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U.N. Vows to Punish North Korea; New Hampshire Primary; Rivals Pounce on Rubio; Beyonce's "Formation" Tribute to Black Lives. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired February 08, 2016 - 09:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:30:42] CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: And, good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me.

The U.N. Security Council is vowing to punish North Korea for launching a long range rocket on Sunday. It says it could greatly extend North Korea's ability to deliver a nuclear weapon as far away as Australia and the U.S. West Coast. The regime of Kim Jong-un celebrated the successful launch with a fireworks display in the capital. It said the launch was for peaceful and scientific purposes. The rocket delivered an earth observation satellite into orbit, which reportedly passed over the Super Bowl site about an hour after the game ended.

CNN chief national security correspondent Jim Sciutto joins me now from the Pentagon with more on this.

Good morning.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.

You know, this is -- this is a shock one month to the day after North Korea successfully tested something, a nuclear device, which seemed to be a step forward. Of course, the North Koreans claimed that it was a hydrogen bomb. The U.S. does not believe that it was, but they are concerned that it was a step forward in terms of increasing the size of the explosion, of the detonation. And now, a month later, on the day of the Super Bowl, you have this launch and it is -- it is delivering, you know, certainly a blow to the international community, but also to its neighbor, China, which traditionally has been it's only ally and really tied to push North Korea not to test this -- to test this missile.

COSTELLO: So is there anything the United States is doing about this?

SCIUTTO: Well, here's the thing. I mean the fact is that the west's arsenal of sanctions against North Korea is very limited because the west doesn't do much, if any trade at all, with North Korea. So there's no economic trade to sanction. In the past, the things that have worked have been restricting North Korean leaders' access to international financial markets. They tried that a few years ago. North Korea does this through Makow (ph), which is a part of China. That really stung.

But the thing is, once you've done that, how do you step forward? And the fact is, it's really China that has the power, has the influence. China, in effect, subsidies the North Korean regime with food, with fuel subsidies, et cetera. And as much as China pushed to stop this launch and to stop the previous nuclear test, Carol, and they did push hard, there was a senior Chinese envoy in North Korea just a couple of days before this launch, urging them not to launch it and they launch it a day later. The fact is that China has determined they would rather have a nuclearized North Korea than a reunified Korean peninsula with a U.S. ally right on its border. That's the choice that China faces, as much as they don't like North Korea with a bomb, they choose that over having the west on its doorstep. I mean that's -- at the end of the day, that's their strategic decision.

COSTELLO: All right, Jim Sciutto, reporting live from the Pentagon this morning.

One day to go until New Hampshire voters cast their ballots. That means one day for candidates to push those all-important undecideds into their corner.

CNN's Chris Cuomo live in New Hampshire this morning.

Hi, Chris.

CHRIS CUOMO, ANCHOR, CNN'S "NEW DAY": Hello, Carol Costello. It is good to be with you.

And this is the place to be here, in Manchester, New Hampshire. This is going to be the site of the country's first primary.

What about Iowa? That's a caucus. It's different in structure and it is different in its predictability. And that's why so many people have their eyes here, what' going to happen, especially on the GOP side.

Marco Rubio is brushing off attacks this morning, not backing down as his rivals rip him for what they say was a rehearsed campaign style exposed at the most recent debate. Well, right now, Senator Rubio's holding a town hall in Nashua, New Hampshire. You're going to see him on the left and Governor Chris Christie, of course the man who leveled the harshest attacks on Senator Rubio on Saturday, on the other side. This is his town hall in Hudson, New Hampshire.

Still out in front of the whole pack, of course, is Donald Trump, no matter what poll you look at. It's all about the margin of victory that he will have. And the real race is for second.

So let's bring in Manu Raju. He's live in Salem, New Hampshire, where the next Trump rally is about a half hour away.

Manu, Rubio is not the only one getting hit today. Take us through it.

