but it's under siege

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and a heated debate. a look at that and trump's plans to return to pennsylvania tonight for the first time since his assassination attempt. a personal attacks ramp up in the presidential campaign. trump's comments about kamala harris' appearance and why he says she would fail on the world stage. also breaking news. latest decision from the fed on interest rates and what could soon be coming in their fight against inflation. our nbc news reporters are following all of the latest developments. we begin with that breaking news. hezbollah now confirming the death of a top commander in an israeli strike in lebanon. let's go to matt bradley. matt, what's the latest. >> reporter: yeah. we heard hezbollah in the last couple minutes acknowledging for the first time this senior leader who was considered the right-hand man, the reclusive and much admired in this part of

the world leader of hezbollah, that he was killed in that israeli strike yesterday. the israelis have been talking about this. they acknowledged it publicly. said he was the one targeted and called this retribution for an attack on a school soccer field in the golan heights, occupied by the israelis. this happened over the weekend. the israelis said they had struck this man and they killed what sounds like now at least five others and dozens more injured in a scene that toppled buildings in a crowded section just south of beirut. which is actually a hezbollah stronghold. so it had been 24 hours since the israelis said they had killed this man before hezbollah acknowledged that this was true, and i was there today. you could tell they were waiting until they found his body. a real big part of the issue, because this building was actually completely destroyed, and the top was almost entirely sheared off a neighboring

building. a real difference from the other precision strikes israeli launched outside of their boarders. in addition to that acknowledgement from hezbollah we heard from israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu just, again, within the last several minutes. he addressed the nation of israel, and he mentioned this, saying he was the target and listed a bunch of others. one of the leaders of hamas in the gaza strip. he was the target of a recent strike, but it's unclear whether or not he was actually killed in that strike. he also mentioned hitting the houthis, rebels in yemen like hezbollah and like hamas are also backed by the iranians. who he didn't mention the kills of ibrahim in iran. something the iranians and everybody else in the region were even starting to hear, according to axios reporting, american officials are starting to blame israel for this. it's wildly acknowledged they must have been the one who killed the top political officer

for hamas. this was the incident that looks like it's bringing the entire middle east to the brink of a region-wide war. all of the assassinations. benjamin netanyahu listed them off, in thick session over the past couple of weeks looks like an inflammatory step that could bring israel to brink of war not only here in lebanon but with iran itself. back in april we almost saw the region reaching that level. a lot of enormous palpable fear this whole region would be brought to war all the sides managed to overt that end, and at the same time now we're starting to see all of those wheels in motion again. it's a question of whether or not the diplomatic will, will still be there to prevent that kind of region-wide war. whether groups like hezbollah here in lebanon will decide to show restraint. whether benjamin netanyahu and his right-wind government in

israel will continue to launch assassination attempts across their border outside of the gaza strip in an inflammatory way that could cause other countries to take action. a risk that would not only bring iran into this could also bring in american allies like the united states who have parked naval assets just off the coast off my left shoulder the past several months. a disaster for the entire region. one, like in a fight in the gaza strip carried out mostly by civilians. >> thank you for that, matt bradley. i can tell you based on a briefing just ahead at the white house that the president according to john kirby, is focused on trying to prevent exactly that escalation. he was asked about the impact this might have on talks tore a feesfire and of course release of hostaging. he says too soon to see what any of this will have on a cease-fire deal. always been complicated and that report certainly doesn't make it less complicated.

right now they don't believe escalation is inevitable. keeping a very close eye on that as well as the white house briefing. donald trump, meantime, will be fielding questions at a conference of black journalists expected just a few moments from now. i want to bring in nbc's dasha burns joining us from pennsylvania will trump will hold a rally tonight. what are we expecting to hear and see from trump today? >> reporter: chris, still keeping an eye and waiting on his appearance at that conference at nabj, chris. supposed to start about an hour ago. not sure what the holdup is. a significant moment in pennsylvania tonight for the former president given it's his first time in the state since that assassination attempt. i expect that security will be heightened. we know it's indoor this time around. the last few rallies prior to that shooting were all outside. that's going to be certainly a change. i expect he will bring it up, give's this moment. this is something he's already

incorporated into some of his messaging. you know, he always said he's the one standing in the way between his supporters and those going after them. he's now using that as part of that story and part of that message. i'll also be watching for how he talk answer his new opponent, vice president kamala harris. at his last big rally he was still talking a lot about president biden, and they are trying out new attack lines on harris focusing a lot on immigration and the border crisis, and trying to tie her to that. trying out new nicknames, talking about her record as a prosecutor. we'll be watching how that strategy is revealing itself. crystallizing, shifting, as the dynamic is certainly completely different now, chris from what we were seeing on the ground and from what we're seeing from both of these campaigns now. chris? >> dasha burns, thank you for that. in the new interview donald trump is suggesting that kamala harris won't be able to succeed on the world stage, because of her appearance. nbc's jonathan allen is covering

