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New CNN Poll: Senator Bernie Sanders Leads Democratic Field In New Hampshire; 2020 Democrats Hit The Trail Before New Hampshire Primary Tomorrow; 100 Plus U.S. Troops Diagnosed With Brain Injuries After Iran Strike On U.S. Base In Iraq In January. Aired 12-12:30p ET

Aired February 10, 2020 - 12:00   ET

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

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JOHN KING, CNN HOST, INSIDE POLITICS: Welcome to "Inside Politics." I'm John King. Thank you for sharing your day with us. President Trump releases a new budget that is dead on arrival on Capitol Hill, yet it will be a campaign flash point. It includes deficit spending well past when the candidate Trump promised to erase all red ink. And Democrats say it proposes heartless cuts to food stamps and education.

Plus, the final day before the New Hampshire primary in our final CNN tracking poll shows a two-way race for first. It also shows Amy Klobuchar making a final weekend move. But the big question, can she make a statement by running stronger than Joe Biden? And the President rallies in New Hampshire tonight. The state

candidate Trump you'll recall his first big 2016 win and the standing among Republicans are off the charts. Yet Former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld insists his GOP primary challenge is not a fool's errand.

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BILL WELD (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I didn't jump out of bed in the both panel at the same time. I know he has been a happy worrier political campaigns may be even happier with this one. Take away that by myself that just makes me run harder, not less harder.

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KING: We begin there on the campaign trail in New Hampshire with brand new numbers that frame the first in the nation primary stakes. Bernie Sanders leads the Democratic race heading into tomorrow's vote. And the firm commitment of his support is what separates Senator Sanders from the pack.

Former Mayor Pete Buttigieg runs second. His emergence in New Hampshire after a narrow win in Iowa is reshaping the moderate lane of the Democratic race, at least at the moment. And our new poll tells us there could be more surprises as voters who find Sanders too liberal shop for a final choice in the hours ahead.

Our new CNN New Hampshire primary poll is conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, and these are the final releases right now the top choice of the New Hampshire Democrats heading into the primary Senator Bernie Sanders with 29 percent, opening up a bit of a lead over Former Mayor Pete Buttigieg.

They are clearly the top tier. Joe Biden at 11 percent, Senator Elizabeth Warren at 10 percent, Amy Klobuchar 7 Tulsi Gabbard at 5 percent and Andrew Yang at 4 so you see a two way race here at the top between Sanders and Buttigieg.

If you look at this there was a big debate Friday night, I was up in New Hampshire yesterday. The energy on the trail is real. You see the race has changed because of the debate. This is through Friday the candidates on the debate stage Sanders, Buttigieg, Biden, Warren and Klobuchar at 4.

Polling over the weekend does show you see it right here Senator Klobuchar over the weekend making gains because of her very strong debate performance. Her crowds were bigger over the weekend Sanders still in the lead, Buttigieg here, Biden and Warren.

If you break this race down by age this is why turn out is so important. Look at how well Bernie Sanders does among younger voters, those under the age of 45. He gets nearly half. 45 percent of New Hampshire Democrats under the age of 45 is for Senator Sanders. Among all the voters this used to be Joe Biden's wheel house but you see Mayor Buttigieg now leading among those over age of 45 and Senator Sanders running second.

Vermont Senator very familiar in New Hampshire struggles for Elizabeth Warren among older voters. Joe Biden holding his own but way down from where he used to be. Klobuchar again making some gains there.

We have two lanes in this race right, the progressives and the centrists liberal, Bernie Sanders, but Pete Buttigieg running a strong pretty good second among voters who describe themselves as liberals. Senator Warren now in third place there she has slipped in the final days of the New Hampshire campaign.

Among New Hampshire Democrats and voters who are going to vote in the primary, independents can vote in the primary who describes themselves as moderates to conservatives Mayor Buttigieg followed by Bernie Sanders. Again his familiarity to New Hampshire is helping him even with voters who might disagree with him on some of the issues.

