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New Day

Boston Marathon Trial Goes to Jury; Closing Arguments in Aaron Hernandez Trial; Rand Paul to Launch 2016 Campaign; Yemen on the Brink of Collapse; Duke Wins Fifth National Championship. Aired 6-6:30a ET

Aired April 07, 2015 - 06:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Boston bombing case now in the hands of a jury.

[05:58:45] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If any crime ever warranted the death penalty, it's this one.

SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: This is not a whodunit. He did it.

SEN. RAND PAUL (R), KENTUCKY: It's time for a new way. A new leader.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Another hat landing in the presidential ring.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You should be a little bit worried about Rand Paul.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is Yemen, in collapse.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We see this as a war of necessity in which failure is not an option.

PHILIP MUDD, CNN COUNTERTERRORISM ANALYST: I think we're going to see some tragedy here soon. But it's not like we didn't have any warning.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Blue Devils are the national champions!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We overcame too much to just lay down.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They proved it here tonight, unbelievable.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN CO-HOST: Good morning. Welcome to your NEW DAY. It's Tuesday, April 7, 6 a.m. in the east.

Nearly, two years after the Boston Marathon bombings, it is time for justice. The fate of the Boston bomber is now in the hands of a Boston jury and could be known within hours. It's one of the two big trials wrapping up this week in Massachusetts. The other involves former New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez. Now, he is accused of murder, as well.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CO-HOST: There have been weeks of dramatic testimony in both trials. So will jurors believe Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's defense that his brother, Tamerlan, manipulated him into taking part in the Boston attack? If convicted, will he be put to death?

Let's begin our coverage with CNN's Alexandra Field. She is live for us in Boston. What's the latest, Alexandra?

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And good morning, Alisyn.

Jurors have a lot to talk about, starting in just a couple of hours, but there were tears inside the courtroom as they listened to those closing arguments. Survivors inside the courtroom, family members of the victims, all of them listening intently. But Dzhokhar Tsarnaev showing absolutely no sign of emotion, even as prosecutors appealed to jurors, asking them to return a conviction on all 30 counts.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FIELD (voice-over): The last Richard family photos, Martin is eight. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is standing behind him. Before -- after. Martin's entire body shattered, broken, eviscerated, broken, burned. Lindsay Liu didn't plan to be there that day. It's her last day. Crystal Campbell lives less than a minute.

The defense doesn't deny that it's the defendant you see here on Boylston Street, dropping his backpack in front of the Forum restaurant, running away with the crowd. It was him, star attorney Judy Clarke acknowledges in opening statements, and it's him shopping for milk at Whole Foods 20 minutes later.

But Clarke argues in the plot to lead a path of destruction, Tamerlan leads; Dzhokhar follows. Tamerlan heads towards the finish line, then the first blast. Twelve seconds later heads turn, the second blast.

Two months before the bombing, prosecutors say Dzhokhar borrows a gun from his friend, the same .9 millimeter Ruger used to kill Officer Sean Collier.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Officer down! Officer down! All units.

FIELD: Surveillance video captures two men on the MIT campus approaching his squad car and taking off.

The gun is used again later that night, prosecutors say, when 56 shots are fired at Watertown Police. The firefight ends with Tamerlan dropping his gun, heading into a hail of bullets. Dzhokhar, driving over his brother's body before abandoning the Mercedes and hiding out in a dry-docked boat. The words he etched, "Stop killing our innocent people and we will stop." The note he wrote bloodstained, bullet- riddled: "We Muslims are one body. You hurt one, you hurt us all." Proof, according to prosecutors, that they felt they were soldiers. They were mujahedin and Boston was their target.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FIELD: The defense has never denied that Dzhokhar had a role in the attacks, but what they say is that Tamerlan is the one who led. He's the one who built the bombs. He's the one who bought the materials. He's the one who did the bulk of the research. And that without Tamerlan, none of this would have happened.

