politics" the former president's pardon play. donald trump's lawyers make a hail mary request for an april 2026 start to the 2020 election trial and try to make sure the case never sees the inside of a courtroom. plus a game of risk. new reporting outlines how republicans plan to conquer a trumpless debate. how another republican warns his party appears poised to fulfill the textbook definition of insanity. president biden invokes the whole enemy of my enemy is a friend theory of foreign policy today pushing two neighbors to put aside a generation of bad blood and send a message to the country a couple blocks away, china. i'm phil mattingly in for dana bash. let's go behind the headlines and "inside politics." we're going to start with this up first. two questions. do you know what you're doing on monday? do you know what you're doing in april, 2026? the answer is no for me on both of them. donald trump, though, has plans for both. more specifically mr. trump knows where he won't be on monday and what he hopes he won't have to do more than two and a half years from now. we start our coverage with cnn's sara murray in washington. let's start with monday. what won't mr. trump be doing? >> sadly for him he has canceled this press conference he wanted to have where he could talk all about the baseless allegations of voter fraud especially in a state like georgia. he was encouraged not to go through with this. obviously he has a number of pending legal matters that this would not look great for. here is what he said on social media. my lawyers would prefer putting this i believe irrefutable and overwhelming evidence of election fraud and irregularities in formal, legal filings. now of course we will wait to see whether his attorneys actually do include any of what he calls irrefutable evidence that's been refuted many, many times in these court filings but i think there is a lot of concern about the former president going out there with this pending case in georgia as well as the federal election interference case. >> i'm not an expert but i am picking up skepticism about the content of the proposed monday press conference that is no longer. i want to ask though trump's attorneys filed the request last night. it more or less makes clear they never want the federal election case against their client to see the inside of a courtroom. what date are they laying out and why? >> they are suggesting april 2026 for this trial. you're not hearing the year wrong. the federal government doj had suggested january of 2024 as a trial date and in this court filing last night trump's attorneys raise a number of issues. they point out, one, he has a lot of other legal matters on his hands which is certainly true. he obviously has the criminal case when it comes to the mar-a-lago retention of documents, the manhattan hush money case, also this georgia case that he is juggling but they also lay out just the amount of evidence that they have to go through, the amount of discovery they have to go through related to this case, they say 11.5 million pages of documents, and included a very handy visual aid in their court filing of what those 11.5 million pages of documents would look like if printed out compared to the is statue of liberty, the first little block you see there, then the washington monument the second little block you see there. again, it is up to the judge to decide when the trial date is going to be but this is how the trump team is framing it in their filing last night. >> as a reporter in your former life at "the wall street journal" the show don't tell aspect here is, you know, you appreciate that. >> we love a visual aid. >> thanks so much. here to share their insights cnn's kaitlan collins and a former lawyer for the january 6th committee and cnn's evan perez is live for us in washington. tim, i want to start with you and what was pointed out. you read through the actual filing and it says even assuming we could begin reviewing documents today we'd need to proceed at 99,760 pages per day to finish the government's initial production by the proposed day for jury selection, the entirety of tolstoy's war and peace 78 times a day every day from now until jury selection. good writing to some degree. i appreciate that. but i think it is a valid point because while 2026 seems a little bit perhaps long in terms of the timeline this is a real issue in terms of their ability and the ability for a fair case to be able to proceed in terms of the defense team having the opportunity to do what they need to do. is that accurate? >> what is accurate is there is a large amount of documents to review. it is not i think fully accurate to think about each specific number of pages because lawyers are well versed in handling large amounts of discovery. this is what we do all the time. lawyers also have targeted reviews geared toward the actual evidence that is going to be admissible at trial and relevant to their case. what is important here is donald trump and his team have been aware of the con tours of the case for a long time. the committee will be put on trial to the american people with this same evidentiary, our hearings and report laid out the details of what jack smith's case is really going to look like. i think the idea this is all coming afresh is not quite an answer here. >> but totally undercuts the graphic. >> i think to some degree you watch how this has proceedd in terms of what special counsel's office put out for their date, what trump's lawyers put out for their date. i work under the assumption there is probably a middle ground here everybody knows would be the more likely date. is that accurate? >> yeah, look. if they get the split the baby approach from the judge they still win right? there is a lot of time between next january and april of 2026. that is not where this judge's head is at. you can