Funding for Ukraine is on hold as former President Donald Trump has
urged lawmakers to reject any compromise immigration deal on that
battle and the other stories shaping the week we turn now to the
analysis of K part and Johnson that is Jonathan Capehart, associate
editor for The Washington Post, and Eliana Johnson, editor in chief
of the Washington Free Beacon. David Brooks is away. Good to see
you both. Thanks for being here. We reported earlier. Speaker Mike
Johnson is basically said in the letter to his colleagues today that
the Senate bill on border security in Ukraine funding is dead on
arrival in the House. That's after former President Trump was ramping
up his pressure on Republicans to kill the deal. Republican Senator
Mitt Romney had this to say about that yesterday. The fact that he
would communicate to Republican senators and Congress people that
he doesn't want us to solve the border problem because he wants to
blame
Biden. For it is, it is really appalling. Jonathan deal was really
on life support. Did Mr Trump's pressure just put it into the ground?
I don't know. I mean, Senator Romney isn't the only one who's speaking
out against what the former president is asking them to do. Speaking
out in favor of a bill that under normal circumstances, they wouldn't
get to keep in mind. We're talking about a bill that no one has seen,
at least meaning none of us at this table that it hasn't it has not
been released. We're just talking about rumors of what might be in
the bill, which is, I think the word rumors what Speaker Johnson
used in that letter. Um It is my hope that Senator Romney, Senator
Graham, Senator Cramer from North Dakota and the other six
Stay, stay cohesive, Stay at the bargaining table and come up with
something because the idea that you won't that you shouldn't come
up with something because it will give President Biden some some
sort of win is appalling. These are the same people who have been
complaining about open borders and invasions and fentanyl killing
Americans coming over the border. And why won't the President President
Biden do anything? They're trying to do it. And yet they're standing
in the way to that point, President Biden put out a statement in
response to all of this late today. Here's what he said in party
called the deal a win for America, he said. For anyone for everyone
rather who is demanding tougher border control. This is the way to
do it. If you're serious about the border crisis, he writes, pass
a bipartisan bill and I will sign it. So Eliana are Republicans really
serious about addressing the border crisis? That statement from President
Biden was is clearly going to be his message. I am skeptical that
this bill is going to pass. But immigration and the border have been
a problem for President Biden and you can see him now prepared to
say we came wanting to sign a deal with the toughest border provisions.
Um In a long time, and Republicans rejected that, Um the question
is whether Biden will actually be able to get out from under all
of the bad press, um, and his poor handling of the border up until
now, How closely are people actually paying attention to this? There
are a couple of other interesting dynamics here. Mitch McConnell,
the Senate minority leader. This deal is Republican support for Ukraine
funding in exchange for Democrats agreeing to tougher border provisions,
which McConnell has been the loudest proponent on the Republican
side of Ukraine funding. He's going to be in favor of the steel.
It is very much a legacy issue for him, so it looks like very much
it's going to be President. Trump who wants to campaign on the bad
situation at the border versus Mitch McConnell in the Senate, wanting
this legacy issue of more funding for Ukraine, McConnell or Speaker
Johnson. Never defy President Trump and agree to a deal. Mitch McConnell
would certainly defy President Trump. He's leaving. Yeah, you know,
I think you inspect and believe he's not beholden to anyone. Others
are more skeptical, and I think they are making you know more cynical
political calculations in an election year, and the House already
passed a much tougher border deal. And what Speaker Johnson came
out and said, is that if the Senate deal is not near almost as tough
as the House deal, this thing is dead. And it's not going to be as
tough as that. House deal also point out the fact that Speaker Johnson
is in near constant communication with Donald Trump and So we know
what's going what's going on here? No matter what the Senate comes
up with. Ah, the house is not going to pass it. Not at all. And certainly
they're not going to come up with a bill that could even garner a
single democratic vote. Well, this is all of course, unfolding with
the presidential campaign in the background and Mr Trump now being
the likely presumptive nominee, I want to get both of your takes
on what the biggest takeaways were coming out of these early contests
in Iowa and New Hampshire. And also we saw his strengths now, right,
Jonathan, we kind of know where his core constituencies and his loyal
base are. But you also saw today this key judgment from a jury awarding
Jean Carroll $83 million for that he has to pay for defaming her
any of this vulnerability for him. Not in the not in the primary,
not not during the primary campaign because, as we've seen, his poll
numbers started going up among the primary electorate the moment
he got that first indictment, the problem comes in. If he does, indeed
become the nominee. Now he's in the general election campaign, and
there are certainly Democrats aren't going to vote for him. But there
are a lot of Republicans who are troubled by these felony indictments.
