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GOP Race Narrows Ahead Of New Hampshire Primary; Ron DeSantis Ends Presidential Campaign, Endorses Trump; Hostages' Families Pitch Tents Outside PM's Home, Demand Immediate Deal; Russian Oil Depot On Fire After Attempted Ukrainian Drone Attack. DeSantis Ends Presidential Bid Ahead of New Hampshire Primary; More Mass Demonstrations Against Germany's Far-right Party; Indian PM Narendra Modi Inaugurates New Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Aired 1-2a

Aired January 22, 2024 - 01:00   ET

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

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[01:00:23]

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Ministers house calling for a hostage release deal. Some call for a change in leadership and taking a stand against Germany's far right. Tens of thousands gathered across the country to protest the party's plan for mass migrant deportations, a planned some compared to a dark period in German history.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Live from Atlanta. This is CNN Newsroom with Michael Holmes.

HOLMES: We are just over a day away from New Hampshire's Republican primary and thanks to a major shake-up in the U.S. presidential race on Sunday. The GOP contest is now down to two main contenders, former President Donald Trump of course and Nikki Haley who hopes to leverage the granite state's moderate Republicans and independents.

But Trump has consistently dominated the GOP field in the polling. And in the Iowa caucuses, of course, he beat his nearest competitor DeSantis by a margin of nearly 30 points.

And now Trump has the endorsement of that former rival. DeSantis announcing Sunday he's dropping out of the race despite insisting for days he'd stay in it through South Carolina's primary next month. CNN reporter Steve Contorno has more on how the decision played out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STEVE CONTORNO, CNN REPORTER: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, making the decision on Sunday to end his presidential campaign. He is bowing out of the race just days after Iowa Delta's campaign, a devastating blow with a second place finish there, far behind former President Donald Trump.

He had campaigned heavily in the state visiting all 99 counties, but ultimately not winning a single one. The decision also comes just days before New Hampshire will vote in this GOP presidential primary. He was not expected to do particularly well there. However, he was supposed to visit the state on Sunday. Instead, he traveled to Florida and released this video to his supporters.

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R) FLORIDA: Now following our second place finish in Iowa we've prayed and deliberated on the way forward. If there was anything I could do to produce a favorable outcome, more campaign stops more interviews, I would do it.

But I can't ask our supporters to volunteer their time and donate their resources if we don't have a clear path to victory. Accordingly, I am today suspending my campaign. I'm proud to have delivered on 100 percent of my promises. And I will not stop now.

CONTORNO: DeSantis wasted little time saying who he would get behind in the Republican presidential primary going forward. He's backing Donald Trump and he had some choice words for former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.

DESANTIS: I signed a pledge to support the Republican nominee and I will honor that pledge. He has my endorsement because we can't go back to the old Republican Guard of yesteryear or repackaged formed have warmed over corporatism that Nikki Haley represents. The days of putting Americans last of cow telling to large corporations of caving to woke ideology are over.

CONTORNO: A source close to DeSantis says he was approached by advisors in days after the Iowa caucuses with options for winding down his presidential campaign. But he rejected those believing that he still had a path to the nomination and he continued to fight on including an appearance just Saturday in South Carolina, where he continued to press his case.

But he woke up Sunday in a different state of mind and ultimately decided to end his presidential campaign. The big question is what comes next for the governor? Well, he has three years left on his second term as Florida governor he will then be term limited out and his advisors say don't count him out yet in 2028. Steve Contorno, CNN, St. Petersburg, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Now despite the swipes at DeSantis took it Haley during his suspension announcement, she was gracious in response when Speaking to CNN's Dana Bash on Sunday. Haley also took the opportunity to make a pitch to voters in New Hampshire, who supported DeSantis and must now choose between her and Donald Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NIKKI HALEY, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Think that they love America. And I think they want a new generational leader. And so I am telling them that I am that new generational leader, and I'm the conservative that can get it done.

Look at the fact that we could actually win and I think that's what Ron DeSantis is supporters want, they don't want to lose.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: And we'll have more of Dana's discussion with Nikki Haley ahead in the hour.

