Good evening everyone. I am alison tamora. Theyre would come to cnn tonight. Lots of news of legal cases. Against former President Trump. In georgia, Fulton CountyDistrict Attorney funny well is investigating the attempts to overturn joe bidens victory, saying that she is making a decision. And in florida, a manager making his appearance in a courtroom today. In order to conceal classified documents. Hes charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice, and making false statements to the fbi. As for the last of the gop field, we talked to a strategist who say that Ron Desantis Campaign is in trouble because ron desantis is a very flawed candidate. And the latest biden family knows, President Biden acknowledging his seventh grandchild for the first time. I have seven grandkids. Four of them, or five of them would love to talk on the phone. Every day i either text them, or call them. We will find out if biden will suffer any repercussions for the delay in acknowledging his daughter. And are Donald Trumps legal troubles putting a dent in his support . I am sitting down with voters to find out. If he is in the middle of a trial at the time that the election, the general election comes up in 2024, or if, lets just say, somehow he has already been convicted. Would you still vote for him . Their answers in a moment. But lets begin with the 2024 race, donald trump is crushing his competition in the polls, despite his legal problems. The latest New York Times poll, of likely Republican Voters has trump at 54 . His closest challenger, ron desantis, is at a distant 17 . So why is Governor Ron Desantis struggling to make a dent in trumps lead . I will ask a republican strategist who was the head of the Political Action committee, but now blames the governor for thcampaigns missteps. This might have something to do with it. Seems many Republican Voters are not Fansf Rodesantis war on woke. Only 38 of gop votersould support a candidate who fights private corporations that promote, socalled, woke ideology. 52 want a candidate to stay out of what businesses do, or do not support. Ron desantis as you know, has gone to battle with multiple companies. Including disney, bud light, norwegian cruise, is u. S. Shooter, and big tech. Joining me now, former reagan chief political adviser, ed rods, who stepped down from a pro desantis pack, after coming to the conclusion that Governor Desantis is a quote, very flawed candidate. Good to be with you. What makes desantis a flawed . Despite being a governor, he has strong opinions. But any candidate out in iowa, president ial campaigns are totally different. Its about going out, talking to people. Youve got to talk to them instead of going out and preaching the culture to people in iowa. Google Say Something about the School System, are you happy with the School System . What do you want. Culture is just not the key thing. The key thing is farming, proper cost of wheat, corn, all of those things. And political people, particularly in places like iowa, New Hampshire, they expect you to come out and listen to them. Did you ever tell him that . Did you share your concerns . I shared it with some people on staff, i was involved in the super pac, so we cant have coordination, we cant talk, so. And im not sure that hes going to listen to what i told him, if it would make any difference. But i think its him, and everybody who has told me sense. People say i have traveled all the way to israel, hes not said a word, hes just not a natural candidate. Unfortunately, i have nothing against him as a governor. We have some great governors that run for president. But i dont think hes the guy who is going to beat trump. And trump at this point, is stronger than he has ever been. So desantis, it sounds like youre saying, is not a people person. He is not a people person. Do you think he is open to constructive criticism . From everything i hear. He is not. And he makes no moves. Controlling the budget is a very important part of a campaign. He raised a lot of money early on, you a third of your staff a week before youre going to announce iowa. You wait a couple of weeks, you spread them out, you do something with them, send them home. But you dont basically, arrive in iowa, i havent been managing my budget. I have to lay off a third of my people. People say, this is the job that youre running for. Its about management. And a lot of other things. So to me, everything hes kind of done, its just, hes not a bad guy, hes a good guy with a lot of good guides running from presidency. But youre not gonna beat trump. Was that the moment that major not want to be involved anymore with the pack . It was a big part of it. I had rumblings before that the staff was being blamed and the rest of it. Having been a staff person all my life its a candidate. And the candidates that have done well, in iowa, and New Hampshire. People like rival reagan, obama, bill clinton. Its not about how good of governors they were. Its about people. He doesnt relate to people well. Who do you support now . I support the republican nominee. Anyone . Well whoever goes to the process. Even donald trump . Because you had previously left working with trump. Yes, the tragedy of trumps if donald trump wouldve walked away the day after the election, and basically said, okay. I want to challenge everything. And when i lose the challenge is, if i do, i want to run again. He would be 30 points ahead. The activity since then, to talk about what he did as president. People are out there supporting him. Like when he was president. And the reality is, they dont like what he has done of the the next president , thats the issue here. No one has ever, in the historian, or the president ial scholar for the last ten years. At the end of the day, studied every presidency many times and talk to courses. There is never been a presidency like trumps, and there is never been a Campaign Like this one. If not desantis, who do you think a strongest to challenge trump . I dont think any are going to challenge trump, the truth matters, big of an, our big state, major player for president. But at the end of the day, trumps base is strong, it stays above 50 . Equally as important of a campaign, as the four years ago, two years ago. Understand its a delicate process, and what most people understand is that the delegates are not paid. Theyre picked, most of the states on the republican side is winner take all. So 50 of the vote in california, is all the california delegates. Thats more than all of the delegates that we are talking about. So my sense is that that they are running a stronger campaign. They will drop the legal stuff at the end of the day here. Thats gonna be a big distraction. How do you break your message through when you have to drive to court every day . But essentially this. Youve described that he has been the sore loser, and not a good post president. Why would you support him as the nominee . Im not a republican. I basically been a republican for 50 years, and ive lost faith. Republicans are struggling with their philosophies. But im up first wrong national defense, swearing in cobbs, the things that we used to do. And things that were good for the country. Thank you for having you here. Thanks for your perspective. We have a lot to talk about, lets bring in cnn political commentator, navarro, Rolling Stone columnist, jay michaelson, former candidate, joe pinion, and special watergate prosecutor, john. Great to have you here tonight. Governor desantis has now responded to ed rowlands criticisms, as well as other, so here is what he just said tonight. When i hear about culture war, standing up for the rights of parents . Standing up for the wellbeing of children . That is not some culture war, that is central to the lives of tens of millions of people throughout this country. It is the right thing to do to stand with our kids. It is the right thing to impose indoctrination in the schools. And i totally reject being in iowa, New Hampshire that people dont think that those are important. They do think that they are important. Okay, and your thoughts. He is sticking with the culture wars and his other half . Of course hes going to stay with it. Its the only thing that he has. He has become a one hit wonder, and that is his one hit. Woke, woke, woke, woke, woke. Today, he tried to talk about the economy. Frankly if he had started with the economy, if he had made the economy his banner issue, he might be in better shape. But, you know, you only get one chance to make a first impression. And he has made it. And he turned himself into this gladiator for culture wars. For wokeness, antiwokeness, he has created an environment in florida. You live in florida, i live in florida, he created an environment where one ignorant parent can get a book banned. He created an environment where mickey mouse is now a criminal. He created an environment where he is constantly defending standards regarding slavery, that even black republicans are telling him to stop defending. When you are picking a fight with descendants of slaves . Like tim scott . And Byron Donalds . An African American congressman from florida. Republican. Maybe, just maybe, youre on the wrong path here. As one of our other republicans on the panel. Do you think that ron desantis is losing steam. Do you think that someone else will pick it up . I think the issue with Governor Desantis is always not what you do. Its how you do it. Not what you say, how you say it. Yes, he is correct that there is a large, robust population of republicans concerned about these cultural issues. But i think what ed is trying to nudge him towards. Now that he is no longer with the pact. Is the reality facing most americans. That they dont want joe biden to be the president anymore. And they are going to be making a case to republican primary voters, to talk about the deficiencies of that presidency. The economy, you should be talking about the schools that are not teaching our children. You should be talking about the fact that every single day we have a migrant crisis that has gone unchecked. By the administration. We should be talking about, is there an