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GOP Candidates Blitz Campaign Trail On Eve Of Iowa Caucuses; North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum Endorses Trump For President; High School Principal During Mass Shooting Dies Of His Injuries. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired January 14, 2024 - 15:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: New York Governor Kathy Hochul showing the blizzard conditions in downtown Buffalo where she says "not a great day to have a football game in Western New York." We'll see what happens tomorrow.

And we're getting dramatic pictures out of southwest Iceland after a volcano erupted in a small fishing town. Residents were ordered to evacuate on Saturday after volcanic fissures began to break open the town's roads. Several buildings and houses are being destroyed.

The Icelandic Coast Guard has been deployed to monitor the situation.

[15:00:35]

WHITFIELD: All right, hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

All eyes on Iowa in the first major test of the 2024 presidential campaign. We're now less than 29 hours away from the start of the Iowa caucuses.

Subzero temperatures are not keeping candidates away from the campaign trail. They're all making quite a few stops today in the Hawkeye State, urging supporters to get out and caucus tomorrow despite the bitter cold.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: One day from now, we're going to do win Iowa's first in the nation caucuses. We kept you first in the nation.

In a historic victory, a victory that will echo throughout the country and all around the world.

NIKKI HALEY (R), 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think Iowans will decide intensity tomorrow. We're just excited that tomorrow is the day. It's go time and we're going to keep crisscrossing the state. We've done that for days now. We're going to keep doing it and I think the intensity will show tomorrow.

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL), 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think that anyone that tells you that they can model exactly who is going to turn out in the broader electorate, you just -- it's an unknowable, but I think with our folks, they're committed, they're going to be there and we're going to have a good night.

VIVEK RAMASWAMY (R), 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think we're seeing a late surge here. We are going to deliver a shock to the world Monday night with all of your help to do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: CNN national politics correspondent, Eva McKend is there watching all of the developments on the campaign trail.

Eva, all right, tomorrow, caucuses could indeed be the coldest ever and this might be one of the coldest eves of the caucuses, too. But that's not stopping a lot of those candidates from getting out there.

EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, they still very much are getting out there getting their messages out there. They will all be out there tomorrow on caucus day up until the minute. The big question is about turnout.

And the truth is, Fred, we just don't know at this stage. Negative 22 snowstorms last week leading to impassable roads. It gets cold in Iowa. Iowans are used to it, but even they tell me that this level of cold is unusual.

What the candidates seem to be banking on though is the immense pride that Iowans feel in this process. So the caucus is not like a traditional primary where you can just show up and go vote and then go home. You spend several hours advocating for your candidate.

It's a very involved and animated process, trying to convince your neighbors and friends to support your candidate as well. So all of that enthusiasm, the fact that Iowans take so much pride in going first, also candidates have really built an infrastructure to ensure that their supporters get out to the polls, they are doing all of that to combat these bitter, bitter temperatures.

But no one knows for sure how this will impact the process. We don't know what it's going to look like in the rural areas, especially where people have to travel a great distance -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: Right. No one knows and that's part of the excitement of it all.

All right, Eva McKend, thank you so much, and hopefully people will have to be really careful as they do venture out because these are potentially very dangerous conditions.

All right, thanks, Eva.

We've got a team of correspondents covering all the campaigns as only CNN can. Let's start with Kristen Holmes following former President Donald Trump.

Kristen, moments ago, he was talking. What's happening now. KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Now, he just stepped off the stage here in Indianola. It was a packed event. This was the only event that he was having over the weekend. He's doing a couple of smaller things, but those are unplanned rallies after the weather caused him to cancel three of the four rallies that he had had planned, and you could really feel the enthusiasm in the room.

Now as for what Donald Trump's messaging was, one part of it was, don't be complacent, show up and vote. This is something we have heard from him time and time again. We know that he is privately very concerned about the weather.

The whole point of what they are trying to do here in Iowa, is to change the electorate by bringing out people who have never caucused before, so he needs those people to actually show up.

