Balance. And undeterred. As the u. S. And south korea launch massive war games an angry kim jongun threatens to launch a preemptive strike. Could he make good on his threat . Im wolf blitzer. Youre in the situation room. Were counting down to the next super tuesday, that would be tomorrow. Four more contests for the republicans with 150 delegates at stake. Donald trump is pulling away, but after a strong weekend, ted cruz is nipping at his heels. Both candidates want marco rubio to quit the race. But after a win of his own, rubio is closing the gap in his home state of florida, according to latest polls. A new trump ad is attacking him there while rubio is getting some help from a conservative group. Can super pac attack ads cut trump down to size . And a sophisticated laptop bomb explodes at an airport in somalia just weeks after a similar device blew a hole in an airliner. And now a u. S. Air strike devastates a terror Training Camp belonging to al qaedas local affiliate. Is there a connection . Ill speak with former republican president ial candidate, snaenator Lindsey Graham. Our correspondents, analysts and guests will have full coverage of the days top stories. We begin with the republicans. Donald trump and ted cruz hoping to go one on one after tomorrows contest. Marco rubio may have other ideas. Jason carroll is on the campaign trail for us in tampa, florida, right now. Jason, whats the latest . Reporter well, the rubio rally is just about to get under way here. As you know, wolf, rubio has his sights set squarely on his home state of florida. It is a state that he must win. While some people want this to be a twoway race, rubio telling reporters just a few minutes ago, he has no intention of getting out. Whos going to win North Carolina . Reporter Donald Trumps confidence on full display today, campaigning in North Carolina, whose primary is still more than a week away. The gop frontrunner running strong in tomorrows big super tuesday prize, michigan. Ive been to michigan a lot. I think were going to do well there. Reporter a new Monmouth University poll released today shows trump at 36 in the wolverine state, followed by cruz at 23 . After big weekend wins, trump and cruz say the gop primary fight is now turning into a twoman race. Marco rubio had a very, very bad night. Personally id call for him to drop out of the race. I think that its time now that he drop out of the race. I would love to take on ted one on one. That would be so much fun. If you dont want to see donald trump as the nominee, then i invite you to join our team. Reporter cruz picking up some momentum after scoring wins this weekend in kansas and maine, helping close trumps advantage in the delegate count. Weve beaten donald trump not once, not twice, but seven times in states all across this country. Reporter trump, meanwhile, edging out cruz in kentucky and louisiana. Rubio earned his second victory on sunday in puerto rico, coming on the heels of disappointing results in saturdays contests. But the florida senators president ial hopes now rest on his home state, which holds its primary on march 15th. One new florida poll released today showed rubio within striking distance of trump, trailing by eight points, 38 to 30 . Trump slamming his rival on the trail today. He couldnt be elected dog catcher in florida. Reporter and in a new hardhitting television ad. Marco rubio, another corrupt, all talk, no action politician. Reporter rubios effort to derail the frontrunner getting a boost from super pacs opposed to trump. The latest highlighting trumps sometimes coarse language on the campaign trail. He gets the nomination, theyre going to sue his [ bleep ]. He said hes a [ bleep ]. I dont give a [ bleep ]. Well beat the [ bleep ] out of them. Reporter again, rubio telling reporters just a short while ago that he is committed to staying in this race, going the long haul if he has to. One rubio advisor telling me that theyre also encouraged by early voting, which seems to, what they say show voters leaning towards rubio as opposed to trump. One rubio supporter telling me a short while ago, look, we have an uphill battle ahead of us. Wolf. Jason carroll, thanks very much. Were getting some breaking news right now. Just moments ago the former new york city mayor Michael Bloomberg announced he will not, repeat, not run as a Third Party Independent president ial candidate this year. Sunlen serfaty is with me here in the situation room. You and i have just been looking at this this statement, this article that he just put out. Thats right. An oped just published entitled the risk i will not take by Michael Bloomberg firmly saying that he will not run for presidency. In this oped he says when i look at the data if i enter the race i could not win. I think i could win a number of diverse state but not enough Electoral College votes. He said in a threeway race its unlikely any candidate would win a majority of electoral votes and then the power to choose the president could be taken out of the hands of the American People and thrown to congress. This had been such a big question mark hanging over the race. Pretty firm decision. And if nobody got the 270 electoral vote number, it would go to the house of representatives where the republicans are the majority and presumably bloomberg would not get that majority even if he entered as a thirdparty candidate. Are you getting more information on the Cruz Campaign and what theyre trying to do . They clearly want marco rubio out of this contest. Thats right. Cruz was campaigning in mississippi and he not