this story for us. what exactly did he say? >> reporter: well, let me be careful here chris and leave the words of donald trump in the mouth of donald trump rather than quoting him myself. so i think we've got some video of that interview. >> i think they'll walk all over her. she'll be so easy for them. shedding like a play toy, they look at her and they say, we can't believe we got so lucky. they're going to walk all over her and i don't want to say as to why, but a lot of people understand it. how do you think they'll look, president xi's china standing together with her representing -- i don't want her to be my representative. >> reporter: he says i don't want to say why. he thinks that kamala harris would be weak on the world stage or look bad next to foreign leaders like president xi. leaving that to the imagination, but obviously making it clear that he means it on an appearance level.

his campaign says that he was not referring to her race or her gender. instead, what campaigns spokeswoman karoline leavitt said harris is "weak, dishonest and dangerously liberal and that's why the american people will reject her november 5th." obviously if trump wanted to make that argument, the one that his campaign spokesperson made he could have made that. the qualities she spoke of, the campaign spokeswoman do not have to do with kamala harris' appearance. leave it to viewers to decide what he meant but he certainly implied he meant something other than her basic characteristics. >> thank you. we got breaking news now from the fed. they are keeping interest rates unchanged yet again. nbc's brian cheung is following this for us. of course, the big question all along and what wall street was watching was any signal that the rate cut is coming in september. tell us everything. >> reporter: yeah. what we got was a statement

about ten minutes ago from the federal reserve saying they haven't change interest rates. means remain at utty decade highs which is by the way, part of reason behind high mortgage and credit card rates we'll all experiencing. federal reserve saying in recent moss further progress on inflation, but they did say "the committee again referring to the fed officials does not expect it will be appropriate to reduce the target range." translation do an interest rate cut until it gained "greater confidence inflation is moving sustainably down." for the federal reserve, the challenge, lower the speed of inflation felt at the store, but the translation from what we've seen from this statement and others like the likes of jay powell head of the federal reserve's in recent weeks has been, encouraged by inflation's recent readings. remember, rate of price changes wa closer to 9% summer of 2022. more recently things in the low 3%. the fed would like to see that

somewhere closer to 2% but said we won't wait for it to hit that mark before cutting interest rates. one person omar from an insight company took a look at the statement saying "this would likely lead to a more meaningful signal of a rate cut in september is very likely." means, chris, might be another month and a half plus filing of that rate cut we've been talking about for so long. >> brian cheung, thank you. in 90 seconds, it's the phrase that's been everywhere this campaign season. now the director of "project 2025" is stepping down amid fierce criticism from donald trump. >> i don't know what the hell it is. >> seriously. i don't know anything about it. i don't want to know anything about it. t time you try bounce, it hits you: your laundry feels way fresher and less wrinkled... you start to wonder... if i put a sheet of bounce on my boss, will it make his wrinkles smoother? bounce can't do it all, but for better laundry... ♪ put a sheet on it ♪ ♪ with bounce ♪

there's been a major shake-up at the group responsible for project 20125. that controversial conservative wish list for the next republican administration. the group's director is now out following intense criticism that pushed donald trump to try to distance himself from the plan. his campaign releasing this fiery statement saying "reports of project 2025's demise would be greatly welcomed and should serve as notice anyone or any group trying to misrepresent their influence with president trump and his campaign. it will not end well for you." but the harris campaign says project 2025 isn't going anywhere. it's on the ballot, because

donald trump is on the ballot. this is his agenda written by his allies for donald trump to inflict upon our country. juanita toll lesh democratic strategist and host of "what a day" podcast. and former aid to speakers john rhine and senator boehner. donald trump denies any connection to project 2025, although he has longstanding ties to some of its key architects. his running mate j.d. vance wrote the forward to an upcoming book "by the man" who will take over. where is this going in campaign 2024? >> yeah. this is one of those situations where everybody is right here. look, i've been around washington politics for a long time and i have to roll my eyes a little bit. the heritage foundation put out plans like this regularly.

did it in 2022, too. i'm not sure donald trump spent a lot of time with a 900-page document. doesn't sound like him. same time they see donald trump as an empty vessel, the people going to his administration more than likely and see him as an opportunity top advance -- they said they've long wanted to do. will a lot of these things happen? probably not. are a lot of these things in this document sort of standard fare for conservatives like getting rid of the education democrat. >> sorry. i need to disrupt you. after more than an hour delays by technical problems, donald trump is on the stage. let's listen. >> -- some rivals from nikki haley to former president barack obama saying they were not born in the united states, which is not true. you have told four congresswomen of color american citizens to go back to where they came from. you have used words like animal and rabbit to describe black district attorney, attacked black journalists calling them

