the last thing before we go tonight -- "nai nai & wài pó" learn those names. these two taiwanese grandmas are the subject of a documentary short directed by the grandson, sean wang. he wanted to tell a multigenerational story about these two women, who live together and our very best friends. the family shared an extraordinary, emotional moment this week, as they found out that their film is now oscar nominated. get ready. watch this. >> the abc's of book banning. [applause] the barber of little rock. island in between. -- >> [applause] >> [speaking in a global language]

>> in an ever apropos joint statement, the grandma said this. when our grandson asked if he could make a film about us, we thought he was crazy! we said, who would want to watch a movie about us? and now, the fact that the film has brought joy to so many, it is happiness we could have never imagined. we feel so scene and loved. now, we have to find something to wear. well, congratulations to nai nai and wài pó. i absolutely cannot wait to see what these two ladies wear on the red carpet. i am sure designers are battling to dress them. if they haven't yet, they better start now. and on that note, i wish you a very, very good night. from all of our colleagues across the networks of nbc news, thanks for staying up late. i will see what the end of tomorrow. i'm in charleston, south carolina, where i spent some time with the governor of california, gavin newsom, getting a sense of the state of play as he sees it in the

potential general election matchup between biden and trump, we are going to have some clips of that interview to play for you momentarily. first, i will send it up to new york, ayman, so take it away, my friend. >> thank you very much. alex, we will be talking later on throughout the show because you will give us a big preview and the very latest on the 2024 presidential race and the perspective from south carolina. we do want to start with the front runner here in new york. the republican primary was once again in a new york courtroom. this afternoon, trump took the stand in the damages case brought by writer, e. jean carroll. the former president has already been found liable of sexual abuse and defamation by a civil jury. trump, today, testified for only three minutes. but in those three minutes, believe it or not, the judge had to tell the jury multiple times to disregard trump's out of order testimony. at the same time, trump was taking the stand. there was a split screen, a jarring split screen. president biden was hitting the

campaign trail at a campaign event in wisconsin. president biden touted the five billion dollars in new infrastructure investments that came as part of his bipartisan infrastructure law. he also got two brand-new economic numbers that came out today, showing the u. s. economy grew at a record pace last year. biden is hoping to make this campaign about his accomplishments, and this is really the split screen moment that he wanted. trump is hoping to make this campaign about retribution and revenge for those seeking to hold him accountable for what he has done to our country, and in so many ways, this is also the split screen moment that he wants to. despite the long shot campaign of nikki haley, both trump and biden are kicking off their general election campaigns. the person who has emerged us joe biden's top campaign surrogate this year, is none other than california governor, gavin newsom.

last year, newsom undertook a national campaign to challenge republican governors across the country, and highlight their extreme agendas in video ads and roadside billboards. that campaign led to a lot of speculation, particularly in right-wing media. that newsom himself was looking to possibly become the democratic nominee in 2024. but gavin newsom turned the speculation on its head, he took all of that media attention and used it to promote joe biden's reelection. he went on fox news, primetime, defended biden's record on issues like immigration and the economy. he debated presidential candidates like ron desantis, live on fox, helping to accelerate the disastrous collapse of desantis's candidacy. and now gavin newsom is in south carolina, the state where president biden is kicking off the democratic presidential primary and where trump hopes to put an end to the republican presidential primary. as we mentioned at the top of the show today, alec sidon with

governor newsom and he told her that despite polls showing a tight race, he's very optimistic about democratic chances come november. >> progressives, republicans, independents, whoever, might be a bit stunned that you have an incredible feeling of wellness, is that it? well being? >> getting on the campaign, we just started, we are it. democrats, isn't this great? we don't have to watch trump 24/7 in this primary where they will find it in terms of the debate, reacting to it every single day. we are now on the campaign trail. first primary, nation's first primary, february 3rd, elections today, tomorrow, this weekend, it is february 3rd. early voting. this is what it is about. it is what we are best at. because we keep crushing. it democrats keep crushing. it look at all of the elections that you have one, democrats, to keep winning, you keep outperforming. it's extraordinary. pat yourselves on the. back our values, our universal

values, our policies, republican begrudgingly celebrating and accepting the governor here in the state ni t. he talked about this new ev investment and his state, really? mr. governor that tried to oppose that? sitting there with trump? they can't even help themselves. but their beneficiaries to all of this because that is a character indecency of the democratic party that we support people, in the election. >> alex and governor newsom also talked about the republican primary race, ron desantis is a big exit, and the field efforts to take on trump within his own party. >> can we just talk about ron desantis. i will allow you a moment before, that the mic is yours, does he have a political future anymore? >> i think he's saying it by dropping out. >> really? >> i think he did. i think if he continued on, if he continued in, i don't think that this is halle's big consideration, it has, to be i was going to get trump in trans his own state. last time i checked, and we did that debate, it was about 40%.

