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Ted Cruz Supporter Interviewed; Hillary Clinton Denies Claims Campaign Took Money from Fossil Fuel Industry; Boat Crashes into San Diego Pier; Clinton: "Sick of the Sanders Campaign Lying About Me". Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired April 01, 2016 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:00] DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, Phil.

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Don. Donald Trump is stepping off the campaign trail yesterday probably couldn't have come at more opportune time in the wake of a wild week, one of the more dangerous weeks Donald Trump has found himself in over the course of his campaign.

While he was off the campaign trail publicly, he did have private meetings, one of those, as you guys mentioned, with the RNC, and there obviously very important technical reasons for that meeting. Everybody trying to figure how to get the requisite delegate to secure that nomination, but also a broader point at that meeting according to sources familiar with it -- trying to figure out a way to mend bridges and even unify the party.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTINGLY: Donald Trump, now trying to make nice with party leaders amid fallout from yet another political firestorm. The Republican frontrunner in Washington for a meeting with the chairman of the Republican National Committee, Reince Priebus. Behind closed doors sources say discussion focused on delegate rules ahead of the convention just days after Trump and the other GOP hopefuls backed out of their pledge to support the nominee.

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It was a very good meeting. We met with Reince Priebus and the staff, and they're very good people. Very actually a terrific meeting, I think. And it's really a unity meeting.

MATTINGLY: Trump also huddling with foreign policy advisers at the site of his new hotel for a two-hour private meeting as his comments on nuclear proliferation continue to rile American allies.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You said in Japan, yes, it's fine, you get nuclear weapons, South Korean, you as well, and Saudi Arabia says we want them too.

TRUMP: Can I be honest? It's going to happen anyway.

MATTINGLY: Trump's camp uncharacteristically quiet Thursday, one day after abortion comments put the New York billionaire's campaign on the defensive.

CHRIS MATTHEWS, MSNBC HOST: Do you believe in punishment for abortion, as a principle, yes or no?

TRUMP: The answer is that there has to be some form of punishment?

MATTHEWS: For the woman?

TRUMP: Yes. There has to be some form.

MATTINGLY: His rivals seizing on the controversy, claiming forcefully he's not qualified for the Oval Office.

GOV. JOHN KASICH, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have to tell you that as commander in chief and leader of the free world, you don't get do-overs.

MATTINGLY: Ohio Governor John Kasich unleashing a pointed, specific attack on the frontrunner.

KASIH: The abortion controversy, using nukes in the Middle East and Europe, get rid of the Geneva Convention, getting rid of NATO having a Supreme Court justice who is going to investigate Hillary's e-mails, I don't even know what he's talking about there.

MATTINGLY: Ted Cruz sending out his wife, Heidi, and top surrogate, former presidential candidate Carly Fiorina, attempting to underscore Trump's continued difficulty with women voters.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MATTINGLY: Obviously the campaign has been particularly nasty on the Republican side over the last couple weeks, guys, but it looks like April fool's is able to bring out levity, if you will. This is one of the more dangerous days for reporters around the country, no question about it. Ted Cruz tweeting out that his long-running challenge to Donald Trump to have a one-on-one debate has been accepted. And Alisyn, I might be wrong here, but the video included on that seems to be directly targeted at you.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: What? Let's see it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TED CRUZ, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I invite Donald right now to engage in a one-on-one debate with me anytime.

TRUMP: We've had 11 debates. According to the polls, I've won every single debate is.

We're going on forever with these debates.

(MUSIC)

(END VIDEO CLIP) CAMEROTA: It's so good! Or is it targeted at you, Phil?

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Phil Mattingly?

DON LEMON: You know, I am new to this show. But ever since I've been here, en telling me how much --

CAMEROTA: Twinsies.

LEMON: -- you guys look alike.

(APPLAUSE)

CAMEROTA: And here's the thing. He has been good humored about this, but is it true that you have colleagues from past lives reaching out? You feel like you're never going to live this down. Wait, I said it, yes.

MATTINGLY: It's never going away. This is how Donald Trump tagged opponents over the course of his campaign. I have now been tagged by you guys and people on campaigns, people at the White House, people at former places of employment now do not let me live this down. So thank you for that. I am honored. It's been fantastic.

