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Hala Gorani Tonight
Extraordinary Effort To Stop Donald Trump; Trump Responds To Romney's Scathing Speech; EU Council President Warns Economic Migrants; Macedonian Foreign Minister Speaks On Crisis; Republican Establishment Desperate To Stop Trump; CNN Speaks To Man Who Found Possible MH370 Debris; Netflix Banks On A Retro Revival. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired March 03, 2016 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(HEADLINES)
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN INTERNATIONAL GUEST ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Michael Holmes live from the CNN Center, in for Hala Gorani. Welcome to THE WORLD RIGHT
NOW.
Welcome, everyone. The man who led Republicans in the last U.S. presidential election says it's not too late to stop the party's
frontrunner this time around.
We begin with an extraordinary effort to take down Donald Trump by his own party's establishment. Mitt Romney who won the 2012 GOP nomination
launching a blistering attack on Trump today calling him a con man who must never be handed real power.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MITT ROMNEY (R), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Here's what I know. Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud. His promises are as worthless as a
degree from Trump University. His domestic policies would lead to recession. His foreign policies would make America and the world less
safe. He has neither at the temperament or judgment to be president and his personal qualities would mean that America would cease to be a shining
city on a hill.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Romney says he also understands the anger of many Americans referencing Trump's grassroots appeal, but he says Trump is channeling that
anger in a dangerous direction.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROMNEY: He creates scapegoats in Muslims and Mexican immigrants. He calls for the use of torture. He calls for killing the innocent children and
family members of terrorists. He cheers assaults on protesters. He applauds the prospect of twisting the constitution to limit first amendment
freedom of the press. This is the very brand of anger that has led other nations into the abyss.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Romney said if you need any more evidence of Trump's character just watch how he responds to that speech, the one that Romney gave. Well,
Trump did respond just a short time ago. You may have been listening and not surprisingly he came out swinging. It's what he does.
Boris Sanchez live in Portland, Maine where Trump has been rallying his supporters. Boris, I suppose we have to keep reminding ourselves these
guys are on the same team, a former nominee slamming another candidate that a large number GOP voters like.
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's absolutely right, Michael. Right behind me just now Donald Trump just left the building. He was here for a
couple of minutes after his speech shaking hands and rallying supporters. You can hear the music blaring behind me.
Most of his speech was the typical things you hear from Trump. He went after many of his rivals, Marco Rubio especially, Ted Cruz.
He kind of pivoted towards Hillary Clinton and spent some time attacking her. We expected that considering his success on Super Tuesday and he's
renewed focus now on the general election.
But he saved his worse comments for Mitt Romney. Listen to one of the things he said about the former presidential candidate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Mitt is a failed candidate. He failed. He failed horribly. He failed badly. That was a race I have to
say, folks, that should have been won. That was a race that absolutely should have been won.
And I don't know what happened to him. He disappeared. He disappeared. I wasn't happy about it, I'll be honest because I am not a fan of Barack
Obama and that was a race that I backed Mitt Romney -- I backed him, you can see how loyal he is.
He was begging for my endorsement. I could have said Mitt drop to your knees he would have dropped to his knees.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: As you can imagine the crowd erupted, they loved hearing that from Mr. Trump. Not many fans here of Mitt Romney. Mitt Romney had a
reaction to Mr. Trump's speech himself.
He went on Twitter during the speech tweeting out, quote, "If Trump has said four years ago the things he says today about the KKK, Muslims,
Mexicans, disabled, I would not have accepted his endorsement."
[15:05:07]You may recall back in 2012 Trump had a glowing endorsement of Mitt Romney. He called him a tough smart warm cookie, exactly what America
needed at that point in time. Obviously the relationship between them soured.
Aside from that I can tell you that several times during the speech protesters interrupted, half of them that were kicked out. During the
process of kicking them out, the crowd erupted yet again, a lot of supporters here in Portland, Maine for Mr. Trump -- Michael.
HOLMES: Boris, when it comes to Mitt Romney his speech in that one, we essentially heard him suggesting a strategy of everyone staying in the
race, all of the other candidates. There by continuing to split the vote, but hopefully I'm guessing not giving Mr. Trump 50 percent and therefore
everyone goes in civil war mode to the convention.
SANCHEZ: Yes. It appears that the initial estimation of perhaps some of the other candidates dropping out and the Republican establishment
coalescing around one candidate is now up in the air.
Romney didn't go out of his way to endorse anyone so it's very possible having that kind of a brokered convention in an attempt to unseat Mr. Trump
as the nominee could take place.
Aside from that it looks as it's becoming more and more difficult for the establishment to respond to Mr. Trump. With events like this, he just
keeps growing and growing in support.
