i've had hanako montgomery in tokyo and this is cnn you're on the cnn newsroom. >> hi, everyone. i'm jessica dean in washington, former president, and now convicted felon donald trump, saying he'd be okay with serving prison time is coming just days after he was found guilty on all the charges in his criminal hush money trial but as he awaits his sentencing is set for july 11. the republican candidate for president warns a harsh punishment could lead to a breaking point among his supporters. >> this is what he said on fox news this morning judge, could decide to say, hey, house arrest or even jail it could face what i'm okay with it. >> i saw one of my lawyers. he had the day on television saying, oh, no, you don't want to do that to the i don't get a bag for anything you'd just the way it is. i don't know that the public would stand it. you know, i don't i'm not sure that the public would stand for it with a house arrest for i think i think it'd be tough for the public to take at a certain point. this is a breaking point. >> now, when asked if he would seek revenge, if he was reelected, here's what he said to that question. >> it's a very interesting question. by revenge will be success. and i mean that but it's awfully hard when you see what they've done. these people are so evil the latest quinnipiac poll taken before the verdict shows biden and trump essentially in a dead heat. no clear leader there the two men will face off for the first time in a cnn debate on june 27, for the first time this cycle, it's also the first time they've debated at all since debating each other. and the last one, it's just four weeks away now it will be less than two weeks before trump's sentencing and days before the republican national convention. so quite a calendar coming up in june and july, joining me now to discuss this in and political commentator and democratic strategist, maria cardona and cnn senior political commentator and former special assistant to president george w bush, scott jennings, great to have both you hear desiccant happy sunday to you guys scott, let's start first with you. we played some clips from president trump's interview this morning a lot is being made about his comments about a breaking point for his supporters using that language, what are you what is your takeaway? >> republicans are pretty mad. i mean, they think this trial was unfair and i think it shouldn't i've never been brought. i mean, the idea of that was very skeptical a few days ago, like, you never got thrown donald trump in jail. the more i think about it though, they look if you actually remember the core of the case is democrats believe that this may have overturned the outcome of the 2016 election. that's why they brought the charges to campaign finance case. if you believe that donald trump might have stolen an election how can you not put him in jail? so the more i think about it, the more i think they might. and so if they do i mean, it's hard to predict how angry people will be, but they're gonna be pretty white hot out there but i think it's there when you say that there's there's angry and there's angry and expressing it here, talking about it, i will say this. >> i should add that unlike other cases we've seen in this country after the trump verdict was announced there were no riots. there were no buildings burning, there were no couches burning, there were no cars overturned, no cop cars were torch, so i think that's good thing. now, what did happen was donald trump apparently is raised tens or maybe hundreds of millions of dollars. so you can see that the republicans are putting their energy into getting him re-elected but maria, there has been concern from some people that that rhetoric is not just white hot, angry in the sense that they're going to do, you give political donations and go to the ballot box. >> but that there could be violence attached to that what do you think about those? i mean, i think that is a very legitimate concern because it's happened before these types of comments from donald trump are not meant to be comments that are just things that he says for nothing. >> the last time he has said those kinds of comments, we saw violent, deadly insurrection at the white house. >> he has said things like stand back and standby to the proud boys. we he has said things like when in the run-up to the january 6, he told his supporters come to the white house or come to the capital. it's going to be wild. >> this is nothing new for him. >> and he knows that when he says things like that he can get away with it because he's not calling for violence, but he knows his support porter's are going to take it like, let's bring up arms we already saw images on the internet of his supporters saying grab your muskets, we got to go down and defend our president. let's go. yeah. good exactly those are the mind of people. >> i'm not making it up. i'll show you the picture and so it is dangerous. >> it's dangerous rhetoric. and let's remember, this was not a verdict that democrats came up with. this was a verdict that was handed down by a jury of 12 peers of donald trump, not democrats, not republicans. a jury of his peers. this is how our justice system works this was not a trial well or a suit that was brought by president biden, which is also something that donald trump likes to push. it's not even a federal case. so this has nothing to do with the democratic party that is a lie that donald trump continues to your pet. >> you were saying that democrats are not involved in any way in this case. >> i'm saying there's not one debit chronic pain. >> what donald trump says that this was