But there was another part of his message, too and that was essentially attacking Nikki Haley. Take a listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: She is not suited for the job. I know her very well. She's not suited for it.

It's a big thing and I say it at every speech, don't sit on -- even if you think we're winning by a lot, it doesn't matter. You have to get out and vote, and we're really setting the table for November by the way with that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[15:05:06]

HOLMES: Now part of what they were hoping to do in Iowa is win by large enough margin to set the tone for the primary and stop any momentum that his GOP rivals have, particularly Nikki Haley, ahead of New Hampshire.

We know that they are concerned about Haley in New Hampshire. They have been watching her rise in the polls and they are already spending $4.5 million between the campaign and the super PAC to attack just Nikki Haley.

And just for a reference point, they don't have any advertisements right now that are hitting Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. So they're putting everything into hitting Nikki Haley, and it was very clear that Trump himself is still concerned about her since so much of his speech today on the ground in Iowa did revolve around her.

And one other note, Fredricka, before I forget, also Doug Burgum the North Dakota governor came out here. Obviously, he had been running for president. He dropped out of the race. He came out today and endorsed Donald Trump on the stage behind us during this event.

WHITFIELD: All right, now, that is notable.

All right, thank you so much, Kristen Holmes.

Okay, so let's go to Kylie Atwood now tracking Nikki Haley's campaign.

Kylie, what's her message in these final critical hours?

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Nikki Haley told supporters earlier today in a telephone event that she had to do after canceling her first event due to the hazardous winter conditions in the state, saying that Iowans have the opportunity to set the tone, that there are no foregone conclusions that they really have an opportunity here to change the trajectory, and to vote for someone who is going to be the next generational leader. That is how she has cast herself throughout her entire campaign, and it is what she's doing in these final hours before the Iowa caucuses.

Now, with regard to the former president, you know, hitting her quite harshly today at his Iowa event, her campaign spokesperson tells me that he is threatened and we're ready.

The Nikki Haley campaign has often welcomed those attacks from the former president, because what it demonstrates is that this is turning into, they believe, a two-person race between Haley and former President Trump. That's what they want it turn in to. It shows that the former president believes that's the case.

Now, what they're looking at today are those new numbers that came out overnight from the Des Moines Register and NBC poll showing that Nikki Haley has now come ahead of Ron DeSantis. Of course, we'll see if that actually happens tomorrow in the Iowa caucuses.

But one interesting bit in that poll is of the likely caucus goers that spoke with the pollsters, 49 percent of Trump supporters say they are energetically enthusiastic about candidate Trump. When it comes to the Nikki Haley supporters, only nine percent cast that type of optimism surrounding, going out for Nikki Haley.

Now, Nikki Haley, for her part, told Fox News earlier today that she is not concerned about that. Listen to what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HALEY: I'm not a political pollster, I'm not going to worry about the numbers. What I am going to say is the momentum and the energy on the ground is strong. We feel it. We know that this is moving in the right direction.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ATWOOD: Now, we're here in Ames, Iowa. Nikki Haley is set to have her first in-person event here. This is an area that is a suburban area in the state, an area where Nikki Haley could do quite well in the Iowa caucuses, and then she has another event today trying to get in and see as many voters as she can before they head to the polls for the caucuses tomorrow.

WHITFIELD: All right, Kylie Atwood, thank you so much. Let's check in with Jessica Dean now. She is following Governor Ron DeSantis' campaign. So Jessica, what is he telling voters today?

JESSICA DEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, now it is all about making sure that the people that support him get to these caucus sites tomorrow and that he continues to try to impress upon everyone that he believes, especially with this weather that this become a major factor in all this. We'll see how it affects turnout tomorrow night that that could mean that because his supporters, he believes are so fervently behind him that he has enthusiastic support from the people who are supporting him that that could make a big difference at the caucuses tomorrow night.

And so that has been his message as he travels across the state of Iowa. He had a number of in-person events yesterday. He has a number of in-person events today. Here is what he told supporters just a little bit ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DESANTIS: I'm so excited about y'all being here in spite of the cold and your commitment to participate in this process and make your voice heard. You're never going to have an opportunity to have your vote count in a more meaningful way than what you will have tomorrow.

