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Flight Hijacker in Custody; Trump Campaign Manager Charged With Simple Battery; Republicans Prepare for Town Hall. Aired 3-3:30p ET

Aired March 29, 2016 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:15]

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour now on this Tuesday. I'm Pamela Brown, in for Brooke Baldwin. Thanks for being here with us.

We're just hours before the Republican candidates face off during a CNN town hall. Donald Trump's campaign in the headlines now for all the wrong reasons, his campaign manager turning himself in to police in Florida because of this incident and this surveillance video right here.

He's charged with simple battery after he allegedly grabbed a reporter earlier this month.

I want to take you through this new video right now and the highlighted section you see in the circle. You can see reporter Michelle Fields in a yellow jacket. She's standing right next to Donald Trump. And then campaign manager Corey Lewandowski moves closer to her from behind and she appears to be pulled back with his hand firmly on her arm.

It's not so easy to see, but there's this as well. This is a photo right here that Ms. Fields posted on Twitter showing bruises that she alleged came from that incident.

I want to talk about all of this with our senior White House correspondent, Jim Acosta and CNN senior media correspondent Brian Stelter, also the host of "RELIABLE SOURCES."

Jim, first to you, how is the campaign reacting to this?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Pam, first of all, the Trump campaign is showing no signs that it's backing away from its embattled campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski from Donald Trump on down

Donald Trump tweeted earlier today that basically he believes Corey Lewandowski is innocent. We can put this up on screen. He says: "Wow, Corey Lewandowski, my campaign manager and a very decent man, was just charged with assaulting a reporter. Look at tapes, nothing there."

Now, obviously, if you look at this new security footage that was released by the Jupiter Police Department, it does clearly show Corey Lewandowski grabbing the arm of the Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields as she attempting to get a comment from Donald Trump at that event on March the 8th.

But according to one of Donald Trump's top spokespersons, you know, Katrina Pierson, she was on CNN earlier today saying, hey, this is what happens at campaign events. Reporters get jostled. Even campaign staffers get jostled. Here's what she told Wolf earlier this afternoon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATRINA PIERSON, TRUMP CAMPAIGN SPOKESPERSON: This is no different, for example, when I am in the middle of the scrum and get smacked around by television networks. I don't go and sue the television network because I have a cut on my arm because from a camera.

Everyone knows at these type of scrum events, there is some jostling around and some pushing. And the second you cross that Secret Service threshold, you will be moved away from the candidate. This is not new.

Corey Lewandowski is going to beat this. He will plead not guilty. And we will just have to let this process play out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Now, as you heard Katrina Pierson say there, the campaign did put out a statement that was essentially identical to the statement put out by Lewandowski's attorney saying that he is innocent, he is going to fight these charges.

Now, we should point out, for Michelle Fields, she is feeling vindicated at this point after Donald Trump tweeted his amazement that Corey Lewandowski is being charged. She tweeted, basically retweeted his tweet and added the comment, "That's because my story never changed" and then saying to Donald Trump, "Seriously, just stop lying."

That's a quote from Michelle Fields. We should point out, according to the Trump campaign, Corey Lewandowski was never arrested. The Jupiter Police Department begs to differ. They say because he turned himself in, he appeared on his own and picked up a notice to appear in court, that he was essentially arrested.

We should also point out, Pam, talking to the Trump campaign this afternoon, that Donald Trump is still planning to appear at this rally here Janesville later on this afternoon and at the CNN town hall later on tonight, Pam.

BROWN: I imagine this will come up.

Brian, to you, because shortly after this incident, Lewandowski tweeted that Michelle Fields was delusional and even today the Trump campaign still insinuating that she changed her story. This back and forth started soon after the incident. Take us through the timeline.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Yes, that's right. There's the criminal stakes here, this misdemeanor charge. But then the political stakes are significant because it does seem like the campaign did not take her allegation seriously. Critics of the campaign say it was dismissed and it shouldn't have been dismissed.

Let's look first at the statement that came out from the campaign on March 10. This was a statement that was issued by Hope Hicks, the press secretary for the campaign. She said: "Not a single camera or reporter of more than 100 in attendance captured the alleged incident."

Of course, keep in mind the video we saw today is from Trump's own building from a surveillance camera. The statement goes on to say: "We leave to others whether this is part of a larger pattern of exaggerating incidents, but on multiple occasions, she has become part of the news story as opposed to reporting it. Recall that she also claimed to have been beaten by a New York City police officer with a baton."

