he's probably finding it distracting. and i think he said and what the chairman of the rnc said behind closed doors just a couple of days ago at house republican conference meeting was, we don't want trump to win the presidency and us to lose the house, that doesn't do us any good. now that is projecting, but that is what he thinks. >> jake sherman on capitol hill. good to have you. thanks as always. and that is going to do it for me today. "deadline: white house" starts right now. ♪♪ hi, everyone. 4:00 in new york. team trump bracing for what is next after the ex-president's election interference scheme is blown wide open but a series of bombshell texts and emails and eyewitness testimony from one of the lawyers involved in practically every last step of the plot to suppress negative stories about donald trump ahead

of the 2016 election. to really understand why the so-called catch and kill scheme wasn't just about preventing negative press, just something all celebrities do, as lindsey graham tried to spin it a few days ago, we'll get in our way back machine and take a trip down mem memory lane. after donald trump clifrm clinched the republican nomination and there is referred to his women problems, among female voters. the low approval ratings were fueled by his own rhetoric and his attacks against ted cruz's wife, a republican candidate carly and his long history of crude and vile remarks, not to mention his flagrantly misogynistic approach to his

opponent hillary clinton and look at how that showed up in the polls for him. 73% of voters had a negative view of donald trump by mid-march of the election year. 64% of women voters in april of 2016 said they have a quote, strongly unfavorably view of trump. in the middle of all of this, attorney keith davidson sends a text to the editor at the national enquirer, saying i have a blockbuster trump story and he writes back, talk first thing. i'll get you more than anyone for it. you know why. and dylan howard is referring to fact that the national enquirer was in the business of catching and killing stories for one donald j. trump. court transcripts released late last night reveal that attorney keith davidson told the jury that his text about a blockbuster trump story was, quote, sort of an entree or teaser to dylan and that he reached out to him because, quote, i knew that dylan's boss

david pecker, mr. trump were long time friends and had a former business relationship. now after a lot of back and forth, that deal closed in august of 2015. at which point, keith davidson calls michael cohen. here is what davidson told the court. quote, i called him and let him know as a professional courtesy that the deal involving his client, donald trump, had closed. and of course that client was donald trump. and of course he was fully aware of everything that was happening. because we already know he's on tape having a conversation about how the money gets moved around with michael cohen about paying off karen mcdougal in september of 2016. >> i need to open up a company for the transfer of all of that info regarding our friend david, you know, so that i'm going to do that right away. i've actually come up and i've spoken to allen. >> give to to me.

>> about how to set the whole thing up with funding. >> it was in fact $150,000 that american media paid mcdougal for her silence. in a few by lines, at the same time keith davidson's other client, stormy daniels had a story to tell about trump as well. on june 30th, 2016, dylan howard, the lawyer for stormy and mcdougal, they text this, quote, fyi, gina trying to hawk stormy again. referring to stormy daniels's manager gina rodriguez, and as keith davidson put it, before the access hollywood tape there was very little if any interest if i understand and gina was trying to sell the story and it wasn't until access hollywood that interest reached a crescendo. and it is covered politics in

this period, it is not hard to see why. the tape released on october 7th, 2016 kicked off a firestorm that almost completely engulfed the trump campaign. >> a firestorm is ranging in the republican party and a growing coerce of the republicans calling for the candidate to get out of the race. >> a rare apology from donald trump. he was forced to say he's sorry after a tape surfaced when he said vulgar comments about women. >> hours away and donald trump not backing down. top republicans calling on trump to quit the race. will the gop abandon its own nominee? >> that is the news. and it went on for hours and days and it wasn't really a partisan reaction. democrats and republicans horrified at what he said. he could grab women in the p-word. when you're famous, they let you

do it. ha ha ha. as keith davidson put it in a text, quote, trump is f'd. he said, he testified that he typed that out. and regarding the allegations made by stormy daniels, dylan howard texted on october 9th this, quote, we're talking and taping blank is the final nail in the coffin. final nail in the political coffin, right. a slew of allegations from the women in the wake of the access hollywood tape had trump on the defensive politically. here is some of what he was saying at the time which was entered into evidence in court yesterday. >> they're trying to poison the mind of the american voter. every woman lied when they came forward to hurt my campaign. >> if 5% of the people think it's true and maybe 10% think, we don't win. >> every woman lined.

even the ones i paid. that is the last comment on october 14th. the very same day, the very same time that trump's attorney michael cohen was in a tense back and forth negotiating with keith davidson over buying and killing stormy daniels's story with trump's money. and an email said this, quote, we spoke on friday, october 14th and you said that funds would be riered today. no funds have been received as of sending this email. my client informed they she plans to cancel the contract if no funds were received by 5:00 p.m. pacific time today. >> davidson testified this, and then cohen said, my guy is in five f'ing states today. there is nothing i could do. and i'm doing everything i can. my guy, is, of course, donald trump. and he took it he did not have

permission from his guy, donald trump, to pay off stormy daniels. the catch and kill scheme about his relationship with women that happened in the final frantic days of the 2016 campaign unveiled in front of a jury in a court of law is where we start today here at table, former u.s. attorney and former deputy assistant attorney harry litman is back. patricia hurtado is here. welcome. and our wing man for all of these conversations, my friend and colleague nbc correspondent vaughn hillyard. when this is happening and you're reporting this live and you have your notebook and your photographic memory and we're pulling those moments out, i feel like we are able to travel back in time. but we took the time today with court not being in session to string together some of the more comprehensive story that has been told to the jury. and i know you're with pence, i was covering trump and doing a lot of these news cycles that our former colleague brian williams. but it is hard to overstate the

political crisis that had engulfed the trump campaign. >> it is a absolute crisis. it all came to a stop. mike pence was here on the campaign trail, he did go to a fundraiser, but made sure there were no cameras there to see him actually campaigning. because they in real time were considering whether to stick on the ticket or not. there was real conversations with reince priebus, who was the rnc chair, about the extent to which donald trump could be in the position to remain the nominee. this was john mccain and condoleezza rice, the veterans of the republican party. those were the respected voices calling on him to step down. and also kelly ayotte who thought she would have prospects one day and those were the voices coming down on him to get out of the race. and at the same time, this is the last month of the campaign that in so many ways i go back to that moment in time, fast forward two weeks when the

conversations around the actual transfer and the wire transfer on october 27th began. the headlines had kind of moved off from access hollywood and stormy daniels at that point. instead, it was headlines over wikileaks, which was releasing emails. >> the day after access hollywood, hillary clinton's campaign was attacked by the russians. >> correct. and then in the week that follows, the conversation was wikileaks. and then october 28th, the day that the wire transfer went through, that is the day that james comey, the fbi director sent the letter to the congressional committee saying that he was reopening the inquiry into hillary clinton's emails. if you go back to "nightly news" from those days as the stormy daniels' wire transfer was being completed, that could have been the moment that stormy daniels became a story. instead the focus was on hillary clinton and the controversies around her. >> it is just an amazing part of the story and i know you'll both take me to law school on the

actual explicit testimony around the technical elements of the crime. but not being a lawyer, and having been picked to sit on juries, this reminds me of the work of the january 6 select committee where they layed trump insider after trump insider after trump insider telling the story that he knew he lost. they brought in the campaign pollster and then they brought in the campaign manager, and they brought in the data guy and then -- and everyone was testifying to the same thing. in this instance, it feels like what david pecker told and what keith davidson testified to and what the document guy from c-span had to testify to, the legitimacy of the accuracy of the tapes, it is all making clear the motive for burying these stories and creating false business records to do so. >> it is really true. in a sense, they're just getting now to the actual crime which is stormy daniels. but the table is set, but it is set impeccably.

and we have an existential crisis in the campaign. and anything they do for stormy daniels is quite clear is to -- they think maybe the campaign is already f'd and lost. so what the prosecution has done so expertly in the nine days trial, in a reinforcing way, they brought us to what happens is to salvage his campaign. there is no other way around it. even when, and it will happen, they come to attack michael cohen for his testimony, there is no counter narrative. it is -- there is only one thing going on now and until he gets characteristically lucky with other news coming up. they have to save a campaign that is going down for the third time. >> and you were here when david kelly made the point that this is who trump selected to figure out how to -- and as rudy giuliani said, the money was simply funneled through michael

cohen. this is who trump selected to funnel money to for stormy daniels. >> 100%. he has an indispensable role but it is a role that is corroborated in many respects and he's the money guy. and they will come after him because they have the tools to do it. but the d.a. will respond as david kelly said. there is many reasons to believe what he is saying and, again, what is their theory. there is no real counter theory at this point because of how they brought us to this very point. obviously they're trying to save a floundering campaign. >> what do you make of the stories the prosecution has told. >> i was surprised. i couldn't figure out why would michael cohen pay for donald trump. what is going on? why would you do that? and also i couldn't understand that david pecker had paid for mcdougal as ami had paid it. so what was going on. and then you hear the story from

pecker, yeah, we were willing to do one deal. we were willing to pay the doorman the $50,000 to silence him, to buy and bury these salacious stories. but what you have here now is pecker getting fed up. i'm not doing it any more. i'm not getting paid. you guys promised you would pay back an you didn't. and then we hear from keith davidson who amazing insider view. he has the hot seat. his two clients are stormy and mcdougal and his hands are right there in the two of the dirtiest stories against trump and he's negotiating with michael cohen directly as well as kind of the midwife to the deal as the ami editor howard is trying to help out. but the reputation trump has that he was tight and then they go to michael cohen and where is the money, as you pointed out.

