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Trump Vs. Clinton: Preview Of General Election?; Republican Women Share Their Thoughts on Trump; Amazon Delivers Big Profits. Aired 7:30-8a ET
Aired April 29, 2016 - 07:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[07:30:00]ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN HOST: Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump now launching attacks against each other, the latest over the so- called woman card. Is this a preview of the slugfest we'll see in the general election? Let's talk about it with Sean Spicer, chief strategist and communications director for the RNC and Luis Miranda, communications director for the DNC.
Gentlemen, take your corners. This is a little preview of what we're going to be seeing. So, Luis, can you peel back the curtain for us at the DNC and let us know how you're preparing for what promises to be a very wild ride in the general?
LUIS MIRANDA, DNC COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Absolutely. We're excited about this race and thanks for having me on. I think that when we look at the contrast between the two parties, and not just with Donald Trump, but really what the Republican Party has turned into over the last few years, you see that the divisiveness and the ugly rhetoric has been coming from Republicans for a very long time from the party leadership and policies that focus on those at the very top at the expense of hardworking Americans.
So, we think as we head into the general election we're very well- positioned to show the American people that the Democratic Party's values and our priorities are in line with what they are. That we're building on the progress we've made over the last seven years and the hard work that they've done to bring our country back from the great recession.
CAMEROTA: OK.
MIRANDA: And we think it's going to be a good contrast. And unlike the Republican primary candidates who didn't stand up to Donald Trump, we're going to stand up to him.
CAMEROTA: OK, let's talk about that because Sean, we have already seen a preview --
SEAN SPICER, RNC CHIEF STRATEGIST & COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Hold on. Alisyn, can I just -- one quick -- coming out of that real quick.
CAMEROTA: Yes.
SPICER: I think it's important -- look, elections -- Luis did a great job of reciting the DNC talking points and that's his job and I appreciate that. But the reality is campaigns are about two things. The candidates -- the message that they espouse and their ability to connect with voters and the mechanics.
The ability to get out there and actually go door-to-door, contact voters, and get them out to the polls. When you look at where we stand viz a viz the two parties and the candidates, let's look at what's going on. You have a Republican Party that's raising record amounts of money, have put in an historic ground game, has the best opposition research and the best data and digital operation, bar none, political parties.
You've got The New York Times reporting that the chief from Hillary Clinton's coming down to the look at the DNC because it's, frankly right now, in shambles. It's bankrupt and it's dysfunctional. And when you can't be that kind of an aide to the party -- we saw that. Frankly, we were in that position in 2012. We couldn't be the party that we needed to be to help Mitt Romney win.
And I think the problem right now is that they're going to come out of this divisive primary with Hillary and Bernie Sanders, and the DNC is not in the position that a political party needs to be to provide the resources to win. They have no ground game, they have no data and digital operation, their fundraising is anemic. They're, frankly, bankrupt. They're upside down when it comes to the money that they have in.
So, as much as Luis can talk about the rhetoric that they're going to espouse and the talking points that they're going to e-mail out, being able to e-mail is about the only resource that the DNC is going to be able to provide their nominee.
CAMEROTA: Luis, do you want to respond to that?
MIRANDA: You just talked about that the general elections are about messaging contrast and the reality is is not only are we positioning the party well heading into the general election, we've had a data and digital and analytic edge over Republicans over the last several years.
And, in fact, because we do have a national voter file where the RNC, after 2012, said they needed to catch up on the data and what happened? They haven't been able to sign agreements with all of their state parties and their candidates have been using different information.
SPICER: Actually, that's not --
MIRANDA: So, the fact is that --
SPICER: Frankly, that's just not --
MIRANDA: Sean, let me finish. We're very well-positioned heading into the general election and a big reason is because we've also had a primary in which, as we saw this past week, seven out of 10 of our voters in exit polls, just as you saw in New York --
CAMEROTA: Yes, yes.
