and you know under the law that is an admission of guilt. >> no, i don't know about that. >> we thought it was a point worth making, and many of you did as well. the interview has now been viewed roughly two million times online. elizabeth flowers told us hey, if you've been tough on crime for 58 years and never had any problems, that's the whole point. what did you think of the arpaio interview? you can share on facebook and we'll share comments. right now it's "hardball." bad timing. let's play "hardball." good evening. i'm chris matthews in washington. facing backlash for his comments last week, president trump is now denying charges of racism as he marks his first martin luther king day in office. after reportedly describing

immigrants from norway as being more desire than those from haiti or africa which he called s-hole company, the president insisted he is not a racist. here is what he told reporters at mar-a-lago last night. >> no, no, i'm not a racist. i am the least racist person you have ever interviewed. that i can tell you. >> well, senator dick durbin the only democrat who attended that oval office meeting remains the only participant to publicly confirm that the president used that derogatory language. late today, the president attacked durbin on twitter, saying senator dickey durbin totally misrepresented what was said at the daca meeting. deals can't get made when there is no trust. durbin blew daca and is hurting our military. it comes after two republican senators appeared to revise their stories in an patient attempt to give the president some cover. at first senators tom cotton and david perdue released a joint statement saying we do not recall the president saying

these comments specifically. however, they now seem to remember enough to challenge senator bush din's account. let's watch. >> are you saying the president did not use the word that has been so widely reported? >> i'm telling you he did not use that word, george. and i'm telling you it's a gross misrepresentation. >> i didn't hear that word either. i certainly didn't hear what senator durbin has said repeatedly. senator durbin has a history of misrepresenting what happens in white house meetings, though, so perhaps we shouldn't be surprised by that. >> you're saying it didn't happen or you don't recall? >> udidn't hear it. and i was sit nothing further from donald trump than dick durbin was. and i know what is said about the president's repeated statements is incorrect. >> on friday senator lindsey graham who reportedly stood up to trump confirmed durbin's version of events to tim scott, his colleague from south carolina. and today he seemed to take a veiled shot at cotton and purdue for revising their story, lindsey graham did, telling with

south carolina's newspaper that my memory hasn't evolved. i know what was said and i know what i said. well, senator durbin stands by his account of what happened, saying today he is stunned by the republican defense of trump. >> i know what happened. i stand behind every word that i said. i stick with my original interpretation. i am stunned that this is their defense. that is -- that's their choice. what the president said in that meeting was so awful and so impactful on so many people that when he denied saying it, i felt duty-bound to clarify what actually happened. >> i'm joined right now by democratic congressman karen bass from california, david jolly is a former republican congressman from florida. ruth marcus is deputy editorial page editor of "the washington post." thank you, all. in that order, congresswoman, this is interesting because lindsey graham apparently stood up to trump. >> right. >> and said you can't use that kind of a term.

a lot of us came from poor countries with not many well educated people. that's why they came here. that's the nature of this country. nobody's grandfather was the duke of marlboro who came to this country. your thoughts on this and the two senators, the two of them. one is from arkansas and one is from -- i forget -- he is from georgia. and the two of them are just laying their bodies on the tracks saying trump didn't say something that it's now pretty clear he did say. >> exactly. i think they're flat-out lying. and maybe they're getting something from the president for it. but, you know, i applaud lindsey graham. i also applaud senator flake too because he said he had heard about it before it went to the news. i just think it's another tragic moment in trump's presidency. i'm headed to africa on friday. and believe me, i know that the heads of state that we will be meeting with will expect to hear an explanation from us about what the president said. >> you know, i'm glad you're going over there, because there is some really good serious leaders of africa now. i'm so hopeful, about ramaphosa

being the head of the rnc and people from botswana. they're really trying to lead their people over there. what do you their reaction heads up about what you're going to face over there. what has been their emotional reaction to being referred to in this way by the president of the united states? >> well, they are absolutely furious. there were statements that were released from the african union. i went to an african celebration here in los angeles with ethiopians. and when i apologized on behalf of congress and the united states, they stood up and cheered and applause. i know that they are very off d offended by this. and i know that you're well aware that african immigrants are some of the highest educated immigrants. so when he is talking about merit, i don't know what established merit more than education. so just the flat-out lying of my colleagues, i'm very disappointed. in. >> i tell you, i spend some time with some nigerian parliamentarians. what a sophisticated group. they really are, by anybody's

