Axios

Potential witnesses at former President Trump's criminal trials could include his vice president and now-rival for the GOP nomination, the chair of the Republican National Committee, one of Trump's own lawyers and at least seven current advisers.

Why it matters: Trump's legal troubles have blanketed the vast network of aides, lawyers, advisers and associates that fueled his takeover of the Republican Party. Many remain Trump loyalists — raising thorny conflict-of-interest questions that further tie the campaign to the courtroom.

The role of government power is one of the biggest issues where Democrats and Republicans are drifting further and further apart, according to new Gallup polling.

Why it matters: Others are immigration, climate and guns — all topics where any kind of consensus looks ever more elusive.

The judge overseeing former President Trump's classified documents case on Monday rebuked federal prosecutors and struck two of their filings.

Driving the news: Florida District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, also demanded an explanation of "the legal propriety of using an out-of-district grand jury proceeding to continue to investigate and/or to seek post-indictment hearings on matters pertinent to the instant indicted matter in this district."

A former Minneapolis police officer has been sentenced to just under five years for his role in George Floyd's death, The Associated Press reports.

The big picture: Tou Thao, who held back bystanders as Derek Chauvin restrained Floyd, is the final of four Minneapolis officers to be sentenced on state criminal charges.

More gay and bisexual men will be able to donate blood beginning Monday as the Red Cross starts implementing a historic rule change approved by federal authorities earlier this year.

Why it matters: It helps close the chapter on the Food and Drug Administration's blood donor restrictions for men who have sex with men, which had been denounced as discriminatory by medical and LGBTQ organizations.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is calling the federal charges against former President Trump "exquisite."

Driving the news: "They're beautiful and intricate, and they probably have a better chance of conviction than anything that I would come up with," the former House speaker told New York Magazine in an interview published on Monday.

As the coronavirus pandemic raged in July 2020, the Trump administration approved a $700 million loan to a Nashville-based trucking company called Yellow.

Why it matters: Yellow on Sunday night filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and said it will shutter, destroying tens of thousands of jobs and likely wiping out most of a loan that many in Congress believe should have never been made.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warns in a new interview that Republicans will lose the upcoming election if the race becomes a "referendum" on the Jan. 6 Capitol attack and former President Trump's legal woes.

Why it matters: DeSantis, battling growing gloom and donor skepticism as Trump surges ahead of him in the polls, tells NBC News that the 2024 campaign should focus on President Biden — not Trump.

Mike Pence will be one of Donald Trump's "best witnesses" and the former president will be "acquitted" if he testifies at the Jan. 6 criminal trial, a Trump attorney told ABC News Sunday.

The big picture: The former Trump administration vice president is considered a key witness on allegations that Trump tried to overturn the 2020 presidential election results and pressured to stop Pence from carrying out his congressional role of certifying President Biden's win.

MAGA Inc., the super PAC allied with former President Trump's campaign, is up with its first ad directly hitting President Biden in an attempt to connect him to Hunter Biden's scrutinized business dealings.

Why it matters: The spot, which will begin airing Monday, is the first ad from the Trump-allied super PAC that looks ahead to a general election race against Biden. Until now, MAGA Inc. has focused on attacking Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — Trump's leading primary rival.

One of the main reasons President Biden is struggling in polls against former President Trump is his glaring underperformance with a constituency that has long been overwhelmingly Democratic: non-white voters without a college degree.

Why it matters: As Democrats have made major gains with suburban and upper-middle-class voters since Trump's political ascendance, they've been losing support among blue-collar voters.

Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) remains undecided on a primary bid against President Biden but is not currently "well-positioned" for a run, he said in an interview Sunday.

Why it matters: The three-term congressman has refused to throw his support behind the president, advocating for a robust Democratic primary.

Five months before the first voting of the 2024 presidential race, candidates are burning through tens of millions in cash — especially Republicans trying to beat former President Trump.

Why it matters: Campaign "burn rates" offer a window into early aggressiveness — and are being stoked by the scramble to meet steep RNC requirements to join upcoming debates.

Florida could become the first state to offer a conservative-backed "classical" exam in lieu of the SAT and ACT for public college admissions.

Why it matters: The state's education measures have been a Republican bellwether nationally — driven by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who is seeking the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential election.