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Donald Trump to Hold Rally in Arizona; Interview with Sheriff Joe Arpaio; Donald Trump's Foreign Policy Positions Examined; Paris Terror Suspect Arrested in Belgium; John Kasich Remains in Race for Republican Presidential Nomination; Georgia Governor Considers Bill Criticized for Discriminating against Same-Sex Marriage; Interview with Congressman Tim Ryan. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired March 19, 2016 - 10:00   ET

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


[10:00:00] CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Christi Paul.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Victor Blackwell. CNN Newsroom begins right now. We're starting with a live look at crowds. Let's take the shot here. People already lining up to attend Donald Trump's rally in Fountain Hills, Arizona. A few hours still to go before the event is scheduled to start.

PAUL: And the GOP frontrunner making the first of two stops int the state today. His pledge to build a wall along the U.S./Mexico border a key issue for some voters there, including the controversial sheriff Joe Arpaio. We're going to speak to him in just a moment. But first let's bring in Jeremy Diamond who is outside the Trump event. Jeremy, what's the mood?

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: Yes, well, good morning. We're here in Fountain Hills, Arizona, where you've got already some people lining up to see Donald Trump speak this morning. We're in Maricopa County. This is the home of Sheriff Joe Arpaio, the immigration hardliner who endorsed Donald Trump several months ago of course. So immigration a key issue here in Arizona, of course, coming here in the southern border. So Donald Trump surely is expected to talk about that. And I'm sure Sheriff Arpaio is likely to make an appearance here as well given that we're in Fountain Hills here. This is his hometown.

PAUL: It's the sheriff's hometown. Do we have any idea what exactly the sheriff will be doing there today that other than facilitating the security?

DIAMOND: We don't know exactly, but Sheriff Joe Arpaio has gone on the campaign trail with Donald Trump several times, beginning in New Hampshire, that's where he initially endorsed him and he was there with him. He stumped with him several times.

Immigration is one of the key planks of course of Donald Trump's foreign policy. He's talked about building a wall on the border between the U.S. and Mexico and making Mexico pay for it, of course. And he's also talked about deporting millions of undocumented immigrants living in the United States back to where they came from, so their home countries. And of course Sheriff Joe Arpaio, he himself has been an immigration

hardliner for years now. And he's also known for being tough on crime as well. He has one of his prisons here where he was prisoners wear pink uniforms and he makes them live in tents. It's one of the key parts of his tough stance on crime. And certainly Donald Trump is going to try and tack on to that as he tries to gain support here in Arizona.

PAUL: All right, Jeremy diamond, thank you so much for bringing us the latest there.

Let's talk to Donald Trump supporter, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio joining via the phone right now. So Sheriff Joe, we appreciate it. I understand you're going to be on stage with Donald Trump today. What are you going to be doing?

SHERIFF JOE ARPAIO, MARICOPA COUNTY: I think we have a town hall in about an hour. But then we'll be going to Fountain Hills, which happens to be my hometown, and have a rally. This happens to be the third rally in the Phoenix area we've done since he announced. So this is a rally, I've been to several of them around the country. And he has a chance to talk about what he's going to do for America. I usually introduce him and he carries the ball.

PAUL: We know that there will be a lot of protestors there. You probably already saw the pictures. And probably out in that area already seeing who is gathering. But we know that the protestors are really angry about Trump's immigration verbiage that he's using, even understand that there's a Veterans for Peace group that says they'll have members protesting hi proposal to ban Muslims entering the U.S. What kind of force do you have in place today? What are you ready for?

ARPAIO: Well, first of all, by chance this is a town that we do the police work. There's no police department. They contract with the sheriff's office. So we'll be in full charge and control to protect the people of that town and also make sure that we protect Trump and everybody else around that area involved in this situation. So, you know, I feel comfortable that we can handle the situation and we'll do the best we can. And anybody that violates the law is going to jail. Very simple.

PAUL: Kyung Lah talked with you earlier this week, and you told me that the people of Arizona have been waiting for someone like Trump. Why do you believe he is the one that can make a wall happen?

ARPAIO: I'm trying to hear. What was that?

