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Report: Trump Loyalists Don't Want Romney as Sec'y of State; Cruz Says Pitchforks and Torches If No Change From GOP; Trump Willing to Roll Back Thaw with Cuba; General Petraeus Under Consideration for Sec'y Of State; Judge Allows Defendant Who Killed Nine People to Defend Self. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired November 28, 2016 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00] BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Hilary are you going to join us?

HILARY ROSEN, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, it is theater, let's be clear. And he Donald Trump is the one who's dictated the theater. In fact, he's tweeted last week, I have lots of finalists but only I know who's going to be the winner. You know, it is theater. And it is a little embarrassing and beneath the office and I think that what we have with these Trump loyalists is that there is this constant desire to try and be the last person who speaks in public because we know how influenced Trump is by the media, by the voices around him.

And so, you learn over the course of the year, when you deal with Trump, that being that last voice in his ear actually matters. And he does pay a huge amount of attention to the media and to what people are saying on the outside. I don't think he has a real view internally, a mind set about the best way to go. After all, this wasn't exhibited any time during the campaign.

BALDWIN: Let me -- before I let you go, I wanted to get to some sound from a Trump friend, then foe, and now potential pick. We saw him at Trump tower recently. Senator Ted Cruz. He was on "ABC This Week" and was asked about Trump's agenda. Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Since his election, Mr. Trump has changed his tune on some of those issues. He said he wants to keep certain provisions of Obamacare instead of repealing and replacing the whole law, that mankind may be causing climate change and he's open to abiding by the Paris accord and same-sex marriage is settled law, that he would not try to have the supreme court overturn. Do those changes in his tone concern you?

[15:35:00] TED CRUZ, SENATOR, TEXAS: Listen, what I'm going to work to do every day is to try to work closely with the new President, with the new colleagues in Congress to deliver on what we promised. I got to say, if we don't, if we're given the White House and both houses of Congress and we don't deliver I think there will be pitch forks and torches in the streets. And I think quite rightly. I think people are so fed up with Washington.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Pitchforks and torches, Rick. Let me come to you for this. Majority in both houses, how will Republicans get it right? This is a golden opportunity for them.

RICK WILSON, FORMER STRATEGIST, GIULIANI'S 2000 SENATE CAMPAIGN: Well, look, the Trump folks actually believe there's going to be a giant wall from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean. They actually believe he's going to completely blow out Obamacare tomorrow. They actually believe he's going to perform this economic miracle or we become a coal mining, steel melting country again. All of these folks are setting themselves up for a tremendous disappointment when Donald Trump gets to D.C. and Ted Cruz is probably -- Ted Cruz is the Lucy of the situation.

Donald Trump has yanked the football on this poor guy so many times it's astounding. And I feel for the guy who thinks he is going to be able to deal with somebody who doesn't govern and doesn't lead from principle he leads from impulse and ego. So, I think a lot of these things Trump is changing his mind on or that he's walking back are going to be very sore points for a lot of people who believed in him.

There will always be a core of folks who believe Donald Trump created the heavens and earth and on the seventh day he rested. But this is -- most of these people will be disappointed there' not a gazillion foot tall wall and we're not sending back millions in train cars to Mexico. They're hearts will be broken by this guy. The con game is done for Trump. He's won the goal of the con game but the victims will keep paying the price. I think a lot of those they'll pay the price on is the differential between rhetoric and reality when Donald Trump gets to Washington.

BALDWIN: At least, Hilary Rosen, you know, Rick's point is well taken for the hard-line Donald Trump supporters who believed and took what he said literally but for the Democrats on Capitol Hill, is the fact that perhaps he may be moving more toward the middle encouraging for them?

ROSEN: Look, the idea that the Republicans are now in charge of the White House, the house, the Senate and the supreme court is frightening to a significant portion of this country. And I would hope, actually, and I say this in all seriousness, I would hope that President-elect and President Trump, when he is there, recognizes that a majority of the country did not support him and that dictates kind of a moderating of his policies.

He was not elected by a majority of this country to start throwing people out and taking rights away. And so, I do hope in some small way, whatever possible way, he is a block between a right-wing Republican-controlled Congress and the rest of America's personal and civil rights.

BALDWIN: Hilary and Rick and Joe, thank you. Very much for the conversation.

