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Inside Politics

Warren Mulls Endorsement Plans; Pelosi Laments Being Most Powerful Woman In U.S. Politics. Aired 12:30-1p ET

Aired March 06, 2020 - 12:30   ET

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

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[12:31:40]

JOHN KING, CNN HOST: Elizabeth Warren is now out of the race and mauling whether to endorse. There is no timetable and no certainty she will voice a preference in what is now a Joe Biden versus Bernie Sanders matchup. But perhaps some clues here. In an interview last night, Warren notes policy differences with former Vice President Biden. But she finds a lot to like in the person.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA): So we go back a long way. We were in the bankruptcy wars against each other. He is exactly at least this is my view. He is exactly who he says he is. He's a decent guy. And I mean that in the good of decency.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: As for Bernie Sanders, the policies between Warren and Sanders, mostly a match, but there's clearly frustration, even bad blood over campaign tactics and leadership.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WARREN: We are responsible for the people who claim to be our supporters and do really threatening ugly, dangerous things for other to other and --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have you ever to Senator Sanders about that?

WARREN: I have.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What was that conversation then?

WARREN: It was short. But yes, we've talked about it. But I think it's a real problem.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: That I think it's a real problem. The short part was essentially her saying, he wouldn't talk about it. I wanted to talk about it. He wouldn't talk about it. Do you read clues into that or is it just she just get out of the race and she's just answering the questions honestly and, you know, I disagree with Biden on a lot of things, but he's really decent guy. I agree with Bernie on a lot of things. But I don't like what happened to me.

LISA LERER, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: think she's not someone who's going to be pressured into making an endorsement. I mean, we certainly saw that last time around in '16, where she came out very late for Hillary Clinton. And I don't think we're going to see her rush out the gate here.

Certainly there is some bad blood between her and Bernie Sanders. And I think there's also a sense that she got a little bit of a raw deal in terms of her gender. And part of the -- when we talk about the quote, unquote, Bernie bros and the taxes they lose -- they use online, it's really difficult to separate that from sort of these other gender sexism dynamics happening in the race.

So I think that's all really intertwined. And that's that sexism piece is something we heard her say she would talk more about when she gave her remarks right at, you know, when she announced she was leaving the race. So, you know, it'll be interesting to see how this all shakes out. Certainly both camps are loving her very hard. But you do get the sense that she's not someone who's going to be really pushed into making this decision.

KING: And it would be interesting her value in the sense. If you look at these numbers I'm about to show you they show you A, why an endorsement might be helpful and B, they touch on the point of the sexism. And we're going to talk more about that a bit later in the program.

I just want to put it up before you, among white college women, right. This is from the States who have voted so far and exit polls, white college women, Biden does the best, Sanders gets 21 percent. But Elizabeth Warren is 24 percent support among white college women a very important constituency as the primary calendar moves on through a lot of states, especially in the suburbs but not just in the suburbs.

Look at white non-college men. Sanders wins with -- leads with third. He's been getting 39 percent of that vote, Biden 29 percent, only 8 percent for Elizabeth Warren, if you want to see an example of maybe a woman being judged differently by men, there you see it right there in those numbers.

BRITTANY SHEPHERD, NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER, YAHOO NEWS: Well, yes, and you heard Warren saying as much the goal but she doesn't owe anyone an endorsement. And I think there's lots of assumption that Warren's space and Bernie's space are identical, but actually a lot or Hillary hangovers, who even though their policy may not be identical, but their values were the same.

[12:35:09]

And the people who are just desperate to have a woman be president, those people are very disappointed right now that they are more likely to go Joe and centrist variability. Joe does very well with white suburban women. And I think that that is kind of nervousness for the Bernie Sanders campaign, probably why they've called her already twice. Bernie's only, I mean, Biden's only called her once say, look, we need you on our side. I don't know if that's going to happen before she decides.

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, announced the whole fight over her accusation that he said a woman couldn't be president which Bernie Sanders has strenuously denied, but Elizabeth Warren has insisted he said. So questions like that, if she does go on to endorse him that is going to be something that people are going to be discussing.

KING: And on the left, there is a lot of pressure on her a lot of people saying, you know, Bernie is back on his heels a little bit right now. Bernie could really use the help. You're a leader in the progressive movement. Most of it has been praise. We love you. You're awesome. But he also -- you're so awesome. Isn't it time you come help us at a moment of need.

And you understand that. And you understand the move why they were pressure to do that. But a little history here, she did sit it out in 2016, one of the reasons a lot of Liberals were mad at her. She didn't jump in, in 2016. She explained it this way in 2017.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WARREN: I thought was a good thing. And I thought it was good that Bernie was out there, that Hillary was out there, they were giving two different visions. When it was time, I went out there and fought once it was resolved, to try to get Hillary elected. And I would have done the same for Bernie no doubt about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: But that's a, you know, that's I'll call that the Obama position. I'm waiting until it's clear, and then I'll get involved. Can she -- if she -- if that's what she's most comfortable of, if that's what she wants to do, will she withstand the pressure just wait until it's settled or will the pressure get too high and just to pick?

