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Early Voters See Long Lines In Nevada Precincts: U.S. Evacuating Americans On Ship Quarantined Over Coronavirus; Former Justice Department Officials Demanding U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr Resign. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired February 16, 2020 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:01:03]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me this Sunday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

The Nevada caucuses are now less than a week away and Democrats are making a big push to gain last minute support, hoping it will put them over the edge to victory.

Candidates are spread out across the state today hosting several rallies and events energizing voters as we enter a critical stage of this race.

Their efforts seem to be paying off. There are long lines for early voting in Nevada, which kicked off this weekend, and at one voting precinct in Las Vegas, people had to wait in line for more than three hours.

Democrats are determined, ready to put the chaos of the Iowa caucuses behind them. Early voters reflecting on their confidence in this process.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEX HARPER, NEVADA VOTER: I don't know if I'm ever a hundred percent certain that it's going to work out, but I do feel a lot better about it being done on getting back to basics paper and pen and just putting it into a box.

KIMBERLY MARTINEZ: It was a really easy smooth experience. We came in, waited about 45 minutes, so I think it's a good sign. That means a lot of people came out to vote. Once we were in there, it was really easy and straightforward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right, CNN is there in Nevada on the campaign trail as the race begins to heat up. Athena Jones is at a Bernie Sanders event in Carson City where the senator is about to speak. Athena, how is Sanders planning to keep up his momentum after his big win in New Hampshire?

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Fred. Well, he hopes -- he hopes he can keep up the momentum and win here in Nevada. We're in Carson City. Bernie Sanders will be taking the stage very soon as he makes the push to get out the vote.

Of course, early voting or early caucusing, I should say began yesterday here in Nevada and lasts until Tuesday, and Sanders and his campaign are hoping they can get supporters from rallies just like this one and drive them straight to the early caucus sites.

I'm joined here by Shannon Taylor. She's a resident of Carson City. She's never been to a political rally before, and right now she says she's choosing between a few people. Who are you choosing between?

SHANNON TAYLOR, CARSON CITY RESIDENT: Well, Bernie Sanders is one of the possibilities that's why we're here today. And then also tomorrow, I'm going to see Pete Buttigieg and he's one person that I'm interested in. Another one is Amy Klobuchar. And they're all very interesting. And I just want to hear about what their ideas are, see them in person and get a real feel for who they are and how I feel about them.

JONES: Now, tell me, what are some of the issues that are that are most important to you when it comes to choosing amongst the candidates?

TAYLOR: Right, well, the healthcare for one thing, and the immigration -- those are two important things to me and all the issues are important, but those are the ones I'm mainly eyeing.

JONES: Wonderful. And now you said you definitely plan not just a caucus, you plan to early caucus. So you're going to make a decision by Tuesday.

TAYLOR: Yes, by Tuesday. Yes. Early vote. Yes.

JONES: Thanks so much.

TAYLOR: Thank you very much.

JONES: So Bernie Sanders, one here in Carson City, Nevada. He also did well in the northern part of the state, even though he lost in Nevada caucuses to Hillary Clinton and so he's hoping not only to do well, again here in Carson City, but also to expand his voter base.

And one thing that's going to be important here is the Latino vote. This is something that we haven't seen in the other states because they had such a small Latino population.

Well, in Nevada, Latinos make up 30 percent of the population and last time around Bernie Sanders won 53 percent of the vote, so he'll be looking to increase it and to boost turnout among Latinos.

And we'll also be looking during this rally to see how much he draws contrast with his rivals; folks like Pete Buttigieg and Mike Bloomberg down the line -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, looking for a repeat plus. Athena Jones, thank you so much.

All right, CNN's Arlette Saenz is in Las Vegas, where former Vice President Joe Biden is campaigning today. So Arlette, how is he preparing to bounce back following his disappointing results in the last two contests?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, Nevada is really the first test of Joe Biden's theory that he will perform better in states with a more diverse demographic and to that end, we saw Joe Biden over the weekend. He has been courting Latino and African-American voters.