Coming up next, an American who spent five years in a Cuban prison reacts to the death of Fidel Castro. Alan Gross, see his response on how the U.S. should move forward with relations with Cuba.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: President-elect Donald Trump issued a threat to Cuba and to President Obama's push to normalize relations with the communist nation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: Cuba is unwilling to make a better deal for the Cuban people, the Cuban American people and the U.S. as a whole, I will terminate the deal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: This as comparisons are being made between how Trump, President Obama, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded to the death.

Both Obama and Trudeau avoided criticizing the regime or mentioning its history of brutality and the Canadian prime minister specifically took it a step further by calling Castro a, quote/unquote, "remarkable leader". Allen gross, former aid worker imprisoned in Cuba for five years. Welcome.

ALAN GROSS, AMERICAN HELD IN CUBAN PRISON 5 YEARS: Thank you so much, Brooke.

BALDWIN: My goodness, so, you get out just this weekend, you are with your family in Portland, Oregon, celebrating Thanksgiving, when you find out Fidel Castro dies. How did you respond?

GROSS: Well, I can tell you that I didn't celebrate his death. I don't celebrate death. I celebrate life. And in the case of Fidel Castro, there was nothing for me to celebrate. I just -- wasn't unhappy he had died. It wasn't a surprise to me. But I know how many people have suffered under his rule and the system that he established in Cuba. 11.3 million people even today are suffering the effects of Fidel Castro. There's no life of his that I care to celebrate.

BALDWIN: To hear the responses, you know, both from President Obama and Prime Minister Trudeau, I mean, some of that has been criticized in recent days. You know critics calling them too polite. Do you agree with the response as appropriate or would you have liked to have had more harsh language?

[15:40:00] GROSS: Well, Prime Minister Trudeau, I think, went a little overboard in his praise of Fidel Castro, but he, like Barack Obama, is a head of state. Barack Obama is a head of state. They responded to the passing of a former head of state with, I believe, the -- certainly in Obama's case, the appropriate level of measure in his response. On the other hand, the President-elect is not yet a head of state. And he didn't respond as one.

BALDWIN: Well, we did hear from Reince Priebus, who is the incoming chief of staff who says Trump is absolutely, quote, "absolutely willing to end the thaw in relations with Cuba." This is what Reince Priebus told Fox.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REINCE PRIEBUS, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: We're not going to have a unilateral deal coming from Cuba back to the United States without some changes in their government. Repression, open markets, freedom of religion, political prisons. These things need to change in order to have open and free relationships.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Just given what you know, what you yourself experienced in Cuba, what do you hope to see as far as U.S.-Cuba relations under a Trump administration?

GROSS: I hope members of Congress and the incoming president learn a few things about Cuba before they start deciding how to treat the new policy environment.

BALDWIN: Like what?

GROSS: Well, the fact of the matter is after President Obama ease some restrictions on remittances in the first year of his first term, the government of Cuba eased some restrictions on the private sector. Then there was a spike in remittances. The government further eased restrictions on the private sector by allowing nonfamily employment. Workforce in Cuba works in the private sector.

More than 500,000 people are no longer dependent on the government of Cuba for their livelihoods. They make more. And more on a monthly basis than the per capita average. Now, isn't that what we in the United States want? What's happening, baby steps, albeit, what's happening is the government of Cuba started taking baby steps in getting out of the way of the private sector. Well, if they're going to do that, we should do it, too.

We should lift the embargo, at the very least, on the private sector. Once the embargo is lifted, that will place enormous pressure on the government of Cuba to modify its M.O., which is terrible. I'm the first one in line to say, yes, I know how repressive they can be. And I want -- look, I've had the Cuban American experience. I'm Cuban American now. I want someone from Congress to tell me how things are in Cuba when they've never even been there before.

BALDWIN: Let us know when they do. You're right, they should. Final quick question, we know that that first -- we know that first flight, Alan, left U.S. to Havana in 50 years was completed. Can you wrap your head around the idea that this place that imprisoned you for five years could soon become the place to go for American tourists?

GROSS: Well, it could be the place to go for American tourists and other tourists as well, students from the United States and other students as well, for medical procedures and treatments from the U.S. as well as other countries as well. The fact of the matter is, the government of Cuba has made it very difficult for anyone to invest.

BALDWIN: Forgive me, Alan, I have to pull away.

