obviously, it goes back to the aftermath of the october 7th attack and this is stained israeli offensive in gaza. and also the public opinion and iraq after tonight's strike, hooman, where you could accomplish a certain end militarily, but there may be repercussions from that respect. >> oh, sure. we don't know what the repercussions will be. first of all, we don't know what -- where iran will be forced, obliged to have some sort of reaction beyond just words. we don't know how many other kinds of people, civilians have been killed. we don't even know -- we don't know for a few days what the next steps are going to be. >> all right, hooman majd, erin banco, robin wright, thank you all. that is all in for this week. alex wagner tonight starts right now. good evening, alex. >> with evening, my friend. we're gonna continue on with this breaking news. have a good weekend. u.s. officials confirmed that the u.s. has begun

retaliatory strikes in the middle east in response to that deadly attack that killed three american service members on sunday in georgia near the syrian and iraq border. the u.s. central command, the u.s. military that's responsible for the middle east, says tonight that at four pm eastern, local time, the u.s. forces conducted airstrikes in iraq and syria against iran's islamic revolutionary guard corps and militia groups. the central command tells us that the u.s. bombers, like the one you see right here, struck more than 85 targets with more than 125 precise munitions. central command also tells us that the targets struck include command and control centers, intelligence centers, centers for rockets, missiles, and drones, and supply chain facilities where militia groups and their revolutionary guard corps sponsors. earlier tonight, nbc news briefed on this strike by president biden's national security council. here's what they told us.

>> we don't want to see a single more strike on u.s. personnel, facilities in the region. we don't want to see a single one more. the action that we talk tonight, it's only the first of more to come meant to degrade and disrupt the capabilities of these groups to conduct these attacks. we have previews, or get ahead of any future potential result one way or the other. but as i said, these responses began tonight, but they are not go into end tonight. >> this is by far the largest military action from the biden administration in response to the ongoing attacks on both u.s. forces and commercial grade vessels from iranian-backed forces. and it's also the largest show of direct american military force in the middle east since the war in gaza began in early october. again, today's strikes were retaliatory strikes triggered both by what the pentagon says

are 166 attacks directed at american troops by iranian -backed forces, and the drone strike on sunday that killed three u.s. soldiers and injured more than 40 other u.s. service members at this base here in jordan near the syrian and iraq border. president biden was in delaware today -- the fallen soldiers, sergeant kennedy sanders, back to the united states. officials have confirmed that american bombers were in the air today while president biden attended what is known as a dignified transfer. tonight, here is the presidents statements on these strikes. this afternoon, at my direction, u.s. military forces struck targets at facilities in iraq and syria that the irtv and affiliated militia used to attack u.s. forces. our response began today. it will continue at times and places of our choosing. the

united states does not seek conflict in the middle east or anywhere else in the world. i will let all those who might seek to do us harm know this. if you harm an american, we will respond. joining me now is missy ryan, reporter for the washington post who covers diplomacy and national security. missy, thanks for being with me tonight. i wonder if you can talk a little bit about what, for lack of a better term, is the marriage of convenience between iran and these proxy militias, and what that strikes on those proxy militias do, meaningfully, to iranian leadership? >> yeah, well, this is a really tense moment for the middle east , and really high stakes for the biden administration, as it seeks to intensify its confrontation with these militia groups, and behind them around. iran has had this relationship going back decades with different armed groups across the middle east that provided training, funding, arms. and overtime, the network of groups that it back has grown,

you know, from lebanon to iraq and syria, following the iraqi war, and now in yemen, we are seeing the houthi rebels. what a run gets out of the deal is reached the ability, the strikes, the targets, including israel and u.s. interests in the middle east. and so, what the biden administration is trying to do is really thread the needle here , what this brazen big broad attack, the capability of these groups to threaten american forces, american interests in the middle east, without tipping into an all-out direct conflict with iran, which would be hugely unpredictable, huge distraction for the biden administration's real foreign policy priorities. it's just incredibly dangerous. >> missy, can you talk a little bit more about the quds force, sort of the elite part of the iran revolutionary guard corps and their presence in syria and iraq. >> sure, the quds fourth has

been blamed for attacks on american forces, going back to the war and iraq, hundreds of attacks were blamed on this quds force. there is this paramilitary arm, the irgc, the islamic revolutionary guard corps, and they have been the specific unit that has been tasked with training, arming, supporting these militia groups, which are the shadow force for iran across the region. the united states conducted a really important attack in 2020 that killed qassem soleimani, who was the head of that force, really widely revered figure, that was a big escalation at that time. and, you know, what we are seeing right now is just sort of a different moment, and flow, more or less direct conflict between the united states and iran that could really tip the spear and that sort of proxy conflict that were saying. >> do you have any sense, after the assassination of qasem soleimani, there was a lot of negotiations with iran, de-

