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Don Lemon Tonight

New Hampshire Voters Getting Ready to Cast Their Ballots; Trump Leads GOP Rivals in Latest CNN Poll; Why Aren't Young Female Voters Supporting Clinton? Aired 10-11p ET

Aired February 08, 2016 - 22:00   ET

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


[22:00:00] ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, "AC360": Locations, The boy scouts right now are doing a mock vote in the town. The actual voting there doesn't begin until midnight. We'll be there to bring it to you live along with the results.

Our coverage of the New Hampshire primary continues right now with CNN TONIGHT and Don Lemon.

DON LEMON, CNN HOST: It's really under way, everyone. Take a look at this. You're looking live now. This is Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, where in just two hours, midnight Eastern Time. Residents of this tiny town will do what they do every four years. They're going to cast the first primary vote for the presidential race. It all gets started there and we'll bring you the results right here on CNN.

This is CNN TONIGHT. I'm Don Lemon.

Thank you so much for watching. We're live in Manchester, New Hampshire at the famous Foundry Restaurant where snow is falling and forecast for tomorrow, but not enough to stop voters here.

It was a mini blizzard today, but this is really spring for the girls and boys here. I keep looking at our Dana Bash. We're going to get to Dana in just a little bit.

But CNN's latest polls show Bernie Sanders far ahead of his democratic challenger and that is Hillary Clinton. And Donald Trump with a big lead over his GOP rivals. And with voting imminent, it is getting nastier and nastier. Trump and Jeb Bush trading insults. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't a lot of respect for Jeb, you knows he is a -- Jeb is lightweight. Let me tell you.

JEB BUSH, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Donald Trump, you're a loser.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: We have a lot to get to tonight, and I want to turn right away, as I said, to Dana Bash, CNN's chief political correspondent. Dana, the snow is falling, but that's not stopping the drubbing or the clubbing of republicans. They're really going at each other, especially Jeb Bush and Donald Trump.

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Oh, they really are. It's pretty remarkable. But let's just look, for example, at some of the tweets...

LEMON: OK.

BASH: ... that they were sending to each other today or add each other I should say. Donald Trump, "Everybody is laughing is Jeb Bush spent $100 million and it's at the bottom of the PAC, a pathetic figure." And then Jeb Bush at reel Donald Trump, "You're aren't just a loser, you're a liar and a whiner. John McCain is a hero. Over and out."

LEMON: Oh, wow. So, what's going on?

BASH: Excuse me. What's going on here is -- I'm choking. But besides that -- no, I'm bad. Besides that, it's these two guys have been going at it for so long, and now they're finally on the precipice of the actual voting. And Jeb Bush feels that he's the only guy who is standing up to the guy who he says is a bully.

LEMON: Yes. Did you got a chance to ask him about that today, correct?

BASH: I did. And what I wanted to know from him was, you know, given how far he has come and where he started -- because remember, when he started, he was the frontrunner nationally and here in New Hampshire. I was just looking back at the polls.

And he said he would only really run if he ran a joyful campaign. And I was showing him these tweets saying, wow, what a difference there is. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: When you started this campaign, you said, or even before, you said that you really only would like to do it if it could be a joyful campaign.

BUSH: Yes.

BASH: And now we are the day before the New Hampshire primary, and you're calling an opponent a loser, a whiner, and a liar.

BESH: Well, he is a whiner, and I'm defending the honor of people that I really respect. And I think that's more than appropriate. I do this with joy in my heart because I do believe that this country is the most extraordinary country on the face of the earth.

But I'm going to be, you know, I'm a joyful warrior. There is a difference between just sitting back and watching someone try to hijack a party that I believe will allow people to rise up again.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BASH: A joyful warrior. A very different kind of campaign that he wanted to run. But, you know, he has, again, made it clear that he feels like no one else has really decided to stand up to Donald Trump, not just in terms of the personality conflicts, but because he doesn't think that Donald Trump is a real conservative, and he's trying to call him out on it.

LEMON: That's what he -- they've been hitting him with that.

BASH: Exactly.

LEMON: It looks like, I have the polls in my hand here. It shows Donald Trump 31 percent, Marco Rubio is at 17, Cruz at 14, Kasich. This is -- is this -- this is really the running is for second, third and fourth. This debate that happened this weekend, is that going to change any of this that's reflected in these numbers, do you think?

BASH: Well, this is our daily tracking poll...

LEMON: OK.

BASH: ... of that CNN does with WMUR. And the reason why CNN and others do this is because things change so fast in New Hampshire, particularly in the time between the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary. The numbers haven't changed very much, and to answer your question, more -- most importantly for Marco Rubio, who had the now infamous moment or moments over the weekend.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: Right. He kept saying the same thing.

BASH: When he kept saying the same thing over and over again. It didn't change much for him. He's still in second place, a distant second place, but more -- most importantly, he's in second place.

[22:05:01] Three-quarters of this poll, though, was conducted before the debate.

LEMON: OK.

BASH: And the sample was too small to really tell post-debate if he took a hit. It didn't look like he did but we're not going to be able to tell the answer to that until the real poll happens, until people actually go and vote tomorrow.

LEMON: None of the polling matters except for the poll where people are casting their ballots.

Thank you, Dana Bash.

BASH: Thanks, Don.

