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Chris Ager is Interviewed about the New Hampshire Primary; Biden Not on New Hampshire Ballot; Chiefs Edge Bills Again. Aired 6:30-7a ET
Aired January 22, 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]
DEREK VAN DAM, AMS CERTIFIED METEOROLOGIST: Afternoon or evening show showers in the forecast. The northern half of the state maybe dropping below freezing. The southern half should remain at or just above freezing. So, we'll keep that precipitation generally in the form of light rain.
But we do have a full-on ice storm that is occurring right now as we speak for the nation's midsection. You've got to be careful driving this morning across this area. You can see the ice storm warnings and winter weather advisories. Interstate 44 between St. Louis and Tulsa. Interstate 40, Little Rock to Oklahoma City. And we have a mixture of precipitation extending as far northeast as Chicago.
And I want to give you a heads up, multiple day of potential flash flooding hazards across the deep south from Arkansas all the way to Louisiana. Check this out. Rainfall totals could exceed 5 to locally 6 inches of rain. But that's what you get when we see the warm-up and the pattern flip.
Phil. Poppy.
PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Derek, thank you very much.
Well, Nikki Haley touting in New Hampshire a one-on-one race with Donald Trump, but who are DeSantis voters likely to support now that he's out of the race? The chairman of the New Hampshire Republican Party joins us on set next to discuss.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NIKKI HALEY (R), 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's now one fella and one lady left. Before (ph), 14 people in this race. There were a lot of fellas. All the fellas are out except for this one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[06:35:06] MATTINGLY: That, of course, was Nikki Haley in New Hampshire yesterday after Ron DeSantis announced that he was dropping out of the GOP primary race. Hailey is still trying to score an upset against Donald Trump, but one top Republican says the race is effectively over.
POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: The chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Senator Steve Daines, writing on "X" that Trump is the, quote, "presumptive nominee," while urging the rest of the party to get behind him. New Hampshire Republican Party Chair Chris Ager joins us this morning at his favorite diner.
You'd be here anyway for breakfast, right?
CHIS AGER, CHAIR, NEW HAMPSHIRE REPUBLICAN PARTY: I would, but it would probably be after 7:00. So --
HARLOW: There you go. Well, thanks for getting up extra early.
AGER: Thank you.
HARLOW: Is Steve Daines right? Is this thing tied up?
AGER: It's not over until tomorrow night at 8:00 and - and then we can see what the results are. You know, people in New Hampshire, you know, they tend to take their voting seriously, and we still have two people in the race. And really the first primary vote hasn't even been counted yet. And so it really can't be over before it started. But if - if President Trump does, as the polls indict, it could very well be over tomorrow night.
MATTINGLY: To that point, you know, when you look at the polling, you have a great read on - on your electorate in particular. You were talking during the break, you expect record turnout tomorrow for New Hampshire Republicans.
AGER: Yes.
MATTINGLY: More than 300,000. Well, based on your sense of things, are the polls accurate right now? Is that where you're seeing this race head?
AGER: The polls feel right. I was at a rally with -- a President Trump rally on Saturday night, and, you know, maybe 8,000, 9,000 people. It was electric. And when he started his speech, it was very statesmanlike. And so he projected presidential kind of feeling. And then he went into traditional Trump, you know, the nicknames and riling the crowd up. But you had a sense there that he was playing for the general election and that he felt that he had it locked up.
But again, I'll go back to 2022. General Don Bolduc was up by 10 percentage points in all the polls, except for one outlier. He only won by less than 1 percent. So, you never know what the electorate's going to do. With Ron DeSantis out, making it essentially a two-person race, I think we've got to see how that dynamics work out tomorrow night. But it does feel like the polls are correct, but you really just could be surprised. We could be surprised Tuesday. HARLOW: Well, that happens in this state from time to time. And you've
said Nikki Haley can, in your words, absolutely win New Hampshire.
AGER: She could.
HARLOW: CNN's poll also shows where voters go with DeSantis out. The poll was done, obviously, right before he pulled out. But let's just look at that because it looks like Trump leads by 13 in this state when you take DeSantis out of the equation. And he is out of the equation now. Is that gap too big for her to close?
AGER: Well, I mean, we saw just two years ago a ten-point gap was erased on Election Day. Nobody saw that coming.
HARLOW: OK.
AGER: And so it's possible. The other - the other dynamic that could be happening is Trump voters could be oversampled because, unlike in the past where, you know, some of the Trump supporters were kind of quiet about who they supported, this time, Trump supporters are wearing it proudly on their sleeves. They are loud and proud. And so I don't think they're understandable. Some of Nikki Haley supporters, you know, potentially could be. So, you know, that's how - how the dynamics change in the polling and you get these big double-digit swings is because people really don't like necessarily to share who they're going to vote for. So, you know, it's possible.
