getting ready to for tomorrow. there's the u.s. capitol hill. that's where it's all going to be tomorrow. isn't it beautiful? >> absolutely gorgeous. slift of the cos mos. let's play "hardball." good evening. i'm chris matthews. a huge transition in america. donald trump will take the oath of office and be sworn in as 45th president of the united states. a day of protests more than 50 house departmemocr will be no show themselves. just moments ago he spoke a welcome

concert at lincoln memorial where he promised to unify the country. >> this journey began 18 months ago. i had something to do with it but you had much more to do with it than i did. i'm the messenger. i'm just a messenger. we all got tired of seeing what was happening and we wanted but we wanted real change. that last month of the campaign we knew that something special was happening. the polls started going up up up but they didn't want to give us credit. because they forget about a lot of us. on the campaign, i called it the forgotten man and the forgotten woman. you're not forgotten any more. >> earlier today he spoke at leadership lunch on his own hotel on pennsylvania avenue where he praised paul ryan.

let's watch. >> legislation he has so much legislation to write e never had this. he going to have somebody -- >> politics makes strange bed fell lows. trump began defending charges thae he was defensive. it was donald trump that divided this country. this country has been divide for a long time. down the middle. we can agree. what will trump do to bring us together. panel analysts are here. it's great to have you on. i want to start with michael because you were chair of that

party. we're not divided between the two parties people are divide half the of the country republican party. i think cause trump the most trouble. those that want to cut entitlement that's going to be the battle royal. you can speak like castro for four years or speak like kennedy t kennedy for two minutes. what do you think he should do. how about should first. we'll go with that. >> what he should do is he should appreciate the moment and in that speech give that call that he talked about. talk to the those forgotten americans that's an important part of his victory. it is why he going to be standing on that poed poe di

why he do. those forgotten do trust him. and where those who don't believe him or don't like him or don't want him in that oval office should began to come around. the second part is the message to them. he knows has been divided that way for a long time. put a little bit of that on his shoulder as well as. show them that he gets that yeah, i may have played a small part in that for that i want to make up to you over and over again by being the best president i could be. >> that would be magazine gnat mouse. what the headline. the prresses won't be watching

tomorrow. they a not going to hang on every word. is there a headline to deliver to people they can't miss that would be good for unifying the country. >> have a phrase like bring us together. i have to say while there's some things a speech can do there's limit to what a great speech can do and what donald trump does after the speech is going to matter more than what he says during the speech. watch what he does when it comes to reversing obama policy or putting forward new promise that are inline with what he promised during the campaign. >> you know catherine, jimmy carter wrote his only speech,

the only thing people remember is he paid tribute to the guy he beat, jerry forward. that blew people away. >> that would be great. obama would be there as well. they have had a -- say he president for all people including those who didn't vote for him. he made similar kplecomments but did no speak to the spirit of them in subsequent days. it's not just the words, it's his action. and wlaus what's on his twitter feed. >> se goiis he going to tweet. beyond that? . the seats filled, i can see him doing that. >> i don't know if he will do it

himself. i can see him having some preplanned tweets absolutely that reflect upon the speech or crystallizes a point that he made during the speech. i can see that. it would be something to see the president tweet during inauguration. >> i did want to know that intimate information. how we have a new president, we don't know if it's for better or worse, a lot of people think for worse. what do you think a clear things is going to change. a lot of minority, i see this in the face, a lot look me in the eye, they say i'm worried. that is the person that this new president has to talk to. he has to talk to that man or women that's worried about -- you

can't say we have nothing to fear but fear itself. he has to say you have nothing to fear but me. he has to fix the problem. >> first of all, everything is going to change. one of the things that concerned some who did not support him is does he have the demeanor you hope the president would have. the other thing is all policy from nato allies, russian, all of that going to be different. this is going to be not one of those gr gradual transitions. there is going to be sea change on a host of fronts. >> you didn't live in the nuclear war age like a lot of us did. starting at noon, i believe

tomorrow, the strategic air command, the general, should we get into nuclear situation. it's voice recognized technology. the voice that's recognized on the phone is commander in chief. he has the potential to do the stuff that scares the dikens out of people. how many people to kill with this button, it's horrible but it's real. >> not to play into the public's fear. that's terrifying to me. that trump does not have the greatest impulse control. he pushes back when he gets attack. one would hope as oba has stated trump will be sober and awed by the powers of his new

