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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees
Trump Interview; Clinton: Trump Needs On Violence: It Should All Stop; Clinton: Trump Set A Very Bad Example For Protesters; Clinton: Trump Partly To Blame For Violence Outside Events; GOP & The Trump Factor; Trump On Lawsuit Judge: "He's A Mexican"; Trump Defies RNC "Autopsy" Report; Anderson's 50th Birthday. Aired 8-9p ET
Aired June 03, 2016 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And you can see my full interview with the billionaire Mohamed Alabbar billing the tallest tower in the world on my CNN international show this weekend on Sunday. AC 360 starts now.
[20:00:12] ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening, thanks for joining us.
Tonight, Donald Trump taking his attacks on the federal judge hearing the lawsuit against the operation known as Trump University to new levels.
An American judge and this should go without saying, except that for days now, Trump, his spokespeople and supporters have been insinuating otherwise, and all that saying that this judge's true loyalties lie elsewhere with Mexico. Then in a Wall Street Journal interview last night, Trump flat out said that this judge and former federal prosecutor who was born to Mexican parents in Western Indiana, who ones lived under a death threat from a Mexican drug cartel cannot be fair, that touched all for fire storm and not to mention a sharp review from House Speaker Paul Ryan who had just endorsed Donald Trump. But today he's speaking with CNN Jake Tapper, Donald Trump went even further. The interview began with Jake asking about his temperament.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: Hillary Clinton was giving a speech. She had some very tough things to say about you. One of the things she said ...
DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: She wasn't giving, she was reading a speech that written by other people, OK, but go ahead.
TAPPER: OK.
TRUMP: Sound buts.
TAPPER: One of the things she said was this is not someone who should have the nuclear codes, it's not hard to imagine Donald Trump leading us into war because someone got under his very thin skin. What's your response to that? TRUMP: Well, First of all, I don't have thin skin. I have very strong, very thick skin. And when somebody is right about me, I always, you know, if you do a report and it's not necessarily positive but you're right, I never complain. I do complain when it's a lie or when it's wrong. But I have a strong temperament and it's a very good temperament and it's a very in control temperament or I wouldn't have built this unbelievable company, I wouldn't built all of the things that I've been able to do in life. I've been number one best sellers, one of the best selling books of all time, tremendous television success. I've been success -- well, wait a minute, Jake.
I've been success in every business I've been in, if you think real estate one of the most successful, television, the apprentice which is forget it. I mean the NBC came to me, they wanted to renew so badly, you have no idea.
TAPPER: Well, what does that have to do with temperament, you're very successful, there's no question.
TRUMP: You can't have that success without good temperament. And I will say this, I was thinking about the word temperament, and we need a strong temperament in this country. We have been led by weak people, weak, ineffective people.
Countries have taken advantage of us, whether it's militarily or otherwise. We have been taken advantage of by everybody. We have people with weak temperament. I have a very strong temperament but I have a temperament that's totally under control and, you know, she mention that I'll bring us into war. She's the one that wanted to go into Iraq. I mean she raised her hand. She didn't know what the hell she was doing, she raised her hand. I said I don't want to go into Iraq, Iraq is going to destabilize the Middle East and I was 100 percent right.
TAPPER: I want to ask you about comments you made about the judge in the Trump University case, you said that you thought it was conflict of interest that he was the judge because he is of Mexican heritage, even though he is from Indiana. Hillary Clinton said that that is a racist attack on a federal judge.
TRUMP: She's so wonderful, you know what I mean, here's a woman that should be put in jail for what she did with her e-mails and she's commenting on this. Let me just tell you it's very simple. I have a case where thousands of people have taken this course and thousands and thousands of people have said great reviews, great reviews. Fortunately, just about everybody that took courses have signed a review, an evaluation they call it. And it's gotten tremendous marks. I don't mean two people. I mean thousands of people, OK.
TAPPER: Right.
TRUMP: I have a situation where the woman that brought the case, brought the case, who is the plaintiff, she was deposed. She was found to be a disaster for them as a witness because she gave an evaluation that was the best evaluation you've ever heard which is one second.
TAPPER: OK.
TRUMP: And she did a tape like from your camera saying that this school was fantastic. It was fantastic. They went to the judge and they said, "Your honor, we don't want her anymore to be our plaintiff." So we said, "Let's dismiss the case, that's OK. Let's dismiss the case." And he said, "No, I won't dismiss the case, and she doesn't have to be the plaintiff."
Let me tell you, I'll tell you what it has to do. I have had ruling after ruling after ruling that's been bad rulings, OK? I have been treated very unfairly, before him we had another judge, if that judge was still there this case would have been over two years ago.
Let me just tell you I have had horrible rulings, I've treated very unfairly by this judge. Now, this judge is a Mexican heritage. I am building the wall, OK. I am building the wall.
I'm going to do very well with the Hispanics, the Mexican ...
TAPPER: So no Mexican judge could ever be involved in a case that involved you?
TRUMP: Well, He's a member of a society where, you know, very pro Mexico and that's fine. It's all fine. I think he should refuse himself ...
TAPPER: Because he's Latino.
TRUMP: ... and then you also say does he know the lawyer on the other side? I mean does he know the lawyer? You know, lot of people say ...
