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Warren Calls for End to Electoral College; Biden Discussing Running Mate; Major Flooding in Nebraska; Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired March 19, 2019 - 06:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:30:30] ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Senator Elizabeth Warren taking center stage at a CNN presidential town hall last night where she laid out her priorities for the 2020 campaign. The loudest ovation coming for her position on the Electoral College.

CNN's MJ Lee is live in Jackson, Mississippi, with more.

MJ, good morning.

MJ LEE, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Erica.

Senator Elizabeth Warren has already released several policy proposals this year as she is building out her presidential campaign. And last night we saw her take questions on a broad range of issues. She clearly tried to use this national stage to try to set herself apart in a growing Democratic field.

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SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: My view is that every vote matters. And that means get rid of the Electoral College.

LEE (voice over): Senator Elizabeth Warren calling for the elimination of the Electoral College, prompting prolonged applause from Democratic voters in Jackson, Mississippi.

WARREN: Everybody.

LEE: Warren citing Hillary Clinton's loss in 2016 despite winning the popular vote with nearly 3 million more votes than President Trump. Describing the Electoral College as a means of disenfranchising voters and states dominated by a single, political party.

WARREN: Come a general election, presidential candidates don't come to places like Mississippi. They also don't come to places like California and Massachusetts, right, because we're not the battleground states.

LEE: Warren becoming the first senator running for president to endorse a House bill to study reparations for Americans who are descendants of slaves.

WARREN: I believe it's time to start the national, full-blown conversation about reparations in this country.

LEE: But stopping short of calling for financial payments.

The Massachusetts senator, who made a name for herself by taking on the big banks, distancing herself from the socialist moniker.

WARREN: And I believe in the value that we get out of markets. But it's got to be markets with rules.

LEE: Warren again addressing criticism that her past claims of having Native American heritage were tone deaf.

WARREN: I grew up in Oklahoma. I learned about my family from my family. And based on that, that's -- that's just kind of who I am.

LEE: The presidential candidate recounting an emotional story about her mother getting a minimum wage job after her father had a heart attack.

WARREN: She's saying, we will not lose this house. We will not lose this house. She was 50 years old. She had never worked outside the home. She was truly terrified. And years later I came to understand, this is a story about millions of Americans who -- it doesn't matter if you're scared, when you've got to do something to take care of people you love, you reach down, you find it and you pull it up.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEE: Now, here at the historically black Jackson State University, Elizabeth Warren focused a lot on issues of racial inequality last night. She called on the removal of confederate statutes and monuments as well. And she also said the state of Mississippi should adopt a new state flag that does not have the confederate image on it.

John.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, MJ Lee for us in Jackson, Mississippi. That was a fascinating town hall. MJ, thanks for being there.

Other major 2020 news. Former Vice President Joe Biden, he has not officially entered the races yet, but some big CNN reporting. The former vice president considering naming a running mate early. What's going on here? That's one heck of a headline, next.

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[06:38:10] BERMAN: All right, some big, new CNN reporting as former Vice President Joe Biden prepares to jump into the Democratic race for president, CNN has learned that Biden advisors are discussing the possibility of selecting a running mate early, like very early.

Joining us now is Bakari Sellers, CNN commentator, former South Carolina house member, and Maria Cardona, CNN commentator and Democratic strategist. Bakari, look, this is very interesting. Traditionally you don't pick a running mate until you are the nominee and you are at your convention. What would this give Joe Biden as an early primary contender?

BAKARI SELLERS, CNN COMMENTATOR: Well, it depends on who that nominee would be or who that vice presidential nominee would be. If it's someone like a Stacey Abrams, then I think it gives him a leg up on the field. I think that, you know, Stacey Abrams, her electricity, her progressive bonafides, all of those things, give Joe Biden what he may need to get through the primary.

You know, Joe Biden is going to have some pitfalls in this race. He is the frontrunner. He and Beto are the frontrunners. But he's going to have some pitfalls in this race. I mean at first is, can he come to South Carolina and do extremely well and then go into super Tuesday and follow up in states like Mississippi and North Carolina. With Stacey Abrams, that would help him overcome those things.

