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New Day Saturday

Experts Warn Outbreak Could Strain U.S. Health System; Joe Biden & Senator Bernie Sanders Campaign In Midwest Ahead Of Super Tuesday II; More Than 100,000 Infections Now Reported Worldwide; Hillary Clinton Weighs In On Race, Falls Short Of Biden Endorsement; Secret Service Preparing To Protect Presidential Candidates. Aired 8- 9a ET

Aired March 07, 2020 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: A race to trace Coronavirus infections. More than 3,500 passengers and crew stranded on board the Grand Princess Queen Ship.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The risk of getting infected as taking the nation as a whole is low. But that could change.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is like the flu on steroids.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We trust in a matter of weeks that the coronavirus test will be broadly available to the public.

TRUMP: Anybody that needs a test, they're there. They have the tests and the tests are beautiful.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For 2020 Democrats it's now effectively a two-man race.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This campaign is not just a political campaign. It is a movement of millions of people.

JOE BIDEN (D), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The - punish and declaring to campaign dead. Now we're told when you got to Super Tuesday would be over, well, maybe it is for the other guy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: Well, good morning to you on this Saturday. We're always grateful for your company. I'm Christi Paul.

AMARA WALKER, CNN HOST: And I'm Amara Walker in for Victor Blackwell.

PAUL: This morning, 3,500 people are stuck on a crew ship off the coast of California after cases of Coronavirus were confirmed on board.

WALKER: At least 21 of the 46 people tested abroad the Grand Princess have tested positive.

PAUL: A passenger tells CNN, a helicopter, take a look at this dropping of supplies, airlifted one passenger back to San Francisco for medical attention as well. CNN has reached out to the cruise ship's parent company for details haven't heard yet. But across the U.S., there are now. Take a look at the map here, at least 333 cases of COVID-19. States including Utah, Connecticut, Hawaii, they're seeing their first cases.

WALKER: A total of 17 people have died the majority in Washington State. Now concerns about the virus are leading to high-profile events being cancelled including the popular South by South West conference in Austin, Texas and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is putting an emphasis on the danger to elderly and people with severe chronic medical conditions, urging them to stay home as much as possible.

PAUL: Here with us, CNN Health Reporter Jacqueline Howard is with us. And I know that there are a lot of people sitting at home thinking, do I take my trip? Do I not take my trip? How do I get through my day right now? They might not be really concerned, but they're concerned enough to make some changes. How dangerous is this right now? Is there a good day for that?

JACQUELINE HOWARD, CNN HEALTH REPORTER: That's a great question. Like you said, everyone is asking this question. The answer really depends on your age. Your risk is higher as your age - with older age.

And therefore if you're an older age it is advised to, if you can, try to stay home, you know, if you're able to avoid large crowds. If you do have to travel, even at the airport, avoid crowds. Try to kind of like sit in your own little corner if you can while you're waiting for a flight.

And that's why you know really we're advising what travel does depend on your age. And for anyone, keep an eye out on the CDC travel notices. If you're traveling internationally, make sure you're aware of what the notice is, or if wherever your destination is if it's on the list of notices and what the recommendation is for your destination. That's really the bottom line for domestic travel and international travel.

WALKER: We were just mentioning the number of cases and how it keeps going up in the United States. Just break that down for us one more time. And I mean we do expect these numbers to continue to rise, especially with more testing becoming available but the Trump Administration saying that there should be what up to 1 million tests available soon.

HOWARD: Exactly. The numbers are changing. But as of now, there are more than 330 cases, specifically, 332 U.S. cases and more than half the states, we saw the map earlier more than half of the states, 28 states are reporting at least one case.

But nationally, the state that's leading in cases is Washington State. And in particular, going back to how we were talking about age, there's a nursing home in Washington State that's reported a number of cases. And there's a lot of concern around long-term care facilities and how they're handling the outbreak right now because of increased risk for older adults.

PAUL: No doubt. Jacqueline, we appreciate it so much. Jacqueline Howard for us.

HOWARD: Thank you.