office, by the responsibility he would be em bued with and we have to hope all effort from the contrary from the last year -- >> decision by one-third of the democrats to boycott's the inauguration. here is senator john mccain. >> he has been elected and elected legitimately despite what my friends say in their temer tantrums. >> why don't we agree that republicans should stop saying democratic friends. it's democrats. he called it childish. >> what would you think he would say. >> that they are childish and silly. the inauguration is about

america. where would you abandon america. do you remember a congress if you work that hard to be part of the system. >> they have trying to score political points. >> they are making themselves look small and silly. >> you can't say small and silly on paul and friends. what you do think the reality that trump of seeing the empty seats. will be be positive or will he say screw you guys. >> i don't think he would care. he thinks -- he would look at it as small and silly. there are those out there who do not view him legitimately. for whatever reason. i think that may come back to bight some of those democrats who at the end of the day, he is the president. you're going to need his help in

something happens in your state or your community and making that phone call after this display this is not about the man, or the women, this is about the presidency and i think that's something that these individuals have forgotten. >> they are angry. i don't believe in things like flag burning but it's how people describe their feelings. >> do you think he will keep a list of those who did not show up. >> no. >> coming up confirmation chaos. remember that word oops. he didn't know what he did, of course he didn't -- it's latest snafu that's had its share. plus "hardball" special that comes ups adasty of president

obama. "hardball" was there for remarkable rise back to bitterly cold day in spring field illinois and obama announced his presidency. we're take a look back at this. cosmic shift coming tomorrow at 12 noon eastern standard time. this is "hardball" where the action is. the better. i love you. but i love him. i love him, too. so do i. they also know you should get your annual check-up. it could save your life. it's a new year. schedule your check-up today to learn your four health numbers and start the year off right. cigna. together, all the way. she's noticing a real difference in her joint comfort...

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expected to attend tomorrow's inauguration due to health concerns. we'll be right back.

it was so nice of tom, right. where is tom? where is tom? it's a lovely group of people, tom. they wanted to end his career so fast then they found out we are smartest people. we have highest iq of any -- [ applause ] >> that's donald trump at live in washington. welcome back to "hardball." we are expecting president to arrive for inaugural eve dinner. that's union station down in d.c.

meanwhile, the partisans fireworks on the senate finance committee. let's watch this. >> senator, i have got a valium pill here that you want to take before the second round. just a suggest sir. >> mr. chairman i hope that doesn't set tone for 2017 in this committee. i like senator roberts but i can't quite belief that he would say that to a distinguished senator from oregon. >> i said that to the president. >> perhaps you did. i would hope that did not set the tone. >> mr. chairman -- >> i have the time please. license. >> this is outrageous. >> i think just a little pin

pring of humor might help this senate. >> i said this rust belt democrat labor guy. you're going to do well. they missed the point, the ge graph those states that never got put on by the democratic party. it should have been brown. getting back today coming under fire ethics issues that could damage confirmation. george price made investments that benefitted from legislation he made in congress. undocumented housekeeping who

later fired or resolved. treasury mnuchin failed to announce -- didn't tell anybody about it. ma knew shin said it was a mistake. federal employment taxes for household employees. rick perry face energy department, he once called for it to be elimit nated. you remember this moment from 2012. let's catch him if the act. >> it's three agencies of government that are gone. commerce, education, and the -- what's the third one there. let's see. >> five. >> five. commercial, education

and the -- the third agency of government i would do away with education, the hu, commerce, let's see. i can't. sorry. oops. by the way that was department of energy i was reaching for a while ago. >> we have been there. it's called a brain freeze. after having the brain freeze, he wanted to get rid of, is changing his tune now that his name is on the block to get that department. >> my past statements made over five years about abolishing the department of energy do not reflect current thinking. after briefing i regret recommending its elimination. >> democrat from oregon, should

