congratulations to nobel laureate bob dylan. with this presidential race truly in the 11th hour, "hardball" with chris matthews begins right now. michelle obama makes her case against donald trump. let's play "hardball." good evening. i'm chris matthews in washington. two words showcase today's campaign story. michelle obama. what she said about donald trump is the headline and the story of what she had to say promises, as we say in the news business, to have legs. it's going to go on. michelle was the undeniable star of this thursday, october 13th. she told a crowd in new hampshire she was shake ton the core by what donald trump said in 2005 about how he treats women.

>> this is not something that we can ignore. it's not something we can just sweep under the regular as just another disturbing footnote in a sad election season. because this was not just a lewd conversation. this wasn't just locker room banter. this was a powerful individual, speaking freely and openly about sexually predatory behavior. and to make matters worse, it now seems very clear that this isn't an isolated incident. it's one of countless examples of how he has treated women his whole life. i know it's a campaign. but this isn't about politics. it's about basic human decency. now is the time for all of us to stand up and say, enough is enough. [ cheers and applause ] >> the other drama today was

donald trump defending himself against a variety of allegations, some of the claims stretching back decades, that he engaged in inappropriate conduct with women. in trump fashion, he responded by lashing out at the women making the charges. the media reporting on them. and the clinton campaign which he accused of being behind the charges. just in the past 24 hours, a number of more women have come forward claiming that trump inappropriately touched them. let's watch. >> it was a real shock when all of a sudden his hands were all over me. he started encroaching on my space. and i hesitate to use this expression, but i'm going to, and that is he was like an octopus. it was like he had six arms. he was all over the place. when he started putting his hand on my skirt, and that was it. >> a second women, rachel crooks, told "the new york times" she met trump in ann elevator in trump to our, saying he kissed her on the mouth.

trump said "the phony story in the new york times is a total fabrication." separately, the "palm beach post" reported that a woman named mindy mcgillivray said she was groped by trump in 2003 at a reception in mar-a-lago. "people" magazine writer claimed inappropriate contact with trump in 2005, she was at mar-a-lago writing a story about trump and his wife melania. she said, we walked into the room alone. trump shut the door behind us. within seconds he was pushing me against the wall and forcing his tongue down my throat. trump denied it all, quote, why didn't the writer mention the incident in her story? because it did not happen. meanwhile, a reporter for nbc spoke with former miss utah

temple taggart. >> i remember my dad was very confident. he really admired donald trump. he introduced himself first and then introduced me. it was at that time where he turned to me and embraced me and gave me a kiss on the lips. i remember being shocked and -- because i would have just thought to shake somebody's hand. but that was his first response with me. >> trump told nbc news, quote, i didn't even know or don't even know who she is, she claims this took place in a public area, i never kissed her, i emphatically deny this ridiculous claim. nbc news hasn't confirmed any of the claims. trump has denied all of them. he did so again today. let's watch. >> these vicious claims about me of inappropriate conduct with women are totally and absolutely false. these events never, ever happened. and the people that said them,

let me fully understand, you look at these people, you study these people, and you'll understand also. these people are horrible people. they're horrible, horrible liars. and interestingly, it happens to appear 26 days before our very important election. isn't that amazing? i take all of these slings and arrows gladly for you. i take them for our movement so that we can have our country back. >> joining me is nbc's katy tur. she's in philadelphia. susan page is here along with former chair of the republican national committee and msnbc political analyst michael steele. katy tur, how does this ring with you having covered him all these months? you must have some reaction when you hear these stories pouring out every couple of hours. >> reporter: i can't verify any of these claims. what i will say is we are seeing

a snowballing effect with more and more women coming out and saying they feel more comfortable now telling their stories. they're saying that the 2005 audio leak enabled them or first girded them to do so. then when donald trump denied touching anybody, denied acting on any of those brags during the debate, they felt like they needed to come out in order to essentially protect the country. they felt like it was their duty, their civic duty to come out and alert the public about what kind of man he is behind the scenes. again, chris, i can't verify any of these stories. i have not spoken directly with any of these women. and i certainly wasn't there for any of these allegations. but we are hearing women come out and tell tales of what donald trump was like in person that match closely to how donald trump bragged about his behavior both in private, as we heard in that 2005 audio, and in public on howard stern, even on places like fox news, talking about how

