opposed to this because candidate trump's, and they don't want to offend candidate trump and his base because they're in the republican primaries to. they understand what's at stake. unfortunately, the slight majority of them aren't acting responsibly. i don't think ukraine will ever give up. i don't think putin can actually ever win the war in the sense that he would take over all of ukraine. the tide would be turned, many lives would be lost, our reputation in the world would be devastating. as someone who doesn't stick with our allies, and those that oppose us would see this as a lack of will. into, ron those in beijing, they would see this as an opportunity to exploit the situation, and all they have to do is wait until, and their minds, trump becomes president, and then all is fair game. >> okay, congressman mike --

i know this is an important issue for you. i appreciate you sharing all that with us. we'll see you soon. in moments, for all of, you the big switcheroo from the rhonda scent's campaign, and whether it's a warning sign. a warning sign. >> and welcome to everyone, to alex witt reports. glad to have you. here is two pm eastern, 11 am out west. it is a first in the nation -- in new hampshire. we take a look at the mountain tops and pittsburgh. the temperature there, a whopping six degrees. some candidates are crisscrossing the ground today, nikki haley, ron desantis, they all have in-person events planned. as do democrats, dean phillips, in marion williamson, who have just two days to go until decision day. although donald trump remains the front runner, nikki haley is certainly gaining momentum. she picked up the endorsement of the conservative new hampshire union leader today.

and a new cnn poll of likely voters in new hampshire, this push within 11 points of trump. historically, the state has not been very easy to pull because of the high number of independents. president biden, meanwhile, not in new hampshire, but supporters are. they've been voting on this campaign for. i'm with biden harris supporters drawing a sharp contrast between biden and the likely republican nominee. >> he encouraged violence on january six, he's an election denier. he brags about the supreme court justices who have rolled back critical rights for america's women. yet, nikki haley said she is voting for him. ron desantis says he is voting for them. >> this election is about freedom and democracy. our campaign is going to stay focused on taking that case directly to american voters, while republicans continue to try to distract from the fact that they have no platform, their vision for america is one that makes it less safe, and less personal for individuals all across this country.

>> so we've got a panel of reporters in place for you across new hampshire, covering all of the angles ahead of the primary. , nbc's ali -- who isn't seabrook, new hampshire. that's where nikki haley is set to take the stage soon, we are told. so, how is haley sharpening her attacks against trump in this final stretch before the primary? >> that is exactly, right. alex haley is sharpening her attacks and ramping up the number of events that she's doing. this is the latest of that she is going to be making in this lead up to primary day. you can see i'm getting a lot more of a crowd around me here, as folks start to violin. for nikki haley, it is two-pronged today. the first, of course, the fact that she got the endorsement of a major paper here. this particular paper, conservative-leaning, but for the first time in 100 years, back in 2020, did not endorse a conservative. and, that paper endorsed joe biden. now, they're endorsing nikki haley in this republican primary. it comes as nikki haley is

sharpening her attacks on the mental fitness of former president, donald trump. he gave for an opening, and she certainly is taking nets. when he misspoke at a recent rally, mixing up her name with former speaker, nancy pelosi's name joining a conspiracy theory breath about january six. now, it's leading haley to her own reps on the campaign trails that sound a little bit like this. watch. >> reality is, he was confused. he was confused the same way he said joe biden was going to start world war ii. he was confuse the same way that he said he ran against president obama. it was hillary clinton. these things happen because the more you age, it just does, you have to cline. >> a notable thing, alex, there is the soft and subtle way to make the age argument. of, course before the time and again. i think it'll be a familiar

refrain heading into the general election, regardless of who the republican nominee as. it's also something that you have to be careful, of how it lands with voters. during a refrain and nikki haley was making, just like that one, someone in the crowd pointed, out you do have a lot of older folks here. haley was sure to say that she meant no respect by saying this. she does count these remarks by say, look, not everyone is the same. 80 to 1 person looks different to another. at the same time, this is the argument that she is trying to make heading down the homestretch. we'll see if voters are willing to listen, or if it changes anybody's mind. >> okay, we'll take a listen to all of. that thank, you kelly. let's go right now to nbc's dasha burns, who is following mont sandels and he is making a surprise trip to new hampshire today, dasha. i know you have some new reporting on how the campaign may have been, as you put it, doomed from the start. most curious. take it away. >> well, alex, we have done a big piece, with my colleague

