Return to Transcripts main page
Wolf
Donald Trump Clinches GOP Nomination; Trump Won't Release Tax Returns; Senator Wants to Make it Law; Clinton Speaking in Las Vegas; Trump Attacks Other Republicans. Aired 1:30-2p ET
Aired May 26, 2016 - 13:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[13:30:00] JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I use the term "GOP nominee" instead of "presumptive nominee" because as we have been reporting Donald Trump has clinched the number of delegates to officially reach the Republican nomination.
My understanding, from talking to advisers earlier this morning, they believed hours ago that they have hit the magic number and that a press availability was scheduled. So we will be hearing from Donald Trump within the next hour, Wolf. It was scheduled for about five minutes from now, but we think it is pushed back a little bit.
Donald Trump will hold a news conference. I expect he will take note of the fact that he has now officially clinched the Republican nomination and take questions from reporters.
Obviously, there's a lot of questions that will be asked. He will be asked about the phone call that he had last night with House Speaker Paul Ryan. I talked to a Trump source earlier this morning who said this was a positive and productive conversation. There was no endorsement given during the call. We are not expecting an endorsement from House Speaker Paul Ryan anytime soon. I talked to a Trump campaign adviser yesterday who said we are going to give the speaker of the House all the time he needs.
But, Wolf, as you know, there are lots of other questions to be asked. He has been tearing into Elizabeth Warren and Hillary Clinton of late. He and the Clintons have been firing back and forth in heated words. It felt like a general election campaign. Donald Trump going after Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton's personal lives. I talked to a Trump adviser last night, Wolf, who said if Hillary Clinton is going to continue to talk about Donald Trump's real estate purchasing during the housing crisis that they will go after the Whitewater affair that was a headache for the Clintons back in the '90s.
So there is a whole basket of questions that I'm sure the press will be bringing to Donald Trump when he heads into the room. He will not be doing the press conference from in here, Wolf. He'll be doing it from a separate room, set up on the fly, to give you a sense of how the news is developing with Donald Trump clinching the Republican nomination. He will be happy and thank his supporters, I think, within the hour when we hear from him -- Wolf?
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: I'm sure he'll be very happy, indeed.
All right, Jim Acosta, we will have live coverage of that. Donald Trump has clinched the Republican nomination.
We still shouldn't expect to see his tax returns, though. His chief strategist says he would be surprised if Donald Trump released returns regardless of any ongoing IRS audit. Paul Manafort says they would likely be too complicated for the American public to understand.
For the Democrats, Hillary Clinton released eight years of hers, while Bernie Sanders released 2014 tax return, one year he has released.
There is no law saying that presidential campaigns have to release their tax returns. It's just been the tradition going back to the '70s, the Nixon years.
One Senator, Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden, wants to make it a law. He is the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, a member of the Joint Committee on Taxation. He is joining us live from Capitol Hill.
Senator Wyden, thanks very much for joining us.
SEN. RON WYDEN, (D), OREGON: Thank you.
BLITZER: Why to you want to make this a law of the land that presidential candidates, presidential nominees release their tax returns?
WYDEN: First of all, Wolf, it is important to note that this means that Mr. Trump is the first nominee since Watergate not to release his tax returns. And I certainly hope that he will do the right thing and provide these answers, these answers that speak to your personal integrity to the American people. If he doesn't I think it is important that Congress pass my bill.
BLITZER: His campaign chairman said this to "Huffington Post," "I would be surprised if he puts them out. I wouldn't advise him to. His tax returns are complicated. I wouldn't understand them, so how are the American people going to?"
The financial disclosure gives salient points. And then says, the only people who want the tax returns are the people who want to defeat him. You are a supporter of Hillary Clinton, right?
WYDEN: First of all, I am, Wolf, but the reality is and polls have shown that Americans overwhelmingly wants information. This has been an expectation for more than 40 years. By the way, a majority of Republicans want it. And the excuses that Mr. Trump keeps giving, for example, that he's under audit for several of his reviews, that is an excuse, it is not a reason. The IRS says these can be made available.
