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Buttigieg Submits Evidence Of Inconsistencies From Iowa Caucuses; Klobuchar Makes Final Pitch To Voters Ahead Of New Hampshire Primary; First American Dies In China From Coronavirus; Interview With Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA); Trump Fires Two Witnesses Who Testified At His Trial; NTSB: No Evidence Of Engine Failure In Kobe Bryant Crash; Harvey Weinstein's Legal Team Begins To Call Witnesses. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired February 08, 2020 - 11:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:00:19]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. And welcome.

I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

Breaking news on the campaign trail to the White House. Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg is now submitting what he says is evidence of inconsistencies in the Iowa caucuses.

CNN's Dianne Gallagher is in Des Moines with more on this. Dianne -- what does he mean?

DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Well, Fredricka -- what this essentially means is that his campaign, according to an aide, has identified at least some of these inconsistencies in the precincts reporting when it comes to delegates or when it comes to those final numbers.

There is a noon Central Time deadline today for campaigns to submit exactly this. And this doesn't mean that they're necessarily calling for a recanvassing.

Senator Bernie Sanders campaign on Thursday said that it submitted a list of about 14 discrepancies that it found when going through the numbers that the Iowa Democratic Party had put out.

Now, the deadline today is simply to submit documentation of those inaccuracies or discrepancies that the campaign finds. There's a separate deadline on Monday at noon Central Time for them to actually call for a recanvassing.

Now, I know that the National Democratic Party, chairman of the DNC Tom Perez says he would like a full recanvassing. But, Fred -- up until this point we've not seen any evidence that that's something the campaigns themselves are interested in.

And according to the Iowa Democratic Party chairman, it would have to come from a campaign specifically that request for them to go ahead and do a recanvassing. In fact the Sanders campaign told my colleague Ryan Nobles that while they are interested in getting some of these discrepancies figured out, they don't want a full recanvassing right now. They're ready to move on to New Hampshire -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: And that is curious (ph) -- Dianne, because Pete Buttigieg, I mean it's his camp who was raising concerns here but it's also his camp which is narrowly in the lead.

GALLAGHER: That's true. Yes, he's in the lead narrowly with those delegates there. Bernie Sanders' camp has been talking about the fact that they won the popular vote here in Iowa right now.

Both camps again have put forth the fact that when it comes to those final results, they're ready to move on to New Hampshire but it is important to get the record straight and get those numbers right when it comes to the final count after really what's been a chaotic Iowa caucus.

We're coming up by the time those results are going to be finalized if no one asked for a recanvassing on a full week to get official results.

WHITFIELD: All right. Dianne Gallagher -- thank you so much. Keep us posted there from Des Moines.

All right. Meanwhile, the next step in the race for the White House is now just three days away and candidates are out in full force this weekend to secure last-minute votes for the New Hampshire primary.

Last night they took to the stage for the final debate before Tuesday's vote, and many focused on one of the front-runners, Pete Buttigieg seeing a onslaught of attacks following his strong showing in the Iowa caucuses.

Many candidates going after the former South Bend, Indiana mayor's lack of government experience.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Mayor Buttigieg is a great guy and real patriot. He's a mayor of a small city who HAS done some good things but has not demonstrated he has ability -- and we'll soon find out -- to get a broad scope of support across the spectrum including African-Americans and Latinos.

SENATOR AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have a newcomer in the White House, and look where it got us. I think having some experience is a good thing.

TOM STEYER (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We need people with experience. That's why I'm worried about Mayor Pete.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. CNN's Ryan Nobles is in New Hampshire with more. RYAN NOBLES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fred -- there's no doubt there is a

renewed focus on Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, after his impressive performance in Iowa. Buttigieg had been slowly rising up the polls for some time but really became looked at as at least one of the front runners after that Iowa performance and then subsequently some strong polling here in New Hampshire. And that was pretty evident on the debate stage last night.

You had a number of these candidates training their sights on Buttigieg and trying to knock him down, principally talking about his lack of experience, questioning whether or not the mayor of a midsize town is ready to become president of the United States.

