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Sarah Palin Vows to Work to Unseat House Speaker; Bernie Sanders Courts New Jersey Voters; 90,000 People Flee Growing Canadian Wildfire; No More Self-Funding for Donald Trump in the General?; Drug Kingpin El Chapo Moves to Lockup Near U.S. Border; Honor King or Plain Murder in Pakistan? Aired 5-6p ET
Aired May 08, 2016 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[17:00:01] PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Nice to have you along with us.
Let's turn to American politics. You know, especially at election time, there's a lot of highs and lows. And Donald Trump had a crazy week of both. On one hand, he watched his last two Republican rivals drop out of the race for the White House, leading nothing between him and the nomination. And then when Trump wanted the warm embrace of the most powerful Republican in America, nope. House Speaker Paul Ryan is keeping Donald Trump at arm's distance at least for now.
Well, Trump says that doesn't bother him, but look who is really upset. Former vice presidential nominee and Donald Trump supporters Sarah Palin. She told CNN's Jake Tapper that Paul Ryan essentially ruined his own political career as she's going to work to get him booted from office.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SARAH PALIN, FORMER GOP VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: The people of America care about getting things done finally, taking our government back and putting it on our side. It's all about we the people and we're rising up, fed up with people who have screwed the American people by breaking their campaign promises. We work so hard to get Paul Ryan back in there and so many other, quote, unquote, "conservatives" and look what they have done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Well, the man who picked Sarah Palin to join his ticket eight years ago doesn't quite go that far, but does feel that Republican leaders have to pay attention to what the American people are saying with their votes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: You have to listen to people that have chosen the nominee of our Republican Party. I don't -- I think it would be foolish to ignore them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: And something else, another shot fired in the Republican civil war. Officials close to Senator Ted Cruz tell CNN they blame another former candidate, Senator Marco Rubio, for scuttling Cruz's run for the nomination. You'll only see this on CNN. Those Cruz officials say Senator Rubio was offered the role of Cruz's running mate and he said no. Some in Cruz's camp are convinced the two of them would have stopped Donald Trump.
Well, Donald Trump and Paul Ryan will meet face-to-face Thursday on Capitol Hill. The big question, can they find a way to work together? Or will Trump and Ryan let the rift explode into a feud that deepens the fractures in the Republican Party.
Let's talk it over with Donald Trump supporter and Republican strategist Boris Epstein and CNN political commentator Buck Sexton, a conservative writer and former CIA counterterrorism analyst.
Thank you both for coming on. We do appreciate it.
BORIS EPSTEIN, DONALD TRUMP SUPPORTER: Of course.
BROWN: Boris, I'm going to begin with you because the big question here in the wake of what Sarah Palin said today is, has anyone in the Trump campaign had any direct contact with Palin about her vow to oust Ryan? Was she acting independently of the campaign?
EPSTEIN: Governor Palin is free to come out there and say whatever she feels. Both as an American and as someone who has a large following. So she was saying that, you know, from her perspective and she's absolutely free to do so. I'm not going to go out there and say that -- that Paul Ryan's career is over, as Governor Palin did, but what I would say is he is likely making a mistake. He is not listening to the American people as Senator McCain suggested Republicans should do.
He's maybe acting in the best interest of Republicans in Congress or his own for his reelection. But that is a mistake. Now having said that, let us not give this more importance than it should have. There's two months until the convention, six months until the election, six months until the day actually until the election. And I'm convinced that not just Paul Ryan but the overwhelming majority of the Republican Party will coalesce around Donald Trump. If they don't, it will be a huge mistake and we'll hand Hillary the presidency.
BROWN: But the bottom line here is that Governor Palin is a Trump supporter. Is this really a fight you want to see right now. Palin, a former vice presidential nominee trying to knock off the speaker of the House?
EPSTEIN: There's nothing wrong with it. Speaker Ryan did not have to go out there and say what he did. He chose to say, well, I want to do endorse him at some point but I'm not quite ready yet. You could have just said, well, I'm still weighing my options. He could have said, I'm going to remain neutral for now. He made that choice to go out there and make that comment. Now Governor Palin is making her own choice to go out there and criticize him and decide to oppose him in the primary. Let's keep in mind, Donald Trump not only won the home county of
Speaker Ryan, he won the home city, hometown of Speaker Ryan in Janesville. So Speaker Ryan should really consider what the voters in his own town want and do that, and then back Donald Trump for the presidency.
