>> welcome back to our coverage

of tonight's republican presidential debate, a debate that, again, was a republican debate but the candidates

themselves came back to the topic of republicans losing. they kept bringing it up themselves, unprompted. >> we've lost 2018, 2020, 2022, no red wave that never came. we got trounced last night in 2023. >> i'm sick of republicans losing. >> look, people they are cheering for. losing in the republican party. >> we've become a party of losers at the end of the day. >> and yes, the man who has been the leader of the republican party in the period in question, through all of that losing, this is pretty much as closed as anyone got to outrun out criticizing former president and current presidential front runner donald trump, tonight. >> i can talk about president trump. i can tell you that i think he was the right president at the right time. i don't think he's right president now. i think that he put us eight trillion dollars in debt, and our kids are never gonna forgive us for that. i think the fact that he used to be right on ukraine and foreign issues, now he's getting weak in the knees and trying to be friendly again. i think we've got to go back to the fact that we can't live in the past. we can't live in other headlines. we have to focus on what's going to make america strong and proud. that's what i'm focused on doing. >> that's much of criticism that we saw against donald trump tonight. he, again, is ahead of these candidates by 30, 40, 50 points in the polls. i'm rachel maddow, i'm here with joy reid and nicole

wallace and stephanie ruhle and lawrence o'donnell and chris hayes. we've been talking about the fact that the polling here precludes any of us describing describing any importance to the performative competence of these candidates. i think ron desantis is getting better. i thought that he was the worst supposedly potentially viable candidate i had ever seen in a presidential debate, intubate one, and now i feel like this new beta version of his software is turning out some new things. he spoke in a way that i actually think reflects the fact that he has been working on it. and he talked in ways that were sort of human. and he got what seemed to be legitimate applause. that means that he's a candidate who can change. there. that's my positive thing. >> if you are suggesting that he has gone from an f to a c minus, i think i'm with you. >> his problem isn't that he's awkward. i think most people have awkward people in their lives in they have the most enduring people in their lives. the problem is that he is peddling eight and doing it in a less compelling way that donald trump, not in my opinion, in the opinion of the

republican primary. he's peddling this very -- in a way that republican primary voters, even the ones living in florida, view as far inferior to the way trump does the same thing. >> and also because no one wants to buy his substitute when they get the real thing. to me he was the biggest loser because he's on his home turf. everything that he has done to get to this place has been to pass and force through legislation that have made republicans in tallahassee resent him. they are now stuck with a six -week abortion ban that is deeply unpopular. he has picked fights with decently that have left to lawsuit. picked fights with the cruise industry. picked fights essentially pushed labor, latino workers out of the state, which is hurting the construction industry and the agricultural industry. they are screaming in pain because the workers are leaving because of his immigration bill. he stuck all of them, all of the state with that. he's not even getting anywhere in the polls. so i think there are a lot of republicans who will tell you in florida who resent him. so there really isn't a future for him if he doesn't, and he

doesn't get a nomination again and that's the cheeseburger thing happens. >> to me the two winners are nikki haley and chris christie. so the real question is to no labels. no labels for anyone out there for months, raising money, pending the idea that we've got to have somebody other than trump, other than biden. chris christie and nikki haley made all the arguments tonight but you hear no labels make. so my question tomorrow morning, when i pick the phone and say hey nancy jacobson, trying to come on tv and her answer, again, is going to be no, why do guys exist? because you've got two people on that stage right now who could challenge donald trump with all your dollars behind them. what exactly are you doing? >> the whole no labels thing is by people who are hoping that on trump is going to get elected and that they can peel off seemingly moderate voters from voting for a democratic incumbent president by instead saying it is magic third way. that's all it is. because the sort of magic third way that you're talking about is completely embodied by those two who are not gonna win anything. >> can i take the debate seriously for just one minute. it's one thing that desantis said. and what is serious about it is, it's an injection of poison into the body politic, and into american society, and it is a breathtaking insult to the intelligence of republican voters and their human decency. and that is that ron desantis is going to shoot and kill drug smugglers at the southern border, and my question is, when? when will you determine that that's a drug smuggler who you're going to shoot and kill?

