Trump And Sanders Score Primary Wins; Trump Closer To Capturing Nomination; Trump And Ryan To Meet Tomorrow; Trump Has Names On Running Mate List; Rubio Will Support Donald Trump; Ryan Facing Pressure To Endorse Trump; Trump Tax Returns; Pelosi on Trump
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Wolf Blitzer. It's 1:00 p.m. here in Washington, 6:00 p.m. in London, 8:00 p.m. in Damascus, Syria. Wherever you're watching from around the world, thanks very much for joining us. Donald Trump has moved two steps closer to officially capturing the Republican presidential nomination. He easily won the Nebraska primary. And in West Virginia, he reached 76 percent of the vote by the end of the night. Some expected a little bit of a protest vote against Trump in West Virginia and Nebraska. That didn't happen. He had no serious opposition, obviously. Trump now has 1,147 delegates and needs just 90 more to formally, officially clinch the nomination. On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders scored another win against Hillary Clinton, taking West Virginia impressively. Clinton still leads the race by around 300 pledge delegates and needs just 148 delegates to clinch the nomination. But while Sanders celebrated his victory, he also said the party was unified with one main goal.</s>SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Our message to the Democratic delegates who will be assembling in Philadelphia is while we may have many disagreements with Secretary Clinton, there is one area we agree. And that is we must defeat Donald Trump.</s>BLITZER: We're just a day away from a very important event. An event that, potentially, could shape the Republican Party and the presidential race going forward. The scheduled Capitol Hill meeting between the House speaker, Paul Ryan, and Donald Trump. Ryan is arguably the most influential Republican in Washington. Last week, he made waves when he said he wasn't yet ready to support the presumptive presidential nominee, Donald Trump. Today, he said this about that.</s>PAUL RYAN, U.S. SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: I don't really know him. I met him once in person in 2012. We had a very good conversation in March on the phone. We just need to get to know each other and we, as a leadership team, are enjoying the fact that we have a chance to meet with him. There is plenty of room for different policy disputes in this party. We come from different wings of the party. The goal here is to unify the various wings of the party around common principles so we can go forward unified.</s>BLITZER: Let me bring in Manu Raju, our Senior Political Reporter, he's up on Capitol Hill. And Jim Acosta, our Senior White House Correspondent. Jim, we heard speaker Ryan. What is Trump saying ahead of the meeting and what's at stake for the presumptive Republican nominee?</s>JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, both sides, they say they don't know each other but they're saying all the right things about this meeting tomorrow between Donald Trump and House speaker Paul Ryan. The speaker is one top Republican who doesn't have his own special nickname coined by Donald Trump. The presumptive GOP nominee has not lashed out at speaker Ryan after he announced he's holding off on endorsing Donald Trump. And so, so far, both men sound like they're getting on the same page. Ryan is stressing party unity and Trump is sounding hopeful they can come to some sort of agreement on how to bring Ryan on board. Here's what he had to say earlier this morning.</s>DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (via telephone): We'll see what happens. If we make a deal, that'll be great. And if we don't, we will trudge forward like I've been doing in winning, you know, all of the time.</s>ACOSTA: Now, Ryan is trying to downplay the importance of tomorrow's meeting. But I can tell you, from talking to sources on Capitol Hill, Wolf, that many GOP members of Congress are holding off on whether to support Trump altogether. So, if this meeting blows up in Trump's face or in Ryan's face, it could get very messy. But as Manu, he was hearing this up on Capitol Hill earlier this morning, Paul Ryan was saying this is a big tent Republican Party. That would presumably include Donald Trump under that tent -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: Presumably. Manu, what is the speaker trying to get out of this meeting with Donald Trump? What does he need to get from Donald Trump in order to go forward hand in hand?</s>REP. MARK AMODEI (R), NEVADA: But I find it interesting with the statements made on CNN that says it's Donald Trump's job to unify the party. And I'm, like, Mr. Speaker, you're arguably the highest ranking elected Republic official in the nation. What's your job with respect to</s>RAJU: Now, when I asked Paul Ryan at this press conference, what about concerns that you're making it harder to unite? He said, I want to find real unification. Those were his words. To find real unification. Not to just say that we're unified behind this nominee. And that's what he says tomorrow is the beginning of that process, the beginning of the dialogue to get the party united against Hillary Clinton, presumably -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: All right, Manu, stand by. Jim, what about Donald Trump? There seems to be a little confusion right now. Is he ready to release his tax returns once the audit is done? Is he saying that he's not going to release the tax returns before November?