we're going to wire it and then michael cohen claims the secret service is here. i can't do anything. they put up a fire wall. he was giving excuses and they weren't getting paid. and then they were ready to quit and it turns out that keith davidson sent him a quit letter. i'm not doing this any more. and then suddenly the money gets loosened up with this home equity line of credit that michael cohen takes out on his mortgage. >> and very quick point, you'll hear this in closing argument, david pecker is lying. michael cohen couldn't even take someone to lunch without donald trump's approval. so obviously this money is not coming from michael cohen. >> and you know hope hicks is on the potential witness list. i mean, donald trump is a micro manager. and he weighed in on walk-up music and told cassidy hutchinson to change his highlights and wanted john bolton to shave his mustache. there is no counter narrative to donald trump as a micro manager, especially when it came to his money. >> and hope hicks will be able

to testify to that. hope hicks was there with him for every meeting that took place during that 2015, 2016 cycle. whether she would sometimes walk in, walk out, she was on omni present. she was the respected confidant and she could testify to the fact that michael cohen was really working as his right hand on so much of this here. because when we talk about, number one, there is the back and forth between keith davidson and the prosecution yesterday, where they continually asked him, who was -- your understanding was that would pay that $130,000? and a couple of times he held back from saying donald trump, but of course it was donald trump because michael cohen was working for him. that was just an understood arrangem. he said that it was donald trump or a affiliated company. and hope hicks has not heard from her and to the extent that donald trump has used her over

the last eight, ten years as such an ally of his, this is a moment for him in the courtroom, he's going to have to meet eye to eye with the person who is he hoping takes that tand and has his back. >> this might not be legal in nature about about her character which we don't know a ton about. if you came in with any sound of her, she was everywhere and nowhere. she was like a ghost. but she had some incredibly dramatic public facing moments working for donald trump. she was in a relationship with someone who was fired because of alleged spousal abuse. she was glamorous and photographed everywhere with donald trump. and in the final days of the trump presidency, their text messages that are produced through the january 6 select chitty investigation where she's complaining about not being able to get jobs because they all look like terrorists. her word. what do you, as someone who has some sort of you know intuition

and intelligence about the people around trump, what kind -- do you think she's a rona graph or -- what kind of storyteller is she on the stand. >> she had to acknowledge when she went and spoke to the congressional committee investigating the russian problem, she wouldn't acknowledge that she told white lies for donald trump. those were her own words. and when that is became public, she announced she's leaving the white house. and this is something that i don't personally know hope well enough. because she's somebody that was very much yes omni present, but she was not an alena habba, one of the president secretaries that could go out there and go toe to toe with the press or pick up the phone and yell and extreme at you. she was the quiet person that commanded the respect of donald trump and therefore you showed her that sort of respect in turner return. what kind of a witness is she

going to be is in so many ways, i think if she had stayed there through 2020, i think we would have had a better understanding. because in a way of the alyssa farrah, and the cassidy hutchinson, they went before the january 6 committee in a different capacity than hope hicks did. and the moment was on them to speak their truth. >> they broke with him. >> they broke with him. and in that pressure, that decision was there. that pressure point was not on her in the same type of way. this is that moment for her. that she was able to avoid because she left the white house earlier. >> and a quick -- >> go ahead. >> they're going to use rhona graff went up and she had nothing good to say for him and they used her quickly and to establish -- just to get the context. she was there for everything. if there were a line on hope hicks and an indications is that they are, she's going to be a strong witness. >> and she testified before the grand jury. we know that. so we could expect some of these

other people telling -- kellyanne conway also testified. >> she didn't make it on the potential witness list. >> no. >> what do you think the holes are in their story? what do you they need from hope hicks? >> they need to get an insider's perspective. she's at the trump tower meeting where they discuss what they're going to do and with pecker she's in and out of the meeting. the big bone of contention is that you don't remember if hope was there and that they question david pecker who did at first tell the feds that hope was there and then omitted it in the fbi 302 memo. if she was there, i was there and i heard them talk about it and they didn't call it cash and kill, but there was salacious news against donald trump. she could confirm that happened. >> and they had to shore up the back end. they have a lot on the front. when they get to michael cohen signing checks to the extent

she's present and substantiates a little. it is solid gold. >> where was he there, around the final weeks, access hollywood and she was on the plane there. what was his feeling about the impact that it would have on the the 2016 election. does he openly talk about his fears that this was doom for him. we don't know that, right. hope hicks would have likely been one of the two peoples outside of kellyanne conway. >> and cory lewandowski, she was the last person before he walked off the plane and he steamed his suit when he wore it. harry litman, it is so nice to have you. thank you so much for joining us. you guys stick around. still to come. even as the supreme court weighs the scope of presidential immunity, in a case brought by donald trump himself, the

disgraced ex president is now future with future prosecution of biden. so i guess there could be a carve out or something. michael luteig will join us to make sense of that. and then on going unrest on college campuses across the country. a live report and the mayor of new york city will be our guest coming up. where -- where protesters were arrested. and later. the asix week abortion ban is in effect in arizona and it might be in a effort to rein in health care with a state monitored pregnancy platform. all of those stories and more when "deadline: white house" continues after a quick break. don't go anywhere.

you've got xfinity wifi at home. take it on the go with xfinity mobile. customers now get exclusive access to wifi speed up to a gig in millions of locations. plus, buy one unlimited line and get one free. that's like getting two unlimited lines for twenty dollars a month each for a year.

so, ditch the other guys and switch today. buy one line of unlimited, get one free for a year with xfinity mobile! plus, save even more and get an eligible 5g phone on us! visit xfinitymobile.com today.

in what really is the 11th hour comes this. a report that donald trump had a year long affair with a playmate of the year who was allegedly paid $150,000 in hush money by the national enquirer. that magazine supporting donald trump. >> so that was november 7th, election day was november 8th and even then it was known that magazine, the national enquirer, supported trump. it is extraordinary. >> it is. the last day before the election. i don't know if that story came out two weeks earlier, would it have been a little bit different. at that point in time, a new story line isn't going to do all that much. and i remember at that moment in time, i think i was traveling with pence and trump and they had five campaign events that day. and the country's attention is on the election at that point.

and this story and the details of it, there is not even a chance to ask donald trump about the allegations at that point. suddenly at that point in time it was another woman who had another allegation against him and donald trump was never going to be put on the spot for it. >> he attached himself at the hip to pence. once pence came back into the fold. i think they did a lot of campaigns together. >> there was a lot of campaigning together. those planes were flying in parallel to each other. >> the only thing that i went back and looked at our coverage, there was the megyn kelly debate where he accused her of blood coming out of her eyes an ears and other places. he had a lot of blowups that were female related. >> an this is part that donald trump has cemented his view of women and women have largely cemented their view of him. in our latest nbc news polling here, in this election cycle,

he's down 50% to 39% to joe biden among women. the other part of this though is that when it comes to men, male voters right now, donald trump has a larger gap, 16%. so this is the dichotomy of this year that is playing out just three months after the e. jean carroll decision comes down and you have to pay $87 million here. and so donald trump is at the point that steve bannon has made. forget the suburban women voters who may be shocked or angered by this, conservatives who may say this is not the man for me. they're not worth your time. it is worth going and rallying males in the rural parts of the battle gound states, those are the folks that are easier to convince that women voters who have been reticent to you in the past and frankly the headlines and the criminal trial aren't going to help him at all. so it is a decision you have to make. >> but i wonder why he's so afraid of these facts.

i mean, this is unlike the other two criminal trials. where he's not running on the facts in this case. he's not saying, look at the chicks i bagged. >> no, it was notable, ken paxton the texas attorney came to the courtroom as well as dave mcintosh, who he had an icy relationship with throughout the 2024 election cycle because dave was trying to find nikki haleyond ron desantis, but it was mcintosh who came in to talk to cameras and eric trump was there. suddenly two weeks go by and donald trump was -- >> alone. >> yesterday was different. and my question is are there members of congresses come up, the surrogates that come out and defend him, because frankly you have a presumptive republican nominee and there has been very little p.r. effort to try to convince people that the facts that are being laid out in front of this jury are not actually facts. pretty much they're just letting it play out and the hope they'll be able to move on past this.

