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California and New Jersey Democratic Primaries; Trump Criticizes Judge; Clinton Campaigns in California; Bernie Sanders: It's Misleading To Count Superdelegates; Reactions To Muhammad Ali's Death; Funeral For Muhammad Ali Planned For Friday. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired June 05, 2016 - 14:00   ET

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


[14:02:05] FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello everyone, thanks so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield, welcome to the NEWSROOM. It's an all out slug feast heading into the final primaries and caucuses this week. But right now, it would seem that Donald Trump's biggest wounds may be self-inflicted.

This morning, a prominent Republican is calling Trump's latest claim about the so-called Mexican judge one of his worst mistakes. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is criticizing Trump's refusal to back down from Trump's claims that Judge Gonzalo Curiel who is presiding over the Trump University fraud case is bias against him because "he is a Mexican."

To be clear, Judge Curiel is an American. He was born in Indiana. First, here is Trump this morning on State of the Union.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESUMPTIVE REPUBLICAN NOMINEE: I have had tolerable rulings, I've been treated very unfairly by this judge.

Now, this judge is of Mexican heritage, I'm building a wall.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And here's Newt Gingrich, a Trump supporter and potential V.P. pick.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NEWT GINGRICH, FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER: No. This is one of the worst mistakes Trump has made. And I think it's inexcusable.

He has every right to criticize a judge. And he has every right to say certain decisions are right. And his attorneys can file to move the venue from the judge.

But, first of all, this judge was born in Indiana. He is an American, period. Trump had got to, I think, move to a new level. This is no longer the primaries. He's no longer an interesting contender. He is now the potential leader of the United States and he's got to move his game up to the level of being a potential leader.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right, lots of headlines from this morning to discuss this hour but first we'll start with Jake Tapper's interview with Donald Trump from the State of the Union.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I have had horrible rulings. I have been treated very unfairly by this judge.

Now, this judge is of Mexican heritage. I'm building a wall, OK? I'm building a wall. I'm going to do very well with the Hispanics, the Mexicans ...

JAKE TAPPER, "STATE OF THE UNION" HOST: So, no Mexican judge could ever be involved in a case that involves you?

TRUMP: Well, no, he's a member of a society where, you know, very pro-Mexico and that's fine. It's all fine. But I think ...

TAPPER: Except that you're calling into question his heritage.

TRUMP: I think he should recuse himself.

TAPPER: Because he's Latino.

TRUMP: Then you also say, does he know the lawyer on the other side? I mean, does he know the lawyer? And, you know, a lot of people say ...

TAPPER: But I am not talking about that. I'm talking about ...

TRUMP: No, that's another, that's another problem.

TAPPER: But you're invoking his race when talking about ...

TRUMP: Here's what ...

TAPPER: ... whether or not he can do his job?

TRUMP: Jake, I'm building a wall, OK? I'm building a wall. I'm trying to keep business out of Mexico. Mexico's fine. There's nothing ...

TAPPER: But he's American. He's an American.

TRUMP: He's of Mexican heritage and he's very proud of it, as I am of where I come from, my parents.

TAPPER: But he's an American. You keep talking about it's a conflict of interests because of Mexico.

TRUMP: Jake, Jake, Jake, are you ready? I have a case that should have been dismissed already. I have thousands of people saying, Trump University's fantastic, OK? I have a case that should have been dismissed. I have a judge that never, ever gives up. Now we lose the plaintiff. He lets the plaintiff of the case out. So why isn't he canceling the case? So, we thought we won the case.

[14:05:02] TAPPER: So, you disagree with his rulings.

TRUMP: No, no, no.

TAPPER: I totally understand that. But you're ...

TRUMP: Not me. I've had lawyers come up to me, say, you are being treated so unfairly, it's unbelievable.

TAPPER: Isn't ...

TRUMP: Did you know that plaintiffs in the case have all said wonderful things about the school, and they're suing? You know why they're suing? Because they want to get their money back.

TAPPER: I don't really want to litigate the case of Trump University. What I ...

TRUMP: You have to because if he was giving me fair rulings, I wouldn't say that.

TAPPER: My question is ...

TRUMP: Jake, if he were giving me fair rulings, I wouldn't be talking to you this way. He's given me horrible rulings.

TAPPER: But I don't care if you criticize him. That's fine. You can criticize every decision. What I'm saying is, if you invoke his race as a reason why he can't do his job ...

TRUMP: I think that's why he's doing it.

TAPPER: But ...

TRUMP: I think that's why he's doing it.