PAUL: Thank you. So, as we mentioned at the top of the show, there's at least 21 people aboard this Grand Princess who have tested positive. I mean, put yourself in this situation and think what is happening. None of them knew about that, until they heard it on TV.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Among those tested, 46 persons were swabbed, 21 of those on the ship tested positive for the Coronavirus. 24 tested negative. One test was inconclusive. Again, let me say 21 individuals on the "Grand Princess" tested positive. Among those were 19 crew members and two passengers.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

[08:05:00]

WALKER: And it wasn't until after Vice President Pence's remarks that the captain of the ship addressed the passengers, apologizing for the fact that they found out by watching TV.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Vice President Mike Pence announced that 21 people have tested positive for COVID-19. You may have heard this on the news while you were in your room. And we apologize, but we were not given advance notice of this announcement by the U.S. Federal Government.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: Here's what one passenger told CNN's Erin Burnett?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEBBI LOFTUS, AMERICAN QUARANTINED ON GRAND PRINCESS CRUISE: It was like, excuse me, I thought the passengers were supposed to be notified first. I immediately called down the passenger services and said you better get the captain aware of what's going on. And get on the intercom and he did come on about ten minutes later. But, the fact that we weren't told first made us quite upset and angry.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: Understandably. Now right now, this is the only cruise ship quarantined off the coast. This one of California again the entire cruise ship industry though is what's at risk right now. WALKER: Yes, Vice President Mike Pence Head of the White House

Coronovirus Task Force plans to meet with cruise line executives later today, about how to stop the spread of the virus?

CNN White House Reporter, Sarah Westwood is in West Palm Beach, Florida. And Sarah, we should mention I mean a lot of people are confused about the availability of testing after what the President said at the CDC yesterday.

He said look you now, anyone who needs a test today, you'll get a test, you know by tomorrow or wherever you want it, whereas Vice President Mike Pence has been saying and admitting, I don't think we're going to be able to meet the demand with these testing kits. What's the truth?

SARAH WESTWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, Amara, we've been seeing these mixed signals from the White House when it comes to the availability of the Coronavirus test. And that sort of reflective of the broader disconnect in tone between President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.

You've seen Vice President Mike Pence be a little more measured, setting more realistic expectations about what we're likely to see in the case of Coronavirus outbreak. President Trump is striking a lot more optimistic tone when he has been talking about this, painting a rosier picture of how the country is dealing with the Coronavirus?

Now that trip that the President took yesterday to the CDC that was briefly called off and then put back on his schedule, yesterday and while he was there the President said that anyone who needs a Coronavirus test can get it, take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I think importantly, anybody right now, and yesterday, anybody that needs a test, test needs to do. They have the tests. And the tests are beautiful. Anybody that needs a test gets a test.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WESTWOOD: Now, I want you to take a listen to what Vice President Mike Pence had said earlier about the administration at this moment not currently being prepared for what they anticipate will be future demands for Coronavirus testing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PENCE: We don't have enough tests today to meet what we anticipate will be the demand going forward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WESTWOOD: And then the White House has said it planned to have 1 million tests available by the end of this week. A spokesperson for the Vice President told CNN that they were on track to hit that target by the weekend. PAUL: Okay. So Sarah, I want to ask you, there's so much going on

between the election and Coronavirus and now we hear that President is changing his Chief of Staff. What are you hearing about this change?

WESTWOOD: It's a big move, Christi, the President replacing his Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney. Mulvaney was never able to shake that acting title with Congressman Mark Meadows someone who is a close ally of the President. Now this was the decision that was under discussion 4 months that the President had started to lose confidence in Mulvaney.

CNN had reported that Mulvaney was increasingly out of the loop on big issues. But this is a really notable shift because Meadows is someone who doesn't have a ton of executive experience. But he is someone who is extremely political, and has been a close informal adviser of the President so this formalizing Mulvaney's advisory role.

But it also gives the President a very political Chief of Staff heading into his re-election race later in the year, Christi.

PAUL: All right. Good to know Sarah, always appreciate the heads-up. Sarah Westwood for us there, thank you. So, as we talk about the Coronavirus, the outbreak is really putting into focus the strain that could be coming into America's Health Care System.

