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Iowa Governor Wants Ted Cruz Defeated; Freed American: I Feel Alive For The First Time; Attorney General Was Uneasy About Deal; New Lawsuit Filed Today In Flint Water Disaster. Aired 2-2:30p ET

Aired January 19, 2016 - 14:00   ET

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

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: -- thanks very much for watching. I'll be back at 5:00 p.m. Eastern in "THE SITUATION ROOM." An exclusive interview with the foreign minister of Saudi Arabia coming up. The news continues next on CNN.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Wolf Blitzer, thank you so much. Great to be with you on this Tuesday. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

Let's begin with this political stunner, just 13 days away from the first primary caucus votes in the state of Iowa. The governor there says he wants the frontrunner defeated. Not talking about Donald Trump here.

He's talking about Ted Cruz. This is a huge development because it comes as Donald Trump teases a big announcement with a special guest later today on his tour in Iowa. Neck-and-neck with Ted Cruz.

Donald Trump is keeping a pretty busy schedule today at least for him. You see here three different stops on the trail, toned down Trump picked up an endorsement from John Wayne's daughter. He also offered a tantalizing tease telling supporters a big announcement will be impressive.

CNN Politics reporter, MJ Lee is in Altoona, Iowa, for us, Donald Trump's second stop. Let's begin though with this announcement from the governor of Iowa. Tell me about that.

MJ LEE, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: Yes, Brooke, pretty remarkable statement from the states Republican governor, Terry Branstad, who just told a group of reporters that he wants to see Ted Cruz defeated.

Now this is not the kind of explicit language that you usually see from the state's governor, especially when the caucuses are so close, but he made it clear because of Ted Cruz's stance on ethanol that he simply cannot support him is and, in fact, it would be a mistake for Iowan voters to support him.

He said, quote, "It would be a big mistake for Iowans to support him and that voters here that it's not a forgone conclusion that voters here would actually support Cruz even though he has been leading in the polls recently.

Donald Trump, who is Ted Cruz's biggest rival in Iowa having a good reaction to this. Happy to hear that Terry Branstad had reacted like this.

He just tweeted, "Wow, the highly respected governor of Iowa just stated that Ted Cruz must be defeated. Big shocker. People do not like Ted."

So a lot of things escalating here right now. We obviously are very close to be the Iowa caucuses. A statement like this from the state's own governor does matter and will probably matter when voters hear that from him.

BALDWIN: You can just feel it. I can feel it from you all the way in Iowa. It's one of the stakes raising the (inaudible) really continuing between Trump and Cruz. Here was Donald Trump earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Ted has a rough temperament. You can't call people liars on the Senate floor when they are your leader. It's not a good thing to do if you want to sort of carry favor and get the positive votes later on down.

So Ted is worried about his temperament and people are talking about his temperament. I haven't talked about his temperament, but he's got to be careful because his temperament has been questioned a lot.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Let me push ahead, MJ, and ask you, you know, this guest that the Trump camp is teasing for later tonight. Who is it?

LEE: Your guess is as good as mine. The Trump campaign has been very tight-lipped about who this secret guest is. We know that it's probably going to be an endorsement from Sarah Palin just based on all of the speculation that we have heard from our sources here. You know, this is a big deal.

Even though it's true that she has not been a vice-presidential nominee for seven years, her clout has diminished a little bit since she was the VP nominee. However, she is still an important icon on the right of the Republican Party.

A lot of people look to her as taking an important stance being on the right side of things when it comes to important conservative issues and issues that conservatives care about.

So if Trump were able to get this endorsement from Sarah Palin, yes, at a time like this when things are so neck-and-neck between Trump and Cruz, it is the kind of thing that could matter and move the needle.

BALDWIN: MJ Lee in Altoona, Iowa, thank you, my friend. We have a lot to chat about with A.B. Stoddard, associate editor at "The Hill," and Matt Moore, chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party. Awesome to see both of you.

Matt, let me just begin with this news now that this governor of Iowa, this establishment Republican governor of Iowa is saying, you know, not at all supporting Ted Cruz, as we're 13 days away from the caucuses.

My question is would this backfire. Couldn't this possibly galvanize the Ted Cruz supporters to get out caucus for him?

It certainly could. I'm not sure this is the kind of narrative that the establishment likes. It certainly helps maybe Donald Trump and Ted Cruz.

A.B. STODDARD, ASSOCIATE EDITOR, "THE HILL": It's a great day for Donald Trump. He's been tweeting. I think Ted Cruz does have an ability to turn the establishment and their opposition to him to an advantage.

