now. good day, i m chris jansing live at msnbc headquarters in new york city. the major twofold test for president biden as he travels abroad but with big political implications back home. can he showcase unity among western allies over the wars in ukraine and gaza while u.s. voters are increasingly skeptical, and how much will the push to preserve democracy really resonate come november? plus, more high drama in delaware as hunter biden s ex-wife takes the stand in his federal trial, what she just finished telling the jury, her brief testimony under subpoena including talk of drug paraphernalia, rehab, and infidelity and whether it s likely to help or hurt her former husband s defense. a pair of critical races taking place 2,000 miles apart, but providing new clues to one of the most consequential political questions of 2024. will democrats hold on to the senate, or can republicans take it back? we ll break that down in the senate contests in montana and new jersey
montana, the race you just described that is now fully set, or in ohio where incumbent democratic senator sherrod brown is receiving a really tough challenge as well. and so those are the races that would end up deciding the senate majority. democrats have candidates who have been able to win these races time and time again. republicans are counting on the national environment in a presidential election that could end up toppling these democrats in these red states. all right, matt, let s talk about a couple of these specific races. andy kim says menendez has no chance of winning back his seat as an independent. jersey city s mayor says he thinks it could throw the race into chaos. menendez does have name recognition. is it too early to conclude that him running as an independent isn t really a factor? i mean, look, if i was a republican working on the senate race, i d keep on eye on it. if you remember back in 2021, running for governor, he came within a couple of points of