Thinking. Donald trump using one of his precious few days outside the courtroom to campaign in minnesota ahead of any swing states. So does the former president really think he can win a state thats disappointed republicans for more than five decades . Plus, the u. S. Is throwing a lifeline to thousands of palestinians at risk of starvation, courtesy of a makeshift effort to get food and fuel into gaza, but getting the supplies there is just step one. Workers have to figure out how to get it to the people who need it in the middle of an active war zone. And sentencing for the man convicted of brutally attacking Nancy Pelosis husband with a hammer set to start any minute now. Why federal prosecutors are pushing for much more than the recommended time behind bars. First, it is a rare weekday away from court for donald trump, who was given the day off to attend his sons High School Graduation in florida this morning. Later today, the former president is heading to the midwest where he will be headlining a Major Political event in minnesota. Its a curious choice of venue given that the state hasnt voted for a republican president in more than 50 years when Richard Nixon was on the ballot. Still, the former president claims hes serious about making a play for it. Heres what he told a local st. Paul news channel. We think we have a really good shot at minnesota where we have great friendships up there. Weve done a lot for industry. Nbcs dasha burns is in st. Paul, minnesota, ahead of trumps visit. Also with us nbc News Senior National politics reporter Jonathan Allen and john kasich, former republican governor of ohio, now an msnbc political analyst. So dasha, whats the mood there in st. Paul . What are we expecting from trumps event . Reporter well, look, jose, the Trump Campaign is bullish on breaking the blue wall. We first reported they were looking to expand their states to minnesota and to virginia. A couple of weekends ago at that Donor Retreat in palm beach, we actually got a slide from a presentation they gave to donors saying they feel like they can be competitive in the state. Their internal numbers showing that it could be a tight race, that he could potentially according to their pollster win the state of minnesota. Now, its one thing to say that to donors when youre trying to raise money, right . Its another thing to take action on it. And today we are seeing the former president come here to address gop crowd here at Lincoln Reagan dinner tonight, and hes going to try to make that message clear that he is actually going to play in this state and in the state of virginia as well. John allen is going to talk a little bit more about this, Biden Campaign not tacking this sitting down. In fact, as weve been standing here just outside of the venue where trump is going to be speaking. Theres been a truck thats been driving around reminding the voters of minnesota that former President Trump is taking credit for the overturning of roe versus wade. We also just saw a second billboard Truck Driving around talking act back in the day when the former president said he wasnt going to come to minnesota ever again if he lost in 2020. The truck says he shouldnt have come back to this state. Dont know exactly whos responsible for these yet, jose, but clearly the democrats and folks on the left and the Biden Campaign not going to take this sitting down. So jonathan and, you know, democrats are calling trumps play for minnesota nothing but a head fake. You report that the Biden Campaign is pushing out top shelf local democratic surrogates today to counter the visit. What is this about . And dashas saying theyre already seeing these trucks and the information. Is there any concern for democrats in minnesota . Lets be honest you see the diesel powered politics there that dasha was talking about with the trucks and those surrogates that are going out, Governor Tim Walz and senator tina smith are going to do some sort of Counter Programming today to trump. The message were hearing from democrats in minnesota is a little bit mixed. On the one hand, they say, you know, after 12 straight president ial elections of democratic victories, they think that this is a head fake by trump, and at the same time, we see the evidence of them countering it. We see the evidence of concern. I think the one thing that both sides would agree on is if donald trump wins minnesota, its an indication that he has probably also won those other key midwest swing states, michigan, wisconsin, pennsylvania, if you want to throw that in there. Its its a rust belt state. Governor kasich might disagree with me on whether Pennsylvania Counts as the midwest. If the republicans were to win minnesota, that it would be a very bad night for biden. So the democrats feel like they probably will be fine there. Yeah, i mean, john, where does pennsylvania fit on the big map issue, but also as far as the difficulty for republicans, i mean, that wall that dasha was talking about, its you know, theres a lot of the midwest that is very much part of the fundamental basis of that wall. Absolutely. First of all oh, im sorry. No, go ahead, governor. Go ahead, john. Look, whats kind of amusing to me is theyre calling this event the Lincoln Reagan dinner up there in minnesota for the republicans. Im not sure either lincoln or reagan could get nominated in the environment the republicans operate today. But, look, i as everybody i think ive told and i remind you again, i endorse joe biden. This trip to minnesota or the concern in the Battleground State where is trump is losing im sorry, where trump is winning in most of these Battleground States, the fact that the economy is not turning, the fact that people are saying its