tell from what she has been saying from the bench she does not think this needs to be delayed that much. and so i think one of the things you'll hear is she'll point out that for instance that graphic as snazzy and beautiful as it is is just deceptive. right? because a lot of those pages are e-mail headers. a lot of them are not really relevant to the case. a lot that was produced are not things they'll use as part of the trial and they know that. so that graphic is kind of bs for the purposes of really trying to make your argument to the judge. right? i mean, the fact is that there is a very small number of pages that are going to be relevant for this case and they know where to find those. as a matter of fact the justice department will provide a road map for ha and they don't have to buy it because they already know a lot of the allegations and testimony from some of the witnesses. so it is going to be a lot less difficult for the judge to cut through that i think. >> kaitlan, we heard from the former president yesterday. he had a sit down interview with larry kudlow. i want to play some of that. take a listen. >> they have four of them now if you look. i mean, this is not even possible. four. over the next -- last couple of months. and frankly, it discredits everything. and they are all very similar in the sense that they are, there is no basis for them. it's a disgraceful thing. and republicans can't let them get away it. republicans have to be tough. >> i'm less interested in his actual comments themselves than what is happening behind the scenes with his legal team in particular how they view the four indictments and whether there is a basis for them >> i think the one they are the most worried about actually happening next year is this case in washington. they've seen how judge chutkan has handled this and know she is moving pretty aggressively. so as ambitious as jack smith's january 2024 trial ask was, they are also doing that and making an aggressive move with the april request. they know it is not going to happen in april, 2026. they looked at not just the discovery here and the level of evidence evan was pointing to but at other cases and how long they took. the circumstances of this are different in the sense of it is the former president. he's on trial. he is also running and is the republican front-runner right now. so i think they're worried that she is going to set a pretty aggressive timeline. to the point about the attorneys know what is coming, the attorneys that are handling this are pretty new to the team. the two that had been handling it had been new to the primary ones working on january 6. they departed the team over the summer so it is fresh faces on trump's legal team. are they using that to their advantage? yes probably. >> do they also know what they signed up for? i assume so to some degree >> i think a lot of attorneys -- some people wonder why attorneys would represent trump given his history with attorneys. i think a lot of attorneys look at it as the opportunity of a lifetime because it is a former president, it is an historic case whatever happens here. he is a very difficult client as evidenced by the news conference he canceled on monday. >> on the legal side of things, what trump's lawyers did not put in their filing was anything related to trying to push this past the election explicitly because of the election. there is no question and kaitlan has had a ton of reporting on this his team is not unaware of that fact. listen to what bill barr said when asked about this. >> they might accommodate a few days here and there but i don't think that should govern the schedule for pursuing these cases. you don't get immunity for two years in a run up to an election just by saying hey i'm a candidate. you can't try me. >> the idea here, kaitlan makes the point, there is no precedent for this, nothing in history you can point to for this. as a lawyer if you are a prosecutor in this case how are you looking at this given the fact it runs smack head into the political schedule? >> i think first i would start with the content of the speedy trial. we often think about a speedy trial as a defendant's right. but the public also has an interest in a speedy trial. i think here when you're dealing with a former president who is seeking high office again the public's interest in that trial happening before the election i think is extensively high. that would be my starting point there. as far as whether to consider the election and what the court thinks about that i think judge chutkan has made clear if anything that would push her to make it happen faster not slower. and pushing this trial out allows more time to influence potential jurors. it allows more time to intimidate potential witnesses. i think she has made it clear that if anything, all of these factors lean toward making the trial happen faster not further out. >> it will be fascinating to watch. thanks for coming in. evan, appreciate your time as always. kaitlan, you are staying with me whether you like it or not. up next brand new cnn reporting on an inside look at how the 2024 hopefuls are preparing with five days to go until the first primary debates. details after the break. i even found new ways to save. all right here. free. and fast. see all you can do with the free experian app. download it now. before planning the big trip you were limping thanks to a bad knee. then, you heard about mako robotic-assisted knee replacement. it starts with a ct scan to pinpoint the problem. that becomes a personalized, 3d plan to guide your doctor during surgery. mako can help lead to better outcomes, like less pain and shorter recovery times. the lifetime of a knee implant is limited, and revision surgery may be required. individual results and recovery times vary. risks of surgery include pain, infection, heart