the pope can only be a signal of good things to come. >> it's going to be exciting. the pope in havana, cuba, and then on tuesday afternoon he arrives here in washington. chris is going to cover every step of the way. chris, thanks very much. that's it for me. erin burnett "outfront" starts right now. "outfront" tonight, trump still silent. donald trump canceling an appearance in the face of withering criticism over his failure to correct a remark by a supporter. and we're standing by live for an appearance by carly fiorina. will she go after him tonight? and the texas high school students who tackled a referee. how do they justify the brutal blind-sided hit? let's go "outfront."

good evening. i'm jim sciutto. i'm in for erin burnett. "outfront" tonight, donald trump staying silent. he canceled an appearance tonight as he faces a firestorm over his criticism to correct a supporter who questioned president obama's own faith. marco rubio is speaking now. most of the gop candidates expected to take the stage there at the heritage action political forum tonight. trump, however, saying at the last minute he had, quote, a significant business transaction to handle. trump isn't the only one who is remaining silent. in fact, almost all of the other candidates have failed to condemn the remarks. a few, though, did take the opportunity to pounce on the gop front-runner. >> somebody at one of my town hall meetings said something like that, i would correct them and say the president is a christian and he was born in this country. >> he should have, from the

beginning, repudiated that level of receipt for rec and hatefulness. >> that is in response to this moment that we brought you last night live on our air. >> but anyway, we have training camps growing where they want to kill us. >> uh-huh. >> that's my question. when can we get rid of them? >> we're going to be looking at a lot of different things and a lot of people are saying that and a lot of people are saying that bad things are happening out there. we're going to be looking at that and plenty of other things. >> sara murray is live in greenville, south carolina, where trump was supposed to be speaking tonight. sara, are people buying trump's excuse about this significant business transaction? >> reporter: you know, i think for the most part people are disappointed that donald trump canceled at the last minute. i've talked to a couple of people who say that they are a little skeptical about this business transaction reason and they've told me that they think the reality is donald trump just

didn't want to come because he didn't want to answer some tough questions, whether those were from the press about the event last night or whether they were here from the moderator where there are in-depth policy conversations. i spoke with the chairman of the south carolina republican party and here's what he said about trump's last-minute cancellation. >> it's a bit disappointing. i think people were excited to see him. any chance you get in front of 5,000, 10,000 people, this is a big event in south carolina of this year and it's a missed opportunity for him and his campaign. >> reporter: and it's filled with a number of voters who would have liked to have heard from donald trump tonight. >> sara, you were in the room last night when that exchange happened. we were live on the air listening as well. in that room, how did the audience react? >> reporter: well, you know, it was interesting because donald trump didn't really react. when the guy started asking his

question, trump seemed sort of taken aback? like really, this is the first question? the guy continued and trump said he would look into muslim training camps in america and just moved on. so the crowd kind of moved along with him and it became a regular event. the thing that is interesting, though, we've asked the trump campaign repeatedly if donald trump agrees with what the man was saying, if he agrees that president obama is not an american citizen, if he believes that president obama is muslim, obviously these things are not true but what's interesting is trump's campaign still has not responded. they've refused to answer those questions today, jim. >> they do say they'll keep an appointment on the campaign trail tomorrow, we're told. sara murray, down there at the south carolina event. for the first time, the outspoken donald trump has created a controversy by remaining silent. dana bash is "outfront" tonight. >> reporter: donald trump is often under fire for a controversial things he says but

now it's what he didn't say. failing to correct this new hampshire voter's comments about president obama. >> we have a problem in this country. it's called muslims. we know our current president is one. you know he's not even an american. >> we need this question as the first question. >> we are training camps growing that want to kill us. >> today, presidential rivals are seizing on trump's silence. >> very inappropriate, i think, to let that go. you need to look the guy in the eye and say, listen, i don't agree with you. >> if somebody at one of my town hall meetings said that i would correct him. the president is a christian and was born in this country. >> reporter: that's exactly what john mccain did when he was running against barack obama in 2008. >> he is not. no. >> no, ma'am. he's -- he's a decent family

