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Nancy Pelosi Discusses Ripping Up President Trump's State Of The Union Address And Democratic Presidential Candidate Field; Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) Is Interviewed On U.S. Relationship With Ukraine After Impeachment Hearings; Fourteen-Year-Old Boy Arrested In Connection With Stabbing Death Of College Freshman; First Death From Coronavirus Outside Asia Reported; Body Of Missing Six-Year-Old, Faye Swetlik, Found by Police; President Trump And Michael Bloomberg Trade Insults On Campaign Trail. Aired 2-3p ET

Aired February 15, 2020 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:00]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: But that isn't stopping her from talking about President Donald J. Trump. In an exclusive one-on-one with CNN's Christiane Amanpour, the House Speaker defended her decision to rip up President Trump's State of the Union address. She is also denying President Trump was acquitted of his impeachment charges in the Senate, repeating her stance that you can't be acquitted if there was no trial. Here is more now from the exclusive interview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Are you giving a signal that the Democrats will fight back hard, that you will not be constrained by what you believe to be insurgent behavior on the other side, and that this is a time to go mano-a-mano?

REP. NANCY PELOSI, (D-CA) HOUSE SPEAKER: Let me say this. I had no intention of doing that when we went to the State of the Union. That was well into past the first third of it. I'm a speed reader, so I was reading ahead, I knew what was there. And I got past about a third of it, and I thought this is terrible. I made a niche on a couple pages thinking I ought to remember what is on this page, on this page, then I realized most every page had something in it that was objectionable.

So it wasn't a planned thing, but it was -- one of my disappointments is the fact that all we have done legislatively, whether it's equal pay for equal work, raising the minimum wage, gun violence, protection, issues that relate to our children, the list goes on -- climate action now, we have very little press on it. And it seems if you want to get press you have to get attention. So I thought, well, let's get attention on the fact that what he said here today was not true.

Now, I'm departing from my offshore -- not criticizing the president offshore. But when you ask about the -- I'm not talking about him personally. I'm just talk being his state of the union address. AMANPOUR: I understand. What about, though, the fact that the

president seems liberated, and this is about Democratic politics so I'm not asking you to criticize here, but he was acquitted, his poll ratings --

PELOSI: There was no -- you can't have an acquittal unless you have a trial. And you can't have a trial unless you have witnesses and documents. So he can say he is acquitted and the headlines can say acquitted, but he is impeached forever, branded with that and not vindicated. And even the senators were saying, yes, it wasn't right, but they didn't have the courage to act upon that.

AMANPOUR: Except for --

PELOSI: Except for Mitt Romney. God bless him. And then the president criticized him for using his faith to do something he knew was wrong. How could you -- well, I don't know if the person -- the president is a person of faith. It's not for me to make that judgment.

AMANPOUR: He criticized you about saying that you pray for him as well.

PELOSI: He said I didn't pray for him. But I felt like if he is a person of faith, he would recognize another person of faith, and if he prayed he would recognize that other people do, even for him.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: With me now, Democrat from New York Congressman Adriano Espaillat.

Congressman, good to see.

REP. ADRIANO ESPAILLAT (D-NY): Thank you.

WHITFIELD: So what are your thoughts from the House Speaker there who talks about the president there when asked, and says he hasn't been acquitted because, in her view, there was no trial. This is not over yet, is it?

ESPAILLAT: Well, I agree with our leader Nancy Pelosi. There was plenty of new evidence that should have been included, or at least heard from new witnesses. Folks wanted to come forward. And this is an important trial that was held without any witnesses, without any new evidence.

I think in my book that makes it a kangaroo court. So yes, he was impeached. There was no real trial in the Senate. They didn't have the backbone to go ahead and question witnesses and review new evidence? And so we will continue to fight ahead and we will continue to ensure that the president is held accountable.

