today on "inside politics," the final four. the stage is set. four republican presidential candidates have made the cut for the fourth gop debate. get ready for some fireworks between ron desantis and nikki haley, but will either take on donald trump? plus a desperate plea for ukraine. senators will hear directly from president zelenskyy about the stakes on the battlefield if they do not approve more fund ing. with just days left to act and the world watching, will u.s. lawmakers give up on cukraine? and hate on campus. the leaders of three of the country's most elite universities are on capitol hill right now answering questions about the terrifying rise of anti-semitism. did they allow hate to flourish. and what can be done to stop it now? i'm dana bash. let's go behind the headlines and inside politics. we start with the 2024 race. ron desantis, nikki haley, vivek ramaswamy will be on the stage in alabama with less than six weeks until the first votes are cast, the front runner will be noticeably absent. instead donald trump will spend his night raise ing money for h superpac after appearing at a televised debate, or at least i should say a town hall in iowa. cnn's a lay noo treene is covering all this. what are you hearing from the trump camp? >> they argue that donald trump, they are trying to make it like look like donald trump is in a different league. that these debates are beneath him. that's why he's continuing to skip these that's also led to a lot of frustration among his opponents. we did hear from ron desantis yesterday in new hampshire attacking donald trump over skipping these debates and for not showing up. let's take a listen. >> if you're going to be a board warrior. get off the keyboard and stand on the debate stage and let's go. >> now i think there's two key things for why a the lot of these candidates are so frustrated that donald trump isn't there. one is that they don't have an opportunity to attack him d directly on the stage. they want want to be able to go head to head with him. the trump campaign is not giving them an opportunity to do that. but they also want to court a lot of of the the pro trump viewers over to their own campaigns. many are not watching the debates because donald trump isn't there. >> thank you so much for that reporting. i want to continue to talk about this with our great panel. we haven cnn's david chalian, jonathan carl of abc news, also the author of the new book tired of win ning melanie zanona. hi, everybody. i can't believe i get to be on television with you. we'll talk about our history, which is long, later on. but let's start with this news about what we expect tonight. david chalian, i'm going to start with you. excuse me, tomorrow night. what are your thoughts on all of it? particularly, the fact that it is now just four and how that changes the dynamic. >> i would just note there's one more element to what alayna was talking about, trump is not participating, what those four candidates have done to qualify for the debate stage is sign a pledge that they will support the republican nominee no matter what. donald trump has not done that. and his decision to not participate in the debates. the meaning of tomorrow night clearly all the attention is going to be focused on haley vs. desantis. these are the candidates moving into this, especially as we approach iowa, the final battle to become the clear alternative to donald trump. the question becomes donald trump is such a dominant figure s this a battle for second place, or is this a battle for somebody to emerge that actually can thwart donald trump from winning this nomination. we'll wait for the voters, but that's what hangs over the debate tomorrow night. >> donald trump has this massive lead in iowa and new hampshire. but his lead in iowa and new hampshire is significantly lower than it is in national polls. he's below 50% in both places. so i think there's a real chance that he has an upset defeat in either new haiowa or new hampsh both places. so this is an important moment. and chris christie barely made the stage. but he made the stage setting up a real battle in new hampshire between christie and nikki haley. >> it's interesting what you said about donald trump. i'm going to get to you in a second, melanie, because that's a point you have been making internally here consistently. which is he's not taking his foot off the gas in iowa. it's not as if he's just sitting at home eating bonbons or whatever it is. he's back. >> he's back in iowa today to do this town hall. he was just over there over the weekend. his campaign has kept him going back and back to iowa. yes, he has his eyes set on a general election contest with biden, but the trump campaign, if john is wrong, if he does win iowa, let's say and new hampshire, part of the trump success is going to be never lifting his foot off the neck of ron desantis. they have been adamant to continue that effort, despite his big national lead. >> i want you to listen to the ads that we're hearing from the desantis camp, the haley camp going into this debate and where their focus is. >> i deferly voted for trump in 2016 and 2020. >> we have to move on. governor desantis has proven himself in florida. >> it's time for a new generation of conservative leadership. we have to leave behind the chaos and drama of the past. >> not exactly subtle who she's talking about. >> exactly. they have limited time at this point to try to catch up to trump. it's only six weeks until the iowa caucuses. it is shaping up to be a battle to be the trump alternative. and you have chris christie, who is still on the debate stage. there are calls for him to drop out so they can coalesce around a single anti-trump candidate. cr chris christie has argued he's beginning to show strength in new hampshire and he's going to hang in there, but the pressure is growing. and the time is running out. >> there's a big "new york times" story about that very question about chris christie. i'll read a quote from sara longwell, a gop strategist, who is anti-trump. time is a flat sark circle. everyone insists we relive the 2016 election. and she went on to say, the main thing that christie could do to make a difference this time is to drop out. >> look, he's not going to drop out. christie has been practically living in new hampshire. his town halls are attracting more people. he's generating more excitement. as you know, new hampshire, independent voters can the vote in either primary. there's no primary on the democratic side. so christie is poised to do very well in new hampshire. he knows that. and he's not going