One person on the debate stage with plenty of experience, the former vice president Joe Biden, specifically zeroing in on that attack. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: Mayor Buttigieg is a great guy and a real patriot. He's the mayor of a small city who has done some good things but has not demonstrated he has ability -- and we will soon find out -- to get a broad scope across the spectrum, including African-Americans and Latinos.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[11:05:03]

NOBLES: And Buttigieg wasn't just getting it from Vice President Biden. Senator Amy Klobuchar also making the point about his lack of experience.

And then there was Senator Bernie Sanders, who's running neck and neck with Buttigieg in many of the polls here in New Hampshire. Sanders going after the donor base of Pete Buttigieg, suggesting that all of the many wealthy donors that helped to fund his campaign would have undue influence on a Buttigieg presidency.

Now, Buttigieg was able to push back saying this would not have an influence on his presidency and also arguing that he is a pragmatic choice. Yes, he offers a layer change different than the status quo of Joe Biden but then not necessarily the radical revolution that Bernie Sanders is calling for.

It's the last opportunity for these candidates on a debate stage prior to the vote on Tuesday night. And right now, Fred -- the polls show a very, very close race -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Ryan Nobles -- thank you so much for that.

All right. Senator Amy Klobuchar is hoping her strong debate performance will help her win over New Hampshire voters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is anyone else on the stage concerned about having a Democratic socialist at the top of the Democratic ticket?

KLOBUCHAR: Bernie and I work together all the time, but I think we are not going to be able to out-divide the divider in chief.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. With just three days until the primary, will it be enough to catapult her into the top tier of the candidates?

CNN's Kyung Lah is on the trail with Klobuchar this weekend. So Kyung -- the senator, you know, is already seeing her performance in last night's debate pay off.

KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. Raising more than a million dollars, her campaign says, and counting. They anticipate that that number will rise, a figure that we hope to have some time later today.

It is the fastest that she has ever raised money throughout her entire campaign. The senator hoping that this debate will help power her into the top tier.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's make this happen. Let's get her this win in New Hampshire.

LAH: The final push in New Hampshire. The last chance to convince the undecided.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If we want to beat Donald Trump, we have to nominate Amy.

LAH: Senator Amy Klobuchar -- her campaign is still trying to prove is a contender --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to see if this is the right house.

LAH: -- as the hours wane before this primary.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi. How are you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have to tell you that I love Pete Buttigieg.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These people indicated they were for Mayor Pete but things change.

LAH: Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders are the front runners out of Iowa. Klobuchar is running fifth but on the heels of Joe Biden. And she's hit double digits, better than what polls showed before the caucuses. And that's enough, say supporters, to keep her fighting for Democratic votes.

SUE CORBY, KLOBUCHAR SUPPORTER: I would love it if we could send one candidate out of here with a groundswell, with a lot of support behind them. But we're not going to.

KLOBUCHAR: We owe it to the people of New Hampshire --

LAH: In Friday night's debate Minnesota's senior senator took on Buttigieg directly.

KLOBUCHAR: I think that going after every single thing that people do because it's popular to say and makes you look like a cool newcomer, I just don't think that's what people want right now.

We have a newcomer in the White House and look where it got us. I think having some experience is a good thing.

LAH: This, after a muddled Iowa caucuses makes New Hampshire voter Rod Tenney nervous.

ROD TENNEY, NEW HAMPSHIRE VOTER: Senator Klobuchar would be my first choice for vice president.

LAH: She's running for president.

TENNEY: I understand that, but only one person can be the nominee. I think there's a little anxiety building, some concern. Not enough for people to make decisions yet but it's coming.

LAH: What happens if this keeps going on and on and on?

TENNEY: I think it weakens the possibility of defeating Donald Trump if they continue to sort of argue amongst themselves.

LAH: on whether she might be the potential spoiler in this race?

KLOBUCHAR: Oh, no.

LAH: What do you want to say to --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't think that at all. I think that, you know, we have five candidates. I think this race is going to go on for quite a while.

LAH: Is debate among these five candidates -- these top five candidates healthy for the party?

