'This Week' Transcript: Donald Trump and Sen. Bernie Sanders

This is a rush transcript for 'This Week' on March 27, 2016

ByABC News
March 27, 2016, 9:35 AM

— -- THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT FOR 'THIS WEEK' ON March 27, 2016 and it will be updated.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Starting right now on THIS WEEK with George Stephanopoulos, war of words: the Trump-Cruz feud getting even more personal.

SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It is a smear that has come from Donald Trump and his henchmen.

ANNOUNCER: Ted Cruz blaming Donald Trump for planting a tabloid report. All after a fight about their wives brings the campaign to a new low. Donald Trump responds right here only on This Week.

Plus, after his big weekend wins, Bernie Sanders joins us live.

And, drinking overnight, a new arrest in the terror manhunt. Italian police taking down another man connected to the deadly Brussels attack. How authorities say (inaudible) help the terrorists.

Of ABC News, it's THIS WEEK. Here now chief White House correspondent Jonathan Karl.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONATHAN KARL, ABC HOST: Good morning.

And thank you for joining us here on this Easter Sunday. Pope Francis has just celebrated Easter mass with millions of Christians in St. Peter's Square.

It's been a week marked by historic firsts. New political lows and yet another terrorist attack in Europe. ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack that killed 28 civilians and injured 340. This morning, the manhunt for the terrorists behind the attack continues as Europe braces for the possibility of carnage.

We'll have more on that later in the program, on the threat to Europe and the U.S. And This Week, Air Force One touched down in Cuba for the very first time as President Obama became the first president to visit the island since Calvin Coolidge.

And here at home it was another wild week in the race for the White House, the Republican campaign devolving into a series of insults and innuendo between Donald Trump and Ted Cruz.

Donald Trump will join us in a moment, but first a look at the week the race got nastier and even more personal.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KARL: On this Easter weekend, Good Friday was anything but. Ted Cruz lashed out at Donald Trump, blaming him for a National Enquirer story, citing rumors he had engaged in multiple marital infidelities.

CRUZ: Let me be clear, this National Enquirer story is garbage. It is a tabloid smear. And it is a smear that has come from Donald Trump and his henchmen.

KARL: Trump denied he had anything to do with the story saying, "Cruz's problem with the National Enquirer is his and his alone. And while they were right about OJ Simpson, John Edwards and many others, I certainly hope they are not right about Lying Ted Cruz."

The tabloid brawl is just the latest in a nasty string of personal attacks between Trump and Cruz, even dragging their wives into the fray.

CRUZ: Donald, you're a sniveling coward and leave Heidi the hell alone.

KARL: It all started earlier this week when Trump blamed Cruz for a super PAC ad featuring a nude photo of his wife Melania from her modeling days. Trump tweeted in response, "be careful Lying Ted or I'll spill the beans on your wife."

Trump later retweeted a photo of their spouses side by side with the caption the images are worth a 1,000 words.

Questions about Trump's attitude towards women have dogged him throughout the campaign.

This anti-Trump ad features women repeating things Donald Trump has actually said.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (EXPLETIVE DELETED) bimbo.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Dog.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Fat pig.