matt dixon, abby brooks, where we took a z dive to look at the fundamentally what happened with the desantis campaign, as he was really the guy at the beginning of all of us, remember. he was the rising star in the republican party. he was going to take the mantle of the gop. that never really manifested. there are few stories and there that are emblematic of some of the reasons why he never quite took off the whiteople expected him to. bu one of thosestories came to us and the final days of leading up to the iowa caucus. it has to do with a puzzle. literally. multiple staffers from the iowa headquarters of the desantis field operation, run by that super pac, never back down, they reach out to me my colleague, abby brooks, telling us that the ceo and chairman of never back down was spending a significant amount of time in those final critical days working on 1000 piece jigsaw

puzzle. one of them was frustrated and found this effort where they took a photo of it, shared with us. the sentiment that we heard from one of the staffers was, look, here there are dozens and dozens of volunteers, paid staff, you are dedicated and doing this to try to elect the governor. they're walking to the office and they see their leader working on puzzle for hours. scott wagner, the man in question, he says that this was the puzzle thateveryone in the office was working, on it was a sense of pride, a team building exercise. he is very proud of the work they did. it really goes to show, a picture paints 1000 words, 1000 puzzle pieces, if you will. this is emblematic of the kind of mismanagement and a lot of the sources that have played the campaign, they went to these leadership vacuums. because desantis and casey chose to empower those who are loyal to them, rather than those two had campaign, actual

presidential campaign experience, you end up with, remember that flubbed launch, the elon musk trouble space launch that he was criticized for from the start? they struggle to find a message, to talk about the former president, the campaign ran out of money, in the middle of the summer, and all of the good headlines were often thwarted by a drama between the campaign, and the super pac. they have this unusual relationship, where the super pac took on most of the campaign, which ultimately led to a whole lot of dysfunction. one picture, one anecdote, but that is not the end of the day emblematic of some of the chaos we've seen over the course this campaign, alex. >> it is an interesting assessment. you know, what your colleague, my colleague as well, it's going to be on with this. later we'll get into that with him too. thank, you dasha. in the meantime, let's get to what voters are saying. let's go to nbc she kill brewster, who's in manchester for.

a, shaq are folks they're excited to vote on tuesday? to pick just want to get this over with? >> well, alex, it definitely depends on who you're talking to and where you're talking to those voters. i'll tell, you many people, because we're new hampshire, because this is an important state, they have been unable to watch tv, watch those commercials because they say that it's political lad after political, at where they go to their mailbox and they have flyers, of a look at the phone and there are messages, text messages and phone calls from the campaigns trying to get them out. they're saying that they can't wait until tuesday, just for all of that to end. others are saying that they are not that enthusiastic about their options. i want to play some sound for you from voters across the state. one thing that i have been trying to get a sense of is when they say that they support donald trump, when nikki haley, or ron desantis, what is driving that support at a real, fundamental level? i want you to listen to some of these exchanges. >> that is one of the main

reasons that the illegals, the toilet, easy economy, it's that the biggest factors, for me. >> that's why you're backing donald trump? >> i like trump's policies, beliefs, but desantis has all of those without the rough edges. >> when nikki haley is saying shoes, me because i'm not going to -- officially on these issues. why doesn't argument work? >> she is not going to be able to control it. and, fact so many rhinos in the republican party that are in the senate, especially in the senate, that did stop him from building a wall. >> and alex, if i'm being honest, when i talk to voters, the biggest answer i get is that they are undecided. that they have not yet made a decision on who to support yet on tuesday. some are saying that if they're even going to go to the, polls and that is why, when you see these polls come, out showg donald trump with that consistent and doubleigit

lead, that is why we have that caveat that new hampshire is part of the poll. here in new hampshire, it's not just republicans, but those undeclared or independent voters who can choose which ballot to pick up, and whether or not they pick up and participate in the republican primary. that is why you can have those shifts in those numbers. that gives you a hint of why you have nikki haley and donald trump still escalating those attacks. they believe that there are more voters to get, out they have another opportunity to really shift the conversation, and pull up some more support. >> but shaq, the enthusiasm level between democrats and republicans, can you compare them? do you get a sense which one is much more enthusiastic than the other? are they comparable? >> yeah, they enthusiasm is on the republican side. that is because they have that really competitive race. we've talked about, on the democratic side, how the dnc, the president biden's campaign, are not officially competing in