</s>ACOSTA: Right.</s>BLITZER: What's the latest?</s>ACOSTA: Now, this is one reason why some Republicans are reluctant to get behind Donald Trump, this issue of his tax returns. And Donald Trump told the "Associated Press" he will not release his tax returns before the November election. That is very important because that would make Donald Trump the first presidential candidate to decline to release his taxes since 1976. And we've reached out to the Trump campaign to verify whether the candidate is now ruling this out altogether until after the election. They have not gotten back on this, Wolf. But keep in mind, Donald Trump has repeatedly said to you and to others here at CNN, even at debates, that he will not release his returns while he's under an IRS audit which is apparently still underway. But keep in mind, Richard Nixon did just that when he was president. So Democrats, Wolf, will be tempted to say, Trump is falling short of the Nixon standard on this -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: All right. Jim Acosta, thanks very much. Manu Raju, thanks to you as well. Let's talk a little bit more about tomorrow's very important Trump visit to Capitol Hill. Joining us right now is Armstrong Williams, business manager for Dr. Ben Carson. Dr. Carson has supported Donald Trump. The House speaker, Paul Ryan, had some kind words for Dr. Ben Carson earlier this morning. They spoke, I take it, Armstrong, last night. How did that conversation go?</s>ARMSTRONG WILLIAMS, BUSINESS MANAGER, DR. BEN CARSON: You know, Dr. Carson is about unifying the party. He has a very good relationship and a trusted relationship with the speaker and, of course, with Mr. Trump. And it just -- sometimes there's misunderstanding, especially when you're dealing with the media and you're dealing with staff. And so, what Dr. Carson wanted to do was present a human side that this man was willing to listen. This man has strong ideas. And that he shares many of the principles that Mr. Ryan and the down ticket of many Republicans that are up for reelection share also. And I -- and in speaking to Dr. Carson this morning, he thought it was very effective because the speaker did convey to him that this conversation is very -- was very productive. It was very important. And Dr. Carson assured him that Donald Trump is a reasonable man.</s>BLITZER: So, I take it that Donald Trump asked Dr. Carson to call the speaker in advance to sort of set the stage for tomorrow morning's big meeting, is that right?</s>WILLIAMS: Well, Dr. Carson and Mr. Trump spoke earlier in the week. And, of course, Dr. Carson, in that conversation, was talking about sharing his advice on what needs to happen on Thursday and the importance of it. And in the course of the conversation, he mentioned to Mr. Trump, you know, I have a relationship with the speaker. If you want me an emissary to sort of talk to him before this meeting on Thursday, I will be more than happy to do so. And Mr. Trump gave him his blessings. And so, from that conversation -- they had this conversation last night. They wanted to meet in person but because it happened at such a last minute, neither schedule could make that possible.</s>BLITZER: Now, I know that you spoke with, obviously, Dr. Ben Carson. You didn't speak to the speaker. Did Dr. Carson emerge from that phone conversation upbeat that the two -- the two men, the speaker and the Republican nominee, would emerge hand in hand going forward towards the convention?</s>WILLIAMS: You know, listen, Speaker Ryan is a good guy. He's a principle guy. He's a strong guy just like Mr. Trump. He speaks his mind. He's very candid and he's a very honest guy. And so, you can't take offense at the speaker being candid just like Mr. Trump speaks candid. And, you know, you've got to respect that. So, what the speaker was saying is this, we've got a down ticket. There are people who are nervous about the kinds of things that Mr. Trump has said in the past. Can we be assured? I mean, they want a candidate who could be presidential, who's is willing to negotiate and who understands what their goals and what their policies are.</s>BLITZER: All right.</s>WILLIAMS: And that's reasonable.</s>BLITZER: The bottom line is last week, the speaker told CNN's Jake Tapper he was not yet ready to endorse Donald Trump. Following the meeting tomorrow morning, do you anticipate the speaker saying he now is ready to endorse Donald Trump?</s>WILLIAMS: Of course not. It's just not --</s>BLITZER: You don't think that'll happen?</s>WILLIAMS: No, I don't think so.</s>BLITZER: Why not?</s>WILLIAMS: And it shouldn't happen.</s>BLITZER: Why?</s>WILLIAMS: Because there's a process. They are meeting. Men are meeting, both with very critical roles in this country. They should sit down and talk like men, unify the party, show respect, see what their differences are, how they can bring --</s>BLITZER: Did the speaker say what those differences are, in terms of policy? What his main concerns are, as far as the positions of Donald Trump?