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CNN This Morning

New Hampshire Primary Begins; Rep. Dan Kildee (D-MI) is Interviewed about Democratic Concerns in Michigan; Ebony Davis Talks about Haley Campaign; Kate Sullivan Talk about Trump Campaign; Nominees for Annual Academy Awards. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired January 23, 2024 - 08:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:30:06]

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone, live from New Hampshire. So glad you're with us for our special coverage of the New Hampshire primary. I am live at Che Vachon, a very famous diner here in Manchester. Phil Mattingly is in New York.

The polls are open, and our reporters are there.

Let's go to Omar Jimenez. He joins us at a polling site in Manchester.

Good morning, Omar.

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

Yes, we've been talking to voters all morning here at this polling site in Manchester since they opened their doors quite literally at 6:00 a.m. Eastern Time. They've processed hundreds of people since then.

And one of those who just voted, Jeff Wall here.

Good to see you.

He told me he just voted for Trump. But I want to ask you, why did you want to vote for Trump this time around?

JEFF WALL, NEW HAMPSHIRE VOTER: Well, I voted for Trump the first time. I thought he did an outstanding job when he was in office, even in spite of all the controversy. And so I continue to be a solid Trump supporter.

I believe in his border policies. I'm just flabbergasted by the fact we've got 12 million illegal aliens that have poured across the border. That's not even counting the got aways. Each and every day it's costing U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars. And then -- because all these people are on some program or another. I understand that they want to come to the country. I am in - I am for legal immigration. But you just can't have 12 million people. It's an invasion. Truly it's -- JIMENEZ: So, immigration - or the migration is one of your top - top issues for the migrant issue. Obviously, it's been an issue over the course of multiple administrations. But I'm curious for you, how did you weigh your decision versus someone like Ron DeSantis, someone like Nikki Haley? Where did you draw the distinctions between candidates like those?

WALL: I thought Ron DeSantis would be an outstanding candidate as well. I think he's done a fabulous job in Florida. I like Nikki as well. But if I had to rank them, it would be Trump, it would be Ron DeSantis and then followed by Nikki.

JIMENEZ: Yes. And I'm assuming you voted for Trump in 2016, 2020 and now?

WALL: Absolutely.

JIMENEZ: Yes. All right.

WALL: Yes, I did.

JIMENEZ: Jeff, thank you so much for your time. We really appreciate you.

WALL: All right. Thank you so much. All right. Have a great day.

JIMENEZ: Of course. Of course.

And so you see the wide range of support that we've seen. Obviously, for him, as a Trump supporter, immigration was top of his list, despite being here in New Hampshire, which is not along the southern border. But we've also seen nuance in the reason that why - and the reason why Trump supporters have supported him versus also why they've decided not to and go towards someone like Nikki Haley.

HARLOW: Yes.

JIMENEZ: You've got a wide range of opinions in a place like this.

HARLOW: Yes. Look, immigration, the border, number one issue in our recent CNN New Hampshire poll for voters.

Omar, thank you.

This morning, New Hampshire voters are casting their ballots. President Biden's name is not on the ballot but supporters can write it in. Here's one Democratic voter who did just that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE, NEW HAMPSHIRE VOTER: Wrote in Joe Biden.

JIMENEZ: Yes?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

JIMENEZ: Yes. Were you disappointed that his name actually wasn't on the ballot? Or was that a secondary issue to you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Disappointed, but very happy to vote for him by writing his name in.

JIMENEZ: Yes. Yes. Obviously, Dean Phillips hit this state very, very hard, trying to - I mean really take advantage of the fact that Joe Biden was not on the ballot. Had -- did any of that campaigning get through to you, matter to you, or were you unwavering?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was unwavering. And I actually found him annoying.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Meanwhile, in Michigan, Democrats like Governor Whitmer and Congressman Kildee say that Democrats cannot take their state and their voters for granted.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARGARET BRENNAN, CBS NEWS: Are you concerned, here in Michigan, about this state staying blue?

GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER (D-MI): I think - I think everyone should always focus on Michigan. It's always going to be close in this state.

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: How concerned are you that the president is struggling in your state?

REP. DAN KILDEE (D-MI): Yes, we've got work to do. There's no question about it. Former President Trump's supporters are rabid, they're religious about their support for him. A lot of the challenges we're having right now is just bringing Democrats home, getting that enthusiasm up again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Got to bring the Democrats home. That's what Congressman Dan Kildee just told Manu Raju. And he is with me this morning.

Congressman, I so appreciate your time.

You told "The Wall Street Journal" this week the Biden campaign is, quote, not where it should be in your state. Are you worried about the president's chances of holding on to Michigan, winning Michigan?

REP. DAN KILDEE (D-MI): I am concerned because so much is at stake. Michigan is a necessary part of the equation for electing a president. And so when we have the possibility of returning to the chaos and the danger of a Donald Trump presidency, we have to take it very seriously. So, you know, I'm rolling up my sleeves, we all are here in Michigan, to make sure that people here understand the choice. And it's a pretty stark one.

HARLOW: You talked to the president a couple of weeks ago.

[08:35:02]

I would assume your message to him was a bit more emphatic in private than you're sharing publicly. Tell me what you told him, if you could, and what he said to you about Michigan.

KILDEE: Well, I mean, we talked about its importance. You know, he called me after I made the decision to not run for re-election. So we talked mostly about that and about the time we spent together working. But, you know, I told him, we - we need him here in Michigan. It makes a difference when he comes here. And we can explain the Biden record against the four-year chaos of Donald Trump. Talk about the progress that we made in the last Congress, for example, and (INAUDIBLE) the people here in Michigan. There's nothing quite like having the president here himself delivering that message. And that's what I encouraged him to do.

HARLOW: You know, the UAW has not endorsed the president yet. And he went to the picket line. That's pretty extraordinary for a sitting president to do during the auto strike. Does it worry you that they haven't endorsed him yet?

KILDEE: No, it doesn't. I mean last election they didn't endorse until April of the election year. And, let's be clear, the UAW had other issues on its mind than injecting presidential politics into the 2023 challenges. They had an unprecedented strike. With the support of President Biden, they received an unprecedented contract. So, when I talk to auto workers, they understand that. And, you know, I'm very hopeful that organized labor generally, and the UAW specifically, will - will remember Joe Biden's record and will stand with him as a result.

HARLOW: Yes. You know, Congressman, I'm not sure if you just heard the voter that our colleague, Omar, spoke to, Jeff. He's a Trump supporter. He always has been. But his reason is supporting Trump is the southern border. And under -- for the past year we've seen a record number of migrant crossings at the southern border. And our polling just last month in your state, in Michigan, shows that Michigan voters support the Republican Party on immigration more than they support the Democratic Party.

How big of a vulnerability is this for the Biden administration if those numbers don't dramatically change?

KILDEE: Well, it's clearly an issue that we have to address. I think it is noteworthy that Donald Trump was president for four years, part of which during that period of time he had complete control of the U.S. Congress, talked a good game when it came to border security, did nothing. I think in our case we're more interested in solving the problem.

I think one of the challenges that the president has, that President Biden has, is a Republican Party that is more interested in keeping the issue of border security going rather than actually solving the problem. If they want to solve it, we're all ears. We'll sit down. We have our own ideas. And we'll come up with solutions that are bipartisan solutions that get at this. But we have a Republican Party that's so hellbent on winning, that they don't really focus very much attention at all on actually solving these big problems that we face. President Biden will. They don't.

HARLOW: We really appreciate your time this morning, Congressman Dan Kildee, for being with us. You look like you're recovering well and we're wishing you all the best. We'll talk to you very soon.

KILDEE: Thank you.

HARLOW: Of course.

Moments ago, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu just arrived at a polling site in Hampton, New Hampshire.

Back with me here in Manchester, Kasie Hunt, Jeff Zeleny.

Good morning, guys.

