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Captions by vitac www. Vitac. Com tonight straight from the source, the man investigating hunter biden is now a Special Counsel, and Hunter Bidens attorney will respond in his First Exclusive interview. Plus a judge lays down the law for donald trump, reminding the former president that he is now a criminal defendant whose right to free speech is not absolute. And the death toll still tragically climbing in maui, as rescuers are now entering some of the hardesthit neighborhoods for the first time, most of which have been burned to the ground. Im kaitlan collins, and this is the source. Good evening. Tonight we start with tonights big story, which was news that we learned today regarding the Special Counsel investigating hunter biden. It is the same person who has been investigating him for several years now, david weiss, a u. S. Attorney who was appointed, i should note, by former president trump. But today we heard from Attorney General Merrick Garland, who announced that david weiss has now asked to be made Special Counsel. On tuesday of this week, mr. Weiss advised me that, in his judgment, his investigation had reached a stage at which he should continue his work as a Special Counsel. Upon considering his request, as well as the extraordinary circumstances relating to this matter, i have concluded that it is in the Public Interest to appoint him. And joining me now for a First Exclusive interview since that announcement from the Attorney General, Merrick Garland, today is one of Hunter Bidens attorneys, abby lowell. Abby, thank you for being here tonight. First, when did you find out about the Attorney Generals announcement today . Did you have any idea this was coming . I think all of us found out about the time you all started finding out, which is somewhere between midmorning and the time the Attorney General spoke. While we didnt know that was going to happen, given whats happened in the case, it wasnt a surprise there would be some announcement to see where this case and the investigation would go from here. Im assuming what youre referencing is how Hunter Bidens legal team and david weiss were still privately trying to negotiate a plea deal this week. I mean, were you surprised that david weiss asked to be made Special Counsel in the middle of that . I think, you know, the point of surprise, not quite right. Heres what people should focus on, kaitlan, that what happened today, as a practical matter, is not much different than what was the case yesterday or three weeks from before. You know, the Attorney General and mr. Weiss both have said for weeks, months, that he had all the authority he needed to bring any charge that was merited at any time that was appropriate in any place that made sense. And so the power that a Special Counsel has is the power that he has had. So, from a practical point of view, nothing really changed. His title may change. But you also need to remember the most important fact, and you alluded to it already. After five years of what has to be one of the most thorough investigations that office has ever done, started by a Republican Attorney general, given to a republican u. S. Attorney, using a experienced career set of prosecutors thought that the only charges that were appropriate would be two Misdemeanor Failure to file charges and a diverted gun charge for the 11 days that hunter possessed a gun. And that was after five years of pain staking investigation. So, whatever his title is and whatever happens next, were confident that that should be the same conclusion. And if its not, then something other than the facts and the law has come into play. That is a question that is still unexplained from the justice department, which is why now . Why is he being made a Special Counsel now . We know its because he asked for it. But it is still certainly a question. But you know as well as i do, Special Counsels have a lot of leeway. I mean, are you worried that this is going to become a much broader investigation than it is right now . Well, again, two things. First, his title became Special Counsel today. His powers were the same yesterday. So, whats different . It doesnt make any difference to us, given what we understood to be the case. Once again, people need to understand that the Attorney General and he that he, mr. Weiss has said for a long time that he had all the authority he needed to bring any charge that was appropriate in any place. So, what does a Special Counsel do that he cant do . The answer should be nothing different. As to why now or why he wanted this as of last tuesday, thats a question youre going to have to ask him. But from our point of view, it should not change the outcome. Who could say that they have been the subject of such a painstaking investigation, looking at every nook and cranny in which a conclusion was two Tax Misdemeanors and a Diverted Gun Case to turn into anything else. There has been no evidence or fact that wasnt uncovered a week ago that will be uncovered tomorrow. So, essentially has he indicated that there are any other avenues that theyre pursuing here beyond those tax and gun measures . He hasnt said. In the proceedings that occurred on july 26th, there were a lot of hypothetical questions the judge asked as to whether the agreement covered this or covered that. Once again, when were talking theoretically, we dont have to. You have five years, painstaking investigation, looking at every possible transaction that mr. Biden was involved in, concluding that the only appropriate charges were two misdemeanors and a diverted gun charge. What could possibly change after five years . The answer is not the facts. Its not the