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Kamala Harris Aide Resign in Scathing Letter About Campaign; House Democrats Writing a Letter to the White House Involving a New Deadline in the Impeachment Inquiry; Kurds Say Turkey is Now Targeting Medical Personnel Who Are Trying to Save Lives. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired November 29, 2019 - 14:30   ET

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

[14:30:00]

REBECCA BUCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The source of these problems, of the source of mismanagement of the campaign and also a lack of a clear direction when it comes to messaging, when it comes to strategy. Others in the campaign pointing to campaign manager Juan Rodriguez in particular many complaints about his handling of layoffs in the campaign in light of financial struggles.

Many said that there were warning signs that he ignored and that the layoffs came after they had hired many of these staffers just days and weeks ago. So, just an unprofessional organization is the picture that this report paints from top to bottom and of course, her struggles in the polling, her change in strategy throughout this race. And so, what is remarkable on top of all of this in addition to that picture, the fact that all of these staffers are talking to the New York Times about these campaign issues. You have a lot of struggling campaigns here, it's a big race. But this is unique to Kamala Harris's campaign.

RYAN NOBLES, CNN HOST: And this isn't the first campaign particularly in this big field of Democratic candidates that struggled with money, right. I mean you covering the Cory Booker campaign. They've been forced to make hard decisions related to money. I mean it didn't seem as though they had many choices as it relates to laying off the staff, is it just the way they handled it that seems to be the problem?

BUCK: Right. And so that's mismanagement, right. It's not being realistic about the resources that you're going to have to spend on staff. It's not being realistic about where you're wanting to put those resources. It's just ignoring some of the warning signs.

And of course, Kamala Harris at the beginning of this race looked like a more promising candidate. She looked like she was going to be in the top tier. She had that very good debate against Joe Biden that sent her soaring in the polls for a short time. And so, you could see where a campaign would think that they would be able to build out faster, spend more money. But as she began to struggle, the money just wasn't coming in to sustain that.

NOBLES: What's interesting about this story though is despite laying out all these problems and laying out all these issues, financial, staffing, angst within the campaign at no point did they say that she's seriously considering dropping out at this stage which I find to be interesting it appears at the very early she seems prepared to stick it out till Iowa.

BUCK: So, what the report does say is that her campaign team is planning in December to take a hard look at where she is in this race and assess at that stage what her future holds. There are some allies though in the New York Times report not quoted by name but quoted as saying that they do believe she should drop out in December if her polling does not get better especially because there is this California primary coming up on Super Tuesday. They don't want to see her with a poor showing in her home state of California where she's going to be running for re-election down the road and has to think about her future.

NOBLES: And I think the other thing we need to make clear is that she's still a very popular Democratic figure, she's still a member of the United States Senate from the biggest state in the country. She might still be an attractive Vice-Presidential candidate; she still has a lot to offer and perhaps that decision as to when she stays in or gets out and who she endorses could still play a big role in this race.

BUCK: Absolutely. I mean she was seen as such a rising star in this primary which is one of the reasons that this story of Kamala Harris's campaign and its missteps and problems has been such a surprise for so many people because the expectations were very high.

NOBLES: Sky high. Definitely. All right, Rebecca Buck, thank you so much for being here.

BUCK: Thanks, Ryan.

NOBLES: Bernie Sanders back on the campaign trail support for the senator holding steady. We'll talk about why he's reaching a critical juncture. His deputy campaign manager joins me next.

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[14:35:00]

NOBLES: Well, after spending the holidays with their family, 2020 candidates are returning to the campaign trail now with just 66 days until the Iowa caucuses. A new CNN national poll shows that Senator Bernie Sanders is holding steady in second place, but Elizabeth Warren is right there on his heels. And with me now to talk about this, Ari Rabin-Havt. He is the deputy campaign manager for Bernie Sanders, somebody that is around the senator all the time, it seems.

ARI RABIN-HAVT, BERNIE SANDERS' DEPUTY CAMPAIGN MANAGER: All the time.

NOBLES: It's unique insight into his campaign. I want to ask you first about Medicare for All, Air.

RABIN-HAVT: Sure.

NOBLES: As a specific issue and there does seem to be some angst within the Democratic primary, I'm not even talking about Republicans about how Medicare for All plays as a general election issue. We've seen Nancy Pelosi raise concerns about that. Even Barack Obama has seemed to suggest that perhaps, middle class or middle of the road voters may be nervous about it. And you've seen your Democratic opponents like Pete Buttigieg and Joe Biden also hammer the idea of Medicare for All as a general election issue. How would you respond to that? Because of course, Senator Sanders is all in on Medicare for All.

