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Paying Tribute to Justice Antonin Scalia; Republicans Vote in South Carolina Primary; Democrats Go out to Caucus in Nevada; Interview with Jane Sanders; Aired 1-2p ET

Aired February 20, 2016 - 13:00   ET

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


[13:02:12] WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Family members and friends, they're continuing to walk out of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception here in Washington, D.C.

A very, very powerful moving two-hour mass of Christian burial for Antonin Scalia, the associate justice of the United States Supreme Court.

Jake, this was a powerful -- these were powerful two hours, I must say, especially because Father Paul Scalia, the son, one of nine children of Justice Scalia, delivered such a powerful homily.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR, THE LEAD: The ability of father Paul Scalia to conduct that service as the celebrant and offering the homily, with such dignity and composure, I know he's trained for it and I know that he would probably say it's his faith that got him through it, but still one has to marvel at how difficult it must be to conduct a service like that for one's own father, especially a father who was such a larger-than-life figure, not only to the nation but, according to the sons and family members of Justice Scalia, to the family as well.

And it's such a tribute to him that Father Scalia was able to do it in such a way, Wolf.

BLITZER: And he did combine personal reflections of his dad, of his father, with such powerful meaning and even brought in a little joke here and there.

TAPPER: He did. There were some moments here and there about the one time that his father accidently got in line for confession with his son, and then realized his mistake. Also I have to say it's moments like these when you see the American family coming together in such a place, setting aside partisan fights of the past.

Vice President Biden, who has known Scalia for decades, was there with his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, and according to accounts from inside, he greeted Justice Clarence Thomas who was also close with Justice Scalia, shook his hand. Obviously the two had a rough spot back during the Clarence Thomas hearings so many years ago, but in moments like this, people put aside such disputes and such ugly histories and realize what binds us all together.

BLITZER: Jeffrey Toobin, you studied the Supreme Court, you had many opportunities over the years to meet with Justice Scalia. This is precisely the kind of mass he would have appreciated.

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Exactly. Justice Scalia was a traditional man and this was a traditional mass. And I think the other thing that has -- struck me in watching it is that this was still such an unexpected death.

[13:05:06] You know, Justice Scalia was 79 years old. It is not of course out of the realm of possibility that a 79-year-old or anyone could die in any moment, but he was so full of life, so aggressive, he was so much the -- at the heart of the Supreme Court. The idea that he died so suddenly is something that -- it struck me today and it certainly struck me yesterday when I was paying my respects at the casket at the Supreme Court, is that he just leaves a huge void at the Supreme Court and in American life.

I would be willing to bet more Americans have heard of Antonin Scalia than have heard of John Roberts. He's just been there for so long, he's been prominent for so long that his departure from the Supreme Court will change that institution profoundly, and that's a big deal.

BLITZER: A very big deal. We see the hearse now beginning to move away from the Basilica.

Jake, we still don't know exactly, they haven't told us where he will be buried, but this hearse is now moving in this -- in this direction. Just a reflection with that -- you see all these other vans now. It's a huge family that's following that hearse.

TAPPER: Yes. It is a -- and you know, it's a very sad moment and as Jeffrey noted this was somebody who just was an enormous presence on the American stage. This is somebody whose views, his dissents, even if one vociferously disagreed with him, one could find pleasure in the cleverness and the skills of the writer. He was a -- he was a brilliant and gifted writer. And it is a real loss. There are, of course, many, many people who disagree with Justice Scalia on issues but as a person he was really loved and respected.

And Pamela Brown, you were at the Supreme Court yesterday and you saw people paying tribute and they weren't all former justices or former clerks. A lot of them were employees of the Supreme Court.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Employees of the Supreme Court. It was a tight knit community, we can't forget. You know, there's four clerks per justice and there are not that many people that work there.

And I keep thinking about how difficult this must be for the other justices on the bench. He had his own unique relationships with other justices. Justice Ginsberg, who was liberal on the bench, polar opposite, they were friends. They, you know, rode elephants together in India, went parasailing together, loved the opera.

He had a very close relationship with Justice Thomas, who he not only shared conservative ideology with, but off the bench they were very close. And, you know, this has really struck a chord with his former clerks as well who we saw lined up there on the steps, many of them who say that Justice Scalia really changed their lives.

But also it's worth noting that -- he was a controversial figure through the years, but despite that, people yesterday in line who we spoke with were able to put this aside and say, we want to pay respect to this man because he gave 30 years of his life to public service. And he had such impact on the court, left an indelible mark as someone who changed the way we look at the law with his originalism and belief.

