we don't need anymore of these washington acts. the acts to get rid of are washington, d.c. acts and as a governor of a state capital i said we don't need somebody from washington, d.c. what i said in that campaign was the problem is washington, d.c. and we don't need washington politicians to fix it. and so when you look at who's remaining on the stage, no question this is the person who will go to washington, d.c. and be able to absolutely turn the place around. we don't need anymore washington politicians, especially some who have only been there for a term and never shown up for work to tell us how to run the united states government. and so, i absolutely believe that donald trump is the best person on that stage to be president of the united states. by the way, there was a period of time i was running against him. he knew i wanted to beat him. he wanted to beat me. we had open conversations about that. but that part of this is over. and then you have to say to yourself as a good, loyal, american who is the best person to stop hillary clinton from ever getting inside the

in the meantime we send it to washington. "the lead with jake tapper" starts right now. >> thanks, brooke. i'm back from new hampshire. as donald trump might say, there was so much winning going on. "the lead" starts right now. there will be blood. donald trump moves on to south carolina with ted cruz in his cross-hairs. if you thought the race was chaotic and ugly before, wait until you see the tv ads running today. >>> going national. bernie sanders getting a huge fund-raising bump after his blowout win in new hampshire. can he break through in friendly territory for hillary clinton? >>> determined to attack. the top u.s. security official warning isis could strike inside the u.s. this year. and we may not see the terrorists coming. hello, everyone, welcome to "the lead." i'm jake tapper. our politics lead today, new hampshire narrowing the republican field. carly fiorina announcing she is suspending her campaign today. governor chris christie expected to do the same. while tuesday spelled the end for some, it was a momento

he has been covering washington for more than 40 years. he also moderated three presidential election debates and now a cbs news contributor. before we talk about the presidential race, let me ask you about the stunning and tragic news about justice scalia. i think it's known for you in washington sometimes you see the justices even though there's a vail of secrecy over the court. did you ever interact with him and what are your experiences with him? >> i met him once at a party. that's the extent of my personal contact. he was truly an intellectual giant. no getting around that. one could disagree or agree with him. he made his mark but i got to tell you, brian. i woke up this morning and looked at my iphone and there was the headline on the washington post story that says scalia's death spurs partisan sclash. i thought my god they haven't dug the poor man's grave yet and we're talking about a partisan brought on by his death. it's where we are in american politics today. >> we can talk about whether it's good or bad but it's certainly ch

bush also vowed to change washington. but he's also putting the blame on republicans especially with this supreme court nomination. a question of will you give this nominee a hearing? that's going to put republicans on the defensive. but at the same time, don, i don't see the republicans caving. now, will the democrats say, well, the president won't sign spending bills unless you give him this nominee. that, will they raise the stakes to that degree? we'll see later this year, but i don't see republicans caving any time soon and i think republicans might say, listen, we might lose the senate over this, but this is more important to prevent obama from shifting this court. >> i appreciate all of you coming on tonight. gloria borger working hard in the field. all the guys, lazy in the studio sucking up the air-conditioning or the heat. gloria, thank you very much. >> come on down. it's fun. >> thank you, guys. see you soon. >>> when we come right back, hillary clinton on the trail in harlem. will african-american voters be t

"the washington post" join mess now. you want you to respond. he's been the subject of media coverage describing a cozy relationship with donald trump. he's been dismissing those criticisms. let's look at what he said about you on his show. >> "washington post" actually after our town hall meeting the other night when i eperred him with so many questions that i was attacked for interrupting too much actually said how dare they hold a town hall meeting where they don't ask him tough questions. e we asked tougher questions than our ket. tors ask who have the media writers and people have the audacity to ask if we're too close to donald trump. the answer is, no, we're not. >> he says he's been tough. you said he let him skate. >> i think that there is one of these it great situations where both sides can claim, look at this question, look at at that question. my point here is sort of a larger one. that is if you allow donald trump -- if youen gauge him only on social security, iraq, the issues and how he's going to unite the republican party, you'r

i think there is a lot of hand ringing in washington. the reality is much of washington brought this on. people are very mad at the leadership. i think in both parties frankly. but trump has had the benefit of having such a crowded field, it's disburpersed a lot of the i think the angryist voices have gone towards him. as long as his field stays as large as it is, that i a benefit to trump. >> washington is a little irked some people aren't dropping to perhaps coalesce behind one. alex, to you, sir, great piece with maggie and jonathan in "the times." in your reporting, you mention senate majority leader mitch mcconnell laying out the plan that would have lawmakers break with trump in a general election? tell me about that. >> what they're envisioning now is a scenario where they're struck with trump and it becomes very clear maybe even before the convention in july that he's a nonstarter and he's going to lose badly. what that means is you have a number of vulnerable republican senators up for re-election who suddenly have to choose do