WALKER: Our next guest warns if we end up with a widespread outbreak, these big issues will not even bundle up. They would really explode into much more plain view. Joining us now is Dr. Jen Kates Senior Vice President and Director of Global Health Policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation, where she is an expert on how public policy can be used to fight health epidemics?

[08:10:00]

WALKER: You're the perfect person to talk to this morning. Dr. Kates, I appreciate you joining us.

DR. JEN KATES, SENIOR VP & DIRECTOR OF GLOBAL HEALTH & HIV POLICY, KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION: Good morning.

WALKER: So first of all, I mean are you concerned about the Health Care System in America, being burdened once these tests become available? Because I think there is a lot of concern, especially for people who don't have health insurance. I think the number is 28 million Americans don't have health insurance. Will they have to pay for these Coronavirus testing kits?

KATES: Yes. I think this is quickly becoming a story about the American Health Care System and insurance coverage. And if the outbreak worsens, this will be top of mind for most Americans. Already, there's a lot of concern about the outbreak, the disease itself and the virus itself, but the health care system is potentially going to be quite strained.

And a particular issue is for those who are not able to seek care because they don't have a place to go or worried about costs. So for example, the uninsured, about half don't have the usual source of care. If the advice we're hearing is go call your doctor and find out what you need to do, what if they don't have a doctor? I think that's a big concern that could get a lot worse.

PAUL: We know the Governors of California and New York have talked about waiting cost for Coronavirus testing. But somebody has to pick that cost up somewhere. Do we have any idea what the route is and how to get there?

KATES: Great, so there are a lot of questions and concerns about the test. And will the test first of all, will the test be available and then who will pay for it? And as you mentioned, states are moving to alleviate costs to the actual consumers but really what is going to comes down to insurance coverage.

Does your insurance coverage require copayments? Do you have a deductible? Those are issues that many Americans are already facing in their everyday lives and this particular outbreak is going to really raise them to the surface. So I think it's unclear, it's really unclear what that could be?

WALKER: What are your thoughts so far on the U.S. response to this outbreak? I mean, it's hard for, you know, me and many of us to understand, when you look at other countries like South Korea. They've been conducting, what, 10,000 tests a day. And they've tested over 140,000.

They've already had 140,000 tests. That's compared to 1500 tests in America. What's happening? This is kind of embarrassing, is it not?

KATES: I think the big challenge, and it is a concern, is that we have not ruled out testing at the level and rate that we should. Without that, we're not detecting cases so community transmission is happening. We know this. And as testing is being expanded, we're seeing more and more cases but it's been slow.

And we know from every epidemic and certainly from the experiences in other countries, the quicker you're able to do so and detect cases and isolate patients that are infected and keep people who might be exposed in quarantine, the more you can get ahead of this, we're behind the curve for sure.

PAUL: So prognosticate for us what is going to happen from this point on? What is in your opinion the most dangerous aspect of this moving forward?

KATES: Well, I think we don't want everyone in the United States to panic but I think people have to be following good public health advice and following the information that we know. So listening to public health officials is critical.

But I think we've to be prepared we're going to see a lot more cases and we're going to see communities with lots of transmission. And there will be measures taken, social distancing that's already happening in several communities. I'm not sure we're quite prepared for that. And just going back to health insurance and coverage, the issues that everyday Americans are facing in their health coverage are really going to be ones that we have to grapple with for sure.

WALKER: Back to what President Trump was saying, you know that anyone who needs a test will be able to get tested. If you're having symptoms of a cold, you're concerned it might be Coronavirus, what are you supposed to do to get your hands on a test? Do you go to your primary care doctor and are they supposed to write you an order to get a test, and if so, where do you go from there?

KATES: Right, very good question. So if somebody is experiencing symptoms what the advice is to call your provider call your doctor don't just go because if you just go, you could be exposing people to your illness as well as overburdening the system.

So first of all, you have to know who to call. But if you were to do that, and your doctor said, yes, you should get a test. You would have to figure out where you can go? Testing isn't everywhere.

And then we're hearing lots of anecdotes that people who are presenting with symptoms and their providers not getting authorized to actually carry out the test. So that has to catch up to the Public Health recommendation. So it is not as simple as you have symptoms you can go get a test. We're not there yet. That is going to hopefully come.

