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Erin Burnett Outfront
RNC Chair Fires Back at Trump: System is Not Rigged; Awaiting Star-Studded Sanders Rally in New York City; New Poll: Trump Leading Maryland by 20 Points; Sources: Trump Campaign Mgr. Will Not Be Prosecuted; "Proof of Life" for Missing School Girls. Aired 7-8p ET
Aired April 13, 2016 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[19:00:10] ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news. Donald Trump's war with the RNC gets personal and Chairman Reince Priebus is punching back hard tonight. We're going to take you live to a Trump rally for the frontrunner's latest reaction.
Plus, a big star-studded rally for Bernie Sanders here in New York as his wife Jane slams the nomination process. She says, it is not democratic. And a worldwide exclusive right here OUTFRONT tonight. Two years after nearly 300 girls were kidnapped in Nigeria, is there proof of life tonight?
Let's go OUTFRONT. And good evening, I'm Erin Burnett. OUTFRONT tonight, the breaking news, war, war between Donald Trump and the leader of the Republican Party. Moments ago on CNN, Reince Priebus, the chairman of the RNC said Trump is wrong when he calls the party's nominating system rigged.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REINCE PRIEBUS, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: I do have to respond, though, when a campaign says that the RNC is, you know, rigging the rules. It's just not the case. The rules have been set. They're in place. They're not going to change in these states, and they're the same, you know, for the next state in New York. They're all out there. Everyone knows what the rules are.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: This after Trump said, Priebus should be, quote, "ashamed of himself."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: You don't think that the RNC wants you to get the nomination?
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: No, I don't think so. I really don't.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: We're waiting to see if Trump ups the ante right now because he is about to take the stage at a rally as you see on the screen. That rally is in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Just outside protesters and supporters are both lining up. Some signs saying racist statements got to go. Police are there. We'll going to keep you updated on that situation outside that Trump rally in Pittsburgh at this moment. We're counting you down to two other big events tonight. A special CNN town hall with Heidi and Ted Cruz in New York. That is live right here in New York. They will take questions from voters in less than two hours right here on CNN. And Bernie Sanders along with the numbers of New York celebrities about to address a huge crowd. The rally in a New York park, it has been shut down all day in anticipation of Sanders.
I want to begin though with Sara Murray, OUTFRONT tonight at that Trump rally in Pittsburgh. Sara, the RNC chairman tonight not backing away from a fight to Trump, why is he engaging coming out now and fighting with the frontrunner like this?
SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erin, we are seeing a much more aggressive response to Reince Priebus this time around. And I think a Republican strategist tells you that because Priebus really felt like Donald Trump went too far this time especially when he calls the party corrupt and he's talking about how the system was rigged. Priebus has really pride at himself on trying to run -- process this time around. I think that's why you see him coming out here and feeling like he needs to respond to this stuff going on CNN and responding to it publicly.
But he also said in that interview that he feels like this is going to blow over. And there is good reason for that. Donald Trump is going to have to play nice with the Republican Party if he's the nominee. The Republican Party has a field organization, a data operation. And Donald Trump is going to want access to all of that.
BURNETT: And Trump obviously fighting with the RNC, also adding those Sara another big name, and a former RNC insider to his staff tonight. So, I guess you could say, a bit ironic perhaps. So, what more can you tell us?
MURRAY: It is a little bit ironic. Because we're at the same time, his fighting with the RNC, his campaign is going through this transition where they're doing a little bit more D.C. outreach and they're staffing up, which means they're bringing on more experienced political hands. And the latest one of these is Rick Wiley, he is going to be Trump's new national political director. His most recent jobs though has got Walker's campaign manager, a little bit interesting.
But Wylie is a guy who comes in with a lot of experience. He was a political director at the RNC. He knows how to organize these states. But as with any seasoned operative, he comes with his own controversy too. A lot of people laid a lot of blame on him for kind of overspending or at least not buttoning down on the purse strings for Scott Walker's presidential bid. So, it will be interesting to see how he ferries out within the Trump campaign -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, Sara as we're monitoring that rally. Of course Donald Trump though when he takes the stage, what he says about this ongoing fight with. Now, the chairman of the Republican Party.
Sunlen Serfaty in the meantime is with the Cruz campaign in Erie, Pennsylvania tonight where he was earlier. And Sunlen, how is Cruz responding to this fight between Trump and Priebus?
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Erin, it's interesting to watch. Senator Cruz is largely just sitting back and almost relishing this moment letting the RNC and Trump basically duke this out themselves. But what we have seen from Senator Cruz is a very pointed and very calculated insistence basically to continue to bring up Donald Trump's complaining over the nominating process almost to draw a contrast with how his campaign is able to navigate the delegate rules, continuing to bring up like he did today here in Erie, Pennsylvania, how his campaign outmaneuvered Donald Trump in Colorado over the weekend leading to that clean sweep.
