come on. >> reporter: it's a travesty. >> we have to get this done. >> reporter: this has been a years' long effort. explain why some members of the florida legislature refuse to allow the flamingo to be the state bird, i do not have a good answer. i can't overstate the importance of the everyeverglades restorat. the time and effort and money gone into restoring the everglades made a big difference. the flamingos have a chance to stay. >> i can tell you had fun putting together that piece. wearing the pink shirt. >> reporter: when in rome or in miami. >> thank you, sam brock. thank you for joining us. you can catch our show online around the clock on youtube and other platforms. see you back here at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow morning.

andrea mitchell picks up our coverage next. right now on "andrea mitchell reports," president biden signing an executive action to seal the southern border. he criticized the trump administration for a similar crackdown. he slams his predecessor as a convicted felon. opening statements at the president's son hunter. merrick garland fights back as house republicans question him. >> did you have a family member profit off of the notoriety of any case you sat on? yes or no? >> you are asking me to comment on a case -- >> it se seems you are connecti the dots. israel ramping up strikes in gaza as president biden is asked if prime minister netanyahu is prolonging the war for his own political self-preservation.

mr. biden's blunt response coming up. plus, the families of american israeli hostages meeting with the national security advisor today. they will join me here to talk about their hopes for a cease-fire so their loved ones can finally come home. ♪♪ good day, everyone. i'm andrea mitchell in washington. today, president biden is taking on one of his biggest campaign liabilities, immigration and the border crisis. just five months before election day, the move could potentially alienate liberals and others already angered by his stance on gaza. the president signed an executive action which will temporarily shut the southern border between legal crossings as soon as today to asylum seekers. the action triggers a closure when illegal crossings hit 2,500 a day. right now, daily averages are 4,000 people. it could begin starting right away. asylum seekers at legal ports of

entry will be allowed through, but the white house is bracing for the expected legal challenges similar to what mr. trump faced when he tried to impose a similar crackdown. a bipartisan bill to limit migrant crossings failed to get a vote six months ago after donald trump told republicans to kill it. democrats saying, so he could campaign on the border crisis as an issue. we begin with monica alba, julia ainsley at the border in "andrea mitchell reports," and lee gerlock. the president is aware of the risks. why take this action now? do they think this is going to change the fact that in some polls there's a 30% spread between the voters saying that donald trump's favorability on border crossings and the immigration issue and joe

biden's. >> the white house said they wanted to see this happen months ago. they were hoping that this specific authority to shut down the border temporarily would have been enshrined in the legislation that perp pursuing. instead, once that was torpedos by senate republicans who are part of the negotiations at the urging of former president trump, the white house had to go this unilateral route. it took them months to try to actually craft and come up with what the president is going to be detailing later this afternoon when he speaks about this sweeping executive action. instead of some of the crossing numbers that you referenced there that had been a part of the proposals on capitol hill, now we are seeing a slightly lower number, 2,500, that if that were to be exceeded, that average, that is what would trigger the shutdown of the border, again, to people who are trying to seek asylum illegally. people who are still trying to get to ports of entry to seek

asylum through a legal route are cleared to continue to do that. this goes into affect now, because the daily crossings are well over 4,000 according to department of homeland security officials. the president will say, i tried to do this withrepublicans in congress. i wanted to have this funding and personnel to better combat this challenge at the border. because that failed, i was left with no other option than to do this. >> julia, you have been crossing -- you have been covering this issue for so long. you know it so well. you are down at the border. crossings have been almost double the trigger point already for had to work. washington needs cooperation from mexico. there's a newly elected president who is not -- she's still president-elect. explain all of the other