As the jury gets ready to deliberate later this morning, they will look at 30 different counts. Seventeen of those counts come with a possible death sentence. If the jury convicts on just one of those counts, then the second phase of this trial begins, Alisyn. And that's when jurors will have to deliberate on whether or not to spare Tsarnaev's life.

CAMEROTA: It is still so sickening to see the video from that day. Alexandra Field, thanks so much for all that background.

Now we turn to the trial of former New England Patriot, Aaron Hernandez. Lawyers for the former football star rested their case after just three witnesses. Closing arguments get under way this morning. CNN national correspondent Susan Candiotti is live for us in Fall River, Massachusetts, with more.

What do we know, Susan?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Alisyn.

Yes, it's a very, very important day for both sides in this case, as closing arguments are due to get under way this morning. In the commonwealth of Massachusetts, the defense goes first, followed by the state, and then the jury will get instructions and deliberations are expected to begin sometime this afternoon.

The defense as you said, a very short case, putting on only three witnesses. But that is because, in this case, the defense put on the bulk of its case during the cross-examination of prosecution witnesses.

Prosecutors arguing that Aaron Hernandez was fully involved in putting together this plot to kill Odin Lloyd. The defense saying he may have been there but is trying to shift the blame to co-defendants Earnest Wallace and Carlos Ortiz.

Very important evidence coming into play, including videotape of Odin Lloyd getting into a car with Aaron Hernandez and his two buddies. And then driving to an industrial park. Driving back home, Odin Lloyd not getting out of the car.

But the defense raising questions about that now-famous still frame of Aaron Hernandez holding what an expert says is a Glock in his hand. The defense saying it wasn't a Glock at all. It was just an iPad.

So again, by later today, a jury could be deciding the fate of Aaron Hernandez -- Chris.

CUOMO: All right, Susan. Thank you very much.

Let's bring in Mel Robbins, CNN commentator and legal analyst; and Joey Jackson, HLN legal analyst.

Two big cases, colleagues. Let's start with the Boston bomber. This has never been about who did it? It's been about what will be done to this young man now, because he is the admitted bomber here.

[06:05:12] Mel, we did get to hear a little bit, though, yesterday from both sides as they summed up a little bit of the rationale about how severe the penalty should be. Which side do you think has advantage?

MEL ROBBINS, CNN COMMENTATOR AND LEGAL ANALYST: I actually think Judy Clarke did an absolutely masterful job, Chris.

CUOMO: The defense.

ROBBINS: There were two words that she used. Well, yes, the defense. She used "fully participate." She's admitted. This jury should not be out for longer than a few hours if you ask me.

And secondly, she said, but for Tamerlan, this never would have happened. And what you're going to see her do in the penalty phase is go step by step and basically say, if Tamerlan wasn't in the picture, Dzhokhar never would have done this, Chris.

CUOMO: But when you hear, Joey, talking about that they wanted to terrorize, that's why he put down one of the bombs. You know, that's why he was there with his brother afterwards. He was trying to kill the cop. We don't know who killed Sean Collier, which one of these two guys. Heads are nodding in that jury box.

JOEY JACKSON, HLN LEGAL ANALYST: But we don't need to know, because as the prosecution said, Chris, they are partners in crime.

And I'll add another word. What Mel says -- and I don't disagree with Mel at all. The other word Judy Clarke used was "kid" and "teenager" to establish he's 19 years old. What did he know? He was a tag-along.

But at the end of the day, advantage needs to go, must go, has to go to the prosecution. They laid out the case in compelling terms. How, you look at Martin Richard. Eight years old, he's done. Why is he done? Why is he dead? Why was his 69-pound body devastated? Because of his actions, the person, 19 or not, who engaged in this crime.

And the reality is, there may be Batman, Chris. There may be Robin, but they acted in concert; they acted in uniformity. And that's all that's necessary. CUOMO: How long -- when they're in there -- you're going to get

a guilty verdict here, right, unless everybody is shocked. It should come quickly. Unless, Mel, are they allowed to start talking about sentencing during this phase in the jury room? Or is that policed?