TAPPER: When Hillary Clinton says it's a racist attack ...

TRUMP: Hillary Clinton is a stiff. If Hillary Clinton becomes president ...

TAPPER: But Paul Ryan today, Paul Ryan today said he didn't care for the way that you were attacking this judge.

TRUMP: Look, I'm just telling you, Paul Ryan doesn't know the case, this story.

TAPPER: Isn't it that the ...

TRUMP: I should have won this case on summary judgment. This is not a case -- this is a case I should have won on summary judgment.

You know, the law firm paid Hillary Clinton hundreds of thousands of dollars to make speeches? Do you know the law firm has ...

TAPPER: I do. And we've reported ...

TRUMP: Oh, you do? Oh.

TAPPER: ... we've reported it on my show, in fact.

TRUMP: OK, good. Well, I'm glad. You're the only one.

TAPPER: The only ones ...

TRUMP: The law firm -- wait a minute. The law firm paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to Hillary Clinton for speeches.

TAPPER: Before either of you were president -- were running for president.

TRUMP: She wasn't worth it. Everybody fell asleep during the speech, OK?

TAPPER: Before either of you were running for president, they did. But here's the -- just the fundamental question.

TRUMP: Do you know that they've contributed tremendous amounts of money to her campaign?

TAPPER: Yes.

TRUMP: Do you know they've contributed a lot of money to Eric Schneiderman, the New York attorney-general?

TAPPER: Here's my question.

TRUMP: No, no. Do you know that?

TAPPER: I did not know that.

TRUMP: Do you know that these people went to every attorney-general, practically in the country that they could? And do you know this case was turned down by almost every attorney-general, from Texas to Florida to many of these states?

TAPPER: Is it not -- when Hillary Clinton says, this is a racist attack and you reject that. If you are saying he can't do his job because of his race, is that not the definition of racism?

TRUMP: No, I don't think so at all.

TAPPER: No?

TRUMP: No. He's proud of his heritage. I respect him for that.

TAPPER: But you're saying he can't do his job because of that.

TRUMP: Look, he's proud of his heritage. OK? I'm building a wall. Now, I think I'm going to do very well with Hispanics.

TAPPER: He's a legal citizen. TRUMP: You know why I'm going to do well with Hispanics? Because I'm going to bring back jobs and they're going to get jobs right now. They're going to get jobs.

I think I'm going to do very well with Hispanics. But we're building a wall. He's a Mexican. We're building a wall between here and Mexico.

The answer is, he is giving us very unfair rulings.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. So that was with our Jake Tapper and it's not just this judge that Trump criticizes. On CBS's "Face the Nation" this morning, he questioned the potential and partiality of others on the bench namely, Muslims.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSH DICKERSON, CBS "FACE THE NATION" HOST: If it were a Muslim judge, would you also feel like they wouldn't be able to treat you fairly because of that policy of yours?

TRUMP: It's possible, yes. Yeah. That would be possible, absolutely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)]

WHITFIELD: All right, joining me now to talk more about this is former conservative radio commentator and retired attorney Neal Boortz. We also have Trump's supporter, Scottie Nell Hughes. Good to see both of you.

SCOTTIE NELL HUGHES, TRUMP SUPPORTER: Good afternoon.

NEAL BOORTZ, FORMER RADIO HOST: Hey Scottie.

HUGHES: Hi Neal.

WHITFIELD: All right. I know you are all buds but you don't necessarily see eye to eye as it pertains to Donald Trump. So Neal, let's begin with you.

You say, in general right message but the wrong guy. And what part of the message particularly what we have just heard in his exchanges with CBS and even our own Jake Tapper do you think is the right message?

BOORTZ: Well, first of all, congratulations for -- to Jake Tapper for not looking into the camera and saying, I can't believe this, I can't go on. But he didn't, he's a professional.

It is the right message. People are outraged that a Republican ...

WHITFIELD: What part of the message is right that ...

BOORTZ: Well ... WHITFIELD: ... resonates with people?

BOORTZ: ... trying to get a grip on trade. That's right, trying to control immigration, that you don't -- not build a wall. He is never going to build a wall, OK? But trying to control immigration. That is a right message. It's out of control right now.

WHITFIELD: And so, he's not really saying that. Right now, most recently in this interview, he is talking about bias that he feels he's getting from a judge because of his Mexican heritage.

BOORTZ: He's losing on that case badly. He talks about thousands of people, thousands of people signed these things and said it was a wonderful course. Yeah, they signed at that initial meeting before they signed up for the grand package that they paid $20, $30,000 for or whatever.