is it going to be someone who has a backpack, who is swimming across the river? do you shoot and kill him or her van? do you wait find out what's in the backpack? how do you do this? and of course to do it, you would have to pass a new federal law that legalizes that particular murder, which you can't do because it's going to be 60 votes votes. but this very concept that is how we will handle it, and no one has had the courage to do this before, for no good reason, but i, ron desantis will set off the machine gun targets along that border and i will have them shot. there won't be trials. there won't be apprehensions. there would be anything. we'll be shot and they will be dead and then we will find out what was in the backpack. that's his insult to the intelligence and the decency of republican voters in the country at large. >> we had ron desantis and vivek ramaswamy both talk about using military force inside mexico. we also saw tim scott so he was going to literally declare war on iran. >> a less grim partner to that, but my favorite moment was vivek ramaswamy describing building a border on the totality of the northern border as, quote, skating to where the puck is going, which i thought was a nice play for the canadian vote, i guess, in some weird way. but i guess equal opportunity in insane paranoia and -- >> he's beyond the only candidate brave enough to go to the northern border. >> idiot i think, to your point,

lawrence, it is a symptom of ron desantis's other core problem, which is because he had a super majority in the state house, he gave them a list and they did everything on the list and he is now trying to convince voters, republican voters, that you can work the same magic and washington, which a completely different system, in which, as nikki haley keeps pointing out, you need 60 votes in the senate to do anything. if anyone really truly believes that he can do any of the things he is saying based on what he did in florida, which he keep citing, they're not paying attention to the world because it doesn't work that way in washington at all. >> he also literally said aside from the widely reckless and morally indefensible glib talk about basically starting war with mexico, which is heinous in every way and heinous in the casualness in which they all talk about it, he literally said, i'm gonna build the wall and make mexico pay for it tonight. why am i gonna go with you instead the last guy that said he was gonna do that? literally, what's the point? we all know that's his line. why would i vote for you? he's the one that said he would do that and obviously didn't. why would i vote for another

person who said he would do it and obviously didn't? >> the things that we've been talking about what level of criticism trump came in from. that was kind of the one thing, trump added a lot of debt, that's one thing they criticized him for. the other specific thing he was criticized for was not getting mexico to build a wall. so rhonda's hands was like if you could look at the four years of the trump administration's ar, that was it, and let's bring america together. one pay so. clearly that's the unfinished business that we should use to put the republican party back in the white house. >> and footnote -- >> if you, because it was -- >> 1 million marathons died from covid. >> footnote, one reason mexico didn't pay for the wall is we didn't build the wall. [laughter] >> there is that. >> and there's all the water. >> there's the water yes. it's water. >> this is so ludicrous to us. i think the big thing watching this is, wow, republican primary voters don't like any of them. trump is ahead, again, 30 to 50 points more popular than everybody on the stage. >> and he's running to take down our trust in institutions. he's running for four event. he gets on the podium and says

i am your retribution. >> one of the core driving aspects that produced 2016 and trump was genuine and unbridled contempt on the part of republican voters for the republican party. ramaswamy has started channeled on certain ways. we have seen again and again with how it is manifested. trump being, like, all these people are losers, which was his stick in 2016, really worked with them. and i think it just remains the case that for a variety of complicated reasons, like republican voters still kind of hate the republican party and don't put trump in the same category. >> and by the way, i would say the person closest to making this point was biggie halle, where she did say republicans need a new generation, trump was right for that right time. no one is really talking about it. people talk about it with biden. but trump thinks that he ran against barack obama. trump is not always sure where he is. >> where it is we make it into world war ii. >> it's not clear. he might be non corpus mentors and nobody says anything. there is this sort of, the biden conversation about his age isn't had about trump, trump is three years younger. trump is arguably not all. they're not there the way he was even in 2016. his lack of ability to get

through a sentence, he's lucy's words. there's a lot there. if one of these candidates wanted to try to take him down, if they had the political skill, i don't know if any of them have the political skill, there's so much there that it actually is political malpractice that they're not even trying. >> the biden harris put out the press release calling out the media for not covering a lot of these gaffes, and i think it's good that his rallies aren't taken lightly, but you do miss a lot of the gaffes. you have to go looking for. them he was on the stage, he didn't know where he was. someone came up and told him where he was and corrected him. this is happening. >> the judge was asking him a question about his business. and he said i was busy running the country. and they were like, sir, you weren't in office that year. [laughter] that happened three days ago. >> there's a good faith