Obviously, he's governor here. Endorsed Nikki Haley. And I think we're - we'll see if we see Nikki Haley at some point very soon.

What are you guys thinking this morning as you listen to voters? It looks like she's pulling up now, by the way. We'll keep an eye on this.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: I mean on immigration, that's something that former President Donald Trump's campaign has been hammering Nikki Haley on here in New Hampshire. It's really been more of an issues based campaign from their side. They're pushing Social Security and immigration. So, she's been refuting that, saying, look, when I was governor, I passed a tough immigration law. But that is one of the things that has been a challenge for her here. And we saw that voter there and many that we've spoken to are concerned about the fact of illegal immigration.

HARLOW: And Trump has tried to muddy the water with her stance on the southern border, Kasie -

KASIE HUNT, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Yes.

HARLOW: Saying she opposed a wall. She didn't. The fact is, she said, you can't just have a wall. But if he convinced people, this is their number one issue in the state, we know that, if he convinced people of that, that's an Achilles heel for her.

HUNT: Well, what's the thing about Donald Trump that has made him different from all these other candidates you and I have covered? I mean he is a master at putting a very complicated set of ideas into a phrase that's three words long, build the wall, right? I mean you hear that phrase, who do you think of? It's not Nikki Haley. It's not anyone else that's run in the Republican primary, even if many of them are to the right of Trump on immigration. It can be hard to do that. But even if you conceivably could. And you see this in the polling when you ask, who do you trust to deal with these issues?

[08:40:01] And you'll see President Trump kind of float to the top of that.

And, you know, trying to run against that, especially in a scenario where he's already been president once before, he's one of the most famous people on the planet.

HARLOW: Yes.

HUNT: It's almost like, yes, we can, in a primary context, talk about the specific issues.

I think there's an argument to be made when we look back on this, that this was just an impossible task kind of from the get go but -

HARLOW: For anyone to take on Trump?

HUNT: For anyone to take him on.

ZELENY: He's an incumbent. I mean that's the reality here inside this party.

HUNT: Yes.

ZELENY: I mean Ron DeSantis aggressively tried to say, but Trump didn't build the wall.

HUNT: Right.

ZELENY: And that argument sort of fell flat in Iowa.

HUNT: He didn't get Mexico to play for it.

HARLOW: Yes.

ZELENY: Right.

HARLOW: Well, that's for sure.

HUNT: Et cetera. Yes.

HARLOW: Stay with me, guys. We are waiting for Nikki Haley to arrive at a polling site in Hampton, New Hampshire. We've got the governor of New Hampshire already there.

Special live coverage continues after this.

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HARLOW: Welcome back to our special live coverage from New Hampshire. I'm Poppy Harlow in Manchester.

Voting is well underway in the granite state. You are looking at live pictures of Hampton, New Hampshire. The governor of the state already there waiting for Nikki Haley to arrive. That is where she is expected to cast her ballot. We'll keep a close eye on this.

Kasie Hunt back with me. Ebony Davis has been just so close to this all the way through. We really appreciate you guys sticking with us.

HUNT: Yes.

HARLOW: What are you watching?

HUNT: Well, you know, so, I want to take this opportunity because Ebony has - you know, for those who don't know, has been the embed -- our embed reporter on Nikki Haley. Kate Sullivan is here, too, at the diner. She's been covering the Trump campaign. We have others, Aly Maine (ph), who have been - who have been working so hard for us. We're waiting here. Chris Sununu is here.

Ebony, can you just talk to us a little bit about - I really wanted to give you guys a chance to kind of tell us what you've been experiencing because going through this as an embed reporter where you - you are day in and day out with these candidates, it's a unique experience. You get to see and understand voters, why people are doing what they're doing in a way the rest of us don't.

HARLOW: Yes.

HUNT: I mean what have you learned about the voters you've been talking to and hearing from about our country as you've been doing this job?