WHITFIELD: And was it clear to you what her objective was when in that moment she chose to tear up the president's speech? She is explaining how she was reading through it and saw a lot of things that were objectionable, and then it led to her tearing up the speech. ESPAILLAT: Well, first of all, a very divisive speech pitting people

against each other. A lot of the so-called facts in the speech were half-truths and innuendos. And so I feel comfortable with her really just getting upset, fed up, and saying enough is enough. This is not accurate. And she tore up the speech.

WHITFIELD: And then Christiane Amanpour in Munich not only speaking to the House speaker but she also sat down with one of the key figures in the impeachment process, and that's Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. And here is a little clip from that interview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): I want to come and start it from scratch. Our relations to agree on some contracts, to sign some arrangements, to agree on the strategic things, investments, let's prepare a package of the documents and arrange the meeting. So the ball is in the courtyard of the United States of America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[14:05:20]

WHITFIELD: So what do you see in the relationship between the U.S. and Ukraine? Can Ukraine count on the U.S.? Can the U.S. count on Ukraine?

ESPAILLAT: Well, first, the Ukraine has been a longstanding ally of the United States. We have been supportive of the Ukrainian region, particularly as it pertains to the onslaught of Russia against that sovereign country. And this was all put into question during this whole impeachment process, and clearly President Zelensky disagrees with President Trump that the Ukraine is as corrupt as he says it is. In fact, he says it's not true.

And clearly, he is still very altruistic and a gentleman, and he wants to move forward and have a good relationship with the United States, as we should have a good relationship with the Ukraine. But we should never have held back the military aid and put their safety in peril and put our interests behind us and not ahead of us. So certainly, we should have a good relationship with the President Zelensky and the Ukraine, but this was all put into question during the impeachment process.

WHITFIELD: Do you see that this relationship really needs to be punctuated by a visit, whether it be President Trump going to Kiev or whether it's President Zelensky coming to Washington? How important is it that that visit, that face-to-face, happens?

ESPAILLAT: Well, I think that President Zelensky and Trump will have to decide how that is done, but clearly also President Zelensky shed light that, in fact, and we heard from the president himself, he deployed Rudy Giuliani over there to do dastardly things. And of course, that doesn't help matters. But I hope that we as a country continue to have a good relationship with what has been a traditional ally of the United States, the Republic of the Ukraine.

WHITFIELD: All right, switching gears a bit, we are coming up on the 55th marking point of the assassination of the Malcolm X. And this week we learned that the Manhattan district attorney's office will reinvestigate the case after a Netflix documentary raised serious questions. You serve the 13th district of New York where the civil rights leader was killed there at the Audubon. And you've also called for a new investigation. How confident are you that a new investigation will bring to light new information, bring clarity to the circumstances of his assassination?

ESPAILLAT: Well, this is 55 years later and the Audubon Ballroom is in my district, where Malcolm X was killed. I remember as a young boy that day, I remember the kind of uncertainty that prevailed across the community. We were new immigrants in the district, and I think we were fearful of what was going on back then.

But this is 55 years later, and it's really about three little girls and a family and a country and a nation that deserves to hear the truth. And we have new techniques and methods to conduct investigations. I have sent a letter to the Department of Justice to assist New York Attorney Cy Vance in anything that's necessary to ensure that we get to the truth, to the bottom of this, and that we finally close the chapter on this horrific act.

WHITFIELD: And do you see the DOJ, do you see the DOJ as being inn instrumental in that or responding to that request?

ESPAILLAT: Well, I think that the DOJ may have resources that the New York County District Attorney's Office may be able to utilize to ensure that they go back 55 years and get to the bottom of the truth.

WHITFIELD: All right, Congressman Adriano Espaillat, thank you so much.

ESPAILLAT: Thank you so much, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, police in New York, meantime, say they have made an arrest in the killing of Barnard College student Tessa Majors. New information on the suspect who is just 14 years old.

Plus, on the road to the White House, is Joe Biden's message to black voters resonating? The new report that is raising red flags about his future in South Carolina.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:13:42]

WHITFIELD: All right, early voting has started in Nevada, just seven days before the next contest in the Democratic primary race. And 2020 presidential candidates are holding campaign events all across the silver state ahead of next Saturday's caucuses. Senator Amy Klobuchar set to hold a rally in Las Vegas at any moment now, and she looks to carry her campaign's momentum to the west. That's her hope.