also with us, todd gillman, the washington burreau chief for th dallas morning news. this back and forth over donald trump's taxes, where the main aggressor is one willard mitt romney, the 2012 republican nominee. i suppose there are two questions. you've been on the record with us saying you think at some point donald trump will be vetted more than he has in the past and this may be one of those areas that will take place in. be that as it may, is willard mitt romney the right messenger for this attack? >> it certainly does show he is the embodiment of the establishment. for him to compae out, i think it's unprecedented to come out like this. but where's his evidence? what does he know that we don't know? interesting to hear. >> impressive for the man who was the republican nominee. i should note that donald trump announced mitt romney four years ago and in case anyone forgets, mitt romney went hat in hand to trump towers to essentially beg for that endorsement. >> we will eventually see his tax return but we will not see him in march. >> all right, amanda carpenter,

one it's the anger and frustration at washington. and two the person you are seeing on tv that seems to be as mad as you are the most is donald trump. and that's the reason why he has continued the success. >> tara you want to get in there? >> i absolutely do. as a trump supporter, we have been called angry by the media. and i just did this same thing. it's not the fact that we walk around being angry people. it's not the fact that the fact we walk around being uneducated people. we are very educated and some of the smartest folks that i know didn't get a college degree. the fact of the matter is we finally have a voice. we have been a silent majority for so long in this country, donald trump is giving us a voice. we are not standing out in the street poppy, streaming at the top of our lungs that we're miss pissed off and we're not going to take it anymore. we are simply saying washington needs a choke hold on sit he have. -- on it set. et cetera a out of control. >> tara let me follow that up with this question for you. donald trump

the establishment in your state is out to get me, the establishment in washington. donald trump is fighting the big voices people don't like especially grassroots republicans. he's fighting president obama, fighting the republican establishment. nickki haley is popular in the states. that might require a bit more calibration for mr. trump to let it go and focus on his voters sometimes he can't resist. >> gleoria, to be clear, george w. bush is no longer on the trail for his brother, is he? >> reporter: no, i think it was a big showing and whether he'll come back out again, we deon't know, but his mother is going to be out on the trail so it continues to be kind of a family thing. >> gloria, thank you, john king as well. >>> just ahead, republicans on the attack as the south carolina approaches. will the republicans get tougher? that's next. >>> on the democratic side, bernie sanders and hillary clinton vie for the crucial african-american vote. e... ...reinvented. sophistication... ...redefined. introducing the all-new lexus rx and rx hybrid. agile handling. availab

there are 250,000 people at the march on washington. all of those people are civil rights icons, as i look at it. >> i don't doubt hillary clinton's support for civil rights and i don't doubt that she's been a supporter of the cbc and the issues you care about. but in 1964 she was a goldwater girl. by her own description she was a republican back then. i mean she was in high school. but she was not doing what bernie sanders was doing at that time. >> well, the thing that i think we all have connected with was that after her awakening, hillary clinton was able to participate in programs and put forth policies that were revolutionary at the time, working with the children's defense fund is just one. but keep in mind that back in that same time, ronald reagan, who was almost a deity for republicans, was a democrat. so i think if we're going to get into that part of things, i would say bernie sanders has just become a democrat. but i think the thing we need to focus on, frankly, is history. i think history says something about what a person

she joins us from washington. what are the latest details? >> reporter: we know justice scalia went to texas on friday for a hunting trip at a secluded rezorts. he had dinner on friday night. the ranch owner had been speaking to reporters and said scalia was entertaining and engaged throughout the dinner. around 9:00 p.m. he said he had a long week and wanted to get a good sleep. a separate source tells evan perez that scalia said he wasn't feeling well on friday. the next day the range owner checked on scalia because he didn't show up for breakfast and lunch and found him in bed lying in repose. the sheets weren't wrinkled, no signs of foul play. it appears he died in his sleep of natural causes and the family has reportedly requested for him not to have an autopsy. >> in terms of political fallout, a fight brewing over the successor between the white house and republicans. any timetable as to how it could play out? >> likely it will be within the next month we'll hear about a nomination based on previous nominations coming from president ob

the senate meets in washington. you are hardly an outsider. it's a bit disingenuous for a sitting u.s. senator to paint themselves as washington outsiders. >> well, look. this has become one of the memes this year. are you part of the establishment,oon outsider? these terms have lost any meaning. they've become epithets thrown around at people you don't like. but regarding jeb bush's attacks on rubio, i find it really kind of sad because i have long been a jeb bush fan. and i wish that he were more -- that the voters were more receptive to him, but they're not. he has the worst standing of any republican in the field with general election voters with the exception of donald trump. and it's a shame that bush is deciding at this stage, having seen the abysmal results he achieved to return with such foracity on his former friend and ally marco rubio rather than use the techniques that he used in his very inspirational announcement speech for example, which was the best of jeb bush. and now we're seeing the gutter politician. not a good way to end

