Tonight, on the eve of his Manhattan hush money trial, former President Trump defiant, saying he's willing to testify in his own defense in a case he slams as a partisan prosecution by a Democratic DA. Mr. President, do you plan to testify?

Yeah, I would testify. Absolutely. It's a scam. It's a scam. That's not a trial. That's not a trial. That's a scam. What they have done is incredible. It's election interference, and it's got to stop. It's a third-world country. Mr.

Trump facing the first criminal prosecution of former President. He's charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records, a low-level felony related to alleged hush money payments to Stormy Daniels. Isn't it risky for you to testify?

I'm testifying. I tell the truth. I mean, all I can do is tell the truth. The truth is that there's no case. They have no case.

Jury selection is set to start Monday.

Jury selection is largely luck. It depends who you get.

It comes as the former President is throwing a political lifeline to House Speaker Mike Johnson.

We're getting along very well with the speaker.

They are sharing the microphone at Mar-a-Lago, their first public event since Johnson was elected speaker last October. He has a razor-thin Republican majority and faces a threat from a top Trump ally, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor-Greem, trying to oust him.

I think he's doing a very good job. He's doing about as good as you're going to do. I'm sure that Marjorie understands that. I know she has a lot of respect for the speaker.

The yays are 273. But today, a victory for the Speaker. The House passing the reauthorization of a surveillance bill that includes a controversial spying program over the objections of Mr. Trump. Then there's aid to Ukraine, which still is not past the house. Ukraine's President, Zelenskyy this week saying without it, Ukraine could lose the war.

We're looking at it right now, and they're talking about it, and we're thinking about making it in the form of a loan instead of just a gift. Much more importantly to me is the fact that Europe has to step up and they have to give money.

And, Gabe, today another ruling from the judge in that hush money case.

Yes, Lester, the judge denied former President Trump's motion to delay the trial due to pretrial publicity. So as of now, jury selection is set to begin on Monday. Lester.

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