the article on nbc.com. that does it for me. i will see you back here tomorrow night at 6:00 p.m. eastern. thank you for watching. and i'm excited to say, don't go anywhere because right up next is "hardball" with chris matthews. it won't be pretty. let's play "hardball." ♪ good evening. it's chris matthews in washington. senator john mccain the maverick had a message last night and it looked directly aimed at the man in the oval office. mccain accepted the national constitution center es liberty medal in philadelphia and previously given to nelson mandela, presidents jimmy carter, george herbert walker bush and bill clinton among others. here is what the arizona senator said in his acceptance speech

tonchts fear the world we've organized and led three-quarters of a century, the abandon the ideals that we've advanced around the globe, to refuse the obligations of international leadership and our duty to remain the last best hope of earth for the sake of some half-baked nationalism cooked up by people who would rather find scapegoats than solve problems is as unpatriotic as an attachment to any other tired dogma of the past that americans can sign to the ash heap of history. >> you know what he's talking about. he's talking about steve bannon, steve bannon's protege, president trump. the president was asked about that speech today and didn't hold back. let's listen. >> you heard what he said yesterday, senator mccain. >> yeah. people have to be careful because at some point i fight back. i'm being very very nice but at some point i fight back and it won't be pretty. >> again, it won't be pretty.

today nbc's casey hunt asked senator mccain to respond to the threat. let's watch. >> i don't comment on what the president says. i comment on what he does. and i will say that i have, i have faced some pretty tough adversaries in the past. i'm not interested in confronting the president. i'm interested in working with the president. >> well last month senator mccain announced he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer yet he hasn't been shy about criticizing if president or casting votes against his age a agenda. what does president trump get out of attacking senator mccain and promising a fight that won't be pretty. michael steel is the former chair of the republican national committee and eugene robertson a columnist with the washington post. so in order, heidi, why would this president attack mccain when it's so clearly that mccain

will win this moral fight. >> why does he attack anyone? because we're on a sand box and somebody hit him so he's just punching back. that's how he interpreted that speech and frankly that was an attack on the president. mccain didn't make up america first. he's being aggressive about trying to warn this country that we're at a pivotal moment right now and i think particularly it's no mistake that mccain is of the gop foreign policy advisers and former officials who have been warning us since the campaign, you remember, the one group that was completely unified in being resistant to the president were the 50 foreign policy experts who signed the letter and that's mccain. that's who he is. >> but he also got to the heart of trumpism, this white america basic nationalism based on ethnicity, not on ideas or values and he really hit him. >> he hit him hard saying basically this is all trumped

up, to apply the phrase. >> half baked. >> and i think that's important to note. to heidi's point, he's drawing a very bright line for the country right now and he's saying with these big issues that we have to confront in health care to questions of war and peace, we need to be smart about this and we cannot fall prey to this made up etiology, this made of nationalist approach. i was talking with some republicans today saying, that's always been a part of the republican brand. i've been a republican for 40 years. i never had this conversation. i chaired it for two. we never had a meeting on republican nationalism. so this is made up. and this is a fight that i think mccain is prepared to take to the president and to heidi's point, i don't think the president knows that this is one he doesn't want to take. >> why it won't be pretty. that sounds like roger stone talking. >> that's just ridiculous. >> it's not bluster. it's frightening.

i think he means it. >> never pick a fight with somebody who has nothing to lose and john mccain has nothing to lose. it won't be pretty but i won't be pretty in a way that the president doesn't anticipate. it sounds corny but it's not. john mccain and a lot of people come to washington to work in these jobs, you know, it's terribly hard work for not a lot of money, maybe they can get rich later or whatever. but they come here because they believe in the idea of america. and they believe in the idea of america as a nation founded around these enlightenment ideas that were set out by the founders, including natural rights given by the creator. and that's the way people here think. and donald trump doesn't understand that. he just does not get the idea of america as someone like john mccain gets it. so mccain is not going to back

down on this. i mean, this is as important as it gets to him. >> why does it take a republican republica republican, who's a conservative, to say what people center of the left should have been saying were a year with trump. carving out what he's offered to the american people and rejecting it. saying it in philosophical terms like mccain did last night. why can't a liberal -- i'm sorry to use the old term. progressive. why can't a progressive speak like mccain. i don't hear it from politicians. where's nancy pelosi. >> they're trapped by the politics. mccain is not trapped by that politics anymore. and he is free on sew mao many levels. they've come at him in his campaigns for reelection and he's done that and won. he can put it on the line. >> and i thought -- >> but it's the politics. >> -- that a liberal politician