BLITZER: His lawyers and tax accountants said we talked with other lawyers and others say it is a legitimate reason and don't want to go public with a complicated audit that could complicate what is going on between the IRS and tax accountants. Keep it quiet after the audit is complete a good time to release the tax returns. What do you say to those accountants?
[13:35:02] WYDEN: That is just a parade of excuses. The reality is the IRS says that you can make this available. This is part of what kids do when they are trying to conjure up excuses. The reality is we have 40 years of tradition. Democrats and Republicans, I have made it clear that this should apply to all nominees. By the way, let's put this in perspective. You mentioned the fact that I am the ranking Democrat on the Finance Committee. You now could have a situation where Mr. Trump's nominees would have to make available three years worth of records if they were assistant secretary, they would be held to higher standard than commander-in-chief. That's not right.
BLITZER: Senator Ron Wyden, from Oregon, thank you for joining us.
WYDEN: Thank you for having me.
BLITZER: We're waiting to hear directly from Donald Trump. He's getting ready to go to a news conference. Looking at live pictures in North Dakota. He has now clinched the Republican nomination. We will bring that news conference to you live. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:40:19] BLITZER: Right now, Hillary Clinton just started speaking at a rally in Las Vegas. We're also waiting to hear from Donald Trump. He is getting ready to answer reporter's questions at a news conference. He has clinched the Republican nomination.
Let's listen in to Hillary Clinton right now to see if she reacts to the breaking news.
HILLARY CLINTON, (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: -- rewarding experience for me to be introduced by him to all of you.
(APPLAUSE)
CLINTON: I want to thank Mr. Lopez, your secretary treasurer.
(CHEERING)
CLINTON: And I have to thank another good friend, your executive vice president, Stu Applebaum.
(APPLAUSE)
CLINTON: And I can look out here and see both UFCW members from New York, who I worked with, and --
(CHEERING)
CLINTON: -- as your Senator, and a number of members who I have met over the years particularly over this past year during this campaign. I am so proud to have earned your endorsement earlier this year because from raising the minimum wage to comprehensive immigration reform to at last getting equal pay for women, your fights are my fights.
(CHEERING) CLINTON: I have to tell you, when I am at a big rally and I see those
gold shirts out there, it really makes me feel good.
(LAUGHTER)
I will always be grateful for your help in this campaign. You have knocked on doors, opened up your union halls. I was at local 324 in Orange County, California just yesterday.
(APPLAUSE)
CLINTON: You have helped to turn out the vote here in Nevada and across the country. When I was at the union hall yesterday in California, I had a great chance to meet with a lot of your members there. It would be political malpractice if I didn't say we got the California primary, New Mexico primary. We have Montana, North, South Dakota. We have New Jersey. We have Puerto Rico still to go. I am looking for those gold shirts and looking for your help as we finish off those contests on June 7th.
You know, like a lot of great things in our country, our campaign is union built, including my terrific labor outreach director --
(CHEERING)
CLINTON: Now, Nicky has gone with me to a lot of different union meetings and conventions. First time she has had on a union shirt --
(LAUGHTER)
-- because that's her union.
And you have had my back and I will always have yours.
As I travel across the country, I have talked with fast food workers, pharmacists, retail employees, food processers, and I have heard over and over and over again there has never been more at stake for working families in America than now. This election should be about knocking down all the barriers that hold families back, building ladders of opportunity in their place, coming together to get incomes rising, creating more good jobs that provide dignity and pride.
I'm the granddaughter of a factory work who are operated a loom at the Scranton Lace Works in Pennsylvania. My father put everything he had into a really small fabric printing shop in his small business in Chicago. My mother was out on her own working as a house maid at the age of 14. So I grew up respecting the dignity and hard work of what it takes to provide a solid middle class life.