impacts, the challenges that the president is facing. >> reporter: i will tell you, from down here and the people i have been speaking to, there's concern about the practicalities of the executive order. for one, the exception it gives to unaccompanied children. there's a lot of concern that's going to be a magnet, you will see more families make the decision to send their children unaccompanied, where they are more vulnerable to the terrible things that happen along the journey to the united states. there's also a concern about how mexico will handle more migrants being sent back into mexico. of course, they have to absorb those people. sometimes when there's not enough space in shelters, they end up in tent cities. they can be robbed, extorted. we saw that during covid. unlike what happened during covid where migrants weren't processed, they will still be processed here, because they have to see if they might fit exceptions. if they might fit under the category of conventions against torture. there's a concern from border

agents i have been speaking to and former agents that they are going to be overwhelmed. a lot of people they can't release because it's not -- they are not eligible to be released into the united states to pursue their asylum claim, but it will take too long to figure out their criminal background, are they eligible under that convention against torture, do they fit boxes that would allow them to come in or be sent back? that could lead to overcrowding in processing facilities which is something the administration has been successful at combating. we know there was overcrowding in 2021. a lot of overcrowding under trump. even at record high numbers last year, they were able to quickly get migrants processed. because of the way the mechanics of this could work, they could see more overcrowding. they are worried about backlash when that does happen. >> what about exceptions for children? there are certain categories of migrants who won't be

immediately expelled, correct? >> reporter: that's right. unaccompanied migrant children are an exception under this rule. it's the same exception the biden administration made under covid. they think that could draw more unaccompanied children to the united states as we have seen. at times there are people who are overwhelming health and human services. some families are forced to choose between keeping their children in a desperate situation or sending them by themselves on this incredibly dangerous route where they really have to be at the hands of smugglers who often mistreat them. there's a lot of concern about the unintended consequences of this executive order today. >> lee, you and the uclu have led some of the major changes to the trump era policies. >> we're going to make a final decision when we see the text of the executive order. if the reporting is that they

are having an asylum ban on the overwhelming majority of people, then i think we would be prepared to sue just like we did under the trump administration. we think it was illegal under the trump administration. it would be likewise illegal here. we will make a final decision after we see the executive order. there's no question the law does not allow you to shut down the border to asylum seekers, even if you make some minor exceptions or leave some avenues open at the ports, congress was very clear and the statute says explicitly, whether or not you apply at a port or between ports, you must be allowed to apply for asylum. that's because many people just can't get to a port. either cartels are pushing them to cross between ports, they are with a young child that can't walk hundreds of miles to a port, don't know where the port is. we need to provide a safe haven for people who get on u.s. soil. that doesn't mean everyone

should be granted asylum. i think the american people want a balanced approach. they don't want to shut off asylum to people who are being persecuted because of their religion or political opinion and setting families and young people into persecution. we are in favor of trying to fix the process to make it more streamlined. a total ban where people enter between ports can't apply for asylum is not lawful in our view. we will look this, and if it's at extreme as we are hearing, we are likely to bring suit. >> thank you very much, all of you. the pressure campaign. white house intensifying its push for a cease-fire in gaza in order to get more aid in and also bring the hostages home importantly. later this hour, i will be joined by family members of

american israeli hostages after their meeting with the national security advisor. "andrea mitchell reports" will be back in 90 seconds. you are watching msnbc. upset stomach iberogast indigestion iberogast bloating iberogast thanks to a unique combination of herbs, iberogast helps relieve six digestive symptoms to help you feel better. six digestive symptoms. the power of nature. iberogast. you want thicker, stronger, fuller hair? you need expert skincare. new dove scalp + hair therapy serum active skincare ingredients targets the source of beautiful hair. your scalp for visibly thicker, stronger, fuller hair.

