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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees
.S. Capitol Hill and White House Were Both Put On Lockdown; Campaign Roles for Heidi Cruz and Melania Trump; Brussels Investigation Glitch; New Raids in Belgium; Suspects Wanted; Police Misidentify Suspect As Brussels Airport Attacker; A Survivor's Story. Aired 8-9p ET
Aired March 28, 2016 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[20:00:05] ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Good evening.
We begin with breaking news. New details about the man police say is responsible for these terrifying and potentially deadly moments today on Capitol Hill. Some people fleeing. Others told to shelter in place. His name Larry Russell Dawson, 66 years old. Here he is being taken away on a stretcher. Authorities tell us he was already on the radar before today. He was already known to them before. They say he pulled a gun at a capitol checkpoint and police opened fire seriously wounding him and leaving a bystander with minor injuries.
CNN's Brian Todd has been covering the story from the early moments.
What do we know about what's going on right now with the suspect's truck?
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Anderson. What we can tell you is that this is confirmed to be his vehicle, this silver dodge ram pickup truck. It looks like police are about to tow it but they have been here for a couple of hours surrounding the vehicle. We presume they have checked it before this. But they do appear to be ready to tow it. They are taking some kind of measurement to the vehicle and doing some other checks on it.
This is confirmed by police to be the suspect's vehicle. Interesting that he parked it here. This is on the west side of the White House by the reflecting pool next to the botanical gardens. He parked it here and he had to walk quite a long way up Capitol Hill and around the building to get to the place where this shooting took place, where the visitor center check-in is where the metal detectors are where this incident happened.
So what we can tell you is as far as what happened in the incident, according to police, this suspect walked through the metal detector. Set off an alarm then pulled a weapon. He drew the weapon and according to law enforcement sources waved it around. At that point law enforcement officers fired on him and wounded him. He was taken away and is recovering from his wounds.
There was also a female bystander who was wounded by shrapnel, we are told. We got word a short time ago that she was to be released from George Washington University medical center in a short time.
COOPER: Brian, what do we know about this guy? What do authorities know about this guy? Because he was known to them.
TODD: He was, Anderson. The police chief of Capitol Hill did say he was known to police before this. But what we have learned from law enforcement sources, first, they have told us his name is Larry Russell Dawson. His name has not been publicly identified by police, but two law enforcement sources tell CNN his name is Larry Russell Dawson. And we have got court documents here and I'm holding actually and have been looking at them. He, according to these court documents, disrupted a session of the House of Representatives back in October of last year. According to these court documents, he came in and yelled that he was a prophet of God, and he was forcibly removed from the house chamber.
Now according to these documents he is a 66-year-old man from Tennessee and, indeed, the vehicle that you are looking at does have Tennessee plates on the back. But he is identified by law enforcement sources as 66-year-old Larry Russell Dawson. The police chief of Capitol Hill (INAUDIBLE) said he was known to them, and we have details of that incident that he disrupted the House of Representatives in October, was forcibly removed and then he was ordered to not come anywhere near the chamber. He wrote them a letter back in January saying he was not going to comply with that order, Anderson.
COOPER: And the White House was also locked down today. That was a separate incident, correct?
TODD: It certainly was. But it was very strange because it happened at almost exactly the same time, at about 2:45 p.m. eastern time as the Capitol Hill shooting. According to law enforcement, a woman who was at the Easter egg roll, he was inside the grounds and had a ticket. She tried to remove a temporary barrier. And that in of itself is grounds for your removal and arrest and she was arrested. This is the same woman who apparently back in March of last year, I believe it was, tried to jump a White House barrier. So she has been known to White House security people as well. But again, these incidents were not related, but it was strange they happened about the same time, Anderson.
COOPER: Yes. And strange she was able to get a ticket this time.
Anyway, Brian Todd. Brain, thanks very much.
Presidential politics now. Democrats, Republicans alike campaigning hard for the next big prize, Wisconsin next Tuesday. The remaining three Republicans also preparing to face the voters and their questions in tomorrow night's CNN town hall in Milwaukee which gets under way at 8:00 eastern time tomorrow. Donald Trump, Ted Cruz continuing the war over their wives with Trump also threatening a legal battle over delegates.
More on all of it from our Sara Murray.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICS REPORTER (voice-over): Donald Trump is getting outmaneuvered by Ted Cruz in the delegate fight.
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I won Louisiana, and now I hear he's trying to steal delegates. You know, welcome to the Republican Party.
MURRAY: And now he is threatening to sue tweeting, just to show how unfair Republican primary politics can be, I won the state of Louisiana, and get less delegates than Cruz. Lawsuit coming. Trump's latest threat comes after a "Wall Street Journal" report revealing even though Trump narrowly won the state of Louisiana, Cruz appears poised to pick up more delegates.