LEMON: Thanks for -- we'll see you around. We'll get back to Dana. Dana always has some breaking news. I want to bring in now Hugh Hewitt, the host of the Hugh Hewitt show, joining us now here. And we are in New Hampshire. Hugh, Donald Trump called in to Wolf Blitzer show to respond right after Dana's interview. Let's listen to that and then we'll talk.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: He's a desperate person. He's a sad and, you know, he's a pathetic person. He doesn't even use his last name in his ads. He's a sad person who has gone absolutely crazy. I mean, this guy is a nervous wreck. He goes around saying, "I'm the only one to have courage to go after Trump. I will attack Trump and I'm the only one."

What courage is it? He says nasty things. I always put him down on the day and he goes away like a little sheep. So, Jeb is having some kind of a breakdown, I think. And you know, look, he's an embarrassment to his family. He has to bring his mother out and walk his mother around at 90 years old.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: So, Hugh, who is going to win this feud between the two? Is Bush helping himself or hurting Trump at all?

HUGH HEWITT, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Well, Donald Trump is going to win tomorrow night, and I recall that toy that's been on the market for probably 50 years, Rock'em Sock'em Robots, the red robot and the blue robot. That's Donald Trump and Jeb Bush, and the guy who is actually benefiting from that is John Kasich.

Perhaps the best closing ad, and I've been od'ing on CNN because I'm stuck in a hotel in Boston because of the snow storm. So, I got OD capinated CNN. I've seen everybody all day long on CNN.

But John Kasich's ad, which is very positive, very uplifting, and he shoots it very wide camera, very smiley, very happy John Kasich is in such sharp contrast to everybody else that building on his debate performance Saturday night, and I think he's going to come in second, and then I think Marco Rubio is going to come in third for this reason.

When I see David Axelrod and Paul Begala and Jennifer Granholm, all three political operative, and I hear Chris Matthews and I read Jonathan Shea who are leftist people, basically everyone in the MSN, telling me that Marco Rubio is destroyed and down in the mat and bleeding out.

Then my conservative speedy sense begins to tingle that maybe something is going on here like the "Ocean's Eleven" coming in to the casino and something is not right with this picture.

And so, Marco Rubio leaned into it today, so I think he's going to finish stronger. And I don't know about tracking polls, Don. You said it better. We say the polls are broken, we have no turnout model, let's look at the polls. And I just have to go with speedy thing.

LEMON: Well, let's look at the polls in. Let's talk about it. The polls were so wrong, Hugh, in Iowa. How solid, Hugh, that... (CROSSTALK)

HEWITT: But I was right, I was right.

LEMON: ... 32 percent in our poll said that they would -- but 32 percent said they'd never vote for him. How solid is his lead, do you think?

HEWITT: His lead is very solid because he's in every single poll. OK. So, that's why I think it's very, very solid. But I do believe that one thing can always take away from these polls is direction, and Donald Trump's direction has stayed very, very stable throughout.

So, there is a New Hampshire element that's not going to move. John Kasich's direction has been rising rapidly across a bunch of different polls, so I don't think that's going to change much.

Look, we have -- we have a tulip bubble, a punditry going on right now. And we are the pre-game show predicting the match, so keep it going. But the fact of the matter is that everyone is going to leave here, because we're going to have a black swan event of politics, which is an open convention.

So, if anyone got any delegates, they've got chips to play with, and they're all going to South Carolina and they're all going to the next debate that I'm doing with CNN, the Salem Media Group on the 22nd of February -- or 25th of February.

They're going to be around on the March 10th debate, because they got nothing to lose and it doesn't cost that much to hang around through the two super Tuesdays, Don. So, this is really great fun. But we're getting ourselves spun up too much.

LEMON: So, you think that everyone is in -- because my question to you is, who is out after tomorrow and will all those governors go forward, do you think? Do you think everyone is in for the long haul at least the medium haul.

HEWITT: The only one I have any doubt about is Ben Carson. I just don't know if Dr. Ben is going to go forward. Carly Fiorina has told me personally and she will match. She is Margaret Thatcher, she is not for turning.

And I know that Chris Christie has got hedge fund people behind him, he's got a record that if he can survive to Michigan. He's got a great state that plays well to his strengths. Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush got to have it out in Florida with Donald Trump in a great race.

South Florida is going to be the Antietam of political primaries. There was a part of the battle the Antietam called the bloody lane and that's going to be South Carolina in Sunday.

So, this is the greatest show on earth, and it's leading up to the greatest convention ever in the greatest city in the United States, Cleveland, with the greatest sports franchisers. Had to put that in.

[22:10:05] LEMON: All right. So, your prediction you said is Donald Trump...

(CROSSTALK)

HEWITT: Trump, Kasich, and Rubio.

LEMON: Who is second, Marco Rubio and Kasich?

HEWITT: No, no. Second is Kasich. Second is Kasich, Rubio is third.

LEMON: Kasich.

HEWITT: And now let me say a word about the man we have not mentioned, Ted Cruz. You know, Ted Cruz won Iowa and I listened to the roundtable with Anderson Cooper at last hour. In the round that we haven't talked about Ted Cruz. Dana and you didn't talked about Ted Cruz. He won Iowa.

Now, why is that? You know, I don't have an answer. Why is that, the guy that won Iowa is not being talk about for two hours in the pre- game show.

LEMON: Was he hurt by that, was he hurt but maybe people thinking that he did something underhanded when it comes to Ben Carson?

HEWITT: That exactly and I think -- and I think his supporters will go through eight feet of snow to vote for him tomorrow because they feel he has been dealt an unfair hand based on the inflated.