this race. there is a riding campaign for joe biden, you have these allies coming out to the states, they've events across the state, throughout the weekend. when you look at commercials, when you look at the money that's been spent, it is definitely a scene on the republican, side alex. >> okay, many thanks, my friend. we'll see you again. and you'll see on tuesday a lot of rachel maddow, who is going to lead analysis of the new hampshire primary with steve karaoke, this is breaking down the results. also, jen psaki covering the very latest developments on the ground. our special coverage begins tuesday at six pm eastern on msnbc. coming up next, separating fact from fiction, and attorney who worked with fani willis weighs in on the new controversy surrounding the d.a.. we're back in 60 seconds. we're back in 60 seconds have heart failure with unresolved symptoms? it may be time to see the bigger picture. heart failure and seemingly unrelated symptoms, like carpal tunnel syndrome,

shortness of breath, and irregular heartbeat could be something more serious called attr-cm, a rare, underdiagnosed disease that worsens over time. sound like you? call your cardiologist, and ask about attr-cm. well tomorrow, an emergency

hearing is set in georgia to hear fulton county d.a. fani willis's request to quash a subpoena, asking her to testify in the divorce proceedings of a special prosecutor that she hired for the donald trump case. one of the codefendants in that election subversion case accused willis of having an inappropriate relationship with that prosecutor, and so now trump wants that case dismissed. my colleague joining us now with the very latest on this. marissa, welcome to you. what is the latest on this? this is really a tough one. >> hey, alex. there's a big picture here, this is why this is really striking. remember, this is the woman who has been in charge and spearheading this criminal case, the election interference case out of georgia. this is one of four criminal cases that mr. trump, that former president, and candidate for this upcoming election year, this is one of four criminal cases that he is facing this

year. so there are questions right now amid this latest controversy on whether or not the district attorney at the center of this case, the one who's been spearheading it, whether or not shall be able to stay on it. >> fulton counties district attorney fani wellness, who's been leading the election interference case against former president trump, now finding yourself at the center of calls for an investigation. amid questions of an alleged affair with nathan weighed, one of the outside special prosecutor she hired for the case against mr. trump. one of trump's codefendants, michael roman, has been calling for his case to be dismissed entirely, claiming without direct evidence willis and weight have been in a quote, improper, clandestine personal relationship. and profit being significantly at the expense of taxpayers. new court filings -- divorce case, include credit card statements that she alleges showed weighed paid for flights and cruises to remote locations for him and willis. fulton county commissioner republican bob ellis telling nbc news he will be pursuing a

full investigation to find the allegations grossly concerning. the writing a letter to willis questioning whether she quote, misused county funds and accepted valuable give some personal benefits from the man she hired. trump last night, raising similar questions. >> how bad is that, paying a guy almost 1 million dollars who had zero experience, but it's her boyfriend, and then they traveled all over the world. norwegian cruise lines, isn't that nice? i'd like to do it, i just don't have time. >> at a church service last sunday, we'll suggesting races behind growing controversy surrounding her and waited. >> i'm just asking god, isn't there some -- a black man is qualified no matter his achievements? but her comment from 2020 campaign appearance are now being used by willis's opponents. >> i certainly will not be -- work hundred me. >> alex, i have to underscored the really interesting part of this. there is this controversy

happening simultaneously to the georgia interaction of interference cases happening. we have the same judge, mcafee, that you've been hearing all about if you've been following the interaction of variants case. he has hearings this week on that case at the same time there are now hearings on this controversy about an alleged improper relationship with -- between at willis and wade, alex. >> extraordinary. something we're going to dig into right now, thank you so much marissa, let's bring in melissa redmon, former fulton county deputy district attorney, and now -- legal analyst. welcome to you. you work with d.a. willis, you know her personally. these allegations, they've got nothing to do with the election racketeering charges against donald trump and his codefendants. is any of this fair? >> a you can always say that this attorney has every right and obligation to defend their clients to the extent -- to the extent possible.

to do everything they can, throw everything at the prosecution in order to make sure one that their client has a fair trial and the state can't prove their case, to make sure their client is acquitted. so they actually can say it's not fair to make these allegations, but they will have to defend them in court. they will have to make a connection between these allegations of the personal relationship between the dea and special prosecutor, if it exists, that it's somehow interferes with their client. that's what we have to think about from a legal perspective. what does any of this have to do with whether or not these defendants are getting a fair trial? they're not being improperly tin targeted. what this is basically saying is, the reason why this case is being pursued is that the d.a. can somehow personally benefit from this contract. i think that is an uphill battle, but they won't be able to win. >> so fani willis says this is interference with the criminal case.

