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R. Kelly $1 Million Bond; Manafort's Crimes; Trump On Cohen; Violent Protests In Venezuela; Venezuelan Armed Force Threat; Aides Say Trump Plans "Active Role" in Democratic Primary; Democrat Candidates Forced to Weight in on Jussie Smollett Case; Feinstein Video with Children Arguing over Climate Change Raises Eyebrows. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired February 23, 2019 - 17:00   ET

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


[17:00:00]

RYAN NOBLES, CNN ANCHOR, NEWSROOM: Meanwhile, we're waiting to see if the singer is able to post the $1 million bond set during that hearing. Kelly would need to come up with $100,000 of it to be released. The judge also setting several conditions for Kelly. He was ordered to turn in his passport and have no contact with his alleged victims or anyone under the age of 18.

The 52-year-old Kelly faces 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse. Prosecutors claim he abused one woman and three underaged girls over a span of 12 years.

CNN's Sara Sidner is at the courthouse in Chicago. Sara, a prosecutor read sordid details of what they say Kelly did to these four accusers. What can you tell us?

SARA SIDNER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Both in the courtroom, an assistant state's attorney was there, reading out to the judge why they believe that the bail should be high or no bail at all. And then, we heard from the state's attorney herself, Kim Fox, who came out and detailed the exact same things, so that people in the community could hear exactly what was being said and the accusations against R. Kelly.

The courtroom was packed. There were some other cases. But the courtroom heard these details. R. Kelly's case, Robert Sylvester Kelly, which is his full name, he was called up, his case called up. And they detailed what they had said happened to four women. There are 10 counts of aggravated sexual abuse that have been charged.

And you heard the details from these cases. Three of those, according to the state's attorney, were girls. They were under the age of 17 when this alleged sexual abuse happened. We heard the details, sordid details, explicit sexual details of what happened between R. Kelly and these women, according to the State's Attorney and R. Kelly and these girls. It spans from 1998 to 2010. We're talking quite a bit of time that the prosecutors are talking about.

And they said that there was not only sexual intercourse and oral copulation, but they also said that, in a couple of the cases, that R. Kelly was physically violent, as well, slapping someone and spitting on one of these young ladies. Those are some of the details that were shared in court.

They asked the court that he not be able to have any contact with anyone who is under the age of 18. They asked the court that he, as you said, give in his passport, trying to make sure that he is unable to leave the country. And then, they asked for $250,000 per alleged victim. So, basically, $1 million bond, of which R. Kelly would have to pay $100,000.

What is interesting here is you know that he is one of the top-selling R&B singers of all time. Highly, highly popular for many, many years. What we have learned, though, is that he is having money problems. That we know that there has been a group called mute R. Kelly that has managed to get his music to stop being played on radio stations. Get his concerts canceled because of the allegations that have been around for decades.

And because we have all now seen the "Surviving R. Kelly" series, a six-hour series. It was on Lifetime. It had many of these women come forward, telling their stories and having allegations of sexual abuse by R. Kelly when they were minors, as well. All of that culminating in R. Kelly having a very difficult time with his finances, according to his own attorney, Steve Greenberg, who talked at length about the fact that he doesn't just have $100,000 just laying around. He can't access it very quickly. So, we don't know when and if he's going to be able to post bail -- Ryan.

NOBLES: So, Sara, to be clear about that. He is still in custody right now. And if he can't come up with that $100,000, he would remain in custody until he can. Is that correct?

SIDNER: That is absolutely correct. And so, at this point, I'm sure there is a scramble to figure out how to come up with that kind of money. There is no one in the justice system who would like to stay put in jail. But, certainly, they are trying to figure out how to get that money and how to get Mr. Kelly out of jail. He is actually in the -- in the sheriff's custody now. He was in police custody.

We watched as he turned himself in at central booking last night around 8:15. Our photographers were there when he came first to his studio and then went into a van with some folks from -- that had also come outside the studio. And we have learned, now, that two of the people that were in that van are the two women whose parents have been going on to T.V. channels, onto the media, and begging people to try and get in contact with their girls.

They -- one of those families was in court today and it was very, very hard for this family to see their daughter and the daughter failing to acknowledge them. The mother of Azriel Clary was in tears. She was sobbing because she has accused R. Kelly of brainwashing her daughter who began hanging out with him when she was 17 years old.