here in washington, 8:00 p.m. in damascus, syria, wherever you're watching from around the world, thanks very much for joining us. we're keeping an eye on two major developing stories right now. first the fallout from the surprise passing of the u.s. supreme court justice antonin scalia, and the battle between the white house and republican-controlled senate over replacements. former president george w. bush makes a much-anticipated return. he'll hit the campaign trail in south carolina to support his brother, jeb bush, who spent a good part of the weekend defending the family name. >>> but we start on the steps of the u.s. supreme court where the flags are now at half staff in honor of the dean of the current line-up of justices. 30-year veteran antonin scalia passed away over the weekend. our correspondent joey johns is at the court for us, joe, what do we know about memorial plans? >> reporter: frankly i've talked to them just a little while ago, still no word on what is going to happen here at the court or els

he's a polarizing figure in washington and capitol hill. can he win the hearts and minds of the texas voters. we'll take you to a diner in dallas to find out what people there are saying. >>> deadly tornadoes strike the southeastern united states. the latest on whether the powerful storm system is hitting as we come to you live from the university of houston where the cnn debate is tomorrow night. think of it as a seven seat theater... for an action packed thriller. being hacked and intellectual property being stolen. that is cyber-crime and it affects each and every one of us. microsoft created the digital crimes unit to fight cyber-crime. we use the microsoft cloud to visualize information so we can track down the criminals. when it comes to the cloud, trust and security are paramount. we're building what we learn back into the cloud to make people and organizations safer. one day a rider made a decision. the decision to ride on and save money. he decided to save money by switching his motorcycle insurance to geico. there's no shame in sa

he's a polarizing figure in washington and capitol hill. can he win the hearts and minds of the texas voters. we'll take you to a diner in dallas to find out what people there are saying. >>> deadly tornadoes strike the southeastern united states. the latest on whether the powerful storm system is hitting as we come to you live from the university of houston where the cnn debate is tomorrow night. f. he's agreed to give it up. ok, but i have 30 acres to cover by sundown. we'll be with him all day as he goes back to taking tylenol. yeah, i was ok, but after lunch my knee started hurting again so... more pills. yep... another pill stop. can i get my aleve back yet? for my pain... i want my aleve. get all day minor arthritis pain relief with an easy open cap. if you have moderate to severe ulcerative colitis or crohn's, and your symptoms have left you with the same view, it may be time for a different perspective. if other treatments haven't worked well enough, ask your doctor about entyvio, the only biologic developed and approved just for uc

we'll find somewhere in washington to name after you. bill clinton and gorbachev recorded a new version of the classic tail peter and the wolf and wolf tracks which took home the 2003 grammy for best spoken world album for children. president gorbachev narrated it in russian. president clinton narrated part of the story with the help of dramatic music from the russian national orchestra. >> peter and the wolf faced each other motionless. >> president obama will add to his collection by collaborating with vladimir putin, it would be interesting to see the story the duo would tell together. thank you for being part of the program this week. i will see you next week. >>> happening now in the newsroom. >> i think last night was truly the beginning of the real republican primary. here's where it really begins at this point now. >> i think it's going to be between hilary and myself. >> the only campaign that can beat donald trump and has beaten donald trump is our campaign. >> the truth is for a campaign that started off as a fringe campaign a

today he was in washington, d.c. and so that is a newsworthy story -- >> actually, i was on the air -- right, i was actually on the air, and what we reported is that he was going down to florida, and then actually, we followed up with a statement from his campaign saying he was going down to florida because he needed a change of clothes. that might sound ridiculous, but that's what we reported. >> yeah, okay, well, i don't -- a change of clothes, i don't -- well, chris moody had also said r&r, which i took to mean rest and relaxation. we never disputed the cnn reporting -- >> we also reported that he was going to speak at the national prayer breakfast. >> right, and we -- right. so he went to the national prayer breakfast. the whole point is, in the political world, this is playoffs. this is it. nothing else. skipping the playoffs and expecting to go to the super bowl is just -- it doesn't make sense. so that -- so dr. carson made a strategic decision that he wanted to go to florida instead of new hampshire. that tel

who knows the underpinnings of washington, d.c. well enough? senator cruz is it. if you want to see power devo e devolved out of washington, d.c., these governors empowered to do the things they know they can do and respecting the tenth amendment, then ted cruz without a doubt is the individual on the stage that can do that. has the commitment, has the intellect, and has the know-how to make it happen. >> when you were governor, you welcomed then president vicente fox to the governor's mansion. the former president said something today that some people think is going to be mana for trump. here's how he said it. >> i'm not going to pay for that [ bleep ] wall. he should pay for it. >> the thing that makes me chuckle about that is he accepted the premise, as if it is going to be there, who is going to pay for it. >> i sethe border can be secure. it doesn't take a physical wall. it takes a virtual wall. that's with technology and boots on the ground. the issue is not whether there's going to be a wall. it's going to be what kind of a wall. are we going to be successf

