they do ask questions, and i think they're objectively -- i think it makes sense why people are asking will he be on some sort of energy drinks or something. >> that was house speaker mike johnson insisting that donald trump's claim that president biden will use drugs ahead of tomorrow night's debate was a joke. we'll dig into those remarks and the new conspiracy theory one republican is floating, which includes, mountain dew. plus, we'll bring you the key take-aways from last night's primaries where progressive democrats in new york suffered a major blow, and republican congresswoman lauren boebert won her race after she switched districts. and also ahead judge juan merchan partially lifts donald trump's gag order in the hush money case. who the former president is now free to talk about and who remains off-limits. good morning and welcome to "way too early" on this wednesday, june 26th. i'm jonathan lemire. thanks for starting your day with us. and we have a lot to get to this morning. we'll begin here. we are now just one day away from the first general election debate, and the candidates appear to be taking vastly different approaches as to how they prepare. president joe biden and his top campaign aides remain hunkered down at camp david yesterday where they have been for merely a week and are expected to remain through today and tomorrow morning ahead of the debate. as for donald trump, the former president continues to insist that he does not need to take part in any formal debate prep. on fox news yesterday trump's campaign press secretary cited hostile media interviews that trump regularly gives as a substitute for traditional debate strategy sessions. one of those so-called hostile interviews came on the far-right network news max yesterday when trump was interviewed by his own 2016 campaign manager, cory lewandowski. >> i'm proud to announce that i will be there in atlanta with president trump just like i have been for almost every debate he's participated in since he's come down that golden escalator. we've heard how president biden has been preparing for it, and the real question is what have you been doing to prepare for the debate? >> i think they've been preparing for it for my whole life, if you want to know the truth. and i'm not sure you can lock yourself into a room for two weeks or one week or two days and learn what you really have to know. >> such a hostile interview. but we should note while trump was speaking last night on news max, the network ran this disclaimer on the screen, a ciron that read news max accepts the 2020 election results as legal and final. news max is currently being sued by dominion voting systems for airing false claims about the 2020 vote being rigged. meanwhile, in an interview published monday with the conservative newspaper washington examiner, trump said he agreed with critics who said he felt he interrupted biden too much when the two debated five years ago. he also admitted he was likely positive with covid. trump defended by saying biden, quote, lies so much. so one republican has a new conspiracy about president biden's debate prep, warning that it's not drugs he'll rely onto get through his matchup with trump but rather soda. >> yeah, i think, you know, any patient that truly -- or elderly individual or someone that has dementia, they could find some moments of clarity, right? they can find moments throughout the day that they have energy, and i think trump's team should not underestimate joe biden and his team's ability to whether they're going to jack him up on mountain dew or whatever it is, look at the "state of the union" this year he had a lot of energy for about an hour, an hour and a half. but it doesn't mean -- what we're seeing is obviously throughout the day he can't carry that level of energy. >> mountain dew. last night house speaker mike johnson attempted to down-play some of the rhetoric aimed at biden from trump and fellow republicans. >> look, there's a lot of things that are said in jest. of course no one expects joe biden would be on cocaine, but they do ask questions, and i think it makes sense why people are asking will he be on some sort of energy drinks or something. okay, look, his energy levels you can see vary depending on what format he's in or forum. but the question is can he stay for 90 minutes on that stage and go toe to toe with president trump who as you know goes to rally and talks for two hours on end without any break and no notes. it'll be an interesting thing to see. >> the biden campaign hit back on the accusations writing that trump is so scared of being held accountable for his toxic agenda he and his allies are resorting to desperate, obviously false lies. joining us now from atlanta, politics reporter for "the new york times", maya king. maya, good to see you this morning. atlanta will be the center of the political universe tomorrow. we're on debate eve right now. republican and democrats already gathering there. those in the gop you're talking to, those in the trump world is there any nervousness he's at least allegedly saying he's not actually doing any formal debate preparations? >> well, republicans i think pointed out have sought to level set and set expectations as it relates to energy and ability to answer tough questions on policy. the folks i've spoken to in republican circles have had expectations for the former president. they have said repeatedly if donald trump gets on the debate stage and talks about issues like the economy or like immigration, that those are the issues that voters will pay attention to. those are the issues they believe president biden is weakest on and that he can galvanize support and be able to have, you know, a positive performance if he continues a message that is more rooted in grievance, repeats election lies, which is a particular poleant point of argument in georgia where trump did try to overturn the results of the election, that could change the tide and the tone of this debate and possibly provide an opening for biden to talk more about democracy and the political violence implications of this upcoming election, which democrats have said they plan to really hammer in the days and really hours heading into this debate. >> and certainly would not be a surprise if one of the very first questions of the night from the moderator or from president biden to donald trump is -- is mr. ex-president, do you accept the results of the to20 election, who won a couple years ago. you're right to highlight that. there's a new poll out of the state that shows trump up slightly, just