[17:05:03] But she is now of age and there is really nothing these families can do, now that they've seen that they are in physical -- you know, seemingly in good physical health. They came at their own fruition. They were here. And they walked into court, and they sat right behind R. Kelly's defense team.

You know, I must say, it was a very emotional time in court today. And all this time, we have to say this, that R. Kelly has maintained his innocence through his attorney this time. But in past accusations, he has also said that has been is innocent. And he was acquitted in a 2008 trial when he was charged with 14 counts of child pornography -- Ryan.

NOBLES: And, Sara, pretty incredible, though, given the amount of money he has made over the course of his career, that he may not be able to post this $100,000 to be able to get out of jail now.

SIDNER: Yes.

NOBLES: Still time for him to do that, of course. That may still happen. But just, kind of, gives you the whole picture of everything that's taken place here. Sara Sidner, as always, terrific reporting there from Chicago.

SIDNER: Sure.

NOBLES: We appreciate it.

Turning now to our other breaking news story. We have the redacted sentencing memo for Paul Manafort and prosecutors from the Special Counsel Robert Mueller's office. And they are basically throwing the book at him.

They say the former Trump campaign chairman engaged in years of criminality and deceit. And they say his crimes went to the heart of the criminal justice system.

Joining me now, CNN's Senior Justice Correspondent Evan Perez. Evan, this is a pretty long memo. There's a lot to unpack in it. But just tell us what the most important parts of this memo are.

EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Right. Ryan, I think one of the most important things to take away from this memo is that the special prosecutor, Robert Mueller, his prosecutors here, are asking for the judge to, essentially, make sure that Paul Manafort never walks again as a free man. They describe what they say was Manafort's conduct after he pleaded guilty is pertinent to sentencing, they say.

It reflects a hardened adherence to committing crimes and a lack of remorse. What they describe is years and years of criminal behavior. As you said, they say that he lied and misled his own bookkeepers, his lawyers, everybody from members of Congress to the Special Counsel and the Grand Jury, as well as members of the Trump administration.

What Paul Manafort is facing here is about 10 years in the D.C. courts. The special prosecutor is arguing that the judge, essentially, stacked that on top of whatever Paul Manafort gets in another case in Eastern -- on the Eastern District of Virginia, in Alexandria, Virginia, where he's also due to be sentenced in the next couple of weeks. Over there, the judge is looking to sentence him up to 24 and a half years in prison. This is a man who, obviously, is almost 70 years old. He's not in good health. So, according to the special prosecutor, they don't want him to ever walk free again.

NOBLES: And does this memo answer any of the looming questions regarding so-called collusion and connections between the Trump campaign and the Russians?

PEREZ: You know, that's one of the most interesting things that's not in this memo. Look, prosecutors often use memos like this to, sort of, spin a narrative and describe what they've seen. And Paul Manafort is the key figure in this investigation. And we've seen, in other court filings from the Special Counsel, that they believe that there is this connection between the Russians and Paul Manafort and the Trump campaign. That he, essentially, was the link in whatever was happening there.

And so, what we're -- what was interesting is that they don't describe any of that in this memo. They simply stick to Paul Manafort's years and years of working for the Ukrainian government. The fact that he hid that work from the U.S. government for many years and then lied about it. And even during the time that he was supposed to be cooperating with the Special Counsel, if you remember, he pleaded guilty, he kept lying.

So, they keep it fairly straight and narrow here in this memo, Ryan. But one of the things, obviously, we're waiting for, the final Mueller report, which should be coming to the -- to the attorney general in the next couple of weeks. And so, perhaps, they're saving it -- whatever theory they have, investigative theory they have, they're saving it for that memo.

NOBLES: And you -- and you talked about how specific they were in their belief about the crimes that Paul Manafort committed. They even went on to say that he's someone they view as he had a hardened -- who had a hardened adherence to committing crimes and a lack of remorse.

They also say that they're worried that, upon release from jail, that he presents a grave risk of recidivism.

PEREZ: Right.

NOBLES: I mean, what does that language signal to you? It, essentially, makes you believe that prosecutors don't ever want him to leave a jail cell before the end of his life.

