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Trump & Ryan to Meet Today to United Party; Clinton Slams Trump for Not Releasing Taxes. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired May 12, 2016 - 07:00   ET

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

CUOMO: -- uniting behind Trump, the presumptive nominee. Top GOP leaders are urging Ryan to back Donald Trump or risk hurting an already fractured party. So what's going to happen? What will success be on the back side of this meeting?

[07:00:14] CAMEROTA: All right. All of this as Trump backpedals on his call for a total and complete ban on Muslims entering the U.S. Trump now claims that was only a suggestion, and there would be many exemptions.

Meanwhile, Trump is under fire from both sides of the aisle for not releasing his tax returns.

We have the 2016 race covered the way only CNN can. Let's begin with CNN senior political reporter, Manu Raju, who is live outside the RNC headquarters in Washington waiting for this meeting. What are we expecting, Manu?

MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Alisyn.

Paul Ryan actually has a lot at stake today, too. That's protecting a Republican majority in the House that some fear actually could be at risk with Donald Trump at the top of the ticket, and Ryan wants to make clear that Trump is aware of the down-ticket impacts that his candidacy creates.

In addition, Ryan is also putting together an election-year agenda that, frankly, contradicts some of Donald Trump's key policy positions. The question today is whether the two will end up singing from the same song sheet.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REP. PAUL RYAN (R-WI), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: To pretend we're unified without actually unifying, then we go into the fall at half strength.

RAJU (voice-over): The presumptive Republican nominee to meet this morning with House Speaker Paul Ryan and the head of the RNC.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think it will go well. Paul is a good person. I don't know Paul well.

RAJU: All eyes on whether they will emerge with a united front.

REP. PAUL LABRADOR (R), IDAHO: I think it's important for the leader of our party right now, who is the speaker, to get together with the presumptive nominee to actually work together.

RAJU: Several close allies tell CNN that, for Ryan to embrace or endorse Trump, he would need to align with the party's core principles. As of now, the differences are deep on multiple issues, like taxes, trade, entitlements, and military alliances.

But it's becoming more challenging to know exactly where Trump stands on key issues. In the last 24 hours, Trump appears to be softening on his controversial plan to ban all Muslims from entering the U.S.

TRUMP (via phone): It's a temporary ban, Brian (ph), and we're going to look at it; and we're going to study a problem. We have a problem. Now, if you don't want to discuss the problem, then we're never going to solve the problem.

RAJU: Then claiming it is merely a suggestion later in the day.

TRUMP: It hasn't been called for yet. Nobody's done it. This is just a suggestion until we find out what's going on.

RAJU: And later, when asked if the ban could go on forever, he says...

TRUMP (on camera): No, it was never meant to be -- I mean, that's why it was temporary. Sure I'd back off on it. I'd like to back off as soon as possible, because frankly, I would like to see something happen.

RAJU: And that's not the only issue Trump is under scrutiny for. The billionaire under pressure to release his tax returns, which he says is impossible because they're being audited.

TRUMP: You don't learn anything from them. A tax return, you learn very, very little.

RAJU: Mitt Romney calling his refusal disqualifying and even his supporters saying he should release them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think he should, and I think he will. You know, Wolf, there's no law; there's a tradition.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RAJU: Now one of the things that I'm hearing, actually, is concerns about Donald Trump's tone. Expect that to be raised at today's meeting. Paul Ryan privately has expressed some concerns about the language that Donald Trump has used on the campaign trail.

But in addition some Senate Republicans, including Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, who's part of that meeting later today with Senate Republicans and Donald Trump, said that she plans to raise that, as well. We'll see how Donald Trump responds, though.

BERMAN: Every bit of this will be fascinating this morning. Manu Raju outside the RNC, thanks so much. So Hillary Clinton, you heard her there. She's busy bashing Donald

Trump for refusing to release his tax returns. Meanwhile, she's facing some bashing of her own. The campaign for Senator Bernie Sanders ratcheting up the attacks on Clinton. The fundraising e-mail said that, if Clinton wins the nomination, it would spell disaster for the party.

CNN's Brianna Keilar is live in Washington with more. Good morning.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, John.

