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Ted Cruz Announces Carly Fiorina as Vice Presidential Running Mate; D.C. Republicans Begin Warming to Trump; Melanie Trump Angered by GQ Profile; Clinton Shifts Focus to General Election. Aired 10- 10:30a ET

Aired April 28, 2016 - 10:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[10:00:01] SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am pleased to introduce to you the next vice-president of the United States, Carly Fiorina.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And Trump smacks down.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Cruz can't win. What is he doing picking vice presidents? He can't win. He can't win.

COSTELLO: Tell that to Carly.

CARLY FIORINA, TED CRUZ RUNNING MATE: I think the soul of our party is at stake. I think the future of our nation is at stake.

COSTELLO: Plus, Bernie Sanders says he is in it until the end, but hundreds of his staff members are not. The Democratic candidate's campaign overhaul.

And the investigation into Prince's death. Authorities now say they found opiate medication on him when he died.

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.

Ted Cruz about to kick off a busy day of campaigning in Indiana, and he will share the spotlight with his brand new running mate, Carly Fiorina. The Cruz campaign desperately needs the heavily Republican state to show that he's a viable candidate to stop Trump at the convention. The frontrunner mocking what he calls an act of desperation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: First of all, you have to look, Cruz can't win. What's he doing picking vice presidents? Can't win, can't win. You know, on television they say it nicely. He has no path to victory. That's a nice expression, right? No path to victory. He's got no path to victory. He is the first presidential candidate in the history of this country of who's mathematically eliminated from becoming president who chose a vice presidential candidate, OK?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: We are also hearing from that vice presidential candidate this morning.

CNN's Phil Mattingly brings us that. Good morning.

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, Carol. For Ted Cruz, this is really the ball game. The next five days camping out in Indiana and now with the help of Carly Fiorina, and, Carol, it's important to note Carly Fiorina has been not only a top but a very effective surrogate for Ted Cruz over the last couple of weeks, particularly in Wisconsin in the wake of Donald Trump's attacks on female voters, on his polling on female voters looking very negative.

Carly Fiorina was the person that the Cruz campaign continued to send out. She will play that role but only bigger going forward. Take a listen to her perspective on this race.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FIORINA: The majority of Republicans don't want Donald Trump as their nominee. Neither I do. I think we need a conservative. See, for some of us, principles matter. Policies matter. Values matter. Character matters. I know that matters to Hoosiers. And so we're going to go fight for principles and policies and values and character that represent our party and that will make the future of this nation bright, instead of dim.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: Now Carly Fiorina, one of a number of Republicans who have gotten behind Ted Cruz over the last couple of weeks. Top tier names like Mitt Romney, certain governors that maybe you wouldn't expect, Carly Fiorina as well. One person who is not willing to join that bandwagon, though, John Boehner. The former speaker of the House giving remarks at Stanford University last night saying that Ted Cruz is, quote, "Lucifer in the flesh." And now there's obviously a lot of backstory and history between those two.

Ted Cruz causing nightmares for John Boehner when he was speaker of the House, but, Carol, as we have seen other Republicans who are trying to stop Donald Trump coalesce behind Ted Cruz's candidacy, John Boehner not quite there yet, and I don't think he's ever going to get there, Carol.

COSTELLO: I don't think so either. I read some of that article and what -- was it in the "Stanford News" that's the newspaper it appeared in?

MATTINGLY: Yes.

COSTELLO: So -- and Boehner also said he would be willing to vote for Trump if he's the nominee, but he would not vote for Ted Cruz if he becomes the nominee, right?

MATTINGLY: Under any circumstances, Carol, and that's really surprising because John Boehner is kind of the epitome of the establishment Republican, that country club brand of Republicans is in large part when you talk to those officials been so horrified by Donald Trump's candidacy. John Boehner so offended by what Ted Cruz did while he was in the Senate as John Boehner was leading the House that he simply can't go along with it.

And it's worth noting, Carol, that as Ohio's John Boehner stated last night, he does have a previous relationship with Donald Trump and says they're, quote, "texting buddies."

(LAUGHTER)

COSTELLO: OK. Phil Mattingly, thanks so much.

Mr. Trump says he will have the required delegates to earn the official nomination and the stop Trump movement may be losing steam. So like it or not, many Republicans are shaking off their squeamishness. You heard Phil say. They're making peace with the possibility that Mr. Trump will be the party's nominee. And as CNN's Manu Raju shows us that includes the party's leaders on Capitol Hill.

MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. Now for months Republicans were very nervous about the Donald Trump impact down ticket. They thought him as a prospective Republican nominee could wipe out their majorities in the Senate and possibly even the House. But what we're seeing now is that as Trump barrels towards that Republican nomination, more and more Republicans are starting to embrace the idea of Donald Trump as the Republican nominee.