TAPPER: So I'm not talking about that, I'm talking about ...
TRUMP: That's another problem.
TAPPER: But you're invoking his race when talking about whether or not he can do his job.
TRUMP: Jake, I'm building a wall, OK? I'm building a wall I'm trying to keep business out of Mexico. Mexico is fine. There's nothing ...
[20:05:04] TAPPER: But he's an American.
TRUMP: He's Mexican heritage, and he is proud of it. As I am where I come from ...
TAPPER: But he's an American. You keep talking about it's a conflict of interest because of Mexico.
TRUMP: Jake, are you ready? I have a case that should've been dismissed already. I have thousands of people saying Trump University is fantastic, OK. I have a case that should've been dismissed. I have a judge that never, ever gives up.
Now, we lose the plaintiff, he lets the plaintiff of the case out, so why isn't he cancelling the case. So thought we won the case. TAPPER: So you disagree with his rulings.
TRUMP: No, no.
TAPPER: I totally understand that figures.
TRUMP: Not me, I had lawyers come up to me and say you're being treated so unfairly, it's unbelievable. You know the plaintiffs in the case have all said wonderful things about the school and they're suing. You know why they're suing? Because they want to get their money back.
TAPPER: I don't really want to litigate the case of Trump University.
TRUMP: You have to. Because he was giving me fair rulings, I wouldn't say that. But Jake, if he were giving fair rulings, I wouldn't be talking to you this way. He is giving me horrible rulings.
TAPPER: But I don't care if you criticize him, that's fine, you can criticize every decision. What I'm saying is, if you invoke his race as a reason he can't do his job.
TRUMP: I think that's why he is doing it. I think that's why he is doing it.
TAPPER: When Hillary Clinton says it is a racist attack.
TRUMP: Hillary Clinton is a stiff. If Hillary Clinton becomes president ...
TAPPER: Paul Ryan today said he didn't care for the way that you were attacking this judge.
TRUMP: Look, I'm telling you, Paul Ryan doesn't know the case. Here's the story. I should've won this case on summary judgment. This is a case I should've won on summary judgment. Do you know the law firm paid Hillary Clinton hundreds of thousands of dollars to make speeches, you know, the law firm is?
TAPPER: I do. And we've reported it on my show, in fact.
TRUMP: OK good. Well, I am glad. You're the only one.
Wait a minute.
The law firm paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to Hillary Clinton for speeches.
TAPPER: Before either of you were running for president ...
TRUMP: And everybody fell asleep during the speech.
TAPPER: Before either of you were running for president they did. But here is just the fundamental question.
TRUMP: You know that they contributed tremendous amounts of money to her campaign?
TAPPER: Yes.
TRUMP: Do you know they've contributed a lot of money to Eric Schneiderman, the New York attorney general.
TAPPER: Here is my question.
TRUMP: No, no do you know that.
TAPPER: I did not know that.
TRUMP: Do you know these people went to every attorney general practically in the country that they could? And do you know this case was turned down by almost every attorney general from Texas to Florida to many of these states?
TAPPER: Is it not, when Hillary Clinton says this is a racist attack, and you reject that. If you are saying he can't do his job because of his race, is that not the definition of racism?
TRUMP: I don't think so at all. No. He is proud of his heritage. I respect him for that.
TAPPER: But you're saying he can't do his job because of that.
TRUMP: Look, he's proud of his heritage, OK, I'm building a wall.
Now, I think I'm going to do very well with Hispanics. You know why I'm going to do well with Hispanics because I'm going to bring back jobs and they're going to get jobs right now. They're going to get jobs. I think I'm going to do very well with Hispanics but we're building a wall, he is a Mexican.
We're Building a wall between here and Mexico. The answer is he is giving us very unfair rulings, rulings that people can't even believe. This case should have ended years ago on summary judgment. The best lawyers, I have spoken to so many lawyers, they said this is not a case. This is a case that should've ended. This judge is giving us unfair rulings.
Now I say why. Well, I am building a wall, OK, and it is a wall between Mexico, not another country.
TAPPER: But he's not from Mexico. He is from Indiana.
TRUMP: He is Mexican heritage, and he is very proud of it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Well, that's not all he said. You can -- the full interview as well as conversations to Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders on State of the Union Sunday morning right here on CNN.
Meantime, Donald Trump set off his second storm late this afternoon at a campaign stop in the Northern California city of Redding. CNN's Jason Carroll is there for us. Jason, what happened?
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And hello to you, Anderson. Well, let me just sort of just lay the ground work of what happened here. Basically Trump was trying to pay this man a compliment. And what he was trying to do was he was trying to explain how he is going to win over African-American voters by creating more jobs.
Then what he did was, Anderson, he told the story of another African- American who attended a different rally. He said during that rally this African-American man stood up and had somehow convinced and forced this white supremacist out of that other rally. He then turn to another man, an African-American man who attended this rally here in Redding, California, and well, let's have Trump say it in his own words.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We had a case where we had an African-American guy who was a fan of mine, great fan, great guy. In fact, I want to find out what's going on with him. You know what, look at my African-American over here, look at him. Are you the greatest? You know what I'm talking about?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CARROLL: And so as you can imagine, that created quite a fire storm not just on social media, their campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks weighing in on this particular issue saying that there was no ill will intended here. This was Trump's attempt to once again just try to compliment this man. She said, the use of the possessive "my" was not in any way racist. Anderson?
