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Rubio Pins His Hopes on Winning Florida; Trump: Now is Time for GOP to Unite; Interview with Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz; Should Democrats Be Worried About Turnout?; Sanders Stuns Clinton In Michigan; Trump Tightens Grip on GOP Nomination; Rubio Flops on Super Tuesday Part 2. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired March 09, 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: Isn't the only way to beat it that by offering something better, as opposed to trying to tear him down. .

TIM MILLER, FORMER JEB BUSH AIDE: Well, no, no. Look at the general election. Right now a poll came out yesterday where he was 29 favorable, 67 unfavorable. I'm joking, but seriously, Bashar al- Assad's negatives are about 67 percent. That's where Vladimir Putin's negatives are. He is going to get wiped out in the general against Hillary Clinton. The general public does not like him. The Republican Party -- over half still do not like him.

So, look, Ted Cruz, Marco, John Kasich -- they do have to make a case for themselves here tomorrow night in the debate. What we need to do is educate voters about how Donald Trump left regular people holding the bag -- get rich himself. His questionable history with race.

The story yesterday where you had the high roller in Atlantic City that was a racist and so he kept black people away from his table. I mean, that is jarring. If anyone else did that this would be wall-to- wall coverage. So look, there's a lot of time left in this and Donald Trump is going to have to answer for this.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANHOCR: Tim Miller, thanks so much for laying out the strategy for us.

MILLER: Thanks, Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: Great to see you. All right, tomorrow night Trump and his rivals will face off in the final debate before the Florida and Ohio primaries next week. Jake Tapper's going to moderate it. It's the CNN Republican debate tomorrow night, 8:30 p.m. eastern, only here on CNN.

CUOMO: All right. You're hearing the case against Trump and there's no question that he does have people with high negatives. He has them. Are they enough? We're going to talk to the chairman of Trump's Arizona campaign about why they believe that this is going to be a victory.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:35:41] CAMEROTA: OK, moments ago Donald Trump was on NEW DAY and he did something unexpected -- at least his critics say. He called for party unity after last night's big win. He won three states. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am a uniter, but I have to finish off the project. We should be talking and unified because I'll tell you what. With all of the new people that have come into the Republican Party and that have come to vote during this last session -- I mean it's been incredible during the primaries. With all of these people that have come in, we have something that's special. We have something that the Democrats can't beat us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: All right, so for more reaction we want to bring in Jeff DeWit. He's the Arizona campaign chairman for Donald Trump. He's also Arizona's state treasurer. Good morning, Jeff.

JEFF DEWIT, ARIZONA CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN FOR DONALD TRUMP: Good morning, Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: OK, before we get to all the things that Donald Trump just told Chris in our interview, were you surprised by any of the results last night?

DEWITT: You know, I'm somewhat surprised at how great. I mean, we expected them to come in very good, but the double-digit wins were obviously a huge positive. And I don't know if I'm surprised or not to see how poorly Marco Rubio did. I think his campaign is done and I don't think we'll all be surprised if he drops out. But you look at a state like Mississippi where Marco Rubio only got five percent of the vote, that's obviously devastating to their campaign.

But on the positive side, everybody's coming around and our lead keeps growing. And Mr. Trump's message is getting out and he is the uniter, and he is going to do great things for America. And people are realizing that and voting in-kind.

CAMEROTA: Marco Rubio, to your point, got zero delegates last night, but he has always said that he is going to win Florida and that that is still his plan. He has always had a lot of eggs in the Florida basket. Are you suggesting that he should get out before Florida?

DEWIT: You know, I know that there are people saying that he should and it comes down to this, honestly, in politics. And as an elected official I can tell you that if he gets out before Florida, then he can chalk up a loss to well, I got out before, so that's why I lost, and he can salvage a political future.

But if he stays in through Florida and loses, as the polls show that he will, that's going to be very damaging to his political future because if you're not able to win over the voters which elected you to represent them -- if they don't have the faith in you in the job you're doing already, and now that's proven -- that could have a big impact. So, I personally believe that he will drop out before Florida to save his political future and to save face, but we'll see what happens in the coming days.

CAMEROTA: Here's the latest polls just out this morning. This is the new CNN-ORC poll about what's happening -- how Republicans feel in Florida. Donald Trump has 40 percent in Florida. Marco Rubio 16 points behind at 24 percent. Cruz, 19 and Kasich, 5. But as we know, Jeff, polls have been misleading and wrong throughout this entire thing.

But I want to get back to something that Donald Trump told Chris this morning in our interview with him. He talked about how he now wants to be a uniter. That comes as a surprise to his critics. In fact, they don't believe that's possible for Donald Trump. So what do you think we'll hear from him -- the difference in rhetoric moving forward, particularly at the debate Thursday night? How will that sound different?

DEWIT: You know, keep in mind -- and I watched the previous person you had on. Everybody I've seen come on and say negative things about Donald Trump is being paid to do so. A lot of politics comes down to the money. And when you look at these people come on -- these naysayers -- everybody that comes on TV saying negative things is working for a PAC or a campaign where they're making money to say bad things about him.

