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Republican Presidential Debate to be Held on Tuesday at Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas; FBI Agents Search Lake in San Bernardino; Republican Front-runner Donald Trump Talks More about his Proposal to Temporarily Ban Muslims from Entering the United States; Representatives from Nearly 200 Countries Agreed to Sign Deal that Could Affect the Future of the Planet. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired December 13, 2015 - 17:00   ET

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

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[17:00:37] POPPY HARLOW, CNN HOST: Good evening. 5:00 in New York. 2:00 p.m. out in Las Vegas where we will take you live in just a moment. I'm Poppy Harlow. This Sunday evening. So glad you are with us.

We begin with presidential politics and a major reshuffling right before the final Republican debate of the year. In just two days the candidates will come face to face right here at the Venetian in Las Vegas for a showdown that you will only see on CNN.

We know now there will be nine, not eight, podiums on the stage for the prime time debate. That is because Rand Paul was saved from being cut at the 11th hour. Thanks to a new poll just out this morning.

But first, the rest of the lineup, Donald Trump front and center. Of course, he is ranking first in all of the national polls. He will be flanked by his new closest rival Ted Cruz as well as Ben Carson. Also on the main stage, Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush, John Kasich, Carly Fiorina and Chris Christie making his return to the main stage after filling to qualify for last month's primetime debate. And in Tuesday's undercard debate Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum, Lindsey Graham and George Pataki will all face off.

The theme for both of the debate is national security. It is what is on the minds of all of you, all Americans right now. We have the best political team in television covering this story like only they can beginning with my friend John Berman live outside the Venetian in Las Vegas with more on Rand Paul's last-second save and what is looking, John, to be quite a showdown between Donald Trump and Ted Cruz.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN HOST: You know, there are nine candidates will be on that main stage, Poppy. So it will be any combination of showdowns here. The last Republican debate of 2015. That, of course, so important. But you know what? It's also the first Republican debate since so much has happened. Think of how much the world has changed over the last month. The attacks in Paris, the attacks in San Bernardino. So that will be the backdrop. National security. How will these candidates argue that he or she is the best to handle the issue of national security and how to keep to this country safe from terrorism? And as you said, there's also a new person standing at the center of the stage, Ted Cruz right next to Donald Trump. What will that mean?

Joining me now to talk about all of this, CNN's political director David Chalian. Also with me CNN political commentator and conservative columnist S.E. Cupp.

David, before we talk about the humans who will be on that stage, nine of them in the prime time debate, let's talk about the setting here. The geopolitical setting. Because I have said I think the most important thing that's happened is Paris, is San Bernardino. And as a backdrop, that I think will drive this debate.

DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Without a doubt. Think back, John. The debates that were driving the Republican nomination process before the terrorist attack, the immigration debates, economic debates, still there, obviously, as the campaign goes forward but the entire political landscape shifted when the attacks in Paris and San Bernardino came to the forefront and it is now a moment of a commander in-chief test. This is now an opportunity for these nine people and four people in the first debate to present their case to Republican primary voters about why they are the standard -- they should be the standard bearer for the party to pass this commander in test.

S.E. CUPP, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: And I would - I would point out that for at least two candidates, you can track real change as a result, I think, of those two events. I think for Ben Carson, it became very clear that if this election were going to be focused primarily on foreign policy he was not the right person for the time. So you have seen him dip in the polls. And I would argue that you are seeing Chris Christie rise at least in New Hampshire gaining that really important union leader endorsement because he has been talking a lot about foreign policy and terrorism and having been tested as a governor of New Jersey before.

CHALIAN: Even before the terrorist attacks. That's the other thing of Chris Christie.

CUPP: Right.

CHALIAN: That he has been able to have a consistent message through much of here because he actually was talking about foreign policy, Iran, other areas a lot on the campaign trail in New Hampshire.

CUPP: Right.

CHALIAN: And so when the focus turned he was already there.

CUPP: Yes, yes.