attack, stroke, death, and other serious risks. ask your doctor for important safety information. [camera shutter] to find a doctor who uses mako visit makocan.com (psst psst) ahhhh... with flonase, allergies don't have to be scary. spray flonase sensimist daily for non-drowsy, long lasting relief in a scent-free, gentle mist. (psst psst) flonase. all good. new projects means new project managers. you need to hire. i need indeed. indeed you do. when you sponsor a job, you immediately get your shortlist of quality candidates, whose resumes on indeed match your job criteria. visit indeed.com/hire and get started today. i won't let me moderate to severe plaque psoriasis symptoms define me... emerge as you. with tremfya®, most people saw 90% clearer skin at 4 months... ...and the majority stayed clearer, at 5 years. serious allergic reactions may occur. tremfya® may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms or if you had a vaccine or plan to. emerge as you. emerge tremfyant®. ask you doctor about tremfya®. feeling sluggish or weighed down? could be a sign that your digestive system isn't at its best. but a little metamucil everyday can help. metamucil's psyllium fiber gels to trap and remove the waste that weighs you down... so you can lighten every day the metamucil way. meet the team... behind the team. the coach. the manager. and the snack dad. all using chase to keep up with their finances. the coach helps save goals here, because she saved for soccer camp there. anddd check this out... the manager deposited a check. magic. and the snack dad? he's getting paid back. orange slicesss. because this team all has chase. smart bankers. convenient tools. one bank with the power of both. chase. make more of what's yours. right now donald trump's leading republican rivals are in atlanta just days after the gop front-runner was indicted in atlanta. the candidates are at a conservative conference only about five and a half miles from the fulton county jail where the former president must surrender at some point by next friday. >> it is really up to us to ensure that the 2024 election is a referendum on what actually matters for this country's future. >> it is time to fire joe biden. it is time to fire merrick garland. it is time to fire christopher wray. we need to clean out the entire doj. >> you know i always stood loyally by president donald trump until my oath to the constitution required me to do otherwise. my differences with the president go far beyond that fateful day. i hope to have a chance to debate them with him. >> six candidates total are set to speak at the two-day event hosted by radio hosts and frequent trump critic erick erickson, the theme is forward, which way? while the 2024 hopefuls largely focus on their aspirations, agendas, the top republican in the state did not. trump's litany of legal woes prompted this warning from georgia governor brian kemp. >> democrats want us to be focused on things like this so we're not focused on joe biden's record. it's insanity we're having to deal with this. it should be such an easy path for us to win the white house back. we have to tell people what we are for. and then we have to have a candidate that can win the election. >> we should note the governor says he may be compelled to testify in trump's upcoming trial. and now brand new cnn reporting peeling back the curtain a little bit revealing exactly how the 2024 hopefuls are spending final precious moments preparing for next week's first republican primary debate. this from cnn. what more are we learning about how we're getting ready? >> reporter: phil the memory of donald trump's past debate performances forcing these candidates to prepare for all manner of scenarios when it comes to trump. mike pence for example has been holding mock debates that include trump and ones that don't. if trump does not show the desantis camp believes he will become the focal point of the debate. yes, we have talked to candidates, strategy teams who suggest they have been studying up on the florida governor's record in the sunshine state as well as his lesser known time in congress trying to show a different side of the republican governor than perhaps most voters are used to. for desantis this is a new experience. he does not have a past debate performances that are anything like what he is going to experience in milwaukee, and i am told he is working with one of the best debate coaches in the industry brett o'donnell who coached several past republican presidential nominees. one of the things they'll be working on is desantis' mannerisms on stage. he has a tendency to have some visual tics when getting a question he doesn't like. he can gnash his teeth, sometimes feign a smile, and those can be amplified in front of a national audience. i am told that is something they'll work on going forward. for the other candidates as much as desantis has tried to make this look like a two-person race the fact remains he is much closer in the polls to the rest of the field than he is to trump. for someone like tim scott or vivek ramaswamy who have seen a little boost in the polls this is an opportunity to continue on that momentum and potentially carry them into the fall. for candidates like pence and others polling in the single digits they'll have a wide and large audience for one of the first times during this cycle and this might be their last and best chance to not only get on the next debate stage but even continue their campaign. >> a great point. thanks so much for the reporting. here to share their reporting and insights, my guests. kaitlan is back with us. let's start with the elephant in the room to probably i guess that was bad sorry. >> maybe not in the room. >> maybe in the room maybe not in the room. that is the point right? the former president truthing on the debate, many people asking whether i