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2020 Candidates Focus On New Hampshire And Iowa Campaign Stops; NC Elections Board Holds Hearing On Undecided House Race; President Trump To Speak In Miami About Crisis In Venezuela; 2020 Deliberations For Dems Deciding Whether To Run. Aired 12:30-1p ET

Aired February 18, 2019 - 12:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[12:30:00] LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ, NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER, POLITICO: I think that you're seeing candidates like Booker and Harris and others trying to really establish themselves early in these states. They want to try to make up for maybe ground that if Biden were to jump in, he could, you know, become the front runner in these states like New Hampshire and Iowa.

And so, they have to be strategic about where they're playing. We could see Castro try to play heavily in Nevada because that's a state that's really -- a primary that's really wide open and he could have a breakout moment there. So, it's all about trying to find their lane and making a name for themselves, especially before maybe other candidates like Sanders or Biden jump in who have greater name recognition.

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, it's a really good point. We joked around about other early states and their pondering there whatever early state, but they're actually laying out at least early what their thought process is with these stops. Or, how many of the stops they make or which states they're going to about what they think their pathway forward is.

And why this New Hampshire matter? I think we get into this debate every four years. New Hampshire people are very sensitive about this debate. But take a look at the last 10 Democratic Primary winners and you can see when we put a poll up here, six of the last 10 Democratic Primary winners have also won New Hampshire.

And so, Shear, you have been a veteran of Manchvegas (ph) many times over the course of you career. How much does this state in particularly matter in the grand scheme of things?

MICHAEL SHEAR, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, THE NEW YORK TIMES: I think it matters a lot. I mean, you know, the system that we've devised that would last two or three decades and both parties hasn't viewed a lot of

significance into who can win New Hampshire. It's sort of seen as a kind of a litmus test.

I think one of the interesting things about this field that we just don't know yet is, you know, in past years, one of the things that has happened is that you -- the field has been there. It has been winnowed down when candidates have done well in places that people don't expect them to, right?

So when Barack Obama did well in Iowa, African-American, you know, in a state that wasn't -- wouldn't have thought -- have been thought to have been sort of traditional bastion of support for somebody like Barack Obama with his profile, that sort of rocketed him forward in a way that it wouldn't have if he had, you know, been done well in and say, South Carolina, first maybe where there's a heavier black population.

And so, what we don't yet know is which of these candidates is going to sort of have a breakout moment in one of these states because they've done well somewhere they're not expected to. And that won't become -- because we're so far ahead, through or a year ahead, that won't become clear for a long time, I think.

PAUL KANE, SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT, THE WASHINGTON POST: And I think what, in the old days of not that long ago, Elizabeth Warren being from Massachusetts would have a huge advantage in New Hampshire.

But now is sort of everybody is seeing things in a nationalize way that it's not just that they're getting their -- New Hampshire people are getting their news from the "The Boston Globe" and their Boston TV stations, I think they're getting their news from CNN, MSNBC, and so it's not that same thing. So, it's a wide open field there.

JACKIE KUCINICH, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, THE DAILY BEAST: And I think as long as you have, I mean, New Hampshire is going to matter until candidates decide that it doesn't matter anymore.

MATTINGLY: Yes.

KUCINICH: As long as you have 11 people or whatever, there every week and trying to muscle each other out in that state and spending money and hiring staff, it's going to matter, because they want to be seen as someone who can emerge from that crowded field as the Democratic standard barrier.

MATTINGLY: And can I ask you and I don't know if there's an answer to this question which is why I'm asking you because you're smarter than me. What's your sense right now in terms of -- what's the trigger for a candidate to say, right, New Hampshire got to be off the table for us, we've got to find something else?

LOPEZ: Right. Well again, I think it's too early to say that I would be surprised if that happens this far out.

MATTINGLY: Yes.

