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Record-Setting, Bitterly Cold Temps Threaten Iowa Caucuses; Poll Shows Trump Has Consistently Been Clear Leader in Iowa Race; Packers Run Cowboys Out Of Playoffs. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired January 15, 2024 - 05:30   ET

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

[05:30:00]

ALLISON CHINCHAR, AMS METEOROLOGIST: So you've got a lot of folks here who are dealing with extremely cold temperatures and it's going to last through the day today and, for some, even for a few more days.

Right now, in Bismarck, it feels like it is 39 degrees below normal when you factor in that windchill. Minneapolis -- the temperature is eight below; the feels-like is 23 below. But Des Moines -- you're talking the feels-like temperature at the moment is 31 degrees below zero.

Again, tonight in Des Moines, it's not much better. That temp -- feels-like temperature will be about 32 degrees below zero when folks are heading out for the caucuses. And it's pretty much around the state. Waterloo, Cedar Rapids, Davenport -- again, all looking at those feels-like temperatures at least 20 to 30 degrees below zero.

One thing to note -- just to talk about how actually cold Des Moines is -- look at this comparison. The high temperature today in Des Moines compared to the high temperature in Fairbanks, Alaska. Yes, it's going to be colder today in Des Moines than it will be in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Now, we've also got that cold air in place across the South and what that means is as this moisture moves in it's going to come in the form of snow and ice across many southern states that don't usually see weather like this. So you've got winter storm warnings for some of these places that could end up picking up three to even six inches of snow. That includes areas of Arkansas and Tennessee. Ice is going to be the concern for areas of northern Louisiana.

But this system shifts off into the northeast. This could possibly end New York and D.C.'s snowless streaks in a couple of days.

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Allison Chinchar. Thank you.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Donald Trump attacking Nikki Haley in the final hours before the Iowa caucuses, saying she's not tough enough to be president. Our Dana Bash asked Nikki Haley what she thought of that. Hear her response next.

(COMMERCIAL) [05:35:54]

KASIE HUNT, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back.

You are looking at live pictures of Des Moines, Iowa. The current temperature is a cool negative-12 degrees. I'm going to go with frigid. Iowa is gearing up for its coldest caucuses ever today. Let me tell you, I thought it was cold the last three or four times I did this. It ain't -- it doesn't have anything on what's going on here today.

And look, I think the big storyline here as we head into the day is that Team Trump has really not let up, even here to the very end. We know that these frigid cold temperatures are really going to make it hard to convince people to come out into this weather. It's going to make it physically difficult. Gravel roads in rural Iowa are not plowed.

The temperatures are, frankly, dangerous, especially if you are an elderly person, for example, it may be more dangerous. And those are some of the people that have said -- have told pollsters that they would support Donald Trump.

But as I've talked to sources here on the ground, there -- they have told me that Trump supporters have been calling their precinct captains -- calling people that they know are going to show up and asking who has got a 4-wheel drive vehicle to get them to the polls. And I think it's really emblematic of what they learned from their loss here in Iowa in 2016.

And it also shows you the effort that the whole team has -- the whole Trump team has camped out at the hotel -- Fort Des Moines -- down the road, including the former president himself who honestly hates spending a day away from his own bed -- his own home. So I think it's telling that he is here, especially in this cold weather.

And, of course, the question -- the thing that predicts best whether or not you are going to caucus -- so, especially in a reality like this -- is if you have done it before. And that actually does give an edge to Ron DeSantis and his more traditional Iowa campaign.

Those people are used to showing up. Donald Trump supporters are people that -- many of them are -- say they're going to be first-time caucusgoers for him.

So, yes -- on the one hand, you have enthusiasm. But on the other hand, they're trying to convince them to do something new and that's never so easy in politics -- Poppy, Phil.

MATTINGLY: Yeah, especially when it's like negative 50 degrees outside.

Kasie Hunt, we'll get back to you shortly.

Joining us now, our CNN political commentators Alice Stewart, Geoff Duncan, and Karen Finney. Alice, of course, is a communications director for the last three

Republican Iowa caucus winners before this year around. And Alice, that's actually where I want to start with you.

ALICE STEWART, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST, FORMER COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR FOR TED CRUZ: Right.

MATTINGLY: Kasie makes great points. If you -- new caucusgoers are always a little bit of a roll of the dice, particularly when you have weather like this. My bigger question right now is traditional -- when Kasie talks about traditional, particularly evangelical voters, I'm not so sure there are monolith anymore. I think that it's been -- there has been some fractures in terms of that voting bloc, and what does that portend for the day ahead?