One key point here, New Hampshire like Iowa voters likes to decide late. 50 percent say they have definitely decided on their candidate, but 21 percent say they're only leaning toward someone, and 28 percent, nearly 3 in 10 who plan to vote in tomorrow's primary, say they're still shopping. The campaign trail has been crowed since the early morning hours in New Hampshire the candidates well aware New Hampshire's verdict will reshape this race.

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SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D-VT) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Tomorrow you have a choice. You have a choice about going forward and voting for a campaign which will defeat Donald Trump. You have the option to vote for a campaign which will not only defeat Trump but which will transform this country.

MAYOR PETE BUTTIGIEG (D-IN) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think it means ensuring that we have the strongest possible candidate looking to the future because that's how Democrats went. With a message that brings us together. We've yet had and yet can do it together as long as we don't go chasing after the extremes.

SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You are tired of the extremes in our politics and the noise and the nonsense. You have a home with me. And I have a record of winning and winning big.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: CNN's Ryan Nobles joins us now live this hour in Manchester. Ryan, Senator Sanders with the lead and hoping to put another New Hampshire primary victory on the shelf.

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RYAN NOBLES, CNN WASHINGTON CCORRESPONDENT: Yes, no doubt about that, John. I'm sure his campaign feels very confident right now, but whenever these new poll numbers come up and I reach out to the campaign, they are always very nervous to show too much confidence.

They understand that New Hampshire voters can often be fickle. You point out that many of these New Hampshire voters have yet to firmly make up their mind, and in the closing hours of this campaign, it has really become a turnout operation for Sanders and his team.

And you talk about his strength with young voters. That's where you see a lot of his time spent here in the last 24 to 48 hours. He held a big rally yesterday near the campus of Dartmouth University. That is of course a college town where Sanders always is very strong.

They do believe that the momentum is behind his campaign. It's almost a deja vu all over again to a certain extent, John, because we talked about the situation in Iowa where the Sanders campaign firmly believed there were more voters for them and behind their campaign than there were for any other campaign, but it was about getting those voters out to the polls.

And of course, the turnout numbers in Iowa were not what the Sanders campaign expected, and they fell a little bit short at least in their version of what a victory could be, because it could be end up being a tie there without knowing the final verdict there.

So you can bet the next several hours for the Sanders campaign he is all about getting their canvassers out, knocking on doors, making sure those people have told them that they're committed to this campaign get out and vote because turnout has always been in crucial with Sanders. When it's high, he usually does well. When it's not as good, that's where he finds himself in trouble. John?

KING: And we'll have a primary campaign in and the Secretary of State says he'll actually count the votes tomorrow. Ryan Nobles on the ground us in New Hampshire, appreciate that. Keep in touch with me.

In studio to share their reporting and their insights Julie Hirschfeld Davis with "The New York Times" CNN's Manu Raju Oliver Knox with SiriusXM and Melanie Zanona with "POLITICO". If you look at the numbers Sanders won big time over Hillary Clinton there four years ago. He is familiar he is from the neighboring state.

But so is Elizabeth Warren. If you look that over the summer Warren was posting a challenge to Sanders over the summer. She has a problem right now, but if you look at Senator Sanders New Hampshire voters routinely says I'm going to wait until the end among those who say they have decided Sanders gets 42 percent. His people are locked in.

He won't get as bigger numbers he did last time because it's not a two-way race. But among those who say they've decided he is locked in. He is going to have good support among those who say they're movable they're sort of all over the field there.

That's one reason where you look at Sanders and you say wow he is strong. Here is another over the summer Joe Biden's calling card was, I'm the strongest candidate to beat Trump. And in most polls Democratic voters agreed with him. In New Hampshire at the moment 30 percent of those likely to vote say they're going to vote the New Hampshire Democratic primary, 30 percent say Bernie Sanders is the top candidate to beat Trump. He is making the electability case.

JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS, CONGRESSIONAL EDITOR, THE NEW YORK TIMES: Right and he is making the electability case now at this point because of the actual votes because of his finish in the caucuses and because as you see from the poll that you just talked about, it seems like the majority of New Hampshire primary voters are headed in his direction.

