Return to Transcripts main page
New Day
Donald Trump Campaigns in California; Bernie Sanders Vows to Continue Presidential Campaign into Democratic Convention; Interview with Bernie Sanders' Wife Jane Sanders; Violent Protests Erupt At Donald Trump Rally; Trump, Cruz And Kasich To Speak At California GOP Convention.. Aired 8-8:30a ET
Aired April 29, 2016 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[08:00:00] PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Donald Trump's advisers believe that California will be the contest that pushes the candidate over the top in the fight for the Republican nomination. The state's 172 delegates ARE so important that Trump was willing to leave the crucial state of Indiana to try to lock in the support out west. But California is large. It is politically complicated, particularly when it comes to Trump's central campaign issue -- immigration. That means while there were thousands of supporters outside and inside Trump's event last night, there were also hundreds of protests. Those protesters turned violent.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTINGLY: Chaos breaking out outside of a California Donald Trump rally last night. With hundreds of protesters taking to the streets, clashing with drivers, smashing windows, and attempting to roll over cars, facing off with Trump supporters. This fight leaving this Trump fan bloodied and bandaged. Police on horseback struggling to contain the demonstrators.
DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're going to win, win, win!
(APPLAUSE)
MATTINGLY: Inside, Donald Trump riling up a massive crowd.
TRUMP: Look at the size of this place.
(APPLAUSE)
MATTINGLY: Taking aim at his rivals.
TRUMP: Lyin' Ted Cruz, we know lyin' Ted, right?
(BOOS)
TRUMP: Crooked as you could be. Crooked Hillary.
You ever see a guy eat like him?
MATTINGLY: And keeping his eye on next Tuesday's high stakes primary in Indiana.
TRUMP: The big poll is on Tuesday in Indiana, but I was all over the state with Bobby Knight, and I love Bobby Knight and they love Bobby Knight, and let's see what happens.
MATTINGLY: Indiana's biggest paper blasting Trump on Thursday, calling the GOP frontrunner, quote "a danger to the United States and to the world."
SEN. TED CRUZ, (R-TX) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Whatever is necessary --
MATTINGLY: As millions of dollars and dozens of ads continue to flood the state, Ted Cruz mincing no words on his view of the high stakes there.
CRUZ: It is the common sense and good judgment of the Hoosier state that is the one thing that stands between us and plunging over the cliff.
MATTINGLY: Even as top GOP figures start warming to the idea of Trump as the nominee.
SEN. BOB CORKER, (R) TENNESSEE: Generally speaking, I like what he had to say.
MATTINGLY: This, as former House speaker John Boehner condemned main rival, Ted Cruz, at a college forum with the harshest words yet.
REP. JOHN BOEHNER, (R)FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER: Lucifer in the flesh. I get along with almost everybody. But I have never worked with a more miserable son of a --
(LAUGHTER)
MATTINGLY: Cruz, firing back, using Boehner's disdain to try to bolster his case.
CRUZ: If you're happy with John Boehner as speaker of the House and you want a president like John Boehner, Donald Trump is your man.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MATTINGLY: A wild day on the campaign trail. And all coming as serious questions being raised about that agreement between John Kasich and Ted Cruz that was supposed to boost Cruz in Indiana. Main question, what agreement? Cruz yesterday saying there was no alliance, that coming a few days after Kasich more or less said the same. Donald Trump already this morning seizing on those comments in a tweet, "Wow, the ridiculous deal made between lyin' Ted Cruz and one for 42 John Kasich has blown up. What a dumb deal, dead on arrival." Michaela, aides for both campaigns say that deal does still exist and they do hope it boosts Cruz in that crucial state of Indiana. But yes, at least publicly, not necessarily playing out how some of the top advisers had envisioned it. MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, that's always interesting to see
when there is dissension even within their own ranks. Phil, thanks so much.
Let's look on the Democratic side. Hillary Clinton on the cusp of the Democratic nomination, looking past primary season ahead to the general election fight. Bernie Sanders may be down, but his wife is predicting a comeback. Jane Sanders joins us live in just minutes.
But first, Athena Jones is in Washington with more on all of this. Hi, Athena.
ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Michaela. Well, Bernie Sanders got some unsolicited advice from his only supporter in the Senate, Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley, who said yesterday Sanders should end his campaign if he is still losing to Hillary Clinton in June. Merkley said Sanders should follow the example that Clinton herself set back in 2008 when she bowed out in June and pledged her support to then Senator Obama in the interest of uniting the party. But as you say, Sanders has vowed to take this fight all the way to the convention, and last night in Oregon he pushed the electability argument, saying he is a better choice to defeat Trump. Here is what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I hope that delegates going to the Democratic convention pay heed to this. In every national poll done in the last month we are defeating Donald Trump by much greater margins than Hillary Clinton.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JONES: Now we've heard this argument before from Sanders, so we'll see how effective it is. But what we've seen in recent days from Sanders that's new is that he is spending more time talking about pushing a progressive agenda at the convention in Philadelphia and less time attacking Clinton.