evidence. Its not the law. So, if anything changes, people should be asked, what else came into play . So, are you saying that youre confident nothing will change, or youre saying if Thing Dos Change and this does grow broader in scope i mean, Special Counsels, they can staff up. They can have quite a budget. This could be bigger than it already is right now. Well, you could have more agents that would come up with the same evidence that came up after five years. You could have more prosecutors, if you were in court you saw that there were eight members of the u. S. Attorneys office in court that day, maybe seven. I dont know that you could find more bodies that would do anything different than the bodies have done over the last five years. So, am i confident that the conclusion should be the same . I am confident that if the prosecuting office follows the facts and the law, as they were prepared to say theyd done when they came to court on july 26th, that there should be no different conclusion than what they already came. And if, for whatever reason, we end up in a place where theres something different, we know by the nature of the history of this investigation that it did not come about because of any new evidence, any new law, or any new fact. So, therefore, i should be confident and we should be confident that you can change a persons title, but you shouldnt be able to change their conclusions. You know, one thing that stood out to me today was garland described the investigation as ongoing, which was notable because chris clark was another one of Hunter Bidens attorneys, said weeks ago that the entire thing was resolved. That was the word that he had used. What is the discrepancy there . So, the proceedings on july 26th obviously disclose a disagreement. And the disagreement was that we said what we understood the agreement to mean, which is what chris said. So, let me ask you and anybody whos paying attention the following question. What group of experienced attorneys would have their client plead guilty on monday to a misdemeanor, believing that the prosecutors could bring a felony on wednesday . So, as to what interpretation of the agreement made the most sense, i turn that question to you to answer it. So, theres only a few possible answers to the dilemma. Either there was a Garbled Communications between the sides. Possible. It could be that somehow the prosecutors thought they were making a statement that they turned out either not to be accurate about or not to be specific about. Or it could be, as you saw in court, that they seem to be changing their position as the proceedings went along. Well, it certainly seemed to be confusion from the prosecutors and from Hunter Bidens defense team over what the agreement was, whether or not charges could be brought in the future. I mean, they filed papers today, the prosecutors did, basically indicating that the two sides are still at an impasse over this. Do you now anticipate that this is going to go to trial . All i can say about that is a little bit about what i said a moment ago, which is, if the prosecuting office that were made up of republicans and Career Prosecutors after five years believe the proper charges were what happened on july 26th, then that should be the conclusion tomorrow, next week, or in the weeks following. Thats what im confident should happen. And should Something Else happen, then two things. One, people need to ask, if this was the conclusion after all this time, what changed . And it wont be the facts, and it wont be the law. And then the question is, what will happen then . Then well have to see. But im not saying that its not possible that what was appropriate a month ago isnt appropriate now. Well have to wait and see. But i can tell you that listen. One of the things you know about whats happened is that hunter has done everything right, cooperated in investigation, provided all the information, was willing to make sure that if something was found that he did wrong he would accept responsibility for that. And thats what he was going to do and was willing to do. The one thing hes not willing to do and will never do is to accept responsibility for say he did something he did not. So, as the charges were filed before, that fits into his idea of accepting responsibility. Should anything change . We will wait, but he and we will defend him. We will bring to the attention of the court anything thats appropriate. But im not and were not there yet. Where we are abby, i understand what youre saying, but is anyone asking no one is asking hunter biden to accept responsibility for something he didnt do. These are things that he has admitted that he did. Yes, but you just said, are we concerned or upset or worried that there will be additional things or that theres more staff right. The answer to that is, he has made very clear the mistake he made. And that is all he has made a mistake about. So, am i concerned . I am only concerned that a force other than facts or law will influence any additional decision. And if this prosecutor with a new title now continues in doing what hes supposed to do, which is to follow the evidence and follow the law, the conclusion should be the same. When you say force, who are you referencing . What im referencing, and this is not a surprise or a secret, right . From the moment this arrangement and agreement has been announced and filed, you have every Maga Right Wing Fan Nat Cal Person raving and screaming its not right, its not fair, its not just. You have the former president trying to use hunter biden as a way to excuse his own conduct. And at some point, that could pierce the noise would be so noisy that it gets in the way of the facts in