He even stopped by an AME Church and spoke this morning during their services.

[15:05:10]

SAENZ: Biden has also been making stops back of house visits at some of the casinos here trying to get one on one face time with a lot of the workers in the hospitality industry here.

Of course, unions have a very strong presence here in Las Vegas. And though the culinary union the biggest powerhouse union did not endorse, Joe Biden is still hoping he can woo some of those members to his side as he is hoping to perform well here -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: Arlette Saenz in Las Vegas, thank you so much. Former Vice President Joe Biden is telling Bernie Sanders to show some leadership, slamming the senator on "Meet the Press" today after several Sanders supporters targeted union members in Nevada who don't support his Medicare-for-All plan. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Look, he may not be responsible for it. But he has some accountability.

If any of my supporters did that, I'd disown them -- flatly disown them.

The stuff that was said online, the way they threatened these two women who are leaders in that culinary union, it is outrageous.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right, Biden is also tempering expectations for the South Carolina primary as there are new concerns this week that there are deepening cracks in his so-called South Carolina firewall.

Joining me right now is Dalhi Myers, the Vice Chair of the Richland County Council in South Carolina. She is a former Joe Biden supporter who is now endorsing Bernie Sanders. Dalhi, good to see you.

DALHI MYERS, VICE CHAIR, RICHLAND COUNTY COUNCIL IN SOUTH CAROLINA: It's good to see you, Fredricka. Thank you for having me.

WHITFIELD: So explain why are you switching your support?

MYERS: Well, first of all, let me just say that any one of the Democratic candidates now running would be a vast improvement over what we have in the White House.

So that having been said, I switched my support because looking at the ground game in South Carolina, and the way that candidates were moving to inspire voters, to get out to the polls, with the messages that they were espousing after winning, I just decided that for the constituents that I represent, the 35,000 people in Richland County who elected me to office that the better choice was Bernie Sanders, whose programs are more prescriptive for their needs.

The plan for rural healthcare, the plan for broadband access, those things matter to what I like to call little America and those are the people I represent.

WHITFIELD: So Senator Bernie Sanders lost South Carolina to Hillary Clinton, you know, by 47 points in 2016. You know, why do you think this time is different? What puts him in a better position to be more appealing to South Carolinians?

MYERS: Well, I think anytime you run a campaign, you learn from that campaign. I think the Sanders campaign has learned a lot from its historic run in 2016. There are 1,700 Sanders volunteers on the ground in South Carolina, knocking doors and getting out to talk to people and to explain what the Bernie Sanders campaign is called, why Medicare-for-y'all, as he's called it matters to everyone in South Carolina, and I think that he's making an effort.

Elections in South Carolina are won by hand to hand combat, every knock on the door matters. And I think the Sanders campaign is putting in the work and knocking on enough doors to make a difference this time.

WHITFIELD: So there's a new Quinnipiac poll, which finds that Sanders is third, when it comes to black voters nationally at just 19 percent.

Do you see an opening for him in South Carolina, where, you know, the black electorate is a very powerful and sizable and you know, it's important to appeal to that state if you're a candidate.

MYERS: So I'm glad you asked that question. I am in atypical -- according to the media -- Sanders voter, so I am an African-American woman who is prolife. I am fiscally conservative and I identify definitely as a Democrat.

So to the extent that the media narrative is that Sanders only appeals to very leftwing members of the Democratic Party, I would suggest that perhaps that narrative is shifting when the more people learn about the programs and the prescriptive for big bold plans, the more attractive the plans are to people just like me.

I do not identify as a socialist or whatever it is that folks want to label the Sanders campaign. Folks, I am not paid to work for the Sanders campaign, I chose to advocate for Bernie Sanders, given the programs that he is espousing.