PAUL: Why do you believe that Donald Trump is the one that can make a wall happen along the Mexico border? And why do you think he's the one that can make Mexico pay for it?

ARPAIO: Well, if you're asking why I have confidence in him, I met him for the first time when he was here for the first, you know, meeting and forum, rally. And I liked what he said. And my gut told me he's the type of guy we need now. [10:05:00] And I've been the honorary chairman for other presidential

candidates. But for him there was something different. And I support him. I endorsed him in Marshalltown, Iowa, a few weeks ago. I like what he says. And I believe that he's going to follow through on his promises, especially on the illegal immigration situation that's facing our nation and has been here for years and years. Nobody wants to do anything about it. All you hear is talk from the politicians. So maybe at least this time around something will be done about it.

But in any event, if he doesn't get elected, which I'm sure he will, at least he opened the door to start talking about it. Every candidate running for president has to talk about it. And so now we're back talking about illegal immigration on this cycle. So I have to thank him for keeping the interest going on this illegal immigration problem.

PAUL: All the candidates certainly are talking about it. And Bernie Sanders was in Flagstaff recently, and he talked about you. He said, "It's easy for bullies like Sheriff Arpaio to pick on people that have no power. If I'm elected president, the president of the United States does have power, watch out Joe." What is your reaction to that and what do you think he meant?

ARPAIO: Well, I don't know if he's threatening me. I do know 100 days after Obama and former attorney general Holder took office, they initiated a civil rights investigation against me. That was seven years ago. So what is he threatening, to put the power of government against me if he takes office? Or is it more than that? I don't know. It doesn't bother me what he says. He's not going to get elected anybody. When you talk about him giving me some publicity, because I took the wife on a tour, which I've taken four presidential candidates on a tour in the past. I got some press out of this, so they're angry at the wife going through there. But what about Hillary? She's doing campaign commercials in Spanish, using me and Trump in those commercials. I guess both sides are using us. But that's OK. The more the merrier.

PAUL: You just mentioned something that I believe happened by happenstance, you ended up meeting Jane Sanders and took her on a tour of tent city, your outdoor jail. What were your conversations with her?

ARPAIO: First of all, I knew she was going to be in front of the tents, which, by the way, I operate. It's my territory. I was having a press conference recruiting citizens, private citizens for my armed volunteer posse. And right down the street she was gathering at the front of our fence, the tents, looking in there with all the media. So I walked up to her, and I said, how are you doing? I introduced myself. She's a very nice lady. She was complaining about what she heard. I said, how about a tour? So I took her on a tour inside. I didn't hide anything. She could talk to all the inmates. We had a lot of conversation. She thought they were all in there before they were sentenced. A lot of things she did not know. She didn't like the heat, 130 degrees, and how we feed the inmates. But she talked to all the inmates. So what's wrong with that? They're making a big deal because there

was a little media attention and I got media attention because of her. That's pretty sad. I'm sure that her husband told her what to say after. So that's it. Anybody who wants to tour the tents, I don't care who they are, they always come through.

PAUL: OK. Well, I wanted to ask you one more thing about what's happening today. "Politico," I know you had an interview with "Politico" earlier, sheriff, and you said, "Here I'm going to be kind of wearing two hats," as we talked about, you're in charge of the security there in the town. You're also participating with Trump in the rally, and you said, "It's going to be a lot of fun taking care of business there." What business specifically? I guess what did you mean by "a lot of fun taking care of business"?

ARPAIO: Who said that?

PAUL: You said it in "Politico."

ARPAIO: I didn't say that. I said a lot of fun for what?

PAUL: You said it would be a lot of fun taking care of business, meaning the two hats that you're wearing today, just wondering what you meant by that.

ARPAIO: Oh, OK. What I meant on that is I happen to be introducing Trump, which I do in every rally. It wasn't just here. It was in Vegas and Iowa, and here it is.

[10:10:00] The fun is that I live right there. The fun is that I can see my house, where the rally is. The other fun, if you want to call it that, I can it a challenge, is the fact of that we are the police department there. So here I am in one hat supporting the candidate for president, and the other hat is I'm also in charge of the police, all the work there that law enforcement and everything in that town. So I'm kind of wearing two hats. So I don't know what you mean by "fun." I think I said it's fun that I can see my house from the park where the rally is taking place.