Well, Hillary Clinton wasn't actually planning on addressing Trump's tax returns. That is what her spokesman is telling CNN. But she was criticizing him in New Jersey at an event for not having detailed information on a number of policies including his tax plan when a man in the audience yelled out "What about his tax returns?" and she took it away. Here's how she responded.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: My husband and I have released 33 years of tax returns. We've got eight years on our website right now. So you've got to ask yourself, why doesn't he want to release them?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Meanwhile, as you mentioned, Clinton still very much has a primary battle on her has. Bernie Sanders has been hitting her on a number of issues: trade, the environment, her ties to corporations, just to name a few. Her poll numbers against Donald Trump, as well, he does do better in those head-to-head polls, especially in some key states.

His campaign manager, Jeff Weaver, says Sanders is still fighting to narrow Clinton's pledge delegate lead, and if he does, he's going to try to support those super delegates to support Sanders over Clinton. And he said, in his e-mail to supporters, that the party will have to decide if they go with Sanders or if they, quote, "court disaster simply to protect the status quo for the political and financial establishment of this country."

[07:05:017] Chris, it sounds like someone who's certainly not giving up the fight for a little while yet.

CUOMO: All right, Brianna. Appreciate it very much. Good to see you.

Let's discuss this with the co-chair of Donald Trump's U.S. House leadership committee, Republican Congressman of New York, Chris Collins. Now, important to mention, Collins just met with Speaker Paul Ryan yesterday, ahead of today's Trump sit-down.

Good to see you, Congressman, as always.

REP. CHRIS COLLINS (R), NEW YORK: It's nice to be with you this morning. CUOMO: So this meeting called for by supporters of Trump yesterday to

get in there with Ryan. Why did you want to meet before, and what was your feel after that meeting?

COLLINS: Well, actually, it was a very good meeting to maybe understand what today is all about and Mr. Ryan was clear. I mean, there's no question. He's said since day one Paul Ryan is going to support the Republican nominee. If the election were today, there's no question Paul Ryan would be voting for Donald Trump.

But as we all know, Paul Ryan and Donald Trump don't have a relationship. Frankly, Paul Ryan said, "I don't know Donald Trump."

Paul's a very deliberate, serious individual. And when he stands up at some point -- I don't think it's going to be today -- but let's say over the next couple of weeks, as the dialog begins between the next president of the United States and the speaker of the House on the agenda that's going to move forward after this election come next January, today's really the beginning of a dialogue.

I don't think -- Paul Ryan is not the kind of individual that, after a single meeting, is going to say, "OK, now I understand everything I need to do. Give me the flag. I'm going to go start running forward."

CUOMO: But this isn't -- Congressman, this isn't about what the game plan is for a Trump presidency. It's not -- it sounds from Speaker Ryan, or at least I don't know if that's true or not. I'm saying from hearing what Speaker Ryan has said, it was "I don't know if I'm ready to get behind him as the nominee yet."

So what came out in this meeting of what Paul Ryan wants to talk about at this meeting?

COLLINS: It came -- what came out was a dialog, a continuing dialogue, not a single meeting today, but the beginning of a dialogue between the speaker of the House and the next president of the United States on the agenda that's going to be worked on come next January.

So this very much is us acknowledging Donald Trump is not only the nominee, but will be the next president. And Paul Ryan, as the speaker of the House, is going to have to carry an agenda through the House, get the laws passed that President Trump can sign into law.

So again, Paul is a very deliberate, very serious individual who is looking today as the first, as I believe, not only several meetings but many phone conversations between our presumptive but our actual nominee. So I think some people are reading, perhaps, more into today than they should.

CUOMO: So today is the beginning, not the end? I understand that.

COLLINS: That's correct.

CUOMO: Did he give you any boxes that he's hoping for Trump to check, literally or metaphorically? I mean, I know he had said, "That David Duke stuff, that bothered me." That it wasn't denied by the campaign, Duke's support was denied outright by his -- to his satisfaction.

Maybe the talk about immigrants or Muslims in terms of what the Republican Party is about, in terms of uniting or dividing.

And the reason I ask is, is it a coincidence that last night, Mr. Trump seemed to back off the Muslim statement a little bit in an interview, where he said it was just a suggestion. Is there a connection here?

COLLINS: I don't know. I disagreed with Mr. Trump on the Muslim statement, as well. So you know, we'll see where that one went.

