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Israel Terror Attack In Tel Aviv; Clinton on the Offensive; Can Trump Unify Republican Party?. Aired 3-3:30p ET
Aired June 08, 2016 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:00:05]
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: And now let's continue on.
All right, here we go, hour two. You're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin.
Perspective, five months to the day today from November 8. That is general Election Day, the face-off between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. As we were just discussing, it's a monumental moment for Secretary Clinton, as she is officially embracing her place in American history, after winning delegate-rich California and New Jersey and two other states.
She is now the first female presumptive nominee for any major political party in the United States. Clinton sent out this tweet here. She just needed two words: "History made."
This all comes after a hard-fought battle against Senator Bernie Sanders, who still has not bowed out. Still Clinton, like Trump, looking ahead to November, giving voters a preview of the battle to come.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit to be president.
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We will make America great again.
CLINTON: That is code for let's take America backwards.
TRUMP: The Clintons have turned the politics of personal enrichment into an art form or themselves.
CLINTON: He's not just trying to build a wall between America and Mexico. He's trying to wall off Americans from each other.
TRUMP: The last thing we need is Hillary Clinton in the White House or an extension of the Obama disaster.
CLINTON: The stakes in this election are high and the choice is clear.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: CNN chief political correspondent Dana Bash joins me now.
Dana Bash, nice to see you.
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: You will have more reporting. Let's talk about Donald Trump's speech last night, teleprompter and all, you know, on message, disciplined there. Tell me what you have learned.
DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the fact that he was on message is a very important indicator that he got the message in a way that we haven't seen Donald Trump kind of put himself in the situation to -- to get and to maybe absorb in the past.
Even in the past several days, the more he was pushed by even some of his longtime supporters publicly to say that what he was saying about this judge, questioning his Mexican heritage, was horrible, even borderline racist, that he was pushing back
But on this particular speech, it was very clear that he understood. It was a moment. It was an incredible marker for him to say, wait a minute, you know, forget all of the -- all of the back and forth of the day or of the past two days. I had a pretty good run here, and I beat out all of these candidates, and here's what I will do for you, Republican Party, and use some of the terminology that make -- that unifies the Republicans and also, of course, turn his sights on Hillary Clinton.
And that was understanding from my reporting, from Phil Mattingly, Sara Murray and others, sort of a joint effort with some of his top surrogates, Jeff Sessions, the senator from Alabama, Chris Christie, the governor from New Jersey, and even some of his confidants within his own family, like his daughter.
BALDWIN: Dana Bash, thank you so much on that.
Also, we're just learning just into CNN Senator Ted Cruz has now told our correspondent on the Hill, Manu Raju, that he still hasn't made up his mind about whether he will support Donald Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TED CRUZ (R), TEXAS: As I said before, I am looking and listening and watching the candidates. I'm doing the same thing millions of voters are doing, and time will tell.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Let's bring in our political panel, Amanda Carpenter, CNN political commentator and former communications director for Senator Cruz, Doug Brinkley, CNN presidential historian a history professor at Rice University, and Carl Higbie, Trump supporter and former Navy SEAL.
Welcome to all of you.
And, Amanda Carpenter, just because -- I'm going to throw my plan out the window.
AMANDA CARPENTER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: OK.
BALDWIN: Just because we just saw Senator Cruz saying, listen, he's not made up his mind, and we're seeing all these other Republicans on the Hill and beyond blasting Trump, but still on -- they can't quit Trump, what do you think is going through Senator Cruz's mind?
CARPENTER: Trump hasn't earned it.
I think this is where more Republicans should be. They have leverage at this point in time to try to get Donald Trump to improve. I think Paul Ryan gave his endorsement way too early. There was no improvement. When Paul Ryan came out, he said, I'm not ready to endorse. He wanted to see if Trump would come his way a little bit.
He came no way. I think more Republicans should say, we don't like the way you're acting. This flap we had over the judge is unacceptable. You have to make this right, and we're not going to endorse you, speak for you, support you until you improve. We have the leverage this time.
