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Trump Criticizes Rigged Delegate System; John Kasich Calls Delegate Hunt a Bizarre Process; Clinton, Sanders Clash Ahead of CNN Debate. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired April 12, 2016 - 09:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[09:00:07] CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now in the NEWSROOM, the race coming down to two words. Got delegates? And fight for them getting ugly.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's a rigged, disgusting, dirty system. It's a dirty system. And only a nonpolitician would say it.

SEN. TED CRUZ (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Donald has been yelling and screaming. A lot of whining. I'm sure some cursing.

COSTELLO: But John Kasich is not sweating it.

GOV. JOHN KASICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If I'm the only one that can win in the fall, how do you pick somebody else?

COSTELLO: And the Democrats? Well, they're not playing any nicer.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Doing something extremely radical but telling the American people the truth.

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have noticed that under the bright spotlight and scrutiny here in New York, Senator Sanders has had trouble answering questions.

COSTELLO: Let's talk. Live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me. Donald Trump calls Hillary Clinton a liar and says she's, quote, "guilty as hell." But his greatest fury may be reserved for the very part he wants to represent in November against her.

The Republican frontrunner says the GOP delegate system is rigged against him. This after Colorado awards all of its delegates to Ted Cruz without a single voter casting a ballot. Trump firing up a crowd in Albany with New York's all important primary just one week from today. And he has a dominant lead in New York. According to this new NBC-"Wall Street Journal"-Marist poll his home state could deliver his first win by an outright majority of more than 50 percent.

Phil Mattingly is here with more on that. Good morning, Phil.

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, Carol. In Donald Trump's ideal world, the New York primary would really set the pathway for him to reaching that magic 1237 number. The number of delegates needed to secure the Republican nomination before the convention. But 2016 is hardly an ideal cycle, that means Donald Trump has to deal with the rules. Many by state Republican Parties who are really causing major problems for the Trump campaign.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TRUMP: It's a rigged, disgusting, dirty system.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): Donald Trump, sounding off.

TRUMP: It's a fix. They said they're going to do it by delegate. Oh, isn't that nice?

MATTINGLY: Criticizing the primary system in Colorado after losing all 34 state delegates to Ted Cruz over the weekend. RNC chairman Reince Priebus taking to Twitter to defend the process writing, "The rules were set last year. Nothing mysterious. Nothing new. The rules have not changed."

Ted Cruz also responding to Trump's frustration at a rally in California.

CRUZ: Donald, it ain't stealing when the voters vote against you. It is the voters reclaiming this country and reclaiming sanity.

MATTINGLY: And blaming the frontrunner's losses on the failures of Trump's own campaign.

CRUZ: Their team is not remotely organized on the ground. It's not based on the people. Donald is about Donald.

MATTINGLY: John Kasich acknowledging the complex delegate rules in a CNN town hall last night.

KASICH: A bizarre process. I'm not really in the middle of it.

MATTINGLY: Colorado just the latest state where Trump has been outmaneuvered by Cruz in key delegate fights.

TRUMP: When everything is done I find out I get less delegates than this guy that got his ass kicked, OK? Give me a break.

MATTINGLY: Trump looking to New York to shift the tide back in his favor.

TRUMP: He's Lying Ted Cruz, folks, remember that. And he does not like the people of New York. And that came out loud and clear.

MATTINGLY: Even though his own children missed the registration deadline and won't be able to vote for their father in his home state. TRUMP: They were, you know, unaware of the rules. I think they have

to register a year in advance and they didn't. So Eric and Ivanka I guess won't be voting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MATTINGLY: So Donald Trump minus at least two votes in the state of New York. But look, Donald Trump obviously in a very good position here for that primary just a week from today. 95 delegates at stake. Trump's advisers say he will win a good portion for them. Maybe even all of them but the real question for the campaign remains the ground operation. Ted Cruz has really outmaneuvered them on every level right now.

