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CNN Live Event/Special
Voting Under Way Now Across Six States; Sanders, Biden Cancel Rallies Tonight Over Coronavirus Concerns; CNN Debate Will Not Have a Live Audience Due to Outbreak Concerns; MI Exit Poll: Health Care Top Issue for Voters Tonight. Aired 7-8p ET
Aired March 10, 2020 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: It's another pivotal night in the Democratic presidential race. Take a look at this. These are live pictures coming in from Washington State where election officials are processing mail in ballots right now. Notice, they're all wearing gloves.
We're back here in the CNN election center on this second Super Tuesday. I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting. We're about an hour or so away from the first votes and our first chance to project winners. The Democrats now deciding if Joe Biden or Bernie Sanders will be the nominee who takes on President Trump after Biden's big comeback last week shrank the field.
Six states are holding contest right now. We're also awaiting results from Democrats voting abroad, it starts getting busy very, very soon. At 8:00 pm Eastern, voting ends in Mississippi, Missouri and North Dakota. An hour later the last polling places closed in Michigan. That's the most delegate rich state tonight.
At 11:00 Eastern all voting ends in Washington State and Idaho. Three hundred sixty-five of the delegates needed to win the nomination are up for grabs tonight.
Jake after tonight, nearly half of the delegates will have been awarded.
JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: That's right, Wolf. As we wait for those first actual votes to come in, let's look at the challenge facing Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, 1,991 delegates are needed to clinch the nomination.
Today, according to CNN's count, Biden is ahead of Sanders by 77 delegates. Now, those numbers could change dramatically tonight. It depends in a large part on who wins the big prize of Michigan and how that state's 125 delegates are divided between Biden and Sanders.
The former vice president is eager to build on his victories last week and potentially deliver a knockout punch. Sanders is hoping Michigan where he scored an upset victory over Hillary Clinton four years ago will be his firewall. Our correspondents are covering it all from the first votes to the final results.
Let's check in first with Jessica Dean. She's with the Joe Biden campaign in Cleveland, Ohio. Jessica, there was supposed to be a big rally for Joe Biden in Ohio
this evening, not so much anymore.
JESSICA DEAN, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Yes. It's pretty much me, myself and I here, Jake. Not anybody. No supporters here because they have canceled Biden's event in Cleveland out of an abundance of caution, they said, over coronavirus fears.
They don't want anyone getting sick, so Joe Biden and his team now headed to Philadelphia. That's where his campaign headquarters is located and we are hearing that he will speak in Philadelphia later tonight.
In the meantime, taking kind of a wider look at tonight and what it means for the Biden campaign, what their expectations are. One campaign advisor tells me that the question for them tonight is can Bernie Sanders prove he's still a viable candidate. That's what they said they're looking at tonight. That's what they say that he has to prove and that they think everyone else should be looking at that as well.
So that's one thing that the Biden campaign is keeping an eye on here in Michigan. You guys mentioned how delegate-rich Michigan is. It's the big prize tonight.
The Biden campaign telling me that they expect it to be very close. And what's interesting about that is it among the poll came out yesterday showing Biden with a double digit lead over Bernie Sanders. But a Biden advisor telling me, look, they remember what happened back in 2016 when polls had Hillary Clinton up by double digits and Bernie Sanders went ahead and won pretty narrowly here, but won Michigan primary.
They're very aware of that, Jake. They don't want that mistake to repeat itself. So again, they're saying look, despite the endorsements they've gotten here from the governor, the Lieutenant Governor from Kamala Harris and Cory Booker, they still expect Michigan to be pretty close tonight.
TAPPER: All right. Jessica Dean with the Biden campaign in Cleveland, Ohio.
Also in Cleveland is Abby Phillip with the Sanders campaign. A similar situation for you, Abby, you're supposed to be covering a rally this evening also not happening.
ABBY PHILLIP, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: It was supposed to be a pretty large rally for Bernie Sanders, about 5,000 people that RSVP'd for this event. And now, it's just an empty room that they were breaking down just a few minutes ago when we were down the street.
Now, the Sanders campaign says that after hearing from Ohio public health officials, they determined out of an abundance of caution, they needed to cancel this event. It would have been a large indoor rally, thousands of people expected. And Senator Sanders himself was the person who ultimately made that
final decision outside of that event. I spoke to a couple of his supporters who had gathered there, expecting to go in. Some of them said they were disappointed but they were going to go and do canvas shifts instead.
And for the Sanders campaign, this is a pretty big deal. His large rallies are a staple of his campaign. It is how he gathers people to go out and become volunteers. It's a major get out the vote operation for his young supporter base.
And so, as we look forward, there's a real question about how they're going to evaluate these events going forward.
[19:05:03]
And in the meantime tonight, Bernie Sanders is actually headed back to Burlington, Vermont to his home where he'll be tonight and for the next several days based on what we know right now.
Aides in the campaign are telling me, they believe tonight they still have a fighting chance. Although one acknowledged to me that Michigan is going to be an uphill battle. Four years ago, he narrowly pulled out of victory, but they are expecting an uphill battle though.
As Jessica pointed out, the Sanders campaign also believes this race will be closer than some of the public polling has suggested, Jake.
TAPPER: All right. Abby Phillip also with the Sanders campaign in Cleveland, Ohio. Let's go now to Renton, Washington outside Seattle where we find our Sara Sidner.
And Sara, I can't help but notice a lot of the election workers behind you are wearing plastic gloves. Of course, Seattle and the surrounding area really a large cluster of coronavirus cases there. I imagine that that is out of an abundance of caution.
