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Ryan: Executive Overreach on Agenda with Trump; Violent Battle Under Way to Drive ISIS Out of Fallujah; Sanders: Convention Could be "Messy," Wants Kentucky Primary Recount; Head of TSA Security Fired. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired May 24, 2016 - 14:30   ET

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


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[14:30:00] REP. PAUL RYAN, (R-WI), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: So, yes, this is one of the things we were in discussions with presumptive nominee about, which are our steadfast commitment to our principles of self government, which is to restore the Constitution.

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BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: David, when's he really getting at when it comes to executive overreach and the Constitution and having these chats with Donald Trump?

DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: First of all, I just note he continues to call him presumptive nominee, instead of his name.

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But, listen, I think trying to find some common ground here and uniting principles that conservatives across the board, whether they were with Donald Trump this nomination season throughout the rough and tumble campaign or not, can unite around and what Paul Ryan is trying to point to and trying to sort of lead Donald Trump down a certain path and using his bully pulpit to do so.

BALDWIN: And, Jeff Zeleny, looking at you in L.A. reminds me, June 7th, California primary and we know that everyone's west today. 44 delegates awarded in Washington State. How close is he to clinching?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: He is very close, Brooke. Of course, it's a moot point. We know he will be the nominee. He is very close. Of course, by the time the primary reaches here in California as well as the other states voting on June 7th he'll well exceed that here and the n California, of course, the Democratic side, the Clinton-Sanders side. News of Senator Sanders today is requesting a recount basically of the votes in Kentucky which came from last week. Narrowly lost to Hillary Clinton ere just by a couple thousand votes and don't say there's anything necessarily wrong and want to make sure that the tally was right. So it's another effort from the Sanders campaign to keep the fight with Hillary Clinton alive even though, mathematically speaking, it is all but over -- Brooke?

BALDWIN: More on Kentucky and the "messy" word in a minute.

Gentlemen, thank you. David and Jeff, thank you.

Coming up, we have to talk about the battle for Fallujah. Reports of 10,000 families trapped in that city. Full story coming up next for you.

Also, ahead, the Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe facing tough, tough questions after CNN broke the news he is under a federal investigation for campaign contributions. How the Virginia governor is responding today, coming up.

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[14:36:49] BALDWIN: We are now getting our first pictures inside this bloody battle happening right now to drive ISIS out of Fallujah.

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BALDWIN: These images just in to CNN showing Iraqi troops attacking an ISIS stronghold just outside of the city. U.S.-led coalition forces pounding targets, and people told by their own prime minister to get out. But word from the U.N. is that 10,000 families are trapped inside the city, still in the clutches of ISIS terrorists who are not willing to give them up so easily.

Let's go to CNN senior international correspondent, Nick Paton Walsh.

And Iraqi forces have not entered Fallujah yet. What's the latest you're hearing?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think it will be sometime until Iraqi forces get to the city center. This has been in place for two years that ISIS militants fortify themselves into. Yes, there are 10,000 families in there, say the United Nations, 80 of whom managed to creep out in the last four days, they say. Three dead among those 80 families, including women and children. It gives you an idea of how perilous it is for them fleeing for their lives from inside. In fact, when they leave, we understand they are moved into a screening facility at an army base nearby run by the Iraqi military where men and children are separated and then they check to see if they're ISIS militants.

But a very perilous task ahead here. We understand from the limited information the Iraqi military putting out that they may be moving in from the northeast and the southeast of that city and they have a large base to the city's west. But this could, frankly, take weeks. A lot of IEDs, mines, as it were, blocking their easy access and die- hard ISIS militants potentially a thousand of them trying to slow them down.

But, Brooke, as we're learning about what's happening in Fallujah, simultaneously, we're hearing about another offense, lesser in degree, north of the defacto capitol in Syria known as Raqqa. That's long been the target symbolically for the United States and forces opposed to ISIS to attack but we heard today from Syrian Democratic Front, a group that's heavily supported by the U.S., potentially actual with advisers on the ground and staying back from the front line, but they have begun an operation in the northern countryside around Raqqa to push ISIS back, and symbolic to get them happening at the same time. The one around Raqqa, yes, about shaping the space around the city than getting into it. But Fallujah, a longer term, much messier potential project and it shows a sense of cohesion against ISIS. We may see results potentially in the months ahead but this is a phenomenally complex messy process with so many Iraqi and Syrian civilians caught in-between -- Brooke?