No, I think Mr. Ryan was clear yesterday. He's not looking to check boxes, as you say. And in fact, I thought it was very refreshing when Mr. Ryan yesterday said, "Listen, we can disagree on some issues." Paul Ryan disagrees with Donald Trump on the Trans-Pacific Partnership and trade, but he was very clear. He said Mr. Trump ran on the trade issue. I accept that. He got the vote.

So he's not looking for specific boxes. He's looking for a dialogue, a professional relationship, if you will, between the next president and the current speaker. And I'm sure there will be some issues come out on tone, but I think we've seen Donald pivot to that presidential tone now.

Our nominee is chosen as of May 4, perhaps ten weeks sooner than we thought would happen. And now there's some level of playing catch up. And Paul Ryan admitted he didn't think May 4 was going to be the time that our nominee was selected. And so there's a little bit of -- the good news is we have ten extra weeks to coalesce around the defeat of Hillary Clinton, who I've said is the great uniter of our party.

[07:10:00] CUOMO: So -- so let me play for you what seems to be a change on something that was a signature issue for Mr. Trump, and I want to get your take on it. Here he is talking about how he feels about the Muslim problem.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP (via phone): It's a temporary ban, Brian, and we're going to look at it; and we're going to study a problem. We have a problem.

Now, if you don't want to discuss the problem, then we're never going to solve the problem. We have a president that won't even use the term "radical Islamic terrorism." He won't use the term. He refuses to use the term, even after Paris, where 150 people were killed. Or San Bernardino or any other place.

(on camera): No, it was never meant to be. That's why it was temporary. Sure, I'd back off on it. I'd like to back off as soon as possible, because frankly, I would like to see something happen. But we have to be vigilant.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: Now, that was the difference between morning and night. In between, was there anything communicated to Trump about the meeting with Ryan and his need to change tone and soften some of the things that are seen as potential dynamite to the party?

COLLINS: No, I don't think it was something like that, Chris. You know, as I have said, we can't allow undocumented Syrian refugees into our country, when the director of the FBI, Director Comey, cannot certify who these people are, what their background is. So I personally have called for a temporary hold on Syrian refugees where the director of the FBI can't certify whether they're terrorists or not.

CUOMO: Right. But as you said, you disagreed with Trump also, because that's not what he said. You know, if you were running for president, then we would vet how you would do what you just said. But he said Muslims. And he said, "We have a problem with Islam."

And then last night he said it's a suggestion. That's a meaningful change to the position, in my estimation. Do you agree?

COLLINS: Well, yes, and I'm actually very happy to see that shift because I disagreed with the term "Muslim" or "Islam." I was speaking more specifically about undocumented Syrian refugees.

So as this moves along, I'm sure you'll see other instances where both candidates will clarify what they were trying to say, but I'm very happy, in fact, that he did clarify. It's a suggestion.

CUOMO: Quick take, Congressman, before I let you go. Do you think Trump should put his taxes out? You know -- you know the history of it. You know the tradition of it. Do you think he should?

COLLINS: I -- it's up to Mr. Trump to do it. I understand, because I was pressured the same way. There's a lot of private business information in there that would help and assist your competitors. I'd be quite happy or actually pleased if Mr. Trump did not release them, that we end this nonsense of tax returns once and for all.

The personal financial disclosure tells you everything he owns, all his liabilities, all his assets. If you want to know about Donald Trump's wealth and where his investments are, that's in a personal financial disclosure. It's not in a tax return.

There's private confidential information in a tax return, and personally, I'd be thrilled if he didn't release them; and we'd be done with this nonsense once and for all.

CUOMO: Calling for a new standard for people running for president.

COLLINS: Absolutely.

CUOMO: Representative Collins, thanks so much for joining us on NEW DAY.

OK. So it's important to note that NEW DAY isn't just chasing after Donald Trump about releasing his taxes. We asked all the House Republican leadership, "What do you think? Is this something that's legit?" Just asked one of the chairs of his campaign. He says he thinks the whole tax thing should be removed from part of the presidential process.

What do you think? Tweet us, Facebook, let us know.

Also coming up on NEW DAY, we've got CNN's Jamie Gangel going toe to toe with the man on your screen, former Republican vice president, Dan Quayle. What does he think about the 2016 race? And Trump as his party's new standard bearer? That interview is coming up in the next hour -- J.B.

