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New Day

Nine Arrested, Five Officers Injured in Seattle Protests; Presidential Hopefuls Make Final Push in Indiana; Sanders makes Push for Clinton's Super Delegates. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired May 02, 2016 - 07:00   ET

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

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN HOST: Donald Trump says the nomination is his if he wins Indiana. The Republican front-runner joins us live here on NEW DAY in just a few moments.

[07:00:08] CHRIS CUOMO, CNN HOST: But first, we do have breaking news. Violent protests breaking out on the streets of Seattle overnight. Messages for immigration and workers' rights literally go up in smoke as May Day demonstrations take a turn for the worst.

Police turning to tear gas, pepper spray, trying to rein in crowds. Some of the people in the crowds tossing rocks, cans of spray paint; even Molotov cocktails were in the mix. Police and protestors injured in this situation. The numbers still developing.

Let's get right to CNN's Dan Simon. What do we know now?

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, hey, Chris. The festivities turned into mayhem when this group of protestors just started throwing things at police. They started busting up some storefronts, as well. It could be a very busy day of cleanup in downtown Seattle.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There it is!

SIMON (voice-over): Flash grenades containing tear gas and pepper spray filling the air as Seattle police in riot gear try to break up hundreds of May Day protestors.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My forehead hurts, everything. I need a doctor.

SIMON: The annual march celebrating the rights of workers and immigrants started peacefully but turned violent Sunday evening after police say anti-capitalist demonstrators began breaking windows and throwing wooden poles and Molotov cocktails like these toward officers.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When it becomes violent, and when the property damage becomes significant, we have to do something, and we did.

SIMON: Injuries were suffered on both sides. Police say several officers were hurt in the tense standoff: one struck by a rock, another hit by a Molotov cocktail and another bit by a demonstrator, while some protestors were injured from the flash grenades. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All of a sudden, they said get back and sprayed

(EXPLETIVE DELETED) right in my face.

SIMON: Seattle police making several arrests as the protests dwindled into the night.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do we want?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Justice!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Justice!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Justice!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now!

SIMON: A very different picture in Los Angeles, where thousands took to the streets in peaceful May Day marches.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're here to fight together.

SIMON: Some demonstrators taking aim at Donald Trump's immigration policy. The Republican front-runner looming large in the form of a balloon effigy, with the bombastic billionaire carrying a KKK hood.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He is the perfect example of what we cannot stand for any longer. We will no longer be suppressed, and we are taking our power back.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SIMON: If what happened in Seattle sounds familiar, that's because it is. We've seen this play out over the past few years on May 1. Police did seem to be prepared; they showed up in riot gear. But Alisyn, it just goes to show you that when you have a group determined to incite violence there's really little you can do.

Back to you.

CAMEROTA: It does seem to illustrate that, Dan. Thanks so much for the reporting.

Turning now to the presidential race, the latest poll gives Donald Trump a double-digit lead over his rival Ted Cruz in Indiana. And Donald Trump will join us live in just moments.

But first, we have the 2016 election covered the way only CNN can. So let's begin with Phil Mattingly. Hi, Phil.

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Alisyn. This was supposed to be the week the GOP race turned back towards Ted Cruz. Two weeks of sweeping victories for Donald Trump. Indiana was the state where Ted Cruz would seize the race back and turn it back in his favor in his push not only to block Donald Trump but to get to a contested convention. Just one problem: What happens if Donald Trump wins Indiana? We may be about to find out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTINGLY (voice-over): Time, running out on the "stop Trump" movement?

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES: I mean, the two last ones, they're, like, hanging by their fingertips. They're choking. "Don't let me fall! Don't let me fall!"

MATTINGLY: Donald Trump confident that a big win in the Indiana primary tomorrow will cement his path to the GOP nomination, effectively knock out Senator Cruz and Governor John Kasich.

TRUMP: If we win Indiana, it's over, OK? And then we can focus on Crooked Hillary. Please, let's focus on Hillary.

MATTINGLY: Trump kicking off the week by ramping up against Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.

TRUMP: If she were not a woman, she wouldn't even be in this race.

MATTINGLY: He's refusing to tone it down.

TRUMP: She's a strong person. She's going to have to be able to take it. The fact is, she -- the only card she has is the woman's card. She's done a lousy job in so many ways, and even women don't like her.

