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The Democratic Presidential Race; Donald Trump Changing His Tone?; President Obama on the U.S.-Saudi Relationship. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired April 21, 2016 - 09:30   ET

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

[09:30:00] BEN WICKLER, WASHINGTON DIRECTOR, MOVEON.ORG: Billions of people into the process is only a good thing for Democrats.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Well, it certainly energizes the party, Bakari, there's no doubt about that. But I guess my question to you is, does Hillary Clinton have to cut some special deal with Bernie Sanders to give him, I don't know, power at the convention, let's say, in Philadelphia before Bernie Sanders stops attacking her?

BAKARI SELLERS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: No, there are no deals cut, I mean, that's not how the process works. But Bernie Sanders does have a sizeable amount of delegates, he does have a sizeable amount of influence. And when we go to the convention there will be there, battles over platform and what's included in the Democratic platform. Bernie Sanders, of course, will have an opportunity to speak and woo his supporters. And at that time it will be all of us, and rally all of us to the cause.

But at the end of the day, you're going to have a stage that has Bernie and Jane Sanders, Michelle and Barack Obama, Hillary and Bill Clinton on the stage together, rallying the cause for Democrats, heading into November. And Carol, that's a hell of a team, that really is.

COSTELLO: All right, that's ...

WICKLER: There is a nominee is, I agree.

COSTELLO: All right, Bakari Sellers, Ben Wickler, thanks to both of you.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, Donald Trump is about to go from "tell it like it is," to "tell it like it is on teleprompter." Trying to make the transition to a more polished candidate, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: And good morning, I'm Carol Costello, thank you so much for joining me. Donald Trump's use of "Senator Cruz," instead of "Lyin' Ted" was seen as many in the media, including me, attempt to be more presidential. But Trump's less abrasive style didn't even last 24 hours. By the time Trump hit Indianapolis, the old Donald was back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R),PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: In the case of Lyin' Ted Cruz, Lyin' Ted -- lies, oh he lies. You know Ted, he brings the Bible, holds it high, puts it down, lies. I love running against crooked Hillary, I love that, I mean, it's so much fun. Better, better. Bernie wouldn't be as much fun.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Still, word is Mr. Trump will try a little discipline with his language. He will deliver a foreign policy speech next Wednesday. And the Wall Street Journal reports he will use a teleprompter, and also someone will write the speech for him, well at least help him write that speech, he'll use a speech writer.

With me now, John Avlon, Editor in Chief at The Daily Beast, and CNN Political Analyst. Good morning, John.

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

COSTELLO: So, Trump's use of the teleprompter would not be unprecedented, but it would be a departure for Mr. Trump, listen:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I don't have teleprompters, right, right? I've always said, if you run for President, you shouldn't be allowed to use teleprompters. You shouldn't be allowed ...

I don't read the speech, I don't do the teleprompter thing, which would be so easy. Wouldn't that be easy? I have two teleprompters. I watch Hillary the other day; she has the biggest teleprompters I've ever seen. In fact, if you're sitting on that side of the room, or that side of the room, you can't even see her ...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: OK, so -- he is funny, you have to admit. But he's going to use a teleprompter to deliver these major policy speeches. So he's changed his mind, clearly. Why?

AVLON: Well, because you can't celebrity demagogue your way through a policy speech. You just can't say whatever comes to your mind and delight the crowd, if you're actually proposing policy to implement as president. So it's a change he's got to make. But the -- our spray tanned friend from Fifth Avenue, I think realizes he's got to up his game and become more professional. If he actually wants to get this nomination done, and have a shot at being the next president.

COSTELLO: I suppose that Senator Cruz could use this against Trump, but then can Trump use his teleprompter line to slam Hillary Clinton anymore?

AVLON: No, look, he's going to have to drop the whole, "I don't use teleprompters" thing, because guess what? He's going to be using teleprompters. He's going to be using speech writers. And if that's a sign of getting a little more serious about policy -- which after all, at the end of the day, this is what this is all about.