world standards. anyway, i want to go now to david jolly. your thoughts about this as a republican. i think the republican party, i know it's not the party of lincoln in a long time. >> shumplt. >> but what do people think when they hear the president using this word? he sounds like a real estate developer -- i guess that's what he is -- talking about a rough neighborhood in the worst possible language. but he is referring to people as well, obviously. >> what it suggests is words of dr. king and his vision is unfulfilled. with have a president today in 2017 who judges somebody by the color of their skin, not by the content of their character. and we have republican leaders continuing to look the other way and face policies that further divide economic equality of people of color. the words of dr. king on silence teach us all something. he suggested in some very famous words that silence, beginning to be silent is the beginning of the end, if you will. and that the words of our

enemies are less important than the silence of our friends. republican leaders continue to be silent in the face of this president's actions. they're bringing dishonor not just to dr. king, but dishonor upon themselves as well. >> i'm going to read from his letter from the birmingham jail at the end of the prom for my finish tonight. but they're very powerful, though words from him. you're either pushing ahead or you're. no u.s. congressman john lewis who was with dr. king. he is the congressman from georgia now. he worked with dr. king in the fight in the '60s. he didn't mince words when asked yesterday. here is john lewis. >> i think this man, this president has taken us back to another place. do. >> you think president trump is a racist? >> i think he is a racist. >> well, mr. lewis further said on msnbc that he does not plan to attend president trump's state of the union address later this month. here he goes. >> at this junction, i do not plan to attend the state of the union.

i cannot in all good conscience be in the room with what he has said about so many americans. i just cannot do it. i wouldn't be honest with myself. >> what a soulful man. have you ever spent time with him? >> i have. >> he makes you feel god to be near him because of his history, his head bashed in. amazing. >> and when he uses the racist word to describe the president, you couldn't of have this intake of breath. this is where we are. but this is where we are. >> let's talk about the president and his usual politics here. let me go back to karen bass. congresswoman, he goes after, quote, dickey durbin. that's the classic eighth grade schoolyard way of taking on someone who has challenged his word. the diminutive dicky. he goes back to the old nicknaming he would do. that's what what an 8-year-old

would do but here is the president of the united states doing it. >> he has reduced the office of the presidency to such a level. when i think about the african countries, he doesn't seem to recognize our strategic relationship with africa especially from the military sense. when he responds on such a juvenile level, it just leaves leaders around the world perplexed. and members of congress like myself we have to clean up after this regularly. >> i'm going back to david jolly. again, you serve with these people. why is a guy like purdue of georgia and tom cotton of arkansas, why are they laying on the track no, sir guy? george will is going to be coming on the program later. he argues senators should represent the legislative body which is a counter veiling power to the presidency. they shouldn't act like his vassals. >> this is trump's gop, and nobody has been successful in challenging him within the party or before the base. what we're see right now is the republican party coalescing

around the current immigration debate because they don't want daca. they know if they give in on daca, the base will revolt. they're in a very tricky situation. but nobody has been able to challenge this president and when. and we are seeing senators fall like flies in the face of donald trump's scare tactics and his bully pulpit. >> well, the president told reporters yesterday that he was the least racist person that has ever been interviewed, they have ever interviewed. it's the same line he has used on countless occasions to defend himself of such charges. let's watch the history of his defense. >> i am the least racist person that you've ever met, believe me. the least racist person. >> well, i'm probably the least racist person there is. >> by the way, i am the least -- just so you know -- i am the least racist person. the least racist person that you've ever seen. >> i am the least racist person that you have ever met. i am the least racist person. >> i am the least racist person you have ever met.

>> number one, i am the least anti-semitic person you have ever seen in your entire life. number two, racism, the least racist person. >> what can i say? in the lives of others, that german movie, you can always tell somebody is lying when they use the exact same words every time because they don't want to get hung up. they use the exact same words all the time. >> not only the exact same words all the time. but helpful hint, if someone finds himself constantly -- and i trace this back to 2011 i think is the first time i found the phrase why. do you have to keep doing it? so number one, you got a problem if you find yourself constantly defending your lack of racism. >> i agree. karen bass, congresswoman, let me ask you about this. i think we are americans and we come from a history of slavery and race and jim crow. and i think everybody is a bit tribal. look, it's just part of our being as americans. and everybody, good people fight

