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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Donald Trump Explains His Abortion Answer; Trump Meets With Republican Party Officials; Trump National Security Stances Scrutinized; Kasich Says Neither Trump Nor Cruz Will Have Delegates To Win Outright; Belgium To Extradite Paris Terror Suspect Salah Abdeslam; Deadly Highway Overpass Collapse In India; NY and CA Pass $15 Minimum Wage Increases. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired April 01, 2016 - 05:30   ET

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

[05:30:00]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Donald Trump at RNC headquarters for a secret meeting, days of controversy rocking his campaign.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN HOST: Hillary Clinton lashing out, accusing Bernie Sanders of lying about her campaign funds.

SANCHEZ: And major world leaders convening in Washington. Can they combat terrorism and keep nuclear weapons out of the terrorists' hands? Welcome back to EARLY START on this April fool's day. I'm Boris Sanchez.

ROMANS: I have not tricked you yet --

SANCHEZ: Yes.

ROMANS: -- but be warned. I'm Christine Romans. Nice to see you. It is 30 minutes past the hour. Donald Trump mounting a new defense to explain why he told MSNBC that women who get illegal abortions should be punished before he clarified and then later recanted his position. Late last night Trump conceded on "FOX NEWS" maybe he misspoke, but he blames the way the question was asked and what he said edited.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You really had to hear the whole thing. I mean, this is a long, convoluted question. This was a long discussion and they just cut it out. And, frankly, it was extremely -- it was really convoluted and if, in fact, abortion was outlawed, the person performing the abortion -- the doctor, whoever it may be that's really doing the act, is responsible for the act, not the woman is responsible. So, that's the way I've always felt.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: It was a long, intense conversation. MSNBC says the interview was not edited. They played it in its entirety. Now, with just four days to go until the Wisconsin primary Trump is doing some damage control. He met with the head of the Republican Party yesterday calling it a meeting of unity. CNN's Sunlen Serfaty has the latest for us.

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christine and Boris. Well, Donald Trump holding a secret meeting in Washington, D.C. Thursday behind closed doors at the RNC headquarters. Sources telling CNN the meeting was largely about convention rules and delegates.

After the meeting the RNC chairman putting out a statement saying in part that it was a productive meeting, he says, about the state of the race. And Donald Trump tweeting about the meeting, also calling it a nice meeting, saying that he looks forward to bringing the party together.

Now, while in Washington, Donald Trump also convened a meeting of his newly-formed national security team and this comes after a string of recent national security and foreign policy statements that some have called into question, including his rivals, like John Kasich.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KASICH (R-OH), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It appears as though when he does these events and people press him, he becomes unmoored and then has to spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to correct all the mistakes that he made. And I have to tell that as commander in chief and leader of the free world you don't get do-overs. You need to be able to get it right the first time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERFATY: As you can see there, John Kasich really trying to capitalize on these recent missteps and controversies of Donald Trump's, trying to paint Trump as not ready to be president -- Boris and Christine.

SANCHEZ: All right, Sunlen, thank you. To help us break down the battles on both sides of the aisle let's bring in CNN politics digital managing editor, Zach Wolf. Zach, good morning to you. Let's start out with Trump yesterday. A bit of radio silence from his campaign. Mostly what we saw was that wave walking out of the RNC meeting. He tried to play nice. Here's what he said about the meeting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We met with Reince Priebus and the staff and they're very good people. Very -- actually, a terrific meeting, I think, and it's really a unity meeting, you know. We're leading by a lot. We have far and away the most delegates. Millions and millions of votes more than anybody else -- than Ted has or than Kasich has, and we're really -- I think they wanted to really discuss, you know, unity and I like discussing unity, too.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: He does like discussing unity. The question here is how realistic is it possible for the party to unify behind Trump? Reince Priebus has said he's confident that the party will unify behind the eventual nominee but so many of the candidates in the recent days have seemingly walked that back. Trump, himself, has flirted with a potential third-party bid. How realistic is unity for the Republican Party at this point?

ZACHARY WOLF, CNN POLITICS, MANAGING EDITOR: Well, all three candidates have kind of walked back from their pledge to support the eventual nominee. Of course, they eventually could, but -- all three -- and taking a pledge at that first debate, and they've sort of walked that back, so unity is something they need.