MATTINGLY: Ted Cruz pinning his hopes for besting Trump in Indiana, even though the latest poll in the state shows him trailing Trump by 15 points.

SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have to tell you, I have faith in Hoosiers. In the common sense, good judgment of the men and women of this great state.

MATTINGLY: Over the weekend, Donald Trump is saying he's being cheated of delegates he won in Arizona.

TRUMP: It's all a rigged system. For instance, I won in Arizona. I won everything, but these guys are trying to go in and get votes in the second ballot.

MATTINGLY: The Cruz campaign trying to outmaneuver the front-runner, courting delegates country-wide to come his way at a contested convention, all if Trump isn't able to lock up the nomination on the first ballot.

(END VIDEOTAPE) [07:05:08] MATTINGLY: Now, Donald Trump and his advisers making clear, first ballot is the place they want to win. First ballot may be the only place they can win.

For Ted Cruz to prevent that, obviously he has to win on Tuesday. His campaign blitzing the state today, including multiple events with Republican Governor Mike Pence.

So even if the polls are sliding away from Ted Cruz, Cruz and his campaign not giving up. Still feels, Chris, like they have an opportunity in the state.

CUOMO: Yes. Polls are odd there, and they are soft. So we'll be down to the last second, and we'll be covering it. Phil, thank you very much.

Let's talk more about what's at stake in Indiana. Is it really do or die for Cruz and Kasich? What happens in a second vote? A lot of issues in the air. Let's discuss.

Former senior adviser to Mitt Romney and former RNC spokesperson Kevin Sheridan joins us this morning; and CNN political commentator and former Reagan White House political director Jeffrey Lord. Good to have you both.

JEFFREY LORD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Good morning.

CUOMO: Gentlemen, if Cruz loses Indiana, is it over for him?

KEVIN SHERIDAN, FORMER RNC SPOKESPERSON: Most likely. He's going to have a really tough time. He's made, you know -- the Cruz campaign has made Indiana a target. This is where he was supposed to, you know, be able to turn out the conservative vote. If public polling holds up, it's -- it's looking pretty unlikely that he's going to have a path to the nomination. So -- or to denying the nomination from Trump.

So look, Trump's got to -- Trump's still got to win in California. He's got 53, obviously, separate congressional races, basically, to clean up in there, to get to the 1,237. But it's looking really unlikely if Cruz can't stop him in Indiana.

CUOMO: All right. And so here's Cruz' case, Jeffrey, though, as to why he would disagree with Kevin. It's that, that's only one vote, pal. And if he doesn't get to 1,237, which he may not. He may, but he may not. I believe he needs 47 percent. Put up the numbers there of what Trump needs to get to, of remaining delegates to get to 1,237. It's about 47 percent.

Kasich and Cruz are both over 100 percent of the remaining number of delegates. I always think it's funny when it's more than what's available.

But he's saying, that's only on the first vote. Look what happened in Arizona, Jeffrey Lord. Does that scare you about what happens at a convention? And for the audience at home, Cruz and his operation went down to Arizona and turned the majority of delegates there, who by state law have to vote for Trump on the first ballot, but only the first ballot. The second one is their own will.

LORD: Well, Ted Cruz's problem here is that the momentum is with Donald Trump. and I mean, I personally am beginning to think this nomination fight is essentially over.

And Chris, here in Pennsylvania the other day, Donald Trump did something that no Republican or Democrat has ever been able to do. He carried all 67 counties in a contested primary. That's never been done before.

The message that kind of support sends to politicians is, you better get on the bandwagon now, because your voters are on the bandwagon.

So I imagine that if Indiana plays out as that poll indicates, that all this is going to do is begin to seal the nomination for Donald Trump. We're never going to get to a second ballot.

CUOMO: All right. The next question I have -- when I ask this kind of question to Jeffrey, he uses his ridiculous knowledge to dig up some arcane analogy to what I'm going to ask, so I'm going to skip him and I'm going to come back to you, Kevin.

The use of the woman card. The use of the phrase "China is raping us." Is this the kind of language that fires up the base? Or is it a cause for concern in building a bigger tent if you have the nominee named Trump?