the law. I am confident that a responsible prosecutor would not let that happen. Republicans say your client is treated differently because of what his name is. It sounds like you agree with that but from the reverse, the in a negative way. Heres the point about that, and you just said it. Millions of americans filed their taxes late. Millions of americans may or may not be in a Possession Of to the tune of millions of dollars. Well, i dont think thats right. Theres a very well known case here in the District Of Columbia of a partner in a law firm who did not file his taxes for, i think, 11 years and owed almost 8 million, and was able to resolve that with a civil result paying interest and penalties. There have been commentator who is have pointed out, if it wasnt for the fact hunter had the last name of biden, he might, in fact, have been treated differently. But we understand high Profile Subjects of investigations get more scrutiny. But that doesnt change the fact that once the mistake was identified, hunter wasnt running away from it. On the other hand, those who think that he got some sort of Sweetheart Deal should look at all the other people that have committed the same offense that he was willing to take responsibility for and see what happened to them. And of course it wasnt just the taxes. There was the gun charge there as well. But i want to just revisit what you were saying there when i was asking if youre worried about how broad this can be. Ask any president and several of our last president s. I think everyone except obama has had a Special Counsel or a special prosecutor. I mean, these investigations have a way of ballooning and taking tax that they did not initially have. Can you say with certainly that based on what you know theres no possibility that any of Hunter Bidens foreign Business Dealings will in any way connect back to his father, the president . Lets start with the latter. Youve had dozens of members of congress and their staff. Youve had dozes of members of right wing Media Picking and trying to find the connection between hunter and his business and other family members, and they have come up with nothing because theres nothing to come up with. But as to your point about Special Counsels, remember, this is not quite the Special Counsel that youre familiar with. David weiss was in charge of the investigation last year, the year before that, and the year before that. He is in charge of the investigation today and tomorrow. He has a new title. His powers, in our view, are the same. The evidence hasnt changed. The law hasnt changed. So, why, after grand jury proceedings, search warrants, interviews, and proceedings that came up with two Tax Misdemeanors and one diverted gun charge for the 11 days that hunter possessed a gun, should there be a conclusion not withstanding that he has a new name . That should not be the case. But can you answer the question about whether or not from what you know if youre confident this wont in any way link back to the president . What i know is what the evidence has revealed. I mean, that is what people should focus on. Its not as if this started yesterday or a week it started for five years with so many people in the United States, including with the power of subpoenas, as mr. Weiss has had, to look at every transaction that hunter was engaged in. In any place in the world in which he was engage. And what did they come up with . They came up with a decision that the only two charges to file were two misdemeanors and a gun diverted charge. Not any of the other things that the Maga Right Wing have been yelling from Money Laundering to foreign corruption to foreign agent, none of that. Its not as if it wasnt looked into. And now the conclusion was reached. So, do i know that that will change in the future . It shouldnt change. This is not a new Special Counsel. This is an investigation thats gone on for five years, leading to only those particular charges. So, how should it be different tomorrow . It shouldnt be. Hunter biden was pretty frustrated last month from our reporters in the courtroom when that plea deal was falling apart in real time. I mean, you were in the room as well. What was his reaction when Merrick Garland came out Attorney General garland came out today and announced he was being elevated to Special Counsel . His reaction was in the following order. First, i dont understand the difference because he had all the authority yesterday and he has the same authority today. Second, this is the man whos been conducting an investigation, whos a republican appointed by a Republican Attorney general, and had no motive to turn away from any wrong doing he found after he and his professional staff had looked at everything mr. Biden had done. And the third is, if its the same guy whos looked at the same evidence now with a new title, the result shouldnt be any different. The only thing that is different that we can determine as of this moment is that he does have he is empowered to write a report. And Merrick Garland has said he will make as much of that report public as possible. Do you expect that youd be surprised by anything in that report . No, quite the opposite. You know, the report will be a terrific vehicle to point out that all the crazy allegations made by people with a partisan bent are not the case, that the facts only supported the charge of failure to file, that mr. Biden himself was prepared to concede, admit, and state facts that would be in that report that could sustain that which he was willing to take responsibility for. So, bring on the report because the report, if it is done based on the facts of five years of investigation, will show the world that all these other crazy charges have no merit. And that which should have occurred on july 26th was the only conclusion that represented again, im sorry to keep saying it the real facts and the real law. We know you have a new deadline to respond to those prosecutors. Well see what that response is. Thank you for your time tonight, for joining us. Im glad to be able to be here. We have more ahead with a central player in this investigation. 