escalatory communications if you will. we have john kirby who said yesterday that a secret, you could not speak to any conversations that were happening between the u.s. and around, or third parties facilitating this conversation. do you imagine in a moment like this that there is some, that there are communications happening to make sure that this does not become direct confrontation? >> well, the absolutely public messaging on that part of both governments that they don't want that to happen. you know, we've seen that repeatedly from that white house, you know, as they were saying that they're not gonna retaliate these kind of attacks, they're saying that they don't want direct war. we have also heard from iran that they don't want direct war and there are suggestions say iran maybe taking steps to wait in some of this militia especially in iraq. but, you know, there may be things going on behind the scenes via intermediaries. i think, really, the question is will there be some sort of miscalculation on the part of one or the other side, where they do feel compelled, maybe,

to stay safe, to conduct an escalatory attack, you know, and that could lead up to some very unpredictable things. >> missy ryan from the washington post, thank you so much for your time tonight. really appreciate it. now, let's turn to ben rhodes, former deputy national security adviser under president obama. that, thank you for being here tonight. i know you've had a busy couple of hours on this network. the first thing i have to ask you, i'm old enough to remember the first time u.s. struck targets in iraq, and we're talking a lot about iran here. i wonder what you think the implications are striking targets in iraq to go after iran these heavy the u.s. relationship with iraq? >> well, i think it's potentially very complicated, alex. the reality is it is groups have been operating, as missy said, in iraq since the height of the iraqi war. they are pretty entrenched there. and the u.s. sent 2500 troops in iraq dating back to the campaign after we withdrew from

iraq in 2011, 2500 remained as part of supporting counterterrorism operations, training the iraqi forces. but their presence is controversial in part of iraq and part of what these groups want is to provoke the u.s. and action that lead to the iraqi government asking the u.s. to get out, essentially. and that maybe what is happening here because it puts a lot of pressure on the iraqi government. look, it makes them look like they don't control their sovereignty that they're not a part of these strikes. every time the u.s. keeps a pretty significant military action in iraq over the head of the iraqi government, which is a majority shia, has ties to iran itself, it puts them in a really difficult spot here. so, iraq becomes kind of a battleground for this proxy between the u.s. and iran. also, these groups, if they wanted to respond, one of the places that's available to them, targets, it's the u.s. diplomatic presence in iraq. human targets, u.s. troops in the region, but also i'm sure

the israeli heightened security of around the u.s. embassy in baghdad and americans and iraq. >> the biden administration remembers, you know, what we've done in iraq and it understands the ramifications as well. between these two, what do you think of the presidents calibration here? i mean, we saw what he did when american, sort of, commercial interests were threatened in the red sea. did he have to respond at this level when american lives were lost? >> you know, he didn't have to. i mean, the reality is that there is been a war, there's been a regional war for a long time. since hamas's attack on october 7th, that war has escalated dramatically across the region. what he's chosen to do here, alex, he's kind of gone about as far as you can turn the dial up without going directly into iraq. that would be crossing a major threshold into a direct confrontation between the u.s.

and iran. what it feels like they're doing here, you know, dozens of strikes on several different locations in iraq and syria, and in the beginning of something signaling. it feels like really going after, essentially, this network of militias and groups and supply knows where the irgc provides weapons to these groups, these places where they operate, and they may be trying to really put all these groups on the back foot. now, that may help deter in the near term, their capacity to launch attacks against u.s. troops. i would caution, alex, is it -- they're gonna try and surrender. they've lived through the iraq war. they've lived through the syrian civil war. the houthis have lived through years of or in yemen. they can be knocked back but you're not gonna eliminate these groups and the same way that israel is not going to eliminate almost and gaza. i just think at some point, the only way to really bring security to the u.s. forces in the region is for there to be a de-escalation, and frankly, de- escalation in gaza as well as

across the region. they seem to want to send this message, and knock these groups back in the meantime. but it's a very volatile and unpredictable situation and a part of the world where we've learned one thing, alex, one thing, we don't control in the middle east, unpredictability is likely to follow any action we take. >> i mean, some suggested that iran might be in communication with some of these proxy groups. and urging them to de-escalate. i mean, for lack of a better term, do you buy that? and is that what iran wants in this hour? >> the relationship between iran and these groups as, as a general matter, yes, they provided them weapons, they provided them with funding. they're not sitting there picking the targets, you know, after u.s. troops in jordan. they're not sitting there, i think, in the day-to-day tactics of what they've been doing. i think what iran is trying to do, in signaling itself, and they came out and said, well,

