from donald trump's comments on abortion and the use of nuclear weapons at our "hardball" town hall. here is what he said about punishing women who receive one. >> should the woman be punished for having an abortion? this is not something you can important questions, important answers. let's play "hardball." good evening, i'm chris matthews back in washington. there continues to be fallout from donald trump's comments on abortion and the use of nuclear weapons at our "hardball" town hall. here is what he said about punishing women who receive one. >> should the woman be punished

for having an abortion? this is not something you can dodge. if you say abortion is a crime or abortion is murder, you have to deal with it under the law. should abortion be punished? >> well, people in certain parts of the republican party, and con certificatetives would say yes. >> how about you? >> i would say it's a serious problem. it's problem that we have to decide on. it's very -- >> you're for banning it. >> wait. are you going to say put them in jail. >> no, i'm asking you. you say you want to ban that. what does that mean. >> i am pro-life, why he. >> how do you ban abortion? how do you do it? >> you go back to a position like they had where people will perhaps go to illegal places. >> yeah. >> but you have to ban it. >> do you believe in punishment for abortion? yes or no, as a principle. >> the answer is that there has to be some form of punishment. >> for the woman? >> yeah, there has to be some form. >> ten years, what? >> that, i don't know. >> why not?

>> i don't know. >> you take positions on everything else. >> i do take positions. it's a complicated position. >> the trump campaign later issued a couple of statements, first, quote, this issue is unclear and should be put back into the states for determination. that was followed later in the day with a full reversal, quote, if congress were to pass legislation making abortion illegal, and the federal courts upheld the legislation or any state were permitted to ban abortion under state or federal law, the doctor or other person performing this illegal act upon a woman would be held legally responsible. not the woman. earlier today, trump's spokeswoman said this. >> he made a mistake. that is not how he really feels. >> absolutely. this was a complete misspeak during a conversation over a hypothetical concept, and theres with a clarification issue. >> okay. >> mr. trump is pro-life with the exceptions, and does not punish women for abortions, even if they're illegal.

>> i'm joined by katy tur, who is milwaukee, michael steele, and robert costa, national political reporter for the "washington post," political analyst. katy, give us a sense, has he spoken to the press, accepted questions since the town meeting yesterday? >> no, he has not. he visited the rnc earlier today and there were a number of reporters staked out in front. he went in without a comment and left without a comment. waived to the reporters. he has been inactive on twitter today, only tweeting pretty much that he had a meeting with the rnc, not addressing the issue of abortion or his comments, or even the issue about what he said about nuclear weapons in your town hall yesterday. >> what do you make of how he is going to -- can you tell from the scheduled to from today, tomorrow, the next day, is he going to lay low, face this, strategy yet?

they've obviously put out these new two statements? really a 180 on what he said to me, which we have on tape of course, and we just showed it. what is their angle right now? what is their plan, do you know. >> the campaign is laying unusually low. i will say that the candidate himself had no public events scheduled prior to this on thursday or friday. he is back on the trail here in wisconsin on saturday. as for his surrogates, they've pulled katrina pearson from the airwaves, except for the interview she had this morning. they've denied interview requests with nbc news, and they've been very tight-lipped when it has come to this -- trying to make it look ridiculous, according to the campaign, to criticize him it comes to abortion. just a few weeks ago, ted cruz was criticizing him for his support of planned parenthood, and now, all of a sudden, everyone is criticizing him for

being too extreme on the topic. the campaign is seeing a real disconnect when it comes to that. but as for that borings controversy, my instinct from seeing this campaign for the last ten months, is that they're going to try to lay low on it, not talk about it, wait for the news cycle to pass before donald trump is on the trail again on saturday, at which point they hope they'll be able to move on. >> i don't think it's the criticism. but it seems to me this isn't about criticism for the pro-choice people or pro-life people, abortion activists on either side. it's really about what he said. and when he was given a full opportunity to answer the question, what he said and it is now on tape and tape survives all kinds of public statements. the other four candidates all reacted to, when i say that, donald trump's comments on abortion. let's watch. >> should women who get abortions be punished? >> of course not. donald's comments today is the latest demonstration that he hasn't thought seriously about the problems facing this country.

