Not to prosecute citing the controversial stand your ground law. Now federal lawmakers want a Justice Department investigation. The lawyers who represented Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman are here. Plus, for the president , it was the best of weeks and the worst of weeks, depending on your point of view. Michael cohen again dominating headlines claiming trump knew in advance of the meeting with russian representatives. Meanwhile, the longstanding accountant gets a federal subpoena. Amidst the legal woes came more economic news. The president lifts the gdp above 4 . Midterms on the horizon, is it still the economy, stupid . And this Pennsylvania 5th and 6th grade teacher has been moonlighting for years. Suddenly its endangering his day job . Because he plays a bad guy that
does the nazi salute and shouts zig heil. Is the problem his or the fans who cheer him on, rather than booing . But first theres a funeral today for a man shot dead july 19 in a Florida Parking lot. The shooting is on video, Everybody Knows who does it. The culprit has not been charged because of the florida stand your ground law. The same one much discussed in the context of the killing of Trayvon Martin. Now federal lawmakers are calling the doj to investigate. So how did we get here . After finishing her nursing shift, Brittany Jacobs and her boyfriend wanted to grab snacks and drinks. So they took their kids under the age of 6, they parked in the handicapped spot, despite none of the carss inhabitants are disabled. Michael Smerconish tackles the American political and news stories of the week, offering only one kind of talking points his own. Attorney for a moment, his perception is also skewed because of what hes going through. But when you look at the tape, Muck Laughlin had backed away, there is a distance, hes not towering over him. The idea of taking out the gun pointing it, im almost okay with that. But the idea of Center Of Mass Shooting and killing a man over a push that has now ended, i dont see the justification. Hey, mark, i think benjamin is right in saying when the gun comes out, the decedent appears to take a few steps back, probably a few seconds, a split second, taken off the clock. Is it fair to say you were og to
pull the gun but not to fire the trigger . Yes, i think the answer to that is less. Lets not forget florida tried to pass. Definitely, by the way, he just backed up like four steps watch it again, pardon my disruption, we can all see this. He absolutely did. Again, florida tried to pass almost did pass a Warning Shot Statute that would have said, you are allowed to take out the gun. You are each allowed to shoot it to let the person know, im armed and i will use it. Thats the theory behind it, but the idea with a two, three, four step back, in backing up, and a two, three, foursecond delay, i think that if you are going to exercise your Second Amendment rights and we have them. We will always have them, but you have to do it responsibly. And heres the problem. Someone like dreska who used their weapon unreasonably really affects the rest of us and our ability to properly utilize our Second Amendment rights. He used it improperly, now focus is again on that. Great observation. Thank you for being here, mark. I appreciate it. Thank you. What is your thoughts . Tweet me, i will read some responses throughout the course of the program. This i think comes from facebook im a supporter of the Second Amendment and this was murder. This jackass was looking for a fight. Like you say, everybody was wrong, illegal parking shouldnt be a death sentence. Mark omeara just made that point, right . That this guy in this instance frankly jeopardizes Second Amendment rights for a number of other americans because of the way he acted. Yeah, they Shouldnt Have parked there. The guy that come out Shouldnt Have shoved him. Those are minor transgressions in my opinion, in comparison to the guy who has been shoved, pulls out a gun and responds with deadly force. Up ahead, this week the president had bad news on the russian and Michael Cohen investigations and pretty good
news about the economy. We will dig deep into both. In the meantime, im asking this which will have more impact on how long donald trump is the president . Go to my website and cast a ballot on this Survey Question which will more determine President Trumps longevity in office . A Strong Economy or the mueller and Southern District investigations . Our new, hot, fresh breakfast will get you the readiest. buzzer sound holiday inn express. Be the readiest. Electronic Dance Music booking a flight doesnt have to be expensive. Just go to priceline. Its the best place to book a flight a few days before my trip and still save up to 40 . Just tap and go. For the best savings on flights, go to priceline. A book that youre ready to share with the world . Get published now, call for your free publisher kit today so why is donald trump so popular with his supporters, despite being under siege on so many fronts . Simple, its the economy. If elected he said the u. S. Gross product would hit 4 . A lot of people mocked him. Its the best showing since the Third Quarter of 2014. Remember