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Hillary Clinton Clinches Democratic Nomination; Interview with Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon; Trump to Surrogates: Keep Criticizing Judge; Interview with Congressman Jason Chaffetz of Utah. Aired 7- 7:30a ET

Aired June 07, 2016 - 07:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESUMPTIVE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: We're going to have quite an election, aren't we?

CAMEROTA: Clinton makes history as she crosses the delegate threshold.

CLINTON: We are on the brink of an historic, unprecedented moment.

[07:00:00] SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't want to speculate who will end up having more pledged delegates.

CLINTON: I know we've never done this before. We've never had a woman president.

SANDER: Our focus right now is running and winking.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESUMPTIVE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I don't care if the judge is Mexican or not. I'm going too great with the Mexican people. I don't care about Mexican, but we're being treated very unfairly.

SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R), FLORIDA: Quite frankly, I'm very disturbed by the way he's referring to this judge.

BEN CARSON (R), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He said the reason that he was against this judge because of the judgments, not because of his nationality.

TRUMP: I don't like wasting my time talking about this lawsuit. I'm going to win this lawsuit.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, and welcome to your NEW DAY.

We begin with Hillary Clinton's historic moment. She is the first woman to become the presumptive nominee of a major party in our nation's 240-year history.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: That is the moment.

CUOMO: That is a big moment.

Clinton clinching the Democratic nomination with 2,384 delegates. That includes super delegates.

How is this happening? Haven't had the big primaries tonight? Because the superdelegates have been contacted and they say they're going towards Clinton and she picked up a couple more delegates from the Puerto Rico primary. That's what it is.

But they're saying no victory celebration in the Clinton camp until Super Tuesday voting in six states today is concluded. It's got New Jersey and California. President Obama also said, may be an endorsement of Clinton coming soon.

CAMEROTA: Meanwhile, on the other side, Donald Trump not backing down in the face of criticism from some of his biggest supporters over his attacks on that judge's Mexican heritage. In fact, Trump is stepping it up. He's telling some of his campaign surrogates not to apologize and to continue attacks on the jump as well as the media.

We have this race covered the way only CNN can. So, let's begin with CNN's Chris Frates. He's live in Los Angeles.

Good morning, Chris.

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

Well, you're right. It's not how Hillary Clinton wanted to make history, but last night before the primary season's final votes were even cast, she became the first woman to become the presumptive presidential nominee of a major party. Still neither Clinton nor rival Bernie Sanders really acknowledged that moment. Instead urging their supporters to get to the polls today.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLINTON: According to the news, we are on the brink of a historic, historic, unprecedented moment.

FRATES (voice-over): Overnight, Hillary Clinton clinched enough delegates to become the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.

CLINTON: We're going to fight hard for every single vote, especially right here in California!

FRATES: But she is not claiming that historic milestone just yet, instead focusing on getting her supporters to the polls in the final states holding contests today.

SANDERS: In case you haven't noticed, there are a lot of people here tonight. FRATES: Clinton's rival Bernie Sanders is insisting that the

primaries aren't over yet. His campaign releasing a statement, arguing that super delegates can change their minds before the July convention, saying, quote, "It is wrong to count the votes of super delegates before they actually vote at the convention this summer."

The senator not acknowledging Clinton's triumph at a rally in San Francisco but softens rhetoric when asked about the possibility of endorsing her.

FRATES: Clinton is hoping to bring Democrats together quickly after this long and bruising primary season.

CLINTON: I'm going to do everything I can to unify the Democratic Party, and I certainly am going to be reaching out to Senator Sanders and hope he will join me in that, because we've got to be unified going into the convention and coming out of the convention.

FRATES: Clinton is poised to get a major boost from President Obama, who sources say could endorse her as early as tomorrow, and is itching to take on Donald Trump.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FRATES: Now, on Sunday, President Obama and Sanders talked by phone, but Sanders refused to publicly discuss what they talked about. And last night, CNN asks Clinton seven times about the news that she had won the delegates needed to clinch that nomination, but she declined to answer. Both candidates still trying very hard to ensure their supporters don't think this race is over, and that they get to the polls today -- Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: Absolutely. It is important for voters turnout to still be high so popping of the champagne yet. Chris, thank you very much.

So six states hold contests today, as you know, including California and New Jersey, and CNN's Jessica Schneider is live in Bloomfield, New Jersey.

How is turnout looking there, Jessica?

JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Alisyn. One hour into the voting, I'll tell you, voters slowly starting to trickle in. Just to give you an idea of the layout. The media isn't allowed in the actual polling area. We're kept outside. So, we're actually in the back of the school.

