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Bush: "I'm Not Deterred by Polls at All"; Jeb Bush Hits New Low in Latest Poll; Pentagon: One of the Boats Had Mechanical Problems; Bush: Obama's "Iranian Policy is Wrong"; Governor Haley's SOTU Response; Would Gov. Haley Consider a Vice-Presidency?; Biden Feeling the Bern?; Sanders Surges Past Clinton in Iowa and NH. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired January 13, 2016 - 07:30   ET

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

[07:30:00] CHRIS CUOMO, CNN HOST: We are in Washington D.C. in the capitol because this is a big moment for the country. The president gave his final State of the Union last night and in it, he talked directly to you and he said that the rancor, the opposition in Washington D.C. has to change and it starts with you. What did he lay out that is resonating? What will the candidates that want to be your next president take and leave from his address? We have a main player for you right now, former Florida Governor, Jeb Bush on the Iowa campaign trail.

Governor, thank you for joining us. I want to give you some very sobering context for our discussion. The ABC news/"Washington Post" poll and "Des Moines Register" poll just came out. It is all bad news for you, unfortunately. You're at your lowest point since you decided to run. 44 percent favorability. In Iowa, you're sixth. In New Hampshire, you're seventh. I want to give you the opportunity to use CNN's camera and airtime, look at the voters, and tell them what they're getting wrong about you.

JEB BUSH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Look, the pundits aren't going to decide this, the voters are. And every place I go, in the last few weeks, my crowds are larger, there's more enthusiasm. I'm connecting with voters and they're signing up. So I'm not deterred by polls at all. I'll let the voters decide this and they always decide late. I saw a poll about the "Des Moines Register" poll, for example, that 57% of the people haven't decided yet.

So there's a long way to go. And my case is that I have a proven record, a conservative record of reform, that if you want someone to fix the mess in Washington D.C., I have the proven record to do it and detailed plans to lift us out of the mess that we're in. The president had a chance when he got elected to, he had a mandate to bring people together, to forge consensus and solve problems. And from the very beginning, he began to divide us even more and I think that legacy is one that the next president has to fix.

CUOMO: One point to push back -- I hear you about the pundits. Nobody is going to come to their defense anytime soon. But polls, as we both know, that's not a survey of pundits. That's a survey of voters, likely republican voters, registered republican voters.

They're the ones who are saying, we've heard you, you're putting a lot of money into it, you're running a lot of ads, you've been weighed and measured and found lacking in these polls. What's your response? What are you telling yourself that you can still do to get out of the hole?

BUSH: Chris, the last poll I saw in New Hampshire, I was in second place. I don't know what poll you're talking about. I'm not consumed by the process part of this. I'm consumed by the fact that we're in decline as a nation right now and to restore American greatness, we have to fix a few big complex things. So I talk to the American people, the people who come to our town hall meetings and listen to them as well about how we need to reform how we tax and fix the regulatory system, create higher economic growth. I have detailed plans to do that, and how we keep America secure. The president last night talked about ISIS as though it was a marginal event. I believe it's at the core of what we need to do as a nation to keep us safe. We need to destroy ISIS. We can't contain it. And so there's big differences of opinion. That's why we have campaigns. That's why we have a chance to have a dialogue with American voters particularly in this early state. So I'm not deterred at all. I believe that we're on the right track.

CUOMO: I put the polls up there while you were speaking, Governor, just so people would understand that I'm not making them up. They're up there, they're recent, and people can draw the conclusions that they make.

BUSH: Hey, great.

CUOMO: I just wanted to put it up there, Governor, so you knew because you couldn't see them. You talk about leadership and certainly what is going to be in very sharp focus is what kind of leadership we're talking about and what will a leader do in a situation? Let's take a look at this Iran situation that just happened with these ten sailors. The headline for you at home is they have been released. Many are remarking that it is seen as a positive sign that they were released so quickly. Your early reaction to this was treating it as a sign of aggression from Iran, a sign of weakness of the president, a sign of weakness of the perception of America. Then the facts come out; it looks like our men strayed into Iranian waters, that they were treated well and then released with their ships, which international law may have well made not necessary. Did you get it wrong and is that something that you have

to think about before you get into a situation like that where you could have caused a lot of danger as the commander in chief?

