Return to Transcripts main page

Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Race for President: Key States Test Trump & Clinton; U.S. Official: Iran Rocket Launch at "Any Minute"; Russia Withdrawing Troops from Syria; Syria Peace Talks Begin. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired March 15, 2016 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00] JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: You thought the first Super Tuesday was big. You thought it was big the second time around, but oh, no. It is here. The biggest Super Tuesday of all, Super Tuesday part three. Super Tuesday thrice. Super Tuesday, the revenge.

What will happen today? It is big. Am I making it super?

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Get a job in the movie theater.

BERMAN: Welcome back to EARLY START, everyone. I'm John Berman.

ROMANS: I'm Christine Romans. It is 30 minutes past the hour.

And it is here, Super Tuesday -- what could be the most crucial or at least the most super Super Tuesday yet.

Millions will cast ballots today across the country in primaries that could effectively determine the presidential nominees for either or both parties. Democrats are voting in these five states, 691 delegates at stakes, tightening polls in Missouri, Illinois and Ohio.

For the Republicans, 367 up for grabs, all eyes on Ohio and Florida. Those two critical winner take all states could be where native sons John Kasich or Marco Rubio stop Donald Trump from gaining the nomination outright or they could be where Trump seals the deal.

Trump spent the day campaigning in both those states, ending in Ohio where a new poll shows him trailing the state's governor, John Kasich.

CNN's Jim Acosta is with the Trump has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: John and Christine, Donald Trump was able to get his message across without interruption at this rally in Ohio. There were no disruptions, no protests. The Trump campaign did require that people attending the rally park miles away and then take busses to get here. One Trump volunteer organizer here told us they were hoping that would keep the demonstrations down to a minimum. Well, it worked.

As for Trump's message, it was one attack after another on the state's Governor John Kasich. Here's what he had to say.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Kasich cannot make America great again. He can't do it. He can't do it. If you didn't hit oil -- and that wasn't because of him, believe me -- if you didn't hit oil, you would have had a disaster. This would have been as bad as any of them.

ACOSTA: Trump is hitting Kasich hard because the stakes are enormous. A Kasich victory in Ohio, along with the least likely Rubio win in Florida would rewrite the narrative of this campaign, signaling for the first time that Trump may not have the delegates necessary to the clinch the GOP nomination -- John and Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: All right. Jim, thanks so much.

Hillary Clinton, she is campaigning hard with one eye on Donald Trump, making the case that she is the best prepared to take him on, and another eye on Bernie Sanders. She has to defeat Bernie Sanders. And this is a tight race with Sanders running hard in several of the states that vote today.

Brianna Keilar traveling with Secretary Clinton and she has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: John and Christine, Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton hitting three states before the series of contests on another big Tuesday -- Illinois, North Carolina, Florida. Hillary Clinton making her case that she is a better opponent to a Donald Trump candidacy.

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I know that none of this can happen unless we work together, unless we decide we'd rather be united than divided. Unless we reject the kind of bluster and bigotry and bullying that is stalking our political system. I believe that's what Americans will do. I believe we are better than what we are hearing every night on television.

KEILAR: Certainly, the Clinton campaign hopes that a good showing in most of the five states will solidify her position as the presumptive Democratic nominee. But they also are looking in the rear-view mirror to Michigan and they're worried that Bernie Sanders' message that Hillary Clinton was for NAFTA in the '90s could resonate in Missouri, Ohio and Illinois -- John and Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: All right, Brianna Keilar.

It is a huge election day, there's a whole lot to talk about, so let's get right to it. I want to look first at the GOP delegate map. The math, the map, the math, the map. Yesterday, we're talking a lot, this morning, there's a lot of talk

about the stop Trump campaign or is it the slow Trump campaign, when you look at states like Florida with 99 delegates. When you look at Illinois, winner take-all, 69 delegates, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio.

This is a critical territory to slow the advance of Donald Trump or is it too late, John?

BERMAN: Oh, it is not too late. Look, you know f he were to lose all of them, he would be in serious trouble. That's not likely to happen.

But what people in the Stop Trump movement say is that if John Kasich or Marco Rubio could win their home states, then it makes it very, very harder, much harder for Donald Trump to get the 1,237 delegates needed to secure a first ballot win or guarantee a first ballot win at the convention.

Right now, you know, John Kasich is having a better shot to win his home state in Ohio. Marco Rubio falling pretty far behind in Florida and it might be tough for him to win.

[04:35:01] But don't sleep on the other states. Don't sleep on Missouri, North Carolina, and Illinois, they're not winner take all. They're winner take most in the case of Illinois, depending on proportional allocation in district voting there. North Carolina's purely proportional.

But Ted Cruz will win delegates in those three states and it's possible that Trump even if he wins Florida, doesn't leave today with that much more of a delegate lead than he has already. That is the best-case scenario for the stop Trump movement.

