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New Day Sunday

New Restrictions For Passengers Traveling From China Begin Today; Closing Arguments In Impeachment Trial Start Tomorrow; Dem Candidates Make Final Push In Iowa Ahead Of Caucuses; Concerns Growing Over The Security Of The 2020 Election; Super Bowl LIV; 49ers Versus Chiefs. Aired 7-8a ET

Aired February 02, 2020 - 07:00   ET

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

[07:00:03]

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: It all stems from the U.S. military strike that took out a top Iranian general in December. Remember, that happened in the House.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross states, the coronavirus outbreak could help return jobs to the U.S. and Mexico. He said that during an interview or something like it this week. Coronavirus outbreak could help return jobs coronavirus outbreak could help return jobs to the U.S. and Mexico. He said that during an interview or something like it this week. Ross did acknowledge the victims off the top. But he said also that businesses need to consider the virus when reviewing supply chains.

The next hour of your NEW DAY starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In an all-out effort to keep the coronavirus from spreading further, the United States on Sunday will impose a travel ban. U.S. citizens who went to Hubei province, the epicenter of the outbreak will be placed in mandatory 14-day quarantine.

JARED KUSHNER, WHITE HOUSE SENIOR ADVISER: We've seen since the impeachment started is that most people, by the way, are not paying attention to t the president's approval rating nationally was over 50 percent. It was the highest that has been since right after the inauguration.

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: The first test of the 2020 presidential election taking place --

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's not enough to make promises. You got to keep them.

SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If we want to beat back the influence of money in Washington, it's going to take big structural change.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I believe that we are the strongest campaign to defeat Trump. PETE BUTTIGIEG (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I want to not only win

against Donald Trump, but win so big that it sends Trumpism itself into the dust bin of history.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY WEEKEND with Victor Blackwell and Christi Paul.

PAUL: Good morning to you on this Sunday.

Listen, there is a growing emergency right now around the world to contain the coronavirus because the number of cases and the number of deaths are growing.

BLACKWELL: In just a few hours, we're talking 5:00 p.m. Eastern today, a strict new travel ban takes effect that blocks foreign nationals who recently visited China from entering the U.S. The TSA is also now requiring airlines to ask passengers on flights from outside the U.S. if they've been to China in the past 14 days.

PAUL: Within the past 24 hours, the number of confirmed cases around the world jumped from nearly 12,000 to more than 14,000, with a total of 305 people who have dived. Three hundred four of those deaths were in mainland China. One was in the Philippines.

Now, here in the U.S., we have an eighth confirmed case of the coronavirus this morning. The patient is a University of Massachusetts student recently back from Wuhan, which, of course, is the epicenter of the outbreak.

BLACKWELL: We're covering all the latest information from here in the U.S., also in China.

CNN's David Culver is standing by in Beijing. Natasha Chen is here in Atlanta.

And that's where we'll start with Natasha.

Tell us, first, about this travel ban, how this will affect passengers flying today.

NATASHA CHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, starting this evening, like you said, there are restrictions at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. A lot of the U.S. airlines, like Delta, United and American, have already announced they're suspending their flights to and from China. Delta saying their last inbound flight from China will be today.

And we are talking about non-U.S. citizens who have been in mainland China in the last two weeks. They will be barred from entering the United States. But if you are a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident or immediate family member, if you've been to Hubei province, which is near the epicenter of the outbreak, you will be undergoing a 14-day mandatory quarantine. And that type of quarantine hasn't happened in the U.S. for about 50 years. Now, other Americans who have been in the rest of mainland China, they

will be undergoing screening and self-monitoring. We're also hearing that flights coming from China to the U.S. will be funneled through seven U.S. airports.

Take a look at where they are -- Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, JFK in New York and here in Atlanta at Hartsfield Jackson. Now, there are 20 ports of entry in the U.S. that will have CDC quarantine screening stations. So, everyone is prepared for this.

Now, we are also talking to some passengers, like one woman yesterday who came to Atlanta having changed her flight plans to make sure she got home early. She told me she will be working from home for the next two weeks.

PAUL: All right. Natasha Chen, appreciate it so much. Thank you.

CHEN: Thank you.

