welcome back. we're live in the dnc in chicago. ahead for us, the obamas on deck. the dnc prepares for a big night, too, with prime time speeches from the political power couple. we'll have a preview. plus, the dnc may be in chicago, but kamala harris is putting wisconsin front and center. her plans for a rally at the very sight where donald trump got the republican nomination. and trump defends his personal attacks on harris as not an insult, just a fact. his new comments as he tries to

seize back the spotlight. our nbc news reporters are following all the latest developments. we begin here in chicago with mike memoli and monica alba. mike, give us a rundown of what we're expecting to see tonight. >> you mentioned the obama, especially michelle, who we haven't heard much from. >> almost never. >> as we look at the full list, you see the importance of coalitions for the democratic party. bernie sanders speaking, does he give harris the stamp of approval? i'm sure he will. the first second gentleman of the united states, he might be the only person who's been having fun in politics right now. so it will be an interesting introduction to the country for him. that's going to be interesting, but then there's this roll call. this is going to be a celebratory roll call. they've already made them the nominees for president and vice president so they're going to start with delaware, a tribute to president biden yet again. they're going to end it with minnesota and california to put them over the top officially.

remember, they've adapted this from the covid convention where we had that virtual roll call. people leaning in from around the country. just as we hear the band warming up, they're going to be playing songs specific to each state. i was here on sunday when they were rehearsing this. i think you can guess which state prince is going to be playing for. >> you always say you bring the party. so the convention, day two. kamala harris heading to wisconsin? >> and not just during the day, not to be doing something in these hours, she's going for a rally tonight. she's going to be speaking right when some of the prime time action is getting underway here in the arena and they're going to try to time it so that when the roll call concludes, her own speech from milwaukee, from that arena where the rnc was just a month ago, will be beamed here into the audience so that they can kind of get excited and build a little bit of the momentum into that major evening

of the speeches from former president obama and michelle obama, but what is kind of interesting here is the fact that those things will be competing a little bit. so some may say why would you counterprogram your own convention or would that be counterintuitive? but the harris team is explaining it as we have this opportunity to go into a battleground state. and they want to convey this urgency. they're trying to act like this isn't a moment to sit back and enjoy what they've been able to do when it comes to enthusiasm. they're trying to stress this is an all hands on deck approach and they're trying to convey that with her travel. they may be back in time for some of the end of this evening, but if last night was any indication, the schedule is fluid. things can get crazy. that we'll only see develop in realtime. >> monica and mike, thank you both so much. let's talk about donald trump

because he's getting ready to speak in michigan after doubling down on personal attacks against kamala harris. garrett haake has that part of our coverage. what is donald trump saying now? >> the trump vance ticket are crisscrossing the country. yesterday it was a economy. today, it's crime and safety. as the often the case with trump, they can put him in a box about what he is supposed to talk about but if he takes questions, he'll talk about what he sees fit. he is defending his use of personal attacks against harris as necessary in his view to win this election. in an interview he taped last night. let's listen. >> our country needs a very smart person and i don't think she's a very smart person. >> why do you think that? >> i don't consider that an insult. it's a fact. i looked at the way she deals,

her crazy record. i look at her policies. i just don't happen to think so. now, i could say she is and that would be very nice. the other thing, we have to win this election. >> this is just classic donald trump. he's going to have advisers inside of his campaign and out of it telling him one thing, but he believes his gut and it tells him to go negative against kamala harris in personal terms. that's what he's going to do. one other bit of news from trump yesterday in another interview along that same spot, he was asked about the possibility of elon musk, the billionaire owner of x and spacex perhaps being involved in his administration going forward. trump answered saying yeah, sure, he's a smart guy. if he's interested, we'd like to have him. musk has posted an image suggesting he might be interesting. not sure if there's any real there there chris, but it's one of those things worth keeping an eye on giving the political

alliance between these two men. >> garrett haake, never a boring moment. thank you so much. coming up in 90 seconds, a tribute to kamala harris from the woman who put nearly 66 million cracks in the glass ceiling, but first, how the campaign got veep re-elected. >> i heard that since biden dropped out, there has been a 350% spike in viewership of veep. >> i know. crazy. >> which i think is a good thing. >> it's a great thing. i think. >> people might need reminding. that selena meyer and kamala harris are not alike. >> well, let me explain to you. on veep, i played a narssisic maniac. it might be another candidate in the race. maniac it might be another candidate in the race

