Also forget thelma and louise. How about bernie and susan. The Hollywood Star hitting the campaign trail for the candidate and shes talking to me. Plus the potential of an explosive pandemic. Why u. S. Scientists say we need to learn from the Ebola Outbreak and act fast. Lets talk live in the cnn newsroom. And good morning, im carol costello. Thank you so much for joining me. Donald Trump Doubles down. Fox news tries to patch it up but the billionaire is refusing to budge. Not even foxs bill oreilly could coax him back onto the stage. You have in this debate format the upper hand. You have 60 seconds right off the top to tell any of the moderators youre a pin head. Im trying to convince you that your tact is wrong. Because it is better for the folks to see you in debate format. Equally unfair was the question that megyn kelly asked me in the last debate and everybody said i won that debate and i gave a great answer i mean believe it or not rosy odonnell was very good for me. The only time shes ever been good for me. But frankly i think a gave a yet answer. You are making my point. You gained in that. You gained in that. You are making my point. [inaudible] also had to dot with attitude of fox. Bill this, also had to do with the stupidity of fox and what they did. Number one kellys question was within journalistic bounds. I disagree. Okay. And thats good. You made your case. You won the debate. That is what america is about. Robust debate. Okay. Thats fine. Robust debit. Dont walk away from it. Trumps holding a event at the very same time. And trump called last night and said wow two candidates called and said they want to go to my event in Drake University. Good morning. Good morning carol. The ick is dry. As the what one Trump Campaign aid said about the venue tonight. Theres no going back now. Looks like donald trump will definitely not be attending the debate and attacking the debate in a tweet storm, say the debate will be a totally disaster. Low ratings with advertisers and rates dropping like a rock. I hate to see this. Worth noting, advertisers probably locked in rates a long time ago. But underscore right now donald trump is on the attack and it is very frustrating for other campaigns. Donald trump only hours from hosting his special event to raise money for veterans at Drake University in des moines. The affair airing the same time as foxs prime time debate. It is really important. It is a movement. It is not like a normal situation. But the gop front runners decision to stick it to fox without dropping out is not an irony. Bill oreilly failing to coax him back to the stage. Just want you to consider it. You owe me milk shakes. Im take him off the ledge for you consider. I told you up front dont ask me that question. And of course but im not going to listen to any political person tell me dont ask me anything. Oreilly repeatedly asking trump to debate tonight. Im asking you to reconsider. In trumps absence texas senator ted cruz is likely to be turned to center stage. Now cruz is doubling down for a oneonone debate with his biggest rival. Im going to propose a venue, western iowa tech, saturday night in sioux city. We already have it reserved. Cruzs super pac offering 1. 5 Million Dollars to vets groups if trump duprees. And Carly Fiorina upping the ante offering trump 2 Million Dollars to defeat trump at drake. The spectacle . Rubbing the rest of the gop the wrong way. This is not a show. This is serious. All eyes tonight carol that arent on donald trump likely to be on ted cruz. Donald trump has not said hell take ted cruzs oneonone challenge but for ted cruz there is an integral last four days. Crucial if he wants to not just place well in iowa but defeat donald trump tonight expect the attacks to be pointed at ted cruz on the stage and expect ted cruz to be throwing bombs another donald trump. Thank you. The people put in the middle of this political squabble are americas heroes. Wounded vetters. A super pac supporting ted cruz is now offering 1. 5 million to wounded veterans if trump will debate cruz. In the meantime Carly Fiorina via tweet offered to donate millions if she could be part of that debate. Veterans groups are apulledpall that. Trump, you are looking to use veterans to protect you. Youre a loser. Youre a third rate politician who clearly doesnt understand issues and this tweet from the founder of the iraq afghanistan veterans of america. If offered the iava will decline donations from trumps event. We need strong policies from candidates. Not to be used for political stunts. Im joined by cnn political commentator and the blaze contributor Tara Setmayer and host of the ben ferguson show, ben ferguson. Welcome. Good morning. Thank you. So in fairness mr. Trump has turned down cruzs super pac offer calling it dirty money. But ben, what do you make of this . Donald trump has decided that hes going the use veterans and their tragedy for his political advantage. And the most vile part about this is the fact that he was asked a question with his own quotes by megyn kelly that started all of this. And he said im not going to answer to people that ask me tough questions and when i dont like how you treat me and when i cant bully the media into giving me what i want, i will then have an event and claim im doing it for the greatness of our veterans. When in reality all hes doing is using these veterans for his own political gain. Donald trump has a history consistently of being not exactly the biggest supporter of veterans. Lets