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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Latest from the Campaign Trail; Looking in on the Markets; Brussels Terror Investigation Continues; Taliban Making Gains in Afghanistan. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired April 11, 2016 - 05:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:30:20] JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Donald Trump, his campaign now threatening to challenge the big Ted Cruz win in Colorado, calling the delegate system corrupt. Can Trump get his mojo back?

MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN ANCHOR: And Bernie Sanders is questioning Hillary Clinton's judgments and denouncing her tone as condescending. The Democratic presidential race now getting intense.

BERMAN: New details this morning on the Brussels terror network. It had new strikes planned in France. They were foiled, the last-minute changes that led to the Brussels bombing. Welcome back to "Early Start" (inaudible) and I'm John Berman.

KOSINKSI: I'm Michelle Kosinski, it's half past the hour. This morning, Donald Trump's moment of Zen, if you want to call it that, is over. After days of no public events and being fame on the Twitter, the bluster is back, aimed squarely now at the Republican Party's complex delegate system.

Trump is threatening to challenge the big delegate haul that, Ted Cruz won in Colorado. Overnight, he complained about the state Republican Party picking its delegates at a convention instead of a primary or caucus. Trump Twitted, "How is it possible that the people of the great state of Colorado never got to vote in the Republican primary? Great anger, totally unfair." And Trump's new convention manager charges the Cruz campaign won delegates with "Gestapo tactics."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHUCK TODD, MEET THE PRESS MODERATOR: What is fair game to win a delegate? Is threatening a fair game? Is threats a fair game ...

PAUL MANAFORT, TRUMP CAMPAIGN CONVENTION MANAGER: It's not my style. It's not Donald Trump's style.

TODD: What it is? What can you ...

MANAFORT: But it is Ted Cruz's style and that's going to wear thin very fast.

TODD: You think he's threatening delegates? MANAFORT: Well, he's threatening the -- you go to his county

conventions and you see the tactic, Gestapo tactics and the (inaudible)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gestapo tactics, that's a strong word.

MANAFORT: Well, you look at -- we're going to be filing several protests because reality is they are not playing by the rules.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

KOSINKSI: Just when you think you've heard every word during this campaign, there's a new one. But Cruz's campaign is lashing back, saying Cruz won Colorado by putting in what the campaign called the hard work to build a superior organization.

For the latest, let's bring in CNN's Chris Frates with the Trump campaign in Western New York.

CHRIS FRATES, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Hey John and Michelle, after a three-day break, Donald Trump back on the campaign trail here at his home state of New York and New York crucial to Donald Trump. A battle ground here April 19th with 95 delegates at stake. Donald Trump has a shot at winner take all. And that's crucial particularly as Ted Cruz has been on a bit of a winning streak. In fact, Donald Trump starting to call into question those delegate wins by Ted Cruz.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We've got a corrupt system. It's not right. We're supposed to be a democracy. We're supposed to be you vote and the vote means something.

I want to tell you, it's a corrupt deal going on in this country and it's not good, it's not good. And it's not fair, and it's not fair to you people. They're taking your vote away. They're disenfranchising people that want to see America be great again and politicians will never do it. They don't want to do it. They can't do it because their lobbyists and special interests are saying, "We're not going to let you do it." It's no good and we've to change the system and it's go to change fast.

(END VIDEIO CLIP)

FRATES: Donald Trump doing very well here in New York, still leading in the polls. In fact, on Sunday, a new Fox poll came out showed that he had 54 percent support, Ted Cruz just 15 percent support, Cruz lagging even John Kasich here in the state and Donald Trump using Ted Cruz's words against him. They remember Ted Cruz criticizing New York values. Donald Trump jumping on that, saying was Ted Cruz was insulting New Yorkers. Ted Cruz firing back saying he was insulting the liberal political New York class not New York voters.

But if you look forward here, Ted Cruz is doing very well in the delegate hunt. In fact, four consecutive wins, big wins in Wisconsin and Colorado. New York, the next big battle ground, could be a winner- take-all. We should continue to hear Donald Trump throughout this week here in New York. John, Michelle.