it from the time they're born. they work against it. they try to outthink it. they work against all the prejudices of their grandparents. and i got them. i know where they were. for trump to say he is the least, isn't that a little arguing too strongly against the charge? how about saying i am working on it or i've been better than my parents or i'm like a lot of people. i really don't want to be a bad guy. no he is the least, the least racist. i just wonder than as a defense mechanism. >> i wonder about it too. but it also makes me wonder what is racist to him. what does it mean? >> oh my god. >> do you have to be in a sheet? what would it be? and for people who say, try to excuse the words and say well, that's just the way people talk, i remember people saying that about the use of the "n" word years ago too. well, it's just a word. so what would a racist be to trump? who knows. >> he started doing this with neighborhoods, remember? >> exactly, absolutely. >> a new thing for him.

i think he thinks like a really gross land developer who thinks in terms of real estate, not in terms of humanity. congresswoman karen bass, it's always great to have you on. >> thank you. >> also congressman a david jolly from florida and ruth marcus. coming up, according to close friends, mitt romney is running for the senate utah. and now uthere are concerns whether he will be running against trump. a real leader like john mccain has been taking on trump. today we got an early clue that he might be looking to take on the man in the white house. plus, trump promised to be so presidential, we'd get bored. that's not exactly what happened over the past year, you think, then past week noumplt george will is coming here. he is calling trump the worst president we've ever had. doesn't take much explaining. and with the government shutdown looming this weekend coming up friday at midnight, trump is out there blaming the democrats for not getting a deal on daca after he moved the goalpost. he wants more than the wall,

apparently. and what about that nuclear strike warning in hawaii? boy is that scary. finally, let me finish tonight with the handwritten words of the dr. martin luther king from jail in birmingham. i'm going to read some of these amazing words he wrote down on a newspaper he had, because he didn't have any paper in that jail. this is "hardball," where the action is. dad promised he would teach me how to surf on our trip. when you book a flight then add a hotel you can save. 3 waves later, i think it was the other way around... ♪ everything you need to go. expedia. do you want the same tools and seamless experience across web and tablet? yes? great! then you're ready for power e*trade. the platform, price and service that gives you the edge you need. sweet! e*trade.

the original place to invest online. well, against the backdrop of trump's latest controversy, we're hearing more about president obama's views on racism. his comments were taped last fall and released on friday as part of david letterman's new netflix show. my next guest needs no introduction. it was really good. here is part of it. >> it turns out that we come up with all kinds of reasons to try to put ourselves over other people. racism is a profound example of that. but obviously, biologically, there is no actual reality to it other than we made this thing up. we made it up.

over time what happens is because it manifests itself in very concrete ways, slavery, jim crow, subjugation, it becomes a social reality. and it ends up having very real impacts. >> you miss that guy? we'll be right back. liberty mutual stood with me when i was too busy with the kids to get a repair estimate. liberty did what? yeah, with liberty mutual all i needed to do to get an estimate was snap a photo of the damage and voila! voila! i wish my insurance company had that...

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welcome back to "hardball." mitt romney, former governor of massachusetts, and of course the 2012 republican presidential nominee is telling friends he plans to run for u.s. senate from utah. over the weekend, "the new york times" report that utah governor gary herbert, who is eager to find senator hatch's replacement pressed one of romney's closest allies who answered by reading the governor a text from romney that said "i'm running." i guess that's how we do these things. donald trump carried the beehive trump by a small margin. but a majority of republicans support the morman's policy bus are unhappy with his style.

we'll get to that. governor romney i if elected would try to emulate john mccain, even telling the congressional delegation, quote, there's got to be somebody who can stand up to the president. and today he did just that, taking the president to task for his recent comments about immigrants, tweeting, this is romney, the poverty of an aspiring immigrant's nation of origin is as irrelevant as their race. the sentiment attributed to the president is inconsistent with america's history and antithetical to american values. may our memory of dr. king buoy our hope for unity, greatness, and charity for all. i'm joined by the staff writer for the atlantic and dana milbank, for "the washington post." first of all, give me some good news, mckay, and then you. i want to know why romney in the u.s. senate will be good for this country. >> well, first of all i think he does see himself fighting for the is soul of his party. he has been an outspoken critic of trump ever since trump

