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PBS NEWSHOUR: New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart join Geoff Bennett to discuss the week in politics, including the latest on the debt ceiling negotiations between the White House and GOP leaders in Congress and more Republicans join the 2024 presidential race. DAVID BROOKS: Well, first of all, this happened dozens and dozens of times over the last many decades. Of the last 43 times we had a debt ceiling crisis, I think it's something like 28 percent - 28 of those times, a clear majority, it was attached to some sort of spending bill. So we probably shouldn't do budgeting this way. But the fact is, we have been doing it. Democrats have been doing it. Republicans have been doing it. Republicans have doing it more. It's just - it focuses the mind. And if - and both parties in the normal budgetary process tend to just blow through deficits. And this is the only mechanism we seem to have, as crazy as it is, to bring down spending. And we really do - our average deficits historically, recently, have been about 3 - just over 3 percent. Now they're over 6 percent. We just can't run that much debt year upon year.

White House National Security spokesman John Kirby on Saturday defended the administration's policy change on giving F-16s to Ukraine. Kirby told NBC's Peter Alexander on 'TODAY' that "support has evolved over time as the war has evolved" in Ukraine and the fighter jets are for Ukraine's "long-term defense needs." Kirby said while the U.S. will train pilots, it will be up to the E.U. to supply the Ukrainians with F-16s. "Nothing changed, we have been evolving our support for Ukraine as the war has evolved," Kirby said. "The support has evolved over time as the war has evolved. And, but as the war has evolved, we've also started to have conversations with the Ukrainians about long-term defense needs." "The Ukrainians have been very honest with us and very forthcoming and quite frankly, very responsible when it comes to the kind of support we're giving them, not using that to go inside Russia," Kirby said. "So, we've had that discussion with the Ukrainians. We've had it with respect to fighter aircraft. We're confident that they'll live up to their commitments."

Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Friday told FOX Business hosts Dagen McDowell and Sean Duffy that it is "very frustrating" for the Biden White House to come to the negotiating table and to think we're going to spend more money next year than we did this year. "We took a pause because of the frustration," McCarthy said of debt ceiling meetings. "This White House will not acknowledge that they are spending too much. I've been very clear about where we need to go... The way the process works the House passes a bill, the Senate passes a bill, you go to conference. The Senate never passed anything. The House raised the debt ceiling, but also, put us on a trajectory to actually get our House in order." "What all your viewers need to understand what is the debt limit? It's giving your child a credit card. They charge it all the way up. But year after year after year, all you did was raise the debt limit. So now, you have to pay this credit card but this c a 20%, so before we raise that debt limit, shouldn't we look at ways we can save money, curve what we're spending? Because we've been spending more than we've been bringing in for the last 21 years, and so all we're simply saying is let's spend less, let's pullback the COVID money we haven't spent before, work requirements, help people get jobs, and you know what? Let's do some permitting reform, cutting the red tape so people can build things in America and I think we could probably find a pretty good agreement to be able to move forward, but the White House will not budge," McCarthy said. "I want to be very clear to the White House, and I've been very clear from the president, back on February 1st, about what we need to do and he ignored us for 105 days pretty much," he said. "Just now are we back in the room, we'll be back in the room tonight. But it's very frustrating if they want to come into the room and think we're going to spend more money next year than the year we did this year. That's not right and that's not going to happen." McCarthy reacted to Congressional Democrats calling on President Biden to use the Fourteenth Amendment to raise the debt ceiling: MCDOWELL:  Mr. Speaker, our own Jacqui Heinrich just reported this a short while ago, that some congressional Democrats have been calling, particularly Bernie Sanders and 11 other Senate Democrats, have been calling for invoking the 14th Amendment.     And Joe Biden's been wishy-washy on that, saying he had thought about it, taking advice from Laurence Tribe. And -- but he said it would be fought in the courts, obviously, and also looking at the defense budget as an area for cuts.     A White House source told her that cuts to defense are not being proposed and the 14th Amendment is not seen as a good fix.     Your reaction to that?     MCCARTHY:  Yes, doing the 14th Amendment would not solve any problems.     And why would this president go there, instead of doing what everybody else has ever done in government? You work together, you negotiate. But for the last 105 days, he refused to negotiate. He's not even in the country today. This is part of the problem. It's just like the border.     He ignored the border problem. He knew Title 42 was going to be lifted, and he thought it would just go away. The same problem happened when it came to the debt ceiling. But you know what Republicans in the House did? We -- we passed a debt ceiling that actually limits, save, grow. And we did it long before Janet Yellen ever said June 1 was a deadline.     And we also passed a border security bill that would secure our border before they actually lifted Title 42. You can find solutions if you're willing to work. 

