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Donald Trump Under Fire; Clinton Becomes Presumptive Democratic Presidential Nominee. Aired 3-3:30p ET

Aired June 07, 2016 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:15]

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back. You're watching CNN. Thank you so much for being with me. I'm Brooke Baldwin. Here we go.

The final Super Tuesday of this 2016 election season now coinciding with a historic first for this country, Hillary Clinton the first woman to become the presumed presidential nominee of a major political party.

CNN's latest count shows she's secured one more than the 2,383 delegates required to clinch, but her rival, Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders, is protesting what his campaign calls the media's rush to judgment since, his point, superdelegates don't actually cast their votes until the national Democratic National Convention in July.

And as Secretary Clinton does make the history books here, her rival, presumed rival in the fall, Donald Trump, is accused of making -- quote -- "the textbook definition of a racist comment." That is how House Speaker Paul Ryan responded to Trump insisting that the judge overseeing that lawsuit against Trump University is biased because, Trump's words, he is Mexican, Mexican-American.

Speaker Ryan endorsed, keep in mind, just Trump five days ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. PAUL RYAN (R-WI), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: I disavow these comments. I regrets those comments that he made.

I don't think -- claiming a person can't do the job because of their race is sort of like the textbook definition of a racist comment. I think that should be absolutely disavowed. It's absolutely unacceptable. But do I believe that Hillary Clinton is the answer? No, I do not.

Do I believe that Hillary Clinton is going to be the answer to solving these problems? I do not. I believe that we have more common ground on the policy issues of the day and we have more likelihood of getting our policies enacted with him than we do with her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, though, he is firing back today, as he cast his primary ballot earlier on. He did not defend Donald Trump's remarks in particular, but he did say this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), NEW JERSEY: I know Donald Trump. I have known him for 14 years, and Donald Trump's not a racist. And so, you know, the allegations that he is are absolutely contrary to every experience I have had with him over the last 14 years, and so we're going to end it there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Let me bring in CNN political director Mr. David Chalian.

And, David Chalian, I mean, let's talk about the optics for a second. We just showed the picture of the two leaders in the Senate for the majority and the minority, Mitch McConnell, Harry Reid, agreeing on one thing, on how inappropriate those comments were from Donald Trump. What did you make of that?

DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: This is just nothing short of astounding to watch the Republican Party officials, the top elected officials in the party, grapple with their nominee in this way that they're clearly rebuking his comments, and yet not walking away from their endorsement, support, intention to vote for him.

It just puts them in such a bind and such an awkward and terrible position. Now, Harry Reid, obviously, for his part is going to try to win back the Senate for Democrats by making Senate Republicans own every single syllable of everything Donald Trump says.

That's his political strategy and tactic and approach there. But just listening to Paul Ryan, listening to Mitch McConnell go before cameras to basically publicly scold his party's nominee and say get back on message and is -- it's just nothing short of astonishing. We just have not seen something like this in modern American presidential politics.

BALDWIN: Then you have -- add the name of Senator Bob Corker to the list of Republicans who are repudiating Donald Trump's comments.

This is someone who, not too long ago, was up here in New York at Trump Tower. He is the potential for the short list on the Trump ticket and here he was telling Manu Raju, eh, he needs two to three weeks to right the ship or else he's in trouble.

CHALIAN: Well, let's immediately put that on our list, three weeks from now, to call Bob Corker back and make sure we see where he is.

But that is right. I think what Senator Corker is saying is that -- and I think what you are hearing when you listen to Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell as well, I don't think they are going to be able to sustain to do this all the way through November, have to defend comments if Trump refuses to walk them back that they deem inappropriate.

(CROSSTALK) BALDWIN: You don't think so?

CHALIAN: Well, if they start to think that it's actually harming down-ballot -- nothing matters more to Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell than protecting their majorities.

BALDWIN: Sure.

CHALIAN: That's mission number one.

So, if it starts -- they believe, if it starts to impact their members in a way, then I do think you are going to start seeing tougher and tougher time for them to stay with the position they're at right now, which is just to rebuke the comment, but stick with Trump.

Now, Bob Corker put a time limit on it, two to three weeks. Maybe others will give Donald Trump a much longer leash. But it's hard to imagine, when we're in the heat of campaign battle in the fall, and if the Senate or the House, which looks a lot less likely, obviously, in terms of being really contested, is in the balance, if the power in those chambers are in the balance, I would imagine you are going to see a different approach than you see right now.

[15:05:15]

BALDWIN: Mm-hmm. David Chalian, we will see you on TV tonight. Thank you very much, my friend.

CHALIAN: Thanks, Brooke.

BALDWIN: Then we also have today Senator Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican, taking opposition to Trump and his attack on the federal judge, saying it's all on a new level, saying it's un- American. Here he was with Manu Raju.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Do you think it's a racist comment?

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: Oh, clearly. But it's funny. I don't believe Donald Trump, the way he's lived his life, is a racist person.

I believe he'd hire somebody based on merit, but he's playing the race card. If Mr. Trump continues this, which is clearly over the top, you may not think it's un-American. I do. You may not think it's racist. I do. But if he continues this line of attack, then I think people need to really reconsider for the future of the party and the future of the country whether they should support him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Much to discuss. With me now, CNN political commentator Amanda Carpenter, who used to be the communications director for Senator Ted Cruz. We have CNN political commentator Van Jones, a former official in the Obama administration, and Trump supporter Scottie Nell Hughes, who is political editor for RightAlerts.com.

Welcome to all of you.

Let's get right to it, Scottie, with -- you know, let's just start with the comments both from Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, and the top brass of the House, Speaker Paul Ryan, who says Trump's comments, textbook racism.

How -- how does Trump have those very important conversations with both of those leaders after they have come down on him like this?

SCOTTIE NELL HUGHES, DONALD TRUMP SUPPORTER: Well, I think how we have the conversation is how it should have happened in the first place, behind closed doors.

I have a real issue with these Republican leaders. I don't know what they're trying to accomplish by going out and making these comments very public first in front of the cameras.

I give the Democrats credit. They don't do this. And, yes, everybody, you're supposed to disagree. I'm going to 100 percent agree with my politician. I don't them to just 100 percent agree with each other.

However, let's have this discussion behind closed doors instead of airing out the dirty laundry, like this is doing. And so how does this help the Republican Party? If you say you're here to help the Republican Party, then call Mr. Trump behind the scenes, like Reince Priebus and others have done, and have your conversation there. Then take it to the public if you don't get the response you like.

BALDWIN: But, Amanda, let me -- taking Scottie's point about behind closed doors, we're talking about leaders of the parties. Just five days ago, Speaker Ryan endorsed Donald Trump.

These are questions -- they wanted to repudiate the comments. That is A. B, what do you make of the bind that these Republicans are in, the fact that they're being asked, would you rescind an endorsement?

AMANDA CARPENTER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, I think they're in an impossible position. This is not a sustainable thing to say I disavow the comments, but I'm still going to endorse the candidate.

I understand what Paul Ryan is trying to do. He's trying to be very radically pragmatic and saying there's a better chance of passing my bills into law with Donald Trump than Hillary Clinton.

That said, this is just going to be too hard of a line to walk. My question is, is that Republicans have a nominating process. There's a reason we have delegates. It's to prevent a disaster. And if people really believe that Donald Trump is going to be a disaster for the party, if they cannot stand by his comments, if they cannot support him, if they do not think that he supports our values, then you have to use the process that is in place and not nominate him at the convention. I think we need to start talking to delegates. We need to say, what

are you going to do? It's very simple. They don't have to do this. They can not show up. They can rewrite the rules, because if we're really going down this road and saying he's bad for the party, he's saying racist things, then we shouldn't nominate him. End of story.

BALDWIN: Go ahead, Scottie. You're shaking your head.

HUGHES: I can't believe that I just heard that, Amanda.

We have gone through the process. On a day that the Democrats are semi-splintered, but at least they have a nominee, you are sitting here actually saying to go against the will of the people.

