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Hala Gorani Tonight
Voting Underway in Biggest Day of Election So Far; U.S. House Speaker Calls Out Trump on KKK; Foreign Policy in Focus on Campaign Trail; U.N.: Europe Facing "Imminent Humanitarian Crisis"; Apple, FBI in Legal Clash Over Terrorist's iPhone; U.S. Vets on Cyber Battlefield Rescuing Children from Sexual Abuse; GOP Nomination Battle: Name-Calling Free-for- All? Aired 3-4p ET
Aired March 01, 2016 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:00:13] MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Tonight on the program, polls are open across the United States. The next few hours of
Super Tuesday who crystallized the race for the White House?
Then, chaos from one corner of Europe to another. We'll tell you the latest unprecedented numbers of refugees.
And the FBI making its case to Congress about why Apple could help unlock a terrorist phone.
Plus, could this woman be the next First Lady? Find out what Melania Trump thinks about her husband's campaign.
Hello everyone, I'm Michael Holmes live from CNN Center standing in for Hala Gorani. This is THE WORLD RIGHT NOW.
A warm welcome, everyone, the biggest day in the U.S. presidential race so far will soon become the biggest night as votes are tallied and winners
declared. Giving us the clearest indication yet of where this race is headed. Twelve states are holding primaries and caucuses on this Super
Tuesday. The first polls close about four hours from now. Hundreds of delegates at stake for each party. Democratic candidates competing for
more than a third of those needed to win their nomination. Republicans competing for nearly half of their delegates. Although Hillary Clinton and
Donald Trump are on track to win their respective nominations at the moment, there is certainly no such thing as a sure thing in politics.
Candidates lagging behind still holding out hope that they can turn things around.
Well Texas is the biggest prize of Super Tuesday with its gold mine of delegates. It is also the home state of Republican candidate Ted Cruz.
Some say he must win on his home turf if he hopes to keep his campaign alive.
Ed Lavandera in Allen, Texas. And you are in that must-win state for Ted Cruz. A man who needs the Republican field to shrink. What's he's been
saying?
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well Ted Cruz really setting the bar rather high just a little while ago, he told reporters after he cast his
own vote in Houston, Texas in just a little while ago saying that any candidate in this race that can't win his own state is in a lot of trouble.
Clearly kind of calling out Marco Rubio, Rubio so far apparently trailing Donald Trump in the latest polls in the State of Florida. Several polls
showing Ted Cruz doing well and better than Donald Trump here in Texas, but he's kind of laid out the lines here that what he needs to see and Ted
Cruz clearly needing to do very well here in Texas tonight.
Just to be clear for everyone, this isn't a winner take all state, this is a proportional state. So depending on how many votes you get, and it's a
long, convoluted system that can really drive you crazy when you get into the nitty-gritty of it. But it's proportional. So, it's not winner take
all. But Ted Cruz regardless needs to take home a significant amount of delegates from his home state here.
HOLMES: Yes. And, you know, Robert Wright famously said that the biggest party in U.S. politics isn't the Republicans or the Democrats, it's the "I
didn't vote party." What's the turnout like?
LAVANDERA: The turnout is unbelievable here. Just kind of give you a sense of where we are, Allen, Texas, it is in a county called Collin
County, just north of the Dallas/Fort Worth area. And this is a country full of sprawling suburbs. Traditionally this is the kind of county that
Republicans need to do very well and get a lot of turnout in. So, this is a strong Republican turnout here in a stronghold. At this polling
location, here in the city of Allen, we have seen a steady stream all day.
In fact I was talking to the Republican Party chairman here in this county yesterday, leading up to Election Day, there were two weeks of early voting
and the Republican Party chairman tells me that they had already broken the total, the highest total voter turnout in a Republican primary in this
county's history, even before Election Day. So an intense amount of interest and we've seen the lines here throughout the day, a steady stream
of people coming and we'll start hitting the peak hours here in just a few hours as people get off of work and come cast their ballots before the
polls close, Michael.
HOLMES: Wow, that says something. Biggest turnout ever. Ed Lavandera there in Texas. Thanks so much, Ed. Good to see you.
Well republicans opposed to Donald Trump have been warning that the party itself could be in trouble in the general election if he does end up the
nominee. And a new poll appearing to validate those concerns. Have a look at your screen now. Check out what happens when there's a hypothetical
match-up between Trump and Hillary Clinton, she beats him by eight points. It's a different story though if Marco Rubio or Ted Cruz are on the ballot
instead. The CNN/ORC poll showing either of them would edge her out in a one on one match-up.
[15:05:13] Now replace Clinton with Bernie Sanders, the poll shows he would beat all three Republican nominees, and do so handily in a general
election. Fascinating numbers. It is early days. Now those last results, they might maybe surprise some people, especially those who said a self-
proclaimed democratic socialist would never stand a chance, but this race has certainly been anything but predictable. There's an understatement.
Still a lot of uncertainty ahead of course.
Let's bring in Mark Preston, executive editor for "CNN POLITICS." Mark, let's start off with the facts though, such a huge build-up to Super
Tuesday in the media, but it is not a total decider, is it? A big win means momentum, but not a victory lap, right?