But at the initial meeting, what were they're going to do said, boy, this meeting was a joke, this is terrible. That's not evidence that his university was a fraud or wasn't a fraud. It is a fraud and there's a judge out there that is allowing this case to forward.

But Donald Trump seems to think that every attorney-general in this country should have look at this as important enough for them to spend taxpayers' money and their valuable time to pursue it. That's not the case. One attorney-general did.

But this, this whole thing about, oh he's a Mexican, I can't get a fair deal out of him. Who can he get a fair deal out of? People with orange hair?

[14:10:05] WHITFIELD: So, does this mean that -- does this kind of jargon, this latest round of, you know, verbal exchanges involving Donald Trump, does this persuade his supporters? Do you think differently about him or are they saying, this is more of the message that I subscribed to and this is why I support Donald Trump?

BOORTZ: People who are ...

WHITFIELD: Or as he now alienate himself?

BOORTZ: Well, people out there are saying, well, he's going to be the Republican nominee so I'm going to support him because anything is better than reclining (ph).

They might look at these interviews and these comments on the judge and say, "Man, this is just really hard for me to accept." But his die hard supporters, they're going to say, "Right on, Donald. You tell them. Finally somebody saying what needs to be said."

WHITFIELD: So then, Scottie, as a surrogate of Donald Trump, are you and other surrogates now, are you, you know, marching orders now to do damage control for this kind of language, this kind of, you know, digging in to hills that we're seeing from Donald Trump?

HUGHES: No, but ... WHITFIELD: And some might describe as even kind of double talk?

HUGHES: No, and I don't even think -- there's never going to be marching orders to kind of solve and recover. What Mr. Trump says is what he means. And then, with all due respect, Neal, Mr. Trump will build the wall. In fact, there's already the statute since 1986 to build a wall or to build some sort of a border to strengthen our borders. So, all he wants to do is enforce the laws that are already on the book.

But I think here's the thing about Mr. Trump's tone in what he's saying. What's interesting about this, the judge himself and you're right, he should not disqualify himself just based on what his ethnic or what his heritage race, that alone does not qualify him. It's the actions besides that. You're looking, you know, you have to look at this judge. He was someone of -- that was actually appointed by President Obama. He is someone that sits on a council that is a part of a group of Hispanic lawyers that are meant -- well, they don't necessarily ...

WHITFIELD: And Donald Trump isn't even giving this kind of detail that you are in terms of justifying. He's saying simply, look, he's a Mexican heritage, I'm trying to build a wall, and that's it. And so, it sounds as though, he's offering inferences and he wants you to kind of fill in the blanks. And you now, you know, Scottie, are filling in blanks that Donald Trump himself didn't even do.

HUGHES: Except that I just heard him talk that to Jake Tapper. When he actually sits down with reporters, correspondents, has press conferences, he actually says those so maybe he doesn't have time necessarily to go into full details in the rallies where there are a thousands of people and he's trying to get other more important messages across.

But when he actually sat, he didn't dart around Jake Tapper's questions, he answered them directly. And I think Jake asked the right questions and he got the right answer.

WHITFIELD: Oh my gosh. OK, that would be disputed whether it was directly, I mean, you look at the Washington Post and they counted, it was 23 times, you know, that Jake Tapper had to, you know, impress followups in order to get a direct answer.

So, does this make the job harder for you, Scottie, that you are -- you and other surrogates are defending Donald Trump, every word, you know, that he utters and having to explain or better explain on his behalf what he meant?

HUGHES: Well, let me say this, I don't defend every word he says and I have constantly said there's been issues I've taken up for some of the verbiage that he used as my own children will probably have their mouthwashed out.

However, it's the overall picture, it's the overall person, in our person, that Mr. Trump is going to be 10 times better for the Republicans, for Conservatives, for this country than what the other side is having to offer. And so you look at the bigger picture, you look at actually what his plans and his proposals are.

And then you look that we have time and time proved that the media and certain members of media not necessarily anybody that I work with here at CNN, but certain members of the media have been out to just show one side of the story, to sit and slant it against him and not show the other side.

And we've proven it time and time again that the bias is out there. So, now, it's not that there -- it's not that difficult but it definitely -- I think it's a lot more challenging to maybe some of the other surrogates have to do with the other campaigns.

WHITFIELD: All right, Scottie Nell Hughes, Neal Boortz, hold on, we're going to talk some more. We're going to take a short break for now. We'll pick up on where we have left off.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:13:18] WHITFIELD: All right, two days before California primary, let's continue our conversation about the jargon, the latest jargon Donald Trump has been using and his criticism of the judge in his Trump University fraud case calling him of Mexican heritage and unable to be a fair judge.