"Breaking Points" host Krystal Ball, during an interview Wednesday, confronted Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy about his position on vaccines, which she called a "red line" for many Democratic voters. She told Kennedy: "I think you get it wrong when you draw a correlation between the rise of things like autism and the introduction of vaccines when there isn't hard scientific evidence tying those things together." "How do you know there's not hard scientific evidence?" replied Kennedy. "There are hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of studies." "I've listened to hours of interviews with you with an open mind, and I'm not persuaded," she said. "There are going to be people like me who aren't persuaded and who see this as an issue, and the fact that it's been such a central part of your advocacy means I can't just put it to the side and just ignored this piece... So you're running in a Democratic primary. You have a lot of people who feel strongly who think Dr. Fauci is a hero and all these things, how are you going to persuade them?" "First of all, I'm not leading with my opinions about vaccines," Kennedy said. "What I say to people is show me where I got my science wrong. I've written books about this. i wrote a book about a link between thimerosal and autism, that has, I think 450 distilled scientific studies that confirm and validate that hypothesis. And 1,400 references. If I got something wrong, show me where it is." "I'm not leading on this, people can either take it or leave it," Kennedy said. You can watch the full interview of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. with "Breaking Points" hosts Krystal Ball and Saagar Enjeti here:

California Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna called on 89-year-old Sen. Dianne Feinstein to retire with dignity rather than continue her extended absence due to illness, during an appearance Thursday on MSNBC: REP. RO KHANNA: First, let me say I admire her career. She has had an extraordinary career. But it is sad for anyone to see and it is sad for her own colleagues to see. I'm hopeful that people who are close to her can talk to her and just say, 'Look, end your service with dignity. Step aside, let the governor appoint someone.' It's painfully obvious to people, I went out and said something many people are thinking. ... For her own dignity, legacy, and career it would be good [for her to resign]. It would be good for California. We all have seen an athlete that plays one or two more seasons, that's what this started out as. But now it is just painful, it is painful to watch. And my hope is, I know there are people who are close to her… I don't think it should be forceful; I think they should have a loving conversation about it being time.

Former John Boehner and Paul Ryan aide Brendan Buck calls out the media for excessive coverage of "kooky" members of Congress like Marjorie Taylor Greene. "Marjorie Taylor Greene... sits there every day and takes the bait the Democrats give her. And she ends up becoming the face of the party," he told MSNBC Thursday night. "They're allowed to do these things every single day, and they are a stain on the brand of the Republican Party, but nobody is really in charge of the Republican Party anymore. We continue this cycle. Everyone gets rewarded. It works out well for Marjorie Taylor Greene. She gets the attention she wants, she raises all the money that she wants and the rest of the party suffers the damage." BRENDAN BUCK: It's not so much that it's perpetuated. It's elevated. Look, I think there's always been sort of kooky members of Congress. We certainly have more than we ever have, but you know, John Boehner, my former boss, referred to his job as being the "Mayor of Crazytown." There have always been members like that. The problem is we elevate them so much right now, we incentivize them. And Jamaal Bowman knows what he was doing. He was baiting Marjorie Taylor Greene. She sits there every day and takes the bait the Democrats give her. And she ends up becoming the face of the party. I don't think she's reflective of the average House Republican, she's certainly not. She's an outlier, but there's no opportunity to reign her in. There is no one actually in charge of the conference. Some of this is the fact that Kevin McCarthy has no real majority and no opportunity to discipline anybody or kick anybody out, look at George Santos. He needs every vote he can get. It should have been very obvious when Kevin McCarthy made Marjorie Taylor Greene a central part of his effort to get the Speaker's gavel. He understood he couldn't rock the boat at all. He has no real leverage or opportunity to do anything about these people. That's why they're allowed to do these things every single day, and they are a stain on the brand of the Republican Party, but nobody is really in charge of the Republican Party anymore. We continue this cycle. Everyone gets rewarded. It works out well for Marjorie Taylor Greene. She gets the attention she wants, she raises all the money that she wants and the rest of the party suffers the damage.

The latest episode of HBO's "Succession" imagines an election night crisis where 100,000 ballots are destroyed in an apparent arson attack, ballots that would effectively decide who becomes the next President of the United States. It's terrifying to think about as 2024 nears, but it's also plausible. How would that scenario play out in real life? Mehdi speaks with Claire Woodall-Vogg, a Wisconsin elections official who consulted on the episode, and UCLA Law Professor Rick Hasen, a renowned election law expert.

Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) on FOX News answered the question "what do you think is the biggest threat to men?" "Well, I think the left and their ideology has a lot to do with the will. I am right there with you. I have two little boys at home. That's why I wrote the book. What the left has said to men for generations, 20 or 30 years, to be a man is to be toxic. If you are a man, you are a terrible influence in making the world a worse place just by being you. I think we have to send the opposite message. We need men to be stronger we need men to take on responsibility. We need them to be protectors and providers and to live in a sacrificial way that empowers other people. A man who does that can transform his life. He can transform his family and transform this country. That's what we need."

On MSNBC, Matthew Dowd advised Democrats to focus on abortion in 2024. "I think Republicans will try and avoid it as much as they can. I think Democrats would be really smart... to raise this up to a bigger issue than just abortion, to raise it up to be a pro-freedom plank, a pro American Democracy plank, because that is where the Democrats have the most success. I don' think Democrats want to get so far down in the weeds in this, I think they want to make this a much larger part of freedom in America."

Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA) weighs in on the FBI agents that testified before the House Weaponization Committee who had their security clearances revoked. "Essentially, you know, in this theater of the absurd, the Republicans provided a platform today for three disgruntled employees of the FBI to come and air their employment grievances. They did no such thing as whistleblowing. They are not whistleblowers. They don't deserve whistleblower protection. Each and everyone of them has a strange history that merited employment action, by the FBI because they became security concerns. That's why they have the security clearances pulled. Some cases essentially their employment status either demoted or put on hold because they were no longer considered reliable law enforcement agents. To give them this national platform today was bizarre, at best, sordid at worst, and I don't think in any way helped the Republican narrative, conspiratorial narrative, that somehow the FBI is an agency of the Deep State and doing the dirty work of liberal Democrats. I think what we witnessed today were three disgruntled employees, who have strange beliefs, conspiratorial beliefs, have questioned many cases the fundamentals that have been established in numerous courtrooms all across America and by the January 6th Commission."

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas told CNN this morning that Border Patrol has made "extraordinary" progress setting up "a lawful, safe, and orderly way to arrive in the United States" to reduce traffic on the U.S.-Mexico border: MAYORKAS: Dana, over the past two days, the United States Border Patrol has experienced a 50 percent drop in the number of encounters versus what we were experiencing earlier in the week before Title 42 ended at midnight on Thursday. It is still early. We are in day three, but we have been planning for this transition for months and months. And we have been executing on our plan. And we will continue to do so. BASH: So it's too early to say whether the surge has peaked? MAYORKAS: It is too early. But the numbers that we have experienced over the past two days are markedly down over what they were prior to the end of Title 42. BASH: What are the numbers, 5,000? MAYORKAS: So we have seen, I think, approximately 6,300 on Friday and about 4,200 yesterday by the United States Border Patrol. And we saw over 10,000 before the end of Title 42 earlier last week. BASH: Why do you think that is? MAYORKAS: Because we have communicated very clearly a vitally important message to the individuals who are thinking of arriving at our Southern border. There is a lawful, safe, and orderly way to arrive in the United States. That is through the pathways that President Biden has expanded in an unprecedented way. And then there's a consequence if one does not use those lawful pathways, and that consequence is removal from the United States, a deportation and encountering a five-year ban on reentry and possible criminal prosecution. BASH: You say that at the Department of Homeland Security, you have been preparing. Not everybody agrees with you, as I know you are aware, not just Republicans, even some Democrats, even those who represent parts of the border. Arizona Congressman Ruben Gallego said -- quote -- "Federal agencies have had time to plan, but their efforts have fallen short." How do you respond to him and some other Democrats who say that you have fallen short? MAYORKAS: I would respectfully disagree. We have been planning for months and months, over a year-and-a half. We have surged resources asylum officers, Border Patrol agents, processing coordinators to do the data entry work, so our Border Patrol agents can be out in the field. We have expanded our holding capacity in Border Patrol stations. We have added beds to Immigration and Customs Enforcement in our detention facilities. We have increased our transportation resources, the number of flights, removal flights, with our foreign partners. We're setting up regional processing centers now. It's extraordinary what we have done over the past 18 months or so. BASH: There's a debate in your party about how restrictive the United States should be towards asylum claims. What's your philosophy on that? MAYORKAS: So, the asylum system has been and continues to be a jewel of the United States. We take great pride as a country in this world to provide humanitarian relief for those who qualify. But the landscape of migration has changed dramatically over the past 10-plus years. No longer are individuals arriving at our border of their own volition. They are arriving in the hands of smugglers that wreak such tragedy, such trauma upon their lives. The cartels, the smuggling organizations, control the land. And so we have not only a security imperative, but a humanitarian responsibility to cut those smugglers out. And that's precisely what we, as an administration, has done. We have attacked the smuggling organizations with our law enforcement authorities. We have arrested more than 10,000 smugglers. But President Biden has led the greatest expansion of lawful pathways ever through family reunification programs, through expedited refugee processing, through the regional processing centers that we're now building. But we have an obligation to deliver consequences at our border to not only manage our border, but to cut the smugglers out.

