joining us here. >> the key here is not to somehow expect that iran changes, although it is something that may end up being an important biproduct of this deal but rather it is to make sure that we have a verifiable deal that takes off the table what would be a game changer for them if in fact they possess nuclear weapons. >> and jury watch, a verdict could come at any moment in the boston bombing trial. we'll have an update from pete williams in boston. >> his lawyers are hoping to spare him the death penalty in the next phase of the trial but for now the issue is guilt on 30 counts. >> and good day, everyone we have breaking news i'm andrea mitchell in washington. we are awaiting rand paul's appearance at his kickoff rally launching his 2016 campaign. joining me now ahead of senator paul's speech in kentucky nbc's kelly o'donnell, with the crowd there at the event site in

louisville and chris matthews mr. hardball himself and steve schmidt and michael steele and the "washington post" chris cillizza, mr. fix. thanks all very much for being here. first to you, kelly. obviously an excited crowd. what is the game plan of rand paul? we've seen how he's changed his twitter handle. he's rebranding himself as dr. rand paul. >> reporter: very much so. we just saw a video that profiled his work as a physician in guatemala. there's a series of vid toshios reintroducing different parts of who rand paul is and they believe as a campaign he can appeal to a wider type of republican voter. i've talked to people in the crowd here. young people who have said they are energized by his positions on nsa spying. there's a young woman at the podium now talking about that connection to civil liberties.

this is a way to say rand paul although he is a senator, is in many ways trying to scrub that from his campaign bioat the moment running against washington saying that he can be a voice who can bridge what the public might be looking for from his place in washington and his place out in the country trying to push the boundaries of the party. can that work? we'll have to see but a receptive crowd in his home state of kentucky. >> clearly a loud crowd there and only going to get louder. chris matthews this is a very unusual candidate because he's a libertarian and has a big appeal through social media to young people yet at the same time he's fighting against the establish tear yan part of the party which is far more hawkish than he is. >> i think we should pay this guy because he has ideas and he's a floss fehr. are in conflict with one another. this guy is ron paul's son, a libertarian against wars like

iraq and not a dove and i thenk he's a real libertarian at home and gets in trouble when he tried to explain his position on the civil rights act of '64. he believes a person has the right to do business with whoever they want to and not. i'm waiting to hear what he says about the religious freedom restoration act. >> if he takes questions and at some point -- >> i'd ask him, is that consistent -- >> if he's going to do interviews, is he going to go over the traditional media and deal with social media where he has a huge following? i'm just told he's doing the "today" show tomorrow morning. >> first question i'd ask, do you believe a person has a right to do business only who they want to business with whether they be african-american or gay and make you do it. it's a simple question put it to him. >> great question. steve schmidt, you watched so many campaigns and worked in

campaigns. what makes rand paul different in this primary race? >> he's talking about issues that none of the other republican candidates thus far are talking about and he has in con gru ent positions that largely all of the other candidates agree on. it should be noted that lindsey graham who will likely run and most quit witted and humorous person went out of the way to make a statement on the iran deal that any other candidates and hillary clinton with the exception of rands paul could have gotten a better deal than the obama administration did. you look at these republican candidates particularly some of the ones that we don't consider front-runners, carly fiorina, lindsey graham i think they are going to beat rand paul like a drum trying to get attention --

national security issues are important in a republican primary. you look at the african-american faces in the audience today, rand paul has been outspoken on criminal justice reform mass incarceration reform. he has been to berkeley where he received a standing ovation from a packed room of students. surely the only republican candidate in the race who would get that reception. he has all of the makings of an interesting candidate. the question is is there a coalition inside that republican primary audience that's available to put him over the top for the nomination. that remains to be seen. >> and michael steele as a former republican chairman what would you make of this change that rand paul had with kelly evans on cnbc when he was discussing vaccines and he is a doctor exercising his credentials and this is what he had to say about vaccinations. >> i've heard of many tragic cases of walking, talking normal

children who wound up with profound mental disorders after vaccines. i'm not arguing vaccines are a bad idea. i think they are a good thing. but the parents should have some input. the state doesn't own your children, parents own the children and it is an issue of freedom freedom. >> it gets to medical credibility but the underlying theme here is libertarianism. the state does not own your children, that is consistent. his father will not be at his kickoff today, a very interesting relationship shall we say with his father who ran for president several times. >> i don't want to get into that father/son thing, we'll leave that one -- set that one aside. but i think the point of the video clip you just played really goes to what steve was just talking about, that fundamental underlying question that rand paul is going to have to deal with really is jux at a posing his bona fides as a libertarian and what that means with being a conservative in a

