the so-called sec primary of states where you have more than 800 delegates available, the south not only matters, it could actually decide the race. not only in mississippi, but in other states around the south over the last couple of months, donald trump has created an organization, work on the states. this visit today will be his first public visit in mississippi when since the 90s. these visits down south will not be far and few between, but more norm. all right, thanks so much for that report, phil. i tell you, i would feel remiss if i did not say welcome to cnn and acknowledge this is your first live shot for us. we ve worked near you for years now. it s exciting you re apart of cnn family. thanks for putting up with me, brianna. thanks, phil. top two candidates on state of the union, bernie sanders and carly fiorina, only here on cnn.
campaign trail. as primary season heats up, the media circus will continue. but voters will have the last word on trump. happy media new year, brian t l steltzer. thanks so much for spend something the time with me today. i i m brianna keilar. thank you, fred. you are in the cnn newsroom in washington in for poppy harlow. our top story this hour, record high floodwaters are receding in the st. louis area to entire communities. as the flooding eases, dangers persist downstream. a short time ago, the governor of illinois toured this flood kwaul right there along the banks of the mississippi river. water topped one levy in southern illinois and a secretary in danger of
around the world don t fall on receptive ears. he is becoming isis best recruiter. they are going to people, showing videos of donald trump insulting islam and muslims in order to recruit more radical jihadists. the new terror video shows footage of police shootings and in missouri and baltimore. hours away from an appearance in mississip mississippi. attend his rally in biloxi. mississippi campaign team, ahead of the primary that is on march 8th. i want to bring in fill mattingly. biloxi mississippi. might want to the al shaaab video? brianna, the campaign has not responded to comment when it came to this video. you don t actually know, obviously as you know quite well, whether donald trump is going to respond to one thing or another. so far, his fwiter feed, the
often preferred mode of hillary clinton and jeb bus has remained silent on this video. as you noted, one of the interesting elements, bringing this type of thing up in the debate in december. at that time, there was no evidence that any type of recruiting videos actually existed. what this creates is that concrete evidence with him in this video, or being used in this video, it s almost certain this will be coming up in the weeks ahead. something he will likely have to address. so you re there in in mississippi. how is he resonating with people there? you know, it s interesting. mississippi for the most part in presidential campaigns is not a place candidates play a lot of attention to. it s later in primary calendar. more focused on the early states. when you talk to local officials here, they don t have any great polling, donald trump is doing like he s doing in most southern states. very, very well. why that matters this time more than others is over a three week period in m
calls it the battle for the soul of the gop. senator thad cochran is the embodiment of the establishment. 36 years in office, mostly unchallenged in his re-election bids. but chris mcdaniel edged him out in the primary, riding a wave of rebellion from tea party groups and conservatives fed up with washington. chief congressional correspondent dana bash is in jackson, mississippi. good morning. reporter: good morning, carol. absolutely, this is so much bigger than each of these candidates. it is a battle, probably the last battle for this primary season for the soul of the republican party. but when it comes to thad cochran, the incumbent, he s trying to keep his seat by broadening beyond his party. 36-year senate veteran thad cochran flew in a famous establishment republican, john mccain, to help close the deal with mississippi voters. send thad cochran, a good and decent and honorable servant,