HOLMES: Boris Sanchez in Portland, Maine. A lively Trump event once again. Thanks so much, Boris. Take the ear plugs out. Coming up much
more on the Trump/Romney battle. We'll get some reaction from the campaign of Ted Cruz.
And now to the ever growing migration crisis in Europe. E.U. council president, Donald Tusk, had a stark warning for illegal economic migrants
saying just don't travel to Europe.
Recent figures from the U.N. Refugee Agency shows how many people crossed the Mediterranean in January and February this year. Almost as many as the
first six months of last year. Erin McLaughlin with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At the Greece, Macedonia border an act of desperation. Migrants, men, women and children, block a
rail line out of Greece to protest border restrictions. In recent days the former migrants into Macedonia has slowed to a trickle. Only a limited
number of Iraqis and Syrians have been allowed the cross. For now everyone else is stranded.
On Thursday, the European Council president visited Greece. He came with a stark warning.
DONALD TUSK, EUROPEAN COUNCIL PRESIDENT: I want to appeal to all potential illegal economic migrants. Wherever you are from, do not come to Europe.
Do not believe the smugglers. Do not risk your lives and your money. It is all for nothing. Greece and other European countries will no longer be
a transit country.
MCLAUGHLIN: For Greece the fact that migrants aren't able to freely transit into Macedonia is a big part of the problem. Austria and other
country imposed strict caps on the number of migrants allowed in meaning tens of thousands are stuck in Greece.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We run from this to find another kind of this.
MCLAUGHLIN: They are camping out at Athens main port. Public squares are overrun and over 10,000 wait at the northern border. They say they have no
other choice.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We know it's closed but what we have?
MCLAUGHLIN: The U.N. warns Greece is on the verge of a humanitarian disaster. On Thursday the European Commission pledged over $700 million in
relief to be spread over three years.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are calling European governments to find a solution now.
MCLAUGHLIN: But a political solution continues to evade European leaders. They are expected to address the crisis at a summit on March 7th.
CHRISTOPHER, PISSARIDES, LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS: The way that European nations have been moving in the last few months in their policy statements
it makes very pessimistic, but we will get to a common European policy.
MCLAUGHLIN: Absent a political solution NGOs estimate within the next two weeks there could be up to 70,000 migrants trapped in Greece. Every day
more arrived on its shores. A tidal wave fueled by hope soon met with disappointment. Erin McLaughlin, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Well, one of the many bottlenecks for migrants traveling through Eastern Europe is at Greece's border with Macedonia. I'm joined now Nikola
Poposki, who is the foreign minister of Macedonia, joining me from the capital.
Minister, thanks for doing so. Greece bursting at the seams with migrants and a major reason is because your nation has tightened border crossings.
[15:10:08]What is Macedonia's strategy?
NIKOLA POPOSKI, FOREIGN MINISTER, MACEDONIA: Macedonia is a transit country. We have seen several hundreds of thousands of migrants traveling
through Macedonia coming from Greece and reaching journal and other western European nation.
Right now, it's obvious countries that have been receiving many migrants in the past year have certain restrictions. There's a limitation in terms of
capacity to absorb more migrants.
The line is that now to stop illegal migration and make sure there's a registration at the exit from Greece on those that can be eligible asylum
seekers. The number of migrants entering Macedonia is determined by those that can be accepted in Western European nation.
HOLMES: The Austrian chancellor defended his nation's cap on migrants and attacked Germany's Angela Merkel what he calls her chaotic approach. Do
you think there is a chaotic approach in Europe at the moment to the migrant question?
POPOSKI: No. I think it's very difficult balance to be found between how many migrants can be accepted in Europe and Germany clearly has accepted
over 1 million migrants in one year and I don't think they can sustain the same kind of pressure during 2016.
This is an obvious situation. On the other side we have to make sure that all those fleeing the conflict and looking for a safe haven should be
provided with one in Europe. Now one thing is certain that the plans we had so far did not work.
Mainly because the external border of the European Union has been extremely vulnerable and this is not time to allocate guilt to anyone.
The fact is that islands are difficult to defend and we have a viable registration system and on the other side Turkey has suffered even more
pressure with 2.5 million migrants on its period for a period of over four years.
HOLMES: There's an E.U. emergency summit on all this on Monday. You know, a year on, Europe can't agree on a strategy or at least one that works. In
the absence of a political European consensus, then what?
POPOSKI: Well, it seems that there has been a consensus on the fact that we have to limit entry and that there has to be an allocation of migrants
across member states. This has not happened. The best choice we have is to help Greece in a very difficult situation and to work with Turkey on
limiting the number of arrivals. Unless we do that there will be another attempt that will fail.
HOLMES: One other question we heard Donald Trump say as we just reported that calling out the economic migrants, don't come. It's not worth it. Do
not come. Why would they listen if they are fleeing worse troubles back home? Why would they listen and not come?