MARK PRESTON, CNN EXECUTIVE EDITOR, "CNN POLITICS": I think you're absolutely right, Michael. For our viewers around the world, what it is,
it is about bragging rights, and it is about mathematics, and as Ed was talking about down in Texas. Ted Cruz needs to win his home state in order
to show that validity that he deserves to be in the race. If he cannot win his home state, than there would be a lot of pressure for him to get out.
But even if he does win his home state, and he does not win it by a large margin, it doesn't mean he is going to get all the delegates that he needs
or that he should get in this march towards the Republican nomination.
So, when we wake up tomorrow morning, all around the world, and we're looking to see who won, who lost, on Super Tuesday, it's really going to be
about bragging rights, about people picking up individual states. But as you've been stating so eloquently throughout this is the fact Donald Trump
right now is the front-runner, as is Hillary Clinton heading into these contests today.
HOLMES: Yes, and let's talk about the lower tone of discourse, in response to Marco Rubio, jibe, we now know that Donald Trump has beautiful, big
hands because he told us to today, Mike. My question to you though, Mike, could the schoolyard taunts Rubio has been handing out hurt him? It is
Trump's shtick and his supporters love him, but what about mainstream Rubio, might he face some backlash?
PRESTON: You know, there's two schools of thought on this. One school thought is that he waited too long to get into the gutter with Donald Trump
in order to defeat somebody like Donald Trump, some would say that you have to go down to his level, take off the gloves, and go bareknuckle against
him. The other line of thought is to say listen, at some point, the way that Trump acts on the campaign trail is going to grow old, it's going to
grow old quick, and in fact, that's when somebody like Marco Rubio would then rise up into fill that void that's left there. However, the clock is
ticking right now. Donald Trump has won several contests. He is going to win several contests tonight. In many ways, Marco Rubio had to do
something to try to capture the imagination of the electorate right now. And also to prove to the Republican establishment, Michael, that he is
their candidate and that they need to get behind him both financially as well as with support if they're going to stop Donald Trump.
HOLMES: Always a pleasure, Mark Preston, man with his fingers on the polls. Good to see you my friend. Thank you.
PRESTON: Thank you, sir.
HOLMES: All right. Meanwhile, the firestorm over Donald Trump's failure to denounce White Supremacist groups during a recent interview with CNN not
dying down. The Republican speaker of the U.S. White House Representative sharing this rather sharp words earlier today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL RYAN, U.S. WHITE HOUSE REPRESENTATIVE: And this is the kind of moment where we should be having a serious debate about the policies needed to
restore the American idea. And instead of the conversation over the last few days has been about White supremacist groups. So today, I want to be
very clear about something. If a person wants to be the nominee of the Republican Party, there can be no evasion and no games. They must reject
any group or cause that is built on bigotry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Paul Ryan went on to say though that he will support whomever secures the Republican nomination.
Trump campaign supporter Scottie Nell Hughes is a chief legal correspondent for USA Radio Networks, a columnist for Westernjournalism.com comes to us
from CNN Washington. You know, I'm curious on this KKK thing, Donald Trump is clearly has denounced David Duke before and after that interview. I
mean, he might have flubbed during that interview and not doing so, but it's interesting to see the Republican establishment pounce on him now. Do
you think that's part of let's get Trump?
SCOTTIE NELL HUGHES, CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, USA RADIO NETWORKS: I think it is, it's almost like the hamster wheel of chaos to be honest with
you. It's like, let's just keep spinning it and spinning it and hope that it'll stay in the news. We all know that emotional threat of racism is
very powerful. And unfortunately this continued as kind of almost weakening the charge of racism that really does exist sometimes in America
and actually exists a lot. So, I'm very disappointed in Paul Ryan and very disappointed in these people that continue to try to spew this, to try to
make Mr. Trump a racist when it's proven over and over again that he has denounced any affiliation with the KKK. And he's not just when he was
running for president, but it's been all along. For years, he's always said he has taken a negative stance. But he didn't run for president in
2012.
HOLMES: Right.
HUGHES: Because one of the groups that wanted to push him were saying that he was a part of it. So --
[15:10:19] HOLMES: Let's accept that maybe he did not handle Jake Tapper's questioning very well then and move on to something else. One of the
biggest failings for the GOP has been probably the sense of unity from non- Trump candidates, right? Add their numbers together and Donald Trump is done in these primaries, but they're all staying in though. What Super
Tuesday results might see some of them bow out?
HUGHES: Well, I think, you know, obviously Dr. Carson is the one of those that might. But he might stay in. I think you're waiting for Kasich,
wants to have Kasich's last stand in Ohio, nobody wants to lose their state even though Mr. Trump is polling higher in Ohio. Marco Rubio is going to
stay in, regardless, I think until March 15th. He has some hopes for the caucus state of Minnesota, maybe Colorado, but really he's just seeing a
lot of his steam come these last few days.
Which hurts him in the fact that early voting numbers and most Super Tuesday states have been through the roof. So I don't know if it's a
little bit too late for that. Ted Cruz has pulled out most of his functions, put it on to Texas. The key about Texas, it's a threshold
state, but it's got the highest threshold. Fifty one percent in order to get all 155 votes for Ted Cruz, and he needs them all. Percentage points,
I don't know if it's necessarily a win, even though you know he'll tout it.