PEREZ: Right, exactly. Look, Paul Manafort, this is a white-collar crime. And it's unusual to see the prosecutors use language like this for somebody who hasn't killed anybody. You know, this is not a murder case or a terrorism case. And again, he's 70 years old.

But they say, just by the fact that Paul Manafort has shown no sense of remorse over the time that he's been, you know, fighting these cases. Even in during the time that he had pleaded guilty and he had agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. He kept lying. He kept committing new crimes, is what they point out.

[17:10:07] And so, as a result of that, they say he deserves no breaks from the -- from the judge.

NOBLES: All right, Evan Perez. Thanks for unpacking all of that for us. We appreciate it.

Joining me now to talk more about this, former Watergate special prosecutor and CNN Legal Analyst Richard Ben-Veniste. Richard, first, your reaction to what's in this memo. Did you find anything surprising?

RICHARD BEN-VENISTE, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: No, I didn't, actually. And it's consistent with the view of Mr. Manafort in breaking his agreement to cooperate. They found that he was uncooperative, continued to lie, engage in witness tampering, and was, basically, continuing in a -- in the criminal activity that got him in trouble in the first place.

So, he's in a world of hurt right now.

NOBLES: Yes. And it's been pretty clear that the Special Counsel has not been shy to present all the evidence that they have against Paul Manafort. But they haven't necessarily linked to his crimes to the White House and to the president, specifically. I mean, is there anything that --

BEN-VENISTE: Well, I don't know that they -- that they --

NOBLES: Well, that's what I want to ask you. I mean, he's --

BEN-VENISTE: -- have presented everything they know.

NOBLES: Right, they could be sitting on some things, right?

BEN-VENISTE: And I-

NOBLES: Yes.

BEN-VENISTE: -- wouldn't rule out the possibility that Robert Mueller has one or more indictments left to return with his Grand Jury, in addition to a final report.

NOBLES: So, even though, in this specific memo, and, you know, there are other documents and court filings that we can point to, there isn't a specific mention of collusion or the White House, specifically. But you still believe that there's things, from the Mueller investigation, that we have yet to learn, essentially.

BEN-VENISTE: Well, yes, that's certainly true. And there may well be additional charges, is what I'm pointing out. I wouldn't say that a final report is the only string left to Mr. Mueller's bow.

So, you may recall hearing about, in Watergate, how we returned, in addition to the indictments of Richard Nixon's top aides, a road map -- NOBLES: Yes.

BEN-VENISTE: -- to provide to Congress, in connection with their investigations, leading to impeachment. That was simultaneous with the indictments that we hand -- that the Grand Jury handed down, of Mr. Nixon's closest aides.

NOBLES: So, that leads me to my next question. So, we expect that there will be this one report that Mueller issues. But there could be additional charges that maybe come from different U.S. Attorneys Office. And as you're suggesting, as what happened during the Watergate area, that they could, potential, offer up evidence to allow Congress to take action in some way, shape, or form.

BEN-VENISTE: That's true. And, in addition, Mr. Mueller could return from the grand juries he's working with, still other indictments. He has returned indictments that are in our trade known as speaking indictments. They are very detailed and have been, up to this point. That there may, yet, be more to come, in connection with other subjects. So, stay tuned. This could be quite an interesting next couple of weeks.

NOBLES: So, if you're someone that is somewhat of a casual observer, and -- but you've been tracking this Mueller investigation from the beginning, would you -- would you recommend to people not to just assume that this is all over with, once Mueller issues this report? That there could be a lot more to come after that.

BEN-VENISTE: Well, certainly, there is more to come from the southern district of New York, my alma mater, where there are other things under investigation. Currently, leads given by Mr. Cohen. Leads provided by others, in connection with Mr. Trump's business activities. So, they're -- they are not shy. They are not given to favor or fear in investigating criminal activity.

NOBLES: Let's talk about Michael Cohen. You just brought him up. The president's former fixer. The president was actually asked about his former lawyer who will testify publicly on Capitol Hill. This is what the president had to say. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you have any concerns about Michael Cohen's testimony before Congress this week?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: No. No. No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. President, people are considering --

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's lawyer-client. But, you know, he's taking his own chances.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBLES: So, "The New York Times" reporting that Cohen has already given prosecutors new information about the president's family business.

