conflict between donald trump's trial schedules and the election calendar. there's virtually no time in the next 15 months that he will not be needed both in court defending against four indictments, and on the campaign trial competing for the republican nomination. it remains to be seen whether trump can withstand and benefit from his legal perils, but a different type of scheduling trouble looms on the democratic deadline. consider this, despite a record about which democrats are proud, joe biden remains deeply unpopular. his latest gallop approval stands at 42%, and even many democrats don't want him to run for re-election. a recent ap poll found that 75% of americans don't want him to run again, higher than trump, of whom 69% said the same thing. at the end of july, a cnn poll found that 75% of democratic and democratic-leaning voters want the party to nominate someone other than biden. why? largely it's age. the ap norc poll found that 77%

of adults think biden is too old to run. when asked what words come to mind when you think of joe biden, 26% said old, outdated, aging or elderly. another 15% said slow, confused or bumbling. mitch mcconnell didn't help the cause of octogenarian politicians when the minority leader had his second apparent freeze in a month while speaking with reporters, and that dianne feinstein will have a sub limb natural impact when people look at biden. if biden stays in the race, he'll need to convince the country that despite the concerns people have about him now at age 80, he's still the best choice for the nation when he's finishing a second term at age 86. if the opponent is donald trump, that might work. but what if next spring the weight of trump's prosecutions finally cause a republican reshuffling? he would be replaced, but democrats will still have biden as their standard bearer against

the wishes of three quarters of their own voters. the collapse of the hunter biden plea agreement is another consideration, hunter may ultimately be indicted for multiple felonies related to guns, china, ukraine, taxes, where he was engaged in business dealings while traveling with his father at the time he was vice president, this inquiry is no longer separable from the president. that's distracting and damaging as well. nevertheless, the president has announced his re-election, he's raising money and opening a campaign headquarters in wilmington. still, the questions persist as to whether he's really in it, even among democrats, almost all are spoken off the record. the conversations keep happening, quiet whispers on the sidelines of events, texts, emails, phone calls, as top democrats and donors reach out to those seen as possible replacement presidential candidates. get ready, they urge. in conversations that aides to

several of the people involved have described to cnn, despite what he has said, despite the campaign he's announced, president joe biden won't actually be running for re-election. they feel like time is already running out and that the lack of a more robust campaign activity that they want to see is a sign that his heart really isn't in it. part of the problem is that his vice president is not a ready-made solution. kamala harris' standing is worse than biden's, her approval is about 40%. she was tasked with responsibility for voting rights and dealing with the origin of border security issues but has little to show for either and many have not forgotten she left the 2020 nomination race before a single vote was cast, having distinguished herself only with an attempted takedown of biden over busing. biden's rationale in 2020 was that he was needed to defeat trump. that rationale is weak now, people want somebody else. biden is not polling ahead of trump. in a poll published in the "wall

street journal" today, trump is at 40%, biden is at 39%. it confirms what several other major polls have found, they're neck in neck, within the margin of error. he's gone from being the one democrat able to beat trump, to being the one democrat who might not be able to beat trump. if biden is to stand down, how does he do it and when? remember, in 2016 biden gave thought to running, but having just lost his son beau, took a pass. president obama didn't endorse hillary clinton in that cycle until june, two days after she clinched the nomination. when biden did run in 2020, obama at first sat it out, conferring with and offering advice to all the candidates, but not endorsing his vice president of eight years. and, remember, biden went on then to place fourth in iowa, fifth in new hampshire, second to bernie sanders in nevada. he saved his candidacy in late february largely due to the support of house whip james

clyburn. obama didn't formally endorse his former vp until a week after bernie sanders had dropped out of the race and after sanders had endorsed biden. biden is said to bristle about that late embrace, which might make him more inclined to be supportive sooner of his own vice president. then again, for democrats, a large part of joe biden's legacy is that he defeated donald trump, that he prevented eight straight years of trump. if he decides not to run, he'll want to leave his party in the hands of whoever has the best chance to beat trump, should trump be the 2024 gop nominee. but is that harris? and should she have to prove it? gavin newsom seems to be doing what's necessary to keep his prospects alive, going so far as to agree to debate ron desantis. we'll see if that really comes to pass. surely, he would not be the only other democrat besides rfk jr. and marianne williamson who would compete for the nomination. the longer joe biden is an announced candidate, the better

