[Lemon:] We are following breaking news tonight, it's outside of Chicago and you're looking at the live pictures, it's outside this Trump event. It was supposed to be an event. He didn't show up. He canceled it. But there were protesters and supporters there. Donald Trump responds to the violence. The protesters at his postponed rally tonight. And we want to go live to CNN's Jeff Zeleny. He is on the streets of Chicago for us right now. So Jeff, wow, what a crazy evening here. I'm sure you heard Donald Trump at the top of this broadcast. Tell us what you're seeing right now.
[Jeff Zeleny, Cnn Senior Washington Correspondent:] Well Don, one thing I was struck by tonight, just walking among the protesters here, was the diversity of these protesters. You know Chicago very well. I used to live here as well. And I was struck by the diversity. We had black and white, Hispanic, Asian, young and old. A lot of families came out. It was a very organized protest, and orderly protest, at least outside. We of course have seen the images inside. But what I was struck by, this was a community protester. As I was walking with some of these protesters, they were saying that this is a historic moment for Mexican-Americans to rise up against Donald Trump. And I was walking with a gentleman here who lives in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago, the biggest Mexican-American neighborhood in Chicago. And he said that this is Chicago's duty to rise up and stand up to Donald Trump. So it's different from other Trump events that I've been at throughout the summer and the fall. We've seen a lot of Black Lives Matters protesters. This was different tonight. At least outside. This was different. This is the City of Chicago that was at least some people in the City of Chicago, rising up. And it's interesting. It's on the eve of the St. Patrick's Day parade tomorrow in Chicago, Don. And it's interesting if you think about, you know, generations ago, the immigrants who came here to this city were seeing a similar thing here now with these Mexican-American immigrants. Chicago is such a diverse town, which certainly has, you know, has problems of its own. But tonight, I was really struck by just how Chicago centric, how diverse this crowd of protesters were, Don.
[Lemon:] Thank you, Jeff Zeleny.
[Zeleny:] And you can see behind me now, Chicago police are largely leaving and again very orderly at this point. There were some clashes before was Trump supporters leaving some things. But all the police now, dozens of police are now leaving the area.
[Lemon:] And most of most of the protesters and supporters are gone, right, gone about their business, Jeff.
[Zeleny:] Absolutely. The streets are be quiet now, just a few people hanging out. But the protesters, you know, are leaving and it is going to be another parade tomorrow, that great Chicago St. Patrick's Day parade. Very different than this, but also, so, so connected here...
[Lemon:] Yeah.
[Zeleny:] ... as we think about the bigger picture here, this tapestry of diversity.
[Lemon:] Where they will turn the Chicago River green tomorrow as they do every year. It's their tradition. Thank you, Jeff Zeleny...
[Zeleny:] Thanks as well.
[Lemon:] ... on the streets of Chicago. Joining me now, Phil Musser, Republican Political Consultant, Kayleigh McEnany, Conservative Columnist for "Above the Law," CNN Political Commentator Bob Beckel, the author of "I Should Be Dead, My Life Surviving Politics, T.V, and Addiction," and Political Contributor Van Jones. OK. Here we go. So what do you all make of what we saw tonight at this Trump rally? Kayleigh, you first.
[Kayleigh Mcenany, Cnn Political Commentator:] Look, this is proof tonight that Donald Trump can do the right thing and he will still be criticized. Tonight, he did exactly what he should have done. He shut down the rally. He didn't want violence. He said so repeatedly in your interview with him and the statement he released, at the very end of it, he said, "Please go in peace." He did the right thing this evening. And instead of the story being 10,000 protesters showed up, disrupted the First Amendments rights of Donald Trump and Trump supporters. And then all the damage damages on the screen right now, you're not seeing people in Donald Trump shirts causing the rock in...
[Lemon:] But Kayleigh...
[Mcenany:] ... you were saying the protesters.
[Lemon:] ... let me say this. I don't who is criticizing him? I haven't heard anybody criticize Donald Trump tonight.
[Mcenany:] Many pundits on this very network have criticized Donald Trump. And in fact on the last show, one of the pundits said that Donald Trump wanted the violence that happen this evening. That's just not true. And I can tell you this, if 10,000 Tea Party activists had showed up at a Bernie Sanders rally and acted this way, those same pundits would be criticizing the Tea Party and would be calling out anyone who called on Bernie Sanders for being responsible for that.
