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Trump Blasts Cruz's Colorado Win, Retools Campaign; Sanders Questions Clinton's Judgment; ; Report: Brussels Bombers Aimed to Hit Paris Finance Hub. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired April 11, 2016 - 07:00   ET

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


(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[07:30:02] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: New details are emerging over the apparent road rage killing of beloved New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are just praying that she has the strength to get through this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One life is over and another life is ruined.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Chris Cuomo, Alisyn Camerota and Michaela Pereira.

CAMEROTA: Good morning, everyone. Welcome back to your NEW DAY.

Up first, Donald Trump back on the trail this morning after a four-day absence to retool his campaign. Polls show he can afford to lay low. He has big leads, both in New York and in Pennsylvania this morning.

Trump also back in attack mode, blasting the Colorado Republican Party delegate selection process as, quote, "totally unfair." And his new convention manager is going after Ted Cruz, accusing Cruz of Gestapo tactics after a sweep in Colorado this weekend.

CUOMO: And on the Democrat side, Bernie Sanders going at Clinton on two levels. One: he's saying now, quote, "Something is clearly lacking in her judgment." And that she's condescending to young voters, especially African-American voters. And that is going to set off some sparks. The Democratic rivals set to face off in -- on CNN in a debate on Thursday. That's going to be the big moment that all these charges get put face to face.

We have this race covered like no one else can. Let's begin with Phil Mattingly. What is the latest, my friend?

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the latest is Donald Trump and his team are crying foul when it comes to that delegate system, arcane, in the weeds state by state in a system that Ted Cruz is clearly taking advantage of in his race to try and become the GOP nominee.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TRUMP: We've got a corrupt system. It's not right. We're supposed to be a democracy.

MATTINGLY (voice-over): Donald Trump back on the campaign trail in New York after spending four days laying low.

TRUMP: We've got to have a system where voting means something. Doesn't it have to mean something?

MATTINGLY: Criticizing the delegate system after a string of losses and state battles dominated by Ted Cruz's campaign organization and issuing a warning to the Republican National Committee.

TRUMP: You're going to have a big problem, folks, because there are people that don't like what's going on.

MATTINGLY: Trump's top adviser, Paul Manafort, echoing his boss's concerns, alleging that the Cruz campaign is threatening Trump's delegates.

PAUL MANAFORT, TRUMP CONVENTION MANAGER: You go to these kind of conventions, and you see the tactic, Gestapo tactics. And we're going to be filing several protests, because the reality is, they are not playing by the rules.

MATTINGLY: The Cruz campaign calls it sour grapes, writing in a statement, quote, "It's no surprise that Trump's team will lash out with falsehoods when facing a loss to distract from their failure."

Trump taking to social media to express his frustration with the delegate fight, tweeting, "The people of Colorado had their vote taken away from them by phony politicians. Biggest story in politics. This will not be allowed!"

This back and forth coming just a day after Cruz went after Trump over electability while courting top donors in Las Vegas.

CRUZ: If Donald is the nominee, poll after poll after poll shows him losing by double digits. We're looking at a bloodbath of Walter Mondale proportions.

MATTINGLY: These attacks coming as Trump tries out a new strategy: playing it safe. The Republican front-runner was absent from the Sunday talk shows yesterday for the first time in four months.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MATTINGLY: Now, guys, the reality is that, as well as Donald Trump has done on the top line, in state after state, behind the scenes in these grassroots battles, Ted Cruz is outmaneuvered, outplayed and really just dominated Donald Trump over and over again. Something to keep a very, very close eye on as this race continues -- Michaela.

PEREIRA: Yes, and it's a new week, and they're back at it. All right. Meanwhile, with just three days to go before the big CNN Democratic debate in Brooklyn, Bernie Sanders is backing off claims that Hillary Clinton lacks the experience to be president. However, now he is questioning her judgement.