CAMEROTA: We're never going to give you up or let you down.

LEMON: We're never going to turn around and desert you.

CAMEROTA: Separated at birth those two. Thanks so much for being a good sport.

LEMON: I still say he looks like Robin. We'll have to get that up, from Batman and Robin, true.

But let's talk some more politics, shall we.

CAMEROTA: Please.

LEMON: Talk about it now, Ted Cruz surrogate and national co- chair for the group women for Cruz, Rebecca Hagelin is here to discuss Cruz's strategy going into Wisconsin. Good morning to you. Thank you for joining us. So let's start with Ted Cruz's Wisconsin strategy. How confident is the campaign about heading into next week? Does he think that, you know, he can win Wisconsin? And, of course, that's a big game changer?

[08:05:02] REBECCA HAGELIN, CRUZ CAMPAIGN SURROGATE: Oh, well, absolutely he can win Wisconsin. And largely it's because Ted Cruz has a message that America is ready for. Ted Cruz is the candidate that we in the Republican Party that are conservatives have been looking for since Ronald Reagan. And his message about jobs, freedom, and security is resonating across the great state of Wisconsin. It's resonating across America, and I will have to say, two days ago we did this wonderful event in Madison, Wisconsin.

LEMON: I want to talk to you -- let me set it up for you. HAGELIN: Yes.

LEMON: You moderated this event, right, Rebecca?

HAGELIN: I did.

LEMON: In Wisconsin on Wednesday. And my question is, by moderating this event, and because you were talking to women, is the campaign trying to capitalize on the issues that Donald Trump is having with women, especially with abortion comments and other things, his misspeak on abortion, or is this, you know, considering that 21 percent of Republicans think abortion should be illegal, is this a losing strategy for Republicans?

HAGELIN: Oh, my goodness. First of all, the campaign for Ted Cruz does not have to capitalize on the whole women issue because Donald Trump just intrinsically has a problem with women because of the way he repeatedly treats women. It's part of his M.O. It's something he's carried with him his entire life. Everything from starting the first strip club at a casino in Atlantic City to the derogatory comments he makes to standing up for a bully in his own campaign manager against harming a woman.

Basically what we did in Wisconsin was just further the message that women are supporting Ted Cruz, that Ted Cruz' policies work for women, they work for America, the whole issues of jobs, freedom, and security. I mean, right now, what a lot of women are facing, and a lot of Americans, indeed, is this big, we head into spring called the IRS. In just a couple of weeks we'll have go through those onerous forms. Moms are scrambling in their homes right now trying to find the paperwork.

LEMON: Tell us -- yes. Tell us about it. And women usually --

HAGELIN: And Ted Cruz has this wonderful -- let me just finish. Ted Cruz has this fabulous 10 percent tax rate across the board that is going to free the American family from the onerous regulations of the IRS.

LEMON: OK, I get that you're saying.

HAGELIN: Fill it out on a postcard.

LEMON: We get that, and if he does become president. Let's stick to Wisconsin, right? Put the polls back up.

HAGELIN: Sure.

LEMON: He does have a pretty good lead. It is a 10 percent lead over Donald Trump, 10 percent lead. But we know the polls in the past have been wrong in many cases, especially if you look at the Democratic side and what happened with Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton in Michigan. You said that you're not concerned going into this. You think that he can win, because, again, this could be a game changer, especially when it comes to the no Trump or the stop Trump movement. They are counting on Wisconsin. HAGELIN: Well, it will be a game changer. And Ted Cruz is going

to walk away with the Republican nomination. Of that, I am very certain. And it's going to happen because we've won the hearts and minds of the voters. And here in Wisconsin we don't take anything for granted. You know, you have to earn that vote every single day, and that's one thing I think that Trump forget about. You've got to earn the hearts and minds and the trust of the American people, when you want to be the leader of the free world, and Ted Cruz is doing that.

We see people coalescing behind him, the governor of this great state, the leaders of the pro-life movement. It's just fabulous how people are realizing that Ted Cruz is the Ronald Reagan of the new generation.

