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Donald Trump Calls for Arrest of Protesters; Hillary Clinton Slams Senator Bernie Sanders Aired 6:30-7a

Aired March 13, 2016 - 06:30   ET

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


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[06:31:23]

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: (INAUDIBLE) mortgage rates (INAUDIBLE) this week (INAUDIBLE).

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VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Victor Blackwell. Live from the Mershon Auditorium on the campus of the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, the site of tonight's Democratic Presidential town hall.

Donald Trump wants disruptive protesters to face charges. His campaign events were interrupted several times yesterday. After that rally that was cancelled and then afterward turned violent in Chicago.

Let's take you to Vandalia, Ohio. There was a man rushed to the stage. Secret service there they jumped in to protect Trump and the candidate was not injured.

In Kansas City, Missouri dozens of protesters interrupted Donald Trump. He ended the night by calling for the arrest of any protester who disrupts his rallies -- at (ph) least (ph) the suggestion that that's where he's going next. Here is CNN's Ryan Young.

RYAN YOUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So the big wonder was what was going to happen here with the trouble after what occurred in Chicago. Kansas City said they were prepared for it.

A lot of people in the community talking about it would not be out of control. Protesters across the street that (ph) you can see how police setup a divide line to keep protesters and Trump supporters apart from each other. But as a long line stretch around this building thousands of people showed up for Trump. In fact at 8:30 the first person arrived here. And at 3:30 more than a thousand people were still in line.

Now if you look back to this direction the line stretched all the way down as people waited to come in to see Trump speak but Trump was interrupted several times because protesters made their way in and made their voices heard.

[06:35:00] (INAUDIBLE) trying to push (INAUDIBLE) Donald Trump and they had to (INAUDIBLE) at one point (INAUDIBLE) from the (INAUDIBLE)

The conversations did get tense out here. There was some pushing and shoving. Some punching (ph) (INAUDIBLE) police were able to that pretty much under wrap pretty quickly.

Reporting in Kansas City, Ryan Young CNN.

BLACKWELL: Again two days away from the next big contest. The Super Tuesday part three here.

So many people are asking, how did Donald Trump get to where he is today? And the cusp of potentially getting the party's nomination, what is fuelling his rise to potentially becoming the nominee and quite possibly the next president.

Let's bring back Mark Preston, CNN Politics' executive editor. Again, you were at these events yesterday and you spoke with -- there were thousands of people there. You spoke with some of them. What did they tell you?

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICS EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Well you know, in many ways when Donald Trump was out there and says, people are angry in America, he's absolutely right.

And at the first event yesterday in Dayton, Ohio, more than 5,000 people showed up. And to a person whenever I ask them, what do you want to hear from Donald Trump? They said, we want to hear -- him continue to talk straight, not to be politically correct. And they said that are supporting him right now because they are frustrated about where they are right now and they think the economy is not working to their advantage. They are also very upset over the past eight years right now of what they say is an Obama presidency that has basically has left them behind.

BLACKWELL: Well because he does not -- did not come up through the RNC system to get to this point it is very difficult for Reince Priebus as the chair or any of the leaders there to wrangle him in or the rhetoric or any of that.

PRESTON: Yes. His personality is too big right now for anyone to be able to go in and say, listen, you need to tone it down a little bit. You know, you need to help try to lower the temperature. Specifically at these rallies. We saw the pictures there in Chicago. There was an incredible amount of pepper spray, you know, that we saw (INAUDIBLE). And as Joe Johns (ph) and I were talking just said -- as Joe said, what is the end game in this? And that is exactly right. What is the end game?

BLACKWELL: All right. Mark Preston joining us all morning. Mark, thank you so much.

Of course the programming note, an impressive lineup of the presidential candidates join Jake Tapper this morning. Governor John Kasich, Donald Trump, Senators Marco Rubio and Bernie Sanders. That is on State of the Union today at 9:00 a.m. eastern right here on CNN.

Again a look here at the Mershon Auditorium where the Democratic candidates will participate in a town hall tonight, 8:00 p.m. eastern on CNN.

Hillary Clinton had some sharp words for Bernie Sanders over his work on healthcare. The Sanders campaign is firing right back. We'll tell you what they're saying, that's coming up in just a moment.

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[06:41:08]

BLACKWELL: New this morning, Hillary Clinton is slamming political rival Bernie Sanders. She's questioning his work on healthcare in the 90's when she led the effort as first lady. Listen to what she said.

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HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're going to pull together and stand up against those powerful forces. And I always get a little chuckle when I hear my opponent talking about doing it. Well I don't know where he was when I was trying to get healthcare in '93 and '94, standing up against the insurance companies, standing up against the drug companies.

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BLACKWELL: So that was Hillary Clinton yesterday in St. Louis.

Let's welcome in Hillary Clinton's chief strategist Joel Benenson. Joel, good morning to you.

JOEL BENENSON, CHIEF STRATEGIST, HILLARY FOR AMERICA: Good morning, Victor.