[17:15:05] I saw Michael Cohen on Capitol Hill on Friday. He was also meeting with the Senate Intelligence Committee. How concerning should Cohen's testimony be for President Trump?

BEN-VENISTE: Well, Michael Cohen has every motive to cooperate fully. Not only because he's said that, but also because he has the potential for a reduction of his sentence, should the prosecutors in the southern district take a somewhat different view toward the view they took on his sentencing day. And that was that he was less than fully cooperative. He has the opportunity to change their opinion about that.

But he is damaged goods, in many respects. On the other hand, he knows a lot about Donald Trump in areas that, I believe, have not yet been plumbed (ph), at least in public.

NOBLES: Yes. And Wednesday will be his public hearing in front of the House Oversight Committee, which could be politically damaging for the president. It may not have a legal impact, but that public hearing will be very highly watched. And it will be while the president is in Vietnam.

Richard Ben-Veniste, thank you so much for your expertise. We appreciate it.

BEN-VENISTE: Thank you, Ryan.

NOBLES: A day filled with tear gas, rubber bullets, violence and more as protests erupt along Venezuela's border. This as the country's embattled president issues a dramatic threat against the United States. We will take you there live after this break. You are in the CNN Newsroom.

[17:16:50]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

NOBLES: In Venezuela right now and on the borders all around it, chaos, anger, and violence. This is the border between Venezuela and Colombia today. But people throughout the country are furious. They've had enough of the economic and humanitarian crises that they blame fully on President Nicolas Maduro.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE.)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBLES: Across the border in Colombia, Venezuelan troops today faced protesters who are angry at the closed border. This is also one of the places where aid supplies are stacking up, waiting to be delivered to needy people inside Venezuela.

President Maduro defiantly and directly threatening the United States today, suggesting that American aid supplies are the first stages of a coup. He said if the U.S., quote, "dares to attack his armed forces, we'll respond."

The candidates for U.S. president are certainly watching what's happening in Venezuela. California Senator Kamala Harris tweeting today that people who flee Venezuela, her words, quote, "deserve safety and protection." She says if she is elected president, she would extend temporary protected status to Venezuelans.

And this today from Senator Bernie Sanders. The Maduro government must put the needs of its people first, allow humanitarian aid into the country, and refrain from violence against protesters.

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh is on the Venezuela-Colombia border right now and CNN's Isa Soares is in Caracas. Nick, let's start with you. Tear gas and clashes involving riot police earlier today. You were in the middle of all of it. What is it like there right now?

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I have to tell you, Ryan, we pulled back slightly from exactly the border area. But, literally in the last half hour or so, there were some really quite violent scenes, I must say. Still about nine hours or so after the first standoff began there. We continually heard tear gas. The aid trucks that were trying to get across, they pulled back. But the clashes are still going on and the scenes we saw were ugly, I must say.

They seem to have found a couple of the pro-government, sort of, protesters, thugs you might say, they're referred to as (INAUDIBLE) and they dragged them out, heavily beaten. And the Colombian police had to step in, frankly, to rescue these people from being lynched by the opposition protesters en masse there.

But that sense of standoff, the continued stone throwing, tear gas, were carrying on until now, which is almost dusk. Although, I think the feeling on that particular crossing is they won't be able to get the aid across today. They got one truck, it seems, across at a different border crossing, slightly higher (INAUDIBLE.) That was swiftly set on fire.

The main showcase place, where we've been told the big, kind of, bid to push everything through, (INAUDIBLE), nothing crossed there. And we are hearing, though, that two aid trucks crossed down on the south, on the Venezuelan-Brazilian border. That's according to the Brazilian presidency, though, that are very much against the Maduro government.

So, if your look at today was to try to get aid into Venezuela, well, the opposition hasn't had much success. If the aim was to highlight the, I would say, brutality or certainly the steadfastness of the Maduro government and their security forces to prevent that from coming across, then that, certainly, message was delivered. If you're in the White House and you are looking to get images of people being beaten by their own security forces out there across the international audience to further isolate Nicolas Maduro, well, you've got, certainly, what you wanted, as well. We saw, ourselves, many Venezuelan soldiers and police defecting, handing themselves over to the Colombians. It's the beginning, possibly, of something here. It wasn't the humanitarian wave pouring into Venezuela the opposition wanted to see. But John Bolton, himself, has tweeted today, there will be more sanctions and isolation because of this.