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narcissist. with those words, hillary clinton electrified the dnc and brought many women in this hall to tears by hailing kamala harris as the clearest opportunity yet to shatter the highest, hardest glass ceiling in the land. >> the future is here! i wish my mother and kamala's

mother could see us! they would say keep going! this is our time, america. this is when we stand up. this is when we break through. the future is here! it's in our grasp! let's go win it! >> "the new york times" reports that clinton and harris have formed a quietly close bond, connecting over the still stubborn ways that women in high office can be underestimated. clinton's appearance last night, a reminder of how awful many felt that morning after donald trump's election. morphing now into a sense of unfinished business. joining us is msnbc political analyst and former democratic senator from missouri, claire mccaskill. she's also co-host of msnbc's how to win 2024 podcast and former dnc ceo and former hillary clinton campaign adviser, jess o'connell. wow. was the emotion in the room last

night palpable when hillary clinton gave what many people think was one of the greatest political speeches we've ever heard from her. i thought it might be the best. i was standing near three women from california. they were extremely emotional and felt very connected. both to hillary clinton and to kamala harris. i want to play a little bit of my conversation with him. >> they like made it okay for me to do whatever i want to do. and they're my celebrities, i guess. they're my idols, you know? and seeing hillary tonight, it is bittersweet because she should have been there. but you know, we'll get there this time. for sure. we will get there. like, there's no doubt. >> how are you feeling tonight? >> feeling extremely inspired and everything she said about we cannot be complacent, we must volunteer, we may not take anything for granted is exactly what we're going to do and we're going to keep fighting every day. we're going to be knocking on

doors, making phone calls and sending texts. >> i feel hopeful. it's emotional because we've gone through seven years of just pure hell and it is nice to have hope again. >> they want donald trump gone. the emotions from 2016 are still so raw. i mentioned this earlier today. that for a lot of women who couldn't get their teenage girls out of bed the day after the election because they couldn't believe that their chance to have a woman president had passed by, what do you do with all that though? >> well, you get to work. that's what they said, what i'm so excited about is that energy has to translate into votes. has to translate into talking to other people. i think one of the things i felt last night in watching that was how hillary clinton continues to inspire multigenerationally. you can go up, down. she talked about her mother and kamala's mother. i was with a colleague in their

20s last night. she said she's still inspiring everybody. we talked about underestimating women, which is something that's been done a lot in this country, but right now, that torch passing last night, it wasn't just joe biden to kamala harris. hillary clinton blazed that trail and her and lots of other women before her. this is a moment where i think we're going to see a lot of energy and activity for the future. people believe again and she really delivered last night. in a way that everybody here and across the country felt. >> claire rutgers has the center for women and politics and they've done a lot of research on this. they've found having women candidates and political leaders, quote, can help to disrupt expectations of what it looks like and means to be an elected leader. i talked to congresswoman jayapal about it. let me play a little bit of that. >> i think it's going to mean everything because we will have somebody who understands exactly how many barriers we all have to go through as women and certainly as women of color.

