>> announcer: "this week" with george stephanopoulos starts right now. >> george: breaking overnig overnighovernight -- iran and its proxies attack, launching hundreds of drones and missiles towards israel. all the latest from britt clennett and martha raddatz. plus, white house national security spokesman john kirby and fareed jury selection begins monday in donald trump's manhattan election interference case, the first criminal trial of a former american president. >> the whole thing is a disgrace, and it's a disgrace to our nation. >> george: aaron katersky previews the drama ahead, and republican governor chris sununu

responds. upheaval. >> it's a total ban. no exceptions for rape or incest. >> george: the supreme court upholds a civil war-era abortion ban. >> women could die as a result of this decision. >> george: democrats seize the issue blaming donald trump. >> donald trump is the architect of this health care crisis. >> george: this morning, rachel scott reports on the political fallout. plus, reaction from tina smith and our powerhouse round table. >> george: good morning, and welcome to "this week." as we come on the air this morning, the u.s. has condemned iran's air attack on israel, the first ever direct attack from iran on israel. retalluation for israel's attack on the iranian consulate in syria. most of the incoming fire,

hundreds of drones, cruise and ballistic missiles were intercepted. there were signs from both iran and israel that this round of fighting is over, and a wider war may have been prevented for now, but the region remains a tinderbox. britt clennett starts us off from jerusalem. good morning, britt. >> reporter: good morning, george. yeah, overnight iran launched a massive air strike on israel including 170 drones, 30 cruise missiles, and over 120 ballistic missiles. that's according to the idf in the early hours of the morning here, george. the sky over jerusalem, it was lit up by rockets and drones. we heard the roar of fighter jets overhead. people here urged to take shelter as air raid sirens blared across the country. the idf saying israel's iron dome system intercepted some 99% of the projectiles, deeming it a significant strategic success, and israel says some of the missiles did hit israel causing minor damage to an air base, but no casualties reported so far.

one girl is in critical condition. it's not clear whether she was injured by falling debris. the id firidf saying that launc coming from iraq and syria, the uk, and the u.s. all helping to thwart this assault. iran says this is their response to an israeli strike on their diplomatic building in syria earlier this month that killed top commanders, but this -- this is a first time iran has directly targeted from iranian soil. until now it has used its array of regional proxies to engage israel, george. >> george: and britt, there does seem to be signs from both iran and israel this morning that they're trying to contain this matter. >> reporter: yeah. so this morning, the top general of the iranian forces told an iranian news agency that the military response was over, and that they have no intention of continuing the operation against israel, but prime minister benjamin netanyahu with a message on social media today saying, we intercepted, we

blocked. together, we will win. meanwhile, netanyahu is convening his war cabinet later today to discuss the next move that israel will take, and really, george, the world waiting to see the impact of this unprecedented strike. george? >> george: i'm not sure this is the right word, britt, but how normal does it feel there this morning? >> reporter: you know, it's still tense. it was a long evening. when i spoke to people before this strike, they seemed unfazed, because israel is used to this, but people are on edge now, but there could be a back and forth from iran to israel and it could escalate out of control. >> george: thanks. let's bring in martha raddatz. martha, thanks for joining us this morning. let's pick up on what iran was saying last night. the u.s. was involved in those defenses and operations last night and we're getting a warning from iran against further u.s. involvement? >> martha: exactly, george. they say the operation is concluded, but iran's mission to

the u.n. said, however, should the israeli regime make another mistake, iran's response will be considerably more severe. it is a conflict between iran and the rogue israeli regime from which the u.s. must stay away. in capital letters there, you see, of course. iran had also warned the u.s. not to be involved in the defense of israel. president biden basically said, we will protect israel, and that was an extraordinary show of defensive capability last night. that was a massive attack. it is so lucky and skilled that they were able to shoot down those drones, those missiles. more than 300. the u.s. early last night thought there might be 400 or 500 drones and missiles headed for israel, and this is not over, george. you will likely see some sort of response from israel. because no one was injured,

because there was no infrastructure damage, i believe it will probably just aim at military facilities in iran, but netanyahu will be under a lot of pressure domestically to retaliate for that strike aimed at israel. it's the first time that has happened, you know. we all watched britt clennett last night. that was a very scary situation, watching those missiles and drones over jerusalem headed for a military facility, but over jerusalem, and this is a country that has also been undergoing trauma since october 7th, of course. so i think you're going to see a population that is worried about this. no one wants escalation, but think israel will likely respond. >> george: no question, it's incredibly scary, but it also seems pretty carefully choreographed at least so far on all sides. >> martha: i think it is carefully choreographed, but again, it was a matter of if they had hit something, that choreography would go away.