donald trump, for his part, is calling for the georgia charges to be dropped altogether. do you think the judges are going to see this as defense tactics, just an attempt to use salacious material? >> no. i think the judge is going to take the most -- very seriously. i think both judges. the attempt to interfere with the case and the divorce proceedings, and -- nothing to do with me proceeding to which i have nothing to add, is interfering with my duties. that's the allegation in the divorce proceedings. as opposed to the criminal proceedings, where the allegation is because of this conduct, won the special prosecutor should never been appointed, and because he was -- the entire did indictment should be dismissed and the entire office should be disqualified. so the judge is going to take, both judges are going to take those allegations seriously, but i don't think it's

ully going to impacted look allergy of the criminal case. okay. let's move to the classified documents case, because trump's lawyer claim that he had this top secret q level clea as recently as june of last year. they're not saying the clearance would allow him to store highly classified material at mar-a-lago, but they claim it speaks to a state of mind and it shows that he was acting in good faith. this whole q level clearance, does this by trump anything? >> one, we have to consider the judge that he has in that particular case, and how sympathetic the judge will be to that argument, that he thought that he had this clearance. one of the things the prosecution have has to prove is the criminal intent, that he intended -- it enough to prove that he intended to violate the law, but they have to prove he intended to commit the act that was a violation of the law, that he thought he had this clearance and somehow he thought that that entitled him to have access to the documents,

to possess them -- as he saw fit, and store them as he saw fit, is something that will have to be proven in court as well. again, i think it's a great motion for the defense. i think it's a valid motion that the state has to give him more proof of the clearance that he thought he had, which is kind of interesting when you think of it that way, to allow him to have access to these documents. >> so trump says he wants to testify tomorrow in the e. jean carroll -- legal experts are saying you might be playing with fire on that one. do you think he's going to take the stand. is there anything he can say to influence the extent of damages that are going to be awarded in this case? >> i don't. that's because we are only talking about damages in this case. liability has already been decided, and the only thing the judge, and the jury is going to be considering, is how much should he be -- should he have to pay for continuing to defame the

plaintiff. considering his out of court statements i don't see how he could get on the stand and try to sanitize any of those statements, or say anything to take back their statements. i don't see him apologizing for those statements or saying this was a misunderstanding, or that it was taken out of context. i think he would only do himself more harm. i'm sure's attorneys are telling him that same advice. whether or not he listens to that vice, we'll have to find out together. >> i'm not gonna put any bets on that one, but anyway, melissa redmond, thank you so much. they say that history repeats itself, but what if history isn't taught in the first place? that's the big question in florida for later. updated covid-19 shot too. ♪ on your period, sudden gushes happen. say goodbye gush fears! thanks to always ultra thins... with rapiddry technology...

that absorbs two times faster. hellooo clean and comfortable. always. fear no gush. we're following a number of

extreme weather headlines, so take a look at st. joseph, michigan. that's where this drone footage shows what happens when strong winds mixed with freezing temperatures, coating a

historic lighthouse in ice. there we see that there, it's incredible, right? we're looking at that, forecasters say that temperatures are on the way to be a little bit warmer, although with that warmth comes some rain as well. meanwhile rain already drenching california's bay area, which saw close to an inch there of rain, so that's extraordinary, just 24 hours that happened in that span yesterday. then in utah, a group of snowmobilers are being hailed as heroes for rescuing a man buried in an avalanche. this is video from that rescue last week, the team of snowmobilers use beacons to locate ma'am, and then they started to fire to warm him up. wow. on that one. some very creative excuses from donald trump supporters in new hampshire about one of his very specific fail years in office, you're gonna hear him. you can use less. bounty, the quicker picker upper.

[city ambience sounds] [car screech]

[car door slam] [camera shutter sfx] introducing ned's plaque psoriasis. [camera shutter sfx] he thinks his flaky, red patches are all people see. otezla is the #1 prescribed pill to treat plaque psoriasis. [ned?] it can help you get clearer skin and reduce itching and flaking. with no routine blood tests required. doctors have been prescribing it for nearly 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. [crowd gasp] ♪♪ with clearer skin, movie night is a groovy night. [ting] ♪♪ live in the moment. ask your doctor about otezla.

