Okay. America, its biden versus trump again, but will 2024 look anything like 2020 . The lead starts right now the time has now come to suspend my campaign nikki haley exits and clears the way for a biden trump rematch. The president is making a play for her voters while donald trump is racking up some new gop endorsements, including a big one from Senate Minority leader Mitch Mcconnell who hasnt even talked to trump in more than a year. And the chances of a thirdparty candidate jumping into this race. This hour, ill speak with the chiefs for no labels plus facing the hard truths about the Fentanyl Crisis when states Change Of Heart after becoming the first in the nation to decriminalize possession of certain alleles this of drugs and welcome to the lead. Im abby phillip in for jake tapper today, we start with our 2020 24 lead. The rematch is officially set. Joe biden and donald trump are almost guaranteed to be their partys nominees for president. After nikki haley officially dropped out of the present central race earlier today. But the former South Carolina governor did stop short of endorsing trump. Instead, she said, its up to him to win over her supporters. It is now up to donald trump to earn the votes of those in our party and beyond it, who did not support him. And i hope he does that at its best. Politics is about bringing people into your cause, not turning them away as she was delivering that speech, trump posted on truth, social, that quote, nikki haley got trounced last night before going on to quote, invite all of the haley supporters to join the greatest movement in the history of our nation. Meanwhile, the Biden Campaign released its own Statement Congratulating haley on her run. They wrote, donald trump made it clear he does not want nikki haley supporters. I want to be clear. There is a place for them in my campaign but it also took less than two hours after haleys announcement for republicans over on capitol hill to then fall right in line behind im donald trump, Senate Minority leader Mitch Mcconnell officially endorsing the former president after years of a frosty to put it lightly relationship. And then he gave this less than enthusiastic response when pressed about his endorsement by cnns manu raju today february the 25th, 2021 shortly after the attack on the capitol, was asked theres some more questions and i said i would support the nominee for president even if it were the former president no surprises there. But while this rematch is all but guaranteed, that doesnt mean that its actually what voters want. A recent cbs news poll found 48 of americans thought a biden trump rematch would be negative, while 42 said it would be depressing. Lets jump all the way in with our panel here. Joe walsh, alencia johnson, and david chalian. David there is a lot of deja vu happening right now. But did we learn anything laso tonight from huge Super Tuesday that that was about what this rematch will actually be and how it might be different actually from 20200. Well, its going to be quite different from 2020 because these two candidates are in different political positions than they were in 2020. Totally different contexts. Obviously joe biden, after three years as president his popularity has plummeted while in this job. So hes in a different position than he was with the american public. And donald trump isnt entirely different contexts as a four criminal indictments, 91 charges after having inspired an insurrection on the capitol. So thats a totally different context for voters as well. I mean, i think voters will approach this as those cbs numbers play out, approach to this election probably with more dread than they approached the 2020 election. But i am given covid, abby and what that was in 2020 election. I just think this is an entirely here while its the same two candidates, i think were in an entirely different context. Yeah. I mean, its almost easy to forget the covid was perhaps the dominant issue toward the end of that campaign. But alliance here today, joe biden made that plea for nikki haleys supporters. There is a place for them in my campaign. But a lot of these voters are conservatives. They are not left leaning. Is that really true . Yeah. Look, i mean, its not like the whole 40 of voters that voted for nikki haley in South Carolina are going to vote for the democrat, but there are voters and, you know, ive heard on cnn, people from virginia talking about how they are republican, but they cant find themselves to vote for donald trump and they may hold nose and vote for joe biden. I do think were speaking to his speaking to the independence. Hes speaking to some of those voters who decided to vote for biden and 2020. But thats going to be enough for us to win. And i want to make sure democrats dont fall into this trap that sometimes we fall into is ignoring the cold a shame that actually shows up our priority of the young people, progressives, people of color, who are often feel forgotten when we decide to focus on moderates and suburban and independent voters. Democrats shouldnt fall into any trapped right now, abby, i think if the election were held this week, trump would win in a weird way in davids right, this is a different matchup joe biden has something to prove and trump doesnt. Biden has to prove over the next eight months, hes up to the job we all know who trump is. A good, bad, and ugly, and its mostly bad and ugly. He doesnt have to prove anything the voters know who is they have to decide if they want Something Better than what he is. He might have to prove his innocence if hes on a trial. There there is that there is that too . Ron brownstein, david, he suggested that trump is likely to win more states in the primaries in any other nonincumbent in republican history while that may be true, it is that actually a sign of some enormous strength or is it just the circumstances that he finds himself in . Yeah. I mean, i think its the hard thing to compare donald trump to other nonincumbents reagan in 1980 mitt romney in 2012, George W Bush in 2000. Those were people seeking their first nominations as the republican nominee. And you know what else they werent former president. So you have a former president United States, who is now lets path to be a third time in a row, republican nominee yes, we can say hes a nonincumbent, but hes unlike any other nonincumbent in our lifetime. I just dont think its a applestoapples comparison. I just wanted to hear you say that i feel like well talk about this all the time. Yeah. And that is the reality of hes run for president before hes been president before. But alencia, as this happened, the rnc wasted literally no time. They sent out an email saying he is the presumptive