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New Day

Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders to Face Off in Debate; Interview with Jane Sanders; Cruz's Kids Stole the Show at Town Hall; Obama Administration to file Formal Diplomatic Protest. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired April 14, 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] SEN. TED CRUZ, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The odds are looking more and more likely that he can't get a majority.

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: These are the most dishonest people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: All right, well, how beautiful, right?

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Incredible.

CUOMO: Who's luckier than we are? Nobody. Good morning. Welcome to your NEW DAY. It's Thursday, April 14th, 8:00 in the east now. Alisyn and I are at the Brooklyn Navy yard at the very sophisticated sounding Duggal Greenhouse. It's sophisticated when you're sitting on the docks getting hit by river spray on your backs.

CAMEROTA: The surf was up for a minute. We were sure we were going to be sprayed here.

(LAUGHTER)

CUOMO: Usually if you're in this locations on the docks in Brooklyn you got trouble, but not right now.

(LAUGHTER)

CUOMO: This is the site of the big CNN debate. And to be clear, the two Democrat rivals drawing thousands of supporters in dueling rallies here in New York City last night. Will they sling mud at each other the way they have been talking about each other the last few days? That is the big question. We have insight on the answer ahead.

CAMEROTA: Meanwhile Donald Trump's campaign manager will not be prosecuted after allegedly grabbing a reporter's arm. This as Trump's war with the Republican Party heats up and Ted Cruz accuses Trump's campaign of acting like thugs. Cruz at the same time showing a softer side with his family and his young daughters at a CNN town hall last night. So we'll bring all of that to you. We have this race covered from

every angle. Let's begin with senior Washington correspondent Joe Johns. He's inside the debate hall. How's it looking, Joe?

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Alisyn. Looking pretty good, quite frankly. This is the big stage where it all happens tonight at a critical time for both of these candidates. Hillary Clinton has been leading in the polls for weeks and weeks in New York. But if you had any doubt about the kind of support Bernie Sanders has, just look no further than that enormous rally he held last night in the city.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am so glad to be back in the Bronx.

JOHNS: Rivals Hillary Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders both hosting dueling New York rallies ahead of tonight's CNN Democratic presidential debate. Sanders revving up a massive crowd estimated by organizers to be above 27,000 in Washington Square Park.

(MUSIC)

JOHNS: Sanders receiving a rock star welcome with celebrities before he aggressively went after Secretary Clinton.

BERNIE SANDERS, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Our differences with Secretary Clinton go beyond how we raise money. It goes to an issue which the media doesn't cover. That is our disastrous trade policies which are costing us millions of jobs.

JOHNS: Clinton making the case to voters in the Bronx, urging them to back her over Sanders.

CLINTON: I was honored to be your senator for eight years. And if you will give me the honor of your vote on Tuesday, we will continue to make life better.

JOHNS: And keeping here attacks on the Republican hopefuls.

CLINTON: One of them denigrates New York values. Mr. Trump wants to set Americans against each other. He wants to build walls. I want us to build bridges.

JOHNS: Tonight's high stakes debate comes as the heated war of words between Sanders and Clinton intensifies.

SANDERS: I have my doubts about what kind of president she would make.

JOHNS: And accusations from the Sanders campaign that the primary process is weighted in favor of Clinton.

JANE SANDERS, BERNIE SANDERS' WIFE: It is not a democratic way to carry out an election. (END VIDEOTAPE)

JOHNS: In the closing hours before this debate, the appeal to New York's minority voters continues. Bernie Sanders reaching out to Reverend Al Sharpton's National Action Network today. Hillary Clinton spoke to them yesterday, Chris.

CUOMO: All right Joe, thank you very much. So they had these big rallies here yesterday, the Democrats did. Bernie Sanders back here to his Brooklyn home. That is where we are right now. This is where he grew up. He says that he had his most important event ever last night in New York City's Washington Square Park. He says that he believes he can pull off an upset if -- if -- listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANDERS: I grew up in Brooklyn in a three and a half room rent controlled department with a family that did not have a lot of money. Standing here tonight with the support of so many thousands of people is a very humbling experience. It's a very, very moving experience. And I'm going to do everything that I can to make sure that I do not let these people down.

CUOMO: They say they want to win here in New York. Polls are trending down. Some still have you somewhere between eight and 13 down. Do you think you can win in New York?

[08:05:06] SANDERS: I do. I think, as I said many times before, we do well when the voter turnout is high. So if there is a large voter turnout, if a lot of working class people who traditionally might not vote get involved in this campaign, if young people who maybe have never voted before get involved in this campaign and come out and vote, yes I think we can win.