he is willing to say anything to try to get elected. >> of course women shouldn't be punished. i think donald trump will figure out a way to say he didn't say it, he was misquoted, but i don't think so. that's not an appropriate response. >> women have the right to control their own bodies and to make those personal decisions themselves. but to punish a woman for having an abortion is beyond comprehension. >> i'm constantly just taken aback at the kinds of things that he advocates for, you know. mia angelo said show us who you are, and he has shown us who he is. >> fundraising letter by mr. trump, and put out this online video. >> do you believe in punishment for abortion as a principle? >> the answer is that there has to be some form of punishment. >> for the woman? >> yeah, there has to be some form of punishment. >> michael steele, your view on this thing?

let's talk about the politics. >> the politics is not good. it hurts the party in its effort to create a different kind of conversation with women. certainly. a constituency we'll need in november. more importantly, it upends the opportunity to have an intelligent conversation about abortion. no one in this party who has ever made the argument that a women should be sent to jail, punished in any way shape or form. >> so he is wrong when he said some -- >> yeah. if they are, i've never heard them or seen them. so this has not been something that has been put out in the main by and large. i think what you're seeing right now is the trump campaign recognizing it is in full throated meltdown, when you combine everything that has happened, going back to the fight with ted cruz's wife other his wife, certainly the --

corey's arrest. and now this. this is not been a good period. he is done, quite honestly, in his doing, something that the other 16 candidates could not do. slow his own momentum and get him off of the surge. this is going to be a problem for the campaign. it's problem for the party. they need to come together and fix this. because this hurts, and it stings and it stays. this is something you've already seen the commercial up on this. how do you make this argument to women in the fall that what i'm saying now i didn't mean it. and it's a hard argument to make. >> i think misspeaking is when you get somebody's name wrong, misspeaking is a -- mistakes are made. he had an opportunity. i'm two feet from mr. donald trump, and he had a time to think. it was pressure. but his answer was punishment. >> he has a level of discomfort when he is talking about social

issues, because his campaign is not one of being a conservative warrior. that's where you're seeing trump right now. he is trying to navigate as he gets close to the nomination, but he is not a movement conservative. it's similar that mitt romney said severely conservative, because he knew he had to keep the right with him, but not a comfortable move. >> the questiois, was he finding his way in real time yesterday? i think that's the question. was he finding his way. he hadn't gone through the preparation. let's -- i'll be a little cynical here. politicians have a trade craft. they know certain areas you don't talk about. you don't talk about punishing women for abortion. whatever your philosophical views. you don't talk about use of nuclear weapons. you don't talk about it ever. you don't say when you're going to use nuclear weapons, i don't think he is familiar with that. >> i think it goes on the social conservative front, what robert just said. this is new language for.

new conversation for him. he is evolving into it. and is not evolving well on how to speak. >> i want to get katy back in here. another moment from our town hall reaction around the world, our discussion about nuclear weapons, and when this country would think of using them. i asked donald trump about keeping nuclear weapons on the table and dealing with isis. here he is. >> i don't want to talk about nuclear weapons. presidents don't talk about it. >> we're talking about nato, which by the way i said -- >> you good hooked. >> some day, maybe. >> maybe? >> of course. if i was against iraq, i would be the first one to use the nuclear weapons. >> can you tell the middle east -- >> i would never say that. i would never take my cards off the table. >> how about europe. >> you might use it in europe? >> no, i don't think so. >> i'm just asking. >> i am not taking cards off the table.

>> katy, a lot of this as i said from trade craft, trying to figure out the candidate. why wouldn't he simply say of course, i can't even imagine using a nuclear weapon in europe. europe is a small part of the world. how would you get the enemy isolated if you even wanted to with a nuclear weapon from the innocent civilians, same in the middle east. >> i think it's because donald trump is not a politician, speaking to what robert and michael are talking about. he doesn't know the rules of engagement of politics. he doesn't know what are topics that are off bounds. he is not used to be told not to talk about something or not to comment on something. so it does certainly appear, especially in your town hall, he was searching for the answers to the questions in real time. it's surprising when it comes to the nuclear weapons questions, because he had been answering the questions and taking heat from the conversation he had with the new york times over the weekend on foreign policy, in which he expressed openness to

allowing japan or south korea to have a nuclear bomb. at that point, he was facing a lot of criticism on foreign policy experts, military experts, from a lot of folks out there that this is not something the u.s. has been for, ever, really. it's gone against some long held beliefs that this country has had, as well as our allies. and so was facing heat for that. he was also facing heat for bringing up nuclear weapons in the first place. so for him to go into that topic again with you, a few days later, does show that his team, either is not advising him or he is not listening. >> you know, the phrase tactical nuclear battle field, these are hundreds of kilo tons, talking about dropping hiroshima, let me ask you about the politics coming up. next week is wisconsin. he is sinking.