MANU RAJU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, Chris. Jeb Bush is also in Donald Trump's firing line. Of course, Jeb Bush really is the only candidate who's been going after Donald Trump. Marco Rubio, even though he had been in second place before Saturday night's debate showing, has sort of avoided going after Donald Trump. He has looked at him as someone that maybe he'll get in a fight with him down the line if he's still in the race and other candidates drop out.

[09:35:18] But Jeb Bush has been going after him and those two did not mince words when they've been asked about each other in the recent days, Chris.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEB BUSH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: A sign of real weakness when you call John McCain or Leo Thorsness (ph) or anybody else that was a POW, who served this country in a way that should be admired, American heroes, calling them losers. Donald Trump, you're the loser.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Jeb's a loser. He spent $110 million so far. He's at the bottom of the pack, or toward the bottom of the pack. He's going nowhere. And the only thing he does is attack me. That's the only -- he thinks if he attacks me, that's going to show he's tough. But every time he attacks me, he melts like butter.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: Well, what's interesting here, is for Jeb Bush, he views, of course, New Hampshire as critical for him to get back in the race. He has seen large crowds at his events and has put a lot of money at stake in the -- in his events.

And, Chris, I've been to a lot of Jeb Bush events and what you're hearing is a real strong anti-Donald Trump contingent. So he believes if he taps into that, he could end up in a second, third place finish that could get him into New -- into South Carolina with a head of steam.

And just behind me also, I should add, Donald Trump is about to do something rather unusual, doing a little bit of retail politicing. Actually having a town hall meeting where he's going to addresses questions from voters. We have not seen that. Usually it's Trump holding big rallies. So both of them are making some final calculations heading into a critical day tomorrow, Chris.

CUOMO: Well, look, Donald Trump has a very good nose for what he needs to do in terms of whom to attack and how. And if he's going after Jeb Bush again, guess what, that's good news for Governor Bush. It means he must be making a move, he must have some momentum.

Manu Raju, thank you very much. Appreciate the take, as always.

Now, still to come, what is the future for Rubio's campaign? How big a deal was the debate performance? We'll take you through it.

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[09:41:17] CUOMO: Marco Rubio is saying, look, what happened at the debate happened and I am moving on. He says, I'm not letting any attacks from the left and the right change my campaign. Last hour on CBS, the Florida senator ramped up his rhetoric at President Obama and what he says is the potential future of America. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's about the future of our country and what kind of country this is going to be in the 21st century, what kind of nation we're going to leave for our children. So that's what I'm going to continue to focus on in this campaign because that's what matters to voters.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: Now, what he says is his insistence on staying on message is what he was getting attacked for at that debate, is that he got stuck being on message. And last night campaign staffers jumped into the controversy, linking Super Bowl ads to Rubio. Rubio's communications director tweeted, "almost every Super Bowl commercial so far has urged Americans to embrace the future. Bad news for Hillary Clinton. Good news for team Marco." Clinton campaign staffers fired back. Her deputy director of rapid response said, quote, "almost every Super Bowl commercial so far has been 30 seconds and pre-scripted. Good news for team Marco."

Oh, Michael Warren, a staff writer at "The Weekly Standard" is with us right now.

Look, interesting use of other people's advertising to try to juice their own campaign. What is your take on the impact of what happened in that debate?

MICHAEL WARREN, STAFF WRITER, "THE WEEKLY STANDARD": It's significant for Marco Rubio. I think it hurts him a little bit, but it doesn't kill him. It just, I think, makes this race a lot longer than people maybe thought it would be. Rubio really needed to come out of New Hampshire as a strong second, consolidating that not Cruz not Trump vote within the primary and I think it hurts his ability to do that. It doesn't really give one of the other candidates, Kasich, Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, a ticket to the nomination, but it does extend this fight a little longer and makes things a little more interesting going into South Carolina.