Trump meeting with the Republicans yesterday. We're told a lot of the meeting, I think, had to do with delegates and convention rules, and that's going to be an important thing as it becomes clear that it's going to be hard for anyone -- and Trump is in the lead, but it will be hard for him to reach that magic number of delegates. So this will be fought out or it could be fought out on the convention floor in Cleveland, and that will be something we haven't seen in a long, long time.

[05:35:00] ROMANS: Let's talk about the most recent polls with two brand new polls for Wisconsin that show Ted Cruz leading in Wisconsin, and that's an important race coming up here. It shows gains for Ted Cruz.

A Fox poll shows him at 42 percent. A Marquette law poll shows him at 40 percent. And then you've got John Kasich with these comments on "AC360" last night about how neither of them are going to get the delegates needed for the convention. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KASICH: Ted Cruz needs about 90 percent of the delegates going forward to win. That's just not going to happen, and Trump needs about 60 percent and that's not going to happen either. Look, when delegates go to a convention, and I've been at conventions -- they get to be very serious about two things.

One, who can win in the fall, and I'm the only one that consistently beats Hillary Clinton. And secondly, delegates feel the weight of decision on their shoulders and they begin to think about who actually could run the country. Who has the experience, who has the vision? Who's had success in the past?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: How many times do you think team Kasich has been doing ballot math trying to figure out whether there is a chance here for him. Is there a chance -- a path for him to be president?

WOLF: Well, he talked about how Cruz needs almost 90 more percent of the delegates and Trump needs 60 percent. Kasich needs more than 100 percent.

ROMANS: Right.

WOLF: It is mathematically impossible for him to get the nomination before the convention, so this is his only path. I think they've done a lot of delegate math. He's won one state so far. It's his home state of Ohio, but there were a lot of people in the race earlier.

He could make an argument as Trump has these missteps, or odd policy proposals on nuclear weapons, and has this stumble on abortion. Kasich could come in there and say he is the most electable. He could make that argument at the convention. It will be hard and there will be tons of horse-trading in those votes on ballots there.

SANCHEZ: Now, Zach, you mentioned nuclear proliferation -- not exactly an issue that we expected to be in the conversation --

ROMANS: Right.

SANCHEZ: -- of this campaign. Trump, of course, saying that countries like Japan should arm themselves and protect themselves instead of having the U.S. so heavily invested in their defense. Here's what he told "FOX NEWS".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: The last person to use nuclear would be Donald Trump. That's the way I feel. I think it is a horrible thing. The thought of it is horrible, but I don't want to take anything off the table. We have to negotiate. There will be times, maybe, when we're going to be in a very deep, very difficult, very horrible negotiations. The last person -- I'm not going to take it off the table and I said it yesterday, and I stay with it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Now, the White House has come out blasting these remarks. Here is a taste of that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEN RHODES, DEPUTY NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR: It would be catastrophic were the United States to shift its position and indicate that we support, somehow, the proliferation of nuclear weapons to additional countries. It also flies in the face of decades of bipartisan national security doctrine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Now, Zach, from your view, this non-traditional point of view of Trump's -- how does this play with voters?

WOLF: You know, I think we'll have to see. You saw those numbers in Wisconsin. The recent polling shows him behind there. Who knows exactly why that it is but it does play into the idea, I think, as people get closer. They'll have to look at some of these things he's said.

U.S. foreign policy, for so long -- for multiple presidents on both sides of the aisle -- has been to try to get rid of nuclear weapons. To try and get other countries to have fewer nuclear weapons because it's in the world interest to have fewer nuclear weapons. And sort of taking a step back and saying it's OK for other countries to have them if they want them is -- it's a strange thing to hear.

ROMANS: Can we talk about Hillary Clinton in this moment -- a real moment of -- I don't know what the word is for it. Some people say she lost her cool. Some people say very sharp words. But, she was confronted by a climate activist -- an environmental activist and she was very pointed and very angry about Bernie Sanders lying. Listen to what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GREENPEACE ACTIVIST: If you protect with climate change, will you act on your word and reject fossil fuel money in the future in your campaign?

