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Trump Launches Major Attack on Media; Bill Kristol Eyes David French as a Way to Stop Trump; Police Focusing on Child's Family in Gorilla Incident, Not Zoo. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired June 01, 2016 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:01:19]CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me.

A razor thin margin now separating Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. The CNN Poll of Polls just released this morning combines the five most recent and most credible nationwide surveys. It shows Clinton barely edging Trump a mere 2 percentage points separating them among registered voters.

This poll coming on the heels of Donald Trump tearing into reporters in a contentious news conference.

Jason Carroll live at New York's Trump Tower with more on that. Good morning.

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And good morning to you, Carol. You know, yesterday Donald Trump was finally able to release details about how much money he was able to raise for veterans or where it went to. Initially as you know he said he raised $6 million, he actually raised $5.6 million. That money donated to some 40 veterans organizations.

But, Carol, he clearly did not like being questioned about it and he turned some of that anger on to the press once again.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESUMPTIVE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I think the political press is among the most dishonest people that I've ever met. On the behalf of the vets, the press should be ashamed of themselves.

I have never received such bad publicity for doing such a good job. What I don't want is when I raised millions of dollars have people say like this sleazy guy right over here from ABC. He's a sleaze in my book. You're a sleaze because you know the facts and you know the facts well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: Hillary Clinton talking about this particular issue saying that Trump basically had to be shamed into releasing the details, shamed by another reporter, she said. Carol, also Jeff Bezos weighing in on the issue, as well as you know

he is the CEO of Amazon, the owner of the "Washington Post." He basically said that what Trump needs to do is develop thicker skin and he defended the media.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEFF BEZOS, CEO, AMAZON: One thing that I -- I think is not appropriate that Donald Trump is doing is working to freeze or chill the media that are examining him. It's just the fact that we live in a world where half the population on this planet, if you criticize your leader, there's a good chance you'll go to jail or worse. And we live in this amazing democracy with amazing freedom of speech. And a presidential candidate should embrace that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: The reality is, Carol, that Trump, as you know, has gone off the media many, many times in the past. But when it comes down to it, the media loves Trump, loves the fact that he gives ratings when he comes on but also frustrated with the fact that he doesn't give more details about his policies. Trump for his part loves the media, loves the attention that he gets but doesn't like to be criticized by the media.

But when you speak to voters, Carol, what this comes down to is this whole thing between the media and Trump does not help the person who is looking for a job, does not help the person who's looking for better health care, who wants the country to be safer and eventually, according to the voters that I talked to, what these candidates are going to have to do, meaning Trump and Clinton, is get back to talking about those issues -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. Jason Carroll reporting live from Trump Tower in New York City this morning.

In an election season filled with conflict and intrigue, we now know who leading conservative Bill Kristol wants to challenge Donald Trump in a third-party bid. Kristol confirming to CNN's Jamie Gangel that he has zeroed in on that. The man you're seeing, that's Bill Kristol. Zeroing in on David French. This man. French is a writer for "The National Review" as well as a constitutional lawyer. He's also a veteran of the Iraq war where he earned the Bronze Star.

[09:05:03] French lives in Tennessee with his wife and three children. He was on Network TV earlier this week rallying the never Trump movement but pitching Mitt Romney as his best hope.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID FRENCH, WRITER, NATIONAL REVIEW: The never Trump movement is, you're right, is flagging right now but it would receive a massive steroid injection if Mitt Romney entered the race. He would start at 22 percent. Start there.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. FRENCH: He would have the fundraising network. He would have the

ability to get on ballots. He would have the ability to make a case. And he would be able to call out Donald Trump, not for the offensive things that he says, because that doesn't work, that's been tried for a year. He would be able to call him out for the silly and destructive and stupid things that he says that he will do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: But French's man Mitt Romney is out. French is in. French's writings has been sharply critical of Donald Trump and said with Trump as the Republicans' presumptive nominee, quote, "The party of Lincoln is in ruins."

And one day before a major West Coast swing, Hillary Clinton is in the northeast today. She's stumping in New Jersey and in Massachusetts where she'll get an assist from rocker Jon Bon Jovi at a fundraiser.

New Jersey is the second biggest prize in the next Tuesday's primary after the hotly contested California primary. And that's where Bernie Sanders will hold four events today keeping the pressure on as he looks to pull off an upset. Sanders warning that anyone who thinks the fight for the nomination is over next week is sorely mistaken.

CNN's Joe Johns is live in Washington. Hi, Joe.

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. Hillary Clinton in New Jersey first today where her campaign sees a chance for her to try to lock up the delegates needed for the Democratic nomination before the polls close in California on Tuesday. Later today visiting Boston for that fundraiser with music legend Jon Bon Jovi. On Thursday she's expected to turn her attention to California where her campaign would like to pull off a win. But if they don't win in the primary there, they will try to keep it close for optics sake.