is it going to be seen as a verdict on what he has been saying, taken that way? >> i think with respect to the abortion question, given the makeup of the republican electorate, gop electorate in wisconsin, yeah, i think a lot of them will react visceral to that. it will give a greater spread to cruz in that regard. >> a greater movement against him in cleveland. >> a greater movement in cleveland. there is still that dynamic in play. he is up 30 in new york. that's what i'm looking at, to see how those numbers change. >> i would respectfully disagree about wisconsin. i think with the milwaukee suburbs, ideological conservatives. it isn't the usual rust belt state. the state i'm paying attention to, pennsylvania, can you win the philly suburbs. can cruz get people from the center of the state, kasich get the moderates.

>> i think kasich can take him. we'll see. kasich is right there right now. katy tur, what are they woied about right now, state wise. >> a couple of things to watch out for in wisconsin. likely voters say they have a favorable view of donald trump. that's a very, very low number and the abortion comments certainly don't help that number. i spoke to a number of women here in milwaukee today and asked them how they felt about donald trump and it really divides wrong generational lines. the younger women don't like his bombbast, the older women were more apt to give him the benefit of the doubt. what they'll face after this, what leaders have told me, in order to mitigate the stem, the bleeding, really, they're going to have to focus on the older women, white women voters, and try to stop the bleeding from the younger women voters in the republican party in general and that should be a play when it comes to wisconsin on tuesday. one thing that is in trump's

favor in this state is that it is an open primary, it means that there is a staple day registration. traditionally, that has gone well for donald trump. he is not necessarily a republican party candidate. but he has been able to bring over independents and maybe even some of the soft democrats. so the campaign is really going to be focusing on those people, but so far, a wild car state. from all the polling, which the campaign points out, is just a registered republican voters. ted cruz is in the lead. >> yeah, well, thank you. great reporting as always. i'll be out there myself on tuesday, i think in milwaukee. thank you. coming up, when donald trump there should be some sort of punishment for women who have abortions, he engaged or enraged both sides of the abortion debate. when we come back, my exclusive interview with cecile richardson. bernie sanders has momentum heading into wisconsin next tuesday, but trump's remarks could energize hillary clinton's supporters. don't you think?

any way, the "hardball" round table is here to talk about women voters, and what has become a sizable gender gap. finally, the question of timing. when will the country's voters make a final assessment of donald trump and his fitness for the presidency. this is "hardball," the place for politics. for our call center. i'm spending too much time hiring and not enough time in my kitchen. (announcer) need to hire fast? go to ziprecruiter.com and post your job to over 100 of the web's leading job boards with a single click. then simply select the best candidates from one easy to review list. you put up one post and the next day you have all these candidates. makes my job a lot easier. (announcer) over 400,000 businesses have already used ziprecruiter. and now you can use ziprecruiter for free. go to ziprecruiter.com/offer99

election numbers from new york. the empire state remains solidly blue. let's take a look at the "hardball" scoreboard. according to a new quinnipiac poll, hillary clinton holds a huge lead over donald trump. 53, trump 33. hillary thumps ted cruz as well. clinton 53, cruz, 32. closer between clinton and kasich. clinton 46, kasich, 41. bernie sanders best of three

republicans hopeful by even larger margins. sanders by 24 over trump. 56-32. he dominates with cruz, doubling up the texas senator, sanders, 56, cruz 28. bernie enjoys a double digit over kasich as well, sanders 47, kasich 37. we'll be right back.