MIRANDA: -- just as you saw in Wisconsin, are excited or optimistic about both of our candidates.
CAMEROTA: OK.
MIRANDA: Where a majority of Republicans see their primary as divisive.
CAMEROTA: OK.
MIRANDA: The fact is the American people see the Republican Party as divisive and that's going to make a difference.
CAMEROTA: Got it. Quickly, Sean, you can respond, quickly.
SPICER: Well, great. Look, the facts just don't bear this out. Here's the reality. In 35 of 39 states the Democratic turnout is down over 2008. Their overall turnout is down 20 percent. Republican turnout in the same states is up 60 percent. And among battleground states it's as high as 70 percent.
So when it comes to actually enthusiasm and intensity to get out there, when it comes out to registration and all the mechanical things that you needed to win a general, it all favors the Republican Party. When it comes to the operation and mechanics --
MIRANDA: It has more roasts than Donald Trump.
SPICER: Frankly -- hold on --
MIRANDA: Sanders has more votes than Kasich and Cruz.
SPICER: Luis, like you said, let me finish. Please let me finish. Please let me finish.
CAMEROTA: Quickly, Sean.
SPICER: The New York Times reported that Robby Mook and a team from the Hillary Clinton campaign came down to Washington to visit with the DNC because Robby Mook, in particular, was discouraged with the state of the DNC and its ability to do its job. So that's not me, that's The New York Times. Not exactly a Republican friend when it comes to reporting.So look, the reality is --
MIRANDA: We talked to both of our campaigns --
SPICER: -- is that when it comes to winning an election -- yes, I bet you do. Considering the state of the DNC I bet you better talk a lot more, and do a little less talking and a lot more raising money and providing the resources that you need.
CAMEROTA: Guys, guys --
SPICER: But I'm glad you're in the state that you're in.
CAMEROTA: Listen, it's --
MIRANDA: We're focused on the issues and that's why we're going to win.
[07:35:00] CAMEROTA: Guys, guys, it's fun to watch you guys duke this out and you're giving us quite a little preview of what we can expect from the candidates, as well. But what was not as fun is to watch the violence outside of a Donald Trump rally last night.
SPICER: That's right.
CAMEROTA: Sean, I want to just pull some pictures up of what happened last night. These were anti-Trump protestors. They were turning over police cars. There was all sorts of vandalism.
SPICER: Yes, it's disgusting.
CAMEROTA: Yes, so what -- I mean, how much of a concern do you have moving forward, Sean, about these scenes that we're seeing?
SPICER: Well, I'll tell you. Here's what is interesting. When the issues happened in Chicago a few months ago it was the Republican national committee and members of folks on our side that called out and said we agree this sort of violence is unacceptable. But yesterday you heard absolute silence when folks on the left went and caused this absolute disrespectful nature. Caused violence -- just, you know, ruining public property. Silence from the DNC, silence from Hillary Clinton.
CAMEROTA: OK.
SPICER: They are such hypocrites. When it comes to voting rights --
MIRANDA: Sean, I'll denounce it right now.
SPICER: -- with the state of --
MIRANDA: I will denounce it right now.
SPICER: There's 67 polling places --
CAMEROTA: OK, hold on, Sean.
SPICER: -- said nothing. When it comes to violence they say nothing.
CAMEROTA: Yes. Hold on, Sean.
SPICER: You know, it's interesting. They're always willing to call out everybody else but when it's their side --
CAMEROTA: OK.
SPICER: -- it disrupts -- that creates violence --
MIRANDA: I will denounce it right now.
CAMEROTA: Yes, give Luis a chance to talk. Sean, hold on.
MIRANDA: It should be peaceful.
CAMEROTA: Go ahead.
MIRANDA: Protests should be peaceful, absolutely. And I hope you join me, too, in denouncing your local Republican Party chairman in Broward County, Florida, who last night said the most offensive, misogynistic thing that anyone has said on this campaign. And it's largely driven because the RNC has stood by and not stood up to Donald Trump's misogynistic comments throughout this whole election and it's about time you do. Denounce them with me.