PAUL: Yes, sooner rather than later.

KATES: Yes, sooner rather than later.

WALKER: Dr. Jen Kates, it was so important to have you on. Thank you for all of your insight today we really appreciate it.

KATES: Thank you very much.

PAUL: Thank you for that. All right, still to come, both Former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders are in Midwest today ahead of the Super Tuesday 2 Primaries.

[08:15:00]

PAUL: Who has the edge going in? We'll discuss.

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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANDERS: We are going to win this campaign. We're going to win here in Michigan. Because the people of this state and of this country are sick and tired of an economy and a government that works for the 1 percent they want an economy that works for working families.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: That was Senator Bernie Sanders addressing supporters in Michigan there. He and Former Vice President Joe Biden are campaigning in the Midwest today ahead of next Tuesday's contest. 352 delegates are what is at stake here. Michigan awards the biggest prize for them. Michigan is crucial battleground state here Sanders did win it, though, narrowly that primary in 2016 against Hillary Clinton.

[08:20:00]

PAUL: Let's fast forward to today. Michigan will again be that proving ground for him? To talk about it now Politics and White House Editor for AXIOS and CNN Political Analyst Margaret Talev, Margaret always good to see you.

MARGARET TALEV, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Good morning.

PAUL: Thank you before we get to 2020, I have to get to something that you can talk about specifically, the move of the White House Chief of Staff moving Mick Mulvaney out, I understand you had a conversation with him what did he tell you?

TALEV: We did, Christi, we spoke last night. He said he and Mark Meadows have been good friends for years of course they Co-Founded the Freedom Caucus together. He said this wasn't a surprise to him that it would have been not only under discussion for months but that he - the President had given him plenty of time to let his family and staff know about the change and that he's happy for Meadows.

But, of course, the way the President staged this is, again, one of those things that sends enough mixed signals that everybody is talking about all of the potential other factors that it was the President irritated that Mulvaney was out of town during the Coronavirus.

And this sort of thing, you can imagine the President under other circumstances pulling together the outgoing Chief of Staff and the incoming Chief of Staff and having you know some sort of celebration at the White House and introducing the change of guard.

The President didn't do it that way. But Mulvaney saying he will stay on in a transition for the next several weeks as the two friends hand the baton to each other and before he leaves as the Envoy to Northern Ireland.

PAUL: All right, a position as I understand that he really wanted actually he's been lobbying for.

TALEV: For more than a year.

PAUL: Okay. Okay. Let's talk now about Super Tuesday part two, let's say. This coming Tuesday, there's six states, Idaho, Mississippi, Michigan. Among them, Michigan, of course, being the grand prize--

TALEV: Yes.

PAUL: --in this particular role. How likely though when we talk about what is still ahead we've got primaries, March 17th, the 24th, all the way through April 28th. If they don't start to whittle this down, we're going go into a contested convention. How dicey could this get because it's already getting a little nasty?

TALEV: Yes, I mean, this next contest is going to be an important test it's like 9 percent of the delegates. It's important for two reasons. It's Michigan and Washington State. Michigan is going to give us a glimpse of whether Bernie Sanders is able to hold on to that coalition of sort of labor and union voters who went with him, instead of Hillary Clinton last time.

Whether his criticism of Biden on NAFTA and other trade deals is going to take hold? Or whether that has changed a little bit? Whether some of those labor voters have just gone to Trump and whether others have changed their mind about free trade?

Then in Washington State, we'll get a much clearer sense of whether Bernie Sanders is able to galvanize, younger voters, progressive voters and liberal voters to really turn out on mass for him or whether Joe Biden is finally going to sort of crack the Western Wall and get on the map.

And those may give us a much clearer sense heading into this next wave of contests, Florida, Ohio, some really big states that will be important clues. But this contest on Tuesday, between what Michigan will show us and what Washington State will show us? We'll get a sense of whether the Super Tuesday contest was really definitive for Joe Biden or whether this is going to be a slog into the summer?

PAUL: Margaret, real quickly before I'll let you go you have an article on Axios about the more than 140 women who are running for the House in 2020.

TALEV: Yes.

