seven republicans aiming to follow in ronald reagan footsteps in the closing remarks. >> polls don't elect presidents. voters evict presidents. >> this is our time for choosing. >> like a football game. go on the field, play to win. >> no one's goal to call you donald trump anymore. we're going to call you donald

duck a. bit of a know-it-all seems at times. >> every time i hear you i feel a little dumber for what you say. >> america is not a racist country. never, ever doubt who we are! >> there's nothing from this debate that is going to push down donald trump's favorability. >> they're fighting for the bottom of the race right now. >> clearly, this debate was a sign where these candidates are trying to emerge as the second place in this race against donald trump. good morning, everyone. top of the hour. so glad you're with us. just heard the voice of our friend and workmate and so fascinating. race for the bottom. did they succeed breaking through against trump? >> big question, in the race to actually win the race or some other position? dig in and see what takeaways were. >> yeah.

>> donald trump's rivals fighting for the spotlight at that chaotic primary. yet again gop front-runner a no-show and battled for a breakout moment. >> it's about -- >> if i may -- >> and showtime. >> can't be a champion on both sides. >> i believe in these people. these are good people on the stage -- >> and one person on the stage. >> sir, we'll have to cut your mic and i don't want to the do that. i don't. >> like my house at bed and bath time. moderators had a hard time stopping candidates from speaking over one another. candidates struggling to put a dent in trump's significant lead. vivek ramaswamy and ron desantis ended up having most of the speaking time. border security, government spending. the two issues talked about the most onstage. several candidates slammed trump's record and his failure to show up. but overall, they didn't spend a lot of time talking about him or attacking the former president instead of debating, trump in michigan. see him there, speaking to auto workers trying to upstage president biden who was there

the day before. trump joked that his primary opponents are running for a job in his future administration. and president biden seemed focused on a likely rematch with trump. he is set to give a big speech on democracy just hours from now warning that "something dangerous is happening in america. there is an extremist movement." what he's going to say. that does not share the basic beliefs of odemocracy. the mega movement. after quite a debate, joining us, a lot of people talked over each other and at points hard to understand what they were even saying. >> you're absolutely right and the bath-time comment, phil, 100% right. if you have kids, what it felt like at times. this was messy, loud and difficult to hear what they were saying at times from that debate stage and if the goal was to try to chip away at that enormous lead that donald trump has over this field, it's hard to see how

that they accomplished that. >> reporter: achaotic second gop presidential debate. >> we want to get -- >> reporter: with seven candidates all vying for second place behind donald trump, criticizing the front-runner for not showing up. >> you're not here tonight because you are afraid of being on this stage and defending your record. you're ducking these things, and let me tell you what's going to happen. you keep doing that, no one up here's going to call you donald trump anymore. beer going to call you donald duck. >> reporter: the candidate invoked trump's name more this time around zeroing in on the economy and possible government shutdown. >> the people in washington are shutting down the american dream with their reckless behavior. they borrowed, they printed, they spent and now you're paying for more everything. they are the reason for that. and where's joe biden? he's completely missing in action from leadership. and you know who else is missing in action? donald trump is missing in

action. he should be on this stage tonight. he owes it to you -- [ cheers ] -- to defend his report. >> reporter: pence took direct aim at the president's bidenomics agenda. >> joe biden doesn't belong on a picket line. he belongs on the unemployment line. >> bidenomics has failed. wages are not keeping up with inflation. auto workers and all american workers are feeling it. >> reporter: on the auto workers' strike, a range of views and blame. >> they want four-day french work weeks but more money. they want more benefits working fewer hours. that is simply not going to stand. >> the reason why people are striking in detroit is because joe bidenen interference with capital markets and with free markets. >> reporter: the debate hit on many red meat issues for the republican party including immigration and border security. >> our laws are broken every day at the southern border. every day. and joe biden and his crew is doing nothing about enforcing that law. >> defund sunk chewary cities.

