Here & Now

Presidential Candidates Tour Wisconsin Before State Primary

TED CRUZ:

GOD BLESS THE GREAT STATE OF WISCONSIN.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

ZAC SCHULTZ:

IN THE PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY, CANDIDATES ARE NEVER ABOVE HEAPING PRAISE ON THE PLACE WHERE THEY ARE CAMPAIGNING.

DONALD TRUMP:

NOW I’M HERE TO TALK TO THE PEOPLE OF WISCONSIN. I HAVE FRIENDS IN WISCONSIN. I’VE BEEN HERE BEFORE. IT’S AN INCREDIBLE PLACE.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

AND THEY NEVER FAIL TO MENTION THE IMPORTANCE OF THE NEXT ELECTION.

BERNIE SANDERS:

NOW, NEXT TUESDAY THERE IS GOING TO BE A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT PRIMARY ELECTION HERE IN WISCONSIN.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

THERE ARE FIVE CANDIDATES LEFT IN THE RACE, THREE REPUBLICANS AND TWO DEMOCRATS. FROM THE BANKS OF THE MISSISSIPPI TO THE SHORE OF LAKE MICHIGAN, THEY ARE BLANKETING THE STATE WITH RALLIES AND TOWN HALLS, ALL TO REMIND VOTERS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF APRIL FIFTH.

TED CRUZ:

THE ENTIRE COUNTRY IS LOOKING TO THE STATE OF WISCONSIN.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

THE TYPE OF RALLIES CANDIDATES HOLD ARE OFTEN A REFLECTION OF THE CANDIDATES THEMSELVES. TEXAS SENATOR TED CRUZ’S RALLIES ARE THE MOST CONVENTIONAL. THEY FEATURE SMALL VENUES LIKE THIS ONE NEAR WAUSAU AND A STREAM OF LOCAL AND NATIONAL FIGURES DESIGNED TO FIRE UP THE CROWD.

CARLY FIORINA:

BUT YOU’RE NOT HERE TO VOTE AGAINST DONALD TRUMP, ALTHOUGH THAT’S WHAT YOU’RE DOING WHEN YOU VOTE FOR TED CRUZ. YOU ACTUALLY ARE HERE TO CAST A VOTE FOR A POSITIVE FUTURE FOR THIS NATION.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

CRUZ’S SPEECH FOCUSED ON STANDARD REPUBLICAN TALKING POINTS.

TED CRUZ:

THIS ELECTION IS GOING TO FOCUS ON THREE CRITICAL ISSUES: JOBS, FREEDOM AND SECURITY.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

OHIO GOVERNOR JOHN KASICH PREFERS TOWN HALL EVENTS, LIKE THIS ONE NEAR LA CROSSE, WHERE PEOPLE CAN ASK QUESTIONS.

JOHN KASICH:

YOU CAN EITHER GO INTO A CROWD AND TURN THEM INTO ANGER OR YOU CAN GO INTO A CROWD AND GIVE THEM HOPE. AND I PREFER TO GIVE THEM HOPE RATHER THAN MAKE THEM ANGRY.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

KASICH HAS FORMER GOVERNOR TOMMY THOMPSON ON HAND TO FIRE UP THE CROWD.

TOMMY THOMPSON:

ONE IS A GOVERNOR. ONE HAS ACTUALLY RUN SOMETHING.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

COMPARED TO DONALD TRUMP AND TED CRUZ, KASICH IS LABELED AS A MODERATE. BUT HE SAYS HE’S THE ADULT IN THE RACE, SINCE HE’S NOT NAME-CALLING.

JOHN KASICH:

WHEN THEY SAY THAT SOMEHOW I’M NOT A CONSERVATIVE, THAT’S JUST TOTAL NONSENSE BECAUSE THE PROOF’S IN THE PUDDING.

[PUMPING MUSIC]

ANNOUNCER:

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE WELCOME THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, MR. DONALD J. TRUMP!

ZAC SCHULTZ:

OF ALL THE CANDIDATES, ONLY DONALD TRUMP NEEDS NO WARMUP ACT. HIS SUPPORTERS WERE LINED UP FOR HOURS OUTSIDE A HOTEL IN JANESVILLE. THE ONES WHO GOT IN STOOD ON THEIR CHAIRS FOR THE ENTIRE SPEECH.

DONALD TRUMP:

THERE IS SOMETHING HAPPENING. IT’S LIKE A MOVEMENT. IT’S INCREDIBLE. IT’S A MOVEMENT. AND WE’RE PART OF THE MOVEMENT. IT’S NOT ME. I’M A MESSENGER. TO BE HONEST.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

HIS SPEECH DID NOT DISAPPOINT THE CROWD. HE ATTACKED GOVERNOR SCOTT WALKER WHO HAD ENDORSED TED CRUZ.

DONALD TRUMP:

WHEN HE ENDORSED CRUZ, WHAT AM I GOING TO DO? AM I GOING TO SAY HE’S DOING A GREAT JOB? HE’S NOT DOING A GREAT JOB.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

HE HIT ALL THEIR FAVORITE LINES.