PAUL: 140 more than ran in 2018. How much of that do you think is reflective of the fact that we had six women vying for the Democratic ticket and they're all gone by now, with the exception, we should say of Tulsi Gabbard? Officially, she's still in.

TALEV: She's officially still in race but not really in the competition with Biden and Sanders at this point for that doubling the predominance. But look what's happening at the Presidential level has been disappointing to a lot of women who say when are women ever going to crack the glass ceiling?

What's happening just below the service is really important to watch. 2016 or 2018 those midterm was such a historic year and now you see Republican women trying to catch up to Democratic women in those gains and women from both parties increasingly trying to take over the majorities in state legislatures and ramp up their numbers in Congress.

And it's International Women's Day tomorrow. This month is U.S. women history month for women. So these are important trends to watch as we go forward.

PAUL: No doubt about it, at just note here at 10:00, I'm going to be talking to Marian Williamson here on CNN. So stay tuned for that. Margaret Talev, appreciate so much the information thank you.

TALEV: Thank you.

WALKER: For the first time in 34 years, South by Southwest won't be happening in Austin, Texas this month. That is just one of many public events cancelled because of the Coronavirus that trickledown effect of the outbreak is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:25:00]

WALKER: Right now, nearly 3500 people are floating off the Coast of California, stuck on a cruise ship filled with at least 21 people infected with the Coronavirus.

PAUL: Earlier, CNN was given some information by a passenger on that ship who says a supply helicopter airlifted one other passenger back to San Francisco for medical attention. We're going to bring you the very latest as soon as we learn more on that.

WALKER: All right, now back on land, the coronavirus has continued to its trek across the globe. CNN is reporting more than 101,000 cases worldwide the epidemic has killed at least 3,400 people.

PAUL: And hundreds of high-profile events around the world and here in the states have been cancelled now. This includes the South by Southwest conference in Austin, Texas. And Arnold Schwarzenegger said he was disappointed that fans will be limited at the armed forces festival in Columbus, Ohio this weekend.

[08:30:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER (R), FORMER CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR: --those were depressing, that we don't have spectators here, they'll be putting some spectators in here but at the same time, it is really exciting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: So it's been a tumultuous week on Wall Street of course with the Coronavirus outbreak expanded. We know U.S. markets closed down more than 250 points yesterday but they did end the week with a gain.

WALKER: CNN's Alison Kosik has more.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Stocks took us on another wild ride this week, the DOW made two different 1000 point moves but for all of the crazy ups and downs this week the DOW managed just barely to eke out a weekly gain. But investors continue to worry about the global Coronavirus outbreak.

The daily selloff in the stock market could be helping to fuel panic buying in stores for supplies everything from hand sanitizers, to toilet paper, to peanut butter. Kroger has put a cap on how much you can buy of sanitation cold and flu-related products?

Home Depot is limiting purchases of face masks. And at CVS and Walgreens, shelves are running empty of sanitizers. At Costco shoppers say lines snake around the building and sure the uptick in sales is good for business.

Costco posted a 3 percent bump last month that it attributed to higher demand because of concerns about the Coronavirus. But some economists say it's not necessarily a good thing. Businesses usually prefer to manage growth to be stable and not spike because surges in demand could impact the ability to provide supplies.

And it's not just supermarkets and drugstores seeing big business these days. Lot of service-based companies involved with staying at home, or working from home, as the virus pushes more people away from their offices.

The viruses are helping those businesses, getting more attention these days, home fitness provider Peloton, video conferencing company Zoom and Netflix as people ramp up their couch potato skills.

PAUL: Alison Kosik, thank you.

WALKER: All right, joining me now to discuss the economic impact is Rick Helfenbein he is the Former President and CEO of American Apparel and Footwear Association.

Good morning to you, Rick. Thanks for joining us.

RICK HELFENBEIN, FORMER PRESIDENT & CEO, AMERICAN APPAREL & FOOTWEAR ASSOCIATION: Good morning.

WALKER: Let's start if you will with the Tourism Industry because you know anecdotally, it seems like a lot of people are hesitant about taking a cruise. As you can see, what's happening on some cruise ships seems like these are incubators, floating incubators for viruses a lot of people, including also myself second-guessing getting on a plane. How hard is the Coronavirus hitting these industries?

