Interview with Congressman Peter King of New York; Trump Cancels Events to Focus on New York Vote; Reports: Rudy Giuliani Says He's Voting For Trump; One- on-One Interview With Ted Cruz.
ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: OUTFRONT next, Donald Trump expanding his campaign stuff cancelling events in California and Colorado. He is going all in on must-win New York. Is he hearing Ted Cruz's footsteps? Plus, Ted Cruz speaking to CNN this hour on how he'll win the nomination. Why he is not getting support from his own Capitol Hill colleagues? That interview right here OUTFRONT. And the breaking news, Bernie Sanders moments ago addressing the ugly battle over whether Hillary Clinton is qualified to be president. Let's go OUTFRONT. Good evening. I'm Erin Burnett. OUTFRONT tonight, bracing for battles. Donald Trump today making it clear he is gearing up for what will be an ugly fight ahead. Naming longtime political operative Paul Manafort as his convention manager. He also unexpectedly cleared his schedule. Usually he is doing two or three states at a time. He has cancelled his events in California, cancelled his events in Colorado focusing all his time and energy on New York. Also today, New York's most prominent Republican, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani telling two New York newspapers he is voting for Donald Trump, but he is not calling it an endorsement. A bit strange there. Trump's top rival Ted Cruz meantime facing an uphill battle in New York, visiting a Matzah Bakery in Brooklyn today after waking up to a tabloid headline suggesting he leave town on a train that shall we say is not an actual subway line. Our Dana Bash sat down for one-on-one interview with Senator Cruz late today. You'll going to see that full interview in just a moment. I want to go though first to Sara Murray. And Sara, significant here, Donald Trump, you know, sort of originally had been, well, New York is my home state. I love it. But I'm going to be able to go out to California and other states and campaign. He has now canceled those appearances and is focusing all in on New York. How much should we read into that?</s>SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Erin, I think in this case it is a significant and strategic change. What this tells though is the Trump campaign is sort of tabling this fly-around strategy that they have used until this point and they are going all in on New York. This is a state where 95 delegates are at stake. And as we're talking to members of Trump's campaign in New York, they made it clear that they want to win all of them. They want to be able to sweep the 95 delegates in New York. And Erin, that's a tough thing to do. It means you need to get over 50 percent. Not just statewide, but in this Congressional districts. It involves a lot of legwork. And I think that's why we're seeing the Trump campaign revamp their schedule. Now, it is worth noting they have not released what their new schedule will be. So, he didn't have any events today. It's not clear what it going to be on his schedule tomorrow. So far there is nothing. This is when he was going to be in California. And it also mean that they are making choices to skip things like the convention that going to be in Colorado this weekend where there are 37 delegates who are going to be selected. Right now Ted Cruz will be there. Donald Trump will not. So we'll see if this new strategy pace off for them -- Erin.</s>BURNETT: All right. It's going to be very significant to see what that schedule is over the next few hours. Sara, thank you. Ted Cruz in the meantime intent on posing a challenge to Trump on Trump's home turf saying, he think he can do it in New York. Just moments ago, our chief political correspondent Dana Bash sat down with Ted Cruz right here in New York for a one-on-one interview. And here it is.</s>DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Senator, thank you so much for sitting down with me.</s>SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's great to be with you, Dana.</s>BASH: I'm sure you've seen this. I'm glad you're laughing, because the New York daily news gave you a warm welcome. They actually gave you some helpful hints to take the f-train and the u-train.</s>CRUZ: Very helpful.</s>BASH: Very helpful. In all seriousness, you know, when you saw this, what did you make of this?</s>CRUZ: I laughed out loud. Look, I have never been popular with left wing journalists or tabloids. And frankly, that's not my target audience. You know, I'll tell you the energy and support we're saying we just did a wonderful gathering here. I came to Brooklyn and baked some Matzah and just spoke with the Russian Jewish community and the Orthodox community and Hassidic-Jewish community and the energy and enthusiasm we had here today was tremendous. And yesterday, it's interesting. Apparently the liberal journalists didn't like me being there. But in the Bronx yesterday, I had the opportunity to sit down with pastors, sit down with Hispanic pastors, African-American pastors. It was actually an event that was hosted by a Democratic state senator, Senator Ruben Diaz. He is a Democrat. He is a pastor. He is an African-American Hispanic and he invited me there and we had a wonderful gathering of pastors agreeing that we need to stand for shared values. So the reporter may not be happy, but I'm much more focused on the citizens.