a terrible economy for them, the fact that they have said they dont have any confidence that joe biden can fix it, his public appearances have not been very good, and now theyve agreed to two debates, which is out there as you can get. Im starting to wonder ive talked to a lot of democrats, they didnt tell me this, but im starting to wonder if theres a real possibility that joe biden will not be the democrat nominee. Im starting to wonder about it. Governor, where is this coming from . It comes from the fact that ive talked to a lot of people and i see what these numbers are like, jose. I mean, you had a poll that sienna poll included last week, not only did they think he couldnt fix the economy and they put trump way ahead of him, but they also said theyre not sure hes as competent as trump. These are really significant numbers, and the public appearances just arent working, and you know, and then talking about bidenomics all that time and saying, oh, no,everything is great. Im not out here trying to when i look at all these things and this debate coming up the end of june, i dont know how thats going to go. Im just beginning to wonder, you know. Im beginning to consider the fact that anything could happen in politics, though. It can turn on a dime. As you know. Usually does, but im just no, and you know, your opinion is an important one, and every you know, the important is to listen to everybodys concepts, opinions, and thoughts. Yeah. But jonathan, lets talk about these issues because polling and especially, you know, in may for a november election is a snapshot of a snapshot of a snapshot, and polls have been so, you know, not accurate over the last couple of polling seasons. Jonathan, you know, the economy is clearly strong. There are so many issues that right now i think americans are dealing with that may not be reflected on these polls. What do you think, jonathan, are the major issues that both democrats and republicans are having to deal with . So a few things here, jose. Number one, to your point, polls are snapshots. If Public Opinion was static there, would be no reason to run political elections. Number two, in terms of the issues that were talking about, look, most american or at least a plurty of americans are worried about the economy. There are good signs about the macro economy. At the same time, a lot of families feel like theyre not able, they dont have the Purchasing Power they used to. When they go out to a restaurant it costs more and their salaries arent keeping up. Thats a real feeling and its something that both Political Parties are going to have to address. I think the economy right now is the number one issue. It is not the only issue. Abortion is an issue, and since dobbs has been overturned, weve seen that as a hugely animating issue on the democratic side. The trump tax cuts, whether theyre extended or whether theyre, you know, allowed to expire, thats another huge issue. I do want to address one thing that the governor said. You know, i hear this a lot. There is absolutely no evidence that anybody other than joe biden would be the democratic nominee. There is nobody ready to step into that. Theres no democrat who has the kind of support that joe biden has shown in winning the primary last time and, b, the general election last time. So the idea that the democrats are somehow going to blind closed doors figure out how to substitute a new candidate for joe biden. Its good for cable talk, i guess, but it doesnt reflect the reality, not only of whats going on within the Democratic Party right now, but also doesnt reflect the reality of how politics works. That is to say youd have to find a whole bunch of Convention Delegates who have pledged themselves to joe biden to pick somebody else. Its just not going to happen. Yeah, and let me just say a word, jose. Let me say a word to that. Ive been in politics. Ive run for office. Ive held public office. Ive been to national conventions. Im just i am just suggesting to you today that there are a Significant Group of democrats who are alarmed. I know they are because i talk to them. Now, im just saying to you that the possibility is there. Im not predicting its going to happen. Im just tell you if these polls continue and i agree with jonathan, you know, first of all, the people are going to look in june. Theyre going to look in september, theres one issue that always matters, one issue. And thats the economy, and people are not confident that biden can fix it. Now, id suggest that he get a group of highly respected economists, get them to talk about what he would do in a second term, get the surrogates out there. Thats what i think is a better formula for him. But this debate in june, i mean, jose, you know how difficult its been for him to communicate out there, and now theyre going to put him in a debate . Its just odd to me, and i didnt even think they were going to debate. So im not saying its going to happen. Im saying its not just for cable talk. You asked me how i could come one it, i know politics, and i know how people think. Not all of them, not everybody, and i can be wrong. Ive been wrong before. Ill be wrong again. Maybe. Ill tell you something else, as someone who moderated a debate in the last election season, the first democratic primary debate of the democratic season, i think it is always dangerous to underestimate joe biden in a debate, but thats just from my experience. I dont disagree. I dont disagree. Im not going to disagree. I thank you all so much for being with us this afternoon. All right, thank you. In 90 seconds when we come back, were talking about the first round of humanitarian aid that enters gaza via a u. S. Built peer. Pier. How do you distribute