in mind, a lot of these sanders supporters, a lot of them, not all of them, but a lot of them are not necessarily anti hillary. they may vote for her in the end. you know, i don't think they have anywhere else to go, naturally politically. they may be holding their nose a bit. but they like sanders as an alternative, as a movement politician, as a populist, et cetera. she wants to make sure to keep those progressives in the fold, to make sure they turn out, and that they vote for her enthusiastically in the fall. and -- but for him, i think you're right, john. i think this is an opportunity to say, look, he's up against a wall a little bit here. he has got to show that he can grow his portion of the electorate in a bigger, more diverse state like new york. with a higher minority population. he's got to show that he's got some game beyond whiter states, more progressive states. and to do that, he may have to go after her a little bit more toughly, aggressively, about honesty and trustworthiness, which is a liability for her.

about taking money from wall street. those areas where he wants to keep pushing to show that he may have some advantage. >>. >> absolutely. david gregory, great to see you. a lot to watch for tonight. he lays up perfectly, as always. we are at the top of the hour, everyone. watch this. fame or attention. that could drive america down into a ditch. >> they're acting like union boss thugs. >> the system, folks, is rigged. >> it's not the case. the rules have been set. >> the battle in brooklyn just hours away. >> under the bright spotlight and scrutiny here in new york. senator sanders has had trouble answering questions. >> i believe we're going to win here in new york is it city. hello, everyone. i'm still kate baldwin. >> i'm john berman live in brooklyn, new york.

this is the brooklyn navy yard. new york, new york, start spreading the news. bernie sanders, hillary clinton, they want to wake up in a city with lots of delegates. >> wow, good job. >> this is where bernie sanders was born and raised. this is where hillary clinton's campaign is based, and this is where a debate in less than nine hours, eight hours and 57 minutes, to be exact. that debate could alter the course of this campaign. >> it will be the final debate between the two before the critical new york primary. we'll see if they hold any other debates. that's still up in the air. and it could be the crescendo of what has become an increasingly testy campaign between these two. sanders win would be very big. and would be a psychological blow to the clinton campaign and could help him convince super delegates that he can wear clinton down. let's go straight to chris frates, inside the debate hall. a beautiful debate hall as it

always is. chris frates, what are you looking at? >> reporter: hey, kate and john, we're hours away from this battle in brooklyn. i'm standing here where secretary clinton and senator sanders go head-to-head for the first time in more than a month. of course, a hometown pride on the line here, as well. secretary clinton represented new york for many years in the senate, and her campaign headquarters for president just up the street here. and senator sanders, of course, born and raised here in brooklyn. now, take a little walk with me. i want to show you just how impressive this setup is. i'll walk over to where wolf blitzer is going to be questioning these candidates. this is his podium. and then as take a look to his right, cnn's dana bash ander roll which is. to give some sense of the transformation we've had in the brooklyn navy yard, this building is a conservancy, a place where they built battle ships. i want to show a still picture of this very building. they built a "uss missouri,"

"uss arizona", both in pearl harbor. we're going to a place where they used to build battle ships to have a debate over who should be our next commander in chief, john and kate. >> chris frates. thank you so much, chris. we'll check back in with you. >> joining us by telephone right now, is a man working for bernie sanders. his campaign manager, who just stepped out of debate prep to talk to us by phone. jeff weaver. jeff, thank you so much for being with us. you have been in the room while the preparations are going on. take us inside that room. what has debate prep been like, and what kind of night are you preparing for, exactly? >> well, i don't know anything about too many state secrets here, john. let me say this. i think this debate is going to be a great opportunity to highlight the very real policy differences between the secretary clinton and senator sanders. clearly on issues of campaign finance, the fact that he gets his money in amounts averaging $27 a piece from millions of people versus a campaign that is

funded by a lot of special interests of wall street, the pharmaceutical companies and others. that's only one issue. the issue of fracking and how we're going to stop this disastrous practice that pluts water and air in this country. and on trade. you know, the secretary clinton has supported almost all these disastrous trade deals that sent millions of jobs overseas. just a few of the issues i'm confident will come up tonight. >> very important issues in this campaign. very important issues and not surprisingly, here in new york. jeff, when it comes to the tone tonight, that's what a lot of folks are talking about. what is the tone going to be like between these two? because it is definitely kind of end and flowed if it's gotten nasty and dialed back over the past week. are you guys on offense or defense? what kind of tone do you want to set tonight? >> i think the tone you're going to hear from senator sanders is a confident tone, talking about the issues he knows are going to

