donald trump's lawyers wrap up their case as the former trial declines to take a witness stand. and my interview with benjamin netanyahu as a war crimes prosecutor now seeks a warrant for his arrest. and what is going on with the economy? inflation may be slowing, but prices remain high in this country. i'll ask ahead of the federal reserve bank of chicago as the 11th hour gets underway on this tuesday night. good evening once again, i'm stephanie ruhle. and we are now 168 days away from the election. about one week from now, a jury of 12 new yorkers will start deliberating the fate of the first former president charged with a crime. donald trump's defense team rested their new york criminal case today after calling just two witnesses.

donald trump did not take the stand. closing arguments are now set for one week from today. then the case will go to the jury. my colleague has all the details. >> reporter: tonight, the defense resting their case with former president trump choosing not to take the stand in their first criminal trial. jurors left today hearing only from robert costello, a lawyer who briefly advised michael cohen. prosecutors trying to paint costello as a paint ally to prevent cohen from flipping on mr. trump. confronted with e-mails, suggesting he was frustrated. he refused to hire him including one where he wrote he continues to slow play us and the president. is he totally nuts? he's playing with the most powerful man on the planet. costello suggested monday, cohen's entire story, that former president trump plotted to silence stormy daniels to protect his campaign was all a lie. costello telling jurors that michael cohen said numerous times that president trump knew

nothing about those payments and that cohen said he did this on his own. only one of two witnesses called by the defense team. the testimony all told running jussive 90 minutes. >> there is no crime. there is no crime. it's a kangaroo court. never been anything like this that i have ever seen. >> reporter: the judge working with both sides today to hash out critical instructions jurors will receive next week to aid their deliberations on the 34 counts mr. trump faces for allegedly falsifying his business records. the outcome likely to largely come down to whether jurors believe cohen. the only witness to testify that mr. trump directed the payoffs to daniels and then disguised his reimbursements to cohen, all of which he denies. the defense spent three days grilling cohen, convicted of lying under oath and disbarred. they found guilty on the low level felonies here. mr. trump faces anywhere from four years in prison to just probation. >> if that wasn't enough today,

meanwhile in arizona, 11 trump allies were arraigned for their part in the fake scheme. all the defendants including former new york city mayor rudy giuliani and former arizona chair pleaded not guilty. with that let's get smarter with the help of our lead off talent tonight. staff writer for the new yorker, former federal prosecutor analyst, and historian who occasionally advises biden in this evening was just awarded the lincoln leadership prize. all right, glen, you're our legal expert. help us out here. remind our audience what trump has said about testifying over the last six weeks. i want to share a bit of it and then comment on the other side. >> yeah, i would testify, absolutely. it's a scam. i tell the truth.

yes. no, it won't stop me from testifying. >> do you plan to testify in court? >> probably so. i would like to. i mean i think so. >> he would like to? well now he's not going to. he decided he won't and now the jury will not hear from him. is the jury allowed to draw any conclusion from that? is it like taking the fifth? >> absolutely not. they'll be instructed that the defendant has an absolute right to testify in his own trial and to decline to testify in his own trial and any defendant who would decline to testify, the jury may not consider it and may not draw any negative infrances against the defendant. that's the beauty of our fifth amendment privilege against self-incrimination. really the only thing that should surprise us, steph, that we still have the capacity to

be surprised. donald trump said he would be testifying or at least interviewing with bob mueller and he didn't. he would testify in both e. jean carroll trials, and is there any surprise that he's been telling us all along that he would testify in new york. now he told us all he won't be testifying. he couldn't withstand ten seconds of cross-examination from those new york prosecutors. so whereas we have to embrace his right not to testify. it is pretty interesting that he can't even take the stand in his own defense, nor can he call any witness of consequence who could tell the jury donald trump did nothing wrong, nothing exonerating, and indeed the bob costello decision to call him was the enormous strategic blunder, where they hurt their defense more than he

