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Hillary Clinton Clinches Democratic Presidential Nomination; Interview with Congressman Xavier Becerra; Donald Trump Gives Speech for Official Ending of Republican Primaries; Interview with Tom Ridge. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired June 08, 2016 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:00] HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I want to congratulate Senator Sanders.

BERNIE SANDERS, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We continue the fight in the last primary.

CLINTON: Tonight belongs to all of you.

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The last thing we need is Hillary Clinton in the White House.

CLINTON: Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit to be president.

TRUMP: All of those Bernie Sanders voters who have been left out in the cold, we welcome you with open arms.

SANDERS: The American people will never support a candidate whose major theme is bigotry.

TRUMP: We're only getting started and it will be beautiful. Remember that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is NEW DAY with Chris Cuomo and Alisyn Camerota.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, welcome to NEW DAY. It is Wednesday, June 8th, 8:00 in the east. And we do have breaking news of the political variety. Hillary Clinton putting a big exclamation point in her primary fight with Bernie Sanders, winning big in California. The presumptive Democratic nominee seizing her place in history, as the first woman to reach that milestone.

Sanders, however, vowing to fight on. But we do have new reporting about the two candidates speaking to each other, the campaigns speaking to each other. What does that mean?

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Very interesting. All of this, as Donald Trump attempts to move past his controversial attacks on that federal judge's Mexican heritage. He said his comments were, quote, "misconstrued." Let's begin our election coverage with CNN's John Berman. He has a look at all of the results. Where are we now, John? JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Alisyn. As Chris said,

Hillary Clinton, she won big in California, bigger than anyone in the Clinton campaign thought she would. Look at this. Right now, she leads Bernie Sanders by 13 points there. That's with nearly 70 percent of the vote counted, and this total vote difference right now has been growing throughout the night and morning, increasing that lead in terms of the number of votes there. Now, she certainly wanted to win California, but she didn't need to. She didn't need any of the states that voted yesterday. She won four of them. California, New Mexico, South Dakota, and New Jersey, a big win in New Jersey. Bernie Sanders won in Montana and North Dakota, the caucuses there.

As for the delegates, Hillary Clinton already the presumptive nominee as of a day ago, but she padded her delegate lead now with 2,740 and Bernie Sanders with 1,824, Hillary Clinton only needing 2,383. With super delegates, which we count, she now has enough to be the presumed nominee.

As for the raw votes, look at this. Hillary Clinton over the course of the six month primary campaign amassed some 15.2 million votes, Donald Trump 13.9 million. He'll tell you this is more than any Republican has ever received. He'll also tell you there would be more, had he not had so many candidates during much of the race. Chris?

CUOMO: Thank you very much, J.B.

A lot to tally up, but here's one thing that we know, Hillary Clinton will be the first woman to be the presumptive nominee of a major party in our nation's 240 year. So Bernie Sanders is still saying I'm not getting out. But we're hearing the suggestions that they're moving towards unity. CNN Senior Washington correspondent Jeff Zeleny joins us now with more. There is talking going on, my friend.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: There is indeed. And Chris, unifying this Democratic Party may look a little bit easier this morning. Bernie Sanders, of course, was counting on a California win after spending 18 straight days there. That didn't happen. The Clinton campaign this morning is victorious no matter how you slice it. She won a majority of the popular vote, a majority of pledged delegates, and a majority of delegates overall. That's why her smile was so wide last night at her rally in Brooklyn.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZELENY: Hillary Clinton's history making moment.

HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The first time in our nation's history that a woman will be a major party's nominee.

(APPLAUSE)

ZELENY: Savoring a triumph in her long Democratic primary fight exactly eight years after extinguishing her first trailblazing campaign. CLINTON: Tonight victory is not about one person. It belongs to

generations of women and men who struggled and sacrificed, and made this moment possible.

ZELENY: Extending her hand to Bernie Sanders after finishing strong in the final round of primaries, wins in New Jersey and California.

CLINTON: And let there be no mistake. Senator Sanders, his campaign, and the vigorous debate that we've had have been very good for the Democratic Party and for America.