to be answering any of these calls to drop out. >> he's starting to post up against hnikki haley in a way i anticipate of this in a more aggressive way. it's old home week, i'll note that our former colleague did an interview with chris christie this weekend. and asked about that very ad. chris christie had no parks for it. he dismissed it as somebody not willing to take on trump directly. you don't cite trump's name in that line and trying to play cute with not offending, where he's making the argument the only way to beat him is to go at him and argue to voters why you are different. he says haley has shown an inability or unwillingness to do that. >> it's not impossible he wins new hampshire. i think back to 200. the way he had that was ultimately a huge victory in new hampshire over george w. bush. the fact that independents can vote. the fact that christie speaks to those independents in a way that perhaps nikki haley or ron desantis don't. >> liz cheney is out with a new book. i want you to listen to what she said about the potential of her running a third party race. i would not have con femme plaited a third party run. it's as a result of donald trump's continued grip on the republican party. democracy is at risk internally as well. >> i remember talking to her in congress. even as she was on her way out the door, she said this is my republican party. i'm not going to be kick ed out by these bullies. now you see her saying she would be willing to entertain the idea of a third party run. now whether that would work or not and who that would peel vote was from is an open question. there's no love right now for liz cheney in the republican party. there's still an appetite for someone to i try to take on trump. >> she's also not rolling out voting for joe biden. she's made it very clear. she's been incredibly kipt about this. i interviewed her after she was thrown out of leadership. the republican party more than two years ago, she said then that her single biggest goal was to ensure that donald trump never gets anywhere near the oval office again. >> do you think she's really seriously thinking about it? >> i think she's keeping the door open. i think she's selling a book, but she has made it very clear. she will do the cold math and calculous. if she determines that her presence in the race will do more help to donald trump than harm, she's not going to do it. >> that's a really good point. everybody, such a discussion. coming up, time is running out for ukraine. will congress approve new funding to help them beat back russia. the president zelenskyy is making a personal appeal to senate republicans. we'll go live to capitol hill, next. time is run ning out for congress to approve critical money for ukraine's war against putin's forces. ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy will make a direct appeal to u.s. lawmakers today. the white house warns a vote against more funding will hurt the democracy and help t dictators. as my colleague steven collins put it, russian president vladimir putin's is bet that america is and the west will tire of his brutal war before he does is looking better by the day. cnn's manu raju is live on capitol hill with the latest. what are you hearing at this moment? is it going to there are real fears all these issues, ukraine aid, israel aid, could get punted into the next year because of deep divisions on both sides of of the aisle and a dispute over the process to take up all these issues. whether thr going to do it as one or separately at the center is immigration. they denied policy changes. even skeptics and supporters of ukraine aid on the republican side say immigration must be dealt with first. >> the white house is warning that ukraine funding is running dry. if this is not done by the end of the year, russia could have serious gains in ukraine. does that warning ksh you at all? >> any warning for the administration goes on deaf ears. they are the ones that caused it. they are the ones that caused the border security. >> i want to make it crystal clear i'm not going back to south carolina and talk about helping ukraine, taiwan and israel without answering the question what about our border. >> reporter: there's been central to these negotiations, and medicine who has been pushing for immigration changes for some time, but it's been decades for congress to struggle to deal with issues of immigration unable to deal with for so long. so the real fear in the capitol is whether or not they will be able to come to any sort of agreement on this entractable issue. if not, will all this fall by the wayside and will ukraine fall to russia as a result of the paralysis on the hill. >> thank you for clarifying the comment about who is to blame for the russian aggression. thank you so much. the panel is back here. it really is remarkable to hear someone like rind see graham saying, i'm not going to do it. unless we get immigration especially given someone like him has been involved in these conversations for 15 years about immigration that has largely gone in where. so he understands how difficult it is. >> and mitch mcconnell too i would add to that equation, this is a huge issue. he's been pushing for ukraine and yet he's aligned with his party and insisting they also get stricter immigration and border security provisions. there's an acknowledgment among the defense hawks that among the base, popularity for ukraine is wane fast. so they are trying to use this as a leverage point. they are trying to fight for this. but there's divisions even within the gop about exactly how far to go. the speaker mike johnson wants to include hr-2, which is a strict house gop bill, but the senate republicans have said he will take whatever we send over. so even if it they can great agreement in the senate, there's no guarantee it's going to pass the house. >> the question is whether or not what is happening today. the ukrainian president making a direct appeal is going to move any of these votes. >> there's a growing movement within the republican party that is not just skeptical of aid, but it is opposed to it. i think donald trump is a big part of this. i think as tucker carlson told me, trump is much more radical on this issue than he lets on. you know where tucker carlson is on ukraine. this is no longer the party of reagan. it's not the party of mccain or bush or romney. so while you do have people like mcconnell and lindsey graham still very much in favor of and talking about the youurgency to support aid, they are within a party where they have to show that it gets something. >> using immigration a as