you see what's happening in philadelphia right now. it's got to stop. we need to make sure we put 25,000 more border patrol and i.c.e. agents on the ground and let them do their job. >> if a kid of a mexican diplomat doesn't enjoy birthright citizenship neither does a kid who broke the law to come here. >> reporter: vivek ramaswamy forced to defend his business record in china and use of tiktok. >> a radical idea for the republican party. we need to win elections. part of how we win elections is reaching the next generation of young americans where they are. >> this is infuriating because tiktok is one of the most dangerous social media apps we could have and what you've got, honestly every time i hear you u feel a little dumber for what you say. >> reporter: the two candidates from south carolina sparred over gas taxes in their home state and -- curtains. >> nikki offered a 10% tax gas

increase in south carolina as the u.n. ambassador you literally -- >> bring it, tim. >> $50,000 on curtains at aed $15 million subsidized location. >> you got bad information. first of all i fought the gas tax in south carolina multiple times. secondly on the curtains? do your homework because obama bought those curtains. >> did you send them back? >> it's the state department. did you send them back? you're the one that works in congress. >> you hung your curtains there before i even showed up at the residence. you are scrapping. >> reporter: something you didn't hear after the debate. any candidates saying that they were going to take their foot off the gas from here. some candidates will be heading directly south to orange county, california. ramaswamy, desantis and scott will all speak at the california republican party convention, which begins tomorrow. it will also feature, phil and

poppy, the big name in the room. donald trump. >> yeah. there you go. >> he's important, because leading by 30 or 40 points. >> that's right. >> very impressive hearing sound going through the debate. thank you. >> so true. all right. back to you soon. at the take with us, scott jennings, van jones, a washington correspondent talae and josh back with us. thank you for being here. i was struck that vivek ramaswamy was different last night. he wasn't totally different, but he seemed to have gotten some feedback from the last one, which polls went up. listen to this part of what he said last night. >> i'm here to tell you, no, i don't know it all. i will listen. i will have the best people, the best and brightest in this country. whatever age they are, advising me. >> well, so here's what happened. a consultant said they don't

like you. they think you're a no itall. you're off-putting and need to stop doing that. so he went out and repeated those exact terms that consultants said. so -- here's the thing. when it's just who you are it doesn't really work, and you saw him get a little spike after the last debate. it's calmed down. soon as we turn the lights on on this guy, everybody was like, oh, my god. watching nikki haley take him over her knee and spank him for the entire debate about the most pleasurable thing about this debate. >> it is morning television, by the way. >> an important moment, because it brought up historical context i wanted to show everybody. >> this is infuriating because tiktok is one of the most dangerous social media apps that we could have. >> yes, it is. >> and what you've gone, honestly every time i hear you i feel a little dumber for what you say. >> at no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you

even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. i award you no points, and may god have mercy on your soul. >> the best political consultant, "billy madison" movies. >> and van, we laugh and joke, honestly, first them cake to my mind. not much about my youth and influences and growing up. attacks felt forced, some consultant-driven, scott pointed out versus where the party is. actually policy issues itself and does any break through? you're very frustrated what you saw last night? >> yeah. because, you know, it's not just who winds up getting the nomination. it's what happens to the country along the way? and what i saw was a debate that was normalizing stuff that's shocking. the idea that you're going to attack the babies of immigrants, tell them they don't belong,

strip away citizenship is a completely bonkers idea that just went down like ice cream last night. the idea you're abandon ukraine. the idea you're going to make it impossible for people who are transgender to get medical benefits. horrific ideas, not just bad ideas, mainstreamed in the process. figure theous is anybody getting two points closer to donald trump before getting defeated? the country is not getting dumber but worse during every one of these debates. >> on the economy, where biden is polling so poorly right now, i didn't hear as forceful attacks on how i will be different for you, what i can actually get through, et cetera, how your life will be materially different on that front much as i thought from them. just broad strokes but a lot of those broad streokes, no, they

can't do alone as president. >> i agree. so far we're seeing a personality campaign. not a policy campaign coming from the debate stage. it was kind of a side show. the real dos this week, in michigan. where the current and former president have been to hear and address the economic situation on that stage it was a bit of a side show. we had seven candidates who if you combined them, in the national surveys they don't even add up to be able to beat trump together. >> to that point, let me play this sound from trump in michigan talking about them on the debate stage. here it is. >> you know we're competing with the job candidates. they're all running for a job. no. they're all job candidates. they want to be in the -- they want to, secretary of something. even say have. i don't know. does anybody see any vp in the group? i don't think so. >> i think what the next election will be about is the economy, and it's the current