(APPLAUSE)

ZELENY: Sanders losing the big prize of California after spending 18 straight days campaigning there, effectively ending his argument to fight on.

BERNIE SANDERS, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I know that the fight in front of us is a very, very steep fight. But we will continue to fight for every vote and delegate.

(APPLAUSE)

ZELENY: This as Sanders campaign tells CNN they plan to cut half their staff.

[08:05:03] SANDERS: The struggle continues.

(APPLAUSE)

ZELENY: After a bitter primary duel, early signs of peacemaking. CNN has learned campaign manager for Sanders and Clinton, Jeff Weaver and Robby Mook, are talking behind the scenes.

The end is near with Sanders heading to the White House tomorrow to meet with President Obama in hopes of bringing the party together, which Clinton says, she knows can be difficult.

CLINTON: Now, I know it never feels good to put your heart into a cause or a candidate you believe in and to come up short. I know that feeling well.

(LAUGHTER)

CLINTON: As we look ahead to the battle that awaits, let's remember all that unites us.

ZELENY: The biggest point of teen for Democrats may well be defeating Donald Trump.

CLINTON: We believe that we are stronger together. And the stakes in this election are high, and the choice is clear. Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit to be president and commander in chief.

(APPLAUSE)

ZELENY: She is making a full pivot to Trump, inviting voters who are skeptical of him to rally behind her.

CLINTON: We won't let this happen in America. And if you agree, whether you're Democrat, Republican or independent, I hope you will join us.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZELENY: Now, the process of unifying Democrats is underway. Hillary Clinton made a late night phone call to Bernie Sanders, congratulating him on the success of his campaign after winning 22 states and building a movement here. But Secretary Clinton wants to give him at least a little bit of space for now. It was eight years ago this week when she vowed out to Barack Obama in that famous speech about cracking the highest glass ceiling. It is important to note, it wasn't a concession speech she gave on the last night of primaries. That came four days later after supporters urged her to stay in the race. She of course didn't. And she hopes sander also come to the same conclusion later this week.

CAMEROTA: Interesting, Jeff, to think about that phone call. Thanks so much for all of that background. Here to discuss is Congressman Xavier Becerra. He's from California and he has endorsed Clinton. Good morning Congressman.

REP. XAVIER BECERRA, (D) CALIFORNIA: Good morning, Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: Very big night obviously for your side. Hillary Clinton won resoundingly in your home state of California 46 to 43 percent. That was even outside of what the polls had said. The polls suggested that they were neck and neck and there were some that even suggested that Sanders might win. So given this resounding victory, do you think it's time for Sanders to drop out today?

BECERRA: Senator Sanders I think is going to make some really good decisions about how to move forward. And the great thing about our process on the Democratic side is it's never been about one person. It's been about the people. And Bernie Sanders had a very powerful message about how we have to lift all people. Secretary Clinton has had this message as well, lifting all the people. And so I don't think one person is going to get in the way of lifting a lot of people. And so I suspect that come November, we're going to be working as a team really vigorously to let the American people understand, yes, everyone is going to get to have their boat lifted with that tide.

CAMEROTA: You're going to have to work before November as a team. Senator Sanders has said as recently as last night, he is pressing on. He wants to move on this week. He's heading towards the convention. Is it time for him to work as a team with Hillary Clinton now?

BECERRA: That's coming. I don't think there is any doubt $at that's coming. And Senator Sanders has had a really spirited campaign. I think he knows what he is doing. And he has been fighting for these values for more than 30 years, and so I don't think he's going to stop fighting for them simply because of an election. Great results for Democrats, not just for Hillary Clinton but for

Democrats, quite honestly great result for my three daughters for them to see what's going on now in America, especially when you contrast it with what's going on the Republican side.

And so I believe what you're going to see is very soon a consolidation of all of those like-minded people who want to lift up America, not divide it. And there's where Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton, I believe, will be working as a team to help Americans believe.