>> talk a little bit about as a woman in politics, defying expectations, but do you think it's changed? do you think from the time of hillary clinton we're in a different place? >> i wish i could say for sure that we were. when i watch the republican national convention, i will never forget donald trump walking out to the music, the lyrics, it's a man's world. and i thought well first of all, what nut balls picked that song? it's almost like they don't know women have the vote. and they are really flexing into, hulk hogan ripping off his shirt. it was a testosterone infused grievance fest is what the republican national convention was. last night with hillary clinton, and i think you're right, chris. i think she gave maybe the best speech of her career and that's saying something. she's given some amazing

speeches in her time. she did exactly the right thing. and the other thing she provides, i don't think we should underestimate this. is an ear for kamala. because they're already starting on kamala. i've seen t-shirts they've printed up and put on children that are incredibly disgusting and inappropriate about kamala harris. they are starting this thing you know, like pretending like she drinks. it's just ridiculous. and you know, i just do not think that anybody understands that as well as hillary clinton because the things they said about her and the way she was treated, she will be able to say to kamala, okay, tell me how it feels. i get you. i've got you. and i understand where you are. and i think that's really valuable for kamala harris over the next 60 days. >> disagree with the theory about about to present to you if you like, but i remember very

vividly going to nevada. the first female majority legislature and talking to them. and they talked about the things they were going to get done and many, many of them were things they did indeed get done and they said and the research shows this, right, that women sit around a table and address problems in a different way than men do. part of that is because there's a depth of feeling, those studies show. there's a depth of empathy they have. does that also make a candidate more vulnerable? does it make them harder to have a thick skin? how do you navigate that? how did hillary clinton navigate it? how does a kamala harris navigate it? >> well, i think any woman running for any office right now has to have a thick skin and i think you can go up and down the ballot and women are going to tell you they have to have a thick skin for things you said. things that are on the shirts

and happening online. i don't think it creates vulnerability. i think it's a superpower, one that we've needed. that thing that's been missing the last seven years that we've been fighting against. last night was a wonderful night and it was certainly president biden's night, but women delivered on those speeches last night. all of them. and i think what you're going to see is that translate. there's a lot of feelings about people, hillary clinton said this last night. progress is not guaranteed. we have to fight for it. i think there are a lot of people who felt they didn't fight hard enough. >> it's going to be so interesting to hear from michelle obama tonight because she doesn't speak often. not on the politics. she'll talk about her book but i wonder if she's also someone who represents where most americans are. they're not even going to run for school board. they're not going to become politicians but they are people who care about the issues and realize that there are ways in which they can get involved.

what are you looking for from michelle obama tonight and what do you think she represents to so many american women? >> first of all, she was really a stellar first lady in so many ways. and she had to work at it. people who know her know that she wasn't in love with her family being in the spotlight. she was never in love with the rough and tumble of politics. never really, you know, her husband was a competitor. she was never, she was a great supporter, don't get me wrong, but you know, the idea that she would run for president, anybody who says that doesn't know her. she would never run for president. but she has the ability because of that i think to have a relationship with a lot of voters out there that will be watching tonight that respect who she is. that she's not political. that she is a mother. she's a wife. she's a successful career woman. and she's someone who has changed the world in so many positive ways without running for office.

that's really what america should strive for, right? so i think between hillary and last night and michelle tonight, it's quite a warm up act for kamala harris on thursday. >> i was talking to peter baker in our last hour about how competitive that barack obama and michelle obama are and to have them back-to-back and the natural comparisons. i have a feeling their competitive spirit is going to come out tonight. >> they'll rise to the occasion. both of them. >> jess, thank you. senator, you're going to stay with us. last night, the president said donald trump is going to see the power of women in 2024. steve kornacki has been digging into the gender divide and joins us from the big board. what does the polling tell us? >> i think it depends what angle you're looking at the polling from when it come to this question of the gender gap. big picture, the gender gap has been a staple of american politics starting in the 1980 election. this is looking at men and what you're seeing take you through

this. in the 2020 election, donald trump, an average of all of the sort of post election surveys. donald trump carried the men's vote by five points over joe biden in 2020. now, in the months before joe biden dropped out, when he was still the democratic candidate, trump had been leading biden by 12 points among men. and now in the months since harris came in and replaced biden, that's what you're seeing down here. i average trump as winning men by seven points. so from trump plus 12 to trump plus seven. harris is in the months she's been the candidate, this gap has come down for democrats among men by five points but still a trump advantage there of seven. now, take a look at women. again, in 2020, biden carried women by 13 points over trump. just before he dropped out, biden was still winning women but the margin was down to five points. harris now enters the race and she's improved that for democrats. she's now leading by nine among women.

