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Donald Trump Lambasts What He Called Rigged Delegate System; Sanders Picks Up First Senate Endorsement; New York Daily News Endorse Clinton. Aired 9-9:30a ET
Aired April 13, 2016 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[09:00:00] CUOMO: Isn't that great? Zach is still working to produce more of the devices to help those who suffer from Alzheimer's to help them actively remember what they so desperately don't want to forget.
PEREIRA: Sealing people's memories.
CAMEROTA: Yes. I mean, music is such a trigger of memories.
PEREIRA: It is.
CAMEROTA: What a great idea. Time now for "NEWSROOM" with Carol Costello.
PEREIRA: Good morning.
CAMEROTA: Hey, Carol.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Thanks so much. You guys have a great day.
CAMEROTA: You too.
COSTELLO: NEWSROOM starts now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Happening now in the NEWSROOM, Donald Trump at war with the RNC.
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I know it's stacked against me by the establishment. This was a dirty trick. These are dirty tricksters.
COSTELLO: And Cruz piled on.
SEN. TED CRUZ (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Donald wakes up at night in cold sweats that people would call him Losing Donald.
COSTELLO: Plus, big crowds for Bernie Sanders before the big debate.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please welcome Bernie Sanders.
COSTELLO: But is Hillary getting a boost from Bill.
BILL CLINTON, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: She's better qualified to be president for this time than I was when I ran.
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, billionaire, political flame thrower, family man. That last role front and center in CNN's town hall event. But nothing compared to the heat and friction between him and his own party's leader.
The GOP's top boss firing back as Trump steam rolls towards Tuesday's all-important primary in New York. According to a new Quinnipiac poll Trump has more support than both of his rivals combined and Trump could win his first outright majority.
CNN's Michelle Kosinski is here with more on that. Good morning, Michelle.
MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol. Right. Trump started out this whole thing with attacks on his own party. I think the most heard phrase was "stacked against me." Over and over again. He also did throw in the phrases "make America great again," of course, and don't forget, "so presidential."
But we got to see Trump in this different environment. I mean, not yelling. Extremely calm. Talking about his relationships with his family. The look on his face when for the most part he let his kids do most of the talking. And how often do you hear Donald Trump described as selfless?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: You don't think the RNC wants you to get the nomination?
D. TRUMP: No, I don't think so --
KOSINSKI (voice-over): Republican frontrunner Donald Trump calling out the Republican National Committee during CNN's town hall Tuesday night, accusing them of conspiring to keep him from clinching the GOP nomination by denying him delegates.
D. TRUMP: I won Louisiana. I won it easily. So --
COOPER: You won the popular vote. He got more delegates.
TRUMP: I won the popular vote. And because of all these shenanigans that goes on --
COOPER: But you call them shenanigans, those are the rules. And didn't you know them?
D. TRUMP: You know why -- I know the rules very well. But I know that it's stacked against me by the establishment.
KOSINSKI: Trump alleging the Republican Party is, quote, "100 percent" controlled by the RNC and that rules were changed to stop him.
D. TRUMP: And they changed the rules a number of months ago. The people --
COOPER: About eight months ago.
D. TRUMP: Well, that's not very long ago.
COOPER: But you had a lot of time to prepare a better organization?
D. TRUMP: Do you know why they changed the rules? Because they saw how I was doing and they didn't like it.
KOSINSKI: The Trump's family later joining the candidate on stage. Trump's daughters taking on critics who say their father is disrespectful to women.
IVANKA TRUMP, DONALD TRUMP'S DAUGHTER: He always taught me that there wasn't anything that I couldn't do. And I don't think that's the message a father would relay to a daughter who he didn't believe had the potential to accomplish exactly what her brothers could.
KOSINSKI: Both pointing to their upbringing as evidence of an equal opportunity father and business mogul.
TIFFANY TRUMP, DONALD TRUMP'S DAUGHTER: My father since I've been a little girl has always just inspired me and had so much faith in me to just be the best person I can be, the best woman I can be.
KOSINSKI: Trump admitting that when it comes to debates, his family sometimes wishes he would lighten up.
D. TRUMP: They're always saying, be nicer on the debates. I say, wait a minute, they're coming at me from all these different angles. How can I be nice? But Melania in particular would say be nicer in the debates. I said I can't do that. I have to win first.