orchestrated by president biden is an outright lie. >> you said that's what i'm saying. but the prosecutor is a democrat. yes. >> it doesn't matter. does it and the judge did donate five? >> yes. >> okay so then if this is just saying there are democrats in volts, is your argument, scott, then you should think that alito and clarence thomas need to recuse themselves from the cases that they're going to be hearing about donald trump. they didn't donate anybody. no. no. okay. not that i know. >> anytime i miss did she not participate in the whole issue of trying to overturn the election? >> yes again, it's under what's and i know some comfortable for republicans on the supreme court. >> i'm not i'm not uncomfortable with you saying that democrats who are part of this trial, because what i do know is that it's a truck i'll and the verdict that was handed down by a jury of donald trump's peers. >> and for for republicans elected officials to continue to attack the jury that the judge, and our system is as dangerous as donald trump's words, calling for violence. >> okay, scott, i want to ask you just a long line. so what we were just getting into because larry hogan, who was the governor of maryland and is running for senate seat in maryland, which republicans would be lucky if he, if he wins in blue, maryland he said yeah, i said that he everyone should accept the verdict for full respect to the jury's decision, right? and then lara trump went on and this is what she said. we have a clip of that right. >> think it's ridiculous and i think anybody who's not speaking up in the face of really something that should never again have seen the light of de, a trial that would never have been brought against any other person aside from donald trump, doesn't deserve that respect of anyone well i'll have to get back to you he doesn't deserve a destructive anyone in the republican party at this point there's a couple of ways we could take this, but i am interested in first is it not fair to say respect the jury's decision that you can argue and a lot of people have even some democrats should this case have been brought what or not. >> but what the jury did they not do their what they were charged to do, no problem with the jury. >> i mean, these people were picked they did what the prosecutors asked the video. >> they were put in this situation, they did their job, got no problem with the jury republicans have a problem with the prosecutor and the judge. and the jury they rendered there. he said respect. the jury's work here, and he's getting attacked by the head of the rnc. >> it's just not good by the way, because it was a miracle when this race came on the board, right that's democrats are worried and and if larry hogan makes it to the senate it guarantees that republicans will be in the majority and so that is unequivocally a good thing. i do wonder politically if it's not actually somewhat helpful for larry hogan to be feuding with the case maryland because because because democrats are attacking him saying, oh, he's just going to we a rubber stamp for the trump republican party. what does look like that to me. >> so, so now again repeat unity and that you unity in the party. >> and so i don't, i don't love this because getting hogan raised on the board, getting that marylanders and the board was a real huge get for the republicans. and i think he's one of the maybe top two or three pick-up opportunities for the party, which was a surprise missile, maria, but through your lens, how do you see it i think it's a mistake for the rnc to be attacking larry hogan because if the rnc is doing their job, they're supposed to be supporting every single republican who is running and trying to take back the senate and keep the house and for them to go after larry hogan because you're right, democrats are concerned. we should be concerned and for them to be going after him. i think shows just how much this is no longer the republican party is the donald trump manga party. and that's great for his supporters. it will absolutely rile up donald trump's maga supporters. but in order to when the white house, in order to take back the senate and in order to keep the house, they need to expand their universe of voters into independence, into women. and by doing that that is not going to happen, okay? >> i want to ask you how much the president president biden should be leaning into this in his reelection effort, but we're going to take a break first. so think on that and we're gonna fight back. >> where you will just hold that answer. we're going to discuss it right after the break. we'll be right back russia for trying to spy on us. >> we were spying on them i miss sally franklin this is a war but secret war. >> secrets and spies, a nuclear game. >> vermeer's tonight at ten on cnn sentenced you make a sale is now odd with race from 119 knife for a person per night visit, send those.com or call 1800 sandals, lactate is 100% real melt just without the lactose delicious to just ask my old friend kevin. >> now than like enjoying the coal one while watching the game who's winning no idea. real milk reel, delicious. >> and don't forget to try some delicious creamy lactate ice cream what's that mammal wow, it's marked out when, you're a small business 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back, we can use less new plastic. >> bottles are day to be remade hi marla signs at the white house. and this is cnn president biden reacted to the verdict for former president donald trump on friday after spinning months, avoiding that topic they found donald trump guilty on all 34 felony counts now only be given