i think there would have been a much, much stronger response. everyone is happy this morning that the escalation is not greater than it was, but there still could be that retaliatory strike. again, choreographed, iran certainly knew that a lot of its armament and a lot of those weapons would be intercepted by the u.s. and the uk and france and everybody else who was involved in that, and israel, they probably planned for that, and they, again, had targeted, and they made clear that they targeted only military facilities. i don't think iran wants a great escalation either because that's probably something they would lose if this does turn very bad. so i think this morning, the heat is definitely off, but not over. >> george: okay, martha raddatz. thank you very much. let's bring in john kirby. john, thanks for joining us this morning. what's your assessment of the situation right now? >> well, obviously an

extraordinary night with extraordinary results. an unprecedented attack that israel met with an unprecedented sense of resolve in israel by the united states and other partner nations. truly a successful night, and due to a lot of skill and a lot of professionalism, and a lot of coordination across the board, israel succeeded in defending itself and united states certainly made good our commitment to make them do that. >> george: do you believe the conflict has been contained? >> that's going to -- i think we'll know a little bit more in coming days as the president has made clear. everything he's been doing since october 7th has been to try to keep this from becoming a wider regional war, and he prepositioned forces even in the last few days, destroyers and fighter squadrons into the region to help israel defend itself to keep it from becoming a wider war, to keep it from escalating further. so we'll obviously be vigilant

to any threat coming forward, and making sure that we're meeting that need. >> george: the president also called on iran not to retaliate, but they did anyway. what does that tell you? >> well, again, what it tells me -- as i looked at last night, what it tell mess is we cs me i good on our commitment to israel. it tells me that israel does have superior military capability. think of the hardware iran threw through the sky and how little damage that caused. that's a testament to how strong the idf is. it should tell me and it should teg everybody else that israel is not alone. this was a coalition put together to help israel defend itself. iran is just increasingly further isolated in the region. >> george: but walk us through the president's conversations with netanyahu. is he still warning hymn him against escalation in gaza? what was the main message to

iran? >> the main message was, we're with you. it's also to reiterate that the united states will continue to help israel defend itself. that's a commitment going back many, many administrations and the president believes wholeheartedly in it, and obviously the president was interested in getting the prime minister's perspectives on what happened. i won't get ahead of what the prime minister and the war cabinet will or won't do, but the president and the prime minister had a good discussion largely about the extraordinary success of last night. again, look. as i said earlier, the president has been very clear, publicly so. we don't seek a war with iran. we don't seek an escalated tensions in the region. we don't seek a wider conflict, and everything he's been doing literally since the 7th of october has been designed to that outcome. >> george: last night, former president trump called presiden biden a demented tyrant adding that israel wouldn't have been

attacked on his watch. what do you say to that? >> i won't get into that, but if if president bide wanted to go to war while they were reeling with the effects of october 7th on the ground, but this president ordered u.s. forces actively to participate in the defense of israel, actively shooting down missiles and drones from the sea and from the air, that's extraordinary. that's leadership. that's leadership not just in the world, but it shows the power of american leadership around the world dw. >> george: what's the latest on the negotiations in the hostage situation and possible ceasefire? >> still ongoing -- well, they wrapped up a week or so in cairo. when i said ongoing, the exchange of information. there is a proposal on the table that was arrived at with very careful diplomacy with our israeli counterparts led by the cia director bill burns. it's on the table. hamas needs to take that table.

it will get those hostages out, at least the first tranche, sick, elderly, women. it will allow a ceasefire for an increase in humanitarian assistance. it's time to move forward. it's up to hamas. we want them to take that deal. >> george: john kirby, thanks very much. >> thank you. >> george: joined now by our former colleague, fareed zak zakaria, author of the new book "age of lrevolution we want to talk about that as well. has the world dodged a bullet here? >> it has dodged a bullet, but i wouldn't rule out escalation yesterday. israel broke out a longstanding precedent in syria, the iranian consular building. then the iranians broke a longstanding tradition now and fired missiles directly at israel. until now they had resisted -- both sides had resisted doing that. the question now becomes, can israel restrain itself from

another attack? because otherwise, you get into a tit for tat, this, you know, without painting too many dark scenarios, this is sort of how world war i began, which is nobody wanted to get into the war, but each side felt they couldn't back down, and so one side, as you can imagine, israel feeling, well, you know, we repelled this attack, but we have to do something. then the iranians feel like they have to do something, and the great danger for the united states is that the united states gets dragged into what is otherwise a regional war. >> george: president biden is doing everything possible to avoid. >> president biden was counseling as far as i understand, israel not to make that strike on the iranian embassy facilitifacilities. he has always been -- from the start of the war, president biden has been trying to do something very hard, which is show unqualified support for israel, and at the same time, counsel bb netanyahu on a less expansive, aggressive strategy,

more targeted, more discreet. try to avoid the conflict spilling over. it's a very tough balance -- >> george: he's now doing it on two fronts, both in iran and in gaza. >> we have almost no influence with iran, but what's interesting is so far, i think it's fair to say that bb netanyahu has gotten the upper hand in each of these. he pockets the support, but doesn't really listen to the advice, and i suspect, you know, that's happening even here, and of course, you know, this does help prime minister netanyahu because it shifts the focus from gaza. it brings the world in solidarity, particularly the western world, in solidarity with israel. once more, bb netanyahu has found a way to, you know, get his way. >> george: and this is all against the backdrop of what you call one of the most revolutionary ages in history. where does this fit in? >> so in a sense, if you think about what iran is doing, what russia is doing in ukraine, what china is doing, all of these

