it's been almost two weeks since election day and president trump is still calling it a tremendous victory for him and the republican party. in california firefighters are making progress against the deadly wildfires but the number of people unaccounted for continues to climb. the cia concludes that the saudi crown prince ordered the killing of jamal kashoggi, but president trump maintains that the crown prince told him he had nothing to do with it. ♪ great being with you on this

monday, november 19th. i'm frances rivera alongside louis burgdorf. we begin with more racing called. democrats extended their gain in the house adding 37 seats to their caucus with three still undecided. that number goes along with significant gains in state governments all over the country. democrats won the national popular vote in the house by at least 7.7% according to the cook political report. they estimate that number could go as high as nine points. but in an interview with fox news, president trump insisted that the election was a far greater victory for republicans. >> i won the senate and that's historic too. because if you look at president's in the white house, it's almost never happened where you won a seat. we now have 53 as opposed to 51. that's a tremendous victory. nobody talks about that.

that's a far greater victory than it is for the other side. i wasn't on the ballot. >> you kept saying -- >> i said look at me -- >> you said pretend i'm on the ballot. >> i have people that won't vote unless i'm on the ballot, okay. and i wasn't on the ballot. >> as for the president's claims about a historic victory, the last republican president george w. bush gained two seats in the senate in the first midterm election of his presidency. after saying for months he was willing and eager to still with special counsel robert mueller for an interview, president trump is saying that will most likely not happen. the president said he will soon be turning over his written questions to the special counsel. >> your team is preparing written answers to questions about -- >> not my team. i'm preparing written answers. i'm the one that does the answer.

yes. are they writing them out? they're writing what i tell them to write. >> are they going to be submitted? >> very soon, yes. i completed them. >> you are submitting written answers to the special counsel about the issue of collusion, but not on obstruction of justice. >> well, there was no obstruction of justice. >> if i may -- >> i think they'll probably agree with you. >> is that your final position, that there's going to be no sitdown interview and nothing, written or in person, on obstruction? >> i would say probably. i mean, i can change my mind, but probably. >> no interview? >> i think we've wasted enough time on this witch hunt. the answer is probably. we're finished. >> a hundred -- >> i don't do odds. >> you ran a casino, sir. >> you're right, very successfully actually. >> the president was asked about

criticism from admiral william mccraven. last year he said trump's attacks on the news media represent the greatest threat to american democracy he had ever seen. trump hit back suggesting mcgraven should have found osama bin laden sooner. >> former head of u.s. operations -- >> hillary clinton fan. >> special operations -- >> excuse me, hillary clinton fan. >> who led the operations that took down saddam hussein and killed osama bin laden says that your sentiment is the greatest threat to democracy in his lifetime. >> he's a hillary clinton backer and an obama backer. >> he was a navy seal. >> it would have been nice if we had gotten osama bin laden a lot sooner than that. living in pakistan, beautifully

in pakistan in what i guess they considered a nice mansion. i don't know, i've seen nicer. >> mccraven i did not back hillary clinton or anyone else. i admire all presidents regardless of their political party who upholdd dignity of the office. he said i stand by my comment that the president's attack on the media is the greatest threat to democracy in my lifetime. the deadly wildfires in california are mostly contained as officials work to locate the nearly 1,000 people still unaccounted for. president trump toured the towns hardest hit including paradise, a city that for the most part has been completely wiped out. he vows to help the state. experts and elected officials say he doesn't really understand

what's causing the fire as he continues to blame poor forest management. >> i was watching the firemen the other day and they were raking areas where the fire was right over there. they're raking little bushes that you could see are totally dry, weeds. they're raking them, they're on fire. that should have been all raked out. you wouldn't have the fires. >> what about the argument that it's climate change, it's drier, hotter and that's contributing? >> maybe it contributes a little bit. the big problem we have is management. >> i think we're all on the same path. we do have to do management, maintenance and we'll be working also with environmental groups. i think everybody's seen the light. i'm committed to make sure that we get all of this cleaned out and protected. got to take care of the floors, you know, the floors of the forest, very important.

you look at other countries where they do it differently and it's a whole different story. i was with the president of finland and he said we have a much -- we're a forest nation. he called it a forest nation. and they spent a lot of time on raking and cleaning and doing things and they don't have any problem. >> experts say fires have been fuelled by record drought conditions, changing climate and high winds. on top of all that, the president of finland says he briefed the president recently on his country's forest management but did not recall mentioning anything about raking. it has been almost two weeks since election day and republicans are claim victory in the florida senate and governor recounts. democratic incumbent bill nelson conceded defeat yesterday after a second recount lift him trailing rick scott by about 10,000 votes. in the race for governor andrew gillum has conceded for a second time to republican ron desantis.

