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First Case Of Coronavirus Confirmed In Massachusetts; Researchers Estimate 75,000-Plus People In Wuhan, China May Be Infected With Coronavirus; Senate Approves Monday Closing Arguments, Final Vote Wednesday; OMB Filing Reveals Trump Involved In Ukraine Aid Discussions As Early As June 2019; Biden Walks Back Suggestion That Sanders Isn't A Democrat; Sanders Returns To Iowa After Being Sidelined By Impeachment Trial; Bloomberg Could Qualify For Debates Under New DNC Rules; Buttigieg Calls Out Sanders & Biden; Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib Boos Hillary Clinton; San Francisco 49ers Against Kansas City Chiefs In Super Bowl LIV. Aired 1-2p ET
Aired February 01, 2020 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[13:00:00]
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello, again, everyone. And thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. We've got Breaking News now, CNN learning that the first case of coronavirus has been confirmed in Massachusetts. This is the eighth case in the United States. According to Boston Public Health, the man recently traveled to Wuhan, China and sought medical care after he returned. He has been isolated since that time, and will continue to remain isolated until cleared by public health officials.
Meantime, we're also learning about a new warning that the number of Coronavirus cases in Wuhan, China may be many times higher than what is currently being reported. Researchers at the University of Hong Kong are estimating there could be more than 75,000 people infected in Wuhan with the number of cases doubling every week, a figure substantially higher than what the Chinese government is reporting.
And right now, according to Chinese authorities, there are nearly 12,000 cases and 259 deaths and drones are flying street to street in that area, warning residents to stay inside and they're also scolding people for not wearing masks. CNN's David Culver has more from Beijing.
DAVID CULVER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Fred, as China steps up its massive containment effort, we're learning that more and more countries are restricting their residents from traveling here to Mainland China. Meantime, here in China, we're also getting a better idea as to how this crisis is being portrayed.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CULVER: These are the images Chinese state media, CCTV, broadcast across the country, rapid construction of not one but two hospitals, slated to open next week with capacity for 2600 patients. Scenes of a nation mobilizing in its fight against the deadly coronavirus. On the flagship evening newscast, the host praising the ruling Communist Party for the massive containment effort that's underway. Rotating articles Friday on state-run news agency Xinhua Web site, reassure readers of the efforts to keep supplies flowing. One headline reading, "China has full confidence capability to control epidemic." But the people in Wuhan portray a desperate reality to CNN, describing life- threatening shortages of medical supplies.
DORA JIANG, NIECE OF CORONAVIRUS PATIENT: It's (INAUDIBLE) you know, like -- and it's really emotional for me.
CULVER: Dora Jiang video-chatted with us from Germany. She says it took four days for her 72-year-old uncle in Wuhan to get his test results. They came back positive.
JIAN: I don't -- I don't think it's because they really want to control the numbers. But I think it's more about the capacity.
CULVER: Before the official state news outlets began to report the dangers of the virus, people in China turned to social media for the truth. This lawyer turned citizen journalist in Wuhan has been posting the problems he's encountered. Saying, if lack of face mask, hazmat suits, gears and the most important thing is lack of testing kits.
You can't get confirmation if there's no testing kit. The only thing you can do is to be a suspect case and wait at home. A stark contrast with how the ruling Communist Party's official newspaper, the People's Daily, covered the outbreak. Their front-page story on January 24th, a Lunar New Year speech made by President Xi, in which he made no mention of Wuhan's lockdown that was ordered hours earlier.
On national television this week, she did try to reassure people that he is personally directing the effort and releasing information in a, quote, transparent and responsible manner.
But some Chinese media outlets known for more independent streak have exposed the disturbing truths of this outbreak.