ROMANS: Listen to what Ted Cruz that now it's a man-two -- everyone said this and wanted it to be true. Let's listen to Ted Cruz.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think after tomorrow, it will be officially a two-man race because no other candidate has any plausible path to 1,237. After tomorrow, we're going to engage in a long and drawn out campaign, state by state. But the beauty of it is, head-to-head, we beat Trump.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: John Kasich ting to hold a last stand in Ohio. Marco Rubio really trailing the polls in his home stat of Florida. I mean, Donald Trump doing very well in Florida.

BERMAN: The only way it is a two-man race tomorrow if Marco Rubio loses Florida and John Kasich loses Ohio. Then Ted Cruz gets his wish and it's two-man race.

You know, if either Rubio or Kasich win, they stay in. There is an argument to be made that Donald Trump is better off having John Kasich win Ohio and having to be a three-man race going forward. That is something people suggest. It's sort of up for grabs. You have to plot out how the math works going forward in the contest.

But, look, John Kasich wins, he says he is staying in. You can tell by what John Kasich is doing on the trail, now he has shifted in the campaign. He was talking about himself. He was only talking about his sunny bright record in Ohio. Now, he is talking a fair amount about Trump and the environment that Donald Trump has created in the race.

Listen to what Kasich told Anderson Cooper overnight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. JOHN KASICH (R-OH), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The toxic atmosphere has been created by pitting one group of people against another. Whether it is name calling Mexicans or name-calling Muslims or, you know, these things he said about women. I mean, it's just the list goes on and on.

So, you know, I'm very concerned about it. I'm not here -- I have run a positive campaign. But at some point, when you watch these things, you've got to speak.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: The problem for John Kasich, even if he does win Ohio, it's hard to figure out how he has the math to get to 1,237. He probably doesn't and then he is banking on a contested convention. He thinks that some of these northeastern states like New York and New Jersey and Pennsylvania that still have to vote, that they could be good for him.

ROMANS: He talked about Donald Trump's comments about women. There's a new ad getting attention this morning, a new ad where women are reading Donald Trump's recent or past statements about women. Let's listen to a snippet of that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know, it doesn't matter what they write as long as you have a young and beautiful piece of (EXPLETIVE DELETED)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That must be a pretty picture, you dropping to your knees.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There was blood coming out of her eyes. Blood coming out of her, wherever.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Women, you have to treat them like (EXPLETIVE DELETED)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: You think it's going to -- this is going to resonate in places like Florida where he is doing very well among women, among men, across the education spectrum, across the education spectrum, I mean, he is doing very well in the polls.

BERMAN: We only learned about this ad yesterday. I think it is too late to have the impact on the states that vote today, probably. Certainly, if you believe the polls in Ohio, too late to have an impact there.

And what it does is it changes the conversation going forward. I mean, it's an effective ad, you wonder why they did not put it up beforehand. You know, it'd be curious to see if they keep it up in states that have yet to vote going forward.

Let's put up the Democratic map right now to get a sense of where that race is headed right now. A lot of delegates up. The biggest states are Ohio and Florida, still not winner take all for the Democrats. It is proportional.

The states people are looking at right now are Missouri, Illinois and Ohio. Those are states where Bernie Sanders can do well today, maybe win one or two of them.

There are two realities in the race. Number one, the delegate math works in Hillary Clinton's favor. She pulls margins that makes it hard to Sanders to catch up. But if Sanders can win Ohio or Illinois, there are people who say, you know, that will slow or bruise Hillary Clinton enough and could get Sanders another look.

ROMANS: A lot of folks have been saying he's already won the economy primary, because he's been able to really poke holes on the idea that the economy, the economic recovery is for everyone, really focusing on the manufacturing jobs that are gone and many economists there are not coming back. What's the void there?

He is really hit on that point and pulled Hillary Clinton to the left I think --

BERMAN: Look, in the town meeting, you know, last night, there was a town meeting for the Democrats last night and he talked about that. He said, you know, he is the real Democrat here, the real progressive and to a certain extent, Hillary Clinton, she has evolved.

[04:40:00] Listen to what Bernie Sanders said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: She has evolved on the Keystone Pipeline. She has evolved on the Trans-Pacific Partnership. She has apologized for supporting the war in Iraq. She's apologized for supporting this homophobic DOMA legislation of the '90s.

So, yes, I suppose that one can get satisfaction from seeing her move closer to our positions. But I think what the voters have to decide is, will she be apologizing 20 years from now for actions she takes today?

(END VIDEO CLIP) ROMANS: I have to say, more stark language. Sharper contrast from Bernie Sanders than we heard.

ROMANS: All right. Big day for the Republicans and Democrats, and we'll, of course, carry it all for you live this morning.

Forty minutes past the hour.

