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New Day

President Obama's Historic Trip To Cuba; More Violent Clashes At Trump Rallies; Trump To Meet Republican Party Leaders In D.C. Today; Republican Leaders Mapping Plan To Stop Trump; Trump To Speak To Pro-Israel Group Today; President Visits With Staff At U.S. Embassy In Cuba; Dozens Of Dissidents Arrested Ahead Of Obama's Visit; Obama Is First Sitting President To Visit Cuba In 88 Years; Russian Airport Reopens After Fatal Crash. Aired 6-6:30a ET

Aired March 21, 2016 - 06:00   ET

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

[06:00:02] CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, welcome to your Nuevo Dia "New Day" here in Havana, Cuba. It's Monday March 21st, 6:00 in the east. I'm Chris Cuomo Live in Havana where history is unfolding before our eyes.

President Obama doing something that many here in Cuba thought would never happen. He's waking up on Cuban soil this morning, a historic trip aiming to accelerate a new era of U.S./Cuba relations. Lots of question here though, what will actually change for the Cuban people? For the Americans who want to come here with all the oppressions that are going on in this society. We're going to break down what the President has to say and what he has plan for today and what the hopes are on both sides. But for right now there is a lot of news going on.

Let's get to Alisyn and Mick in New York for all of that. Good morning my friends.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Chris, good morning. We look forward to your reporting there. We'll be back with you in a moment. But we do want to talk politics.

More chaos at Donald Trump's rallies. A new round of violent incidence between protesters and supporters at Trump events and the efforts to stop Trump are intensifying as Trump has scheduled a meeting with party officials today. All of this as five presidential remaining hopefuls make their final pitch to voters ahead of tomorrow's western contests.

So let's begin our coverage with CNN Sunien Serfaty. She's live in Washington for us. Good morning, Sunien.

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Alisyn. Well, the Republicans are heading into a big election day tomorrow with key contests in Arizona and in Utah. But for Donald Trump, a lot of the focus right now is still having to explain this escalating violence that continues to break out at his rallies.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Again, I say it for everybody, especially for the media, we don't condone violence.

SERFATY: Donald Trump once again on the defensive.

TRUMP: How come we're the bad people all the time?

SERFATY: As raucous clashes continue to overshadow the front-runner's campaign events.

TRUMP: The one who's dragging the flag and has no respect for the flag whatsoever. And his partner whoever that maybe has a Ku Klux Klan hat on. And you have an African-American man got in sensed and he started hitting the people.

SERFATY: At dinner Sunday the Republican front-runner trying to explain chaos at his rally on Saturday night.

TRUMP: Get him out of here.

SERFATY: While being escorted out, this protester caught on camera getting sucker-punched and repeatedly punched and kicked by a Trump supporter who was arrested in charged with assault.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What just happened to me inside this pace is a direct result of Trump's methods, his lies and the angry rhetoric and violent rhetoric that he's displaying on his campaign.

SERFATY: A woman behind him also being escorted out wearing a KKK hoodie. But unlike in Trumps version of events the two don't know each other. At Trumps campaign manager Corey Lewandowski in a verbal confrontation with another protester seeing in this CNN video yanking the men's shirt collar as member of Trump security detail grabs him from behind.

TRUMP: I give him credit for having spirit. He wanted them to take down those horrible profanity-laced signs.

SERFARY: Trumps competition seizing on the continued violence and his statement last week that his supporters might riot if he is denied the nomination in a contested convention.

SEN. TED CRUZ, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Donald Trump continues that path of spreading hatred, division, and it's fundamentally wrong.

GOV. KASICH, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't think that kind of language is appropriate to talk about violence and rioting. And if you go to a convention and you lose. Be a big enough person to say I gave it my best and I didn't win.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERFARY: And today Donald Trump will be in Washington, D.C. he's set to hold a big meeting with top Republican lawmakers and lobbyist trying to smooth things over a bit. And his also already to speak tonight the pro-Israel AIPAC conference already lining up to be a controversial event for him, a group of rabbis are planning to boycott his speech, Alisyn. Planning to walk out in the middle in protest. CAMEROTA: OK, so much to talk about. Sunien, thank you so much for setting that up.