[10:05:09] Senate majority whip John Cornyn, the number two Republicans in the Senate, in February told me that Trump would be an albatross to down ticket Republicans. Now yesterday when I asked him what impact Trump would have down ticket, he said, well, Trump could be a good thing. He could expand the electoral map. Perhaps this would be good for the party, said, don't worry about it, I think we'll be OK.

Bob Corker, Republican from Tennessee who is very close to Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, said to me that Trump gave a very good speech on foreign policy and thinks it's a good thing that Trump actually scares world leaders.

Mark Sanford, a Ted Cruz supporter, South Carolina Republican congressman, said to me that we're all starting to get around to the idea that Donald Trump will very likely be the party's nominee. In Oregon today on "NEW DAY," Tom Coburn, former Republican senator, also seemed open to the idea.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. TOM COBURN (R), FORMER OKLAHOMA SENATOR: Well, I think he's going to be the nominee. It seems obvious to me at this time. It's going to be pretty hard to stop him, and what I would say is he's probably wearing on people where they're starting to see something besides superlatives and starting to see some substance.

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RAJU: Now I should caution a number of Republicans still are in that so-called never Trump moved. Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican, said that with Trump as a nominee we will get creamed this November. Other Republicans like Justin Amash, libertarian from Michigan, said something very similar. He said he will not support Donald Trump as the nominee. So you see a split on Capitol Hill but certainly more and more Republicans are open to the idea -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. Manu Raju reporting for us this morning.

The woman card is still being dealt this morning as "GQ" magazine rolls out a devastating interview with Mrs. Donald Trump. The article so unflattering, Melania Trump spoke out on her Facebook page saying, quote, she calls the article, "Another example of the dishonest media and their disingenuous reporting. It was written by a journalist who was looking to make a name for herself, who clearly had an agenda when going after my family."

Here is why Mrs. Trump is so upset. "GQ" begins the article by calling Mrs. Trump's accent a kind of dreamy Transylvanian. It goes on to portray her as a traditional wife who does not interfere in her husband's business affairs. A Trump friend and stylist told "GQ," quote, "Melania stays in her lane. When asked she gives her opinion but otherwise she stays out of it." He adds, "She'd be great at picking out the China patterns."

The article also quotes a high school friend who said, quote, "She's smart for the things she's interested in, like jewelry. She's not stupid, she's not a bimbo, but she's not especially clever."

With me now, Kayleigh McEnany, she's a Donald Trump supporter and conservative columnist, and CNN political commentator SE Cupp.

Welcome to both of you.

SE CUPP, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Good morning.

KAYLEIGH MCENANY, DONALD TRUMP SUPPORTER: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Good morning. Kayleigh, your thoughts on this article?

MCENANY: Yes, I think it's appalling. When you read the article, they call her essentially a physical specimen. They say she's obedient, they say she's short on substance. And you know, perhaps the most appalling part of all is that she seem to criticize her or berate her for being a traditional wife who doesn't have a nanny, who's decided to stay home and raise her child herself.

It's really a disaster. And, you know, there's been a lot of talk about sexism over the last few days, but the only evidence I have seen of sexism is this article. It really is disturbing especially the way they dismiss women all across America from the east to west coast who have made the choice to stay home with their families.

I really am ashamed of "GQ" for doing this and putting her and her family through this.

COSTELLO: It's interesting, SE, that the article was written by a woman.

CUPP: And Julia Ioffe is a well-known writer and I was very disappointed in this piece. I think she's a great writer. She usually covers very substantive issues like Russian foreign policy and human rights abuses in Russia. This was, I thought, very much sort of a tabloid piece on -- you know, hit job on Melania that I really thought was beneath Julia and her writing.

As Kayleigh said, I completely agree, it was incredibly dismissive of Melania's role in her family, of Melania's intellect, of Melania's value, and I thought kind of dirty in the way that she goes after Melania's family back home.

Look, Melania is going to have to get some thicker skin. You know, she is a public person whether she likes it or not. Not just because her husband is running for president but because she was an international model and then married a very famous person and was sort of out and about. She's going to have to get thicker skin as we go forward, but at the same time I was really disappointed in this piece.

COSTELLO: Yes. And she appears to be such a shy woman, too. So -- but something the article also points out, Kayleigh, is that the Trumps live a far different lifestyle than most Americans and, of course, the Trumps are trying to appeal to the masses.

[10:10:09] For example, this is how it's put in that article. Melania tells "GQ" she travels rarely but when she does she leaves her son with the help. Donald Trump recently tweeted about his stay in Indiana. Quote, "Staying at a Holiday Inn Express. New and clean. Not bad." Donald Trump, Jr. has described his dad as a blue-collar billionaire. So how should we perceive the Trumps?