So really needling Donald Trump on this issue. Today he told this crowd, look, Donald Trump is very unhappy. It leads to him whining and saying, you know, Donald when people vote against him, Donald, he continues to call him Donald screams and yells. Well, that is exactly how elections work. People vote for you or they don't. So, this is a very clear moment where Senator Cruz is trying to capitalize on, really to draw a very clear contrast between their two campaigns, between the management of their two campaigns and how much they differ -- Erin.
[19:05:18] BURNETT: All right. Sunlen, thank you. And OUTFRONT now, the executive Vice President of the Trump's organization, special counsel to Donald Trump Michael Cohen. He has worked for Trump for over a decade and his inner circle.
Also, we'll be joined by our panel, our Political Director David Chalian. Political analyst and host of the David Gregory show podcast, "David Gregory." And Amanda Carpenter, former Communications Director for Ted Cruz.
All right. Michael, let me start with you though because the chair of the Republican National Committee just about an hour ago here on CNN says, he's been attacked. He says what Donald Trump is saying about the RNC being corrupt is just factually untrue.
MICHAEL COHEN, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, TRUMP ORGANIZATION: Look, he can say whatever he wants. What they're doing is they're trying to thwart Mr. Trump from getting the nomination. It's whether or not it's the spending or permeating the spending of $70 million against him in the attack ads. Many believe that Reince Priebus in the RNC know about it and they actually condone it. On top of that --
BURNETT: Many believe and you believe it.
COHEN: That's right. We believe it, and if we believe it, then that's what we're also going on. They're also making it impossible for an outsider to try to gain this number of 1237. And they're doing everything that they can which to thwart him from getting to that magic number. BURNETT: All right. So here's the thing. Priebus says the rules may
be complicated in the states, but these are the rules. They've been there and no one is changing them right now. The bottom-line is simple if he gets the majority of delegates, she win. She points out no one has ever gone to the convention and gotten the nomination without getting a majority of the delegates. So, the bottom-line is simple. You get the majority and here's exactly how he put it a moment ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRIEBUS: Yes. I'm sorry I can't change the concept of a majority in the United States of America, nor would I want to.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: I mean, isn't it simple? A majority is a majority and crime foul about that is a bit of sour grapes?
COHEN: I don't think it's sour grapes at all. I think what's happening is, again, you have all of these groups that are coming against Mr. Trump one upon one upon one and the guy is still leading. And this goes back to this comment that was made by Ted Cruz before, that he thinks he has needling Donald Trump. Ted Cruz has no ability to needle anybody. He has to take a look still to numbers. His 200 delegates shy of Donald Trump. And he has like an 86 percent win need in order to get to 1237 whereas Trump is around 57 percent. So, the only one that's actually still mathematically in the game is Donald Trump. And don't forget we're coming into Mr. Trump's home territory. We're coming into the northeast.
BURNETT: Which of course is crucial. So, Amanda, the question is though. You hear Michael saying, look, Reince Priebus, it's suggesting that Reince Priebus is onboard with this. Supporting this opposition money that's being spent against Donald Trump. Does Trump benefit from having a fight like this with the chairman of the Republican Party?
AMANDA CARPENTER, FORMER COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR SEN. TED CRUZ: Well, in the sense that it allows him to continue not offering solid policy proposals. But I think what it send a second on what you talked about, how the Trump campaign and Trump supporters think it's unfair that people are spending money against Donald Trump. Well, how would you logically stop this? Well, you would have to be asking for some national campaign, RNC apparatus to say, you may not run those ads. That is anti-free speech. You're saying that the Trump campaign disagrees with political speech that criticizes him. And this is a big problem with Donald Trump. Donald Trump is very bad on First Amendment issues. That's why a lot of conservatives don't support him. Which why journalists -- let me just finish.
COHEN: Well, first of all, you're making something up, which is totally inaccurate. Donald Trump is not against First Amendment speech. What he is against is the fact that the RNC head Reince Priebus knows and he is condoning it and people believe and we've been told that -- BURNETT: How is he condoning it? How is he condoning it?
COHEN: He is condoning it. When they were in Wisconsin, it's our understanding that he was notified and that he was actually even a participant at times in terms of some of these attack ads.
BURNETT: OK. Hold on. Hold on.
COHEN: At the very inception when Mr. Trump first made the announcement, all he asked for is just play fair, let me have my shot, which he has, of course, taken. And he is leading by far. You know, what they're doing is they're trying to thwart the will of the people.
BURNETT: Okay. Hold on for one second. What do you make of these allegations, condoning and in fact involved with negative ads by Reince Priebus?
DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: It is public knowledge when a Super PAC releases an ad, just like when the Trump campaign would release an ad, people see it and are aware of it.
BURNETT: Right.
CHALIAN: But are you suggesting that Reince Priebus was in meetings with the anti-Trump Super PAC and devising the strategy of the ad?
COHEN: There are people that believe that Reince Priebus along with Reince Priebus along with Ricketts and Scott Walker and others are all part of the conspiracy within which to bring Mr. Trump. It's not serious charges. It's not serious charges. What it is is, it is a concerted effort to thwart the will of the people. And when you have a majority -- when you see the crowds that Donald Trump is bringing and you see the numbers that he's winning by and all of a sudden you have 70, $80 million coming against one guy and so on, you have to turn -- it's not just politics. You have to look at who's right there out in front.
[19:10:20] DAVID GREGORY, HOST, "THE DAVID GREGORY SHOW" PODCAST: This is politics, OK? There is no evidence, despite what Michael and others are saying, that the system is rigged against Donald Trump. That that's in fact the case where the RNC has done anything. Maybe something would come to light, but a lot of what you're seeing if it is Super PAC money and the fact that if Trump is facing something that is unusual, which is determined opposition from within the party, to try to deny him in the nomination. Let's understand a couple of things. Donald Trump is in command here. He is the frontrunner. He's got the most delegates.
BURNETT: Right.
GREGORY: He is ahead about two million votes. He is on track to get very close. He is also got a big outside game and a big inside game. The outside is to play to brand which is to accuse the establishment of rigging the system against it. There's no evidence to support that that's the case. And in fact, he has had some stumbles when it came to that. There's no question that the way the rules are on the Republican and the Democratic side, it is meant to disadvantage the outsider, but he is also benefitting from the fact that the way that the primary system is set up this year would allow a frontrunner like him to consolidate early but he faces some unprecedented opposition. Then there's the inside game. Donald Trump is now putting together an establishment team to try to catch up.
BURNETT: Right. I mean, he's hiring some of the most veteran former RNC operatives, right?
COHEN: That's right. That's absolutely correct.
GREGORY: But let me be clear here.
BURNETT: Yes.
GREGORY: I mean, this is a political argument that is not backed up by anything specific about abuse against Donald Trump. He can argue that the system seems unfair, but again let's remember -- he said to the New York Times the other day, remember I only complain about the states that don't go well. His success belies his own argument.
BURNETT: Go ahead.
CARPENTER: This is a dangerous political game he's playing. When he accuses other people of crimes, as he did the Cruz campaign after he lost Wisconsin, he said that he is conducting a legal coordination with the Super PAC.
BURNETT: With the Super PAC. Right.
CARPENTER: These are reckless and dangerous charges. I mean, people will go to court. They could go to jail for this.
(CROSSTALK)
When someone wants to be president and has the full force of government, that is a sign --
BURNETT: Let her finish, Michael.
CARPENTER: -- with the power of government. If they're willing to make false charges against someone with zero evidence.
BURNETT: Are you going to come out with evidence though for example on this Reince Priebus issue when you talk about that he was condoning and he was working with Super PACs on that negative ads? Is there evidence on that that the Trump campaign --
COHEN: If there is evidence, then we will of course, we will of course put it forth.
GREGORY: But there is not. And of course the Trump campaign understood what the rules were in Colorado. They were trying to be heard, they were trying to work it out. They did get outmaneuvered by Cruz campaign who has a very good inside tactical game which is not something that Donald Trump put together. By the admission of his own -- Paul Manafort has said, look, we're now going to --
BURNETT: His convention delegate manager. Right.
GREGORY: And by the way, I think it is important to remember. I mean, politics is rough and the idea of coordinating with outside groups is a charge that is as old as campaigns that I've been covering going back to 2000 and beyond, so these are not horrible, reckless accusations. As always accusations about, well, the campaign really knew what the outside group is doing.
BURNETT: Right.
GREGORY: And as you know, David, these are amplified in the era of the Super PAC.
CHALIAN: Without a doubt. Listen, I do think it is important what you said is true though. On both sides, the Democratic and the Republican side, and these is where Donald Trump gets some currency here with the supporters. These rules are set up and created by party insiders. That's how these rules came to be. So, it is not illogical to make the case that they are set up to protect the party insiders in some way and to make it easier for the insider person to emerge with the nomination. Donald Trump is obviously railing against that. It is an argument with a lot of resonance to his supporters to hear this notion that he's being kept at bay by the establishment.
BURNETT: Well, suddenly what is being exposed in the bright light of day state by state is not pretty.
GREGORY: Because there are some -- in some states Erin, that are I think a little half hazard and whenever you can't secure it on the first ballot, we get into elements of our democracy that are not always pretty.
BURNETT: Right.
GREGORY: And I think we're seeing that for the first time in a while here.