CNN's Senior National Correspondent, Kyung Lah joining me now from the event. So what is she saying?

KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is her second event of the day, Fredricka, and it is a get out the vote event. And you were talking about that momentum. Remember, this is a candidate who isn't as well known as the others, who has not had the infrastructure or spent the amount of time here in Nevada as she did in Iowa and New Hampshire. And this is the crowd that she is arriving to. It's a packed auditorium for one of the lesser known candidates, but who had beat expectations in New Hampshire. So she is just one of the Democratic candidates who is canvassing the state of Nevada.

Take a live look at what Joe Biden is doing. He is also out in the Las Vegas area. Now, Joe Biden, the former vice president, very well known, he is trying to turn around that fifth-place loss in New Hampshire.

[14:15:02]

Also up and about this morning, Bernie Sanders. Bernie Sanders is in Carson City. He is, if you talk to a lot of the Democrats here, somebody who is the front runner that a lot of people here in Nevada are feeling very good about his chances here in the state. As far as what Amy Klobuchar is saying, she is still saying she is the underdog. Take a listen to what she said at her rally this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR, (D-MN) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I've just done it step by step by step. And when you think of where I came from, there were a lot of people that actually didn't think I was going to make it through that speech in the middle of a blizzard.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAH: And that blizzard that she's talking about is when she announced in Minnesota. Today, Fredricka, is the first day of early voting. There are four days of early voting, one week until the Nevada caucuses. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: All right, getting started early. Thank you so much, Kyung Lah.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi weighs in on the 2020 Democratic presidential primary race in an exclusive interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour. Here are some of what the California Democrat had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: There seems to be a huge amount of hullabaloo in the Democratic Party about which is the most electable candidate, if we want to remove the president in an election, how do we best do it. What do you think about this? I know you're not going to weigh in on behalf of any candidate, but where do you think you are as a party? REP. NANCY PELOSI, (D-CA) HOUSE SPEAKER: I think we are just what the

Democratic Party is, a party of vitality, differences of opinion which we will resolve. I trust in the American people. Let's see what the elections put forth. It isn't up to me to decide, it's up to the people.

And I'm excited about it. I think every one of our candidates, all 25 -- I don't know if Michael Bloomberg is counted in the 25, but Michael Bloomberg, too, have made a very valuable contribution to the debate, putting forth their vision, their knowledge, their judgment, their strategic thinking about how to connect with the American people about a better future for a country. Easy to say any one of them would be a better president than the current occupant of the White House, but we want to do, be very positive about how we go forward. And this is how you make those decisions.

So I'm grateful to all of them for putting themselves on the line, putting forth their ideas. And now we come down to the winnowing process. But I see everything as an opportunity, and I see -- and quite frankly, with all the respect in the world for Iowa and New Hampshire, I'm not counting Joe Biden out. There's still races ahead that are much more representative of the country.

And I for a long time was a state party chair. I've been chair of the platform committee, I've been chair of the delegate selection committee, all of these things before I ever went to Congress, the platform was when I was in Congress. And, again, the differences of opinion are what we are about. We are not a lockstep, take it from the top down, this is what it's going to be.

AMANPOUR: You have been elected over and over and over again, and you said to me before the midterms, as long as he's there, i.e., President Trump, I'm here.

(LAUGHTER)

PELOSI: Oh, my God.

AMANPOUR: Is that still the case for you?

PELOSI: I can't even envision a situation where he would be reelected, but we are not -- we don't take anything for granted. As I say, he -- we have to have our own vision for the future. But everybody knows that we must be unified and making sure that he does not have a second term.

Our country is great, the American people are wonderful, we're a resilient country, we can withstand one term. But the destruction that he would do to the courts of our country and the environment where he says I'm not going to use science as any basis for decisions on the environment, when he says Article II says I can do whatever I want, he must be defeated.