PAUL: All righty, well, Sheriff Joe, thank you so much for taking time with us. I know that it's early there today. And we're certainly wishing you the best for maybe some calm rally and a lot of good information coming out of it. Another live picture here of a lot of protestors, we understand, about 100 already showing up. And we'll see how that continues to progress throughout the day.

BLACKWELL: And we know that Donald Trump has made the wall between the U.S. and Mexico of course a key part of his policy. But there are still many questions that people have about other elements, foreign policy especially, to help get some answers. Let's bring in Stephen Miller. He's a Donald Trump senior policy adviser. Stephen, good to have you back with us.

STEPHEN MILLER, SENIOR ADVISOR TO DONALD TRUMP: Hey, it's great to be here, thank you. BLACKWELL: So on MSNBC early this week here is what Donald Trump said

about his foreign policy when asked who he speaks with. He said this, quote, "I'm speaking with myself, number one, because I have a very good brain and I've said a lot of things." That's a quote. If he is his primary foreign policy adviser and he's relying on his good brain and the things he's said, what's your role? What do you offer and what does he accept?

MILLER: Well, I'm a little bit amused at the amount of attention that comment has gotten, because of course Donald Trump is going to rely upon his own judgment and instincts as president of the United States. And he's shown extraordinary judgment on the major foreign policy issues of our time. He talked about the threat of Usama bin Laden before 9/11 when nobody in Washington was paying attention to it. He was an early critic of the Iraq war long before many in the Republican Party realized the error of the Iraq war. And he has consistently been ahead of the curve on these major foreign policy issues. So it's really a choice for voters between Donald Trump whose core instinct is to be cautious, prudent, to avoid unwise entanglements in foreign conflicts, versus what you might call the reflexive interventionism of a Ted Cruz.

BLACKWELL: But in addition to core instinct, the question was what type of advice does he accept? You're his foreign policy adviser. How and on what issues do you advise him? And is he receptive?

MILLER: Donald Trump is being advised regularly. He's in fact tapped my former boss, U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions, to assemble a foreign policy advisory committee. Senator Sessions, who has been for 20 years on the armed services committee, is meeting every day with intelligence experts, defense experts, foreign policy experts, and advising Mr. Trump on those conversations and advising Mr. Trump on the meetings, and helping put Mr. Trump in contact with experts from a wide range of fields affecting America's foreign policy and defense.

BLACKWELL: OK, so when will we hear Donald Trump's view on foreign policy? Every candidate who has been in the race has given a foreign policy address, a speech speaking specifically about their views on foreign policy. When will we hear that from Donald Trump?

MILLER: Of course you're going to hear on Monday night a speech at AIPAC detailing some of his Middle East foreign policy. And I think we're all looking forward to that very important address. But I think Mr. Trump has been the clearest throughout this campaign about his foreign policy doctrine.

It's Ted Cruz who I think has confused everybody because it's not clear where Ted Cruz wants to go to war and why. For instance, Ted Cruz said he wanted to push Russia out of Syria. How is he going to do that? Are we going to get into a military conflict with Russia? Are we going to shoot down Russian airplanes? Are we going to enforce a no-fly zone? Again, it's that kind of kneejerk, reflexive interventionism without reflection that's gotten the U.S. trapped into these foreign conflicts that's draining our blood, that's draining our treasure, that's weakening our standing in the world. BLACKWELL: All right, guys, do we have the sound bite, the collection

of sound bites from Donald Trump about ISIS and Russia? OK, so we don't have that.

MILLER: I'm happy to talk about ISIS and Russia.

BLACKWELL: Hold on, let me put to you what Donald Trump said over a period of time. Back in September Donald Trump said that he has good instinct on ISIS and what should be done there. He then suggested that Russia should take them out, that it shouldn't be the U.S.'s fight.

[10:15:00] He said that he knows more than the generals, and then recently said that he would listen to the generals and probably put in 20,000 to 30,000 troops. So he's been on several sides of this issue. Should he not come out as other candidates have, especially the two who are still in this race, and give a foreign policy address and just articulate his views on American foreign policy?

