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Libertarian Party Preparing To Pick Its Candidate; Donald Trump's Latest Campaign Stop In California Once Again Rocked By Violent Protests; Parts of Texas Under Water Right Now; Bill Cosby Going To Trial; More than 100 Prominent Doctors and Professors Say the Olympics Should be Postponed or Moved Out of Brazil; Five Years And Counting For The Civil War in Syria. Aired 1-2p ET

Aired May 28, 2016 - 13:00   ET

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


[13:00:00] SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Tell us a little about what he has been saying. He has been aggressive in criticizing DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz last week. We heard it also raising objections now to Dan Malloy and Barney Frank. What is all of that about?

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is about Bernie Sanders wanting to have control at the Philadelphia convention in terms of what the platform ultimately decides. He is saying that governor Malloy and former Massachusetts governor Barney Frank are pure partisans for Hillary Clinton and that they can't be objective. And so, he wants them booted off the platform committee. He is trying to exercise some of his leverage. We will see what the DNC decides at this point. They're not commenting nor is Hillary Clinton - Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right. Dan, we'll of course take those remarks live as he starts to speak.

Thank you so much, Dan. We appreciate that.

Republican and Democratic Party, they are still just a couple months away from nominating their presidential candidates. You have got the libertarian party preparing to pick its candidate. That is happening this weekend. That's right. Libertarians hoping that dissatisfaction with the major party candidates could mean a real opportunity for them in November. The party's front-runner Gary Johnson is polling at around 10 percent nationally, despite usually left off the presidential surveys and Johnson argues that in order to compete he needs to be included in polling and the debates.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GARY JOHNSON, LIBERTARIAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The only chance of winning is to be in the presidential debates. To be in the presidential debates you have got to be in the polls. Look, just put us in the polls. I think that by putting us in the polls they will be attention drawn to what it is that we are saying. And you know what? If that happens, anything's possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP) MALVEAUX: Talking about anything being possible. Phil Mattingly, covering the libertarian convention for us in Orlando, Florida.

So Phil, we saw bill weld, former Massachusetts governor, you know, gone through many different evolutions. Used to cover him as the governor of Massachusetts a long time ago. Well, now, he is expected to be the VP pick on the libertarian ticket. A lot of people saw that as dream ticket but now could be in trouble?

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. That is what it sounds like, at least what we saw last night, Suzanne. Look. You have to look at how Gary Johnson is looking at things right now. He was the 2012 libertarian nominee, didn't even get one percent. Now, he is looking at a Democrat and the Republican with historically high negatives, more than 40 percent of Americans survey want a third option. So he puts together a potential dream ticket himself a two-term governor. Bill Weld a two-term governor. If Bill Weld can actually get on the ticket. That is what we actually going to find out this weekend. Bill weld has a lot are work to do. That's according to Gary Johnson and his team. He needs get delegates to support him.

And the issue here is this. He is being tagged here by delegates as Republican-like. That is the derogatory term at a libertarian convention and needs to persuade them that not only his record but also his positions going forward track with the core kind of pieces of the libertarian movement, of the libertarian party.

Just last night he was booed and jeered while he was onstage. Everybody acknowledges that Bill Weld has a lot of work to do. Now, Gary Johnson was just talking to reporters a couple minutes ago. And he was asked, what do you do if Bill Weld is not on the ticket? Johnson compared it to trying to run a marathon with a broken leg. Could you do it, but it wouldn't be easy and you would be hobbled.

You mentioned, Suzanne, getting to 15 percent gets him on to the debate floor. They believe that the Johnson team having bill weld on the ticket would make them viable, would keep them included in those polls. That would have give him the opportunity to reach that 15 percent. If Bill Weld does not figure out a way to get delegates in line with him here, all of that could go up in smoke.