BERMAN: All right. Chris Frates with Mick Jagger in Rochester, New York right now. Joining us to break down the hunt for delegates, CNN politics, managing editor for content, Steven Sloan. Steven, thanks so much for being with us this morning, you know.

STEVEN SLOAN, POLITICS, MANAGING EDITOR FOR CONTENT: Good to be here.

BERMAN: Over the weekend at Rochester, it was interesting to hear Donald Trump on the stump. Because he wasn't just complaining on Twitter about the delegate race too, he also seemed to be doing it during his speech as well, this time on a little bit of a comparison to Bernie Sanders. Listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: So I watch Bernie. He wins, he wins. He keeps winning, winning, winning. And then I see he's got no chance. I always say he has no chance. Why doesn't he have a chance? Because the system is corrupt and it's worse on the Republican side.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[05:35:04] BERMAN: The system is corrupt, he said. By that, he means the rules. The actual rules of the delegate hunt there. Do you think this is an effective strategy? Or why is the Trump campaign doing this going forward, complaining about the rules of the game?

SLOAN: Well I think they're confronting the shift in the campaign. We're at a different point in the campaign right now where it doesn't -- or the big primary nights aren't the only way to get to the nomination. These nights that we've all stayed up late watching results come in and races. Really, were shifting into -- we have -- there's a most intricate process in play right now with conventions in places like Colorado. And I think that the Trump campaign wasn't quite prepared for that. So we're seeing that shift right now.

And he is, you know, paradoxically in a similar situation to Bernie Sanders. If he compares himself, they're both had this insurgent campaigns that have fueled them. But they're now confronting the rules of their party that make it hard to capture the nomination.

KOSINSKI: Yeah. And good reason to slug it out over every delegate. Now, let's look at the delegate counts. On the Republican side, you have Trump ahead significantly. We're talking hundreds. On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton still ahead by hundreds.

So Steven tell us, what is the significance of the New York primary coming up? And New York has made so many headlines in the race. I mean everything from New York values, from that phrase to whether Hillary Clinton knows how to use the turnstile properly in the New York subway. Tell us what New York really means to the races for now.

SLOAN: Well I think it's crucial for both sides. This is, you know, all we're going to be talking about for the next week. And so, for Republicans, this is -- if Donald Trump wins with more than 50 percent as that poll that you just put up a while ago suggest. That's going to be a big win for him. He'll take all of the state's delegates. That will be a big boost for him.

And on the Democratic side, you know, Clinton and Sanders have been fighting it out for the past week or so in New York. And if Clinton can come ahead with a win, that will put to rest some of the concerns about her campaign. She's obviously lost eight of the last nine contests, so she would like to pick up a win.

BERMAN: Yeah. And Bernie Sanders taking -- you know, not taking it lying down though. He's fighting hard. You know, last week, there were the questions about is Hillary Clinton qualified to be president. And now he's talking about her judgment. Let's see this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BERNIE SANDERS, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: She may have the experience to be president of the United States. No one can argue that. But in terms of judgment, something is clearly lacking.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Why do you think the Sanders campaign is pushing this narrative?

SLOAN: Well I think they think it will appeal to their base and, you know, keep those questions about some of her past, her vote for the Iraq war, her use of a private e-mail server when she was secretary of state. Keep those alive without going so far as he did last week when he created fire sort of by saying, "Oh, right but she's not qualified for the White House."

KOSINSKI: Right. And we heard something else interesting over the weekend. President Obama did this wide ranging interview with Fox's Chris Wallace. And, you know, rarely do we hear the White House talk about failures or use that word ...

BERMAN: Almost never.

KOSINSKI: We hear you. But I mean here we heard President Obama talk about what he thought his biggest failure was. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. BARACK OBAMA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Probably failing to plan for the day after, what I think was the right thing to do in intervening in Libya.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSINSKI: So that has figured in heavily into the race too, whose running most on or against President Obama's record. What to do next. I mean foreign policy is huge. What do you think of what President Obama said and will the candidates jump off of that in anyway Steven?