BERMAN: There is a difference of opinion, S.E., on the main stage about how to deal with terrorism.

CUPP: For sure. I mean, what's so great, in fact, about the Republican Party and the conservative movement is there's such intellectual diversity especially for foreign policy from Rand Paul at one end of the stage, sorry Rand you will be at the end, to you know, --

[17:05:07] BERMAN: He's happy to be anywhere on the stage.

CUPP: He is happy to be on the stage, right. To Chris Christie, even in the undercard debate when you look at the policies of Rick Santorum and Lindsey Graham, you have real hawkish, you know, a real hawkish group and wing represented. You have sort of a pseudo libertarian noninterventionist wing represented. You have Trump who you really can't define in terms of his politics just in terms of his bluster and then you have got, you know, Ted Cruz weaving the way through this, Marco Rubio just trying to sort of remain calm. Carly Fiorina trying to put her foreign policy chops up there.

CHALIAN: It's interesting you're saying what you have is a Republican party searching for what its foreign policy doctrine is post-George W. Bush. I mean, that is really what is going to be happening.

BERMAN: There is no one doctrine to be clear right now. There are candidates running on different ones at this point. Let's talk about the Chalian cheat sheet, shall we? Sort of the three giant dynamics driving the debate. Number one, Ted Cruz.

CHALIAN: Man of the moment.

BERMAN: Yes, man of the moment. Moving ever closer to the center of the stage.

CHALIAN: Yes. Listen. You know, we saw that poll in Iowa where he is leading Donald Trump by ten points. We he him moving up in national polls within striking distance with him and some national polls out today. This is a moment you were saying sort of Ted Cruz weaving the way. And I do think this is a testing moment for Ted Cruz because with getting closer to the center of the stage, with being sort of a person that is now looked at as a front-runner for the nomination, comes a sort of the responsibility with that about being more clear in his path. And I think that Ted Cruz has a real needle to thread. I mean, I think he really has been in different plays and now is his moment to sort of foot forward, a clear, consistent policy prescription for these issues.

CUPP: Yes. And I think we will also get to see whether Ted Cruz's strategy of bear hugging Trump and Carson, which what he has said he has done. We know it's worked for Carson because Carson, I think Ted Cruz has been able to pull off some of Carson's voters because Carson has dipped. Trump has not really yet --

BERMAN: He hasn't dipped at all. In fact, all these polls we are talking about, the Cruz surge, Trump is up a little bit, too.

CUPP: He has dipped in Iowa which is important for Ted Cruz. But you are right, nationally he hasn't. And so, Ted Cruz is now hoping this bear hug turns into Trump voters for Cruz at some point. I'm not sure he doesn't have to eventually take the gloves off to get there.

BERMAN: Donald Trump is going to be dealing with something new this debate, also. It was one week ago tomorrow where he came out with the pronouncement that he want to ban all Muslims from entering the United States. So he is going to have to defend that on that stage. And the eight other candidates I imagine are going to go in with an idea of how they want to address it, as well.

CUPP: Well, and that is going to be so interesting to watch. It has been clear from his media appearances and appearance of his surrogates since making those comments, no one's backing down. I mean, this is a guy who has defended, you know, Eisenhower's "operation wetback" and Japanese internment camps to try to make for the sales pitch of a very tough foreign policy, if you can call a policy. So I expect him to be just as direct on the Muslim ban as he has been in the past two weeks.

CHALIAN: And I think he has a little bit more support now in the polls. You have seen a majority of Republicans polled in the CBS/"New York Times" poll or just the CBS poll, excuse me, support this policy.

Here's the other thing, though. All the other candidates responded out on the campaign trail to the Trump proposal, we haven't seen them together on the stage and how they are going to respond to him in the moment is going to be a big deal.

BERMAN: It will be interesting to see now. Let's ask quickly about Marco Rubio because, you know, the last few debates he has been, wow, Marco Rubio had the best debate performance of all and yet doesn't really moved in the national polls too much over the last few weeks. So, David, what does he face?