BUSH: Chris, if you saw the tweet, it said that if they are being detained, then this is a problem. It was conditional, because we did not have the facts. And I fully agree with you that you can't have an opinion about something without all the facts on the ground. We still don't have the facts. I'd like to know more about it. But the tweet I had, read it again, because it shows that it was a conditional statement. And in fact I think it is an accurate statement that if they were being detained and they were being detained over a long period of time, we would need to have a lot more information. That's fair game. That's not a problem. I wasn't trying to create a problem for the president of the United States or our country. CUOMO: Well, but Governor, I think that -- yes, it was conditional. Yes, it was if.

BUSH: OK, thank you.

TEXT: Jeb Bush: If our sailors aren't coming home yet, they need to be now. No more bargaining. Obama's humiliatingly weak Iran policy is exposed again.

CUOMO: But when you play that kind of a conditional statement, though, it's inflammatory, right? It's, if they're being detained, then this is Obama's humiliatingly weak Iran policy exposed again. That's not just a suggestion. It's an indictment. And I think it reflects something that you've been against, which is the tone of this campaign. It's something that the president was certainly resonating last night in his speech, that we need to do better than this. Do you think that that is something that we have to be cautious about, is jumping on situations, looking at the negative because that further divides?

BUSH: Look, Chris, the Iranian policy I think is wrong and the president, while he talked about regrets, is the main culprit in this. Anytime that anybody has a view that's different than his, he creates the straw man and makes his so-called sophisticated view look better. The Iranian agreement, I think, has legitimized a regime that is our enemy and they're destabilizing the region. They're the largest sponsor of terrorism. They violate sanctions by launching tests for missiles,

for medium-range missiles that would be a direct threat to Israel and to other capitals in the region. It's healthy to have a debate about foreign policy in a way that's important. He talked about the fact that we can't be the world's policeman as though that's the only other option than the policy of leading from behind. Americans' leadership creates peace and stability. It's not to be the cop on the beat; it's to be the leader and forge consensus to bring people together to create stability and right now, the world has been turned upside-down by the lack of American leadership. That's not being critical in a partisan way. That's a healthy debate that we need to have.

CUOMO: Governor Jeb Bush, thank you very much for being on NEW DAY to talk about what matters. As always, we'll see you out on the trail.

BUSH: Thank you, Chris.

CUOMO: All right, Governor. I want to give you a quick programming note. Donald Trump is going to join Erin Burnett tonight. You can see the interview at 7:00 Eastern right here on CNN.

So, a big part of last night was the response from the GOP. That came out of the mouth of South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley. She is getting some blow back from her own party this morning. What did she say and why is it getting people riled up? There's the governor smiling this morning, despite the criticism, she'll be live when NEW DAY returns.

(COMERCIAL BREAK) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. NIKKI HALEY (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: In many parts of society today, whether in popular culture, academia, the media, or politics, there's a tendency to falsely equate noise with results. Some people think that you have to be the loudest voice in the room to make a difference. That's just not true.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN HOST: That was South Carolina governor, Nikki Haley, giving the republican response to the State of the Union last night. She took issue with both parties and targeted her party's front-runner, her remarks not without criticism from her own party. (ph) Your call, Governor Haley presided over the removal of the confederate flag last summer from the grounds of the South Carolina state house after the Charleston church massacre. CNN's Don Lemon sat down with the governor then. He joins us now to speak with her once again. Good morning. It's bright and early for you.

DON LEMON, CNN CORESPONDENT: It is bright and early. And what an honor it's going to be to interview Governor Haley. Governor Haley, thank you so much for joining us. First this morning, I think I want to start with that sound bite. You said the loudest voices in the room. Was that comment directed at Donald Trump?

HALEY: Partially him but a lot of people. You know, a lot of what I was talking about was, we've seen across our country, if you look at places like Ferguson and Baltimore, we are seeing that people feel like they have to be loud, they have to be angry to get their voices heard. And look to the example of South Carolina. When we had the shooting of Walter Scott, it was a time

where we could have had that. But instead, we got together and two months to the day passed the first body camera bill in the country. And that was republicans and democrats, blacks and whites that came together, and we didn't have all that. So yes, partially to Donald Trump but partially to a lot of other people, reminding them we get more done when we listen and find out where someone else is coming from and put ourselves in their shoes to try and figure out where we can find common ground.