And then the second pitfalls he's going to have when question like the '94 crime bill and Anita Hill. Stacey Abrams or someone of that ilk would help him overcome those things. And so I think it's a brilliant move if he pulls it off. It kind of puts a -- it dampens the field and takes away some of the excitement, but it's going to take a non- traditional poly to beat the president of the United States. That's for certain.

BERMAN: You know, I said traditionally this happens at a convention after you're the nominee. There is some precedent for a primary contender picking a running mate early. And it was Ted Cruz who selected Carly Fiorina just a few years ago. But that was a -- but, no, seriously, and it was at a moment of weakness. And so I'm wondering, Maria, if this is an admission by the pre-Biden team, pre- team Biden, as it were, that there are some weaknesses he needs to shore up?

[06:40:09] MARIA CARDONA, CNN COMMENTATOR: Well, I think it's certainly an admission that it is, number one, a crowded field and that it is a field that is comprised of actually very qualified, talented, experienced candidates so far that have excited very important swaths of voters that you're going to need in order to become the nominee. And so I do think that it is a recognition that Joe Biden, while in terms of all the numbers that we've seen, once he jumps in, he will certainly be the front-runner.

There is an acknowledgement of what that means and how long he can keep that lead, how big will the lead be? Will he be able to, you know, raise more money than Beto? If his haul in terms of fundraising is less than Beto's, that is going to be the first barrier that he is seeing that he's not going to be able to clear.

But I think in terms of the announcement of an early vice presidential choice, I think there's a huge risk in that, again, because there are so many other current candidates that are seen as experienced and exciting and diverse, if he chooses somebody early and it's not one of them -- and clearly it's not going to be, at least I don't think it is, then it means that everybody else who is currently running is going to be out. And I think that that is a huge risk to take if you're going to see other candidates with big follows in terms of the Democratic base.

BERMAN: So, if you're Stacey Abrams, Bakari, the phone rings, she picks it up, the other voice on the other line says, hey, it's former Vice President Joe Biden, will you be my running mate, your answer is?

SELLERS: Man, that's a high class problem to have.

CARDONA: Yes.

SELLERS: I mean I don't know that you -- I don't know the answer to that, you know?

BERMAN: I said you're playing Stacey Abrams in this scenario. You're not Bakari Sellers.

SELLERS: Stacey -- listen, I don't have the audacity to play Stacey Abrams. She's way more brilliant than I. I think, you know, I'm hopeful that Stacey Abrams will run for governor again in 2022 against Brian Kemp or against David Purdue in 2020. I think that this is a new wrinkle if this question is asked of her. I honestly don't know.

I mean if Bakari -- if Bakari Sellers gets the phone call, and, you know -- and let's just say this. Let's add another wrinkle to it because we're playing early morning gamesmanship here. What if Joe Biden promises you that he only stays for one term.

BERMAN: Right.

SELLERS: Then that makes it even more attractive. I mean we could play this game for days.

CARDONA: Right.

SELLERS: But this is what makes the primary cycle 300 days away from Iowa still so exciting.

BERMAN: Well, what's so interesting is not that we're playing the game, it's that Biden advisors are publically raising the possibility of this before even getting into the race.

Maria, Elizabeth Warren, Senator Warren, from Massachusetts last night, big applause line for suggesting abolishing the Electoral College or making an end run around it. This is something we're hearing more and more in Democratic politics. I don't want to burst anyone's bubble. I don't think it's not going to happen, at least not right now. Not this way.

Why then is it an effective argument for Democrats to make?

CARDONA: Well, clearly because of what has happened in two out of the last five presidential campaigns in terms of the Electoral College, which means that Democrats have won the popular vote yet they haven't won the presidency. And that's not just a huge deal for Democrats. I think that a lot of Americans look at what we say as a country when we are abroad talking about, you know, the -- all of the requirements of a real democracy. And as a party, the Democrats always talk about how every vote should count. But except in presidential politics or in a presidential campaign, when, in fact, every vote doesn't count, that just does not seem to match the reality of what we are living today.