[20:05:10] SEN. TED CRUZ (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm always amused when Donald doesn't know what to do, instead threatens lawsuits.
MURRAY: The-Cruz feud is continuing. And Trump refuses to back off his attacks on Cruz's wife, Heidi.
TRUMP: I didn't even know it was necessarily a very bad picture of her versus Melania.
MURRAY: Trump today speaking with conservative talk radio host Charlie Sykes.
CHARLES SYKES, TALK RADIO HOST: Mr. Trump, before you called into my show did you know I'm a #neverTrump guy?
TRUMP: That I didn't know.
MURRAY: Sykes repeatedly asking if he would apologize to Heidi Cruz.
SYKES: Most real men when they screw up they will go, you know what, I was a hot head. I shouldn't have done that.
TRUMP: I do apologize. I believe in apologizing. Before I would think about apologizing, he owes me an apology because what he did was wrong. He sent out a picture to people in Utah --
SYKES: He didn't and you know that he didn't. You know it was a Superpac.
MURRAY: Cruz also making the point that a Facebook ad featuring an old modeling picture of Melania Trump came from an anti-Trump Superpac and not his campaign.
CRUZ: The ad they put out was deplorable. And as soon as I saw it I denounced it.
MURRAY: The Republican rivals, they are also trading jabs over a tabloid report about the Texas senator. Cruz accusing Trump and his backers of planting the story but offering no proof to back up his assertion. CRUZ: These are complete made up lies. They are garbage. But you
know, it's indicative of just how low Donald Trump will go.
MURRAY: A claim Trump denies.
TRUMP: I had nothing to do with it. The campaign had absolutely nothing to do with it.
MURRAY: As the campaign devolves into an unsavory personal battle, John Kasich is calling for civility. Blasting out a fund-raising email declaring families should be off limits. Enough is enough with the mudslinging and the personal attacks.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Sara Murray joins us now from the sites of a Kasich rally in Madison, Wisconsin. So where Trump who is obviously want to win Wisconsin next week, any indication how the fight is affecting voters there?
MURRAY: That's right, Anderson. Both of them are going to be campaigning here this week. Ted Cruz already is. And right now if you look at it, it sort of looks like Ted Cruz has the upper hand. We haven't seen conservative voices on the radio sort of consolidate around Donald Trump he in Wisconsin like we have in other states. We haven't even seen party officials or other Republican leaders here throw their support behind Donald Trump.
So right now I think it looks like Ted Cruz does have an edge going into this. And then you have John Kasich and that his event right now. His campaign made it clear today they are reallocating some of their resources. So what that tells you is they are sort of nodding to the fact that they know that they aren't in the hunt for victory here in Wisconsin, but they are still in the hunt for delegates. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out when it comes primary night -- Anderson.
COOPER: Right. Sara Murray. Sara, thanks very much.
I want to bring in our panel. Trump supporter and conservative columnist Kayleigh McEnany, also CNN political commentators Kevin Madden, Tara Setmayer and Ana Navarro. Kevin is a GOP strategist. Tara is a former communications director for Republican congressman Dana Rohrabacher. Ana is also a Republican strategist.
Kevin, are you surprised that this personal battle between Cruz and Trump is continuing, that neither seem willing to let it go? I mean, at what point if at all, does it have an adverse impact on them?
KEVIN MADDEN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, very much so. Look, it's in the interest of both of these campaigns to have that issue no longer be a distraction. To what should be a core message, particularly when you look at having an international event only four, five days ago that will, in many ways, will refrain the stakes of the race between a Republican candidate and a democratic candidate. And so for these candidates to really miss the opportunity to move to
talk to voters about the anxiety and fears they have about international terrorism, what we need to do to increase America's national security posture around the globe in the face of that threat, that is a big mistake. They are actually ceding that opportunity now for Hillary Clinton to seize that's commander in chief mantel that she so desperately wants in a general election. So it's a huge distraction for us that two grown men are still fighting over twitter fights from three days ago.
COOPER: Kayleigh, I mean, you are a Trump supporter. Are you concerned that this nastiness could be disrupting whatever momentum Trump might have had into Wisconsin, instead of, you know, acting like a front-runner, which she is staying above the fray, he's getting in these twitter wars about wives and dirty tricks saying, you know, he started it.
KAYLEIGH MCENANY, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, I'm very concerned. And I want both of the candidates, both Trump and Cruz to come out. Maybe they need to meet in some back room like Cruz did with Ben Carson and come out with a detente of sorts. But they both need to stand up and say enough is enough. I think Trump should apologize for retweeting that picture of Heidi Cruz. I think Cruz should apologize for calling Trump sleazy and surrounding himself with henchmen.