Back to you.

NOBLES: All right. That's the scene on the border with Colombia and Venezuela.

Let's go now inside Venezuela to Caracas. That's where Isa Soares is. Isa, President Nicolas Maduro addressed his nation earlier. What did he tell the people of Venezuela?

ISA SOARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He sounded extremely confident and steadfast in the fact that in his position, he's pretty much won.

[17:25:02] He said, I will never surrender. He -- in fact, he went on to say, I am stronger than ever. But as he walked onto the stage with his wife, and why -- while we saw protesters getting tear gassed and facing off with rubber bullets, I think we've got the footage of him, he was dancing salsa on stage with his wife. So, the quite the contrast of what is happening on the border, where Nick is and our team is, to what's happening in Caracas.

But sounding extremely defiant with messages directed at Juan Guaido, saying that he is a puppet of U.S. imperialism, something that we have heard from him before, saying that he's also a clown. He also said relations with Colombia, saying that Colombian diplomats and ambassadors have to leave the country within 24 hours.

Worth pointing out, though, I've been on the phone with the government of Colombia. And they, basically, said to me, we didn't even have an ambassador here. So -- and we don't recognize the legitimacy of Nicolas Maduro. So, there was nothing to break in the first place.

I want to play some sound, though, from what we heard from Nicolas Maduro. This is what he said if something happens to him. This is what the order he gave. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICOLAS MADURO, PRESIDENT OF VENEZUELA (translator): This is an order. An order for the military. If any day you wake up with the news that something has happened to Nicolas Maduro, go to the streets to make a revolution.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOARES: So, he's really rallying his base and the Venezuelan vice president in the last few minutes saying that Guaido has been defeated. Those who stood by Guaido, talking in particular to the president of Colombia, that they have been defeated. So, for them, they're saying this is a win. And they keep saying that the aid was coming in. That was a trojan horse. The aid was contaminated. And went on to say, we are not beggers.

So, the rhetoric still ramping up. Expect to hear more from Nicolas Maduro, Ryan, which, at this stage, seems more defiant than ever.

NOBLES: All right, Isa Soares live from Caracas, Venezuela. Thank you for that report.

Another global hot spot will be on the agenda for secretary of state, Mike Pompeo. He's focused on North Korea and whether President Trump can convince Kim Jong-Un to give up his nuclear program. The secretary of state joins our Jake Tapper to discuss the upcoming summit tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m. Eastern on CNN.

Divide and conquer. That is President Trump's plan to beat the growing field of Democratic contenders. Will it work and why is he watching the race so closely? You are live in the CNN Newsroom.

[17:27:18]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:32:20] RYAN NOBLES, CNN ANCHOR: The 2020 race for the White House heating up on the campaign trail today. Take a look at this crowded map of Democratic hopefuls fanned out from coast to coast. In Iowa today, Julian Castro, Senator Kamala Harris, and Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, among others. And here's Senator Elizabeth Warren today shaking hands and pitching her vision for the nation at a campaign House party in New Hampshire. A little dance there, too. And Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar today testing the political waters, far from her Midwest home in Greenville, South Carolina.

And as if the 2020 race wasn't crowded enough, CNN's Jeff Zeleny reports another politician wants to get involved, but there's a catch. This politician is a rather well-known Republican. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): One presidential candidate is following the Democratic primary fight far closer than you might imagine. His name is Donald J. Trump.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Bernie Sanders is running, yes, that's right. Personally, I think he missed his time.

They'll say, they know O'Rourke. That's his last name, right, O'Rourke?

I'm not impressed with their group.

ZELENY: The president is not only watching the Democratic race --

SEN. KAMALA HARRIS, (D), CALIFORNIA: Let's do this.

ZELENY: -- praising Kamala Harris' crowds. And Amy Klobuchar's ability to connect with voters. He's plans to play an active in his opponents' primaries. He's already working to brand Democrats as too extreme, seizing on Bernie Sanders' announcement this week to fire up his own supporters.

