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Polls Open in Super Tuesday States; Donald Trump Leading in Most State Polls; Interview with Former Senator Tom Coburn; Bizarre Republican Rhetoric Creates More Fodder For Late Night Comedians; Poll: Bernie Sanders May Be Tougher Foe for GOP; Does the Hostile Takeover of the GOP By Donald Trump Begin Today? Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired March 01, 2016 - 06:00   ET

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

[08:00:00] CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: -- know her mainly for her beauty and being married to Trump. She has a lot going on in her own life. I've been around for her a long time. So I think that people will be pleasantly surprised, especially by what she's saying there about what the world needs right now.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, absolutely. So we'll play for of that and we also more Super Tuesday coverage ahead, so let's get right to it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MARCO RUBIO, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I will never allow a con artist to take control of the party of Lincoln and Reagan.

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This guy couldn't be elected dog catcher right now.

BERNIE SANDERS, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You cannot be a president of the United States and insulting all of our neighbors.

TRUMP: Are you from Mexico?

GOV. JOHN KASICH, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're not electing class president or class clown.

HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: They have been after me for 25 years, and I'm still standing.

SEN. TED CRUZ, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We don't want the general election to be two rich New York liberals.

TRUMP: Ted Cruz has never done anything for the people of Texas.

RUBIO: What he's trying to carry out is a scam to take control of the presidency of the United States.

TRUMP: They are never going to get you to the promise land, folks.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

CUOMO: Good morning. And what a morning it is. Welcome to your NEW DAY. It is Tuesday, March 1st, 8:00 in the east. And today is no ordinary Tuesday. It is Super Tuesday. Polls open in all but two of the 12 states that are up for grabs. Fates could be decided in the GOP, and the race could change on the Democratic side as well. Why is more at stake on the GOP, side? Be8use they are awarding more delegates, nearly half of those needed to be the nominee. Democrats are awarding enough delegates and super delegates combined to account for more than a third of the those needed for the nomination.

Meantime we have CNN/ORC poll showing both Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton beating Trump in head to head matchups. Clinton tops Trump 52-44, Sanders by an even wider margin, 55-43.

CAMEROTA: Clinton, however, would face a tougher challenge from Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz. All of the candidates making a big final push on this Super Tuesday. So will Trump and Clinton have the big day that many expect? Or are there surprises in store? We have it covered from every angle. So let's begin with CNN's Jim Acosta live in Columbus, Ohio, on the Republican race. How's it looking, Jim?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Alisyn, it's looking like this. Donald Trump is on a roll heading into Super Tuesday. His nearest rivals are showing no signs that he can stop him, and more top Republicans are rejecting him, pointing to the daily firestorms that are igniting by his campaign and warning that he will be a disaster for the party come this fall.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TRUMP: Trump, 49 percent, little lightweight Marco Rubio, 16 percent, lying Ted Cruz, 15 percent.

ACOSTA: Donald Trump is poised for a sweeping Super Tuesday victory tonight amid a swirling campaign controversy over the issue of race.

TRUMP: Are you from Mexico?

ACOSTA: Chaos erupted at this Virginia event as protesters disrupted the rally just moments before a violent encounter. A Secret Service agent choke slammed a photographer to the ground. The incident came as Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz blasted Trump in a last ditch effort to gain ground before Super Tuesday.

RUBIO: We will not lose conservatism to a con artist.

CRUZ: If we nominate Donald Trump in all likelihood Hillary Clinton wins. We lose the future --

ACOSTA: Pouncing on the GOP frontrunner after he refused to disavow support from a former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke in a CNN interview.

RUBIO: There is no place for bigotry, for hatred, for David Duke, or the Ku Klux Klan in the Republican Party or the conservative movement.

ACOSTA: Trump later rejected that support, blaming the matter on a bad earpiece. But 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney isn't buying it, tweeting that Trump's response is disqualifying and disgusting as two Republican senators are voicing their concerns over Trump as the nominee. Even though Ohio governor John Kasich is still in last place, he says he'll continue to refrain from mudslinging.

KASICH: I would rather not win than lower the bar. I don't think that you beat Donald Trump by attacking him personally.

ACOSTA: While Cruz optimistic about winning the 155 delegates in his home state of Texas tonight, failure could put hit campaign on thin ice.

