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Inside Politics

Bernie Sanders Makes Case For Biden As A Progressive; Illinois School Redesigns For COVID-19 With Sneeze Guards & Digital Thermometers; Senate Intel Releases Final Report Russia's 2016 Election Meddling. Aired 12:30-1p ET

Aired August 18, 2020 - 12:30   ET

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

[12:30:00]

JOHN KING, CNN HOST: I want you to listen to Bernie Sanders last night, who seems to think that he's moved Joe to the left.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D-VT): Joe supports raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. This will give 40 million workers a pay raise and push the wage scale up to everyone else. Joe will also make it easier for workers to join unions, create 12 weeks of paid family leave. Joe will end private prisons and detention centers, cash bail, and the school to prison pipeline.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: I actually think you agree with some of the criminal justice reform stuff at the end there. But if John Kasich were back in the House, would you vote for the higher minimum wage? Would you vote for things to make it easier for people to join unions or is Joe too far to the left for you?

JOHN KASICH (R), FORMER GOVERNOR OF OHIO: Well, let's also not just lead ourselves in those issues because, you know, they also came out of the platform negotiations not accepting Medicare for all, or the new Green Deal.

And, you know, I said last night, there going to be areas where I disagree with Joe. And that's OK. I spent a lifetime in Congress. As you know, john, I negotiated with Democrats on the budget. I was met -- a military reformer. I was doing something that I could to fix the problem of corporate welfare. I mean, all those things were things that involved Democrats. And I don't have to agree with them on everything to understand they were good people who I could sit down and reach an agreement with.

And by the way, you know, being called names in this business, I run into people who say, you know, we don't really like you. I want them to tell me why. What is it that you don't like about what I had to say last night? Do you not like the fact that I said that we need to come together the big things in America get accomplished when we all work together? What is it specifically that you don't like?

And but they're always, they kind of dumbfounded the answer that in many ways. I'm not saying everybody, but many people just cast aspersions, which is fine. It's all part of, as you say, the rough and tumble. But look, you know, the issue of the wealth gap between the rich and poor, everybody knows that that's a problem in this country. I don't know that you fix it by raising the minimum wage.

But you know, this is a challenge for us the environment, it's a challenge for us, immigration, it's a challenge for us, education reform to give people skills, it's a challenge for us. I just like to see the Republican Party of which I'm still a member, develop some really exciting ideas around those things and not leave a vacuum so that the Democrats can just get what they want.

KING: Right. I think that's pretty clear. This President is not a policy guy. I think that's one of the reasons you're willing to do what you did last night. And so I want to ask you some math questions. You're a politician. You still have your political organization alive. You have a list where you e-mail people back and forth. And I asked in the context of this, so you're a Republican from Ohio who just said vote for the Democrat, Joe Biden? What are your people telling you? You get e-mails to back and forth from the people on your list. Are they telling you they think you're a knucklehead or enough of them saying that we're going to, you know, we agree, or at least we're going to take a look at it?

And here's the context I'm asking, you did not win the Republican nomination in 2016. But let's go through some of the states you did win your home state of Ohio. You got more than 900,000 votes. In Michigan, you got more than 320,000 votes. In Pennsylvania, you got more than 300,000 votes. It's not on this list. But North Carolina is another battleground state. You got 144,000 votes. In some of the places that are going to decide who wins the selection, you've got a healthy chunk of votes. And so if Joe Biden got 5 percent of what you got or 8 percent of what you got, he would be a very happy man. What is the reaction among Kasich voters to what John Kasich says now?

KASICH: Well, you know, I've had some people unsubscribe to the communication I do with them. But it hasn't been a giant number. And I think the speech last night for those that would really listen to it carefully. You know, it was not some personal attack. I don't personally attack anyone. I just made the case that I don't think we can continue to drift down this road where everybody is speaking through clenched teeth and where nobody can hear anybody else.

I just saw a guy who was -- I just ran into two people sitting at a table and one guy is, you know, started criticizing me and, you know, and I said -- his friend said, you know, you're being kind of rude and the guy goes, well, I am rude, I am rude. I looked at him I said, well, rude is not the best way to be. But look, John, it's -- when I did this, it was a matter of conscience. I knew there was going to be heat coming from all directions. And frankly, I got the Democrat left attacking me, I got the Republican right attacking me. And in politics when the left and the right of both parties are attacking you, it means you might be in a pretty good place, huh. KING: That's an interesting place. It's not my job to say whether it's good or bad, but it's an interesting place. We'll watch --

KASICH: OK.

KING: -- continue the conversation as it plays out. Governor, as always, it's good to see you. And we will watch this very interesting --

KASICH: All right, John, thank you for your work.

KING: -- 11 weeks ahead of us. Thank you, Sir.

