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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"; NFL Confirms Link Between Football and CTE. Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired March 15, 2016 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:00:00] JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: We are just a few hours away from a pivotal day in this election. You thought the first Super Tuesday was big. No. You thought the second Super Tuesday was big. That was nothing.
The third Super Tuesday. The biggest, baddest, most super of them all, this time it's personal. The "Revenge of the Sith" version. This is super duper Tuesday number three.
Good morning, everyone. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm John Berman.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Christine Romans. It is Tuesday, March 15th. It is 5:00 a.m. in the East.
It is here. What could be the most crucial or at least the most super, Super Tuesday yet. Millions 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 stake. Tightening polls in Missouri, in Illinois and Ohio.
For the Republicans, 367 delegates are up for grabs. Florida and Ohio, those critical winner take all states. They 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 Kasich, the state's governor.
CNN's Jim Acosta is with the Trump campaign. He's got the latest for us this morning.
(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 Acosta in Youngstown, Ohio, with Donald Trump.
Hillary Clinton, on the Democratic side, 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 needs to beat Bernie Sanders. And that has not proven easy and they are neck and neck in some of today's crucial contests.
Brianna Keilar traveling with the Clinton campaign, 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)
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Brianna, with a little Bon Jovi on the background. Joining us now --
BERMAN: Never a little Jon Bon Jovi. There's no way to make Jon Bon Jovi -- ROMANS: There are five others that are the songs at these -- OK.
CNN political analyst and columnist of "Bloomberg View", Josh Rogin, heard a lot of '80s music at some of these rallies.
Nice to see you, Josh. How are you?
JOSH ROGIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Good morning.
ROMANS: I want to show you the map for the Republicans that are up for grabs here. Ohio is incredibly important here, Illinois, Missouri and Florida, of course. What do you think is going to happen today?
ROGIN: Yes. Well, remember, this is the day that the Republican National Committee set up to the biggest day of the primary. They actually rearranged the calendar so that this would be the deciding day. And now, the lesson is be careful what you wish for, because one thing is certain after today's voting, the path for the Republican nomination will become much, much clearer.
Donald Trump is set to win four, if not five states. That means his delegate count will likely increase over rivals. Ted Cruz is also set to do well.
[05:05:00] You saw him campaigning in Illinois and North Carolina, two proportional states. He is set to pick up delegates.
John Kasich could win his home state, but the path after that for him is totally unclear. Marco Rubio is down by more than 20 points in Florida. Looks like it may be his last gasp.
BERMAN: You make a good point. Today is the day Jeb Bush will almost certainly lock up the nomination. That at least was the plan when they put this map together. And now, Marco Rubio is at risk of losing his home state of Florida as well, 99 delegates, it could go to Donald Trump.
And Marco Rubio on the trail has been giving remarks that, I don't know if it is valedictory or almost eulogizing his campaign. But last night, he was talking about sort of regrets in this campaign. He's talked about how he regrets going after Donald Trump with the small hands bit. But he also said he almost had to do it because that's the only way he could get covered in the race.
I want to play a little bit of sound of Marco Rubio talking about that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R-FL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Here's what's so sad. Here's what's so sad about it. Here's what's sad. When I did that for three days every speech I gave, the networks cut in live, because they wanted to hear if I would say that again. As soon as I stopped doing it, they stopped covering it live for the most part. This is what we've become, the presidency is not a reality TV show.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: It is interesting. Marco Rubio did it. He said he is sorry he did it. Now he is sorry he stopped. It is hard to follow that train of thought right there.
ROGIN: Well, Marco Rubio is going to have a lot of time after tomorrow to sit back to think about what went wrong in this primary campaign and all the supporters as well. I mean, the bottom line is that Marco Rubio never built the enthusiasm and support amongst the GOP base that Donald Trump built and for a while, he tried to feed off that enthusiasm. He tried to be part of it. It back fired. That turned out to be a disastrous decision.
But let's face it. What options did he really have in these final weeks? All signs pointing in the wrong direction. He might as well have taken a shot. But that's all history now.
Looking forward, the establishment as it is, as it were in the Republican Party, supposed to be coalescing around Marco Rubio, it is now coalescing around Ted Cruz. And you see a very interesting dance here in Washington, as Ted Cruz tries to run against Washington, but very slightly but not too slightly court the Republican establishment, the Bush donors, what was it, Neil Bush, Jeb's brother, came out for Ted Cruz yesterday?
