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One World with Zain Asher
People Of New Hampshire Cast Their Votes; Israeli Officials Say The Goal Of Their War Is Complete Victory Over Hamas; Prime Minister Rishi Sunak Says U.S. And the U.K. Plan To Announce New Sanctions Against The Houthis In The Coming Days; Rebecca Sun Talks About Oscar Awards Sweepers. Aired 12-1p ET
Aired January 23, 2024 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[12:00:33]
BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: All eyes on New Hampshire, where the first in the nation's primary is underway. "One World" starts right
now. It's the moment we've all been waiting for. People of the New Hampshire are casting their votes and the race is officially on. We'll take
you to the polls.
Also, ahead is a deal in sight. Reports now saying Israeli officials are more optimistic about an agreement that would see fighting stop in Gaza and
hostages returning home. And later, lights, camera, action. Award season is upon us and the Oscar nominations have just been released. We'll tell you
who's at the top of the leaderboard.
Well everyone, live from New York, I'm Bianna Golodryga. Zain is off today. You are watching "One World". It's a fight to the finish, but of course
there can only be one winner. And in a matter of hours, we should know who it is. Voters in New Hampshire are casting ballots in the first U.S.
presidential primary and how they vote could ultimately determine the Republican nominee.
It's a two-person race, and for Nikki Haley, the stakes could not be higher. This may be her final shot at beating Donald Trump. But despite the
pressure, the former South Carolina governor appears confident and says she plans to stay in the race regardless of what happens today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NIKKI HALEY, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This has always been a marathon. It's never been a sprint. We want to be strong in Iowa. We want
to be stronger than that in New Hampshire. We're going to be even stronger than that in South Carolina. We're running the tape.
We'll know strong when the numbers come in. It's not like a certain number. I don't go there and say, oh, I have to have this number. I have to have
that number. What I've always had in my mind is I want to be stronger than Iowa. And then South Carolina, I want to be stronger. Let's see what that
looks like.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Sounds like she's tempering expectations today, but Trump is predicting that the race will end tonight and he will be the only one left
standing. Still the former President, who has received a flood of endorsements and remains the dominant front-runner, is still encouraging
people to get out there and vote.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT, REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Get out of bed and just get to vote. Grab your neighbor, grab everybody. You
got to -- you got to go out because we have to win by big margins and the reason we have to do that, Al, very simple. You know what the reason is in
November. We have to send the signal that we're not playing games. This country has gone to hell.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: CNN's Alayna Treene is in Nashua, New Hampshire, but first, Boris Sanchez joins me from Belmont. Boris, this is a state that has
delivered surprises in the past. What are you hearing from voters about the chances of that happening again today?
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bianna, it would be a shock. But as you said, New Hampshire has delivered shocks in the past. Notably, the
majority of Republican voters that I've talked to since arriving here not long ago are in favor of electing former President Donald Trump as the
Republican nominee going into 2024. And Belmont, where I am specifically, carries important electoral significance for the odds of that happening.
But before I get to that, I want to show you the process very quickly. We could just pan out and show you the room. As voters walk in, they give
their names, they verify who they are at these tables, and then they state which party they're aligned with. Democrats and Republicans get a specific
ballot designated for their party.
If they are undeclared or independent, they can pick which party they want to vote for, at which point they move into the private voting booths. And
that, Bianna, is where the magic happens. They'll cast their ballot for their preferred candidate, or in the case of President Biden, they'll write
his name.
And remember, he is not on the New Hampshire ballot in this primary. As soon as they're done, they walk over, they hand their ballots to election
workers, and they head out the door. And at some point before 7 P.M. tonight, or rather, soon after 7 P.M. tonight, when the polls close, the
results are then tabulated.
Once that happens, we're expecting to get the Republican results first, and then the Democratic results after, because they have to go through those
handwritten ballots, potentially for President Biden. That takes a bit more time.
Now, why Belmont matters electorally? This is a Republican-leaning area. Donald Trump back in 2016 in that primary tripled three times -- got three
times the number of the second place candidate back then, John Kasich.
So, this is an area that consistently has gone for President Trump, not only in the primary back in 2016, but in the general election -- in the
general election in 2020. And as I've spoken to voters here, I just chatted with one woman named Candace outside.
[12:05:00]
She says she's been a life-long Democrat. She actually voted for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 primary. But she believes that Donald Trump is on a
divine mission to save the country. And that sentiment has been echoed by multiple people here. If the former President is set to close the door on
Nikki Haley, it'll be running the numbers of big and places divine mission to save the country.
And that sentiment has been echoed by multiple people here. If the former President is set to close the door on Nikki Haley, it'll be running the
numbers a big in places like Belmont here in New Hampshire tonight. Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah. And as we noted earlier, Nikki Haley really seemed to temper expectations but saying that she will continue on with this campaign
regardless of what happens today. We shall see that. Boris, thank you.