it's not because of abe lincoln or george washington. it's not because of what the founding fathers said. although that's a big part of it. the more important component for me was i listened and read what douglas frederick had to say and how the great warriors who felt that america was worthy of a challenge and changing because it could become a utopia for all people and in the spirit of that belief. >> final question. are you optimistic? >> yes. i have no choice. if i were not optimistic, never a sense of hope, then i would have to look at all of this life, all of these mentors, all of the people who sacrificed greatly, not just black people, but a huge influence in my life was he wieleanor roosevelt. we have a task to make this country whole and to live up to its promise and what it says it hopes to be. and dr. king once said, we are the only hope that america will realize the better part of itself. and i'm on that mission. >> harry belfonte, fascinating perspective. >> thanks for inviting me. >>> up next, one world lead's red carpet f

here in washington, 8:00 p.m. in tripoli, libya, wherever you're watching, thanks for joining us. we're following two developing stories this hour. first, it's the race for the white house. republicans are spread out across south carolina as they try and reach undecided voters in tomorrow's primary. saturday is also caucus day in nebraska for democrats. we'll check in on the latest with the hillary clinton and bernie sanders campaigns out there. and in washington right now, people are streaming in to pay their last suspect respects to antonin scalia. he's lying in repose at the u.s. supreme court. these are live pictures you're seeing right now. president obama and the first lady, they're expected there some time later today. we're going to talk more about justice scalia's life and legacy, that's coming up later this hour. >>> meanwhile john kasich called the republican race a demolition derby, of course referring to the running battle between donald trump and ted cruz, between ted cruz and marco rubio, between donald trump and jeb bush. are they willing to keep up the pressure an

here in washington, 2:00 a.m. saturday hong kong. wherever you are watching from around the world, thanks very much for joining us. up first, presidential politics here in the united states. with just four days away from the first primary of this, the 2016 race for the white house, and the candidates they're in a sprint right now to the finish line in new hampshire. on the republican side today jeb bush, john kasich, ted cruz, chris christie, marco rubio, carly fiorina, they're all scheduling campaign events today. democrats, hillary clinton and bernie sanders, they're also on the campaign trail in new hampshire today. we're also monitoring the events taking place specifically this hour. bernie sanders' rally set to begin any minute now in exeter, new hampshire, and hillary clinton is wrapping up a canvas launch in manchester. looking at live pictures there. we're watching all of this unfold. meanwhile, a new poll out today shows bernie sanders holding to a wide lead over hillary clinton in new hampshire. in the cnn-wmur poll of like

you but in a segment to follow because i said on cnn thursday night, i was surprised on the day "the washington post" broke a story that a superhad arrived at the clinton foundation from the state department that question wasn't asked in the thursday night debate. >> absolutely. it was appalling that you have not only that. so number one, you have the fbi confirming that there is an fbi investigation going into the leading candidate to new hampshire and former secretary of state, not one question but further and even also equal, that the clinton foundation has allegations coming against it and again, neither of those issues are being brought up and i think that that's not just sad if you're a republican but as a democrat because if you allow your supposed front run tore get through the primary without facing tough questions and end up as a party post july with a candidate that's under indictment, that's a big problem, as a republican, i don't have a problem with that but i think if you're a democratic voter and knowing that your top candidate wasn't questioned about that giving them a pass is a

to clean up the washington mess. meanwhile, ben carson won't let up on ted cruz for what carson aides call dirty tricks, sending this e-mail erroneously suggesting carson may drop out. cruz has apologized but carson isn't satisfied, telling buzzfeed not to take corrective action is tacitly saying it's okay or like hillary clinton said after benghazi, what difference does it make. carson said it doesn't rise to the level of benghazi but i'm saying it's the same kind of attitude. and carson is really trying to capitalize on all of that and is trying to raise money off of it. he even on his website, which is pretty popular among his supporters put up a voice mail that apparently came from cruz headquarters to captain precincts in iowa saying that he was suspending campaigning, clever language there. jake, he was expected to be back on the campaign trail today right where you are in new hampshire where the latest poll shows him at just 2%. jake. >> dana bash, thanks so much. we'll hear more from barbara bush later this h

he's going to come to washington, d.c., and he's going to do that because the national prayer breakfast is on thursday. >> very unusual. >> very unusual. >> to be announcing that you're going home to rest for a few days, not going on to the next site. >> very unusual, they said. it certainly was. but they didn't say he was dropping out of the race. now the story gets a little murky at this point. cruz campaign aides spread word to their supporters in iowa that carson might be or actually was dropping out. maybe planning a big announcement even though cnn never said that. carson accused cruz of dirting campaigning. cruz -- dirty campaigning. cruz apologized but blamed cnn causing brooke baldwin to call b.s. >> when senator cruz tries to throw my network and journalists under the bed, let me stand up for them. i'm going to call out b.s. if i hear b.s., and that's b. s. >> under pressure, cruz admit that "cnn got it correct." last night at the debate, he reverted to his previous position. he said this -- >> my political team saw cnn's report breaking news, and they forwarded that news to o