[20:10:02]COOPER: Trump is also firing back at Hillary Clinton at the rally calling her pathetic and a thief. What else did he have to say, so here's your reference is also into Jake Tapper interview.
CARROLL: Right. Well, you know, what didn't he say I mean there were so many adjectives that he used, he called her unfit, he called her greedy, he called her a thief, once again calling out her bad judgment, not just for using the personal e-mail server to do government business when she was secretary of state but also bad judgment for supporting the war in Iraq.
So once again really going after her on a number of issues and in fact, Anderson, going after her on these issues more today than he did yesterday at his rally in San Jose. Also, going after the issue of temperament, you heard Jake Tapper touch on it during that interview with Trump. Trump again mentioning it here at the rally, basically saying look, yes, I have a tough temperament but you need a tough temperament he said and told the crowd in order to run the country, Anderson.
COOPER: All right. Jason, thanks very much. What's ahead, we're going to get reaction from the panel including Trump supporters critics and so on the sharp political observers around and later, Hillary Clinton telling Jake Tapper that Donald Trump has lowered bar on civility. A lot more in the world of politics when we continue.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[20:14:59] TRUMP: I think I'm going to do very well with Hispanics but we're building a wall, he's a Mexican.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Donald Trump in his own words say, talking to Jake Tapper about the American born federal judge in the Trump University case. Then at an airport rally in Northern California, he pointed out a African-American supporting the crowd saying "look at my African- American over there."
Again as Jason Carroll mentioned his chief spokesperson said that no ill will was intended. So many things to discuss with the panel tonight Democratic strategist, and Clinton supporter Richard Socarides, " New York Times" National Political Correspondent Jonathan Martin, NY1 political anchor Errol Louis, Trump supporter Kayleigh McEnany conservative trump Critic Harry Satire and Trump New York Campaign coach here Joseph Braley.
Jonathan, just in terms of uncharted political waters here, how deeply are we into this uncharted water for this latest comments by Trump.
JONATHAN MARTIN, NYT, NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: We're pretty darn deep, Anderson. There's a few issues here, first of all there's the obvious issue of racial politics. This is a country where race is the original sin and now you have a candidate for president of the United States who is are playing on dangerous ground when you're talking about the racial heritage of a federal judge.
COOPER: And not just -- I mean day after day this is not just sort of a one of comment.
MARTIN: Sure, this is now at least a week long here. But by the way this is not, this isn't the first time were Trump has dealt on this racial terrain, think back to the primary talking about Rubio and Cruz, talking about how there's not a lot of Cubans or evangelicals going to Salt Lake City, questioning Romney's faith, race and religion have sort of staple of the Trump campaign. So this is not new. But the other issue is the, you know, on this country you have the presidency and you have the judiciary, and the powers are separate and, you know, Trump is now talking about an issue where he is attacking a federal judge. If he's president, what does that mean? Or you're go after somebody in the other branch of government. That's a huge deal.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Anderson, if I can say I think Jonathan is right. I mean I think we have been down this road before with Mr. Trump during the primary campaign. But I think what makes this different is this is a sitting federal judge. I mean this man was confirmed by the entire United States senate without objection Democrats and Republicans and he took an oath. He took an oath to uphold the constitution and to do so without bias and, you know, we respect the federal judiciary. That doesn't mean everybody in federal judiciary is perfect, right and judges can make mistakes, but we respect the institution of the fed judiciary.
COOPER: well, it's also and again he is linking his rulings to his race which is I mean, you know, you look at the Miriam Webster definition of racism, it's a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and goes on and say and that racial differences producing inherit superiority over thinking a race I mean that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities that is what Donald Trump is saying her that his Mexican heritage, although Trump continues to just say he is Mexican is ...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sure. And I think everybody watching this understands exactly what the problem is. They don't need a dictionary to sort of point them to what exactly is wrong here.
On a human level it's even more distressing when you look up that judge Curiel before he became a judge was a prosecutor who was targeted for assassination by one of the Mexican cartels, had to be put in a sort of a special protected status with Marshalls following him and this went on for over a year.
Really literally put his life on the line for the United States, you know, at a very troubled time the very troubled part of the world and he's shown admirable I think restraint, he's doing what a judge is suppose do, which is to say nothing and to just kind of try to judge the case on its merits. So it is a real blunder by candidate Trump.
COOPER: Kayleigh, I mean as a trump supporter you talked about this yesterday saying it has no place in the discourse. Trump is clearly just doubling down on him. He's had 24 hours to kind of think about it at the very least and clearly he is just continuing with it.
KAYLEIGH MCENANY, TRUMP SUPPORTER: And he shouldn't, because, you know, it's obvious to me it's irrational rather to think that because someone is Mexican they would not be for you because you support a wall. In fact there are many Mexicans who support the idea of building a wall.
COOPER: Again, he is not Mexican, he's American he is just a Mexican heritage.