So, there's a -- there's a -- it's called an oodles loop. Observer weren't decide and acting going on within conservatism right now. We're observing the media and the democrats trying to manipulate. We do not see the reporting of the FBI confirming today that Hillary Clinton's investigation is real.

We do not see the fact that Bill Clinton is saying the most extraordinarily inappropriate things for Bill Clinton to say. We do not see Bernie Sanders 80-popint lead, 85 points lead among women. And ask ourselves, why is that? Why is Bernie Sanders 85 points ahead of Hillary Clinton in young women?

And then look at the campus atmosphere in the last five years. So, I think conservatives are going to be very supportive of Ted Cruz tomorrow if they're -- they're not patterning, either. So, he'll be in fourth or fifth. He's not going to have a bad day. Everyone is...

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: But New Hampshire is different from Iowa. There is not -- there is not a ton of, you know, Evangelicals here as much as in Iowa. It's a difference. It's a different of bunch here.

HEWITT: You're right.

LEMON: I have to move on. Thank you very much, Hugh.

HEWITT: The 400,000 independents. LEMON: I appreciate it.

HEWITT: OK.

LEMON: Yes. I want to bring in now democratic strategist Ms. Donna Brazile, and also Michael -- Mr. Michael Smerconish, the host of CNN's Smerconish.

Thank you very much for joining us here. So, you heard him talk about Bernie Sanders's lead. It's a substantial lead. There are 65 to 35 percent, only 15 percent still undecided. Does the Clinton campaign those numbers will hold? Do you think those numbers will hold?

DONNA BRAZILE, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I don't know. And I don't know what the Clinton's campaign is thinking. But I can tell you this much. Bernie Sanders is not just from a neighboring state, but he has really come on stronger in this state.

Voters in this state they have an independent streak. They like someone who is authentic, who will tell you like it is, and I think he has a good chance tomorrow and maintain his double-digit lead.

Look, the Clintons are one for two in this state. They've won and they've loss. but the one thing Hillary Clinton was able to do back in 2008, she all became a big deficit coming out of Iowa. She hasn't been able to close the gap, but who knows.

There is a gender gap that she can close not just with young women but also on married women as well. And of course, she can expand the number of people. They will be new people who will be voting tomorrow.

And I just want to make sure everybody in New Hampshire now if you're 18, you can vote. New people can register on the day of and just bring some form of I.D. Please, don't look like Don, OK? Don't look like Don. But you can vote tomorrow here in New Hampshire.

LEMON: What do you mean, don't look like me? Like an old man, what?

BRAZILE: No, I just don't want an impersonator. It's a voter fraud. You are like that. I'm worried about that, aren't you?

LEMON: The Clinton campaign has been saying what they think, Michael, is that they're trying to keep it down in single digits. They don't think she's going to win. They think she'll close the gap, but what kind of defeat will this be for Hillary Clinton?

MICHAEL SMERCONISH, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: If it's a double-digit for Bernie Sanders I think that the result will be twofold. I have a very difficult time believing that Senator Sanders really can win the democratic nomination.

But in the short term, I see two things happening. One, this will means significant fundraising appeal for him. The continuation of what is it, $27, the average contribution. And his ability to counteract what she's raised in large volume contributions with small dollar. That's one ramification. But there is second ramification given today's news. Michael Bloomberg

is going to pay attention to those results tomorrow night. And if Bloomberg should see that Hillary Clinton is a double-digit loser you have to believe that it entices him more so to get into this race.

LEMON: Is it too late, because he said he...

(CROSSTALK)

SMERCONISH I don't -- I don't think it's too late for him.

BRAZILE: No.

SMERCONISH: Not for him.

BRAZILE: It's not too late for him because I think he has resources to go on the ballot.

LEMON: Yes.

BRAZILE: But look, New Hampshire will shape the raise going forward. But there are states that are little more diverse...

(CROSSTALK)

SMERCONISH: Sure, no doubt.

BRAZILE: ... in terms of crowd participation in the state independents can cross over undeclared voters can vote in to the party's primary. I wouldn't put a lot of stock on New Hampshire. I know a lot of people will, but I still believe that this race is far from over after tomorrow.

[22:15:00] LEMON: Can we talk about Politico is reporting that Hillary Clinton is unhappy with the New Hampshire campaign thinking about a shakeup. They have said, you know, they have tweeted out, or have said, absolutely. But what's your response to that. What's the real skinny on that.

BRAZILE: It's honestly, I was -- I'm very upset that somebody would put that and do the night before a major primary. Think about it, Don. Some of and these -- some of the volunteers and the staff, that they've been on -- they've been here in the staple for two years, campaigning hard for Hillary Clinton.

And all of a sudden you read in the newspaper or you read online that your job might be at risk at the same time get to wake up in three hours to go out and get the vote.

Shame on you whoever leaks the story. I want to give every person's work in the Hillary Clinton camp, Bernie, Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Ben Carson, give them a chance to go out there and compete tomorrow. And then we'll see what happens on Wednesday.

LEMON: David Axelrod who is former chief strategist for Barack Obama's campaign, the CNN political consultant had something to say about this political report. If we can put this up. He said, when the exact -- this is what he tweeted. "When the exact same problems crop up in separate campaigns with different staff, at what point do the principal say, hey, maybe it's us?" Just -- I mean, do you think Hillary Clinton needs to take a look in the mirror?