And if you go out and caucus for us and if you bring, you know, four or five other people with you, that's going to pack a huge punch. It's not going to be that many people in the grand scheme of things that are going to participate in this, and it may be significantly less than what happened last time.

So your vote matters. This is meaningful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[15:10:07]

DEAN: No candidate in this GOP primary, Fredricka has staked more on Iowa than Ron DeSantis. He has gone all in here. He has spent a tremendous amount of money and time canvassing the state, and the super PAC aligned with him has spent millions and millions of dollars to create what they consider to be and what they say is an unparalleled organization, an unparalleled ground game here.

They say they've knocked on over 900,000 doors. They have precinct captains in place. This is something they think will make a difference tomorrow, and it certainly is going to matter for Ron DeSantis. He wants to make this like Nikki Haley, a two-person race with Donald Trump except he wants to be the one that is in that two-person race with Donald Trump. They are hoping that this organization in place tomorrow can help him achieve that. We'll see -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, we will see indeed. All right, thank you so much, ladies. Jessica Dean, Kylie Atwood, Kristen Holmes, thanks to all of you. All right after Iowa, it is New Hampshire's turn and one week before voters there go to the polls, Ron DeSantis makes his case and takes questions directly from voters. Wolf Blitzer moderates this CNN Presidential Townhall. It airs live from New Hampshire, Tuesday night, nine Eastern.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:15:34]

WHITFIELD: All right, tomorrow's crucial Iowa caucuses are a key test of whether Donald Trump's grasp on the Republican Party is vulnerable. His closest rivals, Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis are battling each other and the elements to emerge as the top alternative to the former president. But just hours from now, we'll learn how strong that appetite is among Republican voters.

Joining me right now to discuss is Bill Nigut. He is the co-host of "The Atlanta Journal Constitution's" "Politically Georgia" on WABE Radio.

Bill, great to see you. What will you be gauging --

BILL NIGUT, CO-HOST, THE ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION'S: It is good to be with you, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Fantastic. Okay, you're here in Atlanta, that's right. You're not in snowy Iowa. But you know, from your vantage point, what will you be looking for? What will you be gauging in tomorrow's caucuses?

NIGUT: Well, I think there are a couple of things.

We know from all the polling, Fred, you know, as well as I do, Donald Trump is far out front in this race. Now, the weather is an unpredictable factor, but Trump's people have for weeks and weeks now have been really pushing hard to get their supporters to turn out at caucuses.

They've made the big issue out of that because remember in 2016, he lost Iowa, he did not win the Iowa caucuses. So they've been working very hard to make people understand how important the caucuses are.

The problem is, his voters are, a lot of them, out in rural parts of Iowa. They will have to drive further to get to caucus locations. It will be more difficult for them, whereas people who might be supporting Nikki Haley or Ron DeSantis might be more urban, certainly Nikki Haley voters are likely to be more urban.

So all of that said, here is what I think is important tomorrow. I think that if Ron DeSantis, who has put all of his eggs in the Iowa basket does not finish in second place to Donald Trump, I think it is very hard for him to continue. I think he has very little runway to keep going into New Hampshire where we know Nikki Haley is much stronger than he is at least based on polling.

WHITFIELD: Oh, and so New Hampshire is, you know, really vital and important to really all of the candidates. I mean, they've all demonstrated that in various ways. And Trump even recently kind of disputed claims that he added campaign events in New Hampshire as a response to Haley's rise in the state's polls.

And, you know, earlier today, he said he knows her very well, that she's not suited for the job of being president. And you know, Nikki Haley's camp, has even said, oh, this is an indicator that he feels that you know, she is a real threat. Take a listen to what Trump said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I know that she's not suited for the job. I know her very well, she's not suited.

I am very honest. If you ask me, I'll tell you who she is, and if I don't want to say something good about somebody, then, I won't say it. Like what we've been saying in every place, she is absolutely not suited.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So does it seem as though, you know, he's feeling a little threatened? That maybe, you know, he's not so overly confident about Iowa that he is not worried about the other states, too?

