good to be with you, i'm katy tur. buckle up, because at 8:00 a.m. or so around this morning, president biden dared former president trump to two debates and by 11:40, both were officially on the schedule beyond the quick acceptance, though, what makes the june and september debates so remarkable is how different they are going to be. controlled by a news network. held in a tv studio without an audience and with microphones that shut off when a candidate automatically goes over time. and if you need a reminder for why these rules are needed right here is a refresher. >> vote now. make sure you, in fact, let people know you're senators. >> he won't answer the question. >> i'm not going to answer the question. >> radical left -- >> will you shut up, man.

>> who is on your list, man? >> this is -- >> gentlemen -- this is so unpresidential. >> that off button on the microphone is going to come in handy. a lot has happened since then. biden won, trump would not concede, as you know, and he got indicted for it. roe was overturned. 20 states band or restricted abortion. the pandemic receded, the world opened up, inflation spiked, but the economy also got better and better and better. both candidates are going to try to take credit for the good there, and blame the other for all of that bad. what will voters hear, though? because a lot of voters think a lot of different things, like the 17% who blame joe biden for restricting abortion access, not donald trump, or the 65% who think the economy was better under trump, and don't remember what happened in 2020. there is always room for debate, but there are objective truths. will those truths come to the fore? and if they do, how?

and what will it do to the polls, which right now show trump winning back the white house. why don't we find out what battleground voters think today. six months before the election. joining us now from gwinett county, georgia, nbc news correspondent, blayne alexander, and in kent county, michigan, nbc news correspondent, shaquille brewster. i know you guys were sent out this morning with a mandate to talk to voters about what they think about the criminal trial that donald trump is facing. i'd love to hear that. i also want to know from the extensive reporting that you two have been doing in battleground states about the election for probably about a year now. what you think voters are going to be looking to when these presidential debates happen, what do you think that they need to hear. blayne, i'll start with you, from both donald trump and from joe biden. >> well, you know, katy, it's interesting, and i can answer in two parts. for the people i spoke to, these are people who are very very loyal to donald trump. they're people who maybe started out this election season going

for ron desantis, a couple of people said that nikki haley was the conversation among their friends. then when they exited the primary, they all fell in line. they're sporting the party, and donald trump is better than the alternative. that's one bucket. the other bucket that makes gwinett county a key place to watch is the fact that this is the most diverse county in the state of georgia, and there are a number of people out here in the suburbs of metro atlanta that aren't necessarily locked in either way. these are the people that are kind of up for grabs. we're talking about women. we're talking about there were people who wanted to go for nikki haley and ron desantis, and aren't going for donald trump because of those trials. i think those people are up for grabs. let's talk about the trial. when we talk about the fact that people are watching. a lot of people here say they are not necessarily paying attention, but here's how they say it may or may not move the needle. take a look. >> everybody says they're picking on him, you know, people

are tired of going after him and you see it in so many areas, it's really not a big issue in the party. actually, they're really making everybody mad, and they look at a big bully, and government is the bully. >> it's actually making people more angry. they know that this is a guy that he's a billionaire. and he doesn't need to run for president. but he's doing it for us. he has a heart of gold. >> him being charged with anything is not wooing me. >> reporter: it's not deterring you either? >> it's not deterring me. but for others, it is wooing them. i've talked to many people who formerly identified as a democrat. they changed to independent, and they are looking forward to voting for trump. >> reporter: now, katy, just very quickly, to pick up on the last point from the voter you heard from, lisa, she's an active volunteer. she has talked to people who say