CUOMO: It's interesting. So it's not that it hurt Rubio, but it helped the others, probably gave them all tickets out of New Hampshire because you may not see the separation in the field that was being anticipated and may have extended the process for all of us who have to watch it unfold.

But here's the -- the key question is, do you think what happened in that debate was Senator Rubio getting caught off guard, having a bad night, or was it what Governor Chris Christie wants it to be, which is, no, no, no, that's Marco Rubio. That's the guy who couldn't take his eyes off the teleprompter and couldn't reach for a glass of water in his State of the Union response. This is a guy who can't take the heat. Do you think that there will be any real purchase with that extreme a perspective on what it was?

WARREN: There could be. I think that's what people are going to look at after New Hampshire. Now people are sort of attune to what Marco Rubio is saying, but also some of the pitfalls of a Marco Rubio candidacy. And so they're actually going to start judging him. I talked to a Jeb Bush adviser a couple of days ago and his line was, which was kind of ironic given he worked for Jeb Bush was, Rubio was expecting a coronation, now he's going to have to fight for the nomination. I think that's what's going to happen.

But you do have to remember that Marco Rubio has really high favorability ratings among Republicans. Republicans like Marco Rubio. Now they may have a little reason to doubt or at least kind of look into deeper what kind of candidate Rubio is. And Rubio's going to have to work harder, I think, at demonstrating that -- that he has the sort of metal to go head to head with Hillary Clinton.

CUOMO: Now the expectation coming in to New Hampshire was that Rubio would not be challenging for first or second in this state and Iowa actually changed the calculus and said, well, maybe he'll gather the momentum here and be -- so now what's going to happen in New Hampshire may wind up being what was expected to happen all along but now will be seen differently, right?

WARREN: That's right. I mean in a way the expectations have been raised for Marco Rubio in a lot of ways because of Rubio himself in that Iowa caucus night speech. It sounded like a victory speech.

[09:45:10] It is going to go on for longer here, but we do have to, I think, recognize that some of those other candidates, John Kasich and Chris Christie in particular, don't necessarily have the resources to keep going much farther beyond South Carolina or some of these later states. That could change, of course, if Kasich has a big boost in fundraising if he gets a strong second in New Hampshire. But it does shake things up a little bit and maybe gets us back to where we thought we were after Iowa.

CUOMO: If Chris Christie's number doesn't move from where it is right now, will this wind up being the epitaph and will it be seen as a murder suicide, as some are talking, that he went at Rubio, he took him down a peg, but he wound up costing himself and he's out?

WARREN: Look, anything could happen, but I think Christie is sort of at a do or die situation here in New Hampshire. The poll numbers don't look good for him. He did a good job at sort of reversing his favorability ratings among Republicans, but it just hasn't translated into actual poll results. He's sort of stuck down there in the single digits. I don't think he has much money going on after New Hampshire, and so this is do or die for him. And all of that noise with Jeb Bush and John Kasich, I think, ultimately kind of buries him. But he could surprise, just like I think Rubio surprised in Iowa.

CUOMO: He got the big endorsement, but the question is the one that you identified. They have to like you. If Saturday night doesn't translate into increased likability for Christie, then he's going to be in the same hole. Hey, thank you so much.

WARREN: Thanks, Chris.

CUOMO: Appreciate the insight. See you again here.

Still to come, Beyonce Knowles got political. Did you see her statement at the Super Bowl half time show? It was a great act, but what was the message in that act, or at least what are people saying it was? Next.

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[09:51:18] COSTELLO: The Denver Broncos run away with Super Bowl 50, their defense ruling the night, smothering Cam Newton and the Panthers in a 24 -10 win, handing them only their second loss of the entire season. Bronco's linebacker Von Miller was the game's MVP. It is the second Super Bowl ring for Bronco's QB, Peyton Manning, after four trips to the big game. So, everyone's asking, is this it?