Donald Trump meanwhile, surprisingly gracious at the news of DeSantis his suspension of his campaign. The former president and Florida's governor have been famously at odds since DeSantis announced his bid for the presidency.

[01:05:04]

But Sunday Trump thanked his former opponent for an endorsement and complimented his campaign. Trump also said he looks forward to working with DeSantis in the future. CNN's Alayna Treene with more details on his reaction to the news.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALAYNE TREENE, CNN REPORTER: Which is hours after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis suspended his presidential campaign and endorsed the former President Trump came out on stage in Rochester, New Hampshire and congratulated him for running what he called a great campaign. He also said that DeSantis was being quote, gracious for giving him his endorsement. Take a listen to how Donald Trump put it.

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Before we begin, I'd like to take time to congratulate Ron DeSantis. And, of course, a really terrific person who I've gotten to know his wife Casey for having run a great campaign for president. He said he ran a really good campaign, I will tell you, it's not easy. They think it's easy doing this stuff, right. It's not easy.

But as you know, he left the campaign trail today at 3:00 pm. And in so doing, he was very gracious and he endorsed me, so I appreciate it. I appreciate that. And I also look forward to working with Ron and everybody else to defeat crooked Joe Biden.

TREENE: Well, what a difference just a few hours make, I mean, this is a complete 180 from the type of rhetoric we heard Donald Trump use, just this weekend in Manchester, New Hampshire on Saturday, Trump was criticizing Ron DeSantis.

And this is also the first time I want to note that he's actually referred to the Florida Governor by his real name, instead of the nickname that he's given the Florida Governor, which is Ron DeSanctimonious.

But look, I think one thing that we should be watching for is whether or not this endorsement from DeSantis changes anything in the minds of Donald Trump already, it appears it has given the language we heard him use on Sunday.

But you know, over the past year now, Donald Trump has really viciously gone after Ron DeSantis attacked him very heavily in the lead up to the Iowa caucuses. And part of that was because the campaign was worried about DeSantis as a rival, but the other part was because it was personal.

Donald Trump very much believes that DeSantis was being disloyal by running for president after Trump had endorsed him for Florida governor in 2017. And that's where a lot of those attacks stemmed from, according to my conversations with Donald Trump's advisors and his allies.

But I think the question now is, Will his endorsement change the game? Well, you see, Ron DeSantis become a potential surrogate for the Trump campaign. I know as well from our conversations with Trump's team that as of now, there are no plans for DeSantis to show up on the trail with them. But again, that could change in the coming weeks. Alayna Treene, CNN, Rochester, New Hampshire.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Now if DeSantis out of the race, a new joint poll from CNN and the University of New Hampshire shows Donald Trump widening his lead over Nikki Haley. When asked who they'd support in a two candidate race 54 percent of likely voters chose Trump, 41 percent Halley.

The poll was conducted days before DeSantis dropped out, so it reflects the second choices of those who were backing him.

CNN senior political analyst and senior editor at The Atlantic Ron Brownstein joins me now. Always good to see Ron. Let's start with DeSantis. Because he's out of the race. Of course, he's endorsed Donald Trump. What do you see is the impact of that on the overall race?

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: You know, I think the movement of voters is probably less important than the signal to the broader electorate. I mean, DeSantis's support had dwindled in New Hampshire and South Carolina, and while more of his voters are likely to go to Trump, than Haley, there aren't really enough of them to make a big material difference.

I think the problem for Haley is that this reinforces the signal sent by all of the other Republicans who have been endorsing Trump in the last few days and weeks, whether they are consolidated or capitulating, you know, you can make your own judgment. But the risk is that it tells voters that the party has decided it's time to shut this down some ways similar what happened for Joe Biden, in early March 2020, when many of his former, you know, rivals unified behind him suddenly after South Carolina.

So I think that's really more of the problem than that there's a big DeSantis bloc of voters that are going to follow his lead to Donald Trump.

HOLMES: Yes, yes exactly. I've just started Trump, of course ahead in the polls in New Hampshire, but how well does Nikki Haley need to do in New Hampshire to stay relevant?

BROWNSTEIN: That's a really good question. I mean, you know, there are polls showing Trump leading her by 15 points.

