especially when it comes to some of the complaints about humans being sources of error, is that humans are by far the most adaptable and resilient part of any system, and technology can only do it it's been programed to do. >> humans save the day. we know you did it. >> they save every day. >> i am so honored to see you again, such a pleasure. captain sully sullenberger, thank you so, so very much. 15 years, miracle on the hudson. this has been primetime weekend. i'm stephanie ruhle, please tune into the 11th hour, and all of our primetime shows weeknights, right here on msnbc. >> msnbc. >> good evening, and welcome to politicsnation. tonight's lead, caucus countdown. >> the 2024 election season

officially opens in 24 hours in iowa, where it's cold outside, but the race for the republican presidential nomination is catching fire. right now, the leading gop contenders are making their final pitches to voters, ahead of tomorrow's caucuses in the state. and despite facing a mounting of legal issues, donald trump appears to be the overwhelming favorites, pulling nearly 30 points ahead of his closest rivals, nikki haley and ron desantis. according to the latest nbc news des moines iowa, des moines register iowa poll, out of iowa, in just a few minutes, i'll talk to the chair of the democratic national committee about that. and, about iowa, and about the

caucuses colliding with martin luther king holiday tomorrow. and about what his party needs to do, to not just unify against the eventual republican nominee, but to bring disaffected democrats, black voters specifically, back into the fold, ahead of november. let's check on the latest from iowa, however, with nbc's priscilla thompson in sioux city. priscilla, please start with the weather, any concern that it will affect the voting tomorrow? >> yeah reverend al, there is certainly concern that this could dampen turnout, especially among the campaigns. it is why you have seen the candidates out on the trail over the past several, days urging their supporters to get out and caucus, to brave that wetter. and let me tell you what type of weather we are talking about here. we are talking about sub zero

temperatures, wind chills that are going to make it feel more like negative 37 degrees in some areas. the state has got a lot of snow over the past week that could start turning into black ice. so we are talking about really treacherous road conditions. and while in some of the city centers like des moines and the suburbs, they are going to have plows out to help clear some of that out, out here in northwest iowa and some of the more rural areas where we are seeing, they don't necessarily have that infrastructure. and so folks may really have a hard time getting to the caucus. and this is something we have been talking to caucus goers about throughout the week. and i want to play some of these conversations to you, first from a nikki haley supporter, and then from a trump supporter, so you can hear how they were talking about that enthusiasm a little differently. take a listen. >> are you planning to caucus? >> it depends on how cold it is. >> okay. >> the plan is tentative. >> yes. >> i feel like supporters for trump are very, they are very

passionate, and definitely very passionate about him. so, they are willing to go through the conditions to see him, and to -- >> and as you know, caucuses are all about enthusiasm and turnout. and so certainly, this weather could be a critical factors for some of these candidates and campaigns. al? >> now earlier today on meet the press, iowa senator joni ernst, a republican, declined to endorse a candidate. remember, we are a day before the iowa caucuses. but she did say that she would not rule out backing former president donald trump, if he winds in the state. what are you hearing from voters on this development? >> yeah reverend al. and i will also note that after that interview with kristen welker, senator joni ernst was out on the campaign trail, alongside nikki haley. she heaped a lot of praise on

nikki haley during that interview, but she did not rule out supporting donald trump. she said that she would allow the caucus goers to decide, but notably when christian walker pressed her about who -- whoever won the caucus. she said, quote, it will depend. and so, what we have seen this cycle is that endorsements do not carry as much weight as they previously had. for example, governor ron desantis received some big endorsement from the state from folks like the republican governor, kim reynolds, and also the evangelical kingmaker, bob vander plaats. and still, he is pulling in third place, in aren't -- des moines register media kuempel. so that gives you a sense of how voters feel about endorsements. and certainly as we have been talking to them they say it doesn't matter, it's about the candidates, and who they like best. and so, those endorsements do not appear to be moving the needle quite as much this cycle. rev? >> all right, thank you, nbc's priscilla thompson in iowa. joining me now, jaime harrison,

chairman of the democratic national committee. mister chairman, we appreciate you joining us tonight ahead of the iowa caucuses tomorrow, and the final nbc news des moines register poll has donald trump far ahead of his closest competitors in the state. trump's standing at 48%, and the race for second place is still within the margin of error, with nikki haley at 20% and ron desantis at 16%. your thoughts on this contest, one day before the official start of 2024 voting? >> well rev, from what i hear, they say that donald trump is likely to win. but it really doesn't matter who wins tomorrow night, donald trump and the entire maga republican field are running on a losing an extreme agenda. these folks believe in banning abortion, they believe in ripping away health care from all these americans.