man, citizen. >> reporter: today, democrats were eager to denounce trump, too. >> he knew or he should have known that what that man was asking was not only way out of bounds, it was untrue. and he should have, from the beginning, repudiated that kind of receihetoric, that level of hatefulness. >> reporter: but a stunning 43% of republicans do think the president is a republican, according to cnn orc's latest poll, despite the fact that obama is a christian. >> i accepted jesus christ into my life. >> reporter: as for trump, he canceled a planned appearance, the conservative cattle call in south carolina. other candidates who came noted and reveled in trump's absence. >> the best birthday present is, i heard that donald trump had dropped out. oh, wait a minute. that was just for today. >> now, trump's campaign said he canceled today because he's in the middle of a big business

deal, which a source tells me will be announced next week. and while he stayed quiet on last night's questioner all day, trump's campaign did release a position paper on the second amendment, a press release about winning a lawsuit. so, jim, it would have been quite easy for them to release a statement about the controversy we've been talking about all day, the fact that he didn't, there's no way it's an accident. he clearly sees all of this discussion and him letting it fester as a political plus for him. >> donald trump tweeted as well about good poll numbers. dana bash, "outfront" in washington. a spokeswoman for the tea party leadership, katrina, i have to ask you, you saw the moment from 2008 when senator john mccain was asked a similar question. he immediately corrected the questioner. don't the candidates have an obligation to correct false and what some perceive as offensive information in this case? >> reporter: well, i think in this case mr. trump did say he

didn't hear the whole question but even having said that, i don't think it's the candidate's obligation, considering it's a question that's been out there for a very long time. i personally wouldn't claim to correct anyone on anybody's faith other than my own, jim. >> two things i want to get to. first, let's get to the idea that donald trump didn't hear the question. let's play this moment last night as that question was beginning. >> we have a problem in this country. it's called muslims. we know our current president is one. >> right. we need this question as the first question. >> he says, right, right. he make as joke, oh, we need this question. he clearly heard what that questioner was talking about. >> reporter: i do believe he heard exactly what he was talking about but not as specifics, which is why he probably said, oh, we're going to look into everything, we've had people talking to us and telling us things. he didn't go on and say, oh, yes, you're right because then i would be agreeing with you,

because he didn't. i'm going to sit here and tell you, no, it's not trump's responsibility to go out and correct someone else on what someone else's faith is. >> well, i've got to ask you a question, though. if you and donald trump have made that accusation for eight years to which the president has responded with his birth certificate, with the announcement, if you're going to make that accusation after eight years, doesn't the candidate and his supporters, like yourself, have to present some toefd baevo back up that accusation? >> first, i've never made that statement. what i am telling you is that donald trump said he didn't hear the exact allegation and he said he was going to look into it. and, if we really want to talk about why this question is out there, cnn's own poll shows 30% of people still have that question. isn't it obama's responsibility to show people what his faith is? because, after all, matthew 7 says you know them by their fruits. clearly, if there's still a question, he hasn't clarified. >> to be fair, the president has

answered this question multiple times. you've seen him go into church. >> yeah, jim. yeah, jim, i know. he's answered it so many times and he also ended the national day of prayer and he's having secret deals with iran and he also said, if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor. and as is considered the lie of the year, i guess everyone is going to have to make their own decision, aren't they? >> before we go, i want to get to the broader issue. what the questioner asked about is not just the president's faith. he also argued that muslims are a problem in america. he didn't say that islamic extremists. he said muslims in general. donald trump's response was, a lot of people are saying that. a lot of people are and does he believe that muslims in general are a threat or are you saying he didn't hear that part of the question either? >> no, not at all. what i'm going to say is donald trump is not a politician. he doesn't have politicians writing out talking points about