desantis wasn't out in his own home state of florida against trump. so i think from that perspective, just on a humanizing level, having spent a bit of time studying him for some time, he's a different guy now. i saw him on a video, i was like, who is that guy? he seemed so wind up. joyless. and you know, you can say what you want about trump. he seems a little less wound up. he is winding up in terms of his rhetoric and a little more entertaining in that respect. you have got to know your why. i never felt like he had a why. >> do you think the primary thing was an exercise in futility? was it always going to be donald trump? >> with trump in the race you are going to try to somehow deconstruct and connect and attach yourself to trumpism with trump in the race and sort of take it from him. and no trump -- i mean, the premise of it is rather -- i don't mean this was a cheap

shot but rather delusional. it is just a political analysis. and it is fact based on the evidence. maybe he thought he would be convicted earlier for a crime. i don't know what they were thinking but it is so predictable. all of this is predictable. with respect to nikki haley, i don't know any state that she can win let alone her own state. i appreciate her state of mind saying that maybe, i assume, let's play this for the next few weeks and see if we could close the gap a little bit. so if i continue to raise some money and if we can close the gap and stay within single digits maybe i will risk losing in south carolina but then picking up delegates on the way. stick around the rim of the basket and see of the ball falls off around the convention. >> see if the rupture comes. >> but i think if she is down 20 to 30 points in a couple of weeks, what would be the political benefit of a former governor to lose her home state?

>> the humiliation is pretty acute. >> i don't think that she would do that. there's no sunset she would drop out but i see no signs that she has any chance whatsoever. >> joining me now from south carolina is the host of alex wagner tonight. also jen palmieri, former communications director for the obama white house and hillary clinton's 2016 presidential campaign. alex, i will start with you. it is quite remarkable because i cannot think of another politician in america who commands so much authority as a political analyst, as governor newsom does. he says it right there in that we played. if nikki haley wants to win she needs democrats and independents to show up for her like they did in new hampshire. even bigger numbers that is highly unlikely right. no but give us a sense of how it feels on the ground there. >> first off i will say that i've always wanted to be a guest on this show so this is a gold star day for me.

but to your question, ayman mohyeldin, in addition to interviewing governor newsom i spend time with jaime harrison, dnc chair and a get out of the event in south carolina because i just happen to have a few extra hours. it was really interesting. there were a lot of democratic strategists and people in the acela corridor who were talking about this rupture strategy. nikki haley could stay in it and she is the only person with electors and the only person who can step in if trump is convicted or is somehow behind bars are taken out. there is nobody here that is talking about that. nikki haley, the only mentioned that we heard of nikki haley at this democratic event, and the, nikki haley would need democrats and independents to turn out for, which is something i think everyone understands mathematically. the only mention of her in south carolina was the fact that she closed rural hospitals. democrats understand, democratic voters, it seems, understand that we are in the

general election. and the contrast that is being drawn right now is between trump and biden and the focus of the remarks that i heard from mr. harrison today were let's remember 2020. let's remember the sense of hopelessness. the feeling of your soul being crushed by covid. but also just being disenfranchised and the political system and let's remember what joe biden has done in the last four years, three years. let's look at the way that your vote has helped change this country in a very short time. i think that that is not just, of course, a reminder of the legacy of the biden administration thus far, but a real desire to enfranchise the voters who would be key to biden success in all of this and to encourage them to get off of the sidelines. to make it as much about them is it is the incumbent president. i thought that was really interesting. but the idea that somehow south carolina voters are talking

about the sort of -- of a nikki haley candidacy blasting until the convention. as i saw it here, that wasn't happening. >> yeah, so, jen, the question to you is based on what alex was saying from governor newsom there. do you see her staying in this race until super tuesday? even if she loses south carolina? does she have any incentive whatsoever to stay in this race beyond south carolina? >> i mean, yeah, the governor identify the reason why you would do it, which is stay in until super tuesday, with a thought that, on super tuesday, a lot of these states are winner-take-all, but not all on super tuesday. so, that she could accrue some delegates on that day, and then if the rapture comes, or something happens, she is perhaps better positioned in the commission because she actually has delegates that he heard two tried with over other delegates. so, i suspect that having been presidential campaigns, most of the ones i worked on, most -- not all of them.