it's never a good time for migraine, especially when i'm on camera. that's why my go-to is nurtec odt. for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura and the preventive treatment of episodic migraine in adults. it's the only migraine medication that helps treat & prevent, all in one. don't take if allergic to nurtec odt. allergic reactions can occur, even days after using. most common side effects were nausea, indigestion, and stomach pain. people depend on me. without a migraine, i can be there for them. talk to your doctor about nurtec odt today. the u.s. is cranking up its pressure on israel and hamas to agree to a cease-fire plan that the white house says israel proposed before prime minister netanyahu spoke out against it. last hour, qatar says it has

delivered israel's proposal to hamas. the white house said that happened thursday night. overnight, israel carried out new deadly strikes in central gaza, including against a refugee camp, amidst growing tensions in the south near rafah between israel and egypt about israel's strikes that close to the egyptian border. on monday, israel announced their forces found the remains of four more hostages, three in their 80s. more than a third of the hostages taken on october 7th are now believed to have died. tensions between president biden and prime minister netanyahu are on full display in a new interview with "time." when asked if netanyahu is prolonging the law because he cannot be pursued for bribery and other charges that are facing him, mr. biden responded, there's every reason for people to draw that conclusion. joining me now is michael allen,

senior director of the national security council and colin clarke. michael, you were in israel two weeks ago. the tensions are just increasing. there was a moment around may 3rd when there was a proposal. the white house was very positive about it. it was worked out between the intelligence directors. you know all that. netanyahu said, with or without a deal, he was going into rafah. then he started going into rafah. after that, rafah was closed. aid is not getting in. the fighting has become more intense. last friday, the president comes out with this proposal. he says it's an israeli proprose -- proposal. netanyahu had arguments agaist it saying he would not agree to a temporary cease-fire.

my reporting is that hamas and israel are both raising objections to the second phase but not so much the first phase of this complex three phase. what hope is there to get phase one going, a six-week cease-fire? >> i think white house in the first instance thought they ought to do a speech to pressure netanyahu to put him in a box. i think it changed a little bit once they looked at the peace agreement or the proposal that israel put forward, i think they thought israel made significant concessions, especially on the ratio on hostages to prisoners, how many hostages might be released in the first stage. they sort of shifted. they said, well, let's try and put this firmly up before hamas and try and get them to accept it. i think that's where we are now. the ball is in hamas' court. netanyahu seems to draw back from some of it when it might

limit his freedom of action to move forward against hamas in the future. to me, i think hamas has a big decision to make. they are trying to figure it out between those that are in the tunnels and those who are in qatar and who is making that decision might be anyone's guess. >> we have not heard from sinwar, the military wing of hamas and the mastermind behind october 7th. weeks of cease-fire talks have not yielded an agreement. jake sullivan insisted yesterday they are going to keep trying. here is what he said. >> you know, you fail every day until finally you succeed. i believe we will succeed. it's a question of when. can i tell you when exactly it's going to happen? i can't. >> he was echoing what george mitchel said when he was negotiating the irish accords successfully eventually. the u.s. and the prime minister are both now saying different

things, raising different objections. the two-state solution was never in this deal as it was announced. it was considered a preliminary deal because it was a cease-fire to get the hostages out, to get more aid in. is there a chance that that can succeed, phase one, and then try to stretch the cease-fire as long as they can? >> well, this is probably the most optimistic that i have been in many weeks. >> really? >> we're going about this the right way to look at building blocks or what i would call confidence building measures. at the same time, there's kind of a game within a game that's unfolding here. you see that with netanyahu's comments as well as biden's comments in "time" magazine. both leaders are trying to thread the needle between leading on the world stage but also responding to their domestic political constituencies, particularly netanyahu attempting to maintain the very fragile right wing coalition, even as far right

ministers threaten the very existence of this coalition. there's multiple layers here. i think this is diplomacy at the highest level. again, i'm more optimistic than i have been in weeks that they will get this to phase one at least. >> that would certainly be a blessing for the hostage families and also critically for the aid. rafah is not fully open. the pier was damaged. i talked to jose andres last night when he was honored at an event here in washington. he is passionate about the desperate situation for getting food and water and other supplies in, as is, of course, the united nations. thank you so much. up next, the president's son