how to handle these types of questions. instead of arguing with him, he said we've been hearing a lot of things. we're going to look into that. a lot of people understand that there's not a difference between muslims in general and terrorists which happens to be this gentleman, obviously. donald trump is not going to pick an argument with this guy. he just says, we're going to look into it. there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. >> katrina peterson, thank you for joining us. i want to bring in david axelrod. you've heard katrina peterson, a trump supporter, of course. was that a credible response to the comments last night? >> well, it's a response we've heard in the past when these things have come up. remember, donald trump four years ago really ran on this birther issue when he was briefly running for president before. look, i think the bigger issue here is president races are a series of tests, things you can't count on, spontaneous events that you have to react to

and the whole world gets to see how you deal with them. john mccain faced a similar thing back in 2008 and may have been the best time in his campaign because he bravely stood up to the crowd and talked and told the truth about the president. he said, he's a good man, family man, christian and all of that. and he's an american citizen. but he took some heat from the crowd on that. donald trump was tested it yesterday and, she's right, he's not a politician. he's been this figure out there but if you want to be president of the united states, you've got to pass these tests. i don't think he wanted to antagonize his base and his base are those people who, in the face of all evidence, won't accept that the president -- america won't accept that he's a christian. that's probably a predominant feeling among many of mr. trump's supporters but he's never going to grow that base if he's unwilling to stand up to

some of that and the fact that he's gone underground today is a sign that they simply don't know how to deal with it yet. >> this is not an isolated incident. it seems almost every few days trump makes a comment that offends a different ethnic or racial group. have a listen to a few of those comments. >> when mexico sends their people, they are bringing crime, rapists. >> what do you think black lives matter are after? >> i think they are trouble, looking for trouble. negotiating with japan, negotiating with china, when these people walk in the room, they don't say, hello, how's the weather. they say, we want deal. this is a country where we speak english, not spanish. >> despite those kinds of comments, the numbers stay high and strong. how is that possible? >> well, because he's speaking to a segment of the republican party that is a nativist,

nationalist cohert. they believe that china, that aliens, the others are responsible for all of our problems and for the economic problems that many of them feel and he's tapped into that sentiment. that's his base. the question, jim, as i said before, can he grow beyond that base if he's catering simply to that base? i think the answer to that is no. and you're going to see -- i think he is capped right now because of that very thing. you've got to broaden your base and you're not going to do it by pandering to the most strident voices in your own party. >> might be a problem for the general election. david axelrod, thank you for joining us tonight. if you missed any of the gop presidential debate on wednesday, you can watch the entire debate at 10:00 eastern right here on cnn. and "outfront" next, we're awaiting the live appearance by carly fiorina, her first public event since that wednesday

debate. will she address the elephant in the room, donald trump ignoring the question about president obama's birthplace and his rereligion? plus, the debate opened the attention on drug use. closer, a look at drugs and the candidates. many were outraged by this video of a ref blindsided by two high school football players. the players are revealing what led up to that brutal hit. why pause a spontaneous moment to take a pill? or stop to find a bathroom? cialis for daily use, is approved to treat both erectile dysfunction and the urinary symptoms of bph, like needing to go frequently, day or night. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain,

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repeatedly charged though be dunked myth about president obama was revived at a trump rally last night. let's start with some facts. president obama is an american born here in the united states and a christian. but seven years into his presidency, a significant number of americans just don't believe it. the startling contrast came into the light last night when donald trump faced a supporter who questioned president obama's birthplace and faith. jim acosta is "outfront." >> reporter: they are lies president obama has heard before. they hounded him during his first bid of the white house and this time it was a false smear about the president's religion at a donald trump rally. >> we have a problem in this country. it's called muslims. we now our current president is one. >> right. >> you know he's not even american. >> we need this question as the