PAUL: Now, the Pentagon is preparing military housing for those people who may need to be quarantined as Natasha was saying, upon their arrival in the U.S. Right now, the plan calls for housing up to 1,000 people.

BLACKWELL: So, the bases selected, if needed, we're going to list this off, include March Air Reserve Base south of Los Angeles, it's already housing some people there. Also a training facility in Fort Carson, Colorado, Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, Travis Air Force Base in California, Marine Corps Air State at Miramar, that's near San Diego.

The Pentagon says those who are in quarantine will not be allowed to go anywhere on the base except their Housing area. The Department of Health and Human Services will be the ones actually providing the care for patients. They requested help with housing through February 29th.

Let's go to China now where health officials are rushing to contain this virus. It's already killed more than 300 people there. It includes building a new hospital in just a few days, less than a week to treat patients.

PAUL: Yes, it's amazing. CNN's David Culver is in Beijing.

David, talk to us about what's happening there, because the thought of being able to build a hospital in a week's time shows the urgency that they're feeling obviously, and what they're capable of doing.

DAVID CULVER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There is an urgency to it, Christi and Victor. No question. And there is also a pride factor to this because you turn on the evening news like we did here, the flagship broadcast a short time ago, and it was part of their reporting. It's been aired over and over. And they have even streamed the construction progress 24/7.

And sure, it is rapid and it is impressive. But at the same time, there's far more to the story that our reporting has uncovered. My team and I here connected with the health care workers, the nurses, the doctors who are on the frontlines of this. They're within the lockdown, within Hubei province, within the city of Wuhan itself, the epicenter of all of this.

And they describe dire circumstances when this comes to lacking supplies. They don't have a face mask, they don't have the hazmat suits.

And so, part of this effort needs to now step up, according to these people, that they need the demands met. They need those basic necessities of medical care to be brought to them.

Now, the government is deploying those and are working to get them to where they need to be. In fact, just this weekend, the premier, Li Keqiang, he was actually at a command center and he said the production of the hazmat suits needs to step upped and he's putting that as a military order of sorts. He compared it to a war, if you will, saying they need to build the arsenal so as to battle the epidemic -- Christi, and Victor.

BLACKWELL: David Culver for us there in Beijing -- David, thank you.

Closing arguments in President Trump's impeachment trial start tomorrow. And both sides will get two hours to make their case to the senators one last time.

PAUL: It's widely believed the president will be acquitted on the charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

National Correspondent, Kristen Holmes with us now from Florida.

So, if he's acquitted, Kristen, any indication the president will consider that proof that he did not wrong and what will we hear from him?

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Christi, even if he wasn't acquitted, we likely would hear President Trump saying that he needed to be completely vindicated and he was completely innocent, which is what we've seen during this whole process. But the big question remains, whether or not he will make some sort of public statement on Wednesday after that vote.

Now, a source close to him said that if President Trump does decide to do something like that, do not expect any sort of apology, expect more of what we've heard before, that this was a hoax. That he is completely innocent.

And I want to note some context here. President Clinton back during his impeachment, after he was acquitted, came out and issued an apology to the nation, saying that he was profoundly sorry. And many people he did that to unite the country that had been so deeply divided during this impeachment process.

So, really, it's important to note here that it doesn't seem like we're going to get that really on either side from Republicans, from President Trump or from Democrats. BLACKWELL: So let's turn now to the election. I mean, President Trump

has been running for re-election since his inauguration. The rallies never stopped. But now, we're seeing the ads, a big buy tonight for the Super Bowl.

Is that going to signify or suggest the shift away from impeachment to now the general election?

HOLMES: Well, I think we can absolutely guess that President Trump's full focus will be on the general election immediately after that vote on Wednesday. And, really, it has been, as you said, victor, since 2016l, since he took office after the inauguration, holding those rallies. He likes to compete and he likes to win.

But we saw him really taking on a new target last night. Michael Bloomberg, he went into a twitter rant. And, of course, he has attacked Bloomberg before. They have a history back in New York.

But this was a series of tweets. He called him Mini Michael Bloomberg. He also suggested some sort of conspiracy theory that Bloomberg was working with the DNC to be able to stand on a box during the debate. We have no evidence that is true.

But expect more and more of this. We know President Trump likes to name call. And as we start to see these candidates progress, you're going to hear more and more lashing out from President Trump, because he sees this as a race, a race that he wants to win.

