that will do it for me today. think you for joining us on this memorial day and thank you to everyone who served. we have a busy week ahead of us because closing arguments in donald trump's criminal trial are tomorrow. that means special coverage right here on msnbc. i'll join rachel maddow and the rest of the taper two our special beginning at 8:00 p.m. eastern. all your favorite legal analyst will be there to help make sense of it all. it will be a historic day and hope to see you all there. a special edition with the last word starts right now. >> i am looking forward to seeing you at the trial tomorrow. we will see how the closing

arguments go. appreciate it. >> look forward to you explaining it all of us including me. donald trump will be back in court tomorrow morning for closing arguments in his new york election interference trial. he has been charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to haida hush money payment made to adult film star stormy daniels before the 2016 election for her alleged sexual encounter with donald trump. nbc news report said a dozen members of the public have already signed up and continuing to do so even in the rain to get a seat for this historic moment. closing arguments will be prosecution and defense's final chance to weed the evidence into the narrative of their case for the jury's deliberations. in new york, the defense goes first arguing that the prosecution has failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that donald trump committed the crime of falsifying business records with the intent to

influence a 2016 election. then the prosecution will recap its k case tying testimony from 20 witnesses and the evidence including documents with handwritten notes accounting just how the hush money payment was to be reimbursed to michael cohen who testified he did it at the direction of and for the benefit of donald trump. closing arguments are expected to take up most of not the entire day tomorrow which will be followed by judge merchan giving the jury instructions which is expected to last about an hour. the donald trump's fate will be in the hands of the jury which could reach a verdict at any point after that potentially even as early as this week. trump has already predictably attacking the jury instructions as well as the judge on social media. meanwhile, there is a significant development in florida in the classified documents case against trump. special counsel jack smith is asking trump-appointed judge aileen cannon to modify the

conditions of and the classified documents case after he told the outrageous and very dangerous lie about a standard deadly force protocol that was included in the search warrant for the fbi search of mar-a- lago which took place while trump was 1100 miles away in new jersey. in a new filing, jack smith urges cannon to forbid donald trump from making statements that pose a, quote, significant, imminent, and foreseeable danger to law enforcement involved in the case. adding, quote, those deceptive and inflammatory assertions responsibly put a target on the backs of the fbi agents involved in this case, as trump well knows. is msnbc correspondent lisa rubin points out, he is upping the ante with this filing because where a defendant violates a condition of his release, the consequences can include the immediate issuance

of a warrant for the defendant's arrest, a revocation of release, and order of detention. as well as a prosecution for contempt. but, perhaps most importantly, judge cannon denies the motion, it's immediately appealable to the 11th circuit under federal statute. joining us to get us started, former u.s. attorney and professor at the university of alabama school of law and the cohost of the podcast hashtag sisters-in-law and msnbc legal analyst and senior fellow at the brennan center for justice at nyu law. we are joined by bradley moss a national security attorney who represents people in the intelligence community. my thanks to both of you to get us started for the special edition of the last word. joyce, i will start with you. let's focus on the new york trial. we have closing arguments tomorrow. the defense goes first and then the prosecution. what are the key things -- key things you are looking forward to? >> it will be that counter

balance between proof beyond a reasonable doubt on the prosecution side and the defense poking holes wherever they can. it's a little like playing soccer. i used to think of this as a young prosecutor and soccer mom. when you are the prosecution, you have to defend and you cannot let a ball get through. for the defense you don't care if it's pretty or clean. anything you can do that beats through the defenses of the other side is a win. if there's any room for reasonable doubt in the jury's mind when deliberating, it's all over. the judge instructions will tell them they cannot render a verdict of guilty unless they are convinced the prosecution has given him proof beyond a reasonable doubt on all elements of the crime. that's where the dividing line is drawn in closing argument. >> bradley, there will be some motions that will be argued before closings, predictably

that will be denied and that's another renewed motion for a directed verdict or judgment of acquittal meaning the judge could take it out of the jury's hands of the prosecution did not meet the burden. i think they have more than sufficiently done so. i hate to ask you to read tea leaves but i have a theory that the jury has been off for a week and had time to go back to their lives and maybe back to their jobs. then they go back to closings tomorrow, how quickly could we see a verdict? >> part of it will depend on where the verdict comes down. if you are trump, you are hoping for at least some time. partially which are aiming for is a hung jury. i don't think even donald trump expect an acquittal. he is aiming for a hung jury so the longer drags out and the longer it takes the more likely that there is one or two holdouts that are preventing a unanimous decision in favor of a guilty verdict. we will see how quickly they come back. i don't expected to be a matter of three hours.

i expect at least a full day of deliberations. there was a lot of testimony, lot of evidence presented by prosecution that they will have to go through. the biggest thing is, do they buy the credibility of the testimony and evidence presented by the prosecution. is it enough in their minds to connected to donald trump? >> joyce, before we pivot to mar-a-lago, want to bring up something trump posted where he was attacking judge merchan and the jury instructions. he said he had to come up with three fake options for the jury to choose from without requiring them to be unanimous then he went on to say nonsense that i'm not going to read out loud. joyce, talk about that. the law in new york does not require that the jury render a unanimous verdict on that secondary offense. the intent to conceal another crime. the jury can only only has to excuse me be under reasonable

doubt come to a conclusion as to whether or not there was the falsification with intent, but the secondary crime doesn't have to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, correct? >> i think it's really confusing to nonlawyers. we all know from watching legal shows on tv that jury verdicts in criminal cases have to be unanimous. this one does. there has to be a unanimous finding of guilt. what we are really talking about is what the elements of the crime are. the element of the crime involves donald trump creating or causing to be created false business records and doing it with the appropriate state of mind, with the intent to commit or conceal another crime. where there does not have to be unanimous in a among the members of the jury is on what the other crime is or how it was committed. that's well-established in new york law. it's not anything the judge has done. it is not anything startling to new york practitioners.

it's a common charge this district attorney's office brings in the laws a path that has been well trod and nothing new going on. >> in other words, trump was lying in his post about what the law is. let's switch to mar-a-lago. bradley, i'm happy you're here because that filing by jack smith was important. it's premised on the idea that trump has been lying and lying about standard protocol included in every search warrant that is done and executed by the fbi. i have a pointed question to you. assuming argument that judge cannon does not even take the motion, let alone maybe she denies it in the end, what's the recourse for jack smith? >> this was teed up in your intro and those tweets. jack smith will have two options. if judge cannon sits on this, he could seek a writ of mandamus to go over her head and have the 11th circuit intervene because it's a condition of release.