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Reporter from the moment this arrangement and agreement has been announced and filed, you have every Maga Right Wing fanatical Person Yelling and screaming and saying its not right and its not fair and its not just. You have the former president trying to use hunter biden as a way to excuse his own conduct. And at some point that could pierce the noise could actually be so noisy that it gets in the way of the facts and the law. Joining me now is gary shaply. He worked for the irs, the first irs whistleblower to come forward and who testified before a House Committee last month, alleging political bias in the hunter biden investigation. Gary, thank you for being here tonight. Are you satisfied with todays decision to elevate david weiss to a Special Counsel . So, yeah, thanks for having me, kaitlan. So, you know, the reason why we came forward, especially ziegler and i, was because we saw things in this investigation that we had not seen in our history with the irs criminal investigation. And it just demanded that we come forward or we wouldnt be meeting our oath of office. So, the announcement today really vindicated special agent ziegler and i from coming forward. Because some of these issues that were basically admitted to today were the crux of why we came forward. So, when Attorney General garland comes forward today what he did is he admitted that the American People were misled by what doj continually told them about this investigation. So, you know, it is what it is. You know, you ask for a Special Counsel and you get it. The most important thing is that the American People have confidence in this investigation and that they know that each person is treated the same under the law. And i dont know how doj can conclude that United States attorney weiss has that confidence of the American People and that this Special Counsel appointment is going to resolve any issues. But, gary, he didnt admit anything when he came out. He restated that he does have the independence that david weiss has claimed he has, to charge this forever, to investigate, you know, take this where this investigation goes. He said that david weiss had simply asked him to be named a Special Counsel. Well, kaitlan, i think it is an admission by him because october 7, 2022, he said that he had to go to d. C. , President Biden u. S. Appointed attorney, meaning he wasnt the deciding official. He even said that on that day. Then we know he had to go to california to that President Biden u. S. Attorney. We were told he also turned them down. And we have Attorney General garland in front of congress on april 26, 2022, and march 1, 2023, telling congress and the American People that they can have confidence in this investigation because its being ran by a Trump Appointee and he has a charging authority. So, if he has that charging authority, why does he need to be given this special Counsel Authority . Its just confusing. Well, you said he was told you were told that he was turned down. Who told you that . United states attorney weiss, october 7, 2022. I documented that right then. Thats correct, by d. C. U. S. Attorney. Then he requested special Counsel Authority from doj. They denied it and told him to follow the process. That is corroborated. There were seven people there. Two people at that meeting have corroborated what happened so far. And theres been no contradictions that what he said during that day is not accurate. Well, i think there is confusion here because you said that after this meeting that you had asked about it and that weiss stated he is not deciding person on whether charges are filed. But he hasd the opposite of at. He told jim jordan in a letter, i have been granted ultimate authority over this matter, including responsibility for deciding when, where, and whether to file charges. And he says he stands by what he wrote. Are you saying that hes lying here . All i know is what he told us on october 7th. And i documented right then that i sent to a supervisor. They confirmed that thats what was said on october 7th. Then you have the june 7th letter before our testimony, the house ways and Means Committee was released, where United States attorney weiss says he has full authority. After our testimony is released and he realizes what was released by ways and Means Committee, on the june 30th letter, he says, again, he has that full authority. In the next paragraph he immediately says, but my authority is geographically limited to delaware. Then he says, well, he has to partner his departmental practice to partner elsewhere. Were seeing a correction by doj because the statements they have said all along are not consistent with the decision that was just made by Attorney General garland, or he wouldnt have had to make it. Well, its just i mean, its bidenappointed Attorney General agreeing that he had the ability to charge, with the trump appointed u. S. Attorney agreeing. One thing this does compel is a written report that will be made public, at least most of it, according to Attorney General garland. Will that be sufficient for you . Look, the American People have to have confidence that this investigation is fair. Youve United States attorney weiss, who has investigated this for five