they believe in taking away the right to vote, promoting political violence, making it less -- by promoting more guns. cutting taxes for the wealthy, by wishing at the same time, wishing that the economy creates for working people in this country. they want to rip away and cut metal medicare, social security. as i've said so often, all of these republican -- these maga apples, all of them are rotten. and it doesn't matter which one comes out. >> now we had martin luther king the third and his family on the show last night, ahead of tomorrow's holiday honoring his late father. the same day iowa republicans chose to hold their caucuses this year. even so, every single republican contender skipped the states only minority focused for earlier this month, despite being invited. what does all of that say to you tonight, mister chairman? >> well rev, you know, there

are these old sayings about your words and your actions. tomorrow, you're going to hear a lot from republicans across the country, quoting dr. king. you're going to hear so much about how great doctor king's legacy is, for many of these republicans. but that is one day out of 365 days. what are they doing those other 364 days, because they are fighting against his legacy. there is a quote from dr. king's letter from a birmingham jail, where he said we will -- this generation, not nearly for the hateful words and actions of the people, but for the appalling silence of the good people. it's time for the good people of this country to stand up and say, enough is enough, to those folks who want to rip away our health care, make it harder for folks to vote, folks who won't have the courage to stand up and say, enough with all of the guns that are killing our kids in the schools, or even in our churches. folks who want to cut medicare

and social security, even the 15 governors, rev, who are standing in the way for extending out the nutritional program for students over the summer. these are the same republicans who will quote dr. king tomorrow, but every day outside of tomorrow, they will work against his vision for how we move this country forward, for all of america's people. >> i took note that leading into tomorrow's caucuses, the dnc has launched a billboard campaign in iowa, criticizing trump, haley, and desantis for their extreme maga agenda. you've put the ads where the candidates can see them, and as they've held events in the state. how is that message being received, mister chairman? >> well, it's being received well. and rev., we're going to have some in south carolina, and some of these in nevada, and some of these other states as well. it's important that where republicans go, we are not lying about, them we are

putting their words out there. we are putting what their actions are out there. so if they are embarrassed about, the need to change what they do. they need to change how they act, and they need to do what joe biden is doing, which is fighting for all of the hardworking american people. we've got a president right now who believes that we have to build the economy in the middle out, and the bottom up. who believes that women should have the ability to make their own health care decisions, who believes that we've got to protect our most vulnerable in our society. our president gets up each and every day, thinking about how to make this place a better place for all americas people. the republicans, they aren't doing that, these maga republicans. so we're going to remind them of it. >> now let's zoom out from iowa. earlier this month, florida activists successfully participated petition to get initiative on the november ballot,enshrining reproductive rights in the state constitution. of the nearly million signatures -- collected, about a sixth came

from registered republicans. similar efforts to get abortion on the ballot this year are underway, in at least ten other states. mister chairman, is this the issue that will drive voters to democrats in november, in your judgment? >> this is a big, big issue. and we see it in polling, rev, we see it not only in the poll that really matters, which is what happens on election day. look at what happened in ohio, look at what happened in kansas, look at how this issue of abortion weighed into how the democrat, governor beshear, was reelected in kentucky. so even in some of the, quote unquote, reddest of red states, this is an issue that is very pertinent, this is an issue that women, republican women, independent women, democratic women, are all standing up and saying enough is enough with the extremism that we are seeing in the republican party. and i believe that it will be a game changer in florida, in this election cycle. >> all right, thank you

chairman of the democratic national committee jaime harrison. joining me now, former iowa democratic gubernatorial candidate -- >> thank you for joining us tonight, to talk about your home state. what are you hearing from iowans, with the republican caucus just 24 hours away? >> it's good to be back, reverend al. you know, i'm hearing a great deal about concern related to the republican party. it is very very clear that the republican party at this point in time is not in a position to win a presidential election. notice suspect to be all who are doing the hard work to make that happen. but, we just see too much discourse. i mean just last, week at drake university, they couldn't even get all three of their -- on the same stage. and you know, these folks are running to be the president of the united states of america, but they couldn't unite on the stage of discourse. and went two of the candidates did convene, all i did was point fingers, and who is the