[13:45:04] BLITZER: We are going to continue to listen to Hillary Clinton. She is in Las Vegas. She is meeting with union workers out there. She is grateful for their endorsement. We will hear what she says and hear if she reacts to the news that Donald Trump has clinched the Republican presidential nomination. He has gone to the magic number of 1,237. We are standing by for his news conference supposed to begin momentarily in Bismarck, North Dakota. Live pictures. We'll have live coverage of that as well.
Let's take a quick break. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLITZER: Donald Trump has now clinched the Republican presidential nomination but if you think that means instantaneous Republican party unity, think again because the nominee spent the last few days railing against some other leading Republicans, and not only is he attacking candidates that conceded months ago and who have yet to back him, but he's also going after some top female Republican leaders, including the governor of New Mexico, Susana Martinez.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[13:50:15] DONALD TRUMP, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & CEO, TRUMP ORGANIZATION: She's got to do a better job. OK? Your governor has got to do a better job.
(CHEERING)
TRUMP: She's not doing the job.
After a while, you sort of give up, like poor Mitt Romney. Poor Mitt. I look at this guy.
(BOOING)
TRUMP: I mean, I have a sore that's worth more money than he is.
I raised money. I endorsed him. He wanted my endorsement. Begged for it. He wanted my endorsement. And now all he does is go badmouth. Donald Trump shouldn't run, ba, ba, ba, and he walks like a penguin onto the stage. Have you ever seen him? Like a penguin!
Many of the people that I competed against have now endorsed me and, most importantly -- no, Jeb hasn't done it yet. He will get a burst of energy and he will do it! Believe me. I'm telling you. He needs a little more energy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Not mincing any words.
Joining us is CNN political commentators, S.E. Cupp and Angela Rye; and Trump campaign national spokeswoman, Katrina Pierson; and Scottie Nell Hughes, political editor of Right Alert, and a Trump supporter, as well.
Katrina, why is he doing this? Now that he's clinched the Republican presidential nomination, why is he going after other Republicans? Why isn't he trying to unify the whole party?
KATRINA PIERSON, NATIONAL SPOKESPERSON, DONALD TRUMP POLITICAL CAMPAIGN: Mr. Trump is trying to unify the whole party and what we continue to see are some of the individuals in the party who continue this Never Trump mantra when we never saw the #neverRomney mantra. This is a reaction. Mr. Trump is at the rallies, engaging with his thousands of fans. Again, this is Mr. Trump. He engages with them, has fun with them. This is normal. We keep saying he's going to change and he's going to change, and I've always told you, Mr. Trump is not going to change. He's going to continue to be Mr. Trump, engaging his supporters and having fun on the campaign trail.
BLITZER: It's worked so far, S.E.
S.E. CUPP, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yeah.
BLITZER: Beat 16 or 17 other Republicans and he thinks the same strategy if you believe Katrina will work against, let's say, Hillary Clinton.
CUPP: Yeah. And it might. What I would appreciate, you know, Katrina says he's never going to change. He keeps saying he's going to change. He'll unify the party. He has people like Paul Manafort saying he's going to unify the party. Slamming the New Mexico governor, slamming the chairman of the RNC personally, slamming the RNC and other Republicans and Republican presidents is not unifying the party. As I've said before, he wears the Republican Party like a rented tuxedo. Stop pretending to be interested in unifying the party. You're not. You don't think you need moderates to win. Maybe that's true. Be honest about it
BLITZER: Katrina?
PIERSON: With the exception on one thing. Mr. Trump did not say he was going to change. He said I can change if I want to. That's a really big difference. We have our supporters saying, no, Mr. Trump, don't change. This is exactly why he beat 16 moderate establishment Republicans, is because he's not that -- that cookie-cutter politician. He's a real person. He's engaging. And the people love him for that.
BLITZER: Angela, what do you think Hillary Clinton's strategy should be? Because Donald Trump's strategy going after 16 or 17 other Republicans worked and if he continues against Hillary Clinton how should she respond?