it's washington, d.c.'s game of kicking the can, and your kids are going to be it. >> that's it for "the lead." i'm jake tapper. tune in sunday morning for state of the union. the guests, jeb bush and marco rubio. turning you over to brianna keilar in "the situation room." >>> happening now, natural-born lawsuit. donald trump threatens to sue ted cruz over his citizenship if it rival doesn't clean up his act and stop running negative ads. trump is trying to clean up his own act by cutting down on vug garts. will he watch his mouth in his next event? we're standsing by. >>> embracing obama. one ran against him, the other has criticized him, but they're seeing who can hug the president more tightly. >>> machete attack. four people are wounded and a suspect is dead after a terrifying rampage in an ohio deli of was this a case of lone wolf

he brought hollywood to the march on washington in 1963. he has been a fierce advocate for justice, a timeless activist for civil rights and that is what the academy of motion picture arts and sciences awarded him an honorary oscar for a few years ago. in his acceptance speech he said he ophoped hollywood would be a game changer. thank you for being here. >> it's nice to be with you. >> you talk about the degree to which race permeates so much of culture that we sometimes don't notice it. you give us an example. the first movie you saw which was in 1935, what was it? >> it's called tarzan and the apes. a lot of kids in my neighborhood in harlem where i was born couldn't wait to go see this. first of all, the whole experience of picture, the technology was fairly new and as the picture played i found the way the africans were portrayed. here there was this large group of people who were in an environment indigenous and stumbling idiots that couldn't find their way through the forest and everything they attempted to do could only be guided by

he went to the march on washington. i remember watching that on television when i was in i believe the fifth grade. that's how long bernie's commitment to civil rights has been and to social justice. >> so you were young. he was a smidge older. point being, this has been a thread through his lose. for you, mark lamont hill, especially when you look at the numbers aamerican african-american voters in south carolina, why do you think he's not polling higher? >> i think there are a few reasons. the clintons have a very strong connection to african-american communities. despite the fact that bill clinton undermined black prosperity during the '90s. many black people still consider him the original first black president. because of that, they feel connected to the clintons as a proxy. one where we can be somewhat critical of bernie sanders. early on, bernie sanders responded to calls from black lives matter movement by saying, hey, i marched with king. or hey, my economic justice program will lead to racial justice. in a sen

meantime, send you to washington. the lead with jake tapper starts now. >>> thanks, brooke. our long national nightmare is over. leo finally has his oscar. the lead starts now. >>> donald trump blaming his earpiece for refusal to condemn the klan, david duke, and white supremacist groups. they interrupt a trump rally. >>> the biggest day in the campaign, republican officials in washington in desperation mode trying to save the party as they know it. what will it mean to be a republican if super tuesday becomes trump tuesday? >>> plus. >> i made the worst mistake of my life. >> first on cnn, an american college student detained in north korea sobbing as he pleas for mercy. does he look like a spy working for the cia? pyongyang thinks so. >>> welcome to the lead. i am jake tapper. everything is on the line for republicans tomorrow, super tuesday. if the polls are to be believed, this time wednesday we will be talking about donald trump, the presumptive republican presidential nominee. instead of party leaders getting comfortable with the idea, they're in full panic mode becaus

here in washington d.c. 8:00 p.m. in jerusalem. wrer are you watching from around the world, thanks very much for joining us. >> we start in iowa where voters are just hours away from casting the fist votes in the presidential election. the candidates are making a final push across the state right now with each one trying to get in the last word in their own way. >> hello, iowa. it's great to be here. he will be unbelievable. >> i will always seek to make you proud, that you will always be proud of the fact that you caucused for me. >> i hope you will go. i hope you will stand up for me. i hope you will fight for me. >> together we will win the iowa caucuses. we will win the nomination, and we will win the general election. we will defeat hillary clinton. >> this is a campaign of the people by the people and for the people. >> voter turnout will be the telling statistic today with gatherings in more than 1,600 locations for each party across the state. there's democrats and republicans making the choice. the first choice but not th

and it didn't come from washington. washington despised ronald reagan. by the way, every candidate says they're going to stand up to washington. you want to know who really will? just ask the simple question, who is washington attacking? but the reagan revolution came from the american people who rose up, and it turned this country around. why am i so optimistic? because the same thing is happening again. we're here today, election day, this whole crazy year of an election cycle, millions in attack ads and mud slung this way and that way and the other way. i don't like your face. [ laughter ] it's been a strange cycle. >> it has been a strange cycle. and you can guess what someone is going to say very soon. i don't like your face. ted cruz speaking there in fernley, nevada. he's making his final pitch before voters head to the caucuses this evening, and then he will be heading on to super tuesday. let's talk about that, if we can, as we look towards super tuesday. we are one week away from super tuesday. here is how it all lays out. 12 states will take p