We're back with our panel now, Former Conservative Radio Commentator and Retired Attorney Neal Boortz and Trump's supporter Scottie Nell Hughes.

And Scottie, before the break, you were talking about Donald Trump and his campaign, his surrogates, supporters feeling like the media is bias. Well, Neal Boortz has been a long time radio commentator and for a very long time, Conservative candidates could count on the backing of Conservative radio.

BOORTZ: Yes.

WHITFIELD: What happened here?

BOORTZ: I really believe that some of my friends in talk radio have decided that for the benefit of their show, for their ratings, not all of them and this is an uncomfortable thing to say, I'd better go along with the crowd on this one or it is going to affect my listenership. I don't want them telling me, well, I'm never going to listen to you again. Well, they don't listen to me now because I don't have a show. So, I'm perfectly free to say just exactly what I think.

WHITFIELD: So, is that a sad commentary that there is a feeling among Conservatives and some have even wondered if that's the kind of question Paul Ryan felt, that he felt like he'd better go ahead along with the presumptive nominee, the party for the sake of unity. And then a day later, he's criticizing some of the word choice of Donald Trump. So ...

BOORTZ: They see the ground swell ... WHITFIELD: Are you concern about the Conservative radio or some of the radio talk show hosts who are doing just that, they're backing him but they don't necessarily believe in his message?

[14:15:05] BOORTZ: I think there may be a survivability question for some of them, some of them were so powerful and big that, you know, there might be essentially bulletproof. But a lot of Republicans it's, you know, look, the Trump train. I better get on board or I'm going to lose power. I will be powerless when I think that that was in Paul Ryan's mind. I think that's in a lot of Republican's mind. I better get on to this or I might just be out of power when this election this offer.

WHITFIELD: Wow. So Scottie, does that speak to the strength of a Donald Trump or the weakness of a party?

HUGHES: No, it's basically the strength of the people. I mean you were looking at a candidate whose had 1/3 of the staff has spent 1/3 of the money. And when it gets 17 other candidates, and yes, our primary was extremely bloody. But you had to sit there and say, it's not the money, it's not the political endorsements that may Mr. Trump surviving become number one and had the largest voter turnout the GOP has ever seen in history, it's because he is speaking on behalf of the majority of the people.

And you want to talk about conservative, talk radio, the majority of talk radio hosts who are still doing well, who have not seen their image or necessarily their short (ph). It's because their channeling the voices of the people and the people have always said, they might not like this, they might not like that, but overall, they do support Mr. Trump especially once he became a nomination.

BOORTZ: Scottie ...

HUGHES: Why is it -- but why is in the Republican Party that has to be all or nothing. The Democrats aren't that way. Why can't say, you know, what like Paul Ryan. I don't like how he said this. I don't like how he said this. However, I completely support him because I believe in the 80-20 rule that Ronald Reagan laid out.

BOORTZ: Lets that Scottie made my point for me. Let's accept the fact that these talk radio hosts are more versed on issues of governance, have a better grip on history, then the average citizen out there making a living in another venue and you're right, they hear the voice of the people. And the voice of the people is overpowering their own sense of what might be right and what might be wrong. They have to go with the voice of the people or they may lose the ears of the people and I think that's motivating a lot of them.

WHITFIELD: All right Neal Boortz, Scottie Nell Hughes, we'll talk again Scottie. Neal, thanks so much for stopping by.

BOORTZ: Scottie, the steaks on me if he builds the wall.

HUGHES: Amen. I will definitely take you up on that. WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much. All right. Also, coming up, Bernie Sanders, a promising, a contested conversation. But Hillary Clinton has another plan in mind.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: After Tuesday, I'm going to do everything I can to reach out to try to unify the Democratic Party and I expect Senator Senators to do the same.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The push to the final Super Tuesday and in the impact of nasty, potentially nasty convention battle, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:22:00] WHITFIELD: Hillary Clinton believe she will clinch the Democratic nomination following Tuesday's big round of primaries. But according to recent polls the race in the delegate reach state of California is neck and neck. CNN's Jake Tapper push the frontrunner on what that means for her campaign.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: The Sanders campaign has been mounting a very strong challenge against you here in California and, in fact, it's neck-and- neck according to public polling. Anybody could win. Eight years ago when you were behind then senator Obama, although you were closer than Sanders is with you, you said, if Obama is so inevitable, why is he having a tough time closing the deal?

