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House Speaker Endorses Trump; Trump Attacks Judge. Aired 15- 15:30p ET

Aired June 03, 2016 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:50]

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, we continue on, top of the hour. You're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin. Thank you for being with me.

Just one day of House Speaker Paul Ryan's long-awaited, albeit lukewarm, endorsement of Donald Trump, Speaker Ryan just a short time ago says he's in complete disagreement, his words, with this presumptive nominee.

This is all -- has to do with the ongoing lawsuits against Trump University. Mr. Trump is now renewing his attacks against that federal judge hearing these cases. Here he is at a rally in California.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: But I have a judge who is a hater of Donald Trump, a hater. He's a hater.

(BOOING)

TRUMP: His name is Gonzalo Curiel.

(BOOING)

TRUMP: The judge, who happens to be, we believe, Mexican, which is great. I think that's fine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: And today, "The Wall Street Journal" quoting Trump saying Judge Gonzalo Curiel has -- quote -- "absolute conflict" and that he is of Mexican heritage and that because Trump is -- quote -- "building a wall," it's an inherent conflict of interest.

Now onto Speaker Ryan here saying this on local radio in his home state. Look.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

REP. PAUL RYAN (R-WI), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: Look, the comment about the judge the other day just was out of left field from my mind. It's reasoning I don't relate to. I completely disagree with the thinking behind that.

And so he clearly says and does things I don't agree with. And I have had to speak on from time to time when that's occurred and I will continue to do that if that's necessary. I hope it's not.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Joining me now to talk more about this, Michael Smerconish, CNN host of "SMERCONISH."

Good to see you again for our Friday date.

MICHAEL SMERCONISH, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: How are you?

BALDWIN: It's been one day since I sat here and talked to a lot of people about both Hillary's speech and the Paul Ryan endorsement. But the fact you have Paul Ryan saying what he is about Trump's comments on this judge, is this Paul Ryan being hesitant? What is this?

SMERCONISH: It's Paul Ryan being accurate.

I mean, this is really appalling. As an attorney, I want you to know this is so unusual.

BALDWIN: What Trump is saying.

SMERCONISH: What Trump is saying.

First of all, if he has the goods, then do the right thing. File a recusal motion and lay it out, so that someone else, someone else on the bench can make a determination as to whether this judge has to go. But he hasn't done that, right?

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Is it race-baiting?

SMERCONISH: Oh, I think it's race-baiting and worse. And carry it to its logical conclusion, because it's an attack on the entire judiciary. Maybe Judge Brooke Baldwin is hearing a case, and it's a divorce case, and I'm a man in front of you, and I say, well, you couldn't be fair to me because you're a woman. As a matter of fact, you're a white woman, so perhaps you can't hear something where someone who is Caucasian is bringing a discrimination action or African-American.

I mean, no one could sit on the bench...

BALDWIN: Again, a reminder, the judge was born in Indiana.

(CROSSTALK)

SMERCONISH: In Indiana, right. He's an American.

But even if he were, by the way -- even if he had been born in Mexico and became naturalized, the idea that you're disqualified because of your skin color, because of your ethnicity, because of your religion, right? That's what he's saying.

BALDWIN: And the fact that, you know, other people I have talked to are bringing up the fact that this judge is in a position where he can't comment on the case and so that it is -- I was even talking to a Trump supporter last hour who said -- she actually admitted it's not fair what...

(CROSSTALK)

SMERCONISH: Let me tell you why else it isn't fair.

If I -- so, if I were Donald Trump's attorney in this case and I were representing him...

BALDWIN: Who, by the way, we are talking to in a couple of minutes.

SMERCONISH: Oh, good. Well, ask him this question.

BALDWIN: Her.

SMERCONISH: Her.

She couldn't say what he said, because she would be running afoul of the rules of judicial conduct. He can say he it because he's the litigant and he has a First Amendment right to do so within parameters. But the lawyer couldn't say that, or the lawyer would be reprimanded.