</s>WILLIAMS: And Dr. Carson conveyed those to Mr. Trump in a conversation they had this morning and it will remain private. Mr. Trump was very receptive to what Dr. Carson had to say, that convey from the speaker. And that's why Mr. Trump said, early on this morning, that he thinks that the meeting will go well. And that was after his conversation --</s>BLITZER: So, do you think, --</s>WILLIAMS: -- with Dr. Carson.</s>BLITZER: -- all right, Mr. Trump will go forward and modify some of his more controversial positions? Let's say on temporarily banning Muslims from coming to the United States. I know that's a source of concern for the speaker.</s>WILLIAMS: You know, sometimes -- like Dr. Carson was saying this morning, sometimes the media misinterprets what Mr. Trump is trying to convey. Obviously, Mr. Trump is not trying to ban all Muslims from this country. But he talked about the extremist when we bring refugees into this country. We've got to make sure that we protect the safety of the American people. And how do we get to the place where we protect the safety of all Americans? And that is something that they can sit down and discuss and come to a reasonable compromise.</s>BLITZER: Last week, when I met with Donald Trump, he told me that Dr. Carson was helping him vet candidates to be his vice presidential running mate. Is Dr. Carson involved in that because I know Corey Lewandowski, his campaign manager, in charge.</s>WILLIAMS: Yes, he's a chair (INAUDIBLE.) Well, you know, it's a process. Mr. Trump put together individuals like Dr. Carson, who's part of a committee to make recommendations on vice presidential candidates. Dr. Carson made his submissions as well as others. The process was turned over to Corey. And -- but this is just the first phase of the process. This process will continue. And as Dr. Carson is needed in this process, he will be involved.</s>BLITZER: He seems himself like a trusted advisor to Donald Trump, is that fair to say?</s>WILLIAMS: Let me tell you, Wolf, Carson, like you, he loves this country. He believes in the GOP. He wants to unite the GOP. And whatever it takes for him to do that, he's willing to fulfill that role.</s>BLITZER: Armstrong Williams, thanks for coming in.</s>WILLIAMS: Thank you, Wolf. It's always a pleasure to see you.</s>BLITZER: Thank you. Florida Senator Marco Rubio says he'll support Donald Trump as the Republican nominee, but he also says he understands why other Republicans might not. Republicans like Paul Ryan.</s>MARCO RUBIO (R), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The difference between Speaker Ryan and myself is I ran for president. I signed a pledge, put my name on it and I said I would support the Republican nominee and that's what intend to do. But what I don't want to do and I'm not going to do is sit here for the next sixth months and, as I said, take shots at the Republican nominee. I, ultimately, believe he has earned -- and I respect the will of the voters and I believe he's earned the opportunity to go out and make his case to the American people without having people in his own party taking shots at him every day.</s>JAKE TAPPER, ANCHOR: You saw Paul Ryan say that he can't support him right now. You've see Mitt Romney, George W. Bush, George H. W. Bush, John McCain not going to the convention. Are you going to the convention?</s>RUBIO: I don't know. If there's a role for me to play or there's -- there are a lot of people that are going to the convention that are supporters of mine so there's an opportunity to kind of get together with people and be a part of that. I haven't made that decision yet. But it wouldn't be because of Donald Trump or in spite of Donald Trump.</s>BLITZER: All right, joining us now from Los Angeles, Maeve Reston, our CNN National Political Reporter. Also with us, David Gregory and CNN political -- he's our CNN Political Analyst, the host of "The David Gregory Show" podcast, and Steven Collinson, CNN Politics Senior Reporter. Guys, thanks very much for joining us. All right, Maeve, let me start with you. Senator Marco Rubio says he doesn't know if he's going to the convention but he'll support the Republican nominee. That's going to be Donald Trump. So, is there a role for him moving forward?</s>MAEVE RESTON, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER: Yes, I think that this is a really interesting meeting that we're coming up to because, you know, Paul Ryan's chief task right now is to protect these vulnerable members of Congress and to make sure that they get elected. And that Donald Trump's campaign, in whatever kind of way it is run, doesn't affect those down ballot races that Ryan is going to be looking after. And so, I think that this meeting is a situation where you have two guys who both actually have a good amount of leverage. And I think that Ryan can use that to his advantage. He's taking a very cautious approach to Donald Trump, and he is making it clear that there will be some negotiation here over what's going to be best for the party and how candidates should respond to Donald Trump, if Donald Trump gets out there and says things that could potentially hurt their campaign. So, it's going to be a fascinating thing to watch over the next couple of months. But Paul Ryan standing by his guns seems like a good place for him to be.