this sunday, mass murder in the air. the latest on the germanwings pilot. what medical condition was he hiding and are changes needed in the way we screen commercial airline pilots? plus, as talks on a nuclear deal with iran reach their final hours -- >> for first time, u.s. officials are talking about what will happen if all of this fails. >> -- how the u.s. is becoming caught up on both sides of a proxy war between iran and saudi arabia that could rip apart the middle east even more if that's possible. and -- >> i believe in you. i believe in the power of millions of courageous conservatives. >> -- ted cruz becomes the first to jump into the 2016 race, hoping he can ride an evangelical wave to the white

house. why evangelicals may be more important than ever in choosing the next republican nominee. and speaking of republican presidential candidates, why is one courting the survivalist crowd by suggesting it is time to stock up and hoard supplies? i'm chuck todd. joining me for insight and analysis are nbc's joe scarborough, hillary clinton's former policy director, neera tanden, kathleen parker of "the washington post" and sam stein of "the huffington post." welcome to sunday. it's "meet the press." >> this is "meet the press" with chuck todd. good morning. we will start with a topic that is dominating conversation around the world. the news that a plane crashed into the alps with 150 people on board was horrific enough. but the story took a bizarre and even more disturbing turn when it became clear that the co-pilot had deliberately slammed it into the mountain, turning it into a mass murder.

we're learning more about that pilot andreas lubitz every day and a picture is emerging of a mentally disturbed man who never should have been allowed in the cockpit. for the latest on trying to find out about this pilot, i'm joined by nbc's katy tur, in the pilot's hometown of montabaur, germany. what more have we learned about andreas and about what happened in those final moments? >> reporter: well, even more horrifying details are coming out. a newspaper here in germany, the largest tabloid, is reporting on a timeline of the final moments of that plane. they said the pilot mentioned when they take off that he hadn't gone to the bathroom in spain, co-pilot lubitz says you should go while we're in the air, the pilot doesn't respond. once they reach altitude, the pilot says that he will go, gets up, goes to the bathroom, next thing you here is the door clicking shut and the pilot banging on the door saying, open the damn door and then him taking an ax to the door as the

passengers scream. this is being reported by a newspaper out here. nbc news has not been able to verify it. but if it is true, it is chilling details of the final moments. they're also reporting a lot on his medical condition. the new york times reports that he had eye issues that would have prevented him from flying in the future. there are also reports there was depression involved here. so far nbc news hasn't been able to verify that either. but the prosecutors office did find doctors notes, torn up doctors notes inside the home, before the day of the crash, that were in the given to lufthansa, ones that would have excused him from work. they're looking into all of this now and trying to piece together exactly what was going on inside his mind at the time of the crash. chuck? >> katy tur, thank you very much. i know you'll keep reporting and building a profile of this pilot. i'm joined by nbc's aviation correspondent, tom costello and erin bowen, an aviation psychology expert from embry-riddle aeronautical university.

welcome to you both. tom, following up on this report this morning, you hear an ax. there are axes on airplanes? >> there is an ax, we know for sure in the cockpit, that's standard procedure. but there is also according to lufthansa, they have one hidden in the passenger compartment, and only the crew members know where that ax might be. so we were a little surprised by that as well to find there is an ax somewhere hidden in the cabin, but apparently there is. now, we can't confirm the bild's reporting that the pilot was using an ax to try to get through the door. but in theory, there is an ax in the cabin. >> we're having a larger conversation about mental health and mental fitness of pilots. i think we're finding out that there isn't a lot of mental health checks done of pilots. is that right, erin? >> right. the psychological assessments that are available for use, typically at the time of new hire for airline pilots, are not the types of tools that would detect mental illness.

they're primarily things like personality inventories. >> interesting here, according to a guide for the aviation medical examiners, the faa does not expect an examiner to perform a formal psychiatric examination, however the examiner should form a general impression of the emotional stability and mental state of the applicant. there is no mental health check? >> no, because those tools just aren't as sophisticated as the medical exams and diagnostic tests you can get annually for your physical. >> you're talking about during the year, the yearly physical. >> not a mental physical. >> but there is a psychological workup that is done before and during the hiring process that is rather rigorous, but not during the yearly physical. >> not an annual thing that is done? >> well, only -- you know better than i, but as i understand it, you would ask cursory questions. >> right. so your physician, when you go into your aviation medical examiner, would ask questions about your sleep, any substance abuse, alcohol use, personal

life, stressors, but they're not trained psychiatrists or psychological experts. they're primary care physicians. >> does that need to change? >> no, actually. i don't think it does. psychological assessments are not magic diagnostic tools that would tell us this is an individual with depression who is imminently going to crash a plane full of innocent passengers. they're just not that sophisticated. >> tom, there was a time where if you had any mental health condition, you were not allowed to be a licensed commercial airline pilot. they had to ease those restrictions. >> in 2010, the faa changed the rules, essentially acknowledging that people are living with depression and certain mental health issues every single day and do so very well in this country. they take meds, they get therapy. so in 2010, the faa came out and said, listen, if you self-disclose, if you come to us and say i'm dealing with personal issues, i'm dealing with mental health and depression, and what have you, i would like to seek help, the faa says, fine, that's all right, we'll take you out of the