And, again, I always say in the arena to our candidates, when you are in that arena, and I say this to the women members, we are so proud to have so many of them, 91 Democrats, I say to them, when you are in the arena you have to be prepared to throw a punch, because you have to be prepared to take a punch for the children.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, Nancy Pelosi there with our Christiane Amanpour.

Joining me right now to discuss is CNN Political Commentator, Bakari Sellers, he's a Democrat and a former South Carolina state representative, and Dean Obeidallah, a CNN opinion contributor and the host of "The Dean Obeidallah Show" on Sirius XM Radio. Good to see you both.

DEAN OBEIDALLAH, CNN OPINION CONTRIBUTOR: Good to see.

BAKARI SELLERS, CNN COMMENTATOR: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: So Dean, you first. Let's begin with what Speaker Pelosi is saying, that, for starters, she said she can't even envision a situation in which President Trump would be reelected in November. In her view he has just been simply too destructive. But should Democrats be that confident?

[14:20:00]

OBEIDALLAH: I think they have every reason to be, frankly. She said don't take it for granted, you have to work hard. I think, honestly, November 3rd, Election Day, that evening, we are talking about Donald Trump being the first president not reelected since 1992. And I say that because I hear the energy from Democrats calling my show and moderates and even former Republicans.

And it's not just talking points. Look at the data. First of all, 538 does polling, it's nonpartisan. Donald Trump may have moved up slightly in approval rating. He has the lowest approval rating of any president this many days in his term, even lower than Jimmy Carter and George Herbert Walker Bush, and they both lost.

But more recently, more importantly and, I think, more instructively, look what's happened since 2017. Democrats have flipped nine governorships from red to blue. We've won over 400 state legislative seats, including Virginia taking both chambers last year for the first time in 25 years.

In 2018, we won the House by the biggest margin of victory ever. So Fred, to me, Donald Trump is making the Democratic Party great again, hashtag MDGA, and look, he's motivating us. When he gives red meat to his base, he doesn't realize it, he is giving red meat to us, and animates us even more to come out and vote.

WHITFIELD: But Dean, it's about Democrats coalescing around a candidate who can take on Donald Trump, and you feel confident about that?

OBEIDALLAH: I absolutely do. This is -- every incumbent president who is on the ballot, it's a referendum on that person. With Donald Trump, it's not just a referendum on Trump. It's a referendum on America. What kind of country do you want to see? It's not, are you better off economically four years ago -- today than you were four years ago.

It's do you want four more years of this toxic person in the White House who celebrates cruelty and racism and sexism, who defends every man who abuses women from Roy Moore to Roger Ailes to his aide Rob Porter to Brett Kavanaugh? Do you want four more years of that? And that's the question going out there.

So it's a referendum on Trump, it's a referendum on America and our values, what do we want to see going forward. And I think we are going to win that fight because what stands in the balance, hangs in the balance, is so great for our nation, people don't want four more years of this, I can assure you.

WHITFIELD: So, Bakari, former vice president Joe Biden, he's looking to secure more support, particularly among black voters, making a campaign stop at a barber shop in Las Vegas today. Speaker Pelosi says she's not counting Biden out of the race even though he didn't do well in Iowa and New Hampshire. Now, his support that he may or may not get in Nevada, how influential might that be in your state, South Carolina, which would be, you know, very soon on the horizon?

SELLERS: Well, South Carolina voters, they aren't looking to Iowa and New Hampshire and even Nevada for guidance on how they're going to vote in this election. I do think Joe Biden would do extremely well. I think that caucuses actually tend to lean in the direction of Bernie Sanders. And so I expect Bernie Sanders to be in the top two. I also expect Joe Biden to have a one or two finish. And I think that if he's able to secure a one or two finish in Nevada, that momentum will lead him into South Carolina.