we want to attack u.s. forces for the time being. i think they're doing the same thing that the u.s. government is doing. they're saying, we don't really want this war, but we're not gonna fully back down and get out of this business of supporting these groups, right? so they're trying to calibrate it just like the u.s. is. everybody is kind of playing this game of how much can we turn that escalation dial up and then turn it down to avoid a full on regional war between the u.s. and iran. and so, nobody is in full control here. iran is not in full control, these proxy groups, the u.s. obviously doesn't control, bibi netanyahu's decision-making isn't -- and the more than three dimensional -- and that's remaining a powder keg as long as this region is in more. >> i, mean for that end, secretary blinken is going back to the region for his fifth time. and i wonder what you think of the broader sort of situation, you know, the hard and fast reality of trying to negotiate

a cease fire? >> well, what is getting on is at the core issue of can we get a durable cease-fire in gaza that allows for the return of hostages, and then create an opening for some diplomacy here. now, the israeli government has indicated that even that cease- fire will be permanent, and so they will resume hostilities again, resume their operations in gaza. it should be said that these groups, part of their ideology is to kind of resist israel and the united states in the region, obviously to take a moment like the war and gaza to assert themselves. if you are not in a blasting cease-fire, it's still gonna be a bit of a tinderbox there. and in terms of getting that cease-fire incontinence, i think you've got a little harder. it's not impossible, qatar, not iran, is speeding the complexity of the region. qatar, not iran, has been the key force negotiating between the u.s. and hamas and israel and so there is still i'm sure something that they're gonna put together. but when things pick up in the region like this, you know, the

iranians may be telling their guys and hamas, now it's not the time to lay down your arms. the israeli government may feel like hezbollah and lebanon might be activated by this, and so they might have a desire to show that they're not gonna back down and stop their military operation. everybody is in this fight and nobody wants to be the first one to take a step back. and that's always at dangerous situation. wars tend to become more complicated, particularly the middle east. let's hope that that trip yields some result to turn this escalation down. >> i mean, writing down the names of the stakeholders and all of this, lebanon, iraq, iran , syria, jordan, it's we'll -- talk about this -- ben rhodes, my friend, i appreciate you. >> thanks, alex. we have much more ahead tonight. we will talk to nbc news chief international correspondent keir simmons live from iraq about the effects of these strikes and much more, coming up next. ♪ ♪ ♪ up next. ♪ ♪ ♪

he hits his mark —center stage—and is crushed by a baby grand piano. you're replacing me? customize and save with liberty bibberty. he doesn't even have a mustache. only pay for what you need. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ nice to meet ya. my name is david. i've been a pharmacist for 44 years mainly because i just love helping people. as i got older, it was just a natural part of aging, i felt that my memory was beginning to decline and that's when i started looking for something that would help.

when i first started taking prevagen, i noticed my memory was so much better. just stuff seemed to come together and fit like a jigsaw puzzle in my mind. prevagen. at stores everywhere without a prescription. there are some things that work better together. like your workplace benefits and retirement savings. voya helps you choose the right amounts without over or under investing. so you can feel confident in your financial choices. voya, well planned, well invested, well protected. a lot of new dry eye patients in my office tell me about their frequent dry eyes, which may point to dry eye disease. millions of americans were estimated to have it. they've tried artificial tears again and again, but the relief is temporary. xiidra can provide lasting relief. xiidra treats the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. don't use if you're allergic to xiidra. common side effects include eye irritation, discomfort or blurred vision when applied to the eye, and unusual taste sensation. doctor: why wait? ask your eye doctor about a 90-day prescription for xiidra today. so, you've got the power of xfinity at home.

now take it outside with xfinity mobile. ask your eye doctor about a 90-day prescription like speed? it's the fastest mobile service around... and right now, you can get a free line of our most popular unlimited plan. all on the most reliable 5g network nationwide. ditch the other guys and you'll save hundreds. get a free line of unlimited intro for 1 year when you buy one unlimited line. and for a limited time, get the new samsung galaxy s24 on us.