KLOBUCHAR: I think it is actually, because we have to continue in making the case, at least I will, that you want a president that is going to have plans and not pipe dreams that can actually get things done.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAH: And she's going to make that last-pitch case, her argument to the voters of New Hampshire. She has a full weekend of events. Each day is packed with stops across the state -- Fredricka.

One other thing, the fact that there's a lot of buzz about her after this debate certainly helps, especially since Joe Biden isn't being talked about quite as much -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Kyung Lah -- thank you so much for that.

[11:09:57]

WHITFIELD: All right. Let's discuss all of this now with David Swerdlick, assistant editor for "The Washington Post"; and Julie Hirschfeld Davis, congressional editor for "The New York Times". Good to see you both.

All right. So Julie -- we're going to begin with you. You know, Buttigieg, his campaign is, you know, submitting evidence of inconsistencies from the Iowa caucuses even though he was narrowly, you know, in the lead.

So he, of course, is leading that vote with the most support. But what do you make of his now, you know, issue that he's contesting here? Is this unusual? Does it come with great risks?

JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS, CONGRESSIONAL EDITOR, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": Well, I don't think it's that surprising that given the situation in Iowa and how confused the results were and the dysfunction that we all saw play out there that all of the campaigns, particularly the Sanders campaign and the Buttigieg campaign, would be wanting to make sure that the end result is as clear as it can possibly be.

The top finishers in the caucuses do not get the kind of bump and boost that normally accrues from that kind of victory this time because of all those inconsistencies and the fact that the app was broken and the sort of confused results.

So it doesn't surprise me. And I don't think there's really much risk for him in trying to make sure that, you know, the end result, his victory, if it is indeed -- if it does indeed stick, is as clear for people as possible.

I do think he's already sort of missed out on that bump, as I said, but I don't think there's any downside for him in trying to make sure that he's the clear winner if indeed that's the result.

WHITFIELD: And David -- as the top two, you know, vote-getters in Iowa, Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders, you know, were clearly the chief targets. But then there were a lot of standout moments, you know, for many of the candidates. Are voters seeing, you know, a new fight in any of the candidates in particular in your view?

DAVID SWERDLICK, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, I think they're seeing the race in the field narrow and so the candidates are having more time to focus on each other, not this big field of 10 or 12 or what it was a few months back.

I think Senator Klobuchar is coming on strong. And yes, she took on Mayor Buttigieg last night because he's the front-runner, as it should be.

Any of these candidates, Fred -- I think should welcome these exchanges because all of these exchanges pale in comparison to what the eventual nominee will face from President Trump in the general election. This is practice in a sense.

Senator Klobuchar came after Mayor Buttigieg. Other people came after him because he's now seen as one of the co-front runners. And I would just add quickly that I think she's too far behind and I think she's not everybody's cup of tea.

But of all the candidates that are still in the race, Klobuchar is the person who has sort of developed as a candidate the most over the last year. Everybody else is the same person they were a year ago. She's a different candidate.

WHITFIELD: And, Julie -- you know, last night, speaking of some standout moments, former vice president Joe Biden produced one of the most memorable, you know, moments when he urged the crowd to give a standing ovation for Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman -- a war hero, you know, diplomat, key impeachment witness who Trump, you know, fired last night. This was that Biden moment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: Colonel Vindman got thrown out of the White House today, walked out. I think we should -- at the same time he should be pinning a medal on Vindman and not on Rush Limbaugh. And I think what we should be doing now -- I think we should all stand and give Colonel Vindman a show of how much we support him. Stand up and clap for Vindman.

Get up there, who we are. That's who we are. We are not what Trump is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So, you know, Biden, you know, admitted that, you know, he might take, you know, a hit in New Hampshire primary. He may not fare that well. But, you know, Julie -- was this, you know, Biden's way of making it clear who his opponent is, it's Donald Trump, the man currently in the White House?

DAVIS: Yes, I think it was a way of doing that. And I think David's right that for the most part what we saw in that debate last night was the candidates starting to take aim at each other and make the case for themselves in contrast to their Democratic rivals.

What we saw from Joe Biden was something a little different. He, of course, took on his rivals but we did see him sort of pivoting as well to remind people that this is going to be a case against the Democratic nominee and Donald Trump, and try to sort of play at that contrast between himself and the President and also show that he could go toe to toe.