TAPPER: Father Beck, I want to bring you in here. One suspects that Justice Scalia, wherever he is, would have really enjoyed his son's celebration of his life. And it started out in an interesting way where one thought that he was talking about paying tribute to his father. He said everyone had gathered there to pay tribute to one man. Let's play that back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. PAUL SCALIA, SON OF JUSTICE ANTONIN SCALIA: A man known personally to many of us, known only by reputation to even more. A man loved by many, scorned by others. A man known for great controversy and for compassion.

That man, of course, is Jesus of Nazareth.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Father Beck, a very interesting moment. Obviously a lot of people, as was intended, thought he was referring to his father.

FR. EDWARD BECK, CNN RELIGION COMMENTATOR: Yes. It really was interesting, Jake. And I can tell you, I mean, as a priest who buried his own father just two months ago, it's not an easy thing to do, especially an unexpected death like this. And I think the way he was able to do it was just what you saw. He focused on the message of Christ. He said that his father did not like eulogies. So he did not eulogize his father.

[13:10:02] He talked about Jesus yesterday, today, and tomorrow. And wove how his father is part of the fabric of the story of Jesus. He said his father was a practicing Catholic. And usually we think that means well, someone who goes to mass, et cetera. But he said no, it meant he was imperfect. He was a sinner. He hadn't gotten it right.

And so it really was a theology lesson, a very beautifully executed theology lesson and tribute to his father and his father's (INAUDIBLE).

TAPPER: And Wolf, it wasn't of course only serious. There were some lighter moments as well.

BLITZER: Yes, Father Beck, I want you to respond to this. I'll play this little clip. This is once again Father Paul Scalia, the son of Justice Scalia, talking about an incident involving confession.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SCALIA: The issue that evening was not that I've been hearing confessions but that he had found himself in my confessional line.

(LAUGHTER)

And he quickly departed it.

(LAUGHTER)

As he put it later, like heck if I'm confessing to you. The feeling was mutual.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: That was typical Justice Scalia. Those of us who met him, albeit briefly over the years, he had that sense of humor.

BECK: And I so resonated with that. You know, my parents were the same way. They would never go to confession to me, and I wouldn't want them to go to me, it's just not something you do. So to bring that kind of humor in the way the justice was able to and for his son to bring that in, I really did humanize his father.

I think many people saw Justice Scalia as kind of stoic, very removed. He would be studying a lot. And you saw that somewhat in this funeral. I mean, to have that composure of that family, that was a lot of strength there, but it was based on faith. This was a faith filled family, and they're holding on to that faith. And I think what you see there is a great testimony to how that has allowed them to get to where they are today.

BLITZER: Joan Biskupic, it really was a moving homily that was delivered by the son. And I was personally amazed that he could get through it as strongly as he did. I am sure he loved his dad as much as any good son would love his father and he got through it, but you know this family well.

JOAN BISKUPIC, AUTHOR, "AMERICAN ORIGINAL": Well, I'm sure the father and mother, backbone, discipline, they were certainly watchwards of the family. They had this tradition, they had this conservatism, and one thing I do want to mention, we were all captivated by the son's words. And I'll never forget Maureen Scalia saying at one point we don't do boring.

So even with such a solemn occasion, there was so much to listen to in his words. I was especially struck by the final tableau when he was moving with the casket down the aisle as it was going to go out of the Basilica for the last time. And there was certainly still the look of seriousness on the face -- on his face, but there was a look of also this is it. This is the end. Just think of where Father Paul Scalia and everyone else here was just seven days ago.

We had no idea that Justice Scalia had died until late Saturday of last week. And now his casket has rolled out, draped in the flag, put into the black hearse, and that's probably the last, you know, you and I and all your viewers will see of that. And I thought that the tribute that the son gave so reinforced this man's presence in our lives and the other thing I think is that we will probably be reminded for months, for years, even decades of his continuing presence in American life.

BLITZER: Yes. An enormous presence on the U.S. Supreme Court and indeed on the American life as you correctly point out.

Jake, and it's time to reflect now. But this process is going to go forward and eventually there will be a new Supreme Court judge, could be in a few months, could be in a year.

TAPPER: It's hard to imagine. And I think a lot of us felt the same way when we heard the news about a week ago, no, that can't be. Justice Scalia, such a larger than life character, it's hard to imagine a world without him.

But, Jeffrey Toobin, as the Senate, the president begin to tussle even more about who replaces Justice Scalia, what is his legacy, do you think?