(vo) if you overdraw your account, wells fargo gives you an extra day grace period to avoid the overdraft fee. what if everything came with a grace period? like accidentally parking where you shouldn't... (driver 2) nah.. that one gets an extra day (vo) like having an extra day grace period? you can with wells fargo. this election is a choice between results or just rhetoric. californians deserve a senator who is going to deliver for them every day and not just talk a good game. adam schiff. he held a dangerous president accountable. he also helped lower drug costs, bring good jobs back home, and build affordable housing. now he's running for the senate. our economy, our democracy, our planet. this is why we fight. i'm adam schiff, and i approve this message. (vo) if you overdraw your account, wells fargo gives you an extra day grace period

to avoid the overdraft fee. what if everything came with a grace period? like accidentally parking where you shouldn't... (driver 2) nah.. that one gets an extra day (vo) like having an extra day grace period? it is anyone's guess what you can with wells fargo. florida governor ron desantis's plans are going forward. desantis, pulling a different distant third in the granite state, doing an about face -- and actually planning on spending the weekend in south carolina. this, as he curiously canceled all his tv interviews today, including nbc's meet the press. joining me now, nbc news senior national politics reporter matt dixon, is the author of swore swamp monsters, the greatest show on earth or at least in florida. matt, we were talking about you

a little earlier, this great new blood that was released last week -- we'll get to some of the details in a minute. first, what do you make of the abrupt shane just to desantis's schedule today? he was once seen as the biggest threat to trump, and now appears to be something of a last ditch effort to save his campaign. >> after the 2020 reelection, he was kind of branded both americas governor and -- all this momentum, all this money, and roughly a year or so later america's governor is now doing -- he doesn't have any money left, plus no state can wind moving forward. that sort of equal snow campaign, that sort of a zombie campaign at this point, so we're trying to figure out whether and when that might end. coming out of iowa, what was very important for them that they -- but with not a lot of money left, not a lot of resources left, i think they have been giving out sooner rather than later. >> -- the quote you wrote about earlier, you wrote this, at best desantis's info on

survival mode. now at worst he is living in fantasy land. why do you think he chose to go to new hampshire today, though? after all, he's doing that while pulling out a big high-profile media appearances. the big question, does he have any realistic path to the nomination? >> he doesn't. the reality of the situation, it seems -- their entire political dna, their money, the resources, they're coordination, all hinged on that first in the nation nomination contest. when you come in 30 points shy of the winner, it really leaves you staring out of that for state, they were hoping to do a little better to sort of raise a little bit more money and sort of built a path forward to south carolina at the end of february, but right now that seems increasingly unlikely. one. and to, just a path and general doesn't seem -- there's not a lot of states out there that he can possibly win, and if their state so you can't win, you need money to get your message and trying to change that, and they don't have that either. i think it's a very difficult situation.

>> you are familiar with this. desantis's detractors, they describe him as charmless. th cite his-limited interpersonal skills as the main reason that his campaign is fettered, but in an article out today that you contributed to, dozens of desantis staffers told nbc news about his campaign's many missteps, and that it was a mess from the moment it launched. what are some of those mistakes, matt? >> i think there's two ways to look at this, and in an ecosystem where trump got indicted, that created such a sense of support without republican base, and i'm not sure anyone's going to beat him. so post indictment is a different conversation, because the base rallied around trump so much, but in a hypothetical world where that didn't happen, let's say, -- he waited six months to launch his presidential campaign after a historic reelection win in november of 2022. in that period of time he could've been running for president, messaging, building a federal donor base more so than he has today.

instead he was going around ignoring the idea that he was running for president, at that point everyone saw the writing on the wall. i think getting a -- one of the main bullet points that a lot of his supporters point to, hey, maybe we missed a moment. there is momentum, there was money, we're headed in the right direction, and we kind of let that go away. >> so your book, it delves into desantis's popularity, turning florida into a disney world of sorts for republicans. in his presidential bid, he promised to make america florida. he repeated this a lot, take a listen. >> we lead the nation in school choice. >> we enacted the largest expansion of school choice. we protected women sports. we stood up for parents against the woke mob. we have eliminated so-called dei from our public universities. let's continue to make florida the envy of the nation.