cockpit for a year, if you get that help and you can come back and be in the cockpit and be on some antidepressants, for example, including zoloft, then that's all right. if you function well, if you're cleared by a doctor. >> you have to self-report. >> you have to self-report. there is an incentive to self-reporting. if you don't self-report, and those meds show up in your yearly blood work, then you're talking about suspension or fines. so there is an incentive. >> erin, we should be relieved here in this country, mr. lubitz would have never qualified to be an airline pilot in this country, right? >> not according to the restrictive atp requirements. you need 1500 hours of flight time or a thousand hours from a qualified approved school in order to be a co-pilot. >> there is no way this guy could have been a pilot here. >> i find this almost egregious that somebody who has -- lufthansa, this is not like -- this is the gold standard for airlines around the world, and since 2013, this guy had been a first officer and only

accumulated up to 630 hours in total? in the united states, you can not be a first officer, but this comes after the colgan aircraft where we saw crew members not up to the job in the cockpit, didn't have enough training and experience, and were subpar in terms of the captain and the performance and the testing. for lufthansa to be hiring somebody with so few hours is concerning. >> very quickly. >> i would disagree this is a failure of training. this is a mental health issue. at 630 hours, more than capable pilot, and up to four years ago, a more than capable pilot in the united states. this is really a mental health failure and a failure for us to recognize and change the culture and industry. >> erin bowen, tom costello, thank you, both. let's bring in the panel, joe scarborough, neera tanden, kathleen parker, sam stein. kathleen, you wrote about this, this week, monster in the sky.

i feel like we're having -- we're about to have the same conversation we had when we talked about the shooting in aurora or shooting in -- we're talking about mental health issues and maybe that's the conversation we should be having. >> i'm always happy to talk about mental health issues and we don't talk about it enough across the board. however, i'm not convinced that we know that this is absolutely a mental health circumstance. i mean, the fact he might have had antidepressants in his daily regimen doesn't necessarily mean he's not capable of doing his job or that he was somehow fail in the air. there is no evidence that he's had some psychotic event thus far. it may turn out that we discover that. i don't know how we would discover it, but the fact he had a rumbled up doctor's excuse not to work that day doesn't to me confirm this is strictly a mental health problem. >> fair enough. but i have to say, joe, you start finding out, we don't really check -- we don't do

mental health checkups for pilots. we all fly a lot. that's a little disconcerting to me. >> i get on the plane last night to come up, we got the end of the kids' spring break, i walk up and turn to the pilot and say, are you happy? you doing okay? and the pilot just looked at me and said, any suicidal thoughts, everything okay? and the guy laughed. he got what i was talking about. but you always look at the pilot, especially as you get older and you realize the pilots are younger and younger and now some of those pilots are younger than my 27-year-old son. so there has to be some mental health screening. it is just like when somebody tried to get on a plane with liquid to blow things up. now we do the -- i will say this, let's celebrate something that the federal government does right in this country, aviation. we see all around the world one crash after another, one unexplained crash after another, you know. tip our hats -- >> i was going to say -- >> they do a great job, knock on

wood. >> before you jump in, later in the show, i have this interview with patrick kennedy i did, and one part he's become this big mental health advocate. listen to what he says, he thinks we need to make mental health more of a normalized thing when it comes to medical. >> 40,000 suicides and counting a year, 16,000 overdoses, more than are killed in car accidents, the epidemic of addiction and mental illness in this country and we're paralyzed as a nation in the way that we cope with it. we're doing a lot of one-offs, but we have no agenda for mental health and addiction. >> he continued, his hope is that the way you get an annual physical you do the same thing an annual mental physical. and there would be no stigma to that. >> you know, we don't spend relatively that much money on mental health services in this country, somewhere under 6% of our national health care spending.

so clearly there is room for growth there. science and research, the brain initiative, to give us science into this thing. with the context of this, we need to remember two things. aviation safety is pretty good and keeps getting better year by year. and, two, one of the problems here was not the mental health, but the fact that europe doesn't have the tools in the cockpit. in the united states, this man would have never been alone in the cockpit, a co-pilot there at all times. in europe, that wasn't the case. if there had been somebody else there, we probably would have had different circumstances. >> we're celebrating american government regulation. >> i think if we make mental health screening more regular, it takes away the stigma, which is one of the reasons why it is important in the u.s. that we had the kind of safety record we have had. >> and what patrick kennedy talks about, started with kids. we need to start it early. and then normalize. >> you brought this up, it is a very important point, we talked about it after newtown and now, what is the line that connects us?