Alayna, you've been following the Trump campaign closely. What do you know about their current mood right now?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: Well, Bianna, they are definitely expecting to win in New Hampshire tonight. The question, though, that they're asking
each other and are trying to learn is, how big will the margins be? And that's really the key here.
You heard Donald Trump, you played that sound earlier of him telling voters, you need to turn out for me. Don't listen to the polls. Don't look
at my commanding lead. Please turn out in a big way because margins matter. And that is definitely the mood that I'm hearing from my conversations with
them.
Another question as well is there have been some concerns about what New Hampshire will look like because of Nikki Haley's rise in the state over
the past several weeks, especially among independents or as New Hampshire calls them, undeclared voters. They are able to participate in this primary
and many of those people, really, are coming out for Nikki Haley.
And actually, I spoke with many people here in Nashua at this polling location at Amherst Elementary School. I talked to some voters as they
exited the polling location and it's been pretty surprising, Bianna.
The majority of people I've spoken with -- I've talked to about 20 people now -- have said that they voted for Nikki Haley. There's a wide range of
people from independent voters to Trump voters. There are some people, as well, who said that they voted for Donald Trump in the past but this
election, they voted for Nikki Haley. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TREENE: Who did you vote for today?
UNKNOWN: Nikki Haley.
TREENE: Nikki Haley. Can I ask why?
UNKNOWN: I think she has the best chance of going against Biden. Yeah. So, I was a Trump supporter for many years and now I'm a Haley fan.
TREENE: What made you switch your support from Trump to Haley?
UNKNOWN: Youth. Looking for youth.
TREENE: Looking for youth.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TREENE: Now, Bianna, from the different range of people I spoke with, some had said that they are voting for Nikki Haley because they're concerned
about both Biden and Donald Trump's age. Others said that Donald Trump is surrounded by chaos, and that's why they changed their vote.
And it's interesting. That is the same type of arguments we've actually heard from Nikki Haley repeatedly on the campaign trail. And it's
resonating clearly with some of the voters here in Nashua.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, resonating with voters, something that Nikki Haley has been really doubling down on for both President Biden and former President
Trump -- their age and their mental acuity, as well. Alayna Treene, thank you so much.
Well, Israel is reeling from the single deadliest incident for its military since its invasion of Gaza in late October.
GOLODRYGA: This was the funeral held earlier today for one of 21 soldiers killed Monday. They died in an explosion close to the Israel-Gaza border.
The IDF is saying that it's likely that explosives the soldiers were laying to demolish two buildings went off unexpectedly after a tank protecting the
soldiers was hit by an RPG. Well, Israel's Prime Minister called it one of the most difficult days of the conflict.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: We bow our heads to the memory of our fallen, and yet we do not for a moment stop striving for an
irreplaceable goal -- the achievement of absolute victory. Together we will fight, and together we will win.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: All of this has worked towards a ceasefire continues. A CNN Analyst says Israeli officials are optimistic about a two-month ceasefire
deal offered to Hamas through Egypt and Qatar. CNN has also learned that Israel even proposed that senior Hamas leaders be allowed to lead Gaza as
part of a broader ceasefire agreement.
Alex Marquardt joins us from Washington with the details. Alex, you broke that second story for us this morning. Give us more insights into what it
entails and what the reaction has been thus far.
ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bianna, for almost four months now, we've heard senior Israeli officials saying
that the goal of this war is complete victory over Hamas, it's eradicating Hamas, but clearly the pressure is growing on Netanyahu and his government
to come up with some kind of deal for the hostages to be released, and that would likely entail a ceasefire.
What I'm told, one of the new proposals that the Israeli Intelligence Chief David Barnea has proposed to his American counterpart, the CIA Director
Bill Burns.
[12:10:00]
This has also been raised in the last few weeks to Secretary Blinken when he was visiting Qatar -- is that Hamas's leaders in Gaza could leave the
Gaza Strip. This is an Israeli proposal. It would be incredible to think of the perpetrators, the architects really of the most deadly day in Israeli
history, essentially being allowed to leave Gaza.
But this would obviously benefit Israel, as well. It would weaken Hamas in the Gaza Strip. It would essentially lure them out of the tunnels if they
were to go somewhere else, Israel could certainly target them elsewhere. We know that Israel is planning a global campaign to target Hamas leaders
around the world. They killed a senior Hamas leader in Beirut earlier this month.
So, this is something that is under discussion. It really does speak to the pressure pressure that Netanyahu is feeling. It also speaks to the lack of
progress that Israel has made against Hamas in these past four months. The most senior leaders of Hamas in Gaza, including Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed
Deif, who is the military commander. They are still alive, along with their top deputies. Some 70 percent of the Hamas fighting force is still on the
battlefield, according to Israel's own estimates.
So, this is a proposal that has been made but it is something that Hamas is not expected to accept. Netanyahu -- sorry -- Blinken was told that in his
meeting in Doha in conversations with U.S. officials, international officials, and told that Sinwar and Daif and others.