[Lemon:] Van Jones, do you believe that to be true? No Van Jones. Bob Beckel, do you believe that to be true?
[Bob Beckel, Cnn Poltical Commentator:] No, I tell you, what strikes me first of all is that their four of the most important days, campaign days for Marco Rubio and John Kasich and now Donald Trump once again is dominating the entire new cycle. The I think they did the right thing by turning the things out. It didn't seem like to me that they were very prepared for it despite the warning. But you know, the interesting thing about it is. Is it, I think Trump supporters will get angry about this in a way that may very well ironically turn out more Trump voters in Florida and Ohio.
[Lemon:] Of course. Of course, I mean, it always happen that's way that something always happens in Donald Trumps favor. It just the way of political...
[Beckel:] It's amazing.
[Lemon:] ... we are all right now. So Van Jones, you heard Kayleigh saying, you know, Donald Trump is being criticized for not on this show, maybe another shows, maybe she's right. I don't think the headline from the story has been written, at least when it comes to live media because we're busy covering it as it happens. We're busy covering the game, or the horse race so to speak. So what do you make of what happened tonight?
[Van Jones, Cnn Poltical Contributor:] Well, I do think that certainly Mr. Trump should be commended for calling a rally off. But his words which were just celebrated by Kayleigh in saying go in peace. If those words are to be commended, then the rest of his words also have to be examined. And I was shocked I know he's probably watching right now. I just I want to say to you Mr. Trump as a father, I don't think you would have accepted that explanation from Ivanka or even from little barring. If you are in a situation where you say, nobody has been hurt at your rallies. And yet we have videos of somebody being cold cocked at your rallies, that's not acceptable. If that's a death it's not acceptable. You say there are violent protesters swinging at people at your rallies. But there's not one video showing that, because video after video of non-violent protesters being beat up. If that a death, that's not acceptable. You say that your words, that saying go in peace, I should be I've given so much credit. But you don't take any responsibility for the impacts of your words saying you want people to go out in stretchers. I am speaking to you sir ss possibly the next president of my country. The president of a country my children have to grow up then. And I don't see you taking responsibility. What I would say is this. With great power comes great responsibility. And it is in fact true that some of the people who came there came there to be disruptive. And they have to take responsibility for that. But you also have to take responsibility for the fact, no one is disrupting Cruz rallies, no ones disrupting Rubio rallies, no ones disrupting Kasich rallies.
[Lemon:] But Van I think what you are saying...
[Jones:] ... is that for some reason...
[Lemon:] Van I have to said that...
[Jones:] ... to your rallies.
[Lemon:] I have to say that, people do disrupt other rallies. It just does not turned violent in the way that it does with Donald Trump rallies. And maybe people don't disrupt as much but I have seen other examples of rallies that are being disrupted.
[Jones:] But it doesn't turn as violent.
[Lemon:] Phil Musser, I have to ask you. What responsibility does Donald Trump have when it concerns the protesters or the violence at his rally?
[Phil Musser, Republican Political Consultant:] Look, Donald Trump did the exact right thing here guys. I mean, I'm taking off the Republican hat, I'm taking up the strategist hat. This could have turned into a Molotov cocktail. Where people could have been really hurt and killed. This was a situation where there was obviously an organized plan to disrupt this event in a massive whole scale way. And he did exactly the right thing. As a leader, he made the exact right call because our country is at a time and a place where the wrong kind of spark could turn into just a massive conflagration of fire. And here we are in March with Donald Trump drawing rallies in 25 to 35,000 people. Remember the election is in November.
[Lemon:] Not to cut you off, but I have to ask you this.
[Musser:] Yeah.
[Lemon:] I have to ask you think. If you said that, you know, in this spark. My question really was, what responsibility does he have? But you're talking about that he did the right thing. As Van Jones as said. He should be commended for calling up the rally. OK?
[Musser:] And we get that.
[Lemon:] So what responsibility does he have? If you say, any little thing can spark something. He has no responsibility in that- any little thing can spark something at all?
[Musser:] I think anyone who is in the public arena has a responsibility to speak to the higher angels in our country and to the degree that words matter I think you started to see a tone and a move toward inclusion from Mr. Trump. He talks about a way to bring people together and honestly that's going to be where that's going to be where we go, right. That's got to be where we go Don.