MILLER: Donald Trump has been talking about foreign policy every single day. I'm not sure what address specifically you're looking for. But it's Mr. Trump and only Mr. Trump who has been clear in changing America's foreign policy from one of nation building and trying to plant democracies in the Middle East to a national interest foreign policy that focuses on shared goals with our allies in the Middle East and across the world.

And Mr. Trump, again, has been clear that unlike the other candidates, he's not willing to start a hot conflict with Russia over Syria, which would be crazy. I just find it amazing that there's actually people running for president who think it's a good idea to try and push Russia out of Syria at the possibility of starting a war with Russia. That is extremely dangerous. It's irresponsible. And the American people, Republican, Democrat, independent, are going to embrace a more responsible foreign policy with a military second to none, but no more wars that we can't get out of.

BLACKWELL: Stephen Miller, foreign policy adviser to Donald Trump, thanks so much for being with us.

MILLER: Thank you.

BLACKWELL: And you can hear more from the candidates themselves. Maybe Donald Trump will talk more about foreign policy when he is with CNN, one of the five candidates who will be with Anderson Cooper and Wolf Blitzer on Monday at 8:00. We're going to hear from Donald Trump and Ted Cruz and John Kasich, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. They'll all be interview. Again, Monday night at 8:00 p.m. eastern right here on CNN.

A deadly crash, if you're just waking up, we're going to get you the latest on this. It happened in Russia, 62 people are dead after a plane crash in Russia. So what caused this crash? That's of course what investigators are looking for. We know now the NTSB is going to the site to try to get an answer. PAUL: Also the sole surviving Paris attack suspect is in custody and

out of the hospital this morning. France wants to extradite him. His lawyer does not agree with that we're getting word now. Find out what he's saying, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:20:43] PAUL: New this morning, the National Transportation Safety Board will be going to the site of this deadly plane crash in Russia. All 62 people on board were killed when the Fly Dubai flight burst into a ball of fire while trying to land. This is video here released by the Russian state news, and you see it there. They say that is the moment of impact. CNN cannot independently confirm the authenticity of this video. But the Dubai based airline said there was no distress call.

What you're looking at here is the circling that the airplane did above the airport for quite some time, up to two hours, because of bad weather. This attempted landing was the second attempted landing. Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences to the families of the victims, saying they'll get about $15,000 from the government.

BLACKWELL: New details on the Paris terror suspect Salah Abdeslam, his capture in Belgium. Just moments ago his lawyer spoke with reporters saying they will fight his extradition to France. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SVEN MARY, SALAH ABDESLAM'S LAWYER: He's collaborating with the Belgian justice system, and in one hour will be back in terms of the European arrest warrant. We'll consider his extradition. We will refuse extradition to France. He might go back to the prison in Bruges, but not for the moment. There will be a second round of questioning, but it will be in the framework of the European arrest warrant. He was in Paris. OK?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Abdeslam left the hospital earlier this morning and is being interrogated at the central police station in Brussels. CNN senior international correspondent Fred Pleitgen is there in Brussels. That was just a bit of what we heard from Abdeslam's attorney this morning. What else is he saying?

FRED PLEITGEN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, he obviously says that the authorities are trying to find out as much information as possible from Abdeslam, but at this point in time the whole questioning process is still one that is in the very early stages.

You heard the lawyer there say that he was cooperating with Belgian authorities. From what we gather, that means that this morning after he was taken he was shot in the leg during a raid that took place. He was then initially brought to hospital, discharged from the hospital because his wound was not very severe.

We have heard that he is still tied to a hospital bed. His condition is such that he needs to lay down. He's been questioned, however, by Belgian authorities earlier today. He was also brought in front of a judge and that judge now has to decide whether or not he will have to remain in custody.

Now, later today there is going to be a second round of questioning under a European arrest warrant because, keep in mind, this man was the most sought-after fugitive in European until his arrested last night. So European authorities are going to try and question him as well.

Victor, there's a whole other implications for European authorities here believe. There was a warrant put out by Interpol earlier today saying that they believe that with the arrest of Abdelslam, there could be other people who helped him, other backers, others who might be involved who may try to flee Europe. So European authorities are being told to be on the lookout for people trying to possibly flee Belgium and other European countries after the Abdeslam arrest, Victor.