MCENANY: Yes, you know, you're exactly right that the article does go to great lengths to try to portray them as opulent and out of touch, but the fact is, you know, Donald Trump's message has resonated with people of all income levels, and he's really brought in this blue- collar strain to the party that the Republican Party has had a hard time getting all the way all along.

And, you know, I think that there's a lot in the article despite all of its flaw that people can resonate with. The fact that Melania doesn't have a nanny. There are people all across the country who do have nannies who come from, you know, middle income levels or high income levels but she's shunned that idea and opted to raise her family herself.

So I think there's a lot of values -- traditional values that can be pieced together throughout the article that really will make this family resonate with Americans across the country. COSTELLO: OK. So SE, I do think character is going to be an issue as

this campaign moves forward into the general election, right? So if Donald Trump is going to bring up Bill Clinton's character, for example, is it fair game to dig into Melania's character, too?

CUPP: Look, Bill Clinton is a former president. Bill Clinton is completely, you know, open for scrutiny --

COSTELLO: Well, let's separate out his policies from his personal life. Let's just focus on his personal life, right? So is it fair game --

CUPP: Yes, but his personal life was very much a part of his presidential experience, you know, as I'm sure you remember. So it's not -- it's not gratuitous I think to go after both Bill and Hillary Clinton's, you know, marital issues because they were so public, and I think really do go to character. Donald Trump is completely open for scrutiny when it comes to his character and I have been I think pretty vocal about expressing some skepticism about his character.

But, you know, I think giving all these lavish details about the opulent lifestyle they live and her skin cream line and her health regimen, I mean, look, the American people already know that Donald Trump is wealthy. Donald Trump does not hide the fact that he's wealthy. He's not pretending to be something that he's not.

There is plenty to go after Donald Trump on on his character and his policies without going to the little town in Slovenia that Melania grew up in and interviewing her friends. It just seemed really gratuitous and beneath Julia's usually --

COSTELLO: Although --

CUPP: Usually excellent writing.

COSTELLO: Right, right. Although I'm just thinking back right now to 2008 and what was said about Michelle Obama. People certainly dug into her background and some of the things that they came up with were not so complimentary. So is this just what happens when you run for president, Kayleigh?

CUPP: Yes.

MCENANY: Yes, it does happen. I don't think it should. I agree with SE completely that Bill Clinton is a different situation because he was a former president. Hillary Clinton was complicit in a lot of his policies like NAFTA, the health care efforts, so that is a different situation --

COSTELLO: I'm talking about their personal life with the Clintons, with Monica Lewinsky --

MCENANY: Yes.

COSTELLO: You know, that kind of thing, right? MCENANY: Well, that's fair game. That happened in the Oval Office

and many people say that Hillary Clinton went to great lengths to demonize the victims of sexual assault all the while she's tweeting out that victims of sexual assault deserve to be heard and believed while she actively demeaned them so that's completely fair game.

But generally speaking, Michelle Obama, that what she went through was awful. She was not in the public light. She did not deserve that. Melania doesn't deserve that. So generally speaking, yes, spouses should be out of it.

COSTELLO: All right. I have to leave it there. Interesting conversation. SE Cupp, Kayleigh McEnany, thanks to both of you.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, Hillary Clinton focusing on November and updating her husband's famous campaign refrain -- it's still the economy, stupid.

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[10:18:14] COSTELLO: Bernie Sanders says he's in it until the end, but thanks to some campaign downsizing, many of his staffers will not be. Sanders now laying off more than 200 workers after losing four out of the five northeast primary states. His campaign manager says it's just the natural evolution of the campaign, but make no mistake, Sanders is still drawing big crowds but the tide has definitely turned and so has the tone. You can hear it as Clinton sets her sight on the general election.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: 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.

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.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: With me now, Jackie Kucinich, she's the Washington bureau chief of the "Daily Beast."

Hi, Jackie.

JACKIE KUCINICH, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, THE DAILY BEAST: Hey, Carol.

COSTELLO: So you hear Hillary Clinton start to pivot and talk about middle-class woes. Is it time for her to pivot now that Bernie Sanders has laid off those campaign staffers?

KUCINICH: You know, she's been trying to pivot toward the general election for some time now, but Bernie Sanders has held on, and now it feels like she's starting to get even more there because Bernie Sanders is losing steam in terms of being a contender for the nomination. He needs 97 percent -- he is 97 percent away or something. It's mathematically almost impossible for Bernie Sanders, so she really can start turning the page.

But the other thing you're hearing her do is reach out to Bernie Sanders' supporters to try to bring them in the fold because she needs that enthusiasm and she needs those people that have been so vocal for Bernie Sanders to come to her side, too.

[10:20:13] So I listen more for that as well as we go forward in the next month or so.