one word said anything about marco rubio. It was all about donald trump, donald trump. Cruz was supposed to have a day off from the campaign trail. Hes been largely under the weather and sick, but they quickly changed his Campaign Schedule and added lastminute events in mississippi and michigan. These are states that vote tomorrow. The Cruz Campaign of course not wanting to leave any momentum from this weekend behind. Cruz spoke with voters early eer today and heres what he said to say. Its neck in neck right now, im encouraged. I think momentum is surging our direction. Number one, were seeing folks who had been supporting donald trump and are realizing he isnt who we thought he was. He called mississippi a Battle Ground and he called donald trump his biggest competitor in that state. I want you to listen to what trump said on saturday after cruz won a few states. I would love to take on ted one on one because ted cant win new york, he cant win new jersey, he cant win pennsylvania, he cant win california. I want ted one on one, okay . Marco has to get out of the race, has to. Because despite what ted said, oh do i want to run against just ted. That will be easy. Interesting. You know, this whole notion of just a twoperson race would be fascinating if in fact rubio got out, kasich got out, neither one of them indicating right now that theyre going to get out. But youre talking to people inside the Cruz Campaign. Do they really think its realistic that its going to be cruz versus trump . That is what they have been hankering for for a long time. A Cruz Campaign official tells me as far as their path forward, they think they are in a good spot. They say we have a path to victory. Theyre not basing that path on winning any one specific state. Always really trying to reach these thresholds in the states that arent winner take all, pick up delegates here or there, push this into a twoperson race is where they felt most comfortable and where theyre going to be focused on going forward. Sunlen serfaty, thanks very much. Joining us in the situation room, a past and current target of Donald Trumps attacks, republican senator, the former republican president ial candidate, Lindsey Graham whos been looking for someone to be a viable alternative to donald trump. Senator, thanks very much for coming in. Anybody. Let me get your Immediate Reaction to the news, the breaking news, the risk i will not take, Michael Bloomberg, the former mayor of new york city announcing just a few moments ago he doesnt think its realistic for him to run as a Third Party Candidate and as a result he wont run. What is your reaction . Well, i honor his decision. If he did run it probably would be hard to get 270 electoral votes for either major party and youd go to the house so in that regard thats probably not a good outcome for the country as a whole. So i respect his decision. There are people i have been speaking to who are close to him. I think if Hillary Clinton were not looking like she was going to get the nomination and it was going to be Bernie Sanders versus donald trump, for example, he then might think he could get enough to get 270 electoral votes. But with Hillary Clinton stronger right now than Bernie Sanders thats probably convinced him this is not a good time for him to run. Makes sense. Lets talk a little bit of donald trump. He tweeted this about you, senator. He said failed president ial candidate Lindsey Graham should respect me. I destroyed his run, brought him from 7 to 0 when he got out. Now nasty, exclamation point. You replied to donald trump, i never got past 2 . You arent prepared to be commander in chief of worlds finest fighting force. Heres the question. If donald trump is the republican nominee, hes the frontrunner right now, running against Hillary Clinton, who do you vote for . Well, you ask me after the convention. Why cant you tell me now . Im not going to tell you now. I dont believe hes going to be the nominee. This is not about who we nominate anymore as republicans as much as who we are. This is a fight for the heart and soul of the Republican Party. What is conservatism. If its donald trump carrying the conservative banner, i think not only did we lose the election, but well be unable in the future to grow the conservative cause. As much as i disagree with ted cruz, if it came down to donald trump or ted cruz, i would be firmly in teds camp because i think he really is a conservative. Because i know you totally disagree with ted cruz. On a lot of things. Ill play a little clip for you. We had a conversation. This was on february 4th, you and me here. Listen to this. In ted cruzs world dictators do very, very well. This carpet bombing stuff is a joke. We had 100,000 grounds troops going into the first gulf war, so youre not going to win the war from the air absolutely. He wants to read miranda rights to terrorists. Ive seen him in action. Every time the libertarian cause was on trial on the senate floor, he was with them. So you dont have any confidence in him being commander in chief . I think hes been just as bomb as obama if not worse. Do you want to revise and amend those comments when you say i think hes been just as wrong as obama if not worse . We were talking about libya and syria. Right. Those two things. He would rebuild the military. I think he would have a more robust approach to putin. I think he would be more aggressive when it came to the iranian deal. When it comes to libya and syria, i dont think hes been much better. Im not saying i support ted cruz because i think hes the preferred