lost but most of them had to drop at some point. >> [laughter] -- >> barack obama, he won. bill clinton, he won. but most of -- >> the cell yourself out like, that jen palmieri. >> the point is, i know about losing in heaven to decide when to drop out. and it is very hard to. do coming out of new hampshire, you are exhausted. i think that her team is probably pretty amped up and motivated. and happy now. she did this, she put out this t-shirt, because trump had a truth social post that said if you give money to her will be permanently barred from anything having to do with trump ever again. so she put it on a t-shirt, she saw the t-shirts, today in south carolina, she was hot, i, mean she really went after him in a way that we have not seen, and i think that they might try to see where does -- you, know that can feel great in the moment, and they have to, the next two weeks, look and see where we really, and what makes sense, losing in your home state is unattractive and it is also an attractive to get out

before your home state and to get out before super tuesday, if you have come this far and you want to try to win some delegates a super tuesday, so that you are positioned in case something happens, and that they pick a new convention, in the convention they pick in the nominee. which i guess was her and ron desantis's strategy all along. because her strategy was -- not it doesn't appear to be, ever take trump on a real, until this moment. >> i think some people probably watching her now and showing this fight that she has in her against trump and going after trump, and wondering, why the will to do not show cases before? why are you doing it now when you are on the cusp of being knocked out of this race? but i do want to go back to the governor for a moment, alex. because you talk to him about how he engages with right-wing media, which is quite a master, class if you will. really going into the heart of conservative media, fox news, debating ron desantis, i would, argue effectively knocking him out of the race for -- that live debate, so, what did

he have to say to you about that? and his decision to do that? >> he is a singular figure in the democratic world, not just because he will go on fox, but he seems to relish the pugilism, if you will. and i sort of asked him about whether that was -- to what effect all of that. this is what he had to say. >> do you feel you are making a difference when you go on fox news? >> i don't know. my father-in-law -- >> that's decidedly less bullish. >> your father in law was noticing? i say that with love. >> i'm not saying that critically. >> everybody wants to be loved and -- we are just all human beings. and i love and respect for people i disagree with. i don't want to talk down or past anybody. where the contrary. i want them to know i'm listening as well. and i'm listening to fox. i do listen. hard. it is hard. it's demoralizing, sometimes, as well.

but the misinformation and disinformation is next level. and i figured, okay, you can be in denial about that or accepted and say, that is not the world i live in. there is no leak on your side of our boat. we are all in this together. we have to cross pollinate and we have to find -- divorce is not an option. sorry marjorie taylor greene or whoever say. that is not an option. we can't afford that. so, getting on those platforms, showing, to the extent i can, respect, by showing up, and then asserting myself, because i do think we have to disabuse ourselves that we can just intellectually win by stating all these facts. it goes back to the beginning of this conversation, and statistics. we have got to get into the zeitgeist of how people are feeling. and we've got to push back. we've got to get into that bloodstream. >> do you think president biden should do fox interviews. >> i wonder now if i should do anymore after the last few appearances. so, i will leave that to president biden. >> i was surprised at how

honest he was, right? it can't be that fun to go into the lines deadlocked. that but he understands the fundamental utility of not ignoring a sizeable portion of the american electorate. it sort of sounds sisyphean but i understand where he's coming from and so far as someone has to do it. it clearly does not think president biden is necessarily the person to do it. but i don't know, jim palmieri, if this is what democrats need to do more of. >> i think he is right into question the utility of it in terms of moving fox viewers to the democratic side. i think what is valuable, it's the kind of thing that democrats like to watch. we like to watch it because gavin usman was so effective and taken deconstructing their argument and showing the flaws in it. and he fights back, and it is

good for democrats to fight back. and i think it's invigorating for democrats to see a democrat fight back on fox news. whether you are convincing fox viewers, of whether he's actually moving their viewers, i don't know. i would be really interested to have, to see a focus group that did that, because my concern is that they just are so much in a different ecosystem that he is not breaking through in the way that he would, and that you would like. whether it is -- i mean, i think -- there are people who watch fox news, who can be persuaded, and it is a big audience. and i'm a fan of people going on, and including the president. you just have to be careful about what you do, because they orchestrated so that you can use whatever you say to produce misleading shows for the next five days. so, it's tricky. >> suggesting that fox manipulates what politicians say seems very on brand for the network. jen palmieri, thank you so