[01:10:04]

And it's hard to see where she goes from there. You know, the issue at this point for her really isn't like kind of a, you know, a expectations game. It's a reality game that she -- Donald Trump has a big lead nationally, which means you go into each new state, he's probably ahead.

The only way she changes that is by doing well in the previous state. You know, I've said for many years that different sports analogies people use for the U.S. presidential primaries, the one that seems the most compelling to me is I think of it like pool, because each shot changes the table for everything that follows.

So, she needed to do unexpectedly well in Iowa to give her momentum coming in here. And she needed to do unexpectedly, well here to give her some energy going into South Carolina.

And so far, she hasn't really gotten that turbo boost out of either of them, which will leave her in a very difficult situation in South Carolina, whatever our expectations are, she needs to come close here in order to kind of reenergize the campaign and give her at least a fighting chance in South Carolina, which is the most important state on the Republican calendar.

HOLMES: And does she need to change tactically? I mean, we heard her talking about Donald Trump's mental acuity. I mean, he got her confused with the former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, not the first time he's mixed up names. He said a couple of times, he ran against Barack Obama instead of Hillary Clinton.

Is that a good tactic for Haley? Does she need to do more because she avoids some big targets criminal charges, trials racially misusing her name, why not go less?

BROWNSTEIN: Yes. Right. She needs to do more clearly if she wants to win. You have to give her a lot of credit. She outlasted all of the guys or she says the fellows on the stage. And she is standing alone in a big gale, you know, not only the gale force, kind of, you know, denunciations from Trump, but all of these Republicans who are lining up behind them either, as I said, consolidating or are capitulating, but she has shown this week that she will go so far and no further in criticizing Trump.

What seems to me the line that she will not cross is expressing a value judgment about him with one exception. Mostly she criticizes him, either that he's too old. I'm more electable or this week, you know, more than before, you know, he's losing his memory. She won't weigh in on areas that reflect on his character or behavior.

As you point out, she has ducked questions about his obvious racial signaling with the birtherisms, an attack on our immigrant heritage. He told CNN, you know, Dana Bash, this week that she didn't know anything about the E. Jean Carroll judgment against Trump, which is pretty implausible. She -- this is the break the glass moment for the Republicans who are

opposed to Trump, because if he wins big here, realistically, it's going to be very hard to stop him. And at this break the glass moment, as I wrote today, I feel that she is still confining herself to tapping pretty lightly on the window.

HOLMES: Yes. And of course, you know, we know that that core base and a lot of voters in the Republican Party, they forgive and forget things with Trump like legal peril, memory, dog whistles, and so on. But that doesn't mean the broader electorate does or will, right?

BROWNSTEIN: No, not at all. No, not at all. I mean, you know, in some ways, Joe Biden's weakness has masked Donald Trump's weakness in a way that by the way, he's hurt the other candidates. If Biden was in better kind of standing with the public, you might indeed have what DeSantis and Haley originally expected, which was poll showing them ahead and Trump behind.

But you know, there was a number out of that Iowa caucus that seemed to capture both sides of this coin incredibly well that, you know, in the entrance poll that CNN and others sponsored, they asked, would you consider Trump fit for the presidency, even if he is convicted of a crime? 68 percent of those who voted said yes, and that is a measure of his dominance in the primary, and why he is so hard to beat inside the party.

But 31 percent of the people who showed up in a Republican caucus on a cold night said they would not consider him fit to be president if he is convicted of a crime and that is a measure of the risk that Republicans are walking into by choosing Trump as their nominee with everything swirling around him and everything that happened after the election in 2020.

Don't forget January 6 did not happen before November, you know, obviously of the of the election year that is a new dynamic. You know, I have said that kind of age and inflation on one side, and abortion and insurrection on the other are the two big changes in the landscape since Biden and Trump run against each other, and we will have to see how they sorted out against each other.

[01:15:02]

If as seems most likely now we are headed for the first presidential rematch since what 1956 Eisenhower and Stevenson.

HOLMES: You would be the one I would ask that question all.

BROWNSTEIN: Yes.

HOLMES: So now we have the answers.

BROWNSTEIN: Yes. There we go.

HOLMES: Ron, historian as well. Always great to get your analysis my friend. Thank you Ron Brownstein.

