case. plus, schools in pennsylvania now canceling classes today after new sightings late last night of the convicted murderer still on the run. and later, a mass exodus and eight-hour wait as the gates finally open at burning man. a live report from what was a very muddy nevada desert coming up. great to have you with us. and it is good to be back with you. 1:00 eastern. i'm ana cabrera reporting from new york. we begin in washington where hours from now the former national leader of the proud boys will be sentenced on charges related to the january 6th attack. this is enrique tarrio, he was found guilty of seditious conspiracy for trying to stop the certification of the 2020 election and trying to keep trump in power. prosecutors are asking for a 33-year sentence. so far, tario's co-defendants have been given sentences far shorter than what the government wanted. joining us from the courthouse in washington is nbc's justice and intelligence correspondent ken dilanian. what will you be watching for today, considering, you know, tarrio's co-defendants received less than what they were seeking. >> reporter: that's the real drama of this hearing. you have a group of people including enrique tarrio who the government says are most responsible for the violence on january 6th. the key instigators, the people that led each of the significant breaches of the physical plan at the capitol, dominic pizola, using the police shield to break the window, tarrio wasn't there but text messages introduced at trial said he was urging them on from his location in baltimore, and then when it was done, he said make no mistake, we did this. as you mentioned, prosecutors are asking for 33 years for enrique tarrio. they also asked for lengthy sentences for his co-defendants and the judge did not hand those out. he handed out much lower significants, still significant, ethan nordean to 18 years, which ties with stewart rhodes. given the prosecutor said no one was more responsible for january 6th, the violence than enrique tarrio, will the judge make him serve the longest sentence of any january 6th defendant? that we'll have to wait and see. >> that's going to get under way shortly. it is also a very busy day in washington as we're watching for jury selection to begin in peter navarro's contempt of congress case. remind us what's at stake there. >> reporter: well, what's at stake for peter navarro is his freedom. facing up to a year in prison on each of these contempt of congress counts. he was an economic adviser to former president trump who also is instrumental in a plan to delay the certification on january 6th. he called it the green bay sweep. the january 6th congressional committee wanted his testimony and they wanted documents. he defied their subpoena. he said he was covered by executive privilege, a judge ruled last week that there was no evidence that donald trump ever exerted executive privilege and so now he's facing trial on contempt of congress charges, jury selection begins today. mr. navarro has complained this trial is costing a fortune. he believes his legal fees will be $750,000. he would also face a fine of $100,000 of each of these counts if convicted. so his trial begins today. >> ken dilanian, thank you for those updates. and now to georgia, where there is just one day left for the seven remaining co-defendants in the fulton county election interference case. among those who haven't entered a plea are a couple of big names including mark meadows, and former department of justice official jeffrey clark. joining us now, greg bluesteen and carol lam and danny cevallos. danny, let me start with you. what do we expect to happen with the arraignments and what are the next steps following that? >> some jurisdictions require people to show up for arraignments. in jurisdictions where you can waive arraignment and enter a plea of not guilty without showing up to court, i virtually always do it with my clients. i can't think of an instance you wouldn't want to do it in a high profile case like this where you're going to be subjected to a press, you know, people photographing you and videotaping you as you come into the courthouse, i can't imagine why these remaining defendants haven't simply waived arraignment, entered a plea of not guilty with the exception of meadows and clark who may be thinking the judge may hand down a decision and their case may remain in federal court as they try to remove their cases to federal court. i should say more precisely, trying to stay in federal court. the cases have already been removed. strategically speaking, there is almost no reason not to waive arraignment and not enter a plea of not guilty unless you like going to the courthouse. maybe the defendants like the optics. >> there are so many defendants and there is lots of different types of maneuvering we're seeing happening. meadows and clark trying to move their cases to federal court. we have efforts from co-defendants to try to split their cases from the others like with kenneth chesebro, who asked his to be split twice now. carol, do you think these requests have merit