Let's bring in now Jackie that you know so much for setting that up. Jackie Kucinich, Senior Politics Editor of the Daily Beast and TIME political reporter Zeke Miller. Great to have both of you here.

So, we've seen violence clashes before, but this weekend seemed to have the worst. So far there as you saw, there was that video of a protester who was sucker-punched and kicked this weekend. And Donald Trump, in his typical fashion, he did not take responsibility for that -- there you see the horrible video. And in fact he blamed the protester.

So listen to his full statement this weekend.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: These are professional agitators. And I think that somebody should say that when a road is blocked going into the event so people have to wait sometimes hours to get in, I think that's very fair and there should be blame there too. When signs are up, lifted up with tremendous profanity on him, I mean the worst profanity, and you have television cameras all over the place and people see these signs. I think maybe those have people have some blame and should suffer some blame also.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[06:05:07] CAMEROTA: Jackie, how do you describe what's going on at these Trump events?

JACKIE KUCINICH, SENIOR EDITOR, DAILY BEAST: Well, it sounds like both sides are fueling the fire at this point. Sure there is some blame for these protesters, but there for inciting some of this. But Trump's violent rhetoric is also a huge part of this. I mean, this started well before people were blocking the roads in his rallies this weekend. He said things like, you know, in the old days we used to take them out in stretchers. Punch him in the face for me. Things like that do not belong on the presidential level and on any level in politics for that manner

CAMEROTA: Steve, there was another incident involving Trump's campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, where you saw the video there. He doesn't punch the protester but grabs him by the collar and sort him bring him back so that then he can be manhandled by security. Is this the job of a campaign manager to be milling around in the crowd with protesters?

ZEKE MILLER, TIME POLITICAL REPORTER: I mean, that's absolutely not the job of a campaign manager. This is, you know, starting to become what may be paternalism obviously assault allegation against Corey Lewandowski the campaign manager. And Trump's defense obtain that he had sprit and he was there to take down some of those offensive signs with profanity on it.

It is kind of a rich explanation from a candidate like Donald Trump who deployed profanity to his benefit frequently on the campaign trail. But we heard yesterday right previously chairman Republican Party is saying that does not the role of the campaign manager, leave it up to security professionals.

And, you know, Trump also has his hired private security that worked for him in addition to local police there. And for those guys maybe they should be leaving it up to law enforcement. And Trump law enforcement also over that is kind of a bizarre explanation for that even.

CAMEROTA: Jackie, Corey was a trooper in his past life. So he is sort of more comfortable milling around in some of the chaos and some of us might be. But, you know, Donald Trump said repeatedly I don't condone violence. Is that going for enough since these things keep happening at his events?

KUCINICH: Action speaks louder than words. If he says he doesn't condone violence perhaps he should, you know, it take the rhetoric a little bit because at this point, it seems like he is saying I don't condone violence and it just all is absence is a wink at this point.

CAMEROTA: So Zeke today Donald Trump, something interesting is happening this afternoon. He is meeting with two dozen GOP party leaders. I think it is some fence mending. It suppose to be on schedule. How is this going to look? How's going to be involved? MILLER: Maybe you see a number of senators there, some lobbyists

involved. I mean, for some of them there's really no choice here that some of them are potential delegates for Republican national convention. They are lawmakers from states where voters cast ballots for Donald Trump and, you know, that he won primaries and caucuses.

So regardless of the personal and professional or policy disagreements that they have with Donald Trump, they have to be somewhat respectful of him, because that's where their base went in the primaries and caucuses. But certainly there is an opportunity for Donald Trump finally make in roads to the party establishment, which, you know, he's been denigrating on the campaign trail. There's no love lost there.