we are following breaking news from the middle east this evening, as the pentagon launched air strikes and iraq and syria tonight, hitting more than 85 targets, islamic's revolutionary guard and affiliated militia groups. this video shows one of those air strikes targeting a weapons warehouse in a province in western iraq. joining me now from erbil, iraq

is nbc news chief international correspondent keir simmons. keir, what do we know about that reported strike in that province? >> reporter: well, that's a good question because what we haven't had from the u.s. is specifics of exactly where they have struck. so, what we've had to do here on the ground in the region is put together what we've heard, unconfirmed to say, and video like that to try to understand exactly where those strikes have been. now, anbar it's probably over there. that is a place where kata'ib hezbollah's and that the group was accused of being responsible for that drone attack that killed three american serviceman and women. i think that might be the reason for that strike. and anbar province of course is famous because america fought there in the invasion of iraq. and then, of course, it fought ices there. and in eastern syria, we are getting more and more strikes.

so america's history of intervention in this place is quite staggeringly long against this group. now, of course, targeting iranian-backed militias and the iranian revolutionary guard themselves, according to the u.s.. and what we are understanding, what we're hearing on the ground is that there is a kind of a sliver, a corridor where they've targeted along that border between syria and iraq, along the border with jordan where that drone attack happened. and it seems to be limited to that. so, in other words, this really is an escalation. this is a big move by the biden administration. but it is also limited at the same time. now, on the one hand, there is a risk of destabilization, we're talking about that on the show. as you heard from the iraqi prime minister here, complaining about iraq's sovereignty being invaded. and also, accusing america of destabilizing the

region with these strikes. and we just heard in the last few minutes -- i think maybe a response to that, suggesting that in fact it is iran and iran proxies that are destabilizing the region. so there is that piece of it. but another party, too, i think, is that we've seen -- we are saying, you know, 85 strikes , widened, deep strikes by the u.s.. but there's a lot that the u.s. hasn't done as far as we can tell and of course we should say that there is more to come. there is a lot of the u.s. hasn't done. for example, the u.s. hasn't hit iranian targets around damascus airport, which has been struck by the israelis, for example, last year, for example. so what does that mean? well, i think from these strikes, and also from what has it been struck, americans will be pretty -- by the extent of the iranian reach and the depth of its network now, and

particularly in syria, but here in iraq too. so the message tonight from the biden administration, and we've been talking about how calibrated this is, the message tonight is, don't kill american servicemen and women, we will hit you. but what we're not gonna do is really slamming, if you'd like, that iranian network across syria, which israel finds so threatening. a corridor, for example, that allowed iran to send weapons to hezbollah in lebanon. i mean, to the extent that they even, according to analysis and reports, weapons making in syria so that it can be closer to lebanon. so, that broader picture is a shadow war with iran, probably isn't being addressed by what's happening tonight. we will wait to see what happens next. and that gets to the question of whether this is really gonna move the needle for tehran in terms of their strategic goals. get the u.s. out of iraq and

put pressure on israel. >> keir simmons, nbc news chief international correspondent, this is really valuable perspective from on the ground in iraq. thank you for your time. stay safe. we will have more on tonight's breaking news. coming up, the attempts by trump's defendant, does not beat fani willis from the criminal case against him. georgia republicans have a plan b, and maybe a plan c? more on all that, coming up next. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

everyone say, “space pod.” cheese. [door creaks open] [ominous music] (♪♪) [ding] meanwhile, at a vrbo... when other vacation rentals are just for likes, try one you'll actually like. if advanced lung cancer has you searching for possibilities, discover a different first treatment. immunotherapies work with your immune system to attack cancer. but opdivo plus yervoy is the first combination of 2 immunotherapies for adults newly diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer that has spread, tests positive for pd-l1,

and does not have an abnormal egfr or alk gene. opdivo plus yervoy is not chemotherapy, it works differently. it helps your immune system fight cancer in 2 different ways. opdivo and yervoy can cause your immune system to harm healthy parts of your body during and after treatment. these problems can be severe and lead to death. see your doctor right away if you have a cough; chest pain; shortness of breath; irregular heartbeat; diarrhea; constipation; severe stomach pain; severe nausea or vomiting; dizziness; fainting; eye problems; extreme tiredness; changes in appetite, thirst or urine; rash; itching; confusion; memory problems; muscle pain or weakness; joint pain; flushing; or fever. these are not all the possible side effects. problems can occur together and more often when opdivo is used with yervoy. tell your doctor about all medical conditions including immune or nervous system problems, if you've had or plan to have an organ or stem cell transplant, or received chest radiation. your search for 2 immunotherapies starts here. ask your doctor about opdivo plus yervoy. a chance to live longer.

these underwear are period-proof. and sneeze-proof. and sweat-proof. they're leakproof underwear, from knix. comfy & confident protection that feel just like normal. with so many styles and colors to choose from, switching is easy at knix.com not just any whiteboard...