Former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley, who is running for president in 2024, told CBS's "Face the Nation" that Democrats are dishonestly dividing the public by suggesting Republicans will institute a national abortion ban, something she says is politically impossible: MARGARET BRENNAN: Let me ask you about another issue and that is abortion. It is legal in your state of South Carolina up to 20 weeks post conception, which is a law that you signed back in 2016 when you were the governor. There are exceptions if a mother's life is in danger or the fetus cannot survive. Do you want that to be the national standard? HALEY: Well, I don't want unelected justices to be deciding something this personal. I have long said I am pro-life not because the Republican Party tells me to be, but because my husband was adopted. But having said that, I think what happened when it went back to the states now there could be consensus in each state. You know, there's some states that have been pro-life, I welcome that. There are some states that have erred on the side of abortion. I wish that wasn't the case, but it is. I think that we need to make sure that people's voices are heard. And I think we need to do this from a humanizing standpoint and not a demonizing standpoint, which is done in the past. MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay, so the law you pass in South Carolina, you would not necessarily want as the national standard. HALEY: Well, the law in South Carolina was the furthest we could get it at the time. That was before Roe was overturned. For a national standard, I think we have to tell the American people the truth. In order to do a national standard, you'd have to have a majority of the House, 60 Senate votes, and a president. We haven't had 60 pro-life senators in 100 years. So the idea that a Republican president could ban all abortions is not being honest with the American people, any more than a Democrat president could ban these pro-life laws in the states. So let's be honest with the American people and say, let's find national consensus. Let's agree on, you know, getting rid of late-term abortions. Let's agree on the fact that we need more adoptions. Let's agree on the fact that we need accessible contraception. Let's agree on the fact that mothers shouldn't be jailed or go to, you know, get the death penalty for abortions. But I'll also ask you, let's go and if we're going to talk about weeks, ask Kamala and Biden, are they good for 35 weeks? 36 weeks? 37 weeks? At what point, are they okay? MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah. HALEY: Because up until now they were up for abortion up until the time of birth. Is that- is that what they think the national standard should be– MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, President Biden said he would sign Roe into law which would be up to the point of fetal viability, which was roughly assumed to be about 24 weeks. The majority of abortions are performed– HALEY: Which is six months. Which is six months, which is late-term abortion. MARGARET BRENNAN: The majority of abortions are performed under 13 weeks. Two of your fellow South Carolinians, including one that's going to run for president, Tim Scott, we think, has said that he would sign into law abortion protections up to the 20th week. So he is picking a week. Some of your fellow Republicans are why do you feel like that's misdirection? HALEY: I'm not gonna lie to the American people. Nothing's gonna happen if we don't get 60 votes in the Senate. We're not even close to that on the Republican or the Democrat side. Why try and divide people further? Why not talk about the fact that we should be trying to save as many babies as possible and support as many mothers as possible? I think the media has tried to divide them by saying we have to decide certain weeks. In states, yes. At the federal level, it's not realistic. It's not being honest with the American people.