it is for kamala harris that any change of heart comes late. that way, the potential field is frozen and she's better placed to be a quick stand-in. if biden wants to foster competition, he'll have to remain neutral with harris in 2024 as obama was with him in 2020, and he'll need to stand down with enough time for others to raise money and get on primary and caucus ballots. that clock is ticking. amazingly, the first state filing deadline for primary candidates is october 16th, just six weeks away, and it's nevada, a key state that biden won by fewer than 34,000 votes, a couple of percentage points, and hillary clinton won in 2016 by only 27,000. another swing state, michigan, has a december 8 deadline. as of today, many states have yet to finalize their filing deadlines, including the three early states of south carolina, iowa, and new hampshire. but by year's end, at least 13 more will have locked in their

candidate's slates, including ten with primaries on tuesday, which is march the 5th. so unless rfk jr. suddenly surges, that doesn't leave a lot of room for a new candidate to launch a campaign, assemble a team, and make a real run for it. what the calendar makes clear is that time is running out for a biden alternative other than kamala harris, so as donald trump tries to figure out how he can be in two places, a courtroom and a campaign trail, president biden needs to make sure he's in this, come hell or high water. i want to know what you think. go to my website at smerconish.com. will joe biden be the nominee in 2024? joining me to discuss is ron brownstein, senior editor of "the atlantic" where he has just published this piece "why biden just can't shake trump in the polls". it's always great to see you. i read the piece.

you argue that there are two things hindering biden that don't enable him to distance from trump. what are those two things? >> yeah, good morning, michael. interesting analysis there. look, i think there are four core factors that are shaping the environment for '24 that have changed the world since trump and biden faced each other the first time in 2020. the two big factors that are hurting biden, the headwinds for him are, as you said, the concerns about his age, three-quarters of americans saying he's too old to do the job for a second term, and concerns about inflation. you know, i talked to stanley greenberg, a long-time democratic pollster, he's polled for parties all over the world, and he points out that the destabilizing effect of inflation lasts longer in the minds and in the finances of average voters than political leaders often recognize. and then there are two big factors on the other side that are weakening trump, and one of

those is abortion, the desire, the majority support for maintaining legal abortion, and the second really is insurrection and democracy, the belief that the majority believe in the public that his actions after 2020 were illegal and unconstitutional. and when you take age and inflation on one side and abortion and insurrection on the other side, what you see right now is a stalemate. >> with regard to biden, you said, the other big change weakening democrats is that biden is older now, in polls as many as three-quarters of americans have said they believe biden is too old to serve effectively as president, far fewer americans expressed that concern about trump, though he's only three years younger than biden. images of biden walking stiffly, mang ling sentences, which he's prone to do, leave many strategists in a perpetual state of anxiety, fearful that the president is one step, physical or verbal, away from political

disaster. are you convinced, ron brownstein, that he will be the democratic nominee? >> well, i think -- look, we don't know what's going on in his mine. i think the vast, vast majority of democrats believe that biden is going to be the nominee and they have to figure out a way to make this work with him on the top of the ticket. first of all, biden has been a more effective legislative president than almost anyone expected. i think that's a fair statement. and he looks at those accomplishments and says, you know, i still have my fastball. second, i think him and the people around him are much more worried than you suggested that a fight to succeed him would tear apart the democratic party, precisely as it needs to go up against what, i think, virtually all democrats and many non-democrats view as an existential threat to democracy in trump. and then, third, people don't hand over power as president

very often. who was the last president who did not run for re-election? i think it would be calvin coolidge, did not seek at least one re-election. so there are lots of reasons why he should consider stepping off the stage, but there are also some powerful ones for why he would stay in, and i think both democrats believe it's going to be the latter course and they've got to figure out a way to make this work. if you look at the 2022 results, despite all of the problems that biden faces, they were all present there in 2022 as well, and in the states that will likely decide the winner next year, arizona, michigan, pennsylvania, wisconsin among them, abortion and democracy did outweigh inflation and concerns about biden in those key governors' races. >> ron, i fully recognize that many watching today are not going to appreciate my analysis, they're not going to appreciate the commentary, my effort to try and game out what might happen. for the record, i've spent the last several weeks talking about trump and all of his legal

