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NEW DAY SATURDAY

Thirty Five Arrested As Protest Erupts Outside Trump Rally; Trump Touts Deep Blue State Strategy; Trump: Hillary Is Crooked, Incompetent, A Liar; World War II Airplane Crashes In Hudson River; Victims: University Didn't Do Enough For Us; Libertarian Candidates Give First Joint Interview; Update on an Iraqi Boy Who Suffered Major Burns; Superbug Case in U.S. Aired 8-9a ET

Aired May 28, 2016 - 08:00   ET

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


[08:00:01] VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: First up, though, Donald Trump campaigning in deep blue territory giving California little bit of love after clinching the Republican nomination.

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: Protesters, though, outside his rally in San Diego not returning favor.

(VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: Yes, definitely got pretty dicey out there. Thirty five people arrested as police in riot gear used pepper spray to clear clashes between Trump supporters and protesters.

CNN correspondent, Scott McLean joining us now. So Scott, protests outside Trump rallies, we've been seeing a little more of that, but what specifically happened in California?

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, Christi. Well, the challenge was to try to keep Trump protesters away from Trump supporters because that is really where we saw the tensions flare.

At one point, bottles and eggs were being thrown between the two sides and that's when police moved in and even used pepper spray a few times. Now Trump's immigration policy and his plan to build the wall in the Mexican border is clearly central for the debate there.

Some anti-Trump protesters waved Mexican flags while Trump supporters at one point chanted build that wall. Now late last night, Trump tweeted to the San Diego police fantastic job on handling the thugs who tried to disrupt our peaceful and well attended rally. Greatly appreciate it.

So Christi, that was outside. Inside that San Diego rally, Donald Trump was making some pretty bold pronouncements, chief among them is that he could win California in a general election despite the fact that the state has not voted Republican in a presidential race since 1988.

It is also a state with a high Latino population, a group that Trump is clearly still struggling to win over. Now Trump says it's all part of a larger strategy to focus on about 15 states in the general election including some places where Republicans have not won for a very long time.

PAUL: One of the things a lot of people were watching over the last, say, 12 or 24 hours or so was the possibility that there would be this Trump/Bernie Sanders debate, but we know late yesterday Donald Trump came out and said it wasn't going to happen. What are you hearing about the reasoning there?

MCLEAN: Yes, so, Christi, it's hard to believe that this whole idea was floated or first floated on late night TV and it's had a lot of people talking, but as many predicted it looks like it's not going to happen after all.

Both Trump and Bernie Sanders seemed to be on board and according to the Sanders campaign two different TV networks were willing to sign on as well.

But yesterday as you mentioned, Trump backed out saying in a statement now that I'm the presumptive Republican nominee it seems inappropriate that I would debate the second place finisher. This is what Bernie Sanders had to say in reaction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BERNIE SANDERS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You know, I hope that he changes his mind again. Mr. Trump is known to change his mind many times in a day. I would -- Trump is a bully. He's a big tough guy. Well, Mr. Trump, what are you afraid of? Why do you not want to see a debate here in California and obviously all across this country?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCLEAN: So now that this debate is off the table the new challenge for Bernie Sanders is holding on to the spotlight ahead of the California Democratic primary, which is just now ten days away and a new poll out of California shows Sanders and Hillary Clinton in a dead heat -- Christi.

PAUL: All right, Scott McLean, we appreciate it. Thank you.

BLACKWELL: All right, let's discuss now here with me, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed. He's also a Hillary Clinton supporter and Amy Kremer, former chairwoman of the Tea Party Express and a Trump supporter. Good to have both of you in this morning.

Mayor Reed, I want to start with you and I want get your intake on this too because the next six months cannot look like what we saw in San Diego last night.

So what do the candidates and the parties and from your perspective a local city leader do to prevent the melee we saw in San Diego going throughout the general?

KASIM REED, MAYOR OF ATLANTA: Well, I think as a mayor of a city, we have the responsibility to prepare, prepare, and prepare, again, to make sure that our cities are well organized for these events.

But, you know, Donald Trump also bears a share of responsibility. This really doesn't apply to a large variety of campaign. There is one campaign that has these kind of challenges so when he comes to our cities we'll just have to prepare.

BLACKWELL: OK, from your perspective, is this something that the Donald Trump, the onus is on him and his campaign?