It's really appalling, Brooke. I'm telling you, this is so far beyond the pale. And people need to know the unusual nature of it. And I think what he's really doing is he's planting a seed so that if the case doesn't go his way, and I don't know enough about the underlying facts to make a prediction in that regard, but if it doesn't go his way, then he will say, well, I told you. It was that Mexican judge.

It's really offensive.

BALDWIN: Let's move on to Hillary Clinton.

SMERCONISH: OK. Sorry to hit you with all of that on a Friday, man, but this is really...

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: It's OK. But let's be fair, equal scrutiny for both of these individuals.

SMERCONISH: Sure, absolutely.

[15:05:03]

BALDWIN: Hillary Clinton, she spoke yesterday. Talked to people who even -- Ari Fleischer in a sense praising her for pieces of her speech, but at the same time kept going back to her track record and saying that, you know, she's leaving herself wide open. He brought up the e-mails, you know, Benghazi, Libya. And other

Republicans did as well. Do you think this is -- she's setting up a narrative? What did you make of his peach?

SMERCONISH: Well, I thought -- let me first be critical, OK, so that I can bring some parity.

BALDWIN: Yes.

SMERCONISH: Because I think that the e-mail issue has been mischaracterized as a potential security breach by so many.

I have always seen it as a lack of transparency, because what she...

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: From Hillary Clinton?

SMERCONISH: Absolutely.

BALDWIN: Yes.

SMERCONISH: What she essentially did is, she left off the table for journalists like us making Freedom of Information Act requests the ability to look at her means of communication.

If she wrote to a colleague within the State Department, then presumably that would have been accessible, but if she wrote to someone outside the government seeking counsel on a matter of public import, we should have been able to see that.

And that's really the issue as I see it. As to the speech, she gave a terrific speech. Its effectiveness, I don't know. It was a combination of a wonky performance and a lot of ridicule. The ridicule hasn't worked against him in the past. Look at Marco Rubio and the whole hands debate. Will this be different? Time is going to tell.

BALDWIN: Michael Smerconish.

SMERCONISH: Was I an equal opportunity offender for you?

BALDWIN: Yes. That's what I want...

SMERCONISH: OK.

BALDWIN: ... from everyone who sits right there.

SMERCONISH: OK.

BALDWIN: We will watch you tomorrow 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Eastern here on CNN.

SMERCONISH: Thank you for that.

BALDWIN: Thank you for that, Michael Smerconish on CNN. Now to first lady Michelle Obama also going after Donald Trump today in her commencement speech.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY: First with disappointment or falling short, but, graduates, as you all know, life will put many obstacles in your path that are far worse than a bad grade. You will have unreasonable bosses and difficult clients and patients.

You will experience illnesses and losses, crises and setbacks...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: While speaking to graduates at City College of New York, Michelle Obama took aim at one of Trump's most controversial campaign proposals, without calling him by name, referencing the wall.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: We don't give in to our fears. We don't build up walls to keep people out, because we know that our greatness has always depended on contributions from people who were born elsewhere.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: I have seen how leaders who rule by intimidation, leaders who demonize and dehumanize entire groups of people often do so because they have nothing else to offer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: One day after unleashing a scathing criticism of Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton just told a group of women at the star-studded event there in California why the presumptive Republican nominee is dangerous for America and unfit to be president.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: By the end of working on that speech, even I was saying, did he really say all of this?

(LAUGHTER)

CLINTON: Well, indeed, he did.

And I believe absolutely that he's not only unprepared to be president. He's temperamentally unfit to be president.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

CLINTON: He doesn't -- he doesn't really have ideas. He just engages in rants and personal feuds and outright lies, something that our country cannot afford in a commander in chief. But I have to tell you, a lot of what he said about what's happening

in our own country is as disturbing. His decisiveness, setting people against one another, we have all heard it. He is -- classic. But we have to stand against that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Hillary Clinton there in Culver City, California, just minutes ago.