trump on average, by seven among men. harris on average, by nine among women. currently, that is a 16-point gender gap. now, that's big but that's normal. it was 23, excuse me, it was 18 points on average in the 2020 election. so it's really consistent with what we saw in 2020. big but not necessarily new. then there's this. this is state level polling. now, this is one pollster and this is one set of polls. this is "the new york times" and siena and they went through the range of battleground states here and this is within the last week. you can see their results here. some are just whopping. 48 points is the gender gap they found in michigan. 41 points the gender gap they found in wisconsin. 30 points in georgia. pennsylvania, only eight points but again, the totality of this is these are massive. these are massive numbers you're seeing in michigan, wisconsin, and georgia. two things to keep in mind, however.

the times and cnn, they're polling even before harris got in the race was finding particularly large gender gaps. not quite as large as this, but larger than most polls we're finding and as we say, this is one pollster, this is one set of polls. the sort of oddity of this pennsylvania number tells you there can be some noise. there's room for a lot of statistical noise when you're talking about that, but it does raise the possibility of whether there are state specific affects with the gender gap. maybe it has to do with the campaign spending. are there abortion politics playing out? remember, it's a state issue now. playing out specifically in these states in a way that feeds the gender gap. those are some of the things to consider but it raises a question more than it answers anything because if this is something we continue to see in other polls, this kind of a large state level gender gap in a place like michigan or wisconsin or georgia, that's

something new. that would be something extraordinary and that would be something obviously that could have huge ramifications but the national numbers there look at that level, those aren't new. >> steve kornacki, always so great to have you on the show. thank you. coming up, the couple that campaigned on hope and change prepare for their big moment in kamala harris' joy movement. >> at this moment in this election, we must pledge once more to march into the future. >> our motto is when they go low, we go high. hear me, between now and november, we need to do what we did eight years ago and four years ago. years ago. by the time this ad is over, karen will know if that feeling in her chest is afib... or just the end of a stressful day. (nature sounds) (cell-phone notification)

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two of the democratic party's biggest stars headline the lineup tonight. barack obama and michelle obama who have largely retreated from public life, they're coming to this convention and drawing comparisons to his 2008 campaign vibes. joining us is chuck todd. former senator, claire mccaskill is back and cornell belcher, an msnbc political analyst and democratic pollster who helped the obama campaign conduct some of his earliest research leading up to the 2008 election. we brought the band along just

to make you all feel comfortable. cornell, you did work on the 2008 -- >> and '12. they fired me. >> are there similar vibes? >> as an obama alum, we don't say this easily because i don't want to get thrown out, but it's beginning to feel like it. it's beginning to feel not going to call it a movement yet, but when you see the crowd reactions, when you see the enthusiasm and when you see going from a net negative favorable to a net positive favorable in two weeks, it is unbelievable. i think we're on the cusp of what feels like a movement. >> wouldn't it be nice the more people learned about you the more they liked you. you covered the obama white house. i kind of piggy backed off of you for a little while there. what's this kind of secret sauce, the orator cal skills like ability, that intangible thing they bring to this room

tonight? especially for these folks? >> i think he came in and he sort of, he was the breath of fresh air the party needed when he came in '06 and '07. you had a party that had been dominated by the clintons. john kerry and al gore were sort of of that same era and here was somebody that was younger. i know he's technically a baby boomer. i'd like to adopt him as gen x. he was not at 18 at anytime during the war, also the president gen x going to get. it goes to what i think is happening here. i do think democrats want to fall in love with their nominee and they weren't there with biden. it's like the john kerry election. they fell in like. they did their duty. obama, they fell in love. i think they want to here. that's the opportunity she has.