AMY KREMER, TRUMP SUPPORTER: No, I don't think so. As a matter of fact, what happened in San Diego last night from my understanding was organized by the Democrat Party in San Diego. I'm not surprised we're seeing this.

People are concerned. I think it's emblematic of just the frustration that people feel about politics in general across America right now, but also I think some people are concerned that Donald Trump is going to win this election.

And so they're exerting their frustration and coming out and protesting, and they have a right to protest. Look, we all have a right to protests, but it's the violence that crosses the line and that's not acceptable.

[08:05:05]BLACKWELL: Protesting is one thing and we should say that there are about three dozen people arrested. We don't know the political affiliation breakdown of the people who were arrested yesterday.

REED: And it also was totally unconfirmed that was the California Democratic Party or the local Democratic Party. That's a Trump talking point.

KREMER: No, it's not.

REED: You can look at multiple Donald Trump rallies that has had this kind of violence and this kind of activity at the rallies so to narrowly identify a particular group is inappropriate given Donald Trump's record.

KREMER: I disagree.

BLACKWELL: Is it possible that they can come out and say something that I don't know if this is even likely, but I think both sides will say that they don't want to see the violence. Can they come out with some joint statement, all three of them who are still in the race, and say this has to stop.

REED: Yes, if Donald Trump will agree that he won't use rhetoric like get the bum of here. I'll pay your legal fees and encourage behavior that is inappropriate for a party leader. He is now the standard bearer.

So if he will have ground rules and will stop engaging in rhetoric that charges this kind of behavior and encouraging his audiences to lash out against people who have come to hear his message, who have every right to hear his message, I think we can avoid this kind of --

BLACKWELL: But you don't believe that any of this was instigated by the people who came there to protest.

REED: Absolutely not. There is now a pretty long record of Trump rallies that we can all review and see that this is a consistent pattern with his rallies.

BLACKWELL: Because there was some video that was on last night during Anderson Cooper's show where there was a person who was attending the rally. They were leaving and then as that person was leaving, they were being followed by the protesters. Now we don't know who those protesters were supporting politically, but we did have that on (inaudible).

KREMER: And there is still violence outside of Bernie rallies too. I mean, don't say that it's all Donald Trump. But look, I mean, the California Republican Party had their big convention several weeks ago and look what happened outside of it.

You cannot put all of this on Donald Trump. I don't think -- he may have had some rhetoric in the beginning, but we've moved on from that. We've moved from that.

That's not what he's talking about. He's going in there and talking about what he's going do for America and the people that come to his rallies should be able to enter those events and be safe and not be concerned about their security or safety. Like you said, there was that gentleman last night that was followed as he left the event.

BLACKWELL: Let's talk about what happened inside and some of the name calling. Reporters and pundits have been for weeks, months now saying when is Donald Trump going to make that presidential turn and give up the name calling? Well, he apparently wants to continue with the name calling. Let's watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It was so sad because everything she said was like a lie. I wonder if I could start instead of saying Crooked Hillary, which is a very accurate description, I wonder if I could say, you know remember lying -- it goes back to judgment and competence.

She's not competent. If you look she's essentially not competent. It goes to her judgment and level of competence and she's not competent and it's always been this way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: So questions of competency, questions of judgment, those are not new to political campaigns. He'll have his opinion. Hillary Clinton will have hers, but the name calling, is that going to be the hallmark as he moves into the general? Many supporters and detractors have waited for this pivot. Is it going to come? KREMER: You know, I don't know. I am not affiliated with the campaign, whatsoever. I'm a Donald Trump supporter, but I want Donald Trump to win is what I want and what we've seen as this campaign has progressed that he has more and more and more support.

People are coming out and supporting him and that tells you something. People want somebody that's going to stand up and fight and call somebody out for what they've done or -- I mean, to just have a backbone.

And if it were -- let me say this. That if Mitt Romney had gone after Barack Obama as hard as he's gone after Donald Trump, we would have probably a President Romney right now.

No one is willing to stand up and call people out for the truth and what Donald Trump is talking about is Benghazi and Hillary Clinton's problem with the e-mail. I mean, those are serious problems. The e- mail is a serious problem.

REED: This is Mitt Romney had gone after President Obama it's a Republican fantasy. Let Donald Trump do all he wants to do. He forgets that surges come on the other side. What hasn't happened in American politics is for a standard bearer to encourage members in their rally to do acts of violence to individuals and say, hey, I'll pay your legal fees --

KREMER: He has not said that.