TOOBIN: He has an unusually strong legacy for the Supreme Court. You know, there have been more than 100 Supreme Court justices in history but there are only a handful that have a significant individual legacy, and Justice Scalia is at the very top of that list with people like Chief Justice Marshall, Louie Brandeis, Earl Warren.

[13:15:08] And the reason is, is he was a -- someone who had ideas that will live after him, originalism, the idea that the Constitution should be understood, should mean only what the framers of the Constitution thought it meant. The idea of texturalism, which means that statutes, that law mean only what the words mean, not what legislators intended those words to mean, especially texturalism which is not as politically controversial as originalism.

You know, there are -- all the rest of the Supreme Court justices except for Stephen Breyer have pretty much accepted texturalism. So that's an innovation, a philosophy that is something that has stood for more than just political conservatism.

BLITZER: It's a truly, truly powerful moment indeed in American history that we will continue to observe and watch. And the impact of Justice Scalia will be enormous for years to come.

I just want to wrap this up for now. I want to tell our viewers thanks so much for watching all of our special coverage of Justice Scalia's funeral mass.

Stay with CNN for all the very latest. We'll take a quick break, we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:20:49] FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: It is decision day here in South Carolina. Across the state the polls are open, people are casting their votes right now in the Republican presidential primary.

In Nevada, the excitement is building. The doors open for the Democratic caucus in just about one hour from now.

For the Democrats and the Republicans, the campaigns are very heated. The fights are dirty and the gloves are definitely off. What happens today in either state could be turning points in the 2016 race.

Hello, everyone. And welcome. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. We are live right now from the University of South Carolina in Columbia. We've got a lot straight ahead for you. So much is at stake in this first election double-header of the year. A total of 85 delegates are up for grabs here in South Carolina and in Nevada, and at this point who will win them is anyone's guess.

Five of the six GOP candidates will be anxiously awaiting the results here in the Palmetto State, including Jeb Bush who was seen earlier today at a polling station in Greenville. And John Kasich, well, seeing little chance of a win in this state, has already moved on to key Super Tuesday states.

And in Nevada, Democratic candidates Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton are getting ready for today's caucuses. Just a short time ago Sanders was seen glad handing in Las Vegas with the voters there.

CNN has full team coverage of today's historic votes. Our Brian Todd is live for us in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Athena Jones is right here in the state capital of Columbia with me, and Jeff Zeleny is covering the Democratic caucuses in Henderson, Nevada, close to where both Democratic candidates are today.

All right. So let's begin with Brian Todd, live outside a polling station in one of South Carolina's most populated counties, Charleston County.

So, Brian, voting has been open now for six hours. What are you seeing, what are you hearing from people there?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, very dynamic turnout here at the National Guard Armory in Mount Pleasant. You mentioned six hours into the voting, and it's been a pretty steady turnout. Lines have kind of fluctuated here, but this is one of the most populous counties in the state. The line has thinned out here but it was pretty long, almost to the door just a moment ago.

So basically this is where the action happens. They come in here, they don't register here. You are already registered by the time you get here and you don't have to register by party. You just come in, the poll managers will ask you, you know, they'll say this is the Republican primary, you intend to vote in this primary, and they'll say yes, then you're good to go. You go into one of these polling stations here that's covered on three sides, and it only takes people roughly, I don't know, 25, 30 seconds to cast their ballots.

Now what's interesting here as we make our way back outside, again, it's been a steady turnout here. They expect pretty good voter turnout throughout the state, it might break records, it might not because this is, you know, this is unpredictable and this has been a very energetic primary, of course. But the story here, Fredricka, is the fact that so many people that we talked to, we talked to dozens of people as they come out of the polls, so many people made up their minds either last night or today.

In fact one of the ladies that we talked that was -- and she went into one of these polling stations and purposely simultaneously pressed John Kasich and the Marco Rubio buttons, purposely, to see which one would come up. It came up Kasich, and that was her vote. That was unusual. But there is a lot of last minute decision making. One person who didn't make up her mind in the last minute is Angela Sanderson. She's here with us.

Angela, you voted for John Kasich. What swayed you?

ANGELA SANDERSON, SOUTH CAROLINA VOTER: His results in New Hampshire made me look at him and researched him more closely. The night of the New Hampshire primary, I looked up on my iPad and saw that he was speaking -- going to be speaking in South Carolina at a local pizza restaurant, so I went to see him and was very impressed with that I heard.

TODD: And that solidified your decision even more.

SANDERSON: Yes.