biggest liar. for most of that time, on the other side of the coin, what we are seeing is that democrats are investing in the state. they are doing all they can to right the wrongs of the trump administration, and they are going above and beyond. we've got more than 10,000 iowans whose loans are being forgiven, because of the democratic party. folks love their wi-fi, half a billion dollar investment in the state, 100,000 more iowans who have broadband in their home because of this administration. 22% health care. and so, we clearly see the disposition of the parties right, now and we see one that is using the iowa caucuses, to essentially bet their next leader. and we see the other, that is moving full steam ahead. >> now while trump is dominating the polls in iowa, governor kim reynolds chose instead to endorse ron desantis back in may. since then, desantis has seen his popularity plummet, losing ground not only to trump, but

also to nikki haley. what's your take on your former rivals endorsement strategy? >> we are seeing two sides of the coin. before it was trump, and now it's desantis. but where i see desantis -- and alignment is that we've got two corporate governors, right. we've got two individuals who really want to invest their time and energy into leading tables of corporations, versus leading their people there. they are more fiscally -- than either people right now. if you look just at the issue of education, school choice, both of them are in alignment on that issue alone. and as they are talking about school choice the part of their constituency is that folks have to choose between a go to school, and a bath school. and when you look at the bad schools, these are public schools, that these two governors have divested their interest, and our tax payer resources in. and rather than trying to resolve the challenges that exist in our education system right, now they are choosing to ask corporations to fix it for

them. you know, these are two people who are clearly in alignment, and unfortunately there alignment is not really about serving the best interest of the people. so, the pick made sense, and obviously it's not helping either one of them right now. >> i need to go back to something i mentioned earlier, but it bears repeating. every publican presidential candat every one of them the cycle, turned down an offer to participate and i was black and brown presidential forum. america's oldest minority focused presidential forum. i fondly remembered participating in this forum back in 2004 when i was running for president. what are your thoughts, as a black woman from iowa, i bet these candidates refusal to take part, any of these candidates, refusing to take part in this bipartisan event? >> yeah, you know, it's a dishonor, and it's a disservice. not only to blacks, but it's a

dishonor and a disservice to america. we are just as much a part of this country as anyone else, and regardless of whether they have overflowing numbers of support of blacks in their party, it doesn't matter. the running to lead this -- a blacks have a stake in that. these are also individuals who are also trying to rewrite history. and that's something that we cannot allow them to do. the esteemed cat williams -- a few weeks ago, that winners cannot allow losers to rewrite history. and while this country is still a working progress, it's important for the witness to take heed of where we are in our history right now, and where we are in our present. we've got the whole confederates posing as patriots trying to rewrite our history. and it's important for our winners to stand up and say who we are, and understand that our history is not only important to our past, but it's important to our future. it's unfortunate that the republican party turns an eye

to who black america's, but black america isn't going anywhere. so again, we know where their wishes lie and where their honor lies. >> now, while republican caucus tomorrow -- democrats will instead hold party meetings and have chosen to hold a maryland contest to pick a presidential nominee. this is after the democratic party decided to designate south carolina as their first primary state. the move is meant to reflect the diversity of the party. but as an iowan, i wonder if you have mixed feelings about the change? >> oh, reverend al, you know i have mixed feelings about this. you know i'm a believer -- as we think about our evolving democracy, the idea of this pathway to perfect union, i never believe that we should take status, or take voice away from an individual to lend voices to others. you know, as a result of those decisions, in the state of iowa,

the democratic party has been defunded. it's hard to get blacks, minorities, martino's, to participate. -- you know, i wanted to south carolina, i love the state, and one thing to propelled forward just as much as i want my state to propelled forward. but again, you don't have to rob peter to pay paul. the state is doing its daily diligence to figure out ways to get people engaged, while the party mechanism may not be the mechanism that gets us engaged right now, it's something that means something to so many people. -- the state is 85% white, but man, the minority population that represents that 15% is strong, and it is mighty. that evidence is shown not only in the 2008 presidential election, but historically. and this is the first state to desegregate schools. this is the first place to place a woman -- we've done so many things in the state throughout history, and that underscores the power that we have.