HELFENBEIN: All right, it's hitting it very hard. You know this is a two-edged sword for retail. We're lacking people going into the stores. You know except if they're shopping for rice, beans, canned tuna and toilet paper. That's one part of the problem.

The other part is, you know, the tourists, particularly, the tourists from Asia coming to America. The average spending for a tourist is about $8,000 including hotels and food and they spend well over $1,000 on product. So retail that was having issues before, is having even more issues now.

WALKER: We know because of the out outbreaks weeks and weeks ago, China started closing down factories making workers stay at home. Talk about what this means for the supply chain because a lot of American companies rely on Chinese manufacturing?

HELFENBEIN: Yes, you know the numbers on that are particularly interesting. In terms of the U.S. economy, 40 percent of all apparel and 65 percent of all footwear comes from China. There's no other place that it comes from right now. And that's a big dent on our market when we can't fill the stores and we don't have product.

Plus, you know, they're saying now, that the factories in China are up about 80 percent. But they took an extra week for Chinese New Year. And the workers have been slow to come back. So, we have factories that are operating but they may be only operating about 70 percent, 80 percent.

So, every week that we work, we're falling a little bit behind. And, you know, that plays havoc. And when you're trying to deliver product for the Easter season, for Mother's Day, for Father's Day, for back to school--

WALKER: Right.

HELFENBEIN: -- so, retail's in a bit of a conundrum now. Product is not getting to market as fast as we would like.

WALKER: But as we also heard there is a select fewer companies as we heard from Alison Kosik that are benefitting at least for now when it comes to companies like Clorox, Purell and Peloton and these remote connection companies. We're going to have to leave it there. Rick Helfenbein thank you so much for joining us.

HELFENBEIN: Thank you.

[08:35:00]

PAUL: We're going to share something that we're just learning, a U.S. sailor stationed in Naples, Italy, has tested positive for the Coronavirus. This is the first positive case of a U.S. serviceman who were stationed in Europe. Now the sailor tested positive yesterday. He is currently quarantined at home.

We know the U.S. military is conducting a thorough contact investigation now to determine if any other personnel may have been exposed. Anyone who came in close contact with the infected person has already been notified and apparently is in self-isolation at home.

WALKER: So, after dropping out of the Presidential Race, Senator Elizabeth Warren is facing another tough challenge. Everybody wants to know who is she endorsing? Well, our strategists are going to break down this week's top political headlines for us back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:40:00]

PAUL: Thirty-nine minutes past the hour and Bernie Sanders is sharpening his attacks on Joe Biden heading into next Tuesday's critical primaries here. 6 states votes Tuesday Michigan the biggest prize with 125 delegates, this is the first rust belt state to vote this year. So Sanders is really courting union workers by bashing Biden on trade. Brian Robinson, Republican Strategist and President of Robinson Republic PR is with us now, as well as Democratic Strategist and CNN Political Commentator Maria Cardona.

Thank you both for being here. Good to see you.

MARIA CARDONA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Good morning.

BRIAN ROBINSON, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Good morning.

PAUL: Let's start with this new ad from Bernie Sanders. Okay. I apologize. They don't have it. We're having some technical issues here. But it's a union member who says I've been a union autoworker since 2008. We have it now. I'll let him tell it. Go ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN CRAWFORD, AUTO WORKER: I've been a union autoworker since 2008. The community has been decimated by trade deal. Only one candidate for President has consistently opposed every disastrous trade deal and that candidate is Bernie Sanders.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: The auto industry is really such a core of Michigan, Maria. How potent is the trade argument here?

CARDONA: I think it's really powerful. And I think it's one that Bernie Sanders has certainly tried to use to his advantage. And I think that's a very compelling ad and I think what you'll see is that Joe Biden will come in and this is what he has been doing and will continue to do, into Michigan.

And in the upcoming primaries, he'll talk about how he was part of the administration that actually focused on the auto bailout. So those are two competing messages. Yet, they go to the granular argument of the whole campaign, which is that whether it's Biden or Sanders, they're the ones who are going to look out for union workers.