MALVEAUX: And Phil, I also want to bring this up what we heard from Bill Weld earlier today. He was saying a couple things. First, that he knows Donald Trump socially, over the years, and that he is also close to the Clintons. Having those kinds of relationships with both of those candidates, does it help or hurt him? Why does he say things like that? Does he think that's to his advantage or to the libertarian candidate?

MATTINGLY: One of the interesting things, Suzanne, over the last couple of weeks as Gary Johnson announced he wanted Bill Weld to be his running mate, has been libertarians scratching their heads at a lot of things that Bill Weld has said. It has been frustrating I think for those in the Johnson camp who look at his record at governor of Massachusetts, look back to the 1992 convention when he was actually booed by Pat Buchanan delegates for saying he wanted governments out of the bedrooms of American. That's a very libertarian position. And yet through some of his interviews, through some of his other positions, he has flummoxed some potential supporters and almost enraged some that won't get behind him. And I think this is the issue he is having now is finding a way to connect with the libertarian party, with the libertarian delegates here. It's something he has to work on. And I think the bid problem right now, Suzanne, is he does not have a lot of time. It all ends this weekend. They decide this weekend and Bill Weld needs to make up a lot of ground and make it up fast, Suzanne.

[13:05:04] MALVEAUX: Excellent reporting. Phil, thank you. Appreciate it, Phil.

Donald Trump's latest campaign stop in California once again rocked by violent protests. Trump is praising police for arresting at least 35 people, tweeting this morning, San Diego PD, fantastic job on handling the thugs who try to disrupt our very peaceful and well-attended rally. Greatly appreciated.

This all began as pro-Trump and anti-Trump demonstrators came face to face after the rally when thousands of Trump supporters flooded into the streets.

Joining m, now, senior political analyst Ron Brownstein and he is also senior editor for "the Atlantic." Ron, always good to see you here.

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Hi, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: Hi. Tell us about what we anticipate in the weeks to come? We have very big contests ahead, we expect big crowds as well.

BROWNSTEIN: Yes.

MALVEAUX: Do we think that this really is setting the stage for more of the same kind of passion and perhaps violence unfolding as you have supporters and detractors regarding Trump?

BROWNSTEIN: Unfortunately, think the answer is yes. I think you see in these protests two of the central device in American politics playing out. One of them is geographic. I mean, big cities are now overwhelmingly blue and diverse. Virtually every big city is Democratic leaning. I don't think there is a big city that Donald Trump can go into at this point and not have a reaction like this from at least a portion of the people who live there. Republicans are strong outside of the cities, but inside of the cities they are now very democratic leaning.

The other big divide you see here is cultural and racial. I mean, Donald Trump is running a campaign that is laser focused on the economic and demographic anxieties of the portions of white America that are most uneasy about the way the country is changing and what you are seeing in this protests is the other side of that debate. Those who embody the change feeling as though Trump is a threat their kind of position in American life and they are - I mean, this - the resistance that you see on the street in here is a kind of a microcosm of the demographic challenge that Trump faces within the broader electorate that is growing inexorably more diverse.

MALVEAUX: And I want to just call attention to the pictures we just saw, because it really is quite amazing that we see these, you know, this is playing out on our streets here in the country. How do -- how does Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump address this? The fact that you do have a nation here that is very much divided now?

BROWNSTEIN: Yes. And, in fact, you know, we could see the divide. You see in election in which racial and ethnic differences and kind of the identity of how we live together as Americans is really in the fore, never, really, I think in an unprecedented way. Maybe since 1968. Donald Trump did something truly extraordinary at his rally last night. I mean, he went on an extended diatribe against the judge hearing the U.S. federal district court judge hearing a class action lawsuit against Trump University and went out of his way to point out that the judge born in Indiana is a graduate of the University of Indiana, former assistant U.S. attorney, describes him as a Mexican.

