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New Day
Time for GOP to Unify Behind Trump?; Exit Polls: Voters Worried About Economy; Obama to Reveal Supreme Court Nominee at 11am ET. Aired 8:30-9a ET
Aired March 16, 2016 - 08:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[08:30:00] KAREN FINNEY, SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS ADVISER, HILLARY FOR AMERICA: Nominee. I think the stakes couldn't be higher and I think the argument around that is one that is not too hard to make. And I think that's part of what people are starting to realize. You know, as it becomes more real and people think about the Supreme Court. I mean we know - I mean President Obama facing opposition and it's the typical thing we've been seeing from Republicans in the Senate. You know, when we talk about things like, where are we going to go next in our economy? Make sure we're not just creating jobs, but increasing incomes. Things like that. And when we talk about breaking down barriers around, you know, systemic racism or when we talk about things like equal pay for women, you know, women's health and women's rights. I mean it's very clear that on the other side, those things are very much imperil. Not to mention climate change, which most of the other side doesn't' actually believe in. So I do think around the issues that people really care about, the - the - what's at stake becomes increasingly potent for people.
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Karen Finney -
FINNEY: Yes.
CUOMO: Congratulations on a big night for you and the Clinton team.
FINNEY: Thank you. Thank you.
CUOMO: Always good to have you on NEW DAY.
FINNEY: Thanks. Good to be here.
CUOMO: Mic.
MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Chris.
Donald Trump dealing the GOP establishment another huge blow. Is it time for anti-Trump Republicans to fall in line? We debate, you decide, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Donald Trump with big wins last night and now calling for the Republican Party to unite behind him. But a big chunk of the GOP is still committed to stopping him. Here to debate that plan is Tim Miller. He's the communications advisor to Our Principles PAC, that's an anti-Trump group. He was previously Jeb Bush's campaign - communications director. We also have Jeff DeWit, Donald Trump's Arizona campaign chairman and the state treasurer.
[08:35:15] Gentlemen, thanks so much for being here.
Tim, I want to start with you.
JEFF DEWIT, ARIZONA CAMPAIGN CHAIRMAN FOR DONALD TRUMP: thanks for having me.
CAMEROTA: Because I know that after - ever since Jeb Bush got out of the race, you have made it your mission to try to stop Trump. After last night, has your mission gotten more challenging?
TIM MILLER, FMR. COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, JEB BUSH PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN: Well, sure, Alisyn, I think that you have to recognize the fact that, you know, we wish that we would have taken more legates from Donald Trump last night than we did. But that doesn't change the fact that there's still a clear path to stopping him, and even before the convention and certainly at the convention. You know, right now we're - we're basically at halftime of this GOP delegate battle. About half the voters haven't had a chance to vote yet. And Ted Cruz and John Kasich are delegates behind Donald Trump. But there is a path to passing him -
CAMEROTA: But - so what is that clear path? So what is that clear path?
MILLER: Well - well, obviously, as the field narrows, they're going to have to start beating him. Look, if you looked at the exit polls last night, in head-to-head races, in Ohio Kasich beat Trump. In Missouri, Cruz beat Trump. In North Carolina, Cruz beat Trump. And they didn't do the head-to-head in Illinois. So, you know, in a one on one race, Trump is losing 40 percent. Forty percent of voters in a Republican primary said they'd go third party if Trump ran. He still has major issues within the base of this party -
CAMEROTA: OK.
MILLER: And there's still time to turn it around and beat him.
CAMEROTA: OK. Jeff, talk about those challenges. That when - when the field winnows, it gets harder for Donald Trump.
DEWIT: Well, you keep hearing that and yet the latest poll that came out on a nationwide basis shows Donald Trump now with over 50 percent support. And one of the big goals of the Republican Party is to bring in Hispanic voters, who should be Republican. And here you look at Florida where - with a large, not only Hispanic population, but Cuban population, with two candidates of Cuban heritage, where Donald Trump got more votes than both of them combined, forcing one of them, a sitting senator from the state, to drop out.