they don't necessarily have the stomach for everything that's kind of surrounding donald trump. when you talk about the four criminal cases against him, and she says that on the flip side, she has spoken with people who maybe were in his column before, and they're now maybe leaning toward a third-party candidate, a few people leaning toward joe biden, simply because they don't want to stomach the drama that surround them when it comes to the court cases. >> that's interesting, shaq. you're in michigan today, i know you spend a lot of time in wisconsin as well, what do voters tell you about what questions they have about these two candidates, what answers they might be looking for. >> yeah, katy, based on the conversations i have been having, it's clear that there are still things that could influence the election. you were just talking about the debates, the fact that you'll have both candidates on stage. voters will watch that closely, especially swing voters, issues like abortion. we know courts are making rulings. there's different -- voters will

be able to have their say on the ballots in different states. we know the perception of economies will be a major factor in this election, but based on my conversations, katy, trump's hush money trial in new york city is not one of those issues that will help them make that ultimate decision. i want you to listen to some of the conversations i have been having with folks here in kent county. it's a unique place because this is a county that up until the trump era was a tradition that willy republican county. it was one trump won narrowly in 2016 by three percentage points but then joe biden flipped in 2020. i want you to listen to what folks here told me about how they're viewing the trial and the impact it will have on their decision. you're considering voting for him again. >> we'll have to see what happens, this outcome, you know, right now. >> reporter: does the trial impact whether or not you could support him? >> it does. he could be in jail. >> reporter: you're between voting for donald trump and staying home. >> mm-hmm. >> reporter: would a conviction

impact that decision for you? >> no. >> reporter: it wouldn't be a factor at all? >> no. >> reporter: why not? >> i feel like he's been hunted down. >> reporter: what are the issues that people are bringing up if not this trial that's taking so much attention? >> i have heard just the past weekend about having the reproductive freedom. we've heard about the gun laws. just off the top of my head, it's just the every day table issues that we talk about. it's not about one candidate or another. >> reporter: and, katy, that last person you heard from, kathy, she runs a nonprofit that targets black and latino voters, especially in areas where there's low voter turnout, trying to register voters and educate them on new laws. she says even in her office among organizers, there's a feeling that they don't want to hear the latest of the trial. she loves hearing the updates

but she wears an ear piece so that she can hear the news coverage of the trial. it gives you a sense, even for those who are involved in politics, those who want to pay attention to what's happening and are still weighing their options between these two candidates, the trial is not something they want to dominate their attention, despite all the attention that it's getting. >> i certainly hope kathy is listening to the coverage of the trial on this fair network. shaq and blaine, thank you very much. and speaking of 2024, and in the words of donald trump today, let's get ready to rumble. two presidential debates have now been set. after a public back and forth between donald trump and president biden this morning. joining us now in washington, nbc news white house correspondent, mike memoli, also here with us, nbc news correspondent, vaughn hillyard. it was interesting this morning, president biden's team put out conditions, parameters for a debate that he would like to participate in with donald trump, and they were strikingly different than the debates we have seen in the past, including not having an audience, which we

know donald trump plays to, also having the microphones cut off immediately when a candidate goes over time, what is president biden's hoping to get out of these debates with these parameters? >> well, katy, we'll talk a lot about the rules, the moderators, the sort of terms in which this all comes together. the most important thing for the biden team, and really one of the reasons why they explain why they have been struggling so far in the state and national polls, a lot of voters don't see this election for what it is, a rematch between joe biden and donald trump. and so part of what we're seeing is today is the biden team taking advantage of the fact that we have an off day in the trump trial. they were able to kind of set the narrative, set the agenda. they put out this debate challenge, but also they want to try to crystallize for the less engaged voters, those who aren't watching us, frankly, aren't paying attention to this race as close as a lot of viewers are that this is a race between

trump and biden. having the debate in late june is so important to them. they had issues with the format last time. including they think the debate commission set up a spectacle. the clydesdales are there. there's a series of events leading up to the debate itself by corporate sponsors. they want news organizations putting on an event with no audience, just the candidates and issues, and that's what they have really quickly, faster than any of us realized got on the table here. >> it came together really fast. i'm curious, though, why does president biden's team think it's going to be helpful to strip out the excess. >> part of it is knowing who they're debating. i think they know the more of a circus atmosphere, the more there is an audience to play to in the room, the more that might benefit the former president. as we saw in cleveland four years ago, get reaction from the crowds that might distract from the issues there. at least that's what they're saying. we know this is a high stakes

