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Haley Campaigns in New Hampshire; A look at the Numbers in the Presidential Race; Five Days Till New Hampshire Primary; DOJ Releases Uvalde Report Today; Pakistan Strikes Iran. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired January 18, 2024 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:38]

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: Five days to New Hampshire. One of Trump's rivals is about to take the stage. The other isn't even in the state. Will either strategy muster the momentum to stun Trump's support?

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, minutes from now, E. Jean Carroll back on the witness stand facing questions from Donald Trump's lawyers. Now, we're waiting to hear what the judge says this morning after the tense standoff in court with the former president.

RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN ANCHOR: And emotions are high in Uvalde as Attorney General Merrick Garland releases the findings today of a long-awaited Justice Department report. Garland is also meeting with the families of victims as we wait to learn what the DOJ uncovered about the police failures that horrifying day.

I'm Rahel Solomon, in this morning for Kate Bolduan, with John Berman and Sara Sidner. CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts right now.

SIDNER: Any moment now Nikki Haley is set to kick off a rally in Hollis, New Hampshire. We are looking at live pictures there behind me. This is her first chance to respond to President Trump's harshest attacks on her yet. The former president seeking to deliver a knockout blow with the first in the nation presidential primary just five days away.

Trump is counting on a big win in New Hampshire to solidify his path to the top of the Republican ticket. And with that ramping up, he is ramping up his attacks on Haley.

Listen to what he told his supporters just last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: A vote for Nikki Haley this Tuesday is a vote for Joe Biden and a Democrat congress this November.

The radical left Democrats are supporting Nikki Haley because they know she's much easier to beat than Trump.

But if she wins, Biden wins. And I'm telling you that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: Well, that's not what the polls have been saying, but CNN's Omar Jimenez is joining us from Hollis, New Hampshire, where Nikki Haley is speaking to supporters in just a bit.

Omar, how is Haley reacting so far to Trump's attacks?

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, for one, we're going to see how she actually responds. She's going to have an opportunity here as she gets in front of voters. She's been defiant, obviously. She has painted this as a two-person race. And so, clearly, if the other person in this race, as she says, says something about her, we should expect her likely to respond.

But bottom line, she is the only person campaigning in this state today. And she's trying to capitalize on some of those opportunities.

We're at the first of what is said to be a number of meet and greets and campaign events over the course of today before, of course, her CNN town hall tonight.

Now, part of why she's the only person campaigning is Ron DeSantis has scaled back his campaign. And we were at a town hall of his yesterday -- scaled back his campaign in New Hampshire. But at that town hall event, he was still asking for votes here in this state, despite we're really not going to see him much except for back on Friday and then on Sunday as well.

So, Haley has gotten -- has turned that aspiration that it's a two- person race into essentially a reality here in New Hampshire.

Take a listen to what she said yesterday at one of her events.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NIKKI HALEY (R), 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I know Trump threw a temper tantrum about me last night. I heard that. And I've seen the commercials you see.

We have to win in November. But if you look at these head-to-head matchups, that's a hard truth. Head-to-head, Trump and Biden, it's going to be another nail-biter of an election. On a good day he's up by two points. That's margin of error. We're going to hold our breath up until then.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: And that's been part of her pitch to voters in this final stretch. Not necessarily going directly after Trump, but in many cases lumping both Trump and Biden together, in at least one example, saying that because they are either in or near their 80s, she has been emphasizing a need for generational change.

Now, another thing we're going to be watching for is -- obviously we know this is an opportunity. The New Hampshire electorate is much different than it is in Iowa. She, of course, could take advantage of the more moderate voting base here, also independents and undeclared can vote in this as well. But she's going to need a lot more than just that group to actually get her over this threshold.

[09:05:01]

What that threshold is, we have seen that definition change or shift or at the very least be a little liquid at times. Some of her campaign surrogates, including New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, said that they expect to have a strong second place finish here, which, of course, softens (ph) what many people believe and what some polls have shown, that she has a legitimate shot to pose a very serious challenge to the former president.

SIDNER: Chris Sununu endorsing Nikki Haley very early. We will wait and see. I know this is going to start in just a few minutes and we will take it live as she gets up on that podium.

Omar Jimenez, thank you so much for all your reporting.

John.

BERMAN: Yes, it's a really interesting moment about to happen in Hollis, New Hampshire, there, because Donald Trump has launched this new round of attacks on Nikki Haley. It's Thursday by my count. The primary's Tuesday. Will Nikki Haley respond. Will she take this moment to respond? This is a big moment. We will see that as it happens.

In the meantime, I'm joined by CNN's senior data reporter Harry Enten.