So here you have Donald Trump opening the tent of the GOP and bringing in more people. And you have these PACs that are set up to raise money selling false hope to the establishment elite that are in a panic state because they're losing control of - of the gravy train.
MILLER: Well -
CAMEROTA: Now, wait a second, we just -
MILLER: Well -
CAMEROTA: Hold on. I just want to put that up again, what we had for our exit polls about Cuban voters. Let me just pull this up again because here's - this shows Rubio got 62 percent, Trump got 18 percent and Cruz got 13. So Rubio beat Trump with Cuban voters, Jeff.
DEWIT: But now Trump beat Cruz and Rubio is out. And again, keep in mind, in Florida, Trump got more votes than Rubio and Cruz combined.
CAMEROTA: OK.
DEWIT: And you have these other candidates, like Kasich -
MILLER: Well, Alisyn -
DEWIT: Not even getting double digits in some states.
CAMEROTA: Go ahead, Tim.
MILLER: Yes, Jeff is - Jeff is right that there are Hispanics in Florida, but just because he won Florida and Hispanics live here does not mean that Donald Trump is doing well with Hispanics. Quite the opposite. As you pointed out, he lost Hispanics overwhelmingly here yesterday and then, if you look at the national electorate, his unfavorable rating with Hispanics is above 75 percent. More than three in four Hispanics do not like Donald Trump nationally. I mean that is historically poor ratings. We are going to get absolutely massacred in the general election. We probably would lose Jeff's home state of Arizona, which we've not lost in a long time because of the heavy Hispanic population in that state.
DEWIT: That's not even close to correct. Not even close to correct.
MILLER: Yes - well, yes, it is. Yes, it is, Jeff. Well, if you look at the polls, Jeff -
CAMEROTA: Hold on, Tim. Let's have - hold on, Tim. Let Jeff respond. Go ahead.
MILLER: Well, just here's a quick fact. A quick fact.
CAMEROTA: Quickly.
MILLER: In the most recent poll with Hispanics, Donald Trump was negative 64.
CAMEROTA: OK.
MILLER: He had 17 positive, 70-something negative.
CAMEROTA: OK, Jeff, your response, quickly?
DEWIT: If we're talking about Arizona, we have all GOP office holders on a statewide level -
MILLER: No, nationally.
CAMEROTA: Nationally.
DEWIT: Oh, I'm saying - oh, nationally. No, we're going to do just fine. Donald Trump - and keep in mind, almost no one else has the mathematical ability to even beat him at all in getting to the nomination.
CAMEROTA: OK.
DEWIT: Kasich is mathematically ruled out. I don't know why he's in it. And Ted Cruz is almost mathematically ruled out. And in a week or so he probably will be too. So it's time to come together and rally behind Donald Trump.
CAMEROTA: Very quickly, Tim, I just want to tell you something that Donald Trump said last night -
MILLER: Sure.
CAMEROTA: Because basically he said that all of the negative ads, like those that you have helped produce for the anti-Trump PAC -
MILLER: Yes.
CAMEROTA: Have only helped him when he looks at the numbers. What do you say to that?
MILLER: Well, look, that's not true. And if you go back to Super Tuesday about three weeks ago, people were ready to coronate Donald Trump as the nominee. And I think our efforts have put the brakes on that, you know, have given room for candidates like Cruz and Kasich to go out there and win states. Obviously they - they need to continue to win more delegates than they have the past three weeks. But Donald Trump's momentum has been slowed in that sense.
And, look, here's the thing. He said last night that the ads were not true. The ads are true. And voters need to know the truth that Donald Trump is an outsourcer, that Donald Trump left regular people holding the bag while he enriched himself in his business career. You know, the person who doesn't tell the truth is Donald Trump. You know he claims that - that one of the protesters who was attacking him was ISIS a couple days ago.
[08:40:19] CAMEROTA: Yes.