CHALIAN: I think he faces a two-pronged effort here. He wants -- listen. He and Cruz fighting on the campaign trail via press releases, interviews. That is moment where he's got the sort of show I'm really willing to take on what I think is Ted Cruz's failed policies, proposals if he believes that. He also needs to deal with the other wing. He has establishment lane. He has got to come out of the debate as the stronger, the strongest establishment guy, better than Christie, better than Kasich, better than Bush. Because he needs to vanquish those guys so that he can train his attention on Ted Cruz going forward.

BERMAN: Last word?

CUPP: Yes. I mean, he is sort of living in two places right now. He hasn't really made defiance sort of camp yet. And you are right. He has to defend both of that. Good news is Marco Rubio always gives a great debate performance. I think he is going to do the same on Tuesday night.

BERMAN: We will see. Tuesday night right here. All be in it at 6:00 p.m. eastern time.

S.E. Cupp, David Chalian, thank you so much. We are going to have much more live coverage from Las Vegas at the Venetian a little bit later. But first, let's go back to Poppy Harlow in New York - Poppy.

HARLOW: All Right, Berman, have fun out there. You are in your element, my friend. Just don't lose too much at the craps tables, OK?

BERMAN: $34 so far. Not bad.

HARLOW: I love that. Berman, betting big. You will not want to miss the Republican debate. It is just two days away. Tuesday night in Las Vegas. It is the last GOP debate of 2015. It is only right here on CNN.

Coming up next, two major developments in the San Bernardino terror investigation. We have new information about the FBI's search of that lake, did they find anything? We'll tell you the results.

Also, we are learning more about red flags involving the female shooter. Red flag that is no one caught.

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[17:13:41] HARLOW: We have just learned that an exhaustive three-day FBI search of the lake in San Bernardino has recovered no items linked to the terror attack there. That search will continue for one of the top items of interest. Of course, the investigators want, where are the hard drives in that are missing from the terrorist computers?

We also have brand new information on the female shooter, Tashfeen Malik. Authorities recently found old social media posts discussing the views on violent jihad that is according to "The New York Times." I was in San Bernardino recently reporting on the horror and the despair, all that that community is going through.

Ana Cabrera joins me now live from San Bernardino.

When you look at her, Tashfeen Malik, "The New York Times" report very troubling, right, as they found these new disturbing social media messages? She passed three background checks by U.S. immigration officials and yet none of this came up, Ana.

ANA CABRERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And that's because they didn't check her social media accounts, Poppy. It simply was not part of the screen process when it came to these K-1 visas, the fiancee visas. And so, those background check missed it. Apparently according to "The New York Times" there were social media postings made openly talking about support of violent jihad, that she wanted to participate in it and she made no effort to hide her support and her views according to "The New York Times" report. And they are citing some sources here in the U.S. law enforcement area.

Now, we have learned that that visa process is something that's very much under scrutiny right now. The Obama administration ordering a thorough review. And we have also learned that they have in the past few months, state department has included social media communications as part of the security screenings of applicants of certain countries. But law enforcement officials confirming to CNN at the time that Tashfeen Malik came into the U.S. in July of 2014 they weren't looking at social media - Poppy.

[17:15:46] HARLOW: It is amazing because apparently she made no effort to hide her feelings on those postings. Let's talk about what is the most important, and that is the victims. Behind you, you are standing in front of one of this beautiful memorial, one of so many there for the victims. Can you walk me through what you are seeing? What people are saying as they come and pay their respects?

CABRERA: We have seen a constant stream of community members come and pay tribute to the victims here. You can see a lot of people that left behind items sort of lifting up the community, candles, flowers, balloons, American flags. Really trying to show expressions of being united and encouragement.

We also are seeing a lot of spirituality out here. A lot of signs like this that say prayers go to all family who is lost all. I have been talking to some of the people who have been stopping by who may or may not have known any of the victims at all but say, you know, this is our community. We never expected this to happen here. And they are deeply affected.