affair for the president for so many reasons. there are a lot of voters who aren't sure if he's up to the task to facing off with donald trump. the stakes couldn't be higher for him. and they wanted to put this debate on their terms, and trump agreed to them. >> it's a matter of perception. let me ask vaughn about that perception and president trump's team. i was surprised how quickly donald trump's team said yes to this. i would have imagined they would have had pushback on the crowd stuff. donald trump does play to the crowd. the idea that your microphone gets cut off. he doesn't usually play by those rules. why were they so keen to sign on to this? >> they put in biden's court. any time, any where. you call it, let me know whether it's outside the courthouse in new york city or washington, d.c., and joe biden called them this morning and said, okay, here we go. let's do it, and so the trump team responded in kind, and made

that arrangement. this was for the trump campaign. also before going, the condition. instead of having 16 networks air this. you're going to have it in just one place, the first one cnn, the second one on abc here. there is some cost to them for that. >> what are the -- not the disadvantages, i mean, donald trump is running off a certain amnesia that some voters have to what his presidency was like. they don't quite remember what happened in 2020. they will say that they think that year went well, even though it was the beginning of the pandemic. it had gone badly. 17% of voters think joe biden is responsible for the overturning of roe v. wade. i mean, having donald trump out there. the biden team thinks it will remind voters of the chaos around him, and his inability to stick to the issues. does the trump team see that as a risk. would they ever even admit that if they did? >> their man is not something

that can be controlled, and they learned from the last two election cycles and his time in the white house that you don't sign up to be on the trump campaign with the idea that you're going to control the messenger, donald trump himself. that's not who he has around him. and donald trump believes he can go toe to toe against joe biden and they will be able to take clips of joe biden during that presidential debate. they will be able to share them online, be able to get traction, and for them, they see it as a win-win. this is a debate that's going to happen three months earlier than usual because they're going outside of the commission. >> there's also criticism, mike memoli, as i'm sure you've heard over there, why would president biden debate trump as a guy who tried to overturn the election. you don't elevate somebody like that into a debate position as if they're two normal candidates debating about who's better to lead democracy, one was clearly not on the side of democracy. that's the argument out there. i'm sure the biden team will

answer for that at some point. mike memoli, vaughn hillyard, thank you very much. let the veep stakes begin, the last guy faced a violent insurrection and rioters who wanted to hang him. what kind of person wants the job of donald trump's vp this time. >> and what president biden will not send to israel as it expands its offensive in rafah. first, though, what will michael cohen be asked about tomorrow when his cross-examination continues and who the defense might call as their first witness if they call one at all. we're back in 90 seconds. secons think about it. boring is the unsung catalyst for bold. what straps bold to a rocket and hurtles it into space? boring does. boring makes vacations happen, early retirements possible, and startups start up. because it's smart, dependable, and steady. all words you want from your bank. for nearly 160 years, pnc bank has been brilliantly boring so you can be happily fulfilled... which is pretty un-boring if you think about it.

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michael cohen will be back on the stand in new york tomorrow for his continued cross-examination after a testy back and forth between him and todd blanche, donald trump's attorney yesterday. joining us now, nbc news legal correspondent lisa rubin. it's good to have you here. >> i'm happy to be back. >> you're usually down at the courthouse. so you saw michael cohen yesterday. i know he was much more controlled for the prosecution. how did he do with todd blanche? >> he did better with todd blanche than he had done with either alaina allay -- habba. ultimately cohen said, you want to call it a lie, i'll call it a lie. for the most part, he did a good