loser saying the question they ask are "stupid and racist" dinner with a white supremacist as your mar-a-lago resort. my question, sir, now asking black supporters to vote for you, why should black voters trust you after you have used language like that? >> first of all, and i don't think i've ever been asked a question so, in such a horrible manner, the first question. you don't even say hello, how are you. are you with abc? because i think they're a fake news network. a terrible network. and -- i think it's disgraceful that i came here in good spirit. i love the black population of this country. i've done so much for the black population of this country. including employment. including opportunity zones with senator tim scott of south carolina, which is one of the greatest programs ever for black

workers and black entrepreneurs. i've done so much and, you know, i say this. historically black colleges and universities were out of money. they were stone, c broke, and i saved them, and i gave them long-term financing, and nobody else was doing it. i think it's a very rude introduction. i don't know exactly why you would do something like that and let me go a step further. i was invited here, and i was told my opponent whether widesen or kamala, i was told my opponent would be here. turned out my opponent isn't here. you invited me under false pretense, and then you said, you can't do it with zoom. well, you know, where's zoom? she's going to do it with zoom and she's not coming. then half an hour late. just so we understand, i have too much respect for you to be late. they couldn't get their equipment working or something was wrong. it's a nasty narrative -- >> i think you should answer the

question. >> i have answered the question. i have been the best president for the black population since abraham lincoln. >> better than abraham lincoln that signed the voting act. start off the question 35 minutes late because you couldn't get your equipment work in a hostile manner is a disgrace. >> ask a follow-up and we'll move on to other questions here. some of your own supporters including republicans on capitol hill have labeled vice president kamala harris who is the first black and asian american woman to serve as vice president and be on a major party ticket as a dei hire. is that acceptable language to you and will you tell those republicans and those supporters to stop it? >> how do you define dei? go ahead. how do you define it? >> diversity equity inclusion. >> go ahead. is that your definition? >> that is literally the words. >> give me a definition of that. give me a definition. >> i'm asking to you answer it.

>> define it. >> do you believe vice president harris is only on the ticket because she's a black woman? >> now i think it's a little bit different. i've known her a long time indirectly. not directly very much. and she was always of indian heritage and she was only promoting indian heritage. i didn't know she was black, until a number of years ago which she happened to turn black and now wants to be known at black. so i don't know. is she indian or black? >> went to -- >> i respect either one. she obviously doesn't. because she was indian all wait. all of a sudden she made a turn and went, she became a black person. >> just to be clear, sir, do you believe -- >> somebody should look into that, too, when you ask a continuum of a very hostile nasty question. >> it's a direct question. do you believe vice president kamala harris is a dei hire -- i really don't know. don't know. could be, could be there areship and plenty. this lady over there, harris, a

fan tsk person who just interviewed me and length and i heard you got very good ratings. >> told me the longest of your life. a good discussion. i want to talk why you're here today. it is not lost ow divided we are as a country. as you were coming together we got to see we can divided along the lines of race, along the lines of gender and there is this question of in this moment where we are, why come here? what is your message today? >> my message is to stop people from invading our country that are taking, frankly, a lot of problems with it. one of the big problems and a lot of journalists in this room i know and have great respect for. a lot of journalists in this room are black. i will tell you that coming -- coming from the border are millions and millions of people that happen to be taking black

jobs. you had the best -- >> what exactly is a black job, sir? a. black job is neighbor has a job. that's what it is. anybody that has a -- >> all right. >> mr. president can i -- >> taking employment away from black people. they're coming in and they're coming in. they're invading. it's an invasion of millions of people. 16 million, 17 million, i have a feeling more than that. the black population is affected most by that and kamala is allowing it to happen. she's the border czar. the worst border czar history of the world. never been a border czar like this. essentially says there once but not the right part of the border. so she was a border czar. done a horrible job. these people are coming in to our country taking black jobs and hispanic jobs and frankly union jobs. unions have been badly affected by the millions of people pouring into our country. one thing as we've discussed,

many of these people are coming in from mental institutions, gangs, jails, other countries. other countries are setting loose their prisoners, they're opening up their prisons and mental institutions around taking their bad people, drug dealers, gang members, and they're bringing them into the united states. by the way, their crime rate is going down and our crime rate is going to be a disaster. >> mr. president, i want to get into how you address some of the issues with black communities. i say that plural because we live in communities of color that be different. rear not all the same. we don't vote the same or think the same. >> true. >> it's not monolithic. as you come here today i want to talk about something that -- this is the weight of the inflation on this country right now. the nonprofit money management international recently released data from its midyear analysis that we have found a 52% rise in