Is it likely? Probably not. But it's possible. And, you know, we've got to really wait for those votes to come in.
MATTINGLY: Can I ask, the one question I've had, this is a purple state, but it is a state where Joe Biden won it in 2020 that both Senate seats are held by Democrats. Biden in head-to-head polling against Trump in New Hampshire is leading. It's one of the few states with this type of makeup that Biden actually has a lead, and a fairly comfortable one. Does that concern you having Trump at the top of the ticket, if that ends up being the case, given where Biden stands at a time where Biden's weak seemingly nationwide?
AGER: Yes, so these four electoral votes in most of the matchups that we've kind of looked at and, you know, with the RNC, they're -- there's only, like, one or two corner case scenarios where these four electoral votes make a difference in the - in the electoral college.
And so our main goal is whoever can win the national election, we want a Republican in the White House. And so we've also seen where, at the top of the ticket, all the Democrats have won. Congress, Senate, president. But statewide, we're the only state north of Georgia, along the East Coast, that is solid Republican at the statehouse. And we just won a Manchester City race and the aldermanic (ph) race. So, the largest city is the three northern New England states is solid Republican.
So, there's a lot of good indicators for us that it's going to be a good Republican year, whether we win at the top of the ticket or not, down ticket, we're going to do just fine in New Hampshire. [06:40:05]
HARLOW: OK. Chris Ager, thank you. Now you can go have breakfast. They open in a couple minutes.
AGER: Yes, thank you.
HARLOW: We appreciate it.
The name Joe Biden will not appear on the New Hampshire ballot tomorrow. Why the president has to rely on a write-in campaign here, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, guys, it's 2024, but is it? I don't know about you, but when I think of the year 2020, I never think, we should run that one back. And if you're feeling confused, you're not the only one. At a rally on Thursday, President Biden said he was mixed up when he claimed he had just taken a photo with a woman who wasn't even there.
[06:45:02]
Then the next day Donald Trump repeatedly confused Nikki Haley with Nancy Pelosi. Guys, I don't know if we should do this election. It's honestly starting to feel like elder abuse.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARLOW: Sorry, Collin, it's happening. "SNL" joking over the very likely Trump/Biden rematch. The argument that it's a matchup no one wants has not only been at the center of Nikki Haley's campaign, but also Democratic hopeful Dean Phillips' campaign. Yesterday, Phillips called Biden, both Democrats by the way, weak and unelectable, and also told supporters that a vote for Biden is a vote for Trump.
MATTINGLY: Now, remember, Biden isn't even on the ballot here in New Hampshire, because the Democratic National Committee, at Biden's behest, made South Carolina the first in the nation primary for Democrats. That's why these Democrats were out in the cold yesterday trying to rally voters to write in Biden's name on the ballot.
Let's bring in CNN chief national affairs analyst and anchor of "EARLY START," Kasie Hunt. And Ron Brownstein is back with us as well.
Kasie, can you explain to people why this is happening? Because I think a lot of people haven't paid a ton of attention to it, but there's a reason here.
KASIE HUNT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Right. Yes, I mean, logistically, I can explain it to you. I have to say, politically, I don't totally understand why the DNC did this. But basically the said to - you know, they changed the primary calendar. They said, we want South Carolina to go first. New Hampshire, their state law says, no, we go first, and they did not give into the DNC here. They scheduled their primary early. But for the president, he says, I have to abide by the rules, which means I'm not going to run in this primary, which means his name is now on the ballot.
So, there's not a really -- a competitive race. I mean if you look at the polling, you've got Dean Phillips, Maryanne Williamson down around 10 percent a piece. But there's always a risk, right, in politics, a write-in campaign is very hard to win, to wage. And for a president when - I mean, look, Donald Trump, who's running against him, his primary argument is this guy is weak, right? And anything that contributes to that narrative is potentially a risk. That's what I'm looking for here on Tuesday.
HARLOW: How does Dean Phillips potentially affect things on both -- both for Nikki Haley, if undeclared goes with Dean Phillips, but also the reporting over the weekend, that he -- there is a scenario in which he would consider going to a No Labels ticket.
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes. I don't think he has enough pull on independents to really change the dynamic for Haley.
HARLOW: OK.
BROWNSTEIN: It's not like 2000 when Bill Bradley and John McCain were generally dueling for those undeclared voters. You know, his willingness to join the No Labels, like Manchin, is a reflection of what we're talking about. I mean even within the Democratic Party -
HARLOW: (INAUDIBLE).