party that has taken conservatism to a very different space. so i think it's going to be very interesting for him to navigate those waters early on. he's going to be challenged by that, whether it's talking about that clip in particular in medicine and the relationship of government to parents and their kids, or a business owner and the relationship they have with the government and whether or not they can be forced by the government to engage in certain commerce. that's going to be a very early test for this candidate. >> and chris cillizza, the "washington post" poll does not show him at the top of the rankings among candidates yet i'm not sure that polling reflects his strength as a candidate. >> look, andrea one of his strengths as a candidate, regardless of the relationship he and his father have is his father's past runs for president. he raised a lot of money, $39 million in 2012. he built organizations in iowa and new hampshire and south carolina. rand paul inherits those

organizations and goes and builds beyond that. in those early states, particularly in iowa and new hampshire and south carolina he does have a base of support that consistently across those three states, none of the other candidates at the moment probably enjoy. remember as barack obama reminded us many times during the 2008 campaign not a national primary, it's a state by state primary. he does have nice positioning. the one thing i would say, how much change does a republican party really want? out of all of the candidates going to run, rand paul is the biggest difference. he is the outliar in views from everyone else. almost everyone else agrees on everything else. they say they don't but they do. he has views both domestically that are fundamentally different. the republican party says it wants to change. do they want to change in the way and as much as rand paul is saying? it's the gamble he's taking. >> and kelly o'donnell, i now am

told his father is here ron paul from texas. we understand he doesn't have a speaking role but he is there contrary to what we were told earlier. >> reporter: yes he is here but does not have a speaking role. the staging is important. as you look at the stage, there's the main stage where rand paul will make his announcement and off to the left as we're looking at it there is a group of chairs and that is where both of his parents prominently are featured father in the front row. what does that do? that means there will not be the hand raising moment father and son at the front of the podium. he's creating distance while at the same time giving a place of honor and respect to his parents to be here and to be seen one of the biggest ovations we've heard is when an earlier speaker referenced ron paul. so there's energy love and respect for ron paul in this room but at the same time it's rand paul's day and by the way they have set this up no speaking role for his father.

and he has placed off to the side but in an honor isk spot. that tells you a lot. >> chris matthews this is my indicated politics and family life but it's so interesting. rand paul a couple of years ago was not even a major player on the national scene. he surprised everyone with how strongly he placed in the senate primary defeating -- zpl an establishment -- >> conway by 12 points. here's what i think is interesting, 2004 when his father, ron paul would try to make the libertarian argument about going to war, he would be shot down by rudy giuliani. i wonder if the thing will happen or will there be a conflict, let's go to war and be careful. i don't think it's going to be simply a hawk party as it looks. the money people are hawks, big names are for hawks. i think -- when i saw rand paul one point ahead of hillary

clinton in pennsylvania i say -- i said something is going on that people are not so hawkish as their party says they are. >> one quick question steve schmidt on a related subject because john mccain with whom you worked so closely told kelly o'donnell he is running for re-election and age is not a factor as far as he's concerned, just getting started, has the chairmanship he always wanted. i wanted to play his conversation with kelly. >> for any voter who says he's turning 80 it's a six-year term, that's worry some. what do you say? >> i say watch me. i say watch me. take a look at my 18-hour days and take a look at my legislative accomplishments. i'm just getting started. >> he's just getting started, steve. for all of us who know john mccain, that is not a brag, that is for real. his father robertmccain is 103.

pretty good genes. do you have doubts about his ability going forward to be leading the play on foreign policy -- >> i have no doubts about his ability going forward. he is tireless. he is on top of his game 100%. he travels all over the world dealing with defense ministers. he loves being a united states senator. he loves being in the arena like his hero teddy roosevelt. when you look at the depth and breadth and scope of john mccain's career he is a giant figure in american life over the last quarter century and more a bona fide american war hero. when he says he's just getting started, we ought to take him for his word for it. anything who thinks they are going to have an easy race he will be ee re-elected to united states senator and engaged

active senator well into the bottom half of his eighth decade and country will be better off for it. >> steve schmidt, and michael steele and kelly o'donnell there and chris matthews everybody stand by. we'll have much more from louisville when rand paul announces officially the kickoff. he's done it online already today. we'll bring that to you live of course. plus coming up next the closer, energy secretary ernest moniz playing a critical role in the iran nuclear negotiations joining us next. denver international is one of the busiest airports in the country. we operate just like a city and that takes a lot of energy. we use natural gas throughout the airport - for heating the entire terminal generating electricity on-site and fueling hundreds of vehicles. we're very focused on reducing our environmental impact. and natural gas is a big part of that commitment.