people who are seeking counseling for being in credit debt. paying for food sky high on credit cards and now can't pay that off. the credit counseling nonprofit mmi, as i said is saying now they've seen surging they haven't seen since we were in a pandemic of people in financial trouble. much of that falls on the shoulders of single moms, single black moms. when you look statistically. how do you turn it around? what's your plan for the black community when it comes to money? >> firsts of all, it's very hard to hear you for whatever reason because of the fact they have bad equipment. i guess you know, this woman was unable to get et right equipment, but it's very hard for me to hear you but i can hear every other word. it's very difficult, actually. but so i don't know if they can fix it or do something with it, but i'll do the best i can with it. the inflation is absolutely destroying our middle class, our working class, virtually every

class. inflation is a disaster in our country. inflation is a country buster. it breaks every country. we had, in my opinion, the worst inflation we've had. they say it's 58 years but i think it's much more than that. it's been devastating. and if you just take a look at a lot of things they don't improve. interest rates. interest rates went from 2.4% to 10% and you can't get the money. people can't buy houses. they no longer have the american dream. young people. young black people. they don't have the american dream anymore. they can't buy a house, can't borrow the money because of the cost of the money. they can't borough because of the cost of housing because of the cost to build it because of inflation. inflation is a disaster and it's destroying our country, and it's destroying the black community. probably as much or more -- >> what do you do? what's your plan? >> you know, we have to bring down the cost of energy, and that's going to bring down the court of inflation. this was all started with a bad

energy policy by joe biden. by the way, just -- if i might -- i was running against a man named biden. you probably saw that. was losing badly in the polls had a rather bad debate. one of the worst debates in history, and his poll numbers crashed. instead of saying you know, let's keep going, and maybe something happens the other way, they said, oh, we're going to replace him. let's just replace him. that's like you're in a fight pap prize fighter in a fight not doing what you say, you say bring in another fighter. so our whole campaign was geared toward him and now we have to steer -- ultimately it's the same because they're bad policy. policy of open borders, unbelievable open borders, horrible energy policies. they want to get rid of, as you say, gasoline in cars. want to get rid of oil, get rid of efficient, efficient heating. >> mr. president --

>> environmentally they're killing, destroying our country but inflation is the thing that's hurting the black worker, the black population, and every other population within our country. inflation is the worst its been, i think in over 100 years. and they'll fact check. say it's only 58. whatever it may be, they don't add all the numbers. don't add the really bad numbers and you can check that, too, but inflation, harris, is absolutely destroying this country, and the people in our country. yes, ma'am. >> mr. president can i ask another question also impacting black people? >> yes. that's very clear. >> it's very clear. >> sorry? >> it's very clear. i hear you. summer massey, and another black woman, sonya massey, the deputy since charged with murder. you said police would get immunity from prosecution if you

win. why should someone like that officer have immunity, in your opinion? >> immunity? i don't know the exact case, but i saw something. and it didn't look -- it didn't look good to me. it didn't look good to me. are you talking with the water? right? >> yeah, well -- i mean, police unions are not backing this person either, but, again, why would -- >> are they going to be charging the officer? i get they're charging the officer? >> so why should he receive immunity? >> he might not. depends. depends on what happens. i'm talking about people that are much different cases than that. we need people to protect ourselves and by the way, in chicago, as an example a few weeks ago, july 4th weekend, they had 117 shootings and 17 deaths. nobody wants that. nobody wants that. we need to have our police officers have the respect and dignity back in this particular case i saw something that didn't

look good to me. i didn't like it. i didn't like it at all. >> so can you give a little more specific? back to the immunity question. who would make those -- >> for the most part right now people are protected by their unions, by their police unions or by their police departments. i'm saying if a group of people feel that somebody was unfairly prosecuted, if i felt, because the person did a good job maybe with crime or made a mistake. an incident mistake. a big difference between being a bad person and making an innocent mistake. i would want to help that person with an innocent mistake. >> what were the exceptions be? >> go after something, a very close call, very danger ousdang. the policeman's life and policewoman is a very difficult thing because sometimes you have less than a second to make a, you know, life and death decision, and sometimes very bad decisions are made.

they're not made from an evil standpoint but made from the standpoint of they made a mistake i. want to follow-up quickly. you know, i find it interesting. because you talk about reining in prosecutors especially when it comes to prosecutors prosecuting you. why doesn't that skepticism apply to law enforcement? >> i've been prosecuted because i'm political opponent of two people that have weaponized our justice system. i just won the biggest case in florida. the biggest and most difficult and just won it. biden has a similar case, much worse. i was protected by the presidential records act biden wasn't because he wasn't president and 50 years worth of documents and they ruled he was imp competent and shouldn't stand trial. i said, isn't that something? incompetent and can't stand trial and yet he can be

president. isn't that nice? but they released him on the basis he was incompetent, no memory and a nice, old guy but had no memory and therefore we're not going to prosecute him. i won the case and it got very little publicity. i didn't notice abc doing any publicity on it, george. george slopadopolous. i won the case. the biggest case. this is an attack on a political opponent. i have another one. where i -- >> sir, i'd love to move on. limited time. love to move on. >> excuse me. you held me up for 35 minutes. just so you understand. >> if we could move on now to the state of the race, sir. back to the campaign. senator j.d. vance is your running mate. he's had a lot controversy. a few things said. democrats running the country of a bunch of childless cat ladies miserable with their own lives and choices made and want to

