Rebuttals. Happy gotham city sports fans. Well cover the brawl later in the show. But first, Corey Lewandowski, Donald Trumps campaign caught a freighter size break today when they announced they will drop formal battery charges after lewandowski grabbed Michelle Fields last month. Explaining the decision at a press conference this afternoon. The evidence in this case is legally sufficient for the police to have charged mr. Lewandowski, it is not Strong Enough to meet the legal burden of a reasonable likelihood of a conviction. It is not uncommon for a candidates inner circle staff members, known to the agents to assist in clearing a safe pathway. It should be noted, however, that one agent was positioned directly behind ms. Fields and appeared to show no concern over her actions. M lewandowski could have called attention to her movements if he considered her a threat. In addition, soon after the incident, mr. Lewandowski publicly denied ever touching ms. Fields in any way. Although these factors might undermine mr. Lewandowskis potential defense, they do not outweigh the reasonable hypotheses of innocence based on the facts and circumstances recorded on the video from pr prosecutors released another video, and it shows the bubble, the secret service, while the rest of the press is directed to another area. So mark Corey Lewandowski, does that announcement put trumps lewandowski firmly behind him . The first thing i want to say is people in the press everyone is innocent until Proven Guilty. The minute the charges were brought, everyone assumed he would be charged, tried, convict convicted, and people have to remember, innocent until Proven Guilty. In this case, it caused a swirl of controversy at a time when trump was going through a rough patch. I dont think at this point that even though there will be some fall out from the way the charges were dropped, which well discuss, i dont think it will have any impact of trumps chances of being elected. I agree with your first point. Look, we on this program, made the point that innocent until Proven Guilty on the day it happened. Unprecedented and we havent seen anything like it, have a charge raised like this against a Campaign Manager, president ial candidate. I think at that moment in the wisconsin primary where things were going south for donald trump, first starting with the way he was treating heidi cruz and then followed by his abortion comments, this was part of a series of things that caused trump to falter in a significant way in wisconsin. And it was part of the atmosphere in which the antitrump movement was able to find traction there. I do think that if trump is not the nominee, wisconsin will prove to be an important contest in that narrative and that this will be part of the turning points, even though Corey Lewandowski wont be charged with battery. His role in the campaign now, now that Paul Manafort is part of the senior team and at the time, the confluence of changes in how the campaign was structured with lewandowski being charged led people to say this was going to cause him to diminish. He is an influential player in the campaign. He is no longer going to face the charges means he can go back to focusing. Trump standing by him, and lewandowskis public praise and gratitude i think brings what was already a close relationship even closer. Yeah, yes. No question about it. Lets be clear. If the opposite thing, trump has stood by lewandowski throughout the whole thing. Lets be clear. Formal charges were filed and the prosecution had gone forward, it would have been difficult for lewandowski to stay in a significant role or any role in the campaign if he had been prosecuted, standing trial for this. The alternative would have been a huge thing for lewandowski and the campaign. As it is, i think this there is a again, there is a good lesson i think for Campaign Managers going forward. Try to err on the side of not touching reporters at all, under any circumstances. Palm beach prosecutors said lewandowski and donald trump himself spoke to them and offered their sides of the story. And but they said, the political pressure had no bearing on their final determination. Still, this case has led to a lot of no so flattering headlines. John, when all the dust has settled, how much damage will this do to trump . Will it have any lasting impression . Was his contact with the prosecutors perfectly okay . I think trump making the case for his Campaign Manager and his friend, i think thats an appropriate thing. I think thats not political pressure. At least in my judgment. I think the idea an employer coming forward and giving your side of the story does not cross the line. At least as far as what i know about it at this moment. Thats all, ill answer that question. Look, i think that its not uncommon for prosecutors to decide not to go forward, even after somebody is charged. I think if trump called and said here is some facts you mietd wa might want, but it seems like he talked about what a good guy corey was. I they trump wont pay a price for this. Its relatively minor. But i do think that you can imagine a scenario where if Hillary Clinton had called a prosecutor about huma and said shes a nice person, you can imagine republicans saying that was improper. On the broader thing, the wisconsin, atmosphere, i think there is a broader, again, Corey Lewandowski, the prosecutor decides not to proceed. He is formally innocent. Not just presumed. For republicans worried about donald trump at the top of the ticket, unprecedented kinds of drama and mellow drama, it has reenforced, all predisposed not