BROWNSTEIN: Thanks, Michael.

HOLMES: Still to come on the program. Israel's Prime Minister rejecting Hamas has conditions to release hostages held in Gaza and he says they're demanding. Also, Ukraine strikes a Russian oil facility what this could mean for Russian troops. That's when we come back.

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HOLMES: Pressure is mounting on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to strike a deal with Hamas to free the remaining hostages in Gaza. Families and friends of the hostages held a rally near Mr. Netanyahu's home in Jerusalem on Sunday, a game calling for their release.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JON POLIN, SON HELD HOSTAGE IN GAZA: After 107 days, we are demanding that they fix the failure from the 7th and that can only start with returning all of the hostages alive.

[01:20:06]

Bringing home 136 hostages in bags can never be considered any part of a victory.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now, this comes as a report in The Wall Street Journal says that the U.S., Egypt and Qatar want Israel to join a new phase of talks with Hamas. That would start with releasing hostages and lead to Israeli forces pulling out of Gaza. Netanyahu says he's working on it, quote around the clock, but also outright rejecting Hamas's demands.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): I categorically reject the conditions of capitulation to the Hamas monsters in exchange for the release of our hostages Hamas demands and into the war, the withdrawal of our forces from Gaza, the release of all murderers and rapists from Nakba, and the continuation of Hamas in power. If we accept this, our soldiers have fallen in vain.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Earlier I spoke to CNN political and global affairs analyst Barak Ravid and asked him about Netanyahu's political security right now, amid those growing calls for a change in Israel's leadership.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARAK RAVID, CNN POLITICAL AND GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, I think Netanyahu's one of his weakest points politically since he started his political career more than three decades ago. A poll that was published on Sunday on channel 13, in Israel showed that 53 percent of Israelis think that Netanyahu is mostly thinking about his own personal interest, and not about the interests of the country. His party was in -- one of his weakest points in the polls, I think he

got 15 seats or 16 seats, which is half of what it has today. And his coalition right now only gets 45 seats, which is 19 less than it has today. So I think that Netanyahu is in a very, very weak spot.

HOLMES: And how how's the hostage situation specifically, and the lack of more releases hurt him on the Israeli Street?

RAVID: I'm not sure it hurt him, at least not in the immediate term. Just another point from that poll, only 35 percent of Israelis prefer doing a deal right now, if it means to stop the war and release all the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons.

So I think that when it comes to public opinion and the hostage issue, Netanyahu is still sort of in a good place. But you see how every day there's more and more protests among the hostage the families of the arches, and it, you know, it grows slowly but surely, within the Israeli public.

HOLMES: Speculation in Israeli media that Netanyahu's position on a two state solution, or more accurately, no two state solution is actually part of a political plan. And you were talking about how he's out for himself or seem that way because he's so unpopular for his handling of the war.

And what led up to October 7, that it's part of a political plan to pivot to a message of I'll stop Palestinian state, I stood up to the U.S. and the West, rather than be judged on his merits. What do you think of that theory?

RAVID: Well, first, I'd say I think that what matters to most Israelis these days is not whether Netanyahu will stop a Palestinian state or support Palestinian state. Between 70 to 80 percent of Israelis voted Netanyahu to resign, regardless of his position on two-state solution.

So I think I'm not sure this campaign will work. He tried it. He tried sort of a similar campaign after the beginning of the war, when he said that everything that happened in the -- in Gaza is a result of the Oslo Accords from 30 years ago, the Israeli public didn't buy it.

I'm not sure it will buy the whole, you know, two-state solution thing or his opposition to state solution. And honestly, I think that, you know, Netanyahu lied so many times about his position of two-state solution that I'm not sure why even -- why anybody would even take seriously whatever he has to say on this issue.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Turning now to the conflict in Ukraine, the country is striking areas within Russia as it appears to be trying to disrupt Moscow's military operations. CNN's Fred Pleitgen and with more on that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The Ukrainians once again demonstrating their long distance strike capability in this case, claiming to have hit an oil depot near the town of St. Petersburg.

Now this depot about 100 miles west of St. Petersburg on the Gulf of Finland.