BROWN: And John McCain echoed that sentiment today, Buck, basically saying, you can't ignore the will of the people. Clearly a lot of people are behind Donald Trump. You're a conservative who supported Ted Cruz and then recently and reluctantly came around to supporting Donald Trump as Republican nominee.
So what do you make of Paul Ryan saying he's not ready to endorse Trump yet? Do you think that's a right move?
BUCK SEXTON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I think what Paul Ryan is trying to do is to have a voice in shaping what the Trump campaign looks like.
Look, the Trump campaign should be trying to create converts not hunt down heretics. And so I think, for example, with Sarah Palin's comments are unhelpful to the Trump campaign's efforts quite honestly, because at this point coalescing is an absolute necessity that has to happen for Donald Trump to win the nomination. It has to happen for the future, I think, of the Republican Party.
[17:05:03] And Paul Ryan is essentially trying to use what leverage he has right now to push Trump in a more conservative direction and also let it be known that, you know, the votes of people within the GOP, Republican voters, conservative base voters, in particular, aren't just necessarily going to go along with the Trump campaign.
I think there are a lot of people who are persuadable. I think that if Donald Trump takes certain actions over time, they will be willing to get behind him. But it's essentially OK, let's see what he does now. And I think that's Paul Ryan's position, I think that's totally respectable. And I think there are a lot of other reluctant Trump voters who are still in the category of, well, we're willing to listen to him, we're willing to see what he does, see what promises he makes now, going forward, what kind of campaign he runs for the general.
So that's what Paul Ryan is up to. I don't think that that should really be surprising. There is also a bit of shock obviously that still have to wear off for a lot of people from within the GOP establishment. Certainly Paul Ryan, one of them, given what we've seen from the Trump campaign, I don't think anybody believed this was really going to happen until it actually happened.
BROWN: And it's happened. You know, this whole race has been sort of expect the unexpected. But you say coalescing around Trump is a necessity. That Trump needs the unity within the Republican Party. But does he really, say for example, if he were to pull in Bernie Sanders supporters who are all about the political revolution or perhaps if the Bernie Sanders supporters stay home? Does he really need that unity? He said today he doesn't. SEXTON: Well, I think that he's going to need it. I think that he's
wrong if he thinks he doesn't needs unity within the Republican Party. I don't think the numbers would bear that out. The idea that he's going to pull over a lot of Bernie Sanders supporters at this stage in the game I think is a bit too far flung for anybody to take too seriously. Bernie Sanders supporters overwhelmingly I think will back Hillary Clinton when push comes to shove.
There are a lot of things that they'll be reminded of when it comes to Donald Trump that I think will be bothersome to them and they'll never decide that they're going to switch and join him. So he's going to need the conservative base.
Now look, one of the big surprises of the campaign so far is that evangelicals, especially southern evangelicals, southern Christians went for Trump. They went for Trump over Ted Cruz. As you've mentioned, I'm a recovering Cruz supporter. So the fact of the matter is that some of the base has come along with Trump. He needs that base turnout on election day if he's going to beat Hillary Clinton.
And yes, he'll bring over some blue-collar Democrats, he'll bring over people that perhaps were thinking about voting for Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton. But to really get this done at the national level he's going to need the GOP to mainly be behind him. And that means a fractured GOP can't be an option. So it's really in the hands of the Trump campaign now. Can they bring people over? Can they persuade the persuadable?
BROWN: And how is he going to do that, Boris? Because I think a lot of people in the rank-and-file base have a problem with some of the things that Donald Trump has proposed, for example, banning all Muslims coming into the United States. Do you think Donald Trump is willing to make any concessions in that arena to pull those people into his side?
EPSTEIN: Well, Donald Trump has said as recently as this morning on "Meet the Press" that the points he's making out there, the proposals he's making are just that, they're proposals. And he's here to work with both the party, the Republican Party, and the Democrats once hopefully elected for the best of this country and to make deals, to compromises because that is the only way governing can occur.