You've seen the frustration coming out of Donald Trump, Carol. But his team really needs to work hard to try and right the ship. Something they've spent the last couple of days trying to figure out behind closed doors -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. Phil Mattingly, thanks so much.

As Donald Trump criticizes the delegate system, rival John Kasich says the whole process is bizarre. During CNN's town hall moderated by Anderson Cooper Kasich said he believes the nomination will not be decided until the convention and when that happens the delegates will be on his side.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KASICH: We're reaching out, Anderson, all over. And you know, it's a bizarre process. For a month I've been saying we're going to the convention.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Right.

KASICH: And the key is delegate growth. But we are certainly not going to use Gestapo tactics to win delegates.

[09:05:01] COOPER: Do you think the system is fair, the way it is?

KASICH: Yes - -

COOPER: Donald Trump was saying it's all rigged. It's the senator.

KASICH: Well, it's sort of a scrum. We will become a very serious heavy matter when we get into that convention, and it's all about the delegates.

COOPER: And you believe that in the second round or the third round.

KASICH: Yes. Just like Lincoln.

COOPER: It's going to go to you.

KASICH: Yes. I mean, I think -- I don't know how many rounds it's going to take. But look. If I'm the only one who can win in the fall, how do you pick somebody else?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Let's bring in CNN politics executive director -- you're executive editor, rather. I'm sorry I messed up your title, Mark Preston.

OK. But that's because I'm so confused by John Kasich. So what is he hoping for? That Donald Trump and Ted Cruz will destroy each other and then he'll just get, you know, move right in?

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Absolutely. Look, he's looking for Donald Trump and John Kasich to go into Cleveland so bloodied up and so battered that he could be the unifier that the establishment Republicans will get behind. Now when we look at the Republican national convention by and large it really is the establishment. There are grassroots activists who make up the delegates but the rules were created by the establishment, voted on by the grassroots. But the fact of the matter is John Kasich is just hoping that these two men are so injured that he could become the unifier in the end.

COSTELLO: So it is possible that he could be the nominee. And then the other question I have of course is Donald Trump says he's -- maybe he's open to the idea of John Kasich being his vice president. But would that really happen?

PRESTON: Well, a couple of things. One, it's possible for anyone to become the Republican nominee if they are to change the rules the week before the convention which would allow anyone's name to be put into the nomination. Now John Kasich is hoping that rule gets changed in order for that to happen. Now if that doesn't happen and he were put into the mix to be vice president, he says he's not so keen on that idea.

Let's hear what he said last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Trump in an interview with "USA Today" said that he likes you, he likes Marco Rubio, and kind of named you in a list of people he might even consider for vice president.

KASICH: Are you asking me if I would be his vice president?

COOPER: Would you?

KASICH: Zero.

COOPER: Absolutely not.

KASICH: Zero. I'm not going to be anybody's vice president.

COOPER: Do you --

KASICH: I would be the worst vice president the country ever saw. Do you know why? Because I'm not like a vice president. I'm a president. You know --

COOPER: You don't want to be second fiddle.

KASICH: Well, it's not so much about that, Anderson. Look, I'm running for the top job and if I don't get the top job, OK, I'm still governor of Ohio, which, you know, Mayor Koch one time ran for governor of New York and he didn't win. And they asked what he thought, he said, well, you know, I may not be governor of New York but you know I'm -- mayor of New York City and that ain't bad.

And so I will be governor and then that's what will happen, but I'm not even thinking that way because I do believe at the end of the day, you know, our crowds are growing. You know, we were in Greece, New York, we had four 4,000 people on Saturday. For the first time the people are finally starting to hear the message that I have and we're growing. So I'm optimistic going forward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PRESTON: And then you had there John Kasich saying that he would not be interested in being VP but of course he has to say this at this time in the campaign.

One thing to keep in mind, though, John Kasich has a lot of experience in Washington. He has a lot of executive experience. 18 electoral votes in Ohio. Very, very important a battle ground state. If John Kasich were on the ticket, if he does not win the nomination, he would be an asset to whoever the Republican nominee is.