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the president and his cabinet have been trying to answer critics of the iran framework negotiated in

switzerland last week. in an video with npr president obama acknowledged there's a lot of work to be done on the proposed deal. >> we have a period in which we've got to see if we can button down all of these issues whether it's the issue around sanctions, issue around advanced centrifuges and how and when they are deployed and kind of research and development that is still being done. those are the areas where there's probably been the most contention and where we have to work very hard in order to complete a deal. >> joining me now is secretary of state kerry's wing man at the talks, energy secretariery energy secretary ernest moniz, i know you haven't had much sleep in the past weeks. you were brought in after the iranian atomic energy scientist was brought in and basically it was point counterpoint we

wanted to have our expert there with their expert. how did that work? you both were at the same time at m.i.t. but didn't know each other back then. >> you're certainly correct. i think the iranians felt -- i think correctly, that salehi after the nuclear program was the subject of decision had to be there and then the president decided that i should join john kerry there. and i think it worked very well. it somewhat changed the dynamic of the discussions. i think we developed a very good and professional personal relationship and i think we were able to hammer through hard problems. >> hammer through hard problems yet in the closing moments on stage in lusanne, secretary kerry outlined one framework and zarif had a completely different perspective, there was no agreement on -- no agreement in writing, i should say on a joint

statement and zarif tweeted that the state department fact sheet was all spin. >> i think in reality if you look carefully at what mr. zarif has said and others have said there actually is less inconsistency than there is different emphasis on different parts of the agreement. if you look at our fact sheet, all of those were absolutely crystal clear in tour discussions and are written down the specificity caught a lot of people by surprise. if you take -- i'll take one example of the alleged discrepancy, they emphasize we are still spinning more than 5,000 centrifuges for enrichment. that is correct, we agree with that. however, our fact sheet also points out they are all first generation machines. that is complimented by an enormous reduction in their stockpile of enriched uranium

from ten tons to 300 kilograms with low enrichment below 4%. it's all of the factors that give us a one year breakout time meaning the time it would take them if they chose, to break out of our agreement, rush to get enough material for a weapon we have built in a year versus the current two or maybe at the outside three months. >> there a draft tech somewhere where these things are memorialized in writing so the iranians cannot come back at the next round and say we never agreed to 3.whatever percent and never agreed they would be first generation centrifuges? >> all of these are in written documents that we exchanged. >> and when you say there are eyes on at every level of the supply chain, the international weapons inspectors from the u.n. were fooled before. we did not know for a while that

this whole underground complex was being built until it was announced by this white house in 2009. why can't they cheat? >> well of course we didn't have in place all of the measures that we will have. another comparison that is made to the north korean situation and this is like night and day in terms of what's available. so we will have as you said supply chain visibility going all the way back to uranian mines up through -- through facilities like the facility. we will have continue surveillance of manufacturing facilities. but very importantly, the additional protocol even expanded will be in place, mainly what that gives us is or gives the iaea agency inspectors and gives them access not just to all declared facilities but undeclared facilities. that will include facilities if we have -- if we the international community has suspicions even facilities

without nuclear material that might be involved in helping to shape a weapon. >> one of the things that people are very concerned about is that they have not yet accounted for past warhead and missile technology potential violations suspicious activity. you're basically letting the u.n.'s iaea certify that that's not part of the agreement with the u.s. and other nations? >> it is part of the agreement in the sense that clearly the iaea again is the agency that has to do the certification or issue its findings with regard to military dimensions of past programs. part of this agreement is that there must be access for the iaea to individuals and sites that they will work out that they feel they need access to in order for the agreement to go forward. >> and senator schumer has come

