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Clinton, Sanders Prepare for "Battle in Brooklyn"; CNN Obtains "Proof of Life" Video of Chibok Girls. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired April 14, 2016 - 13:30   ET

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


[13:30:00] DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: That's an interesting way of putting it, yes.

CHARLES BLOW, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: You know, invite people to the White House if you have a sitting president. Do all sorts of things. Because, you know, we -- the nominating process as a completely democratic process, it is not. It is not constitutionally protected. It's not part of that system.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because private organizations --

BLOW: It's a private organization, and they have opened it up to give voters a voice in it. But they are not necessarily bound by what those voters say. And that is the hard truth that America is --

LEMON: Hang on, though. Listen to Reince Priebus and I'll let you respond. Here's Reince Priebus and he fired back. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REINCE PRIEBUS, RNC CHAIRMAN: I believe this is some frustration that has bubbled up, and, look, the rules are there. I know people get frustrated, and they're disappointed when things don't go exactly the right way. I think when people are frustrated and upset, they say things that they regret.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: So, he's downplaying Trump's threats a little bit. Should he be taking them more seriously?

BILL PRESS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I want to make the distinction, I think we all have to. No room for violence, no room for this kind of intimidation, if you will. But there's a lot of room for pressure and lobbying and talking to people.

These delegates, they run for delegates, and guess what? They're in the big league here. And they have got to be ready to -- people will try to persuade them, even if they're committed to somebody else. Even on the Democratic side, the regular delegates. Not the super delegates. Just have to fairly reflect. That's what the words say in the rules. So they could change their position.

So I think there is a little bit of whining going on on the part of some of these Cruz people or Trump people. Look, if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. Grow a pair, deal with it. Stick with your --

LEMON: Margaret, I don't know if you were watching last night, but I think Bakari made a good point on the show -- our show last night when he said that the RNC is playing with fire.

BAKARI SELLERS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: It's a gamble. Very dangerous game.

(CROSSTALK)

MARGARET HOOVER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: And, yes. I mean, all of these things are true. But what we didn't touch on is, we're not overstating -- we're not making up these claims to violence. I mean, there has been violence. There have been moments that have gotten out of control.

And that is a reflection on the campaigns, the tone comes from the top. There is a responsibility for the candidates on both sides. And especially on the Republican side where we have some new people at the table to behave like adults and worthy of the presidency of the United States.

And as long as that tone comes from the top and we really set that example, then I think we'll be OK. Because I think -- I do think you've listened to how your candidate is running the race. And you take signals. And I think, you know -- I think we're starting to shift, frankly, on how the Trump campaign has comported themselves. And I hope that continues.

LEMON: All right. Listen, let's -- can we talk about Corey Lewandowski? Such a major deal, I've heard a number of people say that they believe that Corey Lewandowski got a raw deal.

JEFFREY LORD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think that.

LEMON: Why do you think that? He's not going to be prosecuted.

LORD: No, no. I've been in these presidential scrums. They're attention-filled. I mean, let us not forget the Secret Service guarding every presidential candidate today is a result of Robert Kennedy being shot to death in the middle of one of these scrums.

LEMON: But Corey is not Secret Service.

HOOVER: Yes.

LORD: No, no, no. I know that. But all I'm saying is when you are in these things and you see a hand come out, as she was, at least as I see in the photograph, she is touching the candidate which is against federal law, by the way, you can go to jail for it. Your instinct is to do this.

LEMON: Jeffrey, I think that's a bit disingenuous. Let me tell you why, because I know you. And she knows, you guys know --

(CROSSTALK) LORD: If you're asking me --

LEMON: If I reach out to Mr. Trump -- would you really think I'm trying to harm him? Just trying to get attention because I've been traveling on the campaign trail.

LORD: I understand that. But when you read the federal law, it quite clearly says --

(CROSSTALK)

SELLERS: I think it goes to a larger issue that many people have with the -- with just this whole Trump narrative. And that, you know, I think many of us take offense to the notion that you can just put your hands on a woman anyway. It's just the basic morality --

LEMON: Any person.

SELLERS: Any person. That's the basic morality, especially coming from the front runner, who is right now the Republican standard bearer.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: I have to get to a break. Stick around. We're coming back. Everybody, stay with me.

When we come back, we have a strategy session for tonight's debate between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:38:39] LEMON: And we are back with our panel live from Brooklyn. Location of tonight's CNN Democratic debate. Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders face off, a few hours from now, in that hall you're looking at right now, live. It's actually the hall, not Don Lemon.

But anyway, the tension really has grown increasingly bitter on the campaign trail.

Bakari Sellers is back with me, as well.

So, Bakari, I'll give you the first word. You got the last word before the break.

SELLERS: I was trying --

LEMON: Do you think the tone is going to be the same on the debate stage tonight?

SELLERS: I think you're going to see a heightened center. Bernie Sanders has to come out and draw some delineations and be more aggressive.

