Visit xfinitymobile. Com today. Lets run, are those who can i oversaw alvarez at the white house and this is cnn its monday, april 22, right now on cnn this morning, juror are set to hear Opening Statements in Donald TrumpsHush Money Trial. Weve got new details about the first witness we expect to take the stand a crisis on campus, escalating a Columbia University jewish students told by a rabbi to stay home for their own safety and the house speaker, mike johnson, apparently saving his job for now after the house passes a 95 billion aid package for israel, ukraine, and taiwan all right. 6 00 a. M. Here in Washington A Live look at capitol hill on this monday morning good morning, everyone. Happy monday. Im kasie hunt. Its wonderful to have you with us. Buckle up Opening Statements began just a few hours from now. When Donald Trumps criminal Hush Money Trial, the former president apparently losing some sleep over it. He fired up truth social just before midnight with this all too familiar rant. He writes tomorrow morning. I report to a new York Criminal Court for a trial on somewhat ironically, election interference. Its a sham that should not have been brought except to try and damage bidens political opponents comma me. See you tomorrow morning okay. The prosecutions witness list is taking shape. This morning, david. He is the catch and kill former publisher of the national enquirer, expected to be called first, also expect to testify former trump fixer, Michael Cohen and stormy daniels, the recipient of the hush money along with former trump aid hope hicks, the former Playboy Playmate karen mcdougal, and former white house staffer, Kellyanne Conway. Our panelists here, cnn senior legal analyst, elie honig, franklin for his staff writer with the atlantic, mac oermann, former Senior Advisor to the tim scott president ial campaign and Kate Bedingfield, former White House Communications director there is here. Good morning to all of you on i mean, how many historic day is l here . Were going to have here but this is one. What do you expect today . Well the Opening Statements, first of all, are as the name suggests, its your first shot at the jury. I mean, this is talking about first impressions. This is when you get to make these Opening Statements should not be lengthy. Sometimes youre reading the newspaper about someone giving a sixhour opening. I cringe whenever i see that you need to get right to it, but you need to establish your themes and you need to set expectations as alert. So the prosecution is going to argue, first of all, their theme is that this is not about just hush money or business records. This is about an effort to do you have 2016 election and they need to give an outline and overview of their case. But they also need to brace the jury. Youre going to hear from someone one person in particular, whos done some bad things and sustained some serious convictions. That is Michael Cohen, they need to address that headon and say, but you should believe him now. And heres why it is. I get why. I mean, theres some some credibility issues to say. For sure and the defense is going to do a couple of things. I do. The first thing that any defendant does any Defense Lawyer in any opening is reminded jury 38 times, they bear the burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt. We dont have to prove anything to you and theyre also going to rip into Michael Cohen. They say theyre going to ask you to send this scott will. The jury doesnt sentence. Theyre going to ask you to convict this guy based on the word of a person who has lived through every Single Branch of our federal government. And i think theyre going to set and the jurys mind, this is an unreliable case based on unreliable witnesses, so itll be fascinating to see how they do it. But like i said, first impressions, this is a key moment. Yeah, not gorman. What is your sense of how the politics of this have been breaking for donald trump over the quests last week as the country has watched Jury Selection look, theres nbc news plot yesterday that it really huge, 42, 42 or so. The outcome of this trial, how you view its pretty much based on who youre voting for. I dont think that changes quite honestly much after this and listening incredibly drastic happens. But i think where trump is concerned journal what he can control. I think we talked a lot about what he cant control, what he can show last week you went to this bodega had a messaging of that talks about something other than the trial, about himself. He was about immigration, crime, migrant crisis, winning issues forum kenny, keep doing that. Can you keep talking about something other than himself when it comes to this trial . And also, can he shou have video of him that isnt just him sitting in a courtroom. Yeah. If he can keep lightening from striking in north carolina, which has kept him rally this weekend Kate Bedingfield the biden at team are being pretty careful to stay out of this obviously this is not the Biden Justice department prosecuting him in this particular case, state case but the optics are what they are. Do you think theyre handling it the right way yeah, i do. I mean, i think the biden team has been wellserved by being handsoff on this, both because it doesnt allow trump to seize on the idea that biden is somehow like persecuting him here. So i think that is good. But hes broadly, i think biden has been wellserved by a message that says i respect norm its important for our government to function the way its supposed to that in and of itself was a compelling message in the 2020 campaign and was effective. So i think thats good. I also think it reflects the reality and it sort of goes to what matt was saying that either way, dont think this trial is going to be decisive in the campaign. Now, i dont think its good for donald trump to be clear. I dont think its good when the backdrop of your campaign is a courtroom. I dont think this is helping him and its certainly i think we see in the numbers its not helping him build a broader coalition that he needs to build an order to where from the primary at the end of the day is this case is going to be decisive in november, i dont think it is one way or the other, and i think the biden team is being smart about keeping their focus on the messages that i think are going to be decisive, including abortion, the economy and then trumps sense of chaos overall frank four big picture i wanna show you what some of these republican senators had to say last week about the trial. And well talk about about watch this first are you concerned about that kind of alleged conduct not really because he doesnt seem to be a factor for a lot dont give it a lot of thought. Justice systems and motion, well see if its a fair trial. Just think its too late to contrived and really lets solve this at the ballot box. Its a salacious trial. It makes for Good Television on his throat, back to the Clinton Menstruation that senator lankford throwback. What what is your kind of big picture view of this . You look . So comfortable talking about this trial i mean, they have to be i