[15:05:01]

Now, people on Fields' side felt the Trump campaign was smearing her, was blaming the victim. And then Trump himself told CNN he didn't think the story was real. Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're surrounded by Secret Service. We have many Secret Service. You see some of them here. When we left, I spoke to them. Nothing happened. This was, in my opinion, made up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STELTER: So he said he thought Fields made the story up.

And then Corey Lewandowski himself called her an attention seeker. Here's one of his tweets. He sent this to her directly late at night. He said, "You are totally delusional. I never touched you. As a matter of fact, I have never even met you." That was a comment from Corey Lewandowski to Michelle Fields.

This story became very controversial and very much disputed because the sides were saying different things. But on March 11, she did go to the police. This investigation began and now a couple weeks later, here we are with this charge.

BROWN: Big development. Jim Acosta, Brian Stelter, thank you so much for breaking it down for us.

This reaction to this development has been swift and unapologetic from the other campaigns, as you can imagine. Here's what John Kasich had to say just moments ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) GOV. JOHN KASICH (R-OH), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Everybody is innocent until proven guilty. However, when we see things that are very disturbing, we then take action. And I think that's what needs to be done. But that's Trump's call, not mine. I'm just telling you the way that -- because I face things like this from time to time, people that -- I have got a lot of employees. And when we see things that we think are improprieties, we either suspend or we let people go, one or the other.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: All right, so let's discuss all of this with CNN chief political correspondent Dana Bash, who is traveling with the Cruz campaign, and CNN political director David Chalian, as well as our CNN political reporter, Nia-Malika Henderson.

So much to talk about. Thanks for coming on, guys.

Dana, I'm going to start with you, because you have been traveling with the Cruz campaign. How has he responded?

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're waiting for him to arrive here in suburban Milwaukee for a retail stop to shake hands with people at a local restaurant. But before coming here, he did response. Listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's a very sad development. And this is the consequence of the culture of the Trump campaign, the abusive culture. When you have a campaign that is built on personal insults, on attacks, and now physical violence, that has no place in a political campaign and has no place in our democracy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: So that was kind of the expected reaction, Pam, from Ted Cruz, who has been railing on Donald Trump for the tone and tenor of his campaign for various reasons. And this is just the latest.

You played what John Kasich said. And I just want to add that he also suggested that people should think about whether or not it was their daughter. Kasich has two daughters. Cruz has two daughters. So those are the other kinds of things you're hearing from them. Not saying that it's not genuine that they're saying that, but it also happens to play into the idea that Trump is not necessarily good for women and that is a very important issue on the campaign trail, especially here in Wisconsin, which has its primary on April 5.

There was a big battle for Republican women here.

BROWN: Exactly. In fact, you just brought up my next point that I was going to go with David with, that this comes at a time when Donald Trump is under fire for what he has said about other women. Yet clearly he is not backing down. In fact, David, he's only doubling down in his defense of his campaign

manager. What do you think about that? What kind of a strategy is this and when you look at the context?

DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Not just doubling down in defense of his campaign manager, Pam, but just moments ago, Donald Trump tweeted himself a different freeze-frame from that video, this one of Michelle Fields, the reporter, reaching out to ask him a question and grabbing his arm and saying, hey, the victory press conference was over, and she's grabbing me to shout -- she's shouting questions at me. Should I press charges?

So Donald Trump is now sort of playing the victim as well in this scenario with this most recent tweet. But, listen, this is the kind of distraction and controversy that Donald Trump has gotten used to on the campaign trail now. Just as his opponents, Ted Cruz and John Kasich, you heard from them. They're going to try to use it to their political advantage, call into question the culture surrounding Trump and the way he conducts his campaign.

He uses it to rally his supporters and saying, hey, guys, all these people who are worried about political correctness or what have you are against us. And his supporters rally to his side usually in these moments of controversy.

BROWN: Yes. We see that time and time again.

Nia, this seems -- and correct me if I'm wrong -- this seems to be unprecedented in a sense. It's rare for a campaign manager to be even in this position, particularly when a candidate like Donald Trump has Secret Service and, as we saw him there, he just walks freely through the crowds.

[15:10:10]

And yet he's sort of putting the blame on her as a reporter who is trying to ask him a question. What do you make of that?

NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes.

I mean, so much of what we have seep from the Trump campaign has been unprecedented, in terms of things that he said and things that he's done. So, very much I think this is in keeping with that.