</s>BASH: But in all seriousness, the origin of this, which again I'm glad you're having fun with. Because it is a New York tabloid, is that you several months ago disparaged New York value. I was upstate with you earlier today. And I'm well aware and talking to voter there that in Upstate, they got what you were saying.</s>CRUZ: Yes. Yes.</s>BASH: That you're talking about liberals in New York City --</s>CRUZ: Sure. Sure.</s>BASH: -- and that conservatives in Upstate New York are quite different. But you understand how a sound bite is played and how your opponent is using it against you here. Any regrets in using that terminology now that you're asking for New York voters to vote for you?</s>CRUZ: Not remotely. Because everyone in New York and outside of New York knows exactly what I meant by that. And it is the liberal values of Democratic politicians who have been hammering the people of New York for decades. They've suffered under these liberal values. It's been politicians like Governor Andrew Cuomo, like Hillary Clinton, like Mayor Bill de Blasio. You know, Andrew Cuomo told New Yorkers, said if you're pro-life, if you believe in traditional marriage, if you believe in the Second Amendment, there is no place for you in the state of New York. It was striking yesterday when I was meeting with Senator Diaz, and a Democratic senator. He said my own governor said there is no place for me as a pastor. And someone who believes in life. I mean, that is a liberal intolerance, which the people of New York I think are tired of.</s>BASH: You talked about the fact that you are coming to talk to me now. We're sitting in a Jewish community center, in an ultra-Orthodox part of New York. You just helped make Matzah with young children. I've interviewed you a lot of places around the country.</s>CRUZ: Sure.</s>BASH: This is not one I expected, to be honest with you. Do you feel like you have been successful as a, you know, a Christian from Texas reaching out to the Orthodox Jews in New York?</s>CRUZ: Very much. We've got tremendous support in the Jewish community. Tremendous support especially in the Orthodox community. I've been privileged to speak at synagogues all over the country. And in particular, to focus on defending religious liberty, which has been a passion of mine my entire life. And focus on standing with Israel.</s>BASH: Coming here in New York, even the fact that you're campaigning in the New York Republican primary, is this how you plan to rack up delegates here, find pockets of support, like you know, here in the Orthodox Jewish community or in Upstate New York?</s>CRUZ: We are building a big tent, and we're unifying Republicans. You know, nationwide, there are about 65 to 70 percent of Republicans that get that Donald Trump is not the best candidate to go up against Hillary Clinton. That he loses and loses badly to Hillary. And what we're saying happening all over the country is those 65 to 70 percent of Republicans are uniting behind this campaign. We saw it powerfully in Wisconsin just a couple of days ago.</s>BASH: Okay. So no question you did very well in Wisconsin. And you should be commended for that victory.</s>CRUZ: Thank you.</s>BASH: But do you concede that at this point your only realistic way to get the nomination is at the convention? Not your only mathematical way, but your only realistic way?</s>CRUZ: Not remotely. Look, we have a clear path forward to get to 1, 237 delegates. It's difficult. We've got to win and we've got to win consistently. But I'll point out in the last three weeks, we have won in four states in a role. We won a landslide in Utah, nearly 70 percent of the vote, we've got all of the delegates.</s>BASH: But now you're here in New York and you're in third place, even behind John Kasich. You've got Maryland coming up. You're in third place in the polls. You need 88 percent of the remaining delegates to win.</s>CRUZ: Well, let's see what the voters safe. You know, I actually think the people of New York, particularly Upstate New York, have an awful lot in common with the people of Wisconsin. Very, very similar. And what we're seeing happening across the country, what I hope we'll see in New York is that Republicans will unite.</s>BASH: How actively are you working to convince? A good operation. You understand how the game is played. How hard are you working to convince Trump delegates to come your way on any second ballot should it come to that?</s>CRUZ: Listen, we are working to earn every vote we can, every place we. So we're competing in all 50 states. And we're competing number one to win a primary, to win a caucus, to earn those votes, to unify the party. Our focus is unity, bringing together conservatives, bringing together libertarians, bringing together moderate, bringing together everyone who doesn't want to see Donald Trump as the nominee and doesn't want to hand the general election to Hillary Clinton gift wrapped.</s>BASH: What about those who do want to see Trump as the nominee?