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North Korean Officials: Rocket Launch For "Peaceful Purposes"; Trump: If I Came In Second I Wouldn't Be Happy; Sanders And Larry David "Bern" Up SNL; New Hampshire Voters On The Republican Race. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired February 08, 2016 - 06:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: South Korea firing warning shots this morning at a North Korean patrol boat. This action comes a day after Pyongyang launched a rocket into space. The country says it's for peaceful purposes, however, critics call it a front to test ballistic missiles.

Let's get our senior international correspondent, Ivan Watson, who is live in Seoul, South Korea with the very latest for us -- Ivan.

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Michaela. Let's take a look at what North Korean state TV just showed moments ago. It was footage of fireworks, celebrations in Pyongyang, celebrating the launch of this rocket which North Korea says was putting an earth observation satellite into space.

The trouble is, is the rest of the world doesn't really see it this way. The United Nations Security Council had an emergency session on Sunday decided that this was a step towards developing North Korea's ability to fire nuclear weapons. It is ballistic missile technology.

And it's calling for stricter measures against North Korea. But what measures can be taken? The U.S. and its allies here in the region short of going to war. They have almost no economic leverage over North Korea.

So one of the measures the U.S. and South Korea have talked about perhaps deploying are new ballistic defense systems that they could deploy here.

In the meantime, as if it couldn't get tense enough, you had the South Korean saying they fired warning shots at a North Korean patrol boat this morning -- Michaela.

PEREIRA: All right, Ivan, thank you so much. We'll watch the situation unfold with you.

Back here at home, Donald Trump head and shoulders above the pack in New Hampshire polling, but that does not mean he's taking it easy on his opponents. What he had to say about the Rubio factor and coming in to second place to Ted Cruz. That's ahead.

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[06:36:48]

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Donald Trump still in the pole position entering the home stretch before tomorrow's primary here in New Hampshire by any poll. He has a double-digit lead here, but he's no longer getting all the attention as the focus is on who comes in second, third, even as deep as fifth.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Now you'll remember, the Trump was leading the polls in Iowa this time last week, but he came in second. So what's he doing differently here in the granite state?

CNN's chief political correspondent, Dana Bash, caught up with Trump right after the debate. So Dana, tell us what did he tell you?

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it was interesting. We were talking backstage before he went and spoke to a very large rally up in the northern part of the state. I really just continued to be struck at how different his demeanor is and that continued in this interview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BASH: Let's talk about New Hampshire and the state of the race now. Who do you think is your biggest competition at this point?

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You never know. I mean, the polls have come out just about 2 minutes ago, and it looks very good. But the debate polls, I think I did well in the debate. Most of the people said I did either well or won it. And it was very important for me to have done well in that debate.

BASH: Why?

TRUMP: I just think I needed that. I think it was a good thing.

BASH: The Rubio factor, you mentioned him. The question is he did better than expected in Iowa. He may have taken some of your votes. What do you make of all the buzz around him? Do you think that it is important --

TRUMP: Well, it was very strange thing because I could have won if Cruz didn't take all of those Carson votes, which was a very sad thing, in a way for Ben, in my opinion. It could have been a sad thing for me too to be honest with you.

But I came in a strong second. Frankly, after coming in second and then Rubio came in third. Everyone was saying how good Rubio did. I said, wait a minute, I've never even done this before.

I came in second and they didn't say how well I did. It was a very strange debate situation, but last night's debate was very important for a lot of people including Rubio because he had good momentum and I think he might have lost some of that momentum

BASH: Why?

TRUMP: Well, I think just based on what I'm hearing about the debate. I wasn't focused on him. I focus on myself so I don't know.

BASH: Why aren't you focused on him? Because he is the person who has a lot of buzz. Aside from you. You clearly have a lead in a lot of the polls. He's got a lot of buzz here in New Hampshire. It seems uncharacteristic for you not to be focused on him.