[15:10:10]

MYERS: And what I know the needs are on the ground in South Carolina for the people I represent, so yes, I do think there's an opening here for Sanders or for any candidate who is willing to work hard and put forward programs that make meaningful changes in the lives of everyday people and I think his programs will.

WHITFIELD: So let's talk about another candidate, you know, Pete Buttigieg, you know, he has responded to, you know, conservative radio host, Rush Limbaugh this morning. And earlier in the week, you recall, Limbaugh made some controversial comments about Buttigieg being gay, and that, you know, people don't want to see, you know, a gay man who has a husband in the White House.

South Carolina Congressman James Clyburn, you know, told CNN in November that Buttigieg may have some trouble, particularly among black voters in your state because he is gay. Listen to what he told Dana Bash this morning about how voters are evolving.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JAMES CLYBURN (D-SC): I think that we all grow, we mature, and I think that political calculations are changing quite a bit.

You know, I grew up in a fundamentalist Christian Church. My father was a pastor there. My grandfather was a pastor. I know what takes place in fundamental Christian churches throughout the country.

And so though, I may feel differently, I don't adhere to everything that was taught in the church I grew up in.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So Dalhi, what do you think about that? I mean, he was saying that, you know, there appears now to be some room among people who may have felt very uncomfortable, particularly the South Carolina constituency, you know, may have felt uncomfortable with Buttigieg whereas today, they might not be anymore.

MYERS: So let me start by saying again, after reevaluating my own choice, I am a very proud Bernie Sanders supporter. But that having been said, I also would reiterate what I said earlier that any one of the Democratic candidates now running -- any one of them -- is an improvement over where we are now.

As to the direct comments made by our senior, certainly representative for the State of South Carolina, Jim Clyburn, somebody that we all have great affinity and respect for, like Jim Clyburn, I am the child of a bishop in the Pentecostal Church.

And so my background might be similar to his, but I would say this, Pete Buttigieg has been on the ground in South Carolina. He has been doing a lot of hard work. He has been trying to make his case to the voters of South Carolina and I think that the voters of South Carolina, the Democrats in South Carolina, are opening to -- are open to listening to anyone who effectively makes their case.

So I think that Jim Clyburn is right. There are voters here to whom his message will appeal, and I don't think that the slurs and the slights that are coming from the rightwing of the Republican Party, frankly, are even worthy of much conversation.

I think they don't deserve the dignity, polite conversation, and I think that they ought to reconsider the tone that they're taking. And I'll just be glad to have decency back in the White House, and I'm voting for that in the primary, and I'm going to vote for it in the General Election.

WHITFIELD: All right. Dalhi Myers, thank you so much. Glad you could be with us today.

MYERS: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: And as we count down to the Nevada caucuses, Democrats are hitting the airwaves making sure voters know where they stand, heading to a critical stage of this race.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The Midwest isn't flyover country to me. I live there. The people that work there, like they are poker chips since I'm in Vegas, at one of the President bankrupt casinos. They're not poker chips to me, they are my friends and neighbors.

When it comes to a state like Nevada, they have two women senators, majority women legislature. I have an incredibly strong argument here, that this state, this state has put women in power really like no other state.

And then finally, the work that I've done in terms of bringing people with me, and not just by running ads, but what we just saw in New Hampshire, moderate Republicans, Independents building a coalition, that's what we need to build a coalition to win.

PETE BUTTIGIEG (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Part of what's at stake in this election is the idea, the idea I'm putting forward of delivering healthcare to everybody. So there's no such thing as an uninsured American, but doing it with Medicare-for-All who want it.

TOM STEYER (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm putting together a coalition of people, including specifically African-Americans and Latinos, who are responding to a message that is inclusive, and I'm putting together the kind of coalition that we're going to have to have in November of 2020 to beat Donald Trump.

SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm fighting for myself. I'm fighting for kids who are getting crushed by student loans. I'm fighting for mamas who need childcare, so they have a chance to finish their education, so they have a chance to get a job.