</s>CRUZ: Well, you know, it's interesting. Donald has had a floor about 20, 25 percent he seems to get no matter what. As he said, you know, he may be right that he could go out on Fifth Avenue and shoot someone and that floor would say there. But he also has a ceiling. He has a ceiling of 35 to 40 percent that he has a very hard time breaking. The worst day for the entire Trump campaign was the day Marco Rubio suspended his campaign. Because what happened is, over 80 percent of Marco's supporters came us to. And it unified much of the remainder of the party behind our campaign.</s>BASH: Sure, but I'm talking about looking forward to the convention when if there is a contested convention, as you well know, the delegates are bound to whomever they're supporting initially.</s>CRUZ: Sure.</s>BASH: Then after that in a second ballot, many of them are not bound. How hard are you working to woo the Trump delegates for the second ballot?</s>CRUZ: We are doing everything we can.</s>BASH: One of the things that could help you is if you had more support from your own Republican Senate colleagues. You do now have two endorsements. But given how much momentum you say you got out of Wisconsin, how much many of your colleagues really dislike Donald Trump and don't want him to be the nominee, why don't you have more support from Republican senators?</s>CRUZ: Well, you know, Dana, I recognize that folks in the media focus on Washington. You cover Capitol Hill.</s>BASH: It's not just Washington. It's opinion leaders at the conventions.</s>CRUZ: What I can tell you is the energy and support we're receiving from the grassroots is overwhelming. And let me give you one of the illustrations of the unity we're seeing. We started out with 17 Republican candidates in this field, an amazing, talented diverse field. Of those 17, five are now supporting our campaign. We've got support from Rick Perry, from Lindsey Graham, from Jeb Bush, from Scott Walker and from Carly Fiorina. When you throw in Mike Lee and Mark Levin, that is the full spectrum of the Republican Party, the full ideological spectrum. And what we are seeing, that's the unity it's going take to win the nomination. It's also the unity it's going to take to beat Hillary Clinton. And my focus is on beating Hillary Clinton and poll after poll after poll shows Donald losing badly to Hillary. And poll after poll after poll shows me beating Hillary.</s>BASH: But to get the chance to beat Hillary Clinton, you know how works, you actually have to be the Republican nominee. One of the things that my colleague Manu Raju in the Senate has heard from several Republican senators is that they probably would think about backing you and telling all of their grassroots activists to back you if you would apologize for saying that your Republican Leader Mitch McConnell was a liar. Will you apologize?</s>CRUZ: You know what, Dana? This is why people are so frustrated with Washington. It's the inside battles back and forth. This isn't a game. This isn't about Washington power brokers. This isn't a smoke- filled room. If we want to turn the country around, let me tell you who should apologize. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton should apologize to the American people.</s>BASH: But you called Mitch McConnell a liar, not them.</s>CRUZ: They should apologize to the American people for seven years of economic stagnation, for people seeing jobs going overseas, for wages stuck. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton should apologize to all the single moms who have been forced into part-time work because of Obama.</s>BASH: No apology to Mitch McConnell? Because it could help you.</s>CRUZ: Look, my focus is not on Washington. That ain't going to happen. And if Washington lobbyists want the see that happen, they can hold their breath a long, long time. My focus is on the American people and uniting Republicans behind a shared values and a shared vision. Now I will tell you this. I am happy to praise Mitch McConnell, praise him effusively for his stand, along with Chuck Grassley saying we are not going to hold hearings on a replacement for Antonin Scalia. Mitch McConnell is doing the right thing. Chuck Grassley is doing the right thing. And I'm proud to commend them. I've done so publicly many times. They're doing the right thing and saying that Justice Scalia's replacement should be made by the next president so that the American people have an opportunity to vote and express their views. But we need to be focusing on the American people, not politicians bickering in Washington.</s>BASH: I know we're almost out of time. Just one quick moment that really struck me and a lot of people. At your victory rally in Wisconsin, a lot of your supporters were chanting for your wife Heidi. And she came up on the stage and you had a couple of embraces there seems to be a lot of layers of emotion there. What was going through your mind at that moment?