And here's Donald Trump also in California in San Jose getting ready to hold another rally in the next hour after firing back at Secretary Clinton over her criticism of him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The only reason she's behaving like this, and the only reason she's been dragged so far left, believe me, is she doesn't want to go to jail over the e-mails. OK? Believe me, folks, honestly, she's guilty as hell.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Trump also tweeting this today -- quote -- "In crooked Hillary's teleprompter speech yesterday, she made up things that I said or believe that have no basis in fact. Not honest."

That prompted Hillary Clinton to tweet out this fact-checking page outlining what she calls all of Trump's -- quote -- "ignorant, incoherent and outrageous comments on everything from the economy to ISIS."

So let's go to Culver City, California, to CNN's senior Washington correspondent, Jeff Zeleny, who is there.

Tell me about her message, Jeff. I know she was flanked by a number of female celebrities there in Culver City.

[15:10:03]

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: She was, indeed, Brooke. And the message is really amplifying her speech yesterday, really this definition of Donald Trump.

And, Brooke, this is going to be the soundtrack of this campaign for the next five months or so. We have seen the outlines of this. That's what yesterday's speech was about. And today's message here in California is much the same, really trying to drive home the questions and the criticism of Donald Trump.

Now, we don't know how effective this is going to be, but the Clinton campaign believes or at least hopes it will stop the growth, stop the expansion of Donald Trump's support among any voters out there who are still undecided.

Now, it's also designed here in California to be a bit of a message to Democrats that it's time to wrap up this Democratic primary, but, Brooke, you said there were a lot of celebrities on stage with her. Sally Field was one of those. And I caught up with her before the speech and asked her about this moment in this campaign.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SALLY FIELD, ACTRESS: No one has been more vetted, scrutinized and dissected than Hillary Clinton and for more years than anyone else in this country. She is absolutely the most qualified human being for president of the United States at this time.

I know people are hurting all over this country, that they can't figure out how to make ends meet, and I know that that's a terrible, terrible frustration and burden and sadness. And things need to be fixed. But someone who is, you know, as ill-equipped as Donald Trump is not the answer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENY: And, Brooke, being out here in California in Hollywood, Hillary Clinton getting a lot of advice how to run against a celebrity, but Sally Field there saying Donald Trump is not a celebrity.

And she told voters that, look, this is not a popularity contest. She knows Hillary Clinton has to work on sort of increasing her enthusiasm, but she said that it's not necessary to be the most popular person. You should just be the most experienced.

So, we will see if that argument works here in next three days and certainly in the next five months -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: All eyes on Tuesday there. Jeff Zeleny in California for us, Jeff, thank you very much.

And Jake Tapper just talked to Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. You will see his exclusive interviews at the top of the hour on THE LEAD here on CNN.

Just ahead for the first time, one of Trump's lawyers involved in Trump University will speak out about the allegations of fraud. She will joins me live.

And a father in court lunges toward his daughter's killer after the convicted serial killer apparently smiled at him. We will talk to that father about that moment coming up.

And we continue to watch breaking news here, this rescue under way for 10 military personnel stranded there on Longs Peak in the Rocky Mountain National Park. Stay here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:16:55]

BALDWIN: Welcome back. You're watching CNN on this Friday afternoon. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

All the allegations here that Trump University preys on the elderly and the uneducated and was a fraud have apparently resulted in some positive feedback for Donald Trump.

He tweeted this after the release of 400 pages of court documents that are now part of the lawsuit against the now shuddered school -- quote -- "After the litigation is disposed of and the case won, I have instructed my execs to open Trump U. So much interest in it. I will be pres."

What is more, the Trump Organization released videos of former students praising Trump University.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I took some of the real estate courses. I thought maybe the real estate way would be the way for me to go also to look at investing in real estate. And I must tell you that the courses that I took were outstanding.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I went into the Florida markets and did about 40 business deals there, real estate deals in South Carolina, and the returns on those deals were incalculable. They were just amazing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Joining me now, Jill Martin, assistant general counsel at the Trump Organization speaking out for the first time since these files were unsealed.

