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LEGAL VIEW WITH ASHLEIGH BANFIELD

President Obama Hosts Nuclear Summit; Democrat Contest Examined; Ron Paul Talks about GOP Election Mess. Aired 12:20-1p ET

Aired March 31, 2016 - 12:30   ET

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


BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES: -- took place in Brussels, both the Republic of Korea and Japan has been stalwart allies in that process.

[12:30:10] And finally, we talked about some potential area of collaboration between our three countries on more positive agenda items such as the vice president's moon shot to cure cancer. There's already collaboration between Japan and the Republic of Korea on cancer research. We're going to be directing teams to work together in a try lateral fashion to make further strides in this critical area.

So I want to thank both President Park and Prime Minister Abe for their outstanding work with us, their significant progress in their bilateral argument and their shared commitment to a more peaceful world.

And with that, let me turn it over to President Park, of Republic of Korea.

ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: President Park and Prime Minister Abe playing king President Obama on his first day of this nuclear summit, 50 leaders as I said. And there is a pretty robust agenda just today alone, the president was speaking with leaders from China as well as France and on to a working dinner where the leaders from other countries as well as Canada and the U.K. will be present as well.

Our Michelle Kosinski has been watching the process. if I had to make a laundry list of all of the most great concerns that they need to deal with over this now 4th Annual meeting that they're having, just off the top of my head, terrorists getting their hands on nuclear weapons, accidents happening, hot head leaders, hackers and cyber threats. And I can't imagine which one of these is number one on the agenda.

MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Right, it's depressing. I mean these are the topics that they want to tackle. I mean this is a summit, it happens every two years. As you said this is the 4th one, it is an opportunity. I mean there are 56 countries represented. What comes out of this, I mean it's not to say that there's anything necessarily that we're going to see a difference in our daily lives. But analysts say that this has been important and just getting countries to agree to better standards on keeping nuclear material and because of ISIS, because of North Korea's continued provocation. I mean the urgency has really increased over the last couple of years, especially with ISIS. And, you know, when you talk to U.S. officials what their concerned about it's not just kind of the obvious, ISIS getting their hands on nuclear material and building some kind of bomb, it's also radiological material that's fairly readily available in industry, in the medical profession even in academia, so there's a lot for these nations to look at closely, and come to agreement on how best to keep that material safe. Especially on countries that don't have tight controls like the U.S. does, Ashleigh.

BANFIELD: And I'm sure many of the people who are that summit have overheard some of the Republican campaigning of late talking about creating a nuclearized zone for South Korea and Japan.

All right, Michelle Kosinski, keep your eyes out for more news from there. We'll tap into you later today. Thank you.

Just ahead, my next guest, a former Presidential candidate himself who says that when it comes rights down to it, there's not a whole lot of difference between, are you ready? Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. That's what Ron Paul has to say, he'll explain why he thinks that.

[12:33:32] And then he'll also say why moving the goal post when it comes to convention rules, is not the right idea no matter what anyone thinks of Donald Trump.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BANFIELD: A few states have presidential primaries and caucuses in the coming days, Wisconsin and then Wyoming for the Democrats. But one of the biggest prizes for the political season is New York. And New Yorkers will vote on Tuesday April 19th. Full numbers in a second, we'll have that for you.

But former New York Senator Hillary Clinton is heavily favored to win the Democratic primary. Donald Trump also expected to dominate in New York his home turf.

A little while ago, Democratic hopeful Senator Bernie Sanders spoke in a labor union friendly Pennsylvania and compared his record on organized labor to Hillary Clinton's record.

I promise you that he really did that. I'm not making it up. It's just that the tape isn't ready. But I will have that for you in a moment. In the meantime, I have something even better.

CNN's Dana Bash, our senior political correspondent who's standing by. So you're just going to have to paraphrase it for us. Or at least - so characterize this for me.

I do recall hearing a lot of Hillary Clinton's backers and campaign spokes people say, we'll have this thing wrapped up by March. And I want to say tomorrow is a bit of an April fool's because it's not wrapped up. And now she's even having to dispatch some pretty heavy H.R. into the state of New York to make sure that she doesn't lose this very critical state. She's a former senator here, this is her home. DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: It's her home. She was elected once, re-elected senator in New York. And she was head back, somebody in her Brooklyn headquarters just before coming on with you reminded me that she did even better in 2006 than she did in 2000. But you're right if you kind of take a step back, you would not think that given who she is, her front runner status, where we are on the calendar, this should be a much of a race. But it is.

[12:40:02] And if you talk about the poll, it's a new Quinnipiac poll, it does have her up. But not by as much as you would think given her status as a home state senator. There are - formerly so. There you have it, Clinton 54, Sanders 42.

So Ashleigh, what are they doing in Clinton world, sitting in Clinton headquarters in Brooklyn right now? We'll they are saying as you mentioned, they are going to take it seriously, they're going to work hard, they're going to make sure that they win, not just because of the fact that it would be a huge psychological blow to her to lose her home state, but also because it's a very delegate rich state. It is, you know, among the highest in New York.