These are true believers, these are ideologues, these are people who, if they're going to die, they want to die fighting their sworn enemy. But
Bianna, it is still remarkable to consider the fact that Israel would even allow or think about allowing these officials to leave Gaza. Bianna.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, it gives you a state of just the tension within the Israeli government there and the war cabinet about where this war is going
and what the prospects are of finishing it with the hostages all coming home sooner rather than later. Alex Marquardt, thank you.
GOLODRYGA: Well, the U.S. and the U.K. plan to announce new sanctions against the Houthis in the coming days, according to Prime Minister Rishi
Sunak. This comes after American and British forces carried out a fresh round of strikes against the Iran-backed group in Yemen on Monday.
GOLODRYGA: This is now the eighth round of attacks by the U.S. and its allies on the Houthis infrastructure in just over 10 days. The aim is to
stop Houthi attacks on vessels in the Red Sea.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RISHI SUNAK, U.K. PRIME MINISTER: We are not seeking a confrontation. We urge the Houthis and those who enable them to stop these illegal and
unacceptable attacks. But if necessary, the United Kingdom will not hesitate to respond again in self-defense. We cannot stand by and allow
these attacks to go unchallenged. Inaction is also a choice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: The leader of the Houthis says the recent attacks against his group will only make Yemenis stronger and more determined to fight back.
So, let's bring in David Horowitz, the Editor of "The Times of Israel" to discuss all of this. Obviously, David, a really solemn day in Israel, the
worst day for the IDF since the war began, the loss of 21 soldiers, it appears, and one tragic incident there. How is that impacting any sort of
progress being made? And as we talked to Alex about, not one, but two potential deals to at least pause the fighting for an extended period of
time. Any development in bringing the hostages home?
DAVID HOROVITZ, EDITOR, "THE TIMES OF ISRAEL": Hi Bianna. Indeed, the worst single incident. Also, about half of the soldiers who died are reservists
in the -- in age 30 and more. In other words, it's older people who were called back into the army. The entire 21 who were killed were members of
the reserves not standing on it.
And sources striking was very close to the Israeli border but maybe 600 yards from the Israeli border where a Hamas Rocket Propelled Grenade or two
hit a building where the soldiers were preparing to demolish. Because of its proximity to the border, it underlines that Hamas is very potent still
and very capable close to the Israeli border, where tens of thousands of people have been evacuated and cannot return.
So, in terms of hostages and ceasefires and so on and the progress of the war, I don't think this impacts the progress of the war. The way the prime
minister put it, Netanyahu put it, we bow our heads as you reported and continue to absolute victory.
Israel is determined to dismantle Hamas in terms of its capacity to pose a threat in the future. And that goal remains undimmed. But at the same time,
there are over 130 hostages held in Gaza. And I think that the sort of general sense in the Israeli leadership has become.
[12:15:00]
You know, we may have to fight Hamas for a very long time, but the lives of these hostages is incredibly urgent. You know, some of them, you know, we
know many are dead, unfortunately, and we know that others -- their lives are in real danger. So, that's a kind of priority along with that priority
of dismantling Hamas.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, and the families of so many of these hostages and Israelis in general, wanting to make this story and their return home a top
priority. And that's becoming a real tension point, not only between the Prime Minister and these family members and those who are turning out
Israelis day by day and protesting for their release, but also within the war cabinet itself, as we're starting to see publicly some differences in
questioning the future and direction of this war, what the strategy really is and what the priorities are.
There are those that say explicitly, like Gadi Eisenkot, that the priority should be the release of the hostages. That doesn't seem to be the
consensus, though, within this war cabinet, is it?
HOROVITZ: You're right that there are divisions there. I would say Netanyahu -- his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant are adamant that the only
way to turn up the pressure on Hamas and secure the release of the hostages is to continue the military action, all be it with the readiness.
And Israel as you reported has been proposing very, very far-reaching potential deals. Whereas, Benny Gantz, the leader of the Gadi Eisenkot
Party which is more a Centrist Party have been stressing over and over really the top priority -- the way they see it is somehow getting back the
hostages and making the point that the goal -- the other goal of the war dismantling Hamas. You know, that may take a long time and must not be
stopped.
I suppose the key point to make is none of these ministers with their slightly different views are recommending an end to the war. We're talking
about, you know, short-term ceasefires or slightly longer ceasefires and the terms and the priorities.
But when you talk about 130 hostages who need to be brought home, you're also bearing in mind that at the moment tens of thousands of Israelis in
Israel are displaced and cannot go home and won't be able to do so unless Hamas is radically weakened or dismantled as a military force.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, you're talking about a quarter of a million Israelis displaced at this point, whether it's in the north of the country or
obviously there are in the south, a really important point to focus on and highlight.