BLACKWELL: Fred Pleitgen following all the angles and developments this morning from Brussels. Fred, thanks so much.

PAUL: A popular tourist area in Istanbul, Turkey, hit by a suicide bomber. We'll tell what you we've learned this morning.

BLACKWELL: And can any of the other GOP presidential candidates stop Donald Trump from winning the nomination? Can they do it before the convention? We'll speak with a spokesman for John Kasich's campaign.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:27:26] BLACKWELL: A suicide bomber struck a busy shopping district today in Istanbul today. At least four are confirmed dead, 36 wounded. The area is popular with tourists. The Israeli government says that some of its citizens are among the injured. Today's blast comes just days after a car bomb killed 37 people in the capital of Ankara. We'll keep you updated as soon as we get more about this situation.

PAUL: A U.S. service member has died after a rocket attack in Iraq. This is the first U.S. combat death in Iraq since October. It happened at a base in northern Iraq. He was on guard duty at the time. Several other American troops were also wounded in that attack.

BLACKWELL: Apple and the FBI will face off in court Tuesday in a hearing aimed at forcing Apple to unlock an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters. A federal magistrate judge will hear their arguments and make the ruling soon after. The FBI believes the phone may hold information about December's massacre that killed 14 people and wounded nearly two dozen others. Apple has refused to unlock the phone on the grounds it violates privacy rights.

A quick break. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:32:13] PAUL: Look at the line in Fountain Hills, Arizona. At least they have a beautiful view to look at when they stand there for the next several hours. Those are all people lining up to see Donald Trump. The event is scheduled to get under way in a few hours, so they do have a long wait ahead of them. And there are protestors expected to be there. So many people there in Arizona, many of them upset about the verbiage Trump uses when he talks about immigration and immigration being one of the biggest issues for folks there in Arizona on both sides of the issue.

This primary season not going the way the Republican Party envisioned a year ago. When you think about it, ever since Donald Trump entered the race, he's defied all expectations. He's crushed his opponents in many areas. The GOP establishment laying awake at night, fearing Trump is going to win this nomination. And now they're looking to the convention as the last, maybe best one, to try to stop him.

I want to read something that Mitt Romney spelled out, a strategy, on Facebook last night. He said "The only path that remains to nominate a Republican rather than Mr. Trump is to have an open convention at this stage. The only way we can reach an open convention is for Senator Cruz to be as successful in as many of the remaining nominating elections as possible. I will vote for Senator Cruz and I encourage others to do so as well so that we can have an open convention and nominate a Republican."

Trent Duffy, a former White House press secretary now serving as national spokesman for Ohio Governor John Kasich is with us now. Trent, good morning to you. There's something that stood out in this statement that I think caught a lot of us, kind of got our ears perked up here. Romney didn't say vote for Cruz so we can nominate Cruz. He said, so we can nominate a Republican. Is this a strategy you think that he's leaving open to go to a contested convention and nominate someone else?

TRENT DUFFY, KASICH NATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS ADVISER AND SPOKESMAN: Well, you'll have to ask to Governor Romney that question. You know, he's been changing his mind a lot. He was happy to campaign with John Kasich in Ohio, so we appreciate that support.

But going forward, Christi, what needs to take place is people need to vote. There's 1,079 delegates left to be selected by the nomination process. And John Kasich is going to compete in all those states and can do very well in the Midwest and the northeast.

The fact of the matter is Donald Trump and Ted Cruz cannot win a general election. The polls just show they would get beaten and beaten badly by Hillary Clinton. So the party process has a chance to play itself out, and the people have a chance to decide who they want to best represent the Republican Party. There are polls out this week that show that of course Kasich is going to win in Ohio in November and he wins in other swing states like Pennsylvania and New Hampshire. So that's the process that's playing out. It's interesting, and there's lots of twists and turns. [10:35:04] PAUL: It's interesting, but mathematically, when you look

at the numbers, too, right now, Trent, your candidate, John Kasich, just does not have a chance with the delegates at this point to get enough for the nomination itself. Is he banking on a contested convention that might elevate him to that goal?