CAMEROTA: OK, guys, we're leaving it there. Sean, Luis, thank you.
SPICER: What a way to start a Friday, huh?
CAMEROTA: I guess. Have a great weekend, guys. We'll talk again. Thanks so much.
MIRANDA: Have a good weekend, Alisyn. Thank you.
SPICER: Thanks, guys.
MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN HOST: Happy Friday, indeed. My word, all right. So, what do you Republican women in Indiana think of Donald Trump? CNN talked to a group of women and heard some surprising opinions. You'll hear them next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[07:41:00] PEREIRA: So what do Republican women in Indiana think of Donald Trump? CNN spoke to a panel of female voters to get some insight and what some of them told CNN's Randi Kaye might surprise you. Watch.
(BEGIN AUDIOTAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: When I say Donald Trump, what the first word that comes to mind?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Powerful.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Scary.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Surprising.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Dangerous.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No way.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Divisive.
KAYE: Six Republican women from Indiana weighing on in Donald Trump's comments about women and his suggestion that Hillary Clinton is playing the women's card. DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Frankly, if Hillary Clinton were a man, I don't think she'd get 5 percent of the vote. The only thing she's got going is the woman's card.
MOLLY: That's insulting, regardless of how you feel about Hillary Clinton, to imply that her background as U.S. Senator and Secretary of State give her zero qualifications. And Trump's assertion that Hillary would only have the support of 5 percent of the population is ridiculous. Who does he think the rest of her supporters would go for, him?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't' think these comments are helpful to him or to his campaign. However, I still believe he is still playing the theatrical card.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm scared to death of a person who's setting that sort of a tone.
KAYE: Some of these women are willing to overlook Trump's comments because they think he's strong on the economy and jobs. Though after calling Megan Kelly crazy and making fun of Carly Fiorina's face, some here are surprised Trump is still on top.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I thought when he made those derogatory remarks about Carly Fiorina's personal stature and her beauty, that would sink him.
KAYE: In fact, some in our group said they'd still support Trump even after comments he made to Howard Stern years ago. The men were talking about women in the beauty pageant Trump once owned.
TRUMP: First of all, she's unbelievably short and I'm a little bit surprised. I think that the boob job is terrible. You know, they look like two light posts coming out of a body.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I call this cocktail talk and he just doesn't know any better.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's talking about contestants in the pageant, it's another way to get people to watch the pageant.
MOLLY: Ladies, I can't believe you're excusing his behavior as the world of business or as good old boy'snetwork. I mean, those are the exact same justifications used for sexual harassment for years. To use the word boobs several times, that's not promoting the pageant.
KAYE: These comments would not prevent you from voting for Donald Trump?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, they will not.
KAYE: Brenda Gerber Vincent is disgusted by all of Trump's comments about women but is still considering him for president. Is there anything he could do to win your vote?
VINCENT: We're smart. We're really smart. We understand policy. We understand what's necessary for the country to move forward. We understand economic development. Start speaking to us as partners.
TRUMP: Thank you, everybody.
KAYE: In the end, though, Trump may drive some of these Republican women to vote Democratic. If Donald Trump is the nominee would any of you consider voting for Hillary Clinton -- voting Democratic?
VINCENT: No.
KAYE: Molly says yes.
MOLLY: Yes. I am undecided of what I will do in the fall if Trump is the nominee.
KAYE: So you may actually vote for the other party?
MOLLY: I may.
KAYE: Randi Kaye, CNN, Indianapolis.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PEREIRA: There is a lot to unpack in that. We want to discuss this with CNN politics editor Juana Summers. Jackie Kucinich is here. She's the Washington bureau chief of The Daily Beast. Ladies, wow, wow, wow-wow. So many things to unpack. It's interesting, Juana, to hear the language, right? It's not that Randi was leading them.
