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Presidential Race; Planned Parenthood Accusers; CNN Special Report Tonight on Officer's Staged Suicide; Will Trump Skip GOP Debate Over Moderator? Aired 8:30-9a ET
Aired January 26, 2016 - 08:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:32:24] ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Just six days before the Iowa caucuses the Democrats making their final pitches last night at the CNN town hall. Hillary being asked point-blank about her trustworthiness.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In fact, I've heard from quite a few people my age that they think you're dishonest. But I'd like to hear from you on why you feel the enthusiasm isn't there.
HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, I think it really depends upon who you're seeing and talking to. You know, today, in Oskaloosa I spent time with about ten high school students who are enthusiastically working for me. I see young people across the state who are doing the same. But I'm - I'm totally happy to see young people involved in any way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CAMEROTA: All right, did she change any minds there? Let's bring in David Axelrod. He's our CNN senior political commentator and a former Obama senior advisor. He's now the director of the University of Chicago Institute of Politics.
Hi, David.
DAVID AXELROD, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Good morning. How you doing?
CAMEROTA: I'm doing well.
So we just had Hugh Hewitt, the radio host, on and he said that she botched that first answer and that that was an opportunity there to talk about the - her - her - the hype that she is untrustworthy or dishonest and he believes that that response well be used in Republican attack ads because it was so bad. Did you think she missed an opportunity?
AXELROD: You know, I don't think - I don't agree with Hugh on that. I think that on the whole she turned in a very strong performance. And, you know, that's a tough question to answer. But at the end of the day, she made the case, which I think is her core argument, that she is a tenacious fighter who knows how to navigate the system and produce change.
CAMEROTA: Yes.
AXELROD: And that's really the core of - I think she did a good job of getting that across last night. If there was one problem, it wasn't that. I thought that on Chris's question about the e-mails when she said that she - that it wasn't a mistake in judgment - it wasn't an error in judgment, kind of contradicts what she said in September where she called it a mistake and apologized for it. So she's still having trouble with that question.
CAMEROTA: Yes.
AXELROD: But, overall, I thought it was a very strong performance for her.
CAMEROTA: But aren't these part and parcel the same issue? Should she have a better answer? Since the dishonesty thing comes up, shouldn't she just have sat down and said, let me address this head on. I'm - I'm an honest person. Here's why. I mean shouldn't she just have hit that one out of the park?
[08:35:00] AXELROD: You know, Alisyn, I don't know how you address a question like that. You know, I'm not sure that, you know, I remember other politicians trying to take this sort of head on and it ended up becoming kind of a cartoonish episode. So I think she's best to sort of navigate around it and go to her strengths. And her strength is strength. Her strength is tenacity. Her strength is her ability to navigate the system.
The real question for those young people and the reason that she's having problem with them is, Bernie Sanders is saying, I'm going blow up the system. I'm going to - we need - we need a political revolution. And to kids who are fund suspicious of institutions, that's a much more appealing message.
CAMEROTA: Yes.
AXELROD: They want change and they want it now, and that's a more appealing message. I think that's really what's dogging her with younger voters who don't buy the sort of incremental change message.
CAMEROTA: We have a moment of Bernie Sanders talking about his ideology last night. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BERNIE SANDERS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think we are touching a nerve with the American people who understand that establishment politics is just not good enough. We need bold changes. We need a political revolution.
(END VIDEO CLIP) CAMEROTA: OK, so, I mean, he's talking about a political revolution, as you just said there, David. And there's the romance of ideology that some people vote on and then there's the practicality of the ground game that is what matters we keep hearing in Iowa and New Hampshire.
AXELROD: Yes.
CAMEROTA: So who, David, do you think is going to win Iowa?