>> the weakness of the legal defense is obviously because with trump there is no interior monologue. if there were a robust legal defense we would have heard about it. >> and i think they're trying to camp into the reasonable doubt camp. oh, well donald trump didn't really know about this. this was michael cohen's doing and michael cohen had this deal to get this home equity line of credit and to pay off stormy daniels. but donald trump didn't do that and by the way, didn't he tell his banker that he was doing consulting fees so therefore donald trump didn't know about that. it was a little -- it is awkward and it is basically a reach, but it is the kind of thing that the defense is trying to poke holes in a very strong circumstantial case. and i guess that is where they're going to highlight later on when they go after michael cohen and try to eviscerate him. >> so, to that point, this is from keith davidson's testimony

yesterday. and this is what you alluded to. while i think could you tell by the emails that i was sending him, there was a great deal of frustration by my clients and i let him know the level of dissatisfaction was quite high and i stated goddamn it, i'll just do it myself. what did you understand when he said i'll just do it myself. that he, michael cohen, would not seek authority to consummate -- excuse me fund the deal, it was consummated with a signature. did you ever believe that michael cohen was going to be the ultimate source of the funds? >> never, never. prior to funding. no and where do you understand the money was coming from, from keith davidson, or from donald trump or some corporate affiliation there of. this is the heart of the crime that will be put under the microscope. >> exactly. and you now see that the defense was having trouble, they looked

like they were -- when other witnesses, they didn't want to question anything to do with trump witnesses who were very friendly to them. like rhona graff. and those people were basically called to the stand because trump wouldn't stipulate to any of the evidence. normally in regular trials, the prosecutors and the defense agree on this is a cup. this is a table. but trump's people wouldn't even do that and that is a tactical move. but i thought yesterday's testimony from both paralleled well and went well with what pecker was saying. because it was other side of the coin of these dirty deals, these buy and bury stories. and pecker seemed to think that trump was, you know, good for it and should pay for it. and he also said that trump was a hand some, well know bachelor. >> called him the most eligible

bachelor and he said he was married three times. he's always married, right. >> and could i also just jump off this point here, donald trump just wrapped up a campaign event in wisconsin that i was listen to before coming on set and he's not refuting any facts of the case. he didn't say i never told michael cohen to make this payment before the 2016 election. instead, he said that all of this is coming out of the white house. they are here to get me. it is a totally conflicted judge. it is 95% democrat area. he's just talking very generally about the case at large, not getting into the specifics of whether he's guilty of the charges that have been brought against him. >> and it is different from how he talks about mar-a-lago. it is not i didn't do it, when your president, they let us. because the presidential records act. and when it comes to january 6, he said i have immunity. he talks about this case in a different way because all of his people are on tape. this is keith davidson on with ari melber back in 2019.

>> the affairs happened in 2006. michael cohen and i first contacted each other about the matter in 2011. so at a minimum, they knew about me and about stormy at a minimum in 2011. they knew about it 2012 and 13 and 14 and 15. and they knew about it when donald trump declared that he was candidate. >> i mean, the length of time that all of these people have known each other, i think, comes through in the testimony. pecker has this 30-year relationship with trump that has never seen a rupture. he still describes him as someone he likes very much. >> everyone looks younger. but fact that the stormy daniels relationship was first brought up in 2011 and that is when michael cohen became familiar with it. so he had four years before announcing his run for the presidency to prepare for this moment. and let alone they were finally make the wire transfer two weeks before the actual general election. >> and that is important.

i would suppose legally because they've known about it this long and they only transfer the funds and carry out crime of bank fraud after the access hollywood tape comes out. >> and that is what was remarkable to me. the fact that they had five years to save up, for that, if they thought -- >> well they established a shell company so they are not screaming at mr. farro. >> and they knew about the bimbo alerts and david pecker congratulated himself that they did, he was a supermarket tabloid star and they had done a survey and asked the readers who do you think should run for president and that is how donald trump gets the idea of running. which, you know, so this is the world we were living in. he obviously knew about these problems and didn't do anything until access hollywood. that is to me was kind of key here to hear that yesterday. i mean, that suddenly was the frequency and the urgency of

michael cohen now getting on and -- i mean, he called him the seat of your pants, the flight of your pants, the seat of your pants kind of guy. he compared him to the dog in the movie "up" saying squirrel, that is michael cohen. and so michael cohen is getting more frenzied at that period of time when the access hollywood tape has come out. >> what happens tomorrow? >> tomorrow keith davidson is back on the stand. they'll continue to face questions from the prosecution and then there will be cross-examination and the question is we are still expecting a litany of other witnesses. this is not going to be in short order. it is a matter of who comes next in the story that the prosecution wants to bring. >> we'll continue to turn to both of you. >> thank you very much. up next, donald trump once again trying to have it all ways. he wants immunity from being held accountable ever for the virtue of the fact that he was once president and suggesting that the man who beat him and is

the president ought to be prosecuted. good for me, but not for thee. in the presidential politics is our next story. stay with us. l politics is our next story stay with us ing with it, everybody. now i sleep with inspire. inspire? no mask? no hose? just sleep. learn more, and view important safety information at inspiresleep.com -dad, what's with your toenail? -oh, that...? i'm not sure... -it's a nail fungus infection. -...that's gross! -it's nothing, really... -it's contagious. you can even spread it to other people. -mom, come here! -don't worry about it. it'll go away on its own! -no, it won't go away on its own. it's an infection. you need a prescription. nail fungus is a contagious infection. at the first signs, show it to your doctor... ... and ask if jublia is right for you. jublia is a prescription medicine used to treat toenail fungus. its most common side effects include ingrown toenail, application site redness... ... itching, swelling, burning or stinging, blisters and pain. jublia is recognized by the apma.

most commercially insured patients may pay as little as $0 copay. go to jubliarx.com now to get started. ♪ i have type 2 diabetes, but i manage it well ♪ ♪ jardiance! ♪ ♪ it's a little pill with a big story to tell ♪ ♪ i take once-daily jardiance ♪ ♪ at each day's start! ♪ ♪ as time went on it was easy to see ♪ ♪ i'm lowering my a1c! ♪ jardiance works twenty-four seven in your body to flush out some sugar. and for adults with type 2 diabetes and known heart disease, jardiance can lower the risk of cardiovascular death, too. serious side effects may include ketoacidosis that may be fatal, dehydration that can lead to sudden worsening of kidney function, and genital yeast or urinary tract infections. a rare, life-threatening bacterial infection in the skin of the perineum could occur. stop jardiance and call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of this infection ketoacidosis, or an allergic reaction. you may have an increased risk for lower limb loss. call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of infection in your legs or feet. taking jardiance with a sulfonylurea or insulin may cause low blood sugar.

♪ jardiance is really swell ♪ ♪ the little pill ♪ ♪ with a big story to tell! ♪

-remember when i said we need to screen for colon cancer? -was that after i texted the age to screen was now 45? [both] because i said cologuard®! -hey there! -where did he come from? -yup, with me you can screen at home. just talk to your provider. [both] we'll screen with cologuard and do it my way. cologuard is a one-of-a-kind way to screen for colon cancer that's effective and non-invasive. it's for people 45+ at average risk, not high risk. false positive and negative results may occur. ask your provider for me, cologuard. if someone with those kinds of powers, the most powerful person in the world with the greatest amount of authority, could go into office knowing that there would be no potential penalty for committing crimes, i'm trying to understand what

the disincentive is from turning the oval office into, you know, the seat of criminal activity in this country. >> the oval office as seat of criminal activity in this country. words so chilling and haunting, coming out of the mouth of supreme court justice ketanji brown jackson over donald trump's claim of absolute immunity for the presidency. several of the justs seemed concerned about the possible future bad faith prosecutions against ex-presidents. and asked questions about how that could harm their ability to make difficult decisions required by the presidency. something that litly never happens. the irony is that it is the ex-president himself, is the only person who is talking about going after former presidents. should he be elected to a second term. according to a new interview in