NIGUT: I think that's right. I think that he expects that he is likely to win Iowa, but that New Hampshire is a bigger contest. Nikki Haley has been moving up on him in the polling there. Your own CNN polling showed Haley within single digits of Donald Trump.

So yes, I think he's looking ahead, and of course, it's fascinating to hear him say, he knows her very well, she's not qualified, because he had nothing but praise prays for her --

WHITFIELD: Not suited -- not suited for the job.

NIGUT: Yes. But he had nothing but praise for her, of course, when she was his ambassador to the United Nations.

WHITFIELD: Yes. Oh, how things have changed, because now she is the competition.

Okay, so, you know, here we're talking about what he might think is a vulnerability or he might feel not overly confident, but then you've got this new CBS/YouGov survey finding that Trump's national lead has grown to 69 percent among likely Republican primary voters.

I mean, what does this say about him, his hold on the party or what does it say about the party? I mean, take a stab at either one.

[15:20:07]

NIGUT: Okay, well first of all, it says that Trump is likely to be the nominee of the Republican Party. You know, of course, it's not a national race. National polls are significant, of course. But if there should be a surprise in New Hampshire, if Nikki Haley should come fairly close to him, or even possibly beat him, which would be a really a stunning outcome, they move to South Carolina, and even though that's Nikki Haley's home state, the polling I've seen most recently shows that Trump is ahead of Nikki Haley there.

So, I think that the national polls say Donald Trump will probably be the Republican nominee.

WHITFIELD: Wow. And despite, you know, the political calendar heating up, I mean, Trump, as we've seen it already in recent weeks, I mean, he's having to spend some time in the courtroom as well as on the campaign trail. So these legal cases, is it impacting his candidacy? Because sometimes he is using it, you know, to raise money, and he is using it in his dialogue on the campaign trail.

NIGUT: Yes, no, it's absolutely impacting his campaign. It's making him stronger. Every time Donald Trump appears in court, he has his supporters rallying behind him both in giving small amounts of money, and in saying that he is their candidate.

So I don't think the court appearances have hurt him at all. The only thing that could truly hurt him, and we've seen this in any number of polls, is if he has a criminal conviction prior to the election. In that case, there are any number of polls that would suggest that some of those Trump voters might have second thoughts about whether they want to cast the ballot for him.

WHITFIELD: Yes, well, he is making many attempts, right, to have lots of delays to make sure that an outcome at any number of these trials doesn't happen before election day.

All right, Bill Nigut, thank you so much.

NIGUT: Thanks, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, tomorrow's Iowa caucus is forecast to be the coldest ever, and that arctic blast is also bringing dangerous cold temperatures and blizzard-like conditions to other parts of the US. That is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:26:28]

WHITFIELD: A very sad follow-up for you.

Dan Marburger, the principal of Perry High School who acted heroically to save students during a mass shooting died today from injuries he received in the attack.

Authorities say Marburger was shot multiple times after trying to save students by talking to and distracting the shooter as the deadly attack unfolded at the high school near Des Moines on January 4th. A sixth grade student was killed and seven others were wounded.

Marburger's wife, Elizabeth, said in a post on their GoFundMe page, and quoting now: "He fought hard and gave us 10 days that we will treasure forever."

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds ordered flags lowered to half-staff today.

And 100 million Americans are under windchill alerts right now as bitter cold stretches all the way from Canada to the Mexico border. This video is from West Seneca, New York which is near Buffalo. Several feet of snow can be seen covering cars in a parking lot there.

New York Mayor Eric Adams urge people to take precautions when traveling saying visibility will be poor in the city as well.

All right, let's go to Elisa Raffa in the CNN Weather Center.

Elisa, so let's get started in Iowa where temperatures are expected to be below freezing tomorrow for the caucuses.

ELISA RAFFA, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. We're looking at temperatures even getting below zero and those windchills will be 30 to 40 degrees below zero.