much. alex, we stick around. we're going to talk to a bit more, because we have more of your interview with california governor gavin newsom. after the break. we will hear with the border state governor has to say about the republican legislators deciding that it might be better to legislate or not do anything not effort hurt settle trump's campaign. that's next. what causes a curve down there? is it peyronie's disease? will it get worse? how common is it? who can i talk to? can this be treated? stop typing. start talking to a specialized urologist. because it could be peyronie's disease, or pd. it's a medical condition where there is a curve

in the erection, caused by a formation of scar tissue. and an estimated 1 in 10 men may have it. but pd can be treated even without surgery. say goodbye to searching online. find a specialized urologist who can diagnose pd and build a treatment plan with you. visit makeapdplan.com today. generalized myasthenia gravis made my life a lot harder. but the picture started changing when i started on vyvgart. ♪♪ vyvgart is for adults with generalized myasthenia gravis who are anti-achr antibody positive. in a clinical trial, vyvgart significantly improved most participants' ability to do daily activities when added to their current gmg treatment. ♪♪ most participants taking vyvgart also had less muscle weakness. and your vyvgart treatment schedule is designed just for you. in a clinical study, the most common side effects included urinary and respiratory tract infections, and headache. vyvgart may increase the risk of infection. tell your doctor if you have a history of infections

or symptoms of an infection. vyvgart can cause allergic reactions. available as vyvgart for iv infusion and also as vyvgart hytrulo for subcutaneous injection. additional side effects for vyvgart hytrulo may include injection site reactions. talk to your neurologist about vyvgart. i think we called it right.

immigration is a big deal. a big deal. a very big deal. we have millions and millions of people flowing into our country illegally. it's just killing our country. >> so, just minutes into celebrating his victory in the new hampshire primary on tuesday, donald trump underscored the policy issue he is taking his campaign on. you heard it there. immigration. republican voters have so far agreed that immigration is in fact a very big deal. new hampshire and i are iowa republican voters and caucus

goers flagged immigration as the issue that matters most to them, second only to the economy. but it's such a big deal that, for months congressional republicans insisted that they would only support legislation that sent more aid to ukraine if it was paired with strict voter security laws. that is how big of a deal that was for them. until this week, of course, when after weeks of negotiations with congressional democrats on the white house the senate was absolutely finally on the precipice of a real border security deal. and donald trump push to pull the plug on it. in a closed-door meeting on wednesday, senate minority leader mitch mcconnell cast out on the border deal telling fellow republicans we don't want to do anything to undermine trump. and earlier today alex interviewed border state governor gavin newsom of california about senate republicans willingness to torpedo their border deal so trump can keep running on his border chaos. >> mitch mcconnell, i thought that was shameful, what was

reported out, and he is just completely rolling over and capitulated. don't even get me started with the weakness of the current speaker of the house. the they don't want to deal period, full stop. they don't want to deal and they don't want to make this a quote unquote campaign win for joe biden. says everything you need to know about the fraud that they're perpetuating on the issue of the border. they want to make this a political issue consistently. they have wanted to make it, ever since there were a few brave souls, with the gang of eight, if we all remember those black and white movies. >> yeah, i'm old enough to remember, that you. >> ever since they, are they walk, away they run away. the first day who was in office. now the next day, the same day. he gets sworn in, he puts out a comprehensive immigration plan. and yet he did not have a counter, they had no strategy. in terms of the republican party, even combatting that, they just wanted to kill. it they didn't want to debate, but they did want to engage. 14 billion dollar proposal. 14 billion dollar. that's his latest proposal to address their stated issue of border security.

2300 new border patrol agents. another thousand in addition to that to deal with fentanyl. another -- 850 plus million dollars just for new technology. and then address some of the issues of backlog on asylum, to address those that are here waiting for asylum claims. they won't touch it. they don't want to solve this problem. they want to use it for political purposes. again, i say this as a border state governor. and one has to introduce me to this issue. we have the largest ports in the western hemisphere in the state of california. we live this and i think it is a disgrace what the republican party is doing and what donald trump is doing. this is hidden in plain sight and he sent out a tweet, or some truth, whatever, saying, kill it. and these guys are so weak, how -- it's so pathetically weak, this republican party, and the new speaker, said, oh, yes sir, we're not would you like us to do? we don't care about america. we don't care about our freedoms and liberties. we care about politics exclusively, at the expense of the american people and all we