a clinton pollster said it's interesting. reagan and obama he said in his lifetime were the only two movement candidates. where they became bigger than their parties. they became movements. she could get there. that's what these next three nights are about. i think it's possible. i don't mean to be the middle age guy who has the daughter in college anecdote, but she's a heck of a lot more interested in this election now than she was three weeks ago. that's the same way across i think a lot of people's experiences. particularly with voters under 30. >> there's a certain reliability that she has, but i want to remind viewers of the relationship. because one of the, i think it was the first video they put out was the call between kamala harris and the obamas when they said they were going to support her. here it is. >> i can't have this phone call without saying to my girl,

kamala, i am proud of you. this is going to be historic. >> we called to say michelle and i couldn't be prouder to endorse you and to do everything we can to get you through this election and into the oval office. >> oh, my goodness. michelle, barack, this means so much to me. >> so, i think these folks are going to get very excited. i think if past is prologue, the obamas are going to give great speeches. i mean, let's not even talk about when barack obama was introduced to a national audience or the greatest line in probably modern political history when they go low, we go high, at least the most quoted. but do they have an effect on the race? the obamas? >> they have an effect on everybody's using the word, vibe. on the vibe. and you know, we've been talking -- >> there's governor pritzker on stage. >> we've been talking here at

this table full of nerds about politics, about trend lines. and i felt the trend line moving almost immediately after kamala quickly solidified all the support and i knew she was underestimated and she's proven that. what barack obama does is he reminds people how powerful the message of change is. what chuck said is true. if you look at the american lek electorate, they love change in a presidential election. trump really got elected on change because hillary clinton unfairly was seen as an extension of bill clinton. just like jeb bush was seen as an extension of george bush. america wants something different. and i think her selection of walz was brilliant in that regard because nobody had heard of him. so you've got a guy nobody's heard of who's relatable and real and a coach and from a small town and not fancy, not elite. not ivy and you've got kamala.

i will make a bold prediction here, the election will not be as close as everybody says. >> can i jump in real quick? i want to say something. this is full circle. i actually remember in '08 harris campaigning in iowa for barack obama. when he was running. >> i was there with her. >> that's right. this has come full circle. this is friendship. not just politics. they have a relationship that is deep and it's meaningful and i think they're going to throw themselves behind her 100%. >> but it's really important they grab the change mantle because go to geek out here, we are now probably since 2006 but for one brief period for the first three months of the obama first term, a majority of the country thinks we're headed in the wrong direction which is why we've been essentially voting against, not voting for. and so in this election, right,

donald trump was the change candidate until july 13th. excuse me, july 21st and now he's not. she needs to grab it. some sitting vice presidents become like al gore. you're not the change candidate and it's a hard thing. that's what obama's job is. now, what's interesting is the fact they put bill clinton tomorrow night and i find that interesting because i think he's there to suddenly be the secretary of explaining economic policy to everybody. >> it is interesting though because as i was talking to people last night, i said joe biden, people were voting against donald trump. right? and what i heard from people out there and granted, this is a very specific audience. but they want trump gone. make no mistake about that. and women in particular would love to see a woman beat donald trump. but i sense the shift that

they're here for harris. how important is that and can polls track that really. >> yes. one of the reasons why and i'm going to go back further and geek out. when howard dean took over the dnc as chair and brought a lot of us young whipper snappers in. one of the first things i saw in our polling was majority of john kerry voters weren't actually voting for john kerry. they were voting against. howard dean said we've got to go out here across the country and give people a rationale for voting for us and dean said i put my values against any republican values and let's go make this case. i actually think she's going to outperform biden and obama, 12, because the electorate is different. this is going to be, this electorate is going to be at least three points browner than the electorate we saw. we're going to see younger voters. gen z -- >> how many? >> millennials along with gen z,

they're the largest share of the electorate if they vote. if they vote, they determine which way the country goes and i think the gender gap will be even larger than we saw in 2020. >> one of my favorite data points was 2014 versus 2012 and in 2012, voters under 30 versus those over 65, it was dead even. in 2014, the midterm year, it went like this. right? the young voters didn't show up, which is why we sit here and it's like if they come, it's transformational to the electorate. in fact, the reason the romney people were so shocked they lost was that they didn't expect that electorate. it wasn't like '08 but it was closer. that's what made '18 so shocking. >> i'm going to get in trouble if i let this go on, but i want to do a show with the three cs. chuck, claire, cornell, chris,

