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Trump Talks Immigration, Spending, Putin; Plane Science: What Floats, What Doesn't; Candidates Caught Up in "Black Lives Matter"; Toddler Killed I West Bank Attack, Stabbing at Gay Pride Parade. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired July 31, 2015 - 13:30   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[13:30:00] MAX FOSTER, CNN LONDON CORRESPONDENT: They're under Russian control.

DONALD TRUMP, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & CEO, TRUMP GROUP: This is Europe's problem much more so than ours, and Europe isn't complaining as much as we are. But this is more of a Europe problem. And when Europe comes to us and says, "We want your help," but they're not doing that. They're dealing with Russia. They're not doing that! We're making a big deal out of it. But why isn't Germany leading this one? Germany is a rich, very powerful nation. Why aren't they dealing on it more so?

FOSTER: As soon as you got off the helicopter, all the Scottish journalists were bombarding you with questions on immigration.

TRUMP: Yeah. Yeah, they were. Many people have agreed that I was right. And some of the people in that group said yesterday when you were leaving, you were right.

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: Do me a favor, you're now doing like everybody else does, OK? What I said is Mexico is sending -- and that's true. Mexico is sending. People are coming through that border from all over the world. We have a border where you can just walk right into the country. You can't do that. To have a country, you have to have a strong border. You have to have a really strong border. And this has to stop. What's going on now has to stop.

FOSTER: Who will build the wall and how will --

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: I will build the wall and Mexico will pay for it. And they'll be happy to pay for it because Mexico is making so much money from the United States that that will be peanuts. All these other characters say, oh, they won't pay, they won't pay, because they don't know the first thing about how to make it. Trust me. Mexico will pay for it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Strong words again from Donald Trump.

Max is joining live from Scotland.

What was he like over there? Specifically, how were the folks in Scotland and the U.K. in general reacting to him?

FOSTER: Well, it's interesting, I think people do respect him as a businessman. He's done a great amount for this area. The resort behind me employs lots of people. People appreciate that. We've see lots of golf in the country and they do respect his business skills. But when you speak to people beyond that, beyond the business skills of the man and the politics of the man, that's when they start having issues. But they seem to be able to separate the two. But it's interesting speaking to him and how he would sort of tread the world stage. He seems to be saying he wants to build up the U.S. economy, build up U.S. defense, and take that out and use that as a negotiating tool around the world in the way he runs his businesses. He genuinely believe, I think, there's an alternative access developing in the world, which is Russia and China working together because, he says, they hate President Obama and hate America. He wants to build those bridges again and then work with them and not necessarily to get caught up in debates about Crimea, should Crimea be part of Russia. He believes that's a European issue and that's why he doesn't need to get involved in it. Therefore, that doesn't get in the way of any diplomacy. It's a simple way of looking at international relations but he believes it's possible to do.

BLITZER: Did he say that they hate President Obama, they hate the United States, or they don't respect President Obama or necessarily his policies? Because that's an important nuance there.

FOSTER: Well, he does -- I think he -- he was using the word "hate." I think it is about that. He does say America isn't respected in the world and President Obama isn't respected in the world. And he says he says Hillary Clinton is the worst secretary of state that's ever been. So he does use that very, very strong language. But I was trying to grill into the detail about how he will go on these issues that get caught up in these diplomatic discussions s that Hillary Clinton and President Obama have been involved in. And he just thinks it's simpler than it seems. It doesn't have to be this big debate. It's the simple case of America is the greatest country, the greatest economy in the world, and you could be negotiating a better deal on the world stage based on that.

BLITZER: Good work, Max.

Max Foster in Scotland for us.

Good interview with Donald Trump. Thank you.

Coming up, we'll get back to our top story. MH370 might be at the bottom of the Indian Ocean, but recently discovered debris shows parts of the plane can be on the ocean's surface. The science behind what floats and what doesn't. That, and a lot more news coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [13:38:12] BLITZER: Welcome back. Despite more than a year of searching, the missing MH370 has not been located. Experts believe the plane is likely on the bottom of the Indian Ocean. However, debris that washed ashore on Reunion Island is testimony that some parts of an airplane can and actually do float for a long time.

Our Tom Foreman is joining us from our CNN virtual studio.

Tom, which parts of a plane would most likely float?

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A great many of them, Wolf. A plane has to be durable and lightweight and tough, so there are many parts of a plane that will float. You can start with the wings and the tail. They're made of composite carbon material that can make them float for quite some time, particularly this piece we've been talking about, the flaperon. That's hollow inside. So it can float. Also you might have things in the baggage hold that have been put there that would float if it were ripped open. When you move into the cabin it can become more pronounced. Think about the planes you've been on where people have said the seat bottom cushions will float or can be used for flotation devices. That's one possibility. You also have all of the things people bring on board planes, whether it's a toiletry kit or water bottle or a packet of chips or cookies. Anything capturing enough air to make it float can go to the surface and float for a very long time, Wolf. Think about this, a plane like this is 300,000-plus pounds empty. At takeoff, it can be twice that much. So that's a lot of material to consider -- Wolf?

