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Top Presidential Candidates; The Iowa Caucus; U.S.-Mexico Drug Raid Caught 24 Cartel Members; Thirteen Year Old Missing Girl Found Dead; One Killed And Seven Injured In Denver; Two Thousand Pregnant Women In Colombia Infected With Zika Virus; Novak Djokovic Wins Australian Open; Stolen Picasso Painting Recovered; Pluto Covered In Frozen Water Aired 6:30-7a

Aired January 31, 2016 - 06:30   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:31:40]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Let me tell you something. We can't be great unless we're going to be rich again. We're a poor nation. We're a deader nation.

So we're going to make our country rich again. We're going make our country powerful and strong again. And we're going to make our country respected again. And the bottom line is we are going to make our country great again.

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: For those who are still making up your minds, I hope that we'll be able to persuade you to join us to make progress for our country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: You heard Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton trying to rally caucus goers to show up tomorrow. Tomorrow is the big day and the latest "Des Moines Register/Bloomberg" politics poll shows they're both leading but the margin is very slim.

Trump regaining lead here over Ted Cruz actually taking the lead in "The Des Moines Register" poll for the first time 28-23 over Ted Cruz there. And turning to the Democrat, the race even tighter here. Hillary Clinton just ahead of Senator Bernie Sanders. 45-42 within the margin of error there.

Now there are a lot of voters who are still undecided this late in the cycle about which candidate they're going to support. So how do they decide?

Well, I sat with three first time caucus goers. The students at Drake University here in Des Moines to find out how they choose a candidate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: How did you reach a decision? Or how do you reached your decision?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm still a little bit on the fence sort of between Hillary and Bernie. It is tough because there are a lot of things that I find particularly important in the election like economic policy and education. And in those aspects and those regards I think that Bernie is stronger. But then I don't think he's necessarily as well-rounded as Hillary in sort of foreign policy expertise and even domestic policies.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Martin O'Malley I wish people would have paid more attention to however because he's polling at such a low number. I don't know if I want to -- I know he's not (ph) in the last town hall though (INAUDIBLE) but it's fairly hard when he's polling at four percent. So between him and Bernie for me right now.

BLACKWELL: So between Governor O'Malley, Senator Sanders, why not Secretary Clinton? Why isn't (ph) she (ph) in that mix?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't know. Some of the things she says, I just don't necessarily agree with. And so my priorities as a voter, like the issues that are more important to me are the economic inequality. And so my issues are more in line up (ph) with Senator Sanders.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've decided on Ted Cruz. He's -- I think I can trust him. And he -- I align more closely with him than any of the others. And one of my big issues is subsidies. And he's going to get rid of all those. And you know as a -- agriculture is my background we see that a lot and how that it kind of leads to regulations and how it effects people. So that's how I'd come to decide on him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: All right. So this is actually two conversations we need to have. And let's start them. With CNN politics, executive editor Mark Preston with us all morning. Bakari Sellers, CNN political commentator and former South Carolina State representative, also a Hillary Clinton supporter. So, let's start here with the youth element.

[06:35:02]

Because two of these voters are undecided but young people -- and we've got the video to show just as an example of the different tones of these campaigns last night, starting with the event from the Sanders campaign. You have got at the end of there was a rock concert. You've got young people there on stage. And let's show the Clinton event, more subdued and older crowd.

Are they playing to their strengths or even trying to reach to the other demographics, Bakari?

BAKARI SELLERS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I don't think there is this enthusiasm gap that people try to make it out to be.

But Mark and I, we've been talking about it. The magic number for Democrats is 240 thousand. That's the number of people who turned out in 2008. I'm not certain that Bernie Sanders can get to that number. The closer he is to that number, the better off he'll be.

But if Bernie Sanders is around 120, 130, 140, this is going to be an extremely long night in the Bernie Sanders campaign. I have a hard time believing that Bernie Sanders can bump up to that 200,000 person turnout mark. Simply because the fact of the matter is throughout this campaign cycle we've learned one thing. Bernie Sanders is not Barack Obama.

BLACKWELL: Yes. You know, Natalie (ph) in that vignette talked about Martin O'Malley and she really likes Martin O'Malley. But at four percent it's (ph) hard to stay with him as he requested in the CNN town hall. Bernie Sanders or rather Martin O'Malley was supposed to be the Bernie Sanders --

(CROSSTALK)

SELLERS: He was.