HAGELIN: The one thing you should be concerned about, if we have this I would like the sound bite of Ted Cruz talking about Kasich being on the ballot, but the one thing people may not take kindly to is someone who may be trying to push someone out of the race, because Ted Cruz has said that John Kasich should be our the race. Here he is and then we'll talk about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CRUZ: It's against the rules for John Kasich to be on the ballot. The rules provide to be even on the ballot, if I don't one has 1,237 you he to have won at least eight states. There are only two candidates meet that threshold, Donald Trump and me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: OK, so Kasich would be stronger, though, as a general election candidate than Ted Cruz and, again, people may not take kindly to someone trying to push someone o of the race?

HAGELIN: Well, Ted Cruz is not trying to push him out the race. As my dad used to say, them are the rules. And we find that Donald Trump doesn't like the rules of Louisiana. He's talking about suing the GOP in Louisiana, because he doesn't like the rules. The rules are the rules and you go into a game knowing the rules and you don't try to change them at the last minute. This is why we're confident that Ted Cruz is going to walk away with the nomination.

[08:10:00] But he's going to fight for and earn every single vote that he gets, and he's going to show America that, you know what, it's time for us to stand up to the establishment. It's time for us to take our country back, to take the constitution back, to secure the liberties that are guaranteed all Americans in the Bill of Rights. Nobody has more experience in doing that than Ted Cruz who has argued successfully cases before the Supreme Court on religious liberty. He's argued for gun rights, the Second Amendment. He's argued for parental rights. He's our man, big time.

LEMON: You know your business when it comes to Ted Cruz and we appreciate you joining us here on CNN. Rebecca Hagelin, thank you.

HAGELIN: Thank you so much. CAMEROTA: OK, Don, for Democratic rivals Hillary Clinton and

Bernie Sanders, the battle for New York is getting intense as personal. But Wisconsin's primary is right around the corner and polls show the race there neck and neck. So CNN's senior Washington correspondent Joe Johns is live with more for us. Hi, Joe.

JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Alisyn. You know, as the race for New York heats up the Bernie Sanders campaign is claiming it had another huge month in fundraising which just keeps him cruising along in the race for delegates. Intentions are now running high on the democratic side as the race drags on. Hillary Clinton calling out Bernie Sanders at an event at the State University at New York at Purchase and in turn found herself confronted by a small group of protestors chanting if she wins, we lose. And the former secretary of state not backing down, asserting it was Bernie people who came to say that.

But it didn't stop there. On the rope line after the event a Green Peace activist asking her about taking money from the fossil fuel industry, and the pointed angry response from the candidate, underscoring some of the frustration her campaign's been expressing. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Were you asked on your word you took fossil fuel money --

HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I did not. I have not taken money from people that work for fossil fuels. I am so sick -- I am so sick of the Sanders campaign lying about this, sick of it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: So the Sanders campaign citing a Green Peace article that said Mrs. Clinton has relied heavily on money from lobbyists from the oil and gas industry. Big picture, this shows how high the stakes are in delegate-rich New York where both candidates have strong ties, setting the stage for what could be a potentially raw and confrontational stretch in the campaign. New York is the biggest state left on the electoral map with the exception of California. Add to that the tension of the perception that, with a big push in New York, the Clinton campaign may be deemphasizing Wisconsin and the primary there next Tuesday where Bernie Sanders appears to hold a narrow advantage. Michaela?

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: So many interesting twists and turns. It will be interesting to watch New York and what happens. Thanks, Joe.

We've got to show you this video. The moment a tour boat violently slams into the pier with people on land scattering in the nick of time. We saw that one elderly woman walking past just as the boat was about to make impact.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) PEREIRA: You can hear the blaring horn sending bystanders

fleeing for safety, the only warning seconds before this frightening crash. Crew members say they just couldn't stop this 150-foot harbor cruise ship from plowing into a San Diego pier Thursday. The unexpected impact sending some of the nearly 150 people onboard flying, injuring seven passengers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just slammed up against there. My head, my arms and everything, hurt my back.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Some lady they took to the hospital fell and hit her head on the, on the deck and then slid.

PEREIRA: On land, tense moments as a man pulls an elderly woman out of harm's way right before the three-deck ship collided with the dock.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She was coming in faster than normal.

PEREIRA: Crew members say they lost control after the ship's pro pulse shim malfunctioned.