[14:39:44] BALDWIN: Nick Paton Walsh, thank you so much.

By the way, we'll be talking to Pentagon correspondent, Barbara Starr, in a similar part of the world. Her exclusive reporting next hour. Do not miss that.

Coming up next, though, on politics, Bernie Sanders says things could be "messy" -- his word -- at the Democratic convention in July. What did he mean by that?

All of this as we get word that Bernie Sanders is asking for a recount in a recount in the Kentucky primary in the south and we'll discuss with Carl Bernstein. Stay here.

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BALDWIN: Just in to CNN, Senator Bernie Sanders announcing he would like a recount of the Kentucky primary where he trails Hillary Clinton, but just the slimmest of slim margins there, less than one half of 1 percent of the vote. The Kentucky secretary of state agreed to view electronic voting machines absentee ballots in every one of the state's 120 counties and will have the results by Thursday afternoon. Stay tuned for that.

This as he hits the campaign trial trying to clarify saying that things could be "messy" -- his word -- at the Democratic convention in Philadelphia this summer.

This is what he initially told the Associated Press.

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[14:45:17] SEN. BERNIE SANDERS, (I), VERMONT & DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's going to be messy. Democracy is not always nice and quiet and gentle. And that's where the Democratic Party should go.

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BALDWIN: Critics blasting him, fearing that comment of messiness could incite aggression, potentially violence, especially in the wake of -- showing the video what happened at that Nevada state convention. His supporters were outraged that potential delegates for him were ruled ineligible and felt it was biased towards Hillary Clinton there. And Senator Sanders said his words were not meant to provoke supporters.

He was on NBC this morning saying his comments were taken out of context.

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SANDERS: The media often takes the words out of context. The context of that was that democracy is messy. That people will have vigorous debate on the issues.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Will the convention be messy?

SANDERS: Of course, it will be. But everything, that's what democracy's about.

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BALDWIN: Let me bring in CNN political commentator, Carl Bernstein.

So, you know, listen. A lot of people have been throwing the media under the bus. Gets under my skin a bit. The fact that, you know, Senator Sanders said messy and then messy again this morning and then we add, you know, Jeff Weaver on with Alisyn Camerota this morning with clean-up. Not, you know, meaning to incite aggression or violence or anything but meaning sort of conversations around Democratic Party and platforms. That could become heated, so they said. Is this a tactic, Carl Bernstein?

CARL BERNSTEIN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think the real tactic is -- and I talked to some of Sanders people. He believes he has a path to winning. It is about that big, but he believes there is a path and this is part of it, and that is to get the super delegates if he does well in California, to believe he is better against Trump.

BALDWIN: By saying things like messy --

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BERNSTEIN: And I won't defend he intends to say is, look, we have got to win this election. This is what his people tell me. And I have better numbers against Trump. Look what I did in California and how Hillary Clinton's numbers on distrust have gone south to the point where she is in freefall. That's his people speaking. Not me. She certainly, her numbers are going south. He intends to try to win the nomination and he does not want to give her a pass, meanwhile, so messy convention, I believe that's what he means. A little ambiguous? Yes. He's happy to leave it a little ambiguous.

BALDWIN: They're right on the numbers with hypotheticals, right? They have pointed to how Sanders, just based upon the numbers fare better against Trump or Hillary Clinton at this moment. But --

(CROSSTALK) BERNSTEIN: He's hasn't been vetted the way she has either or up against Trump who says nice things about Bernie Sanders.

BALDWIN: Exactly. Even Trump himself in an interview said I haven't gotten to him fully yet. When you look at, you know, some of the phrases, the turns of phrase that Senator Sanders used, be it the messy phrase or calling Hillary Clinton a lesser of two evils looking at a Clinton Trump matchup in November or once upon a time saying she was unqualified and walking it back. Again, my question is, this is a very, very smart man. How much of that and then walking it back is intentional.

