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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Clinton Wins Kentucky, Sanders Wins Oregon; Trump Wins Oregon, Open to North Korea Talks; Cavs Dominate Raptors, Take 1-0 Series Lead. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired May 18, 2016 - 05:00   ET

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

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: And we have breaking news this morning: a war brewing in the Democratic race for president. Overnight, Hillary Clinton just barely edging past Bernie Sanders to victory in the Kentucky primary. Sanders, though, as expected taking Oregon by a solid margin.

[05:00:01] But the win in Kentucky brings Clinton to within a hundred delegates, including super delegates, of clinching the Democratic nomination.

Sanders, though, remains confident that he still has a path to the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It will be a steep climb. I recognize that. But we have the possibility of going to Philadelphia with a majority of the pledged delegates. Before we will have the opportunity to defeat Donald Trump, we're going to have to defeat Secretary Clinton.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: We'll get the latest now from CNN's Jeff Zeleny. He's with the Sanders campaign in California.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Christine and Boris, Bernie Sanders making clear that he is going to keep going in this final month after winning in Oregon and narrowly losing in Kentucky. He's making the case to his supporters, as defiant as ever, that he's going to make sure that every voice, every vote is counted.

Now, he did not necessarily tell his big crowd of supporters last night in California how difficult the math is. He did acknowledge that he has a steep hill to climb, but he said, "We've had a steep hill to climb this entire campaign." He said it's important to defeat Donald Trump, but he also said that Hillary Clinton should also be defeated.

But this is the case he made for going forward for why he's staying in this race.

SANDERS: There are a lot of people out there. Many of the pundits and politicians, they say Bernie Sanders should drop out.

(BOOS)

The people of California should not have the right to determine who the next president will be.

(BOOS)

Well, let me be as clear as I can be. I agree with you. We are in until the last ballot is cast.

ZELENY: Bernie Sanders clearly making the case he's going forward even as the Clinton campaign shifts almost entirely to Donald Trump.

Now, Bernie Sanders knows that the mathematically speaking, it's an uphill climb for him. He didn't exactly level with his supporters how difficult this is. But going forward in the last final month, unity in the Democratic Party much more of an open question than ever before. That's something that Bernie Sanders barely addressed in his victory speech Tuesday night in California -- Christine and Boris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Jeff Zeleny, thanks for that.

Donald Trump, the only Republican still running for president, winning Oregon's primary. News flash. We expected it, and he did it. This as Trump moves to unify the Republican party under his control with a deal that will have Trump raising money for down ballot GOP candidates. The presumptive nominee also raising eyebrows with these new comments over North Korea and its nuclear program, comments that are getting an awful lot of attention this morning.

CNN's Jim Acosta has more from Trump Tower in New York.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Boris and Christine, as he's closing in on clinching the GOP nomination, Donald Trump is assuming more control over the Republican Party. Trump and the RNC announced joint fundraising agreement last night that will allow the real estate tycoon to raise money for other GOP candidates.

But Trump is still capable of stirring up controversy. The latest example, his comments to "Reuters" that he would speak with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. And those remarks set the stage for a big foreign policy meeting Trump will have later today, with former secretary of state Henry Kissinger.

The other big headline from the presumptive GOP nominee is that he's also filed his personal financial disclosure form with the Federal Election Commission. Trump says he reported an income of nearly $560 million and a net worth of $10 billion. The Clinton campaign responded that Trump's PFD is no BFD and that he should release his tax returns, something he says he will do after he is no longer under an audit -- Boris and Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: Thanks, Jim.

SANCHEZ: Joining us now to break down all the results, Eugene Scott in our Washington bureau.

Eugene, good to see you again. Good morning.

EUGENE SCOTT, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: You as well.

SANCHEZ: Yes. So, let's start with last night's results. Hillary Clinton squeaking by in Kentucky. There it is right there, about 2,000 votes, fewer than 2,000 voters over Bernie Sanders. In Oregon, though, Sanders dominating, beating Hillary Clinton by more than 40,000 votes there.

Clinton sending out a tweet last night. She didn't actually have an event where she gave a speech or talk to her supporters, but here's her tweet, "We just won Kentucky. Thanks to everyone who turned out. We're always stronger united."

