Welcome to the journal editorial report, im Edward Lawrence in for paul. Donald trumps New York Criminal Trial Ajuniored for the week on thursday with the prosecutions star witness, mike cohen, undergoing a bruising crossexamination if by the defense. Trump attorney todd blanche trying to paint cohen as a serial liar with a grudge with against the former president. Here with a look at all of this Courtroom Drama and where the case is likely to go is Wall Street Journal columnists kim strassel and bill mcgurn as well as Editorial Board member kyle peterson. So, kim, i want to talk to you first. From what weve been seeing here, there are questions over whether the t. A. Actually provea crime. But you have a favorable judge, you have a favorable new york pool there. There may be a case for an appeal, but the damage if theres a conviction is already done politically, right . Excuse me, yes. No, i think you make a really good point, and this is what they have been aiming at doing ever since they launched these lawfare candidates. Now, i still think the trump team is feeling pretty confident that they have at least a shot at getting a mistrial. We all just have to have one juror on there who questions the charges that have been brought and the strength of the case or the witnesses. And what were seeing this week very much is the risk the prosecution took if9 putting their star witness, making their star witness mike cohen, a guy who has been found to have lied to Congress K Lie today a federal judge, hes expressed great animation and hostility, and that was the big moment this week, was prosecutors really went after his credibility in terms of what he actually told the jury themselves about his conversations and what trump knew. They caught him out in a couple of things, and that could change things. Edward yeah. Its good to see you in person, first of all. Bill, is so this week theres a parade of people who can be considered Vice President contenders, and the trial visits were about support, but who do you think that visited scored points for the vp and who fits into a Cabinet Position . If. Well, i think theres a lot of choices. Certainly, a lot of people showed up. The speaker showed up, different people showed up. As for Vice President ial choices, i think the logical thing would be for donald trump and nikki haley to make peace as other feuding candidates have done before and unite for the Republican Party going in. So i dont know that the trial is about that. I think it does reflect a lot of outrage by republicans on the circus that this has become. I mean, if anything, Michael Cohen was so discredited, but i think the prosecution and the judge may have emerged even more discredited today. Edward and nikki haley also did not show up, was not one of the people who came to this. Right. Edward to that point, when you talk about the Michael Cohen, kyle, he took the stand this week. There was no gag order on Michael Cohen, he had no issues talking about his feeling over former President TrumpGoing Forward with this. You know, what do you do you think he was a credible witness in this case . I mean, given all of the history that he has. I think there are big doubts about whether he is a credible witness including some of the contradictions that the crossexamination seems to have caught him in. And part of what i think is important to underline here is how much of this case is, how much of it rests on Michael Cohens testimony. Because in order to get a guilty verdict, the prosecution has to prove not only that donald trump falsified these Business Records beyond reasonable doubt, but that he did so with intent to commit if or conceal another crime. And the prosecution has said that other crime could be a Campaign Finance violation, it could be tax fraud because they were repaying Michael Cohen in a way that would cause Michael Cohen to report false information to taxing authorities. So i keep waiting for some bombshell testimony, somebody saying President Trump was advised, i was there, i heard the the lawyers say were worried about this, were worried this could be a Campaign Finance violation, and so far i dont think anybody has gotten even close to that. Really all you have is Michael Cohens testimony saying this is how the payment was structured, and President Trump was worried about his campaign primarily, but im not sure if that is going to be inform in the minds of all of these jurors. Edward trying to find the crime. Kim, politically if we get a hung jury or we get not convicted, what happens politically . What does that a mean . Well, look, im not entirely convinced that a lot of voters or are hugely tuned into this. I think a conviction if if they get a conviction, obviously, the president would appeal and argue for a mistrial. That might not come the real value of it is joe biden goes into that first debate and from now until the election can say my opponents been convicted, convicted, convicted. Can you turn some people on. That on the other hand, we have a lot of polls that suggest a lot