SLOAN: Well, I think you see him grappling with his legacy a little bit. He's, you know, he's talked about Libya before, but those were pretty frank comments about what he terms his biggest failure. And, you know, it will be interesting to see if that maybe eases some of the pressure that's on Hillary Clinton on that issue. Republicans have raised it will be quite a bit. And maybe if Obama owns that a little bit more of that could take some of the pressure off of Clinton.

KOSINSKI: Thank you Steven. And Remember, President Obama had said that his biggest regret in his time as President was not being able to better unite people and get past the rancor in politics.

BERMAN: It's interesting though, Libya, the very specific thing. It was ...

KOSINKSI: Absolutely.

BERMAN: ... A different type of initiative (inaudible).

KOSINSKI: Yeah, yeah. And going further, we're talking about that.

BERMAN: Steven, thanks so much.

KOSINSKI: Thanks.

SLOAN: Good for you.

KOSINSKI: Joining us now for Early Start, On Your Money's Alison Kosik. Turmoil in the market.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Not too much at this point. Good morning to both of you. We are seeing markets turn around from earlier loses. Asian markets close mostly lower but European markets are higher, U.S. stock futures are also higher as well.

[05:40:03] On Friday now, oil prices soared more than 6 percent. That wasn't enough for Wall Street to really rally.

The Dow gained just 35 points. The S&P 500 and the NASDAQ also closed slightly higher. All three of the major industries ended the week down more than one percent.

President Obama will be meeting with Fed Chair Janet Yellen later today around 3:00. They're going to be talking about the economy and Wall Street reform. Also on the table talk about executive compensation for top financial executives and whether the big banks need to do more so they're not too big to fail.

What it's interesting with this meeting is President often try to look like they were moved and not influencing policies of the so-called independent central bank. But at the same time meetings like this are normal although the last one -- the last face-to-face meeting between Janet Yellen and President Obama was about two years ago.

KOSINSKI: Right so there will be so many questions to come out of this meeting right?

KOSIK: And no press allowed. KOSINSKI: Yeah, we'll see how much we learned about it. How much we're told about it.

KOSIK: Exactly.

KOSINSKI: Thanks Alison.

Also, we have new information here in the investigation into the Brussels bombings. Raids over the weekend leading to the arrest of two more suspects. What investigators have learned? Next.

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[05:45:22] BERMAN: Dramatic new details this morning about the terrorists who attacked Brussels last month. New word, they initially planned to attack France again, but changed their minds when police closed in. This is according to the authorities in Belgium, who now confirmed the Brussels bombings and the Paris attacks were carried out by the same ISIS network.

This morning we're learning more about Mohamed Abrini, who says he was that man right there in the hat, in the white coat, believed to be the third and only surviving suspect in the Brussels' airport bombing. He was taken into custody on Friday.

We're going to live to Brussels bringing in CNN's Kellie Morgan, Kellie, with the new details this morning, a lot of developments over the weekend.

KELLIE MORGAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, absolutely, John. And this detail about the French plot has come from the source close to the terror investigation here in Brussels. That's according to our affiliate in France, VSTN TV.

Now, specifically, they say the information came from a computer owned by airport suicide bomber, Ibrahim El Bakraoui. Now this was of course a computer that was recovered by police outside the Schaerbeek apartment where Brussels attackers made their bombs. So police have had this computer for almost three weeks now and it comes, interestingly enough this detail about this French plot, just a couple days after the arrests of six people. Six suspects on Friday. Chief among them, the most wanted man in Europe, Mohamed Abrini.

Now, we know that he is talking to police because as you say, he confessed to being the third airport bomber. But what we don't know is whether that they are also providing other detail that in some way has helped police piece together these data that they've retrieved from this computer, John.

BERMAN: And obviously his arrest, the cause of concern in and of itself after Salah Abdeslam came into custody. That may have setoff the attacks in Brussels, so all of Europe on high alert. Kellie Morgan for us in Brussels, thanks so much.

KOSINSKI: History is unfolding in Hiroshima this morning, with John Kerry the first U.S. secretary of state to ever visit the Japanese city: He is there for a two-day summit with G7 leaders. The White House says Kerry there will not apologize for the U.S. dropping an atomic bomb on Hiroshima to end World War II. He will acknowledge, however, the enormous loss of life after America became the first and only country to ever use a nuclear weapon.

