♪♪ ♪ this sunday, pressure campaign. just four months to election day, a defiant president biden vows he's staying in the race. >> i am running and going to win again. [ cheers and applause ] >> but as his poll numbers plummet and democrats consider vice president harris at the top of the ticket pressure is building for him to drop out. >> i think it's a legitimate question to say is this an episode or is this a condition?

>> he has to show that he can do the job. he does not have a lot of time. >> can the 81-year-old president reassure his party he's still fit to serve? >> i have every single day. every day i have a test. everything i do. >> i'll talk to democratic congressman adam schiff of california. plus, power surge. the supreme court rules former presidents have immunity for all official acts, delaying donald trump's election interference case and postponing his sentencing in the new york hush money case. >> if you don't have immunity you just have a ceremonial president. >> what would it mean for a potential second trump term? >> i know i'll respect the legalities for the three and a half years and any president including donald trump will not be free to ignore the law. >> i'll talk to republican senator j.d. vance of ohio, a potential trump running mate. joining me for insight and analysis are nbc news white

house correspondent mike memoli. amy walter, editor in chief of the cooke political report. former congresswoman murphy, and matt gorman. welcome to sunday. it's "meet the press." >> from nbc news in washington. the longest-running show in television history, this is "meet the press" with kristen welker. good sunday morning. >> president biden is in an all-out effort to revive his candidacy after that debate performance last week that raised questions about whether he's capable of beating donald trump and serving another four years in office. one veteran democrat tells nbc news, opinions are hardening in many quarters that action has to be taken and that action is a different nominee. both democratic leader hakeem jeffries and mark warner are convening groups of their colleagues to discuss a path forward and a growing number of congressional democrats have called on president biden to

step aside. >> mr. president, please look at what's happened, recognize that the reality out there may not be the same thing you're hearing from the circle of your closest friends and family, and consider putting our country first. >> the campaign has been, i think, arrogant in their response. we want to know what their plan is to win this elections and turn these numbers around. if they don't have a plan we have to move in a different direction. >> it's like talking to a loved one about a tough situation. how do you tell that person you can't do this anymore? >> the decision of whether mr. biden can stay in the race may come down to data. in a poll, former president trump has opened up a six-point lead among registered voters, the wide of the gap in the survey since 2021. mr. trump leads by nine points among registered voters in a sienna college poll, and his largest lead since 2015. and vice president harris

performs slightly better than a cnn poll. within the margin of error, but a bloomberg morning poll shows a key race in battleground states and now a key number of big democratic donors are calling on president biden to drop out. >> the lifeblood to a campaign in politics, the lifeblood is money. >> i talked to big donors and they're moving their money to congress and the senate. i mean, i cannot believe we're in this situation. >> the president has been defiant. he is not dropping out. on the trail in wisconsin and in an exclusive interview with abc's george stephanopoulos, president biden insisted only the lord almighty could make him change his mind. >> if the lord almighty said joe, get out of the rice, and the lord almighty is not coming down. >> i agree that the lord almighty is not coming down, but if you are told reliably, from

your allies and friends and supporters in the democratic party in the house and the senate that you're concerned that you'll lose the house and the senate if you stay in, what will you do? >> i'm not going to answer that question. it's not going to happen. >> the interview did not calm the widespread panic throughout the party. former obama senior adviser axelrod said president biden is proud of his record, but he is dangerously out of touch with the concerns people have about his capacities some democrats have expressed frustration that the president refused to commit to taking a cognitive toast? >> have you had specific cognitive tests and a neurologist and specialist do the examination? >> no. no one said i had to. they said i'm good. >> would you be willing to undergo an independent medical evaluation that included neurological and cognitive tests and release the results to the american people? >> look, i have a cognitive test every single day.

every day i've had a test. everything i do. >> the answer right now is no, you don't want to do it? >> i've already done it. >> on monday the supreme court gave former president donald trump a monumental victory granting him sweeping immunity over prosecution in an extraordinary expansion of executive power. aiming to capitalize on that the biden campaign is saying the decision is added proof that mr. trump is more dangerous in the second term. >> if you stay and trump is elected and everything comes to pass how will you feel in january. >> as long as i gave it my all and i did as good a job as i could do, that's what this is about. >> joining me now is adam schiff of california, a candidate for senate. congressman schiff. welcome back to "meet the press." thank you for being here. >> great to be here. >> it is great to have you here. i want to get your gut reaction