DUFFY: Sure, Christi, none of the three candidates is going to reach that 1,237 magic number that we all keep talking about. And the rules were designed to work that way. It didn't say if you get close to 1,237 you get the nomination. It says you have to have a majority. No one is going to reach that mark. So the open convention is almost inevitable. And that's a process where all the delegates, the Trump delegates, the Cruz delegates, the Kasich delegates, the Rubio delegates, will have a chance to get together and decide who they best feel represents the platform and the ideals and the values of the party.

PAUL: There are a lot of people who look at these numbers and wonder why Kasich is still running. This takes a lot of money, a lot of money invested, a lot of people invested, a lot of time invested. What would it take for him to drop out, or is he holding on until the convention to see what happens?

DUFFY: Governor Kasich is running because he cares about the United States of America. He's the best person to be the president of the United States. He spent 18 years in Congress, balanced budgets, cut taxes, got America moving again, served on the Armed Services Committee. Ronald Reagan's national security adviser is his foreign policy expert. And the former CIA and NSA chief Michael Hayden just this week said that he was the best person to take on some of our national security challenges. So he's running for the good of the country because he can bring our country together. And so what it's going to take is he's going to go to the convention and let the people decide.

PAUL: You look at the numbers, though, and you have to think there must be some sort of strategy. What is Mr. Kasich saying, Governor Kasich, about this unity strategy that is being talked about in political circles? Teaming up with Cruz, in a sense, some people win this side of the Mississippi, some win the other side of the Mississippi, just to try to keep Trump from continuing to get so many more of those delegates.

DUFFY: I think that makes for good reporting and good, you know, horse race politics and the like. But the strategy is to win the nomination. That's what Governor Kasich --

PAUL: So you haven't had conversations about that?

DUFFY: No, no, no not at all, not at all. And it's interesting that people keep trying to pin the establishment label on Governor Kasich when it seems to me that the establishment is now starting to swing towards Senator Cruz. But the fact of the matter is Senator Cruz cannot win in a general election. And it's not just the White House that we lose in that sort of scenario. We also lose the Senate, we lose the Supreme Court. We have, you know, real challenges. We have a divided country. Over the course of the next several months, in several states that are yet to have primaries, people are going to get a chance to see all three candidates. John Kasich hasn't really had a chance to talk about what he has done in Ohio, 420,000 new private sector, 60 percent income tax cut. He's going to get that chance now, and he deserves it.

PAUL: All right, Trent Duffy, we appreciate your time today, thanks for being here.

DUFFY: Thank you, Christi.

PAUL: Still to come, a bill waiting on the Georgia governor's desk is being slammed as discriminating against same-sex couples. Will the Governor Nathan Deal sign it?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:41:56] BLACKWELL: Coming up on the quarter hour now, and let's focus on Georgia and a religious freedom bill that has passed the state legislature.

PAUL: Opponents say it discriminates against same-sex couples and that it hurts the state's reputation. CNN's Nick Valencia is joining us now. So we're wondering what the next step is.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is a battle that's been brewing at least two years. It passed both chambers of the state legislature, both the House and the state Senate, and now the governor, Governor Nathan Deal, has at least a month to decide whether or not he's going to sign it. He's hinted that he won't. But many people, including the man that you're about to meet in this piece, are worried that he will.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VALENCIA: Kelvin Williams is angry. The small business owner says a proposed Georgia law, the so-called religious liberty bill, will ruin opportunities for his telecommunications business and discriminate against many others like him. Williams is gay.

KELVIN WILLIAMS, FOUNDER OF 373K: It's going to protect anybody who feels like discriminating. But I don't see where he's actually going to protect anybody from being discriminated against.

VALENCIA: After nearly a two-year battle, House bill 757 passed both chambers of the Georgia legislature. If signed into law by the governor, it would protect faith-based organizations who do not hire or host gays and lesbians because of their religious beliefs. As it's written, the legislation will, quote, "provide a claim or a defense to persons whose religious exercise is substantially burdened by government."

STATE SEN. MIKE CRANE, (R) GEORGIA: The only discrimination I see going forward is if the governor refuses to sign this bill.