I think he has been more aggressive. I think that Hillary Clinton is going to pivot and start talking about things that excite the base, like Donald Trump and/or Ted Cruz. I think there is going to be a third person on the stage tonight for Hillary Clinton and I expect a good debate, a good debate about the issues.

And I think it's going to be exciting because I'm looking to see Bernie Sanders throw the first punch and I'm looking to see Hillary Clinton counter punch.

LEMON: What do you think Hillary Clinton's strategy needs to be? Because she has to win this. I know she's ahead, by a double digits in the polls. But she has to win this. And I think she has to win it big.

(CROSSTALK)

BLOW: She doesn't have to screw it up.

(CROSSTALK)

BLOW: She just has to hold the line. She's on the safest of territories, right? This is a closed primary. This is a very diverse in terms of large percentages of Hispanics and blacks.

[13:40:05] Her lead has held in the polls.

I was really surprised she even agreed to do this debate, because one thing -- one thing about Bernie's platform, whether or not you believe it can come to fruition, people like him as they get to know him. He gains every time more -- the more exposure, he gets, the more he gains, and the fact that he can make up a lot of ground here. But as long as she holds, she wins.

LEMON: Go ahead, Margaret.

HOOVER: Exactly right. Here's the thing: Bakari says there is going to be a third person on the stage tonight, whether it's Ted Cruz or Donald Trump. She's been running against Donald Trump all along. He's been its stage already.

And that is the only technique and tactic she's got going for her, because Bernie, frankly, has this increasing momentum. Twenty-seven thousand people in Washington Square Park last night? Are you kidding me? And New York City? This is a state where she was the senator.

I mean, her tactic is --

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: But that's what -- that's why I say this is huge for her. We have seen primaries and caucuses where the polls are wrong, right? And then Bernie Sanders ends up winning or Ted Cruz or someone will end up winning and you thought the other person had the momentum and lead. That's why I'm saying she has to win this and by a pretty big margin.

AMANDA CARPENTER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: She has to show she can handle Bernie Sanders. Bernie Sanders has defied expectations, he's lasted so much longer he than anyone thought. And for Hillary Clinton to look strong in a general election, I think she has to be able to put him down, put him in his place and definitively say I am the front runner, which she hasn't been able to do.

LORD: He is to her what I call a low-grade toothache, it's just there. It will not go away. It's not going to kill her. It's not going to kill her. But it's getting bigger and now he's got a problem, she's got a problem.

LEMON: What do you think of Bill Press of Bernie Sanders leaving, you know, to go to Vatican in the middle of this contest? Is that smart on his part?

PRESS: Look, I think if you are invited by the Vatican, even not by the pope, talking about income inequality on that international stage, he can leave here as he's going to do after the debate tonight, spend -- he's taken a whole press charter, by the way. He's going to get a lot of media attention. They're going with him. He'll be back in the state on Saturday. Why not? I think it's good for him.

(CROSSTALK)

PRESS: I think it's a great platform.

I also want to point out one other thing. He may be going to see the Pope Francis. She is leaving the state to see the pope George Clooney in California raising fund.

(LAUGHTER)

So, both of them are leaving the state.

BLOW: It's a real misstep. If Sanders was leaving the United States to travel abroad to broaden his -- his portfolio of things he can discuss, I think it would be really smart. If he were being able to going somewhere and being able to say, I'm not only smart on income inequality, I'm smart on foreign affairs and military intervention and ISIS.

That's not what he's doing. He's basically going to say the same thing there as he's saying here. It's a misstep to me.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: I wonder -- guys, quickly. I've got to ask this. I wonder if you guys agree with Charles Blow, because "New York Times" op-ed today says, "I am already completely exhausted by this presidential campaign. Candidates seem to share that fatigue. Nerves are fraying as storylines are stale."

Do you guys agree with that?

LORD: Yes.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: Every time I think I'm exhausted, something else happens, though.

(CROSSTALK)

BLOW: But the race has not fundamentally changed from a month ago. The map has moved around and so --

SELLERS: The Democratic race has not changed. We started with Hillary Clinton, the frontrunner. Hillary Clinton is now up by how many votes? Two-point-four --

(LAUGHTER)

SELLERS: Two-point-four million.

PRESS: That is a meaningless number.

(LAUGHTER)

SELLERS: But she's winning. She's winning by every metric.

LEMMON: I've got to go.

This is the phrase. Nobody has time for anything else.

Thank you, everyone. Thank you, Bakari, Bill Press, Charles Blow, Amanda Carpenter, Jeffrey Lord, Margaret Hoover, and on and on and on, the entire team. Thank you to everyone.

And you can watch Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders together on stage tonight from the CNN Democratic presidential debate moderated by Wolf Blitzer, tonight at 9:00 Eastern, only here on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:48:19] LEMON: Oh, the East River's cold right now, but it is beautiful. Welcome back, everyone.

Now, let's go inside the hall. There we go. That's where Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are going to be debating tonight.