I think the issue here is that, you know, Democrats still have a choice to make who they think is going to be their best contender. And the Trump versus Democrat contrast is important. But right now they have some really vital choices to make in the next few nominating contests. And Joe Biden needs to have a bounce in order to come back to be -- to continue to be a contender there. WHITFIELD: And then, David -- there was the taking on the candidate

who was conspicuously absent. That was Michael Bloomberg. Listen.

[11:14:51]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SENATOR ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't think anyone ought to be able to buy their way into a nomination or to be president of the United States. I don't think any billionaire ought to be able to do it.

SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS (D-VT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There are millions of people who can desire to run for office, but I guess if you're worth $60 billion and you can spend several hundred million on commercials, you have a slight advantage. That is nonsense.

KLOBUCHAR: I can't stand the big money in politics. I just simply think people don't look at the guy in the White House and say, can we get someone richer? I don't think they think that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So, David -- is this evidence that Bloomberg is a threat or they feel he's a threat?

SWERDLICK: Yes, I think it is. And, you know, I think on the one hand it is definitely fair to say that it looks fishy that the Democratic Party has tweaked the rules now that are going to enable Mike Bloomberg to get into the debates, possibly in Nevada, because now you don't have to have that threshold of individual donors. And people are right to point that out.

That being said I think Bloomberg now looks pretty smart for having laid back, seen how this went, seen that the moderate lane of the Democratic Party still had some juice in it, let Howard Schultz go out there a year ago and take all of the slings and arrows for the billionaires and now he's in the race.

These candidates should basically be saying, yes, get on the stage with us and tell us what you think about these issues. I don't think they're going about this in the right way.

WHITFIELD: All right. We will leave it there for now. David Swerdlick, Julie Hirschfeld Davis -- thank you very much.

SWERDLICK: Thanks -- Fred.

DAVIS: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. And we are now learning of the first American to die from the coronavirus outbreak. This, as the number of cases soars and thousands of people on several cruise ships around the world are now quarantined. We're live next.

Plus, President Trump cleans house just days after his acquittal, firing key figures who testified against him during the impeachment inquiry. Was this retaliation?

[11:16:48]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: An American has now died in China from the coronavirus. The U.S. embassy in Beijing says the 60-year-old died in the city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak.

China also suffered its deadliest day so far in the outbreak, reporting 86 deaths on Friday and bringing the total number of fatalities to 722. There are more than 34,000 confirmed cases worldwide.

And now there are growing concerns about the virus spreading on several cruise ships in Asia. While a ship that is docked in New Jersey has been cleared for departure after some passengers were removed for screening.

We have team coverage now beginning with Will Ripley in Yokohama, Japan and Polo Sandoval in New York. So let's first go to Will.

WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fred.

Here in Japan, health authorities are really facing a major test. Just months before their most important sporting event in decades, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, this country now has the highest concentration of coronavirus cases anywhere in the world outside of mainland China.

Of course, China is the epicenter of this outbreak, particularly the city of Wuhan which is where the coronavirus is believed to have originated from. And it is in that city where Chinese authorities say a U.S. citizen, an American of Chinese descent died. He died earlier this week.

They say he's a man who is in his 60s. And we know that when it comes to coronavirus, the vast majority of deaths have been people over the age of 60. So he certainly felt right into that high-risk group. The Chinese government sending condolences to the United States.

We also know that a lot of the passengers on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which has been at port here in Yokohama, currently it's actually out a couple of miles out to sea. But a lot of those passengers are also over the age of 60. That's what a number of passengers we have been speaking with on the ship are telling us.

And there was a operation over the last few hours to bring medication on board for some of those passengers who have been running out because they've been under quarantine for days.

Also we know that there were coronavirus test kits that were taken off the ship by the Japanese military. Part of the reason why they did it out of sea, they don't want any risk of the virus spreading here on shore.

But if more passengers do test positive, and we could get those results in the coming hours, well, that means that the isolation clock starts all over again and those 3,700 people who are on the ship are going to have to continue quarantine for 14 days. And that clock could keep resetting with more positive test results -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thank you so much -- Will.