[15:05:01]
If Donald Trump wants to go ahead and try to win this without the support of people, because guess what? If all the Republicans go ahead and say -- start defending this racist, outrageous behavior, they are going to lose, too.
And it's not even a question of, like, do we help the party? It will go down the tubes if you follow Donald Trump in this way.
CARL HIGBIE, DONALD TRUMP SUPPORTER: I don't think they have the leverage you think they do.
(CROSSTALK)
HIGBIE: And keep in mind, on the first debate, on the first debate, these guys all raised their hand to say that I will pledge to the eventual Republican nominee.
CARPENTER: Circumstances changed big time.
HIGBIE: So, does the pledge change?
CARPENTER: Yes. Circumstances change.
HIGBIE: What? Absolutely not.
CARPENTER: It would be better to break a pledge than to support racist, outrageous behavior.
HIGBIE: Oh, come on. He's not racist. That's a talking point. It works nice on TV, but it's not reality.
CARPENTER: That's what Speaker Paul Ryan said.
(CROSSTALK)
HIGBIE: I don't think -- yes. And I think Paul Ryan is a little bit behind the power curve here.
The American people have spoken. And they want Donald Trump. We want Donald Trump, because he's the Republican candidate that's going to carry us to victory in November.
CARPENTER: And he will do it alone if he does it.
BALDWIN: I'm coming to you, Doug. I'm going rogue. Stay with me, control room.
So, on that point, though, and I know that Donald Trump was saying that it's been misconstrued, right, which I looked up, Webster. I wanted to be precise on the language. And it roughly means failure to understand a fact, but Donald Trump repeatedly has made comments about the heritage of the judge as the reason why he is biased.
Here's the clip, clips.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: This judge is giving us unfair rulings. Now I say why. Well, I want to -- I'm building a wall, OK? And it's a wall between Mexico, not another country, and...
(CROSSTALK)
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: But he's not -- he's not from Mexico. He's from Indiana.
TRUMP: In my opinion -- he is -- his Mexican -- Mexican heritage. And he's very proud of it.
JOHN DICKERSON, CBS NEWS: If it were a Muslim judge, would you also feel like they wouldn't be able to treat you fairly?
TRUMP: It's possible, yes. Yes. That would be possible, absolutely.
TAPPER: If you are saying he can't do his job because of his race, is that not the definition of racism?
TRUMP: I don't think so at all.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: By the way, I want to move off the judge in a second, because there's so much more to talk about, but just to ask you about that. If Donald Trump is now saying we have all misconstrued, it's not about the judge's heritage, what was that?
HIGBIE: Well, the funny thing is, Sotomayor said the exact same thing as Donald Trump, and nobody attacked her for it a few years ago.
So, she said that -- absolutely. She said that there could be bias based on someone's race, religion or creed. OK?
CARPENTER: Yes, let's bring that back to Cruz real quick.
Using because of what Donald Trump said, that because of the judge's heritage, he couldn't be trusted to rule on this decision, Ted Cruz can't give legal advice because of his Hispanic heritage.
Ted Cruz is a trained Supreme Court lawyer who has been very successful arguing conservative values and winning in court. What Donald Trump is doing and saying makes it harder for people like Ted Cruz to succeed.
BALDWIN: OK. On that, moving on, and, Doug, I'm looking to you. We know that the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, said, stay on message. He did last night.
We know that Senator Bob Corker, who could very well be, you know, an excellent vice president with Donald Trump, said, you know, I'm going to give him two or three weeks to right the ship or else.
What do you think? I mean, I can't crawl into Senator Corker's mind. What do you think that he needs to do in the next two or three weeks?
DOUGLAS BRINKLEY, CNN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: Well, one thing, he needs to court Ted Cruz.