MILLER: He just - he just lies all the time. And so he's the one that needs to be held to account. And that's why we're going to continue fighting him.
CAMEROTA: Guys, we have to leave it there. Jeff, Tim, thank you very much. Sorry for the shortened segment. We've had a lot of breaking news this morning. Thanks, guys, great to talk to you.
MILLER: Thanks.
DEWIT: Thank you.
CAMEROTA: Michaela.
PEREIRA: All right, so, Alisyn, the economy is looming large in the presidential race. We're going to take a look at the exit polls and how they impact the vote. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PEREIRA: All right, it's time for "CNN Money Now." Voters with broad concerns about the economy according to these exit polls, Christine.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, absolutely. We saw it again and again across these states. Falling gas prices, low unemployment, home prices are rising, but it's not what voters say they feel. Illinois is a good example for Republican voters, where 65 percent of them say they are very worried about the economy. They broke for Donald Trump. Something we saw again and again last night.
[08:45:07] But when we asked voters about their family's financial situation, they said it was holding steady. Sixty percent of voters said so in North Carolina. Their situation is fine. Their situation. But they are worried about the direction of the country.
Same for the Democrats. The economy was the top issue there, clearly, in Missouri. 81 percent say they are somewhat or very worried when you add those categories together. In Ohio a majority of voters say trade takes away U.S. jobs. 53 percent said so. But here is a surprise. Hillary Clinton beat out Bernie Sanders in that category. An important win for Hillary Clinton.
Michaela.
PEREIRA: All right, Christine. Thanks for that. Time now for the five things to know for your NEW DAY.
At No. 1, President Obama will reveal his pick to succeed Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court today. That announcement is set for 11:00 Eastern. Republicans are promising to block any nominee.
Donald Trump winning three more states, including Florida, knocking Marco Rubio out of the race. John Kasich still alive after a big win in Ohio.
And on the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton is in command with four more wins. She holds a slim lead over Bernie Sanders in yet-to-be- decided Missouri.
North Korea sentencing an American student to 15 years of hard labor. Otto Frederick Warmbier is accused of trying to steal a political banner from his Pyongyang hotel. Boy, quite a nightmare commute in the nation's capital. The entire
subway system shut down until tomorrow for safety inspections following another station fire. The government and schools, though, remain open.
For more on the five things to know, be sure to visit newdayCNN.com.
Chris?
CUOMO: All right, Mick. Thank you.
President Obama is set to name his Supreme Court nominee in just two hours. That is going to set up a massive battle with Senate Republicans. Will they even hold a hearing? The president is asking them to. More ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:51:03] PEREIRA: We are following breaking news. President Obama is set to announce his pick to fill the vacant Supreme Court seat. That announcement happening at 11:00 a.m. Eastern from the Rose Garden this morning.
So we wanted to take a look at who's on the short list. Will they even get a confirmation hearing? Here to discuss is CNN -- senior legal analyst and former federal prosecutor, Mr. Jeffrey Toobin.
JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Good morning.
PEREIRA: So there are three names that are sort of widely considered the likely nominees. Right? So why don't we tick through them and we -- you can give us a little bit insight into each and of them and how they stand in terms of their chance.
So the first one is from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Sri Srinivasan.
TOOBIN: Sri Srinivasan --
PEREIRA: Sort of the so-called consensus nominee. Right?
TOOBIN: Yeah. He was just confirmed 97 to nothing. A great immigrant success story in the United States. Grew up in Lawrence, Kansas. High school basketball star, Stanford law school, Stanford Business school, worked in the solicitor general's office, worked in a private law firm, and has been on the D.C. Circuit for just a couple of years. Doesn't have a long record.
PEREIRA: But you can't beat that confirmation -- record -- vote.
TOOBIN: No, it's -- Well this Republican Senate can and apparently will defeat -- or will not give him a vote. But certainly in terms of paper qualifications, political story, immigrant success story, it would be very hard to beat Sri Srinivasan.
