>> i didn't know whether we would make 2 through the show. at times i didn't know whether it was a show but it's over. thanks for watching. "hardball" starts right now. >> frenzy. let's play "hardball." good evening. i'm chris matthews in washington as the indictments and plea deals in the mueller investigation mount with increasing speed, the president of the united states has entered an almost frenzied state of response trying everything he can to deflect away from himself. there were 14 tweets from him over the weekend about russia calling out the fake news, democrats, and the fbi. there were nine tweets including five today trying to blame russian interference on his predecessor barack obama. 'accused obama of failing to

confront russia, apparently side stepping the past 18 months of his own denials that russia even me met dld in the election. he thought crooked hillary was going to win and he didn't want to the rock the boat when i won the electrol college account whole game changed and the russian excuse became the narrative of the democrats. he left out the fact that russia interfered to help him, donald trump and hurt hillary clinton. according to trump, obama didn't do enough to stop russian involvement. again, this line of attack is remarkable considering before the election, donald trump was himself calling on russia to get involved in our elections. here was trump in july, 2016. >> russia, if you're listening, i hope you're able to find the 30,000 e-mails that are missing. i think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press.

>> meanwhile, his press secretary sarah huckabee sanders denied what is clear to anyone who has been watching, that president trump has denied russia's meddling in the 2016 election. here was sanders today. >> does the president now acknowledge what the special counsel ziptz made clear which is that russians not only tried to meddle but interfere and influence the 2016 election? >> absolutely. the president has acknowledged that multiple times before. it's very clear that russia m meded in the election and clear it didn't have an impact on the election. >> maybe she should tell that to her boss. here's what some of what donald trump has been saying for the last year and a half. >> i think it was russia, but i think it was probably other people and or countries, and i see nothing wrong with that statement. nobody really knows. >> do you ever notice anything that goes wrong, they blame russia. russia did it. they have no idea.

we're being hacked because we are people that don't know what they're doing. >> no, russia did not help me. okay? russia, i call it the russian hoax. one of the great hoaxes. actually, that's the thing i was thinking about. that's the thing that the democrats did best. >> ashley parker, from the "washington post," eugene robinson from the "washington post." both are m subpoena np bc political analysts and jonathan allen, national political reporter for nbc news digital. ashley, what is going on with trump? when sarah sanders came out today, she actually said something i didn't believe. she said basically the president's always admitted that there was russian meddling in the election. where did she get that from? did he say go out and tell us that when he's been denying it forever? >> let's be clear. the president has not always admitted there was russian meddling or russian interference in u.s. elections. that's wishful thinking on the

part of sarah sanders. you know, the thing is that this president basically, whenever the topic of russia comes up and their interference, he views it if he admits they interfered in the u.s. elections, it would be a referendum on the legitimacy of his own presidency. and that's why he is so unwilling repeatedly to ever say that russia did in fact do what his intelligence community says it did, what members of congress say, which is try to interfere and again, that's what we saw in the tweets, him trying to blame his predecessor, president obama, the democrats, basically anyone but himself for not taking stronger action against russia. >> gene, here's a little psychobabble required here. does he think that he can create his own fact? that he can tell the country the russians didn't involve themselves in the campaign despite all the evidence, his own calling for them to do it

during his discussion of the hillary e-mail? >> why should that fact be different from all the other facts he creates? crime is rising, rising, rising till i get into office. the economy's terrible till i get into the office. >> the fbi sucked till i got here. >> exactly. so sure, he thinks he can create that. really want to get into psychobabble, he projects all the time. so when he says you know, russia didn't help me, it's what he's basically saying is well, russia did help me and or what he knows is that russia did help him. >> is it a fear, i mean, i don't know, roosevelt once said don't mention rope in a family where there's been a hanging. russia to him is a scare word. >> ashley just said he worries he's going to be discredited by any admission russia was involved in the election. >> but they were involved. >> the risk now is an that he will discredit his presidency by not acknowledging what roberter

