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Trump & Clinton All But Certain to be Nominees; Rachel Barton Pine's Story; Interview with Bobby Knight. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired May 04, 2016 - 08:30   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:30:24] JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Ted Cruz and the stop Trump supporters licking their wounds, drowning their sorrows this morning after Donald Trump's big victory in Indiana that forced Ted Cruz out of the race. The RNC chair, Reince Priebus, declared that Trump is now the party's presumptive nominee, or will be the presumptive nominee. The question now is, can Hillary Clinton and the Democrats unite their party? Can Donald Trump unite his?

ALISYN CAMEROTA, Joining us to discuss all of this is Jeffrey Lord, Trump supporter and former Reagan White House political director, Marc Lamont Hill, host at BET News and professor at Morehouse College, and Ana Navarro, a Republican consultant who previously supported Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush.

ANA NAVARRO, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz, (INAUDIBLE).

CAMEROTA: You have quite the Midas touch.

NAVARRO: I mean I'm going through like 15, OK?

CAMEROTA: Yes. You also sent a pithy note to our producers last night. Let me read it. It was only four words, "I want to die." Can you expound on that at all this morning?

NAVARRO: It's just - I - you know, I feel like, you remember - you remember that film where, you know, she just like falls into her chicken salad.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

NAVARRO: OK. That's where I am right now. Give me a chicken salad that I can just rest my face in until November.

BERMAN: Well, is it past November though? I mean, seriously, you know, you are -

NAVARRO: OK, wake me up in either four month or four years. It depends.

BERMAN: What are you going to do that November day when you walk into that voting booth?

NAVARRO: You know, frankly, I'm just not prepared -

BERMAN: Drink.

NAVARRO: To cross that bridge right now because I - I have absolutely no desire, no intent of voting for Donald Trump. I also have no desire and no intent on voting for Hillary Clinton. But I know I can't stay home because there's a bunch of down ballot races that depend on Republicans, as despondent as some of us may feel, showing up and having some enthusiasm for our candidates that are down ballot.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

NAVARRO: I have a Senate race in Florida I've got to go vote in. I've got to go worry about that. So, you know, I think that both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have got to earn the votes of people like me right now. There's a lot of us who are despondent, who just cannot believe that Donald Trump is the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party. Can Donald Trump do something to change my mind? I can't fathom it. Can Hillary Clinton do something to change my mind, I can't fathom that. But let me give them a chance.

MARC LAMONT HILL, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think the other danger, though, is not - is that many voters aren't as responsible as Ana, right? So some will just stay home. Many will stay home. The down ballot issues won't make them leave their homes. And so what you might see is Hillary Clinton winning by a landslide just because people are so frustrated with the electorate. There's also the possibility of a third party or an independent candidate who comes up and also gets some of that energy. But I - at this point, I think things look bad for the Republican Party right now.

And I'm not a Hillary Clinton supporter. I'm also going to hold my nose when I go into the ballot when I choose whoever I choose. But this is a really dangerous moment for the Republican Party. I think Reince Priebus made a very strong move by saying, look, he's the presumptive nominee, we have to close ranks around him because if you don't do that early, then you loss the whole party.

CAMEROTA: Hey, Jeffrey, Ana is not alone. We have heard from tweets last night, there's a whole bunch of high-profile Republicans, radio talk show hosts, editors of "The National Review," who basically want to burn their GOP party affiliation. I mean that's what they're saying. I mean some of them are going so far as to say that they'll vote Hillary Clinton. So it doesn't seem as though Donald Trump has yet unified the party.

JEFFREY LORD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, first of all, I advise Donald Trump to send Ana shoes and see if we can start that way.

NAVARRO: It's going to take a little bit more than that, Jeffrey, but thanks for that - but thank you.

CAMEROTA: Buy shoes.

HILL: Is that strategy for - is that Trump's strategy for women voters? NAVARRO: I'm a - I'm a - I'm a size eight. And, really, there's - I

mean I'd have to build entire, you know, thousands of square feet of closets in order to even feel the retail therapy.