launched his campaign basically. he is also somebody who has a lot of friends on capitol hill. he has kind of been an elder statesman of the republican party and sees a leadership vacuum in the party that he thinks he can fill. he is not running to stand up to trump, though i think he will do that. he also thinks the republican party needs a leader, and he wants to stand up for the old line, main line republicanism that isn't diagnose represented by the president right now. >> he always offers himself. he went to st. paul and yale. he has that sort of veneer. i don't always like it. but it's okay. can he maintain that sort of i aristocratic veneer, a guy who talked down to the 47% and at the same time talk up against trump? can he do both? >> it's funny. i don't know about the first part. >> i don't like the first part. so get rid of that. >> i don't think he sever going to be the working man's guy. what he is good at. >> and this is true when he was running for president, he is good with battling with felt low 1%ers. on the debate stage with barack

obama, when he gets one-on-one with fellow elites, frankly -- >> but obama beat him. >> of course he did. but remember that -- >> my favorite line. proceed, governor. >> exactly. laying the perfect trap. he is going to be somebody who is going to thrive or at least relish the opportunity to stand on the senate floor and berate the president when he thinks that he has been out of line. >> dana, you're a man of the progressive sort. and i wonder how you look at this guy. because he is going to be a republican. >> mitt romney i think could be my hero. and i think he is doing something very heroic right now. thing is mitt romney's moment. and the country needs him. he is going to have this coronation. he comes into the senate with immediate stature. the leader of the party de facto, if not actually according to seniority. the country's very sick. the republican party is very sick. you've had a couple of brave people like flake, corker, they're gone. mccain is not well.

that party needs to save itself. we need to have a healthy two-party system. they're not going to send a democrat to the senate from utah anyway. >> that's true. that's frank moss who i worked for. >> this is exactly the right moment. and romney is made for this. >> people shouldn't expect him to be like a member of the resistance, though. mitt romney is not going to be out there fighting every piece of republican legislation. >> will he a character out of my favorite political novel advise and consent and stand up to the president? >> i think he will. >> he will vote with the president 95% of the time as orrin hatch did. >> you're killing me. he does have sort of an -- i shouldn't say lds -- sense of humor. he was riding high in 2012 and running for president. he looked great. it was rang. i walked up to him and he was signing his name to some posters. because uknew he had been a missionary. can you say let them eat cake in french?

and he just whispers to me, i can but i won't. during the night during the 2016 campaign, trump hand romney had a very acrimonious relationship, to say the least. let's take a look. >> think of donald trump's personal qualities, the bullying, the greed, the showing off, the misogyny, the absurd third grade theatrics. he creates scapegoats of muslims and mexican immigrants. he calls for the use of torture. he calls for killing the innocent children and family members of terrorists. this is the very brand of anger that has led other nations into the abyss. donald trump is a phony, a fraud. his promises are as worthless as a degree from trump university. >> poor mitt romney. poor mitt. he choked like a dog you. ever seen in athletics? he is a joker. and he walks like a penguin on to the stage.

you ever see -- like a penguin! >> this is the state of american politics. you're a satirist. you can't outdo this. >> no. >> "snl" can't outdo this. this these guys with the penguin the penguin walk and the choke and the choke. and dwlet is ryet there is romne cerebral putdown. >> that's why i think this moment is made for this. isn't america crying out for this? surely conservatives and republicans do not want a president saying that word and do not want a president doing the sort of things he has been doing. but you can't -- you know, the democrats may well take over the senate. but you're not going to have chuck schumer as an acceptable counter weight in the eyes of most americans or many americans to donald trump. you need somebody like mitt romney whose got nothing -- well, he has some glory in doing it. but he is not going to be the president. he may not -- >> he is already 70 years old. >> and there is no reason for him to suck up to the contributors or even the hard right because i think the utahns, you know the culture out

there, the rom nens of the romney family and him personally is so high because he saved the winter olympics out there. he cleaned up that whole thing and made them proud. he gives the lds community real pride. >> absolutely. the first mormon to win a major party presidential nomination. he is a mormon hero. in utah, this is going to be a coronation if he runs. everyone expects he will. and no one is going to run against him, seriously. and that is probably the most natural consistency he'll ever have, right? more so than in massachusetts when he had to pretend to be more moderate than he was. >> yeah, i think you're right. it's going to be good for park city too and all those ski places. they don't have enough snow right now. >> that's right. let me leave it at this. this is good for america. probably going to have counterweight, somebody stands up to trump. >> a republican of conscience may be even more important than electing a democrat. >> i was hoping this would be good news. i hope it is. you're not going get a liberal out of utah. you'd be better getting a fairly