And that's really a breath of fresh air for what we've heard over the last decades now from both sides where people say, well, I'm only going to stick to one side of the issue, going to stick to my point, and not move off of it, and then nothing gets done. We have the kind of gridlock in D.C. that voters are rejecting again on both sides of the aisle.
Trump has absolutely the opportunity to pull not just the blue-dog Democrats, independents, in states like Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania. But also to have the Republican Party really coalesce around him and to make itself a party of tomorrow, not a party of yesterday. A party that supports issues that are not only appealing to the right-wing of the Republican Party, but that can be, you know, really palatable to the center of the party and to some blue-dog Democrats and some independents.
Donald Trump is an unusual candidate. I think we all realize that. He's not the same of the mold of candidates the Republicans and Democrats have seen. But that is again a huge benefit, a huge benefit to us as Republicans, and a huge benefit to America once he is elected president.
BROWN: All right. Boris Epstein, recovering Cruz supporter Buck Sexton, as you say, thank you so much. Stay with me. A lot more to discuss.
EPSTEIN: Thanks, Pam.
BROWN: And a year ago, Donald Trump wasn't even in the presidential conversation. Remember that? And now he is the presumptive Republican nominee. Here's a look back at how he got here.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am officially running for president of the United States and we are going to make our country great again. When Mexico sends its people, they're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists. I will build a great, great wall and I will have Mexico pay for that wall.
[17:10:02] VICENTE FOX, FORMER MEXICAN PRESIDENT: I'm not going to pay for that (EXPLETIVE DELETED) wall.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: How are you going to make them pay for the wall?
TRUMP: I will and the wall just got 10 feet taller. Believe me.
MEGYN KELLY, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: You've called women you don't like fat pigs, dogs, slobs, and disgusting animals. Your Twitter --
TRUMP: Only Rosie O'Donnell. You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever.
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: Donald Trump said the following about you, quote, "Look at that face, would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president?"
CARLY FIORINA (R), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think women all over this country heard very clearly what Mr. Trump said.
TRUMP: I think she's a beautiful woman. My first wife thinks I'm great and my second wife and I have a great marriage.
IVANKA TRUMP, DONALD TRUMP'S DAUGHTER: He believes and in inspiring women, empowering women.
TRUMP: If Hillary Clinton were a man, I don't think she'd get 5 percent of the vote. The only thing she's got going is the woman's card. I don't know what I said. I don't remember. I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose any voters, OK.
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: And you know how you make America great again? Tell Donald Trump to go to hell.
TRUMP: You have this guy, Lindsey Graham, a total lightweight. And he gave me his number and I found the card. Let's try it, 202 --
JEB BUSH (R), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think he believes that he can insult his way to the presidency.
TRUMP: The World Trade Center came down during the reign -- he kept us safe? That's not safe. Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States. I'm the worst thing that's ever happened to ISIS. I would bomb the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) out of them. With the terrorists, you have to take out their families. Would I approve water boarding? You bet your ass I'd approve it.
If and when the Vatican is attacked by ISIS, the Pope would have only wished and pray that Donald Trump would have been president. For a religious leader to question a person's faith is disgraceful. Two Corinthians, right? Two Corinthians, 3-17, that's the whole ball game. And he walks in with the bible held high, right? It's Lying Ted. He puts the bible down and then he lies. She said he's (EXPLETIVE DELETED). That's terrible. Terrible. I didn't start it.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: But that's --
TRUMP: I didn't start.
COOPER: Sir. Sir, with all due respect, that's the argument of a 5- year-old.
TRUMP: This guy, I call him Little Marco. It's Rubio.
SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R), FLORIDA: Have you seen his hands? And you know what they say about men with small hands.
TRUMP: He referred to my hands, if they're small, something else must be small. I guarantee you there's no problem. I guarantee you. You know, Hillary, Hillary, Crooked Hillary. Right? Hillary's running for a lot of reasons. One of them is because she wants to stay out of jail.
HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Donald Trump, finally a candidate whose hair gets more attention than mine.
TRUMP: I don't wear a toupe. It's my hair.
TAPPER: Will you unequivocally condemn David Duke and say that you don't want his vote or that of other white supremacists in this election?
TRUMP: I don't know anything about David Duke. OK. I don't know anything about what you're even talking about with white supremacy.