and former president who went to michigan to hear the economic woes. everyone onstage, hard to hear anyone. fighting like children. the hosts threatening to cut off their mics just to get order onstage. no one was talking about the economy. if you ask people from middle america, you're from kentucky, i'm from ohio, then people are saying all of those men and that one woman are fighting amongst each other. there are two real candidates who are talking about our wallets and our grocery store checkout -- >> i do think both the contrast also just the picture of president biden, former president trump in michigan back-to-back days. president biden today giving a speech on democracy. a through line from his first campaign, first three and a half years in office and into 2024. on the policy itself of economic policy. in michigan, the difference between the two, not just in terms of what we saw on-camera, kind of the messaging, but the policy here. >> i think when we talk about

this isn't going to be a campaign, about the economy. it's a campaign specifically about inflation. unemployment low now. not doing a lot for the president's approval on the economy because real wages were falling. improved somewhatship flat from a year ago not up a lot. people feel like they're working and not getting as much value as they used to. i think the reason that doesn't turn into a really more specific conversations, first of all, fairly easy to go up and say joe biden came in, inflation went out of control. look at all of stuff he did. stop doing it and inflation will go down. that's not actually how it works. bring inflation down, raise taxes. spending. talking specifically cutting spending ends up being unpopular. repeal obamacare, didn't want to talk about that. specific things done about inflation is unpopular but because inflation is a mystery to most people point out. first of all, joe biden did do certain things caused part of

inflation. stimulus package in 2021 was too large. basically say, he screwed it up. i won't screw it up like that. not jut leading political issue in the u.s. leading political issue around the world. united kingdom, ireland, germany because of one issue i think is dominating politics around the world. joe biden needs to deal with that, find a way. i'm not sure how specific republicans need to get on the issue, the fact the president of the minneapolis federal reserve said on the show to us yo yesterday, to the american people. what do you say to them? do not take on more debt right now. a warning what the fed may have to do here with interest rates. jamie dimon this week saying worst-case scenario hit 7%. a reality americans need to brace themselves for, as a possibility. >> yeah. >> not a surety but a possibility. i just didn't feel that was directly addressed. >> the format for addressing things like this is terrible. this is a colosseum.

throw them out there, pit them against each other. more for environment than addressing something really serious, hey, can't buy a car or a house you don't feel you can afford any of the things you need to live. >> 42 weeks of full earnings right now to buy a car for americans. 42 weeks! >> this debate, the way we set them up, pit them against each other is not designed to deal with any of that. a travesty. i agree with van about that. the two people who were talking economy this week are biden and trump and trump's obviously already pivoted out of this. thinks this is an academic side show but it's what people want to hear. it's the single thing that might re-elect donald trump. biden has no answer on inflation. can't show people charts and graphs when they don't feel they can afford a basic vehicle? a charter or graph isn't going to fit that gut instinct of society about am i going to be able to afford to live?

>> nodding? >> yeah. i think a lot of what's going on, i agree with you 100%. they were just fighting. they were -- they would have embarrassed a high school teacher, a kindergarten teacher how they were going back and forth and managed to diminish themselves. you're supposed to be diminishing donald trump or whoever the front-runner is. they made each other, like the incredible shrinking person poll and meanwhile people at home can't buy stuff. not wrong. you're taking stuff out of your basket. go up, holy crap. you go back. so i do think that there's a deeper pain here in donald trump, he could just be the alternative to the pain. just -- i think that's his, going to be his -- i -- you like what you got? stick with what you got or go with me. able to pull that off, you got a problem. >> trump was a better candidate in '16.