criticism to be made that like, oh, we should elect somebody who's 80 to be president. there is nothing inherently wrong with making that kind of an argument. categorically. but the answer to that cannot be, you're right, we should definitely put it at 77. that's what we need a 77 year old. >> who would be 80 during his presidency? there is a way in which these candidacies, particularly the christie candidacy, might actually, in the end, do trump in. when i look at that board, i'm wondering, that steve had up there, how many of those christian voters, how many of those nikki haley voters, will not vote for donald trump in a general election? they have had plenty of time to make up, everyone who's not voting for trump, 30%, whatever it, is everyone who's not voting for him in the republican primary, has thought about him a lot, and they have decided, as of today, no, i don't want to vote for donald trump. he will surely, if he's the nominee, get most of them going into a general election against joe biden. but he is unlikely to get all

of them because there must be some pretty strong feelings to define themselves against donald trump at this stage of this election. and donald trump needs every single one of them. he cannot lose a single republican vote. he's on his way to. >> let's just be real about this, as well. freedom of the need to run in a democratic primary. joe biden does not have to run to the last, ahead of the general election in a way that's going to be staking out positions that he's gonna find hard to defend in a general election. he can run as bipartisan joe biden from now all the way through next november in a way that is going to provide him maximum opportunity for peeling off any persuadable independent voters, independently leaning, republican-leaning independents and anyone else in the republican party that can can't stomach trump. biden is perfectly positioned to do that because he has governed in a bipartisan way. he does have a legislative record of accomplishment. he's not a partisan bomb thrower. and he doesn't have to run in the primary. >> did robert f. kennedy junior, who nobody talks about, because he's all, i'd he is running, and the polls that i have seen and show that the bigger risk is to trump, because the people who love rfk junior the most

are anti-vaxxers. so that's not taking from biden's voters. potentially rfk junior is a bigger threat to trump. so trump really does need every single voter. >> maybe two more to your point,

the first people to joe biden can go look for in that effort are the plus 20 who voted to enshrine abortion in the constitution in ohio. there is a 20% cushion for joe biden to just say, i see this the way you see it. that guy over there, he's the reason roe is overturned. >> he's a reason roe was overturned and easily speaker that watson is the co-sponsor of a federal abortion ban and lifelong antiabortion activist. you sure you want to give the republicans the white house right now? >> nikki haley and chris christie's fundraising dollars in the next week off of this debate, think about the point that lawrence just made. the people who write her big checks tonight, and chris christie, are they really two

months for now going to say well, i guess i'm gonna go for trump? they are not. >> they've had every opportunity. much more to see tonight. jen psaki's gonna be joining us in just a moment. stay with us. he can run as bipartisan joe biden from now all the way through next november in a way that is going to provide him maximum opportunity for peeling off any persuadable independent voters, independently leaning, republican-leaning independents and anyone else in the

republican party that can can't stomach trump. biden is perfectly positioned to do that because he has governed in a bipartisan way. he does have a legislative record of accomplishment. he's not a partisan bomb thrower. and he doesn't have to run in the primary. >> did robert f. kennedy junior, who nobody talks about, because he's all, i'd he is running, and the polls that i have seen and show that the bigger risk is to trump, because the people who love rfk junior the most are anti-vaxxers. so that's not taking from biden's voters. potentially rfk junior is a

bigger threat to trump. so trump really does need every single voter. >> maybe two more to your point, the first people to joe biden can go look for in that effort are the plus 20 who voted to enshrine abortion in the constitution in ohio. there is a 20% cushion for joe biden to just say, i see this the way you see it. that guy over there, he's the reason roe is overturned. >> he's a reason roe was overturned and easily speaker that watson is the co-sponsor of a federal abortion ban and lifelong antiabortion activist. you sure you want to give the republicans the white house right now? >> nikki haley and chris christie's fundraising dollars in the next week off of this debate, think about the point that lawrence just made. the people who write her big checks tonight, and chris christie, are they really two months for now going to say well, i guess i'm gonna go for trump? they are not. >> they've had every opportunity. much more to see tonight. jen psaki's gonna be joining us in just a moment.