job of maintaining his cool. we haven't gotten to the central facts yet. everything blanche did was about trying to dismantle cohen's credibility as a witness, as a person. >> do you have a sense of how much longer the cross is going to go for michael cohen? >> based on a side bar the parties had yesterday with judge merchan, we can expect todd blanche will go all the bay through the end of the day tomorrow. expect things we haven't seen yet to actually come tomorrow. >> okay. so when he's done with him and after the redirect happens and another cross and redirect, is it your expectation that the defense is going to call any witnesses? >> if i were a betting person, i would say probably not, and if they do, it would be an expert witness, they have an expert

witness, the campaign finance crimes to which cohen pled guilty and ami signed a nonprosecution agreement. >> we should always be reminding viewers of what exactly is at issue at this case. there's the falsifying of documents that's a misdemeanor. the underlying felony, a state election violation, a tax violation? >> i think it's going to be a combination of state and federal or just the state. there's a state election law that says basically it's unlawful to conspire with another person to promote somebody's election through unlawful means. the unlawful means might be the unlawful campaign contributions or the corporate contribution that american media made. so we'll see exactly what that is. i don't think it will be taxes. i think it will be that campaign finance contribution, but i want to push back quickly on something you just said. they have shown that those

documents were falsified, but what they have to show to prove their case is that donald trump either falsified them himself or caused others to do so. and that's why michael cohen's testimony is, in fact, so important because without him placing trump at the approval moment of how to cover up those campaign finance violations, you might not get all the way there with the jury, and so that's what makes michael cohen an important witness here. >> what's the jury been like? >> the jury has been very serious, very interested, not interested at all at looking at donald trump. and pretty stone faced and hard to read. occasionally they were amused by michael cohen, in the way he colorfully opened. but for the most part, they're hard to read. jurors are hard to read, even when you think you can read them. >> lisa rubin, you sound good

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was it a vp audition? several members of donald trump's short list for vice president attended a fundraiser

last night, including north dakota governor, doug burgum, south dakota, kristi noem, vivek ramaswamy, and marco rubio. the minimum ticket price, 100 grand, the maximum, $840,000. joining us now, nbc news correspondent, dasha burns. what kind of person, dasha, wants to be the vp for donald trump after the way the last vp left office with threats to hang him? >> you just showed some head shots of those people. look, this is something that these folks are vying hard for. i mean, they are showing up outside of court. they are showing up to these fundraisers. last night's fundraiser was parked, too, to what we saw a up -- couple of weekends ago in mar-a-lago. raising billions of dollars for the president. we have reported it's a big factor for who might be selected for this. this is a full court press for

all of these people vying for the position. doug burgum was a surprise guest at his rally over the weekend. >> they went to court with him yesterday. >> they have all gone to court for the most part. >> dressed in the traditional donald trump blue suit, red tie, so very sort of donald trump mini me. >> have they made promises about what they would be willing to do? >> he has talked about how wealthy doug burgum is and how he could give his millions to the campaign. one thing the campaign keeps saying, it's one guy that's going to make this decision. take any speculation with a grain of salt, but we can look at who's been in and around the orbit. >> kristi noem have a chance after the dog stuff? >> he did make a comment about the noem dog thing. he said, i'm curious about the dog. she's had a bad week, he said a couple of times, but he

continues to emphasize she's still a big supporters. my reporting is that she's not really toward the top of the list, and unlikely candidate. she's still out there. >> dasha burns, thank you very much. joining us now to talk about the politics surrounding the upcoming election is former republican congressman and senior adviser of our republican legacy, charlie dent. really good to have you. we're talking a lot about politics every day, obviously. today is an interesting one because the debates were announced. donald trump accepted, and president biden to two debates. there are voters who haven't decided one way or another. what do you think is -- what do you think is going to sway people's minds when it comes to these two men that everybody knows? >> i think it's true. a lot of people haven't turned on this whole election, they're tuned out. i think they're smart to move up the debates. i think june is a little early, candidly, and i think they're smart to make sure there's no