One woman with tears coming down her face and you can see this is part of the healing process for a lot of these families and this community being able to leave their messages just out there sending out prayers of Jesus saves, our prayers to your family members and your loved ones. God bless you all. And that is the kind of sentiment that we have been hearing over and over again, Poppy.

I think it is worth mentioning that tomorrow again is Monday and it's supposed the day that many of the environmental health workers return to the department, environmental health department will be open for the first time since the shooting and most of the victims here we know were health inspectors with the department of environmental health here in San Bernardino county.

Back to you.

HARLOW: Ana, thank you very much for that report, live for us this evening from San Bernardino.

Coming up, we'll return to politics and Las Vegas. The site of CNN's Republican presidential debate. Straight ahead, we will talk Donald Trump and the proposal to temporarily ban Muslims from traveling to the United States.

Also, a Muslim-American Republican will weigh in on why she is calling this a shameful day for this country. Stay with us.

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[17:21:42] BERMAN: Republican front-runner Donald Trump talking more about his proposal to temporarily ban Muslims from entering the United States. On CNN "STATE OF THE UNION" today Trump said his Muslim friends, they say he says they are glad that he is discussing this idea. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I have many friends that are Muslims and I will tell you they are so happy that I did this because they know they have a problem. When my friends call me up and they call me up very strongly and they say it's something -- these are Muslims. They say it's something, Donald, that has to be talked about.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: They don't support the ban.

TRUMP: Not really. I mean, why would they support the ban? But Without the ban you are not going to make the point. You are not going to be able to make the point.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Joining me now, Saba Ahmed, founder of the Republican Muslim coalition.

Saba, it was really interesting listening to Donald Trump right there because when Jake pressed him, he didn't say that the friends are in favor, his Muslim friends are in favor of the travel ban. But he did say that his Muslim friends, he didn't say who exactly these friends are, but he said that they are glad he's bringing up this idea. Do you buy this?

SABA AHMED, FOUNDER, REPUBLICAN MUSLIM COALITION: I think Muslims are happy because we for the first time got Republicans defending Muslims. I think we were happy in that sense but we were absolutely horrified by his unconstitutional plans to ban all travel for Muslims and it is absurd to think that he is going to be controlling immigration policy based on religion. It has no bases and it is absolutely unconstitutional. And everybody has due process and equal protection rights in this country and we are strongly opposes the anti-Islamic policies.

BERMAN: Now, you are a Republican. At one point were you supportive of Donald Trump?

AHMED: I was. I'm still hopeful he is going to come around. I think all of the candidates have serious nation security challenges because none of them understand Islam. A lot of them bashing slum and Muslims but they don't realize that terrorists are perverting the teachings of Islam and misusing the religion to justify crimes. Unless they understand the basic of Islam, they will never be able to solve our national security problems.

BERMAN: So, were you surprised then by this proposal? Because Donald Trump has said he wanted a database for all Muslims in the United States. He has called for surveillance on all mosques essentially in the United States. So this --.

AHMED: Donald --

BERMAN: Go ahead.

AHMED: Donald Trump has come up with a lot of absurd proposals. He wanted to shut down a lot of our mosques. He wanted to put us all in a database. I don't know if he find about concentration camps next. I'm not sure what is his plans are. But the thing is he is so misguided about Islam. He needs to understand Muslims and realize that terrorism does not represent Islam. There's 1.6 billion Muslims in the world. If you were to ban us all from traveling or from registering in database, then we would have serious problems in this country. And his suggestion that until we figure things out, I don't think Washington has figured things out for a while and it is not going to happening any time soon. You can't have unconstitutional bans based on religion.

BERMAN: There are eight other candidates on stage with Donald Trump on Tuesday night here behind me. What do you need to hear from them? Do they need to take a vocal stand against what Donald Trump is saying in your mind to win your support?