hurt the trump defense. >> john, the american people will now have no sworn testimony from the first former president who is running for president charged with a crime. can you even put that into context for us? >> no. >> we are way far past where the buses run as we say. look, i think one thing that has emerged from this is the rule of law is being applied. trump is sitting there, the gag order has been enforced. perhaps not as much as it would be for you or me. but the mechanics of the constitutional order are going forward. i think it's hard to say this that we needed to send that message to the world that american democracy was not totally broken. but i think that message is being sent. >> susan, the defense case took less than one single day. does donald trump care more

about the defense in the courtroom or the defense he gives outside the courtroom on the steps? i mean did you hear anything significant from him? >> that is his primary venue. of course, there is nothing illegal about lying to the public in that court of public opinion. and so of course, it is not a surprise that he's being deprived of his first amendment rights and his rights to defend himself by the judge in that case, but then refuses to offer a substantive defense in the case. and his litigation of this case such as it is, convincing people that even without knowing any specifics, it's hopelessly unfair and that court. that is the message he's pounding over and over again regardless of the facts in this

particular case. and on the one hand, it's important to see the mechanisms of the law being applied to donald trump and seeking to hold him accountable and a jury, not peers of regular citizens that are being called in and let's remember the real cases, they will not come into court and going to show the world that justice is being applied to overturn the 2020 election. and after they left that white house and those questions will remain unresolved headed to the election. this is a case that is very different and narrower in nature. >> did the defense do anything to help trump? >> no.

with his own e-mail, saying things to michael cohen, you don't sleep well. you have friends in high places, and we need to keep them on the same page. the one thing that is the one you referred to in your lead in. when they put that and they continue to slow play us and that president. is he totally nuts? what should you say to that? he's playing with the most powerful man on the planet. that's ordinarily not the way an attorney will talk about his client or his potential client. what will become clear from all of the cross-examination. and if they capture and kill. the information they could provide that, incriminating donald trump is a whole lot of

ugliness. i have to believe especially after the judge merchan had to clear the courtroom because bob costello couldn't be a respectful witness. he was showing behavior. and the jury is not going to miss all of the signs and signals. i can only believe he directed them to put costello on the stand because it was an enormous strategic blunder. >> and there are two groups of people i want to ask you about. next week a group of people after a long complex trial where they had to sit through testimony with a lot of complex decisions. what kind of burden is on these americans? >> it's enormous and a part of

a tradition that stretches back to the 13th century. it's the common law, it is that defendants are given the right to be tried and that juries render these verdicts. and i'm glad i'm not there, but i think if you believe in the system for all of their imperfections, then the system will move on and unfolds. >> i love that you always qualify that. if you believe in the system with all their imperfections. >> well, it is. >> and as winston church hill said, it's the worst of all forms of government except for the others, right? how would you replace the trail jury. >> what is your take on the other group of individuals, showing up almost in uniform, matching ties, performing for him. that almost feels un-american.

>> well, it's a cult, right. the republican party is not a party at the moment, it really is. it's a personality driven. >> did you ever think you, john, would be sitting at the republican party. did it make you sad? >> you voted republican. and it is about talking about the war. it is that far back, right. and it is that as you see, you sort of saw the tension, right? you saw them do the deal. educate himself and say he wants to be on the right side of a public cool ewe. he shows up in manhattan.

now he's facing voters. i understand the forces on that. i've never been on the ballot. i get it. but i get -- i get the reason why he's doing it. i don't get the ultimate reason. what the party is doing right now, they are putting the short- term power incentives over the long-term good of the experiment they are sworn to protect. and that is a position that look, i wouldn't by them judging me. >> sadly we have to go to commercial. if we department, we would definitely get into the war. >> susan, she is very good. >> guess what, you and susan are sticking around. glen, thank you for joining us. when we return, my interview with israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu. his response is who will govern gaza. later with court out for

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one day after the international criminal court recommended arrest warrants for beth the leader of hamas, i sat down with netanyahu. here is our conversation. >> so let's get right to it.