mueller and everybody else knows. if he doesn't acknowledge that and go after russia, that risks his ability to stand up for the united states. be worried about the election that's already won and behind him being discredited seems like a smaller worry than risking the president sill being discreted. >> he tweeted i've been much tougher than obama. look at the facts. total fake news. sarah sanders defended that statement. let's watch. >> i can tell you that the president has been stream extremely tough on russia. he helped push through $700 billion to rebuild our military. russia is not excited about that. he's helped export energy to eastern europe. i can assure you russia is not excited about that. at the has upheld sanctions that the obama administration put in place. he's upheld those. >> he criticized obama, he criticized the fbi. he didn't even criticize vladimir putin.

>> he has been tougher on russia in the first year than obama was in eight years combined. >> the obama administration imposed sanctions and even reportedly signed off on a cyber operation against moscow. for its part, the trump administration said it would not impose additional sanctions introduced by congress. his own fbi director christopher wray said the president hasn't directed the fbi to take a single action against russia, not a single action. could let's watch. >> has the president directed you and your agency to take specific actions to confront and blunt russian influence activities that are ongoing? >> we're taking a lot of specific efforts to blunt. >> directed by the president? >> not as specifically directed by the president. >> not as specifically directed by the president. trump's reaction to the interference has been move on. watch. >> i think we should get on with

their lives. the computers have complicated lives greatly. the whole age of computer has made it where nobody knows exactly what's going on. i believe that president putin really feels and he feels strongly that he did not meddle in our election. what he believes is what he believes. what i said is that i believe he believes that. that's very important for somebody to believe. i believe he feels he and russia did not meddle in the election. >> okay. here's the question, christopher wray spoke under oath today and had to say what the truth was. he was asked by a democratic senator on that committee can you mention any case where the president told you to go after russia in terms of their going after us in a cyber war. he said an can't think of one. where does that leave the president with his top security guy saying we've not done nothing? ashley? >> well, it's a tricky situation

because sarah sanders did lay out some actions this administration has taken against russia, but they are basically all operating within in a war seemingly, a different sort of war but a war against russia without the support of their commander in chief. that is an incredibly difficult role for the intelligence community to be in, for any of his aides and advisers to be in, and it's a topic they know that he is uncomfortable with. so it impacts the information they bring him. we did a story here about how his national security team and other advisers are less likely to broach the topic of russia with him for fear of angering him and that's obviously not a good situation if this is one of our largest geopolitical threats. >> gene, i want to get some analysis here and this is it. as this advice tightens on the president and people are coming pleas and going after manafort and manafort is squeezed to go after trump, they're going after

him, feels that he can see what's being done by the special counsel. in though, he won't say a word against russia. what is keeping him from doing what would look good? he would look good feld take a couple shots at put fin. why doesn't he do it? >> what we've been talking about, he will not acknowledge anyway had even that much help from russia in winning the election. the other potential question is, what business dealings did he or the trump organization have with russians and who might have the funny money. we don't know anything about that. we know that robert mueller has some of the world's leading experts on money laundering in his crew. they're going to, if there's anything there, they're going to find it. >> is the number one star witness against trump vladimir putin? is that what he's afraid of?

he's got pictures, documents, he knows it all. if trump has done any dirty business, putin knows about it. you look at the guy, he's a kgb officer. you think he would have a problem hurting somebody like trump? look at the look. this guy knows how to turn the thumb screws. >> tigers run from him. apparently american presidents do. >> how would you like to see him in an open factor where there's nobody else around but him? >> i wouldn't. look, vladimir putin has turned enemies in a lot of different ways whether they're other countries or domestic political foes and ways in which the united states we don't do things. we don't know what's kompromat -- >> wouldn't say a word against that man. >> he will not. he's clearly petrified of him. why is another question. >> maybe not. thank you, ashley parker. great reporting for tomorrow. eugene and jonathan, coming up another new indictment in the russia investigation.