HOLMES: Well, you're a Trump supporter, who would he rather face, Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders? Because the latest polls are showing he would
lose to both of them. Clinton 52/44, Sanders 55/43.
HUGHES: You know, nothing, I don't to want discount a CNN poll, I don't want to discount any poll, I obviously look at them. But I also remember
back in 1988, the Dukakis versus Bush, coming out of conventions, Dukakis was 20 points ahead. And obviously Bush won that in result. It's going to
be a different thing once it's one on one. So, I really don't want to look at any of those polls. Plus, people are now -- are pretty smart within
their own camps. They know if they get a call, necessarily, they don't to want to sit there and endorse another candidate because polls like this
come out on the day of Super Tuesday and doesn't make the guys they're going up against look too hot.
HOLMES: Oh, come on! Donald Trump loves polls, he quotes them all the time.
HUGHES: As long as he's winning.
HOLMES: Yes. That's exactly right. Good point. You know, what about party leaders speaking out against their own man? You know, we heard Paul
Ryan earlier today, Senator Ben Sasse, senior House member Peter King, all of them talking out against your candidate. What is it they're worried
about?
HUGHES: Well, maybe if they had actually accomplished something in Congress, besides just going along with everything President Obama has
wanted, I'd put more clout into it. In fact, as we've seen with the Rubio campaign, the more endorsements he gets from what I like to call the rusty
side of the GOP, the ones that have been around and have made us lose the last two elections, the worst he's gotten in the polls. So, I think that,
you know, I don't put my clout into what they're saying. I put more clout into people that are new and fresh on the party that have endorsed Mr.
Trump.
I mean, last night, we saw the heads of NASCAR, who would have thought the heads of NASCAR would ever endorse within the GOP election? And we saw
that happen. You see people, everybody from Jeff Sessions to Sarah Palin, to Sylvester Stallone, the diversity that Mr. Trump has brought into this
campaign would be something normally the GOP should be celebrating, and the RNC, I will give them credit, they really kind of are. I take the
Republican Party separate from the establishment of the Congress that has been coming out against Mr. Trump. So, RNC, I actually think have been
very fair in all of this.
HOLMES: Well, let's face it, you mentioned the RNC, the party machinery does not like your candidate. We know that. They don't like Ted Cruz
either. If Donald Trump is the nominee at the end of the day, what does that mean for the party? What does that do to the party? Is the party the
same?
HUGHES: Well, let me separate -- let me put a little inside politics here. I don't believe this not liking Mr. Trump is coming from the RNC. I don't
see that coming from Chairman Priebus. The executive committee and executive committee men are of the national RNC are the most conservative
that have ever been. Where you're getting this idea that the Republican Party doesn't like Mr. Trump is coming from, I think, more the SRLC, the
Senatorial Republican Leadership Committee, those that are elected office that know that Mr. Trump cannot be bought or his strings pulled like
they've pulled other people in the past. There's a big separation there. Right now I think the RNC has always been focused on fundraising and
getting their west field and their data together to give whatever candidate that is. I think they've been falsely painted in a lot of this where you
really should be putting the blame on the Republican elected leadership over in Congress.
HOLMES: And there's certainly a lot in Congress. And in the House who are up for reelection on the Republican side who are also worried about Donald
Trump in a presidential election campaign which we could do it longer. Scottie Nell Hughes, thanks so much. I appreciate you being on the show.
HUGHES: Thank you for having me.
HOLMES: Got to take a break. When we come back, how are foreign policy issues playing into this campaign? That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:17:14] HOLMES: Welcome back. Foreign policy of course front and center in the U.S. Election campaign. Some often controversial proposals
grabbing the headlines, candidates debating for example how to stop extremist group ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Donald Trump suggesting that ban
on Muslims traveling to the United States. All that suggesting at least the polls on Muslims coming in. Until a bid to boost National Security and
how to deal with America's 12 million illegal immigrants, also of course a hot button issue.
I want to go now to Washington where our very own Jim Sciutto is standing by for us. Jim, is it fair to say a lot of our viewers, folks around the
world are looking at this primary race with a little trepidation, a lot of hawkish talk of carpet bombing, Muslim banning, killing families of
terrorists and so on.
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF U.S. SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, I tell you, Michael, this just a matter of commiseration, there's a lot of folks in
this country who have never seen a race like it before. On a number of levels, on domestic issues, but certainly some of the rhetoric on
international issues, Ted Cruz talking about carpet bombing, ISIS, Donald Trump's now widely criticized ban for banning, suggestion for banning
Muslims from the country. Typically in U.S. races, that kind of rhetoric, you might hear it on the campaign trail, and then it gets milder as you get
closer to the general election.
But listen, there's nothing typical about this election, so it's hard to say how that continues as you get into the general. You know, typically
the reason you see it mellowing is because, you know, you've got a win over one group of voters to win the primary within your party. Then you've got
to win independents in the general election. So you might see some moving towards the center, but I'll tell you, Michael, I speak to a lot of folks
who covered politics for a long time, and I've been asking them for their predictions for some time. And one thing they seem to agree on is that you
know what, we don't know. We don't know at this point. Already a lot of predictions have fallen, have turned out to be false.
