13:30:00] RON NEHRING, NATIONAL SPOKESMAN, TED CRUZ PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN: -- like he's cancelled on previous commitments in the past like CPAC. Colorado, he cancelled that. We had information and it was already public, that he was going to hold a news conference at his location in California tomorrow. That was suddenly cancelled. We have an indication he was trying to organize a rally in the city of Fresno, California, for Friday. That was suddenly cancelled. So, you know, these are not the moves of a candidate who is confident and has his campaign together. We have seen the reports about the troubles that his campaign is having. And this would seem to be indicative of that.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Let's let Jeff respond.

Is he nervous about caring his home state?

JEFF DEWITT, ARIZONA STATE TREASURER & DONALD TRUMP SURROGATE: No, not at all. You saw the poll. We have other polls --

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: Why did he cancel visits out west?

DEWITT: There's a lot going on right now. Don't forget his daughter had a grandbaby. There's a lot happening here. It's nice to be home. A lot of the staff has been home just a handful of times in the last four months. So we have a lot of great things happening here. But nothing like that. In fact, I don't think he even half of what he said was true there. Trying to spin it into saying the campaign is in trouble, and --

(CROSSTALK)

NEHRING: No, no, no. He cancelled --

(CROSSTALK)

DEWITT: -- four times as many votes as Ted Cruz does here.

(CROSSTALK)

NEHRING: He cancelled his event in Los Angeles. He was supposed to have a press conference. He was going to California. He was trying to organize rally in the central valley and cancelled, and instead he's spending time in New York. As his spokesman said, he's re- diverting his resources back to New York. They scheduled it, publicized them, and cancelled them. That's absolutely true. And I'm just curious as to why.

BLITZER: Go ahead.

DEWITT: All we're doing -- look, these events were barely scheduled, a few of them. And they were tentative. And --

(CROSSTALK)

NEHRING: They were announced. They were not tentative.

DEWITT: Do you think honestly we're worried about New York?

NEHRING: His -- I'm just curious as to why you would -- why would you schedule a press conference in Los Angeles, at his property in rancho pal he is verdicts, told the press you were going to be there, told people you were coming and at the last minute that gets cancelled. I'm just curious as to why that was done.

DEWITT: Why does Senator Cruz run bills to triple the amount of immigrants to come into the country --

(CROSSTALK)

NEHRING: That doesn't answer why --

(CROSSTALK)

DEWITT: I answered the question.

NEHRING: That doesn't answer why these events were suddenly cancelled. Why would you schedule them, why would you tell everyone that you're coming to California, and then suddenly reverse it? Why would you tell people in Colorado you're going to be at their convention and then suddenly cancel it? I'm curious as to why. What's going on as to why these events --

(CROSSTALK)

NEHRING: Was this a staffing error? And why?

BLITZER: We're out of time. But very quickly, go ahead.

DEWITT: The better question to ask, Senator Cruz is telling Kasich to drop out because he has no mathematical chance --

NEHRING: That's not an answer.

DEWITT: -- to win when Senator Cruz has no more mathematical chance to win after the 26th.

(CROSSTALK)

NEHRING: Not answering the question.

(CROSSTALK)

DEWITT: -- take his own advice.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: Ron Nehring, we're going to move on.

You guys were excellent in your respective presentations. Thank you very much. We'll have much more on this coming up.

By the way, an important programming note to our viewers. Our Dana Bash will interview Senator Cruz on "Erin Burnett: OutFront," later tonight, 7:00 p.m. eastern, right here on CNN.

Thanks to both Jeff DeWitt and Ron Nehring.

One of Donald Trump's most prominent supporters, former Republican presidential candidate, Ben Carson, on CNN's "At This Hour" earlier today. Dr. Carson was asked to clarify comments he made recently that there were, quote, "Probably better Republican candidates than Donald Trump out there." Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Do you think there are better people out there to be president than Donald Trump?