could not have said. >> of course. i'm thinking back to watergate. nothing is parallel but it took a sam irvine, an old segy to stand up for the constitution. humility and bipartisan president trump and senator mccain present very different fronts to the american people in their careers. let's watch the differential. >> i am aware of the prestigious company liberty medal place me in. i'm humbled by it and i'll try my best not to prove too unworthy of oit. >> i have great republican rel with most republican senators. we're not getting the job done. i'm not going to blame myself. they are not getting the job done. >> reargued sometimes passionately but we believed in

each other's pay trtriotism. >> frankly the democrats have terrible policy. their policy is not good and i don't think they're good politicians and they don't seem to be doing well, and that could be because of their bad policy but they're great at obstruction. >> going back to donald trump's attack on mccain's war record. let's watch that. >> five and a half year -- he's a war hero because he was captured. i like people who weren't captured. >> did he ever apologize for saying you're not a hero? >> no. but i also understand we're very different people, different upbringing, different life experiences. he's in the business of making money and he has been successful both on television as well as ms. america and others. by was raised in a military family. >> well, to remind everybody, the reason he was captured -- and i have been in hanoi. some of us have been there. his airplane was right down over

the lake dropping bombs. that's how you get captured. his plane was hit and he went into the water and they broke all of his bones and they dragged him up there beating him up. it oohs not like that would happen to donald trump on 5th avenue. that wouldn't happen. >> that's why this won't end well. as we all know, mccain is very sick. and as we get closer to him potentially, you know, exiting or maybe not being on the stage so much, those are the sforry r we're going to be hearing about john mccain and it's going to be a s a sjuxtaposition. >> this is a fight for a whole lot of reasons that the president doesn't need to engage in. at the end of the day i keep asking myself, what is your point? what are you trying to achieve? here you're alienating the majority leader. >> why does a skunk squirt. >> because that's its nature.

>> yesterday president trump made this false allegation about his predecessor barack obama. let's watch. >> the traditional way if you look at president obama and other presidents, most of them didn't make calls, a lot of them didn't make calls. >> earlier you said president obama never called the families of fallen soldiers. how can you make that claim. >> i was told that he didn't often and a lot of presidents don't. they write letters. excuse me were peter. i do a combination of both. sometimes it's a very difficult thing to do but i do a combination of both. >> i like instan trafact checks. today the president invoked the son of his chief of staff, john kelly, lieutenant robert michael kelly who was killed in afghanist afghanistan. this man has no sense of

decency. let's watch. >> as far as other represe representativ representatives, i don't know. you could ask general kelly, did he get a call from obama. i really speak for myself. i'm not speaking for other people. i don't know what bush did. i don't know what obama did. you could find out easily what president obama did. all you have to do is ask the military people. but i believe his policy was somewhat different than any policy. >> any way, a white house official told nbc news that obama did not call kelly after his son's death. kelly and his wife did attend a private event at the white house for gold star families and were seated at michelle obama's table shl . >> i was going to point that out. president obama had general kelly in with a group of gold star families. this is reprehensible. this is man, donald trump, who is incapable of saying i made a mistake, i'm sorry. has anyone ever heard him say those words? >> never. >> my mistake, i'm sorry.

he can't say that. so instead of saying that when he's caught in a situation where he has not done something he should or done something he shouldn't, he atatacks and make stuff up. this is particularly offensive -- >> just like with puerto rico. >> we're talking about gold star families and soldiers. >> what has this got to do with the job of commander? chief, chief executive of the united states government running the republican party, running the government basically. why are we involved with this crap? why is he involved with all of these fights? i'm not calling him a skunk but why does he act like that? why does he always have to squirt at people? >> i was there in the rose garden when this happened. even the fact that it had to be asked why he hadn't been in touch or even mentioned the soldiers yet reflected poorly on him so his immediate instinct in every one of these instances, for instance in puerto rico, to blame the puerto rico yaansrica.

whenever he looks bad to immediately find a foil. >> and when is the republican party going to say this guy is off base. his whole conversation, his whole schtick is not republican. >> it is snot about anything that weave advocated or represented in the past or will represent in the future and that's the unfortunate part. the leadership, it's caught themselves in protecting something that they can't protect themselves from. you can't protect yourself from it. the bottom line is you go out and lead and call it what it is. and the moment you do that, you will realize just how freeing it really is. >> i think mccain is going to look very good. >> that's where john mccain is. >> i did think the time would come when someone would stand up. i think it's going to be mccain. it should have been schumer or pelosi. it's going to be mccain. somebody is going to stand up saying this guy is wrong, he's not american in the sense that we believe.

