our police should get the death penalty. bring it forth. one of the most alarming crimes taking place against our police are ambush attacks. think of that. ambush attacks. i have directed the justice department to do everything in its power to defend the lives of american law enforcement. we are honored to be joined today by the family of detective miyosit's familia. detective familia was a proud member of the new york police

department. thank you so much. can you come up here? come up here, please. i'd like to have this family. new york police department close to my heart. come on. can you open those gates, please. [ applause ]

[ applause ]

>> i promised i wouldn't tell you she's 90 years old, but she is really something. you look like 55, maybe. 55. i'll tell you what, you got up those stairs better than i did.

thank you. thank you. >> i'd like to honor you. >> great guy. friend of yours. >> he was my partner. >> oh, wow. fantastic. >> i just want to say the officer just -- say something. i'd like you to do, say how great. he's done this before. say how great. you told me this was great partner. >> that was unexpected. yes. my name is officer mar. i was detective partner. the night she was killed. i knew her for about ten years.

i worked with her on and off. this is a woman who got injured a while ago and volunteered to come back to patrol to one of the roughest places in new york city. she volunteered to come back to leave a cushy job to come back to patrol. she had only been there two weeks. she may have been lost that night but she saved a lot of lives in turn because of her memory and everything that transpired after the fact. she was an incredible person. this family is incredible. thank you.

>> thank you very much. these are special people. special, special people. i wanted to tell you that last year just a few hours after the city of new york celebrated the fourth of july detective famila was on duty in her vehicle not far from yankee stadium. big yankee fan? you're all yankee fans. she was ambushed by a man for the simple reason that she was a member of the police department. she was a member of law enforcement. that was the simple reason. the attack because she was so incredible was just looked upon so horribly.

her family when people met the family, they saw what an incredible person she was. i just want to say that to your entire family, it's such an honor to have you up here. we weren't going to bring you up, but i looked at you in the audience and i said you have to come up because you're representing something so important. you understand that? she loved this department. she loved being a police officer. she loved her job. she was respected by everybody. they told me all about her. she was respected by everybody. she's right now, right there and looking down and she's so proud of you. she's so proud of you. you are great. you are great. thank you very much. stay. we'll go down together, okay. i told them to stay. we'll go down together. i'm almost finished. we'll go down together. to all the families here today

who have lost a loved one, i'd like to ask you to all please stand. please stand. you lost mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, sons and daughters and america lost incredible heroes. they will endure forever, forever and ever fp you know that. she will endure forever. in our memories and harts aeart the countless lives their touched. through their courage and grace. their legacy will never die. your mom's legacy will never, ever die. you have good genes. best genes i've ever seen. in a moment we will listen to

the roll call of these great fallen officers as we read the names of your loved ones, we engrave engrave them into the eternal chronicle of american valor and when that siren blares, when the squad car races down the street. when the police officer steps forts confident and proud and strong, so brave in that crisp blue uniform, we'll think of u you. we'll think of your incredible daughter. we'll be thinking of her. woel be thinking of the heroes we lost and thank god pr the men and women of law enforcement.

thanks again to our wonderful police, our sheriffs and law enforcement and law enforcement officers. god bless you. god bless our fallen heroes. god bless their families and god bless america. thank you. thank you very much. >> good day. i'm andrea mitchell in washington. president trump speaking at an annual tribute to fallen police officers at capitol hill. he talked about first lady melania trump. he said she's doing well. he praised her doctors and said they did a fantastic job. next, he'll be heading to lunch meeting with senate republicans.

we begin with anger boiling over in the middle east with more clashes at the israeli border with gaza and across the west bank. the white house is blaming hamas for the deaths of 60 palestin n palestinians including eight children. a historic break with 70 years of u.s. policy. his daughter and son-in-law doing the honors at the official ceremony on monday. the palestinians say this is part from -- today the u.n. security council is holding an emergency meeting about the violence with turkey and europe and major gulf nations condemning the move and the white house laying the blame squarely on the

