***Horse Race LiveWire*** Cruz, Sanders Leading in Wisconsin Poll

Donald Trump and Roger Stone
Breitbart News

Welcome to Breitbart News’s live updates of the 2016 horse race.

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All times eastern.

10:50: Roger Stone’s convention prediction: Trump on First Ballot or Paul Ryan on Fourth:

10:42: Brownstein points out Trump has a big home-court advantage in Northeast:

10:29: Sanders is against privatizing VA. He says veterans actually get good care once they get into the system.

10:20: Sanders tells Maddow that “shameful is probably understating” Trump’s position. He says “to punish a woman for having an abortion is beyond comprehension…. I don’t know what world this person lives in.” He says Trump and Cruz are living in “crazy world” on abortion.

The idea of punishing a woman, that is just, you know, beyond comprehension.

10:12: Jeb! on host committee for one of Ted’s CA fundraisers but reportedly won’t attend:

10:11: Sanders says many super delegates signed onto Clinton’s campaign but “the people in those states are saying you know what, we voted for Bernie Sanders by 30 or 40 points, you’ve got to support him at the convention.” He’s working on lobbying super delegates/

10:10: Barney Frank Calls Out Clinton, Says She Should Have Admitted She Made Mistake on Emails Earlier:

10:07: Sanders calls the GOP primary “a national disgrace.” He says “this is an international embarrassment.  I think people around the rest of the world think we are pretty crazy.” He says the “Republican Party today now is a joke, maintained by a media which really does not force them to discuss their issues.”

10:05: Trump releases letter confirming IRS audit. 

10:03: NY Daily News’s Thursday cover:

9:55: When Maddow says “it is not unreasonable to suspect that people may give donations to The Clinton Foundation hoping that they will favorably influence your opinion toward them” and asks if there is an ethical concern that there should be a split between her family and the foundation, Clinton says “the work that it’s done has been extraordinary. And I give the credit to my husband and my daughter, because I haven’t been involved.. for that long. And, you know, when I look at what they’ve accomplished, and what they’ve been able to amplify in terms of saving lives–by getting the price of drugs for HIV/AIDS down in sub-Saharan Africa. It’s quite astonishing. And I would hate to lose that creativity, that imagination, that– extraordinary flexibility. So, I think the answer is transparency. And there is no doubt that there will be… complete transparency about… donations.”

[No follow-up question from Maddow. That’s all, folks.]

But when you have hundreds of thousands of people who are donating– as they do– I think that– the best– answer for that is what we have been doing for the last several years. And that is– to be transparent about it. And let– you know, let voters and others make their judgment.

9:48: Clinton doesn’t want any daylight between her and Obama and Obama’s Supreme Court nominee Garland.

9:43: She claims the media were in “awe” of the “ratings spike” with Trump and ironically claims that Trump basically went “unchallenged.” [Clinton doesn’t give networks a ratings spike but she may have gone even more unchallenged.]

9:42: Clinton also blasts Trump for wanting to racially profile Muslims and “Cruz talking about policing Muslim communities. I can’t let that go unanswered. You know, I’m fighting to unite our country. And I don’t think you wait and then take on these outrageous, offensive, dangerous statements.”

9:41: Clinton says she is not surprised that Sanders is still in the race. She says she went to June in 2008 “So, why would I expect anybody running against me to give up or quit before the process is done? I don’t expect that at all. I expect to win it. I expect that I will be the nominee. But I respect the process. And so I’m going to go after every vote in every contest going forward.”

9:39: When Maddow asks Clinton if she thinks Trump is “manifestly unqualified to be president,” she responds, “Well, I’ll let voters decide that.” She says if she faces Trump in a general election, she will be “going after him on issues.” She says once she presses Trump on issues, voters who have been watching the election like a “reality-celebrity TV show are going to start saying, ‘He is scary. He is dangerous. We can’t… you know, we can’t let him go forward.'”