even if she does rule and denies that, again, he can immediately appeal that under the federal statute to the 11th circuit. i do not expect judge cannon to sit on this. i think she will move decently in terms of timeframe. the question is how long does she take to actually rule on it and how long can jack smith wait? it's a rare opportunity his head in this case to potentially dangle going over her head. the last was jury instructions and she backed up. was she do something here that gives him the opportunity to take her down and have her removed? i don't know but it will be interesting to see. >> joyce, to bradley's point, there's this game of chicken but this chicken going on between the government and judge cannon. even if she ends up denying it, would not be the first on the 11th circuit has bench slapped judge cannon for making errors in the law and in other respects. is there a time in which it

does become a point where smith has to seek recusal of judge cannon, especially if the lives of law enforcement are at risk? >> yeah, i don't think he has to seek recusal. what happens here, two options. if she denies the motion by statute, the government is entitled to appeal the denial of a motion to alter the conditions of bond. they can go to atlanta immediately. they can ask the 11th circuit to expedite the appeal because of the risk to the lives of law enforcement that is involved in this conduct. by the same token, if judge cannon delays, the path is not as clear. they could ask for a writ of mandamus and what that is is it's a writ that says a judge has failed to do something that they are obligated to do. to decide the motion. it wouldn't be compelling, the nature of her decision but an order that would say you must t this whole day hearing.

the answer to your question about recusal is the 11th circuit has in the past, when they decided a judge has too much skin in the game and can no longer be fair, they have delicately recused judges in that situation and as the chief judge another judge in the district to reassign the case. what we will find out, it's clear that jack smith is ready to take a blowtorch to the way this judge is handling the case. the question is whether the 11th circuit will have the appetite to make her do the right thing and to replacer if necessary. >> it's absurd we talk about recusal and writ of mandamus as often as we do in this case. bradley, my last question. in this filing on page 5, that this was an important paragraph about the fact that the fbi executed the warrant as planned on august 8, 2022. the paragraph goes on to talk about all the precautions and

other preparations that were done so none of this was sprung as a surprise in the united states secret service. donald trump new, he knew when they were going to come. he knew what they were going to do. according to the filing, the u.s. secret service facilitated entry into the premise for the fbi. considering what is at stake, the fact they are targets put on the back of law enforcement, is this something that merits judge cannon is responding to the fact the filing was done? we haven't had a scheduling order or anything into by judge cannon saying trump must respond to what was filed by jack smith. >> i expect judge cannon on tuesday to issue some sort of order sing a deadline, a rather quick one, for donald trump's lawyers to respond so she can resolve this. i think that paragraph is a very necessary public response from the justice department from jack smith, outlining how unequivocally false and

complete garbage the original filing by trump's lawyers was and how they paraphrased and selectively quoted the use of force policy and how trump's advocates in various aspects of media have -- this was all a means of trying to get trump killed, trying to get his family killed. it was complete garbage in that explanation needed to be there on the public document. >> i love how they say the search warrant was a raid for mar-a-lago. i don't know if you picked up during the new york trial of. that one was michael cohen, it was just a search warrant that was executed. joyce vance and bradley must, thank you for getting us started. with the end of trump's criminal trial in the unofficial start of summer, the president biden campaign is kicking into high gear. allies who are spending big in swing states to make sure voters understand the stakes of a possible second trump term. that is next.

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we are continuing to follow breaking news out of gaza. gaza health officials say at least 45 people were killed in the city of rafah near the egyptian border after an israeli airstrike set fire to a camp for displaced palestinians were sheltering -- sheltering. world leaders expressed outrage at the latest killing of civilians. the national security council issued a new statement this afternoon. for more, let's go to l.a. in washington. >> a spokesperson with the national security council reacted to the strike earlier today in a statement saying the white house is working with the idf and partners on the ground and rafah to assess more about what happened before the strike. they said the scenes coming out of rafah are devastating and heartbreaking. they defended israel's right to go after hamas which israel said is the reason behind the

strike. the big question for the white house is whether israel will face any repercussions or consequences. this has been the president's biggest fear for months now. you remember white house officials have tried to convince the israeli counterparts against starting any rafah operations to defeat hamas saying it was not required to be able to defeat hamas. after prime minister netanyahu vowed to continue with that anyway, the white house said a redline. the president saying the u.s. would not support any ground operations and rafah without a plan to protect civilians and palestinians sheltering there. saying if israel went forward with that invasion without providing those plans that the u.s. would reconsider future military support to israel. white house officials say they have not seen those plans. after we have seen the ground

invasion of rafah began several weeks ago, we did see the president pause one weapon shipment, from the u.s. to israel. the latest strike in a safe sewn-in rafah designated a safe zone by israel raising questions about whether there will be more pauses to future u.s. weapons deliveries as well as questions on how this potentially impacts these ongoing cease-fire talks. official saying there was progress made in the talks over the weekend in europe between the cia director and israeli and qatari official so there are concerns of latest strike could impact those talks. >> allie raffa, thank you for joining us. today, president biden marked memorial day at arlington national cemetery by honoring those killed while defending democracy. >> freedom has never been guaranteed. every generation has to earn it. fight for it. defend it and battle between autocracy and democracy.

between the greed of a few and the rights of many. it matters. our democracy is more than just a system of government. it's the very soul of america. >> before his annual memorial day address, president biden began hosting a breakfast at the white house for veterans, goldstar families, and military leadership before laying a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier. in another stark split screen between president biden and donald trump, began his memorial day by posting a lengthy rant on a social media platform. it began with, quote, happy memorial day to all including the human scum. trump went on to attack the judges who presided over his defamation fraud in current criminal cases. e. jean carroll was an essay from donald trump's memorial day message despite threats of a possible third defamation case against him. while president biden deliver

the commencement speech to graduating cadets at the was military academy at west point this weekend, donald trump was loudly booed and heckled during the libertarian national convention. >> the libertarian party should nominate trump for president of the united states. that's nice. only if you want to win. only if you want to win. maybe you do not want to win. >> some thin skin. he bragged about creating the conservative supreme court majority including samuel alito whose two homes once flew the same flights were cared by some members of the mob that attacked the u.s. capitol on january 6 and justice thomas who said in his roe versus wade opinion that they want to overturn the laws that legalize the law that would once again

criminalize being gay. that split screen between president biden and bond donald trump is very important going into november. i want to highlight something that hrc has done, $50 million campaign to be able to launch in swing states not only ads but have the manpower based in the states to advance the biden campaign. talk a little more and let viewers know why it made sense to invest like that in the biden campaign? >> you have said it. the choice in front of us could not be more clear. you are looking at joe biden/kamala harris, the most pro-quality administration. is on the respect for marriage act into law. they put forward rules to have historic levels of protection against harassment and discrimination for lgbtq+ from schools to workplaces to health

