CNN Political Briefing

This week, the first of four expected criminal trials involving former President Donald Trump began in Manhattan. And for the first time in United States history, a former president is now a defendant in a criminal trial. CNN legal analyst Norm Eisen was in the courtroom. He joins CNN Political Director David Chalian to share his analysis of not only this case, but also this week’s Supreme Court oral arguments on the January 6 obstruction charges, which could have potential legal implications for Trump as well. 

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Both President Biden and former President Trump have recently raised mammoth amounts of money at two individual fundraising events. And while Biden is still the fundraising frontrunner, Trump’s team reports he raised a record-breaking $50 million at a single fundraiser in Palm Beach last weekend. Could Trump regain the lead in the race for campaign cash? And how much does money matter? CNN Politics national writer Fredreka Schouten joins CNN Political Director David Chalian for a breakdown of the latest numbers. 

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Abortion remains one of the most contentious and polarizing 2024 election issues – and will likely play a critical role in the outcome in November. But can it be the silver bullet Democrats are hoping to make it? Mary Ziegler is one of the world's leading historians of the abortion debate, and has written several books, including ‘After Roe, The Lost History of the Abortion Debate.’ She joins CNN Political Director David Chalian for a deep dive into the history of abortion as an election issue and the future of abortion in the U.S. 

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This year’s presidential election may be a rematch, but President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump aren’t the only options. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is running as an independent, and just this week announced his pick for vice president. Kennedy has never held public office before, and yet, his message seems to appeal to an unexpectedly large audience. Lee Drutman, senior fellow in the political reform program at New American, joins CNN Political Director David Chalian to talk about Kennedy’s campaign and how he and other third-party candidates influence American politics. 

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Who would have thought that TikTok could quickly become an election issue? Last week, the U.S. House voted with bipartisan support in favor of a bill that could ban the popular app. The White House says President Joe Biden is prepared to sign it, but some strategists worry the move could alienate young voters. “This is one of the most scrambled, political situations that I think we have seen this cycle. It's truly bizarre,” says Forbes technology reporter Emily Baker-White. She joins CNN Political Director David Chalian to explain why lawmakers want to crack down on TikTok, and how...

Disinformation is one the biggest challenges of modern politics – especially in campaigning. How can candidates spread their message if almost anyone can distort it? Journalist Sasha Issenberg’s new book “The Lie Detectives: In Search of a Playbook for Winning Elections in the Disinformation Age” dives deep into this topic. He joins CNN Political Director David Chalian to discuss what he's learned about the people fighting fake news, and whether there are ways of preventing it.

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Super Tuesday brought some excitement to this year’s election cycle, with a lot of consequential downballot races. House Republicans are hoping to keep their slight margin, where Democrats only need a net gain of four seats to regain control of the chamber. Senate Democrats, however, are facing an extremely tough map, with Republicans well positioned to win the majority. 

Cook Political Report’s Erin Covey and Jess Taylor cover House and Senate campaigns, respectively, and join CNN Political Director David Chalian to talk about what’s heating up in this year’s Congressional races.

Former president Donald Trump and President Joe Biden won big at their respective Michigan primaries, as predicted. But the key swing state had some surprises in store, with about 100,000 people casting protest votes over Biden’s policies on the Israel/Gaza war. Michigan is a hub of Arab and Muslim Americans and could be crucial to winning the presidency. Ashely Allison, CEO of the Turner Conoly Group and former White House senior policy adviser, joins CNN Political Director David Chalian to talk about what the Biden campaign can do to keep these voters on his side.

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Former Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe is a major democratic fundraiser and a top cheerleader for President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign. He says support will coalesce around Biden once Trump is officially the nominee. He joins CNN Political Director David Chalian to talk about selling voters on Biden and what it’s like inside the Democratic party right now. 

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It’s been a huge week for immigration politics with the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Tom Suozzi’s special election win, and the failure of a big border bill. What does it all mean, both for voters and for the presidential candidates? CNN White House reporter Priscilla Alvarez and CNN Political Director David Chalian untangle the meaning and impact of recent events on today’s episode of the podcast. 

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