POPOSKI: Well, there has to be a distinction between those fleeing the conflict to whom there has to be -- we have to provide a safe-haven and
those that are simply going to Europe in order to find a better job.
This is a legitimate reason too. But it has been clear over the years that none of the European countries is capable of absorbing millions of migrants
that might simply come for economic reasons.
And I think that the message from the president of the European council is clear, that what has been happening during last year is not going to happen
in 2016.
Therefore, the pressure might be increased on Greece on its external border because we'll only have those that are legitimate asylum seekers. Syrians
fleeing a conflict zone. This is the line of thought that pretty much everyone in Europe agrees on.
HOLMES: I want to thank you. Thanks so much for being with us. Apologies for the delay on that line there.
Still, much more to come here on the program and more on that extraordinary attack against a Republican presidential front-runner from the party
establishment itself. We'll speak with the campaign of a Donald Trump rival who could stand to gain.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:17:00]
HOLMES: Well, you just don't see this in American politics, former presidential nominee coming out to attack the current frontrunner in his
own party. But that is exactly what Mitt Romney did today, calling Donald Trump a dangerous con man whose policies would harm America and the world.
Romney urging Republicans instead to choose one of Trump's remaining rivals and they are, of course, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and John Kasich.
We are joined now by the national spokesperson for the Cruz campaign, Ron Nehring. Ron, just is mind boggling what's been going on. Let's talk
about the Romney speech.
Mitt Romney could not be more establishment. So we had the establishment once again launching an assault on the frontrunner who supporters see the
establishment as the problem.
RON NEHRING, SENATOR CRUZ NATIONAL SPOKESPERSON: Well, certainly Ted Cruz has been challenging Donald Trump for some time now so we're pleased that
other people are choosing now to join in that battle. Look, Donald Trump would be a disaster for the Republican Party.
He would hand the White House over to Hillary Clinton. We would wind up losing the Senate. We would wind up losing the Supreme Court for a
generation. We're pleased other people are planning to join us in this battle to call out Donald Trump for what he is.
Let's make sure we have a thoroughly vetted candidate for the general election who can win in November and unite the Republican Party and that is
Ted Cruz.
Donald Trump is not a uniter. He's not someone who can bring this party together. He's demonstrated that. He has a very hard cap at about 35
percent. He has very, very high negatives. He's not the candidate we need going into November to put this country on the right path.
HOLMES: He's winning more than your candidate, but I want to know what you think about what seems to be Mitt Romney's suggestion that is a strategy of
not coalescing around one candidate, everyone is staying in the race now and there by stopping Trump from getting 50 percent before the convention
and deal with having no clear winner there. What do you think of that idea?
NEHRING: There's one way to defeat Donald Trump to be the Republican nominee and that's with Ted Cruz uniting the Republican base, uniting the
conservative base in a one on one contest.
Donald Trump's 35 percent of the vote helps him to win in a four or five person contest, but in a two person contest he winds up losing the
nomination to Ted Cruz. Therefore, we need the Republican Party to come together, a divided field is only helping Donald Trump.
The one candidate, the only candidate who has defeated Donald Trump now five times is Ted Cruz. He proves that he has that, Super Tuesday
demonstrated that and that's the direction where we need to go.
HOLMES: That's not what Mitt Romney is suggesting which is curious, isn't it? I wonder how the Cruz campaign, you know, generally views the
popularity of Donald Trump.
He got a party that has to face the reality that there's a sizable segment of the electorate for whom Trump's thoughts on Hispanics, Muslims, women,
water boarding and so on are attractive. This slice of America now given a voice. What do you make of that support?
[15:20:06]NEHRING: Well, what I see is a Republican Party that's frustrated with the status quo in Washington, frustrated with the
leadership of both parties, and that's why Ted Cruz's history, his record in the Senate of challenging the leadership of both parties makes us the
strongest alternative to Donald Trump.
You can't defeat Trump within the Republican Party from the left as Marco Rubio has tried to do. This is a conservative party that's not interested
in an establishment candidate. Therefore, the only pathway to defeat him is to rally around Ted Cruz who is number two in the delegate counts.
There are some people who have said on some programs that well, it's too late, this is all over. Let's take a look at the numbers. Donald Trump is
a little over 300 delegates right now. You need over 1,230, total 1,237 delegates to win the nomination.
He's not even a quarter of the way there. This race is wide open, but now is the time when the Republican base needs consolidate. Now is the time.
If we wait much longer it will become more difficult.
So now is the time when other candidates have to take a serious look at where they stand in this race. Do they have a pathway to victory? The
only candidates who do are Donald Trump and Ted Cruz.
