President. We have too much work to do in the house to allow this speculation to swirl or to have my motivations questioned. So let me be clear. I do not want, nor will i accept the nomination for our party. That was paul ryan, again, just a few minutes ago, trying his best to keep his name out of the mix, in a republican race that has reached a critical juncture. A week from today, one week from today, new yorkers will be votes in key primaries in both races. New numbers to tell you about on that front. Our new nbc news wall street journal marist toll shows good news for donald trump in his home state. Hes sitting at 54 . Remember, if he can earn more than 50 in every Congressional District in this state, then he would sweep all 95 delegates up for grabs in new york. That would help him open up a big lead in the republican delegate hunt. Meanwhile, on the democratic side, there is good news for Hillary Clinton. She has a 14point lead on Bernie Sanders. There have been eight polls in the last two weeks here in new york on the democratic side. She has led every single one of them by double digits. For more on both sides of the empire state primary, im joined here on set by former congressman from new york, nick lazio. He ran against Hillary Clinton for the new york senate back in 2000 and ran against one of Donald Trumps top supporters in this state, carl paladino, for governor in 2010. Rick, thanks for joining us. Let me start on the big news. Theres been all this talk, mib donald trump finishes up short of the big number, maybe republicans turn to another name at the convention, paul ryans name always comes up. We just heard him saying in as absolute terms as he could, he doesnt want that. Whats your reaction to that statement . Its important news. Paul ryan was the alternative candidate in a contested convention setting. I think many people believe, and im one of them, if donald trump does not go to the convention with a majority of delegates in hand, that its more than likely that he will not be the nominee of the Republican Party. I know the Trump Supporters are not going to like to hear that, but those are the rules and, in fact, thats great news for cruz, because cruz will now focus on continuing to yes, two questions on that. If thats the case. If its not trump. If ryan is out of the mix. If this is the scenario, you get to a second blot or something, does it now have to be cruz . It doesnt have to be cruz, no. This is the way i look at it. Number one, im not sure that paul ryan i think you have to take him at face value. I do. Hes an honest guy. I believe he does not want to be a candidate. It complicates his role as Convention Chairman and speaker of the house. I think he really does not want to do it. In a setting where you have almost a crisis and a decision thats got to be made, im not sure that they couldnt revisit that issue. But lets take it for granted that ryan is going to be out of it. If thats going to be the case, you have three candidates that are currently in it. It depends how john kasich does from here on in. If he goes to the convention, having won only one state, i think its a hard sell. I think its easier, in a way, for somebody whos not been contesting these primaries, listen, if i was in it, i would have won, i would have done this, i would have done that. Its going to be an easier sale for somebody. But im not making the challenges of somebody coming out of effectively left field to be the nominee. What about the blowback potential. If you get to the end of the primaries. And your home state right here looks like donald trump will do pretty well next week. Looks like a trump state right now. If trump gets to the end of this process and he has the most votes, the most delegates, the most states won. But hes short of that magic number, 40 to 50 short of it, whatever it is. Technically, mechanically, i get it, republicans could give the nomination to somebody else, but if they do, dont they have a revolt on their hands . I think its going to be an unpleasant situation for many Trump Supporters. If he can win, based on the rules, fair and square, hell be the nominee. If he cant, based on the rules that existed before he got in the race, he wont be the nominee. Its pretty straightforward. So hes going to have i think you would have to look at it right now and say hes the favorite given his head start. And keep in mind, steve, for anybody else that comes out as the potential nominee during the convention, theyll start off with no money and no organization. And an rnc, a Republican National committee, is in a less favorable condition than it was when mitt romney was running and supporting the rnc. The one thing they had going for them is the convention was earlier and there is some time to regroup. What about the lay of the land here in new york . We put the poll up, donald trump. If he can get 50 everywhere in the state, he sweeps this thing. Youre a great person to talk to on this. In 2010, you ran for governor here and you ran into this primary opponent. Carl paladino, and he really is sort of like the donald trump of new york politics. Its the same very outspoken, very provocative, says