[Beckel:] Listen I can't stay silent during the state, what Don asked Trump if he would say at his rallies, let us have peaceful organization here. Let's try not to react negatively to demonstrators and he refused to do that. He said, it didn't say, we'll do it. Now what in the world is wrong with doing that? That guy he think he's got good politics for this stand point, but he was given an opportunity by Lemon to say, yes, I will say, this is the wrong thing to do, the wrong way to react and he didn't do it.
[Jones:] And one thing I just want to say it, I don't understand, there was a video, it showed a man being cold cocked. Today Donald Trump had the opportunity to say, "Listen, I don't want that people called cook at my rallies", in fact he said the opposite, that the other thing that we have reported on, this was the most it happened in the most diverse neighborhood in Chicago at one of the most diverse campuses in the country. And so you're talking about going into a situation where people have learned how to live together. Haven't you saw people of all different colors. I don't understand why he did not take the opportunities the day to say, very clearly before he came to Chicago, I don't want that guy getting called cocked, in fact he said it was appropriate. That I think is irresponsible on his part.
[Lemon:] Kayleigh, I know...
[Mcenany:] And Van, shouldn't he yeah, he never said it was appropriate for someone to cold cock another person and reference to that....
[Jones:] That exactly, it that's what he said. He said the guy wasn't appropriately.
[Mcenany:] Its worth well someone told once at you you have by the way, by the way, someone throw a punch at you, you have the right to step.
[Jones:] No one threw a punch at the guy who called cocked a guy.
[Mcenany:] You have it, right? No, no one did.
[Jones:] But nobody did that.
[Mcenany:] And Donald Trump doesn't know about that specific instance. Let me point out Van, you criticized Donald Trump for going to the University of Illinois. The University I commend him for going into and bringing his message to a certain place. But instead it was disrupted. Go look at moveonthat.org's website a liberal group, they put out a statement today that says, that Trump supporters need to be on notice. That's quite threatening. They need to be on notice that we can no longer peacefully congregate to hear this man speak. We can no longer bring in people to hear what he has to say. We have to be on notice that we might be thwarted from entering a rally, because there are 10,000 violent protesters organized by the left.
[Lemon:] Kayleigh, are you sure he didn't know about this statement? Hang on, hang on guys. Kayleigh, are you sure he didn't know about this incident, because I asked him about it and he seem to be saying that this guy responded appropriately. Are you actually sure about that?
[Jones:] That's the quote.
[Mcenany:] There are a number of incidents that happen. I don't know that he knew you were talking about that specific one, Donald Trump has been very clear, violence is unacceptable. He did make the copy of it, that someone punches you, you have a right to self defense in the country to punch back.
[Jones:] But no one punch. No one punch.
[Lemon:] No one punched the guy in the audience.
[Jones:] But Kayleigh.
[Lemon:] The policeman...
[Mcenany:] And that incident Don, Don, let me be clear, that incident was wrong. And that guy was wrong and Donald Trump had...
[Lemon:] But he didn't say that.
[Mcenany:] ... said repeatedly, violence is wrong.
[Beckel:] No he has not said that.
[Mcenany:] Even no one incident you were talking about.
[Beckel:] Kayleigh?
[Jones:] That's not true Kayleigh.
[Mcenany:] Yes, he has. He said.
[Beckel:] You show us where he has said that.
[Mcenany:] He said four times during that interview that violence is wrong. He said four times in that violence is wrong.
[Lemon:] He said I don't condone violence. He said I don't condone violence.
[Beckel:] You're in hanging in an awful lot on this go in peace when you don't, your not willing to talk about the things he said before this which with Bernie Sanders, and so I think...
[Mcenany:] If you think Bob Beckel that those, comments do you think Bob Beckel that his too off to hand remarks caused what happened tonight? You think those two off the cuff remarks caused the violence we saw this evening?
[Beckel:] Sure.
[Mcenany:] That is a ludicrous to say but for those statements...
[Lemon:] Hold on.
[Mcenany:] ... it caused the violence of lack this protester.
[Beckel:] And spend a lot more than true.
