starting right now on "this week" with george stephanopoulos. march madness. now just three gop candidates left standing. as donald trump continues his march to the nomination. >> we have a movement going on, folks. i will never let you down. >> but with his rivals and his party rallying to stop him. >> we're seeing republicans uniting behind this campaign. >> could a contested convention take trump down? we're one on one with donald trump. only on "this week." plus, hillary takes aim. >> we should be breaking down

>> hitting the gop front-runner. is clinton already gearing up for a nasty november clash? and, supreme showdown, inside the war over the president's supreme court nominee. from abc news, it's "this week." here now, chief anchor george stephanopoulos. after another wild week in the race for the white house, more big wins for donald trump. at least three states on tuesday. the most delegates by far. moving him much closer to the republican nomination. as his campaign marches toward cleveland, he draws more protests, too. check out this scene from arizona yesterday. the road to a trump rally blocked. and new questions overnight about how trump and his supporters are dealing with the protests. in tucson, this protester punched and kicked as he was led away. >> a guy grabbed the sign out of my hand.

>> and in this video from cnn, trump campaign manager cory lewandowski appears to grab the collar of a protester. a lot to talk about this morning with donald trump. he sxwroins us now by phone. thank you for joining us this morning, mr. trump. we saw the incidents in tucson. what will you be doing to stop your supporters from acting out like this? >> it's not only tucson. we had a great rally next to phoenix. it was an amazing 21,000 people. the protesters blocked the road. you had thousands of people that couldn't get in. sheriff joe, who did a fantastic people. the rally totally broke up. the people that were protesting. and they went. and there was no more problem. 21,000. there wasn't one word during this massive rally. >> but what about the violence? >> then -- well, then, a little

areas. i mean, we went all over, frankly, all over arizona. and we went to tucson. and we had some people that wouldn't allow people for the rally into the door. they were making it almost impossible to get in. we had 6,000 or 7,000 people at least. 2,000 people outside. they wouldn't allow them in. these people are very disruptive people. >> does that excuse punching and kicking a protester. >> he was wearing, or his partner was wearing a ku klux klan outfit. this was an african-american man, a person at the rally, who was very insensitive, the fact that somebody a protester would be wearing a ku klux klan outfit. he went wild. >> you appear to be excusing the kicking and punching. >> it was a tough thing to watch. i watch that. why would a protester walk into a room with a ku klux klan outfit on? >> it looked like he was wearing

>> if you would have seen him just before he went up the stairs, him and his partner, one of them was wearing a ku klux klan outfit. >> so you won't condemn the person that hit him? >> we don't condone violence. we had 21,000 people in phoenix. nobody stood up and tried to disrupt. the disrupters. they're really stopping our first amendment rights. they blocked a road. they put their cars in front of a road. we had thousands and thousands of people wanting to come. they were delayed for an hour because of the protesters. the protesters. >> so you're blaming the protesters, not the person who punched and kicked the protester? >> no, i'm saying this. these are professional agitators. i think somebody should say that when a road is blocked going into the event, so that people

get in, i think that's very fair and there should be blame there, too. when signs are put up, lifted up them. i mean, the worst. you have television cameras all over the place and, people see these signs, i think maybe those people have some blame and should suffer blame also. >> we also see the video of your lewandowski lewandowski, who does appear to protester. why is your campaign manager out in the crowd engaging protesters? >> because security at the arena, the police were lax. they had signs up in that area that were horrendous. i can't say what they said on the sign. the ultimate word. it was all over the camera. the television cameras can't take it. they can't do anything about it. i will give him credit. he didn't touch. he wasn't -- >> the video shows he touched him.