AXELROD: That is a - that's a very tough question because I think it's very, very close. And you do have the sort of enthusiasm of the Sanders forces versus the organization of the Clinton forces. I think the thing everybody ought to be watch on Monday night is the size of the turnout. If Bernie Sanders can grow that turnout, if he can succeed in doing what he's hoping to do, which is to get all these college kids who are supporting him in Iowa to go to their home counties to vote, to spread his support out, he could have a very good night. But, you know, I think she very well could win this. And the way it's set up now, a narrow win for Hillary Clinton would be considered a real victory for her, which wouldn't have been the case a couple of months ago.
CAMEROTA: David, I want to talk about this interview that President Obama gave to Politico, because he said a lot of interesting things. In particular, he talked about how the campaign, the campaign that you ran, helped run in 2007 and 2008 wasn't really fair, he now thinks, in all ways to Hillary Clinton. So listen to what he said about this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES (voice-over): The truth is, in 2007 and 2008, sometimes my supporters and my staff I think got -
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How dare you. they were -
OBAMA: Too huffy about what were legitimate questions she was raising. And, you know, there were times where I think the media probably was a little unfair to her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CAMEROTA: David, I mean he's sort of talking about you. Were you unfair? Were you too huffy with legitimate questions?
AXELROD: Well, Alisyn, part of - part of being staff is that when the principal wants to kind of distance himself from you, that's part of the deal. You sign up for that.
The truth is that the message in 2007 and 2008 was very much about challenging the system. It was against sort of conventional politics. And it was very successful then. And it was the right message at the time because of the situation that was going on in Washington.
Now you have a democratic president who has produced real change and has come up against the realities of life in Washington. And so there is a case to be made for preserving those changes, protecting them and building on them in a more incremental way and that it will take someone who knows how to navigate that system when it has broad experience to do it. And I think that's the case that he was making. I happen - I kind of remember him joining in those arguments back in 2007 and 2008, but that's another question.
CAMEROTA: I think that's called throwing under the bus, but not - not from your side to his. David Axelrod, thanks so much. Always great to get your impressions of all of this stuff.
AXELROD: Nice to see you.
CAMEROTA: You too.
AXELROD: Have a good day.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Another way to say it is, I know you are but what am I, he's saying to President Obama right there.
All right, coming up for us, the surprise indictment coming in on the Planned Parenthood, the antiabortion activists, they didn't see this coming. Stay was us.
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[08:43:33] CAMEROTA: A twist in the investigation into those undercover tapes meant to expose Planned Parenthood. A Texas grand jury indicting not the organization but its accusers. CNN's Deborah Feyerick joins us now with more.
What's the latest, Deb?
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Alisyn, what we're talking about are undercover videos by two anti-abortion activists who were posing as officials trying to buy fetal tissue for medical research. Well, the videos released last summer alleged that Planned Parenthood illegally profited from those sales of donated tissues. However, a Texas grand jury found no evidence of that and cleared Planned Parenthood of misconduct. Daleiden, one of the anti-abortion activists, set up a phony human tissue company. He's accused of attempting to improperly buy fetal tissue. What the grand jury did is they indicted those two activists, David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt, who are now facing felony charges of altering their driver's license to improperly gain access to Planned Parenthood and its officials.
And, Alisyn, these videos have threatened Planned Parenthood's federal funding. They've trigged heated debate among Republican presidential candidates. And here's what Marco Rubio said about this on Monday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm disturbed that while Planned Parenthood, who were the ones that were actually selling off these parts, were found having done nothing wrong. I think the people who exposed this did a service to our country by exposing the true nature of Planned Parenthood.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FEYERICK: Now, Planned Parenthood says that 11 states have investigated these allegations against them and cleared them. They're now suing Daleiden and his group. Bail for both of the anti-abortion activists has been set at $10,000.
John.
BERMAN: All right, Deb, thanks so much.
[08:44:59] So in early September, investigators in a small town north of Chicago were looking for the suspects who killed a hero cop known locally as "G.I. Joe Gliniewicz." By October, though, they say they discovered thousands of erased texts revealing disturbing information about the man everyone had considered a hero.