David, in all of these negotiations and potential deals which we report almost -- but daily -- something else is proposed whether it's through
Egypt, whether it's through Qatar, whether it's even through the Israelis themselves. Where is Hamas in all of this? Because even in this latest
report by "Axios" that Israel may be willing for a two-month pause in fighting, the latest headline suggests that Hamas has rejected this
proposal. What are you hearing?
HOROVITZ: All right. So, we're not sure about that. There is a report indeed transferred by an Egyptian official who says they've rejected it.
The Israeli official line is they've not been told that. But the bigger question you're asking, I think, if you're into sort of Hamas' mindset,
what is Yahya Sinwar thinking, I think he wants to believe that he can see this through, that he can survive.
Israel has indeed largely eliminated Hamas as a fighting force in northern Gaza. But southern Gaza is much more complicated, that maybe where Sinwar
is hiding out and Khan Younis may be surrounded by hostages. That's the focus of the fighting right now. And beyond that, Israel has yet to get to
Rafah at the southern tip of the Gaza Strip, on the border with Egypt.
Netanyahu has said, if we cannot ensure that that border is, if you like, immune to arms smuggling, then any effort to dismantle Hamas and
demilitarize Gaza will be temporary. So that, you know, bringing security, if you like, to the Egypt-Gaza border is another war goal that requires
negotiation with Egypt. That's incredibly complicated. And like I say, the Israeli army hasn't even begun really to focus on that southernmost part of
Gaza yet.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, and it's hard to square everything you just laid out there, especially that last point focusing on southern Gaza with what we
heard from the IDF and their official news stance just a few weeks ago that they've entered a less intense phase of the fighting. David Horvitz, it's
good to see you. Thank you so much for joining us. Please come back soon.
HORVITZ: Thank you.
GOLODRYGA: Well, coming up for us, if a ceasefire does take hold in Gaza, will the hundreds of thousands of displaced people even have a home to
return to? The toll of the relentless shelling -- that's coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:22:11]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Those are the cries of God is great as a young boy is pulled from the rubble of a destroyed home in Rafah. Gaza Civil Defense released
the video saying that the home was hit by an Israeli airstrike. Israel is engaged in fierce fighting at Khan Younis where the U.N. humanitarian
affairs office says that the situation around hospitals is deteriorating. Ben Wedeman has that story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): By hand they bury the white shrouded body of a young girl on the grounds of the
Nasr Hospital in Khan Younis. The soft sand at the hospital, one of the only safe places to put the dead to rest. The girl suffocated, they
couldn't save her, says her grandmother Saadiyya Abut Aiman.
Khan Younis is now the focus of Israel's offensive in Gaza, where Israel believes some of the hostages as well as some of Hamas' leaders are
located, but after weeks of intense operations, they found neither.
The war is well into its fourth month. Israeli leaders warn it could go on until year's end. The prospect of an early halt to fighting brushed aside
by the White House.
JOHN KIRBY, NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL SPOKESMAN: -- ceasefire is going to be to the benefit of anybody but Hamas.
WEDEMAN (voice-over): Some in Gaza might beg to differ. Israeli forces have pulled out, for now, from parts of central Gaza. In the Nusayrat refugee
camp, people search for what's left of their shattered lives. Or perhaps just scraps of firewood.
Hundreds of thousands have taken refuge in now overcrowded U.N. schools. Officials warn that lack of sanitation, clean water, medicine and proper
shelter is leading to the spread of disease. Um Hamad fled here with her family, only to find no space.
Where's their shelter where we can stay, she asks. We're not the Hamas people they're talking about. We just want to live like everyone else. By
El Brej camp at another U.N. shelter, schoolbooks keep the fire going to cook a meal. It was a nightmare here while the fighting raged nearby, a
nightmare that for some isn't over.
My father's gone -- my father, the pillar of my life is gone, says 11-year- old Karam Hussein. How can I live without him after the war? His father's body and others lies in Gaza's soft sand behind the school. No gravestone,
just names spray-painted on the wall. Ben Wedeman, CNN, reporting from Beirut.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: All right. Thanks to Ben Wedeman for that report.
[12:25:00]
Well, coming up for us, there's one more hurdle standing between Donald Trump and the U.S. Republican presidential nomination, and her name is
Nikki Haley. She may be a long shot, but her supporters in New Hampshire say it's too early to count her out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PETE BURDETT, NEW HAMPSHIRE REPUBLICAN VOTER: I think there's a very real opportunity for Nikki to squeak out a percentage point on top of Trump. And
wouldn't that shake the rafters?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We started off with 13 and now we're down to two people. And I think one person will be gone probably tomorrow.
HALEY: America doesn't do coronations. We believe in choices. We believe in democracy, and we believe in freedom.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GOLODRYGA: Welcome back to "One World". I'm Bianna Golodryga. Donald Trump is hoping to all but lock in the U.S. Republican presidential nomination
with a win in New Hampshire. Voters there are casting their ballots today in the nation's first primary of the season. But as you just saw, Nikki
Haley has been barnstorming the state in an uphill battle against the former President.