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do you believe in punishment for abortion, yes or no, principle. >> there has to be some form of punishment. >> for the woman. >> yeah, there has to be some -- >> what about the man, he is responsible or not responsible. >> it hasn't, different feelings, different people. i would say no. welcome back to "hardball," that was donald trump just yesterday, saying a woman should face punishment, while the man should bear no responsibility. in taking that position, he managed to antagonize leaders from both sides of the abortion side debate. the president of the planned parenthood said donald trump is

flat out dangerous. women's lives are not disposal. nothing else to say, his remarks have said it all. the president of the anti-abortion groups, the march for life, education and defense fund, jeannie mancini, said mr. trump's comments is completely out of touch with the pro-life movement. no pro-lifer would ever want to punish a woman for having an abortion. this is the nature of what we are about. any way, jeannie mancini will join me shortly, as will cecile richards. the remarks of yesterday are playing among women there in wisconsin. msnb chris jansing in milwaukee. thank you for joining us. you've been talking to people. >> all day long. the reaction from women has been very negative. didn't matter how old, which party they were in. i think they fell into three groups. another group had this sort of visceral angry reaction. they couldn't believe what they

were hearing. and they were very vehement, if they thought about voting for him for president. the third, taking this long view. people who are worried about what a donald trump nomination would mean, because they believe he plays fast and loose with the facts. one example that was given to me by a business leader, apparently trump was meeting with a group of business leaders here in wisconsin, and according to this person, when talking about things like unemployment, and the deficit, got every single number wrong. had nothing but negative things to say about wisconsin. the quote was, you can't come into a state like wisconsin and bad mouth with bad facts. so i guess the real question tonight is, is this something that is going to stick? is this a turning point? or is this another example of

donald trump saying something that a lot of people think is outrageous, but it doesn't make a difference. his numbers with women, though, are very, very bad. 24% support in that marquette poll that came out yesterday, chris. >> thanks so much. that's chris jansing out of wisconsin. the president of planned parenthood, cecile richards, in an exclusive interview. thanks for coming back for this occasion. what is your reaction to what donald trump said on the taep we just showed. >> obviously what he said was outrageous. i think what's important, i'm glad you pushed him on it, though. what's important to recognize is donald trump's position on making abortion a crime is the exact same position that john kasich has. that ted cruz has. frankly, the republican national committee and their platform. so i think that the logical -- the lonl cal next question which you pushed him on, what will we do when women are criminals and doctors are criminals, because abortion is outlawed. that's a legitimate question. although people may not want to hear it, women will be punished,

we know they will be. we know what happens in el salvador where women are in jail, clinicians are in jail. when women miscarry, they're investigated by police. it's really important legitimate questions to ask. >> you're the expert cecile, you've been on the program many times, please keep coming back. do you know of any other significant pro-life republican or democratic who has ever supported criminalizing the decision by a woman herself to have an abortion? not the doctor, the woman. have you ever heard of someone saying what trump said yesterday. >> i think they haven't been pushed on saying it. every single candidate, ted cruz has said he wants a constitutional amendment making abortion illegal in this country. and so i think the logical

question is, well, then, when women break the law, i think they're criminals. when doctors break the law, they're criminals. what are we going to do to enforce it. it's really -- the main point, in wisconsin now, people are taking a real close look at donald trump and what he said, i think that's going to happen this november. >> let me ask you, cecile, let me ask you a generational question. you're not quite old enough, but there was a big fight over abortion rights in the '70s, and i certainly remember it. i remember roe v. wade and how it came to the climatic decision by the court to basically legalize abortion. a lot of women don't have that personal experience. do you think young women in their 20s for example, do they get the importance of this debate, of this fight? >> i think they absolutely do.

i think the interesting thing, chris, maybe this is different from what it was like in the '70s or '80s, i think young men understand it as well. we've been flooded at planned parenthood by young new activists and voters who cannot believe we're having this debate in the 21st century. i mean what the consequences will be of this election, november election, the differences between whoever comes out of these primaries is going to on so stark when it comes to women's rights and basic reproductive rights, that ted cruz, john kasich, donald trump, take the position that we're going to criminal lies something that has been legal in this country for decades. >> okay, thank you so much, cecile richards. i'm joined by jeannie mancini, march for life. what do you think we saw yesterday from mr. trump? >> was a surprise and real disappointment. >> surprise for me too. >> it's not in line with the pro-life movement. we brief to be pro-life is to be pro woman and pro baby. a woman who chooses a abortion is back would into a corner out of desperation.

she needs a path to hope and healing. >> what about the people use terms like murder? >> sure. >> when they go murder, what are you going to do about it if it's a murder. >> and it is taking a life. when a woman is looking at abortion, she can choose adoption, bring the child to term, she can choose abortion. she thinks if she chooses abortion, she erases the life. they have the experience of grief after having chosen it, you can't erase a life. >> so you are very active in this, and i appreciate you coming on. a lot of republicans support this criminal -- >> no, she was absolutely 100% wrong. i do not know one member of congress that punishes women on this. >> it one front-runner has said that. >> he has backtracked. but yesterday shows he could use some time with pro-life leaders. >> do you believe he is pro-life.