BERMAN: U.S. Navy officer in custody this morning awaiting trial for espionage. The official say, the unidentified officer was arrested eight months ago, but details kept under wraps for reasons national security. All being told right now, is the officer was a lieutenant commander who was accused of legally sharing secret information and wrongfully transporting classified material along with one count of paying for a prostitute and another for adultery.

KOSINSKI: CIA Director John Brennan says his agency will not engage in waterboarding or any other enhanced interrogation techniques even if a future president orders it. President Obama banned waterboarding in 2009. Republican presidential candidates though Donald Trump and Ted Cruz have both suggested they would end that ban if elected, with Trump going a step further saying he would bring back waterboarding.

And Danny Willett is the 2016 Masters champion. The 28-year-old Englishman shot a bogey free 67 in the final round, winning the season's first major by three shots, but it was an epic collapse by Jordan Spieth that everyone will remember. The defending champion squandered a five-stroke lead with nine holes to play hitting two balls in the water at the 12th for a quadruple bogey.

BERMAN: If you missed the 5:00 half-hour for Early Start, I did that kind of 5/17. I kind of had a moment like Jordan Spieth where I just kept on, you know, blowing ...

KOSINSKI: Did you?

BERMAN: ... again and again. It was ugly. I know how the guy feels.

KOSINSKI: My goodness.

BERMAN: Let's take a look at what is coming up on "New Day". Alisyn Camerota joins us now. Good morning, Alisyn.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: I'm sure there's nothing that you do on the golf course, John. I'm sure it's really impressive.

BERMAN: Exactly, except streak.

CAMEROTA: Yeah, wow. Thanks, guys. Great to see you. So Donald Trump returning to the campaign trail angry after a four-day absence, blasting the delegate system that saw Ted Cruz sweep all of Colorado this weekend. Trump's campaign accusing Cruz's of "Gestapo tactics" in delegate hunt. So we will get reaction from both sides.

We are following those developments in the shocking death of former New Orleans Saints football star Will Smith. He was gunned down over the weekend in an apparent road rage incident but there may be more to the story, so we'll explore that when we see you in about 11 minutes. Guys. BERMAN: Looking forward to it.

KOSINSKI: Thanks, Alisyn. Good morning.

And there's more backlash over Mississippi's Religious Freedom Bill. And this rock star is speaking out.

[05:50:05] We'll get an Early Start on your money, next.

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BERMAN: New gains this morning for the Taliban in Afghanistan. The militant group moving ever closer to reclaiming Helmand Province says the largest region in the country. A strategic location along the border with Pakistan once fought over for a long time including by U.S. troops. Many of them lost their lives.

I want to go live to CNN Senior Correspondent Nick Paton Walsh in Kabul with CNN's exclusive reporting. Nick, what are you learning this morning?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: John, right now, it could be more important than Helmand. You can tell that with the share amount of blood and treasure that the U.S. NATO expended in trying to keep the Taliban out of it. But according to a police official down there, they are increasing and in control of five districts of the province and other areas as well pressuring the main city of Lashkar Gah.

And that's partly down to the facts as we spoke to some Afghan army people who deserted the army and joined the Taliban saying perhaps of their fight for the fight for the government as being fruitless.

[05:55:09] They said they weren't getting the assistance resource that they need in the army to continue that fight. But to the Afghan government, pushing back hard against deception, they are losing this fight. The acting defense minister going as far as an interview with me to say, he would resign if the key city in Helmand didn't fought for the Taliban. Here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOHAMMAD MASOOM STANEKZAI, ACTING DEFENSE MINISTER OF AFGHANISTAN: We're not falling at all, at all.

PATON WALSH: If it does, would you resign, or if did?

STANEKZAI: It will not fall. If they fall, there is no doubt I will resign but sure, it will not fall.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALSH: A strong statement there really how important Lashkar Gah is. We heard him say from police officials that it is pressured by the Taliban. But really John, this is about the next few months to summer that warm the fighting season where violence picks up. Kabul itself, you saw explosions near John Kerry as he departed here on Saturday.