and would this make the prosecutors' job harder? >> these requests are certainly within the rights of the defendants to assert these requests. i think the question is did fani willis anticipate all of this possibly happening. i have to think she did. she's an experienced prosecutor and this is to some extent the cost of bringing the kind of case she brought, which was a very, very broad case against a lot of defendants. but these things in the law that permit you to try to move your trial to federal court or to delay your arraignment a bit or to ask for a speedy trial, which forces the government's hand, i think that those are legitimate things that these defendants can do, and as you pointed out, it really has splintered the case. the question really is what are these defendants going -- what positions are they going to hold to? and the ones who haven't asserted, for example, donald trump could bring the same motion -- he could remove his case to federal court as well. he has 30 days to do it from the time of arraignment, which, for him, since he did waive his personal appearance, that was last thursday, and i think a lot of them are sitting back and saying i'm just going to sit back and wait until i have to make a move to see what my options are because whether they have coordinated or not, and that's also a big question that perhaps danny can speak better to on the defense side, whether they coordinated or not, as defendants, or whether this is just happenstance they have made things somewhat difficult for fani willis, i think it is going to be interesting to see how it plays out at the end of the day who is going to trial when and in what court. >> who has the advantage here, danny, in your perspective? the people who sit back and wait or those trying to move forward trying to lob motions now to kind of have control over their case moving forward? >> i think the answer is the advantage goes to every man for himself acting in their own best interest. i have a couple of exhibits of that. already, john eastman gave a controversial interview on fox, where some pointed out he may have half admitted to some of the crimes against him. i thought far more interesting was his position that while one of the things i definitely didn't do was suggest to the vice president that he could halt the vote counts and certification process. well, meanwhile, arguably, his co-defendant donald trump was tweeting exactly that. so, that's a minor distinction. you see defendants already splitting. you see kenneth chesebro arguing against sidney powell's attempt to sever the case saying, hey, my case is nothing like her case. and so to an extent a lot of the co-defendants are right. jenna ellis is charged with two counts. others are charged with well over a dozen counts. so you have a lot of difference between these defendants. i don't think they're coordinating. even maybe on a basic level, but i think they're all thinking in their own best interests, as they should. this is not a case where the defendants should align. they're all accused of different things, yes, conspiracy, but if i'm advising any of them, i say i am an island unto myself, i have nothing to do with these co-defendants, sever me out, get me to federal court, do anything i can to distinguish me from some of the other bad actors according to the government. >> not a case of power in numbers. it is better every man for himself here. greg, there is the legal maneuvering, and then the political maneuvering, right? especially when it comes to donald trump. you have a recent piece for the atlanta journal constitution with the headline governor brian kemp rejects talk of special session, says punishing fani willis carries risks. what more can you tell us about this? >> there has been attempts from the halls of congress and the halls of the georgia capitol to find ways to punish fani willis for bringing these charges against trump and the other co-defendants. he's rejecting the idea of a special session, which was politically impossible because it would require democratic support to impeach fani willis. he's saying that's a nonstarter. other thing he said that was so surprising in a sense was that he was saying there was no proof for a new commission that he actually signed into law that could investigate complaints against prosecutors who were deemed to be rogue or wayward or not doing their duty. there is no proof that fani willis could be subject to any complaints from that commission, that she has done any wrongdoing that could be worthy of sanction from that commission. that's a signal to other republicans to kind of rear back. and it won't stop the complaints, won't stop efforts to sanction or punish fani willis from donald trump supporters, but it certainly sparked a new divide in the republican party here in georgia. >> it is so interesting to see him pushing back on republicans. doesn't seem like something that would be advantageous for him politically. looks like he does want trump and others held accountable. is he the rare republican official who can buck trump and not get punished politically for