SMERCONISH: Don, I may be now the skinny. I have no idea what the real deal is from the Clinton campaign. But it wouldn't surprise me if this was something created by a political opponent, maybe an opponent within the democratic race, maybe a republican opponent because this is the sort of fodder that only often lead drudge. Any report like this about Hillary, you know, is going to have legs. But as I read the story, I can't see where it's just justified or substantiated. You know, who is the source? That's a mystery.

LEMON: All right. Michael, let's talk about the GOP here. Trump has a very strong lead.

SMERCONISH: Sure.

LEMON: So, what happens, is he going to keep that big lead because when we talked about Iowa we're like, wait a minute, polls are wrong. The polls are wrong. What about here?

SMERCONISH: Well, but Iowa always a closer contest that this state has been. This is a state with 41 percent independents, very reflective by the way, Don, of the nation at large. I've long believed that John Kasich's stands the strongest chance as a republican to win a general election. I think he's running very well here tomorrow. And I'm looking for Kasich to pop.

LEMON: Are you with Hugh Hewitt -- Hug Hewitt said, he's looking for Kasich to come in second.

SMERCONISH: I'm not going to go that far. I think it's definitely a possibility but there is such a cluster there between him and Rubio and Jeb Bush.

I mean, Jeb Bush seems to have some at his sails as well..

LEMON: Yes.

BRAZILE: There's a lot of Trump supporters here around the bar. How would I know...

SMERCONISH: Keep your voice down.

BRAZILE: ... but because I've actually walked around and talked to people. Look, you cannot discount the fact that Donald Trump has really tapped into something not just here in New Hampshire across the country.

We'll see what happens. But I know, here's one thing I know, Don. Despite all the snow that's coming up, I mean, there's a lot of snow.

LEMON: A lot of it.

BRAZILE: And where Louisiana people say, you know, it really is scary.

LEMON: Like what is that happening outside.

BRAZILE: But Bill got -- Bill gotten the longest service Secretary of State is predicting a huge turnout tomorrow. If you have a huge -- how do you pronounce it like Donald?

LEMON: Huge. Huge.

SMERCONISH: Huge.

BRAZILE: There you go, there you go.

SMERCONISH: China.

BRAZILE: Then you know what?

SMERCONISH: No, China.

LEMON: China.

BRZILE: That could benefit to Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders.

LEMON: I see you're wearing your mojo if not voodoo necklace to ward off the evil spirit.

BRAZILE: I'm not warring anything. I got you next.

(CROSSTALK)

SMERCONISH: Hey, Don, can I make like one final point?

LEMON: yes, go ahead.

SMERCONISH: I think this debate episode with Marco Rubio has legs. I don't know if it will show up tomorrow but I think it's the sort of thing that's going to dog him for the next several months. And should he become the nominee there would be lingering as to his authenticity. I don't think that Chris Christie, although he was the architect of bringing him down a few notches, I don't know that Chris Christie will be the beneficiary of his own handiwork.

LEMON: I heard people here say that he appeared robotic a little bit, too robotic and that may hurt here. So, I think you're probably right. Just in my own scientific survey of people here.

I got to run. You'll be back. You know that.

BRAZILE: I'm coming back.

LEMON: Thank you.

When we come right back, we're live from the Foundry. And I should tell you in Manchester, New Hampshire with a snow, as Donna referred is coming down and just ahead the raging battle with the Republican Party. We'll talk about that. Why are the young female voters not supporting Hillary Clinton as well. I'm going to ask one of Clinton's chief backers. And as Hugh said, this is the pre-game show for the first votes in Dixville Notch. We will bring you those results live at midnight Eastern Time. Don't go anywhere. We'll be right back.

[22:20:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Look at that. I guess you could call that beautiful, right, outside? The snow is falling. It feels like Christmas. Kind of. I guess it's Christmas, because everything is going to be wrapped up in a big bow by tomorrow when it comes to who is going to win the New Hampshire primary.

New Hampshire voters getting ready to cast their ballots in the snow. Donald Trump leads his GOP rival in the latest CNN poll.

Joining me now to discuss, P.J. O'Rouke, columnist for The Daily Beast, republican strategist, Ms. Anna Navarro who is supporting Jeb Bush; Matt Lewis, a senior contributor of Daily Caller and author of "Too Dumb to Fail," and republican strategist, Kayleigh McEnany, columnist for Above the Law.

It's so good to have all of you here. So, first, I'm going to start with you, P.J. The latest CNN poll shows in New Hampshire, Donald Trump leading the pack, 31 percent, followed by Marco Rubio. He's at 17 percent, Ted Cruz at 14 percent, John Kasich at 10 percent, Jeb Bush at 7. So, are the pollsters going to get it right this time?

P.J. O'ROUKE, THE DAILY BEAST COLUMNIST: Oh no, not even close. I do think Trump is going to come across to this large. I mean, I started out today at Bernie Sanders rally, round out today at a Trump rally. He started out with somebody talking about exactly how they're going to do things that can't possibly be done, and then with Trump, it was wonderfull just goes to things that can't possibly be done. Forget the how.

LEMON: So, it's not going to happen.

O'ROUKE: No. I think all we're really going to see from this election tomorrow is how deeply dissatisfied Americans -- not just people in New Hampshire -- but Americans are with the status quo. They're -- they are so deeply dissatisfied that they're willing to go with a comi (ph) nut and this goof bag with dueling squirrels on his hair.

LEMON: Why don't you say how you really feel. I'm not even -- I'm not even -- I'm not even going to get into that. But listen, the voters -- the people here must inundate. I mean, they must overwhelm.