Biden is still trying to make the electability argument sort of in theory. Theoretically I would be the best person to go up against Donald Trump, but he knows that if he fails to have a good finish, and by good finish, I think his campaign is not thinking any higher than third in New Hampshire.

But if he comes in significantly below Sanders and Buttigieg in New Hampshire, it's going to be difficult for him to keep making this electability argument in theory when he's not actually getting the votes.

KING: Yes, go ahead.

MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I was going to say, striking also from the poll is just to show where Elizabeth Warren is in that field coming from a neighboring state, coming from somewhere where they share media markets. So New Hampshire voters are very familiar with whom Elizabeth Warren is, and if she ends up in a distant fourth, perhaps, even behind potentially Amy Klobuchar who is rising in the polls.

What does that do to her after her disappointing finish in Iowa and New Hampshire? We head into Nevada right now where her polling has not been as high in the past, and South Carolina which Biden is staking on, this could be dangerous territory for her if she has another lack lackluster showing tomorrow.

KING: It is interesting a lot of Democrats I was there yesterday and a lot of Democrats in New Hampshire are questioning because she was so visible, so active, so busy and so smart over the summer when she was rolling up. She only had a couple of events yesterday and a lot Democrats in New Hampshire literally scratching their heads saying, what is going on here?

But we'll see how it plays out? One advantage for Senator Warren she's campaigning in North County right now she is up with in the mountains good to ski if you want to ski there. One advantage she has is she's second choice for a lot of voters. And so you see people making a final decision.

The interesting thing yesterday is just she still had a lot of people wandering around to events which is one of the problems for Vice President Biden. Where you go to a Biden event, and then you would go to a Buttigieg event or a Klobuchar event, and you see some of the same people.

And a lot of them say they used to be for Biden but they have questions now some of it was the Iowa performance, how can you come in fourth? Some of them they watch him, they just don't see the energy they want. That's one other things that Buttigieg is trying to step in and cease those voters with the generational appeal.

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BUTTIGIEG: We cannot risk alienating Americans at this critical moment and that's where I part ways with my friend Senator Sanders. This is a moment for bringing as many people as we can into the picture, but a picture where your only choices are between a revolution or the status quo. It's a picture where most of us don't see ourselves.

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KING: There was a moment coming into the debate where the Buttigieg people thought they had a shot at Senator Sanders. That might have been wishful thinking. Now it appears - we'll see what happens tomorrow? It appears that Senator Sanders will have New Hampshire again, but Buttigieg a narrow victory in Iowa, but a win in Iowa leading or winning in 64 out of the 99 counties. If he comes in strong in New Hampshire, he's making a statement.

MELANIE ZANONA, CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER, POLITICO: And he needs to do well in Iowa and New Hampshire because he's probably not going to do as well as this primary goes on and the states get more diverse, less white.

And I also think with Warren, she is purposely now pitching herself as the unity candidate. There is no coincidence about that. Her campaign knows that she needs to probably pick off supporters from other camps. She's trying to stay above the fray. All these candidates are going after each other, and she has sort of laid back a little bit in the hopes that if someone like Biden stumbles, maybe she can pick off some of the non-white voters that are attracted to his campaign.

OLIVIER KNOX, CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT, SIRIUSXM: I'm really glad you highlighted the undecided voters in that poll because for me that's what the defining dynamic of this entire race since last fall, and I said I think on this show last fall we don't have a good poll that just talks about undecided Dems and why they're undecided.

There were two fights going on, one is about the direction of party and one is about who is going to take on Donald Trump in November? They're not the same argument. And I think one of the - it's a little earlier to say it is a mistake one of the things what I thought was interesting about Biden, was he seemed to stay out of the argument about the direction of the party in a way that Sanders definitely didn't and Warren didn't and Buttigieg didn't and other candidates didn't.

And I wonder whether that's part of the reason that he underperformed in Iowa and is in sort of a perilous position in New Hampshire.

KING: Right, he's presenting himself as sort of a safe choice. I'm not Trump, I won't tweet, I know everybody, I could do the job on day one but he is not a governing philosophy.