KOSINSKI: Donald Trump Jr. agrees.
DONALD TRUMP JR., DONALD TRUMP'S SON: Everyone talks about that tone. But there also comes a time where you actually have to put the hammer down. Right? There comes a time where, you know, being nice and trying to do all this stuff, when people are laughing at your face, you have to actually fight back. And that's what's so important about what he does.
KOSINSKI: Trump's wife Melania pushing her husband to act for presidential.
COOPER: How would you like him to be different?
MELANIA TRUMP, DONALD TRUMP'S WIFE: Just to use nice language sometimes.
COOPER: Better language.
M. TRUMP: Better language.
COOPER: I know you --
M. TRUMP: Not all the time.
COOPER: You were upset when --
M. TRUMP: Not all the time. Sometimes I agree with it.
COOPER: Somebody yelled out something at one of his rallies.
M. TRUMP: Correct, and he repeat it.
COOPER: And you were upset with that.
M. TRUMP: Yes. And I was thinking just don't repeat it because next day the press all they will talk about the word, inappropriate word, and that was correct.
KOSINSKI: And on changing his tone, Trump says he can switch it up any time.
D. TRUMP: It's easy to do it. I mean, it's easier to do it than the way I behave right now. But --
COOPER: So why not?
[09:05:03] D. TRUMP: I have to, because I have two more people I have to take out.
KOSINSKI: But when it comes to the re-tweeting that sparked Trump's recent war of wives last month with Ted Cruz, Trump says, yes, it's the re-tweets that usually get him in hot water and that it is all his own doing.
D. TRUMP: During the evenings after 7:00 or so, I will always do it by myself.
COOPER: Melania, do you ever want to say to him put the mobile device down? That like --
M. TRUMP: I did.
COOPER: At 2:00 a.m. and you're still tweeting.
M. TRUMP: Anderson, if he would only listen. I did many times. And I just say, OK, do whatever you want. He's an adult.
COOPER: Right.
M. TRUMP: He knows the consequences.
KOSINSKI: But it's the special bond they say they all have with their father that Trumps it all.
ERIC TRUMP, DONALD TRUMP'S SON: He's just always had so much love for us and this whole family. He's an amazing guy, one of my best friends in the entire world, maybe my best friend in the entire world.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOSINSKI: And the Trump family was always going to be very controlled, perfectly poised and ready. That was not unexpected. But there were some little moments in there. I think it was interesting to hear Trump in his own words describe how Trump tweets are born exactly. How do they get out there into the world.
COSTELLO: He just shouts them out.
KOSINSKI: Yes. He said he shouts them out to the young ladies in the office. Now we know.
COSTELLO: Now we know. Michelle Kosinski, many thanks.
So setting aside Donald Trump's conspiracy theory the Republicans may indeed face a nominee battle at their convention. It's simple math, no one may accumulate the number of delegates required to clinch the nomination and that's fueling a guessing game on who's name could enter the discussion.
Phil Mattingly has that for you this morning. Good morning, Phil.
PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Good morning, Carol. We are less than a week from the New York primary and none of the three GOP candidates are actually in New York. Donald Trump, Ted Cruz in Pennsylvania, John Kasich in Maryland. And here's why, it's all about the delegates. All about that math, Carol. Those are the next primaries up and all of those candidates trying to work towards more delegates as they try and get to that convention where they currently stand.
Now, Carol, GOP operatives need to get used to these three candidates. At least that is what Paul Ryan has to say yesterday, making it very clear that he is no longer and never will be an option as a Republican nominee. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Does mean we could see someone like Scott Walker, Marco Rubio or Jeb Bush --
REP. PAUL RYAN (R), HOUSE SPEAKER: I'm not going to foreclose anybody's option. You have to be one of the candidates running for president. Who ran for president. It's going to be a new person, I can tell you that.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: It's not going to be you?
RYAN: And it's not going to be me.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: So to be very clear, you're not running for president.
