of that team. we will keep you updated on that story thank you so much for joining us. "cnn primetime" with abby phillip joins us right now. >> thank you so, much kaitlan. have a good night. and good evening, everyone. i am abby phillip. donald trump's path to the republican nomination is not only getting more dominant. it is becoming more bulletproof. and as the indictments against him grow so it is his stranglehold on the field. and new cnn numbers show one of the reasons why. voters just aren't worried. a. majority of republican voters and conservative-leaning independents say that they are not concerned that the charges against him will hinder his ability to win the general election. nor would the case hurt his ability to serve for another full term. now, at least one of his rivals, nikki haley, suggests not putting too much stalk into what are these polls say. >> the american people are not going to vote for a convicted criminal. the american people are going to vote for someone who can win a general election. i have faith in the american people. but, nikki haley herself may be one reason why that blind faith in the american people may not be warranted. this was the former governor of south carolina, on the debate stage just a few weeks. ago. >> if former president trump is convicted in a court of law, would you still support him as your party's choice? please raise your hand if you would. >> [applause] >> nikki haley raised her hand. she and fellow republican candidates not named trump are in a bind. the numbers keep rising for trump among the very voters she is trying to court. and, in that hypothetical general election matchup that she mentioned with president biden, a biden win is hardly a given. the 2 are neck and neck, at least at this very moment in time. and joining me now is former republican congressman at south carolina governor mark sanford. governor sanford. thank you very much for joining us. so, as you look at this these numbers, do you see it the way it seems to be? which is that trump support is pretty locked in right now in the republican party? >> i think the operative thing you just said was right now. and it is so early in the process. i've been through my share of elections over the years. and at this point, i will just give you one quick anecdote that i think tells the whole story. i went to the debate they are in milwaukee, and the next morning, i got in the cab, and i asked the cabdriver, tell me who did you think won the debate? and he sort of paused and he says, you know, i think it was that indian guy, i kind of liked him. but you know, i also kind of liked, there were a couple of women. but, i like the woman who is was wearing the white dressed best. of course, there was only one woman, it was nikki haley. and, i did like that black guy. that was about as detailed as he could get. and so at this point in the campaign, what we are really measuring is sort of name i. d., we are in biden and trump stand way out front, we've got a long way to go, and i think it's telling that the caucus process in iowa, and how that could upset the apple cart, and the degree to which governor kristi, excuse me, governor sununu has said, on i am going to make it my job to make sure trump doesn't get elected. so i think we've got some potholes in the road to this being a coronation. >> perhaps. but those two fellow south carolinians that you mentioned that that man described in that way, tim scott and nikki haley. i mean, they are in single digit support in the latest poll. no other republican is even close to trump. and that includes ron desantis. at this point, what do you think that they should do to make defeating trump a possibility? is there anything that you could see them doing, that would actually change this dynamic in the race? >> hit and contrast. i mean, you talk about -- that clip you just played a moment ago, you talk about a lack of leadership where everybody sort of tepidly raising their hands, and sort of looks to the left, looks to the right, and it's like you are back in kindergarten. okay, they are raising their and, i guess i will also. this was not, if trump was the nominee, it was if trump was indicted, convicted, and the nominee. and, the fact that you would have that three fold punch and still raise your hand, is crazy world. so, people need to say, no, i disagree, which he shouldn't be. which nikki is now saying, but you wouldn't say it on the debate stage. people need to make contrast, people respond to contrast in these debates. and they respond to how -- he, trump has said a lot, he said he was going to have the mexicans build the wall, but he said -- he said he would eliminate the debt and the deficit, but he didn't do that. make contrast, and i think people would make real headway if they did so. >> so, i want you to respond to something. this happened just earlier today. former vice president mike pence seems to be doing exactly what you are suggesting, making a contrast by making this pitch against populism. listen. >> i believe that now, we have a choice, our party is facing. whether we are going to produce leadership that is grounded in that timeless conservative agenda, and that has defined our movement for more than 50 years. or whether we are going to follow the siren song of populism, and move our party away from those same principles. >> not to put too fine a point on it, but he ran with trump, on a populist message. does that work, if you are mike pence? >> no, it doesn't! i mean, right message, wrong more year. the fact that he would stand they are at press conference after press conference after press conference, with this fawning and adoring look, as he would look on as trump would say whatever the next crazy thing that