not the incumbent. didn't have to answer for decisions he made, really. now, he's not the president. he does have a record, but he's a better candidate outside in and inside out. jo think the biden people understand yet just how effective he can be. >> that's a danger. >> it's dangerous and i don't they think get it yet. coming up in about ten minutes, chris coons joining us, obviously a senator but art of the biden 2024 push. talk about that and a lot more ahead. thank you for a very thoughtful discussion, guise. appreciate it. senator john fetterman's outfits, to be clear, passing unanimous vote. banning shorts and hoodies on the chamber floor. how fetterman responded. also, the american soldier who ran into north korea is now back on u.s. soil. where he is headed now, what it took to get him back home.

welcome back this morning.

u.s. private travis king back on u.s. soil. he flew in on a military flight which landed at joint base san antonio overnight. the soldier who crossed into north korea in july and just before that king was released from a south korean detention facility after an alleged assault at a seoul nightclub. following all this and the joining us from the pentagon. good morning. this trip to get him home took an assist from a number of countries. how did he get back here? >> reporter: it did. one of those rare, very rare, situations, i would say. you see senior administration officials thanking china for their role in helping all of this. it was sweden that acted effectively as the intermediary between the u.s. and north korea, after north korea made the decision to expel, ththeir words, private travis king after concluding their investigation of him. why they chose to expel him and what the investigation is unclear. what is clear that king was on his way out of north korea a

swedish convoy brought him to the friendship bridge and that's the bridge between north korea and china, where the u.s. defense attache to china met him beginning his journey home. from china to south korea and back to here, joint base san antonio just a few hours ago. six hours ago after 70 days in north korean detention. he's had a chance to talk to his family. according to administration officials briefed on this process to cnn and will be taken to brook army medical center for medical evaluation. where those are brought to reacclimate make sure they're going okay. where brittney griner and trevor reed were brought before released by russia. the question, what happens now, poppy? the military officials said could be brought up on military charges, absent without leave. that remains unclear. not getting a definitive answer whether or when that might happen. >> and why he was expelled and

allowed to come back to the united states? so many questions. thank you for all the reporting. phil? this morning house republican hard-liners are defiant refusing to work with democrats, their speaker following suit with only two days left to reach a deal and avert a government shutdown. and house rules committee actually called an emergency meeting overnight to strips $3 million from the ukraine. long existing funding. mitch mcconnell is standing by, worked out with chuck schumer and house speaker mccarthy says won't get a vote without significant changes. live on capitol hill, lauren has more. optimism with two-plus days left and the clock ticking down, any outcome besides a shutdown? >> reporter: if you asked aides, if you asked members, phil, on capitol hill who have been close to the shutdowns in the past they will tell you they do not

know how this ends. here is veteran appropriator tom cole and what he told me yesterday when i pressed him whether or not americans waking up monday would be assured that there would not be a shutdown. >> obviously we've got our challenges here as well, and the two chambers are a long way apart. so, you know, again, i'm not at all confident we won't end up in a shutdown. >> reporter: and tom cole would know. he has been through many of these showdowns in the past, phil, but here's what you're going to see over the next couple of days play out. the house of representatives is going to continue to try to move on individual spending bills. these bills are going nowhere in the senate. they would not prevent a government shutdown but that's where house republicans are focused now because you have hard-liners demanding that speaker mccarthy brought these bills to the floor. the hope from leadership is that as members start to see these bills are failing, or not going to stop a shutdown, that they

will start to rally around a short-term solution. but so far, phil, that has not happened. as you noted. we are now two days and 16 hours away from that shutdown. >> yeah. no rush, guys. plenty of time. lauren, ask you before i loet you go. senator bob menendez indicted last week expected to speak behind closed doors to the democratic caucus. more than 30 democrats called for him to tempestep down. >> reporter: a really important meeting for senator menendez. to this point, he's been defiant, won't step aside deserves presumption of innocence. you noted. now 30 democratic colleagues have called for him to resign, including the number two democrat, senator dick durbin, and his fellow new jersey democrat cory booker. this is going to be a very key and important meeting for senator menendez as he faces many of his colleagues called for him to step down. phil? >> all right. lauren fox, great reporting.

thank you. president biden a prime target during the debate last night. toned expected to send a dire warning about the state of democracy with a key focus on the republican front-runner donald trump who skipped the debate. one of the closest allies, senator chris coons is here next. welcome back.