heroic conservative. mckay coppins, i do admire that community in so many ways. mckay coppins and dana milbank, i respect your community too, mill. of "the washington post." donald trump promised voters he would be so presidential we'd get bored with him. you think so? there has been little evidence of the boredom. sometimes you pray for boredom. now saying the president's controversies are causing us to lose respect on the world stage. duh. this is "hardball." stay with us. my hygienist told me to try... ...a mouthwash. so i tried crest. it does so much more than give me fresh breath.

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at some point, i'm going to be so presidential that you people will be so bored. and i'll come back as a presidential person. and instead of 10,000 people, i'll have about 150 people. and they'll say, but boy, he really looks presidential. >> wow. well, welcome back to "hardball" that was donald trump on the campaign trail, promising he would be so presidential that we who are watching him would be bored with him. now trump marks his first martin luther king holiday in office, battling against charges he is racist after reportedly referring to countries in africa as s-hole countries. chuck hagel, president obama's defense secretary had a blunt opinion of those comment, telling "the lincoln journal star" in nebraska, quote, donald trump is doing great damage to our country internationally. he is an embarrassment. in december, my next guest

george will wrote by endorsing alabama senate candidate roy moore president trump sunk the presidency to unplumbed depths. will added trump has taken 11 month rescue of andrew johnson from the ignominee of the worst president. george will joins us now. george, is he the worst president based on his first 11 months? >> sure. andrew johnson was an alcoholic racist who celebrated the klan and disrupted reconstruction. but it was easier to repeal and replace that kind of behavior than it will be to repeal and replace what's being done to the standards of discourse. >> well, the vote in the u.s. senate i recall for andrew johnson when it came to convicting him and removing him from office was rather close. do you think -- yes, it will get that close for trump if the

democrats get control of the congress next year? >> no. he's commit nod impeachable offense. being a lout is not a high crime nor misdemeanor. >> it's not a political crime? >> no. >> so you think he is protected by the fact that he hasn't committed felonies or misdemeanors even? >> heb has commit nod behavior looking forward that impeachment would be used as a prophylactic measure to stop him. >> wow, interesting word. >> the country voted for this. they ought to have the experience intensely and protractly so they're not tempted to do it again. >> you think about the various hats the president gets to wear once he is elected. one of them is sort of head of his political party. one is head of the executive branch, chief executive. one of them is commander in chief. it comes with the title. and it's descended from george washington. and the other is head of state, where he is the very symbol and person of our country. >> no, no, no. >> but that has been the case. >> i know it has.

i think we've begun down the wrong road when woodrow wilson was elected and said the president's job is to interpret the inner longings and personal feelings of the american people. that's expounding the jacksonian desire that i'm the only elected official by the whole country, therefore i'm really special. then came franklin roosevelt who began his fireside chat, dear friends, my friend. he is not my friend. he is my employee. i don't want a president who is a friend. the article 2, chris, of the constitution is very spare. most of the words are about how to select a president or how to get rid of them. his job is summed up in the take care clause. the presidential -- >> how can you say this when we grew up with ike who was a father figure. >> you had a father, chris. how many fathers do you need? >> well, ike was. you didn't have to agree with his politics. but he was a man who won the war in europe against hitler and he came into office as a figure of

respect. and even admiration. and we looked up to him. and of course jack kennedy had that for a while and reagan had it certainly. reagan was a moral leader. you thought. so. >> looking on the bright side, as i am disinclined to do, one of the good things trump is going to do is puncture the balloon of the president that has grown so grotesquely swollen so, encrusted with nonarticle 2 functions to represent our inner lives, to be our moral tutor. nonsense. >> danish prime ministers, boring presidents who don't have any charisma. they don't represent us. they're just caretaker governments. kwo we're going to have people lower than gerry ford, just people who are okay. do you want that? >> wouldn't you look around, wouldn't you settle for okay right? you've got a nonboring president. wouldn't boring be good? >> okay. let's go to the moral issue. he has failed as this as he fails to represent what's in our constitutional and what's in our

declaration of independence, which is equality of all men and women. he doesn't seem to talk like that. as i said a few moments ago, he speak likes a real estate developer. he judges people by the value of their real estate. that's how he thinks. they live in s-holes. therefore they deserve to live in s-holes. therefore we shouldn't let them in our country. that's the way he thinks. >> yes. he is behaving now as he did before he was elected. this is not a surprise. he is an open book who has been reading himself to the country for 30 years. 50 years ago this year, the last populous president who receive electoral votes, george wallace who got six of them said there is too much dignity in our politics. well need some meanness. that is the authentic voice of populism, and it's represented by this president. >> why do they act like lemmings? like north korean infantrymen, they vote with him on taxes.

