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Mike Bloomberg Qualifies for Nevada Debate Tomorrow; 13 Americans Sent to Omaha Facility from Evacuation Flights; 88 More Passengers Test Positive on Quarantined Cruise Ship. Aired 6-6:30a ET

Aired February 18, 2020 - 06:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Mr. Bloomberg has a right to run for president. He does not have a right to buy the presidency.

[05:59:05]

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: All of the campaigns think it's going to be very hard to beat Sanders here in Nevada.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can feel the anxiety out there among Democrats.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pete Buttigieg has momentum. Amy Klobuchar is getting a second look from voters.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: More than 71,000 people have been infected around the world.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're exhausted, but we're on the plane. Pretty miserable wearing these masks.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fourteen of those evacuees do have coronavirus.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The risk is high that the disease may spread further.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: We want to welcome our viewers in the United States and all around the world. This is NEW DAY. It is Tuesday, February 18, 6 a.m. here in New York. John Berman is off this morning. Jim Sciutto joins me.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT/ANCHOR: Nice to be here again.

CAMEROTA: Great to have you, particularly since the landscape is changing as of an hour ago.

SCIUTTO: There's a lot of news this morning.

CAMEROTA: We begin with breaking news for you, because Mike Bloomberg has officially qualified for the Democratic debate tomorrow night in Nevada. This is thanks to a just-released NPR/Marist national poll in which Bloomberg got 19 percent. OK. That is just behind the frontrunner, Senator Bernie Sanders. Bloomberg is now in a battle for second place with former Vice President Joe Biden. Sanders, though, has a double-digit lead with 31 percent.

Both men are up since this poll was last taken in December. Bloomberg is up 15 percentage points, and Sanders is up 9 points.

Now Bloomberg and Sanders are going after each other directly.

SCIUTTO: Yes. Bloomberg spent about ten times as much money as Sanders at this point.

Meanwhile, we have several developments in the coronavirus outbreak. Thirteen Americans who were evacuated from a quarantined cruise ship in Japan have now been moved to Omaha, Nebraska, for treatment. And dozens of evacuees who came home from Wuhan, China, on February 5 are expected to be released from isolation this morning.

All this as Apple becomes one of the first companies to warn investors that the coronavirus outbreak will cause it to miss revenue projections. Of course, your iPhone made in China.

Let's begin with our breaking news in the 2020 race. Arlette Saenz is live in Las Vegas at the site of CNN's CNN presidential town hall tonight. So tell us, is he ready to debate?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jim, a new national poll out this morning having a major impact on the 2020 race right here in Nevada, with the state's caucuses just four days away.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SAENZ (voice-over): Michael Bloomberg shaking up the Democratic race, qualifying for tomorrow's debate in Nevada, where he isn't even on the ballot. This coming after Bloomberg set his sights on a new target, aiming his attacks at Democratic frontrunner Bernie Sanders instead of President Trump.

The former New York City mayor won't appear on a ballot until Super Tuesday, two weeks away, but has still launched an online ad blasting some of Sanders's supporters for their aggressive tactics.

SANDERS: It is vitally important for those of us who hold different views to be able to engage in a civil discourse.

SAENZ: The move launching a day-long war of words between the Sanders and Bloomberg campaigns.

SANDERS: Mr. Bloomberg, like anybody else, has a right to run for president. He does not have a right to buy the presidency. SAENZ: Bloomberg's campaign manager charging Sanders supporters with

using similar strategies employed by President Trump, prompting the Vermont senator's team to tweet this photo of Bloomberg and Trump golfing.

Joe Biden says he's worried this kind of behavior won't help unify the country.

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is Trump-like. Way over the line. And I think Bernie has to be -- he has to disavow this. Can you imagine if my supporters did that, what you'd be expecting of me?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you think Bernie --

BIDEN: I'm not saying Bernie won't do it. He hasn't done it yet.

SAENZ: Sanders striking back at a large rally in Tacoma, Washington, last night.

SANDERS: The Democratic establishment is getting nervous, and they're trying to figure out all kinds of ways: how do we stop Bernie and the movement? But they are not going to succeed.

SAENZ: Biden hoping Nevada will help turn around a weak start to his primary season. That's something his supporters want, too.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What the heck is going on with your campaign?

BIDEN: Well, that's a good question. He complimented me very highly, and then said what the hell is the matter with your campaign? That's a good question. No, no, it's a legitimate question. We're now getting into the thick of it.

For example, Bill Clinton lost 12 primaries before he won one and became the nominee for president. I'm not counting on waiting that long.