That's what needs to happen because Kevin is exactly right. Instead of talking about Obama doing the tango in Argentina and attending a baseball game during the Brussels terror attacks, we're talking about twitter wars.
This is crazy. The Republicans are going to lose in November and Hillary Clinton will walk straight into the White House unless both of these men stand up and say, enough is enough. Let's talk about terrorism because I think the American people deserve that.
[20:10:11] COOPER: Tara, I mean, you hear what Kayleigh says. Does Cruz bear some of the responsibility that he's done some mud-slinging as well?
TARA SETMAYER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I think Ted Cruz probably at this point needs to move forward. I agree with that. But I don't think that it's fair to draw a moral equivalence between Ted Cruz defending his wife and Donald Trump deciding to tweet out things that just absolutely aren't true and then continuing to perpetuate a lie about the Ted Cruz campaign.
The Ted Cruz campaign had nothing to do with this ad. It's illegal for Superpacs to coordinate with one another. But yet Donald Trump knows this but he continues to lie over and over again, blaming Ted Cruz saying that he knew, they coordinated. So this is casting aspersions on Ted Cruz. And so, I think he feels compelled to not only defend his wife but then also to defend the integrity of his campaign.
Now, they are right. Kevin and Kayleigh are both right. That this is a blown opportunity. We really should be talking about terrorism and what happened and what the next commander in chief would do differently than the failed leadership we have now with Barack Obama. Because in a discussion like that, Ted Cruz would dominate the conversation because he knows what he's talking about.
Unfortunately, for Donald Trump, he's willfully ignorant on issues of critical importance for the presidency. This is why he continues these kind of distractions. He'd rather have his tabloid back and forth, these juvenile games because that's his arena. He distracts from the fact he doesn't know what he's talking about.
COOPER: Kayleigh, do you believe that's true? Because that's what the Cruz accusation. That Donald Trump is intentionally doing this to try to change the topic because he doesn't feel confident talking about foreign policy issues. Obviously, as a supporter, I'm sure you disagree.
MCENANY: Yes, I completely disagree. I think that that's a farce. Because when you look at history, history is a good indicator that Donald Trump knows about these issues. He was on the right side of the Iraq war. He was against the Iraq war before Hillary Clinton was, before almost any Republican was.
"The New York Times" wrote an article about him just a few weeks ago calling him crazy for pointing to Brussels and saying, hey, look what's happening in Brussels. Radical Islam is taking over the city. He said that and "The New York Times" made fun of him. So he has been (INAUDIBLE) in predicting some of these attacks and seeing what's coming down the pipes. So to say he doesn't know about foreign policy, I think that is just ridiculous.
COOPER: Ana?
SETMAYER: Kayleigh, he was for the Iraq war before he was against it. That's on record. And he --
MCENANY: And he was against it before anyone else was, Tara.
SETMAYER: That's ridiculous to suggest that he is some kind of foreign policy savant, OK. He admit he is a businessman and he wasn't paying close attention to any of these things. And he is not doing it now, his words.
COOPER: Let me bring in Ana.
Ana, you know, Lindsey Graham said the best way to stop Donald Trump is for Cruz and Kasich to team up perhaps to some sort of unity ticket. How likely - I mean, is that at all even possible? Because as long as they keep splitting the non-Trump vote, the stronger they will be going into the convention. But you have Kasich saying point- blanc he is not interested in being anybody's vice president. Certainly Cruz isn't as well, and so he says.
ANA NAVARRO, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Look, I think the idea of a unity ticket is somewhat idealistic. You would be faced with a proverbial question, who goes on top? But I do think that certainly the gurus, the political gurus from Ted Cruz and from John Kasich could get together and could figure out the math of the primary and say, OK, you may do better in Wisconsin than I will. You take Wisconsin. You might do better in Pennsylvania, hey, John, you take Pennsylvania.
I think they can take a look at that map and be strategic. And let me tell you something about the discussion that was, you know, that preceded your question, Anderson. You know, once we're done arguing about Donald Trump's ESP when it comes to foreign policy, I just want to say, I don't care who started this fight. I don't care if it was Ted Cruz, if it was some unassociated Superpac or if it was Donald Trump. What it is is time for it to stop.
It's disrespectful to the office. It is disrespectful to Republican voters who have to go out and make a choice between these two or three guys to give us this choice. We have now had a primary where we have discussed references to body size, their sizes of body parts, where we have had name calling. Now we've got a, whose wife is hotter? My wife is hotter than your wife contest going on while there are terrorist attacks going on all over this globe.
