you. >> thank you. c-span, created by america's cable company 35 years ago and brought to you as a public service from your local cable or satellite provider. >> good evening from washington. based on early exit poll numbers, hillary clinton on her way to a significant victory tonight. the polls have just closed. the only state holding a primary today is the democratic primary. this would be her second straight victory after a win in the nevada caucuses. we are in columbus, south carolina and we will show her victory speech. get your calls and comments about what this means for the

democratic primary in senator sanders as he moves ahead. tuesday were super a significant portion of the delegates will be at stake. -- republican pollster frank issuing this tweet, black voters make up a bigger percent of the south carolina primary, more than 2008. keep in mind 2008, barack obama winning overwhelmingly in south hadlina and hillary clinton about 530,000 democratic votes in 2008. we will keep and i on today's results. -- we will keep an eye on today's results. hillary clinton winning the south carolina democratic primary. we will have the raw numbers as they come in with more coverage at the bottom of the hour.

about the talking issue of religious freedom during a portion of the washington journal. >> our next guest is eric erickson. he is also the cofounder and former editor -- he is now at the resurgent a conservative news website. we have to start with the news of the day the fact that chris christie has come out in support of donald trump. what you think this means for his candidacy? >> it will certainly build his momentum. he was the guy on the campaign trail who was very much pro-control and supported abortion rights for a long time. got hit by a number of those things and was too liberal for the base of the party. i don't know if that's an endorsement donald trump needed. he might should have held it at he did need to change the

conversation from the thursday night debate. would you think the establishment is really acknowledging the fact that he is the inevitable nominee? do you think that is true? >> i don't. i think it's more that chris christie thinks donald trump could be the nominee and he needs or to go after he leaves the governor's mansion. >> iat about marco rubio? think that the conventional wisdom maybe a little harder to follow that he has the best path forward. texas marchpicks up 1. they will have to decide who should be the alternative and it might shift to cruz. people are saying, let's wait to get to florida but he is well behind donald trump combine their votes.

tossup between cruz and rubio? guest: i think it is, and if they don't decide soon, it will be trump. host: you have said you support some of rubio's policies but have not come out publicly to endorse him? andt: between ted cruz marco rubio, i like them both. i feel like ted cruz would probably be a more conservative president. i think marco rubio, given the love affair in conservative media alone, might have an easier path to victory. not to say that cruz couldn't win. he would be the better conservative president. guest: we want to let our viewers know they can join in on the conversation with erick erickson. republicans, 202-748-8001. democrats, 202-748-8000. independence, 202-748-8002. we are also reading your tweets. @cspanwj.t

we have to mention you're the author of the book, you will be made to care, the war on faith, family, and your freedom to believe. tell us what this book is about and why you wrote it. >> i coined a phrase a couple of years ago who is at red state.com we said i don't care about the secular issues, gay marriage and whatnot. i responses you will be made to care. what we have found is that more and more people of faith are being harassed and intentionally targeted. their businesses are being put at stake because they do not want to participate in a gay marriage ceremony or provide abortion drugs and their business. you have secular activists working against them in the legislature or court system to force them to bend her conscience toward secularism. say we have been made to care because people of states will be persecuted -- faith will be persecuted? guest: we see a drugstore chain in washington state that didn't want to provide a drug.

find parenthood had regulations written that your pharmacy card say you won't provide this drug in less it is for a religious conviction and then you would be forced to provide it. that was thrown out in court. we saw a situation in georgia where a young lady was forced to sign a statement that she wanted to stay in a counseling program in college, she would reject her christian beliefs based on transgender is in, homosexuality. she wouldn't and was thrown out of school and lost her case. we have seen the baker in oregon , the florist in washington state didn't want to provide rights to gay weddings. they lost their businesses. it is happening more and more. it is not just gay marriage. transgender, people being driven from their jobs. the fire chief in atlanta who was an obama administration appointee went back to atlanta to become the fire chief and wrote a book for his sunday school class and a year later was fired because he had quoted, directly quoted scripture on

adultery, homosexuality, and the argument became he couldn't put out the fire if a gay person's house was burning. he would put out the fire. that wasn't true. he lost the job because he wrote the book and quoted scripture. host: does your book offer a prescription to combat this persecution? guest: the idea moving forward is in the last third of the book, one of the things we see with the secular movement right now that is happening is they want people to think christians, in particular, are alone in their beliefs. you have to rebuild your community. you can't just be angry about these situations or yell about these. you have to surround yourself with like-minded believers and build a community of believers in your home. we get so busy. a lot of people spend so much time on social media. we lose contact with the people across the street from us. our friends online, we are on facebook with them. there is something to be said about breaking bread with people, even those you disagree

with. sitting around the table, having a conversation, seeing people face to face and not just behind a keyboard. as we lost that, we have lost something in society. host: the atlantic wrote a profile of you recently in which it wondered whether or not you felt that the conservative movement had become too angry. do you agree with that? guest: i go back and forth on this. had turned toey the happy warrior laughing at the other side shelf. in the last few months with the rise of donald trump, and unhealthy grievance culture has set in two parts of the conservative movement. they are being attacked from all sides. united states is being attacked. everybody is out to get us. i don't think that is healthy. the level of anger that is rising, nobody wants to vote for anger. donald trump is doing well within the republican movement feeding off of that movement. ,ovements that run off of anger i have never seen people sustain that anger long-term.