TRUMP: America will never be a Socialist country.

ZELENY: The president has directed his team to sew divisions among Democratic rivals, CNN has learned, and find opportunities to cause chaos from the left and right, in the words of one adviser, never mind, the first votes are one year away.

Trump is increasingly fixated on the race, both in private conversations and in public.

TRUMP: I guess they're looking at 2020. They think, gee, if we could hurt Trump, we'll have a better chance at winning an election.

ZELENY: One top Republican who talks to Trump frequently tells CNN, the president wants to get in the game.

At the White House, he's holding regular meetings with a small circle of advisers, led by his 2020 campaign manager, Brad Pascual. A power struggle has already emerged between the re-election campaign and those who helped him win the White House in 2016. Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie, two central figures in the first campaign, were not invited to a meeting on Tuesday.

With a wide-open Democratic contest where the ultimate nominee is a guessing game, the president and his advisers are trying to make it anything but a referendum on him.

TRUMP: A radical left. It's a radical left.

ZELENY: Yet, it's Democrats in the middle who worry Trump more.

Former Vice President Joe Biden is at the top of that list.

TRUMP (voice-over): He ran two or three times, never got above 1 percent. And Obama came along and took him off the trash heap. Then he became a vice president, and now he's probably leading.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[17:35:06] NOBLES: And CNN's Jeff Zeleny joins me now from the crucial state of Iowa, where several Democratic candidates are campaigning today.

Jeff, the president wants to stir up the Democratic primary. That's no big secret. I think the big question, though, is, are Democrats prepared to respond to Trump's chaos mission?

ZELENY: Ryan, that's a good question. The reality is, we've seen what the president is already doing, talking about Socialists and he says that, you know, all of these Democrats are moving too far to the left. I'll keep my voice down here a little bit. You can see behind me campaigning is Julian Castro, the former mayor of San Antonio, Texas, and a former secretary in the Obama administration, just one of many events going on across the state of Iowa. And as you said, in South Carolina and New Hampshire, as well.

But it is clear that the president trying to play a hand in the Democratic primary. Democrats aren't exactly sure how to react to that. They're saying the president cannot be allowed to define them. I was with Senator Michael Bennett, from Colorado, this afternoon. He is also here exploring a run. And he says the Democratic Party should not be allowed to brand them as Socialists. You do hear many Democratic hopefuls saying, we are Capitalists, we are not Socialists. There's a sense that the president is very good at branding. He wants to have a hand in this. And Democrats are trying to find their way, I would say, Ryan, trying to explain and expound on that.

NOBLES: Let's talk about another issue that the 2020 candidates have been forced to weigh in on. That's the case involving actor, Jussie Smollett.

This is what Kamala Harris had to say about it today. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: Hate crime is real in this country and we have to take it seriously. And nobody should play politics with it, nobody should have selfish motivations for raising it as an issue when it hasn't been an issue, so we'll see what happens.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBLES: Jeff, Harris among many Democratic candidates who rushed out to the defense of Smollett when initially it appeared he was a victim here, not the person committing the crime. Is her first reaction a potential stumbling block or could this be more an example of how these 2020 candidates are going to be forced into a position where they basically have to have an opinion on almost every big news story of the day.

ZELENY: Well, Ryan, I think it's a caution flag, first and foremost, not jumping to conclusions. Presidential candidates are always asked about this and of course, we are always asking them questions about what we think of this, but in this case, most of the candidate jumped in on their own without being asked and said this was an example of something they wanted to respond to. But I think it's a warning sign that you don't always know the full story. I'm not sure this has any lasting effect for Senator Harris or other Democrats who jumped in. She was in good company there with many people weighing in on social media about this case, but it's a sign to see the whole story is probably a better idea here.

But things move very, very quickly here. I think she will have many other opportunities to talk about this, but I'm not sure it has a last effect. Perhaps more so lasting effect, we saw her a short time ago in Ankeny, Iowa, down the road a little bit here, trying to clean up that Medicare-for-All answer that she's really been dealing with for several weeks, from our own Jake Tapper's question at a town hall in Des Moines, where she essentially talked about the elimination of private insurance. She said, no, no, now she believes that Medicare- for-All should be a process, not something happening immediately. So, Ryan, that is one thing we see here, this leftward pull of the

party. Candidates are trying to navigate that and be as pragmatic as well as pure.