...katie porter's whiteboard is one way she's: [news anchor] ...often seen grilling top executives of banks, big pharma, even top administration officials. katie porter. never taken corporate pac money - never will. leading the fight to ban congressional stock trading. and the only democrat who opposed wasteful “earmarks” that fund politicians' pet projects. katie porter. focused on your challenges - from lowering housing costs to fighting climate change. shake up the senate - with democrat katie porter. i'm katie porter and i approve this message. two leading candidates for senate. two very different visions for california. steve garvey, the leading republican, is too conservative for california. he voted for trump twice and supported republicans for years, including far right conservatives. adam schiff, the leading democrat, defended democracy against trump and the insurrectionists. he helped build affordable housing, lower drug costs, and bring good jobs back home. the choice is clear. i'm adam schiff, and i approve this message.

fulton county d.a. fani willis today answered accusations of misconduct that have been coming from one of donald trump's codefendants in the georgia election conspiracy case. now, the attacks against d.a. willis center around this man, one of three special prosecutors that d.a. willis brought on board to oversee the case. last month, trump codefendant and former campaign manager alleged that d.a. willis and nathan wade were carrying on a secret relationship. mr. roman asked that judge in this case to remove mr. wade, mrs. philips, and her entire office from the case. mr. roman contends that nathan wade was not qualified to the job on d.a. willis's team but miss willis hired him anyway ensuring that he will receive a generous

salary and financial benefits thanks to their alleged relationship. now, today, 176 page court filing, fani willis is offered a detailed response to those allegations. first, she confirmed that yes, she and nathan wade had a, quote, personal relationship in addition to their, quote, professional association and friendship. miss willis said the relationship began after she hired mr. d.a. to join her team. mike roman claims that mr. wade was paid by mrs. willis's office to finance vacations he and that d.a. took together. financial responsibility for personal travel taken is divided evenly between the two and all expenses or paid for it with individual personal funds. in other words, they were going dutch. after that claim that nathan wade was not qualified for the job, fani willis played a litany of qualifications, and noticed when that he ran for unelected post, mike roman's own

lawyer was a vocal and visual presence in support of nathan weights campaign. as evidence of that fact, d.a. willis even included this photo of mike roman's lawyer in a nathan wade campaign t-shirt, and the lawyer posted is to social media with a caption, vote for nathan wade. she argues her relationship with mr. wade is not automatically disqualifying. it is worth noting that there's four summit when ships among the collection of defense attorneys representing the defendants, and then she goes on to name names. that is the defense from district attorney fani willis. did she break any laws? it seems like the answer would reasonably be no. former senior justice department official andrew weissmann notes that the new fani willis brief, including supporting the affidavit, so powerful that he missed the substance -- but does that mean this is all

over? unlikely. after all, d.a. willis is criminally charged by the former president -- and the stakes of this trial are enormously high. none of this is going to be quietly into the night. independent, there are a few other factors that day willis has to contend with. jones was a state senator in 2020. he served as one of the fake electors and georgia helping donald trump create bogus election documents to try and overturn joe biden's victory. and fani willis wanting to investigate jones but she stopped doing so. a georgia judge said robert mcburney blocked her on the grounds that d.a. willis had helped raise money for jones's democratic opponent in jones's district -- now, judge mcburney did not say that any laws were broken but in the courtroom, he called fani willis's actions, what were you thinking, moment. judge mcburney wrote in his

opinion, quote, an investigation of this is significant, garnering public attention, putting so many political nerves in our society. cannot be burdened by the district attorney's notice. the district attorney does not have to be a political as her investigations do. now, it's possible that that judge in the current criminal case, judge mcafee, could make a similar determination here with regard to miss willis prosecuting the election conspiracy case or not. but then, there is georgia's republican controlled legislature. the georgia senate has already launched an investigation to the ableist which they could use as a record -- or forced her to testify under oath, which could be of interest to the commission that georgia republicans created here for the sole purpose of removing so-called far-left prosecutors. now, that commission was effectively put on ice by the georgia supreme court. but as of now, georgia republicans are trying to revive that, and they're using

fani willis as an example of why that commission's need. joining joining me now -- andrew weissmann, former fbi general counsel and co-host of the indispensable prosecuting trump broadcast. also with me, a professor of law and ethics at georgia state university. andrew, i just know from our conversation that you see this slightly differently than i do. how much peril do you think this election conspiracy case could bring? >> not a lot. i mean, i think -- what i tweeted out, if you think about where we were before this filing, the intimation that was made by defendant mike roman was that you have a boyfriend who. is incompetent, who is hired by fani willis, solely because of that relationship. and then, they were going a dutch as to the profits of