Earlier, CNN's John King spoke to voters about who they will be supporting and why.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Late morning off the dock, gone maybe one day, maybe two or more.
KING: That's where your fish come from.
KING (voice-over): Andrew Konchek's job depends on the water and the weather.
ANDREW KONCHEK, NEW HAMPSHIRE REPUBLICAN VOTER: Yeah, it's a little colder.
[12:30:00]
Definitely a little colder. But I, you know, you get used to it.
KING (voice-over): -- drops these gill nets overnight, pulls them out in the morning. Konchek was likely Trump, but looking at Ron DeSantis.
KONCHECK: I'd have to like, look into it more.
KING (voice-over): Now, time to choose.
KONCHEK: I'm with Trump because he supports fishermen, you know, and this obviously is my livelihood.
KING (voice-over): Loyal to Trump despite stuff that offends him.
KONCHECK: I don't li the way that he speaks sometimes. He could be a little ignorant and rude.
KING (voice-over): Loyal to Trump despite a wife who backs Nikki Haley.
KING: When you hung your Trump flag, what did she say?
KONCHECK: She said I was ruining Christmas and wanted me to take it down. And she took it down and then I put it back up.
KING (voice-over): Pete Burdett's Haley sign is surrounded by snow now. Same spot as when we visited in September. Haley was a long shot then,
perhaps the only shot to stop Trump now.
KING: She has Trump's attention.
BURDETT: Well, she certainly does. I think there's a very real opportunity for Nikki to squeak out a percentage point on top of Trump. And wouldn't
that shake the rafters?
KING (voice-over): To Burdett, a no-brainer.
BURDETT: Who really can beat Biden? Who lost to Biden last time? Trump did.
KING (voice-over): The possibility is obvious, but so are the challenges. Trouble winning over Chris Christie voters because she says she would
pardon Trump. Trouble winning over independents like Stanley Tremblay. Tremblay told us in September his disgust with both parties makes him a
likely third party voter in November. He could still help Haley Tuesday, but took a break from trivia night at his Nashua Brewery to make clear he
won't.
KING: I know you're not a Trump fan. Fair?
STANLEY TREMBLAY, NEW HAMPSHIRE INDEPENDENT VOTER: Yep, fair.
KING: If you came off the sidelines, you could help Nikki Haley.
TREMBLAY: I could. I could.
KING: But you don't see it as worth it. Why?
TREMBLAY: Because I don't really, I don't feel like I trust her enough yet to be able to give her my vote.
KING: Trump's resilience infuriates his critics. Yes, many supporters imitate his crude tactics and repeat his lies. But it's not that simple.
KING: Who won the 2020 election?
DEBBIE KATSANOS, NEW HAMPSHIRE REPUBLICAN VOTER: Oh, it was Biden.
KING (voice-over): Debbie Katsanos is an accountant, voted for Bill Clinton twice, but is a Trump Republican now.
KING: What are the one or two things you want the federal government to do ASAP?
KATSANOS: Close the border and get this economy going.
KING (voice-over): Not a Joe Biden fan.
KATSANOS: He's gotten big caught in a lot of lies. I didn't like him as a politician.
KING: Got caught in a lot of lies?
KATSANOS: Yep.
KING: Trump's not known as the world's greatest truth-teller.
KATSANOS: No.
KING: So, why is it disqualifying for Biden, but it's okay for Trump?
KATSANOS: I don't like politicians. And I don't think Trump's -- I don't think one term made him a politician, because I stilI --I don't think he
plays the game.
KING (voice-over): That is the code Trump critics have yet to crack. His support among those who don't deny election results, those who don't like
the drama, but do like the policy.
DEVEN MCLVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE REPUBLICAN VOTER: I know he'll fix the border. He'll work on the economy. With Trump, I was doing pretty good. I was able
to save more.
KING (voice-over): The more north you go, the more New Hampshire voters on the Trump train. Deven Mclver works construction, turning giant slabs of
rock into gravel.
MCLVER: This is all the prep work before the busy season.
KING (voice-over): In 2008, an Obama voter, a Trump supporter since the 2016 primary here.
KING: If he gets convicted of mishandling classified documents, you can go to jail for that.
MCLVER: Then he goes to jail. I guess he won't be President.
KING: Yes, so, Trump voter, but with eyes wide open.
MCLVER: He is definitely different. Sometimes he's not his own best friend. He's different.
KING: But that's what I was getting at when I was asking you about the price of admission. I mean, yeah, there's a lot extra that comes with it.
MCLVER: It's a show.
KING: And that doesn't bother you?
MCLVER: No, no, because we have other branches of government to deal with it. They can keep him in line. He can't have everything he wants.