BLITZER: What about everything else, Tom? Which parts of the plane are unlikely to float or be pushed around by currents?

FOREMAN: Well, there are some of those and they're really important ones, for example, the engines of the plane. This is not from a 777, but nonetheless, any big jet like this. The engines are incredibly important to an investigation to find out whether or not they were running at the time the plane went down, whether or not something went wrong inside them or they burned out or exploded or something. No way. No way those are on top of the water anywhere. And beyond that, probably this is true also for the voice and data recorders, which really are the treasure trove of what you can find in something like this. They are likely at the bottom of the Indian Ocean.

And bear in mind, Wolf, for all the excitement over this latest news, that remains a place of very high peaks and very deep valleys. It's cold, dark, and searching it has been a problem from the beginning, and will continue to be as they try to find these other part -- Wolf?

BLITZER: Tom Foreman, good explanation as usual. Thank you.

This important programming note for our North American viewers, don't miss CNN's special report, "Vanished: The Mystery of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370." That will air tonight, 9:00 p.m. eastern."

Just ahead, Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush take the same stage, both trying to appeal to African-American voters. But why are candidates getting tripped up by the phrase "Black Lives Matter"? (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:45:22] BLITZER: Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush appealed for African-American votes at a National Urban League conference in Florida today. Both candidates from both -- candidates from both parties are grappling with three words that have become a movement: Black Lives Matter.

Clinton invoked the phrase once again today before taking a swipe at Jeb Bush. The former Florida governor focused on highlighting his record of diversity and inclusion.

Let's talk about this and more. Joining us, our CNN political director, David Chalian; our senior Washington correspondent, Jeff Zeleny; and our senior political reporter, Nia-Malika Henderson.

Why are they getting tripped up on the words "Black Lives Matter"?

NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: Well, it started with Bernie Sanders and Martin O'Malley being shouted down at this Net Roots Nation conference where they didn't know how to grabble with this movement, "Black Lives Matter" is a movement that grew out of the troubling high-profile deaths of African-American. And you have Martin O'Malley say, "White lives matter, all lives matter." And one of the things you hear from folks in this movement is that the real meaning is "Black Lives Matter, too." It's an inclusive framing that African-Americans should be at the table in terms of criminal justice reform, some of the things that need to be taken care of in things of that. But here they got that right.

And you also heard Reince Priebus on Wednesday say "Black Lives Matter" in his speech to the National Urban League as well. Jeb Bush, on the other hand, has not said it. And he has been pretty dismissive of it, calling it nothing more than a political slogan.

BLITZER: Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee.

HENDERSON: Yeah.

BLITZER: Jeff, I want to play a little clip. This was Hillary Clinton today. She didn't mention Jeb Bush by name but she did refer to one of Jeb Bush's super PACs, "Right to Rise." Let me play the clip.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: I don't think you can credibly say that everyone has a right to rise and then say you're for phasing out Medicare or for repealing Obamacare.

(APPLAUSE)

CLINTON: People can't rise if they can't afford health care. They can't rise if the minimum wage is too low to live on. They can't rise if their governor makes it harder for them to get a college education. And you cannot seriously talk about the right to rise and support laws that deny the right to vote.

(APPLAUSE)

BLITZER: Clearly, references all to Jeb Bush.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: No question. In Florida, of all things. It's like we're fast forwarding to a hypothetical general election in a key battleground of Florida. But that was strategic on Secretary Clinton's part, using the thematic right to rise. I'm not sure people are aware that that's the name of the super PAC, right to rise, we are that's why we're talking about it. She made clear this is going to be an anthem of her campaign, going hard at his record as governor of Florida, specifically the voting records at the 50th anniversary of the voting rights act. So that's a central thing there. But when Jeb Bush followed about a half hour after that or so, he talked about his own record, about how he was in charge of presiding over the governorship in Tallahassee and he removed the Confederate flag before it became popular. He talked about school reform. So an interesting preview in what could be a general election argument.

DAVID CHILIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: And it was interesting to see how Jeb Bush's campaign responded to that. On Twitter, Tim Miller, his communications director, called that very Clintonesque to take a event where they're both appearing -- which is a rare thing for a Democratic or Republican candidate to share a stage at this point and said it's so Clintonesque to launch a political attack when they could have been finding common ground.

BLITZER: What about the vice president of the United States, Joe Biden? All of a sudden, there are murmurings out there. You've seen these reports, that maybe he's rethinking, maybe he will, in the end, jump in. I know earlier this year he said we would know by the summer whether he'll be a Democratic presidential candidate.

You've been doing reporting on this, Jeff.

ZELENY: I have.

BLITZER: What are you hearing?