Scott Thuman of "Full Measure" reports on the lasting impact of a toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio: FULL MEASURE: The train derailment and toxic explosions in East Palestine may have largely faded from the headlines, but for the 4,000 or so residents of the Ohio town, they're still living under a cloud of uncertainty. Mistrustful of government assurances, worried about the still unknown long-term safety risks, and wondering who will pay. Scott Thuman reports from East Palestine to get at the facts. When it comes to tiny Rust Belt sections of the country still holding on to apple-pie Americana, East Palestine, Ohio had it on lock: white picket fences and American flags in a small blue-collar town. That was until one cold winter night when that picture, quite literally, went up in flames. Just before 9 p.m. on February 3rd, an overheated wheel bearing on a Norfolk Southern freight train failed, sending 38 cars careening off the tracks, 11 of them carrying hazardous materials that ignited. Though nobody died, the fireball was all anyone in this town of just 4,700 people could focus on. Summer Magness was on her back porch and quickly aware something even worse than the fire was coming her way. Summer Magness: And the smoke - not only could you smell the different sensations in chemicals within the smoke, but you could tell by the way that the burning was that it was caustic and toxic. Those living within a mile of the disaster were told to evacuate. Being just outside that zone, Summer was told by local officials to stay put. Magness: What we were told is, "Shelter in place. Don't evacuate. There's nothing wrong." And nothing was said. While local firefighters were first at the scene, state and federal officials, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and Environmental Protection Agency soon followed. Two days later, with the fire still smoldering, officials decided to release and ignite the remaining chemicals in five damaged cars to avoid a potentially deadly explosion. Worried about their health, Kari Lentz, her husband, and their two boys abandoned their picturesque home on Pleasant Street. Kari Lentz: We were contemplating whether or not we should stay or go, but then we saw white smoke, and my husband had the knowledge and foresight to say, This is probably pretty bad. Let's get out of here. And then there are folks like Bob Figley-who went and came back after the mandatory evacuation was lifted-and now wonders if his family business, an industrial tool and parts supply shop, is a lost cause. Bob Figley: When you physically see something that's not natural happen, all these dead fish, then you realize this is real. It's not just gonna go away. It's - like I said - every morning you wake up, and it's like Groundhog Day. It's the same nightmare every day. Outside, a stream of workers in yellow vests and odd-looking equipment, a sign that it might not be safe here - despite officials and leaders saying it is, and the governor drinking the local water for the cameras. Just off of Main Street, the flurry of activity is around the clock. Remarkably, one of the first tasks completed was the replacement of track and reopening of the railway line by Norfolk Southern. What critics insist has been much slower is the digging up and hauling away of potentially tainted ground, adding worries. Scott: Experts say the danger chemicals pose changes over times as it interacts with air, water, and soil. And that means that the health threat lingers well after the immediate emergency is over. Hundreds of tons of contaminated earth sitting in piles as government agencies and states argue over where it all should go. Sen. J. D. Vance / R-Ohio: There are piles of dirt accumulating in East Palestine. What happens if it rains? What happens if the very toxic dirt that we just dug out of the ground begins to seep back into the ground, causing problems for the air and water for the residents of East Palestine? Alan Shaw, the head of Norfolk Southern, testified on Capitol Hill that his company will pay for the cleanup and keep residents safe. Alan Shaw: Air and water monitoring have been in place continuously since the accident. And to date, it consistently indicated that the air is safe to breathe, and the water is safe to drink. The skeptics back in East Palestine say it's reminiscent of another disaster. In the days following 9/11, then-EPA chief Christine Todd Whitman told residents of Lower Manhattan it was safe to resume life here. Yet, years later, thousands, including first responders, were diagnosed with a variety of debilitating conditions. Whitman later apologized, saying the EPA did the best it could at the time. In East Palestine, there's concern the train company or government officials may be issuing assurances they shouldn't. Lentz and her family are now in the second month of living in this hotel room, a safe 30 miles from home, but didn't leave their symptoms of coughs and eye infections behind. Lentz: What if my children get cancer? They're young kids. If I keep my kids here, what if they get cancer? That's something that Tim and I have to deal with. That's the decision that we have to make. Do we trust what they're telling us? Scott: What are the questions in your head? If you're listing off the things that you're wondering right now, what are they? Lentz: I just want the truth. I want to really know, and I want to feel confident in what you're telling me. Scott: Do you think people are lying to you? Lentz: Well, I don't know. Folks here don't trust what they call conflicting testing results from companies hired by Norfolk Southern versus independent ones. A specific concern: dioxins, highly toxic byproducts of burning chemicals that can cause cancer. An EPA regional leader - grilled over how long it took to test for them. Sen. Shelley Capito: Why did you wait a month before you started to order the dioxin testing, when the community was asking for this? Debra Shore: Senator Capito, our air monitoring was searching for primary indicators. Without those primary indicators, it was a very low probability that dioxins would have been created. While health is the top concern, finances are another. That dream home, the one on Pleasant Street with the pool and garden, Lentz guesses is now worth half of what they bought it for. Bob Figley is trying to get Norfolk Southern to buy him out of his hardware store, and Summer Magness wants desperately to leave her home for good. The federal government says Norfolk Southern will cover the costs of the clean-up, and the state of Ohio is suing the company for compensation. It wants long-term commitments from the troubled train company. While lawmakers in Washington want more than just promises that things will be, quote, "made right." Sen. Ed Markey: Will you commit to compensating affected homeowners for their diminished property values? Alan Shaw: Senator, I am committing to do what's right. Sen. Markey: Well what's right is a family that had a home worth $100,000, that is now worth $50,000, will probably never be able to sell that home for $100,000 again. Will you compensate that family for that loss? Alan Shaw: Senator, I am committed to do what's right. Scott: If they're to make it right, you want to know what exactly that means. Magness: Yes. Not just make it right. Define right. On all levels. Health, interaction with the people, property value, continuous healthcare monitoring. We did not do this. We were at home. They assume the full liability. And they want to make it right? Define what right is. We're owed that. A return to normal anytime soon here, the hope, but not the expectation. Sharyl: You mentioned there's also independent testing being conducted. Are there any findings in from that yet? Scott: Well, it's still going on. But Pittsburgh's Carnegie Mellon University and Texas A&M surveyed East Palestine using a mobile lab in late February. And what they found were levels of a chemical irritant called acrolein that were three times higher than in Pittsburgh. And they also found elevated levels of other chemical irritants. Just about everyone agrees that more long-term testing is going to be needed.