HOLMES: Well, you're a well-traveled man, Jim, and spent a lot of years living overseas. You know that outside looking in situation, how worried
do you think foreign leaders are, particularly in the west about Trump presidency or perhaps in the case of Russia and China, how delighted they
might be?
SCIUTTO: You know, I've asked recently this morning, I met with a senior Pakistani diplomat, I met with a senior French diplomat last Friday.
You'll often hear from them, the Pakistani diplomat said, listen, we know that many of these candidates are speaking to a domestic audience. We
don't believe that they will either follow through on some of these proposals, I asked specifically about the Muslim ban, or be able to follow
through. So you hear some of that saying, listen, we know it's politics, it's going to mellow when we get passed the general election, but I have
talked to others, and I've heard this from Europeans who recognize in the very divisive politics here.
What you see as you well know, Michael, in Europe as well. The rise of what we used to call fringe parties, but now have significant
representations in countries like France. The Netherlands, the UK, anti- immigrant, uncomfortable with globalization, I mean, these are driving political forces domestically here and in Europe, and we're seeing the
consequences of that.
HOLMES: You know, and there are foreign policy differences, of course, among the leading candidates. And perhaps the biggest difference is on the
democratic side. Bernie Sanders saying it's pretty non-intervention. As some analyst think Hillary Clinton is downright hawkish on a lot of things.
I'm curious because you see both sides. The overseas side and the U.S. side. I'm wondering whether you feel that Americans, you know, at the end
of the day, don't really care about over there until it comes here when it comes the foreign policy. Do you think they're engaged despite the impact
of U.S. foreign policy on countless millions of people?
SCIUTTO: You know, that's typically been the case. You know, I cover National Security. This is a rare political season where voters
consistently rate National Security issues, including things like the threat from ISIS at the top of the list. Typically its been the economy,
you'll remember Bill Clinton's famous statement is the economy is stupid, but in this election, those National Security issues are consistently
listed at the top as the issues that voters are most concerned about.
And what's interesting, Michael, is that debate between U.S. interventionism abroad, or pulling back is actually taking place in both
parties because, yes, you have sort of Clinton, Hillary Clinton, as the interventionist, you know, leading for instance the call for the war in
Libya or U.S. support for removing Muammar Gaddafi, Sanders against it. Hillary Clinton voted for the Iraq war. Sanders criticizing her for that.
But Donald Trump has been one of the most vocal critics of the Iraq war on the Republican side, you know, viscerally attacking Jeb Bush for instance
for his brother's -- of course it was his brother who led to the invasion of Iraq. So, you have that disagreement, but you have it within both
parties. Just another measure of the real division you have in the U.S. right now politically.
[15:22:05] HOLMES: Certainly, certainly is a hot button issue. Very important one too. Jim Sciutto, always a pleasure, good to see you.
SCIUTTO: Thanks, Michael.
HOLMES: All right. Still to come here on the program. Clashes at Greece's border, and now a stark warning from the U.N. Europe's migrant
crisis, next on the program.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Welcome back now to a stark warning from the United Nations. Europe on the cusp of a humanitarian crisis. The organization's Refugee
Agency releasing figures showing the number of people crossing the Mediterranean in January and February this year, almost as many as the
first six months of last year.
Kellie Morgan with that story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KELLIE MORGAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The demolition at the Calais migrant camp dubbed "The Jungle" was meant to be peaceful. French
authorities pledge no bulldozers, migrants they said would not be removed from their makeshift homes by force. Aid organization help refugees which
films this footage says it shows what happened early Tuesday to a Kurdish couple from Iran who didn't want to leave their home. They say the woman
is pregnant.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That woman is pregnant.
MORGAN: CNN cannot independently verify that claim, but what is clear, the dismantling of the jungle has led to violence. Calais officials say the
trouble has been stirred by pro-migrant activists and the police officers responded with tear gas after 11 officers were hit and injured by
projectiles. The French government says, it will push on with relocating migrants into converted shipping containers that have heating and
electricity. But there will be a shortfall of more than 2,000 beds. Each demolition leaving more people without shelter.
Conditions have also become more wretched on Greece's border of Macedonia. Eight-and-a-half thousand people announced stock here. Local aid agencies
have enough resources to help a quarter of that number. Only Iraqis and Syrians are permitted to cross. And only one or 200 a day. German
Chancellor Angela Merkel calling on the rest of Europe to help Greece as a massive urgency.
ANGELA MERKEL, GERMAN CHANCELLOR (through a translator): The situation is not so that we can be content. Every day we see the pictures from Greece.
We have to get back to the Schengen system. Meaning, open borders will face what the United Nations has described as a largely self-induced
humanitarian crisis.
Kellie Morgan, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: The director of the FBI telling Congress of ruling in the agency's fight with Apple is indeed likely to set a legal precedent for the future.
James Comey telling a House Committee a short time ago that its demand that Apple break into a San Bernardino terrorist's iPhone is a specific case.