we learn that very well during the french revolution. at some point, the anger consumes you, yourself. clip of donald trump on the campaign trail. he was speaking at the republican debate. here is what we -- what he had to say about the social issues. aest: ronald reagan was somewhat liberal democrat. ronald reagan evolved into a somewhat strong conservative. more important, he was a great president. as far as planned parenthood is concerned, i am pro-life. i'm against abortion having to do with planned parenthood. millions of women, cervical cancer, breast cancer are helped by planned parenthood. you can say whatever you want. they have millions of women going through planned parenthood that are helped greatly. i wouldn't fund, i would defund it because of the abortion factor which they say is the percent. i don't know what percentage it is. a say it is the percent, but i would defund it because i am pro-life. millions of women are helped by planned parenthood -- parenthood. host: what do you make of this

comment? guest: in the south carolina debate, he called it a wonderful organization and was open to federal funding. he has been open and against federal funding. that is the problem with. he has been on all sides of the issue. nobody actually knows what he stands for. he either has principles he is not telling us or he has no principles in which case he is not a leader. this is a man who went bankrupt trying to sell americans on spring football, stakes. when you can't sell american steaks and football, you are not a good businessman. host: get sting, alabama, republican line. good morning. hello. the concerned with chokehold the government has on our people in not allowing them to speak of their religion. my six-year-old granddaughter that she knew jesus

and the child she was talking to told the people at home and they came to the school the site themselves -- beside themselves. this six-year-old girl who had said her father was the coach at the school, they wrote him into the office. he had to promise he would not allow his child to say anything in school. that is causing a lot of trouble across the united to go intocausing us a moral freefall down the tubes. we have no principles. host: all right. guest: that is a problem we document around the country. there is a hesitation to openly discuss religion in public

schools because of lawsuits. we are finding more and more teachers don't know where the lines are because the lines have become so blurry. they are very sensitive to kids coming to school discussing religion. it has happened and a lot of families that i know about. we document it in the book. christmasonger have a program at school. it has to be a winter holiday program. we can sing songs about kwanzaa, the hanukkah song. we can't sing silent night because of the religious references. it has become a muddy mess because of the supreme court. with antonin scalia's death, it becomes even more difficult situation for people of faith to navigate. the waters are so muddy on the first amendment and the free exercise clause. host: archer, florida, democratic line for a go-ahead. for having me,u c-span. i appreciate this opportunity. i would like to ask your guests a question and hope that he will answer it bluntly. caller: i would like to know

what he thinks happens to poor women who cannot get access to abortions? if they succeed and closing down so many abortion clinics, what will happen to them? wealthy women will always be able to afford to go somewhere where they can get one. what happens to the women and their children, both born and unborn if the women cannot control their reproductive rights? guest: i would tell you that if they can't get access to abortion, their children will die. the unborn child will. if they can't, there is an adoption option. regulatedtates have adoption too hard, as has the federal government convoluted the adoption process, one of the things the george bush a ministration was trying to fix and ultimately wasn't able to get regulation passed to streamline the adoptions process and make it more affordable and efficient across the country. it has become exceedingly expensive to adopt a child. host: what role do you believe

social issues have played in the campaign cycle so far? have they been at the forefront in the way you thought? guest: not really. i wouldn't expect it. most of the candidates on the right agree on social issues and whether it is gay marriage or abortion. most republicans align fairly wealthier chris christie, donald trump were anomalies. john kasich is an anomaly. most of the others have. the big issue is the religious freedom issue that we talk about. you will need to care. -- will be made to care. that one hasn't been addressed. and thursday nights addressed when the radio host raise the issue with the candidates and got their issues and at that point, donald trump revealed he thought judges sign bills together as opposed to writing opinions which should probably concerned republicans worried about the sprinkler. -- about the supreme court. host: linda, good morning. caller: hello, erick. i am mexican american, i am san diego. i don't vote democrat or

republican because they give us nothing. i like your values on tv. i feel like we are being persecuted as christians for homosexuality and a bunch of other things because they like to teach it in our schools. if i say one thing like, i am so offended. i don't like that. everybody says your homophobic. i say, i don't even have a voice. these gay parades, they make me feel offended because they are disgusting. that is my point of view. it is not right. i can't even say that. have being infringed on. we can't even say christmas. you have to say happy holidays. word of christ offense atheists. that is religious. linda. guest: you did just say that on national television. you said what he wanted to say. i would tell you that everyone