robert mueller charged a lawyer today who worked with paul manafort and rick gates with making false statement statements. is he trying to tighten the advice? it's a way to get the trump. does mule ter need manafort to make a collusion case? he's acting like he needs him for the kill. plus, after the deadly massacre last week, measures want nud gun control laws by 2-1 in the latest polling. now trump's son don junior is urging his dad not to the go wildly on guns. it's the country against don junior. oh, my god. anyway, we're going to get the nra, it makes me sick. t and pennsylvania's nonpartisan congressional map is a boon for democrats. they may pick up six seats just in pennsylvania. let me finish tonight with nelson man la, the man he trusted to be his successor. this is "hardball" where the action is.

than our name suggests. trusted to be his successor. this is "hardball" where the action is. e la, the man he trusted to be his successor. this is "hardball" where the action is. la, the man he trusted to be his successor. this is "hardball" where the action is. for birthdays. for turning over new leaves. and we make them for every moment in every corner of the country. we are the coca-cola company, and we're proud to offer so much more. you wouldn't accept from any one else. why accept it from your allergy pills? flonase relieves your worst symptoms including nasal congestion, which most pills don't. flonase helps block 6 key inflammatory substances. most pills only block one. flonase.

president trump today also lashed out a woman accusing him of forcibly kissing her. rachel crooks came forward with her story during the 2016 election alleging trump kissed her repeatedly without her consent when she was working as a receptionistnist trump tower. "the washington post" published an article recounting her story. trump responded a woman i don't know and to my knowledge i never met is on the front page of the "washington post" saying i kissed her. never happened. who would do this in a public space was live security cameras running? another false accusation. while trump denies it took place, it matches up with what he said on that "access hollywood" tape. >> you know, i'm automatically attracted to beautiful -- i just start kissing them. like a magnet. when you're a star, they let do you it. you can do anything you want.

>> whatever you want. >> grab them by the [ bleep ]. >> i think that was a surveillance microphone. we'll be right back. come on dad! higher! higher! parents aren't perfect, but then they make us kraft mac & cheese and everything's good again. we know that when you're spending time with the grandkids every minute counts. and you don't have time for a cracked windshield. that's why we show you exactly when we'll be there. saving you time, so you can keep saving the world. >> kids: ♪ safelite repair, safelite replace ♪

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welcome back to "hardball." days after the explosive indictment of 13 russians there's a new charge in the special counsel's probe that relates to the case against former trump campaign chairman paul manafort and his former deputy rick gates. it could be part of a larger strategy to squeeze paul manafort into the cooperating with prosecutors. today, alex vander squaun zaun, a lawyer pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements about his communications with rick gates. as a former london-based employee of skadden arps, vander squaun zaun worked with manafort and gates on behalf of the ukraine union government in 2012. he lied about speaking to gates and another person in september of 2016 and surreptitiously recorded the calls. the development could put even more pressure on manafort since

the los angeles times reported on sunday that gates coz testify against him. manafort, that's according to people familiar with the case. both gates and manafort were the indicted last year in connection with their work in ukraine. according to the "associated press," manafort potentially faces up to, catch this, 80 years in prison. that is if he doesn't decide to cooperate with the special counsel. i'm joined by ken dilanian. let's start and work backwards. 80 years, ken and kim. 80 years they're hanging on this guy if he doesn't help bring down trump. that's the wait i see it. how do you see it, ken? >> we're reading tea leaves. i agree with your assessment. 80 years is the maximum. it's about 13 years under the glinlz still a long sentence paul manafort is facing. what's interesting about this case is that you would think that robert mueller already has a very strong case against paul

manafort and rick gates. these men are under indictment for money laundering charges and failure to register as a foreign lobbyist. this lawyer has pleaded guilty to making a false statement about his conversations with gates and what experts tell me, witnesses lie to investigators all the time. they don't often prosecute and file these charges. they do so when they want something out of the witness. it stands to reason this young lawyer has something to give about paul manafort and rick gates because the ultimate end game is for mueller to flip manafort and get him to talk about what he knows about potentially collusion between the trump campaign and russia. >> i believe the domino theory in this case. they'll go to vander zaun to get gates, to get to manafort and trump. that's the dominos right across. >> they're doing a careful job following the facts. in this instance we have a plea deal with somebody who lied to the special prosecutor days