DONALD TRUMP:

WE’RE GOING TO MAKE OUR COUNTRY SO GREAT AGAIN. WE’RE GOING TO BUILD A WALL AND MEXICO IS GOING TO PAY FOR THE WALL. OKAY. YOU’RE GOING TO WIN. YOU KNOW THAT.

BERNIE SANDERS:

YOU GUYS READY FOR A POLITICAL REVOLUTION?

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

ZAC SCHULTZ:

ON THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE VERMONT SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS ALSO WENT WITH THE BIG RALLY, FILLING THE GYM AT CARTHAGE COLLEGE IN KENOSHA. HE TOO ATTACKED GOVERNOR WALKER, BUT FOR VOTER ID.

BERNIE SANDERS:

THAT IS ALL OVER THIS COUNTRY, COWARDLY REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS, INCLUDING THE GOVERNOR HERE IN WISCONSIN — ARE TRYING TO SUPPRESS THE VOTE AND MAKE IT HARDER FOR PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

SANDERS ALSO FOUND A RECEPTIVE AUDIENCE FOR HIS PROMISES ON STUDENT DEBT.

BERNIE SANDERS:

WE’RE GOING TO MAKE PUBLIC COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES TUITION-FREE.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

THE MOST RESERVED OF THE APPEARANCES WAS DEMOCRAT HILLARY CLINTON, IN PART BECAUSE SHE DID A FORUM ON GUN VIOLENCE AT A CHURCH IN MILWAUKEE.

HILLARY CLINTON:

THIS CHURCH IS IN A ZIP CODE THAT HAS SEEN TOO MANY, TOO MANY LOST LIVES.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

CLINTON SPENT A LOT OF HER TIME TALKING ABOUT NATIONAL ACTION SHE COULD TAKE AS PRESIDENT, BUT SHE DID MAKE SURE TO GO AFTER SANDERS WHEN SHE COULD.

HILLARY CLINTON:

THE FACT THAT GUNMAKERS AND SELLERS ARE IMMUNE FROM LIABILITY BECAUSE OF A LAW I VOTED AGAINST, PRESIDENT OBAMA VOTED AGAINST WHEN HE WAS IN THE SENATE, MY OPPONENT VOTED FOR.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

ONE OF CLINTON’S SUPPORTERS ON STAGE LOST HER SON TO GUN VIOLENCE AND WENT AFTER SANDERS ON HIS PRIORITIES.

ANNETTE NANCE-HOLT:

I’M NOT GOING TO GIVE IT TO YOU BECAUSE YOU SAY YOU CAN DO FREE COLLEGE BECAUSE IF MY CHILD IS DEAD, HE CAN’T GO TO COLLEGE.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

SANDERS MENTIONS CLINTON IN HIS SPEECH TOO, NOTING HE GETS HIS MONEY IN SMALL DONOR DONATIONS.

BERNIE SANDERS:

SECRETARY CLINTON HAS CHOSEN ANOTHER DIRECTION. SHE HAS SEVERAL SUPER PACS. HER LARGEST SUPER PAC REPORTED LAST MONTH THAT THEY RAISED $25 MILLION FROM SPECIAL INTEREST, INCLUDING $15 MILLION FROM WALL STREET.

DONALD TRUMP:

I’M SELF-FUNDING MY CAMPAIGN. I’M PUTTING UP MY OWN MONEY.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

SANDERS WASN’T THE ONLY ONE TO MENTION CAMPAIGN FINANCING.

DONALD TRUMP:

TED CRUZ AND KASICH ARE GETTING MONEY FROM THE BANKING INDUSTRY, FROM THE ENERGY INDUSTRIES. THEY’RE GETTING MONEY FROM THE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES. THEY’RE GETTING MONEY FROM EVERYBODY.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

OF COURSE THE OTHER CANDIDATES HIT BACK, FOCUSING ON TRUMP’S LACK OF A CLEAR POSITION ON MANY POLICY ISSUES.

JOHN KASICH:

YOU THINK I HAVE TIME TO WATCH DONALD TRUMP’S INTERVIEWS?

[LAUGHTER]

JOHN KASICH:

THIS IS JUST POLITICS. THAT’S ALL IT IS. TRYING TO APPEAL TO PEOPLE’S BASE INSTINCTS AND FEARS.

TED CRUZ:

WHAT BECOMES EVIDENT IN A DEBATE IS THAT DONALD HAS NO SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEMS WE’RE FACING IN THIS COUNTRY.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

EVEN BEFORE WISCONSIN VOTES, THE CANDIDATES ARE LOOKING AHEAD TO NEW YORK, THE NEXT PRIMARY ON THE CALENDAR, PRAISING ITS BEAUTY, THEN TELLING THE VOTERS THERE HOW IMPORTANT THEIR DECISION WILL BE.