TAPPER: Would you just say unequivocally you condemn them and you don't want their support?
TRUMP: Well, I have to look at the group. There is no rally like a Trump rally and nobody gets the people. That I can tell you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a fight going on down here. This is a very sad scene that we're seeing.
TRUMP: Here's a guy throwing punches, nasty as hell, screaming at everything else. I'd like to punch him in the face, I'll tell you. I'm best on terrorism, I'm best on the economy, best on trade, I have all these things. Why don't we just call off the election today? Let's put the country back in shape.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: A rather remarkable year it has been.
And just ahead this hour, live in the CNN NEWSROOM, on the trail Bernie Sanders set to speak at a rally in Piscataway, New Jersey. We're going to take you there up next.
Plus, so long to self-funding? Now that Donald Trump is pivoting toward November, will he be able to drum up the money needed to take on the Democratic machine?
And then later, the breaking point.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've met more heroes in this experience than I've ever thought existed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Firefighters up against a ferocious wildfire in Canada, desperate for rain. Will they get it? Stay with us. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:17:39] BROWN: Well, Senator Bernie Sanders is once again drawing a huge crowd. This time in one of the last states to vote in the Democratic primary, New Jersey.
CNN's Rachel joins me now from tonight's rally in Piscataway.
So, Rachel, what a crowd behind you despite the fact that Sanders has an uphill battle in Democratic nomination. Clearly that's not deterring his supporters.
RACHEL CRANE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Pamela, as you can see there are thousands of people behind me. This arena completely filled despite the fact that this is certainly an uphill battle. Senator Sanders, it's mathematically impossible that he secure the nomination before the convention. Now we had a chance to ask some of these supporters if their support for the candidate is waning. Seeing that he's behind Clinton in this race. Take a listen to what they had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CRANE: Obviously the math doesn't add up that Bernie will be the nominee. But is that slowing your support in any way, shape, or form?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely not. Because the math doesn't add up for Clinton either. So it's definitely going to be like a contested convention, I believe.
CRANE: This is certainly an uphill battle for Sanders. Is that slowing your support for him in any way, shape or form?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely not. Absolutely not. Ever since this entire political campaign began, I looked at candidates, but no one has ever -- ever has given me more motivation than Bernie Sanders. If you look at his record, he is a very honest candidate. And he's not just fighting to win it. He's fighting for real issues. And that's something that motivates me and -- even if I look at the polls, that doesn't stop me.
CRANE: So obviously this is an uphill battle for Sanders. Is that weighing on your support for him in any way?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not in the slightest. Not in the slightest. I feel very strongly about Bernie from the moment that I recognized that he was who he is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CRANE: Now Sanders will be hitting the campaign trail again in the Garden State tomorrow morning in Atlantic City. This of course to try to close the gap between himself and Clinton. A new poll shows that Clinton is leading him 2-1 in the Garden State. This of course is all leading up to the primary on June 7th, the same day as another big state, California -- Pamela.
BROWN: All right. Rachel Crane, thank you so much for that.
And coming up on this Sunday, the growing fire crisis north of the border, the massive inferno is still burning in Alberta. We'll take you there for a live report after this break.
[17:20:01]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Well, the huge and fast-growing Fort McMurray wildfire in Canada has nearly doubled in size according to the government. It has scorched an area nearly half the size of Rhode Island. It has grown to more than 772 square miles, forcing an entire city to evacuate. Many barely getting out in time. Equipment and firefighters with wildfire experience are pouring in from all corners of the country and they'll join the fight against a dangerous and unpredictable fire, one fed by gusty winds and tinder dry conditions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've met more heroes in this experience than I've ever thought existed. Sorry.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's OK, Adam. It's OK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our community has more firefighters and more emergency responders, police, everybody that have given up their own homes that are safe, their own families that are waiting for them to come up in the middle of this beast to help protect my home. They're heroes to me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Really sums up what those first responders are going through.
I want to bring in our Paul Vercammen. He's at an evacuation center in Edmonton, Alberta.
So, Paul, what is the situation there today? What will it take to get this fire under control?
[17:25:04] PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Pam, evacuees still pouring into the center, some staying overnight, others describing critical supplies that they all need. And then you can tell the wind is starting to whip up here in Alberta. That of course is confounding the efforts of firefighters.