LOPEZ: But I think, you know, dynamics could totally change as soon as someone like Bernie Sanders or Joe Biden jump in or Sherrod Brown, you know, trying and he is able to peel away maybe what Klobuchar's sees as her path in states like that. And we're going to see, you know, Biden, Klobuchar and Brown like all compete for the middle lane and Sanders and Warren compete for more of the left lane. So, I think that if polling close to, you know, the first caucus and primary start showing that one them is pulling ahead, then others are going to bolt and run for the next state to try and make sure that they get an early win.

MATTINGLY: Yes, no question about it.

All right, meanwhile presidential hopeful Senator Amy Klobuchar is also in New Hampshire today preparing for tonight's CNN Town Hall in Manchester. Our Jeff Zeleny joins me now live.

Jeff, you spoke to Senator Klobuchar yesterday, what's your sense at least of her message going into tonight's Town Hall?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Hey Phil, I did. And one thing that Senator Klobuchar is trying to do is point out that she is a pragmatic progressive. She talks over and over about how, you know, she is a progressive in the spirit of Paul Wellstone from her state of Minnesota. But she also is voting to get things done.

I was spending some time with her yesterday in Iowa before she flies here and she was talking about her voting record. Talking about, you know, a variety of things. But particularly, Phil, is you know from being on Capitol Hill last week, that voting to keep the government open on the spending bill, she voted in favor of that.

[12:35:08] Several of her Senate Democrats all sorting for president did not. So that is one example, she says of how she's more pragmatic. How she can get the job done but she will be answering questions here this evening from a New Hampshire voter. She'll also be doing her first Town Hall meeting here in New Hampshire.

She definitely is making the argument that she is a candidate for the Midwestern States the Red States if you will, Wisconsin, Iowa -- some of those places that the President won where Democrats should compete in. But it's clear, Phil, this is essentially a national primary. You cannot overlook any piece of the landscape that's why she's coming here to New Hampshire. She'll be having a Town Hall this afternoon and then our Town Hall here tonight.

MATTINGLY: Jeff Zeleny already in New Hampshire. My jealousy is palpable here at this table. Well, Jeff, thanks you very much. I'm sure I'll be checking in with you a lot and of course today.

ZELENY: Come on out.

MATTINGLY: And you can watch the CNN Town Hall with Democratic Presidential Candidate Senator Amy Klobuchar live from New Hampshire tonight at 10 Eastern.

Up next, the alleged hate crime that may have been a hoax. White House hopefuls spoke out for Jussie Smollett and are asked if they stand by those statements.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [12:40:40] MATTINGLY: Topping our political radar today, a top U.S. General makes an unannounced visit to Syria, General Joseph Votel, that with the head of the Syrian Democratic forces to essentially deny his request for U.S. troops to remain in Syria. Votel, making clear that troops are coming home for keeping with President Trump's decision to withdraw from the country. Two military officials tell CNN the beginning of that withdrawal is imminent.

And the elections board in North Carolina starting a hearing today on the last undecided Congressional Race of the 2018 Midterms. The 9th District contest between Republican Mark Harris and Democrat Dan McCready has been in limbo while the panel investigates allegations of valid fraud by a GOP political operative. Harris holds a slight lead and this week, the board could certify a winner or order a new election.

This weekend's dramatic twist in the Jussie Smollett's case forcing the 2020 candidates to recalibrate their reaction. Now the sources say, police believed the actor staged the attack. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard says the case still highlights the bigger issues of violence and bigotry. Senator Cory Booker initially called it a modern-day lynching. While campaigning Sunday, he was asked if this new turn could undermine one of his bills in Congress.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wouldn't the risk of a hoax attack, wouldn't that be a detriment to the work you're trying to do with you're anti- lynching bill?

SEN. CORY BOOKER (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're seeing just a vicious, horrific, cruel, a violence that's motivated by bias and hate. We need to do more to protect all Americans and make sure all neighborhoods and community safe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: Senator Kamala Harris also called it a modern-day lynching when Smollett first told his story. Donald Trump Jr. going after her on Twitter saying, "I'm wondering if Kamala Harris still wants justice for Jussie? Will she be as vocal about it now or has she moved on?"