getting this contract split, and she was getting this money. that was the look of the allegations. and the response, and obviously, there can be a hearing, and we'll see what comes out of this. but the response with a signed affidavit that was submitted today is an on of that -- so i think at this point people might be nibbling around the edges. there is a sworn affidavit that there was no relationship at the time. there is a sworn affidavit which talks about his qualifications. and i just want to point out, no lawyer is perfect. you are building a team. i've been in that situation where when i've been hired, i told the person hiring me, just you know, this is not what i'm good at. and they're trying to pick somebody who has -- but i thought that was a really strong part. and then, they said they are roughly divided everything. i just thought that the main

threat of what was being exposed, which to me is not that there is a relationship. that happens, but the issue, it's the issue of hiring somebody because of that relationship. and, so i thought the main thrust, again, if that is -- there is no country evidence and this is in the record, i think this is an attempt in terms of the legal issue before this judge. i think the defendant has no right to complain about it. you know, whether there are issues, whether all of the eyes were dotted and t's crossed, but there may be something there . but to me, that's the main thrust to this. it seems -- it looked like a -- >> professor cunningham, i know that you wrote an op-ed in the new york times, and i would love to read an excerpt of it. you said i believe the judicious court could be forbus was to take illegal absent and turn over control of the

district attorney's office in the case against mr. trump. now, that was before this filing came out today. and i wonder if there is anything in it in terms of explanation, anything that changes your mind? >> well, in or all respect, reading this response and the very vague and evasive affidavit filed by david wade strengthened my opinion that she should take a temporary absence from the office and turn it over to curry prosecutor. i think that there's a lot that they could work with here. i think it's only to make any predictions about what the outcome of the disqualification motion is going to be. i've said that before, i say that now. let me point out one thing, to be clear. we've seen mr. romans lawyer filing something this afternoon,

evidence about 30 $800 at the beginning of november 2022, taking a luxury trip to aruba. they came back from aruba, and at that point, he did not have a contract. this contract is expired. they together signed a new contract, lived after coming back to louisville. she personally signed it. i can't understand if she was in a romantic relationship with this man, as a public official, why should be signing a contract, and outside contract with someone who she is in a relationship with. and that contract gave her the authority to allow him to go over monthly limits. and the next year, she did it a month after month after month. he corrected at least -- and she proved it. i don't see any of these filings as solving the issues at all. again, i'm not pre-judging whether she would be disqualified. i do think the defendant still has a lot to work with, are

going the amount of money was getting paid is outside counsel. >> i can't get into the receipts. and i absolutely trust that professor cunningham has looked at mike romans filing judiciously. but i'm sure there's gonna be someone, back and forth about all of this. i go to the jones case where, you know, there's the legal question, and then there's the ethical question. and the fact of the matter is, you know, as -- this is the highest profile case, maybe in, certainly in this d.a.s lifetime, maybe in georgia state history going after former president on charges of election fraud, a r.i.c.o. charge. i just wonder if there is a merit to professor cunningham, just basically taking a leave of absence which would not scuttle the broader case. >> i think i agree with the

professor that it is useful to wait to hear the whole fact. i found that the filing was informative and changed my view. i was concerned about the idea of hiring somebody while you were in a relationship. i'm less concerned about the idea that the contract continued because these were six months, six month contract. i do not think that there should be an overreaction of saying, oh, if there is an appearance, you should withdraw . i've worked for robert mueller. i've seen high profile cases and the kinds of allegations and serious allegations that are made. this comes up a lot of times when people ask judges to recuse because of a propriety. and usually, really good judges, the first instinct is, you know, i don't want any questions of -- and then, true

-- i just put a caveat on that point. but then, judges think about, wait a second, that's not how you go out of the system. you don't just choose every time somebody waves an issue. there really has to be a legal standard. it has to be met. you cannot let one side or the other use -- and so, if this turns out to be something where yes, she had a personal relationship with somebody in her office after they were hired , that to me is not the reason to -- get to the professor's point, one thing that is alleged by the fani willis mission is that every received, all of the payments had to be approved by the chief financial officer of fulton county. i was looking at exactly that kind of thing, what kind of -- if you're having that relationship, what are you putting in place?