NOBLES: Speaking of the poll to the left, Senator Bernie Sanders, who just go into the race, announcing his first plans campaign stops. He's going to come to Brooklyn where he grew up, will be the first campaign stop, then to Chicago the next day. What does it tell you about his decision not to immediately go to a swing state, but instead, go to these big cities to kind of introduce himself to the American voter, at least a 2020 version of his campaign?

ZELENY: Ryan, I think it shows that Bernie Sanders is going to have a national campaign from the very, very beginning. When I saw that come out just a short time ago, I was thinking back to his big Brooklyn campaign rallies during the 2016 campaign. He had several of them all over Brooklyn. It is, of course, the heart of his base. It is where he wants to get people signed up to contribute, in monthly increments. Chicago, the same time. It is a sign that Bernie Sanders is not only going back to Iowa, New Hampshire, he will travel there as well, but he wants to be a national candidate. So, "A," he's trying to respark that movement in these places. And important to remember, every four years, there are new voters. He's also going after a younger set of voters who are not able to vote for him at the time. But I think it is a sense that he is trying to rekindle a national movement as much as he's trying to thread the needle through the primary process.

NOBLES: That's right. In addition to Brooklyn and Chicago, he's also going to travel to Selma, Alabama, for the anniversary of Bloody Sunday as he tries to reach out to that key African-American group of voters.

ZELENY: Indeed.

[17:40:07] NOBLES: Jeff Zeleny, live in Iowa, thanks, as always, for your reporting.

And be sure to tune in at 8:00 tomorrow morning. That's when CNN's John King interviews presidential candidate, Kamala Harris, for a special edition of "INSIDE POLITICS." That's live from Iowa.

And what happens when one of the most powerful Senators in Congress debates a group of children over climate change? Well, it's a viral moment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: Government is supposed to be for the people and by the people and all --

(CROSSTALK)

FEINSTEIN: You know what's interesting about this group is I've been doing this for 30 years. I know what I'm doing. You come in here and you say, it has to be my way or the highway. I don't respond to that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBLES: And three generations, two presidents, one powerful family. "THE BUSH YEARS," narrated by Ed Harris, that premieres next Sunday, March 3rd on CNN.

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[17:45:09] NOBLES: Three people are feared dead after a cargo plane crash in southeast Texas. The Chambers County sheriff says he doesn't think anyone could have survived when the Boeing 767 went down about 30 miles east of Houston. Witnesses reportedly saw the plane make a nosedive just before crashing.

Audio recordings captured the pilot's final words with air traffic controllers.

(BEGIN AUDIO FEED)

UNIDENTIFIED PILOT: Good afternoon, Giants 3591, 17-8 descending via the link and we have Sierra.

UNIDENTIFIED AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: Air 3591, there's a little bit of light to heavy precipitation just west of it looks like Vans, and it is moving eastbound. So once you get in closer, if we need to go verdicts around it, we'll be able to accommodate that.

UNIDENTIFIED AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: You picking up any ELTs right now?

UNIDENTIFIED PILOT: If you pick up an ELT at all ahead of you.

UNIDENTIFIED AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: Shuttle 6080,, see if you can make ground contact. We're looking for a lost aircraft to your 11:00 in two miles, a heavy Boeing 767.

UNIDENTIFIED PILOT: Air shuttle 6090, no ground contact from here.

UNIDENTIFIED AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER: Air shuttle 514, see if you can make ground contact. We're looking at a heavy Boeing 767 at 11:00 in about seven miles.

UNIDENTIFIED PILOT: Roger.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

NOBLES: Flight radar 24.com says the plane was branded as an Amazon Prime Air jet. The sheriff's office said he saw bed sheets and women's clothing in the debris in the water.

Back to politics. Lawmakers are no strangers to heated debate. California Senator Dianne Feinstein is raising eyebrows after getting into it with a group of children over climate change. The middle and high school students were meeting with Feinstein Friday, asking her to back the progressive Green New Deal. Now, the Senator said the policy would not pass the Senate and that she doesn't agree with it, but the kids pushed back. Kaylee Hartung joins me now with more.