a way to sink it. this is what senator john cornyn, republican of texas there's a misunderstanding on the part of senator schumer. this is not a traditional negotiation where we expect to come up with a bipartisan compromise. this is a price that has to be paid in order to get the sup is lemt the. >> it couldn't be more clear than who they are seeking to be majority leader one day or the senate playing his politics as well. but i think there's the immediacy of the immigration politic, but put that to the side. to get to what john was saying about where the republican party is on this issue of ukraine aid, i think we have two dramatically different world views about america's role in the world that's on display here. this is real trumpism, as you said, in terms of foreign policy here, somebody who has said he wants to -- doesn't appear all that interested in the alliance with the u.s. joe biden believes his ability to hold nato together and bring europe together in this battle that he thinks is sort of an existential battle for democracy on the globe, he thinks it's one of the greatest establishments. imagine in a biden vs. trump world, that issue alone of the role america plays is just such a dramatically different vision. >> it's define d within the republican party is massive. you do have the real hawks that are in that tradition, the reagan tradition of america having a strong role in the world, but you have the cartoonist version in the marjorie taylor greene, who is not on the only opposed to aid, but sees zelenskyy as the villain in this fight. but there's a lot on that other side that is not just opposed to more money for ukraine, but openly hostile to the idf supporting ukraine. >> thank you for letting us see the forests and not just the trees. thank you. up next, the epidemic of aipt semitism on college campaigns. top university presidents are testifying on capitol hill. we'll ask larry summers what's happening there and all around the country. you bring a lot back to civilian life. leadership skills. technical ability. and a drive to serve in new ways. syracuse university's d'aniello institute for veterans and military families has empowered more than 200,000 veterans to serve their communities and their careers. from professional certifications, to job training, to help navigating programs and services, we give veterans access to support from anywhere in the world. on capitol hill university presidents havefrom three elite universities are testifying on capitol hill about anti-semitism, which is on the rise, spiking really, on college campuses. joining me now is rene marsh. what's happening so far in the hearing? >> we're about two hours into this hearing. the goal today for lawmakers is really to hold these campus leaders accountable as these anti-semitic incidents explode on school campuses. now these three university presidents, as you mentioned, from harvard, m.i.t. and the univsity of pennsylvania, at times have felt like they were facing a public shaming from especially from republican chairwoman of the committee virginia fox. she told them, and i'm quoting, anti-semitism and hate are among the poisoned fruit of your institutions' cultures. here's more from fox to all throw of those university presidents just earlier today. >> you have the courage to truly confront and condemn the ideology driving ant antisemimichigan, or will you offer weak, blame-shifting excuses in yet another responsibility dodging task force? that's ultimately the most important question for you to confront in this hearing. >> as you know, harvard, m.i.t. and upenn have been criticized for condemning this rhetoric. but all three university presidents in their opening statements today were direct in their condemnation of the hamas attack and anti-semitism. they did that today. they were very direct in that. they laid out how they are confronting anti-semitism, as well as islamophobia which they said is running rampant on campuses. they made clear that they are struggling and continuing to struggle with this balance between robust debate and free speech and making sure that jewish students certainly feel safe on campus. >> thank you so much. harvard university has been at the center of the debate over how systemic anti-semitism has become on college campuses. in the aftermath of the october 7th attack, there's been a striking increase, a spike in anti-semitic speech and more on campuses, particularly at harvard. and at colleges really across the country. larry summers wrote an op-ed in "the washington post." larry summers, who is also the former treasury secretary, is join meganow. thank you for being here. for years when students have maden complaints or shared concerns about anti-semitism that they have either witnessed or been victim of, they have been told there's nothing administrators can do because it's political speech, which is free speech. and rhetoric has been accepted for the most part or ignored or both. why? >> look, there's been a problem on college campuses generally, and it's been a problem at harvard as well that there's just been a double standard in the way university leaders have responded to racism, to other forms of prejudice, and the way they responded to what is pretty clearlien anti-semitism or at least has anti-semitism as its effect. i don't know why those mistakes have been made, but they have been serious and there's something that israeli students have been aware of for quite some time. if there's any silver lining in the tragic events that have taken place recently, it's that it's brought anti-semitism to the fore as a major issue. i think it is being taken more seriously. but the problem is not to condemn anti-semitism. the problem is to maintain a broadly tolerant and open community. that means you have to make sure that studentsen don't enter classrooms with mega phones and disrupt classes. that means you have to respond firmly, strongly and clearly when people occupy buildings. that means you have to set the tone for the discourse by condemning slogans where the intent and effect is very clear, like the calls for globalizing. i have been critical on many dimensions of the leadership had at harvard, but i have been glad that our president very explicitly condemned the chant from the river to the sea. and i hope the leaders of more institutions will join her in that condemnation. >> i want you to listen to something that she said. the current president of harvard is among those testifying on capitol hill. listen to her opening statement. >> during these days, i have felt the bonds of our community strain. in respo