And when you contrast that with myself, you know -- I've been out stumping for Donald Trump -- well, heck -- for almost a year because Iwas out stumping before he even ran, saying this would be the perfect person and we've got to get behind him. And I've been out there and I've never been paid a penny for this. This is something I'm doing because I know that he will be the very, very best that we can do for our country to bring us back. And so I look at it like that.

I know that politics, in the end, usually comes down to money and it's one of the sick realities of this. But that's what I see -- these naysayers. Of course, they're going to say that because the longer they can convince donors that there's a chance to beat him and that he's not the right guy, the longer donors will keep writing checks to them.

But it comes down to Donald Trump is the only one self-funding and standing up to the special interests, and that's why it really -- that's one of the things the American public is sick of, too, is that the special interests and the money control the game so much.

[07:39:32] And that's what Donald Trump -- really, one of the things he represents is that he can win it back to the people. So I think that's going to continue, we're going to see that, and that's why he's up in Florida.

CAMEROTA: Hey, Jeff, if Donald Trump were to become the nominee do you think there is any chance that after this bruising primary battle with all the rhetoric against his rivals, that he would ever choose one of these current rivals as his V.P. pick? DEWIT: Donald Trump is a very forgiving man. I know him well. He's a great guy and I think everybody's acknowledged that when you see him -- the people that know him one-on-one all say the best things about him. He is a wonderful, wonderful man and I think, absolutely, he could forgive anyone of them even with some of the horrible things they've said about him. And I think it's very possible.

It's going to be very, very tough decision for him to make. And I think a month from now, two months from now, everybody's going to be clamoring for that spot and he's going to have a lot of great choices. But, yes, I think he easily could but it's going to come down to two things. Who's going to help him best to make America great again and who's going to give us the best chance to beat Hillary in the fall?

CAMEROTA: All right, Jeff DeWit. Thanks so much. Great to get your perspective. Thanks for being on NEW DAY.

DEWIT: Thank you, Alisyn. Thanks for having me on.

CAMEROTA: OK, Chris.

CUOMO: Boy, would that make this an unusual election if Donald Trump were to pick a man who's been making fun of the color of his face and the size of his hands, and saying that he's a con man. Could you imagine him being his running mate?

CAMEROTA: I really can't. However, to his point, he said that Donald Trump is very forgiving and won't hold a grudge. We'll see.

CUOMO: Bernie Sanders grabbing Michigan in a surprise victory over Hillary Clinton, period. No matter what anyone says this was a surprise. But why it happened you need to look at. The turnout is low -- (Video stopped)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:45:48]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What tonight means is that the Bernie Sanders campaign -- the people's revolution that we are talking about. The political revolution that we are talking about is strong in every part of the country. And, frankly, we believe that our strongest areas are yet to happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: Bernie Sanders with reason for optimism, edging out Hillary Clinton in a victory that no one saw coming. Another big story developing for the Democrats -- turnout. What's going on with turnout? Certainly not matching the enthusiasm of the GOP. Take a look at the number of voters in Mississippi last night. Down by half as compared to 2008. Is this part of a larger trend? That's what we seem to be seeing.

Let's discuss with the chair of the DNC, Debbie Wasserman Schultz. DWS, always good to have you up on the show.

REP. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (D-FL), CHAIRPERSON, DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE: Yes, welcome to South Florida.

CUOMO: So, make the case about turnout. Is this just about the GOP being unusually robust? Your numbers are down from 2008. Is this an enthusiasm gap?

WASSERMAN SCHUTLZ: No. I mean, not at all. First of all, you have one of our candidates that came within 10,000 votes in Mississippi in terms of turnout. And overall, the Republicans with four candidates had 400,000 people. You had 200,000 people turn out -- this is in Mississippi -- for our candidates, so really there's a proportional argument to make.

CUOMO: Lot of red arrows though when we do turnout at these different contests, you know.

SHULTZ: But there is an intense, chaotic, reality TV show playing out on the Republican side so it's kind of like a train wreck. You know you shouldn't watch but you can't help yourself and so there is a certain element to that. At the end of the day when we have a nominee on both sides of the aisle, I'm very confident we're going to have a united party. Our candidates have been not only civil but complimentary of one another, and the Republican field has been hurling insults and tomatoes, and talking about spray tans, and the size of hands and their manhood.

So, the Republican Party is in free fall. I have colleagues on the Republican side in Congress who are freaking out at the possibility of Donald Trump being their nominee, and with good reason. Because we are going to tie every single competitive race. Every one of those Republicans that are on the margins to -- do they believe that we should ban an entire religion from this country? Do they think that we should kick 11 million people out of the country who are simply here to make a better way of life for themselves?

Do they agree that we shouldn't disavow David Duke or the KKK? These are all things that their front-runner -- the guy who is hurdling towards their nomination -- is espousing. And we're going to be asking, do you support your nominee? If you do, then you obviously support what he stands for.

CUOMO: Well, look. There's no question there's cataclysm going on in the country, right? People are angry, they're disaffected, they want different, they want better. You're seeing an examination of that in your own party. Isn't that the story of Michigan last night? The polls were wrong. The preference polls had Hillary Clinton up 10, 12, 14, depending on which outlet you want to look at? And then, the outcome was different. Isn't this about capturing the mood of the country and understanding how to harness the disaffection?