They're the ones who are going to look out for working class families versus Donald Trump who has decimated them with you know trade deals that he says are protecting families. But yet, he's the one who is causing the trade conflicts all around the world that have really, I think, hurt working families and hurt union trade workers.

And so this is going to be a telling primary for both of these candidates because, frankly, it is a must-win state for Bernie Sanders. And if Joe Biden wins there, I think it's going to fuel his campaign to go into the very end agency the presumed front-runner.

PAUL: You know I think everybody right now to, is watching what Elizabeth Warren is going to do, Democrats and Republicans alike. And to that, this is what she told the Boston Globe on Thursday. Everybody was wondering who is she going to endorse? Well, she said why would I owe anybody an endorsement? Is that a question they asked everybody else who dropped out of the race? Well, yes, I believe they did ask that question. But at the end of the day Brian, gauge the possibility for is that maybe she's just not going to endorse anybody at all and there are repercussions from that?

ROBINSON: Well, look, we've got somebody who most issues align with Bernie Sanders much more so than she does with Joe Biden. That's part of the problem in the primary that she faced was Bernie was already in the lane that she was trying to fill and he already had infrastructure and a base built on from the 2016 election.

At the same time she just doesn't like him that much. You know there was that famous scene at the end of a debate where she just walked over at the end of a hot night saying you just called me a liar. You know we may be seeing that what Hillary Clinton was saying that nobody likes Bernie amongst those who worked with him may be the case.

And so it may be a politically safe thing for Elizabeth Warren to just stay on the sideline. It would certainly be a real slap at Bernie, if she endorsed Joe Biden. But Joe Biden actually is who I would go with if I was her, because if you look at his numbers in Michigan, they took a big dip. In the last week - the line is a straight-up line in taking the lead over Sanders.

PAUL: Yes.

ROBINSON: And Maria's right, if Biden pulls that out, it is a nail in the coffin for the Sanders Campaign.

PAUL: Can we please mark that Brian and Maria are agreeing on something right now--

ROBINSON: She was right.

CARDONA: See there you go.

PAUL: First of all, secondly Brian, you mentioned Hillary Clinton, she did speak to Fareed Zakaria we're going to see more of that later. But I want to play something that for you now regarding what she said about Bernie Sanders.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FAREED ZAKARIA, CNN HOST: If Bernie Sanders is the Democratic nominee, will you campaign for him?

HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER FIRST LADY OF UNITED STATES: I will support the nominee of the Democratic Party.

ZAKARIA: But will you campaign for him?

CLINTON: I don't know if he'd ask me to campaign for him, Fareed. I have no idea what he's thinking about for a General Election Campaign.

(END VIDEO CLIP) PAUL: How do you think effective, Maria, she might be for Bernie Sanders?

CARDONA: I think she would be incredibly effective for either Bernie Sanders or Joe Biden. Look, there's no question that Hillary Clinton is still an incredibly admired person, not just in the Democratic Primary, but all over the country.

[08:45:00]

CARDONA: And she would be somebody who would go out there and focus on how dangerous Donald Trump is. What he has done to our country in the last four years? How we cannot afford another four years of Donald Trump in the Oval Office?

And that is a very compelling message going into this 2020 race. Regardless of who is the Democratic Nominee and one of the things that I think Republicans should be incredibly afraid of and that Donald Trump should be shaking in his boots about is the record turnout that we've had in these primaries thus far, Christi.

We have exploded our numbers. And that, to me, indicates the massive energy and mobilization and, frankly, need there is out there, not just for Democrats but for Independents and disaffected Republicans to get Donald Trump out of the White House.

PAUL: You know Brian, there are people we've heard from many people who said I voted for Donald Trump last time around I don't want to do that again. How worried should Republicans be?

ROBINSON: Christi, they said the same thing in 2016, how many people were on TV the Monday before the election, in that November saying Hillary Clinton is going to be our next President. There's no pathway to the White House for Donald Trump. He defied those expectations by one significant win in the Electoral College.

So you're going to maybe see some of that same phenomenon happening here. People who fully play intend to vote for him but aren't going to tell pollsters on the phone that. And so you may be seeing a little bit of that.