when the rebuilding phrase right now, but we're not giving up, we're moving forward. >> before i let you go, we've got the sad news today that perry high school principal dan mossberg has died, ten days after a shooting at the school. another student was also killed in the attack, and the 17-year-old gunman took his own life. guns didn't come up at all in the final debate between nikki haley and ron desantis. even though it took place just six days after the shooting. what are your thoughts on this? >> another travesty. i have the fortunate opportunity to go to the very first press conference that opened up this year's session in our capitol building, and it wasn't led by adults. it was led by students, and they were part of marksboro lives. they have an agenda that's comprehensive -- how we keep people safe, how we

keep weapons out of the hands of people who are unsafe unintended to use those for harm. and it underscores the importance of that issue. and just days after that, we saw that school shooting happening. class of 2030, a sixth grader lost his life, and didn't have to. it's unfortunate that these corporate governors do not want to talk about the folks who were putting money in their pockets. and do not want to change their business model or curb the sales that's happening for them. look, people are losing their lives. i sat and i listened to youth who gathered at the capitol and response to that perry shooting. and it was inspiring, to not only see that students are leading this process, but that adults are following. the principle that died today is a hero, and he will forever go down as a hero, but the unfortunate part of republicans not choosing to see the truth

and stand ten toes down on that truth just better shows us that they are unfit to lead this country. they've got to make tough decisions, and they couldn't even make the decision to talk about something that means so much to all of america. >> wasn't even brought up in the debate six days after the shooting. deirdre, thank you for being with us. after the break, i'll call it a day on, not a day off. i'll tell you how you can rise up to honor the great doctor martin luther king junior tomorrow. that's next. that's next. with nurtec odt i can treat and prevent my migraine attacks all in one. don't take if allergic to nurtec. allergic reactions can occur even days after using. most common side effects were nausea, indigestion and stomach pain. talk to your doctor about nurtec today.

your best defense against erosion and cavities is strong enamel- nothing beats it. new pronamel active shield actively shields the enamel to defend against erosion and cavities. i think that this product is a gamechanger for my patients- it really works. ♪♪ here's to... one year bolder. ♪♪ ♪boost♪ nutrition for now. with nurtec odt, i can treat a migraine when it strikes and prevent migraine attacks, all in one. don't take if allergic to nurtec. allergic reactions can occur, even days after using. most common side effects were nausea, indigestion, and stomach pain. ask about nurtec odt.

with nurtec odt, i can treat a migraine when it strikes and prevent

migraine attacks, all in one. don't take if allergic to nurtec. allergic reactions can occur, even days after using. most common side effects were nausea, indigestion, and stomach pain. ask about nurtec odt. we all have heroes in our lives. and for a kid like me, who's had 13 operations. and can now walk. you might think, that i'd say my hero is my doctor or nurse. or even my physical therapist, and they are. but there's someone else, who's a hero to me and 1.5 million other kids and counting. you may be surprised, but my hero is you. is people just like you, who give every month. to shriners hospitals for children. and because of heroes like you. i can do things now that were impossible before. and i can walk. all of this is made possible because of heroes like you. who go online to loveshriners.org right now. when you do, we'll send you this adorable love to the rescue blanket as a thank you.

and a reminder of all the kids whose hero you are. each and every month. tomorrow, will celebrate please call or go to loveshriners.org right away. the life and legacy of martin luther king junior with the day of action. not just a day off, but a day on.

this holiday allows us to reflect on where we've been as a country and where we are headed. tomorrow also kicks off the 2024 election season with the republican presidential caucus in iowa. in honor of reverend dr. martin luther king junior, we must engage politically, no matter our party affiliation. it is our duty to continue the legacy of civil rights activists who fought and died so we could exercise our right to vote. i know there's some who are not excited to cast their ballots this year. a recent nbc news poll shows that voter enthusiasm among young people is low, at just 38%. only 53% of fat black voters are -- and only 51% of latinos. i've been at this game a long time, and i can tell you, even

the elections that failed to inspire can have long term consequences. in the past few years, long fought rights have been overturned by a conservative dominated supreme court, handpicked by the victors of past elections. access to abortion has been limited. the voting rights act has been gutted. and affirmative action on college campuses has been dismantled. now is not the time to sit on the sidelines. if we want to restore what we've lost and protect other rights that we cherish, we must remain politically active. there is no other way. in the spirit of dr. king, i want all of you to stay in the fight. yes, the road may seem long and arduous, but the progress can be made. if most of us do our fundamental part and vote.