But the fact is, it's quite simple, Joe Biden is the only person who is still remaining who has a relationship with the African-American community, point-blank and period. Tom Steyer, who is actually going to surprise many people, I think, when they come to South Carolina because of the money that he's invested in the state, his most devastating question is, where have you been prior to running for president of the United States? And I think many black voters will feel that. However, Tom is still going to beat Amy Klobuchar, he's still going to beat Elizabeth Warren, he's going to beat Pete Buttigieg, which should speak loudly to voters on Super Tuesday.

I wouldn't count Joe Biden out, either. I love Iowa, I absolutely adore New Hampshire, particularly Kern County, but I will tell you that it ain't reflective of the Democratic base.

WHITFIELD: So Bakari, let's stay in South Carolina for a moment, because "Politico" has a pretty strong report out, and it says that some Democrats in South Carolina believe that Biden's message is a problem, that he is not inspiring, and that his ground game is flawed, according to this "Politico" reporting, and that he's just not connecting with people. Is that what you are finding from people you know in South Carolina? Are they starting to change their mind about Biden who went into this with such glowing support, particularly from the African-American voting bloc in South Carolina?

SELLERS: No. I speak to my mom and daddy every day, and my mom and daddy are Biden supporters, their friends are Biden supporters, they're doing phone trees and calling around, talking to me about the politics of the state and the country, and talking about how Joe Biden, how well he's doing. "Politico" has become somewhat finite, and they've created these piece that they attempt to inflict these mortal wounds on candidates. I've been on the other side of that with Kamala Harris.

[14:25:00]

I do think that that report left out the fact that there are many people who still understand that Joe Biden -- whether or not it's actually coming to Kiawah Island every summer or being the vice president of the United States for Barack Obama, let's not undervalue that. And it's hilarious because you have people like Elizabeth Warren, you have people like -- even Mike Bloomberg, for Christ sake --

WHITFIELD: Who Obama makes a lot of appearances in the Mike Bloomberg ads.

SELLERS: And it's insane because we know that Mike Bloomberg called him arrogant, we know he didn't endorse him in 2008. Mike Bloomberg would rather endorse George W. Bush for president than Barack Obama in 2008. Their relationship was frosty at best, nonexistent is probably the truth of the matter. And so that fraud is going to be unveiled between now and then. But I'm just saying that everybody has to chill, relax. Joe Biden, don't count him out. He has work to do, but we'll see what happens.

WHITFIELD: All right, so, Dean, Senator Elizabeth Warren, she had some pretty disappointing results in Iowa and New Hampshire, but do you think her campaign has real hopes and aspirations of staying alive?

OBEIDALLAH: I hope it does. I admire her, I admire her focus on details, her wonkiness. I love policy, she has talked about it. She ascended this summer, and it was remarkable. I went to New Hampshire last spring, not just this year, last spring, went to some of her events.

Audiences loved had her. And then this slide over the summer. I hope she can write the ship. These two states coming up, though, don't play well for her, at least according to the polls. So we'll see. Can she get out there, overperform? She's not going to win the state, but overperform, maybe it rights the ship.

WHITFIELD: All right, and there she is.

SELLERS: Can I comment on that real quick?

WHITFIELD: Yes, go ahead. There she is in Las Vegas, as you comment, eating with some folks there, and nobody ever likes to be photographed while eating. But go ahead.

SELLERS: No, I wanted to say that Elizabeth Warren has been so vital to this process, and Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar have carried the mantel for many of us who want to see a woman be president of the United States. What Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar are going to do is -- what I believe they're going to do, I hope they're going to do, is when they actually have the opportunity this week, fingers crossed, to debate Mike Bloomberg, I think you will be able to see both of them have somewhat of a rise and somewhat of a pop.

They have demographic challenges, both of them, but I do think that Mike Bloomberg standing across from two women who have better records, two women who are stronger leaders, two women who are more capable than he is, I want to see that dynamic on stage. And just as someone who loves Democratic politics, I want to see these women do extremely well, and I believe they will.

WHITFIELD: All right, we'll leave it there for now. Bakari, Dean, good to see you, thank you so much for being with me this Saturday.

SELLERS: Thank you. See you next weekend.

WHITFIELD: OK, can't wait.