(CROSSTALK)

[22:24:59] O'ROUKE: We are. I live here. We're so sick of this.

LEMON: OK. So, I get out of the -- I get in the car and the driver has been driving different political people around and he's got all kinds of signs and paraphernalia in the trunk of the car, she does. I get to the hotel and you see the signs. You see them on every street corner. I've been inundated with ads. How do voters cut through this noise?

O'ROUKE: Well, obviously they don't. I mean, al they're doing is making noise. We're going to wind up with Trump and Sanders as the noise from New Hampshire. And of course, come on, if this is the country of loud noises. If loud noises solved problems, our problems would be solved.

LEMON: I want you guys to pay attention to this. Take a look at this. This is a moment that happened tonight. It was at a Trump rally. A voter shouted out a vulgar word for a woman's anatomy in regard to Ted Cruz and Trump repeated it for the audience. Take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: You heard the other night at the debate, they asked Ted Cruz a serious question, what do you think of waterboarding? Is it OK? And honestly, I thought he'd say absolutely, and he didn't. He said, well, you know, he's concerned about the answer because some people -- she just said a terrible thing.

You know what she said? Shout it out because I don't want to say it. OK. You're not allowed to say -- and I never expect to hear that from you again. She said "I never expect to hear that from you again." She said, he's (muted). That's terrible.

(CROWD SHOUTING)

Terrible. Terrible. That's terrible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Has anyone ever heard that word being used in a campaign before? Were you there?

KAYLEIGH MCENANY, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Never been used.

MATT LEWIS, "TOO DUMB TO FAIL" AUTHOR: Look, here's my take. I was not there, but here's my take on this. I'm not a prude, but I think this is the culture degradation. I think this is an example of how Donald Trump -- why Donald Trump is surging.

I do not think that you could get away with this even 10 years ago. And I think that this is an example of, really -- I don't want to say the dumbing down but the lowering of our standards for what is presidential.

ANA NAVARRO, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: No.

LEWIS: This should not be acceptable.

NAVARRO: Nobody else can get away with it, either. This was very unique to Donald Trump. He has been able to say, really, the most outrageous, amazing things one after the other, time after time, and we've seen his poll numbers go up. You see, tomorrow he's going to go...

(CROSSTALK)

O'ROUKE: Well.

NAVARRO: ... tomorrow he's going to go on TV and he's going to tell us he was talking about a baby cat.

LEMON: Go ahead.

LEWIS: You're probably right.

MCENANY: There is just fundamental misunderstanding of what's happening right now in America. Everyone is talking about Donald Trump's rhetoric, but that's not why he's resonating with one-third of the Republican Party. He's resonating because Americans care about ISIS. They care that 60 ISIS fighters were in Europe on the day 130 pair...

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: But, Kayleigh, he's not saying that. He's calling someone the "p" word.

MCENANY: He did not call.

LEMON: Or repeating that.

MCENANY: He didn't call someone that.

LEMON: OK. You're right. But he's repeating a word.

MCENANY: He said you should have say that word and he repeated...

LEWIS: Yes.

MCENANY: You know, we repeatedly blame Donald Trump for saying that people have gotten...

LEWIS: He should have say that word.

O'ROUKE: I was there.

LEMON: P.J. was at the crowd.

O'ROUKE: I was there with my 15-year-old daughter.

LEMON: Go ahead.

O'ROUKE: My intern/daughter. And there were a lot of kids in the crowd. I just thought it was one of those -- it was one of those wash your mouth out moments. I mean, I'm glad my mom wasn't in the audience or there would have...

LEMON: You don't have a problem with that as a woman.

MCENANY: I don't have a problem with that because...

(CROSSTALK)

NAVARRO: Well, I'm sure now he's do it.

MCENANY: Anna, he just...

NAVARRO: Please, stop pretending that he doesn't say the thing he says. He said that the POW's were losers.

MCENANY: No, he did not, he did not say that.

NAVARRO: You know what something, apparently, you just, you know, I don't know how much Kool-Aid you have to drink in order to lose ability here.

MCENANY: Ana, words mater.

NAVARRO: The man today was being sarcastic. Of course words matter. That's what we're talking about.

MCENANY: Ana, you are speaking of generalization.

NAVARRO: I'm not speaking about generalization.

MCENANY: He never said that about POW's.

NAVARRO: I'm speaking about the very specific things he said about Megyn Kelly. I'm speaking about the specific things he said today. That is not a generalization. It is verbatim of what he said.

LEWIS: Let me just say.

NAVARRO: And if you want to drink enough Kool-Aid that you don't want to acknowledge what he said, that's perfectly fine.

MCENANY: The fact the he's $600 million.

NAVARRO: How could you say that?

O'ROUKE: It's like a Trump rally.

NAVARRO: You heard the man say it.

LEWIS: Wait, if P.J. O'Rourke is embarrassed by something Donald Trump have said.

O'ROUKE: If I'm embarrassed. I mean, I was the editor-in-chief of national lampoon.

LEWIS: That is always we now.

O'ROUKE: Embarrasses me with this high threshold.

MCENANY: You're embarrassed by the audience as a member, not by Donald Trump. LEWIS: No, that is. He didn't have to say it.

O'ROUKE: I'm embarrassed by Trump.

LEWIS: Trump said it, and then to go through the sort of concedes of -- I don't want to say it, it's not me saying this. That needs to be...