This is a look at the current temperature and windchill right now. It is eight degrees below zero in Des Moines, minus eight with that wind chill nearing minus 30. Ten degrees below zero in Sioux City, again windchill is at 30 to 35 degrees below zero. That's where we have wind chill warnings posted for most of the state because this is dangerous cold. We're talking about frostbite in minutes, if you spend any time outside.

These are the temperatures -- high temperatures for Monday on caucus day. Des Moines looking at a high temperature of minus four. And we put it also on here the departure from average to show you, yes, Iowans get cold, but this is 30 degrees colder than average for the time of year. So it is not normal to get temperatures like this this time of year.

Tack on the windchill, you're looking at windchill times or I'm sorry frostbite times at 30 minutes or less. So again, taking minutes to get some frostbite conditions out there as we go into Monday evening.

When you look at all of the past caucuses, most of them have been with temperatures in the 30s and 40s.

2004 sticks out with that high of only 16 degrees and it looks like as we go into Monday, we're going to far outpace that with that, again that high temperatures to only minus four in Des Moines, so that would go down as the coldest caucus on record.

Here is a look at the broader picture. You've got windchill alerts from the Canadian border down to the Mexican border with some of the heart of the winter warning, warning for windchills as cold as 45 degrees below zero, incredibly dangerous and life threatening. That's where you get the frostbite conditions in minutes.

Now, as this cold air dives south, it is also going to come with a punch of snow. You're looking at three to six inches of snow from Arkansas in to Tennessee, a place that usually doesn't get snow either -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: Oh my goodness. Yes, everyone is going to have to have a parka out no matter where you are.

All right Elise Raffa, thank you so much.

All right, the Pacific Northwest is also feeling the bone chilling cold, high winds and nearly an inch of ice in Portland, Oregon are keeping emergency departments busy. Multiple calls coming in about massive trees and power lines toppling.

[15:30:07]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RON ROSS, TREE CRASHED INTO LIVING ROOM: And it crashed through the ceiling, into the living room where we were sitting in our chair, and we were pinned in our chairs until the fire department got there.

They were able to take their size and cut a hole in the wall. No scratches, no blood, no broken bones.

We are very blessed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: They are indeed. Wow, what a close call.

Meantime, one man did die after a tree fell on a house in Lake Oswego. More than 150,000 customers are still without power. Portland's Mayor declared an emergency through Wednesday when an atmospheric river is expected to follow this weekend's extreme conditions.

All right, Iowa Republicans poised to pick their presidential candidate. It's the final day before caucuses begin there. But what exactly is a caucus and how does it work? We'll explain right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:35:14]

WHITFIELD: All right, tomorrow, Iowa Republicans will kick off the 2024 election season by holding the first in the nation caucuses. It's that state's version of holding a primary election in picking a presidential candidate.

Joining me right now to talk more about all of this is Domenico Montanaro. He is a senior political editor and correspondent for NPR.

Good to see you, Domenico. So help us understand what a caucus is and how it differs from a primary which most states have.

DOMENICO MONTANARO, SENIOR POLITICAL EDITOR AND CORRESPONDENT, NPR: Yes. I mean, primaries are things that most people understand. You know, you walk in, you cast a vote, maybe on an electronic ballot or writing something down, and then you leave. You go about your business.

This is different, it takes more time. A caucus is just basically a gathering, a meeting. People gather in fire houses or libraries, schools, even sometimes in people's houses, because these are precinct caucuses that take place at very, like local, local community level.

So you're talking 1,657 sites that Republicans are holding these caucuses. They will have a little bit of party business to attend to. they will vote on things like who the secretary of the caucus should be, who's going to take notes, all that kind of thing. And then they essentially just cast a secret ballot, writing down who they think should be the nominee.

It is very different than the way Democrats do things and it shouldn't be confused that they don't do it the same way, it is different. Democrats have this process -- had this process where, you know, if you didn't get 15 percent of the vote on the first round, then you would re-sort and you would physically move to other portions of the gymnasium or whatever. There's none of that with Republicans, you just cast a secret ballot, but it does take some time.