countries are very -- are deeply uncomfortable with the western-led, american-led liberal world order, and a lot of -- for them, this is kind of an existential threat. so they're pushing back in ways that they find they can, you know, the russians do it in ukraine. the chinese are trying to do it with regard to taiwan, and for iran, the strategy has always been to try to in some way or the other, use its array of proxies to push back against what it sees as an american-led middle eastern order. so there's almost a kind of cultural dimension to this. they don't just fear american power. they fear american values. >> george: you're saying that former president trump and his candidacy is a culmination, not the cause of an identity politics revolution. explain what you mean by that. >> for the last 30 or 40 years in this country, we have had an identity revolution on a scale most people don't realize.

i mean, think about the role of women. for thousands of women, women were second-class citizens and thank god that has changed in the last 30 or 40 years. blacks, hispanics, gays, everyone is rising out of the shadows into the mainstream. that has unnerved a lot of people. that has unsettled a lot of people, and you're seeing a cultural reaction to it everywhere. by the way, islamic fundamentalism, it's fundamentally, you know, obsessed with the idea of the role of women. put them back. if you look at christian nationalism, similarly worried about the role of women, if you look at the orthodox in israel, so there's a broad, cultural reaction to it. i've always said that donald trump is not a good businessman. he's a good salesman. in that 2016 campaign, he could sense where the crowd was, and he realized the core issues were not as they have been for republicans for decades. economic issues, there were cultural issues. >> george: you say this is a global phenomenon. can this phenomenon be

contained, this backlash? >> it's up to the west to, you know, have confidence in itself, up to america to lead the west. even xi jinping by the way has been giving speeches about how women have become too li lub ra -- liberated. they need to go back into the kitchen and have more babies. the key challenges in ukraine, probably even more than here, but, you know, this is the big question for the future. can the united states keep the west together, you know, continue to believe in our values, and push back? because if we don't, the forces that are determined to unravel in the western area, and american values. what putin and xi and the iran iranians fear is that liberals will undermine their base of support. this is existential. they're going to fight. the question is, are we going to fight back? >> george: thanks as always. it is a bracing book. it's out right now.

thanks for coming in. >> aullways a pleasure, george. >> george: up next, donald trump's criminal trial opens tomorrow. we'll have aaron katersky, plus governor chris sununu of new hampshire. . our mission is to employ people with different abilities. tiktok is allowing us to show what acceptance looks like. this is a community of just complete and utter love. it's the people that lift you up when you're down. people on tiktok do that on a daily basis, and i've never found a community like that ever. keep tiktok. you can feel it when your dream becomes a pursuit. and with vitiligo, the pursuit for your pigment is no exception. it's time you had a proven choice to help restore what's yours. opzelura is the first and only fda-approved prescription treatment

for nonsegmental vitiligo proven to help repigment skin over time. restoring what's yours. it's possible with a steroid-free cream that you can apply yourself. opzelura can lower your ability to fight infections including tb or hepatitis b or c. serious lung infections, skin cancer, blood clots, and low blood cell counts occurred with opzelura. in people taking jak inhibitors, serious infections, increased risk of death, lymphoma, other cancers, and major cardiovascular events have occurred. the most common side effects were acne and itching where applied. repigmentation is possible. ask your dermatologist today about starting or refilling opzelura. pursue it. nature's bounty hair growth. help grow thicker, fuller hair with just one capsule a day of advanced hair complex. conquer hair thinning... ...and fall in love with your hair all over again. only from nature's bounty. i'm steve, i lost 138 pounds in nine months on golo

and taking release. ...and fall in love with your hair all over again. since taking release, my sleep is way better. my inflammation has gone way down. i'm nonstop now, i feel way better than i did before. i don't sit down in life anymore. the prosecutors are going to put forward their case. i'm just the narrator, and rest assured, alvin bragg and the prosecutorial team over at the district attorney of new york's office would not have brought this case unless they thought that they were going to be successful. >> george: that was michael cohen who will be a key and no doubt, controversial witness as donald trump becomes the first former president to stand trial in a criminal case. that starts tomorrow over trump's payment's in 2016 to porn actress stormy daniels. they have to prove it was part of a criminal scheme to protect

donald trump's campaign. aaron katersky is tracking the case. good morning, aaron. >> reporter: the country is about to witness something never seen before, a former american president on trial as a criminal defendant in a case that could land him in prison. the criminal trial dates in his efforts to cob seal long-denied claims he had sex with porn actress stormy daniels. >> i relish the day i get to face him and speak my truth. >> reporter: in 2016, his campaign was being buffetted by this video of him boasting. >> when when you're a star, they'll let you do it. they'll let you do anything. >> reporter: so he dispatched his longtime fixer michael cohen to pay stormy daniels off, and trump masked the payments as legal fees. alvin bragg said the whole scheme was part of trump's campaign, and illegal. >> 34 false statements made to cover up other crimes. >> reporter: trump was indicted