-- people may have to be balanced with compassion. we shouldn't insult people we disagree with. we may disagree with them. i do think it is important for christians to be grateful to each other, but also, to surround themselves with like-minded believers to understand we aren't alone in our viewpoint and faith and that we do believe scripture israel and we should be guided by scripture. host: you said you don't believe people should insult those who they disagree with. on the campaign trail, certainly, the attacks have ramped up over the last 48 hours. what do you think of this shift in rubio's strategy? trump has been on the attack for a while. guest: i think he has to do it. it is unfortunate for him because he does not want to stoop to donald trump's level. i think he has to show he is capable of fighting at a level with donald trump and expose donald trump using the bombast and pointing out hypocrisy, the silliness that donald trump uses in order to combat donald trump. again, it is nothing the

candidates have wanted to do, but at this point, they have to be able to do it. to some degree, people supporting donald trump are doing it now because of what he believes or stands for but because they want somebody who fights and he is the alpha dog, so to speak. ruz will have to stand up a level. host: we just had someone on from the green party. she raises the point that there needs to be more choices, more voices in this political cycle, this political system. do you think the mention the donald trump -- bernie sanders, argues for another party? guest: to a degree, yes. i think what it argues for more than anything is both of the mainstream parties have been making a lot of promises and not keeping them. the bernie sanders rise, bernie sanders comes from the democratic party, donald trump comes from the republicans the train their base. often, ici more upset with the republicans in the democrats as

a formally elected republican because barack obama has kept more of his promises than republicans happier barack obama, in my mind, has been what he said he was going to do and the republicans have done nothing of what they said they would do. who so pathetic to people have turned to donald trump as a means to an end to clean up the republican party and to some degree, burn it to the ground. i think he is a flawed vessel to do that and will turn on those people, not necessarily once he has power, turn on the people he things he will go after. host: the fundamental question is do you try to fix the system within or create new system? guest: if donald trump becomes the nominee of the republican party, conservatives will go somewhere else. there is a big fight. we have to go with donald trump. i response to them is i don't want to support a liberal who supports planned parenthood and universal social health care. i do want to support hillary clinton, either. it is a vote for hillary clinton or big -- or hillary clinton's big donor, donald trump. bill from connecticut.

democrat line. caller: i just wanted to voice my concern in regard to the republican debate that i saw last night. the stage last night was rubio uz and trump was an embarrassment to the country. i think if this is the way we are going to run our nation, we have bigger problems ahead of us. this is an issue that faces not just the republican party but faces america. we have to have a plan and plan to make this work. i am a democrat. i saw the democratic debate, too. i was proud to say that they were talking about issues. they were talking about who is selling what and try to knock each other down. is going to win this war. it is a war of the mind that we are going to have to -- it is

going to have to find its peace in this world. we can't do it with the republican party. guest: i think you probably could do it with republican party. i think they would probably be better. i agree with you about the debate on thursday night. i also think that neither cruz nor rubio wanted a debate like that, but they had to have that debate. in addition to reassuring their supporters they have what it take to take on donald trump who does that routinely, they had to assure the donors of the republican party that they are willing to make that fight. byy tried to be highbrow donald trump was lowbrow and it didn't work. they had to stoop to his level and attack him with the same bombast they use again that he uses against them. none of them wanted to do it, none of us like to see appeared at the same time, i was personally glad they were willing to go to a level and unite against him. host: george on the republican line, florida, go ahead. -- i have the lady

two things. one is a comment, one is a suggestion. sir, i have to rebut the snide remark he made to that lady. you could speak about-face on a life phone call in show, that is equal to all of the venues that she cannot speak? that is what you said to her. after she was off the line. i would like to make one suggestion about the separation of church and state. if that is what they want, give it to them. jam up the courts completely for the next 50 years. nameking them change the of countless thousands of cities and towns across this nation, san francisco, st. louis. you could go on and on. saint augustine. christian names. let's get some class action suits as people who are

believers as i am and tell them is this what you want? let's do it. now, they have to get in line for any of their complaints. that is what i wanted to say. thank you, very much. thet: i do appreciate ladies point. that is why i wrote the book. this is an increasing problem for peoples of faith around the country in a sector environment and public schools and whatnot. -- in a secular environment. i don't know that secularists would look at the name of the city of los angeles and think it is time to change it. your point is well taken that much of this country and its history was started by puritan refugees from europe or missionaries from spain. miami, florida, independent line, charlie, good morning. caller: i was wondering because you talk a lot about religious

