The Rich Zeoli Show- Full Episode (01/11/2024):

3:05pm- On Wednesday night during a campaign appearance in Windham, NH, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie announced he is suspending his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. A recently released University of New Hampshire/CNN poll indicates Haley is trailing former President Donald Trump by only seven-points in the New Hampshire Republican presidential primary—39% to 32%. Interestingly, Christie is garnering 12% support. Could Christie’s absence put Haley over the top in NH?

3:15pm- Just prior to announcing the suspension of his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination, Chris Christie was caught on a hot microphone saying that Nikki Haley is going to be “smoked” in the upcoming Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary. Does this make endorsing Haley, as many presumed he would, impossible now?

3:20pm- On Thursday, Donald Trump’s team delivered its closing arguments in a civil fraud trial in which New York Attorney General Letitia James alleges that the former president inflated the value of assets controlled by the Trump Organization in past financial statements. If Trump loses the case, he could face up to $370 million in fines and penalties as well as being permanently prohibited from doing business in the state of New York. Notably, in 2018, while campaigning to become Attorney General, James vowed to “sue” Trump—providing evidence to the defense’s argument that this civil suit is entirely political.

3:40pm- Jonah E. Bromwich, Ben Protess, and Kate Christobek of The New York Times write: “Donald J. Trump on Thursday delivered abrupt remarks in his own defense on the final day of his civil fraud trial in Manhattan, attacking the New York attorney general, who brought the case, insulting the judge to his face and declaring himself ‘an innocent man.’Mr. Trump’s remarks…lasted only minutes, during which he impugned the attorney general, Letitia James, a Democrat, saying she ‘hates Trump and uses Trump to get elected.’ He also took aim at the judge, Arthur F. Engoron, remarking, ‘You have your own agenda, I certainly understand that.’ He added, as the judge stared stonily at him, ‘You can’t listen for more than one minute.’ Justice Engoron instructed the former president’s lawyer to ‘control your client.’ But Mr. Trump continued until the lunch break, at which point he stopped as suddenly as he had started. The episode ushered in a dramatic conclusion to a monthslong trial that has enraged the former president and threatens his family business.” You can read more here: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/01/11/nyregion/trump-fraud-trial

4:05pm- Jonah E. Bromwich, Ben Protess, and Kate Christobek of The New York Times write: “Donald J. Trump on Thursday delivered abrupt remarks in his own defense on the final day of his civil fraud trial in Manhattan, attacking the New York attorney general, who brought the case, insulting the judge to his face and declaring himself ‘an innocent man.’Mr. Trump’s remarks…lasted only minutes, during which he impugned the attorney general, Letitia James, a Democrat, saying she ‘hates Trump and uses Trump to get elected.’ He also took aim at the judge, Arthur F. Engoron, remarking, ‘You have your own agenda, I certainly understand that.’ He added, as the judge stared stonily at him, ‘You can’t listen for more than one minute.’ Justice Engoron instructed the former president’s lawyer to ‘control your client.’ But Mr. Trump continued until the lunch break, at which point he stopped as suddenly as he had started. The episode ushered in a dramatic conclusion to a monthslong trial that has enraged the former president and threatens his family business.” You can read more here: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/01/11/nyregion/trump-fraud-trial

4:10pm- On Wednesday night, Republican presidential candidates Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley participated in a debate on CNN hosted by Jake Tapper and Dana Bash. Simultaneously, former President—and Republican primary front runner—Donald Trump held a town hall hosted by Fox News.

4:20pm- Jonah Bromwich, The New York Times reporter who is inside the courtroom for Donald Trump’s civil fraud case, writes: “As [Andrew] Amer, the state lawyer, is explaining it, the case for Trump’s intent rests on his responsibility for the annual financial statements, Michael Cohen’s testimony and some of the gaps in Trump’s own testimony. But thus far, there is no real smoking gun that shows that Trump intended to commit fraud—the evidence is mostly circumstantial.” You can read more here: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/01/11/nyregion/trump-fraud-trial

4:35pm- John Yoo— the Emanuel S. Heller Professor of Law at the University of California at Berkeley & a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit hearing arguments to determine the validity of Donald Trump’s presidential immunity defense in his federal election subversion indictment. Professor Yoo explains that if Trump’s immunity defense is found invalid, we’ll have “presidents always worried about what their successors will do to them…which is what we see in banana republics” and could potentially impact the decision-making process of the nation’s Commander in Chief. He points out the prosecution of Trump is particularly disturbing given the fact that the Biden Administration’s Department of Justice is targeting a major party candidate actively challenging President Joe Biden in an election.

