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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

GOP Leaders Meet to Unify Party; Sanders Fight for Democratic Nomination; Schools Get Transgender Orders; Syria Ceasefire Expires; Last Hurrah for Duncan & Parker? Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired May 13, 2016 - 05:00   ET

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

[05:00:02] GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR: First up, though, we talk about Donald Trump and Paul Ryan moving toward a unified Republican Party, but still no endorsement from the House speaker.

The GOP heavyweights hashing it out at an RNC meeting at headquarters in Washington hoping to find common ground. Both men emerging from their closed door meet with a message of optimism about uniting the Republican Party.

Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't mind going through a little bit of a slow process. It's a very big subject. We have a lot of things. I think for the most part, we agree on a lot of different items, and we're getting there.

REP. PAUL RYAN (R-WI), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: The process of unifying the Republican Party which just finished a primary about a week ago, perhaps one of the most divisive primaries in memory, takes some time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: So in the room with the two gentlemen the RNC Chairman Reince Priebus. He said the two men agreed to speak again soon, maybe even today. We get more now from CNN's Dana Bash.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: George and Alison, it's hard to believe that just one week ago, we were all talking about the Republican Party split straight down the middle, starting at the top with Paul Ryan, the House speaker, and the presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

Well, fast forward to now, we are ending the week in a very different place, thanks in large part almost exclusively to Donald Trump's trip here to Washington yesterday. His meeting with Paul Ryan at the behest of and with the help of the RNC Chair Reince Priebus. This was the first of several meetings that Trump had. It was just the three of them. It was a chance for Ryan and Trump to get to know each other. They

hadn't spent time together at all. Then, it was expanded to the rest of the House Republican leadership, and then later Trump was able to go over and talk to Senate Republican leaders. At the end of the day, unity was the name of the game.

This is not to say there aren't deep differences. There very much are. Paul Ryan, for example, has still not endorsed, and he still very much disagrees with the tone that Trump had taken during the primaries. Very much disagrees on really core policy issues from immigration to trade to how to fix the entitlements in this country, Medicare and Social Security.

But when it comes to trying to heal an incredibly fractured Republican Party and a primary system and a primary process, I should say, that was a lot tougher than a lot of people realized, coming out with a nominee that nobody here in Washington in their wildest dreams would have imagined this week ended a lot different than last week -- George and Alison.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALISON KOSIK, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Dana Bash, thanks for that.

Turning to the Democrats, while Hillary Clinton stays focused on Donald Trump and the general election, Bernie Sanders keeps making the case that he is the best hope for the party to hold on to the White House. Sanders is hitting the trail hard predicting a contested convention this summer.

CNN's Jeff Zeleny has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: George and Alison, Bernie Sanders is campaigning today in North Dakota. It's part of his pledge to fight for every vote in every state. This week alone has taken him from Montana to South Dakota where he saw Mt. Rushmore for the first time and on to North Dakota.

This weekend, Kentucky as well as Puerto Rico. He's campaigning in every state remaining. There are 11 contests remaining in this race. Eight states, three territories, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands and District of Columbia here.

Now, Bernie Sanders is far behind in delegates, but he's increasingly making the argument that superdelegates, those party officials, should be coming to his side, particularly from states he actually won like New Hampshire, West Virginia, Minnesota. He won big majorities in those states but the superdelegates are siding with Hillary Clinton.

He says that's point blank that's unfair but he has increasingly started more talking about Donald Trump, and the need to defeat him no matter who the Democratic nominee is.

Let's listen to what he said last night in South Dakota. SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm not here to say that Hillary Clinton can't defeat Donald Trump. I absolutely believe that she can. But I believe quite honestly that Bernie Sanders is the stronger candidate.

ZELENY: So, it is clear that Bernie Sanders is going after any of those voters who may be disaffected Bernie Sanders supporters. Donald Trump has been saying for weeks that Bernie Sanders has been treated unfairly, trying to win some of those Bernie Sanders voters over should he happen to not win the nomination. Bernie Sanders saying we'll do what it takes to defeat Donald Trump, that he will be on the Democratic side here.

So, one of Hillary Clinton's most biggest, most secret weapons in the nominating fight could actually be Bernie Sanders if they resolve their differences in the final month here after these primary contests end -- George and Alison.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOWELL: And there are so many differences to talk about.

Let's break it all down with CNN politics reporter Tal Kopan, joining us now live.

[05:05:01] So, where do we start here? I think the key question is, is this a true unity that we're start to see or is this still division that we see in this party. We see Mitt Romney, he won't attend the contention, the two President Bushes will not attend this convention, but we're seeing now Donald Trump and Paul Ryan talking.

I want you to listen to these two sound bites from both men and we will talk about it here on the other side.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: We're getting there. I feel very strongly about border security. I feel very strongly about trade. I feel very strongly about building up the military and, you know, to a large extent I think Paul is there also.

RYAN: This is our first meeting, I was very encouraged with this meeting, but this is a process, it takes a little time. You don't put it together in 45 minutes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: The headline we're getting there, but reading between the lines are they getting there?