to want trump as their nominee. But the whole thing created this broader picture that makes people in the republican party, the ones queasy, makes them more queasy, these are likely the things that will arise, and they want to stay away from this mess. What people liked and found attractive with his family. Normal. No drama, right. No drama. Right. No drama, obama, youll never hear anybody say no drama trump. At least republicans will be reassured. Up next, the navy yard, my home borough of brooklyn. Well preview that match up after word from our sponsors. That is cybercrime. And it affects each and every one of us. Microsoft created the digital crimes unit to fight cybercrime. We use the microsoft cloud to visualize information so we can track down the criminals. When it comes to the cloud, trust and security are paramount. Were building what we learn back into the cloud to make people and organizations safer. Trust safelite. With safelites exclusive on my way text youll know exactly when well be there. 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Together, were building a better california. music plays from one way or another im gonna find y im gonna Getcha GetchaGetcha Getcha one way or another im gonna win ya im gonna Getcha GetchaGetcha Getcha one way or another im gonna see ya inhales cigarette there are throws excitable types expecting big explosive nyc fireworks when Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton collide in brooklyn this evening. If the past few days are an indication, clinton will keep swinging at sanders an gun control and his question to be readiness to be president. Sanders could keep up on her judgment on issues like super pacs, trade and the iraq war when he is not pointing across at wall street. Sanders is expected to lampoon clinton, verizon speech, one of the companies that sanders says is quote, destroying the moral fabric of this country. They both addressed yesterday. John, what are you looking for tonight from frontrunner Hillary Clinton and the challenger, the kid from brooklyn, Bernie Sanders . This is one of these cases in which saying the most obvious thing is really the only thing to say. Given the escalation and tensions, the escalation, negativity, to some extent, escalation in personal rhetoric over the past week since the New York Primary has gotten underway, i expect it to the most contentious one so far. I expect it to see it also, this may be the last democratic debate of consequence. Theyre still talking about having one more, but if Hillary Clinton wins big here and then wins big in the northeastern and midatlantic states, this race could be over by the time we get to the next democratic debate. A lot on the line for Bernie Sanders especially. If you look at her career as a president ial candidate, she has won an inordinate number of debates. And he lost badly. Prepared for so many different things, unless he can come up with something that rattles her, causes her to be seen in a different light, then shell be fine. So what do i expect . I dont expect him necessarily to come up with that. Every indication is he is not prepared for this the way almost any other candidate would. He is been a great candidate in a lot of ways. He has not been a guy that understands he has to rise to the occasion and paradigm shifting event. The one debate she lost in 2008 was the question of drivers license for illegal immigrants. It was when there was a question she didnt expect. Shell expect anything that sanders brings at her. But the fact that he has gotten under her skin, she has got under his skin too, there is just enough annoyians and irritation going on between the two of these people, there is a chance things could get heated here and just judging by how the clinton people were reacting on television to this verizon paid speech thing, they didnt have a very good answer for it. She better have a better answer for that, because that could get charged i think if she doesnt have a very good answer. Theyre both in a room, gasoline has been filled all over the floor and theyre fighting with torches. Both smoking cigars. I think it may be a fizzle. Well see. Well see. Bernie sanders parked the park last night with 27,000, 27,000 supporters. Plus nearly as many celebrities. Not quite that many, but a lot. Big night of music and speeches. A few people feeling the bern, but also smoking some berning stuff. One speech in particular last night causing the Sanders Campaign a little headache and heartache today, a speech made by dr. Paul song, who went too far in his description. Here are his remarks and how jane sanders reacted to them in an interview with Andrea Mitchell today. Well, i agree with secretary clinton that medicare for all will never happen if we have a president who never aspires for something greater than the status quo. Medicare for all will never, if we continue to elect corporate democratic whores who are behold den to pick as soon as we heard it, immediately we responded. That is not something we expected. As i said, wes a speaker at one event. And he was one of many speakers. Unfortunately, we werent there to hear it. We would have spoken up immediately. Bernie sanders himself, also tweet, quote, dr. Songs comment was inappropriate and insensitive. There is no room for language like that in our political discourse, end quote. Sanders, like a lot of candidates and more than some other candidates, has had a large number of surrogate foot in mouth moments in this campaign. There was that one time at a sanders rally, rapper killer mike said a uterus doesnt qualify to be