LEMON: And last night, Governer, the president said that one of the few regrets of his presidency is that quote, the rancor and suspicion between parties has gotten worse instead of better. You also addressed the division in Washington saying that there is more than enough blame to go around, that your party needs to recognize its own contributions in the erosion of public trust and so on in America's leadership. Is it possible to repair, you believe, that divide that we see in Washington and if so, how?

HALEY: Absolutely we can. We've done it before. We need to do it again. I think first, we have to look in the mirror. President Obama has been very divisive for our country. I mean we've seen him divide the country in a lot of ways. We have to make sure we're not a part of that. So we need to look in the mirror, we need to look at how we've been spending, we need to look at our debt, we need to look at how we're handling national security and all those things, and say, OK, we're going to be a positive role in this. We're going to start to move forward and get out of all the political rhetoric. There's too much of that. If we're really going to do something, we need to show action, not words.

LEMON: And you said that your party is responsible for its own share. How so, what do you mean?

HALEY: Well, I think that we've got republicans who want their projects as much as we have democrats. I think we've got republicans who have increased our debt

just like we've seen democrats. I think we see republicans who are not always being responsible with their words in terms of extending our intent, making sure that people who abide by our laws and abide by our traditions feel accepted in this country. And so I think it's important for republicans to really understand we have to really look at the responsibility that we have and what we want to do to keep this country the greatest, freest country in the world. And that just means making sure that everyone feels welcome.

LEMON: One more note on the divide in Washington because you were criticized by conservatives, the conservative right overnight. Ann Coulter said that Donald Trump should deport you. Jeb Bush and former Obama advisor, David Axelrod and (ph) van Jones, they praised you. How concerned are you about this divide in Washington and then, again, fixing it? I know that you said that you believe that it can be but how concerned are you about it?

HALEY: I am concerned. First of all, I'm very thankful that speaker Ryan and Senator McConnell let me give a speech I wanted to give, let me have the opportunity to talk to the country. And what I want them to do is look at the example of South Carolina, look at how we came together with Walter Scott. Look at how we came together with the confederate flag issue. Look at how we came together with the thousand year flood. It can be done. We've proven it. But it takes everyone to get their egos out the room and really sit down an say, OK, how are we going to get to a solution? And that's something we're not seeing in D.C. right now and it's something that I hope that we can get to so that we can start moving our country forward.

LEMON: I would imagine the leaders of the party did review your speech last night before you gave it, correct?

HALEY: They did.

LEMON: And they approved it. And Paul Ryan, I don't know if we have video of Paul Ryan, but there were people who made some fun of Paul Ryan because he seemed to be the guy who was upset the most in the room, didn't do a lot of applause in the room. What do you make of his reactions? Were you watching him and do you think that's indicative of how republicans feel about the president?

HALEY: So I didn't watch him but what I can tell you about speaker Ryan is he really trying to right the ship in terms of the republican party and in terms of the leadership in his house. He realizes we have to talk about issues we haven't talked about. He was just in South Carolina doing a poverty forum, trying to figure out how we give opportunities to citizens, how we lift them up. It's a really good change in what we're seeing in the leadership in the republican party and the way he's guiding. And he's basically saying, we have to talk about things we haven't talked about.

We've got to come together and be the party of solutions and we've got to make sure we put it into action. And, look, you can't -- for us, as republicans, it's hard for us not to see what president Obama has done with health care. It's hard for us to see on the regulations and overreach of executive orders. It's hard for us not to see what he's done in terms of the national safety. All of those things, it's hard to stomach because we see also how he's divided the country and so, this is something where both parties need to realize, there are no saints here but there's opportunities where we can say, OK, let's right the ship.

LEMON: You said that your comments last night, your response directed at members of your own party including Donald Trump, so if he is the nominee and it's looking like it could be, he could be -- do you think that he would pick you as a running mate after parts of your speech seemed to be aimed directly at him?

HALEY: Oh, those aren't things I think about, Don. Truly, I, we've had a rough 2015. We started our legislative session yesterday. We've got our budget roll out on Friday. I've got my State of the State on Wednesday. Those just aren't things that I'm concerned about or that I think about. What I want is for all of our candidates to make sure that we have the best message we can. That we bring in the most people that we can and that we lead with solutions, and I hope that for all of the candidates. I want to see every candidate start to really be solution oriented and inclusive in the way that we can. So my voice to them was really just, remember the responsibility we have in our words. Remember the responsibility and requirements that we have in our actions and let's move forward that way.

LEMON: I have got to go, but would you consider a vice presidency?

