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Jeb Bush Slams Donald Trump; CNN Hosting Democratic Debate In Michigan; North Korea Launched A Long Range Rocket; Super Bowl 50; Cam Newton Named Most Valuable Player; Death Toll Rises In Taiwan; Police Still Searching for Missing Mother And Son In Phoenix; Missouri Dog Buried Alive In A Sinkhole; Five Killed In Austrian Avalanche Aired 6:30-7a

Aired February 7, 2016 - 06:30   ET

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


[06:32:02]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. John Berman here in Manchester, New Hampshire.

We are just two days away from the first in the nation primary. We are one morning after a very eventful debate here in New Hampshire that may have changed the playing field just a little bit.

We've talked about Marco Rubio. Not his strongest debate performance perhaps his weakest when he needed to be at his strongest. Donald Trump also came under attack from Jeb Bush on an issue that does matters to New Hampshire voters, eminent domain. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEB BUSH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What Donald Trump did was use eminent domain to try to take the property of an elderly woman on the strip in Atlantic City. That is not public purpose. That is downright wrong.

And here's the problem with that.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: All right. OK --

BUSH: The problem was it was to tear down -- it was to tear down --

TRUMP: Jeb wants to be -- he wants to be a tough guy tonight. I didn't take the property.

BUSH: It was to tear down the house and the end result was -- you tried.

TRUMP: I didn't take the property.

BUSH: And you lost in the court.

TRUMP: The woman ultimately didn't want to do that. I walked away.

BUSH: That is not true. (END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: All right. Joining me again the executive editor of CNN politics Mark Preston. Also with CNN political commentators Bakari Sellers and Ben Ferguson.

Mark, people noticed a few things last night. One was that was an exchange between Jeb Bush and Donald Trump were Jeb Bush did not backed down which was different than it was three months ago. Explain to me though the issue of eminent domain why that matters here in New Hampshire and to Republican voters.

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICS EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Well certainly it's an issue that you don't know much about unless you've been affected by or something in your community has caused for it. But eminent domain basically means if you are a conservative the federal government coming in and taking your property. Very basic, very simple.

This is an issue going up here in Northern New Hampshire right now up around the Northern Pass. You know, it has caused a lot of people to be very passionate about. And people here in New Hampshire the whole idea of live free or die, you know, that means something to folks who live here. So we talk about eminent domain for conservatives dog whistle for big government coming in and taking our property.

BERMAN: You know -- and Ben Ferguson the polling back in Iowa, you know, it was identified as what could be the weakest issue for Donald Trump, eminent domain. And Jeb Bush clearly wanted to capitalize on that. Did you think that he got what he wanted out of that exchange, Ben?

BEN FERGUSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I do. I think that other candidates just stepped up and also used it to their advantage because this is the biggest weak point for Donald Trump.

It's a very simple issue. Should the government be able to take your private property and force you to sell it for another private entity. If you look at what Trump was doing he was building a casino. Taking private property for a private casino to be built. And what he was trying to do -- that is not a conservative value. And I think this is his probably his biggest vulnerability on this campaign.

And if you sell that case in simple terms to conservative Republican freedom voters that is something, I think, that can certainly hurt Trump because he was building a casino. He was trying to use the federal government to strong arm people and forcing them to sell their private property. That is not a conservative value that is something that Jeb Bush should have stood up for last night. I think others should also stood up to that.

[06:35:08]

It is one thing to use eminent domain for roads and highways and things like that, that truly are going help the majority of people. But when you use eminent domain to build a casino at Atlantic City most voters are just not going to think that is the right thing to do. BERMAN: Right. All right. Bakari, I want to turn quickly to the Democrats. Now, the Republicans are getting a lot of focus rightly so because they had a debate overnight.

Today is an interesting day because Hillary Clinton leaves New Hampshire today to go to Flint, Michigan. I should note that CNN just announced that we are hosting a Democratic debate in Flint, Michigan on March 6th two days before the Michigan primary.

Bakari, tell me why first of all if the trip to Flint will matter to New Hampshire voters and if the answer is no as I suspect it might be what she is trying to do in this trip.