BROWNSTEIN: No. You know, that's true.
Look, within the Democratic Party there are a lot of people who don't think Biden should run, you know, and there is an audience, potentially, for if there had been a more serious candidate. But I think the party leadership was very clear that they didn't want that, that they view Trump as an existential threat and however concerned they are about Biden's ability to beat him, they thought that a competitive primary would further weaken him, rather than leave them with someone stronger in the end.
MATTINGLY: Kasie, there are a number of questions I wanted to ask, but your facial reaction to No Labels -
BROWNSTEIN: Yes.
MATTINGLY: Reflects my internal reaction to No Labels, generally.
HUNT: Sorry, I'm not sure I was on camera or not.
MATTINGLY: It keeps coming up and they keep talking about it.
HUNT: Yes. MATTINGLY: And they talk about having to get on ballots since they have money. Is No Labels a real thing? Like, should people be paying attention to No Labels right now?
HUNT: I think there was a point when they were planning on having a nominating convention in person, there was a real question about whether there was going to be a sustained ballot access issue. I have been focused a little bit less on them recently. I mean we'll see what kind of move they make once the -- you know, the Republican and Democratic tickets are officially set.
I'm actually more interested in what's going on with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his quest to get on ballots. It's not going to matter if he's not on ballots in the states where he could make a difference, but if he gets on a ballot in Arizona, for example, just think about how closely fought this election was back in 2020. We were, you know, counting for days after we were waiting on those Arizona results to come in. I mean even a handful of points one way or the other could potentially making a difference.
I mean there are -- you know, we've seen evidence that people with the last name "Kennedy," people will still vote for them because they remember, you know, JFK.
HARLOW: Yes.
HUNT: So, I mean, I do think that's something to keep an eye on.
HARLOW: It's a really good point. Ron, you're nodding.
BROWNSTEIN: Yes.
HARLOW: This as we watch President Biden, Vice President Harris, who's going to be on CNN tonight with Laura Coates, really pushed the abortion message and protecting or trying to find a way to reinstitute that a constitutional right.
BROWNSTEIN: And I -
HARLOW: How does that affect all of this?
BROWNSTEIN: I think that's critical for them. You know --
HARLOW: That they need to be louder on it.
BROWNSTEIN: And they - and they will be. And democracy. And the whole question of rights.
Biden has some tailwinds on the economy, right? Prices -- wages are rising faster than prices since last spring. They will probably continue to do for the whole year. The Fed may cut interest rates multiple times in 2024. But even with that, it is still highly likely that if it's a Trump/Biden rematch, that on Election Day more people will still say they trust Trump on the economy than Biden. And that means to win, Biden is going to have to convince at least some voters who do not believe he has really delivered for their interests that they still can't vote for Trump because he's an affront to their values and their rights and a threat to democracy.
[06:50:07]
So, if Biden wins, my prediction here is that his winning coalition will be slightly more upscale, even than it was last time, because I think for a lot of voters who are living kind of paycheck to paycheck, it's hard to get past the disruptive influence in their lives of inflation. But I think there is an audience for this rights message centered on abortion, but not exclusive to abortion, among more white collar voters who may also be less -- you know, inflation is - it's an inconvenience but not an existential crisis.
That really is the path. And particularly in Michigan and Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, where voters have gone to great lengths in multiple elections over the last couple years to insure that abortion remains legal, I kind of look at abortion as the last line of defense for Biden in trying to reassemble the blue wall.
MATTINGLY: To that point, and Ron makes a great point, the message is not just abortion and isolation, it's not just democracy and isolation. They're trying to thread together the idea of freedom and rights. Can they pull that off? Because you talk to Democrats and they're like, well they should be talking about this more, they should be talking about that more. And then you talk to the campaign and they're says, we're talking about all of these things under an umbrella and that's the message.
HUNT: I mean I think they had -- we've seen, in the last couple of elections, that they had success with framing it as the idea of freedom, of choice, that goes beyond just reproductive rights. It's something that resonates -- in a lot of ways it sounds like a conservative message, right? It's something you're more used to hearing from Republicans. But, instead, you're hearing it from Democrats.
And I do think, too, some of the mechanics of this are going to be really important. Do they -- you know, what states have abortion- related ballot initiatives, right? Because that's going to potentially change the makeup of the electorate. If you feel like you actually can vote to protect abortion rights in your state, maybe you're much more likely to get out and vote. We've really seen it be a very galvanizing issue for people, and I think that Democrats are counting on that as well because it also means that it doesn't have to be exclusively about Joe Biden.