after the manafort indictment was handed down. timing is actually pretty significant and in addition, we have someone who ties the manafort ukrainian steer to the campaign itself, right in the white house has been saying listen, this is all information, has nothing to do with the campaign. we have these conversations he lied about taking place in september of 2016. that's also significant. >> back to this question, did they pay people in the trump campaign to change the republican platform on ukraine? >> that's certainly not set forth anywhere in this. >> anyway, manafort could be a key witness in a case to show collusion between the trump campaign and russia. he was among the three top campaign officials to attend the june 207816 meeting with the russians at trump tower arranged on the promise of kremlin dirt on hillary clinton. had short lit thereafter, manafort offered private briefings to a russian oligarch about the progress of the trump campaign and among the earliest

to deny that the campaign was responsible for the change made to the 2016 convention platform that weakened the language on u.s. assistance to u craik then being threatened by russia. let's watch. >> everybody on the platform committee had said it came from the trump campaign. if not you, who? >> it absolutely did not come from the campaign. i don't know hop everybody is. i guarantee you nobody that was on the platform. >> nobody in the trump campaign wanted that change in the platform? >> no one, zero. >> a republican delegate to the convention later told npr the trump campaign was involved in that change. manafort offered a similar denial when it came to donald trump's business relationships with russian oligarchs. >> so to be clear, mr. trump has no financial relationships with any russian oligarchs. what's that he said. that's what i said. that's obviously what our position is. >> well, that wasn't too strong. there's plenty of reporting showing trump had several

previous financial ties to russian oligarchs. he still hasn't released his tax returns which would reveal the extent of ongoing relationships. i guess they're still under audit. >> well, they're under audit supposedly. there are provisions within the justice department rules for a line prosecutor and certainly mr. mueller to get them. presumably, he's had them for a while. >> they're playing "hardball" to use the phrase i'm familiar with. almost like they're going after al capone, going to one guy to get the next guy to get to the president. does this suggest to you they need to get manafort to talk to make their case on collusion, it's that important they've got to go to van der zwaan to get to guaaets and manafort? it's that important they have to go through this domino effect? >> no necessarily think so. we don't know what additional information they have to build a case. what's interesting about this particular document setting forth the crimes of plaintiff

vander zaun, it skates the conversations that he lied about had to do with the threat of an indictment by the ukrainian government against mr. manafort and against the law firm of the lawyer. and so that does create a question as to motive. motive potentially to play ball with the putin team. >> why could vander zwaun lie a that conversation with gates. >> it's a total mystery. his legal career is over. he's going to be disbarred. going back to your point about manafort, he was one of the few experienced politicians to join the trump campaign but he had a history of entanglements with russians and ukrainians and paid $60 million by this russian ukrainian party. you nailed it. he was offering private briefings to this russian oligarch during the campaign. he was sitting in that trump tower meet when incriminating

information was offered. he could be the key to the extent there is any evidence of collusion between the trump campaign and russia, he could be right in the middle of it. >> people are forgetting what a big deal manafort and stone was in the city. ray major consulting firm. roger stone, this is quite a trio. covered all the bases. when you brought him into the trump campaign, you were bringing in a heavyweight. i expect heavyweights do heavyweight business like winning elections and maybe the russian connection was their plan. ken, we'll find that out in the history books. ken dilanian, kim what iing, great reporting. up next, new polling out late this afternoon shows americans back catch this an assault weapons ban by 2-1. 2-1 they want to stop the ar-15s from getting out to kids and anyone else. will congress have the guts to act? you bet. you decide. we'll ask lawmakers on both

sides, will congress get them out of the hands of every kid and perhaps every adult? this is "hardball" where the action is. okay folks! let's team up to get the lady of the house back on her feet. and help her feel more strength and energy in just two weeks yaaay! the complete balanced nutrition of (great tasting) ensure with 9 grams of protein and 26 vitamins and minerals. ensure. always be you.