RABIN-HAVT: Look, I think the Democratic establishment is nervous about Medicare for All. I think health insurance companies are nervous about Medicare for All. I think drug companies that don't want to lose their $100 billion profit are nervous about Medicare for All.

The American people want Medicare for All. The American people see the dysfunction, the cruelty, how just poor our current health care system does for the American people. And they understand we want to do it every major country on earth does, provide health care as a human right.

So, this is like a D.C. insider thing. The American people understand what they want.

NOBLES: OK. So, I want to talk to you about Senator Sanders where he is, post having that heart attack. And let's play this clip. This is from him on Jimmy Fallon, slow jamming the news. Let's take a listen to it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIMMY FALLON, LATE NIGHT SHOW HOST: Senator, I was hoping you can take a minute and talk Bernie to me. We all know you've got a huge heart.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D-VT) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: No, no, it's a normal sized thought. It's a completely normal, completely fine heart. But continue.

FALLON: Well, now that you bring it up. What do you say to people who think the Sandman is too mature to be president?

SANDERS: Well, to those people, I'd say that I'm feeling strong.

[14:40:00]

Energetic and more ready than ever to fight for the American people.

FALLON: So, what you're saying is.

(VIDEO PLAYING)

SANDERS: Feeling good as hell.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBLES: So, Ari, you're obviously somebody that spent a lot of time around Senator Sanders, and it seemed as though prior to the heart attack, and I didn't want to focus too much on the heart attack. We never really saw his sense of humor. He seemed reluctant to bring it out as much publicly. He seems to have changed and now wants to show that side of him. Is there a different Bernie Sanders since prior to this health scare?

RABIN-HAVT: I don't know if it's different because I obviously travel with him probably 80 percent of the time. I see his sense of humor every day. He's incredibly funny as a person. And I think people didn't realize that. I think since this - since October, people have seen more and more of that in public. And I'm glad because they get to see the real Bernie Sanders, who's incredibly funny.

NOBLES: So, now let's talk about Michael Bloomberg's entry into the race. I know this is something, your campaign has been keenly aware of, he spent over $58 million on TV and ad buys in just the last three weeks. Most of that money headed towards Super Tuesday states. He said he's going to skip the first four primary states. I mean, what is your view of the Bloomberg entry into the race and how do you view Senator Sanders as an alternative to that?

RABIN-HAVT: Look, this is the problem with elites. He thinks he can skip Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Nevada, four states where you have to really interact with voters, where you're talking one on one in rooms. We're talking about rooms of 20, 30, 40 wants to go out and just blanket the airwaves with television. That's actually a problem in this race.

You want a candidate who can relate to the people, not one who thinks they can win by just spending 50 million, 100 million, $1 billion on TV. That's not good for the Democratic Party. That's not good for democracy.

NOBLES: But just quickly, as we wrap up here, one of the reasons he seems to be getting into this race is because he's nervous, Bernie Sanders could be the nominee. I mean, how would you respond to that?

RABIN-HAVT: Yes. People like Michael Bloomberg should be nervous that Bernie Sanders is going to be the President of the United States and is going to tax people like Michael Bloomberg and is going to disempower billionaires who have too much power in our society. So, yes, Michael Bloomberg should be nervous.

NOBLES: OK. All right. Ari Rabin-Havt, thanks so much for being here.

RABIN-HAVT: Thanks, Ryan. Happy Thanksgiving.

NOBLES: Happy Thanksgiving to you as well. And just ahead, House Democrats writing a letter to the White House involving a new deadline in the impeachment inquiry. Stand by for that news just breaking. Plus, disturbing developments in the crisis in Syria. Kurd say Turkey is now targeting medical personnel who are trying to save lives. The situation on the ground there. Up next.

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[14:45:00]

NOBLES: It's been a little over a month since U.S. troops pulled out of Northern Syria. The move abandoned Kurdish allies as Turkish forces invaded their homeland. Technically, there is a ceasefire in place, but there is ongoing bloodshed. And now the Kurds are claiming, Turkey is targeting some of the most vulnerable, medics who risk their lives to save others. CNN Clarissa Ward has more on the growing concerns about Turkey's attacks and a warning some of what you're about to see is disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Doctors perform surgeries by head lamp as the battle rages. This was the scene at the Ras al-Ayn Hospital, as the Turkish military continued its offensive against Kurdish forces in Northern Syria.

Medic Jamila Hami was inside and quickly realized there was no way in or out.

JAMILA HAMI, MEDIC: It's a very difficult feeling when, you know, your hospital is going to be destroyed and the ambulances are going to be destroyed and there's just a few stops between you and the wounded, but you can't go to save them. The screams of the children from Ras al-Ayn are still ringing in my ear.