actual doctrine from the Biden Administration as it relates to ukraine. And what would your doctrine be particularly in life. Of the billions of dollars not being spent here at home . There is a whole host of issues that are ripe for the taking. If the government would simply go down that path, so i think that there are a lot of people who are in their own way trying to nudge the governor towards a path that would be better suited if the plan is to try to overtake the presidency. Slowly we have heard Donald Trumps opponents, many of them in the gop field, could continue to be more aggressive to donald trump. Here is what they have said this week. By the time we get on the debate stage on august 23rd, the front runner will be out on bail in four different jurisdictions . If these accusations are true. Its dangerous to our national security. When he hits me with the juvenile insults, i think that helps me. I dont think voters like that. It is the reminder why there are so many millions of voters who will never vote for him going forward. Donald trump is not running for president to make America Great again, donald trump is running to stay out of prison. What do you see happening here . In a way, the New York Times study that said there was 37 of Republican Voters in the base, in the maga base. But last i checked the math, 63 is still greater than 37. There is a majority of republicans who are not, necessarily, in that space. And maybe six months, maybe three months for the party to figure out who can really be the alternative. Theyre not, and i think it is early in that regard, i think there is also a lot of money to enter the race. And speaking from the other side of the aisle. I think, part of, there are some democrats relishing the opportunity to have donald trump to be the nominee. Because hes a weak nominee in the general election. But for me, this is playing with dynamite. And this is just terrifying to consider even the campaign. Let alone the possibility of him becoming president , or whatever he would become as soon as he abolishes the checks and balances of our government. So for me, i dont want to say that i am optimistic, but it is the case that i think for desantis to run to the right of trump. From the anti woke thing. That clearly has not worked. There is a large constituency but within the Republican Party of what somebody is seeing. Back to trumps legal problems in georgia today. The Fulton County d. A. , fani willis, says she will be announcing the trial decision by september 1st. But she also said, quote, the work is accomplished. And quote, she is ready to go. What is he waiting for . What i dont understand about her. Is months ago she said im gonna make a Charging Decisions in the summer. Well, they indicted former President Trump in miami on four days notice. What Law Enforcement was mobilized. Usually, Law Enforcement does something called deconfliction, they talk to each other. And im just concerned that the feds in georgia are going to step on each other toes. Because theres a big overlap in there. So i dont know why she keeps making these announcements. Either you do something, bring charges, or close it. One way or the other. One more question for you. So Carlos De Oliveira who is the code of funded in the classified documents case, in maralago. He was in court for the first time today. So now that the new codefendant has been added, does that push the trial date beyond may . It has to. And jack smith actually brought this delay on, by bringing the new case. When you have a new defendant, he hasnt been arraigned. He has a florida council. But there may be method to the madness. Because maybe, just maybe, if the january 6th cases brought tomorrow, like we are all thinking. And if the classified document cases put off. Maybe that will leave space for a watching to d. C. Judge to set the new case. If there is one. Donald trump has three things going for him. One, the constitution that he wanted to suspend. Hes always going to be presumed innocent. Its gonna protect him. To, a strategy of delay. With all criminal of defense uses. And third, is the money. The big pack. And money makes a big difference, because Criminal Defense Lawyers are expensive. Thank you for the segue. Prince stick around, were gonna talk about it, because Donald TrumpsPolitical Action committees spending more than 3 million on his legal fees this year alone. I sit down with a group of gop voters, to ask what they think about trumps legal woes. So i called Innovation Refunds. Their team of F IndependentTax Attorneys will work with your cpa to detetermine if your company is eligible. [whip sound] take the first step to see if your Small Business qualifies. We all need fiber for our digestive health, but less than 10 of us get enough each day. Good thing Metamucil Gummies are an easy way to get prebiotic, plantbased fiber. With the same amount of fiber as 2 cups of broccoli. Metamucil gummies the easy way to get your daily fiber. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. 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