what is your response to the icc seeking an arrest warrant for you? >> my response is not different. many people across the political spectrum and the united states and leaders of the democratic country around the world have called it exactly that. it's a rogue prosecutor who is out to demonize the one and only jewish state. he's doing that by first applying the false. and that is why they're issuing the arrest warrant for 19 eleven. but also for osama bin laden. and in 2002, it totally got add surd add absurd.

and to your point, he's using also false accusations. he's saying we are drying out gaza. drying out gaza? we're supplying now before the war, 7% of their water now, 45% of the water nearly have to make sure that they have water. we supplied half a million tons of food and drugs, 20,000 trucks. >> yes, but sir, we've already heard u.s. aid has said it's present. we've heard from cindy mccain who runs the world food program who has said that. are you saying they're lying? >> i'm saying cindy mccain is misinformed and the facts prove otherwise. we've flooded gaza with humanitarian aid. but before that we supplied it with more than minimal amounts,

and befixed the border crossings. all the food and all the supplies have gone in and we're building a port of the starvation policy is ridiculous. and the guy is receiving it as do others from the other anti- israeli agencies from the palestinian sources and that they discovered we were misinformed and now they say well, we don't know that. we can't discount there's been massive sufficienting and deaths. we see it with our own eyes. but the reason we're all here is because of what happened on october 7. because of the hostages that are still being held. so let's talk about that path forward. he says your failure to plan

has allowed hamas to pop back up into parts of gaza. saying they are fighting hamas again in northern gaza. why should the world believe that anything that will be different after you go into rafah, which will cause more suffering? to prevent civilian casualties. for us every casualty is a tragedy for hamas. and every casualty is a strategy. they're trying to keep them in harm's way while we're trying to get them out of harm's way with millions of leaflets, phone calls, text messages, so on. largely succeeded. but of course, it's not perfect. it's obvious. but we will do our best and therefore we are held to a standard that no other army has had in history. the second thing is ford to finish this, we have to eliminate the terrorist army.

and over 24 battalions are in rafah. we'll be able to also get an alternative governance in gaza. that's my goal to eliminate hamas and to ensure hamas and bring in gazans who are not threatened anymore by hamas and who do not share their goal to run the administration. and the third thing would be to rebuild gaza along with the help of arab states. that's the practical plan. but stephanie, it goes through victory. none of these plans have any meaning if you do not eliminate hamas. if you eliminate hamas, then prosperity is possible. the expansion of prosperity is possible. but we need to defeat hamas and bring our hostages back home. we brought half of them back. we'll bring the other half back. this is my goal and this is what the vast majority of israelis support. >> of course, the idea of peace is extraordinary. but the path to get this has

been devastating. so i want to talk about the power of hamas. back in december the new york times reported that you encouraged payments to hamas from qatar shortly before the october 7 attack. did you underestimate what hamas was capable of doing? >> well first of all i did everything in my power to degrade hamas' military power. i led three major military operations against hamas. not have them resurge again and come back rafah. repeat the massacre of raping women, beheading women, burning babies, taking hostages. they want to do it over and over again. we can't let them do it. as far as the money that was given to them. given to prevent the

humanitarian catastrophe to make sure the sewage pumps worked. and that is the goal. but we did everything to degrade their military power, and anno that does not behold to them and it is not beholden to the idea of destroying israel. that's the way forward. >> that was the goal, sir. that was the goal. but october 7 happened and now you're in a full blown war. did you underestimate what they were capable of? >> we were surprised, no question about that. but we got back on our feet immediately, and we're driving hamas up. we're doing it in the most difficult urban warfare conditions of all times. they have 35,000 terrorists in dense urban area. 50 meters aboveground. and territorial system of 500 kilometers and it is enormous. i think they underestimated the fact they could take them out. once we turn things around and