[14:05:00]You know, he's going to brag today and tomorrow even though this is kind of surprising that, of course, the establishment is out to get him and the elites want him to bend to the wind of special interest.

And he's going to speak to anyone who is basically neutral on ethanol subsidies within the conservative base in Iowa and actually could end up helping him.

He has to remain organized, though, to make sure that something like this it doesn't become an advantage to Donald Trump.

BALDWIN: Let's also stay on Trump looking ahead, you know, reading through the political tea leaves. If this is tonight this mystery guest that they are teasing, if this is an endorsement for Sarah Palin. A.B., my question is this, help me understand why Sarah Palin would endorse Donald Trump?

STODDARD: Well, I think we understand why she'd endorse somebody because she wants to stay relevant, but she's not --

BALDWIN: She's had progressive views through the years.

STODDARD: Yes, I guess, if Ted Cruz got this endorsement he would be happy that Donald Trump didn't get it. But I don't know that he's going to be devastated that Trump is getting the Palin nod.

She's really become more and more irrelevant with each passing year. I don't think it's really going to help Donald Trump at this moment. I think religious leaders are a much better catch for him given the support that Cruz has managed to attract among the Evangelical community in Iowa.

I think people like that would help him far more than Sarah Palin would at this point.

BALDWIN: So let's go down the line. I'm thinking Iowa, New Hampshire, and then of course, we have the primary in South Carolina. And that to you, how do you think a Sarah Palin endorsement for Donald Trump would affect folks down there? MATT MOORE, CHAIRMAN, SOUTH CAROLINA REPUBLICAN PARTY: It's hard to say. She was very influential here in 2010 in the governor's race endorsing Governor Haley who then became governor following -- but she certainly has fallen off over the past seven years in terms of her influence on the right.

I think what's going to happen here in South Carolina, we'll see the field obviously gets smaller. This is not a two-man contest by any means. A lot of campaigns are really competing here in South Carolina.

They are well organized and the standard metrics, I think, political gravity still applies. Who has the best organization, who is here the most? Who can turn out ballots on February 20th?

BALDWIN: I have just been handed -- we'll do this altogether here. This is a tweet apparently just sent out by Ted Cruz speaking of Sarah Palin. He tweets, "I love Sarah Palin. Without her support I wouldn't be in the Senate. Regardless of what she does in 2016, I will always be a big fan." So love all around. What's going on here?

STODDARD: Well, again, I think he's going to be fine without Sarah Palin's endorsement. Maybe he thinks that he is going to kill her with kindness to keep everybody happy in the Sarah Palin camp, which is increasingly small.

BALDWIN: Kill him with kindness in politics, who'd thunk? Let me ask you all about the other side of the race. The race is tightening on the Democratic side as well.

This new national poll shows Bernie Sanders definitely gaining on Hillary Clinton. Matt, to you, you know, you say if Clinton and Sanders were to join forces, it would be a dream come true. Tell me why?

MOORE: You have one candidate, Hillary Clinton, who is under investigation by the FBI. You have Bernie Sanders, a candidate that's committed and dedicated socialist. I think the country is far away from those views.

But look, here in South Carolina, we're seeing a repeat of 2008. Hillary Clinton's campaign needs South Carolina to be a firewall. She has big questions surrounding her campaign following the debate here in South Carolina over the weekend.

Her views on a lot of issues are all over the map. Certainly, there have been questions raised again on her sort of truthfulness and lingering questions on her accountability to the American people.

BALDWIN: OK, A.B., Iowa, final question, you know, everybody says you have the folks who say Iowa doesn't really matter and folks saying Iowa is huge this time because it will be this -- it will tell us about the future of the primary season. Whether Trump's fans actually translate to voters. Right?

STODDARD: Right, Trump fans, he's looking for new voters. . New voters are the least reliable in a tricky and complicated arduous process like caucusing. So he's going after people and has to motivate them.

You can argue he's doing that easily, but so far there's no rush and surge of new voter registration. They are all pretty much going to have to come out in the next 13 days or on caucus night, which is allowed.

But at this point, Barack Obama, when he flooded the system had registered a lot more Democrats at this date close to the caucuses. So I think if Trump wins Iowa, it's really going to be hard to stop him.

I mean, I think that Cruz has a good chance of beating him there, but if Trump takes it, it's real momentum for the rest of the race.

BALDWIN: We will all be in Iowa. We will all see it firsthand. A.B. Stoddard and Matt Moore, thank you so much.

[14:10:07]Coming up next here on CNN, moments ago one of the Americans freed in Iran just spoke out for the very first time in an extraordinary moment. We'll play that for you. Don't miss that.