DR. BEN CARSON, (R), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & DONALD TRUMP SURROGATE & RETIRED NEUROSURGEON: I don't think you have to really think about that. It doesn't matter what you're doing. There are better people than me at neurosurgery. There are better people than you being a broadcaster. There are better people at everything. But we have to utilize what we have. We have to make the best of it and improve it to the point where it is capable of being successful. That's what we should do in every field and in every endeavor. That's one of the reasons that I've spent so much time in the educational arena trying to get the most out of each one of our students, each of our citizens, because they will contribute to the strength and fabric of our country.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: When you say, "There are probably better people out there," did you have someone in mind?

CARSON: I don't think that's a useful place to go. (END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: All right. Coming up, we're going to sort through the mad scramble now for delegates, from so-called super delegates to unbound delegates. What does it mean for both parties' conventions in July? Our team getting ready to break it down for you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:38:30] BLITZER: This election cycle, it's all about the numbers. Democrats and Republicans fighting tooth and nail for every single delegate. What are the magic numbers, as they're called? What will it take to reach them?

Let's bring in correspondent, Phil Mattingly, to break it down for us; and our senior political analyst, senior editor for "The Atlantic," Ron Brownstein, to put it in perspective for us.

Phil, let's break down the numbers. Where do they stand now?

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're actually on the verge of talking about two potential contested conventions, completely wild. One is far more likely than the other.

Let's look at the Democrats first. The magic number here is 2,383. The number of delegates Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders needs to win. As it credible stands, with more 1600 delegates on the map remaining, Clinton needs to win 36 percent of those, Bernie Sanders, 77 percent, so a clear lead. Now take away the super delegates. This always the wild card here. Free agents that can go any way they want. Hillary Clinton only has a 129 delegate lead. That's what the Sanders campaign wants to look at. And they say they can flip them over. Reality is, in Democratic rules, super delegates matter. Hillary Clinton with a major lead in super delegates.

If you look at Republicans, and we know the math, 1,237, the only number anybody cares about. Contested convention looking far more likely. Donald Trump right now post-Wisconsin, 59 percent of the delegates remaining on the board. That's what he needs to get. Ted Cruz, 88 percent. John Kasich already mathematically eliminated, Wolf. You want to talk about why Cleveland right now is looking like an open convention, those numbers right there.

BLITZER: Yes, because Trump, he insists he can get that 59 percent.

MATTINGLY: There's a pathway there. Very narrow.

BLITZER: We'll see. It's obviously easier to get 59 percent than 88.

So, Ron, give perspective, history perspective, where the other candidates have been in the delegate race in past elections.

[13:40:14] RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yeah, I think it's extraordinary. We are I think witnessing the emergence of a new normal. If you go from the Ronald Reagan/Gerald Ford race in 1976 until Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in 2008, really only one race that was fought all the way up to the final day with the outcome, and Gary Hart and Walter Mondale in 1984. That was truly in doubt a21 the way to the end. But what we have seen in the last, what, eight years now between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in '80 and now the Democratic and Republican race this year, with more money, more media attention and more polarized parties, there are opportunities for candidates to extend these fights beyond the ending point that we had seen in previous races. I mean, it really would be extraordinary if we get to the final day on both sides and still have the nominations, at least technically or somewhat in doubt. It really I think is a change that we're witnessing and probably going to be with us for a while.

BLITZER: It would certainly make those conventions obviously a lot more exciting.

We've heard of pledged delegates, have heard of super delegates. Phil, there's also unbound delegates. Explain.

MATTINGLY: And to Ron's point, why all of a sudden these matter when they never have before.

On the Republican side, unbound delegates. CNN has found there are 183 unbound delegates coming from six states and three territories. Here's a good way to look at them. These are super delegates on the Republican side, not required to vote for any candidate and that is why you see with only 20 of these 183 committed, each campaign is targeting these delegates. Why? You talk about that 1,237 number. Say Donald Trump comes up 50 delegates short. He can look at these unbounds and go after them. I was in Fargo last week. They were choosing 28 unbound delegates. Ted Cruz showed up. Ben Carson showed up. Every campaign focused on that. The next state to pay really close attention to, Pennsylvania, 54 unbound delegates. Pennsylvania is about to get a lot of love from all three campaigns -- Wolf?