HEATHER CAYGLE, CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER, POLITICO: I think she made clear yesterday, she's not given into anybody's pressure. You know, she came through this. She didn't win. She wants to process things. And then she'll do what she wants.

And I think for her, there's an advantage in waiting because you continue to have conversations with both men can press them on your policy positions. And if Biden wins, for instance, you could have enormous influence in helping pick his cabinet, maybe being a cabinet pick, you know, why would you isolate yourself or preclude yourself from that now by endorsing Bernie.

LERER: she is a very savvy political operator. And in 2016, that's exactly what she was doing while Hillary was putting together her transition team and trying to figure out who would go and what slots assuming she would win the presidency, which obviously did not happen. Warren and her team where there pushing for some people, against other people that they thought could further her economic, you know, the Warren economic agenda.

So I don't think she'll be pressured. And frankly, there's not that much time for her to be pressured as you point out, because this thing, depending how Michigan goes, could be fairly headed towards a fairly inevitable conclusion after Tuesday. So she just has to withstand this pressure for a pretty short period and she's able to preserve her leverage with either candidate.

KING: Right. After March 10th and then March 17th. We will have about two-thirds of the delegates will have been decided. So we'll see. We'll keep an eye on that one. We'll watch.

As we go to break, one of the market important day in journalism history, 39 years ago, Walter Cronkite ending his 19-year run, that's remarkable, as this anchor of the "CBS Evening News" with his signature sign off and a promise to keep on working.

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[12:38:22]

WALTER CRONKITE, CBS EVENING NEWS ANCHOR: I'll be back from time to time with special news reports and documentaries. And beginning in June, every week, with our science program universe, old anchorman you see you don't fade away. They just keep coming back for more. And that's the way it is Friday, March 6th, 1981.

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KING: Topping our Political Radar today, you can see it right here live pictures. The President getting an up close look at tornado damage, this in Cookeville, Tennessee this hour. This week storms killed at least two dozen people, most of them in Putnam County east of Nashville.

The President after that trip will head to the CDC the Centers for Disease Control after initially calling off a planned visit there. It was called off over concerns of coronavirus contamination. The White House says those concerns now answered.

Today, word senator Mitt Romney plans to vote yes, and Baca subpoena for records about Joe Biden and his son Hunter. That's subpoena part of a renewed Republican investigation into Burisma, the Ukrainian gas company the younger Biden worked for, and that the President tried to pressure Ukraine into investigating. Senator Romney had previously expressed concerns that such a probe would appear too political and turn into what he called, quote, a public spectacle.

A federal judge saying, he wants to peek behind the Mueller report redactions because he says, Attorney General William Barr cannot be trusted. The federal judge, Reggie Walton said quote, the inconsistencies between Barr's initial Mueller report spin and the actual contents of the report raise serious questions about whether Barr made a calculated attempt to tilt public opinion in favor of the President.

And an emotional sometimes uncomfortable look at the life of one of the country's most recognizable faces, Hillary Clinton. In a new documentary out today on Hulu, Clinton tells her side of the Lewinsky story and about a confrontation with her husband when he told her the truth.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: I can't believe this. I can't believe you lied. You know, it just anyway was horrible.

BILL CLINTON, 42ND UNITED STATES PRESIDENT: She said, well, you have to go tell your daughter. She said that's worse than me. And so I did that which was awful.

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KING: Then last night, a very different kind of interview for Clinton. You see her here on Bravo and this tongue in cheek quip.

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[12:45:06]

ANDY COHEN, BRAVO HOST: Number one question for you. This is Bravo, people wanting to know what your housewives tagline would be. I heard that you came with one.

H. CLINTON: OK.

COHEN: OK.

H. CLINTON: I'm neither as good or as bad as some people say.

COHEN: Very good.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: It is pretty good. And it's a reminder I covered the Clinton's back when she was first lady of Arkansas. She's hilariously funny. That was lost a lot in 2016. And now we're -- it's a sort of a reemergence, this documentary. She's more, you know, she's promoting a documentary, obviously, but she's out doing some interviews.

LERER: Yes. I think she wants to try to get back out there and it's certainly her right to do that. I think there's many people in the Democratic Party that would prefer she wait until after the primaries done that they don't think it really adds something patchouli given her demonstrated and, you know, very, her animosity with Bernie Sanders that she is not exactly been too keen to hide over the course of this primary. But it's her right to get out there and that's what we see her doing.

SHEPHERD: Well it really feels like Hillary Clinton rehabilitation tour like I did not have Hillary Clinton doing this shot ski on Bravo on my bingo card for this election.