palestinianprotesters. let me start with you, richard. how are things in gaza today? what is the latest? >> reporter: so where i am it's now just about ten minutes after 7:00 in the evening. the protests here have been going on for the last four or five hours or so. it's just starting to get dark. people are starting to leave this area. there's the perception that once it gets dark it will be too dangerous to stay here for the palestinian protesters. while they have been here, they have been approaching the israeli border fence which is not far from where i am now. they have been pushed back by flight after flight of israeli drones. these are small drones that have been dropped bomblets per time. dropping them into the crowds to push people back. there's a primitive air war going on here. something that i haven't seen

before with the israelis using tear gas carrying drones and the palestinians using kites, just paper kites to which they attach a burning candle and cut the string and send this flaming object over the border into israel with the hope of catching crops on fire or some structures in israel. quite a primitive conflict but fairly effective because the israelis have managed to clear out this area. in the middle of all of this, this back and forth, the leader came here. he was here a short while ago. he arrived with a group of supporters. there was a lot of excitement. a lot of pushing and shoving among supporters. they started shouting and cheering. he said that president trump and netanyahu will not establish the rights of the palestinian people.

they have the right to jerusalem and said that president trump and prime minister netanyahu and their policies can go to hell. >> hamas and their leader have been roundly criticized and correctly be my sides for not helping their own people. also by the lack of leerdship of their own people. that's all superceded. international attention on the fact the u.s. has moved its embassy and set off these palestinian protests. >> reporter: that is right. hamas is not blameless in this. people here in gaza feel they

are in prison. their economic situation is terrible. they can't leave to the south by egypt. they can't cross that border and go into israel. they can't trade and with their economy so bad, many people are frustrated. they are exploding. they are directing their anger where ever they can. the reason i keep looking up is there's one of these drones hovering in sky. it's dropped a series of these bomblets. people are rushing to them to see if they can pick them up which is a very unpleasant and dangerous thing and try to throw them over the israeli border fence at the israeli soldiers on the other side. we have been seeing this kind of thing happening all day. generally they will drop too low. that was the first one and here is the second one. luckily we are up wind from

this. they are angry with israel for keeping them pinned in here. now they are angry with the united states for, in their opinion, not being a fair arbitor of the middle east process. >> i know you've got a helmet and you've got a gas mask. might be appropriate. you know better than i. please be careful. >> reporter: keeping it handy and close. >> in the west bank, we have amin. you've seen this spreading anger at the united states. utterly predictable. we knew this was going to happen.

at this stage, how can the united states be an honest broker when i was at in jerusalem when the decision was announced and why should the palestinians come back to the table. they left in 2014. >> reporter: the reality of ha is happening on the ground sums of the difference of the the two different palestinian approaches. you have hamas and other militant groups that have organized the only way to achieve palestinian independence is with armed resistance.

they also at one point dealt with israel directly and the americans directly. somebody who has denounced violence to standards of international appeasement. all of that has not improved the quality of life for palestinians. those in the west bank who live here under israeli occupation, who sl watched settlements grow, who have seen israel and palestinian authority cooperate on the security front, they will tell you that their life is not getting better. as a result they cannot longer to commit to an american sanctioned or international sanctioned peace process.

>> reporter: that's a very difficult question to answer there's no many variables. you can see the palestinian people really frustrated, very disenfranchised by what's happened with the international community. on one hand the conditions are ripe for that anger to spill over into protest. there is also a growing sentiment, a generation of palestinians now who are saying there's a third alternative. they don't want to see the kind of clashes, the loss of life they know is going to happen. it's with the help of the international community through what is called bds. you're seeing more of a grassroots eft fort. even 20 states inside the united states have tried the past

anti-bds legislation. they are arguing that neither approach with the americans has actually changed their occupation that's lasted for a better part of several decades here and as we have been talking all day about the 70 years of the catastrophe of the palestinians trying to find independence and liberation. >> thank you. the funerals today for some of the 60 who have been reported dead. joining us now peter alexander at the white house. the white house and unlike any of the predecessor white houses

that i've known, democratic or republican not calling on both sides to be more cautious and staying back but saying it's entirely a palestinian problem. >> reporter: this is what was most striking from the briefing here. today saying the common thread lashing out at iran, saying the common threads is iran and all those violent incidents throughout the region from yemen to syria and to what we have witnessed taking place the last 24, now 48 hours approaching specifically in gaza and in israel. what does that mean for the peace process going forward. the white house was pressed on this yesterday. they suggest they don't believe this will have any long term impact but is indicated by reporters in the region right

now there's heavy skepticism by the palestinians that the u.s. can be honest brokers in any peace going forward. the white house making it clear when asked whether a plan would be released or when any plan would be released for peace in that region. it would come out at the appropriate time. what was notable to me as well is that nikkc nikki haley tried distance the opening. saying it's much bigger than that. this is a marker. it's much wider than that. >> the palestinian said, as we see the president walking with mitch mcconnell along the corridor outside mcconnell's office, past the ohio clock. they will be having lunch.