SAENZ: The former vice president isn't the only one looking ahead to Super Tuesday and beyond. Sanders and Pete Buttigieg both holding events outside of Saturday's caucus states.

PETE BUTTIGIEG (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Super Tuesday is coming up, and I need your help. What I'm asking of you is to bottle up whatever sense of hope propelled you into this room and take it to those you know.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SAENZ: Now, tomorrow will mark the first time Michael Bloomberg is facing off against his rivals on that debate stage, and he could take some incoming fire. But first, CNN has a few presidential town halls this evening, both Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar, and two more presidential town halls slated for Thursday -- Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: Those will be very interesting. Arlette, thank you very much. So, is Bloomberg ready to debate, and how will the rest of the field

react? We discuss all of that next.

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[06:09:02]

CAMEROTA: Breaking news: A new national poll shows Mike Bloomberg has officially qualified for the Democratic debate tomorrow night in Nevada. The former New York City mayor is in a battle now for second place with Joe Biden, as you can see on your screen. The frontrunner, Senator Bernie Sanders, has a double-digit lead still in the Democratic race nationally.

So Arlette Saenz is back with us from Las Vegas. Also joining us, CNN contributor and "New York Times" op-ed columnist Frank Bruni.

Frank, now it gets real for Bloomberg. He has not made himself available for many TV interviews. He has not done a CNN town hall, as so many other candidates have and we'll be seeing this week again. So what's going to happen on this debate stage?

FRANK BRUNI, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I mean, this changes the entire debate with his entrance. Because everyone else on this stage has met on a debate stage before. They've had the chance to prod at, and poke at, and provoke each other. They haven't had a chance to question Mike Bloomberg. So every one of those people on the stage is going to be focused on him above all.

And he's not known for his debating skills. He's not known for his oratory. So what does that look like? I mean, that is the central question and narrative of Wednesday's debate now.

[06:10:06]

SCIUTTO: Arlette, so the other campaigns are eager to get Michael Bloomberg on the debate stage. What is the line of attack? Is it similar from what we've seen from Bernie Sanders here, going in effect, after all the money that he's spent on the race so far?

SAENZ: Well, I think there's different potential lines of attack for different candidates.

And Michael Bloomberg has essentially been running a parallel to the Democratic field and hasn't really been engaging one-on-one with his Democratic rivals, but that's about to change tomorrow.

You could have Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren really try to make this contrast when it comes to Bloomberg's money, the fact that he is financing and spending his own personal millions on this campaign. Joe Biden is also very eager to get Michael Bloomberg on that debate stage. He has said that his record when it comes to stop and frisk should be scrutinized. And Biden also pointing out that Bloomberg hasn't been tested or scrutinized in the way that the former vice president has since he's been in this race since April.

So for all of these candidates, I think that there are different potential ways that they could go after Bloomberg.

And Bloomberg's campaign has been preparing for this. They -- they have been engaging in debate prep before they even officially knew if they were going to make it onto that stage. They even have some of his staffers playing some of the top candidates.

So there's a lot that could unfold as Bloomberg is about to face off for his rivals -- against his rivals for the first time.

SCIUTTO: Bloomberg does his homework. He's not going to be unprepared for any of this kind of stuff.

CAMEROTA: It's more his temperament or, I guess, his style, right, that people are -- He certainly knows the issues. I mean, he's been steeped in them for all these years --

SCIUTTO: Yes.

CAMEROTA: -- from being mayor of New York City. And then he's also active in Democratic politics.

SCIUTTO: Right. That's the thing. He started spending money on other issues for years prior to entering the race: issues like gun control, gay rights, et cetera. So he'll be out there.

CAMEROTA: He'll know all that. It's more his style and his temperament. And he does -- he is known to get prickly with attacks, which is what he'll be getting.

BRUNI: Well, absolutely. He hasn't done that many tough interviews this cycle. And when he has done them, he has often not performed particularly well.

There's one other thing to watch when you ask the question of what will his rivals do. There are two women on that stage, senators Warren and Klobuchar; and Bloomberg has attracted a lot of attention over recent days for his coarse language about women in the past. I would not be at all surprised to see especially Senator Klobuchar, who is now kind of very into her reputation as an expert debater, turn to Bloomberg and say, I want to hear you talk about this language you've used with women in the past. How do you answer for it? What guarantee do I have that you respect women fully and treat them equally?

SCIUTTO: Let's look at the numbers here, because the jump for Bloomberg in this latest poll is historic in such a short period of time. It's up 15 points just in a couple of months there, and you could also see who has paid for that. I mean, Sanders has grown, but of course, Biden has lost a lot of support. Not a great poll for Pete Buttigieg, as well, Arlette Saenz.