EBONY DAVIS, CNN HALEY CAMPAIGN PRODUCER: So, I've learned so much. As you guys know, political embeds, we're the eyes and the ears on the ground. So I'm following Nikki Haley. And I have been for months now. So, it's been exciting. Lately we know that she's seeing momentum. And so, for me, it has just ramped up with events. It's ramped up with speaking to so many voters who are excited to see Nikki Haley. They've talked about how they want, you know, new leadership.

So, it's been exciting. It's been exciting to watch history unfold as we - as I've never covered a campaign in this extensive way before. Lately we're at the primaries today. It has been seven, eight events a day. I'm hopping in and out of a press van. I'm following her every move. So, it's been exciting. It's been nice to hear from voters. There's a lot of different perspectives. But just hearing from voters, seeing what they want going forward with the country, for me, it's been nice to hear from the voters themselves. Like, it's nice to make these connections.

I've been going to a lot of events in New Hampshire where they're able to talk to me.

[08:45:03]

They remember me from months ago when I started following her. So, catching up and, honestly, sitting here right now and realizing today is the primary, that for me New Hampshire, it's moving on to South Carolina tomorrow, it's very -- it's a very eye-opening moment.

HUNT: Ebony, what would you say I mean to people who are trying to understand what it is about kind of the final days of a campaign? I mean are you seeing sort of the stress on the campaign's face? Like, is it more intense here in the final moments?

DAVIS: Definitely intense. For me, I feel like, you know, it's constant communication with the campaigns. You're constantly looking for answers. You definitely can feel the crunch time with the campaign. So, you know, I think it's -- for me, as an embed, it's just actively seeking, you know, editorial threads, it's actively seeking answers. It's kind of getting in mindset of where the campaign is going, what they're thinking about.

So, you can definitely feel that it's crunch time. You know, now, after going straight from the caucuses at Iowa to New Hampshire, I think that for me it's been a very eye-opening thing, like I said. Like you see how fast-paced it's been. So - and you can definitely feel it and you can definitely feel the importance of it, how we all know that all eyes are on Nikki Haley and Trump going into the -

HUNT: Yes. And speaking of, we've got Chris Sununu. So, we've got some live pictures going on here. We're going to keep an eye on that. And if Nikki Haley pops out of one of these cars, or someone else we need to talk to, we're going to listen in.

But Kate Sullivan is also with us.

Kate, thank you so much for -- you guys are exhausted. I really appreciate you being here instead of asleep right now.

KATE SULLIVAN, CNN TRUMP CAMPAIGN PRODUCER: Thank you.

HUNT: But this is really such a - you know, it's the moment for you. And you've - you've covered Trump rallies. That is a particularly unique experience.

SULLIVAN: It is.

HUNT: I mean how have you -- I mean I think one thing that people who don't see this the way we do, they wonder, they're trying to understand Trump voters, what they want, what they care about. You've seen so many of them at these rallies. I mean what you have learned -

SULLIVAN: Yes.

HUNT: About how things are in our country?

SULLIVAN: No, absolutely. I mean I think - so, like you said, so my job is to go to every single Trump rally. And a lot of what I do is talk to Trump voters about what they care about, you know, how motivated they are to turn out.

I think one thing that has been really interesting to see is, obviously, Trump is a defendant in multiple criminal trials. And I think I've just seen the progression of how much more fired up his base has become just, you know, with each indictment that comes down. The thing that I keep hearing over and over again is, I can't wait to vote for him. I am so - like, I feel like he is being targeted. They're going after my guy. So, that has been a really interesting thing to just watch sort of - you know, he's facing 91 criminal charges.

And so, you know, a unique thing about covering Trump is juggling the courthouse with the campaign trail. And I think, you know, he'll be in court in New York and then go to campaign in Iowa. And that's such a unique thing. And so I am with him at all times. And so I'm also, you know, juggling the court with the campaign trail. So, it's just been a new, interesting, kind of challenging part about this beat.

HUNT: Yes, I mean, it really is a presidential campaign unlike any other. And that is really interesting that you've been able to pick up that people - I mean we've heard the other political candidates, Ron DeSantis, say, for example, well, if he hadn't been indicted, maybe I would have had some more luck. And I think what you're talking about really speaks to that.