We've heard of two dead and seven injured in the explosions targeting education and ministry officials in the eastern part of the city this morning as well. Helmand deteriorating a sense of a lack of confidence then Afghan Security Forces so far from where the U.S. and NATO's said we'd be only 18 months after they ended combat operations. John.

BERMAN: And now several new months of concerned there. Nick Paton Walsh, for us in Kabul, thanks so much, Nick.

KOSINSKI: Investigators in Southwest India now questioning five people. I'm looking for 10 more after a fireworks disaster at a temple that kills at least 106 people. The explosion in inferno happened during Hindu New Year's festivities.

Police filing a culpable homicide case against fireworks contractors, and officials at the Punttingal Temple. It's a spark from a fireworks display ignited the stockpile of fireworks causing a larger blaze which destroy a temple, office building, and storage shed as well as nearby home.

BERMAN: Yeah, this is awful. All right, looking out, we're starting money right now. Alison Kosik joins us now. Good morning Alison.

KOSIK: Good morning. I'm watching the markets. And stocks are actually turning around from earlier losses. The Asian markets closed mostly lower. European markets, at the moment we're seeing mostly green arrows there. Also green arrows for U.S. stock features.

Now today is the first day for earnings season. That is when companies, they hand in a report cards for the first quarter. And guess what, Wall Street is bracing itself for the new worst earnings season since the great recession. We're going to be hearing from JPMorgan, Wells Fargo and Citigroups. All of those big banks coming with their earnings this week.

The plunge in oil prices, turmoil in the currency market and just label a slowdown in the global growth around the world. It hasn't been good for American businesses. None of that is good for the stock market, which actually run to turning itself around since those losses that we saw in January and February.

All right, move over Batman and Superman, Melissa McCarthy is "The Boss" is the new superhero at the box office. The comedy raked in over $23 million this weekend. In "The Boss", McCarthy isn't over, the top business smuggle attempting to rebound after being convicted of insider trading. But it's not all good news for the movie because despite all the poor reviews that Batman versus Superman has been getting, the movie could actually end up overtaking the R-rated comedy.

More backlash over Mississippi is religious freedom law, Canadian rocker Bryan Adams cancelling his Mississippi show this week in protest of the State's law. The musician said this, "I cannot in good conscience perform in a state where certain people are being denied their civil rights due to their sexual orientation." At this down familiarities, Bruce Springsteen also canceled his Sunday show that was in Greensboro, North Carolina. He was protesting a similar law in the state.

Now these laws have drawn fierce criticism for excluding legal protections for gay and transgender people. We have seen companies have impact on this law and now we'll see if musicians have the same.

KOSINSKI: Bryan and Bruce.

KOSIK: Yes.

KOSINSKI: Right. Well Donald Trump is back on the campaign trail and making some serious allegations about the delegate system. "New Day" begins right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: And I say this to the RNC, you're going to have a big problem folks.

CLINTON: They are really held in the standard of reality. It's an alternative universe that they inhabit.

TRUMP: We've got a corrupt system, and we got to do something about it.

TED CRUZ, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This race has gotten really ugly and really personal.

SANDERS: If we are getting attacked, I want them to know, we are going to respond.

BERMAN: As bond that $1 million for the 30-year-old suspect, who allegedly shot and killed former New Orleans Saints football star Will Smith.

UNINDENTIFIED MALE: We will prosecute Cardell Hayes to the fullest extent of the law.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My family is devastated and shocked.

UNINDENTIFIED MALE: Major development here in Belgium.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The terrorist behind the deadly plot planned more attacks in France.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Two specific targets were mentioned, they were the intended target of yet another plot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

UNINDENTIFIED MALE: This is "New Day" with Chris Cuomo, Alisyn Camerota, and Michaela Pereira.

[06:00:00] CHRIS CUOMO, CNN HOST: Good morning. Welcome to your "New Day". It is Monday, April 11th, 6:00 in the east. And up first, Donald Trump returns to the trail after four days huddling with aids to retool the campaign. He's back in full force blasting Colorado's --