Return to Transcripts main page

New Day

New Poll, Trump's Lead Narrowing Nationally; Florida Newspaper Sun Sentinel Won't Endorse GOP Candidate, No Candidates Qualified to Be President; Close Family Friend Remembers Nancy Reagan; Conservatives Furious With GOP Establishment, Anti-Trump Movement Angers Them. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired March 08, 2016 - 07:30   ET

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

[07:30:00]CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Super Tuesday, part deux, is in full swing this morning. Voters in four states heading to the polls today in the Republican race. This morning a new ABC- Washington Post poll shows Trump in the lead nationally at 34 percent. But look what happens when you go to these matchups. You see the numbers there. Everybody's making a little bit of gain.

But, when we show you the matchups between Trump and Cruz, and Trump and Rubio, you get a very different picture of what's going on here. Here's Cruz and Trump, 54-41, OK.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: And Ted Cruz wins.

CUOMO: Yes. Yes, he does.

CAMEROTA: I mean, I think that we need to put some sort of finer point on this.

CUOMO: Thank you very much. Yes.

CAMEROTA: As does Marco Rubio.

CUOMO: Yes. If the numbers themselves are not compelling, yes, Rubio beats Trumps as well.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

CUOMO: So, let's discuss what the implications are of these permutations. Let's bring in CNN political commentator and host of CNN's "SMERCONISH", Michael Smerconish. There's also a very big development of the editorial variety from a key newspaper, the Sun Sentinel. We're going to get to that in a second.

But, when you look at these numbers, what does it mean to you, Michael, that he's up -- Trump. If you have the whole group and when you do the pairings he's down more than we've seen.

MICHAEL SMERCONISH, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: The most unpopular Republican presidential candidate is winning the nomination. Think about that. The most unpopular candidate they have is nevertheless thus far winning, and this presents it. This brand new Washington Post-ABC survey presents it in very stark terms because of the field has winnowed.

[07:35:16] But the data has been there all along that shows two- thirds of Republicans deeply unsatisfied with this Republican nominee. So, if they get him in a head-to-head they can beat him. But, Chris, Alisyn, look at the calendar. It's got to happen in a hurry or it will be too late.

CAMEROTA: But I don't understand the math, Michael. Just --

CUOMO: Really. Needing to be pointing out who's winning when the numbers are right in front of your plachey (ph).

CAMEROTA: Some people actually listen to us on the radio.

CUOMO: And waste all this?

CAMEROTA: Yes. Well, they are missing truly half of the finer points, but Michael, explain the math. Why, if they love Marco Rubio in the head-to-head matchup, won't they vote for him today?

SMERCONISH: I don't know that they love any of them. I don't know that they love any of them except the one-third or 35 percent who do love Trump and would walk across hot coals for him. The number is something like 80 percent of them are rock hard for Donald Trump and they are not going to make any kind of a move no matter what he does or says. And I think that's pretty evident from the things that he has done and has said.

CUOMO: All right. Let's get to this other big development, the Sun Sentinel. All right, they -- what's interesting is their non- endorsement. They're saying they can't endorse any of the four and here's a quick little look at why. Let's put up the statements on what they said, please.

Sun Sentinel editorial -- "...not going to make an endorsement in Florida's March 15 Republican presidential primary because the kind of person who should be running is not in the race. We cannot endorse businessman Donald Trump, hometown Sen. Marco Rubio or Texas Sen. Ted Cruz because they are unqualified to be president." Michael --

SMERCONISH: Interesting. They said nice things about the hometown hero, Jeb, but of course he's gone from the race. They also said in that editorial nice things about John Kasich, but they can't see a path forward for John Kasich which brings us back to tonight at Michigan and what's going to happen a week from tonight.

In the big picture, I think what we learn this evening is whether Trump's momentum has slowed such that he's in jeopardy a week from tonight in Florida and Ohio. And Chris, Alisyn, this race is going to go one of two directions. Either Donald Trump wins in Michigan tonight and then wins in Ohio and Florida next Tuesday, and then he's got it locked up. He doesn't have it locked up mathematically, but it will become a certainty.

Or, he loses Ohio or Florida, and we'll see that perhaps in the margin tonight in Michigan. And then, this thing is going to hobble along for the next four or five months and nobody is going to get to 1,237 before they arrive in Cleveland in July.