And I think Lisa Riley she suffered a big ego blow in '16, a lot of people viscerally truly hating her casting vote to Donald Trump just because they hated her. So now she's attempting to rebrand herself in a very Hollywood way as a person who is human and made bad decisions. I think the big question is, will this be seen as a value product or will people actually embrace her as someone who is like viable Democratic Party? I'm not so sure many young people are just simply turned off who kind of want her to go away.

KING: We'll watch as it plays out. The shot was pretty good. I like that. She clearly knows. She clearly knows she -- that was not the --

COLLINS: Andy Cohen knows what he's doing.

KING: -- first. And he does know what he's doing. But that was not the first time either.

Up next, Nancy Pelosi is often called the most powerful woman in American politics. That makes her sad.

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[12:51:42]

KING: Nancy Pelosi loves her official title, Speaker of the House. That puts her third behind the President and the Vice President on the United States government flowchart. So yes, she is the most powerful woman in American politics.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): Every time I get introduced as the most powerful woman member, I only cried because I think I wish that were not true. I still wish that we had a woman president of the United States.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do the Democratic voters were afraid that a woman candidate would lose with President Trump?

PELOSI: No. No, I don't think so. I don't so. I think anybody can beat President Trump.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Well, that last answer and the walk off is more proof to speaker very much likes to get under the President's skin. But the when will a women be president question is front and center again now that Elizabeth Warren has bowed out of the 2020 Democratic presidential field that at one point had six women, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard is still officially a candidate, but the nomination battle is really down now to Joe Biden versus Bernie Sanders.

This take from Amanda Litman, who leads a group encouraging young Democrats to seek office in the New York Times today, the people who are most fired up and doing the work in 2018 were the so-called resistance moms, but I don't think the resistance moms knew where to go this time around.

Lisa, this is part of your reporting in the newspaper today. It is -- there's a frustration among a lot of women, not just Democrats, women who thought OK, Hillary Clinton won the popular vote, lost the presidency. We're coming back in 2020. Why?

LERER: Well, so I think part of what happened was there was this Democrat see, Donald Trump is an existential threat. They're very nervous and scared that he's going to win again. And when you have people in that position, they revert to what they know, which is that men are president. And it becomes this narrative that picking a woman is too risky in some way.

The thing that I find most striking about Pelosi's comments is this is not new like I have been writing stories about this all year. Anyone who's been following this race has been hearing this from voters, female voters, it's been shown in the polling. Female voters are more worried about having a female nominee. Perhaps they're more aware of sexism in their daily lives.

But this has been going on for the entirety of the race. And you did not hear Speaker Pelosi or other sort of powerful women in the party coming out in front of it and saying that they think it should have been a woman or that this narrative needs to stop in some way. It's only after the fact that you're hearing all these voices. And I think that is something the party will have to grapple with going forward.

KING: And especially at the presidential level. That is the defining question. If you look at those Pelosi's House of Representatives, women were critical to 2018. And the big takeover, a lot of progress, not enough, many would argue, but a lot of progress at the governor's level. Look back in 1975. There was one governor, one female governor in Connecticut, there are nine now in 2020. So there's progress being made on that front. There you go. It took us a little while to get there. But you see that up there now.

But in either an interview with exit interview with Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Senator, when she left the race. And she was at -- you're asked about this time, she says Biden and Bernie had run for president before, and they were the most well known. I'm not saying that they weren't deserving of this, but those were the facts. So I just don't see it as an indictment of women candidates. I have often stepped back and wondered, well, is it were they looking for a man to run against Donald Trump? Maybe in another election. I don't know.

So even Senator Klobuchar gets at the point Lisa just talked about that even some Democratic voters will like, look what he did to Hillary Clinton. I guess we need man this time.

[12:55:01]

CAYGLE: Yes, I mean, I would say I saw this anecdotally, even my relatives in Alabama who are Democrats, they loved Elizabeth Warren but I checked in with them on Super Tuesday. And they voted for Biden because they said they didn't think that Warren could win and they wanted to support the candidate who could beat Trump. SHEPHERD: I think voters have pundit brain, you know, they're so worried about what could happen and what could be gamify that they're not voting with what they actually think but perhaps what they're watching on cable.

LERER: And I think that --

KING: That's what Elizabeth Warren tried to tell them but with your heart, quickly.

LERER: The cultural moment also dovetail, people are more aware of sexism in their own lives with me too, and so they think it will play out politically.

KING: Well, we'll watch. We'll watch this great story today. Thanks for joining us Inside Politics today. Hope to see you back here Sunday morning. Get up early with us, 8:00 a.m. Eastern. I'll be right here. I'll give you a wake up call if you want one. Don't go anywhere, a lot of news today. Brianna Keilar starts after a quick break. Have a Good Friday.

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