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Republican Presidential Candidate Debate Reviewed; Interview with Carly Fiorina. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired January 15, 2016 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:00] CARLY FIORINA, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Unlike another woman in this race, I actually love spending time with my husband.

(APPLAUSE)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: So I guess the bromance is over. There is no reason for him to go that aggressive. Certainly I don't see him as my biggest competition. How do you pick a nominee that in a year from now doesn't have the right to run?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In a year where there so many performances by actors of color

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The academy membership is like 94 percent white.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Where is the diversity in Hollywood?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Chris Cuomo, Alisyn Camerota, and Michaela Pereira.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: What a night. What a morning. This is what it's all about. Good morning. Welcome back to your NEW DAY. It is Friday, January 15th, 8:00 in the east. So here's one big headline, the bromance between Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, not too much. The Republican rivals going after each over the birther claims and about what New York is all about and whether the people there are good. They were back and forth, dominating the debate for sure.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Leaving little room for some other candidates to break through. So who came out ahead in the debate? Let's begin our coverage with John Berman. He joins us with a look at the key moments in the debate. John, what did you see?

JOHN BERMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The key moments were really the key players, where were Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, no question about it. The "Wall Street Journal" wrote this morning that the problem with the others on the stage is that they were the others on the stage. It was hard to break through, and we saw a very new dynamic between Donald Trump and Ted Cruz.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(APPLAUSE) BERMAN: In the race between Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, the current Republican frontrunners, two things now abundantly clear. It is truce off and game on.

SEN. TED CRUZ, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Back in September my friend Donald said that he had has his lawyers look at this in every which way and there was nothing to this birther issue.

BERMAN: Cruz mocked questions Trump is now raising about the fact he was born in Canada and whether he is even eligible to run for president.

CRUZ: But since September the constitution hasn't changed, but the poll numbers have.

(APPLAUSE)

BERMAN: Trump acknowledged, yes, that is part of it.

TRUMP: Because now he's doing a little bit better. No, I didn't care before.

BERMAN: But in their most pointed exchange in this race so far he said there is more.

TRUMP: Here is the problem. We're running, we're running. He does great. I win. I choose him as my vice presidential candidate, and the Democrats sue because we can't take him along for the ride. I don't like that, OK?

(LAUGHTER)

CRUZ: Listen I've spent my entire life defending the U.S. constitution before the Supreme Court and I'll tell you, I'm not going to be taking legal advice from Donald Trump.

TRUMP: You don't have to.

BERMAN: The battle moved from candidate to New York and the charge from Ted Cruz that Donald Trump represents what he calls New York values.

CRUZ: Everyone understands that the values in New York City are socially liberal or pro-abortion or pro-gay marriage, focus around the money and the media. Not a lot of conservatives come out of Manhattan. I'm just saying.

BERMAN: Trump responded uncharacteristically somber by invoking September 11th.

TRUMP: We rebuilt downtown Manhattan, and everybody in the world watched and loved New York and loved New Yorkers, and I have to tell you, that was a very insulting statement that Ted made.

BERMAN: For the most part the other candidates focused their fire on the president. GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This guy is a

petulant child.

BERMAN: And Hillary Clinton.

JEB BUSH, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: She's under investigation with the FBI right now. If she gets elected her first 100 days instead of setting an agenda, she might be going back and forth between the White House and can courthouse.

BERMAN: Those Chris Christie unleashed on Marco Rubio for dodging a question on entitlements.

CHRISTIE: You already had your chance, Marco, and you had you blew it.

BERMAN: And Marco Rubio with just a few minutes to spare in the debate did some unleashing himself on Ted Cruz.

SEN. MARCO RUBIO, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Ted Cruz, you used to say you supported doubling the number of green cards. Now you say that you are against it. You used to sport a 500 percent increase in number of guest workers. Now you say that are against it. You used to support legalizing people that are here illegally. Now you are against it. You used to say that you were in favor of birthright citizenship. Now you say that you are against it.

BERMAN: Cruz fought to respond.