[01:25:03]

And the Ukrainians are saying that it's a very important one for the Russians because there, they make an array of products, including jet fuel. And the Ukrainians say that some of those products are used by the Russian military.

In other words, the Ukrainian say they consider this to be a legitimate target. Now, if the drone was indeed flown from Ukrainian territory, it would have flown hundreds of miles across Russia to then reach that area. That area of Russia that it would have flown over also has a lot of very capable air defenses.

So certainly a big feat by the Ukrainians if indeed they flew that drone out of Ukrainian held territory. And also all this comes only days after the Russians also said that they had taken down a Ukrainian drone in an area around where the strike has now happened.

Now all of this is going on while the war continues to be in full swing. The Russian held area of Donetsk saying that many people were killed in Ukrainian shelling on Sunday. The Ukrainians are also saying that they are trying to defend against Russian pushes that are happening along the east and southeast of the front line.

The Russians are saying that they managed to take a village from the Ukrainians in the Kharkiv area, as the Russian military continues to push. Fred Pleitgen, CNN in eastern Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: At least 47 people are missing in southwest China after a landslide hit two villagers early this morning. According to state media. Rescue operations are underway in Yunnan Province and more than 500 residents have been evacuated amid freezing temperatures.

One witness described the landslide on state owned TV saying quote, the mountain just collapsed. The cause of the slides still unclear.

In the United Kingdom, stormy shows hammering the British Isles with high wind alerts in effect for most of the nation. That storm has brought powerful wind gusts heavy rain and mild temperatures to the region almost 300 high wind reports were recorded on Sunday.

Strong winds have led to some treacherous landing attempts at London's Heathrow Airport. See one of them there. More than 300 flights were reportedly delayed. On Sunday more than 100 others canceled altogether.

Still to come, Ron DeSantis out bad how much will that affect the Republican voters at Tuesday's primary. Also, more of that CNN interview with U.S. Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, her message for New Hampshire and the country after the break.

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[01:31:02]

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back.

You're watching CNN NEWSROOM with me, Michael Holmes. And we appreciate your company.

We are counting down the hours to the New Hampshire primary where former U.S. President Donald Trump now has one less opponent in the race for the Republican nomination. That's after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis suspended his campaign for president on Sunday.

At one point, he had posed the greatest threat to Trump in securing the Republican nomination.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DESANTIS: If there was anything I could do to produce a favorable outcome, more campaign stops, more interviews, I would do it. But I can't ask our supporters to volunteer their time and donate their resources if we don't have a clear path to victory.

Accordingly, I am today suspending my campaign.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now the Republican race down to just two main candidates, Donald Trump of course, and former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley. DeSantis has thrown his support behind Trump. For his part, Trump says he's looking forward to working with the Florida governor.

Meantime, Nikki Haley urging -- using the moment to rally support for the fight ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NIKKI HALEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And I want to say to Ron, you ran a great race. He's been a good governor, and we wish him well.

Having said that, it's now one fellow and one lady left.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Now the question becomes, how one less opponent will change Tuesday's primary election.

I asked CNN political commentator Alice Stewart how it would impact the race, and whether it changes Nikki Haley's odds of success. Here's a part of our conversation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALICE STEWART, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, it will have a big impact, Michael, on New Hampshire. And as far as how it impacts the race after that, remains to be seen. I don't think very much.

And here's why. Look, DeSantis came into this race, he had tremendous amounts of money, he had tremendous amounts of expectation. He had solid name ID, and frankly he was, you know, central casting for a presidential candidate in terms of the looks and optics of the family and the kids.

But the problem was, it was not a very well-run campaign. It was run by outside political action committee, there was tension between his current staff as governor, and the incoming staff on the presidential campaign.

So that created a great deal of turmoil. And I can tell you working on several presidential campaigns, you all have to be on the same page from the very beginning or the wheels start to fall off, and they did.

HOLMES: Right.

STEWART: And they started to get a handle of things in the summer and it was just too little too late. But look, he wasn't living up to the expectations they had with him. Donald Trump as we know, last week in Iowa had a resounding victory there and really set the stone for the fact that Republicans are willing to listen to Donald Trump and give him a second chance.