The publication, The Paper, ran this video showing one suspected patient who apparently had no choice but to quarantine himself in his own car. These images posted on the People's Daily Weibo account shows medical personnel in a Wuhan hospital, making mask and hazmat suit out of trash bags. Similarly disturbing images shared across Chinese social media, fueling concern that the actual number of people infected is greater than the official count. That conditions for medical staff are increasingly dire, and that this outbreak is far from under control.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[13:05:04]
CULVER: We're also learning about more extreme containment efforts that are underway here in China, particularly within one city, Huanggang, which is just outside Wuhan. It's part of the lockdown zone, part of the epicenter of this outbreak. And in that city, officials there are implementing a policy that restricts households to only allowing one member of their family to leave every other day, so as to go grocery shopping, and then go back, so as to reduce the exposure and potentially stop the spread of this virus. Nonetheless, it is extreme. Fred?
WHITFIELD: David Culver, thank you so much out of Beijing. So, dozens of countries around the world are reporting confirmed cases of the virus, including eight as in the U.S., where the Health and Human Service Secretary has declared it a public health emergency. CNN's Natasha Chen is at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta. Natasha, the U.S. is imposing traveling quarantine restrictions now that, you know, haven't been imposed in some 50 years. So, what's happening?
NATASHA CHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oh, that's right, Fred. And ATL is one of seven airports where they'll be funneling all China to U.S. flights beginning tomorrow afternoon. And a lot of these restrictions begin at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday. Let's go over what those are. Now, foreign nationals who have been in Mainland China in the last two weeks are temporarily banned from entering the U.S.
Then, you have U.S. citizens' lawful permanent residents and their immediate family, if they have been near the epicenter of this outbreak in Hubei Province, they are going to go through a 14-day mandatory quarantine. And that's the type of order that hasn't been seen in the U.S. for about 50 years. And if there are Americans coming from any other part of Mainland China back to the U.S., they will go through extra screening and self-monitoring.
Overall, the official say that the risk of infection in the U.S. is still pretty low, which is a good thing here. We do have nearly 200 people who were flown back from China to Southern California, they are under a 14-day mandatory quarantine at the moment.
One of them spoke to CNN saying that they agree, this is probably a good idea to make sure everyone is healthy. They described a Q&A session with officials and sort of a townhall style, and they said that the first question that was asked of officials was whether they could watch the Super Bowl. So, everyone there seems to be taking it relatively well.
Now, just to put this in perspective, because we do have Delta, United Airlines, American Airlines, all suspending flights to and from China. Delta actually moved up when they were going to start that suspension. It was originally for later next week.
They're starting that tomorrow, February 2nd. 14,000 people traveled from China to the U.S. on a daily basis in fiscal year 2019. So, this is a major effect on travel on these airlines. And so, you know, we're talking about a lot of things happening here. Like we said, the first such quarantine in 50 years all to be safe as possible. But like the official said, the risk of infection in the U.S. is still pretty low, Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right. Natasha Chen, thank you so much, in Atlanta. All right, up next, closing arguments in the impeachment trial. That's expected this coming week, as new emails come to light about President Trump's involvement in withholding aid to the Ukraine. But will the public ever get to see those documents?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:10:00]
WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back. A clash on Capitol Hill, setting up what will be one of the most consequential weeks yet in President Trump's impeachment trial. The state of play taking on a dramatic shift on Friday, as senators voted against the democratic effort to subpoena witnesses and documents.
That 49-to-51 vote sets up a huge week ahead. On Monday, House impeachment managers and President Trump's legal team begin their closing arguments. Those arguments taking place as Iowa holds its caucuses, which could help determine who President Trump's Democratic challenger will be in the 2020 election.
And then on Tuesday, Senators return to the floor to begin their final speeches in the impeachment trial, explaining the rationale for their votes. And that will all happen just hours ahead of President Trump's State of the Union Address in the House chamber.
And then on Wednesday, more Senate impeachment speeches before a final vote to either acquit or convict President Trump on the two articles, obstruction of Congress and abuse of power. And that is set for 4:00 in the afternoon. Again, all of this happening without any witnesses testifying before the U.S. Senate. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer had strong words following the Senate's votes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): It's a grand tragedy, one of the worst tragedies that the Senate has ever overcome. America will remember this day, unfortunately, where the Senate did not live up to its responsibilities, where the Senate turned away from truth and went along with a sham trial. This -- if the President is acquitted with no witnesses, no documents, the acquittal will have no value.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: CNN's Lauren Fox is on Capitol Hill. So, Lauren, is President Trump's acquittal all but certain?
LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER: Well, I think a lot of Republicans feel like this is the inevitable outcome. Right? They are just taking a brief pause this weekend, so some of those Democrats can return to Iowa to campaign, members get to go home for the first time in a couple of weeks, and I think that is really the reason why we have sort of this long break in the middle, right before President Trump is expected to be acquitted Wednesday.
[13:15:12]
Now, Republicans feeling very vindicated in the fact that this is all expected to be over soon. Here's what a couple of the President's closest allies had to say on Capitol Hill yesterday. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX): For all intents and purposes, this impeachment process is over. The vote we had today not to extend the trial, not to have yet more additional witnesses. We already had 18 witnesses testify in the House. We've seen thousands of pages of documents that the House managers and the White House defense lawyers have focused on.
And throughout all of it, the House managers never proved their case. And so, their strategy, as you know, was just a hail Mary. If they haven't proven their case, their only hope was bring additional witnesses, drag it out weeks or months, and go on a fishing expedition.
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): You know what I believe about all this? It was a bunch of partisan (BLEEP) in the House, it continued in the Senate. It's going to end Wednesday. The President is going to get acquitted. And it's going to blow up in their face.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FOX: And Fredricka, there was some drama last night as leaders struggled to figure out how they were going to end this trial. Essentially, Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader, wanted to create a scenario where he would force Republicans up for reelection in 2020 to take some more tough votes on witnesses and more documentation, but Majority Leader McConnell wanted to protect those same members.
So, what did they decide to do? Essentially, they agreed that this vote on acquittal will come on Wednesday. That is after President Trump's State of the Union Address on Tuesday. Democrats wanting the President to have to give that speech with the cloud of his impeachment trial still hanging over him. Fredricka?
WHITFIELD: All right, Lauren Fox, thank you so much on Capitol Hill. So, as Senators away, their final decisions a new court filing from the Justice Department, reveals internal government e-mails, showing President Trump had discussions, rather, about military aid to Ukraine as early as June of last year. The two dozen e-mails were brought to light just hours after the Senate voted against subpoenaing additional documents. Ukraine aid is a central issue in the House's articles of impeachment. CNN's Katelyn Polantz is here with more on this. So, Katelyn, what is in this court filing?
KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: Well, this is the first formal acknowledgement by the Trump administration that emails exists that document what the President's decision making was regarding Ukraine aid as early as June of this -- of last year through September. There are 24 documents that the administration has refused to show to Congress and to the American public.
And in one of these e-mails, we can't see what is actually in the email itself, but we do see that in the subject line of the email, it says "POTUS Follow-Up" and that's from June of last year. And so, this is being withheld because it's what they call a privileged communication. It's a communication made by the President about what the President is thinking, deciding, discussing, and what his officials around him are communicating about that to other parts of the administration.
WHITFIELD: And why now, this filling and the fact that we're hearing about it?
POLANTZ: Well, this is a really interesting situation and that the public has not been able to get access to documents that Congress typically would be able to see in an impeachment proceeding. Congress also has not been able to get any access to documents about what went on with the Ukraine aid. And so, private groups have taken to court to sue to get access, and that's where this filing came. It came in one of the lawsuits. The timing last night, hours after the vote on the Senate that the Senate didn't want to pursue any other documents from the administration is just coincidental. This was a pre-scheduled court deadline.
WHITFIELD: All right, Katelyn Polantz, thank you so much. All right, let's talk further about all of this. With me now, CNN Legal Analyst Ross Garber. He teaches impeachment law at Tulane University Law School. Julian Zelizer is a CNN Political Analyst and a historian and professor at Princeton University. Good to see both of you.
ROSS GARBER, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: All right.