2-1 they want to stop the ar-15s this is "hardball" where the we"

earlier today, three more families said good-bye to their teenage children. lives cut short by last week's tragic school shooting. amid that sorrow and grief, the victims now turned advocates are demanding action from local and national politicians.

but they face stiff winds, headwinds in tallahassee down in florida and even stiffer winds in washington. florida governor rick scott has an a plus rating from the nra because he has consistently opposed new restrictions like longer wait times for gun purchases. in 2011, the republican state legislature down there passed a law that would prevent local leaders from passing their own gun control ordinances even imposing a $5,000 fine if they did so. then there's the president himself. the "daily beast" reports trump's eldest son is telling the president to not waiver on his pro gun stance whatever the impassioned calls for reform. close quote. despite that, the white house says trump is supportive of improved background checks. the president they also announced he has ordered jeff sessions to draw up regulations banning bump stocks. >> just a few moments ago, i

signed a memorandum directing the attorney general to propose regulations to ban all devices that turn legal weapons into machine guns. i expect that these critical regulations will be finalized. >> according to a new quinnipiac poll with the country, support for a nationwide ban ot sale of semi-automatic assault weapons is the highest it's been since the sandy hook massacre, 67%, two-thirds support such a ban on these ar-15s used down there in that shooting. in parkland. only 29% oppose it. that's the setup. 67% get rid of these guns, 29% keep them. outrage by the status quo some of the students there are looking to 0 politicses to actually do something. >> politicians who sit in their gilded house and senate seats funded by the nra telling us nothing could have been done to

prevent this we call bs. >> we know what we're up against. the nra has a lot of politicians in their back pocket but as long as politicians continue to get money from the nra, we're going to vote them out. >> for more, i'm joined by tim ryan from youngstown, whi. and republican congressman charlie dent from bethlehem, pennsylvania. let me ask you, where are you on the ar-15 which is 9 gun of choice of these school shootings? mr. ryan? >> at the very least, they need to be limited. you can't let 18-year-old kids go out there and get these kind of guns. that should be the first step as we start limiting the ability of certain people to get these things. >> it you would put a national age requirement of what? to get an ar-15. >> you got to figure it out like these kids in florida were so articulate about. you can't buy a beer but you can

go out and buy one you have these, you know, assault weapons. to me, that doesn't make any sense. >> beer is 21. ar-15s is 18. what do you think of those numbers? >> i mean you're a length late tore. legislate. what do you think we should have as a number? i know it's tough. this is "hardball." that's what i do here. should we have an age limit on buying these school shooting weapons which are designed to mow down humanity? that's what they're for, not for shooting deer or squirrels. they're for people killing in mass numbers quickly. that's what they're for. light, easy to use, easy to purchase. should they be? >> no, i mean, they should -- as i said, i mean, age is one issue. i think just to take a half a step back here, chris, i think we've got to get out of the

polemic and figure out what is it that we can all agree on to take some basic steps the congress has failed. the president seems like he's taken a half measure here with the bump stocks. that's good. >> i'm a big fan of yours. take a step. what's the good step to take? you're a member of congress. what should be your first step? >> i appreciate that. first and foremost, chris, we've got to get out of in that the nra somehow represents all of the sportsmen. they are a powerful political organization that won't budge a half an inch. but i will tell you as someone who was just on a duck hunt with our oldest son a few weeks ago, that there are a lot of law abiding people who like to hunt, who own guns who are just as appalled as everybody else by what happened in florida, what happened in sandy hook and everywhere else. we've got to appeal to those people who are reasonable to get

them in the debate because if you look at nra membership alone, they have a 70 plus percent approval for a universal background check. so the nra does not represent their own membership. >> we don't have one. >> before we start this. >> what's that? >> we don't have one. >> have one what. >> do we have an effective background check right now? >> there's the gun show loophole, for example, where you don't have to -- you sell person to person which is what happened to the cop who's got killed in columbus, ohio, a few with weeks ago. that was one person sold to another person. these are the kind of things that happen without getting a background check. that is a big first step we could take. we've got to pull those people into the discussion. >> let me give him a chance. mr. ryan won't come out for a ban and wants an age limit. you have to be 21. where are you on the ar-15?