a little more than a year ago. he has denied wrongdoing, and has attacked the case, the prosecutor, and the judge. >> he's a democrat judge. he wants to do that because they're all trying to damage trump as much as possible. it's having the reverse effect. >> reporter: the new york case begins a bizarre chapter in american political history as trump faces a succession of indictments and wages a campaign to return to the white house from courthouses up in down the east coast. >> this is a witch hunt. it's a hoax. >> reporter: but in recent weeks, trump has tried repeatedly to delay his manhattan trial, sending his lawyers day after day to an appeals court that has turned them back each time. tomorrow the trial begins with jury selection. hundreds of new yorkers have been summoned. all of them will fill out a seven-page questionnaire asking, have they ever attended a trump rally? do they follow trump on social media? they'll ask if they have firmly held beliefs that former president trump should be charged with a crime. >> jury selection is largely

luck. it depends who you get. >> reporter: george, this courthouse is known by its address. 100 center street, it's where mark david chapman admitted to killing john lennon, where lenny bruce faced obscenity charges and the first former president will stand trial. >> george: joining us now is chris sununu who has now endorsed the former president. thank you for joining us this morning. >> you bet. >> george: history being made tomorrow, that criminal trial. will your support for donald trump continue even if he's convicted in manhattan? >> yeah. look, this trial is not going to have major political ramifications. when it comes to these issues, people see it more as reality tv at this point. they really do, and, you know, whether it's a conviction or what that conviction looks like, a lot of folks, they conflate all four of these different trials he's in. i don't think it's good he's going to be in the court, have to be in there probably three days a week, you know, for a number of weeks. that takes him off the campaign

trail. he'll probably go back on the campaign trail and almost, like, rehash what's going on. he'll try to victimize it, and that has worked for him. this has been going on for over a year, and his poll numbers never seem to go down because of the issue. >> george: you're going to politics though. i'm asking you about right and wrong. you're comfortable with the idea of supporting someone who's convicted of a federal crime as president? >> oh, no. no. i don't think any american is comfortable with any of this. they don't like any of this, of course, but i mean, when it comes to actually, you know, look looking at each of these trials as they kind of take place whether it's this year or next year or as they kind of line up, right now this is about an election. this is about politics. that's what people are judging this on, and, you know, the ultimate decision will be in november to see where people are, but for months, and even over a year, we've heard that these are the things that are going to bring donald trump down. it's not, and to think that the american public is going to be massively swayed by this politically or otherwise, that's not going to happen.

if anything -- >> george: i'm asking if you think -- you're a governor. you're an elected official. i'm asking whether you're going to be swayed by it. >> yeah. look, nobody should be shocked that the republican governor is supporting the republican president. do you know what the real story is here? the american that's gone from biden back to trump, the average american that's feeling it in inflation and other issues. whether there's a conviction or not, we want a culture change in washington, d.c., and we'll continue to support the former president trump. that's the real story, right? that trump is leading in the polls across america in a lot of these different polls. so no one should be surprised by my support. i think the real discussion is, you know, america's moving away from biden. that's how bad biden has become as president. there's no doubt about it. you can't ignore inflation. you can't ignore the border and say these issues in the courthouse will be the ones that bring biden back into the office. it's not going to happen that way. >> george: as you mentioned, this is one of only several indictments the former president is facing. right after that january 6th

attack, i want to put this up on the screen. you said, it is clear that president trump's rhetoric and actions contributed to the insurrection. the domestic terrorists who attacked the united states capitol must be held accountable and prosecuted. do you stand by that statement? >> 100%. of course. they have to be prosecuted, and they are being prosecuted. that's good. i think his actions absolutely contributed to that. there's no question about that. i hate the election denialism of 2020. nobody wants to be talking about that in 2024. i think all of that was absolutely terrible, but what people are going to be voting for, what -- the reason i'm supporting not just the president, but the republican administration. that's what this is. they want a culture of change in washington. all the rules and policies that pound down on the american people, all the wokeness, right? the fact that folks in washington, liberal elites in washington want to stand on the shoulders of hardworking american families and tell them how to live their lives. they're angry. they're upset. that's the culture change that

people want to see. people are upset by january 6th. they're upset by the election denial. they have every right to be, but they need a cull octure change. >> george: wait a second. your words were very, very clear on january 11, 2021. you said his rhetoric and actions contributed to the insurrection. no other president in history has contributed to an insurrection. please explain how you believe he contributed to an insurrection, how you think we should have him back in the oval office. >> it's not -- for me, it's not about him as much as it is having a republican administration, republican secretaries, republican rules, a sense where states' rights come first, individual rights come first, and we'll have a pro-business economy. we won't have a cancel culture that has infiltrated across america. it's not about trump with me. >> george: but he will be the president. >> i'm bringing that mentality back. >> george: that doesn't make any sense to me, governor.