>> i can't judge his heart. >> do you believe he is politically pro-life. >> i would be happy to meet with him. >> do you take him at his word. >> what else can you do. i can't educate his heart. he should be more educated. >> i can't argue with that. thank you for coming on. up next, hillary clinton and bernie sanders come out swinging against donald trump, but they must battle each other leading up to the wisconsin primary. new york in a couple of weeks, while sanders has momentum. could trump's comments energize clinton for teres? what do you think? this is "hardball," the place for politics. when a moment turns romantic why pause 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.

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welcome back to "hardball," donald trump and his comments about abortion are making for the perfect foil for hillary clinton to run against in 2016. even if she has not yet won the democratic nomination for president. today, her husband, the former president, bill clinton, also weighed in on trump's comments. >> obviously i strongly disagree with it. in their party, they keep pushing the limits on how much they can take away. it's interesting this happened new. he seems to be trying to -- people need pushing into the logical conclusion. i think it was a terrible mistake. >> the clinton campaign itself released this tv ad airing throughout the state of new york, targeting donald trump. >> new york, 20 million people strong. no, we don't all look the same. we don't all sound the same, either.

but when we pull together, we do the biggest things in the world. so when some say we can solve america's problems by building walls, banning people based on their religion and turning against each other, well, this is new york. and we know better. >> wow. the ad comes as clinton is struggling in wisconsin, trailing bernie sanders by four points. any way, wisconsin holds its primary tuesday, the 5th, before the contest shifts to new york two weeks later. susan page and jonathan for the "washington post." let's start with you, jonathan. hillary has lost some clip in her step. she is fading in the polls. bernie is closing on her. is this going to give her what trump said yesterday, jeopardizing perhaps the right of a woman to choose, give her some juice? >> well, sure. what donald trump did yesterday is like slip so perfectly into the argument she has been making since she announced her candidacy, and coming after what

bernie sanders won all three contests last weekend, he has got a pep in his step. he has the momentum, all the talk is about him going into wisconsin, possibly winning that state, and how hillary clinton is on the ropes and is struggling against this guy, who lots of people thought shouldn't be in this position. so of course, donald trump saying what he said, and giving her just the perfect opportunity to draw the contrast. the fight with bernie sanders, the contrast between the two of them are minuscule compared to the contrast between hillary clinton and donald trump. >> but she has to have a fight. she needs fight in her step right now. it seems to me, hillary clinton is going to take on whoever is in her way right now. she has to. she has got to take on bernie sanders whether she agrees with him or not. >> although you see the ad she has done. that's an ad in a race she has against bernie sanders, it doesn't mention bernie sanders

or reference him in any way. it references totally donald trump with his policies, even his name, although she never says his name aloud. clintons. >> not new york. >> she plans to come back strong in new york. she has a big lead there. a lot more delegates. she is on what they think is a glide path toward the nomination. >> a battle of accents? a brooklyn accent i'm told. he wants a debate in brooklyn. >> maybe they will. i think they'll have a debate in -- >> let's talk about hillary clinton. no offense to hillary, but she is at her best when somebody is taking a shot at her, she comes out like strategic defense. boom. i think this thing from trump, although not directed at her, his talk about punishing women for having abortion decision is her wheel house. >> yes, because she has been talking about these issues for so long, she cares about them, and conveniently the base cares about. women care about.