SARA SIDNER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, it's actually mandatory, Jake. I'll let you take a look at those folks who are going through and sorting these ballots, taking the ballots out, for example, of their sleeves.
This is basically the area where people become anonymous. They take those sleeves off that have the signatures on them and then these ballots move on to a different room. I want to give you some idea of what the turnout is like already.
I do want to also show you, Jake, right over here you'll see a little shelf and all of that is gloves and things for your fingers just to make sure that people are safe, hand sanitizer and wipes as well.
But, again, in King County, it is mandatory to wear gloves now and that is because there is concern that there could potentially be some contagion from people licking their envelopes. Giving you an idea of this room, this is how many of the ballots have been processed in this room alone, 395,248. We have talked to election officials here and they have told us, Jake,
that this is so far a bigger turnout than 2016. 2016 was about 33 percent. There now about 40 percent of the eligible voters are voting in this particular election.
So I'll give you some idea of the importance of this election and the importance in people's mind. Another room, this is where they check to see if the signatures are valid. If there's any issue they will come in and they will look at these and they will check them on the computer.
I just want to take you to a room. This has helped save people from having to deal with real worry about opening those ballots, because back here, they've got this incredible sorting machine and the sorting machine actually opens the ballot. So it splits it open so that people don't have to actually undo the part where people may have licked the ballot.
And by the way, the Washington State Secretary has told us, we are telling people and tweeting out to people that you should not lick your ballots. If you're dropping them off, you should use a wet cloth to do it or a sponge.
But this is the machine where they do the sorting and you'll see it. It starts going every time they get a large number of ballots and they put them in there and then you see the election workers there. Every single person here that are touching ballots have gloves on. Every single person.
And that is because it is now mandatory in King County. This is where the largest number of voters are in Washington, Jake.
TAPPER: Sara, that was an incredible live shot. I thought you're going to hop on a ferry and take a Puget Sound. Thanks so much. Appreciate it.
SIDNER: I'm trying to get it done fast for you. I mean, hey ...
TAPPER: It was fantastic. Thank you so much. I appreciate it very much. Let's go to David Chalian who has some exit polls.
DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Jake, we're taking a look at the racial and ideological makeup of some of the electorate voting today. I'll look here first in Missouri. Take a look among the Democrats voting in the primary today.
The electorate is 78 percent white, that's up from 72 percent just four years ago. More on that in a moment, 17 percent black, 3 percent Hispanic. We are seeing across so many states, the electorate is a little bit wider than they were four years ago in large part because there's no competitive contest on the Republican side and some of those folks are able to come on over and vote in the Democratic primary.
Take a look in Mississippi, we see something similar in the racial breakdown. Today in Mississippi, the Democratic primary electorate is 31 percent white, that was 24 percent four years ago. So again, a wider electorate, 64 percent black, overwhelming two-thirds of this state. If Joe Biden has his advantage with African-Americans today, we'll see when the votes come in, but that could be huge for him here, and 4 percent Hispanic.
Ideologically, we're also seeing a slightly more moderate electorate showing up. In Missouri, 24 percent call themselves very liberal, 36 percent somewhat liberal, but 33 percent moderate, 7 percent conservative. This 40 percent combined here, a bit more moderated of an electorate than four years ago.
Same thing in Mississippi, we're seeing ideologically, you see that quarter of the vote 26 percent very liberal. But again, if you look down here, 44 percent moderate, 8 percent conservative. So combine that, 52 percent, a majority of the electorate in Mississippi today more on the moderate conservative side, Jake.
TAPPER: All right. David Chalian, thanks so much. Let's chew over all this with Dana Bash. And so on face value, and again, who knows, right?
DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes.
TAPPER: When on face value you have a wider electorate, which you would think would be better for Bernie Sanders. And you have a more moderate electorate, which you would think would be better for Joe Biden.
BASH: Right. So it's a mixed bag. But we have to keep in mind that on this and on some of the other exit polls that we've seen from the past and even that mirror - we've seen mirrored today, the way that people say that they vote when it comes to issues don't always equal the candidate that makes sense. For example, on the question of privatizing health insurance.
[19:10:01]
Overwhelmingly, the answer is yes in some of the states today. Just like in the past. Even in states where Joe Biden won and he said and he says flatly that's a terrible idea and I would even veto that.
But the question about African-American voters is interesting because Joe Biden did really well in the south.
TAPPER: Yes.
BASH: And one of the open things that we're looking at tonight is not just Missouri, but also Michigan and whether or not that support among the African-American community will translate since just because they supported him in the south doesn't mean that African-American voters in the Midwest have the same kind of interest in a candidate.
TAPPER: Yes, that's right. And obviously white working class voters are a base for both Sanders and Biden. They've really been fighting for them.
BASH: That's right.
TAPPER: Wolf Blitzer.
BLITZER: All right. Jake, thanks very much. Up next, we'll go to John King over at the magic wall. He's gaming out how the fight for delegates may play out tonight. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:15:36]
BLITZER: Polls are closing in 44 minutes. That'll be our first chance potentially to project the winner.
John King is over at the magic wall. So where do things stand right now?
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So it's our second Super Tuesday. The big question tonight is six states; Washington, Idaho, North Dakota, Michigan, Mississippi and Missouri, can Joe Biden stretch this out. This is his current delegate lead or can Bernie Sanders who got stunned in the first Super Tuesday, can he use the second Super Tuesday to narrow the gap, maybe even catch up.