care about is winning for winning sake. that is shameful. >> back with me from south carolina, alex wagner. i, looks very passionate argument being made by the governor. i want to ask you about. that because we've seen the recent polling this was registered voters trust republicans with the issue of border security more than they trust democrats and you've got this new york times siena college poll of registered voters in six battleground states showing the voters specifically trust donald trump to do a better job on immigration than joe biden. but the question to governor newsom's point, can american voters consistently reward republicans on this issue of immigration, this political issue, when republicans are the ones tanking border legislation? will this wind up hurting republicans? >> i think it's a sort of signal moment here, the idea that they would put naked political game ahead of a problem they say is intractable and the demise of america, there is poisoning the blood of the country, and then it would be so naked lee partisan i

think is a searing referendum on the modern-day gop. to be honest, i'm a little surprised that this story even leaked, because it makes republicans who support trump look so bad. this is not a border deal. we don't know exactly what was in it, but from the initial reporting that we have, it was not a deal the democrats really liked. it was in exchange for funding ukraine. i honestly think this moment plays very well for president biden, who starts his presidency with a comprehensive immigration plan. it goes nowhere. he basically plays with the republicans on their terms, and they scuttle it because it's not going to help trump, or it could help brighten and therefore hurt trump in an election year. it's so craven as to almost seem like a democratic plot. unfortunately, i think this it's literally how the republican conference is running this.

but mitch mcconnell, he said that donald trump had effectively betrayed the country on january six, just sent an amicus briefs in support of donald trump's bid to stay on the ballot in the 14th amendment case that is going in supreme court. this is a man whose wife donald trump personally attacked in racist terms. there is no standard anymore there is no red line. so, i guess this is what you get but in an election year, man, i think this really hurts them on an issue that they care so deeply about, or at least they say they do. >> yeah, and it's going to be up to the president in the white house and certainly its campaign to take a page of the governor's book there and really drive on that point that they were ready to make a deal. it was the republicans who consistently stand in the way of border security, and it's nothing more than lip service from the republican party. >> indeed, this is -- in a way it is like biden never had to actually present the bitter pill to democrats to get it passed. you can sort of, say look, i tried really hard, and it is all their fault and they don't want to move on this and i

think for independents and swing voters who see the sort of transparent calculation here i do think it is -- it is devastating for the republican party, whenever immigration comes out, this is going to be the biden campaign's retort. >> a full capitulation of the republican party to donald trump's, as we have seen, and away. alex, thank you so much, my friend. it's great to see you. i know you will be back here tomorrow hosting the show -- >> yes. >> i will keep the chair warm for you, my friend. >> thank you so much for doing the work, ayman mohyeldin. >> take care. i still had, we will talk to the ball works tim miller about -- the border deal -- and as a matter of 2024 politics. that's coming up next. g up next. 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. all right, so, just to

contest into the 2024 primary, the republican national committee appears ready to call it. today, nbc news reports that some rnc members but circulating a draft solution declined all trump their presumptive presidential nominee. in, part it states, all evidence negates the possibility of a mathematical path forward to the 2024 republican nomination by any candidate other than president trump. the shaft won't be official until an affirmative rnc vote takes place next week.

but senate republicans are taking as though the matters already settled. in fact, on trump's their nominee and what he says goes. days after trump's decisive win in new hampshire senate minority leader mitch mcconnell's purportedly backing away from a bipartisan immigration deal that would include aid for ukraine because, i, guess trump says so. trump with the rnc's potential presumptive nominee is campaigning on chaos at the southern border. so, last night, mitch mcconnell, who had previously supported this deal -- this very same deal -- suddenly told his members, we are in a quandary. republicans could try to solve a problem that they claim to care about for. but they are choosing not to. why? because donald trump wants to deny joe biden a legislative win ahead of the election. joining me now is tim miller, writer at large for the bulwark, and then msnbc analyst. tim, it's great to have you here.