>> welcome back to msnbc's special coverage of the third republican primary debate. i'm jen psaki, alongside some of my absolute favorite people to talk politics with, especially later night. china media here at the table are former democratic senator from missouri, claire mccaskill, also the co-host of the podcast how to win in 2024. a great podcast. former rnc chairman, michael steele, who always hold back, so we're looking forward to bring him bring him out of his shell tonight. former spokesperson for kamala harris and host of simone at msnbc, symone sanders-townsend, and former senior advisor for -- mitt romney. a crazy right a, bit very substantive on foreign policy and other issues. i want to start with you, michael. what's your big take away from tonight? >> a typical night in the don a jungle, all the animals braid at the moon and tried to mark

their territory. i still say this was nikki haley's night after last units have been. she showed poise in the face of the craziness of vivek ramaswamy. she could the kind of determination and steely strength that needs to go up against foreign adversaries like putin. and she laid out, i thought, a very reasonable, cogent conservative discussion, if you will, around abortion. i know people were likely disagree with that because it's sort of a hot issue, but within the republican ecosystem, what she said probably heard her with some folks, but she took that risk in putting out this. i thought it was a good night for her. >> we will get into vivek, don't worry. i did think she had a good night, but i don't think she said anything on abortion. >> i'm kind of with you. i listened really carefully to what nikki haley actually said about abortion. i came away with the conclusion that she succeeded in talking for about three or four minutes and said absolutely nothing. she didn't say what she was for, which he was against. she said we all have to get along, we have to have 60 votes.

this is a difficult issue. and sounded very much like a politician. i wouldn't disagree though that she had a good night. i think chris christie had a good night. if you tuned in and you've never seen any of these candidates before, i think he was really good. >> yeah, he was. >> you have to filter in everything we know about chris christie. at the end of the day i can't decide which i have a stronger opinion about, that vivek ramaswamy is the biggest jerk who's ever run for president, or -- >> does running as a jerk win? you've won before? >> i hope i was never as big to a. jerk >> no, never? [laughter] bad phrasing. at my point, claire. >> it is late. i have had my moments, i will admit. i think the funniest thing he

may have said all night, which shows how out of touch he is, because all the women listening said spin everything they were drinking out, what everything we do about abortion, we have to have male sexual responsibility. and i'm like, oh yeah. [laughter] is that gonna happen? in case anyone sochi, through ripon when she said that. i'd like to see that same legislation. women in america are going yeah, hold my beer. >> player brought up chris christie. watching him, he seemed the least overly practiced in some way. i mean that as a slight complement. but he also seemed a little deflated. he didn't go nuclear on don trump, which has been his strategy in the past. what did you think, kevin? >> i still think that kevin that christie has the hardest path to the nomination.

first of all the three things the big takeaways that i have on this our first is that let's give credit to the moderators this was a very moderated debate and i think as you contrast it to the last two debates, was probably the most substantive. we saw a good strong policy debates. probably a lot of differences about how substantive or a lot of positions. but it was a good issue focused debate. the second thing is, and this is to your direct question, jan, the sub primary here, who is going to emerge as the alternative, who's going to take trump on directly, that race has been basically reduced down to halle, nikki haley, and ron desantis. those are the only two viable options right now that are going to emerge out of the early primary contest. you can see it in the debate,

the way everybody went after nikki haley. why? she's the one that's most ascended in the polls and has the most momentum, and all the other candidates are trying to stop that. the third thing, i think, is still the elephant in the room, donald trump, who was talked about for the first five minutes and then disappeared. >> he didn't come up. >> he went largely unscathed in this debate. nobody drew a hard contrast with him. they didn't have a broad sustained assault. as we get cl tiowa, new hampshire, north carolina, florida, somebody is going to take him on directly. we have yet to see it in a broad and sustained way. >> the absence of trump has been a theme. i do want to play this back and forth between nikki haley and

vivek ramaswamy. get your thoughts, simone. i'm sure you have many. >> i want to laugh away nikki haley don't answer your question which is about looking at families in the eye. in the last debate she made fun of me for actually joining tiktok. where her own daughter was actually using the app for a long time. she might want to take care of your family. first >> leave my daughter out of your voice. >> the next generation of americans are using it. and that's actually the point. here's the truth. >> you just scan. >> first of all, if anyone brought up my daughter i would bear claudia. >> she exercise sums restraint onstage that i don't think i would've had. that was a low moment for vivek ramaswamy. i think is annoying. he's absolutely annoying. i think the candidates felt that from the first debate on the stage. and every single debate since than, i think that they have just worked to flick him away like a little fly. i think the moderators had a very had command of the candidates today. they did not allow vivek ramaswamy to run away with the conversation. i do think that happened in the last two debates. all in all, though, i do think that the candidates on the

