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President Barack Obama weighed in on the current presidential campaign; Melania Trump as first lady; North Korea is holding a once in a generation political gathering. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired May 06, 2016 - 15:30   ET

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


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[15:30:00] BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN HOST: OK. So you're obviously not going to share anything privately that former speaker shared with you although feel free to tell the national audience. That's fine with me. We are all curious. All of us, you know, potential - go ahead.

RANDY EVANS, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE MEMBER: I can tell you that it the question that was posed last night was, if Mr. Trump ask you to serve, is that something you would rule out? Because as you know there have been those that said, no, I wouldn't consider it. And the former speaker said, listen. As a son of an army brat, my rule of thumb is if your commander in-chief, your future commander in-chief asks you to serve, you stand up and you answer the call. So I think that's a good indication the he would be open to the possibility. Whether or not he's the one, I don't know.

BALDWIN: OK. I appreciate the candor.

So let me move on to the president of the United States who commented. He was at the White House today speaking on the economy and he definitely weighed in on this current state of affairs in this race. Here he was.

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BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I just want to emphasize the degree of we are in serious times and this a really serious job. This is not entertainment. This is not a reality show. This is a contest for the presidency of the United States. And what that means is that every candidate, every nominee, needs to be subject to exacting standards and genuine scrutiny.

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BALDWIN: Juana, Who's the president trying to reach there? What is his message with weighing in?

JUANA SUMMERS, CNN POLITICS EDITOR: Well, I think he is trying to make the point that this is a really serious moment. I think that was really a preview of what we could see from President Obama once the general election officially begins. That's certainly some of the more aggressive comments we have seen from him talking about the tone of the race. Obviously alluding to Donald Trump there in the comments about reality television, reality show. But I think he was also talking to members of the political press corps. These were remarks made to journalists gathered to hear a statement from President Obama on the economy. And I think that if you look at the speech, if you look at the speech that he gave another dinner in Washington maybe a month ago, President Obama is frustrated with the tone of the press in a lot of times. He is frustrated with the lack of seriousness. And I think that he is also asking you and I and other reporters to step up the game to be more aggressive with Mr. Trump and other presidential candidates. I, of course, have to concede that many journalists including many here at CNN and other news outlets have been asking those tough questions. Now, whether or not you get an answers, that's a completely is different question.

EVANS: What made those comments so shocking today was where was the president after the Paris bombings, when every world leader locked arms and walked down the path to demonstrate the seriousness of the situation? How serious was our president who did not even go? Instead he went and chose to play a game of golf. It is really hard to take that serious. Given what he's, in fact, done when the most significant situations have occurred and he's been absent whenever it happened. Just go become and look through. There's a nice little list put together of all the times this president was MIA at a critical moment. That's when you're serious, when you lock arms with the rest of the world and say no to terrorists.

BALDWIN: I heard you loud and clear. I think I'm balance, you know, Dems would say they would point to Brussels and yes, he was in Cuba. But at the same time, point being it was terrorism and point of terror is to instill fear in every person and so he wanted to continue on and show the rest of this country, you know, this is as usual continue on.

Jackie Kucinich, final thoughts from you on all of this?

JACKIE KUCINICH, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, THE DAILY BEAST: It's going to be a heck of a year, Brooke, that is for sure. And it is going get worse before it gets better. I hate to say everybody that but it's a fact.

BALDWIN: OK. Do we really want to end on that? It is going to get worse before it gets better? Give me something better than that, Jackie Kucinich. Come on. I'm not letting you off the hook.

KUCINICH: I mean, but look at. You know, to the president's credit, I mean, they were -- he was being asked about the taco bowl at the press conference, the Donald Trump twitter picture. So, you know, you can forgive him for being disappointed sometimes in the press corps.

BALDWIN: OK. Jackie Kucinich, Juana Summers, Randy Evans, thank you all so much. I appreciate that.

Also heads up on "the SITUATION ROOM," Wolf Blitzer, in just a couple hours, he will be talking to Senator Bernie Sanders. "SITUATION ROOM" starts at 5:00 eastern here on CNN.

Coming up next, she would be the first, first lady to have ever posed nude. My next guest says Melania Trump would actually take on a traditional role if her husband is elected president. We'll explain why coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:34:03] BALDWIN: A former supermodel born in Slovenia could be the next first lady of the United States. I'm talking about Melania Trump, wife of presumptive Republican nominee and billionaire businessman Donald Trump. So far, Mrs. Trump has kept a relatively low profile on the trail and now as her husband pivots to the general election, her role is likely to expand. Melania Trump already knows what kind of first lady she would like to be.

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MELANIA TRUMP, DONALD TRUMP'S WIFE: We are in 21st century. I would be me. I will be different than any other first ladies. I will -- I will help women. I will help children. They're our future. They need our guidance and help. And also, I'm involved in many, many charities already. So I would choose one or two that are dear to me and work on that.