WHITFIELD: All right, Ross, you first, you know, this new court filing details some of the e-mails the administration is still blocking from the public. And, you know, Congress, also, you know, revealing Trump's direct involvement in the handling of the Ukraine aid. So, if this is just the beginning of what we will, you know, see in the months ahead, as more evidence might be, you know, is threatening to surface, will it cast a legal and potentially even a political shadow over the President's acquittal?
GARBER: Yes. So, a couple of things. As you said, Fred, we are going to keep getting information. I mean, you know, there's this information that's coming out, you know, Bolton has a book, he's going to have a book tour. We're going to get a ton of information over the next few months.
The second thing though, is the House Democrats, are going to have a hard time deciding what to do next. Because they do have subpoena authority, they have oversight authority, they have the ability to subpoena documents, and witnesses. Politically, it puts them in a tough spot, you know, now that --
[13:20:15]
WHITFIELD: Meaning, should they even bother?
GARBER: Well, it -- yes, meaning they're going to have to decide. I think -- I think most people would agree they should probably bother because this stuff is important. Politically, though, it puts them in a tough spot. After Trump is acquitted, then they go back and start issuing subpoenas. It's going to look increasingly political. The second thing is on the legal front, an impeachment subpoena, has,
I think, much more weight against claims of executive privilege than oversight subpoenas. So, even if they go after this information, are they going to call it impeachment investigation? Are they going to issue subpoenas pursuant to impeachment authority, or pursuant to oversight authority? It's going to be very interesting to see what House Democrats do next.
WHITFIELD: At a minimum, how can they afford not to at least call it an oversight, you know, subpoena because that is their job, you know, as members of Congress oversight.
GARBER: Yes, one would think so. But you know, as I've noted for the past few weeks, while this impeachment trial has been going on, the House has not actually issued oversight subpoenas even. They haven't subpoenaed witnesses.
They haven't subpoenaed testimony with all of this discussion in the Senate, about the Senate's subpoena authority, and whether the Senate is going to subpoena things. The House hasn't over the past few months. You know, now, this -- the impeachment process will be over next week. It is now fully back in the House's court.
WHITFIELD: Hmm. All right. So, Julian, you know, even as a result of the votes yesterday, what we've seen in the U.S. Senate, in your view, you know, did the Senate forever change the power of Congress by essentially seeding power, you know, back to the executive branch by saying, OK, we don't even want to see any more witnesses. We don't want to see any more documents, case closed, we've seen enough?
JULIAN ZELIZER, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, it's not forever. As we saw with this impeachment, the Senate Majority has the power to overturn what we've seen happen in other impeachment proceedings. So, at the moment, the Senate clearly made a decision to exchange the incentives of partisan power for the Republicans in exchange for the institutional power of the Senate.
And right now, they did that. And they've cleared the field for President Trump to exert aggressive use of presidential power in the coming months. But Republicans, Democrats always have the choice to take that back. It's not a permanent fix. And so, I think we need to talk about it that way. Otherwise, we almost let off future members, including the current Congress, in terms of what they do as presidents flex their muscle.
WHITFIELD: So, Ross, also, you know, in addition to the fact we're hearing about these, you know, Department of Justice, you know, the court filings, we're also, you know, seeing this New York Times reporting on Bolton -- John Bolton's manuscript that White House Attorney Cipollone was in the room with Bolton and the Chief of Staff, Mulvaney, when the President directed Bolton to pressure Ukraine for damaging information on former Vice President Biden.
So, isn't there at least a conflict of interest, you know, for Attorney Cipollone, who was, you know, also who was -- who was fighting for the president, but now also appears to be a witness, perhaps even a co-conspirator, you know, in an alleged cover-up? Is there any political, you know, or potential, you know, ethics check or penalty for him?
GARBER: So, it puts Pat Cipollone in a potentially challenging situation. The first thing we have to remember about Pat Cipollone is he doesn't represent Donald Trump personally. He represents the institution of the presidency. And the White House is an institution, not Donald Trump, personally. You know, the second thing is, you know, back to what we were discussing before, we have to see where the House goes in terms of its further investigations.