This will be the main entrance once school starts at 8:00 this morning. For now, most voters going in through the front entrance.

[07:05:01] But poll workers tell me they're expecting a high turnout. If it's an indication as to the interest level out here, 1.1 million new voters registered in just the past six months.

The campaigns, of course, hoping that that enthusiasm level is sustained despite the fact that Hillary Clinton was declared the presumptive Democratic nominee last night. Now, throughout the state, 5.5 million people are registered to vote. That's 600,000 more people registered than in the last big primary in 2008.

So, voters here expecting -- sorry, poll workers expecting a steady stream of voters throughout the day. The polls opened at 6:00 this morning. They will be open until 8:00 -- Alisyn.

CUOMO: All right. I'll take it, Jessica. That's the contest to watch. While California is a big ticket, the race could be decided mathematically right there.

Let's discuss the implications of this race and what could lie ahead with Senator Jeff Merkley from Oregon. He is the only U.S. senator to endorse Bernie Sanders.

Senator, it's good to have you with us as always here on NEW DAY.

SEN. JEFF MERKLEY (D), OREGON: Great to be with you, Chris.

CUOMO: What it's your guess what happened in that phone call between the president and Senator Sanders that made his tune changed so obviously?

MERKLEY: Well, I'm sure they were talking about the fact we have to unify to take on Trump and that conversation is going to begin in great earnestness after the polling closes today.

CUOMO: You know, we keep hearing, it's different than it was in 2008. It's different. Sanders' movement is different.

Maybe, maybe not. When you look at the numbers, Clinton was much closer to Obama than Sanders is to Clinton right now. Do you accept that notion?

MERKLEY: Well, let's set superdelegates aside. In that case, no. I don't think that's completely right.

CUOMO: It was a closer contest then than now. But optically, it isn't. It seems Bernie has the momentum, he's got the energy, he's got the crowds.

The question becomes, what does he do with that? You're a supporter of his, you're a friend of his. He keeps saying that's on Clinton. She has to get my people. That's not for me to do.

But that's not really how this usually works, right? Usually you want to court your own supporters and encourage their movement on to the nominee. No?

MERKLEY: Well, really, it's a bridge by both sides. After today, we'll know who the majority of the pledged delegates are. Those are the folks who have legitimacy in the eyes of most of the Democrats across the nation. Superdelegates shouldn't really exist. It's very undemocratic to have them, that's why I and others have said they should be gotten rid of. If you have superdelegates overturn the pledged delegates, there would

be great consternation and dissatisfaction. So, that's why this voting today is so important.

The big ideas that Bernie Sanders is talking about, we just can't take micro steps, that we have to do a lot more to end college costs as a gauntlet, a millstone of debt around our children's necks and we have to undertake a fast pivot off of fossil fuels, because of the damage done to our planet. We have to get cash out of politics and in a substantial way. These are big ideas that resonate so profoundly.

And so, when we talk about the party coming together, the party has to have a chance to come into the convention, address some of these ideas, vote on some of these ideas, vote on a minimum wage for example, vote on fracking. Have a conversation about super delegates, so that people can feel like they've been respected and heard, and that these issues are resonating.

CUOMO: Understood, understood. But, you know, your party. You don't like superdelegates. Change it. The rule is only as good as the last rule's committee meeting before the convention. You know, it's not like this is a Constitution, we're dealing with and you have very little chance of winning if your party doesn't come together and soon. The poll numbers make that very obvious.

Does that urgency appeals to Senator Sanders?

MERKLEY: Well, I think to come together people have to people respected and heard and the issues they care a lot are being taken into account by the party. And so, that is where both sides have to reach out to each other, and it is incredibly important, because Donald Trump, as we know, just for example with Trump University, it was a scam to strip wealth from working Americans, and now his campaign is really a scam on a national scale, where he says he's fighting for workers, but he's never woken up one day in his life and fought for an American worker.

When he had a chance to employ Americans, he shipped in workers from overseas. When he had a chance to educate people to help them improve their lives he operated a scam university.

CUOMO: Except, Senator -- except, Senator, let me stop you. I understand where you're going with this. We've heard a lot of it in the news lately, even from GOP-ers, but it doesn't mat whir you talk to voters.

We don't know about this latest one. You could well argue what he said about this judge and how he is attacking such a fundamental institution to the American society may change.

[07:10:00] But voters don't care when you talk about Trump's negativity. They still support him. That's why it's so important for your party to come together.