This is all pre-game to governing. We forget that sometimes. Yes, he's going to have to drop those lines. But you know, he is a shameless guy, that is the nature of his candidacy, personality, and campaign. So why let facts stand in the way of a good line. We'll see where that one comes out.

COSTELLO: Yes, OK. So Trump's tone on immigrants, let's talk about that for a minute. It's not likely to soften, but Mr. Trump does need minorities, at least some of them, to vote for him in a general election, to win. I want you to take a look at this new ad, it was just released by a congressional candidate in Kentucky.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(CONVERSATION)

MIKE PAPE (R-KY), CANDIDATE, US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: I'm Mike Pape and I approve this message. Because no one will stop me from standing up for you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: OK, so he supports Donald Trump's building of a wall, and he's pretty much -- he's among a small number of congressional candidates who are using Mr. Trump in ads. So maybe it shows that congressional candidates are no longer afraid to use Mr. Trump's message of building a wall. But it is a less-than-presidential message that gets out there. Especially with that ad, right?

AVLON: Yes, I mean look, I think this says more about the congressional candidate than it does Trump, necessarily. But you're right; a- it shows that candidates running in very conservative states, that are not swing votes, that could actually determine a general election, are happy to run to the right of their party, that's what they do.

It also is an effective ad to the extent that it's getting this guy's name out there. But it's obviously doing it with racial stereotypes and slurs that may get attention, but also speak to the Republican Party's larger problem. And until they confront that, yes, they're going to have a real problem with the demographic math winning in a presidency.

COSTELLO: So, how -- do you think that Mr. Trump will change or tweak his language when he talks about building the wall, or does he have to remain strong on those issues to keep his core base of support?

AVLON: Look, I think at the end of the day, everything is negotiable with Donald Trump. You're going to see a pivot to the center where he says everything's negotiable, because he's a deal maker, and that's what he wants to get done. We'll have a rare spectacle in this country, of somebody running with sort of a, trying to be a centrist demagogue, in effect, while still keeping the base in line with emotion, rather than ideas. But you're going to see him pivoting on a lot of issues, because this

is not someone who is running on the basis of ideas, ideology, or philosophy. He's running on the basis of emotion and the projection of strength, that's it.

COSTELLO: John Avlon, thanks for stopping by, I appreciate it.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, President Obama wraps up his visit to Saudi Arabia, amid rising tensions. We'll talk about that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: President Obama moments away from leaving Saudi Arabia, he's off to London now. But before he left Riyadh, he took questions from reporters. He's working to dispel the notion that America's relationship with Saudi Arabia is strained. The President also spoke this morning about the fight against ISIS.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We will remain united in our fight to destroy ISIL, or Daesh, which is a threat to all of us. And in the United States, we'll help our GCC partners ensure that their special operations forces are interoperable, and GCC nations will continue to increase their contributions to the fight against ISIL.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: CNN's International Diplomatic Editor, Nic Robertson, is in Riyadh. So, President Obama mentioned that he and the Middle East, and especially Saudi Arabia, share a broad common vision to fight ISIS. Do they?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN, DIPLOMATIC INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: They do. And certainly a new interest in Saudi Arabia, itself. ISIS has made them and the royal family a target. They're even calling on people here to, if they've got relatives who are in the armed forces here, or the police, to kill them. And some ISIS supporters here in Saudi have done that. So it's certainly a common vision that ISIS is a threat to both countries.

But what we also heard President Obama saying was, why he feels that the relationship is not as strained as it appears. He said, within the past year, for example, on Libya, there's a new government now in Libya. He said that couldn't be done without Saudi Arabia, the Gulf Allies. There's a ceasefire in Yemen come into effect in the last few days. He said that couldn't have been done without the support of the Gulf Allies.