CNN senior Washington correspondent Joe Johns joins us now with more on that. Hey, Joe.

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Michaela. So the changing the words they're. The two Democrats' race fanning the flames of issues that erupted late last week. Bernie Sanders tweaking his language in the faceoff over who's qualified for the presidency after opening up a new line of attack against Hillary Clinton last week, suggesting she may not be qualified.

Sanders now using different words. Hillary Clinton, for her part, appearing to try to take the high road. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D-VT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: She may have the experience to be president of the United States. No one can argue that. But in terms of her judgment, something is clearly lacking.

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, look, I've said repeatedly that I'd take him over Donald Trump or Ted Cruz any day. I think people know that I will be a president who will follow through on what I've said.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: Meanwhile, on Sunday, Secretary Clinton appearing at a church headed up by a former Democratic member of the Congressional Black Caucus. Also revisiting another dust-up from last week when her husband, the former president, traded words with protestors over his signing of the 1994 Crime Bill.

[07:05:15] Hillary Clinton addressing how she said the criminal justice system has made people, quote, "heartsick." Hillary Clinton today in Port Washington, New York. Bernie Sanders expected to appear at an event in Binghamton.

Back to you, Chris.

CUOMO: All right, Joe. There's a new state of play between the Democrats here in New York. So let's get it on and discuss. We have former Ohio state senator and surrogate for Bernie Sanders 2016, Nina Turner. And Democratic congressman from New York and Hillary Clinton supporter, Representative Hakeem Jeffries. Good to have you both here.

The state of play specifically with the African-American unity matters in New York as much or more than any state in the union. Let's listen first to what former president Bill Clinton had to say about the issue that has been dogging Hillary Clinton about that word "predators" and what it means about a perspective on the African-American community. And then Bernie Sanders' latest response to it. Here they are back to back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't know how you would characterize the gang leaders who got 13-year-old kids hopped up on crack and sent them out in the street to murder other African-American children. Maybe you thought they were good citizens. She didn't. She didn't. You are defending the people who killed the lives you say matter. Tell the truth.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D-VT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think we all know what that term meant when in the context that it was said years ago. We know who they were talking about. That's exactly right. And I think that the president owes the American people an apology for trying to defend what is indefensible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: All right. Nina Turner, what is Bernie Sanders doing here?

NINA TURNER, FORMER OHIO STATE SENATOR: Well, Chris, it's very clear. I mean, President Clinton cannot, on one hand, apologize before the NAACP and then come face-to-face with leaders, women who he, in fact, called girls and blamed them for the policies of the 1990s. It just doesn't make sense.

We cannot be super predators in the '90s and the firewall in 2016. So Senator Bernie Sanders had it just right. The president does owe the American people an apology. African-Americans for far too long have been painted as the other, and the term itself, predator, is bad enough. Adding super predator to it adds another dimension. And we know the impact that that has on the African-American community and how we're seen in the United States of America.

CUOMO: Congressman?

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D), NEW YORK: Desperate candidates say desperate things. And what we've seen in state after state is that Senator Bernie Sanders has consistently lost the African-American vote decisively. And there's a reason for that.

Secretary Clinton has been supporting issues of importance to the African-American community going all the way back to her early days as an attorney with the Children's Defense Fund, fighting against the incarceration of young teenagers in adult prisons.

As a first lady in Arkansas, she helped to create a civil legal services program that provided legal representation to thousands of indigent individuals, many of whom were African-American. In the 1990s, she was a leader in helping to put into place the Children's Health Insurance Program, which was a bridge, really, between Medicare and the Affordable Care Act. Millions of people, many of whom are African-American children, now have health coverage as a result of our efforts and that of some others.

And then of course as a senator right here from New York for eight years, she consistently stood on the side of issues of importance to the African-American community. And so dusting off a word from the 1990s that Secretary Clinton herself has said was a poor choice and she would never use again is just desperation.

TURNER: Chris, as you know...