Harry, we're talking a lot about New Hampshire, which is, by the way, the granite state.

HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: That's correct.

BERMAN: The granite state.

Why is New Hampshire such an attractive target for Nikki Haley?

ENTEN: Yes, you know, Omar was getting at it. And, you know, it essentially comes down to the electorate. The moderate share of the GOP primary electorate. This is the group that Donald Trump does worse with. Moderates make up a significant share of that New Hampshire primary electorate there, 36 percent. That's significantly more than that 27 percent nationally. And, of course, that 17 percent in Iowa, which is a very conservative caucus electorate.

So, the fact is, New Hampshire -- you know New England. You're from New England. Those northern New England Republicans and those who can vote in that Republican primary are far more moderate on the Republican side than they are in the rest of the country.

BERMAN: Can Democratic vote in the Republican primary?

ENTEN: No, they cannot vote in the Republican primary.

BERMAN: But Donald Trump said they could. ENTEN: Donald Trump says a lot of things, but, no, you actually have

to be either a registered undeclared or a registered Republican or not registered at all.

BERMAN: OK.

So, Nikki Haley leading New Hampshire. This may be a great chance for her to take on Donald Trump, either beat him or come in second. Where else looks like a great opportunity on the map right now?

ENTEN: Yes, so this is the problem, right? Maybe outside of Vermont and the Washington, D.C., state convention, primary, whatever you want to call it, there's really - there's no other real ground. Trump's primary standing after New Hampshire, he still has a 51-point lead over there, right? And he's leading in every other state that has been polled. I've looked at all of them. There hasn't been another state that Trump has trailed in since the beginning of last year essentially. New Hampshire, at this particular point, looks like a real outlier.

Of course, John, I will point out, sometimes what happens in New Hampshire can affect things down the road. But at this particular point, New Hampshire looks like the best place to take Donald Trump on. And that's why Nikki Haley's there today.

BERMAN: And it's this combination, by the way. It's this big national lead along with the Iowa win as we're looking at where Trump is.

What does history tell us about that combination?

ENTEN: Yes, right, exactly. So, look, national poll leaders who lost New Hampshire, right, which is still a real possibility for Donald Trump, but won Iowa. He already won it, all right. This is GOP primary since 1980. It's happened twice. Bob Dole and George W. Bush. Both of those folks went on to be the Republican nominee. There are - didn't win the nomination, there are no examples. So, at this particular point, this slide, plus the previous side, should tell you that Donald Trump, regardless of what happens in New Hampshire, is still a very heavy favorite.

BERMAN: What this slide - basically, if Nikki Haley even manages to win in New Hampshire, right -

ENTEN: Yes.

BERMAN: Donald Trump would be Bob Dole or George Bush in this scenario who both went on to win the nomination.

ENTEN: That's exactly right.

BERMAN: That's what he's hoping for.

All right, the Democratic side. Obviously, Republican and Democrats behave differently in elections, but, again, historical lessons here from the Democratic side. ENTEN: Yes, you know, there's this whole idea, OK, there has never

been an example on the Republican side of a non-incumbent who has gone on to win every single primary on the Republican side. It could happen with Donald Trump. Could. But I should note, there is an example on the Democratic side, and it was Al Gore in 2000. He won in New Hampshire by just four points. So, a very tight race.

BERMAN: He was close.

ENTEN: Very close. Bill Bradley gave him a run for his money, but he won all the primaries. Will that happen with Trump this time around?

BERMAN: All right, we will wait and see.

Harry Enten, thank you for explaining that all so well.

ENTEN: Thank you.

BERMAN: Rahel.

SOLOMON: All right, in the meantime, let's discuss this further. With us now is Republican strategist Shermichael Singleton, and CNN opinion contributor Sophia Nelson.

Good to see you both.

Shermichael, let me start with you. I'm not sure if you saw our correspondent Harry Enten's piece there, but let's say you're one of these other campaigns. You're looking at the 51 percent lead that Trump has nationally. OK, that still leaves about half of the GOP electorate.

SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Yes.

SOLOMON: With five days left until New Hampshire, what are you doing?

SINGLETON: I mean, look, if I'm advising Nikki Haley, let's just use her as the example here, the first thing that I'm going to do is conduct a national voter profile, specifically on Super Tuesday. So, I'm looking at New Hampshire. These are more moderate leaning, independent leaning Republican voters. We've got to have a strong second there.

Then you fast forward to South Carolina, the former governor's home state. We need to at least not lose by anything more than 15 points.

Then you fast forward to the first week of March, where you have states like California, Massachusetts, where you do see a similar voter profile as New Hampshire.