care. the administration has more pro- equality people up and through the building than any other before. against donald trump. someone who wants to be a dictator. someone who wants to roll back the progress we have made. someone who has said out loud that the people marching in charlottesville, the neo-nazis were good people. it's not about two candidates. this choice is the difference between two countries, two visions for the future, two different principles of rights for people will look in love like me. the selection matters and the good news is we are not without hope and we are not without power. there are 75 million quality voters across the country. people who prioritized lgbtq+. those of the people we are going to be talking to interning up this year and making sure they decide our future. >> let's drill down. 75 million was an amazing number that i read when prepared to speak to you. of that number of the e quality voters, hrc said 62% are

younger than 40. 50% are nonwhite and 70% that are women. we don't want to count the chickens before they hatch. talk how the messaging works. is the uniformity as to how it is rolled out? it applies, different strokes for different folks. some may be more important than others but equality for all is a most overriding important concept. >> it is huge. these are voters that are not just lgbtq club plus but others as well. 15 million of these voters are black voters. what we've got to do is make sure people know what's at stake this year. when we talked to them and talk about the difference between these two candidates overwhelmingly they decide their vote has to be from joe biden and kamala harris. the other thing is were not just talking about the top of the ticket. talking about senate races.

the u.s. house races. the state legislative races. the school board raises. at the end of the day, the attacks against the community are at all levels. we have to put of a quality champions and opposite end of the ticket to make sure we are not just protecting the rights we have but advancing towards more progress. >> it's an important point. it's not just lgbtq+ voters. there are voters in the minority, the black voters who spoke about. talk about the fact that we saw the trump rally in the bronx on thursday which purportedly is to show there is some set type of support provided by the hispanic and black communities for drum. trump decides he wants to lean into tired, racist tropes about black people as if it's supposed to woo them to his side. >> it is exhausting that he put up the shelby reilly on the way to his court trial. it's exhausting. he is not actually trying to win black and brown voters. he's trying to give us reasons

to stay home and we are not except in the trash he's putting in front of us. we have seen him. he has shown who he is. we don't have to imagine what a second trump presidency would mean for lgbtq+ and women and minorities. what we've got to do is talk to people. one thing we know for sure is more so that any candidate or party, its organizations, its issues, and conversations that are changing people's minds and getting them to turn out. to anybody watching and feeling afraid about what's going to happen the selection. it's still a democracy and they have to count our votes and you are not without power. join the fight. talk to your neighbors about what's at stake. share your story why voting this year matters. that's the single most powerful thing for folks to make sure they are turning out, showing up this election cycle. >> kelly robinson, thank you for being here. coming up. president biden rolled out the

red carpet when kenya's president came to washington. why do the republican house speaker snub him? that's next. that's next.

the president and first lady houston canyon president william ruto solidifying one of the u.s. most important relationships in the fast- growing continent in the world. at the arrival ceremony, president biden talked about how he had witnessed the

evolving partnership between the united states and kenya. >> we are united by the same democratic values. i saw this during my first trip to kenya is a young senator at the height of the cold war. watchtower governments stand as one and rail against communism. i saw it when i returned years later as vice president and spoke to students, committed to upholding the principles of transparency, justice, and accountability that lie at the heart of our democracies. i see it every day as president is so far two pro democracies continued to draw for the power the people and the strength of our diversity, to write the next chapter in our partnership. together, the united states and kenya are working to deliver on the challenges that matter most to our people's lives. health security, economic

security, cyber security, and climate security. let me close with this. we stand at an inflection point in history where the decisions we make now will determine the course of our future for decades to come. today, and optimistic and hopeful as i was those years ago when kenyan patriots raise the new flag high in that midnight sky. because kenya and the united states stand together, committed to each other, committed to our people and committed to building a better world on a greater opportunity, dignity, security and liberty, for all americans. for all kenyans. >> i want to thank president biden for extending an invitation to me to undertake this state visit, a sign of friendship and partnership. and collaboration between two countries that share common

values, values of freedom, democracy, rule of law, equality and inclusivity. we are very proud democratic nation and today as we celebrate our past, we are optimistic about our future. >> estate dinner was attended by several notable guests including former president barack obama whose father was from kenya. the event marked the 60th anniversary of u.s./kenyan diplomatic relations and the first state dinner for an african leader in 15 years. it has been even longer since an african leader has addressed a joint session of congress. the last time was nearly 20 years ago in 2006 when liberian president ellen johnson spoke

before both chambers. past democrats have criticized rebecca ken house speaker mike johnson for turning down the request to give the canyon president the center. a letter to speaker johnson, democratic member said foreign adversaries like china, russia, and iran are working tirelessly december america's alliances particularly in africa. failing to offer the same invitation to president ruto risks sending the message that african partnerships are less valued by congress. no one is working harder than russian president putin to disrupt africa's relationship with the west, a recent report from the royal united services institute think tank details of the rebranded wagner group in africa's working to consolidate and expand moscow's strategic relationships across the continent. through guarantees of regime security and geopolitical protection in exchange for lucrative mining concessions. kenya is helping the united states confront the spiraling gang violence that has overwhelmed the government in haiti.

kenya agreed to lead a multinational peace force in the country just 600 miles south of the united states with the first troops expected to arrive there in three weeks. joining us now is congresswoman barbara lee of california. congas woman, it's an honor to have you. let's talk how important it was for president biden to show not only the honorifics to president ruto and to talk how those strategic alliances between the united states and kenya are actually going to maybe end run those moves by iran, russia, and china? >> thank you for covering this and thank you for having me. first of all let me say that i am deeply grateful that the president and the biden/harris administration recognizes africa is a continent, specifically kenya. i was privileged to be at the state dinner and at the lunch the next day and listen to

president ruto and the president and our secretary of state talk about the importance of this strategic alliance, not only for counterterrorism measures and our own national security, but also to develop these partnerships because we have an historic tied to the continent of africa with millions of african americans here in the united states who are a natural partner with africa's specifically kenya, but also we have alliances as it relates to trade, development, health care that benefit both countries, kenya and the united states. i was pleased the president and vice president get it, our administration understands this, and i hope the path forward show some successes and some follow-up to the discussions. >> another component of biden meeting and having and hosting president ruto from kenya is a

fact there's more than $1 billion in startup and taken commerce companies that have invested in kenya. talk a little why it's important for the united states in terms of its development of the relationships financially. how that benefits us as well by maintaining relationships with kenya. >> i district is right next to silicon valley. a district which includes many tech individuals, tech companies that want to do business in kenya. it benefits both the united states, california, my district, and the benefits of people of our country. what we are doing is investing in technology and a con -- country of young people. the average age is 19 years old. these partnerships will lead to jobs for kenyans, business opportunities for kenyans, as well as for americans.