hold on. not sure. we'll catch up on what that question was. did you hear it? >> reporter: i don't know. there's a lot the people will focus on in this conversation he's having with lawmakers. most notably the fact we heard from more republican senators expressing their frustration this white house hasn't been more clear in publicly apologizing for those private comments of one of the president's aides behind closed doors. the white house expressing more concern about the fact it was leaked. the president tweeting that he's angry about the traitors and cowards responsible for these leaks more than any concern about the actual words that were uttered behind closed doors. >> they'll be having the hundred mp and talk later when they come out. thank you.

it's great to see you. we're seeing a real breaking point in relationships and in the u.s. role. the u.s. has always been the fall back mediator. according to all reports, we no longer are. >> a lot will depend upon whether the administration can still come out with plan. the irony is at this point, much more will have to be expected to have the plan than might have been the case before and precisely because the decision on jerusalem. now you have to be much more specific on jerusalem than might have been the case otherwise. what was done was long overdue. had it been put in the context of plan then the palestinians and the arabs who you want to be supportive of them would have had a political explanation for being responsive. now because of what's happened,

we'll have to ensure they have much more to be able to point to. in some ways the expectations will be higher in terms of what will be provided to the palestinians and the arabs in jerusalem itself. >> the art of the deal always spoke about gaining chips at the table taking a tough position and then the fall back position. in this case the fall back position has already been ruled out. the obvious position was to somehow divide east jerusalem which is arab from the rest of jerusalem which is predominantly jewish and figure out how to divide the holy sites. >> you have about 300,000 palestinians who live in the eastern part of the city but you have israelis who live in the eastern part of the city. when the president announced the decision, he said he was not recognizing the boundaries of israelly sovereignty in jerusalem because that would

still be negotiated. >> all i'm saying is this, if you have to have a chance to have the arab world respond and the palestinians respond, the plan will have to be presented will have to be seen in their eyes as giving enough on jerusalem to say this is something serious. in change way had this been part of the plan or in a sense been done in way that the president was shown as saying we're not prejudging because we realize palestinian claims that have to address negotiation, what the administration would have been something much more general. now it will be much more specific. >> nikki haley trying to put everything on iran. this was predictable. it was palestinian based in terms of the anger. by blaming iran she's trying to

sweep up the saudi arabia, the other enemies of iran into support for this. the real victim here is king abdullah. i was in iman when vice president pence went in january and king abdullah chewed him out and america out. that are more open with israel. by isolated abdullah this way if this blows up, his country is the palestinian state de facto.

>> the question is how did you prepare the ground for it. the very arab leaders you need to be part of the partnership and interested in it, they have to have an explanation. >> in the case of king abdullah where a significant part of the kingdom is made up of palestinian, he had to be in a position where he could say the reason we're responsive to the americans is they are providing something for the first time that might allow the palestinian to fulfill aspirations. there needs to be, you still might be able to recoup but it does put a greater premium on the plan. >> saying you can't do this to the palestinians. we've lost europe on another issue.

we're isolating ourselves. they did make an effort to reach out and address the concerns that were being raised. in the end we pull out of deal any way. that puts him in a position where right now they have an interest in creating an incentive and an interest in demonstrating some difference from us. >> perfect solution. it's great to see you. thank you very much for being with us today. >> my pleasure. coming up, plugging the leaks. are more personnel changes on the way in the white house? my day starts well before i'm in the kitchen.