"time magazine," he vowed to appoint a real special prosecutor to go after joe biden suggesting his fate may be tied to an upcoming supreme court ruling on whether presidents could face prosecution for acts they committed in office. if they say i don't get immunity, then biden will be prosecuted for all of his crimes. president biden hasn't been charged with any crimes. nor has the house republican investigation into him ever turned up any evidence of wrongdoing, exciting enough to keep them investigating him. joiningous coverage, former federal judge michael luttig. judge, you were prescient, you were sitting at this table when the supreme court agreed to hear donald trump's claim of executive -- of complete immunity. that was after the supreme court had rejected jack smith's request to hear this argument. everything that you predicted

has come to pass. and so we want to put you on the spot and ask what you happens now? >> thank you for having me with you this afternoon, nicolle. it is always a pleasure. nicolle, since the founding of the nation, almost 250 years ago, and the radification of the constitution and establishment of the supreme court, until this day there has never even been a suggestion much less an argument that a president of the united states could be immune from prosecution for offensive against the united states of america that he or she commits while in office. that the constitution itself doesn't even mention immunity for a president of the united states. and, immunity, for the president

of the united states and certainly absolute immunity of the kind that the former president is arguing for, it is an anthema to the constitution of the united states. now the former president, of course, is the first president in american history ever to be charged with crimes or offenses against the united states of america. and he is arguing and argued before the supreme court of the united states this past week that he is entitled to absolute immunity from prosecution by the united states government for the offenses that he allegedly committed in attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election, remain in power,

notwithstanding the votes of the american people, all the while preventing for the first time in american history the peaceful transfer of power. the argument in my view for absolute immunity is preposterous. but it appears clear to observers of the court during last week's argument that some members of the court, if not the entire court, is tempted by the question presented by the former president. namely, is it possible that the former president should have absolute immunity for the specifically offenses that he committed in attempting to over turn the 2020 presidential

election. it, again, it is very hard to decide from argument and the comments made by the justices where the court might be going. but in this case, there seem to be a consensus from court watchers that the court will remand the case to the trial court for a determination of which of the specific acts charged against the former president were undertaken in his official capacity as president of the united states, and which were undertaken in his private or personal or candidate capacity, if you will. if i receive that remand, i wouldn't have a clue where even

to begin in distinguishing between these acts and which were taken in an official capacity and which were taken in the former president's private or personal capacity. >> i want to press you on, you mentioned court watchers, tease men and women are your peers, the conservative ones. and i -- we have to sneak in a break but i want to ask what you heard in the questions from alito and cavanaugh. a quick break, we'll be back with judge luttig on the otherside. your wings. light 'em up! gentlemen, it's a beautiful... ...day to fly.

[street noise] [car door shuts] [paparazzi cameras] introducing, ned's plaque psoriasis. ned, ned, who are you wearing? he thinks his flaky red patches are all people see. otezla is the #1 prescribed pill to treat plaque psoriasis. ned? otezla can help you get clearer skin, and reduce itching and flaking. with no routine blood tests required. doctors have been prescribing otezla for over a decade. otezla is also approved to treat psoriatic arthritis. don't use otezla if you're allergic to it. serious allergic reactions can happen. otezla may cause severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. some people taking otezla had depression, suicidal thoughts, or weight loss. upper respiratory tract infection and headache may occur. audience: ohhh... with clearer skin, movie night is a groovy night. (♪♪) live in the moment. ask your doctor about otezla.

in here, you can expect to find crystal clear audio, expansive display space, endless entertainment, and more comfort for everyone. but even with all that... we still left room for all the unpredictability, spontaneity and unexpected things you'll find out here. the new 2024 grand cherokee lineup. jeep. there's only one. we're looking for adults 45 and under to be in our hpv vaccination ad. sound like you? nah...not me. in a relationship. if you're sexually active and unvaccinated, it could still be you. i'm too old if you're under 45, you're not. for most people, hpv clears on its own. but for those who don't clear the virus, it can cause certain cancers. wow... gardasil 9 is a vaccine given to adults through age 45 that can help protect against certain hpv-related cervical, vaginal, vulvar, anal, and certain head and neck cancers,

such as throat and back of mouth cancers, and genital warts. gardasil 9 doesn't protect everyone and doesn't treat cancer or hpv infection. these diseases may have many causes. your doctor may recommend screening for certain hpv-related cancers. routine cervical cancer screenings are still needed. you shouldn't get gardasil 9 if you're allergic to the vaccine, its ingredients, or yeast. tell your doctor if you have a weakened immune system, are pregnant, or plan to be. the most common side effects include injection site reactions, headache, fever, nausea, dizziness, tiredness, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and sore throat. fainting can also happen. help protect yourself against certain hpv-related cancers. talk to a doctor or pharmacist today.

before you took this assignment to sound the alarm about donald trump, you described in your testimony as a, quote, clear and present danger, these gentlemen and women were your peers. i mean, you are at that highest echelon of respected legal minds in the country. what makes a justice alito or a justice kavanaugh ask the kind of questions they ask. why are they trying so hard to find absolute immunity for donald trump? >> nicolle, i would not suggest that anyone on the court, much less the court as a whole, is trying to find immunity for the former president, but i would say this as to the argument, the argument that was being pressed

by the justices, not the justices themselves, the argument assumed that the prosecution of the former president today is politically corrupt, and the argument seeks a rule that would prevent such politically corrupt prosecutions by former presidents of their predecessors. i was deeply concerned about that line of questions. again, not the supreme court suggesting it, but the argument that the court was pressing was that, and the entire premise of that argument is that all future presidents will act in bad faith

against the interests of the united states of america in order to corruptly prosecute their predecessors for any possible acts committed by those predecessors that they could characterize as criminal. that is fundamentally at odds with the american ideal, the american idea, and the faith and confidence that the american people place in their presidents of united states. another line of questions went something like this. the court -- the justices on the court suggested that if a president were able to prosecute

his predecessor for crimes committed against the united states, then that would result in an endless cycle of retaliatory prosecution by one president against his predecessor that would in the end destabilize american democracy. that is just simply not an argument. that's a fallacious argument with fallacious premises, but the real problem that i had with the argument was the justices rarely discussed the only narrow issue before the court for a decision, and that's whether the former president of the united states can be prosecuted for his

alleged offenses against the united states and attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election remained in office, notwithstanding the will and the vote of the american people and preventing the peaceful transfer of power for the first time in american history. in fact, and i don't mean much of this, but on several owe occasions when the government attorney would attempt to bring the court back to that issue, which is the only issue before the court, the court was not interested in saying at least once or twice that it was not talking about the facts of this case. it wanted to ask the government lawyer about other facts that might present itself in the future, but, frankly, are unlikely ever to present themselves in the future. >> judge, it's a lightning rod,

i only have one minute left. why were they immune to the facts of january 6th? why were they incapable of talking about the extraordinary facts that brought the argument to them in the first place? >> i couldn't answer that, nicolle, but it was terribly disconcerting because, as you and your viewers know, it's fundamental to the judicial process that a court only decides the issue presented to it and nothing else, and in this instance, at least during this argument for two plus hours, the supreme court discussed everything but the issue presented to the court for decision. another way to explain that is it would be -- it would be virtually impossible for the

court now after that argument to actually rule on the issue presented to it, and i don't expect it to and neither does anyone else. as i said, everyone seems to agree that the court will reman the case to trial court for decision as to which acts were personal and which were in the former president's official capacity and that process will take months and months. it seems now beyond any question, frankly, that the former president will not be tried for these offenses before the election in november. >> extraordinary, extraordinary state of affairs. no one better to make sense of it for us. we are so grateful to you. thank you for joining our program. up next for us, florida's six-week abortion ban is now

effect in leaving millions of women with very few options to seek boggs and emergency health care. we'll bring you that breaking story and much, much more after "deadline white house" continues after a very short break. don't go anywhere. nues after a very short break don't go anywhere. and cultural treasures. because when you experience europe on a viking longship, you'll spend less time getting there and more time being there. viking. exploring the world in comfort. my life is full of questions... how do i clean an aioli stain? use tide. do i need to pretreat guacamole? not with tide. why do we even buy napkins? thankfully, tide's the answer to almost all of them. do crabs have eyebrows? except that one. for all of life's laundry questions, it's got to be tide. my daughter and i finally had that conversation. oh, no, not about that. about what comes next in life. for her. i may not be in perfect health,

but i want to stay in my home, where my family visits often and where my memories are. i can do it with help from a prep cook, wardrobe assistant and stylist, someone to help me live right at home. life's good. when you have a plan. ♪ ♪ life, diabetes, there's no slowing down. each day is a unique blend of people to see and things to do. that's why you choose glucerna to help manage blood sugar response. uniquely designed with carbsteady. glucerna. bring on the day.

today this very day at the stroke of midnight another trump abortion ban went into effect here in florida. as of this morning, 4 million women in this state woke up with fewer reproductive freedoms than they had last night. this is the new reality under a trump abortion ban. it's 5:00 in new york, vice president kamala harris's afternoon in florida on the devastating new reality for women living in and around florida after a six-week near total ban went into effect at

midnight last night making it a felony crime to perform an abortion in the state in most instances. this ban will decimate access to abortion health care in the south sending shock waves across the entire region. florida had been a vital access point for women fleeing states where abortion is already banned with 1 in 12 abortions in the country being performed in florida. this is just one part of the chaos and heartbreak and danger that has ensued across the country after the earthquake that was the dobbs decision. and just last hour, arizona's senate voted to repeal a 160-year-old near total ban on abortion there after the state's highest court packed with conservative justices upheld the law in the wake of dobbs. another repeal likely won't go into effect until the fall leaving women in arizona to live for months under an abortion ban

that dates back to before a time when they had a right to vote. none of this would be happening if donald trump had not delivered on his promise to strip away a constitutional right from generations of women by overturning roe versus wade in the first place. it's likely to get worse if he's elected to a second term as president. in an interview with time magazine, donald trump doubled down and said as president he would allow states to monitor women's pregnancies and punish women who have abortions in states where the procedure is banned. president biden responded. >> you hear what donald trump just said to time magazine, it's shocking after bragging about overturning roe and saying women should be punished for accessing reproductive health care. he said states should be able to prosecute women and appears perfectly fine with signing a national ban that takes away ivf access. this should be a decision between a woman and her doctor and the governors should get out of people's lives.

