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At This Hour

Democrats Plan Exit Strategy for Sanders; 4 Soldiers Missing in Texas Floods; S.C. Governor Links Trump Rhetoric to Church Shooter. Aired 11:30-12p ET

Aired June 03, 2016 - 11:30   ET

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


[11:31:19] KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Sometimes you just have to give up. That's the public message from the top Democrat in the Senate to Bernie Sanders. Privately that message is more clear and direct. Democrats in Washington are working on how to get convince Sanders to get out of the race sooner rather than later, and do so gracefully.

The details of the inside conversations are coming from CNN's senior political reporter, Manu Raju.

Manu, great to see you.

You have a lot of details in your reporting on this. Democrats telling you that Sanders needs to, as you wrote it, see the writing on the wall himself, but what does that writing look like? What's the plan?

RAJU MANU, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: Yeah, that's right, Kate. Talks among the senior Democrats have really begun to intensify over how to convince Sanders to quit after next week's primary when Clinton will have clinched the nomination, most likely. Many Democrats I spoke with are hopeful that Sanders will see the math himself and see there's no way he can win.

But publicly, Sanders has made clear he wants to take that to the convention. To stop that, many Democrats want to give Sanders a scalp, if you will, in Debbie Wassermann Schultz, the DNC chair, convince her to quit her job, given the concerns of the Sanders camp, offer possibly reform of the super delegate rules, talk about giving him a prime speaking spot at the convention, and push Clinton to pick a V.P. who would satisfy Sanders supporters. A name that comes up in that regard, Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, who has been, so far, neutral in the primary. Her camp and the Clinton camp I'm told have steadily increased their discussions as Warren has become an anti-Trump surrogate. Interesting, I'm told, Kate, that the Senate minority leader, Harry Reid, is open to the idea of Warren being Clinton's running mate, even though he has said public his does not want Clinton to choose a Senator whose state has a Republican governor, like Massachusetts.

The last thing, Kate, sources tell me that Reid himself had a phone call with Sanders last month where Reid made the case to Sanders to step aside after the June 7th primary. So far, Democrats are optimistic that Sanders won't be destructive after next week, but it's not entirely clear what Sanders will do next -- Kate? BOLDUAN: That's absolutely right. It also doesn't leave a lot of

room for a plan B if he doesn't agree with it. But that's in your next article.

Manu, great to see you. Thank you so much.

RAJU: Thanks, Kate.

BOLDUAN: One day after House Speaker Paul Ryan endorses Donald Trump, the house speaker's releasing a very interesting video this morning that has a lot of folks talking. Hear what he says and try to decipher what maybe the message is in there to Donald Trump.

Plus, the chilling moments in court. A father lunging at a man who killed his young daughter. The father will be joining CNN, live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:37:10] BOLDUAN: Women who have been abused or trafficked often find it hard to find help or any way out. "CNN Hero" Becca Stevens is a survivor of childhood abuse herself and is offer the helping hands that they need and a place to heel. Take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BECCA STEVENS, CNN HERO: It's in every community, trafficking, abuse, addiction. What we created is a movement for women's healing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was almost like a slave to the drugs. I lost everything.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I turned a trick as long as I could get one more hit.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can remember thinking that I'm burned out here.

STEVENS: When I was a small child, I experienced sexual molestation for years. It gave me a lot of compassion. Those scars are deep, but it doesn't have to be the end of the story.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: If you want to see the rest of her story, how Becca has helped more than 200 women reclaim their lives, go to CNNheroes.com.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: Just hours after Paul Ryan made a big announcement, he releases a new video today, but something is missing. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. PAUL RYAN, (D-WI), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: Let's face it, people know what Republicans are against. Now we are going to give you a plan that shows you what we are for.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: The plan is called A Better Way. What's not mentioned in that video, Donald Trump. Why is this noteworthy? Well, Ryan did -- House Speaker Paul Ryan, after much fanfare, did finally endorse Donald Trump yesterday in an opinion piece. Not a big announcement, not during a rally, but in his hometown paper in Janesville, Wisconsin.