it is mental health. we can talk about airline safety, but it goes back to mental health. we can talk about gun control at the end of the day, got to talk about mental health. >> we'll pause here. when we come back, the latest on the critical nuclear talks with iran, the deadline, we're now hours away. and also if it seems as if we're fighting both sides in the middle east, with iran and against them, well, it is because we are. let me talk to you about retirement. a 401(k) is the most sound way to go. let's talk asset allocation. sure. you seem knowledgeable professional. would you trust me as your financial advisor? i would. i would indeed. well, let's be clear here. i'm actually a dj. [ dance music plays ] [laughs] no way! i have no financial experience at all. that really is you? if they're not a cfp pro you just don't know. find a certified financial planner professional who's thoroughly vetted at letsmakeaplan.org. cfp -- work with the highest standard. ♪ turn around ♪ ♪ every now and then i get a little bit tired ♪ ♪ of craving something that i can't have ♪ ♪ turn around barbara ♪ ♪ i finally

found the right snack ♪ ♪ ♪ hey mom, you want to live by the lake, right? yeah. there's here. ♪ did you just share a listing with me? look at this one. it's got a great view of the lake. it's really nice mom. ♪ your dad would've loved this place. you're not just looking for a house. you're looking for a place for your life to happen. zillow

and we're back.

and we're back. talks on the future of iran's nuclear program are in the final hours ahead of a self-imposed us is deadline. and secretary of state john kerry canceled a planned return to the u.s. and a final push to try to get this deal done. never shy to speak out on his fears over a potential agreement, the israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu stated this morning that the deal that seems to be emerging is even worse than he had feared. for the latest on the talks, i'm joined by our chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell in switzerland. and, andrea, there seems to be more pessimism about a deal getting done. >> reporter: there certainly is. this is 18 months of negotiating, only days to go as you point out, and there are some stumbling blocks. biggest sticking point, we're told, is that iran is refusing to give up its research and development on nuclear equipment that can be used for peaceful purposes, but could also be used to create nuclear weapons. the second sticking point, we're told, is the length of sanctions, when they're phased

out, how quickly they could be lifted. so those are complications. now, both sides could be doing this for tactical reasons, the u.s. being very negative, iran being very positive, to try to blame each other if this all falls apart. for the first time, u.s. officials are talking pretty openly about what would happen if there is no deal. >> and the fallout, andrea, if there is no deal politically, this puts the president in a stronger position domestically considering how much skepticism there is on capitol hill about it anyway? >> reporter: it could. you got democrats and republicans and some crucial allies, not just israel, but iran opponents, not wanting this deal because they think it isn't tough enough. i think more broadly, with so many other problems on the foreign policy front, the white house sees this as its legacy. that's why they were so angry at netanyahu's opposition. and he wants this badly. the problem is do they want it too badly. the other point is technical. iran observed its limits. limits on its program. they have not violated them,

we're told, during the negotiations. if there is no deal, all bets are off, they can do whatever they want and they can stop nuclear inspectors from getting in. chuck? >> andrea mitchell, i know you'll be there if this thing gets hammered out. for an insight on how the negotiations are being conducted, i'm joined by christopher hill, he served as chief negotiator with north korea in what was ultimately an unsuccessful talks over their nuclear weapons program between 2005 and 2008. ambassador hill, welcome to "meet the press." let me just start with what you heard as the sticking point, take us inside this room, you've been at this point before, you hear this pessimism. is it real or are they playing with us a little bit? >> oh, i think it is a little of both. i mean, certainly from the u.s. vantage point they need to go back to washington and kind of oversell the deal. the deal is so hinged on

technical issues that it is going to be hard to sell. just doesn't sing when you bring it back to people. at the same time, the iranians need to come back to tehran and say we got all our sanctions lifted, and it is very clear that this is going to be tough. for both sides, it is not a very nice and clean deal. so both sides are going to have a heck of a time selling it back in capitals. so i think some of the possess pessimism is very real. >> you look at the developments in yemen, a key u.s. ally in saudi arabia, militarily getting involved there, against what they believe is iranian aggression. how can the united states potentially be helping to strengthen iran in the region by cutting a deal on the nuclear front and at the same time, which could then cause maybe more problems for key allies like saudi arabia. >> well, certainly saudi arabia is facing tough times. they have gone through a difficult succession. they have an iraq on their northern border, which, you know, sort of anything goes there.