PAUL: Right. And is there any indication that what we've seen in the impeachment trial is going to have any effect on the president or reroute the way that he -- that he conducts his re-election campaign?

[07:10:07]

HOLMES: Well, I would say in terms of rerouting, we know President Trump does what President Trump wants to do, particularly when it comes to campaigns. His top advisers for months, even years really, tried to contain him, tried to get him to stay on message. And now, they essentially say he's going to do what he wants to do when he gets in front of those crowds.

When it comes to impeachment, affecting the outcome or impacting the election in some way, it really depends on who you ask. Democrats believe that this process has hurt President Trump. That they have exposed him in some way and that moderates and independents will be turned off by the president and vote Democratic.

Republicans see it differently. They believe that this has actually helped President Trump, particularly his campaign. They have said over and over again that this has energized his base.

And according to those fundraising numbers, he is getting a lot of donations, which, again, we learned this in 2016. Just because you get the high dollar donations does not necessarily mean that you're going to win. But it is very clear that the campaign believes that this is going to help them move forward, help them re-win the election. Take a listen to what Jared Kushner had to say about this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KUSHNER: Yes, I think there's just a big difference between what the voters see and what the voters want and from what the -- what people maybe in Washington or in the media are calling for. What we've seen since the impeachment started is that most people, by the way, are not paying attention to it. We've seen the president's numbers go up by seven points. We got polling back showing the president's approval rating nationally was over 50 percent. It was the highest that it's been since after the inauguration. So, we've seen it --

FAREED ZAKARIA, CNN HOST, "FAREED ZAKARIA GPS": Average is more like 44 percent.

KUSHNER: I think it was about 46 percent. But again, everything is relative, right? Because again, there's a lot of polls that were wrong in the last election. I think our data proved to be more right than the public polls and I think it will continue to be.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: So one thing that is not actually relative is what those Real Clear Politics numbers were. And we're going to pull for you right here. They show that Fareed Zakaria was right, President Trump's approval rating is at 44.6 percent, his disapproval rating at 51.9 percent. So, that is the most recent poll there.

But one other thing I want to take note of and take issue with really in what Jared Kushner had to say is that people aren't paying attention. I've traveled all over the country with President Trump. I've talked to them at rallies.

And I've talked to Democrats as they see this campaign moving forward, as they try to get ready for their election campaigns in 2020. Everyone is paying attention to this. Whether they like it or not, there are a lot of eyes on this, watching this, spending time, trying to dissect exactly what happened. So, that's something that we want to note here, people are invested in this process.

BLACKWELL: Kristen Holmes for us there, traveling with the president in south Florida. Thank you.

PAUL: Thanks, Kristen.

And, listen, later this morning, you're going to watch "STATE OF THE UNION WITH JAKE TAPPER". Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg is with him as is Senator Joni Ernst. "STATE OF THE UNION WITH JAKE TAPPER" today at 9:00 a.m. Eastern, right here on CNN.

BLACKWELL: And Democratic candidates are in Iowa making their final pitch to voters there before the caucuses tomorrow. We'll talk about the momentum and the expectations and the member of Congress who booed Hillary Clinton at a Sanders event. She's talking about it. But it is not an apology. PAUL: So, the big question for today too, is, are you ready for some

football? I know somebody who is -- Andy Scholes.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Christi. The sun is rising here in Miami as we get ready for Super Bowl LIV. We've got the Chiefs and the Niners. One of the most anticipated matchups in years. We'll preview the game, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:17:55]

PAUL: All right, people, it's time. We're there.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

PAUL: It started. Iowa caucuses tomorrow morning. The first nominating contest in 2020 presidential elections is here in just a few hours.

BLACKWELL: So, most of the Democratic candidates are in Iowa today, making those closing argument to voters. Events planned throughout the state.

PAUL: So, the top tier candidates, they're calling for unity among the party. Their pledge marks an effort here to avoid the divide that some Democrats say helped President Trump win the election.

PAUL: Joining us now to talk about it, political correspondent for "The Guardian", Lauren Gambino, and CNN's Ryan Nobles is back with us.

Let's talk about first, as we kind of delve into the unity and some of the divisions we've seen, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib and this moment that happened at a Sanders rally, Ryan.