And despite the tensions over how to view Iran and Iran threat, in the region which he said exists, he said again, a nuclear deal with Iran couldn't have happened without the support of the Gulf Allies. Perhaps a bigger concern in the region for him and for his partners here, Syria, President Obama didn't really get into a lot of specifics when asked, "how do you force Assad from power?" That's something his Gulf Allies want, clearly that's sort of more behind the scenes diplomacy, that seemed to be what he was saying.

And on the case of the sort of broader ISIS cooperation, it does come down to seeing eye-to-eye, better. President Obama said, yes, there are differences at times, but broadly we're together. On ISIS, I think that's one of the things they're most closely aligned on at the moment, Carol.

COSTELLO: Well, let me ask you this, because this has been floating around on the internet, and a lot of journalists have talked about it -- the greeting that President Obama received when he arrived in Saudi Arabia. Usually kisses are exchanged. That didn't appear to happen when President Obama arrived. Kisses were exchanged when President George W. Bush visited Saudi Arabia, I think we have some pictures to put up to show you that. Is that a big deal?

ROBERTSON: You know, there's a different tone and feel to it, Carol. I was here in 2008, when President Bush came, you know, the same period in his presidency, getting to the end of his eight years in office. And what we saw back then were, we saw stars and stripes hanging from the lampposts of the city here, we don't have that here this time.

There was a big sort of pump in circumstance, and ceremony, and marching bands out of the airport when President Bush arrived. We don't have that this time. It was the foreign minister, the governor of Riyadh, both important figures there to greet President Obama. But it does sort of hint, if you will, at that strained relationship. You know, commentators here in Saudi Arabia said, look, King was also hosting his Gulf Allies, he was busy with them. But the uptakes here in this region do count.

President Bush in 2008, had a much warmer reception. I think people here read that, and understand that it's become more tense a relationship under President Obama's tenure of the presidency.

COSTELLO: Nic Robertson, reporting live from Saudi Arabia this morning, thank you. I'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Checking some top stories for you at 53 minutes past. The death toll is rising in Ecuador, after Saturday's earthquake. Nearly 600 people are now reported dead, and about 25,000 people are living in shelters. The property and infrastructure damage is so bad that Ecuador's president is raising taxes to pay for rebuilding.

Investigators in Los Angeles are trying to figure out how former wrestling star, Chyna, died. The 46-year old was found dead Wednesday, in her apartment. Police say there were no obvious signs of foul play. Chyna was a big WWE star in the 1990s. In more recent years, she worked in adult films, and appeared in reality shows like Celebrity Rehab.

Two members of Michigan's Department of Environmental Quality, and one city lab supervisor are facing criminal charges and possible jail time, for their alleged role in the Flint water contamination crisis. Two of those charged have pleaded not guilty. The State's Attorney General says those charges are, "only the beginning."

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, change is on the way for U.S. money. Women will appear on paper currency for the first time in more than a century. I'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Happening now in the NEWSROOM, three is a crowd.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TRUMP: If I win, and we get the nomination, there is no path for Lyin' Ted Cruz to get the nomination, he's out. As far as Kasich is concerned, he will get slaughtered by Hillary.

COSTELLO (voice-over): The Republican candidates all saying they are the one. And patience, running out.

SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We are headed to a contested convention. Nobody is able to reach 1,237.

COSTELLO (voice-over): Also, Sanders still sees a path to the Democratic nomination. But it's getting more narrow. But Clinton is looking to lock up the race.

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have to unify our country. We've got to quit the divisiveness.

COSTELLO (voice-over): Plus, top billing for Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill. But she's not the only woman who will find a place in your wallet. Let's talk. Live, this is CNN Newsroom.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: And good morning, I'm Carol Costello, thank you so much for joining me. Donald Trump says it's time for his rivals to go away. But they say they're not going anywhere. Fresh off his landslide win in New York, Trump is back on the attack. But he says voters should expect a more -- this is what he said -- a more presidential tone.