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Polls Tighten in Race Between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders; Interview with Bernie Sanders' Campaign Manager Jeff Weaver; Americans Released from Detention in Iran Reunite with Families; Remembering "Eagles" Legend Glenn Frey; Interview with George Pataki. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired January 19, 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] ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: -- religious at three events today in Iowa.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: His main competition there, though, Ted Cruz trying to convince voters he us the real conservative in the race, urging them to dismiss Trump's claim he's the next coming of Ronald Reagan. Now Trump hinting at a big endorsement today. Is a big campaign boost on the way? We begin coverage with CNN's Sunlen Serfaty live in New Hampshire. Hi, Sunlen.

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Michaela. This is interesting. Ted Cruz now really trying to frame this race as a choice between him and Donald Trump, telling voters here in New Hampshire that more and more this is looking like a two-man race, this sort of face-off that has quickly emerged between the two now fuelling the candidates' fire.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Where the spirit of Lord is, there is liberty.

SERFATY: Donald Trump trumpeting his faith.

TRUMP: I wrote "The Art of the Deal." I wrote many bestsellers. I always say a deep, deep second to the Bible. The Bible is the best, the Bible. The Bible blows it away.

SERFATY: Giving a convocation at Liberty University in an attempt to connect with evangelical students, quoting from scripture.

TRUMP: Two Corinthians, right, Two Corinthians, 3:17. That's the whole ballgame

SERFATY: But wrongly referring to it as Two Corinthians instead of Second Corinthians, drawing laughter from the religious crowd. Trump trying to make the case he's better for evangelicals than rival Ted Cruz as the battle for Iowa heats.

TRUMP: Ronald Reagan wasn't totally, he didn't read the Bible every day, seven days a week, but he was a great president. Frankly, I will say I will be a far better leader. I'll be much stronger in protecting the evangelicals.

SERFATY: While pounding pavement in the granite, Senator Cruz firing back, questioning Trump's conservative credentials.

SEN. TED CRUZ, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm pretty sure that Ronald Reagan didn't write checks and support Democratic politicians.

SERFATY: Any attacks on the Texas senator noticeably absent from Trumps modified stump Monday, never even mentioning his name after days of sharp jabs at his character.

TRUMP: He's a nasty guy. Nobody likes him.

SERFATY: Trump treading lightly on the trail but tweeting harsh rhetoric about Cruz's Canadian birth problem and his loans from big banks. Cruz not letting have the last word.

CRUZ: We need a leader to do what is prepared to do what is ever needed to keep this country safe, and that typically doesn't include spending your time on Twitter.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SERFATY: And Donald Trump keeps hinting at a major announcement coming his way at his event toady in Iowa State University, posting to his Facebook page that he will have a very special guest in attendance, what could be a potentially a big endorsement for him. John?

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: That will be interesting. Sunlen, thanks so much.

On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders gearing up for what could be a long fight now for the Democratic nomination, a fight that goes way beyond just Iowa less than two weeks from today. CNN's senior political correspondent Brianna Keilar live in Birmingham, Alabama, with the Sanders campaign. Brianna?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, John. Bernie Sanders looking south, including here in Birmingham, Alabama, to try to put a hole in Hillary Clinton's southern firewall. He's been trying to attract some support from African-American voters who are key to the success of a Democrat when it comes to these southern contests in late February and early March. Just anecdotally looking at his rally last night, it was over 7,000 strong as we understand it. But it was predominantly and overwhelmingly a white crowd that he did bring in.

In the meantime Hillary Clinton in Iowa saying that she is the more electable of the two is Bernie Sanders here stressing boldness and big change.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have the front row seat as to what it takes to be in that caldron. BERNIE SANDERS, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well guess what, that

inevitable candidate ain't to inevitable today.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: The Clinton campaign still emphasizing they have a lot of confidence in their ground game, in Iowa as well as in other states. But talking to a Bernie Sanders aide, Alisyn, it was really interesting. They said that Clinton's southern firewall is nonsense. I don't think the Clinton campaign feels that way. We'll certainly see here in the coming weeks.

CAMEROTA: We will see actually right now because we're going to ask about that with Bernie Sanders, joining now to discuss the Bernie Sanders' campaign manager Jeff Weaver. Good morning, Jeff.

JEFF WEAVER, BERNIE SANDERS CAMPAIGN MANAGER: Hey, Alisyn, how are you?