Also ahead, the governor of Michigan admits the water crisis in his state is his Katrina. Tonight as he addresses his critics, new lawsuits are coming over the toxic water in Flint.

And Oscar controversy grows with a lack of diversity sparking new debate. Now some huge names are pushing back on celebrities calling for a boycott. We'll have both sides of that debate coming up. I'm Brooke Baldwin and this is CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: You're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin. He was held captive in an Iranian prison cell for more than three and a half years. U.S. Marine Amir Hekmati, one of three Americans flown out of Iran after a surprise prisoner swap is now speaking.

[14:15:02]Talking to reporters just a short time ago from a medical base in Germany. He was asked, how was it inside that Iranian prison?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AMIR HEKMATI, AMERICAN MARINE FREED BY IRAN: Well, it wasn't good. I spoke to that before. I was luckily able to get some of my stances on my treatment from prison and I do want to talk about that in more detail and I will.

You know, I was at a point where I had just sort of accepted the fact that I was going to be spending ten years in prison. So this was a surprise and I just feel extremely blessed to see my government do so much for me and the other Americans.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How much warning did you get that you are going to be released? HEKMATI: Nothing, really. They just came one morning and said pack your things.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you believe them?

HEKMATI: No, absolutely not. I did not relax until we were outside of Iranian air space.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What was it like when you guys were waiting for the plane because there was a big delay from when you were supposed to leave, from when that flight actually took off, right?

HEKMATI: It was very nerve racking. I was worried that maybe the Iranian side was going to make new demands in the last minute or the deal wasn't going to work out. So up until the last second we were all worried and concerned.

We were put in a very small room and had no telephone or access to any information. We kept being told that we were taking off in two hours and that became ten. So a total of two and a half days was really nerve racking.

But when we finally got to see the Swiss ambassador who really did a lot for us, we just felt immense pressure come off our shoulders. As soon as we got out of Iranian air space, the champagne bottles were popped and the Swiss are amazing.

Their hospitality, chocolates, we were on a private jet that usually the foreign minister of Switzerland use. They really did an excellent job.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Now that as you see the Americans are indeed free. We are learning more about the secret pact channel talks that led to their controversial release. In turns out that the U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch was squeamish about the deal and did have some reservations about the prisoner swap setting this some sort of precedent.

Specifically she was among the U.S. officials that wanted all of the information Iran has on Robert Levinson, the CIA contractor who vanished in Iran nearly nine years ago. Of course, he was not on that plane and his whereabouts are still unknown.

Joining me now our justice correspondent, Evan Perez and live in Landstuhl, Germany, Phil Black, CNN international correspondent. So great to have both of you all on.

Phil, just first to you there, you know, we just heard a little bit from that American Marine. What else did he say?

PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Brooke, when Amir Hekmati came out he spoke a lot about feeling alive again, about being reborn, about being energized. He spoke a lot about being humble and grateful for all the effort that was put into freeing him. This is a man who is clearly still coming to terms in a recent, dramatic and unexpected change in his circumstances because as you heard there up until recently he'd pretty accepted that he would be spending at least ten years in an Iranian prison.

My colleague, CNN's Fred Pleitgen, asked him about what information was getting through to him while he was inside, while he was being held. Remember, he had been in custody since 2011. His answer was pretty fascinating. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Do you know how many people were campaigning for you and how did you feel when you found out how big the movement was to get you back out and people keeping it in the public light?

HEKMATI: I don't know. I still don't know. I know that everyone from the president, the congress, even the Iranian officials who are captors were amazed and had asked us, why is it that they are working so hard for you? And I just said that's America and they love their citizens.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACK: He also said that other Iranian captives like him were touched by the efforts that they all heard about to try to secure his release. One of the things that kept him going was his Marine training, his desire not to let down his fellow Marines or the reputation of the Marine Corps.

From here he will be heading home to Massachusetts shortly where he says he just wants to spend time with his family -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: An incredible hearing from him for the first time publicly. And then, of course, Evan, behind the scenes, we're getting new details. Tell me what you know about Loretta Lynch's behind the scenes skepticism.

EVAN PEREZ, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brooke, you have to understand that there's a long, drawn out process inside the U.S. government as to whether or not to even do this deal.

She was very concerned she wanted to make sure that the number of Iranians let go under this swap were limited and in the end there were only 21.

[14:20:07]And they were limited to people who had either been charged with or had been found guilty of sanctions violations.