WHITFIELD: And also, what's different here is, you know, while Iowa, you know, has traditionally been the first state to hold a nominating contest this year, Democrats, in fact, did vote to remove the Hawkeye State from their early primary calendar. Remind everybody why Democrats decided to do that?

MONTANARO: Well, because they just messed up their reporting process in 2020. I was sitting in a conference room in Des Moines waiting for results, they never came. We're still not sure who really won that Iowa Democratic caucuses in 2020, and the Democratic Party had sort of had enough.

And really, this has been bubbling because Iowa is such an overwhelmingly White state demographically, 90 percent of the state is White and Democrats are much more diverse, more than about 60 percent of the Democratic Party identifies as White. Republicans, it's about 85 percent White. They didn't have the same reporting issues.

But because the Democratic Party had become more diverse, they are trying to figure out ways to give other states a chance to go first and be part of this process, that's why President Biden pushed to have South Carolina go first, because South Carolina, you know, nationally is thought of in a general election as a very conservative state.

But in a Democratic primary, it is about 60 percent of primary voters are Black. That's very different than Iowa, a place where the Iowa Republican Party, 60 percent or so are self-identified White Evangelical born-again Christians, which is why you have the kind of rhetoric that you hear on the Republican side and why Iowa generally produces a more conservative candidate.

WHITFIELD: And in three of the last four GOP caucuses in Iowa, the Iowa winner has actually failed to win the presidential nomination. So help us understand why then, among especially today's candidates, why Iowa is so important to them?

MONTANARO: Yes. The former governor of New Hampshire John Sununu used to say that Iowa picks corn and New Hampshire picks presidents and that was -- that's kind of something that's gotten Nikki Haley in trouble in this race, because she made a very similar kind of joke saying, oh, you know, New Hampshire corrects what Iowa does and the DeSantis people are actually using that in her campaign ads.

But when we look at the ad spending so far, everybody is pouring tons of money into this race, including the Haley campaign, $123 million has been spent just on Iowa ads out of the $269 million total in this race, almost half of all the ad spending.

And by the way, in the last couple of weeks, Nikki Haley's team, the super PAC supporting her and her campaign have surpassed DeSantis who had been dominating the airwaves for months. And now, you're also seeing a correlation with Nikki Haley trending up in the polls in Iowa.

You know, the gold standard poll that had come out this past weekend from an J. Ann Selzer has her in second place now in Iowa, and if she were to finish second, that really could be, you know, something where a lot of people are asking when DeSantis would be dropping out, not whether or not he's going to be able to go long term against Trump.

WHITFIELD: All right, Domenico Montanaro, thank you so much.

MONTANARO: You're welcome.

[15:40:07]

WHITFIELD: All right, straight ahead, three migrants including two kids drowning in the Rio Grande just days ever Texas officials blocked US Border Patrol agents from accessing the area. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right, welcome back.

A migrant mother and her two kids drowned in the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass, Texas just days after Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered state officials to block US Border Patrol agents from accessing the area.

The White House is now condemning Abbott's latest action at the border as a cruel political stunt.

Joining me right now is CNN national correspondent, Rafael Romo.

How did this happen? [15:45:08]

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's just so horrible, Fred.

What we know is that a woman and two children drowned sometime between Friday night and Saturday morning in the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass, Texas. This information originally came from Texas Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar, and later corroborated by other agencies.

Cuellar said in a post on social media that the US Border Patrol learned Friday at about 9:00 PM that a group of six migrants was in distress. According to the congressman, Border Patrol officials called the Texas military department, the Texas National Guard and the Texas Department of Public Safety, but were unsuccessful in relaying the information by phone.

Cuellar also said that Texas military department soldiers stated that they would not grant access to the migrants, even in the event of an emergency and that they would send a soldier to investigate this situation.

The bodies of three migrants were recovered hours later by Mexican authorities. The Department of Homeland Security has also confirmed the deaths -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: So has there been a reaction now from Texas authorities?