impediments, but what if donald trump's nomination collapses under the weight of the indictments, right? next spring. the argument then that joe biden is the one who did and can beat trump goes away, and if there's another republican nominee, democrats could find themselves locked in with the president of the united states. >> yeah, look, there's a lot of concern about biden running against a different republican, especially one who is younger. i think democrats six months ago thought desantis was clearly a tougher candidate to beat than trump. i think many of them are not so sure right now that desantis is actually tougher than trump. look, biden's vulnerabilities are real. there's clearly a majority of the country that is very -- everything he's managed to achieve in his first term, especially with a trio of economically-related bills, that is real. i think democrats are frustrated and a little unnerved by how

sustained that resistance has proven in polls, despite all of the legal issues for trump, and, you know, if you kind of consider the overall landscape against anyone other than trump, it could be difficult. but trump sure looks like a commanding favorite right now in the republican race. >> quick final comment relative to the republican race. we showed that "wall street journal" poll that shows trump still maintaining his grasp on the gop. is that a reflection of an adherence to him or a reflection on that field that we all saw on the debate stage two weeks ago? >> i think it's more the former than the latter. i think what trump has done is successfully convinced that it wasn't really hard that the majority of the republican electorate to view the indictments the way he wants them to see them, as an attack on them through him. look, his message from the beginning has been that i am, in

effect, the human wall that will protect you against all of the forces in society that he alleges and many republicans believe are trying to marginalize that, and he has basically made this just the latest manifestation of that. so supporting him in the primary becomes a way to stand up to the liberal establishment and the deep state and all of these other forces. but it is worth noting, the republican coalition, there are a majority of voters who say they do not want donald trump to be president again if he is convicted of a crime. so you've got two candidates defined more by their weaknesses than strengths heading into this potential rematch. >> ron, your piece today in "the atlantic," as usual, is terrific. thank you for being here. >> thanks for having me. social media reaction. what do we have? i'm sure people were elated with my opening commentary. shut up! why are you spreading fear of biden and harris? biden is in the 2024 race. i fully expect the result of

today's poll question will be that people say, yes, joe biden will be the democratic nominee in 2024. do you know what my eye is on? what's the percentage of those who believe that he won't? i don't know what it will be. and the second response that i have is to say everything i offered in the opening commentary today was fact-based. there was no hyperbole. it was me looking at polling da data and the nomination schedule. go to my website at smerconish.com and answer this question, will joe biden be the democratic nomination in 2024. this statue has toured to much acclaim. would you care that the sculptor that made it was white? there's a new covid variant and a new rise in cases. if it got to the point where

health officials asked us to wear masks again, would people listen? who better to ask than dr. anthony fauci, who used to work for this guy. >> when i'm back in the white house, i will use every available authority to cut federal funding to any school, college, airline or public transportation system that imposes a mask mandate or a vaccine mandate. ( ♪ ♪ ) (camera shutters) ( ♪ ♪ ) ( ♪ ♪ ) ( ♪ ♪ )

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there's an uptick in covid cases and a new variant called ba.286 some three and a half years since the pandemic was first identified. but if public health officials feel it necessary to ask america to mask up again, how many would comply? the judge report led its website this morning with the headline, not again, mask up in new york. lead story at cbs news this morning, covid hospitalizations on the rise, as u.s. enters labor day weekend. the past several weeks have seen reports from all over the country of a rise in cases, and, yes, the cdc reports covid-19 hospital admissions are up more than 19% in the most recent week. in a few school districts this has led to canceled classes and sporting events, a handful of companies and schools have

responded to outbreaks on their premises by reinstating mask mandates among them. several hospital systems, including kaiser permanente in northern california, morris brown college in atlanta, dillard university in louisiana, lion's gate film studio in santa monica. but so far, so far those have been the few exceptions. and this graph shows how the current rise in hospitalizations compares to past surges, less than half the numbers this time last year, and still lower than they've been for about 80% of the pandemic. but if things get worse, it may be hard to get people to revert to an abundance of caution. according to gallop in the first two years, public kfts confidence in the health care system has dropped and donald trump took to truth social to make the issue political, accusing the latest outbreak to be hype designed to impact the 2024 election. >> to every covid tyrant who