Let's watch and we'll talk about what she had to say about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Iowa, we have three days. I don't remember if you guys remember it last week when someone by the name of Hillary Clinton said that nobody -- we're not going to boo. We're not going to boo. We're classy here.

REP. RASHIDA TLAIB (D-MI): Boo.

You all know I can't be quiet. No, we're going to boo. That's all right. The haters -- the haters will shut up one day when we win.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: And Congresswoman Tlaib released this statement on Twitter. And she said: In this instance, I allowed my disappointment with Secretary Clinton's latest comments about Senator Sanders to get the best of me. You all, my sisters-in-service on stage and our movement deserve better. Not an apology in any of those four tweets, Ryan. But are they

concerned, the campaign, the Sanders campaign concerned that this could impact them tomorrow?

RYAN NOBLES, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: I don't think they think it's going to have that big of an impact here on the Iowa caucuses, Victor. I think the long-term problem for them is whether or not it's going to cause an issue in terms of unifying the Democratic Party if he wins the nomination in taking on Donald Trump. And part of that means that the Sanders campaign really doesn't want to be talking about Hillary Clinton right now.

[07:20:05]

In their defense, Hillary Clinton essentially drew first blood in this back and forth when she gave that interview as part of the rollout of her documentary where she said pretty mean things about Bernie Sanders, including saying that no one likes him. And that's exactly what Congresswoman Tlaib was referring to last night. She wasn't necessarily booing Hillary Clinton, she said, but more booing the comments that she made.

Regardless, this is not the conversation that the Sanders campaign would prefer to be having right now. They -- you know, whenever you talk to them about this, they always track it back to let's not talk about 2016, let's talk about 2020.

And let's talk about how Bernie Sanders has really moved the Democratic Party to the more progressive side of the spectrum and that these issues that he's talking about, you know, protecting Social Security, implementing Medicare for All, free college tuition, eliminating college debt. These are all the things -- you know, focus on climate change.

These are all the things that are motivating Democratic voters right now. That's where the energy and the enthusiasm is in the party right now. And that's where the focus should be. That's why they believe he'll ultimately win the Democratic nomination.

PAUL: So, Lauren, let me ask you this. We're looking at 12 candidates still vying for this nomination. And Hillary Clinton just gave this podcast and now there's this controversy about it.

How influential is Hillary Clinton's voice in 2020?

LAUREN GAMBINO, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, THE GUARDIAN: Well, I think there's a lot of candidates who really don't want to be talking about Hillary Clinton. It's not just Bernie Sanders. You know, Elizabeth Warren has started to say, 2020 is not 2016. She also doesn't want to be held to this standard.

Her situation is perhaps a little different. She's working against, maybe, you know, worries that a woman can't be president because Hillary Clinton lost in 2016. So, it's not clear, you know, whether Hillary Clinton's comments or just sort of her sway within the party, whether that will make any difference come voting time. But certainly, candidates are being asked about her and her comments.

You know, Elizabeth Warren has been asked about Rashida Tlaib's comments yesterday and this is something candidates don't want to be talking about. That being said, you know, some of the candidates have used this to call for unity and that is seen as a big concern for Iowa voters. I've talked to a lot of voters this past week and they're really worried about what happens after those nominees and whether that candidate can bring the party together.

BLACKWELL: All right. So, let's talk about the important points between 2016 and there being a nominee in 2020, and what's ahead in the next 24 hours. Ryan, give us a feeling of the energy on the ground, who is moving and how are these campaigns trying to moderate expectations?

NOBLES: Yes. That's a great point, Victor. And when you talk to these campaigns, each individually, you get a kind of sense where they feel they're going to end up in the final verdict. When you talk to the Biden campaign, even the Warren campaign to a certain degree, they're kind of setting the expectations here, saying that an all-out victory doesn't matter. Joe Biden's team putting out a message this isn't necessarily about who gets the most votes but who collects the most important slice of delegates.

Elizabeth Warren spinning it saying in the grand scheme of things, there really aren't that many delegates at stake when you take it in totality. But when you talk to the Bernie Sanders campaign and to a certain extent the Pete Buttigieg campaign, it's about winning and winning in terms of the momentum for the race. And that gives you a sense of who is the most confident right now.

