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Trump & Biden Dominate Super Tuesday; Biden Officials Deliver Tough Message To Netanyahu's Rival; East Coast Set For Heavy Rainfall. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired March 06, 2024 - 05:00   ET

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

[05:00:38]

KASIE HUNT, CNN ANCHOR: It's Wednesday, March 6.

Right now on CNN THIS MORNING:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT & 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: -- officers. And if they did that in their countries from where they came, they'd be killed instantly, instantly. They wouldn't do that

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNT: Donald Trump dominant on Super Tuesday, pulling off a near sweep that could spell the end for Nikki Haley.

President Biden hoping to drive home two key points when he delivers his State of the Union Address later this week -- why he's fit for a second term and why Donald Trump is not.

And Nikki Haley still hanging on, but for how long after seeing her hopes all but slip away on Super Tuesday?

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HUNT: All right. It is 05:00 a.m. here in Washington. That is a live look at the Lincoln Memorial on this Wednesday morning.

Nikki Haley had a rough night last night. Donald Trump all but sweeping the primaries on Super Tuesday, although I will point out, Nikki Haley did have that slightly unexpected win here in Vermont. Again, Trump with that near sweep and it looks like the November rematch that Americans don't want is exactly what they'll get after that sweep on Super Tuesday.

Trump dominating nearly every race, winning by big margins and state after state. Now closing in on the 1,215 delegates that he would need to formally secure the nomination

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: But they come into our country, we're going to stop them, and we're going to close our borders. We're going to have to deport a lot of people, a lot of bad people, because our country can't live like this. Our cities -- our cities are choking to death. Our states are dying. And frankly, our country is dying. And we're going to make America great again, greater than ever before.

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HUNT: All right. Let's bring in our panel, with Geoff Duncan, former Georgia lieutenant governor, "Axios" publisher, Nick Johnston, and CNN political analyst Jackie Kucinich, also with "The Boston Globe".

Thank you all so much for being here this morning. It was a late night. I know for a lot of us.

Jackie, let me start with you just kind of big picture here. And the big question obviously, we came and sat down with this table right before we came on air, right? Everyone's wondering, what is Nikki Haley going to do at this point because this path is really set at this point for Trump.

JACKIE KUCINICH, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: And there's no public schedule, which doesn't really mean anything. You can always cancel campaign events.

HUNT: Like Nikki Haley isn't --

KUCINICH: Yeah, exactly.

HUNT: Yeah.

KUCINICH: And so, I mean, for all intents and purposes, we're in the general election and you've got that kind of flavor last week when you had Biden and Trump at the border and those dueling press conferences, press availabilities that they had. And so, it really what Nikki Haley does at this point, it's really for her and her supporters rather than the country writ large.

HUNT: I mean, Geoff, what did you make of what we saw play out last night and the big thing that Haley's team has been focusing on is saying, look, there, there -- there is a strong sentiment against Donald Trump in the party. It ranges anywhere from 25 to 40 percent depending on the state. It's not insignificant but it's also not really surmountable for her.

GEOFF DUNCAN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, one, I hope Nikki Haley stays in the race. I think it's important at this at this point to have a counterweight to Donald Trump and to Joe Biden. I mean, at the end of the day, there's 100 million people waking up today just absolutely shaking their heads at that -- we're in this position you've got to 90 -- or 81, I'm sorry, Freudian slip, 81-year-old president who people are going to be watching the State of the Union, not necessarily for the content, but just to see if he can actually deliver it.

And then, of course, you've got Donald Trump and his 91 indictments in all the riffraff that's going on there. So I certainly hope that somebody stays in there, but there's

literally 100 million people that just can't believe we got to where were at today. And, look, you can break down these numbers anyway you want. The top-line numbers are obviously impressive with these delegate wins.

But there's so much heartburn spread across these parties that there's got to be something other than Donald Trump and Joe Biden in most people's minds.

HUNT: Yeah. Nick, we have this new memo from the Biden campaign just off of embargo a couple of minutes ago, right at the top of 5:00 a.m. And they honestly, they focus a lot on Nikki Haley's voters --

NICK JOHNSTON, AXIOS PUBLISHER: Right.

HUNT: -- in this memo, right, in terms of how they're looking ahead to the general election. I mean, they call Trump cash-strapped, beleaguered by a host of issues, and, you know, they pointed -- some of the general election polling has been tough for the Biden team in the course of the last couple of weeks.

[05:05:05]

They pointed that they've written a lot of questions raised about the recent "New York Times" poll, but that poll did show 10 percent of voters are undecided. I have trouble believing that, knowing how our politics is, but what do you see?

JOHNSTON: Back to the Nikki Haley voters, which is -- just scrolling through the race results this morning. And in every state, you doubled digits were against Donald Trump and I talked about last time I was here, is that Donald Trump is running as an incumbent, right? He's essentially been the de facto nominee since like -- since he lost the last time.

HUNT: Right.

