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Inside Politics

Voters' Enthusiasm for Warren On The Rise Since March; Pelosi: I Prefer Building on ObamaCare Over Medicare for All; Acting DNI Chief Misses Intel Deadline Over Whistleblower Complaint; Israeli Election Too Close To Call; Gun Safety Activists Launch PSA on School Shootings; Klobuchar Kicks Off "Blue Wall Tour" in Pennsylvania. Aired 12:30-1p ET

Aired September 18, 2019 - 12:30   ET

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

[12:30:00] TARINI PARTI, WHITE HOUSE REPORTER, BUZZFEED NEWS: -- voters into her camp rather than going directly after Joe Biden.

JOHN KING, CNN HOST: At some point, it has to happen but Biden benefits from the crowded field, number one, without a doubt when you look at any polling data but especially this new NBC/Wall Street Journal numbers. He likes the crowded field because Sanders takes up progressives, some of the other candidates take up about four in 10 Democratic votes. Therefore, he stays up there.

If you look philosophically especially what the Democrats want, they want big, they want bold even if it's hard. Philosophically, the party is more with Warren or Sanders who proposes much the same but Joe Biden holds his spot because, again, you have a fractured, crowded field.

Here's another thing, Elizabeth Warren has been the growth stock if you -- just from a polling perspective. Enthusiasm, among Democrats who say they're enthusiastic, if you look at Joe Biden's numbers from March to September, enthusiasm for Joe Biden is down. For Elizabeth Warren from March to September, it's way up. Bernie Sanders, again, his polling numbers, both from a horse race perspective and when you look at the underlined there, have been pretty steady throughout which is both a benefit and a curse. Meaning, he's in third place nationally but he has a loyal support network across the country so he's not going anywhere.

But the -- Warren is the growth stock.

JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Right. And I mean, this is why people say and I think it's true that you don't want to be at the peak of the pack in the beginning. You obviously want to be there toward the end. And so from that perspective, it's better to be where Elizabeth Warren is which is behind but gaining on Biden than to be at the top and falling.

But, that said, his stock has been remarkably consistent and he's kept his frontrunner position even through all of these debates, even through some of the attacks that had been launched against him not by Warren personally but by some of the other candidates. And the question is does that enthusiasm for the bigger, bolder, you know, shakeup everything approach among Democrats, Trump or outweigh the real desire to have the person who's best able to go up against Trump which it seems like the members of the Democratic Party still feel is Joe Biden.

KING: Iowa and New Hampshire go first. They get to see the candidates' photos on those states more than in any other states so that's how they make the decisions mostly. What did I see? What am I hearing? What's in my neighborhood?

But, here's my question. Do surrogates help in the sense that Joe Biden has been having it out with Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren on incrementalism when it comes to healthcare? He says build on ObamaCare, they say wipe it out. Make private insurance illegal essentially have Medicare for All.

They have been fighting it out. Nancy Pelosi, she's not endorsing Joe Biden by any means. She says she's neutral in all of this. But on healthcare, she's with him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): I believe that the path is to healthcare for all is a path that is following the lead of the Affordable Care Act. And I think that what is being put forth, I said if you -- if that's what you believe, God bless you, but know what it entails.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: In other words, we can't get it done. It's not going to happen.

PAUL KANE, SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT, THE WASHINGTON POST: She believes -- I've talked to her about his and she believes that there are protections within ObamaCare, guarantees of coverage that aren't in Medicare right now. And that there are things that are just better about the Affordable Care Act than Medicare and that you would have to really retool Medicare to get Bernie's plan.

KING: Very, very popular among Democrats nationally. I know some younger Democrats are agitated with her right now but especially older Democratic women big fans of Nancy Pelosi, big in the Democratic primaries, maybe they'll never hear that. But does that help Joe Biden?

VIVIAN SALAMA, WHITE HOUSE REPORTER, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: I mean, it definitely helps him in terms of -- a number of these members of Congress, keep in mind they really stuck their necks out for the Affordable Care Act. And so someone like Nancy Pelosi and others, they still have to sort of keep that if they don't want to seem completely hypocritical. At the same time they keep on saying, well, the Affordable Care Act, you know, it's not perfect and it can definitely be adjusted and improved. There's room for improvement but at the end of the day he is right and this is the way we should go. That's how they've been all along. KING: Now, I would argue you, correct me if you think I'm wrong, more Democrats today would follow Nancy Pelosi's lead than Jimmy Carter's lead. That was Nancy Pelosi saying something that plays into what Joe Biden is saying, supports what Joe Biden is saying. This is from Jimmy Carter, not so much.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIMMY CARTER, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I hope there's an age limit. You know, if I were just 80-years-old, if I was 15 years younger, I don't believe I could undertake the duties that I experience when I was president.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: It's an honest opinion from a guy who held the job. Elizabeth Warren is 70, Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden are older than that. Does that matter? Will Democratic voters listen to Jimmy Carter?