SHERIDAN: Well, that's the great test right now. It's that he has -- he's succeeded in the Republican primary by being this kind of insult comic routine, where he's just -- you know, he's taken down every other opponent.

But whether or not he can actually appeal to millennials, whether or not he can appeal to women, the numbers are looking really, really -- like historically high against him in that regard. So he's going to have to -- he's going to have to show that he's got a different dimension here, a different ability to actually reach out to a general election electorate, rather than just the Republican primary voters that he's been able to capture so far. Because right now his unapproval ratings are very, very high.

CUOMO: Do you feel the need to respond, Jeffrey Lord, or should I ask you something else?

LORD: I have a column at "Newsbusters" this very day that points out that when the woman in question is Sarah Palin, and liberals feel free to pillory her as an idiot, a moron, a joke, mock her clothes, et cetera, et cetera, there is a strange silence about sexism on the left. So to be perfectly candid, I don't think this is going to stick.

CUOMO: Where is your column? "Newsbusters," you said today is where it is?

LORD: Thank you, Christopher. Thank you!

[07:10:00] CUOMO: Boy, oh, boy. No one wanted that one, huh? Let me ask you something else.

LORD: Favorite place (ph), no doubt.

CUOMO: For sure.

So in Indiana, Governor Mike Pence endorses Cruz. Trump says, "Did you read that endorsement? It's so mild it's basically for me."

But do you believe that it's a good thing for him, to have Governor Mike Pence against him, to build that broader tent? Does it allow Donald Trump to argue that he doesn't share some of the opinions of a Pence in that part of the party when it comes to what's called religious freedom laws?

LORD: Are you asking me?

CUOMO: Yes, Jeffrey, please.

LORD: Yes, yes. Well, I -- I think that, you know, Mike Pence delivered an endorsement that frankly was almost as much of an endorsement of Donald Trump.

So I don't know how much those issues are going to play, you know, state by state by state here. But I think Donald Trump is, you know, on the right side of history on something like this. So I really don't think that that's going to be a problem.

CUOMO: Cruz has been making the big push on this. That's why I'm asking, Kevin.

LORD: Yes, yes.

CUOMO: He's running around that state. Do you think that it's going to play in Trump's favor, if he's the nominee, that he can say to a broader audience, "Hey, I didn't get Pence's endorsement there. You know where I am on the bathrooms. You know where I am on these laws"?

LORD: Chris, I mean, I really think that the major issues are going to be the economy, immigration, ISIS, things of that nature. I mean, I understand the hot-button issues. I'm certainly not endorsing this kind of thing. I mean, I would be inclined to support religious freedom bills, personally. But just in terms of overall, I mean, I think that these kind of issues fade in importance to the economy.

CUOMO: So what do you think, Kevin?

SHERIDAN: Well, to go back to the Pence, you know, endorsement, or tepid endorsement, look, Donald Trump doesn't really need endorsements. He's proven he doesn't really want them; he doesn't need them. Some people may proactively start to get behind him, just because it looks like he's going to win the nomination. But I think many still won't. So, you know, he can -- his numbers are fine with or without, in

Indiana, it looks like, with or without Pence's endorsement or not. So...

CUOMO: Well, we'll see. Tomorrow's one of those days where...

LORD: I'll take Bobby Knight any day.

CUOMO: You'll take Bobby Knight every day. I'm sure you will. We'll see. What happens in Indiana is definitely going to set the table for discussions for the weeks to come. Thank you very much.

Kevin, good to have you on the show.

Jeffrey Lord, as always, sir, as always.

LORD: Thank you, sir.

CUOMO: All right. So coming up, Donald Trump is going to discuss these issues on his own merits. He's going to be joining us here on NEW DAY live. You can watch and make your own judgments -- John.

BERMAN: All right. Chris, thanks so much.

To Democrats now. Senator Bernie Sanders making a big push for super delegates. He insists they should back him instead of Hillary Clinton in states where he won. He's vowing to stay in the race now until those super delegates formally get to vote at the convention in July.

CNN's Chris Frates is live in Indianapolis with more.

Good morning, Chris.

CHRIS FRATES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning, John.

Yes, Bernie Sanders continues to campaign hard here in Indiana, trying to close that gap with Hillary Clinton and win this nomination, although even he is now acknowledging that that is a long shot. If you take a look at the math here, you start to understand why. He's got to win all -- almost all of the delegates left in this race to clinch that nomination.