HARLOW: Well, you brought up Arizona. That's a state where Democrats are pushing for that as well.
BROWNSTEIN: Right.
HARLOW: In those critical states, what Kennedy would mean on a ballot there, but also if you put abortion on that ballot.
BROWNSTEIN: Yes. Well, look -
HARLOW: How many that drives. BROWNSTEIN: Yes, Biden won the election because five states flipped
from Trump in '16 to Biden in '20. It was Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin in the industrial Midwest, and then Arizona and Georgia in the sun belt. Arizona and Georgia look tougher, much tougher, especially -- particularly Georgia this time. He can win just by holding Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Even if he loses those two and Nevada. And so, you know, that -- I think many Democrats feel like that is the shortest path, the most direct line to 270. And as I said, abortion has been a powerful issue for Democrats in those three states.
HARLOW: But Michigan looks -
MATTINGLY: Michigan (ph) specifically.
HARLOW: Michigan looks like more of an uphill climb for him.
BROWNSTEIN: It sure does.
HARLOW: And this is, I think, why Gretchen Whitmer yesterday was like, yes, it would be good to hear a more forceful message from the president, specifically on abortion.
BROWNSTEIN: Yes.
MATTINGLY: Ron Brownstein, Kasie Hunt, thanks, guys, we appreciate it.
HUNT: Thanks.
MATTINGLY: And as we just mentioned, tonight, "LAURA COATES LIVE" has an exclusive interview with Vice President Kamala Harris. Laura and the vice president will talk about the state of the race and how she and President Biden plan to win that second term. That's tonight at 11:00 on CNN.
HARLOW: Seventeen hours to go until the first voters here in the granite state head to the polls. Much more of our special live coverage of the New Hampshire primary continues next.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Forty-four yards. Bass -- no, he doesn't make it!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wide right!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The two-most dreaded words in Buffalo.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MATTINGLY: I weep for Wolf Blitzer. The Buffalo Bills' hopes of reaching an AFC championship, possibly the Super Bowl, extinguished by a missed field goal. A recap of this weekend's playoff games, and Jason Kelce's wonderfully shirtless Sunday. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[06:57:45]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Forty-four yards. Bass. No, he doesn't make it!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wide right!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The two most dreaded words in Buffalo have surfaced again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MATTINGLY: Oh, I hurt. I hurt for Buffalo people. But it was another classic between the Chiefs and --
HARLOW: But your team won this weekend!
MATTINGLY: I know, but I have empathy, sort of, ish.
HARLOW: Feigning empathy for them.
MATTINGLY: Unless they're playing the 49ers. Kansas City Chiefs coming out on top, knocking Buffalo out of the playoffs for the third time in four years. Now, the stage is set for the AFC and NFC championship games.
HARLOW: Coy Wire joins us now.
Are you OK, my former Bills player, friend?
COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: I feel like Phil after his Buckeyes lose to Michigan again.
MATTINGLY: Come on, man!
WIRE: Too soon, I know. Misery loves company, Phil.
Hey, listen, credit to the Kansas City Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, watch them here connect for their first of two touchdowns on the night. They pass Tom Brady and Ron Gronkowski for the most by a QB/receiver combo in playoff history. And watch Kelce throw up the heart hands. Taylor Swift's up there somewhere. There she is. And so is her brother, who's everyone's spirit animal. Shirt is off, but still looks like he has a sweater on.
Josh Allen and the Bills, they jabbed right back. Allen scoring one of his three total touchdowns on the night. Back and forth this game went. Six lead changes in all. But the Bills dropped several opportunities on their final drive, including this perfect pass to Stefon Diggs. And then, with over a minute to go, kicker Tyler Bass, wide right on the chance to tie it. Chiefs win 27-24. They advance to the AFC championship game. For the six straight season they'll face the Ravens.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PATRICK MAHOMES, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS QUARTERBACK: Every time I go up against Josh, I know that it's going to come down to the end, just because of the competitor that he is and the player that he is. Same when I go up against Joe, when I go up against Lamar, all these guys. And I know how much fire they have, and they're not going to give up until the very end. And, you appreciate that stuff. I mean these are the games I watched growing up. The great quarterbacks going up against each other with great football teams, great organizations. And that's what I remember. So hopefully I'm making - like I said earlier, hopefully we're making those memories for other little kids that are growing up watching football.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIRE: The Detroit Lions are going to the NFC championship for the first time in 32 years! A 31-23 win over the Bucs with quarterback Jared Goff.
[07:00:04]
The former number one pick who had become an afterthought to many when he was traded to Detroit.