BAKARI SELLERS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I don't think this is going to affect her with New Hampshire voters. In fact I think she's here -- I know she's here this morning in New Hampshire and then pivoting to go to Flint. But Flint you can outline larger issues.

Flint is about down the road. Flint is about South Carolina. Flint is about the March 1st Super Tuesday states. And what she's beginning to do is lay out this platform where she's speaking directly to minority voters, where she still has an advantage.

But one thing she also knows that Bernie Sanders is nipping at her heels and so she has to do all she can do to solidify that support. Just in South Carolina this week yesterday Chelsea Clinton was in South Carolina. On Wednesday Bill Clinton was in South Carolina. So you're starting to see the Clinton apparatus in its full form kind of blossom and bloom.

One thing that we do know is that Bernie Sanders cannot lose New Hampshire. So he doesn't have the leeway to pop in and pop out of the state. We also remember that this time in 2008 Hillary Clinton was down nine points to a young man named Barack Obama -- well, she was up -- down nine points to a young man named Barack Obama and actually pulled off the upset. I believe the tracking polls have her down about nine or 10 points today. So she still has a shot that she believes.

BERMAN: We'll see. Bakari Sellers, Ben Ferguson, Mark Preston, thank you so much, obviously again reacting to that Republican debate mostly last night but there was other action overnight.

Democrat Bernie Sanders he was on a stage of his own. "Saturday Night Live." And he appeared beside, well Bernie Sanders, you might say, Larry David. This is a skit that found the two on the Titanic. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Hold on. Hold on. Wait a second.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

I am so sick of the 1 percent getting this preferential treatment. (APPLAUSE)

Enough is enough. We need to unite and work together if we're all going to get through this.

LARRY DAVID, COMEDIAN: Sounds like socialism to me.

SANDERS: Democratic socialism.

DAVID: What's the difference?

SANDERS: Yuge difference.

DAVID: Huge?

SANDERS: Yuge.

DAVID: Yuge with a Y? Who are you?

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

DAVID: Yes, that will trick them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hold on everyone. I've got great news. What we crashed into was Liberty Island. We're in New York. Everyone off the boat.

SANDERS: Look at that.

DAVID: Oh my, not bad.

SANDERS: Share a cab?

DAVID: Eh, I think we've talked enough.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: All right I'm joined again by Mark Preston and Bakari Sellers.

You know, Mark, that's a moment you can't buy that kind of publicity if you are Bernie Sanders.

PRESTON: No you can't. And, you know, Bernie Sanders is somebody, John, that certainly us who have covered him for many years never knew he had this side of him. You know, we never knew he did a folk album. We never knew that he appeared in a movie. And we never knew he can carry a skit on "Saturday Night Live."

BERMAN: Not bad.

Bakari, you know, appealing to young voters I'm told the kids love "Saturday Night Live." And, you know, it is a group that Bernie Sanders does very, very well with. I imagine this will only magnify that phenomenon.

SELLERS: Bernie Sanders is running a hell of a campaign and anybody who tells you that he's not is simply just blind or not being honest with themselves. "Saturday Night Live" last night I'm sitting here laughing at it and chuckling because he did an amazing job. It fits into this narrative where he is actually speaking to a vein of America that's frustrated but a vein who's also a little younger. We'll actually have to see whether this narrative of Bernie Sanders just pounding Hillary with younger voters pans out throughout the rest of the cycle.

[06:40:02]

As we know the demographics do change. And so I'm really looking forward to young millennial voters of color being able to join this conversation as well and we will see if Bernie Sanders' message actually transforms and goes down to the south.

BERMAN: And you know, Mark, one point that I think is worth making globally about "Saturday Night Live", you know, all of their depictions of candidates are not created equal, right? I mean, when they go after Sarah Palin, they are ridiculing Sarah Palin. When Will Ferrell is going after George W. Bush he's ridiculing George W. Bush. He did not ridicule Bernie Sanders. They embraced Bernie Sanders. There is a total difference some times on what they do.