today president biden heads to arizona where he will make a speech warning about the ongoing threats to democracy. reportedly highlighting donald trump's role in those threats. he is expected, biden that is, to say in part "there's something dangerous happening in america. there is an extremist movement that does not show the basic bl beliefs of our dock cemocracy, maga movement." and at the same time, the biden impeachment, and an expert testifies today as to why he thinks an impeachment investigation is justified. last night biden was a chief target of attacks at the second republican presidential debate. listen. >> joe biden should not be on

the picket line. he should be on the southern border working to close our southern border, because it is unsafe, wide open and insecure. >> bidenomics failed. wages are not keeping up with inflation. auto workers and all americans are feeling it. families are strul stugalling and joe biden's green new deal is good for beijing and bad for detroit. >> the reason why people are striking in detroit is because joe biden's interference with capital markets, and with free markets. the subsidies subsidizing automakers particularly subsidizes electric vehicles. >> joining us to respond to that, one of the president's closest allies senator chris coons. thank you for being here. wasn't just them. herd the former president, donald trump, railing about president biden. here he was -- >> he's selling you out to

china. he's selling you out to the environmental extreme s and radical left. >> he is -- saying that the biden administration policies or electric vehicles and these subsidies will ultimately lead to american job losses. account biden administration guarantee it won't? >> poppy, look at the record. when president trump was in office we lost manufacturing jobs in the first two years of the biden administration our private sector created more than 800,000 manufacturing jobs. the first two years of the biden administration actually had the strongest job creation record in decades. more than 13 million new jobs. and we've had unemployment at its lowest level for the longest time in our lifetime. so, frankly, i think the best predictor what's going to happen in the coming years, if president biden's re-elected, is what's already happening. a very strong economy. compared to every other advanced economy, every developed ally of

ours. our economy's in have strong shape. now, folks may not be feeling it yet, but the investments we've made in infrastructure, in manufacturing, in growing our economy are paying off and the numbers show it. >> it is an important record. the numbers you point out. however, some of the requirements for electric vehicles on the roads and these subsidies aren't fully in place then. i'm talking about now. given this administration's stance. is it a guarantee from the administration that they will not cost those americans jobs, in the auto sector? >> look in a global competition for who's going to be building the automobiles of this century, joe biden and the democrats in congress have made a critical, strategic bet. a bet that the economy is going to follow a clean energy future globally. what our competitors in europe and japan and in china are doing. all of their automakers are transitioning rapidly to electric vehicles and in the

inflation reduction act we laid the ground work for that. not with mandates but incentives. tax incentives part of why you're seeing record groundbreakings in new battery factories, new automobile factories and new manufacturing-related construction here in the united states. in fact, i've been at meetings in europe, close allies and partners in the fight to help ukraine regain territory complained bitterly we in the united states are rocketing ahead of them creating a risk of their major industrial companies choosing to move to the united states. so i'm optimistic about this. and frankly, if you look back to when the auto industry was in bankruptcy, it was nearing collapse in the united states, in '08-09 then vice president joe biden fought hard to save the american auto industry. he was on the picket lines yesterday, because he believes in the american worker, the american middle class and the american auto industry. >> i spent many, many weeks in detroit covering that, and a lot

of what the workers lost then is what they're fighting for now. turning to the president's speech today. notable. going to give that speech near arizona state university, of course, that houses mccain institute. mccain, the late john mccain, a friend of biden's who denounced autocrats around the globe. the place is very intentional. in terms of the address and what he's going to do, this battle between democracy and autocracy. it's a phrase he used a lot. he's used it less this year as you know the "new york times" pointed out "biden and other administration officials come to think that framing comes with down sides." he didn't use it, for example, addressing the united nations general assembly. do you believe there are down sides? >> well, in talking to the united nations general assembly, our president cited the u.n. charter. and the basic rule that you shouldn't change boundaries between countries by force. that has brought appeal to the nations assembled and the united states nations, but the united states is democracy and we stand

up for and fight for democracy around the world. our millions of armed forces members serving at home and abroad understand a key part of their service, defending america to be defending our constitution and defending our democracy. that's why, poppy, i am so upset and disappointed we're just two days from a government shutdown that would make every one of our service members continue to serve without being paid. that sort of instability and insecurity for our armed forces is just -- a horrible message to send the world about the defense of our democracy. >> every american deserves a government that is up and open and functioning. no question on that. when it comes to this approach the president is taking, anti-maga, you know, democracy versus autocracy, notable you told cnn, told our colleague manu raju last week "the polls head-to-head" meaning biden-trump are more concerning than i expect.