in federal court in wilmington. adding strain to the first family five months before an election. you are watching "andrea mitchell reports" on msnbc. pre. i'm out of breath, and often out of the picture. but this is my story. ( ♪♪ ) and with once-daily trelegy, it can still be beautiful. because with 3 medicines in 1 inhaler, trelegy keeps my airways open for a full 24 hours and prevents future flare-ups. trelegy also improves lung function, so i can breathe more freely all day and night. trelegy won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. do not take trelegy more than prescribed. trelegy may increase your risk of thrush, pneumonia, and osteoporosis. call your doctor if worsened breathing, chest pain, mouth or tongue swelling, problems urinating, vision changes, or eye pain occur. ♪ what a wonderful world ♪ [laughing]

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opening statements completed today in the gun trial of hunter biden. today's opening statements are likely taking a personal toll on the first family.

the prosecution and defense delivered their opening statements and completed them this morning. the first witness is on the stand. the president's charge is charged with three felony counts making false statements to buy a handgun in 2018 when he filled out a form saying he was not using illegal drugs at the time and later acknowledged he was. jill biden is back in court today as she was yesterday as well as hunter biden's wife and his sister. they have been hearing the prosecution in the opening statements say beau biden's widow will testify they used crack cocaine with hunter. mike memoli is with us and kimberly atkins stohr. this is an fbi witness, unless she's off the stand since we last talked. tell me what's happened and what was notable in the opening statements.

>> reporter: these opening statements were so critical, in part, especially what we were going to hear from the defense attorney, because this was a case that was supposed to be pled out. there was an agreement with the government for hunter bide ton plead guilty to the charges. how are they going to present their potential defense today? after the prosecution, the state laid out their argument saying they were prepared to present evidence that would link hunter biden to the purchase of illegal guns -- of illegal drugs around the time he purchased this gun. abby lowell testified while hunter has been forthright about his battles with substance abuse and was abusing alcohol at the time of the purchase of the handgun, that he was not -- not using drugs at that moment. when he filled out that form, he believed that he was answering the form accurately. we should note the degree to which you say as you say halle bide season brought in. abby said that she was

responsible for some of the cocaine residue discovered as police took control of that weapon. another interesting moment is happening through that testimony from the fbi special agent. there's a question about whether hunter may be called by the defense to testify in his own defense. that's an open question at this point. the prosecutors are actually introducing hunter biden's voice in the form of the audio book of his recent memoir in which he details his drug use over the years, especially during the depth of his addiction, around and before the time of this incident in october of 2018. the jurors are hearing from hunter biden, just not from him on the stand at this point. >> it sounds so dramatic. kim, you are an attorney as well as a journalist. this is a trial on a federal gun charge. much is going to be said about his struggles with addiction.

that came up in the voir dire with the jury selection, that so many potential jurors, including some who were apparently chosen, were familiar with drug addiction from their own families, from friends. it shows you how widespread this is in our society, fentanyl and other drugs. >> it is. i think just about everyone in america has some sort of relationship with someone in their family, friend, co-worker who has dealt with this. certainly, that is at play here in how credible and sympathetic not just hunter biden if he chooses to take the stand, but others around him, that testimony, that will have an impact. it's also important to remember here that the burden is on the prosecution to prove not just that this form that hunter biden filled out exists, but as you pointed out, that he intentionally misled, made a

false statement on that document. hunter biden doesn't have to prove he wasn't -- prove the negative, he wasn't taking drugs. it's the prosecution that has to prove that he was. i think that's going to be the most -- the trickiest part of this case for the prosecution to put out. probably one reason why, the prosecution signed off on a plea deal long ago before a judge threw it out. so we will have to see how they present that proving a positive at that moment moving forward. >> kim, i know you are also following -- we have been carrying it live and it's been streamed -- the judiciary committee questioning the attorney general for the prosecutions of donald trump. coming up with all kinds of conspiracy theories. he has been firing back. talk to me about what's been going on in that congressional hearing. >> yeah.