resonate with voters here in new york, resonated with voters all across this country. so, you know, in terms of setting forth a policy agenda for america that is going to work for middle class and working class people, i think he's going to be on the offense. but that's on substance. he has run a campaign based on substance, on issues, on real policy differences with the secretary and i think that's where the focus is going to be. he certainly is going to be out front with his agenda. >> the wife of mayor bill de blasio, supporting hillary clinton, she says that bernie sanders is getting desperate. in this campaign. your response. >> well, look, there's nothing desperate about a campaign that's won eight out of the last nine contests. that cut secretary clinton's lead by a third in a few weeks. gaining momentum. had a rally last night here in new york with over 27,000

people. i don't know what the campaign would have to be desperate about. this is a campaign clearly on the move. the senator has the momentum. i think he'll do very well in new york here on tuesday. so, you know, he is pushing forward with the campaign he has run from the beginning. the campaign that's focused around the needs of ordinary people and how we're going to transform this country so the needs of ordinary people come before the special interests. >> about last night. real quick. the comment coming from bernie sanders supporter paul song. bernie sanders spoke out against it, tweeting he thought the comment when he said "electing corporate democratic corps," he tweeted out he thought it was inappropriate and insensitive. earlier on our show, robby michael olowokandi, hillary's campaign manager, he said he was very happy you guys spoke out against it. but he also seemed to suggest you guys took quite a while and you didn't apologize for speak out against it fast enough. >> well, i'm sorry robby feels that way. but listen, the senator spoke on

it, the campaign has spoken on it. you know, all campaigns have surrogates. they get up and sometimes say things that you wish they hadn't said. it was an insensitive remark, inappropriate remark. certainly no place for that kind of language in the political dialogue in this country. no matter who it comes from. and, you know, i think the senator has been very clear on that. so i'm sorry it wasn't quite fast enough for robby mook. i think the senator has been clear. of course, he would rather talk about one person at the rally, rather than the other 27,000 people who showed up at that rally. you know, versus the rather small and modest rally that the secretary was holding at the same time uptown. >> jeff, last question here. you're 12 points down in new york, even if it's only 10 points down in new york. the math says you need to win more than 50% of the rest of the delegates to secure the nomination. maybe 55, 56% of the delegates, you know, to win the nomination. if you lose new york, how does the math work out for you? if you lose new york, can you

win the nomination? >> absolutely. look, we have to clearly win most states going forward. but we don't have to win all states. we have mapped out intermittently a path to getting more delegates by the end of this process than secretary clinton and it does not require us to win every state. so he's going to do very well. as you know, it's a proportional system, so even if you come close, you basically split the delegates. there's a lot of states coming up. he's going to do very well in new york, may win new york. the kind of enthusiasm you saw last night in the streets of new york was i think incredible. i think everybody was there. chris cuomo was there. it was an incredible experience. a lot of people have been in politics in a long time and can't remember anything like it. so i think there is a lot of momentum. and may well push him over the top. we're certainly going to do well, regardless, and we certainly are on a path to the nomination. >> all right jeff weaver, thanks for calling in. get back into debate prep. senator sanders clearly missing you in inside. >> and then call us back and

tell us what happened. >> whole team plan. >> thank you so much, jeff. all right. so the democratic presidential debate will be live tonight at 9:00 p.m. eastern, right where we are. only on cnn. let's pivot now to the republican race. for the white house right now. senator cruz unleashing on the trump campaign after it accused cruz's team of using gestapo tactics in securing delegates. listen to how ted cruz responded last night on cnn. >> it is bizarre. donald and his team, it's almost like they are subjects in a clinical course on psychology. there are all sorts of different behaviors they display. but one of them is projection. that the conduct they do regularly they accuse everyone else of doing. so literally in the last few weeks, donald's team, roger stone, chief political adviser, was threatening to out the hotel

rooms of delegates who dared to cross trump so they could be intimidated. they're acting like union boss thugs. donald has a hard ceiling in most states of about 35 or 40%. so he did well early in the race when there were 16 other candidates, because all of the other votes were dispersed. now that the field has narrowed, what we're seeing is that republicans are uniting behind our campaign and we're beating him over and over and over again. >> all right. joining us now, caitlyn mac, cnn political commentator and donald trump supporter. and former communications director for senator ted cruz. julian zelser, and steve long gan, for the cruz campaign and former u.s. senate candidate. we have all of new jersey here on our right. we just heard ted cruz talk about the donald ceiling. he's got a ceiling of 35%. it's interesting. we're here in new york here where donald trump could break