COSTELLO: We'll see. Mark Preston, thanks so much.

So Kasich says the way we elect presidential nominees is bizarre and you can certainly understand why. The candidates not only have to persuade you to vote for them but the delegates, too. And right now the fight for delegates seems way more important than your vote does.

So let's bring in our guests to talk about that. Scottie Nell Hughes is a Donald Trump supporter and national political commentator for USA Radio Networks, Bob Barr, he supports Ted Cruz and is a former Georgia congressman, and CNN political analyst and "Daily Beast" editor in chief, John Avlon also joins me.

Welcome to all of you.

JOHN AVLON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: Good morning. So, John, Mr. Trump accuses Senator Cruz of luring delegates with crooked shenanigans. There is no evidence of that but what is to stop Cruz or Trump for that matter from plying delegates with gifts to buy favor?

AVLON: Very little. I mean, you know, God forbid anyone invoke shenanigans in politics. But, I mean, you know, this is a very murky process and the rules are the rules. And you've got to work the rules the way they are. Crying about it is not going to help you. But I'm going to say something really, I -- Donald Trump has a point. The system is rigged. And that is a function of the federalized rules of the different states.

And if one thing is going to come out of this whole insane presidential race, it should be a new move towards election reform with more openness, more transparency and more accountability across the board. Because this system is designed to be rigged by party bosses and party activists and that is a big part of the problem in our politics that's led to the polarization, that's led to these insane candidates, frankly.

COSTELLO: So with that in mind, Scottie, when Mr. Trump ordered supporters to refrain from offering delegates gifts or money for their support?

[09:10:04] SCOTTIE NELL HUGHES, NATIONAL POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, USA RADIO NETWORKS: Well, I don't think he would encourage, I don't think he could refrain. But I have to tell you, Donald Trump is not like your typical --

COSTELLO: You said he could not refrain? He would not refrain?

HUGHES: No. I don't think he's going to actually encourage or refrain. I mean, he can't help what the people are doing. But I don't think he's going to be one of those to wine and dine his delegates. I don't think that's the way he plays. I think that's maybe in business is what you do but in politics he's been nontraditional and if that's how you're going to get a vote is because --

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: He's also a businessman.

HUGHES: And you can do that in business. But he hasn't taken some of the same things we've seen in business apply in politics. If he's sitting here and he's sitting here talking about being transparent and that the system is rigged like what we saw in Colorado, (INAUDIBLE) politician, and he is not a politician, I don't think he's going to follow along those games.

Listen, Ted Cruz did a great job in Colorado. He got his delegate team together back in January in 2015. I think he was expecting to go against a fellow conservative. I think he was ready to fight the establishment when it came to the convention in Colorado. But instead he got a conservative. And I think it's really interesting to sit here and watch these delegates sit here that were organized back in August. And Mr. Trump kind of -- you know, kind of shocked at the fact that, you know, that they weren't actually able to get much of a play in Colorado when those of us watching the rules back in the fall said we're going to have an issue in Colorado if we do not start kind of looking at the delegates that are being recruited by those within the Cruz campaign.

COSTELLO: Bob, you know, the FEC, it doesn't require delegates to disclose individual contributions. So even if a campaign offered gifts to delegates or money we would never know, right? BOB BARR, TED CRUZ SUPPORTER: Well, I really think that this is all

like kind of overrated. What Senator Cruz did in Colorado has nothing to do with offering gifts or, you know, offering to fly somebody on a plane or giving them a coffee cup or whatnot. It has to do with one thing and one thing only. And that is the Cruz campaign understands the rules, worked within the rules and works hard and wins delegates that way. That is really what this is all about. And the Trump campaign simply didn't do that.

COSTELLO: I know I can't get off this topic, John, but I want to ask you one more question about the delegates and the money and the contributions. What do you expect will happen? Will we see donors offering swag bags to delegates or free plane rides as Bob suggested or maybe a great bottle of wine?