CRUZ: At least half of the things Marco said are flat out false. They are absolutely false.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: All right, we have some breaking news out of South Carolina. The newspaper down there reporting just minutes ago that South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham will endorse Jeb Bush this morning. That is significant for a few reasons. I think Lindsey Graham is the first presidential candidate who has dropped out to endorse another candidate in this race. And while he didn't register very high in any polls this entire campaign, he is from South Carolina, and there is a key primary there in a few weeks.

And one other thing, he did work on the immigration bill in the Senate with Marco Rubio. So he is snubbing a senator he worked very closely with. Alisyn?

[08:05:04] CAMEROTA: OK, John, thanks so much for that breaking news.

Carly Fiorina was not on the main stage but she's getting buzz for a strong showing in the undercard debate. And Carly Fiorina joins us now. Good morning, Mrs. Fiorina. Great to have you on NEW DAY.

CARLY FIORINA, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Good morning, Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: Do you want to respond to that breaking news that Lindsey Graham has just announced that he'll endorse Jeb Bush.

FIORINA: Well, I don't find it particularly surprising actually. These are two long-serving members of the political establishment.

CAMEROTA: OK, so let's talk about the debate last night. How did you think it went?

FIORINA: Well, look, I am always pleased to van opportunity to talk to the American people about solutions, about the fact that this is a game that's been played by crony capitalists and political insiders for decades. And the problem is it is a game that hasn't served the American people.

I think I was if only person on both stages who actually talked about how we're going to solve these problems. I saw a nasty fight between the ultimate insiders, two of whom claim to be outsiders but they are the ultimate insiders, a nasty fight over power and position. It had nothing to do with the American people. It had nothing to do with solutions. What I offer is leadership, leadership to restore a citizen government, leadership to actually solve our festering problems, leadership to take our country back.

CAMEROTA: You always manage to have many memorable lines in these debates. And last night -- last night was no different. And in fact one of your lines -- well, many of your lines, the crowd always seems to eat up. Let's play one that was particularly buzz worthy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FIORINA: I'm not a political insider. I haven't spent my lifetime running for office. The truth is I've had and been blessed by a lot of opportunities to do a lot of things in my life. And unlike another woman in this race, I actually love spending time with my husband.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: OK, so the crowd liked that. That was obviously a dig at Hillary Clinton. How do you know if she loves spending time with her husband?

FIORINA: Hillary Clinton has spent her entire life on a quest for power. She has avoided prosecution more times than El Chapo. Honestly, we've run out of gates to describe the scandals. Bill and Hillary Clinton are the ultimate insiders. The Clinton Global Initiative is like a Ponzi scheme with Bill and Hillary Clinton on top selling access and influence to our government.

So Mrs. Clinton craves power once again. She wants to be in the White House. The truth is she's more qualified for the big house. That is why I am continuing to talk about the reality that the political establishment of which Mrs. Clinton is example, exhibit A, the political establishment does not serve the interests of the American people. CAMEROTA: I mean, it is interesting that you as a woman though would

say that she craves power. It is almost as if you are suggesting she should be at home with her husband. You're not saying --

FIORINA: Not at all. Not at all. The men are craving power as well. That is what just said about the second debate. That was a debate between ultimate political insiders. Donald Trump is an insider. Ted Cruz is an insider. And they are arguing over their own power and position. Look, the political establishment exists in both parties. I have said that consistently all along. And the political establishment doesn't serve the American people.

CAMEROTA: Sure, but I mean you decided to talk about Hillary Clinton's marriage. You didn't say that Donald Trump should be at home spending time with his wife.

FIORINA: Oh, I think you are really reaching here Alisyn. I linked Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump together. One sits inside government, raking in millions, handing out influence and access. The other, Donald Trump, sits outside government raking in billions, buying people like Hillary Clinton. It is a game for them. It is just it's a game for them. It is not a game for the American people. And I am running for office because I think we need to return power to the citizens of this nation, which is where it belongs.

CAMEROTA: Obviously in the hours after any debate the fact checkers burn the midnight oil. And they said that there was something that didn't pass muster that you said last night. So let me play that for you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FIORINA: The president wouldn't even mention the fact that Iran had taken two Navy boats and our sailors hostage. He didn't mention the fact that they violated the Geneva Convention.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: So the fact checkers said this didn't violate, the Geneva Convention applies to two countries that are at war. The U.S. is not at war with Iran.