50%. anywhere between 50 to 60% in the polls here. so is he shattering that ceiling? >> well, if he doesn't get over 50%, he needs to drop out of the race. but john, in the beginning you said that this debate tonight could be a game-changer for the democrat party. and what's remarkable to me is that democrats across this country are going to get to see their two top candidates debate the issues important to democrats. i don't support those issues of more spending and debt and big government. however, on the republican side, republicans are being denied the opportunity to see their top candidates debate these issues in depth, because donald trump is scared to death of ted cruz. he will not debate the issues. senator cruz wants to talk about the issues of jobs, freedom and security in depth and is explain his policies. donald trump has to explain why he thinks it's the role of government for education and health care. not having this debate and a republican debate would be a game changer. denies its republican party. >> we have had more than a dozen debates so far. i hope -- don't just cap your

criticism to donald trump and give the same criticism to ronald reagan when he decided to forego debates all together. you might as well criticize ronald reagan on that. and to say that donald trump has a ceiling is quite frankly ridiculous when you consider the fact that donald trump is ahead by 2 million votes. if donald trump has a ceiling of 40%, ted cruz has one of lower than 30%, iould venture to say around 20%. so the ceilings notion is really a argument by 2 million voters. >> what happened this week, especially in this setting, great american ballots ships were built that shows why we need a republican debate. american military service men were buzzed by a russian jet in the baltic this week. they were conducting drills with our allies in poland. donald trump has said he doesn't view russia as a threat. wants to scale back alliances with nato, with our allies. he has been proven wrong on that. he should be questioned on it in a debate format, because these are critical matters of

importance to our national security. not only for us, but for our allies. >> steve -- professor, you're an historian so i can -- my favorite quote, the strong do as they well, the weak suffer as they must. why would he debate? >> right. at this point, he wants to sit tight and doesn't want to expose himself during a debate to some of the shots he took. so he just doesn't have a lot of incentive. and i don't think the good of the party is as much on his mind as the good of his candidacy. and i don't mean that mainly. that is how a strategic thinker thinks. but what we're entering to is a debate over the legitimacy of these candidates. both sides are doing it. and i think that's going to be the main issue that we actually hear about. whether it's about cruz turning delegates in it unfair ways, or it's about trump kind of using his muscle. more like a mafia. so -- than a politician. i think this is what we're in store for for the next week or so.

>> hillary clinton is clearly the front runner, too, and she's not afraid to debate bernie sanders. so i don't understand what donald trump's fear is. here's the problem -- and i calculated that in a two-minute debate segment. donald trump would have to screech out, we're going to build a wall, we're going to make america great again 42 times and the 12th time people say where is the substance? he has no substance. donald trump cannot talk about his policies in more than 140 characters and that's not going to satisfy american voters. >> steve, here's the thing. in new york, though, donald trump is very far ahead. your candidate is in third at this moment. i mean, when -- >> it's trump's home state. >> with cruz running third right now in a state that has become very important in this primary, i mean, what's a win for you guys? >> kate, ted cruz has this remarkable ability to exceed expectations. i'm not going to say he's going to win new york. but donald trump better go over 50%, or that's a loss for him. >> what about cruz? what does cruz need to do? >> he needs to pull out delegates. >> breakfast in the morning.

