Return to Transcripts main page

New Day

The Hillary Clinton Interview; Powerball Frenzy Grips the Nation; Iowa and New Hampshire Caucuses to Vote Soon. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired January 13, 2016 - 08:30   ET

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

[08:30:00] HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: So here I am, three generations later, asking people to vote for me to become their president. And we have this amazing 15 month grandchild, with another on the way next summer, and so I think a lot about the future. But I think, not just about her future, because we're going to do everything we can to make sure she has the best opportunities life can offer, but I think about what kind of country she'll become an adult in and what kind of world is going to be out there waiting for and I want to make sure it's not just our grandchild, but every child who has the opportunity to go as far, to fulfill their God-given potential as possible. And a lot of that depends on the kind of decisions that our presidents make. It's not, you know, you have to family support. You have to have community support.

I wrote a book called "It Takes a Village." I understand that. But do kids have healthcare? That why I created the Children's Health Insurance Program, because too many didn't. Do kids have good education? That's why I'm for early childhood, because too many kids come to school unprepared. How about college affordability? Too many kids are being weeded out because they can't afford it, to start or stay. I go through the list of what is really dampening the opportunities that young people in our country have right now and I want to be the president who unleashes that potential again.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: And when you think about your grandchild's future, are you worried or hopeful?

CLINTON: I'm always hopeful, Alisyn. I'm always hopeful. I think this is the greatest country. When I listen to the negative comments made about our country on the campaign stage, predominantly by the Republicans, I mean, look at what we've come back from. It was a Republican administration under which we had the great recession. That is just a fact. President Obama inherited an economy that was losing 800,000 jobs a month. I don't think he gets the credit he deserves for digging us out and getting us standing again. So I know that choices really matter in politics, but I am absolutely committed to the belief, the conviction that I have that our country is resilient, we're strong, we're smart. Given the right leadership, we can do anything. That's why I actually am quite optimistic and confident about the future.

CAMEROTA: Secretary Clinton, thank you so much. (INAUDIBLE). A pleasure talking to you.

CLINTON: Thank you, Alisyn. Great to see you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CAMEROTA: OK, let's bring in Chris Cuomo.

Chris, I know you're fluent in politi-speak. What - what did you hear Secretary Clinton saying?

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Very much on message. I thought you get a very good demonstration of the plus minus on Secretary Clinton in there. What's the plus? She knows how to do the job. She's been so close to it in ways that nobody can compete with in the rest of the field and she gets it. Her answer to you, my first call. Where do you go with that? It may be something personal. It may be something provocative about the other side. No, she goes right to work. And that is an understanding of what the job is. That's the plus for her.

What's the minus? She's so closely tied to periods in history that are so polarizing, whether it's on the personal level with what she lived through with her husband, or whether it's on the political level with what that administration represented and her role in history up to this point. And that is so baked in that it makes Hillary Clinton a very interesting proposition to voters. Which part of her do you want to latch on too? And it's a big part of her challenge. And you did a really good job on that, Alisyn. You know how I hate to compliment you. You did a good job in bringing her out in her most full self, and that's what you can do for the voters.

CUOMO: Usually we have some sort of money or wager on things like this where you have to pay up. I'm sad I didn't make that.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: I know, that was a - that was a lost (INAUDIBLE) point.

CUOMO: Maybe I'll have to give you the look right now. Don't forget about the wager we made. If I give you the look, Alisyn, you know -

CAMEROTA: I remember that. We'll reveal that at some point.

PEREIRA: I'm always fascinated with the behind the scenes because you got to spend some time with her before and after the cameras started rolling. She comes across on air as comfortably, you know, confident.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

PEREIRA: Tell me about the behind the scenes, quickly.

CAMEROTA: I had never met her before in person. It is always fascinating to meet politicians and anyone in person different than their public persona. She was more comfortable. She was more confident. Her body language is comfortable.

PEREIRA: Relaxed, yes.

CAMEROTA: She seemed to be enjoying it. It was her staff that was saying, come on, let's go, we've got to get to the next event, we've got get to the next event.

PEREIRA: Always, right, yes?

CAMEROTA: And she had other stories that she sort of wanted to stay and talk about.

PEREIRA: Interesting.

CAMEROTA: It was - it was just interesting to hear her take on all of this. It was a very wide-ranging interview. No rules. No ground rules, which I appreciated. It was great to talk to her.

PEREIRA: Well done.

CAMEROTA: Thank you.

PEREIRA: You did a great job.

CAMEROTA: Thanks so much.

All right, Chris, we'll be back with you in a second.