i'm sorry. you're saying it's not about trump. he would be the president, and he's somebody who contributed to an insurrection. >> i understand it doesn't make sense to you, george, but look at the polls. what you are telling me is you don't understand why 51% of this country is supporting donald trump. they're not crazy. they're not maga conservatives. they're not extremists. they want culture change. >> george: governor, i'm not talking -- i'm not talking -- >> the issue is -- >> george: i'm not talking about polls. i'm asking you a very simple question. you believe donald trump contributed to an insurrection. that's correct, right? >> i stand by the statement. >> george: you stand by the statement he contributed to an insurrection. >> his words -- >> george: and you believe that someone -- you believe that a president who contributed to an insurrection should be president again? >> as does 51% of america, george. i mean, really. i understand you're part of the media you media and you're in this new york city bubble or whatever it

is, buff t you have to look at what's happening across the country. it's not about getting rid of trump. it's about what we have today. it's about inflation is crushing families. it's about understanding this border issue is not a texas issue. it's a 50-state issue that has to be brought under control. it's about this type of elitism that the average american is sick and tired of. it's a culture change. that's what i'm supporting. that's what most of america right now is looking to support, and wants to change there. so, again, i know you're shocked that the republican governor is supporting a republican president and the ticket, but it's about the ticket. it's about up and down the ballot. i want republican governors and senators and congressmen, and that type of culture if you will, because that's what it is, that's the change america is looking for, and not reliti relitigating january 6th. it's not a top issue. if you ask them if that's a top issue, it wasn't even in the top five. it doesn't mean we weren't extremely disappointed by his words and actions and we didn't

tap into this election denialism. it's terrible what he's done, but it's not a top issue. people are voting on what's happening in their homes, what's happening on inflation and on the border, right? that's real, and that's what they're going to vote for, so -- >> dr. da >> george: you're against the election denialism which the president repeated. you believe he contributed to the insurrection on january 6th. it doesn't matter if he's convicted in the manhattan case. he's also facing charges over classified documents. you previously said these are serious and he should drop out of the race if he's convicted. do you still believe that? >> look, in a primary -- we fought hard in the primary and got behind nikki. this is the chaos that nikki haley and i warned everybody else about. it's a complete distraction. i would rather have republicans on the campaign trail talking about real issues than, you know, having to talk about this stuff. it's a complete distraction. it doesn't mean he's going to lose and doesn't people people aren't going to spupport the

republican ticket because right now they are, but that's the distraction we're all trying to avoid. >> george: i'm asking you a different question. i'm asking you a different question because you said in the past he should drop out if he's convicted in the classified documents case. do you still believe that? >> no. he's not drop out after being the nominee? of course, not, you know, that's not to be expected at all. all of these cases by the way, the average american, it's on conflated, right? we watch this stuff. we watch the details. the average american sees it as reality tv. there are issues to bear there, but there's politics to bear in some of these cases. that is undeniable. the average american thinks it's more reality tv and prosecution of him at this point. he plays the victim card very, very well. his poll numbers only go up with this stuff, so to think of this deal breaker, where we'll say, yep. i'm walking away. that's not going to happen.

et at the end of the day, we want that culture change of the party, and if we want that standard bearer -- it's what the voters wanted, not what i wanted, but we'll take it if we have to. that's how badly america wants a culture change. >> george: so just to sum up, you would support him for president even if he was convicted in classified documents. you would support him for president, even if you believe he contributed to an insurrection. you support him for president even though you believe he's lying about the last election, and even if he's convicted in the manhat hat the answer is yes, correct? >> me and 51% of america. >> george: thank you for your time. arizona puts the abortion debate back front and center. tina smith joins us live.

oh... stuffed up again? so congested! you need sinex saline from vicks. just sinex, breathe, ahhhh! what is — wow! sinex. breathe. ahhhhhh! can neuriva support your brain health? mary, janet, hey!! (thinking: eddie, no frasier, frank... frank?) fred! how are you?! fred... fuel up to 7 brain health indicators, including your memory. join the neuriva brain health challenge. type 2 diabetes? discover the ozempic® tri-zone. ♪ ♪ i got the power of 3. i lowered my a1c, cv risk, and lost some weight. in studies, the majority of people reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. i'm under 7. ozempic® lowers the risk of major cardiovascular

events such as stroke, heart attack, or death in adults also with known heart disease. i'm lowering my risk. adults lost up to 14 pounds. i lost some weight. ozempic® isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. don't share needles or pens, or reuse needles. don't take ozempic® if you or your family ever had medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if allergic to it. stop ozempic® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or an allergic reaction. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. gallbladder problems may occur. tell your provider about vision problems or changes. taking ozempic® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may increase low blood sugar risk. side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. living with type 2 diabetes? ask about the power of 3 with ozempic®. it's hard to run a business on your own. make it easier on yourself. with shopify, you can have your inventory, payments, and customers in sync across all the places you sell. start your journey with a free trial today.