they support him when he says terrible words in meetings. they lie for him. why? >> because congressional republicans have forgotten their duty, which is to be institutionally loyal. to think of themselves as representatives of the first branch of government, the legislative branch, which is for a reason article i of the constitution. >> do you have hope in romney as a senator? >> sure. >> thank you very much. this show has cohesiveness. thank you, george f. will for coming on. up next, we're perhaps days from a government shutdown. and the president setting up democrats to take the fall for the shutdown. he is blaming them for the lack of progress on immigration reform saying they don't really want a deal. i don't know. you're watching "hardball." m? i have no clue. we're just tv doctors. if this was a real emergency, i'd be freaking out. but thanks to cigna, we can do more than just look heroic. we can help save lives by getting you to a real doctor for a check-up. nurse, this thing's defective. please don't touch that. we are the tv doctors of america. together with cigna reminding you... to go, know, and take control of your health.

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plus savings for everyone in your stateroom, when you book now. during the celebrity cruises sail beyond event. we're ready, willing and able to make a deal on daca. but i don't think the democrats want to make a deal. and the folks from daca should know the democrats are the ones that aren't going to make a

deal, okay. >> welcome back to "hardball" that was president trump down in florida last night blaming democrats for the lack of a deal on daca. he also tweeted yesterday daca is probably dead because the democrats don't really want it. they just want the talk and take desperately needed money away from the military. i don't know what that's about. congress has until midnight this friday night to avoid a shutdown. they can't do it without democratic votes. it takes 60 votes. democrats are demanding a deal to protect daca recipients, of course, the dreamers. republicans don't want to vote for a daca unless it includes border security. the president says it's got to include a wall and the end to a visa lottery system, something else he doesn't want because that means more poor people coming into the country from the places he describes so eloquently last week. while both sides appear to have come close to a deal last week, negotiations were upended following reports on the president's vulgar comment. the round table. they've got to be swift tonight. a lot to discuss tonight. jonathan swan, vivian salama

national reporter for nbc news. and jason johnson, who son a lot, is politics editor for the root and msnbc politico reporter. starting along the line in order, first of all, jonathan, what are the issues between now and friday night to get done and the deal with immigration? >> well, they're not going to get it done by friday night. it's not true that they were close to a deal last week. this group was fated as the bipartisan gang of six, it was a fantasy. it was dick durbin picked the most squishy republicans on this issue, lindsey graham and jeff flake who do not represent their conference. they're very, very moderate and sympathetic on the issue of immigration. and unbeknownst to the hard-liners, this deal was carved out which didn't satisfy any of their demands. >> any deal that will satisfy people like perdue? >> well, you certainly won't by this friday. you certainly won't by this friday. >> vivian, your thoughts. are you as pessimistic? are we going to watch all the parks and zoos close down? >> it's not looking good, chris.

every single funding extension we've seen so far under the trump administration has gotten harder and harder to find a resolution. here you have a very contentious example on the table. immigration is a hot issue, daca especially. so you have the difference in politics plus money involved. it's going to be really -- >> do republicans really want to die on the issue of daca, these kids who were brought here by their parents? they didn't break any laws. it seems that would be the soft most republicans would give on that and say they're not the bad guys. >> you uhave you to think about it in the terms of constituencies, though. the majority of democratic districts are where a lot of these daca ready. it boils down that. especially now we're in the midterm election year thinking is a game of chicken for friday. but it's not just chicken for this friday and the government shutdown. it's really about 2018. it's really about which message is going to work better. the democrats saying hey, this shutdown happened because trump wanted a wall. trump saying this happened -- >> what about the post? it's not as liberal as it used