The panel is back with me right now.

So, Amanda, coincidences don't often happen so much in politics. What do you think Paul Ryan is doing here?

[11:40:] AMANDA CARPENTER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: He buried the announcement. A part of me is mad at Paul Ryan, like why did you not get an assurance to get a deal on tax reform or welfare reform before you gave this announcement. But Paul Ryan is trying to be as pragmatic as he can. He knows he has a better chance of getting those pieces of legislation signed with President Trump rather than President Hillary, although I'm not sure by how much. He's trying to put forth this agenda to shape the convention in the best way he knows how, knowing full well Donald Trump isn't going to give House Republicans a legislative agenda to run on.

BOLDUAN: Do you think he buried it?

KAYLEIGH MCENANY, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: No, I don't think so at all. I think it was strategically placed during Hillary Clinton's speech to say I am completely rejecting everything she stands for, and in doing, so I am supporting Donald Trump. I thought it was a very big deal he chose to do it then.

I don't think this video is a rejection of Donald Trump at all. I think it is a redress to the critics that we have a do nothing Republican Congress that shuts down the government, who constantly says no and has no solutions. He goes on in the video to talk about poverty, some Republicans haven't addressed for a long time, but Donald Trump has. It's a complete rebuttal to the do-nothing Congress accusation.

BOLDUAN: David Axelrod, not a Republican, breaking news, he had some interesting tweets. I'll do a dramatic reading. "Thought Speaker Ryan was helping Donald Trump by dropping an endorsement during Hillary Clinton's speech but he may have been out to bury it."

To Amanda's point, disagreeing with you but, nonetheless --

(CROSSTALK)

BOLDUAN: -- he goes on to say, "Just to point a finer point on an earlier tweet, when you want to amplify an endorsement you don't unveil it in the 'Janesville Gazette'."

What do you think, Patti, as an outsider? PATTI SOLIS DOYLE, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: David is absolutely

right. Wisconsin, for crying out loud, is a battleground state. He could have gone to Wisconsin with Donald Trump, he could have had a rally, rallied the troops, had him meet with Wisconsin elected officials that could help him. No, he did an op-ed. Look, he had to do it. He was the only person in the Republican leadership who had not yet endorsed him. Frankly, because of Donald Trump's, you know, volatile candidacy, Republicans are looking at potentially not only losing the White House but losing the Senate. That's a big deal. I don't think Republican leaders want to be blamed for that happening. They're going to endorse him.

BOLDUAN: One thing though that Republicans have going for them, and Trump has going for him, if he now has Republican leaders and most everyone getting behind him while Hillary Clinton is still fending off a primary --

(CROSSTALK)

BOLDUAN: -- and now you have these talks going on in the Senate, as Manu Raju is reporting, of Democratic leaders trying to get Bernie Sanders to see the writing on the wall.

SOLIS DOYLE: Hillary is going to be the nominee, once she's the nominee you're going to have Barack Obama campaigning for her vigorously. You'll have Senator Warren campaigning for her vigorously, Bernie Sanders campaigning for her vigorously.

(CROSSTALK)

(LAUGHTER)

BOLDUAN: When that starts, that's important if it starts June 8th or after the convention.

SOLIS DOYLE: I think that these few weeks where they're still fighting out the nomination is going to get washed away once she's the nominee and she gets all of these endorsements and they're out there campaigning.

BOLDUAN: Can I ask you real quick, Amanda, I want to get your take on what Governor Nikki Haley has said. She wants everybody to tone it down. She has said in an interview that -- she said she will support the nominee, even though she's not really endorsing Donald Trump. She told the Associated Press that she's criticizing Donald Trump because -- and this is her quote" -- "I know what that rhetoric can do. I saw it happen."