HOLMES: You know, of course, Donald Trump is one candidate that is getting the most votes and not the majority in a 50-50 sense but the most votes. A
lot of people feel and you read this a lot that that Republican Party in recent years has moved away from any notion of compromise and discussion
and very much into a my way or the highway style of politics.
And your candidate is one of those who has been criticized for that. Do you think that has angered also the electorate to the point where they
don't see anything getting done?
NEHRING: Well, I think what's frustrated the electorate is when we have Republican leadership in Washington, D.C. that just rolls over to what
Barack Obama has been pushing for on issue after issue. It's a Republican congress that's funding Obamacare.
It is a Republican congress that is allowing the president's unconstitutional amnesty executive order to continue and to be funded.
If the frustration level is directed at the leadership in Washington that as Ted Cruz has properly noted sometimes tends to surrender even before
breakfast and Republicans are looking for leaders who will challenge that status quo even when it's within our own party. That's the message I hear
coming from the base of this party.
HOLMES: What an election. I'm sure you agree. Ron Nehring, spokesman for the Cruz campaign, appreciate you joining us here on the program.
NEHRING: Thank you.
HOLMES: We are learning more about the man who may have just shed light on one of aviation's greatest mysteries. Blaine Gibson found a piece of plane
wreckage off the coast of Mozambique.
Now some say it's likely and possibly come from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. The debris will be examined further in Australia. David McKenzie
spoke to Gibson. David joins us now live from Mozambique's capital with more. What did he tell you, David?
DAVID MCKENZIE, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, what he told us, Michael, was that he was surprised as anyone that having come here just a
few days before the second anniversary of the vanishing of MH370 that he stumbled across this piece of debris.
He was with local fisherman. He went out in the Mozambique Channel and found this lying in shallow water. I put the question to him, it's sort of
extremely unlikely and extraordinary that they would find a piece in this manner.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BLAINE GIBSON, FOUND POSSIBLE MH370 DEBRIS: It seems so unlikely too, but the thing is nature works in mysterious ways. Why does the ocean do what
it does? I don't know. Maybe this is part of that plane. Maybe this is part of another. It's small and it's very light so maybe it's just from
some light aircraft. It would just be so unbelievable if it actually is from 370. That's exactly what went through my mind.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MCKENZIE: So Gibson himself is skeptical but he is hopeful. We saw the debris ourselves, Michael, and again some cold water being thrown on the
theory from the head of the Civil Aviation Authority here saying he felt largely that it didn't really fit necessarily the aspects that would be for
777, the type of aircraft that 370 was when it vanished.
But certainly he said it's up to the experts to decide and that piece of debris will eventually make its way to Australia where they will take a
close look at it, I'm sure.
HOLMES: Briefly tell us a little bit about Blaine Gibson. This is a man who has, well, maybe just something short of an obsession with MH370,
right?
[15:25:06]MCKENZIE: Yes, I think you're right. He's not the only one, certainly, Michael. There are many people who have follow this extremely
closely, get online, discuss potential theories, and some of them conspiracy theories.
But do generally discuss what happened to this airplane because none of us, frankly, ultimately know the why of this question, what happened to these
239 souls on board that airplane.
But he is someone who has been blogging about MH370. He's a seasoned traveler. In fact, Mozambique is his 177th country he visited.
Again be here, an enthusiast right before the second anniversary and stumble upon something that is from the plane he says it's extremely
unlikely but he wants to be sure.
HOLMES: Certainly in keeping with the overall mystery. David McKenzie, thanks so much joining us there from Mozambique.
All right, coming up here on the program --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: How do you think American politics has changed since the founding fathers era?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Money has changed it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Laying his cards on the table, Kevin Spacey, giving a frank interview with CNN about the U.S. election battle.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: All right, there is a brutal battle for the White House taking place right now as we've been discussing but this battle I want to talk
about now has nothing to do with Trump or Clinton.
Frank Underwood's fight to remain in power. The focus of the new season of "House of Cards." All 13 episodes will be released on Netflix on Friday.
Kevin Spacey spoke to CNN and addressed America's real life election battle.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEVIN SPACEY, ACTOR: The good news about our country is no matter how crazy it gets and no matter how much fun we have, and how insane it looks,
we generally get it right in the end. We generally figure it out.
BASH: That's a hopeful take.
SPACEY: I'm very hopeful.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: "House of Cards" just one example of the original content that Netflix has built its reputation on. The streaming service is also taking
inspiration from the past. It just debuted a remake of the classic sitcom "Full House" and has already announced another season of it. Maggie Lake
with more on that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAGGIE LAKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Fans awaiting the return of Frank Underwood in "House of Cards" may be surprised what's also in their
Netflix cue. For years Netflix has embraced cutting-edge original series but with "Fuller House" the streaming service has gone retro. Reviews have
been mixed. Still experts say "Fuller House" could be a profitable move.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Netflix is one of the most data-driven companies. They won't do anything without doing a lot of research. They found in the
original show there is a latent following that they can tap into.