VALENCIA: Senator Mike Crane is one of the bill's most adamant supporters. He too is a small business owner and is currently running for U.S. Congress.

CRANE: There's an undermining of religious freedom in this nation. The Christian community in particular is really the group that's going to end up being discriminated against if the states don't stand up and say this liberty is important.

VALENCIA: If Georgia's bill sounds familiar, it's because it is. In 2014 Arizona legislatures made an attempt at a religious restoration act. After an intense pressure from athletic organizations, corporations, and even some Republicans, it failed.

GOV. JAN BREWER, (R) ARIZONA: I have vetoed Senate bill 1062 moments ago.

VALENCIA: In 2015, it was Indiana's term. And after much debate, Governor Mike Pence signed it into law. Supporters like this small business owner were thrilled.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it protects me from the government forcing me to do something that's against my will.

VALENCIA: The governor later signed a revised bill which seeks to prevent businesses from discriminating against anyone based of their sexual orientation. Back in Georgia, critics of the bill worry about the economic consequences to the state, especially to Georgia's booming movie industry, tourism, and sports. Atlanta is currently bidding to host the 2019 Super Bowl. Opponents to the bill says HB757 will limit the state's chances at attracting organizations like the NFL.

[10:45:00] WILLIAM PATE, CEO, ATLANTA CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU: This legislation as it stands today, it will have a significant impact on our business. And I think it will have significant impact on other businesses in the state.

VALENCIA: How much money are you talking?

PATE: I think it could be as much as $6 billion, and it might be $3 billion.

VALENCIA: Governor Deal has until May to decide if he'll sign the bill into law. If he does not, Kelvin Williams, the answer of how to deal with it is simple. In a symbolic gesture this week, his business of 20 employees reincorporated in Delaware. Personally he says he may be leaving the state too.

WILLIAMS: I'm in the process of talking to a realtor and, you know, looking at selling my house and packing up and leaving.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VALENCIA: We mentioned the religious liberty bills in the states of Arizona and Indiana. This one in Georgia is a little different. It focuses solely on faith-based organizations, things like religious schools, institutions, churches, not businesses.

But the concern, of course, you heard in that piece especially from visitors bureau says it could have a disastrous impact on the state including investors like the NFL. The NFL is closely watching this, and it released a statement which read in part, "NFL policies emphasize tolerance and inclusiveness and prohibit discrimination based on age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, or any other improper standard. Whether the laws and regulations of a state and local community are consistent with these policies will be one of many factors NFL owners may use to evaluate potential Super Bowl host sites." Victor, Christi?

BLACKWELL: Nick Valencia, thanks so much.

Hillary Clinton continues to fight off Bernie Sanders in the primary. That has not cooled down at all. But next, some of her supporters are questioning whether this drawn-out battle hurts her as she turns toward the general election if she's the nominee.

Plus, can she match the success of Sanders with a key demographic? We'll tell you which one.

PAUL: But first, if you travel for business, once in a while you might think I feel like a beer. The Denver microbrew is a way to see the sights, taste some of the local flavor, and it's something fun to do when you're off the clock.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello, my name is Bryce of the Denver microbrewery tour. I'm a tour guide, and I think the best way to experience the city is obviously with a beer in hand.

So Denver really is known for its craft beer culture. It makes over 200 beers, so no matter you go, you really are able to understand that Denver really is the Napa Valley of craft beer. It's walking brewery tour, so you can actually see the city, smell the city, and really get to feel the city as you're walking around, mingling with some newcomers and learn a little bit about beer, a little bit about Denver.

With it being a walking tour, it allows you to, like I said, see the outside, but it really gets you a little closer connected with the actual material that we're drinking. We're a fit city, and we also love beer.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's beautiful downtown. You get to walk different blocks, explore all the scenery, see all the buildings. It's a great way to explore.

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[10:51:40] BLACKWELL: The math may be difficult for Bernie Sanders, but he says he's staying in the race to win it, staying until the end. Now according to the "New York Times," President Obama has weighed in, speaking privately to a group of Texas donors. Here's what the times reported about those conversations. "Those that attended described an urgency in Mr. Obama's tone as he suggested that Democrats needed to come together and prevent an opening for the Republicans whose leading candidate is Donald J. Trump to exploit."