And so let's take a look at that from a delegate perspective. We'll come back and look at the states as we go through the evening. But let's look at where we are from a delegate perspective.
Again, this is where we are right now. Count that up, 42 and 35. That's a 77 vote lead, delegate lead right now for Joe Biden as we continue to count the delegates. I just want to go back in time to show you how dramatic this is.
If you go back, this is where we were after February, the first four contests. Bernie Sanders actually had a slightly after Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina. But then we had the Super Tuesday stunning performance by Joe Biden, wins 10 of the 14 states, pulls into a delegate lead.
Now, we're still counting some delegates in some of those states that voted last week. But this is where we are tonight. Just imagine the scenario.
Scenario number one, this is hypothetical. We're going to go through a couple. Scenario number one, Joe Biden wins 60 percent of the delegates tonight, wins in Mississippi, wins in Missouri, wins or splits evenly in Michigan and comes out with 60 percent of the delegates tonight. So let's take a look at that, what would happen?
That would move Biden now to almost 150, essentially double his delegate lead from 70 something to just shy of 150 if he did that. That would be stunning. You'd say, oh, that's not that far apart. Democratic rules. If a candidate gets out that far ahead, as Hillary Clinton did four years ago, once she started to get ahead, it gets very hard to surmount it. What's the flip side of that? Does Senator Sanders surprise us tonight? Does he win Washington again, North Dakota and Idaho like he did four years ago? Michigan surprised like he did four years ago?
So let's say in a different scenario, what if Bernie Sanders won 60 percent tonight and Joe Biden got 40. Two candidates in the race, so you'll see bigger swings in the delegates. If Sanders could get 60 percent tonight, he would essentially get back in the game, pull slightly ahead of Joe Biden. So that's what tonight is about, delegates, delegates, delegates.
Joe Biden has that lead. Let's go back to where we are. Come back here.
This is where we start the night. The question for Joe Biden is can he stretch it out? And for Senator Sanders who got knocked back on his heels last week, Wolf, can he get back in the game.
BLITZER: And we will be getting not only the actual votes starting at the top of the hour, but we'll also be able to get a sense of all important delegate count.
KING: Yes. And so you look at it in different ways as you come through and let's come back to the other map, take a peek at what we're looking for.
One way you do it and, again, you can look at these - I just want to pop this up, as you look. This would show you what we're doing here. This is last week in California. They're still counting the votes in California.
You get some delegates by the statewide totals. Bernie Sanders won statewide. The other delegates on the Democratic rules are done based on congressional districts. So you see the different lines at play in here as you go through the delegates. So we're still a lot of delegates away.
One of the interesting things in California in this delegate count, two days ago, I looked at the map, Joe Biden was leading in only one California congressional district, now it's up to seven. It doesn't mean a ton in terms of delegates in the sense that you see how close they are. But Biden was behind there.
So that's one thing we're going to do and then we're going to come to tonight, Wolf, and we're trying the biggest prize tonight is Michigan. You see Michigan pop up here, let me take this off and come back to the race here. We got 125 delegates just in Michigan. What are we looking for?
Number one, what have we seen in the rest of the country, the African- American vote. It has been absolutely essential to Joe Biden throughout the campaign.
Dana talked a moment ago, it can be a little different up here in the Midwest and in the South, but Joe Biden wants to run it up especially Wayne County, that is Detroit. Can he get big high turnout and can he get the majority of those votes or will Sanders compete there.
Over here in the Grand Rapids area as well, that's where you look for that vote to play out there. Another thing you'll look for in the State of Michigan, let's bring this out and close this off and let's go back in time. I got to - oops, get out of there. Thank you very much. Turn that off.
Come back to the 2016 race in the State of Michigan. And you'll see what happened then. Let me turn this off the map. Secretary Clinton did run it up in Wayne County, but Bernie Sanders was competitive in other places like Macomb County, blue collar district, a lot of the auto industry out here, the so-called home of the Reagan Democrats. What is the fight in Macomb County?
I'm going to watch this one, Wolf, very closely tonight in the sense that Bernie Sanders says he's the blue collar candidate here and Joe Biden has been in there saying that could be him. Another place to go is over here at Oakland County, more of the suburban areas. This has been absolutely essential to Joe Biden.
[19:19:59]
If we come back to this year's map and you look at the contest so far, what Joe Biden has been able to do is win the African-American vote in the urban areas, then went out in the suburban areas and run up the numbers, Wolf. That's what we're looking for tonight as we start to count votes, but six states to count. We'll have some fun.
BLITZER: Yes. We certainly will. We'll be spending a lot of time with you over there at the magic wall.
David Chalian, what are you looking for as far as the all important delegate count tonight is concerned?
CHALIAN: Well, you just heard John King run through some possible scenarios, sort of the what if, the delegates fell a certain way. Let's take a look at what ifs. As John was just saying, you see here, if I just highlight the delegates, this is where we are, that's that 77 delegate lead right now in the overall counted date, the quest to 1,991. You see Biden was 635, Sanders with 558.
Now, look at this next column, Wolf. Here is what the percentage of delegates that they've won today. So Joe Biden has won 49 percent of the delegates allocated today. And Bernie Sanders has won 43.1 percent. That's what they've won.
What do they need to win of the remaining delegates to get to 1,991? This is what they need, Joe Biden just needs barely over a majority of the rest of the delegates, 50.5 percent. Bernie Sanders needs substantially more. He's obviously behind. He needs 53.4 percent of the remaining delegates.