ROBBINS: No, they -- they're given strict instructions not to. And in fact I'm glad we're talking about the jury, Chris, because we often say -- and Joey, you'll agree -- that you win a case during voir dire. And there are two juror in this case that really could go for the defense. One is juror 588. She works in a book store, and she said that she was unsure about whether or not she could impose the death penalty. She was generally against it, but could under certain circumstances.

CUOMO: As is the whole state.

ROBBINS: And the other juror -- you think?

CUOMO: Which matters. As is the whole state.

ROBBINS: Which matters a lot. You only need...

CUOMO: I mean, the Constitution is up against the disposition here, as well. You know?

ROBBINS: Yes, and you only need one juror, Chris. It's got to be a unanimous verdict.

And then you have another juror who's an older gentleman who works for the state who said also that he is unsure about the death penalty. So if they -- if Judy Clarke gets either one of them or any other juror to be like, "Wait a minute. I'm not sentencing this, quote, 'kid' to death, and but for Tamerlan, I believe what this defense attorney is telling me." If they buy that defense, then his life is saved, and he gets life in prison, Chris.

CUOMO: Well, he's a 21-year-old kid, but you know what? There are a lot of kids who were involved that day.

But people do underestimate the task of a jury saying, "Yes, this person should die." Especially in Massachusetts. You know, not a state with that culture of jurisprudence up there.

JACKSON: Right.

CUOMO: You don't see it very often at all. And how does that play out? Because it's not about guilt. It's about whether or not this kid is going to get killed for this. And I'm saying "kid" as vernacular.

JACKSON: I get it.

CUOMO: I don't think it ascribes any innocence to his actions.

JACKSON: Sure.

CUOMO: I don't think he could be more guilty.

JACKSON: I get it think, but I think we need to make a critical distinction. It is true that the state of Massachusetts does not apply the death penalty. Absolutely right. But make no mistake about it, Chris: that jury is death-penalty-qualified.

CUOMO: What does this mean, "I'm not sure if I could or not?"

JACKSON: Well, it means if the evidence is compelling enough, if you say to that judge -- if you say during the questioning that you could not, under any circumstance...

CUOMO: Right. Then you're out.

JACKSON: ... impose the death penalty, you're not there.

So the issue is, if you have a fair and open question as to whether you could, that's fair game. We're just saying if the circumstances are compelling enough, could you dig deep and do so? Not that easy to do. But I think a distinction needs to be made, Chris, between the state law and the fact -- because people who don't like the death penalty are not on that jury.

CUOMO: Right.

JACKSON: Those who are sitting there have said that they will apply that. And when you get to what I believe to be the aggravating circumstances and factors of this case, that that jury has heard through these 92 witnesses that have been put on that stand, it becomes a compelling case for death.

Will they do it? You know what? It's likely. Not sure, but there is enough here to certainly impose the death penalty.

CUOMO: And you know what? When we get to the sentencing phase, both sides will get to lay out their case, why it should or should not be that. And then we'll go back at this again. Because now we'll know what everybody has up on the table in the situation.

Now you get to Aaron Hernandez, Mel, and you see a completely different defense tack. You know, they're questioning everything. You know, this isn't a Glock in his hand; it's an iPad. It doesn't look like an iPad. You know, how do you think that plays strategically for him?

ROBBINS: I think it's insulting to the jury, honestly, Chris. And look, when you don't have the facts on your side, you argue reasonable doubt.

And you're going to see two closing arguments today: one by the prosecution, where they're going to talk a lot about, "Hey, we don't have to prove this beyond all certainty. And who do they think killed him? Do they think that you're a moron, for crying out loud? He was with him all night. He's got a Glock in his hand. You can see it plain as day. They're insulting your intelligence by trying to tell you that's an iPad. Come on. We've proven this case beyond a reasonable doubt."