[12:35:04]

As we got a break, we caught up with one Iowa Democrat who we met earlier this year. We wanted her thoughts on this new Democratic ticket.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TERRI HALE, ANKENY, IOWA VOTER: My first reaction was, this is the dream ticket. A good friend of mine texted me today and said, it feels like the world is coming to an end. This is how real people are being impacted by the problems in our world today. Something the current administration has no clue about. They are out of touch. But Joe and Kamala get it. They are of the real world.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:40:00]

KING: First it was a coronavirus reopening laboratory and now Florida is a giant case study in the back to school debate. CNN has learned at least three school districts in the state have students under quarantine because of the coronavirus, this just one week after returning to in person instruction. Florida is one of several states where some schools have that in person mandate Iowa, Missouri, Texas, among the others. CNN's Rosa Flores live for us in Miami right now. Rosa, another experiment playing out in Florida.

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you know, you're absolutely right. The positivity rates here are still high. And despite that, we know that another 13 school districts here in this state are scheduled to reopen for in person instruction this week, bringing the total to 26. We know that at least three school districts are having issues with COVID-19 that is Baker, Bradford and Martin counties.

Let me focus on Martin County because it's the most impacted right now. Right before going on air, we knew that 253 students were in quarantine. Well now we've learned that an additional 39 students are in quarantine bringing the total to 292. There's also 15 teachers who are also impacted. Now here in Miami Dade County where I am, we've learned through a records request that 578 Miami Dade public school employees have tested positive for COVID-19. The good news there is that in Miami Dade schools are not reopening brick and mortar style. They're beginning with virtual schooling beginning on August 31st, John?

KING: Rosa Flores on the ground for us in Miami. We'll continue to track this one.

Let's move to another piece of the country now, getting a school ready to reopen. It's a lot more complicated. Hall monitors might now be holding a digital thermometer. Some desks not just home to textbooks, but also sneeze guards. That's the case for Denman Elementary School in Quincy, Illinois. First day of school is Thursday. And the principal Chrissy Cox joins us now. Thank you so much for your time, especially your two days away from a very busy first day of school. I'm grateful. I'm grateful and I'm grateful for what you do if I don't say it at the end, just for all people like your teachers, principals, administrators, janitors, everybody around the country trying to do through this.

So you got some attention in "The Wall Street Journal" the other day because they talked about some big changes at your school. The new Denman Elementary School opened up last year with state-of-the-art security that aimed to prevent mass shootings and broad communal spaces to encourage close collaboration. Now school administrators fear the coronavirus has rendered much of that design obsolete. Take us inside that. And as you talk, you shared some pictures with us. What have you had to do to say, OK, that was last year, now we have a pandemic to worry about.

CHRISSY COX, PRINCIPAL, DENMAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: Yes. So this year, the classrooms will look a little different. We definitely have spaces that are physically distance inside of the classroom. We have built sneeze guards as you stated there earlier as well. Quite honestly, the physical look is not as drastic as what's needing to be done to the schedule. We've also created a nursing office for sick and for healthy students. So that's really what you can see as far as what looks different inside.

KING: And I was a bit surprised by these numbers. Tell us why you think they're so high, 80 percent of your parents and students say, 80 percent say, let's get back to school. Twenty percent have decided to take the remote option. That number struck me is a little high. Is this after conversations where people feel it's safe that you're doing your job just right?

COX: Well, I think families have definitely heard that the progressions that we're taking every student will have their temperature taken of course, before entering the building. We have ensured that we will not have more than 50 students in any given space in our larger spaces, so that would be the cafeteria and in the gymnasium. So I think just knowing that we're adhering to the guidelines and ensuring some safety precautions is making them feel a little more comfortable. I would also say we have not had -- we've had cases and we've had a definite increase in the last month in cases, but nothing like you're seeing in bigger cities across the country. KING: Let's hope that part stays that way. What are we talking about for individual students required to wear a mask, teachers, is it an option? What other safety steps?

COX: Yes. So every, yes, every student, every staff member and student is they are required to wear a mask. And they are -- we will also give them the face shield option for additional security. Students will enter the building and instead of going to our instructional media centers before school, they'll go straight to the classroom, they'll have breakfast in their classroom, and then lunch will be some in their classroom and some in the cafeteria, so definitely some changes there.

KING: Chrissy Cox is the principal at Denman Elementary School in Quincy, Illinois. Again, thank you to you and everybody on your team --

COX: Thank you so much for having me today.

KING: -- including the teachers. No, grateful to have you here. Let's stay in touch and see how it goes. And I hope it goes well. We really do wish -- we wish you all the best. All right, take care. Thank you.

COX: Thank you.

[12:44:42]

KING: Up next for us, a new report from the Senate Intelligence Committee details the interworking of team Trump's interactions with Russia back in 2016.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KING: A new report from the Senate Intelligence Committee today offers details on a voluminous list of contacts between 2016 Trump campaign aides and Russian operatives. And yes, the release of this report said to be the final installment also stirring a new, the political divide over whether those contexts were nefarious or just unusual. CNN's Evan Perez is at the Justice Department. Evan, the final installment and a familiar debate.

EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: It is, John. Look, I think this is a bipartisan report from the Senate Intelligence Committee. And it goes to places that the Mueller report, the Mueller investigation just did not -- was not able to go. And, you know, we'll run through a few of the top lines including the fact that Paul Manafort, who was at one time the chairman of the Trump campaign was in business with Konstantin Kilimnik who was a or who is a Russian intelligence officer.

[12:50:18]

According to this committee, it says Manafort sought to share internal campaign information with someone who was a known Russian agent. Another finding, Trump campaign sought to get in advance in the information about these dumps of WikiLeaks hacked e-mails from the Hillary Clinton campaign, from the DNC. We know that Russia was spreading information in 2016.

According to this Committee, the Russian disinformation effort continued into January of 2020. And we know from the intelligence community, John, more recently that they are continuing to do this ahead of the 2020 election. And this Committee also found that the Russians were taking advantage of the fact that there were so many inexperienced people in the Trump campaign, in the transition that they use that -- those inroads in order to try to undermine the policies of the still government at the time, the Obama administration.

So there's a lot of findings here from this Committee. Of course, there is a divide in two takeaways. Marco Rubio, the chairman says that, you know, there is still no proof of actual collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russians. If you listen to Mark Warner, he says that the takeaway here is that there was a just a breathtaking number of connections between people associated with the campaign and the Russians, and that we should learn lessons from that. This is not normal, and it shouldn't be.

KING: No, it is not normal. And yet the President last night retweeting Russian propaganda again. So as we all try to learn lessons, so someone in particular has not. Evan Perez, appreciate the reporting on this report.

Up next for us, the President is on the road today trying to make his case in the coronavirus campaign.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:56:35]

KING: The President is on the road today during the Democratic National Convention. It's a fascinating test case. Can the President sell his message? Can he change the subject away from the coronavirus pandemic which is the main reason? His poll numbers are so struggling right now.

A quick just look here, this is just coronavirus cases. The history of this year, the campaign year, this is when the primaries we're starting. See the yellow relatively low case count in the United States. Then we went into April, you see mostly in the northeast. This is New Orleans down here. Starting to trickle out west May, June, July. This is the summer surge. Look at all that red, a lot of it in Trump country. Here's where we are now in the middle of August.

Of note, the President travels to Iowa today, a disaster relief briefing there, a state that right now positivity rates going up. Arizona is the next up for the President of this -- that state among those fast driving, the big summer surge in cases. With me now to discuss is the White House reporter for The Wall Street Journal, Catherine Lucey. And Catherine I'm fascinated by this. Can the President, Iowa is about a big storm that just hit about disaster relief but we know the President will talk about other issues in that state. And then on to Arizona, where the President wants to talk about the border wall and about immigration, fascinating especially as we go through the map a little bit, I just want to show you. Iowa should be reliably Republican. We lean it Republican, became part because, the President's poll numbers are down because of coronavirus. Arizona used to be reliably Republican now it's a tossup state and again coronavirus an issue for the President. Can he break through?

CATHERINE LUCEY, WHITE HOUSE REPORTER, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: That's the real question, John. And that's what we saw a lot of yesterday from the President when he went to Wisconsin and Minnesota, two states that also fit in that category. Wisconsin a state he won narrowly four years ago, Minnesota State that he narrowly lost.

You saw a very aggressive message from the President on Law and Order, arguing that his economic policies could produce a comeback and taking a lot of shots at Joe Biden about his fitness for office. I think you're going to see the same again today. But you are right. He is struggling in all of these states. And they are really hoping that this tour, which is unconventional during the other party's convention, can really help change the subject.

KING: And part of the question is the President has always been a base guy. He's always been a play to his base guy. Those are his most loyal voters. But you listen to the Biden convention. They have Republicans. They have Bernie Sanders saying, you know, I've made peace with Joe. They have this broad big tent. He wants to go to Arizona and talk immigration, if what we know about the Republican convention and there'll be new speakers and surprise speakers, but you have antiabortion activists, the Republican governor of South Dakota, that St. Louis couple that was photographed aiming guns at protesters there. It seems very much so far, a very much not big tent much more play to the base.

LUCEY: So far, again, the focus is going to be on the core messages of Trump's previous campaign and his presidency in this campaign, immigration, public safety, building the wall, these issues that he's talked about again and again. And you're going to see that from him, from his vice president, from members of his family. They see though that there is -- are opportunities to expand or so they think you've noticed they've made a lot of plays for suburban women recently.

His campaign aides will argue that, that their Law and Order message is an acceptable message for some of these women that there are opportunities to pick up some voters. But it's just not clear at this point how much he can really expand.

KING: It is not clear. But it is fascinating to watch. And just the idea that the President is out traveling a lot more than Joe Biden who has decided to be -- he thinks it's more responsible voters will reward him for using the mask and social distancing. The President decided to get out there more hands on. Catherine Lucey, appreciate your insights. We have 11 fascinating weeks ahead.

[13:00:03]

And thank you for joining us today. Hope you come back this time tomorrow. Hope you join us tonight for the Democratic coverage, Democratic Convention coverage.