9:29: Clinton says Trump is wrong about wanting to ban Muslims because “we have to form coalitions with predominantly Muslim nations.” She also blasts Trump for “turning his back” on NATO sounds like Trump when she says NATO nations have to do more for themselves and “change some of their laws so they can be better partners with us.” Clinton says “we will pay a big price” if we “build a wall around the United States.”

She adds that “You don’t, I think, get what you need out of NATO countries, all of them, including the smallest ones, by acting as though you could walk away from it. That could lead to the politicians and the forces within, let’s say the Baltic countries, who are favorable toward Russia, like Russian-speaking populations. To say to their fellow leaders, ‘Hey, you know what? The U.S. is outta here. We better start making accommodations with Russia.’ This all is a very complex set of circumstances that I don’t think he even has studied, or cares to understand.”

9:28: Clinton blasts Trump for wanting to deport “11 or 12 million immigrants” and “going after Mexicans as rapists, and criminals. Insulting women. Barring Muslims.”

“You know, that reflects a certain strain of belief within the Republican party. It’s not totally outside the pale of what many of their leaders have been saying, campaigning on, winning elections on,” she says. “What they’ve done is to create the environment where someone emerges who is truly, in their view, a personality they don’t know what to do with. And on issues, they should look in the mirror.”

9:25: Clinton says she is in favor of two strong political parties and thinks the GOP candidates “are much closer in their ideology and their position on issues than their personal animus perhaps suggests” even though there is a “lot of turmoil” going on that the party needs to sort out. She also adds that “whoever emerges, whether it’s one of the three, or they engineer some kind of convention coup… is going to be on the wrong side of what our county needs to do.” She blasts the “trickle-down economics snake oil” that doesn’t work.

[Clinton really sounds like she will be Kerry/Romney going up against Bush/Obama in a potential general election against Trump.]

9:23: Clinton, like Trump, doesn’t like caucuses. She says that she got more votes than he did in the Arizona primary and “caucuses are a very unusual way for some states to” choose delegates.

9:20: Clinton says she doesn’t understand the argument made by the Sanders campaign that he will try to persuade super delegates to switch their allegiance to him at the convention.

“Well, I don’t understand the argument. If I have more popular votes and more delegates, then I think it’s pretty clear that– the people who turned out and voted– chose me to be the nominee,” Clinton says.

She dodges Maddow’s question about super delegates and whether the process is fair.

9:18: Clinton says she is gratified that she has more votes than anyone in this election. She says she has “a delegate count that is a higher margin between me and Senator Sanders than it ever was between me and President Obama.”

“So, I think we are on a very good path to getting the nomination. But I’m not taking anything, or anyone, or any place for granted. And I’m going to work really hard,” she adds. “Now, I hope that if I am fortunate enough to secure the nomination–that we will come together as a party, as I did– when we ended our very tough– contest, and I endorsed– then Senator Obama. I nominated him–at our convention in Denver, and worked my heart out to get him elected. Because that’s what I think you do when a primary is over.”

9:17: Clinton dodges Maddow’s question about whether she thinks Sanders will win Wisconsin. She says “we’ll see who turns out and votes on Tuesday.”

9:05: Maddow explains that Trump made his comments on abortion to Matthews while she was taping her town hall with Clinton and she chased Clinton back down to ask her about Trump’s remarks. Clinton blasts Trump’s “inflammatory” and “destructive” rhetoric. She says Trump’s comments were “outrageous” and “dangerous.” She says Trump is on the “real spear point of this assault on women’s rights.” She says the “press needs to cover it” and the “outrage needs to be forthcoming.”

8:55: Trump on borders: “We have borders, we have to have borders.  We can’t let people just walk in and out of our country like we do right now.  We don’t have borders.  People are pouring into the country.” Trump says the Border Patrol just want to do their jobs but they are not being allowed to after touting their endorsement of his candidacy.

8:54: Trump says he was not the guy who gave people nicknames in high school.

8:53: Trump: I don’t trust Mitt Romney.

