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Haley Cuts Trump's Lead; Chinese Become Fastest Growing Group of Migrants; Michigan Wins Football Championship. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired January 09, 2024 - 06:30   ET

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

[06:30:00]

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Twenty-one people were hurt, some critically. Thankfully, no deaths have been reported. But this blast sent debris into the street downtown as firefighters rushed to rescue people who were actually trapped in the basement. The fire department says 26 of the rooms there were occupied.

And, overnight, crews went room to room trying to make sure no one else was trapped. Officials say the nearly 104-year-old building was renovated recently and some work was going on at the time of the explosion. A federal law enforcement source tells CNN there is no indication that there is any criminal involvement here.

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the state of South Carolina catapulted then candidate Joe Biden to the top of the Democratic primary in 2020. He returned to the state to try and lock in a crucial voting bloc. We're going to have takeaways from that event, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: Well, Nikki Haley is having a good morning. A boost of momentum for her campaign in a key primary state. A new CNN and University of New Hampshire poll out this morning shows her up 12 points in that state since November. She's now within seven points of Donald Trump in the granite state. Trump had dominated Republican polls there for much of the year. New Hampshire's primary is two weeks from today.

With us, CNN political analyst and historian, Leah Wright Rigueur, former Obama administration official Sarah Feinberg, and CNN political commentator and Spectrum News political anchor Errol Louis.

Good morning, guys.

SARAH FEINBERG, FORMER OBAMA ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Good morning.

HARLOW: I - I guess I was surprised, Errol, more than you at how close this is, seven points, you know, 39 percent for Trump, 32 percent for Nikki Haley.

[06:35:03]

But the amount she jumped, she jumped from 20 percent in November, whereas Donald Trump is down from 42 percent.

ERROL LOUIS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: That's exactly right. Look, Donald Trump has been at essentially the same level since about April of 2022. So, people who know him like him and that's where that is.

On the other hand, you get a very clear picture of a new candidate who's doing exactly what a candidate wants, which is to have a surge at the last minute. And so she's - she's rising in the polls. She's the - the alternative. She's tried to identify herself as the alternative, and voters in New Hampshire at least seem to be responding to it.

And then very interestingly, because New Hampshire allows independent voters, non-registered voters, you know -

HARLOW: Right.

LOUIS: You get some insight into what a general election candidate Nikki Haley might look like, which happens to dovetail with one of her stronger arguments, which is that I can win in November, I'm not, you know -- and to the extent that people buy that in New Hampshire, she's getting exactly the scenario she wanted, strong second place in Iowa, somehow an upset in New Hampshire, her home state of South Carolina, it's the best scenario she could hope for.

MATTINGLY: Let me pull on that actually because we have a piece of the poll I think that we can pull up, likely Republican primary voters, first choice for nominee. Registered Republican, Trump's at 58 percent to Haley's 21 percent. Registered undeclared, Trump's at 17, Haley's at 43. That's her game right there, right?

HARLOW: Yes.

MATTINGLY: And then if you - if you can - you dig into kind of first and second choice, a huge chunk of Christie's supporters would go to Haley likely. And yet I think almost half of Haley's supporters have not said they're decided. They haven't totally made up - so there's room to move here.

LOUIS: Still needs to close the deal.

MATTINGLY: Right.

LOUIS: And there's still the possibility of something, you know, dramatic, like Chris Christie or somebody else saying, like, look, you know, if you're not going to pick me, this is somebody you should pick.

MATTINGLY: Do you think that's a necessity at this point?

FEINBERG: I don't know if it's a necessity. I agree with you, it's interesting that the Republicans are still so strongly with Trump and, you know, independents are with Haley.

But let's not forget about how much momentum is going to come out of Iowa. If she just is - you know, beats expectations in Iowa, which it looks like she's going to do, comes close in New Hampshire, she's going to start looking acceptable to a lot of people who haven't been paying attention to her. And so her momentum, she's timed this perfectly. And as we've talked about on this show before, she loves this. She's having a great time. Like, she's feeding off of this momentum.

HARLOW: You know, we heard her in this Fox News town hall say, look, chaos, she said, rightly or wrongly follows him, being Trump, everywhere he goes. And just look where Trump is today. Could be in Iowa. Could be in New Hampshire. He is in the courtroom. He is appealing, in Washington, D.C., saying, I can basically do anything, even criminal, as president. Just a remarkable contrast.