(CROSSTALK)

MCENANY: He chastised the audience member and...

NAVARROA: I didn't say Megyn Kelly was bleeding out of somewhere, I didn't say that he was a loser.

MCENANY: Donald Trump -- missing one third of republican voters. And I think it's insulting to republicans who support Donald Trump.

LEMON: But do you think he had to repeat that line Kayleigh?

MCENANY: No, he didn't to repeat it. He chastised the woman and said, you shouldn't say this ever.

LEWIS: No. He chastised the woman. He was there with it

O'ROUKE: Come on. It was not the tone of it at all. He was delighted she said that, he was delighted he had a chance to repeat it.

LEMON: Yes.

O'ROUKE: It may resonate with one-third of republicans, but there were two republicans.

(CROSSTALK)

[22:30:00] MCENANY: We are sitting here talking about this on the panel. Americans care about ISIS, they care about closing the border, they care about remedying the bad trade deals. That's why they support Donald Trump. The rhetoric we have a president with the most soaring rhetoric you could imagine. And he's done nothing...

LEMON: Pardon me, it's so loud here. I can barely hear. Producers, do you want me to move or keep continue to cover up.

NAVARRO: For the...

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: You're talking to me but I cannot hear you.

(CROSSTALK)

NAVARRO: For the love of God, let's move on.

LEMON: Maria? OK. All right. We'll let the audience decide. Let's play that again. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: You heard the other night at the debate, they asked Ted Cruz a serious question, well, what do you think of waterboarding? Is it OK?

And honestly, I thought he'd say absolutely, and he didn't. He said, well, you know, he's concerned about the answer because some people -- she just said a terrible thing. You know what she said?

Shout it out because I don't want to -- OK. You're not allowed to say, and I never expect to hear that from you again. She said "I never expect to hear that from you again." She said he's (muted) That's terrible. Terrible.

(CROWD SHOUTING)

Terrible. Terrible. That's terrible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEWIS: We just celebrated Ronald Reagan's birthday. This is a guy who gave a speech, you know, talked about slipped to certainly bonds of earth to touch the face of God. He said tear down this wall. That's a political rhetoric.

Could you imagine a world in which Ronald Reagan says that publicly? That is how far -- that is how far we've come in the wrong direction rhetorically in this country.

LEMON: Well, I mean, but, you know, I'm not defending Donald Trump here, he can defend himself and Kayleigh can defend him as well, but that's part of the culture now.

LEWIS: I know. That's my point. The cultural degradation...

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: A culture like, it has go on in social media now.

LEWIS: We get the politician...

LEMON: People say things that they would have said even a couple years ago, or they would never even say to your face.

NAVARRO: But, if you listen. You're supposed to have a different standard, frankly, for what qualifies as presidential behavior. I happen to think that Donald Trump gets judged differently than everybody else because people see him, you know, for the persona that we've known him as for the last 13 years in "The Apprentice."

He's been basically a Manhattan billionaire jerk on TV for 13 years. People have liked him, people have gotten used to that persona. And if anybody else running for president -- God knows there is 45 other people running for president.

If any of the other 44 said anything similar to what he has been saying for the last nine months, they would be disqualified, tarred and feathered and run out of this race. Donald Trump is judged differently.

LEMON: All right. Stay with me, everyone. When we come right back, the war between the GOP whose battle tactics will pay off here in New Hampshire tomorrow night. We'll discuss that.

[22:35:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Everybody is calmed down now, right? The GOP race likely to take on a whole new look in the next 24 hours. Who will thrive and who will drive, dive -- dive here in New Hampshire.

Back with me is P.J. O'Rouke, Ana Navarro, Matt Lewis, and of course, Kayleigh McEnany. And it is snowing, trust me. So, Matt, let's talk about this.

NAVARRO: I got good news for you.

LEMON: What do you have?

NAVARRO: In Florida it's March 15th and we've palm trees and -- we're going to do this in flip-flops.

LEMON: I'm hanging out -- I'm hanging out with you. So, what's the consensus on the argument we just had on -- are you guys just had?

NAVARRO: Are we going back to this for the love of God?

O'ROUKE: I'm on social media.

LEMON: All right. So, P.J. O'Rouke, are you on social media?

O'ROUKE: I'm on anti-social media. I'm at the age where not only don't I care what other people think; I don't even care what I think.

LEMON: I love that, I love that. So, the dig against Marco Rubio has been that he is too scripted, right? We saw that point in the debate, or at least four or five times in the debate where he said the same thing. Let's listen to that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MARCO RUBIO, (R-FL) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And let's dispel once and for all with this fiction that Barack Obama doesn't know what he's doing. He knows exactly what he's doing. Let's dispel with this fiction that Barack Obama doesn't know what he's doing. He knows exactly what he's doing.

Here's the bottom line, this notion that Barack Obama Barack Obama doesn't know what he's doing, is just not true.

GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE, (R-NJ) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There it is.

RUBIO: He knows exactly what he's doing.

CHRISTIE: There it is. The memorize 25-second speech.

RUBIO: Well, here's the response. If I think anyone who believes that Barack Obama is doing what he's doing on purpose doesn't understand what we're dealing with here. OK. This is a president; this is a president who's trying to change this country.

Barack Obama is deliberately carrying out a strategy to change America. Barack Obama is systemically carrying out an effort to change this country and that's we're not -- that's why this election is so important.

That Barack Obama is trying to redefine the role of government in our country and America's role in the world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: And then...