BURNETT: And perhaps not even Democratic as Jane Sanders is alleging on the democratic side. Thanks to all of you. And next, we are awaiting Donald Trump appearing at that rally. There are a lot of protesters outside. We're waiting to hear what he's going to say about Reince Priebus. There are police there. This is that rally in Pittsburgh. We're keeping a close eye on that for you at this moment awaiting Donald Trump as we said to speak live at any moment. And then he's called her unfair, overrated, and crazy. So, what brought Donald Trump and Megyn Kelly of FOX News together for a meeting?
Plus, we're awaiting a star studded rally for Bernie Sanders. That is right here in New York City. One of his biggest yet. We're going to take you there live.
And a very special CNN town hall event. We are counting you down. You have heard from the Kasich and the Trump families. And tonight, Ted and Heidi Cruz like you've never seen them before. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:18:10] BURNETT: Tonight, tens of thousands of people gathering for a Bernie Sanders campaign rally right here in New York. These are live pictures from a park. It is called Washington Square Park in Lower Manhattan. This is a huge rally perhaps. It's the biggest yet. We are less than a week away from the crucial primary here in New York, and he is pulling out all the stops.
Chris Cuomo is OUTFRONT at that Sanders rally. And Chris, just how big of an event is this tonight that you can see?
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, they're expecting tens of thousands of people, Erin. There are certainly already thousands here. We're just getting the warmup music. The crowd is already, you know, in typical feel the Bern fashion. Highly energized. And also, this site was picked for a reason. This is Washington Square Park. This is the famous arch. And it has George Washington, one of his most famous quotes on there. Let us raise the standard to which the wise and honest can repair. And this was not picked by coincidence.
What you hear from the organizers here is that, this revolution that Bernie Sanders is talking about is not about doing violence to government. It's about changing the basis of action. That's what you keep hearing. We've interviewed many, many young people here. A lot of them are students from New York City, but many of them have come from all over the country and they are stalwarts of Sanders. And he buzz here Erin, is about the big endorsement that Bernie Sanders got today. In New York, the local 100 transit workers union is 60,000- plus people between active workers and retirees. It is a big score. All Democrats want it in New York State. It means something that Bernie Sanders has it today.
BURNETT: And I know he wants that because he's trying to stage an upset, which he successfully did when he was behind in Michigan. Right now, the polls in New York show though Hillary Clinton with a double digit lead here in New York, Chris. Does the Sanders campaign think that in these six days they can turn that around into a full win?
CUOMO: Absolutely. Now of course their optimism isn't always going to be born out of practicality. But what Bill point to is that yes, there is a double digit lead depending on the poll, somewhere between eight and 13 to 15 points. But they're saying they've been closing. And that is a big part of their underdog mentality as well, that they believe they can do it. Now, why could they be right here? As in Michigan, Michigan was a different race than New York State. There is a lot more machinery here on the Democratic Party side. The presumption is that Hillary Clinton has that machinery, but that's not necessarily true. The working family party and the occupy movement are very powerful here on the ground, and that could be a swing factor -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much. Chris Cuomo feeling the Bern there downtown. OUTFRONT now, political commentator Bill Press, Bernie Sanders
supporter. Political commentator, Hillary Clinton supporter Bakari Sellers. Our political commentator, Democratic Superdelegate Donna Brazile. And David Gregory of course is also back with me.
All right. So, you heard what Chris just said. Pulling a win from behind could be harder in New York because of the quote-unquote Democratic Party machinery. But 13 points is the current lead that Hillary Clinton has over Bernie Sanders. That is the exact same margin by which she was ahead in Michigan, which she ended up winning by one-and-a-half points. Can he do it again?
BILL PRESS, BERNIE SANDERS SUPPORTER: I think he can. I mean, he has come from behind even more than 13 points in several states and one, I'll come very close. He's got certainly the enthusiasm as we saw there, the energy, the momentum on Bernie's side. And let's face it. He had a good day today. And it started out with a "New York Times" endorsement op-ed by Senator Jeff Merkley by Oregon. First senator to endorse him. Hillary has got many. He's got now Jeff Merkley.
He got the endorsement as Chris just mentioned of the Public Transit Union, workers union, here in New York, which is huge. And then he got in this fight -- first of all, he marched with the Verizon workers who are on strike against Verizon. And then the CEO attacked him, nothing -- Bernie than that of CEO of a big company --
BURNETT: Right.
PRESS: -- said you're for the working people and I'm not. I mean, that's great. So, I think he's on a roll. And that is going to top it all by going to go to the Vatican and getting the Pope's blessing. What more do you need?
