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CNN Live Event/Special
Trump Wins Five States, Clinton Wins Three; Standing By For Clinton And Trump To Speak; Two Races Left To Be Called; Sanders Wins Rhode Island; Donald Trump Speaks to Supporters. Aired 9-10p ET
Aired April 26, 2016 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[21:00:01] JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: If he wins Pennsylvania with anywhere near or number like that, he will go back to those people and say you have to go home and look and your neighbors in the eye, and look what I did in your state, you have vote for me.
So the political argument, the moral argument for Donald Trump to get these uncommitted delegates will be help the great deal if that number stays anywhere close to that.
If he's at 61 percent in a big diverse complicated state like Pennsylvania, that's a wow. That I don't know if he's going to stay that high, we only have 2 percent of the vote out in Pennsylvania but if he's above 50, that's a significant win. And every degree he moves up above 50, Wolf, increases the argument when he personally and this is what this will come too if he's short of 1,237 after California, this will come to personal phone calls, meeting with these delegates, he will have a powerful case to make that if you're going to go home, to scratching were I'm getting 76 percent of the vote is that holds up, you can't look your, you know, you can't look your neighbor in the eye and say I didn't vote for Donald Trump on the first ballot.
That is what Mr. Trump hopes for tonight with the big Pennsylvania win. We only get two for ahead of ourselves but as this map fills in, it's again another very impressive win.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Take a look at Rhode Island for a second on the Republican side because it's very interesting. Right now in Rhode Island you can see Ted Cruz with almost half in the voters in. He's got 10.1 percent, you need at least 10 percent that threshold to get anything. If he gets under 10 percent, he gets zero in Rhode Island.
KING: And if you see Ted Cruz, can you imagine a scenario where Ted Cruz gets shut out? Five states, you are trying to make the case that you are the clear alternative to Donald Trump and you get shut out or you walk away with fewer delegates, than take in count on two hands of fingers left over, that's why again, Donald Trump's political argument to the uncommitted delegates, Donald Trumps political argument, if you get to a contested convention is helped greatly if he can go to state after state after state where he can point to his margins of victory especially late in the campaign.
Now, if you have a contested convention momentum into that convention what matter and if Donald Trump is five for five tonight, I know Ted Cruz is in Indiana tonight saying I'm going to make that my firewall, right now he's losing in Indiana and the logic of politics tells you that Donald Trump is going to have a big night tonight and at least starts into next week with some momentum.
BLITZER: Yes, he has 60 percent so far and all and four of those states still waiting for Maryland. Let's see how he does.
Let's go back over to Jake and Dana. I know you guys are getting to more insight right now into how they've managed do this, both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, but I just want to remind our viewers we're standing by to hear from the big winners. They're going to both be speaking, we have live coverage of that coming up.
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: And of course we've called projected three states for Hillary Clinton as of now, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware. And that let me bring in our political director David Chalian because the big question is, how did she do it? Who were the voters that turned out in the states of Maryland and Pennsylvania?
DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: So let's look at two key groups for her supporters tonight, let's start in Maryland and we're looking at woman first here Jake. She wins women voters in Maryland 67 percent to Bernie Sanders 31 percent, women made up 61 percent of the Maryland Democratic Primary electorate tonight.
Let's look at women in Pennsylvania, where they made up 59 percent of the electorate tonight and she wins them 59 percent to 41 percent. Now let's look at non-white voters, this has also been a Clinton strength. In Maryland 68 percent on non-white voters go for Clinton and 30 percent for Sanders. They made up 57 percent of the electorate in Maryland.
Pennsylvania it's more of a white electorate, but the non-white voters were 29 percent of the electorate. Hillary Clinton got 64 percent of them. Bernie Sanders got 36 percent of them. You take non-white voters, you take women voters, in that kind of turnout with those numbers for Hillary Clinton, that is what is putting her so far ahead of him not just tonight but quite frankly, throughout this Democratic contest.
TAPPER: Fascinating and David, on the Republican side the number hovering over every single other number that we declare this evening is 1,237. That's the number of delegates needed for a Republican candidate to clench the nomination, and it is the majority and there's a question about whether or not Donald Trump will be able to achieve it. He certainly had a strong showing tonight and maybe he will achieve it, but what do voters think about the prospect if no one secures that number, whom should the delegates award the nomination to at the convention?
CHALIAN: You're right, Jake, there may be a question about whether or not Donald Trump gets that number. There is no question among primary voters as to what should happen if he doesn't. He should get the nomination according to him. Take a look at this, in Connecticut if no one wins the 1,237. Nobody hits that magic number, 67 percent of the Connecticut primary voters today said the nomination should go to the person that has won most votes in primary and caucuses process, only 29 percent say, it should go to the best candidate for the delegates to decide in Cleveland.
Take a look at that another state Maryland where 65 percent say it should go to the primary winner if everyone falls shortly of 1,237, 32 say, 32 percent say to the best candidate.
And in Pennsylvania we asked the same question, 70 percent, of Pennsylvania Republican primary voters, no matter who they voted for tonight say that if you fall short the guy winning the most votes in these caucuses and primaries, should be the nominee, 27 percent say it should be the best candidate.
[21:05:15] TAPPER: Fastening and Dana Bash, whether it is their concept of simple fairness or whether Donald Trump's arguments are starting to take hold, this is more bad news for the never Trump voters and forces out there. A majority, a significant majority in some cases of voters in these states, Republican say, give it to the guy with the highest number of delegates even if it's not a majority.
DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: And the most interesting number of all those states that David just put up was Pennsylvania because if 70 percent say that it should be the guy who wins, that's a very big deal in a state where 54 of the delegates are going to be completely unbound even on the very first ballot at the convention. So if he does fall a little bit short, he has an argument that he can go make do them that it looks like according to the exit polls that they will be receptive to.
TAPPER: And looking beyond the convention, it is a very significant number considering the fact that Pennsylvania is a battle ground state. It is a state that Donald Trump has said he hopes to be able to turn red.
So Anderson, as we throw it back to you, think about that fact, does the Republican national committee want to annoy, irritate, aggravate that many Republican voters in a state so important?
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: And that's been the question we've been asking now for months as we watch and wait for Secretary Clinton to make her victory speeches tonight and Donald Trump as well. Let's turn back to our panel. On the Republican side, how does the race now change? I mean Donald Trump has certainly ...
GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: A sweep.
COOPER: ... a sweep. I mean it's major, I mean above 60 percent.
BORGER: And I would argue that he's performed above expectations.
COOPER: Right.
BORGER: So I mean everybody thought he was going do well, but this is kind of at the level that he won in his home state across a bunch of states here. A handful of states. I'm not sure what the exact numbers are going to turn out to be and I think that that would lead you to believe and we don't know numbers of that turnout or anything else, but I think it would lead you to believe that something has turned ...
MICHAEL SMERCONISH, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: There's a feeling that come in ability.
BORGER: Something is happening here.
SMERCONISH: It's going up in inability.
BORGER: Exactly.
COOPER: For all that talk of the ceiling that Donald Trump had.
BORGER: Of the 35 percent and it's done.
SMERCONISH: I think there's a psychological barrier about to be broken because I'm keeping a close eye on John King's the map and it seems like Donald Trump is getting hopefully close to 1,000. There's something about breaking 1,000 ...
BORGER: Yeah.
SMERCONISH: ... whether it's tonight or sooner after where he's win almost length of 1,237.
DAVID AXELROD, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I mean, well, you know, how do you -- I'm just sitting here trying to imagine how you manage your convention where this guys gets close, he's mounting these big numbers, you've got candidates, alternative candidates who are going, you know, 0 for five here ...
COOPER: Right.
AXELROD: ... and winning a delegate and you say you know what, I'm going to pick that guy. I mean how does that work? That just I think that's open rebellion.
BORGER: I mean, how does Kasich make the electability argument, by the way, Mr. One for -- what does Trump call him, one for?
AXELROD: One for 41.
BORGER: 41, right.
NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: And in some ways, it diminishes the importance of Indiana. Ted Cruz has been going all around saying, you know, it's all on Indiana, so he goes in there and maybe he wins it at this point of Donald Trump is head probably because I think he has got this momentum. So, you know, I mean mere argument just gets more difficult the more that Trump wins.
VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: That I think, I don't want to get too far away from the things that might actually matter. This is a bizarre outcome. I just -- I'd refuse to adapt to the absurdity of what's going on. John K. I just refuse to adapt to it.
COOPER: What does that mean?
HENDERSON: What does that -- oh my god.
JEFFREY LORD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: We don't know we already even what we have in the White House for the Trump side.
COOPER: Can you also be more specific of which crazy absurd thing you're talking about?
AXELROD: I'm here to help you.
LORD: You're in a safe place.
JONES: John Kasich, I just, I don't agree with him, he has been a governor. He has been a successful governor. He was one of the architects of the Newt Gingrich revolution. He changed America, this guy should not have won state and like pancakes today. He should have a lot more than pancake.
BORGER: Van, you can see that about crazy, crazy thing or ...
(CROSSTALK)
SMERCONISH: John Kasich is the only one among the Republicans who beats both Democrats in Pennsylvania. If you win Pennsylvania and Ohio, you win and yet he's getting clobbered by Trump.
HENDERSON: Right, exactly.
JONES: And if -- I just take there's some, there's -- we are in real danger that we start lowering our own standards about what we think matters. Fine, I know -- something's happening out there and he's real. You can't deny, you can't ignore it, but you should be able to govern. You should be able to speak respectfully. You should be able to pass the standard of a third grade class before you're on your way to being president.
AXELROD: But then you look at this numbers -- you look at this numbers and people ..
BORGER: People like Donald Trump.
AXELROD: ... are completely angry ...
BORGER: Yeah.
AXELROD: They feel betrayed, we see it week after week after week and they want the guys is going to punch the system in the nose not the guy ...
[21:10:09] COOPER: And by the way where Secretary Clinton is about to emerge and we'll obviously bring her comments live as we listen to -- I believe it's "eye of the tiger".
(CROSSTALK)
SARAH ELIZABETH CUPP, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: You don't -- which obviously is not the voters are angry. You know they like, they want a different tone. I can understand that. What I have a difficult time understanding is that electability has become a non-priority. And here we have Hillary Clinton coming to the stage I'm guessing.
COOPER: And we can continue talking as we watch her approach. It will probably be a little while.
(CROSSTALK
CUPP: No, but if you want like so right of thing. If you want the guy that can really, you know, punch the system in the throat, doesn't that guy have to get elected to do it?
AXELROD: Yeah, well that's to both parties electability hasn't been a very consuming passion of voters on either party and that may not be that unusual.
COOPER: And also what have Trump is more electable.