U.S. official telling CNN that Iran could be ready to launch a rocket any moment. Details next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:45:05] BERMAN: Developing this morning, Iran on the verge of launching a three-stage rocket with a satellite on top of it. That is the assessment from the U.S. official that tells CNN this is an advance for the Iranians with their intercontinental ballistic missile technology. The missiles would be capable of reaching Israel.

Now, Iran test fired two ballistic missiles last week and says they were marked with the words Israel must be wiped off the face of the earth.

ROMANS: President Obama nearing a decision on a Supreme Court nominee and an announcement could come as early as today. White House insiders say the finalists, all federal circuit court judges, have broad appeal and it would be difficult for Republicans to ignore. That is what the White House says.

In an interview with CNN, the president said he is searching for what he called a, quote, "consensus candidate".

BERMAN: The White House reversing course on the plan to allow gas and oil drilling off the southeast Atlantic coast. The Interior Department is expected to make this announcement today after an outpouring of opposition from communities, stretching from Georgia to Virginia. President Obama approved the drilling plan last year, but at least 106 communities signed resolutions urging him to kill it.

ROMANS: The Flint water crisis takes center stage on Capitol Hill today. The House Oversight Committee will be hearing from Flint's former mayor, former emergency manager, and from a former EPA regional manager. That former emergency manager Darnell Early was appointed by the state of Michigan. He is prepared to blame the lead contamination in Flint's drinking water on state and federal expert whom he claims failed him.

BERMAN: For the first time, the NFL is acknowledging a link between football and the chronic brain disease, CTE. That admission comes from league's senior vice president for health and safety, Jeff Miller. Miller was participating in a round table discussion about concussions with lawmakers when he was asked whether there is a link between head trauma and CTE. He replied, certainly, yes.

ROMANS: To money and politics now, on the stump interview, Donald Trump has claimed the official unemployment rate is eight times t published rate. Just this weekend, he told CNN's Don Lemon, quote, "As you know, people give up looking for jobs and they are considered employed statistically. That is not true. They are not counted as employed. They drop out of the labor market."

He also says this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Don't believe those phony numbers when you hear 4.9 percent and 5 percent unemployment. The numbers probably 28 percent or 29 percent, as high as 35, in fact, I even heard recently, 42 percent.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: All those statements are not true. To make it to 42 percent, Donald Trump would have to count every single person who is not working, including my grandmother and then count a lot more too. Everyone from students to retirees to stay at home parents, people who don't want to work, people who don't have to work. And to some degree, people who had just given up looking.

The official unemployment rate is an active measure of who is looking for work. It currently sits at 4.9 percent.

All right. There's another unemployment rate that is helpful to assess the health of the labor market. It's called the underemployment rate. It is 9.7 percent. It's been falling for months. That number counts people looking for work and those working part-time, but want to work full-time, and discouraged workers who have given up working but would like to two to work. By no means are 42 percent of Americans unemployed.

BERMAN: And leave Romans' grandmother out of it.

ROMANS: She's happily not employed, and not unemployed. She's my grandpa.

BERMAN: Stormy weather could disrupt voting in three Super Tuesday three states. Let's turn to meteorologist Pedram Javaheri with the latest.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: John and Christine, good morning. Super Tuesday upon us here and you watch what's happening with these storms.

Throughout the morning here today, some thunderstorms are in northern Missouri and Illinois and notice as it might migrate by the early after afternoon hours. I think some the strong storms will weaken a little as they approach Chicago.

But there's a secondary band will develop at 5:00 p.m. that I think really could have severe characteristic and pretty expansive areas associated with this front that is going to push in, very cold dry air filtering out of Canada behind us as well.

Storm Prediction Center has given us a decent risk here for severe weather in Chicago and Illinois and Peoria. Large hail, damaging winds is the primary concerns with the storm system. Notice North Carolina, Florida generally speaking should be on the quiet side with the weather department.

Here's St. Louis for you. Notice we go with sunny skies and temperatures moderate in the upper 70s by the afternoon hours, not a bad day across Missouri. Chicago, thunderstorms again work into the picture some time on hours with, highs right around 55 to 56 -- guys.

ROMANS: All right. Pedram Javaheri, thanks for that.

From the great white way to the White House, the cast of the Broadway smash "Hamilton" paid the Obamas a visit Monday. First lady hosted a student workshop and a performance of selected songs from the show. Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator and star of the musical, showed up the rap skills with help from the president. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(RAPPING)

[04:50:08] BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: How good is that? You think that's going viral? That's going viral.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: This show is so popular. Alexander Hamilton have a renaissance these days. And this show, you can't get tickets. You cannot tickets.

BERMAN: You can't. And, in fact, everyone was joking yesterday the best chance to see "Hamilton" was to watch the live stream of the White House website, but the web site crashed. So, a lot of people couldn't see it, as what's happening, which is just part of the cruel reality of "Hamilton."