audience. i think that's all good. people are dissatisfied with the choice. 2/3 of the people think one of the candidates is too old, the other is crazy. they're looking for alternatives. there's a lot of dissatisfaction. we're going to see significant numbers of people not voting for either of these guys. do you think the democrats should run somebody else? >> of course they should run somebody else. if you talk privately, biden is too old, shouldn't be running, but publicly, go team. >> what about the fact there's going to be a debate period. david frum argues that joe biden should never agree to a debate with donald trump because that elevates him and makes him seem like an actual honest candidate for the presidency, when president biden should be treating him like lincoln did jefferson davis, a traitor. >> frum's got a point but those

debates in the last cycle were clown shows. they were horrible debates. i don't think the public got anything out of them. if biden declines debates with trump, he might look scared or chicken. i wouldn't be doing two if i were joe biden. why give that much attention, you know what the debates are going to be, trump yelling, interrupting, and biden is going to be a bit frazzled by it. >> how does the american public find trust again in politics? how do the parties find candidates that speak to a broader swath of voters? >> i have been involved with this group, we're trying to talk to republican voters, and say, hey, we should start rallying around core principles that the party stood for for years, the constitution, the union, fiscal responsibility, you know, peace through strength. these types of principles rather than just simply talking about fealty to one man.

look what happened? >> but it's working for republicans or they think it's working for them or at the very least, they're so afraid of the primary voters, the base voters that they don't really have a choice because the base voters, without them, they can't get elected into anything. >> it has not been working well for republicans in my view. you look what's happened since 2016, republicans lost the house. in 2018, they lost the senate and presidency, in 2020, significantly underperformed in 2022. why do republicans, why do we think we'll do better in 2024? we know the answer. >> so why do they think that? >> look, they're dealing with primary pressures. trump has been able to captivate much of the base. the problem is there has not been an alternative narrative. an alternative argument to this. that's partly why i got involved with the group. we're trying to get republicans to talk about what we stand for and create the counter narrative and get people over. we want people to move away from that maga argument towards one that has sustained the party for 170 years.

we had seven years of maga or eight years maybe, and we need to get to a better place, and so that's what we need to do to help elevate the discussion on the republican side. >> if donald trump loses in 2024 or say the republicans don't win back the senate in 2024, do you think that's a fever break center. >> well, it ought to be. you know, i thought we hit these fever breakers long ago, after january 6th in particular, but it ought to. i mean, at some point political parties are about really one big thing, winning, and if you don't win, and if you keep losing, at some point, you're going to have to take stock. many members of congress in safe seats. i was an odd ball, i represent a competitive district. there are few people who think about you have to win swing voters. >> we were talking about the vp candidates and, i'll bring you back into this. what kind of person wants to be the vice president to donald trump? i'm dead serious. especially after the last vice

president, a man who said he stood by his principles in the constitution. a man who was firmly in the form of an old school republican, was greeted with chants to hang him that it seemed like the president himself endorsed on his way out of house. threats to his life because he stood by the constitution, who wants to be a vp to a president who would allow that? >> never underestimate the ambition of politicians. people want to have access to power, they want power. that's why they're doing this. i think most of them know that donald trump is erratic, and that trying to be his first lieutenant is really loaded with all types of risks. they all know mike pence. they can call him, and i don't know why anybody, frankly, at this point wanted to debase themselves to take the job because trump will expect total fealty, but it will not be reciprocated. >> does that come up when you talk about the prospects, why they want to beat donald trump,

do any mention mike pence? >> of course not. they block out completely. right now, they are about this moment. this begs the question for me, which i often wonder, especially after i talked with voters because trump has engaged so many people in this way we haven't seen a candidate do in a long time, but what is the republican after trump? what does it look like after trump? so much of the infrastructure has been built around him. so much of the ideology has been built around him. once he's gone, no one is donald trump, no one can replicate that. what does the republican party come to stand for when you've brought in new voters, on the basis of what one man has done. where do you go from there? >> that's why we set up the republican legacy initiative, we want to talk about the party after 2024, what are enduring principles? i mean, for example, on free markets, republican party right now, at least under donald trump is all about high tariffs and

