impressed by that. jennifer, thanks very much for all that good work. that's it for me. thanks very much for watching. i'm wolf blitz eer in "the situation room." "erin burnett outfront" starts right now. next, breaking news. a new cnn poll releasing at this moment. is race between clinton and sanders even tighter? plus, donald trump threatening to boycott thursday's debate. is he going to walk? michael bloomberg for president. could the race come down to the battle of billionaires? let's go "outfront." good evening. i'm erin burnett. we begin with breaking news. bernie sanders closing in on hillary clinton. this is a new national poll we are just releasing here on cnn.

it comes as sanders and clinton are in final preparations for the cnn presidential town hall. you can see live pictures of the stage. this will be sanders and clinton's last chance to state their case to voters before the iowa caucuses. clinton's once lead narrowing under the sanders' surge. clinton leading sanders and she is leading still 52% to 38%. clinton leading among women and non-whites. sanders leads with men and independents. and his lead when it comes to independents is nearly 35 points over clinton, as you can see on the screen there. 35-point lead. more breaking news tonight. we want to show you live pictures from new hampshire. in a few moments, donald trump is going to be appearing at that podium.

he said the republican establishment is starting to get on board with his campaign. >> you know, look. at a certain point, you've got to make deals. we can't have a guy who stands in the middle of the senate floor and not every other senator thinks he's a whack job, right? >> we begin with the breaking poll news. brianna keilar at the town hall. what else stands out in this poll? >> reporter: it's pretty interesting, erin, because one of the big questions about how these candidates will fare has to do with enthusiasm. check out where hillary clinton is now compared to where she was in september. 43% in september. she's dropped to 37%. it's a four-point, five-point margin of error. bernie sanders, when you look at his numbers, he is largely unchanged there. but look at the number of voters who have a negative view of these candidates. if you ask democrats about this, 20% say they have an unfavorable

view of hillary clinton. 12% say they have an unfavorable view of bernie sanders. broaden that out to all americans. 52% say they have an unfavorable view of hillary clinton. 33% have an unfavorable view of bernie sanders. far away they'll say hillary clinton, whether it is the economy or foreign policy or health care or guns. that's really the question. does this overwhelming belief that most democrats believe hillary clinton will beat bernie sanders, does that play out in her favor enough to make up the fact that he may have more enthusiasm than her, erin? >> thank you very much. more enthusiasm and more li likeability, i guess. iowa just a week away. he is looking for a knockout punch against ted cruz.

he is starting to look and sound like a candidate who is focused on the general election. >> reporter: first-time politician donald trump is starting to find a comfort zone being a candidate. going to an iowa church on sunday. >> we talked about humility at church today. i don't know if that was aimed at me. perhaps. >> reporter: everyone eschewing the trump tower staying at a holiday inn in iowa. >> i thought it was terrific. it was clean and the bed was good. the establishment actually is against me, but really coming online because they see me as opposed to cruz who is a nasty guy who can't get along with anybody. >> reporter: listen to trump here as he talks with wolf blitzer today about his biggest competition, ted cruz. >> you have to make deals. you have to get along. that's the purpose of what our founders created.

and ted cannot get along with anybody. >> reporter: not to say trump isn't also still stoking controversy with comments other candidates wouldn't dare say, like this other the weekend. >> i could stand in the middle of fifth avenue and shoot somebody and i wouldn't lose any voters, okay? it's like incredible. >> reporter: as for cruz, he's using humor to expose trump's weak spots. >> we are standing on the promises of second chronicles 7:14. if my people -- well, you know, two corinthians walk into a bar. >> reporter: cruz is picking up endorsements he hopes will propel him to victory in iowa. glenn beck and former texas governor rick perry. >> ted is the leader we need to reignite the promise of america. it's why i'm supporting ted cruz. >> reporter: trump helped push

perry to an early exit from the 2016 presidential race. though perry was never a big fan of cruz, he despises trump. so ted cruz is now his friend. that as an old high school video of cruz talking about his aspirations caught fire on the internet. one that speaks for itself. >> is that like sweat on my butt? what i want to do in life? my aspiration is to take over the world, world domination, rule everything, rich, powerful, that sort of stuff. >> the cruz campaign is trying to laugh that off saying even as a teenager he had a sense of humor. >> ha, ha, ha. the finally debate before iowa is thursday, but this could be a night of drama. donald trump says he may not actually be there? >> that's what he told wolf

today because meagan kelly is a moderator. trump says he doesn't like her. she probably doesn't like him. he said that depends on how he's treated, but he won't say exactly what that means. there's drama. >> that's right. so long as he actually does show up. thank you very much. i want to go now to the national co-chair of ted cruz's campaign and the author of the new book "what america needs, the case for trump." you just heard dana talking about this drama. donald trump says one of the moderators shouldn't be there because of their now infamous tussle. will he walk? or is he crazy to even threaten it? >> as i've been trying to explain for months, donald trump is not crazy even though people seem to think he is.