KNOX: Party activist who votes in primaries are deeply engaged in a conversation about the direction of the Democratic Party, and I don't get the same vibe from the Former Vice President.

KING: Right you saw a lot that again yesterday people going from event to event that is part of the New Hampshire tradition but they mean it people just saying - literally couples saying, they're still arguing over dinner, about what to do at the last minute. But a lot of peeling away from Biden, and then they go to Klobuchar and Buttigieg and they're trying to figure out your question who is best against Trump if you're a centrist?

DAVIS: Right and they are shopping around and we see very different messages coming from the two of them obviously about whey they would be best against Trump? Amy Klobuchar talks a lot about her record and that she's won a lot of these difficult to win for Democrat districts in her state, and Pete Buttigieg talks about his ideas and the fact that he is going to try to, you know, avoid the polls, by which I mean the edges, and really try to do a - try to have a pragmatic sort of agenda.

But I think that case becomes more difficult to make as people start coming after him more directly for his lack of support.

RAJU: And that was interesting too about that poll that said that they have the movable voters Buttigieg is the highest of those candidates, 26 percent according to the polls. That shows that people - he's still undefined in a lot of ways in the eyes of voters and why the Democratic candidates are trying to define him. KING: Very impressive. A lot of voters asking, should I believe this? 38 years old, small town Mayor - ready to elect and open the gate and be President. You see the voters asking themselves and their friends at these campaigns.

Up next for us a very important update on the health of the U.S. service members that after January's missile attack at that U.S. military base in Iraq. Stay with us.

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KING: Troubling new information just in to CNN. CNN has now learned more than 100 U.S. troops have been diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injuries, that of course in the wake of that January Iranian missile attack on the Al-Assad military base in Iraq. These numbers come from our Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr. Barbara, tell us what you're learning.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: John, we expect the Pentagon this afternoon to announce just that, now over 100 troops diagnosed with traumatic brain injury as a result of the January 8th Iranian ballistic attack on the Al-Assad base in Iraq where these troops were housed.

That blast sending a massive wave of blast and shock across the base, causing these traumatic brain injuries. The numbers have only gone up and up since this incident happened. The Pentagon has been struggling to figure out exactly how many. They keep evaluating people, and clearly symptoms are persistent and continuing to emerge more than a month later.

Bottom line here, this is a very extraordinary case for the military, to say the least. We have over 100 U.S. troops injured at the hands of the Iranians. That is something that has not happened before, and there is not a clear solution as to how to prevent it again. The Pentagon looking at trying to get Iraqi permission to put patriot missile defenses on those bases.

So far that has not happened. Looking to beef up the bunkers, make them stronger that the Americans were sheltered in during this attack. That has not happened yet. We have here, which by any definition with the military would call a mass casualty, a mass injury incident. More than 100 Americans now injured at the hands of this Iranian missile attack. John?

KING: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon, Barbara thank you for staying on top of this throughout the past several weeks as the numbers unfortunately climb. Up next for us, we go back to the campaign trail in New Hampshire where Senator Amy Klobuchar says she has a strategy to win.

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[12:20:00] (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KLOBUCHAR: If you can't decide if you're going to fill your refrigerator or fill your prescription drug, I know you and I will fight for you. If you don't know if you can make that paycheck extend a little bit more to pay for your rent, I know you and I will fight for you. That is what this election is about.

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KING: Senator Amy Klobuchar there with her populist close to New Hampshire primary voters, that I know you message helped the Minnesota Senator in Friday night's final New Hampshire debate. And she's using it in a new ad up in this state on this final day today. It is easy to see how the debate help, bigger crowds this weekend at Klobuchar event and better numbers in our weekend polling.

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KING: The Buttigieg campaign doesn't like that. She is chipping in to his numbers a bit. And the Biden campaign doesn't like it, either. Our final poll shows Klobuchar within striking distance of the Former Vice President in New Hampshire but a quick reality check. She was fifth in Iowa and runs fifth in our final New Hampshire poll. Yes, obviously momentum. But is it enough to make a real splash? We caught up with Senator after her seventh New Hampshire stop Sunday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KING: You're in a good mood?