Rep. Mike Turner, the Chairman of the Intelligence Committee, told FNC's "Sunday Morning Futures" that President Biden knew he was lying when he said during the 2020 presidential debate that stories based on information from his son Hunter's laptop were "Russian disinformation." MARIA BARTIROMO: What can you tell us about the 51 spies and your depositions? What have you learned? REP. MIKE TURNER (R-OH): I mean, this is very, very troubling. Maria, as you know, we already have uncovered through the depositions an admission that -- from one of the 51 that this was done totally to create the talking point that you just played. In fact, these people signed onto a letter without any evidence whatsoever that there was any Russian intervention or that this was Russia misinformation, solely for the purposes of helping Joe Biden in his debate try to tell the American public that the Hunter Biden laptop wasn't real, when, in fact, now we know that it's real and the filth that's there and all of the evidence of financial transactions, which are highly questionable are there, are real. We had Brennan, the former CIA director, who, along with Clapper, the head of the ODNI, was one of the big perpetrators of the Russia hoax against the Trump administration, who admitted in his deposition, well, this was just political. Well, what that translates to is that this was just a lie. BARTIROMO: So, yes, it was just a lie. And we just saw the sound bite, that Joe Biden used it at the debate. And he basically said, that's what he wanted. He wanted to be able to say, intelligence officials think it's garbage. And he said it. And now then an election happens, and he fooled the American people again. TURNER: Well, what's really troubling -- and people, as they look at that clip, should know that Joe Biden knew that he was lying. Joe Biden knew that he was lying to the American public, and he used these 51, who had past credentials in intelligence, to claim that something was Russian misinformation, when, in fact, it was absolutely true and it was the activities of his son. It was the activities of his family. And the information a laptop of very questionable transactions are what Chairman Comer is tracking down, because there's unexplained infusions of money into the Biden family that really has no cause and understanding. At this point, it looks like criminal activity.

FNC's media critic Howard Kurtz reviews this week's CNN "town hall" interview with Donald Trump with Robby Soave and Ameshia Cross.

2024 presidential candidate Nikki Haley declined to attack former President Trump over the court case where he was found liable for sexually assaulting writer E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s: She told Margaret Brennan on CBS's "Face the Nation" on Sunday: "That's for Trump to defend." MARGARET BRENNAN: I want to ask you, as a conservative woman, do you think it undermines your party if the Republican front-runner is someone who was just found liable, legally liable for sexually abusing a woman? HALEY: I have always said that anyone that feels like they have been sexually assaulted in any way should come forward and have their voice heard. I also think anyone that's been accused should be able to defend themselves. I was not on the jury. I am not the judge. I think that both of them had their voices heard. There's been a verdict and there's been an appeal– MARGARET BRENNAN: President Trump was offered the– HALEY: That's for Trump to defend and that's Trump to decide that. MARGARET BRENNAN: He- he gave a deposition, but he didn't go in to defend himself and it was a jury that came to this conclusion. Are you drawing into question the legal findings? HALEY: No, I said there's a verdict. And I think there's been an appeal. And I think it stands where it stands. And I think the American people need to make a decision based on that.