are you nor that or not? are you for some kind of age limit requirement to buy an ar-15? >> is that question to me or to tim? >> i thought tim wanted back in. either one of you. are either one of for a ban on the ar-15. >> go ahead, charlie. >> chris, in order to buy a pistol in this country individual has to be 21 years of age. we should look at this issue of making sure an 18-year-old can't buy a high-powered i'll say ar-15. we should make that conform with the pistols. i would also tell you, we should also focus what we can do in congress. let's do this. let's ban the bump stock. let's have universal background checks for all private saes. we did this in pennsylvania in 1995 with tom ridge as governor and with a republican general assembly. we brought the nra, gun control groups, and law enforcement together in a room and we

expanded background checks for private sales of pistols. we should do that. we should take up susan collins' legislation on the no fly list with due process rights. you've got this issue with cornyn and murphy that would essentially the fix that would require information be transmitted into the national instant check system. there are things we should be doing for greater gun safety. >> a 21-year-old age requirement for the ar-15, is that one of them? >> i would make that can consistent handguns 21 years of age. i don't have a problem with that. >> i think it's a state issue. >> i want to go back to mr. ryan. i know this is important politically. do you want to make a statement you're for some kind you have ban on age requirement? the reason i push this, this is the weapon used absolutely predictably and consistently in all these shootings in schools, the weapon these young kids go

for. they know about the ar-15. it's easy to use. you buy it in the store. there's nobody going to stop you. all you've got to be is 18. what do you think? >> no question. i agree with what congressman dent just said. again. >> reporter: know we're narrowly focused on just the gun. but there were so many problems that happened in the last week in florida with people reporting. we have mental health issues which we hear a lot of our republican friends talk about. this is a mental health issue. yet, both of those repeals, both of those repeals threw about 20 million people off their health care, got rid of medicaid expansion. many of those people on the medicaid expansion would be able to get the mental health treatment they needed. this is a comprehensive deal. the other piece is we've got to start connecting these kids back to the community, back to their school, back to their classroom through things like social and emotional learning in the classroom so these kids, how

does a kid get so isolated? you have this kid but you have thousands of kids committing suicide every single year. >> let's just call it quits on the republican focus on emotional and mental because we all know it's already started with marco rubio. they want to execute this kid. they think he's a criminal. so they'll use the mental and they'll use the emotional for a day or two to keep it away from guns. next time it will be about punishment, they'll go for capital punishment. it's a shell game, nothing to doing with emotional or mental illness. they'll want to fry this guy. you know how they think. they'll want to execute him. they don't believe it was mental illness that caused this. it's not convenient to their ideology. thank you tim ryan of ohio and u.s. congressman charlie dent of pennsylvania. up next, democrats just got a big boost in their bid to retake the house of representatives in

november. the latest congressional map finally levels the playing field for democrats in pennsylvania. no wonder president trump hates it. you're watching "hardball." i let go of all those feelings. because i am cured with harvoni. harvoni is a revolutionary treatment for the most common type of chronic hepatitis c. it's been prescribed to more than a quarter million people. and is proven to cure up to 99% of patients who've have had no prior treatment with 12 weeks. certain patients can be cured with just 8 weeks of harvoni. before starting harvoni, your doctor will test to see if you've ever had hepatitis b, which may flare up and cause serious liver problems during and after harvoni treatment. tell your doctor if you've ever had hepatitis b, a liver transplant, other liver or kidney problems, hiv or any other medical conditions and about all the medicines you take including herbal supplements. taking amiodarone with harvoni can cause a serious slowing of your heart rate. common side effects of harvoni include tiredness, headache and weakness.