former vice president joe biden slammed president trump today as someone who doesn't understand how the government functions. he said foreign leaders have reached out to him to help understand what is going on and he relayed the criticism from one european prime minister. let's watch bide rn. >> at one point this prime minister said, and did you see what he did. we're sitting at a conference table as close as you and i are, he stood up saying, he took the president, shoved him aside, stuck his chest out and chin. not a joke. not a joke. that's what people are thinking. th that's what people are thinking. violating the norms of personal conduct generates more anxiety and fear than any policy prescription that this president has enunciated. >> well we'll let it go at that.

thank you heidi, michael and gene. up next, so much for that show of party unity we heard yesterday between president trump and senator mitch mcconnell. the president's hirchlman steve bannon is still out there wanting to get the mcconnells of this world. he's campaigning for kelly ward, a piece of work, the same person who called senator mccain old and weak and told him to step down so she could have his job. trump ran for president promising to fight for the middle class. the tax plan is all for the rich. wait until you see the numbers. can the republicans get it passed? how do testimonies use this politically. another lousy appointment for the trump administration. the president's nominee was forced to withdraw today. why is trump to terrible at picking people. finally tonight let me finish with trump watch.

you won't like it. this is "hardball." ♪ i'm only human ♪ i make mistakes get down! ♪ i'm only human ♪ it's all it takes ♪ don't put the blame on me thank you for looking after my son. we're brothers. we look after each other. thank you for your service. rated r. ♪ don't put the blame on me the flu, and its complications, needs to hear it. can be deadly. especially for those with a chronic medical condition. ask your health care provider for a senior flu shot. do it today. before the flu becomes an emergency. [burke] abstract accident. seen ♪ video-it. covered it.c we know a thing or two because we've seen a thing or two. ♪ we are farmers. bum-pa-dum, bum-bum-bum-bum ♪

politico is reporting that former white house secretary sean spicer met with members of the mueller team yesterday. the interview lasted much of the day. the report goes on to say that spicer was grilled about the firing of former fbi director james comey and his statements regarding the firing. spicer was also questioned about trump's meeting with russians, including one with sergey lavrov in the oval office. spicer declined to comment of course on this report and we'll be right back. ...it starts a chain reaction... ...that's heard throughout the connected business world. at&t network security helps protect business, from the largest financial markets to the smallest transactions, by sensing cyber-attacks in near real time and automatically deploying countermeasures. keeping the world of business connected and protected. that's the power of and.

let me give a warning to you. nobody can run and hide on this one. these folks are coming for you. the day of taking a few nice conservative votes and hiding is over. there's a time and season for everything. and right now it's a season of war against a gop establishment. >> welcome back to "hardball."

that was trump enforcer steve bannon this weekend declaring a state of open warfare against incumbent republicans in congress. he's going after the other republicans back on the wealth of the mercer family. bannon intends to challenge every republican lawmaker with the exception of ted cruz of texas. so far he's targeted a half dozen senators who he views as allies of mitch mcconnell and promises to recruit more challenges to come. a costly civil war could jeopardize the republican majority. and even further devalue or derail the trump agenda. it comes as the president tried to make amends with mcconnell yesterday saying he'll ask bannon to call off the mob. let's see. >> do you support the plan by people who previously served in your administration such as steve bannon to primary republican candidates in the 2018 election who do not support your election? >> steve is doing what steve thinks is the right thing. some of the people he may be

looking at, i'm going to see if we can talk him out of that. frankly, they're great people. >> bannon will continue to keep going -- pledge to usurp mitch mcconnell. i'm joined now by rosie gray, white house correspondent for the atlantic. thank you. what is the bottom line consequence of all of this. if guy looking like a brucer. i'm a tough guy, going to push people around. trump going to war with mccain saying it won't be pretty. what's the bottom line? are they going to lose their majority out of this? >> bannon's ultimate goal is to get rid of mitch mcconnell. >> what's the point? who is going to be the leader of the republican party? some other establishment guy. >> i don't know if that part has been really thought through actually. but the point is, you know, something that really an mates steve bannon is the war in the

republican party that he's now sort of leading his side on. in terms of consequences, this is the type of things that could theoretically put the republican senate majority in jeopardy. >> these guys are going off 90-percenters. what do they want? 100%? do they want right wingers in the senate? is that what bannon wants, right wingers, alt-right people? >> he certainly wants avatars of the trump base. he wants anti-establishment candidates. he wants outsiders and people who are going to support him in his goal of getting rid of mitch mcconnell. >> why does he want to get rid of orrin hatch? what does he want? >> jeff flake in particular has made himself persona nongrat that of the trump for being so critical. steve bannon is encouraging a slate of challenges to run against republican senators.