wants to take away our freedom, hear these words, we will not comply. so don't even think about it. we will not shut down our schools, we will not accept your lockdowns, we will not abide by your mask mandates, and we will not tolerate your vaccine mandates. >> joining me now to discuss is dr. anthony fauci. he, of course, is the former director of the national institute of allergy and infectious diseases. nice to have you back. how worried are you that people will not follow advice to wear masks if, big if, if they get to that? >> that's a very good question, as you said, if we get to that. we're starting to see a surge of cases, as you mentioned, about an 18% or 19% increase in hospitalizations, certainly going in the wrong direction with what looks like a late summer and into the fall surge. how bad it's going to get, we don't know. as you know, this is a very unpredictable virus, it's shown

us that over the last three and a half years. i am concerned that people will not abide by recommendations, and we're not talking about mandates or forcing anybody, but when you have a situation with a volume of cases in society, where it gets to a reasonably high level, particularly the vulnerable, those who are elderly and have underlying conditions are going to be more susceptible and vulnerable if they do get infected to get severe disease leading to hospitalization. we know that. that's a fact. we've seen that. so i would hope that if, in fact, we get to the point where the volume of cases is such and organizations like the cdc recommend -- cdc doesn't mandate anything, i mean, recommends that people wear masks, i would hope that they abide by the recommendation and take into account the risks to themselves and to their families. and, again, we're not talking about forcing anybody to do

anything. >> totally understood. there is a perception out there by many -- how many, i don't know -- that they don't work and that the data concludes that they didn't work in the first go-around. respond to that on masks. >> yeah, well, that's not so. i mean, when you're talking about at the population level that the data are less strong than knowing that if you look at the situation as an individual protecting themselves or pr protecting them from spreading it, there's no doubt that masks work. different studies give different percentages of advantage of wearing it, but there's no doubt the weight of the studies, and there have been many studies, indicate the benefit of wearing masks. >> i'm going to refer to one of them. you've heard about it before. i heard about it from a number of radio callers. brett stevens and "the times" talked about cochran. the most rigorous and comprehensive annulus of scientific studies conducted on the efficacy of masks for reducing the spread of

respiratory illness, including covid-19, was published last month. its conclusions, said tom jefferson, the oxford epidemiologist, the lead author, were unambiguous, there is just no evidence that they, masks, make any difference. he told the journalist full stop. but, wait, hold on. what about the n-95 masks as opposed to the lower quality surgical or cloth masks? makes no difference, none of it, he said. what about the studies that initially persuaded policymakers to impose mask mandates? they were convinced by non randomized studies, flawed studies. how do we get beyond that finding of that particular review? >> yeah, but there are other studies, michael, that show at an individual level for individual, when you're talking about the effect on the epidemic or the pandemic as a whole, the data are less strong. when you talk about as an individual basis of someone protecting themselves or protecting themselves from

spreading it to others, there's no doubt that there are many studies that show that there is an advantage. when you look at the broad population level like the cochran study, the data are less firm with regard to the effect on the overall pandemic. but we're not talking about that. we're talking about an individual's effect on their own safety. that's a bit different than the broad population level. >> dr. fauci, look back and reflect and tell me, how would you do it differently with regard to kids? i am of the opinion that we erred on the side -- this is probably inartfully said, of physical health, not emotional health, and putting our kids within parameters in the pandemic was not in their best interest. do you share that perception? and if not, why? >> so, michael, are you referring to the closing of schools and the negative impact it has on development? >> yes, i am. >> certainly, when we were

dealing, michael, with the tsunami that we saw earlier on in the pandemic, when things had to be shut down because we were having hospitals that were overcrowded and we were having freezer trucks in front of hospitals in new york and other cities because we had no place to put the bodies, that was a very, very dramatic situation that needed something immediately to stop it. the question is, how long should a shutdown have been, and i think that there's varying degrees of differences in that, and i agree that i -- if you look back at the things that i've said back then, we should try as best as possible to keep the schools open and the schools that are closed, to get them open safely by any of a number of means, including increasing the ventilation in schools, making sure that the people around the children are properly vaccinated. so i agree. there was a point where we had to shut down, but the duration of the shutdown is something

that is questionable, and i think people, rather appropriately, should be examining of whether or not things should have been shut down for so long. but the initial shutting down was something that really had to have been done, michael, because we were in desperate situations then. >> given the public sentiment that i shared at the outset, people saying there's no way i would mask up again, a final thought from dr. fauci, if it comes to it, we hope it doesn't, but if it comes to it, might a better approach say let's protect the most vulnerable and allow others to lead their normal lives? final word is yours. >> yeah, i mean, mandating, i don't think is going to happen. there may be local mandates, michael, and people keep thinking that the federal government is going to mandate that you wear a mask. that's not going to happen. there may be individual institutions, organizations that are going to say, if you want to come to work, you've got to wear a mask. there's nothing that the federal government can do about that if people want to do it locally.