MCENANY: Oh, sure, but I'm making the underline premise is that if you're Mexican somehow you're going to be bias towards Trump because you don't like the idea of building the wall which in fact there are many Mexicans who support the idea. So that's the problem with the underlying logic.
But I think the bigger picture here is Donald Trump is not a racist, you know, we can call him that all that we'd like, he is not that. If he was in fact that we would have tons and tons of his employees coming out and giving us evidence of these practices.
COOPER: But that notion is does that have -- I mean is that racist idea? The notion that race is determinate and whether or not, that a black judge can't rule on issues that relate to African-Americans or? MCENANY: Well, first of all being Mexican is a national identity it's a race, if he would have said the judge is Hispanic and therefore, you know, he can't rule this way or can -- is biased, you know, then that would be a racist idea perhaps, this is an ethnicity were talking about. He is linking the idea that perhaps because he has -- I don't believe in the idea like I said.
[20:19:56] But in his head he is saying look there is -- this guy is of Mexican heritage, I am for building a wall between this country and my country, therefore I think that this guy might be biased given the actions he has taken, I don't buy into that logic I don't like it, do I think that that means that Trump is a racist who believes in the dehumanization of another race, the inferiority of another race, absolutely not I don't think that's that case and I think if that was the case you would have tons and tons of employees coming out to make that case on national television, they are simply not ...
COOPER: To have him follow it up though and point to somebody in the audience and say my African-American, is that part of a pattern or is that just a mistake -- a verbal mistake?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Listen, if it was a one off like you said before and he said it just, you know, very in artfully then OK, well, maybe. But it's not. He has done this time and time again when he just says whatever comes out of his -- whatever he is thinking just comes out of his mouth, and then this is -- on top of everything else, the context, it just doesn't sound good.
I mean when you talk about look at my African-American, the fact that he felt the need to point someone out because they're black and support him is again the racial balkanization of this country that we as conservatives have fought so long against and hard against Democrat to do this all the time with racial identity, but I want to make a point there actually have been cases of racism against Donald Trump.
In the '70s he was sued for housing discrimination, because they wouldn't rent to black renters in his apartments in New York City. Black dealers sued the Trump organization for discrimination for workplace discrimination in Atlantic City. So this has happened before and Trump has run into this before.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you believe that Trump believes in the inferiority of another race and believes he is superior to that race?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I believe what his words, action, the history, the definition that Anderson just wrote it is -- makes it very difficult to support the other side I'm not quite sure how you can ...
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is a comment to today to make a lot of hey out of it its kind of foolish.
How was he was going through a litany of African-American supporters. He's been criticized for not having African-American supporters. He was reading through some anecdotes about how many supporters he may have that happen to be African-American. He saw someone in the audience, he used the stupid word.
As far as the judge, look I'm objective. You have to put me in the category of Trump supporters who do essentially want change in the country, but, you know, you have to shake your head every time, you know, he says something that is a bit foolish. You know, he has some points with critiquing the judge for his conduct just saying because he is a Mexican is not the right way to go.
COOPER: Let me just ask you, if he become as president I mean, is this the kind of stuff you want the president to be talking about, about this lawsuit that he's involved with, and this judge and I mean is this language that the president of the United States should be using targeting a judge because of a lawsuit that he happens to be involved with?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think he's getting questioned now because he is running a campaign for president. And I think once he's president of the United States, I imagine the media will probably digress from asking him questions about a lot of the things going on his personal life. But that's it, look this is the year of the outside, we want someone to speak a little bit more free. You compare it with Hillary Clinton who focus groups everything, who won't release what she said to major companies. I think people at the end of the day are going to still gravitate toward the person who speaks of it free.
If Hillary Clinton had said to somebody in the audience there's my African-American ...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He will raise his comments over the years ...
COOPER: ... and if Hillary Clinton -- but it was saying about the ethnicity of a sitting federal judge and that person was incapable of ruling fairly because of their ethnicity, you don't think people would be all over Hillary Clinton?
MCENANY: They would be all of her. But I think you have a point here that we are very quick to call people racist in this country, it's one of the most horrible accusations ...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I agree with that.
MCENANY: It's one of the most horrible accusations to make ...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And it is something nearly impossible to defend against.
MCENANY: Absolutely and I look at the scrutiny of Hillary Clinton over the super predator comment. I don't think that she was at all racist in that moment. I think people were unduly critical of her when she was trying to pass a bill that she really believed in and they were unduly critical of the language. I just think we are quick in this country to throw around racist ...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't pull the race card easily. And so and this is that the comments about the Mexican judge is inherently racist, but when you say someone is incapable of being able to be a judge on a case, has nothing to do with race, has to do with a fraud case, that's inherently racist. So, he substituted that with Christian. Does that mean a Christian judge can't preside over an Islamic Muslim terrorist case, does that mean a black judge can't preside over white cases, I mean that right there is racist.
COOPER: If he has said, you know, what this guy is a Jewish, he can't rule on the case.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It would be acceptable than any other sense, this is en defensible and like I said I don't throw race card easily. I think yes, it is thrown around easily, not in this case, I'm sorry.