BORGER: And that was the argument ...
CUPP: Trump is more electable than Cruz but he is not more electable than Kasich in general.
LORD: He is -- he is. When you ...
HENDERSON: I mean he's clearly more electable.
COOPER: And lets -- as Secretary Clinton takes the stage, we saw former president Bill Clinton coming in with her. He's not seem like he is standing on the stage with her during those day (ph). We've see another occurrences before. Let's listen in.
HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Thank you. Thank you so much. Wow! Thank you, Pennsylvania! What a great night. I want to -- I want to thank everyone. I want to thank everyone.
Thank you all so much.
Wow! I just want to thank all of you, everyone who came out to vote, here in Pennsylvania and across Maryland and Delaware, Connecticut, Rhode Island. I am so grateful to all our volunteers, our organizers, our community leaders.
Everyone who worked their hearts out and I want to thank the leaders here in Pennsylvania. Thank you Governor Wolf, thank you Senator Casey. Thank you Congressman Cartwright and thank you so much Mayor Kennedy for your great help. And of course I want to thank the 42nd president of the United States, my husband.
Now, with your help we're going to come back to Philadelphia for the Democratic National Convention, with the most votes and the most pledged delegates. And we will unify our party to win this election and build an America where we can all rise together, an America where we lift each other up instead of tearing each other down.
So we need you to keep volunteering, keep talking to your friends and neighbors. Please join the more than 1.1 million people who have already contributed @hillaryclinton.com.
Look, I know there are still too many barriers holding too many Americans back, but despite what other candidates say, we believe in the goodness of our people and the greatness of our nation, and if anyone doubts that, just let them travel across this country as I've done in this campaign the past year hearing people's stories, learning about their struggles, listen to the quiet determination of the working parents I met last week in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania.
They are doing everything they can to provide opportunities to their children in an economy where there's still aren't enough good-paying jobs. Listen to the mothers who lost children to gun violence and encounters with the police. They're turning their sorrow into strategy and their mourning into a movement, a movement for justice and dignity.
[21:15:25] Listen to the nurse I met this weekend in New Haven, Connecticut who worked for years to build a middle class life and raise a family, but then her luck changed. She was diagnosed with breast cancer and used up all her savings and her sick time. Soon she was facing foreclosure and the prospect of losing the home she loved for more than 20 years and here's what she said to me. My daughter and I live in fear of the day that we might come home and have a lock on the door. We're in pain. We're hurting. We were and are the backbone of this country, the middle class. We're not asking for a handout. We just want to be treated fairly. And she is -- she is speaking for so many people across our country who feel beaten down, left out and left behind.
People who have worked hard and have done their part, but just can't seem to get ahead and find it tough even to get by. Now under neither all these worries together we are going to come together and we are going to solve the problems we face. And you know ...
You know, I am aware that too many people -- too many people feel at the mercy of forces too big for anyone to control and they just worry that those of us in politics put our own interests ahead of the national interests. The faith that we can make things better, that we can give our kids a better future than we had is at the heart of who we are as a nation.
And it's one of many reasons that being American has always been such a blessing and our campaign is about restoring people's confidence in our ability to solve problems together by delivering results that help people follow their own dreams. That's why we're setting bold, progressive goals backed up by real plans that will improve. After all, that is how progress gets made. We have to be both dreamers and doers. And as a great Democratic president once said, there's nothing wrong with America that can't be cured by what's right with America. So here's what I believe, I believe we can create more good jobs with rising incomes, jobs that provide dignity, pride and a middle class life. We can renew our democracy by overturning citizens united.
We can lift up people and places who have been left out from our inner cities to aplasia, in every manufacturing town, hallowed out when the factory closed, every community scared by substance abuse and addiction, every home where a child goes hungry, that's what we Democrats believe in and that's what we know is possible.
So we will build on a strong progressive tradition from Franklin Roosevelt to Barack Obama! And I applaud Senator Sanders and his millions of supporters for challenging us to get unaccountable money out of our politics and giving greater emphasis to closing the gap of inequality and I know together we will get that done. Because whether you support Senator Sanders or you support me, there's much more that you unite us than divides us.
[21:20:07] We all agree that wages are too low and inequality is too high, that Wall Street can never again be allowed to threaten Main Street and we should expend Social Security not cut or privatize it.
We Democrats agree that college should be affordable to all and student debt shouldn't hold anyone back. We Democrats agree that every single American should and must have quality, affordable health care. We agree that our next president must keep our country safe, keep our troops out of another costly ground war in the Middle East.
And we Democrats agree that climate change is an urgent threat, and it requires an aggressive response that can make America the clean energy super power of the 21st century, and we Democrats agree on defending all of our rights, civil rights and voting rights, workers' rights and women's rights, LGBT rights and rights for people with disabilities.
So in this election we will have to stand together and work hard to prevail against candidates on the other side who would threaten all those rights and pit Americans against each other. They would make it harder to vote, not easier. They would deny women the right to make our own reproductive health care decisions. They would round up millions of hard working immigrants and deport them. They would demonize and discriminate against hard-working terror hating Muslims- Americans who we need in the fight against radicalization and both of the top candidates in the Republican Party deny climate change even exist.
Now, the other day Mr. Trump accused me of playing the, quote, "woman card". Well if fighting for women's health care and paid family leave and equal pay is playing the woman's card, then deal me in.