CAMEROTA: I'm well. Let's start right there with that southern firewall, South Carolina, because Bernie Sanders is doing better in Iowa than many pundits expected. They though always that he might give her a run for her money in New Hampshire and in fact that's happening. But South Carolina is where it gets tricky because minority voters are not necessarily going to turn out for this senator from one of the whitest states in the country. Why do you think otherwise?

[08:05:05] WEAVER: Well, Alisyn, what we've seen throughout the race is that the more voters get to know Bernie Sanders the more they come to him. And that's been true all through this race. So to start off, people in New Hampshire who are next door to Vermont knew him better than voters in any other state other than Vermont, and they were strong support from the beginning.

As we've gotten here in Iowa and we've talked to voters, as the senator's gotten around and put his message on paid television, voters here in Iowa have moved to him. And the truth of the matter is he's spent time in South Carolina. He's got to spend alto more time there. There was a recent poll just this week that showed the gap is South Carolina closing, including with African-American voters. There was a great poll in California showing the gap with Latino voters is narrowing. So a few months ago everybody was saying the same thing about Iowa, how far behind he was, how he couldn't make it up. And that is what they're saying now about South Carolina and other states, and it's just wrong.

CAMEROTA: But what does Bernie Sanders have to offer African- American voters that Hillary Clinton doesn't?

WEAVER: What does he have to offer? How about a $15 minimum wage which will give half of all African-American workers a raise? How about a lifetime of fighting for civil rights? How about his opposition to a broken criminal justice, against mandatory minimums, against the death penalty, about creating a pipeline to success as opposed to a pipeline to prison? Senator Sanders is a candidate whose whole life has been fighting for economic and social equality in this country, and when we are able to spend more time in the south which we're beginning to do, that message is going to resonate.

CAMEROTA: One of the things that he talks about is healthcare and that he would go further has been the Affordable Care Act. In fact there was a moment that the two, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, went at it each other about this during the debate, so let's watch that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLINTON: There are things we can do to improve it. But to tear it up and start over again, pushing our country back into that kind of a contentious debate I think is the wrong direction.

SANDERS: No one is tearing this up. We're going to go forward. We're not going to tear up the Affordable Care Act. I helped write it. But we are going to move on top of that to a Medicaid for all system.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: OK, so, Jeff, when he says he wants to go forward to this national single payer system, the Affordable Care Act was so hard to get passed through Congress. What makes Bernie Sanders think that Congress would ever go along with a single payer system?

WEAVER: Look, I don't think Democrats want a leader whose vision is limited by what Congressional Republicans are willing to accept. When Bernie Sanders is president will he have to negotiate? Absolutely. Will he have to negotiate with Republicans? Absolutely. He's done that throughout his entire career.

But let's be clear. You don't start from the Republican position and then negotiate from there. That is candidate with a bold vision, who is trying to fulfill the legacy of FDR, Harry Truman, LBJ, and others, who are leaders of the Democratic Party throughout the late 20th century whose vision it was to create healthcare for all. We need a Democratic leader who has got a bold vision. Will he have to compromise? Is it going to happen tomorrow? It is not going to happen tomorrow. But you don't want to start at the Republican position. You might as well elect a Republican. We need a Democrat who espouses Democratic views.

CAMEROTA: Let's talk about that bold vision, because in the past 48 hours really a stark contrast has been painted between what Hillary Clinton says she envisions in how to get things down and Bernie Sanders. So listen to both of them spell out their visions now.

WEAVER: Sure.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANDERS: This campaign is about a political revolution to not only elect a president but to transform this country.

CLINTON: I don't want to overpromise. I don't want to come out with theories and concepts that may or may not be possible. We don't need any more of that. What we need is a sensible, achievable agenda.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WEAVER: So Jeff, there you go, sensibility versus revolution. And some of our pundits just this morning have told us that neither one is actually very good for, you know, becoming president because obviously you want something more necessarily and sometimes inspiring than sensibility. But a revolutionary for president? You have to work within the Washington machine.

CAMEROTA: Well, the problem is that the pundits you have on your show are part of the Washington machine. People out here in the countryside, let me tell you, I'm out here in Iowa. People in the countryside here don't have a lot of respect for the Washington machine. They want something different. That is why they are moving to Bernie Sanders.

And as was reported by CNN, one of your reports did a very good story about how the media missed the rise of Bernie Sanders. And that is because there is an echo chamber, and it's on CNN and it's in the corporate media and some political pundits and it's among the political establishment.