Polo Sandoval is with us now from New York. So officials screened 27 passengers from that ship in New Jersey and four were actually removed. But we understand that it will be allowed to leave port now?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fred. In fact the ship that they were traveling on yesterday was cleared to depart yesterday but officials with the Royal Caribbean Cruise line saying out of an abundance of caution and simply to reassure the next wave of passengers, they're waiting until CDC test results come back on those four individuals and they don't really necessarily have a reason to believe that they were infected with coronavirus.

Now, you might ask why. Well, for starters, the Caribbean cruise line saying -- Royal Caribbean Cruise line saying that they did not exhibit any sort of symptoms associated with the coronavirus. They also hadn't travel to China, however, that was late last month. And also one of them tested positive for influenza.

So they don't have any reason to believe that it could be anything else. In the meantime though, not only Norwegian cruise line but also this cruise line here in question, they are implementing stricter boarding protocols and that includes denying boarding to any individual that holds a Chinese or Hong Kong passport as well as other health screenings for anybody who's traveled to mainland China -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Polo Sandoval -- thankyou so much.

SANDOVAL: Thanks -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Let's talk further with Congressman Ami Bera. He is a Democratic member of the House Foreign Affairs committee and is a medical doctor. Good to see you-- Congressman.

So you chaired hearings on Wednesday on the coronavirus and a lot has changed even since then. What have you learned in the hearings versus what you're hearing from doctors and scientists worldwide?

[11:24:48]

REP. AMI BERA (D-CA): Yes, this is a very fluid situation.

What we learned in the hearing -- we had a couple of expert epidemiologists showing things -- is while it is ok to quarantine (INAUDIBLE) and institute a travel ban, it's probably not going to be as effective as folks think it will be. You know, this virus has already spread globally and it's very hard to contain at this moment.

The best things we can do right now is urge the Chinese to allow our CDC officials into China to work at the epicenter to really get ahead and know everything we can about this virus so we can ultimately urge the Chinese to allow our CDC officials into China to work at the epicenter to really get ahead and know everything we can about this virus so we can ultimately come up with a vaccine and the best protocols.

WHITFIELD: So thus far you're saying China will not allow CDC officials to come in who are volunteering, you know, to take a look at things, to bring their own research?

BERA: You know, it's been about a month that CDC's been requesting to go. And we do have some personnel that are going in with the World Health Organization. But we've got to get more of our folks out there.

We've got the best epidemiologists, the best scientists in the world. And we've got to figure out exactly what happened with this virus, how it's spreading. And then there may be a difference between what's happening in China because you're seeing many more deaths and much more morbidity and illness in China than you are in the cases around the world.

WHITFIELD: One of the things that you talked about in hearings was, you know, the dangers of misinformation. And we know now, I mean China suppressed a lot of information, perhaps even colored it a different way, you know, based on what the real picture is now.

So how concerned are you that, you know, you might not be able to make an impact as it pertains to what information or misinformation might be out there?

BERA: Very much. I mean that's the reality of the 21st century now is misinformation with social media, with the Internet. What's true and what's not true?

So we don't want to panic folks. And again, the risk in the United States is relatively low right now but we do want to be vigilant and we want to make sure people get accurate information. I mean look what happens in the anti-vaccine movement, you know, with misinformation.

WHITFIELD: One American in Wuhan has died. What are your concerns about how adequately prepared the United States is?

BERA: You know, in a bad flu season, our hospitals get overwhelmed. So we're in the middle of flu season right now. You slap coronavirus on top of that, if it in fact, does spread in the United States, you know, it will be -- it will overwhelm our health system fairly quickly.

That's why we've also -- Congress has asked the administration what they need in terms of emergency funding, et cetera, to make sure that doesn't happen.

WHITFIELD: Ok.

I want to turn now to the race for the White House. You have endorsed Joe Biden for the presidential nomination. And, you know, he came in fourth, you know, in the Iowa caucus. Are you at all concerned -- even the vice president even said last night, I may not do so well in New Hampshire. How concerned or are you concerned at all about his potential showing in the races to come?