You know, does it try to issue a subpoena to Cipollone? Remember, one of the things that's actually pending in court is a subpoena issued by the House to Don McGahn, the President's former counsel to the President. And so, it does potentially put Cipollone in an awkward position, but again, we're going to see a lot more information come out in the next few weeks and months, about a lot of people's roles in the Ukraine business.
WHITFIELD: All right. We'll leave it there for now. Ross Garber, Julian Zelizer, good to see you both. Thank you much.
GARBER: Good to be with you.
WHITFIELD: All right, a fight to the finish in Iowa. The presidential candidates crisscrossing the state before the caucuses on Monday. We'll go there live, next.
[13:25:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right. With the Iowa caucuses on Monday, right now, Pete Buttigieg is talking to supporters near Waterloo, and the race is getting tighter, and the jabs are getting even sharper. The gloves seem to come off earlier this week after former Vice President Joe Biden accused Senator Bernie Sanders of not being a real Democrat. Biden later tried to walk back his comments.
Joining me right now from the campaign trail is CNN's Arlette Saenz in North Liberty, Iowa. And Ryan Nobles is in Indianola. Arlette, you first, you're at one of Biden's campaign stops.
[13:30:00]
And I wonder, you know, are these recent attacks against Sanders, you know, a sign that Biden may be worried, or is -- you know he's just in the fight? What's going on?
ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: Well, Fred, those comments from Joe Biden earlier in the week were made during a question-and-answer session with reporters. But at his actual campaign events with voters, like here in north Liberty, Biden isn't taking swipes at his Democratic rivals.
Instead, he focused making the argument he is best equipped to take on President Trump in the general election. Pointing to the attacks from the president and Republicans as a sign of concern that they face about potentially facing Biden if he is the nominee.
And listen to what he had to tell voters in north Liberty as he tried to present contrast between himself and the president in values and leadership style.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES & DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: In Joe Biden's America, a president's tax returns won't be a secret.
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: In Joe Biden's America, self-interest will not be confused with national interest. And no one, no one, not even a president of the United States, will be above the law. I promise you that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAENZ: Biden there really trying to keep his focus on President Trump, as he has from the beginning of the campaign, he's trying to present this as a matchup between himself and the president.
We're two days out. Joe Biden yesterday told me he thinks this will be a very bunched-up race. His campaign is also arguing that if there's a small delegate difference between the candidates coming out of Iowa and New Hampshire, that that works to Biden's benefit. They see South Carolina as a possible fire wall to Biden.
But of course, Joe Biden and all the candidates know that if you get a win in Iowa, you're going to be leaving the state with a lot of momentum. And that's something Biden hopes for Monday night -- Fred?
WHITFIELD: All right.
And, Ryan, let me bring you in.
Senator Sanders is back in Iowa after spending the week in Washington for President Trump's impeachment trial. How concerned is Sanders that any time away may have cost him support?
RYAN NOBLES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fred, that's the big question. This is an opportunity that Bernie Sanders has over the next couple days to get out, see people in Iowa. Something he hasn't been able to do for the past two weeks or so because of the impeachment trial in Washington.
You talk to his advisers and they don't put a lot of emphasis on that. They believe that Sanders' message is powerful. Even if Sanders himself hasn't been able to be physically here, that this is not changing the mind of those that want to support him, that they have a very robust team of volunteers and surrogates across Iowa, whether Sanders has been here or not. That being said, he flew late here last night to get back on the
ground in Iowa, the second he had that opportunity, once the Senate impeachment trial wrapped. We expect to see him for the first time right behind me. That's his wife, Jane Sanders, about to speak.
They believe right now the energy and momentum in the Democratic Party is with Sanders and his campaign. And they're setting the stakes high for Iowa. They believe they can win here.
And as Arlette mentioned, that believe could be a ball rolling down the hill in favor of Bernie Sanders. And also give him one notch in his belt that a lot of people have been a bit critical of him, that he perhaps doesn't have the elect ability argument that he can beat Donald Trump.