8:50: Trump says he hopes nothing bad happens at the convention if he is denied the nomination but there will a lot of angry people. He describes why his candidacy is resonating:

Look, people are being disenfranchised in this country.  They looked at me as somebody and they look at me as somebody that’s going to bring them back.  We haven’t had — you haven’t had a real salary increase, if you’re a blue-collar worker, in over 12 years.  They’re getting — it’s getting worse and worse and worse.  These are smart people.  These are people that have always had good jobs.  Their jobs have been taken away.  They’ve been sent over to China, Mexico and many other countries and they’re not doing as well as they were doing 12 and 15 years ago.

8:40: Trump for medical marijuana but not sure about legalizing recreational marijuana:

I think that as far as drug legalization, we talk about marijuana, and in terms of medical, I think I am basically for that.  I’ve heard some wonderful things in terms of medical.  I’m watching Colorado very carefully to see what’s happening out there.  I’m getting some very negative reports, I’m getting some OK reports.  But I’m getting some very negative reports coming out of Colorado as to what’s happening, so we’ll see what happens.

I think a lot of people are really looking at Colorado (ph) for prison reform.  I think our — as you know, our prison system is a disaster, it’s complete disaster all over the country.  Almost everything we have, Chris, if you want to know the truth, is a disaster.

8:38: Questioner asks Trump about gay marriage and transgender rights on MSNBC town hall event.

Trump says he would have preferred the states making the decision on gay marriage “but the courts have decided.”  On transgender rights, Trump says, “I would say that I’m going to go by the laws of the courts and the courts said — really, it’s very much up in flux right now, but I’ll go by the laws.” [Why are Republicans participating in MSNBC town halls and why do they get tougher questions from left-wing hosts than Democrats do from Fox News host in the rare instances they do a Fox News event?]

8:32: [MSNBC now airing Trump’s comments on abortion that dominated today’s media cycle. See below for full transcript of exchange.] He points out that this presidential election will be important for pro-life advocates re: the Supreme Court.

8:27: Trump says “we going to be just fine” if China dumps U.S. Treasuries. Trump says nations we defend have to reimburse us and pay their fair share of costs.

8:26: Trump says minorities will support him because he is going to bring back jobs from China and Mexico.

8:25: Chris Matthews says Ryan is “not trustworthy” on enforcing immigration laws because he wants cheap labor. Matthews tells Trump “I’m with you” re: needing borders.

8:23: Trump on immigration: “I want a lot of people to come into the country, but they have to go through a process, they have to do it legally. We have to have a strong Southern border, drugs are pouring across the border, tremendous problems — we’re having tremendous problems with crime. You understand that, everybody understands it. We’re going to have very, very strong borders, we’re going to have a wall, it’s going to happen.” He says the wall will be at least 35 feet and it’s getting higher all the time. He says we don’t have a country if we don’t have voters and assures Matthews Mexico will pay for it. Trump wants a “huge financial penalty” for employers who hire illegal immigrants and “it could be beyond a financial penalty.”

8:18: When asked if he is more hawkish than Clinton, he says he is more intelligent. Despite Matthews’s repeated attempts to get him to take nuclear strikes off the table, Trump refuses to do, saying he would be a bad negotiator if he took anything off the table.

Matthews asks, “Can you tell the Middle East we’re not using a nuclear weapon on anybody?” Trump says, “I would never say that. I would never take any of my cards off the table.”

8:15: Trump on temporary Muslim ban: “I think banning until we figure out what’s going on is an important thing. And I take a lot of heat for it and a lot of people like me for it, to be honest with you.” Trump also says we have to “look at the mosques” and “we’re making enemies by doing nothing. I mean, we’re knocking down World Trade Centers, we’re shooting planes into the Pentagon.”

8:12: Trump says people who have seen the Fields/Lewandowski tape are saying “give me a break.” He says not one person thought his campaign manager did anything wrong when he asked his audience and he says “I think a lot of woman would say give me a break.” On her bruises, Trump says “I don’t know who crated those bruises.  I really don’t know.  I mean, you know, two days later, she comes in and she said she had some bruises.”