I think a Ted Cruz endorsement does matter. Cruz got so many delegates. He's been laying low. Nobody knows whether he's going to endorse Trump or not, but I think if Cruz were to be able to embrace, after all the damage, the demolition derby, you know, that went on between Trump and Cruz, and, in fact, Trump questioning whether his father was part of the Kennedy assassination, if Cruz is willing to hug Trump on stage and be there and back him, I think that will be a powerful endorsement for Donald Trump.
BALDWIN: Do you think it would be a worthwhile endorsement?
(CROSSTALK)
HIGBIE: I do think it would be. You have a lot of these never Trump people that were die-hard Cruz supporters.
I think absolutely. But the fact is, Ted needs to come to Trump a little bit more than Trump needs to go to Cruz.
CARPENTER: Can we talk about something?
Donald Trump, what he is doing has been driving people away. Newt Gingrich, former speaker of the House, probably one of the best defenders that Donald Trump had, could go out and make the intellectual case for his policies, try to smooth over the differences, he's repelling him. Today, Donald Trump is saying that -- or Newt Gingrich is saying that
Donald Trump is amateur hour. He is pushing people like Newt Gingrich away who have been defending him at every chance.
HIGBIE: But he's also brought in more -- historically, more Republican voters than ever before.
CARPENTER: Well, then he's going to do it with the voters and he can't do it with these other people who don't want to be a surrogate for him.
BALDWIN: Last word from you, sir.
BRINKLEY: Last word. I thought Gingrich might be the V.P. for Trump.
CARPENTER: Yes.
BRINKLEY: I don't think he is anymore.
(CROSSTALK)
HIGBIE: I agree.
BRINKLEY: It seems to be that Christie and Sessions are the two guys that Trump's -- the real loyalists around Donald Trump that are the dayglow A-list names.
BALDWIN: OK. Doug, Amanda, and Carl, thank you.
HIGBIE: Thank you.
BALDWIN: I need to move quickly here to some breaking news. I appreciate all of you here.
We have some breaking news out of Tel Aviv. Let me tell you about this deadly shooting we're learning about in a supermarket. At least nine people were hurt. We again take you there live coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:13:51]
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
BALDWIN: All right, breaking news here out of Tel Aviv, where at least nine people have been wounded in a shooting at a popular outdoor market.
Let's listen. OK. We don't have a lot of information right now, but you're looking at these pictures here. We're all looking at them for the first time, just frenzy on the streets of Tel Aviv, and this is what I have. This is from the Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld.
This is just a statement from them. "At least one person has been critically injured and eight others have been wounded." This was a shooting at 10:14 p.m. there in Tel Aviv, this happening just a little while ago. You see the police tape up there, as, you know, EMS, police are assessing how injured these nine are, apparently one critically, eight others wounded, again, in a shooting near one of Tel Aviv's most popular outdoor markets.
Let's dip into CNN International.
[15:15:09]
MICKY ROSENFELD, ISRAELI POLICE SPOKESMAN: And there were no explosive devices inside the restaurant area.
Most of the area for approximately half-a-kilometer, half-a-mile around there is still cordoned off.
HALA GORANI, CNN ANCHOR: And, Micky Rosenfeld, just so our viewers know, we're seeing pictures here coming to us from Channel 2 television in Israel.
You mentioned two suspects in this case. They have been apprehend, is that correct?
ROSENFELD: That's correct. Two suspects, as far as I know, have been apprehended at the scene.
I can confirm one of them was shot, and I'm not sure what his condition is. The second suspect himself was being questioned at the moment by police. Our main impetus at the moment is to prevent and make sure there's no other terrorists in the area.
But what we have confirmed is that it was a terrorist attack that took place here in Tel Aviv this evening, and our emergency and special patrol units are still working at the area in order to make sure that there's no further danger.
GORANI: All right.
I want to welcome our viewers in the United States as well as we cover this breaking news out of Tel Aviv.
Can you tell us what weapons were used?
ROSENFELD: That's something we're looking into at the moment. Our bomb disposal experts and our counterterrorism units are still at the scene searching. We're carrying out a thorough examination.