it? >> we certainly did that last year, right? he faced a donald trump-backed supporter, former senator david perdue and beat him by 52 points in the georgia republican primary and, again, he's sort of the run of the republican voices out there in the national scene and here in georgia saying that republicans should focus on 2024, not on 2020, that looking back in the rear view mirror is a recipe for disaster for the gop in the next election cycle. >> carol, quickly if you will, as we head to tomorrow and this arraignment deadline, what kind of pressure is fani willis facing? >> well, she's facing, i think, a lot of pressure with respect to this october trial date that has been set in the kenneth chesebro case and it is probably the sidney powell case as well. they have asserted their right to a speedy trial and under georgia law, there is less discretion than you have in federal law. in federal court, someone demands a speedy trial, the judge says, well, i find this case complex and therefore for good cause we're going to put it off a little bit longer. that appears to not be an option in georgia. and so without the consent of those defendants to move the trial later, fani willis faces a lot of pressure to actually go to trial. now she's saying let's try everybody in october. that is next month. let's try everybody. i think that is going to be a lift because those defendants and, again, danny would know better, those defendants have a really good argument that, wow, you can't make me go to trial in october. you will get reversed on appeal because we can't be ready. >> i just think about the old dominos analogy there and could be like the first domino to fall and is all as soon as next month. carol lamb, danny cevallos and greg bluesteen, thank you for the analysis and reporting. the first lady tests positive for covid. what that means for her and for the president and the concern about rising case numbers nationwide. plus, day six of a manhunt in pennsylvania. the unconventional methods now being used to catch this escaped killer who is still on the run. and a historic impeachment trial getting under way in texas today with embattled attorney general ken paxton fighting for his political future. orney general ken paxton fighting for his political future (ella) fashion moves fast. setting trends is our business. we need to scale with customer demand... ...in real time. 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>> for the moment, it is, ana. that's the real question and the white house says the president will continue to test at what they say is a regular cadence. we don't know if that means necessarily multiple times a day, before these big events, with a lot of people, as you mentioned. he'll be honoring an army captain later this afternoon at the white house. and then he is supposed to be departing for that very high stakes summit in india on thursday. so, we know the white house will continue to let us know on how that's going. and the first lady's office says that, yes, the first lady is experiencing some mild symptoms for now. remember, last week was the official back to school for the first lady who, of course, does teach community college here in the area. and she also visited a bunch of different schools and then she traveled with president biden down to florida on saturday. they spent the weekend, the rest of it, at rehoboth beach and that is where she is going to be isolating and quarantining over the next couple of days. last summer, both of them had covid at different times. they took paxlovid, they had rebound cases but were able to recover. the white house says they'll keep us posted on this, but of course there is a lot hanging in the balance that could shift should the president potentially test positive here. >> we wish the first lady a speedy recovery, thank you. i want to bring in dr. vin gupta. doctor, great to have you with us. we're told the first lady is experiencing minor symptoms so far. i think a lot of us are starting to hear about friends or family who recently have been diagnosed. total cases and deaths are up around 17% in the most recent week, though they're still very low compared to other recent highs. if you had covid before and are vaccinated, like the first lady, what are the risks? >> well, ana, good morning. there is still a possibility here, especially we have huge pockets of vulnerability across the united states. 