STEWART: Right. When you look at the evangelical bloc, Trump, right now -- according to The Des Moines Register poll that came out Sunday, Trump has 51 percent of that group. DeSantis, down around 22. That's significant for Donald Trump because they are going to turn out. But meanwhile, DeSantis had the backing of Bob Vander Plaats, who has worked on every campaign I've been on and really can turn out the evangelical group. So we're seeing a split in that.

But I think the evangelical number is one to look at, but the enthusiasm. What we saw with The Des Moines Register poll -- 88 percent are very enthusiastic for Donald Trump. DeSantis and Haley pale in comparison. So when you're having these Siberian temperatures out there you really need people to be more than excited and motivated to do so.

And look, I think Donald Trump is Trump. He says things that we talk about that make no sense and you think that's it -- that's the last straw of his campaign. But he does have a very good campaign team -- Susie Wiles, Chris LaCivita, John Brabender. They know what to do. Brabender was with us before with Santorum. He knows how to win Iowa.

They're doing the traditional things -- the door-knocking, the getting out the vote, the phone calls. And now, they're organizing cars. And that hat that Trump wears -- the "Trump Caucus Captain" -- those are one of the motivators. If you organize a group to go to caucus you get one of those coveted white, limited edition hats.

[05:40:09]

So they're doing traditional things that will help them do well not because of Donald Trump but in spite of him because they're doing the traditional campaigning that is necessary for Iowa.

HARLOW: Geoff, this Des Moines Register poll is so interesting in so many ways but particularly on enthusiasm and the enthusiasm gap for Nikki Haley. Only 39 percent of her supporters are excited. But then, when you go into the extremely enthusiastic camp it's only nine percent for Nikki Haley, 49 percent for Trump, 23 percent for DeSantis for extremely enthusiastic.

That has Ann Selzer, famous for this polling, saying that she's on very -- Nikki Haley is on very shaky ground. So, Haley is happy to be in second but it's within the margin of error -- but very shaky ground. What does that portend?

GEOFF DUNCAN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, (R) FORMER LT. GOVERNOR OF GEORGIA: Yeah. I guess I missed the memo that the more indictments you get the more popular you are as a candidate. I mean, it's opposite. They again, again, and again --

And Nikki has really run a really strong campaign, right? She's peaking at the right time. She's getting the right message out. Her background is really succinct to the current environment with all of the international issues going on. But we still see this stranglehold of Donald Trump.

You talk about these evangelicals. I just still am amazed that they have stuck with him as long as they have. The math doesn't make sense, right? As far as the evangelicals and kind of what their background is, and this whole book about Jesus really just doesn't fit really well with Donald Trump's autobiography that he continues to write.

HARLOW: It's a good thing we have evangelical pastors joining us a little bit later on the show from Iowa to talk about that.

DUNCAN: And I think another thing -- this is -- maybe it's just because I'm a sports addict, but we've got to distract the voter today. It's 30 below and there's a couple of good football games on, too.

MATTINGLY: That's actually really good. I've been thinking about that a lot this weekend.

STEWART: Don't remind Wolf Blitzer. His Bills are playing right in the middle of his anchor show time.

MATTINGLY: Actually, that's why he --

STEWART: He's not happy.

MATTINGLY: And it makes a good point about the type of campaign he has run --

KAREN FINNEY, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, FORMER COMMUNICATIONS AND POLITICAL OUTREACH SENIOR ADVISER, HILLARY FOR AMERICA, FORMER SENIOR SPOKESPERSON FOR HILLARY CLINTON'S 2016 CAMPAIGN: Yeah.

MATTINGLY: -- definitely peaking at the time you would want to peak. Was not majorly involved in Iowa until over the course of the last couple of months.

FINNEY: Yeah.

MATTINGLY: And Trump has really taken a shot, or started to take lots of shots at her, which she was asked about by our Dana Bash yesterday. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) NIKKI HALEY, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't care as much about elected officials endorsing as much as I care about the voters' endorsements. I have never really cared for -- I don't line up a bunch of endorsements to do that. I want to win the people's vote.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: There, talking specifically about the number of endorsements --

FINNEY: Yeah.

MATTINGLY: -- both DeSantis and Trump have rolled out. Trump rolling out a couple yesterday of big ones -- Doug Burgum and Marco Rubio as well.

FINNEY: Yeah.

MATTINGLY: What does she need to do? What does Nikki Haley need to do in Iowa?

FINNEY: Yeah. Well, let's just say when we hit New Hampshire she's real happy for that endorsement of the governor. So I think we'll hear a different tone in about a week.