[17:25:06] AHMED: Definitely. I want to see them how they are willing to be defending my rights as a Muslim-American, how they are going to be protecting us. Because we are the ones who are facing a lot of backlash. There's a lot of anti-Islamic hate crimes going on. We have our mosques burning down. We have hate crimes and scarves being pulled off of women. We have huge issues.

I want to know how these candidates are going to be addressing our concerns and defending us as American citizens. We have a right to have a president who supports us. And presidential candidates on the Republican side needs to reach out to Muslim-Americans in key electorate states and start visiting our mosques and start understanding the issues and challenges we face. They cannot continue with this anti-Islamic rhetoric because we are the ones who get to suffer on a daily basis.

BERMAN: Saba Ahmed, I know you'll be watching this debate Tuesday night along with the rest of us, the last Republican debate of 2015.

Thanks so much, Saba.

AHMED: Thank you for having me.

BERMAN: Coming up for us, ahead of the big debate here in Las Vegas Tuesday night, an old political favorite returns to "Saturday Night Live."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The field of Republicans out there is so messed up I figured it makes you miss me, doesn't it? Dr. Ben Carson -- I can barely hear him when he talks. Cruz and Rubio, Rubio and Cruz. Sounds like a Miami law firm.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Yes. And wait until you hear what Will Ferrell also known as the fake George W. Bush, wait until you hear what he says about Donald Trump. That's next.

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[17:49:52] HARLOW: CNN is hosting the GOP debate focused on national security. The question really is how the next commander in-chief will make Americans feel safe at home. It is the critical question on so many minds right now, of course, in the wake of the Paris attacks and attack in San Bernardino, California, where 14 Americans were killed while they were at work gathered for an annual meeting. I was there, we were on the ground in San Bernardino. We saw the pain and suffering following the attack.

Donald Trump unveiled the plan to blunt terrorism, a temporary ban on all Muslims traveling to the United States. A "New York Times"/CBS poll finds nearly half of Americans are worried about potential attacks on U.S. soil soon. More than four in ten Americans, 44 percent believe an attack is very likely to happen here within the next few months.

How do potential Republican leaders plan on protecting the nation from terror? That is exactly what they will address on stage Tuesday night.

Joining me from Las Vegas, two gentlemen who will be there, John Berman, co-anchor of CNN's "AT THIS HOUR" and "EARLY START" and CNN's senior media correspondent Brian Stelter, host of "RELIABLE SOURCES."

Thank you, gentlemen, for being here.

As we lead up, less than 48 hours away, Brian. Talking about what resonates on TV with the millions upon millions of people watching, how do these candidates break through, break away from Donald Trump on this issue?

[17:31:19] BRIAN STELTER CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: We know from moderator Wolf Blitzer that the focus is going to be on national security. Other topics will come up as well, of course. But this is so pivotal because you think back to the past debates, you haven't had a GOP debate in over a month. And not just before the San Bernardino attack, it is also before the Paris attacks. And after Tuesday's debate, we won't have another one for the GOP for another month. So it's been a month. This has been a long time coming for these candidates. And after Tuesday night, it's going to be a long time before they have this chance to be in front of 15 to 25 million people to make their case.

HARLOW: Yes. And I think the real shake-up in the poll is look in the Iowa numbers with Cruz surging ahead in Iowa. It is critical, 50 days, 49 days out now.

To you both, I'm sure you were up and watched it last night but for everyone that didn't see it, here's a clip of "Saturday Night Live." Will Ferrell returning in his parody of George W. Bush.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILL FERRELL, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE: The field of Republicans out there is so messed up I figured it makes you miss me, doesn't it? Dr. Ben Carson, I can barely hear him when he talks. I tell you something. That's not going to work when you have to go to China or Az-Er-Ba-Jan (ph) where you have to talk loudly so they will understand. Not to mention he is some kind of brain surgeon. I got news for him. Running the country is not brain surgery. Cruz and Rubio. Rubio and Cruz. Sounds like a Miami law firm. If

you have been injured on the job, call Rubio and Cruz. These two guys, the sons of immigrants, hate immigrants. I for one like them Mexican people. They are my amigos. Then you have this knucklehead with the hair and the 100-foot wall. I tell you something. Whenever I get in a bad mood, I picture his big fat orange (INAUDIBLE) face, I just piss my pants.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: All right. John Berman, all joking aside, is that possible? It was hysterical. Classic Will Ferrell. Do you think it's tapping into something here or just fun?