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICS EXECUTIVE EDITOR: He was supposed (ph) to be (ph).

SELLERS: I bet on that.

PRESTON: And I was with -- you know, I spent three days with O'Malley last spring here in Iowa. He was unbelievable in these retail (ph) settings. People loved him. He was a back slapper. He seemed that he could potentially have gotten -- at the time Hillary Clinton was still going to be the front runner, the inevitable. Out of nowhere comes Bernie Sanders. How he's in the game.

Bakari is right. Listen -- and the Bernie Sanders people will tell you this, they need to get these young kids out. If they can get them out, then it is a thing. Then it is a thing and then we're going to see an extended (INAUDIBLE). If Hillary Clinton comes in and wins, you know, (INAUDIBLE) Bernie Sanders still has a chance of winning New Hampshire it takes a little bit of the luster off a (ph) bit (ph).

BLACKWELL: We're going to talk about Ted Cruz and the Republicans we had Wes (ph) Henry (ph), who was the student there at Drake, we'll talk about him in a minute.

But I want to show one of the numbers from "The Des Moines Register" poll. You and I spoke about this at the last block. Bakari, I want your take on this.

The percentage here for Sanders and the question about which candidate cares about people like you? 51 percent for Sanders. That number should be 37 percent for Clinton. A 14 point edge.

Your response? Your reaction?

SELLERS: I mean, I think that is something that the Clinton campaign has to be concerned about going forward. It is about message. It is about tenor. It is about tone. But even more importantly today from this point forward the Clinton campaign is about turnout. Right now it is all about turnout model. It's about getting those people who said they would vote for you out of their house into their caucus.

This is no longer about trying to convince voters right now. We're too late in the game and we have a very, very short window between Iowa and New Hampshire. So everything now is kind of changed for messaging. That poll six months ago, you know, three months ago, even a month ago is a little more damaging than it is today because everyone knows where their voters are today.

BLACKWELL: But how do they change that moving forward two Super Tuesday?

SELLERS: Well I mean -- and that is something that Hillary Clinton will have to deal with. I mean, that's always been the question. Does Hillary Clinton care for me? Whether or not it's Goldman Sachs or speaking (ph) fees (ph) or anything else. And one of the things I've stressed to the Clinton campaign is being able to define Bernie Sanders before Bernie Sanders can define you.

And again the Clinton campaign fell behind the eight ball. However they make up for that in operational fortitude. They make up for that in the ability to actually turn voters out. And I think that Iowa is very unique. I mean Iowa you have to really, really know what you are doing in order to succeed. That is why we have to see whether or not Donald Trump knows what he's doing --

BLACKWELL: Yes --

(CROSSTALK)

SELLERS: That's why -- that's why I think Hillary Clinton goes into Monday with an advantage.

PRESTON: Right.

And I think it's worth noting that Bernie Sanders has rarely invoked her name. But he has successfully talked about speaking (ph) fees (ph).

SELLERS: Exactly.

PRESTON: He -- you know, successfully talked about Wall Street. He successfully talked about -- you know, about income inequality and that's where she has failed.

Bakari is actually right. She's failed and that campaign has failed to understand that until now.

SELLERS: Until now.

PRESTON: Right.

BLACKWELL: Mark, Bakari stay with us all morning. Thank you both.

Donald Trump, of course he is counting on those newcomers to try to win in Iowa. They just made that point. Up next we'll see why Trump's ground strategy in Iowa depends upon as we've said supporters who have never caucused before.

Can he get them out? Can he get them to those sites?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:43:09]

BLACKWELL: A look at Iowa's beautiful State House here as we are now counting hours instead of days for the beginning of the Iowa caucuses. Now, after leading for months in the polls Donald Trump is now telling his supporters what matters is showing up on Monday night. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: It all doesn't matter if you don't caucus on Monday. It all doesn't matter. Just we're all -- the polls don't matter. Nothing matters. The only thing that matters is the poll that is going to be taken on Monday. And if you need anything it's donaldjtrump.com. They will tell you exactly where to caucus. And I'm going to the caucus. I'm going to go to a two or three or four -- as many as I can go to. So I'll be there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: All right. Donald Trump says he'll be in a few sites. And it appears at least anecdotally that Iowans are listening.