What would you say has been - I mean there has also been, in the past, vitriol toward the press, at some of Trump's rallies and things like that. I mean how has it been for you kind of personally dealing with some of the negativity that comes with this campaign?

SULLIVAN: It's definitely challenging. I think - but it's just part of the job. And I think, you know, the former president does still go after reporters, you know, in every single speech and they all turn around and -- I talk to people who, I think, have a preconceived notion of who I'm going to be and what I'm going to be like. And I think as soon as we start chatting, I do feel like my -- the best thing I can do is just smile and listen and really tell them what I'm there to do, which is to listen to what they want to talk about and to just -- I'm here to talk about what you want to talk about. And I think it's -- it has been definitely a challenging thing, but, you know, it's not about us and it's more about them and what they have to say. And I think that's what I just keep remembering.

HUNT: Yes, no, and the humanity -- the human element is just so, so important. It's such a - such an important lesson.

Kate Sullivan, Ebony Davis, thank you, guys. The whole network, and to all -- I know not all of, obviously, of your compatriots embeds could be here today, but our entire network is so incredibly grateful for the hard work, and you should be too, because all the video you're seeing, so much of it is shot by them. They're exhausted. And we're very, very proud of all of them.

We will be right back from here in Manchester, New Hampshire.

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[08:53:57]

MATTINGLY: Well, right now we are still waiting for Nikki Haley to arrive at a polling location in Hampton, New Hampshire, on primary day. New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu arrived just a few moments ago. We will take you there live when that happens.

But also new this morning, we have nominees. The nominees for the 96th annual Academy Awards have just been announced. Top nods go to Cillian Murphy, Paul Giamatti, Bradley Cooper for best actor. For best actress, Emma Stone and Lily Gladstone are up against Carey Mulligan, Annette Bening and Sandra Huller. And the nominees for best picture include "Barbie," "Oppenheimer," "Killers of the Flower Moon," and "The Holdovers" and more.

CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister is live for us in Los Angeles.

Since I just gave a laundry list of all the things, can I ask you, what were you surprised by? Were there snubs here?

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: There were some major snubs, Phil. I was very surprised to see no Margot Robbie in the category of best actress. Of course, we know "Barbie" is the biggest film of the year, making over $1.4 billion. To have her snubbed was a big surprise.

Also, Greta Gerwig, the director of "Barbie," not nominated in the category of best director.

[08:55:01]

Now, "Barbie" still having a good morning, nominated for best picture. Two songs in the category of original song. Greta Gerwig getting a nomination for adaptive screen play. And Ryan Gosling also getting a nomination for supporting.

Now, one of the big surprises here, continuing with the theme of "Barbie," Phil, America Ferrera sliding in there for best supporting actress. She had that great empowering monolog. But she wasn't a shoe- in to get the nominee. So, that was a big moment.

And one last, big snub, no Leo DeCaprio. Any time Leo's not there, that's a snub.

MATTINGLY: Absolutely. We're going to have to cut you off there, Elizabeth. We do have moving political news at the moment.

You see Governor Chris Sununu is with Ambassador Nikki Haley. It is the moment, the day that the Haley campaign has been pushing toward. The New Hampshire governor, Chris Sununu, very popular, has been her biggest endorsement and has made very clear how critical he views this day to be.

I want to go to Kylie Atwood, who's been following the campaign, close to the campaign.

What are the expectations today, Kylie?

KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, listen, they haven't set any specific expectations. They've been very careful to do that, saying that they expect she's going to have a strong showing here in New Hampshire.

Now, we're seeing ambassador, Governor Haley, walk up. This is her first stop of the day. We're at a polling location here in Hampton.

Governor Haley, what is a win for you here in New Hampshire today?

NIKKI HALEY (R), 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Good morning. You all look good. Happy election day. It's great.

GOV. CHRIS SUNUNU (R-NH): Good to see you. Good to see you.

(INAUDIBLE).

