Return to Transcripts main page
Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Donald Trump to Appear Before Pro-Israeli Group; Clinton and Sanders Hit the Trail; President Obama's Historic Trip to Cuba; Paris Suspect Nabbed in Brussels; U.S. Marine Killed in ISIS Attack; Aired 4-4:30a ET
Aired March 21, 2016 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:00:14] MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Can Donald Trump win over the GOP establishment? In just hours, the Republican frontrunner meets with party leaders following a weekend of violence and chaos on the campaign trail.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: President Obama now in Cuba. The first U.S. president to visit the country in 88 years. We'll tell you what's on the agenda of the controversial trip.
MARQUEZ: And the captured Paris terror suspect behind bars, claiming more attacks were planned. We are live with breaking new details.
Good morning. And welcome to EARLY START. I'm Miguel Marquez.
ROMANS: How nice to see you this Monday morning.
MARQUEZ: Very good to see you.
ROMANS: Happy spring.
MARQUEZ: Snowy morning.
ROMANS: I know.
MARQUEZ: Snowy Monday morning spring.
ROMANS: I know. I'm Christine Romans. It is Monday, March 21st. It is 4:00 a.m. in the East.
First, more mayhem at Donald Trump rallies. The Republican frontrunner's campaign staff vowing to beef up security at future events after two more incidence of violence over the weekend.
Trump also hopes to put out a few political fires today. He'll meet with two dozen influential Republican leaders in Washington hoping to mend fences with the party establishment and he'll speak to a pro- Israel group that's been anything but pro-Trump.
We get this morning from CNN's Chris Frates.
CHRIS FRATES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning, Miguel and Christine. Later today, Donald Trump who has been criticized for not being a big enough friend of Israel will give a closely watched speech on his Mideast policy to a pro-Israel group AIPAC. In a number of rabbis and Jewish religious leaders are expected to protest that speech by walking out because they believe Trump is promoting hatred. Of course Trump has dismissed similar charges in the past and those expected protests later today, they come after a wild weekend that found Trump's campaign manager once again facing charges. He manhandled someone at a Trump event. And saw another protester soccer punch.
Yesterday Trump seemed to defend his campaign manager and credit his actions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Because security at the arena, the police were a little bit lax and he had signs. They had signs up in that area that were horrendous. I give him credit for having spirit. He wanted them to take down those horrible profanity- laced signs.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FRATES: T his is not the first time Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski has come under fire. Earlier this month, a reporter accused Lewandowski of grabbing her by the arm and yanking her backwards as she tried to ask Trump a question at a news conference. The reporter has filed a criminal complaint against Lewandowski. He has denied touching her at all and denies any of the charges.
Now this has all caused Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus to weigh in on Sunday saying he thinks law enforcement professionals, not campaign officials should deal with protesters. And also this weekend, a man at Trump's Tucson rally sucker-punched and kicked the protester being sorted out by security. That man was arrested for misdemeanor assault -- Miguel, Christine.
MARQUEZ: Our thanks to Chris Frates.
The protester who got sucker punched at a Trump rally in Tucson Saturday is speaking out. The video from the rally shows anti-Trump demonstrator Bryan Sanders being escorted out of the building by security when things suddenly got out of hand.
Listen to Sanders describe what happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRYAN SANDERS, PROTESTER: I had a sign that said "Bad for America." And it had Trump with the confederate flag superimposed on his face. I was being escorted out of the building. I had that in my right hand. I had a peace sign up. The guy grabbed the sign out of my right hand and then sucker punched me. And then he got on top of me and hit me a couple of more times.
All I can, maybe, is this is democracy. People that don't want us to be protesting, people that don't -- want us at their event, they should look deep inside themselves and see what they're supporting. This is what it brings. It's the '60s all over again. And getting punched in the face is no problem. Trump is not going to be in the White House. Come hell or high water. Not going to happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUEZ: My god. The emotionality on the campaign trail is just shocking. The man seen punching Sanders on the video has been as 32- year-old Tom Pettaway. He was charged with misdemeanor assault and released.
