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Interview With Former Keene, New Hampshire, Mayor George Hansel; New Hampshire Holds Presidential Primary. Aired 11-11:30a ET

Aired January 23, 2024 - 11:00   ET

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

[11:00:19]

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Good morning, and welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world.

We're continuing our special coverage of the first-in-the-nation primary in New Hampshire. I'm Wolf Blitzer in New York.

Polls are now open across the entire Granite State. This morning, only two Republican candidates are left standing, Nikki Haley and Donald Trump. Haley is betting big on New Hampshire after an aggressive ground game there. Tonight's results could make or break her campaign.

Both candidates made their final pitches to voters. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NIKKI HALEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There is no drama with me. There is no vengeance. At this point, we need someone who's serious and who's going to work.

We can either go with more of the same or we can go forward.

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I believe she's not electable. We're going to win New Hampshire and then we're going to defeat crooked Joe Biden, and we are going to make America great again.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: The big question that could be answered tonight is, will Nikki Haley defy the polls, or is Donald Trump on the cusp of cementing his spot as the Republican presidential nominee?

John Berman, Sara Sidner, Kate Bolduan are continuing our live coverage. They're joining us from Manchester, New Hampshire, this morning.

Go ahead, guys.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN HOST: We were just talking about how the Nikki Haley -- Nikki Haley's campaign manager sent out a memo that... JOHN BERMAN, CNN HOST: Just now. This is breaking news.

(CROSSTALK)

BERMAN: This is news from the Haley campaign that came out in the last hour that we're reporting now for the first time.

BOLDUAN: Here's the key quote.

"While members of Congress, the press, many of the weak-kneed fellows who ran for president are going -- are giving up and giving in, we aren't going anywhere."

Later in the memo, it says: "Everyone should take a breath." And at the very end, their campaign manager ends with: "See you all in South Carolina."

BERMAN: And it's the fact of this memo that is as much of the news as the memo itself. This is the Haley campaign laying down a marker with, what -- what time is it right now? It's 11:00.

(CROSSTALK)

BERMAN: So it's either eight or nine hours until the polls close, saying that, whatever happens here, it's not over. We're continuing to go on.

BOLDUAN: Well, it's also an answer to -- I mean, you see it at every stop that they have made, every interview that they have done, the question of, what's your bar? Is this do or die?

(CROSSTALK)

BOLDUAN: Is this make or break for you?

And their -- I mean, the campaign manager answering it very clearly, saying today, in this memo, no matter what happens here, they're pushing on. It's going to be a long primary, so they're saying.

SARA SIDNER, CNN HOST: And it's interesting that they're doing it right now at the very beginning. I mean, people have been voting in some places since 6:00 a.m.

BOLDUAN: Right.

SIDNER: They have no idea what the outcome is going to be, but they also do know the poll numbers. And the poll numbers aren't great for Nikki Haley. But they don't know what's going to happen.

I think they're really being very clear. Now, we have seen it on paper. They're not stopping. South Carolina, her home state, she's going to be there.

BERMAN: They say they're going to be there. You're in until you're out, as anyone who's in the game of politics will tell you.

SIDNER: That's true.

(CROSSTALK)

BOLDUAN: I do remember, on Iowa caucus day, I believe that Ron DeSantis' campaign manager says, we're going through -- we were going through South Carolina.

SIDNER: Right.

BERMAN: But the rationale in the memo is South Carolina is her home state. And then there are some open primaries after that, including in Michigan, where Nikki Haley feels she can do very well in some states on Super Tuesday.

BOLDUAN: Yes.

BERMAN: So they say they're in it for the long haul. And then there's something I think that we have all noticed here on the ground a little bit that may play into her thinking, which is that, when you talk to voters who are around what Nikki Haley is doing in her event, you actually do find -- it's not hard to find people who voted for Donald Trump once or twice who are now voting for Nikki Haley.

BOLDUAN: Yes.

BERMAN: There's a phenomenon out there that will last beyond just this primary, whoever wins it, of Donald Trump losing some Trump voters.

BOLDUAN: I spoke with a handful of voters as they were leaving Nikki Haley's event last night.

And, resoundingly, that was a consensus. I -- one man, his name is Cliff Marotta (ph), and he was very kind -- hi, Cliff -- lives in Salem -- and lives in Salem, where the event was last night. He said that he had supported Trump for the last two elections, but he was 100 percent behind Nikki Haley.

And when asked why, he said: "I'm just tired of the nonsense, the name-calling, the nicknames. Let the grownups have the room."