stage, i did not see a president on that stage tonight, i don't even think i saw a vice president. >> i don't think republican primary voters saw a president onstage. not that you're one. >> there are a lot of extreme comments that were made. i thought the exchange about college campuses, similar, like the exchange about the border was very jarring in some of the comments that were made and i thought the tim scott was very underwhelming. , this false outrage, and you try to have a moment that never materialized. but his girlfriend came on stage the. and >> we did see that. mindy is her name. one of the most interesting things, anything we're gonna have to take a quick break in a moment, that i thought was how everybody one after nikki haley. and nikki haley became not only did she have a pretty good night of the candidates onstage, but she was the prime target. so that, i thought, was an interesting tell about where things stand in the primary at this point. >> she is the ascendant one. as kevin noted. she is the one who is galvanizing the energy of the money in the first instance that has moved off of ron desantis and moved towards her. here's the problem, and it goes

to what kevin was saying, real quick, we talk about this as if it really matters, because it doesn't. because the base has decided who they want, and they want it on that stage. that person wasn't on the stage. it's donald trump. the money interest plays out on that stage. there is dropping, flopping back and forth between scott and haley and so forth. but the end of the day this is going to be depart determined at the ballot box, and none of

those folks gave that base a reason to vote for them. >> that's the key thing. we do have to take a quick break, but we're just getting started this hour. we're back with much more on the third republican primary debate tonight. after this quick break. stay with us.

>> unlike the first two republican primary debates, donald trump came up very early on tonight. here's what some of the candidates said about the four times indicted front-runner. >> don't trumps a lot different guy than he was in 2016. he owes it to you to be on this stage and explain why he should get another chance. he should explain why he didn't have mexico pay for the border wall. he should explain why he racked up so much debt. >> we need a president and a candidate who will actually help our base solidify and attract independent voters into our party. >> anybody who can be spending the next year and a half of their life focusing on keeping themselves out of jail in courtrooms cannot lead this party or this country. it needs to be said plainly. >> okay, so he was very present early on, and then he kind of disappeared. we were talking about this a little earlier. but kevin, what's the strategy there? you're on these republican presidential campaigns. what are they talking about? why are they going after trump? >> i think there's the technical strategy which is,

many of these coal consultants or the strategist inside the campaign are saying we still have to get these voters. if we want to win the nomination, if we want to find our way to 236 delegates at the conventions, we're gonna have to appeal to these voters. so they just don't wanna draw hard contrast on that. but here's where i think that's a flaw, is that hope is not a strategy. it's hope that these voters migrate your way or the trump self-destruct's or that somebody else does the hard work for you. you have to go and make the case in the court of public opinion, with those voters on your own. and so the biggest mistake the campaigns also make is that they think they have time. here we are, we're in november, the first contests or in january. they have to make that case now. they have to make it in a relentless fashion, versus, let's take a couple of jabs in the first five minutes of the campaign and then pivot away, in the first five minutes of a debate and then pivot away. >> i think kevin's right. they're weighing the opportunity to -- stay on the stage with donald

trump and i don't think it's ever gonna happen. if i were a biden -- i never would be ever in my former life, but there's no reason for don trump to stand on the stage. there's no reason. >> you might like what you're saying now, you never. now >> maybe a call on me. i just don't want him to tweet about me. the campaigns have made a gross miscalculation. and because of that, we're not going to see any traction. and i do think mister chairman, i don't know, the republican party has a conversation because how are you going to move past this terrible moment if no one is willing to take a swing, and nobody's willing to go and make their case. >> one thing i just wanted to inject here, because the other piece i think they have not really thought about somehow or haven't had some sort of meetings in the basement over, is what the heck they're gonna say about abortion and what the policy is. clara brought up earlier nikki haley's words, or maybe none of us did, so let's play that and talk a bit about the abortion issue as well.