CNN's Justice Correspondent Pamela Brown has the full story tonight in a "CNN Special Report: The Secret Life of G.I. Joe." Here is a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAMELA BROWN, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The messages that interest investigators the most are the ones that suggest Fox Lake's hero law enforcement officer may have tried to arrange a hit on the new Village Administrator, a woman named Anne Marin.
(on camera): When you read the text you saw he wanted to put a hit on on the Village Administrator, what was your reaction to that?
COMMANDER GEORGE FILENKO, LAKE CO., ILLINOIS, MAJOR CRIME TASK FORCE: Holy crap.
BROWN (voice-over): Commander Filenko is talking about a Facebook message from early April of 2015. In it, Glenowitz writes to a woman, "Being forced to retire by new village administrator. Work life has been a living hell the last few months. Close to entertaining a meeting with a mutually acquaintance of ours with the word White in their nickname."
Investigators claim White is code for a high-ranking gang member. Authorities say when they interview the woman Glenowitz was messaging, she says the lieutenant told her he wanted a gang member to make a hit on Marin.
FILENKO: We actually located the person that we believe there was an attempt to recruit to do the hit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: All right. Pamela Brown joins us right now. Pamela, I remember, you know, covering this, when it happened investigators told me we're close to making arrests here of other people. So when did the suspicions start that it was this guy all along? BROWN: Well, what's interesting is that I was being told the first
week of Lieutenant Glenowitz's death by federal law enforcement sources that the doubt was creeping in that this was really a homicide. There were certain things at the crime scene that investigators looked at that they thought this doesn't make sense.
For one, his uniform was in role call order. You remember that he had -- you know, his baton and other equipment was left behind so this was a sign of a struggle, but yet there was no mud or anything on his uniform.
In addition, John, they pulled his cell phone records and it showed that he was at that site where he was killed around 30 minutes before he called into dispatch for help. And so they were able to eliminate some of the suspects and then, of course, as we know, several weeks later they were able to confirm that this, in fact, was suicide.
BERMAN: Such an incredible story. So many more fascinating (inaudible). Thank you, Pamela. You all have to tune in tonight for a "CNN Special Report: The Secret Life of G.I. Joe," 9:00 Eastern right here on CNN.
Alisyn.
CAMEROTA: All right. Snapshots from the campaign trail seem to be going viral at record speed. What's driving these so-called "must see" moments? We take a look at some of the best. That's next.
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[08:51:35] CAMEROTA: Will there be a rematch on Thursday night between Fox News host Megyn Kelly and Donald Trump when the Republican candidates face off for their next debate? And will Trump skip the debate, as he is threatening?
Here to discuss, CNN senior media correspondent and host of "RELIABLE SOURCES," Brian Stelter and Bill Carter, CNN contributor and author of "The War for Late Night." Hi, gentleman. Great to see you.
Brian, no chance that Donald Trump skips the debate.
BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: No. It's terrible when a guest comes on and says no right away. But there is no way he's skipping the debate. And he knows it. But he is messing with Megyn Kelly in a really powerful way here.
CAMEROTA: He's tweeting. Let me tell you what he's saying, Bill. "Based on Megyn Kelly's conflict of interest and bias, she should not be allowed to be a moderator of the next debate." And I guess by bias he means journalistic ethics because she was asking him fair questions.
BILL CARTER, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Asked some real questions. But look, he's planted it so that maybe she isn't as tough as she would be. Because maybe he will then counter it. It is him stirring the pot. Which he's really good it and he's planting this in everybody's head, she's going to come after him. So if she comes after him, it doesn't have as much effect, he thinks.
STELTER: Fox says he's just boosting the rating.
BERMAN: And this benefits who, exactly? Donald Trump and Fox. Everyone wins here.
STELTER: Yes. It builds up the debate. The big different between August, the first time there was this tiff between Kelly and Trump, and now Trump is not just the front runner, but he seems to be in a dominant position heading into the Iowa caucus.
CARTER: Yes. So (inaudible) have him.