CAMEROTA: So, let me just tell you why the Sun Sentinel, this respected South Florida paper, said that they don't want to go for the hometown candidate, Marco Rubio, because they're quite specific. They say, "Because Rubio has failed to do his job as a senator, broken the promises he made to Floridians and backed away from his lone signature piece of legislation on immigration, we cannot endorse him for president." How is the future looking for Marco Rubio, Michael?

SMERCONISH: Well, you don't know where he goes next, right? He's not running for reelection. When I -- Alisyn, when I read that editorial I thought of Chris Christie because those editorials in New Jersey critical of Chris Christie pretty much were saying this is not the guy that ran for governor of New Jersey.

In the Sun Sentinel case, I see the Sun Sentinel saying this is not the Marco Rubio that we think was initially elected in Florida. And to me, it spoke of the contortionist that one must become in order to try and curry favor in the Republican primary and caucus process. You've got to become something that you often are not to appease these interests, and then pull yourself back to the center in order to run as a general election candidate.

CUOMO: So, what do you think of this? As we all know, many of the operatives who are working the phones -- and here's the latest theory to what the push is to get Marco Rubio out. That you get out -- you get out before Florida.

Why? Well, the obvious, to allow a coalescing around Ted Cruz in that state -- probably not John Kasich at this point -- but you allow that to happen. You look like a hero for your party. The sacrifice winds up being rewarded because you're young. You've got a huge future and that governor's seat in Florida will be open to you. Does that make sense to you? Are you hearing the same?

SMERCONISH: OK, yes. It makes sense to me, but here's the question that I want to know. Which of the two of them -- Cruz or Rubio -- stands a better chance of taking down Donald Trump in Florida, specifically.

CUOMO: Rubio.

SMERCONISH: Because if it's Marco Rubio then Rubio needs to hang in and deny Florida, if he can possibly do so, to Donald Trump. Because if Trump wins Florida -- and I'm not sure what happens in Ohio. I think Kasich probably has a decent hand in Ohio, especially if he runs well in Michigan tonight. But if Rubio gets out only to have Donald Trump win and defeat Ted Cruz, then what really have you gained if the objective is to deny Donald Trump?

[07:40:32] CAMEROTA: There you go. Michael Smerconish, thanks so much. Great to get your perspective.

SMERCONISH: I'll see you tonight.

CAMEROTA: OK, excellent -- Michaela. MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: So, funeral arrangements for former first lady Nancy Reagan are set. What were her final years like without the love of her life? We're going to speak with someone who knew Ron and Nancy Reagan well.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: Former first lady Nancy Reagan will be laid to rest on Friday. Her funeral is going to be closed to the public but it will be televised. Joining us now is somebody who was really part of the Reagan's inner circle, Vanity Fair special correspondent, Bob Colacello. And, of course, a lot more than that. Also, the author of "Ronnie & Nancy, Their Path to the White House" -- you're working on the second installment, as well?

BOB COLACELLO, LONG-TIME FRIEND OF REAGAN FAMILY: Yes, the White House years and the Alzheimer's years.

CUOMO: First of all, this was a friend to you, not a subject. I'm sorry for your loss.

COLACELLO: Well, thank you very much.

CUOMO: We know each other very well and I know that this relationship mattered to you and you feel that. This was one of the real ones. There are a lot of couples that become power couples, they achieve goals. They're close, but you would always say not like these two. Why?

COLACELLO: Because they really were in love and they really were meant for each other. It's kind of corny to say destiny brought them together, but when they were married in 1952 he had just been let go by Warner Brothers, she by MGM. They were out of work actors. Fourteen years later he's governor of the largest state in the union. I mean, the marriage had a lot to do with that.

CUOMO: Michael Reagan says in a Tweet, "Nancy's where she always wanted to be with her Ronnie...Now she is a peace..." She had a lot of years after he finally succumbed to his illness. What were those years like for her?

[07:45:48] COLACELLO: They were difficult and I think she proved her mettle then, you know. I think a lot of people who had been her critics when she was first lady thought she was frivolous and overly- interested in social life and clothes, expecting her to be flying off to New York, and London, and Paris, and parties.

She barely ever left Los Angeles. And even in Los Angeles we'd have lunch at the Bel-Air Hotel, which was 10 minutes from their house, and she couldn't wait to get back to the house to make sure everything was OK with Ronnie. She was his primary caregiver, his protector. We photographed them for the cover of Vanity Fair in 1998. It took me one full week to convince her to let him be photographed.

