Grabs in republican answers winner take all. And right now it is all about donald trump. He leaves the three most recent major polls by wide margins here in florida and of course this is marco rubios home state. Remember, he is a sitting u. S. Senator from here. And then over in ohio, tuesdays other big prize where john kasich serves as governor, trump leads in two of these recent polls. That may be surprising considering a wall street journal poll which shows 25 of voters nationwide have a favorable opinion compared to 64 unfavorable. That the largest our poll has ever seen for a prominent candidate. A safe bet president obama is one of those with an unfavorable opinion. During joint fuse conference with canadian prim minister, he slammed donald trump and two other candidates by name. In fact in terms of his positions on a whole range of issues, they arent very different from any of the other candidates. It is not as if there is a massive difference between mr. Trumps position on immigration and mr. Cruzs on immigration. Mr. Trump may be more provocative in how he says it but the actual positions arent that different. For that matter, they arent that different from mr. Rubios decisions on immigration. Lets start with the Donald Trump Campaign. We have new video in our newsroom from last night at a trump rally in North Carolina. And what it shows is a black protester being escorted out of the building on his way out a white man in the crowd jumps up and punches him in the face. According to affiliate wral, that man, 78yearold john mcgraw has been arrested. Assault and battery and disorderly campaign. From the Trump Campaign, four words, quote, we are not involved. Lets start with nbcs Kerry Sanders. He is ahead of tonights gop debate. What more do we know about that altercation last night . Even before this happened and even before donald trump took the stage, i was there the at gathering, at the rally. And there was a a lot of boisterous activity outside. Protesters who gathered outside. It is clear there would be people who would stand up and try to make their points known. Of course this rally wound up having more than 10 separate moment where people tried to disrupt what was going on. But its this video that perhaps is the most disturbing because what you see is the cumberland Sheriffs Office, deputies, escorting protester out. And bam, hit in the face, sort of sucker punched by someone in the crowd there. Now the cumberland Sheriffs Office says that the Police Officer in this cased his head down when the person took a shot at him. And then of course there was a little bit more after stufl afterwards. I guess what makes it so unusual here is that the protester who was hit in the face was the one that the authorities then put into handcuffs and took out. It wasnt until the video of that sucker punch wound up on social media that the Sheriffs Department began their investigation. It is confusing because there were so many deputies there at the scene and apparently none of them did anything, apparently, saying that they didnt see the sucker punch. It was evenly until it went on social media that the sheriff ordered an investigation and as you noted and i think we have a mug shot here of John Franklin mcgraw, taken into custody now. Beg held on it 500 bond. Now meantime, a lot of the climate taking place around the Donald Trump Campaign is a question that was actually put to president obama about whether donald trump has voiced a climate of anger and whether some of that is a reflection of those who have been so dissatisfied with president obama. This is what the president had to say. The tone of that politics which i have not contributed to. I dont think that i was the one to prompt questionets about my birth certificate for example. What youre seeing, within the Republican Party, is creating an environment where someone like a donald trump can thrive. So the debate tonight will likely bring up a lot of questions. I think we will hear something about this and of course the discussion of Donald Trumps comments about muslims. Here in florida, they are a sizeable group. About 500,000. Of course many, many more who are not muslim that are registered to vote in the state and of course, this state matters because its a winner take all. And if dop donald trump can win here, he walks away with 99 delegates, significant hall. Kate . Kerry, back to the video for a moment. Since it is so new here. And its important to note, as you did, you see this young man walking up the stairs and gets punched. The officers around him continue to walk and then actually take him down. The protester. He spoke to the Washington Post. His name is rakeem jones. He recently this afternoon say the police jumped on me like i was the one swinging. He added, my eye still hurt, it is just shocking. The shock of it all is starting to set in. It is like this dude just hit me and they let him get away with it. I was in Police Custody and got hit. This is not the first time we have seen vie leapt outbursts at trump rallies. I was at rally in las vegas where donald trump was the one encouraging his supporters to go after protesters. Ta take a listen to what he said then. Honestly, i hate to see that. Here is a guy throwing punches, nasty as hell, and he is walking out and guards are very gentle with him and he is walking out big highfives, smiling, laughing, like to punch him in the face. I tell you that. Kerry, i was in that auditorium. From what i could see, the protester never threw a punch. Dehe did this. Playing the mugging to the crowd. And trump saying we should punch him in the face. Is the trump creating a level of hysteria in the crowd that leads to violence . I will tell you this. Last night they didnt do something that they have done at other rallies. At other rallies, they play a prerecorded statement to the thousands that are there. They say, this is a private event. We dont want