She's expected to give a foreign policy address out there in San Diego, not focusing on Sanders, but reprising her theme, asserting Donald Trump is not ready for the Oval Office. The campaign hoping that after the primaries are over, the threat of Trump becoming president will become the catalyst to bring the Democratic Party together. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: California is a big state and I am going to do everything I can to meet as many voters as possible. I have said repeatedly, I will certainly do everything I can to unify the Democratic Party. Our campaigns have been reaching out to one another. We will continue to do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: Bernie Sanders for his part has been keeping up the drumbeat in California. Just last night repeating his argument that the Democratic Party's nominating process will continue after the primaries are over -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. Joe Johns reporting live. Thanks so much.

Here to talk about all of this plus some new polls on a Trump-Clinton matchup, Kayleigh McEnany, a Trump supporter, Bernard Whitman, a former Clinton pollster and Democratic strategist. He's also the author of "55 Reasons to Vote for Hillary." Also joining me, Matt Lewis, a senior -- a senior contributing for "The Daily Caller."

Welcome to all of you.

KAYLEIGH MCENANY, TRUMP SUPPORTER: Thanks, Carol.

BERNARD WHITMAN, FORMER HILLARY CLINTON POLLSTER: Good morning.

COSTELLO: Thanks for being here. I want you all to take a look at this Quinnipiac poll that came out. It's really interesting and contradictory. Clinton has a four-point lead over Trump according to this Quinnipiac poll, but when you dig into the issues and they ask voters 42 questions, there's seems to be a lot of contradictions like this one, this is an example. Voters say Donald Trump would be most effective against ISIS but say Hillary Clinton would do a better job of responding to an international crisis.

Matt, why the disconnect here?

MATT LEWIS, SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR, THE DAILY CALLER: Well, I think that there are some nuance differences. You know, if there's diplomacy needed, if there's somebody who has experience in foreign policy needed, that's a different question than taking on ISIS. And so I think that explains it. But you're right, I mean, this gets confusing. And frankly some of it now depends on what happens in the universe. Right? If Georgia -- I'm sorry, if Russia invades Georgia, you know, as they did in 2008, then right before the election, that sort of provocation might help Hillary. If there's a terrorist attack right before the election, then that might help Donald Trump.

I would say this, though, I think that when you look at two things -- two areas where Donald Trump is winning big one is the -- who do you want to have a beer with? He wins big there.

COSTELLO: Yes.

LEWIS: And the other one is jobs. I think that alone is a really good sign if you're Donald Trump. That those are two really important issues that voters are very likely to be voting on.

COSTELLO: Yes. I'm just looking for those poll numbers that you were talking about. Who do you want to have a beer with?

LEWIS: It's like the barbecue question. Who would you have at your barbeque. Donald Trump wins big there. And that's the guy, the person, who usually wins the presidency.

[09:10:04] I mean, if experience matters more than -- then George H.W. Bush would have beat Bill Clinton, and you know, John McCain certainly would have beat Barack Obama. But I think the jobs question that Trump wins big on and the barbecue question, who do you want to hang out with, that Trump wins big on, has to be a really good sign for Donald Trump.

COSTELLO: But when voters are asked in that same poll questions like who is more intelligent, who has the wherewithal to deal more with issues concerning international events, it's Hillary Clinton. And Donald Trump loses those questions by a long shot.

So I just want to go back to the first question because that was so weird to me.

Bernard, what do you make of that first set of questions that Quinnipiac put out?

WHITMAN: I actually think they make perfect sense because Donald Trump has basically said we're going to defeat ISIS. It's going to be very easy, we're going to do it very quickly. And unfortunately, Americans want an easy button. But the truth is there is no easy button to defeat ISIS. If you talk to any decorated military veteran, war heroes, generals and so forth, they all to a person will say it is going to take a coordinated, consistent coalition-led effort that is going to employ smart power.

There's no way to defeat ISIS in five, 10 minutes. I mean, it takes a coordinated effort. Something that Hillary has been advocating for and actually doing for the last 15 years, first as a U.S. senator and then as secretary of state. So I think ultimately people believe Hillary Clinton is better suited to be in the Oval Office, far better suited from the temperament standpoint, from the character standpoint, she has a greater moral value, she's more intelligent, she's better prepared.

If you want to go easy, quick, fast, a lot of bravado and a lot of braggadocio, then go with Donald Trump. And the one thing I'll say about the barbecue is, I'd love to have Donald Trump at a barbecue in the same way that it'll likely have a circus clown or a carnival barnacle at the barbecue. Very entertaining but not someone you want on the finger of a nuclear trigger.