BLITZER: A week after New York, the 26th.

Guys, thanks very much.

Up next, stuck on the front lines. Families recall the horror of becoming human shields for ISIS as their villages become battle zones. Our own Arwa Damon risking her life right now to report live from Iraq. She'll join us.

And a brand-new video of a suspect in the Brussels airport attack. What it reveals about how he got away and why police are now desperately needing the public's help.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:46:31] BLITZER: The European law enforcement agency and the FBI, they have joined forces in it an effort to strengthen the fight against terrorists fighters. It comes as Belgian authorities receive sharp criticism for their handling of the Brussels terror attacks. Today they issued a fresh appeal for information leading to the identification of the so-called man in the hat. He's the suspect in the Brussels airport suicide bombing that killed 16 people last month. Prosecutors have pieced together closed circuit television footage -- you're seeing some of it -- of the suspect after he left the airport on foot. They also released a map of the path they say the man took, indicated by a tiny red dot. Authorities are desperately looking for anybody who may have spotted him during that time.

For more, I'm joined by Paul Cruickshank who spent time looking at this video.

What stands out for you? PAUL CRUICKSHANK, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: When the bombs go off, he

walks, very briskly, out of the departure terminal and continues walking for quite a long time. And indeed, walks all the way back into the center of Brussels, and back towards the commune of Schaerbeek in Brussels where the bomb factory was, where he set off, they understand, earlier that day from the bomb factory, picked up by a taxi driver who dropped three of the bombers off at the airport. One didn't die in the attack. He's at large.

And they clearly released this CCTV surveillance now, because they just do not know who he is and they want to identify him before he is potentially able to strike again.

BLITZER: CCTV, the closed-circuit TV.

At one point, he threw away his raincoat. And forensic experts, others, they really want to find that raincoat. What evidence potentially could it show?

CRUICKSHANK: It could be a gold mine of clues. So you're looking at pocket, things like receipts or a taxi receipt or something like that, which could hone you in on the guy's identity, the guy's location, where he has been in the last few days. If he's not careful and he's left something, even a small receipt or something like that, in the coat. They can also do DNA analysis and match that to DNA of known terror suspects to see if he's somebody on the known database.

BLITZER: Paul Cruickshank, thank you very much. Hopefully, that video will help someone identify the terror suspect.

Appreciate it.

Let's go to Syria where the state run news agency is reporting ISIS terrorists captured more than 300 workers and contractors at a cement company outside Damascus. These kinds of tactics make it harder to defeat ISIS.

In Iraq, for instance, the army is trying to capture the ISIS stronghold of Mosul, the second-largest city in Iraq, a city that once had more than two million people.

But there are grave concerns about civilians being caught in the crossfire and about ISIS using them as so-called human shields.

Our senior international correspondent, Arwa Damon, talked to people who experienced firsthand the life of people under ISIS rule. She has more in this exclusive report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The latest arrivals at this refugee camp are not those who fled ISIS. They are those who say ISIS used them as human shields and didn't let them leave. They're from a handful of villages the Iraqi army recently recaptured from ISIS.

The men are kept at the camp's mosque, a security precaution amid concerns ISIS is in the village.

[13:49:53] "Isis put my family into each home in the middle of the village," Abu Sarat recalled.

Like many here, he does not want his identity revealed. He still has loved ones at the mercy of ISIS and has already witnessed and lost too much.

Abu and his family could hear the army's advance and hoped finally that they would be saved. But in the fierce clashes, Abu's younger brother was hit as he pulled his niece away from the window.

"He shouted, I am shot, get me," Abu Sarat says.

The memory of that movement so painful, he can no longer control his emotions.

"He said, I don't want to die. But he bled out in our arms."