first question. >> reporter: trump's failure to set the record straight is no shocker to white house aides who heard the front-runner repeatedly deny the truth of the matter, that the president is a christian who was born in hawaii. >> is anybody really surprised this happened at a donald trump rally? >> reporter: but the white house did note, unlike trump, mr. obama's one-time rival made it clear seven years ago when rumors first swirled in the heat of that campaign. >> he is not -- >> no, ma'am. no, ma'am. he's -- he's a decent family man, citizens that i just happen to have disagreements with. >> reporter: colin powell did the same just days later. >> well, the correct answer is, he's not a muslim. he's a christian. he's always been a christian. but the really right answer is, what if he is? >> reporter: it was trump who led the birther movement, questioning the president's background. >> very simple. i have people looking into it. >> reporter: the president responded, dubbed trump a

carnival barker. >> we do not have time for this kind of silliness. >> reporter: and then mocked him days later at the white house correspondents' dinner. >> for the first time, i'm releasing my official birth video. ♪ >> reporter: despite the president's numerous speeches about his christian faith -- >> it led me to embrace jesus christ as my lord and saviour. >> reporter: 43 republicans believe he's a muslim and the trump supporters, 54%. every time the president tweets, the smears are tweeted right back at him. the white house insists it's up to republicans to stop it. >> this is a cynical strategy that too many republican politicians have dab belled in because, for some of them, it's proved to be successful.

>> reporter: the white house officials all but rolled their eyes after the trump campaign claimed today that trump did not hear his supporter calling the president a muslim or doubting that he was born in the united states. aides to the president are just not buying it and, jim, a spokesman for house speaker john boehner did lash out at the white house saying that the white house crossed the line and tieing trump to republicans. that's a sign that the speaker's office is not too pleased with all of this controversy that donald trump is causing, seemingly every day. jim? >> jim acosta at the white house. "outfront" now, democratic congressman carson. he's the first muslim to be elected to congress. >> thank you for having me. >> it's been four years since the president has released his birth certificate. he's often spoke of his christian faith yet you still see these polls, 29% of americans don't believe he's a muslim. 43% of republicans. how do you explain these numbers? >> well, i think it's clear that there's a deep level of anxiety

in our country as it relates to race and even religion. president obama has stated explicitly that he's a christian and what makes president obama so great is that he, his life story, he has a global life story and a global vision. you know, the founding fathers, as imperfect as they were and we all are, they were at least visionary when they established in article 6 of our constitution, there should not be a religious test to hold a public office. and anyone seeking the presidency has to know that he or she will represent all of america, christians, jewish, this is a very diverse society and if he can't pass that test, mr. trump, then it's going to be a tough road for him. >> i want to ask you, we noticed the silence today, not just of donald trump but of most of the gop candidates on this. only chris christie and lindsey graham coming out to slam donald

trump for those remarks. senator santorum said it wasn't trump's responsibility to respond. a lot of silence there. you heard josh earnest call this a cynical strategy by republicans. is it intentional to let these doubts and fears to live out there and appeal to part of their base? >> not only is it intentional, it's inseed yoidious. i think david axelrod was correct in saying that mr. trump didn't want to incite his base. he's an intelligent man. i've met him before. having said that, there's a tendency, when you're looking at poll numbers each and every day, and being provocative helps to push you in numbers and helps to increase your popularity and that solidifies in a way that is

hurt ffl and. >> is there a positive responsibility from the candidates, such as in a situation last night, to knock this kind of speculation down, just as john mccain did in 2008? did they have a responsibility not just to sit back and say, hey, the questioner can think what he wants to think but to knock it down? >> if they are seriously thinking about keeping our republic, then certainly they have a responsibility. there are nearly 8 million muslims in this country. many of whom hold elective offices. i challenge anyone to go to a major hospital in this country and they'll find a muslim position. there are muslim attorneys and business men and women helping put americans back to work. muslims are in our intelligent services and law enforcement community helping to keep our

country safe. surely anyone seeking the highest office in the land must recognize that muslims are not only here to stay but we are a critical and vital part of our society. >> congressman carson, fair words. we appreciate you taking the time tonight. >> thank you for having us. "outfront" next, we are standing by for carly fiorina in sou south carolina. her first public event since her strong debate performance. will she take on donald trump again?