30% of all adults have not been vaccinated once. we have a far higher rates of adults who have not been boosted once. we do know that in a case of the first lady, the chance for symptoms, especially if you're medically high risk is there. because the protection against ending up in the hospital, that protection is four to six months. it is important to get the booster shots when they start rolling out at the end of the month. >> the president tested negative. what is the risk to the president right now, given his age? >> it is very real and that's why this regular testing is critical. but we do know the new variants as covid shifted, continued to mutate, has gotten far more contagious than the version in 2020 that we first dealt with, so the risk is quite high and important for him to continue to get tested. >> you say it is more infectious, this new variant, the way covid is mutating. what does that mean for our immunity because of past infections or vaccines that we have had? are we protected? >> that's a great question here. and it is important to remember that you can get immunity, either from a vaccine or from prior infection to your point. what we do know is that prior infection and the existing vaccines, despite covid shape shifting are still protecting us against this new version of the virus. it has gotten more transmissible. that's an issue for those who are not protected, have not been previously exposed, or not vaccinated because, ana, that means it can build up in your body and cause pneumonia. this shape shifting is concerning. >> quick, if you will, who needs to get a booster and when? >> so all of us need boosters. at 6 months of age and up. we'll have boosters by the end of this month, hopefully. those will protect, we believe, very strongly, against the new versions of the virus. the virus will continue to change. covid and flu shots can be had at the same exact time. if you're over 60 or otherwise, medically high risk, we talked about getting the rsv vaccine now. get that now. if you're over 60 or medically high risk, and end of the month, into early next month, get the covid booster. and the flu shot. not yet available. it will be updated for the current versions that are existing and circulating in our government bit by the end of the month, early october. >> dr. vin gupta, thank you so much. appreciate it. up next on "ana cabrera reports," the gates reopen at burning man after surprise rain trapped thousands in the mud for days. we're live amid the mass exodus. manhunt, police revealing new sightings on day six of the search for an escaped killer in pennsylvania and what he may now have on him. hat he may now have on him. i'm a bear. i'm coming out of hibernation after the best nap of my life... and papa is hungry. and while you're hittin' the trail, i'm hitting your cooler. oh, cheddar! i've got hot dog buns! and your cut-rate car insurance might not pay for all this. so get allstate, and be better protected from mayhem, like me. roar. 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>> reporter: it is pretty wild here. we're at the place called the gate, the main entrance in and out of burning man. just 24 hours ago, this road behind us was covered in mud, making it hard to get around. now it is dried out, and as you can see, thousands of people are making their way out of burning man. with thousands urgently waiting to leave, signs the exodus at burning man has begun. >> making it out! >> reporter: after days stuck in this mud-soaked desert, the weather drying up, festivalgoers, known as burners, finally getting the go ahead to get out. you made it out. >> i know! i'm so grateful. >> reporter: the traffic backing up by early morning, the rush visible for miles. around camp there is still pockets of mud like this, wet and sticky. it is what officials are worried about as burners begin their exodus. the chaos began friday, an unusual summer storm turning the annual desert camp out into a muddy mess. more than 70,000 trapped. some hiking miles to get out. the local sheriff probing the death of one person during the rain event. organizers say it was not storm related. >> people need to be patient. >> reporter: following calls to shelter in place, and conserve supplies, burning man's ceo telling attendees who have been stranded for days to remain calm. >> we made it really clear that we do not see this as an evacuation situation. >> reporter: it is a tradition going back nearly 40 years. the counter culture festival in the remote nevada desert celebrating art, music and community. >> it is one for the ages. that's for sure. >> reporter: with the line taking hours, some finding it hard to get out -- >> it is going to be $500 or more. >> reporter: at the reno airport, others still stunned. >> i was scared. >> reporter: the harrowing conditions. >> you can smell burning rubber and mud. >> reporter: putting even the most self-reliant to the test. it has been a slow crawl for thousands of people leaving burning man. festival organizers officially lifted the shelter in place and now there is a mad rush to get out. and, again, you know, many people as we know tried to leave after the initial rainfall, some hiking for miles, but those who did have to stay or maybe wanted to stay to the end, they are now in this seemingly endless long line of cars here. it has been gridlocked since yesterday. one person told me that it took them more than nine hours to travel the six miles from the heart of burning man at black rock city to here, the closest paved road. >> you wonder what mud can do, but you see how sticky it was and i can imagine wheels really sinking in, hence why people were trapped there. good to see them on the move again. thank you, liz. now to pennsylvania where an escaped killer remains on the run as this manhunt