>> abortion health care is a top tier issue for voters in 2024 is where we start the hour with some of our most favorite experts and friends, democratic florida state senator, lauren book is here. also joining us, president of reproductive freedom for all mini tee ja ra hue mini, i want to start with you, first with florida today. >> florida, gosh, it's a lot to absorb. i've been talking with folks on the ground and listening to the stories, you know, nicolle, it's impossible not to think about when dobbs went into effect, right? the horror stories from my home state of texas of patients lining up, providers providing care to the last second. i mean, it's chaotic and you've got a really frightening situation, not just for floridians, although they're the most, you know, top of mind

today, but also for the entire region, the entire south, which has now become an abortion desert. so from texas all the way to florida, you know, the closest place for floridians to go is charlotte, north carolina, and then virginia, and folks are even talking about illinois. so it's terrifying. it's a lot to take in. the good news from florida, however, is advocates and activists are fired up. we are well on our way to being on the ballot this fall, and we have an opportunity. voters this florida have an opportunity to stop this in its tracks in november, not quick enough, quite frankly, but we are on the pathway. >> so senator book, to mini's point, there's this really heartbreaking reporting in "the washington post" today that i want to share, just to wring it back to women affected today before any political remedy can help any woman. quote, a 22-year-old mother of two had learned just a few hours earlier that a new six-week

abortion ban would go in effect in florida on wednesday. she canceled all her plans and found someone to drive her in hopes of ending her pregnancy before the deadline. she was one day too late. you're over the state limit. florida law requires all abortion patients to have an ultrasound at least 24 hours before their procedure. that meant the earliest kristin could get an abortion was wednesday. oh, no, kristen said tearsing rolling down her cheeks as she sat across a desk from a consultation provider. no, no. cecile richards writes about florida today and says it should be a breaking point. what is the view from your state? >> it's a truly horrific, devastating day in our state, and while any point out and so heartbreaking for providers throughout the state, this ban and the effects have been felt all week because of other existing abortion laws that we have, there is that 24-hour

waiting period. there are people who are showing up, who are showing up yesterday, today, who had no idea that this ban was going into effect, and now are only left with three options. one, become a medical refugee, have the resources to leave, which is often in excess of $2,500, and as mini said, having to go as far as illinoi, depending where they are in their own pregnancy, which we don't ever want women to do, take matters into their own hands, or avail themselves to the rape, incest, and human trafficking exemption, there really isn't much option. as pointed out for the south, this is truly a horrific day. i think also too for women who have deeply wanted pregnancies constituents of mine who have shared their stories and have complicationed because no pregnancy is the same and things go wrong, are now in terrible,

horrific situations. we've heard stories of doctors telling women to go to their cars, turn off the air-conditioning so that it mimics sepsis-like symptoms so that they can receive appropriate care because of the imminent risk language in the bill that passed. these are horrific times. scary, scary times and you're right, the only hope that we have is the ballot initiative come november. >> maya, in 2024 it's absolutely bat bleep crazy that women have to live like this until election day. it's insane, and i think the reason it's such a tectonic political development that, frankly, neither party has completely reckoned with or i think understood yet is because the numbers that are speaking -- abortion health care has more public support than it has ever

had ever. 67% of floridians would like to see abortion health care legal in most or all cases. a majority of republican women cite women's rights as extremely or very important, 81% of americans believe that abortion should be left up to a woman and her doctor. 66% of all americans support a federal right to abortion. i mean, what donald trump has done in his hand picked appointees to the supreme court and donald trump's litmus test of promising to overturn roe has completely upended american politics as we know it. >> it's not just -- it's upended american politics because it's been upending american democracy, and i think we have to understand it in the context of democracy particularly, nicolle, when we see the numbers that you're talking about. in addition to that 67% of floridians who say get the government out of our bedroom. get the government out of our examining room, it's actually

gone up from 55% of americans in 2010. it's increased to 64% nationally, and it's because of what americans, i think, and women in particular recognizes they're talking about my right to make a decision about my body that is fundamental, and you can't tell me it's not, and it's a chokehold. it's a chokehold on the health care of women, and i think we have to understand is that it's criminalizing health care. it's making it a crime, and we know far too many women including in florida, particularly black women, latinas are almost 50% of latinas close to are in states that ban abortion to some degree are also the ones more likely to have fewer providers because of bans because we have actually seen the disappearance of clinics who didn't only provide abortion, they provided prenatal

care. we're talking about women who are dying to be mothers, and we have to remember that too. this is an implication about the right to motherhood for a lot of women in addition to the right to survive pregnancy or to make decisions about when to form a family. that goes straight to the heart of democracy and the power of people to make decisions for themselves. and that should and does transcend politics. >> you know, mini, in politics there's a lot of mostly inane guessing about hidden vote. i think men who are offended by these laws are a hidden vote for not making it a crime. i think every man is either the -- you know, a partner to or the son of or the father of a woman and these numbers are just -- there's very little in american life that unites the right, the left, the center, men, women all races, all ages,

and i wonder how you think that came to be the case? >> you know, i think when we started shifting the way we're talking about this work from, you know, we've talked about this in terms of our organization's rebrand, from choice, choice life binary to reproductive freedom, it definitely opened the door and gave permission for a lot more men, particularly younger men to be part of this fight and this debate. you know, it becomes the freedom. it refrains this from, you know, just a choice to the freedom to decide if, when, and how to have a family. that is not a gender thing. that is about the american family. that's how we create our own families. that's how we control our bodily autonomy. of course women bear the brunt of this dystopian situation we're in, but men and the

broader range of americans can now understand fundamentally how devastating these laws, these bans are on their core family. and i want a plus plus on maya's points. i got the pleasure and privilege of working with her in the democracy space, in the larger democracy fight. you know, dobbs was the number one example for most americans of how our democracy is on the decline, of the challenge and problems with the courts and why even though the majority of americans support abortion rights we haven't been able to win all of these fights due to restrictions on the vote, gerrymandering, et cetera, so connecting the dots in this way is really important. again, it's another way to take it out of gender, make it a broader fight for all americans, and i think ultimately, that's what we saw today in arizona, another silver lining where voters can really put pressure on that legislature, and they narrowly overruled that ban.

>> i want to come back to you senator book on this idea of sort of calcified politics. florida used to be a swing state when i was working presidential politics in 2000, famously. it's now viewed as pretty red. do you think this issue is galvanizing? how do you think this reshuffles the politics in your state? >> you know, i really think whether you are a trump voter or a biden voter, you are going to be a supporter of amendment 4. when we were out there collecting petitions, i have to say, politics aside this became a person to person, neighbor to neighbor, grandfather, grandmother, husband, brother issue. when we talked to republicans alike, quite frankly, because we wanted and needed to get this very quickly to get this on the

ballot for amendment 4, we heard countless stories of people who said this has gone too far. you know, when you opened up the segment talking about donald trump wanting to track pregnancies, track periods, this is insane. when you're going after personhood and stopping a way families can start and what that looks like, when you're going after ivf. i'm an ivf mom, if i didn't have assistive reproductive technology, i wouldn't have my family. when you look at somebody like mike pence, you can't get more conservative than mike pence talking about how they're going too far. here's donald trump continuing to push the narrative. p people are tired of it. republicans alike in our state, which you're right i think has become a little bit more different maybe than in the past this is a people to people, neighbor to neighbor issue. it cuts across all of those things. we talked to republicans, independents, democrats, it

doesn't matter. they support it. this is an amendment that is going to pass much like happened in kentucky, kansas, and montana. >> in ohio when they looked at the democracy question around this, it also prevailed. i want to read cecile richard's op-ed today, i want to read some of it to you. it's the report os of clinics being inundated with frantic patients. it's the sinking realization that the most personal health decisions are now in the hands of governor ron desantis and the florida supreme court. it's the accounts of doctors like the one i met in louisiana who describe the helplessness of talking to patients who couldn't afford to travel hundreds of miles, take time off work, find child care and book a hotel room to access basic health care. it's the knowledge that our daughters have lost their rights. it's the panic, the fear and the cruelty. i mean, she puts her finger right on it, but it is this idea that men and women look at their daughters who will not have a