She also was very insistent that among other officials that they get as much information about Bob Levinson and certainly if you can't return him among the Americans who are being set free, then at least that the Iranians would be able to provide information about his disappearance. There are many officials inside the Justice Department and FBI as well as the Levinson family who believe that the Iranians know a great deal more about his disappearance many years ago.

The last thing they have seen really is videos, proof of life videos back in 2010, 2011 photos that showed him begging for help. One of the things that's disappointing inside the administration is the fact that all we've got from the Iranians is a promise to try to help figure out what happened with Bob Levinson.

There is a lot more information that officials believed the Iranians possessed and we'll see whether that comes forth in the months and years to come.

BALDWIN: We'll see. Evan Perez, thank you. Phil Black, thank you so much as well.

Coming up next, we have to talk about what's been happening in Michigan. The governor calling it his Katrina moment. And tonight, Governor Rick Snyder will address the toxic water crisis in Flint at the state of the state.

My next guest is a mother in Flint, Michigan, among so many who say they got sick drinking the water. She's now taking action into her own hands. She will join me, next.

Also this Oscar controversy. We have to talk about this as well. A lack of diversity sparking new debate. Some big names pushing back on these celebrities calling for a boycott of the academy awards. We'll have all sides of that debate, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:26:09]

BALDWIN: New details on the White House response to the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. CNN has learned Flint Mayor Karen Weaver will meet today with the president. She's already sat down with the president's senior adviser.

And in just this last hour we have learned that attorneys representing some of the families in Flint have announced they have filed not just one or two, three separate lawsuits with regard to this crisis.

One of them filed just this morning. Those suits targeting Michigan's governor, Rick Snyder, and other state officials. The embattled governor admits the water crisis is nothing short of a disaster.

He even accepts the chilling assessment of critics that he is now confronting his own Hurricane Katrina. He's expected to tackle the issue later tonight at his state of the state address.

Let's go straight to Michigan to Melissa Mays. She is a mom, a member of the Coalition for Clean Water and part of the group bringing the lawsuit announced today. So Melissa, thank you so much for taking the time. MELISSA MAYS, FLINT RESIDENT: Thank you for having me.

BALDWIN: I know you will be at the state of the state. You were innovated by Democratic state representatives. I want to ask you what you'll be listening for. But first, as a mom with three boys, tell me how you have been impacted, how you all are doing?

MAYS: Fortunately, I say fortunately, my health has been the worst so far, seizures, tremors, diverticulosis, autoimmune disorders. My sons, they are anemic and having bone pain and breakage. They have such a compromised immune system.

They want to play basketball and I'm afraid to let them because of how weak their bones are. I'm watching them sleep in school to where they had excelled. They are struggling in areas that they never had problems with. It's infuriating because there's nothing I can do to help them.

BALDWIN: You say this without skipping a beat. I mean, I know this has been going on for a while, but has this just sort of become -- I hate to say routine?

MAYS: Yes, unfortunately, it has been. We have been dealing with this for 20 months. We have been screaming about our water being wrong for 20 months. We brought the science the middle of 2015 to them with their own state testing.

We proved there was a lead problem and then we brought in Virginia Tech and proved it again, and then we have medical research, their own information.

(Inaudible) from the ACLU of Michigan through his Freedom of Information Act, we have proven over and over that the water is poisoned is and yet we're still getting served up contaminated water through destroyed pipes.

And we are still being billed the highest rates for the lowest quality water and people are still getting sick. It's unbelievable that this happens in 2016 in great lake state.

BALDWIN: I was just talking to that lead researcher from Virginia Tech just yesterday about all of this. I think, you know, when people are watching, I'm sure their hearts go out to you from all across the country and I think, OK, well, why don't you move and leave Flint. You said you can't. Tell me why.

MAYS: You can't. We own our home. You cannot sell your home legally if you have a known copper and lead problem and that's all of us unless you replace your own service lines, your interior plumbing, your hot water heater, anything that's contaminated, we are stuck.

Most people are just leaving. They are going to deal with bankruptcy just to get out to get safe water. That shouldn't happen. Again, this is America. We bought our homes and paid our dues and paid our bills. There's no reason why we're trapped the way we are or being forced out the way we are. BALDWIN: Let's talk about what you're doing about it. So you have joined previous lawsuits. You're a lead plaintiff in one of them. This new suit today, you know, you and so many others say cover up, but let's be specific. What are you alleging?

MAYS: What we are alleging is that they knew that the water was tainted. They didn't stop the water and they continued to force it through our taps and force us to give it to our kids. And that's criminal.

I'm sorry. There is no other word for it. The fact that they took away my right as a mother to protect my children because they chose --