president. South carolina win was quote about as significant as winning guam, end quote. Who could forget susan ssrandin. I ask you, do you agree with that, he has had more of a sure great problem and why . Why is it that the Sanders Campaign is having this trouble. A campaign started from a standing start. First time candidate. You know, well president ial candidate. Wellfunded, but this is a flybynight organization, as all sccampaigns are, but it is t buttoneddown. The Sanders Campaign reacted quickly. The problem is they dont happen a lot. Because they handle them. He doesnt have a day to waist. He h waste. He is very consistent, but youve got to do something new, mix it up and its easy to have the same old stump speech. Big event, he made no news. He said his normal stuff. Thats disciplined, but this overshadows it. Thats the problem. We touched on this last night. There is a lot of frustration among the sanders supporters, broadly speaking, the famous and not famous ones. Some of it has taken on a tone of hostility. I know youve experienced it, weve experienced it. Weve given him fair coverage. Weve interviewed him dozens of time. His wife, many times. And yet, we are attacked much more harshly by sanders supporters on twitter and elsewhere. There is this frustration with the people who support him, the frustration with how the race is going, taken on a hostile tone in recent weeks that i do think its a little different than other things ive seen in the past. I think the press has a right to ask the question, as they do about donald trump. In sanders world, are they doing anything to create an environment in which this kind of harsh rhetoric is used. Its a fair question to ask. Coming up, a little bit more preview of the big democratic debate. Ann gearen of the Washington Post joins, after a word from our sponsors. Seems like weve hit a road block. That reminds me. Anyone have occasional constipation, diarrhea. Gas, bloating . Yes one Phillips Colon Health probiotic cap each day helps defend against occasional digestive issues. With three types of good bacteria. Live the regular life. Phillips. Whyto learn, right . E . So you can get a good job and youre not working for peanuts. Well what if i told you that peanuts can work for you . While you guys are busy napping, peanuts are delivering 7 grams of protein and 6 essential nutrients right to your mouth. You ever see a peanut take a day off . No. Peanuts dont even get casual khaki fridays. Because peanuts take their job seriously. So unless you want a life of skimming wifi off the neighbors, youll harness the hardworking power of the peanut. cheering laughing theres nothing like making their day except making sure their tomorrow is taken care of too. Financial guidance while youre mastering life. From chase. So you can. Here now to continue our preview of the democratic debate, coming up tonight in brooklyn, ann gearen, Political Correspondent for the Washington Post, covering Hillary Clinton an other candidates, but mostly Hillary Clinton. Thank you for coming. Thank you. We were having a back and forth about what we expect from the debate tonight. I think conflict galore. Mark thinks fizzle. I would go more on your side. Its inevitable. Too much friction lately. This has become a grudge match. Theyve tried to take a step back and it hasnt really worked. They try to take a step back, and within the same news cycle, either they or someone siding with them starts it all over again. So i think theyre destined to butt heads tonight. I expect it to be substantive on policy. They will not do namecalling. But there will be a lot of friction. Robby mook on with Andrea Mitchell struggled to give an answer, never did about her payday from verizon. Does the campaign seem worried in general about the paid speeches . The paid speeches they think is water under the bridge. Certainly it is not water under the bridge for Bernie Sanders supporters. It is something i expect sanders to bring up and to come loaded for bear on. I mean, she took a whole lot of money from this company that is now the subject of a strike right in the middle of manhat n manhattan. They both went out and walked the picket line. There is too much risk for that not to be a big subject tonight. So for months, i think its fair to say, that we ask questions starting in about october when sanders started to turn towards contrast at the Jefferson Jackson dinner. The question is when would he make the contrast more personal. He has done that more in the last week or so than ever before. Not he has not gone over the line and as far as some would think he could profit from doing. He has not done it in a debate so far. Do you think hell be able to continue in that vein or inclined to back away on the big stage . I think weve seen him back away from it on the big stage a little bit. Certainly, it he very first debate when he appeared to take the email controversy off the table, which was surprising. I think he will try to do Something Like that again. But again, there is just this this primary on tuesday, days away, is absolutely makeorbreak for him. He knows it. He has to make a splash tonight. He has to say and do something that breaks through. And puts her on the defensive. Thats what hell be trying to do. Let me ask you this. Do you think Hillary Clinton will go on offense on the qualification thing . Yeah, i do. She has to make a mark too. She cant be seen as being on defense the whole time. In all my time covering president ial campaigns, i dont remember them debating that many times without his or her spouse coming. President clinton is