She has been handling the cases against the school since the first of three lawsuits were filed.

Jill, welcome.

JILL MARTIN, GENERAL COUNSEL, TRUMP ORGANIZATION: Thank you.

BALDWIN: All right, so first question here. I know Donald Trump, I know Trump surrogates continue to tout the 98 percent approval, but according to this declaration that was filed in court from Trump U.'s director of operations, 25 percent of people who took the class got refunds.

So, the math, Jill, doesn't add up.

MARTIN: Yes, what we're looking at here is two different things.

You're comparing two different statistics there. The 98 percentile is what students themselves gave Trump University positive ratings on over 10,000 evaluations. Those 10,000 evaluations do not include those number of students that received refunds and those students that received refunds did so under Trump University's very generous refund policy that said if you weren't satisfied when you first started the course, you could drop out and get your money back.

So those students that dropped out and got their money back did not finish the course and then fill out a survey.

BALDWIN: Understand, but I also understand -- and I know that you all point to success stories. We just heard a sound bite from one, but the success stories and folks we have talked to, a number of media outlets have spoken with these students, let's say, who give high, high marks, five out of five, for these courses, say they were either pressured to do so by the Trump U. instructors or that, you know, at the time they thought they had this positive experience, but then when they went out into the real world and tried to make money, they couldn't.

MARTIN: Yes.

The answer to that really is twofold. First, the students were not pressured. I mean, we have significant evidence in the case that shows that there was no one there pressuring people to fill out these surveys. They did it on their own volition. They gave the marks that they gave.

If they didn't want to fill out a survey, they certainly didn't need to do so. Or they could have given it negative marks. There was no pressure to do so otherwise. Now, the students that didn't succeed after attending these courses, that's just a fact of life.

[15:20:00]

Not everybody is going to go and attain any education and have 100 percent success rate. Students really only get out of it what they put into it.

Students get out of it what they put into it. Some people are going to succeed in real estate and some people aren't.

BALDWIN: So, I have different examples some someone who was an instructor and who was a student who would disagree with you.

First, here's a student who likens Trump University to food poisoning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE HANUS, TRUMP UNIVERSITY STUDENT: Near the end, end day, they always give you a sheet of paper and they say, how did you like the course, how did you like the instructor, blah, blah, blah, and all these things and do you approve of all this? Did you like it?

We all loved it. We loved it. We were like ready to go. We were like the basketball team right after the -- right after the locker room pep talk. However, I really look at it like this, is say you go to a really nice restaurant, and a really expensive restaurant and you eat this really gorgeous dinner, and the chef comes out near the end of your meal and ask you how you like the meal, and you really, really loved it.

But then you -- by the time you go home, you realize that you have gotten food poisoning and you're really, really sick.

QUESTION: What do you feel about Trump University?

HANUS: I felt like I had been poisoned. I just like felt like I was duped and poisoned and ripped off.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: So, Jill, that was a student. And then on your note about how, you know, instructors would never pressure the students, I have to also just explain Ronald Schnackenberg, according to his LinkedIn profile, was a top-ranked sales manager at Trump University, says that he quit because -- quote -- "I believed that Trump University was engaging in misleading, fraudulent and dishonest conduct."

Goes on to talk about this couple that he thought really couldn't afford the tuition, this $35,000. He was supposed to sell it to them because of their precarious financial condition. This is what Mr. Schnackenberg says.

Quote: "The couple would have had to pay for the program using disability income and taking out a loan based on the equity in his apartment." He refused to make the sale, says he was reprimanded by Trump University for not trying harder to sell the program to this couple and stood by as another salesperson talked them into buying the $35,000 for the seminar. "I was disgusted."

MARTIN: Going first to Ronald Schnackenberg, that testimony that you're pointing out there was taken from a declaration prepared by the plaintiffs' attorney that he signed much -- a long time ago in the case.

After that was filed, we took his deposition and Mr. Schnackenberg really walked back and recanted all of that testimony. He agreed that Trump University wasn't a fraud. He agreed it didn't target elders.