it's an extremely important investment. i have to say i was disappointed that the speaker did not invite the president to speak to a joint session of congress. come on, this congress alone, we had the president of israel. we had the prime minister of india and japan and president ruto and the people of kenya deserve that respect. it's been since 2006, and that was a missed opportunity for members of congress. i want to thank the 11 members of congress who signed my letter. the ranking member of the foreign affairs committee led a letter with myself as well as the chair of the black caucus to tell the speaker this was an important moment that we should not miss. >> i apologize if i interrupted. what was the excuse given by mike johnson? >> what we were told and what

he said, i believe publicly as it was a scheduling issue. the maga extremist republicans in the house always find time to do nothing with the bills they bring forward which really do not do much to address the issues and the aspirations and the life -- lives of americans as well as people throughout the world. they find time for their do- nothing agenda but cannot find time for a world leader to come speak to a joint session of congress. which to me, was outrageous. >> especially from a country like kong -- kenya. thank you for your insight on this important topic. coming up. russia is escalating its attacks in ukraine, according to president zelenskyy. donald trump is blind could see with vladimir putin in public while running for president yet again. ambassador michael mcfall joins us next.

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ukraine's president zelenskyy was in spain today meeting with officials there to secure more military aid. after more than 820 days of war, president zelenskyy said putin's army is still dropping around 3000 bombs on his nation's sovereign territory every month. saturday, russian strikes it is

shopping center, a cowardly move hitting what is clearly a civilian target. the attack after by security cameras killed at least 18 people local officials confirmed. multiple reports citing that a 12-year-old girl was among the dead. dozens of people were injured in the brutal assault and yesterday, president zelenskyy renewed a new video -- released a new video in english. standing aside what remains of a publishing house that was destroyed by russian bombs. he talks about the constant attacks from putin the people in car kay are facing an the will to continue helping ukraine in this illegal war. >> we all know who we are dealing with. russia is run by men who want to make it a norm, burning lives, destroying cities and villages. dividing people and erasing national borders through war. there is no nation that can stop such war alone.

i need world leaders engagement is needed. i am in a city east of ukraine and we are close to the border on russia. what does it mean? a war of constant terror. more than 1 million people in the city and every night and every day, russian army is shelling the city, mostly with s-300 missiles just like all other russian strikes on hundreds of other of our cities and villages. some of them once booming with life are now burnt to ashes. a burned-out emptiness. the most horrible consequence of war. war that we did not want in ukraine. that we haven't provoked, and

in which ukraine is defending itself from russian attempts to seize our resources and territories and destroy our national identity. >> president zelenskyy asked president biden and president xi jinping of china to join delegations from other nations at a peace summit in switzerland next month. it's a kind of invitation the president zelenskyy knows he could never make it donald trump is allowed back in the oval office. trump was, of course, impeached for trying to extort ukraine to go after joe biden. last week, trump took the unprecedented move to insert himself, a presidential candidate with professed admiration of putin into the very delicate situation involving wall street journal reporter evan gershkovich is currently held in a russian prison. trump claims that he and he

alone can convince his favorite autocrat to release the jailed journalist. posting, quote, vladimir putin, president of russia, will do that for me but not for anyone else. we will be paying nothing. what does the quid pro quo for the? joining us is michael mcfaul served as u.s. ambassador to russia from 2012 to 2014 and he single msnbc international affairs analyst. ambassador, i'm grateful for you to be here. i want to start with trump posted about evan gershkovich. the idea that trump is saying he and he alone has the keys to the cell literally to get an american home from russia. he is not doing it right now. he has the power, ability to do it so is using his life as a pawn, talk about why putin would never agree to this and why it's suddenly okay for trump to use that as a power- play? >> you are absolutely right. if he has the power, he should

use it now. why not? he could call putin and say let evan out and he could show he has this special personal relationship with putin that his always bragging about but always claiming would be in america's national interest. he should do that now and no reason to wait until january city wins the presidential election. it will not happen because he doesn't have that kind of power and influence over vladimir putin despite what he claims he can do. he was president for four years and met with putin. they had a summit in helsinki. they had meetings from time to time. try to think about what concrete national security interest were chief of the united states of america because of that close personal relationship, can't think of a single thing. >> the other thing is the fact that russia has launched a

multi-front invasion of ukraine. the baltic states have actually said that if russia makes a significant breakthrough in terms of that multi-front invasion, that they are contemplating sending troops into ukraine to aid ukraine without waiting for nato to give the green light. there is an issue that the united states and other countries have said that their weapons cannot be used to be entering into russian territory, but are we at the point where a lot of this is conversation and it's time for people to take action to help the ukrainians? >> yes. there is a lot of anxiety in ukraine. i talked to ukrainians every day and there's anxiety in the region as you rightly noted. i was in that the way neah and there is extreme anxiety that of putin succeeds in ukraine, he will try to threaten the states of nato, especially if

trump is president, to test to see if we will stand by our allies. i don't think it would be prudent for nato countries to send soldiers to ukraine. i do think, however, it's extremely prudent and long overdue for the biden administration and the rest of the nato allies to give president zelenskyy a license to use the weapons that we have transferred to him to defend ukraine. especially in kharkiv that you have been showing. kharkiv is right on the border of russia. russians are shooting into kharkiv from russian territory, and the ukrainians cannot fire back. they should have the right to self-defense. that's a concept embedded in the united nations charter. it's a pretty american idea, the right to self-defense. i think the time is now because if we let vladimir putin succeed around kharkiv, that's the beginning of threatening our nato allies in the neighborhood. >> that's the important message. people lose sight in terms of

why it's so important for the united states to aid ukraine. it is not just ukraine but the other countries that are not only in europe but the rest of the world putin remains unchecked. do you think that meeting in switzerland that you are going to see somebody like biden and xi jinping show up or something like that? >> the first point could not be stressed more. there is this idea that putin just want a little out of territory then will relax. there is no reason to believe that. he did not stop in 2008 after invading georgia. he didn't stop after 2014 when he annexed crimea as part of ukraine. there's no reason he will stop unless he is stopped on the battlefield. it is in america's national interest to allow ukrainians to stop him in ukraine so we are not dragged into a war when we have to defend our allies in nato. nothing could be more important

in terms of our national interest. with respect to the peace conference, i hope all national leaders will go. i'm not optimistic that xi jinping will show up or even president biden. it's an important meeting because it will demonstrate that president zelenskyy is serious about peace and put in so far is not. >> we will have to wait and see. ambassador michael mcfaul, thank you for being here. much more still ahead in the next hour including members of the public. they are already lining up outside the criminal courthouse were closing arguments will begin tomorrow morning and donald trump's first criminal trial. the supreme court continues to help donald trump by not issuing a decision on whether he is immune from prosecution for any and all crimes he may have committed while president. even as trump promises to pardon convicted january 6 criminals and he campaigns with suspects that have been accused in a murder plot. that is next.