he's a very smart guy. frankly, i have no idea what he's going to do here, but he's already building up the drama. will he or will he not show? if he's on stage, will he say one thing or will he say another? he's sort of crazy like a fox. >> bob, speaking of this, this comes down to iowa. it's now a week away, and the latest polls shows in just two weeks ted cruz is 11 points behind donald trump. other polls show double digit leads for trump. are these polls wrong? >> we'll find out a week from tonight. i like where ted cruz is positioned. i've been to these caucuses before with huckabee and santorum. the polls are modelling expectations of 250,000, 350,000 caucus goers in the republican party. any serious person would say there's no way that's going to

happen. maybe 150, maybe 160. so i think right now the real poll is going to be a week from tonight. it's all going to come out to be a turnout game. >> that is what it is going to come out today. without that extra turnout, donald trump does not do as well and could lose to ted cruz. he talked about if he could lose in iowa and here's how he put it. >> i'd love to win iowa. if i don't win it, i don't win it. i go to new hampshire. iowa is very important to me. >> this is not -- just in that one little clip -- it's one little clip, but for that clip it is a soft spoken donald trump admitting he might not win, even though he wants to. he thinks it is possible he could lose iowa. >> donald trump is nothing if not practical here. he could win. he could lose. he'll go on.

that is in fact what happened to ronald reagan. everybody thought he is going to win. he lost to george h.w. bush. as a matter of fact, he lost some more states after that to george h.w. bush. and the thing finally wasn't over until, i think, may. anything could happen here and what donald trump is showing right there is a real glimpse of how realistic and how practical he can be and determined. he'll go on regardless. >> you heard donald trump say he stayed at a holiday inn express and say it was great. are these the kind of things at the last moment that are really going to make a difference? this is a guy who hasn't spent a lot of nights in iowa. push come to shove, he is there. >> he's now embracing the establishment saying he's the one who's going to make deals. he's saying ted cruz is nasty guy when ted cruz has 78%

approval rating. i think the iowa people are clear enough to see through that. they want a principled, consistent pro-family conservative to be the caucus winner to be the nominee. >> jeff, i have to read this to you because it's heating up. fox has responded to donald trump right here on twitter. a fox spokesperson saying, we're very surprised he's willing to show that much fear about being questioned by megyn kelly. how is donald trump going to respond to this? >> did roger hale write this out? >> i'm sure he did. >> we'll see what happens. >> thank you both very much. we will see what will happen. outfront next, young voters flocking to bernie sanders. why they are picking him over

hillary clinton. our report from the ground. plus, president obama picks sides in the democratic race. breaking news, a texas grand jury making a stunning decision about planned parenthood tonight. if you have moderate to severe plaque psoriasis... isn't it time to let the real you shine through? introducing otezla, apremilast. otezla is not an injection, or a cream. it's a pill that treats plaque psoriasis differently. some people who took otezla saw 75% clearer skin after 4 months. and otezla's prescribing information has no requirement for routine lab monitoring. don't take otezla if you are allergic to any of its ingredients. otezla may increase the risk of depression. tell your doctor if you have a history of depression or suicidal thoughts, or if these feelings develop.

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a new cnn poll released at the top of the hour showing sanders lead over hillary clinton narrowing. sanders is winning younger voters and clearly so and these voters may make all the difference. >> reporter: bernie sanders is the oldest contender in the presidential race, but he's drawing some of the youngest supporters on the campaign trail. this young army could determine whether he's able to slow or even stop hillary clinton's march to the democratic nomination. >> our campaign has the energy, has the excitement, is bringing young people, is bringing working people into it. >> reporter: but clinton is trying to sway sanders' supporters of all ages, at times patiently. >> i know some of you are still shopping. i like to shop too. >> reporter: it's an open question whether young voters will take part in the iowa caucuses. sanders is challenging his