So, you know, we are talking about an election in which questions of kind of who we are and how we live together I think are going to be front and center as never before. And that I think is going to be a very kind of difficult volatile mix to manage in a country that as I said is an execrably growing more diverse. We have 30 percent of voters in this election could be non-white, the highest ever. And I think, you know, what we are seeing is kind of all of the strains of a country living through that kind of demographic change at a moment of economic anxiety and anxiety about security as well.

MALVEAUX: Yes. He is really - he does not emphasize universality and then the fact that humanity, right, the common humanity of American voters here. I want to bring up this. Mitt Romney talking to the "Wall Street Journal" this weekend. He said quote "that friends warn me, don't speak out. Stay out of the fray, because criticizing Mr. Trump will only help him by giving him someone else to attack." And he says, they were right. I became his next target and the incoming attacks have been constant and brutal.

The fact that he brings this up here, what does that mean? What does that say about people who are -- who disagree with Trump? Who want to challenge him? Who want something different within the Republican Party?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, look. I mean, Trump has, you know, Trump from the beginning has shown the confrontation has work for him more than it has for those, you know, on the other side of his barbs and he is not slowing down. I mean, you are seeing in polls in the last few week, rank and file Republican voters rallying around Trump and people, many thought that, you know, he would take that as it a signal to kind of unify the party at the elite level.

But look, you're still seeing that kind of conflict. He attacked the highest ranking, you know, female Latino Republican elected official in the country this week by name. You still have a conflict between Paul Ryan and Donald Trump. This is something that's going to be an uneasy relationship. And I think for those who are critical of Trump, the kind of sense of personal animosity and vendetta, even like talking about that judge in that manner last week - last night I think is going to raise doubts among some about the law enforcement power of the federal government being in his hands.

So look, Trump is a unique political figure. He has galvanized a portion of the electorate. He is likely going to have enormous margins among those voters. The challenge is that the same coalition that won the primary for him cannot win the general election. It has to speak to a broader swath of America. And so far the message is not evolving in way that seems aimed at doing that.

[13:10:35] MALVEAUX: Yes. It seems quite disturbing that the notion of using your ethnicity or your heritage can be used as a weapon against you and in fact that would be effective at this day and age. But it certainly seems as if that is some sort of strategy that is what is taking place now during this election.

Ron, thank you, as always, for your insights. Really appreciate it.

BROWNSTEIN: Thanks.

MALVEAUX: Parts of Texas under water right now. You are looking at live pictures of a town outside of Houston. There are at least two people now who are dead, three who are missing. We are going to be live on the scene to see what is going on there, up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:14:11] MALVEAUX: You are looking at live pictures now. This is flooding the suburbs of Houston. Now, this is according to our affiliate KTRK that this at Kingwood, Texas. And you see there, the floodwaters are rising. We know that there is a lake in the area, which could be contributing to all of this. At this point we know there is no rain in the area. So far the flooding has killed at least two people. Three others are now missing. There's a frantic search under way. We are obviously going to continue to watch this as we take a look at these aerials in this area for whether or not this gets worse, whether or not they can find those people who have been missing, because of this flooding.

In New York, officials have pulled up the wreckage of a vintage World War II plane that slammed into the Hudson River. This happened last night. Police say they have also now recovered the pilot's body. This is 56-year-old William Gordon. He was the only one onboard. This video, it is just awful. You can see this here showing the moment that this plane crashed and there are even some witness whose say that they saw the pilot struggling to get out.

Our Rachel Crane is following the story from New York.

And Rachel, I guess people, they were able to see him try to get out, was there any sense that he could be rescued?

[13:15:35] RACHEL CRANE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there was an individual on a sailboat here in the Hudson River who did jump into the water, and try and attempt to help the pilot. Unfortunately, he was unsuccessful. Now, this is a very populated portion of the Hudson River. There is restaurants on both sides. There is running paths. So a lot of people did witness this crash.