8:07: Regarding the RNC pledge, Trump says “I have not been treated properly. People understand.  They haven’t stuck to the pledge.” He wonders why anti-Trump Republicans would want to turn their backs on millions of new voters and risk four liberal Supreme Court Justices if Clinton wins the White House.

8:05: Matthews: Romney is “up to something, he wants it, you can tell he wants it.” He also says “Paul Ryan is making himself very clearly available with the statement he made last week.”

8:04: When Matthews asks Trump what his leverage is at a GOP convention, he says “the voters.”

I have millions more votes than anybody else.  It’s not even close.  You know, because you have reported on it.  We’re setting records in terms of Republican primaries…. And that’s what my leverage.”

“Now, without me, they lose millions of — I think millions of people, and nobody is going to have a chance,” he says. “I will beat Hillary Clinton.  And I haven’t started that process yet.”

8:03: At a town hall event in Green Bay, Chris Matthews says Trump has to win “NFL places” like Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan if he is going to win the general election.

7:58: When asked if he is concerned about the Cleveland GOP convention, Kasich says, “we’ll be prepared. We work with the Secret Service, the Cleveland police, our National — the National Guard maybe to some degree. And the Ohio Highway Patrol.” He says Trump’s language about potential riots “is not good.”

7:52: Kasich says he would be the worst vice president when asked the question. When asked how he can govern Ohio while campaign so much, Kasich says there’s this thing called cell phones. Kasich says he had five jobs when he was out of government.

7:40: When asked how he will gain the trust of African-American voters, Kasich cites his work with Nina Turner, who is supporting Sanders and Kasich says may be mayor one day, to bring police officers an community members together. When Todd says that “Ohio the sixth worst state to raise a black child in” according to a  study, Kasich says there are political motivations behind nearly all studies.  He says he received 26% of the African-American vote, “which is unbelievable,” because “the community says basically we trust them, we know that he is doing his best to help us.”

7:32: Kasich on whether Japan/South Korea should get nuclear weapons:

I don’t think we want them to have nuclear weapons. We don’t need to have anybody else developing nuclear weapons, including Iran. If we find that, I’m for suspending that agreement. If we find out they’re developing, we’re going to have to act. No more nuclear weapons. We need to control this. These are the weapons of mass destruction. This is so bad, and that’s the thing I worry about for our children and for my daughters.

7:28: Kasich also says  many people in the political establishment hate him and say he can’t get along with people because he led the fight to balance the budget.

7:27: Kasich says he doesn’t hate the establishment but knows how to move it and has always been a reformer fighting for people who have had no voice. He adds:

So here’s the problem. You send somebody down there that doesn’t understand how it works, then you’re going to have more drifting, and the only thing I can tell you is, we won’t drift if I’m there because I know how to move the system and I want you to know one other thing. My dad carried mail on his back. His father died of black lung, was a coal miner. My mother’s mother could barely speak English. All of my lifetime, I have been a reformer for people who have no voice.

7:25: When she asks Kasich what he can say to get her off of the Trump Train, Kasich says he has the best chance of beating Clinton and he offers solutions.

7:20: Town hall audience applauds when questioner Nina de Blasio says she is not related to Bill de Blasio.

7:18: Kasich says”I love that song by Rihanna.” And says he loves New York and wishes they played it all the time.

7:17: Kasich again says the “strength of country in neighborhoods” and he says coming to New York is like “having a transfusion into life when you come here. This is a precious place, a precious city. It’s, frankly, the apple of the world, not just of the United States. But, that’s the way I feel, not just to the big towns, but to small towns as well. I mean, this is America, and we are strongest when we pull together.”

7:15: Kasich says running for president has made him free because he can say what’s on his mind.

7:14: Kasich again slams Cruz for wanting to patrol Muslim neighborhoods. He says we need to get intelligence information from Muslims and “the easiest people in the world to attack are Muslims.”

“Our key, the key for America, and the president is to unite the civilized world, to get over the egos, the turf protection, and fight this. And, stop it now. Both killing ISIS in the Middle East, and the good intelligence that we need, and the policing that we need worldwide so we can be safe,” he says. “Now, if you’re going to polarize one group on a basis of religious tests, how are you going to get the information?”