Kaylee, that's when things really started to heat up.

KAYLEE HARTUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Ryan. And this sweeping plan on climate change has generated a lot of conversation. Senator Dianne Feinstein among the more moderate Democrats who have not signed on. And with a vote expected as early as next week, an advocacy group planned a rally. About a hundred people gathered outside the Senator's San Francisco office yesterday, people of all ages, trying to make their case to the Senator, as to why she should support the Green New Deal.

Now, a member of her staff noticed children among the crowd. He invited them up to her office and they did not back down in that big moment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: We're going to go in and give her this letter.

HARTUNG (voice-over): Schoolchildren fighting for their future.

UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: In front of Feinstein.

HARTUNG: With homemade signs and spirited passion.

Inside, Senator Dianne Feinstein's San Francisco office Saturday, they ask her to vote "yes" on the controversial and ambitious climate change policy known as the Green New Deal.

UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: We are trying to ask you to vote "yes" on the Green New Deal.

UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: Please.

OK. I'll tell you what, we have our own Green New Deal.

HARTUNG: What happens next became a viral social media moment.

UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: The government is supposed to be for the people and by the people.

FEINSTEIN: You come in here and you say, it has to be my way or the highway. I don't respond to that.

HARTUNG: The children's voices and Feinstein's tone have been amplified by the Sunrise Movement, a well-oiled advocacy group that engages young people in the fight to stop climate change.

With growing influence in Washington, the group posted the entire meeting on Facebook, then shared and edited a two-minute version on Twitter.

The Senator is now being widely criticized for dismissing the children in moments like this. UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: You're supposed to listen to us. That's your --

(CROSSTALK)

FEINSTEIN: How old are you?

(CROSSTALK)

FEINSTEIN: How old are you?

UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: I'm 16. I can't vote.

FEINSTEIN: Well, you didn't vote for me.

UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: I voted --

(CROSSTALK)

FEINSTEIN: Well --

(CROSSTALK)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARTUNG: Feinstein's office tells CNN, they have no objection to the video posted online. The Senator said in a statement, quote, "I want the children to know they were heard loud and clear. I have been and remain committed to do everything I can to enact real, meaningful climate change legislation."

A look at the longer version of the video shows the Senator, who served California in the U.S. Senate since 1992, explaining the necessity of compromise in politics.

FEINSTEIN: So the key to good legislation is to tailor something that you write so that it can pass.

HARTUNG: Feinstein says she has an alternative to the Green New Deal that has a much better chance of passing.

As the group leaves her office, visibly frustrated, she hands them copy of the proposal she's preparing for Congress and encourages the children to read that before criticizing her.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARTUNG: I spoke with the young woman who Senator Feinstein pointed out wasn't old enough to vote, a 16-year-old high school student in California, and she explained to me that the encounter with the Senator was disappointing to her because they never meant to get into a power struggle. She says they went there hoping to get their representative to commit to voting yes on a piece of legislation that they think is best for their future.

[17:50:11] Even if it can't pass in Congress, they want to know that momentum is being created for the future of climate change policy. Ryan, something else you don't see in that two-minute video, the

Senator offering that same young woman an internship in her office. Aisha Clark (ph) said she'll follow up with the Senator's office on Monday to pursue that.

NOBLES: No doubt, Kaylee. Supporters of the Senator would say the longer version paints a different picture, but this shows whAt it's like to be a United States Senator. You need to hear the opinions of all your constituents.

Kaylee Hartung, thank you for that report.

A historic-making move for Saudi Arabia. They just announced a woman will serve as ambassador to the United States for the first time ever. Those details are just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:55:19] NOBLES: An historic first today, Saudi Arabia chooses a woman as the new U.S. ambassador. Her name, Princess Reema bint Bandar. Her father was Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the U.S. from 1983 to 2005. Today's royal decree came straight from the kingdom's de-facto leader himself, Prince Mohammad bin Salman.

Tomorrow is Hollywood's biggest night. A CNN original film has a chance to take home hardware. "RBG" is nominated for an Oscar for best feature documentary. The film takes a deep look into the life of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The film has also been nominated for best original song.

I'm Ryan Nobles, in New York.

"S.E. CUPP UNFILTERED" starts after this short break.

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