ROMANS: Wow. All right. Donald Trump and his two Republican rivals making a final push for votes before two more big races tomorrow. Arizona and Utah are up for grabs. Ted Cruz trying to sell the notion this is now a two-man race. John Kasich insists there will be a contested convention. Listen to both long-shot candidates make their case.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TED CRUZ (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Donald is in a difficult position because in a two-man race, he has a very hard time breaking 50 percent. So our path forward is to win primaries going forward. And amass the delegates and we have a straightforward path to get to 1237 delegates.
GOV. JOHN KASICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Everybody has got to face the fact that we're going to an open multi-ballot convention. That's where we're headed. And the convention is an extension of what we're going through right now. And so -- I've been at a convention that was contested in 1976.
[04:05:01] What happens is the delegates will take everything seriously. They will take a look at people's experience and their electability. And that is fine. I don't know what's everybody so panicked about this. Everybody needs to take a little chill pill to tell you the truth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Stay with CNN. Ohio Governor John Kasich will be joining us live on "NEW DAY" this morning in the 8:00 hour.
MARQUEZ: That will be interesting.
ROMANS: Take a little chill pill, Miguel.
MARQUEZ: I'm always on the chill pill.
(LAUGHTER)
MARQUEZ: The Democratic side -- on the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton are hitting the trail hard with races tomorrow in Utah, Arizona and Idaho. Clinton campaigns in Phoenix today while Sanders making stops in Utah and Arizona. Both candidates battling for every single vote they can get. Clinton hoping to seal the deal soon. Sanders determined to stay alive. Let's get the latest from CNN's Boris Sanchez.
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Miguel, Christine, former president Bill Clinton campaigning on behalf of his wife, the former first lady and senator Hillary Clinton, here in Tucson, Arizona. A state where the former president is extremely popular. His message of inclusion and equality, specifically financial equality, economic equality, carrying of weight with the voters here. They were very happy to hear his message.
This is a state where he is again extremely popular. The only Democrat to carry Arizona since Harry Truman many, many decades ago. And he wasn't here alone. He was accompanied by former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords along with her husband, the astronaut, Mark Kelly, who had a very high praise for the former first lady.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GABBY GIFFORDS, FORMER CONGRESSWOMAN: Hillary is tough. Hillary is courageous. She will fight to make our families safer.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
GIFFORDS: In the White House she will stand up to the gun lobby. That's why I'm voting for Hillary.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: On the other side of the ticket, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders continues to fight on. He was here in Arizona over the weekend visiting the border with Mexico and also meeting with some immigrant families. The senator spent $1.5 million in ads here in Arizona alone. Winning the state would represent a breath of fresh air and a change of momentum for his campaign. He attacked Hillary Clinton over the weekend. Here's a taste.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When we began this campaign about 10 months ago, the general feeling of the media and the pundits is that we were looking at a coronation. That there was an anointed candidate who would simply and quietly get the Democratic nomination. Ten months --
(CROWD BOOS)
SANDERS: Ten months have come and gone. Doesn't look to me like that's the case.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
SANCHEZ: Now there are 75 delegates at stake here in Arizona. Two other states voting, Utah and Idaho on Tuesday. It could be a big day for Hillary Clinton if she wins the way that she did last Tuesday. Sweeping all five states that were up for grabs and again for Bernie Sanders, it could represent kind of a rebirth of his campaign that has lost momentum in recent weeks -- Christine, Miguel.
ROMANS: All right. Boris, thanks for that.
New this morning, a peek into the campaign finances of these candidates. Hillary Clinton has nearly $31 million in cash to spend this month according to filings with the Federal Election Commission. Bernie Sanders has more than $17 million. But Sanders received $43 million in campaign contributions in February. That's more than Clinton.