followers to prove him wrong with a controversial website. they say you don't care. they say bernie won't win. >> that's all that's coming off. nothing more. >> reporter: your crowds seem younger than other candidates in this race. why is that? >> because i'm a young, energet energetic, vital person. i think young people by nature are idealistic. >> reporter: he doesn't talk like them and he doesn't dance like them. but he seems to be speaking their language from free college tuition to income inequality to criminal justice reform. it's supporters like kaley gray fueling his rise. she's a 20-year-old college student volunteering night and day for sanders. >> bernie has been saying the

same thing for decades. >> reporter: the clinton campaign is urging voters to look beyond sanders' promises. they've brought a parade of celebrities to make the case. >> so much change could happen. let's go hillary. >> reporter: but it's sanders who has become a pop cult figure showing up on t-shirts and merchandise of all kinds. >> bernie sanders is america's uncle. >> reporter: the loyalty has taken sanders and his wife by surprise. >> he's always been popular. when he was mayor, he was very popular among young people. but hip i never expected. >> is that a word that you would put to it? i see paintings of you all over the place. >> no, i've got to admit i'm not the hippest guy around. >> now bernie sanders may not be the hippest guy around, but if elected, he would be the oldest president. he could be six years older than

ronald reagan when he was sworn into office. will all these young supporters turn out and back bernie sanders in the iowa caucuses and will that set the tone for the rest of the campaign? >> thank you. let's go to gloria borger, our chief political analyst, and the editor of "the daily beast." there's something about him that's so endearing about him, right? you see celebrities something for clinton. the people staying up all night is that 20-year-old young lady saying she's going for bernie sanders. why can't clinton match that excitement? why is it bernie sanders, the oldest guy ever, is the guy the young people love? >> his campaign has turned into a cause. because he's been liberated from the obligation to present a governing agenda, he entered this race as a protest candidate

who is going to be idea logicallodg -- dee -- pure. >> they didn't know bernie sanders. even though he's been around forever, he's been in congress. he's in the senate. these young voters are looking at bernie sanders for the first time whereas hillary clinton they've seen over and over and over again. she's famous and he wasn't. so they think of him somehow as new. fresh. >> he's theirs. >> right, exactly. >> this is an under 50. >> i'll define young that way. >> if you go younger than that, the lead gets bigger and bigger.

is he going to get those people to vote? >> that's the huge question. if these people were not participants last time around or maybe participated when barack obama was running, they always disappoint younger voters. they come from three major college towns -- >> this is in iowa specifically, right? >> specifically. that only comprises about 12% of iowa caucus voters. he had to broaden that support throughout the caucuses and that's going to be difficult. it's not impossible, but it's not easy because hillary clinton has a very good organization. >> right. she has a good organization. so john, when you look at the poll, we asked democrats if you'd be satisfied if hillary clinton won. yes, absolutely. would you be satisfied if bernie sanders won, 72% for sanders. is that a problem for sanders, because people are fine with

her? they're fine with him. >> i think illustrates something that's fascinating about bernie. a lot of people are supporting bernie because they want to send a message. the question is do we want to send a message to the national democratic party or iowa electing presidents? all their candidates are working with a net. many would be very happy with hillary clinton as the nominee. many assume that hillary clinton will be the nominee, but bernie has their passion. bernie has their hearts right now, but their heads are still somewhat with hillary clinton. >> bernie is making the case to them that he's electable. he isn't just a protest candidate. in some of these head-to-head polls he's a bit like donald trump. both of them stumbled into this with whatever motives and then all of a sudden found out that people actually liked them and are actually passionate about them.

>> and they're both campaigning on electability. both of them are doing it. >> yeah. i've got to say putting polls aside the argument that bernie sanders is more electable than hillary clinton, that is stutou to believe in the land of reality. >> some polls have shown clinton lagging among women. our poll, which is a national poll, is not the case. we've seen her lagging among women in new hampshire. our poll national she is still ahead. here's what she said about it to women voters today. >> i think one of the best things we can do for women's rights is elect the first woman president. i think that would send a very strong signal about where we are in our world here. >> this is something a lot of people, women, find compelling, but a lot of women don't. they say why in this year 2016 would i vote for someone because she is a woman. >> if you go back to 2008, erin, i went back and looked and

hillary clinton barely got 50% of women in the democratic primaries in 2008. so she's clearly using this because she does have an advantage among women, and it's a way for her to get younger women away from bernie sanders, who has those younger voters. when you break it down and you look at middle class suburban moms, they don't necessarily want to vote for hillary clinton. she's talking about women to younger women who really want to see a woman president. >> but who also don't want to vote for someone because they're a woman. they want to vote for the best candidate that happens to be a woman. >> look, that symbolism matters. the best argument she has to turn her campaign into a cause. that magic bernie has tapped into. next, president obama taking