And so when you have the majority of Americans that are looking to this Electoral College, which is, you know, something that happened at the birth of the nation but really isn't needed right now, then it is time for people to be talking about those kinds of bold changes. So I'm glad Elizabeth Warren is doing that.

BERMAN: And, Bakari, can I ask you quickly about the latest CNN polling on the president's approval rating, at 42 percent, 51 percent disapprove, which is actually one of the better numbers he's had.

But the numbers on the economy are the ones that jump out, where 71 percent or so say the economy is very good at this point. That's a high number. Is that a serious barrier for Democrats trying to win this election?

SELLERS: Look, I think that if any Democrat believes beating Donald Trump is going to be easy, then they have another think coming for them. One of the items that Democrats can count on, though, is even with good polling numbers, and good for this president, is that he's going to step on his message. I mean instead of talking about the economy, we're out here talking -- praising and not condemning white supremacists while we're degrading John McCain. So we can always count on him to stop on his message.

[06:45:05] But the key is, whether or not it's 70 percent on the economy or he has a 40 percent approval rating, Donald Trump has a solid 35 percent of the American electorate and that the difference between his 35 percent and Democrats right now is that his 35 percent have proven that they show up and vote and they come to the polls every single time.

And so Democrats have a long -- have a long way to go before we can hopefully in January of 2021 be in the White House. And taking Donald Trump lightly is not the way to get there.

BERMAN: All right, Maria Cardona, vice president Bakari Sellers, thank you for being with us this morning.

CARDONA: Thank you, John.

SELLERS: That sounds good. Really appreciate it.

BERMAN: It sounds good.

SELLERS: I'm not even -- I'm only vice president in my house, John.

CARDONA: Do it, Bakari.

BERMAN: I don't think you're old enough, Bakari. I think you have to be 35. And I don't think you're there yet.

All right, a quick --

SELLERS: I'm not there.

BERMAN: A quick programing note. CNN will host a presidential town hall tomorrow with former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper. Dana Bash hosts live from Atlanta. That's 10:00 p.m. Eastern and that's tomorrow night.

HILL: Parts of the Midwest remain under water at this hour. So when could residents there see some relief from these deadly floods? Chad Myers joins us with your forecast, next.

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[06:50:10] HILL: Vice President Mike Pence will survey the damage from Nebraska's historic flooding today. Those floods have killed at least four people in the region and 74 states right now -- 74 cities, rather, in the state have declared emergencies.

CNN meteorologist Chad Myers joining us now with your forecast.

Chad, good morning.

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Erica.

You know, I grew up right there in Nebraska and we saw a little bit of land flooding every year. It's how the ground gets so fertile. But not like this. Not 33 gages out of their banks in major flood stage really ever. This is truly a disaster in the making and a very slow disaster at that because it takes so long for that water to run off.

This weather's brought to you by Zantac, eat your way, treat your way.

So, let's get to it. When does it finally end? Well, this is going to take a long time to get to the Gulf of Mexico because that's where this water here has to get to. So the Missouri is going to be in flood for a while. Mississippi's going to be in flood for a while. And even the Red River in Fargo's going to be in flood stage probably in three weeks to a month because there's still snow on the ground, there's still rain trying to come down, and much above weather -- much above normal. Temperatures are going to be 20 to 30 degrees above normal. You don't want that. You want it to slow down. You want that snow to just -- just melt nice and slowly. That is not going to happen. It is going to be a rapid snow melt with rain on top of it. And then it doesn't soak in because the ground is frozen. And it's like trying to take water and soak it into asphalt. It just doesn't happen. It just runs off and goes up.

John.

BERMAN: All right, Chad Myers for us. This will be a concern for some weeks to come. Appreciate it, Chad.

MYERS: You bet.

BERMAN: We're getting some live pictures we want to show you right now. This is a huge fire that started on Sunday. It is still raging and will burn for days. We will tell you what's fueling these flames, next.