[08:05:06] Sanders keeps saying that he's going to stay in this race to win, but he said if he doesn't win outright, he wants to at least win enough delegates to have an influence on the Democratic party's platform to make it the strongest, most progressive agenda of any political party has ever seen. Those are his words. Meanwhile, Clinton, of course, is back on the campaign trail today, speaking to at-risk youth in New York. Alisyn?
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: OK, Athena, we'll be asking Bernie Sanders' wife Jane about all of that momentarily. Thanks so much for the reporting.
In other news, crews in Guatemala frantically searching through a garbage dump looking for any sign of life. At least four people killed in a massive trash slide on Thursday. Authorities say recent rain in the region may have triggered the slide and at least 1,000 people working in the area have been urged to evacuate. CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: The Senate approving an omnibus veteran's
affairs bill that makes no cuts to the G.I. bill. Lawmakers says the Veterans First Act expands programs without paying for them at the expense of others, including the housing alliance for children going to college on a parent's G.I. Bill. But a source tells Military.com that the Senate Bill would reduce the annual increase to that housing allowance in the post 9/11 G.I. bill by one percent for five years even for veterans.
PEREIRA: Ronald Reagan's daughter Patti Davis delivering a message to actor Will Ferrell, Alzheimer's is not joke after hearing that Ferrell is set to play her late father in an upcoming comedy. Davis has an open letter to Ferrell that says in part, quote, "Alzheimer's doesn't care if you're president of the United States or a dockworker. It steals what is most precious to a human being." Patti Davis says that includes memories, connections, and the comfort of loved ones.
CAMEROTA: OK, let's lighten it up a little bit. The punch lines keep rolling in when it comes to the presidential candidates. Here are your late night laughs.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMY FALLON, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": Donald Trump mispronounced Tanzania and called it Tanzania. Then Melania said, "That's nothing, my name is actually Catherine."
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Exit polls from Tuesday's primaries show Donald Trump won about 50 percent of Republican voters with college degrees. Well, technically they have college degrees.
(LAUGHTER)
STEPHEN COLBERT, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": The House of Representatives voted to name the bison America's national mammal. Last time I checked, humans are mammals as well. For Pete's sake, four out of five of the presidential candidates are mammals.
(LAUGHTER)
COLBERT: One of them may be a space lizard in a convincing costume. I'm not going to say which one. Ted Cruz.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CUOMO: That was a shocker.
PEREIRA: Those guys are so funny. They crack me up.
CAMEROTA: What are they going to do when the election is over? What material will they go back to?
CUOMO: The way it is shaping up now, they'll be laughing at the next administration.
PEREIRA: The administration and the battles between Congress.
CAMEROTA: It's hard to imagine it will ever be over, honestly.
All right, we do want to talk about the election with our special guest Jane Sanders, wife of Bernie, who also serves as a political advisor to the senator's campaign. Good morning, Jane.
JANE SANDERS, SEN. BERNIE SANDERS WIFE: Good morning, Alisyn.
CAMEROTA: Thanks so much for being on NEW DAY. Let's talk about the mindset of Bernie Sanders' campaign right now, because we're hearing mixed messages from his surrogates. Is the effort right now to win the nomination, or is it to be a party influencer?
JANE SANDERS: I think it's both. And it's also to build a political revolution. As Bernie has said right from the day he announced, it is not enough to elect a president. We need to have a movement. We need to have people outside to be talking about the issues and pushing the Congress and supporting the president in making those changes.
So we're moving forward, and in March, in March, you remember, after a string of losses, everybody was writing his political obituary, and then he won about eight in a row. And then, you know, so we lost some just recently because they were closed primaries. Going forward, they're open primaries. And the states look better. I think we'll be seeing momentum again.
CAMEROTA: And I know that you are his biggest champion and that hope springs eternal, but you know, the math is complicated. Let me show you. Bernie Sanders would need 97 percent of all the upcoming delegates in order to best --
JANE SANDERS: That's not accurate.
CAMEROTA: Tell me what is.
JANE SANDERS: That's not accurate. I mean, if you look at the super delegates, that's part of it. That's not accurate. So I'm not going to get into a mathematical discussion.
[08:10:00] I will tell you that he has made a commitment to the people of the United States. He is won 9 million votes, and he hasn't had -- a lot of people haven't been able to vote for him because it's been a closed primary system.