RYAN: Yes. That's to be very clear. Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MATTINGLY: Seriously, Paul Ryan is not running for president according to Paul Ryan. But he did leave the door open to more or less anybody who has run for president during the cycle. Marco Rubio narrowing that list a bit, talking to Mark Lemmon, a conservative radio host, saying that he thinks this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R), FLORIDA: I've been pretty clear that I want the Republican nominee to be a conservative. And in my view at this moment of the candidates that are still actively campaigning, the only one that fits that criteria is Ted Cruz.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MATTINGLY: So Marco Rubio appearing to throw his support behind Ted Cruz and also appearing to narrow the options down to the three candidates that are still running.
Here's the reality, Carol. As we move towards that open convention which looks more and more likely every single day, Republicans who have thought that some white knight would come in that Paul Ryan or Mitt Romney or somebody else are really left scratching their heads at this point. And this is why, and I think this is an important thing to talk about. Over the last couple of months constantly I've had phone calls, e-mails, text messages of Republican operatives trying to sketch out these plans to get to Cleveland and then insert a candidate of their choosing.
That is mistake on two levels. First it grossly over states the power they have in the current Republican Party and second, you have people like Paul Ryan, Carol, who just simply are not interested in it. That's why these three candidates left over are probably the only three options at least at this point, Carol.
COSTELLO: Interesting. Phil Mattingly, thanks so much.
So Ted Cruz is trying to turn the tables on Donald Trump, offering up a new nickname for the Donald as the GOP frontrunner continues to trash the GOP delegate system.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CRUZ: Donald is a very sore loser. He doesn't handle losing well. And he throws a fit. Donald is panicking. He is scared. You know, Donald loves to call people a loser. Donald wakes up at night in cold sweats that people will call him Losing Donald.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Cruz isn't the only one with harsh words for Mr. Trump as Trump continues to slam Colorado's convention as a, quote, "rigged system." The RNC chair Reince Priebus, the national RNC chair, I should say, fired back in a tweet reading, quote, "Nomination process known for a year and beyond. It's the responsibility of the campaigns to understand it. Complaints now? Give us all a break," end quote.
So let's talk about that, I'm joined by two of our CNN political commentators, Donald Trump supporter, Kayleigh McEnany, and former Ted Cruz communications director, Amanda Carpenter. CNN political analyst and senior editor for the "Atlantic," Ron Brownstein is also here.
So, Ron, fist question to you.
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes.
[09:10:01] COSTELLO: Reince Priebus' patience seems to be tested. Is there a next step?
BROWNSTEIN: No, I mean, look, he's in a very difficult position. He has tried all of the way to avoid conflict with Donald Trump who has seen it to be in his interest to perpetually pursue conflict with the RNC. I mean, the idea that the system is specifically rigged against Trump seems to me kind of absurd on its face. On the other hand there are aspects of this process that don't look so strong, don't look so good in the glare that they are now getting a publicity. I don't think it is a rigged system but in certain places it has been a rickety system. And the idea that in Colorado, a state as important as Colorado, one of the --
COSTELLO: A swing state.
BROWNSTEIN: One of the last true swing states in the country is picking its Republican delegates with 5,000 people instead of 500,000 to a primary. I know there's a long history of this, but you really do wonder whether some of these caucuses and conventions are being run to a standard that can withstand the scrutiny that they are now getting in a year where every delegate matters.
COSTELLO: And so going back to Trump's complaint, I want to pose this question to you, Kayleigh. I know Mr. Trump says the system is rigged but he's winning. He's winning in the number of delegates. He's winning in the number of popular voters. So why is he complaining?
KAYLEIGH MCENANY, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Because if one million people weren't disenfranchised in Colorado he'd be winning by more -- by far more. And you know the fact is, I agree with Ron that Reince Priebus is in a very hard position. This is a tough situation. But you know, to tweet out give us all a break? He's not just telling Donald Trump that. He's telling the millions of voters who have said in a national poll, who have said in Wisconsin exit polls, we don't like the rules.
In fact we think whoever has the most delegates going into the convention should be the nominee. Every exit poll conducted has said that so far where the question is been asked. So when he says give us a break, it's not just Donald Trump give us a break. It's Republican voters, the people who I'm supposed to enfranchise and empower give us a break. That's the problem.
COSTELLO: OK. So the two people who seem to be pretty happy with the process are Senator Ted Cruz and maybe John Kasich. Right? And Amanda, I want to ask you this because Senator Cruz really does appear to be eating this up. He keeps saying he's won 11 contests in four states. 11 contests in four states and you're thinking what? Because he's claiming victory for Colorado's delegates in each district as well as the states -- right? Is that what he's doing?