JOHNSTON: And still losing 10, 15, 20, 25 percent, 30 percent, losing Vermont. And so, there is a huge to the Biden campaign's point. I think a huge mass of voters in the Republican -- who are voting in the Republican primary. Now, whether those are Democrats playing -- like playing mischief is the one thing, but there's a massive amount and like you said earlier, right, there's millions of people who are just not happy with their results.

KUCINICH: And it's same people in terms of demographically, right? It's people in the suburbs, it's college-educated people that are casting their vote effectively against Donald Trump. And perhaps some of these people voted for Joe Biden and does have decided to take a pass on him, whether they come home or not to Donald Trump in November is really the open question.

JOHNSTON: And the most interesting polling data is when you go into people who were in Republican primaries and how many of them say they will not vote for Donald Trump. I think its one in seven when the most recent poll, and then the question is, okay, well, where did those people go? And if Donald Trump has a floor from the last election which he lost, it's not going higher, will then the Biden campaign is probably very excited about that possibility.

DUNCAN: Yeah, this group of individuals, this 30 to 40 percent that ranges in state, the state, in the Republican side, these are -- these are cemented individuals, right? Not all of them are going to the disavowal Donald Trump eventually. But a huge portion of them are, and that's the math problem that me and others have been talking about within the Republican Party is there's no way to overcome the suburbs with Donald Trump as your candidate, right? With that kind of math, where there's 10, 15-ish percent that are just not going to either show up or not going to vote for Donald Trump or figure out a different way to off-gas their opinion.

HUNT: Geoff, where do you stand personally? I mean, when you think about this and your family was obviously so affected by what Donald Trump did. But you're also a Republican, someone who's, you know, done a lot of work and put a lot of effort into the Republican Party. I mean, I know we've seen people like Brian Kemp have electoral success in Georgia for sure.

But I mean, when you think about making this decision, how do you think about it? About who to vote?

DUNCAN: Yeah, I'm disgusted. I mean, I voted for Nikki Haley the other day right before I came up here early in Georgia, and it's so difficult because I'm conservative. I just don't think the 2020 elections rigged. In fact, I've got kids that are more conservative than Donald Trump is, that have been Republicans longer than Donald Trump has.

He has just put a spell on the Republican Party, that history is not going to be kind to, but this is the moment we're living in. And instead, like as a Republican, I look at Joe Biden, say the only the only person that they could beat him at that moment was a Democrat, right, in 2020, and he did it. It wasn't Joe Biden or rigged election or the Chinese or the Venezuelans or whatever their excuses where. It was Donald Trump lost the race because he just wasn't a good human in those races.

HUNT: Yeah. All right. Guys, stay with us here.

Coming up next, what President Biden must prove to voters when he delivers his State of the Union Address tomorrow night.

Plus, the White House issuing a warning to one of Israel's top military chiefs. And the Alabama Senate taking action to prevent, protect in vitro fertilization. We'll have it all up next.

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[05:12:49]

HUNT: Welcome back. The Biden administration delivering a message to a top Israeli

government officials Tuesday and also possibly to one of his political rivals back home. Benny Gantz is a member of the Israeli war cabinet and a moderate rival to right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A spokesman says, Secretary of State Antony Blinken pushed Gantz for Israel to do more to get food and supplies into Gaza, as the humanitarian crisis there deepens.

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MATTHEW MILLER, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN: We want to see another crossing open and it's something were engaged with quite directly with the Israeli government that includes in the conversation that the secretary had, Minister Gantz today, he was quite direct and quite frank about the seriousness of the situation on the ground.

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HUNT: All right. CNN's Max Foster joins us live from London.

Max, good morning to you.

So, sure, they had the U.S. government message for Gantz, fine. But honestly, Gantz's presence here without the sanction of his own government where he's meeting with the vice president of United States, now with the secretary of state, there's a lot here. What is he hoping to achieve? What's really going on?

MAX FOSTER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, his poll numbers are very high compared with Benjamin Netanyahu within Israel. He's clearly the main opposition figure for Benjamin Netanyahu. And I think it probably works for him to be seen as this leader on the global stage ahead of any, you know, next set of elections if and when they happen within Israel. So there's got to be some sort of political thinking there.

You know, you've got to also think that you don't just walk into Washington and get meetings with Kamala Harris? So I think it's the American perspective that's interesting as well here. They are embracing him. There's something they feel they can get from this meeting and not too concerned about upsetting Benjamin Netanyahu at home.

So as you were saying, a message for Benjamin Netanyahu as well, we are dealing with this figure. Benny Gantz, who if America is looking at a two-state solution one day in Israel, Benny Gantz is much more -- he hasn't supported that, but they could probably work within more easily on that in future than they would Benjamin Netanyahu.

So, America getting very involved in Israeli politics here. He's not there as you are saying, representing the Israeli government.

HUNT: Yeah, can't help but wonder what that says about the relationship between President Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu and how it's faring at this very moment.

[05:15:07]

And speaking of President Biden -- I mean, he's going to head into the State of the Union Address on Thursday night, likely without a cease- fire agreement, even after late last week, he had ties that there would be won by Monday. I mean, they were really hoping this would be something he would be able to get up there at that podium and talk about.