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welcome back. i am katie phang. we have a lot of news to get to including the case of the first criminal trial against a former president that will finally be in the hands of the jury this week. what could be the final week of donald trump's new york election interference trial resumed tomorrow tomorrow and 9:30 a.m. on both sides present closing arguments. the prosecution will recap how in the aftermath of the access hollywood tape, donald trump used a catch and kill scheme to prevent other damaging stories from emerging ahead of the 2016 election including that of stormy daniels. they were used documents and witness testimony to corroborate how her hush money payments were reimbursed to michael cohen who testified he made the payment that donald trump's direction and for his benefit.

the defense will also attempt to undermine the credibility of key witnesses like michael cohen. arguing the prosecution has failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that donald trump committed the crime of falsifying business records to influence the 2016 election. judge merchan is expected to read jury instructions to the 12 new yorkers who will decide whether or not to convict donald trump. his new york election interference trial may be the only one of his four criminal indictments texico to trial before the november election which should've been donald trump's first criminal trial the federal election interference case in d.c. has been indefinitely delayed while we wait for the supreme court to consider whether donald trump has immunity from prosecution for his attempts to steal the 2020 presidential election. it's been over one month since the supreme court heard oral arguments and yet, still, we have no decision. the supreme court essentially helping donald trump delay accountability for his actions leading to january 6 while

trump makes promises like this one. >> it will be my great honor to pardon the peaceful january 6 protesters or, as i often call them, the hostages. they are hostages. there has never been a group of people treated so harshly or unfairly in our country's history. this abuse will be rectified and it will be rectified very quickly. >> that is donald trump promising to prompt to pardon writers who assaulted police officers on january 6 like jesse who was convicted on friday. the trump-appointed judge in his case called some of the arguments from the defense, quote, absurd as ryan reilly reports, quote, the testimony was impossible to reconcile with the evidence in the case. the judge said his conduct at the capitol was no accident. what is interesting about this statement is that, so far, the january 6 rioters at the

capitol have been treated more harshly than donald trump. the man who called them to go there that day. if not for donald trump, january 6 would not have happened. now, because of the united states supreme court, donald trump may not see the accountability that over 1000 people who were called to do his bidding have already faced. joining us is glenn kirschner, former federal prosecutor and msnbc legal animals and a host of justice patterson ryan reilly justice reported for nbc news and the author of sedition hunters. how january 6 broke the justice system. my thanks to both of you to get us started in the 7:00 hour. i want to start with you. donald trump always post crazy stuff, 6:20 p.m. he pose why is the corrupt government lot to make the final argument in the case against me? like in the defense go last? big advantage. very unfair. blah blah. it's in new york. it's how it goes.

the defense goes first and the prosecution goes last. why is it so difficult for the truth to be able to come out when it comes to this stuff? >> first of all, as you said, in jurisdictions all around the country, in criminal prosecutions, because the prosecutors have the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, the highest evidentiary burden known to the criminal law. the sequence of closing arguments is prosecutors go first, then the defense gives its closing argument, and then because the prosecutors have the burden of proof, they get a rebuttal argument. they get to rebut the arguments made by the defense and the closing argument. donald trump knows this if he didn't, his lawyers told him. this is gaslighting. this is donald trump continuing to try to burn it all down. tried to destroy the legitimacy of the institutions of

government. why? because the institutions of government, better late than never, trying to hold donald trump accountable for some of his crimes. it's the same reason he rails against and endangers with his violence inducing rhetoric. his speeches and posts. the witnesses, the jurors, the judges, the prosecutors, the fbi agents most recently. it is because all of these folks are involved in the endeavor of trying to hold him accountable so he will lie and gaslight everything to try to undermine the legitimacy of the coming guilty verdict. based on the evidence we saw reported, coming out of the new york courtroom, if we do not have a mole on the jury, and to have a feeling judge merchan and prosecutors were pretty good and careful in jury selection process to make sure nobody was trying to sneak in the jury with nefarious intent,

i have a feeling you will see guilty verdicts returned very shortly. >> ryan, let's talk about the sedition panda. he was on video storming the united states capitol. he went to a bench trial and not a jury trial but the judge was a trump-appointed judge presiding over the january 6 rioter cases. get viewers up to speed on how this sedition panda, which is absurd that we keep saying that, but you can see him on screen but how his case was different than the other ones that happen prosecutors afar for obstruction of official proceeding? >> the case before judge nichols who tossed aside the proceeding charge and that led to the supreme court. he didn't have to go on the charge. he was convicted a bench trial. even with a judge who is generally sympathetic to january 6 clients, he was convicted across the board. you had this law-enforcement

official who assaulted that day has been convicted of assaulting the date as a lifelong republican. he talked about responding to the january 6th attack and he had people in his life who wanted to distance themselves from him because he served on january 6. there is this general idea on the right and conservative circles that there is this overreach on january 6 or what happened on january 6 was great and the election, in their minds was really stolen from donald trump and joe biden is an village element present. it's remarkable to see him talking, this is crazy what happened that day. he worked riots before. he'd done them at the university of maryland during some of their after a game the won were lost, he would be part of the response and part of the freddie gray riots as well. he said he never saw a crowd like they did in this instance charge the police line over and over. he said sometimes they would be

rocks thrown from afar. it was remarkable on january 6 because you have this mob so convinced he was the end of the country as they knew it. they continue to charge line over and over and over again. >> ryan brings up the point that this judge throughout the obstruction of an official proceeding count and it made its way to the supreme court. oral arguments were heard on that particular decision. the obstruction of official proceeding charge is a play for donald trump in his d.c. election interference case. talk why it's important for there to be expediency coming from scotus not only on the blanket immunity trump is seeking but even the ruling on whether or not the obstruction of official proceeding charge can survive how it's being used by the doj so far? >> as we await the supreme court's ruling on what i consider to be ridiculous absolute presidential immunity