from friday night. the president trying to turn the page. based on what you saw, do you think he is still the strongest candidate to beat former president trump? >> ultimately, this is a decision president biden will have to make and president biden alone, but i would say this, he has been an extraordinary president. he has created millions and millions of jobs. he has expanded and strengthened our nato alliances and brought back manufacturing in this country and brought about the most aggressive attack on climate change and he's done more in one term than most presidents do no matter what they get and he's running against someone who is a pathological liar. someone who ran the country into the ground. not only someone who is a pathological liar, but is immoral, indecent and unfit for office, but the performance on the debate stage i think rightfully raised questions among the american people about whether the president has the vigor to defeat donald trump,

and this is an existential race. given joe biden's incredible record, given donald trump's terrible record, he should be mopping the floor with donald trump. joe biden's running against a criminal. it should not be even close and there's only one reason it is close and that's the president's age, and what i would say, kristen, what i would advise the president is seek out the opinions of people you trust. he's obviously talked to his family about this and that's important, but he should seek out people with some distance and objectivity. he should seek pollsters who are not his own pollsters. he should take a moment to make the best informed judgment and if the judgment is run and then run hard and beat that s.o.b. >> congressman, you watched that interview on friday and a lot of democrats said it is fine, he certainly seemed stronger and

more robust than during the debate, but it didn't put concerns to rest. are you confident he can beat donald trump or do you think he should drop out of the race? >> the interview didn't put concerns to rest. no single interview is going to do that, and what i do think the president needs to decide is can he put those concerns aside and can he demonstrate to the american people that what happened on the stage will be an aberration and can he beat donald trump given the supreme court decision now making trump a dictator and king, it is all the more important, but here's the thing. i think if the president takes the time to consult people and has an open mind about this, he will do what joe biden always does which is he will make the right decision, and he hello make the decision in the best interest of the country and i'm confident that's what he'll do here. >> you heard nancy pelosi say it was legitimate to ask if it's an episode or a condition. >> president biden refused to

take a cognitive test. >> do you think he should take a cognitive test? >> i would be happy if both the president and donald trump -- >> so that's a yes? >> i think they both should be willing to take a test. i think frankly a test would show donald trump has a serious illness of one kind or another, but ultimately the decision will come down to what joe biden thinks is best and if his decision is to run, then run hard and beat that s.o.b., or if his decision is to pass the torch, then the president should do everything in his power to make the other candidate successful. >> let me ask you next steps, there will be meetings on capitol hill, leader jefferies and mark warner, are democrats in trouble with joe biden at the top of the ticket? >> look, there are concerns on downballot races?

>> is he dragging down down ballot races? >> at present, the down ballot races are all ahead. they are running well ahead of the president, but you can only run so far ahead of the president, and so obviously joe biden will need to consider for his own sake and his own legacy can he beat donald trump, he's the best to beat donald trump, but also that the profound impact of this decision and maybe the most important of his presidency will have on the house, on the senate and the future of the country. >> congressman, when i talk to democrats one of the exchanges that frustrated the most from that interview on friday was when he was asked what happens you lose? president biden said it's about whether he gave it his all. is that what it's about? is that answer satisfying to you? >> no, that is the answer that most concerned me, as well. this is not just about whether he gave it the best college try, but rather whether he made the

right decision to run or pass the torch. that is the most important decision for him to make right now. this is about whether this country remains a democracy and whether we veer off into some kind of pseudodictatorship. everything is riding on this, and i know people feel an urgency. i feel an urgency, but i would tell the president slow down and take the time to make the right decision here that's best for the country. >> you laid out the stakes right before the debate. you noted that the country is divided. this would be a close election as it was in 2020. i want to play a little bit of what you said. >> you can't discount the chance that if he loses again, when he loses again that he will go to even greater lengths to try to overturn the results. >> the only remedy, really is the one in all of our hands and that is to make sure that joe biden wins overwhelmingly, that this is not close. >> congressman, overwhole

mingly, can president biden win overwhelmingly by any stretch at this point? >> either he has to win overwhelmingly or he has to pass the torch to someone who can. what the supreme court did in that decision is give the next ong pant of that office whether joe biden or anyone else, nearly dictatorial power. >> i want to ask you about that, but let me quickly ask you about the vice president. you saw one polling. polls are doing better against former president trump. do you think she's a stronger candidate to take on donald trump? >> think the vice president would be a phenomenal president. i think she has the experience, the judgment, and the leadership ability to be president. >> could she win overwhelmingly? >> i think she could win overwhelmingly, but before we make a decision about who else it would be, the president needs to make a decision about him. i don't think it's good for the

party should get into the debate if not him, then whom? let's focus on the fundamental decision. >> i want to get into immunity. how quickly does he need to make it? the next week? next ten days? the speed is getting it right. >> in the past, mr. trump has accused you personally of fraud and treason. he's called for member ps of the january 6th committee to be indicted, as you know. are you personally concerned about the former president's threats against you should he be re-elected? >> of course. i think anyone who is on his enemies list should be concerned? >> what scares you most? what concerns you the most? >> what concerns me the most is what the court just did was to basically tell donald trump you can do anything through the justice department. you can do anything through the military. these are core responsibilities of the president of the united states. you will have unquestioned immunity for whatever you do and even outside of that you will have such a strong presumption of immunity to be irrebut tical.