LORD: It's - it's possible. It's possible. But, secondly, to the larger kind of - I think there's two kinds of opposition here. There are conservatives and then there are people like, you know, I'll single them out since he made a point of it, Mark Salter from Senator McCain's office. I mean those are folks who basically - where was President McCain? I mean they took Mark Salter's advice and they lost. They do this over and over and over again. And then when somebody comes long who really fights like crazy, then they say, oh, well, I'm going to go vote for the other person. I mean this is what a lot of conservatives have thought of these folks to begin with. So I'm - you know, hasta la vista with some of them.

BERMAN: But - but - but - but, Jeffrey, what about - what about Erick Erickson? You know, what about Ben Howe? These guys are not Mark Salter. These guys are not McCain speech writers.

LORD: Right. Right. Well, they're conservatives. And I'm -

BERMAN: These guys are conservatives.

LORD: Right. Right. And I - I do think we have to have long conversations with these folks. But the fact of the matter is, if you are not going to support Donald Trump, you are de facto electing Hillary Clinton president. Now, Donald Trump is the nominee - going to be the nominee of the Republican Party, not because of people like me, but because of the voters. The voters. The people. They have voted overwhelmingly for him. So I do think at some point we need to allow for the fact that people in my home state of Pennsylvania or in Indiana or anywhere else in America that went to the polls, that their decision must be respected.

[08:35:28] CAMEROTA: Yes.

Ana, it is the voters. He won with the voters last night in Indiana by a wide margin.

NAVARRO: Oh, absolutely. Listen - listen, I think - I think you've got to give him a lot of credit for where he is right now. You know, I don't like Donald Trump. Like I said, I have no intention of voting for Donald Trump. But I have to say, this is a guy who's never done this and there is an entire line of carcasses, of skeletons right now, that he left behind in his wake of people that were more seasoned, veteran politicians, better debaters, had more policy knowledge, did not insult everybody and their brother and mother, you know, and yet here we are with Donald Trump. He did it with a ragtag group of people. A lot of them who were not the, you know, the seasoned veteran operatives. He did it his way. He stuck to his persona. He never really changed. You've got to give the guy a lot of credit for where he is today.

That being said, if, like me, you think he is unstable, and, like me, you are concerned by the idea of a president who is drunk tweeting without having had a drink at 2:00 in the morning, then you really have to take some pause and say, do I want this person to have a nuclear code? Today, I don't believe he has that temperament to lead this country.

BERMAN: Ana, it's so interesting because so many Republican voters, you know, more than 10 million now, think he does. I mean Jeffrey Lord is going to like the fact that I'm quoting Ronald Reagan. Ronald Reagan said, you know, I didn't leave the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party left me. You know, is Donald Trump doing the inverse right now? I mean essentially has the Republican Party, Ana, left you? I mean are you seeing the Republican Party moving with Donald Trump here, Marc?

HILL: It's an interesting question. I think the Republican Party is responding to a poor field more so than they're aligned with Donald Trump's interests. They're not out here saying, you know, we feel the same way he does about transgender bathrooms. And I happen to agree with him on that issue. We feel the same way he does on trade policy, although I happen to agree with him slightly on that issue. Ultimately, I think the party is frustrated -

NAVARRO: Gee, there, Marc, it sounds to me like you're going to vote for Trump.

HILL: I'm voting green party because I can't - I can't vote Hillary and I can't vote Donald Trump and I actually support the green party's agenda. But - but for me, Trump does not - but the fact that he resonates with me is exactly the problem, right, because you and I don't agree.

NAVARRO: Yes. You can say that.

HILL: And - right. Right. So you end up with this guy who suddenly is the nominee who the party doesn't actually like that much. I think that's going to be a major problem for him.

BERMAN: All right, guys, thanks so much.

LORD: John, I mean -

BERMAN: We've got to go because I've got to talk to Bobby Knight, Jeffrey, no offense, you know, but you come back when -

NAVARRO: Is that Bobby Knight with a "k" or with an "n"?

BERMAN: It's with a "k" this time. But when you get three national titles, you know, you can have more time also.

NAVARRO: Well, ask him what he thinks of The Heat.

BERMAN: Jeffrey Lord, Ana Navarro, Marc Lamont Hill, thanks so much.

NAVARRO: Listen, I'm in Miami Heat colors today, OK? At least somebody I support won last night.

BERMAN: Good luck with that. All right, coming up for us, the legendary Hoosier who backed the bombastic billionaire, we're going to speak to the former coach from Indiana, Bobby Knight. He joins us now - he will join us to talk about why he supported Trump, what he thinks about his position and the road going forward.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:42:21] CAMEROTA: Time now for the five things to know for your new day.

