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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Countdown to the Battle in Brooklyn; Trump Ramps Up Attacks Against RNC; Kobe Bryant's Epic Finale; Warriors Break NBA Record. Aired 4-4:30a ET
Aired April 14, 2016 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:10:56] LYNDA KINKADE, CNN ANCHOR: In just hours, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders face-off on the CNN debate stage. Their last head to head encounter for the critical New York primary.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: No charges against Donald Trump campaign manager accused of assaulting a reporter, but Ted Cruz tells CNN the Republican frontrunner is inciting violence on the campaign trail.
KINKADE: A Hollywood ending for Kobe Bryant. The Laker great playing the last game of his NBA career. Plus, the Warriors shattering an NBA record for victories in a single season.
Good morning and welcome to EARLY START. I'm Lynda Kinkade, in for Christine Romans.
BERMAN: I'm John Berman. It's Thursday, April 14th, it is 4:00 a.m. in the East.
In the battle in Brooklyn, just hours away, Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton ready to face-off tonight in a critical debate that you can see live right here on CNN. I've got to say, the stakes could not be higher.
The New York primary now just five days away, and if Bernie Sanders could pull off an upset, the Democrats could face a contested convention. On the other hand, if Hillary Clinton could pull off a big win here, it could all but guarantee her nomination. The latest poll from Quinnipiac has Hillary Clinton leading by 13 points, but Sanders says he is up for the challenge.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: It's a big debate. There's been a lot of hot talk. What do you expect on that stage tomorrow night? What's going to be different?
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think there will be a good debate in which Secretary Clinton and I discuss the very strong differences of opinion that we have about how we go forward in this country. And if that takes place, I will be very happy and I'm confident that the vision I am bringing forth is a vision that will be supported by the vast majority of the people in New York.
CUOMO: It will be different from what we've been hearing in the last few days?
SANDERS: I'll tell you about it tomorrow.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: That's Chris Cuomo with Bernie Sanders last night at a big, big rally in Greenwich Village down in New York. That debate now less than 17 hours away, right here on CNN at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.
KINKADE: And on the Republican side, Donald Trump's top target is his own party. He's ripping into the RNC for allegedly rigging the delegate system against him. There is a positive development for Team Trump, though. Prosecutors in Florida decided not to press charges against his campaign manager Corey Lewandowski. Reporter Michelle Fields' suit claims Lewandowski assaulted her, had expressed her disappointment with that decision.
She tweeted, "The prosecutor's office told me they would inform me of the decision tomorrow. If reports are true, guess they decided to leak to reports first. Ugly."
More now from CNN'S Sara Murray.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: Good morning, Lynda and John.
Yesterday was a big day for the Trump campaign. They were going to battle with RNC, adding new political operatives and they got one piece of good news. Their campaign manager Corey Lewandowski will not be prosecuted for battery in this incident with former Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields.
Sources tell CNN that the Florida prosecutor will not move forward with charges in the incident. Remember, this is when Fields said she was grabbed by Corey Lewandowski and pulled back and he left bruises behind.
Now, what this does is it removes another distraction for the Trump campaign. They are trying to bring in new, more seasoned political operatives. They're trying to do a little bit more D.C. outreach, which is expected to start today.
But so far, none of this extends to a friendlier tone when dealing with the RNC. Last night in Pittsburgh, Trump still said the process was rigged.
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: In Colorado right now, they are picketing and going wild because the bosses and establishment and the people that shouldn't have this power took all of the power away from the voters. So, think of it. You beat somebody badly with the people because it's a rigged system, folks. The Republican system is a rigged system. MURRAY: And now, we're seeing RNC chair Reince Priebus hit back
harder on this notion, essentially defending the Republican nominating process.
REINCE PRIEBUS, CHAIRMAN, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE: The rules are there. I know people get frustrated and they're disappointed when things don't exactly the right way.
[04:15:02] I think when people are frustrated and upset, they say things that they regret. But certainly, one thing that's true is that the rules are not being changed in order to injure or benefit anybody. They are what they are. They're in writing. They're available to anyone that wants to participate. And actually, state by state, they're not all that complicated.
MURRAY: A senior Republican strategist told me this is because he feels like Trump just went too far in calling the party corrupt. Priebus has tried to run a transparent process and he does not want to see the party come out of this damaged. And at the end of the day, you guys, they're all going to have to work together if Donald Trump is the nominee. So, we'll see if he shifts his tone at all. He holds two campaign events today in New York.
Back to you, guys.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BERMAN: All right. Sara Murray, thanks so much.
So, while you were all sleeping, the Golden State Warriors, they rewrote the record books, an all-time mark for wins. And, oh, what a game by Steph Curry. Get used to the number 73. We'll tell you how it happened, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:20:20] BERMAN: A spectacular finish to remarkable hall of fame career. Kobe Bryant, he thrilled the home crowd with a vintage 60- point performance in his final NBA game. The Lakers won, one of the few times that happened this season. They beat the Utah Jazz.
Let's get more now from CNN's Paul Vercammen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, Lynda, the confetti rained down as if there was an NBA finals and the fans got just what they wanted. All game long, they had been chanting "Kobe, Kobe", and "MVP", and "Kobe Bryant". And he delivered, 60 points, his career ending with a bang.
Kobe as the points are mounting quickly, 20, 30, 40. The fans are whooping it up. What are you and your teammates saying to each other? We can see the smiles.
KOBE BRYANT, LOS ANGELES LAKERS: My teammates were just continuing to encourage me, continuing to say, dude, shoot, shoot, shoot. It's like reverse. You know, they go from everybody saying "pass the ball" to "shoot the ball". It's like really strange.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sixty points on the last game of his career is absolutely amazing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have grown up watching Kobe for 15 years since I was 7 years old. Through thick and thin, no matter what's gone on with the Lakers, we've always had Kobe.
BRYANT: The coolest thing is my kids actually saw me play like I used to play. You know what I mean? Like, whoa, dad. Yes, I used to do this pretty often. They were like, really? It's like, dude, YouTube it.
VERCAMMEN: Kobe Bryant was joined on the court by many of his former teammates. And then he addressed his adoring fans. He told them, he loved them in return.
In the end, finally, Kobe Bryant said, "Mamba out."
Reporting from Los Angeles, I'm Paul Vercammen. Back to you now, John and Lynda.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BERMAN: It was a great night. He did take 50 shots, just saying, 50 shots. It is a lot of shots.
Team effort now, the Golden State Warriors, they knocked Michael Jordan's '95-'96 Chicago Bulls right out of the record books. The Warriors, they won their 73rd game of the season last night. They beat Utah 125-104. There were some individuals marks set in that game. Steph Curry, he has 46 points. He hit 10 three-pointers. Finishing the season with 402, 402 three-pointers, which is insane. I mean, it's just insane.
KINKADE: Crazy.
BERMAN: Well, still to come, stunning aggression from Russia. War planes buzzing a U.S. Navy ship flying just 30 feet above. That story is just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:27:16] KINKADE: Welcome back. A series of close encounters between Russian fighter jets and the U.S. destroyer in the Baltic Sea is raising tensions between the superpowers.
Have a look at this video. It's released by the U.S. Navy.
An unarmed Russian jet conducting one of several simulated defensive moves coming within feet of the USS Donald Cook on Tuesday night. One U.S. military official describing the drill as the most aggressive action taken by the Russians in recent history.
BERMAN: That was remarkable video.
All right. Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders just hours from now. It is the CNN debate in Brooklyn. We'll give you their new strategies, that's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