trump was saying. and yet, now he is going to make the pitch against, well, we need to go a different way? he stood there for 4 years, adoringly and looking at your, quote, leader. i just think it's a tough sell from his standpoint. >> it's a tough road ahead, i think, for mike pence. and, probably most of the though other candidates on that debate stage. governor mark sanford, thank you you for joining us tonight. >> my pleasure. >> and it's the longest sentence yet to be handed down in the january 6th insurrection cases. a judge giving proud boys leader enrique tario 22 year behind bars, in the sedition case. role in that capitol plot. now, tarrio followed his other proud boy defendants in recent weeks, emotion, emotional, begging for mercy in the courtroom. he apologized to the judge, saying in part, quote, my candidate lost, i felt like something was personally stolen for me. every media channel that i turned to told me i was justified. he went on to say, i am not a political zealot. now, remember, donald trump has suggested that he will pardon some of these guys. and joining me now is trump's former fixer michael cohen. michael is now principle of crisis x. he's also the host of 2 podcasts, mea culpa, and political beat down, and the new york times bestselling author of orange -- how donald trump weaponize the u.s. department of justice against his critics. michael, thanks for being here, as always. i want to start with one of the latest pieces of news to come out today, which is that a number of the january 6th defendants, they have been receiving significant sentences for their actions at the capitol that day, including proud boys leader enrique tarrio, who just today was sentenced to 22 years in prison. some are trying to walk this fine line of regret at this moment. maybe they were hoping for a pardon or hoping for leniency for from the. judge on the question of pardons, do you think that trump will try to pardon some of these people, who already have gone through the justice system, and the justice system and said you need to be in prison for decades? >> yeah, well that presumes that donald ends up winning the general election, even presumption that he becomes the nominee for the gop. there's plenty of time, and there's a lot of indictments, and a lot of cases that are still confronting him. but, yes i do. i believe that some of them -- not all -- but i believe that some of them, like on and re-k-taro, would end up receiving a pardon or some form of commutation, if donald should enter the white house yet again. >> and for these proud boys, one of the things about the sentencing is that they all cried, and seemed to beg for mercy. what do you make of that? >> well, now, unfortunately for them, they are confronted with the reality of the gravity of what they did, on behalf of donald j. trump, based upon him blowing the dog whistle for them to attack the capitol. they are now seeing the damage that donald trump has caused to their lives. but, let's not forget the damage that donald has caused to so many other lives, mine included. so, the reality is setting. in and it should be a warning too all of the 18 co-defendants in the georgia case, that this is going to happen to them as well. it's why i constantly say on social media, or coming to see you here, abby, on cnn, that the time period that these people are going to get is going to be significant. so if they think that the january 6th cases are isolated, they are not. and i suspect that the fulton county georgia determinations will be equally as painful. >> you just brought up the georgia case. now, all 19 of those defendants have pled not guilty in that case. with all of these defendants in georgia, and the unindicted and unnamed co conspirators in the federal cases, we are starting to see a lot of finger pointing playing out in the legal filings. do you think that they will make a break with trump, like you eventually did? >> my hope is that they take a look to see what just happened with enrique tarrio, where he got 22 years, and then the other insurrectionist got 17 years. these are real sentences, not that mine wasn't, at a 36 month, three year sentence, that is significant also, especially based upon what the crime was. but, these are real long sentences. and if they want to be part of that club of people who spend, basically the rest of their lives behind bars, my recommendation for them would be, speak now. because as soon as the guy next to you, or the woman next few starts speaking, and spilling the beans, your information is not as important, it's not as significant. so, the person, really, who starts to speak first is the one that will get the benefit. >> a big part of this in the georgia case, and actually in the federal case as well, that looks into the efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, is former white house chief of staff mark meadows. he provided testimony last week in the georgia case, and he put a lot of his actions at the feet of donald trump. do you get the sense that meadows could be considering turning against him as well? >> sure. again, if mark has half a brain, then he would be speaking now, because he knows that donald will point the finger at him at any opportunity that he gets. it's no different, and you may have seen from the deposition, that donald gave with the new york attorney general, he pointed the finger at his own son eric, throwing eric under the bus. if eric can be thrown under the bus by donald, then what do you think donald will do with someone like mark meadows, or somebody like rudy giuliani? or you know, sidney powell, or any of the other codefendants? donald doesn't care about anyone or anything, other than himself. and he will point fingers and throw anyone under the bus to save himself. >> you know well how expensive it is to deal with the legal challenges that face people who are embroiled in these things with donald trump. but right now, it does not appear that in the georgia case, trump is paying any of the legal bills for these folks, even for someone like a rudy giuliani. and now, cnn is reporting that some of trump's codefendants in georgia, they are struggling to even afford the legal issues that they haven't even really gotten into yet. it's just the beginning. that cash crunch, do you think that cash crunch can incentivize people to flip? >> like i said before, donald doesn't care about anyone or anything other than himself. he is not going to waste a single penny on any one of these people. and he is going to use the line that, oh, it wouldn't look right if in fact i paid your legal bills. it will look like we had some form of a joint defense agreement, or there is collusion going on between us. he will use anything that he can, in order to continue to grift off the american people, his supporters, for himself, not for the benefit of others. but yes, once the bills start pouring in and, as you said, abby, i certainly know what that was like. it's devastating, i mean, nobody, unless you are a billionaire, can afford to fight with the government, because the government has unlimited resources. and they continue to use them, and they then expand upon them. so at the end of the day, these people are sunk. >> all right, michael cohen, thank you very much. >> thanks, abby. >> and, just in, special counsel jack smith is accusing trump of trying to prejudice the jury pool. this, as we learn his investigation is expanding. michigan secretary of state jocelyn benson joins me, live. plus, more republicans are voicing concern about mitch mcconnell's health, as the senate returns. ronald reagan's daughter, patti davis, joins me live next, on the age of lawmakers. irritated skin. so, we switched to tide pods free & gentle. it cleans better, and doesn't leave behind irritating residues. and it's gentle on her skin tide free & gentle is epa safer choice certified. it's got to be tide like ours is spoiling their dogs. good, real food is simple. it looks like food, it smells like food, it's what dogs are supposed to be eating. no living being should ever eat processed food for every single meal of their life. it's amazing to me how many people write in about their dogs changing for the better. the farmer's dog is just our way to help people take care of them. ♪ here's how tommy lost 30 lbs on noom weight. i'm tom. noom helped him use psychology to lose weight. the mindful aspect made me feel more conscious about what i was eating and why i was eating it. it's actually working. lose weight and make it last with noom weight. what's considered normal for your cat is interesting. but if your cat isn't their quirky self lately, they may have pain from a common condition called osteoarthritis. now, there's solensia. solensia is a once-monthly injection to control your cat's oa pain. veterinary professionals administering solensia who are pregnant, trying to conceive, or breast feeding should take extreme care to avoid self-injection. self-injection could cause allergic reactions like anaphylaxis. ask your vet about solensia and help get your cat back to their normal. 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( ♪ ) >> and new tonight, jack smith said in a court filing that, when it comes to the 2020 election interference case, former president trump has made daily extrajudicial statements that threaten -- to prejudice the jury. this new allegation comes as cnn exclusively learned that the scope of smiths investigation continues to expand, with a new focus on this postelection fundraising and voting system breaches, and how the former president may -- how the former may have paid for the latter. now, prosecutors are currently honing in on former president trump's lawyer, sydney powell. remember, she was also a codefendant in that georgia election case. jocelyn benson is michigan's secretary of state and michigan was, of course, one of the states where voting systems were targeted. secretary benson, thanks for joining us. you have spoken to investigators in both the state and federal levels about this push to access voting systems. what can you tell us about what these investigators have been most interested in in those conversations? >> i think, 2 things. first, thanks for having me. and the connection between what happened in michigan and a national conspiracy, in a very detailed way -- so, a lot of things happened in michigan, whether it was the voting machine breaches, the cases out of and trim antrim county -- tragedy of our capitol on january 6th, so, drawing those connections with a meticulous focus on what was true and what was not and what was alleged and said versus what actually happened is a lot of what we unpacked in our conversations with everyone at the state and federal level investigating -- these incidents. >> it appears that sidney powell is a figure that that is at the center of so much of that this. today ask about her in particular? >> i don't want to comment too much on the investigation itself and those discussions. but i will say it's very clear that sidney powell was an active part of both what happened in michigan, and nationwide, and the lies that she fed the public and lawmakers and others throughout the -- country really hit hard in michigan, and, in my view, formed the backbone of a lot of the illegal attempts to, among other things, reach our election equipment. and so, it is not a surprise to me to see her play a central figure in the legal proceedings as well, given what we experienced here in michigan and saw firsthand. >> yeah. i mentioned earlier that jack smith is now accusing trump of making statements that would prejudice a potential jury. and you have been the target of trump's attacks in the past. do you see this as the start of him being held accountable to a certain extent for his attacks on individuals and on groups of people? >> yes. i will say, since these indictments have come down, both at the federal level and at the state level, and in georgia, it's really been the first time in years that i and others have began to feel a little relief in feeling, like, protected, and that someone is seeking justice and accountability, and as we prepare for another attempt of potential election interference in 2024 cycle, the fact that these legal proceedings are happening now, for the first time, give me some semblance of confidence that we won't have to go through this again. but we will see how it all plays out. >> so, in the last couple of weeks, there has been a growing effort in some states, including in your own, to find ways to keep trump off of the 2024 ballot using the 14th amendment. the argument is, basically, that is actions on january 6th constitutionally disqualify him from running for office again. senator tim kaine just this weekend said it's probably going to be resolved in the courts, but perhaps not before attorneys general in your state and in other states are faced with this question. what is your prediction about whether that is possible and how this all might end? >> i think -- you know, i'm going to follow the law. i'm going to uphold the constitution, and i know and expect my colleagues around the country, both secretaries of state and attorneys general, to do the same. but we all are aware of, and expect, that the final say on this issue of eligibility, both from the former president or any candidate, will be decided, as it typically is, in the courts, both at the state and federal level. so, you may see some secretaries of state making an initial determination based on our view of the law, with the law allows us to do. but no matter what determination is made it will ultimately be fully resolved by the u.s. supreme court, we hope, sooner, rather than later, to give ourselves clarity moving forward for this election cycle. >> jocelyn benson, quickly, in the meantime, do expect you expect have to make some kind of justice judgment before the -- supreme court weighs in about whether trump shows up on the 2024 ballot in your state? >> potentially. our decision for the primary election plays out in just the next few months, and nevada and several other states will be making decisions before that. so, we may see some decisions made prior to any clarity from the u.s. supreme court. but before it's said and done, at the end of this, on the other side, the u.s. supreme court will make a determination. we just hope it's -- in time for us to hope our ballots are printed correctly end -- for any upcoming primary election, and then we anticipate, potentially, another round of it based on who gets nominated in this, in the summer conventions next year. so, this is far from resolved. but you will see it play a central role in the conversation around the 2020 election for some months ahead. >> all right, jocelyn benson, thank you so much for joining us. >> thanks for having me. >> and tonight, senator mitch mcconnell is speaking out about his latest health episode as his own party voices concerns. ronald reagan's daughter, patti davis, joins me live to talk about our aging politicians. that is up next. to be honest, i thought it was almost too smooth, financing, every step. there were no surprises. well, my monthly payment did come out lower than expected. financing my car with carvana was super smooth. [announcer] finance your next car with carvana today. for moms, from centrum. ♪ this new mom ♪ ♪ here i go ♪ ♪ i am strong and brave i know ♪ ♪ with a little time for me ♪ ♪ no doubt i will get through ♪ ♪ loving me is loving you ♪ ♪ new from centrum. the women's choice multivitamin brand. >> members of mitch mcconnell's own party tonight are voicing concerns about his health. it comes as the senate minority leader briefly addressed his second freeze in public during his return to capitol hill today. >> at one particular moment of my time back home has received received its fair share of attention in the press over the past week. but i assure you august was a busy and productive month for me and my staff back in the commonwealth. >> and while the 81-year-old did not give any details about what happened, the capitol physician dished a bit more light in the statement today, writing, quote, there is no evidence that you have a seizure disorder or that you experienced a stroke, tia, or movement disorder such as parkinson's disease. but these incidents have raised some questions about mcconnell's health and his future as the longest serving party leader in senate history. and here to talk about this and other things is patti davis. she's the daughter of president ronald reagan, and she's the author of the book floating in the deep end. patti, great to see you, and thank you for being here. i want to get to your really fascinating op-ed that you had recently in the new york times, in just a moment. but just to ask about what we have seen now with these two moments with mitch mcconnell that happened right in front of television cameras -- what did you think when you saw him freeze in that way? >> i'm not a doctor, so, i can't diagnose anything. but i think both the situation with mitch mcconnell and with dianne feinstein bring up things that need to be addressed and need to be discussed. medical transparency with elected officials -- we expect that with the president. so, i don't know why we shouldn't expect that with other elected officials. and i think, probably -- court -- many reasons, not just age and infirmity. it's something that should be on the table and should be discussed. i don't think age itself should be the main criteria. because, i would like to point out that paul mccartney is 81 years old. and he is out doing concerts. and mick jagger is 80. so, age is not always the one barometer that you can use. >> yeah. you make a really interesting point. your father, ronald reagan, was 77 at the end of his presidency. president biden is now 80. if he serves a second term, he will be 86 at the end of that term. nikki haley, who is running for president right now, she says that she doesn't think that biden can finish a second term. what do you think? should he be running for a second term at the age that he is? does it matter? >> he seems pretty together to me. and, worst -- how is nikki kayleigh nikki haley capable of saying that? and by the way, nikki haley also made a comment a few days ago saying that the senate is a nursing home for privileged people, which is a really mean thing to say. i just think it is really sad that cruelty has become currency in our political landscape. right? those are both kind of mean things to say. what is the point of that? >> it is a good question. look, you wrote this really fascinating piece that i mentioned earlier, about senator dianne feinstein, whose hail hail challenges have really been out in the public. she has had these moments after an illness where she seemed confused and disoriented in the senate. people are actively asking her to leave her office. but what should families do when perhaps there is evidence of serious health decline? or their loved one is in a position of power? >> you know, it's really complicated. and that's why i wanted to write this piece. because losing someone to cognitive impairment, no matter what the cause of it, whether it is dementia or in encephalitis or a brain injury -- it is like nothing else. that person becomes unrecognizable and you are mourning, you and the caregivers and family members are mourning the loss of -- you usually do after someone dies. but that person is not dead. they are physically here. so, it's very complicated. and i wanted to illuminate what caregivers go through. she is, obviously, a very public person. but there are people living in private journeys by the millions who go through this day after day. you know? and i think they don't get enough attention paid to them, and don't have enough advocacy. so, that's why i wanted to use her experience to illuminate that. but, just to make one other point, it is not so simple as to say to someone, i'm sorry, you can't work anymore. right? it doesn't work like that. people want to stay with what is familiar to them. and i don't think that is a cognitive thing or an intellectual thing. it is a primal thing. this is where she feels rooted. this is her life. and she wants to stay with that. >> patti, can i ask you this. ? when your father was serving as president, there were questions later about whether, perhaps, he was showing symptoms of alzheimer's while he was still in office. and it just makes me wonder, how do you handle that? is there a way to handle it, if you don't know if there is decline, but you see just things that are troubling? -- the case of dianne feinstein. >> what we have seen in diane dianne feinstein is not anything that we saw with my father when he was in office. so, people are going to have the opinions that they have about my father. i do not think that he was exhibiting symptoms of alzheimer's when he was in office. it started when he -- actually, it started when he fell off the horse and had a brain injury, which is often how dementia announces itself, with a head injury, and oftentimes with anesthesia. so, i do not think that that -- he was ill when he was in office. >> well, a really fascinating discussion with you, patti davis. and a great op-ed that you wrote in the new york times. everyone should go and take a look at it. thank you for joining us tonight. >> thank you. >> and, up next, if more than a quarter of alabama's population is black, why is their only one congressional district with a majority of black voters? sherrilyn ifill joins me live on a major rebuke that happened in court today. plus, what priscilla pressley is revealing happened when she met elvis at the age of 14. i just found the biggest weight loss hack for ya'll! ♪ the truth is there is no quick fix... ...but there is a more effective way to lose weight and it isn't what you think. it's actually noom. it's two times more effective than doing it on your own. get started right now by taking the noom quiz. when i was diagnosed with h-i-v, i didn't know who i would be. but here i am... being me. keep being you... and ask your healthcare provider about the number one prescribed h-i-v treatment, biktarvy. biktarvy is a complete, one-pill, once-a-day treatment used for h-i-v in many people whether you're 18 or 80. with one small pill, biktarvy fights h-i-v to help you get to undetectable—and stay there whether you're just starting or replacing your current treatment. research shows that taking h-i-v treatment as prescribed and getting to and staying undetectable prevents transmitting h-i-v through sex. serious side effects can occur, including kidney problems and kidney failure. rare, life-threatening side effects include a buildup of lactic acid and liver problems. do not take biktarvy if you take dofetilide or rifampin. tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines and supplements you take, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you have kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis. if you have hepatitis b do not stop taking biktarvy without talking to your healthcare provider. common side effects were diarrhea, nausea, and headache. no matter where life takes you, biktarvy can go with you. talk to your healthcare provider today. 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. >> and tonight, alabama says that it will appeal a federal court's decision to strike down a new redistricting map that would undercut the power of black voters. the back story is this, that the supreme court ruled at alabama's existing maps violated the civil rights law. now, the state redrew a map over the objections of democratic lawmakers and today a panel of three judges -- to have, by the way -- were pointed by former president donald trump, not only rejected that map but rebuked those behind it for blatantly ignoring the higher courts ruling. joining me now and all of this is former president and director counsel at the naacp legal defense fund sherrilyn ifill. sherrilyn ifill, this is really an incredible legal saga here. the supreme court said months ago that alabama needed to go back to the drawing board and re-write this map. they refused to do it and then, today, officials were ordered to do another map that has to be independently drawn. what is your reaction to all this? >> well, abby, there is a saying among civil rights lawyers that alabama is going to alabama. essentially, alabama is in a state of resistance to the supreme court. but let's take it all the way back. after the 2020 census, it was apparent to everyone what the demographics of the state had become, that the black population is 27%, that those congressional districts -- there are seven congressional districts -- one has been majority black. and it was clear that it was possible to draw a second district that would give black voters an opportunity to influence -- strongly influence -- the outcome of elections in that district. alabama refused to do so. that's the first act of defiance. then, they get sued. it goes to the supreme court. and the supreme court stays a positive ruling for black voters. it goes back to the drawing board. then, the supreme court issues its decision in the millican case, which surprised everyone. alabama thought they were going to win this case in the supreme court. they did not. chief justice roberts actually surprised everyone. and it goes back to the drawing board. and abby, a month ago, they were slapping each other on the back. there were calls that were revealed in discussions at meetings among members of the legislature and the attorney general, saying that they were so happy they didn't just knuckle under to the highest court in the land and that they were stringing this out. now, they have been rebuked a bit again. but they insist that they are appealing to the supreme court. i expect that they will seek a stay of the three judge court's decision. and they will keep grinding this out. >> this is the perplexing part. they seem to want to go back to the supreme court that has already told them to redraw their map. what is the enforcement mechanism here, if they continue to stonewall? >> what is so ironic about this, abby, is that ten years ago, this very supreme court, led by chief justice roberts, struck down a critical feature of the voting rights act that was designed for places like alabama and to prevent this from happening. the preclearance provision would have required alabama to have its maps cleared by a federal authority before they tried to put them into place. it was designed to avoid this kind of recalcitrance and the expense of this litigation. who pays for this litigation? is it kay ivey, the governor? is it the secretary of state? is that the attorney general? no, it's the people of alabama, including the black residents of alabama who pay for a state to continue to try and oppress them. and, in the meantime, they are without the representation that they deserve. >> justice delayed is justice denied is how the saying goes. and obviously, today's ruling is not a new phenomenon in the states history. it's just another instance where the court has forced the state officials, particularly in the south, to just follow federal civil rights and voting rights laws. just two decades ago a lawsuit forced the creation of that seventh district, the states states so majority black district in southwest alabama. what do you think is really behind this kind of resistance in the year 2023? >> i think it's partly politics. i certainly think that they believe that -- they keep knocking on the door of the supreme court at some point it is going to open for them. but i also think this show of defiance, much like massive resistance to desegregation in the late 1950s and early 1950s was designed to cater to base, was designed to keep voters passionate and wild up around issues of race and representation. and i think they are playing this game, and they are playing this game with democracy in alabama. i hope the courts will stand strong and compel alabama to comply. but they are playing politics with the right of black voters to be full and first class citizens, and to participate equally in the political process. and it is no joke. >> sherrilyn ifill, i can't really think of a better person to talk about this on this particular day. thanks for joining us. >> thank you. >> and up next -- the anti-defamation league says it found thousands of examples of antisemitism on twitter in one month. and now elon musk is threatening to sue them for -- get this -- defamation. the ceo and national director of the adl joins me next. wake up, achievers. you're making the most of every hour of your life. except the hours that you're sleeping. so why do we leave so much untapped potential on the table? 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( ♪ ) >> elon musk issuing a new threat today. he says that he has no choice but to soothe the anti-defamation league for defamation. the owner of x, formerly known as twitter claims, without evidence, that the group's assertions about rising hate speech on his platform are to blame for the company's 60% drop in advertising revenue. but it's not just the adl. other organizations have also noted that there has been a jump in hate speech across x since the billionaire took over. musk is no stranger to taking legal action against his critics. last month, he sued the center for countering digital hate, which reported hate speech on x has sharply reasons reason since musk took the helm. jonathan greenblatt is the ceo and national director of the anti-defamation league. jonathan greenblatt, first of all, thanks for being here. and, also, what is your response to elon musk's threat to sue you all? >> well, look, abby. adl is the oldest anti-hate organization in the country. we have been focused on fighting antisemitism and racism and all forms of bigotry for over 110 years. there is a problem across all social media services. we have talked about it before. i have talked about it on this network. i've talked about it with elon musk. and the reality is that this claim that elon wants to sue us -- look, i can't really tell you what is in his head. i have read the same tweets that you have. but what is alarming is the rise of antisemitism across the country. like, we've got to see the big picture here. literally, anti jewish acts have reached historic levels in the united states. the highest number we have seen in 40 some odd years of tracking it. in the last month alone, abby, there have been over 50 bomb threats and swatting attacks against synagogues and jewish institutions across the country. this past weekend in florida, we had nazis marching out in the open. and then, of course, we see this grotesque antisemitism in on twitter. it started with this hashtag, ban the adl. that was initiated after i met with x president ceo linda yaccarino. when i tweeted about that, it spawned this hateful campaign. the truth is, i'm concerned about what is happening in this country. i'm deeply worried about the antisemitism affecting american. jews. frivolous lawsuits, while claims. i can't respond to them. i've got to do my job, which is to fight hate. >> have you talked to elon musk directly about this particular topic, about whether it is the antisemitism on the platform, or his amplification of the ban adl slogan that we have seen? >> i have certainly spoken to elon musk in the past, not over the last several days. but you are making a really important observation here. it is the amplification of this hateful slogan -- they sort of hashtag campaign -- and let me tell you, the people who were promoting it were a number of very bad actors. and one of the most influential people in the world, the owner of the platform itself, is engaging with some of these actors who are notorious antisemites or other conspiracy theorists or other sort of -- again, what i would describe as bad actors, with very hateful intent -- that energizes them. that emboldens, them abby. and that's what we do at adl. we track these people. so, literally, win in florida over the weekend, you had a group called the redshirts, which is sort of an all-star team of nazis marching in the open with swastika flags saying awful antisemitic and racist things, and then repeating that hashtag slogan, it's very problematic to see a jump into the real world. >> elon musk -- the way he describes himself is as a free speech absolutist. >> yeah. >> when the adl looks at twitter as a platform, do you see free speech actually being a vehicle for, basically, just antisemitism, in many cases? >> well, look. i actually am someone who deeply believes in the first amendment. and i think hate speech -- speech we don't like -- that's the price of free speech. but the question is, are you elevating it? are you expanding it? are you making it easy to see for children and other people? are you finding ways to de-amplify it and to tamp it down? now, i don't have access to all of the twitter data. i know linda yaccarino has told me that things are improving on the platform, and elon has made similar tweets. but what i know is what we see and what we study at adl. and -- >> are they improving? do you think they are improving? >> we have seen an increase in kind of qanon hashtags. we've seen a lot of notorious antisemites we platform. re-platform. and this weekend alone was exhibit a in ugly, grotesque, poisonous antisemitism. so, i have got to look at what we see. and what we see is deeply troubling. >> all right. jonathan greenblatt, thank you very much for joining us tonight. >> thanks, abby. >> and up next, an extremely dangerous escaped conflict is still on the run in pennsylvania. coming, up we will have an update from an official there. plus, what priscilla pressley is saying about her physical relationship with elvis when she was just 14. i'm gonna walk you through everything i eat in a day. not today, sis. unless you plan on orbiting earth, you don't need to eat powder for every meal. with noom you can still enjoy your favorite food and reach your goal weight. get started with noom, today. i'm saving with liberty mutual, mom. they customize your car insurance so you only pay for what you need. you could save $700 dollars just by switching. ooooh, let me put a reminder on my phone. on the top of the pile! oh. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ how long have you been tracking the value of our car? 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