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CNN This Morning

Today, Iowans Will Caucus to Pick GOP Presidential Candidate; Record-Breaking Cold Threatens Turnout at Iowa Caucuses; Fani Willis Breaks Silence on Improper Relationship Allegations. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired January 15, 2024 - 07:00   ET

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

MICHAEL TYLER, COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, BIDEN 2024 CAMPAIGN: To crash and is pledging to rule as a dictator on day one if he's able to regain power. So, absolutely, there's a sense of urgency and the work of our campaign reflects that urgency.

KASIE HUNT, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: So, it's all the case, though, why -- if that's the case, why are many college educated Republican voters who were open to somebody other than Trump, and why are they turning toward him and away from Biden? There's a lot of -- you know, you want over some independents in 2020. You're going to need them.

TYLER: Well, absolutely. And I'm very confident that this campaign continues to do the work that it has done by clearly laying out the stakes. We will see the same result that we saw in 2020 when President Biden beat Donald Trump by over 7 million votes. We'll see the same result that we saw in 2022 when Democrats had the strongest midterm result for Democratic presidents since FDR.

And we'll see the same result that we saw last November in places like Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio, when folks understood the clear contrast that was presented in front of them between Democrats who were fighting for more freedom, who were standing up for our democracy, and Republicans who were trying to tear down the very fabric of our democracy.

We are confident that if we continue to communicate that message to the American people on Election Day, they're going to pick Joe Biden.

HUNT: All right. Michael Tyler, thank you very much for that.

And CNN This Morning continues right now.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: So, top of the hour, good Monday morning, everyone, big day ahead.

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN ANCHOR: Caucus day.

HARLOW: Caucus day. I'm Poppy Harlow, Phil Mattingly in New York, Kasie Hunt live in Des Moines. We are just hours away from the Iowa caucuses.

We are about to find out just how strong of a grip Donald Trump really has on Republican voters. Can he dominate or can his rivals pull off an upset?

Also, these are said to be the coldest Iowa caucuses on record with dangerous subzero temps. Take a live look at Des Moines this morning. The high today is negative one, the high.

MATTINGLY: It's not warm. I think we could say that.

Trump is holding a tele-rally today instead of in-person events after canceling several rallies over the weekend because of that frigid weather. Ron DeSantis keeping up his ground game, crisscrossing the state today with several campaign events planned before the caucuses kick off.

We have team coverage this morning across the state, correspondents on the ground in Iowa, political analysts standing by.

Let's start though with Kasie Hunt in Des Moines. Kasie candidates, they're taking the cold seriously here. How are they actually adapting on the campaign level for this weather?

HUNT: Yes, I mean, we all are. I think since the last time we did this, it's now negative 13 here in Des Moines. It was negative 15 when we started the show. So, I guess we're making a little bit of progress there. I mean, that really is the story here.

Donald Trump, of course, just absolutely dominant, and you can pick that up immediately once you start talking to people who are here on the ground in Des Moines. The suspense is really much more muted than it often is in other caucus years.

That said, if he doesn't hit that 50 percent mark, it's going to be interesting to see how the narrative shakes out heading out of here, especially if Nikki Haley manages to pull herself into a strong second place and springboard into New Hampshire, where she likely has a better chance of taking on the former president and the man who has been just the presumptive frontrunner all the way along.

So, those are the dynamics kind of at the outset here.

Let's get straight to CNN's Eva McKend. She is also here in Des Moines. Eva, I hope you are also staying warm. Oh, look, you're inside. That's very good. I'm very happy to see that. How are the candidates spending their final hours here?

EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER: Well, Kasie, Nikki Haley telling Iowans they have the opportunity to set the tone for the rest of the country, Governor DeSantis expressing confidence in the extensive ground operation that his team has built here. Former President Donald Trump telling supporters that they should not take anything for granted.

You know, after months of campaigning, millions of dollars in ads, this contest here in Iowa could all come down to how Iowans navigate this brutal weather.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) MCKEND (voice over): The 2024 presidential race is heating up as temperatures are dropping in Iowa.