TODD: Had you been wavering at all between Kasich and someone else before that?

SANDERSON: No, I was extremely nervous and worried by the Republican choices and was looking for someone who was reasonable and sensible.

TODD: Right. Well, thank you very much for talking to us. And best of luck.

Here's part of the situation here. Steady stream of cars coming into the armory here.

[13:25:03] Now what we're told by poll officials is if you're out the door, even down this way by the time the polls close at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time, you're still going to get in, they're still going to let you vote.

Now in New Hampshire, we had lines of cars going down the street, and a lot of those people were still allowed to vote. They're going to play that by ear here, and maybe call in some police officers if they need to direct traffic, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: My goodness. Well, this is going to be a big day across the state, not just there in Mount Pleasant.

Thanks so much, Brian Todd, appreciate it.

So today the GOP candidates are making their final pitches in any way they can to South Carolina voters. The state could determine who battles on for the nomination or who just might give up and go home.

This morning, a confident Jeb Bush visited a polling station in Greenville with his mom, former first lady, Barbara Bush, and he made a bold prediction about the frontrunner.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEB BUSH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Trump can't win. Plain and simple. This is -- this isn't about appealing to people's deep anxiety which is legitimate, he can't be president. A ton of people would be very uncomfortable with his divisive language and with his inexperience in so many ways, the way he speaks. It's just pretty clear he hasn't thought it through. And we're living in dangerous times. I think we need someone who can be president from day one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. Athena Jones is here with me now.

Athena, you've been following so many of the candidates across the state but hearing from Jeb like that, you wonder is this kind of a warning shot that he thinks that perhaps he is in good position or, you know, is it another signal that he's sending?

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this has been part of the argument he's been making for months now against Donald Trump and a way of contrasting Donald Trump with himself. He's been saying Donald Trump is unstable, he's trying to insult his way to the White House, he's not a conservative, he's not electable. So this is more of that. He even said in a radio interview yesterday you can't trust Donald Trump. He will morph and morph and morph to mirror the current thinking, whether it's on abortion, he used to be pro-choice, now he says he is pro-life, or on the Iraq war.

We're seeing reports this week, recordings of him, saying that he was for the invasion. He has been arguing all along that he's against the invasion. So part of Jeb's argument is that you can't trust Donald Trump. You've got to go with someone with a proven record. You've got to go with someone who's the conservative, that's me. The question of course is, is it resonating with voters?

WHITFIELD: And speaking of which, Donald Trump, he is reaching voters, whether it be in person, town halls, face-to-face or via tweet. He is doing that a lot today, in fact. He sent out a couple of blunt tweets today, one criticizing Cruz for a robocall. And this is what he said specifically saying, "Lying Ted Cruz just on election day came out with a sneak and sleazy robocall. He holds up the bible but in fact it's a true lowlife poll."

JONES: Well, this is just another illustration of the battle that's being waged between those two in particular in this state in South Carolina. Each one is calling the -- Trump in particular has been calling Ted Cruz a liar. He's been using similar language for days now saying that he isn't -- how can he be a Christian, how can he talk about the bible so much when he resorts to these dishonest tactics. We've heard him talk a lot about that call made to Cruz campaign backers in Iowa urging them to tell people that Ben Carson was dropping out of the race.

So we're hearing that a lot from Donald Trump. It's more of the same, and it's unclear who it's hurting more. Is it helping Donald Trump, is it hurting Ted Cruz? We'll have to see what happens today.

WHITFIELD: And clearly Donald Trump thinks it's very effective because he continues to tweet or at least express himself in lots of different forms. And today is a very busy day here in South Carolina.

JONES: Absolutely. Absolutely. He's a big tweeter. And so far it hasn't hurt him, it seems to be helping him.

WHITFIELD: All right. Athena Jones, thanks so much. Good to see you.

JONES: Thanks.

WHITFIELD: All right. The focus isn't just on South Carolina today. In less than 30 minutes now the doors open at the Democratic caucus sites across Nevada. To boost her chances, Hillary Clinton is tweeting some star power support from comedian Will Ferrell who is urging people to caucus for her.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILL FERRELL, ACTOR: Hope you guys will caucus for Hillary. 11:00 a.m.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 11:00 a.m.

FERRELL: 11:00 a.m., guys. Pass the word. Caucus for Hillary. 11:00 a.m., guys, right? Yes? 11:00 a.m. Can I just get a quick cup of chocolate custard? Yogurt? Oh, yes. Perfect. Thank you so much.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right. CNN senior Washington correspondent Jeff Zeleny joining us now from Henderson, Nevada, sizing up the race as Democrats head to those caucus sites.