We're back now in Brooklyn, where in just hours, that debate will start. We're going to turn to politics just shortly, everyone.

But, first, we have some devastating news to tell you about. Today marks two years since gunmen in northeast Nigeria captured hundreds of girls. We're getting an indication some of the girls may still be alive.

CNN has obtained this new video. It is being used in negotiations between Boko Haram and the government that shows the missing students. They were snatched from their beds in a dormitory in the town of Chibok, leading to international pleas to bring back our girls.

Nima Elbagir, producer Stephanie Busari and videographer Sebastian Knoops, brings us this exclusive report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Lined up against a yellow wall, 15 girls, only their faces showing. An off-camera voice asks each girl, "What's your name? Is that the name your parents recognize?"

"Where were you taken from?" the voice asks.

Chibok School, and the date they say is the 25th of December 2015.

The video was obtained by CNN from a person close to the negotiations to get these girls released. For the parents, it is finally a glimmer of hope the girls are still alive.

Two years ago, we met Mary Ishaya, Rifqatu Ayouba and Yala Galang on our visit to Chibok after the abduction of their daughters and more than 200 other girls.

[13:50:06] We ask them if they recognize any of the girls in the video.

They lean closer. Another girl is identified, Hawa. One by one they name all 15 girls.

But one mother, Yala, realizes her daughter isn't there.

The off-camera voice asking the questions is familiar to CNN as that of Boko Haram spokesman Abu Zinnira. A source close to negotiations between Boko Haram and the Nigerian government said the video was provided by the terror group as an asked-for show of good faith.

Nigeria's information minister told CNN that they have received the video but are still reviewing it.

LAI MOHAMMED, NIGERIAN INFORMATION MINISTER: If you study the video, you find that the questions were asked in a rather controlled environment. We were a bit concerned too that after two years in captivity, the girls in the video were under no stress whatsoever, there has been little or no transformation to their physical appearance.

ELBAGIR (on camera): Is your government negotiating with Boko Haram for the release of the girls?

MOHAMMED: There are ongoing talks. We cannot ignore leads but, of course, many of these investigations are, you know, cannot be disclosed because it could also endanger, you know, the negotiations.

ELBAGIR (voice-over): We took the video to a classmate of the Chibok girls. She had been at home with family the day the other girls were kidnapped. For her safety, we're not showing her face and not using her name.

She told us there's no doubt the girls are some of her kidnapped classmates. CHIBOK GIRLS' CLASSMATE (through translator): These two were prefects. Watching the video, I'm reminded of how we used to play together. How we used to do chores, do our homework.

ELBAGIR: She says seeing friends again will likely give her nightmares.

CHIBOK GIRLS' CLASSMATE (through translator): Sometimes still, if I hear news about them, I have bad dreams and I wake up crying.

ELBAGIR: The video ends with a girl addressing the camera with a message to the Nigerian government: "We are all well," she says pointedly, perhaps suggesting girls not seen in this video.

She then delivers what sounds like a scripted plea, urging the Nigerian government to fulfill unspecified promises.

For the mothers of these girls rapidly becoming women far from home, the video is overwhelming. They say they just want someone to finally bring their daughters home.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: And Nima join us now from the Nigerian capital. It's heartbreaking but at least there's hope the girls are alive. What kind of response have you gotten from government officials?

ELBAGIR : Well, what we're now hearing, Don, from the governor of the Borno state where these girls were abducted from and although he hadn't seen this video because as we understood it, this really has been kept very, very tight, even within the Nigerian government to just the very few who are privy to the details of this negotiation, but he still told us it gave us hope and also gave us details, Don, of how he believed Boko Haram have managed to evade capture in spite of holding on to some of these girls still.

Take a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KASHIM SHETTIMA, GOVERNOR OF BORNO STATE: I'm not aware of the existence of that video, but I'm never surprised by its existence as well, because we have been saying the same thing all the while, that we believe that the girls are alive, but probably based on security, you cannot get them in one group. They might have been dispersed into several cells. It has been our belief that the girls are alive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ELBAGIR: This is a rare glimmer of hope for the parents, there's no doubt about that, Don. But there's also the reality from everyone we've been speaking to who's privy to these negotiations, that the terror group, Boko Haram, are very aware of the value of these girls and it seems -- it appears that they are negotiating for the girls block by block. [13:55:02] That's why you only see 15 of the 219. They're trying to

get as much out of this in terms of ransom money, in terms of release of their people as they can.

So, while this is definitely a happy time for some of those parents, it also has given them a sense that the agony is still going to be prolonged, don.

LEMON: Yes. Thank you very much for that. Nima Elbagir, we appreciate that incredible reporting.

And at the top of the hour, you can join -- make sure you join Nima and her producer Stephanie Busari live on Facebook for even more on this story. Go to facebook.com/CNN to ask questions.

That's it for me. Thank you so much for joining me.

Special coverage of the CNN presidential debate continues right after this.