according to the "new york times," desantis has grown frustrated with the attacks on democrats believing it will erode confidence in elections. that's according to two florida republicans who have spoken with desantis in recent days. i want to bring in politico's daniel litman. good to have you to kick off this monday morning. let's talk about these victories in florida, what that means for the president going forward. >> obviously florida and states like ohio, they're very crucial for the presidential election. i think this also underlines the poor state of the florida democratic party. now they only have one state-wide office holder who is

the newly elected agriculture -- bill nelson didn't run the best campaign compared to rick scott, who put in $50 million of his own money. this stunning fact stood up, which is that 30,000 people did not actually vote in the senate race on the ballot in broward county because the way the ballot was designed made it hard for them to see that race compared to the governor's race. i think democrats have to focus on ballot design a little bit more. >> i want to talk about the president visiting california this weekend, certainly making head license of his own. overall are these trips net positive or net negative for the white house considering you have

this whole raking comment and the president of finland saying i have no idea where he got that idea from. >> i think it's inevitable sometimes for president trump to get these types of attacks in terms of what he says on specific details. but net net i think it's good that he actually showed up, because remember he criticized california for the way it treated its fires and he threatened to cut off federal aid, which would have been crazy when it's dealing with one of the worst fire seasons ever. even gavin newsome and jerry brown said they feel like trump has their back and is going to do everything he can to help the state recover from these devastating fires. trump has to be a little more mindful of what he remembers

about his interactions. still ahead, the cia concludes that the saudi crown prince ordered the killing of jamal kashoggi. what president trump has to say about that. later the president might have a new nickname for the incoming likely house chairman adam schiff. incoming likely house chairman adam schiff. ♪ the united states postal service makes more holiday deliveries to homes

than anyone else in the country. ♪ with one notable exception. ♪ unpredictable crohn's symptoms following you? for adults with moderately to severely active crohn's disease, stelara® works differently. studies showed relief and remission, with dosing every 8 weeks. stelara® may lower your ability to fight infections and may increase your risk of infections and cancer. some serious infections require hospitalization. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you have an infection or flu-like symptoms or sores, have had cancer, or develop new skin growths, or if anyone in your house needs or recently had a vaccine. alert your doctor of new or worsening problems, including headaches, seizures, confusion and vision problems. these may be signs of a rare, potentially fatal brain condition. some serious allergic reactions and lung inflammation can occur. talk to your doctor today, and learn how janssen can help you explore cost support options. remission can start with stelara®. explore cost support options. - [narrator] meet shark's newest robot vacuum. it powerfully cleans from floors to carpets, even pet hair, with ease, and now for cleaning surfaces

above the floor, it comes with a built in shark handheld. one dock, two sharks. the shark ion robot cleaning system. the united states postal service makes more holiday deliveries to homes than anyone else in the country. ♪ with one notable exception. ♪

welcome back. nbc news has learned the cia has concluded that saudi arabian crown prince ordered the killing of jamal kashoggi, according to a person briefed. the saudi kingdom continues to claim that mbs had no knowledge of the operation, despite several of his top aides being involved. the kingdom's explanation for the killing has changed at least six times since october 2nd, maintaining he left the con l e

consulate on his own and then claiming he was killed using a drug. president trump addressed the situation over the weekend. >> we haven't been briefed yet. the cia is going to be speaking to me today. we have not been briefed yet. as of this moment, we were told that he did not play a role. we're going to have to find out what they have to say. >> will you confirm that the crown prince was responsible for that? >> we're taking a look at it. we also have a great ally in saudi arabia. they give us a lot of jobs, business and economic development. they have been a truly spectacular ally in terms of jobs and economic development and i also take -- you're not president. i have to take a lot of things into consideration. i spoke with our cia director, who's terrific and very knowledgeable and been studying

this very closely and we'll be having a full report over the next two days, probably-month-old or tuesdprob or tuesday. >> contrary to the president's comments, the "washington post" reports that trump has already been shown evidence of the crown prince's alleged involvement in the killing, although he remains skeptical and is looking for ways to avoid pinning the blame on mbs, according to several presidential aides. >> a month ago you said you had spoken with saudi crown prince mohammed bin salman and he told you he had no knowledge of this. >> that's right. and still says that. >> we now know some of his close es advisors were part of this. did mbs lie to you, sir? >> i don't know. who can really know? i can say this, he's got many