Yes, exactly. I mean the only one that's going to be the higher obviously the highest at the end of the calendar is the political calendar is going to be California.

BANFIELD: I'm looking at my chicken scratch, 95 delegates I think for the Republicans and 247 for the Democrats.

BASH: Exactly. Exactly. It's just short of what we saw in Florida and Texas.

Now I will also say that, you know, sort of the Clinton spin, which has the benefit in this case of also being quite true, even if Bernie Sanders comes closer than the Clinton team would like, in the New York primary, it is all proportional and he would get, you know, delegates but he's got to do pretty well to get a significant number of the delegates in New York.

BANFIELD: But for total Trump's owner, Republicans, it's only proportional up to that 50 percent. And if he does, he gets that whole whooping 95.

I got to leave it there. But lastly, go ahead.

BASH: No, I was just going to say. And right now, that same poll on the Republican side, it shows that Donald Trump is over 50 percent. But it is still, what, three weeks away. So that ...

BANFIELD: Man, is he ever, 56 percent to Cruz's 20 and Kasich's 19.

BASH: Exactly.

BANFIELD: But you're right, that is an eternity.

Dana Bash, thank you. And I ...

BASH: Thanks, Ashleigh.

BANFIELD: I hate to put you on the spot to ask you to do your best Pennsylvania campaigning. So I just won't do that.

Dana Bash, thank you ma'am.

Efforts by the so-called Republican establishment to stop Donald Trump from becoming the party's nominee for president is facing a lot of hurdles, chief among those hurdles the calendar and the mood of Republican voters. But then there's also this persnickety rule 40(b). In the lead up to the 2012 republican convention, go back there. Think about it for a moment.

Remember when the party decided "Each candidate for nomination for the president of the United States shall demonstrate the support of a majority of the delegates from each of eight or more states." Keywords, majority of delegates from eight or more states and this is why.

That guy, and those cheering fans. In 2012, Ron Paul did not win a single state, but his campaign was pretty darn good at using various state and local party rules to pick up delegates all along the way. And that led him there in Tampa, Florida.

Party leaders wanted to spare Mitt Romney even the appearance of a divided convention, so they greased the wheels of the front runner with the rule, who now is someone they dearly hope to derail. That front-runner, being Donald Trump.

My next guest, is the RNC deserves every bit of the distress that it's in Ron Paul, former Republican congressman from Texas, two time candidate for president, joining me live from the Texas community at Lake Jackson. Thank you so much for joining me, I do appreciate this.

And when you say that the GOP deserves every bit of the mess it's in, do you truly believe that?

RON PAUL, (R) FORMER GOP CONGRESSMAN: Well, I do. But I don't think it's all that important. Because, you know, rules are there, they change them, they have done it. I think the interesting thing is that there was so much concern about me, you know, we had a good following, there was a lot of strength there. But they didn't need to do all that and they hurt themselves by changing the rules, but they showed that they were strong and they control things and they had more attorneys and more money, so they would even allow me to appear and give a little talk. And I think it hurt them in the general election.

So they sort of brought it upon themselves. They never dreamed they would be on the receiving end of this. So they're in the situation I was in, that they made it more difficult for somebody to challenge.

And ordinarily over the years, these things have happened and behind the scenes they have been able to change it. But they change things even in the primary, they're just, there -- in the primary races that's going on now, they're trying to desperately of course to knock down Trump's vote, they may end up doing it, or they will challenge it. There will be technicalities. But it will continue, but they're in a real bind, because just to change the rules won't go over so easily now, because, you know ...

[12:45:00] BANFIELD: Now everybody's watching. Everybody' is watching on a microscope.

PAUL: And who knows what he'll do?

BANFIELD: Well good point. Yes, you're right, who knows what he'll do.

Let me ask you this, though, because it looks pretty clear at this point, barring any major rule change, and barring any complete change in the way things have gone until now, that Donald Trump's going to be the nominee. And it looks like it's quite possible he will face Hillary Clinton in a general election. You have said in the past, that you think there's no meaningful difference between Clinton and Trump, that they both support the military industrial complex, the federal reserve deficits, entitlements, an invasion of privacy.

So I've got to ask you, as a red lettered American, who probably cherishes the right to vote. Who would you vote for if you think they'll both the same?

PAUL: Well what I would like to have on all the ballots is none of the above. And then we can vote for none of the above.

BANFIELD: That wasn't my question though.

PAUL: But I'm not going to vote for one of those two for sure, you know, they're too close together. And there's the dreamers, even there's, you know, the independent type Republicans that were on my side, someone said, "Yeah, but he's better. But, you know, this whole idea of the lesser two evils, there's something OK about it. I don't think so, I don't see how anything could be improved, because I think once the person is in office.