CAMEROTA: After the dustup about what Donald Trump said about a judge and his Mexican ancestry, there have been some high profile Republicans who have come out and said they cannot vote for Donald Trump, namely Senator Mark Kirk, Lindsey Graham. But they also say they can't vote for Hillary Clinton. Hillary Clinton, though, has run with this, with some Republicans saying that they won't support their party's nominee. She has a new feature on her website. Let me pull it up for everyone. It is "Republicans against Trump," and she says "Take the pledge to get your free Republicans against Trump sticker." And that's cute and clever, but where is the part where she says "I will be for you. There is room in the tent that I am building for you, come and join me. I will cross the aisle and work with you." She seems to be stopping short of sort of extending a full hand to Republicans.

[08:10:12] BECERRA: Actually, last night, Alisyn, if you heard her remarks, she extended a hand to all people in America, including Republican voters, including independent voters. She made is very clear this is a campaign where we lift all boats. And so I think that's the powerful message.

And by the way, with regard to those Republican leaders whose are saying that they are not going to be voting for Donald Trump, if you're leader, it's not enough to say you're not going to vote for someone who has made racist remarks. You have to be a leader for America and say in America in the 21st century, no longer will we tolerate people who want to be president and sit in the Oval Office who are making racist remarks against people of all colors and all backgrounds. So I hope that soon we're going to have Republicans not just condemning the remarks, saying that they are offensive, but also saying that Donald Trump, if he wants to be their standard bearer, has to get out there and say he made a mistake, apologize, something to correct this record, because right now the stain of racism marks the Republican party. I don't believe the party of Lincoln wants that to be the case.

CAMEROTA: Do you think it will be harder for Republicans to actually get on board with Hillary Clinton and to embrace her campaign given what she said at that CNN debate months ago where she was asked which enemies she was proud of, and she named Republicans?

BECERRA: I think people understand that what we need is someone in the White House that will get things done. And I believe most Americans, as we've seen by the fact that Donald Trump is their Republican presumptive nominee, are willing to move in many directions. What I do believe is this. Hillary Clinton has a message that appeals

to all Americans because it is about lifting all boats. And whether you're in the rust belt states or the sun belt states, there is a message that Hillary Clinton is communicating to you that hasn't been said for quite some time that needs to be said, which is you're going to have an opportunity. You may not be able to get away with everything the way Donald Trump says, it is not going to be free. But if you work hard and do things by the rules, which by the way, Donald Trump doesn't, you're going to do well in America. And so her message will cross borders, cross boundaries, and she'll be about building bridges, not building walls.

CAMEROTA: Congressman, is her campaign reaching out to you for VP talks?

BECERRA: Wow, I think she is probably trying to get a little bit of rest tonight. My sense is that secretary Clinton now has some really awesome responsibilities. One of those will likely be her pick for VP. And I have total faith when she makes that final call, that person who will be her running mate, will be just the best. So it will be a great team. I'm looking forward to working. I just want to be on the field to be able to catch, throw, block. I'll carry water if I have to but I just want to be on the field to play.

CAMEROTA: Not a "no." Congressman Becerra, thanks so much for being on NEW DAY. Let's get over to Chris.

CUOMO: All right, Donald Trump has leaders of the GOP saying he made racist comments about a judge. Others saying he is a racist. Some even calling to rescind support. So he was told by the leadership to get on script, and he did that last night literally, reading a speech off a teleprompter, claiming he understands the responsibility of, quote, "carrying the mantle." CNN senior Washington White House correspondent Jim Acosta is live at Trump Tower in New York. What do we know?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Chris. I'm told it was a team effort that went into writing Donald Trump's speech last night. In the words of one advisor putting it candidly, this was an important night, an important speech after five bad days. And there were no apologies loaded into that teleprompter he used last night, but Donald Trump did tone things down big time.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TRUMP: To those who voted for someone else in either party, I'll work hard to earn your support.

ACOSTA: Donald Trump trying to change the subject and his delivery, using a teleprompter in his victory lap speech at the official end of the Republican primary season.

TRUMP: If I'm forced to fight for something I really care about, I will never, ever back down. And our country will never ever back down. ACOSTA: The speech, with only a couple of Trump ad-libs, had some

Republicans cheering. The chairman of the RNC tweeting "Exactly the right approach and perfectly delivered."

NEWT GINGRICH, (R) FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If he can stay on this path, and stay this disciplined, he is going to be very formidable.