CAMEROTA: And, you know, Jackie the stop Trump movement continues to pave. Mitt Romney continues to be outspoken. In fact he had some very strong word he posted on Facebook this weekend. Let me read you what it says "This week in the Utah nominating caucus, I will vote for Senator Ted cruz. Today there is a contest between Trumpism and Republicanism. Through the calculated statemement of its leader Trumpism has become associated with racism, misogyny, bigotry, xenophobia, vulgarity and, most recently, threats and violence. I am repulsed by each and every one of these."

What happening with that movement of some Republican trying to stop Trump?

KUCINICH: It just seem at this point it was too little too late. I mean, there are as several -- a bunch of state that are still out there. But we haven't really these groups move the needle. And particularly when you see this consensus sort of building in Washington or at least attempts that can since this. Someone like Newt Gingrich has been sort of talk to go leaders and trying to get their heads around Trump going forward so they have a peaceful convention. When you see things like that going on it sort of diminishes the stop Trump movement that's going on in another part of the establishment entirely. He track in all these facts into this point.

CAMEROTA: Indeed that's why we have you guys to help, all right.

KUCINICH: Yeah.

CAMEROTA: Through all these and Zeke another thing that's happening is that Trump is going to speaking at AIPAC and there been 300 Rabbis and Jewish leaders who say that they will walk out or that they protest this. How is that going to go?

MILLER: You know Trump is use to walkout in protest in sort of incident. He's probably going to find somebody to try to spin that to his advantage. The bigger question will be, can Donald Trump deliver on some of the policy that he promised. He was asked yesterday a few times what he hoped to see there. But he previewed some apology that Mill (ph) listen to speech. But, you know, he used that as an example for the pinnacle of the great deal that only he knows how to strike.

[06:10:03] I'll be interesting to see if he actually has the substance to back some that up. And that would be what a lot of the Republican establishment is looking to. Because if he can actually bring some of that policy, that would -- it sort of a threshold issue for a lot of people in Washington. Can they actually get behind him ever? If he can come out with a coherent foreign policy issue on some of these complex issues, that makes sort of greaseless (ph) schedule a little bit for him. If he doesn't, it can harden that opposition. There's not a lot of time. But, you know, they will still put up a fight.

CAMEROTA: Zeke, Jackie, thank you so much for walking us through all of this. It's going to be a very interesting day on the trail and beyond. Micheala . MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: all right. Let's take a look at the Democratic side. Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders both making major campaign pushes in western states ahead to morrows big contest. Our Chris Frates is live on Washington on this Monday. Good morning, Chris.

CHRIS FRATES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning, Michaela. So Bernie Sanders spend the last few days campaigned hard out west in Arizona, Utah, and Idaho. And those are all states that vote tomorrow. And it's a region where Sanders think they are voters are open to his message in a place where they can make up ground against Hillary Clinton.

Here's Sanders on the campaign trail last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We need real change in this country. Between you and me, I do not believe the real change is going to come from a candidate like Secretary Clinton, who receives millions of dollars from Wall Street.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FRATES: So Sanders has been spending a good chunk of time in Arizona, which is not surprising since it does have the most delegates at stake tomorrow. And for her part, Hillary Clinton starts her day in Washington addressing the pro-Israel group AIPAC before jetting to Arizona. It's Clinton first stop in the state since her big win on Super Tuesday three last week. Yesterday Bill Clinton stumped for his wife in Arizona. And Clinton is up with a Spanish language ad in that state as well.

And before the polls open out west tomorrow, both Sanders and Clinton will have a last chance to make their case directly to voters tonight when they sit down in exclusive interviews with CNN. Michaela.

PEPEIRA: All right, Chris. Yes, thank you so much for that. On the eve of tomorrow's western Tuesday contest, all five presidential hopefuls sit down with our Anderson Cooper and Wolf Blitzer. You can see the interview starting tonight at 8:00 eastern right here on CNN. [speaking foreign language] let's do it. Chris we're going to see if we can exercise that language.