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breaking news. a new poll just out this hour, senator bernie sanders gaining momentum in iowa according to a brand-new poll. clinton's lead over sanders is down dramatically. now just at six points. it comes at a crucial moment. we're just minutes away from the presidential town hall in des moines. i know you've had a chance to speak to voters in iowa. you're going to be in that room in just a few moments. what are they looking for tonight? >> tonight, they're looking for a chance, erin. that's why we designed the town hall the way they did. voters get the opportunity to directly ask what is in their heart, what is on their minds, to the candidates. then we all get to sit back and judge those responses. you know, it's so different. you've interviewed so many big candidates, had so many big people in the chair across from you. they deal with us differently.

if they don't like the premises of your question, they deal with us one way as pros. but with people, it's a different dynamic. they're very engaged. the caucus is a big part of the culture here as well as the political implications and everybody feels that it's close. they feel the choice is very real. as you'll see tonight, many of the viewers are as of yet undecided and that's not by our choosing. that's just by the numbers that were involved in terms of who was submitting questions. >> and in terms of the issues, what is the issue people seem to care about the most? >> you know, that's interesting. i was surprised by what wasn't being asked about as much. this being drake university, a college campus, i expected there to be a lot more of what we usually identify as those issues that go along with college campuses. a lot more environmentalism, a lot more what usually falls outside the usual scope of

intent, but it really was pretty much down the line. people are very interested in economic policy, are very interested in understanding how things will get done. there seems to be an intensity around what we're hearing termed in the elections as establishment. what does that really mean? what can you really do and how given what kind of lack of progress we've seen out of washington, cuomo, thank you v much. let's go to our political commentators. peter, let me start with you. you just heard chris say down the line the economy. 83% of people of democratic voters nationally say income inequality is a crucial issue. who has the upper hand on this issue? >> there's no question bernie sanders does. the reason bernie sanders has been rising a bit over the last

month or two is because national security has dipped since the san bernardino attack, especially among democrats. republicans are more focused on it. democrats are less focused on it. bernie sanders is weaker on those national security issues. as public attention has reshifted towards the economic issues, the class-based issues, that are bernie sanders bread and butter, that's his advantage. >> the voters seem to agree, right? if you look at the polls that we have, iowa and new hampshire, when it comes to the economy, this issue of income equality, those voters support bernie sanders. where did hillary clinton go wrong? >> well, i don't think she went wrong. the campaign hasn't finished yet. believe me. she's, according to chris, maybe getting a little traction on this argument that i've got to make this work in the real world. it's all fine to have theories, but i've got to make this work in the real world.

there was i think an important comment from a nobel prize-winniprize-win iprize-wi prize-winning economist. he said hillary clinton had a better plan. bernie sanders has a tight, focused message. hillary clinton's is more nuancnuanc nuanced. >> she's also got donations from wall street. there's also that. >> barack obama, 20% of the money he raised when he ran for president was from wall street. it didn't stop him from passi i frank dod. there's nothing like sitting down with a voter. both bernie and hillary are really good at just talking to

people. i think it could be a terrific exchange. it may be more substantive than some of the stuffs that you see on the advertisements. >> advertisements that my pac makes. >> i can't believe you just said that. >> we'll edit that out. >> president obama weighed in today on why there is more momentum behind bernie sanders than hillary clinton. >> she has been in the public eye for a long time and in a culture in which new is always better and you're always looking at the bright, shiny object that people haven't seen before -- >> bright, shiny octobbject. i'm sure there's a part of bernie sanders that would be flattered by that. but is that fair? you have the president coming

out behind hillary clinton and backing her. >> they have forged a real connection. this is about as close as he can come. i don't think on the substance it necessarily makes a lot of sense. bernie sanders is not vacuous. he is new to a lot of people, but he has a core message that is resonating to a lot of democrats because a lot of democrats don't think hillary clinton or barack obama were tough enough in the wake of the financial crisis. they still feel betrayed by that, and they want someone who is going to be tougher on the powers that be. >> is there a part of you deeply worried and stressed by these recent polls that have seen such a surge for sanders? >> no. frankly, the only ad we're running is one criticizing ted cruz. we won't attack bernie sanders. we won't. bernie is doing a lot of good for the party. i think ultimately hillary clinton will win.