among them is boyd masennenson. his spokesman told politico earlier this month if he decide to win he will run. i'm joined by boyd masterson, a former chief of staff to mike lee. are you going to run for the senate again? >> thinking about it right now. we've got a number of people from the trump loyalists to people who were the never trumpers. i might have found the one thing that unites them all. it's the frustration and disdain with the united states senate. things aren't getting done. to me it's all about -- >> boyd, you seem like you know your stuff. are you expecting the people who watch this show right now to believe that you're sort of waiting for the people to tell you to run? i remember student council races where guys who always ran would say a bunch of the guys got together and thought i should run. that's not the way it works.

>> i agree. >> do you have the ego and the ambition toation on orrin hatch? do you have the stuff, first of all? do you have the stuff? >> first of all -- >> do you have the stuff to take him on. that's a simple question. >> yes. absolutely. >> what do you mean by that? >> the question to me -- you know this is a former chief of staff playing the gate keeper. i would ask the candidates who wanted to see my boss, what is the vision or agenda that you're willing to run on that will make all of this crap and fgarbage o going through an election worth it even if you win or lose. we've got too many people in washington whose only vision is a vision of themselves in office. i'll either say i have an a vision and agenda worth having a conversation with the people of utah and country. if i have that, i'll get in regardless of who gets in. >> give me one big difference between you and orrin hatch? >> 42 years in the senate. >> on issues, one big difference between you and orrin hatch.

one big difference. >> the size and scope of the government that has continued to grow as he's been in the senate is a big thing and a big discussion we've got to have. there's too much of maintaining the status quo. the main thing is most of the battles aren't left and right. u ice those in power against others. it's not conflict in washington. it's collusion. and that's probably the biggest difference. >> has he colluded with the liberals? >> it's all of it. i remember -- >> has he colluded with the liberals? you want to knock this guy out of his seat after all of these years. tell me what he's done wrong? has he colluded with ted kennedy? been part of the big government movement in the last 20 or 30 years? has he been part of that? is he guilty of this? >> anyone who has been sitting there that long is part of the problem. >> has he been colluding? >> sure, absolutely. everybody there has been going

through the process. >> not everybody. ted cruz, i don't think he's been colluding. you think he has? everybody? come on. >> all right. you got me. >> change is always good, boyd. boyd mathisen, that is lds. president trump is delivering a speech on tax reform tonight. we'll monitor that and bring you anything that he says juicy if it's newsworthy. up next, the rich man's tax bill. this bill yo well mingly benefits the very rich, lower the top individual, gets rid of the estate tax, only affects people who have $11 million to give their kids. it's really for the rich. are the democrats going to do anything about it? can they use it politically to held themselves? that's a good question. this is "hardball" where the action is.

dad: molly! trash! ( ♪ ) whoo! ( ♪ ) mom: hey, molly? it's time to go! (bell ringing) class, let's turn to page 136, recessive traits skip generations. who would like to read? ( ♪ ) molly: i reprogrammed the robots to do the inspection. it's running much faster now. see? it's amazing, molly. thank you. ( ♪ ) this one's below market price and has bluetooth. same here, but this one has leather seats!

use the cars.com app to compare price, features and value. for her compassion and care. he spent decades fighting to give families a second chance. but to help others, they first had to protect themselves. i have afib. even for a nurse, it's complicated... and it puts me at higher risk of stroke. that would be devastating. i had to learn all i could to help protect myself. once i got the facts, my doctor and i chose xarelto®. xarelto®... to help keep me protected. once-daily xarelto®, a latest-generation blood thinner... ...significantly lowers the risk of stroke in people with afib not caused by a heart valve problem. it has similar effectiveness to warfarin. xarelto® works differently. warfarin interferes with at least 6 blood-clotting factors. xarelto® is selective, targeting just one critical factor interacting

with less of your body's natural blood-clotting function. for afib patients well-managed on warfarin, there is limited information on how xarelto® compares in reducing the risk of stroke. don't stop taking xarelto® without talking to your doctor, as this may increase risk of stroke. while taking, you may bruise more easily, or take longer for bleeding to stop. it may increase your risk of bleeding if you take certain medicines. xarelto® can cause serious, and in rare cases, fatal bleeding. get help right away for unexpected bleeding, unusual bruising, or tingling. if you've had spinal anesthesia, watch for back pain or any nerve or muscle-related signs or symptoms. do not take xarelto® if you have an artificial heart valve or abnormal bleeding. tell your doctor before all planned medical or dental procedures... ...and before starting xarelto®-about any conditions, such as kidney, liver, or bleeding problems. it's important to learn all you can... ...to help protect yourself from a stroke. talk to your doctor about xarelto®. there's more to know™.

