Iowa Republicans only six weeks until you decide how the

2024 presidential race will go and maybe the fate of American democracy, no pressure, the lead starts right now.

Donald Trump's latest ploy, he claims it's President Biden, not him who's the threat to American democracy. It's

nonsense of course but what if it works and Trump wins a second term I'm

going to speak with some folks behind several new warnings spelling out the

potential danger. Plus, Israel expanding its war targeting Hamas in all of Gaza,

even in the south where Israel first told Palestinians to flee for safety

the new strikes as influential voices speak up today at the UN calling out

Hamas atrocities from October 7th, largely

uncondemned crimes by the international community,

women sexually assaulted and raped by Hamas,

and a Jewish and Israeli restaurant owner targeted and

haunted by a mob.

Just the latest supercharged moment of anti-Semitism in America. Welcome to the lead, I'm Jake Tapper, and we start today with a warning about

democracy in the United States, a warning from the man who himself may pose the greatest threat to

American democracy in our lifetimes with exactly six weeks until the crucial

Iowa caucuses Donald Trump is ignoring his Republican opponents, instead trying to flip the

script on Joe Biden accusing the current commander-in-chief of being hostile to democracy

much like Biden has been warning about Trump.

So if Joe Biden wants to make this race a question of which candidate will defend our democracy and protect our freedoms, and I say to crooked Joe Joe and he's crooked the most corrupt president

we've ever had. We will win that fight and we're going to win it very big.

Joe Biden is not the defender of American democracy.

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