And this is what I want you to compare those last two columns there. This is what they've been winning. They both actually need more than they've already won. So they both have to perform better than they already have to make sure they avoid a contested convention and somebody gets to that 1,991, they both need to step up their game, but obviously Bernie Sanders needs to do so more than Joe Biden. BLITZER: Well, we're getting closer and closer to the top of the hour
when we get the first opportunity potentially to project what's going on. Just minutes from now, voting ends in Mississippi, Missouri and North Dakota. Once again, we'll get the first results of the night, possibly project winners. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:25:57]
BLITZER: All right. We have an announcement to make about the upcoming Democratic presidential debate that will air right here on CNN. At the request of both campaigns and not have an abundance of caution, there will be no live audience at the Arizona debate taking place this coming Sunday, March 15th.
The DNC has been in regular communication with local health officials and the mayor's office which advised that we could proceed as planned. Nevertheless, our number one priority has been and will continue to be the safety of our staff campaigns, Arizonans and all of those involved in the debate. We will continue to remain in daily contact with all stakeholders through Sunday. The debate Sunday night 8:00 pm Eastern right here on CNN.
Let's go to David Chalian. He's some more information about the exit polls we're getting, David.
CHALIAN: That's right, Wolf. We're taking a deeper dive in Michigan. As you've noted, it's the biggest delegate prize of the night, 125 delegates. What issue mattered most to voters showing up today, election day voters in Michigan, take a look. What have we seen the entire cycle so far this whole primary season, health care, health care, health care, 45 percent of voters showing up in Michigan today, the vote say that is the issue that mattered most.
Further back, climate change with 20 percent income inequality there at 18 percent. And Race Relations at 10 percent. How about this notion of would you favor a government-run health care program instead of private insurance?
Dana was just talking about this a little while ago. We're seeing it again here in Michigan, 57 percent of those participating today in the Michigan Democratic primary are in favor of Medicare for all over private insurance, 39 percent oppose the Medicare for all proposal and then finally the economic system in the United States.
What do you think about it, does it work well or not? Take a look here. 49 percent of those voting today in the Michigan Democratic primary say it needs a complete overhaul, not little tinkering, 39 percent say minor changes, totally 10 percent says works well as it is.
But nearly half of the electorate says the U.S. economic system needs a complete overhaul, Anderson.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: David Chalian, thanks very much. Gloria Borger, I mean, we have seen that now frequently from this electorate.
GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes. Democrats want to fix health care. They wanted to fix health care when Barack Obama was president. They thought they had fixed it, but now they want to fix it again, update it or do away with it, do away with Obamacare and replace it with Medicare for All.
I mean, this is a key issue not only for Democrats, but it's a key issue for Republicans as well. So number one on the list and I think that's a clear difference between Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden.
COOPER: It's also going to be interesting to see how coronavirus plays into this, Mitch Landrieu, before in our last hour were saying how an event like this just like with Katrina tends to kind of expose what works and what doesn't work in the healthcare system, and certainly it seems like coronavirus, I mean, could very well do that.
DAVID AXELROD, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: There's no doubt about it. Look, this has always been a question as to what would happen if there were a major crisis given the way in which this president manages the government. And those of us who've been inside have seen what is required to deal with a crisis like this.
But what's interesting relative to this race is it could cause people to put a greater premium on the ability to handle a crisis. David reported earlier that in these exit polls, Biden has a big advantage in that category.
And there's another way in which, Anderson, that coronavirus may affect this race. It is now crowding out coverage of the campaign, so it's going to freeze this race where it is today. It's much harder if you're a challenger to break through. If you're not at the top of the news every night and quite properly, this isn't at the top of the news every night, because this is a major national ...
(CROSSTALK)
DR. ABDUL EL-SAYED, (D) FORMER DETROIT HEALTH COMMISSIONER: ... point though about Medicare for All.
[19:30:10]
This is a moment where people are starting to stare down the barrel at the potential for a pandemic that affects a large proportion of this country and they're asking, what does it mean for me?
[19:30:10]
And the recognition that we have, this poorest healthcare system that relies on people paying a lot of money, both up front and on the back end deductible when they get sick, it's not working for people. And so, that kind of outcome in Michigan, 57 percent saying they want government healthcare, right? That's not splitting words. It's not using jargon like single payer. It's not Medicare for All. Government healthcare plan says a lot about what people are looking for in a moment where that insecurity of our current system is being laid plain.
GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: And that's why Pence was talking about no co-pay on a coronavirus test. Clearly, the American -- he's thinking the American public wants to see something working for them. And if they got to take a test, they don't want to be stuck with a co-pay.
TERRY MCAULIFFE, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: With coronavirus is how it affects the economy. This is the main stool Donald Trump wants to run for re-election on. I've made your 401(k) better. Things are great.
Well, we've just saw trillions of dollars lost from people's 401(k)s over the course of the last ten days. People are panicked about their 401(k)s.
Trump is losing the economic argument. He doesn't look like a leader. He is telling Americans, don't worry, everything's going to be become OK.
And, you know, that's not how Americans feel today. I can tell you as a former governor, in a state, you are very concerned. You rely on the federal government for information. By can't operate. We can't do it at the state level and our individual health departments in our cities and counties, without leadership from the federal government, it is paralysis.
JENNIFER GRANHOLM, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: And this notion of being able to rely upon the government to actually make sure that there is a safety net, whether it's healthcare or on the economy, this pandemic potential and the stock market is -- there is an echo of what happened during the great recession, right? Everybody was in a panic.