i need my blood sugar to stay in control. i need to shave my a1c. weekends are my time. i need an insulin that fits my schedule. ♪ tresiba® ready ♪ (announcer) tresiba® is used to control high blood sugar in adults with diabetes. don't use tresiba® to treat diabetic ketoacidosis, during episodes of low blood sugar, or if you are allergic to any of its ingredients. don't share needles or insulin pens. don't reuse needles. the most common side effect is low blood sugar, which may cause dizziness, sweating, confusion, and headache. check your blood sugar. low blood sugar can be serious and may be life-threatening. injection site reactions may occur. tell your prescriber about all medicines you take and all your medical conditions. taking tzds with insulins, like tresiba®, may cause serious side effects like heart failure. your insulin dose shouldn't be changed without asking your prescriber. get medical help right away if you have trouble breathing, fast heartbeat, extreme drowsiness, swelling of your face, tongue or throat, dizziness, or confusion. ask your health care provider if you're tresiba® ready. covered by most insurance and medicare plans. ♪ tresiba® ready ♪

"i have antivirus, but my computer's still slow..." "i think it's time for the fixmestick." fixmestick is a plug-in virus removal device. it's the smart, simple way to clean an infected computer, with a whole lot going on inside the stick... [computers sound] "this one got around the antivirus software!" "not a problem." "we're on it." and because it connects to the internet, fixmestick it's always up to date.

searching one topic. that will generate over 600 million results. and if you've been diagnosed with cancer, searching for answers like where to treat, can feel even more overwhelming. so start your search with a specialist at cancer treatment centers of america. start with teams of cancer treatment experts under one roof. start where specialists use advanced genomic testing to guide precision cancer treatment... ...that may lead to targeted therapies and more treatment options. start where there's a commitment to analyzing the latest research and conducting clinical trials-to help each patient get the personalized cancer care they deserve. start at one of the cancer treatment

centers of america hospitals near you. the evolution of cancer care is here. learn more at cancercenter.com/experts the fall out from the leak of a white house aide's cruel joke about john mccain health is entering into a fifth day with the president setting the tone by refusing to apologize. sweeting the so called leaks coming out of white house are massive exaggeration put out by the fake news media in order to make us look as bad as possible. leakers have traders and cowards

and we'll find out who they are. welcome both. in that one tweet, there are no leaks that's the fake news media nar narrative. >> the fact is right now he is having lunch with the senate republican lunch group and bill, you've been there many times with the vice president when you were with vice president. somebody will say something about john mccain. mitch mcconnell visited cane can last weekend and went on the floor yesterday to say what a hero he is. >> it will be interesting to see if the president apologizes to the senators for what one of his staff said about one of their colleagues. he's not one to apologize but this would be wise.

i think it would win some good will among senators. he's not one to apologize and he himself pretty rude to john mccain, to say the least, in the campaign in 2015. he doesn't have much for pows. he hasn't really apologized to that either. >> he never did. john mccain who is known as tough and cranky and heroic and brave, all of the above in politics. we've all had our wonderful experiences and our mix ups with him. i don't think there's any republican who hasn't had a fight with him. the president's response in the arizona speech after he voted against the obama care repeal knowing that he was suffering from brain cancer. >> there are few people like john mccain and we were talking about this before the show that do evoke such respect on both sides of the aisle. he really does rise above politics in that way. the fact that no apology came

from this white house and nor do we expect one because they don't apologize and have tried to change it more about this woman who said the comment being more of victim of leak than just issuing an apology for what she said. really comes from the top. this is the president. this is how kneels. this is how he treats people. he does it from the podium in arizo arizona. he does it every day in the white house. there's a reason this white house leaks on people like that because number one, he's a leaker. number two, that's their only way for negotiating for level setting what's happening in that white house. it's the only way they feel like they can hold them accountable. >> that tweet is amazing. the leaks are exaggerated but we'll punish the leakers. he said their traitors. the entire team is a commu

communications staff. i believe there's no obama holdovers holdovers. he's accusing his own white house aides of not making a mistake but of being traitors. it's a loaded word. >> imagine who that applies to in this white house. they all leak. at the most senior level they leak. is he calling this entire white house traitors. he better be careful that he's not biting off more than he can chew here. he's made these accusations before and nothing has come of it. is he really going to fire the leaker but not fire this woman who said such a terrible thing about a man and his family who are suffering. >> young people experience people in that area. give them pass. that's a little different if they are helping the country in certain ways but to be on the communications of political staff of this white house, what excuse is there at this point. you're advancing a program that

shouldn't be president. he's attack iing. >> said there's going to be more personnel changes. >> does that mean that kellyann conway is going to change jobs? >> it's a single person ever going to resign from this white house. it's like playing with matches. this is not the way the government's business is supposed to be. it's supposed to be conducted. >> we've all been here for a long time. i've worked for two white houses. bill has nevworked for a white house. we've never seen this level of leakers and never seen leakers talking about why they leak.