CUOMO: Very protective.

COLACELLO: Very, very protective.

CUOMO: What do you think people get wrong about Nancy Reagan? There were, as you were saying -- there were very layered understandings of her relevance and what her image was.

COLACELLO: Well, I think part of what they get wrong is partially caused by herself. She was much more powerful than she let on. She was much more influential, including policy matters, but particularly in personnel. She always kind of -- she didn't want to outshine her husband and she didn't want to seem like the power behind the throne.

I'm not suggesting she was that, but she was his closest adviser and really the personnel director. She famously got rid of Don Regan, the second chief of staff. But she put Jim Bakker in as first chief of staff in the first place. She never wanted Al Haig as secretary of state. She wanted George Schultz from the first.

CUOMO: And how did President Reagan regard his wife's recommendations?

COLACELLO: He took her very seriously and he took no criticism when people came to him and said your wife -- even in California -- is manipulating things behind the scenes. He never criticized her because he knew she was protecting him. She was a much better judge of character than he was.

CUOMO: Was it concerted action, though? Would he say fine? You know, not to bring up a House of Cards analogy or anything like that where the couple is open about -- all right, fine. You take that on. You talk to this guy. You tell him that.

COLACELLO: I think it was more tassive (ph). I think he let her do what she did and then in the end he went along with it. He couldn't fire people. His father was an alcoholic who'd lost many a job, and it was too painful for Ronald Reagan to think of actually firing someone, so she did. She had to do it.

CUOMO: Had to do it or that was something she was easier doing?

COLACELLO: No, she had to do it.

CUOMO: She had to do it.

COLACELLO: She has said she --

CUOMO: She didn't enjoy it.

COLACELLO: No, no. She said to me once, Bob, don't say I was tough. Say I was strong. I had to be strong for Ronnie because he likes everybody and he didn't want to believe that people could be working for themselves trying to upstage him, or just not doing a good job. He always looked for the best in people. She was a very judgmental person. We met back in 1981 shortly after the inauguration. She just decided she liked me from the very first meeting. It was very hard for me to do anything wrong in her eyes. If she didn't like you, forget it. CUOMO: What was her manner? How would she let you know?

COLACELLO: She could be very cold. She could really give looks that could kill. She was a formidable lady, but she was also sweet and quite funny. She wasn't articulate in the sense that a Hillary Clinton is, speaking in perfect paragraphs. But she absorbed the most complicated information, and she was able to bring it to him in a simpler form.

CUOMO: If were a different era do you think we would have seen Nancy Reagan having her own public life?

COLACELLO: You know, I joked with her when Hillary Clinton announced for the Senate. I said, Nancy, you should run for the Senate in California, and she loved hearing that. But, I don't think she was really suited for the campaign trail.

CUOMO: Why not?

COLACELLO: I think she's someone you had to get to know to really appreciate. Unlike her husband, she wasn't this larger than life public personality. I think she could have done a good job as senator, or in any position.

CUOMO: What do you think is important for people to remember about Nancy Reagan as discussions of her legacy, her impact, her meaning within our history -- our culture?

[07:51:04] COLACELLO: Right. Well, when I wrote this vanityfair.com thing was she represented dignity, glamour, civility, bipartisanship. She believed in inviting everybody to the White House -- inviting a lot of people. We've lost so much of that. She believed in propriety. She was always appropriately dressed. She had perfect manners. All of those values that we just seemed to have lost as a society. And I think she really elevated the role of first lady.

She and Jackie Kennedy did the most for the image of the first lady, and therefore for America. What the Reagans understood is there's an important ceremonial aspect -- an image aspect to the presidency because that's what people all over the world see as America -- the people who are in the White House.

CUOMO: And right now that image is taking a beating. Bob Colacello, thank you very much for sharing your remembrances as we look forward to anything else that you're writing.

COLACELLO: All right, thank you, Chris.

CUOMO: Alisyn --

CAMEROTA: OK, Chris. Conservative radio listeners lighting up the phone lines. What are they so angry about? That's straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PEREIRA: So, ever since Mitt Romney and the rest of the GOP establishment starting campaigning to take down Donald Trump, phone lines at conservative radio stations have been ringing off the hook. Callers are frustrated. They are angry.

We get more from CNN's Randi Kaye.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DANA LOESCH, CONSERVATIVE TALK RADIO HOST: We have on the line -- we've got Jim. Jim, welcome to the program. Thanks for calling in today.