KING: McIver makes $40,000 a year. Just enough, he says, to take care of his family and save a little. Another Trump tax cut for his boss, he says,
would be worth all the Trump chaos.
MCLVER: If the business climate is better towards people like him, I do better. If you hit them harder with taxes, it takes away from me.
KING (voice-over): Andrew Konchek shares that same blue collar bottom line.
KING: You think it's over if he wins here?
KONCHEK: Yeah. Oh yeah.
KING (voice-over): Trump, he believes, will win the primary, win in November, and save his job.
KONCHECK: He's kind of a bully, I'll give you that.
KING: But you think he fights for you?
KONCHEK: I do. No. Yep.
KING (voice-over): So, it's worth all the drama if it keeps him on the water. John King, CNN, Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: Time now for The Exchange and my conversation with Nathan Gonzalez. He's the Editor and Publisher of "Inside Elections" and he joins
me now live from Washington. Nathan, great to see you. I know you were listening in to John King's piece there. He always does such a fascinating
job of giving us a glimpse at American voters and their top priorities in their lives. Wondering, from what you've just heard there, how worried
should Nikki Haley be about the end result from today?
[12:35:00]
NATHAN GONZALES, EDITOR AND PUBLISHER, "INSIDE ELECTIONS": Very worried. Very worried. And not just because John isn't behind heavy machinery, but
very worried because those are the types of those voters -- a lot of them recognized some of Trump's faults and were willing to still vote for him
and still support him. And that's why it's very difficult for Haley even if she does better than expected tonight.
Let's say, you know, the one voter said she might squeak out a win. Let's say that happens, that doesn't mean this race has totally changed because
the rest of the states including South Carolina have more favorable electorates to Trump and I think more of those voters who are willing to
accept the weaknesses or things they don't like about Trump and yet still support him for another term.
GOLODRYGA: We do know that undeclared voters constitute about 40 percent of the electorate in New Hampshire which makes that state that has brought
surprises. In the past notably in 2000 with John McCain, 2008 with Hillary Clinton. How important is it if Nikki even does come in second here, if
she's able to keep Donald Trump under 50 percent?
GONZALES: You know, the specific margin -- I think most people are probably looking at double digits or less. So if she's -- if she can keep him under
50 percent and less than and into a single digit loss for her, then you know, maybe she could continue on a little bit longer. But again the --
maybe the misconception that some people have is that, well, if she can get to South Carolina. But South Carolina, even though it's her home state, the
electorate is more favorable to Trump.
And we have to remember that South Carolina is a month from now and February 24th. That's a long time to try to keep donors engaged and keep
your campaign going while answering the questions of, well, is there really a path to victory?
GOLODRYGA: How will Ron DeSantis' withdrawal impact the turnout today and ultimately who wins? We know he's come out quickly and endorsed Donald
Trump, though there's obviously clearly some tension between the two.
GONZALES: Yeah, it doesn't help. DeSantis getting out actually doesn't help Nikki Haley because a majority of DeSantis supporters are going to go to
Trump. Now, he wasn't doing well. He wasn't slated to do well in New Hampshire. That's part of the reason why he dropped out.
But Chris Christie was doing better than -- he was probably going to finish second or third in New Hampshire and he dropped out. But it's not -- still
not enough, I think, to change the ultimate dynamic of the race of Trump being the front- runner.
GOLODRYGA: You know, one thing we keep hearing not only from our reporters but also from analysts who've been following this closely is that there
doesn't seem to be much enthusiasm surrounding this primary for whatever reason. I mean, I know we'll be looking at the turnout. Perhaps the turnout
will be larger than it was in Iowa. The weather conditions seem to be somewhat fair today. But what do you make of this characterization of this
primary, this Republican primary, lacking enthusiasm? What does that tell you?
GONZALES: Well, I think that there's some fatigue. I mean, there's fatigue overall with the expectation or the possibility that the same two old white
guys are going to battle it out when we get to November. And I think some of that carries over. Trump supporters, he has a hardcore group of
supporters that are going to turn out no matter what the weather and the circumstance.
But there's also some of his supporters that feel and talk a lot like the ones that John talked to who are not excited. They're still going to
support him, but they may not -- they're probably not as excited as what they were in 2016 or in 2020. But ultimately, it boils down to whether
you're excited or not, as long as they turn out, then Trump is going to ultimately be the nominee.
GOLODRYGA: It was interesting to look at our recent polling of New Hampshire GOP voters in terms of what their most important issues were. And
at the top was border security, followed by democracy, and at the very bottom was the economy -- just eight percent.
It's typically the economy that brings voters to the polls, their primary number one issue. Again, this was a survey of Republican voters in New
Hampshire. But does any of that surprise you, and what does it say that border security is at the top?