[Jones:] And Kayleigh this is yeah, and look, I we're entering a very dangerous territory of the country. And I think we need to take a look here. I don't want anybody going to a Donald Trump rally and doing anything violent to anybody. I don't I've not yet seen a video tape of anybody doing that though. I also want, people, if they do go and they protest peacefully like women who stood their silently with this, you know, Muslim women silent sign, I don't want them to be yelled at and punched on the way out which we've also seen. I want Donald Trump to be able to speak. I think left of protesters, you have a right to protest but you don't have a right to prevent someone from giving there address, fine, protest at the beginning and then go out and or let yourself be arrested, but you can't prevent people from speaking. That's also wrong. So we got to be able to talk about this but at the end of the day, none of those protesters are going to be president of the United States. Donald Trump could and I do think it is important for him to take responsibility and I can't imagine that if they were your kid, any of my conservative friends, wouldn't want a better tone from Donald Trump. And these questions of stretchers and being punched.
[Lemon:] And we have to be honest too and when we we're having conversations. You can't be intellectually dishonest and you can't spin things especially when you talk about violence in the potentials for people to get hurt. Phil, I want to give this one to you, some of the protesters were channeling, Bernie, Bernie, Bernie. Bernie Sanders has just put out this tweet he says, we do things a little different in this campaign, we bring people together, Bernie and #Bernie in Illinois. Should Bernie Sanders tell his supporters not to disrupt rallies for Donald Trump?
[Musser:] Yes, I mean, I think, I don't think there's a lot of utility for. you know, I think Van makes a valid point, you know, there is this rally tonight shouldn't be characterized or cast as something that Donald Trump created or is Donald Trump's fault, I mean this was clearly an organized effort by a large number of left as Cruz to disrupt this big event. I think generally if we see more of that as we go into this campaign through the primaries in the fall, it's going to be cataclysmically bad for the process. It's going to be further divide our country and it's going to have no positive good outcome. So yeah, I think I don't think any political leader should be calling for their followers to kind of purposefully disrupt and, you know, interrupt the other candidates rally.
[Beckel:] What why do you assume it is left Wingers, by the way? I mean I'm in the liberal, with you had a reporter for CNN in the street saying that he saw people a lot of mixed races, a lot of older people. I mean the idea, that you're trying to do is make this into occupy Wall Street is what your trying to do, but the fact the matter is, when that Muslim woman was beat up going out, Donald Trump could have said, don't ever let that happen from any of my supporters again. That was terrible.
[Lemon:] All right, stand by, I want you guys to take a listen to what President Obama just said about Donald Trump tonight, it was an awesome Texas as his was before the big clash, so that postponed that rally. Listen to this.
[Obama:] We're shocked that there someone is banning anti-immigrant sentiment here or anti-Muslim sentiment, we're shocked. How can you be shocked? This is the guy, remember who was sure that I was born in Kenya. Who just wouldn't let it go? And all the same Republican establishment, they were not saying up. As long as it was directed at me, they were fine with it. They thought it was a hoot. They wanted to get his endorsement. And then now suddenly, we're shocked.
[Lemon:] Phil Musser is a Republican political consultant, I want to ask you what in that way that President Obama put it. Is this the Republican Party? Is the Republican Party should say reaping what it has sown as President Obama says.
[Musser:] No, I mean, I think that's completely out of context, I mean Obama is basically doing a stand-up comedy act, you know, in front of a friendly audience in Houston and we're trying to juxtapose it over what could be a serious and potentially high of threatening event on the streets of Chicago tonight. There's enormous, you know, anger on the populist left and the populous right in this country and we're seeing that play out in the context of these primaries both with respect to Sanders and with respect to Trump. And so, you know, that's anger that it needs to be reconciled in the American political process and the American political system and that's what's underway over the next four days, you go back to Bob's, point, I mean, it really look, we're four days away from the 15th of March which is really the most important thing with respect to the future of the Republican Party and the choices we face. And we're talking about nothing related to that, which is really what I thought what we were going to talk about tonight before this happen.
[Lemon:] Well, that's a big news. Hey we haven't seen.
[Musser:] I understand.
[Lemon:] I think it just ever, so...
[Musser:] I get it, I get it, I get it.
[Lemon:] All right everyone stay with me, when we come right back, more on our breaking news. Donald Trump cancels his Chicago rally tonight in amid protest inside and outside the arena. We'll be right back.