all of the people of stature that secretary mattis has noticed, he drove out and replaced him with utter sycophants. he will start with utter sycophants and no guardrails who so ever. he talked about bringing liz cheney before military tribunal. if there is anything to show the american people that he's unfit to be president is statements like this. >> given the high stakes should president biden drop out and pass the torch to vice president kamala harris or someone else who you believe can win overwhelmingly. >> think joe biden should take the time and talk to people outside of his immediate circle, people he respects, people with objectivity and make the right decision for the country, and i'm confident joe biden has made the decision in the best interest of the country and it is the fundamental distinction between he and donald trump. donald trump you can always count on to do what's best for

donald trump and joe biden will do what's best for the country. >> congressman, thank you for join us and good to have you in studio. when we come back, republican senator, j.d. vance of ohio, a potential trump running mate joins me next. ♪♪ imagine a future where plastic is not wasted... but instead remade over and over... into the things that keep our food fresher, our families safer, and our planet cleaner. to help us get there, america's plastic makers

are investing billions of dollars to create innovative products and new recycling technologies for sustainable change. because when you push for smarter solutions, big things can happen. (woman) i'm so excited. i'm finally here in the city. because when you push for smarter solutions, what. (man) ahhhhh! (woman) no, no, no, no, no! (vo) you break it. we take it. trade in any phone, in any condition and get a new iphone 15 with tons of storage, on us. only on verizon. (vo) a law partner rediscovers her grandmother's artistry and establishes a charitable trust to keep the craft alive for generations to come.

from preserving a cultural tradition to leaving a legacy, a raymond james financial advisor gets to know you, your passions, and the way you enrich your community. that's life well planned. welcome back. in a landmark decision this week the supreme court ruled former presidents have immunity from their official acts dealing a blow to the special council's 2020 election interference case. chief justice john roberts writing for the majority, quote, the president is not above the law, but under our system of separated powers, the president may not be prosecuted for exercising his core, constitutional powers. in a scathing descent, justice sonia sotomayor wrote the ruling effectively creates a law-free zone around the presidency writing in every use of official

power the president is now a king above the law. joining me now is senator j.d. vance, top finalist to be former president trump's running mate. welcome back to meet the press. >> good morning. thanks for having me. >> thank you so much for being here. i want to talk to you about the immunity ruling and the implications. this is what donald trump said last year about wanting to target his political opponents. take a listen. >> i will appoint a real special prosecutor to go after the most corrupt president in the history of the united states of america, joe biden. and the entire biden crime family. >> senator, if former president trump were to win, if you were to be his vice president, would you support him appointing a special prosecutor to go after his political enemies, the bidens? >> well, first of all, kristen, i find it interesting how much the media and the democrats have lost their mind over this

particular quote. donald trump is talking about appointing a pointing a special prosecutor to investigate joe biden for wrongdoing. joe biden has done exactly that for the last few years and has done far more in addition to to engage in political opposition. what donald trump is simply saying is we ought to investigate the prior administration. there are many instances of wrongdoing and the house oversight committee has identified a number of corrupt business transactions that may or may not be criminal and you have to investigate to find out. donald trump is saying let's do the basic work of wrongdoing is a totally reasonable thing for him to do and frankly the biden administration has done far worse, if it isn't what president biden has already done. >> just to be clear. joe biden didn't appoint a special prosecutor. the attorney general did that. trump was indicted by grand juries and was found guilty by a

jury of his peers in new york. can we go back to the core question, would you support him taking such an action? it sounds like you're saying, yes, you would? >> i would support investigating prior wrong doing. absolutely. that's what you have to have in a system of law and order, but joe biden appointed the attorney general merrick garland, who of course, answers to joe biden, can be fired by joe biden. so the idea that the biden administration has nothing to do with the appointment of the special prosecutor, i think, completely betrays an understanding -- misunderstanding of how the system works and of course, kriten, we have to make this point, kristen that the prosecution of donald trump in new york which now has fundamentally been thrown in doubt by this immunity case it was one of the main guise was the department of justice official of the biden administration who jumped ship to go after donald trump. >> and yet the doj -- >> the legitimacy of the