in washington, 6:00 p.m. in london, 8:00 p.m. in jerusalem. wherever you're watching from around the world, thanks very much for joining us. up first, so-called political outsiders turning the presidential race upside down. a brash billionaire businessman and reality tv star is, a 74-year-old self-declared democratic socialist both winning very big in the first primary election of the 2016 campaign. senator bernie sanders trouncing hillary clinton 60% to 38% in new hampshire primary. on the republican side donald trump took 35% of the vote, ohio governor john kasich finished second with 16%. followed by senator ted cruz, former florida governor jeb bush and senator marco rubio. trump told cheering supporters he'll fix the country's problems, including the economy and creating jobs. >> if we had 5% unemployment, do you really think we'd have these gatherings? forgetting about security, forgetting about isis which, by the way, we're going to knock the hell out of isis, we're going to knock the hell out of them and it's going to be done the right

cnn senior washington correspondent jeff zeleny is with us. traveling with the bernie sanders campaign in nevada. let's just get reaction first from the sanders camp. this is key. and sanders really needs the minority vote. >> there's no doubt about it, poppy. the sanders campaign would have been happy to have this endorsement. but they were not expecting it. jim clyburn is an esteemed member of congress which also puts him in the establishment cam and bernie sanders is running against the establishment so, you know, the advisers on the sanders campaign say look, they certainly respect the congressman, but they believe endorsements aren't what's driving this election. and they may be right, i mean, i remember so well in 2008 where james clyburn declined to get into this race at all. it created such internal fight in the clinton campaign. bill clinton called the morning after the south carolina primary, screaming at james clybu clyburn. he writes about it in his book that came out a couple years ago and said, you know, he accused him of tipping

i'm saying to myself, what is the biggest problem right now in washington? well, it's clearly the dysfunction in washington, the fact that they don't talk, they don't work together. very rarely does anything get done. the one person who has the independence and can be the change agent to actually get washington working again, it was very clear to me that that was donald trump. >> jeff, an endorsement like that actually moving the needle for him at all in new hampshire at this point? >> no, i don't believe so. i listened to senator smith, whom i met back in the reagan days and have enormous respect for. i'm sure he's going to disagree, but i just think that when you are involved, i mean, he was the -- scott brown was the nominee for the united states senate the last time around, surely he's got some folks in new hampshire that like him. so, yes, i would think. but the more important thing is, like president reagan, who brought in conservatives and moderates together in the party, donald trump, when you've got sarah palin on the one hand and scott brown on the

here in washington, 10:00 p.m. in damascus, syria. from wherever you're joining us, thanks for joining us. we begin with the presidential race. the republicans hitting nevada, the democrats looking ahead to south carolina. three of the five remaining republican hopefuls are in nevada today. that's the short-term focus. long-term, it's the march 1st super tuesday primaries. meanwhile, on democrat's sides, hillary clinton and bernie sanders are getting ready for their battle in south carolina, and the next test of how african-american voters are going to break. we'll get to that a little bit later this hour. but first, let's check the pulse of the republican race for the white house right now, donald trump is riding high after his ten-point win in south carolina. with a stop in atlanta, he ticked off the groups that gave him the win. >> so we won with everything. we won with highly educated, pretty well educated, and poorly educated, but we won with everything. tall people, short people, fat people, skinny people! just won. >> florida s

when the watch dogs in washington can't even agree, it becomes a question. donald trump's plan becomes even more perplexing. even if trump's plan were to fix deficit, it would do nothing to fix the $19 trillion in long term debt that already exists. at last night's republican debate, donald trump found himself taking quite a bit of fire from his rivals, hoping to halt his momentum. including this attack from marco rubio over trump's now defunct school, trump university. >> there are people who borrowed $36,000 to go to trump university and they're suing him now. that's a fake school. >> by the way -- >> you take a picture of a cardboard cut out of donald trump. that's what they got. >> trump is being sued by a number of former students who enrolled at the university and who now claim the real estate billionaire is nothing more than a fraud. drew griffin has been looking into the allegations. he filed this report. >> this was the promise of trump university when it laumped. direct from the university chairman's own mouth. >> at trump university we teach succe

we're going to take you to washington now. "the lead" with jake tapper starts right now. >> thanks, brooke. he's looking more like a politician today and less like -- well, less like donald trump. "the lead" starts right now. recalculating. republican front-runner donald trump making some tweets after his second place finish in iowa. he's pounding the pavement instead of his opponents in new hampshire today. >>> hillary clinton and bernie sanders both of them circling left like they're on a nascar track as they battle over who's the real progressive. but did clinton stumble on the $675,000 question last night? >>> plus, an nfl star's death that may help save the lives of future players. our dr. sanjay gupta gives us a look at your brain on football and a possible medical breakthrough against a crushing disease. >>> good afternoon, everyone. welcome to "the lead." i'm jake tapper. we are in the thick of it, people, so of course we begin today again with our politics lead. donald trump in new hampshire, the site of the nation's