BURNETT: Bakari -- Bakari -- and Bernie Sanders taking a bit out of the Donald Trump playbook. His wife was here at CNN and criticized the DNC for the rules, and you know, basically calling it rigged. In fact, she went even further. Here is how she put it today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JANE SANDERS, WIFE OF BERNIE SANDERS: You have to admit the way that they're doing things in terms of Superdelegates and in terms of how delegates are put out there, it doesn't make a lot of sense to the average person. We're saying it's wrong.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: It's wrong?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANDERS: We're saying it's not a Democratic way to carry out an election.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Does she have a point in Vermont where he got 86 percent of the vote? The Superdelegates aren't even all behind him?
BAKARI SELLERS, HILLARY CLINTON SUPPORTER: I want to take this moment to welcome Bernie Sanders and Jane Sanders to the Democratic Party. And I think it is necessary to understand that Bernie Sanders signed up to run, to become the Democratic nominee. It's not unfair. There is no metric by which Bernie Sanders is winning this race. He's not winning the states. Hillary Clinton is up by 2.4 million voters. She will be up in pledged delegates. I anticipate when we go into the Democratic convention, she will be up and pledge delegates and to quote Bernie Sanders, Superdelegates should not overturn the will of the voters. And I don't anticipate they'll do so.
[19:23:30] The system is not rigged. There is no thumb on the scale. The fact of the matter is, if the system was rigged, then the system wouldn't have elected a skinny guy with a funny name from Hawaii to be the next nominee for the Democratic Party. So, I like many Democrats take umbrage to that, but I do believe that this has been an amazing race. Bernie Sanders has tapped into something that Democrats may have been missed, but, you know, this has been a very, very transparent process. And I don't want anybody to dare try to drug this down with the Republicans having.
BURNETT: What do you say, Donna though? The Jane Sanders who says --
DONNA BRAZILE, DEMOCRATIC SUPERDELEGATE: Well, first of all, this is personal. I was here today when she said that, Erin. I don't take it personal. Jane Sanders is a wonderful woman. She's great and she's really helping Senator Sanders I think electrify not just the Democratic Party, Independents, young people, et cetera. One of my good friends on the rules -- she wrote a great book about the rules. These rules go back --
BURNETT: Did you ever think you'd be holding up a book about the rules of delegates, I mean, please am I in alternate universe --
(CROSSTALK)
BRAZILE: You have two major political parties. We're under attack by, you know, leading candidates who are running against the establishment. Bernie Sanders is now a Superdelegate. Welcome to my world, but it is great to be a Superdelegate because, you know, what? We represent people as well. Bernie Sanders has been able to attract by achieving 42 percent of the raw vote, he now has 46 percent of the pledged delegates. These rules are made to enhance participation, enhance turnout. He's doing a good job.
BURNETT: Which is an interesting argument that you can make on the Republican side too. Where Donald Trump has done, what, 30 something percent of the popular vote and more of the delegates. Donald Trump though is actually jumping in and supporting Bernie Sanders, David Gregory. Here he is. It might be the worst thing Bill that ever happened to you when you hear this. But here is Donald Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I'm no fan of Bernie Sanders. OK? I'm no fan at all. To me, he's, you know, forget it. Every time I turn on he's winning. He's winning. He's winning. Week after week, he wins. He wins. He wins. He wins. And then I watch you and I watch you all of the pundits. They said, but he can't win. Do you know why? It's stacked against him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: It's a message that works.
GREGORY: Well, right. And both are playing to their base. They're both as kind of movement politicians in 2016 rallying their base with an argument that the game is meant to make it harder for outsiders and they're right about that. We talked about that on the Republican side, it's true. Party insiders do make these rules to keep a complete outsider from being able to run an insurgency that can take over the party. That notwithstanding, Barack Obama did represent -- President Obama represented a real progressive outsider move that brought so many new voters into the election.
And he was able to overturn the establishment. Bernie Sanders is in a very good place at the moment. Great enthusiasm, great endorsement today, an opportunity to debate Hillary Clinton again. But all of the arguments about the Democratic nature of how to attract delegates doesn't change the fact that he has to be able to grow his share of the electorate where he can't get the nomination. You cannot win if you can just win younger, progressive White voters. You have to win more --
(CROSSTALK)
BURNETT: All right. Thank you all very much. Clinton and Sanders facing off in a CNN debate in Brooklyn, as David mentions tomorrow night at 9:00 only on CNN.
And next, Donald Trump has just taken that stage in Pittsburgh. We're going to watch that as protesters gather outside that rally. Trump is coming under fire over scheduled appearance of the GOP fundraiser as well. Should he cancel? We have a special report.
Plus, Trump and Megyn Kelly locked in a nasty war of words, they met today. What happened? And we're counting you down to that special CNN town hall event. Ted and Heidi Cruz.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:31:11] BURNETT: New at this hour, a new poll just released showing Donald Trump not only with a healthy lead in New York at this time, but now, on those April 26th states, we're now seeing Maryland tonight, the latest poll ahead by 20 points.