dr. king said the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice. but that tendency toward progress isn't automatic. it happens because good people rise up and demand positive change. we'll be right back. we'll be right back. we'll be right back. when it strikes and prevent migraine attacks, all in one. don't take if allergic to nurtec. allergic reactions can occur, even days after using. most common side effects were nausea, indigestion, and stomach pain. ask about nurtec odt. have you ever considered getting a walk-in tub? well, look no further. nausea, indigestion, and stomach pain. proudly made in tennessee, a safe step walk-in tub is the best in it's class. the ultra-low easy step helps keep you safe from having to climb over those high walled tubs, allowing you to age gracefully in the home you love. and now, back by popular demand, for a limited time, when you purchase your brand-new safe step walk-in tub, you'll receive a free shower package!

yes! a free shower package, and if you call today, you'll also receive $1600 off. now you can enjoy the best of both worlds. the therapeutic benefits of a warm, soothing bath, that can help increase mobility, relieve pain, boost energy, and even improve sleep. or, if you prefer, you can take a refreshing shower all in one product! call now!

with nurtec odt, i can treat a migraine when it strikes and prevent migraine attacks, all in one. don't take if allergic to nurtec. allergic reactions can occur, even days after using. most common side effects were nausea, indigestion, and stomach pain. ask about nurtec odt.

( ♪ ♪ ) start your day with nature made. the #1 pharmacist recommended

vitamin and supplement brand. with nurtec odt, i can treat a migraine when it strikes and prevent migraine attacks, all in one. don't take if allergic to nurtec. allergic reactions can occur, even days after using. most common side effects were nausea, indigestion, and stomach pain. ask about nurtec odt. welcome back to politicsnation. we have our final snapshot of iowa on the eve of the caucus. nbc news des moines register poll out last night shows donald trump maintains a dominant lead with likely caucus goers. nikki haley continues to make gains. now polling ahead of ron desantis. though, within a margin of error for second place. however, the most important number in the hawkeye state maybe the temperature.

forecasters say it will be well below zero in many parts of the state tomorrow night. joining us to talk about it is our political panel, former maryland democratic chairwoman maya rocky more cummings, and former republic -- david jolly. let me go to you first, maya. the trump campaign is arguing the weather favors them, and shipped -- most enthusiastic voters. our new poll says the former president is the overwhelming first place among first-time caucus goers. can these new voters be counted on if conditions are less than ideal? >> so, as you well know, rev, with any first time anything, it's a hard job to actually get them to turn out, even when the weather is good. trump has in his favor the fact that they're already predisposed to him, that he has

actually the resources to turn them out. they are doing text messaging, these first-time voters, the reaching out anyway they can to encourage them to come out and explain the process. so, you know, i do think there's gonna be quite a bit of drop off because it is so frigidly cold. but if anybody has the resources to actually, you know, turnout as many as possible, it is the trump campaign. and actually, the first time caucus goers tend to favor him anyway. >> david, our polling found 71% of all likely republican congress goers would vote for trump if he's the nominee. but among haley's supporters, nearly half say they would vote for biden. just 23% would go for trump. what does this tell you about the base of support haley's building? is this someone the republican party could unite around as the eventual nominee?

>> you know, i do think it's a mirror into the republican party today. which is a large number of republicans are really looking to get past donald trump. and so, with haley, they think they may have found that candidate, right? it certainly is not ron desantis, the culture warrior, vivek ramaswamy, the carnival barker. but with nikki haley, they think maybe it's a return to a more traditional form of republicanism. i think the problem with that, though, is that when people tried to like her, and tried to think she's perhaps more moderate, more sensible, she does something to remind them that she's really just a raw republican politician who's happy with the maga base when she needs a, and she's happy to try to suggest she's not macgowan she's trying to win new hampshire. and i think that duplicity from nikki haley ultimately will eat into that number of republicans who say, hey, i'll stick around if it's nikki haley. those are the biden coalition softer republican voters that have been with democrats in 1820 and 22. i think they'll stay with biden