not forget he tried to get vetters kicked away from his own properties because he said they were bringing down the property values. Erans kicked away from h own properties because he said they were bringing down the property values. Hes never held a Campaign Event to raise money for veterans. So now when he gets himself in a corner, he says im going to have have an event for veterans and it is going to be amazing when in reality this is all about him saving face and him not being able to answer tough questions. Even heard about bill oreilly last night saying i told you not to ask me that question. Since when do you get to decide who gets to ask you what when you are running for president. If you want to a reality tv star, do it. If you want to get into ad sales, do it. And if you want to be about ratings go back to the apprentice. But running for president , dont use our vet ernts as cover when it is convenient for you. The money thick. Donald trump keeps saying, oh fox news will have a terrible debate. They are going to lose money because im not there and their ratings will stink. Debates really arent about that. We live in a democracy are you appear on that debate stage imparting an Important Message to the American People t voters. Absolutely. But this has never been about that. This entire campaign has been about donald trump. What donald trump wants and when he doesnt get it he throws a hissy fit and he calls people names. He insults women. He insults military guys. This is what donald trump does because hes an entertainer. Hes a Snake Oil Salesman and hes able to do this because he knows how to manipulate the message. He knows how to manipulate the media and he continues to garner this level of attention. N matter what he does or says, were still talking about trump. And were not talking about the other candidates what they are offering, and real issues that the voters care about. This is not Jerry Springer. And this is how donald trump conducts himself. And i have to agree with ben. I saw bens shootout with Katrina Pearson earlier on cnn. And ive got tell you some of the things katrina said disturbed me. She kept saying well it was a tv character. And Donald Trumps own words. Megyn kelly used his own words against him. And she said well that was a tv character. Was it . So a tv characters name was donald trump. Thats what i mean. It was a tv character. So is he in character now . Then . Which is it . They need to make a decision but the fact were even having this conversation about a potential president of the United States should concern everyone. You are going to say ben yeah. During that lot of veterans groups will come to Donald Trumps event tonight . Some of them will. There is no doubt. But a lot of veterans i heard from. I had several of them show up yesterday. And i went to iraq and i lost a leg in iraq. Others have said im in a wheelchair now. Im a quadriplegic. Im paralyzed. And donald trump wants to use my battle wounds for his own political cover when it is convenient. Remember what he said about john mccain. He said hes not a war hero. Hes not a war hero. I dont like people that get captured. That is not a hero. He tried to get veterans who were trying to make a living kicked away from his properties, including in new york city. Because he said they were a nuisance to his property. How do you say that and can i save the veterans. Can i add something really quick to that. Sure. From 2009 in the 2013 Forbes Magazine documented this. His Charitable Foundation only gave 57,000 dollars to direct services to military veterans and donald trump personally didnt donate to his own charity in that time period. He hasnt donated hardly anything as the billionaire. Where has that consistent Financial Support four veterans been when the cameras werent in front of him and when it wasnt politically expedient. I think it is disgusting. And i dont like the idea that the other campaigns are throwing money out well well dont this. Well donate that. I dont think this is becoming at all. This is a parlor game and it shouldnt. Well have a trump supporter on in the next hour of newsroom. Jeff de wit will join us. Democrats fighting to squeeze into the spotlight. Take a look at this. Showing todays events across iowa for Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton. Bill clinton also holding four separate events for his wife. Cnn editor mark preston live in des moines with more on the kpokt democrats. Trying to suck up any oxygen they can that donald trump has taken out of this race. As you said Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders several events today. Crisscrossing the state and they brought in bill clinton to help with the fire power. Yesterday that was weighed in. Lets take a listen. What bernie said was im going reduce the cost of healthcare and it may involve some people paying a tax. Were not running on any platform of raising taxes. Hes talking about a single payor. And that is not going to happen. I mean does anybody in this room think that were going to be discussing a single payor . And there you have nancy most talking aboutpelosi talking abo. Many people think she would be for Hillary Clinton because Hillary Clinton is a woman and nancy pelosi would like to see a women elected president. But more importantly she has ore h her own issues to dole with in 20 2016. The house repetitives in the senate. Nancy pelosi trying to provide cover for Democratic Candidates out on the stump being asked are they willing to raise taxes, carol. Bernie sanders can add another big backer to his long list. That would be actress Susan Sarandon. Why shes on board with bernie and helping to get out the vote in iowa. Also to come in the newsroom. If trump is taking himself out of debate, whos going to take all the heat on the stage . Avo when account lead craig wilson books at laquinta. Com. Avo he gets a ready for you alert the second his room is ready. Avo so he knows exactly when he can settle in and practice his big pitch. Avo and when craig gets his pitch down pat, do you know what he becomes . 