this comes from the top. donald trump sets the tone and everybody is reacting to him. >> thank you both so much. no leaking here. we're all on camera. president trump's abrupt decision to bail out major chinese phone maker stunned top u.s. officials including his own commerce secretary. sowing confusion ahead of high stake trade negotiations. the president tweeting on sunday he is working with china's phone maker zte back into business fast. the telecomm giant has been deemed a national security threat for cyber war and stealing intellectual property. maybe you can explain when you have a company that's been deemed a national security

threat as recently as today by a top intelligence official getting this kind of break from a president who campaigned on exactly the opposite and only right after a day or two after a major deal. $500 million deal. was it $500 million or 500 billion dollar deal for the trump organization? >> well, it is curious. i think here is an example where the president's twitter account got ahead of american policy because what the president tweeted out sunday is really a fundamental repudiation of everything he stood for in the campaign. everything he stood for as president over the last 16 months. this company, zte, has violated united nation sanctions and american sanctions on north korea and iran. it's been black bailed by the united states government. for the president to say we need to save these jobs in china, it doesn't make any sense.

you have to think that the government, the commerce department will have to walk this back. it's not going to stand. it won't go down well with the congress or the american people or the american business community or common sense, frankly. >> what about that $500 million deal. they can say it's separate, but not to take any advantage for his private business once he became president and now the trump organization is getting this huge real estate deal with china? >> this is why -- i'm not an expert on this and i'm not judge and jury but it is why all of our modern presidents going back decades have effectively put everything they own in a blind trust. all senior federal government officials do that. you have to be transparent about separating your personal assets from government business. obviously president trump is refusal to do that has

encountered lots of problems both on the china side and russia side. that's for others to figure out but it's not wise to put yourself or the presidency in this position. >> marco rubio, other republicans speaking out about this. what about the incoherence in our trade and other foreign policy. on north korea we have gone from january 2nd talking about nuclear buttons this this transformation. a lot of people say it's a better policy but the fact is the mood swings, if you will, toward china, north korea and the decision in the middle east to living up to a promise. it's against all the best advice. we believe in free markets. we believe in free trade around the world. he's repudiated that.

he's not been a strong supporter of nato or even our east asian allies. he's not been a strong supporter of immigration and refugees. those are three fundamental building blocks of american power since the second world war that everybody has agreed to. he's overturned them. that's what disturbed people. now a series of actions. the iran deal, the jerusalem decision. the climate decision where he tears a policy down. he removes us from a situation and yet doesn't have an alternative. i think he's weakening american power in the process. you saw that with this very misguided decision on jerusalem moving our embassy yesterday. >> thank you so much. coming up, never having to say you're sorry. trump meeting with john mccain's republican senate colleagues. we'll talk about that, coming up. s begin. yes or no? do you want the same tools and seamless experience across web and tablet? do you want $4.95 commissions for stocks, $0.50 options contracts?

$1.50 futures contracts? what about a dedicated service team of trading specialists? did you say yes? good, then it's time for power e*trade. the platform, price and service that gives you the edge you need. looks like we have a couple seconds left. let's do some card twirling twirling cards e*trade. the original place to invest online. let's take a look at some numbers: 4 out of 5 people who have a stroke, their first symptom... is a stroke. 80 percent of all strokes and heart disease? preventable. and 149 dollars is all it takes to get screened and help take control of your health. we're life line screening... and if you're over 50... call this number, to schedule an appointment... for five painless screenings that go beyond regular check-ups. we use ultrasound technology to literally look inside your arteries... for plaque which builds up as you age- and increases your risk for stroke and cardiovascular disease. and by getting them through this package, you're saving over 50%. so call today and consider these numbers:

for just $149 you'll receive five screenings that could reveal what your body isn't telling you. i'm gonna tell you that was the best $150 i ever spent in my life. life line screening. the power of prevention. call now to learn more. i'm alex trebek, here to tell you about the colonial penn program. if you're age 50 to 85, and looking to buy life insurance on a fixed budget, remember the three p's. what are the three p's? the three p's of life insurance on a fixed budget are price, price, and price. a price you can afford, a price that can't increase, and a price that fits your budget. i'm 54. alex, what's my price? you can get coverage for $9.95 a month. i'm 65 and take medications. what's my price? also $9.95 a month. i just turned 80. what's my price?