The three Super Tuesday primaries were expensive for both candidates. Sanders outspent Clinton by more than $10 million. But both dropped tens of millions of dollars trying to get primary voters.
On the Republican side, Ted Cruz has $8 million of cash on hand. Nearly half of that can only be spent on the general election. Donald Trump and John Kasich have a little more than $1 million each to spend.
Trump has been funding his own campaign. He has loaned himself $24.3 million so far but has also received $9.8 million in contributions.
On the eve of tomorrow's western Tuesday races, all five presidential hopefuls, they sit down with Anderson Cooper and Wolf Blitzer. You can see those interviews tonight at 8:00 Eastern right here on CNN.
MARQUEZ: That is going to be something to tune in for.
The history unfolding in Havana now. President Obama going where no U.S. president has gone for 88 years. Just watching him on the streets of Havana just amazing.
In the capital of Cuba, the president's historic trip is the latest in most prominent sign of the new normal in relations between the countries. He'll meet with Cuba's president and is expected to raise concerns about human rights. In a speech to the Cuban people, we get more on the president's trip from CNN's Jim Acosta.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Christine and Miguel, changes in the air here in Cuba as President Obama prepares to spend his first full day here on the island. Later today he will lay a wreath at the memorial remembering the Cuban revolutionary Jose Marti, and then later on in the day he'll hold a formal bilateral meeting with Cuban President Raul Castro.
[04:10:06] As for last night, the president toured Old Havana with the first family and also stopped by the old cathedral in this city. That was after he talked to the embassy staff for the United States here in Cuba where he talked about the significance of this trip. Here's what he had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's been nearly 90 years since a U.S. president stepped foot in Cuba. It is wonderful to be here. Back in 1928, President Coolidge came on a battleship. It took him three days to get here. It only took me three hours.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: Tomorrow the president will give a speech to the Cuban people. The White House says the president will be talking about expanding human rights for Cuban people, talking about freedom of the press, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly. And then the president will wind down his trip with a baseball game between the Cuban National team and the Tampa Bay Rays -- Christine and Miguel.
ROMANS: All right, Jim Acosta, thanks for that.
I got to say, Jim Acosta wrote a great piece that you can find on CNN.com about his own family's history in Cuba.
MARQUEZ: All those histories and the president's trip, they will have certainly outsized implications across Latin America, Africa, other parts of the world. Amazing.
The captured Paris terror suspect revealing new information to investigators about were more attacks about to be launched. We are live with that next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:15:30] MARQUEZ: Authorities in Belgium say Salah Abdeslam, the lone surviving suspect in the Paris massacre, is talking to investigators and was apparently planning a new attack before he was captured last week. Officials are taking the claim of a new attack very seriously. They say a cache of heavy weapons was found leading up to Salah Abdeslam's arrest.
CNN's Nima Elbagir is following developments. She's live in Belgium.
Nima, now that he's in custody, can he be believed?
NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's the question authorities really are having to weigh at the moment. But the reality of his ability to hide out where he did in his childhood neighborhood, that's the first sign that really so much of this talk about a broader network is absolutely being borne out by the reality on the ground. His ability to stay underground must have taken a much broader network authorities are saying than they first suspected. Take a listen to what the Interior minister had to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAN JAMBON, BELGIAN INTERIOR MINISTER: To be very honest, yes, I was surprised because after a certain moment we thought as we get didn't got any signal about his presence in Brussels, we thought he was abroad. We didn't have a proof of that but that was the thoughts. And then when you see that he was here, again, I say, we don't know what he did in these four months. Did he stay in Brussels all this time? Did he travel around? (END VIDEO CLIP)
ELBAGIR: But what is really ringing alarm bells, Miguel, is this belief authorities have that he was able to put together a new network around him. And it's that network that they believe was planning these new series of attacks.
