Laura coates. Thank you all for joining me. Weve got a big show for you tonight with a notable lineup among those joining me, Chris Wallace, rod begovich, the governor who was freed by donald trump in a sentence, a d. C. Democrat that will be important to us calling on the National Guard to bring order to the city. We will have a talk on the sexism and racism surrounding a wrappers sentencing. Jillian michaels from The Biggest Loser will weigh in on all of these Weight Loss Drugs. First, everyone, there is Breaking News out of ohio tonight. A special election turned into a litmus test on Abortion Rights, in a postroe v. Wade america. The votes are being counted, and cnns jeff zeleny is following it all for us right now. Jeff, it is a win, it looks like, and a big one, for Abortion Rights advocates. Laura, this was a fascinating summertime election that Republican Leaders who scheduled it had hoped it went under the radar. It did not do that. This became a fullon campaign, a fullon fight over Abortion Rights, democracy, and more. Voters, according to our projection, our resoundingly rejecting the efforts to make it more difficult to change the states constitution. What this was was a twostep process, the election today in ohio would have raised the threshold to make it more difficult for Ballot Questions like the one on Abortion Rights in november to pass. Ohioans voted no by a strong majority, at least according to three quarters of the vote that has been already counted. At this Victory Party here tonight, supporters have this to say to ohioans. Ohio, we did it we did it. [applause] tonight is a major victory for democracy in ohio. The majority still rules in ohio. [applause] the peoples power has been preserved. So, the campaign now, for that November Ballot question on enshrining the protection of Abortion Rights into the State Constitution begins anew. This certainly is a sign of where that could be going. A simple majority, 50 plus one, will be all it takes to support that. Laura, what we are seeing, a summer after that kansas vote really shocked the nation in the wake of the Supreme Court overturning roe v. Wade, we are seeing a pattern. A pattern in kentucky, in montana, in michigan, and an ohio, which is why Republican Leaders wanted to make it more difficult to change the states constitution. Those efforts were rejected today in ohio. Certainly, another Landmark Decision in the postdobbs decision world here. Again, the beginning of a new Campaign Starts tomorrow to enshrining Abortion Rights protection in november. Laura, as you know, in ohio, a classic battleground state, it leans red, this certainly will be a Difficult Campaign on both sides, considerable investments of time and money pouring into this state on this issue. Laura . Its been a microscope and a magnifying glass over ohio for quite some time, not the least of which remember when the then ten Year Old Girl from ohio was seeking to have an abortion, and was refused care, and had to go to a neighboring state. This issue has been long coming. Ive got to tell you, all the Energy Behind you, and the sounds . It is giving off primary, and maybe general Election Energy over there. Jeff zeleny, we will see what happens going forward. Also, more news just in, everyone, as donald trump already faces, and you have counted them, three indictments. Cnn is now reporting that, down in georgia, Fulton County d. A. , funny will, as is likely to present her case to the grand jury next week. The atlantabased prosecutor has been lining up witnesses in the investigation of donald trump, and of course, his allies, who are trying to overturn Election Results in georgia, allegedly. This comes as the judge overseeing the federal indictment is refusing to grant trumps request to push back a hearing on the evidence. His lawyers, of course, you look at that calendar right now, they are complaining that their schedule, frankly, is just a little bit too busy, as you can see by those red circles on that calendar. It hasnt stopped trump from intensifying his attacks. There is, apparently, time for that. Everyone from the judge to, well, the prosecutors. I am sorry, i wont be able to go to iowa today. I want to be able to go to New Hampshire today because i am sitting in a courtroom on bs because his Attorney General charged me with something. Joining me now, one of trumps surrogates, a former illinois governor, ron begovich. He had his 14 year sentence, and he paid for conviction commuted by the former president of the united states. I am glad you are here. I am adjusted, particularly, and your insight on these matters in particular. Let me ask you, i do wonder, and i mentioned, obviously, the commutation of your sentence. In fact, you are supposed to be released, or eligible for parole next year, in 2024, the president ial election year. It is the reason why you are speaking out because of what he did for you then . Well, thank you, laura for saying you are glad i am here. Im glad im here because President Trump committed my sentence. I didnt break a law, cross the line, or take a penny. It was politics, routine political talk. I am here because President Trump i have a debt of gratitude to him on a personal level, that is for certain. I am here as an american. What they are doing to President Trump, a republican president at the major league level, they successfully did to me, a democrat governor, at the aaa level. They hijack me from office on things that werent crimes, all talk, free speech, political conversations that were started