>> if donald trump has said he's going to get all 95 delegates, he better. he better get all 95 delegates, because if ted cruz walks out of here with two delegates, donald trump lost. >> kelly, i want to give you an opportunity to respond to that. noting in the new jersey primary, steve's home state here, is coming up. on june 7th, as well. how is donald trump going to do there? >> sure. that's a winner take all. donald trump will win that as well. he's going to win the entirety of the northeast, i would argue. california is looking good for him. pennsylvania is great. he has a very friendly map ahead. and i think he will reach 1237. and this idea that donald trump hasn't answered questions, that is a ridiculous idea. because he has made himself more available to media than any candidate in modern history. when anderson cooper said two town halls ago to ted cruz, i begged you to come on this show, you won't do it. that is the truth. hillary clinton's refrained from going on certain news stations. donald trump has gone on every news station. he sat with chris matthews for an hour, a guy not friendly to the conservative cause at all. he has answered the hardest

question than ted cruz has ever answered. >> i think the outcomes of the primaries will dictate whether he has a debate or not. there is no way to convince a front runner to debate because it's not always in that their interest. this is not distinct or unique to donald trump. if he loses -- if all of a sudden cruz is doing better, my guess is donald trump will be ready to appear on the cnn or whatever channel. >> sadly -- i think this debate is over, steve. >> for the moment. >> thanks so much for being here with us. we will do this debate again, though. there are multiple more to come. >> every day. it's like christmas. donald trump, he may be focused on bashing the establishment, bashing washington. but today his campaign is on capitol hill. rubbing shoulders with lawmakers. what are they trying to do and what have they told people behind closed doors? we'll tell you, next. tokyo-style ramen noodles.

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we're going to take you live right now to midtown, manhattan where bernie sanders is speaking before the national election artwork. al sharpton's national action network. let's listen in. >> at a time when not a lot of truth is being told.

so here are some of the truths that we need to be talking about. number one, in this room, throughout this country, men and women have put their lives on the line to defend american democracy. here is the truth. in many ways, the foundations of american democracy today are being undermined by disastrous campaign finance laws, citizens united, supreme court decision. and by voter suppression among republican governors all over this country. so let us be clear. truth number one is democracy means one person, one vote. you want to vote for me, love to have it. you want to vote against me, that's called democracy.

billionaires who represent the wealthy and powerful should not be about buying elections. that's why we're going to overturn citizens united. when billionaires buy elections, that's called oligarchy, not democracy. number two, and i know the national action network has been fighting this tooth and nail. and that is, we have a level of republican voter suppression that is absolutely outrageous. you would have thought that after all we have gone through, as a country, to make sure that people have the right to vote, regardless of the color of their skin, that these republican governors would show some mercy

and not try to bring us back to jim crow days. the idea that they are passing laws, restricting the right to vote, making it harder for people to vote, poor people, old people. people of color. that is moving in exactly the wrong way. and i see my old friend, reverend jackson here. he has an idea. others have a different idea. but what we all agree on is that the end of the day, in america, if you are 18 years of age, and you're an american citizen, you have the right to vote! maybe we do it through a constitutional amendment. maybe we do it in another way. but i'm tired. of people figuring out ways to shrink the voter turnout. we've got to expand the voter turnout.

number two, i am embarrassed to have to admit this. but i am old enough to have been at the march on washington for jobs and freedom. i was there. with dr. king. dates me, but i was there. but i want everybody to remember what i know you all know. the name of that march -- it's not just the march on washington. it was the march on washington for jobs and freedom. am i right? reverend sharpton? >> i wasn't there, but -- [ laughter ] >> he's a kid. he's a good kid. he's growing. he's learning. jobs and freedom. and what doctor king understood is, of course, you have to destroy segregation. of course you have to open up opportunity for all people.

but then he said, what does it matter if you desegregate a lunch counter, but you don't have the money to buy the damn hamburger? and this is what he said back in the 1960s. and it's sad to remember how much distance we still have to go. this is dr. king. he said, the other america -- he talked about two americans. he said the other america was plagued by, quote, inadequate, substandard and often dilapidated housing conditions. well, guess what? i was in baltimore, maryland. a few months ago. in a community where so many of the homes were boarded up. i have been in communities all over this country where gentrification is destroying neighborhoods.