>> let's find consensus. let's agree on how we can ban late term abortions. let's encourage adoptions and good quality adoptions. let's make sure we make contraception accessible. let's make sure that no state lies put women in jail or given the death penalty for getting an abortion. let's focus on how to save as many babies as we can and support as many moms is i can. and stop the judgment. we don't need to divide america over this issue anymore. >> i'm gonna ask both of you this question. is that a general election strategy or position, that you think the republican party thinks will work? what she just said? >> i do. i think i thought it was a very sound case for her to make, when you consider the externalities in the politics around that issue, both inside and outside the party. she's talking to two audiences at the same time. she's trying to craft a message that will allow her to hold position with her base, i'm pro-life, but understand that

outside of that base there are women, and including republican women, who do not like the criminalization of abortion, who do not like the fact that the party espouses pro-life values, but then does not care for, as chris christie said, the whole life of the individual. it is a tough argument for a republican to make today, because they have so back themselves on a corner with dobbs. they've still backed themselves in a corner with 50 years, not acknowledging a lot of the things that she stated there. and i know for a lot of my friends on the democratic side, they want something that's a little bit stronger and a little bit more, as claire noted, with some teeth to it. we'll see if that comes if she's a nominee in a presidential because she's gonna have to confront that issue more head on. but for the purposes of this primary, on that stage, i thought she kind of weaved herself pretty nicely into a space that she can survive to fight another day on this issue. >> sometimes when you say everything you say nothing. that is kind of the challenge.

but one of the things that we haven't talked about a lot, maiden talk about it and tonight, is a results from last night and what the lessons are that you have learned from that. so claire, what do you think is a workable, you won in a red state message on abortion? >> well, here's the thing. there's two ways to win an election. one is, you can't win an election without attacking the person you're running against. none of them do that. so i don't get the feeling any of them are trying to win anything. i don't know what the running for. they're not gonna be as vice president. i don't know what she thought she was accomplishing by doing that tonight, because she if she was ever nomination would have to have an answer. she have to have an answer for the pro-life base. i shouldn't say pro-life, the

antichoice base in the republican party. she would have to have an answer for women who see this is a highly emotional issue. that's the other thing we have to have to win an election. you have to have a motion the drive turnout. and when the democrats have right now, and i don't care what all these consultants say, some republican consulted in virginia was cool quoted in the wall street journal saying this issue will fade by november of next year. no, no, it won't. this issue, once they did what was always theoretical and overturned roe, they have now a situation where women have lost an important right to determine their own health care. sometimes risking their lives. in my state, 12 year old girl

that beshear put on tv? that was raped by her stepfather? she's mandated by the government in that state to have birth to that child. 80% of america disagrees with that. if nikki haley can't say that out loud tonight, then i'm for rape and instead's asked exceptions, nobody said that tonight. not one person said, a position that 80% of america agrees. with i think they have missed the boat in terms of capping the emotion that is driving more positive activity on the democratic side of the equation than i have seen in a long time. >> can i just say, real quick, i hear you and i feel you, and the chairman in me is gone, but i'm not running that race right now. i'm not running the race you're talking about. when i get to that race, then we will have that conversation and i will be prepared for that conversation. at least i hope and think she would be. but right now, that's not her race. she's running to become the republican nominee, not the

democratic nominee. but you need to understand, folks, politics you're talking to your audience, and unless you're going to be a real risk taker and talk to two audiences at once, understand what is going on. i get what you're saying, but please don't box it in as if, well, you completely blown. it no, she hasn't. because if she comes out in january, march, in april of next year is the nominee, i bet you she will be prepared to answer that question. what i'm saying, is she setting up the argument a lot better than the fellas. >> a lot your thoughts. we've got to get to -- and more thoughts. i want to turn to one of the most bizarre moments of the night, which is saying a lot. this is vivek ramaswamy and his closing statement. >> and this virus that joe biden is gonna be your nominee. we know he's 90 of the president united states. he's a puppet for the managerial class. so have the guts to step up and be honest about who you're actually gonna put up so we can have an honest debate. biden should step aside, in his candidacy now, so we can see whether it's newsom or michelle obama, or whoever else, tells the truth so we can have -- >> this really perfect time to bring in my next guest. joining us now is quentin folks, principal campaign manager for president biden. thank you for staying up late with us.