Our main emphasis at the moment is to make sure that within inside the restaurant areas there's no further danger and no explosive devices. But we're going to look and find out exactly how those two terrorists made their way inside Central Tel Aviv area. And the investigation is continuing and operations are continuing still around where we are.
GORANI: So just to recap for our viewers around the world, nine people were injured in a shoot-out outside a popular market in Tel Aviv. We understand that shots were fired. But, Micky Rosenfeld, what you're saying is that authorities and forces there are sweeping the area to make sure there are no explosives. Is that correct?
ROSENFELD: That's correct inside the restaurant area. We're still making sure that there is no explosive devices. Our bomb disposal experts are searching the area.
We have concerned until -- I'm talking about just 45 minutes after the attack and shots were fired and people are being taken to hospital. The area is still cordoned off. And we have asked, requested for members of the public to stay away from the area until the police operation there is concluded.
GORANI: And the two individuals you're saying who are suspected of carried out this attack, one was shot, but you're not sure of his condition. What about the other one; is he in custody?
ROSENFELD: The other suspect is being held and being questioned now having -- how they and how he made their way into that area.
Still the side area, the streets are still cordoned off, and our main emphasis to make sure at the moment in terms of the members of public that are in and around the area, that there's no immediate danger. And that's why we're still swarming and working through the shopping area to make sure that there's no further terrorists in the area.
GORANI: I was going to ask you, any more suspects? Any more people you believe on the loose at this stage, as we continue, by the way, to watch live coverage from Channel 2 in Israel here? Any more suspects?
ROSENFELD: All of our emergency services are still here at the scene and all of the hospitals around the Tel Aviv area are still being opened up.
But there was no specific warnings that we had of a terrorist attack that was going to take place this evening. There was no real information that we had received. And, therefore, the rapid response of the police officer in the area was critical and vital, although, of course, it took approximately about a minute until the first units were on the scene.
And that's why there were so many individuals that were shot, nine people altogether.
GORANI: All right, nine people, but no fatalities, but five in serious condition in Tel Aviv taken to hospital. Is that the casualty toll so far, nine injured?
ROSENFELD: Those are the numbers we have until now. We're working together with different emergency services in order to make sure that there are no further injuries, and no further people being taken to the hospital.
We're still focusing on making sure that the area, there's no immediate danger. And once that stage will be over, then we will go into a deep investigation as to find out what the identity of those terrorists are, where they came in from, if they possibly came in from the (INAUDIBLE) area, the West Bank area, or if they worked in the area and they were familiar with the area. That's something that is all going to be investigated.
GORANI: All right, Micky Rosenfeld is the spokesperson there for police forces joining us from Tel Aviv.
If you could hold on and hopefully we can get back to you once you have more information.
Oren Liebermann is in Jerusalem, and he joins us now as well with the very latest.
What more can you tell us here? We understood from Micky Rosenfeld here nine individuals injured in this shoot-out, Micky Rosenfeld saying perhaps -- they are sweeping the area. Hopefully, there are no explosives or other devices, but that this was a gun attack. Is that what you're herring?
[15:20:02]
OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, a mass shooting.
We just got the latest update from another police spokesman who says there are at least two attackers who are neutralized. Now, that can mean they were either captured or shot and killed. And they are still searching for one.
So, as of right now, it appears there are a total of three attackers that opened fire in two incidents or two shooting incidents very close to each other right at a popular open-air almost market right in the center of Tel Aviv called the Sarona Market, a very popular place, especially at night there. There would have been a lot of people there at this hour.
Police say at 9:30, they got the first reports of a shooting and just a few minutes later they got a second report. That's when they got to the area and found those nine people injured, one critically, at least two seriously and a number of others. Police and first-responders say they are also treating a number of people for shock at this time.
GORANI: And this was really less than an hour ago, because currently it's 10:20 in Tel Aviv. Right?