prosecution. that's a problem. >> that was all of the time, people are appointed from washington, the doj told congress -- >> kristen, it happens -- are you really saying, kristen, it happens all the time that the number -- >> let me just finish this. it reviewed all communications since biden took office and found no contact between federal prosecutors and those involved with that case in new york. can you stick to the substance of the question, though? let me just ask because you are -- i just want to stick with this line of theory that you are laying out which is you are saying it's not okay for joe biden to weaponize the justice department. if it's not okay for joe biden to weaponize the justice department which you say and there is no evidence of that, why is it okay for donald trump to do that? >> kristen, you said that it happens all of the time that the number three person in the department of justice jumped ship to join the office to go

after the political opponent. i don't think that's ever happened in the history of american democracy and i don't think we should legitimize it. if donald trump's attorney general had his number two or number three jump ship to a local prosecutor's office in ohio or wisconsin and that person went after donald trump's political opposition, that's a different conversation. all he's suggesting is that we should investigate credible arguments of wrongdoing. that's all donald trump is saying. that is not a threat to democracy. that's merely reinforcing our system of law and government. >> bottom line, you are okay for donald trump to appoint a special prosecutor to go after his political enemies, it sounds like you're saying yes. >> let me move on to my next question. i want to talk about the heritage foundation. it's a conservative think tank in washington. it shapes the agenda they would like to see in a trump second term. they said this last week. >> we are in the process of taking the country back.

no one should be despair arjed. we are encourage by what happened yesterday. the second revolution will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be. >> do you support those calls for a revolution and would political violence ever be justified? >>. >> of course, political violence is never justified. you have to ask the president of the heritage foundation to defend his remarks. the heritage foundation does a lot of good work, and is does a lot of things i disagree with and a lot of things that i agree with. it works with public policy and it's an important part of how d.c functions and operates. we'll continue to have conversations with a whole host of think tanks to the right and the left as we craft public policy. that's the way the city works and again, i'm not going to be the person who serve it is the spokesperson for the heritage foundation. i don't have any affiliation. >> it sounds like you're

distancing yourself from those comments, that talk of political violence. >> look, kristen, i certainly don't think political violence is justified. that's not what i think that he was saying to begin with, but have him on your program to defend what he said, and i think that's the best thing to do. >> let me ask you specifically about project 2025 for our viewers so that they know. it's basically a policy blueprint for a second trump presidency supported by the heritage foundation and other conservative groups. the biden campaign has said project '25, quote, should scare every single american. it would give limitless power over our daily lives. among the things they are calling for is reversing approval of the abortion pill mifepristone, but donald trump said he supports access to that pill, actually. do you support access to abortion medication as donald trump does? >> well, kristen -- you asked about project 2025, and i want

to be clear here that trump explicitly has said his own transition team runs the trump transition and will run the trump administration. again, you have a whole host of organizations some of which have good ideas, some of which have bad ideas and some who have both and the trump administration will talk to both as it's crafting an agenda to lower inflation and to bring peace and prosperity back to the world and that's the whole reason why me and so many others are trying to re-elect donald trump is because the agenda actually worked. it was his agenda, and i think it will work again for the american people. on the question of the abortion pill. what so many of us have said is look, we certainly -- the supreme court made a decision saying that the american people should have access to that medication. donald trump has supported that opinion. i support that opinion. i think it's important to say that we actually have to have an important conversation in this country about what our abortion policy should be. donald trump is the pragmatic leader here. he's saying most abortion

policies will be decided by the states. we want to make it easier and more affordable for young women and parents to have families to begin with. we want to eliminate housing costs and the medical bills that so many have after having a baby and that's the republican approach to this issue and meanwhile, joe biden wants taxpayer funded abortion up to the moment of birth. that is crazy to me that democrats frame this as republicans -- >> let me finish, kristen. they frame democrats as being reasonable and pragmatic when in reality republicans are the ones trying to find common ground here. >> as you know abortions, very few abortions take place later in pregnancy almost always because there is a medical emergency. i know trump is trying to distance himself from project 2025, but we have to point out that a number of people that are involved with it are former trump officials, ben carson, peter navarro, russ vaught and others, but just to be clear, you support mifepristone being

accessible? >> yes, kristen, i do, but on the project 2025 issue what the media and democrats are trying to do is attach the most unpopular elements to the trump administration. it's a 900-page document. i guarantee there are things trump likes and dislikes about the 900-page document, but he is the person that will determine the agenda to the next administration. all he said very explicitly is i am in charge of the next administration because i'm the person running for president and it's important to make that clarification. >> let me ask you something that caught our eye. this was something that you wrote in "the new york times" op ed about former president barack obama. you criticized his policies, but also said, quote, it is one of the great failures of recent political history that the republican party was too often unible to disconnect legitimate political disagreements from the fact that the president himself is an admirable man. barack obama gave me hope that a boy who grew up like me could