SIDNER: And that's what she's been saying over and over and over again as well. She's been saying, enough with the chaos. I'm normal. I'm going to get things done. I am not going to be drama.

That is Donald Trump. And she's also put that on Biden as well. But she's really gone hard on that. So it'll be interesting to see if it works for her.

BERMAN: And, look, Alayna Treene found that also when she was talking to voters.

BOLDUAN: Right.

BERMAN: So, I guess what I'm saying is, you don't have to scratch the surface here in New Hampshire to find those people. Whether or not that sways anything today, who knows.

BOLDUAN: Yes, what that adds to today, yes.

[11:05:00]

BERMAN: But I do think it will matter after this.

BOLDUAN: Yes.

SIDNER: All right, Wolf, we have had our chat. It's back to you.

BLITZER: Yes, very interesting.

I just finished reading this memo from Betsy Ankney, the campaign manager for Nikki Haley. And the closing was really significant. Let me read a couple of sentences from it.

"Do they want an 80-year-old man consumed by vendettas and confused by basic names and facts? That's both Trump and Biden. Or do they want a new generation of leadership with the strength and competence to get the job done? And, most importantly, do Republicans want to win?"

The final sentence in this memo: "See you all in South Carolina."

I want to head over to the polls in New Hampshire right now.

CNN's Omar Jimenez is joining us from Manchester once again.

Omar, you have been there all morning now. Well, what are you hearing from voters?

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're not just hearing voters supporting their candidates. We're hearing a lot of different reasons for why.

I want to show you a little bit about where we are right now. We are at a polling place in Manchester. Give you an idea. They get -- come in. They check in here. They get initially processed. They move on over, get confirmed. And then, of course, they make their way to the familiar privacy booths to actually cast their ballot for who they want to see representing the GOP party as we head toward the election for president.

Now, look, we have been talking to voters throughout the morning as well. And to give you an idea of that, they all make their way in through this door here. And then they go towards the areas that I was talking about, about sort of getting checked in to that process.

And, really, people have been willing to share their opinions on who they voted for.

Sir, how's it going? I'm Omar. Nice to meet you.

Who did you vote for?

(CROSSTALK) JOHN GATSAS, NEW HAMPSHIRE VOTER: Dean Phillips.

JIMENEZ: Dean Phillips. OK. And why Phillips?

GATSAS: I think Dean came in. And I liked what he had to say about housing, the prescriptions, and so on.

But I'm a little disappointed in Biden and the Democratic Party and the committee, because the Democrats and the state -- it's a state-run -- to make the decision the primary, not the Democratic head party. And I think you penalize Biden and so on that way.

So, Dean Phillips is a young man, did a nice job.

JIMENEZ: And Dean Phillips, of course, is running on the primary side on the Democratic side of things and has really focused a lot on New Hampshire as well.

Why is it that you are disappointed in, for example, President Biden?

GATSAS: Well, I had supported President Biden, and I thought that he'd be back in the state and so on, supporting the people that supported him. And he hasn't been here.

But I think that some of the things he's done, some of the things he's policies and so on, I don't agree with this.

JIMENEZ: Well, what was your name one more time?

GATSAS: John.

JIMENEZ: John, nice to meet you.Nice to meet you.

And, of course, part of what he's mentioning is the fact that Joe Biden's name is not appearing on the New Hampshire ballot. So, for anyone who is voting for him, they have to write his name in. That's because of a dispute with the national party and the state. We could do a whole nother report on that.

But it again highlights some of the wide range of opinions we have seen from voters throughout the morning.

BLITZER: The Democratic National Committee did not want New Hampshire to be the first major Democratic contest. They wanted South Carolina to do that. That's why there's this dispute going on.

And so many folks in New Hampshire where you are, Omar, are clearly disappointed that the Democratic National Committee and President Biden, for that matter, did not allow New Hampshire, traditionally the first Democratic primary, to go first in this particular case as well.

Omar Jimenez reporting for us, thank you.

The Biden campaign, though, is obviously very closely watching what happens in New Hampshire today. As some Democrats say, they hope Trump sows up the nomination and does so soon, so President Biden can fully focus on running against the former president.

In just a few hours, President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will make their first joint appearance of this election year at a rally in Virginia. They will focus on abortion rights, we're told, an issue the Biden campaign plans to keep front and center.

CNN senior White House reporter Kevin Liptak is joining us right now.

Kevin, what are you hearing from Biden campaign advisers?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, I can tell you, Wolf, they are watching the results in New Hampshire very closely tonight, with the recognition that, depending on how Nikki Haley fares, this could amount to the start of the general election.