[09:10:05]

If the governor can at least win several of those states come Super Tuesday, she'll still be behind mathematically, but it will still give her the argument to make that she can still compete in some additional states. But again, as Harry Enten pointed out, the math just does not exist because all of the other states to follow after New Hampshire are very similar to Iowa where Donald Trump dominates.

SOLOMON: As some might say, the math just isn't quite mathing just yet.

Sophia, let me bring you in here.

There is some new reporting that some voters in New Hampshire are disappointed that Haley seems to be taking direct questions less from voters. Her camp denies this. But, Sophia, your thoughts about this strategy. If she is prone to these moments when she's asked about race, might this be the safest thing for her to do?

SOPHIA NELSON, CNN OPINION CONTRIBUTOR: I think two things. One, I think Nikki Haley is running for vice president and for the nomination to be Trump's VP. I've always believed that. And I think that the reason she's not taking questions is because she keeps getting herself in trouble on these questions around race or reproductive freedom and issues that in a national election for her with females will be problematic and with people of color, of which she is one, and she's not leaned into that, Rahel. She's - she's backed away from it.

I also think that New Hampshire is where Nikki Haley becomes John McCain in 2000. You remember that? He pulled off the upset there. He won because of those moderates and those independents that can vote if you're undeclared or if you're a Republican moderate. But I think South Carolina is where her campaign dies, just like with John McCain. And if you recall, it got very nasty in South Carolina. The race card was pulled on John McCain because of his adopted daughter who's of color. And I think Nikki Haley's in for a rough ride.

So, she's running for VP. So, she wants to be careful and she doesn't want to tick Trump off or his base, but she's trying to do this kabuki dance. And I don't think she's doing it very well.

SOLOMON: Shermichael, let's actually stick with South Carolina for a moment. Obviously, DeSantis seems to be prioritizing that state, really presenting a -- or trying to present a challenge to Nikki Haley on her home turf. If he can eke out a second-place finish, like he did in Iowa, how does that change things if at all for his campaign?

SINGLETON: I mean the fundamental problem for Ron DeSantis is that most of his voters are likely to vote for Donald Trump. And so let's say that Donald Trump wins New Hampshire, then you move on to South Carolina. DeSantis is obviously more likely to place second in South Carolina than Nikki Haley, again, because of that idea of the voter profile and where those voters register if we're looking at like an ideological line. Most of them are further to the right than the voters in New Hampshire who are more centrist leaning.

And so again, the DeSantis camp has to have the recognition that if Trump dominates in the first two states, his likely voters are going to look at that and beg the question, is it worth voting for someone who we know doesn't have a chance going forward, or should we move over to the Trump camp? I think most of those voters are going to move over to Trump. I spent a significant amount of time in South Carolina in 2016. Every

single county in that state registered for Trump, 60 percent, 70 percent, 80 percent compared to someone like a Ted Cruz, who was also favored by evangelicals at the time.

SOLOMON: Sophia, let's turn to the Democrats really quickly before I let you guys go. Vice President Kamala Harris appearing on "The View" yesterday, and she had this to say when she was asked if she was scared about what would happen if Trump were to win the presidency again. And this is what she said.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I am scared as heck, which is why I'm traveling our country. You know, there's an old saying that there are only two ways to run for office, either without an opponent or scared. So, on all of those points, yes. We should all be scared.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: So, Sophia, when you have the vice president on national TV saying she's scared as heck, what type of message do you think it sends to voters? What are they trying to message here?

NELSON: I think what she means is she's not afraid of him per se, but she's afraid of what's happening to our country, the rhetoric, the divisions, our freedoms being taken away, limited, book banning, all the things she went through in detail, talking about race and how Nikki Haley again has bumbled that time and time again, rewriting history. I think that's what she needs - I'm sorry, what she's trying to say to the American people. And what she's saying is, we all ought to be afraid about what happens if this guy becomes president. So, we're going to run hard, we're going to run like we're the underdogs and we're going to work really hard to win this election. I think that's what she's trying to say.

SOLOMON: Sophia Nelson, Shermichael Singleton, good to see you both. Thank you.

SINGLETON: Good to see you.

SOLOMON: And a CNN programming note now. Don't miss Nikki Haley's CNN town hall live in New Hampshire. That's happening at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. And Jake Tapper moderates. That's only here on CNN.

John.

BERMAN: All right, we are standing by for the results from a federal investigation into the massacre at Uvalde. Nineteen students, two teachers killed. The new explanations for why it took police so long to respond.

[09:15:03] Two countries in one of the world's most dangerous areas exchange airstrikes. One is a nuclear power. The other is about to be. Who will make the next move?