CUOMO: Right. But they're playing it a little bit -- you only know...

ROBBINS: And then you're going to see the defense stand up and say, "Doubt, doubt, doubt."

CUOMO: Right. The defense says you only know what you show. And a lot of this evidence here is circumstantial. How come they couldn't make a better case if the guy was everywhere?

But it does go back to that jury, if it wasn't him, then who was it?

JACKSON: It's a compelling case, and I certainly think the prosecution has done enough, circumstantially, to establish the case. Again, you look at the facts: why are you speaking to your fiancee, and why is she carting out a box? What could be in that box? She certainly said it smelled like drugs, but was it really? Why are you calling her in the first instance?

You look at him with a Glock in his hand, not only after the fact, but before the fact. You look at four people going to an industrial park and then only three people leaving.

However, if you look at what the defense will do, "What's the motivation here? My client has signed a contract for $44 million. He's got a beautiful 8-month-old baby. What purpose would it be to kill his friend" -- his friend and again his friend, as the defense has made clear -- "Odin Lloyd? There's no reason or purpose or motive to why he did it. You don't have a weapon, and at the end of the day, you don't have his guilt."

That will be the argument. Will that a carry the day? I'm not so sure.

CUOMO: Well, we'll know soon enough.

JACKSON: We certainly will.

CUOMO: Mel, always a pleasure.

Thank you very much, Joey, as always.

JACKSON: Thank you, Chris.

CUOMO: Mick.

ROBBINS: Great to see you both.

PEREIRA: All right, Chris. To politics now, Rand Paul is ready to launch. The Kentucky senator is set to declare his candidacy for the White House in a few hours' time. The question is, can he sell his brash libertarian brand to Republicans nationwide?

CNN chief congressional correspondent Dana Bash gives a preview of Paul's big day ahead from Louisville.

Hey, Dana.

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, there, Michaela.

What Rand Paul is trying to sell is that he's a different kind of politician. In fact, check out his brand-new campaign poster, one of them at least, that we have obtained. If it looks familiar, it means that you've been to the eye doctor. It is made to look like an eye chart to promote the fact that he was an ophthalmologist for 20 years before running for office. The idea: he's not your average politician.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL: It's time for a new president.

BASH (voice-over): In this preview video Rand Paul unveiled a new tag line for his emerging presidential campaign. Standing up to the Washington machine put Paul on the political map five years ago, when the first-time candidate snatched his Senate seat from the GOP establishment.

PAUL: There's a Tea Party tidal wave.

BASH: The libertarian Kentucky senator quickly bucked the president and his own Republican leadership, grabbing headlines with a 13-hour filibuster protesting the U.S. drone policy.

PAUL: I will speak as long as it takes.

BASH: Paul argues he's more electable than other Tea Party presidential candidates, like Ted Cruz, citing his work reaching out to minorities.

PAUL: The biggest mistake we've made in the last several decades is we haven't gone into the African-American community.

BASH: The Senate is his first elected post, but Paul has politics in his blood...

PAUL: Ron Paul believes in the Constitution.

BASH: ... spending years campaigning for his father, former congressman and presidential candidate, Ron Paul.

Rand Paul is inheriting legions of his father's young, anti- government supporters for his own White House run now.

PAUL: The phone records of law-abiding citizens are none of their damn business.

BASH: But his father's appeal had limits. For Paul to win, he knows he has to move more mainstream, especially on foreign policy. Paul used to sound isolationist, calling for broad cuts in military spending and all foreign aid.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Including the foreign aid to Israel, as well. Is that right?

PAUL: Yes.

BASH: But with ISIS and other emerging threats, GOP primary voters want a more muscular foreign policy, and Paul has been inching that way.

PAUL: A stronger, better, more agile military.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BASH: In fact, Paul is going to make, as part of his announcement tour, a visit to the USS Yorktown in the first-in-the- South primary state of South Carolina.