I am out there fighting for seniors who can't get by on the Social Security check, and so it's on me to fight as hard as I can to make that case as clearly as I can.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[15:15:29]

WHITFIELD: All right, being on the campaign trail, pretty fatiguing. But clearly, you can see from these candidates, they are all unstoppable.

Joining me right now, Executive Director for Justice Democrats and CNN political commentator, Alexandra Rojas, and Democratic strategist and CNN political commentator, Hilary Rosen. Good to see you.

HILARY ROSEN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Hi, Fred.

WHITFIELD: OK. All right. So these candidates are working really hard to get out there a messaging, so you know, Hilary, you know, you just heard these Democrats talking about their messages, particularly ahead of the Nevada caucuses. Are those messages really resonating, particularly in a diverse state like Nevada?

ROSEN: And we could see how exhausted all these candidates are especially. You know, I was fascinated actually, by your previous guest, because she kind of breaks all the rules, right?

She is, you know, a pro-life conservative who is voting for Bernie Sanders and I think what we have seen across the board in this primary is that Democrats are really not breaking down entirely across ideological lines.

They're really looking at all of these candidates and trying to sort of calculate, where is my best chance to beat Donald Trump?

And I think that is the challenge. Yes, that's our dichotomy. We want to beat Donald Trump, but we want to a candidate who is going to give us some vision and excitement for the future in doing it.

WHITFIELD: And one person who hasn't appeared on any Sunday shows to this point as a candidate, former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg. He is facing criticism for you know, his past stop and frisk policies. He has also apologized quite a few times now. So here's what Senator Amy Klobuchar had to say about that today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KLOBUCHAR: I think he has to come on a show like yours here, Dana. He has not gone on any Sunday show since he announced. I've got to answer questions like I just did on my record, and he has to do the same thing. I don't think you should be able to hide behind airwaves and huge ad buys.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So Alexandra, you know, he is spending a lot of money, you know, trying to get out in front with a narrative. At the same time, he has received endorsements from Representative Gregory Meeks and a number of other Congressional Black Caucus members and even former Philadelphia Mayor Nutter.

So does Bloomberg feel like people will dismiss, or you know, the stop and frisk or at least accept his apology and embrace him, like the people that I just mentioned, whose endorsements he is getting.

ALEXANDRA ROJAS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, I mean, I think there's no question that he is literally purchasing our democracy. He is purchasing the election for the presidency of the United States.

But I want to go really quickly back to what my colleague, Hilary Rosen said, because I completely agree with her that voters aren't just looking at this election on purely ideological terms, they're looking at it as not only who is going to defeat Donald Trump, but who is going to put forward solutions and proposals that are going to prioritize the working class of this country, and also focus on leveling the playing field, which is why it's also extremely, extremely concerning that Michael Bloomberg is despite being on the debate stage, despite being able to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on TV ads is basically trying to erase his record.

And if you look at not just the policy itself of stop and frisk, but some of the audio tapes that have come out about specifically comments made Michael Bloomberg, these are thoughts that were generated over a lifetime, and so just making an apology about a policy that not only hurt, but deeply ruined some lives of thousands of families, black and brown families in New York, is deeply, deeply disturbing, let alone from the fact that he is a billionaire heading up a Democratic Party that is supposed to truly represent the working class.

And so that's right --

WHITFIELD: Do you feel voters will take those things into consideration as they make a decision about whether to throw their support behind him or anyone of the others?

ROJAS: I think that they definitely will be, but I think that they have to be able to make that case. And it's hard when, you know, there are billions of dollars being potentially spent on this election.

WHITFIELD: Hilary?

ROSEN: Well, I don't disagree with that. And that's why I guess on balance, I'd like to see him in the debates, you know, I I'm for actually public financing of elections. I don't think people ought to be able to buy their way into just support and I think it is right that it would be great if he subjected himself to more media interviews where he could be challenged on things like stop and frisk and things like we saw the recent criticisms about his treatment of women at the Bloomberg companies.