anyone to protest. But if someone protests, we ask supporters ton touch them but to surround the protesters and start yelling trump, trump, trump. In fact when they play this recording, it generally gets a good sense of laughter. They didnt play that last night. At times i think you can say that it appeared donald trump was in many ways encouraging supporters to show how they felt about the protesters. Didnt come right out and say throw a punch and knock somebody down but what you do point out is there were several officers around this young man. As you look at the video and see him taken out, he is being taken out because quote this have a private event and he is disrupting it. As he is taken out in the custody of deputies, he gets sucker punched there. And its that point that you believe that the officers would now be responding to protect him from somebody elsewhere in turn in this particular case the sheriffs says the deputies didnt see the sucker punch and it wasnt until it was posted on social media that he fully understood what had happened. I leave it to you to determine whether you see in that video that Police Officers who were there would have known what was taking place. But as we know, this was man, the protester, then put in handcuffs and he is the one as he said to the Washington Post, he is escorted out as if he did something wrong here. Kerry sanders with the Trump Campaign. We should note that ra keem jones, the one you saw punched in that video, will be a guest tonight. And that at 10 00 eastern. Lets go to coral gables. Mike lee officially endorsing senator ted cruz. A very, very dig degree, remark al degree, in fact. And thats why im privileged to call him my friend. But he is a friend not just to me. But to the american people. He is a friend to the people he represent. In the state of texas. When ted ran for senate in 2012 he made promises to the people of texas. He promised he with stand up for them. Promised he would stand up it a growing overbearing federal government. That knows no bounds. He promised he would fight against obama care. He promised he with resist efforts to undermine our Second Amendment right as americans. Promised he would oppose any efforts to undermine religious liberty. Ted has kept those promises. And every other promise he made to the state of texas. And he will move forward and unite our party. You see, too many people have been told by the establishment in washington that we have to settle, settle for economic grej. Settle for more of the same. Business as usual in washingt. Washington. Ted doesnt believe you should settle. He doesnt believe you have to settle. There is a big difference between cannot fusionfusion and confidence. There is a difference between plat tudes and a plan. Ted is that difference. There is a big difference between slogans and substance. And ted is that difference. So its time for us to recognize that we dont have to settle any more. Dont settle. Dont settle for slogans that can fit on a bumper sticker. Expect substance. Dont settle for a federal government that is overbearing at home and projects weakness abroad. Expect a federal government that will protect you and respect your rights. Its time, my fellow americans, to expect more. Time to expect freedom. Its time to elect ted cruz as next president of the united states. You know, when we look at this president ial election cycle, one of the many things that comes to mind is the fact that with the recent death of the late Justice Anthony scalia, a lot of people wonder who is going to fill that vacancy on the Supreme Court. Who is going to fill that role and who will name the person who will fill that role. Its one of the great things about ted cruz. Is that americans can proceed with great confidence that ted cruz will pick an absolutely outstanding person to fill anthony scalias position on the Supreme Court of the out. They can also stand with great confidence that this is man who believes in his own family and stood with his own family. I have enjoyed getting to know ted and his wife and their daughters and i have seen ted stand with them and for them. Ive seen him stand with and for his father and for and with his mother. And you know, he will stand for you. He will stand for every mother and father son and daughter in america. He will do what he said. Okay, i think we just lost the signal there. But that is utah senator mike lee endorsing ted cruz. Significant because he has in the past supported both marco rubio and ted cruz. Had not gotten into this campaign with any kind of endorsement but now as you can see, officially endorsing ted cruz aeb of course thats the first Senate Endorsement for ted cruz. After many had commented on that, that he didnt seem to have support from his own fell why senators on cap cap itll hill. On the Rubio Campaign, florida or bust. He is leading up to his home state in florida next week. He is trailing in polls here and in desperate need of a win. Can he do it . Joining me now is nbcs Gabe Gutierrez with the Rubio Campaign in coral gables florida. Youve probably been listening, dave, as we heard senator lee endorsing ted cruz. That has to be another blow to the Rubio Campaign. Yes. It stings a little bit kate. At several Campaign Events for rubio along with ted cruz endorsing ted cruz. No comment on that from the Rubio Campaign. They are touting another poll that has come out, Washington Post univision poll, showing rubio down 7 points here in florida. That against against the fox news poll. This is whether marco rubio can turn it around in his home state. Facing a difficult few days. Getting two victories total. In puerto rico and minnesota. Now the super pac backing marco rubio, conservative solutions taking out a 1. 