NIKKI HALEY, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Get excited.

MCKEND: Iowans are battling snow and below zero temperatures as they head out to caucus in the first voting event To determine the Republican nominee for president.

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: So, brave the weather and go out and save America.

MCKEND: Iowa's GOP chairman predicting a robust voter turnout despite frigid temperatures. The remaining candidates holding their final campaign events in the Hawkeye state over the weekend.

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have the ability here in Iowa, you have the ability to change the trajectory of American politics.

MCKEND: And making their final pitches to caucus-goers.

VIVEK RAMASWAMY, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: By the way, in this late phase, we have seen a tidal wave in the last 48 hours. I think we're going to win The Iowa caucus.

[07:05:00]

HALEY: You can be the start of the solution that we have. I promise you, our best days are yet to come.

MCKEND: Former President Trump, who holds a commanding polling lead heading into the caucus, spent the weekend campaigning in Iowa.

TRUMP: You can't sit home. If you're sick as a dog, you say, darling, I got it back. Even if you vote and then pass away, it's worth it.

MCKEND: During his rally, he targeted former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who's in a distant fight for second place.

TRUMP: But she's not right to be president. I know it very well, the wrong thought process, the wrong policy. And honestly, she's not tough enough.

HALEY: No one ever questions my toughness. He's saying this because now he knows he's in trouble. Now, he knows this is becoming a two- person race. So, I know that he knows the truth. It doesn't bother me at all.

MCKEND: Trump also picked up important endorsements on the eve of the caucus, including North Dakota Governor and former Presidential Candidate Doug Burgum and Florida Senator Marco Rubio.

HALEY: I don't line up a bunch of endorsements to do that. I want to win the people's vote. Because at the end of the day, they're the ones that I'm going to be serving. MCKEND: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also faced criticism from Trump. At his final campaign stop in Iowa, he tried to distinguish himself from the frontrunner.

DESANTIS: He's running a campaign about putting himself and his issues first. That's what he cares about. You can be the most worthless Republican in America, but if you kiss the ring, he'll say, you're wonderful. You deserve a nominee that's going to put you first, not himself first.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MCKEND (on camera): Now, the Iowans that I speak to, they are showing great resolve. They tell me that they are still planning to come out in caucus tonight, that they're very excited, that they view this tradition as sacred and the stakes so high.

Something else I'm watching, Kasie. You know, Democrats and independents, they can switch their party registration tonight during the caucus. How many of them come out? So many in New Hampshire for Nikki Haley. There are Democrats and independent voters here in Iowa supporting Haley as well. Kasie?

HUNT: All right, Eva McKend for us also here in Des Moines. Eva, thank you, Poppy, Phil?

MATTINGLY: All right. Kasie, stay with us, because it's not just Iowa that's freezing. For more on the brutally cold temperatures hitting the entire Midwest, let's go straight to CNN's Whitney Wild, who's in Chicago.

Whitney, record-shattering temperatures, not just in Iowa, where you are as well.

WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely right. In fact, from Oregon, to Mississippi, up to 250 daily cold records could be shattered through Tuesday as this Arctic air flows out of Canada and simply blankets the Midwest and below Tennessee, also seeing very low temperatures. They could have a record low of 17 this week. This is not going to let up until at least Wednesday.

To put this in perspective, Phil, in Rochelle, Illinois, the National Weather Service says that the wind chill makes it feel like it is 41 below zero. Montana has it even worse. They're expected to have wind chills that will make it feel like 70 below zero.

So, this is not just frigid temperatures. These could be deadly. The risks here, frostbites, hypothermia. That's why here in Chicago, they've activated their emergency weather plan for these freezing temperatures. Warming centers are available throughout the city, extremely dangerous temperatures here that are expected not to let up until Wednesday. And even then, it is just a brief reprieve because this Arctic air kicks back in Friday. Certainly a very challenging time here in the Midwest through at least the rest of the week, Phil.