But Corey Lewandowski does seem to have a very interesting and different and rare kind of role in this campaign. We have seen him in other instances in other campaign settings, where he seems to be kind of mixing it up with protesters. There's video of that as well. This seems to be similar to that and has now risen to this level where there's an arrest out for him, and he's, of course, going to be in court later on to deal with this.

But I think one of the things that's interesting about this, there is this cloud of controversy that has surrounded the Donald Trump campaign so far. He's thrived in this environment. I think over these last weeks, not only the dust-up that he's had with Heidi Cruz, but now this dust-up with Michelle Fields, with his campaign manager facing these allegations, always seeing that kind of tipping point, necessarily with Republican voters, but just with kind of a Trump fatigue setting in among the general population.

His unfavorable ratings are really shooting up. If you look at where he was in January, they're about at 55 percent. They're at 67 percent among the general population. So I think, again, Trump has been successful at navigating these choppy and controversial waters. But I think there also could be a downside for him.

BROWN: And we will have to see what that impact really is. All right, guys, stand by. I want to talk about a big endorsement today.

And, of course, there's the CNN town hall with three Republican candidates tonight.

Plus, a group of women explaining why they're supporting Donald Trump and whether his comments and this behavior impacts their vote.

Also, a man hijacks a passenger jet, says he has explosives. Hear how he did it. And new video showing what happened in those moments just before he boarded that flight.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:16:12]

BROWN: And my panel back here with me, just hours before the Republican candidates face voters tonight during a CNN town hall.

David Chalian, I want to go to you first, because we have learned the governor of Wisconsin and former rival Scott Walker endorsed Ted Cruz today. As we know, endorsements haven't really meant much in this campaign.

But could this one carry more weight, especially a week out from the Wisconsin primaries?

CHALIAN: Well, listen, as with many endorsements, this is one you would rather have than not have.

But you're right, Pam, we have not really seen endorsements, even of big political figures, have a massive impact. But Scott Walker is a guy who won three statewide elections in four years' time in this state and knows how to put together a winning coalition statewide in what is a really competitive state.

So, clearly, it is a good shot in the arm for Ted Cruz and it helps him sort of win a news cycle when you want to do that each day leading up to the primary a week from today. But to think that it's somehow going to dramatically alter the landscape here is probably putting a little too much stock into the endorsement.

BROWN: And, Dana, you broke the news about a backdoor strategy that the Kasich campaign was using to try to defeat Donald Trump. What more can you tell us about that? BASH: Well, it was an attempt. The Kasich campaign has been trying

very hard to coordinate with the Cruz campaign, as you said, to try to take down their common opponent, Donald Trump.

And so what John Weaver, one of the top strategists in the Kasich campaign, told me was that they were hoping that Mitt Romney, the Republican nominee from 2012, would be able to convince the Cruz campaign, reaching out specifically to Cruz's campaign manager, Jeff Roe, to please talk to the Kasich campaign.

It's one of these kind of, you know, backdoor, behind-the-scenes conversations that you think may or may not happen. Well, in this case, the Kasich campaign tried.

The problem is that the Cruz campaign is not interested. Jeff Roe, the campaign manager, would not confirm the Romney conversation, did say that they speak, wouldn't talk about the private conversation, but did say, look, from their perspective, they have no reason to coordinate with John Kasich, because they feel that he is a spoiler, that the votes he takes are not from anyone except Ted Cruz, and they feel that he is insignificant when it comes to the delegates.

However, the point that John Weaver, again, the Kasich aide, made to me was that, in some states, it actually could make a difference, and they're looking way down the road to June, when the California primary happens. Obviously, that's a large state, very diverse, very expensive in terms of money, in terms of candidates' time. And so they're hoping that in that state, they can coordinate.

If nothing else, again, the main goal is to try to keep Donald Trump from getting the delegates he needs. But, again, the problem is for the Kasich campaign, camp Cruz is just saying, sorry, not interested.

BROWN: And what about camp Trump, Nia, because we know that the campaign made this big hire of a Republican veteran who is an expert on delegates. Do you think this is in response to what happened in Louisiana and Trump threatening a lawsuit?

HENDERSON: Absolutely.

We have seen Cruz, who already has proven to run a campaign that's very data-driven, that's very focused on the grassroots, go in to Louisiana and be able to possibly come away with more delegates than Trump, even though he narrowly lost that contest there.

So now we have Trump reacting, bringing on Paul Manafort, who was instrumental in the Ford floor fight in 1976 that ended up being successful against Ronald Reagan in that fight, and subsequently helped Ronald Reagan at conventions and then Bush and Dole in following years.