republicans in the house are conducting this hearing in an effort to bolster claims by donald trump and his allies that the justice department is weaponized against donald trump and republicans and merrick garland to the extent he can discuss cases at all have been vehemently defending that, saying he would not be intimidated by these claims. some of the things that have come up is the fact that not just hunter biden is currently being -- this trial being prosecuted by the justice department for these federal charges, but so are two sitting democratic lawmakers. senators menendez and congressman cuellar. he says it's done without favor, and that's what he is trying to persuade the republicans, if that's possible. >> mike, kimberly, thanks so much to both of you. pressing ahead, 242 days after their loved ones were

kidnapped by hamas, family members of four israeli american hostages are joining us here, just after they met with jake sullivan. stay with us. you are watching "andrea mitchell reports" on msnbc. [announcer] introducing allison's plaque psoriasis. she thinks her flaky gray patches are all people see. otezla is the #1 prescribed pill to treat plaque psoriasis. allison! over here! otezla can help you get clearer skin and reduce itching and flaking. with no routine blood tests required. doctors have been prescribing otezla for over a decade. otezla is also approved to treat psoriatic arthritis. don't use otezla if you're allergic to it. serious allergic reactions can happen. otezla may cause severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. some people taking otezla had depression, suicidal thoughts or weight loss. upper respiratory tract infection and headache may occur.

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we are getting word from monica alba that brett mcgurk is

heading back to israel. it has been nearly eight months since loved ones were kidnapped by hamas, kidnapped, tortured, injured. they don't know. the not knowing when they will return is excruciating. joining me now from their white house meeting are rubi hen, father of a murdered hostage, the mother of omar nutra, audi alexander, father of hostage and jonathan dekotan and the father of another hostage. you learned your son had died. >> killed. >> had been killed, i should say. as far as you are concerned,

there are eight american hostages, five that we believe are still living, three who have been killed. and you want his remains. you want him returned. >> i think that's the basic humanitarian saying. i would like to past out the last 24 hours was difficult for all the hostage families where four additional families were notified that their loved ones were killed evidently after coming out alive, being taken alive into gaza and being killed because of the long time that has gone since the initial attack until today. >> three of them were elderly, believed to be in their 80s. >> indeed, so. i think any family would want to see closure on having the ability to mourn for their loved one and having its soul in a

place that's where we can be together. i will challenge any imam from the muslim faith. we are all children of god. to find some reference that says the taking dead bodies as negotiation chips is something that it calls for. >> your son was serving in the idf in a tank defending the gaza border. what did jake sullivan tell you about the chance of getting a male soldier out in this new cease-fire proposal? >> well, my understanding is that the proposal that's on the table now is a phased proposal, but it includes all the hostages, including the male hostages and the idf soldiers, and including the bodies of the deceased, and that the government is going to be working hard to make sure that

the different steps of this deal are followed through on. it's an all inclusive deal. i have to keep hopeful that this happens. it has to happen. this has been almost eight months since we have had any sign of life. it's been a devastation for all the families and, of course, for the hostages that are still there. this didn't just happen on october 7th. it's still happening. >> your son hasn't met his baby daughter. your grandchild born while he's been held in captivity. talk to me about that and living with this and remaining as active as all of you are, as passionate obviously to keep holding these meetings, traveling, pressing leaders on both sides to try to do something. what keeps you going? >> what keeps me going is this

vision that some day very soon, tomorrow i hope by virtue of the deal that's been proposed and is on the table, that some day soon, he is going to walk into some room, i hope on his own two feet, and his two little girls will run into his arms and he will meet for the first time his now six-month-old daughter and be able to hold all three of them with his wife who miraculously survived the massacre on october 7th. we are now in deep mourning because of the five people who were declared dead yesterday by the israeli army, four of them are from our small kibbutz community. >> i have been there on my last trip to israel. the devastation is appalling.

