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Donald Trump notches an# endorsement from a former rival.

On that and more, we turn to the analysis of# Brooks and Capehart.

That' columnist David Brooks, and Jonathan Capehart,# associate editor for The Washington Post.

Good to see you both.

JONATHAN CAPEHART: G Trump at a rally in New Hampshire# tonight, huge blow to Nikki Haley,## obviously, moving forward, especially,# lest we forget that it was Nikki Haley## who as governor back in 2013 appointed# Tim Scott to serve in the U.S. Senate.

Jonathan, what do you see# as the significance of this?

JONATHAN CAPEHART: Well, it just means## that Don And also this fits a pattern that we knew# was coming, which is everyone is going to## get on board the Trump train as quickly as# they can.

And so I wouldn't be surprised,## if Governor DeSantis drops out of the race, he# decides to endorse Donald Trump.

Nikki Haley## drops out of the race, I wouldn't be surprised# if she turned around and endorsed Donald Trump.

We just heard Governor Sununu of New Hampshire# say he would support Donald Trump if he were## the Republican nominee, which is mystifying to# me, given the things that he said after that## answer.

You think Donald Trump is going to# surround himself with people who want to get## things done?

Has he not paid -- did he not# apparently attention the four years of the## administration and what he's been doing and# who he's surrounded hims So, if Tim Scott wants to -- if Senator# Scott wants to jump on that bandwagon## and maybe wants to be vice president,# maybe wants to be a Cabinet official,## good for him.

But history will deal with him.

GEOFF BENNETT: And, David, I'm told by sources# familiar that Donald Trump actually pursued Tim## Scott's endorsement, as did Nikki Haley,# not directly, but through mutual friends.

If she performs well in New Hampshire,# she then moves to South Carolina,## where Donald Trump is already up 20-plus# points.

What does it mean that Tim Scott## is throwing his support behind Trump and not her?

DAVID BROOKS: Well, first, there was a moment# in 2016 when Tim rally with Marco Rubio to endorse him.

And so# you had a Black guy, an Indian-American woman,## the son of Cuban immigrants.

That was# one direction for the Republican Party.

The Republican Party obviously went in a very# different direction.

And now Ti adjusting to the winds.

And so he's probably# pro-Trump.

He's probably a little anti-Nikki## Haley.

South Carolina politics is the roughest# state politics in the country, in my opinion.

JONATHAN CAPEHART: Oh, yes.

a -- not a great relationship,# even though she appointed him.

And so it's -- betrayal is the art# form.

And if Tim Scott becomes vice## president, the vice presidential# candidate, frankly, I'd be happy.

GEOFF BENNETT: Why is that?

a good guy.

He's a good human being.

he would have a moderating effect# on the Trump administration.

And maybe someday there'd be# a future President Tim Scott,## which would be a lot better than# what the Republicans are offering GEOFF BENNETT: Well, as we# reported earlier in the pr President Biden spoke today with Israeli# Pr the first time in nearly a month.

They# talked about the ongoing war in Gaza,# the risk for a regional escalation, and also# what the plan is for Gaza after the war.

And, Jonathan, really the divisions between these# two men on all of those issues, you could argue,## has never been as pronounced.

Help us# understand the dynamics at play here.

JONATHAN CAPEHART: Well, when I look at# these dynamics, one, you have a president## of the United States who is desperately trying to# keep a lid on And then you have an Israeli prime# minister who has political problems,## because he's got a far right coalition# government that he's trying to keep with him,## so he can remain prime minister.

And he# also has legal problems.

A lot of people## say that he is waging this war in part# because he doesn't want to go to jail.

And so when you put this mix together, of course,# it's oil and water.

I praise the president,## I praise the secretary of state for trying as hard# as they can to be the adults in this situation,## looking at this from a diplomatic perspective.# But they're dealing with a prime minister who## has very parochial considerations in# a war that has global significance.