here's what's happening. a federal judge in hawaii blocked the trump administration from enforcing the latest version of its travel ban calling it dangerously flawed. it was blocked less than ten hours before it was said to take effect. the justice department says it will appeal. the nfl's policy on player's kneeling during the national anthem appears unchanged after a meeting today at the league's headquarters in manhattan. the dow hit 23,000 for the first time ever today. back to "hardball."

i would like very much to see it be done this year. so we won't go a step further. if it get it done, that's a great achievement. but don't forget, it took years for the reagan administration to get taxes done. i've been here for nine months, a little more than nine months. >> that was president trump today on the need to pass the tax plan. the white house's last desperate hope heading into the end of the year. today mike pence made a populous pitch. >> we let americans keep more of what they earn, they allow american businesses to be more competitive by cutting or 35% corporate tax rate down to 20%. you're going to see this economy take out. >> but "the new york times's" paul crudman says, it's not difficult to see how the plan is tilted towards the very top.

the trump administration and its allies are lying about every aspect of their tax plan. let's turn to msnbc's stephanie ruhle. i looked at that today. that lower can the corporate rate, get rid of the estate tax which only affected people with $11 million to give their kids. i don't see where the middle class comes out at all chblt it's a very aggressive hopeful plan or it simply didn't make any sense and it's not true. there's in direct link to cutting corporate taxes and paying people more. have you seen when there's a corporate tax break your employer say well, chris matthews, today you're going to get a bonus from a tax break. it doesn't exist. >> i hear from a wealthy guy at this fundraiser, this charity thing i went to saying it's all going to the stockholders. >> absolutely. >> money is going to pour to the people with the most money in the company. >> for vice president pence to say you're going to see

corporate america take off, look at the stock market, the dow hitting 23,000. it's taken off. it's doing fine and dandy. companies have plenty of money. they're choosing not to pay their workers more because they're not forced to. it will result in share backs, dividends or investments that don't necessarily result in hiring for people and paying anyone more. the last time there was repatriation in 2004, even companies that said they would pay their people more didn't. >> why do they always put estate tax in. every one of the goody's bag includes the estate tax. you can give your kids $5 million per parent and there's no tax. it's only when you get beyond 11 total that it affects people's taxes. there are not that many people with $11 million to give their kids. why don't they keep doing snit. >> dare i say, it doesn't impact those people. who are some of the highest paid most skilled lawyers, the ones with the biggest beach houses in your neighborhood? tax lawyers. it's what they do.

they create offshore tax shelters so they people don't ever pay that tax. and if it's one thing to make an argument that we want to do this, fine. but if fact that steve mnuchin would say i concede it only helps the rich. what does that mean? i admit it, you got me. it should be transparent. how is this plan going to help people. and if cutting the estate plan helps the rich, simply say it plain and simple. >> thank you very much stephanie ruhle. ? senate republicans hope to get anything done this year, they need to act fast. the senators must first pass a budget resolution before going to tax. senator whereby you're a regular bread and butter meat and potatoes democrat. you're the person who wins on economic issues. how can you not win on this tax bill. just run against it. run against what trump is doing? >> as you pointed out and

stephanie did, three basic problems here. one is the fact that it doesn't reduce taxes for the middle class as the administration proposes or argues. 30% of those making between 50 and 150 will end up paying more taxes. number two is -- >> such a deal. -- it goes to the top 1%. you're in the top 1% you're going to get just next year $146,000. a pretty good deal. >> how come people on the right think the way to incentivize the rich is to give them more money and they believe the way to incentivize middle class and poor people is to cut their programs. he's cutting health care and giving tax break to the rich. he's incentivizing one group and pushing others in the butt by taking away what they have, which is health care. why do they think that way? >> everything is to the right. you have to look at the tax proposal and the budget together. in the budget proposal they're