do you want to respond to what that ramaswamy just had to say about president biden? >> thank you for having me, jan. that's a funny clip from ramaswamy. actually it sounds like he's interviewing to be the anchor of newsmax and the president united states, and i hope he's okay. i also [laughter] i do agree with him when you said the republican party as a party of losers. i do agree with that. so what happened tonight, normally after you lose an election, you take a moment to self reflect and try to course correct. what we saw as donald trump and republicans gather in florida, and double down on the same issues that cost them the election last night. so point-blank lee, the maga failed, republicans gathered in florida to double down on the same thing that cost them the election. so i just think this very comical coming from ramaswamy. >> we have been talking a lot tonight about abortion, politics of abortion, everybody

at this table does not 100 percent agree which is okay. i want to ask you, in the campaign tonight, texting with everybody, what -- what are we going to see in an ad? i'm warning about social security and the answers on that? well stuck out to us problematic? >> i mean, the whole agenda is problematic. on abortion, they are not paying attention to voters in ohio, not paying attention to voters in kentucky, and also if you will indulge, me i heard the panel talking about nikki haley. the fact that nikki haley was quite clear on her position on abortion. she said she will sign anything that comes across her desk. she is using cute language, but that the end of the, day saying

he wasn't anything that comes across your desk when it comes to national abortion ban when you passed an abortion ban in your state with no exceptions, it is a pretty clear position on the issue to me. so, again they are completely out of touch with the american public. and on social security and medicare, they're going out of the same thing about getting these issues which donald trump tried to do it year after year, in his budget, so again i think those just more of them doubling down on an issue that is completely out of touch with the american public, and in stark contrast with what

president biden is bringing to the table. >> since i have the luxury of having you here, i have a lot of georgia experience, i do want to ask you about, georgia because a lot of people are freaking out about recent polls. so tell us a bit about what is going on on the ground in georgia, are you concerned, what needs to happen there for president biden to win georgia again? >> look, i think we have to engage voters. we are up right now on television with, as we are up trying to figure the best way to communicate with voters on a -- media environment, that is what this campaign is going to do. we are very excited to continue to do the work in georgia, but posting where down in georgia just came out of that cycle with the -- campaign. we were down the entire time. to a trump endorsed candidate which is also not going good for the candidates trump has decided to endorse in 2023. so i think we are going to stayo a quick we will

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mccaskill, michael steele, simone sanders townsend, and kevin madden. we are having such a good time on this panel. so i just wonder before we wrap up, i want to ask each of you, what do you think we should still be talking about a week or two from now? clare, i'm going to start with you. >> i think we will be starting with the choice america has between donald trump and what he represents in terms of a threat to this country versus the competent leadership of joe biden. i think this thing as a sideshow. >> so no one on the stage, it is a sideshow, wants to be talking about in two weeks.

>> okay, michael, -- >> i have nothing. >> that is never true. >> i think really, the reality, i think what clare is saying is true. we will be talking about how this table has still not been reset. and so, everybody -- >> human narrow down? >> narrow down on the republican side, and quite honestly on the democratic side to stop the -- your man is named biden, and get your stuff, together and -- because if you don't, you are going to wind up at the wrong

station. the country is going to be down the road. you will be waiting for people to get on. so i think that is going to be a part of the conversation, now because the reality of it is -- >> lots of analogies with the train their. i like it. simone? >> i think we will talk about abortion. i really do. i think the issue of reproductive freedom is something that women and people across the country in red place, purple places, blue places, it has motivated them. the fact that the day after the republican party apparatus was -- on this very issue, in many places across the, country and it barely got -- it got 20 minutes of a conversation, but no one was pushed on what it is they believe. i think it begs more conversation. >> the lesson from yesterday on abortion is an opening issue for democrats to run on. so that definitely -- >> so to that point, i think two weeks from, now and all the way through the campaign we are going to be looking at abortion as the backdrop shaping politics right now. so that is definitely a case. i also think two weeks from now we will be seeing a change. this debate changed the momentum, but in that sense there is a couple candidates out there who really needed to change the momentum, when you have a huge breakout moment. tim scott, chris christie, they're not getting it. this is going to come down. it has been narrowed down to a sub primary for who is going to be the alternative to take on trump, and that is i think firmly right now between

desantis and nikki. >> it could just -- be >> we will see. we will be back. claire mccaskill, michael steals, symone sanders-townsend, kevin madden, thank you all for staying up late with me. that does it for me tonight. i will be back here at noon this and every sunday on msnbc and mondays as well, ap am eastern. stay right where you are, because msnbc's coverage of the third republican debate starts after the break. okay.

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