GEOFF BENNETT: And, David, I think you# can argue that Netanyahu believes that## he can outmaneuver and outlast U.S.# officials an As the -- as President Biden is pushing# for a Palestinian state after the war,## Netanyahu gave that speech yesterday where he# says, the prime minister needs to be ca saying no to our friends, saying no when# necessary, and saying yes when possible.

How does Biden contend with that?

DAVID BROOKS: Yes, well, and# Bibi Netanyahu is Netanyahu and staying in power.

And# so far, he's b And his strategy now, apparently, is,# I'm going to defend America -- I'm to defend Israel from America.

And# those Americans are trying to shove## a two-state solution down our throat,# and I'm going to be your defe He has very remote chances of being# prime minister after the war be cause he's going to get blamed for October 7,# deservedly.

And so he' which is insane.

I mean, the idea that America# would -- that Bibi Netanyahu would attack the## prime -- president of the United States,# who came to Israel right after October 7?

And, plus, there's just no viability to his# plan.

He's got a war with no end date.

He's## got this dream of a security from the river to# the sea.

You can't have a future in the Middle## East without some Palestinian Authority.

Those# people live there.

And he's got an opportunity## to sign alliances with Saudi Arabia and everybody# else, but the Israelis need a Palestinian partner.

And somebody's got to construct that.

So his idea# that you could do this without any Palestinian## partner, it's just completely unworkable.

But# it's a campaign strategy, more th GEOFF BENNETT: So, when he says the# prime minister needs to be capable of## saying no to our friends, no to the# U.S., why can't the U.S. then say,## well, then we can say no to more aid and# weapons, or at least without conditions?

JONATHAN CAPEHART: I think we're going# to -- I think we're going down that road.

I mean, every week, it seems there's# yet another Democr another Democratic elected official saying,# we need to take a look at this.

We need to## do something because the Israelis, meaning# the prime minister, isn't paying attention.

And I think this is something that also# the president and the administration has## been trying to warn him, warn# Netanyahu about.

But, clearl he's not listening because he# has domestic considerations.

DAVID BROOKS: I would just say that it# seems -- it strikes me as a long way off,## because the president, President Biden,## does agree that we need to get So , a lot of the pressure now is just# to get them to do more targeted attacks, less bombing, slow down the military# operation.

I think the military -- the## presidential -- the administration's posture# is quite the right one.

But that doesn't mean## you want to cut off arms or let the U.N. pass# some resolution condemning Israel for genocide.

That would be very disruptive of the relationship.

GEOFF BENNETT: In the couple of minutes# that remain, I want to tal big picture about the challenges facing# The Baltimore Su What business model for American newspapers# right now is the sustainable one?

DAVID BROOKS: Well... (LAUGHTER) (LAUGHTER) is it super wealthy, in most all cases# men, swooping in a DAVID BROOKS: That's the# way we have always done it.

(LAUGHTER) are doing it.

I work at The New York Times,# where we're owned by the Sulzberger family.## And I write for "The Atlantic,"# where it's Laurene Powell Jobs.

And both places are either close to breaking even# or doing moder even at our publications that anybody's# satisfied or not completely alarmed,## because the business model for online journalism# is just tough.

And the oncoming train is A.I.

Suppose you wake up in the morning and# say, A.I., tell me what happened in the## Middle East.

Well, the bots take all# of our news organizations' which we paid for to get, and then they# synthesize it and they give away for free.

And so A.I.

is -- as bad as it is right# now, A.I.

is even a bigger threat.

GEOFF BENNETT: How do you see it?

JONATHAN CAPEHART: I agree wit But I would also say, between "The Atlan Post, which is owned by -- personally by Jeff# Bezos, what we have with -- what The Post,## The Times and "The Atlantic" have in# common is that they are mission-driven.

And it seems to me that The Baltimore# Sun and The L.A. Times is stat -- that## the owners are status-driven.

And# when you have mission-driven owners,## they let the journalists do the journalism.

GEOFF BENNETT: And on that# note, we wil Jonathan Capehart and David# Brooks, thanks so much.

JONATHAN CAPEHART: Thanks, Geoff.

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