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Higher Tensions In The South China Sea; U.S. And South Korea Have Discussed Deploying A Missile Defense System; A German Shorthaired Pointer Takes Best In Show At The 140th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show; The State Of The Presidential Race; New CNN/ORC Poll Shows Hillary Clinton With A One-Point Edge Over Bernie Sanders; UFC Star Rhonda Rousey Admitting That She Considered Suicide After Her Shocking Loss To Holly Holm In November; There Is Going To Be A Cease- Fire Enforced In Syria. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired February 17, 2016 - 06:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:32:22] MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Higher tensions in the South China Sea. China sending surface-to-air missiles to an island that is part of disputed on its neighbors. It comes after President Obama's Summit with Southeast Asian leaders at odds with Beijing. The U.S. Officials says China is trying to change the status quo. China claims this is its territory, adding it has had defenses on the island for years.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: The U.S. has deployed four F-22 stealth jets over South Korea following North Korea's recent provocations. The jets flew over the U.S. military airbase near the border with the North. Pyongyang has drawn recent scorn with the reported nuclear tests and satellite launch. The U.S. and South Korea have discussed deploying a missile defense system in the South.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: A German Shorthaired Pointer takes best in show at the 140th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. A 3-year-old California Journey or C.J. bested nearly 3,000 other doggies. He is the third of his breed to win the title prize. C.J.'s grand mama, Carly was the last German Shorthaired Pointer in 2005. No money prize for C.J., but he does take home breeding and bragging rights.

PEREIRA: You know, Vegas odds were against this dog. Did you know that? Did you know that?

CUOMO: How do you feel about that?

BERMAN: How do you choose between breeding and bragging rights?

CUOMO: I do not know. I do not know.

PEREIRA: You know the answer. You know --

(LAUGHING)

CUOMO: Sometimes they lead to the same place. PEREIRA: Berman, will you take to social media to share your feelings

about Westminster?

BERMAN: Well, how many Bull Dogs have won in the Westminster Dog Show?

CUOMO: Zero.

BERMAN: Exactly. How many laps?

CUOMO: Zero.

BERMAN: Exactly.

PEREIRA: Strong words from John Berman. All right. Ahead, the state of the presidential race coming into focus on both sides ahead of weekend contests in South Carolina and Nevada. Ahead, we will break down new poll numbers and also try to get to the bottom of J.B.'s angst.

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[06:35:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: We have breaking news out of Nevada. A brand new poll this morning. And, man, oh, man, it closed at least on one side. This new CNN ORC poll shows Hillary Clinton with a one-point edge over Bernie Sanders. That is nothing. She was ahead by quite a bit in October.

Hillary Clinton does maintain her lead in South Carolina as does Donald Trump on the Republican side. I better believe Donald Trump also with a huge lead on the republican side in Nevada. Here to breakdown the numbers, CNN Political Commentator and Senior Contributor for the Daily Caller, Matt Lewis and CNN Senior Political Correspondent, Brianna Keilar.

Brianna Keilar, you covered the Hillary Clinton campaign oh, so very closely. Nevada, the caucus is just three days away and with three days to go they have a one-point lead. Characterize the level of gasp that may have just come from Brooklyn when they saw that poll.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: I think there is a lot of concern. And, a lot of that has to do with the fact that Nevada is pretty unpredictable. I mean you are looking at the numbers. You see things, they are very close. I think if you would ask a couple of months ago, "Hey, do you think Bernie Sanders is giving you a run for your money in Nevada?"

I do not think they thought that it would be this close. But, also, it is really nail biting I think, because it is hard to know. I mean there is polling, but Nevada is tricky when you have the caucuses. It is just very tricky to look at what the polls are saying and sort of extrapolate that on what is going to happen and who is going to show up.

BERMAN: Nevada unpredictable, also un-white.

KEILAR: That is right.

BERMAN: It is a very diverse state unlike Iowa and New Hampshire.

KEILAR: A sizable block for a set of voters.