So, Jeff, what are these crowds like? What are the receptions like for Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders there?

[13:30:03] JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, I think on this warm sunny Nevada day, a -- a cup of chocolate custard sounds pretty good there as Will Ferrell was pointing out.

Well, that is what the Clinton campaign is trying to do, the Sanders campaign as well. They are trying to impress upon people you have to turn out at the appointed hour, really in about half an hour or so, then the caucuses begin in about an hour or so. But it's all about who turns out. Now that's the case in elections. But the difference between South Carolina where you can vote all day long, in Nevada you have to show up at a certain time is so critical. Because campaigns have to get their supporters out. And the Sanders campaign and the Clinton campaign are both doing the

same thing this morning, Fredricka. They are working the casino crowd, not for gamblers, but they are going behind the house, back of the house, to cafeterias, to laundry workers. They are trying to urge people to come out and vote at that appointed hour. And some casinos are even giving their workers a couple hours off to do this. Others are not. But that is one of the key indicators, who's actually going to come out this morning.

And I'm told that just a few minutes ago, the two Democratic rivals almost crossed paths in the Harrah's Casino, in the cafeteria of that, as they were both working the same casino, trying to get people out to vote at the same time here -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: My goodness. And so, Jeff, you know, as many voters feel like they're still trying to get to know these candidates, today they got a chance to see a new picture of a very young Bernie Sanders.

ZELENY: Right.

WHITFIELD: We had already heard from Bernie Sanders about his involvement in the civil rights movement years ago. And now today this image that is believed to be and it has been confirmed, right?

ZELENY: Right.

WHITFIELD: That that is a young Bernie Sanders being arrested?

ZELENY: Right. His campaign says that is Bernie Sanders. This is 1963, Fredricka, the south side of Chicago. He was a student at the University of Chicago at the time, and the campaign says that that is a picture of him that was being arrested at the time.

And you're right, a lot of voters don't know a lot of his life story. That is one thing that he's been talking about some. But he talks more about income inequality, other things, he doesn't talk a lot about his past. But this is an image that his campaign believes gives him some credentials going forward here, that he's been, you know, on the frontlines of the civil rights movement as well.

He hasn't been as prominent, of course, as some other people but he's been there all along. So this picture was found in the archives of a Chicago newspaper and it was just published recently. So that is just one sign of a young Bernie Sanders that we've not really seen before when he was a young student at the University of Chicago.

WHITFIELD: All right. We're going to talk later about how influential potentially that image just might be for Bernie Sanders at this juncture.

All right. Thanks so much, Jeff Zeleny, appreciate it. In Henderson, Nevada.

All right. So after Nevada today, the next contest for Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton is right here in South Carolina. Next Saturday. But before that, both candidates will take questions directly from voters on Tuesday in a CNN town hall right here in Columbia. That will be at 8:00 p.m. Eastern only on CNN.

And on Thursday, the last Republican debate before Super Tuesday on March 1st, right here on CNN. Wolf Blitzer moderates that Republican debate this Thursday at 8:30 p.m. Eastern time.

All right. Still to come. Senator Bernie Sanders' wife, Jane Sanders, joining me live from Las Vegas. We'll be talking about what she expects in Nevada today, there she is, and we'll talk about that photo of her husband being arrested years ago that many are seeing for the first time now. We're back live from South Carolina right after this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: What's the information you need in order to make a decision?

LEE GIBSON, LAW STUDENT: See what the candidates have to say about students and mostly that, still in school, and that's what pertains to my life the most right now. So just trying to see what their stances are on that, and then make my decision from there. Probably.

WHITFIELD: So in a last minute sell from any of the candidates, what do you need to hear from them specifically that will get you engaged and interested in them?

GIBSON: Probably education and the economy in terms of what their stances are, in terms of moving forward with unemployment and what their plans are for the future.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[13:38:35] WHITFIELD: Welcome back live from Columbia, South Carolina. We are just minutes away from the start of the Democratic caucuses in Nevada, officially beginning at 2:00 Eastern Time. Both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have been crisscrossing the Silver State, urging voters to caucus today.

Nevada was expected to be a Clinton stronghold, but a surging Sanders has put the state in play. At Sanders' final rally and concert last night in Las Vegas, a confident Sanders saying he danced and even predicted a historic campaign win in Nevada. He is coming off a big win in New Hampshire and a close second to Clinton in Iowa.