>> i give him credit for having spirit. he wanted them to take down those horrible profanity-laced signs. these are disrupters. they go into a room with 20,000 people or a room with 6,000 or 7,000 people and they stand up and they start shouting things. i mean, at some point, somebody should say, i will say this. sheriff joe arpai oh, o, in phoenix, arrested three people. as soon as they were arrested, even else immediately left. >> it's the job of the police to disruptive. if that is happening. area. it doesn't happen in tucson. >> you appear to be much more upset by the protesters than the violent response to the protesters. >> i am very -- i wouldn't use the word upset. i think it's very unfair that these really -- in many cases

road, blocking thousands of great americans from coming to a speech and nobody says anything about that. but they'll say something about whatever. i will tell you. >> kicking and punching a protester. >> let me tell you. it's a very unfair double standard. why don't you mention that people were delayed for an hour to get into an arena and the only road going there that they were delayed for an hour because people were blocking the road? and why don't you say in tucson, where the people were blocking arena. >> we showed the blockade at the top of the broadcast. let me move on. this comes on the heels of you saying this week there could be riots in cleveland if you entered the republican convention with more voting than anybody else but didn't get the nomination. speaker paul ryan called you out. did you go too far there? if you don't have the 1237 delegates going into cleveland,

nomination? >> i think if i'm a few short and i have 1200 or 1100 and somebody else is at 300, 400, 500, likely to be the case, and if i'm a little bit short, and one of the reasons was, we had so many candidates. i mean, we started off with 17 candidates. and, it came down to, you know, finally, it's down to three, frankly. but there are so many candidates. it's hard to get over that number. it's unfair in a way. because of the fact that there's so many candidates, and so many candidates are grabbing delegates. now, here's what i think. now they're out. now they're out. i think i will get over that number. i think i may get over that number fairly easily. arizona was unbelievable yesterday. utah, frankly, was unbelievable the day before. i think we will get over that number. tremendous spirit about make america great again. that's the whole thing. we're going to make america great again.

unfair about having a multiballot convention, is there? >> i think the biggest story in all of politics are the millions of people that are coming out to vote for me, in fairness, for the republican party. they're up 75%, 72%, 102% different states in the primaries. it's the single biggest story worldwide in politics is, what's happening at the millions and millions of people that are going out to vote for me. now, i will say this. the democrats are down 35%. whereas the republicans are up over 70%. and some cases, much more than that. i say this. if you're going to disenfranchise all of those people, some of whom have never voted before, and they're 50 and older, if you're going the disenfranchise all of those people, independents, democrats. we have a lot of people coming over. >> it's okay for them to riot? >> we do have some people that have never voted before.

say -- all i can say is this. i don't know what's going to happen. you'll have a lot of very unhappy people. i think for the republicans to disenfranchise all those people. if that happens, they're not voting. the republicans lose. if the republicans embrace these great people showing up, the republicans are going to have a massive victory. not going to be a mitt romney slaughter. because he was such a bad kantd candidate. the republicans will have a massive victory in november. >> will you tell your supporters not to riot if you lose the convention fair and square. >> i would certainly tell them that. you know, look, these people are fervent. they're really -- they want to see positive things happen for our country. i would certainly say that. i don't want to see riot. i don't want to see problems. you have millions of people we're talking about, george. millions of additional people have gone. i've gotten more than 2 million votes more than anybody else.

anybody else. and these are millions and that's why i'm leading by so much. i have 21 or 22 states. >> you have conservatives talking about the possibility of a third party challenge if you get the nomination. talking about recruiting someone like senator tom co-burn. have you done anything to try to head that off? >> if they're going to do that, they're going to do that. but if they do, you might as well hand the election to hillary clinton, or whoever runs. if they're going to be stupid and do that, instead of embracing these millions of people coming in to vote, they'll have to do that. i'll tell you what that will mean more than any other thing. four or five jus sis superliberal on the supreme court. our country will never, ever will be same. >> over the weekend, you appeared to question the faith of mitt romney. the third time in the campaign something like that has happened.

right here. >> i can't believe, are you sure he's a mormon? are we sure? i'm presbyterian. i mean, seventh dayed a venn 'tis, i don't know about. i just don't know about. i've never seen anybody that lied as much as ted cruz. and he goes around saying he's a christian. i don't know. you're going to have to really study that. >> you know, after the pope spoke out about you, you said no leader should question another person's faith. so why do you keep on doing it? >> first of all, with mitt romney, i was saying to the mormons, they're very smart people. i said it in a joking way. they can take it, you can take it any way you want. people. i don't think mitt romney is a smart person. i never have. the mormons are very smart people. i said, are you sure he's a mormon. i'm not going to change it. i think mitt romney has proven to be not a smart person. as far as ted cruz, he's one of the greatest and biggest liars i