people now that say he had no knowledge. >> what if the crown prince, speaking to you, the president of the united states, directly lied to you? >> he told me he had nothing to do with it. he told me that five times as recently as a few days ago. >> do you just live with it because you need him? >> well, will anybody really know? >> i want to bring in correspondent for nbc news international cal perry. cal, good to have you with me. let's talk about the dynamics when it comes to the united states and saudi arabia and the reluctance the president has in pointing the finger at mbs. where does the situation go from this point on? >> i think the analysis that you hear most on american television is that saudi arabia needs the u.s. more than the u.s. needs saudi arabia. that's not true if what the u.s. wants is what donald trump and the people around him want. there is an open hatred against iran. iran is sort of the stated enemy

of the united states among this strange's officials. that is certainly new when it comes to american diplomacy. you have yemen, which is a point of contention for the united states and the world community. the u.s. just stopping to fuel jets over yemen. some 130 kids a day are killed in yemen, which is at the brink of famine. the saudis do not do diplomacy, frankly. they do economic strength. they're muscling palestinians out of the haj, the pilgrimage to mecca by changing some of the pass recoport regulations in an around riyadh. what you've seen is sort of a very mild sanctioning of 17 saudi officials.

i don't think it's likely you'll see anything more. >> especially after he says he hasn't been briefed yet despite some of the evidence that has been presented to him already. cal perry, thank you. stick around. let's switch gears here and get a check on your weather with nbc meteorologist bill karins. bill, a frigid thanksgiving week forecast. >> it's crazy. november, what happened? it was a long summer in areas of the east. then like the shortest fall ever. winter's been with us for the last couple of weeks. we start this morning with light snow in northern wisconsin, snow and rain mix in indiana and ohio, and flurries and showers in central massachusetts just north of springfield. this storm in indiana and ohio is going to move today toward the northeast. tonight, cold enough for a snowstorm. we're going to get accumulating snows from the mass pike north wards through the catskills and

berkshires. in maine, this area in pink is six inches of snow. you're going to be getting a foot of snow between last week's storm and this one too. much to ha here's the timing of this mess. 8:00 a.m. this morning that rain/snow line here just north of columbus. then we take it through pennsylvania. the road temperatures will probably be warm enough that it won't accumulate until this evening. you'll wake up to snow tomorrow morning. the southern ha at 8:00 p.m. it's just about all gone. as we go throughout this week ahead, after we get this snow event in the northeast tomorrow, then we get the coldest air mass of the season coming up. >> winter officially starts the 21st of december? >> oh, it already started.

>> thank you. still ahead, lebron returns to miami, where he simply to be torches the heat. torches the heat ♪ the united states postal service makes more holiday deliveries to homes than anyone else in the country. ♪ with one notable exception. ♪ this is not a screensaver.game. this is the destruction of a cancer cell by the body's own immune system, thanks to medicine that didn't exist until now.

and today can save your life. ♪ ♪ dad: oh, hey guys! mom (on speakerphone): hi! son (on speakerphone): dad, i two goals today! vo: getting to a comfortable retirement doesn't have to be an uncomfortable thought. see how lincoln can help. that skills like teamwork, attention to detail, and customer service are critical to business success. like the ones we teach here, every day.

the pressure cooker that crisps. it's the best of pressure cooking and air frying all in one. with tendercrisp technology, food will be juicy on the inside, crispy on the outside. (upbeat drumming) the ninja foodi, the pressure cooker that crisps. the united states postal service the ninja foodi, makes more holiday deliveries to homes than anyone else in the country. ♪ with one notable exception. ♪ first down carry. now a first down by ingram.