LIEBERMANN: Right. This all moved very quickly.
We got the alert and we started getting the number of injured very quickly, and, again, that latest update, that they're now -- it appears that the latest information is that there have been three attackers. Two were neutralized. They are still searching for one, the attack happening right in the center of Tel Aviv on a Wednesday night, a beautiful night out here.
It would have been a very busy place that the shooting happened. Incidentally, it's also right next to the Ministry of Defense headquarters in the center of the city.
GORANI: So, right next to the Ministry of Defense.
Now, Oren, three attackers, three suspects in this particular case, two -- quote -- "neutralized," according to Micky Rosenfeld. One was shot. Not sure what condition he's in, another in custody and being questioned and potentially a third on the loose, so, presumably people still very nervous there in Tel Aviv.
LIEBERMANN: Yes. Tel Aviv, is -- you know, we have seen a lot of attacks over the last few months, more than six months at this point, although they have certainly quieted down over the last two or three months.
Tel Aviv has for the most part been isolated from these attacks -- or insulated, I should say, not to say that it hasn't seen the attacks, but not many and they have been far apart. This is another one of those. This is a very significant attack certainly, nine injured, one critically, a number of others seriously injured, so, people absolutely on edge tonight in Tel Aviv.
GORANI: So you mentioned the Sarona Market. This is a very busy, bustling place in Tel Aviv, for people who aren't familiar with it.
Micky Rosenfeld, if you're still on the line and can hear me, our Oren Liebermann from Jerusalem spoke to a police source who indicated potentially a third suspect. Is that what you're hearing?
ROSENFELD: What we have confirmed until now is the two suspects that we had and that are being arrested at the scene are being questioned. We have one that was already apprehended.
The second one, I'm not sure what his condition is. That's what I know in the moment until now in terms of what took place outside the central area where the shops and restaurants are. As I said, our counterterrorist units are still inside the shopping mall area, making sure that there are no further suspects.
It's not clear and we haven't canceled out that there are no further suspects, but what we do know until now and what we're emphasizing is we're searching the area to make sure there's no explosive devices in and around that area which could be a major threat both for officers or members of the public.
That's why at the moment the area is still cordoned off for and approximately half-a-mile in each direction. And only emergency services and counterterrorist units and special patrol units are still working at the scene. As far as we're concerned, that -- the terrorist attack is still not fully over, and, therefore, we have to cancel out the possibility of any further terrorists.
Until now, we have confirmed two, and we're still continuing to work in the area.
GORANI: And can you tell us what kind of weapons you understand were used? With nine people shot, presumably, these were high caliber assault rifles? Or do you know? Can you confirm that?
ROSENFELD: That's something that's still being investigated at the moment.
If we connect to what we have and we know in terms of intelligence, there was no specific warnings that we had received. We are going to be looking to see exactly where those weapons came in from, where those suspects came in from, whether they were familiar with the area, the Tel Aviv area.
That's something that's also very important in terms of how the attack took place, whether it was planned ahead of time or whether it was carried out sporadically when those two suspects as far as we know got hold of those weapons. It's all something which is being looked into.
Our main emphasis, and it's important to differentiate, our main emphasis at the moment is to make sure that there's no further incidents and that we have cleared out the area and there's no further danger. Once we have completed that, then we will move to the next phase, which is, of course, the investigation.
And at the same time, I can also confirm that if we know that those terrorists came in from the West Bank area, no doubt there will be police and IDF operations that will take place almost immediately in order to probably look and find suspects from those areas as well.
GORANI: That's not something that you have confirmed so far is what you're saying? You have not confirmed that I.D. You don't have a confirmed I.D.
(CROSSTALK)
ROSENFELD: ... yet, but normally, and what we're familiar with and what we do is we will make sure that we get to the different areas where those suspects have left from.
[15:25:07]
Over the last couple of months, the situation has been relatively quite in terms of the number of attacks. There's been a decrease in the number of attacks that have taken place. We only dealt with knife attacks, and obviously this evening is something that we are going to have to be looking into as to the behavior of those terrorists, how they carried out the attack.