HALEY: I truly haven't thought about it near as much as you guys have. I've got a daughter that's a senior in high school, I've got a son in middle school, so I'm busy with basketball games and running the state. I've said if anytime someone wants to sit down, I'm happy to sit down with a candidate but really, my life is full. Everything's pretty full right now and we've got a lot to do in the state of South Carolina and I look forward to doing that.

LEMON: Well we shall see within a few months. Thank you, Governor Haley. I appreciate you joining us here on NEW DAY.

HALEY: Thank you, Don. It's always good to be with you.

LEMON: Alisyn, again, we'll see in a couple of months if she is saying yes or no.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN HOST: Indeed, we will. Don, thanks so much for getting up early and coming in and bringing us that interview. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders locked in very tight battles in the early states, this as vice president Joe Biden praises Sanders for being authentic. Is Biden feeling the Bern and burning Hillary in the process? We'll talk about it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAMEROTA: OK, there's a lot of shifting around in this presidential race. There's a new national poll that shows Hillary Clinton's lead over Sanders shrinking and in and in Iowa and New Hampshire, Clinton now trails Bernie Sanders. So what is her best strategy? Let's bring in CNN political commentator and democratic strategist, Hilary Rosen and CNN political commentator and columnist Sally Kohn. Hilary, I want to start with you because you are a strategist. In just the past month, Hillary Clinton's lead has shrunk. She is down -- look, in Iowa, even, she is now down 7 points. He's up 9 points. What would you advise her campaign to do?

HILARY ROSEN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: You know, the democratic primary is always a close thing. When you look at voters in Iowa and New Hampshire, they get excited about their special role in presidential nominating contests. There is still a pretty big national gap in favor of Hillary Clinton. My advice to her is not to attack Bernie Sanders. There are some points of differentiation on guns and some other things that matter to voters and pointing them out is fine but look, people like Bernie Sanders and he has voters that Hillary Clinton is going to want eventually to feel enthusiastic about her. She has to play her own game. Her own strength is in connecting with voters one on one. That's what Iowa's good for. She's been working hard at that.

Sanders actually has had some trouble connecting one on one. He's doing well in big crowds. So I think that there is still a thoughtful, respectful race between the two of them. I think that's what democrats want. I ultimately think Hillary Clinton is going to prevail, but I think she has to do it by staying above the mud.

CAMEROTA: So I interviewed her yesterday, Sally.

SALLY KOHN, POLITICAL COLUMNIST: I noticed. Great interview.

CAMEROTA: Thank you very much. That's what I was fishing for. And she wasn't attacking him. But she was, more vociferously than ever, going after him and talking about the differences between them. How effective do you think that is?

KOHN: I'd say it's safe to say she's on the defensive and she feels, American voter may be feeling the Bern, she's feeling the Bern in a very different way. She's feeling she might get burned in these primaries. Look, it's important to note two things. First of all, that both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are not only great democrats but great leaders and would have solutions to the problems that, largely, in our country, have been created by the republican party and republican party policies over the last decade.

That being said, Hillary Clinton's a great democrat. She's not a great progressive and the base voters of democrats in particular are looking for someone who has progressive solutions who is not cozy with Wall Street and she's having trouble coming across that way. CAMEROTA: OK, well some of her base, I mean conventional wisdom would say, should be women. However she's having some trouble there as well. Let me pull up this, from Monmouth University, it was just out yesterday, New Hampshire democrats' choice for nominee among women, this is, Sanders, 50 percent now, her, 44 percent. That has obviously shifted greatly since November. What's going on, Hilary, with women and Hillary Clinton?

ROSEN: Well, I think two things. First of all, nationally, I think the numbers are different. Bernie Sanders has been in the New Hampshire media market for the last 20 years. So New Hampshire women know him differently and, but look, I don't think Hillary Clinton expects people to vote for her because she's a woman but I do think that she expects people to be excited about the possibility of having the first woman president. Those are two different things. She has to make the case that she's going to bring forward solutions that matter to families and that includes women and children.

She has history there. I think she's going to keep talking about those issues and ultimately, I think that there is going to be gender gap in the election between the two of them. Younger women don't necessarily feel the way some older women do, that this is the last chance in our lifetimes potentially, to elect a woman president. She's got to make a different case to younger women. I think that she's working on that.

CAMEROTA: OK, Sally, what do you think the gender issue is with Hillary?