AMANDA CARPENTER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Here's the thing. You do have to work the map. I do think Donald Trump views this as a national election. He would prefer that the RNC just has a national framework and everybody played by, you know, a straight system but the truth is you have to compete in every district. You have to have operations in every state. Donald Trump hasn't set up these field offices, that's why you are seeing Cruz come in and claim delegates.
Cruz has always understand this and this is what's so ironic about Trump's complaint that the system is rigged against him. Yes. when the RNC did set the calendar a year ago they did try to rig it so that well-funded frontrunner like a Jeb Bush would compete very well. That back fired enormously. No one saw Donald Trump coming with his massive air worth being able to capture national attention. It actually helped Donald Trump.
And so he just looks like a sore winner. He's leading. He should act like it. But what's going on is that he is afraid he's not going to close the deal. Right? He's the biggest deal-maker we've ever seen. He's not closing the biggest deal of his life and he's scared.
BROWNSTEIN: That is the oddest part of all of this. I mean, Trump almost is like preemptively setting up an argument for the case that it was stolen from him in case it was -- you know, in case he doesn't get over the top. But the goal at this point still is to get over the top and if you finish short of the 1237, he will need some unbound delegates to come to him who tend to be party people and I've got think they are going to be more concerned about lining up behind someone who's basically accusing the party of conspiring against him. Why would you turn over the party to someone making that argument?
COSTELLO: Well, the weirdest image to me was when Donald Trump was speaking in front of, like, hundreds of supporters and he was telling them, people he wants to go to the polls to vote, that the system is rigged against them. So I didn't know -- what was the purpose of that?
MCENANY: Because it is important to expose the way the establishment is running this. In Colorado --
(CROSSTALK)
CARPENTER: But it's helped him the whole way.
COSTELLO: What does he want?
MCENANY: No. And he's not insulting delegates. You know, let's be clear here. He's saying that the party official, the leaders in Colorado designed a system to take votes from the people. And it is very important to expose that because you look at exit polls and the majority and every state has said they feel betrayed by the Republican Party. They feel like this party has done them wrong. And by exposing some of the wrongs that have been done like in Louisiana where the Trump delegates weren't invited to a meeting to decide who went to the committee. Like in Tennessee where the party leader looked at him and said, yes, these are seven delegates, Trump delegates I want to empower and then reneged on that promise? Things are happening in states. It's important to expose in this so that when we get to the convention we --
(CROSSTALK)
COSTELLO: Last word, last word, Amanda.
CARPENTER: So mind blowing, I mean, the delegates, they do have to learn the rules and the process. abide by the rules. I mean, Donald Trump we all talk about is a candidate who doesn't play the rules.
MCENANY: Right.
CARPENTER: He doesn't play the rules. He doesn't learn the rules and he complains about the rules when he can't win by them. And that's what we're seeing day in and day out.
(CROSSTALK)
BROWNSTEIN: Donald Trump support was growing beyond the 40 percent, roughly, that has been stuck out in those states outside of New York. This would be a lot less relevant but he's not taken that second leap that we've seen frontrunners in the past. They go from a plurality frontrunner to a majority frontrunner.
[09:15:02] It isn't happening. So, in a position to kind of hand to hand combat for every last delegate and that in part is where these organizational deficiency is really being shown up.
COSTELLO: All right. I have to leave it there. Ron Brownstein, Amanda Carpenter, Kayleigh McEnany, thanks to all of you.
Our special town hall series with the Republican candidates and their families wraps up tonight here in New York. Ted and Heidi Cruz take the stage answering questions from voters. Anderson Cooper is the moderator. It starts at 9:00 p.m. Eastern, only on CNN.
Still to come in the NEWSROOM: why Bill Clinton says Hillary is better prepared to be president than he was.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: One day before Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders face-off at the CNN debate Sanders is sharpening his attacks, taking aim at what he calls Clinton's credibility gap. But "The New York Daily News" does not agree. The New York tabloid just endorsed Clinton, calling her superprepared warrior realist. Her experience something Bill Clinton touted last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[09:20:04] BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT: She was the most popular political figure in America. Now, the Republicans have worked hard for four years to change that. I don't blame her. They just don't want to run against her. I wouldn't run against her either. She's more qualified to run for president this time than I was when I ran because of the trouble around the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Also new this morning, Sanders picking up his first Senate endorsement while we await another endorsement from Senator Sanders. That will happen later this hour.