They are not running for fourth grade class president. They are running for commander in chief of the United States of America, and it is time that Republican voters and voters around this country demand that they start acting like adults and with the dignity this office deserves.
COOPER: Kevin, how important is Wisconsin for Ted Cruz on Tuesday night? I mean, we have got this town hall tomorrow night there. Governor Scott Walker said recently that this goes to a contested convention, he thinks it will not only be someone who is not currently running for president. In terms of for Cruz, though, how important is Wisconsin to prove that he's got momentum?
[20:15:06] MADDEN: Yes. And look, it's very important in the sense that's not only is it -- will it help Ted Cruz gain some momentum, but he has to start putting a dent in this idea that Donald Trump is going to get to that 1,237 threshold of delegates that he will need in order to go into Cleveland already with the nomination in hand. So every time that he can stop Donald Trump in little ways and big ways, through all these next contests is very important.
The other important part to remember is the rest of the calendar gets very favorable for Donald Trump. For those voters, they are looking at this race in New York or Connecticut or Delaware, Maryland, later on in the calendar, if Cruz can start to make an argument he can beat Donald Trump one on one, then he can possibly begin to gain some momentum in those states that right now are very strong for Donald Trump.
COOPER: We are going to continue the conversation throughout the next two hours.
Coming up next, the delegate numbers that could make Donald Trump the nominee or deny anyone a clean shot at the prize.
Latest, the arrest that led authorities to believe they had caught the suspected third Brussels airport terrorist. What happens now that they have to release that guy because apparently he is not the man in this video? He is not that guy. We will update you on the entire investigation and the manhunt that goes on when we continue.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:20:04] COOPER: With all the back and forth between Trump and Cruz over their respective spouses, it's easy to lose sight of the people that they are truly battling over, delegates. Hundreds of delegates still at stake on the road to the Republican nomination. Now for Democrats, Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton, same story. It's all about finding the stage where they can find the numbers they need.
Tom Foreman joins us with more on that -- Tom.
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Anderson. If you look at the numbers right now, these are all the states that Donald Trump has won so far out here. Here are the states that Ted Cruz has won. And we know Marco Rubio won a state and Puerto Rico and we know that John Kasich won his home state of Ohio. So if you put it into math in terms of the delegates you're talking about, this is what it looks like. Trump has a substantial lead. He is more than halfway toward that magic number of 1,237, the number of delegates you need to clinch the nomination before the convention. Cruz a good bit back. Kasich way back over here.
So, is it possible for John Kasich to win enough people at this point to go past both these candidates and get to that number? Can he get that many delegates? No. The problem right now is if John Kasich won all the delegates that remain, he would still come in short of the magic number. So his real hope is to hang around to be involved to do well until you get to a contested convention if you get there and make a deal on the floor.
What about Ted Cruz? Can he do better well? Better than Kasich, yes, in terms of the numbers right now but he also has a very tough haul ahead of him. He has to win more than 80 percent, much more than 80 percent, of all the remaining delegates if he wants to clinch the deal before this.
So Anderson, on the Republican side, simple equation here. For all the noise about this campaign, the numbers still vastly favor Donald Trump.
COOPER: Take a look at the Democratic side. Bernie Sanders obviously had a very good weekend. Can he catch up with Hillary Clinton?
FOREMAN: Again, it's a tough haul right now. Look at Hillary Clinton's numbers right now - Ms. Clinton's numbers right now. Forgive me for using your first name there. If you look at Clinton's numbers right now, she has done very well with all these states she's won. And here are the states Bernie Sanders has won over here in a slightly difference color of blue. You can see, if you put them side by side and look at their delegates, then look, once again, Clinton has a lead over Sanders here. She's closer to getting to the magic number of 2,383 delegates. But here's another way of looking at it. She needs 63 percent of all
the remaining delegates to clinch that before their convention. And he needs 77 percent of all the remaining delegates. That's a substantial difference although still a challenge for both of the candidates here. Much bigger challenge for him. Can he do it? Well, he has to perform very well in places like Wisconsin, the next big race coming up. A state that is almost 90 percent white. He tends to do better in places with fewer minorities. She does better with minority voters. But he not only has to do really well there, he has to do well in powerhouse states like New York, her home state, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, tons of delegates out there in places like California. She will fight him tooth and nail in all of those places. He has to come out overall with about three or four of all the remaining delegates in his camp.
On top of which, even if he does that, when you get to the convention, look at the superdelegates. These are big important leaders. They are right now strongly in Hillary Clinton's camp. Not so much in his camp, although this is a changeable number. They can change on the convention floor if they think he is surging forward. But this still remains a difficult haul for Bernie Sanders right now -- Anderson.