in 24. >> the closer we get to the caucus, the less we care about vivek ramaswamy. he's visited every county in iowa twice over. and yet, now just polls at 8%. even so, trump decided yesterday to attack him for the first time, telling his truth social followers, vivek is, quote, not maga. what do you make of trump turning on ramaswamy at this point? >> actually, i think it several things. one, is going back to what the weather, actually, the fact of the matter is that vivek is at 8%. every vote is gonna count during the caucus. and so, with people likely not to turn out because of the weather, the fact of the matter is he's trying to gain share -- 8% away from vivek. that being said, ramaswamy crested too early, and he tried

to become, like, a new vote trump lite candidate. and he turned a lot of people off in the process. but with trump coming out and saying that vivek is not maga, even though he's been trying to actually position himself as the alternate -- alter ego of trump, is, you know, a blow to ramaswamy in these last moments before the iowa caucus. it's gonna be interesting to see how much of a margin that trump can take away from the vaccine small percentage in this race. >> david, i can't wrap up without asking you about your fellow floridian, ron desantis. a poor performance tomorrow could send the governor packing back to tallahassee. but we spoke to florida democratic party chair nikki freed on last night's show, who says he's burned a lot of

bridges in the sunshine state. what are your thoughts on ron desantis's political future on the eve of the iowa caucus? >> i think tomorrow's iowa caucus is the closest to the white house ron desantis will ever get. and i know the candidate himself wants to play an expectation game, and so do pundits, a songs -- strong finish there looking for. rev, ron desantis has to outrun win iowa if he wants to change this narrative. he's in fourth place in new hampshire, he 60 points behind in nevada, he's third place in south carolina. warming up to a second place finish in iowa does nothing for him. and even if he wins, what would that do for santorum and huckabee and ted cruz? i think tomorrow night, ron desantis and his partner on the trail, his wife, casey, need to decide if they're even going to continue this race. because his time in presidential politics is over. he might have a future in presidential politics akin to kind of a jeb bush or mike huckabee, always flipping with it but never able to get their.

but one question is, if he drops out early, the legislature, republican's legislature is really do not like him now after six years of his iron fist. however, there is the opportunity to primary rick scott. rick scott and ron desantis haiti chatter. rick scott is in cycle right now. ron desantis could come home and say, i'm gonna primary rick scott for the senate this summer. >> i'm gonna save this take. maya and david, thank you both for being with us. coming up, conservatives set their sights on diversity programs after the supreme court ruling striking down affirmative action. stay tuned. important discussions. important discussions. with nurtec odt i can treat and prevent my migraine attacks all in one. don't take if allergic to nurtec. allergic reactions can occur even days after using. most common side effects were nausea, indigestion and stomach pain. talk to your doctor

about nurtec today. nexium 24hr prevents heartburn acid for twice as long as pepcid. get all-day and all-night heartburn acid prevention with just one pill a day. choose acid prevention. choose nexium. she runs and plays like a puppy again. his #2s are perfect! he's a brand new dog, all in less than a year. when people switch their dog's food from kibble to the farmer's dog, they often say that it feels like magic. but there's no magic involved. (dog bark) it's simply fresh meat and vegetables, with all the nutrients dogs need— instead of dried pellets. just food made for the health of dogs. delivered in packs portioned for your dog. it's amazing what real food can do.

with nurtec odt, i can treat a migraine when it strikes and prevent migraine attacks, all in one. don't take if allergic to nurtec. allergic reactions can occur, even days after using. most common side effects were nausea, indigestion, and stomach pain. ask about nurtec odt. ♪ ♪ every day can be extraordinary with rich, creamy, delicious fage total yogurt. ♪3, 4♪ ♪ every day can be extraordinary with rich, ♪hey♪ ♪ ♪are you ready for me♪ ♪are you ready♪ ♪are you ready♪

with nurtec odt, i can treat a migraine when it strikes and prevent migraine attacks, all in one. don't take if allergic to nurtec. allergic reactions can occur, even days after using. most common side effects were nausea, indigestion, and stomach pain. ask about nurtec odt. welcome back to

politicsnation. as we prepared tomorrow to celebrate the legacy of dr. martin luther king junior and the social progress he sacrificed his life for, i'm still incensed over the recent false resignation of former harvard college president claudine gay. her ouster, earlier this month, came after a pressure campaign to remove her over accusations of plagiarism and antisemitism at harvard. but to me, it was just another