4:50pm- On Thursday, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) announced that tomorrow he is planning to formally endorse a Republican primary candidate for president. Most believe it will be former President Donald Trump.

5:05pm- Lara Jakes of The New York Times writes that a new Pentagon report “found that American officials and diplomats had failed to quickly or fully account for all of the nearly 40,000 weapons sent to the front” in Ukraine. She continues: “More than $1 billion worth of shoulder-fired missiles, kamikaze drones and night-vision goggles that the United States has sent to Ukraine have not been properly tracked by American officials…concerns that they could be stolen or smuggled at a time when Congress is debating whether to send more military aid to Kyiv.” You can read Jakes’ full report here: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/11/world/europe/us-military-aid-ukraine.html

5:15pm- During Thursday’s White House press briefing, Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs John Kirby was asked to answer for the Pentagon’s report that an estimated $1 billion worth of weapons sent to Ukraine could not be accounted for—Kirby said he the Biden Administration would attempt to improve accountability.

5:30pm- Rich has his new, fancy pizza oven installed at his home. Matt wonders if Rich has ever cooked Ellio’s frozen pizza in it…

5:45pm- On Wednesday night, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump participated in a town hall event on Fox News. At one point, hosts Martha MacCallum and Bret Baier asked Trump for his reaction to political rival Chris Christie dropping out of the race. Trump said the bigger story was Christie’s “hot mic” moment where he insisted Nikki Haley would be “smoked” in the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary.

5:50pm- Following Chris Christie’s decision to drop out of the Republican presidential primary, MSNBC’s Symone Sanders said she “wouldn’t be surprised” to see Christie at the DNC convention later this year.

6:05pm- On Wednesday night, Republican presidential candidates Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley participated in a debate on CNN hosted by Jake Tapper and Dana Bash. Simultaneously, former President—and Republican primary front runner—Donald Trump held a town hall hosted by Fox News.

6:10pm- Despite placing the bulk of his resources in Iowa, Governor Ron DeSantis trails former President Donald Trump by a whopping 36.4%, according to Real Clear Politics polling averages. Assuming he is unable to close that massive gap by Monday, January 15th—the day of the Iowa caucus—he’ll likely drop out of the race. So, what would be next for DeSantis? Perhaps an endorsement of Trump and a 2028 presidential run?

6:20pm- On Thursday, Donald Trump’s team delivered its closing arguments in a civil fraud trial in which New York Attorney General Letitia James alleges that the former president inflated the value of assets controlled by the Trump Organization in past financial statements. If Trump loses the case, he could face up to $370 million in fines and penalties as well as being permanently prohibited from doing business in the state of New York. Notably, in 2018, while campaigning to become Attorney General, James vowed to “sue” Trump—providing evidence to the defense’s argument that this civil suit is entirely political.

6:25pm- Jonah Bromwich, The New York Times reporter who is inside the courtroom for Donald Trump’s civil fraud case, writes: “As [Andrew] Amer, the state lawyer, is explaining it, the case for Trump’s intent rests on his responsibility for the annual financial statements, Michael Cohen’s testimony and some of the gaps in Trump’s own testimony. But thus far, there is no real smoking gun that shows that Trump intended to commit fraud—the evidence is mostly circumstantial.” You can read more here: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/01/11/nyregion/trump-fraud-trial

6:30pm- While speaking in the House of Representatives, Congressman Bennie Thompson (D-MS) insisted that Republicans can’t impeach Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas for simply following the Biden Administration’s relaxed U.S. southern border policies. So, is this an admission that President Joe Biden is solely responsible for border chaos?

6:40pm- While speaking with Mika Brzezinski on MSNBC, First Lady Jill Biden said what Republicans are doing to her son, Hunter Biden, is “cruel.”