REED: This is the problem you all have. There's video which is irrefutable that in Donald Trump rallies when people who support him have hit other people he has said from the podium I will pay your legal fees.

[08:10:05]That is unprecedented in American politics and while it's great for a plurality of the Republican Party, it's not going to work in the general and we are not going to tolerate.

BLACKWELL: Let me finish with you. I want to get to the name calling because we've seen this back and forth between Donald Trump and Senator Elizabeth Warren. He continues to call her Pocahontas, a reference to her playing of being a part Native-American in her race in Massachusetts.

She has hit him back on Twitter. You have been aggressive to people -- I wouldn't say aggressive. You have been responding to people through Twitter, people who have attacked you, is that the right way in a campaign to go after the opponent?

REED: You know, that's subject to styles, but I haven't engaged in ethnic smears against people by calling them Pocahontas and then I haven't done it when you had Indian reporters, an Indian-American reporters, who are absolutely there.

The bottom line is we're getting ready to have a great campaign over the next six months that you're going to cover. Donald Trump can continue to execute the politics of subtraction. He offends women, black people, gays and lesbians, Latinos and he believes that juices his base.

KREMER: He has more support.

REED: So we are getting ready to see -- he doesn't have more support. Hillary Clinton got 2 million more votes than Donald Trump has so he doesn't have more support. He had a good polling week. We're getting ready to see in the United States does the politics of subtraction work against the country that believes that we are bigger, bolder, and better when we are unified.

BLACKWELL: Quickly, I know we have to go, but are you comfortable with Donald Trump calling Elizabeth Warren Pocahontas? Is that appropriate?

KREMER: Look, I don't -- I wish none of them would call each other names.

BLACKWELL: Not (inaudible) both of your houses, specifically, on the candidate you support, are you comfortable with him using Pocahontas?

KREMER: Listen, I don't like anybody calling anybody names. I want to talk about the issues, but I will say when people get tired of it and get fed with it, they will walk away and they won't support Donald Trump. And what we've seen is that his support grows and also I want to say he did not come up with that name. That name has been out there a long time.

REED: He used it.

KREMER: Right, but don't say that he started this.

BLACKWELL: We can say he used it, right?

KREMER: I will say women support Donald Trump because we're concerned about safety and security.

BLACKWELL: Amy Kremer, Mayor Reed, good to have both of you. I enjoyed the conversation. Christi, back to you.

PAUL: All right, OK, so if you don't prefer Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, the Libertarian Party is hoping they have a third candidate that you can get behind.

We are talking to the Libertarian candidate about their relationship with the Clintons, about why they say the United States would be a, quote, "rogue nation" under a President Trump. That and a lot more in that conversation.

Also Ed Lavandera speak to an alleged rape victim who says that she's just one of several people who felt pushed aside by Baylor University.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Mundhenk says she was sexually assaulted by a Baylor student last March and after she tried reporting the attack, it went nowhere. STEFANIE MUNDHENK, ALLEGED RAPE VICTIM: If you really, truly believe someone was raped, wouldn't you do something urgently about it, wouldn't you? Like, wouldn't respond with urgency?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: A vintage fighter plane crashes into the Hudson River killing the pilot. Rachel Crane is on the scene live.

RACHEL CRANE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Behind me is the scene of last night's incident. Today, efforts are being focused on recovery of that plane. More of that after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:16:42]

BLACKWELL: Did you hear about this, a pilot killed when his vintage fighter plane crashes into the Hudson River?

PAUL: Yes, officials have identified him as William Gordon from Key West, Florida. I will show you a photo of the actual plane that crashed. A P-47 that took its first flight in 1941 so this belongs to the American Air Power Museum in New York. Witnesses say Gordon crashed and they saw him attempt to get out of the plane, he just didn't make it in time.

CNN correspondent, Rachel Crane joining live from New York City. Rachel, what's happening there this morning?

CRANE: Christi, behind me the scene of last night's search and rescue operation. Now the single-seater World War II plane crashed into the Hudson at 7:30. Several agencies responding to the incident including the FDNY and the NYPD.

This is a heavily populated portion of the Hudson River. You have running paths and restaurants on either side and as a result many witnesses to this incident.