WARD: It was the first, but not the last time Kurdish authorities would accuse Turkish forces of targeting medical infrastructure, a charge that Turkey strongly denies. According to the Rojava Information Center, Kurdish ambulances and clinics have regularly been hit and at least five medical workers killed.

Paramedic Louay back here tells us he was driving to the front lines when a rocket landed right in front of his ambulance. Petrified, he and his co-workers jumped out of the vehicle and hit by the side of the road. Then another rocket hit.

LOUAY BEKKIR, PARAMEDIC: Once I regained consciousness, I looked down and my leg was bleeding. I tried to move my arm and I couldn't. I looked at all my colleagues with me, and none of them were moving. They were lying still. Some were screaming and calling for help.

WARD: One of them, 23-year-old Hail Salah (ph) was killed. But the threat is not just.

[14:50:00]

From munitions. The Kurdish Red Crescent says three of its workers were kidnapped and murdered by Turkish backed fighters. Human rights groups have accused Turkish proxies on the ground of rampant abuses and even extrajudicial killings. The UN and the U.S. have urged Turkey to investigate.

Officially, there is now a ceasefire in place here, but violations are frequent. You can hear the sounds of those jets circling overhead. Jamila was telling us, it's like this all day, every day.

Over the past few weeks, a steady stream of casualties has flowed into her hospital. Many of them civilians. Despite the risks, Jamila says she has no intention of stopping her work.

HAMI: Everyone is afraid of the sound of a plane, or a shell. But we have people who need us. And we have to rescue them. As long as the violence continues. She fears there will be many more lives to save. Clarissa Ward, CNN, Tokamak, Syria.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBLES: Clarissa Ward. Thank you. And just in, the White House just given a new deadline by House Democrats involving the impeachment inquiry, see the letter. Plus, new details on that terror attack near London Bridge after several people are stabbed by a man wearing a hoax explosive device.

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[14:55:00]

NOBLES: I'm Ryan Nobles, in for Brooke Baldwin. This is a special edition of Newsroom, and we continue to follow the breaking news of a terror attack in the heart of Central London. Several people were injured after a man strapped with a fake explosive device went on a stabbing rampage near the London Bridge. That suspect is now dead, shot by police. And the moment caught on video by eyewitnesses. We do want to warn you, some of the images here are graphic.

(VIDEO PLAYING)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is a rush of people running into the cafe. The manager ran and shut the door, unlocked it, and everybody basically go under the tables and we were told that shots were heard. And then at some point where we saw police coming through the bridge.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Public shouting with a man that was trying - it looked like he was trying to be pinned down. I kind of saw like - it looked like a like a shine of light come across from the man on the floor. And I realized quickly that there was a knife. And then the police went over with some guns, and it ended with the man being shot.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not in a position to confirm that it has been declared a terrorist incident. I would also like to thank members of the public who risked their own safety this afternoon. They are the best of us.

NOBLES: Nina dos Santos, CNN Europe Editor is on the scene at London Bridge. And we also have several of our analysts and correspondents here in the Newsroom as well to talk about this. But let's first go to Nina. From your perspective, what can you tell us? What is the latest there in London?

NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, first of all, Ryan, this is a few hours after the incident is unfolded. And as you can see, they've removed the security cordons above around a significant amount of the area nearby. And they've also opened up one of the biggest stations in London. This is London Bridge. But as you can see, police vans are still arriving on the scene. So, there is still a significant security presence with comings and goings, forensic teams and so on and so forth.

I myself arrived on the scene about 45 minutes after this incident had unfolded and found various witnesses who in different states of distress, many of them saying that they didn't actually physically see what you've just seen, which appears to have been filmed on - from a bus from commuters, on the bridge itself. But what they did hear was the gunshots. And they also saw was the panic in people's eyes,

Remember that this London Bridge is an area that was subject to a deadly terror attack just two years ago in 2017. Other bridges in London have been attacked like Westminster Bridge. And that attack just came just before a general election went out, two weeks away from a general election. So, these are extremely tense and significant times to the United Kingdom.

In terms of the latest as far as the investigation is proceeding. What we know is that the metropolitan police have said that police officers discharged their firearms, killing this man who they then later ascertained was wearing a fake suicide vest. He'd been brandishing a knife. Several people who've been injured as a result of his activities here. We don't know what condition they're in. All we know is that the Mayor of London has said that some of these knife wounds are very serious indeed, and that they're also treating this as a terrorist incident. Ryan.

NOBLES: All right, Nina, thank you so much for that report. Let's break down exactly what we know at this stage with Nic Robertson, who is our international diplomatic editor, and also Paul Cruickshank, who is an international terrorism expert. Nic, let's start with you. It's been two years since the last terror incident that happened right.