And they are very eager for that to happen, for that one-on-one contest between President Biden and former President Trump. They think that that will make it easier for them to make the choice argument, the contrast argument, as opposed to now, when President Biden is kind of running against a Republican in the abstract.

We did talk to one Democrat who's very close to the campaign who said, the sooner they can make it about Trump and Nikki Haley falls away, that's going to be a successful moment for the campaign. So you do really hear the Biden folks sort of champing at the bit for this general election campaign to begin.

Now, today, we will see President Biden out in Northern Virginia at a campaign rally focused on abortion and reproductive rights. This will be a central issue for him heading into this general election. And just to illustrate that, this will be the first time that we see President Biden, the vice president, Kamala Harris, and both of their spouses at a combined campaign rally.

[11:10:16]

And abortion has been a galvanizing issue for Democrats. Every time it has appeared on the ballot since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, it has gone in the favor of those favoring abortion rights. Kamala Harris has been a key voice on this for the administration. She did just yesterday kick off this nationwide reproductive rights tour in Wisconsin.

And while she was there, she talked to her own Laura Coates. Listen to a little bit of what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Says he's proud of what he did. And let's be clear. So, by inference, he is proud that women have been deprived of fundamental freedoms to make decisions about their own body.

President Joe Biden has been very clear. When Congress puts the protections of Roe back into the law, he will sign it. Similarly, President Joe Biden has been very clear, if these extremists get -- achieve their other goal, which is to have a national ban between state by state by state, Joe Biden will veto that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIPTAK: Now, there are some Democrats who want President Biden to be more forceful on this issue.

For example, we heard from the Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer over the weekend saying it would be helpful for him to be blunter on this topic. And, certainly, he will have that chance at that rally later today, Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Kevin Liptak at the White House for us, thanks for that update -- Kate, back to you.

BOLDUAN: Wolf, thank you so much.

Our own Dana Bash had a chance to talk with some New Hampshire voters. These are the important people today, the people who are going to have a say in how this all goes down this evening, some of the voters who attended a Trump event. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCOTT BRYER, TRUMP VOTER: I'm worried about the border and people coming into this country illegally, and that's primarily my main concern.

NICHOLAS MOORE, TRUMP VOTER: I'm hoping to get the same kind of presidency that we have gotten when he was elected in 2016. So...

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: What specifically are you hoping to get back?

MOORE: Tighten the borders. I would like to see a better economic situation now we have got currently.

JENNIFER WALTER, UNDECIDED VOTER: I'd like to hear what his plans are. I haven't really quite heard what his plans are yet. Like, I haven't heard him come out and say what his vision for the future is yet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: So interesting.

Dana Bash here with me once again.

What struck you talking to voters last night at that Trump rally?

BASH: Well, first of all, they are longing for the days of the Trump presidency, I mean, full stop. And that is a big reason why most of them that have committed to Donald Trump, never even considered somebody else.

It's because of what he brings, who he is. But it's also the economy and it is the border. Those are two of the biggest issues that they talked about. And I kind of almost didn't hear anything else from them.

BOLDUAN: It's so interesting. I heard very similar at the Nikki Haley event last night...

BASH: Yes.

BOLDUAN: ... but with the added caveat of, we like the policies, border security is everything, but what we're over is the nonsense and the name-calling and we want to move forward.

So it's even -- one of the gentlemen I spoke with says: No candidate is going to be perfect. Nikki Haley is 80 percent and that's good enough for me. And I'm just ready to move forward and move on from the name-calling.

BASH: Yes.

BOLDUAN: It's like we are hearing such similar things, but then just flip and reverse who they're -- who answers that.

BASH: With opposite conclusions.

BOLDUAN: With opposite conclusions.

BASH: Yes.

BOLDUAN: One thing we have also been hearing, and this is the same vein, both of them accusing the other of being the political establishment or having the backing and endorsement of the political elite. I -- we heard that.

That was a strong message at Haley's event last night. And we also heard her reinforce that this morning when she stopped by a polling place in Hampton, New Hampshire. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HALEY: I think it's not the party uniting around President Trump. It's the political elite that are uniting around President Trump. And the political elite have never been with me my entire career, because I have always fought the political elite. It's why I want them to have term limits. It's why I want them to have mental competency tests.

It's why I think that they're -- I call them out on wasteful spending whether they're a Republican or Democrat. It's why I have said, if you can't give Americans a budget on time, you shouldn't get paid. I fight the political class. Donald Trump has the political class surrounding him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: You hear that also reinforced in this new memo put out by Haley's campaign manager.

She's saying she's the underdog, she says she does -- she's always been fighting against the political class. It's fascinating. BASH: It is.