will be doing debates. all americans have been clamoring with a president with extremely high -- reagan doesn't do it. neither do i. people know my record. one of the best ever. why would i debate? that is not the official announcement he is not going right? but we don't think he is going. >> he has until monday to make the official call. some people raised the whether or not the georgia indictment would change that. next week he will be surrendering himself and potentially going to the debate. i've heard he has been asking whether he should do the debate in recent days but i am skeptical. he is not doing debate prep or preparing. they've been talking about ways to counter program, send surrogates to milwaukee to do the talking for him essentially. my sense is he is not going but he has until monday to officially tell the rnc. >> that throws a wrench into planning. potentially he may show up. you never know. steve's reporting on the desantis planning and prep, obviously a critical moment given the somewhat downward trajectory of the campaign the last couple months. this is what he said about the debate earlier today. >> it is what it is and i think everyone should debate if you qualify. i think you owe it to the people to put out your vision, to talk about your record, answer questions about your record and decisions that you may have made or not made and if you are not willing to do that i think people are not going to look kindly on that. >> for reasons i haven't quite figured out yet, the super pac aligned with the desantis campaign posted a debate prep memo and hundreds of documents creating another set of headlines for him. probably didn't appreciate it in the long game here. in terms of the moment and the meaning of that moment for desantis, what do you think it is? >> i don't think the ron desantis campaign appreciates the never back down super pac posting information in such a manner. i don't think they appreciate the reporting that gives up all his tells on the debate stage. he is very much nervous. we do on the political home page have a very deep, inside look into brett o'donnell the so-called debate wizard who has been prepping desantis. whether prep decides to be on stage or not his shadow will loom large over the debate stage even if he doesn't do counterprograming as he may be planning. desantis has to get a sound bite up there. he has to get a momentum. it is not about the sbunt or issues as much as it should be, but getting a moment that can compel him forward that his team can put out on social media, can put into ads, that makes him stand out and makes him look again like a serious contender. >> you mentioned the piece on brett o'donnell, one quote from ward baker a very well known long serving gop adviser quote he is william shakespeare and vince lombardi rolled into one not to set expectations too high. one of the things especially out of the desantis super pac release of the memo is where chris christie land on all of this. we spoke to him this morning on "cnn this morning." listen to his debate prep. >> i'll listen to the questions, answer them directly and honestly, and if someone up there says something that i believe is dishonest, to call them out on it. that's it. i don't have any more complicated strategy than that. i don't. i don't think you need one. all the people going through the strategy memo stuff and coming up with canned lines and the rest of it. i've watched that canned line thing. it doesn't work all that well. >> the implicit reference there to marco rubio and chris christie's interaction in 2016. but christie is viewed as the attack dog. i think he wants to face trump. he's been trying to goad trump into showing up. what role does he play if trump doesn't show up? >> he is going to draw a contrast with the other folks on the stage mostly ron desantis who we've seen from memos is coached to not go after donald trump. chris christie will be on stage making very clear attacks on donald trump talking about what he thinks he has done wrong and will put ron desantis in a tough spot where he is trying to defend him or with stand attacks from chris christie. we know chris christie can be charismatic and that is area ron desantis struggles. somebody wrote be likable on his notebook so in a tough spot whether or not donald trump is there. >> kaitlan i don't mean to undercut our efforts next week but on some level when a candidate is plus 30 in poll after poll does the debate matter? >> that is what trump's political advisers think and why some people say there is some strategy in not showing up. ron desanity ans others saying you should show up if you qualify. it is important to have this debate in front of the american people but trump has a very firm grasp on the party right now. he is so far ahead in the polling. there is a lot more potential next week for people who aren't as well known. stakes are higher for them because they'll have the biggest audience they've ever had. ron desantis, we have a good understanding what he is walking intoment maybe he'll surprise people. it is the other candidates who may have their moment in the sun where they don't typically get a huge crowd in new hampshire or somewhere else. that could be the moment for them. but at the end of the day when you walk out of there wednesday night for now trump is still the front-runner. >> no question about it. it feels like a huge night for tim scott, vivek ramaswamy who also apparently desantis is planning to attack. we'll watch because we get paid to but also because it is important. happening now president biden hosted an historic summit at camp david. more on the groundbreaking diplomatic talks, next. before advil... new advil l dual action back pain fights back painin two ways. for 8 hours of relief. at the alzheimer's association walk to end alzheimer's, this is why we walk. ♪ they're