Now, the NYPD and the army corps of engineers recovered the plane just a few hours ago. That happened right behind me. They lifted the plane up via a crane. And as you can see in the images it was relatively intact. That plane taken to the Wall Street heliport where the FAA has continued their investigation and the NTSB will begin theirs next week. But as we pointed out, many witnesses saw this crash and described the trauma. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was like he was strapped into the seat belt trying to get out. You could see him trying to get out. There is no hope.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You could actually see the pilot struggling, and he was there for about 30 seconds, to one minute.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is very upsetting, because you know, you watched somebody die.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CRANE: Now, it's interesting to point out that this accident happened not far from the 2009 miracle on the Hudson. That, of course was when a commercial jet crash landed here on the Hudson, and that instance, everybody survived. Unfortunately, last night's crash was not as fortunate - Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right. Tragedy, Rachel. Thank u so much, Rachel Crane.

More than a decade after he was first accused of sexual misconduct, Bill Cosby is going to go to trial. Up next, the latest from his defense team as they prepare for court.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:21:01] MALVEAUX: More than a decade after he was first accuses of sexual misconduct, Bill Cosby will stand trial. The once beloved TV dad is facing three counts of felony aggravated indecent assault from a 2004 case involving Andrea Constand. This week Cosby's attorney delivered a preview of what to expect at trial. The defense will meet prosecution witnesses head-on and confront them with quote "every flaw in their testimony."

I want to bring in CNN legal analyst Danny Cevallos here to explain all of this. He wrote an op-ed for CNN.com saying that the most important battle for the defense might actually come during the pretrial motions. So describe and explain what you mean by that.

DANNY CEVALLOS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: What I mean essentially is that the prosecution's case in chief is not that strong. And that's not even really my opinion, when you think about it. This is a case that the former prosecutor declined to prosecute. It sat, it languished for over a decade before it was resurrected about month before the end of the statute of limitations. But under a rule that applies in many states, and in the federal government, if a case, in this case the prosecution may seek to admit some of these other accusers and allow them to tell their story. A lot of people say, well, that's sound strange because that is not what he is being charged with. But there is a rule of criminal procedure that allows you to introduce that evidence, if it's sufficiently similar, and it demonstrates a modus operandi or some other identity or as admitted for some other purpose other than proving generally that this person is a bad guy. That's a prohibitive reason.

MALVEAUX: So Danny, out of 50 accusers, this is the only case that is resulted in criminal charges. So you think that Constand's testimony isn't going to be the strongest evidence or is it the prosecution going to bringing in those other accusers as witnesses, and their claims, make them relevant in this particular case?

CEVALLOS: Well, think about it this ways. You have a case that is essentially going to be a he said/she said, right. It is going to be an accuser versus Bill Cosby who were rightly not take the stand. Now, consider the strength of the case if you're a potential juror, if they march in the prosecution marches in one, two, three, maybe four other witness whose will testify to similar acts Cosby has done in the past. Now this case, which was basically a battle of credibility, now becomes a very strong prosecution case, but maybe not for the right reasons. Maybe just because other people alleged that it happens to them before.

So it's a numbers game. Out of, say, 50 accusers, the defense may succeed in keeping out 48 of them. But think of yourself as a juror, if you heard of at least two other instances where is Mr. Cosby allegedly did something similar to what Ms. Constand in saying he did. It's very damning evidence, even if the defense has able to keep out 95 percent of this what we call other acts evidence.

MALVEAUX: So Danny, at the testimony of the other accusers, they are admitted into evidence, what do you think the defense strategy is going to be? The other cases, they haven't made it this far in the legal process for a reason. So, is the defense going to attempt to poke holes in their testimony?

CEVALLOS: Well, first, as they are bringing in those other accusers, the prosecution has to file a motion and get them in and you better believe the defense is going to argue, there's been some pretty good case law in this part of the country, in Pennsylvania and the federal courts, supporting the defense. But that will be the biggest battle.