So my friends, if you are a Democrat, an independent or a thoughtful Republican, you know, their approach is not going to build an America where we increase opportunity or decrease inequality. So instead of letting them take us backwards, we want America to be in the future business. That's why I want you to keep imagining a tomorrow where instead of building walls, we're breaking down barriers. We are making it more likely that Americans will be part of a prosperous inclusive, decent society. We're imagining a tomorrow where every parent can find a good job and every grandparent can enjoy a secure retirement. We're imaging a tomorrow where no child grows up in the shadow of discrimination or under the specter of deportation and where every child -- every child has a good teacher and a good school no matter what zip code that child lives in.
And imagine a tomorrow where any young person can graduate from college debt-free. We're going to imagine a tomorrow where hard work is honored, families are supported, streets are safe and communities are strong and where love Trumps hate.
That is -- that is the future I want. I want that future for my granddaughter and for all of our children and grandchildren. Now, think of this. Our nation was born right here in Philadelphia.
[21:25:05] Our declaration of independence and constitution were signed just a few blocks away and ever since, even through dark and difficult chapters of our history, the idea of America has shown through. At our best we are as Robert Kennedy said, a great country, an unselfish country and a compassionate country, but America's greatness is not a birth right. It must be earned by every generation. So please join us, join us, go to hillaryclinton.com, text "JOIN" 47246, volunteer, contribute, compete, let's go forward and let's win the nomination and in July let's return as a unified party.
Thank you so much.
TAPPER: Hillary Clinton declaring victory three states have been projected to fall in her column this evening, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware. It was really a general election speech she seemed to be giving in many ways. She commended her Democratic primary opponent independent Senator Bernie Sanders talking about how he has been pushing to get big money out of politics, but really so many of the phrases and even slogans that she used in her speech were, direct responses to the campaign of Donald Trump.
She talked about instead of building walls we should be breaking down barriers. She talked about when Donald Trump said that she was playing the woman's card. She said if that's the fighting for women's pay equity is playing the woman's card then deal me in and then of course this phrase love Trumps hate, not a so subtle reference to the man whom she may well end up facing in the general election there.
BASH: No question about it, this is somebody who is very ready to pivot to the general election. You heard that not only in the things you were just describing, the way that she focused on Donald Trump, but also the kind words that she had for Bernie Sanders. You know, kind of effectively thanking him for the contributions that he has made in the Democratic primary as opposed to, you know, whacking, reportedly as we've seen in the past.
TAPPER: And speaking of which Wolf Blitzer, you have a projection for us.
BLITZER: We do have a projection. A win, a win for Bernie Sanders. CNN projects Bernie Sanders is the winner of the Rhode Island Democratic presidential primary. That's his first win of the night. So far Hillary Clinton has won three states and Bernie Sanders wins in Rhode Island.
Here is the wins so far on the Republican side. A clean sweep for Donald Trump all five very big night for Donald Trump he wins Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Delaware. Big wins for Hillary Clinton tonight as well, three big wins so far Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware. Now Rhode Island goes to Bernie Sanders a win for Bernie Sanders in Rhode Island. That's his first win.
We're still waiting for Connecticut to we're still waiting for Connecticut to -- we'll still waiting for Connecticut, we'll see what's going on there. We're waiting also to hear from Donald Trump. He's about to give a big victory speech. He just won five -- all five of the Republican presidential primaries. We'll take a quick break, we'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[21:32:11] BLITZER: Donald Trump getting ready to address his supporters over at Trump Tower in New York City, a huge win for him tonight. All five Republican presidential primary is going to Donald Trump. Let's take a look at the states he won so far.
On the Republican side, Trump wins Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Delaware clean sweep. On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton wins Pennsylvania, that's the biggest prize of the night, Maryland and Delaware. Three, she wins three so far. Bernie Sanders has just won. We have projected he's the winner in Rhode Island. We're still waiting to hear from Connecticut. That is the only outstanding race so far.
Let's get a Key Race Alert right now on Connecticut. I'll tell you what we're seeing on the Democratic side. Nearly 40 percent of the vote is in. Look at how close it is in Connecticut right now. Bernie Sanders with a slight lead, 49.8 percent to Hillary Clinton, 48.4 percent.
Only 2,000 votes ahead, with Bernie Sanders, with 39 percent of the voter is in has a slight lead in Connecticut, the only outstanding contest. Nine of the 10 have already been polled or projected. Let's go over to John King. Connecticut, very, very close, John. A state you know well.
KING: If you see it's off through out the night if you're sitting in the Clinton campaign headquarters right now wondering, are we going to get three or five, or four or five, Connecticut is the big question mark.
You could have some confidence in the Clinton campaign that you can still pull this out. It doesn't mean she well, but she can. Why is that the case? 39 percent of the vote counted, you see how close it is for more than 2,000 votes there.
And a lot of these smaller rural towns that Bernie Sanders is winning, 100 percent of the vote is in, 100 percent of the vote is in, 100 percent of the vote is in. We can go on and on through that in most of the places where Sanders is winning, he's winning healthily. But, in places where Secretary Clinton is well ahead, Hartford, for example, she's winning with the only 70 percent of the vote. We still only have 58 percent of the vote counted.
So, if she continues to win throughout the other precincts at that percentage, no guarantee of that. But if that percentage keeps up, plenty of votes in Hartford alone, but to make up the difference. Other places like that come down here to New Haven, she new the county and Bill Clinton there, remember that, at Yale Law School.