choice. Id much rather have kasich or rubio. But the problem is we have an ideological contest going on in the Republican Party. This is an outsider year. Rubio and kasich will have a hard time beating trump one on one. When you ending up the cruz, trump, carson vote is over 60 of our primary. It seems that ted has the most persuasive case thus far that he can take on donald trump. Im pulling for marco in florida and kasich in ohio, but i dont know if either one of those could beat trump in a oneonone contest because ted cruz is seen as an outsider in a year where people wanting an outsider. If trump wins in florida and ohio, beats rubio in florida, beats kasich in ohio, these guys have to leave, right . Were never going to beat trump with three people or four people in the race. If you want to stop donald trump, marco rubio and ted cruz have to find some kind of accommodation sooner rather than later. The two together can beat trump. Most of cruzs votes would go to trump if he got got out and i think most of rubios votes would go to cruz over trump. Thats just a math situation. Im pulling for marco in florida and kasich in ohio, but im pulling for somebody to stop trump. So basically your position is anybody but trump . Anybody but trump and i dont see it happening with four people in the race. They need to consolidate soon. At the end of the day not only is he the nominee, not only will be lose the election, we lose the heart and soul you heard what mitt romney had to say. Maybe theres someone on the outside who could still emerge. No. The people in the arena deserve it. I ran, i got beat. Donald trump is right to say that he beat me. He did. So even if he doesnt get the magic number of pledged delegates but he gets the most delegates, does he deserve the republican nomination going into the up convention . I think it would be a Good Opportunity to take all the other delegates and see if you could put a coalition up. I think at the end of the day somebody whos been in this contest deserves the nomination. My goal is to make sure its not donald trump because i dont think hes a republican, i dont think hes a conservative and i think he would destroy a party that i care a lot about. Even if you would prefer a mitt romney or paul ryan, somebody like that, you dont think it would be fair to the process . No, i dont think it would be fair to the process. As much as i disagree with ted, were both conservatives. Hed pick somebody solidly conservative to the supreme court. He would repeal and replace obamacare and at the end of the day i can count on him to defund planned parenthood. I prefer rubio and kasich, but its pretty clear to me that my party wants somebody outside the system thats angry and mad and wants somebody to listen to them. Theyre not looking for me. Theyre not looking for jeb bush. I just hope that we can find an alternative to donald trump to make sure that we can go into the contest with a republican conservative. Senator, we have much more to discuss. I want you to stand by with us. Were going to take a quick break. Much more with senator Lindsey Graham when we come back. During the lexus command performance sales event. 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I even agreed to appear on the apprentice twice, but he has run the most divisive and demagoguic president ial campaign i can remember, preying on peoples prejudices and fears. Abraham lincoln, the father of the Republican Party, appealed to our better angels. Trump appeals to our worst impulses. Do you agree with Michael Bloomberg or do you go even further . I would even go further. I think hes run a campaign on sooen phobia, race baiting, religious liberty. Why did he carry your home state of South Carolina . There are 35 , 40 of my party that are very disgusted with the way things are going in washington, the country as a whole. The world that they knew growing up is being lost. They feel like the mexicans are taking their jobs. They feel like china is stealing market share and theyre fearful. Donald trump is not the first person in american political history or politics in general to prey on peoples fear. Theres a market out there for send them all back, stop the chinese from taking our jobs and dont be barack obama. What hes got going for him, hes the antiobama in every way in the minds of these people. Looking back over these seven, eight months, what, if anything, could the Republican Leadership, like you guys, have done to stop this . Because that train of his, thats leaving the station. Its poised to capture potentially the republican president ial nomination. Heres what i said after the megyn kelly episode. Its better to risk losing without him than try to win with him. When he said most Illegal Immigrants are rapists and drug dealers, theyre not sending our best, he took our problems in 2012 with hispanics and made them far worse by espousing forced deportation. Looking back we should have kicked him out of the party. How do you do that . If somebody wants to run as a republican and run for the republican nomination and qualifies to appear on ballots in primaries, how do you kick somebody out . We could all gang up and do what were doing now . What are we doing now . The more you know about donald trump, the less likely you are to vote for him. The more you know about his business enterprises, the less successful he looks. The more you know about his political giving, the less republican he looks. We should have done this months ago. Hes getting millions and millions of votes. But hes leaking oil. Hes leaking oil. You thin