issue, we also have this secondary concern. the last thing prosecutors want to do is move forward in a case where one or more charges they have included in the indictment is open for debate as to whether it's a lawful charge. there is the better evidence of better arguments and better appellate laws. it's a viable charge but you cannot have that hanging in the balance when you are proceeding to trial against a former president of the united states for trying to unlawfully retain power, overthrow presidential election. yes, that's another issue we need resolved by the supreme court. of course, with the thomas and alito sitting on the supreme court and refusing to remove themselves due to their obvious conflict. justice alito has now flown not one but two flags indicating he

is throwing in his lot with the insurrection. there are perhaps even bigger problems that the american people have to contend with than the timing of any of the decisions the supreme court might hand down. >> my thanks to both of you for getting us started. i always appreciate seeing both of you. coming up. vice president kamala harris said one in three women of reproductive age in america live in a state with a trump abortion ban. we have heard in the horrific stories that have been continued, since the dobbs decision and extreme abortion bans are endangering and traumatizing women by denying them the health care they need. that is next. next. sleep number does that. now, save 50% on the sleep number limited edition smart bed. plus, free home delivery when you add any base shop now at sleepnumber.com

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this is how black women are dying. that is what our next guest told reporters before louisiana's republican governor signed into law a bill that adds mifepristone and myth oppressed all to medications commonly used and to the list of controlled dangerous substances. both drugs are often used during miscarriages and in 2022, kaitlin, a louisiana mother was turned away from two emergency rooms and tonight treatment after experiencing a

miscarriage because louisiana enacted a -- overturn roe v wade. caitlin is now campaigning on behalf of president biden to remind people across the country that donald trump is responsible for the attacks on reproductive rights. since the fall of roe, trump has taken credit for ending the constitutional right to an abortion and the republican appointed justices do not want to stop there. in its concurring decisions overturned roe, in future cases, we should reconsider all of this court's substantive due process president including griswold. that is griswold versus connecticut, 1965 supreme court decision that protects the rights of married couples to use contraceptives. in april, trump thanked the justices overturn the individual's freedom to make their own health care decisions. >> i want to thank the six

justices, john roberts, clarence thomas, samuel alito, brett kavanaugh, amy coney barrett, and neil gorsuch, incredible people, for having the courage to allow this long- term hard-fought battle to finally end. >> joining us is katelyn joshua. she was turned away from two emergency rooms while experiencing a miscarriage in louisiana. she was denied treatment because of that state's abortion ban. when i read your story, i was struck by how much fear and pain that you went through to be able to just get through and -- inexpensive medical providers comfortable because they felt they would not be criminally prosecuted for helping you and giving it the medical care you need it, you would've been okay. i had a miscarriage. they gave me a d and see. that was an option for you if

it was someone other than louisiana. talk about why it's so important for people to understand that you, me, and countless others, this is health care. it is something that is important so you do not have to go through this again. >> thank you for having me. the issue is so extremely important and important for women to understand that while you may think you're in a safe straight or in his safe place so you live under a abortion ban . it's important to get to the polls this fall and fight for these issues on a federal level because states are not doing work to protect us as women. in childbearing years. it's important to understand that i do not want anyone us to experience what i experienced as a woman in south louisiana under the abortion ban that made an impact on maternal health care rates. we have seen studies talking how women in the south are

looking at potentially losing their life in childbirth, during childbirth, postpartum period or during childbirth. postpartum period are in the childbearing years. >> you said something that was -- folks need answers in my prayers and that's what i was looking for in that moment. you had to go from an er to another er. you are bleeding and running the risk of becoming septic. there is so much going on and all she wanted was medical answers. you didn't want someone to pray for you but you needed answers but people were terrified. people in the medical profession were terrified to give you this information. why is it that a red state like louisiana with its confusing laws that create fear and medical professionals, why is it important for people to understand that because they do not have a red state right now

they has a near ban that because of dobbs, the states make these decisions on their own? >> that is the most valid point to bring up when it comes to my story. you may think -- when folks talk about abortion, their minds runs to the idea of women who do not want children or do want to expand their families. a lot of times we look at states that have the abortion ban, we are dealing with a lot of us who want children are trying to expand families but because of the maternal health care in the abortion bans it's impossible to thrive in a way that is safe and effective for a lot of us. when we talk about the red tape that the bans bring not only the lives of women being lost and we are not saving any more babies. a lot of time the past speak to this right to life for pro-life movement this speaks to the potential of growing families in a healthy way and making sure babies are safe, but we are looking at disproportionate

numbers of women losing their lives as a result of these bans. to your point, we are talking right now states are safer have the idea that you can go to nevada or other states that have access to maternal health care or abortion care, but it's important that bans do not work and if there's one in the country, none of us are safe. it's important to throw this back to the federal government and allow for president biden and vice president kamala harris to do a good job and on the second term being able to have laws to protect everyone and not just some in certain states. >> trump wants to enacted a federal ban. forget the supreme court. he wants a federal ban if elected back in the oval office. kaitlyn joshua, thank you for sharing your story. i'm always speechless, but i am inspired by the courage of you and others who are willing to share what your journey was and how painful and we understand there are faces to the stories.

thank you for being here. >> thank you for having me. joining us for more on this conversation is the president and ceo of reproductive freedom for all. these stories, they are so important to tell and yet, i am speechless when i do these interviews. not only did i go through it but i did it at a time when i could get the d and ci needed. these women are not having the access they need. you go to louisiana and they are like let's just stick misoprostol on a controlled dangerous substance list. >> it's horrific. i agree. kaitlyn joshua, amanda, these women are heroes. they are shining a light in the most painful personal part of their journey to motherhood,

parenthood, and away they should not have to do. i go from being moved and upset to being angry that we are expecting these women to have to travel the country to campaign for the candidate that is a most committed to fundamental freedoms and that is joe biden. you have done a great job on the show of talking about what donald trump has said that these stories explain the impact of what donald trump has wrought. this is the america that donald trump created. it's the damage, 21 states with bans and restrictions, states like louisiana tried to further those restrictions. the situation happening right now in louisiana is important to understand. technically, you can leave the state to get your care. >> if you can actually afford it. >> or you can find a doctor who can prescribe the care to you. they are trying to make it as

terrifying and confusing as possible for women to access legal care in their own state. this is so important. mifepristone is safe. it's effective and has been -- by the fda for over 20 years. we expect the supreme court to affirm that shortly. that is why you are seeing extremists in places like louisiana starting to try to confuse americans again about access to this medicine and its safety and efficacy. the fact it is still available online through doctors who are in states with shield laws that protect them. >> what's crazy about this louisiana thing is the republican white male lawmaker who proposed the bill, i'm all for what he originally said it would be as you cannot give mifepristone or abortion inducing pill to a pregnant woman which is what his sister went through.'s brother, did that to his sister. he was