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

PEYTON MANNING, QUARTER BACK, DENVER BRONCOS: I don't know the answer to that. It's been an emotional week, emotional night, and the night is just beginning. I look forward to celebrating with my friends and family, and I think I'll take some time after that, and I think I'll make a good decision, and I think I'll be at peace with it whichever way it goes.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

COSTELLO: So, Peyton Manning might be thinking about retirement, but Beyonce, you know, the person who performed at the half time show, she's staying busy. She has a new campaign to help people in Flint, Michigan, get clean water, and a new song along with a new politically charged video. And to her critic's chagrin, she unpacked that political message at the Super Bowl.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

COSTELLO (voice-over): So, the song is called "Formation", and you can see the dancers behind Beyonce are wearing Black Panther braids. The symbolism kind of subtle on the field, but so obvious in her Beyonce's new video. "Formation" is an homage to New Orleans during Katrina and a shout out to Black Lives Matter.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

COSTELLO (on camera): With me now from Washington, Black Lives Matter activist Erika Totten. Welcome, Erika

ERIKA TOTTEN, BLACK LIVES MATTER ACTIVIST: Hi. Thank you for having me.

COSTELLO: Thanks for being here. Did you know Beyonce was going to do this during the Super Bowl half time show?

TOTTEN: I didn't know. I don't have personal information, but I would love to. I had a feeling. We all had a feeling that she was going to bust out with that song at the half time show.

COSTELLO: And I ask you because Beyonce follows only a hand full of people on Twitter, and DeRay Mckesson, a very vocal member of Black Lives Matter, is one of them. Did she talk with him?

TOTTEN: Not that I'm aware of, though I wouldn't doubt it.

COSTELLO: You wouldn't doubt it? Do you know, or - you're not saying?

TOTTEN: No, I don't know, I don't know.

COSTELLO: Okay, well, let's talk about the song and the video itself. And I'm going to put up a bunch of still frames taken from the video because the symbolism is there. So, if we can get those on screen right now so that I can show our viewers what I'm talking about.

You see, of course, that's -- that could be, like, a dual message, right? Symbolism from Katrina and also against police brutality.

TOTTEN: Absolutely. The visual of a drowning cop car, absolutely.

COSTELLO: And this image, a little boy in a black hoodie. And you can see people in the background with their hands up.

TOTTEN: Yes.

COSTELLO: You know, some people are very upset about this, especially since Beyonce brought this message to the Super Bowl. This is and event that -- one of the few events that draws Americans together, and yet this was out there in all of its controversy. What would you say to those people who said it didn't belong in a Super Bowl?

TOTTEN: I think it absolutely belonged in a Super Bowl. Ultimately our goal is to disrupt the status quo and bring the message wherever the message may not be heard. And we're all using our platforms wherever they are, and Beyonce's platform, she chose in this moment to bring the message to all of America who was watching this very American game.

COSTELLO: I think that the critics would say it was very one-sided and it was anti-police.

TOTTEN: I would say - I don't understand the one-sided piece. Ultimately, she is amplifying our message in the movement, so if you are on the side of oppression and state sanctioned violence, you're on the wrong side.

[09:55:05] COSTELLO: How much does Beyonce help your message or hurt your message?

TOTTEN: Oh, she absolutely helps and supports. She is a leader in our culture and shaping culture and shaping conversations. And I think more now she's become more vocal, so it absolutely helps us. She wasn't as vocal before, but I think as she is continuing to grow in her platform and grow in her own consciousness, and then having agency in that, she is bringing whatever her message is, wherever she wants it and people will eat it up, and they consume it.

COSTELLO: All right. I have to leave it there. Erika Totten for Black Lives Matter. Thanks for being with me this morning.

TOTTEN: Thank you for having me.

COSTELLO: You're welcome.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, it's a mad dash to the finish line in New Hampshire as the clock ticks down to tomorrow's presidential primary. Next hour we'll take you there live as Donald Trump makes his last pitch to New Hampshire voters.

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COSTELLO: And good morning. I'm Carol Costello.