MATTINGLY: So, we've been listening to Kylie Atwood, who's been covering the campaign. We see the governor, Chris Sununu, and Nikki Haley stopping right now. We'll see if they -- looks like they're going to speak to reporters on what is a critical day for this campaign.

HALEY: Good morning. Happy election day. We are super excited. We - you know, we were excited to get the endorsement of the conservative "Union Leader." It's amazing to get the first six votes in the country in Dixville Notch. We're very grateful for that. It's a good start to the day.

I am blessed to have had two amazing friends with me along this ride, General Don Bolduc, who was with me literally from day one, and Governor Chris Sununu, who has worked tirelessly alongside of me. It's - they're two great friends and we've worked New Hampshire hard and we're excited to see what the day brings.

QUESTION: Ambassador, do you think the Dixville Notch votes, are those a good bellwether for what you can expect tonight?

HALEY: You know, right now, we'll take whatever we can take. It was certainly a good start. It gave us some good energy and momentum. And I'm grateful to those six people.

SUNUNU: We're not promising that it's going to be 350,000 to zero, but we're definitely on track for that.

QUESTION: Governor Haley - Governor Haley -

QUESTION: I want to ask the governor, what do you do now (ph)? What -

HALEY: Yes.

QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) thank you very much.

If you -- you talk about needing to have a strong finish in New Hampshire. If you don't, will you still move on to South Carolina?

HALEY: We're going to South Carolina. We have put in the ad buy. We're there. This is - this has always been a marathon. It's never been a sprint. We wanted to be strong in Iowa. We want to be stronger than that in New Hampshire. We're going to be even stronger than that in South Carolina. We're running the tape.

(CROSS TALK)

QUESTION: Governor, can you - QUESTION: (INAUDIBLE) turnout to you here today. You saw the secretary of state's new projections.

SUNUNU: Yes.

QUESTION: Do you need more than that?

SUNUNU: No, look, the secretary of state has predicted a record turnout. So, I think it would be hard to ask for more than that. But, I mean, the number of folks that are - that are saying, hey, I've never voted in a primary before but I'm coming out, that's a great sign. And that's not just a great sign in terms of what Nikki can do, it's a great sign for New Hampshire. It's a great sign of voter involvement. Everyone wants to get engaged. This isn't the 56,000 vote coronation out in Iowa. That's not how America plays.

QUESTION: Governor, how's campaigning in New Hampshire different from South Carolina, other than the coats?

HALEY: You know, it's interesting because, yes, it's colder in New Hampshire, but I love the fact that granite staters wear their feelings on their sleeves. You know exactly what they expect. You know exactly where they stand. And I love that. I mean I like the blunt approach of that.

New Hampshire and South Carolina, very similar. You have to work it. You have to fight for it. You have to earn every single vote. They want to see you work. And so South Carolina's like that. And so I think that's why this was a natural state for me to campaign in because I've done it multiple times in South Carolina. I know what it takes. But I'm grateful. They all showed up to town halls and to different areas. They asked their questions. They were very kind to me and my team. And, you know, good people here in New Hampshire.

(CROSS TALK)

QUESTION: You've resisting defining what a strong showing here in New Hampshire looks like. Why won't you define what it looks like? And also, former President Trump last night said you'll probably drop out today. What's your response to that?

HALEY: I don't do what he tells me to do. I've never done what he tells me to do.

Look, I mean I think - I don't - strong. I've always said, we'll know strong when the numbers come in. It's not like a certain number. I don't go there and say, oh, I have to have this number, I have to have that number. What I've always had in my mind is, I want to be stronger than Iowa. And then South Carolina, I want to be stronger. Let's see what that looks like. Y'all will all be talking about it. So you can decide later whether that's strong or not, but that's what we're going to be watching for.

QUESTION: If Trump beats you by double digits here in New Hampshire, do you think that your campaign has a future?

[09:00:03]

HALEY: You know, when we come in and we start the day and there were 13, 14 candidates in this race -

SUNUNU: That's right.