this guy be sec of energy. he wanted to get rid of the department. >> there was so much irony that he could not remember the name off and wanted to eliminate. it has a lot to do with protecting process not as interesting as he was when he first said yes. he is certainly not at the top of the list whether when we talk about the folks concerned about in this cabinet of swamp monsters. >> why do we look at them to see this kind of around -- this is on open question. i done have an answer. why are these on partisan lines. it seems like if your for president part you vote for his candidates. the republican are lining up for the cabinet appointments. the

democrats i get the feeling are going to vote down the line gebs them. >> it won't be down the line. there will be folks like mad dag mattis, someone named matt dog, there would be folks supporting. so many folks are from way outside on the fridge. envieding pru it to come to the capital d dismantle clean water, that's what's going on here. >> i love you on the show because you are open. how many nay votes are you going to cost. >> i think it's going to eight to 12. >> how many if hiring person documented or illegal if you will be getting away with it for

years -- oh, i made a mistake. probably not being honest citizens. are they still killers federal to playhouse hold employees taxes. >> canning imagine someone traited tom praise on medical stock at the same time make decision to benefit that company, they would be gone overnight. that would be gone in five minutes. >> let's go through crazy ones. the don't believe in regulation against pollution. devos not huge on public schools. name the person who would do the worse who would screw up the cabinet post the most. >> we have realize if you look at the big trend here, the

things trump campaigned on, k k taking on -- there's powerful special interests being put into key position. >> who do you like? >> i know you're liberal democrat, give me the guys who woman you think he picked up that are worthy. >> i do like mad dog. i don't agree with the -- i voted against the waiver, given the waiver has past, i think help keep us out of crazy worse. >> i like him already a general that doesn't want to fight stupid wars. >> governor haley, i was sitting on her hearing i disagree with a bunch of things, her ability to reach out and connect with folks, i think she will be a real asset. >> when we talking about moving

our embassy, to disputed jerusalem, does she flow whknow that could yield, does she know that. >> foreign policy is not her strong point. she says that up front. >> she's going to be un ambassador. >> i know. that's why it's strange. i think she one of the most reasonable nominees. >> you have to be willing to deal with the consequences of these decision. they may help you with right wing supports, that's fine. you have to deal with the consequences. i hope trump gets the message. reagan said he

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tonight i'm going to be guest show on steve co bare show. catch me with kol bare 11:30 central. it started back in 2004 when this country was introduce to this eloquent senator from illinois. join me as we look back at a fine president and fine man. you're watching "hardball". with it, i earn unlimited 2% cash back on all of my purchasing. and that unlimited 2% cash back from spark means thousands of dollars each year going back into my business... which adds fuel to my bottom line.

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and they're absolutely right. they say that it's hot... when really, it's scorching. and while some may say the desert is desolate... we prefer secluded. what is the desert? it's absolutely what you need right now. absolutely scottsdale. tonight on "hardball" we bring a special report on the awe das city of obama. it's a look back at how the president has conducted himself in the

public eye. you were there from the beginning as unknown state senator barack obama delivered keynote address at democratic convention back in 2004. there's the united states of america. there's not a black america and a white america and latina america and asian america there's the united states of america. >> at first glimpse we were witnessing something special. here was my reaction after that speech. >> i seen the first black president the reason i say that because i think the immigrant experience with the african background and inedible education and beautiful speech not every politician, but that speech was a piece of work.

>> here the future president kick of campaign, the coldest day of the year. >> in the shadow of the state capital i stand before you today to announce my candidacy for president of the united states of america. >> every 50 years they come about. joining me now political analists. i want to start with chris. state senator basically

is on the road to the white house. you're house and memories. >> he looked so young in that speech. i was going to say you look exactly the same. >> thank you. >> he looks much longer. he jokes about his gray hair. inside political circles he was known as a rising star. but he was a state senator running to become the only african-american senator in the united states senate and there was in tension thinking can he pull it off. as he is good as everyone says he going to be. there were other great speakers and he brought the house down. i remember that was first most of us heard of his personal story told by him. told in his words. he talk about faith in simple dreams. you did know at that moment there was somebody there who had something

special. he had the charisma, the orator kal skills and the depth and world view that he had just a couple of days ago, that i would argue when he gave his speech last week in chicago. >> he unlocked the key. >> he was amazing. i first met him before that he was senator and he and joe leeb man conveenged senate hearing in new orleans so i went on the trip because i wanted to meet the guy. the two things i remember from that trip one, the obvious charisma, wherever, their home state senator was there, everybody want today talk to