WHITFIELD: Do you think he is intentionally avoiding that?

ROSEN: Well, as I said, we don't really have any control over whether he does interviews, but one of the opportunities we have as Democrats is you know, debates and so while I on balance don't love the process by where we are with Mayor Bloomberg, I think the best chance of people actually getting answers from him, challenging him and having him be part of the discussion instead of just outside the system, telling us what he is doing with television ads is actually to have to be in a debate with other people running for the same office, having different ideas.

WHITFIELD: All right, we'll leave it there for now. Hilary Rosen and Alexandra Rojas, thanks so much, ladies.

All right, right now, the U.S. is evacuating Americans quarantined on a cruise ship near Japan over the coronavirus. But some passengers aren't too happy about the timing of it all.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:25:16]

WHITFIELD: All right, we are following some breaking news. Hundreds of Americans who have been quarantined for two weeks aboard a cruise ship because of coronavirus are ready to head home.

Led by a police escort in Japan, a convoy of buses to passengers from the Diamond Princess to chartered flights that will take them back to the U.S., they still face another two-week quarantine and military bases in California and Texas once they return. At least 46 Americans onboard the ship tested positive for the virus and another -- anyone either testing positive or showing symptoms will remain in Japan for treatment.

CNN's Matt Rivers is at a Tokyo airport. So Matt, are the evacuees already boarding these planes?

MATT RIVERS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we believe since the last time I spoke to you last hour, they've made some progress here. The people who were on board these 10 different coach buses that brought them from the ship here to Haneda Airport in Tokyo, we believe those people have gotten off the buses and onto the planes.

That said, the planes are still sitting on the tarmac behind me. The stairs leading up to the entrance to the plane are still there. So we're not sure exactly when these planes are going to take off.

It has been a long process. It was at 10:00 p.m. local time that people on board the ship were told to begin the disembarkation process, and it is now after 5:00 a.m. here, so these people have been going through a seven-hour process just to get on board those flights and they're looking at, at least 10 to 11 hours in the air to get to that Air Force Base in California.

Once they're there, though, as you mentioned, two weeks of quarantine await them and there are some people who are upset about that. They say they understand the concept of public safety and not wanting to spread the illness in the U.S., but they said, well, where was this evacuation from the American government 10 days ago? Fourteen days ago? When they initially made their pleas to the American government to get them out of that situation. Up until Saturday, the American government's position was that they

could serve the quarantine onboard the ship until February 19th, and if they tested negative, they could get off the ship and fly back home commercial the same way you would regularly.

On Saturday, that changed. The U.S. government position changed. They said actually, we're going to do an evacuation and we're going to impose this additional two-week quarantine and that's why people are upset here.

Clearly, something caused the American government to change their minds. Perhaps they've lost confidence in the Japanese quarantine procedures. But regardless, there are some very unhappy people on board those two 747s behind me on that tarmac.

WHITFIELD: No, it's been a very uncomfortable last few weeks for everyone involved. Matt Rivers. Thank you so much at Tokyo's International Airport.

All right, still ahead more than 1,100 prosecutors and former Justice Department officials demanding U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr resign. How the Trump administration is responding to concerns surrounding Barr.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:32:37]

WHITFIELD: Welcome back. The head of the Justice Department coming under growing skepticism, more than 1,100 former Justice Department prosecutors and other D.O.J. officials are now calling on Attorney General William Barr to resign. The stunning development is in response to Barr's controversial decision to ask for a shorter prison sentence for Roger Stone, a longtime Trump adviser.

David Shortell is a CNN crime and justice producer. Shan Wu is a former Federal prosecutor and a CNN legal analyst. Good to see both of you. All right, David, you first, you know, what can you tell us about this statement calling on Barr to resign?

DAVID SHORTELL, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE PRODUCER: Yes. Hi, Fred. Good afternoon. That's right. There are more than 1,100 former Justice Department officials who have signed on to this bipartisan and sharply worded letter calling Attorney General William Barr, a grave threat to the fair administration of justice and saying that he should resign.

