The polling news was not good for President Joe Biden this week. Long-time Democratic strategist Dale Butland joins the show for a look at the Biden campaign and whether he has any hope of making Ohio a swing state.
The recent New York Times/Sienna College poll shows the president trailing former President Donald Trump in five of six swing states Biden won in 2020.
Trump leads Biden in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Michigan, Georgia and Nevada. Biden has a narrow lead in Wisconsin.
It is important to note that the poll numbers were among registered voters, not likely voters. And it was done in May, seven months before the actual votes will be counted in November.
The themes are familiar—voters are unhappy about the economy, particularly inflation, immigration and the war in Gaza.
Snollygoster of the week
US Senator JD Vance seems to be doing all he can to become former President Trump's vice presidential candidate. This week he spent one day at Trump's criminal trial in New York City for charges related to hush money payments.
On Wednesday, Vance and Trump attended a fundraiser in suburban Cincinnati. This was the scheduled day off from the trial that President Biden had mentioned earlier.
It's a much different JD Vance now than in 2016 immediately after the Access Hollywood tape was released, when Vance tweeted: "Fellow Christians, everyone is watching us when we apologize for this man. Lord help us."
Vance has said he was wrong about Trump in 2016.