MERKLEY: It is absolutely important to be together and absolutely important for people to understand who this man is. He's running against the establishment. That's a very important theme, because we're dissatisfied. Americans are dissatisfied with where we are. Workers have been getting the short end of the stick for four decades.

But when you really probe it, he's not the man that's go going to lead up to help people improve their lives in America. He's never had an ounce of energy in that direction.

CUOMO: But the numbers suggest otherwise, right? What do you account for that? When people look at Donald Trump they say he's not Sanders the socialist, and he's not Clinton who's been in there so long, has a lot of scandal over her head. He's different.

MERKLEY: Well, they're going to find that when they really probe into the ways he's different, it's going to be ways that are very dissatisfying for America. He proposes a tax plan that's about giving billionaires like himself millions more we are year in tax breaks. There's just not a shred of accountability for really what will build up the success of families in our country, and families are the foundation of our nation's suggestions.

CUOMO: Well, Senator Merkley, this is a big moment for your party today. Let's see what the outcome is and what your party does tomorrow. Thanks for being with us on NEW DAY as always, Senator.

MERKLEY: Thank you so much, Chris.

CUOMO: All right. So coming up in our next hour, Hillary Clinton's campaign manager, Robby Mook, is going to join us live. What does he see about the campaign's decision to not talk up this historic moment? Why?

Alisyn?

CAMEROTA: OK, Chris. Donald Trump is ordering his surrogates to continue attacking that judge in the Trump University civil case, but some top Republicans are not onboard with that plan. They condemn Trump for claiming the judge's Mexican-American heritage somehow makes his biased.

CNN's Jim Acosta is live from Trump Tower in New York with more.

What is the latest, Jim?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Alisyn.

Well, the latest concerns are building inside the Republican Party about Donald Trump's comments about Judge Gonzalo Curiel. The latest this morning is RNC Chair Reince Priebus had a about those remarks, about Judge Curiel. This as Trump held a conference call with his surrogates, staffers, supporters urging them to keep up the fight on the judge.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TRUMP: I don't care if the judge is Mexican or not. I'm going to do great with the Mexican people.

ACOSTA (voice-over): Donald Trump is refusing to back down or apologize for his attacks.

TRUMP: I don't care about Mexican, but we're being treated very unfairly.

ACOSTA: Calling for Judge Gonzalo Curiel to recuse himself from a civil case involving Trump University.

TRUMP: When you have thousands of students saying that the place was great, it was a great school, they loved it, this should be dismissed on summary judgment.

ACOSTA: His attacks on the judge --

TRUMP: I'm building a wall. He's a Mexican.

ACOSTA: -- are causing an uproar and unifying the GOP against his controversial rhetoric.

SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R), FLORIDA: The judge is an American and Donald shouldn't keep saying that. It's wrong that he keeps saying that and it's inappropriate, wrong, offensive, I hope he'll stop. When I ran for president, I told everyone that this is what would happen.

ACOSTA: On a conference call with staffers and surrogates, sources say Trump told them to keep up criticism of Judge Curiel.

JASON OSBORNE, DONALD TRUMP SUPPORTER WHO WAS ON THE CALL: When Donald Trump today on the call explained his side of the story it made complete sense. He said, here are the facts of the case and we need to continue to attack the bias that is going on out there.

ACOSTA: Even Trump's most prominent supporters are blasting his attacks, including Newt Gingrich, rumored to be on his V.P. short list.

NEWT GINGRICH (R), FORMER SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: This is one of the worse mistakes Trump has made.

ACOSTA: But former House speaker dialed back his criticism last night.

GINGRICH: I thought he did a very good job of narrowing down his complaint, which I think, by the way, if you look at the record, is totally legitimate.

We're both big boys. He's doing a great job overall. I deeply disagreed on one item.

ACOSTA: Former rival Ben Carson also walked back his criticism, blaming the media as Trump frequently does.

BEN CARSON (R), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: People assume on the basis of something that is said what a person believes when they could just ask him.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: But more GOP criticism is coming in. Senator Tim Scott from South Carolina describing Donald Trump's comments on the judge as racially toxic. Senator Lindsey Graham told the "New York Times" now is the time to rescind endorsements of the real estate tycoon and as for Newt Gingrich's comments, talked to a Donald Trump supporter on the conference call who said you can now take Gingrich off the V.P. list -- Chris.

CUOMO: All right. Jim Acosta, thank you very much for reporting. We'll check back with you in just a little bit.

So Florida, take a look at your screen here, just taking a pounding from tropical storm Colin, made landfall this morning. This is a live look at Tampa. For more than 24 hours they've had rain. You've got swamped streets along the gulf coast.