out today or last night with a comment that is very cautionary he's not endorsing support for it and saying it involves careful consideration, i expect to have a classified briefing in the near future that's a strong signal he says that congress should have oversight. he might be signing onto the corker bill. >> well for one thing, of course we already are and will continue to have strong interactions with members of congress. that's quite appropriate. there will be briefings, including classified briefings, but i think we have to put out the case and the case is that we have -- we think we have blocked both uranium and plow tone yum pathways to a weapon and we have in place unparalleled access and transparency options that will really address the covert possibilities. >> and i know we're talking about the most serious issues imaginable to man kind but does

it strike you as a little bit odd that your hair has its own facebook page and you are becoming an icon on social media? it's just -- >> i would just say it has been amusing. >> i'm sure amusing to a serious scientist such as yourself. if you could see the monitor, had a good deal of fun with it. it's a fact you are such a critical part of these talks. there's a picture that pete souza took the white house released it the whole national security team on that critical night on march 31st the deadline approaching at midnight it was already midnight actually there. and you're there and you're briefing the president and what was that like that moment where the president says to you all, blow past the deadline let them know you're ready to walk away. >> i want to emphasize that was with john kerry and wendy sherman and others and make no

bones about it john kerry was the head of our delegation and very energetic and very able of the job that he did. that night was very critical. the president has been very very focused not in a very high level -- not only in take high level way but really understanding did granular. >> and providing strong guidance to what we could and couldn't go in terms of the agreement. the president himself is one who urged us to structure the perimeters for the agreement in a way that is not a deal of any fixed number of years but rather a very long term deal with lots of phases which hopefully we'll go through with iran earning the confidence and trust of the international community, in terms of peaceful purposes but we also say, this program is not built up on trust, it's built upon verification. >> by june 30th? >> i think so. i hope so. i certainly believe that in the

technical dimensions that was my principle focus. i think we had enough specificity in what we've done already that i'm pretty optimistic we can converge in 90 days. >> thanks so much. great to see you. >> i would tell you to get some rest, not sure you will. back to louisville let's go to rand paul taking the stage, just interest dugsed by his wife kelly. i'm sure this crowd is going a lot crazy as rand paul takes the stage. this is the kickoff rally. >> reporter: andrea he's doing a rollout tour as he embraced his wife kelly, they've been married for 25 years, they have three boys and this is a family moment for them to be sure. and it is a different kind of republican event. i've covered so many over the years. there's rock and roll and hip hop played here not the typical country music you would have at one of these kickoff events.

rand paul now at the microphone. >> president paul! president paul! >> thank you. i have a message! a message that is loud and clear and does not mince words. we've come to take our country back. [ applause ] we've come to take our country back from the special interest that use washington as their personal piggy back the special interests more concerned with their personal welfare than the general welfare, the washington machine that gobbles up our freedoms and invades every nook and cranny of pour lives, must

be stopped. [ applause ] less than five years ago i stood just down the road in my hometown in bowling green and said those same words. i wasn't supposed to win. no one thought i would. >> we did! >> some people asked me then why are you running? the answer is the same now as it was then i have a vision for america. i want to be part of a return to prosperity, a true economic boom that lifts all americans, a return to a government restrained by the constitution. [ applause ] >> a return to privacy, opportunity, liberty. too often when republicans have

won, we've squandered our victory by becoming part of the washington machine. that's not who i am. [ applause ] that's not why i ran for office the first time a few years ago. the truth is i love my life as a smalltown doctor. every day i woke up and felt lucky to do the things i loved. more importantly, i was blessed to be able to do things that made a difference in people's lives. i never could have done any of this though without the help of my parents, who are here today. i'd like you to join me in thanking my mother and dad. [ cheers and applause ] with my parents' help i was able to make it through long years of medical training to become an eye surgeon. for me there's nothing that

compares with help someone see better. last august i was priflthed to travel to guatemala together with a team of surgeon across the u.s. we operated on more than 200 people blind or nearly blind from cataracts. i was grateful to put my scrubs back on and peer into the mike crow scope and focus on the task at hand, to take a surgical approach to fix a problem. one day in guatemala, i man told me i operated on his wife the day before. she could see clearly for the first time in years. she had begged him to get on the bus, travel the winding roads and come back to our surgery center. he took was nearly blind from hardened cataracts. after the surgery, the next day his wife sat next to me as i unveiled the patch from his eyes, it was a powerful emotional moment for me to see them looking at each other clearly for first time in years to see the face they loved again. as i saw the joy in their eyes