still achieve the most important of my dreams. for that, you write, i will miss him and the example he set. you wrote that just days before donald trump was in inaugurated. do you still consider barack obama to be an admirable man who you miss? >> well, you know, i grew up in a broken family, kristen. i just wanted to be a good husband and dad and certainly barack obama despite my many political disagreements with him, he's clearly a good husband and a father. i'd say the same thing about donald trump whose children love him and this is the thing the media often misses about donald trump is how devoted he is to his children and his grandchildren and his pro-life view is we ought to make it easier for more american families to have those thriving children and thriving families. so certainly, i think we've been blessed with good examples throughout our country and yes, absolutely was barack obama a good president? no. was he a good husband and father?

yes. >> he's still an admirable man? >> that's just what i said, kristen. >> all right. i have to ask you about veep stakes. have you gotten the call from donald trump? has he asked you to be his running mate? >> i've not gotten the call, kristen and i'll certainly maybe not the first person that i'd let know if that happened, but we'll let the media know if i ever get that call, but most importantly, kristen. we're just trying to work to elect donald trump and whoever the vice president is, it's the leadership style that works for the american people and i think we have to bring that back to the white house and i'm fighting to do that. >> here we are, a week before the republican convention. can you say here and now that you have the results of the 2024 election no matter what they are? >> so long as it's a free and fair election, kristen, of course, we will. we will use constitutional processes to challenge issues if we think there are issues, but if it's a free and fair election we will do what the constitution

requires and we will accept the results and i expect the results to reelect donald trump. >> it was a pre and fair election in 2020 and he took his concerns to court and he lost in court and he has not conceded. do you understand that when you refuse to concede, that feeds into people's concerns and skepticism about the nation's electoral process? >> well, kristen, i don't agree with that, actually. i think that feeding into people's concerns about electoral process is one half of america's political segment won't support legislation to allow illegal aliens to vote and you have to present i.d. for anything in this country. to take concerns seriously about election fraud -- >> senator it's already against the law for non-citizens to vote, but just on that very point, when you, when others refuse to say, yes, we will accept the election results do

you understand how that undermines people's confidence in the electoral system? >> kristen, what i just said is i don't agree with that. what i think undermines people's confidence in the electoral system is when the media is incurious about obvious examples of progress about the electoral system. i think they've gotten great elections and things could be better in certain states. i want to make it happen so people have greater confidence in their elections and that's what i will keep doing. >> senator, thank you for being here. please come back if you get that phone call if not beforehand. appreciate it. thank you so much. when we come back, president biden is dismissing his critics and vowing to stay in the race even as pressure type 2 diabetes? discover the ozempic® tri-zone. ♪ ♪ i got the power of 3. i lowered my a1c, cv risk, and lost some weight. in studies, the majority of people reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. i'm under 7. ozempic® lowers the risk of major cardiovascular

events such as stroke, heart attack, or death in adults also with known heart disease. i'm lowering my risk. adults lost up to 14 pounds. i lost some weight. ozempic® isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. don't share needles or pens, or reuse needles. don't take ozempic® if you or your family ever had medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if allergic to it. stop ozempic® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or an allergic reaction. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. gallbladder problems may occur. tell your provider about vision problems or changes. taking ozempic® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may increase low blood sugar risk. side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. living with type 2 diabetes? ask about the power of 3 with ozempic®. ♪♪ imagine a future where plastic is not wasted... but instead remade over and over... into the things that keep our food fresher, our families safer, and our planet cleaner. to help us get there, america's plastic makers are investing billions of dollars

to create innovative products and new recycling technologies for sustainable change. because when you push for smarter solutions, big things can happen. ♪♪ hey! i'll give you $574 if you switch. for an ice cream? okay. so, what about $574 for switching your home insurance to allstate? tempting. but that's way too much of a hassle. actually, it's not. allstate can handle the switching for you. just call 'em. so, it's easy and i could save? and you get allstate. huh, like a cherry on top. oh, you brought your own. check allstate first and you could save hundreds. you're in good hands with allstate. hi. what's your name? this is our new friend. we'll talk about it later, ok? what does a cat need? chewy's here. no, no, no, no. is that good?

hey, wait! come back! is this normal? ask the chewy vet team. how much is too much catnip? for everything you need and everything you need to know. find it at chewy. welcome back. the panel is here. nbc news white house correspondent mike memoli. amy walter, editor in chief of the cook political report. former democratic congressman stephanie murphy of florida and matt gorman senior communications adviser for tim scott for america. thank you all for being here on what is ostensibly still a holiday weekend. no holiday for us. mike, i have to start with you.