The question now is, how will this impact Nikki Haley? And look, I think her strong third-place showing in Iowa puts her in a good spot in New Hampshire. Look, she has tremendous wind at her sails here in New Hampshire. Her image of being a more moderate candidate is representative and appealing to the people here in New Hampshire.

I think she will do well here, polls -- our CNN poll has Donald Trump around 50 percent, her around 36, DeSantis was at six. I think she can bridge the gap in the next couple of days.

But how that will impact after New Hampshire, I don't see it changing the ultimate endgame, which is probably Donald Trump.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[01:34:43]

HOLMES: Now, in the final hours of New Hampshire primary campaign, Haley hammering home one of her main campaign messages, that she is the best option for those who want to avoid a rematch between Trump and President Joe Biden and don't care for either candidate.

Here's what she told our Dana Bash.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HALEY: 70 percent of Americans don't want to see a Trump-Biden rematch.

But even look at that. 56,000 people voted in Iowa, less than 2 percent voted in one state. We're not going to let that decide what happens in the country.

We've got New Hampshire, we've got South Carolina, we've got Super Tuesday, we're going to keep on going. And we're going to fight and we're going to win.

I'm used to people underestimating me. It's always fun. But there were 14 people in this race and now there are two. I'm going to finish this so Joe Biden and Donald Trump are not an issue at all, that we actually put them in the past and we go forward because our country deserves it and Americans want it. They're tired.

DANA BASH, CNN HOST: As former governor of South Carolina, South Carolina doesn't vote, as you know, for a month. You are pledging right now to your former constituents, to your fellow South Carolinians, that you are going to stay in this race through the contest there?

HALEY: Absolutely. And South Carolinians know I won that state twice. They know I'm a fighter, they know I'm going to go all the way through.

I'm also an accountant. So we saved a lot of our dollars to make sure we could be strong in South Carolina. We're going to be stronger in New Hampshire than we were in Iowa. We're going to be even stronger in South Carolina than we were in New Hampshire and we're going to keep on going until we're the last woman standing.

BASH: You just did it again. And we've heard you over and over in recent weeks on the campaign trail -- lumping Donald Trump and Joe Biden together. Do you believe that they are equally bad for America?

HALEY: It's not even what I believe, it's what Americans believe.

BASH: Well, what do you believe? Because you're the one who's saying that.

HALEY: I worry about the fact that they are so focused on investigations and things that they don't like, and focus on the past. When do you ever hear either one of them talk about the solutions of the future?

I'm doing this because I don't want my kids to live like this. We have got to start looking forward. You've got a country in disarray, you've got a world on fire, and you're going to focus on people who hurt your feelings? You're going to focus on investigations that are involved with your families? You're going to focus on vengeance?

With me it's no drama, it's no vendetta. It's just hard work and it's making sure we're not thinking four and eight years, we're thinking 20 and 30 years out. That's what it should be.

And we've lost that. We lost that a long time ago but we can get it back. And I'm going to prove every day to every American that they made the right decision when I get elected.

(END VIDEO CLIP) HOLMES: Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley there speaking with CNN' Dana Bash in New Hampshire.

Now, Democrats are reacting to DeSantis' decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential campaign. In a statement, the Democratic National Committee says quote, "Ron DeSantis pinned his entire campaigns hopes on the same extreme MAGA agenda that both Donald Trump and Nikki Haley are still running on.

And now, he's the latest member of the GOP to fall in line behind the original MAGA brand."

Still to come here on the program, mass demonstrations gaining momentum in Germany. Ahead the far-right plan that has these people upset.

[01:38:05]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Hundreds of thousands of people turning out in Berlin and cities across Germany, protesting for a second straight week against the country's major far-right party. The demonstrations have gained momentum after reports emerged that senior members of the Alternative for Germany Party have discussed a quote, "master plan" for the mass deportation of migrants and even German citizens who originally came from other countries.

Many Germans are comparing the AFD stand on migrants to the Nazi era and are calling for a ban on the party.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: A huge turnout in Germany to protest against the rise of the far-right, and an ideology reminiscent of the country's darkest days. Waving signs that say "Never Again" and "Nazis are Disgusting", hundreds of thousands of people rallied in cities across the country over the weekend against the far-right party, the Alternative for Germany and its anti-immigrant policies that many Germans say are similar to the Nazis.