i thought this is why i became a doctor. in that moment i also remembered my grandmother, who inspired me to become an eye surgeon. she spent hours with me as a kid. we would sort through the coin collection looking for wheat pennies and as the vision became impaired, it was my responsibility and went with my grandmother to the open that will monthlyologist and when she received the sad news mac lar degeneration had done harm to her eyes. it made me want to become an eye surgeon and make a difference in people's lives. i've been fortunate and able to enjoy the american dream. i worry that the opportunity and hope are slipping away for our sons and daughters, as i watch our once great economy collapse under mounting spending and debt, what kind of america will

our grandchildren see. it seems to me both parties and the entire political system are to blame! [ applause ] >> big government and debt doubled under a republican administration. and it's now tripling under barack obama's watch. president obama is on course to add more debt than all of the previous presidents combined. we borrow a million dollars a minute. this vast accumulation of debt threatens not just our economy, but our security. we can wake up now and do the right thing. quit spending money we don't have. [ applause ]

>> this message of liberty is for all americans. americans from all walks of life. the message of liberty, opportunity and justice is for all americans, whether you wear a suit a uniform or overalls or whether you're white or black rich or poor in order to restore america, one thing is for certain though we cannot we must not dilute our message or give up on our principles. [ applause ] if we nominate a candidate who is simply democrat like what's the point? why bother? we need to boldly pro claim our vision for america. we need to go boldly forth under the banner of liberty that

clutches the constitution in one hand and the bill of rights in the other. [ applause ] washington is horribly broken. i fear it can't be fixed from within. we the people must rise up and demand action. congress will never balance the budget unless you force them to do so. congress has an abysmal record with balancing anything. the only way is with a constitutional amendment. [ applause ]

i have been to washington let me tell you there is no monopoly on knowledge there. i ran for office because we have too many career politicians. i believe it now more than ever we limit the president to two terms. it's about time we limit the terms of congress. [ applause ] i want to reform washington and have common sense rules that break the log jam in congress. that's why i introduced a read the bills act. [ applause ] the bills are 1,000 pages long and no one reads them. they are often plopped on our desk with only a few hours

before a vote. so i propose something truly extraordinary. let's read the bills every page. [ applause ] >> when i was a young boy, i was taught to love america, love of liberty pulses in my veins, not because we have beautiful mountains and white sand beaches although we do and not because of our abundance of resources, it's more visceral than that. our great nation was founded upon the extraordinary notion that government should be restrained and freedom should be maximized. america to me is that beacon. we're unique among the nations

that our country stands for freedom, freedom nurtured our country from a rebellious group of colonies into the greatest nation. when tyranny led the world, america led the way. we stood decade after decade against communism, the engine of capitalism winning out against the sputtering incompetent engine of socialism. we won the cold war! [ applause ] american freedom are so intertwined that people are literally dying to come here. the freedom we fostered in america unleashed genius and advancement like never before. yet our great nation still needs new ideas and new answers to old problems. from an early age i worked. i taught swimming lessons and mowed lawns and did landscaping

and put roofs on houses. i painted houses. i never saw work though as punishment. work always gave me a sense of who i am. [ applause ] self-esteem can't be given, it must be earned. work is not punishment work is the reward. two of my son work minimum wage jobs while they go to college. i'm proud of them as i see them realize the value of hard work. i can see their self-esteem grow as they cash their paychecks. i have a vision for america where everyone who wants to work will have a job.

many americans though are being left behind the reward of work seems beyond their grasp. under the watch of both parties, the poor seem to get poorer and rich get richer. trillion dollar government stimulus packages have only widened the income gap. politically connected kroennys get taxpayer dollars by the hundreds of millions and poor families across america continue to suffer. i have a different vision and ambitious vision a vision that will offer opportunity to all americans, especially those who have been left behind. my plan -- my plan includes economic freedom zones to allow i am pofrished areas like detroit, west louisville eastern kentucky to prosper by leaving more money in the pockets of the people who live