things politicians arent supposed to say. And he caught sort of fire with the grassroots here. It feels like for two weekends. In the right two weeks. And then he lost by 30 points. So explain you sort of came head to head with the trump phenomenon six years ago. Tell us what thats like. What that is. Its not fun. Because youre trying to reason with people who are angry and trying to send a message and its very emotive. So you cant cut through that emotion. When i was running, and i was the official designee of the Republican Party and the conservative party in new york, we have an official conservative party and i end up winning that primary, but its still a primary. And that primary, those voters were coming out, many of them were from upstate new york. They had almost a frontier mentality. They felt like they had been left behind and ignored by down state politicians, time after time. And they were looking for somebody who would express their frustration and anger. A plan didnt seem to matter to those people. They just wanted to see somebody who understood and appreciated their exasperation. And so, they were attracted to, you know, outrageous, controversial, irresponsible comments, in my view, that ultimately undid that candidate during the general election. But it sounds familiar. Is that same thing going on right now in the Republican Party . Its precisely the same strain that those candidates were trying to tap into. Its disaffected voter whos feeling like theyre being left behind in the economy. They dont understand americas role in the world anymore. They feel like theres less of a sense of community. The social structures and institutions are frayed. They think that things are untethered. And theyre looking for an answer. And along comes somebody who plays to that, and says, im going to fix all that. I will do that with one sweep of the pendant. And in the case in new york, that candidate who was running against me was talking about shutting down the borders to new york. Of course the government of new york has no authority over immigration. But, in fact, that was a comment that was made and it played to an audience. And you know, that happens. But, by the way, Hillary Clinton, in you know, in 2000 said, i want to create 200,000 jobs as a legislator, in upstate new york. These comments are just, you know, i think theyre cynical comments, because you cant follow through on them. And final question, you mentioned Hillary Clinton. Youve had the experience of running against Hillary Clinton, as well. What do you think watching the republican race unfold, she looks in pretty good position on the democratic side. What do you think shes thinking, watching this republican race unfold . I think shes probably looking at this first of all, i think shes completely focused on getting the nomination right now. Im sure she didnt expect to be as much as a 14point lead is a healthy lead, im sure she wasnt expecting to have a contested primary at all in new york, in a state she had run and won twice and lived and been the first lady and been, if you were aware at all over the last 30 years of what was going on in america, you were aware that Hillary Clinton was the first lady and secretary of state and a twoterm senator from new york state. And yet she still has got to really work it. And Bernie Sanders here in her home state is still having crowds of 15,000 to 18,000 people. I think shes still very focused on securing the nomination and nailing that down. I think these are two different candidates. If its cruz or trump or kasich or somebody like that, her best scenario, i would say, is probably trump if you look at the numbers right now. And i think shes probably thinking right now ive got to focus on the job ive got to get done, which is to make sure i finish the job of getting the nomination, have the money raised, get the organization in place, and heal the party so i can take it to the other side. Rick lazio, former congressman from new york, thanks for the time. Appreciate it. Lets turn now to nbcs kasie hunt. Shes covering Bernie Sanderss campaign from syracuse, new york. So were talking about Hillary Clinton. She, obviously. The leader nationally in this race getting some good polling news out of new york. At the same time, Bernie Sanders comes into the state with a winning streak, with some real grassroots enthusiasm. What are you hearing from the Sanders Campaign right now . Reporter hey, steve. Its pretty clear things here are getting a little bit more personal. I think that thats clear from both sides of this race. Its certainly clear from these stump speeches that senator sanders has been giving here in new york, to pretty large crowds. Thousands of people across the upstate in a series of rallies, buffalo last night, he was in syracuse this afternoon. Hes on his way to poughkeepsie to marist college, which we expect is going to be a pretty big rally, as well. But hes adding to his stump speech these sort of more personal versions of the attacks on Hillary Clinton, that hes been leveling over the course of the past couple of months. Take a listen to what he had to say today about super pacs. During