When you take a look at that line, she's suggesting that the divisive language is what led to the horrible acts that happened in her state at the Charleston -- the massacre at Emmanuel AME Church. I can see folks going at this from both sides, that that's dangerous to go down that walk that she is, but also saying she's just stating reality. What do you think?

CARPENTER: Well, I think Governor Haley should probably elaborate a little bit more on what she meant. She has been a consistent voice of reason throughout her candidacy --

(CROSSTALK)

BOLDUAN: She's been asking for people to tone it down on a number of occasions. That's part of her stump speech for a long time. I do think many Republicans in states are worried about the down-ballot effect that Trump's rhetoric will have. He doesn't just speak for himself when he's the Republican nominee. Everyone has to answer for what he says. He says frankly indefensible things, like he said about the Hispanic judge who's going to rule on the Trump University case. That puts all Republicans in an incredibly uncomfortable position. You make it very easy for people to rally around you. Donald Trump fires off tweets in the middle of the night and people wake up scared of what they're going to be asked about each and every day.

BOLDUAN: But it is messy because, at the same time, you have people who got quite violent last night, who were the anti-Trump protestors, towards Trump supporters. This is all getting messy. I mean, I think the overall message, everyone should tone it down, is a very wonderful one, but it is not so clean cut.

(CROSSTALK)

[11:45:21] BOLDUAN: This is very messy.

CARPENTER: It's a hot tumultuous time right now and there are people to blame on both sides of the aisle. It's a little different when it's a random protester versus the Republican nominee saying hateful things, although everyone has to be held accountable.

BOLDUAN: Everyone does.

I would love to have the governor on to discuss it and get her take further on this.

Thanks you guys. Thanks so much.

Coming up for us, a painkiller 50 times more powerful than heroin, 100 times more powerful than morphine. Unbelievable. How and why did prince get it? Why did he take it? New details on the investigation ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:49:55] BOLDUAN: A massive search under way right now in Texas where heavy flooding paralyzed part of the state. Four soldiers are missing still today. Five soldiers are dead after their truck overturned in fast-moving waters. Three others fortunately rescued after the incident.

Let's get to CNN's Ed Lavandera, live in Ft. Hood with the latest on the search.

I know there's an update just a short time ago, Ed. What are you learning? ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The search here has resumed again

for the four missing soldiers. As you mentioned, 12 of these soldiers riding in a personnel carrier on a training exercise, making their way through a low-lying road when the truck they were in got stuck and then the high-rising fast-moving waters, knocked the truck over, sending the soldiers into the water. The truck that was behind them, soldiers in that truck were able to rescue three of the 12 but the rest of them went into the water. Five of them found dead. And the search continues today for the other four.

So far, the weather has been holding up nicely giving these search and rescue teams to get the work this morning but there's a chance here throughout the day for more possibility of rain. So that could hamper things as we move forward. But it's an urgent search here for the four missing soldiers -- Kate?

BOLDUAN: Absolutely. This state has been hammered by rain. They need the flood waters to recede and it's not going to happen time soon. The search continues.

Ed, thank you.

Coming up next, undercover in Las Vegas. What happens when Morgan Spurlock goes inside with high rollers and tries to beat the house. This may be the one time that what happens in Vegas does not stay in Vegas. He's joining us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[11:49:09] MORGAN SPURLOCK, CNN HOST, INSIDE MAN (voice-over): I'm in Las Vegas, the gambling capitol of America.

My goal for my week of professional gambling is to double my money. And I'm starting here at the casino with a thousand dollars in my pocket and the hope that lady luck is on my side.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Anymore bets?

(SHOUTING)

SPURLOCK: And if she is, what better place to start, with roulette, the game that's all about luck.

(on camera): Changing 100.

(voice-over): Cashing in my first and placing my green chips around the table in hopes the roulette ball will land on one of my numbers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 27.

SPURLOCK (on camera): Whoo.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There you go.

SPURLOCK: That's what I'm talking about.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Already up a hundo. Want to take that one?