In fact, there was an individual on a sail boat on the Hudson, who jumped in after the crash to try to aid the pilot. Many witnesses on the side of the river saw that pilot struggling. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MELISSA RODRIGUEZ, CRASH WITNESS: It's scary but I feel bad that whoever was in there never came up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CRANE: Now this plane had taken off from Long Island and was participating in a photo shoot for an upcoming air show at the time of the incident.

Now today's efforts are being focused on the recovery of that plane. Law enforcement officials tell CNN that within the hour is the best time to try and recover the plane because of low tide.

Now Christie, it's interesting to point out that the location of this crash not far from the 2009 miracle on the Hudson crash, of course, that was when a commercial jet liner crush landed on the Hudson.

Everybody survived that crash and unfortunately last night's incident did not have the same outcome.

PAUL: All right, Rachel Crane, (inaudible) that man's family, thank you so much.

BLACKWELL: Baylor University has demoted its president. It intends to fire its football coach. This after a report that says that school did not respond properly to allegations of sexual assault.

PAUL: Now a victim of -- an alleged victim of one of those assaults says the school failed its students and didn't live up to its own values. CNN's Ed Lavandera talked to that woman.

LAVANDERA: Christi and Victor, the chairman of Baylor's Board of Regents says that the details of the internal investigation were shocking and outrageous. But despite that, Ken Starr wasn't fully fired.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MUNDHENK: How I feel about Baylor, it's like they failed me.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Stephanie Mundhenk says that while Baylor University's internal report vindicates her and many more young women, she says it's now clear the prominent Baptist University shunned them after they reported being sexually assaulted.

MUNDHENK: The institutional crap, like, this is out of our hands, we can't do anything about it. The case is closed. Right? Like, you know what I mean? Like, if you really believed someone was raped, wouldn't you do something, right? Like especially with the high Christian standards they purport to have.

LAVANDERA: Mundhenk says she was sexually assaulted by a Baylor student last March and after she tried reporting the attack, it went nowhere.

[08:20:07]MUNDHENK: If you really truly believed someone was raped, wouldn't you do something urgently about it? Wouldn't you? Like wouldn't you respond with urgency? That's the thing. We don't see urgency. We see, we'll coordinate this next week. We hope to meet with this witness in a week or two, right, like -- I don't think they understand the weight that it has on us as survivors.

LAVANDERA: Baylor's Board of Regents says it was horrified by a fundamental failure by the institution to protect female students. The sexual assaults, which involved several football players, occurred in recent years as the Baylor football program emerged from decades of mediocrity to become a national contender under head coach, Art Briles (ph). A massive new stadium was built on campus. But critics say the sexual assault investigations were covered up to protect the school's image.

IRWIN ZALKIN, VICTIM'S LAWYER: Baylor had knew, had prior knowledge of a huge problem with sexual assault on their campus, especially through the athletic program and they just did nothing. They did absolutely really nothing to protect these female students.

LAVANDERA: Head Football Coach Art Briles (ph) will be fired and Ken Starr, who investigated the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky scandal was removed as president but kept as chancellor and a law school professor. Neither has responded to CNN's request for comment. In a telephone conference call with reporters, Baylor officials refused to say why Ken Starr wasn't fired outright.

RICHARD WILLIS, BAYLOR BOARD OF REGENTS (via telephone): We don't talk about individual people. It's just inappropriate to do that and again, we just have higher expectations for people and their leadership.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAVANDERA: Baylor University says it released the key findings of its internal investigation to be open with the university community. However, that report does not specify just how many sexual assault victims there were or how many cases it investigated. We've asked but haven't gotten an answer -- Christi and Victor.

PAUL: All right, Ed, thank you so much.

BLACKWELL: The Libertarian Party has its best chance yet possibly to prove their viable third-party choice. Coming up, my interview with both party's leading candidates that's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:25:48]

BLACKWELL: The Libertarian Party hoping to use the turmoil around the major party's candidates to push voters its way. The party holding its nomination, the convention this weekend in Orlando. The frontrunner, Gary Johnson, is a two-term governor of Mexico and run for president as a Libertarian in 2012. He earned about 1.3 million votes, the most ever for a Libertarian candidate.

PAUL: Johnson's pick for vice president is Bill Weld, the former Massachusetts governor, who briefly ran as a Libertarian for the governor of New York and at one time was nominated as the ambassador to Mexico.