i have been in communities where people are paying 50, 60% of their limited incomes in housing. we have all been in communities where too many people are sleeping out on the street. >> bernie sanders speaking in midtown, manhattan to the national action network. this is al sharpton's group. bernie sanders also acknowledging reverend jesse jackson. and endorsed when he ran for president twice in the 1980s. he's talking about voting rights and voter registration. he called out republican governors who he said wanted to take the country back to jim crow days by preventing people from voting. pretty strong words there from bernie sanders. >> bernie sanders speaking before this convention today. hillary clinton spoke before this group yesterday. let's bring in donna brazil to talk about the significance of this and the timing of this, of course. so donna, bernie sanders making his pitch. hitting on his points, trying to make in roads with african-american voters. he's struggled with this to this point. hillary clinton making her pitch

yesterday. this is important and this is important before the new york primary. >> right. there's no question that the african-american vote is very important to not just the democratic party, but it's important to winning the white house in the fall. bernie sanders has a very good relationship with african-american leaders and african-american voters. it's just that hillary clinton has what i call strong bonds of support. these are individuals who have not only been supportive of the clinton campaign, the clinton presidency, but she has deep relationships that go back 30, 40 years. and so i'm enjoying the competition now with both senator sanders and secretary clinton, going out there, energizing young people, especially young african-americans, hispanics. because they need their votes, not just in this primary season, but also in the fall. >> is bernie sanders making meaningful gains as far as you could tell among african-american voters? the campaign points to young voters and saying that's -- they're doing well. but is it enough? >> he is started with 3%. i mean, when you start with 3%

with hispanics or, 5% with african-americans and you've grown your support, of course it takes time to nurture and to court these voters. but the truth is, he's out there, he's not -- he's not taken these voters for granted. he wants their support. and today this is a great opportunity for him to ask for their help. >> also looks like hillary clinton isn't taking these voters for granted either. >> oh, no. >> not only speaking before al sharpton's group yesterday, but then hitting up half a dozen churches with bill clinton on sunday. is support among african-americans in question for hillary clinton? >> well, very -- no, it's not in question. but she has to maximize turnout. she needs a strong turnout on tuesday in order to not just win the new york primary, but to get the kind of delegate lead to maintain the delegate lead she has, that's been consistent along the way. but i just want to say something. because this is a matter of pride. african-american women, when you

look at every demographic group in the contradiction we have the highest voter registration and voter participation of any americans in the country. so i take personal pride in that. but more importantly, what secretary clinton is trying to do is to drive turnout. you want to know what you can find black women on a sunday and this is not a stereotype. you can find us in church. and we get our hair done and go back to work on monday. she is doing what i think it takes to get not just strong support of african-americans and hispanics and others, but to also remind them, she has strong faithful roots and she wants to be able to remind people of the work she's done for civil rights and equal rights across the country. >> donna brazil, great to have you here with us. >> always. >> thanks, donna. what is donald trump and his campaign up to today? they have staffers up on capitol hill behind closed doors with lawmakers. we're going to hear from one of those people just briefed by the trump campaign. what are they saying, and when are they saying they will lock up the nomination? caring for someone with alzheimer's means

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we are live at the brooklyn navy yard. site of tonight's democratic debate between hillary clinton and bernie sanders. there is a republican race going on, as well. and just a short time ago, we got word that members of donald trump's campaign team went to capitol hill to meet behind closed doors with house republicans trying to smooth over relations there. maybe lay out a path to victory for donald trump.

cnn's senior political reporter, manu raju on capitol hill. what happened there? >> reporter: hey, john, this is the first and beginning of a series of weekly meetings as they try to broaden support from members of congress and also tap into that institutional knowledge that lawmakers have of their own districts as they try to reach out to voters in these upcoming primary states. today's was a lot about reassuring supporters that donald trump can actually win this nomination before the convention and brook over, the senior campaign aide who led this meeting today was very, very bullish about his campaign's chances. >> the hard number is 1237. but -- and then we think we're going to blow way past that. >> we talked about 1237. and i can tell you we got to 1265 in a conservative way. >> last comment from chris collins in new york. congressman actually leading this effort on capitol hill. he thinks -- he said the trump

campaign believes on tuesday that they will win 85 of the 95 delegates in new york. but colin said actually he thinks they'll win 95 of the 95 delegates. brookover also said their on a glide path to the nomination before contested convention. i tried to push him, what would happen if you do get to a contested convention. it really shows, guys, if they do end up in a situation where they do not lock up this nomination before cleveland, how difficultel it be to win the nomination, possibly on the second ballast so they want to make sure it is locked up in june in big california primary. which we'll all be talking about in a few weeks. >> talk about setting expectations. we've got it all. we're going to get it all. manu raju. good to see you. thank you so much. those meetings will continue. donald trump, when talking about this delegate fight, he insists the system is rigged against him. he has also said the head of the rnc should be ashamed of himself for how this delegate fight is playing outstate by state. but the rnc chairman, reince