And I do have to say most closely connected to the Sanders campaign, they are very confident here. You don't get the sense that they're limiting their expectations at all. They do believe Sanders can win.

Now, even though they feel confident he can win, it's not as though they're ready to declare victory. There's a lot of work to be done. But the Sanders campaign is feeling quite confident going into the contest Monday night.

PAUL: Lauren, the people you've talked to, there's so many issues to deal with, health care, immigration, economy. What is their number one that you've heard?

GAMBINO: It's beating Donald Trump. They want a candidate who can beat Donald Trump. That plays out in different ways. Everyone has a different idea of who that candidate is.

But I talked to voters who said this is the hardest choice they have had to make in the caucuses. They are anxious and nervous. They really feel a responsibility because they set the tone for the next nominating contest in other states. And so, there's -- truly, people feel so much pressure to get this right. Of course, on the issues, health care remains top of the agenda and it's a revealing issue, because there's an ideological divide. You know, some supporters are supporting Joe Biden or maybe someone more moderate like Amy Klobuchar or Pete Buttigieg, they're worried that a candidate who champions Medicare for all will not fare well in the general election.

[07:25:06]

Obviously, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren's supporters, they believe that we need, you know, wholesale systemic change --

BLACKWELL: Yes.

GAMBINO: And they are all in on that plane.

BLACKWELL: You know, and because there is so much pressure as Lauren says and I'm sure as Ryan has seen there, the latest polling shows that up to half, up to half of the Democrats who say they will caucus have not settled on a candidate and still be convinced to move there.

Ryan Nobles, Lauren Gambino, thank you both.

PAUL: Thank you.

BLACKWELL: Election Day could bring a shock to thousands of voters looking to cast a ballot in 2020. Several key swing states are purging names from their voter rolls. We're going to speak with the CEO of Fair Fight Action about the threat of voter suppression.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:30:01]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye. Now, this second day of February, 2nd, 2020, 02022020.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: All righty. It is Groundhog Day, in case you forgot.

Punxsutawney Phil there on the left-hand side of your screen. I contend the poor thing is probably freaked out.

BLACKWELL: Yes, this is lot when you're a groundhog. People snatching you out and having all this noise around you. But --

PAUL: I think spring is coming early is what they predicted.

BLACKWELL: Yes, yes. So --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To his prediction scroll which reads it's a Phil- fantastic day in these beautiful woods. Thousands and thousands in the Knob neighborhood. You faithful followers are the best, it's true, who wouldn't want neighbors just like you? Now, my forecast on a day that's a palindrome will cause some to cheer

and some to moan. So do I hope you think it's neighborly for there is no shadow of me. Spring will be early. It's a certainty.

PAUL: Look at that poor thing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Early spring.

BLACKWELL: He's saying all right. I've done my part. Put me down.

PAUL: I don't think he is. I think he's saying, what the heck is going on?

(LAUGHTER)

BLACKWELL: All right. Early spring, so says Punxsutawney Phil.

PAUL: As it's snowing there.

BLACKWELL: All right. One day now from first contest of the 2020 election cycle. There are concerns, though, that not enough has been done to secure the elections. Although the president won in 2016, President Trump has repeatedly questioned the result of the race. He won the Electoral College but lost the popular count by nearly 3 million votes.

But he was casting doubt on the process before the votes were cast.

Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I will totally accept the results of this great and historic presidential election if I win.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Yes. There was a smile there.

But even after he won, he said there were 3 to 5 million people who voted illegally.

Joining me now, Richard Hasen, election law and campaign finance expert, also the author of the new book out on Tuesday, "Election Meltdown: Dirty Tricks, Distrust, and The Threat to American Democracy".

Richard, thanks so much for being with us this morning.

RICHARD HASEN, ELECTION LAW AND CAMPAIGN FINANCE EXPERT: Great to be with you.

BLACKWELL: So, let's start here. And you really detail some unnerving, plausible challenges that could be ahead in 2020.

Give us an idea of what the country is facing and could be facing. HASEN: Well, I think that we're facing a decline in trust. If you

look at recent polling from NPR, you see that something like 62 percent of Americans are concerned about the fairness of the election. You know, there's concern about efforts that make it harder for people to vote. There's all kinds of dirty tricks.