BERMAN: Well, look. I think mostly fun. I think "Saturday Night Live" makes fun of every politician. They may particular fun I think it's fair to say of Republican politicians. And I think if there was one truly fascinating dynamic there, is they are making fun of a guy who hosted their show a month ago, you know. If they thought he was reprehensible, (INAUDIBLE), then why have him on to host the show a month ago and then brought Will Ferrell to crack the jokes? Perhaps, they were afraid to crack back then.

You know, it's interesting to see it's always funny. But look, you know, Donald Trump, it just goes to show how he transcends so many worlds. He has been beating Republican candidate right now but he also a guy who was, for a time, a television star.

HARLOW: Absolutely. He reminded us of that this morning in the interview with Jake Tapper. Brian, what about your reaction to that?

STELTER: I think with in the Will Ferrell skit, there is real genius behind it because when we hear that George W. Bush character saying I'm coming back because you all miss me. I'm going to run for office because you need me. I'm actually the smart one in the family. They touching on what many in the Republican establishment have been quietly saying about this pact of candidates. That they don't see the person that they would like to be running right now. That's why there is all this talk of third party candidates, as well.

So, it was touching on something important that's out there in the race right now. And I'm sure we will hear it on stage as well on Tuesday night.

[17:35:02] HARLOW: Yes. We absolutely will.

Gentlemen, have a great time in Vegas. The world will be watching this debate. No question.

John Berman, back to you in a moment. Brian, thank you.

Representatives and ministers from nearly 200 countries give a standing ovation to themselves.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYING) HARLOW: Presidents, prime ministers, kings and queens agreeing to end the era of fossil fuels and stop the warming of the earth. One of the biggest champions of climate reform was there and he will join me live sir Richard Branson is next. Stay with me.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:39:15] HARLOW: Two degrees Celsius. It may seem like a very small number but it could have a remarkably significant effect on global warming. Representatives from nearly 200 countries met in Paris. And this weekend they agreed to put their signatures on a deal that could affect the future of the planet.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYING)

HARLOW: The people celebrating here agreed to new emission regulations for their country. Some big, rich countries, some small poor countries. The goal, slow down and eventually stop the gradual warming of the globe these scientists say will make parts of the earth uninhabitable in our children's lifetimes.

President Obama who has pushed for finding worldwide climate change regulations really since he was first elected says an agreement like this only happened because the world finally spoke with one voice.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[17:40:14] BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Because no nation, not even one as powerful as ours, can solve this challenge alone. And no country, no matter how small, can sit on the sidelines. All of us had to solve it together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Of course, climate change is not just a scientific debate. It is a fiercely debated political issue. It divides countries like the United States, perhaps more than any other. But despite President Obama lauding this weekend's climate agreement in Paris, a Democratic presidential candidate who utterly believes that climate change is man-made is not on board with it. Senator Bernie Sanders on his campaign Web site writes, well, this is a step forward. It goes nowhere near far enough. The plan set in crisis. We need bold action in the very near future and does not provide that.

So let's get perspective from a businessman who has been pushing for this for years and years. Pushing the world to act, the chairman, the founder of Virgin Group, Sir Richard Branson. Thank you for being with me, Richard.

RICHARD BRANSON, FOUNDER/CEO, VIRGIN GROUP: Thank you.

HARLOW: You are back from Paris. You were just there. Are you in the Bernie Sanders camp that this doesn't go far enough or are you happy to see this agreement?