we are, and we are committed to doing it to finish it. it's not easy. we are getting the international scene. you have this travesty where the leaders of israel are being called war criminals when we are fighting war criminals; where we are fighting these genocidal hamas monsters, and then a court that was set up to present the repeat of the homicide and others that are accusing israel of such crimes. it's absurd. but you know, we have to fight it, the way we would fight it is by fighting and winning it. are you to blame for that? >> the democratic party for the most part was in lock step with israel until about a decade ago. some democrats blame you for that rift. what do you say to them? >> well, first of all i value the bipartisan support, which is still substantial. i think the mainstay of our

policy. the national interest and our policy. mind you 80% of americans, according to the harvard poll, it's a tracking poll. and it shows 80% identify with israel and not with hamas in this conflict, which will cut across the party lines, which is very important. now it's true that there is a fringe element and progressive fringes of the democratic party that doesn't identify with israel and doesn't identify that much with america. some of these people, you know, they support the demonstrations and the campuses. and they said death to america and israel. they burn the american flags. and this is not the democratic party. this is not the independence. this is not mainstream america. so they will identify with the individual. it's very important to me that they continue to do so, but they've got nothing to do with me. they've got a lot to do with them and where they are going and how they see the world.

most americans will understand one thing, that they stand for values and individual rights, for it doesn't make any difference if you are white, black, gay, straight or israeli or arab, that you have individual human rights, and the right of national protections, security. people understand that they value that and they will see israel as a part of america and america is a part of israel and a part of the same civilization. it has not changed. but for some people, they will see it differently because they see america differently. so they see israel differently. as far as i'm concerned, maintaining this bipartisan support is an integral part of our policy and we'll continue to do everything that we can to keep it. >> well, you've had a very special relationship with donald trump and his family. nbc news is reporting that you're currently engaged in close conversations with

trump's team. can you confirm that? >> i'm engaged in close conversations with president biden's team and with former president trump's people. anybody who had come here and democrats and republicans every day, including, by the way, yesterday. you had republicans and democrats come here. how should i say this? i'm an equal opportunity visitor. it is something that conforms to the basic policy that i said i want to make sure the broad spectrum of the american policy is supported and supports israel and here is their concerns. i think that's the only productive policy. i mean with everyone. i'll continue to do so. >> when is the last time you spoke to president trump or signed more? >> i saw jared kushner i think six months ago, a few months ago. former president trump sent me

a photowhen i won the elections, but we haven't supported since. and i appreciate president biden and what he said, the defense ministry of israel, when it is outrageous, he's right. i appreciate the support he's given us from the beginning of the war. let me tell you that i also support and appreciate the support that i received from president trump that israel received moving the embassy, declaring jerusalem as our capital, i think these are all important things. that's what they would like to see guilty. >> susan and what he said with his relationship with both the current and former president are? >> well look, there's been a lot of attentions that are rising between the biden

administration and prime minister netanyahu. he tried very hard not to give an impression of that. but there were warnings, even public warnings from the very beginning of israel's response to that horrific terrorist attack on october 7. i remember very vividly president biden going in there saying do not overreact or make the mistake after we need and how you prosecute this war. it's a lot of ignored warnings, burden of proof, others that have led to this unfortunate moment that the icc charges against netanyahu, as well as hamas. i think that's one thing he's reacting to. as far as donald trump, i thought it was very interesting to see him scorn a bit to your question. while republicans have been staunchly loudly vocally over the top in their uncritical

support for israel in this conflict. donald trump has a real beef with netanyahu. an enormous amount of support, outsourcing american policies to israel and to netanyahu. trump was very mad at netanyahu, why? because he recognized the election of joe biden. >> john, this is the first time they sought for an arrest warrant for a close u.s. ally. what is your take in terms of this moment and this conflict? >> i think it appears to add a new chapter to that word in terms of it and it is not a satisfactory answer.

i don't think so. everyone wants, not everyone, that would happen, but a lot of people would like a two-state solution and this is in that policy world to lay it out and then it smashes in to reality. that's what history is, right? and it's an issue that doesn't lend itself to good week, bad week. i think whether it's the icc or the real discernible impact this is having on the american presidential race, those being the theoretical things. the real thing being hamas attacked israel and there are people who are caught up in

this and suffering in the response. i think you just have to have, at least as an american, i want someone who thinks very deeply about these things, actually in charge of our policy. i think president biden does that. >> thank you so much for joining us. susan, when we come back, how long can trump go without bringing back nazi germany? can you believe i just said that? he made it about a month and the new month that's getting major look when the 11th hour returns.