I mean Obama ran as a true progressive. But he became much more a militant. He liked the war in Afghanistan. He supported the overthrow of the Ukraine and he's sending troops back to Iraq. And I don't even think he fundamentally believes that to tell you the truth. So he - I think the events, even regardless of who wins, will there be enough pressure to do exactly what we have been doing.

They're not going to have the fear to deny them some power to take negative interest rates and all this which needs to be done.

BANFIELD: OK, I may have lost you on my -- your piece for a short moment. But I'm not sure I got the answer though, if Donald Trump is the Republican nominee, would you vote for him?

PAUL: No, no, I mean, I was very explicit about that, I won't vote for Donald Trump.

BANFIELD: Would you just not vote then or would you vote for the Democratic ticket? PAUL: No, I had mentioned that we should have none of the above, and then you should pick another candidate, you know, if you can't stand any of them and you happen to be a dedicated progressive, you ought to make your vote count and vote for the green party and if happen to be a libertarian, vote for the libertarian party.

But to vote for the lesser two evils, I don't think make it possible, and I know I get a lot of (inaudible) oh, no, from the Republicans, Conservatives I think they would absolutely Trump is so far superior. But quite frankly I'm not sure exactly what he'll do and that bothers me as well because he does -- he can give two positions in one speech, I don't know if you noticed that or not. But he ...

BANFIELD: I saw it just yesterday. I saw three petitions yesterday.

Ron Paul, I have to leave it there. But thank you so much, I really appreciate you being on today.

Say hello to the great State of Texas for me.

All right, so coming up, what was your favorite 1980 television show? Was it Dallas or dynasty or Miami Vice or Magnum, P.I. or Three's Company or Cheers? Don't change the channel, because we're going to take you back in time, next. And it's going to be totally awesome. I think that's when the word awesome got awesome.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:52:40] BANFIELD: OK, I love this. Countdown clock on your screen, eight hours and some change until CNN is about to blast your brain with some of the cheesiest at the same time totally awesome decade in American history.

The reason I know that is because I live through it. And I watched the shows, every child knows '80s Cheers Bar. Now, how about that lady on the left? Oh my god.

OK, first of all, don't ever let your sister, if she asked you to be her maid of honor have a hairstylist come in to do your hair in the '80s because that's what you end up looking like. Dang. Oh god. OK I'm over that.

For 11 seasons Cheers was that place where everybody knew your name.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bring me a towel, in case i like it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Another day, another dollar, ha.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 50 cents after Taxes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BANFIELD: Oh, I always wanted to be in that bar, because I was actually a bartender and a cocktail waitress when Cheers was on. How cool is just in time for The Eighties premier.

Taking you live now, not to Dallas and Larry Hagman, but to the Cheers Bar because Michaela Pereira got the assignment. You're really there? You're in the actual place?

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR, NEW DAY: I'm in the actual place, actually Ashleigh, this is the bar that the show set was based on, they actually built it out and filmed it out in Hollywood. But they took pictures of this bar that was called the bull and pitch. This is Lisa my bartender. She's going to teach me how to make drinks because, you know, you know how to do that already.

This was actually called what back in the day?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, it's hinge pub (ph).

PEREIRA: And has been open as Cheers for about nine years, you said?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... as cheers?

PEREIRA: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Called this bar has been build for about the last nine years, yes.

PEREIRA: OK, so pour a beer for me, you go ahead and do it, I'm going to show you my new skill, Ashleigh.

BANFIELD: She looks just like Diane. Look at here. She was just like Diane.

PEREIRA: No, wait. I want to show -- she says you like just Diane. Do you get that a lot?

[12:55:00] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, I got that a lot.

PEREIRA: You get that a lot. So people actually ask you if your name is Diane? OK, so here's what's going to happen, watch this, Ashleigh. I've learned this new skill. Ready? Yeah.

BANFIELD: Dang, you're good.

PEREIRA: Half of the beer went on there. Yeah, I got only half of the beer on there.

BANFIELD: It's on the catch, don't worry, Michaela, it's not your fault.

PEREIRA: Here's the anchor reporter quiz we're going to do. She gets this trivia, and she wants to ask you a couple of questions and we're going to test you on your cheers knowledge.

BANFIELD: OK.

PEREIRA: What is the first line of every cheers episode.

BANFIELD: Norm.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Cheers is filmed before a live studio audience.

BANFIELD: Oh, that's a perfect title sequence. That's not fair.

PEREIRA: How did Carla's husband die on the show? This is for you my Canadian friend?

BANFIELD: How did, what happened what ...

PEREIRA: Do you know the answer?

BANFIELD: No, what was the question?

PEREIRA: How did Carla's husband get killed on the show? He was killed from a Zamboni.

BANFIELD: Oh, I should know if you're right as a Canadian. I love to keep this going on and on. But, you know, how Wolf Blitzer wants his show, right.

So I got to say goodbye. I love you Michaela Pereira. And say goodbye to Diane and Woody and everybody behind you. The Eighties premiering 9:00 p.m. eastern only on CNN.

Thanks for watching everybody. Wolf Blitzer starts right after this break.

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