priebus, he insists the process is fair. listen. >> 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 they regret. is but certainly one things that's true, the rules are not being changed in order to injure or benefit anybody. they are what they are. they're in writing. they're available to anyone that wants to participate. and actually, state by state, they're not all that complicated. >> so you see right there, reince priebus and with us is rnc national spokeswoman lindsey walters. >> thank you. >> you heard from reince, clearly trying to take the temperature down on this back and forth with donald trump. over this delegate fight. but donald trump says -- said he should be ashamed of himself. and reince priebus in a tweet said, give me a break. reince priebus is engaging.

he engaged in this battle. why is he? >> you know, i think you're looking right now -- you have a candidate who is attacking the process and these rules were outlined back in october. they are submitted to the rnc and made available to all of the campaigns and candidates. and this is a huge organizational process and it's up to the campaigns and the candidates to ensure that they understand how that process works. and for them to turn around and point blame -- everyone needs to understand this process. it's been well aware to them. and nothing has changed and nothing is new. and it's on the campaigns to understand that. and if you don't, it's bad on your staff and bad on the campaign that you didn't understand the rules. >> so internally, are you just flabbergasted anyone would question it? what's the conversation going on within your staff? >> our understanding with the rnc, we don't set the rules. it's set by the state party. so each individual state determines what their rules are going to be and then they put them forth. so this is up to the states, not the rnc. >> can i ask about part of the process we haven't discussed much but i find fascinating?

usually when someone wraps up the nomination, they plan the convention. it's their convention, they set it up, the schedule, the rnc is involved as well, and the convention staff. but it's a campaign operation. if there's no campaign that's at 1237, what's that going to be like? who is going to plan the convention? who decides what happens on what night? who decides who speaks when and where? >> there's a convention committee in place as there is every time we have a convention. right now we're preparing for two possible scenarios. we have two candidates who could mathematically get to 1237 or we end up in an open convention. whether the reality is an open convention or a presumptive nominee going into cleveland, we are preparing for all these scenarios and there is a team in place who will ensure this process moves smoothly and we come out of cleveland, united behind a kaeblt. >> good luck. lindsey walters. >> that process working overtime right now. lindsey, thank you so much. >> thank you having for me. tonight's debate could be crucial for either hillary clinton or bernie sanders. most likely, crucial for both.

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and a delicious real bite that was. and for dessert, all you new yorkers know that i am just nuts for nuts. [ laughter ] there's my alarm. time to turn my hat around. there we go. ah, god i love those new york meats! >> that is one way, perhaps, to win the new york vote. if you're not going to go down that path, what do the democrat candidates need to do to win tonight's debate and win in the primary on tuesday? let's discuss with robert zimmerman, democratic strategist and a clinton campaign suppor r supporter, and jonathan at the sceny, supporter of bernie sanders and the author of "the essential bernie sanders and his vision for america." gentlemen, i want to keep this simple. tell me one single thing each your candidate can do to win this debate tonight. robert. >> hillary clinton has got to mobilize democrats to focus on the real agenda here, which is beating donald trump or ted

cruz, and making sure democrats don't get caught up in all the side shows. don't get on all the personal attacks she has to face. but focus on really what's at stake. that's what mobilizes democrats. that's what mobilizes new yorkers and that's why i think she'll win. >> i never worry about bernie sanders going into debates. because he is very consistent about what he talks about. inequality, the billionaires taking over our election process, and i think the more he talks about that, the more he gets exposes that, those issues. and the fact that he wants a political revolution. he does very well in the debates. i think he's going to stick to that. >> in sticking to that, though, what is the tone going to be like? i mean, you can either go on offense or defense tonight. those are really the two options. you need to pick one. if you try both, it will end poorly. >> the reality is, when bernie sanders began this campaign, he was focusing on issues and i think that was important and helpful to elevate the democratic party and engage supporters. unfortunately, as his campaign has progressed and he sees hillary clinton winning the popular vote by 2.4 million, winning the elected delegates, he's started to attack her