BERNSTEIN: Of course, it's intentional. He wants to win and, if he doesn't win, he wants the leverage at the convention.

BALDWIN: By lobbing the verbal grenades?

BERNSTEIN: And -- I think it's part of a strategy to get the votes. I don't think they have to be as incendiary as perhaps we're making it. We're not talking about a convention of Chicago '68 with blood in the streets but delegates fighting with each other about who should be our nominee. What our platform ought to be. I think it will be messy.

BALDWIN: On that note on the platform, which is to key, whether or not they believe that the math is on their side, because talking to anyone, they say, heck no, it isn't.

BERNSTEIN: They don't believe the math is on their side. When I talked to them, they say we have a shot. And that shot is partly based, they'll tell you, privately on the Hillary and the server, for instance, that there is or isn't going to be a report by the FBI. She's not going to be indicted. No one expects her to be indicted because --

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BALDWIN: Carl, on the party --

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BERNSTEIN: -- there will be fallout and they expect and want to capitalize on that. Will they say that out loud? No. Out loud, sort of very quietly. Privately? Yes.

BALDWIN: What about, just quickly, we now that he has five seats. She has six on the party platform and talks about the principles and at least that, you know, his staying in the fight I imagine is partially leveraged so that he could have a voice on the platform. so important for him. Yes?

BERNSTEIN: Not only a platform. He wants his movement to continue after this --

BALDWIN: The evolution. [14:50:10] BERNSTEIN: -- after this. And if Hillary Clinton is

going to be the president, he wants it to continue with her in the White House and he's advocating his positions. And also he and his people, I think, there is no reason to doubt their sincerity about if he doesn't get the nomination, he is going to go out there, campaign for her. The issue becomes Trump, and he doesn't want Donald Trump to be the president of the United States. You talk about disingenuousness about Hillary Clinton in line. Trump has got a record of lying that will outdo almost anybody out there. And Bernie Sanders is prepared to address that and even has so far.

BALDWIN: Feisty today, Carl.

BERNSTEIN: Feisty?

BALDWIN: Feisty.

BERNSTEIN: I'm trying to do as much as I can, real quickly.

BALDWIN: Feisty.

Carl Bernstein, thank you so much. I appreciate it.

Coming up next here, let's talk about this major shake-up at the TSA. Weeks and weeks of scrutiny. We've talked about those long lines. Today, we learned the head of the TSA is out amid growing frustrations, three-hour lines at Chicago's O'Hare Airport, questionable bonuses. We'll talk about that. A live report coming up next.

And more on the breaking news, a judge ruling today that actor. Comedian, Bill Cosby, will stand trial on criminal sexual assault charges. Live to the courthouse in Pennsylvania.

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[14:55:22] BALDWIN: Major shake-up at the TSA. The agency's security chief, Kelly Hoggan, is out after scrutiny over long security lines and accusations of mismanagement, and raising major red flags, why Hoggan was given $90,000 in bonuses after a scathing report by the feds highlighting the airport failures across the country.

Let's go to Rene Marsh, our aviation and government regulation correspondent.

What happened?

RENE MARSH, CNN AVIATION & GOVERNMENT REGULATION CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brooke, you said it. It is a major shake-up at TSA. And it's really clearly the agency saying we hear airports, airlines and passengers, as well as Congress, loud and clear. We must do better. So that head of TSA security operations, as you said, he made $90,000 in bonuses, paid to him in $10,000 increments. And that was on top of his base salary of $181,000. And even after TSA failed to detect the fake explosives and bombs and weapons, 95 percent of the time during those covert tests, he remained in his position. So that alone, that snapshot alone is a prime example of really a broken Washington. He is out.

TSA is also announcing that it is creating this command center, focused on monitoring passenger volume as well as wait times at airports across the country so that they can react appropriately. Will this relieve passengers of long lines? We'll know in about a week when peak travel season begins -- Brooke?

BALDWIN: Rene, thank you so much.

MARSH: Sure.

BALDWIN: Next, back to our top story, Bill Cosby will stand trial for sexual assault. His attorneys are now responding to the judge's decision. Details on what was a dramatic day in the Pennsylvania courthouse, next.

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