MATTINGLY: Yes, important to listen to public officials in a moment like this. Whitney Wild, thank you.

Well, up next, we're going to dig a little deeper into Iowa's population, from the suburbs to the rural communities, which could be key to a Ron DeSantis or Nikki Haley's second place victory, we'll call it.

HARLOW: In moments, we'll be joined by a surrogate for Nikki Haley, also a lawmaker in Iowa. This is CNN's special live coverage. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:10:00]

MATTINGLY: In a matter of hours, the first votes in the 2024 primary for the Republican presidential nomination will be cast. That means this light gray here will start to fill in with colors corresponding with various candidates.

And with all eyes on Iowa, particular attention right now is being paid to the Des Moines metro area, not just because people like the steakhouse, 801 Chophouse, or because they like the bars where all the reporters and political operatives hang out, it's also because there's been a massive surge of population growth over the last decade. It's outpaced the rest of the state and the rest of the country.

So, this is actually kind of fascinating. When you look at the population in the state of Iowa over the course of the last decade or so, last eight years, you see where it's darker green, that means there have been more people. But throughout the course of the state, for the most part, almost the entire state has seen an increase in population.

Now, let's specifically look at the actual Des Moines metro area. You see there's a much darker areas right here, 25 percent, 20 percent, 15 percent. What does that actually mean, that there has been a surge in population.

Well, let's pull this off and let's go back to 2016, because when you look in that Des Moines metro area, right in this area right here, what are you looking at? Obviously, you see the yellow. That was Ted Cruz who ended up winning narrowly the caucuses back in 2016. You see the red. That's Donald Trump, the darker red. The light red though is Marco Rubio. Marco Rubio really kind of finding a path to a close third place finish that really relied on suburban voters, college educated voters, the type of voters that Nikki Haley has resonated with over the course of the last couple of months when you start looking into the polling.

So, what does that mean when you're actually looking at the suburbs? Well, they've grown a lot. There's a pathway there for somebody like Nikki Haley. And when you talk about the actual number of voters here, this is Polk County where Des Moines is located, largest county in the state, 15 percent of the population here. You're talking about 15,000, 16,000, 17,000 votes back in 2016.

Now, with that population growth, will that start to expand and expand in a meaningful way that Nikki Haley can actually capitalize in?

The other question now is, what about those rural voters?

[07:15:01]

That is considered to be a stronghold for obviously Donald Trump, particularly in these areas right here, these former counties that used to go towards Democrats moved sharply towards Donald Trump in the general election in '16, general election in 2020, but also can he start to make inroads up here in the evangelical country?

These are areas where Ted Cruz dominated Donald Trump back in 2016. Ron DeSantis has made a very specific effort to try and make inroads in those same exact areas, meeting with the faith communities, hoping to separate Donald Trump off from those evangelical voters. Will he be able to this time around? It is an open question.

One fascinating county I do want to watch, this right here. Donald Trump won Clark County back in 2016, narrowly over Ted Cruz by about 50 votes. This is where the governor is strong, the governor who endorsed Ron DeSantis. Is it going to have any effect? Well, there's not a ton of vote here, but maybe you want to watch Clark County, see if it starts to move towards DeSantis, see if those endorsements actually have an effect. Poppy?

HARLOW: I do not think you're going to be able to sleep tonight.

MATTINGLY: I'm very excited about this.

HARLOW: Very excited.

MATTINGLY: Like when votes come in.

HARLOW: Phil, thank you very much.

Joining us now is Iowa State Representative Austin Harris. He's a surrogate for Nikki Haley's campaign. We're so grateful to have you up early with us this morning, Representative.

What is success for Nikki Haley tonight in Iowa?

STATE REP. AUSTIN HARRIS (R-IA): Well, I think success is just having a strong showing here in the state. There's a lot of speculation over whether it will be second or third. But really what we need is just to show what our hard work has put in over the last year or so.

We feel momentum on the ground. We're surging in this race. We're second, New Hampshire second, South Carolina have, according to some of the recent polls, second here in Iowa, but we just need to have a strong showing tonight.