>> so is all that what he means by make america florida? it's something that does not seem to have resonated across the country at this point, right? >> it certainly is what he meant, his policy portfolio that works really well during his reelection in 2022 is something he wanted to scale nationally. you're right, it has not worked. we talk to people early on in the campaign trail, even in iowa, -- iowa is the florida of midwest, talking to those early state voters and pandering to them. some of them were taking aback by hey, we're from the state, we're proud of our state without comparing it to another, so is very florida-centric message -- including policies that are not buying large popular -- policy conversation, it's a messaging conversation about how we talked about florida maybe he should've. and then there's of course once trump really got engaged any started focusing on the race again, it really drowned out a lot of what the governor desantis was trying to do.

>> okay. the book is swamped three to show on earth or at least in florida. i have to tell you, is a page turner for me, and i didn't expect it to be, so good on you matt dixon. thank you so much. >> it is just one letter -- >> i appreciate it. >> all good. all right, it's just one letter but it has a lot of people in the community scratching their head about the former president, that's next. that's next. ays after using. most common side effects were nausea, indigestion, and stomach pain. ask about nurtec odt.

from pep in their step to shine in their coats, when people switch their dog's food to the farmer's dog, the effects can seem like magic. but there's no magic involved. (dog bark) it's just smarter, healthier pet food. it's amazing what real food can do. exclusive new video of

tunnels and gaza where israel say hostage were held in inhumane commute defense by hamas, nbc news was given access to the prison cells in those tunnels, under the city of khan yunis in southern gaza. israel's military says it discovered dna evidence confirming hostages were held in those cells. 105 hostages are believed still alive and in captivity in gaza. meanwhile, tensions in the mid east are growing as iran said recent strikes on syria blamed on israel quote, will not go unanswered. this is the u.s. carried out yet another attack against the houthi anti ship missile yesterday. nbc's matt bradley is joining us from tel aviv, israel. matt, welcome to you. how concerned is the biden administration about these regional threats? >> you hugely concerns, we've been seeing it in the rhetoric and their actions. the u.s. has sent several different naval assets to the mediterranean, and alex, i have

to remind you, you are talking to me back in the day a couple months ago when i was in lebanon, we were describing the same situation. the threat has been ever-present for the past several months, and there has been fighting percolating across the border -- that entire time. and we've been saying the same thing, this really does risk this conflict metastasizing into a region wide affair. that would be destructive, and not something that anybody wants, but we're still seeing this over and over again. now we're seeing the entire iran-backed access of resistance, and this is a term that's been around for about the past two decades, of all these proxy groups and nations that are backed by tehran, all of them for the first time acting in concert against israeli targets and american targets. there is very good reason for the u.s. administration to be worried. that's why they've sent these naval assets, these warships, battleships, aircraft carriers to the red sea, walter protects shipping in the red sea and off the mediterranean coast to try to keep hezbollah another

iran-backed groups from again escalating this conflict. we've also seen almost hoax time, he is normally the envoy for diplomatic and energy affairs, he's been engaging and shuttle diplomacy throughout the entire region trying to tamp down the tensions that look like they're inevitably going to boil over and again involve the entire region. the same with antony blinken, and even a top european diplomat that we've been seeing traveling around the region, antony blinken of course the u.s. secretary of state. all of them very concerned that iran, who backs groups throughout the entire region and clearly showed over the past couple months that a lot of these proxy groups that they do act at iran's discretion, and iran's instruction, they're trying to avoid that this might metastasize size into a broader conflict. that's what it's worthwhile, because warmer talking about this, we're talking about bringing in lebanon, iraq, syria, iran, yemen. this could be the closest we've seen -- and this is a region that's been ridden with war ever since

i've been alive, and its closest it's been in recent memory to the entire region being enveloped in one single war. alex? >> absolutely sobering, and i'm gonna pick up from that. thank you so much matt, bradley. joining me now is -- mark parma laplace.ce analyst mark, let's take a look at what happened on saturday. -- on an air base in iraq, it injured at least two service members. since the israel hamas war, iran has been linked to dozens of attacked on u.s. and israeli attacks -- also in pakistan. what is iran's endgame, mark, and why is it using proxy forces like hezbollah as matt was talking about, to fight it 70s in the region? >> alex, we have to come to the conclusion that any idea of peace with iran is pretty far fetched. remember, several years ago we were talking about a renewed

