[John Berman, Cnn Anchor:] A brand-new look at the status in the Democratic presidential contest. This new poll showing Joe Biden out in front with 29 percent. In this poll, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren pretty much tied there at second place. Everyone else, way behind.
[Alisyn Camerota, Cnn Anchor:] You're really infusing this with the drama that it, I feel, requires.
[Berman:] I'm trying. I'm trying. Joining us now is CNN political director David Chalian.
[David Chalian, Cnn Political Director:] Good morning, guys.
[Camerota:] Hi.
[Berman:] Dramatic in each and every way without even trying. David, so when you look at this poll, Joe Biden right around 30 percent, where he has been consistently. You have that second tier. What do you see?
[Chalian:] Yes, I mean, this is a little different than the NBC"Wall Street Journal" poll we saw earlier in the week where Elizabeth Warren carved out that second place position all by herself. I you know, I do think, as always, John, right, you have to look at these polls in totality and not just one at a time. And what you see here, and I think there's something really important in this poll underneath that tells us why we see this here, you see this top three, right? And, like you said, everyone else is just in a different universe beneath them right now. And when you look at the numbers, you once again see Democrats are so hungry for somebody that can beat Trump over somebody they just agree with or like their policies on. And only three candidates, now Joe Biden by far and away the most, by 25 to 30 points, he is seen as the one that can beat Trump, but only Sanders and Warren even join him in double digits. Nobody else is close. So so that is part of what of what's driving here that these three frontrunners in the primary are seen also, again, Joe Biden with a clear lead here as the one that can beat Trump, but as seen as the three with the best chance of defeating Trump.
[Camerota:] So let's just look at those head-to-head matchups that you're referring to, just so that everybody can visualize it as you speak. Joe Biden gets 52 percent to President Trump's 38 percent today. Sanders, 48 percent to President Trump's 40. Warren, 46 to 40. And then Harris, 42 to 40. You know, the president famously doesn't like polls that don't go his way. But this is a Fox News poll. I think that he is inclined to look at those.
[Chalian:] Well, we should just be clear, Fox News polling has nothing to do with the ideological bent that we see in their primetime programming. They're totally legit polling operations.
[Camerota:] The polling has always been found to be fair.
[Chalian:] So the fact that the Fox News name on it, we shouldn't assume anything about the poll. This is, you know, an approved poll by our standards. I will say this, Alisyn, looking at those matchups. What I think is more important than the Democratic numbers performing against him is that Donald Trump doesn't get above 40 percent in any matchup. That, if you are in Trump campaign headquarters, that is a problem. Like, that is that is going to be tough to re-create that path to 270 electoral votes if a year from now he's also sitting at his at his number there at 40 percent.
[Berman:] I will say, the other thing is that Joe Biden, the margin that Joe Biden enjoys over President Trump in the head-to-head is very different than all the other candidates. Bernie Sanders is the closest there, but he's double what Elizabeth Warren is.
[Chalian:] Totally.
[Berman:] David Chalian, I'm
[Chalian:] But, John, I would just say this.
[Berman:] Go ahead.
[Chalian:] I would be shocked if the margin on election night a year from now, no matter who the nominee is, is that is that wide.
[Berman:] No question.
[Chalian:] Yes.
[Berman:] No question. They reflect two completely different things. You know, one reflects where people are considering now and really their enthusiasm in the Democratic primary. Absolutely.
[Chalian:] Yes.
[Berman:] I'm going to exert some Massachusetts privilege here, David.
[Chalian:] Yes.
[Berman:] I think it's fascinating. Democratic Congressman Joe Kennedy of Massachusetts is going to challenge Democratic Senator Ed Markey, the incumbent Democratic senator. You just don't normally see this type of thing. There really isn't much of a difference between these two men on the issues. But what it is, is a generational challenge inside the Democratic Party, which is something a lot of Democrats, young ones usually, are calling for.
[Chalian:] Yes. I mean you remember, right, when Barack Obama got to the United States Senate and Harry Reid famously was giving him advice, you know, not to wait some time to run for president. Sometimes that generational change just takes over no matter who the well-liked, established party regular is there in the seat. What is so fascinating about this, of course, you just showed the poll numbers that show that Kennedy really could, you know, give Markey a serious run for this, a lot of the establishment already lining up behind Markey. By the way, including his fellow senator, Elizabeth Warren, who had already endorsed Markey, but when pressed and asked about Kennedy and his challenge says she has no complaints. This is her former law student. Somebody who has endorsed her presidential campaign. And Elizabeth Warren now is caught between these two, already on Markey's side, but not really wanting to mix it up inside that primary.
[Camerota:] David Chalian, very interesting. Thanks so much for seeing us today.
[Chalian:] Thanks, guys.
[Camerota:] Now see this, OK?
[Berman:] This is really I don't this is probably the most important story.
[Camerota:] I feel we've buried this. Why have we wait why didn't we lead with this. There have been mysterious objects, OK, caught on video by U.S. Navy pilots. This is real. This has been confirmed as real.
[Berman:] The video has been confirmed as real.
[Camerota:] Yes. What are these?