and now they have this rebellion in yemen. so from the saudi perspective, these are tough times. and then also from the saudi perspective, they look at the deal with iran and what they see is something that goes beyond just the nuclear issue. they see some kind of emerging or i should say re-emerging partnership with the u.s. and iran. remember, from the saudi perspective, they look back in the 1970s and they saw a u.s. that considered the shah of iran or considered iran the sort of -- their main factor in the middle east. so the saudis don't want to see that kind of issue. so from their perspective, things have been very tough, especially about iran and other shia, and then, oh, by the way, we're asking them to go after the radical sunnis in isis. so they have really -- it has been quite a tough time. >> two quick -- why isn't one of the points of negotiation in

this nuclear deal forcing iran to recognize israel's right to exist? why isn't that included in the talks? >> it is probably a bridge too far. and moreover, i think you have to remember that iran is very split. you have technocratic smart people from tehran and they have their own agenda to try to push back the ayatollahs, but the ayatollahs have no interest in normalizing with israel, they have no interest in pulling back from issues in syria and support for terrorist groups like hezbollah. it is very -- they're very split themselves, not unlike the situation we have in washington. >> i want to get you to react to something that another former ambassador to iraq said about the president about president obama's middle east policy. he said this, we're -- this is james jeffrey. he said, we're in gosh darn free fall here, though he didn't use gosh darn, when referring to the president's middle east policy. do you agree?

>> i think -- i think frankly there is so much different stuff going on, it is going to be a very nuanced policy and the real difficulty is explaining it to people because it seems to have these counter cross impulses. overall, i think there is -- as there is a successful effort to push back isis, the concern is, of course, that we're empowering these shia militia groups. the real question is we have no onward policy for syria and as long as syria is going to be this exporter of instability, it is going to be very tough to the region. >> ambassador hill, thanks for your viewpoints on this, i appreciate it. >> thank you. staying on the subject of iran, arab leaders have agreed in principle to establish a joint military force as saudi led air strikes on iranian-backed shiite rebels continue across yemen. despite the air strikes, the rebels are continuing to advance south as they attempt to take the southern city of aden. a government stronghold that the country's president fled to earlier this week. and as our chief foreign correspondent richard engel explains, the u.s. is stuck on both sides of what appears to be a proxy war that could consume

the region. >> reporter: saudi jets took off for bombing runs in yemen, about 100 hours after american advisers were forced to evacuate under the cover of night. here, iranian-backed rebels, shiite muslims, have the pro u.s. government on the run. at the same time that the u.s. finds itself fighting iran on the one hand, it is working with iran on the other. in iraq, the u.s. is giving iranian-backed militias air support. in switzerland, it is negotiating with iran. in yemen, the u.s. left the fight against the iranian-banned rebels. in syria, the u.s. is supporting both the fight against iran and its ally president assad and with iran against isis. >> the end result is we do not seem to be to the people in the region and to the american people pursuing and presenting an overall strategy that will

defeat the really bad forces in that region. >> reporter: the former u.s. ambassador and several analysts say the sunni states led by saudi arabia are going their own way because they believe this administration can't be relied on in its policy with what they see as their real enemy. they even called for the creation of a united standing arab army. it would be an alternative to dependence on the u.s. and stand against iran. there is a proxy war under way that is big and expanding between saudi arabia and now other sunni nations against iran. and critics say the administration is trying and failing to play both sides of it, confusing its friends and emboldening its enemies. richard engel, nbc news, istanbul. i'm joined by the saudi ambassador to the united states, adel al jubeir, welcome to "meet the press."

let me start with a basic question. what is saudi arabia's objective in getting involved militarily in yemen? >> we came at the invitation of the military government, we're there to protect the people of yemen from an occupation by a radical group that has been on turning toward more radicalism. we came to protect the legitimate government of yemen and want to restore peace and stability. >> before you started the air strikes, our commander at centcom, general austin, said he was only told about the attacks one hour before they began. and he did the hear and john mccain said that that was quite a commentary and he thought that said more about the relationship right now between saudi arabia and the united states, that really it is deteriorating. is he right? >> i don't believe the relationship is deteriorating. it is very, very strong. we have talked about the possible options of using force with the united states for many months. this option became much more serious in the last few weeks. and in the run-up to the making the decision to put together the

coalition, we were in constant touch with the white house and other u.s. government agencies about this. the decision to use military force was made at the last moment because of the developments that were happening with regards to the hutis, occupation of aden. i can see how somebody can say the decision was made at the last minute but the thinking and planning -- >> you were sharing this with the united states. >> absolutely. >> and the united states was fully on board? >> absolutely. the u.s. wouldn't be working with us if it wasn't on board. >> what is the -- why would you send ground troops in if you decided to do that? >> we haven't made a decision to send ground troops in so far. so far it has been an air campaign. we have a plan in motion and we're executing this plan. >> okay, but what would be the reason that you would send ground troops in, if aden falls? >> we have to see. we are not contemplating this issue. we're determined to degrade and destroy the capabilities. we're determined to protect and

preserve the legitimate government of yemen and determined to protect the people of yemen. so we will continue this campaign until those objectives are achieved. >> should we be calling this a proxy war between saudi arabia and iran? >> this is a war to protect the people of yemen and the legitimate government from a group that its allies and supported by iran and hezbollah. i wouldn't call it a proxy war. we're doing this to protect yemen. >> can a strong iran and strong saudi arabia co-exist? >> it is really up to the iranians. we have encountered many problems, aggression by iran, against the kingdom of saudi arabia. there has not been one incident of saudi aggression against iran. we extended our hand in friendship to the iranians and it has been rejected for the past 35 year. it is up to the iranians. we would like to have friendly relations with iranians because it is good for the region. but this decision is a result of the actions of the iranians, not as the result of saudi arabia. >> can the united states both help you against iran in yemen and negotiate a deal on the nuclear front?