BLACKWELL: So the Sanders' campaign after hearing that sent out this tweet it's of Bernie Sanders standing behind Hillary Clinton and the quick snap here says, literally standing right behind her. This is the wrong photograph but this is also a tweet sent out by a reporter from "Bloomberg" that was a photograph of the two and a note from Hillary Clinton thanking him for his work dedicated to real healthcare.

Now Secretary Clinton said, where was he? We now see where he was. What is your reaction to that?

BENENSON: My reaction is he was standing in that picture behind her but anybody who remembers that fight in the 1990's knows that Hillary Clinton was at the epicenter of the fight to take on the big insurance company. She was the most vocal person in the fight with some other leads in Congress taking on and pushing back for universal healthcare.

It was a long brutal fight and she was on the front lines not on the back lines for sure. And I think everybody remembers that about her. It was called Hillary care. It wasn't called Bernie care. It was called Hillary care. She was not an elective official...

BLACKWELL: You're right about that, Joel.

BENENSON: ... but she championed that fight. And that's why it was called Hillary care. She was the one taking all of the incoming and standing up to the special interest.

BLACKWELL: Let me jump in here, Joel, because I understand I don't think there is anybody who questions her dedication in the nineties to passing the healthcare reform and legislation. But her inference that Bernie Sanders was nowhere around, we literally now see from two examples -- we've seen the video, I've seen the video, that still where she thinks then Congressman Sanders and she wrote a personal note to him thanking for his dedication. So that would be at least a misrepresentation or misrepresentation of his work in the nineties to say she didn't know where he was. She thanked him for being nearby. Literally and figuratively.

BENENSON: I think there were many -- I think there were many, many Democrats who were leaders in that fight, who were standing on the front lines with her. And I think, what she was saying yesterday is the people on the front lines were the ones taking the incoming from the insurance companies.

Look, Senator Sanders has been for healthcare. So has Hillary Clinton. She's said that all the way through the campaign. But when you go out and you make the claim as he has he's the one standing up to special interest and she was on the front lines taking all that heat in the 90's.

Look, frankly most Americans never heard of Bernie Sanders in the 1990s. They knew who Hillary Clinton and they knew the fight she was taking on. So look, I think this is the kind of thing -- we're having a discussion about healthcare today. She wants to build on the Obamacare Affordable Care Act, where we've gotten 90 percent of Americans having insurance, get the job done the rest of the way, bring down drug costs.

Senator Sanders wants to undo Obamacare here and go into another contentious fight at a time when we've got a lot of work to do in America to make the difference in people's lives, get them ahead economically. We're going to have to push for comprehensive immigration reform. We're going to have to push for an extensive jobs plan to really create the kind of good paying jobs that are going to get Americans ahead.

BLACKWELL: Joel -- and I'm sure...

(CROSSTALK)

BLACKWELL: ... of that from Secretary Clinton tonight.

[06:45:00]

But let me ask you, as this plays into a narrative and a question that's kind of spreading out over the last several days. This element -- and I understand your point here about healthcare and their relative roles in the nineties. But when you add that to what we saw in the conversation with MSNBC about Nancy Reagan's record as an advocate for those with AIDS and HIV and having to apologize and questions about her reference of the Mother Emanuel massacre and a statement about Donald Trump's rallies. Is she having a series of unforced errors here?

BENENSON: Look, I think she went out and did what few politicians do and said she misspoke and made a mistake when she referenced president -- Nancy Reagan.

Her record on standing up for the LGBT community is extensive. It dates back to her role as first lady through the United States Senate and secretary of state where she led the fight for U.N. resolution recognizing the LGBT rights or human rights.

So you know, let's have a debate on the substance of the issues. She acknowledged it. You know, Senator Sanders has not acknowledged many mistakes. I haven't heard him acknowledge any. I don't think he would -- he still defends a vote against comprehensive immigration reform said on a debate stage the other night that he did it because it was akin to slavery.

Let's remember this was a bill authored by Senator Ted Kennedy, voted on by then Senator Barack Obama, now President Barack Obama.

BLACKWELL: Right.

BENENSON: I don't think it's serious to suggest that even one of those people would have supported a bill akin to slavery and that he hasn't apologized for that vote to anybody.

Look, let's talk about where the American people are today in this campaign...

(CROSSTALK)

BENENSON: ... and who's going to make a difference in their lives.

BLACKWELL: ... tonight. Joel Benson (ph) -- Joel Benenson, I apologize for that, thank you so much for being with us this morning. We of course will hear much more of this conversation tonight at the town hall in this very room in the Mershon Theater.

Joel, thanks so much. Have a good Sunday.

Now, the next hour we'll be talking to Jeff Weaver, campaign manager for Bernie Sanders.

Also a programming reminder, be sure to watch tonight's CNN T.V. One Democratic Presidential Town Hall. Ohio voters put questions to both Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton, again, 8:00 p.m. eastern here on CNN.

Christi, back to you in Atlanta.

PAUL: All right. Hey, Victor, thank you so much.