Government -- the Obama administration had to step in to stem the tide. And I think that's why you are seeing the numbers in this -- in these exit polls about being people confident in Joe Biden because he was part of an administration that really did save the country from freefall.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Van?
VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: You know, I mean, I think if you're Trump, you want this election to be about the economy and not about healthcare. And now, it's just going to be about both, but in a negative direction.
But, you know, underneath the politics at the top, you got a lot of fear at the bottom. And I think Democrats need to step up for some of the populations that have not been talked about yet. If you are incarcerated, you are terrified because you got -- you got people who are behind bars right now who are just waiting for this thing to hit.
If you are homeless, I mean, you know, if you're -- if you're uninsured, if you are elderly, the most vulnerable people, who Democrats are supposed to stick up for, are now really on the firing line. So I think there is a great opportunity for Democrats not to just step up and say Trump is bad but to really call out the need for a government that can help the least of these.
(CROSSTALK)
GRANHOLM: Quickly, if you are living paycheck to paycheck, the problem with you not being able to pay your mortgage if you have to take off time and be home because your kids are out of school, what do you do? That notion of 40 percent of people not having $400 in their bank account in the case of an emergency, this is a role for government. Sorry.
ANDREW YANG, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Not at all, Jennifer. If you think about the millions of Americans who work in retail, hospitality, tourism, events, it's going to impact wage workers that can least afford to take a few weeks off. This is not a situation where you can just go home and say, OK, I'm going to cool out. You are going to start missing rent payments. You're -- you're dealing with pervasive financial insecurity.
And a lot of these voters were Trump voters. This is going to make Donald Trump wish that he had reacted differently because this, unfortunately, is going to threaten one of the core pillars of his case for re-election. If you are at home with your kids because your school closed, your 401(k) is collapsing, if you have a 401(k), and you are not able to get the wages you need, that is a terrible case for an incumbent.
And you can see them already grasping for solutions. They're proposing this payroll tax, which is not going to do the trick. These industry- focused efforts are also not going to be enough.
Jason Furman of the Obama administration came forward and said we should just put cash directly in Americans' hands and I believe that's the issue facing the administration is how can they try and make all these voters whole in a way they'll actually feel in their day-to-day lives?
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: Laura?
LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes, on the issue of federal leadership, there were election security briefings today in Congress, across the Senate and the house, there is no indication so far whether or not coronavirus was included in those briefings, but it's a legitimate question whether or not lawmakers from the top on down start trying to talk to the state and localities about what happens in the fall if this virus is still prevalent? Which there is no indication that it'll subside by the fall. And what impact that has on voters being able to cast their ballot in November.
COOPER: Also, Governor -- oh, sorry. Governor McAuliffe, you were jumping in. When -- when -- you know, when you look back at President Trump's statements from even two weeks ago, those are not going to sort of -- that's just going to start to smell worse and worse if this does get worse.
[19:35:09]
He is saying it's going to go away.
MCAULIFFE: It's going to go away. It's not a big issue. Nobody should worry. We have it contained. It's not contained.
But the most serious thing he keeps telling people is if you want to get a test, you can get a test.
That is not the case anywhere in America. I can tell you in Virginia today, we do not have the test kits to test people. That is just not the case.
Today, the president went before the Senate Republicans at a luncheon and said to them, let's do the payroll tax cut but let's do it through Election Day. This, Donald Trump cares about one thing, re-election. He does not care about the American public. And today was --
(CROSSTALK)
DAVID AXELROD, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: You know, the best politics in situations like this is no politics. The best politics is to just play it straight and be as professional as you can be.
COOPER: We are minutes away from the first votes. Our first chance to project winners when polls close in Mississippi, North Dakota, and Missouri.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: We are counting down the first round of poll closings. Right at the top of this hour on this second Super Tuesday.
Let's check in on the final minutes of voting going on in Missouri and Mississippi right now.
[19:40:04]
Let's go to Brian Todd first, he is in St. Louis.
Brian, what are you seeing?
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right, Wolf, an exciting moment here at Webster Grove rec center just outside St. Louis. Just about 20 minutes before the polls close here, getting a last push ever voters here. It's been a very busy day in this precinct and a very busy day overall in St. Louis county. This is maybe the biggest county as far as voting goes in the state of Missouri, 750,000 registered voters in St. Louis County.
You have got a lot of people coming in through here. They check in with the electronic poll pad here and they have done a very good job here of wiping these poll pads down, of course, with sanitary wipes all day long because of the coronavirus concerns. I can talk about that more in a second, but a lot of voters coming through here now.
And we sampled some voters who came in and out of here. My producer Brad Hajj (ph) and I sampled more than 100 voters who came through here, detecting a lot of support for Joe Biden in this precinct. It doesn't mean that's how the state is going to go, Wolf, as you know. It doesn't mean how this whole county is going to go.
But Biden getting a lot of support in this precinct. And surprisingly, some of the Elizabeth Warren supporters after she dropped out, telling us they're going for Joe Biden, more so than we saw for Bernie Sanders at least in this precinct. So, that's a little bit of a surprise.
We also talked to you about coronavirus concerns here. We talked to officials here at this precinct and others. You know, again, they are wiping down the electronic poll pads. They are even wiping down the pens that people are using for the paper ballots over here, as you see some people here checking in.
And I talked to the secretary of state, Jay Ashcroft, not long ago. There were a couple polling places in senior living centers in the state of Missouri where they have moved those polling places out of those centers just in an abundance of caution. They have moved them to alternative sites.