CARPENTER: Yes.

HUGHES: By the way, a lot of those delegates are still bound on that first vote. And Mr. Trump has those bound delegates to the count that he needs.

So, to sit here and just add to this idea that we're splintered doesn't help the situation.

(CROSSTALK)

CARPENTER: Sure. It's a terrible situation. We should get out of it immediately. Eject.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Van, Van, Van Jones, are you just -- are you loving this as a Democrat here on this panel?

(CROSSTALK)

VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I'm so happy right now. I just -- I don't even want to talk. You all just keep going.

(LAUGHTER)

JONES: You know, part of what you're seeing, and it's sad, but it's gleeful for some of us, this is what happens when you have a political party like the Republican Party that has allowed this kind of trafficking in dog whistle politics around race for so long.

The antibodies are gone now in the Republican Party for the kind of stuff that you're seeing from Donald Trump.

[15:10:03]

Look at this now, Hillary Clinton pulling her party forward, making history today, moving forward, breaking down barriers, destroying this glass ceiling.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Even though Senator Sanders says he's taking it to the convention. And he's still fighting.

JONES: He has that right. He has that right.

But the reality is, if you just look at what is happening in the Democratic Party, history's going to be made today, and yet you have the Republican Party drug back to fight over stuff that if they're -- listen, I have to agree with Paul Ryan. If this comment is not a racist comment, then there is no racist comment that can be made.

And so you have the Republicans fighting over stuff that was resolved in the last century, the Democrats pulling us forward. And, frankly, had Donald Trump just kept his mouth shut, the Democrats would have had the worst week of our lives because of some of the stuff that happened last week, none of which got talked about. And I'm happy about it.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Hold on, hold on.

CARPENTER: I mean, this is sort of a disqualifying event for Donald Trump, even if you can somehow put aside the questions of racism.

The fact that this guy is willing to litigate a civil case in the public sphere...

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: But Paul Ryan is still supporting him.

(CROSSTALK)

CARPENTER: ... such an extraordinary amount of bad judgment, even if we could somehow put aside the questions of racism, the fact that he's so myopically focused on this low-rent, trashy scheme that he ran to scam people out of money is horrifying.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on. I'm just back to Paul Ryan. He is the speaker of the House of Representatives. He is so steadfast in this agenda of his, but does that supersede these comments from Donald Trump? What sort of internal come to Jesus must Speaker Ryan be having?

HUGHES: OK. First of all, let's realize that Mr. Trump became the nominee with the non-endorsement of all of these folks.

So, the truth is, we have already seen this disconnect in the Republican Party between the people and the leadership. And right now...

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: But you know that you all need these -- the leaders.

(CROSSTALK)

CARPENTER: But he doesn't need them at the convention.

(CROSSTALK)

HUGHES: At the same time, he doesn't, like (INAUDIBLE) said, pander to the people.

And let's look at this. The reason why the Democrats are scared now, look at the timing of why this is all coming up, because Trump University was litigated back in November. It didn't get any traction. But somehow, magically, the last two weeks, it has. Maybe it has something to do with did Gallup poll that come out that on the economy Mr. Trump leads Hillary Clinton 53-43 percent, jobs 52 percent, national security 50 percent.

(CROSSTALK)

JONES: Why isn't Trump talking about those issues, though?

(CROSSTALK)

HUGHES: ... with Hillary Clinton. Maybe this might just be a distraction against the worst week ever, as you described, Van.

(CROSSTALK)

JONES: Scottie, I do have an honest question, though.

All that stuff is great. And you guys had even greater stuff to talk about last week. You had jobs numbers that weren't good. You had an ITC report that wasn't good. You had a lot of good stuff. But you have a nominee whose judgment -- take the race off the table -- whose judgment is so bad that he would rather talk about his own lawsuit than talk the things that are in your favor.

You are doing a great job today defending him. Why isn't he doing a better job defending himself?

HUGHES: And you're right. And he brought out -- and that was the question and he answered it. And that seemed to take it.