COSTELLO: And you know I talked to a Bernie Sanders supporter yesterday, she under no circumstance would ever vote for Hillary Clinton, nothing. I had a Democratic strategist on with her and Hillary Clinton supporter. Nothing she said could change this young woman's mind.

So how badly does Hillary Clinton need those young voters since she has core voters from other demographics that will -- that may help her win the -- help her win the presidency?

KUCINICH: Well, it all depends on who she's pitted against, and, you know, what the electorate is going to look like, but the enthusiasm that those supporters have generated will certainly be helpful to Hillary Clinton. She hasn't done well with young people this entire, you know, primary. They've almost all voted for Bernie Sanders when you look at the polling from each state. That said, you know, it really -- again, it depends because you're right, she does have a core base of support in other areas.

COSTELLO: Yes. Among African-Americans, for example.

KUCINICH: Sure.

COSTELLO: Among older women certainly, right?

KUCINICH: Yes, absolutely.

COSTELLO: So -- but I guess the question is will those blocs of voters be enough for her or does she really desperately need that bloc of young voters that Bernie Sanders has?

KUCINICH: I do wonder how many are actually in the camp of "I will never vote for Hillary Clinton ever." I was in Prospect Park during Bernie Sanders' really large rally, and also I heard this in New Hampshire as well, that, you know, these voters were -- these young people were voting for Bernie Sanders, but at the end of the day they didn't want a Republican president, so they would vote for Hillary Clinton in a general.

And, again, that's just, you know, my own experience talking to voters but I do wonder how big that bloc of #neverHillary actually is.

COSTELLO: I guess we won't know until much later, right? KUCINICH: Right. True.

COSTELLO: A question about Hillary Clinton pivoting, and you hear her trying out different tactics. Is she experimenting right now with messaging for a general election?

KUCINICH: I'm sure. I mean, there are things you know you're going to hear again, particularly if she's faced with Donald Trump. Some of the messaging she's had with women. She's talking a lot about manufacturing. I'm in Indiana right now. Some of her broader messages about the middle class. You can imagine that that's going to be a theme, and, yes, right now is the time where you test those messages before you have to go into a general and face that broader audience.

COSTELLO: So we haven't heard her like hardcore campaign rhetoric right at the moment.

KUCINICH: We'll get there. There's plenty of time for that. But I'm not sure what you mean by hardcore. I think her -- she has been campaigning on her core values. She has been pushed to the left by Bernie Sanders in some cases, but -- and I'm sure you'll hear some differences maybe with her original minimum wage pitch versus the one Bernie Sanders is, but I think, you know, we're going to hear a lot of the same Hillary going into the general. I wouldn't imagine it being extremely dramatically different on a couple of months.

COSTELLO: All right. Jackie Kucinich, thanks for your insights. I appreciate it.

KUCINICH: Thanks, Carol.

COSTELLO: You're welcome.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, the DEA is now investigating Prince's death. What was found on the music legend when he died, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:27:56] COSTELLO: Checking some top stories for you at 27 minutes past. An air strike that hit a Syrian hospital kills 27 people. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says three children died along with one of the last pediatricians in Aleppo. The hospital supported by Doctors Without Borders was well known in the rebel-held area. It is unclear what country the fighter jet was attached to, the fighter jet that hit that hospital.

Vice President Joe Biden makes a surprise visit to Iraq to talk about ISIS. Just a couple of hours ago, Biden landed in Baghdad to meet with Iraq's political leaders. He's delivering an in-person plea to end the ongoing political crisis there. The Obama White House is worried it's distracting Baghdad from fighting the terror group.

A former volunteer deputy who shot and killed an unarmed black man last year in Tulsa has been convicted of manslaughter. 74-year-old Robert Bates said he thought he had pulled out his taser when he actually pulled out his gun and he shot Eric Harris at the back. Harris was already on the ground and subdued by other deputies at the time. Bates could face up to four years in prison.

A white knuckle emergency stop for the passengers and crew aboard a Delta jet just seconds before taking off for Miami. Flight 873 was roaring down the runway at top speed in Atlanta when a landing plane suddenly crossed right in front of it. The Delta pilot slammed on the brakes with seconds to spare.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Delta 873 cancel take off. Delta 873 cancel takeoff. Sorry about that. Make the right turn on taxiway Mike and you can taxi normally.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll make a right turn and get ourself in order.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Go all the way down on Mike. And yes. Sorry about that. That was my mistake guys.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. Yes we're going to exit here at Mike 6 and we'll go back to Mike. We'll just have to do a little brake temperature check and whatnot. We actually had to double check to make sure we heard you right. So that's why it took us so long. Sorry.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's OK. My mistake. Sorry about that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: People were shaken up by the incident but no one was hurt and the flight did eventually take off.