LEAH WRIGHT RIGUEUR, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST AND HISTORIAN: That is a very remarkable contrast. But not only that, I think this race has been Trump's from the beginning. Everybody knew that. Nikki Haley knows that. It's been a competition for number two for the last several months, for really since all of the other candidates have gotten into the race. But it's a candidate - it's a - it's a campaign where number two really, really matters. Why? Because of the instability and the chaos of the former president of the United States.

So, we have somebody like Nikki Haley, who's coming out here, who knows that there is a good chance that she's going to come in number two no matter what she does, but saying, look, if I come in second, that's fine because I provide a stable, right, alternative to the current - to the former president of the United States.

With me you'll have -- and it's actually very similar to the argument that Joe Biden made, which is, you will have a stable, normal, boring presidency. I will not offer you criminal trials. I will not say anything outrageous. I won't be picking fights with random celebrities and things like that. I will just be your president of the United States.

And I think what's really important to remember is that irrespective of, you know, what's going on with independents, although I think they matter, is that moderate and liberal Republicans actually want that. So, Nikki Haley is offering them an alternative in a way that is surpassing Ron DeSantis in really incredible ways. And the truth is, you know, stranger things have happened. The former president may end up in jail, which would open a pathway for Nikki Haley to be the next president of the United States.

MATTINGLY: The chaos, the instability, a key piece of the Biden campaign's pitch. Clearly. Second major event of 2024 yesterday down at Mother Emanuel Church. A critical constituency for Democrats. But I was also struck by this moment.

Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you really care about the lives lost here, then you should honor the lives lost and call for a ceasefire in Palestine.

CROWD: Ceasefire now! Ceasefire now! Ceasefire now!

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: That's all right. That's all right.

CROWD: Ceasefire now! Ceasefire now!

BIDEN: That's all right. That's all right.

CROWD: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

BIDEN: Now, I understand their passion. And I've been quietly working -- I've been quietly working with the Israeli government to get them to reduce and significantly get out of Gaza.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[06:40:10]

MATTINGLY: The reason why -- I'm not trying to blow up protesters at an event, why they do it at a black church, but not totally sure I would want to do that if I were them, but the idea of these are constituencies that are core to Joe Biden's coalition. And he has issues right now with those constituencies being soft to some degree on the polling. If you're advising the campaign, what are you saying when you watch moments like that?

FEINBERG: I mean, I think it goes back to the conversation we've Biden and his campaign trying to have with voters for the last several weeks or several - couple of months, which is, at the end of the day this is going to come down to a choice. And, you know, look, I agree with you, I would not be caught dead at a protest like that. I feel like it's in horribly poor taste. We have American hostages who are still, you know, like, have not been brought home yet. The president is working hard to try to address that. And, you know, I think the protests are in - in poor taste.

LOUIS: Yes.

FEINBERG: But, at the end of the day, you know, I think that those are the kinds of folks who are going to go into a voting booth and be like, am I going to vote for Donald Trump? Am I going to vote for Nikki Haley? I'm going to vote for Joe Biden. And this is the -

LOUIS: And -

FEINBERG: This is the - this is the far -- this is the far left.

LOUIS: And because, look, Biden does not run the Israeli Defense Forces. It's not up to him to declare a ceasefire. He's going to take the positions that he takes, and people can get angry about that, but in the end, you have to remember, this war is like, what, barely 90 days old, and it could all be - it could all go away. Israel is dialing back some of its strategy. They're trying to lessen some of the immediate violence. And that, in the end, I think is going to make this possibly a non-issue by the time the election rolls around.

MATTINGLY: All right, guys, we appreciate it. Thanks, as always.

And we do have to remind you, tomorrow at 9:00 p.m. Eastern, Jake Tapper, Dana Bash, they're going to moderate CNN's Republican presidential debate. It will be a must watch live from Iowa.

HARLOW: Meantime, migrants from Latin America, Africa, and now China, that's right, China, are showing up at the southern border of the United States. Hear why and how they are leaving the world's second largest economy and entering the U.S. through Mexico.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: How many of you here came through Ecuador?