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I do not. I have money from people who work for fossil fuel companies. I am so sick -- I am so sick of the Sanders campaign lying about that. I'm sick of it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: She has been dogged by this storyline for months now, that he is the guy with $27 on average donation from real people and she is the candidate who's in the pocket of rich people and the status quo way of raising money.

WOLF: Yes. That exchange, I think, was specifically about people who work for oil and gas companies. She's accusing the Sanders campaign of backing this. It was a Greenpeace activist, I think, who made that question but clearly it's gotten to her. I don't know if it's under her skin or if it's just a calculated explosion or what, but it's interesting to see her have that reaction and kind of boil over like that.

Coming into Wisconsin and then her home state of New York, she's really trying to secure some momentum after his string of wins on the west coast.

[05:40:00] SANCHEZ: Yes, it's interesting to see her get almost exasperated that way. She was also interrupted during her rally, so it will be interesting to see if this continues moving forward. Zachary Wolf, thank you so much for being us early this morning.

ROMANS: All right, have a great weekend, Zach. Forty minutes past the hour. Time for an early start on your money. Dow futures pointing slightly lower on the first trading day of April and the second quarter. Oil is falling but has clawed back some of the losses from earlier this morning, so we'll watch to see if stock markets turn around. Stock markets in Europe right now are down. Asian stock markets fell overnight.

Investors have closed the books on a wild first quarter. Check out this V-shaped dive in recovery for the Dow in the quarter. That initial drop -- 10 percent in February as oil prices crashed. Concerns about China grew. Investors nervous about how quickly the Fed would raise interest rates. Then oil started rising and stocks followed suit, and the Dow ended the quarter positive for the year.

In the end, 92 percent of investors made money in March. That's according to our partners at Openfolio. About 32 percent have turned positive for the year so far. Patience always pays in the stock market.

SANCHEZ: It does. We'll see how it responds to that jobs report later today.

ROMANS: That's right, 8:30.

SANCHEZ: The manhunt for two Brussels bombers ongoing. Authorities trying to get information out of this man connected to the Brussels and Paris attacks. More on that, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:45:00] SANCHEZ: A Belgian court has ruled Paris terror attack suspect Salah Abdeslam can be extradited to France though details of the prisoner transfer still need to be hashed out. Abdeslam was the most wanted man in Europe until authorities in Brussels captured him last month following a shootout in Mollenbeek.

All of this happening as investigators are still searching for two surviving Brussels bombers. Alexandra Field is tracking the latest developments live from Brussels. Good morning, Alex. Do we have any updates on the progress of the investigation and the search for these two suspects?

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, frankly Boris, authorities have not come out and said that they know anything further about the two men who they've been searching for since the bombings here in Brussels more than a week ago -- that third suspected bomber from the airport, also a second suspected person from the Metro station.

So, they continue to hunt for those two suspects while at the same time Salah Abdeslam, who had been the most wanted man in connection with the Paris attacks, returns to France. Something that France has been waiting for.

It's also something that Salah Abdeslam had been fighting. He had initially said that he didn't want to be extradited. That's when he was working with authorities, answering their questions. However, after the Brussels attacks that changed. He stopped cooperating with investigators, we're told, and that's when he decided that he would willingly be extradited to France.

While this investigation unfolds, investigators are also looking into the possibility that members of the terrorist cell that carried out the Brussels and the Paris attacks may have been eyeing the possibility of wanting to create dirty bombs. That question comes to light after investigators find a video which shows 10 hours of surveillance footage of the home of one of Belgium's top nuclear researchers.

We spoke to analysts who saw that video. They say it's possible that the suspects were watching this person and hatching a pretty far- fetched plan to maybe kidnap the person in order to force access to radioactive materials which could be used to create a dirty bomb.

Would they have been able to pull any of this off? Well, the people we spoke to said they don't think that they would have had the capability to do that. These nuclear sites in this country are well- secured. Areas where radioactive materials are stored as also heavily secured.

But it does, Boris, underscore the point that ISIS has been eyeing these nuclear sites, could have interest in nuclear sites, and certainly the fact that ISIS militants have in the past, at least in the Middle East, been able to obtain radioactive materials -- Boris.