BLACKWELL: Now on Friday, I sat down with both Weld and Johnson, their first ever joint interview. I asked about Weld's relationship with Bill Clinton, who nominated him for the post of ambassador to Mexico as well as whether or not Governor Johnson, a one-time CEO of a company that marketed cannabis products if he would use cannabis in the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BLACKWELL: You were nominated before you resigned as governor of Massachusetts to be ambassador of Mexico by President Clinton. What is your relationship with the Clintons?

BILL WELD, LIBERTARIAN VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's good. I worked with Mrs. Clinton back in the '70s. We are still on our 20's. That was on the Nixon impeachment, fascinating time. Bill Clinton and I got along with very well as fellow governors and I was generally supportive of him as president as well.

BLACKWELL: When is the last time you've spoken with the Clintons, Secretary Clinton?

WELD: I don't think I've spoken to her in two years. I've seen her in New York because I lived in New York for ten years not long ago and I would see both of them there.

BLACKWELL: You ran for New York governor. Do you have any relationship with Donald Trump?

WELD: I knew Donald socially in New York, that's all. But we did see him and Melania around town a little bit.

BLACKWELL: What's your opinion of him?

WELD: Well, you know, there's the Donald Trump that you meet socially and he's a warm person not an ungenerous person. Some of the stuff that he's running on I think is absolutely chaotic. I'm going do this to Mexico.

OK, that's a violation of the North American free trade agreement, which is the supreme law of the land, it's a treaty. We signed it.

I'm going to do this to China, no questions asked. OK, that's a violation of the World Trade Organization rules exposing the United States to sanctions there. So we would be the rogue nation.

I don't think we want to be the rogue nation, you know. Let's let North Korea be the rogue nation not us.

BLACKWELL: Governor Johnson, Donald Trump is no stranger to name calling. Hillary Clinton has said that she's not going to get into what she calls the gutter with him. During the February libertarian debate, you called him a word that's so vulgar I can't say it on CNN. Is that the way you're going to wage this campaign?

GARY JOHNSON, LIBERTARIAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: No. It was a really poor attempt at humor. It was a total misfire. I apologize and I'm better than that and you won't see that at all.

BLACKWELL: How do you then go after Donald Trump because some of the monikers he's handed out have stuck and they've worked? How do you go after him?

WELD: You don't go after anybody. I was never a member of the never Trump crowd. I declined that investigation. I think he deserves a lot of credit for what he's been able to do, bringing people into the Republican Party. I think some of those people are going to stay in the Republican Party.

BLACKWELL: Would you call him a friend?

WELD: No, no, no. I would call the Clintons closer to being friends.

BLACKWELL: Right before you announced your 2016 candidacy for president, you were CEO of a company called "Cannibis Sativa," maker and marketer of cannabis products. Would a President Johnson use cannabis products in the White House?

JOHNSON: No, I wouldn't and I've been on record saying that. I haven't had a drink in 29 years and no, I don't think -- I think I really have a proven record of discipline beyond most people and no, I don't think you want to have the president of the United States impaired or potentially being impaired in any way whatsoever.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Now that's just a portion of the conversation. You can see the full interview with Gary Johnson and Bill Weld on our website, cnn.com.

Again CNN is at the Libertarian Convention in Orlando all weekend. We have live coverage beginning this afternoon in the "CNN NEWSROOM."

[08:30:04] PAUL: Well, wild scenes like this in San Diego are keeping officials awake at night in Cleveland. What the city is doing to try to prevent unrest at this summer's Republican Convention.

Also, from burn victim in Iraq to this teenager in California, this is a journey so many people doubted would ever be possible. You're going to remember this young man. You're going to see him as a little boy. It's going to spark your memory and you're going to learn where he is now and you're only going to see it here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: Yeah, that scene is the scene outside of Donald Trump rally in San Diego. Police clad in riot gear. Clashing with protesters there at least 35 people were arrested. This is a scene that has become a bit familiar outside the presumptive Republican nominee's rallies some say.

And the trend for violence worries the city of Cleveland, that's where Republicans are going to hold their convention in July of course.

BLACKWELL: Now, Brian Todd explains how officials are scrambling to beef up the city's police force and head off possible trouble.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Protesters stomping police cars, smoke grenades. Violence and chaos erupt outside a Donald Trump rally in Albuquerque. It is raising serious concerns as Trump readies for the biggest political event of the summer, the Republican Convention in Cleveland.

JIM BUEERMANN, FORMER POLICE CHIEF: I think the people in Cleveland are thinking about this. And there's no doubt in my mind that they are having lots of meetings, doing lots of planning.