So, let me just put it to you. You are inevitable in your view. You will be the nominee. Why is it a tough landing for you in California and elsewhere?

CLINTON: Well, let's see what happens on Tuesday. I'm very proud of the campaign that we're running here. And I believe on Tuesday, I will have decisively won the popular vote and I will have decisively won the pledged delegate majority.

You can't get much more than that out of a primary season. And, in fact, the contest between then-Senator Obama and myself was much closer. By some standards, I actually led a little bit in the popular vote but I fell a little short in the pledged delegates.

So I have a decision to make. A lot of many I supporters said, hey, let's keep going, you know, let's make sure that we go to the convention. I said, no, I ran to become president because I have deep values and beliefs about what should be done in our country. I am much closer in the goals that I think we should be pursing with Barack Obama than I am with the Republicans.

The same is true with Senator Sanders and myself. We both want to raise the minimum wage. We both want to get to universal health care coverage. We both want to make sure Wall Street never wrecks Main Street again.

We share so many of the same goals. We have different approach, different ideas about how best to achieve those. So, if you are a supporter of mine, or you're a supporter of Senator Sanders and you look at this contest which has been largely on issues, although we've had our differences, compared to the Republican side, which has been largely on insults and plans that never would be feasible.

TAPPER: It's gotten tough with you and Sanders, though. I mean, not as ...

CLINTON: Well, but it's nothing like what we saw on the Republican side.

TAPPER: Right.

CLINTON: And so, after Tuesday, I'm going to do everything I can to reach out, to try to unify the Democratic Party and I expect Senator Sanders to do the same, and that we will come together and be prepared to go to the convention in a unified way, to make our case to leave the convention to go into the general election to defeat Donald Trump.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right, let's talk more about the Democratic race as enters the home stretch with our political panel. Now, Ron Brownstein, a CNN senior political analyst and Rebecca Berg, a national political reporter for Real Clear Politics. Good to see you both of you.

[14:25:02] REBECCA BERG, NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER, REAL CLEAR POLITICS: Thank you.

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Good afternoon, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, so Ron, you first, so Clinton right there saying, you know, she's going to be working ...

BROWNSTEIN: Yeah.

WHITFIELD: ... really hard to unify the party but then Bernie Sanders making a very clear that the numbers are so close. He sees the convention is being contested one. He thinks that he can persuade some of those superdelegates who have committed to Hillary Clinton to come his way. So, it sounds like they have very different missions. She says, it will be unified, she'll be the nominee. He says, it ain't over yet and he is going to fight hard for it.

BROWNSTEIN: Well, look, I mean, I think they do have a very different impressions. But -- and, you know, the numbers are really not that close. I mean Bernie Sanders has run a great race. He's done better than anyone -- could have expected including himself. But Hillary Clinton has beaten him and pretty decisively.

And at the ballot box not in the back room, if you go through it she has more pledge delegates, she has more unpledge delegates. If you add up the popular vote for all of the primaries and caucuses, she's beaten him by three million votes. She has 55 percent of the total vote. If you look at the 18 largest states that have voted, she's won 14 of them. His beaten her a 100,000 votes or more in one state. She's beaten him by a 100,000 and more in 14 states.

You know, the CNN polling unit accumulated for me the results of all of the exit polls in all 27 states that have been conducted. She's won 64 percent of all self-identified Democrats. He has remained competitive because he won 64 percent of independence.

So really -- no matter what measure you look at she has significantly outpaced him. Yes, his done very well. He's mobilized young people, he set new records in small dollar fundraising. But when you look at the total picture she is right. She has been the choice of more Democrats over 13 million Democrats have voted for her and for those Sanders supports said, somehow this is rigged or this -- you know, the rules are unfair.

Basically they're saying over 13 million fellow Democrats have been duped. And I just think that's implausible argument.

WHITFIELD: So Rebecca, you know, Bernie Sanders is saying it's not over until, you know, possibly July that he still very much in the race.

[14:30:00] So he's also sending a very strong message to his supporters, isn't he, by continuing to say this regardless of what the numbers are that Ron, you know, just helped spell out.

He's essentially saying to his supports, don't count me out yet. So, Hillary Clinton needs those supports to come her way. What point will that happen if it all?

BERG: She does, absolutely. With Bernie Sanders potentially holding out until the convention, he's offering supporters what I would consider some false hope, that there is still a chance that he could win the nomination.

And dragging out this process of getting them to go over, unite behind Hillary Clinton and accept her as the party's nominee. If you look back to 2008, it was a very contentious primary.