1 million ad vibe. Not even against cruz or trump, but against kasich. Lets take a listen. Heres the basic on john kasich. As ohio governor, kasich proposed increasing spending by 19 billion. To pay for more spending, kasich has higher businesses on cars, laundry, lawns, gym webs internet, phones, repairs and on and on. Even commanding on obamas medicare expansion. Now for conservative solution says that that ad is meant to show to paint john kasich as a Big Government taxincreasing governor. But some noted this could be a sign that Rubio Campaign feeles a growing threat from kasich, even here in florida. Over the last few days. And yesterday at a rally in hialeah, a lot has been made about this crowd for marco rubios rally with several hundred people and stadium held several thousand and some people argue theres an enuse crass em gap. Rubio team saying they are guaranteeing victory in florida. After a big debate performance tonight, that can turn the tide on senator rubio. We will have to wait and see. Also looming the possibility after jeb bush endorsement either for rubio which he met with jeb bush yesterday. Or with kasich or cruz. Now to shane, from politico, lets talk more about marco rubio. I was talking to voters earlier today and i think we have sound we can play. This couple lives on the boat in the bahamas. And their lifelong republicans. And they dont know what to do. They think they will support marco rubio but begrudgingly, take a listen. Im not a staunch liberal supporter. So it is a protest . I wouldnt i suppose. Trump scares me. Period. But he just scares me. And you know, and going to the other cruz when i hear him speak and the way this which he expresses himself and the ideas that he brings forward. It just makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. But shane theyre in the minority in terms of the people we talk to. Just randomly around here. We have support for donald trump. And not so many people going for rubio. Is there any chance he wins on tuesday . He is trying everything he can to win his home state. He has a lot of help on the air waves from the super pac that was just mentioned and spending millions on ads in florida. Both hitting donald trump and promoting him. And he is trying to do everything he can. Classic florida things. Tomorrow holding a press conference to reach out to jewish voters. Go up to pensacola and move folks for more southern voters p. Good to villages where there are old voters. He is trying to do everything he can in his state. He has a shot but he is behind in every public poll. We have been talking about donald trump. And this new video out of North Carolina last night. Whats your sense for the florida voter here and why donald trump has so much momentum or you know so far ahead in the polls . He is that far ahead in every state so far. I mean, the remarkable thing is that the rube why super pac is ataking john kasich. John kasich hoss won zero of the contest so far and is still getting negative attacks. Donald trump is winning everywhere. Last week he won in michigan. He won in hawaii. He won in minnesota. These are or not minnesota, excuse me, mississippi. Those are dramatically different state. Now florida as rubio said is a state critically important in the general election. If he wins here, he is really on his way. Both delegate wise, toward the nomination. All right, shane, Senior Reporter from politico. Thank you for joining us, shane ps. Im joined by two mayors. Two Hillary Clinton supporter as it goes. Mayor of tampa bob buck horn and mayor of st. Petersburg, rick criesman. I know mr. Mayor you have had a long day. You drove up from miami this morning to be with Hillary Clinton. I dont know if you were there as well. I was not. You introduced her here in tampa. You are clearly a big hillary supporter. She has a lot of strength, if we believe the poll numbers. Though the polls were wrong in michigan. She has a 25year history in this state. We know her. She is no stranger to us. Her husband is revered here in the sunshine state. So i think the organization she has is deep. Its tentacles reach a long way. Senator sanders, for all of the excitement he generated along young people, isnt known here. He has been in the state lately. He was here the other day. All day today. An chance for Bernie Sanders . No, not enough aftof a prese here. As my friend was saying, hillarys organization in the state and tampa bay area is vast and shes been very visible and her surrogates have been very visible. She did very well in 2008 adds with well. Winning florida over barack obama by about 17 point in 2008. Won this county by i believe about 7 points. Does that sound right . Why do you think florida is clinton country . What the attraction . A lot of us have had relationships, back to the early 90s. She continued to come back and support florida issues. This is a swing state. Kate where you are sitting is ground zero for american politics. Registered about 50 50 in pinellas county, right . It is. This is where president s get picked, this i4 corridor from st. Petersburg toward orlando. Thats the Battle Ground region for the entire country. The demographics reflect the country. If you can win here, you can win anywhere in america. Sounds like a famous song. I dont know if people can hear it on tv but there is the sound behind us of indy cars practicing on a track. They take over your city here, right, on friday . All week we have indy car racing on the street of st. Petersburg. The most beautiful track that any race is on. I thought i could give you a little plug there for st. Petersburg. But this area has seen a the lof growth. Ive been to part of tampa that are a little rough, fair to say . But youve got growth downtown. What changed here in the last decade . I think part of it is the relationship we relationship between us. We agree on where we want to take our cities. We dont compete. We celebrate with each other. This region created more jobs in the last 3 of 5 years than anywhere in florida. 41,000 jobs last year came out of the tampa bay area. A different economy. Not just c