character, started to attack her personally and i think that's diminished his candidacy and diminished his message. >> jonathan. >> well, i disagree slightly with my friend robert. i think that what has happened is, as often happens in primaries, it gets intense because people are competing for different visions. bernie wants to change the party. it is about the soul of the party. he wants to have a political revolution that's about taking on the big banks, taking on the billionaires. hillary clinton represents the status quo, moderate democratic party. >> right. so is it bad if it gets -- intense. if it even goes negative tonight? why not -- >> if you think hillary clinton represents the status quo, i've got a bridge in brooklyn i can get you a good deal on. i'll take it. going from manhattan to brooklyn. >> when you actually get money from goldman sachs, when you get huge amounts of money from the coal, gas and industry -- let me finish. that's the status quo. that's exactly the status quo that bernie wants to stop. because he thinks that's buying our democracy, it's taking away the rights of individual people

to have a voice in the american political process. that's what he said from the beginning of the campaign. and i think he's going to continue with that line tonight and do very well. >> the problem is, they start making those kinds of false charges. when, in fact, i think bernie sanders got a coveted three pinocchios from the "washington post" fact checker. when you start making those kinds of false charges, you lose sight of the real issues that democrats have to focus on if we're going to beat the republicans -- >> it's an appetizer. leave us there. >> i love appetizers. >> i'll get you the brooklyn bridge. >> some sorbet and bernie sanders and hillary clinton at 9:00 p.m. eastern time. thanks so much for coming. appreciate it, thanks so much. in a short time from now, a big announcement coming -- very big announcement for trump's campaign manager. sources say the florida state attorney will not move forward with charges against cory lewandowski. how the reporter at the center of this case is reacting this morning. that's next.

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just about one hour from now, a county prosecutor in florida will hold a news conference regarding donald trump's campaign manager, cory lewandowski. >> sources familiar with the case say lewandowski will not be prosecuted for battery after this incident with former breitbart reporter, michelle fields. fields said lewandowski grabbed her as she was asking a question. let's bring in defense attorney dan danny self ales. you are not surprised. >> not at all surprised. even though the elements of a battery were probably met under the florida statute, which really only requires an intentional touching without consent, the reality is, once you step away from the law books, this is not the kind of case that a prosecutor in florida or anywhere else is going to be interested in taking to trial.

there was, as -- this is unusual in the sense that there was a ton of evidence. there's video evidence, audio evidence, witness testimony. and you usually don't have that in the typical battery case which is often he said, he said, or he said, she said. but when you look at this evidence, a florida prosecutor, like anywhere else, has much more serious battery cases and in the spectrum of batteries that criminal defense attorneys and prosecutors say, this is simply on the lowest end of the spectrum? >> what about a possible civil case for michelle fields, a defamation suit or something? >> technically, there is civil battery. and technically, almost the same thing. intentional touching without consent. but the real question is, personal injury cases, tort cases, are driven by damages. what are her damages? now, a creative person could say, well, maybe she lost her job. maybe this, maybe that. but as an attorney, a law firm, somebody else, are they going to invest their resources in a case like this, where the damages are

simply that i was touched and it was without my consent? you have no medical injuries, you have no real compensable damages. other than some alleged bruising. which, of course, has some value. the question is, who is really interested in pursuing that as a tort case? >> danny, great to see you. thank you very much for laying it out for us. appreciate it. >> we'll watch that news conference sometime in the next hour. >> absolutely. so just ahead, all eyes on brooklyn tonight for the big debate. between bernie sanders and hillary clinton. how are they preparing for this fight? her press secretary -- hillary clinton's press secretary, brian fallon and campaign strategist, will be joining us. stay with us, please. 73% of americans try...

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what a beautiful day it is here in boklyn. it's sunny, but it's a little bit chilly. and we're all ready for tonight. i'm don lemon at the site of tonight's presidential debate here in brooklyn, new york. wolf blitzer getting ready for tonight, great questions for both candidates. he's going to be moderating this debate. wherever you're watching from around the world, thank you so much for joining us. i'm don lemon in for wolf. getting ready for tonight. just eight hours from now. eight hours from now. hillary clinton and bernie sanders will take to the stage. they're going to grapple in their final debate before the all-important new york primary on tuesday. it's a face-off that comes at a very crucial juncture in this campaign, as you look at pictures of inside of the hall. and on one side, you have hillary clinton, who has won more delegates. more popular votes. and more states. and then on the