make the rest of the country miserable, too. he's not talking about how great to are a parent. attacking choices people make to have no children. did you know he had these views about people without children before you picked him to be your running mate and do you agree with him? >> no. i know this. he is very family oriented and think family is a great thing. that doesn't mean he thinks if you don't have a family it's not -- i know we'll with families. people with great families. we'll with very troubled families and people with no families. they didn't meet the right person. things happen. you go through life you don't meet the right person. >> he's not just talking about families. people with no children -- >> excuse me. i'm speaking for myself. i think for him too. he strongly believes in family. but i know people with great families. i know people with no great families that don't have a family. and the people without the family are far better. they're subpoena in many cases, okay? he's not saying they're not.

what he's saying is that he thinks the family experience is a very important thing. it's a very good thing, but that doesn't mean that if you grow up and you grow old and you don't meet somebody that would be wonderful to meet and would have been good. a bad thing. not saying that. my interpretation, you have to ask him, actually, but my interpretation is he strongly is family oriented. doesn't mean if you don't have a family there's something wrong with that. >> mr. president -- >> one more and then move on. one of the bedrock principles of american life is one person, one vote. senator j.d. vance suggested that someone who has children should have more votes than a person who does not have children. i just want to be clear here. is that the position of your campaign? >> well, no, but it's not something i have ever heard before. i can tell you this. right now you have illegal aliens coming into our country. many from prisons and many from mental institutions and they want to give them votes. i don't think they should have votes. they came into our country

illegally. >> people only american citizens are allowed to vote, sir. >> people here a long time, worked hard, that in many cases, you'll see this happening if i'm not elected you'll see it happening. if i am, no problem. see it happening a long team. people in this room and people outside of this room are going to be losing their jobs to people that have come into this country illegally. >> mr. president, can we stay with just kind of the state of the race right now? i felt like that vice president question candidate question, right in there with that. so let's talk about j.d. vance a little bill. stumbles out of the gate. i don't know if you hear what we're hearing as reporters but a tough couple of weeks for him. why did you choose j.d. vance? >> why did -- >> why did you choose him? i'm having a hard time hearing, too. everybody out there, cut it's hard -- >> tell you why. i chose him because he's a very strong believer in work and the

working man and woman and especially the working man and woman who have been treated very unfairly, because you have many of them. many of them in this room, but you have many of those people treated very unfairly. worked very hard and were treated unfairly. he wrote the book that became a best-seller. the movie became a smash hit. he's a very smart guy. without the benefit of having family that has contacts like a father that was well connected. he got into yale law school. he graduated in two years from ohio state. summa cum laude. i mean, take a look at, you know, his career's. it's an amazing career. he started off at a level wit a, a difficult family situation, very difficult with the mother. with the father. everything else. he ends up going to yale law school and was one of the top students, became head of the law journal. i mean, it's an amazing thing. he's a four-year -- in the

military with great distinction for four years. got out. went into business. became successful in business. very successful in business, actually. did public offering and other things. and i, you know, i have to believe in that. he's somebody that was born in a rough situation. most people know that situation, situation,-of-because it was well documented in his book. i have a lot of respect for somebody that can get into yale, become one of the best students in yale, that meets a young woman at yale who was also outstanding and they get married, they have a beautiful family, but he had -- he's made himself an amazing life. then gets, goes to ohio. lives in ohio and he had my endorsement that helped, but he wins the senate. he becomes a united states senator. so he's a united states senator. so, harris, like i respect you for your success, i respect people for their success.

>> the reason i ask the question is because the last time you and i sat and talked was the day that you were shot. we've been together for much of that day. you left to go to butler, pennsylvania, and we didn't know what was next. -- >> i cannot understand your microphone. >> it's really hard. >> i can understand you perfectly. oh -- >> she's closer. >> i can understand you. >> i can't understand, harris, because of the distance and the mics are in lousy shape. i cannot understand -- >> are you asking a question? >> what did you say? go ahead. >> what i wanted to say, the last time we spoke you said words that were prophetic because i asked who you want to choose for vice president. you said normally it really wouldn't matter what they would -- you'd choose somebody you think has a future that sort of thing. but you said these words. three and a half hours before an attempted assassination on your life. you told me that bad things

happen here and that's why this decision is important this time. bad things happen. you said it twice. when you look at j.d. vance, is he ready on day one? >> does he what? >> ready or day one? if he has to be? >> i've always had great respect for him. and for the other candidates, too. but i will say this. and i think this is well documented. historically the vice president in terms of the election does not have any impact. virtually no impact. two, three days a lot of commotion, as to who, like having it on the democrat side. who it's going to be. then that dies down. and it's all about the presidential pick. virtually never has it mattered. maybe lyndon johnson mattered for different reasons. for political reason, other political reasons, but historically the choice of a vice president makes no difference. you voted for the president, and you can have a vice president