KLOBUCHAR: I am very happy.

KING: Unleashed I heard in there. What does that mean?

KLOBUCHAR: Unleashed in that I'm not bolted to my desk like I was before Iowa. And it was my constitutional duty and I think it was incredibly important for our country, but I had a lot of time to think in there. And one of the things I thought about was how I talk about Donald Trump which I did on the debate stage, that lack of empathy, and just bringing people into my life in a different way.

And I think we've seen this incredible surge of support since then, not just in Salem but also in Nashua and the events we've had from Hanover on. And you see it in the polls where we've seen some big momentum. You also see it in our contributions. We're raising 3 million online from regular people since the debate.

KING: In Nashua you said do well in there you said and in that room you said win.

KLOBUCHAR: Oh, yes, I just say whatever. I want to do well. I think that's honest.

KING: How - what is the line in New Hampshire though in the sense that you're right, you did better than people thought you would do in Iowa. It's still fifth.

KLOBUCHAR: So what is winning?

KING: Eventually you need to win delegates.

KLOBUCHAR: Yes, well, I'm heading to Nevada. I think winning is exceeding expectations. We did that in Iowa. A lot of people had written us off and a lot of people have written me off every step of the way, whether I could complete by snow in the blizzard or I could get through the summer or I could get every debate stage.

A lot of very worthy candidates have had to get out of this race and I just keep going and meeting every metric. I think part of that is because I have consistently said that what we need to do is bring people in. And that includes moderate Republicans and independents.

The whole goal is to bring decency back to the White House, something that unites a lot of people, not just fired-up Democrats but also independents, moderate Republicans. This is a good moment for me because we have a primary. It's not just a caucus.

I've got the endorsement of every single newspaper in New Hampshire, big newspaper, including "The Union Leader." They wrote about it again today, and it's my moment to bring in some independence.

KING: One of your challenges is that message is very similar to what Mayor Buttigieg says. We were joking about it before we started talking on camera, but he had a rally right next door to your rally before you.

KLOBUCHAR: Yes.

KING: And there were some people at that event who came over to this event.

KLOBUCHAR: Sure did.

KING: If you look at the polling right now, you're doing well, but he's also doing well. He's number 2 in our poll here in New Hampshire. How do you convince someone who might say oh, the guy won Iowa, he is a new fresh face. How do you convince them?

KLOBUCHAR: I'm a fresh face, too. I would say 59 is the new 38 in the primary field. That is my age 59. And that I'm someone that is a new generation, but I'm also someone that has gotten things done. It's not just getting things done in Washington which is a big deal as we look at what this President has not met a lot of his promises when it comes to spiraling drug costs and infrastructure and college affordability.

But I also am someone that's won big. Every single race I've won in the reddest of red congressional district never missing one Michelle Bachman's district. I've won in the rural areas. And that is exactly what we need because I want to build a coalition that has a heart that's bigger than the White House that brings people with us. I think that is the ingredient and the receipt that I bring to this that no one else has in the race. KING: Do you feel any pressure to go from exceeding expectations to doing better to breaking through before you get to the states where Bloomberg is going to be on the ballot. He's already spent over $300 million?

KLOBUCHAR: I'm well aware. You have no idea what it's like to do an interview on a Sunday show, and you spend a lot of time preparing and then while you're on there, there are more Bloomberg ads than you're allotted for the time for the show.

I know that but I really think that people do not look at Donald Trump in the White House and say, let's find someone richer. I think they want to have someone very different. It's on me to bring my message out there.

I actually didn't oppose him getting on the debate stage, and I would like to see my friend Cory and many others still on that debate stage, but the reason I didn't is you can't just buy your way with all these ads, you've got to sit there and debate the candidates that don't have the kind of money like you do. And that's where people can start sorting things out, and I'm looking forward to doing that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: It's always interesting. There's no doubt her crowds are bigger. She's moving in her poll over the weekend. But another fifth or fourth isn't enough, right?

RAJU: Yes. I mean, what is that--