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welcome back to "hardball." democrats have high hopes to retake the house this year especially the house of representatives. the key could lie in the keystone state pennsylvania. the pennsylvania supreme court on monday, that's yesterday, issued a new district map for the 2018 midterm elections to have effect this year ordered after the high court ruled last month the district boundaries were unconstitutionally gerry mandered. they were. under the old maps, republicans had consistently won 13 of the state's 18 u.s. house seats even though it's pretty much even steven in that state. "the new york times" reports the democrats couldn't have asked for much more from this new map

where a half dozen republican held districts moved to the leftern dangering several incumbent republicans one of whom may be doomed to defeat. if the map holds, those six seats could make a quarter of the seats the democrats need to take the house come november. the new mapp map draws districts to draw maps with counties. with no snake-like maps meant to maximize republican advantage. that's particularly the case in southeaste philadelphia. let's bring in jonathan capehart from the "washington post," sabrina sidique from the guardian and jamal simmons. the facts speak for themselves. the court has done the democrats a good deed by evening it up. they've set it up so it probably will end up probably you know, 9-9 something like that perhaps. you can bet the numbers. >> it looks good on paper for

democrats as you read. but the key thing for dras is, getting voters to go to the polls to make what looks good on paper reality when it comes to election night. and that means both harnessing the anger against president trump that's out there among the democratic electorate and also matching that with an agenda that speaks to. >> have you seen that agenda yet? >> i think we see bits and pieces. >> it's called a better deal. >> what's what it's called. i do think that democrats have to push for -- tell constituents what they would do if they were given the majority. and once they do that, then i think people will start to. >> talk about women in suburbs. these new districts are all competitive now. delaware county, chester. they're all the areas trump was supposed to get killed in but women and their mixed attitudes about hillary clinton last time

didn't go the way it was expected to, '16. >> first and foremost, trump won pennsylvania by less than a percentage point. now you will have a map more reflective of the political makeup of the pennsylvania electorate. that is a boon for democrats. they have a set of competitive districts. a lot of 2016 was more of a hypothetical, women didn't like trump's tones. there were a lot of disqualifying comments he made. they had this deep rooted resentment toward hillary clinton and didn't think trump would remain that way if elected to higher office. >> that was very hopeful. >> now i think the question is, do they have buyer's remorse now that they've seen what the first year looked like. >> have you met anybody who's changed? i'm skeptical about changing. > we're skeptical of change. if anything you've seen it's been women of color who have driven account turnout for democrats. >> it's about hope over realism.

>> i think, chris. >> we're talking '18 now. >> courage and vision is what people are looking for out of democrats. this is one of the tough moments. you have to stand up as a democrat and say what you believe in, make your case. >> that's tough in states like ohio and pennsylvania. >> people respect you even when they disagree. maybe you might lots. if you want to be a national party, you have to have the courage to stand up for what you believe in and have a vision to get people to have an aspirational goal. >> we had a great senator from pennsylvania, joe clark. he came out against guns. he got blown away. >> here's one thing about these new districts in pennsylvania. and i think in the 435 districts around the country that are up this year in the house. democrats cannot make the mistake of nationalizing these races. they must let their democratic candidates run the race that is suitable for their perspective for local politics. >> that's your way of looking at the race in western

pennsylvania, lamb against dra coneny. you would say to lamb don't go national. >> democrats have been totally staying out of race as they did in alabama. it hurts the democrat to have chuck schumer show up in his district. >> trump will be a factor in all the races. >> we're coming back with "hardball" and the roundtable. now is the time to discover yours. you can find out where you get... ...your precision... ...your grace... ...your drive. and now, with more than 150 ethnic regions to connect to, only ancestrydna can put your greatness on full display. save 30% now at ancestrydna.com.

