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Interview with Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz about Impeachment; Macy's Giant Balloons Fly Despite Threat from High Winds; Michael Bloomberg Spends $85 million on TV Ads. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired November 28, 2019 - 09:30   ET

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

[09:30:00]

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ANA CABRERA, CNN ANCHOR: We are now just six days away from the House Judiciary Committee's first impeachment hearing. Will Democrats unveil a new strategy after two weeks of stunning historic testimony failed to sway a single Republican to their side?

With us now is Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida.

Good morning and Happy Thanksgiving.

REP. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (D-FL): Good morning, Ana. Happy Thanksgiving to you as well as all your viewers.

CABRERA: We appreciate it. There are new details that seem to keep trickling out day after day that do poke holes in the president's timeline and the Republicans' defense. We now know the president released the aid and used that phrasing no quid pro quo only after learning of this whistleblower complaint. We also know two OMB officials resigned at least in part over the aid hold.

That's some of the newest information we've learned in the last 48 hours or so. So do you think House Intel ended its public hearings too soon?

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: You know, I think there's a mountain range of evidence that has come to light through public testimony, through the private depositions that I've had an opportunity to listen to as a member of the Oversight Committee, that the president abused his power, violated appropriations law by withholding hundreds of millions of dollars of vital foreign aid to Ukraine to try to pressure the president of Ukraine into investigating his political opponents for his personal and political gain.

You know, only -- you know, someone who subscribes to a cult like unfortunately the members of the Republican caucus have done would be able to deny the evidence that is really right in our face. And so we swore an oath, Ana, and it's important that we make sure that we get to the bottom of the evidence that we have already had and then proceed to essentially review whether it warrants impeachment. And that's what we're doing. CABRERA: But Republicans do argue Democrats have not been able to

directly link President Trump to the strategy of withholding the funding and the White House visit in exchange for the investigations. A witness like John Bolton or Mick Mulvaney could solidify that. Right? Why not wait to see if the courts would compel them to testify?

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: Because there is a mountain of evidence that directly links the president to withholding the aid and to dangling a vital meeting that President Zelensky of Ukraine sought which he needed in order to make sure that we could provide him with added credibility to keep Russia and Putin at bay.

[09:35:10]

CABRERA: Do you not care about their testimony then?

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: What I care about is that President Trump himself in the transcript that the White House released said to President Zelensky talk to Rudy. I mean, we have it right out of the president's mouth. And -- I mean, talk to Rudy was very clear an indication that he had directed Rudy Giuliani to circumvent our foreign policy which jeopardizes our national security.

He -- we have evidence and testimony that says that the president directed through Mick Mulvaney to withhold the aid until they knew those investigations were going to be launched against the Bidens. I mean, the evidence is very clear. So only someone intentionally sticking with him --

CABRERA: So the evidence may have been presented publicly now, and I apologize for stepping on you, I think there's a slight delay.

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: That's OK.

CABRERA: But, you know, public support of impeachment has hardly moved even after all the public hearings, even after all the evidence was presented. In fact, according to CNN pollings support for impeachment among independents dropped slightly, 47 percent now compared to 50 percent in October before the hearing started. And next week we have the House Judiciary holding its first impeachment hearings.

What adjustments might Democrats make to boost the public support?

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: Well, I think what we need to do is continue to make sure that we shine a bright spotlight on the president's abuse of power. That is what has come out. We have polling that shows that there are more than 50 percent of Americans that want the president not only impeached but believe he should be removed for his conduct. And we need to, as the impeachment inquiry progresses, make sure that we continue to bring the evidence out, show the president's abuse of power. Show how he jeopardized our national security in his personal political interests and look, you know, only -- getting Republicans to do anything other than blindly support this president, I think we can't hope for now. It's only the mirror that they have to look in that is going to do

that. And so hopefully as this testimony continues to come out, their constituents will say to them, you've got to do the right thing. I would never defend a president the way these Republicans have. Essentially they are risking now that their party is either like a flat earth society or a cult. That's certainly not a legacy that I would want to be attached to.

CABRERA: Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, thank you for being here. Again, Happy Thanksgiving.