And, of course, as far as we're concerned, heightened security is continuing at the moment where we are.
GORANI: And this is, as our Oren Liebermann was telling us, this is -- I mean, Tel Aviv is not -- it's been insulated. You have mentioned yourself that there was a period of quiet.
Unfortunately, this terrible attack happened, injuring nine people, but this is something that you haven't dealt with in a while, right, something -- you have had the knife attacks, and in this particular case this is not something that you said you had any intelligence pointing toward.
ROSENFELD: The last shooting attack took place in Tel Aviv, it was months ago. It's been very quite and there haven't been any major attacks. We dealt with only knife attacks.
I think that obviously we will have to step up security in and around the different areas, both in Tel Aviv, both in Jerusalem, and, of course, prevent any further terrorist attacks. It's also going to be necessary for intelligence circles to look and find where those terrorists came in from, how they got ahold of the weapons.
That's part of the fire investigation. This is not, unfortunately, the first attack that's taken place, but, of course, our units will be working on that throughout this evening.
GORANI: All right. And, Micky Rosenfeld, I just want to tell our views that the Israeli Defense Forces, the Israeli military has tweeted out actually, and I'm reading this for the first time, that they have confirmed there at least one fatality in Tel Aviv shooting attack.
So, unfortunately, there's some -- some bad news there in terms of the actual toll itself, one fatality. That would mean eight injured, several people in serious condition.
And all -- has that area been -- and we will get back to Micky Rosenfeld in a moment, just if you could stand by.
Phil Black, I understand, is joining us as well. He's in Jerusalem.
Phil, tell us about this particular neighborhood of Tel Aviv, because this would be a very busy area on a Wednesday night, 9:30 p.m. Tell us about the environment there where this attack unfolded.
PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Hala, it's an area that is all about people enjoying themselves.
It's a market area, essentially. But it's about restaurants, entertainment and, as I know we have been talking about on air this evening so far, it's an area where on sort of a beautiful, lovely, Israeli evening like tonight, it's where people go to enjoy themselves, socialize, eat, drink, that sort of thing.
So it is that classic soft terror target in a sense, and you're right. What we're hearing from the hospital in Tel Aviv is that one of those people has been killed, so at least one fatality as a result. The initial reports said that there were nine injured, one critical.
We presume that one of these people have now died, so eight people injured. So far, as you have been hearing from the police there, two suspects involved in the shooting have been neutralized. And although from the police spokesman you're hearing there they are only confirming two at this point, we're hearing from another police source that there is a third person that they are looking for as well.
So, at the moment, two shooting suspects have been neutralized. It seems that nine innocent people in total killed and, of those, so far, one of them has died a result of the injuries, Hala.
GORANI: Right, because Micky Rosenfeld, who is a spokesman for police services there, is saying two that they know of, both apprehended, one injured, shot, not sure what the second suspect's condition is, but potentially that a third attacker may be on the loose in this case because not apprehended.
And just to recap, it's nine people injured, but it appears as though one of those individuals was killed.
Tell us a little bit more about the potential third attacker and what you're hearing from that police source.
BLACK: Just one further update that I'm just being told in my ear as we speak, Hala. The number of people who have died as a result of this attack is now three.
So, three people have been killed as a result of this shooting in this market area in Central Tel Aviv at the Sarona Market, a busy entertainment area, very busy at this time on a Wednesday evening. At least two gunmen have been involved in this attack.
As I say, we believe there could be a third that the police are looking for, but, at this point, we're certainly sure that they have confirmed two of those attackers have been neutralized, and as a result -- this is the latest information that we have just received.
And that is that, in total, three people so far have died as a result of injuries sustained during this attack. So, to keep the overall context of the extent of the injuries here, remember, we were told that nine were injured initially, one of them critical. The latest update since then is that three of those people have now died, Hala.