right that they had, and that older women look at this right that they fought for that now their daughters don't have. i mean, it is this pain of seeing the very young and the people who fought for these rights watch them go away in our lifetime. it's extraordinary. >> it's extraordinary, and it's personal for all of us. i think that's to mini's point, the senator's point, your point, i mean, we're moms. i've got a 23-year-old daughter and a 20-year-old daughter who have literally grown up seeing the difference between what it means to have a choice about whether or when to start families and watch it disappearing across the country, and what that says to this generation of people, right, i think mini's also right about it does affect everyone. and remember also how it affects us in terms of florida's trying to make it more difficult, even for college students, for people

of color, to vote because it is ballot initiatives like these that are direct democracy that says whether or not you get to get away with taking away this health care, but making it harder for people to vote, something that mini and i and in our coalition at the leadership conference are actively working to say these things stay together. >> yeah. >> they are not separate because that's the root of democracy we are seeing, even in ohio where they tried to rig the rules to make it harder for direct democracy. it is an attack on everything we hold dear, no matter our personal beliefs or our party politics, if we want to hold on to what it means to be able to make choices about our lives, no matter who we are and it doesn't stop at abortion. >> that's it. that's the whole thing. they're after birth control. they're after ivf. they've revealed it all in their own words.

florida state senator lauren book, thank you for joining us. we'll continue to call on you as the ballot initiative. mini tim ra you, you are indispensable. maya sticks around for the hour. if you're listening to the disgraced ex-president it could very well happen here, much more on trump's very public plans for what he intends to do if he is reelected president, and why it should give all of us significant amount of pause. and the ongoing protests on college campuses. tensions are on the rise. police in new york city were called in to clear demonstrators from the campus building at columbia university. the mayor of new york city will be our guest a little later in the broadcast. "deadline white house" continues after a quick break. don't go anywhere. ter a quick b. don't go anywhere. diamonds, diamonds on my teeth ♪ ♪ brand new whip is what they see, yeah ♪ ♪ in my bag like a bunch of groceries ♪ ♪ all this cheese and greens just come to me ♪ ♪ look at me on the go. always hustling. eyes on me ♪

♪ all eyes on me, brand new drip is what they see ♪ ♪ these diamonds, diamonds on my teeth ♪ ♪ brand new whip is what they see, yeah ♪ freedom you can't take your eyes off. the new 2024 jeep wrangler and gladiator. jeep. there's only one. with so many choices on booking.com there are so many tina feys i could be. so i hired body doubles. indoorsy tina loves a deluxe suite. ooh! booking.com booking.yeah

you're probably not easily persuaded to switch mobile providers for your business. but what if we told you it's possible that comcast business mobile can save you up to 75% a year on your wireless bill versus the big three carriers? you can get two unlimited lines for just $30 each a month. all on the most reliable 5g mobile network—nationwide.

wireless that works for you. for a limited time, ask how to save up to $830 off an eligible 5g phone when you switch to comcast business mobile. don't wait! call, click or visit an xfinity store today.

since this program has existed and even more specifically in a more focused manner over the last few months, we have been covering the specter of an american autocracy, an upending of the rule of law in our country, a removal of basic american freedoms and an end to our democratic norms including our elections. thanks to an interview in "time" magazine the warning of such an alarming future isn't coming from us or the experts we are lucky enough to get to talk to on this program, it's coming from the horse's mouth, and the horse is, of course, the want to be autocrat himself, former president donald j. trump. in a lengthy interview, trump goes into great detail and outlines his specific plans for a second term. they include deporting 11

million people from the country, letting red states monitor pregnant women, and prosecuting those who violate abortion bans. they include withholding congressionally appropriated funds, firing any u.s. attorney who doesn't listen to donald trump's orders, pardons for all of the january 6th rioters, abandoning our international allies if donald trump feels they have not paid enough. deploying the national guard to cities as he sees fit. closing the white house pandemic preparedness office and stocking his administration only with those who believe the big lie about the 2020 election. "time" magazine asking trump about his comment about being a dictator on day one, which he said was a comment made in, quote, jest. but then they said this, whether or not he was kidding about bringing a tir ran cal end to

our 248 year experiment in dmrk i ask him, don't you see why many americans see such talk of dictatorship as contrary to our most cherished principles? trump says no, quite the opposite. he insists i think a lot of people like it. ian basen is back with us. maya is still here. ian, ever since this "time" interview burst into the public, i wanted to talk to you about it. your thoughts? >> one question that we all might ask is what's trump doing here? what's his game? why do this interview? why say all the things that he's saying, the extreme lengths that he is planning to go to? and i think it's this, what trump fundamentally cares about is power for himself. there's a wonderful new daily from "the new york times" where jonathan swan and maggie hagerman make this point that trump's overarching concern is aggrandizing his own power, and that's unique in a way if you look at sort of the worst tyrants and dictators in

history, many of them either were or became corrupt and tried to line their own pockets at the expense of the people at some point. but most of them came to power on some ideological agenda, as part of some movement about the way they thought society should be. whether that's fidel castro or josef stalin. they were part of a political program. trump is unique, what he's interested in is his own power. our system is one of checks and balances, and trump learned that during his first term when he tried to exercise the total power he wanted and was thwarted by those checks and balances. so what's he doing here with the "time" piece? i think he's trying to build a mandate to give himself the power to override those checks, if he returns to office. he's laying out everything that he wants to do. if he wins, he says i now have a right to do it. there's a mandate for a dictatorship, and he gets what

he's always been after. >> we've also seen it before. what he does is inoculates himself with any guardrails. the republicans even if he gets impeached by the house, he would never get convicted in the senate. they all shrug their shoulders and say he said that every day. we knew he was going to prosecute his enemies. that's one of the things he's been trying to do since the earliest days as president. there was reporting, i think, as early as 2017 or '18 that don mcgahn stopped him from having the doj prosecute jim comey and hillary clinton and others, and it was only when his hand picked special investigator john durham started looking into all those folks that he finally felt like someone was doing his work and his prosecuting. i want to read you that section from the interview. would you fire a u.s. attorney who didn't prosecute someone you ordered him to, him or her. trump, it depends on the situation honestly. time, so you might? trump, it would depend on the situation, yeah. i mean, trump wanted to and tried to do this.

again, it's fundamentally changing what the department of justice would be. that feels like a real leap from what he was able to do, a restrain from doing what he wanted to in a first term. >> one of the leaders he admires most is viktor orban. and orban has described himself as an illiberal democrat. i would question the democrat part of that moniker. what orban has done is they've tried to separate out what we consider to be liberal democracy into two different parts, liberal democracy and i mean this in the classic political science sense, in the classic sense that you have a system of government that's democratic but then they're constrained by the rule of law, by checks and balances. that's the liberal component of liberal democracy. orban is trying to dispense that. trump, what he wants to do is

wrap himself in the claim that he has the mandate, if he is returned to power to do that, so in another situation when there's a don mcgahn perhaps saying, well, you can't fire this u.s. attorney because they won't simply go out there and prosecute somebody you don't like, trump can turn to them and say really? because i said i was going to do that. the american people elect med to do that. get out of my way, i have a right to do it, i'm an illiberal democrat, and that's what he's trying to do. >> ian, how do you make american democracy great again if he's so conditioned and sort of primed his base and his enablers in the republican party to do these things? >> well here's what i think the good news is. there is an anti-maga, anti-illiberal majority in this country that has shown up in 2018 and 2020 and 2022 and 2023. fundamentally i think donald trump is wrong. i think this country does

cherish its freedom. when they look at the things that trump is promising to pardon every one of the people who stormed the capitol, broke doors, broke windows, attacked law enforcement with polls, with fire extinguishers, beat people to a pulp storming our seat of government, i'm going to let all those people go, there's a lot of people expressing concern right now about crime in this concern. it just so happens to be the case that statistically crime is historically down. what do you think is going to happen when people who did that are told you get off scot-free, go out there. i'm going to celebrate your violence. you're going to get more violence, and i think that is a thing that the public is ultimately going to reject in november. i don't think we're a concern that wants to unleash that form of illiberal and democratic violence in our streets. >> on political violence trump said this, he was asked in our last conversation you said you weren't worried about political violence in connection with the november election. you said, quote, i think we're going to win and there won't be violence. what if you don't win? trump, well, i do think we're

