p.m. eastern. >> brennan: welcomei] back to "faceçó the nation". we'll continue conversation now with 2020 hopeful, andt9o$ormer southok"b mayorxdr pete buttigieg. i want to read the latest tracker numbers we have forecastingçó super tuesday. that'sq the 14 states you were talking about tryingok to build support. looking at those numrsmg you're atw3 5% supportfáj>d amo hispanic.ñi and 2%zom among blacks. why do you think it's a challenge.q

>> they want to know that i'll be in a position to actually deliver, and defeat donald trump and make good on plans. >> brennan: ho you stay competitive super tuesday when you have bloomberg on the

ground spending, to build support. how do you stay competitive? >> with that money you can get a level of exposure and air time, and at the same time, one of the things that's so important, especially at this stage of the process is politics isn't just what happens on television. we're having such important moving conversations with voters, who want to look you in the eye, and ask you questions, understand who you are, challenge you, and that's the process that's ahead of us. it's one thing to arrive in the polls and on the scene, it's another to go through that with the voters. we're competing in more and more states. i think that will be where each of us makes our case. and i think i've got the best case to make. >> brennan: you know the national democratic committee changed requirements saying they tightened them, but in doing so opened the door to the possibility that mike bloomberg could be on a debate

stage in the future. senator elizabeth warren has taken issue with the change, and points out the dnc refused to change the rules earlier to ensure diverse candidates stayed on the stage referring to cory booker, and kamala harris. do you feel the field is less diverse because of the dnc? i don't envy the dmv rules that candidates have do have to compete under. i'm confident of qualifying. and anybody who has a realistic shot has to stand next to competitors and make their case. >> brennan: but the comment from elizabeth warren is sharp. she seems to be referring back to, you know, some of the frustrations from 2016 when supporters of bernie sanders were saying look, the system is rigged and the dnc is

unfair. do you see that playing out this time? i don't see a thumb on the scale if that's what you're talking about. i recognize the dnc has a challenging job to do. i don't say we don't compete under the rules. have from day one. we had a staff of four, and we saw the requirements come out of the dnc and wondered if we were going to make the cut to be among the 20 candidates who made it to the first debate. ever since we've made sure we were in a position to compete. that's what we're doing right now, and i know the dnc will continue to set parameters. what i will say is the less 2020 resembles 2016 the better. >> brennan: senator sanders was in that race last time. when we spoke last, you talked about an essay you wrote when you were taken years old

praising sanders for his ability to bring people together. what's changed now? you're neck-and-neck with him, and now you're trying to name him in your rallies and lay out why he's not the best guy. >> i still admire his qualities they admired in high school. we're at a moment9d where the country is dangerously frighteningly polarizeed. andñv at a moment where we have historic majority to do big things. i mean, even more than the majority that was availability to president obama 10 years ago. among the american people right now there's a strong appetite to step up, and for example, solve the health care issue. it's just that people aren't crazy about being kicked off their plan. there's a huge appetite to do the biggest transformation we've had on college affordability since the g.i.

bill, and not crazy about paying tuition for millionaires. >> brennan: you don't think he can bring people together now? >> i think i'm the best candidate to bring people together now. and what we're seeing including as a travel through counties in iowa that swung in a big way from supporting president obama to supporting president trump is that not only do we have democrats dyeed in the wool progressives at our events but independents and people to self-identified as republicans. i talk about that in my speeches. coming together, and not pretending we agree on everything, but ready for a change and united for what is is we're for and against. >> what's your super bowl pick? >> i have anl affinity for the chiefs. >> brennan: mayor pete buttigieg, thanks very much. we'll be right back with the republican national committee.

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>> brennan: joining us is the ahead of the republican national whiteo ronna mcdaniel. >> good to be here. >> brennan: president trump will be the first american president to run for re-election after having been impeached. how do you turn that into an asset? >> we're already seeing it as an asset with the base. we've headed 600,000 now donors since the impeachment began. approval rating has gone up. and the american people really it hasn't been bipartisan, and hasn't been held to the same standard as past presidents. it's democrats pushing against a president they never wanted to see elected to begin with and fought him every step of the way. and then the president signing the phase 1 deal with china

and the more. >> and the rnc is picking up the tab for some of the president's legal defense. isn't that true for his lawyer? this is creating a fund like bill clinton did. why did the rnc do it this way >> we do have a legal fund. it's not just for a ground game, and infrastructure, and specifically for legal expenses. guess what? we're paying for it, and not the taxpayers. the democrats are doing it on the taxpayer dime, and not doingenings the voters want done. we think the president should be re-elected and that's what the majority of our supporters feel as well. >> brennan: do you know what the cost has been? >> i don't know the cost. >> brennan: i want to ask you about the polls. you're from michigan. a poll shows that out there,