thanks for making time for us. you've got house republican strict-ing border measures into a deal for ukraine funding's with democrats and some republicans were adamant about. now they are trying to blow up this whole deal, because it might make joe biden look good politically. and i guess the question is, does the hypocrisy of tanking ideal they asked for actually register or matter to republican voters? >> well, i don't think it matters at scale, unfortunately, ayman mohyeldin, or else they would do. it i think majority republican votes are on board with whatever donald trump wants. the question is, is there a minority of trump voters, and of republican voters, that can be convinced about republicans absolutely shameful application of the responsibility by democrats, and i'm not actually the biggest gavin new some man, generally, but i was pretty impressed with his messaging in that last segment. i think that making an argument that the republicans care about donald trump's winds within the

care about donald trump -- american people is a very compelling argument for democrats to make to the minority of republicans, swing-ish, soften publican voters, who do genuinely care about the stuff. there is a handful at. there and fortunately, not have to defeat donald trump in the primary but enough to make a big difference in a general election. and i just think, ayman mohyeldin, it's unbelievably cowardly, and -- mitch mcconnell, my god. this was -- ukraine was the one thing that he pretended that he cared about. i mean, there should not even be a deal. i don't even understand why immigration is tied to ukraine in the first. placement mcconnell in the republican senators should be working this administration and the democratic senators to give ukraine a weapons they need, no string attached. but if they are going to demand immigration, which has nothing to do with ukraine, be tied to, it at least negotiating good faith. if they need to do that, democrats need to shame them in

order to cleave off the voters that you care about this. >> we have seen this time and time again, tim. i think about police reform and tim scott negotiating in good faith with democrats, and the kid being delayed and delayed and working on something, until there was nothing. i keep wondering to myself, how long, or why do democrats continue to play this game with republicans? they, as you said, you are raising a very important question. why was ukraine even tied to immigration in the first place? maybe because democrats felt that could either us a republican to actually make a deal. once again, we see that blowing up in there, face that republicans are not sincere about making a deal. and this has all fallen apart. can democrats effectively run on the message that you and governor newsom were highlighting? that republicans are sabotaging legislative deal after legislative deal? >> i think so. especially if it's tied to trump. this notion is pretty based in with swing voters. the trump only cares about himself. if democrats can make the case that it's not just him, it's the whole party, that they are just a cult in service to trump

and that they don't even care about what they claim to care about, i do think that is going to resonate with certain voters. i've got to tell you, going back to strategy, i think that democrats should play greater hardball and. this they're coming back up on the next -- i interviewed for the bulwark -- jake austin costs out of massachusetts this morning and he's arguing democrats shouldn't bill republicans out of their budget mess. if the republicans can't put together a budget to keep the government open, maybe the democrats should extract things from the republicans, if they are going to bail them out, as they have had to do ever since kevin mccarthy and then mike johnson govern charge. ukraine could be an issue for them. some of the more liberal or democratic agenda items when it comes to the border could be included in, that or other issues. >> why do you think mitch mcconnell did what he did? as you said, he was bullish on ukraine he. does want to help ukraine. he claims he cares about ukraine. he distance him self from donald trump politically. he has not been a person who

has heated donald trump's demands on legislation in the. passes ignored some. but now he's ready to do what trump wants. why? >> because he is unbelievably weak right now. and mitch mcconnell has always been a power player. whether you like him or not, he has always been somebody that has control of that republican conference, and it feels like he is in charge. he is not in charge now. he has been run over. the party did not follow what he wanted to do over the past two years. he got in touch with what the base wants. obviously, he's aging. and so, i think, for a variety of reasons, mitch mcconnell just does not have the juice anymore. i hope he finds. it i've got to tell, you if this is it -- i do think this is it for mitch mcconnell. i do think that either of it -- he's either going to retire someone will replace him. and if you are going to retire, at least go out with some dignity. mitch mcconnell is a cynical guy, but these few things that he cares. about i would hope that he find

some backbone in the next few, weeks instead of getting run over by a third rate real estate guy out of new york. and it's crazy how pathetic mitch mcconnell looks right now. >> i was gonna say, you can take a page out of mitt romney's book and what he -- tim miller, it's always great to see you, my friend. thank you so much for your time tonight. it's great appreciated. >> thanks, ayman mohyeldin. >> up next, on "alex wagner tonight", i think inside the courtroom were down from testified today. we will get the very latest from someone who was inside, next. >> woman: what's my safelite story? i'm a photographer. and when i'm driving,

i see inspiration right through my glass. so when my windshield cracked, it had to be fixed right. i scheduled with safelite autoglass. their experts replaced my windshield and recalibrated my car's advanced safety system. ♪ acoustic rock music ♪ >> woman: safelite is the one i trust. they focus on safety so i can focus on this view. >> singers: ♪ safelite repair, safelite replace. ♪