why we walk. ♪ we walk in the alzheimer's association walk to end alzhiemer's because we're getting closer to beating this disease. join us. at this very moment president biden is holding the first ever tri lateral summit in japan with south korea's leaders at historic camp david hoping the countries can put aside a tense past amid rising security concerns from china and increasingly trigger happy north korea. what is the administration hoping to achieve by bringing these two leaders together at camp david? >> reporter: they want to see some level of unity and partnership amid shared interests against the back drop of mounting security concerns with north korea and china. moments ago we heard from president biden before he went behind closed doors where he called this, quote, a new chapter and said that they would be, quote, safer. >> our countries are stronger and the world will be safer as we stand together. i know this is a belief we all three share. i want to thank you both for your political courage that brought you here. you stepped up to do the hard work. i would argue historic work to forge a foundation from which we can face the future together, the three of us together. >> now, that work is under way now but senior administration officials have outlined some of what we may expect from this including annual military exercises, discussing intelligence sharing agreements, setting up a three way hotline, and having this be an annual tri lateral summit. of course president biden has been fostering individual relationships with this country but he now has them at camp david, the first convening of foreign leaders under president biden where they will be able to have a more robust discussion on these commitments which we should also note will not include a formal alliance commitment or collective defense agreement. so this is all sort of under discussion and the question coming out of this is how does it stay, or how is it maintained in the near term as well as the long term in this administration and for administrations to come? but what is clear here and what the president is underscoring is that they do have a shared interest and it is in their interests to work together. >> that's right. a huge focus for the president over the course of the last two plus years now coming to fruition. priscilla alvarez at the white house thank you. it is meant to be a show of force in the face of consistent missile threats from north korea and china's military maneuvering in the region as well. priscilla outlined some of the top line details. when you look at it from the pentagon's perspective what is this going to tangibly mean with this tri lateral relationship going forward between the militaries? >> it is a big advancement in what we've seen over the past months and years with north korea's repeated and frequent missile launches. we have seen tri lateral u.s./south korea/japan exercises meant to show the three stand in unity there and will act when necessary together. this isn't so much intended to be an ad hoc responsive effort. this goes a step or more than one step beyond that to make this a proactive, regular, scheduled exercise. annual military exercises, ballistic missile drills. this requires a level of coordination and diplomatic engagement between the countries that would have been unthinkable a few years ago. as you rightly pointed out these are countries with decades of mistrust and suspicion going back quite a ways now. they have come quite a ways beyond that to say, look. these are our shared concerns. we are putting some of that behind us so we can cooperate here and move forward to work together diplomatically and militarily. here is national security council's john kirby speaking about this earlier today. >> we are talking about ways to better codify and institutionalize tri lateral cooperation across a wide range of issues not just in the security realm. so again, you'll see these leaders come together today and announce a set of initiatives we hope will be sustainable for the long term. part of that is to make these meetings on an annual basis, announce annual obligations and commitments we are willing to make to one another. nobody is talking about the need for an asian nato. >> reporter: the last point from kirby is important. this isn't supposed to be a defensive alliance but certainly looks like it is moving or at least hints of that direction. nato's principle is attack on one is an attack on all. this doesn't go that far but this does seem to say a threat to one is a threat to all and there might be a coordinated response or some communication as you get toward a response. that in and of itself is a foreign policy accomplishment for the white house. >> it is easy particularly on a friday afternoon to look at this as a regular part of the diplomatic process. this doesn't have precedent. a tri lateral meeting particularly between south korea, japan, and its leaders is a big deal and something to be watched going forward. great reporting. thanks. making the cut former arkansas governor asa hutchinson says he is inching closer to the requirements to make the debate stage next week. that's why the new titan turkey is proferred by this football pro. and proferred by this football pr who actually uses her feet. anif we profer it, we know you'll prefer it too. have you seen me scramble? what makes a medicare supplement insurance pla like an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan from unitedhealthcare a good choice for people on medicare? it's smart for you to have now... i'm 65. and later on, for the future you... i'm 70-ish. it's really smart. hey, looking good. you made a great choice for us. with this type of plan, see any doctor or visit any hospital that accepts medicare patients. there are no networks. your healthcare future will have more freedom. i kept our