So, there is an establishment Anti-Trump movement. It just didn't end up on Marco Rubio when the music stopped and he's bitter about that.
ROMANS: I opened up "USA Today", there was an op-ed this morning from Donald Trump about trade, Josh. I mean, pretty pointed, I mean, pointed, full of facts that are true facts about the trade situation, really kind of poking at John Kasich and with an eye toward Ohio. Let's look at something in this op-ed this morning.
"One of the first casualties of the TPP, that's the trade deal, the biggest trade deal in history, will be America's auto industry the worst victims of the pact will be the people of Ohio. The TPP will send America's remaining auto jobs to Japan. Yet, Governor John Kasich, Senator Ted Cruz and Senator Marco Rubio have all promoted the Trans-Pacific Partnership -- a mortal threat to American manufacturing."
I mean, the lead of the piece he writes is the American worker is being crushed and he goes on to show exactly which policies and specific countries -- he names Vietnam here -- are going to crush American workers. He is getting pretty specific on this trade attack.
It's been kind of emotional up to now.
ROGIN: Yes, Christine, you have covered this well. I think what we see here, two things are going on. One is the short-term goal of appealing to disgruntled blue collar workers in the state, not just Ohio, but also Illinois and North Carolina. That makes smart policy politically in the primary.
But if you read through the whole op-ed and I did, it doesn't always make perfect sense. I mean, Donald Trump also says, he is for fair trade, which is the position of his party, the position of President Obama, but he is also for fair trade, which means not letting China get away with all this stuff.
In the end, TPP is a very complex deal. Whether or not you feel it is negotiated fairly or negotiated poorly, the basic goal is to establish fairer trade, and to counteract all of these practices going on especially by China. That complicated sort of nuance argument for TPP or against TPP is going to get lost right now, right?
Right now, it's smart to just be against it. Hillary Clinton has made the same calculation. You can be sure if it gets to a Trump/Clinton general election, Trump will point to Hillary Clinton as one of the main sponsors, and main proponents of TPP, which she was, for many years, traveling the world. I wrote about it all. He is setting himself up to that. No matter what happens tomorrow in these states.
BERMAN: You know, almost no time left before this last final Super Tuesday vote. Our Principles PAC, which is one of the main anti- Donald Trump groups, putting up an ad where it uses women reading things out loud that Donald Trump has said.
[05:10:02] So, let's play a little bit 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)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is how Donald Trump talks about our mothers --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our sisters.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our daughters.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: So, this is an actual Donald Trump ad. It is getting a lot of media play which is the goal given it went up yesterday. Could it have an impact past today in the voting as it goes forward?
ROGIN: Sure, it could. John, you pointed this out. These ads and political insiders have been in preparation for months. The money has been going for months. They had the op-ed research. And only now, in this, the 11th hour of the primary, where these are being rolled out. The people on the never Trump side of the party is that, what took so
long? Why is this so late? And if you play a bunch of ads that raised Trump's negatives, right as he's winning the nomination, are you just dooming the Republican Party in the general election?
I think there is a lot of disappointment and a lot of frustration, especially amongst the donor class but also amongst what we call the chattering class here in Washington that it took so long, that's going to diminish its effectiveness.
ROMANS: Right. Well, will it matter? I mean, you look at some of these polls, I don't want to dwell on polls. Some polls have not been correct. Except if they were polls that said Donald Trump was going to run away with it. Those polls have been correct for months.
I mean, he is doing very well with women. He is doing very well with men. He is doing very well up and down the income ladder, up and down the education ladder. Donald Trump is killing it in the polls.
I mean, does an ad like that matter?
ROGIN: Yes. I mean, we see he has high negatives. That hasn't made the difference yet. We also see a tightening in some states, although what happens is they run these ads. The polls tighten and then the people vote and Trump wins a bunch of states and the polls widen again.
You know, it's not up as these negative ads don't work. Negative ads do work. It is not clear they benefit the person you want them to benefit.
ROMANS: Right.
ROGIN: So, most of this money is Rubio money. Now, if you take votes away from Trump, those votes are going to go to Cruz. So, it is a lot of people spending a lot of money without a lot of certainty.
BERMAN: It will be interesting to see if those people do migrate to Ted Cruz. A lot of them right now may move to the sidelines. First, we will wait and see. And, of course, big votes in the Democratic side as well, proportional delegates there, but watch Ohio, Missouri and Illinois. And watch Josh Rogin in our next half hour because he will be back.