But Alisyn, not all Republicans are buying his evolution. One group led by the man who made those infamous swift boat ads against John Kerry back in 2004 reportedly plans to start running ads against Rand Paul today, calling him weak on national security, especially Iran. And the Paul campaign responds that they say it's because he is clearly a threat to Republicans and Democrats. It shows, they say, it's how powerful his candidacy will be -- Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: All right, Dana, we'll have much more on this announcement, Coming up, an analysis of all the timing of all of the announcements. Thanks so much for that.

[06:15:08] Meanwhile, Yemen this morning is in the throes of chaos. Fierce fighting rages on as a Saudi-led coalition launches airstrikes against Shiite-led Houthi rebels. The ramped-up violence killing hundreds and creating a severe humanitarian crisis.

CNN's senior international correspondent, Nic Robertson, is live near the Yemen/Saudi border to take us inside the battle.

Nic, what are you seeing?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, just yesterday, the Indian airlines flew into Sanaa. They had a four- hour window from the Saudis, holding back their airstrikes so that they could evacuate people in the capital. They say they've taken two and a half thousand people out so far. But the vast majority of people stuck in this multi-fronted war, where ISIS and al Qaeda are taking advantage.

The port city of Aden is where we understand the worst of the humanitarian situation is, people there, we're told, short of water, short of food, short of fuel, short of electricity. Indeed, 16 million people, we're told, in the country without electricity for the better part -- for the most part of the day.

But we have learned in the last hour or so, that in Aden, at least, there has been a pause in the fighting. Overnight, there was heavy Saudi airstrikes hitting Houthi positions so people, we're told, in the town today have been able to get out of their houses to try and get a little bit of food, or try to, to try and get out of the city.

But the big picture here is, those Saudi airstrikes continue. The government here says that they're -- that they're working to a plan, that it is all on track. And the question is: are they going to move in ground troops? We've been up to the border, and at the moment it seems that the Saudi forces are more in a defensive position -- Michaela.

CUOMO: All right, Nic, I'll take it. Thank you and be safe.

The fraternity involved in the now-discredited "Rolling Stone" cover story about a gang rape at the University of Virginia plans to sue the magazine, which did not include the fraternity specifically in its apology and retraction statement. Calling the reporting reckless, Phi Kappa Psi says the article hurt its reputation.

This work, a report from Colombia University's graduate School of Journalism found significant lapses in the "Rolling Stone" story, which described as brutal sexual assault inside the chapter's house on the UVA campus. The magazine has since retracted the article, as we say, but they say the mistakes were not intentional.

PEREIRA: Voters in Chicago heading to the polls in about an hour's time in the city's first mayoral runoff election. Rahm Emmanuel, who's seeking a second term, currently holding a lead over rival Jesus Chuy Garcia.

And in Ferguson, Missouri, voters there have a chance to change the city's political fabric in the first election since all that unrest broke out. Residents are voting on the city council and could put three African-Americans on the council for the first time in that city's history.

CAMEROTA: Well, score another title for Coach K, the Duke Blue Devils storming back in the second half to take the NCAA championship over Wisconsin. Don't look at me like that, Michaela. A dramatic game that came down to the wire, I'm told.

CNN's Andy Scholes is live for us in Indianapolis and highlights from the game.

PEREIRA: I hear the words coming out of your mouth, but do they make sense to you?

CAMEROTA: Not really. Andy, help us -- help us understand what happened in this game.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Alisyn, it was a great game. I know you didn't stay up for it. I did. I have to say it was one of the best basketball atmospheres I've ever been at. Wisconsin fans, they came in full force, and I would say the stadium was probably 80 percent full of Badger fans. And one of the most famous former Badgers, J.J. Watt, he was in attendance, sitting next to tennis star, Caroline Wozniacki. That's Rory McElroy's ex-girlfriend. As you can imagine, the Internet had a lot of fun after seeing that.