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no satellite needed. we're back with the "hardball" roundtable. we've asked each of our roundtable guests and regulars to tell us which african-american figure has inspired them the most. let's start with jonathan. >> so mine be clarence jones. clarence jones is a lawyer who was martin luther king's lawyer during the civil rights movement. you see him with president obama. the significance of clarence jones, is that he was the person who smuggled letter from a birmingham jail out of the jail from dr. king where dr. king through a newspaper that clarence jones smuggled into the jail, king wrote in the margins in between ads and things like that. the other thing about clarence jones is that when they were trying to come up with the bail money, the kennedys and kings

group coming up with the money to get the birmingham kids out of jail, clarence jones went into the vault of chase manhattan bank in rockefeller center with the vice president from the bank to walk out with a suitcase of cash to be a part of that bail money. now clarence jones is. >> harry bellefonte helped bobby. >> i wanted to speaking about rescue taylor aches sharecropper from alabama who in 1944 was abducted and gang raped by six white men. she was threatened to be killed if she spoke out at all. eventually two all male all white grand juries never indicted one of her assailants even one of them confessed to the crime. it took a half century for her to receive an apology from the state of alabama. her story has doesn't rounds again against the me, too movement. it spoke to some of the barriers particularly facing women and women of color and for those of us now who feel galvanized by the movement it's a testament to

the adversity that of they faced generations before we came to a place where we feel empowered to speak out about our own harassment. >> my person is coleman young. you like people like tip o'neill, this is a guy who ran a city. 20 years most of my life when i was growing up. coleman young was fearless. did he things like diversified the legal community, the bond community inside the city. he helped the first african-american own a cable network. for a kid around the time of black panthers where kids are watching what's happening, i grew up in a place surrounded by african-american who's had leadership positions. a lot of the it was because of someone like coleman. >> i'm loving this. when we return, let me finish tonight with a man nelson mandela trusted to be his successor at head of south after exam you're watching "hardball."

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this. in 1994 i coughed the first all races election in south africa. i saw the people of that country elect nelson mandela as their

leader. it was a thrilling moment for that country and in many ways for the world. why? because the very symbol of white supremacy had ended its reign. what began with a victory had come to an end peaceably. the people were going to have a democratic government. it was a thrilling time. not only did i get to cover the elections but i had the honor of attending a private mass that morning with archbishop shop tutu in his 60s. it was the first time he had been allowed to cast a ballot in his own country. the great promise then lay with mandela. his 27 years in prison had given him a dignity recognized worldwide. he was without doubt the most honored figure among the black majority of his country and around the world. when he knew it was time to step down himself, he wanted to pass the leadership of his country to one man, cyril ramapough sa. he had the character to carry on, the savvy to bring his country huge promise into a new

century and into a just dynamic democratic society. last week this man hon mandela trusted to be his successor became the new president of south africa. i hope with a full heart we the people of the united states can find ways to help this new leader reach his ideals for his country and hope that american companies make a strong commitment to train local people to make american ine-a true contributory that country's life. i spent two years of my life as a piece corps volunteer in swaziland. i know the challengers. i also know that the more local people become entrepreneurs the better the chances for a just successful future of south africa. today that future rides on the political smarts of cyril ramapoza who mandela trusted to bring the dream alive. god bless africa. that's "hardball" for now. thanks for being with us. "all in with chris hayes" starts

right now. >> tonight on all in. >> feel like you were treated fairly sir? do you feel set up in some way? >> the 19th indictment and the fourth guilty plea in the mueller investigation as the white house looks to blame russia's election interference on obama. >> he has been tougher on russia in the first year than obama was in eight years combined. >> plus, new questions about jared kushner's appetite for classified information without a full security clearance. >> nothing that has taken place will affect the valuable work that jared is doing. >> then new allegations of trump campaign money used to cover up an alleged affair. and mitt romney is running for senate. >> donald trump is a phony. a fraud. >> but guess whose endorsement he just accepted. >> you cannot let mitt romney in this race. he's a joker. >> when all in starts right now. >> choked like a dog.