the opportunity as he should to appeal that decision, just like everyone else has that opportunity. >> that's how the american system of justice works and it's reckless. is dangerous, it's ever responsible for anyone to say this was rigged. just because they don't like the verdict sian white house correspondent for scylla alvarez is joining us now, priscilla how is the biden campaign viewing this moment while they're trying to strike a pretty delicate balance. and the way that they respond to this, they were very fiery and their statement shortly after the verdict was reached. but they're also trying to be quite somber. two and making the point to voters that this is going to be decided at the ballot box, not in the courtroom and trying to push toward that message. now, of course, that it also tried to fund raise on it, noting that this verdict would fire up former president donald trump's supporters and trying to rake in those grassroots donations where they have succeeded quite a bit. and so the campaign it looking forward, it doesn't really see this verdict changing the calculus of the election entirely. it may have been different if it was an acquittal but of course this is a race that's going to be decided on the margins. and so the question is how the campaign wants to use this moving forward and how they describe and characterize the former president moving forward, those are still answers that we don't have yet. but certainly in this moment they were both trying to be skating and their statements, but also pointing straight to the ballot box in november? >> right. all right. so our political panel is back here with us. >> they didn't go anywhere. >> if you didn't go commentator and democratic strategist, maria cardona and cnn senior political commentator and former assistant to the president george w bush, scott jennings facility. >> you're going to stay with us i want to go off of the reporting. priscilla just had maria make the case that this verdict actually, in the end has really any real effect on this race. >> so i will say this, i don't think any of us really know what kind of effect this is going to have long term we have seen past polls and the most recent poll that does say that a lot of independence and a smidgen of republicans would think twice about putting a convicted felon as president of the united states. i think the biden campaign is being very smart in both making sure to hit that balance. and i think they were pitch perfect right after the verdict but also moving forward, not counting either on this trial or on any of the others where we're trump was font was indicted and found guilty of a gazillion. other charges because they need to focus on two things, making sure that americans understand what they have done. the massive accomplishments that they have put them in place for american voters on the economy and on other issues, healthcare student loans, et cetera. but also making the case that they know that things are not easy for everyone, that not everyone is feeling the growth in the economy and that there's still a lot more to do, but smartly, they are going to use this verdict to lean into the message that they have already had from the moment that president biden announced his reelection, and that is that donald trump is an existential threat to our democracy. this verdict, i thank plates beautifully into that overall message. >> and scott, if you're the biden campaign, would you lean more to this? well, i think i think they have to be careful for a few reasons. one as you pointed out trump has been making the argument that this is all being orchestrated by biden. so the more he leans into it the more somebody might say, oh, there's look like he was involved and so they have to be careful on that number. 200 bytes is going on trial this week and he's got other trials. hizon face. so it's not like the biden family is super clean on criminal trials right now. and number three, i think they also have something of a hypocrisy problem, right now, on one day, joe biden says, well, it's it's irresponsible. the question that judicial system. and to say it's rigueur, it's terrible and we have to respect the judges and everything. and on the next day he says, the supreme court tried to stop me, but i did it anyway, when he's talking about student loans, so i'm i'm confused about which parts of the judicial system we have to respect as he wants to respect the ones that new york, but not the ones that the supreme court i think. they have to be careful about that as well. okay. that's a different issue, but we can get into there. are they not all courts do not want to risk. >> we have, you mentioned hunter biden is going on trial, a federal trial next week. bob menendez a democratic senator, also on trial. >> so it's not like just republicans or are being prosecuted. well, not only that jessica so but if if all of this was being orchestrated by president biden then they're really bad at it. >> if his own son is going to try. >> all right. so that is just completely ridiculous and unbelievable talking point that only works with donald trump's maga base, and this is where i think republicans really need to be careful because the more that elected officials republican elected officials attack our judicial system and attack judges and attack the jury. i think even are their own races. that wasn't are up for reelection if they need to bring an independence and women and moderates and even common sense republicans who want to say that our judicial system is still a foundational element of our democracy. i think that's a really dangerous point for republica