>> george: a arizona supreme court sent shock waves through the country. we have the latest on the fallout of the 2024 elections. >> reporter: it's already one of the closest watched arizona battleground states, but a court

in arizona upholding a total ban on abortion now putting the issue at the center of the 2024 race. >> this is 2024, not the 1800s, and we're not going back. >> reporter: democrats trying to seize momentum, putting these billboards up around the state. former president donald trump once bound to sign a federal abortion ban, but now he says it's not necessary. >> why should americans trust your word that you would not do it now? >> because we don't need it any longer because we broke roe v. wade and we did something that nobody thought was possible. we gave it back to the states, and it's working the way it's supposed to. >> reporter: vice president kamala harris firing back, saying trump cleared the way for 21 states to ban or restrict access to abortion by appointing three of the five supreme court justices who overturned roe versus wade. >> donald trump just said the collection of state bans is, quote, working the way it is

supposed to. >> reporter: trump has acknowledged abortion was a losing issue for republicans in the midterm, and despite saying the issue should be left up to the states, trump on friday also writing in a social media post that the arizona ruling went too far, and calling on state leaders to remedy what has happened. the arizona state legislature was expected to swiftly repeal the law, but republicans blocked that effort. doctors describing chaos and confusion. >> i'm having patients who have received abortions last week saying, am i still going to be able to receive my follow-up care? >> reporter: providers who perform abortions could face up to five years in prison. >> is there a sense of fear among abortion providers? >> i would say undoubtedly. i didn't go to medical school to go to jail. >> reporter: arizona's attorney general says she won't enforce the law, but concedes she can't stop local prosecutors. >> i would urge arizonans who

are pregnant to make a plan, and i can't believe i'm having to say that, but it's time to make a plan for 60 days for now, if something goes wrong, if you need an abortion, if you want an abortion. start thinking about california and nevada and new mexico or colorado. >> reporter: now voters could ultimately decide this issue in november. when arizona and as many as 13 other states have abortion measures on the ballot, including in florida where a six-week ban is set to become law on may 1st. abortion rights has won in all six states where it has been on the ballot, including conservative states like ohio, kansas, and kentucky. >> i promise you this. the people of arizona are going to make sure that this 1864 ban is buried forever in november when they pass a ballot initiative to enshrine abortion rights in our constitution. >> george: and we're joined now by senator tina smith of

arizona. thank you for joining us this morning. you're leading an effort in the house to repeal it. any prospects for success? >> well, you know, first of all, i just want to say, george, that american women are not going to be conned by donald trump and his comments about abortion. we know that he is the one who is responsible for what's going on in arizona and all over the country. so that's the bottom line, i think, as we think about the election coming up. with regard to the comstock act, this is a 150-year-old law that has been long relegated to the dust bin of history, and yet we can see trump judges and even the united states supreme court raising this up as a reason why people shouldn't be able to get medication abortion through the mail. so we have to pay attention to this and make sure that we are doing everything that we can to protect people's rights to make their own decisions about their own bodies and their own lives. >> george: is there anything more that president biden could be doing now with executive

action to protect those rights? >> i'm really grateful that the president has done everything that he possibly can to protect people's rights, and he's fighting right now to make sure that the fda's authority to make decisions about whether medications like mifepristone are -- that their decision-making is what rules and not the decision of some trump judge from texas which is what's happening before the supreme court right now. so i think that they're doing everything that they can. what we need to do is to win these elections so that we can put the protections of roe in law. >> george: you say that the american people will not be conned by donald trump, but his position now is relatively clear, isn't it? saying that it should be a state by state issue? >> well, so think about what that means exactly. first of all, he said that he is the person who is proudly responsible for overturning roe. that is what has caused all of this chaos and cruelty

in 3 american women who live in states where abortion is basically banned. the other thing he said just a couple of days ago is that these state bans are working the way they should. so ask a woman in arizona or texas whether she thinks this is working for her because for her, this isn't a political discussion. this is about her personal life and her decisions that she can make for herself about her own life. so i think that his position is totally clear. he is responsible for these abortion bans, and i think he's going to be held accountable for that come the election in november. >> george: given what you think is the power of this issue and everything else we've seen over the course of this election, how do you explain the fact that donald trump is either tied or ahead of president biden in most polls? >> well, you know, there's so much talk about these polls right now. i have been working, you know, i started out in politics working as an organizer and going door to door, and talking to my community, and i know that what

matters is the choice people are faced with when they cast their vote, and that is wha to make all the difference in the world and on the issue of abortion rights, the choice couldn't be more clear, right? you have joe biden and kamala harris who are fighting to protect people's freedom, and donald trump was responsible for taking it away. >> george: thank you for your time this morning. >> thank you. >> george: round table is up next. we're back in a moment. when you need to prepare for unpredictable adventures... (gasp) you need weathertech. [hot dog splat.] laser measured floorliners front and rear. [drink slurp and splat.] (scream) seat protector to save the seats. [honk!] they're all yours! we're here! hey, i knew you were comin'... so i weatherteched the car! can we get ice cream? we can now. kid proof your vehicle with american made products at weathertech.com.