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[15:40:02] BALDWIN: Let me bring in my favorite go-to on all things first lady, Kate Andersen Brower. She is the author of "New York Times" bestseller "first women: the Grace and power of America's modern first ladies."

Nice to have you back on. You know, this is all fascinating, thinking of who could be the first lady and Melania Trump, you know, she would be the first woman, as we mentioned a second ago, first lady who has posed nude. Yet, you know, you believe she would be an ultra- traditional first lady. What do you mean by that?

KATE ANDERSEN BROWER, AUTHOR, FIRST WOMEN: I do. Well, it's kind of ironic. I mean, I think she would take us back to Mamie Eisenhower. I don't think we had a first lady who have been this traditional since Mamie. Mamie said she had one responsibility and that's Ike, referring to his husband. Best Truman, before her, said, you know, no one needs to know who I am. I'm the president's wife and mother of his daughter. And so, these ultra-traditional women are very similar to Melania. She talked about not nagging her husband about Donald Trump never changing a diaper in his life and that's something that, you know, is taking us back to a different time. And I think it's just ironic because like you said she is the first first lady to have ever posed nude and she would be so traditional in the role.

BALDWIN: How else just looking at all the other first ladies I know you have written about, how would Melania compare? I mean, she talks about how help women children, but how else?

BROWER: I think they evolve once they are in the role, right. I mean, Jackie Kennedy before she came to the White House was very traditional. But then when she got in to the White House found her voice in a way. The same with Betty Ford. I mean, these women come into the role and change. I mean, Betty Ford which came into the White House, wasn't as

outspoken as she became. And in 1975 amazing interview with "60 Minutes" where she talks about being OK with her daughter, her teenage daughter had an affair and things like that. So sometimes these women kind of come out of their shells and evolve in the role of firstly day. So we could see Melania Trump change. But as of now, I mean, she is kind more of a mom and she is kind of role. But less controversial than Michelle Obama has done with the let's move campaign that these take on big food companies. So we'll to have to wait and see but it's an interesting twist that she would be so traditional as she remain the same.

BALDWIN: It is interesting to knew, when you look at a Trump family, we just have them on in a CNN town hall. And who we heard a lot from was Ivanka Trump, right? Because Melania, you know, she seems to despite her supermodel past and certainly not straying from the spotlight, she seems now to sort of stay away from the limelight, allows her step daughter to play more of an active role in Donald Trump's campaign. Someone was just telling me on set the other day that Ivanka maybe help in the vice presidential selection process. So why do you think that is?

BROWER: I think she he has a thin skin. I think Melania Trump does. I mean, this "GQ" profile of her, she came out blasting the reporter saying the reporter trying to make a name for herself. I think Ivanka has kind of embraced the public role of her family. She has negotiated business deals for her father. She is a public figure. And she's incredibly shrewd. And so you see her on twitter and social media staying away from politics, from staying away in some of that incendiary language and she is just so shrewd about it. And I don't think Melania is political enough. She is clearly not interested in politics. Neither is Michelle Obama particularly but they are obviously two very different women.

BALDWIN: What about before I let you go Hillary Clinton could be the first female president of the United States? What would we call her husband? First man?

BROWER: I think first gentleman, right?

BALDWIN: First gentleman, OK.

BROWER: Yes, yes. He says first laddy (ph) would be like the closest thing. But what would be a great story if that happens.

BALDWIN: Totally. We will continue the conversation. We'll see what happens come November.

Kate Andersen Brower, your book, "First Women." Thank you so much. Congrats on making "The New York Times" list.

BROWER: Thanks.

BALDWIN: Coming up next, North Carolina supreme leader making a power play bringing together more than 3,000 communist party elites. Look at this crowd. We will take you live to Pyongyang to find out the meeting, the likes of which not seen in more than three decades.

But first a sneak peek of this Sunday's all new episode of "PARTS UNKNOWN." Anthony Bourdain takes you to the Greek islands.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think there was a sending off of a villager to the go to the army. Basically a good reason for everyone to, you know, let some steam out.

ANTHONY BOURDAIN, CNN HOST, PARTS UNKNOWN: Whoa! Lamb?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is lamb, pork and pork.

BOURDAIN: And famous potatoes, of course.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of course. This is called (INAUDIBLE), traditional style pork.

BOURDAIN: Good sauce. Like potatoes and pepper.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Wine, tomato sauce, pepper and garlic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yamos.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yamos.

[15:45:00] BOURDAIN: So you make wine?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I make wine, yes. I make a good wine.

BOURDAIN: Born here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not born here. I came when I was 23 years old.

BOURDAIN: From?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Athens.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Athens. Very different life here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I believe here you live every moment of your life. Here you feel really the freedom.

BOURDAIN: Thank you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:49:30] BALDWIN: Communist nation is holding a once in a generation political gathering. North Korea convening the first party Congress in 36 years and not surprising high on the agenda nukes.