(LAUGHTER)

WHITFIELD: As the election heats up, I take a look back at some of the most hard-fought presidential races throughout history. The CNN original series "Race for the White House" returns tomorrow night 9:00 on CNN.

We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:32:22]

WHITFIELD: Breaking news out of New York, a 14-year-old boy has been arrested in connection with the stabbing death of a college freshman that shocked the city and grabbed national headlines. Barnard College student Tessa Majors was walking at a park near her campus in December when she was brutally attacked. CNN's Polo Sandoval joining us now. So Polo, this is the second arrest of a minor related to this case. What are police saying?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The only difference here, Fred, is that this latest individual who was arrested, this 14-year-old, is being charged as an adult. That's the main difference when you compare him to the 13-year-old that was previously already in custody. So now two people that have been arrested and charged.

But more on this 14-year-old, soon to turn 15, actually. Investigators arrested this individual, they say, with almost complete confidence that they believe that this 14-year-old is the one responsible for stabbing Tessa Majors. You will recall that she's the 18-year-old who was killed during this botched robbery attempt in Manhattan back on December 11th. Since then, it's been over nine weeks of her family searching for answers, waiting to find out who would be criminally charged for taking their daughter's life. And then this morning authorities announcing the arrest of this 14-

year-old. The grand jury reviewing a lot of evidence here, Fred, from blood analysis, witness statements, and also surveillance video from the park where that stabbing happened. I want you to hear from the district attorney here in Manhattan that lays out really some of the evidence and some of the versions they have heard from some of the witnesses involved.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CYRUS VANCE JR., MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEY: The allegations are really laid out in heartbreaking detail. The complaint paints a picture of the video evidence, of the blood evidence, the smartphone evidence, the iCloud evidence, the witness identification, and the defendants' own statements that were rigorously collected and examined prior to this arrest and indictment. And it paints a gruesome picture of what this young woman endured in her final moments. As alleged, some of the last words she was known to have said was, help me, I'm being robbed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: I have had an opportunity to read over that complaint, Fred, and it appears that Tessa actually shared that with one of the witnesses who was there that reported to police exactly what happened here. And when you look through that complaint, it also shows that this 14-year-old is believed to have had involved in a separate robbery only a few days before this deadly stabbing.

So it suggests that this individual certainly may be involved in another one, but of course the most serious one, the one that took place on the evening of December 11th that sadly took the life of this 18-year-old woman. Investigators have described this process not as a sprint, but as a slow, meticulous marathon trying to get to the bottom of what happened, Fred.

[14:35:04]

WHITFIELD: Polo Sandoval, thank you so much.

Coming up, there they are on the front lines of fighting the coronavirus, and now there are nearly 2,000 medics infected with the virus, and that number is expected to rise. Is enough being done to keep them safe?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, the first coronavirus death outside Asia has now been recorded in Europe. Officials in France say a Chinese tourist who tested positive for the virus deteriorated quickly after being admitted to the hospital in January. And the U.S. now says it is preparing to evacuate hundreds of Americans who have been trapped on a cruise ship docked in Japan for almost two weeks. Those who have tested positive for coronavirus and those showing symptoms of the virus will remain in Japan for treatment. The rest will remain in a 14-day quarantine. [14:40:01]

There are more than 67,000 confirmed cases around the world and more than 1,500 deaths. And for health care workers on the front lines of the outbreak, a new crisis is emerging. CNN's David Culver finds out that for some, simply going to work can be terrifying.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID CULVER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: China has likened it to a military operation, a nation's battle against the deadly novel coronavirus. It's placed health care workers, doctors and nurses, on the front lines. Early on in the fight against the epidemic, Chinese state media aired emotional interviews like this one, one of the nurses explaining how she had to reassure her own parents.

JIANG WEI, INTENSIVE CARE UNIT NURSE, JINYINTAN HOSPITAL: I always say it's OK since we are well-protected. Actually, I was just saying that to give them peace of mind. We're actually afraid and worried. But as long as we are on duty our own sense of mission will support us to do the job.

