WEEK, AND SHE'S HERE WITH US TONIGHT.

CATHY HAS THE NIGHT OFF.

MARY?

>> MARY: THANKS, ERIC.

WE START WITH NATIONAL POLITICS.

THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE IS HEATING UP, AND THIS WEEK'S BIGGEST ISSUES FOR CURRENT PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN AND FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP ARE IN A COURTROOM AND ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES.

TRUMP'S HUSH MONEY TRIAL IN NEW YORK CONTINUES TO CAPTURE THE HEADLINES.

AND SO DO THE PROTESTS AT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS THE WAR BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS DIVIDES DEMOCRATS.

PROFESSOR KATHRYN PEARSON TEACHES POLITICAL SCIENCE STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA, WHERE A PROTEST ENCAMPMENT WAS JUST VACATED AND THAT'S WHERE WE WANT TO STAY.

DID THE OF U OF M KIND OF FIGURE THIS OUT?

>> IT REMAINS UNCLEAR BECAUSE OF COURSE THE STUDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO EFORE THE BOARD OF REGENTS NEXT WEEK.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, THERE MAY BE YET THAT OTHER EVENTS THAT UNFOLD.

BUT I THINK THAT IT REALLY IS A MODEL THUS FAR FOR OTHER COLLEGE CAMPUSES TO LOOK TO.

>> Eric: POLITICAL FALLOUT FROM THE NATIONWIDE, SEEN MANY, MANY UNIVERSITIES PROTESTING AGAINST THE PRESIDENT BIDEN, REALLY.

>> RIGHT, WELL, AND WE'RE GOING TO HEAR MORE ABOUT IT FROM HOUSE REPUBLICANS.

SO HOUSE REPUBLICANS REALLY ARE SEIZING ON THIS ISSUE.

THEY'RE GOING TO BE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE HEARINGS.

THE PRESIDENTS OF YALE, MICHIGAN, UCLA, ARE COMING BEFORE THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS, AND SO I THINK REPUBLICANS WANT TO KEEP TALKING ABOUT THIS BECAUSE AGAIN IT'S AN ISSUE THAT DOES DIVIDE DEMOCRATS.

AND WITH YOUNGER VOTERS, IT'S MAKING PRESIDENT BIDEN UNPOPULAR.

THAT SAID, POLLING SUGGEST EAGS THE TOP SISH CITY THE ECONOMY.

SO EVEN THOUGH YOUNGER DEMOCRATS DON'T SUPPORT THE WAY PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS HANDLED THIS.

>> Mary: BUT DOES HE AND OTHER DEMOCRATS HAVE TO FIGURE OUT THAT BEFORE THE JEN ELECTION, MAYBE NOT VOTING THE OTHER WAY BUT MAYBE THEY'RE NOT VOTING.

>> CERTAINLY, MEAN, EVEN BEFORE THESE PROTESTS.

THAT HAS BEEN A CONCERN FOR DEMOCRATS, SORT OF THE APATHY FOR YOUNGER VOTERS.

NOT THAT THEY WOULD NECESSARILY GO OUT AND VOTE FOR FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP BUT THAT THEY WOULD JUST STAY HOME.

PART OF THE THAT IS THE PRESIDENT'S AGE.

PART OF THAT IS HIS POLITICS.

FOREIGN POLICY.

BUT THEY'RE ALSO GOING TO BE MANY MOBILIZATION EFFORTS BETWEEN NOW AND NOVEMBER AND THE ELECTION I THINK RIGHT NOW IT'S ABOUT BIDEN, BUT IT WILL SOON BECOME ABOUT BIDEN AND TRUMP.

>> Eric: TRUMP TRIAL, DOES IT MATTER PLAITICALLY?

>> I MEAN, UNCLEAR.

CERTAINLY THE PEOPLE WHO ARE PAYING THE MOST ATTENTION ARE THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN POLITICS AND THOSE PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY MADE UP THEIR MIND YEARS AGO.

SO WITH A CONVICTION, PERHAPS, BUT ALSO A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS TRIAL ISN'T PERHAPS FAIR TO TRUMP.

SO IT'S NOT EVEN CLEAR WHETHER OR NOT IT WOULD HELP OR HURT.