obama. the other thing, hearing, he grilled the officials who interest not doing their jobs. he laid the clever traps that they walkedinto. it was impressive performance. >> we have a get a way from a president at least a decade. what do you think of obama. we're going to go through him in the next 20 minutes. tell me what you see now? >> this was a terrific chief of state. with his family and persona represented this country well. the other thing that we're so pressed right now to have an instant read on obama's legacy the way that future generation will see him it will depend on

what follows. it's frus straighting. let's stay donald trump turns out to be defective. if trump goes up it's not going great for obama. you remember in -- who defintroduced him bege delegates to give him a good reception. >> when reverend white tried derail his campaign. he respond. he is explaining his relationship with reverend white. >> i cannot disown him than i can disown my grandmother. a

woman who loves me, but confessed her fear of black man who passed her by on the streets. that made me cringe. >> an amazing experience. growing up with a white grandparents and african-american by definition we use. >> the first book was really a drink from my father what about identifying -- it was around the time he would have to be seen as the least agrieved man in the -- >> that's the word. >> he was called on in that speech to explain black grievance and black anger in terms that others might get. >> he learned it.

>> skpexactly. >> it's an extraordinary story. obama told me that judgment was more important than experience. by the way voters think that way too. he said he would not hesitate to pursue al qaeda and used example of pakistan. here he is. >> the most important thing you need is somebody who going to exercise good judgmentme. i saii would not hesitate to strike against al qaeda. we should go after them. i was sharply criticized for that. >> three years later, the president followed through in that tough talk ordering the

raid that killed bin lad din just as he for saw. >> tonight i can report that the united states cubinged operation that killed osama bin laden, a terrorists responsible for killing thousands of men, women and children. >> during that correspondence dinner that weekend, he knew all about this. he was overseeing that operation. they carrying out exactly what esaid he was going to do. he was going to get the bad guy. >> the other thing about him, i just spent the last couple of weeks talking to his senior advisers, they were some remarkable consistency and the

confidence he has when he comes to that decision. when he first started giving him papers on the economy he would write as a paper if you were in a phd program when is it had all of these appendixes and he get papers i don't get to the last pages he was highlighted them and making notes on them. other people say when you go into meeting with him, he knows the stuff you are given him. i don't have to repeat it. i have read it. where do we go from here. that's the most stunning example. that was a really clear indication how desissive he could be and confidence inspite of the fact that the biggest knock was that he didn't have the experience. >> we're now reading today about

the trump people national security people are not reading any of the papers being presented to them by the outgoing administration. that's scary. >> there's so many ways there's such a shocking disconnect between outgoing and incoming administration. >> well said. stick with us for good stuff coming up. times and bad... ...at t. rowe price... ...we've helped our investors stay confident for over 75 years. call us or your advisor. t. rowe price. invest with confidence.

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picture outside washington union station that's where we're expecting donald trump. tomorrow we'll have all day covering. it starts early in the morning with morning joe and beginning at 10 eastern i'll be anchoring at we cover all the events of the day. we're going to catch the protests. tomorrow night we'll be joined by special guest, the actor debra massing a fan of "hardball." which has always made me happy. we'll be right back. abdominal pain? but we said we'd be there... woap, who makes the decisions around here? it's me. don't think i'll make it. stomach again...send! if you're living with frequent, unpredictable diarrhea and abdominal pain, you may have irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea

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bp engineers use underwater robots, so they can keep watch over operations below the sea, even from thousands of feet above. because safety is never being satisfied. and always working to be better. we're back with "hardball" special report on awe das city of barack oe balance. president obama can claim many two terms.