You know, we saw the Russians in 2016. We're worried about what might happen in 2020. There's all kinds of reasons to worry if we get to a very close election, that the losing side might not accept the results. You know, we always expect that people are going to have a peaceful transition from one administration to another. That's not necessarily the way things are going to be in 2020.

BLACKWELL: And even if, let's say the president as we've heard from him, not just in 2016 and '17, but even just a few months ago, questioning voters in New Hampshire doesn't accept the results, it's the base, those supporters who also could fuel the greater challenge, aside from just the president, the millions of people who also buy in.

HASEN: Sure. You know, one thing that could happen, one possible scenario is President Trump is ahead in Pennsylvania on election night. They're moving to a new system where they're allowing people to cast absentee ballots. It might be a few days before we get the results.

We saw in 2018 that, in Florida, President Trump wanted to have Rick Scott declared the winner when he was ahead before the recount. So, we might see a similar kind of thing.

Or, you can imagine there are concerns about voter suppression in Georgia and Florida. And Trump squeaks by in those states and wins an Electoral College victory. Then the Democrats who don't want to accept the results of the election.

So, I think, you know, we really have to worry and see what we can do so people are confident that their votes are fairly and accurately counted and we're going to have a fair election going forward.

BLACKWELL: You know, I mentioned at the top, the president's claim that 3 to 5 million people voted illegally. I should also add that there was that election integrity -- it proved nothing it's a debunk theory.

But let me ask you, this book was obviously written before the impeachment trial. What do you think the lessons of what we've watched over the last couple of weeks have been? The expectation that is despite what the president says, that there is some back stop. That there is some body that will say, no, Mr. President, that is a lie.

[07:35:05]

We will not support that.

Reconcile that with what we've seen from the Senate, from the House.

HASEN: Yes, no, I think there are three lessons from impeachment. One is that this president is not going to be deterred from

encouraging foreign interference in elections, whether the Ukrainians or the Chinese or the Russians, he's willing to invite others to try to influence our elections.

Second, Republicans in the Senate and the House were willing to accept his arguments as no quid pro quo. We don't know that he's going to necessarily stick with the truth and that Republicans are going to back him up if he says something that's not true.

And, third, the impeachment shows how hyper polarized we are. We disagree not only about opinions, but we disagree about facts. When you disagree about the fact, it's hard to have an election where the losers are going to accept that result.

BLACKWELL: The book is "Election Meltdown: Dirty Tricks, Distrust and the Threat to American Democracy" is out on Tuesday. Richard Hasen, thank you.

HASEN: Thank you.

BLACKWELL: Millions of votes will be cast between tomorrow and election day. More than 120 million in 2016. There are concerns, real concerns about whether voter suppression will keep people who want to exercise the right to vote from casting ballots. Several states passed laws that make it more difficult to vote, saying they're trying to secure the election.

With me now, Lauren Groh-Wargo, the CEO of Fair Fight Action, a voting rights group.

Good to have you.

And let me start here, because sometimes people put on the same scale voter fraud and voter suppression. Large scale voter fraud is not a real thing. But voter suppression, we have seen that and it's been proven. What are we seeing not just from the states but on an individual level of the challenge of the vote?

LAUREN GROH-WARGO, CEO, FAIR FIGHT ACTION: Well, we have a long history of voter suppression in this country. Here we are, the first Sunday of Black History month and the right to vote has been fraught. The current iteration and the current threat to the right to vote is coming from the highest level at the Trump administration. And individuals need to understand their rights and we're all talking about how we're on the eve of voting in this country.

But voters are actually voting already. Most states in our country have some period of early votes. There are already Super Tuesday states where folks are able to vote. So, that's the first step. People have to understand their rights, because we're seeing an unprecedented state and federal level attacks on the right to vote, particularly focused on voters of color and students as you referenced previously. Everywhere from residency challenges for students to Native Americans having their I.D. requirements challenged. Here in Georgia, we see hundreds of polling locations closed. And so, folks need to go to vote.org, need to check the registration

status, they need to understand voting is not on Election Day only in most states. By the time we're in Nevada, almost every single one of the Super Tuesday states will be in the early voting period. And so, knowing our rights, understanding that there's a long history of suppression in this country.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

GROH-WARGO: So the idea is not new. The difference here is we have a president who is shining a light on this false narrative of voter fraud which is not something that exists in this country.