BERMAN: Breaking news out of Brazil. The country rocked by a huge government shakeup. President Dilma Rousseff, she was impeached less than four months before the Summer Olympics in Rio. A majority of senators voted for impeachment after a marathon debate this morning. Rousseff will now face an impeachment trial and is being suspended right now from office for up to 180 days while the trial takes place. The Brazilian vice president will take over.

What a mess there with the Olympics, you know, a huge economy there, the Zika virus. She is accused of using budget gimmicks to hide losses and debt.

CAMEROTA: Here's some good news. ISIS appears to be losing its appeal in the U.S. That's the claim of FBI director James Comey. He says fewer Americans are leaving the country to fight with ISIS. In the first half of 2015, Comey says as many as ten people a month were attempting to travel abroad to join the terrorist group. Now that number has dropped to about one a month. Comey did not offer an explanation for the decline, but we will get more with Senator Angus King ahead.

CUOMO: The man who has been on "60 Minutes" longer than any correspondent is calling it a career. There he is, Morley Safer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MORLEY SAFER, RETIRING FROM "60 MINUTES": What's so far been a pretty happy tale. The Russians are coming, or at least they want to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[07:15:05] CUOMO: Part reporter, part poet. The legendary newsman, Morley Safer, retiring at 84 years young. Safer has been a regular on "60 Minutes" since 1970. Before that, he was a combat reporter in Vietnam. CBS News is going to honor Safer with an hour-long special Sunday night. They could do ten hours.

BERMAN: One of the great -- greatest writers in television.

CAMEROTA: And also just such a nice sort of feeling you get from watching him. He always seemed to have a nice delivery and a nice sort of persona, sort of accessible but smart. He was just great to watch.

BERMAN: Awesome stuff. CAMEROTA: All right. Bernie Sanders is hanging tough and talking tough. His campaign says Hillary Clinton as the Democratic nominee would be disastrous. We'll hear from both sides next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAMEROTA: Hillary Clinton still on track to clinch the Democratic nomination and focusing nearly all of her attention on Donald Trump. But Bernie Sanders says he is the best candidate to face Trump, and his campaign says nominating Clinton would be courting disaster for Democrats.

Let's discuss all this with CNN political commentator and senior advisor to a pro-Hillary Clinton super PAC, Paul Begala; and former Ohio state senator and Bernie Sanders surrogate, Nina Turner. Great to have both of you here this morning.

[07:20:13] Nina, I want to start with you. Let me read you a portion from a Bernie Sanders fundraiser -- fundraising letter that seems to be going after Hillary Clinton. It says here, "The Democratic Party must decide if they want the candidate with the momentum who is best positioned to beat Trump, or if they're willing to roll the dice and court disaster simply to protect the status quo for the political and financial establishment of this country."

Now, how is saying that electing -- or nominating Hillary Clinton would be like courting disaster, how is that helpful for party unity, Nina?

NINA TURNER, FORMER OHIO STATE SENATOR: Well, right now there is a Democratic primary waging; and Senator Sanders has been very clear that he knows that the climb is steep but he is still climbing. There are eight more caucuses to go. And he is running to win this race. He is not the sparring partner of the secretary, but he is in this race running to win.

The fact of the matter is that Senator Sanders has consistently done better in national polling against Mr. Trump, and quite frankly, any of the other Republicans when they were in that race.

And so it is so important that if Democrats want to win in November up and down the ticket, that Senator Bernie Sanders is the strongest candidate. He does have the momentum and the excitement to take the Democratic Party to that next level, not just for the presidency but every single race up and down the ballot.

CAMEROTA: OK. Paul, how about that argument? We've heard that from Bernie Sanders' supporters and Bernie Sanders all the time. He's won 19 states. He has the momentum. He's getting huge crowds. What about those arguments?

PAUL BEGALA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: He is running a terrific campaign. But what you see in that e-mail, look, I've written a lot of those fundraising e-mails. You always overhype. If anybody gets them, I'm not overhyping. Really send money. But that's what you do. So I give him a bit of a pass on that. But they are talking out of two sides of their mouths. If you watched

Senator Sanders after his impressive win in West Virginia Tuesday night, he turned his guns on Donald Trump. People like me have been begging him to do that. Boy, he was great. Really forceful.