>> Mary: DOESN'T IT MAYBE EVEN RALLY HIS BASE AND IT'S NEVER BEEN BAD FOR DONALD TRUMP TO BE IN THE HEADLINES.

IT'S THE OLD, LIKE, THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS BAD PRESS.

>> EXACTLY.

AND VOTERS ARE SO FAMILIAR WITH THE FORMER PRESIDENT NOW.

I THINK NOTHING AT THIS POINT WOULD BE SURPRISING.

>> Eric: TALKED TO A COUPLE REPUBLICANS THIS WEEK AND THEY WERE TICKING OFF LL THE THINGS THEY THOUGHTS THEY COULD RUN AGAINST THE DEMOCRATS IN MINNESOTA.

AND THEN THEY WOULD SAY, BUT THERE'S THAT DARN ABORTION ISSUE.

>> RIGHT.

I MEAN, ABORTION WAS HUGE IN 2022 AND IT LOOKS TO BE HUGE IN 2024 AS WELL.

SO I EXPECT THE DEMOCRATS WILL RUN ON ABORTION BECAUSE PUBLIC OPINION IS CERTAINLY ON THE SIDE OF DEMOCRATS ON THAT ISSUE, INCLUDING WITH INDEPENDENT VOTERS WHO OF COURSE MATTER IN HIGH TURNOUT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS.

>> Mary: AND DO WE EXPECT A SUPREME COURT DECISION THAT COULD AFFECT HIS GENERAL ELECTION?

>> POTENTIALLY, YES.

IT LOOKS INCREASINGLY LESS LIKELY THAT JACK SMITH WILL BRING ANYTHING UP BEFORE THE 2024 ELECTION.

BUT REMAINS TO BE SEEN.

>> Eric: COULD YOU VERIFY SOME DATA FOR ME?

DEMOCRATS MUST WIN BY MORE THAN THREE POINTS NATIONWIDE TO WIN THE 270 ELECTORAL VOTES?

>> THAT'S ABOUT WHAT POLITICAL SCIENTISTS ARE ESTIMATING, AND THAT OF COURSE IS BECAUSE OF THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE AND DEMOCRATS TEND TO WIN SO BIG IN STATES LIKE CALIFORNIA, NEW YORK, AND SO USUALLY THAT IS ABOUT THE GAP, YEAH.

>> Mary: AND WE ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE TO BE WEARY OF POLLS.

AND THEN THE POPULAR VOTE POLLS ARE ALMOST IRRELEVANT WHEN THERE'S THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE, RIGHT?

>> EXACTLY, THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT POLLS SHOULD BE LOOKING AT SWING STATE POLLS AND POLLING AVERAGES, SO YOU NEVER JUST WANT TO LOOK AT ONE POLL.

YOU ALWAYS WANT TO LOOK AT A HIGH QUALITY OF POLLS AVERAGE, BUT ALSO JUST REMEMBER THESE ARE STILL JUST SNAPSHOTS IN TIME.

IT'S GOING TO BE A CLOSE ELECTION.

>> Eric: IS CHRISTIE NOME DOING THE BEST SHE CAN TO INTRODUCE HERSELF TO THE COUNTRY?

>> THAT WAS AN UNFORCED ERROR THAT HAS REALLY BACKFIRED AND COULD POTENTIALLY COST HER A POTENTIAL, YOU KNOW, PICK AS A VICE PRESIDENTIAL RUNNING MATE.

>> Eric: SOME OF THE V.P.

CANDIDATES ARE AUDITIONING THIS WEEKEND.

>> EXACTLY.

>> Mary: BUT DID THE CONVENTIONAL WISDOM EACH US THERE IS NO SUCH THING?

HAS HE RESET THE WHOLE POLITICAL CALCULUS?

>> YES, ABSOLUTELY, AND I THINK HE IS SOMEONE WHO WILL MAKE A DECISION BASED ON WHAT HE WANTS, BUT IT HAS NOT ONE OVER WELL WITH THOSE PAYING ATTENTION.

THAT IS TRUE.

AND IT CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, I THINK IN MANY WAYS SEEING HER AS PERHAPS A WOMAN COULD APPEAL TO INDEPENDENT VOTERS.

THIS IS NOT HELPING.

>> Eric: APPRECIATE YOUR