ROGIN: I'll be back.
BERMAN: All right, Josh. Thanks so much.
ROMANS: Thanks.
ROGIN: Thank you.
BERMAN: Coming up for us, could Iran be ready to launch a rocket any minute now? What one U.S. official is telling CNN, that's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [05:16:48] BERMAN: All right. Developing this morning, Iran on the verge of launching a three-stage rocket with a satellite on top of it. That is the assessment of a U.S. official who tells CNN the launch is a significant advancement for the Iranians with their intercontinental ballistic missile technology. The missiles would be capable of reaching Israel. Now, Iran test fired two missiles last week with the words marked 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.
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.
ROMANS: Super Tuesday number three is here. The economy and jobs are the top issue for voters.
In Ohio, this chart shows the debate over trade has resonated with voters. Manufacturing jobs in Ohio plunged from more than 1 million in 2000 to just above 600,000 at the depths of the recession. Look at the far right of that line, only 80,000 manufacturing positions have returned since that bottom.
This is the disconnect though. The unemployed rate in Ohio is right at the national average. Missouri's unemployment is below the national average, 4.3 percent. Let's go to Florida now. Florida, slightly higher, 5 percent unemployment in Florida.
This is the economic trend of the primary season. The overall economic data is mixed. But voters feeling the economy are saying the economy is not working for them, especially in those former manufacturing states. And that's why passionate rhetoric about trade and overtones of protectionism are really rallying voters. A Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders have capitalized on that.
And Donald Trump this morning with an op-ed in "USA Today" saying the American worker is getting crushed and pointing specifically trade deals, including the trade deal on the books right now that they're negotiating on the books right now that he says will hurt American workers. So, check that out.
BERMAN: All right. Nineteen minutes past the hour.
Admission from the NFL: for the first time, the league acknowledges the connection of football and brain damage. So, what happens now?
Coy Wire with this morning's bleacher report, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:24:00] BERMAN: The first time, the NFL acknowledges a link between football and the degenerative brain disease CTE.
ROMANS: Coy Wire has more in this morning's bleacher report.
Hey, Coy.
COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christine and John.
That admission comes from the league's senior vice president for health and safety, Jeff Miller. Miller was participating in a round table discussion about concussions with lawmakers and here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFEID FEMALE: Do you think there is a link between football and the degenerative brain disorders like CTE?
JEFF MILLER, NFL SENIOR V.P. FOR HEALTH AND SAFETY: Well, certainly, Dr. McKee's research shows that a number of retired NFL players were diagnosed with CTE. So, the answer to that question is certainly yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIRE: Miller's referring to a study from Boston University where 90 of 94 former NFL players have the debilitating brain disease, chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE. For years, the NFL avoided saying whether or not football is related to CTE, saying instead they defer to the medical community's findings on the matter.
More news on the NFL front, "The Wall Street Journal" reporting that the NFL and players union are working on a deal to strip Roger Goodell of disciplinary power when it comes to off-the-field infraction by players.
[05:25:08] Goodell has said in the past he is willing to relinquish his role and allow a neutral arbitrator to step in. He's been criticized quite heavily lately for the way he's handled player's misconduct.
What happens when a mere mortal denies a living basketball god? You get taken to church. Steph Curry, Pelican never stood a chance on this one. Check this one out. It is like he is playing hot potato and he calls it off with a splash.
I mean, John and Christine, he's on his toes from the three-point line. Curry, it was his birthday, he finished with 27 points on his 28th birthday. Warriors win 125-107, extending their NBA record home streak to 49 in a row.
Don't forget, guys. The NCAA tournament gets under way tonight. First four games on TruTV. Florida Gulf Coast and Farleigh Dickinson start things off at 6:40 Eastern, and then Vandy and Wichita state at 9:00 -- guys.
ROMANS: All right.
BERMAN: Coy Wire, can I tell you something? You know, it's Super Tuesday and there are people voting in a lot of states. The first presidential candidate who will sign an executive order to move Warriors games earlier in the night, that is the candidate that will get my endorsement.
They can't play at 10:30 every night. It's just bad politics. It's got to stop.
ROMANS: They are so fun to watch.
BERMAN: All right, Coy. Thanks so much.
ROMANS: Huge day in the race for president. Critical contests in key states several candidacies. Will Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton keep their momentum? We discuss, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