O'ROUKE: I think Barack Obama is trying to change America.

LEMON: And then again tonight. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUBIO: We are taking our message to families that are struggling to raise their children in the 21st century. Because as you saw, Jeanette and I are raising our four children in the 21st century. And we know how hard it is to instill our values in our kids instead of the values that tried to ram down our throats.

In the 21st century, it become harder than ever to instill in your children the values that are teach in our homes and in our church, instead of the values that they tried rammed our throats in the movies, in music, in popular culture.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: So, matt, there is fine line between message disappointing and seeming pre-programmed and that's been the criticism, not only rammed the other candidates but rammed voters here as well.

LEWIS: Absolutely. This is -- I think this was quite damaging. First just strategically, he's coming out of Iowa. He's got momentum. The only thing between him and a strong second finish in New Hampshire is that debate.

LEMON: Yes.

LEWIS: But this is bad because it reinforces the stereotype of what Chris Christie and others have been saying about him. And you know, it's not just that he said sort of the same thing. He said, let's dispel of this notion -- you know, it was exactly the same words.

LEMON: Yes.

[22:39:58] LEWIS: And the problem is, that the best thing Rubio has going for him is that he's an eloquent communicator, and now every time he gets on a roll, every time he starts to give a speech, you'll be like, is that a talking point?

LEMON: What's going on here, Ana?

NAVARRO: You know, it's really hard to explain because I've, you know, I've known Marco my entire adult life. I have heard him speak hundreds, if not more, times. He is certainly one of the most eloquent, one of the most gifted, talented politicians on either side of this race.

I was there that night of the debate, and I've said this before. I grew literally concerned for his health, because Marco is so good, and I have seen him be so good all of his life. And I couldn't...

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: Do you think he was out of it?

NAVARRO: No. But look, Don, you get tired.

LEMON: Right.

NAVARRO: You get over caffeinated. You get over rehearsed.

LEMON: Yes.

NAVARRO: You get over prepared, and sometimes your cables got...

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: To me either.

NAVARRO: ... you just over-circuit. You know what I think? I think, this is a long race, the hours are long. You want your candidate to stay on message, but you don't want him to sound like a robot.

So, let's just dispel of the notion that Marco Rubio is a robot. Let's just dispel of the notion that Marco Rubio is a robot. Let's just dispel of the notion...

LEMON: You say the same thing. OK. P.J. and Kayleigh, I will hear from you, so hold your thoughts.

O'ROUKE: Sure.

LEMON: We'll be right back from New Hampshire. Don't go anywhere.

[22:45:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Gang's all here, P.J. O'Rourke, Ana Navarro, Matt Lewis, and Kayleigh McEnany. You wanted to weigh in on the Rubio here?

O'ROUKE: Oh, I just feel terrible for him. I mean, you know, I've been out on book promotion tours where you're basically saying the same thing over and over again, and you get to a point where you go, did I just say that to the last person I talked to, or did I just say that? I looked at Rubio and thought, oh, my heart goes out to you.

LEMON: Yes.

MCENANY: But it's worth pointing, we, in the media hyped-up debate these moments and it's undoubtedly important, but this is a near blip in a very broad long narrative. You know, Marco is a very good candidate; a lot of people appreciated his optimism. I do.

But I think he has systemic problems. This is an outsider year. We saw nearly 70 percent of voters go for outsider candidates in Iowa. There is a reason ted Cruz and Donald Trump are consistently at the top.

People are tired of scripted politicians. They've head it for eight years, they're done with it. So, Marco's problems I think are far bigger than a debate tonight.

NAVARRO: Well, the problem also is that it's a blip in a long career, but it's a blip that happened three days before the primary. It's a blip that happened in front of the largest debate audience there has been this entire election, and it is a blip that reinforces what is already seen as an Achilles' heel.

LEMON: So, then why is everyone, because everyone is going after Marco Rubio? Why are they holding the fire on Donald Trump?

NAVARRO: Do you think Jeb Bush is holding this fire on Donald Trump?

LEMON: It seems like...

(CROSSTALK)

NAVARRO: I mean, the crossfire between those two has been pretty intense right now.

LEMON: Yes.

NAVARRO: And frankly, you know, I think everybody else in that stage field feels pretty much the same way Jeb does, and they just don't want to incur the wrath of Donald Trump who is a very good...

(CROSSTALK)

LEWIS: But I think in -- I think in New Hampshire that's true. But I think in New Hampshire specifically that everybody knows Trump is going to win. He's that big, the state is, you know, more secular, more moderate, so they've sort of written off beating Trump.

What they have to do is finish ahead of Rubio in that second or third spot in that so-called establishment lane. If you are Chris Christie or Jeb Bush or Kasich, your real adversary is Rubio right now. You've got to get ahead of him; otherwise he closes out the lane and owns it.

LEMON: All right. Thank you, everyone.

O'ROUKE: That's sad. LEMON: I appreciate it. I do have to say we have to get to a break,

but I do have to say Jeb seems stronger, and, you know, now that his mom has come out, he seems like a stronger candidate.

MCENANY: He does.

NAVARRO: Well, listen, darling, I've seen you be a mama's boy.

LEMON: I'm a total mama's boy. Everybody would go tell me something I don't know.

Coming up, she could be the first female president in U.S. history, but Hillary Clinton is struggling among young female voters. We're going to have the latest on that, and why her campaign may be losing those young voters to Bernie Sanders.

Jennifer Granholm is here to talk about that.