he lies about so much. he lies about things that don't matter. i tell people pip think that's why ted cruz has lost the evangelical vote. look what he did with ben carson, who has endorsed me. look what he did to ben carson. he said ben carson in iowa has left. he's out of the campaign, vote for me. thousands of people voted for him because he convinced people that ben carson had left the campaign. he knew ben carson didn't leave the campaign. >> tomorrow, big speech. a big speech tomorrow. speaking to the american israel public affairs committee. in that speech, will you stand by your stance of being neutral to broker a peace deal? >> you'll hear what i'm going to say at the speech. you'll hear that. we'll see what happens. >> what kind of deal would be in israel's interest? >> i think making a deal would be in israel's interest.

that doesn't want to have a good deal. probably one of the toughest deals. me being a dealmaker, probable one of the toughest deals in the world to make. there's so many decades of hatred between the two sides. it's probably one of the toughest deals to make if you're a person that prides yourself on being able to get people together. like? will israel have to give up land? >> i don't know any jewish people that don't want to make -- they would all love to see a deal made. they want a good deal. not an obama-type deal made. >> define a good deal? >> i'll do that tomorrow. i'll be defining it tomorrow. i'm not going to define it now. i'll define it tomorrow. everybody would like to see a real deal made, not a deal that will be broken. real deal, something that can be lasting. if i win, i'll give that a very

>> mr. trump, thank you for joining us this morning. >> thank you. priebus. the chair of the rnc. you heard that interview with mr. trump. has he does enough to contain the violence at his rallies? >> well, look, i mean, i think he's -- trying to make the point that, we want to talk about both sides, but clearly, both sides need to condemn violence. and violence is never the answer. and i think as far as everyone getting involved in the crowds, leave it to the professionals. the sheriff there was in the crowd. and secret service is there. that's their job to do it. i think that is the best place to leave it. violence is never the answer. condoning violence is never the answer. it's not what we're about. and, i think everyone agrees with that. >> what have you told -- i know

campaign and mr. trump himself, this? this is not the first time this happened. we're seeing it again and and again. >> we have talked about it a little bit. obviously, they agree that violence is not the answer. and that they don't condone it. they tell the crowds that they don't condone it. so look, um, it's obviously not completely in my control what happens at these rallies. what people say and do. i would leave to it the professionals. i would continue to talk about the fact that we need to have a solutions-based campaign. not obviously, something that -- you know, creates an environment that violence is present. professionals. when you say that, does it mean the campaign manager should stop engaging protesters? >> look, i -- you know, i don't george. i'm just sitting here this morning just like you.

obviously, my point would be, leave those things to the professionals. don't get involved in crowds. in those altercations. that's why the pros are there. >> let's talk about the possibility of a contested convention. you used to call it an extreme hypothetical. is that still the case? >> uh -- uh probably not still the case, no. i think it's possible. we're preparing for the possibility. i think it's my job is to be as open and transparent as i possibly can be. why i'm trying to get out there on the convention a lot, out in the media. talk about the rules. what they are, what they're not. take the mystery away from what an open convention looks like. it's simple stuff. >> let's take some of the mystery away right now. you heard mr. trump, if he got close to the 1237, but didn't get there, hez supporters would

he didn't want them to riot. the republican party would lose. is it far, ir if he goes in without 1237, but with a plurality, for the convention to deny him the nomination? >> a plurality is a minority. and it's not a majority. a minority doesn't choose the delegates. no one is disenfranchised. they're enfranchised by receiving bound delegates. you have to have a majority. in order to be the nominee of our party. it's -- it's no different than when i became chairman of the party. i won on the seventh ballot, george. hardly a landslide. but i was never behind. no one called me the winner of the second, third, fourth, fifth

i had to get to a majority. most state chairman go through the process on the floor of conventions. it seems natural to us that you would have to have a majority of your party say yes, that's the person i want to be the nominee. >> can you guarantee that the nominee would be one of the three in the race right now? >> well, i mean, i think it would be highly unlikely if it's not. it would be unusual. but i can't 100% guarantee that. i can't imagine right now sitting here, believing it would be anyone but the three remaining candidates. >> what do you say to the stop trump movement, talking about recruiting a third party candidate, like governor rick perry or senator tom coburn. will it doom your chances? >> sure it would.