Still, he acknowledged, if the government wins those requests might keep on coming, but he bristled at the idea the FBI wants a back door to iPhones in
general.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES COMEY, FBI DIRECTOR: I actually don't see that this way, when there are issues about back doors. This is about -- there's already a door on
the iPhone. Essentially we're asking Apple, take the vicious guard dog away, let us try and pick the lock. The later phones, as I understand the
six and after, there aren't doors. So, there isn't going to be -- can't you take the guard dog away and let us pick the lock.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[15:27:06] HOLMES: That hearing follows two seemingly contradictory court rulings on whether a law from 1789 compels Apple to break into iPhones in
2016.
CNN Money Cybersecurity reporter Jose Pagliery joins me now from New York, and thanks for doing so. What a case, and what do we make of these two
contradictory rulings? What is it the government wants? What about these rulings?
JOSE PAGLIERY, CNN MONEY CYBERSECURITY REPORTER: So, this is interesting, what the FBI is doing is investigating the San Bernardino shooting. And
one of the dead shoot had an iPhone 5c that is locked with a pass code. Now the FBI is trying to break into that phone to figure out whether or not
there's any evidence on it. They can't do it on their own. In fact, the FBI has admitted now to making some mistakes early on in the investigation
that prevents them from backing up data on the phone so they can look through it. And so they want Apple to write code.
They've asked a judge to force Apple to write code that will let the FBI break in. The real question, just last week was whether or not, this was
going to create precedent that would then force Apple to do the bidding of the government in all cases. Every time a police agency is doing an
investigation, they'll just ask Apple to break into a phone. Now, what was really interesting today, was that the FBI director essentially said,
that's true. This would create precedent. And so, if Apple -- if Apple doesn't get its way, and the FBI does, what we learned today before
Congress was that the FBI will continue to pressure Apple to open up phones.
HOLMES: And I suppose, if you're looking at the legality of it and talking about precedent, where a company is being asked to create something, not
just open something, create something, what that means not just for Apple, but other companies. What's to stop them from turning around and telling
Boeing to build something that might help the government?
PAGLIERY: Sure. Sure. And that's the core issue here. The core issue is whether or not this law, the All Writs Act can let the government force
companies to do their bidding. And that's why you see Google and Facebook and Amazon and all these companies come forward in support of Apple because
they see themselves potentially in the same position. And let's not kid ourselves, if the government does gets its way, this is a huge step forward
for law enforcement, but that doesn't prevent a terrorist from simply using a phone that's made abroad. And in fact the FBI director told members of
Congress that today. That nothing prevents a terrorist from using a phone that's made elsewhere, and nothing prevents them from using encryption.
There was one interesting point where the FBI director says, he's worried about evidence-free zones. And this is a real concern.
HOLMES: And it's incredibly important case, and not just on the terror issue, that's for sure. Jose Pagliery, thanks so much. I appreciate it.
We're going to return to U.S. politics next. It is Super Tuesday after all. We're going to have a live report from a polling station in
Massachusetts. Critical state in all of this. That's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:32:20] HOLMES: 12 states and one territory holding contest on this Super Tuesday in the U.S., A pivotal day in the race for the White House.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump hoping to firm up their status as front runners.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: A top NATO General says Russia is helping President Assad turn the refugee crisis into a weapon against the west.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Speaking to U.S. lawmakers, General Philip Breedlove said Russia's air campaign is creating a flow of migrants in an attempt to overwhelm
European structures.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Documents written by the late Al Qaeda leader, Osama Bin Laden including his will have been released.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: The will, which was written in the late '90s, claims that Bin Laden nearly $30 million, which he wanted to be used for Jihad. Bin Laden was
killed by U.S. forces in Pakistan in 2011.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: The United Nations plans to hold a new round of peace talks on Syria, March 9th.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: The announcement coming as Syrian president Bashar Al Assad said his forces have shown restraint. The opposition (inaudible) is accusing the
government of numerous violations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Former U.S. President Bill Clinton stumping for Hillary Clinton this Super Tuesday in Massachusetts. Probably because the Sanders campaign
had long expected to grab this state, along with his home state of Vermont.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Bernie Sanders expressing confidence about his chances after voting in the city of Burlington.
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT),. DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The fact that we have shown that millions of people and young people want to
transform this country and make it what it can become, we're very proud of what we are doing, we're proud of what we're going to continue to do. This
is a campaign that's going to the Philadelphia Convention in July, and I want to thank the millions of supporters throughout this country who are
fighting to make real changes in this country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Well, despite his confidence, the latest survey from Massachusetts shows Clinton in the lead. Boris Sanchez joining me now live from a polling
place in a suburb of Boston in Massachusetts. Good to see you Boris.
You know, this state, important for Bernie Sanders, but really, also for Hillary Clinton because if she beats him there, that really does put a bit
of a stamp on her campaign, doesn't it?