[08:10:00] FIORINA: Look, here is why they violated the Geneva Convention, with all due respect to the fact-checkers who also have said that I wasn't a secretary. The reason they violated the Geneva Convention, it is against the convention to show sailors, soldiers in the positions that they were shown, on their knees with their hands behind their back. It is against the Geneva Convention to show the faces of these people. They put those sailors at risk and they knew it.

And the last time I looked, Iran is an adversary. The Geneva Convention is something that all nations should uphold and they did not. And so the fact that the president wouldn't mention that, the fact that our secretary of state almost thanked them, apologized for them, this is an example of the fact that this administration, including Hillary Clinton, do not understand the nature of Iran and the fact that it is an adversary.

CAMEROTA: After these debates your numbers always spike. People always think that you turn in a very solid, impressive performance. But then your numbers go down after that. And I'm wondering after this one how you plan to harness this momentum and not see a drop in the polls?

FIORINA: Well, actually, Alisyn, I think those facts are incorrect. In yet another poll that came out yesterday, I am sixth nationally. I am tied for fifth in New Hampshire, where I am today, with three governors, each of whom have spent tens of millions of dollars on air and I haven't spent a dime yet.

I will also tell you that unlikely many of the people on the main stage, I'll be on the ballot on all 50 states. Unlikely many of the people on the main stage, I have leadership steams in 25 states. Unlike many of the people on the main stage, I have a robust ground game going in the early states

So coming from 17 out of 16 to sixth nationally and tied with people who spent millions of dollars, I think I've had a very steady trajectory here. And the more people hear me, the more people support me, which is why I look forward to the first vote being cast. And let us just remember, there hasn't been a single vote cast. There has been a lot of commentary and a lot of poll, but not a single vote has been cast.

CAMEROTA: There you go, 17 days from today. Carly Fiorina, thank you for being on NEW DAY.

FIORINA: Thanks, Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: Let's get to Chris

CUOMO: All right, Alisyn, we are following breaking news here. There's a frantic search underway off the coast of Hawaii after the Coast Guard says two military aircraft collided off the waters of Oahu. Let's get right to Barbara Starr. She's live at the Pentagon with more. Barbara?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Chris, we are still getting very sketchy first reports. Not a lot of detail. A Coast Guard search now underway off the north shore of Oahu island. We are told it is believed two U.S. marine corps helicopters crashed in midair. That is what they are looking for now. They have located, according to the Coast Guard, a debris field, an empty life raft, a fire at sea. These are the details that the Coast Guard is offering very initially.

But still dark obviously out in Hawaii at this hour, so it is going to be a very difficult search. We don't know yet exactly where off the north shore they are looking, how deep that water may be, how rough the waters may be out there, but a full search under way. It is believed there were a total of 12 people, six on each of those helicopters. Michaela?

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Barbara, update us when you can. Thank you so much for that news.

Powerball frenzy breaking Powerball news. The Tennessee winners of that record $16 billion jackpot have just come forward. The winners are still a mystery, meanwhile, in Florida and California, where one woman was pranked into thinking that she won. Sara Sidner is live in Chino Hills, California, where he know at least one of the tickets came from that very 7-Eleven behind you.

SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It did, indeed, but the winner hasn't shown up. We'll talk about the prank in just a bit, which is cringe worthy. But we now think we know who the winner in Tennessee. John and Lisa Robinson showed up on "The Today Show." They hadn't checked officially but they were convinced by their attorney and I think a family member to go on the show to announce to the world they had won.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I wrote it down because I had other tickets, his other three to look at. So I wrote the numbers down. So I got to looking and I saw it. And I looked again. They're the same. Looked again, and the third time I'm running down the hallway, "John, John, you've got to check these numbers!"

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: So they get somewhere around $500 million. That is what each winner would get if it is just a single winner in each state. So that is a lot of money.