i think it's far too late. i think this is a -- it's some folks find to it be interesting. that's great. but it is not likely. it's probably too late. and, there is no definitive answer right now as to who the nominee is going to be of our party. so, i think all of it is far too early. >> mr. priebus, thank you for joining us. >> you bet, thanks. the power house"roundtable" is next. and the nomination to the supreme court. is that tend of the process or the beginning? that debate with dennis is mcdonough and mitch mcconnell. during its first year, a humpback calf and its mother are almost inseparable. she lifts her calf to its first breath of air, then protects it on the long journey to their

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our powerhouse "roundtable"

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we're back with "the roundtable." joined by roland martin. sara fagen, also with cnbc. rich lowry, the editor of the the national review, and from "the washington post" e.j. dionne. and author of a new book, "why the right went wrong." your national review had the cover story. is this the end of the stop trump movement or the beginning? >> just the beginning. we'll be like the last japanese soldier in the jungle resisting this guy. he's much stronger than the other candidates. but not strong enough to unify the party. every time we hear he's going to be more presidential, there's

act. trump a week or so ago saying he might consider paying the legal bills of the goon who sucker-punched the protester or playing with the idea of riots at a convention. he might get to 1237. it's quite possible. it's quite possible he'll fall short. >> sara fagen, it seems like from talking to mr. trump this morning, the way he's talking about the violence, it's perfectly fine for him. >> this seems like a no brainer. you condemn it. condemn it strongly. condemn both sides of it. there does appear to be an element of trump supporters or other candidates to stir the pot at rallies. he's right to point that out. he needs to emphatically condemn the violence. he should never speak of riots. >> but he's not going to condemn it. it's his brand not to backtrack.

he attacked john mccain, carly fiorina, in miss mind, if i say i'm sorry, tamper down, i'm hurt by it. he's done it throughout the entire campaign. we shouldn't be shocked. >> it's a poor short term strategy. it may work for cheers at rally. but americans want a president at the is the best and brightest of the nation. right now, he's anything but. >> he didn't come pain the campaign manager. you saw it, he pulls the guy's collar. >> it's great point. >> how is this going to play out over the next weeks and months and in a general election? >> i think there's a way in which he can keep trying to turn the protests to his advantage within a certain part of the republican base. i think that's his calculation. and other politicians have done this in the past. but i think when you look at the

there is great reason for republicans to be petrified of a trump nomination, particularly among women. in a washington post/abc poll, hillary clinton had a 21-point lead among women voters. the republicans look at those numbers and say, we could lose everything with this guy. >> let's talk more about the stop trump movement. you're saying it's just the beginning. what is the path to preventing donald trump from getting 1237? >> well, ted cruz needs to improve. if he were to win all of utah's dell gates, that would help. if he were to pull an upset and win arizona. that seems up likely. wisconsin is the next big battleground. if ted can stop trump there, that's a big deal. the trump wins there, we'll see a lot of these rats in the form of republican elected officials scurrying on to the ship.

sinking in a general, they'll scurry right off. >> i think the cruz campaign is banking on the fact that if they can win in wisconsin, that will force john kasich to drop out. >> all the candidates will get dell vats in wisconsin. because of the hodgepodge of rules. winner take all statewide. winner take all by congressional districts. it's unlikely any candidate wins all of the delegates. however, you make a valid point. as they move to the close phase primaries, where the rules, if kasich and cruz together can work together to prevent donald trump from getting to 1237. then we get to this open convention and someone has a chance to -- >> but that's not happening. kasich is playing a selfish and delusional role here. there's though way a contested convention is turning to the guy

>> he doesn't win eight states. >> that rule will likely change. >> crisis of conscience among conservatives is stunning. for 30 years, as an adult, i have heard republicans say, principle, morals, values, bedrock principles. to see this struggle as, what do we do to get against it. i think about a germ. thee lodge yaen who joined to fight hitler. it will be fascinating to hear people say, i have principle, and con vings. i'm voting for this guy. >> we saw senator coburn quoted in the new york times. rick perry, saying it would be better for republicans to lose than to win with donald trump at the head of the sixty