JORG LAURENTSCH, PROTESTER: Germany is undergoing a huge shift to the right, just as it was almost before the war or before the Second World War. I don't think it's ever been this bad since the war.

HOLMES: The AFD struck a nerve with many Germans after it was revealed that senior party members attended a secret meeting last year of Neo- Nazis and other extremists, and discussed plans for mass deportation of migrants including German citizens.

The AFD denies it is a racist or extremist group, and denies such plans are part of their policy, although calls to ban the party are growing. But it has also recorded high polling in some states, and is expected to make gains in regional and perhaps European elections this year. Something protesters say needs to change. KATRIN DELRIEUX, PROTESTER: I hope that it will make people change

their minds. Some may not yet be sure whether they will vote for the AFD or not. But after these demonstrations, they simply can't do that anymore.

HOLMES: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has encouraged people to join the protests, saying extremism in the country is a threat to democracy, and a throwback to a time of hatred and violence.

OLAF SCHOLZ, GERMAN CHANCELLOR (through translator): If there is something in Germany which must never ever find a place again, it is the national race ideology of the Nazis. The repulsive relocation plans by these extremists is just that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: And joining me now from Berlin is Matthew Karnitschnig. He is chief Europe correspondent for Politico. Thanks for being with us.

I mean it really is difficult to imagine something like that, something so radical ever actually happening. I mean it seems extraordinary that it was even discussed within elements of a major political party. Just give us a sense of how much this whole affair has shocked Germans.

MATTHEW KARNITSCHNIG, CHIEF EUROPE CORRESPONDENT, POLITICO: Good morning. I think it really has unnerved the country like little else I've seen in the last 20, 25 years of working in and around Germany. It really has made people quite nervous and I think one of the reasons is that the people who were at this meeting, only about two dozen, 25 to 30 people or so -- but the people who were there were not skinheads. They were professionals. They were lawyers, doctors, some businessmen were there.

[01:44:52]

KARNITSCHNIG: And I think it sort of really opened people's eyes to the fact that the danger the far-right poses to Germany remains very strong, a lot stronger than many people realized.

And as you say, at first glance this scheme that they were discussing sounds completely absurd, but given that Germany is a country of many ethnicities now, it's become much more diverse over the past few decades, I think it really made a lot of people nervous. Because you're talking about potentially 25 percent of the population that group would like to potentially deport.

HOLMES: And you began a Politico article on this by saying, and I'll just quote you, if there's one thing that most Germans can agree on, it's that they're not doing the Nazi thing again.

So you know, how does Germany's own history play into the reaction to this? We even just heard, you know, Olaf Scholz say it hearkened to Nazi plans to deport Jews.

KARNITSCHNIG: Absolutely. I think it plays a very central role. And it's worth mentioning that even though the far-right party, the AFD is getting about a quarter of the population in recent polling, there is 75 percent of the country at least that is strongly opposed to them still, or at least opposed to them.

I think many of those people will be very strongly opposed. And this does sort of reawaken these ghosts of Germany's past, if you will. And the setting of this meeting, this luxury hotel in the woods outside Berlin reminded a lot of people of this conference that was held in Berlin in 1942, the Wannsee conference when the Nazis planned out the Holocaust.

HOLMES: Rookie mistake there, mate, couldn't turn the phone off. Kidding.

I did want to ask you, you mentioned the polling numbers, and that's significant. The reality is that the AFD, it polls well in Germany. I mean it's hoping to make big gains in the European election in June. What does that support say about public attitudes on immigration in Germany? You know, would this idea be a bridge too far for even many of the party's supporters.

KARNITSCHNIG: Well, I think what it says is that, you know, the Germans have seen over the past 10 years or so one wave of migration after another and particularly from the Middle East and particularly from Syria, Afghanistan and places like that.

And many Germans now have a sense that we're the only ones who are taking in these refugees. The rest of Europe is not doing its part, enough is enough.