[08:35:05] TODD: For months, observers have worried about violent protests at both party conventions, first in Cleveland, then with the Democrats in Philadelphia.

After scenes like this, there are new concerns about Cleveland's readiness. The city has about 1,200 police officers, but CNN has learned they're actively recruiting officers from other cities and hope to have at least 4,000 officers on the streets for the convention.

They have ordered 2,000 new sets of riot gear, including body armor, hard-knuckle gloves and batons. But the head of Cleveland's Police Union says it's not getting there fast enough.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We still don't have the personal safety gear that we need. I'm concerned that we're not going to have enough time to adequately train with the equipment.

TODD: But city officials are confident.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have to tell you, we are prepared.

TODD: Cleveland officials tell CNN they will set up steel barriers and they have a special route for protest marchers laid out. It swings about a thousand feet from the convention venue, Quicken Loans Arena, at the closest point.

To counter the kind of violence that sometimes plague Trump events, the Secret Service is on the ground in Cleveland and Philadelphia, setting up security perimeters around the Convention Centers.

We're told law enforcement is working confidential informants, monitoring communications, social media messages. Who are they looking for?

BUEERMANN: Are there anarchists in the group that may attempt to either agitate the participants who are there simply to express their First Amendment rights or assault the police.

TODD: And one former Secret Service agent says there's a hidden threat.

LARRY JOHNSON, FORMER SECRET SERVICE AGENT IN CHARGE: My biggest concern would be hack organization taking down the grid or hacking into a critical system and disrupting the event from 2,000 miles away.

TODD: Cleveland City officials respond to that criticism by telling CNN they've spent a year and a half preparing for this. They say they'll have all the equipment and all the security officers they need on the streets in time for the convention and they say they're ready.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: Well, Holly Shulman, Democratic Strategist and Former Spokeswoman for the Democratic National Committee with us now. And Scottie Nell Hughes, Political Editor for the RightsAlerts.com and a Donald Trump supporter.

Ladies, good to have you back this morning.

I want to start with you Holly. When we look at what is happening in Cleveland do you think that there could potentially be the same kind of problem in Philadelphia with the Democratic Convention given the fact that at the Nevada State Democratic Convention we saw some unrest there with a chair being thrown by a Bernie Sanders supporter. Just wondering how potentially potent do you think it could be there?

HOLLY SHULMAN, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Now, passions are high in this election on all sides but the city of Philadelphia is going to be ready there. The Former Mayor Rendell, are involved the current mayor have been very involved. But I know that they're making all the preparations they need to make sure that things don't get out of hand.

PAUL: Scottie, I want to read Donald Trump's tweet that he sent out this morning and show you some of these pictures from San Diego. He tweeted out, "San Diego P.D., fantastic job on handling the thugs who tried to disrupt our very peaceful and well attended rally. Greatly appreciate it."

So the fact that he used the term thugs that's not going to win him any support from maybe some people who haven't necessarily made up their mind, some might say. Do you think it's time to tone down that kind of rhetoric?

SCOTTIE NELL HUGHES, POLITICAL EDITOR, RIGHTALERTS.COM: Well, but I will sit there and I look at what actually the actions that happened out there. When you have people that are jumping on cop cars, when they're going aggressive against equestrian police officers, knocking a police officer, a horse down, throwing literally just trash the size of tennis balls at police officers, hitting people, when you look at the violence there, what other term do you use?

Those folks are not law abiding citizens. They don't care about the laws of our country. And so I have to wonder right now, what other terms could you use to describe them. Now, as for these conventions, I have to be honest with you, you know, you and I both have probably attended several conventions. There's riots and having protesters at political conventions is nothing new. New York, you know, was definitely had a lot of Tampa. And I really have a lot of -- I think we're going to be prepared for them on both conventions. But -- And I give the Cleveland police right now a lot of respect for actually preparing for this ahead of time.

And we know what's coming and I think it's where you see forces like what we saw in Albuquerque who were surprised because of the protests. Those are the ones where we have the most problems. But I think Cleveland and Philadelphia both the law enforcement will be very, very well prepared and set up.

PAUL: Holly, both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are very divisive candidates, both of their unfavorables in the 50 percent plus range. So with that knowledge we know that they're most likely will be protesters at both of these conventions. How do you think Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders can as candidates try to tamp things down? Do they have that ability really, when you look at the crowds and how passionate people are?