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[06:55:59] BERMAN: These are live pictures. Look at that. Aerials of a raging fire in suburban Houston. This has been burning at a petrochemical plant since Sunday. Now, some of the tanks that you see burning there contain components used in gasoline, so that's fueling these flames, literally. Schools in the area are back open today after health officials said that air quality is normal. Officials warn that this fire could burn for another day or two. The cause of this is under investigation.

HILL: The Trump administration wants to impose limits on student loan borough. Right now the amount an undergraduate student can borrow from the federal government is capped at $57,500. The administration not saying what the new limit might be, but it is also calling for a simplification of student loan repayments and an expansion of the Pell Grant program.

All right, after 13 seasons in the NFL, defensive lineman Haloti Ngata says he is retirement on top which I suppose is literally true. He announced it in an Instagram post from the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Ngata also shared a message, just a man standing on top of the world with a heart full of gratitude.

Good for him. That's a good way to go.

HILL: What a great way -- yes, that's fantastic.

BERMAN: That's what Tom Brady should do after Super Bowl nine or 10, is climb Mt. Kilimanjaro.

HILL: I mean, really, is there anything more he can do.

BERMAN: He could climb.

HILL: He's done so much. He's perfect, John. He's just perfect.

BERMAN: Thank you. You said it.

HILL: President Trump's weekend Twitter meltdown, the gift that keeps on giving. Here are your "Late Night Laughs."

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SETH MEYERS, HOST, "LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS": Trump's behavior this weekend was so unnerving that George Conway, the husband of White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, and a longtime Republican lawyer in Washington just tweeted, his condition is getting worse. And -- and you know it really says a lot about the state of our politics that we all know who he's talking about. You don't even need to say Trump's name anymore. Everyone will know who you're talking about if you just tweet, he's yelling at the TV again. STEPHEN COLBERT, HOST, "THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT": Fox News did pull here show on Saturday and Trump was not pleased. Bring back @JudgeJeanine Pirro. The radical left Democrats working closely with their beloved partner, the fake news media is using every trick in the book to silence a majority of our country.

Yes, the radical left and the mainstream media hatched a devious plot to make Jeanine Pirro sound like a bigot. Here's how they did it. They pointed a camera at her.

JIMMY FALLON, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON": There's one guy who still hasn't officially entered the race, and it's Joe Biden. He hasn't declared yet, but he's not really fooling anyone. Just listen to what he said in his speech this weekend.

JOE BIDEN, FORMER U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: I have the most progressive record of anybody running for the United -- of anybody who would run.

FALLON: Biden's that friend who goes, are you excited for your surprise party?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: All right, we are waiting on Joe Biden to say it officially.

Thank you to our international viewers for watching. For you, CNN "TALK" is next.

For our U.S. viewers, CNN has learned that the White House may get its eyes and its redaction pen on the Mueller report before Congress gets to see it. What could that mean? That's now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: White House lawyers expect to review whatever version of Mueller's report Attorney General Barr submits to Congress.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is standard procedure for a document this hot.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You do not want the head of executive branch to use executive privilege to somehow circumvent the fair administration of justice.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: George Conway is consummately well-informed. I would watch out for the husbands and wives of people that work for Trump.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People feel the country is going the right way. They will forgive Trump for his bad behavior.

MEGHAN MCCAIN, JOHN MCCAIN'S DAUGHTER: My father (INAUDIBLE) his kryptonite in death. That tells you everything you need to know about his pathetic life.

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: Nobody will be surprised when he announces. He seems like a candidate this time around. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's going to have a formidable field. I'd worry if

I were him.

SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm going to fight it from the heart every inch of the way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Alisyn Camerota and John Berman.

BERMAN: Good morning and welcome to your NEW DAY. Alisyn is off. Erica Hill joins me.

[06:59:58] And this morning, Congress wants to see the Mueller report. The public wants to see the Mueller report. But the White House wants to put its mark on it first. A lot of marks. Maybe black marks that you can't read through.

END