They say a win here would go a long way to showing voters he can be the nominee and he can beat Donald Trump in November -- Fred?
WHITFIELD: Ryan Nobles, Arlette Saenz, thanks to you both. Appreciate it.
Meantime, a boost for Bloomberg. The Democratic presidential candidate may get his moment in the spotlight. We'll explain straight ahead.
Plus, a Democratic Congresswoman accused of disrespecting Hillary Clinton.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(BOOING)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're not going to boo. We're not going to boo. We're classy here. We're classy here.
REP. RASHIDA TLAIB (D-MI): Oh, no, I'll boo. Boo!
(LAUGHTER)
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: Find out what Representative Tlaib is saying now.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:37:58]
WHITFIELD: The DNC is switching things up ahead of Monday's Democratic caucuses in Iowa. The committee announced a no-donor threshold for the Nevada debate coming up, which means billionaire, Michael Bloomberg, could make a debut appearance on stage.
Here with me to discuss is Aisha Moodie-Mills, a CNN political commentator and Democratic strategist, and Karen Finney, also a CNN political commentator. Good to see you both.
(CROSSTALK)
Aisha, you first.
What do you make of the DNC rule change, and how do you think it might impact the race?
AISHA MOODIE-MILLS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Let me tell you what, I am really, really sad that Cory Booker and Julian Castro and, to some degree, Kamala Harris aren't on the stage.
There have been calls to change the rules or make it feel more accessible for some candidates, who have a significant constituency demonstrated, who are raising money from donors to make that. It is disappointing they were unable to.
This idea that Bloomberg is running a campaign where he doesn't think he needs to build grassroots support, in the way the grassroot donor program shows, the fact that he doesn't think it matters that he competes in early states, is to me curious, at minimum, on strategy and how to build a constituency around the country.
I think it is unfortunate that someone that hasn't seemed to want to be there from day one, trying to build a base, gets to kind of pop up.
WHITFIELD: Karen, Senator Sanders accuses the DNC of paving the way for Bloomberg. Is that what this is about?
KAREN FINNEY, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Look, I agree with Aisha that it is disappointing. I never think it is good to change the rules in the middle of the game unless there's a compelling reason to do so.
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: Because this is unusual?
(CROSSTALK)
WHITFIELD: This doesn't follow, you know --
(CROSSTALK)
FINNEY: It feels unusual.
WHITFIELD: -- some pattern.
FINNEY: It certainly feels unusual. I think it is unfair to people that started at the beginning of the process and followed the rules as they were laid out. For that, I think it is disappointing.
[13:40:05]
But at the same time, look, they changed the rules in 2016 so Senator Sanders could run because he wasn't a Democrat. Rule changes happen. I think it does mean we are more likely to see Michael Bloomberg on
stage. But I do think there needs to be -- I completely agree -- he needs some grassroots component. You have to be able to show you can go out and actually talk to voters.
I noticed in one of his ads recently, he was in Monterey, California. That's not getting out there, South Carolina, Nevada, Texas, and talking to people about what are the issues.
Because the thing we know, and one of the things I love about the fact that we have four very different states early on, is there are very different issues. In Nevada, you talk about mining issues and labor issues that those workers face than what you might talk about in South Carolina or New Hampshire.
That's so important for our candidates to really understand the different issues people are facing and to really show that they can grow grassroots support, not just through television ads.
WHITFIELD: Folks in Monterey are voting, too, Karen.
FINNEY: I love Monterey, California. It is gorgeous. But you know, it is about all of us.
WHITFIELD: I got you.
So, Aisha, Pete Buttigieg is showing it is getting competitive,. It has always been, but now he is getting so confident. He is calling out Senator Bernie Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden by name now. He says they're too focused on the past and not on the future. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE BUTTIGIEG, (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & FORMER SOUTH BEND MAYOR: I hear Vice President Biden say that this is no time to take a risk on someone new. But history has shown us the biggest risk we could take with a very important election coming up is to look to the same Washington play book and recycle the same arguments.