BRANSON: Extremely happy to see this agreement. I mean, to get 200 countries to agree to do their best to keep it at 1.5 degrees, it's just -- it's just historic. Wonderful. It would be great to get 200 countries to come together to agree to other things. But I think this means we have a real chance of keeping it right around 1.5 degrees. And that should save the seas from rapid rises in level and it should save the reefs which over 1.5 degrees pretty well lose every reef in the world. And it should save a lot of people. So, you know, so truly wonderful, wonderful, wonderful week.

HARLOW: Well, let's talk about this. I mean, you have dedicated so much of your time, your money, your energy to this. You have equated time and time again solving climate change to a human rights issue and you just brought up human lives. Explain that.

BRANSON: Well, you know, if we just let the world run to four or five degrees, we have no idea what the consequences would be. And, you know, we know they would be very dramatic and it is possible that we would have major wars, you know, people mass migration, there would be flooding of cities. It would have been a disaster.

And as it is, the alternative that we have now set ourselves is a clean energy revolution. So by 2050 any coal that's left will be left in the ground. Any oil that's left will be left in the ground. Clean energy revolution is going to create hundreds of thousands, millions of jobs worldwide. And a world after 2050 that will be run solely on clean energy which will be good for people's health. And it will be good for the price of energy. I mean, it will mean that we will be paying far less than we have paid for the last 20 or 30 years. And it will be just a happier world for our grandchildren and great grandchildren to live in.

HARLOW: And yet, Richard, the critics of this push back at you and they say, no, this costs jobs. And I know you don't like to wade into U.S. politics, but GOP presidential candidates Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Donald Trump, the three front-runners in most of the polls right now, all are in the camp that believes that human activity does not lead to global warming. So, their views are resonating with millions of Americans. Why do you think that is?

BRANSON: Well, it is like -- it is like saying the world isn't round. I mean, it is just too incredible for those of us who live outside America to hear so-called educated people and saying something like this to this day and age. I mean, we know that carbon is creating a blanket around the world and it's getting thicker and thicker. And as it's getting thicker and thicker it warms up the earth. And it is just a scientific fact. And it's just, you know, it is just unbelievable that anybody is questioning that. And I think there's people too intelligent to be really believing it. I think they must be doing it for political purposes. And nobody in the rest of the world is taking that kind of talk seriously anymore.

I mean, I spent an hour with the, you know, chief negotiator for China. You know, he knows it is happening. China is going to create a green energy revolution. They are going to go all out and it would be very sad if America is left behind on this one. I mean, if you could create millions of jobs and your cities will benefit, your children will benefit. You won't have smog anymore. You will have cars that are going to be run on electric cars. And you know? You won't have the coal powered fire stations anymore. You are going to have clean energy. A beautiful, beautiful country. And that is what Americans should be striving for and very, very pleased about the outcome.

[17:45:29] HARLOW: And I know, Richard, you have said you want to see America do even more so we will track this very closely.

Richard Branson, thank you very much for your time.

BRANSON: Thanks, Poppy. Cheers.

HARLOW: Up next, we will speak with someone who disagrees with Richard Branson. The U.S. senator from Oklahoma who feels so passionately that climate change is not human made, man-made. That he brought a snowball to the Senate floor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On record I ask the chair, you know what this is? It's a snowball. And that's just from outside here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: That was earlier this year to say that Senator James Inhofe is against the worldwide agreement signed in Paris is an understatement. He will join me live next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:50:32] HARLOW: Nearly 200 countries this weekend reaching a historic agreement promising to take action to cut greenhouse gases and put the brakes on potentially catastrophic effects of a slowly warming planet. This happened in Paris, a 196 nations vowing to set emission goals and to stick to them.

Supporters call it a death knell for the fossil fuel era. Critics say given that it is voluntary there is simply no way to enforce it, and they say it just doesn't have any teeth. One of the most vocal opponents of the agreement, Oklahoma Republican senator James Inhofe. He joins me on the phone. Thank you for being with me, Senator.