COSTELLO: OK. Well, let's keep on the international thing because, Kayleigh, David French, the man being courted to mount a third party bid by conservative Bill Kristol, he had this to say about Donald Trump and foreign policy. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRENCH: We are talking about a Republican nominee who has said that he can defeat ISIS by committing war crimes and bringing in Exxon. He actually said this. He said that he would treat the American national debt like one of his casino bankruptcies. He actually said this. He's actually threatened to blow up the NATO alliance. He's actually said this.

Less extreme statements in the past have led to catastrophic consequences that have cost lives by the hundreds of thousands. (END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: OK. So David French is a Bronze Star recipient. He's an Iraq war veteran. He has a lot of knowledge in this area. So will that hurt Mr. Trump ultimately if you have Hillary Clinton fighting against him in foreign policy credentials and also this Republican David French?

MCENANY: No, I don't think so. You know, I thank Mr. French for a service that's very respectable, but this is what Democrats and this small group of establishment leaders do like David French. They simplify Donald Trump's policies. They exaggerate. They try and create a caricature to delegitimize him. It's just not true. You can take those policy by policy and explain the nuance in Donald Trump's policy or you can just attempt to create a caricature which is what he's doing.

And the fact that this establishment group is very, very small. "The New York Times"/CBS poll taken 13 days ago shows 80 percent of Republican voters say let's rally around Donald Trump. I imagine that number is greater now. The voters are embracing Trump but the establishment folks like David French are kicking and screaming because they can't tolerate the will of the people. They say the voters don't matter. They didn't get their candidate in even though they got Romney in and McCain in the last time. Both who failed at their presidential endeavors.

But they can't tolerate it. They can't tolerate the will of the people. And you're going to see backlash from a small, small minority like Bill Kristol and David French.

COSTELLO: All right. I got to leave it there. Kayleigh McEnany, Bernard Whitman and Matt Lewis, thanks to all of you.

LEWIS: Thanks, Carol.

COSTELLO: Still to come in the NEWSROOM, police are looking into what happened the day that little boy fell into the gorilla exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo. In the middle of the controversy, the family issues an interesting statement. We'll tell you what it says, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:18:15] COSTELLO: Police are now looking into what happened at the Cincinnati Zoo before the little boy fell into the gorilla exhibit. Investigators are focusing on the boy's family that day. We don't know much about the boy's family except that the boy's mother is daycare worker who wants to remain anonymous.

The family did, however, the family released a second statement. It reads in part, quote, "some have offered money to the family, which we do not want and will not accept. If anyone wishes to make a gift, we recommend a donation to the Cincinnati Zoo in Harambe's name," the name of the gorilla.

The family's new statement coming amid ongoing scrutiny of what the boy's mother was doing before the little boy fell into the exhibit.

A witness who filmed this video you're looking told CNN what she saw.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIMBERLEY O'CONNOR, WITNESS: The little boy was a typical little boy at a candy store. Can I get this, can I get that? And he was jokingly and bantering to go in and see the monkeys. The mother was, no, you're not, no, you're not.

And I think as they got ready to leave, that to tend to the other children, gather them up, get them in the stroller and move everyone along, I think in the 60 seconds, he got away.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: And CNN's Jessica Schneider live in Cincinnati with more. Good morning.

JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

And that woman will certainly be a key witness in this police investigation. There's been intense scrutiny surrounding this incident and a lot of internet backlash. A lot of people are wondering, what were the parents doing in the minutes before the 3- year-old boy got into the gorilla enclosure?

That will be what police hone in on. They want to learn about the parents' action or potential inaction in all of this.

[09:20:02] Now, the family did release a statement this morning and they talked about the welfare of their child. They say that he's doing okay.

And they said, in part, "Our child has a checkup by the doctor and is doing well. We continue to praise God for his grace and mercy and to be thankful to the Cincinnati Zoo for their actions taken to protect our child."

But people really want to know, how did that child get into the gorilla enclosure? We heard from the woman who filmed it all and said, where there's a will, there's a way.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

O'CONNOR: I think there was some level of difficulty. If he was adventurous enough and really motivated, he could have gotten in with fairly ease at that point. But I think, with the amount of people that were around, you would think that he could have been caught. Or somebody would have seen him. Somebody would have pulled him back. But with some relative ease, he could have gotten in there if he really wanted to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHNEIDER: Now the zoo has stressed that the barriers are secure. They have never had an incident since the gorilla world exhibit has been opened. It opened in 1978.