[08:40:10] SHULMAN: Yeah. It is. Part of it is people see what they want to say and making sure that when you go too far you're going too far. And I honestly don't think that Donald Trump has done enough on that on the other side of it. He originally started out. He was talking about punching protesters from the podium, right.

And so I think that, you know, we need to be clear about what our values are in our country and what we believe in sort of spectacle political discourse. And I don't think that the other side is doing that. I think they are kind of just have (inaudible).

HUGHES: Holly, how can you say that? You're sitting there. You're looking at the protesters right now outside the Donald Trump rallies. They are not a part of the Republican Party. You look at the protesters that are Bernie Sanders rally ...

SHULMAN: You know, we don't know what they're part of.

HUGHES: But they're more than likely not GOP members and to sit say and say, "You want to know how to stop these protests? We need to stop it now. And Donald Trump has come out and said, "I do not encourage violence at my protest on either side." You've not heard that out of Hillary Clinton. You've not heard that out of Bernie Sanders.

All candidates right now should stand up and tell their supporters to not do the actions that are happening right now whether it's at a Donald Trump rally or Bernie Sanders rally. The Republicans are not doing it.

PAUL: Holly, you want to respond?

HUGHES: Yeah, I mean we in the Democratic Party and we saw Debbie Wasserman Schultz be very clear about this, so that I think about what is sort of expectation of being appropriate. And I think you can see this be Democrats come out and say these things. And they lead up to Philadelphia and they lead up to Cleveland. And I don't think th t the other side has been that clear on this issue.

PAUL: Well, we will see it. And I do just want to clarify the 35 people that were arrested we do not know the background, we don't know if they were all protesters. We don't know if any of them were affiliated with any candidate just to be very clear here. There still a lot of questions about that.

But Holly Shulman, Scottie Nell Hughes, we appreciate your points in here. Thank You.

HUGHES: Thank you.

BLACKWELL: And you'll want to stay with us for this story.

An Iraqi boy severely injured. He's got a new chance and a new life.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Youssif was just 4-years-old when masked man attacked him outside his Baghdad home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: What happen next, that was unthinkable, this boy's amazing journey, his recovery and his story of hope.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:45:52] BLACKWELL: Well, this next story is a decade in the making. This began with a small Iraqi boy cruelly burned outside his home in Baghdad. Now, when CNN first met him, his name is Youssif, he was badly scarred. And his future was uncertain.

PAUL: Yeah, I remember this story. I think a lot of people do because it was so jolting.

Well, guess what, he lives in Los Angeles today and acts a lot apparently like a typical American teenager. But he does still bear the scars of that attack.

Our Senior International Correspondent, Arwa Damon was the first to report his story in 2007 and how he's doing now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARWA DAMON, SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, look at you. You got so big.

Youssif has grown in numerous ways. He has been a hero for many over the years. Superman is his.

YOUSSIF: So in a project in my English class, and so each person got to choose one super hero.

DAMON: Do you identify with him?

YOUSSIF: Yes.

DAMON: In what sense?

YOUSSIF: I try to fit in with everyone.

DAMON: And is that still hard for you?

YOUSSIF: Not really, because now I make friends easily.

DAMON: Youssif was just four years old when masked men attacked him outside his Baghdad home.

(SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

DAMON: We reported his story. The outpouring of support came from across the globe, and Youssif and his family ended up in Los Angeles where his parents heard their son laugh and shriek for the first time in the months since the attack, where strangers gathered in prayer on the beach, moving his mother to tears.

He has since undergone multiple surgeries. The memory of Iraq and the evil he experienced all but erased.

DAMON: You were saying you don't remember anything about Baghdad.

YOUSSIF: Yeah, I don't. I don't remember my family that much, only my grandparents.

DAMON: In many ways, he's just like any other teen. Obsessed with soccer, has loads of friends. And still wants to become a doctor to help others. But he knows he may not see his homeland in his lifetime.

DAMON: You've been following the news about what's happening in Iraq with ISIS?

YOUSSIF: Yes, I feel really bad for all the people and all those kids and stuff. It's like, those terrorists aren't Muslims. They're just extremists.

DAMON: We can't disclose his father Wissam's identity for the security of the family back in Iraq.

WISSAM, YOUSSIF'S FATHER: I'm trying not to read and see what's going on, because whatever I see is sad there. Everything is just sad.