But, also, Van, you know this. Sitting in the seats that we sit in, sometimes, we just have to answer the questions that are asked to us. This is a question that was asked to Mr. Trump. Did he answer it how I would have answered it? Probably not.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: ... Mitch McConnell's point and just stay on message? Americans care about Donald Trump, and they care about the issues.

(CROSSTALK)

HUGHES: But, you know, I love it that Mitch McConnell is sitting telling Donald Trump that he doesn't need to be criticizing former opponents.

Well, you know what? Send that same message to those former opponents, as we ran Lindsey Graham, as we ran others who are sitting here criticizing Donald Trump that Donald Trump beat in the last primary, AKA bitter. These bitter folks need to just get over it for the good of the party.

(CROSSTALK)

CARPENTER: I'm going to get over a racist candidate. Just not going to happen.

(CROSSTALK)

HUGHES: He is not racist.

(CROSSTALK)

CARPENTER: ... many other Republicans like me.

BALDWIN: All right. Ladies, thank you.

Amanda, Scottie, Van, I'm going to ask you to stick around. We have more here, because we have to talk Dems, specifically Hillary Clinton becoming the first woman in American history to clinch her party's nomination, major party ticket. Bernie Sanders does not agree. Hear why CNN made the call.

Also, one of the Trump's lawyers defended the judge in the Trump University case. We have more on that. Hear what that lawyer said just before Trump went on the attack.

And we will speak with a Texas congressman who is telling Trump to take his wall and shove it up his you know where. Welcome to 2016.

Back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:18:02]

BALDWIN: Welcome back. You're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

Hillary Clinton has shattered what eight years ago she referred to as the highest and hardest glass ceiling, former first lady, senator, secretary of state now the first female to become the presumptive nominee of any major political party in America's 240-year history.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: According to the news, we are on the brink of a historic, historic, unprecedented moment.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: CNN politics executive and now mathematician Mark Preston is here to explain the math.

Hey, Mark.

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICS EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Hey, Brooke. How are you?

I remember eight years ago being here in Washington, D.C., when Hillary Clinton grudgingly had to throw in the towel and concede the Democratic nomination to Barack Obama. Now, here we are eight years later and she's become the presumptive nominee.

Now, there's a lot of questions about how did we get to it? Well, let's take a quick look. The magic number for the Democratic nominee is to get 2,383 delegates. How do you do that? You do that between pledged delegates, which are the actual votes that you would get in the state, and then the Democratic Party, they have these things of superdelegates.

These are basically free agents, governors, senators, House members, members of the Democratic National Committee, that are free agents. They are awarded the ability to give their support to anybody.

Now, if you look at the math right here, as we look down there, Hillary Clinton has 1,812 pledged delegates, 572 superdelegates. Put that all together, she has 2,384 delegates, one more than she needs to become the Democratic nominee.

Now, I should note, Brooke, that we began this canvas last fall, the CNN political team, reached out to the superdelegates, and in a rolling process and basis asked them, who are they supporting, looking for public statements to try to find out where they stood.

[15:20:05]

Now, of course, Bernie Sanders is not very happy with this. Bernie Sanders says that we should not be counting the superdelegates into the math, but fact of the matter is, they do count and that's where we stand right now, Brooke.

BALDWIN: All right, Mark Preston. We will also be watching the numbers, of course, all through the evening tonight. Thank you so much on those vote tallies.

Meantime, this historic moment for Hillary Clinton comes, as Mark just pointed out, eight years to the day today since she conceded to then- Senator Barack Obama in that 2008 nomination race for the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, 2008)

CLINTON: Although we weren't able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it's got about 18 million cracks in it.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Just today, Hillary Clinton tweeted this statement she made eight years ago -- quote -- "If we can blast 50 women into space, we will some day launch a woman into the White House."

CNN senior political reporter Nia-Malika Henderson is with me, as is CNN political commentator Van Jones is back.

Nia, do you think this country is closer to that historic moment?

NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: It's been a long time in the making, almost 200 years in the making, right?

You go back to 1848, the Seneca Falls convention in New York, a couple of years later, Sojourner Truth saying, listen, black women should be included on the conversation as well. You think about 1917, women picketing Woodrow Wilson, saying, listen, how can this be a democracy if 20 million women can't vote?

And then, of course, in 1920, the ratification of the 19th Amendment. So, in some ways, it seemed inevitable in some ways. If you look back eight years ago, there was a sort of steady progress, but, listen, built on the backs of a lot of women who fought for this moment and men, too.

So it is quite a historic day. She is closer to something that we will see if it happens. But she obviously is going to get that nomination in July, and we will see what happens in November.

BALDWIN: You know, thank you.

And, Van, this is something that I have just picked up on different people talking about this. Folks remember back eight years ago when we were about to have -- when we did have the first African-American nominee for president of the United States. It was -- to a lot of people in this country, it was, you know, electrifying, and felt so huge.

And yet here we are on the precipice of history with a woman, and a lot folks I'm talking to say it just doesn't quite feel as huge. Why do you think that is?

JONES: Well, I think because it has not happened yet.

I'm going to tell you right now, a lot of people who are -- whatever, not that big of deal, who cares, when it actually happens, when you have a woman with this opportunity, it's going to feel different. It is going to feel different.

I remember when it was just speculation about Barack Obama, then- Senator Obama. When you saw him walk out and accept the nomination, people got goose bumps on both sides. It will be a goose bump moment. And also let's not forget back, with Shirley Chisholm back in 1972, the first woman, it was an African-American, who threw her hat in the ring, to say, listen, women can do this, too.

It's a long walk from '72 to now. And the poetry of literally eight years later, when she -- one of the best lines in American history, 18 million cracks, to come back literally eight years later to the day and essentially clinch, that's something -- people are going to start getting emotions they didn't know they had.

They're going to start having reactions they're going to be surprised about. Sometimes, on CNN, we cover news. Today, we're covering history, and it's going to start feeling that way.

BALDWIN: Nia, let me ask you, too, about -- you talk about history with a woman. You know, the questions have been posed both to Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid about, you know, two women on a ticket. And both of them have said that they think this country is ready for that.

HENDERSON: Yes.

Again, a real historic conversation that we're having here. And you can have that conversation because women are 19 percent of the Congress at this point, 20 women senators, and so there are many women that you can choose from and the six female governors as well.

So, they're women there who have benefited from a lot of the strides made by women like Shirley Chisholm, as Van Jones said. So, yes, you hear names like Elizabeth Warren. You hear people talking about Amy Klobuchar as well.

So, we will see if that's something that happens. I mean, we have obviously seen it for years and years two men at the top of the ticket, so here, again, people talking about what it would mean if Hillary Clinton were to actually select Elizabeth Warren. It would be twofold, right, on the one hand, historic, but also really be unifying, I think, for a lot of people in the party who like that Elizabeth Warren wing that is now sort of the Bernie Sanders wing, but in some ways is just as much her wing of the party as well.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Nia, Van -- yes, go ahead, Van.

[15:25:01]

JONES: I just want to -- just, listen, part of the problem of Democrats have is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to women.

There are so many strong women in the Democratic Party that -- and men never do this. Men never say, well, it is your turn. No, it is your turn. So, all the women kind of stood down and said, it's Hillary's turn.

When she turns around, looks behind her, she has got too many women she could pick from. I think the difference between the Democrats today making history and the Republicans dragging us backwards into dumb conversations from the racist past of America, it couldn't be clearer today. BALDWIN: Nia and Van, thank you so much. Thank you, thank you.

HENDERSON: Thank you.

BALDWIN: Coming up next here, back to the Republicans. Got to talk about Donald Trump. He's attacked this California judge viciously.

But what do you really know about Judge Gonzalo Curiel and that Trump University case, besides the fact that he was born in Indiana and he's Mexican-American? We will talk live to an attorney who actually vetted him for his spot on the bench in California.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)