[20:24:40] COOPER: All right, let's take a quick break we're going to have a lot more on this. There's more breaking news. Hillary Clinton firing off new attacks against Donald Trump saying he is partly to blame for violent clashes at some of his events. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: More breaking news on the campaign trail as we barrel towards the final Super Tuesday of the primary season. Tonight all three candidates are in California one of the six states that votes next week, 475 delegates at stake obviously for the Democrats, as our delegate count has frontrunner Clinton just 70 delegates away from clinching the Democratic nomination.
In San Diego yesterday, Secretary Clinton gave a blistering critique of Donald Trump calling him temperamentally unfit to be president. In San Jose last night, Donald Trump held a rally and just outside things turned violent between protesters and Trump supporters. Today in an interview with Jake Tapper, Clinton said Trump deserves some of the blame for violence that has broken out at some of his events. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I condemn all violence in our political arena. I condemned it when Donald Trump wasn't citing it, and congratulating people who were engaging in it. I condemn it, by those who are taking violent protests to physical assault against Donald Trump. This has to end. He set a very bad example. He created an environment in which it seemed to be acceptable for someone running for president to be inciting violence, encouraging his supporters. Now we're seeing people against him respond in kind. It should all stop. It is not acceptable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[20:30:06] COOPER: Jake's full interview with Secretary Clinton as well as his Conversations with Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders air at Sunday on "State of the Union."
Back with the panel.
Kayleigh, when you hear Hillary Clinton saying that. I mean, is she unfairly pointing the finger at Donald Trump or is there blame on both sides?
KAYLEIGH MCENANY, TRUMP SUPPORTER: I think she's unfairly pointing the finger. Look, he made two statements early on about that the old days protesters used to be punched when they acted this way, and then before the facts came out. On one alter case and he said, "Look, maybe I will pay the guy's legal bills." But once the violence started, he refrained from making these comments. Once the violent protest started and to put the blame on him for the actions of these protesters that are happening every single night, he has a rally in inhospitable environments for jumping -- for them jumping on cars, punching Trump protesters, throwing eggs at people, to say he is responsible for this because of two, probably at this point, regrettable comments he made way back then. I think is a little bit of a reach.
COOPER: Tara?
TARA SETMAYER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I agree actually on that. I think Hillary Clinton should have come out unequivocally and said, "Under no circumstances is this ever OK and not qualify it with. But Donald Trump did, but that's the political answer.
And these are anarchist. These aren't protesters. It was a mob riot going on out there. People, you know, however, they feel about Donald Trump have a first amendment right to freedom of assembly and to -- it support whatever political candidate they want. This kind of rioting and violence is completely unacceptable and Hillary Clinton should be firm about that.
But there's a certain political advantage for her on her side because this -- a lot of Bernie supporters thinks this is just wonderful and she wants to be able to bring them over to her side if she's going to have trouble consolidating Democrats, so she's walking a fine line there and use that as an opportunity to take a shot on Trump.
COOPER: And it is insane, I mean, just the videos we're watching, to see, you know, a supporter of any candidate being punched in the back of the head as they walk away and, you know, having a shirt ripped off, the whole thing is just insane.
JOSEPH BORELLI, CO-CHAIR, DONALD TRUMP NY CAMPAIGN: Right. What about to Bernie supporter or Hillary supporter, I think the left has to own this. Because it's beyond just Donald Trump rallies.
At Trump rallies, it's a real testament to how our democracy has faltered in just ways when to just attend a rally for the presumptive Republican nominee for president. You get assaulted, pelted with bottles, law enforcement gets assaulted. When it speaks to a bigger thing because you see even in California now are Republican, count Republican rallies at campuses. His speakers can't even get to the event without police escorts. This is something that's going on in the American left, maybe just in California but it seems to be further and broader.
It is something that has -- and you want to talk about Donald Trump being authoritarian, when people are being assaulted for attending political protest, that is.
COOPER: I mean, you do have a candidate now who early on was, you know, just talking about, "I'd like to punch that guy in the head or I'd like to sock that guy".
RICHARD SOCARIDES, HILLARY CLINTON SUPPORTER: I mean, listen, I don't think there's any basis from what we've just heard from the other side of the room here. I mean, she pretty clearly condemned what was going on. I think anybody who knows anything about Hillary Clinton that she doesn't support any kind of violence in American politic or any kind of political discourse, nor does anybody here.
I think the point she was making is not that he is responsible but that he deserves, you know, that he is somewhat responsible for setting a tone and for the rhetoric he has put forward and that it excites people.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: But that's not what is causing, I mean, these are anti-Trump people now, I mean, in the video, you know, punching the guy in the back of the head. I mean, his tone early on is not what's causing those people to do that.
SOCARIDES: No, I mean listen, who knows what is causing these people to do that? I mean, that's crazy stuff. Who would do that and why would you do it?
I mean, I think they are clearly anarchist. There are people that just trying to roll things up. They just people who don't support any kind of government, don't support either party. And I think to blame the left is ridiculous. There's no proof that these people are with the left for this is kind of ridiculous. I mean, there's no proof that these people are with the left or with the right or that there anything other than anarchist.
But, you know, the point here though is that, we are in the political season now here where the kind of rhetoric that is going -- coming out for Mr. Trump is going to encourage a lot of people to really have very emotional reactions.