It dragged on until about this state actually in the Democratic primary between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, but immediately after, it became clear that Obama had won the nomination, Hillary Clinton endorsed him.

And they met in unity, New Hampshire, had an event together. She made clear that she was going to be working on his behest. So when you had the transition from the primary to the convention, by the time the convention rolled around, the party was pretty united.

It was clear that her supporters had come over to Barack Obama's cause. If Hillary Clinton does not have Bernie Sanders almost immediately backing her and trying to bring his supporters into her fold, it's going to really hurt her chances in the general election, prevent her from setting the message in advance of the convention and make the convention not as effective as it would be.

WHITFIELD: Ron, that would be up to Bernie Sanders, right, to set that kind of tone? Because Clinton already is trying to change her language or maybe even, you know, have more conciliatory language, saying we can work together, Bernie Sanders and I.

But he, you know, is still criticizing her, you know, willingness to go to war, criticizing the Clinton Foundation for accepting donations from foreign countries such as Saudi Arabia. So he doesn't seem like he is willing to turn the corner just yet.

BROWNSTEIN: Not yet, you know, in fact, they've moved the goal post. A few weeks ago, one of his senior strategists said to me I think correctly if they were going to have any plausible chance of convincing superdelegates to switch away from Hillary Clinton, they had to win out at the end.

They had to do what Gary Hart could not do against Mondale in the last day in 1984 race. They had to win both California and New Jersey. Now they have essentially written off New Jersey, the 11th largest state in the country where she's polling at around 60 percent and become a one-state candidate in California trying to eke out a win here.

Even if they win California, at that point, she would have won 15 of the 20 largest states that have voted. It's remarkable what he's doing. The idea that, you know, you could say this one battlefield is the only one that matters and meanwhile I'm going to abandon New Jersey.

So again, I don't know what the argument is at this point in terms of the popular will of Democratic voters, I think has been very clearly expressed. I think you are going to see growing frustration with Sanders from other Democratic leaders after June 7th.

Certainly has the right to kind make his case right through the final vote, but once that is done, it is really unclear what is the basis of which he could argue more Democrats have really preferred him.

BERG: And you know, I wonder, Ron, just to kind of piggy off that point, I wonder if we'll see something from the Democrats, the DNC, like we saw on the Republican side. Reince Priebus stepped in after Trump won Indiana and said this race is over, there's no path for these other candidates.

So if John Kasich had wanted to stay in, he didn't really have the avenue to do so. And that's kind of what I would expect to see on the Democratic side.

WHITFIELD: It doesn't it seem like --

BROWNSTEIN: Probably not from the DNC --

WHITFIELD: No, not from the DNC. It seems like already the criticism especially --

BROWNSTEIN: Maybe the Senate --

WHITFIELD: Yes, Bernie Sanders saying that the DNC was already biased. Boy, that would not look good, would it? Hold tight, Ron and Rebecca because right now Hillary Clinton is in California now. What city? She's in Oakland. Let's listen in.

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: -- to work to provide those jobs, education, health care, opportunities, housing that people deserve to have. So the pastor was telling me about the Housing Development Corporation that this church started.

And I want to do everything I can to make more effort to support nonprofit faith-based community housing programs because I know there's a lot of people who have stuck it out Oakland for a long time.

You've gone through the tough times. Now as it looks like things are really picking up and new jobs are coming, including high-tech jobs, well, I think it's also important we remember all the people who made Oakland great in the first place.

[14:35:03]I mean, the Golden State Warriors are doing pretty well. And I really got into this because, you know, in the beginning of the season, everybody said, well, the Golden State Warriors, can they repeat, can they do it again? Right. It's an exciting NBA finals, but it also I think has some lessons. You get a game plan. Everybody knows --

WHITFIELD: Hillary Clinton there in Oakland, California stumping just two days before the big primary there. Will she clinch that state?

All right, meantime, we'll get Congressman Charlie Rangel's reaction coming up. And also his sentiments about Muhammad Ali, the passing of Muhammad Ali, to be eulogized and further celebrated this coming week on Friday in Kentucky. We'll have much more right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:40:20]

WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back. Hillary Clinton is widely expected to claim enough delegates on Tuesday to clinch the Democratic nomination. Of the six races, California is by far the biggest prize with nearly two-thirds of the 694 delegates at stake.

Opponent Bernie Sanders says it's misleading to count superdelegates now because they're not yet formally bound to anyone until the convention. Here's how he explained it to our Jake Tapper on "STATE OF THE UNION."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST, "THE LEAD": Secretary Clinton on Tuesday night will declare a victory in the nomination race. She'll say that she has enough delegates and will be the nominee.