At trial you attack the credibility of the accuser, Andrea Constand. You look at her prior statements. You exploit all of the inconsistencies, and you exploit a rule called the delay in reporting, essentially because she waited say, a year to report, that can be used as evidence going to her credibility. And the defense is absolutely going to exploit that. She going to have this accuser, Ms. Constand, going to have a very difficult time on the stand, because number one, these are very old allegations. And number two, she has some inconsistencies in other prior statements.

[13:25:13] MALVEAUX: All right. Danny Cevallos, thank you so much. We appreciate it. Of course, you can read Danny's op-ed on CNN.com.

Senator Bernie Sanders just took the podium at his campaign rally, this is Santa Barbara, California. Let's deep in and take a listen.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When we began this campaign just about a year ago, nobody thought that we would get very, very far. But as of today we have now won primaries and caucuses in 20 states in this country. And with your help on June 7th, we're going to win the biggest overall.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

SANDERS: You know, we have got --

(CHANTING)

SANDERS: You know, I come from a state, a beautiful state of Vermont, which is very, very small. California is not very, very small. You know that. And, in fact, there are going to be 475 pledged delegates up for grabs on June 7th. And with your help we're going to get most of them. (CHEERS)

SANDERS: And if we can win here in California, and do well in the other five states that are up on June 7th, and I think that is likely to happen, we are going to go marching into the Democratic convention with a lot of momentum.

(CHEERS)

SANDERS: And I believe we are going come marching out with the Democratic nomination.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

SANDERS: And one of the points that I will be making to the delegates going to the Democratic convention is what is most important to my mind is that we have the strongest Democratic candidate out there who in fact will not only defeat Mr. Trump, but will demolish Mr. Trump. And I believe not just based on all of the polling, but based on the energy and the enthusiasm and the grass roots activism of our campaign, we are the campaign that will defeat Mr. Trump.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

SANDERS: And I'll tell you something else about this campaign that has not only impress immediate but gratified me, and I think it's a very good omen for the future of our country, and that is, that in all of the state primaries and caucuses and all of the polling that I have seen, almost without exception, our campaign is winning and winning by big numbers, even if states where we have lost, the votes of young people.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

SANDERS: And by young people I don't mean just 20-year-olds. I'm talking about people 45 years of age or younger. And for those of you who are 20 years of age, you will know that in 25 years, 45 will not seem very old to you. The older you get, the younger it seems.

But the point here, and what is really exciting and gratifying, is that our issues, our ideas, our vision of a nation based on social justice, economic justice, racial justice, environmental justice --

(CHEERS)

SANDERS: That is the vision of young people in America. That is the vision for the future of America.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

MALVEAUX: You've been watching Bernie Sanders, of course, attacking going after Donald Trump. Up next, we have senior adviser to the Trump campaign to answer some of those attacks. Up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:33:01] MALVEAUX: Donald Trump delivering an unexpected message to California voters. He says that there is no drought in their state.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We are going to solve your water problem. You have a water problem that is so insane. It is so ridiculous. Where they're taking the water and shoving it out to sea. And I just met with a lot of the farmers, who are great people, and they're saying, we don't even understand it. They don't understand. Nobody understands it. And I have heard this from other friends of mine in California where they have farms, up here, and they don't get water. I said, that's too bad. Is that a drought? No. We have plenty of water. What's wrong? Well, we shove it out to sea, and I said, why? And nobody even knows why, and the environmentalists don't know why. Now, they're trying to protect a certain kind of three-inch fish.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: California has been under drought conditions for roughly five years. Trump's statement comes just a couple days after he released his first energy plan who says he would quote "cancel the Paris climate deal and promote more fossil fuels in the United States."

Joining me now to talk more about all of this, Tana Goertz is a senior adviser for the Trump campaign.

And thank you so much for being with us. First of all, can you just explain --?

TANA GOERTZ, TRUMP SENIOR ADVISER: Thank you.