Wisconsin fans, they thought they had this one. They were up by nine in the second half, thanks to their stud (ph) Frank Kaminsky, but Duke freshman Grayson Allen would single-handedly get the Blue Devils back in this one. He scored eight in a row at one point, unlikely hero for the Blue Devils. And then the vaunted Duke defense would just take over, Jalil Okafor late in the game. Duke star (UNINTELLIGIBLE) came up big when it mattered most, and then Duke star guard Tyus Jones hit some huge three's in the final minutes. He was named the tournament's most outstanding player as Duke won this game 68-63.

Coach K, it's his fifth national title. He's now second all-time behind John Wynn.

And guys, I have a funny story. I ran into Mitt Romney during half-time of this game. And it turns out Romney filled out a bracket better than any of us. He picked Duke to beat Wisconsin in this game. He had all of his Final Four correct.

PEREIRA: What?

SCHOLES: And he ended up in the top 1 percent of everyone who filled out a bracket...

PEREIRA: Oh, my goodness.

SCHOLES: ... bracket challenge. So when we're looking for advice next year, we need to find out who Romney is picking, because apparently he's pretty good at this. And if you're wondering who won the CNN bracket challenge...

PEREIRA: Not any of us.

SCHOLES: John King. Only guy to pick Duke.

PEREIRA: John King. Solid move. Impressive.

CAMEROTA: We're going to have to give him guff later.

CUOMO: Meh.

PEREIRA: So Duke winning the fifth championship under Coach K. That's fantastic.

CUOMO: And I'll tell you, there was some really good strategery [SIC] used in that game.

PEREIRA; Strategery [SIC].

[06:25:08] CUOMO: Yes. Coming off the stomach virus, I'm still not sleeping that well, so I watched the game, and I have to tell you, I thought Wisconsin was going to win. I wanted them to win.

PEREIRA: Yes.

CUOMO: I liked the Frank Kaminsky story.

PEREIRA: Yes.

CUOMO: So I worry now, because he's going to be going to the pros. You know, he's the big name on that team, No. 44. And I'm wondering now if he'll judge him about this. Couldn't close out the big game. But it was amazing. You would have liked it.

CAMEROTA: No, I like this whole process.

PEREIRA: You're glad it's done, though, too a little bit, aren't you?

CAMEROTA: No, I like the whole process. I like being part of the brackets stuff. That was really fun.

CUOMO: Mitt Romney, 99, in the top 1 percent. That's been his problem, though. He's the 1 percenter, coming back to haunt him.

CAMEROTA: A theme. You're so right.

Well, speaking of presidential hopefuls, Rand Paul set to enter the 2016 race today. And Democrats still waiting for their inevitable candidate. When will Hillary declare? We're going to look at the announcement timetable next.

CUOMO: And also, you know what? You do not see scenes like this often in America. This is California and it is drying out. Millions of people ordered to conserve water and pretty severe ways, but there's one industry doesn't have to comply, but it uses more water than anyone. How do they get away with it? We'll tell you why.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[06:25:11] PAUL: It's time for a new way. A new set of ideas. A new leader. One you can trust. One who works for you. And above all, it's time for a new president.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: That was Senator Rand Paul in a teaser video ahead of his presidential campaign announcement today. So can the Kentucky senator set himself apart from the growing GOP field?

CUOMO: To discuss, Richard Socarides, former senior advisor to President Clinton and a Democratic strategist; and Cheri Jacobus, Republican strategist and president of Capital Strategies PR.

It's hard to argue with what Rand Paul just said there. Isn't it? I mean, it is certainly time for a new president. President Obama can't run again. It's all about the labels. People will say no, you know, no, I'm not labels; I'm beyond labels. But what labels do you put on Rand Paul? CHERI JACOBUS, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: I think he's going to be

very interesting. It brings something new and fresh to the campaign. That's not an endorsement. I haven't picked a candidate. I like things in all of them.