who's outstanding in every way. i think j.d. is. i think that all of them would have been, but -- but you're not voting that way. you're voting for the president. you're voting for me. if you like me i'm go to win. if you don't like me i'm not going to win i. want to get my j.d. vance question in. >> sure. >> to your point and rachel's point, he you know, has a lot of opinions about childless women like myself or divorced people like yourself. do you think -- well -- >> said in a friendly manner. >> my point is -- do you think the party, the republican party's getting a little bit too judgy about people's lives when you think about abortion or when you think about what j.d. vance is saying? >> i don't think -- look, i think that the democrat party is really the one that has the problem. i think they're radical on abortion, because they are

allowing abortion in the ninth month, i think it's about -- >> after the baby is born based on -- >> sir, that's illegal in every state in the country. executing a baby, illegal in every state in the country is illegal. >> after born, and abortions in eighth and ninth month. and i think the republican party is much lesser. i think ave made them much less radical perhaps, but the republican party, what we're doing, bringing it back to the states where everybody wanted it. democrats, republicans, liberals, conservative. everybody wanted abortion brought back. they didn't want roe v. wade in the federal government. everyone wanted it back -- >> americans opposed roe v. wade being overturned. >> right now they're voting. it brought it back to the states. i happen to believe in the three sessions. ronald reagan believed with rape, incest, life of the mother. i do. i think most people do. i think most republicans do, also. but if you take a look.

right now they're doing, it's an amazing thing. out of the federal government it's in states and people are voting. i will say, ohio is, let's call it a more liberal version has been approved. kansas, the same thing. a little surprising to a lot of people. but the people are now voting. and it's taking this issue that's been going on for 52 years and torn our country apart, and it's giving it to the people to vote on. and they're voting. and -- many states have already voted. others are in the process of voting. and it's bringing it back to the people and the vote of the people and it's not at all radical. again, you have to follow your heart. i happen to believe in the three exceptions. most people believe in the three exceptions. most republicans believe these. but they don't want to see an abortion in the ninth month or eighth month. almost everybody agrees to certainly don't want to say in

the case of former governor of virginia, i might add, said, set the baby aside and then decide what to do. means what do we do? we execute the baby? that's a radical, horrible position. and some people -- some people want that. i don't want it. most people don't. >> thank you. can i just say quickly, another question. about, you brought up health, harris. you're an active man. we see you golfing all the time, but if you win, you'll still be president at 82. >> yeah. >> which is older than biden is right now. >> but not mentally. look, mentally -- >> here's the question. >> he's shot. he shot. most people, i know many neem their 80s and their 90s in great shape. some of our greatest leaders. look throughout world history. some of the greatest leaders in the world were in their 80s. >> here's the question. would you consider stepping down if you felt your health was

declining? or would you -- >> oh, absolutely. i think i'd know. >> how would you make that decision? >> i think i'd know. look, if i came on to a stage like this and got treated so rudely as this woman treated me. >> oh, my goodness, and i'm fine with it, because she -- she was very rude, sir. very rude. that was a nasty -- that wasn't a question. she gave a statement. that wasn't a question. >> i repeated your statements, actually. >> you said you would -- >> oh, absolutely. if i felt i was failing in some way, i want people -- i'll go a step further. i want anybody running for president to take an aptitude and a cognitive test. it's a great idea and atook two of them and i aced them. i took two of them. i would like people running for president i don't mean because they are 75 or 85. anybody running i would like to do it.

people say it's not constitutional. i would like something passed we can do it. i've watched what happened in the last couple of years under this gentleman and our country is a mess. we have inflation. we have millions of people falling in. we have afghanistan, which was the -- >> wait. >> worst most embarrassing moment in the history of our country. what he has done to our country and her, too, what they've done to our country. she has been a horrible vice president. she's considered the worst vice president in the history of our country. >> mr. trump, i don't mean to interrupt you would you consider taking a cognitive test and make them public? >> already taken two and will do it again. >> how do you intend. >> i suggested, harris, let's take one. joe and i will go and take a cognitive test. now, i'd do it with her, too. i would do it with her also. know what? she failed her law exam. didn't pass her law exam maybe wouldn't pass the cognitive

test. >> to be clear you don't think -- >> she didn't pass her bar exam and didn't xi she would pass it and didn't think she would ever pass. maybe she passed it. >> she did pass it. >> a man over here must work for her. >> love to ask you about january 6th. you called yourself the candidate of law and order. >> yeah. >> "time" magazines ask you to consider pardoning all rioters you said, yes, absolutely called them patriots. 143 officers assaulted that day. injuries included broken bones. one officer lost an eye. one had two cracked ribs, two smashed spinal discs. another had a stroke. were the people who assaulted those 140 officers including those i just mentioned patriots? who deserve pardons? >> bring it back to modern day. like about five days ago. we had an attack on the capital. a horrible attack on the capitol hill. you saw the people protesting