>> it's conscience. >> everybody is talking about the 1860 convention. i think it look is more like 1912 or 1964. they preferred to see teddy roosevelt fail. in 1964, what is odd here, the party has moved so far to the right in '64, what you have now is moderate conservatives or actually pretty conservative conservatives, ted cruz is no moderate, saying donald trump is party. there is plins. here. but plult. principle at stake. outlandish things he says. >> if donald trump getting the nomination can you support him? >> we're not there yet. we'll have to wait and see and take a cold-eyed look at it. it would be a big institutional decision for us. there should be a third party candidate.

park their vote in good conscience. the name of the game is stopping him from getting the nomination. everything after that is just managing. >> can i ask you a question? >> that's why the smartest thing for ted cruz and john kasich, neither of whom have the likely path to walk into the convention with the right amount of delegates is to work together to stop this guy from getting the delegates. then they have a chance or someone else has a chance to carry the banner forward. >> can you make them do that? >> you can't. but this is why we're in the situation we're in. the highest priority for republicans right now needs to be to stop donald trump. >> would you rather lose than to have trump win? i -- we would surely not like to see the republican party lose. i think the difference between ted cruz as our nominee or donald trump? the difference is ted cruz may lose a general election.

different day. donald trump transforms the party. it doesn't exist anymore. >> the fact that you had to think about it. >> >> it's also amazing. you started the year, two candidates most of the republican leadership didn't want to win the nomination. donald trump and ted cruz. and now, to paraphrase lindsey graham, they're picking their poison. >> i wouldn't do that far. for now. when we come back, the battle after the supreme court. the merrick garland get a hearing? and now, the powerhouse puzzler. brought to you by voya financial. for his third anniversary this week end, pope francis joined instagram with this photo. what was the caption on his first post? re? oh hey allison. i'm val, the orange money retirement squirrel from voya.

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there is president obama with his supreme court pick, judge merrick garland in the rose garden this week. it was an emotional announcement. senate republicans say there's though way he'll get a hearing before the election. we'll hear from senate leader mitch mcconnell and denis mcdonough after this report from terry morn. >> reporter: after weeks of waiting, a 63-year-old white male judge and a 20-year track record. >> the question occurs to the d.c. circuit court of appeals. >> safe to say that's not what washington was respecting. harvard law, corporate law firm.

the oklahoma city bombing race. it won't get him anywhere. it's the next president's pick. >> let's let the american people decide. >> reporter: in an interview with npr, obama shot back. >> well, in fact, the american people did decide. back in 201, when they elected me president of the united states. >> reporter: and so, let the games begin. judge garland headed to the hill this week. here he is meeting with democrats thursday. some swing state republicans say they'll sit down with him, too. only a few are open to holding a vote before november. but, could there be a lame duck confirmation? what if hillary clinton wins the white house? >> i would rather have a less liberal nominee like merrick garland than a nominee that hillary clinton if she were president, would put forward. >> reporter: a final twist. the president may have public opinion on his side. americans by 63 to 32% said the president's nominee should get a hearing. but in this election year

hold your breath. for "this week." terry moran, abc news, washington. >> thank you, terry. we're join bid the white house chief of staff denis mcdonough. the president has made his choice. have you seep anything this week that makes you think the senate will give judge garland a hearing and a vote? >> we're happy to see the resounding support the for judge garland. unbelievably strong, unquestioned excellence as a judge for the last 18 years. somebody who has dedicated his life to the law. we have seen good progress. we have about 12 republican senators who have indicated that they'll meet with him. as you know, before he adowns nnounced him, they said they would not meet with him. we're aware that early in the week when congress comes back,

from maine, has agreed to meet with him in the senate. we think this is a very good progress, good momentum. we think it's consistent with a long decades long practice and precedent of handling supreme court nominations this way. so we feel good about where this is headed. >> we're seeing the opposition ramp up as well. including ads by the injury durable network. this is in north dakota. >> the right to bear arms, the future of energy production. religious freedom. they're all at stake. the supreme court will preserve or end this way of life. senator hidecamp and president obama want to take the future of the court out of your hands. tell senator heitkamp and president obama no. >> they say the people should choose. you're response?