She's winning there 35 percent. Only 35 percent of the vote counted. And again, not as big a margin, but she's winning by a margin that if that margin continues will allow her to pick up votes. That pattern continues. You come down here to Bridgeport, only 29 percent of the vote counted in Bridgeport and she's winning a lot sided here.
If that trend continues, an opportunity to pick up some votes for Secretary Clinton, I want to be over that were down then. But, one more down here in Stanford, just 27 percent of the vote in she's winning nearly 64 percent of the vote so far.
So, if that continues, we'll see, if you look at this, there are no giant cities in Connecticut, but if you look at this populations, Center Stanford, Bridgeport, New Haven, Hartford, still a lot of votes to be counted. And the places where Senator Sanders is winning Norwich, for example, is one by his winning. So, he could still get some votes here only 60 percent in.
But, when you move to most of the other places where you see Senator Sanders well ahead, and you just start to wonder them at, you've got 100 percent of the vote counted and almost all of the smaller town.
[21:35:02] So, if you were placing a bet right now, and there are still a lot of votes to be counted in places where Secretary Clinton is running ahead and in some of these towns well ahead. So, she's still mathematically as have been reach of catching up here in the state of Connecticut. We'll keep counting.
BLITZER: Well, we'll have that should way, we'll wait to see what happens as the vote -- as the ballots come in our jumps very much. Anderson, over to you.
COOPER: Yeah of course standing by here from Donald Trump who has had a very good night indeed what winning all five states this evening. In terms of what we heard from Secretary Clinton, it was as Jake said, a very much a general election speech and she did reach out to Bernie Sanders supporters.
AXELROD: We talked earlier about the need to build bridges and you can see some of those planks being laid out tonight for the Sanders supporters. One thing we should -- and there is a good reason for it, you know, we talk about whether Senator Sanders can win one state or two states, well will be on the winning states a phase of the program here. He has to win delegates and he has to win lots of them and he has to win big and the reality is that she's already won the night.
Whatever happens in Connecticut because she will extend her delegate lead and he will not have carved into it and for him to even make the case that all these superdelegates that are supporting her should come and support him, he needs to win the pledged delegates and it's becoming more apparent that's not going to happen.
BORGER: I think he needs to make another kind of decision now, right because I don't think he can make an argument that there's a path to victory anymore and when you can't -- really make that argument anymore you have to take a turn and as you always say having been a campaign it's really hard for people to do this. It's hard for people in the campaign to do it.
SMERCONISH: It becomes statistically impractical for Bernie Sanders after tonight because if you gain this out through California on the 7th of June. He has to win by an increasing percentage that just unrealistic.
COOPER: I do want to break in. We expect Donald Trump any moment. Which Donald Trump? What kind of tone will Donald Trump strike tonight? We'll be listening for that. Stick around, we'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[21:40:16] BLITZER: All right, let's get a key race alert right now. Connecticut, the only outstanding contest on the Democratic side, look at this 41 percent of the vote in -- look at how close it is between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton right now 49.7 percent for Sanders, 48.4 percent for Clinton. Now she's down by 2,159 votes Connecticut, that's the only state, we have not projected so far.
Let's take a look at the states won so far beginning on the Republican side. Once again a huge clean sweep for Donald Trump winning all five Republican presidential primaries in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Delaware, a clean sweep. On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton gets the biggest prize of the night, Pennsylvania she also wins in Maryland and Delaware. Bernie Sanders we projected is the winner in Rhode Island big win for Bernie Sanders in Rhode Island, the only state we have not made a projection on is Connecticut. Anderson, over to you.
COOPER: All right Wolf Blitzer thanks very much. We are waiting Donald Trump who actually if you're wondering what Donald Trump has been doing this evening, he was actually attending the Time 100 Gala which is an annual event. Sort of surprising that on this night of all nights he would be walking the red carpet talking to reporters.
SMERCONISH: The celebrity factor actually is what has gotten him in large measure of this far so I'm not surprised that he would end up being there.
AXELROD: He was trying to figure out why the other 99 were worthy.
(CROSSTALK
BORGER: Reince Preibus.
COOPER: Reince Preibuis was there. We are the only one who runs by ...
COOPER: Yeah. Michael Smerconish, in terms of what you expect to hear from Donald Trump tonight, and we heard very much general election speech from Hillary Clinton. What version do you expect to hear from Donald Trump?
SMERCONISH: So his tone is a double edged sword right, I mean the offensive statements that he makes that draw all the ire (ph) are those things that also drive his core constituencies to the polls. I'm looking at exit data that suggests he won the Philadelphia suburbs. I'm floored by that because the Philadelphia suburbs are such a swing area and usually assign of who can win the state.
Other data, people made up there minds early, more than a month ago for Donald Trump so it's rock solid support and what brings them out? Those one liners -- those one liners that raise all the eyebrows are the same statements that drive his electorate to the polls. So I don't expect him to go soft tonight or any at any point in the future at least not for any sustained time period because that's what's brought him to the dance.
HENDERSON: Yeah and there also seems to be a belief among Trump supporters that he could go, he can be presidential when he needs to be, but when he needs to be sort of unpredictable he can do that too. And I think those two faces of Donald Trump is what keeps him interesting we're all sort of waiting to see which Donald Trump will show up and I think his voters are looking at him in the same way.
BORGER: I think there's one Donald Trump, I'm sorry to say this, but I think its one Donald Trump who sometimes behaves one way and who sometimes behaves another way.