With us, Abu is able to leave the mosque grounds, and we head to see the rest of his family. He says they did not flee when ISIS first arrived nearly two years ago because his elderly mother could not run away, a mother who has buried her son.

"What is left," she now questions. "At least God spared the rest."

Their stories of life under ISIS make your skin crawl.

Abu worked at a hospital in Mosul.

"I was forced to keep working. He said, if you don't, I will leave your head on the hospital gate," he tells us.

Once, he was stopped in the street and forced to witness a public mass execution.

In another instance, on the way to the market, he says, "We saw people hanging from the electricity pole. We asked why. They said they were trying to leave. If you try to escape, this will be your fate."

The women also hide their faces. But little can hide the lingering fear, the overwhelming psychological trauma or the pain.

This woman says the house ISIS held her family in as the Iraqi army advanced was hit by a mortar. She was injured. Her 15-year-old son killed. Her last image of him, with blood coming out of his eyes, nose, mouth.

"It's all memories," she says, before it becomes too much and she walks away.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Heartbreaking, indeed.

Arwa's joining us live from Erbil in Iraq. Arwa, very disturbing accounts in this report. What else were you

told by those you've been talking to? Because this is clearly a critical moment right now.

DAMON: It is, Wolf, and the vast majority of them are still unspeakably concerned of those they know who still live in the numerous villages that ISIS controls, as well as those who still live in Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city. They say that they do hope that the Iraqi army will be able to advance towards them. That is an advance that at this stage has been paused, whilst they wait for reinforcements, but they're also afraid that ISIS going to continue to employ the same tactics and not allow people to leave.

Their stories of suffering are incredible. Fathers worried about their daughters, worried that ISIS fighters would come and ask for their hand in marriage. Then they would not be able to say no. They would be forced to give their daughters over to ISIS. Those who were worried about the wrong step, the wrong word that would end up seeing them lashed or, even, worse, executed. There were a lot of people who were also marveling at how ISIS initially conducted it business of going out and kidnapping people who they suspected were part of the Iraqi security forces and how they managed to effectively manipulate the population in these villages and in the city of Mosul by convincing them to stay behind, convincing them that they would not impact their lives, and then seeing the truth emerge and having to suffer under this brutal ISIS regime for so long. It's an impossible situation that they find themselves in -- Wolf?

BLITZER: You spent a lot of time, also, Arwa, with the Iraqi army. What's taking them so long? It's been two years now since is took over Mosul, the second-largest city in Iraq. Why can't the Iraqi army, which has hundreds of thousands of troops, simply move into that city and recapture it, liberate it?

DAMON: Wolf, they're still fraught with problems and challenges at every single level. So far, when they initially launch this operation, the first phase of it, they managed to fairly quickly recapture three villages. They were very brilliant about that success. Then they tried to move on to another village recently and there they actually managed to get in, backed by coalition air strikes, secure most of the village, Wolf, and then there was some sort of misstep, miscommunication, that led to their inadvertent retreat, and then ISIS moved back in. And now these operations are on hold until reinforcements can arrive. And this is just an indication of just how difficult it is going to be for the Iraqi army to press forward, even with the U.S. advisers, even with the U.S. and coalition air support that they are currently receiving.

[13:55:12] Add to all of that, the population in Mosul is still there. ISIS has been able to fortify itself in that city for the last two years. We've been seeing ISIS employing tactics such as waves of suicide bombs, car bombs, booby trapping passages and homes. So pushing into Mosul is not something that is going to be happening any time soon. It is going to be a very difficult battle, arguably, a big challenge for Iraqi and for the U.S.

BLITZER: Arwa Damon, reporting for us. Arwa, thank you very much for doing what you're doing. You're doing a great job for all of viewers.

That's it for me. Thanks very much for watching. I'll be back 5:00 p.m. eastern, in "The Situation Room."

For our international viewers, "Amanpour" is next.

For viewers in North America, NEWSROOM with Brooke Baldwin will start after this quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)