why do you think, given that, the president is not doing better? >> his record is very strong. you just agreed with me. record of job creation, standing up -- >> i said the statistics are important to lay out, but continue, senator. >> his record is very strong. i'm frankly not that concerned about the current polls. if you look back at where barack obama stood in the polls in 2011, in 2007, it, at that point, head-to-head, predicting he would lose to mitt romney in 2011. lose to rudy giuliani in 2007. even ronald reagan nearing this point in his first term was at real, had a very low approval rating and facing significant head winds and calls for him to not run for re-election. early head-to-head polls i don't think are predictive. what i was saying to manu, given the president's very strong record on the economy, on our place in the world, on restoring a commitment to democracy and the guardrails critical to our constitution and our order here in the united states, i would

expect he would be doing better. but if i had to choose between a very strong record of accomplishment and in his first two years of president as polls lagging, being really strong in the polls having accomplished almost nothing i would prefer what president biden and vice president harris have, which is a tremendous record of accomplishment investing in community mental health, signing into law the strongest gun safety bill in 30 years. and reducing unemployment to record lows. >> senator before you go, you are the chair of the ethics committee. we have not heard you on the record yet about whether you think senator menendez to resign given fraud allegations and indictment. do you believe he should resign? >> as chairman of the ethics committee i cannot comment on any malter that is or may be before the committee. >> appreciate you coming on. thank you, senator chris coons. >> thank you, poppy. phil? chris christie and mike pence join us ahead to talk about last night's debate and their attacks on donald trump.

who wasn't even on the stage. police in baltimore krarresd a convicted felon who murdered a tech ceo. >> the definition of daddy's little girl. she turned from being daddy's little girl into being a girl boss.

new development. suspect in murder of a 26-year-old tech ceo in baltimore now is in police custody. pava la apere found dead. the concerns i think palpable from law enforcement. what do we know about the suspect? >> they were. the baltimore city mayor called him extremely dangerous. the overnight hours jason billingsley was arrested by baltimore police, tracking him to a train station in bowie, maryland, according to one of our affiliates. someone suspected of killing 26-year-old pava lapere.

it shook that community and while police were searching for billingsley, a vigil was held for lapere that included her father who told the crowd that was there this was someone who was like him, an early riser he would talk to in those early morning hours. >> she was the definition of daddy's little girl. she had me wrapped, and still does. she turned from being daddy's little girl into being a girl boss. and she treated me the same way. >> she was 26 years old. just named forbes 30 under 30 for social impact this past year. the man suspected of killing her, we learned from baltimore police actually a suspect in a separate attempted murder r, ra and arson case happens about a

mile from where lapere's body was found. pleaded guilty to assault in 2009. 2011, sentenced in 2015 but as we understand it released in 2022 under mandatory supervision. at least what officials told the "new york times." so since released police are poring over all of these cases to see if he's connected to anyone else they may have missed. >> heartbreaking for her father omar. appreciate it. poppy. this morning ukraine is working to get the full picture of damage caused by what it is calling a massive russian drone attack overnight. last night the gop presidential candidates sparred on the debate stage on how the country should handle the war in ukraine. we'll ask the former national security advisor to president trump john bolton about those plans. stay with us.