[08:10:00] They are all in a, box and that is how far the thinking extends. Come out and talk to real Americans and I think you will find they don't have a lot of respect for the political machine in Washington. They want to change the political machine in Washington. And the truth of the matter is that Bernie Sanders, who is as we've seen in the polls the best candidate against Republicans in the general election, is going to create the momentum by bringing out young people, working class people to create a wave to elect not just himself but Democrats up and down the ballot so we don't have to deal with this Republican Congress.

CAMEROTA: Jeff what is going to happen in Iowa?

WEAVER: I don't have a crystal ball, Alisyn, but what I can tell you is we're out here right now. There is a tremendous amount of support. There's a lot of enthusiasm and excitement, and it is going to come right down to the wire.

CAMEROTA: Jeff Weaver, thanks so much, great to see you. Obviously we'll be following it every step of the way. We'll see you in Iowa. Let's get over to John.

BERMAN: Thanks, Alisyn.

Emotions running high as three Americans freed in that Iranian prisoner swap reunite with their families at Ramstein air base in Germany. This morning there are lingering questions about one American who did go missing in Iran. CNN's senior international correspondent Fred Pleitgen is live in Landstuhl, Germany with more. Good morning, Fred.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: John, of course it's been a very emotional time here the past 24 hours at the Landstuhl regional medical center where finally these three men have been reunited with their families. You had the pictures of Jason Rezaian there with his wife, his mother, and then also his brother Ali Rezaian who was able to see him very late yesterday in the afternoon. Amir Hekmati, for his part, a man who has been in Iranian captivity for four years also for the first time being able to get together with his family, also with friends as well.

It is a process where folks here at the regional medical center said they wanted to give the three men time to be able to recuperate from the things they have experienced, also to undergo some testing as well. They didn't want to rush them into seeing their family members that quickly because they felt that that is something that could overwhelm them.

Now, of course, at the same time that the return of these three men is celebrated not just here but of course in many other places as well, there is still that big concern about Robert Levinson, about what his status is, about where he is, about whether the Iranians know where he is. That's certainly something that if you will in spite of all this good news still clouds it in some ways.

PEREIRA: Yes, Fred, we just heard from his family. And they feel they really deserve a face-to-face. Thank you so much for that and we appreciate it.

Now to the search for those 12 missing marines off the coast of Hawaii. The coast guard off Oahu says the four life rafts aboard the two choppers that collided have been located but no sign so far of any survivors. The Marine Corps has identified their 12 comrades and says thoughts and prayers are with their families.

CAMEROTA: Folks on the east coast getting their shovels and snow blowers ready, gearing up for what could be the first major snow storm of the season. The system is already bringing down the temperatures. CNN meteorologist Chad Myers has the latest forecast for us. How does it look, Chad?

CHAD MYERS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Someone is going to get a foot or more of snow. Now, the storm is just coming on shore where it is going to be raining in San Francisco today. So that is where this storm is. But when it gets to east coast look at what it's going to get to, 16 right now in New York City, the wind chill one. So if you are flying today and your bags are late, understand these baggage guys and girls have to take a warm up break every once in a while because it is cold out there.

There is the storm we're worried about. It is forecast be the American and the European model to run right through the northeast into D.C., into Philadelphia, into New York City. Rarely three days or four days out do we get both models to agree, but here is the freezing line. So north of here is all snow. It begins to snow Friday afternoon in D.C., probably midnight Friday night in New York City, and it continues all Saturday. At least the good news is it is Saturday. You can just sit home and watch it. But will you have to be digging out on Sunday? I don't know just yet, but I know someone will get a foot, someone will get two feet, and the mountains could get three feet. John, so as you said, protect your T-bone steaks out there because is going to get cold and the snow is going to cover them up.

BERMAN: Consider them protected Chad Myers. Thank you so much. Totally different set of issues right there, but thank you, Chad, I appreciate it.

All right, 14 minutes after the hour right now. The music world has lost a legend. Glenn Frey, founding member and leader of the Eagles, he passed away at the age of 67. Frey played guitar, sang lead on many of their big hits. He wrote many of their big hits. The Eagles music defined the 70s. They had universal appeal. Frey's band mate and Eagles cofounder Don Henley says that Glenn Frey is the one who started it all, the man with the plan.

[08:15:00] We're going to look back at his influential life and the unforgettable sound.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(MUSIC)

BERMAN (voice-over): By the time Glenn Frey sang this version of one of the Eagles' most famous songs, he was more than a quarter century from where he had started. Co-founder of one of the most iconic rock bands around, a group he and Don Henley began in 1971.