CUOMO: Respond to that quickly.

TURNER: Well, Chris, the secretary should get that message to the president. If, in fact, it is that she apologized, if that is how she really feels, then she needs to get that message to President Clinton.

The facts are this: you're right. Desperate people do desperate things. And the Clinton campaign is very desperate right now. When we talk about consistency, let's talk about consistency.

Senator Sanders has been consistent. He put his body on the line in the 1960s as a young man. He was arrested for it. He had to pay a fine for standing up against racism and discrimination. He didn't change his positions based on the time.

In 2008, President Obama was not qualified, according to then-Senator Clinton, but now they're besties. So let's talk about consistency. Sanders has been consistent, standing up against -- for the working poor and the middle class in this country. He doesn't change his message based on what will resonate with the voters. And there's a different environment right now.

[07:10:04] And the American people, they're sick and tired of being used for convenience. They want a leader who is consistent. And that leader is Senator Sanders.

CUOMO: Let me ask you one point of clarification. Does the Sanders campaign, you as the surrogate, do you believe that Hillary Clinton holds bad ideas where African-Americans are involved? That she sees them as predators?

TURNER: The bottom line -- I mean, the bottom line is this. We can't be super predators one day and a firewall the next. Even at the black girls rock. I mean, even the words coming out of her mouth today, black women have written and you can go all over social media, that they felt that it was empty.

Some in the African-American community do feel used. We need to have this conversation about what it means and what African-Americans do mean in a broader range to the Democratic Party since we are the loyalist base to the party.

And I would argue that the secretary is enjoying the history not the brand loyalty that African-Americans tend to have. She has been running for president for the last eight years. She has had the benefit of a national profile since the 1990s. And Senator Sanders has just come on the scene 11 months in terms of running for president.

But in terms of standing up for the working poor in this country, in terms of standing up for bad trade deals in this country, in terms of standing up for universal health care in this country, he doesn't go to a deal signing for $15 an hour but yet refuses to support that -- raising that wage on the federal level. He has been consistent and honest throughout.

CUOMO: Congressman.

JEFFRIES: Well, I mean, I think it is a problem. Senator Sanders promised us to campaign on issues. But as soon as the New York primary process began, he just launched one ad hominum attack on Hillary Clinton after the other, all of which are really baseless, have no anchoring in reality.

Here's the thing. Senator Sanders' record, he is someone who appears to be all talk no action. When you study his record, I can't find any meaningful evidence of him actually bringing about social and economic change.

Senator Sanders was a mayor for eight years. He was in the House of Representatives for 16. He's the United States senator for 10. That's 34 years of public service. I mean, I'd ask the senator, can you actually provide me with any meaningful evidence that he's actually brought about the political revolution that he's talking about.

When you look at his record, I actually see several things. He voted five times against background checks. He voted twice to shield gun manufacturers on liability. He voted to allow guns on Amtrak.

The leading cause of death for African-American young men is homicide by gun violence. And Senator Sanders actually not only has been missing in action. He's done nothing about it. He's been on the wrong side of the issue. And that's why we see this type of desperation in these attacks.

Let's just talk about issues and a vision for moving the country forward. You referenced President Obama. You know, President Obama actually found Hillary Clinton qualified enough to bring her on as one of his top cabinet members and their partnership for four years has made the country and the world a better place.

CUOMO: Final word.

TURNER: Congressman, let's be real here. Let's tell the truth here. Senator Sanders led efforts to stop TPP. As you know, all trade deals that have happened in this country to protect jobs in this country.

Let's tell the truth about the consistency and the honesty that has been going on here. And in terms of President Obama, I'm sick and tired of the Clinton campaign riding the back of President Obama.

Again, in 2008, he was not qualified. Her 3 a.m. phone call commercial that really was a dog whistle, but all of a sudden they are besties. You know, and the rest of his colleagues in the Congress knows he has been a consistent champion for working-class people and poor people in this country. He has led the city of Burlington, Vermont, with honor and

distinction, and he continues to lead as a senator in the Congress right now today. So let's roll the tape.