He's calling on the super delegates in the states that he has won to support him, but even if he gets those Democratic power brokers to switch sides, the math doesn't work out for him. And if you look at the polls, not really any good news there, either. The latest NBC poll here in Indiana has Sanders trailing Hillary Clinton 50-46, and that might help explain why Clinton isn't even campaigning here in Indiana today. In fact, she's starting to focus on Donald Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The leading contender is the insidious birther movement to discredit the president's citizenship. We cannot let Barack Obama's legacy fall into Donald Trump's hands. (END VIDEO CLIP)

FRATES: Now, Donald Trump firing back, continuing to call Clinton Crooked Hillary and saying he's going to use some of the same lines of attack that Bernie Sanders has used in this primary in a general election. And, you know, that's not surprising, because, you know, he is going to continue to hit Hillary Clinton.

Bernie Sanders defending that line of attack, though. Saying that, you know, he will do anything and everything necessary to defeat Donald Trump and the Republican nominee, whomever that is. One thing he doesn't seem willing to do at this point is to get out of this race and clear the field for Hillary Clinton. He says he's in it until the end. He's staying in until June, Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: OK, there you go. Chris, thanks so much for that update.

More news to tell you about, because most public schools in Detroit are closed this morning after the teachers' union told its members to call out sick. The edict coming one day after the school district informed the union it will be unable to pay its employees after June 30. Detroit public school officials calling on Michigan lawmakers to pass a $715 million education reform package or all summer programs will be cancelled.

[07:15:17] BERMAN: A huge fire destroyed a 160-year-old church right here in New York City. The tragic fire took nearly 200 firefighters more than three hours to put out the flames. It happened in the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral, St. Sava. The historic church was destroyed on the holiest day for Orthodox Christians around the world as they celebrated Easter. No serious injuries reported. The cause of that fire, still unknown.

CUOMO: So some good news for the first family. First daughter Malia Obama is going to attend Harvard University. But -- not until 2017. The White House not saying what she's going to do during what they call a gap year. The White House Correspondents' Dinner, President Obama also revealed the first family plans to stay in Washington for two years after his presidency ends. Why? The obvious. His kids. Younger daughter Sasha finishing high school.

BERMAN: A rejection of Yale. A flat-out rejection.

CUOMO: We don't know if she got in.

CAMEROTA: Maybe she didn't get in.

BERMAN: I assumed projected it.

CAMEROTA: Maybe she had -- Harvard was her safety net.

CUOMO: Yes. You know, I mean...

CAMEROTA: I mean...

CUOMO: If you can't go for the best, then go to the rest. CAMEROTA: Crazy. Someone on the set went to the Harvard.

CUOMO: Congratulations to the family, though. It's always exciting to know where your kids are going to go to school.

BERMAN: It's not a bad idea to take a year off, by the way.

CAMEROTA: A lot of kids are doing that now.

CUOMO: Maybe during that year, she'll do something with her life, she'll become more attracted to Yale and the she switches.

BERMAN: Maybe she'll finally get into her dream school.

CAMEROTA: There you go.

CUOMO: Look where you wind up when you go...

CAMEROTA: If you go to Harvard.

BERMAN: It's true. It's true.

CUOMO: I love it.

CAMEROTA: Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton telling people at an NAACP dinner that President Obama's legacy is on the line if Donald Trump wins. Is that a smart strategy for her? Is she overlooking Bernie Sanders too soon? We explore all of that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:21:01] CAMEROTA: Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in a statistical dead heat in Indiana, one day ahead of tomorrow's primaries. Sanders is vowing to stay in the race, even if he loses. He says it will be virtually impossible for Clinton to get the number of pledged delegates needed to clinch the nomination before the convention.

Joining us to talk about this, CNN political commentator and host of CNN's "SMERCONISH," Michael Smerconish.

Good morning, Michael.

MICHAEL SMERCONISH, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Good morning.

CAMEROTA: So we talk about what would happens if Bernie Sanders loses. What happens if he wins? They are tied in Indiana right now, if you count the margin of error there. It's neck and neck. So if Bernie Sanders wins Indiana, then does he have a fighting chance to stay in and get the nomination?