Then I hear Senator Sanders calling for a kind of politics that says you've got to go all the way here and nothing else counts. And it is coming at the moment when we have a historic majority, not just aligned around what we're against, but agreeing on what it is we are for.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: So, Aisha, do you think this helps him get traction?
MOODIE-MILLS: Here's the thing, unfortunately Mayor Pete is getting zero traction with black voters, that's what matters when he gets out of Iowa and New Hampshire. I think he thistle place two. And that will be great.
But Iowa, 93 percent of people caucusing are white. That's great. What happens in South Carolina?
I think it is interesting, the conversation, too, and critique that I have for older people in the race about the past, and we need to move forward. I'm interested in hearing more from Mayor Pete about the present.
He is a Millennial that seems to still trip over racial politics and conversations about people of color, about marginalization of communities in America.
He ran a major city, half of which is black, and seems to, in the present moment, not necessarily always have the most fluid narratives and conversations.
I think that ultimately will come back to haunt him as he gets further into the primary process.
Of course, he is going to have shots now. It is a competition. It is Iowa, New Hampshire. It is really important that he competes. I expect he will do well in early states. There's still room for him to expand his conversation and be more present to connect with voters.
WHITFIELD: Karen, let's shift gears for a hot second. I want to talk about Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, she was heard booing at the mention of Hillary Clinton at a Bernie Sanders rally. It comes after Clinton told reporters earlier this week nobody likes Senator Sanders. Take a watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Iowa, we have three days. I don't remember if you guys remember last week when someone by the name of Hillary Clinton said that nobody -- we're not going to boo. We're not going to boo. We're classy here. We're classy here.
RASHIDA: Oh, no, I'll boo. Boo!
(LAUGHTER)
(APPLAUSE)
RASHIDA: You all know, I can't be quiet. No, we're going to boo. That's all right. The haters will shut up on Monday when we win.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: So, Karen, what's behind Tlaib booing and later apologizing in a series of tweets, saying she allowed her disappointment with Clinton to get the best of her.
And a spokeswoman for Hillary Clinton responded by saying I can't imagine this kind of behavior is something Iowans want to see from their candidates and surrogates.
Karen, what has this done?
FINNEY: Having been in the middle of this in 2016, I will say we have to leave the Bernie, Hillary 2016 fight, set that aside, right?
I got to tell you, for Bernie Sanders' campaign, this is not helpful to him because there are still women from 2016 that are upset. And what Sanders has to show is not just that he's the best guy to take on Donald Trump and that he has the best ideas but he is going to have to unify the party.
[13:45:15]
Part of what Hillary was talking about in some of this is immediately following the convention. When we have the nominee. It is all-hands- on-deck. You have to throw yourself with everything you have behind the nominee to make sure that person wins.
Our frustration, I can tell you, in 2016, was Bernie Sanders deputy do that in -- didn't do it same way Senator Clinton did behind then Candidate Barack Obama. And it does make a big difference.
I think if Senator Sanders is our nominee, Alisha will feel like Hillary Clinton earned the right to say whatever she wants to say. She has been beaten up a lot.
Let's focus on 2020, how we win, and the way forward. And I think that Senator Sanders himself knows we got to, in order to show you're the person that can win, you have to show you can bring together all different parts of this party to make sure --
(CROSSTALK
WHITFIELD: So you're saying, even though he wasn't in the room. His surrogates were. It is like he was there without being there by virtue of the way they were behaving.
Do you agree with that, Aisha?
FINNEY: And you have to win in 2020. You have to win in 2020.
It is not about fighting 2016.
MOODIE-MILLS: Yes. So this idea that the haters are going to hate. What we need is for haters to vote. And this kind of behavior and all these pot shots -- and by the way, Hillary shouldn't have said what she had to say. Shouldn't have dropped when it did. It doesn't help anybody.
At the end of the day, though, we need to figure out how to rally behind whoever the Democratic nominee is. Everybody running is a hell of a lot better than Donald Trump.