by then president elect obama. He didnt do anything wrong. Neither did i. They came after me, they were determined to get me, they couldnt convict me out a first trial, they try to be a second time, and lay blatantly used and a lawful standard, a standard that Supreme Court expressed was not the law to convict me on fundraising requests, and socalled sale of the senate seat, which i am known for, it was reversed by the appellate court. They called it nothing more than routine political log rolling. I do hear you i dont want to cut you off, but i want to be clear, and i understand, obviously, the desire to discuss your own personal case, a jury did convict, if there was an appellate process, the Supreme Court declined to step in, or interviewing for the five, i believe, 18. I dont want to relitigate your case because the jury did speak. Frankly, the charges against donald trump are quite distinct. Let me focus on what is happening there. I know you have made the comment that it seems to be a kind of political persecution, that it is not actually a crime. What aspect of it do you think, not to be judged by a jury . To begin with, i dont think President Trump has any chance at a fair trial in washington, d. C. , where he received 5 of the vote, and the jury pool. 95 of the jury pool voted the other way. To begin with, he is facing what is unlikely to be a fair trial, and could very well end up having the same fate as me. Should that be the litmus test, how the jury or demographics of an area are voting politically when they are supposed to be voting, or making a finding in terms of verdict . Really, the average defendant, as you will know, is not going to be a political candidate, let alone a president ial candidate. How are we to judge the objectivity and impartiality of a jury there . The old me, before, what they did to me, happened, i used to trust the system. Now i dont. Governments lie. Governments, our government lied to us about vietnam, about the iraq war, they lied about me, and they are lying about President Trump. These are not crimes that theyve charged him with. You dont like trump . Vote against him. It is understandable that a lot of people would not like him, democrats in particular. There is new weaponization of politics, of criminal prosecutors engaging in a political process while trump, now, is in the crosshairs of what they are doing. It is really the american people, all of us, democrats and republicans, who are in the crosshairs, because they are stealing from us, our right to choose our leaders and election, free and fair, our right to self government. These weaponized prosecutors have uncontrolled power, and it was a democrat Supreme Court justice, breyer, who said in the governor Mcdonald Case that jack smith, himself, prosecuted, i did nothing in the reversal just as briar said, the danger of these uncontrolled prosecutors are a threat to our separation of powers. That is what is at stake here. I hear that, but i want to pack a couple things here. One, of course, it is interesting to think about the notion that you make the assertion this would be stealing from a persons ability to choose their candidate of choice. That is part of what they are accusing. Again, im a former prosecutor, so they have to prove their case in court, as you well know, and a jury as they want to make the ultimate determination. We are talking about somebody who believes in that process still. Its interesting to think about, if that is the goal, to have the voters, ultimately, decide, what is being alleged, of course, is they are trying he is trying an attempt of a conspiracy, obstruction, and beyond, trying to take away and neutralize the impact of the votes, and, of course, certification. On this point of the notion of special counsel jack smith, i have heard a lot of conversation with respect to the weaponization. For the audiences andification, as you well know, the Mcconnell Case came down to virginia governor, came down to the official act, and whether they met the requirement and during instructions. Let me ask you, do you think there is evidence right now to suggest that jack smiths, either politically motivated, or weaponizing the department of justice, in cahoots with Merrick Garland . I dont know whether about he is doing that in cahoots with Merrick Garland, but i think he is weaponizing and politicizing, and he is being dishonest. He could very well be guilty of fraud. In his indictment, he claims President Trump, he doesnt quote President Trump accurately, when President Trump was there on january the 6th, he said, quote, peacefully patriotically have your voices heard. In the indictment itself, jack smith omits that. That omission is a significant thing. I would suggest that is fraud on the people, and fraud on the court system. He should be the one who should answer to some of these things. This prosecutor, jack smith, is a serial weaponize or of politics. He did it to democrat senator edwards. Edwards was given a hung jury. He didnt to senator menendez, a democrat from new jersey, my former colleague. We are both democratic congressman together. The judge, he had an honest judge, the judge threw the case out for insufficient evidence. My job should have done that. They were republicans. It was a republican prosecutor, bush appointed, republican judge, republican appellate court, and they did a political hit on the democratic governor, but again republican president. Again yes. I want to refocus the conversation. Again, i understand the tendency to, perhaps, reject