unemployment remains at a near record low. Joining me now is steve cortez just named as an adviser to President Trumps 2020 a Wall Street Trader for 20 years, and is Head Strategist for bgb partners, who advises banks and hedge funds. Im going to give you 30 seconds for a victory lap. Then i want to play devils advocate. Go ahead. Sure. We should take a victory lap, by the way. Not just for team trump, but for team america, more importantly. Weve endured a long slow growth. The lions share went to the top of the economic ladder. Were seeing the opposite, accelerating growth and broadening growth, meaning its going to more people, for example, africanamerican and hispanic unemployment hit alltime lows. The economic underdogs are doing well, for example, people without a high school degree, by Definition Underdogs the lowest unemployment since 2000. We are seeing fast growth because of tax and regulatory relief. There is an optimism pervasive and real, and its tangible. All right. Let me be debbie downer. At least for the purpose of this conversation. John harwood, cnbc, put this in perspective by showing, where would this rank with modern president s . Fifth under obama, tied for fifth under george w. Bush, tied for fifth under Herbert Walker bush. This would be the 14th best under ronald reagan. Doesnt sounds so impressive when you put it in that context. Sure, thats a great point. Im the first to say we have more work to do. This is just the beginning. I believe. That we cant have one great quarter. We need to have many great quarters and in succession. I believe we will. I think the government is creating the conditions for success in our country and Small Business in particular is responding. Optimism, its an all time high or multidecade high, Consumer Confidence is soaring. I agree, there is more work to do, we have more wood to chop. We wont be satisfied with a single quarter growth. We need many of them. How about this one . Its all about the soybeans, buyers seem to have stocked before the government imposed tariffs. This is actually a reaction to trade wars. Right. I think thats an important point. It is possible some of the growth was pulled into this quarter, that might have been quarter three growth. We will find out right before election day, i think 11 days before the vote. Well get Third Quarter gdp. Heres what i believe, the United States because of our tax and regulatory relief thats going on, because that is so powerful no matter what happens in terms of manipulating sales into quarter 2, i think the grout in quarter 3 is incredible in this country right now. I think the american economy, it needed government to get out of the way. Most entrepreneurs when you talk to them, they dont want government to help them. They want government to get out of the way. Thats whats happening via our tax code a more simplified and lower tax scheme and a sensible and predictable regulatory regime. Another critique i heard from the glass half empty analysis would be this is by virtue of
the tax cut the president put through and at what costs to the debt are we going to accept that . Right. Listen, michael, i think thats a great point, i do worry about our debt and our deficit. I would say this, too, though, we are in a situation because there is no political will on either side of the aisle to touch entitlementts. Thats reality. Neither President Trump nor Congressional Republicans nor Congressional Democrats want to touch entitlements. If were not going to touch entitlements, the only way then for us to reduce our debt long term is faster growth. In my view its worth taking the risks for reducing it long term, because we go ahead the growth we need. Hey, i appreciate the honest banter. I mean, its good news. Were thrilled for it. Right . But it comes with some caveats. Thats the bottom line. Of course. I say maga stands for make
america grow again. This is the reason i believe that donald trump was elected, among many, but the primary one, the economic anxiety particularly for working class people in this country who havent seen their wages grow and seen expenses grow. Thats unsustainable. Theyve reacted with their vote. Now i think donald trump is starting to deliver. Were not done, not even close, starting to deliver. Steve, thank you. Appreciate you being here. You bet, thanks, michael. Lets see what folks are saying via social media. What do we have . Smerconish, why dont you start thanking donald trump for the success . I think the implication is that was a hit piece. That was no hit piece, that was me saying we got great economic news, there are some critiques and let me let the trump spokesperson run through them and respond to them. Go look for bias elsewhere, my friend. So this relates to the Survey Question at smerconish. Com. I hope you are voting. Which will more determine President Trumps longevity in office . A Strong Economy . Or the mueller and Southern District investigations. Please go vote. Still to come the latest developments on the other half of that question, Michael Cohens claim that donald trump knew in advance about that notorious Trump Tower Meeting with russians. It could mean the president was personally