HARLOW: I know you were happy with that top line Des Moines Register polling number on Friday that had her just ahead of DeSantis by about four points. But when you dug into it, you have an enthusiasm issue among Iowa caucus-goers. They're just not that enthusiastic about Nikki Haley. In fact, only 9 percent are extremely enthusiastic about her. When you look at favorability, she falls last on favorability behind DeSantis, Trump and Ramaswamy.

How do you change those voters' minds? Because you worked in the Trump administration, you worked at the Ag Department, right? So you were supportive of a lot of those policies, but now you're on the Haley train. How do you convince your fellow Iowans to get there too?

HARRIS: Well, I have respect for all the candidates in this race. I'm not supporting Nikki Haley because of anybody that is in the race or not in the race. I'm supporting her because of the vision and positive message that she has to take this country to a new place.

You know, I appreciate everything that President Trump did in his administration, but the times have changed. And we have war in the Middle East, war in Europe, a crisis on the southern border, record high inflation. And we need a president who's going to be able to bring this country together, unite this country and move forward. And I have no doubt in my mind that Nikki Haley is that person.

We cannot fix Democrat chaos with Republican chaos. We've had enough chaos for several years now. We need to be able to unite this country, bring it together, and move forward.

HARLOW: You know, Trump sure went after Nikki Haley this weekend saying she's not prepared to be president, not strong enough. Let's listen to what he said about her and then her pushback on him last night. Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: She's not right to be president. I know it very well, the wrong thought process, the wrong policy. And honestly, she's not tough enough. She's not tough enough.

We're dealing with people that are on their game at a level that you've never seen, President Xi of China, Putin.

HALEY: He's saying this because now he knows he's in trouble. Now, he knows this is becoming a two person race. So, I know that he knows the truth. It doesn't bother me at all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: So, I wonder what you say to Trump supporters, or people still making up their mind about, you know, where they're going to caucus tonight, who hear Trump and believe what he says about Nikki Haley.

HARRIS: Well, this is the same guy that appointed her to be as U.N. ambassador. So, if that's how he truly feels and why did he appoint her to represent him on the world stage at the United Nations? This is somebody who was a very successful governor of South Carolina. When she served in the state legislature, she took on the establishment and beat him. As governor, she cut taxes, moved people from welfare to work, was able to revitalize the economy. South Carolina was known as the beast of the southeast, and that's the type of leadership that we need in Washington today. So, this is someone who also went to the United Nations and stood on the world stage and took on dictators and thugs. So, she has a backbone. That's -- President Trump knows that, I think. That's why he appointed her to be ambassador to the U.N.

But, again, this is exactly what I'm talking about. We have to leave behind the negativity and chaos and move forward. We can't fix Democrat chaos with Republican chaos.

HARLOW: One of the things that makes Iowa even more interesting, if it could get any more interesting, I say this as someone who you know has very close ties to Iowa, that you can have crossovers. Like prior to the day or today, Democrats and independents can switch their registration for a day, they can caucus tonight in the Republican caucuses.

[07:20:03]

How much do you expect Democrats and independents to help Nikki Haley in your state tonight?

HARRIS: That's a good question. I don't know for sure, but this is a campaign that's focused on uniting Americans and bringing people together. Winning elections is about building coalitions. And so we can't win the general election if we don't bring independents and Democrats into this campaign.

I think Nikki Haley has demonstrated that she's able to do that. You look at the polling, you see in a general election she defeats Joe Biden, not just by a few points, by some points, 15 or 17. So, this is somebody who I think has demonstrated that she can bring Americans together, unite them and turn them out to vote as well.

HARLOW: Would you say you'd expect a substantial amount of support for her? I asked, because the last time, I think it was 2012, that there was a Republican caucus, not a Democratic one there. NBC News, it's an analysis afterward, and found about 11 percent of the Iowans who participated in those caucuses were actually Democrats or independents. So, this could help you guys potentially a lot. Are you banking on that?