The good news, it is blowing the fire to the east, away from beleaguered Fort McMurray. But when you are talking about these tall pines, these boreal forest that this fire is burning in, it is a tough task. And here is a description of the demon fire from a public official here in Alberta.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RALPH GOODALE, CANADIAN PUBLIC SAFETY MANAGER: It is a dangerous, unpredictable fire. An absolutely vicious fire that is feeding off of an extremely dry boreal forest. This is a dry condition, a drought situation that has existed for some time. Not much moisture through the winter. And it -- it's tinder dry, it's dangerous.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VERCAMMEN: And on a somewhat ominous note, they suggested that this is just the start of fire season here in Canada and for all of North America for that matter, so a lot ahead and for the firefighters here on the ground, many of them working nonstop. They are tired. They're going to get some help. We understand we've got some boots on the ground from Ontario. Some coming in as well from Quebec and New Brunswick later on in the week. And that is going to be welcome relief for the 1500 firefighters on the lines battling nearly about 40 fires right now -- Pam.
BROWN: Just incredible. And there are these nearly 90,000 people, Paul, who have been forced to run for their lives. Some of them at that evacuation center where you are. They must have some harrowing stories to tell you.
VERCAMMEN: Just unbelievable heartbreaking stories. And when you watch them come in, often they just have a bag of clothes, and maybe the passport, driver's license and some medicine. That's about it. Many of them talking about how close of a call it was. Very little warning. It's not like a hurricane where you have days warning. You see it forming. Most of them glad to out of there with their lives and then just seeking comfort here and they're just trying to make it as easy on them as they can.
We saw some people with brand-new pillows today and they were thrilled with just the thought of a new pillow. That's the kind of way it goes when you have nothing else, Pam.
BROWN: Paul Vercammen, thank you very much for the latest reporting there in Alberta.
So how did this huge fire get so big so fast and can firefighters expect any help from the weather?
Allison Chinchar joins us now from the weather center. So, Allison, any relief in sight?
ALLISON CHINCHAR, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yes, Pam. But it's going to get worse before it gets better. And I think that's the one thing that we really kind of have to focus on here.
(WEATHER REPORT)
BROWN: I hope that doesn't happen. Allison Chinchar, thank you so much for that. Really interesting to learn about it.
Well, Donald Trump has seized control of the GOP nomination, but now comes the hard part.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I'm self-funding, so it's a big difference, folks. I don't care.
KEVIN MADDEN, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: The biggest challenge in that sense is going up against a very well-funded opposition.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: So can he raise the money it will take to win the White House? Or will his campaign be doomed by what he's said in the past?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:32:46] BROWN: Well, Donald Trump likes to talk about self-funding his campaign. In fact, it's been a big part of appeal for his supporters. But it's not quite true. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, about a quarter of his campaign's money or $12 million has come from contributions. But he'll need more, probably a lot more from other people if he wants to win the White House. Here's CNN's Sunlen Serfaty.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TRUMP: I'm self-funding, so it's a big difference, folks. I don't care. I'm going to do what's right for you.
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Donald Trump could be saying so long to self-funding.
TRUMP: So far I'm in for like $40 million or $45 million.
SERFATY: Facing an expensive general election battle, the GOP frontrunner is now opening the door to raising cash for his campaign and the Republican Party.
TRUMP: I do love self-funding, and I -- I don't want anything for myself. But we do need money for the party, so I'll be asking money for the party. And really it's something that we're going to start on right away.
SERFATY: This setting off a scramble to secure support from the deep- pocketed donors within the GOP.
SHELDON ADELSON, AMERICAN BUSINESS MAGNATE: Donald Trump will be a good person.
SERFATY: Trump getting a major nod from the single largest Republican contributor from 2012, casino magnate, Sheldon Adelson. One of the richest men in the world telling the BBC, Thursday night --
ADELSON: Yes, I'm Republican, he's a Republican. He's our nominee. Whoever the nominee would turn out to be, any one of the 17, if he's one of the 17, he won, fair and square.
SERFATY: Throughout the primary, though, Trump has publicly trashed wealthy donors, even calling out some by name.