>> i believe the negotiations with regard to the nuclear program, iran, is something that the whole world wants to succeed. >> you want a deal? >> we want a solid deal that denies iran the ability to make nuclear weapons. a deal that is verifiable, a deal that cuts all avenues to a nuclear weapon for iran. a solid deal. so we're waiting to see the results of the negotiation to assess the deal. >> you declined to rule out the idea in an interview earlier this week that saudi arabia would pursue its own nuclear program if you felt as if iran wouldn't be stopped from getting a nuclear weapon. is that a fair assessment? >> i said we will not discuss these issues in public. >> if you were going to say no, you say no. >> well, every country has it look out for its own interests and we have to protect our people and do whatever it takes to do so. we have to assess the fact and make a decision on how we'll deal with it. >> what is the united states --

do you believe the united states needs to do more to support the saudis now? have they done enough or do you think they're doing everything we have been doing for years and years. >> with regards to yemen, we're pleased with the support we're getting from the united states, whether intelligence, whether it is logistics, and the political support. we have a very strong counterterrorism cooperation, very strong commercial ties. we're pleased with the relationship. we want to work more with the united states and iraq to ensure we diminish the role of the shia militias, to bring in and empower the sunnis in iraq and to keep iraq united and independent from iran. >> do you feel saudi arabia has any -- owned any of the problems of sunni extremism that has been exported out of saudi arabia? responsibility for that? the growth of isis? would this happen with sunni extremism without individuals in saudi arabia quietly helping the folks out? >> i don't know that this is -- this would be a fair point to make. i think the kingdom -- i know the kingdom is a target of isis. they have captured many members of isis in the kingdom who tried to kill our people. we're fighting them as we speak

in syria. if there are individuals in the can kingdom of saudi arabia providing -- to isis, we'll punish them and they're sitting in our jails. >> ambassador, thanks for come on "meet the press." >> thank you. >> you got it. we'll take a quick break. when we come back, the latest on 2016 including hillary's e-mail problems that won't be wiped away from any servers here. on hillary's e-mail problem and the ones that won't get wiped away from our server. ♪ ♪ we love our smartphones. and now telcos using hp big data solutions are feeling the love, too. by offering things like on-the-spot data upgrades an idea that reduced overcharge complaints by 98%. no matter how fast your business needs to adapt if hp big data solutions can keep wireless customers smiling, imagine what they can do for yours. make it matter.

in small business you have to work hard, know your numbers, and stay focused. i was determined to create new york city's first self-serve frozen yogurt franchise. and now you have 42 locations. the more i put into my business the more i get out of it. like 5x your rewards when you make select business purchases with your ink plus card from chase. and with ink, i choose how to redeem my points for things like cash or travel. how's the fro-yo? just peachy...literally. ink from chase. so you can.

two senators announced this week they won't be running for re-election. one, you may not have heard about. republican dan coates of indiana. the man you just heard from, of course, is senate minority leader harry reid who will leave after five terms in office, that makes four senators, by the way, three of them democrats who will not be returning and announce a retirement. no more barbers in the senate. republicans hold a 54-46 majority. but 2016 is rocky ground for republicans. 23 seats are held by republicans that are up compared to 10 democratic seats because of the 20 10 wave. this much we know. harry reid's retirement means two new faces. a new senator from nevada and new leader for the democrats. let's bring in the panel, joe, chuck schumer, for harry reid, what changes do you expect?

>> that's a big tradeup for the democratic party and america. >> trade up? >> trade up. harry reid is majority leader in the senate and the tea party in the house, it was a disastrous combination. chuck schumer is an interesting person who not only will be better for his party, because it is going to be able to take the message to americans more. like tip o'neill, one thing he hates more is gridlock and getting nothing done. i think we're all better off now. >> i agree with almost everything there except harry reid was described as this guy -- the behind the scenes guy and harry reid was the guy the republicans secretly cut deals with, they couldn't deal can tom daschle. does the job itself polarize you. harry reid used to be what joe described. >> i think it is polarizing a little bit. i think harry reid responded to the tea party. the truth is that harry reid

felt like he couldn't get anything done and he became more of a fighter. i do agree completely with chuck -- with joe that chuck is important on message, he's a fighter for the middle class, et cetera. i think being a spokesperson for the party, he'll do a better job. i think that we have to make -- the government has to function going forward. so i hope we -- >> chuck schumer is not camera shy. harry reid -- some of the progressive left think chuck schumer is too close to wall street. >> yes. >> how, you know -- he made sure there is nobody -- harry reid, they closed ranks. >> i was talking to a couple of democrats about this. usually democrats are disorganized, dysfunctional, but their succession has been -- >> that's very republican-like. >> i know. >> and orderly. >> the thing is, like you said, harry reid is viewed skeptically

