♪ AT LEAST HE AIN'T NO SOB, LIKE THAT... >> CATHY: TWO OF THE BIGGEST NEWS STORIES IN THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE MADE HEADLINES AGAIN THIS WEEK.

ON FRIDAY MORNING, THE U.N. COURT OF JUSTICE ORDERED ISRAEL TO STOP THE RAFAH OFFENSIVE, INCREASING INTERNATIONAL CONDEMNATION OF ISRAEL'S CONDUCT IN THE WAR.

IT'S AN ISSUE THAT HAS SPLIT PRESIDENT BIDEN'S PARTY.

ON TUESDAY, THE NEW YORK HUSH MONEY TRIAL OF FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP INCHED CLOSER TO RESTING IN THE HANDS OF THE JURY.

THE DEFENSE RESTED WITHOUT TRUMP TAKING THE STAND.

CLOSING ARGUMENTS ARE SCHEDULED FOR NEXT WEEK.

HERE WITH MORE, CINDY RUGELEY HEADS UP THE POLITICAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA DULUTH.

AND KATHRYN PEARSON TEACHES POLITICS AT THE TWIN CITIES CAMPUS OF THE U OF M. PROFESSOR PEARSON, ET'S TALK ABOUT THE TRUMP TRIAL, SHALL WE?

POLLING IS SHOWING THE NEEDLE IS NOT MOVING ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.

>> WHICH IS NOT SURPRISING.

YOU KNOW, WE -- VOTERS HAVE -- WERE ACQUAINTED WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP YEARS AGO AND SO ALL OF THIS IS NOT REALLY NEW INFORMATION.

SO IT'S NOT SURPRISING THE NEEDLE IS NOT MOVING.

THE PEOPLE WHO ARE THE MOST ATTENTIVE ARE PEOPLE WHO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO POLITICS SO THEIR OPINION OF THE FORMER PRESIDENT REALLY ISN'T GOING TO CHANGE AS A RESULT OF THIS TRIAL.

NOW, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, THAT COULD CHANGE NEXT WEEK BUT AS OF NOW, I'M NOT SURPRISED THAT THE NEEDLE HASN'T MOVED.

>> Eric: SO HIS CONDUCT IS KIND OF BAKED INTO THE ELECTORATE ALREADY OR -- >> I THINK IT IS, AND, I MEAN, A LOT OF THE SALACIOUS DETAILS, THEY WEREN'T ON TELEVISION, IT WAS JUST READ IT IN THE NEWSPAPER, HERE'S A SYNOPSIS OF IT.

MAYBE HAD PEOPLE HEARD IT ONE ON ONE, THEY OULD HAVE CHANGED BUT I THINK PEOPLE PRETTY MUCH KNOW WHO HE IS AND WHAT HE'S DONE.

IT'S NOT UNLIKE WHEN CLINTON WAS ACCUSED, YOU KNOW, THAT EVERYBODY SAID WE NECESSITY HE DID THIS WHEN WE VOTED FOR HIM.

>> Cathy: I'M WONDERING ABOUT ISRAEL.

THAT SEEMS TO BE A BIT OF A TOUGHER NUT TO CRACK.

>> IT IS AND IN INCREASINGLY DIVIDING THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.

WE SEE THIS IN HEARINGS ON CAPITOL HILL, WE SEE IT IN THE ELECTORATE, WE SAW WITNESS UNCOMMITTED VOTERS, A MINORITY OF THEM WHO SLOWED UP IN THE PRIMARIES BUT, NEVERTHELESS, SIGNIFICANT IN STATES LIKE MINNESOTA AND MICHIGAN, MICHIGAN BEING A KEY SWING STATE AND SO THIS IS GOING TO BE AN ISSUE THAT WILL BE COMPLICATED FOR PRESIDENT BIDEN GOING INTO THE ELECTION BUT EVEN THOUGH THE ELECTION IS HEATING UMM A LITTLE BIT EARLIER THAT IT HAS IN PREVIOUS CYCLES, IT'S STILL OFF IN NOVEMBER.

>> Eric: WHAT ABOUT PRESIDENT BIDEN'S DECISION TO DEBATE A COUPLE OF TIMES?

>> I THINK THAT'S INTERESTING.

I THINK WHAT HE'S TRYING TO DO IS SAYING IT'S GOING TO BE BIDEN VERSUS TRUMP TO GET THE CAMPAIGN GOING.

I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE, OU KNOW, IT'S BEEN WELL-PUBLIC SIDED, THERE'S DOUBLE NEGATIVES BUT I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE THINKING MABEL IT WON'T BE THEM AND I THINK HE'S SAYING, HERE'S YOUR FACE, YOUR COMPARISON.

>> I THINK THAT'S RIGHT AND IF WE THINK BACK TO THE STATE OF THE UNION, PARLIAMENT AGAIN DID A GOOD JOB AND THE MEDIA SORT OF RESPONDED TO THAT AND WHERE HE SAW THE DISCUSSION THAT HAD REALLY HEATED UP ABOUT HIS AGE SORT OF TAKE A BACK STAGE A ITTLE BIT.