TRUMP: A guy named Singer, who the hell ever heard of the -- I'll tell you, I'll tell you a little secret. I saw -- I was surprised because I thought I was friends, Koch brothers, I thought I was their friend. But somebody said they're linked to a certain PAC.
SERFATY: Decrying their influence over politicians.
TRUMP: When their special interest calls, when their lobbyist calls, when their donors call, and they have a stake in a deal, they're not going to do what's right for you. I didn't take any money.
SERFATY: But now the presumptive GOP nominee is hitting some roadblocks with these Republican rainmakers. According to a survey done by CNN, a substantial number of other big money Republican donors are still sitting on the sidelines, withholding their money from Trump. Like the mega-wealthy Koch brothers.
[17:35:07] CHARLES KOCH, BUSINESS MAN, POLITICAL DONOR: On some of the Republican candidates, we would -- before we could support them, we'd have to believe their actions will be quite different than the rhetoric we've heard so far.
SERFATY: Unhappy with Trump, many donors are now planning to redirect their money elsewhere. Investing in down-ballot candidates to help Republicans in Senate, House, and gubernatorial races instead.
MADDEN: The biggest challenge in that sense is going up against a very well-funded opposition. Not only does Hillary Clinton have a ready and able fundraising machine, but so many of the Democrat -- the Democratic outside groups, the DNC. So you put all those together, and it is a formidable opposition.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SERFATY: And the Clinton campaign is already sensing an opening that there is potentially some real money left on the table. They are reportedly going after former donors to Jeb Bush's campaign trying to reach out to those moderate Republicans to support and invest in her over Donald Trump -- Pamela.
BROWN: Sunlen Serfaty, thank you so much for that.
Well, the election is now exactly six months away from today. And here's a reality check for the candidates. Back in 2012, Barack Obama and Mitt Romney raised more than $1 billion each. So can Trump raise the money he needs to win the White House?
Fred Malek is the founder and chairman of Thayer Capital Partners and served as John McCain's national finance chairman back in 2008. He was also a major fundraiser for Mitt Romney in 2012.
Thank you so much for coming on. You know firsthand how hard it is to raise the money for a presidential campaign from your experience. You have Clinton and Sanders who have impressive fundraising machines. Can Trump catch up?
FRED MALEK, MCCAIN 2008 NATIONAL FINANCE CHAIRMAN: Pam, I think it's going to be very difficult. There's a two-step process that I would commend to you. One, he's got to unify the party. He's got to reach out, show more tolerance, more inclusiveness, and show that he's receptive and open to ideas from other people. I think if he can show that, more people are going to come on board. Republicans want to come home. They need a reason to come home. You can't expect them to grovel to him. He got to bring them together.
The second thing is, he's got to mount a national organization. Most of these candidates have been in business for about two years before you get to the convention. And he's only been at it now for a couple of weeks. It takes a long time to build state chairs in each locality, in each city to develop a group of bundlers in each city who are willing to hold events.
And thirdly, and this is important. He's got to be prepared to write a big check himself because he's not going to be able to get there all by himself with the organization that he puts in place. There's just not enough time.
BROWN: So how big do you think?
MALEK: Well, look, it takes about $1 billion to be competitive with Hillary Clinton. We've already established that. If you're going to raise $1 billion for a presidential campaign, it takes two years to put together the organization and plan for it. In his case, I think he can probably raise less than half of that amount. Therefore he better be prepared to write a check close to $500 million if he wants to be competitive.
I don't think he's going to get the same free media that he got during the primaries which enabled him to spend less.
BROWN: Yes.
MALEK: But he --
BROWN: Go ahead.
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: You're talking about the media. And he's really -- I mean, we can all say, used the media to his advantage.
MALEK: Yes.
BROWN: Can you put a price tag on that? How much of an impact will it have in the general?
MALEK: It will have a tremendous impact. I mean, it did in the primaries. I don't think it will have as much in the general. In the primaries, he was very newsworthy. He knew people were puzzled by him. They didn't know where he was coming from. They didn't know what he would say next. And you tuned in when you heard Donald Trump was going to be on. In the general it's going to be more issue oriented. Two people facing off. I don't think he'll get the free ride versus his competitor, Hillary Clinton, that he got in the primaries. Therefore he's going to have to supplement it with paid media and that paid media is what this money is all about.