shot in conservatives escalating war on diversity, following the supreme court's ban on affirmative action. joining me now is dr. jamal watson, contributing writer for the washington monthly and a professor at trinity washington university. doctor watson, i thought of you. you've done work with the action network, you -- academics at every convention in april. so i really wanted to ask you about this issue, because ever since the supreme banned affirmative action, i've warned that anti-diversity efforts would not stop there. and i don't think claudine gay's ouster is -- largely orchestrated by conservatives, have gotten enough sustained attention. because now, as republican lawmakers are planning to expand their probes of college

diversity efforts under the guise of protecting jewish students facing alleged campus antisemitism. what are your thoughts on that tonight? >> thanks so much, reverend sharpton, for being here. as you know, i spent much of my time really thinking about education issues. and i think we're at a very, very serious moment in our nation where we are seeing a frontal assault with the programs and initiatives across the country. and it doesn't end with the forced resignation of dr. gay, that we should be talking about her. it also is an intentional effort, i think, to try to demonize the ways in which colleges and universities have been proactively trying over the last few decades to encourage its students to really embrace diversity, to think about different points of view. so we're at this very difficult moment, i think, in history, where if we allow this to happen, we're going to see a

backlash the likes of which we've never seen before. i also want to point out that beyond doctor gay, and we should be talking about her, for sure, i would also like to lift up the voices of black women who are in academia. because i think they are facing some enormous inequity challenges. i don't know if you know, but they are only 2% of black women are tenured faculty. less than 2% are full professors. this is a problem. so i hope that the conversation will also broaden to talk about the ways in which black women, both inside of academia and also outside, are facing challenges. >> and i noticed the talk about dei. they don't say what it is. diversity, equity, and inclusion. so people who don't know what dei is -- they're saying where against equity, diversity, and inclusion. that's what they're saying. but looking back on higher

education, dr. -- conservative public officials threatened even our largest corporations with legal action over their diversity efforts since affirmative action was federally banned. where do you see the next front in this battle nationally? >> well, i think the front has to be organized, right? organize, organize, organize. so again in the last year, as you pointed out, we've witnessed the elimination of affirmative action, we watched books get banned, we have attacks on dei, as you just pointed out, and i think we have the rejection of president biden's student loan forgiveness program, which we all know would've disproportionately affected young people of color. so i think one of the things we have to do is figure out what is the strategy moving forward to fight back and resist against these attempts to eliminate progress and to push us back several decades?

>> now, let's pivot to -- you wrote an article that's in the washington monthly, this issue, about how we had started dealing with the breach between blacks and jews earlier in the year. the hate summit that the adl, the national action network, and -- had at the white house. and i came out saying that i was against what happened on october 7th in israel. you started writing than, and i've been equally as vocal about what's happening in gaza to women and children. why is the black jewish alliance of such concern to you? and how do we deal with it? we are having martin luther king day tomorrow, and we remember when blacks and jews marched together. as the cycle comes out dispelling a lot of the myths that have been aroused, at the

same time, dealing with our opposition to banning moves alums, and dealing with a two-state solution in israel. what are you trying to say in this article, and why is that important? >> yeah. so when we think about black and jewish relations, i think it's so critically important, as you pointed out. you had jews involved in the formation of the wac p -- to jews and a black killed in 1964 trying to register blacks to vote in mississippi. and of course, we have a wonderful relationship between -- one of the things i tried to do in this article is point out that this relationship, which had been very historic, was never a golden age, but it was certainly a better age, i would argue, needs to be rekindled, for sure. and what i try to do in the article is talk about the ways in which you working with jonathan greenblatt, ceo of the anti defamation league, is very

much in the tradition of forging those alliances that dr. king tried to do with rabbi hassle. so i think it's very, very important that we rekindle that relationship for sure. certainly, there have been tensions over the years. you've witnessed some of those tensions as activists and new york city. your mentor experienced some of those tensions with the jewish community. but i also think that we're at a moment now where when we look at the attacks from the right against blacks and also against jews, that what we know is that racism antisemitism is very much alive, and we have to work together -- >> and islamophobia. >> absolutely. >> we must be able to deal with all of it, including the two-state solution. you cannot be -- you're not antisemitic if you're anti-netanyahu's move, which i am, or you are not anti arab if you're against hamas, which i am.