by the left and will be forever remembered for two legislative accomplishments, health care reform which never would have happened without him and the second is the filibuster reform that allowed him to reshape the judiciary in this country for a generation to come. the one thing i'll say about him as a tactician, he may not have been the most camera ready person, but he was a tactician. he established a super pac, even though he hated it, he was vicious going after -- >> he was a party boss. he was an old-fashioned party boss. >> i think obviously he didn't want -- he -- harry reid may have been responding to the tea party as the republicans on the other side. but he also refused to bring anything to the floor that the republicans put out there. if schumer is willing to bring things to the floor, that's an improvement. >> she took what bill fritz created in gridlock and

perfected it. >> you talk about harry reid as the tactician, the politician, the fund-raiser. his legacy in the last election will be disastrous. he decided to nationalize the election around charles coe. nobody knew. nobody cared. and he wasted so much money for the democrats. >> i want to -- we get to hillary clinton news and, neera, tell me how you feel. >> really? >> i got to ask. so you sit here, she wiped the server clean. politically it makes perfect sense. why have something there you might have to turn over to congress. i understand the tactic. but doesn't it feed this idea that they were hiding something? >> can we just step back a little bit and recognize that this whole thing started when benghazi and the reason why we're at this phase of this scandal machine is because they didn't find e-mails they wanted to find showing she did something. >> come on. >> wait a minute. >> the e-mails were under subpoena at the time she

destroyed them. and saying it makes perfect sense, pat buchanan is saying it makes perfect sense that nixon should have burned the tapes. these e-mails were under -- >> she turned over, exactly. she turned over 55,000 -- >> she selected, though. >> just like any -- >> gang up on neera time. let's get the big picture. doesn't this play -- look, i understand republicans overreach, the clintons are probably overprotective, but is that the stalemate that america is looking for in 2016? >> i think the fact that we are obsessed with this scandal, et cetera, is the thing that people hate about washington. >> we're not obsessed about it. we're asking a question. when you have e-mails and records that are under subpoena, you decide unilaterally to set up your own system and then

decide that you're going to wipe out the entire system. >> no, no. hold on. no. no. number one, she turned over all the state department e-mails. as far as we know. >> by her own word. by her own word. >> everybody in government has personal e-mail. they make a decision what is personal, what's not. that's true for everybody. she's releasing the state department e-mails going beyond where everyone else has gone. and i would say, look, when she runs for president, assuming she runs, she'll be able to talk about these issue and talk about the issues that people care about. no, no. and the fact that everybody has -- >> i got to pause it here. i got to pause it here. >> we don't know if a single thing you said is correct or not. no, we don't, because you're taking hillary clinton's word for it and nobody would take george w. bush's -- >> all right. i got to -- all right.

time-out. time-out. we can't go into overtime. we will continue this on periscope or meerkat. back in a moment, where evangelical voters have more to say this year when choosing the republican nominee. [ male announcer ] take zzzquil and sleep like... the kids went to nana's house... for the whole weekend! [ snoring ] [ male announcer ] zzzquil, the non habit forming sleep aid that helps you sleep easily and wake refreshed. because sleep is a beautiful thing.

♪ yoplait. with a smooth and creamy taste your whole family loves. it is so good all of the time. it's nerd screen time. the location of senator ted cruz's presidential campaign announcement, the christian even very conservative liberty university, was a signal that the senator is aware of the power of the evangelical vote. voters who call themselves evangelical christians have given hope to multiple primary candidates in the past. in fact, they propelled the former governor of arkansas mike huckabee to a win in iowa with 34% of the vote in 2008. in 2012, it was former senator rick santorum who ended up winning the iowa caucuses, barely, and success was also largely due to one fact, the evangelical vote. neither was able to turn it into

a successful nomination campaign, but the difference this time is the primary schedule. this could help ted cruz. iowa is first. looking back at 2012 exit polls, evangelicals made up over a majority of republican voters, 57%. well, two states later, you get to south carolina, third up overall in 2012, evangelicals made up 65% of the gop primary vote. this year, success in iowa and south carolina could mean more momentum and more money heading into this election cycle's game changer. what we're calling the s.e.c. primary. here what's happening. for you noncollege football fans out there, s.e.c. stands for the southeastern conference. and multiple southern states are in talks to set their primary on the same day resulting in a super evangelical tuesday. georgia, alabama, tennessee, mississippi, arkansas, and texas.