price controls, i mean, it's almost indistinguishable from the democrats. there's an issue. >> there's an argument that the republican party doesn't exist any longer. >> i'll tell you what -- >> look how they changed on foreign policy, fiscal matters. >> most republicans, peace through strength, they support allies, they think it would be horrendous to surrender ukraine to russia. 20% of republican voters are still voting for nikki haley, and she has been out of the race for weeks. >> that is such a good point. even in primaries yesterday. >> they're looking for something, an alternative. >> charlie dent, dasha burns, thank you very much. still ahead, the plan to take back control of america's public schools was started in south lake texas with one of the reporters who has a pulitzer prize finalist for his revelations. first up, what do israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu and president biden think of each other right now. what will they do for each other, and what does it mean for both leaders' political survival? survival

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president netanyahu from expanding. joining us now, nbc news international correspondent raf sanchez. so raf, what is the latest out of israel? >> reporter: so, katy, we are seeing prime minister benjamin netanyahu coming under increasing pressure not just from the u.s. to not expand this operation in rafah further, but also to come up with a plan to secure the peace in gaza. we're seeing at the moment, katy, something that's looking a little bit like whac-a-mole in gaza. israeli forces go into an area, they clear it of hamas, they leave, nothing fills the evacuate and hamas pops up again, and you are now seeing israeli forces for the second, for the third time going into some of the same areas of northern gaza that they were fighting in months ago. the u.s. is saying this pattern is going to continue, if prime minister netanyahu does not come up with a plan for the future of

gaza. take a listen to what secretary of state antony blinken had to say a little earlier today. >> we have been very clear that when it comes to the future of gaza, we do not support and will not support an israeli occupation. we also, of course, do not support hamas governance in gaza. so there needs to be a clear, concrete plan, and we look to israel to come forward with its ideas. >> reporter: and, katy, it is not just the u.s. that's putting pressure on netanyahu, his own defense minister came out today and said the israeli military cannot be asked to continue fighting with no end in sight, with no plan. there has to be some sort of political setup on the other side of this to secure the peace in gaza. now, prime minister netanyahu responding to that repeating a statement he has made repeatedly

throughout this war. he will not allow the palestinian authority, the palestinian semigovernment in the occupied west bank to be the new civilian authority in gaza, and, katy, the u.s. will tell you that the palestinian authority may not be perfect, but it is really the only show in town. it is the only option acceptable to moderate arab states like saudi arabia and the uae, who israel is looking for to pay for the reconstruction of gaza after this devastating war. this is one more area where you have prime minister netanyahu and the biden administration really deadlocked. >> i guess their argument is don't let perfect be the enemy of the good. raf sanchez, thank you very much. coming up, senator bob menendez is on trial, just down the street from donald trump. opening statements started a moment ago. we'll bring you the latest. first up, though, the south lake playbook. what a pulitzer prize finalist and nbc news reporter learned

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affluent suburb into a nationwide culture war against race, gender and sexuality. a new book building off the prize winning podcast shows what south lake was building to. a blueprint conservatives hope to export to every single major suburban school in the united states. joining us now is the author of the new book "they came for the schools," nbc news senior investigative reporter, mike hixenbaugh, a finalist for pulitzer prize on your book. tell me a little bit more about south lake and what happened with this school. >> my goal for this book is if you're a parent or teacher in a suburban district where you have seen parents showing up at school board complaining about critical race theory or woke ideology, you could read this book about south lake and the broader fight in texas and understand why that's happening, and the reason we told the story in south lake is, you know, it's really representative of what's happening all over the country.