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in a few moments, carly fiorina will speak at a forum in south carolina. for fiorina, this is her first public event since wednesday's event where she drew strong praise. now, the billionaire is retaliating, stepping up his attacks against fiorina. >> she did a terrible job and listened. she did a terrible, terrible, terrible job at hewlett-packard, terrible job. >> during the run, she was really horrible about barbara

boxer's look and attacked her on her looks and also she attacked meg whitman on her look. carly is playing the double standard. she's playing the game herself. >> the back and forth continues. sarah murray is "outfront" where fiorina will be speaking. what are we expecting her to do tonight? to respond to trump or take the high road? what do we think? >> reporter: well, i think that's an open question. this forum allows the candidates to be questioned by a panel and a lot of this stuff is pretty wonky policy questions. it's a very conservative group and they are digging in on the policy issues and trying to discern how someone like carly fiorina is different from the nine candidates contrast herself with donald trump. we're going to have to wait and see. i will say, i was talking to folks who worked for her super pac earlier and they were saying since the debate the phones have been ringing off the hurricane with asking carly to appear at

their events. it's clear, like you mentioned, her star power is on the rise and we'll have to see how she tries to capitalize on that. jim? >> thanks so much to sara murray. "outfront," ben ferguson, a former apprentice contestant and talk show radio host dan moss. those are the same kind of opponents that used those attacks and that can ruin fiorina's senate run. how can those attacks this time around not damage her candidacy? >> well, one, she's in a republican primary, which is completely different than running against barbara boxer in a liberal state. there's two different scenarios here. i think there's this idea if you're in business you must have a perfect success record is incredibly unrealistic for donald trump who has had his companies, you know, have filed

bankruptcy, the casino is a great example. it doesn't mean that you don't get up the next day and try. i think the american people and the american worker, they understand at some point you may lose a job and at some point you may not have as much money as you had earlier in life and that's part of the american dream. so i really think donald trump better be careful with carly fiorina because she started as a secretary and worked her way up through an incredible career. yes, she did have some points in her career that were not successes. that doesn't mean that she somehow is a terrible leader or terrible business woman. it doesn't mean that she didn't have an overall career that i would say was an incredible success. some would even say hall of fame career. for donald trump who had part of his company file bankruptcy which, by the way, that's part of business, let's be careful how much you relationship on some one else when you literally left people without jobs and without what you owed them. >> ben refers to this companies filing for bankruptcy four

times, no other u.s. company has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy more than trump's casino empire. he's facing two lawsuits over the defunct university and been sued by more than 300 people after a series of buildings with his name on it were never built in florida. so trump has his own business failures. is this line of attack dangerous for him? >> i think that it's a real stretch. first of all, for ben to bring up that carly fiorina would be in the hall of fame if they had one for business. that right out of the gate is a real stretch. number two, there are very different businesses -- >> how is that a stretch? >> hold on. how is that a stretch? if you start as a secretary and you end up as a ceo, how is that hall of fame? >> it is -- just because he's the ceo of a company doesn't mean she makes the hall of fame.

she has stocks that are absolute disasters and there is no secret about that. anybody can pull up a chart of both of those stocks and see -- >> how would you describe that? >> donald trump is in a different type of business. trump is a nonbureaucratic business where he has 100 core employees. >> what does that even mean? >> wes, i do want you to answer the specific questions that i asked, the four bankruptcies of trump's businesses, the lawsuit over trump university, the lawsuits by 300 people for buildings in florida that were never built. what are your answers to those black marks, in effect, on trump's own business record? >> well, to ben's point, if we've been in business for 30 or 40 years, like donald trump has been, no one has a perfect record. he's also in a very high-risk business where real estate

developers hit home runs. that's the nature of the game and of the casino business. he happens to be in very, very highly speculative businesses and bankruptcies and failures are part of the game. and it's to be expected. if you talk to any home builder that lived through the crisis of 2006 and 2007, it's very common. >> what you're saying is that donald trump is basically average at business in a highly speculative business, he's not an amazing businessman as he's been claiming because he's had the same downfalls? if you list ten to donald trump, who you're a big fan of, he says he's the best negotiator, he's written "the art of the deal" and now you're literally telling me he's just as average as anyone else that's filed bankruptcy or has had failures. >> ben, he's clearly not an average real estate developer. that doesn't make him average at all. i think if you get back to the