COOPER: Yes. As you point out, the Sanders supports say, look, a lot of -- there were a lot of superdelegates who pledged to Hillary Clinton back in 2008. They ultimately switched and went for then candidate Barack Obama.
Tom, thanks very much.
As a former top adviser to President Obama, David Axelrod knows what the delegate chase looks like. He is currently or senior political commentator and Gloria Borger, our chief political analyst.
David, Sanders' strategy beyond winning as many delegates, it is possible as getting superdelegates to switch sides. Obviously in 2008, Hillary Clinton started with huge superdelegate lead. By the time she ended her campaign as you well know Senator Obama had a nearly 2-1 superdelegate advantage. How hard is it to actually pull that off for Sanders?
DAVID AXELROD, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think it's very hard for him. It's quite different than 2008 when Barack Obama was a minority candidate. He was getting huge numbers among minority communities which are the most faithful base of the Democratic Party. And he was winning some very significant states, even states that were all white. And so, his appeal was very broad. His depth of support among the base of the party was very strong. Would have been very hard to deny him the nomination.
Bernie Sanders isn't in that same position. And for him to be the nominee, he'd have to start ripping off big victories in large diverse states which is something he hasn't been able to do so far.
[20:25:03] COOPER: Gloria, how likely do you think it is this time around? GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, I agree with David.
I think it's not likely. I was talking to a senior Sanders adviser to kind of describes it this way. He said look, our first goal is to get those 200 uncommitted superdelegates to come our way. And then once we start winning, once we start winning, then the rest, you know, the rest will hopefully follow. So you know, that's a - it is kind of a two-pond (ph) strategy. They have to succeed in winning those states, as David was talking about.
COOPER: David, when you look at the --
(CROSSTALK)
AXELROD: Anderson, you can see the theory. The theory is that if they prove themselves to be a -- it's a little bit like the Kasich theory in the Republican election, which is their argument is we're doing well in the general election. We're doing well in polls and, therefore, people should turn to us. But a lot of Democrats are suspicious as to whether Bernie Sanders will be doing as well if the Republican Party was turning its guns on him as they have been Hillary Clinton. So there's not a real confidence that his numbers would hold up over time.
COOPER: David, on the GOP side, do you think at this point they'll definitely have a contested convention? Because obviously, that's what Kasich, that's what Cruz are depending on.
AXELROD: Well, I'm -- I think -- I've said from the beginning that if Donald Trump gets close, they would have a very difficult decision to make, which is are they going to deny a guy who is within hailing distance of the nomination and have a convention filled with malcontents and people who feel like they have been betrayed? And it's like a choice between a punch in the nose and a knee to the groin. Do they want to antagonize those people by choosing a candidate who they think will be stronger in the general election or do they go with the will of what is close to a majority of their delegates?
COOPER: Yes.
Gloria, I mean, it's hard to imagine if he is leading in the vote, if he has the most delegates, them denying him.
BORGER: Right. But he does have to cross the finish line. And, you know, there is a question of how organized Donald Trump is. You know, today, he threatened to sue the state party in Louisiana or the Republican Party because he won Louisiana by a few points but he is not getting as many delegates. And one of the reason is that the Cruz people are very organized. And they are getting all those Rubio delegates. They are getting all those uncommitted delegates. And so you have to be able to get yourself across the finish line.
I think either way, you are going to have a lot of unhappy people at that Republican convention. Whether Trump wins or whether he doesn't win. I think it's very likely to be contested. We'll just see what kind of a margin Trump goes into the convention with. COOPER: Right. Gloria Borger, David Axelrod, thanks.
Coming up next, the two potential first ladies in the middle of the feud. Their husbands are waging. We will take a look at Heidi Cruz's and Melania Trump's role in the campaign beyond the little blows that their husbands are waging in Facebook means.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:32:03] COOPER: Well, one wonders whether Heidi Cruz and Melania Trump knew exactly what they are getting into when their husbands decided for president. After all, who called possibly have predicted in the middle of the campaign for the most distinguished office in the land, a Super PAC would drag out an old nude modeling photo or the front-runner would tweet a picture essentially comparing whose wife is better looking? It has been a campaign like no other with nothing apparently off limits.
However we want to take a break from the more juvenile aspects of the Trump/Cruz feud and take a look at these two potential first ladies, their backgrounds and their roles so far in the campaign. Randi Kaye does that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HEIDI CRUZ, WIFE OF TED CRUZ: I was Ted's very first fan. His number one fan. His biggest fan. His very first fan. And I am still his very, very biggest fan.
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Heidi Cruz stumping for her husband Ted Cruz. She's not the type to sit on the sidelines.
CRUZ: Ted and I are a partnership. And it has been the hallmark of our marriage since day one.