But let's get more now from CNN's Chris Frates.
Good morning, Chris.
CHRIS FRATES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning, Carol.
I'll tell you, Bernie Sanders campaign continues to hammer away at Hillary Clinton. This time taking a swipe at her credibility after one of her attacks on Sanders was rated mostly false by a fact checker in the latest swipe comes after Sanders had spent days questioning Clinton's judgment and qualifications.
Just yesterday, Sanders criticized Clinton's vote for the Iraq war.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Secretary Clinton was then a United States senator from your state, from New York state. She heard -- she listened to the same arguments from Bush and Cheney. Her judgment was faulty. She voted for that disastrous war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FRATES: Now, here's what's interesting. Clinton's camp tells me they're not concerned the attacks will hurt her with Democrats. They're worried that Sanders is manufacturing bullets that Republicans will fire at her in the fall. They know Republicans will likely attacked her character. But now, they can do it using Sanders' own words.
It's another sign that Clinton, who leads Sanders by double digits in some New York polls is focusing on the general election. She left the campaign trail yesterday to fund raise in Florida and is increasingly attacking Republicans. She returns to New York today with a fresh endorsement from "The New York Daily News."
Meanwhile, Senator Sanders won the support of Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley. He's the first sitting senator to endorse Sanders. Now, Clinton on the other hand, she has the support of almost all of the Democrats in the Senate.
And later this hour, Sanders is expected to announce another endorsement at the press conference in Brooklyn, Carol.
COSTELLO: So, Senator Merkley, that's his first Senate endorsement?
FRATES: His first sitting senator on the Democratic side.
COSTELLO: So he's making a big deal of this endorsement that comes out in about 20 minutes or so. So, who do you expect it will be?
FRATES: You know, we are hearing maybe another union. Maybe the subway union. So, we're trying to suss that out. We haven't confirmed yet, Carol, but --
COSTELLO: Sticking around --
FRATES: We're sticking around the get the news first.
COSTELLO: Chris Frates, thanks so much.
FRATES: OK. So, Hillary Clinton, she's basically owning New York at the moment. Not only is she up by double digit in the polls but that endorsement from "The Daily News" is glowing.
The tabloid writing Clinton is, quote, "unsparingly clear-eyed about what's wrong with America while holding firm to what's right with America." It goes on to say, quote, "She's a cauldron-tested globalist who had the spine to give Obama a thumbs up for taking out Osama bin Laden and who is far the wiser about the use of American power, having served as secretary of state and seen the consequences of the war in Iraq."
So let's talk about that in more with Clinton supporter and former Michigan governor, Jennifer Granholm. I'm also joined by senior adviser for Correct the Record, a pro-Clinton super PAC -- oh that's your title, Jennifer. Sorry about that. You guys do so much. It is impressive.
I'm also joined by Nina Turner, another impressive woman. She's a surrogate for Bernie Sanders and a former Ohio state senator.
Welcome both of you.
NINA TURNER, BERNIE SANDERS SUPPORTER: Thanks, Carol.
JENNIFER GRANHOLM, HILLARY CLINTON SUPPORTER: Thanks, Carol.
COSTELLO: Thanks for being here.
So, Nina, "The Daily News" calls Senator Sanders a fantasist who's at passionate war with reality. Ouch. As a Bernie supporter, that has to be tough to swallow.
TURNER: Not really Carol. I mean, thank God they don't make the decisions. The American people do. I mean, folks want a leader that understand we need to make the
impossible possible, just like the founding of this nation, making the impossible possible, the abolition of slavery. The impossible possible, women getting the right to vote. The impossible possible, fighting for civil rights and voting rights and making the impossible possible.
And that is really what Senator Sanders is standing up for. So, no, it's not an ouch moment. It is just extreme what "The New York Daily" had to say about Senator Bernie Sanders.
COSTELLO: Well, you know, on that note, Jennifer, is there a danger that by Hillary Clinton saying none of these ideas by Bernie Sanders is possible, is she in danger of making the Democratic Party a party of no?