Ted Cruz bowing out of the GOP race following Donald Trump's decisive win in Indiana. The RNC urging the party to unite behind Trump, saying he will be the presumptive nominee.

And new momentum for Bernie Sanders after defeating Hillary Clinton in Indiana. He says he believes he still has a quote, "narrow path," to securing the party's nomination.

President Obama visiting Flint, Michigan, today for a first-hand look at the city's water contamination crisis. The president will meet with Governor Rick Snyder and a nine-year-old Flint girl who wrote a letter inviting him to her home.

Union leaders telling Detroit Public School teachers to go back to their classrooms after two days of sick-outs. A state appointed emergency managers promising the teachers will be paid for the whole school year.

And May the Forth be with you. Ha, ha, get it, John Berman? "Star Wars" fans across the galaxy celebrating "Star Wars" day. "The Force Awakens" star Daisy Ridley wishing fans a happy May the 4th in a new web video from the cast and crew of episode eight, filming now.

For more on the five things to know, go to newdaycnn.com for the latest.

John.

BERMAN: Well done, Alisyn.

All right, a near fatal accident derailed the career or a young, gifted violinist, but her passion for music gave her the strength to play on. CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has her story in this week's "Turning Points."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Rachel Barton Pine knew who she wanted to be at five years old.

RACHEL BARTON PINE, VIOLINIST: So I started signing my kindergarten papers, Rachel, violinist.

GUPTA: At 10, she soloed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. At 17, she became the first American to won gold in violin at the International Joan Sebastian Bach Competition. Her star was on the rise, until a train ride in 1995 changed everything. PINE: As I was exiting, the doors slammed shut on my strap of some of

the bags I was carrying. The train started moving and I had to decide, well, do I let myself be dragged or do I try to free myself, which might flip me under the wheels.

GUPTA (on camera): Rachel did wiggle free, but the train severed her left leg and crushed her right foot. She endured more than 45 operations.

PINE: I'm just so grateful to be here and that they were able to pretty much put me back together.

GUPTA (voice-over): Six months after the accident, she returned to the stage. The following year, she performed at the Democratic Convention. Twenty-one years after she was injured, Rachel has released her 30th CD, continues performing across the country and has added mom to her repertoire.

[08:45:03] PINE: There's this myth that you have to undergo angst and tragedy to become a better artist. But what about all of the positive, wonderful moments in our lives? Those moments enhance who I am as a person and therefore who I am as an artist.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: All right, Donald Trump, the big winner in Indiana. Coming up, a man who knows a little bit about winning in Indiana. Donald Trump supporter, legendary basketball coach, Bobby Knight, he joins us live, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: Indiana voters have spoken and Donald Trump has been anointed the presumptive Republican nominee. One of Indiana's most recognized sons, a Trump supporter, he predicted last week that Donald Trump would win the Hoosier state. Joining us now is legendary basketball coach Bobby Knight.

Coach, thanks so much for being with us. Three national titles, one Olympic gold medal, and now an Indiana primary victory. Where does this win rank for you?

[08:50:08] BOBBY KNIGHT, LEGENDARY COLLEGE BASKETBALL COACH: Well, what it's like for me is that I am very, very happy for the United States of America that Donald Trump has been able to get where he is, just simply because I think he's the best person for the job and I am very, very pleased that he has gotten to the point where he is right now.

BERMAN: You say he's the best prepared for the job. What has prepared him to be commander in chief?

KNIGHT: I don't - well, I don't think there - there is - I was a history major in college and I've studied it a lot over the years and read and looked and watched, and I don't think that we've really had anybody that has been on the verge of coming into the White House that was as well prepared as Donald Trump is. You look at all the businesses that he's had, all of the jobs that he's created. You know, we're worried about jobs right now. Probably nobody in America has even come close to setting up as many jobs for people with his businesses as Donald Trump has.

And the thing that I really like about him, among many things is, that sometimes things have gone awry, even for him, but he's always been able to find a solution. He's like a guy that we can't - we're not doing very well against the press and we've got to figure out how to beat that press or we're not going to win the ballgame. And I think he has a great facility for being able to find things that will correct what's going wrong. And that's what I think that the - that we need. I think that we'll have a great rapport between a Donald Trump White House and the military, all phases of the military, which is something that we just don't have right now.

