House Speaker Mike Johnson took a trip to Florida and met with Donald Trump at Mar a Lago yesterday. That's according to a Republican source familiar with the meeting. It's not clear exactly what the pair talked about, but the timing sure is fun. It's just a week after Speaker Johnson publicly endorsed Donald Trump for president, making him the highest ranking Republican to do so so far. Elena treen is following this. She's got more in it for us. She joins us now. Elena, should people read this as Mike Johnson acknowledging that their political fortunes are now intertwined?

Oh, absolutely, Kate. I mean, as you mentioned, Mike Johnson went to Mar a Lago last night. I was told that he has been fundraising in Florida, and so that's why he made the trip over to Mar a Lago. I'm told that him and the former president met briefly, but as you said, it's still unclear exactly what was discussed. But look, Mike Johnson has very quickly learned that he needs Donald Trump's backing if House Republicans have any hope of retaining their slim majority in the House. And that's also true with just his maneuvering within the conference itself. We know that many of the most hardline conservatives in Congress wield so much power because of that slim majority. And remember, they wielded that power by helping oust Kevin McCarthy earlier this year. And so Johnson knows that Trump's support is very much necessary here. And I think that's also why you saw him come out very early and endorse Donald Trump. He said on CNBC last week, quote, I am all in for President Trump, and said that he expects him to be the nominee. Now, just having discussed Johnson with many of Donald Trump's advisors, they told me that, look, they are very happy he endorsed him.

He's always seemed to be very supportive of the former president, but the two were never particularly close. So I think this is a lot of relationship building on part of the speaker.

Kate. Yeah, that's pretty interesting. It's good to see you, Lena. Thank you.

How significant is this meeting between Johnson and Trump here?

Well, significant in the sense of showing a unified Republican Party around Donald Trump's dominance in it. It should not surprise anyone noted the speaker has made his endorsement of Trump quite clear. He was one of Donald Trump's most vociferous supporters in the Congress when Donald Trump was in office, including in his efforts to subvert the legitimate 2020 election results. So the speaker is a Trump ally, and he identifies as such. I just think it's worth noting here, since he's become speaker, he's now passed a government funding bill without spending cuts and sort of a clean, continuing resolution, and did so mostly with Democratic help.

And now he's gone down to Mar.

A Lago to make sure that Donald Trump knows that he is indeed the leader of all these Republicans. It sounds a lot like the old speaker kevin McCarthy.

Yeah, well, and at least his debut as speaker is a little different than McCarthy's was, but agreed. It's a situation where it probably has gone about as smoothly as you could hope for to establish your lead as a Republican leader. Now, I want to jump to something else where the general election presidential debate calendar was released. There are some tweaks this time, including the debates ending a little earlier than they ever have before Election Day. What do we know about the schedule of debates here?

We should make clear this is the Commission on Presidential Debates that has hosted presidential debates going back to 1988, Omar. But debates don't happen unless both candidates agree to debate, and we're far away from that. So this is not set in stone. But the Commission on Presidential Debates did reveal the dates and locations. And as you noted, September 16 circle it on your calendar is the first presidential debate down in San Marcos, Texas. This is the earliest we've seen a presidential debate, which, by the way, was.

One of the Republican demands.

The Republican National Committee has been in a public feud with the Commission on Presidential Debates.

And one of their big sticking points.

About even agreeing, should their nominee agree to participate in these debates, is that.

The debates were too late and they were missing early voters. Lots of people are voting early.

Now, the other note is that in.

The announcement was the first ever HBCU historically black college and university down in.

Virginia that'll be hosting a presidential debate. We've never seen that before either.

Yeah, and look, we don't know what the picture you point out very aptly that we won't know what the picture is candidate wise when we come to November. And for one, the White House is saying it won't govern by polls leading up to that, as Biden's approval ratings haven't been great as far as polls go. But what is the reality here for Team Biden?

Well, obviously, when Corinne Jean Pierre, the press secretary, was asked that question, it was the context of the Israel Hamas war. And the president's numbers are upside down on his handling of that, no doubt. But I would just note what we.

Have been reporting and seeing in the.

Last couple weeks of a beginning to be stepped up effort by Biden, his campaign, the president himself, and the White House is this contrast campaign with Donald Trump.

And I thought this NBC News poll.

That came out this week explains perfectly why that is. Because they asked among Biden voters, are.

You more casting your vote in support of for Joe Biden or more against Donald Trump? Two to 163 percent of Biden voters say they're voting for Biden to be against Trump. Only a third, 31%, say they're voting for Biden. Trump the motivating factor for Biden voters. And by the way, Omar, if you flip it and look at Trump voters.

In this NBC poll.

Trump's the motivating factor there too. He 56% of his supporters say they're voting for Trump to be for him not opposed to Biden. Only 37% say that. So while the Biden campaign is keen on making Donald Trump the central factor.

In this race, because that is a.

Motivating force for its supporters, the downside to that is Donald Trump being central in this campaign is also a motivating fact for his supporters.

Yeah, we will see what happens. And David Chalin, I know you'll be on top of it all. Thanks for being with us.

Thanks, Omar.