What is the Biden camp -- because you've been spending a lot of time with the Biden camp, you know, erstwhile frontrunner in this race -- what are their goals this week in this debate and then looking forward to Nevada?

SAENZ: Well, Joe Biden is really looking for a turnaround here in Nevada after those poor finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire. And what he and his campaign point to over and over is the fact that Nevada is a more diverse state compared to those first two contests. And so Biden is hoping for a strong finish here.

He needs a strong performance on that debate stage. You know, his performances in previous debates have been somewhat shaky at times. But he really needs to come out tomorrow and make his case, because he needs a strong showing here to propel him into other diverse states like South Carolina and Super Tuesday, which are quickly approaching. And Super Tuesday contests are where Michael Bloomberg has been pouring all of his time and resources in, and it's kind of eating into a bit of Biden's support and also into the overall moderate wing.

If you really look right now at that polling, the moderates are split among about four candidates. And so I think in the coming days and weeks, you're going to have all of these candidates really trying to coalesce and try to coalesce that moderate support to get themselves to the top. The question is who will emerge as that potential alternative to Bernie Sanders?

SCIUTTO: Who's going to stand out? No question.

CAMEROTA: This week we saw for the first time Bloomberg going after fellow Democrats. So he and Bernie Sanders are now attacking each other on the airwaves, in interviews.

And I guess I missed the memo, Frank. I thought that Bloomberg's whole thing was do no harm to fellow Democrats. I thought it was just go after Donald Trump. So what switched?

BRUNI: I think what you're learning and seeing is how very much he really wants the nomination, and he thinks he has a chance.

And he's doing something else here. By going after Bernie, who has emerged as the clear frontrunner, he's saying to people -- he's sending the signal, This race is going to come down to me and Bernie Sanders. He's almost kind of leapfrogging past the other moderates and planting the national suggestion this is a race between me and Bernie Sanders, and I think that's pretty smart, actually.

[06:15:10]

SCIUTTO: It's smart politics.

Let's look at the numbers, in case folks aren't aware of this. Just the amount of money that's been spent.

CAMEROTA: They're jaw-dropping.

SCIUTTO: And it keeps ticking up every week. But Michael Bloomberg is at nearly half a billion dollars so far. Keep in mind: this is his own money. It's not dark money. It's not coming from shadow groups, et cetera. It's his own money, so he can spend it as he likes.

But ten times, Arlette Saenz, what his closest nonbillionaire contender has spent. Because, of course, Tom Steyer there with nearly $200 million.

You've been covering this campaign for some time. How much is that shaking up the race?

SAENZ: Well, there's no question that Michael Bloomberg is now everywhere because of this amount of money that he is able to pour into the race. He is in all of those Super Tuesday states, getting his message out, while all of his other opponents have had to focus so much on those first four early nominating contests.

We've never had someone who has come into the race so late and focused just on the later contests, but right now. it looks like it could be working to Michael Bloomberg's advantage.

And so there's a challenge for those other candidates, like Pete Buttigieg, who had top two finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire. He's now heading into Nevada and South Carolina. For Joe Biden, who is looking to try to eke out and get some support in these next two states. There's a challenge for those candidates to counter Michael Bloomberg as he is just sitting there and waiting in those Super Tuesday states for the rest of the field to get there.

CAMEROTA: And, Frank, about the money, his fellow -- you know, his rivals are understandably upset that he can spend this much money, but, again, on that point, this isn't dark money of undisclosed donors. He's a self-made billionaire.

BRUNI: Right.

CAMEROTA: And in that, there's an American dream story in that. He made this money. He's spending it the way he wants to. Are we supposed to be offended by that?

BRUNI: Well, I mean, on the one hand, as you both pointed out, he's not beholden to anyone. He's a truly independent man in that sense, and I do think some voters find that attractive.

On the other hand, if we're really honest with ourselves, it's kind of disturbing to see somebody buy themselves poll numbers like this. And we're less disturbed by it only in the context of Donald Trump. If we're really honest with ourselves, it's like he's kind of half buying the election; but if it gets us away from Trump, OK.

SCIUTTO: To be fair, Donald Trump, remember, was talking about self- funding because of the influence of dark money, et cetera. We haven't heard that for some time.

BRUNI: Donald Trump -- Donald Trump is too thrifty to self-fund.

CAMEROTA: I mean, this is different.

SCIUTTO: Disappeared four years ago.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

Arlette, Frank, thank you both so much. Be sure to join us for the first of two nights of presidential town

halls, live from Las Vegas. It kicks off tonight with Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar. Then Thursday with Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren.