BERMAN: Coach, Donald Trump also no stranger to controversy. Neither are you for that matter. But Donald Trump has made a lot of controversial proposals, a lot of controversial statements, right? Among other things, he says he wants to temporarily ban Muslims from coming into the United States. Does that concern you?

KNIGHT: Well, no, I mean, what does - I don't even know what controversial means. Donald Trump is a very, very -

BERMAN: Well, banning Muslims, a lot of people think banning Muslims - so a lot of people think banning Muslims from coming into the United States is controversial, it's un-American to prevent people from coming into the United States based on religion.

KNIGHT: Well, that's OK. You - you - that - that really doesn't mean anything to me right now because we're talking about a guy that I think can handle things far better than anything that we've had recently. You know, I'll tell you one thing about Donald Trump, there will never be a Benghazi in a Donald Trump administration. I'm not sure in my lifetime I've seen anything -

BERMAN: Why?

KNIGHT: Where our government failed to do something for people overseas that were in trouble. That won't happen with Donald Trump. Those are the things I'm concerned with.

BERMAN: Donald Trump has no military experience as far as I know. Donald Trump has run failed businesses too. I mean he has known failure.

KNIGHT: You - you know, that doesn't make any difference, whether he's been in the military or not. He has a great understanding about the value of our military and how it would be used. And Donald Trump would have made sure that those four people that died in Benghazi, nothing would have happened to him with - to them with a Donald Trump administration.

BERMAN: I wonder what difference Donald Trump could have made there, but I understand you're making a point there, so I appreciate that.

Temperament. Does temperament matter for president?

KNIGHT: Well, you must - you must - you - you must be a genius, then. That seems the way you're addressing things.

BERMAN: Oh, no. Oh, no, I'm just trying to ask questions, sir, and figure out your support for Donald Trump and what you find in him that makes you so enthusiastic about him.

And one of the people that people say about Donald Trump is they question -

KNIGHT: Well, that's -

BERMAN: No, let me finish - they question his temperament. Do you think Donald Trump has the temperament to be president?

KNIGHT: I don't think so. I think Donald Trump has a great approach to life. I think he has a great approach to America. He loves the country. I think that as I look at Donald Trump and I look at - at things that we've had in the past, and I look toward the future, I think this is a man that has done an awful lot of things that not very many other people have done. He's not just a national figure, he's a worldwide figure. I think that people across the globe are going to be thinking right now, with Donald Trump as the president of the United States, it's going to be a different approach that they're going to have to make to our country. And I think there's going to be a bigger respect for our country.

BERMAN: Do you think Donald Trump needs to do outreach now to try to heal some of the rifts in the Republican Party?

KNIGHT: I don't care about the Republican Party. I don't care about the Democratic Party. You know, I'm tired of this party stuff that we're going to do what's right for this party or we're going to do what's right for that party. Let's just get together and do what's right for the country. I think that's what all of us want.

[08:55:10] BERMAN: Bobby Knight, thanks so much for being with us this morning. Appreciate you taking the time, sir.

KNIGHT: You bet.

BERMAN: All right, "The Good Stuff" is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAMEROTA: Time now for "The Good Stuff." Brittany Nichols (ph) spotted her daughter's daycare teacher, Christi Owens (ph), walking to church in Benton, Louisiana, and she wondered why Christi didn't drive to church. So Brittany did a little research.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRITTANY NICHOLS: So I immediately texted her boss and requested information regarding whether or not she had transportation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: Well, Christi has taken excellent care of Brittany's daughter, who has had some medical issues. So Brittany felt compelled to return the favor. Brittany began to raise money from other parents, co-workers, even strangers and ended up with not only enough to get Christi a car, but driving classes and car insurance. That's some good stuff.

BERMAN: That is fantastic. Everything all at once. Nice to hear.

All right, time for "Newsroom" with Carol Costello.

CAMEROTA: Good morning, Carol.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks so much. Have a great day.

Good morning. NEWSROOM starts now.

[09:00:05] Good morning to you. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me.

Indiana, 2016, the end of the road for the Ted Cruz campaign and a new beginning for Donald Trump.