LORD: Like everybody else I would add.
BORGER: Right maybe like ...
AXELROD: Except mortgage (ph).
BORGER: Except, to give you a little bit more with ...
COOPER: You know, we actually have just a little bit of sound from Donald Trump from this Time 100 event I haven't heard myself let's -- I think he's talking about his speech, let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well it's a foreign policy speech and we look forward to it, it will be in Washington, D.C.
SARA MURRAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And will you be using TelePrompTers is that?
TRUMP: It could be, probably it could be.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Talking in a speech is going to give tomorrow.
CUPP: I don't buy this idea that, you know, he's not interested in sounding more presidential. I think he is, he's hired speech writers I think there are indications that he is trying to take some of this more seriously. I don't think he can stop himself, it's not a question of when I'm going to whip this out when it's useful and I'm going to res -- you know, restrain it when it's not. I think he's been promising me more presidential tone and more civil tone for months. I don't think he can help it. When he feels cornered, when he feels attacked, when he feels like he's getting the raw end, that's when you see it unleash, and yes I think it's working for his supporters, but I don't think it's this sort of mastery of his emotions.
COOPER: And by the way Donald Trump I'm told did announce at the Time 100 that though he has not given a name for a vice presidential pick, he did say he wants Elton John to play at the inaugural.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: Or maybe at inaugural party, and not that.
LORD: If I could ...
AXELROD: That's more presidential.
LORD: As one of the Pennsylvanians on tonight, I was reading in my hometown paper the Harrisburg Patriot-News for the opinion editor John Micek, points out here that Pennsylvania is once again the keystone state. Hillary Clinton came to Philadelphia for this tonight. She didn't have to -- she could have done this anywhere else.
Donald Trump has been practically living in Pennsylvania. For the first time in a very long time Pennsylvania is going to play a key role in this election, you know, I think it's terrific.
[21:45:02] SMERCONISH: We say it every four years.
(CROSSTALK)
LORD: Right, but this time I think it's true.
SMERCONISH: It hasn't happened since 1988. It was part that Bush ...
LORD: That's right.
SMERCONISH: ... who last won as a Republican in the commonwealth.
(CROSSTALK) JONES: Since you mentioned Hillary Clinton, I think something important did happen in our party. Hillary Clinton, there was a part of that speech and unless she wants to divorce Bill she could not get any closer to Bernie Sanders. I mean, she reached out to him in a very significant way. And I'm watching on Twitter to see did the Sanders supporters notice she did not just take a shot at him, she praised him, she celebrated him, she -- out of her own mouth said these things about him that Sanders supporters say. And I hope that as we start trying to deal with this "Trumpzilla" going after Philadelphia and build something -- any place else, that we can see these bridges that are trying to be built.
PAUL BEGALA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: What Bernie did not say is equally important. Again, as he did in New York he declined to attack Hillary Clinton tonight. Well, for over 45 minutes ...
(CROSSTALK)
BEGALA: ... did not attack -- gave been a daddy (ph) from politics reports, one maybe aside about trade, maybe kind of sort of in a way.
JONES: How about that?
BEGALA: OK, that's fine. So they are trying to put it back together. And Hillary had used this line before, "There's more that unites us and divides us." And if you go look they served in the Senate together for two years, he voted together 93 percent of the time. If they were on match.com they'd be dating. OK.
So, they will be able to put this back together. Let's watch Donald Trump. Ha has the inclination always to attack and insult, but he's got an obligation now as leader of his party to try to reunite. Will he speak about Ted Cruz the way Hillary spoke about Bernie and his supporters, praising Bernie for his folks, an income inequality, Wall Street reform campaign, finance report.
CUPP: No.
(CROSSTALK)
BORGER: And normally ...
AXELROD: Maybe Trump will remind everybody that Hillary voted with Bernie Sanders 93 percent of the time.
BORGER: Normally he apologize to Jeb Bush or to ...
CUPP: Marco Rubio.
BORGER: ... Marco Rubio or to any of the others. I think that's all in his rearview mirror. I don't think -- in case you hadn't noticed, I don't think Donald Trump apologizes.
COOPER: He has said that he likes Marco Rubio. I think it ...
BORGER: Has he? (CROSSTALK)
BORGER: Oh, OK.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: That was soon before our Town Hall of the families, I think it was.
LORD: I saw something from just the other day where he said, "I like these guys" ...
COOPER: Right.
LORD: ... you know, when we're not on camera and, you know.
(CROSSTALK)
JONES: I mean, that's -- he refuses whenever you got to the point -- let's put him on Mount Rushmore because he said one kind thing about another ...
CUPP: Right.
JONES: ... human being.
BEGALA: Off camera.
JONES: Off cam. I mean, do you see I'm saying, there's something desperately wrong in the country.
LORD: But where ...
JONES: Yes.
LORD: ... in fairness, when the Obama campaign, a mere four years ago, was putting a steel worker on television to say basically that Mitt Romney killed the guy's wife, I mean ...
BEGALA: I did that. He did not. You know, these matters to me.
LORD: OK
BEGALA: Mitt Romney took over Joe (inaudible) company ...
LORD: Right.
BEGALA: ... laid him off and cancel his health insurance. Later, his wife lost her job as well, unrelated to Romney, she lost her health insurance. She died of cancer. OK, that's a fair attack about a man's business record and the consequence of laying off middle class working people.