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because we're moving forward with everybody. shell. powering progress. the defense rested today in the criminal trial. closing arguments will start on tuesday. but the long weekend will be a very long one for trump because he's still under that strict gag order. more reliant than ever on the allies to deliver the attack lines that he cannot. for more i want to welcome christina greer, fordham university professor and political science, and reid gallan, a campaign strategist and cofounder of the lincoln project. reid, trump scheduled a rally in the south bronx on thursday and a speech in dc on saturday. what are the odds he's not going to talk about this trial? >> i think almost zero. these are two places where he has zero chances of winning in

november. so i would think these are places that he thinks he could draw a crowd oddly. i don't think that he could do that in new york city or washington, d.c. but he seems to be avoiding the electoral college states that he needs to win come november. >> what is your take on that? going to really a few blocks from the main campus of fordham where you are. a place where, come on, manhattan, he's not winning here. >> right, and it is to the narrative that i could work with the blacks and the latinos. i don't think as reid says, they're going to get much of a crowd. i mean don't forget though, this is a presidential candidate sitting in the courtroom every day of the week. he's got to stay close to home. right now his home is if new york as he's on trial yet again. i don't think he has a self-

control to not talk about things. but i think it does go to a larger narrative where he's saying at least i'm reaching out. south joe biden haupt come out here. that's how he's chipping away. i don't think it works, but it's something they could say to the rallies. >> let's talk about the video post that appears to promise a unified neck, the video is now taken down. what is your reaction to this? >> as i read this morning, we owe them no benefit of the doubt here. they did this. this was not an accident. this was not some junior staffer that has access to trump's social media account. it's either him or dan, the guy who started as a caddie so many years ago.

now remember the unified right piece was as crazy as we have seen and that's saying something. remember they called for closing the border and mass deportation in this video. it wasn't exactly what i would say trying to hit the suburban audience that he desperately needs this november. they want this kind of work for america. these aren't accidents. this isn't like the guy getting the wrong stock footage, right? they went looking for this stuff and they used it. >> let's take a look at president biden's response. >> what's next for america? >> is this only his official account? wow. that is not america's. who cares about holding onto the power. i care about you. >> reporter: chris too that. he's trying to set up his

supporters. he's not trying to speak to independence or the republicans. he's speaking to his staunch supporters, so if november 5 does not go his way, he can have a repeat of january 6, 2021. he wants to make sure people galvanize for him. this language is deliberate. we must take him seriously. joe biden's response, you know, obviously for democrats, they want to know the president does not believe in hitler tactics or anti-semitism. we have to be a lot more, i think, forceful as journalists, political scientists. everyone who was monitoring this election to believe donald trump he was talking about policies and procedures. how much of a difference will this contrast make when americans go to vote? >> it will make quite a

difference. remember that not only is president biden trying to do right by americans and in particular here. trump wanted to kill the v.a., right? he political move event. but also it's incredible. here is the president out on the trail talking about things he's doing for the american people, while trump is talking about nazis and taking away birth control while he's on trial for sleeping with a born start day i've then, he's. >> well, when you put it that, always good to see you. when we come back, inflation pushes consumers to get thriftier. now major retailer want those customers back. what they're doing to lure back in the continues.