Last question. The big test is next Tuesday. The test before the test is tomorrow night, the big debate. There's been a lot of hot talk. What do you expect on that stage tomorrow night? What's going to be different?

SANDERS: I think it will be a good debate in which Secretary Clinton and I discuss the very strong differences of opinion that we have about how we go forward in this country. And if that takes place, I will be very happy, and I'm confident that the vision that I am bringing forth is a vision that will be supported by the vast majority of the people in New York.

CUOMO: It will be different than what we've been hearing the last few days?

SANDERS: Well, tell you about it tomorrow. OK?

CUOMO: Senator, thank you very much. Good luck tonight.

SANDERS: Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: I'll tell you who is going to tell you about it right now. The senator's better half, his wife Jane Sanders is joining us now to talk about tonight's debate and take us inside the Sanders campaign. She also has strong opinions about the Democratic primary process. So it's good to have you joining us this morning.

JANE SANDERS, BERNIE SANDERS' WIFE: Good to be here, Chris.

CUOMO: So the tone. The tone has changed, people more edgy. They are more direct. They are saying more critical things. Hue do you feel about that and how do you think it is going to be made manifest at the debate tonight?

JANE SANDERS: Well we're in New York, a little more edgy, a little more direct. But I don't think that it is an aggressive tone. I think what we are trying to do is show the contrast between a bold vision and incremental change. Between -- on each one of the issues there is a real stark difference between the candidates. And that is why Bernie is running, to offer a different vision.

So we have talk about that in contrast. The views on trade, on climate change, on fracking, on higher education. The list goes on and on. That is what I hope will be the focus of tonight's debate, a focus on the issues.

CUOMO: I was there at the event at Washington Square Park. You were not there yet when one of the introductory speakers used this phrase, "Democratic whores" about what needed to change. That was translated as being code for something about Hillary Clinton. Do you believe that, and what do you want to say about that choice of words?

JANE SANDERS: I'm sorry I didn't hear it at all. That's a strange choice of words, and I can't imagine anyone was speaking about Secretary Clinton that way. I don't know who said that.

CUOMO: It was Dr. Hong. He would later put out a tweet saying "I was talking about members of Congress. I apologize. It was insensitive." But how much responsibility should have the campaign have for what comes out of surrogate supporters online, et cetera?

JANE SANDERS: Well I think all campaigns really need to take some responsibility for what surrogates say. A mis-choice of words is not as important as trying to carry out a strategy of trying to disqualify people or trying to make them seem less than. So I think there is a lot of that to go around.

CUOMO: Jane, what do you make of the suggestions that a website connected to Sanders supporters is going after super delegates, trying to pressure them into changing their votes. Do you know anything about that? You do put any weight in it?

JANE SANDERS: I don't put any weight in it. It's interesting. Super delegates have not voted yet. The media keeps on pointing it out as though that is the delegate math we cannot pass. The fact is the convention is coming up in Philadelphia and we don't think that either candidate will have the required number of pledge delegates to be able to have the nomination. So of course people are talking to super delegates.

But more importantly, Bernie has not reach out a lot for endorsements, as you have seen. We're looking for votes from the people. He's got the momentum. He's won eight out of the last nine contests. And we hope to do well in New York. And if the crowds are any indication, we are going to do quite well. I think that what we need to do is to allow the super delegates, their given that ability to use their judgment. If Bernie keeps on winning and winning each state and the polls keep on showing that he can do much better, and it's been showing that for the last couple of months, and we don't expect that to change. We expect it to be even better.

[08:10:10] He's doing much better against the Republican candidates. So we think that the super delegates will give it a thought. They want to win. And if we've got the momentum and we've got the ability to defeat the Republicans, I think that might happen. We'll wait and see.

CUOMO: What do you think of the system? Do you think the system is fair? Or do you think it is "rigged," to use the Trump word of the moment?

JANE SANDERS: I think it is designed badly. I don't like the fact -- I don't think it is rigged. I don't think it is designed in anybody's favor. I just don't think it is very democratic. The fact is that a lot of people who might want to vote for Bernie here in New York, unless they registered as Democrats last October, they are not going to be able to unless they're new voters. That is crazy. We're bringing in so many new people into the party, and yet the party is slamming the door on those voters. They are not allowed to participate in this primary. That is not a good long-term approach.

And then each one, you know, Chris, every single one of the states has a different way of carrying out their elections and figuring out how many delegates and how they become delegates. I think we need a more systematic approach that honors one vote, one person and lets democracy work a little better. I hope that changes in the near future. We knew those were the rules going in. We had nothing do with setting them up. But we're playing by them and we're not complaining.