As for the zoo itself, police have stressed that the zoo is not a focus of this investigation. In fact, the zoo falls under the purview of the USDA last here to check the zoo for an inspection in April -- Carol.

COSTELLO: All right. Jessica Schneider reporting live from Cincinnati.

With me now to break this all down, CNN legal analyst, Paul Callan.

Hi, Paul.

PAUL CALLAN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Good morning.]

COSTELLO: OK. So, the Cincinnati police are reviewing this case. What do they need to find in order to file charges against these parents?

CALLAN: Well, they would have to find that the parents committed a form of child abuse or child endangerment under Ohio law. And most of the statute has to do with torturing a child or depriving him of food, that sort of thing.

There is a general provision that if you create a substantial risk to the welfare of the child, by placing him in a dangerous situation, that can be child endangerment. But is bringing your child to the zoo child endangerment?

I mean, I think a lot of parents would assume that these exhibits are secure enough that a 3 1/2-year-old couldn't figure out how to get into the place where they keep a 450-pound silverback gorilla.

So, I think when I look at this pattern, I don't see the parents being charged. I see on the other hand the zoo better have a better look at how to get into these exhibits.

COSTELLO: So unless the mother picked the child up and put him on top of the gorilla enclosure of the wall and said, hey, climb over, would it have to be that extreme?

CALLAN: Well, it wouldn't have to be that extreme. Obviously, if the mother just forgot about the kid and was wandering around the zoo for 15 to 20 minutes, you could make an argument there that that was child endangerment. And remember these other cases we covered last year? Leaving a baby in a hot car, a clear-cut there, that would be child endangerment.

COSTELLO: A lot of people likened this to leaving a baby in the hot car, you're not paying attention to them, you're leaving them.

CALLAN: I was watching the witness and I see this happening in court so often. She said, you know, the mother's attention was only diverted for 60 seconds, she said. Thinking, and I can tell she's thinking that is a short period of time, well, 60 seconds is a long period of time. I'm betting it is probably going to turn out to be 30 seconds or

something while putting another kid in a stroller. And a toddler running around at high speed, they are hard to keep track at a zoo. So, easily 30 seconds, maybe the toddler is out of your sight.

COSTELLO: The other curious thing is once the kid got up on the wall, why didn't anyone reach over the wall and pluck the kid out? Why didn't that happen?

CALLAN: I don't know. It's shocking.

And, you know, you watch the film and the bystanders are -- they are watching the child and yelling down into the enclosure. All of this time goes by, there was so much time he could have been killed. It's really a miracle the child is alive.

COSTELLO: OK, let's talk about the couple at the zoo itself. It's under the purview of the USDA, right? So, the Cincinnati police wouldn't investigate the zoo. But what could happen to the zoo?

CALLAN: I don't think you'll see very much happen to the zoo, even if there's a finding that they could have done a better job in setting up this gorilla exhibit.

The reason I say that is, one, there's a tendency in zoos nationwide to create a more natural environment for the animals and to look more like their natural environment. Now, to do that you can't have barbed wire and huge fences and everything else.

This particular exhibit has been in place since 1978. It's been inspected by outside agencies. And the zoo says it always got a clean bill of health. So, this is the first time they became aware that this sort of breach could happen, particularly with such a young toddler.

COSTELLO: But it is curious that 38 years -- this has never happened before. Maybe this kid was incredibly clever or incredibly fast or --

[09:25:04] CALLAN: It could be. And there are complaints of a couple other incidents at the Cincinnati Zoo. I saw one where a couple polar bears got loose. But that seem to be somebody left the door open in their enclosure which is an entirely different thing as opposed to designing a secured facility.

COSTELLO: It didn't danger the public but the zoo workers, right?

CALLAN: Yes, it did.

COSTELLO: So, my last question because I'm curious about this. At first, there seemed to be no interest in investigating the family for what happened at the zoo. But now, Cincinnati police are investigating.

So, what do you think changed? Was it public pressure? Or do they really think that there's something there? CALLAN: Well, you know, you have to -- I always look at the craziness

of social media. Immediately, you know, thousands of people were signing a petition that -- when I went to sleep last night, I think there were over 100,000 signatures indicating that, you know, the parents should be investigated, and people -- you know, they should go to jail. And, you know, a lot of the animal rights activists are saying.

I think that maybe public pressure had a little bit of influence. But on the other hand, I would just expect in a situation like this, the police would have a look at it. I'll be shocked if any charges brought against anybody. I think it's a sad situation. But we got out of it fortunately without the child being killed. It's a tragedy we lost the gorilla, but it is just one of those things that happened.

COSTELLO: Paul Callan, thanks so much.

CALLAN: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Still to come in the NEWSROOM: a major discovery in the search for EgyptAir Flight 804.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)