ANGELA RYE, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, Wolf, we know it's tough to respond to someone ever changing and I disagree. I think that he's constantly changing and why it's been so hard to hold him accountable to one position because of that position, of course, changes from one minute to the next. I think we got a really good glimpse of Hillary Clinton's strategy today. In the speech you showed, she said, we're going to focus in this election on knocking down barriers. And if you contrast that with the candidate who's talking about building a wall regardless of how big and beautiful, that is exact difference right there. There's a complete 180 between their two positions. She's trying to extend olive branches to people who may not like her, who may not find her trustworthy and may have challenges with, instead of someone trying to construct walls an barriers to people that don't disagree with the positions or he doesn't believe should be here. BLITZER: You read that Paul Manafort interview, I assume, Katrina,
and he said Donald Trump is softening his position, moderating the position, opening positions that you go into negotiations with, but they're going to evolve. You saw that.
PIERSON: He was speaking more of tone, not the actual position and I'll remind everyone that Hillary Clinton voted for the border fence. Thing is, Mr. Trump's positions have not changed. Whether or not he says them differently, that's a whole her discussion. Whether you're talking about Muslim immigration ban and reported as ban all Muslims, and that's not the case and the simple fact to say I'd be happy to walk that back if we have a procedure in place. There's two pieces to the puzzle. I think that's what's missing here with the talking heads on TV to focus on one portion of what Mr. Trump says on the policy and not the whole picture.
[13:55:17] BLITZER: Do you think he's evolving his positions, for example, on the temporary ban on Muslims coming the U.S. as Paul Manafort seemed to suggest in that interview?
CUPP: There is a difference when you start out by promising you'll do it and then Mexico will pay for it and then say it's a suggestion, it is difficult for voters to know what you are promising as a potential candidate. What you will do as a president, no matter how hard it is, no matter the opposition, no matter the climate or the environment, this is what I promise to do. And, you know, the Trump campaign can sort of, you know, modify the language and tweak the words to make it all make sense but it still doesn't and that's why a lot of voters are skeptical of Donald Trump and what he stands for.
BLITZER: Let's play a little clip. This is a clip of an interview I did with Donald Trump back in 1999, at the end of the Bill Clinton administration. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: In your book, you say of Mrs. Clinton, a wonderful woman who's handled pressure incredibly well.
TRUMP: I agree with that. I think she's gone through terrible times. I think she's been through more than any woman should bear, everything public. Women go through this on a private basis and can't take it. She's on the front of every newspaper. I think she is a wonderful woman.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: Is she qualified to be Senator?
TRUMP: I think she is. Running from another state, I think I would support her. She is a really terrific woman.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Very nice words of Hillary Clinton at that time. He's evolved that position since then. PIERSON: Well, I mean, it is like saying are you still best friends
with the high school best friend? The answer is probably, no.
But Mr. Trump addresses himself. He always says nice things about people out in the public. He's just not purposely going to go out there and respond in a different way attacking him or his family for that matter.
But I'll also say it's only confusing the people here in the D.C. bubble. Voters, a lot of them, do get it. That's why you saw record- breaking turnout, people supporting Donald Trump. That's why you see tens of thousands of Independents and Democrats coming out and supporting Donald Trump because voters do get it.
BLITZER: S.E., are the Republicans going to unite around Donald Trump?
CUPP: I think you are seeing Republicans saying they couldn't line up behind Trump. People are partisan and they want Republicans to win. And Hillary is a contemptible person and a terrible candidate and I think you'll see Republicans making the calculation, OK, I don't like Donald Trump but I really don't like Hillary Clinton.
BLITZER: From that perspective --
(CROSSTALK)
PIERSON: That's exactly what happened with Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan. Many of us supported the conservatives but, at the end of the day, we put the signs in the yard and walked in the districts.
BLITZER: All right, guys. We'll continue to watch what's going on.
We're standing by to hear directly from Donald Trump, getting ready to hold a news conference in Bismarck, North Dakota, any moment now. And live coverage of that coming up. He's now clinched the Republican presidential nomination. Anxious to hear his reaction. Stay with us for that.
The news continues right after this quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