PRESTON: There is. But Bernie Sanders also appeared. He was asked to come and he showed up. Sarah Palin they were ridiculing her right off the top. Quite frankly it is very hard to make fun of Bernie Sanders. He's like your grandfather, you know, who just seems to have a -- who seems to have a little bit of the personality.

Look, he did a great job last night and, you know, we'll see where it goes.

BERMAN: Hillary Clinton of course she has been on "Saturday Night Live" also and got a lot of laughs worth noting.

Mark Preston, our thanks to Ben Ferguson, and you know (INAUDIBLE) and Bakari Sellers as well. Thanks you so much guys.

We have one programming note. "STATE OF THE UNION" this morning with Jake Tapper, 9:00 a.m. this morning, this is a big show. Check out the line up of the presidential candidates . Donald Trump, John Kasich, Chris Christie, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. What a show. It is special. It is commercial free and it is at 9:00 a.m. eastern only here on CNN.

Victor, Christi, back to you guys in Atlanta.

PAUL: All right. John, thank you so much.

Developing story that we're following too that the U.S. is reacting this morning to North Korea's launch of a long range rocket. We have details on the next steps the U.S. and South Korea plan to take.

BLACKWELL: Plus, the death toll is rising in Taiwan after that massive earthquake.

Rescue workers are still finding survivors in that rubble. We'll have the latest in a minute.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:45:11]

BLACKWELL: Rescue crews are working right now to free dozens of people trapped inside a 16-story building after a 6.4 magnitude earthquake shook Taiwan. At least 26 people have been killed. Now hundreds have been injured and more than 120 still missing.

The quake struck as many were preparing to celebrate the lunar New Year in Taiwan.

PAUL: (INAUDIBLE) turns to the North Korean rocket launch here.

South Korea and the U.S. are formally discussing deploying the THADD missile defense system after North Korea successfully launched a satellite into space this morning claiming that it carried a satellite while the rest of the -- or many countries including the U.S., Japan, South Korea believe this is just their front for a ballistic missile test.

CNN's global affairs correspondent, Elise Labott, joining us on the phone from Washington now.

Elise, thank you for being here. Listen, we know the U.S. is verbally condemning this attack. Any signal what actions the U.S. and its allies are willing to take?

ELISE LABOTT, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (on the phone): Well Christi, I think the fact they called for an emergency session of the U.N. Security Council. Let's not forget this launch is on the heels of the nuclear test that North Korea took just a few weeks ago. And it is interesting.

Usually there is a pattern with North Korea. If it takes a nuclear test of that nature it kind of waits for the international communicate to react or punish it or pass some resolution or pass some sanctions. And then you will see a follow on launch of that nature.

This time North Korea didn't wait. It just went ahead and didn't really care about the consequences. And that tells U.S. officials that this leader, Kim Jong-un is even more unpredictable, erratic. And so I think on the heels of this launcher you might see a little bit more momentum for U.N. Security Council resolution. Even though I think it's really the Chinese that have been holding (INAUDIBLE). There hasn't been even the reactions from Beijing it doesn't really seem though that they're ready to pass some sanctions.

I also think the fact that the U.S. is making quite clear in the hours after the launch that it is going to be discussing this THADD missile system with the South Koreans shows they are very concerned. You heard the South Korean president, Park, right after the launch of say (ph), we don't know when North Korea is going to launch its next missile or nuclear test and that is why we have to beef up our defenses. And I think that is what they are doing in coordination with the U.S.

PAUL: All right. Elise Labott, thank you so much. And again as she mentioned the U.N. Security Council is meeting at 11:00 in New York and we will report on what comes from that certainly. Elise, thank you.

Still to come. Super Bowl 50, details on Beyonce's surprise announcement just in time for her Super Bowl performance with Coldplay.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:51:54]

BLACKWELL: All right. Counting down the hours and the accolades just keep piling up for Carolina's quarterback Cam Newton last night name the NFL MVP.

PAUL: And now of course we're just hours away from the kickoff, Super Bowl 50.

Can he complete with the nearly perfect season with a win? Andy Scholes is there in Santa Clara, California.