going to win. we're way ahead. he's not. i don't think they'll be able to do the things that they did the last time, which were horrible. if we don't win, you know, it depends. it always depends on the fairness of an election. i don't believe they'll be able to do the things that they did last time. i don't think they'll be able to get with it, get away with it. not ruling out political violence, we live in a post-january 6th america. these are theoretical. we also live in a post paul pelosi, other election officials have been targeted. what do you make of the keeping the specter of political violence if he doesn't win out there this many months ahead of an election? >> i make of it what i heard from donald trump on january 6th, which is almost a call. almost an incitement, right? stopping just short of actually

using the words but similar to when he was on that debate stage, you know, before the 2020 election, and he said proud boys stand down and stand by. proud boys, one of the groups of extremist foot soldiers, a gateway group to white supremacy that was part of the organizing of the violence on january 6th. those are his foot soldiers. he is very clearly signaling to whoever that base is that he believes will activate in the way that ian said for his own personal power and his own personal ability to try to grab, take, steal, hold on to power and take some rotten saran wrap and wrap it around a line, try to make it look like a flag, an american flag and call that democracy, try to suggest to a

base of people that they're actually fighting for democracy to protect it using that lie, that big debunked lie that it's an old and long-term lie, by the way, of voter fraud and stealing an election that we know and even many republican governors said wasn't true, but he's using that to spin a false narrative in the minds of a few and i agree with ian, it's not a majority of this country, but that says it's okay and also to say he may call them up. >> mm-hmm, yeah. you're right it is, it's stand back and stand by all over again. >> thank you so much. thank you for being part of our conversation and our coverage. when we come back, college campuses all across the country facing pro-palestinian protests that in some cases have begun to turn violent. we'll have a live report and we'll talk to the new york city mayor, eric adams straight ahead. y mayor, eric adams straight ahead. [announcer] introducing allison's

plaque psoriasis. she thinks her flaky gray patches are all people see. otezla is the #1 prescribed pill to treat plaque psoriasis. allison! over here! otezla can help you get clearer skin and reduce itching and flaking. with no routine blood tests required. doctors have been prescribing otezla for over a decade. otezla is also approved to treat psoriatic arthritis. don't use otezla if you're allergic to it. serious allergic reactions can happen. otezla may cause severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. some people taking otezla had depression, suicidal thoughts or weight loss. upper respiratory tract infection and headache may occur. ♪♪ [announcer] with clearer skin girls' day out is a good day out. live in the moment. ask your doctor about otezla. power e*trade's award-winning trading app makes trading easier. with its customizable options chain,

easy-to-use tools and paper trading to help sharpen your skills, you can stay on top of the market from wherever you are. e*trade from morgan stanley power e*trade's easy to-use tools make complex trading less complicated. custom scans can help you find new trading opportunities, while an earnings tool helps you plan your trades and stay on top of the market. e*trade from morgan stanley (woman) ugh, of course it stops loading at the best part. and stay on top of the market. (tony hale) you need verizon. get their crazy powerful network out here, and get six months of disney bundle on them! (vo) stream with six months of disney bundle on us. and watch it all on the new samsung galaxy s24+, also on us. only on verizon. a lot of new dry eye patients in my office tell me about their frequent dry eyes, which may point to dry eye disease.

millions of americans were estimated to have it. they've tried artificial tears again and again, but the relief is temporary. xiidra can provide lasting relief. xiidra treats the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. don't use if you're allergic to xiidra. common side effects include eye irritation, discomfort or blurred vision when applied to the eye, and unusual taste sensation. doctor: why wait? ask your eye doctor about a 90-day prescription for xiidra today.

from california to new york, pro-palestinian protests at dozens of college cam p uses have resulted in new clashes and arrests. at ucla all classes are canceled after police responded to a violent clash between pro-palestinian protesters and counter demonstrators. columbia university announced today that all final exams will be remote after more than 100 people were arrested there, including 40 or 50 of whom have been occupying hamilton hall.

the nypd's specialized units entered and cleared the building. images show overturned furniture, barricades and broken windows inside. mayor eric adams said pro-palestinian protesters were led by affiliates not the university. outside actors who police say were trying to co-op the movement and occupation. in a moment we'll have a chance to ask mayor adams about those comments. but first nbc's antonia hylton is back with us from columbia university, what's the latest there? >> reporter: hey, nicolle, well, today it has been relatively quiet. at one point there was a protest led by faculty members angry about what they saw transpire here last night, but in a lot of ways, it's been eerie here. there is still major restrictions, students even who are finishing up their exams, very much a part of the columbia university can't swipe in many cases into the morningside

campus, and students describe for me feeling horrified by the scenes that they saw here. this is students on many sides of this issue, including students who have absolutely nothing to do with protests, the encampment, or certainly the decision to go into hamilton hall last night. some students were crying here on the street as they watched the police going through a window right behind me here and students have described for us seeing classmates get arrested, more than 100 of them, and now there's this feeling that as the administration reaches out and explains their decision-making behind this last night and the president said she's sorry it's come to this point. commencement is coming up may 15th. there's supposed to be all kinds of parties and celebrations. students feel like they can't celebrate in these situations. some students are still downtown and haven't been released yet.

the jewish students who are saying they have experienced threats and intimidation on and around the campus, even they've expressed disgust. this feeling that the administration failed them, that it never had to get to this point where the napped would come a second time, if the administration had only done more for them all along. so in a way, it's really becoming the focal part of the discussion here is do people here still have faith in the administration, the people leading columbia and what happens as commencement comes and they're supposed to hear from and celebrate with those very people, nicolle. >> antonia, what is the evidence or the actual facts around how many of the protesters were non-students? >> reporter: there is very little evidence at this time around who these outside agitators, anarchists is another word used yesterday might actually be, we don't have identities, numbers, even a percent. these students, how far, tell us that they saw all of this unfold

last night because hamilton hall, which is right behind me here is right next to a residential building. the entire night students were glued to windows, banging on walls and windows. they were videoing their classmates through the window seeing people get dragged out of the building or barricaded into other buildings. they say they saw people that they recognize that they know are classmates, so it is not true that everyone in hamilton hall was an outside actor, and students believe, nicolle, that the majority of them are people that once the names are out they're going to know and recognize. >> antonia, what support does the president have at this point? from where does her support come? >> reporter: you know, that is a serious question, and i can tell you some of the faculty from all different kinds of disciplines, faculty who have different beliefs about the israel, hamas war, all of them, at least the ones i have spoken to have

expressed extreme frustration and pain at seeing students, many of them know these students. they have them in class, and so to see people that you've worked with that you've graded their papers get arrested, carted off on buses, that's not something that any profess i've met at least takes joy in seeing or experiencing. the students consistently tell me that they've lost faith. i've even spoken to members of the student government who work with the administration who are supposed to be involved right now in commencement planning, and some of them are so bleary now that they even made suggestions to an administration, they tell me that perhaps they should change commencement to be more student focused. in other words, maybe president shafiq shouldn't play such a central role since they're worried about what might happen to her. will people boo her, will they turn their backs on her or not show up. those are open questions right now. it seems like everyone agrees that they're not just going to go into these celebrations as they would have in the past, and in a way, it's a heartbreaking thing because people come to columbia from all over the

world. this is supposed to be their moment. those are photographs people hang on their walls for the rest of their lives, right? now there's always going to be this memory of what transpired on this land, on these lawns right before it all. >> antonia, your reporting has been so important. you're our eyes and ears up there. as a reward we're going to make you stick around. please stay with us. when we come back on the other side of a break, we'll be joined by the mayor of new york city. mayor eric adams is our next guest. city mayor eric adams is our next guest. for moderate to severe crohn's disease

skyrizi is the first il-23 inhibitor that can deliver remission and visibly improve damage of the intestinal lining. serious allergic reactions and an increased risk of infections or a lower ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms, had a vaccine or plan to. liver problems may occur in crohn's disease. control of crohn's means everything to me. ask your gastroenterologist about skyrizi. ♪ control is everything to me ♪ learn how abbvie could help you save. this week on chewy, shop all your pet's favorites and get a $30 egift card. enjoy more savings on more food, more toys, and more treats. more of everything they love, delivered right to your door. only with chewy. you founded your kayak company because you love the ocean-

not spreadsheets. you need to hire. i need indeed. indeed you do. indeed instant match instantly delivers quality candidates matching your job description. visit indeed.com/hire (vo) antarctica... matching your job description. you have to experience it to truly appreciate the beauty, the wildlife, the sheer majesty. experience it with state-of-the-art expedition equipment and hands-on scientific research activities, all in exceptional viking comfort. we invite you to discover the world's seventh continent: antarctica. viking. exploring the world in comfort. -remember when i said we need to screen for colon cancer?