trying to reduce medicare and medicaid to the tune of $1.5 trillion. >> where is that money going, to tax cuts? >> absolutely. so they can make some of the management work. -- math work. it decimates medicare and medicaid when you read it with the budget and thirdly it doesn't do anything for the middle class. think of the estate tax. you mentioned that before. how many states in pennsylvania are benefitting from this? 150. not 150,000, 1-5-0. >> in fact you know the state of pennsylvania which i said when u was in ireland last year, don't worry, it's the blue wall. no way it's going to vote for trump and it did. what's different now? is it going to vote for trump again? is there something that's changed in the heart of the pennsylvania voters and that blue wall. >> there are a lot of folks, especially between now and 2018 that we can talk to in pennsylvania that will have a

different view. there are a lot of people whose wages haven't grown. >> when are they going to blame trump? >> they're going to have a lot of trouble lining up what he said on the campaign and what he did. >> do you believe trump is pro-life? really pro-life? >> i don't know. >> he says he is. do you believe him? >> all i know is -- >> i think he has never given it a thought. >> what he has said about the tax proposal doesn't add up in the math when you look at the numbers. when you're giving 80% of the benefits to the top 1% who have had a bonanza tax breaks for years, your credibility is in question. >> senator bob casey. thank you. thank you stephanie ruhle. up next, president trump has had a string of lousy appointments and now another one to add to the list. his pick for drug czar was working for the drug company.

and why is this president so bad at picking people to fill his jobs. you're watching "hardball." thank you so much. thank you! so we're a go? yes! we got a yes! what does that mean for purchasing? purchase. let's do this. got it. book the flights! hai! si! si! ya! ya! ya! what does that mean for us? we can get stuff. what's it mean for shipping? ship the goods. you're a go! you got the green light. that means go! oh, yeah. start saying yes to your company's best ideas.

we're gonna hit our launch date! (scream) thank you! goodbye! let us help with money and know-how, so you can get business done. american express open. ltry align probiotic.n your digestive system? so you can get business done. for a non-stop, sweet treat goodness,

hold on to your tiara kind of day. get 24/7 digestive support, with align. the #1 doctor recommended probiotic brand. also in kids chewables. the energy conscious whopeople among usle? say small actions can add up to something... humongous. a little thing here. a little thing there. starts to feel like a badge maybe millions can wear. who are all these caretakers, advocates too? turns out, it's californians it's me and it's you. don't stop now, it's easy to add to the routine. join energy upgrade california and do your thing.

welcome back to hardball. nine months into his term another one of president trump's nominees has pulled his name from consideration. that's a nice way to put it. he's pulling out. tom marine no who was originally picked to be drug czar. marine no withdrew days after a report by the washington post and 60 minutes that found that a bill he sponsored weakened the dea's ability to regulate the painkillers from across the country to stop people from dying from drug overdoses. this is the latest in a slew of questionable picks by the president, including labor secretary nominee, also forced to withdraw from nomination. scott pruitt, anthony

scaramucci, michael flynn, of course for more i'm joined by amy stoddard and david, a senior politics writer. first of wuall one of the horro of the united states, opiates. they're killing themselves. and the attempt to stop them was broken by the dea's ability to stop this stuff weakened, defanged is the term they use by people working for the drug company and guess what, they're getting paid for being in the u.s. congress but they're really working for the drug companies. your thoughts many. >> yeah, the story is such a powerful illustration of the influence of the pharmaceutical lobby. and even in the obama administration who let this go through, alarm bells went off in the dea, this is really facing a backlash on the congress.

they're going to push the revisit the law. the trump administration has got to respond to this issue. his engagement -- >> it's his peeps. >> it doesn't match the rhetoric from his tam pacampaign. this is not a partisan issue. >> this is affecting all kinds of hardworking people in working towns, there's hopelessness and they go into drugs. >> a lot of times in crisis comes opportunity. the president really has an opportunity -- >> does he get it? >> well that's the problem. we need to see action right away. we know that the white house has formed this opioid commission. >> this guy, did he yank himself? >> i don't -- >> hi was told he yanked himself. >> and you have the situation with health and human services secretary tom price where he resigned, that's the word that they used. the president has to take action. he has to show his voters, the people that put their faith in him that he is taking action. he promised to drain the swamp and one way to do that is to really crack down on this.