His strong campaign may have caught political pundits off guard, but it hasn't come as much of a surprise to the woman who knows him best. His wife.

I'm joined now by Bernie Sanders' wife Jane who is with him today in Las Vegas.

Good to see you.

JANE SANDERS, WIFE OF SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS: Good to be here.

WHITFIELD: So how confident are you today that your husband will indeed win Nevada?

J. SANDERS: Well, we are as confident as we can be. We hope to win at least by one vote, one caucus member.

WHITFIELD: OK. Well, he sounded very confident last night, and you've got lots of support there, big crowds. How much do you read into that?

[13:40:02] J. SANDERS: Well, yesterday alone we went to Elko, Reno, and Las Vegas, and we saw 6,000 people, and the crowds were not just big but fervent, very supportive, very hopeful for the future, and so that's what's giving our indication about the vote.

We started at 4 percent in Nevada. And now we're close to 50. So we'll see what happens. It all depends on turnout. And we know that very well. Bernie won his first race as mayor by 10 votes, and 10 people had stayed home, maybe we wouldn't be here today. So I am urging everybody to get out and caucus.

WHITFIELD: And then let me ask you about this photo, this archive photo now showing your husband, Bernie Sanders, in 1963, being arrested in Chicago. He was a student there at the University of Chicago. And as you know there have been many people, some ordinary voters, and even, you know, people of prominence who doubted his activism, and now with this image, how do you believe this might be influential, you know, in his narrative, in his story, his life experience about being involved in the civil rights movement?

J. SANDERS: Well, I think his opponent is trying to cast him as not having much of a civil rights record and I think a picture is worth a thousand words, I guess? He has -- he protested segregated housing at the University of Chicago. Yesterday was the first time I saw that photo as well or he did. It was from the "Chicago tribune." And he has 100 percent voting record from the NAACP, during his time in Congress, he marched with Martin Luther King, we went back to Selma for the 50th anniversary of that march -- 50th anniversary of Selma, without -- before we thought he was going to run for president. We just wanted to be there to mark the 50th year. So he has a long record.

WHITFIELD: And I know you have been -- OK. He does indeed. But do you feel like you have to work hard, Bernie Sanders still has to work hard to convey that long record that you speak of?

J. SANDERS: We have to work hard to convey everything. I mean, as you know the national polls at first didn't show that most of America didn't know Bernie. What we found, though, is by getting out and talking to people that they listen to his message and they embrace it, so the challenge for us is to get him to be able to meet as many people as he can, and it is hard, crisscrossing the country, but so far so good and Bernie always works hard to educate, inform, and inspire people to vote.

He says often, you know, whatever you're doing, I mean, whoever you're supporting, we urge you to go out and caucus because he believes passionately in democracy. WHITFIELD: And I know you have been quoted as saying that you didn't

at first think he should actually run for president, but someone one day came up to you both at a restaurant and said to Senator Sanders, you know, thanks for the work and please run for president. So I suppose that was the moment that changed everything for you.

You're quoted as saying, you know, I give up, you have to do it, but what do you believe now? What's your best sell to people? What's the characteristic about Bernie Sanders that you believe makes him deserving of being in the White House?

J. SANDERS: Sincerity, integrity, commitment and hard work. He basically -- if he's on your side and he's on the side of all the working people and the middle class in this country, as anybody who needs anything at any time, he seems to be there for them, and if he's with you, he's with you to the mat. I mean, he will -- he will work on every issue for as long as it takes to implement it.

We met many -- people have asked Bernie to run for president. And we had been thinking about it and thinking about it, and I just felt that there might be another way. I was wrong. I think that that veteran coming up to us that day to tell us how supportive he was, how grateful he was for Bernie's work on Veteran's Affairs made all the difference to me because I saw how much difference it made in his life.

It wasn't a political statement. It was a "we need you" statement. And I think that for me now as soon as that day was over, I never looked back. I think that it was -- it's extremely important that his voice is out there. I think he shifted the conversation.

[13:45:04] He shifted the debate. We're talking about campaign finance reform, we're talking about income inequality, we're talking about higher education. We are talking about quality of life for people in this country and how to make this the best country to raise families in, the best country to be number one around the world in health care, in education. We worry about being number one in some other areas that are not anywhere near as important. So I think no matter what, we have -- he has really made a difference already.

WHITFIELD: And I hear you. You know, you're often referring to him and the campaign as we because you're in it, you have been one of his advisers, right? You're not speaking just as on behalf of being his wife, but his real partner in this journey, and you're talking about empathizing, being a collective unit in trying to get his mission conveyed.