BERMAN: In terms of population, nearly 10 percent African-American, as well. And, these are groups that Hillary Clinton has said she was going to depend on And, surely South Carolina has a higher minority vote than Nevada. But, still will not look good if it is close there.

[06:40:00] KEILAR: No. And, one of the issues with that is if Bernie Sanders wins in Nevada, and he boiled down to this, he has two wins and she has just one because he really had such a big win in New Hampshire.

And, obviously, she won in Iowa, very, very slimly there. And, going into South Carolina and going into super Tuesday, even though she has this tremendous lead in South Carolina, it is just not the narrative that the campaign wants.

BERMAN: All right. On the republican side, Matt Lewis, again, breaking news from Nevada. Donald Trump, he has got a big lead there, 45 percent. Marcio Rubio in second with 19 percent. Ted Cruz is at 17 percent. You are an establishment guy, you know. I am not a mind reader, but I am going to venture a guess at what your mind is saying, "Holy Schnikes." Am I correct?

MATT LEWIS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes. Well, I am an establishment guy under the new rules of what constitutes the establishment, which is changing. I remember when the establishment used to mean liberal. Now, they just means that like you have been around for 15 minutes.

This is, you know, I keep saying, but it is time to hit the panic button. I mean, I think that conservatives -- mainstream conservative establishment, republicans, whatever you want to call them, have for so long been saying, "OK, you know, Donald Trump have his fun."

But, sooner or later, voters are going to wake up. Once voting starts, they are going to get serious. They are going to get to their senses. And, it just never happened. It has never happened. Look at New Hampshire. The exit polls.

I mean, he basically won every cohort. It is not just non-college educated liberal republicans. He won conservatives. He won college graduates. This is a real phenomenon that is happening. And, I do not know when we hit the panic button or if there is a panic button to hit.

But, I think -- It looks like Donald Trump is going to easily win South Carolina. And, maybe the race is not for second place. But, until this becomes a two-men race, I do not see how you stop Donald Trump. BERMAN: I think he did just hit the panic button, Matt. Again, we

have those Nevada numbers. You have South Carolina numbers where Donald Trump is on the front. If you can break down one specific number within South Carolina, among evangelical voters, right, which is supposed to be the base for Ted Cruz.

It is a group he is running directly towards. Evangelical voters in South Carolina, Donald Trump was winning by a lot. This goes to your point that he is really winning across the board.

LEWIS: Yes. It is really phenomenal. I mean, you know, if you told me that this twice-married billionaire casino magnate would be able to beat Ted Cruz in South Carolina, I would have told you, "You were crazy." But, clearly Trump is resonating. He is tapping into something out there.

I think we have seen this populous trend, this anti-establishment, anger and frustration, but I think everybody underestimated the magnitude that was out there. This is a big, big deal happening.

BERMAN: We will let you breathe in a paper bag. I will go on to Brianna on South Carolina in the democratic race here, because Hillary Clinton has got a big lead in South Carolina. And, I think people need to take a close look at that as they are watching. There are really close race in Nevada too.

She has got a big lead in South Carolina and a big lead among African- American voters. And, this is the group that she has been working very hard every day over the last week or so to win.

KEILAR: And, this is the group who is giving her that big lead. She got an 18-point lead by our latest poll over Bernie Sanders in general. And, then with African-American voters, she has a 37-point lead. She has other polls as well, but say, that may actually be a conservative number.

So, she has a lot of support from this voting bloc that is essential in South Carolina, more than almost actually 6 in 10 democratic voters in South Carolina are African-American. If you are a democrat, you cannot win this state without winning the black vote. And here in just ten days before the South Carolina primary for democrats, it is really hard to see how Bernie Sanders would close that gap. That would be an amazing feat.

BERMAN: All right. Brianna Keilar, Matt Lewis, great to have you with us this morning. Thanks so much, guys.

KEILAR: You bet.

LEWIS: Thanks.

BERMAN: Michaela.