BERA: You know, I was in Nevada earlier this week. I'm campaigning for the vice president. I was in Iowa a few weeks ago and there's a stark difference between the populations in Iowa and New Hampshire, which are overwhelmingly Caucasian.

In Nevada you see the diversity of folks. And you know, Vice President Biden's broad base of support comes from that diverse coalition. So I think it will be ok in New Hampshire -- hopefully he comes in the top there, but when he gets to Nevada, when he gets to the South Carolina --

WHITFIELD: What's the top to you?

BERA: -- you know, the top to me would be, you know, somewhere in the top four. Maybe even in the top two.

WHITFIELD: Ok. And he apparently in his campaign is spending a lot of time concentrating efforts on Nevada. What does that say to you? I mean is that, you know, smart long game or does that say that there's some dismissing of his potential to do well in New Hampshire?

BERA: Well, Senator Sanders has the natural advantage in New Hampshire because it's right next to his home state. Elizabeth Warren has a natural advantage. Nevada -- plays to the Vice President's strength because of that broad diverse of folks; and in South Carolina he's always performs pretty strongly.

And then you hit Super Tuesday and you have a lot of southern states, you have a broad, diverse number of states and I think the Vice President will do very well on Super Tuesday.

WHITFIELD: All right. Congressman Ami Bera -- thanks so much for being with us this Saturday. Appreciate it.

BERA: Thank you. Have a great day.

WHITFIELD: You too.

All right. Next -- two key witnesses in the impeachment of President Trump have been given their walking papers. What message is the President sending?

[11:29:21]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right.

In the aftermath of his impeachment acquittal, President Trump is cleaning house. On Friday, Trump fired two prominent witnesses who testified during his impeachment inquiry.

Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, the top Ukraine expert at the National Security Council, as well as Gordon Sondland, the U.S. Ambassador to the European Union who testified that there was a quid pro quo between President Trump and the Ukrainian president about investigations into the Biden family.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GORDON SONDLAND, FORMER AMBASSADOR TO THE EUROPEAN UNION: Everyone was in the loop. It was not secret. Everyone was informed via email on July 19th, days before the presidential call.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Colonel Vindman, his lawyer, says his client was escorted out of the White House. The decorated war hero and Purple Heart recipient drew applause during his impeachment testimony when he talked about how his family fled the Soviet Union when he was a child, and how he assured his father he would not get into trouble for telling the truth.

[11:34:59]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And he was worried if you were putting yourself up against the President of the United States. Is that right?

LT. COL. ALEXANDER VINDMAN, FORMER NSC UKRAINE EXPERT: He deeply worried about it because in his context that there was -- there was the ultimate risk.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And why do you have confidence that you can do that, and tell your dad not to worry?

VINDMAN: Congressman, because this is America. This is the country I have served and defended, that all of my brothers have served and here right matters.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, sir. I yield back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: CNN's Marshall Cohen joining us now. So Marshall -- what more can you tell us about these dismissals, of Vindman being escorted out of the White House, and along with his brother, right?

MARSHALL COHEN, CNN REPORTER: That's right -- Fred.

Look, people are talking about a Friday night massacre here in D.C. It looks like Trump is cleaning house, taking pretty startling steps to remove these people that did speak up under oath implicating him in that pressure campaign.

So let's be completely clear, Donald Trump is the President. He has the power to decide who works in his White House. He appointed Gordon Sondland to ambassador to the E.U. He can remove him any time he please. But people are noting that, of course, this comes just a few days after that blockbuster vote in the Senate, the acquittal, where Democrats had been warning, if you let him off the hook now, what is he going to do next?

And it's looking like some of that is starting. So Lieutenant Colonel Vindman, his brother who is also in the military, they were reassigned -- removed from their positions at the White House. They're not out of a job. They still work -- you know, have Pentagon jobs and they're still in the military.

Their futures is unclear. And their lawyer has come out and said that this is blatant retaliation. It's not exactly sure what the next steps are.

But, Fred -- these two people are just really the tip of the iceberg. A lot of other key players in this investigation are not where they were at the beginning of the investigation. Folks like the ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, and then her replacement Bill Taylor.