Obviously, this is encouraging news for Trump. He is at 47 ahead of Kasich who is in second at 27. By the way, same ranking as in New York. Ted Cruz in third in Maryland, as he is in New York, in Maryland at 19.
New protests today for the Republican frontrunner, though, to pull out of a fundraiser just blocks from the site of a brutal anti-immigrant hate crime right here in New York.
It's an incredible story and Miguel Marquez has it OUTFRONT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Donald Trump's words now stirring controversy on New York's Long Island. Latinos are angry his tough talk on immigration will lead to violence.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is sacred ground for the immigrant community that has suffered so much at the hands of those who have hatred in their hearts against the immigrant community.
MARQUEZ: In 2008, Marcelo Lucero was attacked by seven teens preying on Latino in a game police they called beaner hopping. He was stabbed in the chest and died.
(on camera): How hard was that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was so painful. You know, I can't -- this is a flashback right now for me.
MARQUEZ (voice-over): Lucero wants Donald Trump to cancel his appearance at the fundraiser in Patchogue. Some 1,500 expected. The venue just a few hundred blocks from where his brother was murdered.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In this case, somebody running for the president of the United States have this message against minorities? They can have consequences about this.
MARQUEZ: Trump's support among Latinos, dismal. A "Washington Post"/Univision poll from February of Hispanics nationwide found Hillary Clinton beating Trump by 57 points in a head-to-head match. Protesters here say Trump's presence will only open old wounds.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are here to demand some decency of the Republican Party and stop this madness.
MARQUEZ: Suffolk County Republicans who invited Trump say cancelling the event ain't going to happen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Those who purport to be in favor of free speech and strive to say, you know, we must have free speech in this country are the very people that try to shut it down.
MARQUEZ: LaValle, who's endorsed the billionaire says Trump's language isn't creating violence, but anger over a broken immigration system is.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our government's failure to enforce the laws to protect all of the individuals in our society created tension within our community and created the rhetoric that a bunch of 18 and 19-year- old kids would go out on the weekends, get drunk, and be completely irresponsible and do terrible things.
MARQUEZ: Immigrant groups now planning several protests if Trump attends the event expected to make up to a quarter of a million dollars for Suffolk County Republicans.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MARQUEZ: Now, the Suffolk County Republicans do say that they invited all the presidential candidates. Only Trump accepted their invitation. There is expected to be protests from Latino groups in Suffolk County in Patchogue, when Mr. Trump is there at 5:00 p.m. tomorrow. He then goes to Manhattan where there is expected to be a bigger protest, part of that protest right here in Manhattan.
It's going to be a big day, another big day for Mr. Trump -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much.
I want to go to now to Amanda Carpenter, Ted Cruz's former communications director, along with Jeffrey Lord, former White House political director for Ronald Reagan and a Donald Trump supporter, and our chief political correspondent Dana Bash.
Jeffrey, you know, you see this piece. This is a community that has struggled. They had a horrible hate crime, hate crime violence. You heard the concern from immigrants. Obviously, this isn't a Donald Trump rally, right?
[19:35:01] He's invited to it here by others.
JEFFREY LORD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Right, right.
BURNETT: But should he cancel his appearance?
LORD: No. I'll tell you we've talked on occasion of Jamiel Shaw, Jr., an African-American young man 17 years old killed by an illegal immigrant in Los Angeles in 2008. How many times has President Obama been to Los Angeles or Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders or any other Democrat for fundraisers since that time and they didn't cancel it?
How many times have they cancelled appearances in San Francisco since the death of Kate Steinle who similarly killed by an illegal immigrant?
BURNETT: Yes.
LORD: This kind of thing is politically correctness gone amuck here. This helps no one.
Patchogue is not far from our family home in Riverhead, Long Island. It's a wonderful community. They're good people. It's a terrible crime. We have terrible crimes all over America, but the presidential candidates don't stop going there.
BURNETT: Amanda, do you think this is political correctness run amuck? AMANDA CARPENTER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think it is a
leadership test for Donald Trump. He shouldn't cancel the event, but listen, people running for president is going to be protested. It's going to happen. The question is, when Donald Trump walks into that event, does he turn up the temperature and make it more angry and more hostile or can he turn it down?
I'm reminded of a time when my former boss, Ted Cruz, was protested by Code Pink. Instead of engaging in a fight with them, making them angry, he invited them up to the podium, and said, let's have a back and forth about this. I want to talk with you. I want to hear about your concerns.
Donald Trump should try something like that to say, listen, something terrible happened and try to challenge people to be better about it. He hasn't been able to do that yet. I don't think he's even considered it. But if he wants to be a serious presidential candidate who can unify the country, he has to try.
BURNETT: And you talk about diffusing the tension. OK. So, today, Donald Trump had this meeting with Megyn Kelly. Obviously, that feud has plenty of very nasty moments, right? They keeping upping the ante. He's called Kelly, unfair, overrated.
What does he gain if he's able to make peace with her, if there is such a thing, right?
DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Look, I think both of them have everything to gain and a lot to lose by continuing this, everything to gain by making peace.
Let's just start with her for one second, which is -- you know, I'm old school. I know you're old school. We're not the story. You know, let's not engage back and forth with a presidential candidate, the frontrunner of the Republican Party.
But more importantly for him, at the end of the day, she is a significant player on a network that is a watch place for his base. Now, it's obviously a broader electorate that he's going to have to contend with if he does get the nomination. But it is the whole wrap on him not being able to handle and deal with women who challenge him, and it behooves him to put that chapter behind him.
BURNETT: His unfavorables with women remain. Women are more than half the electorate. Those are numbers that make you unelectable. He needs to change that. He tried to do that last night via his daughters.
Here's what they said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
IVANKA TRUMP, DONALD TRUMP'S DAUGHTER: Yes, I think the way he raised me, the way he raised tiffany, it's a testament to the fact that he believes inspiring women, empowering women. He always taught me that there wasn't anything that I couldn't do if I set my mind to it. TIFFANY TRUMP, DONALD TRUMP'S DAUGHTER: He wants us to do the best
and he has the utmost faith that we can accomplish whatever we set our minds to, just as well as men, if not better.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Effective?
LORD: Very. I think the more you see of Ivanka and Tiffany, the better.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you all very much.
And we're going to take a brief break. When we come back, protesters outside that Trump rally. We're watching Donald Trump speak live now in Pittsburgh.
Our CNN worldwide exclusive reporting. Two years after hundreds of young girls were kidnapped in Nigeria, here they are, finally proof that they are still alive. What have they been enduring? This is a report you cannot miss this hour.
And we are also counting you down to that CNN town hall event. Ted and Heidi Cruz taking voter questions, Heidi Cruz in a way you have never seen her before, right here live tonight on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:43:11] BURNETT: And we have breaking news. CNN learning at this moment that the Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski will not be prosecuted. Lewandowski was arrested for allegedly assaulting a female reporter, but not going to be prosecuted.
Let's go to our Dylan Byers who is breaking this news for us.
And, Dylan, what can you tell us? Obviously, a very significant development here.
DYLAN BYERS, CNN SENIOR MEDIA REPORTER: It is a huge development, and it is obviously good news for Donald Trump's campaign. What we know is we have two sources right now who tell us that he will not face persecution for those charges. The state attorney's office in Florida, in Palm Beach County, is set to make an announcement tomorrow.
We believe that announcement might come sometime around 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time tomorrow, but what we know for now is he will not face those charges. He could face defamation charges, but that remains to be seen.
BURNETT: All right. Well, Dylan, thank you very much.
Dylan Byers, as we said, breaking that news for us right here at CNN.
Our chief political correspondent Dana Bash is here with me. Look, as he says, this is huge news for the Trump campaign, but for Corey Lewandowski, the campaign manager, who had become embattled and there were conversations about what his role really would be as more people came in.
How significant is this to helping him?
DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, personally, for Corey Lewandowski, it's huge, because his whole entire reputation, livelihood, everything was at stake here. Let's be honest. At this point, it's off the table and politically for the Trump campaign, you can hear the sighs of relief coming from Trump Tower right now. This is something they have off their plate at a time where they really need to focus on the delegates.
BURNETT: Does it take away some of the speculation and discussion about what's really going on in that campaign and whether Corey Lewandowski is embattled? All of a sudden, a lot of that calms down.
BASH: It does, and at a time when they're expanding their campaign.
[19:45:01] You're talking about Paul Manafort, who's going to run the delegates. They just hired Scott Walker's former campaign manager to be the national political director. So they're becoming more of a traditional campaign. Corey Lewandowski who is a very untraditional Trump-like campaign manager is -- you know, seems to be even more safe than he was before.
BURNETT: Back, as you said, it was not out of the fold, but now much more shored up. So, very significant.
All right. Now, this comes as we are moments away now from this big town hall. We've been seeing the families. Tonight, we're going to see Heidi Cruz and Ted Cruz.
You have interviewed Heidi Cruz, spoken to her. She is different than Melania Trump. She is different than Karen Kasich. She talks about how she's worked many long hours outside the home. Her resume is a little bit different.
What are we going to see from her tonight and is it going to help Ted Cruz that he's there?
BASH: Well, yes, it's not just that she's a working mother. She used her experience in managing in knowing how structures work at Goldman Sachs to help her husband's campaign. She is on the road a lot.