When we get into, frankly, allowing Bernie Sanders, allowing his supporters to behave in the same way a Trump supporter would behave, with the same kind of bravado, iteration, insults, we're not actually better than them. We don't have anything to present to show our people are trying to champion a different set of values, we're getting into the same muck. I would hope that, at the end of the day, that, sure, we have a
spirited contest, right, like it is a competition, of course. But we can do that in a way, when all is said and done, we're still pals together, and still fighting this good fight.
WHITFIELD: We're going to leave it there.
Aisha Moody-Mills, Karen Finney, thanks so much.
(CROSSTALK)
(LAUGHTER)
WHITFIELD: We are all getting ready for the big show tomorrow and another big show Monday. How about that?
FINNEY: There you go.
WHITFIELD: Good to see you all.
FINNEY: Thanks.
WHITFIELD: As we have been reporting, it's a very busy week in politics. Starting Monday with the Iowa caucuses. Then Tuesday, State of the Union address. Wednesday, Thursday, back-to-back presidential town halls from New Hampshire. Don't miss special coverage all week here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[13:52:44]
WHITFIELD: The final countdown is on. The San Francisco 49ers set to take on the Kansas City Chiefs, in Super Bowl LIV tomorrow.
And fans are already enjoying pre-game celebrations in Miami today. Despite some pretty severe weather concerns that forced a concert venue to be evacuated last night of the storms are expected to pass before the game. It's not stopping anybody there. You see folks are having a good time, enjoying the whole NFL experience.
CNN's Andy Scholes is joins me right now from the red carpet of one of the star-studded events this weekend, for the parties.
The parties are just one big continuous happening there in South Beach. What's going on?
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS: It certainly is, Fredricka. The parties are always a big part of Super Bowl week. But South Beach takes it to another level. You have beautiful weather for the most part. A few hiccups this weekend but the parties are still going on.
We're at fanatics party, which is one of the most exclusive events in the entire Super Bowl week. Superstars like Urban Meyer, Barry Sanders. The chain-smokers. They have all come through. They are inside getting ready for it. The party is already going to. Get to the Super Bowl, it is a dream come true for most players. And
not a lot of them get to experience the moment.
And some take more difficult journeys than others and that's the case for the 49ers running back. He was cut six times in his career but finally found a home with the 49ers. Had the game of his life in the championship game, running for 220 yards and four touchdowns.
And, you know, he said that he never forgets those moments when other teams doubted his abilities.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS RUNNING BACK: I know you've heard about the list that I had in my phone, yes, I look at those dates and I really just try to take a piece out of every spot that I've been at.
I always see the light at the end of the tunnel, no matter the situation. That's just how I've always been in my life, and when I was cut by those teams, like I said, I always found positives.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: Just such a great story.
And, Fredricka, 49ers fans are hoping he will have a similar game tomorrow that he had against the packers in the NFC championship game.
[13:55:05]
WHITFIELD: I love it. That underscores, one door closes, another one opens. You got to find opportunity in everything. Let's talk about the opportunity to get tickets. Long shot. Because the ticket prices are through the roof.
SCHOLES: Through the roof. And actually, according to the ticket Web sites, this is the ticket price, highest ever in Super Bowl history for Super Bowl LIV.
And there's a lot of factor. The Chiefs haven't played in the game in 50 years. The 49ers one of the most storied franchises in the entire league looking for their sixth Super Bowl title.
And of course, we're in South Beach. And a lot of people want to come to this game. On stub hub, the cheapest ticket more than $7,000. Incredible.
WHITFIELD: Insane. Insane. And some are go going to buy it.
Andy, you'll be front and center. And you don't have to worry about buying tickets. You have credentials. Even better.
Andy Scholes, thank you so much.
And don't forget, Andy and Coy Wire, we will be seeing them again, in about 30 minutes from now. Kickoff in Miami: a CNN Bleacher Report Special, 2:30 Eastern time this afternoon.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)