during the conversation about what do you believe was done to you. In terms of what donald trump is being accused of doing, and the prosecutor in this case is not the prosecutor that was involved in your prosecution, number one, and number two, just to clarify, you do not believe you do not have evidence that there is actual weaponization, it is just that it is being intimated at this point because of a perception of the politics of those who are in office. Is that right . I have a strong belief that jack smith is weaponizing because of my own personal experience, and what i went through. I draw on that experience. Thats why i talk so much about it. I loved it myself, i saw it. Look, Under Jackson its standard, i would be guilty because i believed allen gore won the election in 2000. I go back to prison because of him, that is the standard he is using against president. Trump you know who would join me . Jerry nadler, adam schiff, and probably nancy pelosi. I remember her Thinking Gore had won the election, i still think gore won that election. That is not a crime. That is a belief, that is free speech, that is what is under assault today by this guy. I am sorry i didnt mean to cut you off, excuse me my fault. I am certainly somebody who believes in a respectful, reciprocal conversation. Its a conversation, ive invited you here. I want to hear from you, i just want to make sure we dont talk over each other. What you suggest, and the idea of, had you just questioned whether or not allegra won, i will play a bite without analogy, the tournament goes beyond that. The indictment alleges again, i use the word allege for a specific reason, it alleges far more than just the thinking. In fact, one of the paragraphs does talk about the right to contest, challenge, go to court on these matters. Its the conspire, that last word they are alleging. It seems the allegations are far more than just saying, i believe i won. They are focusing on far more than what happened in january 6th. You are a former governor. Lets talk about your personal experience. Imagine if the allegations had been involved, and yet you are the governor to receive the conversation, or receive the statements, the Pressure Campaigns that were mounted. What would you have thought, as a sitting governor, at that time . If President Trump called me, and was pressing me, is that what youre asking . Yes, or any president , by the way, via trump at the time, or any president , had they pressed you and said, either the equivalent of, i want you to find a number of votes, or a discussion about a false slate of electors emerging from your state. What would have been your response as a sitting governor . Sure. Lets say hillary clinton, hypothetically, called me, and i was the governor of illinois. She said, james comey interfered in this election two weeks before, and talked about a new investigation against me, which very well may have led to her losing that election. Thats a she called me and said, can you find some votes in illinois that may not have been counted, or whatever the case may be, i would think she was looking at it politically. She felt she had been cheated. She had reason to think that because james comey, another one of these Weaponized FbiJustice Department people, injected himself in that race. You guys are angry trump is the president. Blame james comey. A good way have been the reason she. Lost was a, hypothetically, she called me, id accept that. I understand that she is angry, feels cheated, and believed she actually won when she didnt. That is pretty much the worst of it on trump. He truly believed he won. He was looking to get it rectified. That is free speech, that is america. What these people are doing is russia. I am telling you, Abraham Lincoln is growing in his grave, and the ghost of Joseph Stalin is dancing in the streets with what these weaponized prosecutors are doing to our political system. They did it to me, a democrat, john edwards, a democrat, did it tremendous, a democrat, it sounds like there is no criteria on which a prosecutor can ever go and prosecute an investigation, as long as somebody is that capitalist test on these matters. I find the conversation far more expansive, but let me just say when it comes to the rolling of the graves and the dancing in the street, i get the impression that the anger is directed at what happened lead up to january six, far more than just the notion of what is political speech. But, as you know, the criminal intent and ones mens rhea, as they say, is whether you intended to actually commit the crime, not whether you believe the underlying crime premise. It was not speaking to you. Its nice meeting you laura, thank you very much. Up next everyone, the debate stage for republicans is growing. Chris wallace is going to join me on that. And ron desantis is firing, yes, firing his Campaign Manager. Plus a democrat in d. C. That is calling on the National Guard to intervene as crime is skyrocketing in the Nations Capital. And, the artist and rapper Megan Thee Stallion faced sexist and Massage Minister Attacks for reporting a shooting where she is the victim. Now the shooter learns his face. We will discuss. A beach house, a treehouse, honesestly i dont care find the perfect Vacation Rental for you booking. Com, booking. Yeah. Like ours is spoiling their dogs. Good, re food is simple. It looks like fo, it smells likeood, its what do are supposed to be eating. No livg being should ever eat processed food for every single meal of their life. Its amazing to