PEREIRA: Ronda Rousey appeared to be unbeatable until she was knocked out by Holly Holm in their UFC title bout. Now, we are learning just how hard she took that loss. Her great admission ahead in the bleacher report.

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[06:45:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PEREIRA: Time now for some sports here. UFC Star Ronda Rousey admitting that she considered suicide after her shocking loss to Holly Holm in November. Coy Wire, take a look at this. This admission on the Ellen show yesterday in our Bleacher Reporter.

COY WIRE, SPORTS ANCHOR: Hi, Michaela.

PEREIRA: Hi there.

WIRE: Before she was knocked out, remember Rousey was dominating competition. She was 12-0. She was the Mike Tyson of her generation. Her success was paving the way for movies and T.V. The ultimate crossover star that the UFC was hoping for.

She was is on the top of the world. Then the UFC's greatest star came crashing down with that one swift kick to the head by Holly Holm. She told Ellen DeGeneres yesterday how desperate she felt after that loss.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RONDA ROUSEY, UFC STAR: What am I anymore if I am not this? You know, I am literally sitting there and like thinking about killing myself. I said like, "I am nothing." What do I do anymore? And no one gives a (EXPLETIVE WORD) about me anymore. I looked up and I saw my man, Travis was standing there. And, I looked up at him and I was just like I need to have his babies. I need to stay alive.

(LAUGHING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: She also said the best things come from the worst things and she will be back. Now, in NFL news, according to a new tax filing, Commissioner Roger Goodell took a pay cut for the 2014 and 2015 season of nearly $1 million. But, he will not be eating ramen noodles any time soon. He still hauled in $34 million.

And, to put that into perspective, only one NFL player made more than Goodell in that season. That was Falcon's quarterback, Matt Ryan. It is the second straight year Goodell is taking a pay cut, but he is still making more than CEOs at Target and Exxon. And seven season as commissioner, he has made over $174 million, Chris.

[06:50:00] CUOMO: That is why.

PEREIRA: That is a lot of ramen.

CUOMO: That is a lot of ramen. Nobody is feeling bad for Goodell, that is for sure.

WIRE: That is right.

CUOMO: Coy, thank you very much.

WIRE: You are welcome.

CUOMO: All right. So, when we come back from break, Secretary of State John Kerry just announced a very important thing. There is going to be a cease-fire enforced in Syria this Friday. What is the chance that that happens and that it holds? We test it with a member of Kerry's team, next.

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CUOMO: Now, it does depend who you ask. But, there are ongoing indications that a planned cease-fire in Syria may not take effect this week as planned. This as Russia is rejecting more crimes claimed over a tax at a Syrian hospital, actually more than one hospital.

So, here to discuss, Antony Blinken is the Deputy Secretary of State and he joins us now to explain all of this. And, tell us about a shift in the state department's fight against the extremism.

ANTONY BLINKEN, DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE: Hey, Chris.

CUOMO: Good to have you here. Let us deal with the macro-concern. If you look at Syria, if you look at the ongoing fight against ISIS in any region, what we are seeing with the Chinese islands, the perception is America's strength has diminished in terms of its power of mandate around the world. Can you defend that claim?

BLINKEN: Sure. The perception is wrong. We brought together now more than 65 countries in the fight against ISIL and we are making real significant progress. Just look at what is happening.

[06:55:00] In Iraq, we have taken back 40 percent of the territory that ISIL have taken just a year ago, and in Syria about 10 percent. They are getting increasingly squeezed. All of their key bases in Mosul, in Iraq, Raqqah and Syria. The Cordon is getting tighter and tighter around them. They have not gone on the offensive in Iraq since last spring.

So, the work against ISIL is moving forward and is succeeding. But, at the same time you got a civil war going on inside Syria. And, unless and until we are able to bring that to an end, you do not end the terrible amount of suffering. And, as long as Assad is there, he is a magnet for recruits who are coming in for ISIL to fight.

CUOMO: So, at least two of the factors that you outlined in Syria have to do with Russia. You could argue they have more control over the situations than the U.S. does. The cease fire is only as good as their compliance and they are saying, "Oh, yes, we will do cease fire."