of americans do believe this is politically motivated, and they seem to be discounting some of this. Weve got mixed data coming out of that in terms of all of the polling. So its just not clear what this means. I think some of the bigger cases, for instance, the ones that have to do with the classified documents and the january 6th stuff, its not even clear those are going to go ahead prior to the election. So this could, in the end, weirdly be the only thing that makes it to the docket and the Political Rell Realm before we have people going to the polls. Edward thats what i was going to ask bill about. Do you think jack smith can get the January 6th Case on the docket this year the way things are doing are going . No, i think theyre stuck with alvin bragg. None of the other cases, i think, go to trial. Itll hangover trump, but again, theyre all brought to influence the election. Thats the irony of this charge, that he did that to help himself politically when all these trials and prosecutors are motivated by the same thing. And i think the people see it. Its ache like a circus. In this ring you have alvin bragg, in that ring you have, you know, the georgia prosecutor. Edward and maybe they realize that all of this lawfare is working against them. Kyle, i owe you a question. Still ahead, yet another poll shows that joe biden losing ground to donald trump in critical battleground states. A new report says the president is in financial. Ing former Clinton Pollster doug schoen will ec plain. Ro ni like here. And here. Not so much here. 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Edward a number of polls showing President Biden is losing to former President Donald Trump in the Battle Ground states likely to decide this president ial race. But apparently the president is in denial. Axios reports he and many of his closest advisers dont believe the bad numberses. They claim the public polling doesnt reflect bidens true support among voters and that the president is gaining ground and is probably even ahead of his rival. So lets bring in democratic pollster and former clinton adviser doug doug schoen. First of all, the new fox news polling is showing former President Trump martially with a 1point lead over nationally with a 1point lead over find. Its within the margin of error, but do you feel like the Biden Campaign is in financial . In denial . I think theyre absolutely in denial. I talk to Top Democrats all the time, and they are aghast that the Biden Campaign hasnt reached out, hasnt changed strategy, hasnt done anything about inflation, the border and is involved in conflicts overseas that seemingly will not be resolved anytime soon. Put another way, ed, the Democratic Party given the swing states knows that it is in trouble. The only people who dont appear to know that is the Biden Campaign. Edward so then what are they looking at if all of this . Theyre looking at the head to head numbers which show, as you suggested, a very tight race within the margin of error. Theyre saying that,s you know, donald trump has got four indictments, the first one he is now being tried, that they have the Abortion Issue they can use and that ultimately as we saw in 2018, 2020 and 2022 come by nation of trumps character combination of trumps character and the issues that work for the democrats will pull them over the finish line. I dont think from the numbers im seeing that will be the case. Edward yeah, and former President Trump has not been on twitter which is what plagued him in the last election. Does that social Media Presence play into it a little bit . It does. I think trump still is trump. Theres going to be no change in his approach. But hes toned his a act down, and i think he understands that hell be helped not hurt by being more cautious Rain Circumspect in his messaging. Certainly, thats been the approach so far. Edward so looking at the polls and looking at how much time we have left in the campaign, should there be a change then at the top of the democratic ticket, or is it just a change of messaging . Well, i think its the very hard its very hard to say to an incumbent president who is within the margin of error of his challenger that he cant or shouldnt run. So i think, by and large, its entirely likely joe biden will be nominee. That being said, i think its not only a change in message if, but a change in emphasis. Unless biden talks about inflation and understanding peoples concern, his willingness to do something about it, cut spending, reduce the size of government and reduce as much as possible the numbers at the southern border, unless he does those two things, i think hes likely to lose the Lectionary Rowly as the polls are now suggesting. Edward do you feel like youve got the border issue that you mentioned, you have got inflation, the economy, that you mentioned. Do you feel like that bucket outweighs the Abortion Debate Bucket which democrats believe that they win on . Yes, i do. Now, in past elections its been the case that the abortion, particularly with swing voter, has