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ: My pleasure. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

CABRERA: High winds had threatened to ground the giant balloons in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade but this morning they are flying high above the streets of Manhattan. We'll take you there live to the parade when we come back.

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CABRERA: Welcome back. There is so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving morning, including calmer winds here in New York City because, try as they might, the winds were not strong enough to keep Macy's famed balloons grounded. There they are and the NYPD deeming conditions safe for takeoff.

Look at all those fun different types of parade going, I guess, what would you call it? Floats those are.

CNN's Miguel Marquez is along the parade route.

Miguel, I was so waiting for the balloons. I lost my train of thought there looking at the floats.

MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I know. Look, there's just so much to look at. This is the best job ever in television. Look, the winds are down enough to let the balloons go, but here comes Ronald McDonald. When they come across these intersections, those handlers have a very tough time keeping track of them. He just crossed 72nd Street and his left arm was sort of bouncing off the ground.

Most of these floats or balloons are literally being dragged right along the ground. Their feet -- here he goes through another intersection and you can see how the balloon wants to go over to the other side of the street and the handlers, they're going to get a serious workout for Thanksgiving. They will be well set to have lots of Thanksgiving dinner and extra pie tonight because they are burning some serious calories.

The crowd here totally up for it. Happy Thanksgiving.

(CHEERS) MARQUEZ: Abraham (INAUDIBLE), he just got back. He's in the Marine Corps. Just got back from Guatemala yesterday. What are you thankful for?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey. I'm thankful to be with my family, for my country, for my fellow Marines. You rock.

MARQUEZ: Very Happy Thanksgiving to you all. And here goes Ronald McDonald right over us. You can see how close they are to the ground and how much of the balloons haven't even been inflated because they just -- they can't get them up that high. They can't have them pulling that high. So literally some of these balloons are being carried. But they are up and they are getting out and it is a beautiful day.

The sun is out as well which is amazing. And it's like 50 degrees. It is a perfect day for a parade on Thanksgiving in New York City. Amazing. Happy Thanksgiving.

CABRERA: Small victories. Miguel, word on the street is you have a pretty impressive turkey call. Let's hear it.

[09:45:03]

MARQUEZ: Here we go. Couldn't get better.

(LAUGHTER)

CABRERA: I'm wondering how you even came to figure out that you could make that sound.

MARQUEZ: Both hands somehow helps.

CABRERA: Miguel Marquez, we'll check back, my friend. Thank you.

MARQUEZ: Well, the -- let's just say that turkeys in my neighborhood love me.

CABRERA: You're a big turkey. That's what I call you.

One of the craziest upsets, guys, in college sports this season is turning into one of the most heartwarming stories as well. Have to share this with you on this Thanksgiving. Stephen F. Austin's Nathan Bain scored this game-winning layup at the buzzer shocking the number one Duke Blue Devils at home on Tuesday. And Bain's clutch shot not only took down Duke, it spurred a massive jumping donations to a GoFundMe page set up for Bain's family.

The family's home in Freeport, Bahamas, was devastated by Hurricane Dorian in August and this morning Bain spoke to CNN's "NEW DAY" about how this GoFundMe went from around $2,000 to now in the six figures.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NATE BAIN, FAMILY LOST HOME IN HURRICANE DORIAN: The layup would just coincide with the GoFundMe and I hope people saw it and it was an opportunity for the GoFundMe to really take off and really help, you know, because it had slowed down quite a bit. And, you know, I was thinking of closing it. Kept donating from all over and -- I mean, it was just truly a blessing that -- I mean, the way things played out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, by the way, moving up in the polls. I'm sure he's thankful for that this Thanksgiving. He's looking to shore up support. Can he take it away from frontrunner Joe Biden?

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CABRERA: If you live in a state that holds its primary on Super Tuesday, get ready for a lot of former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg on your TV. The billionaire has now committed up to $58 million of television ad spending in just the first three weeks of campaigning. Most of that money going towards Super Tuesday states, almost completely skipping the first four contests, Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada.

CNN senior political writer and analyst Harry Enten is here with us now.

Harry, can Bloomberg really just afford to ignore those first four states?

HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL WRITER AND ANALYST: First off, I wish he was giving that money to me instead of television stations. But, no, I don't think he can to be honest. I mean, if you look back over time you need to come in the top three in Iowa and New Hampshire in order to go on and win the nomination. We know that looking back through history. In fact the only one to ever finish outside the top three in an open nomination process since '72 was John McCain back in 2008 to go on and win the nomination and he finished fourth in Iowa.

So, no, I don't -- I don't think so. He's only polling about 3 percent on the national polls right now. We'll see if that $58 million and so on and so forth can move the numbers. But let me just say, I am very, very suspicious that it can.

CABRERA: OK. Let's talk about Pete Buttigieg. He, too, is going on TV in South Carolina. It's important because he's only polling at, what, 4 percent in the latest polling among non-white voters in South Carolina, obviously has a very large African-American portion that makes up some of the vote.

ENTEN: Right.

CABRERA: So he needs to make inroads there.

ENTEN: Yes. In our poll he was polling at 4 percent among non-white voters nationally. Among African-Americans his numbers are even worse particularly in South Carolina. He's only getting at most 1 percent or 2 percent. And when African-Americans make up 20 percent plus of the national primary vote and make up 50 percent plus of the South Carolina primary vote, it's very, very difficult to conceive how Pete Buttigieg can succeed nationally especially given that no Democratic nominee since 1992 has won the nomination without winning a majority of the African-American vote.

CABRERA: And what about Biden and Sanders right now? I mean, their numbers have been solid through it all, right?

ENTEN: Their numbers have been so solid. I believe that in our national poll Bernie Sanders' numbers have been 16 percent, plus or minus three points. In every single one of the polls we have done since last year Joe Biden's numbers have been within the margin of error of 30 percent in all but two polls. One of those was when he announced, that got an announcement bump and the other poll was after his poor debate performance in late June.

So, yes, they are very, very steady right now and especially if you're Joe Biden, you're at 30 percent or 28 percent in our last poll, that's a pretty good place to be as we head into the next year when the primaries are actually going to start.

CABRERA: OK. Now on Thanksgiving, this is the good stuff. A new CBS poll shows 73 percent among all Americans say they want to eat turkey for Thanksgiving compared to 25 percent saying they want to eat something else. I don't know who that 25 percent is. But let's break it down by party here. 81 percent of Republicans want to eat turkey. 73 percent of Democrats want to eat turkey. And look at that, independents only 68 percent.

ENTEN: I want you to look at my face right now. This is the face of someone who's disgusted. Turkey is garbage. I don't know why we eat it.

CABRERA: What? Turkey is garbage?

ENTEN: Turkey is garbage. If you're going to eat turkey, you've got to fry that turkey and I don't want your house being set on fire, so probably not best to fry it. Here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to head on to the Popeye's. I'm hoping that the Popeyes of the New York State Thruway, just south of Ardsley, New York, is open. I'm going to pick up some Popeyes. Maybe they'll have spicy chicken sandwich, but I'm fine with a regular Popeye. Get some Cajun fries with them. I'm going to sit back, watch the Buffalo Bills. They're going for 9-3 against the Dallas Cowboys. And I'm hopeful. You have nothing to say to that.

CABRERA: This is my face. This is a look of disgust.

ENTEN: Look. Turkey -- I don't understand this.

CABRERA: After hearing you don't like turkey.

ENTEN: We're not pilgrims in Massachusetts, OK?

CABRERA: On Thanksgiving. ENTEN: We can get much better meats, whether it'd be a fried chicken,

whether it'd be a duck.

[09:55:03]

I love duck. We'll have some duck or maybe you're vegan in which case have some pasta.

CABRERA: All right. There you have it. Harry Enten, you always throw curveballs our way.

ENTEN: Maybe a knuckle ball as well.

CABRERA: All right. Enjoy your Popeyes.

ENTEN: Thank you. You as well.

CABRERA: OK. Back here in New York, you can see police are walking with each balloon along the Thanksgiving Day parade route. We also have the marching band out in full force. Will high winds force the balloons to come down? They're monitoring conditions. Right now they are flying. We'll check back here in the CNN NEWSROOM. Stay with us.

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