the thing the states have in common, evangelicals make up the largest portion of the united states. 24% of the population in texas. 39% in mississippi. 41% of the population in alabama. so the proposed primary could give a candidate like ted cruz, if he is the sole evangelical candidate, momentum that huckabee and santorum never able were to count on and could propel cruz to not just relevancy, but an actual shot of the nomination. imagine that. be could be a big deal. more on this and the pitfalls of this path can be found at meetthepressnbc.com. nstantly that this was...wow! it's crest hd. it's amazing. new crest hd gives you a 6x healthier mouth and 6x whiter teeth in just one week. it gets practically every detail. that's why it's called hd. try new crest pro-health hd.

will you help us find a house for you and your brother? ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ woooooah you're not just looking for a house. you're looking for a place for your life to happen. zillow when you ache and haven't slept... you're not you. tylenol® pm relieves pain and helps you fall fast asleep and stay asleep. we give you a better night. you're a better you all day. tylenol®. ♪

welcome back. ted kennedy was one of the giants of the u.s. senate. so it is fitting he's being remembered with the establishment of an institute that aims to demystify the legislative process. and it is complete with a full size replica of the senate chamber. tomorrow, the edward m. kennedy institute for the study of the united states senate in boston will be dedicated in a ceremony attended by president obama and figures from across the political divide. earlier this week i got a sneak peek inside when i joined senator kennedy's widow vicki for a private tour. >> it came out at a family dinner and ed schlossberg was the one who had this nugget of an idea, wouldn't it be great to have an institute for the united states senate. it was for the study of the senate.

and teddy thought, his eyes lit up and he said, yes. >> the 68,000 square foot building that bares his name is about more than just the late senator's legacy. using today's technology, the institute aims to teach visitors about the history of the senate, and inspire future legislators through an experiential way of learning. >> every single visitor into this institute will have the opportunity to cast a vote as a united states senator. >> and sit in a replica of the senate chamber. >> welcome to our united states senate chamber. >> a perfect replica, huh? >> close. >> here student groups can debate, negotiate and vote on issues, learning how to work together to get legislation passed, something that senator kennedy was famous for. >> this is where teddy sad. >> he always sat here. >> always loved sitting in the back. >> a lot of older senators, they

have been here in a while, they want to move up front, want the front row seat. he stayed in the back which meant he was always with the newbies. >> he liked reaching out to both sides of the aisle. >> his ability to work across party lines is a constant theme at the institute. >> another theme when you walk through here, bipartisanship, bipartisanship, bipartisanship. especially in the back corner of the building, where there is a temporary exhibit honoring the senator and a permanent replica of his washington office. we talked for a moment in 2008 when the senator returned to washington for the first time since he was diagnosed with brain cancer to cast the key vote needed to pass a medicare bill. >> i ran up to the family gallery to watch it and i remember an usher coming up to me and saying, now, we usually don't allow noise in the gallery, but it will be all right to applaud. and i just -- it is the first time it dawned on me there would be this reception and it was quite amazing. >> the walls of the office are lined with family photos and letters marking important

moments. what tv show could this be? what could this be? >> could this be "meet the press.." >> she insists the institute is more about than just her late husband. >> we have this wonderful exhibit, but it is about the senate he loved, it is about public service, it is about inspiring the next generation to be involved. that is the spirit of ted kennedy. that is what he wanted this place to be. >> during my visit, i also down with one of senator kennedy's sons, former congressman patrick kennedy. he shared thoughts on what his father would think about the state of politics today. >> we're in a period of history, like many others, where we think this will be the way it always is. it is not. it is going to change. the key is how is it going to change. are we going to move it toward better days ahead or think, oh, it is all for not and not even begin to try? so my dad was always an optimist.

having overcome so many of his own personal challenges and political challenges. i mean, this was a guy that everyone loved. why? because he persevered. and what does the senate need to do but persevere and become the place that my dad wanted always for it to be, a place where major conflicts were resolved for the national interest. not for either party's interest, but for the national interest. >> what is it that current senators now should learn from your dad about how it is you can work across the aisle? >> i think the personal etiquette of trying to make an effort to understand what is going on in the other person's life, personally, because you're working with them. >> that's how he did. he forged personal bonds. he and orrin hatch, hatch, i think, got elected bashing your dad. >> he says it. he came to washington to counteract my dad's vote, orrin hatch did, and ended up cutting every deal in the world because he knew it was going to pass if

ted kennedy signed off on it and he was sponsor of it, boom, everyone else would say, well, gee, if they're for it, then bang. what a revolutionary concept. >> nothing wrong with a few base hits. >> nothing wrong. i think it was the personal courtesies, i go back to that. there isn't a person i talk to today that doesn't tell me all the time that my dad would write a nice note at some event in their lives and he took a interest in them personally. >> i heard you describe how great this will be for kids to learn. vicki describing it that way. i think there are u.s. senators that could learn something here. what we're describing how the senate -- >> future u.s. senators will -- may have had their spark of imagination born in a place like this. >> what with a your dad be thinking? >> he would be so happy. and then -- >> i can picture him coming behind here. >> he would get so excited if he saw the kids come running through the doors. two joys in this life, kids and

the senate. he would be in heaven. he is in heaven. this is going to be carrying on the legacy he fought so hard for, to make this a better country for the future. >> should be fun having a senate museum. after a short break, we'll be back with our endgame segment, and tell you about the candidate who seems to be courting the survivalist crowd. d, know your numbers, and stay focused. i was determined to create new york city's first self-serve frozen yogurt franchise. and now you have 42 locations. the more i put into my business the more i get out of it. like 5x your rewards when you make select business purchases with your ink plus card from chase. and with ink, i choose how to redeem my points for things like cash or travel. how's the fro-yo? just peachy...literally. ink from chase. so you can. this is the equivalent of the sugar in one regular can of soda. and this is a soda a day for a year.