Clearly, the message here is that the party needs to start uniting around her as Donald Trump is now the presumptive GOP nominee. The Democratic Party kind of needs to coalesce and come together with their own candidate.

But does the math last night really change the possibilities for Bernie Sanders? Does it give him a better chance of winning?

SCOTT: No, it does not. But it certainly gives his supporters hope.

Ultimately, at the end of the night, Bernie Sanders walked away with more delegates than Hillary Clinton did, but the gap is still significant. She's still leading significantly with pledged delegates.

[05:05:01] And it would take something short of miraculous for Bernie Sanders to become the front runner before the convention.

ROMANS: Yes, we're talking about chaos in this party right now too. When you look at what happened in Nevada last weekend, you know, still getting a lot of attention this morning. A lot of sharp words from Democrats about what happened there. We're showing you the pictures now.

The Paris Hotel had to end this convention in Nevada because they couldn't guarantee the safety of the people inside. It was so chaotic and ruckus.

And Bernie Sanders issued a statement on the Nevada chaos. He said this. If the Democratic Party is to be successful in November, it is imperative all state parties treat our campaign supporters with fairness and the respect they have earned.

At the Nevada convention, the Democratic leadership used its power to prevent a fair and transparent process from taking place.

Then, Harry Reid in Nevada, he issues this statement. He was pretty ticked off. "Bernie should say something and not have some silly statement. Bernie is better than that. He should say something about this and not have some statement someone else prepared for him."

Wow. This does not sound like unity to me.

SCOTT: Not at all. I mean, this is a statement, though, that will Bernie support with his supporters. You see in his statement, he did not address them at all. And that is going to be a problem for Democratic leaders and people who support Hillary Clinton because regardless of whether or not you support Bernie Sanders or not, there are people who believe that type of behavior, what we saw is not acceptable. It's unacceptable, and it's not bringing the party closer to unity, which is what is needed if the party is going to be victorious over Donald Trump in November.

SANCHEZ: So how does the Democratic Party rein in that support for Bernie Sanders and bring it back into the fold? Obviously there's a lot of division here. How do they have that, you know, come together, kumbaya moment where they finally nominate someone and move forward to face Donald Trump, who continues to gain?

SCOTT: Well, strategically, there will be a need to address the very real issues that Bernie Sanders supporters are bringing to the table, the very real issues that have made Bernie Sanders far more successful in this election cycle than anyone predicted while not giving way to behavior that we quite frankly have seen to be more common at Trump rallies and on the Republican side of the race. There will be a need to find the truth of the validity of the points that some supporters are trying to make without dismissing them and ostracizing them any further than how they already feel they've been left out.

ROMANS: I mean, that's why the vice presidential picks will be interesting, in both parties quite frankly, to see how that will weight out, maybe bring the left -- you know, the left wing of the Democratic Party in and maybe assuage on the Republican side some of the fears that Donald Trump is not conservative enough.

SCOTT: Oh, very much so. We have great interests as journalists and as citizens in who these vice presidential picks will be. It'll definitely give us a stronger idea of the future of both presumptive nominees where they're hoping to take their respective parties. It will also reaffirm people on both sides who aren't as on board with either nominee that their concerns and their issues will be addressed. Those are things that really can be -- that a Republican and a Democratic vice presidential candidate can address.

SANCHEZ: All right. Sticking with Donald Trump, he had an all- encompassing interview with "Reuters" recently. And here's what he said about leader of North Korea.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I would speak to him. I would have no problem speaking to him. At the same time, I would put a lot of pressure on China because economically we have tremendous power over China. People don't realize that.

REPORTER: But you say you would talk to Kim?

TRUMP: The one -- I would speak to him. I have no problem with speaking to him.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Of course, he's talking about Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, despite years and years of harsh economic sanctions, the nuclear program in North Korea moves forward, Trump suggesting a different route. How does this really help Trump's brand?

SCOTT: Well, it's actually pretty consistent with his brand. So speaking to him seems like something that perhaps a business leader would do. And that is what Donald Trump is known for being. That's probably the key to much of his success, his business leadership.