KAYE: That partnership is in full swing with Heidi on leave from her job as an investment manager at Goldman Sachs to focus on helping her husband win the White House.
CRUZ: Really encourage you to vote for Ted Cruz.
KAYE: As her husband's chief fund-raiser, she helped raise over $50 million last year. The California-born Heidi Nelson studied Economics and International Relations in College. A family trip to Washington when she was a child reportedly got her interested in politics. Her mother told "The Washington Post" that by fifth grade, Heidi had announced she hoped to attend Harvard Business School which she later did after a short stint on Wall Street.
She met her future husband while working for the George W. Bush campaign in 2000. The couple now has two daughters. When things get stressful on the trail, he turns to Heidi to burn off some steam, calling her to sing her Broadway Show Tunes.
CRUZ: He loves "Phantom of the Opera" and "Les Mis." KAYE: Unlike Heidi Cruz, Melania Trump is more often seen than heard. Though in this rare moment on the campaign trail, she took the mike and spoke to South Carolina voters.
MELANIA TRUMP, WIFE OF DONALD TRUM: Just wanted to say an amazing place, South Carolina. Congratulations to my husband. He was working very hard. And he loves you. We love you.
KAYE: Melania also once fielded questions in the spin room following a debate.
TRUMP: Great evening, yes. Just the way it was handled was very fair and elegant and fair questions. And all about the economy and business and he's master of that.
KAYE: Still, Melania stays behind the scenes most days. Off the trail and at home caring for the couple's young son, Barron.
TRUMP: He needs the parent at home. I'm teaching him morals and values and preparing him for his life to be an adult.
KAYE: Melanie told to Anderson Cooper, she gives her husband advice but doesn't try to change him.
TRUMP: He is an adult. He knows the consequences.
[20:35:00] And so I let him be who he is. I give him my opinions, many, many times.
KAYE: Melania Knauss, now she was formerly known is a Slovenian immigrant who became a naturalized citizen in 2006. She had a successful modeling career and met Donald Trump at a Fashion Week party back in 1998. She would later become his third wife and in this wild campaign, his greatest defender.
TRUMP: He's with the momentum. He goes with the flow. He goes with the people.
KAYE: Randi Kaye, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Well, just of tonight, new raids in and around Brussels and a setback for investigators. They thought they had one of the airport terrorists but turns out they got the wrong guy.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Tonight, the scope of the Brussels terror investigation is growing so is the tragedy. The death toll has now risen to 35 with four Americans confirmed dead. One week after the airport and subway bombings, authorities, they are still working to identify some of the victims.
Now meanwhile, there have been new raids in and around Brussels as that urgent manhunt for two suspects presses on. Authorities thought they had caught one of the men but apparently they were wrong.
[20:40:00] CNN's Pamela Brown has the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAMELA BROWN, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Today, the mystery deepens about the third bomber at the Brussels airport, seen in this video pushing a cart believed to be holding a bomb and black bag. His identity and whereabouts remain unknown.
A man identified by authorities as Faycal C. Was arrested and charged with terrorist murder. CNN has learned investigators initially thought he was involved in the attack based in part on information given to authorities from the cab driver who picked the bombers up.
But the Belgian prosecutor released a statement today saying Faycal C. was released from custody because the clues that led to his arrest were inconclusive. His attorney tells CNN affiliate via phone (ph) his client is innocent.
As authorities try to identify the alleged second metro bomber, the hunt is on for this Syrian man known as 28-year-old Naim Al Hamed. He's described as very dangerous and probably armed and is considered a critical figure in both the Brussels and Paris attacks. He is one of at least eight suspects European Security Agencies are searching for in connection with the attacks.
KAREN GREENBERG, DIR. OF CENTER ON NATIONAL SECURITY FORDHAM LAW: This is a vast network. It is interlaced at many points and separate at many points. And that means that you have to go both at the center and at the tentacles at the same time.
BROWN: Belgian police continue to sweep the country for more terror suspects. They conducted 13 raids on Sunday. Three men are now charged with participation in the activities of a terrorist group. So far the terrorist network in Europe has extended from Belgium to France, Germany and Italy where an Algerian national was recently arrested on suspicion of producing fake residency documents linked to the attacks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Pamela Brown joins us. And you're learning more about the Faycal C. Who was released?
BROWN: That's right. We learn U.S. Officials along with officials in Europe were very suspicious about this Faycal C from very early on in the investigation. In fact his name was going around a day or two after the attacks and then as we know, he was officially charged with terrorist murder on Friday. And then, Anderson, I think it came to a surprise to several officials I've been speaking with that he was released from custody as we heard from the prosecutor.