On the other hand there is a mother who may be a little upset with her son this morning because he pulled a really, really bad prank on her, telling her that he -- they had won the lottery ,had a ticket, had a picture of himself. As it turned out, her company had a press conference and then found out that he was just kidding.

[08:15:06] So this morning she wakes up not a winner but still a mother. I'm sure she loves her son but she's probably a little upset with him. Michaela.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN CO-HOST: Mom suddenly saying win or win or no chicken dinner for you ever again. Sara Sidner. Oh, the worst son ever arguably. Oh my goodness, all right.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN CO-HOST: Can't eat chicken with no teeth.

PEREIRA: No you can't.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN CO HOST: You have been keeping that line in your back pocket, Chris.

CUOMO: I told you she was upset it.

CAMEROTA: I like it.

CUOMO: It takes a lot to get -- make upset at somebody.

CAMEROTA: I don't blame her.

All right, meanwhile, actor Sean Penn setting the record straight about his secret interview with the Mexican drug lord El Chapo. Penn is shooting down claims that his visit with the fugitive was essential to El Chapo's recapture. In an interview with CBS news, Penn says he says he believes the Mexican government set him up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN PENN, ACTOR, ACTIVIST: We had met with him many weeks on October 2nd, on October 2nd, in a place nowhere near where he was captured. We're not smarter than the DEA or the Mexican intelligence. We had a contract upon which we were able to facilitate an invitation.

CHARLIE ROSE, CBS: Do you believe the government released this in part because they wanted to see you blamed and to put you at risk?

PENN: Yes.

ROSE: They wanted to encourage the cartel to put you in their cross- hairs.

PENN: Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PEREIRA: What did he anticipate happening after all this?

CAMEROTA: Maybe he thought El Chapo wouldn't be captured. I mean this just -- he just looks like he scored the biggest of the gets if he's not captured, but connection, the next is between his interview and capture does raise a lot of questions.

CUOMO: Good point. He says that it is not about the interview. That the Rolling Stone interview was only a vehicle for what he says was his motivation, which was that he wanted to start a different dialogue about the war on drugs and that we put all the emphasis on catching this bad guy and not on all the other element and he says his article has failed.

PEREIRA: Yeah, it is true, it is not...

CAMEROTA: Yes. It has been eclipsed by the capture story.

PEREIRA: It certainly has. All right, we'll have more on that coming up. Meanwhile, Cruz and Trump garnering all the headlines from last night's debate. We'll take at the big winners, and the losers ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[08:20:27] DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He cannot run for office. Here is the problem. We're running, we're running, it feel great. I win. I choose him as my vice presidential candidate and the democrats sue because we can't take him along for the ride. I don't like that. OK.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: While Trump and Cruz dominating last night's GOP debate. And the battle continues between establishment candidates and outsiders. Who won?

Joining me is CNN Political Commentator and Jeb Bush supporter Anna Navarro, CNN Political Commentator and Donald Trump supporter Jeffrey Lord, CNN Political Commentator and former Communications Director for Senator Ted Cruz, Amanda Carpenter.

So we have so many candidates represented here in one way or another. And let me start with a little bit of breaking political news is Lindsay Graham has announced he' will endorse Jeb Bush for president. Do you think that changes the equation in South Carolina?

ANNA NAVARRO, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, JEB BUSH SUPPORTER: It is a big, big deal in South Carolina. Look, Lindsay was not doing well in the presidential race but Lindsay Graham is very well liked in South Carolina. He knows his state. For the longest time some of the most powerful, some of the best political Republican activists in the state have been frozen because they weren't going to go anywhere because Lindsay Graham was running even though he was at 1 or 2 percent in the polls.

So yes it is a big deal in South Carolina and I think it tells you that Jeb Bush is looking past Iowa, past New Hampshire and is the one in that establishment lane that is building a strong ground troop operation and putting resources into South Carolina. He's going live to fight through South Carolina I'm sure.

CAMEROTA: OK, Amanda what do you think because this morning people are talking about Ted Cruz and Donald Trump not Jeb Bush. But do you think they are counting him out too soon?