J. SANDERS: Yes. And it is not just we meaning he and I. I think it's we meaning we the people, a government for the people, by the people, of the people, and this campaign is a team effort. He makes it very clear when he goes out and he talks to people that you're not voting for Bernie Sanders, that's not all you're voting for, you're signing up to really work, to make -- to transform America, to have it be a better country. The country we all envisioned. And so that's the -- that we talk about more than just Bernie and I. WHITFIELD: All right. Jane Sanders, thank you so much. All the best

on the campaign trail and all the best there in Nevada. And then perhaps see you next weekend here in South Carolina.

J. SANDERS: Thank you, Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Thank you.

J. SANDERS: OK. Thanks.

WHITFIELD: All right. Moving back now to South Carolina where voters are at the polls right now for the Republican primary. Will Marco Rubio get a last-minute boost in the Palmetto State, similar to what he saw in Iowa? We'll talk about all of that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Welcome back. I'm Fredricka Whitfield in Columbia, South Carolina. It's decision day for South Carolina. Republicans publicly Marco Rubio's strategy is to come in a strong third place by beating Governor Kasich and Bush by a big margin. But after securing three big endorsements in this state, Governor Nikki Haley, GOP Congressman Trey Gowdy and Senator Tim Scott, might Rubio do better than that?

Let's discuss this with someone who has gotten to know South Carolina politics very well, Statehouse reporter for the "Post and Courier" Cynthia Roldan.

[13:50:05] All right. Good to see you.

CYNTHIA ROLDAN, STATEHOUSE REPORTER, THE POST AND COURIER: Good to see you, too.

WHITFIELD: So, look, this is not your paper. This is the state paper.

ROLDAN: Yes.

WHITFIELD: From Columbia, South Carolina. And it really does underscore the conflict, right? Is it Trump's race to lose? But then you see Marco Rubio and Nikki Haley. So that endorsement for -- for Marco Rubio, hugely influential?

ROLDAN: It depends on who you ask. So I was on the trail with him the day after Governor Haley endorsed Marco Rubio, and a lot of the people were saying that it did matter to them, that they were a little bit undecided. And we have a lot of undecided voters as of yesterday even in South Carolina.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

ROLDAN: So the fact that Governor Haley threw in her support behind Marco Rubio was a biggie for them. And -- but then you've got other people who say, you know, I really don't align with Governor Haley's ideals and, though I like Marco Rubio I like these other candidates better. I like Senator Cruz better. I like Trump better. So it's -- I guess it just depends on.

WHITFIELD: And it is remarkable to hear from so many South Carolina voters. I talked to a number as well while I've been here who said, you know, they're going to decide when they get into the voting booth or, as we saw Brian Todd in his piece earlier, someone, you know, pressing both candidates to see which one pops up. And it was Kasich for that voter.

But as it pertains to a Jeb Bush who has the family history that this state has served him well, should he feel fairly confident about that and that that is advantageous to him and his campaign? Is this make or break for a Jeb Bush here?

ROLDAN: Well, I guess that's the question everybody's wondering. You know, we wrote an article about a week ago saying, you know, is this a make-or-break it for him? A fight for third place? Governor Bush has been trying really hard. He's been investing a lot of time in South Carolina since early on in the days. He was here as far back as September. So -- and he said at the time that he was going to win South Carolina and take it to the bank.

So a lot of things have changed for Governor Bush. I do believe that the campaign is hoping for a strong finish. Third place would be ideal for them. But it seems like even bringing out George W. Bush and bringing out his mother Barbara Bush doesn't seem to be panning out as well with voters. They are angry and they feel like Senator Cruz and Donald Trump address the issues and their concerns a whole lot better.

WHITFIELD: And what about religion? Evangelical vote is huge here. You and I were just talking before we went on. When we both moved here for the first time, the first question that people ask you is, what church do you attend? I lived in Charleston right out of school and you moved here from Florida. So now you've got Donald Trump who seems to have a great advantage among evangelical voters, at least that's what polling has told us, but then Ted Cruz walks into this state and people presumed that he would have an edge.

How does that kind of loyalty or commitment potentially unfold here?

ROLDAN: It's going to be interesting to watch because Trump had pretty much South Carolina in the bank from the moment he announced. The polls have shown him, you know, 20, 30 points ahead and suddenly within the last week, Ted Cruz has been gaining.