They didn't think they had enough evidence to keep him in custody. They thought he was a leading contender initially because of this information the cab driver who picked up the bombers had given authorities. He matched the description apparently. Also some intelligence that was gathered during the course of the investigation led authorities to him. So although there was a list of people this third bomber could be, he was a leading contender.
And, now officials are saying they have these lists of names but they don't know who it is. Like they thought they had a good lead with him. Clearly they didn't. His attorney Faycal C's attorney came out today and said his client is innocent, that he doesn't even match the height description, that he's short.
The suspect in that picture is tall. There are many inconsistencies. And so it's a bit of a frustration for authorities in this investigation that they still don't know who that third bomber is. Anderson.
COOPER: Pamela Brown. Pam, thanks very much.
A lot to discuss with the panel. Joining me is CNN Terrorism Analyst Paul Cruickshank. He is co-author of "Agent Storm: My Life inside al Qaeda and the CIA". CNN National Security Analyst Juliette Kayyem who was served as U.S. Assistant Secretary for Homeland Security, the Homeland Security Adviser for Massachusetts. Also with our CNN Intelligence and Security Analyst Former CIA Officer, Bob Baer. What's the latest, Paul, that you're learning from your sources about the investigation?
PAUL CRUICKSHANK, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: Well, they're furiously searching for the guy at the airport who runway
COOPER: And they still aren't clear exactly who he is?
CRUICKSHANK: They don't know who he is at this point with any certainty. There are a number of contenders still. One is Naim Al Hamed that Pam mentioned in the piece. Someone who came through Syria to Greece and then on to Europe was picked up by Salah Abdeslam in a German refugee camp. And according to "Le Monde" his DNA was found in the bomb factory in Schaerbeek used for the Brussels attacks.
And we've been told by a source close to the investigation that he's believed to be operationally involved in the Brussels attacks. What's not clear is whether he was at the airport, the guy seen on CCTV at the metro station or whether he was neither of those places. But they're looking for him throughout Europe right now. They are looking for eight suspects in total that they believe are connected.
Either from the Paris and Brussels attack. There was a bulletin that went out the day after the Brussels attacks. And we've been briefed on details of that bulletin.
COOPER: But the fact that this guy identified Faycal C which was arrested charged with terrorism murder and then released, it does speak to the Belgians' capabilities, the Belgians infiltration of some of these communities, of potential suspects? I mean, are they just rounding up the usual suspects?
ROBERT BAER, FOMER CIA OFFICER: Yeah. Anderson, that's exactly it. They clearly were not inside this cell. They didn't have a human source. And these people were staying off the internet, off cell phones.
[20:45:00] So, what they are doing now is simply reacting by picking up the usual suspects. And, you know, it's -- I call it preventive detention, knocking down doors, interrogating people, making arrests. And if they don't have the evidence or the people have an alibi, they have to release them.
But keep in mind this guy in the picture, and I don't know why, but clearly didn't want to be identified. That looks like he was wearing a disguise. The glass is the glasses, the hat and the rest of it he didn't want to be seen. Did, he intend to get away or was he supposed to be a bomber? I don't know at this point. But, I can see there are problems, and I share their frustrations. They simply don't know what they are up against.
COOPER: Juliette, I mean CNN obtained the exclusive video to the Paris attack of the Abdeslam brothers partying eight months before the attacks. For instance they drank and smoked pot. Does that fit into the profile of somebody who becomes a Jihadist? Somebody who becomes a terrorist?
JULLIETTE KAYYEM, FORMER US ASST. SECY. FOR HOMELAND SECURITY: Absolutely. If we look at the profile of most of these guys, especially those involved with ISIS, there's often a period of partying and girls and alcohol and having a good time. And then what we saw with the Paris bombers is they essentially went dark went black for a period of time and then emerged as the terrorist.
And that tells me two things. One is it shows how difficult it is for Western European and U.S. Law Enforcement Agencies to get these guys because they are essentially just petty criminals and some small percentage of them becomes terrorists. And it also tells me that people within the community knew this was happening to that set of terrorists, in other words, that they used to be outgoing guys and then all of a sudden, they aren't.
And, so when we talk about community engagement in Brussels and Europe getting better about outreach, it's for that reason. It's because it's the community that's going to know.
COOPERL: It does seem, Paul, that's a critical factor in all of this. I mean, you know, busting down doors is one thing. But unless you have connections to the larger community, in that's the front line. Those are the people who are going to have the greatest amount of information and knowledge. They are the ones who are going to see something and you want them to say something.
CRUICKSHANK: Absolutely right. That is front line defense the Muslim community and places like Molenbeek and other parts of Europe. They need to come forward and to tell authorities any suspicions they might have. They need to do a better job with that, I mean ...