been enough to elect democrats in Marinnal Districts and marginal districts and states. This year, i think, is different. Inflation, as we just heard, is really still plaguing people even if its coming down, prices at the pump, the Grocery Store are well in excess of 20, 25, 30 from when biden took office. And there is a sense that people cannot afford their lifestyle and are living increasingly paycheck to paycheck with more challenges, more risks and more uncertainty. Finish. Edward so i want to change gears a little bit. Who is Vice President pick for former President Trump would Femme9 Accurates be most worried about, do you think . Its tough to say. I think j. D. Vance is a serious candidate whos done very well. I think Glenn Youngkin has done extremely well as governor of virginia. I think the one that certainly is most logical is nikki haley, but President Trump has said hes not going to go in that direction which, for now, i think we can take as a given though things change in politics. Or he could go with a woman such as Elaine Stefanik from new york. I think all of those the have strengths that would redound to trumps benefit. Edward so, doug, in the last 30 seconds that we have, do you believe that a male, an all amale ticket could go up against or should there be a male and a female on the republican side to match up with the Male And Female on the democratic side . Well, if i was making the decisions, i would get nikki haley together with President Trump. To work out whatever differences they are. I think that provides balance. We saw in 1980 when george h. W. Bush and Ronald Reagan resolved their differences. Reagan went on to a landslide victory. I think thats the best ticket for the republicans, and thats what i think they should do and probably wont do because i dont think donald trump feels the need to have nikki haley on his ticket. Edward doug, weve got to leave it there. I appreciate it, thanks for your time in beautiful miami. I wish we all could be there. Thank you. Edward coming up, game on for president ial debates. Both President Biden and former President Trump agree to the face off twice before the november election. Our Panel Digging deeper into whats at stake for both candidates after the break. Norman, bad news. I never graduated from med school. What . But the good news is. Xfinity mobile just got even better now, you can automatically connect to wifi speeds up to a gig on the go. Plus, buy one unlimited line and get one free for a year. I gotta get this deal. I know. Faster wifi and savings . I dont want to miss that. Thats amazing doc. Mobile savings are calling. Visit xfinitymobile. Com to learn more. Doc . Edward the debates are on, at least for now. President biden and former President Trump agreeing to face off twice ahead of the 2024 election with the first debate set for june 27th. Much earlier than normal and before either candidates officially nominated at their partys convention, so lets find out if this will set the taupe for the final months of the president ial campaign. Kim strassel, bill mcgurn and kyle peterson. Kim, youre here in person, advantage to you with. Will the first debate set the tone, and what is that tone its going to set . Well, look, we always knew this was going to be an ugly race. Just look at the way they challenged each other to the debate there was some real tweaking of each other ask if some accusations. So we knew this was going to be lug ugly ugly. I think there are risks on both sides for them doing that. Look, Donald Trumps big mistake with that first debate four years ago are where he was constant thely interrupting, yelling, it highlighted this theme that was a growing worry in peoples minds that about the chaos of his presidency and given that it was coming during covid when Everything Felt Chaotic E anyway. I think that really hurt him going into the polls. On the other hand, Joe Biden Has tried very hard to portray this image of this kindly grandfather, calm and everything, and he looks like he feels this need to be feisty. But i think that if he is Scrabble Value scrabbling back, i dont see how either of hem help themselves very much although i do believe its probably good the country will be having the debate. Edward and President Biden sometimes gets himself into trouble. Oh, yeah. Edward so, bill, Second Debate has been set for september 10th. You wrote about robert f. Kennedy this week. Hes not on this debate stage, but could he play a role in how the campaign unfolds . You said what they all now realize is that no ifs election may be decided by whose definition of robert f. Kennedy jr. Voter find most persuasive. How does that play to the debates . Well, it plays i think Robert Kennedy has no chance of winning. He might have a math mathematical chance and so forth, but he has no real change. And if you look at chance. If you look at the battleground states, the amount of votes hes polling at could be enough to be the spoiler. The question is when its for trump or joe biden. I believe i agree with kim the debates