the last filing period, her largest super pac reported raising 25 million from special interests, including 15 million from wall street. Does anybody seriously believe that you can be an agent of change if you are taking money from the most powerful special interests in this country . Reporter pretty direct hit on Hillary Clinton in this idea that she could change things up from Bernie Sanders. His Campaign Going even further, putting out this statement this afternoon thats headlined, clintons credibility gap. It says, clintons credibility was questioned after she blamed vermont for gun violence in new york. The charge backfired. Im continuing on here. On a host of other issues, sanders detailed differences with clinton during a rally here at Monroe Community college. And it goes on to underscore what we just heard sanders say there about super pacs and other issues. And this is really, in some ways, its a version of that attack that he leveled, calling clinton unqualified. He, of course, backed away from that specific word. But its clear that his campaign feels like they need to make sure that theyre hitting back hard at clinton, in the context of this new york primary. Sanders, himself, was focused on some of these reports that said Clintons Campaign was going to work to essentially disqualify him in this primary. And he wants to make sure that that doesnt happen. But its clear, Clintons Campaign is taking this pretty seriously, too. Her personal aid, nick merrill, tweeting a series of things about the Sanders Campaign and their new sort of tone or the evolution in their tone here in new york. Nick merrill saying, lets be very clear, this is a character attack. This is exactly what Bernie Sanders pledged to his supporters, that he wouldnt do, steve. All right, kasie hunt with the Sanders Campaign in syracuse. Meanwhile, while clinton could be leading the delegate count, she could face a problem from within her own party if she gets the nomination. A new nbc poll shows that nearly a third of sanders supporters in new york state say they wouldnt support clinton in a general election. And msnbcs joy reid is just north of where im sitting right now. Shes in the bronx in new york city. Shes been talking to voters. So joy, in democratic territory there. We have this new poll, on the one hand, that could be a big problem for Hillary Clinton if shes the nominee. On the other hand, i keep thinking back to 2008. We were probably seeing same numbers about clinton supporters back then, saying they werent going to vote for obama in the fall. So we have seen this before, maybe. Yeah, of course, you do, we all remember the pumas back in 2008, people who were diehard hillary supporters who said they would not support barack obama if he were the nominee. And the numbers were pretty similar of those who said that at the time. I think the one warning sign for Hillary Clinton is the number of sanders supporters who say they wouldnt support her is almost the double the number that go the other way around. Of clinton supporters who say they wont support Bernie Sanders. We spoke to voters out here in the bronx, the most democratic county in new york, at about 78 democratic registration. And here are a couple of voters takes on whether they would support the other candidate if their choice is not the nominee. Take a listen. Bernie has to be i mean, hillary has some valid points, i just dont like the way shes carrying herself in this. Reporter youre a Hillary Clinton supporter, but if Bernie Sanders is the nominee, would you vote for Bernie Sanders as well . Not really. Reporter no . Why . I feel like he doesnt really have a purpose in his candidacy. Like, i dont feel like he has enough to become a president. Reporter and steve, thats actually sort of the reverse of what you typically see. Most of the clinton supporters that weve spoken to today said they would be just fining with voting for Bernie Sanders, and even the sanders supporters that we spoke to, for the most part, said they would be fine with Hillary Clinton, they would just prefer the candidate they like. When you talk to the Hillary Clinton campaign in particular, theyre not sounding too alarmed. The one thing they do have to watch out for is that age range of the diehard sanders supporters who dont like her. They are those Younger Voters that theyre hoping they can turn out the way they came out for barack obama in 2008. Steve . Absolutely. Thats something weve been seeing in these exit polls throughout the primary season. Joy reid in the bronx, thank you for that. And still ahead, the fallout over a contested convention, a potential contested convention on the republican side. Paul ryan does his best to dismiss any suggestion in a contested convention could turn to him. As a republican savior and a ballot did put the issue to rest. Plus, how about this . This one and the only television legend, larry king. He is going to be with us live on this set in just a few minutes. You are not going to want to miss that. But first, donald trump speaking live in rome, new york, getting ready to speak live in rome, new york. 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