they elected president obama to another four-year term. i'm not surprised to see that the special interests are pouring a lot of money into this thing. and, what we don't want to see happen is have these une lektded special interests determine the fate of someone who is a patriotic man, someone who has dedicated his life to the protection of law in this country. have them determine the outcome. if people have the questions about the judge's positions and the judge's remarkable experience, including prosecuting timothy mcveigh, and prosecuting the unibomber, they should have hearings. vote in the committee. vote in the senate. >> the senate does have a right not to act. if the senate fails to act before the election, would president owe bama like to see judge garland confirmed in a

some say confirming gar lapd would be pref rabl to giving hillary clinton the pick? >> the average length from nomination to confirmation is 67. days. we have more than enough time to get that done. between now and even the early adjournment that we understand the senate plans this year. they plan to adjourn early in july rather than traditionally in august. we think there is plenty enough time to get that done before the election. we think that the court would benefit from having its full number of justices. we think that frankly would be unprecedented for the senate to do otherwise. >> there's a lot of indication it won't happen. what about a lame duck session? would you like to see judge garland confirmed in a lame duck session if it comes to that? >> we would like to see him confirmed pursue want to regular

i'm sure you remember the op ed, when senator mcconnell and speaker boehner said now we can get congress working again. in fact, one of the things the majority leader, senator mcconnell committed to, was getting the senate working again. well, getting the senate working again would mean giving this person meetings. hearing. a voting committee. and a vote on the floor. that's the way it's been done. to do otherwise would be unprecedented. we think it's a mistake. it risks politicizing the supreme court. >> finally, i want to ask you about donald trump. you saw the violence overnight. you heard him. he appears to say the protesters should be bearing much of the blame there as well. i wonder your response to mr. trump. and how is the president floong speak out about that over the course of this campaign? >> i don't have a response to mr. trump, george. but the president gave very

at the speaker's lunch for the st. patrick's day reception with the prime minister of island. the president ireland. he called on both sides to get back to the peaceful kind of robust debate that has marked this country and made the country the envy of the world. that's what we should be doing. i'm not seeing a lot of that from the other side at the moment. >> thank you for joining us. >> thanks, george. >> let's bring in the republican leader of the senate, mitch mcconnell. you heard denis mcdonough quoting you. any chance of a vote on judge garland this year? >> the senate has been very much at work in the last 15 months.

staff knows we're very much at work. the way supreme court jus sis tices have been handled in presidential election years is clear. it's been 80 years since a vacancy in a presidential election year was filled. you have to go back to 1888. grover cleveland was this the white house the last time a vacancy created in a presidential year on the supreme court was confirmed bay senate controlled by the party different from the president. we know what the tradition is. joe biden, 1992, chairman of the judiciary committee laid down the biden rule. when the campaign is under way, no supreme court judge would be confirmed. 19 -- in 2005, harry reid said under the constitution, this senate doesn't have an nominee. and chuck schumer, who will be the democratic leader next year, said 18 months before the 2008 would not confirm a supreme court vacancy.

presidential election year, that the next president, after the american people have weighed in, gets to make the decision. >> well, there haven't been that many examples. you're saying clearly, no hearing, no vote for judge garland this year? >> that's right. yes. the principle is, look, george. the american people are in the middle of choosing who the next president is going to be. that next president ought to have this appointment, which will affect the supreme court for probably a quarter of a century. >> but they elected president obama? >> but the last time the american people voted was in 2014. and they -- elected a republican senate. and under the constitution, we have shared responsibility. this is not something he does alone. he nominates. we confirm. the last time the american people spoke in 2014, they give us nine additional net seats and we took over the u.s. senate. >> one of your republican

this week. he said the senate should vote. listen. >> just man up and cast a vote. the tough thing about these senatorial jobs, you get yes or no votes. your whole job is to either say yes or not and explain why. >> are you confident you'll hold republicans together? >> well, look. mark kirk is a great senator. he's running this year in illinois. i'm confident he'll get re-elected. the schedule in the senate is set by the majority leader. most of my members are comfortable with letting the american people make the decision by electing the next president who will fill this vacancy next year. >> you said on tuesday you told donald trump he should condemn and discourage violent acts. 24 hours later, he made the statement at riots in the convention. are you worried he's not getting your message? >> well, regardless of who the