to be. the lead editorial said cut a deal, give them some wall and get these huge numbers of people, hundreds of thousands of young people protected. isn't that a decent deal? there. >> is a lot of people that really want just the full daca resolution to go out as it was untouched. but the republicans want to rip it up. >> that takes 60 votes. >> that's a lot of money is what it is. that's a lot of money, border security. >> there is the deadline for daca this friday. this is a deadline imposed by democrats and frankly imposed by the democratic base. there are a lot of democrats in states that trump won, claire mccaskill being one of them who feel quite uncomfort kblable. >> those two will be eaten alive. >> will we have a government shutdown friday night? >> yes. >> vivian? >> probably. >> no i think they do it two-week short-term. >> let's go to this question what happened in hawaii. on saturday in the morning, it was eight income the morning. hawaii residents received an

alert that read ballistic mill threat inbound to hawaii. seek immediate shelter. this is not a drill. the message sent hawaiians scrambling. there they all go to a shelter. it ended up being a false alarm. look at that. caused by an employee mistakenly sending the alert out during an internal exercise, a drill. it took the government an astonishing 38 minutes to fix. here is how the president responded hours later. >> well, that was a state thing. but we're going to now get involved with them. i love that they took responsibility. they took total responsibility. but we're going get involved. their attitude and what they want to do, i think it's terrific. they took responsibility. they made a mistake. we hope it won't happen again. but part of it is that people are on edge. but maybe eventually we'll solve the problem so they won't have to be so on edge. >> as harry truman would not have said, the buck stops in honolulu. jason, wouldn't take any responsibility for it.

>> he took no responsibility for it. he could have a said something comforting. >> he is the head of state shirks the head of state. he could say hey, look, we're going to make sure korea is not a threat. if reagan -- >> he did sort of say that. he said we hope it won't happen again, but part of it is people are on edge, but maybe eventually we'll solve the problem so they won't have to be on edge. >> which is like government gobbledygook. i want to hear government say i'll keep you safe no matter the circumstances. >> those people were rung, vivian. >> they were terrified, rightfully. so president trump has a tendency to respond quicker to states where he pulled off a win in 2016. here you have hawaii. >> like texas? >> texas, florida. not puerto rico. that's for sure. not california. and so here you have a situation in hawaii where first of all he did not get a win there. and second of all that. >> also voted against the travel ban. they're one of the states that has voted against the travel ban. i think a number of factors may

be at play here. >> look, i'm not big on this completely, the trump bashing. sometimes i am. what do you make of this playing golf on martin luther king day? treating it as a sunny holiday in florida, not as anything respectful or honoring of a difficult challenge to our country which has been race and civil rights, and it's still a challenge. treated as a day to bass income the sing, first of all, a lot of people do that. not just the president of the united states. a lot of people barbecue. i would rather trump be himself than continue to dishonor martin luther king by giving disingenuous speeches. >> you don't want him at the statue? >> i would rather him not be a statue, i would rather him not be a at museum jumbling throughout threw history. >> your thoughts? >> i don't -- this is who he is. i kind of agree in the sense as -- >> let him be trump. >> let him be trump. but also let him genuinely take some actions to show that he is sympathetic toward the history and will kind of progress our

history forward. >> he is not teaching and he is not progressing. thank you. i'm letting you out of this. the round table is sticking with us. up next, they're going to give me some scoops on this national holiday. but we're here. tell me something i don't know. you're watching "hardball." >> tech: at safelite autoglass we know that when you're spending time with the grandkids... ♪ music >> tech: ...every minute counts. and you don't have time for a cracked windshield. that's why at safelite, we'll show you exactly when we'll be there. with a replacement you can trust. all done sir. >> grandpa: looks great! >> tech: thanks for choosing safelite. >> grandpa: thank you! >> child: bye! >> tech: bye! saving you time... so you can keep saving the world. >> kids: ♪ safelite repair, safelite replace ♪

well, president trump this weekend accused the "wall street journal" of purposely misquoting comments he made during an interview with the newspaper. the journal reported last week

that trump had bragged about being on good terms with the north korean dictator, saying i probably have a very good relationship with kim jong un. well, trump insists he didn't say i, but i'd, meaning he would have a good relationship with the dictator if he wanted one. in sunday, the wall street stated falsely that i said to them i have a good relationship with kim jong un on north korea. obviously i didn't say that they just wanted a story. fake news. well, the "wall street journal" stands by its reporting. both the newspaper and the white house have released the audio in question. you watch. you listen. here it comes. >> as you know, i have a great relationship with prime minister abe, japan. and i probably have a very good relationship with kim jong un of north korea. i have relationships with people. i think you people are surprised. >> i didn't hear that apostrophe d, did you?

i heard i have a good relationship with kim jong un, which is a ridiculous statement. we'll be right back. and reward points on prescriptions. so no matter where you're going or who you are, it's worth the trip. we'll help you find low cost prescriptions including zero dollar copays on select medicare part d plans. walgreens. trusted since 1901.