Clashes obviously between anti Trump protesters and his supporters seem to be on the rise. We're talking about what's behind that rage and who if anyone can extinguish it at this point?

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[06:51:03]

PAUL: Ten minutes before 7:00 this morning.

And Donald Trump taking some heat from both Democrats and Republicans to his rhetoric. Some saying violence is bound to escalate with his heated words.

Christine Todd Whitman a former cabinet member in the Bush administration tells the "New York Times" -- quote -- "You can't dial back the emotions he's excited in people easily. There will be consequences for that."

(INAUDIBLE) to that statement here. Listen to this protester in Chicago describe why he showed up at Friday's rally.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were not going to let a bigot come into my neighborhood and disparage my people or my race or my ethnicity. And I felt that I needed to leave my home, come here and say, ya basta, enough. Quit the bullying. We stopped the bullying in Chicago and this is a start. Because when you stop a bully once you could then stop them again because, guess what? People will lose fear. And Chicago showed how to deal with a bully.

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PAUL: CNN's senior media correspondent Brian Stelter is joining us now from New York.

So I know you've talked to an awful lot of people, Brian, who say, I saw this coming.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Yes. But reporters on the campaign trail who have spent months traveling with Trump covering his every move have felt that this kind of moment was inevitable. That this has been building and building and building for months and what we saw on Friday in Chicago was sort of the inevitable conclusion of that.

You might think of Trump's events as public stages which attract all sorts of -- all kinds of players. Some people who want to support him, to be there, and hear him in person. And some people who want to protest him. And in some ways it actually reminds me what we saw in Baltimore amidst the unrest there. Even Ferguson amidst the unrest there.

Not necessarily people that are going there trying to commit crimes but people who want to be part of the spectacle. I think some of it were seen in Trump rallies as akin to that.

Now the television cameras are there. The reporters are there and of course lots of attention is on these places so they become like stages. And we saw a "CBS" reporter arrested the other day. Other reporters have had concerns about violence as well. So it is something that -- and no one -- no one of course really knows how this ends but I think what we're seeing is something that is the inevitable by-product of months and months and months of rhetoric.

PAUL: But this is what (INAUDIBLE) Trump's campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, tells this to the "Washington Post" -- quote -- "The American people are angry. They're upset at the way this country has been run. And they're tired of not being proud to be Americans." And he went on to say that his candidate Donald Trump does not plan do anything to calm his supporters.

So here's the thing, if Donald Trump has the ability to get people so riled up, to stir (ph) fear and anger in people is he even at this point capable of deescalating what we have seen? Or is it beyond that point?

STELTER: I think it is beyond any single person. I think it's more of a group issue or a collective issue.

The solution to free speech is more free speech. So have Trump speak, have his opponents speak. That's always been the solution in American life to anything you don't like. It is not to try to shut it down necessarily. We can debate the merits of that. It is about being able to speak yourself as well. Even my taxi driver this morning had a lot to say about Donald Trump.

PAUL: My goodness. It's everywhere, isn't it? Can't get away from it. Brian Stelter, we appreciate it so much. Thank you.

STELTER: Thanks.

PAUL: Sure.

And be sure to watch Brian's show "RELIABLE SOURCES" it's today at 11:00 a.m. eastern, right here on CNN.

Brian was just talking about how his taxi driver was saying something about Trump. Well, guess what? "Saturday Night Live" unleashing on him as well. Mocking the violence at his rally. Taking a swing as the front-runner supporter as well. We'll show it to you. Stay close.

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[06:57:55]

PAUL: Well, "Saturday Night Live" known for not shying away from a good punch line, right? Jabbing now Donald Trump, the violence at his rallies and even some of his key supporters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE ACTOR: Breaking news right now. We're getting word now of yet another incident of violence at a Donald Trump rally. Apparently the victim was this man, Dr. Ben Carson. Who was attacked moments ago by an angry mob that mistook him for a protester. We go there now.

JAY PHAROAH, COMEDIAN: It's OK. I'm fine.

DARRELL HAMMOND, COMEDIAN: Guys what did I say? Not this one. This is one of the good ones. I'm sorry, Ben.

PHAROAH: Hey they're just lucky I don't have any knife on me. I've been known to cut a --

HAMMOND: Don't worry. We've got a very classy Trump steak on his eye. And to the media, please don't use this as an excuse to call me racist.

PHAROAH: Donald Trump's actually got a lot of black friends. Omarosa, Dennis Rodman.

HAMMOND: The list goes on.

PHAROAH: Mike Tyson.

HAMMOND: The list ends.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(LAUGHTER)

PAUL: I'm always just a little bit nervous, Victor. Always just a little bit at what they are going to come up with.

BLACKWELL: Yes. It is always good to have a well placed Trump steak right there on your eye I guess for that actor.

Christi, thank you so much. We've got a lot coming up in the next hour -- the next hour of your NEW DAY starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It is another Bernie sign, get her out of here -- out.

I hope these guys get thrown into a jail. They'll never do it again.