MALVEAUX: What did Trump mean when he said that California, the drought is not the root of the water problem in that state? What was he talking about? GOERTZ: Well, Mr. Trump, like he mentioned in California, he met with

a lot of farmers and he realizes that there is a water crisis, but his knowledge is that they're not under a drought and he is trying his hardest to find out all of the facts to make sure that the farmers have what they need to farm, and the support Mr. Trump has in California right now is enormous and we're very much looking forward to June 7th.

MALVEAUX: And his knowledge is coming from where? You say it's because he's talking to farmers who say there is no drought? I don't quite understand that.

GOERTZ: I haven't spoke to Mr. Trump about who he actually spoke to do get that information about the drought, but I know he has met with a lot of farmers and has a great deem behind him educating him on the situation in California.

[13:35:10] MALVEAUX: So he stands by his statement that there was not a drought? There is no drought going on in California?

GOERTZ: I have not spoke with Mr. Trump yet today, so as of today that is what he said. And unless he puts out a statement that is what he believes.

MALVEAUX: OK. We will follow-up with that. Do you know what he was talking about what he talked about protecting a three-inch fish? Also kind of confusing.

GOERTZ: A three-inch fish?

MALVEAUX: Yes. We just played that sound that he talked about protecting a fish.

GOERTZ: No, I do not know what Mr. Trump was referring to. He's in California and I'm in Iowa.

MALVEAUX: OK. Do you normally -- I mean, as a Trump spokesperson, where do you get you information from? Do they pass it along? Is it something that the campaign passes along in terms of energy policy and at least, I mean, something he said earlier in terms of educating you to come out and help us understand what he means?

GOERTZ: I'm not here today actually to speak on Mr. Trump and the water crisis or the drought. I actually was told I was going to come here today to speak to you about the support that Mr. Trump has in California. So that is why I'm here today.

MALVEAUX: OK. We just were wondering, because he spoke in California. That's one of the things that he said regarding people who he's talking to in California, but we'll get more information about that.

Let's talk about the "Wall Street Journal" report, about what Mitt Romney said. He quote saying that friends warned me, don't speak out. Stay out of the fray, because criticizing Mr. Trump will only help him by giving him someone else to attack. They were right. I became his next target and the incoming attacks have been constant and brutal.

So you have got this out in the "Wall Street Journal" here. Clearly we've seen Trump over the last week or two trying to maintain and build these critical bridges that he needs with other Republicans, established Republicans, in order to move forward with the campaign and to have their support. So by continuing to target and insult some of these people, is that -- the thinking here that the others have to capitulate and fall in line with his thinking? Where is the give and take here?

GOERTZ: Well, Mitt Romney tried to attack Mr. Trump months ago in Utah. And it was unsuccessful. He didn't win Utah, but it was unsuccessful in what mitt tried to do. So it was a failed attempt. So Mr. Trump isn't worried about Mitt Romney nor are supporters 100 percent behind Mr. Trump in getting him to be elected as the next president of the United States.

So it is just Mitt Romney is embarrassed that he failed on his attack on Mr. Trump and showed the world, you know, exactly what a traitor he was.

MALVEAUX: Do you think that as other politicians will agree view this as Trump trying and gain mainstream support?

GOERTZ: No. I do not believe that at all. Other politicians know what Mr. Trump is all about. He is a businessman who is a leader who is actually going to do great things for America. Things that Hillary Clinton could never, ever conceive to do. I mean, he is definitely got a plan for creating real jobs, and the creating real wage, you know, he has got such a plan for what he is going to do for America that beating Hillary Clinton, a tired brand is not going to be a hard feat.

MALVEAUX: All right. We are got to leave it there.

Tana Goertz, we appreciate your time. We will circle back on some of those policy issues at another date, but thank you so much. We really appreciate it.

We'll be right back.

GOERTZ: Thank you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Andrew Andras is a giant in the small but competitive world of long distance skating.