nuclear agreement with the iranians. we saw the iranian people protesting in the streets, and so times have changed. iran's goal is to drive the united states out of the middle east, and they're using their proxies extremely effectively across the region. i go back to something the israeli defense defense minister said several weeks ago, this is a multi front, he said the six or seven front campaign. that's not only for israel, but the united states is involved in multiple arenas right now, of course as you mention syria, iraq, and now yemen as well. >> well let's pick up on that, because iran has vowed retaliation for the strike on saturday that killed five senior military officials in syria. it is in an attack that is blamed on israel, which is neither confirmed or denied any involvement. how concerned are you that this war in gaza could erupt into a wider regional war with iran? >> alex, it's really interesting because the iranian officials have said both publicly and privately that they don't want to see any

escalation. but their actions certainly don't suggest that's the case. they don't suggest that whatsoever. in fact, when you take a look at what's happening in yemen with the houthis, for example, there's now reports that there are iranian personnel on the grounds providing targeting assistance against u.s. ships. and of course, you noted the attack in iraq against u.s. military base. i think that we have to start questioning that assumption that iran does not want to escalate, and i think the view is that the biden administration is doing the right thing. we have to strike back at houthi targets inside of yemen, i think our retaliatory strikes about ten days -- it remains to be seen if this is going to work. in some sense you have to go for that positive -- to inevitably de-escalate. to me it certainly seems that iran has not gotten the message yet, and we're going to see this escalatory ladder between the u.s. and iran via their proxies, we're going to climb this for sometime. >> i want to dig deeper into

this, because in fact yesterday was the seventh strike this month against houthi rebels in yen,o hold off -- rather head off attacks on american ships in the red sea. president biden has said these strikes are not stopping the houthis, but they will continue. why continue them, mark, if they aren't effective? some have suggested the u.s. should have gone in and taken out houthi rapid re-from the start. how long can this tit-for-tat go on before a huge escalation? >> great question, and i think there is something to be said for the notion that we waited too long for strikes inside yemen. if you recall, our policy before we're acting almost as a soccer goalie. we were swatting down drones and missiles from our u.s. navy ships as they would approach international maritime shipping assets. now we're striking targets. but you have to ask yourself a question, what else could we do? the policy is not in terms of taking at the houthis, the policy of the united states in this area is to keep

international shipping open, which is critical for the world economy. i think the u.s. is doing the right thing, i don't think anyone in the counterterrorism world thought this would just be a one-off strike. u.s. strikes against yemen. airstrikes can work, and i think we have to give it a bit more time, and the bomb damage assessment of i think it was up to 70 houthis killed, some iranian personnel as well as hezbollah personnel as well. i think we have to keep going on this, and again the big question, and you alluded to it for sure, is what happens if we are in a position where we might have to take some action against the iranians. that's the big question. >> yeah. i've just a quick moment to ask this last question, so only the quick answer, because ump's lawyers in the mar-a-lago classified documents case claim he had an active security clearances years after leaving the white house based on a government document from june 23 that still listed him with q clearance from the department of energy. can you explain whether q clearance is, and why trump

might have had that years after leaving office? >> a q clearance is given by the department of energy a lot of times having to do with nuclear issues. this doesn't absolve anyone from taking classified documents home, mishandling of classified documents, and look, presidents after they leave office do sometimes receive a version of the presidents daily brief. they do get visits by intelligence officials, so they maintain some access to classified information. this has nothing to do with mishandling it, losing it, keeping it when you're not supposed to. i think it's a pretty irrelevant argument. >> okay, mark, thank you my friend, good to see you. coming up next, another florida story that's going to make you shake your head. but don't forget this season's updated covid-19 shot too.

when you purchase a pair of bombas socks, tees, or underwear, you also donate one to someone facing homelessness. one purchased equals one donated. 100 million donations and counting. visit bombas.com and get 20% off your first order.

to finally lose 80 pounds and keep it off with golo 100 mis amazing.tions and counting. i've been maintaining. the weight is gone and it's never coming back. with golo, i've not only kept off the weight but i'm happier, i'm healthier, and i have a new lease on life. golo is the only thing that will let you lose weight and keep it off.