These were words the women used themselves -- Republican women -- to describe Donald Trump. Scary, dangerous divisive. One woman said she was disgusted. Yet, most of them, I think all but one conceding they would vote for him in the fall. Kind of holding their nose, yet still voting. What do you make of that?
[07:45:00] JUANA SUMMERS, CNN POLITICS EDITOR: Yes, it's really interesting. Donald Trump is getting closer now. He's on the path to, perhaps, clinch the Republican nomination on June 7th when five states head to the polls. And I think if you're a Republican woman now, you hear these comments, you don't like them. As one woman said, they're disgusting. She doesn't want to have a president speak that way.
But, what do you then if that's the Republican standard-bearer I guess you just you have to hope that in the general election Donald Trump -- we've seen Donald Trump change and moderate is positions any number of times. We have to hope, perhaps, that he'll able to do that. That you'll hear less of that rhetoric in a general election against Hillary Clinton.
And the alternative is, when you're a Republican, someone like a Hillary Clinton or a Bernie Sanders, who is contrary to every single thing you believe, I don't envy their position. It's just a really tough choice.
PEREIRA: But Jackie -- OK, so Jackie that is, you know -- I mean, that's the terrible choice that they could say they face is you hold your nose to sort of say I feel very -- it's not just I don't really like him. They have visceral reactions to the commentary. You hold your nose to vote for him because the flip side is somebody who ideologically don't line up with. Have we seen this to this extent before?
JACKIE KUCINICH, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, THE DAILY BEST: I mean, let's remember that this is already a party with a gender problem -- with a gender gap. Mitt Romney lost the 2012 election by 12 points with women, so they're starting in the hole.
And with someone like Donald Trump immediately going after Hillary Clinton on the basis of gender, it's a tactic that just -- I'm not sure that it's going to be successful because we're not talking about Republican women in a general election. We're talking about independents --
PEREIRA: Right.
KUCINICH: -- and we're talking about Democrats. And what he's saying right now, it makes binders full of women seem quaint in comparison.
PEREIRA: Well, OK, let's pull up some of the numbers -- the unfavorable numbers that we have in our CNN/ORC poll from March 17th to the 20th. Among Republican voters his unfavorables are at 73 percent, Juana. I mean, it's so interesting -- of women, pardon me.
I have to think that the campaign is going to try and pay attention to women like these women in Indiana, will they not? Do you think they will sit down and sort of say as we go forward we said we're going to pivot? My tone will shift. Do you think this is going to be part of the shift we'll see?
SUMMERS: I think, to Jackie's point, they have to if they want to be competitive against a likely Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, the way things are looking on the other side of the aisle. Some of that same CNN/ORC polling showed that if you do a general election match-up with Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton wins by 30 points. That is huge.
So, Donald Trump needs to get every vote he can if he's the nominee if he wants to become competitive in the general election to win over not just Republican women like the ones interviewed in the segment we just watched, but independent women and, perhaps, even Democratic women. There's a lot of work to do and I think to do that he needs to message far beyond saying women love me. I can protect them.
PEREIRA: Right, great.
KUCINICH: And saying all these things about them.
SUMMERS: Exactly.
PEREIRA: You know, and Jackie, it's so funny. Maybe I'm a little reflective here on my last day but I was just sort of thinking about this, like stepping back looking at this. We have the potential for the first woman to be lead a major party and an opponent who some consider a raging misogynist. Wow, just wow.
KUCINICH: Yes.
PEREIRA: What a time.
KUCINICH: What a time. I mean, I imagine you're going to see Ivanka on the campaign trail more. You saw that early on in the Donald Trump campaign. And she's someone that he can point to and say look, look at my daughter. Look how well she's done on her own. And so, I think -- rolling her out, I wouldn't be surprised if he picks a woman as his running mate to sort of bolster his status with women. But, it's a lot of work and it's an uphill climb for any Republican, let alone Donald Trump.