GRANHOLM: No, I mean, she's not sing that making college affordable is impossible. In fact, she has a plan to do it. She's not saying that it's not possible to bring jobs back or to invigorate manufacturing here in the United States. She has a plan to do it.
One of the reasons why "The New York Daily News" supported her is because she in fact has concrete plans, very specific plans.
[09:25:00] That's why they called her a superprepared warrior realist. But this whole point is that the Democratic Party has got to get real about what about is achievable, and that's what she's all about.
COSTELLO: Well, I suspect Nina that she will double down on Bernie Sanders' interview with "The Daily News," the one a couple of days ago where he didn't come off so well.
TURNER: Well, you know, Carol, that is pretty much all she has. I mean, they have been very extreme when it comes to Senator Sanders. But let's talk about consistency versus convenience. Senator Sanders has been a consistent champion for the working class and middle class people of this country even when folks may not have known he was working for them. I mean, he filibustered for over 8 1/2 hours on the floor of the Senate against the extension of the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, looking out for the poorest people among us.
He had the good judgment to say no to the Iraq war, consistency over convenience. Did not support DOMA. Consistency over convenience.
When you have Secretary Clinton who works only when it is convenient, you know, now, it's convenient. TPP was the gold standard. Now it is not so much.
So, you have Senator Sanders who fought against the bad trade deals that have taken away good middle class jobs from the folks in this country and exploit low wage workers over in other countries. He has been a consistent warrior for the people in this country, Carol, and that is what people are looking for. A new type of leadership that will stand up and say enough is a enough and that the working class and middle class in this country deserve --
COSTELLO: I'm just confused when you say about new leadership because Bernie Sanders has been in the Senate an awfully long time.
TURNER: But, Carol, look at the millennial, day love him. They see in him the future, a person who will stand up even when it is not convenient. So, now, we have to take a page from the millennial. These 20-somethings, they know new leadership in when they see it. New in a sense that he will not apologize and will not back down for saying, yes, healthcare is a moral right for this country.
COSTELLO: So, Jennifer, I would suspect that Bernie Sanders is going to continue to be on attack of Hillary Clinton in the debate. And you heard what Chris Frates reports that the Clinton camp is worried that the more attacks that come from Bernie Sanders, the more likely it is that Republicans will use those attacks against her if she becomes the nominee.
GRANHOLM: Yes, I think that it is something that both sides in a primary, and this is true on the Republican side as well, that you have to be careful about putting ammunition into the ultimate opponent's hands by words that you use in a primary. Personal attacks for example are really damaging because you don't want to see Bernie Sanders in an ad that is run by Donald Trump or Ted Cruz.
I know that he doesn't want that to happen either. But you just have to be careful in the tail ends of the campaign when you are feeling like you may be a little frustrated that you aren't winning that you end up giving the other side ammunition.
COSTELLO: Isn't it too late for that? Bernie Sanders already called her unqualified.
GRANHOLM: Yes, I mean, certainly things -- there has been water under the bridge that has been damaging. There's no doubt about it. That can be repaired and that will be repaired I suspect when we're all united in the end.
If Bernie Sanders somehow was able to win this, she would be a champion for him in the same way that I would hope that if she is able to win, he will be a champion for her. We need all of his people. And he would need all of her people.
So, in the end, we have to be careful not to say things that will ultimately be too damaging in the general election.
COSTELLO: Nina, do you agree with that?
TURNER: I do somewhat. But we've got to admit here, it is not just a one way street in terms of Bernie Sanders saying things about Secretary Clinton and comparing their record. Her campaign has said an awful lot of damning things about him especially one that links him to deaths in Sandy Hook which is deplorable.
So, they have gone some places they should have not gone in terms of Senator Sanders' record.
COSTELLO: All right. I have to leave it there. Jennifer Granholm, Nina Turner, thanks to both of you. Tomorrow night, we have the fight between Hillary Clinton and Bernie
Sanders moves to the debate stage. The first face to face debate in more than five weeks. Wolf Blitzer is the moderate, starts at 9:00 p.m. Eastern, only on CNN.
Still to come in the NEWSROOM, Mr. Trump says the deck is stacked against him and he points directly to Colorado as proof. I'll talk to the former head of the state's Republican Party, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