there could be more to it, to the professors point, i do think it's useful to have a hearing on this. but i do think this is a much more complicated situation and people should not think, oh, the better way to deal with this is just to recuse. i think you cannot want a system that way. >> professor cunningham, there's the sort of legal -- the georgia state legislature, their committees and panels are investigating this. can you talk a bit about the climate in and around this case in the state of georgia? the mic is yours. >> a footnote to what andrew just said and that is my suggestion, it's in many ways strategic. i'm not an expert on how these things go in georgia -- we're looking at months of delay, i would say, even if she ultimately prevails. months of delay. and right now, we just found out that that he's the case is taken off the march schedule

there is an opportunity for the georgia d.a.'s office, maybe to just sever donald trump, jump into this space within the spring right now and get the whole nation a televised trial right away before the general election. if she made this a emotion go away, which he could do right now, the strategic -- i appreciate andrew say she doesn't want to be changed around by accusations. smart enough to realize that this is gonna go on for -- what's going on here, a lot of other problems that could cause d.a. willis to be removed. we have a new prosecuting attorneys qualification commission that's about to get into business and there's gonna be a file complaint against her. i'm quite sure that they're gonna invest investigate this. and there's this committee that's been informed by the

state senate. and i mentioned the emphasis before. i'm not a legal ethics expert, but these are just about the worse and voices -- but they should not have been paying him on these invoices. $10,000 -- and that was. i've never seen invoices like this. again, it makes you suspicious about someone in a relationship and the state senate is gonna dig into this and i think it's possible that they're gonna find out -- this is not gonna go away and i think it's gonna get worse as long as de willis continues as she did today to fight in a pretty hard way -- >> andrew, this is for people who

are looking for accountability here. this has not been a great week. we know that judge chutkan is right. the trial date it's off the calendar. professor cunningham said there's a lot of ways that can happen before the election -- enormous accountability. and, the one silver lining. like you, i am waiting every day at the d.c. circuit and not find out in any way, shape or form, as we discuss. there is the opportunity for the new york criminal case, which is scheduled for march 25th to step in. >> alvin bragg. >> exactly, that can go forward. so then the final point is, it is infuriating that our system

works and doesn't work in the political timeline and due process and being able to appeal d things and of course consider things as part of our process. that is true for donald trump and any other candidate. >> the wheels turned slowly, but they still get turned. andrew weissmann, mr. cunningham, thank you for being with us tonight. appreciate it. still ahead tonight, we continue our coverage of the u.s. retaliatory strikes against iran proxy forces, and we'll take a look at the place at the very center of this conflict. that is next. conflict. that is next. type 2 diabetes? discover the ozempic® tri-zone. ♪ ♪ i got the power of 3. i lowered my a1c, cv risk, and lost some weight. in studies, the majority of people reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. i'm under 7. ozempic® lowers the risk of major cardiovascular events such as stroke, heart attack, or death in adults also with known heart disease. i'm lowering my risk. adults lost up to 14 pounds. i lost some weight. ozempic® isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. don't share needles or pens, or reuse needles.

don't take ozempic® if you or your family ever had medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if allergic to it. stop ozempic® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or an allergic reaction. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. gallbladder problems may occur. tell your provider about vision problems or changes. taking ozempic® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may increase low blood sugar risk. side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. living with type 2 diabetes? ask about the power of 3 with ozempic®. shingles. some describe it as an intense burning sensation, or an unbearable itch. this painful, blistering rash can disrupt your life for weeks and could make it hard to be there for your loved ones. shingles could also lead to serious complications

that can last for years. if you're over 50, the virus that causes shingles is likely already inside you. and as you age, your risk of developing shingles increases. don't wait. ask your doctor or pharmacist about shingles today. [♪♪] did you know, many moisturizers only hydrate your skin? for advanced science that visibly repairs signs of aging... try olay regenerist micro-sculpting cream. it delivers 10 benefits in every jar for younger-looking skin, visibly firming, lifting, and smoothing wrinkles. olay regenerist penetrates the skin's surface, to boost regeneration at the surface cellular level for continuous improvement. to visibly repair signs of aging, try olay regenerist. this has been medifacts for olay.

gusto is easy, modern small business payroll. starting at just $46 a month. but it's so much more than that. with gusto, paychecks are deposited in just a few clicks. gusto calculates and files your payroll taxes automatically. gusto offers health insurance for nearly any budget. and gusto even connects you with certified hr experts. it's fast, easy, and affordable. gusto is payroll and benefits built for small businesses. get started for free at gusto.com at bombas, we're obsessed with socks. tees. and underwear. because your basic things should be your best things. one purchased equals one donated. visit bombas.com and get 20% off your first order. we really don't want people to think of feeding food like ours is spoiling their dogs. good, real food is simple. it looks like food, it smells like food, it's what dogs are supposed to be eating. ♪

at st. jude, the mission is just something that everyone can truly get behind. look at our little st. jude pin there on the fridge! we're just regular people donating. yeah. and i think it's cool to be able to make a difference in someone's lives in a way that is meaningful.