there. [ applause ] >> can you imagine what a billion dollar stimulus could do for detroit or ap latch ya. i'm concerned more americans want to work. i want to free up the great engine of american prosperity. i want to see millions of americans back at work. in my vision for america we'll bring back manufacturing jobs that pay well. how? we'll dramatically lower the tax on american companies that wish to bring their profits home. [ applause ] >> more than $2 trillion in american profit currently sits overseas. in my vision for america, new highways and bridges will be built across the country not by raising your taxes but by

lowering the tax to bring this american profit home. [ applause ] even in this polarized congress we have a chance of passing this. i say let's bring $2 trillion home to america. let's bring it home now. liberal policies have failed our inner cities. let's just get the facts straight. they have failed our inner cities. our schools are not equal and the poverty gap continues to widen. martin luther king spoke of two americas, described them as two starkly american experiences that exist side to side. in one america people experience

the opportunity of life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. in the other america, people experience a daily ugliness that dashes hope and leaves only the fatigue of despair. although i was born into the america that experiences and believes in opportunity, my trips to detroit, to ap lash ya and chicagory veeled what i call an undercurrent of unease. it's time for a new way, a way predicated on justice, opportunity and freedom. [ applause ] those of us who have enjoyed the american dream must break down the wall that separates us from the other america. i want all of our children to have the same opportunities that i had. we need to stop limiting kids in

poor neighborhoods to failing public schools and offer them school choice. [ applause ] it won't happen though unless we realize we can't borrow our way to prosperity. currently some $3 trillion comes into the u.s. treasury. couldn't the country just survive on $3 trillion? i propose we do something extraordinary, let's just spend what comes in. in my vision for america, freedom and prosperity at home can only be achieved if we defend against enemies who are dead set on attacking us.

>> without question we must defend ourselves and american interests from our enemies. until we name the enemy, we can't win the war. [ applause ] the enemy is radical islam, you can't get around it. [ applause ] and not only will i name the enemy, i will do whatever it takes to defend america from these haters of mankind. [ applause ] we need a national defense robust enough to defend against all attack and modern enough to deter enemies and nim bl enough to defend our vital interests. but we also need a foreign

policy that protects american interests and encourages stability not chaos. [ applause ] at home conservatives understand that government is the problem, not the solution. conservatives should not succumb to the notion that a government inept at home will somehow succeed in building nations abroad. [ applause ] >> i envision an america with a national defense unparallel and unencumbered by overseas nation building. [ applause ]

>> i envision a national defense that promotes as reagan put it peace through strength. [ applause ] >> i believe in applying reagan's approach to foreign policy to the iran issue, successful negotiations with untrust worthy adversaries are only achieved from a position of strength. we brought iran to the table through sanctions that i voted for. now we must stay strong. that's why co-sponsored legislation that ensures that any deal between the u.s. and iran must be approved by congress. [ applause ] >> not only is that good policy it's the law. it concerns me that the iranians have a different interpretation

of the agreement. they are putting out statements thatcy completely opposite of what we're saying. it concerns me that we may attempt or the president may attempt to unilaterally and prematurely halt sanctions. i will oppose any deal that does not end iran's nuclear ambitious.m.mbitions and have strong verification measures. [ applause ] >> and i will insist that the final version be brought before congress. the difference between president obama and myself he seems to think you can negotiate from a position of weakness. yet everyone needs to realize that negotiations are not inherently bad, that trust but verify is required in any negotiation, but that our goal always should be and always is

peace, not war. [ applause ] >> we must realize we do not project strength by borrowing money from china to send it to pakistan. [ applause ] let's quit building bridges in foreign countries and use the money to build some bridges here at home. it angers me to see mobs burning our flag and chanting death to america in countries that receive millions of dollars in our foreign aid. [ applause ]

i say it must end, i say not one penny more to these haters of america! [ applause ] to defend our country, we do need to gather intelligence on the enemy. but when the intelligence director is not punished for lying under oath how are we to trust our government agencies? [ applause ] warrantless searches of america's phones and computer records are un-american and threat to our civil liberties. [ applause ] i say the phone records are

yours, the phone records of law abiding citizens are none of their damned business. [ applause ] >> is this where we light up the phones? the president created this vast dragnet by executive order and as president on day one, i will immediately end this unconstitutional surveillance. [ applause ] i believe we can have liberty and security and i will not compromise your liberty for a false sense of security not now, not ever. [ applause ] we must defend ourselves but we

must never give up who we are as a people. must never diminish the bill of rights in this fight against evil. we must believe in our founding documents and protect economic and personal liberty again. america has much greatness left in her. we are still exceptional and we are still a beacon for the world. we will thrive when we believe in ourselves again. i see an america strong enough to deter foreign aggression yet wise enough to avoid unnecessary intervention. [ applause ] i see an america where criminal justice is applied equally and any law that disproportionately incarcerates people of color is repealed.