♪ ♪

every day can be extraordinary with rich, creamy, delicious fage total yogurt.

what causes a curve down there? who can treat this? stop typing, and start talking. it could be a medical condition called peyronie's disease, or pd. you're not alone, there is hope. find a specialized urologist who can diagnose and treat pd. visit makeapdplan.com today. >> former president donald

trump took the stand today to defend himself, i guess, in the civil trial, to decide how much he should have to pay for defaming writer e. jean carroll. comes testimony lasted about three minutes, but believe in a lot in those three minutes, trump managed to break the courts rules enough that part of his testimony actually had to be stricken from the record. our lisa rubin was in the courtroom today will help us break that down in a moment. but that wasn't the only testimony from trump to jury her. today was the most traumatic but maybe not the most significant. the facts in this case are not in question at this point. back in may, a different jury found trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming e. jean carroll. they ordered him to pay her four and a half million dollars. the issue before the jury today's question of more damages for different instances of defamation.

because that was the question at hand e. jean carroll's lawyer decided to use trump's own words against him. there was a piece of the other deposition they played for the jury today, deposition from the new york attorney general civil fraud case, against trump, in which he brags about how wealthy he is. >> i don't need the money. you probably see the cash. we have a lot of cash. here. substantially in excess of 400 million cash and we have a lot of cash, we have great assets and we have a very valuable company. maybe ten billion dollars or something for the brand. >> joining us now is lisa rubin, msnbc legal analyst, who is in the room for today's proceedings. lisa, thank you for being with us tonight. i know it's been an exceptionally long day, another one of many for you. i will start broadly. what did you make of donald trump's taking the stand today and what he had to say. >> fruitless from a legal perspective, and not really

incrementally adeline much of a political one either, everything that donald trump said on the stand today something that those who hang on his every word already knew. he denied e. jean carroll's allegations. he stands by that. we know that because he says this all the time on truth social, on the campaign trail. and he denied it, he says, to defend himself. nothing about that was surprising. the jury would have known that is what without us testimony. so, again, i think a total wash both, politically and politically. >> the clip we played there after reports from the attorney general case, that the e. jean carroll case. but what does it say to about the argument that her lawyers presented this as a piece of evidence in this case in the intersection of these two trials? >> let's start with the fact that any time a party to a lawsuit says something in a different venue that can be says an admission that can be admissible, and another completely unrelated legal proceeding of that bears and some of the same issues. we know that donald trump, every time he either takes the stand or is the post, so something that is damaging to

himself, so, last friday, when this came out from that new york attorney general's case, where donald trump was deposed last april, most of us thought, no big deal, we've seen this transcript before. why is this a big thing? it's a huge thing because e. jean carroll's lawyers had never seen this video before. with authorities, which was prompted by a freedom of information request by another media organization, they would have never been able to play today. so, it's really an opportunity to see how all of his worlds are converging on one another, legal, political. and then all the different legal proceedings converging as well. >> it's one thing to read the transcript. it's another thing to hear is woodward's talk about, and even the matter and the tone,, certainly is a factor for the jurors. speaking of the jury, we heard the closing arguments will be tomorrow. give me your sense on how you think it plays out from. here when we might expect a decision, and how soon that might happen? >> you know, i'm not a magic eight ball. but i want to give you -- >> you know everything. >> it's about juries -- and nothing that someone who has not been in my position

trying a case before a jury would not tell you, which is that jurors hate having to come back after a weekend. they want to go back to their norm alive. so if they're instructed by early afternoon tomorrow, i predict they might come to a victor verdict by tomorrow evening. also, judge kaplan has made provisions for them to get meals instead of lunches, which is how a previous order of the court read. that's not a big thing to you or me but it signals to me he's anticipating keeping the jury there late into the evening and making accommodations for that event. ayman mohyeldin >> let me get your final -- alvin bragg -- has a lot of attention on that one as well. because it was kind of like the first case out of the gate, so to speak. but we're coming back to it now because all of the importance that it still carries as a legal case but also because of what it means politically. i want to get your thoughts on that as we see alvin bragg move forward with that case. >> the new york times reported on alvin bragg's preparations today, and the most important thing that stood out to me was alvin bragg's re-casting this