CUOMO: So, change is the big work in the election. There is also the big word here right now. Change and history. That's leading our coverage. But the big question is what will all of this mean for the Cuban people who are hungry for freedom and opportunity. Here in Havana just hours before President Obama landed, dozens of dissidents demanding improved human rights were rounded up and arrested.

Today President Obama meets with Raul Castro. That's the main event politically. Here is how we got here and what may come ahead. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: Many here in Cuba thought they would never see this. Air force one touching down at Havana's airport Sunday. President Barack Obama becoming the first sitting U.S. president to sit foot on Cuban soil since the revolution. His historic visit rich with symbolism and filled with high expectations. The President meeting with staff members of the recently reopened U.S. embassy at a nearby hotel.

PRES. BARACK OBAMA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: It is wonderful to be here. Back in 1928 President Coolidge came on a battleship. It took him three days to get here. It only took me three hours.

CUOMO: The President talking about accelerating the engagement between both nations after decades of hostility.

OBAMA: Everything we have accomplished so far, more Americans come into Cuba, more engagement with the Cuban people, civil society, faith groups, entrepreneurs, students, young people. More opportunities for Cuban people to improve their lives. It's all happening because of you. CUOMO: Just hours before President Obama arrived in Cuba, government authorities arrested dozens of dissidents, protesting for improved human rights.

Members of the group known as the ladies in white were quickly rounded up and taken away. They demonstrate every Sunday against the Castro regime and its atrocious human rights record. The rain did not stop the first family from touring the city's historic district. Cubans gathering on dampen streets hoping to catch a glimpse of history.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: You know, they are known as protesters. But that doesn't make their cause any less righteous. Yesterday was Palm Sunday. It's a very big holy day for Catholics. Some churches were open, some were not. There's a lot of change that's need here, and not all of it is about business.

CAMEROTA: Right, a lot of changes happening just before our eyes, and in front row seat on history. There it is. You know, Chris is there bringing it to us and to see the President and the First Lady walking those streets.

[06:15:07] PEREIRA: Well, and I'm curious. From the last time we were there, Chris, have you seen change? Obviously ahead there were likely were improvements made ahead of the President's visit. But if you noticed the difference since you were last there? CUOMO: I mean, cleaning up the street, no. Things are going to happen

very slowly. This is nothing like when the pope came. You know, that didn't have the controversy to it in terms of the politics. You have to remember the formation of the revolution, a big part of the fuel on the fire was opposition to America, the evil imperialist.

But that said look, this is one of the state-run papers La Granma (ph) grassroots. To see on the cover President Obama here in Cuba, this was told the generation of Cubans this will never happen because the Americans hate us. And here's President Obama clearly are not coming out of any type defiance but a way to move forward together, but also instructive, look at the article right next to it.

Obama here, right next to it, the blockade is the problem. You know what I mean, that's basically what their headline is here. That's the way it goes here Cuba. The question is what will make a change and what will that change mean. There's no question this is history. There's no question that Obama has taken a big step. And the message that we're hoping for right now is that, you know, sometimes when something that was seen as impossible happens it opens the possibility for more. And that's really the optimism right now.

CAMEROTA: Oh Chris, that's so great. We look forward to your reporting from there all morning long.

All right, we do have some breaking news to get to, though. Because overnight, North Korea firing five short-range projectiles. Into the sea off the countries east coast, this is according to South Korean officials. It's just the latest in a series of provocation from Pyongyang. 15 projectiles fired by the regime since early February. North Korea recently hit with tough new U.N. and U.S. sanctions for these nuclear and rocket tests.

PEREIRA: Chilling new information in the wake of the arrest of the Paris terror suspect Salah Abdeslam. A Belgian official revealing Abdeslam was planing more attacks, apparently ready to restart something in Brussels with a new network around him. Investigators also say they found a large number of heavy weaponry in their investigation. We'll bring a live report from Belgium a little later this hour.

CAMEROTA: Well, the Russian airport where a fly Dubai jetliner crashed over the weekend is opened again this morning. Crews have cleared all the debris from the runway. Investigators now extracting information from those black boxes which they say were severely damaged. The jet went down Saturday morning killing in the Russian city of Rostov-on- Don killing all 62 people on board.