CULVER: While Chinese officials and state media praised the medical workers for their heroic efforts, CNN has spoken with some who feel as though they've been sent into battle without armor. As a result, they say many of their colleagues have gone from treating patients to becoming one.

One Wuhan hospital nurse, who asked we not identify her, fearing repercussions for speaking with the media, told us by text, "Right now it's really a problem. Our hospital has more than 100 people who are quarantined at home." She's one of them. She says a chest scan revealed she had a suspected case of the virus. That same nurse describing to CNN the shortage of medical supplies, often being posted on China's social media site Weibo. These images posted on state run people's daily Weibo account show medical personnel in a Wuhan hospital so desperate that they resorted creating protective gear out of plastic trash bags. It's something Chinese health officials have publicly acknowledged. And even while they have ramped up production of supplies, some feel it's arriving too late.

And this nurse posted that she contracted the virus seasoned is now a patient at the same hospital where she works. "The inpatient floor I live on is basically filled with colleagues from my hospital," she posted, adding, "I'm afraid the virus inside my body will come out and infect these colleagues who are still standing fast on the front line."

DR. IVAN HUNG, CHIEF OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE, UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG: It is. It is a battle.

CULVER: We video chatted with Dr. Ivan Hung, an infectious disease doctor at Hong Kong University Hospital. He warns it is not the health care workers working directly with the confirmed coronavirus patients who are most at risk, but rather -- HUNG: In those that are in the general medical ward or in the

emergency, emergency areas where they triage these patients, where they are perhaps not aware that they are actually carrying the virus.

CULVER: That is precisely what happened to Dr. Li Wenliang. The 34- year-old Wuhan ophthalmologist contracted the virus in mid-January, just two weeks after trying to sound the alarm of a then mysterious SARS-like illness. Local police reprimanded him. Li spoke with CNN briefly by film on January 31st. Struggling to communicate, you could hear the hospital machines pulsing in the background. He died a week later. Li's death and the fight so many health care workers are now enduring are a reminder of the dangers facing those tasked to stop the spread.

David Culver, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And still ahead, tragedy in South Carolina. Police find the body of a missing six-year-old girl along with another body nearby. Now a homicide investigation as a family comes together to grieve.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:48:06]

WHITFIELD: Right now we're awaiting autopsy results following what police are calling the homicide of a six-year-old girl in South Carolina. Faye Swetlik vanished Monday while playing in her front yard shortly after being dropped off a school bus. Her body was found in a wooded area near her home on Thursday, and now police are linking the little girl's death to a neighbor who was also found dead in his home.

I want to bring in now CNN's Natasha Chen who is following this story. Very disturbing.

NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, absolutely. So police yesterday when they were giving a press conference explained that evidence links these two deaths, and all they would say about that is that the evidence they're talking about came from the trash can of the man found dead in his home. That man is named Coty Taylor, 30-years- old. And you're seeing the picture of six-year-old Faye Swetlik right there. Police described during their investigation they followed the city's sanitation trucks as part of their search. Here is police describing why they did that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SGT. EVAN ANTLEY, CAYCE, SOUTH CAROLINA PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT: What we were doing was emptying trash cans and looking to see what came out before it was entered into the truck. As part of that search we located a critical item of evidence related to our investigation of bringing Faye Swetlik home.

(END VIDEO CLIP) CHEN: And they said that item was something that would have been seen on Faye's missing person's flyer, and that when they went to the area that they wanted to look at after finding this evidence, they found her pretty much right away, and moments later found the man in his home.

So this is all very disturbing right now. They didn't want to speculate on how they're connected. They wanted to make clear that this neighbor, Coty Taylor, is not a friend, not a relative, merely a neighbor. Their houses are quite close together.

[14:50:00]

The family, of course, has not spoken publicly about this, but I have been in touch with a friend of the family who says that they just want to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers. Obviously a terribly heartbreaking situation. And we are also trying to wait for more information from police about how this might have happened, more details about this girl found in the woods.