DAVIS: I don't know that Democratic voters are listening to Jimmy Carter but I do think it's a real issue. I mean, I think that some Democratic voters do believe that not only are you less able to do the job at an older age but that they want a younger, fresher face so that's part of what they want to see at the helm of the party in this next election. Particularly going up against Donald Trump who is older and who represents what they want really to show the party is not. So I think it's less a question of how much do you buy into Jimmy Carter's philosophy on this than how much do you actually want to see that kind of change in the ticket.

KANE: Nancy Pelosi turns 80 next March.

[12:35:01] I'd like to see someone ask her whether she agrees with President Carter.

KING: OK. Well, people are living longer healthier lives but it's a fair question.

Before we go to break, a little bit of fun, what happens behind the scenes at those presidential debates?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST, "THE JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!": What goes on during the commercial breaks? Do you guys talk to each other? Is everyone racing to the bathroom?

SEN. CORY BOOKER (D-NJ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, first of all, when Bernie goes to the bathroom, nobody goes.

Cory, wait your turn!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [12:40:29] KING: Another standoff between the Trump administration and House Democrats, this one over a whistleblower complaint. The exact nature of the complaint is not clear but House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff demanded that the Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph McGuire turn it over.

By last night, the DNI's office refused, writing in a letter obtained by CNN that that time frame is unreasonable and that McGuire won't be attending a congressional hearing slated for tomorrow. Chairman Schiff says the inspector general who oversees the DNI deemed the whistleblower complaint to be, quote, credible and urgent. The DNI's top lawyer disputes calling it that. The DNI general counsel also wrote the complaint involves, quote, potentially privileged matters with other stakeholders within the executive branch.

So here's a confrontation. We know nothing about the details except that it involves intelligence. Where are we going?

Well -- and more importantly, Chairman Schiff knows nothing about the underlying details except that, you know, it involves intelligence. He did say in the letter that he initially wrote to McGuire that this complaint and the inspector general's look into it has been shared with the Justice Department. So there's some suggestion that there -- that potentially it could have been shared with the White House as well or that involves the White House. Mr. Schiff has made a lot of suggestions along those lines but really, we don't know and he doesn't know what's in the complaint. So what you have is kind of this standoff.

But given that it involves intelligence information, it's not that unusual for the DNI to be saying, wait a second, we need to wait before we come to Congress and talk about it.

KING: Right. But there was a time when the intelligence matters were separated at least to a degree from the partisan suspicion and polarization, not anymore. OK, we'll stay on top of that story.

Up next, while gun policy talks continue on Capitol Hill, a very grim new public service announcement debuts. It's meant to help prevent school shootings.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:47:00] KING: Welcome back.

The Israeli elections still too close to call. The latest projections show Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu trailing his main rival, the former military chief Benny Gantz by one seat. But neither party has a clear path now to forming a ruling coalition, meaning in the next few days, perhaps even in the next few weeks will involve a ton of behind the scenes political wrangling. And because of that, Netanyahu canceling his planned trip to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.

Let's get straight to CNN's Oren Liebermann, he is following this election from Jerusalem. Oren, where are we in the vote count and what now?

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Most of the vote count, over 90 percent at this point has been completed so we have a pretty good idea of what these results look like. And John, as you pointed out, it looks like Prime Minister Netanyahu's Likud Party is one seat behind his rival, former IDF chief of staff Benny Gantz's Blue and White Party. But that doesn't mean we're anymore clear about what's going to happen than we were when this morning started or when last night ended. And that's because neither of these leaders can claim victory in what is currently political uncertainty and may very quickly lead to political chaos in the next weeks and months.

Because of that political uncertainty, Netanyahu knows that he doesn't have to declare victory or he can't declare victory but he also doesn't have to give a concession speech. So when he spoke just a short time ago, he said he has united the right-wing parties and the religious parties essentially under his leadership into a big right- wing and religious block and they act together, they will negotiate together, and they will move forward together. That gives him some leverage over what he sees as his block but again, not enough to declare victory.

And that's the same for Benny Gantz, his rival who also can't declare victory and they have to see how this moves forward because neither has the 61 seats necessary to form a government. And that means the two most important people in Israeli politics right now are former defense minister Avigdor Lieberman who is what's known here as the kingmaker, he has the crucial seats for either of these leaders. And then Israel's President Reuven Rivlin who will decide who gets to form the next government. Those two people hold all the cards in Israeli politics right now, John, and neither is making it clear what they will do.

KING: So little fascinating, stretch your head, Oren. Grateful to have you on the ground in Jerusalem as we watch this play out. It's going to be fascinating and maybe for some time.

For more on what all this might means for the world and for American foreign policy, the views of the White House, let's bring in our CNN Chief International Correspondent Clarissa Ward, and CNN Presidential Historian Douglas Brinkley.

Clarissa, I want to start with you. And I'll start with this premise that I make as a guy who covers politics, not Israeli but American politics. Bibi Netanyahu has been the ultimate survivor even though he may be a seat down here, only a fool would count him out, correct?

CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think absolutely. I mean, this is a conversation that people were having just back in April. People had thought that perhaps then it was all over for him and yet he lived to see another day. And there's no discounting the possibility that he will live to see yet another day. He is the longest-serving prime minister and obviously, in this instance, he has a very specific objective in trying to form a coalition or be invited to form a coalition. [12:50:04] And that is the cloud of indictments, corruption charges hanging over him which if he is not prime minister any longer could lead him to be forced to resign if he were to be in a lesser position.

So, this is also a sort of existential battle almost for Prime Minister Netanyahu. And you can be sure he's going to do his best to forge together the seats needed. And at this stage, it's really anyone's win. It's very difficult to predict. That this is something we haven't seen in Israeli politics, certainly, John.

KING: And Doug, as we watch this play out, obviously from a U.S. perspective, President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu have been so close, you could argue they're Velcroed at times. But does it matter? Is it a big difference? President Trump would lose a friend if, and I emphasized if, underscored if, Benjamin Netanyahu were to lose his grip on power. But would it make a real change in U.S./Israeli relations if we have a new leader?

DOUGLAS BRINKLEY, CNN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: Look, Israel is the United States' very special friend, one of our closest allies and I don't think it will make too much of a difference. It will be an embarrassment to Donald Trump. But because -- if Netanyahu loses, it looks like it's a rejection of Trumpism in many ways.

It's been a very odd situation of Netanyahu and Trump on billboards in Israel, Netanyahu wanting to name the Trump heights in the Golan Heights in a settlement area. This sort of honoring of Trump and they -- you know, Donald Trump doesn't have a lot of close friends around the world. Two that he's embraced recently, Boris Johnson in the U.K. and Benjamin Netanyahu but both of them seem to be struggling in a confusing situation with -- going on with Brexit in Great Britain and now this election which may take six weeks to figure out who is the new prime minister.

But don't -- make no mistake about it, U.S./Israeli relations will continue. The question will be, will Trump have to start talking about a two-state solution, doing more for Palestine if there's a new government that comes in Israel.

KING: And Clarissa, as this happens, you have the uncertainty in Israel as this Iran situation, the Saudi attacks play out, but there's a very close military-to-military alliance, intelligence sharing. Was there any impact on how the world responds, how the United States responds, how things play out in the Middle East in the Persian Gulf because of the uncertainty of Israeli or are they two separate situations?

WARD: I don't think there will be any meaningful impact, and the primary reason for that is that Benny Gantz is not a candidate, who while he may not be quite as hawkish as Netanyahu, he is still a conservative candidate. And you can be sure that his views will hue pretty closely particularly on subjects like Iran to Netanyahu. So I don't think you're going to see any major implications or changes in Israeli foreign policy. Potentially obviously now there's the sliver of a window of the possibility of discussions of some kind of a peace agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians or at least reigniting the path to that peace talks. But beyond that, I wouldn't expect any major, major changes, John.

KING: Clarissa Ward, Doug Brinkley, appreciate your insights at this important moment. We'll keep on top of it. And I think this one might take a while. Appreciate you both coming in today.

Next for us, a 2020 Democratic candidate goes all-in on the Rust Belt.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:58:02] KING: Let's close with a quick look at some other stories in the news today. The Attorney General Bill Barr on Capitol Hill talking to lawmakers about possible, possible action on gun control. This as the Sandy Hook promise, remember the Sandy Hook shooting, airing a new public service announcement. CNN among the networks to grant some air time for this. It is a sobering call for action.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The scissors really come in handy in our class.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These colored pencils too.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: These new socks, they can be a real lifesaver.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And if I linked my own phone to stay in touch with my mom.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: If you watch the entire ad, it is both sobering, depressing. I don't know the term for it. Is there any hope with appeals like this and otherwise that they'll actually try to do something or is this going to get cut?

KANE: Look, the initial read-out of this proposal that sort of floating around, this is not actual legislation that my colleague Seung Min Kim is sending is that Manchin and Toomey are like, oh, this is pretty good, we can work with this. Then Chris Murphy who's been the liberal Democrat is kind of like, well, I've got to get into the details. And conservatives are going whoa, wait, background checks?

KING: Is that where we're been before in the quicksand there.

Amy Klobuchar, Democratic candidate for president, she's been struggling in the polls. On a blue wall tour right now. Those are the three states, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, Donald Trump flipped from long-time blue to red. Amy Klobuchar says she could flip them back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And I think it's really important that we make the case to them in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and all over this country that he's not keeping his promises to them. And he is not keeping the promises to make their lives better by doing things like increasing the minimum wage or making it easier to get childcare.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: It's an interesting play but Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina come before them, right?

PARTI: Right. But this is clearly Klobuchar's pitch to voters that she is the one who can win back those states. We saw a different candidate try that approach, Kristin Gillibrand, before she dropped out, she visited those states.

KING: Ouch!

Thanks for joining us today in the INSIDE POLITICS. We'll see you back you here this time tomorrow. Don't go anywhere, Brianna Keilar starts right --

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