Look, everybody is watching. Everybody is curious about him. He's now moved to the more traditional Republican pro-defense stance by saying that he would like increased defense spending. That's a good thing. That makes him attractive to those establishment types and people who might have been nervous thinking he's too much of a libertarian.

But he still has strong libertarian ties. And I think the Republicans like him or could like him, as he can't -- I don't think he's going to be the nominee. But he can bring in a lot of independents and libertarians into the Republican fold, which is very valuable. So he's interesting to watch. We're all talking about him. He's getting a lot of attention.

I think it's a good thing. It's a net game for him, certainly, that he is standing out from the others.

CAMEROTA: He is an interesting guy. He's a doctor. He's an ophthalmologist. He has a decided different views than some of the Republican pack. But what is the path forward for him, Richard?

RICHARD SOCARIDES, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: I don't think there is a path. I mean, I think being new, we certainly know he used "new" about eight times in that little snippet. And being interesting, which he certainly is interesting. I mean, interesting -- you know, interesting means a lot.

But I think -- I think the trouble for him will be finding an ideological sweet spot within the Republican primary voter group that works for him. And I think, you know, he's a bit of an isolationist. He's a libertarian. He -- many of the social conservatives don't think he's conservative enough.

CUOMO: You're not giving him enough juice, Socarides. Look at the polls. Let's put up some of these polls we have here, Dukes (ph). He's high up on every poll that you have, whether it's how he is within the field. He's third behind Bush and Walker, who -- you know, those guys, big sitting governors, big families, big recognition, and he's there. Against Clinton, he's at the top of the list right now.

SOCARIDES: Well, listen, I definitely think -- I know why you're saying that. Because he is announcing today, and he is definitely going to be in the top tier of Republican candidates, but I do not think ultimately that he has a path to capture the nomination. Because I think he's -- you know, he's a bit of a loner.

CAMEROTA: We've seen this with his father. I mean, Ron Paul has passionate supporters. I mean, oh, my gosh, you know, the emails that I would get when Ron Paul was running; and yet he couldn't win the nomination. JACOBUS: But see, this is not -- he's not his father. He gets

some of that good stuff from his dad and from the name and from his own libertarian. He's like libertarian with a small "L." So he's still palatable to a lot of mainstream Republicans, slightly left of center. You know, center Democrats.

And he's also going to have a big impact, I think, on the early debates on the issues that -- that Republicans will focus on. He will make sure that the issues of fiscal accountability, fiscal responsibility are front and center.

And he does have a constituency that will follow him. So if he doesn't make it, he could be put on the ticket as a vice-presidential nominee for a lot of those guys that are out there running. So he's very interesting. He's very valuable. He brings a lot to the table. Don't discount him at all.

SOCARIDES: Let me tell you, the people -- the folks I talk to in the Hillary Clinton camp would love to run against Rand Paul, because...

CUOMO: More than any of these other guys?

SOCARIDES: Well, I mean, I think they would all provide interesting challengers and some of them more than others. But I mean, Rand Paul is out of the mainstream of American political thought. He does have some very interesting ideas. They appeal to group -- to blocs of people. But you know, he would be someone the Democrats would like to run against.

CUOMO: Well, he's doubled back on a couple of things to make himself more palatable to Republicans about funding of defense and what you do with foreign aid, especially where Israel is involved.

But when you look at the rest of the field, I mean, he had some nice distinguishing characteristics. One of the lamentations of politics is you have to swallow your passions to make your acceptable to other people. But when you look at a Rubio or a Walker or a Cruz versus Paul, how do you think he stacks up?

JACOBUS: They're all relatively new, I think, to the general public.

CUOMO: I left Bush out for reason, by the way. What do you think about these other guys?

JACOBUS: I think they're all interesting and new and fresh, and it presents -- they all have an opportunity because of that as they...