i see an america with a restrained irs which cannot target cannot harass citizens for their political or religious beliefs. [ applause ] >> i see our big cities once again shining and beck conning with creativity and ingenuity, with american companies offering american jobs with your help this message will ring from coast to coast. a message of liberty, justice and personal responsibility. today begins the journey to take america back. [ applause ]

to rerescue a great country now adrift, join me as together we seek a new vision for america, today i announce with god's help with the help of liberty lovers everywhere, that i am putting myself forward as a candidate for president of the united states of america. [ cheers and applause ] >> and there we have it rand paul announcing that he's running for president with a ver strong message about nsa surveillance. joining me is kelly o'donnell in the theater there. steve schmidt, chief strategist for john mccain and republican chair in 2008 michael steele. michael, first to you as a republican party former official, this is a very

different kind of campaign because he is emphasizing his libertarian roots and talking about not compromising your personal privacy for a false sense of security holding up his phone. >> well yeah i thought it was interesting the way he wove that national security piece and economic piece and the libertarian piece, all of that together that really sort of was the overarching sense of freedom. you got a sense of vision that he laid out how he sees america tomorrow, which i thought was pretty fascinating way for them to do this. to bring it all to a close with i'm announcing for president -- he laid out the vision and said basically this is where i see america going. this is how we take america back. this is why we have to take america back. and because we need to take america back and i want to lead that charge, i'm running for president. very different approach. now how it resonates with grass roots activists in iowa and new hampshire remains to be seen. but i think this is a great

setoff point for him to bring to the conversation issues that republicans traditionally have not talked about and the way he laid down the sort of foreign policy piece, really sort of came off as a hawk with common sense. it will be interesting to see how that plays as well. >> steve schmidt, you know iowa and new hampshire well. that whole message of not a penny more for haters of america, even though foreign aid is technically less than 1% of the budget, when he talks about balancing the budget and not a penny more for foreign aid sounds hawkish even though he's going against aid to pakistan and other allies that's very res nant with iowa and new hampshire voters. >> i think this speech was very nearly flawless. you saw somebody who attached optimism to conservatism and saw someone articulate a big tent republican message, when you look at these fiscal issues

including symbolically the foreign aid issues to countries like pakistan. and i think it's more complicated to just assert that pakistan is an ally but at any rate i think all of the issues he talked about have tremendous resonance in these early states and the motto of new hampshire is live free or die. as i was watching this i had one feeling going through or thought through my head. he has achieved liftoff, he's going to be a major player in the republican nomination process. this event was beautifully staged. that speech was incredibly sophisticated. he touched all of the buttons and the notion that rand paul is running as a dove was refuted by this speech. he articulated a conservative and that conservative national defense vision very consistent with eisenhower and reagan. >> steve schmidt and michael

steele, thanks. steve, thanks for pointing out, i meant an ally in the counter terror war, not an ally in any conventional sense. that does it for this edition of "andrea mitchell reports." with thanks to kelly ao'donnell and chris matthews. is it our insightful strategies that make edward jones one of the country's biggest financial services firms? or 13,000 financial advisors who say thank you? it's why edward jones is the big company that doesn't act that way. meet the world's newest energy superpower. surprised? in fact, america is now the world's number one natural gas producer... and we could soon become number one in oil. because hydraulic fracturing technology is safely recovering lots more oil and natural gas. supporting millions of new jobs. billions in tax revenue... and a new century of american energy security. the new energy superpower? it's red, white and blue. log on to learn more.

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something greener. something the whole world can share. people come to boeing to do many different things. but it's always about the very thing we do best. ♪ ♪ coming up this hour breaking confirmation out of the blue grass state, kentucky senator rand paul delivering his first 2016 presidential campaign speech. >> the washington machine that gobbles up our freedoms and invades every nook and cranny of our lives, must be stopped. >> as paul tries to shake his father's shadow can republicans get on board with his libertarian roots. we've been watching and waiting as jurors in the boston b