i think people need to realize, it is extremely unlikely that you're going to see a mandate, for example, from the cdc which has no authority to mandate anything with regards to masks. they can only recommend it. so people essentially, for the most part, can do what they want to do, based on their own evaluation of their own risk. >> dr. fauci, nice to see you. thank you for being here. >> good to be with you. >> social media reaction from the world of youtube, i believe. what do we have? folks who raid or watch fox won't mask or get the vaccine and they'll blame biden. gary, i don't think it will be limited to those in a media silo. i've seen so much data from too many differently outlets suggesting that there is a belief among many that question the efficacy, as i pointed out the cochran study to dr. fauci, and he notes there is a lot of studies and you can find one with a differently conclusion.

i don't want to be alarmist. i think we made very clear there's reason for concern, for the reasons that i identified. nobody is saying today that we're on the verge of there being mask mandates. but i have been wondering, what if, what if it takes a turn, given the polarization in this country and the strong sentiments that people have about the handling of the initial phase of the pandemic, would they ever go back and comply? and i doubt that they would. more social media. what do we got? no? okay, guys, you're confusing me. how about if i read the prompter. i want to remind you, go to my website at smerconish.com and vote on today's poll question, will joe biden be the democratic nominee in 2024? stay classy. up ahead, this statue of abolitionist harriet tubman drew raves with as it went across the country, so much so that they wanted to commission the

sculptor to create a permanent version for the city. controversy ensued because the sculptor, wesley wofford, happens to be white. he'll be here to tell us the story next. really? healthier is getting a flu shot on your schedule. cvs. healthier happens together. this is how tosin lost 33 pounds on noom weight. i'm tosin. noom gave her a psychological approach to weight loss. noom has taught me how you think about food has such a... huge impact on your relationship with it.

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question, when creating art that represents specific cultural or ethnic groups, should artists from those same groups be given preference? questions of cultural appropriation keep popping up of late. all kinds of circumstances, tv, fashion, movies. now the issue has carried into the world of public art, specifically a sculpture here in philadelphia. back in 2017, sculptor wesley wofford created harriet tubman, journey to freedom, and many asked if they could see it in

person. since the terms of his commission didn't allow a reproduction, he created an artist's proof and starting in february of 2020 he went on the road with a tour of nearly 20 american cities. it was displays in philadelphia from january through march of 2022 in honor of hubman's 200th birthday. the city asked to buy it. but the contract with the original owner meant it couldn't be sold, so philadelphia commissioned wofford to the tune of about $500,000 to make a new work featuring her to stand in front of city hall. then the complaints began. artists and other community members argued that the city should have used a public selection process rather than awarding a commission. and part of the outrage was because he's a white guy. at first the city defended its choice. the executive director of the office of arts and culture, who is herself african american, said in a statement, philadelphia would not be commissioning this permanent harriet tubman statue if not for

the public's positive response to wofford's temporary statue. it would be inappropriate for the city to bring in a different artist to recreate the artistic ex expression of wesley wofford. and members of tubman's family said we believe mr. wofford is an excellent choice for creating the statue. we agree that a call to artist may have provided for an opportunity for an artist of color, but support wesley wofford receiving the commission. ultimately, the city backtracked. they issued an open call for submissions, they then received 50 applications and recently announced these five semifinalist designs, all created by black artists. the public was asked to vote on its preference with that vote ending last night, this public feedback will be weighed in the final decisionmaking in october by a committee composed of members of tubman's family, historians, artists and others. wesley wofford decided not to compete. he joins me now. he's on the board of directors of the national sculpture