-was that after i texted the age to screen was now 45? [both] because i said cologuard®! -hey there! -where did he come from? -yup, with me you can screen at home. just talk to your provider. [both] we'll screen with cologuard and do it my way. cologuard is a one-of-a-kind way to screen for colon cancer that's effective and non-invasive. it's for people 45+ at average risk, not high risk. false positive and negative results may occur. ask your provider for me, cologuard. ♪♪ imagine a future where plastic is not wasted... but instead remade over and over... into the things that keep our food fresher, our families safer, and our planet cleaner. to help us get there, america's plastic makers are investing billions of dollars to create innovative products and new recycling technologies for sustainable change. because when you push for smarter solutions, big things can happen.

joining our coverage, new york city mayor eric adams. antonia hylton is with us as well. mr. mayor, i know a lot of your focus now is on managing the city in a moment of crisis and these protests. i want to ask you about the original challenge, though, for the city and columbia and that is making jewish students feel safe on columbia university and in new york city. can you tell us what that looks like? >> we have one of the best police departments on the globe, if not the best, and dealing with a multitude of different moments is something that we are trained to do, and when you look at the actions that we have taken to address this issue, we've seen an increase in hate crimes, graffiti, but the assault on jewish students is something that is just not happening, and when it does, and if it does, we're going to make the proper investigation and

apprehensions and arrests. >> mr. mayor, the tricky piece seems to be -- and i had a table full of jewish students at much fancier schools than i went to around this table -- and there's a lot that happens on campuses before a crime is committed, and i wonder if there's a plan for dealing with the culture around the hate speech and the blame being placed on jewish americans and jewish college kids in new york city? >> yes, and i think it's important that you raise that when you stated on college campuses of we are doing our job in the public school system. we are also committed to doing and assisting on the college campuses as well, but the primary obligations of making sure those environments are right are the institutions. we have something in the city that we've been doing for several years even during my time as president breaking -- and -- walks of life together to

sit down and communicate to prevent these types of situations but it's all hands on deck. this is not just a police department obligation. all of our institutions, all of our families, all new yorkers should be clear there's no place for hate in our city. >> there's a lot of it. i think people on all sides would be like there's a lot of it. i want to ask you as a former police officer, former -- wearing both hats, right, what is this point? are we at a breaking point? are we managing something that's difficult but not unprecedented? what is the accurate and fair unbalanced way to cover this moment? >> prior to me that i communicated with read their books and sat down and was mentored, they tell you be clear that a city of this complex and this level of diversity, there's always going to be things that are going to take place in the city. and just be prepared for it. don't wake up in the morning and

hope that nothing is going to happen. ask for the strength to endure and to manage it, and that's what we have been doing to asylum seekers to what happened on october 7th, awful actions of hamas. this is what we will continue to do. this is resilience and this is a moment that we're going to handle like we handle every other crisis that we're faced with. >> do you think that the coverage of the protests is overblown? do you think it's accurate? do you think it's helpful? what is your assessment of it? >> i think the press does its job, and one of the first things i learned in public life, if it leads it bleeds, if it bleeds it leads. you heard that saying as well. we have to do our job, and that's what the police department has when we were called in to columbia university two times, we eradicated the problem, taking back hamilton house. at nyu, we did the same. we're going to continue to show up and respond and show the

level of precision and professionalism that's expected from the greatest police department on this globe. >> my friend and colleague who's one of the most gifted journalists in the company has been on the ground outside of columbia university. she's going to jump in with a question for you, mr. mayor. >> yes. >> reporter: hi, mayor adams. i was here last night in front of hamilton hall when everything transpired. the nypd said their actions here were organized. calm. they told my colleague there were no injuries but we have spoken to students who say a student got thrown by an officer. my friend interviewed a person who had their fingers broken. is the nypd telling the truth? >> what i find not only as mayor and captain of the police department, i find and always have found that people do an

analysis of police interactions. some of it, we could have done better, but i know what happened last night and i know how the police department responded. those individuals in the buildings should not have been in there. they broke into the building. they committed a crime and the best way to prevent any form of interaction with the police department is not to break the law. i want to be focused on making sure when the law is broken and we are called in that we're going to use the minimum amount of force. those officers were dealing with a crowd outside the school, a disruptive crowd outside on the school grounds, and while that was going on, cuni, people were throwing bottles at the police officers. they performed the service new yorkers expect them to perform. >> antonia, did you have a follow up? >> reporter: yeah, how many outside agitators, anarchists,

were found inside this building? that is the number one question i hear from faculty, staff, and students. they say they know the people inside and it was students affected by all this. but we heard from your team that there are these nameless leaders involved. can you tell us who they were? or at least how many of them there are? >> first, i always suspected something was happening and i'm happy that the confirmation of my suspicious turned out to be accurate when our intelligence division briefed me on two particular individuals. one of them was arrested for terrorism. as well. some of the pamphlets we saw, individuals we saw who were not cuni students, with their training individuals. we saw the escalation of the tactics being used. it has been reported on some of the individuals just stated, i

choose not to give notoriety to people who participate in activities like that, but it has been online. the police department has reported and i'm sure if you reached out to the intelligence division, they'll give you the information they want to be released. this is extremely active, continuing to evolve, and we want to continue to do the thorough investigations that we have been doing. >> mr. mayor, what is happening tonight in new york and for the world that's watching, this is now an international story. what is your message? >> first, you're right. the globe is watching. particularly all over the country. independent media outlets that observed yesterday indicated how disciplined the officers were. how organized they were and i'm happy those national, independent outlets acknowledged the job the police department has done. every night, something is happening in new york city. we're going to be prepared and we're going to execute a plan to address whatever comes in front of us to make sure new yorkers

are safe. not only the protestors, the students, children, residents of those who want to carry on their normal lives in this great city we call new york. >> thank you for joining us. antonia, if you have a second, i want to follow up on something you've pressed the mayor on. i'm going to take in a quick break first. will you stand by a couple more minutes? we'll be right back. we'll be right back. ...but they can be remade in a whole new way. thanks to you... we're getting bottles back... and we've developed a way to make new ones from 100% recycled plastic. new bottles - made using no new plastic. you'll be seeing more of these bottles in more places. and when we get more of them back... ...we can use less new plastic. see how our bottles are made to be remade. (vo) it's shrimp your way. choose three flavors for just $20*. ...we can use less new plastic. like new street corn shrimp.

and our famous garlic shrimp scampi. it's time to grab some cheddar bays and get flavorfull. hurry in to try shrimp your way, only at red lobster.

i wanted to follow up on a question you had for the mayor. he said there were two outside agitators and could call the intelligence department. that seemed like new information to me. had you heard that before? >> reporter: i had not heard that before and i think the fir thing we'll do when off air is reach out for more information. tom winter is probably all over this right now, knowing him. he is the best at this in the biz. so i'm probably going to send him a message the moment i have a free moment. >> well, thank you for your coverage. thank you for joining me for that conversation. another break for us. we'll be right back. ion. another break for us we'll be right back. who knows what to expect! turn shipping to your advantage. keep it simple...with clear, upfront pricing. with usps ground advantage®. ♪♪ slowing my cancer from growing and living longer are two things i want from my metastatic breast cancer treatment.

and with kisqali, i can have both. kisqali is a pill that when taken with an aromatase inhibitor helps delay cancer from growing and has been proven to help people live significantly longer across three separate clinical trials. so, i have the confidence to live my life. kisqali can cause lung problems or an abnormal heartbeat, which can lead to death. it can cause serious skin reactions, liver problems, and low white blood cell counts that may result in severe infections. avoid grapefruit during treatment. tell your doctor right away if you have new or worsening symptoms, including breathing problems, cough, chest pain, a change in your heartbeat, dizziness, yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, tiredness, loss of appetite, abdomen pain, bleeding, bruising, fever, chills, or other symptoms of an infection, a severe or worsening rash, are or plan to become pregnant, or breastfeeding. long live life and long live you. ask your doctor about kisqali today. did i read this? and long live you. did i get eggs? where are my keys?

memory and thinking issues keep piling up? it may be due to a buildup of amyloid plaques in the brain. visit morethannormalaging.com (woman) ugh, of course it stops loading at the best part. (tony hale) you need verizon. get their crazy powerful network out here, and get six months of disney bundle on them! (vo) stream with six months of disney bundle on us. and watch it all on the new samsung galaxy s24+, also on us. only on verizon. your shipping manager left to “find themself.” leaving you lost. you need to hire. i need indeed. indeed you do. indeed instant match instantly delivers quality candidates matching your job description. visit indeed.com/hire when others divide. we unite. with real solutions to help our kids. like community schools. neighborhood hubs that provide everything from mental health services to food pantries. academic tutoring to prom dresses. healthcare to after care. community schools can wrap so much around public schools. ...and through meaningful partnerships with families,

they become centers of their communities. real solutions for kids and communities at aft.org thank you so much for letting us into your homes during these truly extraordinary times. the beat starts right now. hi, ari. >> welcome to the beat. tonight, the news driving this trump trial is