</s>CRUZ: Well, listen, this has been a pretty amazing couple of weeks in politics. I never envisioned that my opponent would attack my wife. That he would go after my wife and my family. And Heidi is a rock. I mean, she is strong and she has come through this unwavering. But it was when I recognized Heidi in our victory speech, the supporters there began chanting "Heidi." And it was a powerful moment, just to see so many people embracing her and saying thank you, thank you for putting yourself through this garbage, for enduring the garbage that my opponent has heaped upon her. And that was powerful. And it just -- it made me want to say thank you to her also. And it also made me think, and this is something I think a lot about, about the example Heidi gives to our girls. You know, Katherine and Caroline, they're five and seven. And they're saying number one, they see their mommy attacked by a bully. And insulted and lied about. But they also see that their mommy stands up with a smile and she isn't scared. She isn't intimidated. And they see the people rallying around their mommy. And I hope that becomes an example to little girls across the country, that there is nothing that a strong woman cannot do. And I said many times Heidi is my best friend, and she is.</s>BASH: Senator, thank you.</s>CRUZ: Thank you, Dana.</s>BASH: We appreciate your time. Thank you so much.</s>BURNETT: All right. And OUTFRONT next, Ted Cruz doing everything he can to win over New York voters today, making Matzah in that Brooklyn bakery. Plus, breaking news, Bernie Sanders moments ago addressing his ugly fight with Hillary Clinton. Is he still saying she is not qualified to be president? And a very angry Bill Clinton today confronting protesters.</s>FMR. PRES. BILL CLINTON (D), UNITED STATES: You are defending the people who killed the lives you say matter. Tell the truth.</s>BURNETT: Tonight Donald Trump hunkering down in New York. The Republican front-runner cancelling events in California, Colorado, focusing on his home state instead. Just moments ago Ted Cruz told our own Dana Bash that he thinks he will do well here in New York.</s>CRUZ: I actually think the people of New York, particularly Upstate New York have an awful lot in common with the people of Wisconsin. Very, very similar.</s>BURNETT: Wisconsin, of course, a state that Cruz just won. And he won it big. OUTFRONT now, our chief political correspondent Dana Bash, plus the Cruz campaign's New Jersey State Chairman Steve Lonegan and Trump supporter Congresswoman Renee Ellmers. OK. Good to have all of you with us. Dana, let me start with you. By the way, speaking of New York, amazing that you were able to get from where you were with Ted Cruz out in Brooklyn here.</s>BASH: You have to be a Jersey driver.</s>BASH: No, absolutely not. I mean, there is not a chance. And I don't think that even on their most optimistic moments they think that they can do that well. But what they are trying to do in the name of the game is to keep Donald Trump's delegate numbers down and gobble up as many delegates as they can for themselves. So that is why before I was in Brooklyn, I was in Albany, a suburb of Albany that is more of kind of the Cruz voter. Very conservative. At least the area in Upstate New York where he was. If you he can do well there, maybe get a few delegates in the Congressional district there, maybe a few elsewhere, that is, you know, perhaps a good day for a Ted Cruz in the state of New York.</s>BURNETT: Right.</s>BASH: But to be clear, right now he is third place in the polls. He is trailing John Kasich.</s>BURNETT: And Steve, that's an -- he also keeps citing how he is doing so well in polls against Hillary. Look, in the past three polls, one of them is behind her by nine points. The other two is within the margin of error. So, it's hardly to brag that he is beating her.</s>STEVE LONEGAN, NEW JERSEY CHAIRMAN, TED CRUZ CAMPAIGN: Well, we've come off with two amazing weeks. In Utah two weeks ago the senator won by over 60 percent of the vote. Nobody has done that in the primary yet today. Then we go into North Dakota where we took 18 out of 19 delegates. Now, Colorado --</s>BURNETT: OK. But nobody actually voted in North Dakota.</s>LONEGAN: But we're going to sweep all the Colorado delegates again. And then Wisconsin. Huge victory. So Trump has been losing, losing, losing. Of course he is going to be ahead this the polls in New York. Things haven't recalibrated after the Wisconsin win. I'm not predicting Senator Cruz will win New York --</s>BURNETT: OK.</s>LONEGAN: But he has a remarkable ability to out-perform expectations. We need to do well here. We don't have to do great to win here. It was thought Donald Trump completely. But you know, the Trump campaign is in total turmoil, Erin. I mean, there is a battle brewing within the campaign, there is no guidance, no leadership. They're shooting in all different directions. You don't mow what this candidate is going say next. One position in the morning, one position for lunch, one position after dinner and maybe another before he goes to bed on the same issue. So, this is an issue for their campaign.</s>BURNETT: Renee, a lot to say here, you just heard Steve, total turmoil, that Trump is losing, losing, losing.</s>REP. RENEE ELLMERS (R), DONALD TRUMP SUPPORTER: No, I don't see that at all. In fact I think what they're doing is working together in a very meaningful way. Thing is strategy from here on out. I think they're making a good move staying in New York. They are doing what they need to do to get the votes.