case. it's not a money for sex case anymore. it's an election interference case of its own. this is about don trump's attempt to interfere with voters who need to make an informed choice in 2016. i thought it was a savvy way of looking at the case. i still don't think that case gets tried in march. if there is a possibility that judge tanya chutkan can try her case in march, april, or may, george -- judge what marcia of the new york supreme court doesn't want to be in the position to interfere with that case. >> all right lisa rubin, we appreciate you doing double duty is a legal analyst and breaking down the magic eight ball. greatly appreciated. take care. one more story for you tonight. president biden, what he is doing in a last-ditch effort to rescue apiece for hostages deal between israel and hamas. more on that after the break. get 6x longer-lasting freshness, plus odor protection. try for under $5! ( ♪ ♪ )

start your day with nature made. the #1 pharmacist recommended vitamin and supplement brand. only unitedhealthcare medicare advantage plans come with the ucard — one simple member card that opens doors for what matters. how 'bout using it at the pharmacy? yes — your ucard is all you need. (impressed) huh — that's easy! the all-in-one ucard, only from unitedhealthcare. if you have chronic kidney disease you can reduce the risk of kidney failure with farxiga.

because there are places you'd rather be. farxiga can cause serious side effects, including ketoacidosis that may be fatal, dehydration, urinary tract, or genital yeast infections, and low blood sugar. a rare, life-threatening bacterial infection in the skin of the perineum could occur. stop taking farxiga and call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of this infection, an allergic reaction, or ketoacidosis. ♪ far-xi-ga ♪ what is cirkul? cirkul is the fuel you need to take flight. cirkul is the energy that gets you to the next level. cirkul is what you hope for when life tosses lemons your way. cirkul, available at walmart and drinkcirkul.com. 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. you're probably not easily persuaded to switch i mobile providers h for your business. but what if we told you it's possible that comcast business mobile can save you up to 75% a year on your wireless bill versus the big three carriers? did we peak your interest? you can get two unlimited lines for just $30 each a month. there are no term contracts or line activation fees.

and you can bring your own device. oh, and all on the most reliable 5g mobile network nationwide. wireless that works for you. >> this week the british it's not just possible, it's happening.

television news network itv broadcasted a horrific incident captured by one of their cameramen. before we play this video from itv, we have to give you a warning that it is very disturbing. on monday a tv journalist was filming a group of civilian men fleeing combative areas in khan yunis in the south of the gaza strip. seen here, holding a white flag. according to itv, these men were trying to go back into an area that was under israeli fire in order to rescue the there relatives, who were trapped and in danger. the camera man then interviewed one of the man, seen here, in black, on the right-hand side of the screen, and moments after finishing that interview, the camera man captured this. [sound of gunfire] >>

[speaking in a global language] >> the man he interviewed, lying on the ground after being shot dead, his blood seen on the white flag the men were carrying. the shooting sparked wide condemnation, amnesty international, the norwegian refugee council called it evidence of a war crime. and israeli military spokesperson told nbc news that video is clearly edited, and we have no way to comment. the u.s. state department for its part declined to comment on whether the shooting was a war crime or not. also in khan yunis, israeli forces have surrounded two hospitals, trapping thousands of palestinians inside. i'll nastier hospital and i'll amor al-nasser hospital and al-amir hospital --

crowd of people waiting for humanitarian aid. sounds of gunfire cause hundreds of civilians to panic and run with whatever they could carry. in the north of gaza, there are reports like this one on social media, of so little food that palestinians are resorting to eating animal feed militant flower, to make bread. at least 25,700 people have been killed inside gaza since the start of the war. that is according to the same palestinian health ministry. 70% of the victims, 70%, are women and children. it has now been 110 days since the october 7th hamas attacks on israel, and more than half of the hostages abducted remain in captivity. nbc news has learned that this weekend president biden plans to dish dispatch cia director william burns in hopes that a deal could be brokered to secure the release of those hostages still held inside gaza. whether that deal will include a long humanitarian pause or even a cease-fire is still a mystery to everyone. as the biden administration

continues its steadfast support for israel's war, new polling shows that 35% of americans believe that at this moment israel is committing genocide. when you look exclusively at president biden's supporters, that number rises to 50%. what is clear is that the longer this lore war lasts, the worse it gets for the hostages and the innocent civilians inside gaza. and the world will bear witness to more devastation and more unimaginable suffering. it will be clear which steps were and were not taken to stop it. that is our show for tonight. you can catch me back here on weekends at seven pm eastern. alex we'll be back here tomorrow with more of interview with california governor gavin newsom. now it is time to hand it over to lawrence o'donnell. and the last word. good evening, lawrence. >> good evening, ayman mohyeldin. thank you very much. thank