doctor. and when i needed a specialist. no referrals needed, right? bingo. in fact, see any doctor anywhere in the u.s. really smart to have when you travel. when i visit this little cutie in arizona my plan goes with me. ahhh...grandkids. i can't wait. don't worry about surprise medical bills, either... you'll know up front about how much your care will cost. and knowing your expenses makes planning your financial future easier. i'm glad my husband and i can use our savings to do the things we want to do. i'm glad i don't have to shop for a new plan every year. that's right. once you enroll, your coverage is guaranteed for as long as you keep this plan. have questions? call unitedhealthcare now to talk with a licensed insurance agent or producer. they know a lot about what makes these plans smart now and really smart later. or just ask for this free guide. benefits and rates in one place so it's easy to compare options. year to year, 94% of members renew their plan. and medicare supplement plans with the aarp name are the only medicare supplement plans endorsed by aarp... meeting the high standards of service and quality. so give unitedhealthcare a call today. and set yourself and your future self up with an aarp medicare supplement plan from unitedhealthcare. [dogs bark] winnie! look at you! thanks again for looking out for me. hey, we're in this together. an aarp medicare supplement plan from unitedhealthcare. smart now, really smart later. i'm walt. i have relapsing ms, and a lot going on. that's why i take kesimpta. kesimpta is the only b-cell treatment for rms you can take at home, once-a-month. and it was proven superior at reducing the rate of relapses vs aubagio. for me, a once-a-month treatment just works for my schedule. don't take kesimpta if you have hepatitis b, and tell your doctor if you have had it, as it could come back. kesimpta can cause serious side effects, including infections. while no cases of pml were reported in rms clinical trials, it could happen. tell your doctor if you had or plan to have vaccines, or if you are or plan to become pregnant. kesimpta may cause a decrease in some types of antibodies. the most common side effects are upper respiratory tract infection, headache, and injection reactions. ask your doctor about treating rms with kesimpta. ♪ with wet amd, sometimes i worry my world is getting smaller because of my sight. but now, i can open up my world with vabysmo. vabysmo is the first fda-approved treatment for people with wet amd that improves vision and delivers a chance for up to 4 months between treatments. which means doing more of what i love. ♪ vabysmo is the only treatment designed to block 2 causes of wet amd. vabysmo is an eye injection. don't take it if you have an infection or active swelling in or around your eye, or are allergic to it or any of its ingredients. treatments like vabysmo can cause eye infection or retinal detachment. vabysmo may cause a temporary increase in eye pressure after receiving the injection. although uncommon, there is a potential risk of heart attack or stroke associated with blood clots. open up your world! a chance for up to 4 months between treatments with vabysmo. ask your doctor. - [announcer] do you have an invention idea but don't know what to do next? call invent help today. they can help you get started with your idea. call now 800-710-0020. it just might be a game time decision for 2024 hopeful asa hutchinson struggling to gain support and donors in a very crowded field of gop presidential hopefuls the former arkansas governor remains confident he'll qualify for the debate stage next week. he joins me now. asa hutchinson former governor of arkansas appreciate your time. i'll start with the most obvious one. you haven't said if you met the fundraising threshold to qualify for the first debate. how close are you at this point? >> we are getting very close. we have until monday evening to qualify for the 40,000 individual donors and it is up to all the viewers. go to asa 2024.com. a dollar helps us get on the debate stage and i think my voice is very important. this is the first debate that will really be show casing a future republican party without donald trump. whether there or not he will be a topic. we'll state our positions on him. i'll tell the truth. it is important debate because it is going to be a future republican party without donald trump. >> do you believe, you are still confident you'll get there by monday based on the numbers you're looking at? >> i do. we're gaining a couple thousand new donors which is extraordinary. new donors every day. people have gone to asa 2024.com and said we want you on the debate stage so that momentum is there. we have until monday at 5:00 to get the donors there. i'll be there on the debate and my voice is very important to tell the truth on donald trump and also to feature my positive solutions for the future of america. >> you make the point. you have been one of the few candidates willing to take on the former president directly. >> basically a republican can't call trump unfit for office and still have a chance in a primary, quote, basically requiring half of the party to admit they screwed up and put someone unfit for office in the oval office. do you think it is your direct criticism of donald trump which is why you aren't yet on the debate stage? >> whenever you look at the fact that i supported donald trump, in 2020 and the last election cycle and he didn't win but i supported him and many others felt the same way but what happened january 6, in his post presidency, and actually turning bitter and saying if his second term is going to be about getting even, so that's what tells people we need to move a different direction. you have to embrace the fact he did some good things. i supported him. many others supported him. but we have to go a different