Kind of a lesson for everybody with that story as well. And I do have a self correction. It's actually Laura Barron-Lopez. I made that error and now I owe Laura coffee at cups for at least the next three or for months. But I do want to get to you on something that you've been reporting on and that's this North Carolina election or the hearing today.

What's the read? This kind of slip from public from public consciousness but this is still a really important issue.

LOPEZ: No, it t is. I mean, the constituents of the North Carolina 9th District don't have a member in Congress and they haven't since November. And so, as you mentioned what happened is that, Harris appeared to win the election by a hundred and -- 905 votes on election night. But the election board, the North Carolina State Board didn't certify him because of ballot irregularities.

And so, right now today is the first day in this hearing, this evidentiary hearing by the board which is presenting evidence showing that there was the illegal collection of absentee ballots by a man who was hired by the Red Dome Consulting firm, a consulting firm that the Republican Harris hired to help him throughout his election campaign.

And so what this hearing is either going to reveal or not reveal is to what extent like how high up this went, whether Harris knew what this political operative was doing, whether he didn't know. He says that he didn't.

He did ask that this political operative be hired because he thought that he was an effective political operative in North Carolina elections. And so, the board could either today decide that they're going to certify Harris as the winner depending on what the evidence shows or they could call for a new election. But again, it's going to require a bipartisan vote. It would require Republican to join with Democrats call for a new election or Democrat to join with Republicans to certify Mark Harris the winner.

MATTINGLY: It feels like there's a lot more to cover on this. No question. Keep an eye on "Politico". Laura has a great story today kind of laying out all of those details.

All right, up next, the President will soon address a humanitarian crisis of a different kind. The starving Venezuelan people and their so called leader who won't let food in to his country.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:48:44] MATTINGLY: President Trump is expected to address the crisis in Venezuela today we hen delivers his speech near Miami. Venezuelans have been desperate for basic necessities amid dire shortages of food, fuel, and medicine. This weekend during a trip to neighboring Colombian over see USA for Venezuela, Senator Marco Rubio import the country's embattled president to allow the aid to come in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SE. MARCO RUBIO (R), FLORIDA: There are certain lines and Maduro knows what they are. And if they are crossed, I am confident based on everything I've heard from this administration and everything I know about this administration, but the consequences will be severe and they'll be swift.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: Nick Paton Walsh is in Colombia and joins us now. And Nick, I know this is an extremely important week in terms of getting food and aid inside the country. What's your sense of kind of how this goes in the next couple of days?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Look, if we have three hours ahead of what's being billed as a key speech by President Trump and I think really here is where that tension building is being felt kind of the tension.

I mean, imagine walking back and forth for ours everyday simply to get food for your family. From Venezuela into Columbia here where food is plentyful.

We're dealing with two real power on realities to be honest. Just today, Senior Venezuelan Government officials said that they were going to send food into Colombia from Venezuela as aid to help pull Venezuelans hiding in Colombia, seeking refuge there.

[12:50:07] When really obviously many people are aware that a large amount of aid is being brought here to go the opposite direction to assist potentially, 10 million, 20 million people in need inside Venezuela.

This is the parallel realities we're dealing with but it's also one that's outside world recognized as one Juan Guaido was big. The president in many countries at Venezuela, but also in reality inside Venezuela behind me Nicolas Maduro still runs pretty much a lot of the show.

But this is absolutely key week as you say Phil because Donald Trump presumably going to outline his vision on what he thinks is going to happen in the days ahead. And if we have that deadline at this weekend in which the opposition says it will afford humanitarian aid into the country. Phil?

MATTINGLY: Nick Paton Walsh in Colombia, thank you very much, extremely important. We get extremely important story to keep a very close eye on and obviously the president who'll be speaking on this in a couple of hours, right.