TAL KOPAN, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: Well, on the one hand a fractious primary season is sort of part of the game, the contestants, the candidates, always run against each other and then have to come together. To a certain extent this is a process that the party goes through every year and you can make the argument that we may be overblowing it just a bit, but at the same time this really is unique. You do not often have such prominent members of the party, as sitting

senators, as former nominees coming out and saying I absolutely will not support this person and not equivocally, either. I mean, they are holding press conferences and putting out statements to say there is no wiggle room, I cannot get behind this person.

So, in some ways, this is a bit of a negotiation process that the party is sort of feeling out their new nominee, figuring out where they can come together, where the compromises might not come, but on the other hand this really is something pretty remarkable that you still have these naysayers within the party.

HOWELL: Indeed.

KOSIK: You know, you look at how the Democrats reacted after these meetings yesterday, very few Democrats even thought that Trump would get this far let alone even get a pretty lukewarm if not warmer response from Republicans.

I want you to listen to what Senator Harry Reid said yesterday and we will come back on the other side and hear from you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV), SENATE MINORITY LEADER: Since Republican leaders all in for Donald Trump, we can only assume he approves Trump's calling immigrants rapists and murders. Since Senator McConnell has so enthusiastically embraced Trump we can only assume he agrees with Trump's view that women are dogs and pigs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: Some strong words there from senator reed. I mean, are Democrats getting nervous here, Trump meeting Republicans halfway here, or is Reid trying to make it that dump is more of the establishment, trying to cut into the strategy of Trump's anti- establishment persona?

KOPAN: Look, in the races that Donald Trump is actually running and the races he's not actually on the ticket he is going to be the dominant force in November, without exception. I have reported on some of the Senate races that are happening around the country. In every case Democrats are completely wrapping their strategy around trying to tie Republicans to Donald Trump and some of the more inflammatory things he has said along the way.

At the same time, Republicans are sort of realizing it's a little bit, you know, incognizant to run completely against Trump so you have senators saying, well, I support the nominee, or I will come along eventually, or I will just distinguish where my positions are different.

Donald Trump is going to be the central focus of pretty much every campaign out there, but Democrats are a little worried and there are the strategists out there who are fearful that relying too much on this anti-Trump strategy could be a bit of a mistake because in some ways he could moderate some of his positions, he's very popular, he has not been able to be overestimated this entire way, he has been underestimated the entire way and so Democrats are a little bit nervous here.

KOSIK: Just want to ask you this -- you talked about modifying his positions, I'm talking about Donald Trump. Does that eat into his support because he's campaigning on these issues many would feel in a very radical fashion but with him sort of wavering and coming to the middle line on them is he going to lose some of his support?

KOPAN: This is a big question and I think it's one that sort of befuddles some of the people who aren't his core supporters. You know, all along the way, he's shown that his base doesn't necessarily tie him to every word he has ever said. I mean, this is part of why he has been able to on the one hand in his past be pro-choice and then come around and say that he is, in fact, anti-abortion.

And people accept it. They accept that part of his persona is this negotiator, is this man who sort of reads the situation and figures out what the appropriate course of action is.

[05:10:04] And a lot of the people who support him support him, not necessarily his positions. They like his positions, but they really are able to put their trust in him.

So it is possible he will find some wiggle room, it's possible he will be able to explain away some of the cognitive dissonance in his position but he is tied to some of the things he said during this campaign in a way that he can't really avoid.

HOWELL: I think the request he is where will we be and which Donald Trump will we see as we get many months down the road here because he said so many things, offended so many people, taken so many different positions and there's so much tape.

KOPAN: His convention speech should be pretty interesting.

KOSIK: Oh, yes.

HOWELL: Tal Kopan, thank you so much.

KOPAN: Thanks, guys.

KOSIK: Thanks, Tal.

Time for an early start on your money. Seeing a lot of red arrows around the world, markets closed lower in Asia. European markets are slightly lower and U.S. futures following those red arrows.

It's been a wild week for stocks. The Dow fell 217 points Wednesday, almost wiping out all of Tuesday's triple digits gains. The Dow closed Thursday with a small gain, 9 points. The S&P 500 ending the day slightly lower, the NASDAQ fell half a percent.

Guess what? Apple losing its shine, it's top spot as the world's most valuable company. Alphabet, Google's parent company, that's actually taken the top spot worth $498 billion, that compares to Apple's paltry, $495 billion.

The tech giants have been battling it out at the top spot before, alphabet topped Apple three months ago, but that was short lived, apple quickly retook the lead. Both companies have been poor performers on the stock market, we saw Alphabet falling 7 percent this year, Apple has been the worst stock in the Dow which could mean a buying opportunity for knows who like to take a risk.

HOWELL: I just never imagine that anyone would say Apple has been the worst. Wow.

KOSIK: $90 a share, they will they'll get it.

HOWELL: Yes.

Well, EARLY START continues this hour. A crisis unfolding in Syria right w, a ceasefire there collapsing. CNN takes you there live, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:16:33] KOSIK: Intense fighting erupting overnight in Syria, a ceasefire in the war ravaged country now expired, peace talks facing difficult challenges with Syria's information minister telling CNN there are terrorists sitting at the table.