LAKE: Netflix is turning nostalgic at a crucial time in its 20 year history. It's banking on an old favorite to stay one step ahead of rivals.
RICHARD GREENFIELD, MEDIA ANALYST, BTIG: What Netflix is trying to do is provide different types of contents for all demographics, all their
different potential viewers because remember they are not trying to be a premium service like HBO.
They are trying replicate what Comcast is and have a little bit of content for every potential viewer. They want to have 80 million, 90 million plus
viewers or subscribers in the U.S. To do that they need a very diverse late programming.
LAKE: From "Star Wars" and "Ghostbusters" in the cinema to "Legally Blonde" and "Annie" on Broadway, remake, sequels and prequels are the most
bankable types of content around.
ADAM HANFT, MARKETING EXPERT, HANFT PROJECTS: The theory of a sequel is you have the back story, characters, awareness, recognition and a built in
audience. So you just light it up.
LAKE: But no reservations for Netflix. Reports say a Latino version of "One Day at A Time" is in the works as well as a remake of "Lost In Space."
[15:30:08] With the fourth season of "House of Cards" coming out there's still a future for original drama. From "House of Cards" to "Fuller House,"
the house of Netflix wants all type of programming under its roof.
Maggie Lake, CNN Money, New York.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL HOLMES, HOST: Just ahead Donald Trump racking up a string of targets during the campaign including Fox News host Megyn Kelly.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Well the two will meet again during the Republican Presidential debate coming up in a few hours. We're going to have the details on that
little feud next.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Let's update you on the day's events. A blistering attack on Donald Trump by his own party's 2012 Presidential nominee.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Republican Mitt Romney calling Trump a fraud and saying his character and credentials make him unfit to be President. He also mocked
what some consider Trump's strong suit, his business deals.
MITT ROMNEY, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: His bankruptcies have crushed small businesses and the men and women who work for them. He
inherited his business, he didn't create it. And whatever happened to Trump Airlines? How about Trump University? And then there's Trump Magazine? And
Trump vodka. And Trump steaks. And Trump mortgage. A business genius he is not.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: The European Council President, Donald Tusk, delivering a stark warning for illegal economic migrants hoping to come to Europe telling them
don't come and risk their lives and money with smugglers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Tusk was speaking ahead of an E.U. Turkey Summit on the migration crisis which takes place on Monday.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Turkish police have killed two women involved in an attack on a police station in Istanbul.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Turkish media say the women opened fire and threw grenades at the building's entrance. They fled the scene after a shootout with police but
were caught later.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Oscar Pistorius will not be allowed to appeal his murder conviction in the shooting death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: South Africa's constitutional court denying that appeal. The Olympic athlete will now be sentenced in April, he could face 15 years in
prison.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and his remaining rivals will face off later in the day in a debate hosted by Fox news. Now
viewers should definitely expect some fireworks as the divide within the GOP widens. But sparks will also fly between Trump and Fox News Host Megyn
Kelly as well.
CNN Money senior media correspondent, Brian Stelter joining me now live from New York. It was quite the spat at the time and now they're back
together again.
BRIAN STELTER, CNN MONEY SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, you know Mitt Romney is one kind of challenger for Donald Trump, Megyn Kelly is a very
different kind of challenger someone who is trying to do her job as a journalist, tonight the pressure is on Kelly.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STELTER: Donald Trump versus Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio. That's the plot for Thursday's GOP Debate but the subplot is equally tantalizing. Trump vs.
Fox News host, Megyn Kelly.
[15:35:10]
MEGYN KELLY, FOX NEWS HOST: Whatever you say about Donald Trump he has made this a fascinating race to cover.
[15:35:00]
STELTER: The Detroit debate at the aptly named Fox Theater is the first time Trump has faced Kelly since August. Right off the bat at the season's
first debate Kelly challenged Trump.
KELLY: You've called women you don't like fat pigs, dogs, slobs, and disgusting animals. Your twitter account --
STELTER: Only Rosie O'Donnell.
KELLY: No it wasn't.
STELTER: What I say is what I say and honestly Megyn if you don't like it I'm sorry. I've been very nice you although I could probably maybe not be
based on the way you have treated me, but I wouldn't do that.
STELTER: After the debate Trump was serious. He said Kelly was unfair to him. He insulted her repeatedly, later he even re-tweeted fans who called
her a bimbo.
TRUMP: She gets out and she starts asking me all sorts of ridiculous questions and you know you could see there was blood coming out of her
eyes. Blood coming out of her wherever.
STELTER: That comment made Fox furious. And Trump has been feuding with Fox on and off ever since the August debate. He even boycotted the network's
January debate putting a rematch with Kelly on hold.