This was simply a case of plaintiffs' attorneys putting down information on a declaration which he signed and that is now what the press is running with. They're not looking at the deposition.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: What about the student, then, Jill? What about the student who feels like he was food-poisoned?

MARTIN: Look, I don't know the specific circumstances with that student.

Again, not every student is going to find success in Trump University. He -- if he gave it five out of fives, he was happy with what he learned. Trump University really taught substantive, valuable content. And we have several students who have submitted declarations and are going to be witnesses at trial that will say just that.

It's unfortunate that these particular students, for whatever reason, are coming out and making these statements and we're only seeing one side of the picture, when the court record shows that there are many other students that would completely disagree with this gentleman. BALDWIN: What about then, Jill -- I know new depositions were

released yesterday that show that Mr. Trump was indeed in charge of all advertising, the videos, what was necessary to try to attract people to take these courses for Trump University.

And I understand where we're promises were made, financial security and success, not to mention that there were promises that Mr. Trump handpicked these instructors, when later we know that that wasn't the case.

And my question to you, on promises, this is a man that is running to be the president of the United States. Why should voters believe the promises he's making about our country, when the promises he made 10 years ago turned out to be not true?

MARTIN: Well, first of all, I disagree completely that the promises he made regarding Trump University turned out to be completely not true. And that's certainly something that is...

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: He said he handpicked the instructors, and he didn't.

MARTIN: Mr. Trump at the very initiation of Trump University certainly did meet with and pick very high-quality instructors that designed the curriculum and designed Trump University.

So, when he says he handpicked the instructors, that is true, when he's talking about those individuals that did design Trump University and the curriculum that Trump University was based off of.

So, I do completely disagree with you that Mr. Trump had made any false promises in the case. And that is something that we are fully confident will come out at trial and that's why we will be victorious in November.

BALDWIN: But he couldn't name a single name of any of the instructors. I understand you're talking about he handpicked people who designed Trump U. from the outset, but in terms of day in, day out teaching these courses, he couldn't name a single instructor, Jill.

MARTIN: Again, that's inaccurate.

You are referring to specific testimony where the plaintiffs' attorney had asked about specific instructors. Mr. Trump in other testimony had also talked about specific instructors that he did meet, specific instructors that he did review resumes for.

[15:25:07]

This is not a case of Mr. Trump was completely absent. Yes, he did -- he did have hands off on the day-to-day operations. That was not his role. He was chairman of Trump University and he was really there to set up the university and find those initial instructors at the outset. And he has testified about that and we will see that all come out in court. BALDWIN: What about this judge?

You know, when Mr. Trump talks about Trump University, he talks about the judge, the judge isn't doing his job, the allegations aren't coming from -- you know, they're coming from all the people from Trump University. Why does -- why does Donald Trump keep coming back and back, tripled down last night on this judge? Why is he attacking someone who, legally speaking, can't counterpunch?

MARTIN: You know, I'm not going to talk about Mr. Trump's attacks on the judge. I'm an attorney on the matter. What I can talk about is the case.

And Mr. Trump has been disappointed in some of the decisions in the case and he's going to make that known.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Why not ask for a recusal?

MARTIN: That's something that our legal strategy will depend on and we will decide that, but that's just not something that we have done up to this date.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: All right, will you? Do you think you will?

MARTIN: You know, I'm not going to talk about legal strategy going forward, but, you know, we are continuing to monitor the case, and we still feel very strong on the merits and we have a long fight to go and we plan on making many more motions and attacks in the case and we think they will have a positive outcome.

BALDWIN: OK. Jill Martin, assistant general counsel for the Trump Organization, I appreciate your time. Thank you so much.

MARTIN: Thank you.

BALDWIN: Thank you.

Coming up next, the speaker of the House of Representatives, Paul Ryan, quietly boards the Trump train, but a columnist from his home state says the House speaker just fell for the Donald Trump -- quote -- "con job."

That journalist and the congressman's former adviser join me live on whether Ryan made the right move.

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