>> bill clinton pull his punches, he is just pulling his punching on everything now. >> i think it's not helpful for bill clinton to be an unguided missile and speaking on everything he thinks. i think they would like him to be a more controlled. actually the nuclear talk you had with donald trump i think also helps hillary clinton, because it's an area where she knows a lot about these issues. she is very -- >> we all know about these issues than some people. you don't talk about the use of nuclear weapons, rules of engagement of when to shoot up, blow up the world. these are nuclear. you can't isolate with your target in front of you. >> when people vote for the president of the united states, you want them to have discretion. >> nobody else in the world has, the button. >> they have the button. you want the person sitting in the oval office when to use it, when not to use it, and not to talk about it.

donald trump does not know that. >> do you know why he didn't say yesterday, and i -- why he didn't just say of course, i cannot foresee any use of nuclear weapons in europe or the middle east. i can't foresee, because our enemy there would be a terrorist group. not a population center. it's like going after an outlaw gang in a big city. you blow up the city. there is no enemy, state enemy right now. >> he doesn't know what he doesn't know. the answer to you about abortion, the answer to you about tactical nuclear weapons, he doesn't know that you don't say these things. >> okay. but hillary, talking about discretion again, discernment, i would go stronger, when do you do it, when don't you do it. he think hillary can be dull at times, because she is a government person, she knows all the provisions, that could be boring. but the advantage of that, you do know them. >> if you're talking about an issue like nuclear weapons, you probably want somebody that is pretty familiar. donald trump has not run for office before.

some of these issues, he hasn't had to deal within the role that he has had in the past. now he is. that's a real challenge for somebody as a first time -- >> a murder board in law school, they bring you in and test you, why don't they do that with him? >> with him, i would love to see the person who would try to do that. remember when he was asked who do you talk to for your foreign policy? >> you can tell hillary goes through those prep sessions. she is on the top of her game when she knows she has to win the debate. she goes on loaded for bear. >> donald trump doesn't, because he trusts his own mind. >> the stagecraft, it doesn't work when you get down to the shorts, the issues. who is fit for the presidency. we always wonder when that day is going to come. >> the verge of the republican nomination. the question is, does it prevent him from getting over the finish line. >> it's not an audition. it's about whether you're fit or not. thank you, susan page. you know as much as i know. jonathan, you're getting there. up next, has trump's bad week changed the course of the campaign.

the round table will talk about where things stand right now, in wisconsin, the republican front-runner. you're watching "hardball," the place for politics. ♪ you're not gonna watch it! ♪

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welcome back to "hardball." donald trump has often said he cherishes women, but a poll show 70% of women said they have a negative view of donald trump. he has to close that gap if he wants to win the white house. he did little last week. a started a week ago today, when he attacked ted cruz's wife, retweeting a picture of unflattering picture of heidi cruz. then he defended his campaign manager, charged with simple battery. yesterday, he told me a woman should face punishment, while the man wouldn't bear any responsibility. today, a super pac, backing trump, is trying to make the sale with women with a seven figure ad buy out in wisconsin.

>> sure, i get grief when i say i'm voteding for donald trump. paris, san bernardino and now brussels. i want a president that will keep us safe. we need to patrol our borders, and stop lets in dangerous people. trump will do that. ted cruz wants to give amnesty to illegal immigrants. that won't protect my family. donald trump will. >> now just five days before the primary in wisconsin this coming tuesday, ted cruz has opened up a wide lead over trump out there in wisconsin. according to a poll at marquette law school, trump down to 30, ten point spread. kasich down at 21. joined by the round table, megan murray, april ryan, and jennifer rubin, conservative blogger for the "washington post." jennifer, start tonight. how does this all add up. we went through the bad week for donald trump. most voters are women. people keep for getting it as they have cigar discussions. >> it has been this way all along. the main anti-trump pack ran, women reading the remarks, the derogatory remarks, their looks, and every kind of defaming

distasteful phrase. he exudes what women re-sent. -- resnet. >> i think men resnt this guy is your ex-husband, domineering, puts you down, that's what women see when they look at donald trump. >> do you agree with that april? i don't know if you have an ex-husband? >> i do have an ex-husband. let's leave that one alone. you're right. donald trump has hit the third rail on a number of occasions. the question is, is this the fatal time? this week has been a bad week for him. we use a pen everyday. >> elizabeth fields? >> we use a pen everyday. she had a pen, trying to ask him a question.

then she was attacked. then this. looking at that commercial, it also reminded me of a saturday night live skit, for the joke, i don't know how even men can sit here and listen to this. because men have mothers. they have sisters. they have nieces. yes, daughters. and this is not just an attack on women, but it's an attack on people as a whole. >> that's the point. john kasich and other candidates have been trying to make. i have daughters, i won't be able to explain to them how i would support him in a nomination battle. that ad says it all. if you're going to target women with the security, he is the safest choice, women vote for that but they also vote for women's issues. if you're going to get on the wrong side of women on both sides of the abortion debate, that's pretty hard to do and that's what he did this week.