opioid addiction is something that they really talked about on the campaign. >> let's put together to days. yesterday he said something that was great. he talked about how you can buy the same pill in france, same pill in canada much cheaper. everybody knows that. i don't know whether it's subsidies or what's going on, price discrimination. you hoe how people do this. they charge more where they can charge more. here. at the same time he says he's going to take on the drug companies, here he is caught putting a guy in charge of the drug enforcement who's working for the drug companies. he's caught in the act here. >> they cut him loose so so the right solution did occur. the day stepped down. >> the newspapers caught it. >> good journalism brought this guy down but trump left him hanging out there in a press conference. he did not give him 100% backing. he said i'm going to look at that and if there's 1% of anything negative, i'll get rid of him. marine no knew this was

untenable and i'm told by the white house officials that he submitted his resignation, that trump didn't force it but that trump accepted it. this is an institutional problem. this law wu signed into law by president barack obama. any senator could have stopped this. this was passed with unanimous consent. democrats across the country passed this. this wasn't a trump administration failure. we can point to a lot of trump administration failures. this was not one of them. this was an obama administration failure that allowed this law to go through and that says more about the institution -- >> why didn't trump jump on it? >> he's not a details guy. >> how about picking people? he's been picking people like mick l flien, problems, pruitt, a problem with him, you can argue about devoss bu these people are going to be trouble. >> at the same time he promised to drain the swamp. i think a lot has to with that he was politically inexperienced. he thought he could construct the government with the kind of experience that he would have looked for as a businessman was

similar to what he would have wanted as a politician. >> the drug companies know how to write the bills. they wrote that bill. the drug company. they also know how to create a campaign for somebody. they want somebody run the dea, they start writing the letters and all of the sudden, the president is a new president, hearing all of this great stuff about marine no. he must be great, he picks the guy and it's the same campaign going on. it's the swamp. >> david make as good point they was talking about in the beginning. this passed by unanimous consent. why did the administration before let this past. probably the poier of pharma. >> explain pharma. >> the pharmaceutical industry. if these people aren't properly vetted, you're right. what he said about drug prices, he's clean. he said i don't take that kind of money.

i'm the one person who doesn't take the pharmaceutical money. he could have made this an issue from day one and now it's an issue up in his face. he's going to declare an emergency next week, he said that many times. he can't avoid this any longer and it's not a partisan issue. >> it doesn't make the front page of the big papers. it's not an elite issue. it's a working class issue. it kills people. these kids are not going to college, not going to make it and on top to have that they get in a drug habit. >> drugs are something that you can really support from both sides. we saw a terrible tragedy in las vegas. a lot of people were outraged about the guns and talking about the changing the gun laws. days later the argument faded away. but this scandal is coming at a very interesting time for the trump administration where on the one hand you have the president talking -- you know, surrounded by all of these cabinet officials and other members of his administration who have these issues -- >> incompetence.

trump is incompetent. >> but at the same time you have steve bannon going after the gop establishment. it's going to have a very interesting effect in 2018 when you have all of these things playing out at the same time. >> thank you. the round table is sticking with us. up in a moment these three will give me scoops of something you'll be talking about tomorrow. that's the standard. tell me something that is worth talking about tomorrow. this is "hardball" where the action is. this is not a cloud. this is a tomato tracked from farm to table on a blockchain, helping keep shoppers safe. this is a financial transaction secure from hacks and threats others can't see. this is a skyscraper whose elevators use iot data and ai to help thousands get to work safely and efficiently. this is not the cloud you know. this is the ibm cloud. the ibm cloud is the cloud for business. yours.

♪ ♪ yeah, i got some financialbody guidance a while ago. how'd that go? he kept spelling my name with an 'i' but it's bryan with a 'y.' yeah, since birth. that drives me crazy. yes. it's on all your email. yes. they should know this? yeah. the guy was my brother-in-law. that's ridiculous. well, i happen to know some people. do they listen? what? they're amazing listeners. nice. guidance from professionals who take their time to get to know you.

well president trump won't like this next one. according to forbes magazine, the president the president lost $600 million in net worth last year, causing him to drop 92 spots in the annual list of richest americans. "forbes" blamed the president's decline in wealth on a variety of factors including a tough new york real estate market and an expensive presidential campaign. trump now ranks 248th on the "forbes" list. bill gaits, jeff bezos, and warren buffett occupy the top three spots. and diarrhea. i tried lifestyle changes and over-the-counter treatments, but my symptoms keep coming back. it turns out i have irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea, or ibs-d. a condition that's really frustrating. that's why i talked to my doctor about viberzi... ...a different way to treat ibs-d. viberzi is a prescription medication

you take every day that helps proactively manage both abdominal pain and diarrhea at the same time. so i can stay ahead of my symptoms. viberzi can cause new or worsening abdominal pain. do not take viberzi if you have no gallbladder, have pancreas or severe liver problems, problems with alcohol abuse, long-lasting or severe constipation, or a bowel or gallbladder blockage. pancreatitis may occur and can lead to hospitalization and death. if you are taking viberzi, you should not take medicines that cause constipation. the most common side effects of viberzi include constipation, nausea, and abdominal pain. stay ahead of ibs-d with viberzi. whoamike and jen doyle?than i thought. yeah. time for medicare, huh. i have no idea how we're going to get through this. follow me.