enters a sixth day. federal and state agencies are scouring a two-mile heavily wooded area in chester county for danelo cavalcante who escaped from the local prison on thursday. this morning, officials confirm he was spotted twice overnight, just outside the search perimeter. >> investigators quickly examined those photos an we can confirm it is cavalcante. the photos confirm that cavalcante has not changed his appearance, but also that he has obtained a backpack, a duffel sling type pack and hooded sweatshirt. >> and now students are being kept home from school as helicopters can be heard overhead broadcasting pleas from cavalcante's mother for him to surrender. joining us from pennsylvania is nbc news correspondent george solis, and rob d'amico, fbi supervisor and member of the hostage rescue team. george, first what is the latest? >> reporter: good morning, ana. a lot of residents i've been speaking with did not think this was going to go into a sixth day. they're coming home from a long weekend, finding out all of this has been unfolding in their quiet community. they're frustrated and they are very concerned. i asked the colonel there, you heard from in the earlier press conference, do they think is him making a mistake or have they not been able to successfully create a perimeter to capture this convicted killer and they're saying this is exactly what they want him to do, they want him to feel like he's getting the pressure on him and move out into the open, so you saw those surveillance images, they're heavily focused around that area, which means the search perimeter is also now moving beyond that two-mile radius, where they were initially looking. and i got to tell you there is a really heavy police presence here. we're talking some 200 law enforcement officers from state, local and federal agencies, we know they're bringing in some additional assets from the fbi to help really just close in on this convicted killer who has been on the run for six days now. and as you mentioned, a number of schools within those districts are now closed. people here are trying to go about their daily lives, but they know this convicted killer is on the run. yesterday, i spoke with a man who believes cavalcante actually broke into his home and stole a few supplies and this is something that a lot of officials are hoping to avoid. they don't want him gaining access to clothing or anything that will happen sustain his stay out there in the wild any longer. you mentioned messages they're playing from his mother, i asked if they're going to keep doing that, they said they stopped for a while, they may continue doing that if they feel the situation warrants it. one thing state police also note, they will use deadly force if he doesn't surrender willing also. there is a lot of things at play here. they know the pressure is on. they say they're not going to let up. they say they're going to keep putting the pressure on cavalcante and hopefully force him to make a mistake. >> what is so scary, george, is that homeowner you spoke to who believed he broke into their house, he was home when he did it, he flickered the lights to give the heads up, we're home, but you're talking about a convicted killer, who knows what he could do. rob, this is day six. you're former fbi. all the different agencies are involved in this manhunt. given the trail of clues, the multiple sightings why do you think it is taking so long to catch up with him? >> it is really hard. the last manhunts in pennsylvania, in 2014, took seven weeks. there was another murderer who escaped in july that took ten days. so, closing off the perimeter is really tough. and it takes a lot of work, especially in this. there is a lot of areas that are blinded by trees. so, how far do you have to put one police officer to another to ensure that he doesn't go across them? at night, it is different. what they want to do is keep him moving, they want to -- he's probably moving at night. he feels better moving at night. there you can bring in technology. they have the helicopters up, i'm sure they have drones, they have thermal imagery looking at things. it is easier at night because you have less movement. so any movement is going to be more suspect. but with the schools, really dangerous, they want to keep people and children, especially, out of the -- they're looking at movements. some people, like, oh, we're worried about him taking a car. i would be more worried about him taking the car outside the perimeter. the perimeter all cars coming out are being searched. if he gets out of that perimeter and gets a car, then you have some problems. he's only three and a half miles from delaware, brings another aspect in there. i'm sure delaware has police in the command post, so if they get a hint that he is down there, they're ready to respond. but the biggest thing here is the technology of the homeowners, with so many cameras up, being able to get that in quickly. >> yeah, get the sightings and help police get closer and closer, knowing his last moves. we know police have been trying a number of different tactics, they're now