>> i look at politics from a pennsylvania point of view. it's an interesting state. t in the middle, the philly suburbs, filled with women who read the paper, sensitive about the equality issues. he may get some working class white guys, the democrats usually get, but there will be an offset. >> there will be. his unfavorables with each of these groups, college educated, women, college educated men, he is down, down, down, in all of them. he is going to make mitt romney look like ronald reagan electorally speaking. >> a working class white guy hears donald trump wants to punish women for having an abortion. i don't think he'll cheer that. why would he like that? >> he wouldn't like that, because again, just what i said. he has a mother, he has a sister. this goes back to an old debate that we've had in this nation, roe v. wade. it's about basically the beginning stages, it's a woman's choice. then the latter stages, it's a state.

that's where the vast majority of american people are thinking. roe v. wade versus this antiquated thought. i talked to janice mathis, he demonstrates he does not understand the constitution with this, and out of step with current thinking. >> i like the way you phrased that. i agree with that completely. later stage, it's more of a state interest. thank you. we'll be right back. tell me what i don't know. we'll be right back.

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we're back. tell me something i don't know. >> last night late trump released a document saying they're no longer under scrutiny by the irs.

it's totally inconsistent. expect his opponents to keep up the pressure. >> was he being audited? >> he said he was. in one place he said they aren't and another place he said they are. people will keep ramping up to see what's in tax documents. >> april. >> transportation secretary anthony fox is going to elected officials asking them to promise that when they look to rebuilding the infrastructure in this nation, that they will do an issue of inclusion because the infrastructure that we have, much of it was built in the 50s before the voting rights act that meant separating communities racially. he's hoping we will change this. >> great. >> the administration has let on they are considering allowing iran access to our u.s. banking system. this was something congress was specifically told during fight over the iran nuclear deal would not happen.

members of congress were very agitated about this. if the administration does go forward with something that isn't required by the deal, something they told congress wouldn't happen. look for hillary clinton to edge away. >> will that break the deal? >> i don't know if it will break the deal. it's not required. >> i think it's a bit to the hawkish side of things. >> she gave a speech that even i could like. >> i asked trump who was more hawkish, you are her. he wasn't clear. thank you for coming. when we return let me finish with a question of timing. when will the country's voters make a final assessment of donald trump and his presidential fitness. you're watching hardball, the place for politics. time hiring and not enough time in my kitchen. (announcer) need to hire fast? go to ziprecruiter.com and post your job to over 100 of the web's leading job boards

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let me finish tonight with this remarkable campaign for president and how it has divided the genders. asizable minority of men have been taken with donald trump. he's managed to turn off a strong majority of women. i don't think it's hard to understand why. men respond strongly to the charge that the country is getting pushed around. they see the influx of illegal immigration, sick of the wars we've been fighting. they are pushed around and ready to s couee thery itself getting shoved around. what trump says hits home with

them. he's talking about their country. women watched him get tough with carly fiorina and megyn kelly. they heard trump talk about banning abortion and punish the women for breaking the law by having one. all this shows in the numbers. 70% of american women have a negative view of donald trump. we can attribute some of this to his words, some to his refusal to back down and insist on his position and repel criticism. he talks and acts like someone who doesn't care if someone disapproves. we'll see if this holds up as we approach the final stretch of these republican primaries. to date trump has shaken loose from the clutches of his own statements. he's laughed off, kissed off the criticism of his behavior. i wonder if the time hasn't arrived where voters are ready

to take a full accounting of donald trump and decide if it adds up to a solid presidency. that's hardball for now. thanks for being with us. "all in" with chris hayes starts now. tonight on "all in." >> i have not been treated properly. >> he meets with the rnc as his numbers against democrats and collapse and the entire political world erupts over his abortion comment. >> it has to be some form of punishment. >> for the women? >> yeah. >> increase calls for cleveland protests. >> we need five million constitutional trumpists to be there. >> a trump super pac goes on the air. >> sure i get some grief when i say i'm voting for donald trump. >> my interview with wendy davis on trump's trouble with women. plus, i'll talk to another unbound republican delegate getting wooed by ted cruz.