TRUMP: Well, I'm watching everybody. You know, I don't know if it is going to be him or someone else. I didn't think Bush did well in the debate. I thought he did not well at all. I think that a couple of them didn't do too well. That's not for me to say. That's really for you to say who did well. As long as you say I did well, that's all that matters, OK.

BASH: I have to say talking to you now, watching you at your rally a couple days ago here in New Hampshire, I want to ask who are you and what have you done with Donald Trump?

TRUMP: Why?

BASH: Because you really seemed to have changed your tone. You have gone back to basics. You're really not engaging. It's not happening now. I'm wondering if --

TRUMP: You mean that in a positive way? I hope so.

BASH: I was wondering if you think that all of that was overshadowing your core message, which really does appeal to people. That you are not bought and sold. You can make deals.

[06:40:07]TRUMP: Well, I've developed a certain confidence. You know, I've never done this before, Dana. I am a businessman. I've been a very successful businessman. I've never been involved with politics other than on the other side.

BASH: I've noticed that in the past couple of days you talked about something that your father used to say to you, which is take the lumps out.

TRUMP: Yes.

BASH: Are you taking the lumps out?

TRUMP: I think so. My father did. He had the expression take the lumps out. I used that when I said I'm not giving Iran back the $150 billion that we just handed --

BASH: Are you also using it in terms of your demeanor?

TRUMP: It is possible. It's possible. I feel very good. I feel very good about the campaign. I feel very good about the way it's going. We're doing really well up in New Hampshire.

I do hear there is a big snowstorm coming, which I'm not happy about. I guess we can't stop that, but we are feeling very good. I think the debate was very important last night. I'm glad it's over. I'm glad we did well.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CAMEROTA: Even Donald Trump cannot stop the snowstorm. What did he tell you about the ground game, right? That's what it all comes down to?

BASH: After Iowa he was pretty candid about the fact they didn't have the kind of ground game that they probably should have, although, in the next sentence, he does talk about how he still got more votes than anybody in history because the turnout was so big in Iowa.

But you know, he didn't really give a lot of specifics on what they are doing differently here. What he did say was, from his perspective, it's about the product and the product of course is him. His job is to sell the product and he said I'm doing my job.

CUOMO: So what do you think the shift is? Do you think he's just tired? Do you think that he's a little caught up in the energy surrounding the race for second? He's becoming a little bit observational? Why do you think he is different?

BASH: Because the insults and all the negativity was drowning out the message that really does resonate with people, but he is not a politician. That he knows how to make deals and he can talk the talk differently than everybody else.

CAMEROTA: Dana, we'll have more of your great talk with Donald Trump in our 7:00 hour. Thanks so much. Stick around.

Also Bernie Sanders taking a break from New Hampshire to make a cameo on "Saturday Night Live." Viewers liked it. Will his appearance pay off with voters? We'll play it for you.

CUOMO: Sanderswitsky.

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[06:46:16]

PEREIRA: Good to have you back with us here on NEW DAY this morning. Let's take a look at some of your headlines. In Taiwan, four more earthquake survivors were pulled from the rubble of a toppled high rise.

Rescuers pulled a woman out of the rubble about 50 hours after that 17-story apartment building gave way. They found her clutching the bodies of her husband and son.

Crews also rescued a man and an 8-year-old girl and her aunt. At least 40 people were killed in Saturday's quake. More than 100 are still missing.

There is disturbing video surfacing from that dramatic in-flight blast on a Somalian plane. You can see two airline employees handled the laptop then give it to the suspected bomber after clearing security.

Officials say it was that computer that concealed a bomb. The suicide bomber was sucked out of the plane after the blast, creating a gaping hole in the plane's fuselage. Both workers have been arrested. No group has yet claimed responsibility.

Comedian Larry David reviving his Bernie Sanders impersonation on "Saturday Night Live" during a parody of his HBO series "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Later the audience felt the Bern, erupting in cheers when Sanders himself appeared in a cameo with Larry David.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BERNIE SANDERS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am so sick of the 1 percent getting this preferential treatment. Enough is enough. We need to unite and work together if we're all going to get through this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sounds like socialism to me.

SANDERS: Democratic socialism.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What's the difference?

SANDERS: Yuge difference.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yuge?

SANDERS: Yuge.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yuge with a y, eh? Who are you?

SANDERS: I am Bernie Sanderswitsky. But we're going to change it when we get to America so it doesn't sound quite so Jewish.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. That will trick them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PEREIRA: Later when Larry David asked Sanders how his campaign was going, Bernie Sanders used the classic curb line, pretty, pretty, pretty good. The whole thing was full of laughs.

CAMEROTA: It's brilliant. They changed it to Bern your enthusiasm. It's all good stuff.

PEREIRA: Plenty more to come we hope.

CUOMO: Strong move for him, you know. It seems like an obviously thing now, but for a campaign to make a poll like that and send him somewhere else, do something different when New Hampshire is now just hours away. It was a big move for him to do it. Let's see how it plays. Mich, thank you very much.

PEREIRA: You got it. CUOMO: So as we are saying, it is literally hours away. Midnight you will see votes being cast in the first primary. Remember Iowa is different structure, different set of people, done a different way.

So what is this going to work for and what is it going to work against in this dynamic of race? We have a panel of real New Hampshire voters right ahead.

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[06:53:02]

CUOMO: All right, it starts as early as midnight tonight, but really tomorrow is the day here in New Hampshire that voters hit the polls and cast their votes in the first primary of the 2016 presidential race. So what are they going to do and why are they doing it?

Let's talk to some real voters making real choices. Three Republicans we have for you. We have a Jeb Bush supporter and campaign volunteer, Melissa Stevens.

We have a Marco Rubio supporter and Rubio campaign volunteer, Ana Boris, and we have a Donald Trump supporter and former New Hampshire state representative, John Hikel.

Good to have all three of you here. So let's start quickly with why each of you -- first of all, you're volunteering. You're volunteering. You know who want. There is no undecided here, right? Everybody is 100 percent? Why?

MELISSA STEVENS, VOLUNTEERS FOR JEB BUSH CAMPAIGN: We really need a commander-in-chief who can start on day one. Jeb has the record of a conservative leader. He has the experience. What he did for Florida was great. He cut taxes. He shrank government. For the first time Florida had AAA bond rating, that's the sort of experience that we need.

CUOMO: You have a lot of inside information about Jeb Bush. You've done your homework --

STEVENS: I have, yes.

CUOMO: He's got a bump in momentum right now. Some say the debate was it. Some say there is some polling that shows that he's making a move here in New Hampshire. Was your faith shaken up to this point about whether or not he could be a real contender here?

STEVENS: Polls are funny. I don't think that they are indicative at all of what I am seeing anyway and what the campaign is seeing here in New Hampshire. Jeb has been here for probably a year now.

And what his message really resonates with voters, I know a lot of folks who are supporting him. So, you know, we're ready for Tuesday and we're feeling great about how things are going.

CUOMO: Shaken faith is a big theme in campaigns. They go up and down. You guys are dealing with an ebb right now in the Rubio campaign. Do you believe any of the hype coming out of Saturday night? Do you think it mattered what happened at that debate? Did it matter to you personally?

[06:55:06]ANA BORIS, MARCO RUBIO SUPPORTER: It doesn't matter to me personally. I'm not shaken in the least. I still completely 100 percent back Marco Rubio. I think he would be the number one commander-in-chief right now.

I think he is what our country really needs. I have had the chance to meet all the candidates thus far. Marco has been the only one individual who -- sorry.

CUOMO: That's OK. Politics is tough stuff.

BORIS: It is.

CUOMO: You have to come on here, people looking at you. You know you made the decision that Rubio was the one that you identified with most. What can you point to?

BORIS: I really think he is here to represent the new generation. He is younger. He understands our generation. He knows what he is doing with foreign policy. I think he will be tough on that and I think he will be the next president of the United States.

CUOMO: So he resonates with you as a young person and that's important to you obviously. Now John, you know the game very well. You have been inside and outside of it. When you look to your right and see a Rubio supporter and a Bush supporter, are you worried about one or another and the threat they pose to Donald Trump?

JOHN HIKEL, DONALD TRUMP SUPPORTER: Not at all. I'm actually glad that there are so many people engaged in the process in the state right now. The world is looking at New Hampshire and how we represent ourselves.

I met Mr. Trump about a year ago. It wasn't a question. I have known all the other candidates over the years. I have met them, heard then, seen them, and followed what they do.

I've been a member of the Republican Party for 25 years or so. When I met Mr. Trump, being a small businessman as I am, I knew that his record of creating jobs and being as accessible as he is and as many times as he comes to New Hampshire, he was the only choice that I could see.

He's not a professional politician and I look forward to him going to the finish line.

CUOMO: Now that last point, there is a plus minus on not being a professional politician, being an outsider. Whatever label you want to put on it. You know how government works. OK, you've been inside of it.

What gives you the faith that Donald Trump can take his attitude, demeanor and experience, get into government. And if he acts the same way, get anything done in a system that as you know, can clamp down on you very easily.

HIKEL: Well, he'll learn that very quick. He's a very smart guy. He didn't get to where he is by not being highly intelligent. I believe he will surround himself with all the right people that will get the job done for the American people.

CUOMO: What do you think of his change in demeanor? First of all, do you believe that or do you think the media is just hyping his last couple of appearances and making it a trend? Do you think he's changing how he is?

HIKEL: I think he's a good guy anyway. I have always liked him from the first time we met. I think the initial reaction that he was trying to get was he need airtime. He needed people to know he's in the race and people know he's in the race. They're obviously very concerned about it. That's why he is getting 24/7 coverage. He hasn't spent hardly any money on advertising.

CUOMO: Now that the votes happen, that is not going to be the same case anymore because the race is no longer about who is being hyped. It's about performance. And it will be interesting to see how the Trump campaign adjusts.

You're too smart. I'm going to hit you with what you can't prepare for. Predictions, what place do you think Jeb Bush comes in in New Hampshire? If he comes in seventh, do you think he can last? So where does he come in?

STEVENS: I think Jeb -- you know, Jeb has a great ground game and even you know, the GOP chair --

CUOMO: I'm looking for a number. Give me a number.

STEVENS: No, we are coming in first.

CUOMO: Do you think first?

STEVENS: I do think so.

CUOMO: What place do you think Rubio is going to come in?

BORIS: I truly believe he is going to come in first. We've got the Marco-mentum going right now and I think he is going to keep it up.

CUOMO: All right, two firsts.

HIKEL: Landslide. More than 10 points.

CUOMO: More than 10?

HIKEL: Yes.

CUOMO: That will be strong because remember polls are just a suggestion. We will see how it actually turns out. Thank you very much. I wish each and all of you the best of luck with this. And John said early on it's great to have people participating. Thanks for being on.

All right, so we have the GOP side. What about the Democratic side? We have real New Hampshire voters there as well in the 8:00 hour. This election has reached a new high. The energy is there. We're going to tell you why. Let's get right to it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANDERS: She is much better known in this state than I was.

CLINTON: I know I've got an uphill climb.

SANDERS: I think we are the underdog now. I think we have a shot at it.

CLINTON: I don't know what's going to happen. I know I'm behind.

FORMER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON: If she really were so close to Wall Street, they would be advertising against her, wouldn't they?

SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R-FL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm going to keep saying it over and over again, Barack Obama is trying to change America.

I envy the people that have, you know, message discipline to say the same thing over and over again.

GOVERNOR CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You can't trust Senator Rubio to be the nominee of this party.

JEB BUSH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: American heroes calling them losers. Donald Trump, you're the loser.