SANCHEZ: Yes, certainly a concern, Alex. So much so that about 50 world leaders are in Washington, D.C. over the past two days meeting to figure out how to keep ISIS from building a dirty bomb. Alexandra Field in Brussels, thank you.

ROMANS: All right, investigators in Europe struggling to break into more than 40 mobile phones seized by police during the Paris terror attacks. They're turning up the pressure on technology firms to help them hack into the devices. The vast majority of the devices are iPhones running newer software that Apple claims it cannot breach.

Here in the U.S., the FBI has successfully hacked the iPhone 5C used by one of the San Bernardino terrorists, with the help of a third party. The agency -- the FBI will now be testing that technique on other versions of the device.

SANCHEZ: A Virginia state trooper has been shot and killed during a training exercise at a Greyhound bus station in Richmond. Police say 37-year-old trooper Chad Dermyer was taking part in the exercise with about a dozen other officers when he approached the unidentified suspect who shot him at point-blank range. Two other troopers then shot and killed the gunman. Two civilian women were also hurt.

ROMANS: Ferguson, Missouri has a new police chief following a nationwide 3-month search. Major Delrish Moss, of the Miami police department, has been handed this job. He was a senior executive assistant to Miami's chief of police. He was commander of public information for the Miami Police Department. Moss told reporters "change doesn't come easily, but I am ready for the challenge."

SANCHEZ: Here's a look at what's coming up on "NEW DAY". Michaela Pereira joining us now. Michaela, always great to see you this early in the morning.

ROMANS: Good morning.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN HOST: Oh, Boris. Christine, first of all, is there any truth to the rumor it's Friday?

ROMANS: It is Friday, but it's also April fool's day so be very careful. PEREIRA: That's why I was a little excited about the whole Friday thing, OK. Obviously, we've got a big show ahead for you. The Donald Trump campaign now trying to contain the damage from a week they probably would like to forget. Trump huddling with RNC leaders behind closed doors Thursday. What came of that meeting, and will Trump's stumbles affect him going forward?

We're also going to look at why Hillary Clinton says she is sick of Bernie Sanders campaign lying about her. We're going to speak directly to the Clinton and Sanders camps about all of that. And there is also a battle brewing in Mississippi over what critics call the worst religious freedom bill yet. What it could mean for the LGBT community there. We're going to hear arguments from both sides. So, we've got a busy Friday if it is, indeed, Friday, as you say it is.

[05:50:00] ROMANS: It is Friday and the beginning of the second quarter, my dear.

PEREIRA: Oh, indeed.

ROMANS: I know that you love to look at your stocks every morning.

PEREIRA: I do. You always help me out with this.

ROMANS: All right, the stock market facing a big test this morning on the first trading day of Q2 and it's all about jobs. We'll get an early start on your money next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:54:00] SANCHEZ: We're following a grim scene in Kolkata, India. Rescue workers frantically digging through tons of concrete hoping to find survivors of yesterday's deadly highway overpass collapse. (Video playing) Watch this. The death toll rising to at least 24, with 80 people being pulled free alive.

Authorities are admitting there's no way of knowing how many cars or pedestrians might have been crushed when a 328-foot section of the roadway just came crashing down. This happened at noon in one of the most congested parts of the city.

Let's get the latest from CNN India's bureau chief, Ravi Agrawal. Ravi, we know that this overpass -- construction on it had been delayed several times. It may be early, but who's going to be accountable for this? Anyone?

RAVI AGRAWAL, CNN INDIA BUREAU CHIEF: Well, the construction company, IVRCL, which is an Izberbash-based (ph) construction company. I've just got news from the police of Kolkata that they've filed a case of culpable homicide against that construction group so if that goes true then obviously they'll be proceeding in the courts here in Kolkata.

But, we're in a weird lull here right now. I'm right at the site of where the overpass collapsed and for the last many hours there's been a lot of tractors trying to clear the rubble, trying to rescue people. But there's a lull here right now and I want to show you what's going on behind me. You see the column. That sort of buckled and led to the overpass collapsing. The two sides of the overpass are actually now sliding off in different directions and almost touching the buildings on either side.