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. It could be a tremendous victory for Hillary Clinton. Not only in the number of delegates she can receive here
in Massachusetts, more than 90, but also a great symbolic victory for her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[15:35:05]
SANCHEZ: Considered that Massachusetts is really a state that is catered to Bernie's typical voter. More than 75% of the electorate here is Caucasian,
is white, and so that really plays into his support group, mostly Hillary supporters come in more diverse states. We saw her trance Bernie in South
Carolina last week. And the SEC Primary just so happens to fall on Super Tuesday. So a lot of states that are in that primary ring so to speak are
southern states, diverse states, and Hillary is expected to win there. But if she can win here especially among independent voters, it would mean a
serious blow to the Sanders campaign. And as you mentioned we saw Bill Clinton in several polling places throughout the state.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: He was here just a few hours ago putting on that charm that helped him get elected twice, shaking hands and even crossing party lines to one
woman that was an obvious Ted Cruz supporter.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: She even asked him for an autograph and she was visibly enthused by meeting him. So his star power really transcends parties and he's
putting it on here in Massachusetts hoping to win votes for Hillary and ultimately win a major victory for her on the road to the convention in
Philadelphia later this summer.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Yes, and Donald Trump favored to win on the Republican side, but we've been talking a lot about turnout, and turnout really important for
the Democrats in the primaries and caucuses so far. The republicans have had the edge on turnout.
SANCHEZ: That is correct. We've seen a lot of enthusiasm by Trump voters. You mention He is expected to win here in Massachusetts as he's expected to
win through most of the primary and caucus states on Super Tuesday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: The only state really up for debate for him is Texas with Ted Cruz having a slight edge there. But here in Massachusetts, a recent poll showed
he doubled second place.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: He had 43% of the likely primary voters here in Massachusetts compared to Marco Rubio with only 20%. Voters that we've spoken to here
today are mostly independent. Several of them telling us that they strongly support Donald Trump because of his stances on the economy as well as
foreign policy, so there's a lot of enthusiasm behind him. We'll see how that plays out as we get closer to the Republican Convention in Ohio.
HOLMES: All right Boris, thanks so much. Boris Sanchez there in Boston.
Well America's electoral system isn't exactly easy to understand, it's long as we know, that it is complicated. Here are some things you should know
however.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Delegates from each party will cast the deciding vote at separate conventions that will be held this summer. Delegates are either pledged or
they are unpledged, most delegates however are pledged. Meaning, they were allocated to of a candidate based on primary or caucus results, such as
those we will see today.
But the rules vary from state to state. On the Democratic side, you have another quirky thing called Super delegates. Now they are delegates to the
party convention who are allowed to endorse their own pick, no matter how their home state votes. And they are very valuable, as you might guess.
There are 865 delegates at stake for the Democrats and Texas, an important state to win this race as well as we've been reporting. Clinton currently
leading the delegate count with 559 delegates, Sanders with 86, but many of Clintons are those super delegates.
So keeping all of that in mind, here's why Super Tuesday is so important on the road to the nomination. 595 delegates in play on the Republican side,
and as you can see, the huge state of Texas, the biggest prize, 155 of those delegates are there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: All right. Let's talk for more on the big Tuesday races. Let's bring in David Gregory, author and former moderator of the U.S. TV news
show "Meet the Press" he joins us now from CNN New York. Great pleasure to see you there, David. What is the worst case scenario for Donald Trump?
Let's say you know Cruz wins Texas, Rubio picks up 20, 25% overall. What would hurt Donald Trump?
DAVID GREGORY, FORMER MODERATOR, MEET THE PRESS: Well, I think what you just outlined Michael is a pretty bad scenario for Trump. If he were to
lose Texas and if Rubio were to consolidate a little bit more support. If he's at those percentage levels, anything above 20%, that's important, I'll
come back to that because that would allow Rubio to pick up enough delegates, cut into Trump's lead tonight, and then that puts him in a
better position to try to win some of the winner take all states, like his home state of Florida, like Ohio.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GREGORY: Those are big delegate prizes that come up in the middle of the month. The 20% matters is because the rules that the Republican Party came
up in order to really help the front runner is that if you don't get 20%, let's say you're competing in Texas and in one of the big counties you
don't get up to 20% of the vote. Then you can't get any of those delegates. That is a threshold you have to pass. So that could hurt either Cruz or
Rubio, whoever is on the losing end of that side trying to come in second place. So I think that's important.
[15:40:00]
HOLMES: Yes, and there's still talk, of course, in the GOP of a brokered convention as its own. A bit of a contest if you like at the convention.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Do you think the party would look to a rear guard action if it is at all possible to take Trump out at the convention? A coo of sorts. Would
the party leadership go against the voters?
GREGORY: Yes, I think they'd like to if they could. But you know that means that there has to be an alternative. You know, the biggest problem right
now is it's Trump and everyone else. And the everyone else is more than one person. It's Kasich, it's Carson, it's Rubio, it's Cruz. And as long as
they all stay in the race, particularly Kasich and Cruz, it means that Rubio really doesn't have a realistic shot to consolidate that vote. His
own people have said, look, we've got to get consolidation by March 15th if we're going to really challenge Trump. This becomes about counting
delegates, and the only way you can have a brokered convention is if the first vote at the convention, it's essentially a tie. And that the front
runner can't get over the top as they say with 1,273 needed delegates to clinch the nomination. Then all the sudden you could have some negotiation.
But we're a long way from that and the truth is Trump is winning most of these delegates and stands to have a pretty good night tonight as well.