(psst! psst!) ahhh! with flonase, allergies don't have to be scary. spray flonase sensimist daily for non-drowsy long lasting relief in a scent free, gentle mist. flonase all good. also, try our allergy headache and nighttime pills. can neuriva support your brain health? mary, janet, hey!! (thinking: eddie, no frasier, frank... frank?) fred! how are you?! fred... fuel up to 7 brain health indicators, including your memory. join the neuriva brain health challenge. >> george: the round table is here. we'll be right back. number one broker here for the number one hit maker. -thanks for swinging by, carl. -no problem. so what are all those for? uh, this lets me adjust the base, add more guitar, maybe some drums. -wow. so many choices. -yeah. like schwab.

i can get full service wealth management, advice, invest on my own, and trade on thinkorswim. you know carl is the only front man you need. (phone rings) oh, i gotta take this, carl. it's schwab. schwab. (feedback rings) have a choice in how you invest with schwab. covid-19? i'm not waiting. if it's covid, paxlovid. paxlovid is an oral treatment for adults with mild-to-moderate covid-19 and a high-risk factor for it becoming severe. it does not prevent covid-19. my symptoms are mild now, but i'm not risking it. if it's covid, paxlovid. paxlovid must be taken within the first five days of symptoms, and helps stop the virus from multiplying in your body. taking paxlovid with certain medicines can lead to serious or life-threatening side effects or affect how it or other medicines work, including hormonal birth control. it's critical to tell your doctor about all the medicines you take because certain tests or changes in their dosage may be needed. tell your doctor if you have kidney or liver problems, hiv-1, are or plan to become pregnant, or breastfeed. don't take paxlovid if you're allergic to nirmatrelvir, ritonavir, or any of its ingredients.

serious side effects can include allergic reactions, some severe like anaphylaxis, and liver problems. these are not all the possible side effects so talk to your doctor. commercially insured patients may pay as little as zero dollars. and the us government is making paxlovid available to medicare, medicaid, and uninsured patients for free. terms and conditions apply to both programs. learn more at paxlovid.com/paxcess and ask your doctor today. if it's covid, paxlovid.

( ♪ ) feel the power of osteo bi-flex®. taken every day, it's clinically shown to improve joint comfort in 7 days, with significant improvement over time. ( ♪ ) feeling sluggish or weighed down? with significant improvement over time. could be a sign that your digestive system isn't at its best. but a little metamucil everyday can help. metamucil's psyllium fiber gels to trap and remove the waste that weighs you down... so you can lighten every day the metamucil way. with president trump as a nominee in the party, we are very much looking forward to that historic day in november. we're going to grow the house

majority, win back the white house as well. >> we're getting very long very well with the speaker, and it's not an easy situation for any speaker. i think he's doing a very good job. he's doing about as good as you're going to do. >> george: former president trump mike johnson, speaker of the house on friday at mar-a-lago. let's talk about this and many other things on the round table with former dnc chair donna brazile, former rnc chair, trump white house chief of staff, reince priebus, the executive editor of the associated press, julie pace, and mariana sotomayor. johnson has been in some trouble. that lifeline from president trump, is it enough? >> it will be a consequential week for the speaker as well as house republicans. they were always going to tackle questions of whether to send funding to ukraine and israel, given the developments of the last 24 hours. it is imperative for many house republicans who were trying to potentially delay that question, to address it. marjorie taylor greene has said

before that if johnson sends any funding bill to ukraine, that that is what's going to trigger this motion to vacate even though trump has already said, you know, i stand with the speaker. i think he's doing a good job in a very tough situation. we're really going to see all of this play out by the end of the week. >> george: do you think he ended it? >> i think so. i think two things. one, republicans almost all of us, understand that getting rid of speaker johnson is complete stupidity, number one, and the republicans would risk losing the house majority, and third, i think we have had enough of the circus in the house with this stuff, and president trump knows it. his campaign knows it, and that's why he's putting a lid on it. >> george: what a week in abortion politics, donna brazile with that decision from the arizona supreme court. is this the magic rule the democrats believe it is? >> it's something all women should be concerned about. i've never heard from my nieces

the way i've heard from them over the last couple of months because they live in the south, and where do women go when ivf is banned? when they are worried about birth control, when they're worried about whether or not, if something, god forbid is to happen, could they receive medical care? yes. is it a galvanizing issue for americans who are concerned about reproductive rights and freedom? absolutely. will democrats make sure that those victims, those women who are having these horrifying experiences get to tell their story? absolutely, and who's responsible? donald trump. he owns it. he brags about it and we're going to remind the american people. >> george: the former president thought he put this behind him by coming up with this states' rights solution doaccording to him. >> the timing is racing is reman you see him take this position which is objectively outside of the mainstream of where most americans are, even those that

restrict themselves on abortion, to have that happen in a state that is going to be consequential to the selection, and even if you look at the map that you showed earlier, of where politics and voters have been on this, they've really come down on one side over the course of the last several months cwhich is on upholding rights for abortions. >> george: you've seen two elections in a row where this has repelled democrats' rights. >> there's no doubt about it, republicans have not been able to get themselves out of the mud. i think president trump did take the position that he had to take, and republicans have to do a better job of winning the hearts and minds of these voters because where the democrats have had success is convincing people that any regulation on abortion is an affront to their civil rights when 80% of the american people believe that abortion in a third trimester is wrong. 66% of the american people think

abortion after the first trimester is wrong. that's where republicans need to be, but until they can get their message together, this has been a lifeline to the democrats, and i think president trump, what you saw, is that he understood it, and he wanted to move on from it. >> no, it's punishment. when a 12 or 13-year-old -- >> in the third trimeser? >> when a 12 or 13-year-old girl who was raped -- is raped. you want to get third, second trimester? let women make this decision. trust women to make this decision, and this is not a democrat or republican. this is an american freedom issue for women. we fought for this right to be able to make a decision based on our own bodies. >> donna, here's the question -- >> it's the technicality. men want to tell us what to do with our bodies. you want to tell us how long our period should last. you want to tell us how long we should be pregnant, where we can go if we need ivf treatment.