ACOSTA: Trump did respond to the growing outcry over his attacks on federal judge Gonzalo Curiel's Mexican-American heritage.

TRUMP: I will tell you it's a little disappointing, some of the Republicans.

ACOSTA: He told his Republican critics to move on.

TRUMP: There is a lot of anger, I guess, anger. They just can't come back. They can't get over it. So they have to get over it. Ideally, as to whether or not they endorse me, that's OK if they don't, but they have to get over it. They shouldn't be so angry for so long.

[08:15:01] ACOSTA: Too late, says Illinois Republican Senator Mark Kirk, who is in a tough reelection battle and rescinded his endorsement of Trump.

SEN. MARK KIRK (R), ILLINOIS: I cannot support him because of what he said about the judge. That was too racist and bigoted for me.

ACOSTA: That coming after hours of stinging comments from the nation's two top Republicans.

REP. PAUL RYAN (R-WI), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: Claiming a person can't do the job because of their race is sort of like the textbook definition of a racist comment. I think that should be absolutely disavowed.

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), MAJORITY LEADER: It is time to quit attacking various people you competed with or various minority groups in the country.

ACOSTA: Trump attempted to put the controversy to rest, with a statement that said his comments about Judge Curiel were misconstrued. He did have a few supporters coming to his defense.

GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), NEW JERSEY: I've known him for 14 years, and Donald Trump is not a racist.

ACOSTA: But Trump is hearing warnings from top Republicans who are demanding their presumptive nominee start acting presidential before the GOP mutiny gets any worst.

SEN. BOB CORKER (R), TENNESSEE: He's got to demonstrate a different level of professionalism.

ACOSTA: The real estate tycoon insists he's got the message, and is ready to turn his attention to Hillary Clinton. TRUMP: The Clintons have turned the politics of personal enrichment into an art form for themselves.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: Up next for Trump, a speech on the Clintons' personal financial dealings. That is set for early next week -- Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: OK, Jim. Thanks so much for all of that.

As Jim said, Donald Trump was on teleprompter and on message. Can that change the minds of any jittery Republican critics? We'll ask one, former homeland security secretary, Tom Ridge. He is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[08:15:14] TRUMP: I understand the responsibility of carrying the mantle. I will never, ever let you down. Too much work. Too many people. Blood, sweat and tears. Never going to let you down. I will make you proud of your party, and our movement. And that's what it is, it's a movement.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: That is Donald Trump, trying to smooth things over with voters and frankly with his own party leadership. Last night, there was no apology, but he says his judge comments were misconstrued and told people who were upset with him to get over it.

Joining us now is Tom Ridge, former Pennsylvania governor, former homeland security secretary and chairman of Ridge Global. He was the national co-chair of John Kasich's campaign.

Governor, you're not going to get over it. This to you is a metaphor of what is become the noncivil or incivility of politics. True?

TOM RIDGE (R), FORMER PENNSYLVANIA GOVERNOR: That's absolutely true. I think the notion that he is going to carry the mantle of the Republican Party, it would be obviously wearing new clothes, because he certainly hasn't been carrying it the past year. The notion that those who oppose him are angry, I think is unfortunately probably another self-absorbed notion.

I think a lot of the reasons you have people like the Senator Kirk and Senator Flake and some other long-standing Republicans, men of vision, men of character and courage.

It is probably even bigger than Trump and the party. But bottom line is, if you have major policy differences with a candidate, if you find his actions and his demeaning nature unacceptable, if you have legitimate questions about his character and his temperament and disposition, if you have concluded he is wrong for America, then why would you conclude that he's right for the Republican Party?

It's not about blind allegiance.

CUOMO: Well, they say --

RIDGE: You're going to see other defections.

CUOMO: But they say you're putting me in an impossible position, Governor. You're telling me to back Hillary Clinton or stay out of the race, if we lose, we lose the Supreme Court, we may lose one, two or three cycles of congressional elections. And really handcuff my ability to get policies that we want through with a Democratic president and maybe Democratic congressman.

RIDGE: Well, I'm not telling anybody to do anything they don't feel by virtue of principle and belief system that they don't want to do. I am telling people and I'm saying to you and everybody else that there's no reason to criticize those who disagree with a candidate, whether it'd be Republican or Democratic.