The evangelical vote is very important in South Carolina but so are military issues, and so both of them are talking about rebuilding the military, you know, attacking ISIS. They've both said very aggressive statements about attacking our enemies, and so it -- it seems like this abruptness of Donald Trump, people just don't care about it as much as you would think they would when it comes to the evangelical. They'd rather see somebody who's aggressive and who's going to take it to, you know, our enemies and who is going to address our military issues and our VA concerns.

WHITFIELD: All right. Cynthia Roldan, thank you so much. ROLDAN: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: From the "Post and Courier" just down the street in Charleston.

ROLDAN: Yes.

WHITFIELD: But working here in Columbia.

ROLDAN: Yes.

WHITFIELD: All right. Thanks so much. Good to see you.

ROLDAN: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. We'll be right back from South Carolina after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:56:14] WHITFIELD: Welcome back to Columbia, I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

Republicans are going to the polls in droves here in South Carolina in this first presidential primary in the south. This vote is huge. Since 1980, the winner of South Carolina's GOP primary has always gone on to become the nominee for president, with one exception. 2012, last election season, when Mitt Romney came in second place but went on to become the eventual nominee.

Joining me right now to offer some perspective on today's big vote is Republican strategist Joel Sawyer, he is a longtime South Carolina GOP consultant. In 2012 he was a part of Jon Huntsman's presidential campaign right here in the Palmetto State.

So history shows South Carolina have chosen the eventual GOP nominee. Eight out of the past nine elections. So will tradition continue or is this going toe a very unique year?

JOEL SAWYER, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: I think it might be another unique year.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

SAWYER: And if this keeps happening, there are going to be less and less unique over time. Trump seems poised to win but I don't think he's going to win by as much as the early polls anticipated. So I think it's going to be a lot closer than people are thinking coming into today. If you look at the recent polling, Trump has been on somewhat of a downward trajectory. Now will that hold? Will he reverse his fortune, I don't know. Essentially we'd be talking about reversing fortunes coming out of winning essentially a primary. But, you know, we'll see what the day holds.

WHITFIELD: There has been a presumption that a Ted Cruz would do very well here. You've seen, I noticed, the dialogue and the tweets coming from Donald Trump who says, there he goes again with these robocalls that are inaccurate. We know that the robocalls really develop some strain between Ben Carson and Ted Cruz in Iowa.

SAWYER: Right.

WHITFIELD: Now we hear reportedly there was this meeting between the two candidates, kind of in a closet, is what's being described, perhaps, hashing out differences. Perhaps mending fences.

SAWYER: Right.

WHITFIELD: What are you hearing as a strategist within the GOP about the concerns about that rift, the concerns about -- the problems between candidates getting along or criticisms, or if there's amending of fences?

SAWYER: I read that story and I didn't know whether it was political story or the lost chapter of an R. Kelly song.

(LAUGHTER)

SAWYER: I mean, it was just -- the most bizarre thing that I've read so far this year, but, you know, there is a concerted effort from the Rubio campaign and -- you know, and from Ben Carson following Iowa that, you know, central narrative of Ted Cruz's campaign has been trust, consistent conservative, and then you have, you know, a couple of rival candidates saying, he doesn't shoot straight. You know, he plays dirty. And so they're trying to cut into that narrative of trust that he's established.

You know, whether that'll be effective or not, time will tell. I mean, but it looks like, you know, if you look at what Rubio is saying, what some of the surrogates -- Trey Gowdy last night said -- you know, to Wolf Blitzer, they're trying to paint Ted Cruz as something less than truthful. We'll see what the voters think.

WHITFIELD: Are you concerned about the turnout? Because I've talked to a lot of people who seem so disgruntled, so really confused even.

SAWYER: Right.

WHITFIELD: About the candidates. And I was alarmed to hear from so many voters who said, you know what, I'm thinking about not voting at all. So what is the expectation of turnout? Realistically now that people are kind of expressing their sentiments like that.

SAWYER: I think it's still going to be reasonably high. You know, I'm hesitant to, you know, guess an exact number. But, I mean, look, there's a lot of focus on this. And regardless of how -- you know, how negative it gets, I think that there's so much interest to the race.

WHITFIELD: OK.

SAWYER: That people will show up.

WHITFIELD: Great. Leave it right there, Joel Sawyer.

SAWYER: All right. Thank you very much.

WHITFIELD: Thank you so much. See you perhaps next weekend for the Democratic primary here in South Carolina.

Thanks so much for joining me here. Live from Columbia, South Carolina. Again, a big day for the Republican primary. CNN special coverage from Washington now begins.

[14:00:09] BLITZER: We're counting down to two crucial contests in two states.