KELLY: Let's address the elephant not in the room tonight. Donald Trump has chosen not to attend.
STELTER: Fox portrayed Trump as childish saying "he doesn't seem to grasp that candidates telling journalists what to ask is not how the media works
in this country." This time around Trump says he'll show up and Kelly says she's ready for him.
KELLY: I have my questions that I wanted to ask him at the last debate and I just moved them right over to this debate. So that's my plan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STELTER: And that's why so many people will be watching in just a few hours to find out what Trump is asked and how he treats Megyn Kelly as well as
the other moderates.
HOLMES: Which is a serious question, of course. But you know I'm wondering whether you think Donald Trump was right about one thing and that is that
the whole kerfuffle really didn't hurt Megyn Kelly. She got a lot of profile out of it.
STELTER: And I think that is true, that even more people know who she is as a result of this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STELTER: Some of it was negative attention but much of it was positive attention. I think many journalists look at Megyn Kelly and view her as
someone who's trying to be fair even though Fox News is a channel that tends to lean toward the right. She is someone who's known to be
unpredictable and I think we will see that again at this debate. Maybe she will surprise us by having especially tough questions for Trump's
challengers instead of for Trump.
The big difference from August to now is that the questions she and her colleagues were asking in August were interview questions designed to
challenge each of the candidates. Tonight is much more about seeing the back and forth, maybe the fights between the four candidates who are on
stage. The moderators might actually get out of the way more than they did in August and let the candidates go at it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
STELTER: We will see how much the moderators are actually involved in this debate.
HOLMES: Yes, Fox leans to the right, did not know that. Brian Stelter, thanks so much appreciate it.
All right, let's get back now to that anti-Trump movement. Former Presidential nominee Mitt Romney came out swinging as we said against
front-runner today. But is it too little too late?
Matt Schlapp is Chairman of the American Conservative Union, and joins me now live from National Harbor, Maryland, just outside of Washington and
thanks for doing so. You know Mitt Romney as we've been saying a former nominee slamming another candidate from his own party, a candidate with a
large number of GOP voters. Are you worried about the future to your party the damage being done by all of this?
MATT SCHLAPP, CHAIRMAN, AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE UNION: Yes, I don't think there's many people, many conservatives, many Republicans who are looking
at this nominating contest and aren't concerned, quite frankly. It has been kind of a low level of discourse, a lot of personal charges and we haven't
really seen something like this before and I am worried that we're not going to be able to pull together. But I think one of the things we're
doing this weekend is we're trying to work a lot of these family disputes out so that we can get to the other side.
We're going to very soon have a Republican nominee and I for one am going to support that Republican nominee.
HOLMES: You know, Romney said in his speech it was time to choose, time to make a choice but it's significant, is it not, that he did not choose.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Instead he told people to vote for the other three candidates depending on who had the best shot in a given state which is really calling
for a Republican battle to go on for months and into a divided convention.
SCHLAPP: Yes, it is kind of curios that Governor Romney would choose now to interject him. We've had so many primary states where he has chosen not to
say anything. And if all of these candidates stay in I do think it could potentially lead to the fact there's never really any alternative to Trump.
If there's no alternative to Trump, I think the chances are that the nominee will be Donald Trump.
[15:40:08]
SCHLAPP: So I think the politics behind this leave a lot of questions in my head and other people's heads and I'm not sure that this helped anything
today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: I want to ask you a little bit more about the party. We hear criticism of course of Trump and what he represents. But we also hear and
read criticism of the party for, I guess in the eyes of many, inflaming their base in recent years. A lot of negative rhetoric not getting much
done which really gave birth to Donald Trump. He's a creation of how the party has been in the last few years. Would you accept any of that?
SCHLAPP: Right. I accept two things. I accept that the people in America are very frustrated with the Republican Party and the elected officials
they've sent to Washington.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCHLAPP: But this is all on the platform of seven years of President Barack Obama's radical policies. He has done more unilateral from the White House
than we've seen from any previous President. Usually Presidents work with the legislative branch, with congress and they try to forge consensus. This
President doesn't seem to have any desire to do that. Remember his signature achievement is Obama Care. He only received it with votes from
his own party.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHLAPP: He's not somebody that has forged consensus with the other party. And so I think the American people, the people who don't like the Obama
change at least 50% of the country are very discouraged, they're very discouraged with both parties. They're discouraged that President Obama
hasn't been able to do so many things without congress and they're discouraged with the Republican congress because they seem impotent to be
able to do anything to stop it.
HOLMES: And to balanced it's fair to say there's a renegade side of the Democratic Party as we've seen with the popularity of Bernie Sanders.
SCHLAPP: Oh yes.