he faced ad number of set backs. we interviewsed him in 2013. and i asked him about how his view in presidency changed in over fives humbler. as opposed to cockier about what you as an individual can do. you recognize you're part of a sweep of history and your job really is to push the boulder up the hill a little bit before somebody else pushes it up a little further and the task never stops of perfecting our union. i'm back with eugene robinson of the "washington post," michael beschloss and chris jansing with nbc news. michael in the beginning you said it was going to be a transformational president like ronald reagan, not some sort of next step kind of guy. yet in the midterm around -- what was it, 2007 or 2008 he started -- at the halfway mark he seemed to be humbler but if i

were him i'd go back to saying "yeah, i was transformational." how does he stand? >> i think he was transformational. begin with that health care act which now we know who in retrospect happened it seems inevitable. a lot of presidents for decades have tried to bring health care to all americans, he came close to doing it. no matter what will happen under the trump administration, plus save this country from another great depression with this long economic expansion. the thing i think we will look at as you're suggesting is you get to -- in losing congress in 2010 we faced an opposition in congress for six years that was very opposed to doing deals with him, very much unlike bill clinton in 1995 and '96 could go to bob dole and newt gingrich and get things like a balanced budget, welfare reform. obama would say if he were here tonight i do not have people like that on the other side who

were willing to deal. >> he also would say save the auto industry. i'm reminded all the time p he was the godfather pushing that, he and joe biden. anyway, a dark shadow cast the president other his two terms. he addressed the country 14 times in the immediate aftermath of the mass shooting. perhaps most memorably was the eulogy for the reverend clementa pinckney in south carolina. >> ♪ amazing grace [ cheers and applause ] ♪ how sweet the sound >> he also described the sandy hook shooting as the worst day of his presidency. >> from every family who never imagined that their loved one would be taken from our lives by a bullet from a gun.

every time i think about those kids it gets me mad. and by the way, it happens on the streets of chicago everyday [ applause ] that was a political remark, that was a passion of a guy who feels for his country. >> if you talk to president obama about how deeply that affected him, you know, all the mass shootings. it was really frustrating to him that he couldn't move the needle, not even a little bit. not even in the wake of just one of the most horrific things we've ever seen in this country. it was enormously frustrating.

>> i have to tell you, michael beschloss is right, he was a fantastic chief of state. he represented our emotion as peopl people. that's what you want from a chief of state, a guy who represents or a woman who represents our country personally. gene robinson, great to have you on as always, especially tonight. this a kind of an eve, isn't it? it's not exactly christmas eve but it's an eve. we're maybe facing the green mile tomorrow morning. it's great to work with you, chris jansing. when we return, let me finish tonight with the cosmic shift coming our way tomorrow at 12:00 naa noon, high noon eastern standard time. you're watching "hardball."

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let me finish tonight with a cosmic shift coming our way tomorrow. at 12:00noon, eastern standard time. first, there's nothing standard about this presidential inauguration, we're going through radically partisan changing of the guard before, think of thomas jefferson coming in after defeating john adams, andrew jackson beating adams' son, abraham lincoln arriving to take the oath and franklin roosevelt riding in the car with herbert hoover. general eisenhower replacing harry truman. jack kennedy replacing eisenhower. ronald reagan coming to power. but all these were a transfer of

office from one party to the other, federalist to jefr se jeffersonian, the usual rotation of the two mainstream parties, one establishment to the other establishment, one group of usual suspects back-and-forthing with the other set of usual suspects. this event tomorrow is something completely different. just as most of us did, i did, get in election wrong, there's little likelihood we'll get this arriving presidency right. this is our predicament and i think my job description is to keep a sharp eye on what president trump says and does. if he dials back the clock on action to counter climate change, if he tries to suppress voting, especially by minorities or moves to deport children brought here at a young age we need to lean on that first amendment horn of ours. the same goes for when and if he does beneficial things for the country. when he finds, for example, a way to save and create american jobs, the worst trend in modern american politics is for one party to understood cut the other party even when the other party is trying to do something good.

it used to be one party spent its efforts keeping the other party from being corrupt. in contemporary times the main purpose has been to keep the party in power from doing something good so beginning tomorrow at noon i intend to keep asking the tough questions, keep burrowing in to get real answers trying my darndest to t some truth from power. at's "hardball" for now. thanks for being with us. "all in" with chris hayes starts right now. to want on "all in," hours from now, trump becomes president and assumes all the duties of that office. >> we have nuclear capabilities. >> tonight, new reporting on trump's plans to overhaul the government with senators chris murphy and tammy baldwin. then, exactly who will be running the government tomorrow? >> we have by far the highest iq of any cabinet ever assembled. [ cheers and applause ] >> new reports that a chaotic transition is way behind on hiri