AVLON: Look. I mean, this is going to be a total political free-for- all. And that's fascinating to cover. And they'll walk right up to the line in some cases cross it. But this is going to be an all out, you know, street fight for delegates on the way to Cleveland. And right now the Cruz campaign has out-organized the Trump campaign. There's no question about that. So you're going to see effectively an arms race to sway delegates if the Trump campaign is determined to get their act together. Otherwise they're going to have more unforced errors like Colorado going forward.

COSTELLO: OK. So let's talk about John Kasich for just a minute because he was with his family last night at CNN's town hall. He showed a much softer side. And I'd like to -- I'd like you to listen to this exchange.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He just tries to tell jokes that he thinks are funny but --

(LAUGHTER)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're mostly just funny to us because they're dumb.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He also thinks he's a really good dancer.

COOPER: Uh-oh.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So north-south.

KASICH: North-south, that's exactly right.

COOPER: Wait, north-south? Is that his move?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

KASICH: Well, you have to go north and south. You can't do this over bite. You have to go north south and -- COOPER: Wow.

KASICH: Yes. Yes, it's very -- and I'm really, really good. Just kidding. Don't you think, Reese? I've gotten better.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, but you're not going to go on "Dancing with the Stars."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: All right and we'll get a chance to see the whole Trump family tonight on CNN's town hall. But, Scottie, I'll ask you this. John Kasich said he wouldn't even consider being Donald Trump's vice president. Do you think Donald Trump is serious when he says he would like to invite John Kasich on his ticket?

HUGHES: I think he might have. I mean, he's actually been very praising of Governor Kasich and some of the things he's done. He's also been very critical. I don't think that was a good response for somebody who's in third place to say that he would have nothing to do with being the vice president. I think that was not really necessarily a wise thing for him to say. I think what we saw last night was the softer side. It's the sears side of John Kasich. But we're not electing someone who's a good father because all three men follow in that footsteps.

What we're electing is somebody that has a proven success and somebody that can take something that's been absolutely abysmal and like our United States economy and build it into the something great and that is what Mr. Trump has the track record of doing --

COSTELLO: Well, let me --

HUGHES: -- and why the majority of Republicans are supporting him.

COSTELLO: Let me ask you this, Bob. John Kasich, he's determined to stay in the race. There is no possible way he can get enough delegates to win. It's just not possible. So is he hoping that Ted Cruz and Donald Trump will just blow up and be so bloodied along the way, as Mark Preston suggested, that John Kasich will just shoot right in there, you know, on the third ballot at the delegation or at the convention rather?

[09:15:09] BARR: I think if that's what John Kasich is hoping for, he's doomed to be very disappointed at the convention. The way things are shaping up, the two front runners, Donald Trump and senator Cruz are going to enter the convention in Cleveland way far ahead of John Kasich.

There are various other candidates including Marco Rubio for example, who already has more delegates committed to him than John Kasich does who will be jockeying to have a say who the eventual nominee. But if the Republican reaches that far down to John Kasich and overlooks Senator Cruz, for example, in the second or third ballot, which will probably be the decisive ballot, then I think they'd be making a very serious mistake and it would probably doom the Republican candidate, the Republican nominee to failure in the fall.

JOHN AVLON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Carol --

BARR: I mean, this notion that Kasich keeps throwing around that he's the only one that can beat Hillary is just nonsense.

AVLON: Bob --

COSTELLO: John, last word.

AVLON: Yes, look, Bob. It is based in just head-to-head polling, John Kasich had been doing better head-to-head against Hillary Clinton beating her than Trump or Cruz for a lock time. And the fact that John Kasich is languishing in third says more about off center the Republican Party and less about his strength of a candidate, a two- term swing state governor, fiscal conservative, a former member of the House of Representatives against a one term senator and a celebrity demagogue. Ignoring electability --

(CROSSTALK)

SCOTTIE NELL HUGHES, TRUMP SUPPORTER: He's losing among the popular vote.