HOLMES: I wanted to ask you though, when it comes to Trump's electorate and this something I find fascinating, it's a sizable segment of the electorate
for whom Trump's thoughts on Hispanics and Muslims and water boarding are attractive. Does that concern you there's a slice of the American people
out there that have been given a voice who think that stuff is good?
SCHLAPP: Look, I don't think there should be a ban on all Muslims. I'm married to a Hispanic-American. I think that we ought to make sure that we
attract all different kinds of Americans to our cause so there have been plenty of times when I've heard things from Donald Trump or from his
campaign that I don't agree with. And I think it's something we just have to deal with. And I think the world is watching us as well. So I understand
that some people around the world are looking at the Republican process and saying what is that all about? Well you know what that's all about? It's
raw democracy in action and that's what people are seeing. And the voters in America are soon going to decide do they want a socialist to represent
the Democrats? Do they want an outsider like Donald Trump to represent the Republicans.
Remember New Hampshire sent a message, it was Trump and Sanders. America hasn't really seen a message like that before.
HOLMES: There's a good point. Matt Schlapp, chairman of the American Conservative Union, appreciate it. Thanks so much. Good conversation.
SCHLAPP: Thanks for your time. Thank you.
HOLMES: All right. Well the state of Florida holding its primary on March 15th and that state's governor says he won't be endorsing a candidate
before then and that is bad news for one Marco Rubio as Florida is of course his home state. And it is a big prize in the road to the nomination.
Front-runner Donald Trump has ties to Florida as well. Randi Kaye reports from Palm Beach.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Palm Beach, Florida the place Donald Trump calls his second home. This beach is just a stone's throw away from Trump's
residence at Mar-a-Lago, so everyone here has an opinion about their neighbor, the Republican frontrunner.
What do you think about Donald Trump?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love Donald Trump and I think he's definitely going to make America great again.
KAYE: What do you think of Donald Trump?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I think he's a rude guy, I think that he's very arrogant. I think that he's an embarrassment to the country.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'd compare him to Hitler.
KAYE: Why?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just because of his believes and the things he like says and the way he represents himself.
KAYE: Regardless of so many mixed opinions there's no denying Trump's big win on Super Tuesday. And his legions of steadfast supporters like Palm
Beach realtor, Edward Shipek.
So are you a Donald Trump supporter?
EDWARD SHIPEK, PALM BEACH REALTOR: 100%.
KAYE: Why?
SHIPEK: Donald Trump is the -- you know the United States of America needs Donald Trump. We've had politicians throughout the years and you can see
what they've done to America. Donald Trump's a businessman, he can lay it out as to exactly what needs to be done.
KAYE: Maintenance worker, (Larry Holt), is undecided. He's considering Trump though he doesn't think he has done much good for Florida employment
even with all his business this year.
(LARRY HOLT): A lot of locals have been looking for work. For them to hire here locally and he's been outsourcing a lot of jobs. People coming in to
town that you know locals could use jobs around here.
[15:45:00]
KAYE: The Republican establishment certainly isn't sold on Donald Trump either. It's said to be organizing behind-the-scenes for a way to take
Trump down and find an alternative candidate even though Trump has won 10 of the last 15 contests. That has his supporters furious.
Would you feel your vote doesn't count?
SHIPEK: That's right. It just goes to show the United States government is rigged.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At this point get behind Trump. You know I think he's the one that the majority of the Republicans so far are saying that's who
we want and they should hear that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think they should do that. Obviously the people want him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think that the people are speaking right now and they're showing that that's really what they want.
KAYE: Others like hairdresser, (Kevin McBriar) are counting on the establishment putting an to end what he considers a Trump nightmare.
(KEVIN MCBRIAR, HAIRDRESSER): It just blows my mind, it kind of scares me for my children.
KAYE: You'd like to see the establishment come up with another candidate.
(MCBRIAR): Yes, definitely, somebody that at least has some kind of knowledge.
KAYE: Randi Kaye, CNN, Palm Beach, Florida.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: You're watching "The World Right Now."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: After the break we will bring you the story of one U.S. War veteran rescuing children from predators. We'll be right back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: This week we have been highlighting a group of elite U.S. war veterans trying to protect America's children from predators. Well one man,
Tony Whaley, is already making a big difference rescuing children just months into the job. Sara Sidner with his story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There is a crisis in America a form of widespread violence which rarely makes the news.
GRIER WEEKS, DIRECTOR, PROTECT: This is over 300,000 suspects out there trafficking in child pornography. Less than 2% will be even investigated,
there's a sheer lack of resources.
SIDNER: The startling map shows the number of personal computers downloading images of children being sexually assaulted in just one month.
It's part of what inspired Grier Weeks at The National Association to Protect Children, to think of ways he could help shield America's most
vulnerable.