point -- and i do believe that trump has a respect for fiorina. i believe carly fiorina was very impressive in the debate. i think she really is an amazing woman and most of america liked what they saw at the debate. >> i wish donald trump was as kind as you are. >> i think they have a mutual respect for each other but, ben, they are going to certainly go at each other and compare resumes because right now they are really the business people in the gop and america right now, the focus is on these two because america needs a coo to come in and turn around the ship and i think donald trump is someone that knows how to do that. >> someone who files bankruptcy four times, do you need ceo that has people that are suing that have had casinos that have opened and closed, is that the type of ceo you honestly think is somehow stellar -- >> ben and wes, we have to leave it there.

the one thing you agree on is that each side has its own business failures and maybe that comes with business. at least there's one area of agreement that i sense between you. i want to thank you both for coming on. "outfront" next, you're looking at a political event in south carolina. carly fiorina will be taking that stage momentarily. we'll bring that to you live. and millions viewed this video of high school football players tackling a referee in the middle of a game. now the two players are speaking out. why they are saying their coach made them do it.

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tonight, two high school football players caught on camera violently attacking a ref during a game are speaking out. they now say their coach told them to do it because the ref used racial slurs against them. the ref denies the allegations. jean casarez is "outfront." >> reporter: blind sided a referee are now speaking out

saying they intentionally did it. victor rojas and michael say their assistant coach told them to attack the ref for making bad calls and allegedly using racial slurs. >> he told one of my hispanic friends, speak english, this is america. he told him that. >> did you hear that or did one of your friends tell you that? >> no, i heard him. and then to the african-american -- >> and you heard him say the "n" word? did you? >> yes. i heard him when he called him the "n" word and it was just really -- >> he says that's a lie. >> that's not. it's the honest truth right there. >> reporter: allen goldberg, the attorney for the referee, disputes these allegations. >> he denies using any inappropriate remarks. the allegations of the students are taking on a character as if it was some kind of an excuse.

>> reporter: video from the september 6th game shows rojas hitting the referee from behind and knocking him to the ground. second later, moreno dives into him, spearing him with his helmet. he says the coach spoke to him directly before the attack. >> while on the side line, he pulled me and another player over and told us, and i quote, you need to hit him. >> reporter: rojas says he got his order from another fellow teammate. >> the coach told me. >> the coach told you to do it? >> that's correct. >> currently on paid administrative leave, he could not be reached for comment. the players are suspended and they say they know their actions are wrong. >> everyone sees me as this thug or gangster. you know, i did this because i'm a bad guy. like, that's not who i am.

underneath the helmet and the pads, you know, i'm really a great kid. >> so the marble falls police department continues to investigate. the northside independent school district in san antonio says it's cooperating in every way. at this point, the students are on disciplinary leave. there is a hearing that they are awaiting the results on from an internal investigation so they are going to the alternative school. once the investigation is finished, it is the district attorney that will determine if criminal charges are filed and, jim, the school district tells me they have no idea that these students were flying to new york today, a school day, for the interview. >> paul callan is joining us, a cnn analyst. the players claim the coach told them to do it. does that change their responsibility at all? >> legally it doesn't. i mean, if the coach told them to shoot somebody and they did, they would be guilty of a crime. however, in the context of a football gang, my son, who played high school football and

tells me that if the coach tells you to do something and you're a high school kid, you do it. it's a quasi military organization in terms of the way it's run and anybody who has played high school football knows, you do what the coach tells you. >> clear chain of command? >> well, i think they've got a good defense here. maybe technically what they did was wrong but if the coach said that, it's the coach that is guilty, not the kids. >> what about the allegation that the referee used racial slurs. does that take away culpability at all? >> i think it does in the sense of any disciplinary hearing, that's going to be taken into consideration if it was said and would reduce the punishment. remember, the ref is adamantly denying racial slurs. and the other thing we haven't heard is how severe are his injuries? thoo if this guy is seriously injured, is he going to charge these local high school football players with an assault or the coach? >> yep. >> tough decision by the