choosing a plan can be super-complicated. but it doesn't have to be. unitedhealthcare can guide you through the confusion, with helpful people, tools and plans. including the only plans with the aarp name. well that wasn't so bad at all. that's how we like it. aarp medicare plans, from unitedhealthcare. we're back with the "hardball" roundtable beginning with a.b., tell me something i don't know. >> a health care deal has come out from the senate and a lot of republicans on the house side, conservatives saying they can't get behind it. president trump is sort of saying it's a temporary deal and then later on they're going to get their votes together in a year or two for health care.

president trump is going to push for this, he really wants it. not only as we know -- >> is this a short-term thing? >> yes. not only did he telemature alexander over the weekend he doesn't want people to suffer, last week in a being at the white house with a national security foreign policy official, he spent the most of the meeting talking about trying to get a deal -- >> this is trumpcare. it's only to cover until he gets rid of the thing. >> remember president trump's big iran rollout any think it was last week. the policy to crack down on iran? as it turns out, not as easy as you think. right now an iranian general is in iraq helping our allies, the iraqi arabs and kurds, try to make peace so they don't tight in sir cuke. what are we going to do about it? >> there's a linkage there? >> there is a linkage there, and it's a predicament for the americans. >> so far the russia investigation has focused on paul manafort, michael flynn. i'm told the next focus will be on trump's digital director in the campaign, brad parsagail,

featured on "60 minutes" and that got the attention -- >> what did he do? >> he was the digital guy, decided where to spend digital money. >> therefore colluding? >> that's what the mueller team is going to want to know. >> thank you as always. something very hot there. >> let me finish with "trump watch." it's about politics. i don't know what he's going to make of this tonight. it's something. what started as a passion...

...has grown into an enterprise. that's why i switched to the spark cash card from capital one. now, i'm earning unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase i make. everything. what's in your wallet?

"trump watch" tuesday, october 17th, 2017. i think we're about to see a test of strength between presidents past and present. it's going to happen in virginia and happen soon. it's about the governor's chair. president obama's going to rich modern thursday. i expect trump is thinking about whether it's smart for him to make his own entry. president or not he's clearly going to be a factor. trump's tweeted his way into the race making a play for a more conservative party. "the democrats in the southwest part of virginia have been abandoned by their party. republican ed gillespie will never let you down." that's trump tweeting. it pits the two sides against each other with both having an edge they enjoy country-wide. ralph north and the democrat has a huge number of northern virginia women, many single, they tend to be supportive of abortion rights and are progress out of social issues. ed gillespie has old virginia tradition on his side.

it's my guess he'll benefit from the passions who hold belief in the old dominion, including statues that recognize soldiers and generals who fought in the civil war. this is the state of washington and lee. virginia will be a battle ground this november as it has so many times in the war between the states. but the progressives i offer a warning, in the first battle of bull run, the north thought it was going to be such a cakewalk that family members and other onlookers decided to make a picnic of it, heading down to watch the battle from the sidelines. it was going to be such fun. well, that's not how the history books wrote it up. that is tonight's lesson. if millennials don't show up in good numbers in virginia, if african-americans don't show up in presidential year numbers, you better watch out. why this because the people who care about those statues will turn out. they'll be out there to protect their pride in the past, their honor as they see it. so if you want the north to lose another battle at bull run, stay standing with your picnic basket. that's "hardball" for now. thanks for being with us.

"all in with chris hayes" starts right now. tonight on "all in." >> i've never been more outraged at anything in my life. everyone should be outraged. >> an opioid epidemic bombshell. >> as far as tom marino, so he was a very early supporter of mine. >> tonight as trump's pick for drug czar pulls out -- >> the opioid crisis is an emergency. >> how the president who promised to help solve the opioid crisis could be making it worse. >> what about declaring a written national emergency? >> then -- >> obamacare's finished, it's dead, it's gone. >> the new bipartisan fix for obamaca obamacare sabotage. plus john mccain -- >> people have to be careful because at some point i fight back. >> and the man who says he was recruited to collude with the russians talks to robert mueller. >> russia is fake news. >> when "all in" starts right now.