GONZALES: Well, it's not a surprise that border security is so high because that is something that not just President Trump, but also Republicans on
Capitol Hill have been talking about for months and are going to continue to talk about. I'm a little surprised that in this particular poll, the
economy ranks so low, but things like the border, it's also an economic issue, right? It's a security issue. It's a foreign policy issue. It's a
lot of things wrapped up into one. And I still believe that when we get to the general election, that we're going to have a -- election that's focused
on the economy because that's what we usually have.
And then it will depend on how do voters feel about the economy. The Biden administration wants to talk about GDP and numbers and unemployment, and
that's all well and good. But if voters don't feel like the economy is getting better, then President Biden is going to have a tough time getting
re-elected.
[12:40:00]
GOLODRYGA: There may be a conflict here, because you do have, if border security is a number one issue, you have the President willing to make a
deal with Republicans on this issue and top Republican Senate leaders are saying this is a deal that's worth making and Donald Trump is really
pushing the Speaker's hand not to do this.
So, ultimately, I don't know, there may be diverging interests here, but it is notable that if there's a deal at hand, if Republicans do worry that
this is a primary issue and it's not resolved within the year, who's going to get blamed for that? We shall see. Nathan Gonzalez, thank you so much
for your time.
GONZALES: Thank you. Good to see you.
GOLODRYGA: Well, coming up for us, a new round of Russian attacks comes as Ukraine is dealing with a dwindling supply of ammunition. What some troops
on the front lines are enduring -- that's up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: Well, Russia unleashed a wave of missile strikes across Ukraine on Tuesday. Reuters is reporting at least seven people were killed and
dozens wounded. A Ukrainian official says that one of those strikes hit a gas pipeline in the Kharkiv region. A school was also struck in the area.
The capital, Kyiv, is also coming under attack as well, with missiles hitting two high-rise buildings and a home. People tried to stay safe
wherever they could, including in the subway, as you see in this photo.
Well, the wave of Russian attacks comes as supplies and ammunition are running low for Ukrainian forces. CNN's Fred Pleitgen takes a closer look
at the desperate situation on the ground.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FRED PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Artillery is key as Ukrainian forces try to hold off massive Russian
assaults on the Eastern front. But Kyiv's ammo shortages are getting worse by the day. This U.S.-provided M109 Paladin-Hauwitzer near Bakhmut is often
silent because they don't have enough shells to target the Russians, the commander tells me.
We cannot fulfill our tasks 100 percent, he says, although we really want to. My crew and other crews are just waiting for it and are ready to work
around the clock. But it gets even worse. Finally, resupply does arrive, but it's only four rounds. And this type of ammo won't hurt the Russians
much.
[12:45:00]
PLEITGEN: This really illustrates the shortages that Ukrainians have to deal with. Four rounds, that's all they're going to get right now. And by
the way, they're not even explosive rounds, they're smoke rounds.
PLEITGEN (voice-over): These shells will barely explode on impact. It's almost like firing cannon balls in medieval times. But the commander says
sometimes it's all they can do. Every shell that is suitable for the Paladin we use, he says, it's better than no shells.
The Russians face no such shortages in this area. Ukrainian military intelligence believes Russia produced around two million rounds last year
and acquired around one million from North Korea. Massive barrages have laid waste to Bakhmut and much of the surrounding area.
At the headquarters of the 93rd Mechanized Brigade's artillery division, the frustration is palpable. From their drones, they can see the Russians
gathered to continue their assaults on Ukrainian positions, but they often can't take them out because they need to conserve ammunition, the commander
tells me.
The ratio is about 10 to one, he says. Ammunition is very important to us. Russia is a country that produces ammo. They have strategic reserves. Yes,
they use old Soviet but Soviet systems can still kill.
Even without enough ammo, the Ukrainians say they are stopping most Russian assaults here, and the M109 crew did manage to fire at Russian positions.
But they know they'll need a lot more firepower to stop Russian advances. Fred Pleitgen, CNN, near Bakhmut, Ukraine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLODRYGA: All right, thanks to Fred for that report. Well, it is Oscar season and the nominations are out. We'll tell you which films are leading
the pack and who was snubbed, straight ahead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARBIE: What are you doing here?
KEN: I'm coming with you.
BARBIE: Did you bring your roller blades?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GOLODRYGA: Well, the epic film "Oppenheimer" leads among Oscar contenders with 13 nominations after this year's crop was announced in Hollywood
earlier today. As expected, the Christopher Nolan film wowed critics and audiences for its depiction of the making of the first atomic bomb. Many
think Nolan will take home his first Best Director Oscar.
The film, "Poor Things", starring Emma Stone, followed with 11 nods, while Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon" got 10. And "Barbie"
received eight nominations, but not for Director Greta Gerwig or Actress Margot Robbie. Huge snubs. "Barbie" is a production of Warner Brothers
which, like CNN, is part of Warner Brothers Discovery.
[12:50:00]
So, let's go to Rebecca Sun. She is Senior Editor of Diversity and Inclusion at "The Hollywood Reporter". Rebecca, I don't know if this is
Hollywood just trying to stir up drama, but the fact that Barbie didn't get a nomination for Best Actress or Best Director, but instead Ryan Gosling?