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in washington, 2:30 a.m. friday in pyongyang. wherever you're watching from around the world, thanks for joining us. the democratic presidential candidates meet in a high-stakes debate less than eight hours from now. this will be the first face-off between bernie sanders and hillary clinton since his blowout win in new hampshire. sanders hopes to maintain the momentum, while clinton is trying to hone the message and strategy. brianna keilar is in milwaukee, wisconsin for us. the site of tonight's pbs democratic presidential debate, simulcast here on cnn. brianna, how important is this debate for both bernie sanders and hillary clinton? >> it's really going to be a crucial 95 minutes tonight, wolf. because you have this narrative in place now, coming out of bernie sanders' win in new hampshire. he's really riding high. we have seen him taking this victory lap in the last day, being very visible, going on "the view," going on "the late show," talking to reverend al sharpton. and you see hillary clinton kind of laying low in the las

he understands the issues of defense and washington. all of his issues are -- >> but congressman -- >> it's not just some platitudes of, well, i happen to have a plan for you. i have experience and i have delivered. >> go ahead, will. >> maybe he balanced the budget, but he's increased spending in the state of ohio by 43%. there was a bill that passed in congress in 2009. it was called obamacare. president obama jammed that bill with nancy pelosi down the throats of congress. obamacare legislation on the state legislature. that's not conservativconservat. what they know about him are his liberal policies which helped him in new hampshire. those liberal policies aren't going to help him in south korea. >> i'm going to hit pause here. they fight with each other. you have trump and cruz glad these two are fighting. still a very crowded field. >>> next, bernie sanders meeting with al sharpton in new york today courting the black vote. it's not well lit because this was just a breakfast. they were talking. how big of an issue is this for hil

the march on washington. the march from selma to montgomery and correct edirecte voter education project for six years. but i met hillary clinton. i met president clinton. >> he says he never saw bernie sanders. but he, you know, you heard what he just said at the end there. does she use that tonight? >> i don't know she has to use it. it's such a powerful moment for her without her touching it. sort of speaks for herself. that is, you know, john lewis is total stalwart of the civil rights movement, he's got tons of credibility on this issue obviously, and if he is saying i never saw this guy, i never met bernie sanders, which isn't to say bernie sanders did not fight for civil rights in his own way at the university of chicago or at the march on washington, but if john lewis is sort of dissing sanders and saying, hey, let's be honest here, and by the way, i really did know the clintons, that is damning in and of itself. bernie sanders, african-american supporters of his own. but that is an ad right there in

in washington, d.c. 9:00 p.m. in baghdad, wherever you're watching from around the world. thanks for joining us. >>> up first, we're counting down to the last republican debate before super tuesday. it could also be the last chance for donald trump's rivals to try to slow his momentum towards the republican presidential nomination. the stage is set for this evening's showdown. you're looking right now at live pictures from inside the debate hall at the university of houston. donald trump will be front and center coming off three straight primary or caucus victories. he'll be flanked by senator marco rubio of florida, and senator ted cruz of this home state of texas. along with dr. ben carson and ohio governor, john kasich. on the campaign trail, rubio and cruz are already sharpening their attacks on the front runner. >> we can't be fooled by pt barnum. the time for the clowns and the acrobats and the dancing bears has passed. >> the front runner in this race, donald trump, is actually alluded to the fact he thinks parts of obamacare are pretty good. i can tell you, everybo

on the march in washington. but his activity was in the north clearly so it's not surprising in a movement with hundreds of thousands, millions of people involved that two individuals did not meet one another. >> what do you expect to happen at tonight's debate? it was increasingly tense between sanders and clinton. there's obviously tension between the campaigns. stakes are getting higher by the day. secretary clinton took a drubbing in new hampshire. how do you expect things to play out tonight? >> i think senator sanders is going to keep doing what he has to do. obviously the voters in new hampshire responded as did the voters in iowa. we have a rigged economy held up by a corrupt system of campaign finance. that has to change. >> we'll not see a new bernie sanders on the stage tonight. bill press was saying senator sanders has been saying the same stuff for 40-plus years. we're going to hear that tonight, you think? >> senator sanders has consistently stood up against injustice, whether it's economic or raci

in front of the big map there in washington. coming up, donald trump calling for a new election in iowa, accusing ted cruz of fraud. moments ago ted cruz responding to that. we'll hear from him, ahead. it's a fact. kind of like bill splitting equals nitpicking. but i only had a salad. it was a buffalo chicken salad. salad. you stay up. you listen. you laugh. you worry. you do whatever it takes to take care of your family. and when it's time to plan for your family's future, we're here for you. we're legalzoom, and for over 10 years we've helped families just like yours with wills and living trusts. so when you're ready, start with us. doing the right thing has never been easier. legalzoom. legal help is here. ♪ light piano today i saw a giant. it had no arms, but it welcomed me. (crow cawing) it had no heart, but it was alive. (train wheels on tracks) it had no mouth, but it spoke to me. it said, "rocky mountaineer: all aboard amazing". >>> just now some pictures you have to see here. frightening moments on board this commerci