COOPER: Well, I guess, my question is, how does this, I mean, there's the horror of actually the violence that is occurring, but how does it actually play. I mean, there's actually, in some cases does it make the Democrats look bad, does it make Trump look better because you have his supporters in this video, you have his supporters of, you know, being attacked as they are leaving a rally.
JONATHAN MARTIN, NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, THE NEW YORK TIMES: Absolutely. It's a political gift for Trump, to have people out there physically assaulting his supporters, burning American flags, and in some cases, they'll wave Mexican flags, it really reinforces what Trump is saying out there. And, you know, I think for people who are sort of uneasy about Trump but don't really like the left, sort of lean conservative. That's going to put them in Trump's column pretty fast. [20:35:00] SOCARIDES: But, you know, what I think is different this year is I don't think anybody believes that. I don't think people in the middle, people who are undecided, really believe for a second that the Democrats are behind this or that Hillary Clinton supports this.
People think, people understand that this is part of the tone that Donald Trump had set. And I think that in past years, yes. I mean, I think you could see some stuff and you could say, "Well, that they're going to blame the protesters. These are not people who are protesting in favor ...
COOPER: But they have similar signs of (inaudible), it's not as if they're looking ...
(CROSSTALK)
ERROL LOUIS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yeah. There's definitely some organized violence there. This isn't just a rag tag (ph) group. Although there seem to be some people who just ...
SOCARIDES: But who's going to organize it? It's not organized by Democrats.
LOUIS: Let's have an investigation. But I think this doesn't work for Donald Trump. I mean to the extent that there might some sympathy for him, yeah, that's one thing. But you will know how the power of images sort of, you know, merges and melds and sort of fades into your subconscious. And I think, if this continues by the end of the campaign, people will just think Trump and just associated with chaos, violence in the speech. That's not going to work for him.
COOPER: And we got to take another quick break. Just ahead, three years ago, the Republican National Committee draw up a plan for building a bigger tent by reaching out to women, minority voters. They did not, of course, factor in Donald Trump.
The question is, has the presumptive nominee blown up those plans? We'll have more on that ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:40:15] COOPER: We've been talking about Donald Trump's latest attacks against the federal judge who's presiding over two lawsuits against Trump University. Trump claims U.S District Court Judge Gonzalo Curiel who was born in Indiana is biased because of his Mexican heritage.
In an interview today with CNN's Jake Tapper, Trump defended those remarks about Curiel and at one point called him a Mexican. Fair to say, that is not what the Republican Party officials had in mind when they called for building a bigger tent after the party's bruising defeat in 2012.
You may remember the report issued detailing what they believe they needed to do to win back the White House. Now, fast-forward to 2016 and the presumptive nominee who seems to maybe miss the memo, Sara Murray reports.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
SARA MURRAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: RNC Chair Reince Priebus unveiled the party so called autopsy report after a bruising 2012 defeat. The bottom line, elevate women and embrace minorities.
"We need to campaign among Hispanics, black, Asian, and gay Americans, and demonstrate we care about them too", it said. It warned about tone saying, "A poorly phrased argument or out of context statement can spiral out of control and reflect poorly on the party as a whole. But Trump notched plenty of primary victories giving little heed to those recommendations.
DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best. They're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists, and some I assume are good people.
MURRAY: Today, he bragged clumsily about his black supporters.
TRUMP: Look at my African-American also here, look at him.
MURRAY: He repeatedly attacked one of the party's rising stars, Latina Governor Susana Martinez.
TRUMP: She got to do a better job, OK? The governor has got to do a better job. She's not doing the job. Hey, maybe I'll run for governor of New Mexico.
MURRAY: Sparking an avalanche of criticism from his own party.
SEN. MITCH MCCONNEL, (R) MAJORITY LEADER: I think that the attacks that he's routinely engaged in, for example, going after Susana Martinez, the Republican governor of New Mexico, the Chairman of the Republican Governors Association I think was a big mistake.
MURRAY: Now, Trump says he wants her endorsement. And there's the desktop about Trump's suggestion that a federal judges Mexico heritage presents a conflict on interest in presiding over a Trump University case, that resulting (ph) from House Speaker Paul Ryan less than 24 hours after he endorsed the presumptive nominee.
PAUL RYAN, HOUSE SPEAKER: The comment about the judge the other day just was out of left field from my mind.
MURRAY: While, Trump insists he loves Hispanics.
TRUMP: Latinos, we're doing well with Latinos, nobody knows about it yet. The Hispanics, we love the Hispanics.
MURRAY: They take a dim view of him.
74 percent of Latino voters viewed him unfavorably in a recent Fox News poll, compared to 23 percent who held a favorable view. In the face of daunting demographic challenges and an unscripted candidate, Priebus says he is far from panicked.
REINCE PRIEBUS, RNC CHAIRPERSON: I am not pouring Bailey's in my cereal. I'm not sitting here trying to find a Johnny Walker, I mean, this is fun.
MURRAY: Even if tweets like Trump Cinco de Mayo overture, featuring the candidate grilling over a taco ball and proclaiming, "I love Hispanics", leave the chairman short on words.
PRIEBUS: He is trying. Honestly, he's trying.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
COOPER: Sara Murray joins us now. Has Susana Martinez spoken now by Trump's latest comments about her and about the idea of endorsing him?