AMANDA CARPENTER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, look here's the thing, Jeb Bush has never lacked for endorsements from these (inaudible) crowd or money. You know my big feeling when I wake up today and I see all the headlines focused on Trump and the fact that he has a good shot at getting the nomination, I think it is time for people running vanity campaigns to drop the heck out. It is getting so serious. There are people that think they can wait until New Hampshire or South Carolina.

CAMEROTA: But who are those?

(CROSS TALK)

CAMEROTA: When you said the vanity campaigns, whom are you talking about?

CARPENTER: Well, I would certainly start with the undercard debate. Huckabee, Santorum, Carson, probably Kasich just to start clearing the field, because it is hurting the party as a whole. If you look, they all have three supports. Carson has as much as 11 percent support. That needs to go to a candidate who can win. And I think waiting this out until South Carolina is dangerous given the Trump momentum.

CAMEROTA: Jeffrey the big talk was about whether or not the "bromance" that have seems to have existed between Ted Cruz and Donald Trump is now officially over. Are we going to see more now after last night of these two sparring face to face on the campaign trail?

JEFFREY LORD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Sure. Sure. I mean Alisyn, this is what presidential candidates do. You're not supposed to say I'm running for president but really the better guy is my opponent over here. You're supposed to say why you are the better guy and then of course you will call attention to your opponent's deficiencies. That is all that's happening. It happens every four years. It happened with President Obama and Hillary Clinton and she wound up as his Secretary of State. So, there is nothing unusual about this, and yes I do expect more of it.

CAMEROTA: Anna did Ted Cruz put the birther stuff about his eligibility to become president to rest last night?

NAVARRO: I don't think so. If anything I think it lingers more.

CAMEROTA: Why?

NAVARRO: I think it became much more of an issue. We know that we've seen that the amount of people watching these debates are in the 10s or 20s of millions and so last night people who may have not heard of the issue heard about it. And I think he put it to rest. I think Ted Cruz had a good debate. He is a good debater. But I think he was convoluted, legalistic, long winded when it comes to this birther answer and also the Goldman Sachs answer.

I don't think he did himself any favors it certainly the question is still out there this morning.

CAMEROTA: Amanda, your take.

CARPENTER: Well, I thought on the debate stage, see Donald Trump is the cookie birther conspiracy theorist who'd probably disqualify anybody from the presidential ticket who has an ancestor.

If you look a standard that he is using against Ted Cruz -- Marco Rubio doesn't get to run for president. Bobby Jindal doesn't -- (able)(ph) to run for president. John McCain, Mitt Romney, the list goes on. And so the longer we spend on this. If this is a big hit coming at Ted Cruz a into Iowa, OK because although it plays well in the media and makes for an interesting story, the committed grass roots, GOP primary voters it is not an issue for them. We'll see, but just because trump gets headlines for being provocative I don't think translates into the persuading or dissuading people who have been committed to Ted Cruz for so long.

CAMEROTA: OK (inaudible). Anna, Jeffrey, Amanda, thanks so much. Talk to you soon.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thanks.

LORD: Thank you Alisyn.

[08:25:08] PEREIRA: All right, so the Republican debate is in the books. Next stop, the Democrats, Sunday. We're going break down last night's big jabs. We're also going to look ahead to the Democrat match this weekend.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: Are you ready? It is time to get deep now with Cuomo and the ax. There's been a lot of time spent on the fights, the digs. But what was the biggest moment last night?

The biggest moment last night came from Donald Trump. And it was something that plays to what is lacking most on both sides of this race. It is ironic. It is going to be different but I think it is very true. And we do have David Axel Rod, CNN Senior Political Commentator, former senior adviser to President Obama.

Obviously David, I am talking about when Donald Trump took Ted Cruz's statement about New York values, which as we both know is code in politics to mean certain things to certain people. And he made it into something else. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: When the World Trade Center came down, I saw something that no place on earth could have handled more beautifully, more humanely than New York. We rebuilt downtown Manhattan. And everybody in the world watched. And everybody in the world loved New York and loved New Yorkers. And I have to tell you, that was a very insulting statement that Ted made.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[08:30:06]