I'll read to you a bit more from the letter and these former officials write that, "The President's public comments on Justice Department matters have gravely damaged the Department's credibility, but it's Mr. Barr's actions in doing the President's personal bidding that unfortunately speak louder than his words."

"Those actions," they write, " ... and the damage they have done to the Justice Department's reputation for integrity in the rule of law require Mr. Barr to resign." Fred, this letter is really capping one of the most tumultuous periods

in recent Justice Department history. It began on Tuesday with that public dispute, the extraordinary disagreement between senior Justice Department officials and a group of career attorneys here in Washington who had asked for a stiff penalty, a stiff punishment for Roger Stone, the longtime friend of the President's who was convicted last year of lying to Congress and witness tampering.

On Wednesday, Attorney General Barr granted an interview with ABC News in which he tried to defuse the growing crisis and assert the Justice Department's independence from the White House.

He said in that interview, that it was the Justice Department's decision to seek that more lenient prison sentence for Roger Stone and that it hadn't been made in conjunction with the Justice Department -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: So Shan, you know, even before this remarkable statement came out, you had concerns about the impact Barr was having on the Department of Justice.

You wrote a piece a few days ago for "The Daily Beast" with the headline "Bill Barr is Wrecking the Justice Department and it may Never Recover." Tell us why you believe Barr has been so damaging to the D.O.J.?

SHAN WU, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Well, as David said, this is an extraordinarily tumultuous time. I had been counsel to then, Attorney General Janet Reno, so I'm very familiar with the proper ways that there's oversight on cases.

[15:35:15]

WU: She and then her deputy was Eric Holder at the time were always very, very careful not to make the line attorneys feel like there's any kind of interference or pressure from the higher ups.

As her staff, if we were told to make an inquiry about a case, we were very careful to make sure it was just about the status because it was so important that the trial prosecutors, the people in the line, didn't feel that they were being second guessed or being reviewed by the higher ups which were the political appointees.

In this situation, Barr has completely upended that situation. I mean, he is literally sending in review teams into my former office, the U.S. Attorney's Office in D.C. It's terribly undermining of morale and given his public actions, it really shows the public that there is no independence. That he is basically free to interfere with these prosecutorial decisions.

WHITFIELD: And Shan, you say it's even deeper than that, that you are concerned that you see how this could potentially influence district judicial jurisdictions as well?

WU: Oh, absolutely. I mean, the U.S. Attorney's offices that are responsible for these districts, they're traditionally afforded a great deal of independence and they do the bulk of the prosecutions in the country.

And those United States Attorneys are going to be looking at this saying, wow, you know, if I don't get in line, I might suffer the same fate as Jessie Liu did in the U.S. Attorney's Office in D.C.

Jessie is a friend of mine, and I'm sure she would have stuck up for her prosecutors. It is so important for the United States Attorneys and their supervisors to have the backs of the line prosecutors.

WHITFIELD: All right, we'll leave it there for now. Shan Wu, David Shortell, thanks to both of you. Appreciate it.

SHORTELL: Good to see you, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, next, some pretty colorful language -- swamp creature, ill-informed and Potomac panicked polka -- Republicans hurl insults at each other as Congressman Doug Collins feuds with top Republicans over a key Senate seat in Georgia. Why they say Collins should drop out of this Senate race, next.

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[15:41:21]

WHITFIELD: Welcome back. The Georgia Senate race -- pay attention -- it is shaping up to be a real headache for Mitch McConnell and his Republican majority in the Senate, as it devolves now into some really nasty infighting with one of the G.O.P.'s rising stars at the center of the debate.

Georgia Representative, Doug Collins, you remember him of course during the impeachment hearings, I mean, he was center stage in a lot of ways, but some Republican leaders are warning that Collins is putting their Senate Majority at risk now by running against Georgia Republican Senator, Kelly Lafleur, who was appointed to that position by Governor Brian Kemp.