Let's go straight to a city usually we cannot broadcast live from North Korea's capital Pyongyang. Will Ripley is there. Will Ripley, nice to see you. Kim Jong-Un just spoke. What did he

say?

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well he laid out what we can expect to see this weekend, which is he is going to get an even more grandiose title than he already has, Brooke. He is already the supreme leader and with to be elected to the highest possible position in the ruling workers party. He is also announcing that new party leadership that he has hand chosen will be selected. Remember a lot of the members of his inner circle including the execution of his own uncle, these purges happen, people who oppose his agenda of developing the country's nuclear arsenal and the economy at the same time. Well, they are now out of the picture so there's going to be new party leadership, a new bigger title for Kim Jong-un which means essentially he's able to move forward with his agenda without any opposition whatsoever.

BALDWIN: OK. So new title. But they haven't had this kind of meeting in 36 years. Why now?

RIPLEY: He wasn't even born during the last meeting when his father was named as successor. In Korean culture, Brooke, seniority is something that's very highly valued, and his father was in the public eye for 20 years before becoming the supreme leader. North Koreans only heard of Kim Jong-Un about a year before his father's unexpected death. So all of a sudden there was this new leader. And there were a lot of people who were questioning whether someone in their early 30s should be running a country of some 24 million people. And so, to try and shake away any of those doubts, you have seen the purported H- bomb test in January, the satellite launch in February, all these repeated missile launches. There is rumors of a fifth nuclear test and now major Congress and new leadership, all of it in an effort by this young leader to say he is in control and he is going to do with this country what he wants which is to have a bigger nuclear arsenal. And he also says try to grow the economy at the same time though a lot of outside observers think you can't have a strong economy, it could also face all of the heavy sanctions as a result of the nuclear program, not to mention the billions that are being spent on weapons when there are electricity and food shortages in this country.

[15:51:48] BALDWIN: Will Ripley, don't often get to say someone is live in North Korea, but you are indeed in Pyongyang. Thank you so much, sir, for that report there on that Congress meeting.

Just heads up for all o you, we are watching and waiting for another update from law enforcement in Montgomery County, Maryland on the shooting, leaving three people dead, several others injured. The suspect has been taken into custody, just in the last hour. We'll have the latest at the top of the hour. Stay with me.

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[15:56:37] BALDWIN: Here at CNN we want to recognize people who go above and beyond to help others. And so this week, we want to introduce you to a man by the name of Chad Prograki. He was CNN's 2013 hero of the year and his organization plants trees to help support the nation's waterways. And just recently he planted, get this, his one millionth tree.

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CHAD PROGRAKI, CNN HERO 2013: I started a million trees program just from being out here on the islands of the Mississippi river. We started planting these trees to create more food for wildlife. They hold back the banks of the river. It helps air quality. The roots actually filter the water. Trees are a great thing and I really like trees. What I love about it is, it has a lasting impact. One tree is really good but I think a million is even better.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Too cool. So where was that one millionth tree he planted, for the answer and photo, go to CNNheroes.com. While there, please, please, nominate someone you think should be the 2016 CNN hero.

And now to a police officer killed in the line of duty. And even in death, he managed to save four lives through organ donations. CNN's Kyung Lah has the story.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have an officer down, wound to the face.

KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: February 8th, Grand Junction, Colorado, Mason county Derek Geer trying to arrest an armed suspect in this neighborhood. Shot multiple times at close range.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No pulse at this time. Officer down.

KATE GEER, DEPUTY GEER'S WIFE: We got to the ER.

LAH: Kate Geer is Deputy Geer's wife.

GEER: And I went in to see him. They had him basically on basically on life support but I think in my heart I already knew he was gone.

LAH: That wasn't the end really for him?

GEER: No.

LAH: It was the beginning of an extraordinary gift from a life already dedicated to serving others. First, the Navy, then -- why did he want to be a cop?

GEER: I think he just is a protector. He's a natural protector.

LAH: Protector of his wife, son Ian and adopted daughter Macy. He donated his time to children, and he told Kate if something ever happened, he would never stop giving. On February 8th, that moment came.

GEER: He was kept on life support for two more days to harvest his organs for donors. LAH: Buried without his heart, his liver, or kidneys, deputy Geer's

organs would travel to four patients on the transplant list. His death and funeral unfolding on the local news.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was actually watching it and what I was saying to myself was I hope it's not him.

LAH: Watching from his hospital bed 54-year-old Alan Bronson near death only recently learned whose heart now beats in his chest.

ALAN BRONSON, HEART TRANSPLANT RECIPIENT: You realizing that somebody had to pass for you. I mean that's hard. That's hard to realize that. And sometimes you wonder if you're worthy of it, you know.

LAH: To the heart recipient who probably would have died without that heart, anything you want to tell him?

GEER: You have the heart of the greatest man. His heart was big enough for anything.

LAH: For one life, and another, that now lives on.

Kyung Lah, CNN, Grand Junction, Colorado.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Goosebumps. Thanks for being with me. "THE LEAD" starts now.