how did your daughter-in-law survive? >> there were small miracles that day. we know that of the 400 or so people who were present that morning, 54 of them -- at least 54 were murdered. 79 taken hostage. 35 remain in captivity. she survived with others. we can't explain everything. sheltering in our attached safe rooms. the terrorists, although they tried, were unable to access the safe room. in other places, they were. those places where they could access the safe room, the people who were there, women, children, men, women, were either executed on the spot or taken as hostages. we are just grateful. i have a daughter with her family who also miraculously were able to survive that day.

life only renews. i think i speak for all of us here and all of the hostage families, life can only begin, you can only think about beginning anew when the hostages come home in whatever state they are. >> it's completely understandable. from what i saw, some of the homes with people probably in those safe rooms were burned to the ground as well. >> very dear friends of our family, three generations were burned alive in one home. a family of five with three little children. my newest granddaughter is actually named after one of the little girls who was burned alive on october 7th by hamas terrorists. >> with all of this tragedy around you and with the

stalemate between hamas and the israeli leaders and all of the obstacles, how do you keep your spirits up? >> you have to remain focused and hopeful and here we go. we are in the same position we were back in january, back in may. when our president speaks, i think people should listen. it's almost the same deal on the table as hamas proposed it. we kind of are waiting one more time. here we go. let's go and just execute it. >> president biden was interviewed by "time" magazine. he was asked whether -- i'm marry paraphrasing. whether he believes prime minister netanyahu is only interested in his own political

self-preservation. do you share that view? >> before that maybe i will answer from a different perspective. i'm a new yorker. we just came back sunday from the march for the focus on the hostage families. you saw the amount of people behind this. not just the jewish community but all parts of new york. i want to give a shoutout -- >> did that lift your spirits? >> it did. plain folks came out. i think as well when we speak about the prime minister netanyahu, at the end, it's his deal. he proposed this deal. what the president echoed on friday was the deal that the war cabinet, led by benjamin netanyahu, approved. i honestly believe -- this is also the view of the white house -- that the onus at the moment is on hamas. once they come back with a

positive response, we believe israel will be able to move forward with that. >> clearly, they could end this tomorrow if they would release the hostages. at this stage, people are not being fed, people are not getting fuel. the fighting in rafah and many in israel believe that this fighting has to take place to, quote, eliminate hamas. the generals, gallant and gantz and others in the war cabinet and u.s. intelligence and military believe it's not possible to eliminate hamas. you can get leaders, hope to get sinwar, but there's no eliminating hamas through military means without jeopardizing the lives of the hostages. is that an accurate reflection of how you feel? >> i think most people in israel and the war cabinet and government agree at this point

that there are war goals and urgent goals. the priority is on bringing back the hostages. that should take place before anything else at the moment. of course, the security of israel is important. it will always be. but at the moment, bringing the hostages home is the most urgent issue. you mentioned people on all sides that are suffering. i just want to share that yesterday we were part a meeting in new york city that took place between moderate islamic leaders in the community and hostage families that were local hostage families such as ours and hostage families that came from israel. i want to point out that among the hostage families -- this is not just a jewish issue. there were hostages that were taken from all major faiths.

at this meeting yesterday, there were muslim families of hostages that came from israel and together with other families met with these moderate leaders who are brave and courageous enough to speak up and say that this is not part of their faith and that the hostages need to be let go and that's a global humanitarian issue. they are brave enough to say that this is not condoned by islam and they don't condone it. we were very hopeful and optimistic to hear those messages. we hope that they are amplified. i really believe the moderate voices, the majority whose usually silent, should speak up. this is the time. >> on that hopeful note, i just want to say, may his memory be a blessing and the four souls who