</s>LONEGAN: Erin, I need to say something. And with all due respect to Congressman Ellmers, and I like her very, very much. On the most important issues in Donald Trump's campaign, number one, he is going to deport all these illegal aliens. Illegal aliens. He is going to build this wall. Yet Congresswoman Ellmers has a very strong public position. She wants to give green cards to every illegal alien. In fact, Congressman Ellmers voted against Ron DeSantis (ph) bill to prioritize deporting the illegal alien child molesters in this country. She is the only Republican in the country to vote against it. She also is an opener supporter of TPA, which Donald Trump said he is going to overturn. Now, look, on the key issues his own supporters don't agree with him. That's pretty telling about the whole campaign.</s>BURNETT: Congresswoman?</s>ELLMERS: Well, let's talk about where Ted Cruz is on this issue. You know, last January -- January of 2015, we could have passed a very significant border security bill. But it was members of the Senate and members of the House like Ted Cruz that really put themselves in the way of it and our leadership ended up pulling the bill. There is much that needs to be done on immigration. And I may not always agree on every issue that Donald Trump has, but at least he wants to get something done. That's a lot more I can say that from Ted Cruz. You know, Donald Trump had the success rate that Ted Cruz has of voting no and accomplishing nothing in the Senate, he would not be the man that he is today running for president. And I believe that Donald Trump is going to be our next president because he has a record of success. And Ted Cruz, I'm sorry, does not.</s>LONEGAN: Senator Ted Cruz led the effort to start the Marco Rubio- Chuck Schumer gang of eight amnesty bill by the way. And because of him we don't have that dastardly bill. And by the way, again, Congresswoman Ellmers' vote is the only Republican in the whole country to vote against deporting illegal alien child molesters. This is majorly opposed to everything Donald Trump stands for.</s>ELLMERS: It is absolutely ridiculous for you to think in any way, any form. But see? This is what comes out of the Ted Cruz camp. The calling names, you know, all of these things. We just heard this great interview where Ted Cruz is talking about, you know, a level of civility and how we should be more sensitive. And here we have his staff basically saying different.</s>LONEGAN: Congresswoman, don't take it different. I respect you when you vote. Your votes are what they are. And I respect those votes. That's what you believe in. But they're diametrically opposed to everything Donald Trump stands for. And that's pretty telling.</s>ELLMERS: No, absolutely not. Because actually what I am for is actually coming to the table in working out the issues. And that's a lot more than I can say for even us as Republicans in Congress. You know, there is a lot of frustration out there in this country. And it's basically in large because of President Obama and his administration. But I have got to say that there's responsibility we have to take as Republicans. And unfortunately, Ted Cruz has been one of those that has led us down a path to mislead the American people.</s>LONEGAN: Look, Congresswoman --</s>BURNETT: Let me ask you. Let me ask Dana a question though. Because you see Congresswoman Ellmers, you know, supporting Donald Trump. And one thing Steve, I know you've been behind Ted Cruz for a while. But Dana, his former colleagues are his colleagues now but other colleagues on Capitol Hill, they still are not rushing to support Ted Cruz.</s>LONEGAN: Oh, I beg to differ.</s>BURNETT: What is though?</s>BASH: Well, you beg to differ because there are some notable exceptions.</s>BURNETT: There are some notable exceptions --</s>BASH: Like Lindsey Graham and he says constantly and he is right that five of his former opponents now support him.</s>BURNETT: Right.</s>BASH: But -- but --</s>LONEGAN: Huge.</s>BASH: But he has -- 40 something, almost 50 -- actually, no, more than 50 Republican colleagues, his fellow Republican senators who have not endorsed him. And I think that that was a telling moment in that interview. Not just because of the fact that they haven't supported him, but because many of them are still miffed that he called their leader a liar from the Senate floor. And the fact that I pressed him to apologize, and he said ain't going to happen. Ain't going to happen.</s>LONEGAN: This is the anti-establishment, anti-Washington. He is a consummate outsider.</s>BASH: He wants the establishment to rally behind him but beat Donald Trump. You can't have it both ways, right?</s>LONEGAN: The establishment is rallying behind the best candidate who is prepared to be the next president of the United States, one who can articulate his issues very clearly, very eloquently, and with force as opposed to a guy who -- whose own supporters don't know what he stands for.</s>BURNETT: I hit pause there. You know, Lindsey Graham by the way saying he is backing Ted Cruz because the other 15 people he wanted to back are no longer running. But we're going to be talking with Congressman Peter King who says, he would never vote for Ted Cruz later on on this hour, found out whether he would vote for Cruz or Trump when push comes to shove. Now, that interview later on this hour. And next, the breaking news, Bernie Sanders speaking moments ago on whether Hillary Clinton is qualified to be president. And Bill Clinton clashing with protesters in Philadelphia today.</s>CLINTON: 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 on to street to murder other African-American children. Maybe you thought they were good citizens.