Well, some Republicans accuse Collins of acting in his own selfish interests, worried that the G.O.P. could lose the Senate seat. Oh, boy, there's a lot there.

I want to bring in now Bill Nigut, host of "Political Rewind" and a senior executive producer with Georgia Public Broadcasting. So Bill, help people understand this because Doug Collins appear to be a real star in the House, particularly during the impeachment proceeding. So why in the world would there be this G.O.P. wave to say, stay where you are.

BILL NIGUT, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, GEORGIA PUBLIC BROADCASTING: That's exactly what Georgia Republicans are very upset about right now. I mean, the simple story is that as you pointed out, Governor Kemp had an opportunity to fill a vacant Senate seat, Johnny Isaacson retired. He -- Doug Collins wanted that appointment badly, and so did many conservatives in the party because you're right, Collins was a star for Trump during the impeachment hearings. Kemp went into another direction. He decided Kelly Lafleur, was the

choice. She is a multimillionaire. She is willing to invest $20 million in her race and Kemp thinks she can appeal to suburban women. Maybe.

The problem is Doug Collins wasn't going to jump out of the race. He wanted in this race. President Trump at least twice, told Brian Kemp that he hoped Kemp would in fact appoint Doug Collins for this seat, which by the way, is up for a special election in November.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

NIGUT: Well, so now we have Collins and Lafleur going at it with each other. And it's the last thing the Republican Party in Georgia needed when the future of the Senate is it stake.

WHITFIELD: Wow. It's extraordinary. And a reminder just for folks who maybe don't remember, you know, Doug Collins and you know, how he gained so much attention during the impeachment hearings.

You know, he's been a real loyal warrior for President Trump. Listen to this moment from the hearings.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DOUG COLLINS (R-GA): When you go looking for something for three years, and especially this year since January, you ought to be excited when you found it, but they can't, because I know what is now happening.

It took me last night, but I was thinking about it. Why do we keep calling this a solemn occasion when you've been wanting to do this ever since the gentleman was elected? Mr. President came forward and did what he thought fit for the American people, but yet they wanted to impeach him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Okay, so that was the kind of talk that really appealed to the President. He liked that, you know, but during the post acquittal speech of the President, he singled out both Collins and Lafleur, saying, and I'm quoting now, "Something is going to happen. That's going to be very good." I don't know what. I don't know what. But I haven't figured it out yet. What did that mean?

NIGUT: Well, the Collins people would tell you, because they made a statement about it that Trump was looking for something that Kelly Lafleur could do that was more suited to her skills. I don't think that's going to happen.

She has been appointed to a Senate seat, so the question is, will the President make good on what he suggested and find some position for Doug Collins. But in the meantime, what you've got here is --

WHITFIELD: Like in the White House? What did he mean? NIGUT: It could very well be. It could be you know, a senior advisory

role. We don't know yet, but what you've got right now is Republicans like Mitch Mcconnell lining up with Lafleur, and much more conservative Republicans both nationally in Georgia saying, we need Collins. We don't know who Kelly Lafleur is. We don't know what she stands for.

[15:45:20]

WHITFIELD: Why is Mitch McConnell in her corner? I mean, the whole suburban vote, you were mentioning, but then that's not a given.

NIGUT: No, but she -- well, she has got the seat right now. She is a sitting senator. And in fact, he has gone so far as to tell any of the consultants or others who might work for Collins that they'll be blacklisted if they do, which is something Mitch McConnell does anytime an incumbent is challenged. But now, he is applying it in the Senate race as well.

On the other hand, Mike Huckabee, former Republican presidential candidate, Governor of Arkansas has endorsed Collins. Newt Gingrich has endorsed Kelly Lafleur. It's a message for Republicans in a very important year.

WHITFIELD: Lots of attention. The claws are out. Okay and a lot of interesting verbiage being tossed around. Phil Nigut, always good to see you.