General David Petraeus at Trump tower, being considered for secretary of state. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[15:45:00] GENERAL PETRAEUS, FORMER DIRECTOR, CIA: Variety of challenges that are out there and some opportunities as well. So, very good conversation. We'll see where it goes from here. We'll see where it goes from here. I've got to teach this afternoon, so that's all I can do today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Very quickly, we caught him at the microphones in the lobby of Trump tower. You heard him have to leave to go teach, General Petraeus, former CIA head being considered for secretary of state. All we know is the meeting went well. He met with Trump today. Tomorrow Governor Romney will be at Trump tower and senator Bob Corker will be at Trump tower as well. Quick break

[15:50:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: We those cameras inside Trump tower for a reason there. This is General Petraeus just leaving moments ago from his meeting with the President-elect. He said just very briefly, and the microphones caught it, that the meeting went pretty well. He is up for the secretary of state post as is governor Mitt Romney, with Senator Bob Corker. He is a Republican, Senator Corker, from Tennessee. He was in the running as Trump's running mate during the campaign. We hear that Trump requested this meeting with Senator Corker. Or do you know?

MANU RAJU: He's clearly in the mix, Bob Corker is, being he's Senate foreign relations committee chairman. He and Donald Trump have not spoken face to face since the summer when he was under consideration to be Donald Trump's running mate. The two did speak on election night, I am told, and there were some staff-level conversations, but really the focus has been on Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani and others. Now that he's meeting Bob Corker tomorrow morning, he's taking the possibility of Bob Corker very seriously.

And he's also taking Mitt Romney seriously. Mitt Romney has been criticized by Kellyanne Conway, people who are close to Donald Trump, but Romney has some loyalists on capitol hill. I just spoke with Hatch a former senior Republican, friend of Mitt Romney. He said Donald Trump should have nothing to worry about if he picks Romney for secretary of state.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ORRIN HATCH, SENATOR, UTAH: I know one thing about Mitt Romney. If he says that he's going to respect the legislation, he's going to be loyal and he's someone who will carry the ball for them. That's one of his great attributes, we'll just have to see what happens, but there's going to be some criticism because he was not exactly an overt supporter of Trump. But he's one of the great people in this country, he's one of the really fine minds. He won't do it if he can't support Trump.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: He stressed the fact that Romney would be loyal to Donald Trump, something some people, have questioned. If Bob Corker would get the nomination, both of them probably easily confirmed. It may not be the same case for Rudy Giuliani.

BALDWIN: Speaking of royalty or not, let's talk about Democrats on Capitol Hill. We know leader Pelosi wants to hang onto her spot. But how serious is the challenge, do you think?

RAJU: Well, Tim Ryan, the Ohio Democratic Congressman, is mounting a challenge. He's got an uphill bid. She has deep support within her caucus, but she also recognizes that a lot of folks are nervous about the way forward. She has proposed some changes to the leadership structure that would give voices to younger, newer member but as she's done that, she's also angered some of the veteran members.

One of the members of the caucus criticized her proposed changes, and in a statement today, Tim Ryan said Pelosi was trying to, quote, strengthen her power within the caucus to consolidate her power. Something that she refutes of course but a sign there is a challenge. There is pressure coming from all sides as she faces that secret ballot election. Since it's secret, Brooke, people can vote their conscience.

BALDWIN: Thank you so much on The Hill this Monday afternoon.

Next, six mosques receive the same hateful letter calling Muslims a, quote, unquote, vile and filthy people, wanting them to leave this country. Why? What are police saying about this investigation? Stay here.

[15:55:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: The young man accused of killing nine people will represent himself in court. The judge ruled he can serve as his own counsel. However, the judge said this decision is strategically unwise. The suspect's attorney will remain on the case to advise him. It was June of last year when he walked into this historically black Emmanuel Baptist church and is accused of killing nine members of a bible study group who welcomed him in that room with open arms and killed him as their eyes were closed in prayer.

The FBI is joining an investigation on a letter sent to mosques in Georgia. The handwritten letters were sent to six Islamic centers in the last couple days, five in California, one in savannah, Georgia. The terrorizing notes refer to Satan, and that he will do to Muslims what Hitler did to the Jews. An anonymous group called Americans for a Better Way signed these letters.

Moments ago, we joined a press conference with members of law enforcement and members of the community in southern California. They said they believe the letters are likely connected. They will work together to track down and prosecute whoever is responsible.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL DOWNING, DEPUTY CHIEF, LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT: We take it very seriously. A hate crime is considered as serious as a homicide to us, and we will pull out all the stops to investigate those and to stop it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: According to the Council of Islamic Relations, more than 100 anti-Muslim incidents have happened since election day. I'm Brooke Baldwin. Thanks for being with me.