he felt entitled to go up to women and to touch them. if he felt like he could, because he was a celebrity, he was allowed to do these things. so while we can't say that these claims are true, what we can say is that they do line up with donald trump's own words. >> it's got to be the first time a public figure has served as the narrator of the story he's denying. if you listen to what he said on those programs, including "access hollywood," that bus, howard stern, it sounds like he's describing himself. trump denied that he forcibly kissed the "new york magazine" writer. >> i ask a very simple question. why wasn't it a part of the story that appeared 20 or 12 years ago? i was one of the biggest stars on television with "the apprentice" and it would have been one of the biggest stories of the year. and by the way, the area was a

public area, people all over the place. take a look. you take a look. look at her. look at her words. you tell me what you think. i don't think so. i don't think so. >> insult to injury. he's insulting her looks, that's his way of responding, saying this isn't somebody i would do this to, another way of whacking at somebody. >> here's the question. those words today which were so defiant against these women who have stepped forward, does it encourage other women, if they've had that experience, to come forward because they feel like it's important, or does it encourage them? >> what do you think? >> because they don't want to -- >> the fact that, michael, to be blunt about it, the fact that he's appearing to lose this election right now, that in addition to the truth of the -- transparent of what was on the "access hollywood" tape, the howard stern stuff, that would be another entoinducement to co out. he's not going to be president

of the united states. >> i think that's what's going to happen. i think over the next week or so you're going to have more and more women who have been in that orbit and had that experience speak to that. i think what makes that happen, and as katy knows in listening and watching this campaign realtime, when he gets up on that stage and he emphatically denies it and denies it, that cuts, that cuts and undercuts the woman that was in that situation with him, and then forces her almost to just take the dare, all right, now i'm going to come out and tell my story. >> mike, michelle obama, who was unbelievable today, called trump's past comments about women disgraceful and intolerable. she told the story of one young boy reacting to trump. let's watch her. >> someone recently told me a story about their 6-year-old son who one day was watching the news. they were watching the news together. and the little boy out of the blue said, i think hillary clinton will be president.

and his mom said, well, why do you say that? this little 6-year-old said, because the other guy called someone a piggy. and he said, you cannot be president if you call someone a piggy. [ cheers and applause ] so even a 6-year-old knows better. a 6-year-old knows that this is not how adults behave. this is not how decent human beings behave. and this is certainly not how someone who wants to be president of the united states behaves. >> who wants to start here? i'll start with you, michael, you're the guy here. what do you think inspired michelle obama? we've watched her now, she's been a great first lady. but she hasn't been this impassioned about anything we've seen her on, i don't remember anything like this. this is like, i'm talking to you. >> i think this was personal. i think she -- my sense in link to the speech was she was talking and speaking on behalf of people she knew who had been in that situation, and maybe

other situations in her family. it was a very personal way of pushing back and saying, as she said at the end there, enough is enough. and so i think that aspect of this changes this whole dynamic right now. i think her sort of reframing this, the story with the 6-year-old, the pushback on drawing the line, no more, no more, i think is going to really have a debilitating effect on the campaign. >> i think this was one of the most effective, most powerful, compelling -- >> this speech will have legs. we'll be showing this for a while. >> she gave a great speech at the convention. this was better. it was not a partisan speech. >> no, it wasn't. >> there was a bit of policy ideology in it. i mean, i think she felt it personally because there's no woman who hasn't had some kind of experience like this. >> you know, we don't all know that. i'm hearing stories from producers today that i had never heard before where people have been through stuff. >> women know what she's towing. they can understand why 12 years

ago a magazine writer wouldn't have put that in her -- >> of course not, because that would shatter the whole deal. katy has been up front. i was listening to the first lady today, she said i can't believe this guy who talks like this is a candidate for president, meaning she knows what an elevation that is. her husband has had that elevation. to be a major party candidate for president is not being president but it's a really close to being president thing. i think it offend hs her, the notion that somebody could be like trump and also be in that small number of people that have been nominated for president, only 70 names in history. >> and she's not the only one. there are a number of people out there who just can't wrap their minds around donald trump is so popular and why he's being excused for behavior that normally would never be excused. i was speaking to women supporters of donald trump, and without irony, they'll tell me

that everybody says these words. and then i'll ask them if they ever said these words and they'll say, no, of course not, don't be stupid. so this is defying the laws not just of politics, but normal and decent human behavior. we don't generally exalt people who speak so negatively about women, who trash women who are victims. i would point not necessarily to the women accusing donald trump of anything, but let's look at michelle fields, the reporter from breitbart who said corey lewandowski grabbed her after one of the primary celebrations. donald trump vehemently denied that that happened, he said he would fire corey lewandowski if it did. video came out proving that it did. not only did donald trump not fire corey lewandowski, but he went on the attack against michelle fields, victim shaming her over and over again, saying that she was lying about the bruises. so that speaks to something that a lot of women in this country find to be inherently appalling,