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we're back with the hardball round table. jonathan, tell me something i don't. >> 2018 midterm elections. >> yes. >> i've noticed are a very dramatic change in the white house and top republicans on capitol hill. two weeks ago a lot of optimism. they were cautiously hopeful about the mid terms after the tax reform. now it's just pure fatalism there is an assumption now they're going to lose the house. >> is that why so many are quitting? >> i think that's part of it. i think a lot of these guys are seeing their internal polls. >> it's no fun being in the minority once you've been in the majority. it's no fun. >> a lot of people are making post career plans. >> and you want to get out in your early 60s while there is still time to do something else in life. that's when they see the chance. vivian? >> a little history lesson. in 1775 benjamin franklin warned of german immigrants coming to the united states. he wanted them to be nowhere

pennsylvania. >> but they were all over pennsylvania. >> thomas jefferson warned that the germans would come and push their language, their habits and their principles of government. 100 years later the anti-german sentiment subside. the chinese were the rejected immigrant population du jour. it was that time friedrick trump immigrated to the united states that man is president trump's grandfather. >> i think in wilson's cabinet who told the germans when we went into war in europe to go back where they came from with their wooden shoes and their rags. i mean, it was really awful. >> it just shows you that we all come from somewhere. >> jason? >> what you do know is last year donald trump made an offcolor joke calling elizabeth warren pocahantas when he was supposed to be honoring native americans. last saturday the senate passed a bill to recognize six american indian tribes in virginia. those six tribes made up the palaton nation. that's where pocahantas came

from. if trump wants to make up for what he said and change an error, they should sign that bill and recognize that nation. >> i think we like pocahantas. we don't want to see it used as a slur word. great predictions for a national holiday. when we return, let me finish up with the words of dr. martin luther king from a birmingham jail where he wrote them by hand. you're watching "hardball." i'm sorry, leo. i know i'm late. traffic on the ponte vecchio on a monday. always late. oh! my wallet! un momento.

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let me finish tonight with words from dr. martin luther king. he wrote them from jail in

birmingham, alabama. the year was 1963. "we know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor and must be demanded by the row other pressed. for now i heard the word wait. this wait has always meant never. we have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and god-given rights. the nations of asia and africa are moving with jet-like speed toward gaining political independence, but we still creep at horse and buggy pace toward gaining a cup of coffee at a lunch counter. perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say wait. but when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim, when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse and kick and even kill your black brothers and sisters. when you find your tongue twisted and your speech

stammering as you seek to explain to your fr 6-year-old daughter why she can't go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that fun town is closed to colored children, and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and see her beginning to distort her personality by developing an unconscious bitterness toward white people. when you have to concoct an answer for a 5-year-old son who is asking daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean? when you take a cross-country drive and find it necessary to sleep night after night in the uncomfortable corners of your automobile because no motel will accept you. when you are humiliated day in and day out by nagging signs reading white and colored. when you're harried by day and haunted by night by the fact you're living at tiptoe stance never knowing what to expect next in our plague with inner fears and outer resentments.

when you're forever fighting a degenerating sense of nobodiness. i hope, sir, you can understand our legitimate and unavoidable impatience." well, on this day for martin luther king, let's get our head and hearts around the reality. that we're either making progress on race or we are falling back. our leaders need to stand for progress. this is me talking, as we've seen as standing against it. saying you're not a racist is not enough, mr. trump. and that's "hardball" for now. thanks for being with us. "all in with chris hayes" starts right now. tonight on "all in" -- >> no, no i'm not a racist. >> the president finally answers his critics. >> i am the least racist president you have ever interviewed. that i can tell you. >> as his allies carefully parse what he said in the oval office. >> i'm telling you, he did not use that word. >> i didn't hear that word either. >> i don't recall that specific phrase being used. >> tonight the pushback on that. >> i am stunned that