NORMA SWENSEN, EYEWITNESS: All of a sudden we heard the horn blower start honking its horn really loud and it was coming in way too fast, and we knew right away it was going to hit. Did they plan on going back out? I would not be on that boat.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PEREIRA: So Horn Blower operates these cruises all the time. They've run for 22 years. It's a well-respected, well-reputed company. I've been on Horn Blower cruises. It is shocking to see something like that happen. Obviously the Coast Guard is going to investigate exactly what went wrong, how they handled it. It's crazy.

CAMEROTA: Scared for the people onboard.

LEMON: There's nothing you can do, just watch it happen.

PEREIRA: Right.

LEMON: All right, politics now. Bernie Sanders hoping a big win in Wisconsin on Tuesday will help put New York in play, but how realistic is that, really, especially considering the Clintons have established so many deep ties in the big apple? We're going to talk strategy with the Sanders camp next on NEW DAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:18:55] CAMEROTA: A tense moment on the campaign trail when Hillary Clinton shot back at a climate activist over whether she accepts donations from the fossil fuel industry. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST: If you protect -- with climate change, will you act on your word and reject fossil fuel money in the future in your campaign?

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I do not, I have money from people who work for fossil fuel companies. I am so sick, I am so sick of the Sanders' campaign lying about that. I'm sick of it!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: OK. So, let's bring in Bernie Sanders' campaign manager Jeff Weaver to respond to this.

Good morning, Jeff.

JEFF WEAVER, BERNIE SANDERS CAMPAIGN MANAGER: Good morning. How are you?

CAMEROTA: I'm doing well. I don't know if you could hear Secretary Clinton there, but she said, "I am so sick of the Sanders campaign lying about this." Are you being dishonest whether or not she takes money fro the fossil fuel industry?

WEAVER: Well, let's be clear, Alisyn. The Clinton campaign and its associated affiliated super PACs have taken millions of dollars from the banking industries, from fossil fuel industries, from the pharmaceutical companies, from the private prison lobbyists and now, we've learned recently from lobbyists from the NRA. So, they'll take money from anybody and are sensitive about the fact it's getting pointed out.

[08:20:02] CAMEROTA: But those are two separate things, Jeff. The PAC which she does not coordinated with and can't by law --

(LAUGHTER)

CAMEROTA: So, you're expressing skepticism?

WEAVER: Well, I mean, look, Correct the Record, which is her attack PAC, as you know, run by the character assassinator David Brock, they openly coordinate with him and say they can openly coordinate with him. There are areas where they can coordinate and areas where they cannot.

But let me say this, the Clinton campaign people, John Podesta and others, the secretary herself, her husband, they raised money for the super PAC.

CAMEROTA: Hmm.

Here's what FactCheck.org says in December. They found the Clinton had not taken any money from PACs tied to the oil and gas industry, or the companies themselves. Employees of oil and gas companies, however, have contributed $307,000 to Clinton's campaign. This is according to the Center for Responsive Politics. But Bernie Sanders has received $54,000.

So does that lessen your argument when Bernie Sanders has also taken money from people connected to the fossil fuel industry?

WEAVER: No. Look, Alisyn, if someone who works on an oil rig in the gulf or works in a refinery or something and wants to give Hillary Clinton a check for her presidential campaign or Bernie Sanders or anybody else a check, that's not what's at issue here.

But I think what the reporting ignores is how Washington really works. And how it works is that lobbyists for these companies, whether it's the gun companies or the oil companies or the drug companies or the banks bundle tons and tons and tons of money, right? On behalf of their clients to give to candidates so that they have influence with them after the election, that's how it really works.

It's not a $2,700 PAC check from Exxon that's the problem. The problem is some lobbyist from Exxon bundling $100,000 or $200,000 or $300,000, and giving it to the Clinton campaign or the super PAC, or frankly, their dark money C4 that we don't know what funds that, because there's no reporting requirements. These are the problems, is that these large sums of money that's being bundled by lobbyists.

CAMEROTA: But isn't this the same thing? He's taking money from individuals who work for the fossil fuel industry. She's taking money from individuals who work for the fossil fuel industry. According to factcheck.org, she's not taking it from companies themselves.