indeed there is following the october 7th hamas terror attack in israel, president biden announced a move that the american military in the region in support of its ally. the president also had this warning for iran. >> we flew the u.s. carrier fleet to the eastern mediterranean. they are setting more fighter jets to that region and make it clear, make it clear to the iranians, be careful. >> there is no direct link between iran and the hamas terror attack. iran does support hamas and has done so for years. iran has publicly condemned israeli military action in gaza as well as american support for israel support for war against hamas. militia groups backed by iran began a series of attacks on u.s. personnel stations in syria, iraq and jordan. according to the pentagon,

there have been more than 160 attacks today. after one at the attacks by an iranian-backed militia killed three american soldiers stationed in jordan last weekend, president biden ordered today's retaliatory strike. in the meantime, israel's military response to the october 7th harris that dak continues to definitely civilian life in gaza. at least half of the buildings have been destroyed or damaged since the war began. new reporting for the new york times shows that the idea purposefully and systematically demolishing homes, schools and mosque. israeli officials told the times that the controlled demolitions are meant to create a buffer zone along the border of gaza, which would violate u.s. policy against the production of gazan territory. that revelation comes days after israeli security forces decided that doctors sent patients -- in the occupied west bank and killed three palestinian militants. the escalation appears to be in clear violation of international humanitarian law.

meanwhile, negotiations for a potential fighting continues. secretary of state antony blinken will be returning to the middle east this weekend to take part in diplomatic efforts, that the biden administration is reportedly exploring -- formal recognition of a palestinian state. officials stress it will not happen anytime soon, but the potential for a significant u.s. policy shift on palestinian statehood could pressure israel in the ongoing diplomatic negotiation. when we come back, we'll talk about what the latest round of u.s. strikes mean for iranian leadership and its citizens worry. that is next. citizens worry. that is next. i splurged a little because liberty mutual customized my car insurance and i saved hundreds. that's great. i know, right? i've been telling everyone. baby: liberty. did you hear that? ty just said her first word. can you say “mama”? baby: liberty. can you say “auntie”? baby: liberty. how many people did you tell? only pay for what you need.

jingle: ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ baby: ♪ liberty. ♪

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.

you're probably not easily persuaded to switch join t mobile providersople taki for your business.cy 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. it's not just possible, it's happening. we feel really confident about the precision of those targets and the nso indication is that we hit exactly what we meant to hit. >> for more on how iran might respond tonight to the attack, i am joined by dr. abbas maloney, director of iranian studies and stanford university. thank you for making the time.

i wonder how you think broadly, these strikes will be seen by the iranian citizenry? >> i think that it will be seen as controlled response a by the u.s., trying to show the iranian regime that is not going to retaliate against the president attacks on u.s. citizens. but it is also going to be seen as a mild response to everything that keeps increasing its pressure in the region. i don't think that iran wants war, but i also think that they will see this as a very controlled, necessary response to active aggression by the regime's proxy. >> can you think a little bit more about how the war in gaza has re-oriented iran's position in the region? >> gaza has not re-oriented iran's position. iran's position -- they use good diplomatic relations with

israel. this regime mission as always been that we cannot be two states. the only solution is to create one from river to the sea, the state that is predominantly palestinian. so, they have never accepted the two state solution. the more the war continues, the more some people from israel refuse that there has to be a palestinian state, the more that iran gets embolden in its rhetoric and in its proxy activities. >> i guess i meant more in terms of the normalization of the process with the saudis and israelis, which looks to be more in danger, seems like it would give iran more currency, if you will, in terms of the region. >> i think that is temporary. iran and saudi arabia and israel my f ad closer diplomatic relations. i think saudi arabia made it

clear that unless there is a two state solution, they will not budge. i think indian iran, not the long run. saudi arabia is going to establish with nations as well as other states. i don't think iran is a long term winner and all of this. in the short and mid term, time advertising, transition of israel, not accepting a palestinian right to exist in that region. >> doctor abbas milani from stanford university, thank you so much for your time, sir. we hope to speak with you again soon. >> pleasure. >> that is our show for tonight. we will continue to follow this breaking news story out at the u.s.. the air strikes in iraq and syria. now it is time for the last word with ali velshi, in for lawrence, good evening, ali. inr lawrence, good evening, ali. good evening my friend, thank you for an excellent show, and we'll see you next week. good evening to all of you, we are continuing our brick's coverage of the united states launching airstrikes against iranian and iranian-backed