$9.95 a month for you too. if you're age 50 to 85, call now about the #1 most popular whole life insurance plan, available through the colonial penn program. it has an affordable rate starting at $9.95 a month. no medical exam, no health questions. your acceptance is guaranteed. and this plan has a guaranteed lifetime rate lock, so your rate can never go up for any reason. so call now for free information. and you'll also get this free beneficiary planner. and it's yours just for calling. so call now.

you might or joints.hing for your heart... but do you take something for your brain. with an ingredient originally found in jellyfish, prevagen is the number one selling brain-health supplement in drug stores nationwide. prevagen. the name to remember. president trump is having lunch today. a closed door meeting with senate republicans. mid term elections are on the agenda. with distasteful comments about a white house staffer will clearly be on anyone's mind but

will anyone of the senators stand up to the president for mccain. welcome. they may not raise it to the president's face, maybe they will. some of those who are retire frg the senate but it's on everyone's mind. >> reporter: it is. it's impossible to overstate the way people here are feeling about john mccain in what people see as his twilight. it's viewed whether you've tangled with him in the past or disagreed sharply. there is a deep abidesing affection and respect for all that he has accomplished and lived through. i think there's been quite a great deal of afront. there's be many private conversations regarding the anger that many people feel toward the white house for being so callous in this.

i think you're right it's probably less likely than not to come up in this meeting directly to the president's face. i think that's partly, i had one senator who is close mccain say that wouldn't be what the family would want. they wouldn't want this to be twisted again in the press. i think you may look for that. in these situations, you really just never know. >> just to a point you know well as does michael, the issue mccain raised in his letter and his comments about gina haspel, which annoyed this white house ai aide was about gina haspel's comments that she refused to say torture is immoral. now she has written a letter saying that exactly that. she would never do it and it should not have happened. she's gone beyond her testimony in a letter to mark warner, the vice chair of the committee with the vote coming tomorrow.

michael steele, let's talk about the role of the vice president. the vice president is the president of the senate and is involved with senate republicans to a great degree as well as the rest of the hill. now criticism from some leakers i would say inside the white house that the vice president is being too forward leaning and leaning over backwards. to praise the president because he's setting up his own parallel republican re-election strategy. >> look, there's an inherent tension in the role of the vice president. the last political role that president will ever play. the vice president had to think about the future. we've seen this in the past with past presidents like h.w. bush when he was preparing for his run for president. he's a steadier, more consistent republican, a steadier and more consistent republican hand than the president himself, far more experienced. >> is there an additional threat because the president is in a

first term so he's not a lame duck president, but he's in his first term and you've got the mueller investigation and the implication that, well, if something happens to him, you know, i'm not going to -- >> i think it's -- >> pence is potentially saying, you know, wrap it up, robert mueller. he was the highest level person to say that. being the front man to pressure mueller and defend the president when he's actually just protecting his flanks. is the argument against him by these leakers. >> sure. i think there's no question that the president would prefer to have nothing but -- would prefer for all these questions to go away. the mueller investigation to go away. all the speculation that he may not finish his term. all of that to go away. but it's the reality we're living in. that's what everyone has to deal with. >> michael steele, kacie hunt, on duty there. the moment the president comes out, we'll be hearing from you, of course, right here on msnbc. coming up, on the mend, the latest on the first lady's

recovery. she's doing well. (vo) why are subaru outback owners always smiling? because they've chosen the industry leader. subaru outback holds its value better than any other vehicle in its class, according to alg. better than rav4. better than grand cherokee. better than edge. make every adventure a happy one with subaru outback. get 0% apr financing on the 2018 subaru outback.