CRUZ: Donald Trump will have a whole bunch of delegate, that we will have a whole bunch of delegates, and that there will be a big, big drop off between us and everybody else in the field.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: Trump's campaign manager is managing expectations just a little bit in Texas, telling me it will be tough to beat Cruz in the lone star state, saying that would be like defeating the New England Patriots on their home turf. The GOP frontrunner is already looking beyond Super Tuesday. That's what you can do when you're the frontrunner.

[08:05:00] He's got to rally here in Columbus, Ohio, later today, the home of Governor John Kasich, of course, and his watch party is tonight in Florida where he hopes to beat Marco Rubio later on this month.

And Alisyn, as these elections come and go, as these primaries come and go, if these other rivals can't defeat Trump somewhere, the math is just going to become insurmountable for the non-Trump contenders. Alisyn?

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Absolutely. So we'll see how it shakes out today, Jim. Thanks for all of that.

Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton also already looking ahead to the general election and focusing her attacks on potential Republican opponents. Is she underestimating Bernie Sanders? CNN's senior political correspondent Brianna Keilar is live from Burlington, Vermont, where moments ago Bernie Sanders voted, we assume for himself. Hi, Brianna.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Hi there, Alisyn. He admitted as much. He said that he knows he has a vote here in Vermont and that he is still though working on Jane. That would be his wife. We do presume of course that she is going to be voting for him.

But the truth is while Bernie Sanders is here in Vermont with what we expect will be a backdrop of victory by a considerable margin, he knows that he has an uphill climb. Hillary Clinton is leading in more polls in more Super Tuesday states. But even so Bernie Sanders just moment moments ago downplaying the negative impact even more states he may lose today, stressing that he's going to win delegates even in states he may lose. Here is what he said.

All right, I think we don't have that sound, but Bernie Sanders was certainly emphasizing the fact that this is proportional representation when it comes to delegates. Even in states that he may not win he is going to be picking up delegates. And it is really a sign that he's going to be pushing ahead. Even if he does have certainly some disappointment today, that he's going to be looking really towards, past Super Tuesday in fact, and to that point, his campaign stressing today just his big fundraising numbers in the month of February -- $42 million. That is a lot. A lot of those, most of those small donors, so they can also continue to give in months to come.

And also his campaign stressing that he raised $6 million yesterday. That is akin to what he raised in the day after his win in New Hampshire. That is a sign. He's saying look, I have the money. I'm going for the long run here.

CUOMO: Lots of donors. Will he get lots of voters? That's why we're watching today. Brianna Keilar, thank you very much.

So polls are now open in Texas. That is the Super Tuesday state with the highest stakes of delegates. Senator Ted Cruz leading the polls in his home state. That is actually the only state where he's believed to be up right now. Can he clinch a win there tonight? CNN's Ed Lavandera live in Allen, Texas, with more. What is the state of play, Ed?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Chris. Polls just opened a short while ago at this polling location here in Allen, Texas, in Collin County, which is one of those counties full of large, sprawling suburbs, very conservative. This is the kind of place where Ted Cruz launched his bid into the U.S. Senate, and this is the kind of place also where Ted Cruz needs to do very well today.

He's been campaigning throughout the state. Polls show him with a significant lead over Donald Trump. The question is, will all of that hold? Turnout expected to be incredibly large throughout the state today. At this polling location the lines already out the door.

Here in Collin County the Republican Party chairman says there is a kneel for the first time and as long as anyone can remember that Texas Republican primary voters actually have a say in the outcome of the election. The date has been moved up, giving the state of Texas a much more significant role in the Super Tuesday. In fact the turnout has been so large the Republican Party chairman here says they have already seen a high record turnout. Never in the history of this county has there been higher voter turnout in the Republican primary. All of that just going on during the early voting process. We haven't even hit Election Day here, Chris.

CAMEROTA: Ed, I'll take it. Thanks so much for all after that. Let's shift now to Massachusetts. CNN's Boris Sanchez is live

in west Roxbury with a look at the early turnout there. How's it looking, Boris?

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Alisyn. We've seen a steady stream of voters coming into the Holy Name Parish Hall here in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Earlier today it was relatively empty, but as I've said we've seen a few dozen voters come in. I spoke a couple of them. There are a lot of independent votes here in Massachusetts. Many of them tell me they are supporting Donald Trump. Also a lot of Hillary Clinton supporters here.

The two big storylines in Massachusetts, the Donald dominating. He had about 50 percent support in likely primary goers in a pole last week. He's expected to potentially triple Marco Rubio's supporters in second place right now. And on the democratic side, a close race between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, the two of them going head to head, a virtual tie between them in a pole last week.