COOPER: And surely seems like the police though haven't, I mean I don't know whether they've been able to make inroads or have made much of an effort. But it doesn't seem like have the connections.
CRUICKSHANK: There's certainly attempts to make inroads and there are Muslim that members of the Muslim community all across Europe that have provided tips to law enforcement. That's definitely happening as well. We have to say that is happening. But that intelligence vital because these ISIS operatives coming back to Europe increasingly using cryptic communications.
There was an interrogation of a French recruit by the French authorities this summer. And he revealed they set off an elaborate system of communications where they encrypted using a software tool on a thumb drive they were given in Syria and scrambling the message and putting it into a file-sharing site that only the ISIS fighters in Syria and send back to Europe have the passwords for all these creating a communication system to allow them to operate more freely in Europe.
So that community intelligence even more vital than ever before.
COOPER: Bob, I mean the Obama Administration says these ISIS attacks are proof the west is winning in Iraq and Syria. Do you buy that?
BAER: Unfortunately, that's true. You know with they're taking of Palmyra by the Syrian Government, by the attack on Mosul, which has already started, the fall of Ramadi, the Islamic State is on the run. We all predicted this a couple of years ago. On for starters it's too violent to exist but on the other hand, it is like a cornered rat. That's going to strike out where it can. And it will bite and it will probably bite again in Europe. It just inevitable.
COOPER: Bob Baer, Juliette Kayyem, thank you Paul Cruickshank as well.
Coming up, a former athlete who played college basketball in the United States lives through the Brussels attacks, now in the hospital. He thankful to be alive obviously but wondered why he lived when so many others did not. You'll meet Sebastian Bellin and hear his incredible survival story next.
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[20:53:05] COOPER: Well, there have been so many survival stories emerging from the terrors attacks in Brussels so many lives that will be forever changed. And tonight we want to bring you one of those stories. A former athlete who against all odds and with the help of strangers lived to tell what happened that day his name is Sebastian Bellin. Last week I spoke with his dad.
Our Nick Paton Walsh recently met with Sebastian himself in a Brussels hospital where he started the long road to recovery take a look.
SEBASTIEN BELLIN, AIRPORT ATTACK SURVIVOR: Everything points to where I shouldn't have made it. Everything from the amount of blood I lost to the legs.
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yet Seb Bellin checking in for a flight last week in Zaventem Airport did miraculously make it.
BELLIN: You know, she handed me my ticket to have my flight behind me I heard the first explosion, I looked back. OK, that's not right.
WALSH: A former U.S. college and Belgian National basketball player, his picture quickly circulated online. He found his legs gave way.
BELLIN: First thing I remember is seeing that -- a part of my hip was missing. Those like it look like, you punched through something and it just coming out here.
WALSH: Knocked to the floor by the first blast, he was spared the impact of the second.
BELLIN: Now they are saying the second blast went off and that's where I was.
WALSH: A total stranger saved him putting his legs up on a suitcase slowing blood loss before medics reached him.
BELLIN: An African man came and dragged me to behind the column, one of the columns. Because he said this guy -- I was crying then went to the screaming because my leg wasn't following I had to reach down as he was pulling my hand, I was holding my leg.
WALSH: Across the Atlantic, hours later his wife Sara turned on the phone and learned of the horror from friends' messages.
SARA BELLIN: I looked at my -- with that that's how we communicate and I saw that he didn't have anything and I saw from another friend, she wrote something eerie like, "We're here for you if you need us," something like that, "We're thinking of you."
[20:55:20] And I'm thinking, why is she writing that? What does that mean? And then ...
WALSH: Months in a wheelchair is ahead for this former athlete. A tough recovery even to walk again, yet love is all around.
BELLIN: Vanessa, our youngest one, wanted to know if all my boo-boos were covered with band-aids.
The point was first survival. And then after survival was, OK, keeping the leg. And then, all right, if you don't -- if you stay alive and, you know, if you don't keep the leg, and at least keep one of them. You know.
WALSH: And the hardest part.
BELLIN: Why did I make it? Yeah. Kind of -- Yeah. You can't, you don't feel bad. I feel proud that I was able to overcome it.
But, you know, why was I -- why did I overcome it that others didn't?
WALSH: Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Brussels.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: We certainly wish him well in his recovery and all those who survived and all the people who were injured in that day in Brussels.
A program we know, you can tune in later this week for the premiere of a CNN special report on the Paris terror attacks. "Terror in Paris" airs Wednesday at 9:00 p.m. Eastern here on CNN.
In our next hour, "360", the Trump/Cruz feud intensifying. They're still battling over each other's wives and each others delegates.
Like Trump is now threatening a lawsuit, next.
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