it's a gutteral reaction you get from women who have been placed in that situation where people don't believe them because they are a woman. it's not necessarily women out there who have been touched in inappropriate ways. i've got to tell you, most of us have at one point or another, even just walked down the street, some of us. but people who have felt like they have been diminished because they are a woman, unable to speak out about situations that make them uncomfortable, because they feel like their jobs are threatened, their position is threatened, they don't want to ruin the mood of a party, say. this is not something that is unique, it doesn't happen infrequently. it is something that you're brought up to learn how to deal with as a woman, from a very young age. >> well-said, katy tur, you're the best, thanks so much for that very personal portrait of what the world looks like right now, the world of donald trump, anyway. everybody is at their best

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ready for a new chapter? talk to your rheumatologist. this is humira at work. welcome back to "hardball." the republican party appears to be coming apart at the seams. think about it. since donald trump's attacks on paul ryan, two of his former advisers, newt gingrich and ben carson, have said trump isn't doing himself or his party any good. let's watch. >> let me say about trump, who i admire and try to help as much as i can, there's a big trump and a little trump. the little trump is frankly pathetic. donald trump has one opponent. her name is hillary clinton. her name is not paul ryan or anyone else. it's hillary clinton. donald trump has to make a case, because the media won't, he has to make a case that is clear, unified, simple. >> getting into fights with ryan

or anybody else, complete waste of time. it's not helpful at all. >> anyway, nbc news reported that the trump campaign is moving resources out of the key swing state of virginia. a source told nbc news it's because the path to win to get to 270 is easier through these states, florida, ohio, pennsylvania, north carolina, i agree with that. the source says the rnc is not helping in states where they don't have any competitive downballot raises. quote, what the rnc told the trump campaign is, if you want to play in virginia you have to write your own check. so that's one state he won't win. joining me is former deputy campaign manager to mitt romney's campaign from last time, katie packer, and howard fineman. what do you think is actually happening? it's like choose your leader. are republicans being asked are you loyal to movement conservatives of paul ryan, the tea party to some extent is also part of that, or are you loyal to the republican establishment, or loyal to trump? trump is one side.

what's the alternative to trump in this civil war in the republican party? how would you describe the alternative? >> well, there isn't much of an alternative right now. i mean, it's whether or not to uphold the values that you hold dear and the values that brought you into the republican party or to sell out to this guy. that's really the option that's before republicans right now. and a lot of people feel like they have to sell out because hillary clinton is such a horrible alternative, they've spent the last three decades despising the clintons and the values that they brought to the white house. and so it does feel like none of the options for republicans are appealing right now. >> in other words, the clinton campaign, which is to hose trump every night, which they're doing in their ad campaign, isn't working because it's not making her attractive to moderate republicans, right? >> exactly. i'm not sure there's much that they can do for republicans, because fox news and rush limbaugh and sort of the conservative media have done a really good job of making

hillary clinton into such a pariah to them that they can't stomach the thought of supporting her. and so it's a very steep hill to climb for the clinton campaign to get those republicans on board. >> well, the hillary hatred is something that's almost a religion or a disease, however you want to call it, it's a strange thing, but it's not just the alt-right people, there's a lot of suburban republicans that don't like hillary either. >> one of the top republican strategists who i spoke to earlier today said, this is every man for himself, every man and woman for himself within the republican party right now. trump's got his supposed path to the presidency through those four states, he'll focus on those. he'll hold rallies there, he'll spend whatever money he's going to spend there. everyone else is on their own. mitch mcconnell is on his own in kentucky at the senate, paul ryan is on his own trying to preserve the house for the republicans, reince priebus is trying to maintain his dignity,

if he can. and that's the situation. and donald trump in his speech today gave what to me was the toughest, most hard right speech that he's given, scripted speech that he's given so far, defending himself against those women, he basically created an aura of conspiracy and shadowy evil surrounding him. >> demons. >> demons around him, and offered himself as a kind of sacrificial lamb for the republicans. i will take the slings and arrows for you, he said. >> from shakespeare. >> i will take the slings and arrows, i will suffer on your behalf, i will lose, perhaps, he didn't say that but that was the subtext, i will lose in the interests of trying to save the country, and if we don't win the election, there will basically are no american future, all in order to try to fight back those accusations. >> it's so "hamlet," whether to

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