PEREIRA: Spring coming off to an odd start, a snowy start to spring in parts of the northeast. Look at this. Northeastern winter storm rather warning in effect for parts of Massachusetts and Maine, most they are forecast to about six inches of snow. The hardest hit areas near the water might even see up to 10 inches. Schools in Boston are already closed. Dozens of schools in Rhode Island are also shut. The snow is expected to stop in the next few hours but not before it kind of makes a bit of mess for your morning commute if you leave in any of those areas. Happy spring.

CAMEROTA: Yeah, this is not our time to spring.

PEREIRA: Not really. I think it's more like what Chris has Cuba.

CUOMO: You now what, the rain here is bad enough. The last thing they would need is snow. Who would know -- can't even imagine what that would mean for the people here.

So this is a big day. You're going to hear the word history thrown around a lot. And in truth on many levels we can't exaggerate the significants of this.

[06:18:33] The big meeting today, the big ticket will be when the American president and the Cuban president meet. Barack Obama and Raul Castro. You see the two men on their screen. What will come out, what will be said, what will be avoided next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: All right. We had the big moment here when air force one touched down. That was history to be sure. The question is what will change? We have the men to discuss that right here. Our man in Havana Patrick Oppmann our Bureau Chief and also CNN Senior White House correspondent Jim Acosta.

Gentlemen, we witnessed history together yesterday. I keep saying the word. People say, why, why? Because no one thought this would ever happen. And it never had since the revolution. So, Patrick, we have had time to absorb it. What is the word here in Havana?

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN HAVANA BUREAU CHIEF: Taking to Cuban friends like I got home late last night as we all did. And so what you want you hear from President Barack Obama? It's a little disappointed that President that could able address in the public location, some of the White House probably wanted that. It's a just a step too far.

But, you know, they know the president will talk about the long history. They know the history. Too many people know their history very well. They want to hear what he has to say about their future. And certainly, you know, a lot of people are saying, will it be there, or be that, tear down this wall line. Ronald Reagan made so famous. And I think Cubans want to hear about what he can build.

So it's about looking forward how their economy changes Chris as, you know, most people here work for the government they only make about $20 or $30 a month. That's not enough to live off. People are surviving from the money that coming from Miami. People are surviving by, you know, any way possible. They want to have a normal life. And they want to be able to earn a decent living. And I think they want to hear how the president can help them. At the end of the day, as the President said its really up to Cuba to change Cuba's reality.

CUOMO: Money is a problem. Freedom is a problem.

OPPMANN: Yeah.

CUOMO: Now the President aware of this. He knew that this would smothered a little bit here in Cuba, because frankly, there is no upside for the Cuban government to show the Cuban people loving to see Obama. They are supposed to be the enemy, the American government. So what is the hope here for the U.S. side?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Chris first of all. I mean, just to get back to what Patrick was saying here. I think one of the big questions today when we see President Obama and President Castro together, do they take questions? I've been talking to White House officials. One of the big questions today is, will President Castro take questions from the U.S. press? You know will they take question in addition to making these statements?

CUOMO: You know buyer or seller or that?

ACOSTA: I am lukewarm to that proposition.

OPPMANN: That's true, he hasn't comment.

[06:25:00] ACOSTA: But, you know what? If it does happen it's a signal. It's a signal that something has changing here.

CUOMO: What about the signal of Maduro from Venezuela being here .

ACOSTA: Yeah.

CUOMO: Right before President Obama meeting with Fidel Castro. ACOSTA: Our press plan, the White House press plan was circling. So, Maduro could get out here. There were hustling him out as they're preparing to bring us in. You know, this is a diplomatic dance for President Obama. He wants to do two things. He wants to yes, bring U.S. businesses to Cuba to sort of cement his legacy here. Making it difficult to put the rum back in the bottle from a policy standpoint, if you don't mind me saying.