STELTER: So it's a bigger deal for this -- there to be a fight going on between --
BERMAN: Although politically -- From a political standpoint as opposed to a media/PR standpoint, the thing that makes sense for him is just to sit back, is to stand up at this debate and say as little as possible because when you are winning, you don't want to stir the pot.
STELTER: Right.
CARTER: That is not his style. He's not in a prevent defense, this guy. He wants to go out all the way. This is his personality. He can't back off, I don't think.
CAMEROTA: Brian, I just also think that your point is very interesting, that it could have a chilling effect, not necessarily on Megyn, of course, but on journalists. When he goes after journalists, you do -- there is a feeling of should I pull my punches next time? Did I cross the line? Because --
STELTER: And that's why Fox put out a statement last night that said Donald Trump, at some point, is going to have to learn he doesn't get to pick the journalist who interview him.
BERMAN: Donald Trump does a lot of interviews. I mean -- criticize Donald Trump for not being available to the press, though, isn't exactly fair though either because he talks to anybody and everybody --
CARTER: On his terms.
STELTER: -- he does --
(CROSSTALK)
CARTER: And he does sort of call the shots. If you are pushing a certain way, he comes out the next day and said they were unfair to me. So it's -- he does really control the narrative very smartly.
STELTER: But doing it (inaudible). He's making it more of a reality TV show. The people at home who hate the idea that this feels like entertainment, well it's partly because Trump is tweeting it like entertainment, retweeting fans of his or against Megyn Kelly and stuff like that.
CARTER: Yeah. Exactly.
CAMEROTA: OK. Let's talk about real entertainment. Jimmy Fallon did a funny bit with Bernie Sanders who put out an album in 1987...
BERMAN: Thank God he did.
CAMEROTA: ...singing and Jimmy Fallon played a clip of this. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMY FALLON, LATE NIGHT TALK SHOW HOST: Bernie Sanders. Now, I'm not joking. This is real. It is an album that he made in 1987.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
FALLON: I saw around me. I saw -- Don't ask me what I saw. I saw the golden valley. I saw that this land was made for us. Sorry, this land -- I saw this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[08:54:59] CARTER: I love it. It's a reggae version of "This Land is Our Land." Really.
CAMEROTA: I mean, Bernie Sanders has been called the rock star, but now I guess he really was a rock star.
STELTER: People used to say the Clintons were so great for late night TV, but Bernie Sanders also very valuable for the comedians.
CARTER: Of course he's coming up on "Saturday Night Live." It is not him, but it's the next best thing when --
BERMAN: Everyone was laughing, everyone thinks it's so great, but let me make it all serious here. You can tell by the way that politicians are mocked or made fun of on TV who is doing well. Because that is not cruel. That does not hurt you if you're Bernie Sanders. They can make fun at lampoon politicians in ways that absolutely hurts them. You know, look -- I mean Sarah Palin on "Saturday Night Live," oh, you know, Tina Fey reprising the role. We can put that up right here.
STELTER: I can't imagine they very much liked this. I know Donald Trump said it was very cute, but I can't imagine he watched this and actually enjoyed it.
CARTER: No. I can't either.
CAMEROTA: But do you think that it hurts? I mean --
CARTER: Bernie?
CAMEROTA: No, no -- I mean this. That Tina Fey has parodied Sarah Palin for years now and it hasn't --
(CROSSTALK)
STELTER: The Venn diagram between "SNL" fans and Sarah Palin fans is vanishingly small.
Carter: But it established a narrative about her early on when she first did it, I think, and it's continued. I do think that's had impact on the way people think about her. I do think so.
BERMAN: The Bernie Sanders album, not so much.
CARTER: No, I think -- I think it only makes it look cute for him.
BERMAN: Grammy.
CAMEROTA: There you go. Brian, Bill, thank you. Great to talk to both of you.
All right. "NEWSROOM" with Carol Costello picks up right after this break. See you tomorrow.
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