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this isn't their party, but the harris campaign has invited some prominent republicans to take on starring roles as part of a pitch for gop voters fed up with donald trump. among them, the former press secretary. former illinois congressman, mesa, arizona mayor, and my next guest, a former pro trump pundit who was featured in the video at

the dnc last night. >> whining is trump's toxic superpower. he's ripped apart families, community, a whole country. this is my message to all the republicans and independents who are watching. people like me who voted for and believed in trump. i made a grave mistake but it's never too late to change your mind. >> he joins me now. he is the florida co-chair for republicans for harris. thanks for being with us. you once told the tampa bay times you had an excessive focus on donald trump. so what changed? >> thank you so much for having me here. i just want to point out i watched the last segment you had with your guests and i am not aware of any major party presidential campaign who has actually invited into the campaign to directly participate. those who may know are probably going to disagree with some of the policy and some of the style

of the campaign and i think that what that shows is that the harris walz ticket is an inclusive campaign. the donald trump campaign is not. it is divisive. i know that because i worked unfortunately for many, many years to help donald trump divide. i take full responsibility for that. i hold myself accountable for my actions and my rhetoric. but donald trump is somebody who has pitted complete strangers against himself. against others rather, excuse me. and as i mentioned last night in the video, he is someone who has torn asunder communities and families. at this moment in time right now, the harris walz campaign has shown that it is an intrepid campaign to invite republicans in. i also want to credit the republicans who have aligned themselves with the democratic party when traditionally they had not voted democratic. and i think that what it does show at this moment in our history is when we look throughout the entire history of our country, one of the reasons

we have made progress, one of the reasons that we have realized gains is because there have been unlikely but necessary alliances that have formed when the moment in our history demands it. i think that now is such a moment. miss mccaskill said she doesn't think the election will be close. we are not just about an anti trump message. we need to make a case to undecided voters, disaffected republicans, moderates and centrists that this is not just an anti trump campaign. we need to also position where we're going with this campaign to have a pro harris and walz message and we are committed to showing the harris walz ticket and all of us, we are going to unite left, center, and right. and there is a place in our party for everyone because this is an election that is a referendum about character and about trust. and i was up close in the maga world for many, many years. i still maintain that while most maga americans deep down are good people, the maga community

itself is toxic and donald trump is not someone running because he wants to serve actually as president. and there's a contrast that we're going to continue to make that the trump campaign, what he represented and i came to realize what he represented was moving backwards, we are committed to moving forward and we're going to continue to make that case because no one is entitled to anyone's votes. we have to get out there and earn it belly button to belly button. i believe we're going to do that. if our turnout is as high as we think it will be, there can be a restoration of the republican party in november. >> let me ask you about that because just a week ago, the group republicans for harris had i think 73,000 people on a zoom call, which is a lot. but there are about 37 million registered republicans across the u.s. do you think that the people who are on that call represent a far larger number of republicans? >> i do. and the reason i believe that is because i think there are more americans than we realize who

actually do support country over party. since the video last night, which i am humbled and overwhelmed by the response. when i left maga in august of 2022, i actually did not think that anybody would care and i have received a flood of comments today as i have for the last several weeks of republicans saying to me they voted for trump in '16 and or '20 and they're committed to supporting the vice president's ticket. i've even had some who identified themselves as having been maga americans beyond just partisan trump voters who have said they're starting to have doubts or others who have said their family, friends, are starting to have doubts. it's incumbent upon us to make the case and get this messaging to them that they are welcome in our campaign because the traditional big ten is one that we are trying to embody. so i think there are many, many more. we are growing by the day. not just in florida but nationwide and as we start to do