Who I think would be troubled by the fact that Former president of
the United States today has been ordered to pay $83.3 million to
a woman he defamed in a lawsuit that had already determined he's
sexually assaulted her. I'm old enough to remember Republican Party
where that guy would have been run out of town, let alone you know,
don't even think about running for president and yet He is in the
hunt. But what the Nikki Haley's Um second place finish in New Hampshire
showed, though, that independent voters went to her and independent
voters in the general election are going to be a big deal, and they
don't like I don't think they like what Trump is up to. And then
if you when you add on top of it, and it will be the last thing I
say the abortion issue Yes, I think the whoever the Republican tickets
in trouble which we know is the central part of the Biden Harris
reelection campaign. Eliana, How do you Look at this. Um
Look, I don't think this verdict is telling voters anything They
don't already know about President Trump. They know he's crashed.
They know he's undisciplined. They know he can be offensive. But
I do think that Nikki Haley's campaign against him in Iowa and New
Hampshire has revealed some of his weaknesses. She won overwhelmingly
independent voters and college educated voters. It's pretty clear.
I think that Donald Trump may not need those voters to win the primaries,
he's got the base of the Republican Party behind him. He will, however,
need those voters to win a general election. It's more than likely
and I do think this is where the lawsuit is relevant. Um The lawsuit
can hurt him among women and independents, as can a prolonged primary
campaign against Nikki Haley, where he is more likely, the longer
this goes on to say some things, you know, he made a comment on the
night of the New Hampshire primary about Nikki Haley's dress that
it was, you know, she tried to look nice, but the dress was uglier.
You know something along those lines. Those are sorts of those sorts
of comments that that middle of the road women
alienating to them, and he does need those people in a general election.
You think that's going to hurt him in the long run, so I think it
threatens to. So how do you see? What do you see as Nikki Haley strategy
Right now, Your campaign has said that they've raised over a million
dollars since the New Hampshire primary. Is this about just staying
in to weaken former President Trump is looking for a vice presidential
pick here. What's the play? We got to see what she does over the
next week to see Is she in this just into Well after South Carolina,
or is she in this for the long haul? Is this about securing the vice
presidential nomination? Or is it about trying to reshape the party
in 2028 and beyond? I'm not quite sure we know that from her from
her, yet we should also note President Biden had an objectively Good
week. This week, there were more strong economic numbers. He got
a big endorsement from the United Auto Workers Union. He's really
shifting into much more of a general election campaign. You've got
key advisers like Generally, Dylan and McDonnell and architects of
his 2020 win now shifting to the campaign from the White House or
Are they in a more general election mode now? And what does that
mean for the campaign? Yes, They're in a general election mode now
because it looks like Donald Trump will be the Republican presidential
nominee. It is, I think, a fight that they are looking very much
looking forward to to have As we saw. I think it was New Hampshire
primary night when the Biden campaign put out a statement, um, slamming
Donald Trump but also slamming Nikki Haley is saying, you know, it
doesn't matter. She basically she's Trump laid. She's she supports
all the things that he supports, so bring it on, no matter which
one comes out there, But I do think that the campaign shifting into
general election mode now is the smart thing to do, And it's the
necessary thing to do because we know with Donald Trump. He's constantly
Campaign mode, whether he's sitting in the courtroom or standing
on the sidewalk, giving a press conference or actually on the stage
in Iowa or New Hampshire, and I think there's The sooner that the
Biden campaign gets out there, the more that it will be on. I just
think everyone needs to buckle up because between now and Election
Day is going to be rough. Buckle up is a message from diving Eliana.
How do you look at this? And where do you think President Biden is
most vulnerable when it comes to Republican attacks. I think the
Biden campaign has been in general election mode for quite a long
time. You know, he gave a big speech on democracy and the threats
to democracy has given a couple of them in the past six months, and
I think that's very much going to be a general election theme from
him. I think Biden is most vulnerable on immigration and the economy
and I am skeptical. I said. A couple of minutes ago that I'm not
sure voters will pick up on this nuance of Republicans rejecting
the offer from Democrats. I think they probably won't and Biden will
be blamed for the situation at the southern border, and I think he's
vulnerable on the economy. Um the numbers are good, but I don't think
voters feel their situation is good, and you know, foreign policy.
There's a lot going on in the world right now. But it tends not to
be an issue that people actually cast a ballot on So I do think economy
immigration. Those are going to be the things that determine the
outcome of this election. Eliana Johnson. Jonathan Capehart. Good
to see you both. Thank you so much.