Let's compare what he said 30 or 40 years ago to the secretary's record up until this point. And you will see who has been the most honest and consistent champion for the people of America.

JEFFRIES: We have rolled the tape. And African-Americans throughout the country, including your state of Ohio, has consistently concluded that Secretary Clinton is best qualified.

TURNER: Again, if it is brand loyalty going on there more than anything. If they peel back the layers, they know who is the consistent champion for civil rights and jobs in the United States of America, and that is Bernie Sanders.

CUOMO: We'll see. They couldn't have a bigger audience. They haven't have a bigger population or more impact in the African- American community is going to have right here in New York. We'll see which way it goes.

Thanks to both of you for making the case. Appreciate it.

All right. We're doing this for you. So what do you think? Tweet us, @NewDay. Post your comment on Facebook.com/NewDay. We are just three days away from the Democratic faceoff in Brooklyn. All of these things that have been said about the other, they will now have to say to each other.

Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders sharing the debate stage for the first time in more than five weeks. The last time they'll share it before the all-important New York primary, Thursday night, 9 Eastern, right here on CNN -- Alisyn.

[07:15:17] CAMEROTA: OK, Chris. We are also getting a deeper look into the plotting that led up to the terror attacks in Brussels. Authorities now reveal that France was the first intended target, not Belgium. This after weekend raids landed six more terror suspects behind bars, one claiming to be the man in the hat that you've seen on the airport surveillance video.

CNN's Kelly Morgan is live in Brussels for us this morning. Good morning, Kelly.

KELLY MORGAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

This is astonishing detail that has come out since those arrests on Friday. That wasn't the detail, is that actually, Brussels wasn't the intended target; it was Paris.

And we're getting that in detail from a computer that was searched and that was recovered from outside the Starvik (ph) apartment, where the Brussels attackers made their bombs, the computer that was owned by airport suicide bomber Ibrahim al-Bakraoui. Now, on that computer, a file. Two locations were named: the Defense

business district and the Catholic Association in Paris.

Now, interestingly, police have had this computer for almost three weeks now. Interesting that we're only learning about this change in plan since the arrest of the six suspects on Friday. Chief among them, the most wanted man in Europe, Mohamed Abrini. Police have been searching for him since the November 6 attacks in Paris. They finally pounced on him here as he walked around in plain sight on a Brussels street on Friday.

Now, we know that he is talking to police, because he's confessed to being the airport bomber. The question is, is he also providing other detail, either he or the other five suspects that has helped police piece together the data which has now led them to believe Belgium was not the intended target. It was Paris -- Michaela.

PEREIRA: More developments seemingly by the day. Kelly, thank you so much for that.

Back here at home, jury selection getting under way today in the case of a Georgia father that's accused of leaving his only child strapped in a car seat, where that baby succumbed to the 120-degree heat. Prosecutors say Justin Harris was taking his 22-month-old son to daycare back in 2014, but apparently drove to his office instead, leaving the little boy trapped in the car. Harris is being spared the death penalty. But he could face life in prison if convicted.

CUOMO: Second-degree murder charges filed against the suspect who allegedly shot and killed former New Orleans star Will Smith. He played for the Saints. He was a Hall of Famer.

Now Cardell Hayes, the man on your screen, is charged with second- degree murder in his death. New Orleans police say he and Smith, quote, "exchanged words" after their vehicles collided Saturday night. Shots were fired, with Smith fatally injured and his wife, Raquel, wounded but expected to recover.

Coming up on NEW DAY, we're going to talk with Ken Trahan. He is the head of the Saints Hall of Fame. I said Smith is a Hall of Famer. And he is. Supposed to be inducted this fall. That's going to happen any way posthumously. But Trahan is going to tell you about the sporting world's reaction to Smith's death -- Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: All right, guys. I'm going to read some sports now. You know how well this goes. Golden State Warriors now just one victory from immortality.