At one polling place, he said, they moved it just outside, a few feet away, in tents with space heaters. So they are making all sorts of precautions here, taking provisions so that people can vote and moving some people out of senior living centers that also act as polling stations. Wolf, but a very exciting time here as polls close in less than 20 minutes.
BLITZER: We will be watching closely with you, Brian. Thank you very much.
Let' go to Jackson, Mississippi, right now. Victor Blackwell is on the scene for us.
What's it like over there, Victor?
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, wolf, we are seeing a last- minute surge of voters. Between 15 and 20 minutes now before polls close here.
The secretary of state's office says that day-of-voting is steady here with 2016 primary turnout. But absentees are up just a bit and what we are hearing from voters reconciles with the optimism we are hearing from the Biden campaign. Voters here supporting the former vice president, the expectation is that he will do as well here, in another southern state with a large African-American population as he did in South Carolina several weeks ago and in several states on Super Tuesday.
One other element that was pointed out by more than one voter is that Senator Sanders' decision to, after Super Tuesday, cancel his rally in Mississippi and, instead, focus on Michigan was not lost on the voters of at least this precinct. And several others across the Jackson area. I have been here since Sunday speaking with voters.
We'll see if that has any impact on the turnout for the senator from Vermont. But, again, that decision to skip Jackson, as it was described by one voter who said, I like Bernie but he skipped us. We'll see if there is an impact on the vote -- Wolf.
BLITZER: Polls closed in a few minutes. Victor Blackwell in Jackson for us.
You know, John King, give us the big picture right now. What are you looking -- looking for as we get ready for the first poll closing?
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the biggest question is does the gel gate math change tonight? Joe Biden with a modest lead, decent lead after Super Tuesday.
Can he stretch it out? Or Senator Sanders back on his heels lab week tighten it up? Winning the biggest delegate prize, 125 delegates in Michigan, biggest prize tonight.
This is also a statement state. It's in the Midwest. It is the state Trump took away from the general Democrats in the election last time and it is the state if you go back to 2016, it was close but this was a stunning upset. Bernie Sanders won it in 2016, essentially, extended his campaign.
Hillary Clinton had a good Super Tuesday four years ago, then Sanders served a notice right here, that I am in this race to stay.
So what do we look for tonight? We look for Detroit, Wayne County, African-American vote. Remember what Joe Biden has done. Whether looking at Virginia, or North Carolina, or Texas. The states he has won.
When in the urban area you have an African-American population and then get out and win in the suburbs as well. Put those two pieces of the puzzle together. The math gets overwhelming, right? People tend to live in cities.
Higher population center in Wayne County, the number one county in the state, just shy of 20 percent of the state population. Then you move into the suburbs, 12 percent of the population. That's been Joe Biden's recipe so far.
Can he do it tonight? Or can Senator Sanders serve notice, don't count me out yet? That's what Michigan was for Sanders four years ago. He needs to win there tonight.
So this is the biggest piece you are looking at because of the statement the state makes in the Industrial Midwest, in the middle of economic conversation and also because of the delegate math there.
[19:45:06]
Then we just pull out and let's just go straight down here. If you come here, you just talked to Brian Todd in St. Louis. Again, same challenge for Joe Biden. Hillary Clinton won Missouri last time. But let me ask you this, let's go back and just show you again, Hillary Clinton did win this state last time but look at that. Look how close it was in 2016.
Joe Biden needs bigger wins if he wants to stretch that math out. Bernie Sanders wants to either win or keep it this close, if he wants to, because of proportional rules, have a delegate fight.
So what are you looking for here? You just talked to Brian Todd in St. Louis. Again, you want to get the inner city vote if you are Joe Biden, run up the African-American vote. Then you move up from St. Louis City and to St. Louis County and beyond that into St. Charles County.
Move out through the suburbs, and get more affluent voters, if you can put together that coalition again like Biden was able to do in Super Tuesday states, that is the big math. And let's go back you just talked to Victor down here.
First, just look at this. Just look at the map. Look what happened on Super Tuesday starting with the Saturday before that in South Carolina. Across the south, Joe Biden running it up largely because of his African-American support. That's what he wants tonight.
Jackson, you just see the blue all around it. You just saw Victor Blackwell here in Jackson Heights County. The largest population center in the state of Mississippi. David Chalian told you the exit polls earlier was about 71 percent African-American electorate four years ago. Little below that this year. Little whiter electorate.
These are the big pieces for Joe Biden -- Mississippi, Missouri. And he hopes to take Michigan. And he can do this, he does this right here, and one of the ways to do it, Wolf, if you want to look at it again. Just to the point I was just making if you bring this in. Especially, in Mississippi, let me just move this over so it gets out of the way.
Especially, in Mississippi, the deeper the shading, the higher percentage of African-Americans in these areas. So, in these Southern states, where it's going to be 65, close to 70 percent of the Democratic electorate tonight, that is absolutely critical. But it works as well --
BLITZER: What about the African-American vote in Michigan?
KING: Right. It works as well if you look in Michigan as well. Again, you're going to be somewhere in the ballpark of 20 percent, it was 21 percent four years ago. Early exit polls show it will be slightly below 20 percent this time.
But that is still a big chunk. Much of it is here in Wayne county, which is Detroit. So, again, Joe Biden wants to -- it's that combination that's been so critical for him. He gets a big number, big percentage among African-Americans and then keeps it as he moves out into the suburbs, which are more diverse. And then tend to get more white and more affluent. And just one other point, Wolf, pull up the map here and turn this
off. Bernie Sanders, four years ago, let me get this out of the way. Four years ago, the west was very kind. You have North Dakota. Idaho. And Washington state tonight. It's different this time. They're all caucuses last time.