[22:50:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON: Hillary Clinton could certainly make history as the country's first female president, yet, many young women support her opponent. Here to talk about that, I'm very honored to have her, is Jennifer Granholm, the former Governor of Michigan who is supporting Hillary Clinton.

Thank you for coming on.

JENNIFER GRANHOLM, HILLARY CLINTON SUPPORTER: Of course.

LEMON: Why do you think so many -- so many young women are supporting Bernie Sanders?

GRANHOLM: you know, it's the question, right? For those of us who are supporting Hillary, especially in my generation, people wonder why -- what's going on there that it's not that important. And I think, you know, young women will say it's all about policies, it's not about the symbol of having a woman as president.

And she wouldn't say -- Hillary Clinton would say, don't vote for me because I'm a woman, vote for me because I share your values, I've got policies, and I've got experience. And, you know, I happen to be a woman.

But the thing that kills us in my -- in my generation is we've worked so hard...

LEMON: Yes.

GRANHOLM: ... to be able to have the privilege of pulling the lever for a woman whose values we share and who has shared our experience and who is the most experienced person to ever run for president, and she happens to be a woman, and we've worked so hard for our daughters to be able to do that.

LEMON: Yes. But the positive in all of that is that you've worked hard and women have gotten to a place where they feel like, OK, I just want the best candidate but...

GRANHOLM: Yes. And you know what, and this is what's so amazing about New Hampshire.

LEMON: Yes.

GRANHOLM: Is because the young women in New Hampshire have helped to elect a woman governor, two women -- and members of Congress, two women senators. It is the number one state in terms of women representation. And so, maybe because they've been so far head of other states, and women, young women and old have helped contribute. Maybe that barrier isn't --it's just doesn't as important as they think of.

LEMON: Governor, I think you need a little bit more passion. So, listen. I want to play this and I want to have a real conversation with you.

GRANHOLM: Yes.

LEMON: So, this is a...

(CROSSTALK)

GRANHOLM: We were having a real conversation.

LEMON: This is -- no, no. But I really want to talk about this because this is important. I've been having this discussion with members of my family.

GRANHOLM: Yes.

LEMON: These are remarks that many people are upset by the former Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, and then we'll discuss it. We play it on.

GRANHOLM: Yes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MEDELEINE ALBRIGHT, FORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: A lot of you younger women don't think you have to -- it's been done. It's not done, and you have to help Hillary Clinton will always be there for you. And just remember, there is a special place in hell for women who don't help each other.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: OK. So, first thing, quickly. Do you think she's saying you must vote for Hillary Clinton because she's a woman?

GRANHOLM: No, she said that line to say to women that you've for to help one another in life, but this context, I know a lot of women took it as you will go to hell unless you will really -- that's certainly not what she meant.

LEMON: OK. So, there other thing is that she's trying to guilt, you know, women -- it's an older woman trying to guilt younger women.

GRANHOLM: That's how it perceive.

LEMON: But let's talk -- so, let's talk about it without -- because it can be perceived as being condescending to young women.

GRANHOLM: Right. Exactly.

LEMON: But young women have not experience the sexism in ways have older women have. My mother, who has a master's degree and quite nearly a doctorate, could only be a secretary. Part of that is race. but part of that is being a woman as well.

Young women don't face that. Yes, there is a glass ceiling, but it's a different experience that they don't -- they haven't gotten to work with...

(CROSSTALK)

GRANHOLM: Well, I would say, listen. The sexism -- sexism is rampant...

[22:55:00] LEMON: Right.

GRANHOLM: ... no matter what your age is, and young women have experienced that. You know, this whole rape culture -- I mean, there is a whole different set of sexism issues that younger women are experiencing.

LEMON: But you know what I mean.

GRANHOLM: But in terms of just -- what I'm -- well, in terms of volume because you've been on the earth longer...

LEMON: Right.

GRANHOLM: ... and, you know, you lived during a time where, you know, women just stayed at home and they weren't allowed -- you know, I mean, name the litany of things. As you get older, the older you are, the more you've experienced in terms of sexism. That is definitely true.

But young women would say, don't say that I haven't experienced it, because from the moment you come out of the womb...

LEMON: You experienced.

GRANHOLM: ... you experience it.

LEMON: Yes.

GRANHOLM: It is part and parcel.

LEMON: But it's a different volume, and I think that's the point.

GRANHOLM: Volume, I think, is what it is. And I think in the state it is a little bit different because of the number of women who have been elected.

LEMON: How do you think she's going to do tomorrow? And quickly, I'm closing the gap because I have to get to the top of the hour.

GRANHOLM: Wait, wait, wait, I know you have to go. I mean, I think she's got a lot of headwinds here, but she is here fighting for every vote and she wants mess -- she wants mess -- she wants New Hampshire to know that and she wants young women to know that, that she's going to fight for their vote. She's got policies that are -- policies that they want to see happen.

LEMON: Massachusetts is just down the road.

GRANHOLM: I know. Just down the road. I'm heading there in a few minutes. So, that's also in my head. But, anyway, it's New Hampshire. This is a very important state.

LEMON: Always a pleasure, Governor.

GRANHOLM: I appreciate it. Yes.

LEMON: Thank you very much. We really appreciate having you on.

We have much more to get to. The next hour of CNN as we count down to New Hampshire, the primary here. We're live from the Foundry here in Manchester, New Hampshire. Make sure you stay with us. We'll be right back.

[23:00:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)