how about a touchdown. >> little pump fake, first down. wide open is his man jared cook. >> first down phillip lindsay back in. lindsay cutting to the outside! he's got blazing speed and he's gone! touchdown broncos! >> running like an option, going to keep it, dives. did he break it? yes, he did! touchdown pittsburgh! >> stafford sets, now he throws. what a catch! touchdown! >> wide open and that is a touchdown. >> kelliot doesn't care. he breaks three! into the end zone, touchdown! >> deep shot down the field to

t.y. hilton. touchdown! >> those were some of the biggest scoring plays from around the nfl yesterday. now the bears hosted the vikings on sunday night football. the bears pad their lead in the nfc north over second place minnesota. they shut out the vikings until the very end of the third quarter. more signs that the trade for khalil mack is paying off as the linebacker added an eighth sack and a forced fumble and recovery. bears safety eddie jackson puts it out of reach for the vikings with a 27-yard pick six. chicago hangs onto earn its fourth win in a row 25-20. the nba and another historical performance by king james. to miami where james notches his first victory in the city since leaving back in 2014 with a

whopping 51 points scored against his former team. final score in this one 113-97. still ahead, with the gop majority in the house coming to an end, the republicans are planning to subpoena combs and the former fbi director is welcoming it. president trump is denying reports he's questioned the loyalty of vice president mike pence. e loyalty of vice president mike pence. ♪ the united states postal service makes more holiday deliveries to homes than anyone else in the country. ♪ with one notable exception. ♪ makeup now optional. new aveeno® maxglow™ infusion drops with kiwi to lock moisture.

and soy to even skin tone. unleash dewy, glowing skin from within. new aveeno® maxglow™. what does help for heart ♪ the beat goes on. it looks like emily cooking dinner for ten. ♪ the beat goes on. it looks like jonathan on a date with his wife. ♪ la-di-la-di. entresto is a heart failure medicine that helps your heart... so you can keep on doing what you love. in the largest heart failure study ever, entresto was proven superior at helping people stay alive and out of the hospital. it helps improve your heart's ability to pump blood to the body. don't take entresto if pregnant; it can cause harm or death to an unborn baby. don't take entresto with an ace inhibitor or aliskiren, or if you've had angioedema with an ace or arb. the most serious side effects are angioedema, low blood pressure, kidney problems, or high blood potassium. ask your doctor about entresto for heart failure.

yeah! entrust your heart to entresto. ♪ the beat goes on. the pressure cooker that crisps. it's the best of pressure cooking and air frying all in one so in as little as 30 minutes it will be crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and on your table. the ninja foodi, the pressure cooker that crisps. the united states postal service on the outside, juicy on the inside, and on your table. makes more holiday deliveries to homes than anyone else in the country. ♪ with one notable exception. ♪ get stronger... get closer. start listening today to the world's largest selection of audiobooks on audible. and now, get more. for just $14.95 a month, you'll get a credit a month good for any audiobook, plus two audible originals exclusive titles you can't find anywhere else. if you don't like a book,

you can exchange it any time, no questions asked. automatically roll your credits over to the next month if you don't use them. with the free audible app, you can listen anytime, and anywhere. plus for the first time ever, you'll get access to exclusive fitness programs a $95 value free with membership. start a 30-day trial today and your first audiobook is free. cancel anytime and your books are yours to keep forever. audible. the most inspiring minds. the most compelling stories. text "listen5" to 500500 to start your free trial today.

♪ it is the bottom of the hour, so let's get started with your top stories. more questions raised over acting attorney general matt whittaker and potential conflicts of interest when it comes to him overseeing robert mueller's russia probe. sam clovis who served as one of donald trump's cochairman says he is texting with his very good friend matt whittaker regularly. clovis made the comments while taking part in a recent podcast. he also said that whittaker has been given sole responsibility for mueller's investigation and predicted that the a.g. would do what is right with respect to the russia probe. in his fox news interview

yesterday, president trump said he wouldn't stop whittaker from scaling back mueller's probe if he chooses to do so. >> if whittaker decides in any way to limit or curtail the mueller investigation, are you okay with that? >> look, it's going to be up to him. i think he's very well aware politically. he's astute politically. he's a very smart person, a very respected person. i really believe he's going to do what's right. >> the lawmaker expected to be the chair of the house intel committee says they're prepared to challenge matt wihittaker's appointment. >> it's a flawed appointment, but the biggest flaw from my point of view is that he was chosen for the purpose of interfering with the mueller investigation. he auditioned for the part by

going on tv and saying he could hobble the investigation. >> following congressman shiff's comments the president took to twitter to criticize the democr democr democrat. while it is unclear if the move was by accident or not, the tweet has not been corrected. >> shiff tweeted, wow, mr. president, that's a good one. is that like your answers to mr. mueller's questions, or did you write this one yourself? shiff later used the president's own word against him citing his call for journalists to practice dec dec decorum. top house republican to subpoena james comey about the