president trump trails all five top democratic candidates. who do you think is the toughest candidate for president trump to beat. joe biden says you're scared to death of him. >> our internal polling in these states and analytics which is more accurate shows the president is good shape in these states. i'm not concerned about that. no one is the front-runner. more people in the race, and an energy problem for biden. you have a huge issue with his national security stance as vice president. and with bernie, he's gone way too far talking about taking away people's health care plans and government control of health care. we're going to be good against any of them because we have a record the president can run on with 7 million new jobs and wages up. you see in poll after poll people feel good about the economy and know they're better off than four years ago. >> brennan: you think that's the strongest argument, the

economy? >> people feel better about their future. they can send their kids to college, and the kids can get jobs. these are things voters care about. >> brennan: the president has fweeted a lot about mike bloomberg. he told fox he would love to run against him. michael bloomberg has sent a quarter of a billion dollars on his advertising around his campaign. president trump has spent just over $50 million. how concerned about you not just about bloomberg himself, but what he's building in terms of an operation he says he will hand off to any democrats who wins the nomination? >> he's buildingab operation outside of the party. i'm not concerned about that. on a party structure we're working with state, county and district committees. we're able to coordinate with the candidate. and the rnc is on the ground in 18 states and trained scol

tears. we're going into 2020 with $200 million dollars for the trump campaign. we're building the biggest infrastructure in the history of politics >> i'm not concerned about bloomberg. what does he get done? i don't know. we're not seeing him talking to the voters as the lest i think he needs. and the president is not afraid of anybody. >> brennan: but bloomberg has tremendous spending ability. he's not putting limits on what he's willing do to. he's worth $60 billion, and he's going to hand this off even if it's not him. >> president trump went against clinton who has more money than him. these candidates think they can buy an election, and american people don't like that. president trump with the

biggest crowds. 150,000 people came to sign ud for a rally in new jersey. brx*nl around from he did is digital. >> bloomberg, is not going to get the crowds ha trump is. he's not a movement candidate. bloomberg has an issue with the democrat party. they just changed debate rules and structure for a billionaire and refuseed to do it when you can cory booker and castro saying you had more diversity on the stage, but this billionaire can buy his wait into the debate. bloomberg had the ability to change. but they're changing for the billionaire. >> brennan: i want to ask you about president trump's relationship -- he's reshaped

the party. but some aren't comfortable with everything he does, including your uncle. senator romney who voted for more witnesses. the president conservative action committee put up this ad online, tv ads against him. do you think this is proper political retaliation? >> the president changed the republican party. i think the president strengthened our party. >> brennan: i don't know if you saw the ad, but it was your uncle's face. you're not invited. >> that's the grass roots of the party. and people some aren't supporting the party, and think if you're not supporting him, you're getting a democrat elected. but i will say the president is for judges, and tax cuts

and deregulation. and these are republican ideals and made the rnc stronger for supporting the party, and we'll be stronger because of his investment to make hus strong beyond the presidency. >> brennan: i understand you don't want to comment on your uncle. good have to you here in the studio. we'll be back in a moment with a look at how the democratic race is shaping up in iowa.

>> brennan: welcome back. ahead of the iowa caucuses tomorrow, we have a new cbs battleground tracker this morning looking at the state of the race. these numbers are baseed on polling data from surveys this week along with data on iowa voters and the caucus system. former vice president joe biden and vermont senator bernie sanders are tied at the top of would field with 25% each. former south bend, indiana

mayor pete buttigieg is close behind with 21%. massachusetts senator elizabeth warren at 16%, and minnesota senator, amy klobuchar has 5%. now joining us. anthony, what do we need to keep know eye on? >> it's going to be a late night. we took everything we knew about interviews we had with caucus goers and how a caucus goes and everything we know about iowa. we put it together and said what could unfold tomorrow night? what breaks the tie for joe biden. this depends on knowing how a caucus works. people go in with a first preference. if they don't make the 15%

threshold, they can switch. and joe biden is a second choice for many who fall under that threshold. he could get that, and that gives him a boost. and another thing that helps joe biden. in our measures we see his support is evenly distributed across the state. that'sdxèbçwwydcñmzrurñm,dqsu t win state, to win the caucuses you have to winh; gats, not just the score in one or two cities. >> brennan: he's neck-and-neck with bernie sanders. >> he is, but that gives him a boost. let me tell you how bernie sanders might get the boost. first, elizabeth warren comes into play here because she's right near or above the key 15% threshold line the party sets. if we doesn't make that in some caucus esz, we're

supporters could switch to bernie sanders. another thing interesting here is in our modeling, bernie sanders gets strong support in and around the cities in iowa. how we could see a turnout boost for him there, which could help in the statewide overall vote, but he's going to have to spread out that support in order to get delegates everywhere. >> brennan: and what about mayor pete buttigieg at 21% right behind biden and bernie? >> also could benefit from some of the switching. also could benefit if supporters of amy klobuchar or some of the other candidates who may not make the 15% threshold. if they switch and some go to biden, but more about to pete buttigieg -- this is also true for elizabeth warren, that gives them a boost as well. in a caucus meeting, a lot of this movement is what makes the night exciting. >> brennan: and you're prepared with the coffee for a late night you said?