LORD: I'm just saying that the perception on my side of the aisle was that you guys go for the jugular. And so, therefore, the criticism of Mitt Romney, of John McCain, of everybody going to back to times he was doing with a sole exception of Ronald Reagan is that they don't play on the same field. That's the perception and that's one of the reasons why they like Donald Trump.
JONES: They like Donald Trump because they think he's going to punch back.
BEGALA: They think he's Begala.
JONES: I don't know of the time frame. It's about another way. Listen, I understand, you have a party that has been told that President Obama is essentially the anti-Christ and you haven't been able to beat him twice and your Congress can't stop him. Part of the problem though and my frustration is you love history, let me give you some history.
In 2012 Romney said, "You elect me president, I will give you 6 percent unemployment." We're at 4.5 percent unemployment. My good friend Newt Gingrich says, "You elect me president, I'll give you $3 dollar gas. Half the country's got $2 gas right now. You walk down the list of the step that your candidates promised in 2012 and Obama actually done that stuff.
LORD: Then why are people so upset?
JONES: Because I think they've been sold a bunch of hooey that, you know, President Obama has done this horrible stuff that he's -- he actually been able to pass a bill. I mean, that's the kind of stuff and so, I mean, when we're going back and forth my frustration is that you can sometimes have a legitimate grievances, and trust me in the African-American community, I know this, that you torque up so much that people overshoot the runway and start following leadership that's not good. My fear is that's what's starting to happen in the Republican Party and that's dangerous for everybody.
LORD: But, of course, I would suggest that that's what Republicans feel President -- Senator Obama did. I mean, this is ...
JONES: I mean, he was just -- before -- he was too much, like a hope and ...
LORD: Well, not everything was wrong with the -- and frankly, let me defend him. I mean, John F. Kennedy, you know, said, "We got to get America moving again." I mean, this is what opposition candidates do. This is their role.
[21:50:03] I mean, Bill Clinton did not go around the country in 1992 and say, "Everything is just pity but you ought to consider me." He tried to paint a picture of the Reagan-Bush years that was drastic for folks and he succeeded.
BEGALA: But it is different when you say Mexicans are rapists. It starting up by the way no never forget that Donald Trump introduced himself as a presidential figure by claiming that President Obama was not born in America. That was a racist attack.
LORD: Why is that their stuff? Paul that's been done to five white candidates.
BEGALA: No, both Democrats that John McCain ...
(CROSSTALK)
BEGALA: Chester Allen Arthur in 1880 for god sake, John McCain -- John McCain, George Romney, Barry Goldwater.
(CROSSTALK)
LORD: Soft whistle about race and so the president is other. He is not one of us.
BEGALA: He's born in Hawaii, Hawaii is part of America everybody knows it. Trump still to this day has not disavowed it.
LORD: Well I got -- he was born in August, 1961, in Hawaii, is that makes you feel better.
BEGALA: But why hasn't he disavowed than? But what about the rest.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: So that I have asked him about it, actually. But he says he just refuses to talk about it. He says, I'm not here to talk about that. You know, he still sort of does a little hint that there is something there but, as far as I remember I don't want to misquote him, but he definitely sort of pivots to say, I don't want, you know, I'm not here to talk about that anymore.
He did make the claim early on unproven which he never offer any evidence that he hired detectives ...
LORD: Right.
COOPER: ... to go to Hawaii, to search, you know, and we had folks in Hawaii doing the exact same thing and none of all the people they talked to, none of them had ever had any contact with any detective or anybody hired by Donald Trump.
CUPP: But there is the ugliness that you're talking about that I think you would frame differently and obviously is striking different people differently.
I'm one that finds Donald Trump's rhetoric to be bigoted at times and really divisive. Putting that aside, there's also just a shocking and disappointing lack of awareness of how the world works from this campaign. What he can accomplish as a president.
The role of the executive, the division of powers, the importance of the constitution, an affinity for the constitution, an understanding of international law. I mean you could argue that an outsider comes with a fresh perspective. But to have really such a lack of knowledge on how so much of this works and still be the frontrunner and say, outright, I'll figure it out later. But that is right thing. AXELROD: But I think that it is the frustration with all you were -- I agree with you, but it's a frustration with all the things you mentioned that animate his supporters. They are frustrated with the pace of change. They are frustrated with the institutions. I think the institutions to fail them they feel this thing and he ...
(CROSSTALK)
CUPP: And he has turned it into one.
AXELROD: Well, but he is -- but there's no doubt that he has tapped a vein there. And then asked what's happened to this country? I think part of what happens to this country is we've had really profound changes in our economy. And there are whole bunches of people who have been sort of left behind, they are fighting harder and harder just to keep their place. And their angry about it and he has tapped into that anger. It is easy to say, blame the immigrant trade and all the other things that he has said. And he knows how to market that.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: But also, let's just come back to, I mean let's look at what's happening on the screens. Trump swept five states ...
BORGER: Right, exactly.
COOPER: ... by over 60 percent, I mean ...
AXELROD: Steam rolled.
COOPER: ... this was a major, major win.
(CROSSTALK)
JONES: Many votes in the ballot.
(CROSSTALK)
BORGER: But, Van, the voters -- the people who support Trump and Jeffrey can speak to this better than I can, because he is a very public supporter of Donald Trump, believe that Donald Trump is in many ways an answer to a complete failure of government, of our institutions, of our politicians, you know, at every single level.
And, so they look at Donald Trump and they understand. As you were talking about this before, that, yeah, they don't like some of his language.