i'm not worried. she will. iowa and new hampshire are critically important, but they're white liberals. some of my best friends are white liberals, but the democratic party is lot more than the white liberals. once we get more people of color and lgbt people, she's likely to really roll. she's holding her own in new hampshire. i'm pretty impressed that it is dead even. i think bernie has to have the advantage there because he comes out of vermont. a complicated coalition in vermont is putting together ben plus jerry. >> we'll leave it there. i will give you credit for spinning the polls as a positive. that's why we love you, paul. "outfront" next, live pictures of the town hall in iowa. less than 90 minutes from now as we count you down. we also have breaking news at this moment. criminal charges in those

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breaking news tonight. a shocking turn in the investigation into planned parenthood. remember those series of controversial videos that went viral? a grand jury in texas spent months investigating that showed planned parenthood employees discussing selling aborted fetal tissue. this became a major flash point in the republican race for president. tonight, planned parenthood has been cleared of any wrongdoing. the two people behind the videos, the people who went in and got these videos, are the ones being charged. it's a shocking turn. pamela, tell me who is being charged and why? >> this really is a stunning twist here, erin. these are two anti-abortion activists.

they are charged with a second-degree felony. this was released today. the charge is tampering with a governmental record. it's unclear exactly what that record was. the center's director has also been indicted on a misdemeanor here. he secretly recorded the planned parenthood officials. they released these videos last summer. the center says they showed how plann ened parenthood was tryino sell fetal tissue for profit. the videos went viral. they have been the center of this grand jury investigation. planned parenthood has denied these claims and released a statement reacting to the indictments saying these anti-abortion extremists spent three years creating a fake company, creating fake identities, lying and breaking the law when they couldn't find any improper or illegal activity. they made it up. reaction has been swift.

>> this is shocking. what is the response? what is the reaction so far? >> a lot of reaction from texas and one of the people indicted, who was the director of the center, he released a statement today saying the center for medical progress uses the same undercover techniques that investigative journalists have used for decades and has exercised our rights to freedom of speech. we note buying fetal tissue requires a seller as well. the texas governor weighing in here. he's the one that really pushed for this investigation. he says texas will continue to protect life and that today's decision will not impact the ongoing state investigation. we're still waiting to hear from republicans on the campaign trail who have focused on these videos, particularly carly fiorina who refused to back down about some of the content. i imagine responses will

continue to pour in. erin? >> pamela, thank you very much. i want to go to paul cowan. you have somebody who is anti-abortion, goes in, as they say, using the same techniques as investigate journalists. the charges are against the guys who made the tape. is that the same thing as charging a whistle-blower? how does this happen? >> it is. this is really as if the police set up a sting operation and now the police are being arrested. this is an anti-abortion group. it is such a turn of events that people are going to say maybe this is a runaway jury. she's not a republican. the republican governor ordered

the investigation, so it looks political. but on the other hand the da said she respected the decision of the grand jury. das usually say that when they disagree with it, but they have to live with it. is this a runaway grand jury that didn't do what the da wanted? i suspect the answer to that is question. >> a stunning verdict nobody expected whatever your side on this maybe. thank you very much. "outfront" next, we're counting down to the town hall tonight. the democratic candidates, their last chance to make their case directly to voters in iowa. a billionaire not named donald trump who might jump in to the presidential race.

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is the country ready for another billionaire businessman from new york running for president? michael bloomberg thinks they are. he's seriously considering an independent campaign, especially if the general election comes down to a race between the far left and the far right. >> reporter: billionaire businessman, three-term mayor of new york, presidential candidate? frustrated by the poll rise nature of a race rife with anti-business sentiment. >> who is going to be prepared to stand up >> who is going to be prepared

to stand up to the billionaire class? >> and strongly concerned about a president trump or sanders. >> i could stand in the middle of fifth avenue and not lose any voters. it's incredible. >> michael bloomberg weighing a 2016 run as a third party candidate. one of his advantages? having the resources to self-fund his campaign. reportedly to the tune of $1 billion. polls showing self-financing independents have been particularly potent messages for donald trump. >> i would love him to do it, actually. i love the competition. i love the competition. i would love for michael to do it. we used to be friends. i don't think we're friends anymore. >> reporter: in 2015, bloomberg was the eighth richest american worth $37 billion. his wealth coming from a computer system used by just about everyone who sets foot on a wall street trading floor. trump, who says he doesn't believe bloomberg is worth that much, is 121st on that list,

worth $4.5 billion. a democrat turned republican, turned independent with a record of working across party lines in new york city and spending tens of millions on causes like gun control, climate change and immigration. issues that nay also be his biggest road blocks and potentially a major problem for democrats. >> so if he splits the democratic vote, that might be good for republicans. >> reporter: bloomberg's path to the white house if it exists at all, is a tight one. one his advisers say that a strong performance by hillary clinton could close out entirely. >> he's a good friend of mine, and i'm going to do the best i can to make sure that i get the nomination, and we'll go from there. >> reporter: the 73-year-old has been here before, weighing runs in 2008 and 2012. >> number one, i'm not running for president. couldn't be clearer about that. >> if i thought i could win, i would. but you can't win.

