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Californians Voting To Fill Critical Open U.S. Senate Seat; Voters In 16 States Casting Ballots In Super Tuesday Primaries; Trump Aims To Win Big Today, As Several Legal Cases Loom Over Campaign; Ukraine's Military Running Out Of Ammunition As Their Sea Drones Sink Another Russian Warship. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired March 05, 2024 - 13:30   ET

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

[13:30:00]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: And we're not just focusing on the presidential primaries.

In California, voters are deciding who's there's going to face off in November to fill the seat of the late Senator Dianne Feinstein. The race critical, one that could alter the current Senate makeup.

Frontrunners on the Democratic side in a three-way race. Congressman Adam Schiff, who's national profile skyrocketed from his starring role in former President Trump's first impeachment trial. And then there's Congresswomen Barbara Lee and Katie Porter.

And on the Republican side, former Dodger great, Steve Garvey, and attorney, Eric Early.

CNN's Stephanie Elam is watching turnout at a polling precinct in southern California there in Santa Ana.

Tell us what you're seeing. Tell us what we might expect.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brianna, I can tell you that there's been a slow trickle of people coming in here to drop off their ballots.

Some of them coming into make sure that their names are read so they can vote here in California. As you know, a lot of people can vote by mail.

So they've already dropped in their ballots and maybe have even gotten their texts from the state saying that their ballot has been received and it's been counted. So that's already what the situation is here.

But while we do not see such large turnouts for the primary votes, this one does have a lot of importance because of that Senate race that you were just speaking of.

The way things are done here in California, the top two candidates that win, no matter what party they're from, go on to the November ballot. So we've seen a lot of ad spending here. In fact, since the beginning

of February, more money has been spent on ads here for this Senate race in California than have been spent on the presidential race. More than $71 million has been spent on that.

And we're seeing Adam Schiff, who says he's running as if he is the underdog, spending a lot of money. He's got a lot of support from the California Democrats here. There's support within Congress for him as well. So he's moving his momentum that way.

And also trying to raise the profile of Steve Garvey, the Republican, which may seem counterintuitive. But he's hoping that if he can get Steve Garvey to be the number-two winner, then it will be a Democrat versus Republican come November.

Which since the odds here of Democrats are two to one versus Republicans, he sees that as a shoe in that he would be able to fill that position that has been empty since Senator Feinstein passed away in September -- Brianna?

KEILAR: Yes, it's this idea of being able to vote for two Senate candidates, Stephanie is, it's kind of a wild thing. I wonder if anyone there is strategizing.

ELAM: Yes. So it's really a short-term thing. But you do have to vote. When you get your ballot, you do have to vote for Senator twice.

And the reason is there's one to vote for who will finish out Senator Feinstein's term. And then you have to vote again for the full six- year term that will begin January 2025.

Now you remember Governor Newsom appointed Laphonza Butler to be in that position for now. She already indicated she wasn't going to run for it.

So you have to vote to see who will end out the year. And then vote for that full six-year term. And, whether or not people are going to vote for the same person or not, that's what we're waiting to see.

But it's a very special situation here in California, for sure.

KEILAR: California always special, says this Californian.

All right. Stephanie Elam --

(CROSSTALK)

(LAUGHTER)

KEILAR: -- thank you.

Boris?

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: We are watching several competitive down- ballot races today that could offer some key insights into what to expect in November. And it's not just California. Texas, Alabama and North Carolina also

have races tonight with major political implications.

But first, let's look at the special Golden State, as Brianna put it, in California's district 30. That's where there's a familiar face on the ballot.

You may know him as Corey Matthews from the hit '90s sitcom, "Boy Meets World." In the real-world, though, former child star, Ben Savage, is running as a Democrat and he's trying to fill the seat vacated by Congressman Adam Schiff, who's running for Senate.

Savage is just one of some 15 candidates vying to be on that general election ballot.

There's another big vacancy in California in district 20. Tonight's race is going to determine the top two candidates running to replace former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy after his resignation earlier this year.

The top candidates include a Trump-backed assemblyman, a local sheriff, and a former teacher.

Meantime, Democrats will be eagerly watching the Senate primary in Texas. Congressman Colin Allred, a former NFL linebacker, he's amassed a sizable war chest. But can he surpass that 50 percent threshold needed to avoid a runoff in May?

He's running against State Senator Roland Gutierrez and State Representative Carl Sherman.

On the Republican side, no real surprises expected there. Senator Ted Cruz, well on his way to locking up the nomination tonight in his quest for a third term.

Let's now move to the south for an ultra-rare contest because friends have become foes in Alabama's first congressional district. Because of redistricting, you can have two Republican incumbent House members now going head-to-head.

[13:35:05]

Jerry Carl and Barry Moore were both elected into Congress in 2020. Both of them are running on a hardline immigration platform. They both tried to position themselves as the more conservative candidate. We'll see who prevails there.