society. he's won both an emmy and an oscar for his work in the field of prosthetic makeup. thank you for being here. i should underscore, you didn't ask for this controversy, right? you brought a traveling exhibition to philadelphia, the city came to you and wanted to acquire it. is that correct? >> correct. first off, michael, thanks for having me on and thanks for allowing this dialogue to happen. it's a very important, nuanced dialogue. >> so what happened? what was the basis of the opposition or complaint that you most often heard? >> so there was a lot of -- just to juunderscore, there was a lo of support for me in general and the work to happen and so there's always sort of two sides to these conversations, and i think that both sides are valid. it's conversations that we need to have, obviously it came, the

elephant in the room, the color of my skin and my gender and the process, how did these get acquired in the process of it should be a call to artists. >> i get the latter, i get the idea that people say there should have been a bid, but the way it all came to pass with you with the traveling exhibition and the city not in the market for a harriet tubman statue but falling in love of your work, that explains why it happened the way that it happened. the troubling aspect is the role of race, because, frankly, by that logic, the hit "hamilton" couldn't be on broadway right now with a black cast representing the work of our historical white figures. why would that end, right? >> right. and i think it's twofold. i think that call to artists is one way to add to our public collection, that is severely lacking in underrepresented

groups. it's 50,000 objects in the country and 10% of them represent underrepresented stories, so call to artists is one way to get there. and other ways are direct commissions of artists or purchases of exiting works. i mean, there are many artists that don't compete for call to artists because that's a different way to create art. yeah, so there's that element of it. and then also the element of sort of, what is an artist's role in society? artists, do we only talk about ourselves or do we talk about one another, and different artists approach that differently. so if a black community comes to me and says, we want to use your skill set to tell our story, of course i'm going to embrace that proposition. >> it's a sensitive subject, and you don't strike me as a guy

looking to be a culture warrior. it occurs to me they would love you on another network and would want to use you for their own purposes. so what is it that you most want to say? >> yeah, i mean, i think that, for me, over the past year -- because i was removed from the commission a year ago, so it's only coming back up because the five artists presented their designs, and i think it's really important for us to think about the role of artists in the world. i think that artists create connections, we are the connective tissue that are trying to pull us together as a society. so, like, the empathy bridges that artists are cross-referencing different cultures, genders, races, that's our job. and i think the task ahead of us regarding underrepresentation in our public spaces is so huge that every living working artist

needs to be working on it. it isn't that only, you know, black artists should be sculpting black subjects. i think that we all need to get there together, there's too much work ahead of us. >> amen. wesley wofford, i encourage people to go online and look at your amazing work. thank you for being here to tell your story. >> thank you very much for having me, michael. i appreciate it. still to come, your best and worst social media comments, and we'll give you the final result of today's poll question. go to smerconish.com. by the way, register for the free daily newsletter while you're there. tell me this, will joe biden be the democratic nominee in 2024? their team of independent tax attorneys will work with your cpa to determine if your company is eligible. [whip sound] take the first step to see if your small business qualifies.

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air wick. air wick's limited edition fragrances are infused with natural essential oils for authentic seasonal scents that fill your home with warmth and cheer. here is some of what's on your mind this labor day weekend. social media, from the program so far, linda says, wow, i turned on cnn this morning and i thought i was watching fox or news max. move other, negative nancy, we have negative michael.

no, linda, what you have is michael smerconish having spent the last two weeks gaping out here on cnn, as i do every day on radio, how is the republican nomination going to end? he's four times indicted, when the trials get going, if they get going before the nomination is concluded, can donald trump really withstand the crush of all of that negative attention? is the republican support going to dissipate? now, was that appropriate for me to do? i think you would say that it was. so today the lesson was, how about the democratic side of the aisle? joe biden's approval rating stands at only 42%, 75% of the country say they don't want him to run for re-election, which is higher than 69%, who say the same thing about donald trump. does that not warrant a little explanation? and maybe a little conjecture as to what happens if biden really doesn't see it through? is it kamala harris', or will there be competition? i stand by the commentary and

all the data i quoted on it when making my presentation. what's next? any more that i have time to respond to. i love the social media. if biden had a running mate who was perceived to be more prepared as a commander in chief, his age would be less of a factor. to your point, the concerns expressed about his age, and again i quoted all the data at the outset of the program, only shine an additional spotlight on his number two. i feel like every four years we talk about the importance of the vice president, and then people go in and ultimately they vote only the top of the ticket. and the last cycle, they didn't vote about joe biden. it was a referendum on trump and trump veiled. this cycle will be different and i think there will be much more attention on both of their running mates because of the age of each of them. biden is 80, trump is 77. one more. i think i've got time. can i do a whole hour of this one weekend? art is a creation, doesn't matter who makes it. this controversy only breeds more racism. >> i've got to say, i'm