But it certainly raises concerns with many people in the foreign policy community. It seems to reinforce the idea that Donald Trump is less than knowledgeable about international affairs, to suggest that he would actually speak with the leader of North Korea despite our history with the country.

SANCHEZ: Yes.

ROMANS: He's also said China -- it would take one phone call from China to fix the North Korea problem. You would think the Chinese would have done that if they could do it with one phone call.

SANCHEZ: I'm interested in seeing what comes out of that meeting with Henry Kissinger later today.

ROMANS: Yes, interesting right.

SANCHEZ: Fascinating stuff.

ROMANS: OK. Eugene, thank you. Nice to see you this morning.

Donald Trump wants to gut Wall Street regulation. The Wall Street regulation bill known as Dodd/Frank. Here's more of what he told "Reuters" in their audio interview Tuesday.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

[05:10:05] TRUMP: Much of it is very bad. Much of it gives so much credit, so much power to the regulators that the bankers are unable to function. I would say it'll be close to a dismantling of Dodd/Frank. Dodd/Frank would be a very -- is a very negative force.

(END AUDIO CLIP) ROMANS: A negative force. Dodd/Frank was enacted after the 2008 financial crisis, aimed at creating more stability.

Trump also claims there's a bubble in the tech industry. He says some tech stocks are running on weak concepts and selling for too much money. He warns the tech bubble could burst, comparing it to the dot- com boom in the late 1990s. He also does not think Fed Chair Janet Yellen is doing a bad job, despite tweeting earlier this month that he would replace her at the end of her term. He likes the low interest environment, except when it causes inflation.

And I'll tell you -- those comments about the tech sector really got an eye roll from Silicon Valley. There was some funny tweeting about make bubbles great again and the like. One venture capitalist tweeting essentially, you know, he uses Twitter all the time, so he's saying Twitter is overvalued.

SANCHEZ: It's kind of a big part of his platform.

ROMANS: Right.

SANCHEZ: New reaction coming in from around the world after Donald Trump says that as president, he'd sit down with North Korea's dictator. We're live in Seoul, South Korea, with reaction, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:15:27] ROMANS: Donald Trump opening a fresh new can of foreign policy worms, announcing that if he becomes president, he would have no problem sitting down with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. That's a departure from current U.S. policy. Trump says he would try to convince Kim to kill his nuclear weapons program.

I want to bring in CNN's Paula Hancocks. She joins us live on the phone from Seoul this morning.

Paula, what's the reaction there?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (via telephone): Well, Christine, it's been interesting here. The South Korean foreign ministry official I spoke to said they couldn't possibly comment on this, but also added that they would like to see denuclearization being the priority in any dialogue. Certainly, it's been met with surprise that this moment, Donald Trump things it would be appropriate to talk to the North Korean leader.

But then, on the other side, there are other experts who say, well, why not. If you look at what's happened over the past eight years during the Obama administration, the policy of strategic patience has not necessarily worked well, even though it may have slowed the progress of the nuclear and missile program in North Korea. They say it has still -- North Korea and Kim Jong-un have managed to carry out intense testing, and he has made progress. So, there are some that say why not, why not give it a try?

And certainly, Obama did something very similar nine years ago when he was campaigning to become U.S. president. He said in a CNN Democratic debate that he would be willing to talk to leaders of hostile countries. He had the example of Syria or Iran or North Korea.

So, this isn't something dissimilar to what the current U.S. president has already said. Of course, Donald Trump does like talking about Kim Jong-un. He's talked about him before. In the past he's called him a maniac. And he also said that at some point, you have to actually give him credit for being able to eliminate his rivals so successfully -- Christine.

ROMANS: He also said that China can solve that problem with one phone call and the U.S. has tremendous influence on China, to get China just to fix things. But we know, Paula, that China and North Korea have kind of an icy diplomatic relationship at moment as well.

HANCOCKS: Well, that's right. Relations really haven't been this bad ever. I mean, China is the biggest trading partner for North Korea. They are effectively keeping North Korea afloat and the only ally that North Korea truly has. So, certainly, there is a case to be made that China could do more.