who loses 138 pounds in nine months? i did! golo's a lifestyle change and you make the change and it stays off. (soft music) here's why you should switch fo to duckduckgo on all your devie duckduckgo comes with a built-n engine like google, but it's pi and doesn't spy on your searchs and duckduckgo lets you browse like chrome, but it blocks cooi and creepy ads that follow youa from google and other companie. and there's no catch. it's fre. we make money from ads, but they don't follow you aroud join the millions of people taking back their privacy by downloading duckduckgo on all your devices today. a bitter cold day is campaigning rather it's, under

way in new hampshire, you're looking at the snowy town of pittsburgh, new hampshire. all the candidates are holding events today, with florida governor ron desantis -- in south carolina over the past few days. a new poll shows donald trump maintaining his double digit lead over haley in the granite state, and nbc's steve kornacki -- meet the press just how different new hampshire's from iowa. >> last monday night in iowa, independents were only 16% of that caucus electorate. one of the huge differences between new hampshire and iowa. there are others. remember iowa, wrote majority evangelical on the republican side, in new hampshire much more secular. -- suburban voters basically double in new hampshire what they were in iowa. these are groups that haley did very well within iowa, this is a group she didn't do well with, you see the demographic mix here. the ideologicami here, i new hampshire, much more favorable to haley. it screams if she's gonna get a n on the board, and make this

a race, this is the state to do it in. >> we've got live reports from all the campaigns in new hampshire, that's coming for you at the top of the hour. but right now, a new attack on diversity equity and inclusion in florida schools. the state permanently banning public colleges from using government funds for so called dei programs. also, a core sociology course has been replaced with one on anistory. it is all the result of an anti dei's bill that governor ron santis signed into law last may. the state board of education said about that course this week quote, the aim is to provide students with an accurate and factual account of the nation's past, rather than exposing them to radical woke ideologies. i want to bring in florida state senator shevrin jones, he -- and is also vice chair of the appropriations committee on education. chevron, welcome back to the broadcast, it's been a while but i'm glad you're here. when education officials in

florida say these changes are protecting students from radical woke ideologies what is your response? >> thanks for having me, but first, it isn't lost on me that the right-wing politicians who want to ban the honor college campuses and workplaces are the same ones who just two days prior or posting their quotes and graphics on social media about -- they're also going as you say after sociology claiming that this particular course, which happens to have been doctor king's major at morehouse, is a form of indoctrination. let's be honest, really? on what planet is the -- the causes and consequences of which we see impacted each and every day, they call that indoctrination? all of this is a distraction, more broadly the republican party is begging there -- on fear tactics and admitting they have no real plans to improve peoples lives, specifically people here in

florida. >> these changes, chevron, banning diversity education, applying to 28 schools, -- university of florida. tell us how this ban affects these campuses? >> here's the thing. we have a constitutional responsibility, alex, to equip students with a high quality education. clearly the board of education, under governor desantis has no regard for that responsibility, or our states constitution. yet when we start moving the needle and -- back on what students need to learn, what they should learn, what they should know about our history, and what they should know how to live in this melting pot of florida. we move into a very dangerous territory in which we have moved into. i would tell you, whether it's florida or whether it's across the country, dei is desantis's and republican bogeyman, as one

he tries to salvage the sputtering presidential campaign, and clearly this is their last ditch effort to salvage it -- and they understand that america is changing. the browning of america's changing, but more particularly the republicans are across the country in florida, they're trying to dump down america by taking and banning books, they're trying to dump down america by changing in trying to change a narrative. but yet to they know that young people are smarter and they are very clear where we are moving in the country, and they're not buying what they're selling. >> chevron, i've got some pretty big news, and you'll be somewhat position to talk about. it's we're getting word that florida governor ron desantis has commented by saying that he is suspending his presidential campaign, this is something that's been speculated about for quite some time, we saw how he came in second place but

very distant second in iowa, he's now pulling a distant third in new hampshire. we had on one of our republican analysts, susan del percio, she's got a lot of experience, and she said it would behoove him to suspend his campaign now if he has any sort of saw thought on 2028. if he went further into the losing category with new hampshire, it's a hard thing to bounce back from. why give americans that sort of perspective, as a loser twice, in really big events like this at the beginning of a presidential campaign season, and election year. my question to you, what does this tell you? you're talking about the lack of dei, that diversity there in florida, it is something that he stated in this policy to say >> i told you so. make america florida. it didn't i made it fly. so clear that i what do you say to this was on your show, news? on the show with joy. what he is selling to floridians doesn't work i