So what is the word on the street this morning? Though I know it is quite early there at the moment.

(LAUGHTER)

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: It is quite early, guys. But we're almost there. Less than 12 hours from Super Bowl 50 and it is expected to be a beautiful day here in Santa Clara, California. We've got such a great match up. Broncos versus Panthers. Peyton Manning versus Cam Newton. And as you guys said Newton bringing home the NFL MVP award last night for the first time in his career. And Newton said, if the Panthers are on their game today they will be Super Bowl champion.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAM NEWTON, CAROLINA PANTHERS: If we are at our best and another team is at their best, not just speaking of the Denver Broncos, just any other team if we're at our best and another team is at their best, we will still -- we will still win.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: A big question coming in today is will Super Bowl 50 be the last game of Peyton Manning's legendary career?

Now, Peyton would not admit that he's hanging up (INAUDIBLE) talking with the media this week but he did talk about how special it is to get another shot at the Super Bowl. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PEYTON MANNING, DENVER BRONCOS: It's a special week. It's an exciting week. And it makes you very grateful for the opportunity to have a chance to play in this game, Super Bowl 50. It's a special opportunity and I think our players understand that. We're embracing that. At the same time we're getting prepared to play a really good team.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: All right. Now the Broncos and Panthers did do one final walk through at Levi's Stadium yesterday and they also took team photos. You got to check out the Panthers. Look at this, guys. All in one dabbing together in their team photo. So it'd be great if they end up winning. Not so much if they end up losing the game.

But the Panthers are five and a half points favorites today, guys. And it is time to make our predictions. Who do you got?

BLACKWELL: I'd go with Panthers.

PAUL: All right. I'd go opposite. I'd go with Broncos.

BLACKWELL: All right.

PAUL: Just to make it interesting.

BLACKWELL: That's how it usually goes. (INAUDIBLE) I'd (ph) go the opposite.

All right. Andy Scholes --

PAUL: A match made in heaven, Andy. Thank you.

BLACKWELL: Thank you so much.

And the big announcement from Beyonce she dropped the single and the video "Formation" late yesterday and Beyonce says she will now perform that brand new single "Formation" during the half time show at the Super Bowl. It will be the first live performance of this song.

Watched this video like three or four times yesterday. Not ashamed to admit it.

All right. Counting down the New Hampshire primary that continues. Of course at the top of the hour full analysis of last night's Republican presidential debate and what the candidates must do to win Tuesday.

PAUL: Also coming up, we're following a developing story in the French Alps.

An avalanche has buried a group of skiers. We'll tell you what's happening there now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:58:23]

BLACKWELL: Police are trying to find a mother and her one-year-old child. They say Veronica (ph) Brown and her son could be in danger. Now according affiliate KPHO they were in a car when a man walked up and shot the driver then got in that car and drove them away. And police are not sure of the relationship between the shooter and the woman and they are asking for the public's help to find them.

PAUL: After 27 hours stuck in a sinkhole and two hours of digging by rescuers Maverick -- look at this little guy is back home with his family in Missouri. They spent days searching for the 12-year-old German Shepherd after they thought he had ran away when they heard a howl and saw that he had fallen into a hole. He was buried in the mud but he held on. After a few days recovering at the vet he was able to go home.

BLACKWELL: Five people from the Czech Republic are dead after an avalanche in Western Austria on Saturday. 12 other skiers survived. Now this is the latest in the series of fatal avalanches in the French Alps. Last month two students and one adult died when they were skiing and the slopes closed.

PAUL: U.S. zoos are about to get new elephants from the Southern Africa.

U.S. official say three male and 15 female elephants will soon head to Dallas, Kansas and Nebraska. Now the plan has sparked an outcry from conservationists who say relocating the giant animals will be detrimental to their health. However the zoo contends these elephants were going to be killed as part of a move to make room for rhinos so essentially they are saying they are saving their lives.

We are always so grateful to have you with us. Thanks for starting your morning here.

BLACKWELL: Of course we've got much more ahead on the next hour of your NEW DAY, that starts right now.