SEN. JAMES INHOFE (R), OKLAHOMA (on the phone): You bet, Poppy.

HARLOW: You oppose the agreement. You have been incredibly vocal. You have written a book all about this. Why do you oppose what was reached in Paris?

INHOFE: If someone would read the book and go all the way through, then they would understand. I listened to Mr. Branson. You know, Poppy, I think he actually believes that, and these people have been talking to each other these 21 years. They all get together. The developing countries come and they expect billions of dollars to be spent and given to them so they can do something with their greenhouse gas emissions. But there is nothing historic about this and keep talking about this.

There's no admission and so I don't know what's historic about it. One interesting thing, at the very last minute when the language was going to be developed countries shall continue to undertake economy wide emission targets. They changed that from shall to should. And the reason, Poppy, they did that was so they won't come back to the United States and have something that would be mandated, therefore, the Senate would have to vote for it. And they couldn't get 100 senators, they couldn't get 30 senators to vote for something like that. We have already voted --

HARLOW: Senator, let me ask you this. You brought up Richard Branson, who was just on. And you said that he actually believes that. He does. And the other people that agree with him on the science of climate change are 97 percent of working scientists --

INHOFE: Not true.

HARLOW: It is true, around the globe right now, 97 percent believe the globe is not warming because of human.

INHOFE: No.

HARLOW: You see it in the global average surface temperatures. You see it in the glaciers melting. You see it in plants blooming earlier. That is the scientific evidence, senator. What's your response?

INHOFE: That just isn't true. The 97 percent that they have used over and over and over again is fictitious. You have a lot of -- I have a whole list of scientists that were 10 years old when they said, no. They screened their scientists for the (INAUDIBLE), that is United Nations, and you have great scientists like Richard Lind of MIT (INAUDIBLE) and perhaps the foremost planetary scientist. He is laughing about it. (INAUDIBLE). It started in the '80s of global warming and he said this agreement is not agreement. It's fraud. He said it and testified before our committee and said it's a fake.

HARLOW: So, senator --

INHOFE: Let me tell you this, Poppy --

HARLOW: Sure.

INHOFE: From the very beginning I thought perhaps this might be true and so I found out what the cost would be to the United States of America that would constitute the largest tax increase in history. And so, we started checking on the science and that's when we got calls coming in from the community.

HARLOW: All right. I want to ask you this, senator, before I run out of time. I want to ask you this. You were not in Paris, is that correct, for these talks?

INHOFE: That's correct. HARLOW: So my question is, there were no Republican members of

Congress who were there, and I know how passionate, sir, you are about this. You have written extensively about it. You just cited these scientists. Why not go and have more of a voice in the debate?

INHOFE: Because, Poppy, we were voting in the United States Senate. You know, I have a daytime job.

HARLOW: I know.

INHOFE: So I didn't go. You know, the last time I went, I have been to several of them, and they are the same thing every time. They get together. They talk to each other. They tell each other what they want to hear, and then nothing happens. The last was Copenhagen. And you remember what happened in Copenhagen. Nothing. And nothing has happened at this one.

But let me just mention one thing that he said that you almost can't keep a straight face when you said it. That is China made some type of a commitment. China didn't make a commitment. They said we are going to increase our CO2 emissions for another 15 years. Then we will relook at it. Well, they are the beneficiary if we were to pass something in the United States and chase our manufacturing base overseas, some place they had no controls at all, that would be China. That would be India. That would be Mexico. To say they're a part of something where they stand to really make the most from it as long as they don't have any restrictions, that's where they are now.

[17:55:52] HARLOW: Senator James Inhofe, I'm glad we're having the discussion. I hope you'll come back and join us again. Thank you, sir.

INHOFE: Anytime. Longer is better.

HARLOW: I agree. Thank you very much.

We are going to get a quick break in. We will return to Las Vegas next, the site of CNN's Republican presidential debate on Tuesday night. Stay with me.

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