NIGUT: Thanks, good to see you.

WHITFIELD: Thank you so much. We'll be right back.

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[15:50:34]

WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back. It's official, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are closing down shop at Buckingham Palace. The couple will no longer have an office there.

This comes after the couple decided to step back from their role as senior members of the Royal Family. A new CNN original series takes you behind the palace walls for an in-depth look at the world's most famous monarchy, "The Windsors: Inside the Royal Dynasty." It examines how the Royal Family through constant reinvention has survived war, scandals and tragedy to thrive in the modern world.

Joining me right now, CNN Contributor and Author, Sally Bedell Smith. Good to see you. So, you know this latest --

SALLY BEDELL SMITH, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yes.

WHITFIELD: Yes, this latest challenge, you know, for Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess. I mean, they have stepped back from their duties. The Queen has accepted that. Do we know whether they're happy right now? SMITH: From all evidence, they seem to be very happy. They've been up

in Canada and reports are that they're out hiking. They were in California last week. They were meeting with people at Stanford University to talk about how they're going to reshape their philanthropies.

And so I think, yes, they seem to be very happy and relaxed and sort of liberated.

WHITFIELD: Oh good. Well, I think everybody is happy that they're happy. So the premiere episode you know of "The Windsors" sheds new light on the application of King Edward VIII and highlights some of his early struggles. Here's a preview of tonight's episode.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 1917, the First World War rages on.

Prince Edward is now an officer in the British Army.

TED POWELL, BIOGRAPHER: But he is not allowed to fight. He is not allowed near the front line.

PIERS BRENDON, BIOGRAPHER: He says to his father, King George, look, I've got to be doing my bit. And his father said no, no, you can't risk being killed or captured.

POWELL: And that's an experience that he finds extremely humiliating.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: His father insists that the Prince of Wales is protected at all times, but Edward defies his father's orders.

JULIAN LORD HARDINGE, GRANDSON OF KING GEORGE V'S ASSISTANT PRIVATE SECRETARY: At one point, he escaped from his minders and stole a motorbike and headed off for the front line.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Wow. So this kind of pursuit of just wanting to be normal or like everybody else, I mean, we've seen a common thread now.

Edward, of course later abdicated the throne so that he could marry divorced American socialite, Wallis Simpson. What do you think the monarchy might look like today, if he hadn't given up the throne? If he didn't want to be so you know, normal?

SMITH: Well, I think it would have been in trouble. Because Wallis Simpson aside and his absolute obsession with her, he was in the 11 months that he was a monarch, he was proving to be a very inattentive monarch and he was moving very fast to try and modernize things in a way that everybody around him was uncomfortable with.

He had some pro-Nazi sentiments that I think would have been extremely problematic in World War II. So I think a lot of people feel that his abdication, even though it was a trauma for the Royal Family was actually a blessing. There are some people who say that there shouldn't be a statue erected

in London of Wallis Warfield Simpson because her coming along really enabled the far more capable younger brother, King George VI to be the monarch, and to take Britain really through the trials and tribulations of World War II.

And then of course, to produce the most beloved monarch in centuries, perhaps. I mean, Queen Elizabeth INGRAHAM: has been on the throne for 68 years.

WHITFIELD: Amazing.

SMITH: She has faced all sorts of challenges and she has kept it all together.

WHITFIELD: Yes. And she has proven to be fierce in so many ways so many times and continues to do so.

SMITH: Yes.

WHITFIELD: Sally Bedell Smith, we appreciate you being with us today and I love the pink. We're both doing the pink thing today.

SMITH: I know.

WHITFIELD: It's working.

SMITH: I got the memo.

[15:55:08]

WHITFIELD: All right. All right, thank you so much. And be sure to tune in to the all-new CNN original series, "The Windsors: Inside the Royal Dynasty." It premieres tonight at 10:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific only on CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me this Sunday. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

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