2016 election. bob goodlat will order comeau too appear before the panel. the move is part of the republicans' ongoing investigation into decisions surrounding the election. he's also expected to subpoena former attorney general loretta lynch. following the news of the expected subpoena, comey tweeted, house republicans can ask me anything they want but i want the american people to watch, so let's have a public hearing. truth is best served by transparency. >> let's talk about these potential subpoenas here. the timing of it, because they have been willing to answer questions before, they made that clear. but the timing of it now, knowing the republicans have it and then soon the democrats take over. what do they have to gain with that? >> it's just a matter of weeks.

this is a lame duck congress. but they may be seeking to ask comey about what he knew and when he exonerated hillary clinton. he said nobody else knew about it. they're suggesting now text messages between strzok and page, those fbi personnel, suggests that not necessarily true. they're really looking for whether comey made false statements to congress, or at least trying to make a case that he did. but the timing is very interesting. also you pointed out that comey wants to testify in public. but chairman goodlat says he thinks everything should be in private with the transcript to be made available at a later time. so a lot of bickering back and forth and much ado maybe ultimately about nothing was a regime change is in the air. >> we'll see if anything comes out of it. when it comes to matthew whittaker and if he decides not to reskcuse himself, is there

anything other branches could do to change that? >> we start with art i, the legislative branch. they can become very pesky for whittaker. they can subpoena the doj. they can have open hearings. they could subpoena whittaker himself. meanwhile back at the judicial branch in article iii there is a pending lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of his appointment. the argument there is that because whittaker is what's called a superior officer, he must be senate confirmed and he is not. the argument on the other side is no, no, an acting a.g. is just an interior officer and does not need to be confirmed by the senate. it will be interesting to see where this goes, which is surely to the supreme court. >> we know the president is going to submit the answers to

the special counsel by thanksgiving. rudy giuliani said by july 4th and then here we are now. what's important here are these are questions not about obstruction of justice. they can choose what they're going to answer. >> they can. remember it's what they don't answer that is just as significant for prosecutors. here's the thing, prosecutors rarely have a situation where they give written questions to a defendant or suspect or anybody and get answers back for them to pour over and study for inconsistencies. you bet the trump team is going to try to answer them as non-committal as they possibly can. on the other hand, these questions, i guarantee, have been crafted to force the president into a catch-22 or a hobson's choice or whatever you want to call it. and no matter what he answers, there's probably something there that they're looking for.

>> great to have you with us. thank you. president trump rejected a "new york times" report that he had been asking aides and advisors in vice president mike pence is loyal. most aides assured trump of his loyalty but some have suggested to him that while pence remains loyal, he may have used up his utility. these advisors argue that trump has forged his own relationship with evangelical voters and he might benefit more from a running mate who could help him with female voters. pence said, the president said to me there are no anonymous sources that would say what that article said. president trump also questions the new york times and suggested they were causing the breakup of the country. >> it was a phony story. i doubt they had any sources. i don't question his loyalty at all. he's already protested in many ways. mike pence is a terrific person.

that was a phony story written by the "new york times," who by the way, never called me for a comment. how do you do a story like that -- see, it's fake news and that's what breaks up the country. >> times reporter maggie haberman said potus would need to talk to them about why they didn't provide us with a quote from him. democrats have reportedly collected 17 signatures from members who say they will not vote to reelect nancy pelosi. pelosi can lose no more than 19 democrats if every member votes and all republicans vote against her. right now the number of no votes among current incoming members is at 20.

however, president trump says he could help deliver some republican votes. >> i want help nancy pelosi if she needs some votes. i will perform a wonderful service for her. i like her. can you believe it? i like nancy pelosi. she's tough and she's smart, but she deserves to be speaker. and now they're playing games with her just like they'll be playing with me. it's called presidential harassment. >> pel low said, she would, quote, never accept help from republicans. marsha fudge met with the democratic leader on friday and says she will announce her decision after thanksgiving. still ahead, the senate majority leader gives his outlook on president trump's push to tackle criminal justice reform. plus, bill karins is back with a check of our thanksgiving week forecast. it might change your plans or at

least how you're going to dress in some parts. ast how you're go in some parts. ♪ the united states postal service makes more holiday deliveries to homes than anyone else in the country. ♪ with one notable exception. ♪ the pressure cooker that crisps. it's the best of pressure cooking and air frying all in one. with tendercrisp technology, food will be juicy on the inside, crispy on the outside. (upbeat drumming) the ninja foodi, the pressure cooker that crisps.