CUOMO: And of course if you are bringing in new voters, then they would be able to register. They have a much more abbreviated time schedule, but I take your point about the different states and the different systems.

I'm talking to you like you are a pundit or a campaign official, but you are wearing a couple of hats. You're a wife, a mother, grandmother. Last night at Washington Square Park, to have your husband standing under the Washington arch that you know he'd visited a lot and you visited a lot growing up here. You're from Brooklyn also. Be under the great words of Washington saying let us set a standard that the wise and the honest can repair to. What did that mean to you last night? The senator suggested this was the most important rally to date. Why? JANE SANDERS: I think because we are talking about the issues. Not

just the issues but in a context of principle, that we are bringing so many people into the democratic process. We are trying to reinvigorate our democracy. And to do it in a positive, issue- oriented way, to feel the support in this city where we grew up really meant a lot to us, as it did in the south Bronx when 18,000 people came, and in Coney Island the other day where thousands of people came.

This is the most important one to date. Tomorrow we'll be doing -- not tomorrow. Sunday we'll be doing Prospect Park in Brooklyn. We look forward to a large crowd there too.

But the feeling, the optimism, the commitment to the future that we get from the crowd is amazing. It is a very good harbinger for the future of America, that they want a country that belongs to all of us. Take the power out of the hands of the lobbyists and the corporate interests and put people back at the center of the focus of our government. It is humbling and exhilarating at the same time.

CUOMO: Jane Sanders, certainly a lot of energy in the crowd last night. It is so interesting. Two people grow up in Brooklyn. You still have the thick accent. Bernie sounds like another guy from Vermont.

(LAUGHTER)

CUOMO: Thank you very much for being us with on "new day" this morning.

JANE SANDERS: Thanks, Chris, good to be here.

CUOMO: All right, we are just hours away from this big event tonight. Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, they have been saying a lot about each other. What will they say to each other in this last face-off before the big primary? It's going to be tonight here in Brooklyn, 9:00 p.m. eastern only on CNN.

CAMEROTA: OK, and on the Republican side, some relief for the Trump campaign as they gear up for a contested convention. Sources telling CNN that Trump's campaign manager will not be charged after an altercation with a reporter. Meanwhile Senator Ted Cruz accusing Trump's team of acting liking, quote, thugs to score delegates. CNN's Sara Murray is live in Pittsburgh with more details. Hi, Sara.

SARA MURRAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Alisyn. Look, the Trump campaign has a lot on its plate right now. It's trying to staff up and expand.

[08:15:00] Donald Trump is going to war with the RNC. But now they have at least one less distraction as it looks like Trump's campaign manager will not be prosecuted after that run-in with a female reporter.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) MURRAY (voice-over): Sources confirm to CNN Trump's campaign manager will not be prosecuted for battery following this altercation with former Breitbart reporter, Michelle Fields, back in March. Fields, who could see defamation charges against Corey Lewandowski, tweeting, "Office of prosecutor asked two weeks ago if I'd okay with an apology from Corey. I said yes, but haven't heard back about it."

On the campaign trail tense moments outside a Trump rally in Pittsburgh as hundreds of angry protesters clashed with Trump supporters. Police in riot gear try to keep the peace. Inside, the front runner intensifying his war with the GOP.

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's a rigged system, folks. The Republican system is a rigged system.

MURRAY: And doubling down on claims his party is conspiring to block him from the nomination.

TRUMP: The bosses, and the establishment and the people that shouldn't have this power took all of the power away from the voters.

MURRAY: Republican party Chairman Reince Priebus firing back.

REINCE PRIEBUS, CHAIRMAN, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE: The rules are not being changed in order to injure or benefit anybody. They are what they are.

MURRAY: At CNN's town hall, Trump's main rival, Ted Cruz, railing against Trump's tactics and accusing his supporters of threatening delegates.

T. CRUZ: They're acting like union boss thugs. I spoke yesterday to the chairman of the Republican party in Colorado. Trump supporters put out his home address, put out his phone numbers. He got thousands of phone calls, he got death threats. Trump supporters were telling the supporters go to his house and bring their guns. Look, violence doesn't belong in democracy and the Trump campaign encourages it over and over again.

MURRAY: And on a lighter note, Cruz's wife shared how the couple met.

HEIDI CRUZ, WIFE OF TED CRUZ: It really was love at first sight.

MURRAY: But it was their five and 8-year-old daughters that stole the show.

CRUZ: Caroline's daddy/daughter picnic at school, which featured all of the dads running and playing games, and - and...