And finally, North Carolina. Much like Alabama, this is a new congressional map this year. The race to watch there is the governor's race.

The Republican front runner, he's a lightning rod of controversy. He's the state's first black lieutenant governor, Mark Robinson. He's backed by Donald Trump.

Donald Trump actually called him Martin Luther King Jr on steroids. He has a history of disparaging remarks against LGBTQ-plus people, anti- Semitic remarks as well, even dabbling and Holocaust denialism.

The leading contender on the Democratic side, state attorney general, Josh Stein, he has the backing of the state's former governor, or rather the state's current governor, who is term limited.

Whoever wins these primaries, the race for the governor's mansion in North Carolina will be one of the most competitive on the map come November.

A lot to watch out for tonight. Special coverage starts in roughly four-and-a-half hours. We know you'll tune into that.

But don't change the channel just yet. Because Donald Trump's court dates have become their own campaign events for the former president. Still ahead on CNN NEWS CENTRAL, how his legal issues could play into the election.

Stay with us.

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[13:40:49]

KEILAR: Former President Trump is expected to win big in today's primary elections. But his legal roadmap appears more challenging.

On Monday, Trump scored a major victory, he did, when the Supreme Court struck down a bid to have him removed from the ballot in Colorado.

Here in the coming months, though, he'll have to juggle campaigning and a myriad court appearances.

SANCHEZ: The calendar is loaded. In just three weeks, jury selection is going to begin in his hush money trial in New York.

Then in April, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on whether Trump has immunity for alleged crimes he committed while in office. That ruling will impact if and when Trump's federal election subversion case and his Georgia interference trial may happen.

On July 8th, special prosecutor, Jack Smith, wants to start Trump's classified documents trial. And a week later, Republicans hold their national convention where Trump is hoping to officially become the GOP presidential nominee.

Let's discuss the loaded calendar and more with Anthony Scaramucci. He's a former Trump White House communications director.

Anthony, thanks so much for sharing part of your afternoon with us.

I'm wondering, as you hear about the slew of court dates that Donald Trump has and you're watching tonight on Super Tuesday as it appears that he's just going to dominate across the map.

What are you specifically watching for that would give you any indication that there's a weakness in Trump's argument for president that might be persuasive to voters in his base?

ANTHONY SCARAMUCCI, FORMER TRUMP WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Persuasive, the voters in his base, Boris, I'm not so sure. Because I think Mr. Trump is probably right. You can shoot people on Fifth Avenue and there'll be some level of art and support in his base.

However, some of your polling, CNN polling suggests that if he's convicted in any one of those cases, there might be a few people that leave him.

What I think would be the most concerning thing is -- are Independents, Mr. Trump knows that he's not polling well with Nikki Haley voters. I think it's a blended 40 percent of those voters say they will not vote for him under any circumstances.

And so you guys know, you have to win the crossover vote to win the presidency. Bernie Sanders voters did not vote for Secretary Clinton. She lost.

But Hillary Clinton voters did vote for Barack Obama. He won. And of course, Mr. Trump got the voters from the Republicans in 2016. So this is a big issue for him.

I'm going to say something very contrary -- contrarian on your air. I think Jack Smith's onto something with that -- that July 8th court date.

Right now, the Trump campaign is riding high. They want a 9-0 in the Supreme Court. But if you're hearing oral arguments in April, you could render a decision in June, which is customary for the court.

And I don't think they give Mr. Trump, or any president for that matter, absolute immunity. Selective immunity sure, while you're in office. But I don't think the Supreme Court wants a president to have the ability to assassinate adversaries or to potentially even insurrect the American government.

So you could be in a situation here, three weeks before the convention, where Mr. Trump is in a criminal prosecution with the chief witness being Mark Meadows, his former White House chief of staff.

KEILAR: Anthony, I wonder how you think all of Trump's financial obligations created by his legal issues will be affecting him personally and will be affecting his campaign?

SCARAMUCCI: So I don't -- I don't see it affecting him in his campaign. Could it affect him personally? Meaning where he'll have to let -- let go of some assets, my guess is people always over- exaggerate Mr. Trump's wealth and they under exaggerated it.

And so he is a wealthy person. And I think he can come up with the money necessary to pay these things. Now of course, he has to post a certain amount of money before the appeal is heard here in the state of New York. But I don't see that as a big feather ruffler for him. A lot of people

do. I don't. I think the real case is the January 6th insurrection case, where you've got people who claim they have him on tape premeditating that.

[13:45:05]

And so he's certainly innocent until proven guilty in the court of law. But that's going to be a very heavy case. And there's going to be a lot of unfolding of facts right in prime time of convention season.

And that could damage him again with Independents, not with his base. I think we've I think we've determined that his base is going to be with them no matter what basically.

I'll predict a lot of it depends on who will be turned off by the elicit activity, the miscreant behavior.