prosecutor. >> and a lawsuit as well. >> that's correct. >> paul callan, thanks very much. "outfront" next, carly fiorina just moments away from taking the stage in greenville, south carolina, her first appearance since wednesday's debate. we're going to bring you that live. the possibility of a flare swas almost always on my mind. thinking about what to avoid, where to go... and how to deal with my uc. to me, that was normal. until i talked to my doctor. she told me that humira helps people like me get uc under control and keep it under control when certain medications haven't worked well enough. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers, including lymphoma, have happened; as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections,

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misswill turn anan asphalt parking lot into a new neighborhood for san franciscans. a vote for "yes" on "d" is definitely a vote for more parks and open space. a vote on proposition "d" is a vote for jobs. campos: no one is being displaced. it's 40% affordable units near the waterfront for regular people. this is just a win-win for our city. i'm behind it 100%. voting yes on "d" is so helpful to so many families in our city. she talked about her tax plan and taking a question on planned parenthood. let's listen in. >> we have record majorities in the house. that's a huge change from 2013

and by the way, i worked really hard for that change. i know all of you worked really hard for that change too. [ applause ] >> and what's disappointing is, we're having the same old conversation. nothing has changed. if this videotape, which the mainstream media continues to say doesn't exist, i mean, honestly, i went on national television the morning after the debate and george stephanopoulos told me that i was mistaken, that the tapes don't exist, that the images aren't real. well, yes, ladies and gentlemen, they are real and i will issue my charge again, hillary clinton, barack obama, anyone who wants to defend planned parenthood, watch these tapes. [ applause ]

so back to what's disappointing, if we will not fight for this, if we will not fight for this, faced with proof positive of the butchery that is going on at planned parenthood, faced with an assault on the character of our nation and that is what i believe this is, it is not actually about whether you're pro-choice or pro-life. we cannot be a nation that funds this kind of barbarity and that is what it is. [ applause ] and so with record majorities in

the house of representatives and with the majority in the u.s. senate, if we do not have the courage to stand up and say, president obama, if you're prepared to shut down the government, to defend this kind of barbarity, have at it and explain it to the american people. [ applause ] >> senate majority leader mitch mcconnell says we have to wait until 2017 to defund planned parenthood. as president you'll have to work with mitch mcconnell, how would you convince him to get in the fight and defund planned parenthood this year? >> i think leaders should produce results. i think there's very clear things that leadership in the

house and senate ought to be doing right now. and i think they ought to pass a border security bill. it would be nice after 25 years. let president obama veto that too. they ought to pass what's called the reigns act which gives congress the authority to actually look at regulations before they are passed. wouldn't that be novel? [ applause ] and they ought to fight over the defunding of planned parenthood. let us talk about january 2017 and a president fiorina in the white house. >> you've been listening to carly fiorina speak at a conservative forum in south carolina. she mentioned a planned parenthood video. i want to add what cnn's reporting is, it's a heavily edited clip and the photograph she came not from planned parenthood but from another

anti-abortion group. please stay with us. we'll be right back after this break.

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and take charge of your score. thanks you for joining us and thank you for welcoming me the past few weeks. "ac 360" starts right thousand. >> the news tonight, a thundering silence and it's news because it is from a man not associated with it, donald trump. ten other candidates at a conservative forum in greenville, south carolina. a major event in a key primary state with ten candidates trying to make the most of it. donald trump was supposed to be the 11th here and instead at the last minute he pulled out, his campaign saying pressing had come up, a significant business transition with details to follow next week. then radio silence, in the middle of noisy criticism from both sides of the aisle how he handled this question at a town hall last night inew