</s>BLITZER: David, you just heard Armstrong Williams, who's an advisor to Dr. Ben Carson. He spoke with Paul Ryan last night. He doesn't think that Paul Ryan will emerge from tomorrow morning's meeting fully endorsing Donald Trump.</s>DAVID GREGORY, HOST, "THE DAVID GREGORY SHOW": Yes, I thought was Armstrong said was actually on point. But Paul Ryan is the speaker of the House. He is the head of a coequal branch of government, or at least part of that head of the legislative branch as speaker of the House. He is a force to be reckoned with here. And both Donald Trump and Ryan need each other if they're going to advance some of these conservative principles. And I think Ryan wants to negotiate a little bit. You mentioned some of the areas where he's uncomfortable. He wants to see if Trump is willing to moderate and to tackle a little bit on his beliefs as the general election candidate. And, by the way, so does Marco Rubio. I mean, it's very simple. Trump is either going to bring some of these guys into the fold or they're going to maybe support him, you know, holding their nose. And that's going to be on Trump, because he is the leader of the Republican Party but he doesn't lead all of the Republican Party.</s>BLITZER: Yes, Marco Rubio said he'd made a commitment, made a pledge to support the Republican nominee. He's going to live up to that pledge. But didn't back away from any of the very, very harsh words --</s>GREGORY: And not even - and not even promising to go to the - the convention.</s>BLITZER: Right.</s>GREGORY: I mean he is holding back for sure.</s>BLITZER: Didn't back away from any of that.</s>GREGORY: Yes.</s>BLITZER: What about this whole issue of Donald Trump now suggesting, you know what, the American people don't really want to see my tax returns. I'm not going to release my tax returns. They're under audit for the time being. In any case, it's not a big deal.</s>STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN POLITICS SENIOR REPORTER: You know, it's going to be a big deal in this campaign even if Donald Trump thinks it's not going to be. The Democrats are going to bring this up. The Clinton campaign, Democratic super PACs, they're going to use this as a character issue. They'll use it as a prism to look into Donald Trump's past business practices. We know how effective this kind of attack was against Mitt Romney in 2012. I think the question is, is will it be as effective against Donald Trump? He's a candidate who's defied all the rules of political gravity in this primary campaign. Perhaps it won't be as effective against Donald Trump. Perhaps he can ride through it. And one thing I would say is that Donald Trump, in his outreach to his coalition often working class white voters, he has actually shown some capacity to empathize with the economic plight of everyday Americans and it perhaps is not an effective attack as it was against Mitt Romney, who is seen as, you know, he was portrayed as a vulture capitalist by the Obama campaign.</s>BLITZER: You know, it was interesting the other day I interviewed Jane Sanders, the wife of Bernie Sanders. She prepares -</s>GREGORY: Right.</s>BLITZER: His taxes. And he released one year of his income tax returns. And she said to me, we're not going to release any more of the Bernie Sanders income tax returns until Hillary Clinton releases the transcripts of her speeches before Wall Street groups. I assume Donald Trump could pick up the Bernie Sanders line as well, although Donald Trump hasn't released any income tax returns yet.</s>GREGORY: Right. There's no question he's going to be pressured on this and he'll be criticized for it and, you're exactly right, I mean the Democrats have gone this - hit him hard. But he is defying some of the criticisms that Mitt Romney got as a guy who's a - you know, a rich guy who's out of touch. I mean, you know, Trump is certainly a mega rich guy, but he's got a different relationship with the American electorate. So we'll see. I think there's a larger point in all of this. The tax returns and the negotiations with the Republican Party. Donald Trump has redefined what it - the Republican Party of 2016. There will be limits to that or there will be limits to the influence of the establishment. And that's what we're in the process of finding out. He is certainly asserting his primacy over the Republican Party and over this race where we're still working off a playbook that is more conventional and based on experience that may not apply to him.</s>BLITZER: Yes, and he's certainly redefined a lot of that conventional wisdom that a lot of us thought was part of the game.</s>GREGORY: Right.</s>BLITZER: Not necessarily so as far as Donald Trump is concerned. All right, guys, thanks very, very much. Coming up, Bernie Sanders pulls out yet another win, this time in West Virginia. Is his message impacting Hillary Clinton's stance on various issues, including health care? Her campaign spokesman is standing by live. And take a look at this. These are live pictures of the Hillary Clinton event in New Jersey right now. We'll update you on what's going on, when we come back.