BERNIE SANDERS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think that's kind of not quite accurate and I think the Democratic National Committee has made that clear. What she will be doing is combining pledged delegates. Those are the real delegates that people vote for with superdelegates, people who are appointed by the committee.

And what the DNC has made it very clear is that the media should not lump those two together because pledge delegates are pledged to the candidates. Superdelegates may change their mind.

TAPPER: Will your strategy be different if after all the contests are over, she has more pledge delegates than you do, or are you taking this to the convention no matter what?

SANDERS: Look, again, I don't want to speculate about who will end up having more pledge delegates. She's ahead of us right now, no question. But California's coming up, they got 475 pledged delegates here. You don't know what the world is going to be like four weeks from now. Let's not forget, Democratic convention is the end of July. That's a long time from today.

TAPPER: Last time, you and I discussed how you thought that superdelegates might be something the party considers getting rid of.

SANDERS: Here is my problem. My problem is the process today has allowed Secretary Clinton to get the support of over 400 superdelegates before any other Democratic candidate was in the race. It's like an anointment.

TAPPER: Before anyone voted here?

SANDERS: Eight months before the first vote was cast in Iowa. Frankly, I think that's an absurd process. To the degree that superdelegates make any sense, and I don't know they do. Theoretically their job is to take the broad view, look at what's going on.

Who is the strongest candidate? Not to be part of an anointment process before any other candidate comes on board. That's just the interest and the establishment are talking.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, Bernie Sanders with our Jake Tapper. Another big prize this Super Tuesday, we've got all day full coverage right here on CNN. You don't want to miss it.

All right, also coming up, tributes are flooding in for Muhammad Ali, the greatest of all time, as we learn new details on the funeral plans.

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MUHAMMAD ALI: Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After you get out of the ring with him and look at him, everybody falls in love with him. You can't help it. He was one lovable, good-looking great guy. You wanted to be around him. I was excited to meet him and happy to be his friend.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: That was from my conversation with heavyweight champ, George Foreman, who considered boxing legend, Muhammad Ali to be one of his greatest friends. Foreman isn't the only one remembering the greatest.

Will Smith who played him in the movie "Ali" said, you shook up the world, my mentor and friend, you changed my life, rest in peace.

Paul McCartney penned his own tribute saying, "Dear Muhammad Ali, I love that man, he was great from the first day we met him in Miami. The world has lost a truly great man, love, Paul.

And this is the "Louisville Courier Journal" today. The paper dedicating its front page completely to the boxing icon. Fans have been showing up to pay their respects and leave flowers out of the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Kentucky.

And that's where we find CNN correspondent, Martin Savidge and also with us Jason Carroll who is in Scottsdale, Arizona. So Jason, I want to begin with you, his friends, family, have been also speaking out, and what are they saying?

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we've already heard from some members of Ali's family who were there with him by his side when he passed. They whispered in his ear, Fredricka, telling him that they loved him. Telling him it was OK to let go.

We've heard the stories about how his heart kept beating even after his other organs had failed. Also weighing in, Muhammad Ali's brother, talking about how much he will miss him.

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RAHAMAN ALI, MUHAMMAD ALI'S YOUNGER BROTHER: I feel very extremely sad. I'm holding back tears right now. I could cry easily because I have a warm heart. I'm a very sensitive man. I'm always been sensitive. And my brother is -- has just passed. I won't be able to see him in the flesh anymore. So it hurts me bad that I know I can't see my brother.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: As you know, Fredricka, Muhammad Ali had fans all over the world. A few celebrities weighing in, tweeting, Oprah Winfrey saying the world has lost a legend and a real champion. Also Michael J. Fox who was also diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. He tweeted, Ali, a giant, an inspiration, a man of peace, a warrior for the cure. Thank you.

[14:50:10]Muhammad Ali will be laid to rest at Cahill Cemetery there in Louisville, Kentucky. Those who admired him from afar will be able to celebrate.

And that's what the family is calling this public memorial for him on Friday, a celebration. Everyone will be able to do that next Friday -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: OK, Martin, that's where you are in Louisville there where I'm sure a lot of people are listening to the details that are trickling out about the funeral services and who might be eulogizing Muhammad Ali.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You're right, the details are a lot of them. The reason for that is the family and this community have been planning the eventuality of this day for a long time.

These plans have been years in the making. They're very important to Muhammad Ali and the family because we understand he actually gave ideas as to how he would like things to go.