So be sure to watch tonight beginning at 8 p.m. This is where you really get to the heart of their positions. They get to really interact with people. This is only on CNN.

SCIUTTO: You get time with them. You get time with the candidates.

Other story we're following this morning: dozens of new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, these on that quarantined cruise ship in Japan. We have live reports from the region, as well as the latest on evacuated Americans, coming up.

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[06:22:34]

SCIUTTO: This morning, we have several developments on the coronavirus outbreak. Thirteen Americans who were evacuated from that quarantined cruise ship in Japan have now been moved to a specialized medical facility in Omaha, Nebraska.

CNN spoke to one of those people quarantined there.

Nick Watt joins us now, live from Omaha with more.

Nick, these are not easy conditions for the folks in quarantine. Tell us what it's like. And they're going to be there for two weeks now.

NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They will be here, Jim, for at least two weeks. Yes, not great conditions.

But Carl Goldman, who is a 66-year-old man from California, we spoke to him on his cellphone inside that hospital. He was in remarkably good spirits when you think about what these people have already been through.

They were in quarantine, under quarantine aboard that ship since February 3, and this is a remarkable statistic. Of all of the known cases outside mainland China, more than half of them were aboard that ship.

So they were flown over to California, Carl Goldman and his wife Geri (ph). They were then brought up here to Nebraska, one of 13 people.

Carl says he is being treated by a doctor and two nurses, all of whom are wearing full hazmat suits. The 13 people are all isolated alone in separate rooms. Carl and his wife, Geri (ph), have been talking to each other via face time.

Now, the reason they are here is this is one of the few places in this country that has a bio-containment unit. One of the 13 is in that unit right now. The other 12 just in quarantine. So they have the facilities here and also the staff: doctors and

nurses who have trained for this, who have practiced this before. They've treated Ebola patients here in Omaha. So that is why the 13 are here.

This 13, they were deemed to be, authorities tell us, of higher potential risk; and that is why they were brought to this location.

So as I say, they will be here for at least two weeks and who knows? Maybe they will also be joined by more people.

Now, some people aboard the Diamond Princess were very upset to hear that, when they came back to the U.S., they were going to have to undergo an extra two weeks of quarantine. As I say, Carl Goodman in remarkably good spirits.

Alisyn, back to you.

CAMEROTA: Hats off -- I mean, hats off to him because, you know, not everybody is coping.

WATT: Yes.

CAMEROTA: Not everybody is capable of coping as well with all of the uncertainty. I mean, that's what we keep hearing from all of these passengers and family members. They just want to know what's going to happen next.

[06:25:13]

Nick, thank you very much for that.

Meanwhile, there are 88 new cases of coronavirus on that quarantined cruise ship, bringing the total number today to 544.

Now, despite the growing numbers, Japan's health minister has announced that passengers who have tested negative will begin to disembark tomorrow.

CNN's Matt Rivers is live in Tokyo with more. What's the situation, Matt?

MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Alisyn, it's just continued bad news surrounding this ship. You said it there, 88 new cases. That's the second or third highest day-to-day jump. And this comes one day before this disembarkation process is set to begin.

What Japanese officials are saying is that every single person that remains on that ship needs to be tested for the coronavirus. In order to be let off the ship, they need to have those test results come back negative.

The testing process completed today, but here's the rub. It takes a few days to get those results back. So even though officials said, well, the quarantine period ends on the 19, let's say you tested -- you got your test done today. Well, you're not going to get your test back until the 20th or the 21st. So that's the earliest you're going to get off the ship, and that's assuming that you test negative. And we keep seeing more and more people test positive. Well over 10 percent of the amount of people on this ship have now tested positive.

And we know other countries are following the lead of the United States, which evacuated a lot of its citizens back to the U.S. as Nick was just describing. We know Canada, Italy, Australia, they plan to do the same thing over the coming days.

Meanwhile, over in mainland China, according to a CNN count, some 780 million people, more than half of the country's population, remain in some sort of travel restriction as people keep dying.

Today we got word that the medical director of one of the hospitals in Wuhan, the center of this outbreak, has lost his life. And this comes as the government says that they are now going to officially be calling people state martyrs. Medical personnel and soldiers who die of this virus are going to be given that official moniker. Jim, that's obviously the Chinese government trying to control the propaganda narrative as this outbreak goes on.

SCIUTTO: Yes. Listen, after missteps early on. But just think of that scale: 750, 60 million people, more than twice the population of the U.S. Just a remarkable response.

Matt Rivers, good to have you there in Tokyo.

Back here in the U.S., John Bolton breaking his silence, sort of, for the first time since the president's impeachment trial. What he says about his former boss in his upcoming book, next.

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