think were were so endured to thinking that trump stuff just doesnt land. But there are a couple of ways in which it does lead. Okay. First, is that spending oodles of cash on this. I think a quarter of the money that hes raising is going to pay for his legal fees. And then secondly, its a cultural event media knows how to talk about illegal trial. The public knows how to discuss a legal trial. It provides a narrative framework for talking about all these things about trump oj simpson just passed away. Kasie anderson, we going through all of these familiar steps and it provides a way for us to process and to discuss these things about the former president that would be hard for a campaign to talk about in a way that felt fresh. So i mean, yes, its not going to matter in the end in a decisive sort of way, but it matters case i thought was interesting. One of those members of Congress Said it was too late, and it is remarkable to think this conduct happened eight years ago. I mean, i have a son whos first year in college. He was in Elementary School when this happened, and that would worry me a bit as a prosecutor because you dont like your jury feeling like something is ancient history. You want to feel like its immediate and the other thing i wonder in this maybe goes to the political effect is this story is known. And then some, now we could, we will certainly get certain revelations. Im particularly interested in what hope hicks and Kellyanne Conway have to say. I mean, i dont know that the overall narrative is going to change that much. I dont know if i mean everyone pretty much understand its paid hush money well, the prosecution would say to silences women before the election and here we are eight years later. So its a prosecutorial issue. Its also political issue . Yeah. All right. Weve got to take a quick break. Donald trump doesnt says he will testify in his own defense well, it actually happened. Is it a good idea . Were going to ask le about that, plus one hardline republican governor is trying to show her loyalty to donald trump, or is she and sharing a wave, the special visitors, one surfer had on her champion in ship winning rod the sinking of the titanic. 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Follow cnn for special live coverage Opening Statements in the trump Hush Money Trial starts today and nine eastern you heard it right there, donald trump vowing to take the stand and sustained. Once again on friday, he plans to testify. Now we have heard this from the former president before in his civil fraud trial last year, he was set to testify for a second time, but he canceled weve just 24 hours notice. Our panel is back. Ellie, would you do it if you were trump put your testify. Can you even answer that question at this stage . So thats a thats a really good question because the real answer is you cannot answer it. You dont have to answer until the moment you take the stand, you get one of the benefits of being a defendant is you get to see the prosecutions entire case, see how your lawyer does trying to your mind, it see how you feel, but the short answer, your question. No, hell, no i would not advise him to take the stand. Theres no reason for him to take the stand. Its incredibly risky. Like i said before, the prosecution bears the burden of proven their case beyond a reasonable doubt. Anyone who takes the stand is taking an enormous risk. I know on tv everyone takes the stand because its dramatic its quite rare in the realworld. Here if youre donald trump, i mean, look, it would just be a disaster if you get caught in a contradiction as a defendant taking the stand, its over. If you get caught in a lie, if the jury doesnt like you, its over i would beg plead urge him. I dont think he is going to take the stand. I think hes positioning right now. I just its so tactically selfdefeating. I cant see it happening. Yeah. I mean, frank, what is trump doing there . Its almost seems to me like he feels like people think he was a coward. If you said no, basically mercury wrong, he has to be there, right. Ways to physically be there yeah. But he doesnt have to take the stage he doesnt have to take the day. I mean, i think its just the type of gloucester i mean, you asked donald trump, are you man enough to take the stand . Hes going to say, yeah its easy to paint him in todays whether he means it or not. I mean, i dont know if he knows if he means that in his own head matt, when you thank you. Yeah. No, i think shes written. I completely agree with you. Hes going to of course say yes, and then hes going to say, well, i cant do it for this or that. I completely agree and i think le makes it a point where the jury pool so tainted against him and him taking the stand i could see simply poisoning it, but i think also its important to remember his message jane about taking the stand isnt necessarily about the trial. It is about the politics of it. And i think hes speaking to a very different audience necessarily than the jurors. I think frank put appraisal. This is i think this is the same bluff hes calling on debates to be honest with you, its like hes, you know, hes kind of marching around saying anytime, anywhere course, ill do it but at the end of the de do i think he actually wants to debate joe biden actually dont think that he does, and i think it will be really interesting to see how that plays out, but its like the same. Its the same bravado and its the same kind of political posturing, but because id be surprised if biden i think biden is the one that actually doesnt want to debate, but we can table that for another day. We got enough news. I wont say it look he may not. I would say i actually think he should i think anytime he is standing next to donald trump, i think its a good comparison for him. It certainly was in 2020, but theres a lot a lot a lot that goes into preparing for debates. So fair enough. Ill tell you right now what Donald Trumps out. Well be if if and when he decides not to testify, who go while we just saw their case, it was a disaster esther, they didnt have anything on me. My attorneys tore down Michael Cohen and theyre joke of okc case and theyre joke batch of witnesses. They got nothing. I dont need to take the stand. Thats it. Thats what hell say publicly i think that makes sense. I think a lot of sense and its also i think it helps that its not televised, right . So if it was televising, that might be a little different calculation asked me to the voters if hes trying to filter to the media. I think thats a good point. Yeah. If this were televised and he were on the stand, thats interesting. I mean, that would be yeah. That would be a moment elie honig, thank you for starting. Whats gonna be a long day for you with us thanks. Appreciate having you all right. Coming up next here. Jewish students at Columbia University urged to stay home for their own safety as Campus Confrontations intensified plus north korea accused of firing multiple Ballistic Missiles just hours ago the white. House Correspondents DinnerLive Saturday at seven eastern khan, cnn right now, pet dander, skin cells in d