SO THIS DEBATE IN THAT SENSE IS VERY IMPORTANT.

IF PRESIDENT BIDEN DOES WELL, I THINK IT SORT OF QUELLS A LOT OF DISCONTENT AMONG DEMOCRATIC LEADERS AND IF HE DOESN'T DO WELL, IT MAKES FOR A COMPLICATED SUMMER GOING FORWARD.

>> Cathy: I WONDER, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE FACT THERE WON'T BE AN AUDIENCE, A LIVE AUDIENCE TO WATCH THESE DEBATES, AS WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST?

>> RIGHT.

>> I THINK IT'S GREAT.

TO BE HONEST, I MEAN, IT -- I THINK IT'S A GOOD THING.

I MEAN, I THINK IT SHOULD BE THE TWO CANDIDATES AND FRANKLY THE DEBATES FOUR YEARS AGO WERE EMBARRASSING AND SO I'M HOPING THIS TIME THERE ARE A A LITTLE MORE DIFFERENT.

>> I THINK IT'S BETTER THAT THE MICROPHONES WILL BE TURNED OFF WHEN THE OTHER CANDIDATE IS NOT SPEAKING.

>> Cathy: RIGHT.

SHOULD BE INTERESTING.

>> YEAH.

>> Eric: THE COST OF LIVING IS SEEMS TO BE EXCEEDING ABORTION AS AN ELECTION ISSUE, AND I GUESS THE PRESIDENT IS NOT GETTING CREDIT FOR THE STATISTICS THAT SHOW THE ECONOMY IS DOING WELL OR... >> YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE WORRIED, YOU KNOW, IS IT THE -- ARE THEY GOING TO FEEL THE SAME WAY SIX MOMENTS FROM NOW THAT THEY FEEL NOW?

I DON'T KNOW.

I MEAN, YOU LOOK AT ISSUES AND, I MEAN, IS IT MORE IMPORTANT THAN ABORTION?

IS IT -- YOU KNOW, IT DEPENDS.

I MEAN, I DON'T -- THE ECONOMY IS ALWAYS A BIG ISSUE, YOU KNOW, IN CAMPAIGNS BUT, I MEAN, I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S GOING TO BE JUST THIS OR THAT.

I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A COMBINATION OF ISSUES THAT MAKE PEOPLE DECIDE.

>> Cathy: WHAT ABOUT YOUNG VOTERS?

ARE THEY REALLY THINKING ABOUT THE ECONOMY MORE THAN ABORTION OR -- YOU KNOW, IS SOMETHING ELSE GOING ON WITH THEM?

>> WELL, I THINK YOUNG VOTERS WHO IDENTIFY AS DEMOCRATS >> VERY HAPPY WITH PRESIDENT BIDEN.

THEY'RE THE LEAST LIKELY TO TURN OUT BUT IF THEY TURN OUT IN ATYPICALLY LOW NUMBERS, IT WON'T BIDE VERY WELL.

ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT THIS CYCLE IS THAT USUALLY POLITICAL SCIENCE MODELS THAT BASE ELECTION PREDICTIONS BASED ON THE ECONOMY, PRESIDENTIAL APPROVAL, THOSE ISSUES FAIR PRETTY WELL BUT I THINK WITH A CURRENT PRESIDENT, A FORMER PRESIDENT, THE ISSUE OF ABORTION BEING A BIGGER DEAL THAN IT HAS BEEN IN PREVIOUS ELECTIONS, AN ECONOMY WHERE SOME PEOPLE HAVE RECOVERED MORE THAN OTHERS, IT'S GOING TO BE A CLOSE ELECTION THAT'S HARD TO PREDICT.

>> Eric: DONALD TRUMP CAME TO MINNESOTA FOR A FUND RAISE IDEAS AND SAILED NOW MINNESOTA AND VIRGINIA IS ON HIS LIST.

>> I SAID YESTERDAY NEW YORK WAS ON HIS LIST SO WHO KNOWS.

HE ALSO SAID THAT HE WANTED MINNESOTA -- THAT HE WON MINNESOTA FOUR YEARS AGO AND HE DIDN'T.

I MEAN, IT'S -- I DON'T KNOW.

I THINK MINNESOTA GETS ATTENTION.

WHEN HILLARY CLINTON AND WHEN THAT RACE WAS CLOSE, I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, TRUMP DID WHAT ALL THE REPUBLICANS HAD DONE, GOT BETWEEN ABOUT 44 AND 45% OF THE VOTE AND CLINTON UNDERPERFORMED.

AND SO I DON'T KNOW, I MEAN, HE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE UP SOME GROUND.

>> Eric: WE'LL HAVE TIME TO KEEP GOING.

I HEAR THE BELL.

>>