HARRIS: You cut out there a little bit, but I think I know what your question was. We'll see what the turnout looks like tonight. I think that we'll see some crossover. Do I think it will be substantial? Not really. I think at the end of the day, this is mostly going to be Republicans participating in the caucus tonight.

MATTINGLY: Representative Austin Harris, put the snow boots on, the parka on. I know you'll be out. Thank you.

HARRIS: Thank you.

HARLOW: Next hour, our Dana Bash is going to sit down one-on-one with Ron DeSantis. We will -- she will ask about second or third place and how this could all shape the rest of his campaign. MATTINGLY: Well, also this morning, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is defending her team after being accused of hiring a romantic partner to lead the Georgia elections subversion case. What she's saying in her first public comments.

HARLOW: Also, take a look at this happening that is happening right now. In Iceland, volcano is spewing lava. Officials say the flow of lava from Sunday's eruption has decreased at this hour. Iceland's meteorological office reported an earthquake hours before that eruption.

Officials say lava has entered a nearby town. This is drone video showing that lava burning some homes. This is the second eruption in the area in just weeks.

Back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:25:00]

MATTINGLY: The Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis breaking her silence on accusations lodged against her and the man she appointed as lead prosecutor of former President Trump's Georgia election subversion case. One of Trump's co-defendants claims Willis had a romantic affair with the prosecutor and that she financially benefited from his salary.

Now, Willis is pushing back on the claims that she's done anything improper and suggests that racism is at the heart of the allegations.

CNN's Nick Valencia is live in Atlanta with more, Nick, she did not hold back here. What has been the reaction to her first real comment on the matter?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, Phil. For those expecting an apology from the Fulton County District attorney, they're not getting one right now. In fact, she struck a defiant tone in her first comments from the pulpit at a Sunday service since these allegations surfaced that she was involved in a romantic relationship with a special prosecutor she hired to prosecute Trump in this Georgia case. In fact, she called the challenge to dismiss this case over these allegations nonsense.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FANI WILLIS, FULTON COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: I appointed three special counsels, as is my right to do. Paid them all the same hourly rate. They only attacked one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALENCIA: Willis did not confirm or deny that she was involved in a romantic relationship with Nathan Wade, but these allegations are enough for her to already get in calls to step down from this case. We recently sat down with a top Democrat in the state, a former U.S. attorney and a CNN legal analyst. Michael Moore says if these allegations against Willis are true, that she should step down for the good of the case.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL MOORE, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: I'd tell her to get out of the case. I really think that this type of case, these allegations, this case is bigger than any one prosecutor, and I think probably to preserve the case and to show that what's of most importance to her is the facts of the Trump case as opposed to her political career, if you will, at this moment.

VALENCIA: So, what happens next? The judge presiding over this case says that he is expected to schedule a hearing to talk about these allegations for early to mid-February. Phil?

MATTINGLY: All right, much more to come here. Please keep us posted. Nick Valencia, thank you.

HARLOW: Also new this morning, quite an alarming warning from the International Monetary Fund on the impact of artificial intelligence. The chief of the IMF, Kristalina Georgieva, says almost 40 percent of jobs around the world may be disrupted by the rise of artificial intelligence.

The IMF warning, quote, jobs may disappear and the trend is likely to deepen inequality. That prediction coming in a blog post ahead of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that post was a warning, but also a call for the global community to make A.I. beneficiary to humanity, not to hinder it.

MATTINGLY: Well, our special live coverage of the Iowa caucuses continues. Kasie Hunt is in Des Moines for us this morning. Kasie, what are you watching?

HUNT: Poppy, this -- Phil, this caucus day is going to be the absolute coldest on record. Up next, I'm going to speak to an Iowa Republican strategist, the one and only David Kochel, about how the weather could impact turnout and so much more.

And a live look at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on this Martin Luther King Day as the sun rises in Washington, D.C. The slain civil rights leader was born on this day in 1929, and it is a day to reflect on the principles of racial equality and nonviolent social change.

We'll be right back.

[07:30:00]

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