. >> well, you know, we're certainly in a political era now with gridlock in washington where the art of political compromise i think unfortunately has been lost. i do think that the president has to be someone, he or she has to be someone who is an effective negotiator with a good temperament. he or she will have their finger on the nuclear button. and whether or not trump is that person is something not only iowa caucusgoers have to pay attention to but voters in the general election. >> tim o'brien, appreciate you being with us. >> thanks, anderson. >> i want to get the panel's take on this. donald trump has repeatedly said as president, you know, i'll modify myself, i'll change a little bit, i won't be quite so aggressive in my personality. do you think voters believe that? and do you think voters want that? >> sure, i think they believe it. you know, he has built, with all due respect to this gentleman, he has built this enormous business organization, which beyond doubt is successful. can you go through and cher write-pick a failure here or there? sure. of course. you can do tha

this is the china shop, washington, d.c., they want to send the bull in and break everything. >> if you talk to voters, i talk to a woman when i was in iowa, and she said, she felt that donald trump was crazy. might get us into another world war. but she liked him anyway. as john said, he was a disrupter. it's amazing. a lot of these trump advocators, can make sort of a separation, with all of these things that they don't necessarily -- >> i think donald trump is to religion what ben carson is to foreign policy to a certain degree. he kind of tried to study up to say i love evangelicals, i'm like you. i get you, just the way ben carson -- >> let me wiki them. let me do a little google search. somehow it doesn't on that particular front, it doesn't come across as authentic. we saw it in randy kay's piece. before this voter. >> leading the polls. among evangelicals. >>> a lot more to talk about. we're going to look at a number of things. democratic bat until iowa, by the numbers guide coming up next. can a business have a mind? a subconscious. a knack for predicting the future. reflexes f

we've had plenty of people in washington making all kinds of bad deals. the last thing we need in washington is someone who is going to focus on making a deal regardless of the outcome. >> i don't think that's what he's saying. >> i think what donald trump is saying he's someone who has staked his career on, quote, making deals. we've had deals coming out of washington that have taken the country in exactly the wrong direction. >> ron, ron, you can make deals as long as you make them in the right direction. >> this is a choice between someone who has been a, quote, conservative for about six months. versus someone who has been a reliable conservative and challenging the washington cartel and problems in both parties. that's what ted cruz is doing. that's the type of leadership that we need. >> ron, the exit polls, the cnn exit polls, out of new hampshire showed that those who voted in new hampshire who self-identified as quote/unquote very conservative gave the nod to donald trump over ted cruz by 12 points. i understand what you're saying, but the people

the voters are angry, they don't want a washington insider. they want somebody fighting for their jobs. they want somebody who's perhaps a little bit more protectionist and populist when it comes to trade. are you surprised or disappointed that senator cruz isn't adapting more to where the voters are? >> you know, he has a great message that i think now that the field has been winnow ed down will connect with people. let's talk about jobs and a lot of americans are concerned about jobs. ted cruz's message but also his solutions are far more effective because he understands that the biggest killer to jobs right now are all the heavy hand of regulation from the united states government. obamacare, the epa, dodd-frank, et cetera. ted cruz is the one who's able to bring all these things down very quickly once he's elected. that will stimulate gdp in the united states and get jobs growing again. >> white supremacist group is out with a robo call endorsing donald trump and telling voters, republican voters presumably that are being targeted not to v

a lot of people get elected and go to washington and fold. they go to washington because we're going to get rifd obamacare, we're going to do this -- >> as president you're going to be more presidential? >> i went to the best school. i have a uncle who was a president at m.i.t. i'm like a smart person. i can be -- anderson, i can be however i want. i have all of the social elite using my ballroom. you've been there. >> for charity events. just for the record. i was speaking for free, by the way, also. >> but anderson, all of the big events, the red cross, all of them. i have the elite of society come. oh, donald, how are you? they love me. i'm very different. i talk to them. how are you? how are you? then i leave. much different thing. i can be any way i want. as president, i will be different. when i have 17 people coming at me from 15 different angles you have to go pretty hard. >> i want you to meet andre from syria. moved here in 1988. he's been a police officer for 17 years. he's leaning in your favor. also likes rubio, though. >> you ar