Former N.J. Gov. Chris Christie discussed the 2024 election campaign on ABC's "This Week" roundtable, saying that he hasn't decided whether to run but he is sure Trump will participate in debates: "He believes he will win every debate he's in. And that ego part of him will prevent him from skipping." CHRISTIE: People are talking about kind of the show -- the Trump show and how offensive that was. What I think is even more offensive about what I saw at that Town Hall was what he was saying about the important issues that are facing the country right now. You know, certainly your point on Ukraine, I think, is extraordinarily important. But also, that he would allow default unless there were serious cuts. Where were the serious cuts in the four years of the Trump Administration? In the four years of Trump Administration, he left with the biggest budget deficit of any president in American history. He added more to the debt at that time than any president in American history. This is a guy who says one thing and does another. But I remember back to 2016, Jon, and you will remember this too. He said he was the king of debt. Now, all of a sudden, he wants to be the king of budget cuts. It doesn't make sense. But, Governor Hogan is right. Until somebody is out there and taking it to him, this is all being done in a vacuum. KARL: So, is that going to be you? CHRISTIE: I don't know. But I'll tell you this, someone better do it. HOGAN: I have been taking it to him for six years. But we've got to get some people in this presidential election. CHRISTIE: Get into the ring. You got to get in the ring and do it. You have to get in the ring and do it, and take the risk that goes along with that. KARL: So what's holding you back? CHRISTIE: You know, Jon, these are tough decisions. And if you want to run for president, you can't just -- HOGAN: Let's get it done. Let's get this done. HOGAN: We want to see you in that ring. KARL: You can make this happen. CHRISTIE: I know. Jon, you know, I could (inaudible) as persuasive as you are. I will take a pass at the moment. BRAZILE: Put the pressure on, right now. 40,000 -- can you get 40,000 donors? Can you get the approval rating up to one percent, so that you can debate? You just did several Facebook ads attacking Donald Trump for saying he refuses to debate. Now, the question is, if you are ready to debate Donald Trump then you should be prepared to run against him right now. ... TORRES: But here is the dilemma, the more crowded the Republican field, the more advantageous to Donald Trump because there is a significant segment of the Republican electorate who is unwaveringly loyal to Donald Trump. He is the God that they worship. HOGAN: Which is the point that I made when I decided not to run, that I didn't want to see a multi-car pileup, that we have too many candidates and do the same thing we did in 2016. But I don't think too many people are following that advice, looks like a lot of folks are going to be jumping in. KARL: But we are a long way from voting, so I mean, people can drop out before Iowa, before New Hampshire. HOGAN: But it's far too early. I mean, if you think back to 2016, a year before the election, all we were talking about was Scott Walker and Jeb Bush. And Donald Trump wasn't on the horizon. So, everybody is talking now about Trump and DeSantis, but it can change. I mean somebody is going to rise up and it's a long way from the election. CHRISTIE: Look, Jon, the other thing -- Donna will remember this back to 2007. In May of 2007, Barrack Obama was 42 points behind Hillary Clinton. 42 points behind Hillary Clinton. Campaigns matter. And all this stuff we're talking about, about Donald Trump right now, and even Ron DeSantis to an extent, is all theoretical. It's all classroom stuff. When a campaign starts, things happen. People start talking and interacting with each other. Mistakes get made or, in fact, there's an MRI of somebody's real soul. Look, the -- KARL: But do you think he doesn't debate though? Do you think he – I mean he said that he had no reason to debate. CHRISTIE: His ego will not permit him not to be on that stage. There cannot be a TV camera on that's – KARL: He's already skipped one debate. I remember back in 2016, in Iowa, he skipped the Fox debate. CHRISTIE: He – he petulantly skipped one debate, yes. And, in the end, though, he was at every other debate because he believes, I can tell you this from being the guy who prepped him for debates in '16 and in '20, he believes he will win every debate he's in. And that ego part of him will prevent him from skipping.

Former Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has this advice for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the 2024 Republican presidential primary during ABC's "This Week" roundtable, asking: "Why would you settle for Robin when you can have Batman?? LARRY HOGAN, (R) FORMER GOVERNOR OF MARYLAND: [Donald Trump] packed the audience certainly and CNN allowed him to do which probably should question CNN for how that happened. It's not just them. I mean, he has got 50-some percent of the Republican base and that's what we've -- Governor Christie and I are trying to make the case that we have got to move in a different direction, that we've got to move on from Trump. And we just got to see some candidates step up and get out there and make the case about why we've got to do that. You talked about Ron DeSantis coming in, I mean he has been trying to out Trump and that is not going to work. I mean it's like, why would you settle for Robin when you can have Batman? It's like, you know, you've got to take Trump on and not just being a younger, smarter version of Trump.