and spraying incredible moneyments, bells, all of these magnificent limestone and granite with red paint, red spray paint, that will never actually come off. especially on the limestone. never -- i'm a builder. i know about this stuff. you'll see it 100 years from now. they viciously attacked our government, fought with police. fought for, much more openly than i saw on january 6th. what's going to happen to those people? what's going to happen to the people in portland. >> my question is on those riot ers who assaulted. you would pardon those? >> if they're innocent, i would pardon them. >> thavg been convicted. >> by the way, the supreme court -- well, they were convicted by a very tough system. they were -- how come the people that tried to burn down minneapolis, how come the people that took over a large percentage of seattle, how come nothing happened to them?

how come the people -- >> sir, we're talking about people seen beating officers with flagpoles, dragging them down the stairs. they're on video. have you seen that video, sir? >> well, they -- >> you a would pardon those rioters? >> they shot a young lady in the face, protesting. shot her in the face. you know, nobody died that day. you do know that? people died in seattle. nobody died. >> 140 officers were assaulted that day. >> and nothing happened in seattle and nobody talks about those people. you went after the j6 people with a vengeance and tell you what. what about the cops that were, and i'm all for the police as you know. but what about the police that are ushering everybody in to the capitol? go in go in go in? what about that? nothing is perfect in life. you have people from minneapolis. people from just five days ago in washington, d.c. having

fistfights and fighting with the police. they were spraying and destroying -- desecrating our monuments in washington, d.c. five days ago. and nothing happened to them. and you have to -- you can't have two systems of justice. that's why they went after me as a political opponent, because they felt they couldn't win without doing that, and we're going to win our cases and we're going to be vindicated but i have to spend a lot of time on that and money. that's what they want. after the election, although in my case they probably will because the hatred is pretty deep. went after me as a political opponent. that's never happened in our country before and it's sets a terrible, terrible precedent. >> what do you do on day one if you win? your first thing? >> what do i do? close the border. two things. i can do a lot of things simultaneously. close the border. we don't -- we want people to come in, harris, they have to be vetted, checked. come in legally.

i want people to come into our country but they have to be vetted. they have to be checked. what do i do? drill, baby, drill. bring inflation down, people can buy bacon again, buy a ham sandwich again. people can go to a restaurant and afford it. because right now people can't buy food. your grocery bills are up 40%, 50%, 60%. right? oh! thank you. i like you very much. >> mr. trump, i think we are -- >> it's true. your grocery bills are up and then mandating that you buy all-electric car. elon musk endorsed me and he's a friend of mine. a good guy, a smart guy but i'm against everybody having an electric car. okay? i'm very much against that. if you want a hybrid or gasoline-propelled car, but you know, we have more liquid gold. gasoline, oil, under our feet

than any other country. more than saudi arabia, russia, more than any other country. i want to use it. i want to use what we have, bring down prices, bring down costs and also stop the invasion. remember, they're taking your jobs. these people coming in are taking your jobs. >> and 2025. >> we have to leave it there. leave it, that is the last word. thank you, mr. trump, for coming today joining us. >> well, thank you very much. thank you, everybody, very much. great honor. >> thank you, mr. president. >> thank you. >> details regarding a conversation with vice president kamala harris in september. thank you. >> thank you very much. >> thank you. so donald trump for about half hour, 40 minutes with three journalists from nabj answering their questions, and it got

contentious at times. i should say that this was being fact checked in realtime by politico fact declaring convictly a false number of statements made iran colluding his false claim democrats support babies being killed after birth. that has been repeatedly denounced as made up. not true. they also say it is false that kamala harris identified herself as indian, not black. in fact, that is a question that came up at the wougs press briefing today. we'll talk a little bit more about that. exaggerated historical scope of inflation, also false. he cited wrong illegal immigration numbers. i could scroll through and keep going on. this was a controversial appearance by donald trump. there were members of the national association of black journalists who did not want him to appear. in fact, one. co-chairs stepped down.

said for a number of reasons but also cited the fact she was not consulted about the decision to "platform trump in sump a form mat." criticized by at least two former journalists of the year by nabj, but he had his say and response from the kamala harris team is this -- absolute disaster for donald trump. this is who he is. i want to bring back nbc's john allen, brendan balk and michael hard aaway here in studio. jewel ja kaczynski, co-you founder of "lift our voices." john, how does this fit in to what at least the campaign wanted it to be, which is outreach to black voters? >> well i mean, steins things are billed that way and it's not actually what appears to be what the campaign or the candidate actually wants. you heard donald trump walk in there and immediately start calling the moderator rude. setting up a combative atmosphere.