They said she wasn't there for very long when they found her, and that they had actually spoken to Coty Taylor when they went door to door investigating, looking for this girl. So they had seen this man previously and even talked to him before this discovery just the other day.

WHITFIELD: Heartbreaking. Her poor family. Natasha Chen, thank you so much.

CHEN: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Coming up, the Trump administration is sending tactical teams into several cities as the fight over immigration heats up.

Plus, Trump versus Bloomberg? A fight over height on the campaign trail.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A look at our top stories now. U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper is describing talks with the Taliban to reduce violence in Afghanistan as very promising, but he is not sure when a possible truce will begin. Friday the U.S. and Taliban struck a deal that is set to last seven days once a start date has been agreed upon. And if all goes well, Esper says the number of U.S. troops serving in Afghanistan could be reduced by about 9,000.

And sources tell CNN U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents are being deployed to cities across the country to support interior immigration enforcement in so-called sanctuary cities. From February through May the agency is expected to deploy 100 officers and agents to cities such as Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Atlanta.

And Michael Avenatti's lawyer now says they will appeal his conviction. On Friday he was found guilty of three charges related to the extortion of the athletic apparel brand Nike. Avenatti made a name for himself as an attorney for Stormy Daniels who accused President Trump of paying for her silence during the 2016 election over an alleged affair. Avenatti's sentencing will take place in June.

And President Trump's obsession with his rivals and penchant for belittling nicknames has reached new heights. CNN's Jeanne Moos has more on what the president sees as a political rival's shortcoming.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There is nothing mini about the height war.

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Little Michael will fail.

MOOS: In a matter of minutes, President Trump called Michael Bloomberg "mini Mike," said he reminds me of a tinny version of Jeb "low energy" Bush, suggested no boxes, please, as in no box for Bloomberg to stand on at debates. Reporters read the tweet storm from their phone.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mini Mike is a five-foot-four-inch mass of dead energy.

MOOS: Never mind that Mike Bloomberg is actually around five-seven. The White House even shared a photoshopped image of Bloomberg made to look extra petite. But there was nothing petite about Bloomberg's response. A carnival barking clown, Bloomberg said people call the president.

MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, (D) FORMER NEW YORK MAYOR: Donald, where I come from we measure your height from your neck up.

MOOS: We measure your height from the neck up? Is Bloomberg comparing brains?

On a more cerebral note, the Bloomberg campaign tweeted a quote from "Gladiator."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The time for honoring yourself will soon be at an end.

MOOS: President Trump has been dishonoring his opponents this way for ages.

TRUMP: Little Rocket Man.

Little Marco.

Little Marco.

Don't worry about it, Little Marco.

MOOS: But when he called Senator Joe Manchin munchkin. SEN. JOE MANCHIN, (D-WV): I guess he's confused on that, because I am

a little bigger than him. He's got me by about 30 pounds on weight.

MOOS: Ever since Sean Hannity played word association with the president.

SEAN HANNITY, FOX NEWS HOST: Michael Bloomberg.

TRUMP: Very little. I just think of little.

MOOS: Partisans on both sides have been churning out memes shrinking the other guy or his hands. The "Washington Post" noted, since 1952 when the age of television began, 12 of the 17 presidential contests have been won by the taller person.

TRUMP: There is nobody I'd rather run against than little Michael.

MOOS: But as one anchor noted.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mike Bloomberg same height as Vladimir Putin.

MOOS: And you don't hear President Trump called him little Vlad.

Jeanne Moos, CNN --

TRUMP: Little Michael.

BLOOMBERG: We measure your height from the neck up.

MOOS: -- New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Thanks so much for being with me today. We have so much more straight ahead in the Newsroom. But first, here's CNN's Max Foster.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Kensington palace, home to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children. This is where Princes William and Harry were brought up by their mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. And it became a focal point in 1997 after she died in a car crash in Paris with flowers stretching out into the park as the nation was gripped by grief.

In our new series "The Windsors," we explore that extraordinary moment in British history and the crisis that then unfolded in the British monarchy. We look at how the two princes came together and then drifted apart.