This is a mail-in primary. The other two are still calling them caucuses but the rules are different. It's more show up and vote. Bernie Sanders four years ago did very well in caucus settings. Can he run it up in 2020 as well?
He needs it very much. If Joe Biden is making a statement in this part of the country, Bernie Sanders better win out west.
BLITZER: Because he's been -- let's go to Washington state right now because a whole bunch of delegates at stake right now and give us a little perspective what happened four years ago and what we are looking for tonight.
KING: Here's the most interesting thing when you do the flashback. When we go back to it, we can't show you county results because that's just the way it was done four years ago. But look at the numbers, look at the numbers, 72 percent for Bernie Sanders.
The Sanders campaign hopes for a win in Washington. Not expecting a blowout like. In part, because it's a primary and in part, as David talked earlier, about leadership, the question of leadership in the middle of the coronavirus crisis.
This is the epicenter of the crisis up here. So, what you're looking for if you come here, you just come in King County and Seattle, you see right there. It's more than 29 percent. More than 29 percent of the population is right here.
Again, Joe Biden's formula has been win in the cities where most of the people live. And then stretch it out into the suburbs. You have Seattle here. Tacoma here. The count here, that was the most amazing in election history. The mail-in center here.
So, how quick do they count out here? Because most the votes are cast by mail. But again, Bernie Sanders needs this to be Sanders blue at the end of the night. If, for any reason, Joe Biden can win in Washington state, there is going to be a lot of rethinking in the Sanders campaign.
BLITZER: He needs Idaho, too.
KING: He needs them all. Idaho is smaller when you come over there. In terms of delegate count, you are only talking in the teens here. Just 20 as you come through here.
Again, it's more a fire house primary than a true caucus. But senator Sanders, very strong four years ago, 78 percent. This is a mistake the Clinton campaign would actually concede. They thought they were fine in the bigger areas. It was 23 delegates then. It's 20 delegates now. You think that doesn't matter. In a close race, remember what Barack Obama did in 2008 to Hillary
Clinton, a close race, every delegate counts. He went into the smaller states and did it. Again, we will see different rules this time. Senator Sanders is expecting a win here. We'll be counting those ones a little bit later.
BLITZER: We certainly will. Here is a look ahead at the polls that are about to close.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:50:37]
BLITZER: We are closing in right now on the first results of the night right at the top of the hour. That's when voting ends in Mississippi, Missouri and North Dakota, 118 delegates are up for grabs in those three states. Most of those in Missouri.
It's the early slice of the 365 delegates on the line tonight.
Jake, tell our viewers what we can expect.
JAKE TAPPER, CNN CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Wolf. We're getting closer to the first test of Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders head-to-head.
Former vice president is aiming for a win right now in Mississippi as he looks to extend his Southern winning streak. Senator Sanders is hoping for a victory in North Dakota's caucuses. He trounced Hillary Clinton there four years.
Both candidates are eager to pick up delegates in Missouri, the biggest prize this hour with 68 delegates at stake. Let's check in with Jessica Dean. She's covering the Biden campaign -- Jessica.
JESSICA DEAN, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jake, we're here in an empty gymnasium because the Biden campaign canceled their rally here in Cleveland. He will now be giving remarks in Philadelphia.
So, we are in an empty gymnasium with no people out of an abundance of caution surrounding coronavirus.
Let's talk a little bit about strategy though for the Biden campaign as they head into the results. I talked to a Biden adviser who told me their strategy for tonight is like the one from Super Tuesday a week ago. They used effectively, which is concentrate on specific congressional districts within the states where they can really run up the score and then try to keep Bernie Sanders' margins down in areas where the race is going to be a little bit closer.
So, one example they pointed to, we're about to hear more from, is Mississippi. They really think that's a place they can run up the score and really have an impact. They pointed to Bernie Sanders cancelling his event there over the weekend and coming here to -- or going to Michigan, rather. And Joe Biden was able to get into Mississippi. He attended church service. There he held a rally there. So, they're focusing on places like that where they think that can make the difference for them in this delegate race -- Jake.
TAPPER: All right. Jessica Dean, covering the Biden campaign in Cleveland.
Abby Phillip is also in Cleveland, covering the Sanders campaign.
And, Abby, the big question for Sanders prompted by last week's results is he can expand on his base? Can he reach out to more people? Of the six contests going on today, Sanders four years ago won four of them outright. The fifth, Missouri, he and Hillary Clinton basically tied. Only lost Mississippi.
Do they think, does the Sanders campaign think they can match the record of last time four years ago?
ABBY PHILLIP, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, Jake, when you speak to campaign advisors, they candid. They think they can perform well.
Washington state is one, no longer a caucus now. They still believe they can do well there. They also think they have a chance here in Michigan. You can see based on the schedule he's been keeping over the last several days how important Michigan has been to them and how much work they think they had to do here.
They basically hold out of Mississippi, cancelling a rally in state in favor of doing more events here in Michigan. And they have tried to engage with the African-American community, which is about a fifth of the electorate here in the state. And it's been a weak point for the Sanders campaign, and basically, all the primaries up until this point.
So, the Sanders campaign knows that they have work to do and engaging non-white voters, particularly black voters in a state like Michigan and it's very telling, though, that even while some advisers tell me they believe this race will be closer than the public polling suggests just like it was in 2016, they are looking at Michigan as an uphill battle.