And listen, there's going to be a lot more vocal people other than me coming into the fall. There are 38 Trump cabinet and sub-cabinet officials that have said very publicly they would not support the former president to take on that job. He's unstable. And there's a touch of insanity there.

And the people that really love the country that are not politically motivated, I think are going to speak out about this more as we get into the fall.

KEILAR: Yes, we'll have to have to see there.

Anthony, thank you so much. It's great to have you on, Anthony Scaramucci

SCARAMUCCI: Thanks for having me.

KEILAR: And ahead on CNN NEWS CENTRAL, much more on our Super Tuesday coverage.

And another story that we are following closely. Ukraine's military claiming a key victory in its fight with Russia's Black Sea fleet. We're live from Ukraine, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:51:05]

KEILAR: Welcome back to CNN NEWS CENTRAL. Here are some of the other headlines we're watching this hour.

Starting in Michigan, where investigators are looking into an explosive fire at a vape shop that sent debris raining down nearly a mile away and killed an onlooker.

Officials say the vape shop was storing more than 1,000 vape pens -- sorry -- 100,000 vape pens and an excessive number of butane canisters, more than what is allowed for the space. Were told the 19-year-old who was watching the fire from up to a half-

mile away was struck and killed by one of those canisters.

And an interstate in Nashville has been narrowed to just two lanes today, as officials investigate the scene of an overnight plane crash. Traffic cameras were recording as a small plane fell onto the highway shoulder and burst into flames, killing all five people on board.

Shortly before impact, the pilot can be heard by air traffic control in an audio warning that he'd lost engine power and asking for safe place to land.

And finally, a retired Army lieutenant colonel has been charged with sharing classified information on a foreign dating Web site.

Prosecutors say, back in 2022, David Franklin Slater attended classified briefings about the war in Ukraine and then sent the classified information to someone who claimed to be a woman living in Ukraine.

SANCHEZ: Turning now to the war in Ukraine, after claiming they've knocked out a third of Russia's warships since the end invasion began, Ukrainian officials are now taking credit for sinking another one.

New video shows an explosion aboard the massive patrol ship in the Black Sea. Ukraine says that drones destroyed the vessel, which was reportedly equipped with a missile defense system and had been targeted before.

But as Nick Paton Walsh explains, Ukraine's success at sea comes amid major setbacks on the ground.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(EXPLOSION)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a lonely path ahead. The Russians have never been louder or closer.

(EXPLOSION)

PATON WALSH: Occupied Bakhmut is just up the road. But now, some Ukrainian tank guns are silent just when they're needed most.

Here, they don't have enough shells.

(on camera): Sometimes they just won't go far at all for a whole day. Other days they'll be shooting constantly.

And it is loud on the other side of that hill. And it's sort of surreal --

(EXPLOSION)

PATON WALSH: -- to hear that sort of noise over there and see this tank unit having to ration their armor.

YAROSLAV, UKRAINE'S 42ND MECHANIZED BRIGADE (through translation): We have people, but without weapons. This is not a war you can win with a sword.

PATON WALSH (voice-over): We learned they didn't fire at all that day, or the day before or the next day.

(EXPLOSION)

PATON WALSH: The silence here is what losing sounds like.

(EXPLOSION)

PATON WALSH: So, too, is what these soldiers had to say.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think we're all good to die. Everybody who is here. We will be no more.

PATON WALSH (on camera): Is this the worst you've seen it?

GARRISON FOSTER, U.S. VOLUNTEER FIGHTER: Yes, yes, definitely. I think this year is going to be the worse year in the war.

I do know that there's certain units that they're running out of tanks.

WALSH: How angry does it make you?

FOSTER: Yes, I'm pissed. I'm absolutely pissed off. There's no point in trying to paint this in any sort of light where it's good for us that Russia takes Ukraine.

That's going to be very, very, very bad for us geopolitically.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PATON WALSH: We've heard a number of things today suggesting that Ukraine is projecting power in ways that strategically were not likely at the start of this war, taking out a patrol boat called the "Sergei" caught off in the Kerch Strait. They said maritime drones did that yesterday.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy talks about 15 fighter jets being shot out of the sky and just February alone.

But I cannot stress to you how complicated and difficult things are here, just near the front lines in the east.

[13:55:00]

They are struggling to hold the defensive line that they thought they could hold off after they pulled out of Avdiivka two weekends ago. A constant series of assaults by Russia.

A Russia that is emboldened, a Russia that is rich, a Russia that has endless personnel and financing.

And I think a real sense of immediate crisis here in Ukraine that unless they get that financing now, the forthcoming few months are a forgone conclusion.

SANCHEZ: Yes, the backdrop, of course, the logjam here in the United States in Congress to get aid over there.

Nick Paton Walsh, thanks so much for the update.

Still ahead, our extensive coverage of Super Tuesday rolls on. We're live from Texas and North Carolina, two states holding important primaries. We're back in just moments.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)