And we have just been looking through -- by the way, this font is so small. Obviously, she is going for the younger...

(LAUGHTER)

[11:15:00]

BASH: Because I'm trying to read it here.

BOLDUAN: You are so funny. Tell me what you want to read, and I will help you through it.

(LAUGHTER)

BASH: Thank you.

BOLDUAN: I love you.

BASH: That's so nice of you.

But, look, the gist is that she is making the argument. Just by putting this memo out, she's kind of -- they're implicitly saying they don't expect to do -- they don't expect to win here, certainly not saying that, but don't expect it, because they're talking about moving forward.

BOLDUAN: This goes into managing expectations.

(CROSSTALK)

BASH: Managing expectations.

South Carolina is the big question, whether or not, as the former governor, whether or not she is going to stay in through race that is a contest that is a month from now. And the whole point of this memo is to say, yes, I'm staying in, noting here that the electorate could be more similar to New Hampshire than people think, for one reason, and that is because it's an open primary.

You don't have to be a Republican to vote in that primary. But, look, it is all about expectations in this. And I was talking to an operative this morning who has written a lot of memos like this for various campaigns who said, yes, of course, you have to do that the day of. Whether or not it stays valid the day after or that night is a big question.

BOLDUAN: I mean, saying very clearly, see you all in South Carolina.

BASH: Yes.

BOLDUAN: They say that's the direction they're going to go.

What more did you hear from the Trump rally, I mean, for the Trump event and all of the campaign cycles and years that we have covered Donald Trump?

BASH: Yes.

BOLDUAN: Did it feel like an event of yesteryear? Does it feel like...

BASH: No, it definitely feels different than the campaign rallies that I covered in 2016. And it is different for lots of reasons.

One of the things that -- three things, economy and immigration -- Social Security and immigration, I should say. He really is closing on some substance and hitting her on this. She says he's lying about it, but he is really stepping it up because -- and also doing that on the air.

The other thing is that there is very much a thread from what we saw and what we heard in 2015 and 2016 that he is saying now, even more so given all of the legal fights that he's in. And that is saying, I am a vessel for you, the people who can't fight themselves. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: They want to silence me so badly. They have worked to do whatever, but I will never let them. Think of this. I will never let them silence you. They want to silence you. They really don't care about me. They want to silence you.

In the end, they're not after me. They're after you, and I'm just standing in their way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: That's it. I mean, that is the whole ball game when it comes to who Donald Trump is as a candidate, who he is as a politician, who he is as a leader.

And it's, again, the same kind of thing we heard from the beginning, when he was new and fresh and a non-politician. And it takes on a different understanding now, given what he is going through. But it's the same message. And it is one that does resonate with people.

BOLDUAN: It is. As the standard-bearer of the party that he has been for a long time, it is the message that is working.

But -- so we have got much more to find out where voters are going to land tonight and also still much more just an hour ahead. Dana Bash is going to be sitting down with Nikki Haley and New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu. That will be in the noon hour.

Dana, it's great to see you.

BASH: You too.

BOLDUAN: Thanks for running over.

BASH: Thanks. Thanks for having me.

BOLDUAN: Wolf.

BLITZER: Of course, we will all be watching "INSIDE POLITICS" later today for the special interview that Dana will have with Nikki Haley.

It's go time, clearly, in New Hampshire right now. We're keeping a very, very close eye on all of these developments. Much more of our special live team coverage, that's coming up.

Plus, other important news we're following, including major developments out of Israel right now. A new proposal to secure the release of all of the hostages still being held in Gaza is now on the table. We have details. That's just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:23:43]

SIDNER: We are back here in New Hampshire, where voters have been heading to the polls for quite a few hours now.

And we are joined by the former mayor here who is hanging out with us in Manchester.

I do want to ask you something about this, Mr. Hansel. When you are out, you're talking to people who clearly are going to come up to you and tell you all their problems and all the things that need to be solved...

GEORGE HANSEL (R), FORMER MAYOR OF KEENE, NEW HAMPSHIRE: Absolutely. That's what happens when you're mayor. Everybody -- every pothole, every issue, they're talking to you about.

SIDNER: Exactly.

What do they tell you about the choices that they have in the Republican primary?

HANSEL: So I think me personally and the people that I'm talking to, they're looking for someone that's going to get us past the drama and chaos of the past and, like, looking for a leader of the next generation.

And, hopefully, I'm feeling the energy. I think New Hampshire is going to show up and let the nation know that that's what they're after.

SIDNER: The secretary of state mentioning that he believes this is going to be the largest turnout so far of Republican voters.