years. And the plea deal that he approved, as soon as it went to an objective party, the judge, the court, it immediately was found to be lacking. And it fell apart, for lack of better words, in reading whats in the public record. So, i dont know how now we can we have any confidence that weiss is now going to go and look at this independently. He is not independent. We have provided evidence to why is he not independent . To the house ways and Means Committee by definition he is still independent. Well, hes still a u. S. Attorney in delaware, and weve provided multiple pieces of evidence to show hes provided preferential treatment. Thats all under United States attorney weiss. Is he now going to not stymie the investigative steps . I dont think that is likely to occur. Its just remarkable to hear because hes a u. S. Hes a trumpappointed u. S. Attorney and youre saying hes giving preferential treatment to hunter biden. We have a lot more questions for you. Unfortunately, we are out of time. Thank you for joining us tonight and hope you come back. Thank you, kaitlan. Ahead, as trump is pumping up the volume on his legal troubles, the judge overseeing his election interference case is warning if he inflames it more, he might go to trial sooner. Fisher Investments its easy to think that all Money Managers are pretty much the same, but at Fisher Investments were clearly different. other Money Manager different how . You sell High Commission investment products, right . Fisher Investments nope. Fisher avoidthem. other Money Manager well, you must earn commissions on tdes. fisheinvestments never at fisher. other Money Manager ok, then you probably sneak in some hidden and layered fees. Fisher Investments no. We structure our fees so we do better when our clients do better. That might be why most of our clients come from other Money Managers. At Fisher Investments, were clearly different. vo in two seconds, eric will realize man [laughs] vo theyre gonna need more space. 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She said, in a criminal case such as this one, the defendants free speech is subject to the rules. She also said that the more inflammatory statements that one makes, trump, who has been making many comments about this case, could taint the jury pool. And that means the trcase wouldo to trial faster. Joining me now and john dean, the former white House Counsel to president nixon. Thank you both for being here. Listening to the judge today, had this warning about essentially if you keep speaking out in these even ambiguous statements and potentially intimidating witnesses, taptintg the jury pool, this trial could happen a lot faster than it is right now. I think the most important thing about today is that the judge painted a very bright red where the boundaries are and laid down the rules as to how they need to play within those boundaries. And the failure to do so is going to result in consequences. Some of the consequences may be a speedier trial. Some of the consequences may be worse than that. Look what happened in the ftx today, where the defendant in that case got put in jail. So, there are some serious consequences here. And i think the judge made it very clear that there are rules here, and shes going to proceed in this case as she would in any criminal case, not withstanding the fact that this particular defendant has a unique day job in so far as hes running for president. John, that was a huge part of it as well, was talking about his day job. You kept hearing trumps attorneys arguing hes a 2024 candidate, talking about what if he says something about pence thats in the evidence. She made clear shes not viewing him as a 2024 candidate but as a criminal defendant. Very clear. The reporting on that was pretty uniform, that she made shes not going to have the campaign run in her courtroom or during this trial, nor does she want this trial to become a part of that. So, she said shes there to give justice and not to run a campaign. So, i think that is going to make it tougher for trump to play that game. David, what does it say to you about how quickly this could move . Do you think trump is going to be on the Campaign Trail and the courthouse at trial potentially . I think its very possible. Look, from the starting last week, ive come out and said that i didnt think in fact, i think with you. I didnt think it was going to start before the election. But i think it may well. Look, the discovery in this case is not terribly complicated. The Defense Lawyers have already indicated that they know what motions theyre going to file. That can get done on a pretty, you know, fast schedule. So, i dont think its going to happen in january. Im skeptical about whether its going to happen before november. But its certainly possible. John, just given your history and what youve seen from up close at the white house, just looking back in a Bigger Picture at the moment that were in, where this moment happened today, you know, a typical, simple procedure became this Big Squirmish between the two sides. Next week we could see action in georgia, potential indictment there. Were expecting as many as a dozen. What do you make of it all . Well, i make that weve got very confident counsel on both sides who are going to try to cover their turf as well as they can. And i see many Court Battles that play out. And weve got, here, a judge who knows how to control her courtroom. And i think she will. So, you know, i think the fact that shes not making this the white house on trial or a president on trial, but donald trump, defendant trump, mr. Trump, if you will, in her words, i think that makes it realistic and doesnt make it the theater that trump would like