He cannot win the Democratic nomination. Democrats have spoken. They are speaking. Hillary leads by 3 million votes. She leads by over 770 overall delegates, over 300 pledged delegates. It is insurmountable.

Senator Sanders is doing a great job, running a great campaign. He's going to come in second. And we need to reunite this party. And that's why, actually, again, I give Weaver a pass on that. People say all kind of hyperbolic things in those e-mails. But that's the concern here, is we've got to get together at some point and turn our fire on Donald Trump. Because that would be the real disaster.

CAMEROTA: When you hear that, that it is insurmountable, the math is insurmountable, what do you say?

TURNER: Well, I don't know where that -- those numbers are coming from. I mean, there is...

CAMEROTA: From the delegates.

TURNER: ... than a 300 pledged -- there's less than a 300 pledged delegate difference between Senator Bernie Sanders and the secretary.

And let's just take this example. He won 51 percent of the vote in West Virginia. Yet the super delegates of that state decided to -- the majority of the super delegates, I think he only got one super delegate out of that state, for an example.

These super delegates should really rethink and really focus on giving those delegate votes when the time comes. Because they're still not, you know -- it's not until they get to the Florida convention. But really think about adhering to the will of the people.

And I'm so proud of the state of Maine that has decided to pass a resolution, at least the Democratic Party, to say that, in future delegation -- in future conventions, that the super delegates should reflect the will of the people.

And it is very undemocratic to try to push Senator Sanders out of this race. Every single state in this nation should have the opportunity to have choice.

So Senator Sanders is in this race. This is a news flash. Hopefully, it doesn't shock anybody, that he is not getting out of this race.

And this is not just about unifying the party. But it really is about the heart and the soul of the people in this country who have been left out and having a candidate that is unapologetic about fighting for universal health care; unapologetic about making sure that young people in this country don't walk across the stage with debt in one hand and a degree in the other; making sure that we stand up for Mother Earth, for the climate. And so there are very real differences...

CAMEROTA: Sure.

TURNER: ... between the secretary and the senator, but he has every right to stay in this race.

CAMEROTA: Paul, you hear the passion. I mean, Nina's channeling it perfectly. You hear the passion of Sanders supporters. Is there any harm to Bernie Sanders staying in? Is he pulling Hillary Clinton more to the left than, say, she would be comfortable with if he were not in the race?

BEGALA: I know Nina is busy leading a real life. If she gets a minute, she ought to go to CNN.com/opinion and look at the column I wrote. The headline, Nina, says, don't drop out, Bernie. I say this as a Hillary guy. He's doing way more good than harm. Way more good. Raising excitement, energizing young people especially.

But math is math. Three million more people have voted for Hillary.

CAMEROTA: But answer my question. Do you think that Bernie Sanders staying in is pulling her more to the left...

BEGALA: No.

CAMEROTA: ... that may become a challenge in the general?

[07:25:08] BEGALA: No. No. I think that the enormous problem here is that the Republicans have nominated Donald Trump, a man who has more easily gotten the support of David Duke than he has of Paul Ryan. OK?

This is the common enemy that all progressives have. Hillary is going to need Bernie and all those millions of voters to take on Donald Trump. And I have enormous confidence that Senator Sanders and Secretary Clinton will be able to get together, the same way Senator Obama and Senator Clinton did eight years ago.

But we need to begin to land this plane safely, and I think that's an important priority for the Democratic Party.

CAMEROTA: Guys...

TURNER: I don't want to neglect the math of the polling that shows again -- that's math, too -- that shows very clearly that Bernie Sanders is the best candidate, the best Democrat to go head to head with Mr. Trump. That is some math that the super delegates and all Democrats need to pay keen attention to.

CAMEROTA: OK, touche. We all have our own math. I like that. Everybody uses the math that they like. Nina, Paul, thank you very much.

BEGALA: Thanks very much.

CAMEROTA: To John. BERMAN: All right. Donald Trump resisting calls now from both sides of the aisle to release his tax returns. So is there something in them that could hurt? Mitt Romney says there's a bombshell. Is there? We'll ask someone who has seen Trump's taxes. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)