JIM: Hi, Dana. I just wanted to --

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: At Mercury Studios just outside Dallas, Texas, conservative radio host Dana Loesch is getting an earful from a caller named Jim.

[07:56:20] JIM: Mitt Romney's speech made me lean a lot more towards Trump, not away from him, as far as how I feel about him overall. Because the one thing that I'm tired of is the establishment. Is it better to have someone -- who do you hate more? The Democrats or the GOP establishment?

KAYE: Ever since 2012, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney came out urging voters to choose anyone but Donald Trump, voters have been turning to conservative radio shows to voice their anger and frustration.

JIM: Romney is a two-time race loser. So, why are you even in place -- in the position to say anything against somebody who's doing well and been leading nearly the whole race?

LOESCH: What do you make about the people like the Romneys and all of the individuals speaking out?

JIM: Well, I think Romneys are trying to come to the rescue of the establishment and there's billions of dollars in untold power that's at stake here with an upset of the establishment.

KAYE: John McCain, who was on the Republican ticket in '08, echoed Romney's concerns urging voters to think long and hard before choosing Trump.

Would you say it comes off as sort of patronizing to the voter?

LOESCH: I do think so. I think it's patronizing. I think Mitt Romney criticizing anybody at this point is patronizing. I think McCain criticizing anyone is patronizing. We're not children. I think we're fully capable of making our own decisions.

KAYE: And for many listeners that decision is Trump.

JIM: I think the Republican National Committee is against Donald Trump because heis doing so successful.

KAYE: Not every caller is a Trump fan, though. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He is the Republican version of Barack Obama's hope and change. Instead of hope and change he's offering I'll make American great again. And he's sweeping a bunch of dumb voters who are going to be swept up in emotion and vote on a jingle, and this election has come down to a referendum on the stupidity of most of the American voters.

KAYE: One listener even told Dana they believe Romney is trying to wiggle his way into the oval office.

LOESCH: Do you think that Romney is trying to clear a path for Rubio?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. I think it's quite clear. I'm listening to those interviews he gave over the past week or so. Romney wants another shot at it and it's one of the most selfish things I've ever seen a politician do.

KAYE: Sounds like, perhaps, the establishment has some explaining to do. Randi Kaye, CNN, Irving, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CAMEROTA: Nothing has its finger on the pulse like conservative talk radio. They hear it every day. People calling in all the time. It's fascinating.

PEREIRA: It's interesting to see the disconnect between people -- the voters, right -- and the establishment. And you have to wonder if they're not paying attention there.

CUOMO: Well, it seems like what we're seeing within the GOP right now, is ignoring one immutable law of politics and abusing the other. You're ignoring that perception is reality. And when people feel that somebody is something, they are often going to be that thing until you get something better.

The second one that they're abusing is you never tell people that they're wrong to feel the way they feel, and that's what's going on with discouraging Trump followers right now. Very dangerous territory. We're going to pick up on that storyline. We have new poll numbers. We have Super Tuesday, which is upon us, so let's get to it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I swear I'm going to vote for Donald Trump.

SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R-FL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: A turning point is coming.

TRUMP: Lying Ted Cruz, who really is a liar.

SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're getting closer to a two-man race.

RUBIO: If you don't want Donald Trump to be the Republican nominee, you have to vote for Marco Rubio.

TRUMP: Little Marco Rubio. He couldn't be elected dog catcher.

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We've got our work cut out for us.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is a campaign of the people, by the people, and for the people.

CLINTON: The sooner I become your nominee, I could begin to turn our attention to the Republicans.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ACE train number 10 struck a tree. The first car of the train derailed into Alameda creek.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I held onto the rails and right then the train flipped over.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's scary. It's still scary.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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

CUOMO: Good morning and welcome to your new day. It is Tuesday, March 8th, 8:00 in the east. It is Super Tuesday, my friends, part two. Another big day in the 2016 race, and on the Republican side four states in play. Voters heading to the polls in Mississippi, Michigan, Idaho. Caucuses in Hawaii. The spotlight will be in Michigan. Overall, 150 delegates up for grabs.

There is a new national trouble ahead for Donald Trump -- in all caps -- a big IF the GOP field winnows to two candidates. Tell them about it my friend.

CAMEROTA: On the other side the Democrats competing in two states today -- delegate-rich Michigan and Mississippi.