And no dig to him. But you know, I don't know if that's irony if you see it or believe it yourself, but I'm wondering your thoughts.
REBECCA SUN, "THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER": I mean, it's a little too perfect, right? A little on the nose, as they say. Yes, personally, I would say I'm
very disappointed because I loved "Barbie" and I think that a big reason, you know, for its success is because of Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie.
I will be fair though and say that America Ferrera from that movie got a surprise nomination for Supporting Actress. So, that does lessen the sting
a little bit.
But you know, the truth is that, you know, both Directing and Best Actress were crowded categories. They were pretty competitive. But I think a more
nuanced point is that it really does show how far we have to go towards the types of movies that are sort of considered, or the types of performances
that are considered awards contenders.
Because "Barbie" is not just about women, it's about a toy that is traditionally for little girls. I do think that a lot of people dismissed
it. They found it to be, you know, lacking in gravitas. And so there is -- I believe that future generations will look back on it and see a little bit
of bias at play as to why Gerwig and Robbie didn't get nominated.
GOLODRYGA: Another surprise nomination, as you just mentioned, with America Ferrera joining Colman Domingo is two Latin American -- Latin actors that
are nominated. In terms of the message that sends, especially this being the first year that the inclusion standards went into effect, give us your
reaction.
SUN: Sure. First, I want to make sure it's clear that the inclusion standards only applied to the Best Picture category.
GOLODRYGA: Okay.
SUN: So you had to -- that's the only category that, you know, where the standards came into play. But yes, it is significant whenever you do have
Latino nominees in the awards, because in the United States, Latinos are the largest minority ethnic or cultural group in our country and are sort
of chronically and disproportionately underrepresented when it comes to awards.
So, it is significant that America Ferrera, who's the child of Honduran immigrants, and Colman Domingo, who is Afro-Latino, were nominated this
year.
GOLODRYGA: If we can just put up that graphic of the Best Supporting Actresses, you know, it does speak volumes about the progress made. Very
talented women, all of them have been in this industry for quite some time, but the impact that this has on Hollywood, on the issue of diversity, on
showcasing talent like this isn't trivial.
SUN: It's not trivial at all. And you know, Best Supporting Actress is traditionally the category that tends to have the most people of color
nominees and that's speaking in very relative terms. And so that does signify a little bit of incremental progress. I would like to see that kind
of diversity trickle upwards into the lead acting categories, but it's really nice to see -- this is two years in a row that women of color have
represented the majority of supporting actresses nominated.
GOLODRYGA: Yeah, let's talk about best actor in a leading role. Bradley Cooper for "Maestro", Colman Domingo for "Rustin", Paul Giamatti for "The
Holdovers", Cillian Murphy -- "Oppenheimer" and Jeffrey Wright for "American Fiction". Who do you see as the odds-on favorite here?
SUN: Cillian Murphy for "Oppenheimer", definitely. I mean, not only does "Oppenheimer" lead in nominations across the board, which is always a nice,
you know, precursor. But Cillian Murphy's been sweeping all of the other awards -- Golden Globes, Critics' Choice. He's widely tipped as the
favorite for SAG. So, he's going to be hard to beat on the strength of that film's momentum.
GOLODRYGA: In Best Picture, "American fiction, "Anatomy of a Fall", "Barbie", "The Holdovers", "Killers of the Moon", "The Flower Moon",
"Maestro", "Oppenheimer", "Past Lives", "Poor Things", "Zone of Interest". You know, I give myself props for at least knowing or seeing three, maybe,
of these films, but there had been a lot of concern about a lack of interest in viewership, not just in the Oscar Awards themselves, but in
film. Is there a sense that things are turning around, especially given the popularity of "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" this year?
SUN: I feel like this is always going to be a year by year basis, but yes, I think because the "Barbenheimer" phenomenon, so to speak, that they sort
of reflected both commercial success as well as now critical acclaim.
[12:55:00]
It does bode pretty well for the Oscars ratings. You could look at the Golden Globes. This year's Globes were the highest rated in recent history,
and I do think a lot of that has to do with all of the big stars in both of those movies turning out for the ceremony.
GOLODRYGA: And unlike the Golden Globes, we do know who the host will be. He is a favorite -- Jimmy Kimmel will be returning to host this year's
Oscars
in history. And I do think a lot of that has to do with all of the big stars in both of those movies turning out for the ceremony. And unlike the
Golden Globes, we do know who the host will be. He is a favorite. Jimmy Kimmel will be returning to host this year's Oscars. We will be watching.
Thank you, Rebecca Sun. Great to see you.
SUN: Thank you so much.
GOLODRYGA: And that does it for this hour of "One World". I'm Bianna Golodryga. Thank you so much for watching. Amanpour is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