broadcasting pleas from cavalcante's mother through the helicopter speakers. what do you make of that? >> i hope they checked what his relationship with his mother was beforehand. that's one thing you have to be careful of. you bring up family member, it helps if that relationship is good. so if it was, if he, you know, feels well of his mother, having -- hearing her voice and him getting tired, again, you're trying to get him to that point where he's mentally exhausted, and he hears this and it is something that he just says, okay, i'm done type of thing. but he's also wanted for murder in -- back in brazil. he was convicted in 15 minutes for stabbing his ex-girlfriend in front of her kids. he's desperate. he does not want to go back to jail. so that's really something you have to take into account too. >> imagine as the police are closing in and thinking about his mindset right now. rob d'amico and george solis, thank you for being with us. still ahead on "ana cabrera reports," a potential sit-down between vladimir putin and kim jong-un. what we know about possible talks about a weapons deal. plus, decision 2024. new polling on where donald trump stands after his latest round of legal jeopardy. legal . we always had questions. who do we belong to? 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(vo) ultimate endless shrimp is here saving $130 on utilities. with a limited time flavor drop. new crispy dragon shrimp. one of seven endless choices for just $20. right now, only at red lobster. welcome to fun dining. david: as we start a new school year, there's something new happening in california's public schools. they're called community schools. leslie: it really is shared leadership with families, students, educators, and communities. jessie: i feel like we're really valued as partners. david: it's a more innovative, holistic approach. grant: in addition to academic services, we look at serving the whole family. narrator: wellness centers, food pantries, and parental education. jessie: they're already making a difference. david: california's community schools: reimagining public education. welcome back. this morning, a meeting between vladimir putin and kim jong-un appears to be on the horizon as the national security council says arms negotiations between russia and north korea are, quote, actively advancing. let's bring in nbc's chief international correspondent keir simmons. keir, what do we know about the state of these arms negotiations and how is the white house responding? >> well, most of what we know is from the biden administration and you mentioned the national security council. it is saying this morning that l diplomatic engagement in russia, which is as close as is possible, i suppose, to confirming that "new york times" story that kim jong-un is looking to meet with president putin this month in the far east, in vladivostok. i reported from there back in 2019 when kim and putin met there last time. kim jong-un traveled there by train to vladivostok, he does that because he's always so concerned about his security and "the new york times" is quoting officials saying he plans to do that again this month. now, remember, just the past few months north korean officials met with russia's defense minister in north korea and, again, the national security council is saying that he is trying to convince pyongyang to sell artillery to russia for its war in ukraine. let's read you more of that quote. it is very assertive in terms of what biden administration is saying, trying to say to north korea. as we have warned publicly, arms negotiations between russia and the dprk, that, of course, is north korea, are actively advancing. we urge the dprk to cease its arms negotiations with russia and abide by the public commitments that pyongyang made not to provide or sell arms to russia. now, ana, it is possible that the biden administration has made public that putin and kim are planning this meeting in order to try and stop it from happening, and a deal from being done because, of course, this is all about russia trying to gain more munitions for its were in ukraine. >> okay. keir simmons, keep us posted, thank you very much. up next, on "ana cabrera reports," the impeachment trial of embattled texas attorney general ken paxton kicking off this morning. the massive political stakes if he is removed. plus, brand-new polling showing president biden and gop front-runner donald trump in a dead heat. nbc's steve kornacki will be at his big board. nbc's steve kornacki will be at his big board. ♪ chevy silverado has what it takes to do it all. with up to 13 camera views. and the z71 off-road package. ♪ you ok? yeah. any truck can help you make a living. this one helps you build a life. chevy silverado. 