Former DNC Chair Donna Brazile and former Republican Governors Chris Christie and Larry Hogan engage in a fascinating discussion about the 2024 election on ABC's "This Week" roundtable. CHRISTIE: People are talking about kind of the show -- the Trump show and how offensive that was. What I think is even more offensive about what I saw at that Town Hall was what he was saying about the important issues that are facing the country right now. You know, certainly your point on Ukraine, I think, is extraordinarily important. But also, that he would allow default unless there were serious cuts. Where were the serious cuts in the four years of the Trump Administration? In the four years of Trump Administration, he left with the biggest budget deficit of any president in American history. He added more to the debt at that time than any president in American history. This is a guy who says one thing and does another. But I remember back to 2016, Jon, and you will remember this too. He said he was the king of debt. Now, all of a sudden, he wants to be the king of budget cuts. It doesn't make sense. But, Governor Hogan is right. Until somebody is out there and taking it to him, this is all being done in a vacuum. KARL: So, is that going to be you? CHRISTIE: I don't know. But I'll tell you this, someone better do it. HOGAN: I have been taking it to him for six years. But we've got to get some people in this presidential election. CHRISTIE: Get into the ring. You got to get in the ring and do it. You have to get in the ring and do it, and take the risk that goes along with that. KARL: So what's holding you back? CHRISTIE: You know, Jon, these are tough decisions. And if you want to run for president, you can't just -- HOGAN: Let's get it done. Let's get this done. HOGAN: We want to see you in that ring. KARL: You can make this happen. CHRISTIE: I know. Jon, you know, I could (inaudible) as persuasive as you are. I will take a pass at the moment. BRAZILE: Put the pressure on, right now. 40,000 -- can you get 40,000 donors? Can you get the approval rating up to one percent, so that you can debate? You just did several Facebook ads attacking Donald Trump for saying he refuses to debate. Now, the question is, if you are ready to debate Donald Trump then you should be prepared to run against him right now. ... TORRES: But here is the dilemma, the more crowded the Republican field, the more advantageous to Donald Trump because there is a significant segment of the Republican electorate who is unwaveringly loyal to Donald Trump. He is the God that they worship. HOGAN: Which is the point that I made when I decided not to run, that I didn't want to see a multi-car pileup, that we have too many candidates and do the same thing we did in 2016. But I don't think too many people are following that advice, looks like a lot of folks are going to be jumping in. KARL: But we are a long way from voting, so I mean, people can drop out before Iowa, before New Hampshire. HOGAN: But it's far too early. I mean, if you think back to 2016, a year before the election, all we were talking about was Scott Walker and Jeb Bush. And Donald Trump wasn't on the horizon. So, everybody is talking now about Trump and DeSantis, but it can change. I mean somebody is going to rise up and it's a long way from the election. CHRISTIE: Look, Jon, the other thing -- Donna will remember this back to 2007. In May of 2007, Barrack Obama was 42 points behind Hillary Clinton. 42 points behind Hillary Clinton. Campaigns matter. And all this stuff we're talking about, about Donald Trump right now, and even Ron DeSantis to an extent, is all theoretical. It's all classroom stuff. When a campaign starts, things happen. People start talking and interacting with each other. Mistakes get made or, in fact, there's an MRI of somebody's real soul. Look, the -- KARL: But do you think he doesn't debate though? Do you think he – I mean he said that he had no reason to debate. CHRISTIE: His ego will not permit him not to be on that stage. There cannot be a TV camera on that's – KARL: He's already skipped one debate. I remember back in 2016, in Iowa, he skipped the Fox debate. CHRISTIE: He – he petulantly skipped one debate, yes. And, in the end, though, he was at every other debate because he believes, I can tell you this from being the guy who prepped him for debates in '16 and in '20, he believes he will win every debate he's in. And that ego part of him will prevent him from skipping.

In his remarks to Howard University's graduation commencement on Saturday, President Biden said "white supremacy" is the biggest terrorist threat to the United States. "White supremacy… is the single most dangerous terrorist threat in our homeland... And I'm not saying this because I'm at a Black HBCU, I say it wherever I go," he said. "It's a battle. It's never really over, but on the best days, enough of us have the guts and the hearts to stand up for the best in us, to choose love over hate. Union over disunion. Progress over retreat. To stand up against the poison of White supremacy, like I did in my inaugural address to single it out as the most dangerous terrorist threat to our homeland." You can watch Biden's full commencement address here: