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New Day

Donald Trump Wins Republican New Hampshire Primary; Governor John Kasich Comes in Second in Republican New Hampshire Primary; Interview with Sanders' Campaign Manager Jeff Weaver; Presidential Candidates Head to South Carolina. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired February 10, 2016 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:09] ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Chris Cuomo, Alisyn Camerota, and Michaela Pereira.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Can't step on our names. Welcome to NEW DAY. New Hampshire goes to Bernie Sanders and in a much bigger way than even expected. Same goes for Donald Trump. His first win a big one. Another headline there, the battle for second in the GOP. Ohio Governor John Kasich who we're going to hear from in a moment coming on stoceing strong. Jeb Bush in a dead heat for third with Iowa winner Ted Cruz. Someone we're not mentioning also making news. Marco Rubio capping off a rough few days by dropping to fifth after his poor debate performance. Chris Christie, Carly Fiorina, Ben Carson, almost afterthoughts in this election.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: So on the Democratic side, younger voters and independents giving Bernie Sanders a big push in his win over Hillary Clinton. Sanders now looking to court minority voters who have historically been supporting Clinton in South Carolina and Nevada. The only thing that's certain is there has been a reshuffling and it is a wide open race now. Let's begin our coverage with Sara Murray live in Charleston, South Carolina. What a night, Sara.

SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITIS REPORTER: Alisyn, a lot of people believed it would never happen, that it couldn't be done, but Donald Trump notched his first victory of 2016 and he wasn't the only Republican defying expectations last night.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: New Hampshire, I want to thank you. We love you. We're going to be back a lot. We're not going to forget you. You started it.

MURRAY: Donald Trump exhilarated after crushing his GOP rivals by more than 50,000 votes.

TRUMP: We are going to make America so great again, maybe greater than ever before.

MURRAY: Boasting amid record Republican turnout about how he pulled off his big win after a disappointing loss this Iowa. TRUMP: I think the ground game is very strong. And I'll tell you we

really focused on it after Iowa. The ground game is not something I was extremely familiar with, but I learned quickly.

MURRAY: The other big winner, second place finisher Ohio Governor John Kasich.

GOV. JOHN KASICH, (R-OH) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If you don't have a seatbelt, to get one.

MURRAY: Kasich taking pride in running a positive campaign in a field of sharp elbows.

KASICH: Tonight the light of came the darkness of negative campaigning.

(APPLAUSE)

MURRAY: Meanwhile, the winner of Iowa caucuses Ted Cruz in a dead heat for third with Jeb Bush.

JEB BUSH, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This campaign is not dead we're going on to South Carolina.

MURRAY: As Marco Rubio suffering a bruising fifth place finish.

SEN. MARCO RUBIO, (R-FL) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I know many people are disappointed. I'm disappointed with tonight.

MURRAY: Even admitting his rocky debate performance was likely to blame.

RUBIO: Our disappointment tonight was not on you. It's on me. It's on me. I did not do well on Saturday night. So listen to this -- that will never happen again.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MURRAY: Now last night was huge for John Kasich. He had pinned his hopes on New Hampshire. And after he saw that strong finish he wanted to hustle to get here to South Carolina. So he took an overnight flight, and I was on the flight with him. He told me why he was not stunned to see his big result last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MURRAY: What was going through your head when you got the second place victory tonight? Were you expecting it? Did it come as the surprise?

KASICH: You know, I was very calm about it. I sort of felt we were going to be in second place, I heard earlier that there was some word that we were going to be there. And then, you know, when I traveled around to the polling places, it was pretty clear. I was running into everybody, and they were like, yes, we really like you and all that stuff. So, you know, I'm gratified by it for sure. I think it is fantastic. But I wouldn't say I was shocked by it.

MURRAY: Now the Bush campaign is already previewing the attacks they are going to use against you in South Carolina, saying that you are going to weaken the military.

KASICH: I'm going to weaken the military?

MURRAY: Are you prepared for the incoming fire that is going to come your way now that you have landed a second place finish?

KASICH: Well, I think they spent about $120 million so far, and I don't know, someone said as much as $50 million in New Hampshire. They ought to get this figured out at some point. They are spending so much money. I don't know what's advising them, but I think that's kind of silly, I'm weakening the military. I don't really understand what they're talking about.

MURRAY: Are you ready for this to be the new normal?

KASICH: I think it is pretty normal. Yes, I think I'm fine. You know, my efforts have been validated. And then I thought, you know, how cool it would be to be able to finish up high. And I wasn't spinning any of you. I really thought we would because it was like running for Congress. And then I'm not really shocked that we're in second, but everything has sort of evolved more than it's just been like we flipped a switch and then all of a sudden this is happening. I'm prepared for this. What do we think the Bush campaign spent against me?

[08:05:11] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They spent --

KASICH: They spent seven or eight. There was $4 million spent by another super PAC. That was 12. Rubio spent money against me, another million-and-a-half. That is like $15 million of direct hits, and that doesn't even count the mail pieces. And we beat everybody, except Trump, who never attacked me.

So I know we can't just go through like falling off a turnip truck and saying that everything is just going to be positive because I'm going to have to respond to some of this stuff. But I'm starting to really think we're on to something. I'm starting to really think that the positive nature of a campaign can be very effective. I'm starting to think it could be true.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MURRAY: Now, as the race moves here to South Carolina, the Kasich campaign doesn't necessarily feel like they have to win the state but they do feel like they have some momentum going in, and at a minimum they have proven he's a viable candidate and they no longer have to start at ground zero with introducing him to voters, and they're hoping all of this might pay off at some of those debates later on in the calendar in March. Back to you, Michaela. MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you. New Hampshire and South Carolina, it is almost your turn. Sara, thanks for that great get, by the way.

In the Democratic race, Bernie Sanders commanding win over rival Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire, how will they shift their strategies now heading into the upcoming contest? CNN senior Washington correspondent Jeff Zeleny live in New Hampshire this morning with the very latest for us. Jeff?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning, Michaela. We are getting a picture of how much that Bernie Sanders victory is actually worth. From 8:00 p.m. to about midnight or so I'm told he raised $2.6 million and counting. That certainly is going to increase as we head into the day after his victory. But this is a whole new moment, a whole new day of this Democratic race. Hillary Clinton always said she deputy want a coronation. Now she's not getting one.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ZELENY: A victory lap for Bernie Sanders.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The people of New Hampshire have sent a profound message to the political establishment, to the economic establishment, and, by the way, to the media establishment.

(APPLAUSE)

ZELENY: And a profound message to Hillary Clinton who's no longer the undisputed Democratic front runner, a commanding across the board win for Sanders among women, young voters, and independents, riding a wave of discontent at politics as usual.

SANDERS: The people want real change.

(APPLAUSE)

ZELENY: The Clinton campaign had predicted a loss in New Hampshire, and they got one, even bigger than they feared. Supporters masked their frustration with cheers.

CROWD: Hillary! Hillary! Hillary!

HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: My goodness. I don't know what we'd have done tonight if we had actually won.

ZELENY: It's a new day in the Democratic primary fight. Sanders will suddenly draw more scrutiny as the battle with Clinton intensifies.

SANDERS: They are throwing everything at me except the kitchen sink. And I have the feeling the kitchen sink is coming pretty soon.

ZELENY: As the race moves to Nevada and South Carolina, Sanders vowed to build on his growing movement. But it is an open question whether he can find the same appeal in a diverse electorate of black and Hispanic voters.

SANDERS: What began last week in Iowa, what voters here in New Hampshire confirmed tonight, is nothing short of the beginning of a political revolution.

ZELENY: A humbling and frustrating moment for Clinton, but she made clear she's been down that road before.

CLINTON: I know I've had a blessed life. But I also know what it is like to stumble and fall. And we've learned it is not whether you get knocked down that matters. It is whether you get back up.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CUOMO: Joining us now is Senator Bernie Sanders' campaign manager Jeff Weaver. Congratulations, sir. What was the biggest surprise for you last night?

JEFF WEAVER, BERNIE SANDERS' CAMPAIGN MANAGER: Well, thank you very much, Chris. I think we're just overwhelmed by the amount of support that we were shown by the people of New Hampshire. It was an extraordinary evening, tremendous margin of victory. And, again, on behalf of the senator and our whole campaign, we're very grateful to the people of New Hampshire.

CUOMO: Did Jeff Weaver see a 55-44 win coming with women?

WEAVER: Well, it was clear to us as senator Sanders was campaigning around New Hampshire that he had broad-based support among women in New Hampshire. Obviously that margin again is very gratifying, but certainly throughout all of our events throughout the state we had large representation of women at all of our events.

[08:10:00] CUOMO: The only gap for Sanders is with contemporaries, men and women his age. Why?

WEAVER: Well, we're going to be working on that. I think people should know his record of defending Social Security, standing up for veterans, protecting Medicare. He is the founder of the defending Social Security caucus in the Senate. So he has a long history of protecting programs for seniors across this country. And I think we have to work harder to get that message out.

CUOMO: The theory of the case to hear it from senator Sanders is people want real change. The suggestion is Hillary Clinton can't offer that. Why?

WEAVER: Look Chris, we have a rigged economy, held up by a corrupt system of campaign finance. Senator Sanders has dedicated his life to combatting that, to making sure we have an economy that works for middle income and working families, that we have a government that responds to voters in our Democratic system. That has been the work of his life. He is the person best positioned at this moment in history to deal with those particular problems. CUOMO: And it is true now that Sanders has won in New Hampshire there

will be more scrutiny because people will be taking him more seriously. You are seeing it from different quarters. Senator Feinstein, Nancy Pelosi, they come ford and say this single payer thing ain't going happen. You can't change campaign finance reform. There's a Supreme Court case in the way. Is Bernie Sanders overpromising?

WEAVER: No, it is not about overpromising, Chris. Listen, Democrats cannot have their vision for America constrained by what the current Republican Congress is willing to accept. If that is the point then we might as well just elect a Republican. We need a Democratic leader in this country who is going to articulate a bold vision, whose going to move us down the road as far as we can go, like other Democratic presidents in the past have done, whether that's Franklin Delano Roosevelt or Barack Obama, frankly. Everybody has tried to move the ball as far as possible. We do not need a tepid program or agenda that is going to move us inches when we could move much, much further even if we can't get all of the way to the end of the road in one presidency. So we need a bold leader, and Bernie Sanders represents that kind of bold leadership.

CUOMO: Tepid, good for bathwater, bad for change. Another thing you are going to start hearing as early as today is, is Sanders a true Democrat? Black voters, Hispanic and Latino voters, Clinton has worked with them for years and years as a Democrat, the senator new to the game. How does he make inroads?

WEAVER: Senator Sanders has caucused with the Democrats in the Congress both in the House and the Senate for decades. He was the Democratic chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs committee. He is now the ranking member on the Democratic side of the budget committee. He has worked with Democrats. I find this argument a little bit curious. A day ago he was being criticized for helping the Democrats Senatorial Campaign Committee elect Democrats. Now I guess he's going to be attacked for not being a Democrat.

This is the type of politics which I think really turns people off, Chris. People want a debate on the issues that face them in their lives. All of this sort of petty politics, I think we need to leave that aside now that we're leaving New Hampshire and going on to Nevada and South Carolina and other places. And hopefully the Clinton campaign will get their campaign back on track where we can talk about the issues facing America.

CUOMO: The good news is it is not just about whether or not Senator Sanders is viable in a primary. The bad news is it is now about whether you are electable in the general. And the numbers cut both ways. There are polls that show he does well against the GOP candidates, but when you look at this number we have right now. Can you win in November? When that was polled in New Hampshire based on why they voted, Clinton won 79-19. How do you overcome that perception that he sounds good but it ain't practical?

WEAVER: Chris, as you mention the polls show in general election matchups that he does better. And I think the New Hampshire primary is important here for a couple of reasons. One is obviously early, but the other reason why the New Hampshire primary is so important is because, as you know, independents can participate in the Democratic primary process here in New Hampshire, and those independents are going to be critical to Democratic victory in November. And as you saw last night, Senator Sanders got over 70 percent of the independent vote of those independents who participate in the Democratic primary process. We as Democrats cannot win in November if we do not have the support of independents. Senator Sanders energizes independents. He's going bring them to the Democratic side so we elect not only him president but also Democrats up and down the ballot.

CUOMO: And that means you have to get those Democrats behind you. That is always going to be an interesting process based with what we're seeing from Feinstein and other Democratic leadership right now. But it still comes down to expanding the base as you suggest. Big numbers last night, not a record.

The question is, can Bernie Sanders do what then-Senator Obama did?

[08:15:02] What do you believe needs to happen to connect better with young and African American and Latino voters, because that's not happening enough right now?

WEAVER: Well, it is happening more than it was happening Chris. And I'll tell you we're going now to Nevada and South Carolina and the states that follow. Senator Sanders will be having a conversation with voters in those states.

And I think what will happen there is what happened in Iowa and New Hampshire. As voters get to know him, his agenda, his record for standing up for people and against injustice that he'll have success in those states.

Do we have work to do? Absolutely. But we're going to earn every vote. We don't anything for granted. I don't think any campaign should take anybody's vote for granted.

So, we're going to work hard and Senator Sanders is going work to earn every vote.

CUOMO: Jeff Weaver and Senator Sanders, trying to send the message that they have game. Sanders doing it literally. Playing basketball last night and allowing cameras in.

Do we have the video to show that? This is -- the candidate likes to show some cool when it's coming to an election.

There is Sanders. Using that Brooklyn bank shot. He's used to those tin backboards that they have in the outer boroughs.

What kind of game does Sanders have? He looks like both hands on the ball. Is he going old school with the two hand shot?

WEAVER: Old school? I don't know. Come on. He's a very energetic guy and his grandchildren really keep him going. CUOMO: He does look like he's having a good time with them. I hope

he's not throwing any elbows although that is what this race is going to demand.

Jeff Weaver, congratulations to you. Good luck going forward.

(LAUGHTER)

WEAVER: Block them out.

CUOMO: That's right.

Take the legs out. Take the air, Jeff Weaver. Good luck to you.

Michaela?

WEAVER: Thanks, Chris. Take care.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: A little b-ball. I like it.

All right. With the New Hampshire primary in the books, candidates looking ahead to South Carolina. Which voters will be crucial for both parties in that primary? And how can the candidates secure their support?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:20:29] ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to NEW DAY.

With the New Hampshire primary wrapped up, the presidential candidates now looking ahead to their next primary in South Carolina and, of course, the caucus in Nevada.

John King is in Washington bureau with a look at what's ahead.

Hi, John.

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. How we feeling today?

CAMEROTA: OK. Before we move ahead, let's just do the post game wrap up and maybe you can explain how Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders secured their big wins last night.

KING: Whoopings. They both had blowouts.

Let's start with the Republican race. Donald Trump, guys, got everything he wanted last night. You could not script this in a way that was any better for Donald Trump.

Number one, 35 percent. He over-performed his polls. Put away the doubters after he underperformed in Iowa.

Number two, look across the map. He won everywhere.

I'm going to go back to 2012. This coral color, libertarians, That's Rand Paul's vote. The darker red, that's Mitt Romney's vote.

Look at Donald Trump, winning just about everywhere in the state. John Kasich picking a little more than a half dozen towns, and we still have some vote out. But Donald Trump sweeping across the Republican spectrum if you will, getting this 35 percent win.

Kasich, 20 points back in second place. Why else does Donald Trump love this? Because we go on to South Carolina. Yes, he knows Cruz is a formidable threat and rival. Cruz it looks like will finish third.

But the center right, the governors, the Marco Rubio wing of the party, it's a muddled mess. Kasich at 16, Bush at 11, Rubio at 11. This is a collapse in New Hampshire. Remember, he was at 18 percent just before the big debate. Big questions now about Rubio going forward.

And Chris Christie another center right, some Republicans call him a moderate is gone home to New Jersey to think about whether or not he stays in the race. Don't be surprised if he's gone by the end of the day today. So, just a thumping by Donald Trump over the Republicans, despite all the doubts.

And look at this -- Bernie Sanders is light blue. You don't need me to say a word. You don't need to say a word. Sixty percent to thirty-eight percent.

This is Hillary Clinton back in 2008 in a close race with Barack Obama. This time again, just across the spectrum, Bernie Sanders winning big.

And don't just say this is New Hampshire, guys. Remember, New Hampshire and Iowa, two states that have told us they want something different and they change, they're not just important in the nominating process, they are swing states in the general election and these voters are cranky and they want something new.

CUOMO: We were just talking with Jeff Weaver, a Sanders guy running the campaign, and the phrases out of them are "real change", and that the message is bigger than the man. And both of those things targeted to the negative perceptions on the Hillary Clinton.

So one thing that Donald Trump didn't get last night that he wanted I would suggest is for others to drop out. So let's take a look. Let's hop over South Carolina. Let's talk to Nevada and what could happen there? What could it mean for him and the rest of the field?

KING: Well, Nevada is next for the Democrats.

CUOMO: Right.

KING: The Republicans go first to South Carolina.

You could argue either way about whether or not Donald Trump wants these guys to stay in so that his 35 percent keeps winning, or if he wants them to get out eventually. We'll see. That's been the whole question in the Republican race. Do we get

Trump, Cruz and who? Do we get one mainstream alternative? At the moment we don't. And now you still have Bush, Kasich and Rubio, and we'll see what Christie does fighting that in South Carolina.

The fascinating thing is with Nevada -- let's start with the Democrats here. The Clinton campaign, I'm going to bring up the national Latino population, the deeper the colors, the more Latinos in the state.

This is where Hillary Clinton's argument is. Now that we get to the traditional Democratic base, I can beat Sanders. But we're going to see if that happens, because remember, Nevada caucuses. Liberals tend to dominate caucuses. Bernie Sanders, yes, he has to introduce himself to a lot of these people out in the West, all voters and particularly African-Americans and Latinos, but he's got momentum right now Chris.

Let's go back and look at the 2008 results -- 65 percent of the electorate. So, two-thirds of the electorate is white. Hillary Clinton won the white vote with a majority in the 2008 but just barely. And then you have the African-American vote with 15 percent. Obama won that handily, Hillary Clinton wants that this time.

Let me push this out of the way. And this is a key constituency for the Democrats who expect this to be a little higher this time. Hillary Clinton want it big time -- that's 2008, Chris. The question is whether, since Bernie Sanders has momentum, as Jeff Weaver just said, can he introduce himself to these people and do enough of them perceive Hillary Clinton as weak to give Bernie Sanders an opening.

CAMEROTA: OK. So, John, let's hopscotch back to South Carolina. Obviously, there are conservative voters there. Is that considered Cruz country at this point?

KING: Well, Donald Trump was leading in the polls. Forgive me for turning my back, I just want to bring up this demographic now, because Donald Trump was leading in the polls heading into Iowa and New Hampshire.

But this is why this gets really fascinating, because we go into a race where in the past, you had Rick Santorum win Iowa last name, Mike Huckabee win it in 2008.

[08:25:05] And those Christian conservative evangelical candidates did not have the resources to go on. Ted Cruz does.

What if there is a dark color here? The deeper the color, the higher the percentage of evangelicals, right? So, you see Iowa in here with a pretty healthy thing. New Hampshire, almost no evangelicals.

Where is Ted Cruz going now? He's going down here to South Carolina. This is why you already have -- I'm going pull up the map a little bit. You already have -- go look at the advertisements online, ladies and gentlemen.

Right up here, Trump and Cruz already in Greenville. Boom. Attack ads against each other because this is a big reason for evangelicals in the state.

But South Carolina has an interesting history. Let me turn off the demographics and come back in 2012. Newt Gingrich won the state over Mitt Romney. You see Romney's the dark red long the coast, he won in the middle of the state, Gingrich just about everything else.

I think this race looks a lot more like 2008 where this is Mike Huckabee, your traditional evangelical candidate. This is John McCain, the mainstream establishment candidate; 33-30, Fred Thompson at 16, a lot of people think gave McCain that state.

So, this is going to be really fascinating to watch. Can Rubio get back on his feet? A big debate this weekend.

Can Jeb Bush turn 11 percent in New Hampshire? Let's be honest, that's a pretty weak showing for a Bush. Can he somehow rebound in a state that traditionally has been good to the Bushes? And what about Trump/Cruz? Boom.

CAMEROTA: There you go.

BERMAN: A lot of ifs and a long way to go

CAMEROTA: And a lot of booms, I'm getting that.

KING: In both races, Chris, in both races, that long way to go is instructive. These races are not ending early.

CAMEROTA: Yes. John King, thank you so much for showing us all of that magic on the magic wall.

Michaela?

PEREIRA: All right. One thing we do know, the New Hampshire primary is a game changer for the GOP field.

Ohio Governor John Kasich breaking out of pack, finishing second for the Republicans. Did his success just put a huge target on his back though? We'll discuss that, ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)