One quick programming note. Donald Trump joins Erin Burnett tonight. So you can see that interview at 7:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

PEREIRA: All right, so currently most of the country is under this spell of a potential $1.5 billion windfall. Look at the lineups we are seeing. Droves of people trying to get their ticket. The Powerball drawing just hours away. We'll give you a look at the live frenzy taking over the nation.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:38:20] PEREIRA: What is the story gripping the nation currently? No, not the State of the Union. Not the 2016 race. It is the Powerball frenzy. We are about 14 hours away from tonight's big drawing. A whopping $1.5 billion, yes, with a "b," is up for grabs. Some folks are even traveling to other states for their chance at a golden ticket. We begin our coverage with CNN's Polo Sandoval in Georgia, right on the border there with Alabama.

People - I've been watching your live shot - there's a steady lineup of people behind you as the sun comes up. They're trying to get their ticket.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And, Michaela, right now I'm holding on to spot number three in line. But let tell you, looks can be deceiving as everybody around here seems to agrees that this will perhaps be one of the busiest stores in Georgia. And you just mentioned really one of the reasons why that is the case. You see, the Alabama state line only about few mile away from here and it happens to be on a list of six states that do not participate in Powerball. So people in some of those states are now hitting the road. They are driving and crossing those state lines hoping to get a chance of that $1.5 billion pie. So as a result, many people are really making a quick stop here as they head into work this morning, as they obviously are hoping for a chance. Many people saying that really that you need to at least have the ticket to have a chance. And what's interesting here, some people even spent the night here hoping to be the first to grab their tickets today.

PEREIRA: What? Really? That's incredible. OK, be honest with me, not to put you in the story but I'm going to. How many - how many tickets did you get? Show them. Show them. Come on.

SANDOVAL: At this point, I - I guess I should show them right now, Michaela.

PEREIRA: Don't show your numbers. All right, he's got them.

SANDOVAL: This is live television. Most of the guys -

PEREIRA: I trust you. No, just put them away. They're good. They're good. I trust you.

SANDOVAL: In hand. Ready to go.

PEREIRA: All right, we go from Georgia now to New York City where lines of ticket buyers are standing there anxiously getting ready to buy their ticket. We find Phil Mattingly at New York's busiest lottery location at New York's Penn Station.

[08:40:09] Wow, quite a crowd behind you.

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Michaela, it took all of about two minutes for the five registers behind me to be six or seven people deep. That flow really hasn't decreased all day. And there's a pretty good reason. Not only is this the busiest lottery ticket seller in the state of New York, it's also a seller of winning tickets. You look right over my right shoulder, $58 million MegaMillion winner here from people in this building just last year.

Now, we talked to a couple of people trying to get their strategies. One person we talked to is all in. Take listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEVIN CONNERS, FROM NEW JERSEY: The first thing I'm going to do is I'm going to retire, because I commute to and from work two and a half hours a day each way. I'm tired of this. I'm too old. I can't do this anymore. I have a - I have a ton of tickets at home right now. Over $200 worth of Powerball tickets. The first thing I'm going to do is retire and then I'm going to look to move someplace warm.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: Someplace warm sounds pretty good on a day like today. One other note, just last week there was a ticket sold here with a $50,000 winner. So, Michaela, the lines are long. It doesn't look like they're going to be decreasing at all over the next couple of hours as they wait for that big announcement tonight.

PEREIRA: No, in fact, I imagine lines are only going to get busier. All right, Phil, thanks so much.

Well, we've been asking you at home what you would do if you won that record $1.5 billion jackpot. Here are some of the posts. Michael Louis took a political tact, tweeting that he would "brag about how I negotiated $2 into $1.3 billion and run for president in 2024." On Twitter, a man calling himself Murph Murph, which could be our boss, I'm not sure, he says, "I would buy a Motorcoach home and travel the U.S. full time and hire Chris Cuomo to be our driver/tour guide." In fact, that very well may be our boss.

What would you do with the historic jackpot? Tweet us your thoughts. You can post them also on Facebook.

Alisyn, fingers crossed, toes crossed.

CAMEROTA: OK. I like that. There's - going to need a lot of luck with this.

PEREIRA: Yes.

CAMEROTA: All right, meanwhile, minutes ago you heard Hillary Clinton hold her fire against Donald Trump despite Trump reviving allegations about Bill Clinton's past. What should Hillary Clinton do about this? Should she respond? That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:46:03] PEREIRA: All right. Here are the five things to know for your NEW DAY.

Iran releasing ten American sailors detained after their patrol boat sailed into Iranian waters. Iran now accusing the U.S. of trespassing and demanding an apology.

President Obama using his final State of the of the Union promising to try to bridge the political divide that has Washington gridlocked. He also took thinly-veiled shots at some Republicans vying for his job.

Michigan governor's activating the National Guard to help with the ongoing water crisis in Flint. That will free up the Red Cross to bring supplies door to door.

For the first time in more than a week crude futures are up. Oil pricing have been in free fall for most of the year. The price of crude starting the day at just above $30 a barrel, hitting a 13-year low.

The NFL St. Louis Rams are moving back to L.A. next season. The San Diego Chargers have been offered the right to join them in Inglewood. If they decline, the Oakland Raiders will be eligible to move the L.A. to share a stadium with the Rams.