[07:15:00] The flood threat, far from over.

Let's get the very latest from CNN meteorologist Chad Myers in the weather center. What's the deal?

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: We have a train over Tampa. Not a physical choo choo train but a train of rain. One storm on top of the other, just like trains on a train track. So the areas are seeing more showers, another storm, after one is already gone. Zoom into that area and show you what's going on there.

The storm really has fizzled out. I know it still says 50 mile-per- hour winds but they're way out in the Atlantic. Unless you're on a cruise ship u won't feel it.

What you're feeling now in Tampa are showers that continue to pour onshore from the Gulf of Mexico and raining in the same spots. We've already had six inches of rain in Tampa already and those streets now are flooded, and the rain continues for at least the next two to three hours. It will eventually drop down towards Saint John's, past Pinellas County and towards Santa Maria. Other than that, seeing rainfall still.

Look at Bradfordville in Florida. Up ten inches of rainfall just from the storm below. There it goes, around and around she goes, where it stops in the north Atlantic. By this afternoon, this thing is long gone and a distant memories.

Guys, back to you.

CAMEROTA: You worked a lot of various weather forecast.

Thank you very much, Chad.

All right. We have an update on this, what's going on in Baltimore. The Baltimore police officer facing the most serious charges in the death of Freddie Gray has chosen a bench trial over a jury trial. That means a judge will decide whether veteran cop Cesar Goodson is guilty of murder. Goodson was the one driving the police van transporting Freddie Gray when the 25-year-old suffered a spinal injury that killed him. That very same judge acquitted an officer a few weeks ago.

CUOMO: Growing outrage over a California giving a former Stanford student a light sentence after conviction in a rape case. There's now an online petition demanding Judge Aaron Persky be ousted from the bench after sentencing Brock Turner to six months in jail. He faced 14 years for raping an inebriated, unconscious woman behind a dumpster. The judge first she said he feared a sentence would have a, quote, "severe impact" on Turner, whose father is also under fire for saying his son shouldn't suffer extensively for, quote, "20 minutes of action."

Meantime, the victim receiving plenty of support after giving a powerful impact statement in court. It read in part, quote, "Your damage was concrete stripped of titles, degrees, enrollment. My damage was internal, unseen. I carry it with me. You took away my worth, my privacy, my energy, my time, my safety, my intimacy, my confidence, my own voice."

CAMEROTA: Almost every sentence of that victim impact statement was powerful. I mean, you just read a few there that's powerful. It went on for something like more than a half hour. First of all, those victim impact statements, thank goodness they get to make them. That can be cathartic for some, but this one in particular has been going viral. So many people are talking about it.

Our own Ashleigh Banfield read the thing in its entirety on her show yesterday. That is getting a lot of people talking. So, we'll have a friend of the victim on this morning to talk about how the victim is doing, given all this.

All right. Meanwhile, Donald Trump warring with his own party over a judge's Mexican heritage. Will Republicans continue to stand by him? We will speak to a Republican who had pledged to support the nominee. How does he feel this morning?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:22:44] CAMEROTA: Donald Trump reportedly overruling his staff and ordering his surrogates to continue attacks against the judge in the Trump University case. Criticism of that stance is growing even within the GOP. Listen to his former rival Senator Marco Rubio yesterday. -

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R), FLORIDA: When I ran for president I told everyone that this is what would happen, that we would be continually faced with this very difficult choice as we are. Many of us have been, between Hillary Clinton and Donald. This is not where I wanted us to be, it's where the voters have chosen and I respect that. But I can -- it isn't going stop from opining from time to time when he says something that goes too far and this is one of those instances. (END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: Let's bring in Congressman Jason Chaffetz. He is a Republican from Utah, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

Great to have you here, Congressman.

REP. JASON CHAFFETZ (R), UTAH: Good morning.

CAMEROTA: So, it sounds like the person you supported, Marco Rubio, a respectful but regretful, I told you so?

CHAFFETZ: Well, you know, Mr. Trump is going to have to answer for this, and I think that the comments he made and the way he made them were wrong. I just do.

CAMEROTA: Do you think they were racist?

CHAFFETZ: I think they were very misinformed. The idea that he referred to him as a Mexican? He's from Indiana, he's an American.

I've never had someone say you're from Belarus and Lithuania and Poland -- I would say, no. I'm an American.

I don't know what it gets hi I don't understand why he repeats it and I don't think he should.

CAMEROTA: I mean, beyond being wrong on the fact that this judge is American. If he were from Mexico, let's say, and became a citizen, does that mean he couldn't rule in any case involving Mexico? I mean, that's what people are zeroing in on. Isn't it racist to say you can't do your job based on your heritage?