willing to accept russian assistance or cohen is implicating himself. Ill ask michael isikoff, but despite the focus on cohen, its another Trump Employee just subpoenaed who really knows the president s secrets, including his tax returns. Who is Alan Weiselberg and what might he ends up revealing. Finally, when does a teacher get in trouble after trying to earn extra money after hours . Well, when hes moonlighting as a nazithemed wrestler. Ill explain. A Blockbuster Report from cnn this week said the president s former lawyer Michael Cohen is claiming the candidate donald trump had advance notice at trump tower with russian nationals. If it can be proven its a game changer. The lawyer Rudy Giuliani denied that charge, and so did the president when he tweeted i did not know of the meeting. Means cohen would be critiquing to two congressional meetings. His current claims werent mentioned in special reports on the house intel committee. Nevertheless, as is often the case with President Trump, par sans quickly took sides based on instinct and not on evidence. My legal experience tells me such binary views overlook nuance. Im wondering if the truth lies somewhere in between. It straining decree ducredituala desire to obtain dirt on Hillary Clinton and viceversa. Such as the nature of a hard fought campaign. Im not holding my breath of a Smoking Gun Evidence of the president s knowledge of this one particular meeting. If it existed, i think wed know by now, instead, this will come down to inference and interpretation. Joining me is michael isikoff. Where cohen didnt say this, in his congressional appearance, my suspicion is he will be much more vague than prosecutors would hope in listening to the conversation this week. Look, there is a lot of reasons to be cautious, but there is also a lot of reasons to want to hear Michael Cohens account. You know, theres first of all, the significant of this should not be understated, if the president then candidate was informed of the Trump Tower Meeting, it would clearly bolster any Obstruction Case that Robert Mueller was, is preparing because it would give a clear motive for the president , himself to want to shut down the russia investigation. There are plausible reasons to believe the president might have been informed. There is that blocked phone call that donald trump jr. Makes after speaking to agalof about the upcoming Trump Tower Meeting. The democrats on the House Intelligence Committee clearly believe that may have been a phone call to his father. There was the reference that the campaign was going to give a major speech about hillary
clinton just at the time that the emails setting up the Trump Tower Meeting was taking place. But, you know, we dont know exactly what Michael Cohen has to say. As youve pointed out, hes testified twice before the house and senate in private. In his Public Statement he said he had no hint of any collusion by President Trump with the russians. The house Intelligence Report says all witnesses were asked if trump was aware of the Trump Tower Meeting and denied it. So Michael Cohen may well have to cop to lying to the House Intelligence Committee when he privately testified because, you know, that it would be a false statement if he didnt disclose this before. So, you know, we got to be cautious. I do have to say, it is a little odd the way were learning about this. Normally, if you wanted to get a deal with Robert Mueller. You wouldnt go running to the press. You would make a proffer to muellers office saying, heres what we got. And Michael Cohens legal team for whatever reason didnt go that route. Michael isikoff, one other observation. Is this not going to extend, all these recent developments, however they pan out, is this not going to extend the mueller probe, not into the midterm but into the 2020 election . Look, it could, we dont know exactly where Robert Mueller is. There is a lot of reason to believe he is moving forward. We may see more before labor day, because theres an Assumption He Doesnt Want To he will not want to do anything during the election season. So, you know, theres an expectation that there could be more coming from mueller. But, look, one of the most
frustrating things about all of this is, you know, michael, every Major Political scandal for the last half century, whether it be watergate or iran contraor whitewater, resulted in public hearings in which witnesses testified before under oath before the tv cameras so the public can hear and learn them. None of that has happened here, Michael Cohen like everybody else has testified Behind Closed Doors and then each side spins and cherry picks those aspects of testimony that they want the public to learn about. Thats no way for congress to have investigated. You know, if Michael Cohen wants this out there. Richard burr and mark warner tomorrow or sunday, monday, could subpoena him, have him testify in public this week before the senate Intelligence Committee and we could hear what he has to say and what he doesnt have to say. Michael isikoff, thank you. Appreciate it, as always. Sure enough. Hes been called the most senior person in the Trump Organization, hes not a trump. Hes been subpoenae