CAROLINE CRUZ, DAUGHTER OF TED CRUZ: My favorite.

T. CRUZ: Your favorite was that she got to dress up daddy in, like, this pink boa and these, like, big goofy looking...

C. CRUZ: Underwear.

T. CRUZ: ... underwear and...

C: And actually that was on a videotape the whole time.

T. CRUZ: Uh-oh.

C. CRUZ: And now it's a - and now it's a class video that they're sending out to all the parents.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Oh really?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MURRAY (on camera): Now, Ted Cruz hit Donald Trump hard last night about the way that Trump has been complaining about this process, particularly in Colorado where Cruz scooped up all of the delegates. But Trump was back at it late last night on Twitter saying Colorado changed the rules and even encouraging his supporters to protest the Colorado GOP.

Back to you, Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: Sara, so interesting to see the candidates with their kids. Some things you just can't control. So, those were great moments. Sara, thanks so much for showing us that. Let's go back to Michaela now in the studio with some other news.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Imagine your three if you were ever to do that, Alisyn. That would be a sight to behold.

CAMEROTA: I was imagining that.

PEREIRA: I know you were.

CAMEROTA: And breaking out in a cold sweat.

PEREIRA: All right, let me give you a couple of the headlines here. The Obama administration is planning to file a formal diplomatic protest to an apparent provocation by Russian jets over a U.S. naval ship. Those war planes really close range buzzing of the U.S. Donald Cook on the Baltic Sea this week simulated what U.S. officials say appeared to be an actual attack.

Chief national security correspondent Jim Sciutto is live in Washington where I'm sure there is a lot of consternation over this.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Michaela. It's as close as you can get without actually hitting. This morning Russia defending the flybys claiming that the pilots observed, quote, "all safety measures."

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

SCIUTTO (voice-over): But you look at these pictures, you see why the crew of the USS Donald Cook and the U.S. military as a whole expressing alarm. Those Russian fighter jets swooping within 75 feet at high speeds of the guided missile destroyer. A U.S. official described the flights as strafing runs without firing weapons, saying those pilots took the exact same path they would have had they actually been attacking the ship.

Russia's been conducting flights close to U.S. warships and aircraft with increasing frequency, but here closer than ever before. Russian subs also sailing close to U.S. and NATO ships and ports.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

SCIUTTO (on camera): Clearly intended as a message to the U.S., but I'll you, the very real concern of U.S. officials I speak with is that these flights are so close the margin of error is zero. They fear that a mistake could lead to a dangerous, Michaela, potentially a deadly encounter.

PEREIRA: Yes, there was serious intention behind that. All right, Jim Sciutto, thanks very much.

All right, let's head back to Chris and Alisyn in Brooklyn. And Chris, the crew guys wanted me to ask you if I had helped do your hair this morning because of the whole -- but I told them it wasn't me. It was just natural.

CAMEROTA: High velocity.

PEREIRA: Yes.

CAMEROTA: The defying gravity look of it.

CUOMO: That's odd, Mick.

[08:20:00] Alisyn just said it looked fine. What's that in my back? Not unusual down here on the docks in Brooklyn. All right, so, we got to know the Republican candidates a lot better through these town halls.

CAMEROTA: Clearly (ph).

CUOMO: I'll tell you what, there's nothing - you've take -- talking to the audience, having family there, what a combination. So, Trump's sons we saw came to his defense. Cruz's daughters stole the show. Do you want highlights? Of course you do. We'll give them to you, but first I have to deal with my hair.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAMEROTA: Republican rivals returning to the campaign trail today after three nights of CNN town halls. It was a chance to see them in a completely different light along with their families. So, let's discuss that and so much with our CNN political commentators. We have Tara Setmayer, she's a former communications director to California GOP Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, and Kayleigh McEnany, she's a Donald Trump supporter.

Ladies, great to have you here. Before we get to the town halls and all it revealed about the candidates, Tara, let me start with you. We have learned that Corey Lewandowski, Trump's campaign manager, will not be - will not be prosecuted for the altercation that he had with Michelle Fields, that reporter. Michelle Fields tweeted out, "For those asking, office of prosecutor asked two weeks ago if I would be okay with an apology from Corey. I said yes, but haven't heard back about it."

Does this go away now? Is there any lingering effect from that episode?

TARA SETMAYER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think this goes away now at this point, unless, you know, the Trump campaign somehow continues to bring it up which I would think would be not a good idea.

[08:25:06] And I really think it would have gone away if Lewandowski had just apologized to her in the first place. I mean, it was reported that that's all she asked for, that he talked to her Breitbart editor that -- the night of the incident and he said, oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know it was one of yours. But there was, you know...