CUPP: Yeah.
BORGER: And there a lot of people raising questions about who was the real Donald Trump. That's never a good question to ask about a political candidate.
LORD: Right.
BORGER: Is he winking at us. Sort if this -- but and that needs to be ...
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: The stake was it for Paul Manafort to go and, you know, political report and read the speech to ...
AXELROD: I don't think -- it is never a good policy to go into a room of people who are political people and specially the era of these things and second and say, hey, don't worry about it, our guy is just playing a role. And when the time comes, he'll switch it to something else.
BORGER: Yeah.
AXELROD: That was an incredibly damming thing to say. And what he did was he reinforced the concerns of both conservatives and Democrats.
BORGER: Right.
AXELROD: Let suspect that Trump is going to shift and shake shift then and to sketch himself to the middle.
(CROSSTALK)
[21:55:08] BEGALA: He won five landslides the landslides the week he did that.
AXELROD: There is his campaign chair, whatever that it is.
(CROSSTALK)
LORD: To Gloria's point.
AXELROD: That's what he did but he did go back to time very quickly.
LORD: I came over here today by cab. A black cab driver said in his own words exactly what you just said. Volunteered it, volunteered it, wanted to know about the campaign. And then, he launched and launched almost exactly.
BORGER: Yeah. How angry he is.
LORD: Yes, yes, yes. And then he believes that Donald Trump and knows where the bodies are buried, that he's got the experience, he knows how to do this. He's tired of all the politicians.
JONES: Jeff is more right than he knows. And here is something I think is that ...
BEGALA: He seemed pretty sure of himself.
JONES: I mean, even though.
BORGER: Am I right? Am I right?
LORD: Even more right.
JONES: And back and even more ...
LORD: He's far right.
JONES: But, often, you hear, you know, liberals trying to reassure themselves, and say, you know, Trump can't win because he is so unpopular with people of color.
I mean you look like it like well, 70 percent of African-Americans don't like him, which is terrifying. That means 30 percent might be open to him. He gets half of that, he is president.
AXELROD: Let me say, one of the things about that what Ted Cruz said earlier, that was kind of interesting to me was that the media and liberals want Donald Trump, because he'll be easier for Hillary Clinton.
Most of the Democrats that I'd talk to, professional, political people would prefer Ted Cruz.
BORGER: Of course.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: There it go.
HENDERSON: But, there is a fantasy that all of the things that Donald Trump has said about minorities and the women and the primary is somehow going to dissolve in a general. And I just don't think that's the case.
COOPER: And Donald Trump is being introduced, or right now, at Trump headquarters in New York, coming back from the Time 100 Gala.
We don't know exactly how long he'll be speaking for really or what sort of a tone he is going to strike ...
AXELROD: Or will he still be in the tux?
COOPER: Yeah. That was not the point.
AXELROD: That would be very president.
BORGER: OK. He's had a huge night tonight.
HENDERSON: No.
BORGER: I mean, he had a major sweet piece heading into our crucial state but to when did is that?
COOPER: Not just, I mean, a major swept, I mean, it crushing victory in every single state now as possible.
BORGER: And sort of bugs did the ...
(CROSSTALK)
SMERCONISH: It takes on a feeling of the inability (ph) tonight. It really does. The closure he gets John King has him getting close to 970 tonight without Pennsylvania's 54. It could be very hard to deny him when he passes that thousand delegate threshold.
COOPER: And let's listen in to Donald Trump. Chris Christie, and told, is also there. There was on Melania Trump earlier and Donald Trump's family. Let's listen in.
DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I want to thank now from -- in Florida, amazing Ben Carson, Dr. Ben Carson right now, and through out and so supportive.
I believe we hat sets incredible supports throughout. And whether it is evangelical leaders or politicians, it has been amazing. And we've been called by people that you would not believe, you can go by, people that has been to work eight, that was -- the coffee. And you said, you know, how are you going to pivot on the sales? And he said, don't' worry about, in other words, good politicians I can feel more about it. All right, I just want to thank everybody. This is a lot bigger win when you can expected all five. And it was not...
And, how that it bring me on the side to drop by whether it's 60 or just about 60, and then I see one up there at 66 and 67. And you have to remember, I'd say this all the time through the pundits. I love the pundits, but I say it all the time. There are three people.
When you rack 60, and as we did last week with our great city and our great state of New York, when you crack 60 with three people, that's very hard to do.
In fact, I think Christie said, if you crack 60 with two people, that's called a massive landslide. But, we have three. And, you know, such great things have happened. Last night, it was very strange when I watch this group get together. I was a strange mom and I got a call at 11:00. And we walk and I said, I think that's a good thing. So, it shows weakness, it shows ineffectiveness, it shows fairly campaign. But, really it is collusion. And this is a (inaudible) with collusion all takes you about to get win. But then, really have some say, I've got -- we've seen a lot.
The Republican Party needs something much different than that. We'll be going to -- thank you. We'll be going to Indiana. I'll be leaving tomorrow afternoon for just a long stay and it's a great state, that I have many, many friends there. And I have a coach, Bobby Knight, the great Bobby Knight.
[22:00:03] And we're going to be spending a lot of time with Bobby. And Bobby is an amazing guy. He is tough, he is sharp, he is smart and he wins, you know, he knows how to win. And the people of Indiana love him and Bobby's endorsed me and we're going to spend tomorrow night.