E. Jean Carroll about to take the stand, facing questions from Donald Trump's lawyers. The real question, what will the federal judge say this morning after Donald Trump told him he couldn't control himself.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SIDNER: Just a few hours from now the Justice Department will release its long-awaited report on the police response to the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. A gunman killed 19 children and two teachers in that horrific attack in May 2022. For families, this burning question, why did it take nearly 400 law enforcement officers 77 minutes to stop the shooter?

[09:20:13]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALFRED GARZA, FATHER OF UVALDE VICTIM AMERIE JO GARZA: Accountability. You know, I mean, that's what everybody wants. That's what we all want. We want people to - to be held accountable for - for what they didn't do that day, you know? That's - I mean that's all that's left to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: Alfred Garza has been very outspoken about this.

CNN's Evan Perez is in Uvalde for the story.

Evan, families had the chance to meet with Attorney General Merrick Garland last night for a preview, so that they know what's coming because they have been through too much pain. Can you tell me about their reaction to what they heard and saw?

EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Sara, they met with the attorney general, Merrick Garland. They met with Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta, who really was key to getting this independent report done. This report that is really taking a look at all - all the things that went wrong that day, for 77 minutes, as 370 officers stood outside that school, Robb Elementary, and children inside calling for help from 911. All of those things we expect are going to be addressed in this report.

But one of the things that happened last night was, you know, the attorney general, the associate attorney general, met with these families. Vanita Gupta herself took questions for more than two hours from those family members. And at least, I think, for some of them, they felt that there was something positive coming from this. They feel that, you know, the world has moved on. They've been forgotten in the 20 months since that horrible day at Robb Elementary.

Here's Oscar Orona talking a little bit about what he found out in the meeting. His son, Noah, was one of those injured at the - at the shooting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OSCAR ORONA, SON WOUNDED IN UVALDE MASS SHOOTING: The briefing that we received today was very positive. We look forward to seeing the report because we think it will validate a lot of our feelings already as to what transpired and what didn't transpire and what should have happened.

BERLINDA ARREOLA, GRANDMOTHER OF UVALDE VICTIM AMERIE JOE GARZA: It was a lot of information. And I guess the next step is to find out what will be done with this information.

ORONA: I'm hopeful that you see all the people here, that this will (INAUDIBLE) by thousand percent and that not only the people of the United States but around the world will finally see the abysmal failures that law enforcement had.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PEREZ: And, Sara, look, this - this whole day is going to be a very raw one for those - for those family members. A lot of raw emotion you're expecting to spill out as a result of this, of this new report.

The attorney general began his visit here yesterday by touring those murals that have been painted on buildings in the town square here in Uvalde. It's one of those horrible things, right? You know, towns like this, there's often murals or pictures of important community figures. Usually adults. It's really striking to see the faces of little kids on these walls memorializing, obviously, the horrible, horrible day that happened here last year in May of -- at Robb Elementary.

So, again, a raw day for the family members here in Uvalde.

Sara.

SIDNER: Yes, we are looking at those murals, and just the message of one of the little girls to her mother about how strong she was and what she loved about her mom. The messages just -- they strike your heart in a way that I can't even explain.

Thank you so much for you and your team out there. I know Jay's out there with you taking those beautiful pictures. I appreciate you guys for being out there on this very hard day.

Rahel.

SOLOMON: All right, Sara, and still ahead for us, deadly missile strikes in the Middle East. Now Pakistan is retaliating against Iran. How the continued aggressions are drumming up concerns for the U.S.

And Donald Trump's plea for full immunity, even in events that, quote, cross the line. We are live outside the New York defamation damages trial.

We'll be right back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:28:42]

SIDNER: New this morning, Iran is demanding answers amid an escalating spat with Pakistan. Overnight, Pakistan launched retaliatory strikes on targets in southeastern Iran, just across their shared border. Pakistan claims it took out a number of militants, but Iran says mostly women and children were killed.

This is coming just a day after Iran said it fired missiles and drones at militant stronghold inside Pakistan. Local officials say two children were killed there.

CNN's Ivan Watson is following all of these details for us.

Ivan, these really are - and this is an extraordinary moment with Pakistan and Iran launching strikes against each other. What does it mean for the region?

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think it just underscores, Sara, how volatile the Middle East and central Asia are right now, because even 48 hours ago you couldn't have imagined these two neighbors getting into this tit for tat deadly cross border missile strike situation. Because the prime minister of Pakistan was meeting with the foreign minister of Iran in Davos on Tuesday. The two navys, they were conducting joint naval exercises at the beginning of this week. And then, out of nowhere, the Iranians filed these missiles into Pakistani territory, saying they're hitting militants who've carried out attacks inside Iran in the past.

[09:30:08]