BROWN: And Trump adding to this equation has trashed some big donors in the GOP.
MALEK: Yes.
BROWN: From your experience, will they forgive and forget or do you think that they will say, look, you know, we want to do this for the good of the party, even if we don't like this particular candidate? What has been your experience from donors that have maybe had their feelings hurt by a candidate?
MALEK: Get over it. You know, we're not that thin skinned. This is about a Republican win. This is about reversing the leftward lurch that we perceive has happened in this country over the past seven years. And if we want more of the same, stay out of it. But if you want to win this, if you want to change the direction of the country, you got to get over it and get back in. Sure, he insulted some of us, but we really do want a Republican in the White House and the way to do it is to help.
BROWN: All right. Fred Malek, thanks so much.
MALEK: You're welcome.
BROWN: And coming up live in the CNN NEWSROOM, the Mexican drug boss known as "El Chapo" is now one step closer to the U.S. border. Ahead, what's behind the move and what charges he might face once he's handed over to U.S. authorities.
[17:40:03] But first, on tonight's new episode of "PARTS UNKNOWN," journey with Anthony Bourdain to the Greek islands.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello.
ANTHONY BOURDAIN, CNN HOST: How you doing?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And it is very typical Greek sunset. Huh? The famous Greek sunset.
BOURDAIN: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The boat.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The boat.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wow.
BOURDAIN: That looks good.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Looks very good.
BOURDAIN: Yes. Oh, man, that is really --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The goat what makes you happy. Very happy.
BOURDAIN: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Opens your heart.
BOURDAIN: There are a lot of countries where they're really, really poor, but they're super serious about food.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Like where?
BOURDAIN: Like here.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don't go very far, right? BOURDAIN: People who are not Greek come to the Greek Islands for the
first time, come to Naxos, what should you do here? You should drink rocky for sure.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For sure. Drink.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Get drunk.
(CROSSTALK)
BOURDAIN: Get drunk? It's not enough to just drink it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. Get drunk and sing and dance.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Don't tell me what you ate. Tell me who you ate with.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:45:09] BROWN: Well, welcome back. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM on this Mother's Day.
And the notorious drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is now just a couple miles away from the U.S. border. He was transferred Saturday from a maximum security prison in central Mexico to one in Ciudad Juarez just across from El Paso Texas. Authorities are working to eventually bring him to the U.S. where he'll stand trial in New York officials say.
Our Boris Sanchez joins me now from Miami with more on this. So, Boris, are authorities confident he won't escape given his past?
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It certainly has to be a concern, Pamela. This is an inmate that's already escaped twice before. I should tell you, the National Human Rights Commission rates the prison that he's being transferred to as the worst in Mexico. It's in the middle of a desert and there's nothing around for miles. So you have to imagine the security officials see that as a positive because if he plots a third escape, there won't be very many places for him to hide.
Of course the big question here is what happens next and whether or not El Chapo will be extradited to the United States.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ (voice-over): One of the most notorious criminals in the world on the move this weekend. Authorities transferring Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, going from a prison in central Mexico to a maximum security lockup in Ciudad Juarez, just a few miles from the United States. The exact reason for the move is still unclear. But officials on both sides of the border have been laying the groundwork to extradite El Chapo to the United States for months.
MICHAEL BRAUN, FORMER DEA CHIEF OF OPERATIONS: The only way that the government of Mexico is going to ensure absolutely that they don't go through another embarrassing situation, another embarrassing escape is to extradite him to the United States.
SANCHEZ: The drug kingpin had been kept at the Altiplano prison, the same one he fled last July. His brazen escape allegedly made through a well-designed series of tunnels, led to a massive manhunt and drew international attention. After months on the run, El Chapo was finally caught in January, returning to the prison after his recapture.
The transfer to Ciudad Juarez comes just one month after Guzman's defense team said he wanted to be transferred to the United States as soon as possible. El Chapo's attorneys say the conditions he was facing at Altiplano were unbearable, making him seriously ill.