One official I spoke to said that they're quite worried now about whether those two sides will actually hit the building and then impact those buildings, as well. So it's a very precarious situation where they have to try and be very careful about how they get rid of all of that stuff while still trying to rescue any people or even bodies that might be there -- Boris.

SANCHEZ: A surreal scene in Kolkata. Thank you, Ravi.

ROMANS: All right, 56 minutes past the hour. Time for an early start on your money this Friday. Stock futures lower less than three hours before the March jobs report. Oil is down -- so are stocks in Europe and shares in Asia. Two stocks to watch -- Starwood and Marriott, both down 5 percent in premarket trading. They could announce a merger later today after a Chinese firm backed out of a deal to buy Starwood.

New this morning, California and New York will become the first states in the country to have a $15 minimum wage. Workers at large companies in New York City will see the $15 minimum by the start of 2019. Small businesses in New York City will hit that mark one year later. Three suburban counties around New York City follow in 2021, and then upstate rural areas will eventually get there but are on a more flexible schedule of increases.

Lawmakers in California passed a bill last night that would gradually increase the lowest wage to $15 an hour by 2022. The bill also gives small businesses an extra year to implement the increases. About 5.6 million Californians -- that's about 32 percent of the workforce there -- currently live on the minimum wage. In New York, 2.3 million people would see a wage increase. That's a quarter of the state's working population.

Starbucks now joining the fight against North Carolina's new law that critics say discriminates against the LGBT community. Starbucks joins Wells Fargo, EBay, Citigroup, Hilton, Uber -- a whole bunch of other companies -- American Airlines. Now more than 100 signing a letter coordinated by the Human Rights Campaign and Equality NC.

The law, enacted last week, prevents cities in North Carolina from creating non-discrimination policies based on gender identity or sexual orientation. It also mandates that residents use public bathrooms that correspond with their birth gender, and it's something that all of these companies say they think is unfair.

SANCHEZ: Yes, the NBA was actually supposed to hold its All-Star game in North Carolina next year. Other cities, Atlanta being one, have already stepped up and said hold it here instead.

ROMANS: That's right.

SANCHEZ: Controversy still following the Trump campaign. "NEW DAY" begins right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Donald Trump and the RNC in a secret meeting.

TRUMP: Actually, a terrific meeting, I think, and it's really a unity meeting.

ROMANS: Trump doing damage control.

TED CRUZ (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Donald's comments -- they were unfortunate, they were wrong.

TRUMP: This was a long discussion and they just cut it out.

KASICH: You don't get do-overs.

CLINTON: I am so sick of the Sanders campaign lying about me. I'm sick of it.

BERNIE SANDERS (D-VT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is a campaign of the people, by the people, and for the people.

CLINTON: We've got to unite.

SANDERS: We are going to make it to the White House.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I heard a honk, honk, honk, crash.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We just went and grabbed onto the side of the ship.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just slammed up against there -- my head and my arms.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is NEW DAY with Chris Cuomo, Alisyn Camerota, and Michaela Pereira.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN HOST: Good morning, everyone, and welcome to your new day. It's Friday, April 1st --

DON LEMON, CNN HOST: It's Friday, it's Friday.

PEREIRA: Suddenly he perked right up.

LEMON: I'm so excited it's Friday.

PEREIRA: It's so crazy.

LEMON: I'm doing double-duty.

CAMEROTA: I know. I don't know how you've done it.

LEMON: I love you ladies, but it's Friday -- CAMEROTA: Yes, it's Friday.

LEMON: -- and I'm very happy about it.

CAMEROTA: You have to look out, though, for any April fool's jokes.

PEREIRA: Especially from this one.

CAMEROTA: True. Up first for us, after a rough week on the campaign trail, Donald Trump meeting with the RNC. He says it was to discuss unifying the party. The surprise meeting in Washington comes after all the GOP candidates backed away from their loyalty pledge. Trump still explaining his controversial comments about abortion and nuclear weapons.

LEMON: The Republican front-runner says his meeting with the party leaders -- he said it was terrific, but Trump's --