donald trump in a defamation lawsuit. we ll explain why the doj is backing off its previous position. plus two months worth of rain in two days. vermont is just starting the recovery process from that disaster. we ll get an update from one of the state s top lawmakers. all right, good morning, and welcome to way too early on this wednesday, july 12th. i m sam stein in for jonathan lemire. we begin with the major developments out of the nato summit in lithuania. the alliance says it will invite ukraine to join but only when allies agree and conditions are met. the group did not give a time line or details on what those conditions might be. vague wording is in line with what president joe biden said last week, calling a pathway to membership for ukraine, quote, premature while it is at war with russia. as the new york times points out, it appears the president and like minded allies have prevailed over poland in baltic nations that wanted a formal invitation for ukraine t
captioning brought to you by meso book.com are firm only represents mesothelioma victims and their families. if you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, call us now today on inside politics, donald trump s massive fundraising haul. could it reshape the final months of the 2024 campaign? and why is donald trump singing a new tune about joe biden s ability to debate. plus disarm the supreme court keeps in place gun restrictions that stopped best to abusers from owning firearms. but the justices keep the country waiting on the other big case is on the dog gay, and which donald trump do you believe the former president who? talks about by american higher american now says foreign students who graduate from college shouldn t be rubber stamp for a green card but erasure in for dana bash let s go behind the headlines and inside politics more on today s major supreme in court decision in minutes. but up first, donald trump is preparing literally and seriously, you
the trump administration put forward but the challenge is the message of moving forward from trump also keeping his policies, will that stick with the voters in some of the early primary states. maryanne, i know you primarily for your reporting from the hill, not the trail. and i m ccurious, as you talk t republicans on the hill, what is their read on the race? i think quietly a lot of them were hoping for a trump alternative to come forward, materialize, someone they could rally around. ron desantis has had his struggles. is there anxiety among republicans on the hill over the state of the race currently? i think probably there definitely is some anxiety about where the race is headed. and sort of the sense the resignation, at least at the moment, and things could of course change, that it seems like trump is headed, at least
staying there than being vp, which doesn t have any authority. not a total denial. a trump campaign spokesperson said ron desantis isn t anybody s guy. he s not the guy. he s just a guy. ron is just there. sullen and sad because his numbers are as tiny as him. joining us now, political reporter for the washington post, maryanne levine. great to see you. governor desantis may have brushed off the vp position but what about the other candidates? could we see the lower polling candidates push to be vp? the rumor mill is swirling about a few of them? no one is saying they re running for vice president. there s obviously speculation about whether candidates who aren t polling as high as nikki haley or tim scott, if they would take an offer to be vice
was a long time ago, gang. our financial expert has more on what this whole thing means for your money. we ll also take you behind the scenes of that npr interview with former president trump. we re talking about being pushed about his election fraud lies. i m hallie jackson. good to be with you here this afternoon. kelly o donnell, garrett haake and maryanne levine. kelly, talk us through as we wait for the white house briefing to begin, maybe a little delayed. next steps the president is trying to take including the meeting with senate democrats tomorrow. pretty old school strategy. work the phones. go see them in person and try to persuade using kind of the playbook we ve seen joe biden use before. a member of the institution for 36 years. i know the senate, i ve been where you sit. that kind of an appeal.