Right, up next, Presidents' Day has gone with the dogs, are these ones least at ones attached to a 2020 candidate.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:55:48] MATTINGLY: Are the undeclared 2020 candidates really deliberating or are they just being deliberate? It is kind of the open question right now and frankly it's taking all of us in the Washington press core for a little bit of a ride maybe. Or maybe this is part of the process. Take Sherrod Brown, the junior senator from Ohio.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. SHERRON BROWN (D), OHIO: We will have a timetable in the ext couple three weeks to make a decision. And I guess --

DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR: Are the odds still 50-50 as you've said before?

BROWN: Probably more or less, I don't know, yes.

BASH: Higher?

BROWN: I don't know, 50-50, 51-49, I don't know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: So you're running, all right. Then there's Joe Biden. He's even got the president of Armenia digging for clues.

No, we did not cut the audio from that clip. Biden actually lowers his voice so we can't understand what he says and that's how desperate everybody is basically at this point in time for bread crumbs. But it's also kind of the reality is.

I mean, look, it's a huge decision. I don't in any way knock anybody for taking the time to actually figure it out. But I think one of the questions becomes what are you waiting for at this point? Your sense of things? I know its to an individual to an individual person, so.

LOPEZ: Right. I mean, everyone -- the field is going to be massive, everyone knows that. So when they do announce, they want to make sure it's flashy enough that it grabs enough attention that they can maybe dominate the news cycle for the few days, surrounding their announcement. You know, there were some skepticism I guess around the way Warren announced hers run on what was it, New Year's Eve or Christmas Eve and that that not being the best opportunity.

And so, now that so many have jumped in, you know, Brown is waiting maybe to see the best moment for him as well as Beta O'Rourke. I think so far though based on people that I've spoken to, I would be surprised if O'Rourke, I would be surprised if Biden doesn't run. Brown, I'm not so sure whether or not he's going to the different. He may. I'm not sure whether or not he's going in a different direction.

KUCINICH: And for some of these candidates, particularly someone like Beta O'Rourke, we've seen that waiting can be harmful. Look at Elizabeth Warren, maybe she should've run the last time. There's definitely been a discussion about whether that should've happened. So, it's kind of a when you're someone like Beta O'Rourke or Even Sherrod Brown.

There's also the sort of why not. You're keeping your profile up there, you're raising your national profile, and you're making yourself a player no matter what, in this, you know massive race.

MATTINGLY: Yes, and one I guess is with (ph) the question what's the downside minus the family and the travel and all that stuff. And you talk about another person Bernie Sanders and take a couple of headlines that are up right now. New York Post say Bernie Sanders might launch a presidential at Brooklyn College. Politico, Bernie Sanders records a video announcing a 2020 campaign. I think everybody at this point expects Bernie to get in.

KANE: Yes, I think so. But ultimately, if you think aren't sure you want to do this, going in sort of half harded is the worse way to do it. Our friend Kevin Madden said this to me years ago, like if you're still trying to decide whether or not you're going to run, you're not going to run a really good campaign because it's so grueling.

SHEAR: Yes. And this is not unique to this cycle, right. I mean, you can go all the way back to Mario Cuomo.

MATTINGLY: Wait. I think we have that headline of the greatest bread crumbs waiting that eventually never came. There it is of Your Newspaper the 1991 flashback, Cuomo decides he won't run for president. I believe there's like an airplane waiting on him.

SHEAR: Yes, there were two, I think airplanes, one for the staff and one for him waiting on a tarmac to take him to New Hampshire. They had actually sent an operative with a copy of the filing papers to New Hampshire in case he didn't somehow. He waited too long and couldn't make it in time for the deadline. They would still have somebody there to file and ultimately of course he didn't file.

You know, there'd been another candidates throughout. I mean, you know, we're all waiting potentially for Michael Bloomberg to decide. Well, he's not decided yet, but he also toyed with it in 2012 and 2016, and 2008. Even I wrote a story on the front page of the Washington Post back in 2007 that he was thinking about running for President and he never did.

So, you know, to PK's point, like if you aren't sure -- I mean sort of like assume that some of these people are going to get in and then it's strategery about when to do it and in some of this cases they're actually not going to run because they've decided that for whatever reason this isn't their moment.