could have gone a lot of ways. anytime a reporter is interviewing a president, former president. adverse nature. donald trump certain understand that. something not just add verify cerebral but combative and went into things about kamala harris' background, saying he didn't know if she was black or indiany accusing her of saying she's indian and then becoming black. didn't have heritage from multiple parts of the world. >> hate to bring it up, john and i'll let you continue. we have that sound ready to go . play it. >> she was always of indian heritage and only promoting indian harriet amp. i didn't know she was black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn black and now wants to be known at black. i don't know. is she indian or black? >> she has always identified as a black -- >> i respect both.

she 0 beobviously wasn't. she was indian all the way and then she became a black person. >> john, continue, but something commented on at the white house press briefing that somehow kamala harris became a black person. >> yeah. this is -- it's obviously absurd and ridiculous and downright offensive and all the things people will throw around at it, but this is what donald trump wanted out of today. he has got, playing to his base, trying to push up energy and excitement from white males in the maga movement. he wanted this fight with black journalists. you is a that. also wands to seize the news cycle. basically faded out of the news cycle the past few weeks particularly with handoff of the democratic side. frustrating. someone who likes to drive the news. what does he do to drive the news? says something obnoxious and controversial. he's getting what he wants right

now and viewers can hear what he said. >> yeah. he also, michael, was asked to clarify his recent use of the term "black jobs." here's what he said. >> i will tell you that coming -- cominging from the border of millions and millions of people that happen to be taking black jobs. you had the best. >> what exactly is a black job, sir? >> a black job isanybody that has a job. that's what it is. anybody that has a job. >> all right. >> he also was asked, michael, about, the comments thwere made that kamala harris is a dei hire, and pressed on that, his answer was, could be. let me get your reaction to those statements. >> this was insane. and the reality is that the nabj should have anticipated this

would happen. his goal go in front of an audience of black people to play to his ranks on the right. those same people, childhood slavery in america, said his legal trials the worse thing to happen in american hishistory. a hoar risk situation completely prevent and sad thing for the nahb and for this country. >> all else, julie, we could talk about. john touched on this. he not only called the first questioner rude, disgraceful. complained about being treated in a horrible manner since quoting him. i love the black population. he was asked a number of times about his vice presidential pick, and talked about how he went to yale and his personal story many people know from his best-selling book, but when asked if j.d. vance was ready on day one. his answer, i've already had a

lot of respect for him and went into how historically the vice presidential pick really doesn't matter much. given a chance to say j.d. vance would be ready on day one, he didn't take it. >> well, donald trump is not interested in uplifting anybody who's not named donald trump. right? j.d. vance is whatever he is to donald trump. i guess a constitutional requirement he needs to fulfill but he's never going to defend j.d. vance because it's not about donald trump. this is about donald trump's grievances. i will say if you saw the way he treated rachel scott on that stage, he speaks about women in a very particular way. they are nasty, they are rude. they are whatever they are. there's something that is worse than any man who ever speaks to him. right? so you saw that misogyny come through over and over again. you'll see that towards kamala harris. it's not enough she's an "poent. she's a woman, abrasive woman, a rude woman, whoever she is she's

not worthy of him especially because she's a black woman or at least now acknowledges she's a black woman. i'm so sorry they felt the need to be used so he could appeal to his maga base because that's exactly who he's appealing to. men who support him, treat women especially women of color this way. not about the black people on the stage today. it was a disgrace. >> only two minutes left but i want to give you reaction from the harris campaign we're getting from one source familiar with the campaign's thinking. he is completely unhinged pup this is also trump. he cannot help himself. that person reacted to trump's comments claiming that only recently kamala harris said she was black. quoting here. "it's simply a lie and easily disproved. she went to howard, for christal same. seize an a/k/a. that person added, "this is painful." >> your reaction from what you

heard from donald trump? >> the harris campaign should be very glad the nabj platformed donald trump today. once reminded who he is you'll disgusted by that. john was right. some for the base of donald trump. donald trump claimed he were going to go out and get historic levels of black votes in this election. that dramatically changed when kamala harris took the democratic ticket. the democratic ticket being electric is through the roof. the door fully closed today, i think. the harris campaign should be ecstatic to show this video to people out there. language used, tone he took. not have been hard to take the high rout on that tough question. a tough question, take it, smile, try to demonstrate he can reach new section of voters.

clearly had an issue he thinks works. kept talk about immigration. polling showed black men don't like the situation with immigration. but you can't walk back all of those other things he just did and said there. if this is what he's like press and questions and when race is front and center in this kman like it apparently will be based on their own choice, a lot of backfire and black votes will go away quickly. >> the reason we saw kamala harris delightedly challenged him once again tore a debate just last night. thank you all very much. that does it for us this hour. our coverage continues with yasmin vossoughian in for katy tur right after this. hey, everybody. in for katy