The new debate format is worth keeping

And Rep. Jasmine Crockett unpacks viral showdown with MTG [VIEW IN BROWSER]( MSNBC DAILY Understand today's news [VIEW IN BROWSER]( MSNBC DAILY Understand today's news Sunday, May 19, 2024 IN CASE YOU MISSED IT [Alternate text] It was another historic week in former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial in New York. Trump attorney Todd Blanche attempted to poke holes in former fixer [Michael Cohen's testimony]( about a key 2016 phone call between Cohen and Trump in which they discussed the hush money payment to Karen McDougal. Meanwhile, the former president was joined in the courtroom by a [revolving door]( of Republican lawmakers making [headline-grabbing]( guest appearances and helping the former president to [subvert]( his gag order. On Thursday, after spending the morning with Trump in the courtroom, several House Republicans flocked back to Washington, D.C., in time for a House Oversight Committee hearing that [devolved into chaos]( and personal attacks when Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene insulted another member’s physical appearance. Meanwhile in a New Jersey courtroom, the criminal trial of Sen. Bob Menendez got underway. The senator is accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in exchange for official acts. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito also [found himself at the center of controversy]( this week after the New York Times published a photo of an upside-down American flag that the Alitos flew outside their home days before Biden’s 2021 inauguration. Alito confirmed the photo and excused it by saying his wife had raised it as part of a spat with an anti-Trump neighbor. After a contentious back-and-forth on social media, President Joe Biden and former President Trump have agreed to two debates, under a few [crucial conditions](, setting the dates of June 27 and September 10 for their long-awaited face-offs. Missed something? Don't worry. Here are our select columns and videos from the week. And don't forget to check out [MSNBC.com]( for more.   UNDERSTAND MORE [Alternate text] [ZEESHAN ALEEM]( [Biden’s most controversial Trump debate condition could be a game-changer]( One way that Biden wants to upset debate tradition is judicious — and should be the new norm. [Read more.]( //link.msnbc.com/click/35429502.9441/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubXNuYmMuY29tL29waW5pb24vbXNuYmMtb3Bpbmlvbi90cnVtcC1odXNoLW1vbmV5LXRyaWFsLXN1cnJvZ2F0ZXMtY2FtcGFpZ24tcmNuYTE1MjY1ND9jaWQ9ZW1sX21kYV8yMDI0MDUxOSZ1c2VyX2VtYWlsPWQ3ZGM3NDUxNzI5N2IzOTcxYWExNGQ2ZjMzMTEzNWEwODc4ZjhmNjQwZmExYTEwMTlmMTU3YjY1YzFiNWRkMWQ/58292da26e4adc7b0b8b4914Dc866ab68[SYMONE D. SANDERS-T](OWNSEND [Trump knows how to exploit his trial spotlight. But two can play that game.]( The former president is treating his trial like another campaign stop. Democrats need to stop ceding the spotlight. [Read more.]( [HAYES BROWN]( [How Michael Cohen’s past lies make him a more credible witness]( No matter how much Donald Trump's defense tries to discredit his former lawyer, the fact remains that he lied to protect his client. [Read more.]( [PAUL WALDMAN]( [Winning isn’t enough for Thomas and Alito. They want praise for their destruction.]( Despite recent successes and gifts from wealthy donors, both justices remain consumed with resentment. [Read more.]( [ALI VELSHI]( [The way we talk about immigrants has changed. Now the country could too.]( The myth that immigrants, documented or otherwise, drive wages lower and crime higher thankfully seems to be petering out. That's not enough. [Read more.]( [JASON PAGE]( [The hypocritical reason Harrison Butker won’t get the Kaepernick treatment]( The Chiefs should part ways with Butker, but the team (and the league) will likely do nothing. [Read more.]( MUST WATCH [Alternate text] [KATIE PHANG]( ['Don't come for me': Rep. Crockett unpacks viral exchange with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene]( [WATCH NOW]( Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett joins MSNBC'S Katie Phang to discuss her dust up with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene during a hearing this week. [WEEKENDS WITH ALEX WITT]( [‘A machine of anger’: The difference between Donald Trump’s debates in 2016, 2020, and 2024]( [WATCH NOW]( Philippe Reines, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and former spokesperson for Hillary Clinton, joins Alex Witt to talk about Biden and Trump debating and his time standing in as Trump in debate prep for Clinton in 2016. [AYMAN MOHYELDIN]( ['It's not going to work': Rep. Jamaal Bowman on being AIPAC’s top target]( [WATCH NOW]( Why has a primary race in one of the country's safest congressional districts garnered national attention? MSNBC’s Ayman Mohyeldin breaks down why AIPAC is wading into Democratic primaries across the country, and speaks to one of its top targets, Rep. Jamaal Bowman of New York. [THE WEEKEND]( [Senator Warnock reveals what the ‘poll-a-coaster' won’t tell you about Georgia voters]( [WATCH NOW]( Senator Raphael Warnock joins The Weekend to weigh in on the upcoming debates and the battle once again brewing in his home state.     DON'T MISS [Alternate text] Tonight, MSNBC Films presents “Battleground Georgia,” the latest installment of "The Turning Point" documentary series from Executive Producer Trevor Noah. The film breaks down the complex history of voting across the South and how Georgia came to lead the charge in this pivotal political moment. Watch “Battleground Georgia” tonight at 9pm Eastern on MSNBC. Tomorrow, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis joins Rachel Maddow in an exclusive interview ahead of Tuesday’s primary election in Georgia. Watch The Rachel Maddow Show tomorrow at 9pm Eastern on MSNBC. 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