CUOMO: True.

CAMEROTA: They beat the Spurs last night.

CUOMO: Indeed.

CAMEROTA: Ninety-two to 86. And as you guys well know, this is their 72nd win of the season. PEREIRA: So good with stats.

CAMEROTA: I can tell you that ties the all-time record set by, of course, the Chicago Bulls back in 1996. The Warriors will have a chance to snatch the all-time record on Wednesday night.

CUOMO: Will they do it?

PEREIRA: Yes, definitely. They'll do that.

We can't get enough of her when she talks sports.

CAMEROTA: That was basketball, right?

PEREIRA: Yes, it was.

Up top, my girl.

Donald Trump back on the campaign trail and intensifying his complaints about the delegate system. Is this part of a strategy to win over delegates? We're going to bring you what this means for his 2016 bid.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[07:23:07] TRUMP: We've got a corrupt system. It's not right. We're supposed to be a democracy. We're supposed to be -- we're supposed to be you vote and a vote means something. All right? You vote and the vote means something.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: That was Donald Trump lashing this weekend's Colorado delegate results. Rival Ted Cruz picking up, you see, 34 pledged delegates, despite Colorado having no primary or caucus.

Here to discuss this and so much more, Jeffrey Lord, former Reagan White House political director and Donald Trump supporter; and Ben Ferguson, host of "The Ben Ferguson Show." He is a Ted Cruz supporter. Good morning, gentlemen.

BEN FERGUSON, HOST, "THE BEN FERGUSON SHOW": Good morning.

JEFFREY LORD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Good morning, Aly.

CAMEROTA: Ben, does Donald Trump have a point that the convoluted process by which delegates were chosen and awarded in Colorado is not what most Americans think about when they think their vote is going to count?

FERGUSON: The answer is no. Everybody that decides to run for president knew what the rules were going to be in every state. And you play by the rules of each state. Every state has the decision in the way that they decided to run their election. Whether it was a winner-take-all in Florida, for example, and delegates there, Donald Trump won all of those for them. Was that unfair that he got all of them, even though he didn't get every single vote? The answer is no.

And the only reason why you're hearing about this now from Donald Trump is because he lost, and he's been losing the last four. This is the guy who understands winning better than anybody else. Now he's losing. He's a weak candidate, and he's having a very hard time getting to the 1,237 delegates that he needs.

If you want to run for president, you have to have a ground game. And the bigger issue here is Donald Trump should be furious that he didn't realize that if you run for president, you actually have to have an organization on the ground.

Every state's different. Welcome to the game of running for the presidency. And no one was hurt here, nothing was stolen from anybody.

CAMEROTA: Jeffrey, your response?

[07:25:05] LORD: Well, I noticed this morning that the Colorado Republican Party chairman has had to apologize for a tweet that went out over the imprimatur of the party that said #NeverTrump, "We did it." And basically, what he's saying is that somebody hijacked their -- the party so there is obviously something going on in Colorado here. I don't know what it is, to be perfectly candid.

But now that Paul Manafort is on the scene, I am sure we will be getting into all of this in detail, not just Colorado but everywhere else.

CAMEROTA: Hey, Ben, Donald Trump was on another morning show just a few moments ago. If he went further than he has in the past, talking about some of those tactics of the Cruz campaign. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Now they're trying to pick off those delegates one by one. That's not the way that democracy is supposed to work. And you know, they offer him trips. They offer him all sorts of things. And you're allowed to do that. I mean, you're allowed to offer trips, and you can buy all these votes. What kind of a system is this?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: What about that, Ben? Are they -- they're offering delegates some perks.