were found dead yesterday as well, the four gentlemen, and just praying and hoping that this time it works. >> thank you. >> thank you so much. we will be right back. [jeff laughs maniacally] (inner monologue) seriously, i'm on the green and all i can think about is all the green i'm spending on 3 kids in college. with empower, i get all of my financial questions answered. so i don't have to worry. empower. what's next. missing out on the things you love because of asthma? get back to better breathing with fasenra, an add-on treatment for eosinophilic asthma that is taken once every 8 weeks. fasenra is not for sudden breathing problems or other eosinophilic conditions. allergic reactions may occur. don't stop your asthma treatments without talking with your doctor. tell your doctor if your asthma worsens. headache and sore throat may occur. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. step back out there with fasenra. ask your doctor if it's right for you.

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likely taking a personal toll on the family with details about their son's extensive drug use and struggles with addiction aired in open court. his voice played today from his audio book. the president balancing the duties of the office with his role as a father. joining me now, "new york times" chief white house correspondent peter baker and msnbc contributor charlie sykes. peter, first to you. you've covered so many us whos, white houses, but we have never gone through anything like this. now a president's son on trial in federal court. and felony charges, serious charges. how -- in an election year, with a debate at the end of this month. how is he possibly balancing all of this? and coming a g-7 summit, but before that, two very big speeches in normandy? >> that's exactly right. i'm here in paris waiting for his arrival tomorrow. but i think one reason he's

happy to be -- he'll be happy to be in paris is not to be there for the trial. there is obviously a huge personal toll on a president when your child goes on trial. he has been juggling this personal and political situation now for years. obviously it concerns him greatly, not only his son is facing federal charges, but that, you know, he has been struggling with addiction for many years and this is something that i think continually absorbs the president's time and energy in some ways. he worries that -- about a relapse, he worries that something will send his son spiraling out of control again as it did after his other son beau's death. so it is both a personal and political trial for him in that sense. politically, obviously the timing couldn't be worse. they would rather focus on the illegality of his opponent. donald trump, who was just convicted and is now a felon on 34 felony counts of falsifying

business records. they would rather make that strong stark contrast. hunter biden is not running fors a president and there is not a crime that has anything to do with the presidency and the official functions of the office, but it muddies the waters that it makes it harder for the president politically as well. >> there have been exhibits introduced, including audio from his own memoir, where he acknowledges all of these things, him describing himself what it was like to walk into rough neighborhoods and buy crack, and why he might have, i guess, felt the need to buy a gun, but also the details they said in the opening statement about how it was beau biden's wife, his widow, who was using crack cocaine and that some of her -- the cocaine that she had on her might have been on the gun. trying to somehow implicate her,

but she's testifying, will be testifying according to the prosecution under immunity. this is not the campaign family portrait you want to put out on a video. charlie? >> no, not at all. it is incredibly complicated and incredibly messy as peter has described. knowing what a devoted father joe biden is, this has got to be immensely painful. but it is also politically fraught because it certainly is very, very possible that by the time the first debate, that his son will be a convicted felon and you know that donald trump and the republicans will weaponize this. but i also think it is an opportunity to point out that the criminal justice system has not been weaponized just against republicans. you have this trial, that is going ahead against hunter biden, the trial against senator menendez, a trial against a democratic congressman from texas, and i think this is a point that people need to make because it is very difficult to

imagine that donald trump would have allowed a trial of his own children to go ahead in this particular way. so, this is a moment, it has got to be incredibly -- it is awkward politically. it has got to be very painful personally but also a moment to talk about the way the criminal justice system works and the way it doesn't work. >> and right now, of course, the attorney general on -- being grilled by republicans in house judiciary for the very opposite of what is being displayed here. we're told by our reporters in the overflow room that the first lady is at times looking directly at hunter, at times at the jury, and also following the text of his audio clips that are displayed on the screen. we're going to leave it there, peter, i look forward to your reporting from normandy and charlie sykes, thanks to you. that does it for this edition of "andrea mitchell reports." follow us on social media at mitchell reports. watch the best of our show on

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