COSTELLO: OK.

AVLON: -- is so off center that the most qualified guy to win who does the best in the general election is having a hard time breaking in. That is a mark of the problem with the Republican Party right now, not necessarily John Kasich as the candidate.

(CROSSTALK)

COSTELLO: I have to leave it there. Scottie Nell Hughes, Bob Barr, John Avlon, thanks to all of you.

CNN's Republican presidential town hall is with the candidates and their families continue tonight, 9:00 p.m. Eastern. Donald Trump, his wife Melania, his daughters Ivanka and Tiffany, his sons Eric and Don Jr. will take questions from the voters of New York, only on CNN. And tomorrow night, it's Ted and Heidi Cruz's turn.

Still to come in NEWSROOM: Hillary Clinton fending off attacks from all sides. But is there one jab that won't go away she needs to answer to? We'll talk about that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:21:35] COSTELLO: Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton hitting the trail this morning ahead of what's expected to be a fiery didn't on Thursday. But Clinton is not just taking hits from Sanders. Donald Trump letting it rip over her e-mails last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It would take anybody else down but it is not going to take her down because she's being protected by the Democrats, which is a disgrace. But she's going to have to live with that when she runs because everybody knows that she is guilty as hell. OK?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Chris Frates is in Rochester with more on this.

Good morning.

CHRIS FRATES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning, Carol.

Yes, Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton are going at it like two cats in a bag, slamming each other on guns, on Wall Street and on their policy positions. In fact, Hillary Clinton putting o new spin on an old dig, saying a lot of guns coming out of Bernie Sanders' home state of Vermont are being used in crimes in New York and suggesting that Sanders is having trouble dealing with the spotlight of that famously aggressive New York City press corps.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have noticed that under the bright spotlight and scrutiny here in New York, Senator Sanders has had trouble answering questions. He's had trouble answering questions about his core issue.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRATES: Now, Bernie Sanders is firing back, slamming Clinton for giving six figure speeches to Wall Street firms and questioning her judgment, including her vote for the Iraq war. That's a vote Hillary Clinton has since said was a mistake, but this doesn't seem to be hurting her at all here in New York. She's leading by double digits in many of the polls that are out.

In fact, she's starting to take aim at Republicans, out with a Donald Trump ad yesterday and both Donald Trump and Ted Cruz are firing back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Her whole life has been a big, fat, beautiful life. It's been a terrible, terrible lie. Everything about her is a lie.

SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I do have good news for Hillary's legal team. Going forward, Hillary is going to be able to use any e-mail server she would like, because she will never again be an employee of the United States government.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRATES: Now, with only a week to go until this crucial New York primary, Hillary Clinton is taking and receiving fire in all directions, Carol. Things are really starting to heat up on the campaign trail. We're getting ready to hear from Bernie Sanders in a few moments. We'll see what he has to about the top of the hour.

COSTELLO: We'll get back at you. Chris Frates, thanks so much.

Attacks on Hillary Clinton ramping up and one thing that seems to stick are the digs on her Goldman Sachs speeches.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANDERS: Secretary Clinton has given a number of speeches on Wall Street. Goldman Sachs and to other financial institutions --

(CROWD BOOS)

For $250,000 a speech. I am prepared to release all of the transcripts of all of the speeches.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

[09:25:05] Of all of the speeches that I gave on Wall Street, and that is pretty easy. There were no speeches.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: With me now is the chief strategist for Hillary for America, Joel Benenson. Welcome.

Welcome, Joel.

JOEL BENENSON, HILLARY FOR AMERICA CHIEF STRATEGIST: Thank you, Carol.

COSTELLO: Before we get into the Democratic attacks on Hillary Clinton let's talk about the Republican attacks, because she's getting it from all sides.

BENENSON: From all sides, no doubt about it.