BLACKWELL: Lauren, let me ask you this. We've talked a lot, especially in the Mueller investigation and volume one and what was found about it, a disinformation campaign that came from outside the country that was large-scale. What have you found about disinformation on a smaller scale, social media, person to person, that has challenged in get to go the polls?

GROH-WARGO: There's a lot of confusion about voting. A lot intentionally spread. And those who are -- don't understand their rights will inadvertently spread that. And that's why we need good sources of information. You can call the national voter protection hotline 866-OUR-VOTE. That's a nonpartisan hotline. They can get educated.

You need to get good information. And they wouldn't be trying to take our right to vote and they wouldn't be targeting voters of color so intensely if the right to vote and if voting didn't matter in this country. And so, that's where it's all on us.

This is the history of this country and part of what I need folks to understand is that, yes, in terms of laws, in terms of practice, in terms of disinformation, it's going to be a really unbelievably fraught election year. But go to those good sources of information like vote.org, check your registration status. We're seeing all over the country, very large-scale voter purges from Wisconsin to Georgia. And those tend to disproportionate affect voters of color and young people.

And so, you need to get educated. Make -- don't assume just because you registered however many years ago that you're still on roll.

BLACKWELL: And that is something that many people assumed, is that I registered to vote back in 2002 or 2006.

GROH-WARGO: That's right.

BLACKWELL: So I still must be able to vote even though you haven't moved. Make sure you check those sources.

Fair Fight Action CEO Lauren Groh-Wargo, thanks so much for being with us this morning.

GROH-WARGO: Thank you. BLACKWELL: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:45:049]

PAUL: All righty. Forty-five minutes after the hour, 11 hours and counting.

BLACKWELL: Yes, until seven layer dip.

PAUL: Yes, the food --

BLACKWELL: All seven layers.

PAUL: And the game.

BLACKWELL: Andy Scholes there in Miami.

Andy, I know you're more excited than we are.

SCHOLES: Yes. I want some dip, too, Victor. I'll be busy anyway.

But, guys, this is one of the most anticipated Super Bowls and Super Bowls matchups in a long time. Chiefs/Niners, they're even as it gets. The Chiefs just a slight 1.5-point favorite.

All eyes are going to be on quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Can he win his first Super Bowl? So, a great matchup on the field, guys. Great matchup on the sidelines between the coaches.

You know, Andy Reid, the coach of the chiefs considered one of the greatest offensive minds in football history, and he actually more wins than anyone ever to not win a Super Bowl. You know, he's considered that coach, the greatest one to not win the Super Bowl. Of course, he'd like to get that monkey off his back here in Super Bowl LIV.

You know, his players, they all know he knows the X's and O's so well and they love to play for him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATRICK MAHOMES, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS QUARTERBACK: He has that energy, he really brings it. He jokes around with guys, he has nicknames for guys.

So, just to be around him every single day is awesome.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's got so many like one-line zingers, whatever you want to call them. It's like they come out of nowhere. He'll be talking about football, the next thing you know he's talking about cheeseburgers.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SCHOLES: The 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan doesn't really talk about cheeseburgers out of nowhere. At 40 years old, he has an impressive resume. Shanahan, though, has demons. He was the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons a few years ago when they blew the biggest lead in Super Bowl history. They were up 28-3.

But one of the most impressive things about Shanahan is he doesn't run from it. He continues to embrace that they blew that lead. And he says he's continuing to learn from that experience.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KYLE SHANAHAN, 49ERS HEAD COACH: We played a pretty darn good game. I mean, we were up 28-3 in the fourth. We all know we didn't play well in the fourth and didn't coach well. I think it was harder for people who love me, like my wife, family members and stuff, because they're defensive of it and things like that. I'd do it all over again and maybe a player or so, have a call differently, but I'd do it all over again. I feel a lot stronger and better from it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Yes. There's actually a prop bet out there, guys. Will Kyle Shanahan blow another 28-3 lead? It pays 100 to 1. Highly doubt that ever happens again.

PAUL: Uh-uh-uh.