WASSERMAN SCHUTLZ: Well, as Alisyn has said all morning, the polls are all over the place. I know I'm on the ballot every two years and if you run your election -- run your campaign based on what the polling is saying, you are going to have a real problem. You run your race focused on the issues that you're trying to make sure you can capture the hearts and minds of voters on, and you focus on getting your folks to the polls.

We have both of our candidates who did a great job last night where they split the two states that were up in the primary yesterday and they're moving forward. But they are speaking to the issues that matter to the voters when it comes to the general election, making sure that we can shrink the income and equality gap.

Making sure that we can have the appropriate role for government that ensures that you have a fair shot. That you can get a good education that's not going to cost you so much all the way into your later years. That you can keep your health care. It all would be rolled back, Chris, by any one of the Republicans.

CUOMO: I get the arguments to be made, but what I'm saying is what do you see in Bernie Sanders being so competitive with Sec. Hillary Clinton? None of you would have predicted his strength at this point in this race. Many people say he's a reflection of the mood of the country and that he is challenging the status quo within your own party and that's why he's doing so well.

WASSERMAN SCHUTLZ: Look, I want to be careful because I have a neutrality requirement --

CUOMO: Sure.

WASSERMAN SCHUTLZ: -- and so I will tell you that I think it's fantastic that Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton have ignited excitement in groups of voters that would not normally come to the polls. That's fantastic for us that Bernie Sanders has really motivated and fired up young voters -- millennial voters -- who really are focused less on party and more on the issues that matter.

And at the end of the day when our voters come together -- the supporters for both candidates come together to support our nominee -- the last thing on earth they're going to do is support Donald Trump or Ted Cruz. Marco Rubio's pretty much done, but we'll see what happens in a week. But you can't be a repetitive candidate like he has been all the way through the campaign trail, and a repetitive loser, which is what he is at this point.

[07:51:05]

CUOMO: Well, we will see.

WASSERMAN SCHUTLZ: We sure will.

CUOMO: There three most mouthed (ph) words in politics. A big debate tonight.

WASSERMAN SCHUTLZ: It's all about Florida.

CUOMO: Debbie Wasserman Schultz, that's what everybody's saying. Thanks for being here.

WASSERMAN SCHUTLZ: Thank you.

CUOMO: Proportional -- are you guys winner-take-all on the GOP side, but the timing couldn't be better for tonight. Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders facing off in a debate here in Miami. CNN is going to simulcast the Univision Democratic presidential debate, 9:00 p.m. eastern -- Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: OK, last night was another impressive showing for Donald Trump. Is it time for the GOP to bury the hatchet and the establishment to get behind their front-runner? We will speak with former presidential candidate Steve Forbes about that, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:55:23]

CAMEROTA: A big night for Donald Trump, picking up three more states. So is Trump's road to victory now more secure or does he still face many hurdles along the way? Joining us to discuss is Steve Forbes, former presidential candidate in 1996 and 2000. He's also the chairman and editor-in-chief of Forbes Media. Hi, Steve.

STEVE FORBES, CHAIRMAN & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, FORBES MEDIA: Good morning, how are you?

CAMEROTA: I'm doing well. What a night. So many different headlines. Let's start on the GOP side. What surprised you the most?

FORBES: Well, it really wasn't a surprise. The big surprise in Michigan was not that Donald Trump won. That, I think, we expected by a decent margin -- was really in Michigan the third place finish of John Kasich. Cruz did very little in Michigan and yet he pulled a second place position. So it really has come down to a situation that no one would have predicted a few months ago -- Cruz versus Donald Trump.

And I think what you're going to see now in the next few days is all these attacks on Donald Trump -- that will continue. This is the NFL. When you're the front-runner you will get bashed. But what Cruz has to do now, especially, is start upfront with positive economic messages on how he's going to improve this country. He's got an interesting flat tax plan. He's got to put that out there and lead with that like Ronald Reagan did with his massive tax cuts when he ran against Jimmy Carter in 1980.

I just wrote a book called "Reviving America" detailing three big issues that these people should be hitting. It's not enough to say, for example, repeal Obamacare. Tell the voters how your plan is going to make their hospital stay much more pleasant. How patients are actually going to get control.

And on the dollar and the Federal Reserve. Tell how you'regoing to get credit markets working again for the job creating smallbusiness. Lead with that stuff. It's not enough to hit Donald Trump. You have to have a positive alternative, and Cruz must do it or he will go down. CAMEROTA: That's interesting because that's a different tact, certainly, than what we've seen the candidates taking. They have taken the more negative tact in going after Donald Trump and trying to attack him.

In fact, Marco Rubio, as you know, spent the better part of the last two weeks talkingabout how Donald Trump is not going to make America great, he's going to make it orange. He talked about the size of his hands.And so, what do you think we've seen happen with Marco Rubio? Do you think that there's any way that he comes back here in Florida, or do you think that his campaign is all virtually over?