freedom. i feel this happens a lot more in the christian community. when they talk about religious freedom, it is only about christian religious freedom and not about other religious freedom. would you propose involving everyone? we have so many cultures in this country that we have to respect. host: a related comment from erickson,?. should muslims? guest: my friend points out if we want to defend just christianity, we had descended into tribalism. people will take that to the logical extent, sharia. that is not what i'm suggesting. what i'm suggesting is that anyone in this country with a person of faith should be able and a vocation to live their faith and not have to shy away from it. if a christian baker wants to run a christian bakeshop, he should be allowed to. if a muslim butcher should --

wants to run a muslim butcher shop, he should be allowed to. host: republican line, mike, go ahead. can morning. caller: i just have a quick comment and one question. about the lady that called about what women are supposed to do when they can't get an abortion, what you need to do is take them to obamacare which is supposed to be affordable and divide free birth control from what the democrats say. would youn is actually vote for donald trump if he is the candidate in the general election? guest: i wouldn't. i wrote it last week and i did yesterday, it is time for conservatives to be known so that there is time for trump supporters to realize he is not going to be the winner in november. i think it is one thing for conservatives to say i am not going to vote for donald trump if he becomes a nominee and quite another to say right now, plant a flag i want support him as the nominee so it gives other

people the opportunity to realize how many republicans would leave the party and vote third party of donald trump is the nominee. i find it completely unacceptable as a candidate. i think no nation that sees a candidate makes tribalism and nationals and together has wound up succeeding as a country. i don't think a candidate who plays to the anger and vanity of people as a candidate the republicans should have. donald trump is not an uplifting candidate. he has tapped into anger and grievance. that never ends well. host: here is a little bit from the can't you wrote. if trump were elected, portions of the conservative movement would compromise the movement to donald trump.from the intellectual institutions on which we have made our case for limited government and freedom would,. on top of it all, the oligarchs would be just fine. they would coddle and humor. trump, a man of known as ego and get away while the people donald trump promises to help will get table scraps. you have gone toe to toe with alan trump the past. tell us a little bit about your

run-ins with him. guest: donald trump, i invited in from an event last guest: the red state gathering, i started in 2009. it has grown over time. this past year, we had almost all the republican presidential candidates. donald trump had not been invited, wanted to come, we made room for him, but then after his comments about megyn kelly, having kurt. , weaving her period uninvited him. i learned firsthand the anger of donald trump supporters. a lot of death threats. when i was at the hotel, my voicemail filled up with people wanting me dead, cussing me out, e-mails. the call-in line was overwhelmed with people

wanting harm to me and my family. beenmy friends have outspoken about donald trump. since i wrote the column this weekend, it has come back, the death threats. i have started traveling with security now. he feeds into the anger and exacerbates it. we have a presidential candidate standing on the stage, talking about how we used to beat up protesters. it's only amount of time before something like that happens. host: our next caller from minneapolis, minnesota, michelle. good morning. caller: i just tuned in. the gentleman said, the theylicans are mad because are in the house and senate, but not doing what they said they would do. you need 60 votes in the senate.

if you don't have 60 votes in crack,ate, you are up a you cannot even bring these bills to vote on, really. you have to have a super majority to override a democrat presidential veto. frankly, i think we have to move to a parliamentary type system. we have five parties in this country. we have the democrats, progressive is, republicans, conservatives, libertarians. maybe we just need a parliamentary type thing where every party gets their chance for four years, and if you don't like what they do, you vote them out. guest: that would require a wholesale restructuring of the constitution. i think the founders put gridlock in the system as a feature. the founders wanted washington to do as little as possible, and

made it extremely difficult to get anything done. yes, it is supposed to be difficult. the problems are republicans have not negotiated well with the president, and they have not with the president. structured a government shutdown, the republicans came back. they exposed the a lot of republicans had been campaigning on ted cruz's rhetoric, but did not have his principles and values behind him. they wanted to do what he said. designed to fight to do it, they pulled it. you cannot break promises. host: ted cruz has been a frequent guest at your red state gathering. why have you come out in favor of the establishment or

conservatives rallying around rubio, instead of ted cruz. guest: i haven't. i stay neutral between ted cruz and marco rubio. in florida, for example, if ted floridiansad, then .eed to vote for ted cruz in georgia, where i am, rubio has >> good evening, all eyes on south carolina tonight, where the polls closed. hillary clinton has won after her victory last week of the nevada caucuses. we are live in columbia, south carolina.