outside the margin of error. give us the state of play there. yes, atlanta is home to cnn and they're hosting the debate, so that's partially why the debate is being held there. is the biggest city of one of the battle grnlds on the map. >> that's right. the metropolitan atlanta area is the democratic engine that powered president biden's very thin margin of victory in 2020. a lot of democrats here are, of course, very excited to have their moment back in the sun for atlanta to be, again, the center of the political universe, but they recognize the work they have to do to turn out these key voting groups like black voters, young voters, middle eastern voters. these are all groups that turned out in large numbers in 2020 and powered democrats wins. and again in the 2022 mid-terms where we saw the re-election of senator warnock. all of this comes down to a lot of these key voting groups. and right now i think you're seeing some of that discontent, some of that unwillingness to really engage being reflected in polls that show president trump slightly ahead. i think that republican base voters here in florida right now have the edge on enthusiasm because democrats are looking at the events this week and the days ahead to really galvanize those important voting bases. >> lastly and briefly it was certainly a surprise biden won in 2020 in georgia. six months ago, eight months ago there's a sense in the party the state may be slipping out of reach this time around, but seems like they think they've got a shot here even an uphill climb. >> yes, absolutely. you know, there's still a groundwork that's been laid here by voting rights groups and other organizers to turn out key voting groups and engage groups not only here in metro atlanta but other rural pockets of the state. i feel like democrats do feel like they still have a shot, but they recognize the challenge they have in trying to capture lightening in a bottle as it were once again here in georgia. >> politics reporter for "the new york times," maya king, thank you for starting us off this morning. we'll of course have complete coverage tomorrow night here on msnbc of the debate, and i'll be hosting "way too early" and appearing on "morning joe" from atlanta both tomorrow and friday. meanwhile, donald trump could announce his running mate as soon as this week. the republican nominee says he intends to announce his pick for vice president either before or during the republican national convention last month, next month in milwaukee. but four people familiar with the situation are now telling nbc news there have been high level talks about moving that time line up, though nothing has been finalized. over the weekend trump told nbc he's already picked a running mate, and that person even if that person is not announced yet, will be at the debate tomorrow night in atlanta. among the top contenders are north dakota governor doug burgum and senators marco rubio and j.d. vance. all three of them are expected to be in atlanta tomorrow night. just some election results now. progressive democratic congressman jamaal bowman lost his primary in new york's 16th district last night. moderate westchester county executive george latimer crushed him by more than 30 points with 80% of the vote in. the race, which was the most expensive house primary in history grew contentious with democrat divisions over the israel-hamas war on full display. while bowman has been an outspoken critic of israel, latimer has refused to critique benjamin netanyahu's government. he was also backed by a $15 million ad buy from a super-pack linked to a pro-israel group. and to colorado now. republican congresswoman lauren boebert did win her primary. she emerged out of a crowded field with 99% of the vote reported. she's also heavily favored to win the seat in this november's general election. next up here on "way too early" the surgeon general declares firearm violence a public health crisis. we'll break down the reforms he's calling for in an effort to lower gun violence. plus the trial for detained wall street journal reporter evan gerschkovich began in russia overnight. we'll have the very latest on that. we'll have those stories and a check on sports and weather when we come right back. check on sports and weather when we come right back i know you 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[ cooing ] ♪ sweet child of mine ♪ [ gasps ] you didn't live this strong, this long to get put on the shelf like a porcelain doll. if you have postmenopausal osteoporosis and are at high risk for fracture, you can build new bone with evenity®. ask your doctor if you can do more than just slowing down bone loss with evenity®. want stronger bones? then build new bone; evenity® can help in just 12 months. evenity® is proven to reduce spine fracture risk by 73%. evenity® can increase risk of heart attack, stroke, or death from a cardiovascular problem. do not take evenity® if you have low blood calcium, or are allergic to it. serious allergic reactions and low blood calcium have occurred. tell your doctor about jaw bone problems, as they have been reported with evenity®. or about pain in your hip, groin, or thigh, as unusual thigh bone fractures have occurred. don't let a break put you on a shelf. talk to your doctor about building new bone with evenity®! welcome back. we'll have more of the trump. biden debate preview a little later in the show, but now we turn to some other headlines. there the first time in america's history the u.s. surgeon general, america's top doctor, has declared gun violence a public health crisis. in a video posted on social media yesterday the surgeon general explained his landmark decision. >> as a doctor i've seen the consequences of firearm violence up close, in the lives of the patients i've cared for over the years. these are moms and dadads, sons and daughters, all of whom were robbed of their physical and mental health by senseless act of violence. >> in a 40-page report the surgeon general calls on the united states to ban automatic rifles and introduce background checks as well as a host of other reforms to help lower firearm deaths. none of the doctor's suggestions can be implemented across the country without a pass in congress. there was a string of mass shootings over the weekend that left dozens of people dead. it was the second straight weekend that saw an outbreak of gun violence. nearly 50,000 americans died from gun injuries back in 2022. a poll from last year found 1 in 5 americans say they've been personally threatened with a gun, and staggering 84% of