You know, there's been a lot of shuffling around. People have either retired on their own accord, been fired like Gordon Sondland, reassigned like the Vindmans.

It's a messy picture. And Democrats have been saying ever since the news broke that, you know, that it's -- highly outrageous.

WHITFIELD: All right. Marshall Cohen -- thank you so much.

COHEN: Thanks -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right.

With me now, Samantha Vinograd. She believes it's highly outrageous. She's a CNN national security analyst and a former senior adviser to the national security adviser under President Obama.

And I say that because you wrote an opinion piece on CNN.com where you describe these firings as Trump's Friday night massacre. You called the dismissal dangerous, especially the removal of Vindman. So explain your feelings.

SAMANTHA VINOGRAD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, Fred -- when see no evil, hear no evil is a prerequisite for employment in an administration, that is incredibly dangerous. In the first instance the President's actions really indicate that anybody that goes through legally protected channels to voice concerns about the President' behavior will suffer retribution.

That is likely to have a chilling effect on others speaking up through legally protective channels, upholding their own and constitution and the separation of powers. My concern is that if there are further abuses by the President or members of his inner circle, people will be unlikely to step forward because the cost of doing so now include professional retaliation or retribution. And as a former NSC director, I also think about this from the perspective of personnel recruitment and retention. It is clear that President Trump is not looking for NSC policy experts. He's looking for henchmen and yes-men and he's likely to fill his ranks with people that tell him only what he wants to hear and is likely going to miss out on retaining and recruiting people that have the policy expertise required to do the job in front of them.

WHITFIELD: The President has a lot of defenders. We've heard from a lot of them throughout the week on a matter of things. But on this, the firing of Vindman, you know, Senator Marco Rubio sent out this tweet saying Colonel Vindman wasn't fired. He's still an army officer. He was assigned to NSC to serve the President, who has a right to have people he trusts on his staff. Sondland was a political appointee. No point in having a political appointee who no longer has the President's confidence.

So yes, these people serve at the pleasure of the President, but, Sam -- you see it as much bigger than that.

[11:39:56]

VINOGRAD: I do. And Republicans are playing the semantics game here. Don Jr. -- Donald Trump Jr. tweeted that Lieutenant Colonel Vindman was in fact fired whereas Senator Rubio and others are saying that he was reassigned back to the Pentagon.

The fact of the matter is that Lieutenant Colonel Vindman suffered professional retribution because he went through legally protected channels to voice concerns about the President.

NSC Director serve specific terms. They're there at the pleasure of the President, and it is true that the President should have people around him that he trusts. The issue is that President Trump only keeps people around who are willing to blindly follow orders.

With Gordon Sondland, President Trump was really loyal to him, did not speak out against him, kept him in his post up until Gordon Sondland spoke his truth under oath in front of the U.S. Congress.

And so at this point it's clear what it takes to stay on President Trump's designated survivor list is not a willingness to uphold the constitution or to really engage in policy making. It's a willingness to do whatever the President says and to wear blind folds and earmuffs when it comes to reporting concerns about his behavior.

WHITFIELD: And Sam -- you know, the President has been tweeting. He is defending, you know, his firing or letting go of Vindman. And he attacks Vindman for being insubordinate. And he questions his judgment as, you know, justification for the firing.

It also follows a trend of the President and his allies who smear those who stand up or question the President. And echoing that sentiment is Bill Taylor, the former top diplomat in Ukraine who also testified in the impeachment inquiry, reacting to those personal attacks in this exclusive interview with our Jake Tapper. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: Does it bother you when you see like how Rudy Giuliani was out there smearing Yovanovitch and the dual loyalty smears against Lieutenant Colonel Vindman who you know and I assume you respect.

BILL TAYLOR, FORMER AMBASSADOR TO UKRAINE: I do.

TAPPER: It must bother you to see that.

TAYLOR: Of course it bothers me any time I see someone like Ambassador Yovanovitch or Alex Vindman unfairly attacked -- anyone unfairly attacked, it bothers you, anyone of the officials -- certainly it does.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So Sam -- what are the, you know, signals being sent to, you know, career diplomats, members of the military, those who are serving under this administration?