FERGUSON: Look, I would love for Donald Trump, a guy who loves to throw out these insane claims, to start showing the truth of this. But to be honest with you, I have a hard done buying that he knows what people are getting that are delegates when the fact is, Donald Trump hasn't had contact with hardly any delegates. I'm not sure Donald Trump really knew what a delegate was or what it did at the convention until about a week ago when he fired his manager in Colorado, when he realized, "We have no ground game here." This is nothing but a lack of experience from Donald Trump understanding how hard it is to become the president. His campaign has totally been, what, fly in a big plane, land, have a big event and get out.

When you have a ground game, he got beat badly where, in Wisconsin, because he took the state for granted.

He also insulted the voters of Colorado. The reason why he got beat so badly was he didn't show up. He stood them up as a candidate. He did not show up to their convention, and he was disrespectful.

No, you know this, Jeffrey. You have to show up. And I love that you laugh at the voters, because this is the problem that people have with Donald Trump. If you really wanted them to vote for you, then you need to show up and talk to them. It is a fact that Donald Trump disrespect the voters in Colorado and did not show up.

Am I wrong?

CAMEROTA: Jeffrey, hold on.

LORD: Well, he wasn't talking about Colorado. He wasn't -- he wasn't talking about Colorado, values in a negative sense, was he? As Senator Cruz was saying...

CAMEROTA: Before we get to that -- hold on, guys. Before we get to that, I do want to have -- dig in a little something on Paul Manafort, who of course, is Donald Trump's new delegate whisperer.

FERGUSON: What an interesting guy he is.

CAMEROTA: What he has said, where he said that Cruz had engaged in Gestapo tactics to get delegates. Jeffrey, what does that mean?

LORD: Yes, to be perfectly candid, I haven't talked to Paul, so I honestly don't know what he's referring to. But I'm sure he, you know, I'm sure he knows what's going on. I mean, he's getting into this detail. He is extremely experienced in this. He did this both for President Ford and President Reagan. So I will see if I can find out.

CAMEROTA: So -- so but Jeffrey, I mean, hold on. Let me just say this. Jeffrey, you think that, now that he has Paul Manafort, that Donald Trump can catch up in this chess game that we now know ted Cruz has been playing.

LORD: Well, Aly, Donald Trump is ahead. I mean, let's not forget this.

CAMEROTA: In the popular vote, yes. About two million people.

LORD: He is ahead, and he's also ahead in delegates at this point. So we're now moving onto New York. He's concentrating there, as he should, on his home base. So you know, every vote counts. There's no question about that. But he's hard at work, and he is ahead. CAMEROTA: OK, Ben, last word.

FERGUSON: Yes, look, Paul Manafort is a guy that's been brought on by Donald Trump's campaign. For him to say "Gestapo-style politics" is pretty funny, because anyone understands Gestapo-style politics, it is Paul.

Paul has clients that he worked with in the Ukraine that are actually -- the FBI's trying to extradite to the United States of America.

LORD: Come on, Ben.

FERGUSON: This is a guy -- no, it's the facts. And I've got...

LORD: Paul -- Paul...

FERGUSON: It talks about the person that Paul is that Donald Trump is surrounding himself with. You have a guy that has been investigated by the FBI and a guy that has clients that he has -- that he has actually worked with in the last several years.

LORD: This is why...

FERGUSON: Look, this is a fact. He's the one that brought up this Gestapo-style politics...

(CROSSTALK)

LORD: ... intelligence.

FERGUSON: What I'm saying is that this sounds shady.

CAMEROTA: Very -- last word, Jeffrey.

LORD: Well, what does this have to do with getting delegates? I mean, if you want to go through the background of everybody who works for Ted Cruz and every other candidate, I suppose you brought up -- the issue was getting delegates.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

LORD: What Paul Manafort does or does not do in his private business has nothing to do with getting delegates, period.

CAMEROTA: There you go. Gentlemen, guys, we have to leave it there. Obviously, there will be lots of time to talk about delegates coming up in the next week. Gentlemen, thank you very much.