And then also, the White House says he's going to talk about human rights. He's going to talk about freedom of the press. He's going to talk about freedom of speech. The question is what words does he use? How far does he go, does he have a tear down this wall moment. Hopefully not the Malik (ph) home we can keep that up and standing.

ACOSTA: No, no.

ACOSTA: But it's a big test for this president. A big test for the Cubans, the Cubans what currency to come in they want the Americans to come in. They have to show something.

CUOMO: You have to give to get though right.

ACOSTA: That's right.

CUOMO: We all know that's the ratio involved here. So last night we were luck to be kind of in the same room with a lot of the delegation that's here. Whatever you want to call them, many of them Cubans, business man in Miami, they are not happy about the Castro regime but they came. The obvious question is why. They say I don't want to lose my country twice. Just like Jose Marti often referred to as like the father of Cuban revolution, he was fighting in 1800 to get it. They say he spent most of his time exiled.

OPPMANN: In the U.S.

CUOMO: Right.

ACOSTA: Right.

OPPMANN: In the Europe.

CUOMO: So have we. Now we risk losing Cuba again. Now it's to foreign investment, the Chinese and others. So there here for that because we are not here for the Castro's, we're here to try get our country back.

OPPMANN: And they understand that culture and it is not about just making a quick buck. It's about rebuilding you're country.

CUOMO: Hopefully.

OPPMANN: Hopefully in a long-term investment. But listen, you know, here the -- the Cuban government talking they embargoed what they called the blockade.

The Cuban people will talk about the internal blockade. Their own, what the government has put up making it possible to do, you know, those basic things like business.

CUOMO: And that's the co-headline on this morning the paper. All these are state run, right? The is the La Granma, the grassroots paper. One part Obama, the other part blockade.

OPPMANN: Yes.

CUOMO: Right, give an equal ...

OPPMANN: We hear that a lot from officials. This is what they want the most. The embargo visibility, but Cubans talk about the internal embargo. When the government has put on them the stifles (ph) industry, a freedom of expression so many things here and they say if you lift that as well, there's no limit no one can accomplish here.

CUOMO: And what's the main push back -- what's the main criticism is you shouldn't be there.

ACOSTA: Right.

CUOMO: As long as the Castros are in power, that place isn't going to change, don't reward them.

ACOSTA: That's right. Ted Cruz Cuban-American running for president right now put out a statement saying that the U.S. is basically propping up a dictatorship here with currency and cash coming into Cuba.

And, you know, here I have a flyer for major league baseball. It's going to be here in La Habana, Tampa Bay Rays versus Cuba on Tuesday. So, you know, the Ted Cruz's of the word they also have to be mad at ESPN. They are going to be broadcasting a game from here. I talked to a Cuban dissident here in Cuba that was released as part of the deal between United States and Cuba.. He said, you know what, I'm glad President Obama is coming here. Because it's going to put pressure on the Castro government, he's going to put pressure on the Cubans to make changes.

The question is how far they'll go? What are the changes going to look like, will this dissident be happy about it? He suppose to meet with President Obama later on this week. It's going to be a huge moment. An American President meeting with Cuban dissidence here on Cuban soil, who would though it?

But it's going to happen. And we'll see how the Cubans behave? We have seen it on state television. They've been putting all of these on state television Cubans are watching this. So changes are happening. It's not happening as fast as everyone would like it. But is happening.

OPPMANN: And to Jim's point, if a dissident has been in jail, who has had so much taken from them before this, how can anybody on the outside be against this? Someone who suffered that much to say, you know, this is the path forward, you know, you make peace with your enemies and that's what happening.

CUOMO: It's called politics.

OPPMANN: Yeah.

CUOMO: And it certainly going to come. But Patrick, Jim will be doing a whole day.

ACOSTA: Sounds good.

CUOMO: And certainly anyway you look at it, its history. What it mean go forward, we'll find out. So little tease there.

The lone surviving Paris terrorist suspect, we know have been understanding that may have been something else to com. His name is Salah Abdeslam he now telling Belgium investigators about future plans. What that about? We'll tell you when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)