>> yes. everybody should tune in to cbs news, and put another pot of coffee on and stay up with us. >> brennan: anthony, thank you. and now we turn to political correspondent ed o'keefe out in des moines fully caffeinated. ed, what are you seeing on the ground? >> margaret, it's fascinating. voters are asked to debate between their head and heart over who they should ultimately choose. this is a head contest for many iowa democrats. if you're somebody who supports bernie sanders you're ready to g. it's everybody else struggling with this. we're struck in recent days how they're focused on makeing it clear to voters they can defeat the president whether in advertising or on the stump. >> brennan: that's interesting. it's not just excited about me, but be excited about my electability and defeating the

other guy how do they make it work? >> well, let's walk through a few examples. the former vice president, joe biden, has completely stopped talking about his democratic opponents. it's like he's running against the president. most recently raising questions about his fitness to serve talking about iraq, and questioning the administration's responses to the corona virus. and mayor pete buttigieg who you spoke to earlier just in the last few days is reminding supporters there are other candidates in the race because he hasn't talked about them at all. pointing out if you look for somebody spending 40 years in washington, joe biden is your guy. and elizabeth warren medicare for all ideas are not working. it's interesting he's doing that. sanders, if he pulls it off, his volunteers are so devoted to him. they've come from all over the

country to be here. from oregon, kentucky, queens and brooklyn to be here, and one thing to watch on caucus night, if the turnout is kloetion to 300,000, that would be a record high most of it because bernie sanders turned them out. and other thing to watch for is increased latino support. the agricultural workers. the sanders campaign has been after them since last spring. the first piece of mail was to latino households talking about his own immigrant roots. and senator warren has stopped taking selfies with supporters and turned over the responsibility to her dog, because she needs to get over to other events. selfy lines can run for hours. she needs to get to other events and meet as many people as she can. >> brennan: to be a dog lover is a requirement in some way. we spent time talking to the rnc chair woman about michael

bloomberg and his war chest that is unending and his ability to compete. he's not there in iowa. he's betting that doesn't matter ultimately. what is the feeling? >> right. well, in the last few days he's advertising in iowa to remind democrats that after the caucus there's a contest playing out. he's in the back of the minds of the campaigns with his unlimited war chest he could put them away on super tuesday, especially a challenge when the candidates who may only have about, you know, seven figures in the bank, when mike bloomberg can write seven figure checks for breakfast, lunch and dinner. the one calling him out on the trail is senator warren who continues to raise concerns as you pointed out already today about the fact that yet another billionaire is in the

race. >> brennan: only seven figures in the bank. so it's still fluid is the bottom line from what i'm hearing from you, though? >> yeah. and you know, people making the final decisions this weekend, and they'll have to do it by tomorrow night. >> brennan: we'll be right back with the selfy taking dog back with the selfy taking dog in iowa. o helpyou with turning ideas into action. putting your business on the map, connecting with customers, and getting the skills to use new tools. so, in case you're looking, we've put all the ways we can help in one place. free training, tools, and small business resources are now available at google.com/grow when you humble yourself under the mighty hand of god, in due time he will

exalt you. hi, i'm joel osteen. i'm excited about being with you every week. i hope you'll tune in. you'll be inspired, you'll be encouraged. i'm looking forward to seeing you right here. you are fully loaded and completely equipped for the race that's been designed for you.

>> brennan: and democratic senators competing in iowa unable to campaign last week. there were surrogates, subbing for them in absence. no surrogates caught more attention than this furry one. bailey, elizabeth warren's golden retriever. bailey worked the crowd, and bailey to took her place in a selfy line. she's enlisted some help. >> and we'll find out tomorrow with bailey worked with iowa voters. thank you all for watching. for "face the nation", i'm margaret brennan. captioning sponsored by cbs captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org

a developing story in britain this morning. terror in london. police kill an attacker after he goes on a stabbing spree on a busy street. >> run for my life. also tonight, lashing out. president trump takes shots at political rivals and his impeachment in a super bowl sit-down. >> it's been a very, very unfair process. caucus countdown. >> hello, indianola! >> making their final pitches before tomorrow's first in the nation contest. >> now is the time for action. restricted entry.