normally nominee. Theyre facing a cash crunch meanwhile, there is elon musk. He met with donald trump, according to cnn and the New York Times is reporting and then he posted this today on x. He said, just to be super clear, i am not donating money to either candidate for us president first, ill do you believe him do not believe it because there are ways that he can support donald trump financially without us never knowing about it. But whether or not he does that, he is already helping donald trump in the way that he has torn down what is formerly known as twitter and has allowed for this rightwing extremism to continue to grow on x and look, the reality is the Trump Campaign and the rnc, yes, they are cash strapped and the status part, is that all of the money that he is raising is going to his legal fees. So these people who are very low income, a lot of his supporters that he has a very little income giving a few dollars, ten, 20 are going to pay for his lawyers and his legal fees. And i think thats a contrast that we as democrats have to continue to make are you worried about whats happening to the rnc . He now with him becoming the presumptive nominee, hes taking over the entire thing that basically starts now, i think hes taken he took it over a while ago. Hes had it now for three or four years and abby, to your point and david, youre right, in essence, trump is like an incumbent. Thats why the polls dont make any sense on that. But hes also not a typical leader of a political party. He, we say this and people say this, and i dont know how much they really mean it. He is a cult leader ive never abbey in my lifetime seeing the leader of a party who had as a hold on the base of the party, like he does, its incredibly powerful and not just the base, but the establishment. You, Mitch Mcconnell today he hasnt spoken to trump in a year. Okay. He just endorsed him. Trump actually, in the intervening time has attacked Mitch Mcconnells wife. Has that all kinds of things about him . Its not surprising and yet it is notable. Its been assigned at the time were going to have here since their last conversation, by the way, im not sure the future conversation is on the table either. Endorsed him. I dont i dont think the frostiness of the relationship is going to go away. And quite frankly Mitch Mcconnells endorsement is purely symbolic at this point. I mean, its not like it brings something with them to donald trump or that donald trump would be missing something huge without it. Its the symbolism of the essence of the antitrump establishment which Mitch Mcconnell would push back and say hes not but of an antitrump establishment getting on bored with the reality that this is donald trump. Its also a little bit about a Mitch Mcconnell making sure donald trump doesnt hurt them to put it nicely. And in some of these senate races, this could be a very good year for the senate, for the republican if they do things as they should do, they have a great chance to take over for the senate and they dont want to blow that again with some of these crazy candidates. Abby, the one to watch his nikki haley, i mean, i think shes trying to be too clever by half. I fully expect her to still endorse trump in a couple of weeks, and thats going to change thanks. Thanks. So what is she doing then when you say to be being too clever by half, she wants she straddled this trump fence for five or six years now, equivocating on trump, hes to ease unfit. He wont follow the constitution. But if hes the nominee else support them, ill endorse him shes been trying to have it both ways and look, she said she to be a republican in this party. You have to endorse him. If she wants to be a republican, she has to yeah, i think a lot of people expect that she will eventually sounded like the door, but yeah, she certainly left oh, boy, fall in line as most of them, unfortunately have. All right. Thank you all very much, joe alencia and david coming up next for us. What about the Third Party Candidate that could shake up this race . Its one group is seriously considering putting a name on the ballot, but the question is who . And when ill ask a Chief Strategist for the group, no labels and happening right now over on capitol hill, the house is about to vote on a Spending Bill to avoid a Government Shutdown down were monitoring all the action there and well update you on that. 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It wasnt just nikki haley, democrat Dean Phillips also suspended his campaign today, leaving donald trump and joe biden as the last two major party kmt president ial candidates. But could they be joined by a third . That is what the group no labels is considering on friday when its going to host a meeting with 800 delegates to determine if a thirdparty president ial bid would be viable in this novembers General Election . With me now is ryan clancy the Chief Strategist for no labels ryan, thanks for joining us here. Your group will have that meeting on friday with delegates from 50 states but well no labels actually make a final decision about whether to put up a candidate well done only for the delegates to decide. Thats why were gathering them on friday. Weve always said since last year, we wait to left through Super Tuesday to reevaluate, do a gut check and thats what this is. This is our top supporters from all 50 states across the country and therell be telling one us on friday whether they want us to keep going. No labels has said that the ticket might include a republican for president with a democrat as vice president. Can you give us any names, any Potential Candidates at the group could consider for that . We cant other than to say we are talking a lot of exceptional candidates that we think could be a great fit on the ticket if on friday, this a Delegate Group decides they want to go forward, well have a lot more to say very soon thereafter about the process by which you ticket would be selected ultimately, who could be on them. But what about the backgrounds of Potential Candidates . Anything you can tell us a current members of congress, governors know, look, other than to say, if youre looking for the kind of candidate that would ultimately be on this ticket. We can say for certain they would have to really clear to bars, which is one theyd have to embrace. No labels, brand of politics, which is fundamentally about given a voice to the countrys commonsense majority, which often doesnt have a voice. And our current system. And then two, no labels put out a package of ideas called common sense earlier last year. And wed expect them to embrace key elements of that agenda. So if you look at things like secure the border, but also attracting Hardworking Taxpay