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>> reporter: yeah, this historic proceedings is the third ever time that this senate has been convened as a court of impeachment. these allegations as you said corruption, bribery, misuse of public funds, all go back to the relationship that attorney general ken paxton had with developer and donor nate paul. the house impeachment managers, the prosecutors in this, allege that paul paid for renovations and gave a woman that attorney general ken paxton was having an extramarital relationship with a job. a lot of this is not news to texans. ken paxton's own senior staff reported him to the fbi saying they believed he should be investigated for corruption back in 2020 and that was public. now, what appears to have been the final straw for republicans in the house of representatives was the settlement that paxton struck up with some of those whistle-blower people who worked for him and $3.3 million settlement, he asked tax payers to pay for that and that was the final straw for house republicans. now, it remains to be seen whether senate republicans feel the same way. >> okay. so, jane, this is just getting under way, the senate trial in the state house of texas. thank you for that reporting. i have some breaking news i want to share with you out of georgia now. five more of donald trump's co-defendants have entered not guilty pleas. let's get to nbc's garrett haake with more details here. >> we have five more waivers of arraignment filed, perhaps over the weekend, but becoming made public to us now of not guilty pleas in georgia. remember, the rules in georgia are that anybody charged in this case or any other case of this kind of nature who already surrendered can waive their appearance for arraignment, they can file their guilty or not guilty plea remotely. now all but two of donald trump's co-defendants in that sprawling rico case down in georgia have chosen to do so. the outstanding folks who have not yet filed a waiver of arraignment include mark meadows, who is the one missing piece in all of this. remember, he's asked a judge to move his case into federal court out of state court. that decision still remains to be filed. so, mark meadows may yet be the only person we see in a courtroom tomorrow that most folks would recognize. the other is a woman named misty hayes, an elections administrator in coffee county. an effort to get data out of coffee county voting machines that is part of this -- missy hampton -- excuse me -- part of this sprawling indictment here, that stretches beyond fulton county, across georgia, including actions in other counties. the two on the screen are the only folks who have not filed a waiver. they could do so by wednesday. we don't expect to see trump back in georgia anytime soon. he's been fund-raising over the weekend about the fact that he will not be showing up in court this week. ana? >> garrett haake reporting, thank you. let's head to the 2024 campaign trail now, where trump and biden are in a dead heat for the general election, according to this latest "wall street journal" poll. 46% each at this point. i don't think that's the right graphic there, guys. nbc news national correspondent steve kornacki is joining us. bring us the numbers, steve. >> yeah, a couple things jump out here. first of all, we're talking about trump versus biden in part because trump, look at this, "the wall street journal" poll, look at the republican race, all of this poll conducted after that first republican debate, after republicans absorbed all the coverage of that debate. you heard about, hey this candidate surged and that candidate surged. donald trump at nearly 60% in this poll. ron desantis barely in double digits, everybody else in single digits, a commanding trump lead before the debate and after the debate. take a look, i think what is noticeable among republican primary voters, trump is extremely popular. but it is not like his opponents aren't. desantis, scott, haley, the only unpopular republicans among republican voters, mike pence and chris christie. so, trump's opponents are liked by republicans, republicans are saying they like trump as their candidate. when it comes to all the legal issues here among republicans, look, do you think it is -- they asked, "wall street journal," are these charges politically motivated or are they legitimate? and you go through them, the hush money case in new york, 61/30, without merit, legitimate. the classified documents, 67% without merit, they say. attempts to overturn the election, 70%. it is interesting. there is more consensus that this case here in new york is shaky, i think, outside the republican party and yet this is the one that more republicans are likely to say is legitimate, compared to some of -- overwhelmingly, republicans think they're all politically motivated and leads you to the 46/46 tie between trump and biden. why in the face of all the legal troubles and the face of his defeat in the why would trump be tied with biden? "the wall street journal" looked at a bunch of qualities, which one has this quality in your mind? biden has trump when it comes to likability. a slight edge for biden on honesty. biden has the edge on is corrupt, and look where biden is here, mentally up to the job of being president? only 36% picking biden. too old to be president, and biden is older and look at this, 73 to 47 folks say biden is too old. i wonder if that is playing a role, too, and