♪ overnight, russia launching

a massive attack, drone attack on the southern city of odesa according to ukraine's military spokesperson who said ukraine's air defense was successful in destroying 30 drones after the uk's defense minister met ukrainian president volodymr zelenskyy in a surprise visit to coral re coral reef. that support was not shared on the debate stage last night. >> it's in our interest to end this war. that's what i will do as president. we are not going to have a blank check. >> our national vital interests is in degrading the russian military. >> just because putin is not an -- putin is an evil dictator doesn't mean that ukraine is good. this country has banned 11 opposition parties, that has -- we are driving russia -- >> excuse me, excuse me. >> vivek --

>> putin have ukraine that's a green light to china to take taiwan. >> joining us former trump national security advisor former ambassador to the united nations john bolton. ambassador, thank you for being with us at the table this morning. it's stark the change, particularly republican support, for more aid for ukraine. looking as recently as july, 59% of republicans say the u.s. has done enough. what changed? >> i think there are not enough republican political leaders explaining the strategic reasons why the united states should not only aid ukraine but get to victory over the russians. biden isn't doing a very good job either. i think this has turned into a kind of partisan battle because it's a democratic president. if we got a responsible republican nominee, which is open to question at this point, and he became president, republican support for ukraine would solidify and would the democratic progressives who

would break off. >> you think it's just political? >> i think a lot of it is political. i haven't heard from the republican or democratic opponents of aid to ukraine a single strategic argument. they come up with bumper stickers like biden won't defend our border with mexico, why should we worry about the border with russia. we are failing at the mexican border, let's fail at the ukrainian border, too. you peace and stability in europe and preventing aggression on that continent and around the world helps the united states. we are not doing out of charity for the ukrainians. we are doing it in our national interest. politicians have to say that, justify it to the american people and they are not doing it. >> it's striking that mitch mcconnell is one of those for making this case. his counterpart in the house certainly a very different spot because of the conference. something that happened with former president trump, a social

media posting he called for the execution of mark milley, the retiring chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. milley responded. take a listen. >> as much as these comments are directed at me, it's directed at the institution of the military. there is 2.1 million of us in uniform. >> are you worried about safety? >> i have adequate safety precautions. i parish those comments were not made, but they will. >> what is your response when you see that? >> what trump said about milley, about investigating nbc for treason in another recent social post are disqualifying and every republican candidate for president should say that. anybody to who says that demonstrates they are not fit to be president. the fact that there aren't enough republicans saying that i find very troubling. if there is going to be a successful challenge to donald trump, which i haven't seen yet,

it's got to be from somebody who talks tesense to republican voters, reminds them of ronald reagan and his attitudes and not donald trump. i have to say, with all due respect to the television and other media, these performances like last night are not debates. they are made for tv. they don't sad to the discussion. you can't have a sensible conversation about national security in 60 seconds, and, you know, it's more about tv than it is about the candidates. who remembers who the moderators were in the lincoln/douglas debates? there weren't any. so if you want to have real debates, i am looking forward to ron desantis and gavin newsom and have the two of them face off. let's end these charades because it doesn't help the people make up their mind. >> we have you at the table. really want to get your take on travis king, the u.s. army private who crossed into north korea willingly and then we learned yesterday north korea had, in their words, expelled

him. we didn't know where he was going to be 24 hours ago. now he is back in the united states. here is an exchange between alex marquardt and matt miller at the state department on the questions surrounding this, this was yesterday. >> we didn't give them anything. we made no concessions as a part of securing his return. >> do you have any idea why they decided to expel him? >> i am going to follow my general and not get into the heads of foreign governments and certainly not that one. >> would north korea expel him without any concessions? >> well, i think, obviously, we don't know what was on north korea's mind. it's possible that they originally saw this attempted defection as a propaganda coup that they could turn travis king, make him a public spokesman against the north korea. it could be this young man made he made his life's worst mistake and wasn't going to cooperate.

why they didn't throw him in a cell in the middle of north korea and let him rot, i don't know. i haven't given up on the prospect there is some hook in here we haven't seen. i think diligent reporters ought to be scurrying around trying to find that. we don't know the full story yet. >> john bolton, appreciate your time. the candidates trading attacks on the debate stage and taking aim at the frontrunner who once again wasn' watching. you're afraid of being on the stage and defending your record. you are ducking these things. let me tell you what's going to happen. you keep doing that, we are not going to call you donald trump anymore, we will call you donald duck. >> we will speak to chris christie and the donald duck in a moment. later mike pence joins us as well. stay with us. a lot more to come.

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