contributing writer for the washington monthly, and professor at trinity washington university, dr. jamal watson, many thanks. up next, my final thoughts. stay with us. ay with us ay with us migraine attacks, all in one. don't take if allergic to nurtec. allergic reactions can occur, even days after using. most common side effects were nausea, indigestion, and stomach pain. ask about nurtec odt. my frequent heartburn had me taking antacid after antacid all day long but with prilosec otc just one pill a day blocks heartburn for a full 24 hours. for one and done heartburn relief, prilosec otc. one pill a day, 24 hours, zero heartburn. do you like that bone? i got a great price on it. did you see my tail when that chewy box showed up? oh, i saw it. sorry about the vase. can we just say vase like normal people? fine. i always wonder what it would be like to have a tail. maybe you did one time. maybe a thousand years from now, i'll be tailless using that chewy app to get you great prices on treats. i'm pretty sure it takes more than a thousand years ...

vase ... pets aren't just pets. they're more. ... vase ... shop and get a $30 egift card through january 14th. at chewy. with nurtec odt i can treat and prevent my migraine attacks all in one. don't take if allergic to nurtec. allergic reactions can occur even days after using. most common side effects were nausea, indigestion and stomach pain. talk to your doctor about nurtec today.

with nurtec odt, i can treat a migraine when it strikes and prevent migraine attacks, all in one. don't take if allergic to nurtec. allergic reactions can occur, even days after using. most common side effects were nausea, indigestion, and stomach pain. ask about nurtec odt. as i mentioned earlier in

the show, i'm honored to have president joe biden joining me tomorrow, monday, on my syndicated radio show, keeping it real with al sharpton, to mark the martin luther king junior holiday and his feelings about it, and where his administration is. i'll discuss issues and policies impacting black america in 2024. this year's holiday, which falls on what would've been doctor king's actual 95th birthday, will focus on the 60th anniversary of the civil rights act of 1964 but the civil rights leader championed. for all of, you tune in, and

remember, tomorrow is martin luther king day. it is a day of action, as i said at the beginning. it's not a day off. it's a day on. do something in the spirit of dr. king, of bringing people together, but bringing them together to do something to advance people. to make us all equal. we've gotten a lot of our freedoms that are now at risk. we not only need to be free, but we also need to be equal, and it's not going to be given to us. we're gonna have to keep fighting, as dr. king did. that does it for me. thanks for watching. i'll see you back here next weekend at five pm eastern. the sunday show with donovan capehart starts right after. when it strikes and prevent migraine attacks, all in one. don't take if allergic to nurtec. allergic reactions can occur, even days after using. most common side effects were nausea, indigestion, and stomach pain.

ask about nurtec odt. a force to be reckon with. no, not you saquon. hm? you! your business bank account with quickbooks money, now earns 5% apy. 5% apy? that's new! yup, that's how you business differently. your best defense against erosion and cavities is strong enamel- nothing beats it. new pronamel active shield actively shields the enamel to defend against erosion and cavities. i think that this product is a gamechanger for my patients- it really works. with nurtec odt, i can treat a migraine when it strikes and prevent migraine attacks, all in one. don't take if allergic to nurtec. allergic reactions can occur, even days after using. most common side effects were nausea, indigestion, and stomach pain. ask about nurtec odt.

with nurtec odt i can treat and prevent my migraine attacks all in one. don't take if allergic to nurtec. allergic reactions can occur even days after using. most common side effects were nausea, indigestion and stomach pain. talk to your doctor about nurtec today. i think he's having a midlife crisis talk to your doctor i'm not. you got us t-mobile home internet lite. after a week of streaming they knocked us down... ...to dial up speeds. like from the 90s. great times. all i can do say is that my life is pre-- i like watching the puddles gather rain. -hey, your mom and i procreated to that song. oh, ew! i think you've said enough. why don't we just switch to xfinity like everyone else? then you would know what year it was. iowa, iowa, iowa. i know what year it is.

we are in the final countdown of the iowa caucuses, and tonight, with a new poll giving the last snapshot of the race before caucus goers make their decision tomorrow, we'll go live to the hawkeye state as the candidates compete with mother nature to make the closing arguments. i have an all-star panel to break down which candidates could be moving forward, who could be going home, and whether the frigid weather will make or break their candidacy. crisis delayed. congressional leaders reach a deal to avoid a government shutdown, at least