He won this state four years ago. But they think it's going to be really a challenge for them to compete here though. They've been insistent that no matter what happens, they plan to continue on. Sanders plans to be at that debate on Sunday night, Jake.
TAPPER: All right. Abby Philip covering the Sanders campaign in Cleveland, Ohio, where both candidates Sanders and Biden have canceled big rallies planned for this evening out of caution because of coronavirus.
Dana, what you are looking for this evening? What's on your mind?
[19:55:00]
DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, polls are closing at the top of the hour, Missouri, North Dakota, and Mississippi. And what I'm going to be looking at is whether or not the Sanders campaign can increase turnout among young people.
Last week, one of Senator Sanders' biggest disappointments was that young voters who make up a big part of his coalition did not come out in the numbers they needed, not even close.
I'm told by a top campaign adviser that in the past week, they have really tried to redouble the efforts to get young voters who say they like Sanders to actually come out and vote. And that matters in states like Mississippi are Sanders aides admit they don't expect him to do well in pockets like college campuses because, Jake, it is all about racking up delegates.
TAPPER: Indeed, it is. Dana Bash, thanks so much.
David Chalian, what are you looking for?
DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: One of things, Jake, that we're taking sort of a deep dive into the exit polls is the candidate quality that mattered to voters in two of these key states, Mississippi and Missouri. Up first, Mississippi, which candidate quality mattered most? Thirty-four percent say they're looking for somebody who can unite the country.
Just behind that, 30 percent say looking for a candidate who can bring needed change, and just a tick below that, cares about people like me. This is pretty even distribution across candidate qualities.
Take a look over in Missouri, you see a similar trend here, except change overtakes uniting here, 35 percent of Missouri Democratic primary voters today, he say, they're looking for a candidate that can bring needed change, 32 percent looking for a uniter, 26 percent looking for that empathy factor, somebody who cares about people like me, only 5 percent looking for a fighter.
Again, the electability issue, looking for somebody who can beat Donald Trump, or looking for someone you agree with on the issues? In Mississippi, 53 percent, a majority of the electorate there, looking for a Trump defeater, 45 percent agrees with you on the issues.
A little more narrow distance between those two choices that we've seen in some states across this primary season. It looks different in Missouri. It looks more like that wider gap we've seen, 59 percent of Missouri Democratic primary voters looking for a Trump defeater, only 37 percent looking for someone that agrees with you on the issues, Wolf.
BLITZER: All right. David, thank you.
You know, John, next few minutes, we might be able to make our first projection of the night.
KING: And we'll get our first sense voters on Super Tuesday round two show the same sentiments as they did Democratic voters on Super Tuesday round one. If you go back a week ago, it's as if a switch flipped and Democratic
voters just decided, even though Joe Biden hadn't campaigned in Minnesota, hadn't really campaigned in Tennessee and really campaigned just one event in Texas, they just decided, all of a sudden, boom, we're going with Joe Biden. That's what happened last week. Biden wins 10 out of 14.
Can Sanders bounce back tonight and get back in the delegate chase? Or is Biden stretch it out?
So we look through -- Mississippi will start to get early again. If you look at the map, Joe Biden fully expects to win Mississippi, he's hoping by a big margin so he can take the bulk of the delegates from there.
I want to focus on Michigan because this is the biggest prize tonight. Missouri, it's the show me state. For me, Michigan tonight is the statement race. It's where Bernie Sanders was four years ago. It's where he served notice to Hillary Clinton that my challenge is real. I'm in this until the end.
He has to win Michigan tonight to get back in this race for obvious reasons. Joe Biden wants to say, Bernie Sanders, you say you're the blue collar voter. No, you appeal to blue collar voter. No, I'm going to vote it.
Again, let's go back and look at the map. In 2016, as we think about this, yes, it was very close, but the statement from Sanders in winning Michigan was enormous, was enormous.
How did he do it? Even though Secretary Clinton run it up pretty strong in Wayne County, ran up in the suburbs, but relatively close, five points there, look at the map. Senator Sanders won all the small counties throughout Michigan.
And he won, this is the place to watch tonight, Kent County. It's the fourth largest county in the state, Grand Rapids. Joe Biden was just there the other day, watch this for an early. If this is Bernie Sanders blue, he's in play. If it is Biden blue, we have an issue.
Why are we watching Michigan? Number one, it was defining 4 years ago in the Democratic primary, it will be defining tonight as Joe Biden tries to stretch out that lead.
But let's also remember, Wolf, this was one of the states that Trump flipped. He broke the blue wall, by winning Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Democrats need to get it back if they have any hope of defeating the incumbent president. Here's one the reasons we should judge a little bit tonight.
If you go back 4 years ago to the Democratic primary and you see right here, Macomb County, just outside Detroit, home of the auto industry, a big job of blue-collar workers. Look how close it was.
This was our first big sign that Hillary Clinton had trouble with blue collar men, right? Come to the presidential election, Donald Trump carries Macomb County over Hillary Clinton, divide the margin, Trump won Michigan by 10,000 votes statewide, more than enough right here. Macomb County made the difference and gave Trump the margin of victory.
So, as we think about 2016 presidential map in the general election, watch the primary campaign tonight, Michigan being the statement state. A lot of delegates at stake in the other five as well.
BLITZER: Lots at stake indeed.
Just seconds from now, voting ends in Mississippi, Missouri, and North Dakota, 118 delegates are on the line in those three states.