CHAFFETZ: You can disagree on the politics of his background. You may disagree on the rulings that you're getting, but to suggest that heritage will disqualify you or inhibit your ability to make a fair ruling? I don't agree with that. A host of people don't agree about it.

And I think it's incumbent upon Republicans when they disagree no matter when part of the party and which aisle they're saying it from call it out when it's wrong and in this case, I think Mr. Trump was wrong and I think he should walk it back.

CAMEROTA: Well, he's not walking it back.

CHAFFETZ: Yes.

CAMEROTA: There was a call reportedly, our sources on this call with surrogates in which he said, continue the attacks, do not apologize, continue, full steam ahead.

[07:25:07] Are you comfortable -- given that, are you still comfortable supporting him to be president? CHAFFETZ: Yes, oh, absolutely. Because in the contrast with Hillary

Clinton who I believe is not trustworthy or qualified to be president in that context, I come from the ABC of politics, anybody but Clinton. I don't believe her, I don't think she's honest and I don't think she has the integrity to be president of the United States. I really do feel that.

CAMEROTA: There is more than a handful now of Republicans who have publicly criticized Donald Trump over these comments. Let me put a few up on the screen to see. Senator Tim Scott, Ben Carson, Senator Mitch McConnell, Paul Ryan, Governor John Kasich, Newt Gingrich, interestingly, who was reportedly on his short list for vice president. It goes on and on.

Senator Lindsey Graham went further and said this to the "New York Times," "The most un-American thing this Joe McCarthy is looking for an off ramp this is probably is. They'll come a time when the love of country will trump hatred of Hillary." You're not there yet? That's stronger --

CHAFFETZ: Well, I'm pretty vocal in saying I disagree on those comments. I don't expect to agree with any one candidate, or any one person on 100 percent of what they say or how they say it, but I totally respect Senator Graham and the others, and I think we're saying essentially the same thing. What he said is wrong and to disqualify or say somebody is disqualified based on heritage is ridiculous, and I disagree in his comments.

CAMEROTA: It's also some pundits say, a peculiar campaign strategy. Why do this? Why go after the judge? Yahoo! Found an interview from Donald Trump's attorney a month ago where Donald Trump's own attorney was talking in a very reasonable way about the judge in this case, his qualifications.

So, let me play this for you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANIEL PETROCELLI, ATTORNEY REPRESENTING TRUMP IN TRUMP U CASE: We believe that the charges against him have no merit, and he will testify and he will tell the truth, and the jury will decide the case.

REPORTER: You said you have no plans to asked judge to recuse himself? Can you talk about that?

PETROCELLI: You know, the judge is doing his job, and -- and, no. We're not seeking to recuse the judge. Trying to assert our rights and I think the court today did a job of trying to balance out competing interests.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: OK. The court's doing a good job. We have no plans to ask the judge to recuse himself. That's Donald Trump's attorney. So, why do you think Donald Trump is doing this? CHAFFETZ: I can't answer that question but I think what a

presidential candidate could have done, Mr. Trump could have done, said it's in the court. I'm leaving this to my attorneys and within ten seconds off on a topic we probably all would more like to talk about.

So, that could easily pivot. I don't know how and why he's taking so long to answer this question when he can simply say I leave in the hands of the attorney, it's the court, and we'll go from there.

CAMEROTA: Speaker Paul Ryan holds his first press conference today. We suspect this will come up. What would he say about this?

CHAFFETZ: I would guess. That's a fair bet that's going to come up. I'm sure the speak letter get it right. Paul Ryan is very dept at this, and he has called this out, and he disagrees with those comments as well.

CAMEROTA: Is he in a pickle now that he se he would support Donald Trump and now this has happened how he can thread that needle?

CHAFFETZ: I think you're going to find it on both sides of the dial, whether Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump. From time to time they're going to say something people aren't going to agree with. It doesn't mean you're going to disqualify everything else. I don't expect to agree with Mr. Trump 100 percent of the time, but compared to Hillary Clinton I think a much better president.

CAMEROTA: Congressman Jason Chaffetz, thanks so much for being here on NEW DAY.

CHAFFETZ: Thank you.

CAMEROTA: Let's go over to Chris.

CUOMO: All right. Well, instead of acting more presidential, the issue is that Donald Trump is seemingly going the opposite direction. He has made some interesting choices since becoming the presumptive nominee. Up next, we're going to break down these moments that could hurt him in November, or not.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)