take us inside biden world because you heard from adam schiff there's still a lot of skepticism. >> i covered that rally in wisconsin as i did the week before in north carolina. we all watched that interview with george stephanopoulos. the tone being set by president biden and others in his circle is one of defiance. they're almost challenging the democratic party to take this nomination away from him. i shared with one senior adviser about the president and they said this will not be decided by members of congress. this will be decided by the voters. they are framing this and we'll hear more about the week,a head about the voters versus the pundits, voters versus the establishment. this is joe biden, 50-year politician, establishment of the democratic party if there ever was one who is running as an insurgent against his party. he's 100% in until he's 100%

out. >> he has been such a part of the democratic establishment for so long. amy walter, take us inside the numbers and just a reminder at the top of of the show i laid out the fact that there has been erosion in the polling and yet there is one poll that shows the battlegrounds are still close. where are we right now in this race? >> kris, you know, i love me some polls, and i love digging into data, but i want to step away from it because we have to talk about the fundamentals because sometimes we get caught up in the numbers, and the fundamentals today aren't any different than they were before this debate, and these are two unpopular people running against each other. the candidate who is in the spotlight whose liabilities and flaws are in the spotlight is a candidate who is most likely to lose. joe biden went into that debate with the spotlight on him, he wanted that debate to turn the spotlight back into donald trump. not only did he fail on doing that, but out in the spotlight

isn't just on his weaknesses as president and it's not just about immigration or legislation, it's now about whether he could functionally do the onand whether he has the physical and cognitive ability to do that, and that is a very different, fundamental that we've added to this fundamental problem for both candidates in this race, and the one other thing i'll say is the challenge of getting beyond this question because it's not just earlier it was about can you get beyond the frustration about the border? now it is about him personally and when i see where the media is going to be for the next four months it is going to be focused on every speech, every interview, and any slip he makes is going to be highlighted and talked about. >> absolutely. and stephanie, amy hits the nail on the head with the level of concern, i think, that democrats have in this moment.

take us inside some of your conversations. what are the reality checks and how concerned are they about down ballot races? >> they are far more concerned publicly than they've said publicly. it is a plat-out panic at this point. if the biden administration says it is up to the voters, three-quarters of the voters in a very divided america agree on one thing that he doesn't have the mental acuity to go forward. trump 2.0 would be dangerous to democracy and now they're also looking at the potential that they're going to be significant headwins for a down ballot, and if we can't hold the house or the senate with the supreme court rulings that expand the president's powers, this puts democracy in a really precarious place, and if you believe that, it's reasonable for you to ask the president to really consider whether or not he is the best candidate and to really consider the consequences of staying at

the top of the ticket on the down ballot races. >> that's really the disconnect because president and his campaign have argued donald trump is a threat to the democracy every single day and if those are the stakes can they risk this? i have to go to you because there is just growing pressure, also for republicans as they watch this unfold, candidate had this post yesterday where he seemed to sarcastically say, joe biden should stay in the race. are republicans worried about joe biden were to get out if there was an infusion of excitement. >> if joe biden stays in the race it becomes about him, his fitness for office bar none. if it's kamala, and i don't think it would be anyone other than kamala, then this would be the race we thought we would run two weeks ago and it's the economy, immigration, crime, and

she runs all of it and one of the first questions is what did you know about joe biden's condition and when did you know it? a lot of the stories are coming out. there have been issues for about a year now, if not more. you're the one person in the government you can't fire you mean to tell me you cannot see anything about it? >> crime is one of the top issues for voters and also at a 5046 year low right now. mike, pick up on matt's point. are there -- what are the things happening around the vice president? >> we've seen the vice president have a much big err role since the president announced he was running for reelection. we have seen that top ten in the past week and they're been deliberate and intentional about having the vice president with the president in some cases and speaking out and very supportive. you have top advisers in the campaign who have been telling donors west wing top scenarios about how michelle obama comes on the ticket. >> there's been a lot of talk

about michelle obama. >> the most likely scenario to accept if there is one that it will be the vice president and there are a lot of democrats who like the idea of a harris-cooper ticket. two-term governor and 16-year attorney general and crime is a big issue that can make the rest of the campaign about prosecuting the case. >> adam schiff said yes, he thought the vice president could win overwhelmingly. >> i absolutely agree with matt that she comes in with the same lookities which biden does which is that she'd have to answer for the administration and all of the issues about the economy and immigration. the question is can she now as -- because she doesn't have the same challenges that the president does change the conversation back to donald trump? can she make this race about donald trump? can she put together not necessarily the pro-harris coalition, but that anti-trump coalition that has been successful, not just in 2020, but in 2018 and in 2022.