CNN senior international correspondent Fred Pleitgen is live for us in Damascus with the latest.

So, does this mean peace talks are off for next week?

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, certainly, they are not off, Alison, but it certainly means they are going to be even more difficult than people would have thought before.

Some of the other things that the information minister also told me is he also said that any sort of notion that President Bashar al Assad would step down is something that the Syrian government rejects. Now, of course, that's one of the main demands that the opposition had, so certainly it seems very difficult to see that these peace talks would yield anything tangible.

Secretary of State Kerry says it is important to keep trying to get some permanent ceasefire going, to get some sort of political transition going, to get reconciliation going in this country simply because the situation is so bad.

As you've said, a ceasefire that was in place in Aleppo has expired. It was not renewed. There was a lot of violence that's been taking place over the past 24 hours since that's happened many people killed, once again many people once again fleeing the violence in that area.

When you speak to Syrians here on the ground, Alison, they will tell you that at this point in time, they are quite angry by the fact that so little head way is being made in these political negotiations. They don't feel that any of the sides that are at the table there are really committed to trying to end the bloodshed here, Alison.

KOSIK: Such a frustrating situation, so many people suffering, if only people can come to the table, that is one of the issues.

All right. Fred Pleitgen, live from Damascus, thanks very much.

HOWELL: The Obama immigration is planning deportation raids targeting mothers and children from Central America, who are in the country illegal, and avoiding deportation orders. The operation will focus on individuals who crossed the U.S. border after January 1st of 2014. Nearly 28,000 unaccompanied minors from central America have been detained in the first six months of the current fiscal year, that is triple last year's rate.

KOSIK: Later today, the White House will be directing public schools across the country to provide suitable bathroom and locker room accommodations for transgender students. The order specifically calls for facilities that match their chosen gender identity it affects all public schools and most colleges and universities receiving federal funds.

The San Antonio Spurs knocked out of the NBA playoffs. Does that mean we've seen superstar Tim Duncan for the last time?

Andy Scholes with this morning's bleacher report, coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:53:43] KOSIK: The Oklahoma City Thunder pulling off the upset last night, eliminating the Spurs from the playoffs.

HOWELL: Andy Scholes has more in this morning's bleacher report.

Andy, we're both Texans here, the Spurs are out.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESONDENT: Yes, do you know what, when the playoffs started most of us just penciled the Warriors and Spurs right into the Western Conference Finals, right, after those great regular seasons. But, you know, the Thunder have their own plans.

OKC jumped on the spurs in the second quarter of this one and they opened up a big lead, outscored the Spurs by 18 in that second quarter, opened up a 24-point lead at halftime. The Spurs, they fight their way back in the game, in the fourth quarter Tim Duncan tries to make a more but gets swatted and that leads to a Kevin Durant dunk on the other one. Thunder wins this one, 113-99, eliminating the Spurs from the playoffs.

The big question for San Antonio is, after 19 seasons, was this Duncan's last game?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIM DUNCAN, SPURS FORWARD: I will get to that after I get out of here and figure life out. TONY PARKER, SPURS GUARD: Every year, it's the same thing with us.

TD, obviously, Manu, the same question every year, are they going to come back? So we'll see. It will be a long summer for us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: There are growing calls for Russia to be banned from the Summer Olympics in Rio after a stunning revelation from the former director of Russia's anti-doping lab.

[05:25:08] He told "The New York Times" that dozens of athletes at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi were part of a meticulous state-run doping scheme, admitting he along with Russian anti-doping experts and members of the intelligence service replaced the athletes' urine samples with clean ones that were collected months earlier.

Russia's sports minister called these allegations absurd and two of the Olympians that medaled that Sochi Games called them nonsense and slanderous.

All right. In an effort to make youth football safer Pop Warner is eliminating kick office in their three youngest divisions. The organization says the move is aimed at significantly reducing the number of full speed head on impacts in games, it's going to go into effect when the season starts in fall and after the season Pop Warner says they will evaluate the results and consider implementing the ban in older divisions as well.

All right. Angels and Cardinals last night, I'm sure some of the players on the field were saying are you kidding me right now?

A cat stopped play for a moment before it jumped into the stands, you can tell where the cat was going, all the fans jumping out of their seats. He was eventually caught and the good news is he was taken to a local adopting agency and will find a new home.

I'm hoping that whoever adopts this kitty has a big backyard to play in because it's not going to be as good as the field in Anaheim.

KOSIK: That is one cute cat. If you have a cat you know this, cats want to be the center of attention. That cat was probably watching the game thinking, do you know what, it's my turn for the spotlight.

SCHOLES: I'm going to make my move right here.

HOWELL: It was the purr-fect moment. Sorry.

(CROSSTALK)

HOWELL: I'll keep my day job.

KOSIK: Good one. Thanks, Andy.

SCHOLES: All right.

KOSIK: Donald Trump and Republican leaders presenting a united front, but key differences, they are still keeping the party divided. That's next. .

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)