There is a lot of frustration over that because the government hasn't really succeeded in mitigating the effects of migration on the infrastructure in Germany, the logistics around taking in these refugees is very complicated, a lot of local communities are strained. They don't have the resources to deal with them.

And I think this is a lot of the frustration that you're seeing here. According to most academics who have looked into the sort of far-right movement in Germany, they say only about 25 percent of the people who would vote for the AFD are actually extremist themselves.

So I think this gives you a sense of, you know, just how this is kind of frustrating a lot of people. There's a lot of volatility in the German electorate at the moment where, you know, most people want to send kind of a signal that they're frustrated with the way the establishment politicians are handling this issue of migration in particular.

HOLMES: Right.

KARNITSCHNIG: But that doesn't mean that they are Nazis, as it were.

HOLMES: We've only got a minute left, but the AFD is being monitored by the country's office for the protection of the constitution as a suspected extremist group, which seems extraordinary for a party that does poll reasonably well with voters. How are they viewed by the more mainstream electorate, and we've got

to say, this is a mainstream party.

KARNITSCHNIG: Absolutely. I think when you're getting this much of the vote, and in some -- I'm sorry, somebody doesn't want to stop calling me.

In some regions of Germany, they're polling as much as 36 percent, which is you know, really extraordinary when you think about it.

But the mainstream, I think, you know, if you see these protests that have happened over the past couple of days they really point to the fact that there is a large swath of Germany the establishment parties that are going to stand up to this. They're not going to kind of roll over because for them, they see this really as an issue about democracy, the future of democracy in Germany.

[01:49:50]

KARNITSCHNIG: And this is across the board in terms of the right-left divide in sort of establishment politics in Germany.

HOLMES: Great to get your analysis Matthew Karnitschnig in Berlin. You've got a call to take, so we'll let you go. Thanks so much, appreciate that.

KARNITSCHNIG: Thank you.

HOLMES: Cheers.

All right. Still ahead here on the program, a new Ram Temple will be inaugurated in India soon. The controversy on how it came to be built, that's when we come back.

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HOLMES: Live pictures coming to us here from India where the Prime Minister Narendra Modi is presiding over the inauguration of a new multimillion dollar Ram Temple in Ayodhya this hour.

The construction of the temple fulfills his long-standing promise in an election year. The controversial Hindu temple stands on the site of a 16th century mosque that was destroyed by Hindu nationalists in 1992, triggering riots that killed about 2,000 people.

Vedika Sud joins me now from Ayodhya with the latest. Vedika, what does this consecration mean for Modi and Hindus in India?

[01:54:54]

VEDIKA SUD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That is a good question, Michael. But before I get to that let me just tell you we are about two and a half kilometers away from where the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India's leader is right now.

As you can see in those live visuals, he is right in the center and is being focused upon by the cameras as I speak to you, the consecration the Ram idol, an idol and a god which Hindus revere here in India will take place anytime now. The idol will be unveiled by one of those leaders inside, most probably Narendra Modi. Along with him, you can see a lot of priests, as well, the chanting is on, the prayers are on, any moment now that consecration that millions of Hindus have been waiting for across India will take place.

Now let's talk about Narendra Modi. What does this mean for him, as you just asked me. Michael, this cements the legacy of the man, Narendra Modi. This is the crowning glory moment for Narendra Modi. It's been his ambition to deliver this temple to the people of India.

In India, you have a population of 80 percent Hindus, that is a huge number of the 1.4 billion people that we are talking about. This is the moment that he has been waiting for for years. It was a promise as part of his manifesto in the 2014 elections ahead of winning that, as well as the 2019 elections. And today he is delivering on that promise.

For the opposition a lot of them are boycotting this event today Michael, because they say that it has been politicized by a leader who is a prime minister of the country and should keep politics and religion separate. But he hasn't, according to them.

And they will not be attending this event. But for Narendra Modi, like I said, and for Hindus all over India, this is a very emotional moment. It is a moment full of national pride and this is a moment that sees Indian prime minister as a Hindu national leader that he promised to be for this nation. Back to you.

HOLMES: All right. Vedika Sud there in Ayodhya. Thank you so much.

And thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Michael Holmes.

Don't go anywhere. The news continues with Rosemary Church.

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