Except they are going to keep bombing these groups that the U.S. supports, and we are basically going to bomb anyone we want. That is not a cease-fire. So, how can you even contemplate calling one this Friday when you know Russia is not going to comply in substance.

BLINKEN: Well, two things. Russia has a choice to make. They can keep brutalizing the opposition, working with the regime to do that, but they cannot win the war. Even as they continue to use an air campaign against the opposition, three-quarters of Syria is controlled by someone other than Assad.

And, so, they can win a battle here and there. They are not going to change that fundamental dynamic. They can probably prevent a soft losing, but they cannot make a win. So, what happens then? They will inherit at best our own state what Assad in charge with much smaller piece of Syria.

But, they are going to have to keep propping up with billions and billions of dollars a year and more and more Russian lives. That is a quagmire. It is not in their interest. We will test the preposition in the coming days to see if they actually get behind the cease fire cessation of hostility as we call it that they signed up to.

CUOMO: Is that the rational basis that Russia applies, though, or is it the perception of power is and control? And, that, that is what they seen who have taken by going in and helping the regime, they are fortifying an existing relationship but also thumbing their nose at U.S. intentions. They will be doing the same with the cease fire as you could argue what is going on with the Chinese Islands right now. People telling the U.S., "you are not stronger than we are, take a seat."

BLINKEN: Chris, that is what happened for years in the civil war. Russia was propping up Assad for one good reason. Syria has been there one-foot hole in the Middle East. They are desperate to hang on to it. They saw Assad falling off the edge, and they intervene even more forcefully.

That is not from a position of strength. That is from the position of weakness. They are trying to hold on to what they have. Now, they can continue to have influence in Syria. All of this is compatible with a political transition that moves Assad out, takes out this main driver of conflict of tremendous suffering.

And, the question now for Russia is whether, it is willing to get behind that in a serious way, on paper, that is what it says it is going to do. On the ground is where the test comes.

CUOMO: Now, what do you make of this notion? The idea is that -- look you want to go after ISIS, you can and even with this tortured process we have here with the AUNF, the White House has the justification. The president has the justification to do it.

It would be nice if he had new one. It would be nice if they debate it. That is not for us to work today. This war within Syria is not your war to fight as the United States. People have civil wars. They get to decide it, not you. Assad is a legitimate leader there by his own record and by Russia and other major countries as you know. Why get involved in that?

BLINKEN: A few reasons. First, what Assad has done in brutalizing his own people has created extraordinary human suffering.

CUOMO: But that does not make him unique.

BLINKEN: It does not make him unique, but here is what does. One, we have a real stake, as I said, in defeating ISIL. That poses a direct threat to the United States and partners and allies around the world. Assad is the main driver of recruits to ISIL. He is the biggest propaganda tool. That is what is attracting some of the people to fight, the fact that he is there brutalizing people.

Second, what you are seeing now with this refugee crisis, which is really historical caution, is people not only moving to the neighboring countries of Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan but increasingly going to Europe. And, that is threatening the cohesion itself. We are seeing that more and more. So, this is also a strategic issue for the United States.

But we have to do it in a smart way. Getting directly involved, putting thousands of troops in the middle of someone else's civil war, who has not been in the past for us to be success. So, we are trying to build up our local partners, help them take the fight as necessary. But, also drive this to a political transition that moves Assad out and that leaves Syrian.

CUOMO: Now, this reckoning from you was feeding a new understanding of what to do in the fight against extremism, how so?

BLINKEN: So, what we are doing, we are trying to look at not only, what do you do once the problem has already erupted. Once you already have a group like ISIP on a table that is starting to kill people and attack people. How do you prevent people from being radicalized and mobilized in the first place? How do you get ahead of the problem?

The president started this conversation around the world a year ago. We had a big summit meeting in Washington. And, what we are doing now, you know, a very targeted and sustained way is looking at, what are the drivers that push people to become radicalized.