ANDREW ANDRAS, FIT NATION PARTICIPANT: Kind of say it's between, say, a cyclist and runner.

GUPTA: At 39 years old, Andras is the ultra-skate world record holder, skating over 300 mimes in just 24 hours. ANDRAS: There's no books out there of how to skateboard for 24 hours.

So it was a lot of figuring it out's how to feed the body. Your training program.

GUPTA: Andras is a firefighter paramedic in Miami Dade.

ANDRAS: It's a very physical, demanding job. It is a very stressful job and we need forms of stress relief from that. Being out on a longboard and racing was my answer. I love the competition and sport and pushing yourself past the limit that you really didn't think you could do mentally or physically. The human spirit just wants to be challenged.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: Good for him.

Bernie Sanders trying to drum up more support in California holding a rally right now. This is in Santa Barbara. Just a few moments ago we went after Donald Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANDERS: I challenged Donald Trump to a debate. And Donald Trump initially said, yes. Then he said, no. Then he said, yes. Then he said, no. So I think for a guy who changes his position so many times, I would hope he would change it one more time and say yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: Dan Simon is at that event.

Dan, I'm going to bring you in here. So is he -- I mean what he is doing here? It seems like he is egging him on. He is trying to draw him out. He is trying to get him to say, yes. He wants this debate. Is -- he's not going get it. It doesn't seem like he is going to get. What is he trying to do here?

SIMON: Well, he is obviously firing up his supporters. He is still speaking at the moment and they certainly appreciated that new line of attack. Obviously Donald Trump has made it very clear that he is not going to debate Bernie Sanders. But, you know, this is red meat for the crowd and obviously they went crazy for it, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: And do we think that this is the kind of thing that is going to die down or it is red meat to the crowd? Does he keep going with this or does it kind of turn the corner, all right, I'm not getting this debate. I'm going to move on. I'm going to continue to attack Trump, continue to attack Clinton?

[13:45:04] SIMON: Well, it's certainly working at the moment, at least for his supporters. I'm sure he will keep up with it at least throughout the day, until another controversy erupts, if you will. Obviously he is going hard in California, barnstorming across the state in several events today. And if he can somehow beat Hillary Clinton in California, certainly gives him some ammunition going into the July convention. Polls obviously showing a statistical dead heat. And that is why California has suddenly become such an important state to both candidates, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: And Dan, you're in Santa Barbara now. Tell us the significance of the specific cities that he has chosen, that he spent time with, today, yesterday, and where he will be in the weeks to come? Why is it so important where the he is actually holding these rallies in this big state of California?

SIMON: Well, Santa Barbara is a college town. So it's right in Bernie Sanders strike zone. So he is getting lots of young people to his rallies. And, of course, the crowd here is predominantly young and that's going to be a theme all throughout California. And as we've seen, when Bernie Sanders has gone into other cities, he brings out huge passionate supporters. And that's what he's getting here in Santa Barbara and that's what he'll get up until the primary on June 6th in Philadelphia, Suzanne.

MALVEAUX: All right. Dan Simon, thank you so much. If there any other zingers or other important news, items or lines that we hear from Bernie Sanders we'll bring you back. So thanks again.

We'll be right back after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:50:16] MALVEAUX: Checking top stories. More than 100 prominent doctors and professors say the Olympics should be postponed or moved out of Brazil because of the Zika virus. The doctors called a Zika outbreak in Brazil unprecedented and insist it would be unethical to hold the games knowing the risk to public health. The Olympics are scheduled to kick off August 5th.

And we are following dramatic flood rescues in eastern Texas today. At least two are dead and three others missing. Several elementary school students in (INAUDIBLE), Texas are now just getting home. They had to spend the night at school because the roads were too flooded to get out.

A significant victory today against ISIS in Iraq. Iraqi security forces and supporting militias have retaken the key town of Karma. It is a big step in their efforts reclaim Fallujah. The U.N. fears that 10,000 families may be trapped inside is-held Fallujah.