consumers have been sounding off about price fatigue for a while now. now a new report from the fed shows people are still struggling to cover day-to-day expenses even as inflation has slowed. but some big consumer brands are beginning to take action. target says it is cutting prices on 5,000 essential items. things like mill, butter, pet food. wendy's is now offering a $3 breakfast deal. rivals like mcdonald's are offering new lower priced value meals. here to discuss and an old friend of mine, made president and ceo of the reserve bank of

chicago. we need an economic exmainer. people are confused and costed, but also doing quite well. so i want to start with prices. what is your take when you hear about consumer brands cutting prices? >> good. you've had inflation that was waived too high around the country and others in the world. incomes didn't keep up with that, in 2022, we didn't have roadway session while that was happening, which was quite unusual. but prices are still higher than what they were before. you see people complaining about that. food inflation is more volatile

than other it's good to say, i'm seeing a little deflation on that side. that got way up the 23 as well. >> you see a lot of data on the economy every single day, but you also live in the real world, and you've experienced what expensive life feels like. how do you assess when someone says what is the u.s. economy like? where do you see it going forward? i think the fed, you know, steph, the federal reserve act by law gives the fed a dual mandate, that we can't look. maximize employment and stabilize the prices. by those measures and the dual mandate goals, 23 was a very strong year. unemployment rate is still

under 4% inflation coming down from its peaks. with that said, it's the strongest thing as the job market, the weakest thing by far has opinion walking every where to leave and what is to come is often not -- i think the economy is doing well, but we get shocks from outside the united states that can throw us off. we have seen that happen with supply chains and wars. we've seen that happen with oil prices. so i think we're kind of keeping our fingers crossed that we don't get another. >> we need several more months of good data on inflation before the interest rate cut. what is really going on when it comes to inflation? >> it is two parts of that. i'm not a fan of tieing our hands even a little.

but bit. if i get two months, then i'll do x, y, z on rates. that it will be managed by what the data come in and try make to happen on inflation if you take a step back. you don't want to look at one month or three months. you'll want to take a longer look and inflation got way high, almost double digits, and it's been coming down. if you look from the heights as i say, in '23 we had one of the biggest drops in inflations that we've ever seen in the united states. and we did it without a recession, which is very unusual. we just need to keep making progress on that before you could see rates go down. >> before we go, the american consumer, right? lots of things that were not

considered luxuries, now are. we have more purchasing power than we did in 2010. what's going on with the american consumer? >> and like the vibes. there's never a big difference between the vibes and the actual numbers than what we're facing right now. i don't think we totally understand that. maybe it's rooted in a little bit if you ask people how is your personal situation and tay say pretty good. how is the national economy? they don't like it at all. a lot of it comes from inflation being very unpopular and a bit of a lag behind conditions. like i said, they have these cross things going, some things that are aggravating in the economy and that will melt into a little bit of the vibe situation where people are more upset than what you would think they would be when that unemployment rate is low and

the economy is growing. between the doves and the hawks, i should say we should be the data dogs. the first rule of the data dogs is to know when to walk and sniff. with the time to sniff is when there are a lot of things coming in that you don't know and that we will need to wait and see before we could decide. >> austin gillespie, still a nerd. great to see you. great to see you. great to see you. more on the 11th hour right after this. "we really need to try this." as the weeks went by, the weight came off. we learned to make healthy choices and be supportive of each other. together, we've lost 170 pounds. golo worked for us. since losing weight on golo, i'm feeling grateful and hopeful about the future. (energizing music)

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thank you so much for watching. re: millbrook is up next and remember you can watch the best of the 11th hour on our youtube page at msnbc.com/stephanie. on that note, i wish you a very good night from chicago. for all of our colleagues across the networks of nbc news, thank you for staying up late with me. i will see you at the end of tomorrow in nyc.

tonight on all in. >> i tell the truth. all i can do is tell the truth. >> defendant trump declined to testify as the defense rests. >> i will be rested. i don't rest. >> tonight, the collapse of trump's final witness and the judges crucial decisions about what the jury will decide. then, another former lawyer silenced in court. >> i don't wintemute you, but i need to move on. >> the rnc head of election integrity arrange for voter fraud. >> you have the right to remain silent. >> white samuel alito's ethical nightmare at the supreme court is not going away. >> created a situation that we are all talking about. so it was a mistake. >> all in starts