candidates for president all to be discouraging that kind of activity, because the people in the audience tend to listen to those who are speaking. i think we ought to condemn this kind of violence. and encourage the american people to engame in this political debate in a respectful way. >> a couple of weeks ago, "the new york times" said you have begun preparing senators for the proz ticket of a trump nomination. they could run negative ads about mr. trump to create space between him and the republican senators seeking re-elections. we'll drop him like a hot rock. is that what you said? >> i can quote myself pip don't know what others have said about conversations we have had. let me make the point. we have a number of incumbent republican senators running in competitive states. each one has done a terrific job

people in their states based on their own performance. and that's what i think is the key to holding the senate. new hampshire, pennsylvania, ohio, wisconsin, nevada, colorado, florida, illinois. for our candidates to be able to appeal based on their own records and their own views to the voters who will be participating this fall. >> is donald trump helpful or harmful to that cause? >> look, we're going to be running the senate races no matter who the nominee is. we're not sure who the nominee will be yet. we have great candidates. i think we have an excellent chance to hold the senate majority. >> thank you for joining us. let's get more. we have both sides staked out there. dalia, it doesn't appear that judge garland will get a hearing.

on the liberal side? what kind of role would you expect him to play? >> in is a judge's judge. this is a pretty moderate liberal. if you look at his record, he's got a 19-year record on the court of appeals. you'll find that he's very, very apt to follow precedent. he's very apt to rule narrowly. he's on guantanamo on one side and the other on campaign finance, for it, gets it. always, always clearly sticking to the facts of the issues. i think more often than not, you'll see him vote with the liberals. the notion that he's a hippie, wild-eyed liberal is probably way off. >> and kerry, you said judge garland was about the best that republican hope s could hope for.

they could have picked eric holder. the new york times said he would vote to the left of justice kagan. solidly with the block of five liberals. he deters to administrative age sis. the epa doing unconsistent tug nal power frabs would be in his camp, think. a real question he would probably be the fifth vote to abortion. that's why planned parenthood is supporting him. >> that would be the case for anybody the president nominates, right? >> absolutely. >> let me ask you. some liberal groups disappointed by the pick of judge garland. 63 years old. another harvard. if hillary clinton is the nominee, and she wins, would garland be the first pick?

to change the subject from politics to the court. i think hillary will want to do the same thing. the idea is, let's talk about the supreme court. this is not about tantrum opposite the right. issues on the left. this is putting the best possible judge on the court. >> the reverse question for you, then, as jeff flake said, if hillary clinton is the democratic nominee and she wins, it would be better to approve judge garland than to gamble on her choice? >> i think he may be 10 or 0 years older than her ideal candidate. the big principle here as senator mcconnell said is the american people deserve a voice right now on this. they elected a republican senate to put a check on this president's expansive overreach. they're doing it right now. after november, it's anyone's guess. >> democrats are not going to be able to break senator mcconnell, are they? >> i think we're seeing little cracks. this looks like a tantrum that will go on for a long time.

we'll be right back with president in cuba. and we're back what president obama sh about to make history today when he becomes the first american president to come to cuba in years. what is the mood there today? what kind of reception can the president expect? >> i think there's going to be

cubans are, they want to hold on heritage. they want to embrace this opportunity perhaps for new economic freedoms. the president arrives about 4:00 today. a little after, with the first family. he'll go to the embassy that's now been reopened. he'll tour old havana before sitting down with us tomorrow. as you know, a little more than a year ago, i asked the president will you visit cuba before the end of your second term? he said, well, let's look, see how things evolve. the president and the white house are aware they're going to be asked, how has it evolve snd has there been enough change when it comes to liberties here? human rights? he's aware of criticism back home that this embargo still exists. does he believe he can do anything more? and will this embargo be lift snd any chance during the end of his presidency? he does not believe that's the case. he thinks it will be the next president.

make about $20 a month. they are prepared. it's hard to predict how sweeping this change will be if the people of cuba are ready for it. >> thank you, david. trip. welcome tomorrow. that interview with that is all for us today. thanks for sharing part of your sunday with us.

>> joel osteen: may god bless you. it's a joy to come into your homes. and if you're ever in our area, please stop by and be a part of one of our services. i promise you we'll make you feel right at home. but i like to start with something funny. and i heard about this 84-year-old woman. she went on a blind date with a 93-year-old man.