For more on the five things, visit newdayCNN.com for the very latest.

All right. New polls now have Bernie Sanders on top in Iowa and New Hampshire. Could this be a case of deja vu for Hillary Clinton? We'll discuss it ahead.

(COMMERICAL BREAK)

[08:51:24] CAMEROTA: There is one issue that Hillary Clinton refuses to respond to and that is Donald Trump bringing up allegations of sexual assault in Bill Clinton's past. Does Hillary Clinton need to address this?

Here this morning, CNN political commentator Van Jones and CNN political commentator and Jeb Bush supporter, Ana Navarro.

Ana, let me start with you. I asked Hillary Clinton about whether or not she wanted to respond to Trump brining this us. Because let me be clear, Ana. This isn't Trump talking about extramarital affairs. This is Trump upping the ante and saying that Hillary Clinton is an enabler of sexual assault. Does she need to respond to this?

ANA NAVARRO, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I don't think so. I think she's doing exactly the right thing. I think she needs to take the high road, let other people debate it, let other people talk about it. And I think, frankly, that calling any woman who's husband has had indiscretions an enabler is something that makes a lot of us cringe. It is cringe-inducing to make that accusation at women. I think Hillary Clinton needs to do exactly what she's doing. Stay above it, stay about the fray, and you know, ignore it. Let it play out.

CAMEROTA: Van, do you think voters are paying attention to that line of attack?

VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, you know, it's hard to know, but you did see a correlation between these kinds of attacks and then a little bit of stuttering and stumbling for Hillary Clinton and the Democratic primary. I don't know if there is a causation there. At some point the Clinton campaign has to have a better strategy of dealing with this. I think they are kind of whistling past the graveyard on it. It's totally below the belt. It's totally unfair. She should not have to deal with it. But you are dealing with Donald Trump and you are dealing with a Republican Party that does not want to see another Clinton elected. They need a better strategy than what they have right now.

CAMEROTA: Ana --

JONES: I agree with Ana. It shouldn't be Hillary Clinton doing it, but somebody has got to do something.

CAMEROTA: OK. Ana, let's talk about the GOP side of the race because there is this new Des Moines Register poll out this morning that shows something interesting happening in Iowa. Ted Cruz is winning there still, but he's down from last month. He had 31 percent then. He has 25 percent now. Everybody else has held pretty much steady. Do you think that somehow Donald Trump's attacks on where he was born resonating? Or what else is going on?

NAVARRO: Of, I do think they are resonating. I do think he is getting some traction with them. We keep talking about them. Ted Cruz has got to keep answering about them. So I think, you know, he is having an effect. But look, you know, we're going to see these polls go up and down, fluctuate a little bit here and there a lot between now and February 1st, the day of the caucus. What candidate has got to do at this point is check the boxes. They've got to make sure they've got their ground troops going strong. They've got to leave it all on the field. They have got to do retail politicking, which matters a lot in Iowa. They've got to make sure they don't make mistakes. They've got to do -- have a very good debate tomorrow night. Leave a good lasting impression before those caucuses. So the polls, it is our job to obsess about them daily. The candidates, it is their job to leave it all on the field.

CAMEROTA: Hey, Van, the polls suggest in Iowa and New Hampshire that Hillary Clinton might lose those states now to Bernie Sanders. What if that happens? Is this deja vu all over again if she loses Iowa?

JONES: Well first of all, Clintons know how to win -- know how to lose Iowa and New Hampshire and go on to win. Bill Clinton lost New Hampshire, he lost Iowa, he went on to win. But something extraordinary is happening here. There is a full on rebellion at the grassroots level of the Democratic Party. Moveon.org, our biggest progressive organization, endorsed Bernie Sanders last night. Overwhelmingly. 67 percent.

[08:55:07] And then yesterday you saw something horrible where the Clintons wasted Chelsea Clinton on an attack that was completely groundless. I don't think the Clinton campaign understands that part of the reason that Bernie is rising is there is a concern about this inauthenticity question. Well if your main problem with the base is that you are not authentic, don't waste Chelsea Clinton on an inauthentic attack.

There is no way Hillary Clinton can attack Bernie Sanders from the left on healthcare. There is no way you can convince Americans and Democrats that Bernie Sanders doesn't care about healthcare. So the Clintons are starting to do stuff that is stoking this rebellion. I think -- it's not that Hillary Clinton is going to lose, Bernie Sanders is likely now to win both Iowa and New Hampshire because the base is getting frustrated with the Clinton campaign.

CAMEROTA: All right. There you go. Van, Ana, thanks so much. We'll talk to you again soon. We appreciate it. Thanks so much for watching today. We'll see you again tomorrow.

"NEWSROOM" with Carol Costello right after this very short break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Happening now in the "NEWSROOM."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is one of those kind of things that makes a commander's gut churn a little.

COSTELLO: Iran demanding an apology days before the nuclear deal is due to take effect.