i'm hearing it -- thank god -- sarah in the bible had a baby in her 60s, so i'm grateful i'm beyond those ages, but i'm concerned my nieces are being given less rights to choose and going back to an 1860 era when my great-grandmother just barely got her freedom. hell no. we're not going back, and this is going to be like a maga movement. it's a movement where women are sick and tired of men telling us what to do with our bodies. >> no one wants to go back to 1864. >> but you're going back. >> the question for democrats is, at what point should there be a regulation? is it halfway through the pregnancy? is it two-thirds? is there any place in this conversation where there is a moment in time that abortion should be regulated? >> her health should be the priority. her health. what's so hard about the health of a woman? >> the challenge that republicans have right now though -- >> the health -- >> the 30th week, is that a health issue? >> julie, go ahead.

when you look at polls, you're right. the majority of americans support -- are open to some restrictions, but you're talking about third trimester and you look at florida. six-week ban. you look at what happened in arizona. these are positions -- >> true. >> these are positions that are outside of where most americans are right now. >> and republicans have not been able to get out of the ditch on this issue because they're framing it in these early stages, and they're not finding a position that the majority of americans support. >> george: you see anything happening in congress this year on this? or is this all about november? >> no. i mean, republicans -- especially in the house who have the majority have been saying for a long time since the moment that they did not win in 2020 with the bigger margins that they thought they would, we cannot have a vote on any kind of federal legislation on abortion because they will lose the majority. >> george: julie, we enter a new world tomorrow. first former president to ever face a criminal trial. what should we expect? >> it's pretty remarkable. i want to

through this procedural jury, and it will be for a trial of a former president of the united states. we've literally never seen this before, and trump is going to use this courtroom and other courtrooms to come as really the center piece of his campaign. it's worked for him through the primary. i think the question now will be, how that sliver of moderate voters, that sliver of persuadable voters will react to seeing him. >> george: that's what i want to bring to reince. do you believe he needs either an acquittal or a mistrial, or do you think it won't matter? >> i think in this case in particular, it's the most political case of them all, and i think people see that. the u.s. attorney didn't take it. federal election commission didn't move forward with it, and it only takes one juror, and the question that i don't think a lot of people are talking about is -- >> george: that's what i'm asking. i understand what happens if there's a mistrial, and i

understand if he's acquitted. i think both of those could help him politically. i'm asking about a conviction. >> i don't think in this particular case it's going to move much, but again, when there's only 100,000 people deciding the outcome of an election, i don't think anyone can say with definitive proof, one way or the other. >> george: donna? >> well, i think all of these trials are important, and this is the first time -- we've never been here before, george. i don't know the playbook, but i understand that donald trump is going to come out every day and just, you know, try to, you know, pour hot water on the proceedings. i don't want to get into the lurid details of what may not have happened, and what records might have been falsified, but to have a sitting president of the united states in court for three or four days a week when you should be out there meeting the voters, talking to the people about the issues that they're concerned about, that is a loss, a net loss, and that is why joe biden is making tremendous gains in the polls.

not nuenough to overtake anybod but showing he's ready to compete. >> he can compete all day. >> thank god. >> jonathan: thank you very much. we'll -- >> george: thank you very much. we'll be right back. norman, bad news... i never graduated from med school. what? but the good news is... xfinity mobile just got even better! now, you can automatically connect to wifi speeds up to a gig on the go. plus, buy one unlimited line and get one free for a year. i gotta get this deal... that's like $20 a month per unlimited line... i don't want to miss that.

that's amazing doc. mobile savings are calling. visit xfinitymobile.com to learn more. doc? >> george: that is all for us today. thank you for sharing part youfr sunday with us. check out "world news tonight," and i'll see you tomorrow on "gma."

on medicare? have diabetes? with the freestyle libre 3 system... you'll know your glucose and where it's headed. no fingersticks needed. now covered by medicare for more people managing diabetes with insulin. visit freestylelibre.us/medicare. we're going to be together! ♪ we belong ♪ ♪ we belong together ♪ ♪ we belong ♪ hulu on disney+. available with disney bundle. plans starting at $9.99 a month. available with disney bundle. detectives wolfe and vestri, this has the potential of being a very dangerous operation. [ gunfire, indistinct shouting ] multiple gunmen, officers down. vestri? you got the tap. you're gonna be one kick-ass detective. i'm not ready to give up patrol yet. he swooped in like a bat out of hell and crashed into my car. -you hit me. -whoa, whoa.