PEREIRA: Sure. Wow, ladies, this was a great chat with both of you. I look forward to more in the future. Jackie, Juana, our appreciation and mine especially. Thanks, ladies. Alisyn --
SUMMERS: Thank you.
CAMEROTA: OK, Michaela. First responders in Connecticut managed to free a woman trapped in her car in three feet of water. (Video playing) Look at this. We'll show you how they went beyond the call.
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN HOST: Amazing. But first, this Sunday's "PARTS UNKNOWN" at 9:00 p.m. eastern. Anthony Bourdain showing us a surprising culinary side to Chicago. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANTHONY BOURDAIN, HOST, PARTS UNKNOWN: Maybe the first thing you think of when you think about Chicago is not ass-burning Szechuan food. But maybe -- maybe it should be.
STEPHANIE IZARD, CHEF, RESTAURANTEUR: Well, I think a lot of people may think that Chicago is like on the magnificent mile and you know, they're like oh, should we go down to Navy Pier. No, why?
BOURDAIN: Right.
IZARD: So it's nice to go out to the neighborhood when there's so many different ethnicities everywhere. So, going places like that is really awesome.
BOURDAIN: One of my favorite Chicagoans, chef, restaurateur, Stephanie Izard, from the Girl and the Goat, and her colleague Peter Wong enlightened me. Look, I knew Chicago was a city of very diverse neighborhoods. Everybody says so. But this, I didn't know about. Now I do.So, where are we and why are we here? I have to say I'm really glad we're here, but why?
[07:45:00] IZARD: We're at Sze Chaun Cuisine. So, after going after going into China we were just talking about that Chengdu is my favorite place but Peter's never actually been to Chengdu. And so coming back then it was like let's go to Chinatown and try to find places to find those things we ate for breakfast every day. BOURDAIN: Pork dumplings and chili oil start the fire. And, they're
slippery.
IZARD: You got it?
PETER WONG, CHEF, RESTAURATEUR: You know why? The chopstick is thin, it's not thick and fat. Here, just do this.
IZARD: I thought you're not supposed to do that? Peter, you're supposed to help me. You know I love this (INAUDIBLE).
BOURDAIN: I'm so happy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[07:54:00] CUOMO: It is time for CNN Money now and nobody loves money like chief business correspondent Christine Romans, in the money center.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hello. Good morning, Chris. Two big techmovers today. Wall Street expected huge numbers from Amazon and Amazon delivered. It's fourth quarter straight quarterly profit after years of losing money. Revenue jumped and its Cloud computing business is hot, hosting content for big names like Netflix. Amazon's stock has been having a rough year but it's up more than 12 percent in pre-market trading this morning.
Apple's bad week is getting even worse. Billionaire investor Carl Icahn dumping his huge stake in Apple. He's worried about the company's business in China. At the end of last year, Icahn owned 46 million shares of Apple. That stock has lost almost 10 percent this week after its worst earnings in more than a decade. It's down slightly ahead of the open, Michaela. Both of those stocks, Amazon and Apple, are pretty widely held so you might have that in your 401(K).
[07:55:00] PEREIRA: Pretty widely held, I would say. All right, thanks so much. A daring water rescue. A call to action unlike anything first responders in Groton, Connecticut have ever seen. The 85-year-old woman trapped inside her car after it plunged into a river feeding into the Long Island Sound.
CNN's Jessica Schneider tells us how those rescuers went beyond the call of duty.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my God.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Multiple 911's for a car into the water.
JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was mid-afternoon in Groton, Connecticut when an emergency shattered the calm of a picturesque shoreline town.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, God. Do something. Quickly.
SCHNEIDER: Eighty-five-year-old Marie Fitzgerald was attempting to park along the waterfront when her Honda Civic burst through the barrier over the rocks and into these 3-foot-high waves.
CHESTER KANIECKI, GROTON FIRE DEPARTMENT: There was skid marks on the concrete and she drove through one of these concrete posts out onto the rocks and out into the water.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, oh Jesus.