over an average adult lifetime that's 221,314 cubes of sugar. but you can help change that with a simple choice. drink more water. filtered by brita. ♪ and introducing our new advanced filter, now better than ever. major: here's our new trainer ensure active heart health. heart: i maximize good stuff like my potassium and phytosterols which may help lower cholesterol. new ensure active heart health supports your heart and body so you stay active and strong. ensure, take life in. your mom's got your back. your friends have your back. your dog's definitely got your back. but who's got your back when you

need legal help? we do. we're legalzoom, and over the last 10 years, we've helped millions of people protect their families and run their businesses. we have the right people on-hand to answer your questions backed by a trusted network of attorneys. so visit us today for legal help you can count on. legalzoom. legal help is here. time now for "meet the press" endgame. >> and the panel is back here for endgame. sam stein, another big political topic of the week is indiana. new law, governor mike pence signed in, some accuse this law, religious freedom law this would legalize discrimination against gays and lesbians. huge corporate pushback. now governor pence is back tracking, trying to say, whoa, whoa, whoa, i believe in the law, but i'll get some clarity. >> defenders say there is

nothing new here. you have to put it in the context. we're about to have the supreme court decision that most people predict will legalize same sex marriage across the country. and then they come in and say you have a right to say no to a gay customer, and i've been shocked by the corporate pushback too. angie's list, apple, they're saying they don't want to do business with a state that does this. >> nothing seems to scare people more than pushback. corporate america, oh, my gosh. >> well, you know, yes. exactly. i think in this case, you know, you can't really imagine that at this point we're actually going to think about legitimizing discrimination against a customer. remember the signs, i'm having grown up in the south, the signs in the windows that says we don't serve whom ever. harkens back to that and it is so offensive on a deep level, even though i do believe firmly

in protecting religious freedom to the extent we can within the bounds of fairness. >> there is no bounds. it is pretty much you don't want to serve someone and you can say i have a religious view of it, there is no limitation to it. i think corporations -- it will send a signal. >> there is the evangelical community feels as if they're under siege now, culturally. you'll hear a lot of candidates use this phrase, religious freedom. it will be code for, i'm against same sex marriage but i'm not going to say it. >> well, the evangelical groups felt under siege for past five, six years. it is hard to imagine how quickly this issue moved. in 2004, republicans won states because of anti-gay marriage initiatives across the globe. across the country. it was part of karl rove's strategy. ten years, 11 years later, we're telling people who make cakes in

muncie, indiana, that you have to -- i think the supreme court is going to come along and say, you have to serve cakes to people that are getting married whether you -- whether it goes against your religious beliefs or not. >> i think you sign on, you pay a dollar -- >> this will be a wedge issue. you'll face pressure to say you're against -- and then mainstream establishment saying these -- we can't go this direction. >> this sort of ties into a little lighter note, but weird note here, mike huckabee, could be a strong social conservative candidate, in this field, set up this odd e-mail, his e-mail list and sold an advertisement too and comes across the subject, number one item you should be hoarding. are obama and fema going to buy up all the food? it is a pitch for survivalist food.

and, you know, i guess i go -- joe and i grew up in florida. you did actually -- you do, every year prepare for hurricanes. there is nothing wrong with that. >> we were preparing for -- >> this is going to the next level of conspiracy theory here. >> a little embarrassing. i don't think we have to worry about that. but i think people are concerned about, mine this is what huckabee is referring to really is when things get uneasy, when the masses become uneasy -- >> that's not happening here in america. >> not yet, not yet, but -- >> very quickly -- >> this is a follow-up to what we had in 1994 when we called the black helicopter crab. >> there it is. survival -- we will be in recess.

that's all for today. we're back next week. because if it's sunday, it's "meet the press." a rampaging elephant. >> i probably should have died that day. >> a runaway cadillac. >> i initially thought someone threw a bomb through the front door. >> and a terrifying earthquake. >> i'm thinking i don't know if i'll get to the bottom of the stairwell. >> on the job nightmares caught on camera. >> watch out for the chimney. >> some end with a crash. >> stand back now. >> others are blown away. and sometimes broadcast on live tv. >> i didn't know what to do. >> but hey, it's no use crying over spilled wine bottles. nine to fivers who weather the storm.