7:11: Kasich won’t take the bait from Todd when Todd asks him if he thinks Trump is a “sexist.” He says “I’m not going there.”

7:10: Kasich on Trump: “It’s a roller coaster is the way I see him. Sometimes he calms down. In the last debate we had he was very calm.” He then slams Cruz for saying we should patrol Muslim neighborhoods. He says Trump won’t be the nominee but has not figured out whether he would support him if he’s the nominee.

7:09: Kasich says he would have gotten rid of Lewandowski and when asked if Trump is responsible for the culture of his campaign, he says Trump has “driven people farther and farther into gloom and doom, and I don’t think that’s what a good leader does.”

Kasich, who has supported trade deals that has devastated working-class communities, says, “I think we’re doing pretty well in America. I mean, yeah, we have our problems, but look how much longer people live. Look at the improvements in education. Look at the improvements in transportation.”

He says “America is great” and asks, “does anybody deny the greatness of our country? Where would you like to live if you didn’t live here?” He says the key is “to convince the people here that if they can live a life bigger than themselves, and I can go, and I can get the jobs going, and take care of the national security, we’re going to be fantastic, and our kids are going to have a great life. I mean, what are we thinking about here?”

7:07: When asked what the organizing principle in today’s GOP is, Kasich says it’s jobs. But he says once we have economic growth, we can’t leave anyone behind: “The mentally ill, the drug addicted, the working poor, the developmentally disabled, our friends in the minority community, everybody has to have a sense that they can rise.”  He also mentions that “the spirit of our country rests in your neighborhood.”

7:05:  Kasich at MSNBC town hall event with Chuck Todd on what’s going on in the GOP:

Well, look, a lot of these people that are here today, they, they think the system is ripping them off. I mean they’re worried about their jobs, Chuck. They’re worried about getting a wage increase. They put their money in the bank and remember you used to get interest, remember that? And now they don’t give you anything. And they’re worried about their kids. We got a lot of kids here today I’m told and they’re worried are their kids gonna have a good America. And they’re worked up about it. And then I think on top of it, there have been politicians that have promised things that they could never deliver and then of course the talk show hosts and the television pundits and all that, they drive this as well. And people are stirred up.

6:45: Heidi Cruz/Fiorina at one of Cruz’s Wisconsin campaign office:

6:30: More on Sanders Being Left Off Ballot:

 

5:35: Sanders not yet on D.C. primary ballot:

https://twitter.com/gdebenedetti/status/715273216898543617

5:30: Cruz weighs in on Trump’s abortion comments:

“Once again Donald Trump has demonstrated that he hasn’t seriously thought through the issues, and he’ll say anything just to get attention. On the important issue of the sanctity of life, what’s far too often neglected is that being pro-life is not simply about the unborn child; it’s also about the mother — and creating a culture that respects her and embraces life. Of course we shouldn’t be talking about punishing women; we should affirm their dignity and the incredible gift they have to bring life into the world.”

5:00: Trump campaign issues another statement on abortion comments:

4:53: Trump Says He’s More Intelligent than Hillary:

4:50: Heidi Cruz confident about Wisconsin:

4:46: Jane Sanders, Bernie Sanders’s wife, says Trump will never be President because of his abortion comments in an interview with MSNBC.

4:45: Planned Parenthood, NARAL on Trump’s abortion comments:

4:39: Full transcript of Trump’s abortion comments per MSNBC:

QUESTION: Hello. I am (inaudible) and have a question on, what is your stance on women’s rights and their rights to choose in their own reproductive health?
TRUMP: OK, well look, I mean, as you know, I’m pro-life. Right, I think you know that, and I — with exceptions, with the three exceptions. But pretty much, that’s my stance. Is that OK? You understand?
MATTHEWS: What should the law be on abortion?
TRUMP: Well, I have been pro-life.
MATTHEWS: I know, what should the law — I know your principle, that’s a good value. But what should be the law?
TRUMP: Well, you know, they’ve set the law and frankly the judges — I mean, you’re going to have a very big election coming up for that reason, because you have judges where it’s a real tipping point.
MATTHEWS: I know.
TRUMP: And with the loss the Scalia, who was a very strong conservative…
MATTHEWS: I understand.
TRUMP: … this presidential election is going to be very important, because when you say, “what’s the law, nobody knows what’s the law going to be. It depends on who gets elected, because somebody is going to appoint conservative judges and somebody is going to appoint liberal judges, depending on who wins.
MATTHEWS: I know. I never understood the pro-life position.
TRUMP: Well, a lot of people do understand.
MATTHEWS: I never understood it. Because I understand the principle, it’s human life as people see it.
TRUMP: Which it is.
MATTHEWS: But what crime is it?
TRUMP: Well, it’s human life.
MATTHEWS: No, should the woman be punished for having an abortion?
TRUMP: Look…
MATTHEWS: This is not something you can dodge.
TRUMP: It’s a — no, no…
MATTHEWS: If you say abortion is a crime or abortion is murder, you have to deal with it under law. Should abortion be punished?
TRUMP: Well, people in certain parts of the Republican Party and Conservative Republicans would say, “yes, they should be punished.”
MATTHEWS: How about you?
TRUMP: I would say that it’s a very serious problem. And it’s a problem that we have to decide on. It’s very hard.
MATTHEWS: But you’re for banning it?
TRUMP: I’m going to say — well, wait. Are you going to say, put them in jail? Are you — is that the (inaudible) you’re talking about?
MATTHEWS: Well, no, I’m asking you because you say you want to ban it. What does that mean?
TRUMP: I would — I am against — I am pro-life, yes.
MATTHEWS: What is ban — how do you ban abortion? How do you actually do it?
TRUMP: Well, you know, you will go back to a position like they had where people will perhaps go to illegal places
MATTHEWS: Yes?
TRUMP: But you have to ban it
MATTHEWS: You banning, they go to somebody who flunked out of medical school.
TRUMP: Are you Catholic?
MATTHEWS: Yes, I think…
TRUMP: And how do you feel about the Catholic Church’s position?
MATTHEWS: Well, I accept the teaching authority of my Church on moral issues
TRUMP: I know, but do you know their position on abortion?
MATTHEWS: Yes, I do
TRUMP: And do you concur with the position?
MATTHEWS: I concur with their moral position but legally, I get to the question — here’s my problem with it…
(LAUGHTER)
TRUMP: No, no, but let me ask you, but what do you say about your Church?
MATTHEWS: It’s not funny.
TRUMP: Yes, it’s really not funny
What do you say about your church? They’re very, very strong.
MATTHEWS: They’re allowed to — but the churches make their moral judgments, but you running for president of the United States will be chief executive of the United States. Do you believe…
TRUMP: No, but…
MATTHEWS: Do you believe in punishment for abortion, yes or no as a principle?
TRUMP: The answer is that there has to be some form of punishment
MATTHEWS: For the woman
TRUMP: Yes, there has to be some form
MATTHEWS: Ten cents? Ten years? What?
TRUMP: Let me just tell you — I don’t know. That I don’t know. That I don’t know.
MATTHEWS: Why not
TRUMP: I don’t know.
MATTHEWS: You take positions on everything else.
TRUMP: Because I don’t want to — I frankly, I do take positions on everything else. It’s a very complicated position.
MATTHEWS: But you say, one, that you’re pro-life meaning that you want to ban it