Some critics called their music country rock. To millions, it was just ageless.

(MUSIC)

BERMAN: The Eagles only lasted nine years before they broke up.

GLENN FREY: Everybody was really happen. Then --

BERMAN: But in those nine years of albums, road trip, drinking and drug abuse and everything in between, Glenn Frey and the Eagles made some really amazing music.

"Hotel California"

(MUSIC)

BERMAN: "Lyin' Eyes".

(MUSIC)

BERMAN: "Take It To The Limit".

(MUSIC)

BERMAN: And the song first made famous by Linda Ronstadt who was instrumental during the Eagles' early years, "Desperado".

(MUSIC)

BERMAN: Glenn Frey lived all of it -- the good and the bad.

FREY: Riding shotgun with the drug dealer to be way to a poker game and next thing, I knew we were going about 90 miles an hour. Holding big time. Hey man, what are you doing?

And he looked at me, he grinned and he goes, "life in the fast lane."

BERMAN: Fourteen years after the Eagles broke up, they reunited and begun touring again, all over the world. Their records have sold millions and millions of copies.

Upon word of his death, band member Don Henley released a statement that read in part, "I'm not sure I believe in fate but crossing paths with Glenn Lewis Frey in 1970 changed my life forever and eventually had an impact on lives of millions of others all over the planet. It will be very strange going forward in a world without him in it."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CAMEROTA: I just want to keep listening to the music.

BERMAN: Lovely.

PEREIRA: I know. I think we should all day. He's already been playing in his office.

BERMAN: Absolutely. I was playing for my kids, "Hotel California."

CAMEROTA: It holds up.

BERMAN: When are they going to start singing? It's "Hotel California".

CAMEROTA: A long wind up.

PEREIRA: Soundtrack of our lives.

CAMEROTA: It is. And we're asking your favorite Eagles memories and Eagles songs on the Twitter. You can find us all.

Well, it wasn't that long ago that he was trading barbs and tossing zingers at Donald Trump and Ted Cruz. Now, former New York Governor George Pataki is watching the back and fourth out of the line of fire. He shares his thoughts of what's going on, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:21:26] BERMAN: All right. Welcome back to NEW DAY.

The presidential election heating up this morning, less than two weeks to go until Iowa. Donald Trump, Ted Cruz really going after each other pretty, pretty hard on the campaign trail.

Joining us now is a man who was right in the middle of it all until recently: former New York governor, former Republican presidential candidate, George Pataki.

Governor, thanks so much for being with us.

GEORGE PATAKI (R), FORMER NEW YORK GOVERNOR: Happy being on with you.

BERMAN: So, you got out --

PATAKI: I got out.

BERMAN: -- just before New York became the central issue of the entire campaign. Ted Cruz says Donald Trump has New York values. Donald Trump says how dare you question my values? New York values. We stood up after 9/11, worked together, rebuilt the city.

PATAKI: If I have any regrets about getting out, it is that Donald Trump is the one defending New York values. The guy who demonized Mexicans and veterans and goes after minorities on a regular basis.

I just think it's unfortunate. This is a great city. I'm proud to have represented it, led it for 12 years. I'm proud of how New York responds to all sorts of crisis, how patriotic the city is.

But it is liberal. It is a very liberal political city. There is no question about that. But the idea that Donald Trump is the great defender of the diversity and the values of New York to me is a little offensive.

CAMEROTA: It sounds like you are kind of sticking up for Ted Cruz and what he said because you tweeted this out. "Any suggestion that Ted Cruz is referring to 9/11 is absurd. He was obviously referring to the liberal values of New York politicians, such as liberal New York politicians like Bill de Blasio, Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, New York Governor Cuomo, Chuck Schumer."

But wasn't he also talking about New Yorkers, regular New Yorkers?

PATAKI: I don't think he was talking about the regular New Yorkers. I think there is an image in the country of New York. And it is not the guy who rides the subway, brings his lunch with him. It's not the cop or the firefighter.

It's the political leadership. Bill de Blasio is in the national press all the time. He's not a liberal, he's a leftist. The city council is not liberal. It is leftist.

The people are great, and I think that Americans know that. I think Ted Cruz knows that and I don't want to defend somebody attacking New York, but I'm also not going to deny the fact this politically is a very liberal, one party city.

(CROSSTALK)

CAMEROTA: For sure, the people -- it is a liberal city but the people of New York voted these politicians in.

PATAKI: That's right.