JOSE REFUGIO RODRIGUEZ, LAWYER FOR EL CHAPO GUZMAN (Through Translator): At 9:00 at night, they at the jail begin the nightly roll call. The next step is at 1:00 in the morning. But between 9:00 p.m. and 1:00 a.m., he said, if you could only know all the movement there, all the noise out there, it's impossible to sleep. Then for starters, during the day, I cannot sleep because there is a roll call every hour.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SANCHEZ: Now if El Chapo is extradited to the U.S., he will face a judge in Brooklyn, New York. There he's going to face a laundry list of charges, murder, kidnapping and torture, as well as of course importing more than a quarter million pounds of cocaine into the United States -- Pamela.
BROWN: Boris Sanchez, thanks so much for that.
And coming up, a horrific murder. A Pakistani teenager spent her last moments inside this burning van just for helping a friend. Our Clarissa Ward will have more on the brutal killing that shocked the country and the world.
We're back live in the CNN NEWSROOM with that story up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:52:15] BROWN: Well, the murder of a 15-year-old Pakistani girl is sparking world-wide outrage. The young victim was poisoned, strangled and killed as punishment for helping a friend elope.
Clarissa Ward shows us what happens.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CLARISSA WARD, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A horrific crime, committed in some warped idea of honor. A 15-year-old girl murdered, her charred skeleton found in a village in northern Pakistan last week. Authorities say the girl, whose name was Ambreene, helped a female friend elope with her boyfriend. The couple escaped. Police say a local tribal council or Jirga ordered Ambreene's execution.
SAEED WAZIR, DISTRICT POLICE CHIEF (Through Translator): This was not a Jirga of elders, it was a Jirga of local hoodlums and ruffians who wanted to take revenge for the dishonor of the family.
WARD: Authorities say many of those council members carried out the killing, sedating and suffocating the girl, then tying her body to a van and setting it on fire. More than a dozen people are now under arrest, including the victim's mother, who investigators say knew about the orders to kill her daughter but did nothing to stop it or call police.
Pakistan's prime minister condemned the brutal crime in a statement saying, "Such a barbaric act is not only un-Islamic, but inhuman. It is not honor killing, it's just plain murder."
FARZANA BARI, DIRECTOR, CENTER OF EXCELLENCE IN GENDER STUDIES, QUAID E-AZAM UNIVERSITY: I think this is the tip of the iceberg because a lot of these numbers are coming out of the reported cases. So I think if you look at the scale of the problem, actually we don't know.
WARD: But hundreds of girls are killed by relatives every year in Pakistan, according to the country's Independent Human Rights Commission, and experts believe many of these murders go unreported.
The suspects under arrest for Ambreene's murder now face trial, but human rights advocates caution few of these kinds of cases go to court. For many, justice remains elusive.
Clarissa Ward, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROWN: Just horrific. That was Clarissa Ward reporting.
We'll be right back live in the CNN NEWSROOM. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:58:06] BROWN: Welcome back. Happy Mother's Day, and happy Sunday.
On "Saturday Night Live," Donald Trump went to church.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's great to be here. Your place looks tremendous. Believe me, this is one classy fun house.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Actually, this is what we call a church. Something tells me that you are not a big church-goer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm a big church -- I am there all the time. Sometimes I go even when it's not church day.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wow, what a well-put statement. I understand your family is here?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, that's right, get in here, guys. This is my wife, Melania.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There they are.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello. So wonderful to be here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My lovely daughter, Ivanka.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sort of great to be here as well.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And who is the third woman down there?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's just another model. I mean, she's great energy to have around.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm sure.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let's have fun.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Coming up, live on the CNN NEWSROOM, amid rising tensions with Russia, CNN gets exclusive access to the world's most advance nuclear submarine.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: We are in the midst of another steep ascend. You are hearing that alarm as we approach 20 degrees, when we get to the 25-degree angle, keep in mind, I am standing up straight now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Aboard the Pentagon's first line of defense on the sea.
The next hour of CNN NEWSROOM starts now.
You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM on this Mother's Day. I am Pamela Brown in for Poppy Harlow. Thank you so much for being here with us.
Well, Donald Trump, he used the world blindsided when talking about the speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, who said this week, that he is not ready to support Trump's presidential nomination, which looks all but assured. Well, Trump shrug it off but Sarah Palin did not. In fact she told CNN's Jake Tapper that Paul Ryan essentially ruined his own political career. And that she'll work to run him out of office. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PALIN: I think Paul Ryan is soon to be Cantored.