SAMANTHA VINOGRAD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, President Trump's tweet about Lieutenant Colonel Vindman being insubordinate really speaks to his mindset. Lieutenant Colonel Vindman went through legally protected channels and testified under oath in front of the U.S. Congress.

The constitution trumps Trump and Lieutenant Colonel Vindman upheld his constitutional duty to testify in front of the U.S. Congress.

With respect to diplomats and political appointees like Gordon Sondland, the message is clear. If you speak the truth and report on abuse by the President, you'll be out of a job. And this really threatens to fill the ranks of the U.S. government with people that who are willing to toe the line for the President no matter how illegal or how dangerous from a national security perspective.

WHITFIELD: All right. Samantha Vinograd-- we will leave it there for now. Thank you so much.

VINOGRAD: Thanks.

WHITFIELD: All right. Straight ahead -- the NTSB has released its first findings in the investigation into the crash that killed NBA legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others. What officials have now ruled out about the crash.

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WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back.

The NTSB finds no evidence of engine failure in the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter and seven others. CNN's Nick Watt has more on the investigation into that tragic crash.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The NTSB is calling this an investigation update. This is not analysis, these are not conclusions -- this is a report of the facts that they have gathered so far.

But experts say it does give an indication, a roadmap of where the investigation is going. And one line in particular stands out.

And that is viewable sections of the engines showed no evidence of an uncontained or catastrophic internal failure which suggests that engine failure has pretty much been ruled out.

Now, Peter Goelz is a former managing director at the NTSB. Take a listen to his initial reactions.

PETER GOELZ, FORMER MANAGING DIRECTOR, NTSB: If there were concerns about either the equipment or anything else, it would be mentioned. In this case they focused in on the weather, they focused in on the pilot's interaction with air traffic control, and in the end I'm afraid the spotlight's going to be on the pilot and his decision- making.

WATT: The report also details the condition of that helicopter as there were no outstanding airworthiness directives or minimum equipment list items and all inspections were up to date. The pilot, age 50, had worked at that Island Express for about ten years, no issues with his record either.

There was focus on the weather. Photographs, one showing -- taken from a security camera showing the helicopter flying in heavy fog. Some eyewitness testimony.

One line here, videos and photos taken by the public in the area of the accident also depict fog and low clouds obscuring the hilltops.

We now also know that the last contact with controllers, the pilot said he was planning to climb to 4,000 feet to avoid cloud. He only got to 2,300 feet before making a left turn, descending, and crashing into that hillside.

A full report might take more than a year to come out. In the meantime, we now know there will be a memorial for Kobe Bryant at Staples Center here in Los Angeles Monday, February 24.

Nick Watt, CNN -- Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[11:50:03]

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WHITFIELD: Harvey Weinstein's legal team calls its first witnesses in the disgraced Hollywood mogul's sexual assault trial.

CNN's Jean Casarez has more on the defense's case.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This week the prosecution rested there with 28 witnesses and six accusers all alleging that Harvey Weinstein sexual assaulted them.

Now, the charges that will go to the jury including rape in the first degree are only for two of the accusers. But all of them alleged a pattern.

[11:54:55]

CASAREZ: They wanted to be in show business. They met Harvey Weinstein. He took them to meetings, dinners, Hollywood premieres. He befriended them. He wanted to help them. And then ultimately all in a hotel room or an apartment where they say they were sexually assaulted.

The defense brought out the complexity of the relationships with the two main accusers. There were consensual relationships involved, consensual activity before and after the alleged assault.

Now we are in the middle of the defense case, proceeding this next week. They've already put a memory witness on the stand and also a friend -- long time friend of Harvey Weinstein who testified he never believed and does not believe that Harvey could have done any of this.

But on cross examination, sort of an excited utterance, he did say it was my understanding that for a long time Harvey was a sex addict.

Jean Casarez, CNN -- New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right. Just as Pete Buttigieg submits what he says is evidence of inconsistency in Iowa caucuses, we have new details on where the candidates stand in the next race.

Live to New Hampshire in minutes.

[11:56:05]

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