direction for our future if we want to win. donald trump has not won the popular vote in the united states. and so let's forget the past and look to the future and there are different directions the candidates will present that is going to attract independent voters in, bring young people in. that is the message i want to have on the debate stage. >> another one of your fellow candidates will hurd the former texas congressman said candidates who don't make the first debate should drop out of the race. is that your view as well? that candidates should start to drop out and try and consolidate? >> i think you have to measure it every day and be fair about it. if you got a reasonable chance to make the goals on the second debate, then you'll be a part of the discussion. so you have to measure the level of support both in terms of donor support, but also the response to your ideas and your polling numbers. so we'll measure that but we'll get on the debate stage monday with everybody's help. we'll be there with the de bants and i think it will be a critically important turning point for our party and the candidates on that stage including myself. >> to that point, i'm sure you've heard it plenty of times, the concern that there are so many candidates, donald trump's support of 30 to 35% is rock solid. nobody questions that. that leaves 65%. what happened in 2016 is too many people stayed in for too long is the theory. you don't think that is a problem right now? >> obviously those numbers have to change. i'm not under stating the challenge ahead of us but i am in iowa right now and i've talked to hundreds if not thousands of voters here in iowa at the state fair and the overwhelming sense i get is they haven't made up their mind what direction they're going but they are ready to move away from donald trump. and so iowa i believe will be the first state, probably late breaking, probably october. it'll be this winter because they want to look at all the candidates. i think you're going to see those numbers change very slowly and they want to wait for the debate and they want to measure the candidates, study them, and make a decision. >> all right. we have to wait and see. the deadline on monday, debate on wednesday. former arkansas governor asa hutchinson, thanks for your time, sir. >> great to be with you today. thank you. now the cnn original series "guiliani: what happened to america's mayor" provides a revealing look at the epic rise and fall of this iconic american politician. catch it tomorrow at 8:00 p.m. eastern on cnn. here is a preview. >> what happened to rudy guiliani? >> it is almost unthinkable. >> a theme that runs through his life is that he's got to be at the center of the action. >> rudy's got to be the star. >> rudy really wanted to make big cases. >> we sure can deliver a message which is you're going to go to prison. >> new york has five organized crime families and they have been permitted to grow and grow and grow. >> guiliani was taking on the mafia. >> heard a plane had crashed into one of the twin towers. >> a terrible draj di. the best way we're going to get through this is we remain calm. >> the number of casualties will be more than any of us can bear ultimately. >> those of us who are here have to defend freedom by going about our lives unafraid. >> he stepped forward to be a leader. >> that was the man meeting the moment. >> fast forward to guiliani becomes the story of rise and fall. >> and we're going to fight to the very end to make sure they don't take away our free and fair vote. >> rudy guiliani arguing that he wasn't literally advocating for insurrection. >> to understand the arc of rudy guiliani one has to appreciate how intoxicating fame and power are. >> there was always this tension between genuine public service and the pursuit of the glory of guiliani. >> rudy is not a guy who backs down. rudy is a guy who doubles down. >> stand up and be defiant. in america that's what they love. >> america! >> guiliani. what happened to america's mayor? tomorrow at 8:00 on cnn. and you are? i'i'm an investor...in invesco qqq, a fund that gives me access to... nanasdaq 100 innovations like... wearable training optimization tech. uh, how long are you... i'm done. i'm okay. ♪ there it is. that feeling you get... when you can du more with less asthma. it starts with dupixent. dupixent is not for sudden breathing problems. it's an add-on treatment for specific types of moderate-to-severe asthma. and can help improve lung function for better breathing in as little as two weeks. dupixent helps prevent asthma attacks... and can even reduce or eliminate oral steroids. can you picture it? dupixent can cause allergic reactions that can be severe. get help right away if you have rash, chest pain, worsening shortness of breath, tingling or numbness in your limbs. tell your doctor about new or worsening joint aches and pain, or a parasitic infection. don't change or stop asthma medicines, including steroids, without talking to your doctor. who knows what you can do when you du more with less asthma. ask your asthma specialist about dupixent. ♪ma ma ma ma♪ [clears throut] for fast sore throat relief, try vicks vapocool drops with two times more menthol per drop*, and the powerful rush of vicks vapors for fast-acting relief you can feel. vicks vapocool drops. fast relief you can feel. (♪) rsv can be a dangerous virus... [sneeze] ...for those 60 and older. it's not just a cold. and if you're 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. ♪ ("un monde pliable" by jeongpill song) ♪ ( ♪ ♪ ) (camera shutters) ( ♪ ♪ ) (camera shutters) ( ♪ ♪ ) ( ♪ ♪ ) ( ♪ ♪ ) that's why comcast business de is launching theal. mobile made free event. with our business internet, new and existing customers can get one year of unlimited mobile for free. it's our best internet. powered by the next generation 