But the fact is you have to understand, China does not want North Korea to collapse. They don't want to cut the funding, cut the trading, because they could potentially have 25 million refugees on their border, flooding into China. And also, they know that the U.S. has a very strong stake in South Korea. If North Korea collapses, could that U.S. influence then be on their doorstep. That's something they don't want as well. So, they're in a tricky position.

ROMANS: Paula Hancocks, with a tricky diplomacy of the region -- thank you so much for that.

SANCHEZ: A bill that would allow families of 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia passed a key hurdle in the Senate. Lawmakers giving unanimous approval to the legislation that could make the Saudi government liable for any part it may have played in the terror attacks. The Obama administration has lobbied against that bill. Keep in mind, 15 of the 19 9/11 hijackers were Saudi citizens. Though, Saudi Arabia denies they had any involvement.

ROMANS: The Senate has also approved a $1.1 billion compromise bill to combat the Zika virus. President Obama asked for $1.8 billion in emergency funding about three months ago. House Republicans have introduced their own measure to fight the virus, calling for just over $600 million in funding, a figure the White House calls woefully inadequate. The president is now threatening to veto that measure.

SANCHEZ: The South Carolina legislature passing a restrictive abortion bill that bans that procedure after 19 weeks. Similar laws are in effect in 12 other states. The bill is now headed to South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley. Back in March, Haley said she'd almost certainly sign it but she needs to look at the details once it finally reaches her desk.

SANCHEZ: Game one of the NBA's Eastern Conference finals. LeBron James and the Cleveland hosting the upstart Toronto Raptors. From the opening tip, it was bad. Andy Scholes has this morning's bleacher report, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:25:08] ROMANS: LeBron James and the Cavs looking unstoppable in game one of the Eastern Conference Finals.

SANCHEZ: Andy Scholes has more in this morning's bleacher report.

Andy, it was tough to watch.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, if you're a Raptors fan, Boris, it's definitely tough to watch. LeBron and the Cavs still perfect in the playoffs, improving to 9-0 with a win last night over those Raptors.

Now, the Cavs set highlight after highlight in this one. Second quarter, LeBron, the monster baseline dunk. Plus the foul. Everyone in Cleveland went nuts after that one.

Later in the quarter, Kyrie Irving joining in on the fun. He went with the behind-the-back crossover move. Cavs win easily 115-84.

The Western Conference Finals resume tonight on TNT. Warriors looking to even the series with the Thunder. Game two tips off at 9:00 Eastern.

All right. The Philadelphia 76ers fans finally getting their reward for the team's dreadful play over the last few years.

[05:25:05] The Sixers winning the draft lottery last night. They will now likely select LSU forward Ben Simmons or Duke forward Brandon Ingram first overall. The Lakers will pick second, follows by the Celtics. This is the first time ever the lottery ended up in the projected order.

The U.S. Justice Department is now investigating Russian government officials, athletes, and coaches who may have been involved in a doping scheme at the Sochi Olympic Games. That's according to a report by "The New York Times." The Justice Department prosecutors are said to be pursuing conspiracy and fraud charges. Russia has denied any wrongdoing.

Rangers playing at the A's last night. Oakland left fielder Chris Davis had himself quite a game. Not one, not two but three home runs. The last one a walk-off grand slam. He's only the second player in Major League history to have done that in a game. A's win that one 8- 5.

More bad news for the Rangers. Major league baseball handing out the suspensions for Sunday's brawl. Rougned Odor getting eight games for that roundhouse right he landed on Jose Bautista. Bautista meanwhile receives a one-game ban. Blue Jays manager John Gibbons was suspended three games. He already been ejected from Sunday's game but actually return to the field for the melee.

Unfortunately, guys, these two teams will not play again this season. SANCHEZ: Ooh.

SCHOLES: So, we will not be getting to see a round two of that fight. I guess you could say round three because I guess round one was in the postseason last year. Round two was on Sunday.

SANCHEZ: UFC is going to come calling soon.

ROMANS: Yes, right.

SANCHEZ: That was a punch right there.

ROMANS: All right. Thanks. All right. Nice to see you.

SCHOLES: All right.

SANCHEZ: Breaking news overnight, Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton splitting primary victories overnight, but could their battle leave the Democratic Party badly bruised?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)