ZELENY: You talk to people in Biden world and there are people who want him to run vigorously. There's a divide about if he should or shouldn't. But one thing is clear, the vice president has not made a decision and he's pushing back his timetable, I'm told by several people close to him, that he feels no pressure to do it any time soon. And he's watching to see this Democratic presidential campaign unfold before him and there are some people throughout who think he could make a late entry. We don't know if the window is closed or not but Joe Biden himself does not think it has so he's leaving options pope.

BLITZER: What are you hearing?

HENDERSON: Well, there's the group Riding with Biden. They've been putting out videos and trying to frame what a Biden candidacy would look like, saying he would appeal to younger voters, for instance. They're former high-profile Obama fund-raisers who are trying to get him to run. So everyone is talking about it and he's clearly moved the time frame.

[13:50:12] BLITZER: The clock, David, as you well know, is ticking. Because there are five Democratic presidential candidates and in the early fall there will be Democratic presidential debates.

CHALIAN: Right. You know, Wolf, you've got to get an organization up and running. I'm not saying that Joe Biden couldn't do that. He knows how to do that. But there's nothing there right now. You do have to consider this window does not stay open forever. However, I think you have to consider the current context that this is happening in. He would not extend his line if Hillary Clinton was lighting on fire right now. The fact that there are questions about her likability allows Biden to continue this process longer than originally thought.

BLITZER: Yes. Because there are these anti-Hillary Clinton articles out there and information, the e-mail controversy, other things involving the Clinton Global Initiative, the Clinton Foundation, if it does have some sort of impact on her favorability and her poll numbers, the instinct that a Joe Biden has run for president would be to maybe throw his hat in the ring.

ZELENY: Absolutely. He would be plan B. Maybe that could be a slogan if he decides to run.

(LAUGHTER)

But you're right about the e-mails. She has an appearance before the Benghazi Committee on October 27th, I believe.

He has a hard, fast deadline to get on the New Hampshire primary ballot. I think it's November. But they'll keep an eye on this. I think it's more unlikely that he doesn't run than he does, but significant that he hasn't ruled it out. David is right, this whole atmosphere has kept the conversation alive.

BLITZER: And the fact that his late son supposedly said, "I'd be happy if you ran," that's a potential significant factor, potentially.

All right, guys, thanks very much.

For the latest in politics, head over to CNNpolitics.com.

Coming up, a toddler killed in the West Bank in what is being called a so-called "price tag" attack. We're going to live to Jerusalem. We'll get reaction. We'll also get the latest on the hunt for the suspects.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:56:39] BLITZER: They are called "price tag" attacks. It's a term used by radical Israeli settlers as reprisals against Palestinians. Apparently, one of those attacks has taken the life of an 18-year-old baby. Witnesses say it happened after masked men threw fire bombs inside a Palestinian home. The child was killed, his mother and brother injured. There have been widespread condemnations from around the world, including here in the United States, the State Department calling it a vicious terrorist attack.

Let's go to Jerusalem where CNN's Ian Lee is watching what is going on.

First of all, Ian, what has been the reaction from the Palestinians and from the Israeli government?

IAN LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, both sides have called it a terrorist attack. The Palestinians coming out strong blaming the Israeli government, they are saying, for creating an atmosphere that leads to this sort of attack.

I went to this house. I saw it. Really not much place for this family to run. These cocktails, fire bombs were thrown into their bedroom and the toddler, 18-month-old, was killed. Three others, his mother and father and 4-year-old brother were taken to Israeli hospitals where they are being treated. The mother and father are in serious condition and the eldest boy is in stable condition.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited them to check on their condition. He condemned this, also, as a terrorist attack and vowed that they will find the people who did it and hold them to account. But right now, we haven't heard of any leads of who they might think carried this out.

BLITZER: It follows another attack in Israel, this time by an Orthodox Jew who stabbed six people at a gay pride parade in Jerusalem. It's a shocking, shocking development. Tell us about the attacker and what happened.

LEE: That's right. This attacker was released three weeks ago for carrying out a similar attack 10 years ago when he stabbed people at a gay pride parade. We're just seeing a repeat of that crime. There are graphic pictures. You can see him taking out the knife and stabbing people. He was eventually taken down.

Tomorrow there is going to be a rally where Israelis are going to voice their disapproval, being against this rise in violence in Israeli society. We're hearing from organizers that they will be protesting against the attack that took place yesterday at the gay pride parade here in Jerusalem but also the attack that took place in the West Bank in the city of Duma where we saw that toddler killed -- Wolf?

BLITZER: And the six people stabbed in the gay pride parade, what are their conditions?

LEE: We hear two of them are in serious condition. Four of them are going to be all right. A lot of people wondering how this could take place. In talking to some of the people here, they say they are not surprised, as Jerusalem has a very large, ultra orthodox population. This man who committed the crime was of that -- Wolf?

BLITZER: Ian Lee, what a shocking story, a couple of shocking stories. We'll stay on top of it.

Thanks very much for watching. The news continues next on CNN.