u.s. adults say they have taken at least one precaution to protect themselves or their families from the possibility of gun violence. the national rifle association quickly responded to the surgeon general's advisory writing this. this is an extension of the biden administration's war on gun owners. america has a crime problem caused by criminals. the reluctance to prosecute by biden and many of his allies is the cause of that. this is simple fact. we should note the surgeon general will be a guest coming up later on "morning joe" today. meanwhile, a new report finds that nearly half a million palestinians are on the brink of starvation. the group of experts backed by the united nations says almost all of gaza's population faces high levels of acute food insecurity. nearly 500,000 civilians are facing catastrophic hunger levels. experts believe this will continue so long as the war goes on and humanitarian aid continues to be restricted. the report, however, stops short of saying a famine has begun in gaza because of the war. still, experts say that more than 20% of the people surveyed have gone entire days and nights without eating. this comes as the u.n. estimates the number of aid trucks entering the enclave from october to early may has dropped by about 75%. in recent weeks israeli officials say they have increased the number of vehicles carrying food across the border. while israel acknowledges the hunger crisis, officials accuse hamas of often stealing and diverting the aid. elsewhere overseas the trial of wall street journal reporter evan gerschkovich begins today in a russian court. evan, who is considered wrongfully detained by the united states, was taken into russian custody in march of 2023 on espionage charges. in an interview with the ap, the general counsel for dow jones, which owns "the wall street journal" calls evan's trial a sham with bogus trumped-up charges. the ap reports evan's conviction is almost a certainty with russian courts convicting more than 99% of the defendants who come before them. if he's convicted, evan faces up to 20 years in prison. president biden has said he'll continue to work for his release. of course our thoughts are with him and his family. still ahead here, we'll turn to sports. and yankee's ace garret cole gets bashed by the mets in the start of the first subway series of the season. we'll have highlights from major league baseball. plus we'll give a look how the florida panthers spent their first day with the stanley cup, sports and a check of the weather forecast will be next when "way too early" comes right back. l be next when "way too early" comes right back - so this is pickleball? - pickle! ah, these guys are intense. with e*trade from morgan stanley, we're ready for whatever gets served up. dude, you gotta work on your trash talk. i'd rather work on saving for retirement. or college, since you like to get schooled. that's a pretty good burn, right? this isn't charmin! no wonder i don't feel as clean. here's charmin ultra strong. ahhh! my bottom's been saved! with its diamond weave texture, charmin ultra strong cleans better with fewer sheets and less effort. enjoy the go with charmin. ah, these bills are crazy. she has no idea she's sitting on a goldmine. well she doesn't know that if she owns a life insurance policy of $100,000 or more she can sell all or part of it to coventry for cash. even a term policy. even a term policy? even a term policy! find out if you're sitting on a goldmine. call coventry direct today at the number on your screen, or visit coventrydirect.com. he's going to catch it. that ball deep in the left field. >> it was a rather rough outing for yankees ace garret cole in the second start of the season last night visiting the cross town mets in queens. the reigning cy young winner did not strike-out asial batter and gave up five home runs including a pair you see there that left the yankees trailing 6-0 after four innings. the yankees would rally and close after two with the help of a grand slam hit by the still red hot aaron judge. he's now got 27 home runs in the season but 9-7 with their 11th victory in 14 games of the grimace era. the yankees will try to split back at subway field. they play later in the year in the bronx. to chicago now los angeles dodgers superstar shohei ohtani led off the white sox with that blast, his nl best 24th of the season. tauny has driven in at least one run in his last nine games matching a dodgers franchise record. he added a tiebreaker at the top of the fourth. a major off-season trade that adds yet another alum to the new york knicks roster. mikhail bridges is reportedly being traded across town from the brooklyn nats to the nets which would reunite him with players that all helped the villanova wild cats win two ncaa championships and were the core of a knicks team that reached the championships last career. the knicks will pay big to get him. the fab draft tonight. meanwhile lord stanley's cup is touring its new home in florida where the championship celebrations continued yesterday. the first stop of the iconic trophy was at the home of matthew cuchuk where the team held an after party before taking it to a fort lauderdale bar and playing a drink with his family. the panthers beat the edmonton oilers to secure their first in franchise history. the official championship parade is set for this sunday. time now for the weather and let's go to meteorologist angie lassman for the forecast. how's it looking out there? >> a little busy. severe weather on the horizon today through multiple spots. the first this morning through specifically missouri, but the central plains is where we'll watch this and parts of the midwest. we've already got thunderstorm watches in effect. meanwhile, as we look ahead to later today we're going to focus on the midatlantic, parts of the north east as we gear up for another chance of severe weather. 61 million people included in this risk today. we're going to see the culprit move through basically through the daylight hours and eventually parts of the i-95 corridor impacted this evening. it's really tomorrow night where we see the severe risk of it across parts of the north east. we'll watch for that to move out by the time we get out the door tomorrow morning, but today the hail, the wind, maybe an eisolated tornado all a possibility. 47 million people included in heat alerts. no surprise. we've got temperatures still into the 90s, well into the 90s, even inching into the triple digits in places like atlanta. notice dallas ends up at 110 through the afternoon hours today, a