Look, she needs to do a couple of things. She's going to need to come in a very strong second. And I think -- now, I think what we need to be looking at is how she does it. Does she -- you know, Trump continues to be weak with white suburban women. Does she pull those voters out? She's probably not going to get the evangelical vote, which is not just core in Iowa but core to any Republican victory in the presidential race.

So, sort of, where she -- she -- also, a lot of her support we saw in that poll -- Democrats and Independents. Are Democrats and Independents really going to come out at minus 40 to change their registration and vote?

So I think for her, if she has a strong second that can kind of slingshot her into New Hampshire where she's doing quite well -- I mean, obviously, Donald Trump very far ahead but she's actually -- she's leap-frogged ahead of the others. And then that gives her an argument for donors to continue to support her to see if she can actually be the alternative to Trump.

One other thing about her campaign when you're talking about enthusiasm, there's a big difference. She's been using paid canvassers. The others have been using volunteers. That makes a big difference because when somebody --

MATTINGLY: Why?

FINNEY: When somebody comes to your door and they say look, let me tell you why I'm for Donald Trump, let me tell you why I'm for Rick (sic) DeSantis versus someone who is getting paid.

HARLOW: Right.

FINNEY: It's not to say they're not -- they're not going to give you the pitch but it's not the same when it's coming from the heart.

And if you listen to what the Trump voters have been saying, they believe this is a fight for good and evil and that they have to be there to bring Donald Trump over the finish line. And the Trump team is looking for a big win tonight.

HARLOW: Did Haley picking up a couple of points and moving into second in Iowa in The Des Moines Register poll actually make it more challenging for her tonight in terms of the optic -- meaning, now her expectations are --

STEWART: Right.

HARLOW: -- just higher? Whereas, for DeSantis, this is make-or-break. He says he likes being the underdog.

STEWART: Right, and that's the key with Iowa, right? You have to under-promise and overdeliver --

HARLOW: Right.

STEWART: -- and you have to beat the expectation game.

And to your point, her numbers did rise in this Register poll and DeSantis has gone down. So that does give the optics that hey, she's got the wind in her sails. She should be doing better. I think everyone would be wise to lower the expectations.

[05:45:00]

Look, she does have the benefit now of a huge AFP endorsement -- Americans for Prosperity. They have put millions of dollars into her campaign. She has $8 million of paid ads up on the airwaves in Iowa, which every time -- every time you turn on the television in Iowa, if you all have been there, it's ad after ad and a lot of them are her. Those have been -- those are helpful.

We can sit here and talk about the candidates all day long. She has a lot of money to put airs -- ads on the airwaves there. And certainly, DeSantis and Trump are doing it as well.

But her goal is to, as Karen said, get into New Hampshire where she has -- her more moderate message is more appealing to the people of New Hampshire. And I think she could not only bridge the gap with Trump but potentially overcome him in New Hampshire because the numbers look good for her.

MATTINGLY: All right, Alice, Geoff, Karen. Thanks, guys. Appreciate it.

HARLOW: Still to come, how the Iowa caucuses have secured their place in American history and served as a make or break moment for presidential hopefuls. That's ahead. (COMMERCIAL)

[05:50:09]

MATTINGLY: Well, it's fair to say there's a lot at stake at the Iowa caucuses later tonight. And if there's one thing we've learned from history, the state's presidential campaign trail has brought us some very memorable moments from laugh out loud to some of the absolutely most cringeworthy in a contest that could make or break a presidential contender.

CNN's Randi Kaye takes a look back at some of those unforgettable moments.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When Vermont Gov. Howard Dean came in third place in the Iowa caucuses 20 years ago this was his response.

HOWARD DEAN, (D) FORMER GOVERNOR OF VERMONT: And then we're going to Washington, D.C. to take back the White House. Yeah!

KAYE (voice-over): That scream and Dean's loss of momentum, perhaps because of it, put the brakes on his bid for the nomination.

Then there was this wild laugh from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, which went viral last fall.

DESANTIS: (Laughing).

KAYE (voice-over): Iowa has a long history of memorable moments when it comes to presidential hopefuls.

At the Iowa State Fair, candidates devoured just about anything on a stick. Pork chops are always a winner.

Where else but Iowa can candidates ride bumper cars? DeSantis did with his daughter Madison, while Nikki Haley opted for ski ball. Vivek Ramaswamy wrapped a fair-side chat with Iowa's governor by launching into the iconic rap song by Eminem called "Lose Yourself."

VIVEK RAMASWAMY, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Rapping Eminem's "Lose Yourself."

KAYE (voice-over): Former President Donald Trump didn't rap. Instead, he danced at an Iowa rally despite his wife's request he stop doing that.

