What well garland do. Im Michael Smerconish in philadelphia, Attorney General Merrick Garland may eventually make a singular decision that determines the outcome of the 2024 election, whether the doj will continue to push for donald trump to be tried before election day in the federal case, premised on alleged Election Interference for months. Here, ive delivered commentaries focused on the timing of this particular prosecution because i think its most perilous to trump, and ive often done so with the assistance of elie honig will join me again in a moment. Heres the issue on wednesday, scotus granted cert and announced that the high court will hear Donald Trumps Immunity Defense i dont think the ultimate outcome is in dispute. I think trump loses that claim. In my opinion, its unlikely its illogical that the court will provide Blanket Immunity from criminal prosecution to an american president more important is the process, the timing of the courts Decision Garland told cnns evan pere
a fan who s going to watch the game like the rest of us. thanks for joining me today. smerconish is up next. legal exoneration, political nightmare. i m michael smerconish, legal nightmare. the report of the investigation into president biden s handling of classified documents. the word exoneration, an overstatement, i think, how bad was it, the president who turned down a pre-super bowl interview with a guaranteed audience of millions in an election year sudly felt obliged to speak to the nation in prime time from a diplomatic reception room at the white house. when he did, he seemed to be in denial about the substance and the political implications. the majority of americans including a majority of democrats have major or moderate concerns about biden s fitness nor a second term. when cnn raised that with the president he said that was only her incorrect perception. when you were asked about your age, you would respond with the words, watch me. many american people have
i m michael smerconish in philadelphia. on friday the u.s. conducted major retaliatory airstrikes on iraq and syria, the start of what the u.s. military says likely will be larger attacks on iranian-backed militias. airstrikes hit more than 85 targets according to u.s. central command including command and control operation centers, intelligence centers, rockets and missiles and unmanned aerial vehicle storage. the move came in response to a drone strike by iran-backed militants on a u.s. military outpost in jordan on sunday. that killed three u.s. service members and wounded more than 40 others. the strikes began only about an hour after president biden attended the dignified transfer of their remains at dover air force base in delaware. officials say the timing was coincidental but symbolic of the gravity of his decision. iraqi officials say at least 16 people were killed in the strikes and condemn the attacks as, quote, a flagrant violation of iraqi sovereigty. a chief in
Celebration for freedom. Now, a national holiday, juneteenth is the direct result of centuries of resistance and revolution by black people leading a fight for their liberation. In 1861, tension between the north and the south reached its Breaking Point over slavery and statehood, and The Civil War began. On january 1, 1863, as the nation approached its third year of The Civil War, president Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring that all people held as slaves within the confederate controlled states were now free. The proclamation also granted black men access into a struggling union army. By the end of the war, more than 200,000 black soldiers, known as the United States colored troops, had enlisted, becoming instrumental to the unions victory. The civil war officially ended in april of 1865, but it wasnt until june 19th of that year, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, that thousands of colored troops arrived in galveston texas, to read general or
smerconish starts right now. is it over before it begins? i m michael smerconish in philadelphia. before a single primary vote has been cast, has donald trump already sewn up the gop nomination or is it still up for grabs? everybody has an opinion. but the data tells a pretty compelling story. peggy noonan writing that i refuse to see the story as over. voting begins now. after chris christie dropped out, nate kohn wrote the christie vote alone will probably not be enough, but haley has been steady gaining in the polls and historically there is a lot of precedent for urge is being candidates to keep gaining especially over a contest s final days. and new hampshire will be a wild card. independents can vote in the gop primary and according to data released yesterday, 43% of americans, look at that graph, 43% of americans consider themselves to be independent. rs and ds are tied at 27. it tie as record for an independent showing making them the largest political bloc in the c