to have. Well see what it looks like Going Forward. Certainly setting the stage today. John dean, david kelly, thank you both. Up next with the latest on the devastating wildfires in maui. Senator brian schatz is going to join us. New reporting is emerging about the Emergency Sirens that werent activated, as those blaze grew. We never just see the numbers, we see the people. My dad Started Trek In A Red Barn in waterloo, wisconsin. And now it spans the gbe. You wanna take what was given to you andou wanna build it. And you wanna pass it along. If i can do that, i would have done well. Thats why were here. To help make it happen. Rsv can be a dangerous virus. [sneeze]. For those 60 and older. Its not just a cold. And if youre 60 or older. You may be at increased risk of hospitalization. [coughing]. From this highly. Contagious virus. Not all dangers come with warning labels. Talk to your pharmacist or doctor. About getting vaccinated against rsv today. David as we start a new school year, theres something new happening in californias public schools. Theyre called Community Schools. Leslie it really is shared leadership with families, students, educators, and communities. Jessie i feel like were really valued as partners. David its a more innovative, holistic approach. Grant in addition to academic services, we look at serving the whole family. Narrator wellness centers, food pantries, and parental education. Jessie theyre already making a difference. David californias Community Schools reimagining public education. Tonight, at least 67 people have now died in the catastrophic wildfires in maui. We are also getting dramatic new video in, which appears to show people trying to escape the flames in the waters along the lahaina shoreline. You can see this dramatic video here. Obviously the winds were incredibly strong. A u. S. Coast guard spokesperson says it looks like it was taken from the area they did eventually rescue 17 people. For those asking, of course, how you can help, we have a lot of information on that on cnn. Com. But also tonight, i spoke with senator from hawaii, brian schatz, on what he has seen firsthand on the ground. And joining me now is senator brian schatz. Senator, thank you for being here. Youve been on the island. Can you just tell us what you saw and how dire the situation is from your view . Thanks for having me, kaitlan. And thanks to everybody across the country and across the world for caring so much about maui and hawaii and the outpouring of support and money is really essential at this point. It is not an exaggeration to characterize it as similar to a war zone. It is, like, multiple bombing runs happen in lahaina town. It is flattened. There is almost nothing left. There are very few structures standing. There are melted engine blocks. There are cars ripped apart. It is a mess. It is a total rebuild. And there are people on west maui that came out unscathed. Their homes are intact, and were trying to restore electricity and telecommunications and vehicular access for them. But it is every bit as bad as the pictures. Do you think youve gotten to see the full extent of it. We are seeing the pictures. Were seeing the drone footage. Now that teams are going in there, do you think well have a fuller view of whats actually been hit in this . Well, i think we know the Geographic Area that was hit because we have Satellite Images and lots of drones have done flyovers. And i was on front street, lahaina town yesterday. We walked the whole length of it. On that level we do know. But it is also fair to say that we dont know the total Mortality Count because were waiting on the fema experts and technicians who are arriving today to start searching individual structures that have been destroyed. And we do, unfortunately, anticipate that the death count will rise on a daily basis, as those properties are cleared. One thing, looking back on in the aftermath, you know, the hawaii Emergency Management said that mauis Warning Sirens didnt go off when the fires started. I mean, there have been a lot of questions raised about that. Who do you hold responsible for that . Well, i think theres going to be time for an afteraction analysis, and if necessary, any accountability measures. But we have to understand, you know, hawaii is very wellprepared for hurricanes. Weve he eva and volcanic eruptions. Weve had a few wildfires, but nothing that attacked a town like this. So, it just wasnt in the realm of possibility that wildfires in west maui would essentially jump the highway and attack the town of lahaina within the matter of less than an hour. Its really true. People had to make very quick choices to evacuate. Some of them just directly into lahaina harbor with their families, five people hanging onto a Surfboard Waiting for the coast guard. So, there may be improvements that the hawaii Emergency Management agency or anyone else needs to look at making on a Going Forward basis. But this was really unprecedented. I do think this is likely to be the new normal, with extensive droughts, that we need to be prepared for wildfires, not just in hawaii but across the country. But right now, were still recovering. We are there is still were not we havent gotten the fire totally under control. We do not know the death count. And lahaina town is also a toxic mess right now until were able to clear the debris. Yeah. And we are waiting to learn more about that. Senator, of course we are Thinking Of You and all of your neighbors with everything thats happening. And we will continue to do so. Thank you for your time tonight. Thank you. If youre watching and you want to be able to help, you can go to cnn. Com impact or text hawaii to 707070 to donate. Well be right back in a moment. 