(pirate girl) ahoy!!!!! the ninja foodi, (excited squeal, giggling/panting) gotcha! (man) ah! (girl) nooooooooooooo! (man) nooooo! (girl) nooooo... (vo) quick, the quicker picker upper! bounty picks up messes quicker, and is two times more absorbent than the leading ordinary brand. (man and pirate girl) ahoy! (laughing) (vo) bounty, the quicker picker upper. sometimes bipolar i disorder can make you feel like you have no limits. but mania, such as unusual changes in your mood, activity or energy levels, can leave you on... ...shaky ground. help take control by asking your healthcare provider about vraylar. vraylar treats acute mania of bipolar i disorder. vraylar significantly reduces overall manic symptoms, and was proven in adults

with mixed episodes who have both mania and depression. vraylar should not be used in elderly patients with dementia, due to increased risk of death or stroke. call your doctor about fever, stiff muscles, or confusion, which may mean a life-threatening reaction or uncontrollable muscle movements, which may be permanent. side effects may not appear for several weeks. high cholesterol and weight gain; high blood sugar, which can lead to coma or death; decreased white blood cells, which can be fatal; dizziness upon standing; falls; seizures; impaired judgement; heat sensitivity; and trouble swallowing may occur. you're more than just your bipolar i. ask about vraylar. starts with a december to remember at the lexus december to remember sales event. lease the 2018 ls 500 for $769 a month for 36 months. experience amazing at your lexus dealer. the united states postal service for 36 months. makes more holiday deliveries to homes than anyone else in the country. ♪ with one notable exception. ♪

welcome back. senate majority leader mitch mcconnell says it is unlikely the senate will have enough time to vote on a bipartisan criminal justice bill this year. the "new york times" reports mcconnell told trump that regardless of the support the bill has had in the senate and from the white house, there is likely not enough time to bring the bill up for a vote this year, according to people familiar with the meeting. the majority leader told the president that the bill would most likely need ten days on the senate floor, time that he did not have. trump last week enthusiastically endorsed the proposal and speaker paul ryan pledged to move the bill across the finish line in the how is this term. mcconnell earlier told reporters he would be willing to push the bill forward but cautioned he would need to see how it stacked

up against the other priorities before the end of the season. let's get a check on your weather now with nbc meteorologist bill karins. bill, a frigid thanksgiving week. >> i was just thinking about all the millions of people that are going to be lining the parade route in new york city and the balloons blowing around and windchills in the teens. not going to be a pretty scene. at least it won't be sleet or snow or rain, but it will be cold. here's where the cold air is starting, today up here in north dakota, northern minnesota. in fargo 13 degrees for your high temperature today. easily 20 degrees below normal. this is a january air mass in november. minneapolis is going to be 28. as we go toward tuesday, that cold air makes its way through the great lakes, chicago 33 for a high, detroit 33. it's all heading for the northeast by the time we get to

thanksgiving day. burlington, vermont, thanksgiving day only 18 for your high temperature. early morning the windchill could be down in the single digits. it's not going to be fun for the parade route. even d.c. has a very cold thursday on thanksgiving at 34. travel will be easy, no problems at the airlines anywhere else. today we get a little bit of wintery weather here in ohio, pennsylvania. tonight we get that snow in areas of the northern and central new england. by wednesday the busy travel day, just some snow showers with that cold blast coming in. then we watch the west coast. we definitely need the rain in california. you can't win in california because if you get the fires, then you get the heavy rain. you get the mudslides. it has to rain sooner or later. it's going to stay pretty active toward the weekend in the west. >> hope california gets a break. they need it. still ahead, the white house

reportedly mulls a plan to please turkey's leader over the fallout between saudi arabia and alleged ties between jamal kashoggi's murder. what president trump is saying about the turkish cleric at the center of this rumored deal. h c center of this rumored deal. makes more holiday deliveries to homes than anyone else in the country. ♪ with one notable exception. ♪ to take care of yourself. but nature's bounty has innovative ways to help you maintain balance and help keep you active and well-rested. because hey, tomorrow's coming up fast. nature's bounty. because you're better off healthy. the pressure cooker that crisps. it's the best of pressure cooking and air frying all in one so in as little as 30 minutes it will be crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and on your table. the ninja foodi, the pressure cooker that crisps.