HOLMES: And the other thing for our international audience, that's most peculiar in how these races are run is that, you know, you've got a leader
in the polls, a leader among delegates so far who the party hates. Who the party hierarchy does not want to be their representative in the election.
And to that matter, Ted Cruz who's running second or third, however you look at it they don't like him either. So there's concern among even
Republican members of congress who are up for re-election, it's not just about Presidential candidates, they're worried they're going to lose their
seats if Trump's nominated.
GREGORY: Look, what we're experiencing in our politics right now is something that's quite familiar particularly to Europeans. And that is a
populous edge in our politics. A sense that the establishment is betraying and leaving out the interests of, you know, the average man and woman
walking the streets and working hard at their jobs and trying to compete in a difficult economy. People who are afraid about the impact of migration or
immigration or terrorism.
So this populism has been surging in America. It's economic, it's also xenophobic, and that's what Donald Trump represents. So a lot of the voters
who are coming to vote in these primaries and caucuses, one of the things they're saying overwhelmingly is we feel betrayed by the Republican Party.
So these are rank and file voters who don't trust the establishment. Who don't trust congressional leaders or leaders of the party, that's why he's
doing well.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GREGORY: Donald Trump is not a conservative in the Republican Party by any stretch. And yet conservatism as we come to think of it is more I think a
feeling, it's an attitude, it's a sense of strength. That's what people are really kind of responding to.
HOLMES: It certainly makes you wonder whether he's the candidate or not. What happens to the Republican Party at its core as a party. We focus on
the Republicans, because, well, they're a lot of fun to focus on, but let's talk about the Democrats at the moment. What is the Democratic machine
hoping for when it comes to the GOP vote?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: We've got this new poll showing Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders winning against Trump, but interestingly, she loses to a Marco Rubio or Ted
Cruz if only by a little bit. What do you think the Democrats want to happen?
GREGORY: Look, I think those had to have numbers are interesting and if you're Marco Rubio or Ted Cruz, you argue and you say yes, look I would do
better than Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GREGORY: Let's remember that both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are well known public figures. So they have high negatives. They've been around a
long time. Trump is earning his negatives in a most recently by being in the public arena and saying and standing for certain things he stands for.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GREGORY: Hillary Clinton being in the public arena for a long time and being quite controversial among some and not trusted by a lot of voters in
both parties. So that's an effort for her a difficulty for her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GREGORY: But I think as you move forward, you know, the Democrats are really, they don't know any better what to expect. But I think the Trump
phenomenon is one that they don't want to underestimate either. Yes, do they think that their side will turn out in big numbers? Do they think
Republicans may not show up? Yes, but there's also Republicans who might be first time voters, people coming into the pros who have not voted before.
We see tremendous turnout in these primaries in these caucuses, we're seeing that continued today. That creates something that's really difficult
to predict in this, in this campaign year and that lack of predictability could be very dangerous for the Democrats.
HOLMES: Great point, and turn out often an issue for Democrats getting that enthusiasm up with their voting base, particularly in the presidential
election. I wish we had more time David, always a pleasure. Great to see you.
GREGORY: Thank you, Michael. Yes, likewise, thank you.
HOLMES: Fascinating. All right, this is "The World Right Now." coming up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[15:45:05]
MELANIA TRUMP, DONALD TRUMP'S WIFE: American people, I guess they got smart and they know that, you know, he will work for them.
HOLMES: Donald Trump's wife, Melania talks to CNN about her husband's presidential ambitions in a rare one on one interview, that's still to come
this hour.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: And now to our CNN Freedom Project special report. Some U.S. veterans have traded one battlefield for a very different one at home; a
cyber-battlefield. They are helping to rescue children from the horrors of sexual abuse.
CNN's Paula Newton reports.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHANNON KRIEGER, H.E.R.O. CHILD RESCUE CORPS. You've got costumes, you've got character, you've got culture, you've got tradition. You know, Mardi
Gras is wild and crazy and we do some fun things, but it brings a lot of bad things to the city sometimes.
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Shannon Krieger is a computer forensic analyst for Homeland Security Investigations in his hometown of New
Orleans. He works in the cyber crimes division, tracking child predators online.
KRIEGER: As child exploitation people, we're busy this time of the year.
NEWTON: For example, monitoring chat rooms to identify people planning to come to Mardi Gras to have sex with children.
KRIEGER: There's a lot to do because of Mardi Gras, because a lot of people are here that aren't normally here. And they bring some really bad habits
with them.
NEWTON: Krieger has been doing this wok for the past four years, but it's his experience from many years earlier that makes him especially suited for
the job. As a member of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command Delta Force, Krieger was on the front line.
KRIEGER: That particular type of work is empowering. It really is. And you get on the tip of the spear and you get this really, giant sense of
accomplishment.
NEWTON: All that changed in a heartbeat.
KRIEGER: Shortly after 9/11, I was involved in the retaliatory strike against Al Qaeda. And I was in a helicopter crash that pretty much took my
body and decided that I couldn't do this work anymore. I was, you know, didn't know if I was going to walk normal ever again.
NEWTON: Krieger was medically discharged from the Army in 2004.