CAMEROTA: Then apparently nothing happened.

SETMAYER: Right, then apparently the apology was not acceptable. Apparently in the Trump campaign they believe that if you apologize that makes you less of a man or something like that. But he refused to apologize. It escalated to what it became, and then they cast dispersions on her character which is something very untoward and that was something that a lot of us felt was unnecessary. Why escalate this? So, hopefully everyone can move past this, including Michelle Fields. I mean, the poor girl's getting death threats, people threatening to slit her throat. I mean, this thing has really gotten out of control, but I'm hoping that now we can move forward.

CAMEROTA: Okay, I want to move on. We will move forward, and I want to move onto these new polls that have just come out. These are the new "Washington Post"/ABC news polls. I'll put them up on the screen for you because it shows that Trump continues to have some unfavorability issues. This is among all U.S. adults, so not just Republicans. But here, his unfavorables, as you can see on the screen, is 67 percent. That's obviously higher than his rivals.

Kayleigh, is this a problem?

KAYLEIGH MCENANY, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATORS: No, it's not a problem because here's the thing, Donald trump came into the race with historic unfavorables. He came in, in fact, with net unfavorability more than any candidate -- presidential candidate since 1980. The media said that he has no chance, Republicans said he had no chance. He moved those numbers among Republican voters and is now the presumptive nominee and the front runner. And I - I maintain that he will also likewise move those numbers in a general election. And it's also worth mentioning Hillary Clinton does not have extraordinary favorability ratings in a general electorate either.

CAMEROTA: His numbers among Republicans, to Kayleigh's point, are better. So, he among Republican voters, his unfavorable is 42 percent, so it's close in line to Cruz's which is 38 and Kasich's which is 40 percent.

SETMAYER: Yes, if we're talking about a general, though, this is historic. I mean, no candidate's ever been elected with historic - with negatives the way Trump has them now, and especially with his negatives among women. You have to remember he has 100 percent name ID, so there's not much, you know, room for him to grow or for people to get to know him.

People do know him, and women in particular do not care for him at 73 percent, 74 percent. That's a really difficult number to move, and if he did it would have to be a dramatic swing. I mean, the Republicans can't win a general election with just Republican voters. They have to bring in others, including women, who make up over 50 percent of the electorate. So, Donald Trump would - would be a disaster for us in a general campaign.

CAMEROTA: Let's talk about the families. We saw them on display, the candidates with their families this week at the CNN town hall. Last night was Ted Cruz and his young daughters who, you know, you never know what's going to happen when you have young kids on stage with you. So watch a few moments of this.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

T. CRUZ: Catherine is sweet, Caroline is rascally. Catherine is like her mommy, Caroline is like her daddy. Poor girl. She had 11 of her classmates come over, and their favorite game at the sleepover party was attack the daddy. And I will tell you, having 11 six-year-old girls dressed as Disney princesses attacking, I mean, it's out of "Lord of the Flies," it is terrifying. She gives these hugs she calls marshmallow hugs that - that are just the sweetest thing in the world, and then slides out of my lap and she says, daddy, who do you love better, me or Caroline?

I was back for - for Caroline's daddy/daughter picnic at school which featured all the dads running and playing games, and - and

C. CRUZ: My favorite.

T. CRUZ: Your favorite was that she got to dress up daddy in, like, this pink boa and these, like, big goofy looking...

C. CRUZ: Underwear.

T. CRUZ: ... underwear and...

C. TRUZ: And actually that was on a videotape the whole time.

T. CRUZ: Uh-oh.

C. CRUZ: And now it's a - and now it's a class video that they're sending out to all the parents.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

CAMEROTA: Okay. Ted Cruz in a pink feather boa and underwear. I wish I could unsee it, but I can't. Do you think that there are - these are moments, how do you think these play with the voters? What do they do?s

MCENANY: These are great moments, and look, this was a extraordinary week for the Republican party because we have - it's no secret, there's been a lot of controversy on the campaign trail. And this week to see Ted Cruz with his daughters and to see him humanized, and to see Donald Trump and see this beautiful woman that he's raised, strong woman, and likewise to see Kasich and how he's just an average guy who his neighbors walk into his house, and to see these beautiful families, it humanized the Republican party. It was need.

CAMEROTA: Ladies, we'll leave it there. Thanks so much for being here. Great to talk to both of you.

MCENANY: Thank you.

CAMEROTA: On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders' wife expressing frustration with the primary process that has Sanders winning many states but gaining little ground with delegates. So up next, the Clinton campaign responds to that. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)