it in an active war zone . The Executive Director of Doctors Without BordersUnited States joins us next. Without bod states joins us next since my fatigue and lightheadedness would come and go, i figured it wasnt a big deal. Then i saw my doctor and found out i have afib, and that means theres about a 5 times greater risk of stroke. Symptoms like irregular heartbeat, heart racing, chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, or Light Headedness can come and go. But if you have afib, the risk of stroke is always there. If you have one or more symptoms, get checked out. Holding off on seeing a doctor wont change whether or not you have afib. But if you do, making that appointment can help you get ahead of stroke risk. Contact a doctor and learn more at notimetowait. Com 14 past the hour. Today the Israeli Military announced it recovered the body of three hostages during an overnight operation in rafah. Israel says all were killed back on October The 7th while escaping the nova music festival. Their bodies were taken into gaza afterwards. Israel says that around 100 hostages remain alive in gaza around with the bodies of 30 more. Today a new lifeline for gaza, for the first time trucks carrying desperately needed humanitarian aid are now entering the enclave using a Massive Floating Pier built by the United States. Heres a picture of it. Its a temporary solution to stave off the threat of famine, which the United Nations says has never looked larger there. The sea route is no real substitute for ground deliveries. The most important crossing has closed for two weeks as the Israeli Military ramps up its fight there. Israel says more troops will join the Ground Offensive on what it is describing as hamass final stronghold, caught in the cross hairs, more than a million civilians, most of whom have already been displaced before. More than 630,000 have already fled rafah according to the u. N. , crowding into ruined cities where theres little food, water, or shelter. Nbcs Courtney Kube has been reporting on the floating pier. Its always great seeing you. What impact does the u. S. Believe this sea route can have . Well, youre absolutely right when you say that while this does have the capability of bringing a lot of aid to people in gaza, the reality is its no match for where the trucks that were going across the border into gaza preoctober 7th. So just for perspective, before the war began, there were about 500 aid trucks that would make their way into gaza every single day. Right now that number is dramatically diminished from there. It fluctuates, but its more in the 200 per day right now. But the pier system itself, once its up at its full capacity and its full capability, u. S. Officials believe they could be delivered somewhere in the neighborhood of 150 trucks a day. That is still a significant amount of aid, but theres still a lot of logistical hurdles that we dont have a lot of clarity on exactly what thats going to how thats going to look. One of the major ones is once that aid gets ashore, how and where will it be distributed . Now, we know that the World Food Program through the United Nations is supposed to be the one who will be delivering that aid to these people, but we still dont have a clear sense of whether the World Food Program has all of the clearances that they need and exactly how that will work. Thats one of the big questions, but still, once the aid, which is now making its way into gaza, it should have a huge impact on those millions of people who have been suffering there for months now, jose. Yeah, and so and courtney, tell us about because so there are no u. S. Boots on the ground, but there are u. S. Boots on the pier . Theyre closer now than they have been since the war began. Thats the reality, but u. S. Officials, Defense Officials here in the pentagon are emphatic that there will be no u. S. Boots on the ground. Just for perspective here, the pier that weve been showing pictures of from overhead, thats about 500 meters out. Theres about three to five miles off the shore from there. Theres a dock thats now anchored into the mediterranean. The aid is distributed. Its brought from civilian ships primarily to that dock where u. S. Military personnel loaded onto trucks. The trucks are loaded onto smaller boats and those boats make their way to that pier or that causeway where then the military sort of takes a step back, and theres civilians and others who will take it from there. But there still will be u. S. Military personnel who will be driving the boats, who will be on those trucks as they make their way to the causeway putting them closer to what is an active combat zone than weve seen to date, jose. Courtney kube, thank you so very much. Really appreciate it. Thanks. I want to bring in the Executive Director of Doctors Without BordersUnited States, avril benoit. Its always great to have your perspective and your voice. I very much appreciate it. Im just wondering first your reaction to this new pier. Well, its a logistical solution to what is a deeply problematic political problem, season it . We have 2,000 trucks that are loaded with humanitarian supplies waiting at the Rafah Crossing not allowed to get in, and this pier is a workaround, and it just boggles the mind that the United States would rather spend money this way rather than more efficiently to be able to reach people with the aid that is just waiting to be brought in through the traditional means of regular trucks on the road, so its a feat of engineering, good photo ops, but this is a failure of politics to have allowed this to be the only recourse. And what are what would be a more efficient way to bring in more help when what you have on the grou