ROMANS: Treasury secretaries are very hot.

BERMAN: John Snow.

ROMANS: All right.

BERMAN: Do you see musical about John Snow?

Fifty minutes past the hour.

Let's talk about stocks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average accomplished something yesterday it has not done in months. I'll tell you why it's a great sign when we get an early start on your money, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:55:04] ROMANS: Breaking news this morning: Russia announcing its planes have started leaving Syria, called home under orders from President Vladimir Putin. Putin says the military effort in Syria, quote, "has achieved its goal."

Russia begin air strikes in September, in support of the Assad government in the five-year-old civil war. The announcement coming just as new Syria peace talks opened in Geneva on Monday.

So, what does Russian withdrawal means for those peace talks and the fight against ISIS?

We have team coverage. First, I want to go to CNN's Matthew Chance for us in Moscow -- Matthew.

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Christine, thanks very much.

Within the past few minutes, the first aircraft of Russia, that were based in Syria, carrying out the more than 9,000 air strikes that have been conducted by the Russian air force over the course of the past six since late September 2015, when the operations began have now taken off near the air base near Latakia in Syria, on the way back to the permanent bases in Russia.

So, the troops on the ground making good of the order that was delivered last night by the Russian President Vladimir Putin that the military operation in Syria for the most part should be drawn down. Of course, we don't know how many aircraft are on the ground there. Those figures have been given to us. We don't know to which extent there will be military hardware left in place.

But we do know because the Kremlin has said this, that there will still be two major military bases operating inside Syria on the part of Russia. The air base and a naval base at the port of Tartus on the Mediterranean Sea. There will be significant Russian military installations inside Syria.

But Vladimir Putin unexpectedly declared victory in the campaign in Syria. He points to the wins that he's gained, namely bolstering his ally Bashar al Assad, bolstering, ahead of peace talks that are starting in Syria are actually bringing the warring parties to negotiations in Syria. That would not have happened if it weren't for the Russian military intervention.

But the thing first and foremost, he can point to the way Russia is a major player on the international stage. Russia, you know, has power diplomatically. It is shown it is prepared to use that power in Syria. And that will be taken notice by the United States and others around the world.

ROMANS: All right. Matthew Chance for us this morning for that in Moscow -- thanks.

BERMAN: As we mentioned, the surprise move by Russia comes among peace talks aimed at resolving the conflict in Syria.

CNN senior international editor Nic Robertson in Geneva live for us this morning.

And, Nic, what does this do? What does this move by Russia, how does this affect the discussions there?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, the opposition here is saying look if Putin's rhetoric is matched by actions on the grounds and he reduces his military footprint there, then potentially, this is good. The opposition is hoping this will put pressure on President Bashar al Assad to step down. That's been one of their demands.

The Syria government, their negotiators were here yesterday. They wouldn't get involved in a discussion of political transition. They say Bashar al-Assad stepping down is a red line. This -- you know, when we look at it two months ago, peace talks here stopped because of Russia bombing.

Two years ago, the peace talks got to the same point again. Syrian government coming only wanting to talk about procedure, not about substantive political transition, not about President Bashar al Assad leaving. Who got the blame back then? Well, the Syrian government and Russians for not doing enough.

So, Russia under President Putin under pressure. Militarily, the threat of escalation of conflict surface-to-air missiles potentially ending up in the hands of the rebels. That will be a game-changer in the battlefield, economic pressure from the Sunni Gulf Arab states headed by Saudi Arabia.

Of course, you know, perhaps more diplomatic and definitely the implication of economic sanctions because Russia was part of the political process. The U.N. Security Council resolution that got these talks going, Russia signed up to that, and therefore that they would perhaps be repercussions for Russia if they didn't push the Syrian into real negotiations.

So, there is the potential and there is a hope there that these talks this time might get a little further than they have in the past, John.

BERMAN: Interesting to see if the Russians do apply pressure to the Syrian side. Nic Robertson for us in Vienna, thanks so much. Or in Geneva, I should say, thanks so much.

ROMANS: All right. Let's get an early start on your money this morning. A big drop in oil prices yesterday did not sink the stock market. Something we have not seen in months.

The Dow gained a fraction. NASDAQ also takes higher. The S&P 500 slightly lower.

But crude oil dropped 3.4 percent. Just above $37 a barrel after Iran said it would not agree to a production freeze at current oil levels. Oil and stocks have been in a lock step for months. It is a good sign for the broader stock market.

Right now, taking a look at futures pointing lower. Modest losses. Oil down again. Stocks markets in Europe falling, shares in Asia mostly lower overnight.

BERMAN: All right. EARLY START -- a big EARLY START continues right now.

(MUSIC)

BERMAN: We are just a few hours away from a pivotal day in this election. You thought the first Super Tuesday was big. No.