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You know what she said? "Darling, I love you -- I love you, but this is not presidential. You don't dance."

(Trump dancing)

KAYE (voice-over): There have been other 'only in Iowa' moments like this one from 2015 when Marco Rubio tried to have a friendly game of football with kids but instead, bonked one little boy on the head.

If Iowa teaches candidates anything it's that voters are listening and what they say can get them into trouble. Like when Mitt Romney told caucusgoers in 2011 that corporations are people too.

MITT ROMNEY, 2011 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: One is we could raise taxes on people.

AUDIENCE: Corporations!

ROMNEY: Corporations are people, my friend.

AUDIENCE: No they're not!

ROMNEY: Of course they are. Everything that corporations earn ultimately goes to the people. Where do you think it goes?

AUDIENCE: It goes into their pockets?

ROMNEY: Whose pockets? Whose pockets? People's pockets!

KAYE (voice-over): And in 2020, Pete Buttigieg found himself pleading with a silent crowd for applause.

PETE BUTTIGIEG, 2020 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: So I'm going to look to you to spread that sense of hope to those that you know. Come on.

KAYE (voice-over): In 2007, former President Barack Obama also had a line that fell flat with caucusgoers. On an Iowa farm, he noted rising supermarket prices, asking the crowd, "Anybody gone into Whole Foods lately and seen what they charge for arugula? I mean, they're charging a lot of money for this stuff."

It turned out the state of Iowa didn't have a Whole Foods at the time. Obama quickly moved on to another topic though he did go on to win the state.

Randi Kaye, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: I love that piece. Randi, thank you for that.

Despair in Dallas. The Cowboys gut-punched by the Packers in their own house. The NFL Playoffs in full swing, next.

(COMMERCIAL)

[05:57:56]

HARLOW: The Green Bay Packers becoming the first seven-seed in NFL history to win a playoff game. They did it at the expense of the Cowboys, blowing out Dallas on their home field.

And speaking of home fields, the Buffalo Bills are apparently still looking for people to shovel snow this morning at Highmark Stadium ahead of the team's playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

MATTINGLY: Coy Wire knows a thing or two about snow and Buffalo, which is why he is currently indoors in Atlanta. But, Coy, let's start with the game yesterday. I think you can just yell out how about them Cowboys and see how many people start crying around you. What happened?

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Or rejoicing. All the people who --

MATTINGLY: True.

WIRE: -- maybe don't care for the Cowboys. They're happy today.

The Cowboys -- they came in with 16 straight wins at home looking for their first Super Bowl title in nearly three decades. But Dallas and Dak Prescott got decimated by Green Bay, the youngest team to make the playoffs since 1974. The average age is 25.

Aaron Jones scored three rushing touchdowns, tying the team playoff record. The Packers were up 27-0 before Dallas knew what hit them. First-year starter quarterback Jordan Love throwing three touchdown passes -- a near-perfect pass. The Green Bay defense wrecked the league's number-one offense, intercepting Prescott twice.

Everything is bigger in Texas, they say -- apparently, their beatdown by the Packers 48-32. The Packers now travel to California to play the 49ers next weekend in the next round.

Now, in the other matchup yesterday, the late game between the Lions and the Rams. A Motor City moment decades in the making, right? Detroit is getting their first playoff win since 1991. Phil and Poppy were about nine years old.

Jared Goff, the former number one overall pick quarterback by the Rams, beating his former team. And he started hearing his name being chanted as he went off the field. Here he is in the locker room after that 24-23 win. He admitted afterwards he didn't want this win just for himself but he wanted it so badly for the entire team and entire city of Detroit.

Now, here's a look at the final games of the wildcard round. The winner of Eagles-Bucs goes to Detroit next weekend.

[06:00:00]

But the game I can't wait to see is that one on top. Seventeen inches of snow in Orchard Park over the weekend but New York Gov. Kathy Hochul says that yesterday, those Bills and Steelers will play today after yesterday's postponement. And here was their field over the weekend. I mean, it looks like Lake Erie -- snow effect now, right -- snow effect -- lake-effect snow.

Now, check out this Bills offensive lineman Alec Anderson -- if we could show that video really quickly -- helping to pull someone out of the -- stranded alongside the road yesterday. That's what it's all about. When you play the Bills you play a whole city and they will be tight today.

HARLOW: Lake-effect snow not holding anyone back, Coy Wire. I love that video at the end, by the way. Thank you very much, Coy. We'll talk to you in a little bit.

WIRE: You got it.

HARLOW: The next hour --

WIRE: All right.

HARLOW: -- of CNN THIS MORNING starts now.