I mean, isn't this sort of just a level playing field between these two?

WEAVER: No. Again, Alisyn, I think it ignores the way Washington really works, which is the power of the lobbying community in Washington, if you have a lobbyist for a big oil company, which is bundling hundreds of thousands dollars, which will not be represented in the report that you were talking about. When that happens, the day after the election, that lobbyist is going to be knocking on the White House door saying, hey, remember me? I bundled $300,000 for you, or $200,000 for you, or $150,000 for you, and I'd like to talk about item X, Y or Z on the agenda. That's what goes on in Washington.

CAMEROTA: So, you're saying that she would be beholden. You believe that she would be beholden to the fossil fuel industry, though there is no evidence that has happened?

WEAVER: Well, it's not a question of being beholden. The truth of the matter is that, she's always said that she's all of above candidate. You know, she actively advocated for fracking overseas when she was secretary of state. She has not ruled out banning, she has not supported banning fracking here in the United States.

You know, her position on offshore drilling has been inconsistent at best, having voted at times for offshore drilling.

So, look, I think the case is, that they recognize is that Hillary Clinton will be friendly to them when she's in the White House. It's not about being beholden. It's about the she's already has positions that they like.

CAMEROTA: It sounds like the Hillary Clinton campaign is saying that they believe the primary will be wrapped up by April 19th or the day after. That's when the New York primary is. Do you agree with that schedule?

WEAVER: No, absolutely not. Look, the Clinton campaign said it's going to be wrapped up in February. And then they said, it's going to be wrapped up in March. Now, they're saying it's going to be wrapped in April.

Look, New York is a big test in this contest. Obviously, there's going to be a lot of energy and effort put in by both campaigns in terms of resources and candidates' time, but the truth of the matter is, is that the Clinton campaign has to have a big win in New York. I mean, Bernie Sanders won Vermont, his home state by 86 percent.

You know, the Clinton campaign needs to win and win convincingly to convince people that this campaign is over. Time and time again, they've called us out, Alisyn. We're not out, obviously. We had a huge fundraising month, a grassroots fund-raising of $44 million last month. The people are standing with Bernie Sanders because he'd standing with them.

We're going to go into New York. We're going to compete. We're going to do well.

Is it a must win for us? It's not a must-win for us. But we're going to do well and the Clinton campaign, frankly, has to do extremely well --

CAMEROTA: And what would that look like, Jeff, what would be a big, extremely well win look like?

WEAVER: Well, I think there has to be a six the front of her number frankly for that to be a convincing win on her part.

CAMEROTA: OK. And then, what is -- how does the schedule look for you moving forward? Where do you think you will win?

WEAVER: Well, I think, you know, the contest in Wisconsin is obviously going on now. The senator is spending a lot of time in Wisconsin. I mean, some of the polls show him up slightly. It's obviously going to be a tough fight there, but, you know, I think we're going to do very well in Wisconsin, and I think we're going to go to New York and we're going to do well there.

I think -- in the intervening week, I think we're going to do well in Wyoming, and then we're going to go into Pennsylvania, and Delaware and Maryland and Connecticut and (INAUDIBLE), I think we're going to do very well there.

[08:25:05] And we're going to take us all the way to June 7th when California, New Jersey and other states vote. We're going all the way to the convention, as the senator has said.

CAMEROTA: There you go. Jeff Weaver, thanks so much for being on NEW DAY.

WEAVER: Thanks. Happy to be here, always.

CAMEROTA: Thanks.

Let's get over to Michaela.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Donald Trump's decision to back off the loyalty pledge to support the eventual nominee could end up costing him in South Carolina. The price Trump may pay for breaking that pledge and what it could mean come convention time.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Donald Trump breaking his loyalty pledge to support the Republican Party nominee. And as a result, his hold on South Carolina's 50 delegates could be in jeopardy. The state required candidates to sign and oath promising loyalty to the eventual nominee. Could it cost him these delegates?

Let's discuss this now. Matt Moore, chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party.

Matt, thank you. You can educate and viewers on this. OK?

So, this is why this is important. South Carolina requires candidates to pledge their loyalty to the party's eventual nominee, in order to secure a slot on the primary ballot. So, Trump won all of the state's delegates in February in the primary.