more and more events including the grass roots outreach, i think the republican party who's already paying attention, i think they're going to continue to pay very, very close attention because i think they know also that we are growing by the day. >> rich logis, it's great to see you. up next, a top campaign official from the harris walz team joins us live. you're watching chris jansing reports from chicago only on msnbc. g reports from chicago only on msnbc. we always had dogs, they're like my best buddies. yep, had them my whole life. c'mon bo! so we got him and he is a, an absolute joy. daddy's puppy. once we got on the farmer's dog he just attacks it, it's incredible. they're so tuned into you and they have such, such personality. being without a dog, i don't know, can't imagine it. [laughter]

she grew up in a middle class home. she was the daughter of a working mom. and she worked at mcdonald's while she got her degree. kamala harris knows what it's like to be middle class. it's why she's determined to lower health care costs and make housing more affordable. donald trump has no plan to help the middle class, just more tax cuts for billionaires. being president is about who you fight for. and she's fighting for people like you. i'm kamala harris and i approve this message. in the last hour, republican vp nominee, jd vance, wrapped up an event in kenosha, wisconsin. >> live in wisconsin now, i don't know if you guys figured it out. you'll be seeing a lot of me over the next few months. >> he may not be the only one because the headliner here in chicago will be roughly 90 miles

away in milwaukee. kamala harris will be standing on the stage in the same building where former president trump accepted the republican nomination just 33 days ago. joining me now, quentin fulls, principal deputy campaign manager for harris walz campaign. is there a little bit of a thing for donald trump that you're doing and showing up on this stage tonight? what's the plan? what's the idea? >> look, i think the plan tonight is to talk about the vice president's vision for the future of america. and we're going to have a number of people doing that including the second gentleman. >> not on the stage where donald trump accepted the nomination. >> look, i think it's important, they've been great in hosting for this us. we're excited to be here. again, the program people are going to see tonight is talking about the dangerous vision donald trump has for this country and project '22 and the president's agenda to move america forward for everyone. >> talk about the obamas. probably the most famous

democrats. certainly polls show that michelle obama time after time after time best liked woman along with oprah in america. what are they going to bring to the table and what are they going to bring moving forward to the campaign? >> look, i think that they've already endorsed the vice president right after she became the top of the ticket and they did that quickly. >> they're friends, too. >> they are friends. tonight, you're going to hear them talk about it. for president obama, it's really the fact he sat in that chair. there are few people in america that understand what it takes to actually do the job of being president of the united states and so i think once someone like that is saying this person is qualified to do that, it speaks volumes and i think michelle obama has obviously sat there. she's gone through it. they have a close relationship. both the obamas and the second gentleman and the vice president. they're going to talk about why kamala harris is fit to be president of the united states and also what it was like to live through donald trump's first four years.

again, this is a stark contrast about two different visions of the country. >> how important has his counsel been? >> it's been very important. i know that the vice president and president obama share a close relationship and i think that she takes his counsel to heart. obviously, those are probably intimate conversations. i have heard the feedback. it's something we take with incredible respect and admiration for who president obama is. so when he says something, it means something to us. >> let's talk about thursday. big speech. no pressure following people like hillary clinton last night. joe biden. the obamas. i understand that it's just finishing touches now. the speech is largely written. that's our nbc reporting. what can you tell us? what's the theme? the mission? >> it's going to be about the future. the vice president knows this election is about the future. she knows everything in this election is about who we are

fighting for and she knows that when we fight, we win. you guys keep hearing her say that. it's something our campaign is internalizing. got 77 days left to do this. she's going to talk to the american people about her vision and governor walz vision and the fact they have a plan to hurt people. it's called project 2025 and i think you're going to hear the vice president double down on the fact that if they get close to the white house, it will be a disaster for american families while she is focused on lowering costs, fighting for freedoms and building an economic economy where everyone has a chance to not just get by, but get ahead. >> good luck for the rest of the week. i imagine you're all with tim walz, sleep when you die. i know how busy you are. >> thank you for having me. >> that's going to do it for us this hour but we will be back live from chicago tomorrow. our coverage continues with katy

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