SCHNEIDER: A bystander jumps into help --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hurry up, hurry up.
SCHNEIDER: -- smashing the windshield.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, dear God.
SCHNEIDER: Lieutenant Eric Jenkins, on a call close by, quickly arrived at the scene and jumped into the water.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Break the window.
LT. ERIC JENKINS, GROTON CITY POLICE: When I got in the water they handed me the Halligan to break the window with, but by that time the water was up to the top of the window. When I looked in she was leaning back against the seat, breathing from the air that was still captured at the top of the roof. I broke the window and luckily enough I was able to get to the door handle right way, from the inside, and the door came right open.
SCHNEIDER: You weren't dressed for a cold-water rescue. You were in this uniform.
JENKINS: I was in this uniform, right. I'm usually inside.
SCHNEIDER: And the water was, what, 40?
JENKINS: Forty-four degrees they said, right.
SCHNEIDER: Freezing, it's pretty cold.
JENKINS: Yes.
SCHNEIDER: And it didn't bother you because you had such adrenalin.
JENKINS: The adrenalin was kicking in and the car was bobbing. I was worried about the lady inside. I was worried about getting her out so I reached under both arms from her back and pulled her out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Way to go, guys.
JENKINS: It's nice that after 27 years you know there's one event you did that helped.
SCHNEIDER: A team effort saving Fitzgerald's life. The 85-year-old expressing her gratitude, sending the fire and police departments handwritten thank you letters.
DEPUTY CHIEF ROBERT TOMPKINS, GROTON FIRE DEPARTMENT (READING LETTER): "They worked so efficiently that I'm sure they saved me from the panic that comes with an event like that. I will be forever grateful to all of you."
SCHNEIDER: Jessica Schneider, CNN, Groton, Connecticut.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
PEREIRA: Angels on earth, my goodness. We are following a lot of news including a live interview with Jane Sanders. Let's get to it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Here we are in a world that's going to hell. We're not going to take it anymore. If I don't win I will consider it a total and complete waste of time, energy, and money.
JOHN BOEHNER, FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER: Lucifer in the flesh.
TED CRUZ (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When John Boehner calls me Lucifer he's directing that to you.
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN HOST: Bernie Sanders may be down but he's not out.
BERNIE SANDERS (D-VT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think the evidence is overwhelming that you are looking at the strongest Democratic candidate.
CAMEROTA: It's the end of an era here at NEW DAY.
CUOMO: She came, she took our hearts, and now she leaves.
CAMEROTA: Stick around for Michaela's big send-off.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
This is NEW DAY with Chris Cuomo, Alisyn Camerota, and Michaela Pereira.
CUOMO: Good morning. Welcome to your new day. It's Friday, April 29th, 8:00 in the east and we do have a lot to talk about this morning with Michaela. But we also have some breaking news of the ordinary variety.
We had hundreds of anti-Trump protestors taking to the streets, but it didn't stay a protest for long. It turned violent, blocking traffic, vandalizing cars, throwing rocks. At least one Trump supporter was left bloodied, many, many more arrested. The protests come as the Republican Party establishment appears to be warming up to Trump as their nominee. But we know one establishment Republican who's not warming up to Ted Cruz. Former House Speaker John Boehner -- he actually called Ted Cruz Lucifer and a miserable SOB.
CAMEROTA: On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton is back on the stump as Bernie Sanders' campaign shifts between winning the nomination, or trying to, and being a party influencer. So, we will talk to his wife, Jane, live, in just a few moments.
We have this race covered the way only CNN can. Let's begin with Phil Mattingly. He is live in Washington. Good morning, Phil.
PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Alisyn. Donald Trump's advisers believe that California will be the contest that pushes the candidate over the top in that fight for the Republican nomination. The state's 172 delegates so important that Trump was willing to leave the crucial state of Indiana to try and lock in that support out west.