i'll be very happy running my company and my foundation. >> reporter: now bloomberg has only a few weeks to figure out if that has changed. erin, in the last couple of months as donald trump and bernie sanders have risen in the policy, bloomberg has been approached by many business sources all calling on him to run. that's what's driving some of this. the big question now, at a time when the electorate is seizing on anger and emotion, can the kre rebral pragmatic bloomberg find a group to appeal to. >> john, editor in chief of daily beast and van jones. they are polarizing enough in terms of democrats and republicans. can he do it? can he win? >> the two parties are more polarized and the american people. if they put forward a bernie sanders who may play in the debates but can't help people in the center. you are going to have a massive

moderate majority of americans who are not represented by the other party, particularly those nominees. in that specific instance, 44% of americans self-identify as independent and 60% want to see a third party, michael bloomberg's self-funding would have a shot. >> this is a gun-heating pro-choice billionaire. he told new mothers they have to breast feed. you can't have formula in hospitals. this is what we're talking about. who would his candidacy hurt more, democrats or republicans? >> first of all, you're 100% right. this only works in a very strange situation. if hillary clinton completely implodes, something crazy happens, she's basically unelectable. >> the e-mails. something could happen there. >> you have to imagine that. and then imagine the republicans nominate someone really like cruz who has no redeeming qualities in the general election. even trump in a general election

can shake up the race. you have two -- you van open highway. otherwise, it's really an exercise in vanity and would hurt democrats. i think bloomberg thinks he's seen as independent. he thinks he is seen by most people in this country as the guy trying to -- >> ultimate northeast liberal opinion. >> he took away the big gulp, banned baby formula. >> he's fiscally conservative, tough on crime. those are aspects of his record and his belief that should appeal to the center right. far right will never give him time. >> you have a billion dollars to make that chairx ase, which is . he looks more like a george soros than the moderate he thinks he is. >> donald trump weighed in. despite being frustrated by the inaccurate net worth of michael bloomberg. >> he's sensitive about that. >> here's what he had to say. >> i would love for michael to do it. we used to be friends. i guess we're not anymore.

we used to be friends, good friends. >> he's taking him seriously. >> first of all it is interesting where it's like, whose stack is bigger than whose stack. this weird thing going on with these guys. here's reality. fundamentally, a bernie sanders campaign can point to this development. you have two billionaires who want to buy the country. it gives another talking point to a bernie sanders going into iowa. i think that in some ways if you are hillary clinton, the fact that he is even talking about this is a judgment against your campaign. if i'm the hillary clinton, i'm frustrated with bloomberg to be coming in saying -- >> why would he be even testing the waters if he thought she had it? >> he made a great point about the optics making bernie sanders' point for him. the break glass scenario. running against hillary clinton would make no sense. the political profile, too much over that. and there's polling that bears that out. if both parties give in to their

fringes, then there's a wide open -- >> to your point, if hillary clinton is doing well and making these noises, doesn't it actually hurt her? >> i hear you on the bernie thing. i'm not with you on the hillary clinton thing. >> i can't wait until baby formula becomes a discussion in the election. we're just an hour from the democratic town hall. stay with us. [richard] we're handing out 32 million dollars,

a thousand dollars at a time. a thousand people win one thousand dollars. every single day. get in on this! it's refund season.

thank you for joining us. we're counting down to that town hall. want to go to anderson live from the democratic town hall site in des moines. anderson, take it away. >> erin, thanks very much. the crowd is already in place. good evening from drake university in des moines, iowa. just an hour from now, hillary clinton, bernie sanders and martin o'malley will take to the stage for a cnn town hall conversation with voters here and with potential voters nationwide. this is really their last big chance to reach both groups before the caucuses here a week from today. on top of that, there are signs the national race is tightening somewhat. there's no cnn/orc polling. breaking news showing senator sanders narrowing the gap slightly with secretary clinton. how each candidate does tonight and next week almost certain to move those numbers even more. in addition, there's practically hand-to-hand combat on the republican side and the possibility a