Let's talk about that. We have with us Democratic Congressman Tim Ryan of Ohio. Congressman, good to have you. We also know you're a Hillary Clinton supporter, right?

REP. TIM RYAN, (D) OHIO: Yes, sir.

BLACKWELL: All right, congressman. Let's start there with what we heard from the "Times" there about the president's conversations. Are you concerned that this longer primary going all the way to the convention, as we're hearing from the Sanders folks, is helping or hurting, potentially, Hillary Clinton?

RYAN: I think there's always a general anxiousness to want to wrap up a primary. But I think, you know, Bernie Sanders has made an amazing contribution to this race, and he's bringing up issues that people really care about and are very passionate about, and ultimately that decision is up to him as to when he makes any decision. I mean, the math is working itself out. After a huge Tuesday with winning New York and Illinois and Missouri and North Carolina and Florida, the delegate math is really in Hillary Clinton's favor.

If Bernie Sanders wins 60-40 in California, New York, and Pennsylvania, he's still going to have a huge, huge gap that's almost impossible to make up. But again, I love Bernie Sanders and I think he's made a great contribution to this race. He continues to make a great contribution. And at the end of the day, that's his decision and his supporters' decision to make when or when not to get out of the race.

BLACKWELL: We are seeing that Donald Trump is escalating his attacks on Hillary Clinton as he potentially turns toward a general election fight. Is Hillary Clinton's campaign, are they making the mistake that so many GOP primary candidates made by overestimating the amount of time they have or need to effectively prosecute the case against Donald Trump?

RYAN: Well, I think Donald Trump is prosecuting the case against himself. I mean, just put this guy on air. I mean, my goodness gracious, he's doing it all by himself.

BLACKWELL: But he's winning.

RYAN: Well, he's winning the Republican primary and he's alienating everyone else in the country. And he's put himself in a real box. And, you know, people are out there raising kids and wanting more civility in the political process. They look at him and they are repulsed by what he's doing. So he's doing a pretty good job on his own of alienating Republicans, independents, and obviously some Democrats as well.

Look, I trust Hillary Clinton. I trust her to help our community. I trust her to help Ohio. I trust her to resuscitate manufacturing here in the United States and in regions like Youngstown, Ohio. And if she continues to focus on her message about her economic plan, to develop technologies, to help millennials get back into the workforce, these are great plans. She just needs to stay focused on that and let Donald Trump continue to hang himself.

BLACKWELL: You say that Donald Trump is winning the Republican primary but he's not doing well with other groups.

[10:55:01] There is one group that he is doing very well with that Hillary Clinton is not, that's white men. We looked back at the most recent contests, the five contests from Super Tuesday three I think is what we're calling it, and look at the numbers. She lost in her home state of Ohio white men by 15 points. In Florida she lost it by seven points. In Illinois, the state in which she was born, she lost it by 29 points. North Carolina, 22. Missouri, she lost them by 23.

I wonder, as Donald Trump is doing so well with white men, especially in rust belt states, and Hillary Clinton appears to have this weakness, are you concerned moving toward the general that a group that she won in 2008 is not going to support her moving forward in the general election?

RYAN: No, I'm not concerned at all. I've lived and worked and represented northeast Ohio for the last 14 years in congress and I'm not concerned. Here's two reasons why. First of all, when people hear about, the white working class folks in my region hear about Hillary Clinton's manufacturing plan, they're going to be very excited about what the potential is for our area and what can happen in our area.

And the second piece is when people find out, when white working class union members find out that Donald Trump thinks they're making too much money, that he supports right to work legislation, which would gut their ability to unionize and negotiate a good wage and benefits for themselves, his numbers are going to tank. We've not even turned the spotlight from the Democratic side onto him. And once they find out his standing with them will drop significantly.

BLACKWELL: We're coming up on the end of the show. I thank you so much, Congressman Tim Ryan, for joining us. And we'll hear more from the candidates on Monday when they sit down with Anderson Cooper and Wolf Blitzer.

And next hour CNN's newsroom with Fredericka Whitfield comes up after a quick break.

PAUL: Thanks for your company.

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