[08:10:01] What we're expecting is for both candidates to have a very tight race here, and we'll hopefully see who wins by 8:00 p.m. when the polls close here, Chris.

CUOMO: All right, thank you very much. Appreciate the reporting. We'll check back with you in a little bit, Boris.

Let's talk right now about what is going on with the GOP side, specifically with Senator Marco Rubio. This is a big day for him if he wants to get competitive. With us, the man on your screen, Tom Coburn, former Republican senator who represented Oklahoma. He has endorsed Senator Marco Rubio. Senator, always a pleasure to speak with you.

TOM COBURN, (R) FORMER U.S. SENATOR, OKLAHOMA: Good morning.

CUOMO: Let's talk about Marco Rubio. Let's put up the map of the states at play today. Where do you see Rubio winning? And if he doesn't win anywhere today, do you still believe that he can be the nominee?

COBURN: First of all I don't know where he'll win and where he won't. A lot of places are going to be much closer than what the polls predicted. And I think stays in it, sure, because he is the voice of the -- of really the conservative movement that has a heart. And the Americans see that. He causes people to aspire to a greater height rather than takes advantage of their fears. So I think he has a great opportunity not just today but in the days coming forward to still have a voice out there.

Chris, I think the other thing that is going to happen is if Donald Trump is the nominee of our party, that you will see a third party develop.

CUOMO: What would that third party be?

COBURN: That will be somebody independently running to counter the effect of Donald Trump. Donald Trump hasn't answered one specific question yet. And nobody knows what he believes, nobody knows what he stands for. And I think Marco is pretty right. There is a lot of obfuscation as to what he believes and what his answers are. Where's his program? What does he mean? What we here is a lot of superlatives, but we don't hear meat. We don't hear facts. We don't hear positions. What we hear is he denigrates other people. And when you do that what you are is a bully. And he acts like a bully, and most bullies are cowards. And so what I see --

CUOMO: Senator.

COBURN: -- I understand there is a lot of people, but the reason they are voting for him is they are so disgusted with the government we have. You can't blame them.

CUOMO: That is true. He is seen as an antidote. He wins against every category.

COBURN: But he's not the antidote that he claims to be.

CUOMO: But he wins against every category of voters. Conservatives have been voting for him more than Rubio and Cruz, sometimes combined. And when you talk about the tone, no question Trump is decidedly negative in his tone. But so has Rubio been recently.

COBURN: No, he hadn't been.

CUOMO: But Senator, in the last couple of days he called Trump a scam artist, a con artist, that he has small hands. That he's doing spray tan on his face. This is your unity candidate? This is the guy who speaks to your better lights?

COBURN: Well, I think what Marco has decided to do is what you have to do stand up to bullies. And there is no question Donald Trump's tactics are to demean anybody around him. And the only way you can get back at that is you have to fight back. You have got to use his same tools. I'm not for that, I would just tell you that. But I'm not disgusted about that because I've heard enough.

What I'd like to see is somebody talking about how we solve the problems of our country, and Marco Rubio is talking about that. I was with him last night and heard a wonderful speech about why we can all aspire to have a great America and take advantage of what this country provides rather than talking about all of the negatives.

CUOMO: I --

COBURN: A what's wrong with all of the candidates that oppose him.

CUOMO: I understand your point, and certainly you liked to keep it above board when you were in office. But let's play what he was saying Sunday night and something he's been repeating a lot. This is in Virginia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUBIO: He doesn't sweat because his pores are clogged from the spray tan that he uses.

(LAUGHTER)

RUBIO: He's -- Donald is not going to make America great. He's going to make America orange. He's always calling me little Marco. And I'll admit he's taller than me. He's like 6'2" which is why I don't understand why his hands are like someone who is 5'2". Have you ever seen his hands? They're like this. And you know what they say about small hands. You can't trust them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: Look, this might work in a bar with the fellas. But it is hard to say, I certainly never would have a heard a Senator Coburn talk about an opponent like this. What do you think the virtue is in that? You really believe that to compete against Donald Trump you have to be as base as he is?

COBURN: No, I don't. And I don't think Marco believes that either. I think Marco, you know, you have to raise the level of which you are being attacked, and you have to give some of that back to bullies. And that's what he's done.