SMERCONISH: Well, he has a fighting chance to stay in, but not to get the nomination, and you heard in his remarks yesterday, Alisyn. Now he's really drilling down on the concept of super delegates being fundamentally unfair and undemocratic. But there's a bigger story here that needs to be told, which is, why

are there super delegates? Frankly, I think Republicans in this cycle wish they had more super delegates, because they exist against a populist outbreak.

Look at what happened to the Democrats in 1972. McGovern got shellacked. And so what they said is "We need to give more power to people who are in a position who have run elections, who know what it takes to win." And in this contest, they are an enormous buffer for Hillary against Bernie Sanders.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

SMERCONISH: So ultimately, she gets there, but does she get there on pledged delegates? That's the issue.

SMERCONISH: Look, you've heard Donald Trump echo that very same sentiment. And he is -- he and Bernie are increasing people awareness. That your vote you believe is so precious may not actually count as much as whatever the delegates, or super delegates, want to do.

I mean, we've seen this on both sides. Look at Arizona. You know, this is an issue that will be looked at for the rest of this campaign and beyond, because these candidates have raised it.

SMERCONISH: If you're Bernie Sanders, what you say is, "Look at the fall polls. I run stronger against Donald Trump or any of the other Democrats than does she."

But I think there's a practical response to that, which is to say that, even though he's run this campaign for a year, Hillary Clinton has really not gone after Bernie Sanders. And whether America in a general election is prepared for a self-described democratic socialist, I think there's a lot of doubt, including doubt among the Democratic intelligenzia, and that's why they're happy to have the super delegates give her the edge.

CAMEROTA: Let's look at Bernie Sanders's fund-raising, because something has shifted in the past month. So he was doing gang busters in February and March, as you can see, and then in April, he was down, not half -- not 50 percent but a lot. OK? He was down to 25.8 million. So that shows, what, Michael?

SMERCONISH: I think it shows that a sense of realism has finally kicked in. I've been waiting for this to happen. It will be interesting to see whether the crowds also begin to diminish.

Because up until now, I think they've been there and writing those $27 checks and showing up regardless of what the math looks like. Now, Alisyn, we're in the final stretch. This really is the 11th hour of the nomination process. And it seems like, at least when it comes to writing checks, Bernie supporters are saying, "There's no way for him to get there."

CAMEROTA: Hmm. Michael, I want to ask you about something that's happening this morning. Hillary Clinton is jumping in her so-called Scooby Van, not sow solve spooky mysteries but to tour through Appalachia, through West Virginia and Kentucky and Ohio. She's going to talk about her economic policies and how to improve life there.

There was a moment during a CNN town hall back in March where she talked about the demise of the coal industry. This, of course, is coal country where she's going. So let me play this for you, and you can tell me if this will come back to haunt her today or tomorrow. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[07:25:00] CLINTON: I'm the only candidate which has a policy about how to bring economic opportunity using clean, renewable energy as the key into coal country. Because we're going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: So what about -- is that a message of sort of reality that they need to hear? Or is this a message they're going to reject?

SMERCONISH: I think it's probably the former and not the latter. I don't think any fair person listening to that in context would say that Hillary Clinton is relishing the prospect of putting coal miners out of work. I think what she was saying is, given less dependence on fossil fuels, in terms of where we are today in our energy dependence and natural consequence is going to be that "Some of these individuals need to be refocused on other careers, and I'm committed to the coal field industry."

That's what she was saying. But of course, it makes for a great sound bite to just take that small snippet and play it.

CAMEROTA: Well, we're not trying to take -- put it out of context. Just trying to gauge whether or not that that's what voters are ready to hear when she hits coal country today. But I hear you. They're looking for solutions.

SMERCONISH: It's a hard message -- no, I think it's a hard message for people to accept. But you know, a little dose of realism, I think, is a good thing.

CAMEROTA: There you go. Michael Smerconish, thanks so much. Great to get your perspective.

Let's get over to Chris.

CUOMO: All right. Donald Trump, what does he want out of Indiana? Well, he wants to win. More than that, he wants Ted Cruz gone. What would be his pitch to Cruz, if it goes Donald Trump's way in Indiana? We're going to ask Trump himself about why it's time for the party to get behind him.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)