his approval rating is 42% for any incumbent will spell trouble for a re-election campaign. >> thank you. let's bring in the former campaign manager for obama's 2012 re-election campaign, and strategist, susan. susan, your reaction to the republican race? looks like trump is running away with it? >> yeah, people are not making their difference between trump and themselves. take nikki haley or mike pence or desantis, they are afraid to throw a punch. at this point i am not sure it matters what they do, and with this point so many people in and they are happy being number two, it will not change those numbers. more importantly, the most important number that could move republicans is that biden/trump head to head. and it looked like trump was taking a hit back in december, then maybe there would be room for people to move against trump, but right now, no. >> more voters say trump has a vision for the future, and a record of accomplishment compared to biden, and voters are worried about biden's age compared to trump, even though they are only three years apart. what do you do? >> i would do what they are doing, messaging economics over and over, and they are doing an ad in the first nfl football game. they have to sell his economic accomplishments, and that's what a re-election campaign is, and as you remember, barack obama won handily. >> susan, we are seeing trump trying out a different nickname for biden. he went from sleepy joe to now crooked joe, and he's suggesting biden is not sharp enough because he's old, and then he's trying to say biden is a mastermind that is out to get trump that goes beyond manipulating the doj, and even secret grand jurys that had to vote on an indictment. what do you think of the name update? >> he's shifting that because of the possible impeachment hearings in the house, and let's face it, the house speaker doesn't do anything unless trump wants it. >> what do you think about the change in his messaging and trying to market the new name, jim? >> well, it's -- i think it's silly. you know, you can only move one national message here, and at 1.the he's saying joe is too slow, and now he's a criminal mastermind sitting in the oval office and doing all this stuff, and it's donald trump's messy side and he got it confused this weekend, he used both. i don't think this will last and you will continue to see the trump campaign with muddled messaging as we move into iowa. >> thank you both so much. up next, could disgraced lawyer and convicted killer, alex murdaugh, get a new trial? 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get the bank of america customized cash rewards card, choose the online shopping category and earn 3% cash back. disgraced south carolina attorney, alex murdaugh, is back in the spotlight today. he made national news in march when he was convicted of murdering his wife and son. now his lawyers say he deserves a new trial based on what they say is new evidence. our lindsey reiser is in columbia, south carolina, where murdaugh's team will be filing. >> reporter: essentially, the bar for a new trial is high. this evidence, it would have to be that it would not have been found through due diligence during the trial and if it had it would have changed the outcome of the trial. it centers around the clerk of court, and he was the overseer of jurors, and she would escort them in and out and take them to the bathroom if they needed to be, and she wrote and published a book and it's called behind the doors of justice, the murdaugh murders. now his attorneys are saying we should note she asked jurors opinions on whether or not they found murdaugh to be innocent or guilty. it took the jury three hours to reach their verdict, and we are going to hear from the attorneys at 2:30, and we have a request for comment from the clerk of court, and the bar is very high. alex murdaugh is facing two life sentences in a maximum security prison. >> will there be a ruling following their, i guess, admission of new evidence, what they are calling new evidence? >> what happens now, remember, his defense attorneys filed a motion to appeal after the guilty verdicts, and they are filing a stay for that appeal so they can have a hearing on the motion for a new trial, and there's a few hearings and the first one will be placed on hold after the newly discovered evidence is handled. >> a twist we did not see coming. thank you. that will do it for us today. see you back here tomorrow same time, same place. hope everybody's first days of school go well, and until then, i am ana cabrera. josé diaz-balart picks up the coverage right now. i am josé diaz-balart. it's a big week for donald trump and his 18 codefendants accused of trying to overturn the election results in georgia. arraignment day is tomorrow but who will show up in court? in a matter of hours, the proud boy leader will be sentenced and could face the harshest penalty yet in the case. overseas, vladimir putin and kim jong-un are expected to meet in russia and talk weapons. the latest details ahead. back home, new developments on an escaped killer in pennsylvania, and we wil