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Only abreva penetrates deep and starts to work immediately to block the virus and protect healthy cells. You could heal your cold sore, fast, as fast as two and a half days when used at the first sign. Learn how abreva starts to work immediately at abreva. Com dont tough it out, knock it out, fast. With abreva. I think Donald Trumps main addition hes brought to the debate this year has been silliness, bombast and empty rhetoric and calling people names. I dont think hes added much of substance the whole year. So i dont think hell be missed. In fact i really dont think donald trump is a conservative. I think hes a fake and a charlatan. Joining me now to talk about this, carol simpson. In 1992 became the first women and African American president ial debate moderator back in 1992. Good morning carol. Good morning carol. Thanks footwor come back. Lets talk about something novel. That would be actual voters. Is all of this debate drama good for democracy . I dont think so. I think what we have discovered now, at least what i think ive discovered is that there is a chink in the armor of donald trump. Hes turned this. Hes diverted it into a fight with fox news. But i think he really was done in by a pretty blond woman. He he is all powerful, all seeing, all knowing who can solve all of the problems of the world is really afraid of megyn kelly. He doesnt know what she might ask and how he might respond. And so now hes turned it into a fight with fox. But i think hes really afraid of megyn kelly. And im glad of that. Maybe hes just not used to i dont know, to women not loving being attracted i was trying to figure that out myself carol and i couldnt. You couldnt figure out it. Well shes a smart woman and he calls her a second rate reporter, whatever. And hes trying to denigrate her. And im so glad she asked that question that started this whole thing. And i would hope if he were there tonight that she would ask it again. Because he debaidnt answer it. I enjoy that question myself. It was a great question. Still donald trump is getting his way. Sucking the air out of the room. He doesnt have to answer hard questions or policy questions. So in the end for him is this a stroke of genius . I think to his supporters it is. But i think that to other people that do not support him, they are thinking that hes a little bit on the run. Hes so brag brag doeshs. And i won the debates and i am leading in the ratings and i am the best most wonderful thing in the world. I dont know when the American People and his supporters are finally going to get a little tired of that. And it is like, you are going to do all this. But how . He hasnt told us how. So i dont know if it is a stroke of genius. So fox loses ratings. Is this about ratings . No it is about electing a president. So lets talk about the debate itself. How do you think that fox should handle Donald Trumps absence . I think it should be ignored. This whole thing of leaving a podium on the stage, i think, is only drawing more attention to him. And i would just hope that they would just act as if he wasnt there. Hes not there. And he wasnt supposed to be there and we just arent even thinking about him. But you know the other candidates on the stage will bring up donald trump. They will. And i, again, he just managing to suck oxygen and attention away from everybody else but himself. Hes the most narcissistic candidate. Ive been covering candidates since 1968 and ive never seen a candidate like this. Or a primary like. This hes an odd ball. Were going look at pictures from your moderating days. Very cool pictures. So different from today. When it is a big grand production now, debates on television. Do you think that donald trump though has changed the way candidates will run their political campaigns in the future . Oh god i hope not. Oh dear. Its always been my belief that people would tire of him. Something is going to happen. And they are just going have had enough of im the greatest, im the richest, im this. So i dont think people are going to model his campaign in the future. I think its been awful. All right. I have to leave it there. Carole simpson, thanks for stopping by. You are welcome. Shes best known for her roles in film, now Susan Sarandon is embracing a new role. Bernie sanders supporter. Ill talk to her next. Thousands of hours of painstaking craftsmanship. And an infinite reserve of patience. To create a vehicle that looks, drives and thinks like nothing else on the road. The allnew glc. The suv the world has been waiting for. Starting at 38,950. Being hacked and intellectual property being stolen. That is cybercrime and it affects each and every one of us. Microsoft created the digital crimes unit to fight cybercrime. We use the microsoft cloud to visualize information so we can track down the criminals. 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