And instead, we're talking about trying to airlift aid into Gaza from the U.S. because the situation has gotten just so incredibly dire there.

What's the view from your side of the pond in terms of the president's -- the U.S. president's political problems around this at home and how its affecting what's actually happening to the people who are suffering in Gaza?

FOSTER: So, from the U.K., you never get major criticism of U.S., is the most important international partner, but a very similar conversation happening here today. Gantz is coming to London and David Cameron is going to be meeting him. And it's all that whole conversations about aid.

And I think it could get even more spiky because David Cameron said much stronger words around aid. He's saying that basically Israel as an occupying power has a legal responsibility to make sure people within Gaza are fed. International law does actually say that any occupying power has a duty to ensure food and medical supplies to the population under its control to the fullest extent of the means available to it.

So that's going to be really the big message he's got with Gantz today to take back to Israel. There have been aid convoy is blocked by the Israelis, the Americans having to fly in aid now is the pictures were getting out of starvation in northern Gaza in particular, are absolutely horrific and to see Joe Biden talking about a ceasefire, not getting it, I do think it makes him look like less of a leader to the rest of the world when he stands up in front of his own Congress because it hasn't been able to push it through.

HUNT: Yeah, it's -- it's a tough set of circumstances for sure, all the way around.

Max Foster for us in London -- Max, thank you very much, as always. I'll see you tomorrow.

All right. Coming up next here, no events on Nikki Haley's calendar. What does that tell us?

Plus, why House Republicans are slowing down impeachment for the homeland security secretary?

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[05:21:41]

HUNT: All right. Twenty-one minutes past the hour.

Here's our morning round up.

The Alabama Senate expected to hold its final vote today to pass legislation protecting in vitro fertilization. The bill will shield IVF patients and doctors from civil and criminal charges. Sources say House Republicans have not sent articles of impeachment against DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to the Senate. They first want to know if the Senate will agree to fold a trial.

And a first for collegiate sports, Dartmouth's men's basketball team just voted to unionize. Dartmouth says they're going to appeal a decision by the National Labor Relations Board who recognize the players as school employees.

All right. Time now for weather.

The East Coast preparing for plenty of wet weather, but first swamp -- it's swamping the Southeast.

Let's get straight to our weatherman Van Dam.

Derek, good morning. So who needs an umbrella today?

DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Yeah. Take it from me, if you're in Atlanta, you need an umbrella, but you also need to watch out for flash flooding. We actually have a flash flood warning that's in place through about 09:30 this morning. This band of rain just pivoted a right around the greater Atlanta metro region. We look at it, a swamping the Southeast, lots of precipitation. We've got I just have my house here in Atlanta over three inches of rain here within the past 24 hours.

So that's significant, that's enough to rapidly rise some of those rivers. That is why the National Weather Service has this flash flood warning. And that includes a population of over 1 million people. So significant, that's why were starting off with that.

But guess where that rain is going? The East Coast. And this has got a concerning trend to it considering that this area saw widespread two to three inches of rain very recently. So, a very saturated ground.

I remember this is a sandy soil across the East Coast, so it doesn't take much to flood. That's why flash flood watches have been issued for many of the major East Coast cities. Just look how much rain above average since the beginning of the year, we stand. Providence, Rhode Island, nearing five inches above our average for this year.

It's been a wet winter. We know that in New York City, very little snow, but too much rain. Look at where this precipitation is going again at swan pumped the southeast this morning, but then it's going to move off the East Coast and its going to get some influence from the gulf stream.

So we're going to take in a lot of Atlantic moisture and that is going to just dump this in the form of heavy precipitation from New York to Boston. So the potential there for one to three inches of rain today look out for flash flooding, especially along that I-95 corridor. You've been warned

HUNT: All right. Our weatherman Van Dam, Derek, thank you very much. I'll see you next hour.

VAN DAM: All right.

HUNT: Up next here, Donald Trump closer than ever to clinching the nomination with a near sweep on Super Tuesday.

Plus, President Biden's plans to take on Trump. We'll tell you about the new campaign memo this out this hour.

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HUNT: All right. A live look at Long Beach, California. People there flipping off their Super Tuesday hangover. We've got some interesting results in some races that aren't at the presidential level that will dig into in a little while.

But, first, good morning. Thanks for being up with us. I'm Kasie Hunt, just before 5:30 here on the East Coast.

And like it or not, the 2024 election, almost certainly to be a rematch of the 2020 race after Joe Biden and Donald Trump nearly pulled off sweeps on Super Tuesday. The numbers tell the story, Trump dominating nearly every state, and now within a fingertip of clinching the nomination.

Now, Nikki Haley did win Vermont. Her campaign is not commenting on whether she plans to stay in the race.

They did release a statement that says, quote: We're honored to have received the support of millions of Americans across the country today, including in Vermont, where Nikki became the first Republican woman to win two presidential primary contests. Today in state after state, there remains a large bloc of Republican primary voters who are expressing deep concerns about Donald Trump.

[05:30:00]