like, let me stake in this amendment where we will take two safe fda approved drugs and we will put them on a controlled substance schedule. my fear is that other states are taking notes. look, that worked in louisiana let's do it. >> that is 100% what this is. it's the playbook that the radical antiabortion extremists have put together. it's right on at the same playbook as project 2025. the same nefarious folks who are trying to whittle away access. under roe, before dobbs, we still had many states -- that enacted these problematic targeted restrictions against abortion providers. 72 hour waiting periods, mandatory ultrasounds, disinformation, masked as medical advice that abortion limits had to deliver. it's the same stuff. we are winning through the democratic process. these folks are trying to game

the system to create anxiety, fear, disinformation and have a chilling effect on access to care in places where we should still have care. since dobbs, abortion providers have a working overtime to provide care and they have been successful in getting women from states other places with care. one by one, you are seeing them trying to change the rules and muddy the waters so women cannot get access. this is what we have to be worried about in a trump administration. joe biden and his administration have tried to enforce laws, the medical emergency case in front of the supreme court for abortion care in emergencies. they tried to enforce access to mifepristone. those cases are back at the supreme court. what would happen in a trump administration in this crisis? it would be unimaginable then we are already seeing.

the stakes are clear. i am grateful for kaitlyn to be on the trail. we need her voices, particularly as a young woman of color. it's important to tell and as you said, i am in awe of its. >> we have to shout it from the rooftops. abortion is health care. it's health care and countless others. thank you for being here. coming up. dozens of people have reportedly been killed in rafah after an was really airstrike on an area where displaced palestinians were sheltering. we will have the latest including the united states response came today. that's next. that's next.

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we are continuing to follow the latest out of gaza. dozens of people including women and children were killed last night in an israeli airstrike at attend camp for displaced palestinians according to local officials. raf sanchez is in tel aviv with more. to the images coming out of rafah are causing shock and sparking condemnation all around the world. families were sleeping in their tents in the early hours of this morning. many made of plastic, made of wood. when this israeli airstrike came crashing down. then all broke loose according to survivors speaking to our team.

they say flames ripped through the tent encampment, children were screaming. ultimately, around 40 people killed according to the emergency services in hamas run gaza. many of them women and children. some of them apparently burned to death. is really prime minister netanyahu who in an unusual statement in front of the israeli parliament called it a tragic mishap and said israel will investigate what happened here. the israeli military says the strike did succeed in killing two senior hamas commanders alleged to have been involved in the planning of attacks in the occupied west bank. the idf said they took measures ahead of time to try to reduce civilian casualties. there is now this operation underway. the white house is saying the images coming out of rafah are, quote, heartbreaking. they said israel is the right

to pursue hamas after the october 7 attack, but it must take every possible precaution to protect palestinian civilians before launching strikes. we have heard stronger condemnation from president macron of france and from senior u.n. officials. today, those families, many of whom were displaced several times over the course of the war, peaking through the charred remains of what whether tents and they are moving on, hoping, hoping, to find safety somewhere else. >> our thanks to raf sanchez. for more on the white house's reaction, let's go to white house correspondent allie raffa. >> reporter: a spokesperson with the national security council issuing a statement earlier today reacting to the strike in rafah saying that the u.s. is coordinating with the idf and partners on the ground to assess what happened. they called the scenes coming

out of rafah devastating and heartbreaking, but they also defendant israel's right to go after hamas which israel said is the reason behind the strike. the big question now for the white house is whether israel will face any repercussions or consequences for this. this has been the white house's concern for months. the president has said that without a robust plan in place by the israelis to protect palestinians sheltering and rafah that the white house would not support any ground offensive by israel into that area. he said that would cause the u.s. to reconsider future military aid to israel if that is, indeed, taking place and whether a plan does not come to fruition. the white house saying they have not seen a plan for that by the israelis. we know white house officials and israeli counterparts have had several meetings about what alternative options exist to

defeat hamas without invading rafah. now that we see this strike happening in population -- in this population center rather, save zone designated safe by israel, there is a growing question on whether that one pause of that one weapons shipment from the west to israel, whether that will be the one and only pause if a shipment or whether we could potentially see more by the u.s. to israel. the latest strike raising questions on how this could potentially impact cease-fire talks. white house officials say there was progress made over the weekend in europe during those meetings between the cia director and qatari and israeli officials. this latest strike raising questions whether hamas will be willing to accept any potential proposal to come out of those talks after this. coming up. the 2024 election could

possibly have existential stakes for american democracy. our next gas has some wise words about how to show up and fight for democracy this year, even when there are deep divisions on some issues. the professor joins us next. n. i don't have to follow a restrictive diet, and i don't have to spend a lot of time making meals. using golo was truly transformative. it was easy, and inexpensive.

we honor the men and women of the united states armed forces who have paid the ultimate price for the freedoms we enjoy in this country. is president biden did today at

arlington national cemetery. >> freedom has never been guaranteed. every generation has to earn it. fight for it. defend it in battle between autocracy and democracy. between the greed of a few and the rights of many. it matters. our democracy is more than just a system of government. it is the very soul of america. it's how we have been able to adapt through the centuries. it is why we have emerge from every challenge stronger than we went in. it is how we come together as one nation united. just as our fallen heroes have kept the ultimate fate for our country and democracy, we must keep faith with them. >> democracy is not just offended by the military. it must be defended by its voters, all of them, all of the time. is former attorney general eric holder polluted days before the supreme court said it would

take up donald trump's claim that he should be immune from criminal prosecution, there is no cavalry coming. no miracle solution. in the end, we, the american people, not any of our institutions, have to save our democracy by voting in defense of that democracy this fall. we are the cavalry. the responsibility is ours. how do you encourage voters about that responsibility? even when they are divided another vicious? the reverend dr. martin luther king jr. was criticized by some for his vocal opposition to the vietnam war before he was assassinated in 1968. his antiwar and economic justice positions were never as popular as his position on civil rights. our next guest, princeton professor eddie glaude spent years studying the words of dr. king and the writing of other civil rights leaders of the country. his new book, we are the leaders we are looking for,

makes the case that ordinary people, the people across this country that are fighting for civil rights are exactly the heroes that our democracy needs to become a freer, more equitable society. he writes, americans currently find themselves and there is no reasonable way to deny this, in a moment of profound crisis. the country is changing in the substance of the transformation is not clear. americans are divided, and those divisions go well beyond ideological differences. race shadows at all. the great replacement theory, panic and terror around demographic shifts, salts on voting rights and affirmative action. bitter debates about american history. the answer to the troubles in this country rests, as it always has, but the willingness of everyday people to fight for democracy. not with the outsourcing of that struggle to the so-called profits and heroes but with the realization that the salvation