SPURLOCK: Put it right in there.

Now going to keep going.

(voice-over): My night is off to a pretty good start.

(on camera): Whoo. I won two. I won 32 bucks.

(voice-over): Even though roulette can feel like a no-brainer way to win some easy cash, there's also no strategy to avoid losing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 32.

SPURLOCK (on camera): Oh. Man, lost it all again.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOLDUAN: Again, sounds like me in Las Vegas.

(LAUGHTER)

Mr. high roller himself, Mr. Morgan Spurlock, is here.

You go in. This is the premiere of --

SPURLOCK: Of season four.

BOLDUAN: -- season four.

SPURLOCK: That's right.

BOLDUAN: What are the tricks? How do you become a high roller?

SPURLOCK: First, you need a lot of money going in?

BOLDUAN: That's why none of us --

(CROSSTALK)

SPURLOCK: If you're going to be a high roller. To be high roller, you need to spend loads of cash to get all the parts, to get the big crazy rooms, to get the free meals, the shows, et cetera.

BOLDUAN: And there's crazy rooms.

SPURLOCK: Crazy rooms. The room I was in, you would have to spend tens of thousands to comp that room for you. And when they first opened that hotel, the Palms, they were charging 40 grand a night to rent the room, which is ludicrous. The amount, the volume of money is what this is about. And we wanted to show you -- what you see, the bright shiny, everybody-wins side, which is what we believe in.

BOLDUAN: Right. SPURLOCK: That's what we bet on. That's why we go.

We want to put in the dollar and walk away a millionaire. It doesn't happen to that many people. Like the darker side to gambling is what we dive into.

BOLDUAN: But the fact that there is just that chance is what keeps us coming back.

SPURLOCK: The dollar and the dream. That's why we buy the lotto tickets and why it's so huge.

BOLDUAN: I'm the queen of the scratch-off.

(LAUGHTER)

This is the premiere of season four. What else?

SPURLOCK: Next week, we go to space. We film with NASA.

BOLDUAN: Literally.

(CROSSTALK)

SPURLOCK: I wish. I got as far as I could without leaving earth's gravity.

BOLDUAN: Without having to go to become an astronaut.

SPURLOCK: Right. And one of my favorite episodes, where we go to disruptive companies. We go to Silicon Valley and start a company called Collect, Clet.com, and try to raise money and become a part of this -- we want to be a unicorn. I want to be Airbnb and Uber. What does it take? When we pull back the curtain on Silicon Valley, it's eye opening.

BOLDUAN: What is the biggest surprise of the season?

(CROSSTALK)

BOLDUAN: What surprised you most? You go in with open eyes.

SPURLOCK: Yeah.

BOLDUAN: I assume you go in with an idea of what you're going to get and then the story takes you --

(CROSSTALK)

SPURLOCK: There's two episodes I think that are exactly those episodes. One is about toxins in our house and the perfume you wear, the lotion you put on your skin, the chemicals they put into your couch to make sure it doesn't catch on fire, and basically exposing ourselves.

BOLDUAN: This is not an episode I want to -- (CROSSTALK)

SPURLOCK: This is not an episode you want to watch.

No, but in terms of our everyday life, that's mind blowing.

And one of the crazy fun episodes -- it's incredible to watch, which is all about professional video game players, who make millions of dollars a year doing nothing but playing video games. We were there at the world championships last year. These kids are 20 years old, making seven figures. It's bananas.

[11:55:05] BOLDUAN: What?

SPURLOCK: Yeah, bananas.

BOLDUAN: Bananas is the only way to describe that.

SPURLOCK: Yeah.

BOLDUAN: What am I doing with my life?

SPURLOCK: What are we doing? We've gotten it all wrong.

(LAUGHTER)

BOLDUAN: Great to see you, Morgan.

SPURLOCK: Great to see you.

BOLDUAN: Thank you.

A reminder for all --