[08:15:01] If you listen to Marco, a complete speech, what you will shear a vision for America that lifts everybody, that doesn't leave anybody out. That restores what our founders believed, restores the success that we saw in the 20th century.

So, yes, I understand the media pays attention to that, but the fact is there is going to be a call to make us what we need to be and to have everybody participate that and the person to do that, I believe is Marco Rubio. And, I do not believe that Donald Trump is the person to do that. You know, I -- at times, I tell you what, I am embarrassed for our country about some of the things that he says.

And, as you speak, you know, it actually identifies your heart. And, what is great about Marco is nobody else on the other side can beat him, and they know that. And, they know that we may not be smart enough to elect a person that can beat anybody they put up.

CUOMO: Well, Senator Rubio has got his work cut out for him to get to the general election.

COBURN: He does.

CUOMO: But, we will let us see what happens today. Senator Coburn always a pleasure, sir. Thank you for being on "New Day."

COBURN: Nice talking with you, Chris.

CUOMO: Absolutely.

COBURN: God Bless you. CUOMO: God Bless you as well, sir. So, CNN's comprehensive

coverage of Super Tuesday just getting started. All but one or two of the polls are open now and throughout the day, CNN now has special coverage.

And, then at 6:00 tonight, the votes start to be counted and we will be there. Tomorrow morning, we will have all the returns and what they mean for the path forward. Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: Chris, the more bizarre the republican rhetoric, the more fodder for late night comedians. Here is the best of some late night laughs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONAN O'BRIEN, HOST OF THE "TONIGHT SHOW" PROGRAM: Over the weekend, Donald Trump made fun of Marco Rubio's big ears and Rubio made fun of Trump's small hands. So, finally, Thomas Jefferson's dream for America has come true, that is the country he envisioned.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIMMY FALLON, HOST OF "THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON" PROGRAM: Marco Rubio seems like he is trying to beat Donald Trump at his own game. He said on a rally on Saturday that Donald Trump has the worst spray tan in America, which led to the first time Donald Trump ever said, "He should not judge people based on the color of their skin. Little rude. You are a little rude." Little bit.

(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(LAUGHING)

CAMEROTA: These are exactly the things you were just talking about.

CUOMO: Well look it is true. And, sometimes that makes it even more funny. You know what bothers me is look how big her hand is compared to mine. What does that mean? I watched her palm a basketball with three fingers the other day. Lebronesque.

(LAUGHING)

CAMEROTA: I have often been compared to Lebron.

(LAUGHING)

CUOMO: Anyway, none of that is true. Hillary Clinton may be the odds on democratic favorite this Super Tuesday, but the latest poll numbers show that Bernie Sanders may be the tougher foe for the GOP. Why? Why the difference? We will break down the numbers, next.

[08:20:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAMEROTA: A new CNN poll paints an interesting picture for the democrats on this Super Tuesday. In head to head matchups, Hillary Clinton beating Donald Trump but not Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio. But, let us look at Bernie Sanders with big leads over all top three republicans in the field.

Here to discuss this and so much more, CNN Political Commentator and Democratic Strategist, Donna Brazile and CNN Political Commentator and Daily Beast Columnist, Sally Kohn. Sally is leaning towards Bernie Sanders we should let everyone know. Hi ladies. Great to see both of you.

DONNA BRAZILE, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Sally, I am neutral. Stay in the middle.

(LAUGHING)

SALLY KOHN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: You know, I am in L.A., I would do anything for Donna Brazile except for maybe vote for Hillary Clinton. We will see. I do not know yet.

CAMEROTA: All right. Let us talk about that, shall we? If there is one place Sally has never been, it is in the middle. Sally, let us talk about what is going to happen first on Super Tuesday. Let me pull up the list of states. There is a lot of delegates obviously at stake because super delegates are included, totaling 1015. Where do you think Bernie Sanders can win, Sally?

KOHN: You know, I mean -- Listen, this is the interesting thing about the Sanders campaign so far is that he has managed to ignite people, defy the polls and defy the expectations. And, as his campaigns has been pointing out, it is proportional.

So, you know, if he picks up -- you know, I think he has a good shot in some states, but if he picks up even close to half, if he makes some of these really tight ties, he continues the fight going. So it is -- look, I mean one might have thought his momentum was dying after South Carolina by he just raised $40 manager in like average donations of 35 bucks from his supporters. So, you know, that is what makes today really exciting folks.

CAMEROTA: It does. Donna, how do you see it playing out?