There is no reason to suggest that simply because you are nominated by one party or the other, that you have to be -- there has got to be some kind of blind allegiance. If you have concluded intellectually and emotional that that individual in either side of the aisle is wrong for America, the fact they may be registered in the same party as you, think about it, before you cast the vote.

I'm not going to question people's motives as to why they will or will not support a candidate. I don't think Donald Trump should either.

CUOMO: Can you imagine yourself ever saying about a candidate, look, I think what he or she just said was bigoted, and racist, but I'm going to support them? Can you imagine yourself saying that?

RIDGE: No, I can't imagine that. I mean, I don't -- if you have concluded, let's take a look at Senator Kirk for a moment -- a man who I think has demonstrated extraordinary courage. He is a man with a significant disability. He goes to work everyday, trying very hard to be the best possible senator he can be.

And yet, the nominee of the Republican Party decided on a national public stage to diss -- to make fun of a disabled journalist. But there is an endless -- there's a litany of what I consider to be improper transgressions, demeaning, mean spirited on people that disagree with him. I mean, this notion about the judge who found against him in a motion for summary judgment, it is inexcusable that he takes on the judicial system, the third branch of the government, because he didn't get his way.

I mean, that's why I mean yesterday, Chris, I wish you could have been there, Allegheny College and their president, Jim Mullin (ph), five years ago, decided to shine the light on civility in the public space. Yesterday, we honored Vice President Joe Biden and John McCain, fierce partisans.

CUOMO: Sure.

RIDGE: Great friends. And they both spoke to the notion of putting aside this mean-spirited pettiness, know one another, respect each other's differences and business, and get on the business of governing. It was an incredible, incredible hour or two with both these great patriots. It is about civility.

I don't know anybody who can conclude somebody who is uncivil, if somebody is -- if your view, he or she -- if they are a racist, if any of those things are that troubling to you, I don't know how you can support them on either side of the aisle.

[08:25:08] CUOMO: Well, you know, it's interesting. What you call civility now is dismissed as P.C., by people who are angry and frustrated about the process. And many on both sides are saying this is a choice between the less worst candidate.

You have Clinton who many believe negative allegations about her behavior as State Department official, whether it's the email scandal or what happened with the Clinton Global Initiative or her role in her husband's infidelities, and they're decided on that basis alone, forget about policy. And you look at Trump and they're going through the analysis, you have right there.

Where is civility in a process that's about the less worst?

RIDGE: Well, you know, I think Chris, the irony of yesterday's meeting was in the midst of what has been and will be probably the most negative campaign. It is not going to be a discussion of foreign policy alternatives, domestic policy alternatives. This is going to be a pretty personality driven campaign.

The notion that on that day, they both basically clinched the nomination to have two patriots honored by Allegheny College. I mean, we don't -- I don't think there is any question if you walk away from Vice President Biden or Senator John McCain, you're not confused about their point of view. They know how to mix it up.

If you had been there, Chris, they embraced, they're friends, they talked about each other with a great sense of humor and a great sense of respect. What the prize to shine a light upon and what both of these candidates need over the next six months, put aside the pettiness, put aside the mean-spiritedness, and why don't you, Secretary Clinton, take a page out of Vice President Biden's book, and why don't you Donald Trump, take a page out of John McCain's book and try to treat your opponent with respect and the dignity that the process deserves?

More importantly, Chris, America deserves better than just personal attacks.

CUOMO: Governor, you're saying something a lot of people want to hear right now. It is a message to both sides, because as we see, this is going to be a real slugfest. Maybe not on the terms that will make this country any better at the end. Thank you very much for your perspective.

RIDGE: Always good talking with you, Chris. Thank you.

CUOMO: Always. You know you're always welcome on NEW DAY to talk about what matters. We'll see you soon.

RIDGE: Thanks, Chris.

CUOMO: Alisyn?

CAMEROTA: All right. Donald Trump, as you've been talking about, Chris, trying to put out the fire over his comments on that federal judge that he says the media misconstrued. Is it working? Is his statement working? We will explore that, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)