The threat level here remains here at three. It's at its second highest. And Interpol is cautioning all European countries to be hyper vigilant at their borders because the worry isn't just focusing on local networks. There is also a belief, authorities here say, that jihadist from Syria are potentially making their way here to link in to these support networks and attempt to carry out attacks -- Miguel.
MARQUEZ: Well, that's clearly the concern there. Belgium certainly faces far more. Give us a sense of how small this neighborhood is. This is a tiny place. So it wouldn't just have been him, it would have been people around him that were keeping him under wraps basically.
ELBAGIR: And this house was in fact just a street turn away from the site of those first raids after Paris attacks. So he literally went back to where they were first looking for him. The sense that we got speaking to people is that there is so little penetration by the Belgian authorities into these communities and into these networks that part of it is support, of course, but part of it is also fear, Miguel. They really sense that ISIS has the ability, that these extremist networks have the ability to harm them.
And it is that that is contributing to the culture of silence. It is that the Belgian authorities are coming up against time and time again. How to get people to cooperate, how to get people to trust them when really we've seen that the authorities haven't exactly been one step ahead of the network so far -- Miguel.
MARQUEZ: Incredible. Nima Elbagir for us in Belgium. Thank you very much.
ROMANS: Right there in his childhood neighborhood.
MARQUEZ: Hiding in plain sight.
ROMANS: Yes.
All right. New information this morning about the U.S. Marine killed in an ISIS rocket attack in Iraq. We are live next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:23:25] ROMANS: The Pentagon has identified the U.S. Marine who was killed by an ISIS rocket attack this weekend in Iraq. Officials say 27-year-old Staff Sergeant Louis Cardin from California died when a coalition base in northern Iraq came under fire from ISIS. Several other Marines were wounded.
The war against ISIS intensifying now in and around Mosul. CNN's Jomana Karadsheh live for us in Amman, Jordan.
And Jomana, we didn't know about the existence of this fire base until this tragic news that this young Marine have been killed ISIS, targeting that base. The military said they plan to tell the public about the existence of this location sometime this week. But just a tragic turn of events there.
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As you mentioned there, Christine, we did not know about the existence of the base on Saturday. Two rockets targeted this location, this fire base in near the town of Makhmour, that is south of the city of Mosul. And one of these -- one of these rockets landed inside the base killing the Marine and wounding several others. We don't know how many other Marines were wounded in this attack.
Now U.S. Defense officials telling CNN that they were going to make an announcement this week about the creation of this fire base. Fire bases are usually remote bases that are set up to fire artillery from to provide cover and support for advancing infantry troops. And in the past couple of weeks a group of about a couple hundred Marines set up this base in northern Iraq with two main missions.
[04:25:01] One is to provide protection and support for a nearby coalition base where about 5,000 Iraqi forces are being trained for that eventual operation to retake the city of Mosul. And another mission we understand is to provide that artillery cover for Iraqi forces in the coming weeks and months when they make their advance on the city of Mosul.
Now the assumption here, according to U.S. Defense official, is that in the past few days as the Marines were moving in, setting up the space, firing practice rounds, this is when ISIS militants in the area noticed their presence and this is what could have led to that attack that we saw on Saturday.
Really underscoring the dangers here, Christine, to U.S. forces even in this limited combat operation that we are seeing on the ground in Iraq.
ROMANS: All right. Jomana Karadsheh for us this morning from Amman, Jordan. Thank you, Jomana.
MARQUEZ: Government officials in Turkey say a Turkish member of ISIS carried out a suicide bombing that killed four foreigners in Istanbul over the weekend. Three Israeli citizens and an Iranian national died in the attack. Dozens more were injured. It's the fourth terror bombing in Turkey this year. Turkish officials believe they are being targeted because of increased cooperation with the U.S.-led coalition fighting ISIS in Syria.
ROMANS: All right, 26 minutes past the hour. Just hours, Donald Trump meets with the Republican elite. Can he convince them he is their best hope in the race for president as violence and chaos erupt on the campaign trail? Next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