of democracy itself requires, in part, the creation of personal attitudes in individual human beings that affirm the dignity and standing of all people. it requires that we understand the democratic floor rushing cannot be separated from the individual attitudes so deep- seated as to constitute character. we must be the kind of people democracy requires. >> joining ms. princeton professor of african american studies eddie glaude. he's an msnbc contributor and "new york times" best-selling author of the new book , we are the leaders we have been looking for. it is good to see you. this book that you have written, there is something you wrote, talked about the damaging role that heroes and profits can play in prop -- in politics. you wrote about the authority of black moralism resting in the temporal age that those who

invoke the movements, murders and their achievements along with his vocabularies as a way to claim their legitimacy in the face of the eroding conditions of much of contemporary black life. the question for you in 2024, who should we be looking to? >> first of all, thank you so much for that lead in. the short answer is we have to look to ourselves. we have to understand our power. when we follow people, often times we cease doing the hard work of working on ourselves. we outsource responsibility to them, and we think we can go about the daily chores and trials and demands of our lives. we are in a moment now that requires each of us to understand that if we do not step up to the responsibility

of salvaging our democracy, we may lose it. part of what i'm trying to do in the book is to say sometimes people cannot invoke the past as a way of disciplining the president, narrowing what constitutes legitimate confirms of political dissent. some cannot invoke the past as a way of justifying their own presence at the head of the march. some can justify or invoke the past to get you to simply bow down to the status quo. we have to understand what are values and what kind of human beings to we aspire to be? what country we want, and you know what? we have to fight for it tooth and nail. if not we will lose it. >> there's something you wrote in time magazine recently. maybe the last few weeks. you said no matter trumps bombast at his theater makes certain segments of white america feel-good. his rallies offer a kind of catharsis and confirmation. many who attend are given

license to express hatreds and their fears. this is what i struggle with. do you try to reason with those people? do you try to make an understanding of who they are when they are built inherently on hatred of others of people who look like you and me, the black and brown people. white america is what trump tries to rally the people behind. how do i as an individual, firm looking to myself to lead, to not be lazy or not be complacent because it is easy to follow. what does it take for me to have the metal to feel like i can make a difference in november? >> what trump is appealing to is what frederick douglass talked about in 1852. he said there's a horrible reptile in the bosom of the nation. that reptile for him was slavery. it was a set of assumptions, not just black people but the

superiority of white people to own black people. he said we must rip that reptile from our hearts. it's the central contradiction. it's a contradiction that eats at the entrance of the country and donald trump appeals to those hatreds, those old goes as president biden says. the old ghosts that has the nation by the throat. what do we do? jim wallis has a formulation in his book, the balls white gospel. we have to make the distinction between this people we must proceed and thus we must defeat. we often spend a lot of energy trying to persuade people who don't record you and i dignity and standing. they hold insidious views and not interested in being persuader. we have to understand the problems in front of us and not think of this in an abstract way. let's engage in politics close to the ground. let's stop looking to dcm look

where we are. local communities around education, jobs. decent wage and around basic municipal issues that face us that can be networked across the country. the problem is often in front of our noses. let's not pan out too far. once we bring it close to the ground, that's when we can get about the hard work. we have the courage and capacity and capability to do that work. >> your book is powerful and the personal anecdotes are one that, for me, resonate the most. i want to thank you for being here and giving this brief glimpse into what you have done. your book, we are the leaders we have been looking for. everyone should read it. professor eddie glaude, thank you for being here. coming up. it's election day in texas tomorrow.

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tomorrow it's election day in texas. three weeks ago, er nurse molly cook won a special election to fill the remainder of democrat john whitmire seat for texas state senate district 15. her historic victory for the first member of the lgbtq+ community to serve in the texas state senate. the term ends in january but, she is running in the democratic primary to keep her texas senate seat for a full four year term. molly cook is the youngest a senator currently serving in texas. here are some issues she ran onto win voters in district 15. >> when a clock in for work, i know every second counts. i am democrat molly cook and in the er it's seconds that can save a life. the clock is always taking in

texas. today be the day we are racing to savor after a miscarriage? repairing the damage of a gunshot wound? keeping neighbors alive after the power goes out? i am molly cook and i'm running for texas senate because we don't have any more time to week. >> joining us now is texas state senator molly cook who is running for reelection for the texas state senate district 15. thank you for being here. congratulations and number 2 good luck tomorrow. i am marveling that you are pulling this off in texas. i am from florida. it's the energy between texas and florida all the time. you came back from a deficit of 14 points from the primary to win. talk about why you think your background is a grassroots activist who understood that community activism is a way to go resonated so well with those

voters? >> thank you so much and thank you for having me on. the previous speaker was speaking about politics on the ground and how important it is. there's nobody who understands politics better than a grassroots organizer. emergency room nurse who is meeting with people at the bedside in moments of fear, sickness, and injury. i know what makes people sick and i have a masters in public health policy to understand how to think of systems to bring about healing. >> talk about the messaging you think is the most important thing going into the election tomorrow? >> the messaging, the most powerful thing we can do is get voters excited. as many know, houston experienced another disaster that has hurt a lot of folks in our district. what we saw was a drop off in voters turning out the days after the disaster and we saw -- and early voting thursday

and friday. we are working to reach voters and get them excited. knocking on 1000 doors a day and making phone calls to let them know we can put a first woman ever in the seat. the first out member at the lgbtq+ community in the texas senate for the next four year term to fight for us and our rights. >> i'm a big proponent of see her be her. for someone like you, you are the ultimate in the rabbit's intention where you can serve and inspire others to say i can do with but i can represent your interest when i'm in the texas senate. >> i think an important thing we have experienced in this cycle especially, and you can check out molly for texas.com to see the issues and everything i care about. i have been sharing my own abortion story. i had an abortion in the state in 2014, and i cannot believe

that today i count myself lucky that it was legal and safe. that message has resonated at the door steps. the courage to be who i am often ends in tears and hugs at the end of the conversation. i think that authenticity is necessary, advantageous and will get us a win tomorrow. >> i have to say good-bye but i want to self-correct. you won your primary but 14 points. i want to make sure i got that accurate. thank you so much. texas state senator molly cook and good luck tomorrow. that does it for us. i will see you tomorrow and the rest of the week for complete coverage of donald trump's criminal trial. criminal trial. criminal trial okay so there are big weeks and then there are really big weeks and this week is kind of as big as they get after multiple desperate attempts to delay th