embarrassed about this story and i'm so grateful that the sculptor was willing to come on the program. he didn't go looking for this. he's commissioned to do a statue, puts it online. everybody is like, wow, that's awesome. he puts together a touring exhibition and when he gets to philly they say, can we have this, we love it, we'll display it on the city hall apron. they're making a deal, and now the word gets out and people are like, wait a minute, this needs to be publicly bid. i kind of get that, in the normal set of circumstances. but then the criticism was, hey, he's a white guy. he can't make a harriet tubman statue. hamilton could not have been staged on broadway by that logic. it does none of us any good. still to many co, the final results of this week's poll question. you can vote at smerconish.com. will joe biden be the democratic nominee? my eye is on the number of no votes. how many are actually voting no?

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look at these two homes. my mother used to have an expression. >> there is a result of this week poll question but we will keep it open for you can keep voting. three-quarter say, yes, of course joe biden will be the nominee in 2024. of nearly 30,000 voices, i find it significant that about a quarter, 26% say, no, he won't be. my own perspective is that as of today what is most likely? it is a rematch of 2020 and it is biden and trump. that is what my head tells me. emotionally, another part of me -- you are live in the cnn newsroom. biden is speaking in florida in the aftermath of the hurricane. but let's go to the president now. >> no winds the strong hit this

area in 100 years. i pray to god it will be another hundred years before this happens again. senator rick scott, who was with me today, i want to thank emma for his cooperation, his help. he shares the view ideal about fema. they're doing an incredible job. the work is just beginning. we have a lot of work to do. all the officials of florida, i want to thank them. jill and i spent time with the incredible first responders and folks who ran towards the danger instead of away from the danger. when this store was coming and when it was hit. and with the families, the families of lives that have been upended. we met a lot. here in live oak, massive trees were uprooted. tends her case force winds.

flooding and severe damage of homes and businesses. police chief davis was spending so much time the other day and i appreciate it, i really do. there is, you know, while he was doing his job, he lost part of his house and the roof on his barn. it was destroyed. later at school, was part of her roof and the car was destroyed. power was out across the county as chicken processing plants and lumber mills can't operate, affecting economic well-being. just here in this county, millions of chickens had to be destroyed. i know a little about that. in delaware it is a $4 billion industry. it is what you make a living and a way to feed the world. it is amazing. hundred of broken power poles, downed power lines means many of you in live oak still have no power.

i know it is frustrating and hard. i have directed fema to help you in every way that they can. fema, in the future, you can find and replace these wooden poles with steel poles that are much safer and much more resistant to further kinds of storms. families are piecing their lives back together. through it all, you have seen it and the press has seen it too, neighbors helping neighbors. generally, neighbors helping neighbors. it is determination and optimism. the spirit of this community is remarkable. the most important thing can give them is hope. there is no hope, like your neighbor walking across the street to see what they can do for you or the local pastor someone coming in and offering you help. it gives you hope. hundreds of dedicated mineworkers are here restoring power.

i asked for an estimation how many mineworkers from other states came knowing the hurricane was coming, 20 states , including georgia and alabama sent workers to try to re- establish the connections here in the state, 20 different states i have been in frequent touch with governor desantis since the storm made landfall. at my direction, fema administrator, chris wells, traveled to florida wednesday night having been here earlier. i proved the a crest that governor desantis asked for a massive major disaster declaration. at the same time, i requested governor mcmasters of south carolina for an emergency declaration. that is a fancy way of saying to get help immediately and all we can do under the law. folks, we are making federal

assistance available. we have survivors. whose homes and businesses are damaged in the storm. we help deliver mills -- meals and water. fema is pre-position knowing the store might hit with meals and water throughout this area. before the storm, we pre- deployed 1000 federal personnel and 900 coast guard personnel. that is not to mention the national guard, the state national guard was here waiting as well. we have served millions of meals, thousands of tarps, blankets and cods. once the storm hit, federal search and rescue teams help people whose homes were surrounded by water. now, the storm has passed. you are dealing with that is what is left in the wake