ROMO: Yes, absolutely. And there's a huge controversy at the border because as we have previously reported, the US Border Patrol has been blocked out of Shelby Park, an area at the US border with Mexico that had until recently served as a holding area for migrants.

Last Wednesday night, Texas authorities erected fencing gates and razor wire to take custody and control of the park. That means that Border Patrol agents who, as part of their regular duties, rescue migrants in distress, didn't have access to the area where the migrants are believed to have drowned.

Now, you're asking me about a reaction. In a statement, the Texas Military Department said the following: "At no time that TMD security personnel along the river observed any distressed migrants nor did TMD turn back any legal immigrants from the US during this period," adding that "They were not made aware of any bodies in the area of Shelby Park at that time."

WHITFIELD: And then what about any kind of reaction or statement coming from federal authorities?

ROMO: Yes, that happened today. Both Customs and Border Protection and the White House have reacted to the drownings.

Earlier today, a White House spokesperson said the following: "While we continue to gather facts about the circumstances of these tragic deaths, one thing is clear, Governor Abbott's political stunts are cruel, inhumane, and dangerous." US Border Patrol must have access to the border to enforce our laws. Likewise, Customs and Border Protection said in his statement that, "We remain gravely concerned by actions that prevent the US Border Patrol from performing their essential missions of arresting individuals who enter the United States unlawfully and providing humanitarian response to individuals in need."

And Fred, CNN has also reached out to the office of Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who originally ordered the Texas Military Department to take over the park in Eagle Pass. But so far, there's been no public comments about this.

WHITFIELD: It is a sad situation.

All right, Rafael Romo, thank you so much.

All right, new today, we are learning the suspect in the Gilgo Beach serial killings is expected to be charged with a fourth killing. That's according to a source familiar with the investigation.

Rex Heuermann faces three counts of first-degree murder for the killings of Amber Costello, Melissa Barthelemy, and Megan Waterman. Heuermann has pleaded not guilty to killing the women whose bodies were discovered near each other wrapped in burlap on Gilgo Beach more than a decade ago. He is being held without bail.

We would like to bring in now CNN correspondent, Polo Sandoval with more on this.

What are you learning, Polo?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Fred.

So it goes without saying an additional murder filing here. It would be absolutely significant in this case. It is presumably now a fourth family would know that the man accused of killing their loved one would have to answer in court, but also, this is certainly not surprising.

It was absolutely expected given what we heard from investigators the last several months that they were looking into finding potential links between Heuermann and additional victims. In addition to that, we also know that grand jury proceedings have been ongoing, those hearings ongoing for the last several months.

So this is why this additional charge was certainly expected here and that charge could be filed according to sources speaking to our colleague, Mark Morales and Brynn Gingras as early as Tuesday morning.

Now, just a quick background for this, as you mentioned at the top. He has already pleaded not guilty for the separate killings of three different women -- Amber Costello, Melissa Barthelemy, and Megan Waterman.

Sources, however, have not identified the victim named in this expected charge. However, Heuermann was, as you'll recall, arrested last July and back then, prosecutors said that he was the prime suspect in the disappearance and murder of a fourth woman, Maureen Brainard-Barnes known as the Gilgo Four, for the location in which the bodies were discovered back in 2010. The women were killed and then wrapped in burlap.

[15:50:03]

This arrest -- surprise arrest for many was certainly coming after a break in the case after well over a decade. CNN had reached out to attorneys for Heuermann, as well as Suffolk County prosecutors and investigators as well -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Polo Sandoval. Thank you so much.

SANDOVAL: You bet.

WHITFIELD: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Civil Rights icon, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would have turned 95 years old tomorrow. King was assassinated in Memphis in 1968.

Tomorrow, President Biden is expected to travel to Philadelphia for an event marking National MLK Day, a day of service. Vice President Kamala Harris will give remarks at the NAACP's Annual King Day at the dome in Columbia, South Carolina.

[15:55:08]

To talk more about Dr. King's memory, his legacy, and the current political climate. I'm joined now by Pennsylvania State Representative, Malcolm Kenyatta. He finished third in the 2022 Pennsylvania Senate primary. He is now running for state auditor general and is also a member of the National Advisory Board for the Biden-Harris re-election campaign.