BLACKWELL: Yes. Real sensitive here in Atlanta about this, really sensitive about that.

PAUL: Andy, thank you. Have a good time.

SCHOLES: All right.

BLACKWELL: So, will you be watching the game or will you be watching the commercials?

We've got the ones that are getting some pre-game buzz that's coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do you think people did before Alexa?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Alexa, turn the temperature down two degrees. Thank you, dear.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So proud I could squat you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I feel great.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go slow.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look who's got Smart Park.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Smart Park?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just hit the clicker. Car parks itself.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's smart.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's wicked smart, and I can park it anywhere.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How about Dorchester?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Parked it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Foxborough?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Parked it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Garden?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Parked it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jarges (ph)?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Parked it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Swampscott?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Revere?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Harbor?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you kidding me? I parked it, then unparked it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You unparked it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kid, game changer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: Because you need a little laughter during the Super Bowl. Definitely.

Jamie Turner of 60secondmarketer.com is with us to talk about these ads. Those are some of the funnier ones we're going to see.

How much impact do they have at the end of the day?

JAMIE TURNER, FOUNDER, 60SECONDMARKETER.COM: At the end of the day, big impact but you can have a loser too. Last year, of course, Burger King did a spot that wasn't that good but mostly we are talking about commercials that you make you laugh, that make you cry.

When you do that, you can get people to feel emotion about your brand. Emotion creates a memory, memories create buying a product. So, overall, the Super Bowl strategy, if you have a lot of money to spend is -- PAUL: And you say the $5 million for a 30-second ad is worth it?

TURNER: Yes, it is. And then you have to throw in production costs on top of it.

PAUL: Oh my gosh, talk about it.

TURNER: Yes, a ton of money. Now, if you're Budweiser, if you're Microsoft, if you're any of the big brands, you got a lot of money to spend, you can get away with it. If you're a smaller brand, don't waste your money. Too much money --

PAUL: Speaking of Budweiser, when they got the horses out a couple of years ago, I was in tears. Watch what they're doing this year.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AD NARRATOR: Like this typical American, showing off his strength. So typical.

Look at him. Touching other people's things. Always so competitive.

Typical Americans showing up uninvited.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I never saw an opportunity in football because I had never seen a female coach before. People tell me that people aren't ready to have a woman lead. But these guys have been learning from women their whole lives -- moms, grandmas, teachers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: You expect a beer commercial to be funny, and yet they bring the emotion every time.

TURNER: Yes, they really do. What I love about that spot is that they're taking a polarized country and saying, let's come together and be Americans. And this is what it means to be an American. That's a great strategy for them, because it makes you feel good about Budweiser, good about being an American.

And it kind of creates this centrist, sort of, hey, we're all one thing, which is an American. That was a great idea for Budweiser to do that.

PAUL: All righty. Speaking of that, coming together, how about the political ads? Have not seen this before.

TURNER: Yes.

PAUL: We've got both President Trump and Michael Bloomberg, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, buying $10 million worth of ads essentially.

TURNER: Yes.

PAUL: One for Bloomberg, two for President Trump. Talk to me about the timing of these, because as I understand it, President Trump specifically has one early in the game.

[07:55:05]

TURNER: Yes. Yes. So --

PAUL: Why does that matter so much?

TURNER: Well, if it's a blowout, and you're running in the fourth quarter, you lose a lot of money, because basically people tune out or they start drink or eating more Doritos, all that sort of thing. End result is that they sit around and don't pay attention. If it's a close game, you're OK.

So, actually, spots cost a little bit less depending on where you go in the commercial, in the Super Bowl. What's interesting is this is first times that we've had this kind of political advertising on the Super Bowl.

We'll see how it plays out. I think Donald Trump did a good job talking about the economy, his strong suit. Bloomberg is doing an interesting couple of spots. Those are things that some of them are a little bit controversial, but it will get people talking, which is what you want at the end of the day for people to be talking about you.

PAUL: And perhaps a new audience. Thank you so much, Jamie.

TURNER: Excellent, great to see you.

PAUL: Absolutely.

And we hope that you make some good memories, don't we, Victor?

BLACKWELL: We do indeed.

Thank you for starting your morning with us.

"INSIDE POLITICS WITH JOHN KING" is up next live from inside Iowa.

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