CROWD: (speaking in foreign language).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:46:29]

MATTINGLY: Well, this morning, a new CNN investigation has uncovered a massive underground operation of Chinese migrants trying to enter the U.S. illegally by way of the southern border. Now, some of them paid more than $20,000 to enter.

CNN's David Culver reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): As soon as we pull up, they rush towards us. My mic, not even on, but that doesn't stop this crowd of Chinese migrants from venting to producer Yong Shon (ph). They're angry having to wait in the cold for Border Patrol.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Where are we?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): What's the place called?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We're all sick!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We have been here two, three days now!

CULVER (voice over): This is just one of three makeshift border camps we stop at in eastern San Diego County. Alongside migrants from Latin America, at each camp we meet dozens from China. The numbers reflect the surge. From 2013 to 2022, CBP recorded fewer than 16,000 Chinese migrants illegally crossing the U.S. southern border. This past year alone, more than 31,000. That's roughly double the prior ten years combined. But unlike those fleeing countries in turmoil, like Venezuela, Cuba,

or Haiti, these migrants are leaving the world's second largest economy.

CULVER: What was the reason you left China?

CULVER (voice over): Their answers vary.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His family is poor.

CULVER (voice over): Most cite deepening financial hardships, despite the Chinese government's narrative of a steadily rebounding economy.

CULVER: How did you get here? How did you get to southern California?

CULVER (voice over): Their trek north primarily starts in one Latin American country where Chinese do not need visas to enter.

CULVER: To Ecuador. How many - how many - how many of you here came through Ecuador?

CULVER (voice over): To really understand their journey and how it differs from other migrants, you need to see it in action.

We touched down in Ecuador's capital, Quito, and standing outside of international arrivals we noticed this man, a hired driver, scrolling through photos and messages in Chinese. A few minutes later, passengers begin stepping out. They tell us they're from China and plan to go to the U.S., but most ask we not show their faces. The driver approaches this group, making sure he's got the right passengers.

CULVER: He's got a booking for them.

CULVER (voice over): We uncovered an assortment of travel packages offered specifically to Chinese migrants. You can pay smugglers who promise to ease some of the planning stress. For $9,000 to $12,000, flights, hotels, transportation booked for you. For $20,000 or more, it's a premium service getting you to the Mexico side of the U.S. border, skipping some of the more treacherous crossings.

We drive through Ecuador's capital city with Long Twan Wa (ph). He shows us private homes and Airbnbs where Chinese migrants stay when they arrive.

Long's (ph) lived here in Quito for five years. He runs a travel agency. He has witnessed the recent surge in Chinese migrants. And with it, a spike of businesses catering to them, like this Chinese-run hotel. The owner estimates there are as many as 100 hotels in Quito that like hers host Chinese migrants headed to the U.S.

CULVER: And take a look at this. They've got essentially a how-to guide to go from here and to continue north. And they tell you here how many days you should be preparing, vaccinations you might need, other documents you should carry with you. They even mention bringing $300 and hiding that amount of money because of presumably being robbed at some point and needing cash as a backup.

[06:50:10]

CULVER (voice over): It's advice Zheng Shiqing could have use a few days earlier.

CULVER: Your parents still think you're in China? They have no idea you left?

ZHENG SHIQING, MIGRANT FROM CHINA: Yes.

CULVER (voice over): We met the 28-year-old back in Quito after he was robbed at gunpoint in Colombia.

I left China because I was not able to save any money. It was really difficult to support myself, he tells me. He says some employers in China refused to pay him even after working. Even if they say the Chinese economy is strong, it is all about the upper class, he says.

I wish I was never born. Living feels so exhausting.

After saving up enough to restart his trek, Zheng heads to this Quito bus station where ticket sellers hold up signs, like this one in Chinese. It reads (speaking in foreign language) Colombian border.

More than a dozen Chinese migrants board the bus north. We go with them for the four-hour plus ride. On board, Zheng and the others plan their next moves.

CULVER: California. California. That's the ultimate goal.

CULVER (voice over): Zheng plans to stay here in Tutcan (ph) for two nights and then hire a cab to take him over the border.