BRAZILE: There are a lot of delegates at stake today. And, the key thing, Sally, is that both candidates who are going out there, they are not trying to win states. They are trying to win delegates. Hillary Clinton's strategy clearly is to continue the momentum that she achieved in South Carolina.

She wants to target states that are rich in diversity, so that she can run up her delegate totals. I understand that people are focused on super delegates, but the key thing right now is the pledge delegates. They are more domestic than super delegates.

CAMEROTA: It seems though that Hillary Clinton has turned her attention away from Bernie Sanders and away from even today and is looking more towards the generally election. Her tone has shifted. Her language has shifted. Yesterday, we heard her going more after her republican rivals than Bernie Sanders. So, let me play a piece of this from the campaign trail.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have not even focused on Hillary Clinton yet. And, I can tell you, the one person that Hillary Clinton does not want to run against is me. And, I have that a good valid. I will defeat Hillary. And, it will take a lot of democrats and a lot of independents away.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: That is Hillary Clinton doing her best Donald Trump impersonation.

BRAZILE: I thought I mean I know that is not Hillary Clinton. I know Hillary Clinton.

CAMEROTA: We do I believe have Hillary Clinton talking about Donald Trump in some of the language that he has been using on the campaign trail. Let us attempt to listen -- OK, I will just tell you. She has been talking about how the language and the vitriole on the republican side does not match the democratic side and she is using words like, love and kindness and respect. Now, does this suggest -- now, she thinks she has the nomination locked up.

[08:25:05] BRAZILE: What she said yesterday is that Donald Trump is campaigning to make America great again. America is great of course, but she wants to make America whole again. She wants to break down barriers and make sure that every American has a ladder up. That is what she is saying.

So, I may not look like Hillary Clinton, but I believe that is her comment. I do not think she is what I call pivoting yet. What she is trying to do is to ensure that she gets the kind of turnout that, you know, if you want to know what motivates democrats? It is the notion of a President Donald Trump. So, I think that is the strategy not focusing on the general election.

CAMEROTA: And, yet Sally, if we already know what the general election, as we jus saw in those polls, it is Bernie Sanders who does better against the republican rivals that Hillary Clinton does. She beats trump in the general election. These are the new CNN polls, out just two and a half hours ago. She beats trump, but she did not beat Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio, whereas Sanders beats off three rather handily.

KOHN: Well, look. And, here is where I throw a bone to my friends in the Hillary camp. I take a different lesson from that. We have to be clear. Hillary has reached a ceiling on her negatives. You know, she has been in public long enough. People know all the reasons, you have not to like her. You already know them. And, the other candidates, generally speaking on both sides have

yet to be vetted nationally. I do think, however, the other important lesson to take away from this, whatever happens on Super Tuesday and I think Hillary's team if they do win will take away is the durability of Bernie Sanders' ideas, what he represents.

And, the fact that the democrats who have traditionally kind of played for national elections by playing it safe by trying to go down the middle road triangulation and centrism. And, all of that stuff are now seeing that progressive ideas, standing up to Wall Street, standing up for working class people, standing up for the values of fairness and equality and fighting harder to transform the system, that is divided to so many, that is having a real durability with the general electorate and not just left wing democrats.

CAMEROTA: Although ,something interesting is happening, Donna, at least in Massachusetts where 116 delegates are at stake. And, the Secretary of State there, Bill Galvin, has said that they have seen this wave of democrats leaving the party to become either republicans or independents. He says almost 20,000 of them have, 35 hundred of them now pledging to be republicans. So, for the general election does that suggest that there is enthusiasm away from the democrats?

BRAZILE: Well, there is a wave in American politics. It has been going on for over a decade now, where more Americans are choosing to become middle of the road. They are unaffiliated. In Massachusetts, there is a trend right now towards going with the Republican Party. Have a republican governor.

So, I am not surprised that we see a little bit more voter registration as well as an uptake in the number of people leaving to go into the unaffiliated column. I would be surprised come this fall, if they stay in that lane.

CAMEROTA: All right. Donna and Sally, great to talk to both of you. Thanks so much for being here on NEW DAY.

BRAZILE: Nice to see you both.

CAMEROTA: I will give it to Chris.

CUOMO: All right, Alisyn. So, that is what is going on, on the democratic side. On the GOP side, this is not a race just about who survives. It is about whether the party survives. Does the hostile takeover of the GOP by Donald Trump begin today? We test a Republican senator ahead.

[08:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)