[15:20:07]

And so here he is bringing him on. And we know that this is going to go to a very complicated process come convention time, where there's going to be all these sorts of horse-trading and votes of delegates first bound and unbound in several different rounds of voting.

There is Trump learning that this is a game that's not only about contests and racking up delegates in different states, but also about the folks you sit as delegates and the folks you hire who know the system.

BROWN: In light of that, quickly, David, what's the one thing we need to look out for tonight during the town hall?

CHALIAN: I would just look at how each of these three candidates now want to address the way the tone and tenor is of this race. Do they want to also alter the sort of back and forth that we have seen over the course of the last week and get it out to sort of higher ground?

Or are they comfortable sticking in the mud right now? That's the biggest thing I'm looking for tonight.

BROWN: All right, David, Dana, Nia, thank you so much for breaking it down for us.

HENDERSON: Thanks, Pam.

BROWN: And, again, you won't want to miss the CNN presidential town hall. Anderson Cooper interviews all three candidates live from Milwaukee starting at 8:00 p.m. Eastern tonight only on CNN.

And coming up, CNN talks with a group of women voters who explain why they're sticking with Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just find that what you see is what you get with this man, and that is what I want.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He loves people. He really has a respect for women.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Also, high anxiety as a commercial jet is hijacked, hostages are seen climbing out of the windows after landing. And now serious security questions are being raised as we learn more about the hijacker's motive.

We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:26:14]

BROWN: Well, it's not being called an act of terror, but the terror on board an Egyptian Air passenger flight today is undeniable. A hijacker seizes an airliner. Passengers weep, as he forces the pilot to change course with threats of an explosive belt that turned out to be fake. Eventually, he surrendered miles off course. This is one of the last

hostages. Take a look right here. You can see the hostage escaping through a cockpit window and scaling the side of an airplane. And then minutes later, the hijacker gives himself up. That's reportedly him in the white shirt.

Now, this surveillance video showing the suspected hijacker going through security at the airport in Alexandria, Egypt, and even getting a pat-down before boarding the flight that he hijacked.

Joining me now to discuss all this is Chris Voss, former international hostage negotiator for the FBI and the author of the soon-to-be- released book "Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It."

One of his demands, Chris, was that the plane be refueled so that he could travel to Istanbul, which we know was rejected. Authorities did, however, arrange for him to speak to his ex-wife. There was a peaceful end, as we know, but is there anything about the way this all played out that concerns you?

CHRIS VOSS, FORMER FBI HOSTAGE NEGOTIATOR: Well, I think, overall, based on what we have been told so far, it sounds appropriate. I mean, somehow, he cleared -- he cleared the metal detector.

We don't know for sure what he was carrying and whether or not he actually had something that would have looked like a hoax bomb. Just saying that he had a bomb all by itself, you would ask for a little bit more assessment from the flight crew.

But it looks like they took appropriate precautions at this point in time. I don't think they ever felt like their plane was ever in danger. And they had to protect the plane and the passengers as much as they could.

BROWN: And it's tough, because we're in a time of a serious, you know, ISIS terrorism threat. You have got to take these things seriously. But, at the same time, terrorists watching this can now know they can commandeer a plane with just a bluff, right?

VOSS: Well, yes, that's the real issue here is, was this just a bluff? What did they have besides what he said to believe that he was carrying some sort of a device?

We don't know what sort of unstable behavior he exhibited and how they would have assessed that. So you ask a flight crew -- they're responsible for a multimillion-dollar airplane and 81 passengers -- to take all this information in. And you hope it's a little bit more than just saying he had a bomb that caused them to divert the plane.

BROWN: I'm just curious, because we know his ex-wife was brought in to talk to him. And that seemed to really help. Clearly, there was an emotional aspect to this that made a difference.

VOSS: Yes. This isn't unheard of that someone would hijack a plane because they're emotional disturbed. Fortunately, it's relatively rare, but not unheard of.

And I think letting him speak to his wife is a way to calm him down through the course of the communication, so they could get him to surrender, was probably a good idea.

BROWN: And it's just so frightening, I imagine, for those passengers at the time. And we're very happy there was a peaceful resolution.

Chris Voss, thank you. We appreciate it.

VOSS: Thanks for having me on, Pam.

BROWN: And up next on this Tuesday afternoon, Donald Trump's campaign manager charged with simple battery after new video shows an incident with a reporter, this just hours away from the Republican front- runner's first campaign event in Wisconsin, several protesters already arrested after staging a sit-in.

We will take you there live.

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