10g network and with 99.9% reliability. plus one line of free mobile for an entire year. it's the mobile made free event-happening now. get started for just $49.99 a month. plus, ask how to get one free line of unlimited mobile. comcast business, powering possibilities. when life happens, you turn to your family. it's a little more complicated, though, k when you're the president's son under investigation by the president's justice department. so consider this very complicated. "the washington post" reporting hunter biden went to the white house immediately following the public disclosure of his now torn-up plea deal and stayed for the next two weeks. katelyn is back with me now. i want to talk about this with you. i think it is hard given the political back and forth and the heat and light tied to this to understand the family dynamic with the bidens inside this white house. and why this makes this such a complicated situation for some of his top advisers. >> i was having a conversation recently with someone who was a top official at one point in the trump administration about this very issue and the politics of it. and they were surprisingly sympathetic about it, given the family aspect and that complicated relationship. that being said, though, this is a very difficult issue for the white house because it is sensitive, people don't want to talk about it, but it is something that is going to complicate things on the campaign trail. we've already seen how republicans are using that and how they're talking about it. and we were talking to cedric richmond last night who obviously used to work at the white house and now is a co-chair for biden's campaign. we were asking them how they are preparing to deal with them on the campaign deal. donald trump brought up hunter biden during his last debates with president biden. and, so, they kind of said that they were focusing on just other issues that are actually affecting people. but there is going to have to be an answer on this because it is something that is going to get brought up. >> and they continue to point to polling which shows this doesn't come anywhere near the top five or ten issues that resonate. they get furious when anybody even tries to act like this is an apples to apples comparative to the former president. but it's complicated not just because of the family issues but also the issues itself and the idea of trading on access or trading on names. this was something that abbe lowell was asked about earlier today. >> hunter biden went to georgetown university, went to yale law school, was on the board of directors of a bank, was on the board of directors of amtrak. this is somebody who went and worked at an international law firm. people forget that this is not the person who's simply out there having people write no checks for no reason. people have been doing this for millenia. and the most important point is that it's not improper and it's not illegal. >> it is very washington, though, and we should make clear there has been no direct tie to the current president at this point. no investigation has shown that. but the idea of -- you had the last name and therefore you do x, y, or z or you're retained for x, y, and z amount of money. >> abbe lowell is on hunter biden's attorney. what they are concerned about now is that this is still an ongoing issue in the u.s. legal system. this is something that i think what is the most frustrating part for them, what we've heard from them is that they thought this was about to be resolved. hunter biden walked into court to have his plea deal signed off by the judge. and he was going to come out after, speak to reporters on camera, talk about the difficult chapter and moving on. it's very much not moving on because it's very much going to be this major issue going forward. and abbe lowell is defending it because their concern now is that it's going to trial, there could be other crimes potentially brought. >> special prosecutor, it's going to be hard to control that. you can catch kaitlan tonight on her new show "the source." it airs at 9:00 p.m. eastern. thank you for joining us for "inside politics." cnn "news central" starts right after the break. have a great weekend, guys. in a red barn in waterloo, wisisconsin. and now it spans the globe. you wanna a take what was given to you and you wanna build it. and you wanna pass it along. if i can do that, i would have done well. that's why we're here... to help make it happen. pain hits fast. so get relief fast. only tylenol rapid release gels have laser-drilled holes. they relse medicine fast... hafor fast pain relief.s. and no.. ...get relief without a pill. with tylenol dissolve packs. relief witho the water. do you struggle with occasional nerve aches in your hands or feet? try nervive nerve relief from the world's number one nerve care company. nervive contains ala to relieve nerve aches, and b-complex vitamins to fortify healthy nerves. try nervive. and, try nervive pain relieving roll-on. [ applause ] the day you get your clearchoice dental implants changes your struggle with missing teeth forever. it changes how you eat, how you feel, and how you enjoy life. it changes your smile and how others smile at you. clearchoice network doctors have changed over 100,000 lives with dental implants, and they can change yours, too. because a clearchoice day changes every day. schedule a free consultation. my frequent heartburn had me taking antacid after antacid all day long but with prilosec otc just one pill a day blocks heartburn for a full 24 hours. for one and done heartburn relief, prilosec otc. one pill a day, 24 hours, zero heartburn. what do we always say, son? liberty mutual customizes your car insurance... so you only pay for what you need. that's my boy. ♪ stay off the freeways! only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com