CAMEROTA: So, do you think there's some smear that they, too, are morally bankrupt?

PATAKI: No, I don't think so at all. The people of New York are great. I'm proud to --

BERMAN: Except these one you identified in your tweet.

PATAKI: I'm not criticizing them. I just disagree with them. They are liberals, liberals or leftist. De Blasio is an unabashed leftist.

They have a right to be there. I'm not criticizing them and saying they are bad people because my political philosophy is different, but my political philosophy and I believe the philosophy of America is different from the very left leadership we have here in the city.

BERMAN: Let me ask you this -- so, Donald Trump and his response he really wrapped himself in September 11 and the response that was in the city. ABC News has a story the other day talked about the Trump wasn't really front and center in supporting the Zadroga Act, you know, to help first responders.

"RedState" has something which looked at the charities Trump gave. They said they can't find any evidence, he really donated to 9/11 charities.

You were here in the state. What do you remember about Donald Trump's role after September 11th? Was he a factor in helping rebuild?

PATAKI: What I remember is the strength of New Yorkers from every single walk of life? It was just -- you know, you had this initial moment of horror of tremendous pain and horror and the pain is still there. But then you had this tremendous resurgence of pride as you saw New Yorkers from every walk of life pour out and just put aside their own concerns for their safety and their health and do whatever we could to get through that.

[08:25:12] BERMAN: Do you remember Donald Trump --

(CROSSTALK)

PATAKI: I do not. I do not remember Donald Trump being front and center in any significant way.

But on the other hand, I don't want to criticize him for that. I'll criticize him for his political views but I don't want criticize him for the fact that I don't remember his proactive involvement after September 11th. But there were so many New Yorkers, so many Americans that came together that it really made you proud.

It made me proud to be a New Yorker, but I've been proud to be a New Yorker long before that.

CAMEROTA: Again in that tweet it sounded like you were behind Ted Cruz. As, you know, Lindsey Graham got out of the race. He says he's endorsing Jeb Bush.

Who are you endorsing yet?

PATAKI: Nobody yet. I do expect to get involved down the road. Who it is? The only thing I can say with certainty is it is not going to be Donald Trump.

I believe we need a forward looking party. Where we need to build as opposed to criticize and attack. And as he's been doing with Cruz and has he's done with every other candidate if the polls look like he should, he has no qualms in attacking anybody for whatever reason.

BERMAN: What about a shorter list than just not Donald Trump? Give us the four list, four guys you could endorse.

PATAKI: There are at least four out there but I'm not.

BERMAN: Not going to name their names sounds like Smarco Blubio.

PATAKI: Sounds like Glenn Frey, the Eagles, "Desperado".

CAMEROTA: Your favorite "Eagles" song that you shared with that.

PATAKI: I love "Desperado" and I'm going to miss -- I've never seen them live and now I won't. That's one of the few disappointments I have in life.

CAMEROTA: I don't know if there's a music metaphor for the campaign trail there, but what's it like for you to be watching now?

PATAKI: The music metaphor for my campaign was running on empty, which is a great old Jackson Browne --

BERMAN: Who wrote songs for the Eagles.

PATAKI: Yes, he wrote songs for the Eagles. So, that was my metaphor. But no, it's just -- I'll tell you, people ask me about it. It was an honor.

For a kid from Peaks Kill, New York, who's father was a mailman and couldn't speak English, to run for president of the United States, it is just a tremendous honor and I'm disappointed how it worked out, but I intend to stay involved and try to help whoever I decide and I hope it's sooner rather than later to help support win the Republican nomination and the election.

CAMEROTA: When you watch the mud slinging, are you a little relieved?

PATAKI: No. You know, I'm disappointed by the mud slinging but no. I mean, hey, I was governor of New York for 12 years. It is not something I really experienced in my life.

(CROSSTALK)

BERMAN: You come here and sling mud any time you want, if you miss it.

PATAKI: Yes, you just try to let it bounce off you.

BERMAN: Governor George Pataki, great to see you. Thanks so much for being here.

PATAKI: Great seeing you. Good being with you.

BERMAN: Michaela?

CAMEROTA: Michaela?

PEREIRA: Governor Pataki not only the one remembering the voice and harmonies of the Glenn Frey. All sorts of fans thinking about the man who helped deliver the soundtrack of a generation.

We're going to talk to a fellow who knows a little something about rock and roll. Oh yes, Gene Simmons is going to talk to us about his late friend's life and legacy. He'll be with us, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)