>> matt, who is the candidate republicans are most afraid of? >> it's a different race whether it's biden or it's harris. >> yeah. >> think we look back and republicans remember the disastrous campaigns we had in the democratic primary. the only other effective communicator on complex issues on a lot of different things and look, she certainly would help the democrats, but she owns the border lock, stop and barrel. >> one of the things i keep thinking about when i think about the vice president potentially running, is donald trump saying in 2020 she had the best announcement. do you think she could win overwhelmingly? >> i think we should have the consideration and we shouldn't repeat the mistake which is not to have a real primary. primaries are ways to road test your candidates and if there is a way to have a real primary it gives the democratic party an option and it helps to coalesce around that person

post-convention. >> political reporters have been talking for years about wanting to have a real political convention, a brokered convention and every year it gets pushed aside. this may be the one time where this actually happens. not necessarily brokered, but that this conversation if it's starting it can't start the day of the convention. it has to start today. >> but then dems get the chance to bring the attention to their bench and to put forward what america want which is is change. >> one last thought and then we have to go. >> i may be underestimating up to this point is joe biden gutting this out and he can thank donald trump's playbook. >> we could see it. we wait with bated breadth. stick around, a democratic president with low public approval ratings and a deeply divided country suddenly withdraws from the r (wife) saving for retirement was tough enough. (husband) and navigating markets can be challenging at times. (fisher investments) i understand. that's why at fisher investments, we keep a disciplined approach with your portfolio,

helping you through the market's ups and downs. (husband) what about communication? (fisher investments) we check in regularly to keep you informed. (wife) which means you'll help us stay on track? (fisher investments) yes. as a fiduciary, we always put your interests first. because we do better when you do better. at fisher investments, we're clearly different. i'm andrea, and this is why i switched to shopify. it gave me so much peace of mind. if we make a change, my site's not going to go down. and just knowing that i have a platform that we can rely on, that is gold to us. start your free trial today. ♪♪ imagine a future where plastic is not wasted... but instead remade over and over... into the things that keep our food fresher, our families safer, and our planet cleaner. to help us get there, america's plastic makers are investing billions of dollars to create innovative products and new recycling technologies for sustainable change.

because when you push for smarter solutions, big things can happen.

welcome back. the rising democratic pressure on president biden to step aside has echoes of 1968. the last time a president decided not to seek a second term. that president was lyndon johnson, weakened by the vietnam

war, johnson had never formally entered the race and bowed out five months before the convention. he was replaced on the ticket by his vice president hubert humphrey who won the democratic nomination, but lost the election. it was before the start of the democratic national convention. >> president johnson seems to believe that if he ran again this country would remain divided and his move toward peace would be suspect. on the new york post identification of his and the administration what do you think that what applied to him doesn't apply to you also? >> because i have not been president, he's had to make the tough decisions and that is president johnson had to call the shots, so to speak, that has had to face up to the responsibilities of the management of our affairs and the vice president of the president does not do that. i knew when i became vice president that we only had one president at a time, and that a ought not to act like the

president nor should i try to pretend that i am president. i hope i can work for the country, and i would hope to go to the country and to unify and to lead this country to good performance through higher standards. i think i can. >> when we come back, donald trump claims victory after the historic supreme court ruling on historic supreme court ruling on presidential ♪♪ imagine a future where plastic is not wasted... but instead remade over and over... into the things that keep our food fresher, our families safer, and our planet cleaner. to help us get there, america's plastic makers are investing billions of dollars to create innovative products and new recycling technologies for sustainable change. because when you push for smarter solutions, big things can happen. smile! you found it. the feeling of finding psoriasis can't filter out the real you. so go ahead, live unfiltered with the one and only sotyktu,

a once-daily pill for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, and the chance at clear or almost clear skin. it's like the feeling of finding you're so ready for your close-up. or finding you don't have to hide your skin just your background. once-daily sotyktu was proven better, getting more people clearer skin than the leading pill. don't take if you're allergic to sotyktu; serious reactions can occur. sotyktu can lower your ability to fight infections, including tb. serious infections, cancers including lymphoma, muscle problems, and changes in certain labs have occurred. tell your doctor if you have an infection, liver or kidney problems, high triglycerides, or had a vaccine or plan to. sotyktu is a tyk2 inhibitor. tyk2 is part of the jak family. it's not known if sotyktu has the same risks as jak inhibitors. find what plaque psoriasis has been hiding. there's only one sotyktu, so ask for it by name. so clearly you. sotyktu.