CNN's Sara Murray spoke with several Iowans including some enthusiastic first time caucus goers. And they plan to turn up.

Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: Brian Gegner has lived in Iowa more than two decades and he has never caucused.

BRIAN GEGNER, DONALD TRUMP SUPPORTER: There has never been a candidate that's excited us (ph) enough to actually do it.

MURRAY: And you want to caucus for Trump this time?

GEGNER: Yes.

MURRAY: Trump (INAUDIBLE) Monday could hinge on first time caucus goers like Gegner and people who have grown so disenfranchised they stopped showing up.

TRUMP: You have to get (ph) out (ph) and (ph) caucus or we're wasting time.

MURRAY: That's why Trump's team is inundating Gegner with e-mails and the occasional phone call to make sure he shows up in February first.

GEGNER: It seems like they've got their act together.

MURRAY: Yes. OK.

So, you think he'll win in Iowa?

GEGNER: I hope so. I mean, you want to back a loser?

MURRAY: According to the polls Trump is less likely to be a loser when you include people who stayed home last cycle.

[06:45:01]

Our latest CNN ORC poll in Iowa shows Trump leading Ted Cruz 37 percent to 26 percent. But when you narrow the question to Republican who participated in the 2012 caucuses the race becomes a dead heat. Cruz polls 30 percent and Trump 28 percent.

Trump's strategy? Make the process as easy as possible.

JODI REINDL, TRUMP CAUCUS CAPTAIN, CLARKE COUNTY, IOWA: I have never caucused before. So I'm very excited about this being the first time.

MURRAY: He's even relying on volunteers who have never caucused themselves to simplify it for others. Telling them where to go and when to arrive.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've been pulling up on my cell phone a website. And I've been telling them exactly where they need to go depending on their zip code and their address.

MURRAY: It is a strategy that has party leaders preparing for the chance the turn out on caucus night could double 2012 when 120,000 Republicans caucused.

JEFF KAUFMAN, CHAIRMAN, REPUBLICAN PARTY OF IOWA: (INAUDIBLE) party (ph) we're preparing for a doubling of that. Now that's not to say it's going to happen. A lot of it depends on whether Donald Trump can convert the passion of his folks into showing up at a caucus.

MURRAY: For Trump there is still work to do. Several voters told us they are undecided and haven't heard from the campaign.

(INAUDIBLE) a lot of Trump flag (ph) (INAUDIBLE) an open mind.

JOSIAH SODERSTRUM, IOWA VOTER: Yes, you know, I'm going with the spirit of it. Kind of embracing it today, having some fun with it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: All right. Sara Murray reporting for us there. And we will have complete special coverage of the Iowa caucuses all day Monday right here on CNN.

Christi, I want to take it back to you in Atlanta. CHRISTI PAUL, CNN HOST: All right. Thank you, Victor.

I don't know if you've heard but dozens of dangerous cartel members were captured during a top secret drug raid along the U.S./Mexican border. We'll tell you about that.

And some really sad news to share with you out of Virginia this morning where a 13-year-old girl who had been missing is now found dead. We're getting on some new details on the local college student who's now charged with her murder.

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[06:50:28]

PAUL: Oh, the energy has amped up in Iowa.

Iowa is the final countdown of the caucuses there in full swing. We're going to take you (INAUDIBLE) in a couple of minutes.

But we want to get to this story happening overnight.

The U.S. and Mexican authorities have caught 24 Sinaloa cartel members in this joint cross border drug trade they've been bringing millions of pounds of illegal drugs including marijuana, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine all of that into the U.S. and taking millions in U.S. currency and weapons back into Mexico.

CNN's law enforcement analyst, Tom Fuentes is with us now.

Tom, this was as I said a joint raid. We don't even know the exact location of this because there is so much secrecy around it. Does that hint to you that perhaps this is the first of more raids to come?

TOM FUENTES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well I think Christi that, you know, this has been going on for many, many years. It sounds like a very successful raid just occurring on Friday across the Arizona border with the Mexican state of Sonora. And, you know -- but whether the operation is going to put any kind of a dent in the Sinaloa cartel operation is yet to be seen.

