CNN Political Briefing

This week’s Pro-Palestine protests at Columbia University led to more than 100 arrests after students barricaded themselves inside Hamilton Hall. This happened in the exact same building where anti-war student protestors demonstrated 56 years ago to the day, according to Columbia’s student newspaper. Mark Naison, a Fordham University professor of history, was part of the 1968 protests. He joins CNN Political Director David Chalian to explain why he says this week’s protests feel like ‘déjà vu,’ and why he supports today’s demonstrations.

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This week the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in former president Donald Trump’s historic immunity case. Trump’s attorneys say he should be granted sweeping immunity in a federal election subversion case because he was acting “officially” as president. Now all eyes turn to how the court decides -- and whether or not this is sent back to lower courts for further adjudication -- with this November’s election potentially hanging in the balance. University of Michigan Law professor Leah Litman and CNN Political Director David Chalian break down the foundations of the case and talk about what’s at stake.

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This week, the first of four expected criminal trials involving former President Donald Trump began in Manhattan. And for the first time in United States history, a former president is now a defendant in a criminal trial. CNN legal analyst Norm Eisen was in the courtroom. He joins CNN Political Director David Chalian to share his analysis of not only this case, but also this week’s Supreme Court oral arguments on the January 6 obstruction charges, which could have potential legal implications for Trump as well. 

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Both President Biden and former President Trump have recently raised mammoth amounts of money at two individual fundraising events. And while Biden is still the fundraising frontrunner, Trump’s team reports he raised a record-breaking $50 million at a single fundraiser in Palm Beach last weekend. Could Trump regain the lead in the race for campaign cash? And how much does money matter? CNN Politics national writer Fredreka Schouten joins CNN Political Director David Chalian for a breakdown of the latest numbers. 

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Abortion remains one of the most contentious and polarizing 2024 election issues – and will likely play a critical role in the outcome in November. But can it be the silver bullet Democrats are hoping to make it? Mary Ziegler is one of the world's leading historians of the abortion debate, and has written several books, including ‘After Roe, The Lost History of the Abortion Debate.’ She joins CNN Political Director David Chalian for a deep dive into the history of abortion as an election issue and the future of abortion in the U.S. 

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This year’s presidential election may be a rematch, but President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump aren’t the only options. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is running as an independent, and just this week announced his pick for vice president. Kennedy has never held public office before, and yet, his message seems to appeal to an unexpectedly large audience. Lee Drutman, senior fellow in the political reform program at New American, joins CNN Political Director David Chalian to talk about Kennedy’s campaign and how he and other third-party candidates influence American politics. 

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Who would have thought that TikTok could quickly become an election issue? Last week, the U.S. House voted with bipartisan support in favor of a bill that could ban the popular app. The White House says President Joe Biden is prepared to sign it, but some strategists worry the move could alienate young voters. “This is one of the most scrambled, political situations that I think we have seen this cycle. It's truly bizarre,” says Forbes technology reporter Emily Baker-White. She joins CNN Political Director David Chalian to explain why lawmakers want to crack down on TikTok, and how the app is shaping this election cycle.

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Disinformation is one the biggest challenges of modern politics – especially in campaigning. How can candidates spread their message if almost anyone can distort it? Journalist Sasha Issenberg’s new book “The Lie Detectives: In Search of a Playbook for Winning Elections in the Disinformation Age” dives deep into this topic. He joins CNN Political Director David Chalian to discuss what he's learned about the people fighting fake news, and whether there are ways of preventing it.

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Super Tuesday brought some excitement to this year’s election cycle, with a lot of consequential downballot races. House Republicans are hoping to keep their slight margin, where Democrats only need a net gain of four seats to regain control of the chamber. Senate Democrats, however, are facing an extremely tough map, with Republicans well positioned to win the majority. 

Cook Political Report’s Erin Covey and Jess Taylor cover House and Senate campaigns, respectively, and join CNN Political Director David Chalian to talk about what’s heating up in this year’s Congressional races.

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Former president Donald Trump and President Joe Biden won big at their respective Michigan primaries, as predicted. But the key swing state had some surprises in store, with about 100,000 people casting protest votes over Biden’s policies on the Israel/Gaza war. Michigan is a hub of Arab and Muslim Americans and could be crucial to winning the presidency. Ashely Allison, CEO of the Turner Conoly Group and former White House senior policy adviser, joins CNN Political Director David Chalian to talk about what the Biden campaign can do to keep these voters on his side.

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