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If you cant afford your medication, astrazeneca may be able to help. Farxiga from pep in their step to shine in their coats, when people switch their dogs food to the farmers dog, the effects can seem like magic. But theres no magic involved. dog bark its just smarter, healthier pet food. Its amazing what real food can do. Many, not all, 2024 republican hopefuls are descending on iowa this weekend for the state fair, including former president trump, who will be there tomorrow. Joining me here tonight, not in iowa, former Senior Adviser to mitch mcconnell, scott jennings, former new york congressman max rose. Thank you both for being here. Sorry theres not any fried food for you. I am interested in how everyone goes trump is actually going tomorrow. He hasnt spent a ton of time there, i think six times since he announced he was running. Hell be in the state tomorrow. Is it the same old iowa as it was in the sense of, trump hasnt been there as much as other candidates but hes well ahead of them in the polling. Yeah, hes not the traditional backslapping, sort of ruraltype candidate, but they do like him. They love him, in fact. Hes done well in iowa. The trump people believe they have a very high floor in iowa and theyre going to be very difficult to beat because of it. They remind you in 2020, there was an iowa primary, and they got all these votes. So they really are quite confident about their position, particularly given the fragmentation below them. I dont think he has to do as much as everybody else, but hes in quite a strong position there right now. Can we talk about what the scene is going to look like tomorrow . Trump is going, hes taking all the Florida Congresspeople who have endorsed him. Ron desantis is going. Hes bringing the iowa legislators who have endorsed him. Kind of like this showoff, essentially . I dont know what you want to call that. Its actually quite beautiful when you think about it. Is it . You have desantis coming from this gigantic state. You have a former Vice President , a former president. Nonetheless, in the beauty of our president ial primary politics, they all have to descend on this little state fair and engage in quintessential local retail politics, which you see there they cant hide any longer. Part of this republican field is really the parade of the socially awkward. Thats why desantis is not pence is another great example of that. You just cant hide in this type of retail politics. Its person to person, door to door in some instances. You know, pork chop on a stick in other instances. One person whos deeply influential is the governor, kim reynolds. Fairside chats, a play on fireside chats, with all the candidates. She was asked essentially about trump has been lashing out, upset she has been posting the desantis is going out, which she does with all the candidates. She said this about whether or not that affects how she handles this. Its so early. People are paying so much attention to the national polls, and i can tell you, its just not reflective of kind of what im hearing from iowans as im travel around. Our job is not to pick the winner necessarily, but to start to narrow the field. Thats really what the caucus has done. Well see, i dont think you should ever say never, never. Well wait and see what happens. But ive made it clear, you know, im probably looking at neutral, especially at the beginning of this. Its naturally going to start to narrow. And then well take a look at where its at. So its early for that. Never say never on endorsing a candidate. You think she could, potentially . Well, if she did, it would be big news. Although probably not definitive. Given the way this race is going. I mean, some of these candidates have picked up some below her, some pretty influential state official. Desantis, i saw him with the president of the senate, amy sinclair, whos a pretty popular person as well. There are some people dipping in. If she got into it, it would be a major story. Its just at this point, i think she did say it correctly. Iowa, its early. You do get some late breaking there from time to time, so my guess is shes trying to an fair, neutral arbiter. Senator ernest tries to do the same thing. Did trump make a mistake attacking her publicly . He took credit for her reelection success, which she has said was up to iowans, not to donald trump. The rules of normal politics dont seem to apply to donald trump here. But what we do see is that the Elephant In The Room with this primary is that they dont want to attack donald trump because of the fact that theyre afraid of alienating his base. Of course, what voter are they ever going to win by not attacking him . Right . On the same hand, though, if donald trump were not to win this primary, could we ever imagine him not endorsing the eventual nominee . This is utterly insane, whats going on in the end. And were going to see this constant play here of donald trump eventually winning the nomination unless someone steps in and does something big. And her nomination or her endorsement is not going to be it. We shall see. Max rose, scott jennings, thank you both. And thank you for joining us for such a breaking news hour. Laura coates is up next. So why do we leave so much Untapped Potential on the table . This is a next level bed, for a next level you. My Circadian Rhythm is kicking your Circadian Rhythms butt its not a competition. I know, but im still winning so, it is a competition. Save 50 on the sleep Number Limited Edition smart bed. Plus, 36month financing on select smart beds. Shop now only at sleep number. 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