WEEKS: 55% or more of these people, anybody who possesses these images is known to be a hands on offender. That means over half of these dots will
lead to you the door of children waiting to be rescued and these predators don't just prey on one child they'll have many victims over the years.
SIDNER: So how can the U.S. combat this problem? One way enlisting America's returning war veterans. Two dozen members of the military's elite
special force units are undergoing an 11 week boot camp, encounter child exploitation and digital forensics. When they're done they'll join the
nearly 100 combat veterans who have been placed into Homeland Security offices around the country to go after child predators.
[15:50:05]
TONY WHALEY, H.E.R.O. CHILD-RESCUE CORPS.: You can see the helplessness.
SIDNER: With his training and steely determination, Tony Whaley is one of the last guys a child predator will ever want to see. Less than a year into
his work the retired army ranger recently discovered key evidence that took a child offender off the streets. Whaley was able to uncover 6,000
previously deleted images.
WHALEY: And out of that 6,000 or so I found about 13 images which didn't look like the rest and from that data, I was actually able to find out the
time and location in which those pictures were taken.
SIDNER: That information led to an arrest and the rescue of three children. For Whaley every single dot represents another chance to serve.
WHALEY: As you can see the children, they'll look at the camera and like is anybody out there. You know, is anybody out there you know looking to help
us? And you know on the other side is us, you know, actively trying to find them.
SIDNER: The hope is these men and women who protected their country on a foreign battlefield will soon be the next heroes in the life of an American
child being exploited.
Sara Sidner, CNN.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: And to learn more about how American veterans are helping rescue children just go to our website. You can read more of their inspiring
stories. And find out how you can help. That's cnn.com/freedom.
Coming up after the break, losing a mother is obviously one of the hardest things life can throw at you, even if you're a baby elephant.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: But sometimes life also gives you a helping hand when you least expect it. We'll explain next.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: NASA astronaut Scott Kelly has returned to the U.S. after nearly a year in space. But he's not the same man he was when he left. NASA says
Kelly actually grew or should we say stretched two inches while living on the international space station. A lack of gravity causes the spine to
stretch out but scientists say the effect is only temporary so if he's going to dunk a basketball he better do it now, he's going to shrink back.
Kelly landed in Kazakhstan Tuesday before heading home.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Well the veteran astronaut documented his latest trip to space in a series of stunning photographs and informative tweets. Here's a look at
some of the highlights from the longest mission any American astronaut has ever completed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT KELLY, NASA ASTRONAUT: The earth is an amazing thing to look at. I like using a very long lens that's over, probably about 1,200 millimeter
magnification for taking very detailed pictures of the earth. For me it's somewhat of a challenge to figure out something I want to get a picture of
and have the timing all work out. You know those pictures are taken from 250 miles away. You know it's challenging for me, very entertaining and I
hope people looking at them are enjoying them.
(Inaudible) on the atmosphere on the (inaudible) earth I wouldn't say it looks unhealthy but it definitely looks very, very fragile.
[15:55:05]
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's conducted space walks and experiments, but he's also celebrated a birthday in space, monkeyed around, given himself a flu
shot and played gardener for space flowers.
KELLY: Leaving this amazing facility is going to be tough because I'll probably never see it again.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well he's on the ground.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: What an experience. All right, the future of wildlife is in our hands. That is the message behind World Wildlife Day which is being marked
this day. This is main focus elephants with so many of them of course being killed by poachers. Robyn Kriel met some orphaned baby elephants who have
found comfort in unlikely friends.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBYN KRIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: An elephant's trunk may be cute but it still has to learn how to use it. These elephants are all orphans. Most of
their mothers were killed by poachers or human wildlife conflict. Now they're some of dozens cared for by keepers at an elephant orphanage in
Nairobi.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That makes them feel comfortably. While they're resting their trunk on something. If they're not on the blanket they will rest it
on the keeper's body.
KRIEL: Without a family, when a baby elephant nurses, it rests its trunk on other things for connection.
I'm sorry I'm not your mom.
Although it never really feels as good as its own mother.
But when these Kenyan keepers brought in several other orphaned animals for care, the group formed their own unlikely family.
There's (Kiko) the Giraffe who was found when he was just four days old. (Kiko) is normally trailed by four baby elephants and a couple of baby
ostriches as well.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We started to take him out and we brought him out with the little baby elephants and he's hooked himself to the tiny elephants and
they're spending the day close to where they are and playing with them sometimes, licking them sometimes. Sometimes pushing around with them.
Some - the elephants will want to go close and want to suck on him.
KRIEL: And when it comes time to feed the young elephants their bottles they search for connection and comfort and find it on young (Kiko.)
Robyn Kriel, CNN, Nairobi, Kenya.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: Cuteness overload to end the program. This has been "The World Right Now." Thanks for watching. "Quest Means Business" coming up next.
END