At this point, we have ten more states to go. We need to allow every voter the chance to select their candidate, and also to speak out about the agenda they want. Those two things are together. It's not influencing. It's -- with Bernie, it's always been and always will be about the issues. Let's talk about higher minimum wage. Let's stop fracking. Let's deal with climate change. Let's have criminal justice reform. Let's deal with immigration reform. So he is talking about those issues and he is reaching out to people, and everybody in the United States, 10 votes, 10 states to go, needs to have an option to weigh in.
CAMEROTA: And in terms of the strategy, since we won't get bogged down with the math, is part of it to reach out and win over the super delegates?
JANE SANDERS: At the end, at the end, you know, we're not calling super delegates and saying, will you switch your vote? Our thinking is that super delegates, a lot of them are elected officials. They came on with Secretary Clinton before Bernie was even in the race. It was a given that she was going to be the candidate. And we think they're smart people and they're going to see at the end, if he has got the momentum, if he has got the delegates neck and neck, even above Secretary Clinton, and that's possible, then they will be looking at the general election and saying, who is the stronger candidate against the Republican nominee?
So that has been for the last three months every poll has shown that Bernie does better against all the Republicans. Secretary Clinton wins against two of them and loses against one of them. So -- and in the middle of all of this, I mean, this is a crazy year, Alisyn, as you know, you report on it every day.
CAMEROTA: You said it.
JANE SANDERS: So anything can happen in politics. And the convention is after the Republican convention. I don't know what's going to happen there.
CAMEROTA: Yes, anything can happen. I mean, this is it a topsy-turvy election, if nothing else. But if Bernie does not win the nomination, what role does he want in the Democratic Party or the future administration?
JANE SANDERS: Well, he already is a leader in the Senate. I mean, he has been elected by his peers to head up the veterans committee first and now to lead the opposition as the head of the budget committee.
Now, our hope is that after November, and if Bernie is the candidate, I think it definitely will happen, the Senate will be taken back by the Democrats. So he would, of course, continue on not as ranking member, but as chairman for one of the committees, and work in a leadership position there.
But more importantly, he will be working with the people outside, the millions and millions of people that have been supporting the direction that he wants to take this country and working with them to make sure that we address the issues that he speaks so passionately about.
CAMEROTA: I want to ask you about this new line of attack that Donald Trump has begun using against Hillary Clinton where he says she is playing the woman card. What do you think of that?
JANE SANDERS: I think it's ridiculous. Is he playing the man card? He certainly seems to be in the attitude of men are gruff, you know. I mean, he is being so sexist. He wouldn't accept it if somebody did that to him, which I did as an example. No, it's -- he does attack powerful women, intelligent women, and it's not going to get him anywhere. He already has that base.
CAMEROTA: Jane, you know what is so interesting is that the Trump supporters and surrogates that we've had on here say he is using the line of attack based on a moment that involved your husband and Hillary Clinton. They exchanged words during a debate, and they say that's where this came from. This was the genesis of it. Let me just play you this exchange for a moment. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BERNIE SANDERS, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: As a senator from a rural state, what I can tell Secretary Clinton that all the shouting in the world is not going to do what I would hope all of us want.
HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have been told to stop and I quote, "shouting about gun violence." Well, first of all, I'm not shouting. It's just when women talk, some people think we're shouting.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CAMEROTA: Jane, is she playing the woman card?
JANE SANDERS: I couldn't see the clip, but I have seen them, and the debate, he wasn't talking about her shouting. And she knew that.
[08:15:00] And every reporter since has said that is not what he was saying. He said it over and over again on the stump saying, we have to deal with gun violence.
CAMEROTA: Right.
JANE SANDERS: We have to stop shouting at each other.
CAMEROTA: That's right. He used that over and over again. So when she says that calling shouting is like, you know, a dog whistle for a sexist term, was she playing the woman card?
JANE SANDERS: You know, I'm not going to get into that. The fact is that everybody uses different strategies. I don't agree with some of Secretary Clinton's stands or strategies. I'm not going to comment on those, though.
We are here to talk about the issues. If you want to talk about the fact that we need an open electoral process like Vermont just did yesterday, where you can sign up for any state I.D., your driver's license or anything else, and unless you opt out, you're registered to vote.
You know, things like that, let's talk about that. I'm not going to comment on his opponent's strategies or stance.
CAMEROTA: Got it. You have made that your cause and you are singing it loud and clear. Jane Sanders, we always appreciate you being on. Thanks so much.
JANE SANDERS: Thanks for having me, Alisyn. And Michaela, good look with your future.
PEREIRA: Jane, thank you so much. That's so wonderful of you to say. Thank you.
CUOMO: Jane, that's so wonderful.
PEREIRA: Look at you.
CAMEROTA: I know. The gracious, our gracious guest sends off Michaela.
CUOMO: I love Jane Sanders, you know why, loyal. That's why. Loyal, loyal, loyal.
PEREIRA: Thanks, Chris.