the united states postal service on the outside, juicy on the inside, and on your table. makes more holiday deliveries to homes than anyone else in the country. ♪ with one notable exception. ♪ [ready forngs ] christmas? no, it's way too early to be annoyed by christmas. you just need some holiday spirit! that's it! this feud just went mobile. with xfinity xfi you get the best wifi experience at home. and with xfinity mobile, you get the best wireless coverage for your phone. ...you're about to find out! you don't even know where i live... hello!

see the grinch in theaters by saying "get grinch tickets" into your xfinity x1 voice remote. a guy just dropped this off. he-he-he-he. welcome back. last week nbc news learned that the trump administration wants to deport turkish cleric to

turkey in an effort to persuade him to ease pressure on the saudi government over the murder of jamal kashoggi. erdogan has accused gulen of being a terrorist who helped plan a 2016 failed coup attempt and has wanted him extradited to turkey for years. president trump responded to this report on saturday. >> no. it's not under consideration. we are always looking. and whatever we can do for turkey and frankly countries that we get along with very well, we're having a very good moment with turkey. as you know, he gave pastor brunson back last week and we appreciate that. we are doing very well with turkey. i get along very, very well with the president. he's a friend of mine. he's a strong man. he's a tough man.

and he's a smart man. but he's a friend of mine. whatever we can do, we'll do. but that is something that we're always looking at. but at this point, no. >> reuters that the justice department has denied that it is planning an extradition deal. joining us once again live from london, nbc's cal perry. that's talk about the implications here. what would it mean if the trump administration did expedite gulen back to turkey? >> well, it would call into question the entire u.s. extradition system. it would be illegal. this is why many u.s. officials freaked out about this when it sort of came down the pipeline. this is a wild story and i do want our viewers to read about it. carol lee, julie ainsley broke it on our website nbc.com. trump administration officials last month asked federal law enforcement officials, so they reached out to the fbi, and they asked them to examine legal ways of removing turkish cleric

fethullah gulen. as you said, at best gulen is a political exile, at worst he is the them sis of the turkish leader, someone who donald trump has great affinity for. he has been living in pennsylvania since the late 1990s, totally legally, he has a green card, and this is the second time that this administration has tried to basically ship him off to turkey where he would be at the very best thrown in prison, at the very worst he would be probably killed after a sham trial. the last time that this happened was in 2017. michael flynn along with his son basically tried to barter him to the turks, to the turkish government. there are some allegations that they tried to kidnap him, throw him into the trunk of a car. this is part of the mueller investigation. it all comes back to that mueller investigation. but this is truly a wild story. the quote that i will leave you with, this is from the article, quote, once they realized it was a serious request, the career guys were furious. that according to a u.s. official. >> thanks so much for bringing us up to date. still to come, axios' nick

johnson has a look at this morning's one big thing. and coming up on the "morning joe" the president's rocky weekend and what it may signal for the road ahead. his continued refusal to admit defeat in the elections, as he raises eyebrows with his strategy to prevent a repeat of the deadly wildfires in california. "morning joe" is just moments away. california "morning joe" is just moments away ♪ the united states postal service makes more holiday deliveries to homes than anyone else in the country. ♪ with one notable exception. ♪ winning audience awards greeacross the country.ovie he's only the greatest piano player in the world. there's no better way to spend the holidays than with viggo mortensen and mahershala ali. that's a handsome suit. guys looks just like you. they're so good, you'll wish the movie would never end. where'd you learn how to play like that? my mother, soon as i could walk. it's one of the best films of the year. i don't think i've ever met anyone with you're appetite.

you know my father used to say, whatever you do, do it 100%. [ laughter ] the pressure cooker that crisps. it's the best of pressure cooking and air frying all in one. with tendercrisp technology, food will be juicy on the inside, crispy on the outside. (upbeat drumming) the ninja foodi, the pressure cooker that crisps. unpredictable crohn's symptoms following you? for adults with moderately to severely active crohn's disease, stelara® works differently.