But there's also the independent-minded folks here in the state that the state is known for.

HANSEL: Yes.

SIDNER: Do you see that happening in Manchester? You see a large number of people who are independents who may or may not have voted for Donald Trump in the past, but have decided, you know what, Nikki Haley is my person, and I'm coming out strong.

HANSEL: Yes.

Yes, and we call them undeclared voters here in New Hampshire. They could make up as much as 40 percent of the electorate potentially. And if it's a high-turnout election, if we beat the watermark that was set in 2016, I have to imagine that Nikki Haley's going to have a good night.

[11:25:05]

I mean, Trump got 100,000 votes back then. I don't know how many people that are new are going to be getting on the Trump train. I really think that if it's a high-turnout election, you get a lot of interest from those independent, undeclared voters, that they're going Nikki Haley's way.

SIDNER: Let me ask you what it was about Nikki Haley for you that you said, you know, this is a person I want to get behind. I don't want to go with someone who has already been in office, who we already know, who we have already heard from.

HANSEL: So it was a couple of things.

I met with all the candidates. As mayor, of course, the candidates come and they want to talk to me and earn my support. And Nikki far and away was the only candidate who actually gave me hope about the future of our country. And I put it as plainly as that, someone that's not looking to the past, but really looking to the future.

And she proved that. When she came to Keene, which she came to my city, Keene, four different times, more than any other candidate, she said, take me downtown, take me to Main Street. Let me talk to the coffee shop owners. Let me talk to the people on the street and learn their issues.

And as you probably know, New Hampshire is a very independent-minded place. We're somewhat of a rural community. And one thing that we all are recognizing is this consolidation of power and decision-making in Washington. And so, personally, my friends, we're looking for somebody that's going to start to reverse that.

Nikki Haley was the only candidate that came, talked to us about policy. She talked to us about cutting federal spending. She talked to us about supporting small businesses. This isn't about personal drama. This is about moving us forward as a country and actually addressing the real issues that New Hampshire voters are dealing with every single day, like the fentanyl crisis, like mental health care.

Those issues, we just didn't get that depth of policy from anybody else but Nikki Haley. So that was really refreshing.

SIDNER: One of the things that -- you talk about so many of those different issues that really affect voters on a daily basis, whether it be the fentanyl issue or mental health or the economy.

The economy has been big.

HANSEL: Sure.

SIDNER: And one of the things that people who support Donald Trump constantly say is, remember how good things were when he was in office.

Now, remember 2020, things were not so great as things unfolded because of the pandemic. How do you address that with voters?

HANSEL: Well, I don't know. I mean, I would push back on somebody supporting Trump like now -- right now and say, well, how's he going to get it done?

Can you imagine a scenario really where he actually is able to deliver on some of the things that you like him saying? I don't. He didn't finish the wall. We're $7 trillion more in debt than we were before he got in office. Like, those are promises not delivered. And so I'm looking for somebody else that I think has the experience, the gravitas and the temperament to actually get things done.

Somebody's got to put a boot up Congress and get them to do something. OK? Is it going to be Donald Trump? I don't think so. I think a new voice has the opportunity to do that and address some of those concerns that are affecting people here in New Hampshire because they're serious.

And I don't want to underplay that. I mean, we are feeling less safe than we were eight years ago. We are feeling the squeeze of inflation. Folks are having a hard time just buying a home. I talk to a lot of young people and all they desperately want to do is buy a home, live the American dream. And it's literally impossible right now, extremely difficult.

SIDNER: Yes.

HANSEL: When the average homebuyer is like in their 40s, I mean, come on. That's not the America that I grew up in. And I want to make sure we get back to that.

And, I mean, it starts by inspiring, hope in people, not just voting based on what you're against, but voting for someone's vision and something you're for. Isn't that an amazing concept? Nikki Haley actually offered that to me as a voter.

SIDNER: I can see you are 100 percent behind Haley.

HANSEL: A hundred percent.

SIDNER: And you are hoping that she pulls it out here in New Hampshire.

George Hansel, former mayor, just ended your term, but I'm sure there's more to you. There's more politics in your life, I think, going forward, no?

HANSEL: We will see.

(LAUGHTER)

HANSEL: I care about this country desperately. I care about my friends and neighbors that I have represented over the years in local government.

And I think that Nikki offers us an amazing opportunity to change the political direction in this country. And all eyes are on New Hampshire today. I hope everybody gets out to vote because we have an opportunity here to change it for the good.

SIDNER: Former Mayor, thank you so much.

HANSEL: Thank you, Sara.

SIDNER: Appreciate you.

We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)