COSTELLO: But you get a taste how nasty the race might be f it's either Donald Trump or Ted Cruz against Hillary Clinton.

BENENSON: Look, that's one of the things about Hillary Clinton. This isn't her first time to the rodeo. You know, she's been tested before. She's been attacked by Republicans for decades. They do it every time she runs for office. And so, we're not surprised.

But, you know, first candidate I ever worked for was Mario Cuomo. And he said the old Western movies, the guy being chased doesn't turn around and shoot at people from behind. They are firing at her.

I mean, they know she's in front. They are trying to catch up. They are not going to do it with the kind of bluster and bigotry that Donald Trump has been saying --

COSTELLO: But the attacks Sanders on a controversy that doesn't seem to go away for Hillary Clinton. When they say things like she's going to be taken away in handcuffs, she's going to be serving from jail, some of that may stick only because, not whether she's guilty or innocent per se, but only because it's dragging on.

BENENSON: Look, the voters are hearing this all play out. They have been months. She's answered all of these questions and when voters are going to the polls, Hillary Clinton has more votes than anybody.

She has a million more votes than Donald Trump, who brags about the record turnout he's got. She's got a million more votes than Trump. She's got 2.4 million more than Sanders.

So, I think the voters are making a decision about who will be the best president to make a real difference in their lives, someone with a proven record of getting results that makes a difference in their lives.

COSTELLO: Doesn't she hope that the FBI will just wrap up its investigation and it would be done, what -- however it falls.

BENENSON: Carol, she's said for months and said it recently when she was asked about it again. She would be happy to answer questions and help them get their review to conclusion. You can't control that process. But she's been answered -- she answered 11 hours of questions from a congressional committee. And she said she'll answer questions from the FBI.

I think what voters are focused on, and all of these attacks are coming and you look at a state like New York. Every day, Senator Sanders launches another attack. He seems to not be holding up well under the scrutiny of an aggressive New York press corps. They're just asking tough questions.

But she continues to lead by double digits. And I think that says that voters are making a judgment about what they are hearing from each of the candidates.

COSTELLO: You heard his comment about the Goldman Sachs speeches, you know, and his line which she's used many times before. But it gets really good reaction from the large crowds he does attract, even here in the state of New York, right?

BENENSON: Yes, well --

COSTELLO: So, why doesn't Hillary Clinton just release the speeches and call it a day?

BENENSON: Look, she has said she'll release transcripts when every candidate who's given speeches in this race does. Excuse me --

COSTELLO: But she's running against Bernie Sanders at the moment, no one else.

BENENSON: She is. Yes, but, you know, Bernie Sanders hasn't released his tax returns yet. The only two candidates in the race who I think who haven't done that are Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump. One is a billionaire. The other brags he's not a billionaire. I don't know why he's not releasing his tax returns.

But I think the point here is --

COSTELLO: So, you're making something in Bernie Sanders' taxes --

BENENSON: Carol, I think the point is everything that you have asked me about today and these candidates are talking about is not what's affecting voters' lives, and they are making judgments and we've had millions of people on both sides vote in these races and what they voted for more, almost 10 million people now, have voted for the candidate who's going to deliver results who can make a difference in their lives economically so they can get ahead, who knows how to keep us safe from threats around the world and work together with the other side to get things done. That is what she did as first lady when she got healthcare for 8 million children. It's what she did in the Senate and she helped rebuild New York and get healthcare for veterans and national reservists.

COSTELLO: Joel Benenson, thank you so much for stopping by. Appreciate it.

BENENSON: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders will duke it out at the next Democratic debate. That will happen this Thursday. It will be the first time both candidates have been on stage face-to-face in more than five weeks. Wolf Blitzer is the moderator, starts at 9:00 Eastern, only on CNN.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, the Republican delegate fight heats up. Why Donald Trump isn't the only who's mad?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a copy of my -- the Republican Party registration. I've been a Republican all my life. But I will never be a Republican again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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