Trump Meets with GOP Lawmakers
BLITZER: Donald Trump met with congressional Republicans today as he attempts to unite his party before the convention. Our national correspondent Jason Carroll is joining us now with details. Jason, what's the latest?</s>JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, Donald Trump did make up some of that ground with one of his former rivals, Senator Ted Cruz. The two had a, quote, "good meeting," according to the Cruz camp. Trump asked Cruz to speak at the upcoming GOP convention and to advise him on judicial nominations. Cruz agreed to both. But Trump still not able to patch up some of his disagreements with other members of his own party.</s>CARROLL (voice-over): Donald Trump huddling with House and Senate Republicans today seeking to ease concerns from some in the party over how he is running his campaign. (</s>On camera): After this meeting were there any converts, any people who were sort of on the fence but after this meeting now feel as though they can support him?</s>SEN. BOB CORKER (R), TENNESSEE: I don't think there was any question. But there were a massive number of converts.</s>CARROLL (voice-over): But sources tell CNN that Trump's meeting with Senate Republicans also included tense exchanges. Trump reportedly told Jeff Flake, who's been critical of Trump, that he would work to defeat the Arizona senator if he didn't change his tune. Flake responding that he isn't up for reelection until 2018. Senator Flake lashed out at Trump to CNN's Manu Raju.</s>MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: It sounded pretty tense.</s>SEN. JEFF FLAKE (R), ARIZONA: It was a bit tense. He started out saying that I had been critical of him, and I have been, frankly, on the comments that he made about those crossing the border or rapists. You know, just in Arizona doesn't play well and it shouldn't. And as a party, you know, public officials I think have a responsibility to stand up and say that's not our party.</s>CARROLL: Trump also telling never Trump Republican Ben Sasse of Nebraska that he, quote, "must want Hillary." Sasse' spokesman characterizing the exchange between the two as gracious but saying the senator, "continues to believe that our country is in a bad place and with these two candidates this election remains a dumpster fire." Trump also met with more than 200 House Republicans with Speaker Paul Ryan giving the presumptive nominee favorable reviews.</s>REP. PAUL RYAN (R), HOUSE SPEAKER: We had a very good exchange on just lots of ideas and lots of policy issues. So I thought it was a very good meeting. And it's very clear that he is working on putting together a strong general election campaign.</s>CARROLL: Trump tweeting afterward, "Just leaving D.C., had great meetings with Republicans in the House and Senate. Very interesting day. These are people who love our country." Trump's outreach to Republican lawmakers comes as some in the party seek to introduce new rules to deny him the nomination at the Cleveland convention in less than two weeks. At his Ohio rally Wednesday night Trump dismissed the never Trump efforts.</s>DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESUMPTIVE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Never Trump is disappearing rapidly.</s>CARROLL: Trump also doubling down on his comments praising former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.</s>TRUMP: And I don't love Saddam Hussein. I hate Saddam Hussein but he was damn good at killing terrorist.</s>CARROLL: Trump lashing out at the press for its coverage of his tweet calling Hillary Clinton corrupt that featured piles of money and a six-pointed star that resembled the Star of David, a graphic that appeared 10 days earlier on an Internet message board filled with anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.</s>TRUMP: Have you all seen this? It's a star. And it actually looks like a sheriff's star. But I don't know. And behind it they had money, but there is money behind it. So actually they are racially profiling. They are profiling, not us. Because why are they bringing this up?</s>CARROLL: Trump also telling his critics to let it go, tweeting a photo of a star on a sticker book for the Disney movie "Frozen." Writing, "Where is the outrage for this Disney book? Is this the Star of David also?" But team Clinton played the Elsa card right back at him, tweeting, "Do you want to build a strawman?"</s>CARROLL: So still some work to do to get some members of the GOP on board with the Trump campaign. But Trump has said in the past that endorsements are good but he says he can do this with them or without them -- Wolf.</s>BLITZER: Jason Carroll, reporting. Let's get back to our political experts. David Chalian, you think he is making serious progress uniting House Republicans and Senate Republicans?</s>CHALIAN: I think he is making some progress. I think that he is in a better place than he was a few weeks ago. And I think that nothing unifies the party more than the opportunity to take on Hillary Clinton. And so this week with Comey out in the headlines like this, this was a real opportunity for Republicans to rally around something even if it's not the Trump candidacy, it is the effort to defeat Hillary Clinton and that is a rallying cry. So I think it was a good week for Trump to be in town and to meet with all these Republicans because of what is going on with the Clinton e- mail scandal. He clearly has some work to do with some factions of the establishment but quite frankly they may never come around. And what he needs more than establishment office holders are, you know, grassroots supporters.</s>BLITZER: The fact that Ted Cruz is not going to appear and speak at the convention, what does that say to you?</s>BERG: Well, it's probably a positive sign for Donald Trump. I mean, his campaign obviously wants Ted Cruz to speak on his behalf because the never Trump movement was driven in large part by Ted Cruz supporters and his wing of the party as a very conservative wing of the Republican Party who -- many of whom still don't accept Donald Trump and don't think that he's a Republican. I would be very surprised if Ted Cruz necessarily gets up there on stage in Cleveland and gives his full-throated support for Donald Trump. But at the same time just the image of him up there on stage at the convention will really settle down a lot of this angst about Trump's candidacy.</s>BLITZER: I think at least their convention speakers list, they're supposed to do it yesterday, today what are you hearing about that?</s>LIZZA: They said that it would come out today. We haven't seen it yet but piece by piece we are getting some of these names. I think it's very curious that Cruz is speaking at the convention but has not officially endorsed Donald Trump. Is that the situation we have right now? That is very unusual.</s>LIZZA: Which Donald Trump said that if they want to speak at the convention they're going to have to endorse him, right? I mean --</s>CHALIAN: They have to endorse. So this -- I mean --</s>BERG: So this is a detente of sorts.</s>LIZZA: Yes. Well, but I think politically it's a big mistake by Donald Trump. If you were the nominee of the party you don't let someone speak at your convention unless they have endorsed you. Now Cruz is in a position where he can do whatever he wants. He can say whatever he wants --</s>BLITZER: And the notion of a coup at the convention, is that going away?</s>CHALIAN: Listen, they -- to get a minority report out of the rules committee on to the floor, they need 28 votes inside that rules committee. They are within reach. But they've got more work to do. So the Trump folks think they have it locked up. We'll see. It might get a little messy.</s>BLITZER: All right. Guys, stand by. More news coming up. Also there is breaking news, the governor of Minnesota now says he's appalled by the shooting of an African-American man by a police officer. We're going to bring you the latest details.</s>GOV. MARK DAYTON (D), UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Would this have happened if those passengers were white? I don't think it would have. So I'm forced to confront, and I think all of us in Minnesota are forced to confront that this kind of racism exists.