Five years and counting for the civil war in Syria. And so far, estimates say 13 million men, women, and children have escaped the fighting. But they are now looking for a home and the journey is rarely easy. Just this week, a ship carrying hundreds of migrants half-size in the Mediterranean, 30 people died. The journey isn't the only danger.

Our CNN's Nick Paton Walsh reports that ISIS is now sending fighters into Europe with the migrants.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the moment when desperate dreams come to an end. We are with the Libyan immigration police inside a warehouse of migrant hopefuls that just raided right on the trip at the beach front. As Turkey and Greece close their shores, the Libyan route to Europe has exploded again. Here, among the squalor that a lifetime savings buys is where fantasies of a future in Europe fall apart.

Where are you from?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nigeria.

WALSH: Eugen fled ISIS' loyal Boko Haram in Nigeria when bombs killed his father and brother and he survived the desert trip until here.

EUGENE, NIGERIAN REFUGEE: Because of the death of my father and my brother. Let me go out. Let me travel out. Every time I talk about them, I feel sad.

WALSH: Relieve quickly as this is the smugglers neighborhood. But there is a new threat here. Smugglers and police telling us that ISIS have hidden fighters among other groups of migrants bound for Europe.

This trade in human souls is awful enough until you think that perhaps ISIS are using this passage of human life into Europe to try and infiltrate the continent with sleeper cells.

Police tell us off camera they have caught different other migrants with ISIS links and a top Libyan intelligence official warns us the threat can be real.

ISMAIL AL-SHUKN, MARATA POLICE COMMANDER (through translator): ISIS can be among the illegal immigrants on the boats. They travel with their families without weapons as normal illegal immigrants. They will wear American dress and have English language papers so they cause no suspicions.

WALSH: It is a huge and uncontrollable coastline where smugglers rule. We talk to one, disguise for his safety who says in the past two months, ferrying ISIS has become part of the trade.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): About two weeks ago, a boat left the ISIS stronghold cell. Among them were about 40 ISIS. They were heading to Europe but bad weather turned them back. Ten days later, they tried again. I didn't not if they got there. About a month ago, I got a call from a devout guy I knew was ISIS. He wanted a small boat for 25 people and was willing to pay about $40,000. I didn't take the deal.

WALSH: Do you and other smugglers feel comfortable moving people who you know may be ISIS towards Europe?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Smugglers are only interested in smuggling, ISIS, anyone. They don't care. Melon or watermelon. Only money matters.

WALSH: The Libyan state is torn apart by infighting. It's coast guard struggling to even find boats.

Fighting the migrant trade across this is a whole coastline of the Libyan capital triply adjust six boats like this, some of which not in particularly good service. We simply can't imagine how under- resourced things are here so close to Europe.

These are the desperate scenes as they tried to rescue some African migrants whose dingy collapse late last year. Smugglers now prefer these dingies vulnerable to the slightest weather change. The trade born of human misery. Some fleeing ISIS themselves, only to find ISIS now seek to hijack their deadly journey to spread more suffering.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Tripoli.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[13:55:34] MALVEAUX: Next, we are going to take a look at the Democratic race. Polls suggest California is going to be a close race. A liver report up next.

And also, is ISIS on the ropes? We have new information on how the U.S.-led coalition strategy is working. And how ISIS is losing ground, money and fighters.

The next hour of NEWSROOM starts right after this quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:59:39] MALVEAUX: Well, thanks for joining me. I'm Suzanne Malveaux. Fredricka Whitfield is off today.

Bernie Sanders making his case to voters in Santa Barbara, California at a campaign rally. The Vermont senator using the opportunity to go after Republican nominee, Donald Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANDERS: Mr. Trump has got to tell the American people why he thinks it is good for our country that we have a presidential candidate insulting Mexicans and Latinos. Why he thinks it make sense to insult Muslims.

(END VIDEO CLIP)