CULVER: As a lot of the Chinese migrants are able to pay their way in taxi to get to the international bridge crossing from Ecuador to Colombia, we've notice a lot of folks, migrants from Latin American countries, like these over here, not having the money to do that. So, they walk.

CULVER (voice over): In the cold rain we met Anhel (ph) and Isabel (ph) from Venezuela.

CULVER: He said it's really expensive to try to cross, so they have to walk.

CULVER (voice over): Ulcan (ph) residents tell me they see hundreds if not thousands of Chinese migrants passing through each week. And because they're often carrying more cash, they are now prime targets for corrupt police and cartels. But like Zheng they remain determined.

As we return home, he updates us on his trek. Over two weeks Zheng travels through five Central American countries, at times messaging Chinese speaking smugglers who remotely coordinate with local cartels to get him and others on vans, buses, boats and on flights. It cuts his travel time down to about half that of most Latino migrants, but it's costly.

By the time he reaches northern Mexico, he has spent more than $10,000 with one more border to go. A camera we set up facing the U.S. southern border captures weeks of crossings, thousands entering the U.S. through this gap in the wall. Group after group, day and night, you can hear these migrants shouting in Chinese.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Goodbye, my motherland!

CULVER (voice over): They end up where we started, San Diego County, burning fires through the night to keep warm, and during the day expecting Border Patrol to pick them up.

Just before new year's, Zheng messages us that he too has crossed into the U.S. and is waiting to be processed for asylum.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: America!

CULVER (voice over): Joining the thousands who have crossed before him and the many more to come.

David Culver, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: What a story.

MATTINGLY: As always, but, yes.

HARLOW: As always. Completely fascinating. David and his producer, of course, thank you for that.

He doesn't have to be there, but he will be there. Soon, Donald Trump will be in a Washington, D.C., courtroom for an appeals hearing on his federal election subversion case. We'll tell you what to expect, next.

MATTINGLY: And no matter what Michigan fans like Rick Addleson (ph) demand, I will not say it. I will not say go blue. I will not say hail to the victors.

HARLOW: Come on.

MATTINGLY: But there was a football game last night. A team won it. And I think we contractually have to talk about it, next.

HARLOW: Oh, my God.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:58:05]

HARLOW: It says, Phil.

MATTINGLY: Just -

HARLOW: Would you like me to read it? MATTINGLY: This day sucks.

HARLOW: The Michigan Wolverines are the kings of college football after beating Washington for their first national championship since 1997. Phil was up until 11:00 p.m. He is dismayed.

And Coy Wire joins us from Houston with more.

Have you slept?

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Yes, keep -- 82 minutes I think I counted, but here I am for you. And you peel Phil Mattingly's eyes open. You make him watch this whole thing.

Hot off the presses, "Detroit Press," "hail yes, Michigan are your national champions." Let's get you your highlights Philly boy.

Big names in attendance. Michael Jordan, Derek Jeter and Travis Scott. That's about $3 billion net worth all in one box. And Michigan's offensive line, they were money too, pummeling Washington. Donovan Edwards running through the Huskies like a bowling ball through a wet paper bag. Ninety-three yards, two huge touchdowns, all in the first half. Says he plays for his mom, who he lost to cancer when he was a young kid. Seventeen to 10 Michigan at the half.

In the second, Michigan's number one ranked defense was balling. Intercepting Heisman candidate Michael Penix two times. The first was on the very first play of the half. And then it was Michigan's star running back Blake Corum finishing them, running for two touchdowns of his own. Michigan are your college football playoff national champs, not Ohio State. And 34-13 is your final. We caught up with the champs after the game.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: What's the win mean to you, J.J.?

J.J. MCCARTHY, MICHIGAN QUARTERBACK: Everything. Everything for our teammates, but most importantly Michigan Nation. It's been too long. Finally brought it back home.

JIM HARBAUGH, MICHIGAN HEAD COACH: Tremendous performance by our team. I mean it took on all coverage (ph). And - and - and we're the last ones standing. That's a tremendous feeling.

WIRE: National champion, how's that sound?

BLAKE CORUM, MICHIGAN RUNNING BACK: That's something that's going to last with me forever. No one can ever take that away from me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[07:00:02]

WIRE: Now, Coach Jim Harbaugh, 38 seasons as an NFL and college player or coach. No championship titles until now.