TRUMP: But wait a minute, wait a minute. But the Catholic Church is pro-life
MATTHEWS: I’m not talking about my religion.
TRUMP: No, no, I am talking about your religion. Your religion — I mean, you say that you’re a very good Catholic. Your religion is your life. Let me ask you this..
MATTHEWS: I didn’t say very good. I said I’m Catholic
(LAUGHTER)
And secondly, I’m asking — you’re running for President.
TRUMP: No, no…
MATTHEWS: I’m not.
TRUMP: Chris — Chris.
MATTHEWS: I’m asking you, what should a woman face if she chooses to have an abortion?
TRUMP: I’m not going to do that.
MATTHEWS: Why not?
TRUMP: I’m not going to play that game.
MATTHEWS: Game?
TRUMP: You have…
MATTHEWS: You said you’re pro-life.
TRUMP: I am pro-life.
MATTHEWS: That means banning abortion
TRUMP: And so is the Catholic Church pro-life.
MATTHEWS: But they don’t control the — this isn’t Spain, the Church doesn’t control the government
TRUMP: What is the punishment under the Catholic Church? What is the…
MATTHEWS: Let me give something from the New Testament, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Don’t ask me about my religion.
TRUMP: No, no…
MATTHEWS: I’m asking you. You want to be president of the United States.
TRUMP: You told me that…
MATTHEWS: You tell me what the law should be.
TRUMP: I have — I have not determined…
MATTHEWS: Just tell me what the law should be. You say you’re pro-life.
TRUMP: I am pro-life.
MATTHEWS: What does that mean
TRUMP: With exceptions. I am pro-life.
I have not determined what the punishment would be.
MATTHEWS: Why not?
TRUMP: Because I haven’t determined it
MATTHEWS: When you decide to be pro-life, you should have thought of it. Because…
TRUMP: No, you could ask anybody who is pro-life…
MATTHEWS: OK, here’s the problem — here’s my problem with this, if you don’t have a punishment for abortion — I don’t believe in it, of course — people are going to find a way to have an abortion.
TRUMP: You don’t believe in what?
MATTHEWS: I don’t believe in punishing anybody for having an abortion
TRUMP: OK, fine. OK, (inaudible)/
MATTHEWS: Of course not. I think it’s a woman’s choice.
TRUMP: So you’re against the teachings of your Church?
MATTHEWS: I have a view — a moral view — but I believe we live in a free country, and I don’t want to live in a country so fascistic that it could stop a person from making that decision.
TRUMP: But then you are…
MATTHEWS: That would be so invasive.
TRUMP: I know but I’ve heard you speaking…
MATTHEWS: So determined of a society that I wouldn’t able — one we are familiar with. And Donald Trump, you wouldn’t be familiar with.
TRUMP: But I’ve heard you speaking so highly about your religion and your Church.
MATTHEWS: Yes.
TRUMP: Your Church is very, very strongly as you know, pro-life.
MATTHEWS: I know.
TRUMP: What do you say to your Church?
MATTHEWS: I say, I accept your moral authority. In the United States, the people make the decision, the courts rule on what’s in the Constitution, and we live by that. That’s why I say.
TRUMP: Yes, but you don’t live by it because you don’t accept it. You can’t accept it. You can’t accept it. You can’t accept it.
MATTHEWS: Can we go back to matters of the law and running for president because matters of law, what I’m talking about, and this is the difficult situation you’ve placed yourself in.
By saying you’re pro-life, you mean you want to ban abortion. How do you ban abortion without some kind of sanction? Then you get in that very tricky question of a sanction, a fine on human life which you call murder?
TRUMP: It will have to be determined.
MATTHEWS: A fine, imprisonment for a young woman who finds herself pregnant?
TRUMP: It will have to be determined.
MATTHEWS: What about the guy that gets her pregnant? Is he responsible under the law for these abortions? Or is he not responsible for an abortion?
TRUMP: Well, it hasn’t — it hasn’t — different feelings, different people. I would say no.
MATTHEWS: Well, they’re usually involved. Anyway, much more from the audience here at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay. We’ll be right back.
(APPLAUSE)