studies showed relief and remission, with dosing every 8 weeks. stelara® may lower your ability to fight infections and may increase your risk of infections and cancer. some serious infections require hospitalization. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you have an infection or flu-like symptoms or sores, have had cancer, or develop new skin growths, or if anyone in your house needs or recently had a vaccine. alert your doctor of new or worsening problems, including headaches, seizures, confusion and vision problems. these may be signs of a rare, potentially fatal brain condition. some serious allergic reactions and lung inflammation can occur. talk to your doctor today, and learn how janssen can help you explore cost support options. remission can start with stelara®. the united states postal service explore cost support options. makes more holiday deliveries to homes than anyone else in the country. ♪ with one notable exception. ♪

a.m. joining us from washington with that is editor and chief for axios nicholas johnson. >> good morning. >> good monday morning to you. what are you looking at for the one big thing for this morning? >> today's one big thing is the latest with president trump in the murder of journalist jamal khashoggi. this is something president trump has not wanted to spend a lot of time talking about or making a big deal of, although he does tell aides privately it's, quote, very bad. he also talks about how he compares the actions of saudi arabia to other countries, comparing it to the way china keeps over a million of an ethnic minority in internment

camps, a lot of countries that are allies to the united states do a lot of bad things. he hasn't wanted to make a big deal of it at all. he told in interviews over the weekend he wasn't interested in hearing the tape of the killing, he has heard it's horrible, he has talked about releasing a possible report. actually, repairing a report on that, but we don't know if that will be released externally at all, maybe just for his consideration. something the president wants to go away. unless there is a particularly literal smoking gun tying the saudi crown prince to this murder, something that president trump will probably let slip behind in the background. >> we know he has been skeptical about the evidence that's been reported and pointing the finger at mbs. what is it about the reporting that you have when it comes to the president privately down playing the killings? what is he saying? >> he even says it sort of publicly, it's impossible to know who was really behind it and how it really came together. also the president doesn't feel

like playing this up much because remember khashoggi was a u.s. resident but not a u.s. citizen. president trump says to aides that the killing didn't happen on u.s. soil, why should it be such an enormous concern to the u.s., despite the fact there was an outrage over the murder of someone writing for the "washington post" who was a legal resident for the united states. >> what do you expect to see or hear from the president saying he hasn't been briefed yet, we don't know, we'll see is how he continues to refers to it. >> we will get some sense of the report perhaps monday or tuesday, the president has talked about that. we don't expect that to be released publicly. i think the president may take the exact same approach he has taken so far, saying there isn't any way of knowing specifically what may have happened and who ordered it. >> people wake up this morning, shifting gears here, first thing they look on their social media, they look at their feeds, but also that's factoring in with new polling on a topic that seems to be uniting republicans, democrats and independents. >> a new survey is that

americans don't favor tech regulation. they think that the government won't go far enough in taking on the big tech giants. more than half of all americans say the u.s. government won't go far enough in regulating privacy and other privacy concerns. that's a jump over 15 points since we vur vaid it earlier in the year. it is bipartisan, both republicans and democrats have their eyes set on big tech. republicans are very concerned, they think the liberal tech companies have views, that the company has become too powerful and rich and too much control and it's creating an interesting bipartisan union among pollsters and we're starting to see it on the hill where there could be chances of regulation if not this year next year. >> we will see what the dynamic that has to play a role. we know the president is going to head to palm beach, florida, later today, he has the christmas tree. what else are you following when it comes to this short week and the holidays? >> this is a pretty short holiday he can would.

we have a christmas tree coming, a pardoning of the thanksgiving turkey. i'm already looking ahead to next month. we have a government shutdown looming and the president in the last couple days and we will watch for more statements this week has been rattling a little louder about a shut down if he doesn't get the funding for the wall. the last bill didn't have that kind of funding, he was unhappy about it and he may be a little more direct in trying to get that funding and threatening a government shutdown if he doesn't this time around. >> in between now and then we have turkeys and the tree. >> happy thanksgiving. >> thanks as always. we will be reading axios a.m. in a little while. sign up for the newsletter at signup.axios.com. i'm frances rivera, alongside louis burgdorf. "morning joe" starts right now. i wasn't on the ballot. >> wait. you kept saying -- >> no i said look at me -- >> you said pretend i'm on the ballot. >> i have people and you see the polls how good they are, i have people that won't vote unless i'm on the ballot, okay, and i

wasn't on the ballot. >> i'm not on the ballot, but in a certain way i'm on the ballot so please go out and vote. go out and vote. >> well, we learned a lot from the president over the weekend, that republicans had a great victory in the midterms. fantastic. speaking of fantastic, he says saudi arabia is spectacular. >> by the way, the same weekend the cia said that, yes, they've heard it all and it's very clear that mbs did, in fact, order the killing. >> that raking leaves prevents forest fires, you know, smoky the bear never told me that. but it's good that we know that now from the president. and that america dragged its feet in killing bin laden. that the president is too busy to visit u.s. troops at war and on too many phone calls to lay a wreath at arlington. he downplayed climate change and brushed off the