I mean, we've had these many raids over a long period of time and it really doesn't seem to make a difference. That cartel is making millions of dollars as you mentioned -- made "Chapo" a billionaire. And yet the raids when they happen may curb trafficking for a short period of time. We'll see if it has any major effect.

PAUL: OK. You bring up a good point the Sinaloa cartel and the recent arrest of "El Chapo" there and Sinaloa. I'm wondering do you think there's a connection between the two that they were able to get to some of these people because of his arrest?

FUENTES: It could be that some people are cooperating. It could be that there is a little bit of upheaval in the organization. As they -- I think maybe they have reconciled that "Chapo" is going to be gone for good. Once he's sent to the United States under extradition that will be it and he will lose control of cartel.

There is a question whether his sons are going to take over. There has been discussion that there's another more active and more violent group within the cartel that probably will actually take over. And so we might have a little bit of a war. And that war may be where some cartel members cooperate to eliminate some competition. Take out another cell of the organization to make their cell more profitable. So that is one of the issues that had come up in these major organizational type investigations, are, are the people cooperating just to eliminate competition and help themselves?

PAUL: Interesting.

You mention something interesting too. You sound pretty confident that "El Chapo" will be extradited back to the U.S. We know that in the latest arrest of these 24 people, they are being held in Mexico right now but the U.S. does want to extradite them as well.

How likely do you think that is to happen?

FUENTES: We don't know yet.

The Mexicans haven't said what they were going to do with them. I think there is a good chance that many of them will and the extraditions have been going pretty smoothly for a while now between the United States and Mexico were Mexico has given up a number of its people in just said, OK. We've had enough of them. We'll give them to the United States. We know they will be securely blocked up there and there won't be the chance through corruption or other means of escaping the way there is escaping from Mexican prison. So it is a good possibility they will be extradited but we'll see.

PAUL: All right. Tom Fuentes, always appreciate your expertise. Thank you for being here.

FUENTES: Thank you.

PAUL: Absolutely.

And coming up at the top of hour, with one day until the Iowa caucuses we are breaking down the latest polls. Which might surprise you some of them. There may be two front runners. It is still far too close here.

And did the Cruz campaign intend to cash shame on Iowa voters? The mailing campaign has left a lot of people scratching their heads. What does this mean not just for voters in Iowa but for Cruz himself?

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[06:57:50]

PAUL: Edging towards the 7:00 hour right now one person was killed and seven were injured in a shooting and stabbing at a Colorado motorcycle expo in Denver. And no arrest has been made but officials say two rival motorcycle clubs were possibly involved in the attack. A Virginia Tech freshman is charged with murdering a missing 13-year-

old girl. After a four day search official reportedly found the body of Nicole Madison Lovell a hundred miles from her home.

Eighteen year old David E. Eisenhauer is now being held without bond.

And more than 2,000 pregnant women in Colombia have been infected with the Zika virus. This is according to the country's National Institute of Health who says they recorded more than 20,000 total infections. The relatively new mosquito born virus has been reported in 24 countries now and there is no vaccine or treatment available thus far (INAUDIBLE) a lot of people worried.

Novak Djokovic (INAUDIBLE) Andy Murray moments ago to take his sixth Australian Open title. An 11th major we should point out. The winning (ph) proves the tennis star's record against top 10 players to a remarkable 50 to six in his last 56 matches. Congratulations to him.

And a stolen Pablo Picasso painting has been found in Istanbul, Turkey. The 1940 oil painting titled "Woman Dressing Her Hair" was stolen from an art collector in New York. Two men were arrested after Istanbul police conducted a month long undercover sting negotiating a $7 million price tag for the painting. The Picasso is being examined and will be returned to its rightful owners.

And this is one of the top stories on CNN.com today. Pluto proving to be full of surprises. Look at these images here. Scientists have just discovered the dwarfed planet has far more frozen water than originally thought. A map from NASA's New Horizons spacecraft shows Pluto is coated with a large amount of ice. These images were taken about 67,000 miles above the planet since New Horizons' flyby in July 2015. Pluto's new discovery such as this icy surface and mysterious moons have just marveled scientists. And I'm sure those of us who are not scientist as well.

The next hour of your NEW DAY starts right now.