 

4:35: Kasich responds to Trump’s abortion comments:

Cruz campaign responds as well:

 

4:29: March for Life on Trump’s abortion comments:

“Mr. Trump’s comment today is completely out of touch with the pro-life movement and even more with women who have chosen such a sad thing as abortion,” said Jeanne Mancini, President of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund. “Being pro-life means wanting what is best for the mother and the baby. Women who choose abortion often do so in desperation and then deeply regret such a decision. No pro-lifer would ever want to punish a woman who has chosen abortion. This is against the very nature of what we are about. We invite a woman who has gone down this route to consider paths to healing, not punishment.”

 

4:25: CNN has on two professional hacks/tacticians who are affiliated with various anti-Trump groups on the right. Professional tacticians whose candidates flamed out now can still get television hits.

 

4:01: Trump campaign issues statement on abortion remarks:

4:00: Trump was asked if there should be punishment for illegal abortions:

3:59: Trump Making Biden ‘Sad.’

3:58: Trump says he likes limousines better than bikes but bikers love him.

3:52: Trump says the establishment is trying to take the GOP nomination from him.

3:40: Sanders calls Trump’s abortion comments “shameful.”

3:37: Thousands being turned away from Trump event:

3:35: Media finally figuring out how things are outside of their bubbles. The mainstream press would not have written these stories had it not been for Trump’s candidacy.

It’s a malaise entirely missed by the political establishment, by many in the media and by business elites. And it’s the single biggest storyline of this election.

American voters feel left behind by an economy they believe benefits investors, bosses, party leaders, the super-rich and status quo politicians.

Donald Trump has energized millions of Americans with his boundless self-confidence. Bernie Sanders has struck a chord with young people who feel cheated by a college degree that doesn’t earn what they thought and student loans that will hold them back longer from buying a home, starting a family, saving and investing.

 

3:30: Will give average Americans another opportunity to see how dumb many of these people (who mock “low-information” voters) really are:

 

3:27: Sanders says campaign no longer “fringe.”

3:24: Trump says he’ll attend a Packer game if he wins on Tuesday. He says he needs three tickets (himself, Melania, Ivanka).

3:20: Trump predicts he will get a lot of “crossover” voters and the polls don’t take that into account. “I think we’re going to do great,” he says at his Appleton rally. “We love the Democrats if they cross over.”

3:09: Clinton Slams Trump’s “horrific” comments on abortion:

3:03: Journal-Sentinel eviscerates Clinton on her “abysmal record on open government.”

Clinton has a long track record of public service but an equally long record of obfuscation, secrecy and working in the shadows to boost her power and further her ambition. We encourage voters to think long and hard about that record when choosing the next president.

3:00: Trump Gets Ratings:

Still, Trump was clearly the man viewers wanted to see, as the 9 p.m. hour on CNN was by far the most-viewed of the night, averaging more than four million viewers, including more than 1.3 million adults 25-54. The 8 p.m. hour on CNN (featuring Ted Cruz) averaged 2.7 million viewers, while the 10 p.m. average (featuring Kasich) was just shy of three million viewers, meaning that more than one million people tuned in when Trump took the stage, and around a million tuned out when he left.

2:43: Trump on abortions:

2:40: Kasich on “New York Values.”

2:20: Kasich: GOP Promise to Repeal Obamacare ‘Big Joke’ and ‘Stupid Promise.’

2:18: Hundreds of people waiting in line to get into Trump’s Appleton, Wisconsin event:

 

Protesters across the street:

2:15: Good question:

2:12: Cruz Thrilled about Wisconsin Poll Showing Him in Lead:

https://twitter.com/gneumann_wkow/status/715228195964866561

2:10: While Clinton was speaking in Harlem…

2:05: Lawyer for D.C. Madam Says Records Would Have Direct Impact on 2016 Election:

2:02: Cruz Holds “Women for Cruz” event:

 

2:02: Cruz/Sanders Leading in New Marquette Poll:

2:00: Is Cruz’s favorite food cheese or beef enchiladas?

1:57: RNC response to GOP candidates backing away from pledge:

1:56: Rubio, who mocked Trump for his spelling errors on Twitter, misspells United States:

1:55: Report: Clinton camp worried about Trump’s potential attacks against her in general election.

1:53: Group founded by David Brock files ethics complaint against Sanders:

1:50: Trump/Clinton performing best in counties with less opportunity:

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