when other snacks just can't satisfy. ahh! ♪ your wing nut has you covered. ♪ hi. ♪ introducing planter's crunchers. a nutty crunch inside a flavorful crunch. ♪

sure. mom,what's up son?alk? i can't be your it guy anymore. what? you guys have xfinity. you can do this. what's a good wifi password, mom? you still have to visit us. i will. no. make that the password: "you_stillóhave_toóvisit_us." that's a good one. [ chuckles ] download the xfinity my account app and set a password you can easily remember. one more way comcast is working to fit into your life, not the other way around. well wishes are pouring in for first lady melania trump who white house officials say is resting and doing well. we heard the president say she's doing well. she underwent a surgical procedure to treat a benign kidney condition. we don't know more details. the president tweeting this morning the first lady will

leave walter reed medical center in two or three days. let's get the inside scoop from nbc's kristen welker. as well as ann guerin, white house correspondent, and dan stein, msnbc contributor. what are they saying, how is she doing? >> i spoke with the first lady spokesman who said, look, she is doing very well, she is resting at walter reid medical center, eager to make a full recovery. and of course what was striking was last night the vice president said this was a long-planned procedure. i asked the first lady's office if that was, in fact, the case. they're not commenting, andrea. what we do know, though, is this was a treatment for a benign kidney condition. that is how the white house is describing this. and, again, the president saying she'll be at the hospital for another two or three days. this surgery was essentially one week after the first lady

unveiled her new initiative, her be best initiative, which of course aimed at children and anti-bullying, anti-opoid abuse, mental health initiative rolled out by the first lady. it comes at a time when we've really seen the first lady become more visible. she was by the president's side when he welcomed those detainees home from north korea. also spearheaded the first state dinner. so bipartisan calls today for a speedy recovery for the first lady, andrea. >> and ann guerin, this is the first time we've had a medical procedure that we know of since of course nancy reagan, who had breast cancer, betty ford had breast cancer. there haven't been very many serious medical conditions for first ladies. >> yes, there's not -- and there's not a protocol for what to do. i mean, if it was the president, there would have been a, you know, presumably an announcement, a pool would have gone, a press pool would have gone with the president. at least at so many point, would have been informed of what was

happening. we didn't find out that this had happened at all. until after the procedure was over. and, you know, there's a -- that opens another question. who deserves to know what about the first lady's health and medical condition. >> there are privacy issues certainly. i must say that betty ford was -- set the standard, because you have pictures, video, of president ford at the time. president ford at bethesda in his wife's hospital room. she's in bed in a flannel and quilted robe. i'll never forget those pictures. he's sitting on the side of the bed. and she's talking about breast cancer which was not even talked about on television or in movies at the time. so it was a real breakthrough. she and then nancy reagan and being public about their medical -- >> first of all, obviously, everyone hopes the first lady makes a speedy recovery and this is, indeed, benign.

my second thought is about how in these moments there are opportunities. mostly educational opportunities. i remember vaguely angelina jolie using her own medical ailments to essentially educate women about breast cancer. i don't know if there's anything of the level that rises here or if there's even an opportunity to do something similar. but these are important moments. there's imagery associated with them. and it can be an opportunity to educate the public about certain medical conditions. >> sam stein, ann guerin, thank you. we all wish her well. and to kristen welker. that does for this edition of "andrea mitchell reports." i want to thank the staff and administrators at the university of pennsylvania, all that they did yesterday. they honored me when i gave the commencement address to the class of 2018. i was humbled to receive an honorary degree. it takes a lot of people to put something like this together. to all the students and their families, many, many thanks. and in particular to the staff of a great university. chris jansing is up next, right here on msnbc.

hey, chris. >> dr. mitchell, congratulations. >> how about that. >> and thank you, andrea. >> completely unearned. >> that is not true. good afternoon from msnbc headquarters in new york. i'm chris jansing in for craig melvin. elephant in the room. right now, president trump is in a closed meeting with republican senators on capitol hill. but everyone seems to be talking about someone who's not in that room. senator john mccain. it's the first face-to-face between the president and many of mccain's colleagues who are demanding an apology for a white house aide's crass comments. plus, voice of the people. the road to the democrat's control of the house would run through pennsylvania. can they pull it off? the polls are open right now. key races that we're watching. and power struggle. reports say vice president mike pence may be flying a little too close to the sun. how the president's allies are pushing back to meet the spotlight on the man in