Many times instead of Ted Cruz because they see her as such a plus for their strategy, not just because she does the typical spouse thing where she talks about the human side of her husband, but because she gets politics. She gets his positions. They met on a presidential campaign in 2000.
BURNETT: And can she humanize him though tonight, the softer side, that spouses relied upon to do?
BASH: I have to say I interviewed her before the New Hampshire primary, and so many people came up to me and said, wow. I feel like I get Ted Cruz more than ever before. That's the big asset. That's what clearly she wants to do tonight.
BURNETT: All right. Dana Bash, thank you very much.
And, of course, we're counting you down to that town hall moments away on CNN.
And next though, an incredibly report. Nearly 300 young girls, you remember them, kidnapped two years ago. Here they are now. Is this newly released video proof that they are still alive in captivity? This is a CNN worldwide exclusive and it is next here on OUTFRONT.
And you're looking live at pictures of New York City. That huge crowd gathered tonight in lower Manhattan for the Bernie Sanders rally. Bernie Sanders should be taking the stage any moment. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:51:24] BURNETT: Tonight, a worldwide exclusive. It has been about two years since nearly 300 young girls were kidnapped by terrorists in Nigeria. As you know, bring our girls back worldwide. And tonight, CNN obtained video showing what could be proof that some of those girls are still alive and in captivity.
Our team risked their lives to bring you this story. Nima Elbagir, producer Stephanie Busari and videographer Sebastian Nopes are in Abuja tonight with this incredible report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Lined up against a yellow wall, 15 girls, only their faces showing. An off-camera voice asks each girl, "What's your name? Is that the name your parents recognize?"
"Where were you taken from?" the voice asks.
Chibok School, and the date they say is the 25 of December 2015.
The video was obtained by CNN from a person close to the negotiations to get these girls released. For the parents, it is finally a glimmer of hope the girls are still alive.
Two years ago, we met Mary Ishaya, Rifqatu Ayouba and Yala Galang on a visit to Chibok after the abduction of their daughters and more than 200 other girls.
We ask them if they recognize any of the girls in the video.
They lean closer. Another girl is identified, Hawa. One by one they name all 15 girls.
But one mother, Yala, realizes her daughter isn't there.
The off-camera voice asking the questions is familiar to CNN as that of Boko Haram spokesman Abu Zinnira. A source close to negotiations between Boko Haram and the Nigerian government said the video was provided by the terror group as an asked-for show of good faith.
Nigeria's information minister told CNN that they have received the video but are still reviewing it.
LAI MOHAMMED, NIGERIAN INFORMATION MINISTER: If you study the video, you find that the questions were asked in a rather controlled environment. We were a bit concerned too that after two years in captivity, the girls in the video were under no stress whatsoever, there has been little or no transformation to their physical appearance.
ELBAGIR (on camera): Is the government negotiating with Boko Haram for the release of the girls?
MOHAMMED: There are ongoing talks.
ELBAGIR (voice-over): We took the video to a classmate of the Chibok girls. She had been at home with family the day the other girls were kidnapped. For her safety, we're not showing her face and not using her name.
She told us there's no doubt the girls are some of her kidnapped classmates.
CHIBOK GIRLS' CLASSMATE (through translator): These two were prefects. Watching the video, I'm reminded of how we used to play together. How we used to do chores, do our homework.
ELBAGIR: She says seeing friends again will likely give her nightmares.
CHIBOK GIRLS' CLASSMATE (through translator): Sometimes still, if I hear news about them I have bad dreams and I wake up crying.
ELBAGIR: The video ends with a girl addressing the camera with a message to the Nigerian government: "We are all well," she says pointedly, perhaps suggesting girls not seen in this video.
[19:55:01] She then delivers what sounds like a scripted plea, urging the Nigerian government to fulfill unspecified promises.
For the mothers of these girls rapidly becoming women far from home, the video is overwhelming. They say they just want someone to finally bring their daughters home.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BURNETT: A stunning report. The Nigerian information minister saying they all looked like they were fine, didn't look under duress. One just has to ask the question of whether they are truly trying and how hard they are trying to get those girls home.
Still ahead, we're counting you down to the special town hall event. Ted and Heidi Cruz right here at our studios in New York.
We'll be right back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: A major night on the campaign trail tonight. We have our town hall moments away with Ted and Heidi Cruz right here on CNN. Bernie Sanders in Lower Manhattan with what they say are tens of thousands people at a major rally on a day he got a huge endorsement from a New York union, and Donald Trump speaking live in Pennsylvania tonight.
Thank you so much for joining us. Be sure to set your DVR to record OUTFRONT, so you can watch our show any time. We'll see you back here same time, same place tomorrow.
"AC360" in the meantime begins right now.