DAMON: And life as a refugee is never easy. Wissam has only been able to find a part-time job and is looking for more work.

WISSAM: At the same time, as you see, so many people looking for job. It's not only me.

DAMON: They are all profoundly aware that they are fortunate to have survived and escaped the war zone thanks to the kindness of strangers who continue to finance Youssif's medical care.

YOUSSIF: Every surgery that I have is like one step closer to the finish line.

DAMON: You're starting high school.

YOUSSIF: Yes, I'm really excited, too.

Arwa Damon, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: And while you watch this, if you feel compelled to help Youssif you can find out how to do so via our impact the world page. Find that at cnn.com/impact.

BLACKWELL: I think it's always great because so many viewers, they get so closely connected to the people we tell stories of and they tell stories about and then five, ten years later they just go back and check in.

PAUL: Well, that's what I love about this. It was a horrific story and because so many people watched it and cared about it, it's such a better one now.

BLACKWELL: Yeah, it certainly is.

OK, a super bug we have to talk about. This is concerning a lot of people. This cannot be fought out with normal antibiotics. And doctors are warning, it could be a sign of more dangerous bacteria to come.

[08:49:38] PAUL: Also half a century, that's how long it's been since an NBA player did what Lebron James has done now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: Well doctors say they've found a strain of e-coli that is resistant to nearly all antibiotics including the one that doctors use when most other drugs fail.

PAUL: Yeah, this is the first drug resistant bacteria of its type ever seen in the U.S. since I just say the so-called Superbug could be a warning sign of what's to come.

Here is CNN's Senior Medical Correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Victor, Christi, the Centers for Disease Control is sounding a warning bell about antibiotic resistance. The reason for this, well, it pertains to an antibiotic called colistin. Colistin, is supposed to be a super antibiotic, nothing is suppose to be resistant to it. It suppose to work against everything.

Well, in certain parts of the world we've seen that there are bacteria are resistant to colistin. And now we've seen it in the United States. There was a patient with the bacteria that they were testing was resistant to colistin.

Now, for this woman she appears to be OK, they found other drugs that would work. But the concern is, is that other bacteria may also soon become resistant to colistin. And for some patients colistin is the antibiotic of last resort, there may be nothing else's that can be tried.

So the bottom line here is doctors need to stop over prescribing antibiotics. The reason is that when bacteria see the same antibiotics over and over again, they get smart and they learn how to out with those antibiotics. So doctors shouldn't overprescribe them. And patients shouldn't insist on them unless they're absolutely necessary.

Victor, Christi? BLACKWELL: All right, thank you so much.

PAUL: All right, Cleveland's long wait for a championship may be coming to an end.

CNN's Rashan Ali, following it.

[08:55:01] RASHAN ALI, CNN SPORTS: That's right. King James reigned supreme in the NBA finals. He's on his third run that hasn't been equalled in five decades.

Details next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: Lebron James is heading to the NBA finals.

BLACKWELL: She's so excited.

PAUL: For the sixth straight season. That is the sweep that has not been equalled in 50 years. I'm trying to keep myself together.

BLACKWELL: So Rashan, how are you dealing with this on his run?

ALI: Yes.

BLACKWELL: So much excitement.

ALI: Yes, she is very excited. And, you know, no one has been able to do this since Bill Russell did it with the Boston Celtics in the '60s. The Cavs won the Eastern Conference title last night with a huge game six win over to Toronto Raptors. Lebron and his team have won the Eastern Conference every season since 2011.

Now, remember, he won four straight conference titles with the Miami Heat. Then the past two with the Cavs, now Cleveland has a shot to win its first professional sports championship in 52 years and they hope King James will be guy to make it happen, its back-to-back appearances in the finals for the Cavs and sixth straight for the emotional King James.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEBRON JAMES, CAVALIERS FORWARD: It means a lot. I mean the game of baseball has given me everything. And I will never cheat the game no matter how many games I win, no matter how many games I lose. That really doesn't matter to me because I really just -- I give it all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALI: All right, more hoops tonight on TNT. Game six between the defending champions the Warriors and Thunder, tip off is set for 9:00 eastern.

PAUL: All right.

BLACKWELL: All right.

PAUL: Rashan, thank you so much.

BLACKWELL: That's it for us. We'll see you back here at 10:00 eastern for CNN NEWSROOM.

[09:00:02] PAUL: See you then. Smerconish starts for you right now.