and so to help connect for people what's happening in their communities in the suburbs of philadelphia, or outside nashville, i don't just tell the story of south lake, i tell the history of these types of conflicts in public schools there. >> it's not new. it's not like this is the first time that conservatives went after what teachers were teaching in public schools. there's a long history of it? >> that's right. and some of these beats throughout history we're familiar with, the fight over evolution in the 1930s. the fight over segregation in the '50s, '60s and '70s. i didn't realize how consistent throughout history that conservatives have in school. i guess it makes sense. schools are where we teach children the next generation about what america is, which parts are important to reflect on. >> even though there's been case and case and case of

conservatives going after what is caught in public school, there still has been a more progressive bent in modern history in how culture has evolved and how other south has evolved. what is being acceptable and unacceptable, segregation, the idea than would be acceptable to most people. >> so in this case, what we saw in 2017 through 2020, during the era of donald trump, a lot of suburban schools, just like america, were reckoning with issues around race and inclusion that had been simmering under the surface for a lost time. in places like southlake they

started hiring deform i consultants to try to at those things, and conservatives woke up to -- what is this dei plan? that's where the anti-crt backlash came from. it's reaction to schools to more welcoming to students of color. >> what did you learn about who was backing the initiatives? >> in southlake, these formed a political action committee that had some support from powerful figures, and that playbook, we get a slate of candidates and take over the school board, it was so successful, and so highly publicized on fox news in 2021, we've been sees copycat pacs all over the country the heritage foundation and other national groups are pouring their

resources into these. >> we've seen versions of this before. what is different about this one? >> i think the scale and intensity of this is different. you know, i'm tracing this in the book, the 1970s and '80s, there was a push to kind of defeat something called sec ullr humanism from schools. it sounds a lot like what is going on. >> no longer teaching christian values and morals, but now teaching it's all about me? >> this time the national gop leaned in hard to this as a strategy to try to retake the suburbs. i think that poured a lot of fuel on the fire and made this a really intense nationwide push to remove books, to fight crt. >> your book is deeply reported, really interested, and i personally find about reading about the history of the united

states, whether it's the history of how congress works always makes me feel better about the times we've been here before. and we as americans have gotten through it, and hopefully come out better on the other side. mike, thank you so much for joining us, and "they came for the schools." thank you very much. coming up next, what's happening in a new york city courtroom in the trial of senator bob menendez. urtroom in senator bob menendez (ella) fashion moves fast. setting trends is our business. we need to scale with customer demand... in real time. (jen) so we partner with verizon. their solution for us? a private 5g network. (ella) we now get more control of production, efficiencies, and greater agility. (marquis) with a custom private 5g network. our customers get what they want, when they want it. (jen) now we're even smarter and ready for what's next.

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down the street from the new york city courthouse where donald trump has been on trial, opening statements are underway in senator menendez's federal bribery trial. he's accused of accepting hundreds of thousands in bribes

in exchange for political favors. outside the courtroom is ken dilanian. ken, what are the prosecutors arguing? >> reporter: the prosecutors are putting this in very stark terms, this is a public official that put greed up first. for years he be trade the people he was supposed to serve by taking bribes. he put u.s. foreign policy up for sale as the chairman of the powerful senate committee, and including names of u.s. embassy personnel, which others have said could have put lives at risk. prosecutors going heart at the core of the case. now, the defense just put on their open statements. i got a briefs from jonathan

dienst about what they said, and essentially senator menendez was going to argue he wasn't in a loop with a lot of the stuff his wife and codefendant nadine was done in terms of gold bars, mercedes-benz in terms of -- if he's not throwing her totally under the bus, he's certainly saying she was responsible, and he was not. the issue where that is there's a lot of evidence, including a google search on his part inquire how much of a kilo of gold was worth, according to the indictment. again, nadine menendez is not on trial. she has health problems, and will go on trial later. essentially he's trying to say his wife is responsible for some of the conduct. that does it to me today.