CARDONA: Except for you know what the difference is, Brian, we have now had four years of Donald Trump in the White House and there are people who understand just how dangerous that has been.

ROBINSON: That's right.

PAUL: And there are still people in his base that support him very much.

ROBINSON: Absolutely he has a strong base.

PAUL If they're not happy with whoever does secure the ticket on the left, we have no idea what they're going to do? I'm sorry we're out of time, Brian Robinson and Maria Cardona, we so appreciate the two of you as always. CARDONA: Thank you.

ROBINSON: Thank you.

PAUL: Thank you. And for the full interview by the way with Hillary Clinton, watch CNN's Fareed Zakaria GSP it's at 10:00 am eastern tomorrow.

WALKER: The secret service is training to protect the Presidential Candidates and after protesters rush the stage at a Joe Biden rally, Congressional Leaders say that protection is needed now. Coming up a CNN exclusive look at how they train?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:50:00]

WALKER: This week, Congressional Leaders requested secret service protection for all Presidential Candidates.

PAUL: With good reason, after some of the things we've seen lately. CNN's Alex Marquardt takes a look at how agents train to protect leaders? This is a CNN Exclusive for you.

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: As the motorcade rounds the corner and heads down the street, a black SUV suddenly cuts it off, a gun jumping out and tossing an explosive. Gunshots as Secret Service Agents engage the attacker and take up positions on the street.

The gunman is quickly taken down. The threat neutralized. This time it's a fake threat. This convoy and mock town are part of an exercise run by the United States Secret Service which CNN got exclusive television access to.

It's all part of training for agents who will protect the Presidential Candidates in the 2020 race. An issue thrown into the spotlight after two protesters rushed the stage during Joe Biden's Super Tuesday victory speech. His wife and a senior adviser pushing one back. When we met Ken Valentine, he was the Special Agent in charge of the Dignitary Protective Division. He recently retired.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEN VALENTINE, SPECIAL AGENT INCHARGE OF DIGNITARY PROTECTIVE DIVISION OF USSS (RETD.): The mission that we have adopted here is a cannot, no-fail mission. So when you're deployed out with these candidates that's a little heavy on your mind that your job is to keep them safe even if it costs you your live.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUARDT: Valentine managed this operation center in Washington, D.C. He and agents under him have been working for months to prepare to protect one or more of the Democratic Campaigns. Secret Service Protection usually comes for the major candidate as well as their Vice Presidential picks and their spouses within four months of the General Election.

Some candidates get it earlier in the Primary season. When then Senator Barack Obama ran for the first time, he got protection early, a year and a half before the 2008 election due to perceived threats. His opponent, Senator John McCain didn't get it until months later, not liking the way that protection isolated him from the voter.

The decision to begin protection is ultimately made by the Secretary of Homeland Security with input from Congressional Leadership.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VALENTINE: We stand ready to protect these candidates however many we're ordered to protect and whenever we're ordered to protect. And so, with the word from the Secretary, we're on it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUARDT: Today, the Secret Service is among the most highly trained security services in the world. The training shown to CNN for agents on candidate details includes tactical, including hand-to-hand combat, emergency medicine and legal training including how you're allowed to subdue a suspect? There is also a significant cyber aspect to the protection, with campaigns under serious threat for malicious actors online.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VALENTINE: We create a 360-degree sphere of protection around these candidates wherever they go. The teams that you're going to see on CNN on stage with these candidates moving with these candidates are really just the tip of the iceberg.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUARDT: And there may be a lot of moving with those candidates coming up. Secret Service Protection being talked about eight months before the General Election. Valentine said it may, will be a bumpy right but is keenly aware of the responsibility of the candidate teams.

[08:55:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VALENTINE: American people are counting on us to bring to the finish line whoever they select. And so whatever candidate you're assigned to may be the President of the United States next.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUARDT: Alex Marquardt, CNN, Washington.

PAUL: Alex, thank you. We'll be back again at 10:00. "SMERCONISH" is next. We'll see you again in hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MICHAEL SMERCONISH, CNN HOST: The nation prepares for the worst with one exception, me. I'm Michael Smerconish in Philadelphia. Here is the very latest.