CUOMO: She is not going to run away from a campaign. She is not running away. Sure, she is her husband. That's not what it is about. Loyal, Jane Sanders. People may not agree with the views, but they respect the loyalty.
PEREIRA: Take a break, Chris Cuomo.
CUOMO: Jane Sanders, not a quitter unlike other people sitting to my left. All right, we are giving you some serious news this morning that needs evaluation. What happened outside this Trump rally in Southern California?
It really seems to be a matter of perspective. It seems to be clearly what was supposed to be a protest turned into a riot. But why? Some people see what the problem is very differently. We're going to speak with the chairman of the California GOP next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:26:02]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You know what we're doing to Cruz and Kasich? It is a rigged system, crooked as hell. The only way you win, the big fat numbers when even the rigged system can't change the outcome OK. Can't change it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CUOMO: You hear that, crowd. Donald Trump was playing to a massive show of supporters at a rally in Southern California. Outside, though, the scene was ugly. It was an anti-Trump protest that turned into a riot.
Meantime today, all three GOP candidates will be in Southern California. They're going to be addressing the California Republican Convention, which kicks off with a Trump speech.
We have Jim Brulte, chairman of the California Republican Party joining us now. You've been chairman for a couple of years, but working in politics and state government for much, much longer.
You understand the state of play. What do you make of what happened outside that Trump rally? Do you see that as some type of popular reaction, negative reaction to Trump, or do you see it as just some kind of outlier violent element?
JIM BRULTE, CHAIRMAN, CALIFORNIA REPUBLICAN PARTY: Well, you know, the fact of the matter is, if you are a Republican running for president in California and you don't get protested, you're doing something really, really wrong.
Every president I've campaigned with here in California has been protested. I haven't had a chance to see the video or even read the news stories about what happened 480 miles away from here.
But there is always an element in our society that doesn't want anyone else's voice to be heard, and that's unfortunate, but it is reality.
CUOMO: What is your take on whether or not Trump can unite your party or is going to be a divider?
BRULTE: You know, I'm required to be neutral. I think no matter who our nominee is, whether it's Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, or John Kasich, our party will be united. We've had tough, hard fought primaries before in the Republican Party and we've been able to come together.
Never under estimate the ability of Hillary Clinton trying to run for Barack Obama's third term to unite the Republicans from all elements of our party. Let me say, look, California is a lot more interesting today.
I'm the chairman of a party where we have delegates and rank and file voters in the state who are used to being at the end of the line for so long, their vote has never counted in a presidential election. The decision has always been made before we got to California.
CUOMO: Not this time.
BRUTLE: Not only are tensions high, not only are tensions higher, I suspect around the state, the excitement level is high among rank and file voters.
CUOMO: Look, that's always good. You want as much participation as possible on both sides. Let me ask you this. The idea of what will matter to the voters in a particular election has we've seen has been uncharacteristically personal. California has real hard issues that the people there are dealing with. What will matter most to people in your state?
BRULTE: You know, what will matter most is how do we turn around what a lot of Republicans and independents and even some moderate Democrats see as eight years of almost malaise. You know, we had the GDP numbers that came out yesterday.
The economy is not growing anywhere near the way it should be here in California. We're still growing jobs, but we're growing jobs that pay $15,000, $20,000, $30,000 a year less than the jobs that are leaving the state.
People are concerned about how do you pay off a $21 trillion deficit. How do we restore prestige and respect for America abroad around the world? It's hard to imagine a time where our enemies didn't respect us and our friends didn't trust us any more, as much as we are today.
CUOMO: So what do you expect when you have the three campaigns there? Do you believe that one is playing to advantage?
[08:25:03]We know that in polling at this point Donald Trump seems to have an advantage. Do you believe that polling is predictive?
BRULTE: Well, I'm, you know, polling is a snapshot in time. It's not predictive. It doesn't look forward. It's reflective. It tends to look backwards. I think every one of the candidates will be competing heavily here in this state. My job is to be neutral.
I tend not to talk about who I think is up or down. But each one of these candidates have a message that resonates with certain elements of the Republican base in California and we're just happy they are here at our convention this week.
We're happy they're showing up in our state to talk directly to our voters. And you know, we'll look forward to seeing them here a lot until June 7th, and then of course, none of the presidential candidates from either party will ever come back to the state, other than to raise money.
CUOMO: Jim Brulte, thank you very much for joining us on NEW DAY today. Appreciate it. Good luck with the convention. We hope there is a lot of participation and positive energy there.
BRULTE: Thanks, Chris.
CUOMO: All right, take care -- Mich.
PEREIRA: All right, so Hillary Clinton is getting back to the business of campaigning today. Looking ahead to the general election and a likely heavyweight matchup with Donald Trump. What can we expect? We'll look at that ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