MURRAY: Well, it appears that Susana Martinez is open to mending fences, maybe not going so far as to endorse him. Her office put out a statement saying she looks forward to visiting with Donald Trump and, hopefully, discussing that issues that effects New Mexican. She said, this has never been a battle that's about her. It's always been about issues were facing the people of her state. So, we'll see if they're able to repair the relationship, Anderson.
COOPER: All right. Sara Murray, thank you.
Over the past 24 hours, Trump's comment about Judge Curiel have sparked intense backlash as we said, his response has been to dig in his heels, lots to discuss.
Joining me now is Ruben Estrada, President of the New York Chapter of the Latino National Republican Coalition. Back with us is Tara Setmayer and in Miami, CNN Political Commentator Ana Navarro.
Now, the so-called autopsy about reaching out to minority is broadening the GOP tent, where does it stand now? Because if you listen to Trump, he says he's got a lot of Latino and African-American support.
ANA NAVARRO, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: The autopsy needs an autopsy. And let me tell you something, Anderson. For the longest time I thought I would remain silent on some of Trump's excesses thinking I can't hurt the party, I can't hurt the other candidates. But I've come to the conclusion today after all these things that he has said about the judge, after time and time and time again of Donald Trump picking on Hispanics, making it his cause during the campaign.
[20:45:05] That if we don't speak, if we Hispanic Republicans don't speak, if Republicans don't speak, if Hispanics don't speak. If we fall in line and we fall silent, that's when the party is at danger of dying.
We must save the party and we must let people know that not all of us agree with Donald Trump, that he does not represent the Republican Party. That the things he is saying are disgusting, unacceptable. He wants to take us back 50 years to where we were before, to racial division.
It is unacceptable. He needs to campaign on unity, on things that bring us together as Americans. For him to say that that judge is Mexican, that judge born of immigrant parents, not a daddy who gave him a million dollars. A judge had to bust his chops to become a lawyer and then a judge. A judge who is just as American as four of his children who are born to immigrant mothers, were not three of his children born to Ivanka Trump from Czechoslovakia and Melania Trump of Slovenia, how dare he call into question that man's citizenship?
We are allowed to love American. We are Americans as much as Donald Trump is, he is hurting this party. He is hurting the country and it is enough already. No more silence. No mass.
COOPER: Ruben, you're a veteran GOP operative and you're out, you've got boots on the ground. Do you hear that anger that Ana has, that frustration
RUBEN ESTRADA, PRESIDENT OF THE NEW YORK CHAPTER OF THE LATINO NATIONAL REPUBLICAN COALITION: It is consistent. I, myself, am pretty taken back by it.
COOPER: By these latest comments about the judge?
ESTRADA: Absolutely. You know, you're setting precedent of picking and choosing judicial system and that's not fair, that's not correct. I do think that the attitude that he's taking with the Latinos is kind of discerning.
I'm a Puerto Rican so there's a little different in terms of the immigrant experience because we are migrants. But would standing, the tone is not a good tone. I do think that he has to reach out and we have to build this party. We have to do. And forget about the president (inaudible) in one guy.
But I'll you what, I go back to Barry Goldwater water when the party we talked about the big tent then, and we have to continue doing that. I am an operative because I believe in this party, I believe in Party of Lincoln. And the Party of Lincoln is a party of inclusion and it is not working very well.
My efforts are kicking me back. Once he speaks, kicks me back five years.
COOPER: I remember back I think in was '96, I was at ABC News doing pieces on Republicans who are at the convention, walking around with, Ruben said, big tent. I mean, they were literally talking about it.
ESTRADA: Absolutely, yeah. And I was there. I started my efforts in '72 when Nixon. I was a page at the National Convention. We had a great exposure with the Latino community and support of the Latino community. Same when I ran the Guilliani campaign in '93 for Latinos, we won because of it.
COOPER: Tara, I mean, you made this point earlier. I mean, if Donald Trump had said about a Jewish judge, well, he can't rule on this or anything to do because he is Jewish American or because he is Jewish or because he's African-American or whatever. I wonder if there would have been an even -- if more people haven't spoken out about what he said now about Mexican, judge as Mexican heritage, if those people would still remain silent.
SETMAYER: I don't think so. I think because the emotions over illegal immigration have really boiled over. I was at the '96 Convention in San Diego and I remember that, the big tent thing, and that was something that -- this is something the Republicans have been trying to recover from since Barry Goldwater.
I've spent 20 plus years as a minority in the Republican Party trying to fight for that level of inclusion and try to fight against the political vulcanization of women, of blacks, Hispanics, of all of these things because we believe in individual freedoms and that we don't label people that way.
What is going on here with Donald Trump is setting us back 50 years and this is so frustrating, and it's partially what motivates me to try to stand strong to make sure the people understand. This is not what conservatism is. This is not what the Republican Party is.
COOPER: So, Ruben, you told our producers, you were going to vote for Donald Trump. Is that still the case? And if so, how do you explain that.
ESTRADA: New story. The options are not there. There's no good options unfortunately. I believe in my party, I believe in the true party. We have a bunch of -- she might agree with me. We have a bunch of custodians that come and go, but they don't necessarily always reflect the true Republican Party, and we got to do that and we got to change that around.