His body's expected to return to Louisville in the next day or two escorted by family. There's two parts to this memorial. There is the private part, mostly for the family on Thursday, then the very public part, about all of Friday.

It will begin with a 9:00 motorcade. It will take the casket of Muhammad Ali on a winding route. Highways and side streets throughout the city of Louisville, even into West Louisville, that's his hometown, his neighborhood where he grew up.

And then on to the cemetery for a private service. Then at 2:00, you have this interfaith service. This is in keeping with what Muhammad Ali wanted. Everyone will come. Everyone can participate.

It's going to be at a local arena, about 20,000 seats and among those who will eulogize, former President Bill Clinton and then you have Billy Crystal, Bryant Gumbel. Others are going to come as well. Their names are yet to be revealed.

So the whole world according to the mayor is invited to Louisville to celebrate the life their favorite son -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: It's going to be tremendous. You know, one of us from among the many remarkable things we heard, you know, in talking to George Foreman yesterday when I spoke with him, he said there are three great friends of Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Billy Crystal and Kris Kristofferson.

And of course since that time, we've heard a little more from Billy Crystal and the kind of relationship they had. So, Martin, it would seem that people who are pouring there behind you at the Muhammad Ali Center are starving for more details about, you know, the man that everyone really thought they knew, but we're hearing an awful lot of new discoveries as a result of his passing.

SAVIDGE: As also should be pointed out, this is not -- his life is so great, you can't really memorialize it in one day. The city realizes that. Even though there's a large event on Friday there are a number of other events taking place, including tonight, there's an interfaith service and almost every day it's that big a life -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Yes, big indeed. All right, Jason Carroll, Martin Savidge, thanks to both of you. Appreciate it. We will be right back.

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[14:57:02]

WHITFIELD: All right, we are edging closer to closing out two crucial Democratis primaries. Just minutes from now, the polls close in Puerto Rico and we are less than two days away from California's highly anticipated contests.

Clinton is 60 delegates away from clinching the nomination. The delegate rich state has 475 of them up for grabs. Both candidates are on the trail pushing to Tuesday.

Let's get to CNN correspondent, Chris Frates on the trail with the Sanders campaign. So Chris, Bernie Sanders sounding like he is counting on California in a very big way to keep him in the race.

CHRIS FRATES, CNN INVESTIGATIONS CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. We're standing here outside of Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. As you can see behind me, they're getting ready for another big rally tonight by the looks of it. Probably 5,000 or 6,000 people are going to come out.

But Bernie Sanders has been very defiant. Making the case that he's going to stay in no matter what happens in California. He's been up and down this state about 30 rallies. He says he's turned out about 250,000 people.

The Sanders campaign hoping that turns into a lot of energy at the ballot box on Tuesday. But he says no matter what happens on Tuesday, he's staying in to Philadelphia. That this will be a contested convention.

And if you take a look at the math, you can understand why even Bernie Sanders says this is going to be an uphill climb for him. As you pointed out, Hillary Clinton needs just about 60 more delegates to get to that magic number of 2,383 and clinch that nomination.

Bernie Sanders is saying look, a number of those delegates, several hundreds of those delegates are so-called superdelegates. Those are the party big wigs, former elected officials. They don't vote until July on the floor of the convention. Bernie Sanders wants time to convince those superdelegates to come his way. In fact, he says a lot of those superdelegates got behind Hillary Clinton before he was even in the race.

He's fighting hard here in California. He wants to win the state. Give him some momentum going into that superdelegate fight that he promises to wage.

In fact, he's still hitting Clinton very hard. Take a listen to what he told our own Jake Tapper just this morning.

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SANDERS: Do I have a problem when a sitting secretary of state and a foundation run by her husband collects many millions of dollars from foreign governments, governments which are dictatorships?

You don't have a lot of civil liberties or democratic rights in Saudi Arabia. You don't have a lot of respect there for opposition points of view for gay rights, for women's rights. Yes, do I have a problem, yes, I do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRATES: That's not what Hillary Clinton's campaign or many Democrats want to hear. They want to see Bernie Sanders start to get behind Hillary Clinton so she can take on Donald Trump.

But Bernie Sanders saying Hillary Clinton will have to earn the support of his supporters and he's going to take this, as I said, all the way to Philadelphia.

But of course, things could change after this big election on Tuesday night, Fred. So we'll have to see what happens on Tuesday. Whether that is on Wednesday Bernie Sanders's position -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Chris Frates, appreciate that, from San Diego. So we are coming up on the final Super Tuesday, the big --