welcome back. the panel is still here. let's talk about the big ruling in the supreme court. stephanie, which basically gave presidents immunity over official actions that they take while in office. you obviously served on the january 6th committee. your committee recommended criminal charges against former president trump. what was your reaction to the ruling and quite frankly, what are the implications, do you think, to this ruling? >> the context for me is my family and i escaped political persecution when i was just a baby, so i know what a government that is unaccountable will do to the citizens, and i sat on the january 6th select committee, and i saw how our institutions were tested. the ruling, the supreme court ruling basically gives the presidency expanded powers and makes accountability through the justice system very difficult.

so what that means is that one, we have to elect presidents with character and values and morals that align with this country, but we also have to, in this particular election, hold the line in the house. the house is now the last place that can hold a president accountable, and that makes this election critically important. >> matt, you know, former president trump is taking a victory lap, obviously, because it means his court cases will be delayed, but democrats are pouncing on this. they are making the case. this is why donald trump would be more dangerous in the second term and that's the democrats oral argument. how does that packer in at all? >> i can come back with joe biden is that trump has had the best ten days since he was president. you look at the debate of plunging the uncountry into crisis. that was theal bat ross, the

sentencing is off the table for now, at least. the vp would be a positive news maker, and i think he's stayed out of the headlines this last week and look, this, i think in large part has been the best-run apparatus in the three times he's run for president. >> there's no doubt. >> politically, the discipline is actually quite remarkable. >> the biden team acknowledges it that they really were hoping that he would come and make a story so that the focus could get off the president. i agree that this should have been a week where we started the roundtable with --? . >> right. >> the supreme court case which tells you all you need to know about how difficult it is going to be for a democrat to make this case to the voters. >> kristen, some of the most interesting comments the president made at the rally on

friday were about this. he said president trump could be a dictator on day one. we have to politically exile him because of the immunity ruling and he talked about project 2025 and the problem is they were overlooked because of where the focus is. the debate was supposed to put the spotlight on trump and it is really only on president biden. >> someone said to me that the immunity ruling will be the new dobbs ruling. >> democrats will continue to hammer it. >> matt, we have to talk a little veep stakes. >> of course. >> we just talked to senator j.d. vance about a range of different topics including this immunity issue. we know that he is on the short list. we know this decision has to come soon. senator vance said no, he hasn't gotten that call from former president trump yet. where do you see this heading? >> vance did a great job this morning. he'd be a formidable candidate, and one thing we haven't talked about is he has a military background and the only person with the nominees with the military background and if biden will make the case about trump and veterans that he has in the

debate and since, vance could be an effective rebuttal for that and isn't afraid to be on sunday show, it's impressive. >> he's viewed as the future of the maga movement. i guess the question is can he appeal to independents, to moderate voters? can he win those critical voters who are going to be necessary to ultimately win the white house? >> i thought he was very good on your interview with him. he makes some of the more extreme policy positions that he is espousing seem normal because of the way he delivers it, and i think he fits the part for what donald trump looks for in a vice president. he -- he looks the part. >> do democrats fear a trump-vance ticket, do you think? >> i think they are so focused on trying to figure out who their ticket's going to be right now. >> fair point. that's a fair point. amy, as ease. >> i think that for trump, so

much of this is -- as we talked about, the look. also, it's sort of softening donald trump, or at the very least, someone who can come in and look like they can keep him in line, not worrying about he's going off track and this is the person who can do that. that's where doug burgum, i think, because of how low key he is. he's not getting into fights with anybody and he's coming from a different perspective in that way could be a better pick. >> convention is one week away. mike memoli, quickly. how long, one-word answer will it take before president biden makes a decision? >> this is a consequential week for him. the question is are they themselves hearing it. >> all right. great conversation, you guys. that is all for today. happy july fourth weekend. thank you so much for watching. we'll be back next week because if it's sunday, it's "meet the press."

♪♪ ♪♪ teamwork that fuels it, the mentors who shape it and this is where it comes together with this care team connecting the dots all leading up to this moment right here at ut southwestern, where discoveries change lives. and this spark is just the beginning. follow your spark at ut southwestern. the future of medicine today. now's the time to live your best california life. we're unlocking hidden

gems and unforgettable golden state getaways. weekdays at 1130 on nbc. bay area. sponsored by sea monterey. find your way here. reignite your passion with custom anniversary bands from the jewelry exchange. two carat fancy lab bands, 1491 carat classic natural bands, 990 half carat natural 499 unlimited choices guaranteed to appraise for double the jewelry exchange. redwood city we're all about getting you ready for today, especially here in the bay. when you see this symbol, you know you're watching television. that's educational and informational. the more you know on nbc today, on mutual of omaha's wild kingdom, protecting the wild. three words that just might send chills down your spine. great white sharks. hey, i found one. it's headed right to the kayak. we're on an adventure with the world's most feared ocean predator. i see it, i