But, yes, I will vote for Trump. It's almost not a vote for Trump but a vote against Hillary.
COOPER: Do you believe his comments are racist, his latest comments about the judge?
SETMAYER: Yes.
ESTRADA: His comments are racist.
SETMAYER: Of course, they're racist. Yes. I would implore you to rethink that.
[20:49:55] And I would implore every single person who seems to be making excuses for things that they would never had made excuses for any other time to rethink, is this the time where party is going to Trump principle, no pun intended, because -- what do we have left. If you are sitting here, and excusing way this kind of behavior and a restful (ph) who represent our party, where does the standards go from here? I mean this is the future of our country at stake.
COOPER: Ana, for you, you're saying no doubt, what he said was racist? NAVARRO: Absolutely, Anderson. When you are calling into question a person's ability to perform their profession because of their ethnicity, yes that is racism. That is not only racism, it is ignorance. What he is trying to do is distract it from the fact and the, you know, and the allegations against his university, that they are fraud, that he was -- it was all a scam. And he's trying to distract us by creating this controversy around this, judge.
Let me just tell you, this is a judge who had to go into hiding at times because of prosecution against drug lords. You know, they -- I mean go take a look at Arlington cemetery, Donald Trump, take a look at all the Mexican names, all the Hispanic names on those tombs while you were dodging the draft, all of those Mexican-Americans that bled and died for our freedom while you were dodging the draft, and I implore my party, I implore Americans not to fall for a guy who preys on division, who preys on fear, who preys on negativism, who preys on nativism. We must unite as Americans, we must stand for what America stands for, the greatest nation in this world. We will not be pitted one against the other.
If this is his strategy, he needs to lose, he should lose. Maybe, you know, the other gentleman will vote for him. I can tell you, hell no, I will not vote for him. I might be the last person left on Survivor Island, but I will not give my vote to a man who divides.
SETMAYER: I'm with you sister.
COOPER: All right, Ana Navarro, thank you, Tara Setmayer, Ruben Estrada, great to have you on the program. We'll be right back. More ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:55:37] COOPER: A lot more happening. Randi Kaye joins us with the "360 Bulletin". Randi?
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, our top story tonight is something everyone is talking about, your birthday. Everyone ants to wish you happy 50th!
COOPER: Thank you very much. I'm not 50, by the way. I'm not 50.
KAYE: I know, I know. It happens to all of us, right, I know you want to believe that. But you're 50, right? Everybody thinks you're 50. That's why we got the candles.
COOPER: Just 49. 49.
KAYE: Really.
COOPER: I know. All right. Thank you, everybody, thank you yeah. All right. Thank you.
KAYE: I think there's a cake. See, we're celebrating your 50th, Anderson. 5-0.
COOPER: Wow, thank you very much.
KAYE: It happens to all of us, just accept it, embrace it, enjoy it, celebrate it.
COOPER: I'm 49, just for the record. Just in case everybody included, 49.
KAYE: I don't think so.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: The cake is real.
KAYE: Quit denying it, because ...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just like you.
KAYE: ... we are all so convinced that you're turning 50 Anderson today on your 50th birthday, that a whole bunch of your colleagues put a little something special together for you to wish you a happy 50th. So, watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Happy birthday, Anderson. I'm told you're going to be 50 years old. Wow, you don't look a day over 49.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Seriously, Cooper, I got to do this again, every year I got to this happy birthday. He keeps pretending he's not getting older, but he is, all right stand by, we're going to do this taping right now. Here we go.
Happy 50th birthday, Anderson. I can't believe you're only just turning 50 years old right now, seems like just yesterday you were 49.
DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF CORRESPONDENT: Look at this, look at how beautiful it is. Idyllic, quiet, no one around. It would the perfect place for you to spend your 50th birthday. I wish you're here with me my friend. Happy half a century.
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: 50 years old, I can't imagine what that's like. Use your way, happy birthday, let's celebrate. When you come to Atlanta, give me a call, my treat of the early bird special.
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF CORRESPONDENT: Let's go back to 2004, Bush versus cherry, very close race. We love covering here on CNN. We had the help of this guy, Anderson Cooper. Take look. He looks a little younger, he looks happy in that picture does it?
So let's fast forward now, 2016. Still 50 states, and still right here with us, Anderson Cooper, helping us get to the election. What you'll notice, it's a little bit more serious here. He's missing something, he's gained something. That's for you to figure out at home. Awful. But still looks great to me. And Anderson, trust me from a guy who beat you to that line, 50 it's the new 30. KAYE: I heard you turned 50 years ago. You know, rumors get started, or maybe it's just a hair. I don't know. But 50, really? I mean Lyndon Johnson was president when you were born. That's incredible, man. You're old!
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: My man, happy birthday. Good luck for you, turning 50 ain't easy. I'm 10 years away from it, but when it happens to me, I hope I look half as good as you do. You look great and the plugs they're working!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Wow. Thank you, Randi.
KAYE: Oh, you are so welcome.
COOPER: Yeah, thank you everyone, I'm really ...
KAYE: Happy 50th Anderson.
COOPER: Yes, just for the record, I'm 49. Just 49 years old.
All right. We'll be right back. More news ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