PEREIRA: Also, a 63-year-old Merrick Garland for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. He's been short-listed before. He is sort of considered establishment of the establishment, right?
TOOBIN: Right. Very well-respected federal judge. Has been on the D.C. Circuit since the Clinton administration. He's now the chief judge of what is widely believed to be the second most important court in the country. Certainly impeccably qualified. Hard to know what the political benefit to President Obama would be for nominating him. Also at 63 years old, in the unlikely event he would be confirmed, the length of tenure would be an issue.
PEREIRA: That is a question for sure.
TOOBIN: Yeah, for a lifetime --
PEREIRA: And then the youngest of these three likely nominees from the ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in California, from the West, is Paul Watford. He faces sharper odds here. He's considered a moderate, very private man. Kind of quiet, we're told.
TOOBIN: Right. And former federal prosecutor. Also very traditional, excellent qualifications, former Supreme Court clerk. He would be the first justice to sit alongside the justice for whom he clerked. He clerked for Ruth Bader Ginsburg, which would be an interesting -- an interesting thing in Supreme Court history. Again, traditionally very, very qualified. But, you know --
PEREIRA: You talked about the fact that you could make a great nominee on paper. But we know that there is a lot of strategy and there's a lot of conversations. What do you think is the safe bet here?
TOOBIN: Well, I think the safe bet is none of these people will be confirmed. The Republicans have said in the most categorical terms that President Obama's nominee will not get a hearing and will not get a vote. I don't see how, at this point, they could go back on that promise.
So I think the best home for this person is if Hillary Clinton is elected president, she may renominate this person in -- next January. But, you know, I just think the Republicans are saying what they mean and mean what they say. This person will not get a vote. They may pay a political cost for that, but they are not going put this person in the court.
PEREIRA: They have vowed to fight it. They have even formed a SCOTUS task force. They're putting their full eight against this. But if you have -- So just even today, the announcement at 11:00 a.m., who do you bet that is going to be?
TOOBIN: Sri Srinivasan.
PEREIRA: You think so?
TOOBIN: Yeah. I mean, I hate to predict something that could be proven wrong so quickly, but you asked so I'll tell you. PEREIRA: Interesting. Well we'll wait and find out. It is going to be
interesting. As you said, there is going to be a long battle on this ahead. Thanks for joining us --
TOOBIN: All righty. We'll be here all day.
[08:55:01] PEREIRA: We'll be here all day. But you know what? Stick around because we have "The Good Stuff" coming up next. (Inaudible).
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CUOMO: All right. Time for "The Good Stuff." 20-year-old Cynthia Walker (ph) is hearing impaired. She has a really tough time communicating, that means when she goes to restaurants placing orders. So Cynthia walks into a Chick-fil-A in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and she never expected what happened next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TAYLOR ANEZ, CHICK-FIL-A CASHIER: I have two family members whom are deaf. So whenever I was younger, they would baby-sit me and I just kind of learned sign language from them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CUOMO: (Audio gap) Taylor Anez, that's who. She started signing to Cynthia when she started to order.
PEREIRA: That's awesome.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She kind of looked at me like, am I -- is this working? Am I really doing this?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CUOMO: Not even Taylor's manager knew that she could sign, by the way.
CAMEROTA: Oh my gosh.
CUOMO: And Taylor had no idea the effect it would have on her customers. You know, that mother and daughter felt like they were finally included. You know?
PEREIRA: You see me. Right.
CAMEROTA: Right. Right. That's so great -- And that is not a job qualification. But she has it.
PEREIRA: Yep.
CAMEROTA: That is great.
CUOMO: Good stuff.
PEREIRA: Well done.
CAMEROTA: Great story. All right. So it's been quite a morning here. And quite a night yesterday. CNN will bring you live coverage of the president's 11:00 a.m. announcement of his Supreme Court pick.
"NEWSROOM" with Carol Costello picks up that story right now.