[15:50:00]
KRIEGER: And when I left, I just hit rock bottom. I got taken out of something that I loved more than anything. And surprisingly enough, when I
got involved with the H.E.R.O. Corps, it replaced a lot of what I had missed.
NEWTON: H.E.R.O. Corps is an initiative that takes disabled special forces veterans, trains them in computer forensics, and puts them in field labs
across the country where they work on child exploitation cases.
KRIEGER: I get to fight again. I get to be involved in a cause that matters.
JOHN SCHMIDT, HOMELAND SECURITY INVESTIGATIONS: He's part of our team now, and that he's now from the battlefield to a cyber-warrior, and it does a
lot for us on an inspirational side that he's able to give that, that extra little notch and click of, you know, a true hero and patriot is a part of
our team.
KRIEGER: I'm starting to feel like I used to feel. I'm starting to feel empowered. I'm starting to feel motivated again. I'm starting to want to
push because, you know, while it is a new battlefield, it's still a battlefield.
NEWTON: As husband and father of a three-year-old, Krieger says doing this work has had an impact on his personal life as well.
KRIEGER: I don't know if I'll ever sleep again. The toughest ones are the three-year-old boy. Those are the ones that just hurt me the most.
NEWTON: The satisfaction he gets putting predators behind bars he says makes it all worth it.
KRIEGER: I try not to go oh, the H.E.R.O. Corps. saved me, but it really kind of did in a sense because when you get something back that you never
thought you would ever get again, it's a second chance.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Terrific report. Next up in CNN's Freedom Project, you're going to meet a former U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant, Steven Blackstone. Now he may
be retired but he's found a very personal reason to take on a new mission.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVEN BLACKSTONE, H.E.R.O CHILD RESCUE CORPS.: What motivated me is my nine-year-old and four-year-old kids. And this H.E.R.O. program was the
perfect opportunity for me to be involved in this kind of work trying to stop child sexual exploitation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Peter Blackstone's message to the predators he tracks when our look at Heroes at Home continues all part of our Freedom Project only on CNN.
This is "The World Right Now," we'll be right back.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HOLMES: Well, it is a long way from main street USA to Manhattan's Trump Tower, but Donald Trump is hoping his wife Melania can help bridge that
distance.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: The former Slovenia model first met Trump in 1998. Despite a 24 year age difference, the colorful couple married in 2005. She's been a
glamorous, but reserved presence on the campaign trail until now. Melania Trump sat down with CNN's Anderson Cooper.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Wall Street Journal did a piece about how he makes decisions, a reporter kind of followed him around. And
I thought it was very interesting, I talked to him about it. He seems to make a lot of decisions from his gut, from his instincts.
MELANIA TRUMP, DONALD TRUMP'S WIFE: He does. He speaks from the heart. And I think it's very important. He doesn't lie. He is who he is. He doesn't
hide anything. And people -- they are connecting to that. They really connect with him and they know what he will do for the country. He's self-
founding, he's his own person. He will not listen. People, donors, lobbyists, nobody can buy him. And American people, I guess they got smart
and they know that, you know, he will work for them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[15:55:05]
HOLMES: Well, Ben Carson, another Republican candidate, is calling for the five candidates to meet before the next debate in Detroit. He's concerned
that the U.S. Republican Presidential nomination has devolved into a mudslinging, name calling free for all. He's worried about it, other people
think it has. If it wasn't a contest to pick the potential leader of the country, it might be amusing. Here's Jeannie Moos.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEANNIE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Which of the following is not an actual 2016 campaign insult?
SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R-FL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Make sure his pants weren't wet.
TRUMP: A guy like Rubio is a baby.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What, are you going to cry now? Come on cry baby, cry, cry for me.
MOOS: The answer is C, though the electorate should be crying over what's become --
[VIDEO PLAYING]
MOOS: A schoolboy fight for the presidency.
TRUMP: I call him little Marco. That's what he is, he's little Marco.
RUBIO: He's always calling me little Marco.
TRUMP: Little Marco Rubio.
RUBIO: Have you seen his hands? They're like this.
TRUMP: Little mouth on him, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing bing bing.
RUBIO: And you know what they say about men with small hands. You can't trust them.
[VIDEO PLAYING]
MOOS: But instead of flinging mud --
TRUMP: It's Rubio.
MOOS: The Donald is flinging water bottles imitating a dry-mouthed Rubio with a tendency to sweat bullets.
TRUMP: And I looked on the puddle on the ground and I said what is that? What is it?
RUBIO: He doesn't sweat because his pores are clogged from the spray tan that he uses. Donald is not going to make great, he's going to make America
orange.
MOOS: Some compare the race to Mean Girls.
[VIDEO PLAYING]
MOOS: What's next? Will the bitter rivals start rapping their insults? The candidates may hate the press, but they're sounding like anchor man.
At least Rubio and Trump aren't whacking each other with antennas, yet. Jeanne Moos --
RUBIO: Donald trump likes to sue people, he should sue whoever did that to his face.
MOOS: CNN --
TRUMP: He was putting on make-up with a trowel.
MOOS: New York.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: I'm going to go for a rap battle. I think that's the way to do it. In style. This has been "The World Right Now" thanks for watching "Quest
Means Business" is up next.
END