Good to see you.

MALCOLM KENYATTA, PENNSYLVANIA STATE REPRESENTATIVE: Good to see you.

WHITFIELD: So MLK Day is falling on the same day as the Iowa caucuses. The symbolism, you know, really cannot be overstated, right? Access to voting was really at the core of what Dr. King was all about. So what do you suppose he would be thinking of the state of today's voting rights?

KENYATTA: Well, you know what? It's troubling to me and may have even been reported here on your network, that one of the voices of the modern Republican Party, Charlie Kirk, was talking about his plan to undermine the legacy of not only Martin Luther King Day, but of the Civil Rights Act.

And you know what, he is one example. But if you look at this Supreme Court, led by John Roberts, they chipped away at the Voting Rights Act. When you think about the Trump justices who helped overturn Roe v Wade, which really we know in practice, impacts poor women and women of color at higher rates.

So much of what Dr. King fought for, this idea that every single person, no matter who they are, who they look like, where they're from, could participate in their democracy. That's on the line.

And tomorrow marks the beginning of a critical election, where I don't think I'm being hyperbolic by saying this next election is about whether or not we can have elections in this country as we know it.

WHITFIELD: And following the last presidential election, 14 states passed laws making it more challenging to vote. How will that help dictate this year's outcome?

KENYATTA: You know, we've seen a powerful strategy from activist organizers and lawyers on the ground in these states, even in the face of these deplorable voter integrity laws as they're often called, use a three-pronged strategy of litigating trying to take as many as possible of these gerrymandered maps or these outrageous voter restriction laws to court, trying to really mobilize and educate people about what these new laws mean in their individual states.

And then there's this, really this, I think, this ability of folks not to give up even in the face of these obstacles, and you shouldn't have to out organize around voter suppression.

But the reality is, people have to show up like they never have before, because Donald Trump and those who support him, have made clear, they want to make it as difficult as possible for people to vote. They lie about the safety and security of our elections, then use those lies to try to make the process out of reach for far too many Americans.

I know it here in Pennsylvania where I serve on the State Government Committee, which oversees our election laws. I mean, at the height of the 2020 election, you know, we were in a fever pitch battle with Republicans in my state who wanted to do the same thing and 60 of them signed a letter to throw out our votes.

So you know, this is not new, but certainly it has happened unabated and has been encouraged by the Republican frontrunner, Donald Trump.

WHITFIELD: I mean, a real centerpiece to Biden's 2024 campaign is saving democracy. He says democracy is at stake in other words. You know, do you feel voters are really taking that seriously? Or are people simply treating it like it's a slogan?

KENYATTA: You know what? I think what the president is doing so deftly is not just talking about our democracy, though he is, but talking about how our democracy is the bedrock of all the other freedoms that we depend on as Americans, the freedom to make your own health care decisions, the freedom to have access to the American promise, to buy that first home, to feel safe and secure in your community. All those freedoms are at risk. And if we have somebody like Donald Trump, in the White House again, he has made it clear he's not in this election for you. He's not in this election for me or for the folks I represent here in North Philadelphia. He's in it for him. And he's going to spend the next four years trying to get after all the people who stood against his anti-democratic assault on our democracy.

But we could do something different. We could elect Joe Biden who has presided over an economy where we see Black wealth growing by 60 percent, where we see the smallest wealth gap between African- Americans and White Americans in a long time, the lowest unemployment for African-Americans, insulin capped at $35.00. You know, both my parents died by the time I was 27 because they didn't have access to the type of healthcare they deserved.

And so, these things that President Biden has accomplished, they are not just talking points, they are real and they are real for families like mine.

WHITFIELD: All right, we will leave it there for now. State Representative Malcolm Kenyatta, great to see you again. Thank you so much.

KENYATTA: Anytime.

WHITFIELD: And thank you everybody for being with me this weekend. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. The CNN NEWSROOM with Jim Acosta continues right now.